Erin | Tofugu.com

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erin - who has written 36 posts on Tofugu.com.

Erin is Tofugu's culture, food, and fashion writer. She's a quiet Hawaii girl who loves shopping, eating sweets, and traveling whenever she has the time and money to spend. She also has a little photo blog going, which can be found here.

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Happy Birthday, Koichi!

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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That’s right, you guys. October 23rd (aka Mole Day) is Koichi’s birthday! He’s turning 23, so he doesn’t get any cool new rights, but I’m sure he’ll have lots of fun, anyway. ☆⌒（＾ｗ＾　*）　お誕生日おめでとう、コウイチくん　（*　＾ｗ＾）⌒☆ P.S. This is a really old picture, from 2 years ago.

Foreigner Skinny-Dips at the Imperial Palace: Why?

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

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Have you heard about the crazy gaijin-related incident that happened today? I wouldn’t be surprised if you have; it’s getting a ton of media coverage at the moment. Rightly so, too, as this level of crazy deserves talking about. If you haven’t, here’s a quick run-down of the events that took place: Apparently, a British man [...]

The Cuddliest Keitai You Ever Did See

Saturday, August 30, 2008

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I’ve come out of my blogging hibernation to share the news about Japanese cellphone company Willcom’s newest creation, the Kuma (Bear) Phone. I’ve always loved Willcom’s cutesy designs, but they’ve taken it a step farther this time, embedding phone parts into an actual stuffed animal ↓ Yep, that inocuous-looking teddy bear actually functions as a stand-alone [...]

Mini Post: Odd Personal Grooming Choices

Thursday, June 12, 2008

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Japan is the home of quite a few Guinness World Records (the world’s longest concert being the most recent one I can remember), but now it’s got another under it’s belt: world’s longest eyebrow. Toshie Kawakami, the 57 year old president of a Tokyo food company, has an eyebrow hair which measured 17.2cm as of [...]

Stare-apy for the Socially Inept (+ Edits)

Friday, June 6, 2008

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As much as I want to be outrageously snarky in this post, I don’t think I can bring myself to do it. After all, social anxiety disorder is pretty serious stuff, especially in Japan, the birthplace of the hikikomori (引き籠もり or “pulling away”) phenomenon. In an attempt to help out those who are uncomfortable in [...]

Another Reason Not to Use Online Translators

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

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Responses to my online translator post were mixed. Some people agreed, while others got defensive*. Past differences of thought aside, I found something today that argues unequivocally in favor of my point. It seems that Kosuke Fukudome, a right fielder for the Chicago Cubs, has some well-meaning but very Japanese-illiterate fans. At a Cubs game [...]

World’s Smallest Bowl of Ramen

Friday, May 30, 2008

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Having taken (and nearly failed) more chemistry courses than I would like to remember, I’m usually not particularly enthusiastic about molecular engineering. However, a recent news story caught my eye this morning. Apparently, Masayuki Nakao, a professor at Todai, has just debuted the smallest bowl of ramen known to man.

Clothing Trends for Spring & Summer ‘08

Friday, May 23, 2008

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Now that we’re safely out of winter, it’s time to lighten up! Put away your fuzzy scarves and down-filled jackets and opt instead for floaty fabrics and bright colors. Below are a list of some of the more popular styles being featured in Japanese fashion magazines this season. Unfortunately, I don’t usually read men’s fashion [...]

日本で一番面白いボスです

Sunday, May 18, 2008

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Last night, Steve Carell participated in one of the funniest SNL Digital Shorts I have seen in a long time. Now, it’s kind of a stretch, as far as Tofugu’s “Japanese Culture and Language” theme goes, but I feel that it’s interesting enough to warrant a post. Here’s the video, after the break:

Obake Series: Tanuki

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

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Before we get started with this long overdue article, let’s take a small quiz. No cheating! Tanuki are: A) Badgers, B) Raccoons, C) Wolverines, D) Raccoon dogs Here’s a tanuki macro to help you out: The word tanuki is often mistranslated as “raccoon” or “badger”. By looking at them, though, you can tell that’s clearly not what they [...]