Gadling

If you live in Tokyo, it's hard not to stay on top of the latest fashion buzz...

Ranking alongside Paris, Milan, London and New York, Tokyo is one of the world's most fashionable cities. Japanese consumers, who are quick to snatch up the latest brand name goods and must-have items, largely fuel the second largest economy on the planet.

In a country defined by the phrase 'customer is king,' Japan is a shopper's paradise where flashes of cash are the preferred means of demonstrating your wealth and power. With that said, the question on everyone's mind is whether or not the Japanese will have to tighten their belts and check their spending habits, especially considering that their economy is heading towards recession.

While brandaholics might have to curb their lust for designer shoes and handbags, the latest trend in the world of Japanese fashion is Hennes & Mauritz, the Swedish retailer that is better known in North America and Europe as H&M.

Yup. That cheap-but-chic and wear-it-then-toss-it fashion giant we've all come to know and love has finally arrived in Japan. But, in a land where US$100 T-shirts and US$300 jeans are the norm rather than the exception, will H&M be a hit amongst fickle Japanese consumers?

Old Japan, at least the one in the stories, must have been a wild place...

The word yōkai (妖怪) refers to a broad class of demons, spirits and monsters that appear in traditional Japanese folklore. Possessing great supernatural and spiritual powers, yōkai are famous for their mischievous dealings with humans.

While modern Japan is justifiably famous for its weird, wacky and often bizarre anime and manga, it's not too difficult to figure out where the inspiration for these creations came from. Indeed, yōkai are truly the stuff of legends, which why today's post is all about these crazy, crazy creatures from old Japan.

Bakezōri (化け草履, transforming straw sandals) There is an entire class of yōkai known as tsukumogami (付喪神, artifact spirits), which are ordinary household items that come to life on their one-hundredth birthday. Bakezōri are traditional straw sandals that suddenly spring to life, and start running through the house screaming at the top of their lungs.

Tanuki (狸, タヌキ) Anyone who remembers the video game Super Mario Bros. 3 knows that the tanuki suit was pretty awesome, especially since you could change into a statue and avoid those pesky koopa troopas. Tanuki are actually a living raccoon-like animal found in mountains and forests. In old Japan however, they were mischievous tricksters that were easily identifiable by their massively swollen testicles, which they could swing over their shoulders and carry around like a duffel bag!

Intrigued? There are lots more (^_^)

The difference between men and boys is truly the price of their toys...

Last month, Big in Japan reported about the latest and greatest robot, namely 'Eternal Maiden Actualization' or EMA, a 15 inch tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command.

However, just in case you thought that robots couldn't get any cooler, I would like to introduce you all today to the Rovio, a remote surveillance robot created by the brilliant minds at WowWee. With a retail price of US$299, and an estimated shipping date of early fall, the Rovio raises the bar for home surveillance, baby and pet monitoring, long-distance communication and straight-up coolness.

Basically, the Rovio is a mobile robotic web camera that is equipped with a state of the art micro-GPS system known as Northstar. This sweet and sophisticated tech allows the Rovio to act as a mobile sentry capable of plotting waypoints around your home, and patrolling between them with precision and accuracy.

As if this wasn't enough of a hard sell, the Rovio is also equipped with a flexible arm and an array of onboard sensors, which are together capable of filming and recording everything that is going on inside your home, and streaming this info to the internet.

How awesome is that?

All this week, Big in Japan is bringing you trade secrets on how to unravel the linguistic enigma that is Japanese...

While most resident foreigners here in Japan can rattle off a good number of key phrases, the true test of linguistic fluency is whether or not they can read traditional Chinese characters or kanji (漢字 / かんじ).

One of three sets of written scripts that comprises Japanese, kanji are - quite frankly - a royal pain in the ass to learn, especially since there are literally thousands and thousands of characters to learn.

Considering that most Japanese students can't read a newspaper until they reach high school, you can imagine how long it takes Westerners to master the full character set. However, this worthy goal is in fact possible to achieve, and it really is never too late to take the plunge.

Interested in learning a bit of 日本語 (nihongo, Japanese)?

Here are 15 easy Japanese kanji that that you can learn to read today:

田　(den / ta, rice field) This character is just like a bird's-eye view of a rice patty.

山　(san / yama, mountain) Do you see the shape of the mountain here?

川　(sen / kawa, river) Try to picture the flow of a bending river.

The list goes on...

All this week, Big in Japan is bringing you trade secrets on how to unravel the linguistic enigma that is Japanese...

We're not going to lie to you: Japanese is really, really hard to learn. Even if you fancy yourself to be an aspiring linguist, it takes years and years of study to wrap your noodle around the complex characters, grueling grammar patterns and formal phrases that comprise 日本語 (nihongo, Japanese).

Truth be told, there really isn't any substitute for formalized Japanese education. However, before stepping off the plane here in the Land of the Rising Sun, you can certainly give yourself a head start by crash coursing basic Japanese.

You'll be surprised how quick and easy it is to master the basics and build a strong foundation. And, while we're certainly biased, most people will agree that Japanese has an undeniable cool factor. (^O^)>スゴイ！！

So, if you want to take the plunge and start to figure out exactly what's going on in all of those crazy anime you watch, keep on reading for some author-tested tips on how to crash course Japanese.

