Hikikomori

I teach a 2nd year writing class at one of my high schools. Today's journal topic was "If you were born again, what would you like to be reborn as?" There were some pretty interesting answers. Here are some excerpts:

*I want to be a man, because I can't give birth to a baby. I don't want to see that.

*I want to be a cloud. I want to drift. But I don't speak. It is very sad. I want to speak.

*I want to be a refrigerator so every day will be cold. At this time of year, I want to be a refrigerator.

*If I am reborn, I want to be a bird. Because birds fly around. But I disagree one point. It is eating insects. I very disagree with this.

*I want to be a man, because men have quick reflexes and a comfortable change of clothes.

*I want to be a witch because a witch can do everything. For example, sleep late.

*I want to be a boy. I will be an actor walking the red carpet. Many actress enclosed.

*I want to be a witch. I want to cast a spell on a cake. I want it to transform to a big cake.

*I want to be reborn as the child of an entertainer because I can be proud of my parents. Also, I can meet other entertainers. I want to meet Arashi. When I meet them, I take pictures with them.

Posted via email from hikikomori

Suwacho at Night

2010-06-13T09:32:00.001-04:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via web from hikikomori

Another Kitakami Park

2010-06-12T10:28:00.001-04:00

See the full gallery on posterous

Posted via web from hikikomori

Kitakami

2010-06-06T09:51:00.001-04:00

Solo photowalk.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from hikikomori

My Google Page

2010-06-03T06:39:00.001-04:00

Google added the ability to add your own photos to the Google home page. Here are some of mine.

See the full gallery on posterous

If you would like to use one, you can snag it off my Picasa.

Posted via web from hikikomori

The wind chimes are back at Mizusawa station

2010-05-26T04:50:00.001-04:00

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_0022.MOV (1680 KB)

Posted via email from hikikomori

Tonight I had tonkatsu parfait.

2010-05-18T08:23:00.001-04:00

BELIEVE IT!

Posted via email from hikikomori

Almost ready for planting

2010-05-17T07:28:00.001-04:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

Man Mountain

2010-05-02T22:36:00.001-04:00

Kitakami

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from hikikomori

Tenshouchi at Night

2010-05-02T06:13:00.001-04:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

Hibuse Matsuri 2010

2010-04-29T10:36:00.001-04:00

in Mizusawa, Japan.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via web from hikikomori

Hibuse Matsuri

2010-04-29T05:54:00.001-04:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

Oh My Spaghetti!

2010-03-13T22:00:00.001-05:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

The days are getting longer.

2010-02-24T04:01:00.001-05:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

I'd be pretty nervous about getting my nails done here.

2010-02-12T23:56:00.001-05:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

Okay, this is getting weird.

2010-02-10T01:56:00.001-05:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

I look scarier every time my students draw me...

2010-01-27T01:56:00.001-05:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

Kitakami Snow

2010-01-10T10:04:00.001-05:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from hikikomori

Suwa-jinja

2010-01-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

Kitakami

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from hikikomori

Arcade

2010-01-10T09:48:00.001-05:00

Kitakami

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from hikikomori

At the MyCal cinema in Kitakami

2010-01-06T02:55:00.001-05:00

The WB character mural is all Kitakami-y.

Posted via email from hikikomori

This American Infographic

2010-01-05T11:28:00.001-05:00

#001 – New Beginnings

January 4th, 2010 § 4

My new years resolution is to make an infographic on every This American Life ever made. The idea is to expand and add context to the stories and information contained in the shows. Basically, anything I am curious about while listening to the pieces.

Today I started at the beginning, the first episode of This American Life, back when it was called “Your Radio Playhouse”. In this episode, one of the characters is an innocent musician who had been wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years because of a witness who later recanted their testimony. This made me wonder about the number of people who have been released after serving crimes they did not commit. Which is how I came to find this data from the Innocence Project.

via tai.ejfox.com

"My new years resolution is to make an infographic on every This American Life ever made. The idea is to expand and add context to the stories and information contained in the shows. Basically, anything I am curious about while listening to the pieces."

Posted via web from hikikomori

Another Melt Banana Lite Track

2010-01-04T16:47:00.001-05:00

Dig A Pit by Melt - Banana
Download now or listen on posterous

05 Dig a Pit.mp3 (2009 KB)

For Alex.

Posted via email from hikikomori

Chuson-ji

2010-01-01T06:59:00.001-05:00

Edited with tiltshift.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from hikikomori

Happy 2010

2009-12-31T11:26:00.001-05:00

Posted via email from hikikomori

Shinkansen

2009-12-28T20:39:00.001-05:00

Download now or watch on posterous

IMG_2516.MOV (1577 KB)

Posted via email from hikikomori

Wankosoba

2009-12-28T01:15:00.001-05:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from hikikomori

Kitakami Snow

2009-12-27T02:49:00.001-05:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from hikikomori

Melt-Banana Lite

2009-12-27T01:28:00.001-05:00

Feedback Deficiency by Melt - Banana
Download now or listen on posterous

01 Feedback Deficiency.mp3 (4209 KB)

I tried to share this earlier, but it didn't work. Let's try this again. From Melt-Banana's new album.

Posted via email from hikikomori

I'm trying to stream everything through Posterous. This is a test.

