http://disqus.com/people/fbfd0cb6d09c3a37c4a43af56b15e773/enMon, 16 Feb 2009 06:45:26 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/learn_japanese_from_anime_in_only_5_minutes_a_day_1337_tofugucom/#comment-1230165I've studied Japanese for 3.5 years but, I'm still a classic anime nerd. ;) Something that I find helps a little bit (and is fun!) is to buy Japanese manga and read them. It helps with reading all the hiragana/katakana at higher speeds, and there are pretty pictures. :) It also helps reading comprehension...if you know some Japanese. You can't use it to teach yourself though. ;PRaflynTue, 05 Jun 2007 16:52:44 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/tenmusu_tofugucom/#comment-1230216I live in Oregon so I would LOVE to know which resturants serve this little snack. I really want to try it now. :)RaflynWed, 06 Jun 2007 01:29:10 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/japan8217s_suicide_rate_will_make_you_want_to_kill_yourself_tofugucom/#comment-1230135Japan has a lot of weird issues...some, I find, deal with the fact that they don't want to change their long-standing cultural values, which I totally understand. But when it comes to the point that the women don't want to get married or have children because they want a career, and the birthrate goes down (which was the last I heard, so yay for birthrate increasing), sometimes change might be necessary. I read an article (on the Wii no less) about Japan's lack of birth-rate and how they were just going to deal with it. No change. And like....some-odd years later the population would be...something really low like zero. lol Anyway, when you add that to the fact that apparently Japan has the lowest sex rate/pleasure as well...it just seems like Japan is being forced to deal with changes they don't really want to right now. If any of what I said is bullcrap....I apologize. Blame the Wii. :)RaflynThu, 07 Jun 2007 12:44:00 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/why_are_you_learning_japanese_tofugucom/#comment-1230257I'm learning Japanese becasue, well...back when I was like, 11 I really liked Sailor Moon and when I started watching it in Japanese I wanted to be able to watch it without subtitles. NOW, however. It is TOTALLY different. The more I got to know about Japan as a country, especially the culture, the more interested I became. I love the place, despite the many insane differences. The language, culture and history is very beautiful and interesting to me. I've studied it at my high school for 3.5 years (dropping cuz the new sensei SUCKED). I've been to Japan once which was totally awesome, and now I plan on majoring in Japanese (alongside integrated media). I hope to be able to master the language someday.RaflynMon, 11 Jun 2007 03:03:44 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/huh_what_questions_tofugucom/#comment-1230304Hmm...it's definately getting there (to my expectations). I love Koichi's blogs because that is what hooked me on english.koichi and then <a href="http://tofugu.com" rel="nofollow">tofugu.com</a>. But, I also love the additional blogs/articles just as much. I look forward to the development on this site.<br><br>Uh...and for suggestions....*shrug* Love the food stuffs, gives me things to try, and just random tidbits on Japan is always good. If I think of anything...I'll just comment again.RaflynThu, 14 Jun 2007 00:53:43 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/aaa_aaa_aaa3a3aa_a_make_up_hair_contacts/#comment-8010885Wow...just another product from Japan that makes me go...wow. I love Japan and it's utter...amazingness...and somewhat stupidity (I mean that in...not that way...I'm not calling Japan stupid...lol). <br><br>My friend went on rotary exchange to Japan, and I have a magazine of his...and there are some VERY interesting products...I mean...some are not the kinda stuff to discuss here. I think the most popular were makeup stuffs and advertisements for eyelid surgery.RaflynSat, 16 Jun 2007 21:25:26 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/beginning_japanese_i_where_do_self_teachers_start/#comment-1357523Listening to Japanese a hecka lot helps with pronunciation. Before I started taking Japanese at my high school, I had listened to SO much Japanese music and Japanese shows that I could pronounce everything just fine...unless it was written oddly in romanji (like "cyakusei" instead of "chakusei" that was the only one I didn't get right). So if you don't wanna go to the websites...you can just listen to your music. Or at least I could. *shrug* Websites are good though! <a href="http://japanese.about.com/" rel="nofollow">http://japanese.about.com/</a> has some good random stuff if you can learn that way (I never could). Mostly good culture stuffs.