tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195983842024-03-07T18:52:54.330+09:00Nipponkanandreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-61060350794323979262009-08-21T09:09:00.005+09:002009-08-21T09:31:04.335+09:00Tokyo Jogging fun<p><a href="http://www.tokyo-jogging.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxABgkA6kUnZqmnGoHcejs7PQBuONuBz3EqQJd7QtrvRNMEWUCowAeT-EWuiaXPJenarISamnWbPhHKgvjDR6KNPeiBFP-uKlYJg6UmuKCWJp-wzqWlx1Bwbg4SgdtHkVSAaM/s320/image-concept.png" alt="Tokyo-Jogging" style="margin: 8px 3px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> Just came across <a href="http://www.tokyo-jogging.com/">Tokyo-Jogging</a>, a nice mashup using the Wii remote and Google Street View. I don't have a Wii myself, but totally love the idea - the recent Street View update has probably further improved the experience.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-30537973068628170302009-05-18T06:14:00.010+09:002009-05-18T06:49:38.325+09:00Alternative Tokyo Rail & Subway Map<p><a href="http://informa-v.com/EN/onlinemap.htm"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZRzD_TSDZRTWcNbF4Qw4zbNyRL2Gy8WkpCkTUAFiotKV05SL1EBe70ZJswAbsaXKoxs0wrIa5-GLvcy9zRlZRSH-uldI0mBASF8nbgJ1FvT8YCJJasazQDSpWyX-ItGjPp7c/s320/map2.png" alt="Tokyo Rail & Subway Map" title="Tokyo Rail & Subway Map" style="margin: 8px 0px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> Via <a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20090517x3.html">this Japan Times article</a>, I bumped into Vollmer Design's great looking alternative <a href="http://informa-v.com/EN/onlinemap.htm">Tokyo Rail & Subway map</a>. The goal was to make the map fit better with long romaji station names, but in my opinion, certain names crossing subway lines could use an outline or dropshadow to improve the contrast. The "ei" in Seibu-Shinjuku for instance is almost unreadable in the online version. Otherwise, a very nice project.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-79974671582873616752009-04-11T00:44:00.003+09:002009-04-11T00:55:36.428+09:00Morisawa Fontpark 2.0<p><a href="http://fontpark.morisawa.co.jp/">Morisawa Fontpark 2.0</a> is an impressive Flash sandbox that allows you to create designs with Japanese (and also Western) glyphs. Every action is recorded, and there are plenty of movies showcasing how the various saved designs were conceived and the iterations they went through.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://fontpark.morisawa.co.jp/permalink?id=nezz0hfo9wksc99">Geisha</a> entry is my favorite one - it's included below.</p>
<script type="text/javascript">__fpbp_id='nezz0hfo9wksc99';__fpbp_w=400;__fpbp_h=300;</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://fontpark.morisawa.co.jp/js/blogparts.js"></script>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-37594768618018293482009-03-12T01:41:00.002+09:002009-11-13T05:35:36.623+09:00Interchange set<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20013727@N02/1967217242/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2136/1967217242_45e8e2f3e7_m.jpg" alt="interchange picture" title="awaza01" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> Ken Ohyama has created an <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/20013727@N02/sets/72157603079316181/">amazing set</a> of 111 Japanese highway junctions photos. Maybe the soon to be completed (and disturbingly big) <a href="http://www.tokyu-land.co.jp/news/2007/index_021.html">オーパス目黒大橋</a> is next?</p>
<p><b>Update:</b> I found out that these pictures have also been turned into a book, aptly named <a href="http://www.amazon.co.jp/ジャンクション-大山顕/dp/4840120935/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242596778&sr=8-1">ジャンクション</a>.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-90953318321802688222009-03-01T21:31:00.007+09:002009-03-01T22:05:08.302+09:00Japanese web design bookmarking<p><a href="http://bm.straightline.jp/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgenUB3Ce1OVuIimK3WLhIqI-DamqctmNQp4cXwHYjublYiCX6k3T8rvZJRPh36ZWWkUAGYZnLtEWd4vSRUu2VN_CmCdp2nsPwY18-FpgfBriY5dS4mXrq4rCNwkjxq4kEqzP/" alt="straightline _bookmark screenshot" title="straightline _bookmark" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> I just came across <a href="http://bm.straightline.jp/">straightline _bookmark</a>, which is a Japanese "web design bookmark" service - think <a href="http://delicious.com/">del.icio.us</a> for pretty Japanese sites, including preview screenshots. Neat.