2009-12-27T00:57:00.001-05:00

Posted via email from hikikomori's posterous

Hello 2007

2007-08-01T10:23:00.000-04:00

So this blog is pretty much dead. Maybe I'll do something with it in the future, but who knows. If you wanna find me, I'm on web 2.0.

Twitter
Facebook
Flickr
You Tube
Last.fm
Del.icio.us
Jaiku
Pownce
My Space
Picasa Web Albums
Meebo
Google Reader
Tumblr
Panoramio

Kamaishi Tribute Video

2006-10-15T21:55:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned Kamaishi on here a few times, mostly because it's my wife's home town. I recently stumbled across this video on YouTube and was quite surprised that someone took the time to make such a tribute. Not that Kamaishi doesn't deserve it, it's just so small. This is probably only of interest to me (look I've been there!! And there!), but I thought I would share anyways.

The town itself has seen better days as most of the younger population have moved on to bigger cities, but it's definitely worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Iwate.

I have seen the future of music...

2006-10-14T23:01:00.000-04:00

and surprisingly Sepultura plays a part in it.

Hachijuhakkasho

2006-10-09T23:25:00.000-04:00

I wrote this months ago and sorta forgot about it. My bad.

So I promised that I had lots to share regarding my trip to Japan and, thanks to my insomnia, I'm here to do just that. Sorry if this is a bit long. I don't mind if you just look at the pictures. The entire time I was in Kamaishi (my wife's hometown) I kept telling everyone I wanted to go into the mountains. The town is surrounded by mountains, as is much of Japan, and I thought I could get a better view of the city. So on our final day in Kamaishi, Mutsumi decides to take me up into the mountains. After a short walk we come to a path that leads up into the mountains. But it's so overgrown that we choose not to make our way through. Instead we decide to wander around.

From the top of a hill we see a statue off in the distance, so we decide to go and check it out. Mutsumi explains that the name of the place is Hachijuhakkasho, which means "88", as in 88 ghosts or spirits. She says she remembers her mom taking her and her sister there for a picnic when she was a kid.

When we arrive at the statue it's a bit breathtaking. Here, off of this secluded mountain path, is a seemingly ancient statue and nobody cares. If this were America we would have had to traverse acres of parking lots and vendors selling commemorative hachijuhakkaho t-shirts just to get to it. But apparently Japan has enough ancient curiosities that some old statue just doesn't interest anyone. The small field in front of the statue, where Mutsumi and her mom had the picnic, hasn't seen a lawnmower in years. To the left of the statue is a small building that has collapsed and a wide path that's big enough for a car. To the left of that is a small shrine that's still standing and a wide area that looks to be the former site of the main shrine. It was demolished long ago and there is nothing left of it. A little farther up the path stands another statue, this one much smaller, of a man and a boy. I know next to nothing about Buddhism, so these statues may have some sort of obvious meaning that's lost to me.

Mutsumi says she thinks that because the place is called “Hachijuhakkasho” there must be 88 statues. Obviously I'm not going to let such an awesome place go unexplored. I must know if there are indeed 88 statues, but Mutsumi gets cold feet. She always gets a little nervous around shrines and graveyards. An abandoned holy ground known as “the place of 88 ghosts” is not her idea of an adventure. I thought it sounded fun, like an episode of Scooby Doo, but she insisted we go back. I didn't want to go alone because of bears or poisonous snakes or maybe one of the 88 ghosts so I reluctantly went back with her.

But back at the house I can't stop talking about the place. Opportunities like this don't come around very often so I decide to head back alone. Bears, snakes and ghosts be damned. On the way back I wonder how Mutsumi would let me visit Kamaishi twice without taking me to this place. It's not even a mile away from her house!

When I make it back to the statue everything looks a little more foreboding - maybe because I was alone, I dunno. The sun will set soon, so I don't have much time. I head past the statues up the big paved road. Fifty yards or so up the pavement ends and I find another statue. This one has a big, rusted metal sword to his side. It looks really cool, but both of the pictures I took were really blurry for some reason. To the left, a much smaller, unpaved path continues up the mountain.

All along the path I find little statues, each numbered in kanji, and there are indeed 88 of them. Each statue is different, and each has a small blue plaque next to it. Most of the plaques writing had long since faded, but I did find one that fallen face down. Because it was hidden from the sun, the writing was still legible - to someone else. I can't read many kanji. I snapped a picture hoping that Mutsumi would translate later.

There are branching paths and statues everywhere I look. I make careful note of which paths I take because getting lost was not high on my list of things to do. Mutsumi once told me a story of how her and her friends got lost in the mountains surrounding Kamaishi. She said they recited Buddhist chants until they found their way home. I don't know any Buddhist chants, so I would most likely stayed lost.

I continue on, taking pictures of every statue I come across. When I reach (what I think) is the summit I decide to head back. It's been nearly an hour and I'm sure Mutsumi will start worrying soon. Despite my terrible sense of direction I have no problem finding the correct paths back to civilization.

Walking home, I think how lucky I am to have such an experience. How many people get to explore an abandoned, mountainside holy ground? And doing it alone made it all the more interesting. I felt like some sort of small-time Indiana Jones. I try to think of some way to put into the words the experience I just had. Is this what a religious experience is like? Yes. Definitely a religious experience.

But back at the house, Mutsumi's mom puts a pin in my spiritual balloon. It turns out that Hachijuhakkasho isn't as ancient as I thought. It was built by a rich family sometime in the 60's. Furthermore, it's a copy of a more famous Hachijihakkasho that's found elsewhere in Japan (I don't remember where... I'll ask Mutsumi tomorrow). In other words it's a fake. A tourist trap. So much for religious experiences.

