From Girlybubble: A New Year’s resolution of mine for 2010 is to write more letters. As in, the physical kind, not the hit “send” kind. This resolution was not only made out of novelty or to revive a dying art but for a more personal reason. More »

I have to say, I never saw what all the fuss was about award-winning bigshot author Haruki Murakami. He’s a great writer, sure, but from the critical attention he attracts you’d think he was Japan’s only living author. Of course, I hold that the best literature coming out of Japan today is illustrated, but there is a middle ground between the tiny clique of haute couture novelists and Love Hina. Today I’d like to train my spotlight on two female Japanese authors (authoresses?) who’ve achieved some notice in the States, and whose fiction is distinguished not so much by outstanding technical skill as a robust gift for storytelling: Asa Nonami and Miyuki Miyabe. More »

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Attention, SMAP lovers! According to MUSIC JAPAN, SMAP’s exclusive store will once again open from December 18th to January 11th at Tokyo’s Akasaka Sacas.

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From Wirebot: Who would have thought, but Nintendo characters have been giving us great “exit lines” for years! In the game context they might not seem to fit the situation, but if you just want to get out of there and don’t necessarily mind hurting the person’s feelings, try out one of these classic lines: More »

Ai Takahashi, or Ai-chan as she’s sometimes known, may not have that much of a standout personality in Morning Musume’s cluster, but that’s no reason to write her off as boring.

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As a huge fan of Jpop, I’ve definitely heard my share of songs from the land of the rising sun. Even if you can’t understand most of what the singer is saying, the emotion in their voices can still shine through. Let’s talk about love, for instance. More »

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From Girlybubble: If I were to describe in words who San-X’s newest character Iiwaken is, you’d either laugh or be jealous…or both. According to what’s been posted on the official San-X site, Iiwaken is a loyal Shiba-Inu dog who spends its days waking up his salary man master or drawing with crayons. Wait a second…Shiba-Inu’s can hold crayons? I bet you’re just as impressed as I am. More »

The oldest member of Morning Musume (having graduated at the tender age of 28 in 2001), Yuko Nakazawa may not be around much anymore, but she’ll certainly stay put in your memory. More »

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From Ningin: Korea, Japan and Korea DPRK are (arguably) the top 3 soccer teams in the Asian world, and all three have their own shot at victory in South Africa in 2010. More »

From Girlybubble: Japan, you’ve done it again. The Strapya Itazura Coin Bank has got to be the cutest piggy bank I’ve ever seen. Although, given that it’s just a box with a kitty or puppy that pops out to take your money, I don’t think it’d be fair to call it a piggy bank. Perhaps, a kitty or puppy bank? Another question I’ve got in mind is…why stop at kitty banks? Why not ATM machines? More »