Japan

Ok. I admit it. I'm hooked on J-Dorama. What is J-Dorama you ask? Well, J-Dorama shows (or JDrama, whichever you prefer) are prime-time TV dramas shown in Japan. J-Doramas usually consists of ten to twelve 1-hour episodes about a group of people and their relationships. Most have a central theme as well, but it usually just provides a backdrop to the interpersonal stories. Since each show is 10-12 episodes in length, watching each one to completion provides a sense of closure. Once a show is over, thats usually the end of the story -- with the really popular ones occasionally spinning off to a 'special' or movie.

I don't really watch any prime time US TV; I never got into ER, CSI, or other similar shows since I guess I didn't find them very interesting. However, my fascination with most things Japanese has lead me to J-Dorama. I guess I have my friend Eric to thank, since he got me started. Last year, he mentioned that he used to watch old videotapes of J-Dorama shows in college. When I told him that I had been downloading a lot of fan-subbed anime, he asked if there were any places online to find fan-subbed J-Dorama, He was interested in getting a copy of one of his favorite shows called Shomuni, a story about a group of office ladies and their comedic struggles within a large company. After some digging, I found a copy of it -- along with lots and lots of other interesting shows. This is when I also discovered J-Dorama.com, a virtual clearinghouse for all dramas that have been produced in the last 15 years. After watching Shomuni and enjoying it, Eric recommended that I check out GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka. It is a story about an ex-motorcycle gang member who has cleaned up his act and decided to follow his lifetime dream of being a high school teacher. It may sound corny, but the show is fantastic. Of all of the shows I've watched, GTO is still my favorite. Here's a list of some of the other shows I've enjoyed:

• Good Luck !! - a story about an airline pilot in training and the relationships he has with his mentor and a female mechanic whose parents died in a plane crash many years ago.
• Beautiful Life - a heart-wrenching story about a young woman who is physically bound to a wheelchair and a man who brings her happiness.
• Hero - a story about an unconventional public prosecutor in Tokyo and his assistant.
• Star no Koi - a story about a famous but mediocre actress who falls in love with an average salaryman who is able to help her realize her potential.
• News no Onna - a story about a female news anchor woman for a large TV station whose coldhearted nature is softened when she is forced to assume custody of her late husband's son.

I suppose that the reason I've been hooked on J-Dorama is that all of the shows deal with universal human interest issues but since they come from another country I find it fascinating to see the subtle differences in culture and lifestyle. So far, I've enjoyed every show I've watched. And the list of shows I still have to watch is always growing, thanks to D-Addicts.com. While the fan-subs are great, I wish a distribution company would pick up some of these shows and produce formal releases here in the US!

I went one of the events of the National Cherry Blossom Festival today: the Lantern Lighting ceremony. Although this event was one of the first of the festival, it looks like the trees are already in full bloom. It was a beautiful spring day and the trees were breathtaking. Click here to see some pictures I took. Make sure to read the comments of the pictures for more information about the Lantern Ceremony.

My friend Brian sent me this link to a very funny news article. Thinking about getting a 'cool' Asian tattoo? Think again! The tattoo artist in this article has decided to take matters into his own hands and label people appropriately with skin-art.

"Sakai, an award-winning tattoo artist, was tired of seeing sacred Japanese words, symbols of his heritage, inked on random white people. So he used their blissful ignorance to make an everlasting statement. Any time a customer came to Sakai’s home studio wanting Japanese tattooed on them, he modified it into a profane word or phrase."

LOL! Ahhh, poetic justice...

Yes. This is the governor of California. Anyone else scared? Not me, I don't live there. However, California's GDP rivals that of many countries, so I hope he doesn't screw up.

Oh, for more hilarious Japanese commercials staring American celebrities, make sure to check out Japander.

Here's another one of my favorite pictures from my recent trip to Japan. It was taken in Akihabara, the electronics district in Tokyo. So, my question is, how the hell does this guy get into and out of his little tiny shop?!?

I took a vacation to Japan and Hong Kong this fall with my good friend Brian. We took tons and tons of photos. Here's a scenic view of a temple in Kyoto.

If you have several hours to waste, you can find all of the pictures from our trip here.