Though I may not have gotten any closer to God (or Buddha) on that mountain, it was still an interesting experience. And who knows? Maybe in 100 years it will be a holy ground. Long after people forget who built the statues and their initial purpose, maybe they will seem mysterious and holy. But then those people will read this post (which is sure to around in 100 years, right?) and feel a little cheated.

Google purchases YouTube for $1.65 Billion

2006-10-09T16:28:00.000-04:00

The rumors proved to be true and Google has acquired YouTube for a whole lotta money. This is great news for users of the popular video sharing site as Google is probably one of the few companies who could afford YouTube's bandwidth bill, rumored to be around $1 million a month. Google's acquisition means that YouTube will be spared the intrusive advertising that was sure to come.
One thing that that bothers me about the deal is that YouTube will continue to operate independently. I actually prefer Google Video and would love for YouTube to inherit some of its features - namely the larger player and iPod downloads. It would also be great if YouTube could drop the 10 minute time limit as Google Video has never had such a limit. Pairing Google's interface with YouTube's vast content would be a win-win for everyone.

Limbo - Beautiful B&W Side-scroller

2006-10-06T10:57:00.000-04:00

You may think this concept art is impressive (or is this actual gameplay?), but just wait until you see the video. This kind of game seems readymade for the virtual console.

Testing... Testing...

2006-10-05T17:25:00.001-04:00

I just switched over to the new beta version of blogger and I wanted to test out the moblog feature.

So that's what I'm doing. Disregard.

Simply Recipes Saved My (culinary)Life

2006-10-05T15:55:00.000-04:00

I've always been into food, though more as a consumer than as a producer. It wasn't that I didn't like to cook, it was that I was rubbish at it. All of my dishes turned out bland and uninspired (except for my Buffalo Chicken Sushi. That was truly inspired).
But Elise Bauer's Simply Recipes has changed all that. A few weeks ago I tried Elise's Italian Sausage Spaghetti and it was easily some of the best I've ever had. And it was super simple to make. The site seems to be developing quite a following as her recipes regularly appear on the Del.icio.us popular page.
Does anyone know of any other good food blogs? I would love to have more recipes show up in my rss reader.

New Google Reader Allows Sharing

2006-09-30T16:23:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know it's been a while.
Google added a neato feature to their RSS reader - sharing. So now, if you go to this page here you can find all of the stories that I found interesting... and there are a lot of them. Let me know if you use Google Reader and I'll add you to my feeds.

Update: You can now just look to the right to see my shared items.

Wake Property Taxes Will Increase!

2006-06-19T23:58:00.000-04:00

Wake Property Taxes Will Increase!
Originally uploaded by hikikomorix.

Also, the Canes won. I can hear car horns outside as we... uh... speak.

Raleigh Flooding

2006-06-15T01:00:00.000-04:00

No Left Turn
Originally uploaded by FotoDawg.

This is right down the street from my apartment.

Picasa Web Albums

2006-06-15T00:53:00.000-04:00

I got into the beta for Google's new Picasa Web Albums service. So far it looks pretty good... not Flickr good, but promising. I've mostly been uploading pics from my Japan trip. You can view them here.

The most interesting feature is the geotagging function that works with the new version of Google Earth. Users can pinpoint the exact location that they took a picture and view all of their photos within Google Earth. Very cool.

2006-06-14T01:23:00.000-04:00

What.

Ultra "Mature" Donkey Kong Box Art

2006-06-07T21:55:00.000-04:00

For all of you who complain that Nintendo is too "kiddy", keep in mind that this is the alternative.
Oh European Intellivision Donkey Kong box art, you slay me.
via: Game|Life

Suntory Ads by Akira Kurosawa & Francis Ford Coppola

2006-06-07T10:27:00.000-04:00

Click here to watch. Akira Kurosawa and Francis Ford Coppola are two names you wouldn't normally associate with commercials, so Suntory must have spent quite a bit of money to get the two. I've read that these commercials were the inspiration for Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation.
via: We Make Money Not Art

Number Stations

2006-06-05T15:28:00.000-04:00

On the most recent episode of TWiT one of the guys mentioned something called "number stations." Intrigued, I hit up Wikipedia to find out what they're all about. This is some really fascinating stuff.
Number stations are mysterious shortwave radio stations that transmit sequences of numbers and little else. Most people believe they are coded messages to spies from intelligence agencies all around the world. They were first heard some 30 years ago and continue to this day. In fact, (and this is why they were mentioned on TWiT), they are now being transmitted via voip.
My first thought upon hearing this is how awesome it would be to sample a number station in a song, but apparently I'm way too late. A number of artists have already used them and Wilco even named their "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" after a message heard on one of the stations.
In 1997 a four disc compilation of number station recordings called The Conet Project was released by Irdial Discs. The label has made the entire collection available for free download. The recordings are a bit creepy, especially this one which features a little girl reading the numbers.
This is but one more reason why shortwave radio enthusiasts have a reputation for being the coolest kids on the block.

Update: What an amazing coincidence. I just saw this posted to del.icio.us popular.

I Heart Dubai

2006-06-04T03:04:00.000-04:00

img7
Originally uploaded by Boudders.

