I visited the Taniguchi Japanese Garden at Zilker Botanical Gardens this weekend with my good friend, John Lowe. Despite a very long drought, the garden appears to be in reasonably good shape. The garden was designed and built by Isamu Taniguchi, who worked for 18...
Tonight, the Alamo Draft House at Lake Creek in Austin hosted a showing of Funimation’s “Evangelion 1.0: You Are (not) Alone.” I had heard that the theater was sold out earlier today, and I got confirmation when I looked around right before the movie...
Here’s the second part of my discussion on the symbolism of anime and how it appeals to the subconscious and plugs in well to the monomyth (the Hero’s Journey). You can read Part 1 here. Symbols have been a part of humanity since we as a species learned...
This week, I attended the happy hour hosted by the Japan-America Society of Greater Austin at the Central Market on North Lamar. Roughly 15 people showed up to connect and get to know each other a little better. I had a chance to chat with several people, including...
I’m 37 years old; much too old, some would say, to be watching anime (“cartoons” as some call them). This is an opinion that I’ve heard quite often, but I’m as inclined to agree with it as I would be to the idea that someone who reads...
Of all things Japanese, I tend to be weakest in my knowledge of Japanese music, which is sad really. I enjoy J-rock and J-pop, often more than I like American music, and I can’t even understand what they’re saying most of the time. (Give me Gackt or Mucc...
I forgot to mention in my post on Asahi Imports that they have a frequent shopper program that pays you back if you spend enough money with them. This is really convenient for people like me, who shop there weekly, but, even if you only shop there once per month, you...
Nagoya Steak & Sushi had a soft opening this past Wednesday, August 12th, and since it’s just three doors down from where I work, I’ve had lunch there for the past couple of days. On Thursday, I tried out their Filet Mignon hibachi meal, and today, I...
Last night, I attended the opening ceremony for Tokyo Electron’s art exhibit “A Close-up View: East Asian Art & Antiquities,” located in the lobby of Tokyo Electron America here in Austin. The exhibit showcases the work of photographer Cecilia...
Next month, the Japan-America Society of Greater Austin will host a concert by Tsugaru shamisen player Toshie Suzuki at Casa de Luz. This looks like it’ll be a great performance by a truly talented musician. About Toshie Suzuki She was born in Nagoya, Japan and...
