Category Archives: Weird

On Kappa

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

It takes time for new places to seep into my dreams. When I’ve left a place, my dreams take me back instead of forward. Places go first – the familiar coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores stop serving as backdrops. People … Continue reading →

Posted in Tradition, Uncategorized, Video, Weird | 5 Comments

On the Psychic Abilities of Japanese Salarymen

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

The first thing you’ll do at a new job in Japan is sit for weeks without instructions. You will show up to work and sit at a desk. You’ll have lunch around 12:30, then sit at your desk. Your supervisors … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Weird | 14 Comments

On Heating an Apartment in Japan

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

Japan does not believe in warmth without risk. You might find a heater in various offices or installed for single-room use in apartments. But more often, you won’t. Instead, you will find various life-threatening electronic devices designed to warm the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Preparations, Uncategorized, Weird | 25 Comments

Japan’s Least Popular Arcade Game |

Posted on January 19, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

I’ve developed something bordering on fanaticism for the Taiko Drum game and spend way too much money and time in video arcades as a result. “Game Centers,” as the kids call them, are usually a few floors with gambling on … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Uncategorized, Video, Weird | 4 Comments

On Abandoned Ski Resorts in Japan | 逃散

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Eryk Salvaggio

I spent Halloween on top of a mountain in Oita Prefecture at a 3-star resort hotel in an otherwise abandoned resort complex surrounded by rice paddies, a ski slope overrun by weeds, two empty minimalls, a locked-up bowling alley and … Continue reading →

Posted in Fun, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized, Weird | 10 Comments

On TV in Japan, Part 1

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Eryk Salvaggio

The TV show started out as some sort of dog melodrama. There’s a really adorable grandmother scooping up a new, tiny dog with gigantic eyes and hugging it with a face so filled with love that the cameraman shows it … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Weird | 3 Comments