Photo taken at the Panasonic Center in Ariake, Tokyo, Japan. Cardboard dinosaurs rule!

Ok, well not really wrapping it up quite yet. Just some thoughts on paying my last rent payment here in Tokyo, a small request to all listeners, answering a letter to my future self, and more. Che-ch-che-ch-checka-check it out!

Show Notes:

• Paying my last rent payment
• Listeners - submit your thoughts on your favorite part of FJ
• Watching an excavator for 2 mins (sorry for leaving that in there)
• Interlude: “Memories of an Old Dog” by Fireproof Babies
• Thoughts on video games in Japan
• Answering future self letter from 1 year ago
• My Japanese ability
• Moving out sale
• Outro: “Uno Two (Instrumental)” by KCentric

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Hello everyone. Just a few thoughts I’m tossing out as a catch up episode. Join me for lunch on the bay as we sit, chat, and do a little catching up. Also, in this podcast, I was joined by a special feline guest. Tune in here.

Show Notes

• (none because I am lazy tonight)

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You asked for it, you got it. Straight from my (old) studio to your ears. This episode is 100% sound tour. Put on a pair of nice headphones and sit back to relax to the sounds of the Japan. The following sounds have been recorded during the last year or so and have been collected for your listening enjoyment.

Show Notes:

• Short Intro
• Clip1: 2007-05-31 Riding the Yurakuchou Line
• Clip2: 2007-09-19 Ariake TOC Building 7-11 Guy with Music
• Clip3: 2007-06-01 Crows at Waseda University
• Clip4: 2007-10-08 Watching Aural Expression Class Video
• Clip5: 2008-01-18 Singing Lame SMAP Songs in Class
• Clip6: 2007-07-07 Watching Tokyo Bousaikan (Disaster Preparedness Center) Smoke Video
• Clip7: 2007-07-15 Awesome French Elevator Music at Doutour Coffee
• Clip8: 2007-12-16 Chilling at a Club in Kobe Talking about Cats with Awesome Funk Music in the Background (Guest Appearance: Terrance from Kobe Beef)
• Clip9: 2007-12-16 Kobe Planetarium Presentation
• Clip10: 2008-04-05 Tokyo Giants Game
• Clip11: 2007-09-20 Sumo Tournament Match
• Clip12: 2007-08-08 Inside the Shinkanesen (Accelerating with Train Announcements)
• Clip13: 2008-04-07 Kanamara Matsuri (a.k.a. Kawasaki Penis Festival)
• Clip14: 2008-04-06 Crazy Sounding Cement Mixer
• Clip15: 2008-02-10 Cacophonous Sounds in Iidabashi (with commentary)
• Clip16: 2007-07-28 Drumming in a Small Park in Shinjuku

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I feel like its quiet time. Join me for lunch in Ariake as I talk about what’s been going on with me over the past few weeks.

Show Notes:

• Intro - my favorite 7-11 guy
• Quick Overview of What’s Been Up
• Some Hakone ropeway / cable car Audio
• Sounds like a spaceship docking bay, for real
• Interlude - Unmoored (Again) by Fourstones (via ccmixter.org)
• Some discussion about my visa problems earlier this month

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You’ll have to wait until the end to get to the saxophone train on this one. No cheating and no fastforwarding. If so you’ll miss plenty, including some catch up chat, thoughts on what’s been keeping me so busy, and a beer review.

Show Notes:

• What’s been going on
• Linda’s Arrival
• Work
• Meeting up with Saya
• Meeting up with Scott and Karamoon
• New Listeners
• Responding to Blog Comments
• Projects
• Economics, finance, and work-related stuff
• Explaination of how I’d like to keep learning Kanji (help me out)
• Drink Review
• Kamakura Beer
• Daibutsu is there
• Saxophone train

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Ever wonder what its like to sit in someone’s pocket as they walk around Tokyo?? Now is your chance to find out! In this episode, I take a commute to Tokyu Hands leaving the recorder on for the full monty. I also talk about two fairly interesting topics. If you’re into sound tours, you’ll enjoy this episode.

Show Notes:

• Pre-show - explanation of show format
• Current Laundry Setup
• 
• Screwing around with my laundry machine
• Walk to Kuramae
• Hanging out with Scott from Tokyo Calling
• Needed the de-stressing from my visa issues
• Talking about co-habitation with the fiancee
• Quick stop at Lawsons (19:00)
• Cement truck turning sound
• Brief explanation of numbers on train maps
• Kuramae to Iidabashi (9 minutes edited out)
• Construction warnings
• Really annoying alien sound
• Running into the same guy who sold me food the day before
• Iidabashi to Ikebukuro (42:00 - 51:45)
• Trying to find the right exit
• Talking about usage of strange English
• The Bic Camera audio Assault! (45:00)
• Almost going to McDonalds for coffee
• Sonna no kankei nai advertisement (51:00)
• Tokyu Hands
• Valentine’s Day explosion!

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Let’s get deep again. I tried to mix it up with some pleasant thoughts, some interesting sights, and of course, always deep deep riveting commentary from yours truly (sarcasm goes to 11, you know).

Show Notes:

• Some thoughts about Saizeriya
• Topic: Japan Makes You Busy
• A bit about my lifestyle
• Spending my time on the computer
• “The Four Hour Separation”
• 1 hr of screwing around
• 1 hr of reading
• 1 hr of art
• 1 hr of life
• [Musical Break]
• Why is it necessary?
• Opportunity overload
• 6 hours spent doing nothing this weekend
• Putting more “real” in realtime
• Train announcer gets on my nerves
• Escalator Apologizers
• Some Closing Thoughts
• Music - “Atlantic Midnight” by Jaspertine from CCMixter.org
• Music - “Drugstar” by Pthalo

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It’s snowing in Tokyo, so what better way to spend it than bring you all with me on a trip to McDonalds for breakfast. In this episode, I tough it out through the muck and power-line slush bombs to chat about Japanese people and alcohol consumption. This episode is not very organized but there’s plenty to listen to and some music mixed in as well. Enjoy.

Show Notes

• Part One
• It’s snowing
• The guy who drank too much last night
• Yakiniku 食べ放題、飲み放題
• Japanese paramedics
• Intermission
• “Fixing My Brain” by Gillies (from CCMixter.org)
• Ordering breakfast at McDonalds
• “Colors Shifting” by Electric West (from CCMixter.org)
• Part Two
• Throwup girl in the train station
• San Nakji’s interview series, I’m next
• Phone call
• Bought some Dekavita
• 

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Probably the fast episode I have ever put together, but a good one at that. I’ve got two main chunks of goodness in this episode. First, I talk a little about the CEO at my company and how I see Japanese companies changing. Second, we go on a sound tour of arcades in Ikebukuro looking for Guitar Hero. Will we find it? Listen in.

Show Notes:

• Working full time
• CEO Story
• Ikebukuro Arcade “Sound Tour”

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A little different approach today. I take a stab at story telling and answer a letter from my future self. It finally came today!

Show Notes:

• School’s out! Well almost
• Answering a letter to my future self
• The Overcoat
• Dan Carlin’s website
• WNYC Radio Lab website
• Brief comment about the awards thing

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