visual conventions
whome?
John C. Watson
esHpa.39150$4P1.3...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net, "whome?"
<tisme@.INvalid.com> wrote:
> Where can I get a list of the different visual conventions used in Anime?
This would be a good start:
The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation? Gilles Poitras.
Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1880656531.
<http://www.stonebridge.com/ANIMEESSEN/animeessentials.html>
His Web site is here:
<http://www.koyagi.com/ACPages/ACmain.html>
Ciao,
John
--
John C. Watson
World Otakunization Project, Amherst Division
"Shuraku-tai--hasshin!"
5parrowhawk
> On 04/23/2003 21:53, in article
> esHpa.39150$4P1.3...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net, "whome?"
> <tisme@.INvalid.com> wrote:
>
>
>>Where can I get a list of the different visual conventions used in Anime?
>
>
> This would be a good start:
>
> The Anime Companion: What's Japanese in Japanese Animation? Gilles Poitras.
> Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 1880656531.
>
I get the feeling that original poster is referring to things like
sweatdrops, nosebleeds, SDism, facefaults, lack_of_nippleness (see: Love
Hina manga), that little symbol that appears on people's temple or side
of the head (a bulging vein???) when they're ticked, etc... are these
covered in Poitras's volume?
- 5parrow
Curtis Hoffmann
I wrote a FAQ that covered those issues years ago. It should still be
available on my website, although I haven't updated it to include "a
lack of nipples".
********************************
Curtis Hoffmann
Three Steps Over the Edge
http://home.austin.rr.com/tsote/index.html
Home of anime and manga summaries
Now selling all my stuff
********************************
James Marshall
>On Fri, 25 Apr 2003 18:39:35 +0800, 5parrowhawk
><remove...@nathuangatsingnet.com.sg> wrote:
>>> On 04/23/2003 21:53, in article
>>> esHpa.39150$4P1.3...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net, "whome?"
>>> <tisme@.INvalid.com> wrote:
>>>>Where can I get a list of the different visual conventions used in Anime?
>>I get the feeling that original poster is referring to things like
>>sweatdrops, nosebleeds, SDism, facefaults, lack_of_nippleness (see: Love
>>Hina manga), that little symbol that appears on people's temple or side
>>of the head (a bulging vein???) when they're ticked, etc...
Yes, that's what I assumed the original post was asking about, too.
While I'm sure I've heard about and understand some of them, it would be
nice to see a nice list with most of those common things in one place.
Since I'm still new to anime, I could use some help with things like that.
I have no idea if they're covered in the book reference I snipped from this
post, but even if it did, if all the original poster wanted was that part
of it, the book would probably be overkill.
>I wrote a FAQ that covered those issues years ago. It should still be
>available on my website, although I haven't updated it to include "a
>lack of nipples".
You mean the http://home.austin.rr.com/tsote/index.html site in your sig?
I can't seem to find this FAQ on your pages. If it's supposed to be the
"Cheats and Cliches in anime FAQ", that file is coming up 404 (not found).
Could you check that link and put the file back up if it's gone, moved,
renamed, whatever? I would certainly like to see it if it covers those
things mentioned above. Thanks.
--
. . . . -- James Marshall (ORI) * ,
,. -- )-- , , . -- )-- , mars...@astro.umd.edu
' ' http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall '''
"Astronomy is a dyslexic's nightmare." , *
Curtis Hoffmann
>You mean the http://home.austin.rr.com/tsote/index.html site in your sig?
>I can't seem to find this FAQ on your pages. If it's supposed to be the
>"Cheats and Cliches in anime FAQ", that file is coming up 404 (not found).
>Could you check that link and put the file back up if it's gone, moved,
>renamed, whatever? I would certainly like to see it if it covers those
>things mentioned above. Thanks.
Looks like the file got deleted from the server and the link wasn't
updated. Below is the Animation Cheats and Cliches file I wrote, as
of 1995. I haven't been watching as much anime in recent years, so
the file may be out of date.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheats, Cliches, Cartoons, Anime...
There are many ways to cut corners in the process of creating
animation. I'm going to try to describe some of them, as I also
attempt to catalog the cliches used in both western and Japanese
cartoons. If you have any comments on this file, feel free to
make them. If you have anything to add to the list, please do
so.
Most of the names used here are my own creation, and are not
in common usage anywhere else.
Version 2.0. Copyrighted Aug. 15, 1995, by Curtis H. Hoffmann.
This is the super-duper upgraded version, with all of the
previous additional cliches tacked into one file. Now, with
whitener, fewer calories, greater taste, and a new
one-size-fits-all package design.
Permission is granted to cross-post this file in whole to
other computer networks (in fact, I'd be very happy if someone
would crosspost this to Fido.) This file may be reprinted in a
fanzine or newsletter as long as I'm notified, in exchange for a
copy of the issue this article appears in. This article can not
be altered, or reprinted in a for-profit magazine, without
permission.
=== Start rolling credits here ===
Simple definitions:
Anime -- Japanese produced and directed paint-on-cel
animation. Has no inherent implications as to
quality of the product.
Cartoon -- Encompasses paint-on-cel-based animation from
around the world, but normally is applied only to
North American productions with little
story-telling potential that are aimed at children.
Added changes came from:
Enrique Conty [EC]
Derek Upham [DU]
John Martin Karakash [JMK]
jeffj@yang (ChaOs) [JJ]
Iskandar Taib [IT]
----------------------------
Animation Cheats and Cliches
----------------------------
Shooting on 3's:
In film, there are 24 frames per second. For video tape,
there are 30 frames.
Really fluid animation is gained by drawing one frame of a
character's movement per frame of film. However, this is only
necessary when a character is moving from left to right (or right
to left,) and the camera is panning along the background artwork.
This prevents a strobing-effect that occurs when the background
moves too far on the screen from one frame to the next.
Normally, the animator can make do with one drawing per 2
frames of film. This is called "shooting on 2's." Most
theatrical films, and some TV cartoons are shot on 2's, and
everything looks fine.
However, you can save money by skipping some work, and shoot 3
frames per drawing. Many TV cartoons are shot on 3's or 4's,
which gives a very jerky feeling to the action. Something like
_Hammerman_ is shot at least on 4's, if not on 8's.
Simplicity:
The standard western cheat is to simplify the character
design, so there are fewer lines to draw per frame. This is
obvious both in the body features, and the clothing elements.
You can also see this in Anpan-man, Mary Bell, and Chibi
Maruko-chan.
The Blend:
When you have a very detailed image, like the close-up of a
person's face, it takes a lot of time and effort to animate it
smoothly. Instead, you can paint maybe 4 or 8 "extreme poses" and
film them as static images. The next step is to use
post-production editing to fade from one still to the next.
Alternatively, a few in-between cels can be painted that have
ghosts of the extremes, which gives the same effect, but with
much less work than if every single frame had been created from
scratch. This may cut the total number from 60 drawings, to 15,
or 8.
The final results may be used to heighten the emotional effect
of a scene, or to simply stretch out the action of a complex
drawing. Usually, you'll see this when a crying girl turns away
from the hero, or when a top sports player dives for the ball
during a crucial play.
The Triple Repeat Attack (TRP):
When someone gets hit hard, the camera pans by a single still
of the attack three times, occasionally with little variations in
each pan, like zooming in a bit further for each pass. It is
very easy to over-use this device for even the most trivial of
situations. It is very much a cliche, but it's also a cheat
since you may only have one drawing for 10 seconds of film.
Chan-Style, or Super-Deformed Style:
Admittedly, this is a purely Japanese technique that is mostly
just a cliche, and not necessarily a cheat. But, the results are
the same -- less work per frame.
Both techniques consist of drawing a normal character as if he
were a 5 year-old, with a larger head, smaller body, and chubby
limbs. Most of the details will be lost at the same time. These
are done mainly for slapstick comedy effect.
The Assembly Sequence:
You'll see the Assembly Sequence normally in a kiddie
power-suit, or mecha show. It consists of the character (like
Sailor Moon, or Metal Jack,) calling out something ("Make Up!" or
"Jack On!") which will be followed by stock footage of the
character standing around while the suit or outfit wraps itself
around him. By itself, this is no big deal. Except, that it's
the exact same sequence from one episode to the next. In this
way, the animators save themselves about 1 to 3 minutes of
animation per character per episode.
It's both a cheat, and a cliche.
---
Also an amusing example of your 'suit up' cheat was noticed by
me and my roommate on the Ghostbusters (NOT the Real Ghostbusters
BTW). We calculated that over half the show was suit up/reused
cels/commercials. Which brings me to the cheat most beloved by
advertisers, the long-block-of-commercials-then-a-short-
reminder-of-what-show-you're-watching-and-then-more-commercials
cheat! [JMK]
Separated eyes and mouths:
The opposite side of the coin from Simplicity is Shading and
Detail. Here, the animators (usually Japanese,) have added so
much detail and color to the character's face that it's too much
work to redraw it in each frame as the character talks.
So, instead of redrawing the face a lot (which allows you to
get a jaw that moves as the character speaks,) you draw the face
on one cel, and the mouth and eyes on another. (Admittedly,
western animators use this technique for the same reasons, but
the faces in their drawings have much less detail to begin with.)
Gaping Mouth Wounds:
In TV, it's not necessary to get the lip-sync down really
tightly when a character talks, which means that sometimes the
mouth moves even when the character has stopped talking. This
saves work, because you don't have someone tied up with the very
time-consuming task of breaking the dialog down into single
frames, and vowel sounds.
The extreme case, though, is when you don't worry about the
specific dialog matching up with the shape of the mouth. Now,
you only have 4 or 5 standard mouth positions (open, closed,
partially opened, and yelling,) instead of the normal 7 or 10,
and you just jump them around under the camera roughly in time
with the dialog. This is common both in anime, and western
cartoons.
The Hold:
When a character is thinking, or becomes stunned, he'll freeze
on the screen. The only action comes from a camera pan in, or
out. The Hold also occurs when one character stops talking and
the other begins. Anyone not talking simply freezes on the
screen. This saves the studio a lot of time and money, because
the alternative is to draw separate frames with the character's
clothes rippling in a breeze, or the character's face reacting to
whatever is being said.
Statue Crowds:
Crowd scenes require a lot of work, and time that the studio
can't afford to spend. Therefore, crowds will be treated as
background artwork. The only element of movement comes from the
camera panning across, and the only signs of life will be the
voice actors cheering as voice-overs. Occasionally, mouths will
be painted on separate cels for one or three audience members to
do a little yelling on their own.
The Cycle:
This is a classic animation technique all studios use
extensively. The basic idea is to put the character into a
repeating action cycle, and just draw the first few cels
necessary for it. The normal example is a simple walk, which
only takes 7 to 12 cels for a sequence that may last 30 seconds.
Disney is famed for its use of more complex cycles in its early
short cartoons.
4-colors VS 256:
Simply by looking at most western TV animation, you can tell
that the animators are saving themselves a lot of effort by
eliminating shading, and reducing the number of colors in the
clothing designs. Fewer colors means less work, fewer costs, and
a more boring image. The Japanese will use more colors and the
GMW technique at the same time.
Last Week's Re-Cap:
When you have an episodic adventure series like Dragon Ball,
or Dodge Danpei, you'll get a re-cap of the action from the
previous episodes before the show starts up with the new stuff.
This means that the animators are saving themselves about 3 to 5
minutes of work by reusing old animation with a voice-over
narration.
The Repeat Thingie:
Occasionally, you may notice a character doing one action in
one scene, and later doing the exact same action in an entirely
different scene. This is a case of reusing existing cels with
either a different background, or a different prop (changing a
hammer for an ax.) Some of the really bad American moralistic
cartoons from the '60s used this technique A LOT.
Recycled Animation:
Disney does this occasionally. When the cels are filmed for
any given show or movie, the cels themselves will be either
tossed or washed and reused. But, the pencil drawings will
usually be stored for future works. This way, all that's needed
is to xerox the existing artwork, and change the color scheme for
the new scene.
-------
FILMATION seems to use this technique a lot. Compare He-Man,
She-Ra, Tarzan and Star Trek some time. The poses and layouts
are almost exactly the same (the
"Close-up-with-half-face-visible", especially). [DU]
Repeated Background Pan:
Hanna Barbera's commonplace trick of cycling the same
background through while a car is driving "BANK.... BANK....
BANK...". Or, the characters are racing through a house and you
keep seeing the same furniture. This has been parodied on the
Simpsons.
Rotoscoping:
Rotoscoping is done by projecting live footage under a sheet
of paper to allow the animator to trace the picture, frame by
frame, before modifying it. The advantage is that the animator
doesn't have to figure out how a character moves through trial
and error. The down side is that the result usually looks pretty
cheesy (just look at any Ralph Bakshi movie.) While the
Fleischer Brothers used rotoscoping (and created the process,)
very artfully, it's still obvious when it's employed. Disney
tried using rotoscoping in a number of his films, but the results
weren't to his liking, and the animators just redrew those
scenes, anyway.
Note: Venus Wars did not have rotoscoping in the motorcycle
scenes: that was an example of optical printing (adding animation
over live footage.)
Xerox:
Originally, when a pencil drawing was cleaned up, the ink and
paint department would trace the pencil lines onto the cels via
multicolored inks (which allowed for more subtle shadings, and
details,) before the paints were added. Now, it's easier to
xerox the final pencils onto a cel. The drawback is that the
xerox lines look rougher, may have breaks in them, and will be
all in black (removing the element of subtlety.)
-------
A nice counterpoint to this was the work in the GIANT ROBO
OVAs. From what my sources tell me, the final pencils are
xeroxed, but then a second cel is overlayed on the first, and
this second cel is hand-painted. The resulting cel-work is
simply amazing. [EC]
Speed lines:
This is a cliche used to get a heightened emotional response,
while also filming a static pose. When a character starts an
attack, the background is replaced with streaks of color, or
simple racing lines. This doesn't actually save the animators any
work, and adds a little more work for the camera operator because
the backgrounds need to be changed more often. But, since the
background was static to begin with, and the main character has
also become static, the speed lines help liven things up a bit.
Collars and Talking Heads:
Hanna-Barbera is notorious for this trick. Rather than
redrawing the entire character for each frame that the mouth
moves, you give the character a collar, and then place the head
on a different cel underneath the body cel. The body is usually
then kept stationary, and the head cels are changed in sequence.
Although, if the character does walk and talk at the same time,
it's still less work to animate than otherwise.
Shimmering eyes:
This is both a cliche and a cheat. Take a Hold, and just
redraw some white highlights inside the pupils. Why draw an
emotional face, if you don't have to?
The 'No Face':
One cheat that I didn't see mentioned is the 'no face' cheat.
Put a helmet on a guy/gal/thing and you've saved yerself tons of
time. Put him/her/it in a whole suit and voila! minimal use of
shading/movement is required. [JMK]
(Curtis comments: Not exactly true. Bubble Gum Crisis used
this pretty heavily, but it still had a lot of shading on each
suit. The primary savings come from not having to show the
character blink or talk, and there are less details to draw the
first time around.)
Re-used sounds:
A number of people have commented on the fact that the sound
tech will steal sound effects from movies like Aliens, and Star
Wars, for certain situations, rather than create an entirely new
sound himself. I haven't noticed this myself, but there's a
growing consensus that this happens a lot. The reasons should be
obvious.
Photo Backgrounds:
This is a common manga technigue. The result is a highly
realistic background image that looks like it was xeroxed before
being photocopied. It provides the illusion of added depth to
the manga, while saving the artist a lot of work.
-----------------------
Anime Cliches
-----------------------
The Multiple-Character-Single-Gasp Reaction:
I find this to be one of the more annoying time-consuming
Japanese cliches. It's very simple -- something startling will
happen, or a character will get smashed up. Then, the camera
will pull in for a close up of each of the other characters --
one at a time -- as they gasp or speak the guy's name. This has
been happening too often in Dragon Ball Z. The result is to
force a heightened sense of suspense, and to stretch out a fight
scene while doing a small amount of work.
Example -- Piccolo will get punched into the ground. The
camera then cuts to a close-up of #18, who will gasp. Now, cut
to #17, who will gasp. Then, cut to #16 for a gasp. Next, cut
to Kiririn to gasp. And continue down the line until you run out
of characters. Repeat this operation 2 or 4 times per battle per
episode.
The Raging Flames/Crashing Surf:
An alternative to Speed Lines -- when a character gets overly
emotional, or "highly charged," the background will be replaced
by roaring flames or surf. This is just an intensity-building
device, used extensively by Rumiko Takahashi.
The Slash Split Screen:
Another cliche, related to the Multi-Character-Single-Gasp
Reaction, the difference being that the MCSGR is sequential, and
the S^3 is more-or-less simultaneous. When the main character is
hit, the first reaction will appear in the top portion of the
screen, the second reaction appears on the bottom, and the
remaining reactions will be in the middle of the screen. _Dodge
Danpei_ uses this technique. Bubble Gum Crisis does the same
thing, but usually when the Knight Sabers are preparing to go
into battle and all of them say "roger," or "Knight Sabers --
Go!"
Tokyo Feet:
This is a term coined by Larry Greenfield to describe the
cloud of feet and sweat (sometimes tears) that surrounsd a
character when he goes into panic-mode. There is no longer a
relation between the character's feet and the ground, as the
character just slides back and forth on the screen. Again, the
result is also less work per frame.
The Temple Vein:
Especially in manga. When a character gets stressed-out, or
angry, a cross-like outline of a 4-way vein intersection will pop
up on their forehead. Sometimes, this gets carried to extremes,
as in the manga where an identical vein pops up three different
places on the back of a guy's hand. (Real veins don't act like
that.)
"Poits":
In the wonderful world of the Japanese language, several words
exist that are nothing more than sound effects (like "niko," for
the sound of a smile.) When you're watching anime played for
laughs, a wide-eyed character blinking in surprise will make a
"poit", or "pika" sound (occurs a lot in Urusei Yatsura, and
Kimengumi High School.) And, in Project A-ko, when C-ko smiles
in front of the class, she says "Niko."
Trick Dreams:
A common story device used to hook the viewer's attention.
Employed heavily in Kimagure Orange Road. Basically, something
really bad or really good will happen to the star right at the
beginning of the episode, only to turn out to be a dream.
Rain Shimmers:
Not necessarily a cliche or cheat, but a commonly used special
effect in anime. There's a lot of rain in the spring and fall in
Japan, so rain has become an accepted plot device (plus, when bad
events happen to the principle characters, rain will start
falling to symbolize their plight.) To show that the rain is
hitting trees, people, or animals, a light halo will shimmer
around the tops, heads, and shoulders. A separate set or 4 or 5
cels will be used for this, if the characters are just standing
and talking.
The Background Cameo:
One of the most prized anime devices for fans.
Because it takes a long time for an animator to finish a
sequence or background, said animator will add silly things to
make their job more fun. Such as the Star Trek USS Enterprise
blueprints in _The Nolandia Affair_, and the appearance of The
Dirty Pair's Kei in a background shot in the _Fist of the
Northstar_ movie. A little of this shows up in _The Simpsons,_
but is more common in anime movies and OAV's than TV shows.
Jumping Talkers:
When a Japanese studio has a medium-range shot of a talking
character, they'll redraw the entire figure even though only the
mouth is moving. This is not an easy operation, because the body
has to be copied and painted without variations, and the cycle
cels have to be registered exactly. So, when a character bounces
up and down as they speak, you know that the registration
slipped. Nadia is a featured Jumper in Nadia: Secret of Blue
Water.
This phenomenom is not really a cliche or a cheat, but it is
peculiar to anime.
Tear Floods:
Yet another Japanese cliche used instead of animating an
actual emotion (when a character starts crying, the tears create
waterfalls on either side of their face.) Several series (like
Kimengumi High School) have parodied this cliche, with characters
holding buckets to catch someone else's flood.
The Tear Pendulums:
One of the stranger cliches, also a twist on the Tear Flood.
When you get hit in the head, tears well up in your eyes. You
may even get a a little tear running down your cheeks a bit.
Well, this teardrop looks almost like a ball on the end of a
string. Take this image 10 steps further, and you get a white
pingpong ball swinging from a white stick under each eye. This
device occurs a LOT in manga, and some silly anime (most notably,
Ranma 1/2.) (It took me a long time to figure out what these
things were.)
Snot-Nosed Kids:
In Japan, it's not polite to blow your nose in public --
instead, you're just supposed to keep sniffing until you have the
chance to "do your business in private." Because of this, colds
(the cold-sufferer will voluntarily wear a face mask to keep from
infecting other people in public,) sneezing on people, and runny
noses are commonly used as gags in manga, and in anime to a
lesser extent. The standard joke is to show an uncultured kid,
or a frightened man, as someone with snot running down his lip
(and frequently into his mouth.)
The Nose Bubble:
A related gag to the S-NK, is the simple rendering of someone
soundly asleep, blowing snot bubbles through their nose. This is
the visual clue that tells you that this person is sleeping, and
is commonly accompanied by lip-, or chin-, drool.
The Sweat Drop:
You'll also see this in manga when a character gets nervous,
apprehensive, or scared. A large teardrop will appear somewhere
on the character (many times, on the back of the head.)
Occasionally, the sweat drop will be placed on a separate cel,
and slid down the character's face (the face is in a Hold.) It's
easier than animating the face for those emotions.
The Stunned Fall-Over:
One more Japanese cliche. When someone says something stupid
or unexpected, everyone else will fall flat on their face or
back. In many cases, one character will fall over, and then
reappear with The Bandage on their forehead. The SF-O actually
has its roots in the old Mad magazine strips created by Don
Martin and company, back in the 1950's.
The Writhing Face:
To show intense emotion (usually frustration or anger,) the
animator will draw the face in two extreme poses (with maybe one
in-between pose for filler) with the teeth grinding and eyes
opening or closing. These few cels are alternated under the
camera to give the impression of the desired emotion, but the
actual effect is to make the character's eyes and mouth writhe
around on his face. Happens extensively in Dragon Ball Z.
Super Deformed Ugly:
This seems to be the counter-point to the "super-deformed'
style, where the character is made to look more cute. In SDU,
the eyes get deformed, the mouth contorts in a "jaw on the
ground, while slurping a lemon" grin, and shade lines will appear
around the eyes, and bridge of the nose (either the character is
blushing, suffering from burning eyes, or has smelled something
REAL BAD,) and there will be an over-all simplifying of features.
Although a lesser form of this is used heavily in Yawara, the
true SDU appears in college "bad boys and girls" manga.
Behhhh:
One of the best cliches, you'll get this when one character is
acting uppity, and the other "dis's" him. One finger pulls down
the lower lid of one eye, the tongue is stuck out, and the
character says "behhhhh". Very common in older anime and most
manga. (It comes from the Japanese phrase "akan bee" -- "to make
a face", or "to show disrespect.")
Fake Fighting:
Again, when a character gets uppity, another one will smash
him in the head with a fist, a bat, book, or shoe. This normally
looks pretty painful, but has no lasting effects. Characters may
even get into full-blown brawls, and be covered in lumps from
head to toe, but will completely recover in the next panel or
frame.
The Bandage:
When someone gets bopped in a Fake Fight, they will
immediately receive a bandage in the next frame. Which will
disappear as soon as the joke is over.
The Head Job:
Another bizarre visual device. When an animal/beastperson
gets very excited/angry, it will attack you. Normally, on the
arms, hands, feet, or legs, if this is a western story. In anime
and manga, this beast will attach itself to the top back part of
your head, and will hang there for the length of the scene.
Examples of this can be found in _Dragon Half_, _Ushio and Tori_,
and _Dragon Ball_. Sometimes, the person's entire head will be
engulfed. Normally, like Fake Fighting, the beast will not leave
a permanent mark on you (In Dragon Ball, a ghoul does this to
Kuririn during battle, leaving a circle of blood fountains on
Kuririn's scalp, and requiring the use of bandages during several
episodes before Kuririn can recover.)
The Called Shot:
Of all of the anime cliches, the Called Shot has to be the
most disliked, and embarrassing, to the new fans. Basically, the
character will strike a pose, or wield a certain weapon, and call
out the name of whatever attack he or she will now use. "Dragon
Punch!" "Flaming Iris Sword!" or "Buster Shield!"
One of the main reasons this action is employed so heavily in
anime and manga is simply that the audience has no other way of
knowing what the hell the character is doing otherwise. Further,
there is something of a history behind this action -- including
Kamen Rider and Ultra Man -- and that is the fact that so many
martial arts techniques have such names. "Round House Kick,"
"Side Snap," "Inside Leg Throw," and "Tiger Claw." And, an
observer unfamiliar with a particular martial arts school would
be completely clueless when one technique or another is used.
To western audiences, this is merely a silly thing -- "Why
don't these guys just trash each other and get it over with? Who
cares what the technique is called? I just wanna watch these
bozos kick each other's butts."
A variant of this is used in Hokuto no Ken, where the attack
is made, and then the name of the technique is emblazoned on the
screen over a still painting of the hero.
The Big Gun:
Doesn't have to be a gun, but it's a big "mega-nuke" attack
that usually takes out anyone it's aimed at. Often has
incredible special effects. A downside of this is that they tend
to be overused. (Like in Voltron - every episode, without
fail...) Examples: "Form Blazing Sword!" from Voltron, the Wave
Motion Cannon from Star Blazers, the SDF-1 Main Gun from Macross,
Captain Planet himself from Captain Planet and the Planeteers,
and what we like to call the "Mandala attack" from Shurato. [JJ]
Missing Bars:
This is a rather interesting artistic technique where a
character is behind a fence, or in a prison, and the bars or
chain links that would normally hide the face simply are not
drawn in. Shows up in various manga.
But They All Look Alike!:
This is one of the first things non-fans notice when they
watch anime, and it is both a cliche and a cheat. In manga, the
designs usually vary enough from one character to the next that
you can easily tell them apart. But in anime, because it's so
important to remain consistent from one frame to the next, the
director may make the characters look alike to make them easier
to draw quickly, and then differentiate them by changing their
hair colors. Case in Point: Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus. This
is also represents a cost savings, when the rest of the
characters' costumes are the same colors, and it's not necessary
to maintain another batch of paint shades.
Cross-References:
This is not quite the same as the Background Cameo, but it's
closely related. Simply, it's just a case of a popular character
from one series showing up in some form in another series. A
November installment of Twinkle^2 Idol Star has a villian wearing
a Sailor Moon t-shirt. In Gun Buster: Over the Top, a poster
from one of Miyazaki's films is tacked up on a wall. And, in a
Self-Referential Cross Reference, Usagi plays a Sailor V (ie. --
Sailor Moon) video game in many episodes.
Cut-Away Shots and Fill-In Data:
In manga, when something happens that the audience can't
readily see, there may be a cut-away view showing what we'd
otherwise miss. The most obvious example of this is when
someone's arm gets broken. In some cases, the artist will draw a
duplicate of the limb, up and to the right of the main action,
showing a cut-away shot of the shattered bone.
A related element is the Fill-In Data. When a character talks
about something that everyone is supposed to know, a picture of
the relevent data will appear behind him. Such as, when the hero
is fighting another boxer, and his opponent uses a technique last
used on a now-crippled partner, the hero will see flashes of all
of this background info above his head. Or, as the villian pulls
out a throwing spike and states the many ways he can use it to
kill someone, an acupuncture charts will suddenly show up behind
him.
Eye Checks:
Certain manga and anime character designs have a rather
strange little flourish of the eye lashes at the outside corners
of the eyes, which makes the characters look like someone has
given them "check marks" with a felt tip pen. When I once asked
a Japanese amateur manga artist about this, he told me that this
was just what happens when you have someone with really long
lashes. But this is not correct. If you look at the epicanthic
eyelid, you'll occasionally notice that certain Asians have a
very strong crease in the skin that extends about 1/8" to 1/4"
from the side of the eye, which strongly ressembles the manga
designs. That's what those eye checks are -- caracatures of an
existing feature that many artists actually don't understand
themselves.
Pencil Necks:
Anime like the later Ranma 1/2 TV episodes and movies tends to
be criticized for the character designs, partially because of the
big bouncing breasts on otherwise very trim bodies, and for the
female character's thin, enlongated necks. The breasts are
obviously played up for the sexual element, and are aimed at
attracting boys and young men to the show. However, the thin
necks are another case of the animators caracaturing an actual
feature of the Japanese anatomy. The Japanese are a mixed race,
and you can find a number of women that have necks almost as long
and thin as in the anime.
