Top 10 Strange Japanese Films You Need to Watch

This was one of my first big posts here at Tofugu and I had a lot of fun writing it. I was even exposed to a few new favorite movies in the process. I really dig strange Japanese things and this list is just packed with strange and entertaining Japanese movies. If you missed this post the first time around, you should definitely give it a look now. If nothing else you might get a few ideas for what to watch to help you stay up way past your bedtime this New Years. What better way to ring in the New Year than with these crazy films? Read This Post →

If Apple Made Capsule Hotels, They Would Look Like This

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWKxBCMwwkY']

I always enjoy Koichi’s posts that include videos, but I thought this one was especially interesting. I’ve always wanted to check out a capsule hotel, but despite having been to Japan once before, I have not yet had the opportunity to do so. This post and video were really cool because up until then I had not seen a capsule hotel quite like it. I still want to stay in one. It just seems like such a neat experience. At least for one night maybe – after that it’d probably start to get annoying. Definitely wouldn’t want to make a home out of the place. Read This Post →

True Blood: Personality and Blood Types in Japan

I always thought it was interesting how much weight was placed on blood types in Japan and in this post by Hashi, he goes into a lot of detail regarding it. I think it’s really cool to compare how this is similar to astrological signs and horoscopes and all those crazy things that people can get super into. Do you know what your blood type says about you? Read This Post →

Japanese Etiquette: How to Save Yourself from Embarrassment in Japan

This was another one of my favorite posts to write this year. For a lot of people, going to Japan (or just out of the country in general) can be a daunting experience. But with handy guides like this one, the anxiety fades away at least a little bit. My best friend actually left to visit Japan yesterday and she was super nervous about going (she’d never even been out of the States before). But after reading this post (and receiving lots of pep talks and sedatives) she finally calmed down and wasn’t so nervous about the trip ahead of her. So if you’re even planning on taking a trip to Japan, the information contained in this post is certainly worth a read. Read This Post →

The Ridiculously Racist Robots Of Mobile Fighter G-Gundam

Another choice post by Hashi. I was never really that into Gundam myself, so I wasn’t totally surprised that I’d missed these characters, but I was just surprised they even existed. Some of them are just outrageous. I definitely lol’d while reading this post and checking out all the pictures of these racist Gundams and I’m sure you will too. Good ol’ Hashi – never lets us down. Read This Post →

P.S. Happy New Year!

We all hope you’ve enjoyed this year of 2011 and we look forward to entertaining and informing you through all of 2012 as well (don’t listen to Koichidamus’ ramblings, the world’s not totally ending in 2012.)

And we’ll be on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ if you need anything, but in the mean time look forward to Hashi’s top five Tofugu posts tomorrow!

The First Time Japan Saw The World [Japanese Cartography]

This post was so interesting to write. I got to do a ton of research, learn the progression of maps in Japan (and China a bit too), and gain a new perspective on how Japan viewed the world (both socially and map-wise) over several centuries. The world maps of Japan were also very artistic and totally different from maps you’d see anywhere else. It’s amazing how far we’ve come in such a small time period. Read This Post →

[hr]

Goroawase: Japanese Numbers Wordplay (i.e. How To Remember Japanese Telephone Numbers)

This is another one of those posts where I got to learn a lot and share that learning with all of you. I knew how goroawase worked already, but I had no idea how deep the rabbit hole would go. Turns out it’s pretty deep. Learning about goroawase is like solving a puzzle, and I’ve always believed solving puzzles is the best way to learn (and the most satisfying, much more so than getting an A or a B on a test). See what I mean and Read This Post →

[hr]

The Greatest Inventor of All Time: Dr. NakaMats

While it’s up in the air whether this guy’s legit or not, I loved this post by Hashi because of its entertainment value. I’m glad there’s still people like this in the world, inventing all kinds of crazy things just for the love of inventing crazy things. We need more mad scientists in this world. Read This Post →

[hr]

Konichiwarrrr, Mateys! Famous Japanese Pirates, Ninja Pirates, And The Wild Wakou

Who doesn’t love pirates? Also, who doesn’t love ninjas? Did you know Japan combined the two at one point in history (the two most powerful things in the world, wrapped into one). Couple that with the fact that Japan is the leader in robot technology and you’ll have yourself a Pirate Robot Ninja… Let’s hope it never gains sentience. But seriously, awesome read on Japanese pirates. I had no idea these existed until Viet wrote about them. Read This Post →

[hr]

In Japan, Women Think Mark Zuckerberg Is A Hamburger

Last but not least is a post based off a study that WhatJapanThinks wrote about. I go into pretty deep details as to why these women thought Zuckerberg is a hamburger as well as looked at the other things they thought a Zuckerberg was. It’s really interesting, and also a good little Japanese study that will help you to better understand how the Japanese language works. Read This Post →

[hr]

Favorite Video: Cat Island Part 1 & 2

How can these not be my faves? More TofuguTV in the new year, too. Next episode will also have cats in it, too.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVxpPggJMAY']

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q27fQ-mcM10']

P.S. Have A Great New Year!

I won’t be seeing you until the New Year, so everyone have a happy and safe one. Don’t eat too much or blow anything off with fireworks. Seeyah next year!

And, of course, we’ll be on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ if you need anything. John, Hashi and Viet will be posting their fav-fives this week too, so enjoy!