Anyone who knows me who is my friend Rob knows that I've been saying for the last couple of years that Dubai is going to the be the next international hotspot. I mean hotspot in a good way, not in an armed conflict kind of way. Here's some more evidence of how amazingly correct I am.

Nintendo DS Arrives Early

2006-05-31T20:15:00.000-04:00

I was able to pick up a DS Lite 11 days before the official US launch
thanks to Target's blatant disregard for street dates. Thank you
Target. Mutsumi's been playing some of her Brain Training games (and
doing quite well actually) and I've been alternating between New Super
Mario Bros. and the Kanji Dictionary. One is more fun than useful and the other is more useful than fun.

And we're back...

2006-05-29T08:10:00.000-04:00

So I'm in the most technologically advanced nation on the planet for two weeks and I can't find a decent internet connection. To be fair, the local library in Kamaishi had access, but I couldn't send emails (or update this blog) for some reason.
I've got lots to share, but for now I'm just posting a bunch of photos to Flickr.

I'm off

2006-05-12T16:38:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to let you guys know that I'm heading to Japan in a few hours. I'm hoping to update the site a few times while I'm there, but I'm not sure if there's going to be any internet access in this Japan place. I kid, I kid. Although Mutsumi's parents have renounced internet access, so I will be forced to search local libraries and net cafes for my fix.

SD Darth Vader kun!

2006-05-03T21:47:00.000-04:00

harajukuhalloween12
Originally uploaded by pink_emmie_bat.

So cute...

Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten

2006-05-03T20:51:00.000-04:00

I'm still alive... barely. I'm knee-deep in finals, but I thought I would make some time mention Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten, Nintendo's kanji dictionary for the DS. In addition to being the most useful thing a Japanese student can buy, it also contains hidden Game & Watch titles.

I'm hoping to pick this up when I'm in Japan two weeks from now.

Source: NeoGAF

New Super Mario Bros.

2006-04-04T23:25:00.000-04:00

1up just posted a nice preview of the upcoming New Super Mario Bros. for the DS. For me, Mario games are a reason to live. They are on par with the Sistine Chapel or Da Vinci's Mona Lisa for sheer artistic brilliance. If gaming were a religion, Super Mario Bros. 1,2 and 3 would be the requisite holy books (That's the American Super Mario Bros. 2. The Japanese version would be something like The Book Of Mormon). And those blasphemous gamers who have forsaken 2D for 3D would be heathens. Their blood would flow through the streets.
I guess what I'm trying to say is... I like Mario.

The game has been pushed back to May 15th in the US and May 27th in Japan. I'm supposed to leave Japan on the 27th, so hopefully I can buy a copy at Narita or something. DS Lite + New Mario= Best 14 hour flight ever.

April Fool's Day

2006-04-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's that time of the year when the internet becomes even less reliable: April Fool's Day. My favorite prank so far is found on Gamefaqs front page.

Also, CNN had a good one with Brazil's first astronaut reaches space station. Hahahahahahaha. Brazilian astronaut. CNN, you slay me!

Goodbye Herro

2006-03-31T08:23:00.000-05:00

It looks like Rich Pav over at Herro Flom Japan has posted his last podcast. This has always been my favorite podcast, except for a brief fling with The Ricky Gervais Show (brief because it costs money now), and now it's gone. Maybe Wired was on to something with that whole podfading thing.

Thanks for the show Rich. If you ever get back into podcasting, please let me know.

Do you guys have any podcast suggestions to fill the void?

power_up

2006-03-28T08:35:00.000-05:00

power_up
Originally uploaded by aperitive.

And here's one from Raleigh.

Skyscraper@Hamarikyu garden

2006-03-26T18:50:00.000-05:00

Skyscraper@Hamarikyu garden
Originally uploaded by Lost in Tokyo.

I told you there would be lots of Tokyo shots.

Flickr: Tokyo

2006-03-25T22:57:00.000-05:00

Originally uploaded by sachama.

I've decided to start posting some of my favorite Flickr photos that I come across. Most of them will be from the Raleigh or Tokyo feeds, as those are the only ones I'm subscribed to. A lot of them will probably by cityscapes as I am totally obsessed with them.

"Japanward Bound" or "Golf is good for something after all"

2006-03-25T15:59:00.000-05:00

Hikikomori is taking the cultural insensitivity on the road!

This May, Mutsumi and I are heading to Japan for free. Well, almost free. You see, one of Mutsumi's coworkers won a golf tournament of some sort and the grand prize was two tickets to Japan. Seeing as how he was from Japan, and his company was already going to pay for his trip back, he gave the tickets to us. Lucky! We still have to pay for a flight to New York and travel expenses in Japan, but it's going to be considerably cheaper.

Although the itinerary is not completely set, it looks like we'll be staying in Tokyo for a couple of nights with Mutsumi's sister. I'm planning on visiting Roppongi Hills since it wasn't there the last time I was in Tokyo. I hear Kojima Productions' offices are in Roppongi Hills, so if you guys are reading this (and I know you are), how about a tour? After Tokyo we're going to head to Iwate prefecture; Kamaishi in particular. There I'll get to see the in-laws again. We'll probably take a trip to an onsen one weekend. Fun. We'll also be visiting friends in Sendai and Akita Prefecture.

This trip i will actually have a camera (that wasn't purchased at a 7-11), so I'll have a ton of pictures to share. I'll try to post from there if I have time.

