03-05-2005 09:27									#1
	What the **** was that? (Japan questions) Tired of ads?

Why was there a very very large truck with a Japanese flag painted on it driving around the Korean Consulate blaring slogans at an insane volume. What is this? Protesting for slackers?

Why are people feeding buckets of little metal balls into pinballish machines and then sitting there watching them rain down again without doing anything except for turning a little knob occasionally that did nothing that I could see. Can a more mind-numbing form of gambling exist?

There were a couple businesses that said "magazine" on them but they didn't appear to be selling any magazines. Just lots of pictures of girls. Some sort of strange front for prostitution or what?

Why couldn't I find any draft beer that's cheaper than a dinky little class for 400 yen . You can get a half liter for less than half of that price in Korea

Why was there an Indian restaurant with a big gay pride flag

And they the hell can't they have all you can eat conveyor-belt sushi restaurants in Korea That place was a thing of wonder and beauty

	03-05-2005 09:36									#2
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Nandeyanen

	03-05-2005 09:39									#3
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quote: Originally posted by DaShi Nandeyanen

	03-05-2005 09:46									#4
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You were in Osaka, right?

	03-05-2005 09:56									#5
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quote: Originally posted by DaShi You were in Osaka, right?

Yeah, Namba area mostly. Quite nice, would've liked to spend more time there.

	03-05-2005 10:03									#6
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I need to write a book called, "Everything I Need to Know About Japan, I Learned From Anime."

Nandeyanen is sort of an Osakan comedic phrase literally meaning "Why?". And that's all I know about it.

	03-05-2005 11:41									#7
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quote: Why are people feeding buckets of little metal balls into pinballish machines and then sitting there watching them rain down again without doing anything except for turning a little knob occasionally that did nothing that I could see. Can a more mind-numbing form of gambling exist?

Pachinko?

hehe.

The first time I read that, i saw "meatballs" instead, which makes for an even funnier image.

	03-05-2005 17:01									#8
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--" Can a more mind-numbing form of gambling exist?"

Panchinko, bingo, I'm sure there are more boring, but I'd go pretty far out of the way to avoid them. Hey, just think of it like playing pinball, but with prizes added.

--" Just lots of pictures of girls. Some sort of strange front for prostitution or what?"

Hey meester, you wanna buy a feelthy picture? Come on, how hard is this one to figure out, really?

--"Why couldn't I find any draft beer that's cheaper than a dinky little class for 400 yen "

If you were in Osaka, no surprise. Osaka isn't as expensive as Tokyo (where is?), but it certainly ain't cheap, either. Besides, draft beer isn't exactly the national drink.

--"Nandeyanen is sort of an Osakan comedic phrase literally meaning "Why?". And that's all I know about it."

It's used as a kind of "what the hell?" response in the comedy routines. Have to wonder if you're an Azumanga Daioh fan ^_^

Wraith
"I'm only sixteen, and I don't know much about the world, but I do know one thing for sure. If I'm pessimistic, then the adults in this world who are not pessimistic are a bunch of idiots."
-- May Kasahara ("The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle")

	03-05-2005 17:06									#9
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You were in Osaka? So, how much money did you made today?

	03-05-2005 17:30									#10
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quote: Hey meester, you wanna buy a feelthy picture? Come on, how hard is this one to figure out, really?

Really? Didn't see any pornography on hand either. Just a lot of posters and whatnot on the walls.

quote: You were in Osaka? So, how much money did you made today?

quote: Besides, draft beer isn't exactly the national drink.

And they were charging 600 yen for a bottle of Coors
Oh well, at least I found a place with draft Bass ale for 500 yen, that wasn't too bad except for them not being good about minimizing the head like korean bartenders.

Oh and is there a Japanese drink called soju? I think I heard people ordering it, didn't know it existed outside of Korea.

	03-05-2005 17:41									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Bosh And they were charging 600 yen for a bottle of Coors Oh well, at least I found a place with draft Bass ale for 500 yen.

If you think that's expensive, don't come to Hong Kong.

	03-05-2005 18:43									#12
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quote: Originally posted by Tingkai If you think that's expensive, don't come to Hong Kong.

Osaka was very nice, but I really appreciate Seoul. Everything's open insanely late (24 hour minimarts everywhere and bars generally don't close until the last customers stop buying) and I can find most anything I want (at least as much as I could in Osaka, for example the Hyundai Department store right down the street has an excellent selection of imported wine and cheese) but the day to day stuff is very cheap. I can get a damn good beef shabu shabu lunch for $5, for example, and I'm in the expensive bit of Seoul.

Basically the modernization:cost of living ratio is quite nice, except for a few things like electronics (highly taxed) and rent (big real estate bubble). I expect that Shanghai would be vaguely-similar.

	03-05-2005 22:04									#13
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quote: Oh and is there a Japanese drink called soju? I think I heard people ordering it, didn't know it existed outside of Korea.

Yeah, there's a similar drink in Japan called Shochu.

	04-05-2005 06:56									#14
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--"And they were charging 600 yen for a bottle of Coors"

If you're outside the United States, why in the world would you want to drink Coors? I mean, who goes to Germany to order Bud Lite? It just doesn't make sense. At least go for the local stuff, like Sapporo. I've never had it, but it couldn't possibly be any worse than Coors or Bud. Even if they used genuine horse piss instead of the artificial stuff Coors and Bud make.