Falling Petals
Rose (or cherry, or glass) petals falling. Usually meant to
represent a long time passing very slowly while one is in a
melancholy or sad mood. Since it is a few seconds of animation
repeated over and over again, it also qualifies as a cheat. In
the Urusei Yatsura movie #3 it _really_ gets overused - in this
case the falling petals were glass or crystal. [IT]
-----------------------
Animation Flaws
-----------------------
NOTE: There are many ways a studio can err in its work --
skipping a frame or two of motion, flipping the frames so that a
couple are out of sequence, using the wrong colors on one or two
cels, screwing up cel registration, and so on. The following
error(s) revolve around the specific skills (or lack thereof)
used in animating a scene or character, that can be seen
consistently in the productions of one or more studios.
The Flat Mouth:
Kissing, eating, blowing whistles, and anything else that
requires using the mouth. When you watch anime, you'll notice
that the characters' mouths just lie flat on the cel, without
deforming properly to adapt to the actions they are taking. It's
most obvious when a character is eating -- the food comes up to
the mouth, the lips surround a bit of the food, the food just
disappears, and the character makes chewing motions. It's the
surest sign that you're watching a cartoon, and is a consistent
flaw even in the most well-made productions. Western cartoons
have a similar flaw, but generally avoid the problem entirely.
-----------------------
Scriptwriting Cliches
-----------------------
NOTE: These are cliches that appear in other forms of
entertainment and storytelling, and aren't peculiar only to
animation.
Knuckle Cracking:
As everyone knows, when a huge, strong guy is about to beat
the crap out of a victim, he will crack his knuckles as a part of
flexing his hands. This has been turned into an anime cliche,
and extended to the point where REALLY vicious guys crack the
muscles and joints in their neck. Real people can not do this.
Do not try this at home on your little sister.
The Flashback:
Standard cliche in anime, used to fill in story details that
the audience doesn't already know, but which will immediately
justify the character's next actions. A very common plot device
used in episodic serials.
Ripping the Disguise:
A previously unknown character is doing all sorts of amazing
feats. At an appropriately dramatic scene, the character grabs at
his/her shoulder and PULLS. Cloth flies in front of the camera,
and when it settles down we see one of the regular characters in
his/her usual garb. The previous outfit/physical features were a
disguise. [EC]
This is used with variations in all western forms of
entertainment.
Eyes in the Dark:
Used heavily in western cartoons to create a sense of
suspense, or to set up a "mistaken identity" gag. It's also a
cheat: an episode _Tiny Toon Adventures_ features over a minute
of the effect with running commentary on how much money they are
saving. The effect is to put a character in a tunnel, cave, or
dark room, and then just show the eyes of whoever is in the scene
with that character.
Cute Bastards:
One of the worst developments to come out of the western
world. To make a show appeal to small children, an otherwise
unnecessary character will be added to the line-up. This
character will be cute, appealing, and utterly loathsome to
adults. Scrappy-Doo is an excellent example of this. If carried
to extremes, the entire cast will be thus metamorphised, as in
The Muppet Babies, and the new version of Tom and Jerry.
------
Can you say "Slimer and the Ghostbusters"?
What's interesting is that Scooby-Doo may be an example of
this as well. I'd read a long time back (can't remember the
source, now) that the Scooby-Doo concept had originated in Great
Britan. It was then a series with the Mods (Fred and Daphne)
versus the Beatniks (Shaggy and Velma) racing to solve various
mysterys; Scooby was a minor character. When they took the
concept to the U.S., they cutified it. [DU]
Narrative Voice-Overs:
Both a plot device, and a cheat. The plot element of a NVO is
obvious -- to fill in details for the audience, rather than to
make those details a part of the story leading up to that point.
The cheat comes in because the action on the screen will turn
into a Hold with a camera pan or pull out. In animation, the
work is shifted from the animators to the cameraman and the
narrator.
Too Many Commercials:
Refer to the note by JMK at the end of the Assembly Sequence
entry.
The Five Man Band:
(This is an anime cliche that a friend of mine calls "5
character theory". As far as I know, the first instance of this
is in Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, aka Battle of the Planets.
Since then, it's appeared in shows like Voltron, Mospeada aka
Robotech III, several live action shows, and even movies, like
Star Wars. The five character types are:) [JJ]
The Hero:
Upstanding, idealistic, handsome. Usually the protagonist
of the show, although people tend to think that The Other
Guy is far cooler. Examples include Luke Skywalker, Fred
from Scooby-Doo, and Scott Bernard in Robotech III.
The Big Guy:
Big, and strong. Sometimes dumb, but usually turns out to
be very friendly. Examples: Chewbacca, Lunk from Robotech
III, Ryooma from Shurato.
The Other Guy:
Usually cool and disreputable. If someone has facial hair,
it's probably him. Quite often the most effective person
on the team. Lancer from Robotech III and Han Solo are
classic Other Guys.
The Chick:
The token female on the team. Sometimes she knows what
she's doing, but not always. Princess Leia, the princess
from Voltron, Daphne from Scooby-Doo. Sometimes, The Chick
is an androgynous or homosexual male, like Reiga from
Shurato.
The Pet:
Usually annoying to anyone who has entered puberty (and
thus discovered The Chick) Frequently incompetent. The
'droids from Star Wars, Cheop (sp?) from Battle of the
Planets, Pidge from Voltron, the Copper Kid from
Silverhawks, and Scooby-Doo from his own show.
The Mentor:
This is an optional archetype. Often appears to guide the
characters, provide advice, or train them. The classic
example is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Also, Dungeonmaster from
Dungeons & Dragons, Stargazer from Silverhawks, the King
from Voltron, Vishnu from Shurato, Saori from St. Seiya.
[JJ]
Joke Cola:
Another true classic, which is now to be found most commonly
in manga: using big-brand names in the story, but with a slight
twist on the spelling. Croke Cola, Nissam, etc. This is done
for the humor value, as a slam against a particular product, and
often to just lend a certain air of authenticity to the story
without actually having to pay for the right to use someone
else's trademarked logo.
Self-Reference:
[Insert self-referential joke here.] In the west, you'll see
this mainly on the covers of humor magazines. With manga, a
given series may occasionally feature a set-up where the name of
the manga collection (ie. -- Young Jump) will appear somewhere in
the background, or on the cover of the manga that one of the
characters is reading. Anime can be a little more tricky: the
studio's name will pop up on building signs, helmet logos, or
other places where text is used. A prime example of this is in
Bubble Gum Crisis, where AIC can be found on Priss' helmet, and
on the road.
Punny Names:
Using puns for character names is a time-honored tradition.
Ignoring Knight Lamune with its string of soft drink references,
and Rumiko Takahashi's prediliction for item collections
(Shampoo, Mousse, Cologne, Herb, Lime, etc.) you can sometimes
find characters in anime and manga whose names are jokes based on
personality types, or something similar. The Rabbit Pounding
Mochi On The Moon gives us Usagi, Sailor Moon's alter ego. Of
course, there's Usagi, the rabbit hero in a certain comic
published in English in the west. A closely related example is
"Priss and the Replicants" (Bubble Gum Crisis, and Blade Runner.)
Name Tags:
It's difficult to classify this device as a cliche, but it
appears in some many different manga and anime... Probably
because Japanese characters look alike in manga and anime, it may
be hard for the Japanese to them apart. Or, maybe the Japanese
have poor memories and need to be constantly reminded of which
character they're looking at. Either way, characters will often
wear clothing with their names on it (Dragon Ball, Ah! My
Goddess, Urusai Yatsura.)
-----------------------
Hand Gestures
-----------------------
Index and the pinky fingers extended:
Appears a lot in Takahashi's works. When someone is getting
bashed up in a non-fatal way, the recipient of the punishment
usually has both arms extended and the index and pinky extended
on both hands. This is also a common response to a bad joke or
pun, when the character falls over.
> This seems to be one of the oldest, and least understood,
>cliches in Anime and manga. Since nobody seems to know its
>origin, my conjecture is as good as any one else's. Basically,
>I think it was based on a superstition; holding your hands in a
>way to spread the thumb, the forefinger, and the pinkie was
>apparently a charm against evil or bad luck or something (my
>best guess). Although it's doubtful that anyone still believes
>that it will work, it was still a popular mannerism to do that
>if you're surprised. In 3x3 Eyes, Part I, Pai, as the Sanjiyan,
>used those hand motions to cast her spells to abolish the
>tri-clawed ghosts/monsters.
> This habit can probably be equated to the Western custom of
>holding up both hands and crossing your forefingers to someone
>you think is crazy or disagreeable, as if warding off a vampire.
>[From Theo Ching]
Peace Sign:
When a character is very nervous, sometimes they will give a
hesitant laugh and show the "peace" sign directed at the viewer
(the index and second fingers extended, palm facing the
audience.) One blaring example is in Mamono Hunter Yohko, but it
appears in other shows and manga as well. Another use of the
peace sign occurs frequently in Dragon Ball, where a character
will win (or think he's won) a battle. Often accompanied by the
character saying "peace" a few times.
Extended Pinky Finger:
Sometimes a man will show just extend the pinky finger (as in
giving a subtle message to another person). This means that they
have a woman in the house or are perhaps occupied with a female
guest. One example is in Ahh Megami-sama OVA #1. Not one of the
more common signs.
> According to the book, _Real Japanese_, by Jack Seward,
>holding up the pinkie is the way to make a discreet reference to
>having a girlfriend or female lover. For example, you go to see
>your friend at work: he's not in, so you ask his co-worker where
>he is. The co-worker says something like, "oh, well, he had to
>do something," ask he furtively holds up his little finger.
> You would then say "ahhh..." and understand that your friend
>went out on a date or to a love hotel or something with a
>ladyfriend, and without the co-worker having to say so outright.
>This might save you both some embarrass- ment and tricky
>questions later, especially if your friend happens to be married.
>[From Theo "SD_Neko" Ching]
Linked Pinkies:
This is actually a common practice among children, and some
couples in real life Japan. Basically, it's a way of making a
promise that two people are supposed to keep, accompanied by a
chant that translates to "swallowing rusty needles" if either one
breaks the vow. Later, if one hooks the pinky, and gestures with
it, it usually is a reminder to the other person of the promise
made. Occurs in a variety of anime, including City Hunter (when
a young girl hires Ryo to be her older sister's bodyguard for 500
yen.)
Related to this in a way: In Miracle Girls, when the two
sisters want to teleport somewhere, they have to link their pinky
fingers, first.
Toes in the air:
When one character makes a really bad joke, or says something
very stupid, the others will fall over and all the reader sees
are their feet pointing in the air, toes extended. It's a very
obvious way of showing that the current dialog is dumb, or a bad
pun. This artistic cliche dates back at least to the Mad
Magazines of the mid-1950's. Don Martin was one of the artists
using it extensively at that time. Although, other earlier comic
strips also used the related cliche of having the characters
flying backwards out of the side of the panel, with dotted lines
showing their flight path.
Walk Like an Egyptian:
This is a distinctly Japanese artistic cliche-reaction to a
bad joke, or the surprising behavior of another character: The
mouth falls open, eyes goes wide, and then the arms point
straight in the same direction (left arm straight out, right arm
up over the head and bent to point to the left,) with the hands
flat and open. Occasionally, there will be some reaction with
the legs as well (this is not standardized, though.) If the joke,
or behavior is bad enough, the characters will go into a little
dance. There are many variations on the arm and hand positions,
but it's an easy visual cliche to recognize.
The Bird:
In Japan, many people know that the word "f*ck" means
something bad, and that the middle finger extended is insulting,
but that's as far as the understanding goes. Therefore, when
someone has a bad attitude, they'll give people the finger to
show that they're bad. This symbol doesn't have the cultural
baggage it does in the west.
Mangajin #26 has an article on gestures as well. It includes:
I'm strong/good at something-
Fist raised to eye level, hand on biceps ('making a muscle').
Dibs on this-
Lick finger and touch it to the object you are claiming (like, a
boyfriend.)
-----------------------
Miscellaneous
-----------------------
The following entries aren't so much cliches, as they are
folk-beliefs that have become common anime gag elements.
Nosebleeds:
A character will just be standing around, when suddenly, he
sees a really sexy woman (this works best when she's partially
undressed, or is imagined to be undressed,) and a huge fountain
of blood will spurt from both nostrils.
It's a cliche, and a simple way to tell the audience that a
character is having lustful thoughts. Happens in City Hunter,
Dragon Ball (Yamcha when looking at Buruma, Kamesennin when
watching anything attractive and female,) and lots of other manga
that I don't know the names of. In fact, in one Dragon Ball
episode, there's a VERY elaborate set-up, to get Buruma to show
her breasts, which gets Kamesennin to spurt blood, which in turn
covers the invisible man that Yamcha is fighting, to make the
invisible man visible. Hilarious.
Sneezes:
A character will be standing around, while elsewhere, someone
is talking about him behind his back. He sneezes. Why? because
that's the way it works. Usually, the 'behind-the-back' comment
is a snide or insulting one. This is a common belief in Japan
and China, along the lines of the western belief that if your
ears are burning, someone somewhere is talking about you.
Red threads:
A sign that two people's destiny is intertwined.
Tiger-striped bikinis
Oni (demons) are known to be something of a form of beast, and
the way this is commonly depicted is to have the oni wear some
kind of tiger-striped clothing. Ref. Lum of Urusei Yatsura.
Ravens:
A sign of bad luck, or evil foreboding. Used occasionally in
Urusei Yatsura and Gegege no Ge Kitaro.
Giri Chocolates:
On Valentines, it is customary for girls and women to give
chocolates to all of the men in their lives (classmates,
co-workers, boyfriends...) Usually, to receive chocolates like
this means nothing, it's just part of the tradition. So, there's
a large industry based around 'giri' (obligation) 'choco.'
However, a girl may handmake some chocolate, which will be given
to someone she really likes. [Note: White Day is later in the
year, and is the time for boys to give chocolates to their
girlfriends.]
Face Cuts:
A character will spend weeks in battle with someone, getting
pounded into mountains, battered about their body, and flamed.
Suddenly, a near-miss attack will scratch their face, and the
character will go insane in revenge. Why?
Good question. The character usually says something about
their face having 'gotten dirty.' In Japan, the most flattering
comment you can make to a woman is that she has very nice skin.
Many people suffer from acne, have pockmarked faces, or have
moles, so they may be a little more self-conscious concerning
another person's facial problems. Either way, this is a very
popular storytelling device.
Head scarf:
A number of characters will show up late at night, furtively
crawling around with a kerchief over their head, and the knot
tied under their nose.
It's a typical guise used in anime and manga to signify that a
character is a burglar, or sneak thief. Not really good as a
disguise, more of a visual cliche.
> Ryouko wore such a mask when she was attempting to sneak into
>Tenchi's room in the Tenchi Muyou Special. From what I've heard,
>the knot under the nose was supposed to muffle the breathing of
>the person wearing the mask, enabling the person to sneak around
>silently. [From Pomru]
Pounding nails into effigies:
Occassionally, you'll see someone holding a straw doll, and
pounding a stake or nail through it's chest. This is a form of
voodoo, the idea being that the person doing the pounding is sort
of cursing someone to die fairly soon.
Candles on the head:
In Japan, ghosts have flickering ghost flames accompanying
them. In older manga, a ghost will be depicted as having a
headband holding two candles on their head. (Obviously, if a
living person wants to pretend to be a ghost, this is how they'd
fake the ghost flames part.) In GS Mikami, the ghost has little
self-sufficient flames flickering around her. [Note: Ghosts
traditionally don't have feet, but the one in GS Mikami is
wearing red sneakers.]
Arguably, the ghost flames could be due to the effects of
glowing methane, or swamp moss, that may be found at certain
cemeteries.
Name Tags:
It's difficult to classify this device as a cliche, but it
appears in so many different manga and anime... Probably because
Japanese characters look alike in manga and anime, it may be hard
for the Japanese to tell them apart. Or, maybe the Japanese have
poor memories and need to be constantly reminded of which
character they're looking at. Either way, characters will often
wear clothing with their names on it (Dragon Ball, Ah! My
Goddess, Urusei Yatsura.)
Silence:
>In City Hunter (both the series and the movies), what is the
>meaning of the dragonflies and moths (and I believe that I once
>saw a duck) that always fly across the screen? Since it usually
>happens right after one of the characters is embarassed or
>surprised, I suppose that it has something to do with
>embarassment or surprise, but I would like a little more
>in-depth explanation if possible.
Nothing much in-depth to say.
When a character is stunned, in manga, there's usually the
sound effect of 'shi -- in', or 'sile -- ence'.
Hojo has just modified this effect and used dragonflies and
crows instead of the word 'shin'.
The "Blush"
There will be times, when one character says something to
another, or the main character will be thinking to herself, when
suddenly she'll get a blue blush around the eyes or forehead,
along with some darker vertical lines.
The character is NOT blushing. This is a widely recognized
Japanese cue stating that the character is suffering from an
ill-feeling, or mortification. The sudden darkening of the
background, and a "sick" sound effect accompanying the "blue
blush" should make it obvious that this has nothing to do with
the western "red" blush of embarrassment.
------------------------
Common Features of Anime
------------------------
Running
The reason most anime characters can't run properly (their
legs are almost straight up and down when they plant their feet)
is that most Japanese can't run properly, either. I've seen lots
of Japanese running this way -- must come from sitting in
kneeling position too long.
Sideburns for women
In the past, people have commented on certain anime women
having really long sideburns (ie -- Iczer 1.) This is just an
exaggeration of real life. Japanese women have rudementary
sideburns, which some of them grow to 2-3 inches long. Others
will comb the hair on the sides of their head so that it falls in
front of the ears, making them look like pale imitations of the
Iczers. It's a form of fashion.
Mice teeth
This is probably the most cruel stereotype, and the one with
the most brutal explanation. Many, many Japanese have bad teeth.
Some are missing a couple of teeth on the side, others have gaps
between all the teeth and the teeth grow in crooked. Others have
"squeezed in" mouths, so the that teeth on the sides are closer
to the center of the mouth, and the two front teeth are pushed
forward. It's this last group that is being caracatured in anime
like Akira, and lots of manga. Sometimes, the front teeth are
larger, giving the person a bucktooth appearance (as in Akira.)
But, in really bad cases, when the person's mouth is closed, the
two front teeth are still fully exposed. One young woman on the
train had this problem. Her face was also small and thin, so the
description "mousy" was VERY appropriate. She is the type being
caracatured occasionally in various manga.
Faces
While it's hard to believe, nearly every face and expression
found in more realistically drawn manga (for the human
characters, anyway) exists in real life in Tokyo. In the shogi
story in Big Comic Spirits, there is the middle-aged player that
always competes against the boy hero. The middle-aged guy always
looks constipated, and his eyes bulge out -- A while ago, there
was a big argument in my office during a staff meeting. The
salesman, who is in his 20's, started lowering his head, staring
straight at the table. His arms were locked, and his hands were
gripping his legs. He argued with our company president (who has
no clue how to manage a small software company) while always
looking down at the table, and apologizing for being so forward.
In profile, the salesman looked and behaved EXACTLY like the
middle-aged shogi player in the manga.
I have yet to see a Yawara face, though.
Cat's Tongue
>Shampoo's Great-grandma said that she touched a certain pressure
>point on Ranma's body that makes his whole body as "sensitive as
>a cat's tongue."
In Japan, people like to eat ramen when it is scalding hot.
So, as they eat, they suck in air (which cools the noodles a
little.) Japanese are very noisy eaters, and are always making
slurping sounds when consuming ramen and various soups.
A person that lets food cool before eating it is said to "have
a cat's tongue" (ie. -- they can't cope with scalding food.)
Hair
Japanese do not all have pure black hair; some have brown
hair, some have gray. However, most Japanese hair is very
course, and takes lots of care to look glistening and soft. This
may represent an hour a day simply washing and combing it. So,
it's not surprising that a woman with beautiful hair will be very
proud of it, and suffer traumatic shock if it gets damaged, or
cut as happens to Akane in _Ranma 1/2._
Ghosts with Feet:
From a Spa magazine article dedicated to foreign ghosts (July
27 issue):
"It's believed that you can see the entire body of foreign
ghosts, but you can not see the legs of Obake. It doesn't mean
Japanese ghosts don't have legs, their bottoms are nearly
transparent. Obake stare with silence, while Western ghosts are
noisy."
Snowmen are Yuki Daruma; Yuki Otoko is abominable snowman:
Daruma was supposedly an old monk who sat in one position so
long, his arms and legs withered away/fell off. You can see
daruma dolls in many anime episodes. It's the one shaped like a
squashed peanut, with red clothes painted on, and a black and
white face. Often, the eyes are left without pupils. The idea
is that when you buy the doll, you make a wish and paint in one
pupil ("I want my daughter to marry into a rich family," or "I
want my son to graduate from High School with high grades, and
enter a good college.") The other pupil is painted in when the
wish is fulfilled.
Since snowmen don't have arms or legs, they are called Yuki
(snow) Daruma. The Japanese name for the Yeti is Yuki Otoko
(Snow man.)
The Beckoning Cat:
>What is the cat (usually white or gray) holding a gold coin, or
>just with one upraised paw. Found in Ranma 1/2 Part Three #2
>(the one where Gosunkugi's cats get Ranma to act like one.)
From the introduction to the Eclipse Comics translation of
"What's Michael" Volume One, by cat yronwode:
"[...] As explained by Patricia Dale-Green in _The Cult of the
Cat_ (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1963), the Beckoning Cat is
associated with an ancient cat-shrine on the grounds of a temple
known as Gotoku-ji. 'This temple', she writes, 'was originally a
very poor one, no more than a thatched hut run by
poverty-stricken and half-starved monks. The master-priest had a
cat of which he was fond, and shared with it such little food as
he had. One day the cat squatted by the roadside and, when half a
dozen Samurai appeared on splendid horses, it looked up at them
and raised one of its paws to its ear, as if it were beckoning to
them. The noble cavaliers pulled up and, as the cat continued to
beckon, they followed it into the temple. Torrential rain forced
them to stay for a while, so the priest gave them tea and
expounded Buddhist doctrine.
After this one of the Samurai--Lord Li--regularly visited the
old priest to receive religious instruction from him. Eventually
Li endowed the temple with a large estate and it became the
property of his family. Visitors who pass under the temple's
gateways, walk through its broad avenues of towering trees and
enjoy the beautifully laid-out gardens, discover, near the
cemetery of the Li family, the little shrine of the beckoning
cat--which, it is said, still draws pilgrims from all parts of
Tokyo.'
Because the Beckoning Cat had lured a wealthy patron to the
poor temple, images of this cat soon became talismanic emblems
and were particularly favored by shopkeepers. According to
Dale-Green, 'At the entrances to their shops and restaurants, the
Japanese place clay, papier-mache or wooden figures of the seated
cat with one paw raised to the side of its face. Such cats are
believed to promote prosperity, their beckoning paws inviting
passers-by to come in and do business.'" [Jeff Williamson]
Namu Amidabutsu
In anime, there's a standard joke used when a character looks
like he's just died (of course, the one pulling the joke has
reason for being prematurely happy.) Basically, "the mourner"
will bow his/her head, and start chanting something. That
something (as it is used in Tenchi Muyuu) is "Namu Amidabutsu."
Amida is chief of the mythical Buddhas of compassion. His
name is invoked when someone has died, as a form of protection
for the one doing the praying:
Namu Amidabutsu == "I take refuge in Amida Buddha."
whome?
"5parrowhawk" <remove...@nathuangatsingnet.com.sg> wrote in message
news:3EA91067...@nathuangatsingnet.com.sg...
whome?
"5parrowhawk" <remove...@nathuangatsingnet.com.sg> wrote in message
news:3EA91067...@nathuangatsingnet.com.sg...
> > On 04/23/2003 21:53, in article
> > esHpa.39150$4P1.3...@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net, "whome?"
> > <tisme@.INvalid.com> wrote:
> I get the feeling that original poster is referring to things like
> sweatdrops, nosebleeds, SDism, facefaults, lack_of_nippleness (see: Love
> Hina manga), that little symbol that appears on people's temple or side
> of the head (a bulging vein???) when they're ticked, etc... are these
> covered in Poitras's volume?
>
> - 5parrow
>
>
Yup, that is what I mean.
Arthur Kimes
<chof...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
] Looks like the file got deleted from the server and the link wasn't
] updated. Below is the Animation Cheats and Cliches file I wrote, as
] of 1995. I haven't been watching as much anime in recent years, so
] the file may be out of date.
Great list!
What about lip stretching? I often see one character do a
humourous attack on another by grabbing the left and right edges of the
mouth and pulling them apart. I don't think I've ever seen it in a
non-anime setting.
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
- Benjamin Franklin
5parrowhawk
> On Fri, 25 Apr 2003 18:13:04 GMT, Curtis Hoffmann
> <chof...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
>
> ] Looks like the file got deleted from the server and the link wasn't
> ] updated. Below is the Animation Cheats and Cliches file I wrote, as
> ] of 1995. I haven't been watching as much anime in recent years, so
> ] the file may be out of date.
>
> Great list!
>
> What about lip stretching? I often see one character do a
> humourous attack on another by grabbing the left and right edges of the
> mouth and pulling them apart. I don't think I've ever seen it in a
> non-anime setting.
Good point. Also, it seems a lot of anime newbies don't know what a
tanuki is... I think that would be a relevant section.
BTW, IIRC White Day is on March 14.
- 5parrow
Chris Sobieniak
remove...@nathuangatsingnet.com.sg (5parrowhawk) wrote:
>> What about lip
stretching? I often see
>>one character do a humourous attack on another
>>by grabbing the left and right edges of the mouth
>>and pulling them apart. I don't think I've ever
>>seen it in a non-anime setting.
>Good point. Also, it seems a lot of anime newbies
>don't know what a tanuki is... I think that would be
>a relevant section.
There's an important topic. Many newbies would literally get confused
over just why would any animal have such a gigantic package like that.
^_^
From the Master of Car-too-nal Knowledge...
Christopher M. Sobieniak
--"Fightin' the Frizzies since 1978"--
Curtis Hoffmann
I guess it's time that I repost some of my other old
anime/manga/Japanese culture FAQs...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anime and Manga
Subject: Foods in anime and manga
The following list is by no means complete, and may need some
additional fine-tuning.
A number of people have asked about, and commented on, various
Oriental foods that appear, or are featured, in manga and anime.
I'm starting up a more formal listing. Feel free to add to it.
Glossary:
Yaki -- Grilled. Ie., Yakitori -- grilled chicken.
Han -- Half. Ie., Tenshinhan -- A half order of Tenshin.
Han -- Rice. Ie., Tenshinhan -- Tenshin and rice.
{} -- Indicates where the associated food appears in manga or
anime.
Dorayaki
Bean paste sandwiched between two mini pancakes.
{Dorayaki is Doreamon's favorite food.} [TK]
Gyouza
AKA: pot stickers. Little balls of ground meat wrapped in a
thin, moon-shaped dough shell.
{Dragon Ball Z, the character named Chou-zu (alternate
pronounciation of Gyouza)}
Happosai
A mixure of vegetables sauteed and covered in a thick
transparent sauce. Literally, "eight treasure vegetables."
{Ranma 1/2, the character named Happosai} [Tanaka]
Manju
Of Chinese origin, manju is kind of like an-pan, with anko
(red bean paste) in the center, and Chinese dough on the outside.
The outer coating can have different flavor additives as well.
Miso
The name for soy bean paste (sometimes includes wheat or
rice.) The paste has lots of salt added, and the better pastes
can be fermented, like cheese, for 1-2 years. Miso soup is
called "miso shiru", and is probably originally from China.
Miso paste can also be added to Ramen and other foods.
{Shows up whenever a character makes supper}
Mochi
A short-grain rice (mochi gome) is steamed and then pounded
into a very smooth, glutonous mass. Sticky, with no real flavor.
Used as the base for some other food, ala tofu.
[Usually found on New Year's Day in the soup (Ozouni)... [RT]]
[Mochi (in korean culture) is a dessert... it's that sweet
rice pounded into a smooth mass.. there is an inner filling of
red bean paste (very sweet and yummy) and powdered with flower on
the outside as to not make your hands messy or stick to the dish.