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-53223589886235734722009-02-28T15:21:00.000+09:002009-02-28T23:21:33.527+09:00Japanese stereoviews and more<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24443965@N08/2361723421/in/set-72157604144707515/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2208/2361723421_7bf7511a65_m.jpg" alt="Stereoview scan" title="Japanese stereoview" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> An amazing <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24443965@N08/sets/72157604144707515/">set of Meiji era stereoviews</a> by Japanese and Western stereo-photographers, assembled by Flickr user Okinawa Soba. I recommend checking out his <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24443965@N08/sets/">other sets</a> too, such as the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24443965@N08/sets/72157604145302649/">T. Enami glass slides</a> one. Pity of the all-caps shouting and the sometimes overly verbose descriptions, but nevertheless worth a look :-)</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-43828152332005408472009-02-02T04:10:00.006+09:002009-04-11T02:05:00.142+09:00Goo's historic Tokyo maps<p><a href="http://map.goo.ne.jp/map.php?MAP=E139.43.57.920N35.40.57.138&ZM=9"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6iD3542-zwWbRgexuK6EYJds1Dkgs5LAjINvOeahEzpq4rb0_P-T3g1jTQ-vAbRRDEigZESyw086rTupjkRXO2jIbk5d5P9MDh1TS2mavtFwjOxTSzdRpmVJEQBvbk8LKAC9/s320/yotsuya.png" alt="color sample" title="Traditional colors of Japan" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> A while ago, Goo added an interesting twist to its <a href="http://map.goo.ne.jp/">online map service</a>: <a href="http://map.goo.ne.jp/map.php?MAP=E139.43.57.920N35.40.57.138&ZM=9">historic aerial maps</a> of Tokyo. In addition to satellite images of Tokyo, you can go back in time and see what the city looked like in Shōwa 22 (1947) and 38 (1963). The enormous transformation from a war-torn capital to the current-day crowded metropolis is absolutely mind-boggling. It's also worth pointing out that there is a new "Meiji" layer, which features cartographic data of the Meiji era, and puts the city's wards and boundaries in yet another perspective.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-52561112323100875902009-01-31T19:28:00.003+09:002009-01-31T19:43:41.498+09:00Traditional colors of Japan<p><a href="http://2xup.org/repos/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1X2DIeyxTYxlGm4rfxdbVud3zXbD2ud_oBuHMdvqdqR51fSjpDs-NrUjqzBzqpvhBtRQJ8cq6RqLq1SfMjASZEA_BIF5trQ3D8M6w5TPT9jR4TuNI4dOm5L-B7MiY7-cWtNij/s320/colors.png" alt="color sample" title="Traditional colors of Japan" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> Ever heard of 桜鼠, 虹色, 甚三紅 or 淡紅藤? Neither had I before finding this great color chart listing <a href="http://2xup.org/repos/">traditional Japanese colors</a> - HEX color codes included.</p>
<p>Wikipedia has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_colors_of_Japan">more context</a>: "The traditional colors of Japan trace their historical origins to the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System which was established in 603 by Prince Shōtoku and based on the system of Five elements."</p>
<p>へぇぇぇ。</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-43229869773084532542009-01-27T00:17:00.003+09:002009-04-11T02:07:34.484+09:00"This is Japan" video<p>Via <a href="http://jeansnow.net/2009/01/18/japan-in-almost-motion/">Jean Snow</a>, <a href="http://vimeo.com/dutchct">Eric Testroete</a>'s amazing "<a href="http://vimeo.com/2721992">This is Japan</a>" video. Immerse yourself for 7:40 minutes at 6fps.</p>