Maybe try some awamori next time, although I don't think you'll save any money by going for it ^_^

Or you could try the anti-freeze looking stuff and try some midori. Way too sweet for my tastes, but I do love the color.

--"If you think that's expensive, don't come to Hong Kong."

Not sure about relative beer prices, but Hong Kong wasn't even on the top-ten-most-expensive-places-to-live list last year, while Osaka was number two (although Paris and Oslo are catching up). I'm sure plenty of other things made up the difference.

Wraith
"I drink to make other people interesting."
-- Groucho Marx

	04-05-2005 07:27									#15
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Wraith! Wow... everyone is coming back!

	04-05-2005 08:53									#16
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quote: Originally posted by Bosh Osaka was very nice, but I really appreciate Seoul. Everything's open insanely late (24 hour minimarts everywhere and bars generally don't close until the last customers stop buying) and I can find most anything I want (at least as much as I could in Osaka, for example the Hyundai Department store right down the street has an excellent selection of imported wine and cheese) but the day to day stuff is very cheap. I can get a damn good beef shabu shabu lunch for $5, for example, and I'm in the expensive bit of Seoul.

I keep meaning to get up to Seoul, sounds like a great place. Maybe in the fall, that or Japan. I thought Tokyo was amazing.

The odd thing that I noticed about Japan is that Tokyo is extremely clean, and yet there are hardly any garbage cans on the streets. What do people do with their litter? Take it home?

I know what you mean about things staying open late. Same with Hong Kong.

	04-05-2005 08:56									#17
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quote: Originally posted by Wraith Not sure about relative beer prices, but Hong Kong wasn't even on the top-ten-most-expensive-places-to-live list last year, while Osaka was number two (although Paris and Oslo are catching up). I'm sure plenty of other things made up the difference.

I was just talking about beer prices. Hong Kong used to be one of the most expensive places to live, but property prices fell after the 97 economic crisis and are just getting back.

I work with people from Paris and from the sounds of it, Paris is an expensive place to live..

	04-05-2005 09:11									#18
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quote: If you're outside the United States, why in the world would you want to drink Coors?

I wouldn't, I was just noting how surreal some of the prices were.

quote: awamori next time

What's that?

quote: stuff and try some midori.

Fruit liquor?

quote: I keep meaning to get up to Seoul, sounds like a great place. Maybe in the fall, that or Japan. I thought Tokyo was amazing.

If you do send me a PM and I'll tell you some good places to hit, just be warned the Seoul is definately not a tourist city...

quote: The odd thing that I noticed about Japan is that Tokyo is extremely clean, and yet there are hardly any garbage cans on the streets. What do people do with their litter? Take it home?

Well I saw a bunch of people cleaning the streets while I was there. Definately cleaner than Korean cities, what with having to dodge the vomit puddles all over the place every Sunday morning.

	04-05-2005 10:40									#19
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quote: Originally posted by Wraith --"Nandeyanen is sort of an Osakan comedic phrase literally meaning "Why?". And that's all I know about it." It's used as a kind of "what the hell?" response in the comedy routines. Have to wonder if you're an Azumanga Daioh fan ^_^

The notes in my copy of the manga translate it as 'why.' Since I don't know much Japanese, esp. Osakan dialect, I didn't want to elaborate any further for fear of making a mistake.

	05-05-2005 05:00									#20
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--"Wraith! Wow... everyone is coming back!"

I stop by from time to time, but I usually don't bother even looking at anything but anime-related threads. Every time I check the political/economics/etc threads it looks like nothing's changed, so I don't bother often.

--"What do people do with their litter? Take it home?"

Pretty much.

--"What's that?"

Another type of liquor, related to shochu. It's made from distilled rice. You weren't really in the right area for it (Okinawa), but you could probably have found it around.

--"Fruit liquor?"

Melon, yeah. Like I mentioned, it's rather sweet, but the bright green color is interesting. Should work well in mixes; I've got a bottle around, I should try some one of these days.

--"The notes in my copy of the manga"

Say no more, sir, say no more.

BTW, did you know that ADV is going to be releasing another manga from the same manga-ka? It's called Yotsubato, although I think the US title will just be Yotsuba. First issue should be out in June.

Wraith
"Everyone, when you get lost, meet at Sakaki-chan!"
-- Tomo ("Azumanga Daioh")

	05-05-2005 06:33									#21
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Midori:


Usually mixed with lemonade to reduce its sweetness, but also great in shots like the QF. YYMV in other countries, but locally the bottle is sold with a little booklet detailing several drinks you can make with Midori.

	05-05-2005 07:34									#22
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Hey, it looks like the stuff they gin up on Battlestar Galactica!

quote: At least go for the local stuff, like Sapporo. I've never had it, but it couldn't possibly be any worse than Coors or Bud.

I have Sapporo from time to time when I eat Korean (they normally have 2 or 3 korean beers and 2 or 3 Japanese beers). Not bad.

	05-05-2005 07:41									#23
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quote: The notes in my copy of the manga translate it as 'why.' Since I don't know much Japanese, esp. Osakan dialect, I didn't want to elaborate any further for fear of making a mistake.

"Nande" means "why". The addition of "ya" and "nen" add emphasis to the question, which is why translation as "What the hell?" would be more appropriate.

Kansai-ben