[edwinyoo]]
{Folk tale, Our Man-in-the-Moon is Japan's
The Rabbit That Is Pounding Mochi}
Norimaki (Rolled in Seaweed)
Usually refers to rolled sushi, but as it also identifies a
specific flavor, it is possible to find Norimaki crackers.
Rice meal is used to make a kind of cross between our
corn-based chips, and wheat-based crackers. Various things can
be added, and spices placed on top. Senbe and Arare are types of
rice crackers.
{Dr. Slump, the characters Senbe Norimaki, and Arale Norimaki}
Odango
Mochi is rolled into 1" balls, impaled by thin wooden skewers,
and topped with things like red bean paste, and yaki sauce.
{Sailor Moon, Usagi is called 'Odango Atama', or 'Odango
Head'.}
Okonomiyaki (Favorite grilled foods)
A Japanese dish you eat by frying a mixture of flour-paste,
veggies, and various kind of meats (in whatever combination you
like) on a Teppan (iron plate) in front of you into a pan-cake
like form. It's eaten with a kind of Japanese sauce, and some
grated toppings. [JC]
You can find various okonomiyaki stalls around the parks in
Tokyo. {Ranma 1/2's Ukyo}
Pan
This is a loan-word, introduced by the Portuguese
400-500 years ago, meaning "bread." Yes, the French have a
similar word, but the Japanese were on better terms with the
Portuguese 300-400 years ago, and the Portuguese "Pao" was
rendered into "pan" by the Japanese of the time.
Sando -- This is an English loan word, meaning sandwich.
A ham sandwich is called "hamu sando".
Man -- A dough that is used in Chinese cooking.
Chinese dough in a bun shape, with a meat filling
(niku) is called "niku-man."
Bread, formed into a bun, with bean-paste filling is called
"an-pan". (Sweet red bean paste is called anko. So, a bean-paste
bun is "an-pan." This is why the title character of one
children's anime was called "Anpan-man" -- he was an animated
an-pan.)
{Used to explain Ryouga's hatred of Ranma early on in Ranma
1/2}
Pocky
A brandname for a long thin cookie-cracker stick, with
different coatings. Chocolate, chocolate with almond bits,
strawberry, etc. Pocky is supposedly the sound made when you
break the stick in two when you bite it.
{3x3 Eyes, Pai eats them in an early volume of the manga.}
Ramen
Thin noodles, in a soup with chopped veggies. Usually has a
little sliced disk of swirly fish paste on top, and a sheet of
seaweed.
{Everywhere. Everyone eats ramen at one time or another.}
Shabu shabu
You cook the meat by moving the piece of meat back and forth
in the broth. The point is to cook it to your desired doneness
w/o letting go of the meat. The sound it supposedly makes when
you move the meat in the broth (usually the "kobu" seaweed,
sometimes others, sometimes just plain water) is "shabu shabu".
The usual greens are onions and Napa cabbage. Sometimes tofu,
spinach, various mushrooms, udon, etc. are added with the onions
and the Napa cabbage. After you cook the meat/veggies, you dip
it in a sauce (soy/lemon, sesame, etc.) before you eat it. [RT]
{No consistent examples}
Soba
Thin buckwheat noodles. Used in other recipes.
Sukiyaki
Things like scallions, thin sliced beef, shirataki (which is a
white noodle version of konnyaku (a vegetable similar to a
potato)), mushrooms (shiitake), watercress and some other
vegetables. Having individuals pick and choose stuff is more fun.
It's cooked in a soy sauce/wine/sugar mixture. Traditional
Japanese method of eating above mentioned things is to dip into
scrambled raw eggs. If so, it's actually easy to prepare. The
problem is getting thin enough sliced beef at the grocery store.
Butcher shops and asian food markets are better places to get
thin sliced beef. In fact, out in NJ/NY area, I remember asian
food stores selling them as sukiyaki beef. [AW]
The raw eggs supposedly cool down the food so you don't burn
yourself, and to make the flavor slightly more mellow. (At least
that's what my dad claims.) [RT]
{No consistent examples}
Takoyaki (grilled battered octopus)
A batter (with some spices) is poured into 1" diameter
cup-shaped holes on a hot grill. Slices of octopus are put in
the batter. When one side is done, the balls are flipped to cook
on the other side. Served with a dark, tangy sweet sauce.
{Magical Taruruuto-kun, MT's favorite food}
Tenshin
A kind of omelet placed over rice, with a sweet brown sauce.
{Dragon Ball Z, the character named Tenshinhan}
Udon
Thick noodles. Used in Udon soup.
{No consistent examples}
Wasabi
Japanese horse radish. When used with sushi, or certain other
foods, some water is added to powdered wasabi, to make a strong
paste. In American sushi restaurants, it is common to add a LOT
of wasabi to soy sauce, to make a VERY spicy mouthful. But, in
Japan, a small amount of wasabi is eaten with sushi -- just
enough to add a bit of a kick to the meal. Japanese don't really
like spicy foods much, and use a fraction of the wasabi that
westerners do.
There is a pre-packaged wasabi in a tube, which more like
shredded wasabi with other things added.
[I've heard this before and it's not really true. Many
Japanese do like spicy foods, and in fact, there was a geki-kara
("super hot") craze a few years back. The reason you don't put
too much wasabi on sushi is that you're supposed to be enjoying
the taste of the fish and the rice--the wasabi is just a
condiment. You wouldn't drench a steak in ketchup, would you?
[KT]]
[Most Americans WANT to hide the taste of sushi... Besides,
I've met a lot of Japanese that think they are capable of eating
super-hot foods. They fail miserably when given real Mexican, or
Sri Lankan dishes. The truth is, most Japanese can't handle
truly hot foods. [CH]]
[Trivia--it's actually incorrect to add wasabi to the soy
sauce. Letting wasabi come into contact with liquid neutralizes
the chemical that give wasabi its "kick." [KT]]
[Tell that to all of the Japanese I've eaten sushi with in
restaurants in Japan. [CH]]
Yaki-Ika
Ika on a stick (grilled squid)
Usually, you can find stalls around the parks selling
cross-section slices of squid. It's only during certain
festivals, and at a few shops, where you can find a whole squid
on a stick.
{Various manga}
Yakisoba
Grilled noodles, mixed with other chopped veggies. Yakisoba
stalls can be found around the parks. (In this case, soba is
just a generic term for "noodles".)
{No consistent examples}
Yamcha
Dim Sum--a meal consisting of small portions of a wide variety
of foods. In Chinese restaurants in the US, dim sum is usually
Saturday and Sunday mornings but I hear it's properly eaten in
the afternoon. (Yamcha = "drink tea." i.e. tea time. I dunno if
"dim sum" uses the same characters.) [Tanaka]
Descriptions from:
Albert Nakano [AN]
davew [DW]
Jeffreyc [JC]
Kenichiro Tanaka [KT] tan...@maya.com
Rita Takahashi [RT] but...@leland.stanford.edu
============== Actual Recipes ================
Sukiyaki - serves 4:
1 lb thinly-sliced round steak, prepared in strips.
2 Tsp salad oil
1.5 cups sliced celery (leaves OK)
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1.5 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (or 6 oz can, drained)
3/4 cup green onions, sliced in 1-inch pieces (tops too)
1 can (10.5 oz) beef broth
1 Tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 Tsp cornstarch
4 cups hot cooked rice
Brown meat in salad oil. Add vegetables, beef broth, and soy
sauce. Cover. Cook over low heat 10 minutes, or until
vegetables are just tender. Stir often. Combine water and
cornstarch; add to meat mixture; stir until thickened. Serve
over hot rice.
[Brett Middleton]
======
This is a quick & easy way to make Okonomiyaki that I make.
Prepare:
1. flour 1 cup, water 1/2 c, 1 egg
2. finely shredded cabbage 1/2 c
3. 2 eggs
4. thin sliced pork loin 2-3 pieces (or cuttlefish [ika], beef,
or chicken)
5. chopped green seaweed (aonori), deepfried droplets (tenkasu),
bonito flakes
6. sauce (tonkatsu sauce or soy sauce +ketchup mixture)
First mix 1. & 2. well. Pour in the center of hot frying pan
greased, 5-6 inch round shape , even thickness, Cook pork while
above being cooked. Press pork by spatula, turn to cook. Place
pork onto the dough. Braeak 2 eggs beside, and make sunnyside
down. Place eggs on top of the dough & pork (dough is not yet
fully cooked the up side). Turn the whole thing to cook the pork
& egg side. Press it by the spatula. Turn again to sprinkle
seaweed and tenkasu and sauce, cut & serve. Somebody may have
sent a recipe already, and there are more sophisticated recipes
may be available. This is an easy recipe I can think off my hip.
[Nori Matsui]
Curtis Hoffmann
Anime and Manga
Subject: Ponpoko
Monsters and animal references
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miyazaki's movie, Ponkoko, is so full of cultural references
that describing them would be more a task for a folklorist, than
an anime fan.
While Ponpoko is being described as a more serious movie, a
protest against the development of a certain section of
wilderness, there are enough comic elements to make one wonder.
I'll let someone else describe _Ponpoko_ in more detail.
The rest of this file will attempt to highlight the cultural
background, and the more famous ghost story creatures, instead.
Ghost stories:
Japan has a tradition, dating back a few hundred years at
least, of telling scary tales on a hot summer night, as a way to
feel cooler afterwards. Most of these tales avoid the gory
elements one would find in western ghost stories, and focus
mostly on the eerie. For this reason, most Americans would
consider Japanese ghost stories to be boring, or merely quaint.
Of course, this description does not apply to the more recent
horror as exemplified by _Wandering Kid_, or _Supernatural Beast
City_. Instead, _Vampire Princess Miyu_ is more in keeping with
the traditional Japanese ghost story genre.
Many of the monsters in Japanese tales come from the animal
world, and can be divided into two broad types; shape-changing
animals, and brute creatures. For the most part, shape-changers
take on female forms, whereas the brutes are either asexual, or
male.
Disclaimer: The following information comes from a variety of
sources, mostly in talking to Japanese adults. I am not
pretending to be an authority on these matters. So, if you spot
any errors, please let me know, and I will correct them.
Note: Nearly all of the Japanese ghost stories originally came
from China, and were altered over time. While there may
be old folktales concerning purely Japanese creatures,
they are not as widely known. Just as important,
though, is the fact that many regions have their own
ghosts and stories, that are peculiar to just that one
town, or location.
Glossary:
--------
Hitotsume Kozou: "One-eyed boy." Bald old cyclops, who looks
a bit like a shaved-top priest; just scares people.
Kappa: A kind of humanoid turtle, with a circle of hair on
the top of its head, a shell on its back, and a beak
for a mouth. A kappa can either be a Water God, or a
monster. As a water god, the kappa will protect
fresh water from mistreatment (if you pollute a well
or a river, the kappa will get you.) As a monster,
kappa live beside fresh water, and drown unsuspecting
passersby.
Kasa no Obake: "Umbrella monster." A wooden umbrella, with
one eye and one leg. Hops around on one foot.
Eerie, rather than menacing.
Kitsune: "Fox." Kitsune are considered to be clever, and
selfish. Most of the stories about them concern "a
lone woman found out in the woods. She is very
beautiful, and begs for help. The man (usually a
powerful lord, or a samurai) takes care of her.
However, the woman turns out to be too beautiful and
arrogant to be a mere human. Eventually, she is
discovered to a be fox spirit, and chased away, or
killed." The stories of fox-women seem to have
originated in China, with the husband being the
Chinese Emperor. The woman runs away to Japan, and
resurfaces with a Japanese husband.
Neko: "Cat." Cats occasionally surface as shape-changers,
but are usually VERY cruel. No outstanding stories
about them. Dogs, on the other hand, are very nice to
humans, and don't figure much into ghost stories as
the main creature. The most famous story about a cat
is simply the "beckoning cat," a normal cat which
brought fortune to a small temple run by poor monks.
The cat would sit beside the road, with one paw
raised. Passersby felt like they were being invited
to the temple by the cat. Currently, statues of the
beckoning cat are placed outside of restaurants to
help pull in customers.
Dogs, on the other hand, help out the humans
occasionally after there has been some kind of
trouble.
Ponpoko: The sound made when you slap your hands against your
full stomach, after eating a big meal. In China, it
was once considered good manners to slap your
stomach, and comment on how good the food was.
Rokurokkubi: "Woman with a long neck." Another Chinese
monster, this woman looks normal during the day.
But, at midnight, her neck becomes very long. She
likes to eat lamp oil. Eerie, rather than dangerous.
Tanuki: "Raccoon-dog." While Kitsune stories are very
serious, Tanuki stories are much more humorous. The
tanuki love playing pranks on people, although the
older stories tend to make them much more cruel.
Tanuki are also shape-changers. The more famous story
goes something like "a human captures a tanuki, and
gives it to his wife to cook up for supper. However,
the man leaves again, and the tanuki escapes, kills
the wife, cooks her into a stew, changes shape to
imitate the woman, and serves the stew to the
husband. After the man has eaten the stew, the
tanuki reveals itself, explains its prank, and runs
away. In grief, the man asks a friendly pet for
help. The pet makes a boat for the tanuki, and the
two animals go out fishing. But, the tanuki's boat is
made of mud, and it dissolves, leaving the tanuki
stranded out in the middle of the lake."
The main characters in _Ponpoko_ are all Tanuki. A
few kitsune also show up.
Tsuru: "Crane." Rather than being a folk story, there is a
very famous work of fiction concerning a crane that
is saved by a kind man. The man bandages the crane's
broken wing, and sets it free. Later, a beautiful
woman comes to the man's house, and marries him.
They grow wealthy, and have several children. But,
the woman made the man promise that he would never
invade her privacy. When he finally does, he
discovers that she is really the crane that he once
helped. Tearfully, the crane flies away, and never
returns.
Nopperabo:
AKA: Woman without a face: "A man was walking by the Imperial
Palace, and saw a pretty woman standing very close to
the edge of the moat. Planning on a bit of lechery,
the man walks up to the woman, from behind, and warns
her of the danger. But, when the woman turns around,
he sees that she has no face. In fear, he runs away.
Eventually, he finds a ramen (or uden) cart, and
decides to have something to eat to calm his nerves.
While eating, he tells his tale to the the cart
operator. When he is done, the other guy turns around
and replies "is that so." The cart operator has no
face." This is a common story, and is eerie enough to
be considered scary by Japanese standards.
Yuki Onna: "Snow Woman." A popular folktale, about a group of
snow spirits. They intend to freeze one man to
death, but the snow queen has a change of heart.
Sort of similar to the the Crane Woman story.
Curtis Hoffmann
Rotoscoping in Anime
-----------------------------------------------------
Rotoscoping is not your Friend.
Part 1
From: fjoh...@police.rutgers.edu (Floyd Johnson)
>co...@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (E. Kontei) writes:
>
>>Because it was BAD rotoscoping. The Fleischer brothers invented the
>>technique waay back in the 40's, and it can be done right (like the
>>way Disney does it) or wrong (like the way Bashki and Filmation used
>>to do it). Rotoscoping per se is not a bad tool, what matters is
>>using it right! Several anime have used rotoscoping to good effect,
>>mostly for modeling mechanical devices.
>
>Given the definition of rotoscopy, "tracing over" live action with pencil
>sketches of a character, I thought the only was you could screw it up
>was be either using too few frames or by imprecision in the drawings.
Well...
It's REAL EASY to screw up rotoscoping...
(Ignoring the possibility of the animator not tracing a person's
outline EXACTLY in EVERY SINGLE frame.)
First, think about shading -- that is changing every frame, while
most directors prefer to have the animators draw one picture for every
TWO frames of film. And the lighting sources used inside the animated
scene usually don't match up with that from the original live film,
which makes matters much more difficult for the animators (if they
even
think about this problem at all.) Because the shade lines aren't
solid
and consistent in real life, when the animator tries to nail them down
in pencil and ink, the shaded areas of a person's face or clothes are
going to jump around a lot.
Second, the entire issue of perspective comes in. In real life, if
a
person extends their hands away, or towards the camera, you'll see an
apparent difference in size relative to the rest of the body. Most
animators ignore this situation under normal conditions, but can't
ignore
this when rotoscoping. Unfortunately, the standard way to show that
one
part of the body is closer to the camera than the others is to paint
it
with gradiated shading. This requires more time and money (and a
larger variety of paints that have to be mixed EXACTLY the same when
replenished.) So, most directors will ignore the details of
perspective, causing the body parts to look funny when colored in.
And, when two people are on the screen at one time, and one walks
behind the other, if both characters have been filled in with the same
colored paints, they look like they're in line with each other and
should
be bumping noses.
Third, the fleshy parts of the face are very difficult to pin down
with a pencil, so you'll get a jumpy effect in things like jaw lines,
curves in the base of the nose, and cheek bones, when a character
turns
his head around. Further, if a director chooses to transfer the
pencil
drawings to cel via xerox (rather than hand-inking the lines with
colored paint,) you'll get a hard, solid line in places where you'd
normally have a simple, soft change in color. An excellent example of
this is in Omoide Poroporo -- the main character's cheek bones look
very
puffy and badly drawn. They also jump around a little when she turns
her face towards the camera.
Really, the things that suffer the most when rotoscoping is used:
Clothing movement, shading in the face, solidity of the jaw line,
hands
and shading of the wrists, and mouth movements.
To look right, rotoscoping should not be used to replace one
character with another (ie -- Tony the Tiger in the cereal
commercials)
but rather as a guide for complicated movements. You watch how
some action is made, and then draw the character independent of the
actual appearance of the original actor/model. The old Bugs Bunny
cartoons, with influences from Tex Avery are great examples of this.
And the stuff done by Blair Preston.
Part 2
>> Third, the fleshy parts of the face are very difficult to pin down
>> with a pencil, so you'll get a jumpy effect in things like jaw lines,
>> curves in the base of the nose, and cheek bones, when a character turns
>> his head around. Further, if a director chooses to transfer the pencil
>> drawings to cel via xerox (rather than hand-inking the lines with
>> colored paint,) you'll get a hard, solid line in places where you'd
>> normally have a simple, soft change in color. An excellent example of
>> this is in Omoide Poroporo -- the main character's cheek bones look very
>> puffy and badly drawn. They also jump around a little when she turns
>> her face towards the camera.
>> To look right, rotoscoping should not be used to replace one
>> character with another (ie -- Tony the Tiger in the cereal commercials)
>> but rather as a guide for complicated movements.
>
>Well, live action + animation combos have been around for ages. It CAN
>be done right (see WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT for a good example).
I agree. The thing about the Tony the Tiger commercials is that it
is pure rotoscoping. A live actor does the work, and then the
animators
paint the tiger character over him -- which makes Tony look bulky and
awkward when compared to the kid actor working with him in the ad.
This is not the same as the early Gene Kelly movie where Kelly's
dancing
by himself on the set, and then Tom and Jerry are painted in later.
Of
course, the best example of live action + animation is the "Out of the
Inkwell" series by the Fleischer Brothers.
While most people would think of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" as a
rotoscoping-heavy film, the places where a live actor is replaced by
paint are rather rare, and most people have missed those scenes (for
the
record, the majority of the "actors" were mechanical props that were
later painted over -- like the penguin waiters in the Ink and Paint
Club. A live actor was used, though, during Jessica's song routine
when
she grabs Eddie's tie.) Technically, most of the animation in WFRR
could be considered to be "half-rotoscoping," I guess.
>> You watch how some action is made, and then draw the character
>> independent of the actual appearance of the original actor/model.
>
>This is what I call half-rotoscoping. You don't draw the model, only
>your impression of it. Gives a much "truer" (if you will) look to the
>animation than rotoscoping.
Ok. But if you watch Omoide Poroporo, you'll see the artifacts of
rotoscoping that I described above, which would have been smoothed out
or rendered invisible if the animators had used "half-rotoscoping."
Since I don't have a line on any inside information that no one else
does, I can't state "without a doubt, Omoide Poroporo used pure
rotoscoping," though. (Well, actually, yes I can...)
-- Curtis H. Hoffmann
Nov. 16, 1992
Curtis Hoffmann
Sake
------------------------------------------------------
to: edm...@edmonds.home.cs.ubc.ca
Subject: [Q] Care and feeding of sake
>I know this isn't directly anime related, but as a result my exposure to
>anime, I've also become curious about sake. I've checked the
>rec.food.drink, soc.culture.japan, and rec.arts.anime faqs for
>information, but to no avail. If someone (or ones) with experience
>could send me a rundown on what to buy, how to store it, how to drink
>it, and whatever else one should know, I'd be very appreciative.
Sake is pretty durable, and doesn't need to be treated specially,
unlike expensive European wines. Storing it at room temperatures is
good enough.
What to buy depends strictly on your own tastes. There are four
elements to sake: "sweet/hot", and "light/heavy." On the back of most
bottles, there will be a chart, or graph, showing the approximate
ratings of that given brand. Some charts won't have numbers on them,
others will range from -2 to 2, or -4 to 4, for the two element
combinations.
Basically, by varying the ratio of water to rice, and controlling
the
fermenting time and temperature, the sake master can get some very
unusual results in his finished product. Sake is usually nothing more
than rice and water. Lightness can correlate to "dryness" ala a
martini. The heavier the sake, the stronger the taste. Sweet/hot is a
little more intuitive. The higher the sweetness number, the sweeter
the
sake. A high hotness number means that the sake will burn your tongue
as if pepper had been added to it.
There is some tradition to serving sake, but no real rules. If you
like sake served hot, then feel free to heat up any sake you like --
there's no good reason not to. However, generally speaking, a light
sweet sake is good served chilled during the summer, and a heavy hot
sake
is good served steaming hot in a small sake serving bottle (use a
bottle
with a narrow neck, and only pour a little amount into the cup at a
time
to keep it from evaporating too fast, or cooling down quickly.) Most
people feel that sake tastes bad if drunk at room temp.
You can't get many different varieties in the States, but there are
quite a few labels in Japan. Most are very similar. But, the cheaper
the bottle, the poorer the quality. The best thing to do is get a
bottle each of everything you can get your hands on, and throw a
tasting
party. Have some Japanese rice crackers to snack on. Take notes, and
keep buying the one that appeals most to you.
-- Curtis H. Hoffmann
Nov. 15, 1993
Curtis Hoffmann
On living in Japan
-----------------------------------------------
A Misplaced Otaku
If one of the signs of otaku-hood is the complete abandonment of
your
life at home, to go to the source of your addiction and check it out,
then I'm showing at least one or two of the main symptoms. I'm
currently living in a gaijin house in Tokyo, watching the occasional
anime, visiting the manga sections of bookstores, and trying to
survive
long enough to pick up a basic functionality in reading and speaking
Japanese. I have enough money to safely last 3 months here, before I
have either found a job of some sort, or am forced to return to the
U.S.
after a brief, intense vacation.
The following will be my attempt to pave the way for anyone else
stupid enough to try this stunt. Do not attempt this at home -- this
act should be performed by trained professionals ONLY.
You have been warned.
Keep in mind, Japan is a big, busy, expensive place. If you can
get
someone else to finance the trip, and your stay here, this will be a
major first step. I don't actually recommend joining the navy just so
that you can take your six-month leave here, but if you're already in
the military, do everything you can to get stationed here.
Otherwise, having friends or relatives that live in Japan will make
a
big difference. Or, coming over here for school, or as part of a
"home-stay" program, is another possibility. Finding a decent place
to
stay is one of the foremost hurdles to overcome, given that you're not
the only one trying to do this.
Lastly, if you work for a large company, you can try to find a job
posting that will get you transferred to Japan long enough to sate
your
wildest desires. One of the advantages with this option is that
you'll
get a working visa, and make more money, while also getting a much
better
apartment (assuming that your company has a branch in Tokyo.)
Really, the first question to ask is, "Why do I want to go to
Japan?"
If the answer is "To go on a spending spree for a few days before
coming back home," you don't need to read this post any further than
this paragraph. If you can find a place to stay, then all you need
are
some good maps, the "Walking Guide to Tokyo" from one of the FTP
sites,
and about $1000 US in Yen. (Ignoring the price of airfare.)
If the answer is, "to visit Japan, buy some stuff, and then go
home,"
then this post may help you out a little.
If instead it's, "To stay in Japan long enough to learn whether I
want to stay here for a while," then keep reading.
Much of Japan is covered with various buildings, and lots of
people.
Unless the city is next to the coast, where the wind is strong, the
air
in the city will be polluted. Any nearby body of water will look
green
and sluggish during the warmer periods. There will be trash most
everywhere, and people that refuse to look you in the eye as you
approach, but will possibly run you over with a bicycle BECAUSE
they're
not looking at you. Japan has a very sophisticated rail and subway
system, that while very efficiently run, is difficult to understand
at first. And of course, the ONLY way to get around in this country
is by train or subway.
Shopping is not a problem in Japan. There are stores of all kinds,
everywhere. Huge department stores, little convenience shops, book
stores, fruit shops, kiosks, etc. There are a variety of vending
machines every 50 feet or so, but most sell only soda and cigarettes.
Deciding where to go to buy what you want is a slightly different
matter.
Being able to afford the higher costs is much more important -- almost
EVERYTHING in Japan costs too much.
Manga:
You can buy the weekly phonebooks, and monthly magazines
just
about anywhere. The kiosks are at all of the train and subway
stations,
and sell weeklies and monthlies along with Calpis, Poccari Sweat,
snacks,
and some of the newest manga volumes. Walking along any major street
will take you eventually to a bookstore. The smaller bookstores may
carry some serious books (novels, cookbooks, history books,) along
with
a relatively decent selection of manga, although there are some stores
that concentrate solely on manga. Department stores will also have a
book section. (Going up to people and saying "Hon-ya wa doko des ka?"
may also eventually get you to bookstores on the second or third
floors of buildings that you normally wouldn't have looked in.)
Of course, what you really want is one of the big bookstores, like
Kinokuniya, that carry just about everything, because they will have
the
widest selection of manga. Keep in mind, though, that if the book you
want is out of print or no longer popular, that the ONLY way you may
find it is to seek out the hidden used bookstores in Tokyo. So far, I
haven't found any of these, but I'm just starting to look for them.
Another hint: In Himeji, a smaller tourist town between Kyoto and
Hiroshima, there's a really nice little manga store that has the
entire
collections of Orange Road, City Hunter, and Pat Labor. (Something
that
the big stores in the big towns I've visited don't have.) The only
catch is that you have to buy the entire collection at once, they
won't
sell those books singly. The advantage is that the collections are
discounted from the original cover prices.
The point is, some of the smaller towns have better selections than
the bigger cities do. So, you may want to prepare yourself for a bit
of
travelling. Further, there are some series that you simply can't find
outside of used stores. Lupin III, for example. Right now, the only
easily found Lupin III manga is the color manga version of Castle
Cagliostro.
One book that will help you out, if you can find it before you come
to Japan, is "Tokyo: A Bilingual Atlas." There are 29 maps of Tokyo,
and an index at the back. This way, you can figure out where the
Kinokuniya store is in Shinjuku. That Kinokuniya also has this book
for 1800 yen.
Types of manga: Best Locations to Check
Weekly Serials Anywhere
Monthly Serials Anywhere
Magazines (Newtype, et. all) Moderate bookstores on up
Collected Volumes Small bookstores on up
"Art of" Books Big Bookstores only
Odd-sized manga Big Bookstores only
Anime:
This more of a problem. Japanese TV doesn't carry as much
anime as you'd expect. And the Tokyo area (Kanto region) has a poorer
selection than the Osaka area (Kansai). As an example, you can watch
Dr. Slump and Yawara re-runs in Osaka but not Tokyo. (There are
three major areas listed in the English version of the Japan Times
paper.) And Kansai and Kanto both get the NHK broadcasts. If you
have
a satellite dish, you can get a lot more programs, but the Japan Times
listings only state that there are "cartoons" on in any given slot,
they
don't give actual titles. If you can read Japanese, the listings in
Animage may be of more use to you.
Note: The Japan Times is one of the few papers printed in English,
and it's NOT sold everywhere that Japanese papers are. Kinokuniya
does
carry it.
Theatrical anime shows up occasionally, but right now the only
anime
movies that are playing that I know of are "Porco Rosso", "Dragon Ball
Z",
and a double feature of Dragon Quest and Rokudenashi Blues.