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2721992&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff9933&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2721992&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ff9933&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-80786388604803001642009-01-25T17:57:00.003+09:002009-01-25T18:06:11.576+09:00NYPL's 19th century Japan photo sets<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/3109911667/in/set-72157610971133318/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/3109911667_e62dc0c467_m.jpg" alt="Picture of Japanese girls in bed" title="The Sleeping Girls in Japanese Bed" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> As part of a larger "Asia and the Pacific Rim in Early Prints and Photographs" collection, the New York Public Library has posted two fascinating photo sets on Flickr that give a glimpse of Japan in the late 19th century: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/sets/72157610971119088/">Japan / Kimbei Kusakabe</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/sets/72157610971133318/">Album of Photographs of Japan</a>.andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-17082485061738289242008-10-19T04:44:00.009+09:002008-10-19T05:15:02.280+09:00Binbo Date and The Bubble Machine<p>Oh, it's been a while since I posted the last entry on this blog... time flies!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/bubbles"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1A1LdG6GEAS7ROqnOc2zYXEoCaWTT0PRNVxlLI6V_OwS3G9tIYGGhw_HiErqFDHp9ntMFpYb8JLu4Uq-5gozhRfd6Wg0ldHvzyNDWpvW6Eay9X-IA3IeAwHBYUUAzUKER3j4/s320/bubbles.png" alt="TAB Bubbles" title="The Bubble Machine" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> Anyways, here are two fun links to get started again. Recently, my hard-working TAB/NYAB colleagues have <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/resources/doc/api">opened up an API</a> for both sites, allowing developers to reuse and mash up the event data in new and interesting ways.</p>
<p>So far, there have been a number of cool mashups - I'd like to highlight two of them.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/bubbles">The Bubble Machine</a></strong>: shows events as bubbles that emit sound and display event info on :hover. Beautiful execution and an arty way to browse cultural events.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://binbodate.com/">Binbo Date</a></strong>: Having a date but no money? Binbo Date helps you out :-) simply indicate how much you want to spend and where you want to go, and a selection of bars, restaurants and TAB events is shown on an embedded Google Map. Love the feel of the site.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-15351390510670726152007-07-14T02:24:00.000+09:002007-07-14T07:47:24.041+09:00Tokyo Art Beat redesigns<p><a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXHbk2Cbks-kvg-2o7F9kcxKw2On-M5Qg4GpBPb5N4HSbB08A_NPgVBMTaHioR70E16IL8Q6Jj3ojpIit_DMp4OaQK_zPZjdkZtjeghzTbcmAAnQbpe-aP8gnK8POJzfYJQlD/s320/tablogscreenshot.png" alt="TABlog screenshot" title="TABlog" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> Last week, our latest <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/">Tokyo Art Beat</a> makeover was released in the wild.</p>
<p>Besides a wider, 948px layout with an second sidebar, the <a href="http://tokyoartbeat.com/shop/">TAB shop</a> got a serious usability treatment. Chris has the nitty-gritty on the thinking process behind the shop UI and the "pixel-idealized conveyor belt" on <a href="http://www.iixii.net/2007/07/13/tab-redesign/">his blog</a>. Also be sure to check out those <a href="http://tokyoartbeat.com/shop/">new T-shirt designs</a>, and if you like them, purchase one! Or two!</p>
<p>I was mainly involved with the setup, templating and css coding of the new <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/">TABlog</a>, which we turned into a fine e-mag with featured content instead of the previous blog-like roll of posts. For those interested, that's WordPress under the hood, with a heap of <code>get_posts()</code> instances on the frontpage.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-51792828406292403432007-05-10T09:09:00.001+09:002009-01-31T20:22:39.956+09:00Godzilla vs. Sanshin<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreas/491824986/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/210/491824986_d8dc084725_m.jpg" alt="解体工事" title="三信ビル:解体工事" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> Remember the Sanshin Building (<a href="http://loc.alize.us/#/flickr:491824986">map</a>) I <a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/2006/06/sanshin-building-and-its-sad-fate.html">blogged about</a> less than a year ago? Well, its final moments are ticking away at high speed...</p>
