Comments on J-List side blog: What you can learn about public baths from Street ...

I'll check it out when my kids get here. Got to se...

2006-07-10T09:40:00.000+09:00

I'll check it out when my kids get here. Got to see Superman, too.

Hey Pete. I just saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dea...

2006-07-10T05:30:00.000+09:00

Hey Pete. I just saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest yesterday. It's awesome. If you liked Empire, you'll like this flick. Not sure when Japan'll get it, subbed or dubbed, but you should get tickets now. Keep an eye out for Captain Jack pays Tia Dalma, probably the funniest scene in recent memory.

Thomas, bwa ha ha, that rocks. Me and Voltron go w...

2006-07-08T09:39:00.000+09:00

Thomas, bwa ha ha, that rocks. Me and Voltron go way back:

http://www.seishun.org/2005/03/voltron-hell-bent-for-leather.html

(One of the things I used to do back when I had free time and enough brain cells or creativity). I really should get these things up on YouTube before it goes under.

Waxmaker, that is news to me. I don't think seniority matters at all -- every family will naturally get their own rhythem. I take a bath with the kids, but when they're old enough that they don't want to take a bath with "Dada" I'm sure they'll go first, since they have to get to bed; then I'll go; and my wife does her bath thing in the morning. Although I'm sure that some daughters don't want their underwear washed with "Dad's".

It is hard to get details about Japan right. I remember back in college, my socioligy teacher talking about how younger siblings bow each morning to older siblings, which of course if silly.

Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when someone ...

2006-07-08T07:01:00.000+09:00

Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when someone else besides me would mention Yellow Magic Orchestra. I grew up on their Yellow Magic album, ever since I can remember.

Then they split. But the drummer and lead vocalist, Yukihiro Takahashi, went on to have a semi-successful solo career that still continues. His last album was released in March. I'm unsure of what happened to the other two.

Argh, now that just reminds of the single of his I had that mysteriously disappeared one day.

Your mentioning baths again makes me think of some...

2006-07-08T05:04:00.000+09:00

Your mentioning baths again makes me think of something I've been curious about for some time. I know about the family custom of reusing bathwater, but the wikipedia article on "Customs and Etiquette of Japan" currently contains this line:

"In homes with small tubs, each family member bathes one by one, in order of seniority, traditionally starting with the oldest male. However, many young Japanese women now refuse to bathe after their fathers."

...but no explanation. Any idea what that's about? Are middle-aged guys considered to be generally unclean or tainted in some way? (Beware the water washing in from the male side of the onsen, ladies!) Or is this just a typical bit of wikipedia nonsense?

No Peter, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen...

2006-07-08T01:23:00.000+09:00

No Peter, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVswFzaYcCM (Copy and Paste)

Yes, I am worried that sento are going to disappea...

2006-07-07T23:58:00.000+09:00

Yes, I am worried that sento are going to disappear. All the ones I've been to have been older than me (and sometimes older than my parents), and I wonder how long the concept will endure as a viable thing.

Tongue twisters are hard, yes. But they're fun. "Bus, Gas, Bakuhatsu" is one of the basic ones.

thanks for the onsen history lesson, i didn't know...

2006-07-07T23:32:00.000+09:00

thanks for the onsen history lesson, i didn't know that that's where the name came from. cool. i like how you describe it to be showa-esque, i kind of understand what you mean, from having seen that in films and drama.

slightly unrelated, i recently learnt some kokugo or tongue twisters in japanese. i apparently seem to be a "natural" at them, or so i'm told, i just don't think that "aomakigami-kimakigami-akamakigami" is perticularly difficult. i was wondering how you did when you first came accross them and if you know of any other peculiar or interesting ones?

^_^