So, naturally the places to turn to are video tape sales and rental
stores. Unfortunately, BUYING anime is expensive (but you already
know
that.) Any place that sells video tapes will sell anime tapes. Fewer
places carry laser disks. Some department stores that sell anime
paraphenalia will also have the tapes and disks. (Look for the
Children's Toy Sections.) Otherwise, look for an "Animate" store.
(However, the Bilingual Atlas does not list Animate in its index.)
All video rental places will have an anime section, if you only
want
to watch tapes (or dub them if you can get the equipment.) I haven't
seen any places that rent laser disks.
Sound tracks:
This is a lot like anime video tapes. If you look
for
CD stores, you'll find them. This is a good way to blow money, given
that CD's run between 2600 and 3600 Yen each. You can find places
that
rent CD's.
Paraphenalia:
NOT A PROBLEM.
Go to ANY store, you'll find something. From Dragon Ball Z yogurt
cups to Chibi Maruko Chan sea weed packets, from models, to stuffed
dolls. If you just want to spend money on silly stuff, go to a
grocery
store and look around. You'll find candy, crackers, sea weed, and
cereal boxes. Some of this stuff will include special prizes like
rubber balls, stickers, and miniature toys.
For the other stuff, you may be better off stopping at a tourist
bureau just outside the big train stations and ask someone that can
speak English (there may be one or two.) Otherwise, look in the Tokyo
Walking Guide for the location of an Animate store (there's one in
Kyoto, and Yokohama, too.) Also, certain big department stores have
toy
sections that include a wide variety of paraphenalia, books, and
tapes.
The toy section of one big department store in Sapporo had a better
selection of stuffed dolls (Jiji's, Cat Buses, and Totoros) than the
Yokohama Animate did.)
You can expect to find pencil boxes, posters, erasers, toys,
notebooks, and other stuff. But Record of the Lodoss Wars
paraphenalia
is not as popular as it once was, and the posters for that are not
around much any more.
Phone Cards:
Phone cards are used in many pay phones, just like
money. They come in 500, 1000, and 1500 Yen values. NTT makes them,
and each NTT office in each city can decide what designs they want to
use. However, the only real anime cards sold most places in each city
are for Chibi Maruko Chan.
So, the only good place to get phone cards with anime designs are
at
Animate stores, and some other places that carry paraphenalia. Keep
in
mind, though, that most anime cards are aimed at collectors. So,
you'll
pay 1000 Yen for a card with 500 yen in credits. (Local phone calls
cost 10 yen each.)
Games:
The best place to go for computer, or game system games is
Akihabara. Just look for places that carry computers, and then wander
into the software sections. The only problem is that PC games
normally
list for 9600 Yen. The Game Boy carts are much cheaper.
Most department stores will also have games departments, with some
kind of selection for most game systems.
Models:
These are a little harder to find, since the only real
option
seems to be to search out stores that specialize in models. But these
do exist, so you just need to look around a little (the Walking Guide
will help you out, too.)
=========================================================================
There is one book that you should at least consider buying: The
Lonely Planet's Survival Kit for Japan. It has some of the
information
I'm giving here, a list of gaijin house addresses, and directions to
various hostels and tourist information offices in the big cities.
It's
the one I've used most heavily as a reference, and will fill in some
of
the gaps I've left in this document.
=========================================================================
So, you've decided to come to Japan.
If you have friends or relatives here that you can stay with, most
of
your problems are solved for you. Just get the Walking Guide, and
bring
your money. Read the section on money.
If you are coming over via the military, I can't help you. You'll
have to learn the details of your stay here on your own.
The same holds true if you can find work through a branch of a
large,
international company.
Schools are different. There are certain schools with offices in
the
U.S., that teach Japanese that are based in Japan. Some of these
schools
have arrangements where you can make some money back by teaching
English
part time. (The KEN School is one such place to look for.)
Otherwise,
you can try for an exchange student program, or just get a student
loan
to come over to study at whatever school will accept you. Contact a
big
university, and they may be able to put you in contact with the school
you want.
The JET program. JET (Japan English Teaching, or something like
that) is a program that enlists people younger than 35 from various
countries to work in Japan teaching English at certain schools. You
can
get information about JET by writing to your nearest Japanese Embassy,
or Consulate. The problem with this option is that the enlistment
only occurs once a year (with applications due in the fall), and there
are usually 5 to 10 times more people applying than there are open
slots for each country. If you are in Canada, or the U.S., you
probably
won't be accepted unless you already speak some Japanese, have
teaching
experience, AND can write a really good cover letter (or can lie even
better.)
On your own: This is the toughest way to do it, and the details
differ for the following situations:
1) Stay for a few days, spend money, and leave.
Here, you'll want a cheap hotel near Tokyo, and the Walking
Guide.
See the Travel in Japan Section, and Hotels.
2) Stay for a while, see Japan, spend money, and leave.
If you plan on doing a little travelling, you have several
options. You could work from one hotel as a base, and take a few day
trips from Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, or Sapporo. Just decide what city you
want as a base. Otherwise, you do some travelling across the country,
bringing your purchases with you as you travel. This is partially
what
I've done. Keep in mind that if the last part of your trip takes you
back to Tokyo for a day or two, that a lot of the things you can buy
elsewhere you can also buy in Tokyo. So, don't buy what you don't
want
to carry.
See the Travel in Japan Section, Hotels, Mailing Things Home, Rail
Pass, and Money.
3) Travel in Japan, buy stuff, and consider staying here for a
while.
This is the roughest option, if you are coming to Japan on your
own, and don't already have work lined up. If you can, try getting
work
before you come over. This requires some patience, as you may not get
replies from the company or school that you write to (assuming that
the
company or school is located in Japan.) Months can go by before you
get
a reply.
But you can go to your local University, and search out the
International Travel/Exchange departments. Chances are, your local
University or college may have received Job Listing letters from
various
English Schools in Japan. The openings may have already been filled,
but this will give you names and addresses of schools in Japan, and
you
can write to them, asking if that school can refer you to another
school
that DOES have a current opening. (It's a lot more expensive to call
the school in Japan directly, but you get results faster.)
If you can get a copy of the Japanese version of the English paper
_Japan Times_ (the American version doesn't have the classified ads
section,) then get the Monday edition, and follow up on the classified
ads.
The next option is to simply come to Japan, and look for work here.
Read all of the following sections for this.
========================================================================
Money:
Your best bet is to get some of your money converted to yen before
you leave home, and bring the rest as traveller's checks. The
advantage
here is that you're not going to be carrying huge sums of cash with
you
that may be stolen or lost. Also, if the conversion rate changes
(when
I left the U.S., it was 115 yen to the dollar, it is now 125 yen to
the
dollar) you may be able to benefit from it, or minimize your losses as
you see fit.
Japan does accept VISA cards for some purchases, but not all.
There
are very few places that accept American Express or Master Card:
mainly
hotels. If you can find an office for your particular credit card,
you
can try to get a cash advance on it if you need to.
Your bank may tell you that you can use your ATM card at ATMachines
in Japan. While this may be true, being able to find the right
machine
that'll accept your card may be quite a challenge, if not downright
impossible. If you can, make your bank give you EXACT addresses for
the
right locations BEFORE you leave. Otherwise, you may be
shit-out-of-luck.
If you get your money converted before you leave your home country,
keep your receipts. You will be charged a conversion fee. When you
get back home, you should be able to convert your money back without
being charged a second time. Keep in mind that you can't convert
coins.
======================================================================
Chris Swett comments
I've found yen denomination travellers checks to be a very good
way to
convert money prior to going to Japan. I have always been able to
convert my
checks to cash at the hotel front desk for free once in country. AMEX
has
good exchange rates. I have also used travellers checks to send money
to
friends in Japan, who claim they are more convenient than postal money
orders.
=======================================================================
The Japanese Yen comes in 1000, 5000, and 10,000 bills.
There are 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 yen coins.
The Japanese usually use the English counting system for prices, so
if something costs 100 Yen, that's the way it will be labelled.
If you are at a store, the cash register will probably show you how
much you owe. Just keep your eyes open. Otherwise, just hold your
hand
out, and count out money until they stop you. Because, they will read
the amount out in Japanese, and unless you know what "Ni-sen, san-juu"
means, you may have some problems.
=======================================================================
Travel In Japan.
A lot depends on what airport you want to land in. And what cities
you want to visit. If you land at Narita, you'll need to take a train
to reach Tokyo (one hour away.)
In Japan, there are buses, street cars, the subway, and trains.
You pay for the bus just before you get off. You should have your
destination written down on paper, at least in Hiragana, and ask your
driver (preferably, in Japanese) to tell you when you have reached
where
you are going.
Trains and the subway require that you buy a ticket from an
automatic
machine. The farther you are travelling, the more the ticket costs.
If
you don't know how much the ticket should be, just buy the cheapest
ticket you can.
Depending on the station that you are getting on at, there will
either be a slot in the entry gate that you put your ticket in, or a
live human that punches your ticket. If it's an automatic ticket
validator, your ticket will be spit out from a different slot at the
gate. You want to recover your ticket before continuing on your way.
Again, depending on the station that you are departing from, you
will
find either a live ticket taker that you give the ticket to, or a slot
in the exit gate. When you put the ticket in the automatic slot, the
gate will determine if the ticket is for the right amount. If it
isn't,
an alarm will buzz and the gate will close on you. You'll then have
to
go to the fare adjustment window and you'll be told how much to pay to
make up the difference.
Alternatively, you can buy a rail pass.
In Japan, there are: local trains, express trains, trains owned by
Japan Rail (JR), and the Shinkansen. Depending on where you're going
to
go, you may have to take one or the other, or a combination of the
above, AND the the subway.
Local trains are owned by private companies, and are cheaper than
the
JR lines. But they may be slower, and they won't go everywhere JR
does.
JR trains are owned by the JR company, and go all over Japan.
Express trains may be local or JR, they just don't stop at all of
the
stations along the way. They are faster than normal, but may cause
problems if the station you want is not one of the scheduled stops.
You
may have to get off at a different station and transfer to another
train.
The Shinkansen, AKA the Bullet Train, is the fastest line in the
country. It's the best way to go from one big city to the next very
quickly. Problem is, it's also THE most expensive way to travel.
NOTE: If you take the Shinkansen far enough, you will have to travel
over night. Sometimes, the train you want is ONLY sleeper cars, which
costs even more.
Sometimes, there are reserved cars on the Shinkasen. If so, you
may
find that the non-reserved cars are completely filled with people at
the
peak times. So, if you can, reserve a seat via the JR window at the
train station, a few days in advance.
For both the trains and the subway, usually the signs will be in
Kanji and English. However, there will be exceptions. Especially in
the subway, JUST before you get to the final stairs leading to the
train
or car you want. So, if you can, have your train line, and
destination
written down on paper in Hiragana AND kanji. This will help you read
the signs, and will let some kind Japanese person figure out where you
are trying to go.
You can also rent a bicycle. This is good for short trips around a
city. Alternatively, if you stay in one place long enough, you may
find
that the Japanese would rather throw out old stuff than sell it or
recycle it. Thus, you may find a bike that has been put in a trash
pile to be disposed of. It is legal for you to take that trash and
use
it as you wish. Swallow your pride, and live with what god has given
you.
Finally, there is hitch hiking. This is the cheapest way to get
around, and may be the easiest. Just have a sign with your
destination
on it, written in big black letters, in either Hiragana, or Kanji.
Some
of the veteran travellers in Japan have a hitch hike book, which is a
hardback notebook they use for writing down their destinations. I
have
been told that no matter where you are in Japan, or where you are
going,
it usually doesn't take more than 10 minutes to get a ride for at
least
part of the distance.
Just keep in mind that you may not have as good a result if you are
in the city during rush hour, trying to get to the other end of Tokyo.
======================================================================
The Rail Pass:
If you are a foreigner, or a Japanese businessman working outside
of
Japan, you can buy a JR rail pass. These passes will let you ride for
free on any JR line (does not include subways, or local train lines.)
You can buy them for 1 week, 2 week, or 3 week intervals. They can
not
be transferred to someone else, and you must have a valid passport to
use them.
You MUST buy the rail pass before you leave for Japan -- you can
NOT
buy a rail pass once you are in Japan.
When you buy the rail pass, you are really just buying a receipt.
When you get to Japan, you have to go to a JR office to get the actual
pass. You do not have to activate the pass right away. In fact, DO
NOT
activate the pass until you actually want to start travelling with it.
If you plan on doing any real travelling around the country,
seriously consider getting a rail pass first.
You can use the JR pass to ride the Shinkansen. However, if you
take
a sleeper car, you will end up paying an extra amount of money,
anyway.
I have heard about people that buy two 3-week rail passes, and
activate the second one when the first expires. I don't know what the
legality is for this option.
======================================================================
Finding Work:
Like I state elsewhere, the best bet for finding work in Japan is
to
do so before you come over. The main reason for this is that you need
a
working visa to stay here for any length of time. And the only
(legal)
way to get the working visa is to have a Japanese company sponsor you.
And you have to go outside of Japan to get that visa, so if you can
get
it BEFORE coming to Japan, all the better.
Otherwise, when you come here, seek out a copy of the Monday
edition
of the Japan Times. You have to hustle, because you have LOTS of
competition. The jobs aren't as plentiful as in past years, and the
Japanese economy is going into a slump that may last quite a while.
But, the jobs do exist, if you keep your eyes open, and capitalize on
any contacts you can make. Mainly, they are jobs teaching English.
If
you are a white American, or British-born native speaker, you'll have
a
much better chance than otherwise. Yes, Japan is racist and sexist.
Live with it until things get better. Learning to beat the system
requires learning how the system works, first.
You can also try to get a job as a hostess (which pays pretty well
for women,) as a programmer (not as many chances, but still good
money,) or as a model (ok for short-term work, but models don't stay
popular for very long.) And, if you can speak or read/write Japanese
as
well as English, this gives you a few more options. If you are
female,
attractive, and bilingual, you can get a good job as a secretary at a
big company.
Just keep in mind that many English jobs will require that you have
some kind of University degree. If you can, bring a copy of your
diploma, or transcripts, and your resume. Plus pictures of yourself,
to give to your interviewer. Do not be modest in describing your
talents -- in fact, the more you play up your (even almost
non-existent)
skills, if they apply to the job, the better your chances will be.
You may be able to get short-term, part-time work that won't
require
that you have a working visa, but if you stay here more than 6 months
(if you are an American citizen,) you'll need that working visa.
NOTE: As of right now, I have not tried to find work here yet. I
am
relating the advice given to me from a variety of sources, and those
sources more or less concur on the above points.
======================================================================
Passports and visas
You need a passport to get into Japan. Contact your nearest
federal
government information office for the actual details for this. In the
U.S., a passport is good for 10 years, and can be easily renewed. (If
you already have a passport, and plan on being in Japan for at least a
year, feel free to renew your passport if it is going to expire within
the next 3 years. This may save you some headaches you normally
wouldn't expect.)
Visas are a different matter. Japan has agreements with certain
countries, meaning that you may not actually need to apply for a
tourist
visa if you plan on staying for 3 months or less (the U.S. is one such
country.) If you stay another three months, you have to apply for an
extension (which probably means a trip to the immigrations office.)
There is a student visa, if you are coming here to study. You have
to get details on that from some other source than me.
A working visa is the big ticket here. You must have a Japanese
company sponsor you, and you must be outside of Japan when you get it.
Many people come to Japan, find a job, then go to Korea, Taiwan, or
Hong
Kong for a few days vacation while applying for the working visa.
Since
buying airplane tickets from within Japan is VERY expensive, you may
want to get an open-ended return trip back home, and return home when
you get work. Since, a full time job may not actually start for up to
a
month or two after you get the visa, it will be cheaper to stay home
for
that time, and then buy new plane tickets back to Japan.
Most job contracts will be between 1 to 2 years, so keep that in
mind
when making your plans.
======================================================================
Staying in Japan: Housing
If you are going to be in Japan only for a few days, and can't find
someone to stay with, you can either make do with a Youth Hostel,
Business Hotel, or Capsule Hotel. If you're going to be doing some
travelling, and money is a factor, a ryoukan, hostel, or capsule hotel
will be better. Finally, if you're going to be in one place for more
than a week, and money is a factor, you'll have to settle for a gaijin
house until you can get work.
Youth Hostel:
These are great places if you're on a tight budget.
Some hostels require that you be a member of the International Youth
Hostel Network. (Others will give you a discount if you are a
member.)
You can find out how to join the IYHN by calling a travel agency, and
seeing if they can give you the phone number local to you.
Youth Hostels can have some very restrictive rules (like having to
be
in bed by 10:00 PM, and outside of the building between 10:00 AM and
4:00 PM,) and normally you can only stay at one hostel for 3 days max
(you can go somewhere else for one day, and return for another 3.)
During peak tourist periods, you may need reservations for any
given
hostel. The hostel in Tokyo is always booked weeks in advance,
because
it is central to where the action is. Hostels can cost between 2000
and
2500 yen. Some hostels also offer breakfast and/or supper for an
additional 450 to 650 yen each.
Ryoukan:
Normally, these are supposed to be cheap ways of experiencing
Japanese living. For 3000 to 4000 yen, you stay in a house or
building
with many rooms. You get meals, and bathe in the classic Japanese
style.
In the one ryoukan I stayed at in Tokyo, this was not the case.
Basically, that was just a flop house with a shower shared by two
single-room apartments, with no meals, and a curfew.
Just be choosy about where you want to stay, and it will be a good
experience.
Capsule Hotel:
AKA Coffin Capsules. For 3500 to 5000 yen, you will get a slot in
the wall 3' x 3' x 6'. The slot will have a light, radio, TV, sheets
and bedding, and a curtain over the entrance. The hotel will also
have
a public bath, tv room, vending machines, small locker for your street
clothes, a sleeping robe, and maybe even a little restaurant.
These places are made for businessmen with a little money, and a
need
to sleep overnight in some town before moving on. They are not good
places for staying more than a few days, and there is no place to
store
lots of belongings or anime purchases. But for short-term crash
space,
they're rather pleasant.
Business Hotel:
This is a more upscale option. For 5000 to 10,000
yen per night, you get your own single bedroom room and shower. The
bedroom will measure about 8' x 8'. You may even get a TV, tea
warmer,
teapot, and tea. The one I stayed at had a VCR in the room, and a
video
tape rental machine in the lobby. If you plan on staying in Japan
just
to shop for a few days before leaving, this may be your best bet.
Gaijin House:
This is the only long-term option if you can't get an apartment
through your work. Apartment space is very dear in Japan, and some
landlords will not rent to foreigners, arguing that foreigners won't
stay long enough to give them a profit.
A gaijin house is most likely a dump -- a few apartments in one
building that will be rented out to 2 to 5 people in one place. Look
to
the Lonely Planet Guide's list of gaijin houses for actual names and
addresses.
These places rent out for 30,000 to 60,000 yen per month. When you
get work, you may be lucky enough to have help in locating a real
apartment. The place I'm at for the first month has 12 people, a TV
and
VCR, two refrigerators, 2 showers and baths, no hot water pressure, a
stove but no oven, and cockroaches. It is one of the better gaijin
houses, and costs 43,000 yen/month with a 5000 yen deposit.
If you view this as a frat house, you may be better off.
Overall:
It's usually pretty easy to just come into a town, and call up the
place you want to stay at, and be likely to be accepted. Just don't
expect to find a space during a major festival, or at the height of
the
tourist season. (Keeping in mind that the main hostel in Tokyo is
almost
always full.) Otherwise, try to get your travel agent to book your
hotel in advance (which saves you the long-distance phone bill if you
do
it yourself.)
Some hostels don't care if you stay more than 3 days, if you pay
for
one day at a time. And some ryoukans and hostels will let you store
your big bags there while you go on a short trip elsewhere (if you
want
to travel light for a few days.)
======================================================================
Mistakes you do not want to make:
In public, DO NOT blow your nose. Keep sniffing until you can blow
your nose in private.
Do not give a Japanese host or friend a gift unless it seems
appropriate. The recipient will then be forced to determine how much
your gift was and to give you another one in return.
No eating while you're walking. Although, in some places and at
some
times, you'll see younger Japanese eating ice cream cones, or drinking
sodas, it doesn't happen often. If nothing else you'll notice that
you're getting dirty looks from people if you so much as carry an
empty
pop can as you walk along.
Do not go anywhere without at least a small amount of kleenex.
Many
of the public toilets do not have toilet paper. And, many places do
not
have towels for drying your hands when you wash them.
Don't wipe your sweaty face with your shirt sleeve -- have a
separate
hanky for patting your face dry.
Do not worry too much about offending, or surprising people. As a
foreigner, you are already something of a spectacle, so you might as
well do something outrageous to justify their staring at you.
Do not forget that traffic travels in the opposite direction than
it does in North America. Look LEFT first, THEN right, when crossing
the
street.
Do not expect that a Japanese person agrees with you when he says
yes. Quite possibly, he is simply indicating that he is still
listening. Remember, the Japanese will not normally disagree with you
outright. DO NOT SIMPLY ANSWER THE JAPANESE WITH "NO". Instead,
"Yes,
I hear you, but..."
Do not forget that the Japanese dislike direct confrontation. This
can work in your advantage in many different ways. But it also means
that most Japanese will avoid direct eye contact with you on the
street,
or in conversation.
Remember to be polite, and thank people, even when you are buying
things from them. Also, the Japanese normally consider the passing of
money to be rather offensive. So, when you are buying something, look
for a tray of some kind. That's where you are expected to put your
money, and that's where they'll put your change. Not ALL Japanese are
picky about this, but many still are.
Do not be surprised if someone comes up to you and starts to talk
to
you. They are not being overly-friendly (unless they are asking for
money for some cause, in which case the flyers in their hands should
give them away. The approach to use here is to look to the side, say
"Wakerimasen" -- I don't understand you -- and just keep walking.)
When someone comes up to you and starts talking, they are simply
trying to get a free English lesson out of you. When they are
satisfied, they will continue on their way. Many Americans get
offended
by this after a while. Don't worry about it. Just go through the
motions, and continue on your own way when it is over.
Don't be so stupid as to try to smuggle proscribed drugs, or rice,
into Japan. The odds are that you'll get caught, and the Japanese do
not treat such matters lightly. As always, play things smart (and buy
from the yakuza if you want something for your own consumption.)
======================================================================
Mailing stuff back home:
You can do this. Just keep in mind that it will cost money, and
take
1 to 3 months for the stuff to arrive at home (assuming that it
doesn't
get stolen.) You can use Air Mail, but that's insanely expensive if
you
don't have the money, and the package weighs more than 1 pound.
You can buy a mailing box at the post office (the post office sign
is a red "T" with a straight line over it.) Put your stuff in the
box,
and make sure you have some spare paper to use as packing material.
Tape
it up good, and fill out the mailing label. The post office may want
you
to add a return address for a place in Japan, just in case the package
can't be delivered. However, they may not be able to tell you that in
English. If you don't have any other address, use one for the hostel
or
hotel you are staying at.
When I bought $60 worth of manga and small paraphenalia, it cost
$30
to mail it.
======================================================================
Miscellaneous:
Lockers:
Many train and bus stations have pay lockers where you can store
your
bags if you want to walk around a city for a few days. These can cost
between 200 and 600 yen per day, which can add up quickly if you don't
pay attention. (Midnight is considered the end of one day. After
midnight, you have to pay again to get your bags back.)
Best Times to Travel:
Mid-Spring and Fall. Just try to avoid the rainy season. Summers
are hot and humid around Tokyo -- they're worse if you go farther
south,
and stay near the coast. Winters are cold and wet, or snow-bound.
Gaijin Assistance:
In Sapporo there is the International Communications Plaza, on the
third floor: The floor is dedicated to helping out gaijin that need
it.
There is a job posting/message board, copies of various international
newspapers (including the Japan Times), and English speaking natives
that can tell you what banks convert foreign currency, how to contact
a
given hotel, and other more vital things. There is also a kind of
common room where you can sit and relax, write letters, or talk to
people.
In Fukuoka, Rainbow Plaza performs the same services, plus
providing
a TV, and a newsletter.
In Tokyo, just outside of the east exit for the Ikebukuro Station,
there is the Kimi Information Office. This is just a hole in the wall
office, with a fax, and resume typing service, and message board.
There's no newsletter, and the adjacent room to the front desk is
intended mainly for doing your own typing, although there is a
conference table if you want to use it. There is also an
apartment-finding service, and they will print up business cards for a
fee.
For all of the above offices, your best bet is to go to the nearest
tourist information office (or call the tourist information directory
service), and get good directions to get there from whereever you are
(because it's not very easy to find these places the first time
around.)
Travelling Lightly:
Do not bring things you don't want to carry. Clothes for a few
days,
a toilet kit, and any additional papers for getting work if needed.
Anything more than that may need to be stored somewhere while you
travel.
Living Cheaply:
If you plan on doing some travelling while in Japan, get a rail
pass.
Bring a water bottle, or buy one here. Try to avoid buying too
many
soft drinks since they'll go for about $1 each, and during the summer,
may add up to $10 a day, easily.
Look for restaurants that sell large dishes for 500 yen. Or lose
some weight.
If you want to read the weekly phonebooks, look in garbage cans on
the street -- near train stations, or on the trains themselves.
People
buy these, read them in an hour, and throw them away. You can save
$20-$40 per week this way. Just make sure that the phonebook is clean
when you pick it up.
Buy your food at grocery stores -- not the convenience stores. You
get a better selection this way, while saving money. But also
comparison shop when walking by the vegetable stands. You might be
able
to save a little more money on fresh produce. And yes, during season,
a melon can still cost $5 each, and bananas can be as cheap as 300 yen
for 4. All food is EXPENSIVE in Japan.
If you can find a gaijin house, you can try to keep your expenses
down to 4000 yen a day (1600 for the lousy apartment, the rest for
food
and other expenses.) Walk, don't use the rails if you're only going 1
or 2 miles in any given direction. This translates to $1200/month.
Staying at places other than gaijin houses may bring your expenses
up
to 6000 to 7000 yen/day. Especially if you want to travel, sightsee,
sample the food, and buy stuff.
Visit department stores. All big stores will have a food section.
Sometimes, these food sections (and some stores in the underground
shopping tunnels) will give away free samples. This can be both good
and bad, if you don't know what it is you're putting in your mouth --
but it IS free food.
Take care of all your health matters before coming here. Japan's
health care system costs money, and isn't the greatest.
And if you wear glasses or contacts, make sure that you bring a
spare
pair, and/or your prescription. If something can happen to trash your
glasses , it WILL (trust me on this one.)
Hitch hike.
Especially when travelling from one city to the next. You get to
meet lots of interesting people this way (I wasn't hitching, just
walking in Kyushu, when two Japanese computer students from Fukuoka
gave
me a ride to Mt. Aso. We talked about all kinds of things in broken
English, in a heavy rain, in the mountains of a national park, while
listening to Brian Adam's "Wake Up The Neighbors." It was a pirate
dub
of the tape, and the owner had labelled it as "Walk Up The
Neighbors.")
You can also get offers to stay at people's houses, make contacts, and
get free meals, while getting a free ride at the same time.
Search the trash piles and garbage cans (don't actually dig into
them, but at least glance them over) for stuff you want that someone
else threw away. You can get umbrellas, (non-working) electronics,
and
bikes this way. If you spend the little bit of money to get the stuff
working, it's a lot cheaper than if you buy it new, and may still be
just as good as new.
Non-legal stuff:
Some Mid-Easterners live in the parks, especially in Yoyogi and
Ueno.
To avoid paying for train fare, they will walk through the ticket gate
of the fare adjustment window in the middle of the crush of other
people
that walk by flashing their pass cards. You may get caught doing
this,
but can also possibly bluff your way out of it, since the Japanese
don't
like direct conflict ("Wakerimasen".)
If you stop at Bangkok before coming to Japan, you can do the same
thing that one Isreali did. He'd taken 9 months to travel from
Isreal,
through India, to Japan. Mainly on foot. In Bangkok, he bought a
Free-lance Journalist badge for $8. By flashing this, and looking
like
he's going to do a write-up on some activity, he could get into
museums,
rides, and other stuff for free. Sometimes, he could even get free
transportation.
======================================================================
Survival Japanese:
Any travel guide for Japan that you buy will have at least some
useful phrases in it to help you get around more easily. Either
memorize these phrases, or write them down on a separate piece of
paper
that you can carry in your hand along with your map and/or train
ticket.