I'm On Fire

2006-03-19T22:28:00.000-05:00

I just got back from the I'm On Fire show at Cat's Cradle. Finest "Japa-meta" in all the Triangle. From their website -

Early in '80, hard rock/metal movement broke out in Japanese popular music scene.
It has been affected by the so-called Classic Hard Rock such as Deep Purple, Zep, and Sabbath, and also L.A. metal, which had been popular all around the world, such as Motley Crue, Van Halen, Ratt, and so on.
It has, however, created its own unique music by absorbing the world-wide hard rock/metal music and sublimating Japanese own melodic sense. It is called "Japa-Meta". We respect the "Japa-Meta" and introduce it to U.S.A.
Let's come and listen our music ! We're gonna do our best.

What's the deal with Gamevideos.com?

2006-03-12T02:21:00.000-05:00

Ziff Davis has a new addition planned for the 1up network called Gamevideos.com. Right now the site just gives a username/password prompt and nothing else, but it has been advertised for months in Electronic Gaming Monthly. So what's the hold up?
The ad in this month's EGM promises "Exclusive video game shows. From weekly news updates to in-depth roundtables, interviews and features on the hottest titles." That, plus game trailers, speed runs and retro game ads add up to a You Tube just for gamers. Pretty cool.
Normally I wouldn't be so anxious for a new website, but this is from the creators of The 1up Show. Which is easily the best game videocast out there. Heck, it's probably the best videocast period. If they can keep the same level of quality across multiple shows, well, that would be awesome.

LEGOd Video Games Set on Flickr

2006-02-21T12:50:00.000-05:00

Awesome, ne? You can find more here.
via: Boing Boing

Zelda 20th Anniversary

2006-02-20T22:37:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow (the 21st) is the 20th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. Yes, 20 years ago Japanese gamers were jamming brand new disks into their Famicom Disk Systems. Americans/Europeans would get their turn a year later in 1987.
I can think of no better way to spend tomorrow than firing up your NES/emulator and giving the classic a run-through. If you're like me, you'll be surprised at how much you remember. Ah, to be seven again...

Thanks for the reminder, Minna ni naisho dayo.

Edit: More Zelda Love
Polygone posted this .gif charting the evolution of Link on GAF.

Also, peep this totally def Zelda CM.

Edit: Even More Zelda Love
While that last CM was totally def, this one is the best Zelda CM ever.

Also, 1up.com has Two Decades of Zelda: 20 Years, 20 Reasons Link Still Rocks.

New Tetris DS Movies

2006-02-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

The British Gaming Blog has posted the first movies of Tetris DS in action. Those of you unaware of Nintendo's update to the classic may be wondering why you should care - Classic Nintendo Characters and WiFi internet play. That's why.
Tetris is always near the top of the many "best games ever" lists and for good reason. It's perfect. Not just close to perfection, it is perfection.
This will go great with the DS Lite.

"Cargo Cults" actually exist

2006-02-14T13:09:00.000-05:00

The newest issue of Smithsonian Magazine has a fascinating article about a group of South Pacific villagers that worship an American named John Frum.

The island’s John Frum movement is a classic example of what anthropologists have called a “cargo cult”—many of which sprang up in villages in the South Pacific during World War II, when hundreds of thousands of American troops poured into the islands from the skies and seas. As anthropologist Kirk Huffman, who spent 17 years in Vanuatu, explains: “You get cargo cults when the outside world, with all its material wealth, suddenly descends on remote, indigenous tribes.” The locals don’t know where the foreigners’ endless supplies come from and so suspect they were summoned by magic, sent from the spirit world. To entice the Americans back after the war, islanders throughout the region constructed piers and carved airstrips from their fields. They prayed for ships and planes to once again come out of nowhere, bearing all kinds of treasures: jeeps and washing machines, radios and motorcycles, canned meat and candy.

I really thought this was the kind of thing that only happened in movies.
via: Boing Boing

Send Me a Voice Message

2006-02-12T23:22:00.000-05:00

You know you want to. Click on the "send me an odeo" icon in the right column or click below.

Hikikomori Article in NYT

2006-01-16T13:15:00.000-05:00

Maggie Jones has an excellent article about hikikomori in yesterday's New York Times titled Shutting Themselves In. I thought this might be useful seeing as how most of the people coming to my site do so through a Google search for hikikomori.

For the record I'm not a hikikomori. The title was supposed to be a self-deprecating jab at the fact that everything I write about has to do with video games or computers. Fairly solitary hobbies. I never worried about the title when giving the address to my English-speaking friends as they would either get the joke, or not know what hikikomori actually meant. But now I'm starting to wonder how Japanese people interpret the title. I gave the url to my Japanese teacher a few days ago and I hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about me. I guess she knows I'm not a hikikomori by the way I actually show up for class and stuff like that. As some of you know, when I move to Japan I plan on turning this into yet another expat-type blog, and when this happens I'm going to change the name. Nothing set in stone yet (haven't paid for the domain name), but I think hikikomori will just be too awkward to use in Japan.

via: Metroblogging NYC

NCSU Prof on Colbert Report

2006-01-10T23:39:00.000-05:00

I just found out that one of my professors, Michael Adams, was on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report last night. Sadly, I missed it, but I'm currently downloa.... er, waiting patiently for Comedy Central to show the episode again. Can't wait.
He was on the show because The American Dialect Society (of which he is a member) chose the word "truthiness" as the 2005 word of the year. Apparently, the word was also Colbert's Word of the Day on his first show.

