AltJapan

Blame it on Tony

From a recent Yomiuri Online advice column:

I am one of three sisters. My younger sister, who lives at home with our mother, began talking about marrying a foreigner after reading "Darling wa Gaikokujin" a year ago. Now she fills her days with visits to establishments patronized by foreigners, making plans to study abroad, and English lessons. I don't think international marriages are a bad thing, but I really want to tell her to consider her widowed mother and two sisters! She keeps saying that once she gets married, she'll sell the house and take our mother to relocate with her and her future husband abroad. When our mother got wind of this and refused, my sister said "you two take care of her here, then."

I told her I didn't mind looking after our mother, but that it was something I needed to discuss with my husband, so please don't make any unilateral decisions. She just laughed: "That's old-fashioned. This isn't the era of staying in Japan. Plenty of people spend their retirement years abroad. America's an advanced nation. Don't worry about it."

My mother is dead set against going abroad but my sister is convinced she's happy about it. She's spent all her money on English classes and doesn't have a yen saved to her name. The only foreigners she's interested in meeting are tall, wealthy caucasians from first-world nations. Since she thinks she won't have any worries in the future she says it's okay to spend everything she has now. Yet she complains she can't make the mortgage and food payments.

I think she's being unrealistic, but she is convinced she's modern and civilized. What should I do?

Gundam I Am

It's official: the life-sized Gundam statue (now dubbed the "Real Grade 1/1 Gundam") is back. Last week, Shinto priests blessed the ground upon which the Mobile Suit will stand. The official opening date is July 24th, 2010, with Gundam expected to occupy the space through at least January of 2011. The site is the public square in front of the West exit of JR Higashi Shizuoka Station, an hour southwest of Tokyo by bullet train. In contrast to the unarmed look in Odaiba (as seen above), it will come equipped with a newly designed and illuminated beam saber.

Why Shizuoka? It's the site of the annual Shizuoka Hobby Show, and also just so happens to be home to the top-secret facility where the Gundam models are manufactured.

WiFi Wasteland

 

My latest article on CNNgo is all about Tokyo's often frustrating lack of WiFi coverage. If you've ever spent any time trying to get work done here, you know how hard it can be to find a reliable hotspot in this supposedly super high-tech city. They may be few and far between (for now), but their numbers are growing. I pounded the pavement and keyboard for several weeks to bring you the most up-to-date list of Tokyo's free WiFi hotspots as of April 2010. Feel free to weigh in here or at CNNgo with any others you find!

Obama Mk. II

Barack Obama armed with katana? That was last year's model. This is 2010 and now the "TTM-15 African American: Advanced Version" is here. (I believe they're referring to the articulation of the basic action figure body, but hey.)

Glorious Basterd

 

I swear on a pile of hops that this sign was drawn in full compliance with the German Beer Purity Law of 1516. On display for as long as the damn keg lasts at Craftheads.

Wakusei

It's 10:36 pm. Do you know where Matt & Hiroko are?

Game Face

"Why is Japan so behind the curve when it comes to game development?" asks this thread on 2ch. "Is it because we have less financial resources than foreign game companies? Because we don't rely on engines like they do? Because our planners (directors) aren't skilled programmers? Why?"

Some answers put forth by totally anonymous readers are below. The interesting thing is how many of them echo similar complaints from foreign gamers: an over-focus on the niche otaku demographic, unprofessional storytelling, etc. Personally, I tend to agree with the guys who say Japan needs to turn its so-called disadvantages into assets, but then again, I'm an optimistic kind of guy. Here we go:

-Japanese game developers are born and raised and live in Japan. With games, with art, with otaku culture, and more, we have a distinct background and history. In the future we're going to have to make that a sales point, or find a way to "mine" it. For example, we'll never beat Asia when it comes to the cost performance of rendering realistic-looking graphics. But when it comes to "stylized" (deforume) stuff we can't be beaten.

-Abroad, university grads, grad school grads, and even PhDs make games. The vast majority of Japanese game industry people have a university degree or some game-design school diploma at best. There's no way we can win.

-Japanese game scenarios are the pits. We may be behind in graphics but that isn't a problem so long as they're fun and interesting. The problem is that teams can't focus when they have to carry through a crappy scenario to its end. I don't know whether to describe them as "childish" or "otaku-oriented" or what but a lot of games are just too ludicrous for adults to appreciate.

-A lot of foreign game companies hire pro screenwriters. Here we leave this critical part of the process to directors and programmers and other amateurs.

-The PS1 era had a lot of cool and lighthearted games, but starting with the PS2 "otaku games" became the norm.

-I find it really strange that in an era when we know foreign gamers love first-person shooters that not a single domestic company has even tried to make one.

-The problem isn't a lack of education or technical skill. Believe me there are plenty of over-educated dudes in this industry. The problem is the total lack of ability of management. But you could say that about Japanese businesses across the board.

-We may be behind the curve in some respects, but answer me this: is there any country out there that can beat Japan when it comes to ero-games?

How to Get Ahead in Bijinesu

2ch: Eight tips for new graduates (Japanese language)

Nuggets of wisdom for new hires at Japanese companies from the anonymous hordes of 2ch...

1. If someone above you (your senpai) tells you crows are white, they're white.

The word of your superiors is like the word of the Emperor. While there are idiots out there, most of the time they won't be asking you to believe things that are patently untrue. So give them the benefit of the doubt. If someone gives you flack about it later, you can just say that your boss told you to do what you're doing.

2. Nobody is depending on you.

That stuff about how "we're all depending on our newest employees?" Lip service. What they mean is that they hope two or three years down the road you'll turn into someone they can depend on.

3. The only proper response is "yes."

You don't have the right to refuse anything at this stage. If someone asks you if it's possible for you to do something, the only proper answer is "yes." Nobody cares about your opinion. But if you try your best and can't pull it off, tell someone before it gets out of control. 

4. Feel free to ask the same questions over and over.

Some people will tell you never to ask something twice. Ignore them. But don't be a nudge, either. Most of the time, using a simple memo notebook will help you avoid having to ask about the same thing repeatedly.

5. Abandon your pride.

Bowing your head costs nothing. In fact, it can reap rewards. Apologies are nothing but sound waves. If apologizing fixes something, apologize on the spot. Even if you were right, let it drop. Say you were wrong.

6. Forget about what the client wants. It's about what your BOSS wants.

Occasionally you will see superiors doing things that appear not to be in the client's best interest, or that seem technically flawed in some way. Ignore it. The people doing these things have far more experience than you. It is one hundred times better to learn to change your own way of thinking than it is to work on trying to change others.

7. Just get it done.

At times you will get overloaded with work requests from superiors. The important thing is just to get it done however you can. Don't be a perfectionist; that's the road to physical and mental stress. This isn't an excuse to slack off. But you are the new guy. If you mess up someone will fix it.

8. Give up.

If a job is impossible, it's okay to give up. Someone else will do it. Your superiors are there to fix the mistakes you make. The worst possible thing is to escalate a problem. If you are definitely in over your head tell your superiors right away.

Captain Howdy

Georgetown's "Exorcist staircase."