NOTE: "Desu" is pronounced "des".
The below phrases will not only get you to the correct train
platform, but also the right store, the right city, or the right bus
stop. Just keep asking people until you know you are where you want
to
be, smile, and thank them when you are done.
When someone answers you, they'll probably speak too fast for you
to
follow them, even if you do know a little Japanese. Just smile, head
in
the direction they aim you towards, and ask the next person.
No.
Iie ("ee -- ya")
Yes.
Hai. ("Hi") either...
Ii ("ee") or...
un ("uwn")
Excuse me exit Thank you straight
Sumimasen deguchi Arigato massugu
train turn subway right
denssha magaru chikatetsu migi
station left bus stop
eki hidari basu tomaru
bus stop back ticket how much?
basu-tei ushiro kippu Ikura?
entrance? Forgive me
iriguchi gomen na sai
I want to go to (place name).
Watashi wa, (place name) ni ikitai.
Where is the toilet?
Toire wa, doko desu ka?
Is there anyone here who speaks English?
Eigo no dekiro hito wa, imasu ka?
Please telephone (number/name).
(number/name) ni, denwa o kakete kudasai.
Is this (place name)?
koko wa, (place name) desu ka?
Where is (place name)?
(place name) wa doko desu ka?
Where is (place name) on this map?
(place name) wa kono chizu no doko ni arimasu ka?
How long will it take to go to (place name)?
(place name) ni iku ni wa dono kurai jikan ga kakarimasu ka?
Which line should I take to go to (station name)?
(station name) wa nanisen desu ka?
Which train should I take to go to (station name)?
(station name) wa dono densha ni noreba yoi desu ka?
Where do I buy a ticket?
kippu wa doko de kaemasu ka?
How much is a ticket to (station name)?
(station name) made ikura desu ka?
What is the platform number for (station name)?
(station name)-iki wa nanbansen desu ka?
Is this the right platform for (station name)?
(Station name)-iki wa kono houmu desu ka?
Is this the right train to (station name)?
Kore wa (station name) ni ikimasu ka?
Does this train stop at (station name)?
Kore wa (station name) ni tomarimasu ka?
How many more stops to (station name)?
(station name) wa ikutsume desu ka?
Where should I change trains to go to (station name)?
(station name) wa doko de norikae desu ka?
Please let me know when we arrive at (station name/place).
(Station name/place) ni tsuitara oshiete kudasai.
What time is the next train to (station name)?
Tsugi no (station name)-iki wa nanji desu ka?
I want to buy this one. (Point to the object you want.)
Kore kudasai (Pronounced "ko re coup da sigh")
Curtis Hoffmann
More on Living in Japan
Wordpad screwed up the formatting, and I'm not interested in going
back and fixing it up again, sorry.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Japan/Tokyo
Before you come to Japan, if this is the first time, there are a
number of things to keep in mind:
1) Japan is a very modernized country, and most of the preconceptions
you have will probably be wrong. Although there are still a number
of quiet little farms, and temples nestled in the mountains, much
of
the country has been industrialized, and will be like what like you
are familiar with at home, but over a greater scale.
2) There are still enough differences that Japan will seem to be a
very
foreign, strange land.
3) You are a stranger here. No matter how much you want to fit in,
you
won't be able to pull it off. Even if you look Japanese, and speak
the language flawlessly, people will recognize you as being
different
from them and treat you that way. Plus, you'll probably be a
source of
amusement for them on the trains, streets, and in the stores.
4) No matter how lost and alone you feel, there's always someone to
turn
to for help.
5) Tokyo is the most expensive city in the world to live in. The rest
of Japan is slightly better. There aren't many bargains left to be
found here, and if you want inexpensive electronics or clothing,
you're better off visiting Taiwan or Korea.
6) Most foreigners come to Japan to make easy money, usually teaching
English. However, because there's now a glut of people trying to
this, the easy money has disappeared. If you come from a country
that issues a "Working Holiday Visa," or can be assigned here by
the
military or your company, you still have a chance.
7) Japanese TV isn't what it used to be.
Any number of tour and history books are available for the history
and background of this country, and there seems to be little point to
duplicating that information here. A list of recommended books
appears
at the end of this file. But. Japan is an old country, with
traditions
and rituals that go back a couple thousand years. And a lot of the
country, and philosophy, has been re-shaped by the events of the last
50-odd years: starting with the rebuilding after World War II.
Which of course means that Japan is a confused country in
transition.
Women are still treated as sex-objects, sex is much more open than in
the West, and racism is a blatant problem (especially for Koreans and
blacks.) Given time, things will improve, but currently, it's better
to
recognize the situation and work around it, than it is to complain
incessantly about things you can't change.
Anyway. Japan is still a great country to visit, and it has many
things recommending it. This is most obviously true for the intended
audience for this file -- anime and manga fans. There is no other
place
to go for buying from such a huge selection of paraphenalia, books,
and
tapes at prices lower than you'll find at home.
Suggestions for making your life easier
A checklist of sorts
Before you leave the country
No, you do not need special shots or vaccinations if you are from
North America, Europe, or Australia. If you are in doubt, check with
you're nearest Japanese Embassy, or tourist agency.
Yes, you need a passport.
If you are only staying in the country for a few days, you do not
need a special visa. Check with your nearest embassy, but for most
western countries (including England, Canada, Australia, and the U.S,)
you can just enter Japan and stay up to 90 days (This is called "a
temporary tourist visa.") But, if you want to stay longer, get a job,
or
enter the country as a student, you do need to apply for some kind of
visa.
If you are planning on finding work once you enter the country,
keep
in mind that working visas are issued only to university graduates.
(Although, sometimes the rules can be bent to accommodate degrees from
lesser colleges.) So bring your diploma with you. Also try to get
your
resume pre-printed in English on one side, Japanese on the other. It
will be cheaper than if you have it done in Japan.
If you are thinking of trying for the JET program, good luck. The
applications are accepted only once a year, the competition is very
strong in North America, and your chances for being accepted are best
if
you are an English teacher with a University degree, under age 35, and
have been to Japan before. Or, if you are a very eloquent application
form writer. Either way, the application must be received by October
(exact dates vary by country,) and the work won't start until the
following Fall.
Decide how much you want to spend, how much cash you want to carry,
how much you want in traveller's checks, and whether you want the
checks
in dollars or yen. The exchange rate varies from day to day, and you
might be able to get a better rate from a bank in your own country,
than
from one in Japan. Also, if necessary, you can find an office in
Japan
for whatever credit card you hold, and will probably be able to draw a
cash advance on your credit card.
Book your flight in advance. Preferrably months in advance.
Midsummer, and the second half of December are heavy tourist seasons,
which means that getting plane tickets for those times will be more
difficult and the prices will be higher than for other dates in the
year. It's generally best to visit Tokyo are mid-Spring, and early
Fall: the winter is cold and damp, the summer is hot and sticky, and
it
rains heavily inbetween. Of course, weather conditions will vary for
other parts of the country.
Decide where you will stay, and whether you need to reserve a room.
The better hotels are quite expensive, but are ok for stays less than
a
week. If you are on a tighter budget and can't find some friends to
crash with, you should consider a ryoukan or youth hostel. Travel
agencies will book your hotel room for you, but you'll have to phone
or
write to a ryoukan or youth hostel on your own. And again, it's
harder
to find a place to stay during the peak tourist periods. Especially
at
the only two youth hostels in Tokyo.
Youth hostels usually require you to leave after 3 days (if you
stay
one night elsewhere, you can come back for another three nights.)
And,
some hostels only allow members, while other hostels give members
discounts on the overnight fee. You can become a member of the Youth
Hostel association very easily by contacting your local travel agency
to
get the address of the nearest youth hostel office. It only costs
around US$10, and is good for 1 year. The process should take less
than
half an hour.
Keep in mind, you can just come to Japan and trust in your luck to
get by, but if you want to reduce your headaches and stress level,
you'll be better off by making your plans, and booking your flight and
rooms, 4 to 6 months in advance. At the least.
If you want to find work as an English teacher, take a course in
English as a Second Language (ESL,) or one of the other similar
programs. Keep in mind, it may take six months of community teaching
at
night to get your certificate, but a growing number of English schools
in
Japan require some kind of English teaching certificate.
If you want to do any travelling by train, consider buying a Japan
Rail Pass. These can only be purchased outside of Japan, and come in
1-, 2-, and 3-week versions. If you plan on staying in one city, or
will stay for less than one week, don't bother buying the pass.
Bring enough luggage to allow you to bring back all of the goodies
you intend on buying, but remember that this luggage will get VERY
heavy
if you plan on doing much travelling with it. That, and most airlines
are rather restrictive on how many bags you can take with, and on what
the upper weight limit is. Also, you can mail back home whatever you
don't want to hand carry.
When you get your plane ticket, you'll want to arrive at Narita
Airport, if you plan on spending most of your time in Tokyo.
If you plan on staying for one month or more, make sure that all
medical and health concerns are addressed before you leave (ie. --
dental check-ups and eye exams.) Japan does have a good health-care
system, but it is expensive, and can be very stressful for foreigners.
Don't pack more than you need for one or two weeks. You may want
to
bring extra shampoo, deodorant, aspirin, and razor blades, but
everything else can be easily purchased there. Although, it may cost
more, and not be of the quality you are used to (especially true for
shampoos and deodorants.)
Any electronics that you want to bring with you should be
pre-registered with Customs. Otherwise, you may have to pay a duty
tax
on those items when you return home. The main things are still
cameras
and video cameras, and possibly Game Boys and expensive Walkmans.
You can buy film there, but it's cheaper to bring your own. You
can
also get your pictures developed within 24 hours, but again it's a
little more costly than in the States.
If your electronics have a power cord, keep in mind that some parts
of Japan are 110vac - 60Hz, and other parts are not. If you have a
universal power adapter, you'll be ok. Otherwise, there's a chance
that
things like your electric razor may run noisier and hotter than
normal.
Computer users may be tempted to bring their notebook computer with
them. Just remember that although Japan is a very modern country in
most respects, an advanced, publically available computer network is
not
one of them. Even if you can hook your modem to the phone line, your
only option may be to call your home network via long-distance on a
payphone: VERY expensive. Either way, make sure you have a universal
power adapter, and an extra battery just in case the main battery dies
after a few months of use. And register the computer with Customs
before
leaving the country.
When you are ready to travel
Confirm your flight reservations 3 days in advance.
If you've got everything packed and ready to go:
You can use a notebook computer on the flight, but Walkmans are
prohibited, and you may be requested to not play your GameBoy.
Keep your passport handy.
On the plane, you'll be requested to fill out an
Immigrations/Customs
form. Be sure to get an English copy of the form. You need to
present
this form at the Immigrations window, where it will be stapled to your
passport. Do not confuse this form with the in-flight catalog
mail-order form that will be handed out to Japanese residents -- it is
easy to get the two mixed up if you are not familiar with the
procedure.
When filling out the Immigrations form, your "Point of Departure" will
be the airport you departed from, and your "Point of Arrival" will be
the airport you are going to in Japan (probably Narita.)
If you can, get as much sleep as possible during the "night" hours.
Reconsider drinking any alcohol if this is your first trip to
Japan,
and you are travelling alone. You're going to want to be as alert as
possible when you arrive at the airport.
If you can, talk to your neighbors along the way. If any of them
are making return trips to the country, you may get them to help you
out
a little with either filling out the forms, or getting around in the
airport. You're going to want as much help as you can get.
When you land:
Keep the Immigrations form with your passport, and stand in line
for the Foreign Arrivals windows. When it's your turn, present the
form and passport, and remain relaxed. If you are coming in as a
temporary tourist, your visa will be stamped as such, and the stamp
will
be good for either 15, 30, or 90 days.
Get your luggage, and wait to get through customs. Don't forget to
remain relaxed, no matter what happens.
Once you have made it through customs, the fun begins. Narita
airport is quite a ways out from Tokyo, and Tokyo itself can be pretty
confusing when you first enter it. If you know how to get to where
you're staying, or someone is waiting to met you at the airport,
you'll
be better off. Otherwise, stop off at the tourist information booth
at
the airport and get subway and JR train maps of Tokyo.
Taxi fare to Tokyo can destroy your budget, and buses are too slow.
So, follow the signs to the train platform, buy your ticket, and hop
on
the train. It'll take about an hour to Ueno, after that you're on
your
own. If you buy the cheapest ticket you can, you can pay the
difference
when you exit the train station.
Keep your passport with you at all times.
Assuming that you plan on staying for a few months, you should
consider getting business cards printed with your address in Japan,
both
in English and Japanese. This can be done either at one of the
Information Services, or from vending machines located in front of the
Marui (OIOI) Department stores in Tokyo.
Leaving:
Call 3 days in advance to confirm your flight reservation. If you
have an open-ended return ticket and are trying to leave near one of
the
big holiday rush periods, you're in for lots of headaches. Check the
section on Airlines Waiting Lists.
Because of the train fare and departure tax, make sure that you
still
have at least 5000 yen in your pocket.
Give yourself lots of time on the way out of Japan. The train to
Narita may take over an hour. Processing your ticket will take a
while,
and then you have to wait in several lines as you try to get to your
gate. Further, Narita has just opened up a new terminal, and closed
down the north wing of the old one for five years of repairs -- it's
going to be packed and confusing when you try to find the ticket
office
you want.
Most airlines in the west hide the departure tax in the price of
your
ticket. For Japan, you must buy a stamp for 2000 yen on your way to
the
international departure gates, and present the stamp to customs there.
There'll be a number of security posts where you'll have your
luggage scanned, and you may even be frisked once or twice.
Be sure to bring some snacks to munch on, because there's not much
to
buy when you finally get to the departure gates. And you'll probably
want a book or game to kill the last couple of hours.
On the plane, you'll again be asked to fill out a customs form to
hand in when you go through customs in your home country. Be sure to
keep handy that declaration form you filled out for the electronics
you
took with you to Japan.
When you get back home, and want to convert your yen back to
western
currency, don't forget that you can't convert coins. So, unless you
want to collect those coins, you might as well spend them in Japan and
not carry them home with you.
You can relax now, and finally put your passport away.
End of checklist
==============================================================================
More Detailed Information
NOTE: References to page numbers of 'the Kit' are for The Lonely
Planet
Travel Survival Kit. This is not meant to be an advertisement
for
that book. However, there is little reason to duplicate
information
here that is adequately described in that book. Besides, it's
one
of the better tourguide books on the market, and will be very
helpful for locating tourist sites throughout Japan.
Money:
The Japanese currency is based on the yen. 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500
coins, and 1000, 5000, and 10,000 yen bills. The average exchange
rate
for 1992 was about 122 yen to the dollar, so 100 yen is about equal to
US$0.80 (changing daily.)
The thing to keep in mind is that after a while, you'll find
yourself
going through 1000 yen bills rather quickly. While 1000 yen bills may
seem like $1 each, they're really closer to $8, and it's very easy to
spend money too quickly without realizing it. This means that impulse
buying on items like sodas and snacks can add up FAST, and it's just
something you need to be careful of if you're on a tight budget.
Your home country bank may tell you that you can use your ATM card
at
ATMachines in Japan. While this may be true, being able to find the
right machine that'll accept your card may be quite a challenge, if
not
downright impossible. If you can, make your bank give you EXACT
addresses for the right locations BEFORE you leave. Otherwise, you
may
be completely out of luck. Then again, all of the instructions for
the
ATMachines are in Japanese...
If you get your money converted before you leave your home country,
keep your receipts. You will be charged a conversion fee. When you
get back home, you should be able to convert your money back without
being charged a second time. Keep in mind that you can't convert
coins.
Japan is a cash-based society, which means that checks are not used
very much, and international credit cards are accepted mainly by
hotels
and restaurants. Traveller's checks fall into the same category as
credit cards (unless they are made out in yen.) You can cash them at
any bank, although some banks offer better conversion rates than
others.
If you need more cash, most credit card companies have offices in the
big cities throughout Japan. Make sure that you have the toll-free
information phone number for your card company -- to find the nearest
office to you, just call that phone number.
If you can not find the toll-free number for your card company, or
can not locate the office, then check the section on Information
Services.
One thing that you may want to consider: most credit card companies
take advantage of fluxuations in currency exchange rates, and may not
actually bill you for a cash advance for several months. This
effectively
behaves like a small-fee loan to you. As an example:
The ordinary American Express card allows you to borrow up to
$1000 US, (a Gold card is good for $5000,) every three weeks, for a
small fee. So, if you take one cash advance, and then return home and
deposit that money in a high-interest savings account, you are earning
compound interest on about $950 until you finally receive the bill for
that $1000 -- which may not be for 4 to 6 months. The upper limit for
the more exclusive AmEx cards is $5000 at a shot, every 3 weeks. Is
it
worth the hassle to you for a 4 to 6 month loan? That's up to you to
decide.
If you find work in Japan, you're going to want to open up a
savings
account. This can be done at any bank, and should take about 30
minutes. But shop around. Look for a bank that is friendly, has
English-speaking officers, and offers low-cost electronic transfers.
The
interest rates will normally be about 1.5%, so the only reason for
getting the account is to have a place to store your money until the
exchange rate becomes favorable enough to justify sending it to your
bank back home. Many gaijin play with the exchange rates to
strengthen
their earnings. (Of course, having a bank account in Japan does allow
you to wire credit card cash advances to your home country account
more
easily, too..., for a fee.)
Also, it's more than likely you will be paid monthly, via an
envelope,
in cash. Most companies do not handle direct-deposits.
There are a number of ways to transfer funds from Japan to your
home
country, but each method has drawbacks, and you really need to shop
around to get the best deal.
[Add appendix referring to money transfers article, if I can find
it.]
Telex, telegraphic transfer, and Postal Orders are the main ways to
move money from one country to another. Each has a fee, and
drawbacks,
attached to it.
You may find yen denomination travellers checks to be a very good
way
to convert money prior to going to Japan. You can convert your checks
to cash at the hotel front desk for free once in the country. AmEx
has
good exchange rates, and you can use travellers checks to send money
to
friends in Japan. This may be more convenient than postal money
orders.
- - - -
Information Services:
There are many different ways to get information. Most big train
stations have tourist offices, and there are other tourist offices
located in each of the big cities.
You can get: the time 117
the weather in English (045)52-2511 Ext. 4181
hospital information 3212-2323
The Japan Travel Bureau 3276-7777
Tokyo English Life Line (TELL) 3264-4347
English Assistance Travel Phone 0120-222-800
0120-444-800
In Tokyo 3503-4400
In Kyoto 371-5649
Tokyo English Language Directory Service 3201-1010
In addition, you can probably find international service offices in
any major city. These services can help you find an apartment, as
well
as providing job listings, fax and typewriter services, and message
boards. The better offices also provide reader copies of newspapers,
and a space to relax and meet other foreigners.
IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, OR NEED ASSITANCE IN SOME WAY, THESE
INFORMATION OFFICES CAN HELP YOU! When I ran out of cash in Fukuoka,
Kyushu, the woman at Rainbow Plaza was very kind in aiding me in
finding
the AmEx office a mile away.
Call for directions (yes, they speak English,) or check the Travel
Survival Kit. The ones I have visited:
Kimi Information Office, Tokyo:
phone: 03-3986-1604 FAX: 03-3986-3037
KS7 Building 6F, 2-54-3 Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171
West exit of Ikebukuro station. Go about 2 blocks to the first
major
street. There will be a Marui (OIOI) store on the opposite corner,
depending on which end of the station you exited.) Cross the street,
turn right, and walk another 4 blocks (about 2 sets of signal lights.)
There will be a drug store on your left. Turn left and walk another 2
short blocks. It will be on your right, 6th floor of the grey
building.
Provides fax, typewriter, resume printing, and business card
services. But, the job listings are all old, and the office is not
intended for giving you a place to relax. There are some magazines,
but
no newspapers or TV.
Sapporo International Communication Plaza, Sapporo, Hokkaido (3rd
floor)
phone: 011-211-2105
Much more professional, and aimed more at helping out foreigners.
Even if you're just touring around, it's worth dropping by here. If
you're planning on finding work, this is the place to be, since the
job
listings are always current. (page 316 in the Kit.)
Rainbow Plaza, Fukuoka, Kyushu (8th floor of the IMS Building)
phone: 092-733-2220
This is the best information center I've found. The people are
very
friendly and helpful, the surroundings are more relaxed and
user-friendly, and besides, Fukuoka is one of the most pleasant places
I've visited in Japan. (page 601 in the Kit.)
- - - -
Phones and Phone Cards:
When you first arrive in Japan, you'll probably want to call your
hotel or hostel to confirm your reservations or to simply find a place
to stay. This is when you find yourself dealing with Japanese phones.
The most common one is the standard green payphone, which accepts both
10 yen and 100 yen coins, and phone cards. If you are calling Tokyo
from Narita, it's a long-distance call. Start pumping in coins before
you dial. As you hear one coin drop in, throw in another one. Any
unused 10 yen coins will be refunded when you hang up, but if you're
using 100 yen coins, you WON'T get change back at the end.
Local calls cost 10 yen for 3 minutes.
Phone cards can be purchased at any kiosk shop (ask for a 'hone
kardo', or 'denwa no cardo',) from vending machines near the pay
phones,
and from any NTT office. Just look for thin stiff cards about the
size
of a credit card. They come in 500 yen, 1000 yen, 5000 yen
denominations, but most phones only take the 500 yen and 1000 yen
cards.
To use a card, lift the receiver off the hook and insert the card
face up, with the notched end pointed towards you, into the top slot
of
the machine. It may take a little bit of work to get the machine to
take the card. You'll then get a dial tone, and the machine will show
you how many credits you have left. Dial your number, and treat it
like
any normal call. When you hang up, the machine will spit the card out
through the lower slot. Occasionally, the phone will punch a hole in
the
card to give you a rough indication as to the number of credits left
(10
yen to the credit.) There is a magnetic strip within the card, which
is
used to store the actual number of credits remaining.
If you are making a long-distance call using a phone card, you can
see the numbers on the readout decrease rather quickly. If it's going
to be a lengthy call, make sure that you have a second card ready, and
stuff it into the slot when you get the warning beep.
Other pay phones are:
International phones: Green phones with a gold plate on the
face.
You can make both local, long distance, and international
calls
from these.
Data phones: Yes, there are now pay phones with a phone jack
built
in that allow you to connect up your notebook computer modem
and do data transfers with any given computer network.
Pink phones: The old-style pay phone, which doesn't accept phone
cards, and can not be used for home country operator-assisted
international calls.
Pay phones can be found near any train station, or convenience
store,
although it's not always easy to find an international phone if you
need
one (look inside hotels, and near train stations.)
A few years ago, Japan had to upgrade its phone system, so if you
get
an old style phone number for someone, where there are only 7 digits
for
the Tokyo area, just preceed the number with a 3. Normal numbers in
Tokyo now have 8 digits.
(03) 3888-8888 = 3888-8888 = 3 + 888-8888.
If you find yourself in Ueno, or Harajuku, you may find
olive-skinned
men trying to take your old phone cards off of you, or that these same
guys will try to sell you cards at a discount. This is a SCAM, so be
careful. If you look closely at the cards they sell back, you'll see
where they added a little bit of paint to fill in the holes. You may
be
told that it's a 50 credit, or 100 credit card, but the magnetic strip
is still convinced that it has been used heavily already. Again, this
is a SCAM, so avoid these people like the plague. Alternatively, some
of these cards have been stolen from vending machines, and may still
have their credits intact.
In a related scam, if you put some opaque tape over the last hole
of
a zeroed-out card, you can sometimes fool the phone into thinking that
you have 5 credits remaining on it. This is good for repeatedly
making
local calls that last less than 15 minutes.
When you have a job, and succeed in getting an apartment, keep in
mind that NTT charges around US$600 to sell you a phone line. The
installation charge is negligible, and you can keep the line for no
extra charge when you move to a new location. But that initial fee is
considered to be a killer.
Not all phone cards are equal. The ones with unusual artwork,
anime
characters, and naked women are collector's cards, and are twice as
expensive as normal (ie. -- a 50 credit card is 1000 yen.) From a
collector's point of view, once you use the card, it's worthless.
Each NTT branch throughout Japan has its own set of card designs.
You
can pick through the selections at any NTT office. The NTT buildings
can be found easily -- just look for the big, weird towers up on the
roof. However, if you want anime phone cards, you need to go to an
anime paraphenalia shop, like Animate. Anime cards are collector's
items, so they sell for 1000 yen (about US$8) each. But they have
some
GREAT artwork on them. And you can buy the cards in sets -- a pack of
three Sailor Moon cards goes for 3000 yen.
Even more bizarre: during the summer, when you take the temple walk
from Kita-Kamakura Station down to Kamakura Station, you will find a
table set up along the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere.
Two
NTT employees will be manning the table, selling cards featuring
paintings of some of the temples you have just visited.
If you need an English phone directory (equivalent to the western
'Yellow Pages,') look for something called 'City Source.' The big
problem
with this book is that it's very incomplete, probably because a number
of stores don't want to pay to have their number listed in the book.
Some pay phones will have the City Source along with the normal
Japanese
phonebooks. Otherwise, you can ask for a (free to foreigners) copy at
any Tokyo NTT office. I don't know whether the same book is available
in other big cities, although I would assume that it is (page 155 of
the Kit.)
It's easy to make international calls, but you'll go through 1000
yen
phone cards REALLY fast. Instead, try to call collect. By dialing
0039 and then a country code, you can get an operator in your home
country to place the call for you -- costs you 10 yen.
The instructions, and a list of country codes can be found on the
back of the Tokyo City Source book. A few numbers are:
USA (mainland) 0039-111, 0039-121, 0039-131
Hawaii 0039-111, 0039-181
U.K. 0039-441
Canada 0039-161
Australia 0039-611
France 0039-331
- - - -
Train Cards:
Train cards are very similar to phone cards, except that they're a
little smaller, and are used only for purchasing train tickets. They
come in 1000 yen, 2000 yen, and 5000 yen denominations -- the higher
priced card actually has a couple of extra credits on it as a bonus.
Train cards are good if you do a lot of travelling on a particular
train
line, and can be purchased at nearly any station connected to the
specific train line you want.
When you want to buy a ticket, look for a ticket machine that
accepts
a train card (not all machines do.) Insert the card face up, with the
notched end pointed towards you. Select the value of the ticket you
want, and then take your card back. Works just like a phone card
does.
- - - -
Post Offices and Police Stations:
Post Offices can easily be found in all cities. Just look for
a red letter 'T' with a horizontal bar over it, on any major street,
and
in the larger train stations and airports. I haven't found one post
office that has English speakers working it, so you just have to bluff
your way through the process of mailing packages. But mailing letters
and post cards is easy. The clerk will punch up your bill on a pocket
calculator and show it to you. Letters within Japan cost about 62 yen
for 2 sheets of paper. About 160 yen for a short letter to the U.S.
You can mail magazines, books, and parcels easily enough, but it
helps to have a native Japanese speaker along to assist in filling out
the paperwork. You can mail packages via Air Mail (very expensive,
but
only takes 5 days,) Sea Mail (cheaper, but takes 1-2 months and is
more
subject to theft,) or Surface Airlift (SAL) (still takes 1-2 months,
and
is cheaper than Sea Mail, but has a minimum weight requirement.)
Shipping boxes can be purchased at the post office. When the clerk
is
filling out the little green customs stamp for you, you will be asked
what it is you are mailing (books, magazines, toys,) and what the
total
purchase price was (200 yen, for example.) If at all possible, use a
return address located in Japan (your current hotel, if nothing else)
because there's a chance that the package can't be delivered as
labelled, and the guy behind the counter really does want to make sure
that the parcel will not get lost along the way.
Mail boxes can be found at most major street intersections, and
outside of post offices.
While there are Police Department buidings as we know them in the
west, they're less common, and hard to find. However, the Japanese
police system actually revolves around the concept of 'the police
box.'
Police Boxes are located near most train stations, and at major
intersections throughout the city. This way, if a crime is committed,
the police can get to the scene very quickly, without worrying about
blocked-up traffic along the way. Further, the police know the people
of their neighborhood pretty well, and are on favorable terms with
most
of the residents. Each police box is large enough to hold 2 or 3
policemen, and the police are usually very helpful and professional.