For the record, he was one of my favorite teachers.

via: Wordlab

BBC Nintendo Documentary

2006-01-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

I just finished watching an amazing BBC documentary about Nintendo. If any of you have ever read David Sheff's Game Over, this doc is basically a video companion to the book. In fact, Sheff was involved with its creation.
The video is a virtual wonderland for Nintendo otakus. We get to see the original packaging for the New York test launch of the NES. We see Hiroshi Yamauchi's house in the outskirts of Kyoto, as well as Nintendo's shiny HQ (the shiniest building in existence). We also get to take a trip to Shigeru Miyamoto's elementary school in Sonobe.
The doc does take a turn for the worse around the 30 minute mark as the show becomes obsessed with trying to blame Nintendo for epileptic seizures that occur while playing video games. It is true that some people have problems with the flashing lights found in games, but it hardly seems fair to point the finger at Nintendo when it is an industry-wide issue.
In any event, the video is a must-see for Nintendo dorks like myself.

via: 4CR

Happy New Year

2006-01-02T22:19:00.000-05:00

Here's another handmade postcard from my mother-in-law. Hope everyone had a happy holidays. I know I did.
I got one of those sweet 5G iPods that play video and I've been listening to even more podcasts. Rich Pav from Herro Flom Japan (which I mentioned here may times before) has been on fire recently with nearly a podcast a day. Occasionally he has videos, and his most recent one should not be missed. In the video Rich takes to a Japanese temple on New Years Day and it's really quite serene.
I've also been listening to The Rick Gervais Show and I gotta say, it's my new all-time favorite podcast (sorry, Rich). For those that don't know Gervais is co-creator of the amazing BBC comedy series, The Office. His podcast, just like everything else he's been involved with (with the possible exception of Seona Dancing), is amazing. Everyone should go download it now.

Kotatsu Neko

2005-12-06T16:30:00.000-05:00

Kotatsu Neko
Originally uploaded by justindoub.

It's that time of the year again and Gracie couldn't be happier.

Blue Sky in Games!

2005-11-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

"Make games look like games again! Support the Blue Sky In Games Campaign NOW!"
More info here.

First Otaku in Space

2005-11-07T19:37:00.000-05:00

Hong Kong resident Daisuke Enomoto is scheduled to become the fourth space tourist ever in the fall of 2006. The kicker is that he hopes to do so while wearing the uniform of his favorite Gundam character, Char Aznable. At a cost of $20 million, I think the trip qualifies as the most expensive cosplay ever.

via: WFMU's Beware of the Blog

Drummer for Shonen Knife & DMBQ Died on Friday

2005-11-06T17:39:00.000-05:00

Just saw this on MetaFilter :

"It is with a deep sadness in my heart, that I must announce the passing of Mana "China" Nishiura. She was tragically killed in a three-vehicle accident near the Delaware Memorial Bridge yesterday (November 4) shortly before 1 p.m., after the Econoline van carrying her band, DMBQ, had crossed the bridge from New Jersey near Carneys Point in Salem County. A Mitsubishi Eclipse clipped the van's left rear fender. The van spun out of control, and careened over a barrier on the ramp to Route 40. Mana was ejected from the van and she died at the scene."

There's more on ShonenKnife.com. DMBQ was here in Raleigh just last week.

New Herro Podcast

2005-10-26T15:46:00.001-04:00

Rich Pav has posted another excellent podcast over at Herro Flom Japan. This time it's a story about his wife being groped on a train.This seems to be a major problem in Japan and there has been some progress made (there are now "women only cars on some lines), but much more needs to be done.

I've often (well maybe not often... more like once or twice) thought about what I would do in that situation. I'd like to think I could handle it as well as Rich does.

Happy Birthday, NES!

2005-10-24T17:46:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot to mention this, but October 18th was the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System. 1up.com (which is quickly becoming my favorite game site), Has week of retro-goodness planned for the occasion, so go check it out.

To the left, you can see my own little tribute that I made to the NES. I took screenshots of a couple of NES games in an emulator and then printed them as photos at a local CVS. I then arranged them in a frame so as to appear a bit more civilized than I actually am. I'm pretty pleased with how it looks. And yes, for the record, this is the nerdiest thing I've ever done. I am what I am.
I'm sure that you guys have just as many fond memories of the NES as I do. Share them in the comments!

Boing Boing on the NC State Fair

2005-10-16T23:13:00.000-04:00

Noticed this on my favorite site, Boing Boing -

Fried strawberries at the NC state fair

David sez, "They'll fry anything -- a vendor at the N.C. State Fair (happening now in Raleigh, NC) is selling fried strawberries, fried pina colada strips and fried banana puddin' bites, among other things." Link

The fair is happening as we speak, about a mile down the road from me, and the traffic is terrible. Mutsumi and I went to the fair on Friday night, but we didn't see any fried strawberries. We did takes some photos though.

Shadow of the Colossus

2005-10-14T23:11:00.000-04:00

I've been on something of a gaming binge for the last couple of weeks with the US release of We Love Katamari and the Dragon Quest VIII demo. It's a little sad that I consider one game and a demo a "binge," but time isn't as free as it used to be. But now that Katamari is out of the way (mostly, still have a few extras to unlock), my sights are firmly set on Shadow of the Colossus which is set to be released this Wednesday. For those who haven't been following the game, 1up.com has had an excellent, week-long look at the title. Pay particular attention to the music. You can find a sample here (and here, and here). Worth the price of admission for that alone.