The best way to learn Japanese, at least according to the old joke, is to be born in Japan, to have Japanese parents, to go to Japanese Kindergarten...

(You get the idea!)

For the rest of us however, the only way of wrapping of our minds around the linguistic enigma that is Japanese is to spend years and years slaving away over complex characters, grueling grammar patterns and formal phrases that seem to defy all manners of sensible logic.

But seriously, it really isn't that bad, and even if you never fully master Japanese, at least you can look cool ordering sushi in front of all of your envious friends!

On that note, this week's Big in Japan is devoted to unraveling the mysteries of 日本語 (nihongo, Japanese).

While we're certainly not promising that you'll be able to learn Japanese in just a few clicks of the mouse, at least you'll get a good sense of how it is that you can draw meaning from all of those crazy scribbles.

So, without further adieu, let's start with the basics (^O^)>始める！！

I love ramen.

For some, it's the heady aroma and subtle flavor of a finely aged cheese. For others, it's the enticing sizzle and juicy goodness of a T-bone steak.

For me, it's gotta be ramen, nature's most perfect food.

Now, while there really is no substitute for handmade ramen noodles floating in zen-like harmony in a steaming bowl of rich and creamy miso broth, sometimes you have to settle for Cup Noodles.

An old standby that's as cheap as it is nourishing, Cup Noodles can be enjoyed beyond your college years, especially if you know how to spice it up. On that note, if you're an aspiring gourmand, or you're just too poor to treat yourself to a proper meal, then today's posting is for you.

Here are 5 ways to make a real meal out of Cup Noodles:

5) Seafood Bisque Here in Japan, the latest craze is to add steaming hot milk to seafood flavored Cup Noodles, which makes a hearty cream soup that is surprisingly filling. This is a great way to stretch your budget as milk fills the belly much better than mere water. And, if you close your eyes and savor the aroma, you can almost convince yourself that you're dining on seafood bisque in an expensive restaurant somewhere by the sea.

Keep reading as the list goes on...

When you spend your days writing about Japan, it is sometimes really hard not to turn into a complete and total fanboy. Truth be told, Japan is an awesome, awesome place, and we bloggers love to write about all the weird, wacky and wonderful things that happen over here in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Of course, it's important not to view Japan through sakura-tinted glasses, especially since the country can at times be an extremely difficult and frustrating place to live. Indeed, the prospect of assimilating into one of the world's most homogenous societies is a difficult task (to say the least!).

We all do make mistakes from time to time, though there are certain ones that we would rather not repeat. On that note, today's post is about the 5 things I wish had known before moving to Japan:

- You cannot get rich by teaching English in Japan.

Unless you've been working a menial job back home, you will be surprised by how low the teaching salaries are here in Japan. Yes, there are high-paying jobs out there if you know where to find them. And yes, the cost of living here is lower than in most major cities in North America and Europe. However, the English teaching market in Japan is saturated, and when supply outstrips demand, salaries are quick to suffer.

Keep reading as the list goes on...

Believe it or not, some of Japan's most famous sumo wrestlers have just been diagnosed with a 'chronic' case of reefer madness...

Last month, Big in Japan reported on how an increasing number of Japanese people have been tuning in and dropping out, thanks to the easy availability of marijuana seeds on the Internet for home cultivation.

Back in July, a government worker was arrested after police raided his personal greenhouse in western Japan. In May, customs officers at Tokyo Narita International airport accidently lost US$10,000 worth of hash after it had been slipped illegally into a random traveler's luggage - they were foolishly attempting to test the noses of the canine sniffers.

And now, Japan's national sport of sumo, which dates back hundreds and hundreds of years, is being rocked by a drugs scandal. Indeed, sumo has historically been an extremely conservative sport, and wrestlers are obliged to conform to the highest possible Japanese standards of morality.

Two weeks ago, a 20-year-old Russian known by his fighting name of Wakanoho, was arrested for possession of cannabis, and now faces up to five years in prison with forced labor. The Sumo Association immediately banned him for life, the first time an active wrestler has been kicked out of the sport.

Oh, but the reefer madness doesn't stop here - keep reading!

Quite simply, Tokyo is an amazing tourist destination...

From the manicured gardens of the Imperial Palace and the frozen tuna carcasses in Tsukiji's markets, to the neon lights of Shibuya and the street fashions of Harajuku, Tokyo really does seem to have it all.

Of course, while tourists are quick to check off Tokyo's top spots on their itinerary, there are plenty of other easy-to-miss spots that locals and resident ex-pats love to visit.

True, these destinations don't have as much historical grace or cultural pizzazz as others. However, they're still great places to soak up the ebb and flow of the city, and there is a good chance that you won't see too many other foreign tourists milling about.

So, without further adieu, here is a quick and concise list of Tokyo's top 5 easy-to-miss spots:

5) Shinjuku National Gardens (新宿御苑, Shinjuku-gyoen) This sprawling parkland on the western edge of the Yamanote line is arguably Tokyo's best leafy retreat. If the weather is cooperating, grab a bento from the convenience store, and have yourself a picnic lunch under the shade of a sakura tree. When you're done, walk it off while contemplating the Zen-inspired beauty of this classic landscape garden.

Want to know which spots made it to the top of our list? Keep reading!