If
you are lost, or have an address for a place that you can't find, look
for the nearest police box and ask for help. Again, most of these
guys
don't speak English, so you may have to be a little creative to get
your
question understood. ("Kono juushoo wa doko des ka?" -- "Where is
this
address?")
When you need directions for some address, there's a good chance
that
the police will have a copy of the district map to mark up and hand to
you. This has helped me out a couple of times in the past.
- - - -
Getting Around -- Streets, Trains and Subways:
Getting to Japan is easy. Moving around once you're here is a
little
more complicated. For a more complete description of the bus system,
and renting/driving a car, please refer to the Lonely Planet Survival
Kit. You can rent a car here, but it's not recommended for innercity
travel -- the roads are usually congested, and the streets are laid
out
in such a way as to confuse residents as well as foreigners. But, if
you plan on investigating a lot of the countryside, a car will be more
useful.
I haven't taken the buses in Tokyo. In Kyoto, the only way I could
get around on them was with the aid of a native speaker I met at a
youth
hostel. Unless you can read the bus schedules, and determine which
line
you need, they can be very intimidating. You'd be better off taking
the
subways and trains at first.
However: You pay for the bus just before you get off. You should
have your destination written down on paper, at least in Hiragana, and
ask your driver (preferably, in Japanese) to tell you when you have
reached where you are going.
Taxis cost too much. It's that simple. Unless you have lots of
money, are in a real hurry, or need to travel a short distance with a
bunch of packages, stay away from them. If you have to go a couple of
miles, you may find yourself paying US$30 - $40 very quickly.
As mentioned here, the streets are confusing, having been laid out
originally so that any invading force would not have a direct path to
follow from the outskirts in to the Imperial Palace. Therefore, the
roads radiate out from the Palace in a rather zig-zag pattern, and the
intersecting streets are more-or-less circular. It's very easy to get
lost, especially since the smaller streets aren't labelled with street
signs. And if you're looking for a particular address, you'll notice
that the buildings aren't numbered sequentially (rather, it's in the
order that they were constructed on that street.) This is why even
seasoned taxi drivers have to stop and ask for directions at times.
So, if you don't have good directions to follow yourself, stop by
the
nearest police box and ask for help.
Bicycles are by far the most common publicly-owned form of
transportation. You can probably get a good bike for about $100 if
you
look around. When you buy the bike, you need to register it with the
police. Otherwise, you stand a good chance of getting ticketed, and
possibly questioned concerning "the ownership of stolen property."
When
you register the bike, you'll get a special sticker for putting your
name
on the frame.
You can also rent a bicycle. This is good for short trips around a
city.
However, another way of getting a bike is to look around trash
piles.
Please refer to the section on Gomi Hunting. The main point is that
you
can find a bike that has been tossed either because of a flat tire, or
the owner bought a newer model. For the cost of repairing the flat,
you
have yourself a decent way to get around. But if you don't register
it,
just be careful.
Someone I know in Tokyo had stolen a bike from those parked in
front
of the nearest train station. The following night, she was stopped
for
not having a headlight. The police determined that the bike had been
stolen, and she was taken to the station for a while. She was let off
with a light warning, and told that the next time this happened, she'd
be deported. But, many people still do not lock up their bikes, so if
you're extra careful... Of course, I am not condoning any criminal
activities on anyone's part.
If you want to cross the countryside, the cheapest way is to
hitchhike. Most hitchhikers say that they can get a ride within 10
minutes. But, it's a lot more difficult to do within the bigger
cities,
so you'll be better off hitching only outside the cities. The more
experienced hitchers have a large notebook and black magic marker, for
writing out their destinations both in hiragana and kanji (or maybe
romanji and kanji.)
This is a great way to meet people, and possibly make friends, if
you
are on a real tight budget, or have lots of time for travelling. Some
hitchers claim to have gotten free stays at people's houses, and free
meals from the people they meet.
Trains and subways are the easiest ways to get around, once you
know
the system.
Trains:
There are a number of train lines, owned either by Japan Rail (JR)
or
private companies. The Shinkansen (bullet train owned by JR) is the
fastest and most expensive, and is good for going from one end of the
country to the other. Local trains owned by JR or private companies
cover the inner cities. Some local trains will parallel the
shinkansen
lines and connect the cities together. Express trains are like
locals,
except that they only stop at certain stations along the line.
Sometimes, there are reserved cars on the Shinkasen. If so, you
may
find that the non-reserved cars are completely filled with people at
the
peak times. So, if you can, reserve a seat via the JR window at the
train station, a few days in advance.
Finding a train station is fairly easy -- just follow the elevated
tracks. But, if you are taking the train during rush hour (about the
same times as back home,) you'll find that the cars are packed, that
you may be shoved around a lot, and that you can't move when you get
inside the car.
Once in the station, if you have a JR pass (either purchased before
coming to Japan, or a travel pass issued by your company,) just flash
your pass as you go by the manned window at the ticket gates.
Otherwise, you need to buy a ticket. (Travel passes are good within
certain stations on a given train line: If your pass lets you travel
free between Ikebukuro and Shibuya, you'll have to buy a ticket if you
want to go on to Ueno.)
Look for a bank of machines with many buttons on them, and lots of
people standing in line. Above the machines will be a rail map. If
you
can read kanji, this map will tell you how much your trip will cost.
Otherwise, don't bother -- just go to the JR information window (or
nearest tourist information office) and get a small copy of the map so
you'll know what lines to take, and what stations to make your
connections at. When you have the map, make be careful and check that
you are buying a ticket for the train you want -- some stations serve
more than one train company, so if you are taking a JR train, make
sure
you are using a JR ticket machine.
There are three kinds of ticket vending machines:
Fixed denomination: This machine only sells one value of ticket.
It's most useful for train lines with a major destination
that
everybody visits. Like the 100 yen machines for the line
running to Yokohama. Put in your money, collect your ticket
and change.
Single-line, multiple denomination: These machines sell a
variety
of ticket values, and some of them accept train cards (see
the
section on Phone and Train Cards.) First, insert your card
or
money. Then, if you are buying tickets for more than one
person, push the '2,' '3,' or '4' button as needed. The
ticket
value buttons will light up, showing you which ones you can
buy
with the money inserted. The upper row of buttons are for
adults, the lower row are for children. Press the button for
the price of the ticket you need. Then collect your tickets
and change.
Multiple-line, multiple denomination: Sometimes, one machine
will
dispense tickets for more than one company. So, when you
insert your money, you must first select the name of the
train
line you want to ride. You'll see this kind of machine in
Ueno, and at Narita Airport. After selecting the line, the
steps are the same as for the single-line machines.
Advice: Buy the cheapest ticket you can, and make up the difference
when you reach your destination.
When you have your ticket, go to the ticket gates. If the gates
are
manned, then just present your ticket to have it punched. If it's an
automated gate, follow the crowd to one of the gates that has a green
light on the front (wickets with red lights are for people walking the
opposite direction.) Insert your ticket in the front slot. Walk
through
the gate AND TAKE YOUR TICKET FROM THE BACK SLOT. You do NOT want to
lose your ticket.
If you lose your ticket, the station master can fine you up to 10
times the most expensive fare on the line (that is, if the farthest
destination on the line costs 3000 yen to reach, you'll be fined
30,000
yen -- US$240 -- for losing what might be a $1 ticket.)
The next step is to locate the platform for your desired train.
Many
stations have signs hanging from the ceiling that list the major
destinations in both kanji and romanji. If you have a rail map, check
for the next major station on the same line as the station you want,
and
then just follow the signs. However, if you don't have a map, or you
can't find the station name you want on the signs, go to the manned
ticket window at the ticket gates, and say "Sumimasen, 'station' wa
nanban des ka?" (Excuse me, what platform number is for 'station?')
Example: If you are in Tokyo station, and you want to go to Gotunda
station you would want to take the JR train, using the Yamanote line.
If you knew before hand that Gotunda is on the way to Shibuya, you
would
look for the signs that say Yamanote Line, Shibuya Station, and head
up
to that platform. However, you can also ask a ticket master
"sumimasen,
Gotunda wa nanban des ka?" And he may say "juu yon ban," or "number
14." Then just follow the signs to platform 14.
When you get up to the platform, keep in mind that there may be
tracks on both sides of the platform, so if the signs say that
platform
14 is on the left-hand side, stay on that side when you get to the
top.
If you want to know when the next train is arriving, there're two ways
to
do it. First is the electronic display boards hanging from the
ceiling.
Just check for the platform number, or destination station you want.
Second, look for a sign on the platform that is covered in numbers.
The
first column on the left is the hour of the day. The next big column
lists the times for weekdays, the third column will be times for
weekends, and the fourth will be for holidays.
Example: It is 4:13 PM (or 16:13) on a Monday, and you are standing on
the platform in front of this sign. Scan down the lefthand column to
16.
To the right, you'll see 01 04 08 12 15 18 21 25 etc.
You just missed the 4:12, and will have to wait for the 4:15.
If you need to switch trains a couple of times to get to your
destination, don't panic. Just make sure you allow yourself plenty of
time, if you're trying get to an appointment. If the trains you want
are all owned by the same company (ie. -- JR) you only have to buy one
ticket. Otherwise, when you change lines, you need to hand in your
first
ticket, follow the signs directing you to the train line you want, and
the buy a second ticket.
When you get to your destination, go to the ticket gates. If they
are manned, just hand over your ticket here. If it's an automatic
gate,
look for the gates with the green lights on the front, and insert your
ticket in the slot -- you won't get your ticket back this time. If
you
owe money for the ticket, the gate will close on you, and you'll have
to
go to the fare adjustment window. Insert your ticket, and put in as
much change as the machine states you owe. Take the new ticket, and
go
through the gates again.
If your destination station is large (like Shinjuku,) getting out
of
the station may be as confusing as trying to find the train you want.
However, the bigger stations have maps on the wall, showing you where
you are, and how to find the exit you want.
Last example: You are in Takadanobaba and you want to go to the
Ginza.
By looking at the train map, you'll see that there is no station
marked
"Ginza." By looking at the Bilingual Atlas, you'll see that the
nearest
train station to the Ginza is Yuurakucho, on the JR Yamanote line.
You
have two options:
o Ride the Yamanote on its full loop, through every station, from
Takadanobaba to Yuurakucho: go to the platform listing Shinjuku as the
next major station, and keep riding until you reach Yuurakucho. This
will take 30 minues.
o Take the Yamanote train to Shinjuku, and switch lines. Follow the
signs to the Chuo Rapid Express platform to Tokyo. This train only
has
five stops and cuts a straight line through the middle of the Yamanote
loop. At Tokyo station, switch to the Yamanote again to head back
towards Shibuya. Get off at the next stop -- you are in Yuurakucho in
20 minutes.
A note on Tokyo trains:
Most train lines radiate out from Tokyo station. You can ride from
one end of the line to the other, and back for the price of the
cheapest
ticket on the line (as long as you don't leave the train and exit one
of
the stations along the way.) If you have a train map, each of the
lines
will be color-coded, with a color chart at the bottom listing the
names
of the lines (make sure that you have an English version of the map.)
Now, the exception to this rule is the Yamanote line, which runs in
a
big circle from Tokyo Station, through Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, and
back to Tokyo. You can ride around in circles from 5:00 AM to 12:45
AM
uninterrupted for 120 yen (assuming you get off at the same station as
you got on, or the nearest stations to it.) Shinjuku is at the
opposite
side of the circle from Tokyo station.
Tokyo is one HUGE city, with stations all over. But the key to the
"inner city" is the Loop. On it, you can go to:
Akihabara: the electronics district
Ueno: with it's park and zoo
Ikebukuro: location of many department stores, and a few
manga/anime
shops
Takadanobaba: site of several used manga shops and university
campuses
Shinjuku: the more trendy nightlife and shopping area, and
location
of a few more manga/anime shops
Harajuku: with the entrance to Yoyogi Park and the many strange
people that gather there on Sunday. And a warren of
little trendy fashion shops on the side away from the
park (includes two places that carry their own line
of
anime paraphenalia)
Yuurakucho: the closest station to the Ginza shopping district,
which is also home to the famous Kabuki theater
Tokyo: the biggest, most confusing station in the city, and
the nearest exit on the loop to the Imperial Palace
If you have a JR Rail Pass, you can ride ANY JR train or bus for
free
as long as the pass is good. If the ticket you need comes from the JR
machines, it's a free ride.
Subways:
Now, Tokyo's subways are very much like the train lines, and the
ticket machines work the same. However, the big differences come from
the fact that the subways may be a little cheaper, a little faster,
and
have fewer stops. But not all of the train stations are connected to
the subway lines, and you really do need separate maps, one each for
the trains and the subway. Sometimes, you may need to take the JR
line
to one station, walk outside and downstairs to the underground, and
then
buy another ticket to hop the subway. But it's really pretty easy to
get used to this quickly.
The subways are more crowded than the trains during rush hour, and
this is when you'll see the station employees forcibly cramming people
into the cars so tight that they can't move.
Example: You want to go to Roppongi from Shinjuku. Get on the JR
Yamanote line to Ebisu. Drop off your JR ticket, leave through the
west
exit, cross the street and go down the steps to the Hibiya line. Take
the Hibiya subway to Roppongi. Go up the steps and look for the disco
you want.
For both the trains and the subway, usually the signs will be in
Kanji and English. However, there will be exceptions. Especially in
the subway, JUST before you get to the final stairs leading to the
train
or car you want. So, if you can, have your train line, and
destination
written down on paper in Hiragana AND kanji. This will help you read
the signs, and will let some kind Japanese person figure out where you
are trying to go.
Airlines:
It's assumed that if you are only staying in Japan less than a
month, that you have already booked your return flight. However, a
longer stay may imply an open-ended return ticket. The most important
thing to remember is that if your return flight will fall within one
of
the big salaryman travel periods (August, and around Christmas) that
you
MUST reserve your flight as early as you can. If your visa expires on
December 23, and you don't reserve your return tickets until November
20, don't be surprised to learn that the latest open date is
December 12.
You can put your name on a waiting list in hopes that a seat will
free up along the way, but this is pretty iffy. In any case, if you
must return near a holiday period, try to make your reservations well
in
advance. Keep in mind, too, that the airport will be pure chaos
during
those days, and give yourself lots of time for waiting in long lines.
There are a number of airports in Japan, so it's not absolutely
required to land in Narita, if your initial destination is not Tokyo.
- - - -
Gomi Hunting:
The Japanese do not believe in recycling used equipment, so when
something breaks down, or the owner upgrades to a newer model, he/she
will simply toss the gear into the trash. If you want a second-hand
bicycle or VCR, trying visiting the backsides of apartment complexes
some night.
Further, manga phonebooks are usually read once, and then tossed.
If
you are on a budget, or you just want to see what manga is available,
visit a train station, or ride the Yamanote line for an hour on Monday
(when the new issues come out.) Otherwise, just wait until some
family
tosses a bundled stack of phonebook manga on trash day. Over the
course
of a couple of months, you'll find that you've saved a lot of money
this
way. Assuming of course that you're not too finicky.
- - - -
Sexual Harrassment:
Unfortunately, this is closely related to Gomi Hunting, in a moral
sense. Sexual and racial descrimination are still rampant in Japan.
If
you are a woman in a bar, you will be swamped by undesireable men. On
a
crowded train, someone may feel you up. One counter may be to grab
the
offending hand, raise it over your head, and yell "CHIKAN!" (pervert.)
Otherwise, if you feel vulnerable, always travel with a friend.
The Japanese are a lot more casual about sexual mores than
westerners
are, and they don't recognize 'date rape' as a valid problem. It's
also
claimed that most rapes go unreported. So make sure that the person
you're with understands that "No" means "NO!" before you leave the bar
with him/them. Otherwise, if you get into his car, or go to his room,
it's your own fault if things get out of hand.
However, while it is true that women will be groped a lot more than
men, and probably can not get the really well-paid executive jobs, the
knife does cut both ways. It's easier for foreign women to get
certain
teaching jobs than men, and an easy source of money can be found
'hostessing.' The job conditions may not be great, but the money is
good
even if you don't resort to 'hooking' -- although many male customers
of
hostess bars are looking for someone to sleep with, it's your
perogative
as to how far things go if you take a customer up on his offer of a
dinner date later on in the week.
- - - -
The Yakusa:
Yes, the Japanese mafia is still alive and doing well in this
country. They have their hands in the Pachinko parlors, and the
prostitution trade throughout Tokyo. The Yakusa can be most easily
identified by their full-body tattoos, if you see them at the public
baths, and by the missing digits from their hands. The traditional
cliche holds them to wearing dark suits with white ties, and
sunglasses,
but it is after all just a cliche now. Personally, I have yet to meet
a
Yakusa in Japan (in Minnesota, yes, but that was a different matter.)
If you do meet a Yakusa under normal conditions, he'll be quite
friendly. In fact, many of the yearly festivals are supported and
assisted by volunteer Yakusa who are helping out their community. Up
until recently, the Yakusa were treated mainly as folk heros by normal
people, but that has been changing lately as the government has been
cracking down on political corruption and corporate crime.
- - - -
Sentos and Public Baths:
Actually, sento is just another word for 'public bath.' The sento
is
usually found in the more residential areas of the city, away from the
main drags. When you stay at a hotel, you'll be supplied with a nice
little western-style shower room of your own. A ryoukan or hostel
will
probably have a public bathing area -- a shower off to the side of a
hot tub. But if you're at a gaijin house, or an older apartment, you
may find that there're too many people competing for the shower, or
that
there's no hot water during the winter. That's when you go to the
sento. Ask one of the renters where the best sento is in the area.
The common Japanese philosophy holds that you digest food better
after a good hot bath in the evening (they don't bathe of shower in
the
morning, but that is when they do shave.) So, the hostel showers are
turned on only between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Sentos are open all
hours,
and if you go consistently, you'll want a small basin -- which is used
for carrying your shampoo, towel, and toiletries on your round trip
there.
On entering the sento, you may find a vending machine that
dispenses
plastic tokens. Buy a token (adult male, child male, whatever) and
present it to the attendent. The sento will be segregated by sex (men
on one side, women on the other with a wall in the middle.) [The rest
of the instructions hold for the common bathing areas in the hostels.]
Take a towel if it's provided by the attendent, undress and follow
someone else's lead as to where to put your clothes. Bring your
basin,
and grab a little plastic stool. The idea now is to wash yourself
down
in front of the mirrors, and shave if you need to. Soap yourself up,
fill the basin with warm water, and splash yourself down. When you've
taken off the grime and soap, you can get into the tub.
The water may be pretty warm. Usually there's a limit to the
number
of people soaking in the tub, so look for a sign on the wall. Feel
free
to relax as long as you want. Afterwards, go back to your basin and
rinse yourself down. Then go back to your clothes, dry down and get
dressed. Put the sento towel whereever everyone else does, and take
your basin and stuff back home with you.
It's that easy. The more difficult part may be in coping with
being
stared at from the corner of people's eyes, or outright gawking. If
you
have a tattoo, be warned that some sentos have a restriction against
people with tattoos, as a method intended for keeping Yakusa members
out.
Japanese Style Toilets:
If you have knee troubles, these toilets will cause you a lot of
pain. The Japanese feel that their style toilet is more hygenic than
the western type. It's certainly more of a shock to tourists than
anything else is.
In a Japanese house, there will be a pair of toilet slippers that
you
are to wear only in the toilet room. Face the plumbing, drop your
pants, squat down over the porclean bowl, and grab 'the grunt bar'
(the
water pipe running to the floor.) Everything else should be pretty
obvious.
The flush lever has a 'small flush,' and a 'big flush' marker.
Just
move the lever to 'big flush' when you're done.
Make sure that you have some tissues for those times when you need
to
use a public toilet (as in the train stations) because there won't be
any toilet paper. Also have a handkerchief with you, because there
won't be any paper towels for drying off your hands. Now, outside of
the train stations, you may see people handing out packages of tissues
with advertising on them. Take as many as they give you -- these
tissues are intended to be used in the public toilets, and it's one of
the really good bargains in Japan. (The advertising may be for phone
sex companies, or something related.)
- - - -
Getting a Visa:
The below information holds for most nationalities, but there are
some exceptions. If you have any questions, call the nearest Japanese
consulate or embassy office.
Temporary Tourist:
For most western countries, if you are just planning on visiting
the
Japan for a few days, you don't have to do anything special. When you
arrive at the Immigrations windows, you will be asked for your
intended
length of stay. Then you'll get your passport stamped with "Temporary
Tourist," and either 15, 30 or 90 days. Technically, you're not
allowed
to work at all, but some of the shadier companies don't care.
People with British passports can have the visa extended without
needing to leave the country. Just about everyone else will have to
go
outside of Japan for one day and come back to get another temporary
tourist visa stamp. You can do this once or twice, but if
Immigrations
suspects that you're trying to hold down a job on the side, they'll
either prevent you from re-entering the country, or will stamp your
passport with "Final Re-Entry" or "Final Departure."
Student:
You have to be a little careful with this one. I'm told that if
you
already have a degree, it's much harder to be allowed into Japan to
study at an accredited school as a student. The rules state that you
have to study pretty much full-time, and can not work more that 20
hours
a week. But you can get around this if you have a sympathetic school
administrator.
Cultural:
To apply for a cultural visa, you must show that you are studying
some uniquely Japanese activity (like Tea Ceremony, or Aikido) for a
minimum of 20 hours a week at a valid school. You must be able to
provide a certified bank statement from a Japanese bank showing that
you
have at least US$10,000 to live on. (Since it's not necessary to keep
the money in the account for any length of time, you can borrow the
cash
from a friend just long enough for it to register in your account when
you ask for the statement.
From what I understand, you can come to Japan as a tourist, apply
for
the cultural visa, and when it is accepted, you'd need to leave the
country for one day to get your status changed. Contact your local
consulate to find out what's necessary if you want to apply from
outside
of Japan.
Working Holiday:
Canada, England, and Australia all have reciprocal agreements with
Japan that allow their citizens to come to Japan and hold jobs for 6
months. You need to contact your local consulate to get the paperwork
for this visa, and to determine the requirements for receiving it.
After 6 months, you'll have to make a visa trip to extend it. Most
working visas can be extended at least once, and sometimes you can get
up to 3 extensions before your passport is stamped with "Final
Extension."
Working:
The most coveted visa status if you're trying to stay here for any
length of time, and make money. If you work for a company that has a
branch office, try to get them to transfer you to Japan. That way,
all
of the paperwork will be handled for you. It may take up to 2 months
to
process.
Otherwise, you need to find a company that is willing to hire you
and
sponsor your visa. There're a lot of very strange hoops that the
company
must jump through, so smaller firms will be hesitant to do this for
anyone. The bigger ones have been through this before, and have all
of
the forms pre-printed with the necessary company data already filled
in.
You can come to Japan on some other visa status (although temporary
tourist is the least desired form) and try to find a company to
sponsor
you. If you succeed, it will be faster than if you mailed your
resumes
from home and waited for something to come up. But, it's becoming a
riskier proposition now, and your hunt for work may turn out to be
nothing more than an expensive, extended vacation.
However, you must have an University degree to receive a working
visa. That is one of the first requirements of Japanese Immigrations,
and they want you to show them the actual diploma.
The Visa Trip:
A few countries are exceptions (like England,) but normally, to
extend your visa, or to change it from one status to another, Japanese
law requires that you must leave the country for at least one day.
Most
travellers will visit Korea for this, because it's the closest and
cheapest neighboring nation (2 hours by air, and about US$240 round
trip, depending on the time of year.)
But, unless you are in a real hurry, stay in Seoul for at least 3
nights. It's like a more relaxed version of Tokyo, and well worth
exploring. Korea has a $10 departure tax.
When you re-enter Japan, you'll get your passport stamped again.
This is when you show your new paperwork, and ask for the new status
if
you're getting it. Otherwise, you may have to fast-talk your way into
being allowed back in. ("If you have been touring Tokyo for the last
90
days, why do you what to continue touring here for another 90 days?"
--
"That's the address of a friend who's handling my mail for me. I'm
going to spend the next 90 days up in the Japanese Alps, searching for
enlightenment among the lichen.")
- - - -
Departure Tax:
Very simply, when you leave Japan, you will be told to pay 2000
yen.
In Korea, the departure tax comes to about US$10. Most western
airlines
bury this tax in the cost of the ticket, so you don't know that you're
actually paying it. But, when you return home, you will have to pay
this tax yourself.
This is just something to keep in mind when you go on a Visa Trip,
or
when you are counting your pennies as you near the end of your
vacation.
- - - -
Getting a Job:
A bit of background: Japan had been economically very strong up to
1992. Wages were good, people had lots of spare cash to spend on
frivolities, and lots of money was invested in real estate. But then,
the bubble burst, and companies started to tighten their belts a bit.
Now, going into 1993, fewer people are spending money on language
schools, and the foreign teachers that had been making easy money are
back on the streets looking for more work.
At the same time, word had gone out that Japan was a good place to
come to for easy money -- the only qualification you needed was the
ability to speak English. Which of course meant that a growing number
of people arrived to fill the demand. Now, there are more people
looking for all kinds of jobs than there are open positions. Which
means that the companies can afford to be more picky, and offer lower
wages and lesser benefits. And, since Canadians, the British, and
Australians can get working holiday visas, they are more likely to get
work than other people that need to be sponsored for a working visa
(which is a big hassle for the company.) So...
A lot depends on the kind of work you want to do. Obviously,
English
teaching is going to be one of the most popular professions to try
for.
But times have changed, and most English schools in the big cities are
being much more picky -- demanding certification in an ESL (English as
a
Second Language) program at the very least. Other schools want the
proper visa (anything other than 'tourist',) and previous experience.
Further, the 'burst bubble' means fewer students, and some of the
shadier schools have gone out of business. There is still money to be
made as an English teacher, but you're really going to have to hustle
to
find it. The best approach is to go to your local library and get a
copy of the Tokyo area yellow pages. Blanket mail your resume to
every
school in the book. If you can't find a copy of the yellow pages in
the
library, contact the Asian Studies department of your state university
and try to get access to it that way. If you still can't get the
yellow
pages, contact me, and I'll try to arrange something for a small fee.
If you are willing to accept a posting to a small town, your
chances
improve dramatically. Include a cover letter stating why you want to
teach at that school, and a recent photograph of yourself. The school
will want to know how old you are and whether you can come to Japan on
a
working holiday visa, so state that in the letter, too. The problem
with teaching in a small town is that there is little to do in the
evenings, and you will feel like a real outsider if you can't speak
Japanese. So far, the burst bubble has affected Tokyo a lot more than
it has places farther out.
Modelling:
There is money to be made as a model, but it's just a temporary
source of income, since the Japanese tire of new faces within 6
months.
Put together a portfolio, with some recent photos, and start showing
it
around to the modelling agencies in the city. This is one job where
it's
better to try to find work after you arrive in Japan, rather than
before. You probably will NOT get sponsored for a working visa, but
it
is one form of income where your visa status doesn't matter. Anyone
can
work as a model, but be prepared to do your own makeup and even supply
your own outfit. It's fun, and a great ego trip.
Computers:
Programming, sales, and hardware repair are tricky fields to get
into
on your own. Again, you're best bet is to find a company in your home
country that has a Japanese branch, and get posted that way.
Otherwise,
get a copy of the Japanese yellow pages as described above, and
blanket-mail your resume to every company listed. Also, contact your
local Chamber of Commerce and find the location of the office that
handles import and export of materials to your state. The book you
want
is JETRO (which may be at a library.) JETRO lists companies that
import
and export to the U.S., so some of them will just be distributors.
But
you'll get a few addresses to send resumes to, anyhow. Otherwise, you
can contact me, and I can provide a list of addresses for computer
houses for a small few.
Other:
There are other jobs that crop up at times, and other sources for
job
listings. First, you can get a subscription to the Japan Times, an
English paper that has classified ad listings every Monday.
Your local university will have an office that receives
announcements
of foreign job listings -- call up information, and track down that
office. The listings may be old, but you'll get some more addresses
this way, and you can ask these schools if they can refer you to other
schools that also have job openings currently.
Lastly, you can try contacting the Chamber of Commerce for each big
city in Japan, and request a listing of job openings on file, or
addresses for schools and companies in their city for the field that
you're interested in.
