w00kie's ramblings

Category: japan

  • JLPT Fail

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    w00kie
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    For all the hundreds of people waiting for their JLPT results to arrive and coming to my blog via google searches, know that this year’s score slip has arrived yesterday in Japan. As I was expecting, I failed level 2 again for lack of studying… JLPT 2008 score: 217/400 Vocabulary/Kanji: 58/100 Listening: 81/100 Grammar/Reading: 78/200…

  • JLPT Level 2

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    w00kie
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    I took the test last Sunday at Surugadai University in Hanno, way out at the feet of the mountains west of Tokyo. Usually I’m assigned to Saitama Daigaku which is 10min of taxi from my new place, but I guess this year they thought I was too close and needed to suffer a bit more…

  • Why do Japanese octopus wear headbands?

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    w00kie
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    I’ve been wondering about this for a long time: why are たこ always represented wearing 鉢巻? I mean, I understand the mouth, but where does the headband come from? Is it because hachimaki is a symbol of hard workers and the tako with its 8 “arms” must be good at multi-tasking? Photo courtesy of kamoda

  • Train accident on my way to work

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    w00kie
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    This morning, on my way to work, my train stopped one express station after mine. Some accident had happened on the line and the traffic was stopped for 2-3 hours. No way I could get to work, and once the train would start running again there’d be no bus left to bring me from the…

  • U.S. Elections impact on Japan

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    w00kie
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    I don’t know if we will see any real difference here with Democrats instead of Republicans at the helm over there. All I know is this made me laugh right after lunch. A friend of mine who works in a cargo ship brokering firm forwarded me a market report written by another broker: Following the…

  • 3-day weekend in Karuizawa

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    w00kie
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    I spent last weekend, which was a 3-day holiday with 文化の日 on monday, in 軽井沢, which could be compared to the Gstaad or Courchevel of Japan. Of course, it’s a pretty far-fetched comparison: the ski-station could barely be called a hill, but anyways that’s where all the rich CEO’s buy fabulous chalets and come chill…

  • Lonely Shoe

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    w00kie
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    Coming back from work I found a lonely shoe left in the middle of the sidewalk in front of a pachinko outside my train station. Girls walking by would shout out 「ええっ！気持ち悪い！」

  • Prime Ministers of Japan

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    w00kie
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    Junichiro Koizumi – 小泉 純一郎 – 2001 to 2006 – grandfather was Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Shinzo Abe – 安倍 晋三 – 2006 to 2007 – grandfather was Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda – 福田 康夫 ,– 2007 to 2008 – father was Prime Minister Taro Aso – 麻生 太郎 – soon to be sworn…

  • On the road to Hokkaido

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    w00kie
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    My good friend Jon, who is clearly superhuman, was until 3 weeks ago working at Valeo on the desk in front of me. He is now between jobs taking a sabbatical and, since he can’t stay idle too long, has started a great journey from Saitama to Hokkaido… on a bicycle. He will be twittering…

  • Half-assed features on Softbank iPhone

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    w00kie
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    I’m getting reports from my friends with iPhones here in Japan, since I still haven’t gone crazy and taken one as a second phone. Some features have been completely borked by Softbank: There’s no + for international calls. Apparently, Softbank’s network does not support the + (country code) (your number) that is industry standard on…

  • Special rules for Gaijin buying an iPhone

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    w00kie
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    If you’re planning on buying an iPhone (it’s a little too late now since they’re already out of stock everywhere in Kanto) and you’re a foreigner, there’s a couple of things you need to be aware of before you head out to the Softbank shop: Bring your Gaikokujin Torokusho (Alien Card) + Passport. It seems…

  • iPhone in Japan: it’s the new Wii

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    w00kie
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    So people have been lined up in front of the flagship Softbank shop in Omotesando since Monday, all reservations that were taken in the first days after announcement have been canceled and now my friend Jon tells me that he called the main Softbank shop in Kumagaya, Saitama-ken and they are having a raffle for…

  • iPhone pricing details announced officially

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    w00kie
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    A press release just appeared on Softbank’s website and suddenly Twitter went ablaze: the official pricing details for the iPhone have been published. Here’s the lowdown: 7,280円 per month for basic white plan and unlimited data 960円 per month for the 8GB version, 1,440円 per month for the 16GB version (for 24 months) specific email…

  • Otaku rush on the new Fukutoshin

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    w00kie
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    Last Saturday morning I was leaving a party at 5 A.M. in Shibuya and decided it would be nice to come back home to Shiki with the new Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin line which was opening the very day and interfaces with my usual Tobu Tojo line for an almost direct trip to and from Shibuya…

  • iPhone will be mine on July 11th

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    w00kie
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    I missed the Keynote because I’m sick like a dog (went rafting/canyoning this weekend in a 7ºC mountain river) and couldn’t bear to stay up until 3 A.M., but today I’m telling my boss I’m taking a day off on July 11th. Update: link to the official Softbank press release.