Learn Japanese @ Japancast.net

I think African Grey parrots are absolutely the coolest birds around.  Apparently the owner of this one watched a bit too much Star Wars and it picked up some of the sounds.

Even though they aren’t a sponsor, I always like to point out bargain anime when I find it.  Right Stuf has some awesome deals right now on anime on DVD.

Go here:  http://www.rightstuf.com/1-800-338-6827/catalogmgr/cBuyGqMr6ieJrAhUOS/browse/category/4/0/0

And then click on the button that says “Bargain Bin Blowout” - I saw Ergo Proxy DVDs for $5 and some really good deals on EVA Platinum Editions ($6).  Samurai Champloo DVDs are going for $10 too.

If you buy something, feel free to mention you saw this post here!  Maybe Japancast can pick up Right Stuf as a sponsor.  \(^-^)/

Sorry we’ve been off for so long.  Lots of “stuff” is going on in our lives.  If you are a subscription donator, please send Hitomi your questions and let her know you are a subscriber - we will always make an extra effort to answer your questions ASAP.  We truly appreciate your support and understanding.

Japanese Lesson #78

Apparently this lesson was recorded, but never made it into the iTunes feed.  We’re not sure what happened, but enjoy anyway!

Japanese Lesson #77

If you just can’t wait for the next podcast, remember you can always practice your written Japanese by sending your Twitters to @Japancast .

I just wanted to take a moment to update everyone on the current status here.  The latest news is this:  Hitomi is becoming a US citizen!  We’ve filed the forms and yesterday took a trip to Indianapolis for the first step in the process.

The next step will be the actual citizenship test, where she’ll be tested on civics as well as English.  If she passes those tests, she’ll be scheduled to be sworn in within 90 days of the test.

It’s an interesting and exciting process.

But the question is this:  If you lived in Japan and had the opportunity to become a Japanese citizen, would you?

Playing for 1 week only on Pitchfork.tv

Sensurround is the visual component to 2007’s Sensuous(Everloving). Collaborators include Tsujikawa Kochiro, Japanese art/design collective Groovisions & Takagi Masakatsu, who together produce vivid and captivating complements to the album.

1. “Sensuous” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa
2. “Fit Song” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa
3. “Breezin” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa
4. “Toner” Dir: Takagi Masakatsu
5. “Watariodori” Dir: Groovisions
6. “Gum” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa
7. “Scum” Dir: ?
8. “Omstart” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa
9. “Beep It” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa
10. “Like A Rolling Stone” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa
11. “Music” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa
12. “Sleep Warm” Dir: Koichiro Tsujikawa

There are some really stunning visuals here.  If you’re looking for something to just zone out and watch during your lunch break, check them out before they’re gone!

From AWN.com:

Original, uncut Japanese versions of NARUTO, BLEACH and DEATH NOTE animated episodes (subtitled in English) are now streaming on Web video service Hulu.com.

Hulu has more than 100 content partners and offers nearly 900 show and movie titles, including 200 full-length feature films and 400 television series with hundreds of videos added to the service each week. NARUTO and DEATH NOTE launched in the United States on Hulu this week. BLEACH and new episodes of each title will be added regularly on Hulu.

The launch with Hulu is the latest expansion of VIZ Media’s strategy to make available a variety of hit animated series through Web-based, video streaming outlets. Hulu, launched in March of this year, provides free accessibility and offers users the freedom to legally share full-length episodes or clips via e-mail or embed them on other web sites, blogs and social networking pages.

NARUTO, DEATH NOTE, and BLEACH have emerged as three of the world’s most popular Japanese animated series, each attracting millions of devoted viewers with a blend of stylish animation, multi-faceted characters and riveting story lines. Each series is based on a popular manga series and enjoys tremendous international popularity.

LINK to the anime category on Hulu.

He’s 71 and doesn’t speak a word of Japanese, but boy can he make free throws!

From The Canadian Press

Kazuo Kawasaki, the Japanese designer of Sarah Palin’s glasses, is grateful to the Republican vice-presidential candidate for making his product famous,…”She is very good-looking. She would look good in any glasses,” Kawasaki said Wednesday of Palin at a Tokyo store operated by Masunaga Optical Manufacturing Co.

The company, based in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, usually makes 12,000 MP-704 glasses in an 18-month period.

Thanks to Palin, it has already received 9,000 global orders, mostly from the United States, in the last 10 days, says Masunaga store chief Akira Nagayama.

Kawasaki, 59, an engineering professor at Osaka University, also designs arty syringes, artificial hearts, kitchen sponges and wheelchairs - including his own that he uses after a traffic accident 30 years ago.

He believes his glasses are becoming a hit because people appreciate how scientifically and ergonomically they are designed so wearers barely feel their presence.

Kawasaki said he shares what he sees as some common political sentiments with Palin.

“I am quite right-wing,” said Kawasaki, a long-haired soft-spoken man proudly wearing the updated version of the MP-704, the MP-705. “I am a nationalist in the sense I believe in the Japanese esthetic.”

But he also can’t help feeling an affinity with Obama.

Fukui happens to have a city called Obama. Some of his former students have started a community movement supporting Obama, although none of them can vote in the Nov. 4 U.S. election.

An award-winning designer who has contributed to the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Kawasaki has seen his glasses on celebrities before, including former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and actress Whoopi Goldberg.

But he has never got quite the stunning reception as he has had this time around with Palin.

“I want to say, ‘Thank you,’ to Ms. Palin,” he said with a smile. “I want people to realize how fantastic Made in Japan technology can be.”