Another month...

2005-10-06T10:28:00.000-04:00

Another beautiful postcard from my mother-in-law.
It reads "Autumn begins."

Google Talk

2005-08-23T23:53:00.000-04:00

If anyone has the new Google Talk, please say hello...

justindoub @ gmail.com

If you would like an invite, please let me know.

My old room

2005-07-18T22:10:00.000-04:00

justin's fictional allergy
Originally uploaded by danocamera.

Dan has done a sort of memory map of my old room. Click on the picture to see the notes.

29 Things (aka SUPER POST)

2005-07-15T14:34:00.000-04:00

To make up for my recent lack of posts, I present you with one super post- a list of 29 things! If you read Boing Boing (which is probably my favorite site now), my del.icio.us page or talk to me via IM then a lot of these will be old. Sorry.

So the next time you're bored, come back to this list. There should be something here that interests you.

My pal Jimmy has his own blog now. It totally puts mine to shame. Not only does he have his own message board and domain name, but he also has awesome posts about awesome people. His blog also has 3 names. When I met him, he was but a learner. Now he is the master.
Google Earth. This program is the future of the internet. The next big application. be sure to check the BBS for some interesting locations.
This awesome Flickr set has images from old arcades. I wish my Apartment looked like this.
There are some amazing storm photos here. I'm glad my apartment doesn't look like this.
At the risk of having too many weather photos, check these clouds out. They look fake, but they are totally real. Good job nature!
This makes me want to take a shower. Warning: It's a Quicktime movie. Also, make sure you let it load all the way.
Every song ever featured on The Simpsons! This is my favorite.
I Am 8 Bit. Very cool NES inspired art. I wish my apartment looked like this.
Kowloon Walled City. There are some amazing pictures at that site. Check the Wikipedia entry for some background.
This American Life is the best radio show ever. You can listen to all of their shows on the web, though you have to use Real Player to do it. Ugh.
"When Ingrid Carey says she feels colors, she does not mean she sees red, or feels blue, or is green with envy. She really does feel them. She can also taste them, and hear them, and smell them." Synethesia is the rare condition that, in part, inspired Rez.
Nanaca Crash is totally addictive.
Smoosh are better than your favorite band.
The Howard & Nester Comics Archive.
This is the only good comic to be found on the web (unless you count newspaper comics that have been scanned in... Like this one.)
My friend Dan posts great pictures. He recently added a bunch of Melt-Banana pictures, which is why I could never hate him.
Katamari Damacy paper crafts.
Do you remember Zork? No? then this online archive will be of no use to you.
Speaking of old PC games, this site and this site will provide hours of nostalgia-fueled fun.
I will use this to decorate my apartment.
I can't believe I never posted about Fensler Film's GI Joe PSA's.
Free, obscure video game soundtracks can be found here.
Free, non-obscure game soundtracks can be found here. Check back sometime after the 20th of this month and download the new Katamari OST.
I've blogged about this site before, but it's worth repeating. Absolutely beautiful photos of Tokyo at night.
You can watch the entire Plan 9 From Outer Space here. It's not the worst movie ever made. It's not even the worst movie Ed Wood has ever made.
While we're on the subject of bad movies, there's a documentary about Manos: the Hands of Fate that's being filmed. It's titled Hotel Torgo.
I like Junko Mizuno's art.
Some people hide satanic references in their music. Others, like Aphex Twin, hide actual demons. Maybe.
Aphex Twin and Chris Cunningham have completed a short film called Rubber Johnny. You can view the whole thing here. You may not want to though. According to this Wikipedia entry "Rubber Johnny was originally intended to be released in the UK on May 23, 2005. However, the release date was pushed back to June 20, 2005 because the original printers selected by Warp Films "flatly refused to print it on moral grounds."

Dear Friends The Music of Final Fantasy Atlanta

2005-06-28T01:11:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends The Music of Final Fantasy Atlanta
Originally uploaded by justindoub.

Hola loyal Hikikomori reader. Long time no see.

I had the pleasure of attending Dear Friends: The Music of Final Fantasy in Atlanta over the weekend and it was, as expected, outstanding.

I had never been to a game concert before, and I kinda expected my first would be in Tokyo rather than Atlanta, but that just goes to show how popular Final Fantasy (and video games) has become. It was kind of an odd experience to hear music that shaped much of my childhood come to life right before my eyes. If I could go back and tell my 11 year old self that in 15 years I would be listening to the 8-bit music being played by a real symphony I would never have believed it.

The crowd was an interesting mix to say the least. About 50% wore suits and looked like they had been to a symphony before, while the other half wore t-shirts and jeans. I'm not going to make fun of the guys who didn't dress up, but I will say this- Don't wear video game t-shirts to a symphony. Especially a video game symphony. That's kinda like wearing a band's shirt to the band's concert. It's just not done. Thankfully cosplaying was kept to a minimum. I only spotted 2 people dressed as characters (Rinoa and a White Mage if you must know).

The show started out with a great rendition of "Liberi Fatali" from Final Fantasy VIII, and while I'm not a fan of the game, the music is superb.