<p><a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/2006/06/sanshin-building-and-its-sad-fate.html#4507325708387150593">Exactly on the same day</a> as its much-hyped Tokyo Midtown complex was opened to the public, Mitsui Fudosan has decided to give the green light for the demolition of the Sanshin Building, one of the very few art deco buildings left in Tokyo. The <a href="http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/culture/news/20070501i406.htm?from=main4">official explanation</a> is that the building isn't safe anymore and that Mitsui is doing this in the public interest. Mitsui's plans to demolish also the much more recent neighboring Hibiya Mitsui building however point in the direction of a bigger plan for the area... Oh-o, Tokyo, <a href="http://oldtokyo.com/imperial1923.html">when will you ever learn?</a></p>
<p>For me, <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/ayano/284627301/">this "Godzilla vs. Sanshin" picture</a> says it all. And sadly enough, this time Sanshin will lose.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-60794988645260404882007-04-23T21:16:00.001+09:002009-01-26T02:55:27.612+09:00Kansai Art Beat launch!<p><ins>Update: As of July 1st 2008, Kansai Art Beat is on hiatus.</ins></p>
<p><a href="http://www.kansaiartbeat.com/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/469270212_0541de383d_m.jpg" alt="Kansai Art Beat" title="KAB frontpage" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> I'm happy to announce the launch of <a href="http://www.kansaiartbeat.com/">Kansai Art Beat</a>, the orange+blue result of a collaboration between Gadago (the non-profit behind <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/">Tokyo Art Beat</a>, which I'm part of) and the <a href="http://www.flanders.jp/">Flanders Center</a> in Osaka. Be sure to add <a href="http://www.kansaiartbeat.com/">Kansai Art Beat</a> to your bookmarks!</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-5839872600227108222007-03-28T03:40:00.000+09:002007-03-28T14:24:25.733+09:00A selection of Japanese music tracks on Last.fm<p>Über-awesome music website <a href="http://www.last.fm/">Last.fm</a> recently re-introduced full-track streaming (and sometimes also mp3 downloads) for certain artists in its catalog. As those "golden" tracks are usually quite hard to find, I've done some deep digging, and compiled a list of the best full Japanese tracks available. <a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/2007/03/selection-of-japanese-music-tracks-on.html">Enjoy!</a></p>
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<object width="340" height="123"><param name="movie" value="http://static.last.fm/webclient//defaultEmbedPlayer.swf" /><param name="FlashVars" value="viral=true&lfmMode=playlist&resourceID=13774196&resourceType=9&restTitle=Miho+Hatori+%E2%80%93+Ecdysis&albumArt=" /><embed src="http://static.last.fm/webclient//defaultEmbedPlayer.swf" width="340" FlashVars="viral=true&lfmMode=playlist&resourceID=13774196&resourceType=9&restTitle=Miho+Hatori+%E2%80%93+Ecdysis&albumArt=" height="123" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" ></embed></object>
<object width="340" height="123"><param name="movie" value="http://static.last.fm/webclient//defaultEmbedPlayer.swf" /><param name="FlashVars" value="viral=true&lfmMode=playlist&resourceID=34410163&resourceType=9&restTitle=Piana+%E2%80%93+Befor+Night&albumArt=" /><embed src="http://static.last.fm/webclient//defaultEmbedPlayer.swf" width="340" FlashVars="viral=true&lfmMode=playlist&resourceID=34410163&resourceType=9&restTitle=Piana+%E2%80%93+Befor+Night&albumArt=" height="123" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" ></embed></object>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-3354053136080017852007-03-18T02:58:00.000+09:002007-03-18T03:28:54.265+09:00Weblio beta<p><a href="http://www.weblio.jp/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrHETfDBu7ScPnDd0WtMlFlrxACvM9nC2V0ZL5CMn8SgWSG0d-8hL-qHrsOLuX_4QjZPdniX-NQfGN00kJyNtlrToZb3fYJpz1cV_RM_E7H5UMc6fsQzXC4hyphenhyphenIEZ6m5emzSdI/s320/logoL.png" alt="Weblio logo" title="Weblio" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> I've just discovered <a href="http://www.weblio.jp/">Weblio</a>, an online Japanese meta-dictionary with a cheesy name, which includes results from over 200 dictionaries and encyclopedias. Yup, that's two hundred. The <a href="http://www.weblio.jp/">site</a> has a bit a bare-bones look, but there's some serious power under the hood if you click around and try a couple of queries. Fast response time is another plus point. And there's a <a href="http://thesaurus.weblio.jp/">thesaurus</a> too.</p>
