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Record store shop front in Americamura, Osaka. See more Japan shop covers in my Flickr Japan Shop Cover Set.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, Shop, Cover, Flickr, Set

This is a quite old and traditional outdoor shopping street in Imazato in Osaka city. They are very narrow and house small shops and stores like fishmongers and greengrocers. All of these types of streets have rooves such as in the picture above.

In the city centres of the larger cities these are wider and filled with more modern shops such as my favourite area of Osaka, Shinsaibashi. Shinsaibashi is the longest shopping arcade in Japan.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Shopping, Arcade, Shinsaibashi

I tried this two days ago and it returned a value of 0.00 dollars. I tried it again today and I got $29,920.62. Insert mandatory nearest-bid-accepted-here-joke

Via technorati which explans the history behind the calculation.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Technorati

Pickled garlic cloves also known as bariki.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English

Lanterns at night in a shrine.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Shrine, Lantern

The mighty Hanshin Tigers baseball team after losing the first two games in the Japan Series 10-2 and 10-1 lost the third and fourth games in the seven match series to the Lotte Marines. I am quite devastated and I`m never chewing any Korean Lotte gum again.

In commiseration, I present not quite the Hanshin Tiger but the Hanshin Cat.

Thanks to Davecat for the picture.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English

At an elementary school I taught at here in Osaka, there was a lot of time to go until the start of my first lesson so the deputy head teacher showed me around the school poking in at every clasroom to show me what they were up to.

It was very interesting. Some were chanting facts and figures in a bid to remember them, others were engaging in calligraphy and some were giving group presentations.

In one of the calligraphy classes, there was a kid with a Malaysian mother and an American father. His appearance except for his dark black hair, was that of a Westerner and though hesitantly and with a slight accent, he spoke English well enough. In an attempt to fit in, he was sporting the Japanese national football shirt.

I asked two questions in English which I`m not very proud of now. The first one was, “Can you speak Japanese well?” The answer was of course yes as the second question`s answer revealed, “Where are you from in America?” “I was born in Japan.” Oh.

Though the kid showed no signs of bullying (perhaps a long term panda effect?) it was clear from the T-shirt that he was trying hard to fit in.

I recently read an article in Kansai Time Out magazine`s October edition - a magazine targeted at long term residents of Kansai and wannabes like myself. There are two interviews with foreign looking natives. One Western and one Korean and they are born and bred in Japan with varying degrees of success. From the Westerner growing up in Japan:

The only cultural difficulty I had growing up was feeling like I wasn`t quite enough of either culture. Japanese people would (and still do) comment on how good my Japanese is and I have to remind them that I am Japanese, which throws them off because they will never perceive me as being one of them

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English

My beloved Hanshin Tigers baseball team are two games to nothing in a best-of-seven tie in the Japan Series. I`m　sure you care about this as much as I care about the score of the 49ers vs the Redskins or (even Bolton Wanderers vs West Bromwich Albion) but it hurts.

The Japan Series is the winner of the Central League - Hanshin Tigers vs the winner of the Pacific League - Lotte Marines. Baseball teams in Japan are owned by companys instead of being specifically tied to a city or area so that if the owners are changed, they can and often have moved to completely new cities.

Lotte as well as owning the Marines are a Korean company which make chewing gum that I chew. It only sank in last night that I`m funding the team that beat the Hanshin Tigers. I feel like a traitor. I`m never chewing it again even though it`s delicious. It`s like finding out Santa does drug running for Columbian cartels in his off-season.

Link: Japanese baseball primer

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Japanese, Baseball, Hanshin, Tigers, Lotte, Marines

This is a sign found in a train advising of things in Japan`s trains that would best not be done. Some of them are common sense - answering your mobile or eating food but it`s interesting to note that putting on your make up in public is incredibly rude in Japan although many people do it.

Thanks to Jacke for providing us with the below poll of Top Ten Hates in Japan`s Trains.

1. Sitting wide-legged(?)
2. Talking on the cell.
3. Bad manners when getting on and off.
4. Sitting on the floor.
5. Being noisy/making a fuss.
6. Playing too loud on the headphones (loud enough that other people hear).
7. Putting on make-up.
8. Not holding on to your bags(?)
9. Smoking.
10. Eating.

Any ideas why putting on make up in public is so rude in Japan?

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English, Make up,, Forbidden,

A ramen noodle shop in Umeda - Osaka`s financial district.

Technorati Tags: Japan, Osaka, Asia, Quaisi, Kansai, Expat, English