<br><br>ANNNND this is soooo random but I gotta ask. <br><br>"he" and "ni" ....is there a difference (as particles) or are they simply interchangable? Yookoso said that "he" was used for ...something else and "ni" was used for...something else but I just read in my Genki book that "he" and "ni" were interchangable in "goal of movement" sentences.<br><br>I only ask this becuase I had the HARDEST time with this and my old teacher (who wasn't Japanese and couldn't explain anything) would be like "that sentence is wrong now you fail the problem" when I used "ni" instead of "he" in something like "Tokyo ni ikimashita." So... yeah?RaflynWed, 20 Jun 2007 11:56:36 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/beginning_japanese_i_where_do_self_teachers_start/#comment-1357533Ohhhh like heck I would try to learn Japanese from music. lol I was just talking about pronunciation. I didn't try to learn Japanese from music or anime at all...and I wouldn't suggest it. I only starting learning Japanese when I entered high school.<br><br>And thank you! Now I remember the "specific" and non specific parts. But what entails whether something is specific or not? Like...would Tokyo be nonspecific compared to a person's house...yeah? Thanks again for the help.RaflynWed, 20 Jun 2007 21:16:15 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/momu_and_ultraman_sitting_in_a_tree_k_i_s_s_i_n_g/#comment-1357614Oh god...this is like the third time that has happened to me. I have that first song playing in the background on my computer. -_- it's pretty old isn't it? Anyway wow...too much music I guess...ok I had no idea who these people are, but the two photos you have supplied...are pretty awesome. And the video is intertaining...except...Morning Musume kinda creeps me out. Dunno about this Ultraman yet though...RaflynThu, 21 Jun 2007 16:04:18 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/profile_1_segata_sanshiro_chuck_norris/#comment-1357627SEGATA SANSHIRO ...i love all those commercials so much...he is...i mean, he totally kicks Chuck Norris's BUTT all around the world. I love your posts Koichi...the videos make me laugh, smile, and fear for my life ...becuse you know Segata Sanshiro can still drop you to the fall even in death...*shudder* Keep up the awesome entertainment!RaflynTue, 26 Jun 2007 01:00:11 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/aaaaaa14aaaoaaa_aaaaa3a_ho_pants/#comment-8010921GROSS. But nothing less expected from Japan. *shrug* Gotta love the insanity...if I EVER see someone wearing that in person, I'll prolly run for fear of catching the air-born stds that are sure to waft from those pants...(and I know stds aren't air-born, but those pants are so skany they MAKE them airborn)...*shudders*RaflynMon, 02 Jul 2007 17:43:55 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/mini_post_crazy_food_pun_time/#comment-1357690I didn't even read the post. I read the first paragraph and that was enough. I LOVE an...SO much...i love an ice cream, the pastries from Asakusa (well I had them there) and...the popsicles, the mochi...all of it. but that is SICK. sick and wrong. omg. Margarine...like, fake butter?<br><br>Omg that...is...I going to barf..if i ever SEE that in person.<br><br>Poor little azuki beans...poor poor....Japanese people who eat this.RaflynWed, 04 Jul 2007 01:11:56 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/mini_post_crazy_food_pun_time/#comment-1357696I might try it...after removing the margarine and cheese...cuz come on, azuki bean sandwhich would be exremely awesome...just not "anbaagaa"...and I may have tried it with mayo instead...I'm a sucker for kewpie.RaflynWed, 04 Jul 2007 03:47:41 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/mini_post_crazy_food_pun_time/#comment-1357703The azuki and the kewpie? Oh come on, you know that is wonderful...lol just kidding. I really like Japanese mayo...but that WITH sweet azuki...I probably wouldn't touch it either. Probably. Maybe separate it out...