<p>The site <a href="http://www.weblio.jp/info/options/options.jsp">provides instructions</a> how to add this fine service to your browser's search box. I don't know if it's going to replace my <a href="http://www.eijiro.jp/e/index.htm">Eijiro install</a>, but so far, I like it a lot.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-67993030698511229722007-03-12T12:13:00.000+09:002007-03-12T13:15:37.407+09:0080s commercials<p>I just bumped into <a href="http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=PORONKO">this fantastic collection</a> of Japanese commercials from the 80s, uploaded by YouTube user Poronko. Sneak preview below.</p>
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<p>N.B.: In the video above, don't miss the public service announcement about the Northern Territories around the 06:36 mark (02:42 if you count down).</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-31514162464322660242007-03-05T17:33:00.000+09:002007-03-05T17:50:20.366+09:00Going all ~<p>There's something ~-ish going on in many Tokyoites' Flickr photo streams these days... Look for instance at <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/weblog244/382682741/">this</a>, <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/37539119@N00/401969391/">this</a> or <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/93119607@N00/388493851/">this</a>... A view <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/daiji/380472503/">from inside</a>, <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/daiji/379820221/">curvy stairs</a>, <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/hry-fly/365104454/">an outside wall</a>.</p>
<p>I'm talking of course about the mind-bending curves of the recently opened <a href="http://www.nact.jp/english/index.html">National Art Center</a>. <a href="http://tokyoartbeat.com/venue/62826D7D">This TAB venue page</a> has everything you need for a visit.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-60178209907716199342007-02-14T17:18:00.000+09:002007-02-17T05:00:16.058+09:00Search box mock-ups in Japanese advertising<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/392279670/in/photostream/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/157/392279670_b477af2d2c_m.jpg" alt="jindaiji-r ad" title="Jindaiji Residence search box mock-up" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> As of lately, a lot of Japanese train and TV ads feature a mocked up web search box, suggesting the keyword you should use for getting to the site of the vendor in question, <em>without</em> having to remember its (often awkward) non-Japanese URL — an interesting evolution and in no time more widespread than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code">QR codes</a> (or so it seems).</p>
<p>Although a search term is easier to remember than a URL, there is of course a certain risk that users end up on a different website than the one intended. So, I decided to have a quick look at the SE strategies of three randomly chosen ventures that use web search box suggestions in their train ads.</p>
<p>The first example is <a href="http://www.jindaiji-r.com/">Jindaiji Residence</a>, a real estate company. In its ad (pictured above), it surprisingly suggests searching for 深く美しく, which stands for "deep, beautiful" and is probably a word play around the "jin" in Jindaiji. If you search for 深く美しく, something interesting happens: both the <a href="http://www.google.co.jp/search?hl=ja&q=%E6%B7%B1%E3%81%8F%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%8F&btnG=Google+%E6%A4%9C%E7%B4%A2&lr=">Google</a> and <a href="http://search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=%BF%BC%A4%AF%C8%FE%A4%B7%A4%AF&x=0&y=0&fr=top_v2&tid=top_v2&ei=euc-jp&search.x=1">Yahoo!</a> pages sport a full-width Jindaiji Residence sponsored ad on top (with Yahoo! also displaying the Jindaiji Residence site as the 3rd result). And, because lots of people will get the order of the words wrong, the same ad is served for a 美しく深く ("beautiful, deep") <a href="http://www.google.co.jp/search?hl=ja&q=%E7%BE%8E%E3%81%97%E3%81%8F%E6%B7%B1%E3%81%8F&btnG=Google+%E6%A4%9C%E7%B4%A2&lr=">search</a>.</p>