Remember, it takes time to get a response from most of these
companies, so this process may take 6 months just to get one reply
back
out of the hundreds of resumes and letters you mail out. This is not
a
speedy process, and you should start as soon as you can, and hustle as
hard as possible, to guarantee any kind of results. But, if you don't
have an university degree, you're at a significant disadvantage and
will
have to try even harder.
Hostessing:
There is an advantage to being female in Japan.
Hostess bars are still popular in Tokyo. Mainly, these are places
for older salarymen to go and try to pick up foreign women. And many
of
these places really soak their customers for every cent they can get,
while treating their employees like shit. However, there are a few
respectable hostess bars, if you look around for them.
If you are young, blond, outgoing, and attractive, you'll probably
be
able to get a job within a week if not less, and you don't need a
university degree because you won't get sponsored for a working visa
this way. But it requires a lot of restraint, the ability to put up
with a certain amount of pawing, and dealing with undesireable
advances
from crude, drunk men. But, this is the easiest money to be made, and
you can get big tips from nice people even without having to go to bed
with any of them.
If you are from the Middle East, just come over and make contacts
with your brethern in Ueno and Yoyogi Parks. Most Arabs and Iranians
in
Japan are in the construction, or demeaning manual labor fields. The
money is not bad, but a number of these workers are in the country
illegally, and there is a slowly mounting pressure for the government
to
clamp down on them.
Resumes and Business Cards:
Shortly after arriving in Japan, you should get your resume and
business cards printed up in both English and Japanese, if you haven't
had it done in advance. Many job openings in the paper require that
you
submit a bilingual resume.
You can have your resume printed up for you, bilingually, at any of
the Information Services. Kimi Information Center charges about 6000
yen, and takes about 2 weeks to finish.
The Japanese take the ritual of exchanging business cards (meishi)
VERY seriously. So, when you meet someone for the first time, it's
standard to hand over your card -- either during a job interview, at a
nightclub, or a conversation house. Therefore, even if you don't have
a
job, if you are staying at one place for more than a few weeks, you
should have some cards made up with your home address and phone number
included. Because, this is how the Japanese remember your name. They
probably will never phone you, but if you meet them again, they will
recall your name.
You can either go to an information center, or to a vending machine
outside Marui (OIOI) to have the cards printed up. The vending
machine
costs 1000 yen for 20 cards, one language on one side.
- - - -
Living Spaces:
The Japan Survival Kit has a listing of addresses for places to
stay
throughout Japan, in a variety of price ranges and conditions.
If you are going to be in Japan only for a few days, and can't find
someone to stay with, you can either make do with a youth hostel,
business hotel, or capsule hotel. If you're going to be doing some
travelling, and money is a factor, a ryoukan, hostel, or capsule hotel
will be better. Finally, if you're going to be in one place for more
than a week, and money is a factor, you'll have to settle for a gaijin
house until you can get work. If money is NOT a factor, then you'll
want
one of the upscale hotels, or you can settle for the less elegant
atmosphere of a business hotel.
Youth Hostel:
These are great places if you're on a tight budget.
Some hostels require that you be a member of the International Youth
Hostel Network. (Others will give you a discount if you are a
member.)
You can find out how to join the IYHN by calling a travel agency, and
asking for the phone number of the hostel office nearest to you.
Youth Hostels can have some very restrictive rules (like having to
be
in bed by 10:00 PM, and outside of the building between 10:00 AM and
4:00 PM,) and normally you can only stay at one hostel for 3 days max
(you can go somewhere else for one day, and return for another 3.)
During peak tourist periods, you may need reservations for any
given
hostel. The hostel in Tokyo is always booked weeks in advance,
because
it is central to where the action is. Hostels can cost between 2000
and
2500 yen. Some hostels also offer breakfast and/or supper for an
additional 450 to 650 yen each. They'll normally have public bathing
and a laundry room.
A couple hostels are actually attached to shrines or temples, which
changes the entire nature of your stay there -- and be lots of fun.
Ryoukan:
Normally, these are supposed to be cheap ways of experiencing
Japanese living. For 3000 to 4000 yen, you stay in a house or
building
with many rooms. You get meals, and bathe in the classic Japanese
style.
In the one ryoukan I stayed at in Tokyo, this was not the case.
Basically, that was just a flop house with showers each shared by two
single-room apartments, with no meals, and a curfew.
Just be choosy about where you want to stay, and it will be a good
experience.
Capsule Hotel:
AKA Coffin Capsules. For 3500 to 5000 yen, you will get a slot in
the wall 3' x 3' x 6'. The slot will have a light, radio, TV, sheets
and bedding, and a curtain over the entrance. The hotel will also
have
a public bath, tv room, vending machines, small locker for your street
clothes, a sleeping robe, and maybe even a little restaurant.
These places are made for businessmen with a little money, and a
need
to sleep overnight in some town before moving on. They are not good
places for staying more than a few days, and there is no place to
store
lots of belongings or anime purchases. But for short-term crash
space,
they're rather pleasant.
Business Hotel:
This is a more upscale option. For 5000 to 10,000 yen per night,
you
get your own single bedroom room, closet, and shower. The bedroom
will
measure about 8' x 8'. You may even get a TV, tea warmer, teapot, and
tea. One that I stayed at had a VCR in the room, and a video tape
rental
machine in the lobby. If you plan on staying in Japan just to shop
for
a few days before leaving, this may be your best bet.
Gaijin House:
This is the only long-term option if you can't get an apartment
through your work. Apartment space is very dear in Japan, and some
landlords will not rent to foreigners, arguing that foreigners won't
stay long enough to give them a profit.
A gaijin house is most likely a dump -- a few apartments in one
building that will be rented out to 2 to 5 people in one place. These
places rent out for 30,000 to 60,000 yen per month. When you get
work,
you may be lucky enough to have help in locating a real apartment.
The
place I stayed at in Tokyo had 12 people, a TV and VCR, two
refrigerators, 2 showers and baths, no hot water pressure, a stove but
no oven, and cockroaches. It is one of the better gaijin houses, and
costs 43,000 yen/month with a 5000 yen deposit.
If you view this as a frat house, you may be better off.
Apartments:
If you find work, you'll probably want your own place. Unless you
live outside of the bigger cities, you won't be able to find a house
you
can afford. The best thing you can hope for is to have your company
provide an apartment for you as part of the contract. Otherwise...
It's not easy to find a good apartment that you can afford, in
Tokyo,
that you actually want to live in. Fewer landlords are willing to
rent
to foreigners, but if you work at it, you will find something. The
best
bet is to go through one of the Information Centers, using their
apartment finding service. Otherwise, you can try using a realty
office.
There is a finder's fee for any company that locates an apartment
for
you (about one month's rent,) then there's the deposit, and key money
(which is a 'gift' to the landlord as thanks for letting you live
there
-- one to two month's rent.) Depending on where you stay, what would
be
a $300 efficiency apartment in the west may cost you $5000 in the
first
month, with a little of that money serving as an actual rent payment.)
Love Hotels:
These are one of the more interesting elements of Japan. Housing
is
so limited in Tokyo, young lovers need a place to escape to for an
intimate hour in bed. Some love hotels have theme rooms, and others
are
merely gaudy. The rates differ from place to place, and room to room,
but you can rent a room for one hour or for the night. Nightly rates
drop if you arrive after the peak hours -- sometime after 11:00 PM.
Some love hotels work on the vending machine principle: a light
panel
in the lobby shows you which rooms are available. You pay your money,
push the button for the room you want, get a keycard for the lock, and
then follow the arrows.
The cost is a little higher than for a business hotel, and is a
great
way to spend the night even if you sleep alone.
Overall:
It's usually pretty easy to just come into a town, and call up the
place you want to stay at, and be accepted. Just don't expect to find
a
space during a major festival, or at the height of the tourist season.
(Keeping in mind that the main hostel in Tokyo is almost always full.)
Otherwise, try to get your travel agent to book your hotel in advance
(which saves you the long-distance phone bill if you do it yourself.)
Some hostels don't care if you stay more than 3 days, if you pay
for
one day at a time. And most places will let you store your big bags
there while you go on a short trip for a few days (if you want to
travel
light at that time.)
- - - -
Conversation Houses:
It is very difficult for most Japanese to meet new people --
they're
so afraid of embarassing themselves and other people that they won't
say
anything at all. Which makes things difficult when they want to find
someone to talk to in English.
Conversation houses solve this problem, by supplying a place for
Japanese to mingle with foreigners. The Japanese have to pay an
entrance fee, but foreigners can get in free. Coffee and tea are
free,
drinks are cheaper than in a bar, and some places also serve munchies
and alcohol.
If you want to meet some Japanese (and practice your language
lessons
on them), and any number of foreign English teachers, conversation
houses are the places to be. Some newcomers have gotten jobs, both
teaching and modeling, others have gotten dates, and most have made
useful contacts this way. Some of the AnimEigo people go to one of
the
places in Ebisu occasionally.
The best times to visit are between 8:00 and 11:00 PM on Fridays or
Saturdays. All three of the below places are in Tokyo, on the
Yamanote
line. (The information on page 157 of the Kit is incomplete and
is incorrect for Mickey House. I have no idea what The Japan
International
Friendship Club is like.)
Mickey House: Takadanobaba. From the station, take the north exit
and head east on Waseda dori. Cross the street to the First Kitchen,
and keep heading east. After about 3 blocks, you'll pass a subway
entrance. A couple of buildings later, there's a doorway with the
sign on the opposite side. Go up to the 4th floor.
The best place I've found so far. Doesn't have food. Closed on
Mondays, hours: 6:00 PM -- 11:00 PM. 3209-9686.
Corn Popper: Ebisu. From the station, take the west exit, cross
the
street and continue west. At the next light, turn left and walk 200
feet. You'll see the sign on the sidewalk out front. It's in the
basement.
Run by a New Yorker, it's not one of the friendliest places. Two
TV's, a pool table, and lots of chess boards and video tapes. Popcorn
and rice crackers are available, and there's all-you-can-eat tacos on
weekends for about 2000 yen. Most people come in only on Fridays and
Saturdays. Hours: 6:00 PM -- midnight. 3715-4473.
Com'Inn: Ebisu. West exit from the station. Cross the street.
When facing Sakura bank, turn left, then turn right at the next
street.
Walk about 1.5 blocks, the sign is visible near the top of the
building
on your left. 350 yen entrance fee for foreigners. Some books on the
walls, and people who are willing to play Othello, Shogi, chess, and
Scrabble. Busiest days are Fridays and Saturdays. Evening hours,
closed on Mondays. 3710-7063
- - - -
The Challenge:
There are many new customs arising in Japan, and the Challenge is
one
of them. What happens is one person will challenge another to do
something unusual. Eating sushi. Going on stage at a karaoke box.
Making pottery at a craft center. Whatever. You can turn down these
challenges, but it's a lot more fun to go along with the crowd and try
them out, believe me. Although, I have yet to try karaoke.
- - - -
Smoking and Drinking:
You'll soon discover that nearly everyone EXCEPT people from the
U.S.
and Canada smoke a lot in Japan. Trains and elevators are off-limits,
and most women will not smoke while walking on the street. But, once
inside an office, restaurant, or bar, out they come. To the Japanese,
smoking is an accepted part of life, as it is to most Europeans. And,
although some restaurants may have non-smoking areas, don't be too
surprised if someone lights up next to you, anyway. You can be
beligerent, or persistent in making them stop, but this may also
provoke
an angry confrontation, with you on the losing side. Really, if you
don't like tobacco smoke, don't come to Japan.
When you go into the major shopping districts in Tokyo, you'll find
locations where salespeople are outside the shops, offering free
samples
to potential buyers -- both adults and high school students.
Drinking is very common in Japan. It's an accepted method for
relieving stress, as well as a form of bonding. You can get a variety
of beers and cups of sake from vending machines on the streets in
front
of liquor stores, up until midnight on any day of the week.
As a form of bonding, in a sort of new-wave samurai ritual, one
person (male or female) will be the designated drunk for the night.
Everyone else will keep him supplied with beer. Then, at the end of
the
night, the inebriated party will stagger back home, dragging their
comatose 'fallen comrade' along, and helping him out when he pukes his
guts out along the way. You can see high school students (boys more
often than girls) doing this, too.
On the other hand, office drinking parties, where everyone from the
department goes out together, are also common. Now though, it is a
way
of letting employees complain to their bosses without fear of
retribution. Because, the idea is that whatever you say while
plastered
can not be held against you. But it will still be remembered the next
day, and acted upon if change is required.
Since drinking is such an important activity, many strange and
beneficial deals can be made at a bar or other drinking establishment
if
you're lucky or wait long enough. If you can hold your own and have
plenty of cash, consider going to one of the more popular bars, and
keep
your ears open.
A 12-ounce can of beer is 220 yen from a vending machine or
convenience store, and 450 to 800 yen in a bar. Mixed drinks cost
much
more. If you drink at all regularly, you will go broke pretty fast.
So
unless you have a good job and lots of money, be careful of how much
you
spend at one time.
There's a phenomenon called 'the bottle club.' These are a form of
bar where the customers pay lots of money for their own bottle of
liquor, which has their name on it and is kept behind the bar for the
next time the customer returns. Most Japanese can't tell the
difference
between good and bad whiskey, so they almost always get ripped off by
club owners that refill expensive bottles with the cheapest whiskey on
the market. Foreigners normally don't go to these kinds of places,
but
if you do, remember that you're paying for 'atmosphere', not good
booze.
Karaoke clubs are also a good place to spend cash fast. If you do
go
to one, make sure that you're with a bunch of Japanese friends. The
idea
is to get drunk to loosen up, and then stand up on stage and make a
fool
of yourself. It's considered 'a challenge' (please see the section on
Challenges.) There'll be a TV set in front of you, and the DJ will
start
the next song, which you can request if you want. The vocals have
been
stripped from the soundtrack, and the words appear (usually in
Japanese,
unless you go to a western Karaoke Box) at the bottom of the TV for
you.
While karaoke is not as popular as it once was, it's still a standard
pastime on a Friday or Saturday night.
It should not be too surprising to know that alcoholism is a major
problem in Japan, while most Japanese still don't recognise it as
such.
If you like sake, visit the Sake Center in The Ginza. The first
floor is a display/sales room. The second is a reading library that
contains books on sake and wine production all around the world, and
there's a computerized look-up system too (only in Japanese though.)
The third floor is used for presentations and meetings. The stairwell
walls are covered with beautiful sake bottle labels of all kinds.
It's
not a big place, unfortunately.
For 300 yen, you can sample 5 kinds of sake in a sort of blind
taste
test, on the first floor. This is a great way to learn how much
variety
there can be in the kinds of sake available for sale.
- - - -
Computers and Networks/Niftyserve
Yes, you can bring your notebook or laptap with you to Japan. Just
make sure that your power supply can automatically compensate for
different voltages and frequencies (it's called an universal power
supply.)
Yes, your modem will work on the Japanese phone system.
No, it's not easy to tie into a local computer network.
Unless you have your own apartment and phoneline, are staying at a
hotel with a modem jack on the phone (use of which may cost you more,)
or can find a payphone with a modem jack, you're simply not going to
be
able to connect the machine to the phone line.
The next step is to find the number for a local computer net. Good
luck -- most network access is limited to company employees, or
university students taking the right classes. And of course, most of
the text will be in Japanese.
Niftyserve is the one commercial network in Japan, it's in
Japanese,
it's not cheap, and is not international. Although, there are rumors
of
a gateway to Compuserve.
Compuserve is rumored to have an access number in Japan, but I
don't
have proof of this.
The only alternative is an international phonecall to your favorite
BBS's back home. (If anyone can prove me wrong, please do so.)
- - - -
Speaking/Studying Japanese
If you have studied Japanese in a school in the west, odds are that
what you studied has little relationship to what is actually spoken in
Japan. And it will take a while to adjust to the differences.
Further,
each region has its own dialect, which just makes it that much harder
to
understand what other people are saying. To get a feel for how much
you
do or don't understand, read "Making Out in Japanese" books 1 and 2,
and
"Japanese Street Slang."
You don't necessarily have to speak the language to survive in
Japan,
because many signs are in English, and a fair number of people have at
least studied English in school. But it's a lot like going to France
and only eating hamburgers. To really get to know the Japanese, you
should be able to talk to them in their own language. (Which also
makes
it easier to get dates and phone numbers, order esoteric foods, and
understand non-subtitled movies.)
Don't tell someone that you are using them for speaking practice --
it's insulting. If the person you're talking to will answer you when
you speak Japanese (no matter how bad it is,) then feel free to keep
at
it.
As for language schools in Japan, be careful. Some of them are
very
shady, if not outright rip-offs. Ask around. Look at the contracts,
checking for how much you need to pay up front, and how to get a
refund
if you need to cancel that contract. Some schools have an iron-clad
contract requiring you to pay for a full year in advance, with no
refunds. Others are fly-by-nights that take your money and shut their
doors a few days later.
Zeus, in Tokyo, has been classified as "one of the cheaper schools,
and the instruction is ok." The better schools will usually be much
more expensive -- which is a problem if you're studying on a student
or
cultural visa. Because you won't be able to afford food.
There are certain schools with offices in the U.S., that teach
Japanese that are based in Japan. Some of these schools have
arrangements where you can make some money back by teaching English
part
time. (The KEN School is one such place to look for.) Otherwise, you
can try for an exchange student program, or just get a student loan to
come over to study at whatever school will accept you. Contact a big
university, and they may be able to put you in contact with the school
you want, or look in the Yellow Pages under language schools in case
KEN
School is listed there.
Get a copy of the Friday edition of the Japan Times, which includes
a
page on practical language usage, and common mimetic words ('gyuu
gyuu',
'niko niko', and 'hahaha'.)
Kinokuniya Books in Shinjuku, Tokyo, has a good foreign books
section
on the 6th floor. There's a large section with textbooks,
dictionaries,
phrase books, and 'survival Japanese' books that, although costing
more
than in the States, are still useful to students of all levels.
It's been said that the best way to learn Japanese is to have a
Japanese boyfriend/girlfriend. While this is true in one sense, the
real problem with this situation is that men and women don't speak
using
the same words (Watashi = Boku = 'I' for men; Atashi = 'I' for women.)
One of the most distracting things for a Japanese is to have a man
talking in 'woman-speak,' or women sounding like men. Although, the
latter case is changing as younger women refer to themselves with
'boku,' and take on more of the men's language.
The most simple advice for people wanting to learn Japanese is:
Live in Japan as long as you can, avoid gaijin, never shy away from
asking questions in Japanese in the fear of making a mistake, spend
time
in conversation houses, and make as many Japanese contacts/friends as
you can. Go to a good school, and study, study, study.
- - - -
Sightseeing:
Japan:
Although you may be going to Japan solely to buy anime and manga
goods, try to do a little travelling outside of Tokyo, and see some of
the other tourist sites. Japan still has MANY, MANY locations unique
to
it, and a cultural history that goes back a long way. Sapporo can be
beautiful in the winter, but it's also a great place to start a hiking
trip from into the mountainous regions farther east during the summer.
Plus, there's an impressive underground shopping district running
under
the streets near the train station.
Kyushu, down at the south end of Japan, has it's own colorful
history, including the Nagasaki Peace Memorial. An ancient volcano in
Central Kyushu measures 15 by 20 kilometers across and contains 7
smaller
active volcanos and several cities. It's a fun place to go climbing,
and the people are very friendly.
In between, Japan offers zen temples, castles, factories, sex
museums, sumo matches, and martial arts schools. Plus some people.
If
you only spend a few days shopping in Tokyo before rushing back home,
you really are cheating yourself of some incredible experiences.
Korea:
The main reason for travelling to Korea is to extend your visa.
Which is a shame, because Korea now has all of the things Japan had
and
has since lost. Seoul is a much more relaxed version of Tokyo, and
the
people of most outlying cities have never seen foreigners. The prices
are lower, and there's as much to see in Korea as there is in Japan,
including a lot of history indicting Japan for its Imperialistic
expansionism that continued up to World War II.
If you like mountains, but don't have much time, you can take one
of
the city buses to the end of its line -- a one hour trip that places
you at the foothills of the national park bordering on the northern
part
of Seoul. About $0.50 for the ride. And there are three large
open-air
shopping districts within walking distance of downtown Seoul, that
must
be seen to be believed. This is also the place for developing a taste
for the spicy delicacy, kimchie.
The cheapest place to stay is the Inn Dae Won: a little dive where
most would-be English teachers visit when they first arrive. US$7.00
a
night puts a roof over your head, and you'll be four blocks from City
Hall. To get there, take the bus from the airport in to Seoul. Get
off
at the Koreana Hotel (near City Hall) and double back 2 blocks to the
previous major intersection. Use the underpass to cross to the other
side of the intersection and go left past the fast food joint (it's
probably a Wendy's) along the intersecting street A short block
later,
there will be a large bakery on your right. Just past the bakery,
there
will be a little alley off to your right. Go down that alley and look
over your head for the sign -- it's about 75 feet into the alley.
Another large file could be written on Korea as well, but it's just
as good to refer to the Lonely Planet Travel Survival Kit for Korea.
The current edition has many errors, and needs updated maps, but the
next edition will correct these flaws and should be coming out
shortly.
- - - -
Manners, or Mistakes you do not want to make:
In public, DO NOT blow your nose. Keep sniffing until you can blow
your nose in private.
Do not give a Japanese host or friend a gift unless it seems
appropriate. The recipient will then be forced to determine how much
your gift was and to give you another one in return.
No eating while you're walking. Although, in some places and at
some
times, you'll see younger Japanese eating ice cream cones, or drinking
sodas, it doesn't happen often. If nothing else you'll notice that
you're getting dirty looks from people if you so much as carry an
empty
pop can as you walk along.
Do not go anywhere without at least a small amount of kleenex.
Many
of the public toilets do not have toilet paper. And, many places do
not
have towels for drying your hands when you wash them -- your
handkerchief is supposed to be for wiping your face and hands, not
blowing your nose.
Don't wipe your sweaty face with your shirt sleeve -- have a
separate
hanky for patting your face dry.
Do not worry too much about offending, or surprising people. As a
foreigner, you are already something of a spectacle, so you might as
well do something outrageous to justify their staring at you.
Do not forget that traffic travels in the opposite direction than
it does in North America. Look RIGHT first, THEN left, when crossing
the
street.
The word 'gaijin' has taken on the same connotations as 'negro' in
the States. 'Gaikokujin' (foreign country person) is the more polite
version to use now.
Do NOT call yourself an 'otaku' while you are in Japan. It's used
more as an insult, and will turn people off of you. It's especially
bad
when talking to someone from an anime or manga studio, when they are
surrounded by Japanese otaku all the time.
Do not expect that a Japanese person agrees with you when he says
yes. Quite possibly, he is simply indicating that he is still
listening. Remember, the Japanese will not normally disagree with you
outright. DO NOT SIMPLY ANSWER THE JAPANESE WITH "NO". Instead,
"Yes,
I hear you, but..."
Do not forget that the Japanese dislike direct confrontation. This
can work in your advantage in many different ways. But it also means
that most Japanese will avoid direct eye contact with you on the
street,
or in conversation.
Remember to be polite, and thank people, even when you are buying
things from them. Also, the Japanese normally consider the passing of
money to be rather offensive. So, when you are buying something, look
for a tray of some kind. That's where you are expected to put your
money, and that's where they'll put your change. Not ALL Japanese are
picky about this, but many still are.
You are not expected to to tip waitresses or bellboys, so don't.
Do not be surprised if someone comes up to you and starts to talk
to
you. They are not being overly-friendly (unless they are asking for
money for some cause, in which case the flyers in their hands should
give them away. The approach to use here is to look to the side, say
"Wakerimasen" -- I don't understand you -- and just keep walking.)
When someone comes up to you and starts talking, they are simply
trying to get a free English lesson out of you. When they are
satisfied, they will continue on their way. Many Americans get
offended
by this after a while. Don't worry about it. Just go through the
motions, and continue on your own way when it is over. Besides, it
can
be fun, too.
Don't be so stupid as to try to smuggle proscribed drugs, or rice,
into Japan. The odds are that you'll get caught, and the Japanese do
not treat such matters lightly. As always, play things smart (and buy
from the yakuza if you want something for your own consumption.)
- - - -
Survival Japanese:
- - - -
Miscellaneous:
Doubt:
There are a lot of strange shows on Japanese TV, and the strangest
are the game shows. One particular game show will present a series of
"factual information," with a few ringers. If a contestant thinks
something he's being told is false, he will respond with 'Doubt.'
This response is showing up in news broadcasts, and normal
conversations, in place of 'chigau' (wrong.)
Lockers:
Many train and bus stations have pay lockers where you can store
your
bags if you want to walk around a city for a few days. These can cost
between 200 and 600 yen per day, which can add up quickly if you don't
pay attention. (Midnight is considered the end of one day. After
midnight, you have to pay again to get your bags back.)
Travelling Lightly:
Do not bring things you don't want to carry. Clothes for a few
days,
a toilet kit, and any additional papers for getting work if needed.
Anything more than that may need to be stored somewhere while you
travel.
Living Cheaply:
If you plan on doing some travelling while in Japan, get a rail
pass.
Bring a water bottle, or buy one here. Try to avoid buying too
many
soft drinks since they'll go for about $1 each, and during the summer,
may add up to $10 a day, easily.
Look for restaurants that sell large dishes for 500 yen. Or lose
some weight.
Buy your food at grocery stores -- not the convenience stores. You
get a better selection this way, while saving money. But also
comparison shop when walking by the vegetable stands. You might be
able
to save a little more money on fresh produce. And yes, during season,
a melon can still cost $5 each, and bananas can be as cheap as 300 yen
for 4. All food is EXPENSIVE in Japan.
If you can find a gaijin house, you can try to keep your expenses
down to 4000 yen a day (1600 for the lousy apartment, the rest for
food
and other expenses.) Walk, don't use the rails if you're only going 1
or 2 miles in any given direction. This translates to a budget of
$1200/month.
Staying at places other than gaijin houses may bring your expenses
up
to 6000 to 7000 yen/day. Especially if you want to travel, sightsee,
sample the food, and buy stuff.
Visit department stores. All big stores will have a food section.
Sometimes, these food sections (and some stores in the underground
shopping tunnels) will give away free samples. This can be both good
and bad, if you don't know what it is you're putting in your mouth --
but it IS free food.
Take care of all your health matters before coming here. Japan's
health care system costs money, and isn't the greatest.
And if you wear glasses or contacts, make sure that you bring a
spare
pair, and/or your prescription. If something can happen to trash your
glasses, it WILL (trust me on this one.)
Non-legal stuff:
Some Mid-Easterners live in the parks, especially in Yoyogi and
Ueno.
To avoid paying for train fare, they will walk through the ticket gate
of the fare adjustment window in the middle of the crush of other
people
that walk by flashing their pass cards. You may get caught doing
this,
but can also possibly bluff your way out of it, since the Japanese
don't
like direct conflict ("Wakerimasen".)
If you stop at Bangkok before coming to Japan, you can do the same
thing that one Isreali did. He'd taken 9 months to travel from
Isreal,
through India, to Japan. Mainly on foot. In Bangkok, he bought a
Freelance Journalist badge for $8. By flashing this, and looking like
he's going to do a write-up on some activity, he could get into
museums,
rides, and other stuff for free. Sometimes, he could even get free
transportation.
- - - -
Recommended reading:
Tokyo: A Bilingual Atlas from Kodansha Books
Consists of many maps of the Tokyo area,
an
index, and indicates locations of a host
of
stores, tourist sites, airline offices,
embassies, and hotels. Very useful for
getting
around in the city.
Japan: Travel Survival from Lonely Planet
Kit One of the better, more complete tour
books of
Japan. Gives descriptions and basic maps
of
many cities, rates a number of the
tourist sites
throughout the country, compares prices
for a
variety of hotels, ryoukans, and hostels,
and
gives a fair amount of background
information on
the country, its cities, and people. But
it
still has a number of gaps, and will feel
incomplete after a few days of use.
- - - -
Useful Addresses:
The Japan Times -- Head Office
5-4 Shibaura 4-Chome
Minato-ku, Tokyo 100-91
Oversea Courier Service Co., Ltd. -- Overseas
subscriptions
9 Shibaura 2-Chome -- and inquiries for
Minato-ku, Tokyo 108 -- The Japan Times.