<br><br>Speaking of trying anything, when I was in Japan we had to buy breakfast once, so I decided on good ol' onigiri. My sensei told me which was which and pointed out a spicy one, so I got it. She was very suprised, but said "I can't describe what it is in english, but you may not like it." It was the BEST onigiri I've ever had...later I found what it was called in a book...and it was just salmon roe with a spicy paste. So I told her I found out and she said "Oh, yeah...you like the food Japanese people like. Are you sure you aren't Japanese?" it was grande. I'll try anything at least once...even natto.RaflynThu, 05 Jul 2007 03:30:41 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/8220the_ramen_girl8221_makes_me_want_to_cry/#comment-1358147Hmm...what is America's fascination with remaking Japanese films? The Grudge, Dark Water, ...even SHALL WE DANCE was originally Japanese. And it was actually really good...cuz it had "Nobu-san" (I don't know his name, but he played Nobu in Memoirs of a Geisha).<br><br>Sorry America, but I prefer the originals...well, mostly. I don't know if I'll see this, but I'll definitely try to watch Tampopo.RaflynFri, 27 Jul 2007 13:57:46 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/tokyo8217s_fruity_city_landscape/#comment-1358187Ah! Viet you unintentionally brought back amazing memories to me! I've been to Landmark Tower (during the day time) so this is really cool for me to see. I was like in awe when I was there, but I must say that the nighttime few is much more pleasing to the eye. Thanks! I had a lot of fun up there and this is just cool to see. :)RaflynFri, 27 Jul 2007 14:04:01 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/japan8217s_top_producer_of_ugly_women_gunma/#comment-1358439So...why does Japan have all these random surveys? ...or do we have them here as well? I've never seen surveys like that.<br><br>I think I'd laught if I lived in the state of least beautiful women....but it's true, someone had to come last and it just so happened they did. Such a sad day for them.RaflynMon, 06 Aug 2007 22:41:54 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/how_to_win_at_ufo_catchers/#comment-1359804I haven't been here in so long...but I have time now. <br><br>Loved this one...now I know! I never tried them before because I was so deathly afraid of the black holes. I'm excited to obtain a new addiction! ^_^RaflynThu, 13 Dec 2007 03:03:07 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/the_secret_to_learning_japanese_amazing_23/#comment-1359935I took Japanese at high school for 3.5 years (the new sensei we got sucked so hard, I dropped at semester) and now I'm in Japanese 202 as a freshmen at university. Next year I plan to study abroad a year at Kansai Gaidai in Hirakata, hopefully I'll be accepted. After that I'm pretty sure my Japanese will be pretty good. I study out of textbooks by myself one in a while too (Nakama, Genki). I'm pretty motivated when I need to be. I listen to a lot of Japanese music and watch anime every now and then, to practice my listening comprehension which sucks but is getting better.RaflynThu, 20 Dec 2007 18:22:54 -0000http://tofugu.disqus.com/japanese_textbook_review_genki_i_56/#comment-213545I use Nakama at my college, but my sister used Genki, and I took her textbooks to practice over the summer with. I REALLY like Genki a lot more than Nakama. It's a good book and really easy to teach yourself with. The stuff I thought myself if the stuff I remember the best, so Genki worked for me. :)RaflynSun, 09 Mar 2008 19:24:38 -0000http://filmschoolrejects.disqus.com/couch_or_curb_cinematically_test_your_girlfriend8217s_love/#comment-11428327Dude, Big Lebowski is one of my favorite films...it&#039;s just....awesome. And I&#039;d watch more of the films on this list than the ones on the girl&#039;s list. I think I&#039;ve SEEN more on this list than the other...I suppose I&#039;m a male when it comes to cinema...;)RaflynSat, 14 Feb 2009 07:44:12 -0000http://filmschoolrejects.disqus.com/go_back_into_the_cave_with_the_8216descent_28242_trailer/#comment-11428430I LOVED The Descent and this looks like a great sequel. They did what they should have done for it--used the theatrical release rather than the director&#039;s cut (which left nothing for a sequel, really). <br>This looks amazing. I hope it compliments the first one well.RaflynMon, 16 Feb 2009 06:45:26 -0000