<p>Example two is Tokyo Star Bank, which suggest you search for its <a href="http://www.tokyostarbank.co.jp/omatome/about.php">loans offering</a> with the search term バンクベスト ("Bank Best"). Not too great search results on Google nor Yahoo!, but also here adwords come to the rescue: the バンクベスト search term triggers display of <a href="http://www.google.co.jp/search?hl=ja&q=%E3%83%90%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E3%83%99%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88&btnG=Google+%E6%A4%9C%E7%B4%A2&lr=">sidebar</a> and <a href="http://search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=%A5%D0%A5%F3%A5%AF%A5%D9%A5%B9%A5%C8&x=19&y=12&fr=top_v2&tid=top_v2&ei=euc-jp&search.x=1">top ads</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/392279672/in/photostream/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/392279672_f4be1e2af4_m.jpg" alt="docomo ad" title="ドコモ 派遣 search box mock-up" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> A third example is Docomo's human resources ad, which consists of nothing more than... a search box pointing to ドコモ 派遣 ("Docomo staffing"). If you try this with Yahoo! and Google, the <a href="http://www.docomo-staff.com/">Docomo Staff site</a> shows up as the first result. On <a href="http://search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=%E3%83%89%E3%82%B3%E3%83%A2%E3%80%80%E6%B4%BE%E9%81%A3&ei=UTF-8&fr=top_v2&x=wrt">Yahoo!</a> you have to skip over a number of unrelated ads though, while on <a href="http://www.google.co.jp/search?hl=ja&q=%E3%83%89%E3%82%B3%E3%83%A2%E3%80%80%E6%B4%BE%E9%81%A3&btnG=Google+%E6%A4%9C%E7%B4%A2&lr=">Google</a> a wide Docomo Staff ad is displayed on top.</p>
<p>So, to summarize: Japanese companies <em>promote specific search terms</em> in trains and on TV, and register those terms as the <em>adwords</em> that trigger their ads. If lots of potential Japanese customers try these search term suggestions, I can imagine the search box mock-up phenomenon is a huge cash cow for Yahoo! and Google.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-9729824726434427382007-02-09T04:21:00.000+09:002007-02-09T05:19:03.154+09:00The link between Koguryo and Japanese<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9004139494/nipponkan-20"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHg7ukLt-4ENHdHkaubQFi3y170an8kRm8mjJ0jRpi1eqo0L1Er8WGmbPsgCcVSABcNhyphenhyphend9qP6tv6CNpyFhobwFaG9lANdWlbspBHCC02b5M-g4ph2VTSmZORO9tGzAZBzyYZl/s320/koguryo2.jpg" alt="Koguryo book" title="Koguryo: The Language of Japan's Continental Relatives" style="margin: 8px 10px 0pt 0pt; float: left;" /></a> <p>A couple of weeks ago, <a href="http://www.pliink.com/mt/marxy/archives/2007/01/koguryo-japanese.html">marxy blogged</a> about Christopher L. Beckwith's book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9004139494/nipponkan-20">Koguryo: The Language of Japan's Continental Relatives</a>," which focuses on a possible link between the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goguryeo_language">Koguryo language</a> and Old-Japanese. <a href="http://www.pliink.com/mt/marxy/archives/2007/01/koguryo-japanese.html">Marxy's entry</a> is a good summary of the book's argument, and he also links to <a href="http://www.msu.edu/~jk13/Abs.Beckwith.pdf">a PDF file</a> showing some similarities between (Old-)Koguryo and Japanese.</p>
<p>And it gets more interesting: when browsing through Google Books today, I found out that Beckwith's book is <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9004139494">available in "Full View" format</a>, so you can read the complete work online! I've skimmed through a couple of chapters, and it's very intriguing to see e.g. the similarity between <i>kuchi</i> (meaning "mouth" in Japanese) and its equivalent in Old-Koguryo: <i>kuərtsi</i>. Or <i>tani</i> ("valley" in Japanese) and <i>tan</i> in Old-Koguryo. And there's <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9004139494">much more</a>.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-35025407790850514752007-01-15T14:52:00.000+09:002007-01-15T15:02:25.637+09:00Zotero JA and NL locales available<p>I'd like to point to an <a href="http://chosaq.net/archives/2007/01/zotero-japanese-and-dutch-locales-available.html">entry I recently posted</a> on my other blog, <a href="http://chosaq.net/">chosaq</a>. Details below:</p>