(03) 5476-8131
Tokyo International Youth Hostel -- The more popular
hostel
(03)3235-1107 (page 184 of the Kit) -- in Tokyo
Yoyogi Youth Hostel -- The easier hostel
to get
(03)3467-9163 (page 184 of the Kit) -- into, near
Shinjuku.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The Purely-Fanatic Oriented Section
A Misplaced Otaku
If one of the signs of otaku-hood is the complete abandonment of
your
life at home, to go to the source of your addiction and check it out,
then I'm showing at least one or two of the main symptoms. I quit my
job at home, dumped my car (which had to be replaced anyway,) unloaded
my apartment, and sold off some of much belongings before coming to
Japan. I've travelled a bit, lived in a gaijin house in Tokyo for 5
months, watched the occasional anime, visited the manga sections of
bookstores, and survived long enough to try to pick up a basic
functionality in reading and speaking Japanese. Even with the
purchases
I've made, and having 60,000 yen stolen from me by another gaijin
renter, I've been able to live on about US$1000 per month for almost
exactly 6 months.
I do have a job waiting for me in Tokyo, but whether I can get my
working visa after my next visa trip (this one is back to Minnesota
for
the Christmas holidays,) is a question to be answered only by Japan's
Immigration department. Time will tell.
The following is my attempt to pave the way for anyone else stupid
enough to try this stunt. Do not attempt this at home -- this act
should be performed by trained professionals ONLY.
You have been warned.
Keep in mind, Japan is a big, busy, expensive place. If you can
get
someone else to finance the trip, and your stay here, this will be a
major first step. I don't actually recommend joining the navy just so
that you can take your six-month leave here, but if you're already in
the military, do everything you can to get stationed here.
Otherwise, having friends or relatives that live in Japan will make
a
big difference. Or, coming over here for school, or as part of a
"home-stay" program, is another possibility. Finding a decent place
to
stay is one of the foremost hurdles to overcome, given that you're not
the only one trying to do this.
If you can find a place to stay, then all you need are some good
maps, the "Walking Guide to Tokyo" from one of the FTP sites, and some
spending money.
Much of Japan is covered with various buildings, and lots of
people.
Unless the city is next to the coast, where the wind is strong, the
air
If you want to read the weekly phonebooks, look in garbage cans on
the street -- near train stations, or on the trains themselves.
People
buy these, read them in an hour, and throw them away. You can save
$20-$40 per week this way. Just make sure that the phonebook is clean
when you pick it up.
Types of manga: Best Locations to Check
Weekly Serials Anywhere
Monthly Serials Anywhere
Magazines (Newtype, et. all) Moderate bookstores on up
Collected Volumes Small bookstores on up
"Art of" Books Big Bookstores only
Odd-sized manga Big Bookstores only
Anime:
This more of a problem. Japanese TV doesn't carry as much
anime as you'd expect. And the Tokyo area (Kanto region) has a poorer
selection than the Osaka area (Kansai), but the Kansai TV schedule is
more subject to spontaneous schedule changes. (There are three major
areas listed in the English version of the Japan Times paper.) And
Kansai and Kanto both get the NHK broadcasts. If you have a satellite
dish, you can get a lot more programs, but the Japan Times listings
only
state that there are "cartoons" on in any given slot, they don't give
actual titles. If you can read Japanese, the listings in Animage may
be
of more use to you.
Note: The Japan Times is one of the few papers printed in English,
and it's NOT sold everywhere that Japanese papers are. Kinokuniya
does
carry it.
Theatrical anime shows up occasionally, but there are dry spells.
So, naturally the places to turn to are video tape sales and rental
stores. Unfortunately, BUYING anime is expensive (but you already
know
that.) Any place that sells video tapes will sell anime tapes. Fewer
places carry laser disks. Some department stores that sell anime
paraphenalia will also have the tapes and disks. (Look for the
Children's Toy Sections.) Otherwise, look for an "Animate" store.
(However, the Bilingual Atlas does not list Animate in its index.)
And, there are times when you can find used video tapes for 1000 to
3600
yen apiece.
All video rental places will have an anime section, if you only
want
to watch tapes (or dub them if you can get the equipment.) I haven't
seen any places that rent laser disks.
Sound tracks:
This is a lot like anime video tapes. If you look
for
CD stores, you'll find them. This is a good way to blow money, given
that CD's run between 2600 and 3600 yen each. You can find places
that
rent CD's, but I haven't found any that carry anime soundtracks.
kind of selection for most game systems. When you walk the streets
near
any train station, you'll find places that rent Nintendo, Sega, and
Famicom games. Some of these rental places also sell their used games
for 300-600 yen apiece.
Models:
These are a little harder to find, since the only real
option
seems to be to search out stores that specialize in models. But these
do exist, so you just need to look around a little (the Walking Guide
will help you out, too.)
Visiting Studios:
You may be tempted to visit one of the anime or manga studios while
you're here. The only drawbacks may be a lack of addresses for them,
and the inability to speak Japanese. According to several people, the
anime and manga artists don't really speak English much, so it's a
little silly to drop in on a studio without an interpretter on hand.
(This is the main reason why I haven't done this myself.)
If you don't already have the addresses for any of the studios,
it's
going to be a little difficult to dig them up elsewhere. There is
only
one studio listed with the Tokyo Tourist Information Center (TIC) that
is identified as conducting tours in English, and it's one that I've
never heard of. But, with a little perseverence, you'll probably be
able to visit any studio that you want -- just call in advance and set
up an appointment. Don't forget that the Japanese trade magazines
also
conduct regular interviews with these artists, and that your interest
in
visiting the studio may be viewed as just another disruption of the
production schedule.
Studios
AnimEigo -- Robert Woodhead (Usenet address: Tre...@foretune.co.jp
Phone (03) 5481-9663. You probably won't get to tour the
studio (Robert keeps saying that there's nothing to see,)
but you might be able to set up a lunch appointment.
Omnibus, Japan -- A computer animation house that has produced a
number of TV ads for different companies, some presentations
for a couple of the local theme parks, and is listed in the
closing credits for the new American Batman cartoon
series. They're not really set up to handle tours, because
of a very low public profile, but you can talk them into
letting you drop by and showing you their demo tape.
Curtis Hoffmann
More on life in Japan
----------------------------------
Life Imitating Art
or
I Thought This Was Just A Movie
Copyrighted November 28, 1992, by Curtis H. Hoffmann.
Permission is granted to cross-post this file in whole to other
computer networks (in fact, I'd be very happy if someone would
crosspost
this to Fido.) This file may be re-printed in a fanzine or newsletter
as long as I'm notified, in exchange for a copy of the issue this
article appears in. This article can not be altered, or re-printed in
a
for-profit magazine, without permission.
Maiko Covington once wrote a series of textfiles for R.A.A. that
described growing up in Japan, and life in high school. A lot of that
information is embedded in many anime series and OAVs (from Ranma 1/2,
and KOR, to Project A-Ko and Battle Royal High School. Since I've
come
here in June 30, 1992, I've noticed a number of things that are
integral to
Japanese life and culture that, if they haven't slipped into anime or
manga already, are bound to do so eventually. Some of these traits
are
so firmly ingrained, that they appear simply as a matter of course,
and
not because the director consciously chose to do so.
--------------------------
Added: Speaker Trucks (add.)
Fashions (shoes, add.)
--------------------------
Sing-song voices: Suffice it to say that nearly any voice you hear
in anime can be found on the train or subway. Some girls really do
seem
to be singing when they speak. Stretching out "ha -- i," or "De --
su"
in a sentence to give it a sexy feeling is relatively common in these
cases. This can be found most often with receptionists, and elevator
operators.
Sou Desu Girls: Women still play a subservient role in Japanese
society, and this is commonly visible on TV, where the women on a game
show (or when they appear as panelists,) are there strictly as eye
candy.
When any man says something, the girls (or attractive, scantily-clad
young women) will react as if the guy had been very witty and deep, by
replying with "Sou Desu Ne," in a properly impressed voice. In these
cases, "Sou desu ne" has no real meaning. But, because it's so common
to
hear, they've become known as "Sou desu girls."
During sports shows (and especially during the Olympics coverage,)
you'll have two or three guys acting as sports announcers, and they'll
reply with "Sou desu ne" to whatever their partners say, even more
often
than "Sou desu girls" do. Prompting me to call them "Sou desu boys."
Examples of this pop up in Yawara.
Ho ho ho: When you watch a show, or read manga, and a female
character laughs out loud, you may notice that she covers her mouth
and
the sound is "Ho ho ho." In Japanese, certain sounds are used as
verbs,
and "ho ho ho" is one such example of this ("ho ho ho suru" means to
laugh in a feminine way.) Further, each kind of laughter conveys a
certain
emotion (as it does in English.) "Fu fu fu" normally is an evil
laughter
coming from the villian. Women laugh with "ho ho ho," which causes
the
mouth to be open less than it will be with "Ha ha ha." But opening
the
mouth wide is still considered to be impolite, so she'll cover her
mouth
with her hand or a fan at the same time. Examples of this occur in
nearly
every series ever made.
Pachinko Parlors and vending machines: These are everywhere. The
parlors have lots of neon and florescent lights, and are very noisy
when
the doors are open. In a business or entertainment district, you'll
find
them every couple of blocks. The addiction to pachinko gambling is
the
same as for other forms in Las Vegas. But the odds against you are
worse,
and most parlors have some kind of links to the yakusa. The only
sight
more common than a parlor is a vending machine
You can not gamble for money, so you cash in your balls for some
kind
of trinket or candy bar, which you then take to an office next door to
trade in for cash. Pachinko machines can be set to change the odds of
winning. Usually, the odds of losing are very high, but when a parlor
brings in new machines (happens a couple of times a year, I'm told,)
it
will have a "grand opening day" and a number of machines will be set
to
improve your odds. So, the best time to play is when a parlor has one
of these special days.
The odd thing is that pachinko parlors don't appear often, unless
it's in a manga story running in a magazine dedicated to pachinko
players.
However, they do show up consistently in the _Maison Ikkoku_ and
_Cooking Papa_ anime, and to some extent in other manga.
Vending machines can be found in the oddest places, and are usually
only on the streets, 50 feet apart. They sell everything, from soda,
cigarettes, and cup ramen, to disposable cameras (found at tourist
sites,)
kilo bags of rice, dirty magazines, and condoms. Just about the only
thing
you CAN'T buy from a vending machine is candy. With the recent
attempts
to import frozen sushi into Japan, we may expect to see sushi vending
machines in the next couple of years.
Most anime doesn't show vending machines much, partially because
it's
the same thing as product endorsement (but you can still find them in
Assemble Insert, and Video Girl Ai.)
Conversation houses: These are an odd feature of Japan, and I
haven't
seen them used in anime or manga yet (but just give it time.)
Basically, many Japanese have learned some form of English in high
school, but this is just a matter of memorizing words, and NOT
understanding the language itself. (Which is why you'll see animators
making so many spelling errors in their background signs.) So, the
only
option is to find gaijin to practice on, which is kind of difficult,
especially because the Japanese are shy, and afraid of being
embarrassed.
However, in a conversation house, the gaijin are mainly there to talk
to
the Japanese, and vice versa. Gaijin are admitted free (to lure them
inside,) and the Japanese have to pay about 1000 yen each per night.
(1500 yen at Mickey House, the one I frequent.) Coffee and tea are
free,
beer and soft drinks cost more than if you bought them from a vending
machine, but less than if you were in a bar.
These are great places to meet unusual people (both foreigner and
native) if you happen to have the time, but most are open only from
6:00
PM to 11:00 PM, and you'll only find them in the bigger cities.
Drinking and Smoking: I don't need to say much about this. Most
older people don't smoke as much as those between ages 15 and 40. You
can find salespeople giving out free cigarette samples in front of
department stores in Tokyo -- to school kids as well as to adults.
Nearly everyone in the above age range smokes in Tokyo (from what I've
seen,) including most women. Many are chain smokers.
Drinking is considered a form of bonding, both between groups of
men
and of women. One person will be designated the official drunk for
the
evening, and the rest of the group will pour alcohol (normally beer)
down the guy's throat until he or she passes out. Then the rest of
the
drunken group will try to drag their friend home -- stopping
occasionally to either piss against a wall on the street, or to throw
up
on the sidewalk.
Smoking appears much more often in anime than drinking, but both
are shown often in Maison Ikkoku.
Rigged News Interviews: Simply put, someone will be stopped on the
street, given a script to memorize, and when the camera rolls, will be
asked to "voice their opinion" on some subject. Afterwards, the
person
will be thanked, and given a present and sent on their way so that the
crew can find the next "man on the street" to question.
Several scandals involving rigged "investigative reports" have
surfaced recently, and I've received second-hand stories about people
that have gone through this themselves.
When you watch a show where a news reporter is on the street and
her
(usually a her) interview is blown, keep this in mind. She acts just
like a carefully rehearsed operation has to be re-shot.
School uniforms: Maiko Covington described the life of a schoolkid
in
Japan, in great detail, and is an excellent source of additional
information. Some of that info deals with the wearing of school
uniforms, which is something nearly every kid has to do here. School
life is very regimented, and often can become insane (Ranma 1/2
contains
more real-life examples than you may expect.) Every school uniform
suit
and dress you see in manga and anime can be found on the trains, on
the
city streets, and in stores.
The most popular outfits in manga and anime right now are: For
boys
-- the dark blue (or black) quasi-military jackets and pants, with a
lighter-colored shirt underneath; the high, stiff collar, and
gold-colored buttons. For girls -- the sailor dress (either in white
with blue trim, or blue with white trim. Refer to Rokodenashi Blues
for
examples of the boys' outfits, and Sailor Moon for that of the girls.
Hip Boots and Kimonos:
The Japanese have a very odd fashion sense. Although kimonos and
geta (wooden sandals) are only worn for special occasions nowadays,
you'll still see them a few times a week in Tokyo. Businessmen
sometimes wear thong sandals with their three-piece suits, and it is
still possible to see someone in yukata (the equivalent of Japanese
pajamas) and geta walking down the street. If you stay in a capsule
hotel, EVERYONE there will be wearing the yukata supplied by the
hotel.
Basically, the reasons westerners wear clothing is not quite the
same
as for the Japanese. Women don't wear slacks all that often, so when
it
gets colder in the winter, you'll see them in short skirts and knee
boots (or cowboy boots) -- the boots are for keeping the legs warm,
and
that's about it. So, if you think that any outfit worn by anime or
manga characters is weird, keep in mind that something more
outrageous,
or tasteless, is being worn in Tokyo at this very moment.
Further, what westerners would consider garish and gaudy will show
up
quite often on the way to work on the woman next to you: patterned
stockings, nylons with small designs beside the ankle, and shoes with
designs, florishes, and finishes that make them nearly impossible to
clean when dirtied.
Odd-colored hair: This isn't as common in real life as it is in
anime, but just go to Yoyogi Park on a Sunday, and you'll see some
hair
styles that are wilder than many of those in your favorite TV series
or
OAV. Usually, it's high school and college kids, but some women have
dyed brown, or bleached white hair. The sculpted style of the punk
high
school mangas are common in real life even for young businessmen.
Faces: Normally, you'd expect a wide variety of faces in real life,
and that's what you'll find in Tokyo (even if you don't include
gaijin.)
Of course, that variety is lacking in anime. But, the important thing
to notice is what happens when an anime character is drawn in 3/4
profile. Sometimes (and I've noticed this in Omoide Poroporo,) the
face
will appear distorted, with more of the far-side eye and cheekbone
showing than one would expect. Thing is, the anime representation is
actually correct in this situation.
Certain Asian races have flatter, broader faces than Caucasians do.
Therefore, their 3/4 profile will show more of the far-side of the
face
than you may be used to.
Panty Shots: Anyone that's watched anime, or read manga, knows what
this is. Part of the excitement comes from the fact that pubic hair
can
not be shown in any media in Japan, so all most Japanese see in
magazines, or on TV, are panty shots. Also, very short skirts are
fashionable now, so the opportunity exists in real life. Therefore,
when one does get to see a woman's panties on the train, or elsewhere,
it's a quick cheap thrill.
Problem is, I only hear about other people seeing this regularly on
the trains. I personally don't consider it to be as common a
phenomenon
as it appears to be in anime and manga.
Trains and Subways: The most common ways of going from point A to
point B (not counting walking and riding a bike.) Everyone in Japan
is
familiar with the insides of a train station. So when you see a train
station, or people waiting on a platform, in a manga, keep in mind
that
a lot of one's time is spent in Tokyo doing just this. The movie
_Omoide Poroporo_ has some FANTASTIC scenes involving the insides of
trains and stations that are exactly what you'd find in real life.
Train tickets can get expensive, and it is a lot more cool to have
a
rail card (like a phone card, but used for buying tickets.) You
don't see this cropping up as often in manga or anime, but just wait.
Food Carts: You can see these quite often in the episodes of Yawara
where Yawara's father is out eating. Basically, it's just a food cart
that will be rolled to some street corner, and the owner/chef will
cook
up some ramen or udon. It's a little more expensive to eat at these,
the food is greasier, and they can only seat 4-5 people -- but they're
very popular with drunk salarymen later at night, when they need
something to eat and all of the regular restaurants are closed.
Phone cards: Most R.A.A. readers will be familiar with the credit
card-sized magnetic card with a picture on one side. It's used for
making phone calls, rather than using 10 yen coins. Animate Shops in
Japan also have collectors cards featuring some great artwork from
Ranma 1/2, 3x3 Eyes, Patlabor, and nearly everything else.
One result of this type of technology is the fact that these kinds
of
cards are also being used for buying train tickets, and a couple of
other things. Japan does not yet use credit cards much, but machine
cards are showing up in odd places. You'll see them in manga and
anime
pretty soon, too.
Manga and Anime: These two forms of entertainment are so
all-pervasive as to become self-referential: you'll often see
characters
reading manga in the manga, and (with Project A-Ko) characters in
anime
going into a theater to watch an animated movie. It's even gotten to
the point where references appear in other forms, like when a
character
in Twinkle^2 Idol Star is shown wearing a Sailor Moon t-shirt.
Kiosks: In and around most train stations, you'll see little kiosk
shops selling bento box lunches, manga, snacks, and beverages (like
Calpis
Soda, Aquarius Neo, and Pocarri Sweat.) If a manga or anime contains
a
sequence on a train platform, chances are you'll see at least one of
these kiosks.
Walkmans; Nearly EVERYONE in Tokyo will walk around wearing little
earplug speakers and listening to a walkman. It becomes a habit to
put
in the earplugs before you put on your shoes to go outside, and it's
so
common that when the closing credits for Dragon Ball start running,
you
may not motice that Buluma is wearing a set while gazing out the
window
into the rain.
Rain: During the spring and fall, is the rainy season. This can
stretch on for weeks, without a stop, and has entered the deepest part
of the Japanese psyche. So much so that rain itself is often used as
a
plot element. When a major character dies in anime, the skies will
open
up in a downpour as a symbol for peoples' sadness and sense of loss.
_Borgman: Lover's Rain_ carries this concept a step further.
Trash: Tokyo is a filthy place. Garbage is tossed into the street,
trash bins are filled to overflowing, and uncollected garbage bags can
sit in front of houses for several days on end. Garbage also
includes:
discarded bicycles, working electronics (tossed simply because the
owner
bought a newer model,) and used manga phonebooks. This is one element
of Tokyo society that doesn't appear much in anime or manga (although
it's hinted at in _Akira_. However, one side-effect of this is that
any
commuter that doesn't want to buy a copy of a manga phonebook can
simply
wait to find it either on the overhead carrier racks on the train, or
in
the trash bins on the platform or in the station itself. And anyone
too
cheap to buy something, stands a good chance of stumbling across it in
the trash behind an apartment building (this way, a character could
furnish his entire apartment without spending a cent.)
Examples: none.
People and housing: Tokyo is a crowded place, and most people stay
in
apartments (often sharing them with friends or family) rather than
living in houses. Yet most anime and manga characters living in Japan
have their own houses (or like in Video Girl Ai,) live alone in a HUGE
apartment with lots of expensive electronics. Usually, this is just a
case of wishfulfillment on the parts of the directors and audience.
Most stories with an urban setting have examples of this.
Studio Alta: And other environs. Basically, an artist writes, and
draws, what he (or she) knows, and most Japanese artists only know
about
Tokyo. Therefore, when you see the insides of a train station, the
xerox
copy of a street intersection, or any other hyper-realistic image of
some location, chances are you are looking at some place that the
Japanese audience sees all the time in real life. Shinjuku has been
rather popular in certain manga lately, and the big landmark just
outside Shinjuku train station is the multi-story-tall TV screen on
the
front of the Studio Alta building. Many people will gather in front
of
the station to watch music videos, or commercials; this is a good
meeting place for people getting together to do some shopping, or to
see
and be seen.
However, the key to Tokyo is the Yamanote train line. This is one
big loop that starts from Tokyo station, and runs northwest through
the
following stations (takes one hour.) Anyone that spends any time at
all
in Tokyo will become very familiar with the Loop, and any manga that
shows place names, or train stops, will probably be employing part of
the Yamanote Loop.
Tokyo (The Imperial Palace, part of the Ginza, business
buildings)
Kanda
Akihabara (the electronics district)
Okachimachi
Ueno (site of Ueno Park, Ueno Zoo, and home to many homeless
Iranians)
Nippori
Nishi-Nippori
Tabata
Sugamo
Ohtsuka
Ikebukuro (Shopping district, home of Animate, Manga no Mori,
and the
world's biggest ugly city-building: Sun Shine 60)
Mejiro
Takadanobaba (many schools, and used bookstores)
Shin-Ohkubo
Shinjuku (Nightlife, shopping, Anime Pero, and Animec)
Yoyogi
Harajuku (Yoyogi Park, many weird people, street bands, trendy
shops)
Shibuya (Home of AnimEigo, shopping district, MANY love
hotels)
Ebisu (Two conversation lounges)
Meguro
Gotanda
Ohsaki
Shinagawa
Tamachi
Hamamatsuchou
Shimbashi
Yuurakucho (The Ginza area, and closest station to the Comiket
site)
Back to Tokyo Station
Speaker Trucks: A common image on TV -- evoking the concept of 'Big
Brother,' are the trucks roving that streets and blaring 'good-speak'
messages to the people. And you will find these in the big cities in
Japan. There are several versions, and they are all VERY loud:
Political: Various political parties will have vans with slogans on
the sides, and a little stage platform on top. The van will be
parked near a train station, the speakers will stand on the
roof,
and spout political (or anti-government) speeches.
Commercial/travelling: The best example of this I've seen are the
sweet potato vendors. They have small covered pick-up trucks,
with a smoker-oven in the back and the speakers on top. There's
an endless-loop tape belting out the fact that he's there
selling
his goods. The Japanese version of ice-cream trucks.
Commercial/stationary: Certain large stores will have a big video
wall over the door, and huge speaker stacks along the side.
Endless commercials will be played, and can be heard from blocks
away. The best example of this is the Fuji film store in
Ikebukuro, which has 10 very funny Fuji color TV ads on in a
loop.
Commercial/hand-held: Megaphones and hand-held loudspeakers are
very
common, and you can come across them in front of most department
stores some time during the week, and in train station lobbies
where station employees are hawking train cards.
Short People Ain't Got No Reason...:
Japan is actually a mix of several races, (Chinese, Korean,
Vietnamese) and it's rather difficult to tell them apart since the
racial mixing has been taking place for hundreds of years (Japan
invades
Korea, the Mongols invade Japan, etc.) The result is an interesting
conglomeration of people milling about in Tokyo. The best part
though,
is that since Japan has been more prosperous of late, the current
generations are growing much bigger and taller than their parents.
So, within 5 minutes in Shinjuku, you can see a withered old lady
barely 4 feet tall with Chinese features, and a hulking giant of a
Japanese towering well over 6 foot. But the average height is still
around 5'8" for men, which partly comes from the fact that the average
is closer to 40 years old. Either way, while the common perception is
that Asians are a small people, that is changing.
Conformity:
In the West, creativity is highly prized, while individuality is
condemned in Japan. At least, those are the stereotypes, which have a
strong basis in fact. In some schools, Japanese students with
naturally
brown hair are told to dye it black to match everyone else. All
primary, junior high, and high school students are required to wear
school uniforms both while in and out of class. Adult men are
expected
to wear business suits under normal conditions. Etc.
Note: The stereotype breaks down, because most Americans really
don't
like to see unusual behavior in normal life. How often can you expect
to see a computer salesman with a purple mohawk? Or a business-suited
kid milling around with his street punk friends?
And it's breaking down in Japan, where people are protesting
against
Shin Kanemaru, more street punks are appearing in the trains, and a
growing number of artists are trying things that no one else has in
the
rest of the world.
For a long time, anti-establishment heros have starred in manga and
anime (with the renegade food critic of Oishinbo as a prime example,)
as
a kind of protest that salarymen could quietly join in on. And now,
the
numbers of anti-heros are becoming even more prevalent, and the
current
generation of Japanese are working to change situations that they
don't
agree with. While, in the States, people are becoming much more
conservative. Go figure.
whome?
"Arthur Kimes" <ar...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3ea9c25e...@news.cis.dfn.de...
What about the Halo? I kind of thought they were doing something good. But
at times in some scenes they were fixing to fight someone. Or were fighting
someone. So I have no clue.
Rob Kelk
<chof...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
>On Thu, 24 Apr 2003 01:53:14 GMT, "whome?" <tisme@.INvalid.com> wrote:
>
>I guess it's time that I repost some of my other old
>anime/manga/Japanese culture FAQs...
<snip>
Curtis, are these available on the Web anywhere? If they aren't, may I
put them on my website, with proper attribution?
(Your FAQs that I've seen on the group so far are "Cheats, Cliches,
Cartoons, Anime...", "Foods in anime and manga", "Ponpoko", "Rotoscoping
in Anime", "Sake", and "On living in Japan". Did I miss any?)
--
Rob Kelk <http://robkelk.ottawa-anime.org/> robkelk -at- jksrv -dot- com
"I'm *not* a kid! Nyyyeaaah!" - Skuld (in "Oh My Goddess!" OAV #3)
"When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of
childishness and the desire to be very grown-up." - C.S. Lewis, 1947
Curtis Hoffmann
wrote:
>Curtis, are these available on the Web anywhere? If they aren't, may I
>put them on my website, with proper attribution?
They used to be on my website, but apparently some of the links got
broken, and I had to zip up some of them to save server space. So, if
you want to clean up the formatting, or even put them into HTML
format, and post them yourself, I'd appreciate it.
>(Your FAQs that I've seen on the group so far are "Cheats, Cliches,
>Cartoons, Anime...", "Foods in anime and manga", "Ponpoko", "Rotoscoping
>in Anime", "Sake", and "On living in Japan". Did I miss any?)
There are two "Living in Japan" files, and you're missing "Life
Imitates Art". There's a total of 8 FAQs. If you want them, I also
have an out-of-date guide to etchi magazines, and a short explanation
of why tentacles are so popular in anime, which I haven't posted here,
yet.
Rob Kelk
<chof...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
>On Sat, 26 Apr 2003 14:39:22 GMT, rob...@deadspam.com (Rob Kelk)
>wrote:
>
>
>>Curtis, are these available on the Web anywhere? If they aren't, may I
>>put them on my website, with proper attribution?
>
>They used to be on my website, but apparently some of the links got
>broken, and I had to zip up some of them to save server space. So, if
>you want to clean up the formatting, or even put them into HTML
>format, and post them yourself, I'd appreciate it.
>
>>(Your FAQs that I've seen on the group so far are "Cheats, Cliches,
>>Cartoons, Anime...", "Foods in anime and manga", "Ponpoko", "Rotoscoping
>>in Anime", "Sake", and "On living in Japan". Did I miss any?)
>
>There are two "Living in Japan" files, and you're missing "Life
>Imitates Art". There's a total of 8 FAQs. If you want them, I also
>have an out-of-date guide to etchi magazines, and a short explanation
>of why tentacles are so popular in anime, which I haven't posted here,
>yet.
I'd be happy to put all of them on my website (except for the
out-of-date one, unless you think there's still useful information in
it). The "Living in Japan" FAQ I have starts with the heading "A
Misplaced Otaku". Could you mail the ones I don't have to the address
below, please?