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Scott Wilson
After getting bored with high school French, Scott came to a crossroads in life whether to study Japanese or Native American Mohawk instead. Mohawk's lack of kanji was its ultimate downfall, and Scott hasn't looked back since. After years of non-stop sweating while working as a translator in sweltering Okinawa, he moved back to his native, delightfully frigid Massachusetts to work as a private Japanese tutor. His hobbies include re-reading One Piece for the hundredth time, dreaming about Shakey's Pizza, and getting feedback on stories he's written from both his wife and cat.
Posted by Scott Wilson (Page 33)
Shiba Inu dressed up as Japanese yokai achieve new level of cute and spooky
- Scott Wilson
Dec 4, 2015 - Tweet
Even the pets of Japan want to show their respects to the recently passed yokai author Shigeru Mizuki.
- Japan
- (animals • cosplay • cute • dogs • Gegege no Kitaro • Shiba Inu • Shigeru Mizuki • yokai)
Hamsters, Ebola & magic kanji: 7 tweets from Japanese office workers that went viral
- Scott Wilson
Dec 3, 2015
If there were a Japanese office sitcom, you could expect to see some of these antics.
- Japan
- (funny • office • office life • sitcom • tsundere • twitter • working in Japan)
Japanese dad teaches daughter how to handle alcohol, has Twitter in tears
- Scott Wilson
Dec 1, 2015
This guy should teach Good Parenting 101.
The ultimate Pokémon master quiz: is it a Pokémon or a big data company?
- Scott Wilson
Nov 28, 2015
Can guess from the name what’s a Pokémon character and what’s a big data company? Some of these are surprisingly hard!
Ghibli fans express their thanks to Miyazaki with six-second Vine masterpieces
- Scott Wilson
Nov 28, 2015
Fans around the world say thank you to Hayao Miyazaki by creating some amazing art of their own.
- Japan
- (fan made • fanart • Hayao Miyazaki • Studio Ghibli • thank you • Vine)
Japan Railways implements new innovation to make train tracks safer… for turtles?
- Scott Wilson
Nov 28, 2015
Japan is already one of the safest countries in the world for humans, and now it seems it’s about to get a lot safer for turtles too…
- Japan
- (animal welfare • aquariums • Japan Railways • Kobe • turtles • wildlife • wildlife rescue)
Tumblr artist designs Legend of Zelda movie posters in Studio Ghibli style
- Scott Wilson
Nov 26, 2015
Just let us pretend for a little while that this amazing collaboration could actually happen.
- Japan
- (Ghibli • link • movie poster • Studio Ghibli • the legend of Zelda • video games • Zelda)
Man brandishes samurai sword in New York Apple store, allegedly attempts to commit seppuku
- Scott Wilson
Nov 25, 2015
Someone took the phrase “cutting in line” way too literally…
See America through the eyes of Chiura Obata, a Japanese artist from the early 1900s
- Scott Wilson
Nov 20, 2015
Chances are you’ve never heard of Chiura Obata. Well, all that changes now.
Need a gift to ensure your friends never forget you? How about a ridiculously huge teddy bear!
- Scott Wilson
Nov 20, 2015
Ready to troll your friends by sending them a traditional incredibly inconvenient Japanese gift? Then read on!
- Japan
- (gift ideas • prank • presents • teddy bear • troll • Yoshio)
“I was reaching for a towel when…” — Cat’s attempt at camouflage fails adorably
- Scott Wilson
Nov 20, 2015
Is that a cat pretending to be a towel, or a towel pretending to be a cat?
In Japan, a professional chef will come to your home and cook for you—and your cat【Video】
- Scott Wilson
Nov 19, 2015
Nestlé Japan is offering a new service which allows cats and their humans to dine together. Are you ready to go where no pet owner has gone before?
- Japan
- (cats • dine with your cat • fancy • fine dining • funny • Nestle Japan • pets)
Check out the ninja-like table wiping skills on this Japanese waiter!
- Scott Wilson
Nov 18, 2015
You’ve never seen table wiping like this before.
- Japan
- (cleaning • epic • funny twitter post • kung fu • restaurants)
Transforming kanji watches not so great for telling time, perfect for being awesome
- Scott Wilson
Nov 15, 2015
With the advent of cellphones, wristwatches have become less and less common, meaning makers have had to get more and more creative capture the attention of customers. One perfect example is this Japanese watch company that has started selling watches that use transforming metal kanji characters to tell the time!
Japan’s top baby names for 2015: Will Naruto-influenced monikers still reign supreme?
- Scott Wilson
Nov 13, 2015
Choosing a name for your newborn son or daughter can be tough. Not only are you responsible for bestowing a name upon another human being—a collection of vowels and consonants that that will stick with them for life and likely have a profound effect on how people initially perceive their owner—but if you live in a country like Japan, then you not only have to choose the baby’s name, but how it will be written in kanji characters as well. Talk about pressure.
But that’s the reason we have baby name lists! For the past two years we’ve been keeping track of the most popular names for baby boys and girls in Japan, and this year we’re keeping up the tradition. Take a peek at what trends are spreading through Japan by seeing which names are in this year and which are out.