<p>In November 2006, my colleague <a href="http://www.kuleuven.be/cv/u0009136e.htm">Michael Schiltz</a> and I have been working on Japanese and Dutch locales for the excellent <a href="http://www.zotero.org/">Zotero</a> Firefox extension. <a href="http://www.zotero.org/"><img src="http://chosaq.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/zotero-small.png" alt="Zotero logo" title="Zotero" style="float: left; margin: 8px 10px 0 0" /></a> The latest Zotero release (= 1.0.0b3.r1) features our <strong>JA and NL translations</strong> of the Zotero UI (*), so go <a href="http://www.zotero.org/">check it out</a>.</p>
<p>For those new to Zotero, it's a "Next-Generation Research Tool" that "helps you collect, manage, and cite your research sources." If that sounds a bit opaque, have a look at the <a href="http://www.zotero.org/documentation/screencasts/intro">screencast demo</a>, which does a great job explaining what Zotero is all about.</p>
<p>(*) I'd like to point out that our UI translation efforts so far were <strong>1.0.0b2.r2 specific</strong>, so expect to see <em>English</em> strings for recently added functionality, such as the tagging interface in Zotero's left pane, the new report feature, etc. We'll do our best to have a complete translation ready for the next release.</p>
<p>Japanese and Dutch locale corrections, alternative translations and additions are absolutely welcome: feel free to leave a comment here or <a href="http://chosaq.net/archives/2007/01/zotero-japanese-and-dutch-locales-available.html#commentform">over at chosaq</a>.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-40618952066965076522007-01-02T21:47:00.000+09:002007-01-02T22:22:35.426+09:00NDL Gallery: recent additions<p><a href="http://www.pinktentacle.com/">Pink Tentacle</a> (one of my favorite Japan blogs—check out its <a href="http://www.pinktentacle.com/2006/12/pink-tentacles-biggest-spikes-of-2006/">2006 hottest stories overview</a>) recently <a href="http://www.pinktentacle.com/2006/12/edo-period-illustrations-by-kurimoto-tanshuu/">linked to various curiosities</a> in the <a href="http://www.ndl.go.jp/nature/index.html">National Diet Library's Edo period illustrations archive</a>. Note: when you're browsing individual pages (like <a href="http://www.ndl.go.jp/nature/img_r/007/007-01-005r.html">this one</a>), you want to click on 「拡大画像を開く」 for the hi-res versions (<a href="http://www.ndl.go.jp/nature/img_l/007/007-01-005l.html">example</a>).</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ndl.go.jp/modern/e/cha1/description05.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGSX6I49VutVaaR5qIJoK8C4Az65YiWaergaL_eIU6-VjNIvERR85LnD71OzRiLKCBn0ImCNUWC_KqJkEr_ebvi608ncFB1uA_xGcgZQ4t1_U715bDsWN6y3xql6Si2Vkifwh/s320/006-001t.jpg" alt="constitution related docs" title="Origins of the Compilation of the National Constitution" style="float: left; margin: 8px 8px 4px 0"/></a> Also check out another recent addition to the <a href="http://www.ndl.go.jp/en/gallery/index.html">NDL Gallery</a> pages (<a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/2006/01/online-national-diet-library-materials.html">earlier coverage</a>): <a href="http://www.ndl.go.jp/modern/e/index.html">Modern Japan in archives</a>, which is an interface to 100 year of Japanese history "from the opening of the country to the San Francisco Peace Treaty." A <a href="http://www.ndl.go.jp/modern/e/utility/list.html">complete list of documents and illustrations</a> is available too.</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-21862743065851753052006-12-30T20:05:00.000+09:002006-12-30T22:29:32.788+09:00Postcard Delight: New Year's edition<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/338329006/in/set-72157594370856444/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/143/338329006_30fb8a71e5_m.jpg" alt="Japanese postcard" title="Year of the Pig" style="float: left; margin: 8px 10px 2px 0"/></a>To end my <a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/search?q=postcard+delight">2006 post card frenzy</a>, here are two New Year cards for ya.</p>
