Live! From Tokyo

‘Setsuden’ and the new magic number 28 (Japan Times)

geoffbotting — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:26:58 +0000

Photo by Geoff Botting

Japan’s summer has started off with a bang, weather-wise.

In what seems like a repeat of last year’s record-breaking heat, the first couple of weeks of July were marked by a heatwave throughout many parts of Japan — daily high temperatures in the mid-30s with the lows rarely dipping below 25 degrees Celcius. (Click this text to see the story on the Japan Times site.)

Go on — check out my YouTube channel

geoffbotting — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 01:12:04 +0000

You’ll find several “reporters packages,” reviews, travel, etc. , all in glorious video.

Click this link!

English-only policies come under media spotlight (Japan Times)

geoffbotting — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:57:50 +0000

By Geoff Botting
Learn to speak English, or else!
That’s the message for employees of Internet services company Rakuten, Inc. Back in May, the company announced plans to adopt English as the company’s official language by 2012. That means all meetings and communications within the company would be conducted solely in English. (Click this text to read the full story at Japan Times.)

Imperial Palace: one of Japan’s great hidden secrets (Japan-i)

geoffbotting — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:59:07 +0000

Photo by Geoff Botting

Smack in the middle of Tokyo, covering a vast swath of meadows, gardens and traditional buildings, sits one of Japan’s great hidden secrets. (Click here for full story at Japan-i.)

The land of the early rising, and setting, sun (Japan Times)

geoffbotting — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:04:49 +0000

Not only is the government’s persistent refusal to adopt daylight-savings time a waste of natural light, it’s plain no fun. (Click here for full story on the Japan Times)

Japanese opt for domestic travel (Kyodo News)

geoffbotting — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:04 +0000

Akihiro, a civil servant, is planning to spend some of his New Year’s holiday at a hot spring resort.

“We haven’t decided exactly where yet, but somewhere close to Tokyo. My work schedule only gives me a few days off,” he said while browsing through a rack of brochures with his girlfriend at a travel agency inside Shinjuku Station. (Click here for full story on Japan Times site.)

You only drink rice (Japan Visitor)

geoffbotting — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:54:02 +0000

If you’ve seen “You Only Live Twice,” the only James Bond movie set in Japan, you probably remember the following scene:

Tiger Tanaka, the head of Japanese intelligence, asks James, “Do you like Japanese sake, Mr. Bond? Or would you prefer a vodka martini?”

“No, no. I like sake, “James replies.”Especially when it’s served at the correct temperature, 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Err, right, Mr. Bond….(Click here for full story on Japan Visitor)

Japanese Knives: make a sharp impression (Japan-i, Aug. 09)

geoffbotting — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:27:34 +0000

For food fanatics visiting Japan, the most coveted souvenir is not a hand fan, kimono or Godzilla t-shirt. No, it’s a kitchen knife, or better yet, a set of knives.
Japan has long been known for its knives, which are high quality, razor sharp and artfully created. Born of a long tradition, Japanese kitchen knives come in vast selection of sizes, shapes and quality, depending on the food to be sliced, diced or hacked. (Click here for full story on Japan-i)

Waging war on the U.S. presence (Japan Times)

geoffbotting — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:07:17 +0000

If you’re a reader of Japanese newspapers or a viewer of Japanese TV news, you’re probably well aware of the U.S. military presence in Japan. And the chances are, nearly everything you’ve read or heard has been negative. Click here for full story.

Building better efficiency (Eurobiz Japan, Feb. 2010)

geoffbotting — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:56:26 +0000

Tony, an analyst at an investment bank in Tokyo, recalls the first time he brought his Japanese wife back to his family home in England. It was the Christmas holiday season, and Tony had a certain item on his “to-do list” for the trip – to point out to his wife the joys of modern central heating combined with thick insulation. Click here for full story