- Japan
- (2015 • baby names • Japanese baby names • kanji • most popular • Naruto • popular • ranking)
Shangrila, a maid cafe staffed exclusively by cute “plump” girls, opens in Akihabara【Pics】
- Scott Wilson
Nov 12, 2015
We’ve seen all kinds of maid cafes all over Japan, from ones that specialize in zombie girls to ones where the girls seductively make rice balls right in front of you. But one type of maid cafe that has been sorely lacking is one dedicated to girls with a fuller figure, the kind of girls known in Japan by the playful monicker of marshmallow girls.
But all that changes now! Shangrila is a maid cafe that recently opened in Akihabara, and it will be staffed completely by more well-rounded young women. What kind of stuff does a cafe like this have in store for its customers? Read on to find out!
- Japan
- (Akihabara • body image • cute girls • fat • maid cafe • marshmallow girls)
Oddly satisfying: Sharpening master turns rusted blade back into brand new knife【Video】
- Scott Wilson
Nov 12, 2015
The Japanese have a knack for doing things in such a way that are just satisfying to watch. Whether it’s traditional Japanese carpenters putting together pieces of wood perfectly or a grown man in a pink bunny suit bonding with rabbits, there’s no shortage of videos that make you feel like everything is right in the world.
And the next video to add to the list of things to make you go “ahh:” a Japanese knife-sharpening master turning a rusted kitchen knife into what could pass for a brand new tool. Prepare to feel like the air around you tastes a little sweeter as you watch the rust melt away with his delicate yet masterful technique.
- Japan
- (amazing • cleaning • Japanese knife • knife • oddly satisfying • sharpen • video)
The “Nintendo PlayStation”: a look at the console that could’ve changed gaming history【Video】
- Scott Wilson
Nov 10, 2015
For most modern gamers, the idea of rival video game giants Nintendo and Sony collaborating on a project is pretty much unthinkable. But believe it or not, back in the day when the Super Nintendo was king, Sony and Nintendo were supposed to team up to make a new console. Unfortunately the deal went sour, and it was thought that all prototypes of the mythical Sony-Nintendo console were gone.
Until now. A working copy of what has been dubbed the “Nintendo PlayStation” was recently brought to light and shown off online for the world to see. Join us after the jump to witness what could’ve been…
- Japan
- (history • myth • nintendo • playstation • Sony • video • video games)
We visited Rabbit Island in a bunny suit covered in food, to become a rabbit ourselves【Photos】
- Scott Wilson
Nov 10, 2015
People all over the world have heard of Okunoshima, popularly known as “Rabbit Island.” It’s a tiny island off the coast of Hiroshima overflowing with adorable little bunnies who want nothing more than to smother you with love and eat your food.
But on our latest trip to Okunoshima, we wanted to go one step further: we wanted to be covered in as many fluffy bunnies as humanly possible. And what better way to do that than by becoming a bunny ourselves? Read on to see more of our pink, furry excursion.
- Japan
- (bunnies • cute • nature • Okunoshima • Rabbit Island • rabbits • video)
Attack on Titan and Monster Hunter team up so you can take down colossal-sized monsters
- Scott Wilson
Nov 7, 2015
Do you like Monster Hunter? Do you like Attack on Titan? Does the idea of combining the two… excite you?
Well then we have good news! Video game behemoth Capcom is teaming up with the creators of Attack on Titan to release a collaboration Monster Hunter smartphone event. Ready to take down some colossal, steaming, monster-titans? Then read on for more!
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Recent Posts
- Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
- This hot spring near Osaka’s Kansai Airport resolves the pick-two-out-of-three bathhouse dilemma
- Starbucks Japan invites us to par-tea with its new Earl Gray Frappuccino [Taste test]
- Tokyo Skytree set to offer breathtaking Diamond Fuji natural phenomenon view this month
- Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
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Today
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
This hot spring near Osaka’s Kansai Airport resolves the pick-two-out-of-three bathhouse dilemma
Japan’s mini Shikoku Pilgrimage walking tour left us feeling immensely satisfied
Tokyo Skytree set to offer breathtaking Diamond Fuji natural phenomenon view this month
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
Starbucks Japan invites us to par-tea with its new Earl Gray Frappuccino [Taste test]
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
Weekly
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods for 2026, with exclusive holiday surprises
Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
Life-size Monster Hunter dragon statues to be built at Japanese shopping mall
Studio Ghibli homeware brand’s faux oil lamp brings light, smiles, and Kiki’s Jiji to your home
Modern exosuits are opening up ancient Japanese castle climbs to everyone
Evangelion announces collaboration with Hard Rock Cafe
Starbucks Japan releases “Let’s Par-TEA!” Frappuccino and drinks for the holiday season
Cold Stone is closing its final branch in all of east Japan, but it’s going down singing
Monthly
Pokémon Company announces first-ever permanent Pokémon store to open outside Asia
Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan
What’s it like to stay in a Japanese container hotel?
Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
Chainsaw robots helping keep trains running safely in east Japan [Video]
New Studio Ghibli anime gets extended run at the only cinema in Japan where it’s being shown
Tokyo train station will play Godzilla theme song as new departure melody
Osaka’s famous Glico Running Man will be removed and replaced with a new-look sign
Studio Ghibli creates illustrated Kyoto sightseeing map, available at any 7-Eleven Japan store
Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
Yearly
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
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Japan’s mini Shikoku Pilgrimage walking tour left us feeling immensely satisfied
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Shoplifting prevention guard arrested for shoplifting boot from store he was guarding
Evangelion announces collaboration with Hard Rock Cafe
Japanese government wants to remove tax-exemption limit for foreign tourists on consumables
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