Next, the composer, Arnie Roth, explained that Nobuo Uematsu (the composer of the music) would not be there, but instead showed a video that Uematsu had taped. It was a little disappointing that he wasn't there, seeing as how he attended all of the other shows thus far.

Next up was "Zanarkand" from Final Fantasy X. Another of my least favorite Final Fantasies that happens to have one of my favorite soundtracks period. The arrangement was new, and I don't believe it's available on any of the import soundtracks. In fact, a lot of the arrangements were new. I hope Square-Enix decides to put out a cd of the concert so I can hear them again.

After "Zanarkand" was "Terra's Theme" from Final Fantasy VI. Finally, a Final Fantasy I like! The piece was beautiful but the CG that was shown on the video screens looked more than a little dated. I would have liked it much better if they had just shown some of Yoshitaka Amano's artwork. It's much more timeless than computer animation.

Next up was "Dear Friends" from Final Fantasy V and "Vamo'Alla Flamenco" from Final Fantasy IX. "Vamo'" was not really a favorite of mine before the concert, but this arrangement was something special. Much better than the game version.

They played "Love Grows" from Final Fantasy VIII before the intermission. After the intermission was the song that everyone was apparently waiting for - "Aeris's Theme" from Final Fantasy VII. The reaction from the crowd was more than a little startling. The first part of the song was drowned out by the screaming crowd. Two guys sitting near me were in tears at the end of the song. Apparently they still haven't gotten over Aeris's death.

The next two tracks "Not Alone" from Final Fantasy IX and "Ronfaure" from Final Fantasy XI, were kind of forgettable. The conductor introduced "Ronfaure" as a song that "some of you might be familiar with." I think I heard of a couple of boos when he mentioned it was from Final Fantasy XI. Not a fan favorite.

But the next piece, "Final Fantasy I-III Medley", more than made up for it. Going into the concert, I was most looking forward to this medley and I was not disappointed. If you want to hear it for yourself, the same arrangement can be found on the Final Fantasy 20020220 Concert CD.

After that was the "Final Fantasy theme" that is in many of the games. Another favorite of mine as well.

What followed was definitely the highlight of the evening. For the encore the symphony played "One Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII. I actively disliked this piece before the concert, but after seeing that amazing performance I now love it. For the second encore Arnie Roth asked the crowd "Do you want to hear it again?" The response was deafening and we got "One Winged Angel" again. Definitely the best part of the night.

I bought one of the overpriced programs after the show. It's full of some great Amano artwork. If I get a chance, I may post some scans.

This kind of concert definitely needs to be done again (and not just in LA), and I'm certain we'll see more judging from the response to this show.

How to fold shirts like the pros

2005-05-15T00:06:00.000-04:00

This is pretty old, but click here if you want to learn how to fold shirts like a professional.. um.. shirt folder. Now the next time Mutsumi's complaining about how I keep all of my clothes piled in a basket I'll just bust out my new shirt-folding-ability and fold like 30 shirts in under a minute! Hopefully it will be all t-shirts, 'cause the video said nothing about pants.

Via: GAF

New Herro Flom Japan Podcasts

2005-05-09T22:56:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wanted to get your hair cut in Shibuya? Yeah I've never really given it much thought either. But thanks to the Rich, over at Herro Flom Japan, we now know exactly what such a thing would sound like. Rich uses binaural mics so be sure to use headphones when you listen. It sounds just like your hair is being cut! This is actually more interesting than it probably sounds.

If you listen closely around the seven minute mark you can hear the theme song from Super Mario Bros. Bonus!

Herro... is quickly becoming my favorite podcast. Luckily for me, Rich has also posted two other podcasts this week. I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet, but I've been promised a trip to McDonald's.

Dodongo dislike smoke

2005-05-07T19:46:00.000-04:00

I know only one or two people who read this blog will find this funny (or even understand it)... But here it is anyways.
From Dodongo's HySpace:

About me:
Dodongo grow up... lava cavern. Why then Dodongo dislike smoke so bad? Dodongo blame father. Bad habit... cigars... Rarr Xx4-lifexX

Via: MetaFilter

Mario Bowl

2005-04-30T19:01:00.000-04:00

Mario Bowl
Originally uploaded by five-blossom.

I thought this was kind of cool. Mama san from Laughter Brings Good Luck took her sons bowling and the scoreboard was Mario -themed. Neato.

Waraji on Tokyo Calling

2005-04-29T15:56:00.000-04:00

I was just listening to Scott Lockman's latest Tokyo Calling podcast and was quite surprised to hear a reference to Waraji - a sushi restaurant right across the street from me (click here if you don't believe me). It was part of the podcast's World Wide Sushi segment which contains reviews of sushi restaurants. Here's what listener Mur Lafferty (who also has her own podcast called Geek Fu Action Grip) had to say - (click here for audio of the review)

The best sushi place in the Triangle area of North Carolina is Waraji's. I am not a restaurant critic, but it has the perfect combination of excellent food at reasonable prices and a nice atmosphere. There are two waitstaff to watch out for - Mama, an older Japanese lady who is the sweetest woman there ever was, and the Unnamed Frowning Blonde Woman, the worst waitress in the world. If you go there, ask to be seated in Mama's section. I would love to do a soundscape ... there, especially if I can sit in Mama's section, but I am not currently equipped to do so.

I totally agree with her assessment of Waraji, although I've never had any problems with the waitstaff. In any event, it was quite unexpected to hear something about Raleigh in a podcast originating from Tokyo.