<p>On the <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/338329006/in/set-72157594370856444/">first card</a>, a violin player with the head of a wild pig, playing a song celebrating the New Year. In this case, that was probably 1911 (or maybe 1923?), as that is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_(zodiac)">year of the pig</a> on the Chinese Zodiac. The sender of the card <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/338329007/in/set-72157594370856444/">recommends</a> the recipient—<a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/2006/12/postcard-delight-part-6.html">another</a> Nakamura-san who was in a Yokosuka hospital at the point of writing—to listen to the pig's violin play in order to cheer up her day.</p>
<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/338329008/in/set-72157594370856444/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/338329008_57b5c3b414_m.jpg" alt="Japanese postcard" title="A Happy New Year" style="float: right; margin: 8px 0 2px 5px"/></a>The <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/338329008/in/set-72157594370856444">second card</a> is my all time favorite: a beautiful New Year's card I found in a tiny store in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yufuin,_%C5%8Cita">Yufuin</a>, Kyūshū. The owner of the store told me he was born in the year the card was posted, which seems to be Taishō 8 (1920)—or is it Shōwa 8 (1934)? Anyway, I hope you enjoy its elegant Art Deco design!</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-19892861038842526112006-12-24T05:28:00.000+09:002006-12-24T05:29:28.386+09:00Postcard Delight: part 6<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/329832749/in/set-72157594370856444/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/157/331117936_350a21d6ef_m.jpg" alt="Japanese postcard" title="Sitting lady" style="float: left; margin: 8px 10px 2px 0"/></a> <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/331117936/in/set-72157594370856444">This card</a>, which depicts a lady sitting in front of a tree, is one of my favorites. I'm not really sure what the author's autograph stands for (か-something?), but the date is quite clear: 1912. Also be sure to check out the <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/331117937/in/set-72157594370856444/">backside of the card</a>. The addressee is a certain Nakamura Yoneko, living in Yokosuka. (Note: one of the <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/306591759/in/set-72157594370856444/">previously posted cards</a> also had a <a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/2006/11/postcard-delight-part-3.html">Yokosuka link</a>.) The ink on the stamp reads 29.11.1, which is probably November 29 of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taish%C5%8D">Taishō</a> 1 (= 1912).</p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19598384.post-1166772712071592872006-12-22T16:23:00.000+09:002006-12-24T05:40:46.591+09:00Postcard Delight: part 5<p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/329832749/in/set-72157594370856444/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/329832749_0f95df66a0_m.jpg" alt="Japanese postcard" title="掘部弥兵衛源金丸" style="float: left; margin: 8px 10px 2px 0"/></a> A long overdue update to my <a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/search?q=postcard+delight">Postcard Delight series</a>. <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/andreas/329832749/in/set-72157594370856444/">This week's card</a> depicts 掘部弥兵衛源金丸 (anybody an idea how to pronounce this?). Just as was the case with the <a href="http://nipponkan.blogspot.com/2006/12/postcard-delight-part-4.html">previous card</a>, I have no clear idea about when this one was made. Info is <a href="abovens@gmail.com">welcome</a>.</p>
<p><ins><strong>Update:</strong> Some insights from the gf... Apparently, the rest of the text says 江戸留守居役 三百石 行年七十八才, which means he was a daimyō's "Edo representative," owned quite a bit of rice-producing land, and died at the age of 78. The writing on his clothes also mentions 赤穂遺臣 (akō ishin), which is a reference to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin">Akō vendetta</a>.</ins></p>andreashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12712032518495106558noreply@blogger.com0