This is so cool. Link via Jesper.

I just finished reading DREAMING PACHINKO, the third novel by Isaac Adamson. I’d been wanting to read one of his novels for a while now (as mentioned a few weeks ago), and decided to include the book in my latest order to Amazon. I can’t say that it’s an amazing read, but I did have a good time reading it, and went through it in just a few days (which is really good for me, I’ve been having trouble finishing books of late). I guess I got a kick out of reading a story that takes place in a world I know so well. Also didn’t hurt that the book takes place at the exact same time of year (July in Tokyo) and I would sometimes be reading a chapter that was taking place in the exact same area where I was reading it (like while waiting for a train at Nippori station, while main character Billy Chaka is doing some investigating in the area). If there’s one thing that bothered me a bit, it was the dialogue. I don’t know, there’s something about the slang the author uses that I just felt didn’t fit conversational Japanese (the characters are all supposed to be speaking in Japanese). But still, it was a fun read, and I’ll certainly pick up Adamson’s other two books (also featuring the same main character of Billy Chaka), TOKYO SUCKERPUNCH and HOKKAIDO POPSICLE.

And since I’m on the topic of magazines, I’ll also mention the most recent issue of AXIS, #104, which I picked up on my way to the airport two weeks ago to read on the flight over to Seoul. Features a great article on designing retail, and takes a close look at a few retail operations like Muji, Ikea, and Habitat.

Also picked up the new issue of +81, vol. 21. I don’t always pick up +81, but this issue is the Movie & Motion Graphics Directors issue, and includes a CD with a whole bunch of shorts on it. You really have to check out the site, which features a little movie that flips through all the pages of the issue. It also seems that there’s a +81Gallery in Aoyama (Kita-Aoyama 2-12-39). I’ll stop by next time I’m in the area.

Picked up the new issue of PAPER SKY tonight, which is #6. Pictured above is the fifth issue, which I only picked up a few weeks ago (PAPER SKY is bi-monthly). It had a nice feature on aspects of Germany we don’t tend to look at (i.e. the weird and wacky), and a fun little interview with comic genius Daniel Clowes (EIGHTBALL, GHOST WORLD). Haven’t had a chance to look through the new issue yet, but the feature article is “New York Urban Green.”

North Korean high technology. I love the antennas.

How scary to think that North Korean children are using these materials for education, even now.

Only the best for the Dear Leader.

I just saw a teaser on TV for an animated film to be released in November called TOKYO GODFATHER. I have never heard of this, and have no idea who’s behind it, but oh man, does it ever look good. Beautiful animation (think AKIRA), images that leave you wondering about what kind of mystery is going on… Hopefully some more info will appear on the Net soon enough.

Listening to “Kisi Ki Jaan Lete Hain” from the album The Kings and Queens of Bollywood by Asha Bhosle.

Yuko is watching one of her favorite shows now, a sort of trivia quiz game. They show wacky trivia that people sent in, and then the “tarento” press a button that makes the sound “ee” (the sound Japanese people make when they’re surprised about something). The more times the button is pressed, the more money the person that sent in the trivia gets. Just now there was a bit about how in Argentina they use old trains from Tokyo’s Marunouchi line. They don’t even change anything in the trains, everything is still written in Japanese.

For fans of comedian Egashira 2:50 (the very few of us), he now has a new segment on Saturday’s MECHA MECHA IKETERU. It’s EGARAP, where he has to teach us some Japanese history all the while doing a crazy rap with him doing his typical hi-tension moves. Hilarious. Yuko found a website that sells t-shirts of him, and I’m definitely planning on getting one when I get back from Canada.

The TV is now on CCTV Daifu, the Chinese channel we get on SkyPerfecTV. Yuko (who ordered it) watches it to practice her Chinese listening, and I just like watching the commercials and the odd variety show. It’s frightening.

Listening to “The Joke” from the album Asian Takeaways by Jing Ting.

North Korea in the distance.

A row of binoculars. It cost 500 won to use them.

These purple machines are not binoculars, but I’m not sure what they are. I think it’s just to look at a slide show of pictures taken from the North Korean side. It was overcast on that day, which could explain their popularity.

A trip to South Korea wouldn’t be complete without heading out to the DMZ to catch a glimpse of North Korea, which is what we did. We took the train to Geumchon, to then take a taxi and bus to the Odusan Unification Observatory. There are organized day trips that take you closer, but we opted to just go by ourselves. Inside the observatory, before you head outside to get a closer look through binoculars, they give you a presentation of the conflict. Here I am, enjoying a popcorn, with North Korea in the distance.

Some Takashi Miike news today in the Japan report at AICN:

Takashi Miike’s new film, ZEBRA MAN, starts shooting this week. This is not going to be another Yakuza movie, it will be an SF/Action movie. An elemetary teacher fights against space aliens. Shou Aikawa will play the protagonist who transforms into an Ultraman type super hero. Miike promises to the press, “I am not going to use any CGI.”