Football:
Is not all that popular in Japan. Lately the national team is doing well and that seems to get people interested, but only on the short-term. The J-League is quite popular dispite being rather crap. But, most football fans prefer the Itallian or English leagues. There are weekly football programs on TV, but nothing compared to those in the UK and focus almost entirely on European teams. The main sport is baseball. Football is nothing compared to it. During the season, most of the sports news is 99% baseball. This year a new team has started, the Touhoku Rakuten Golden-Eagles. The first new team in like 50 years or something like that.
You seem to get this "Whats the skill in football?! All they do is kick a ball around the field" attitude from baseball fans, which pisses me off. Especially since finding ANY skill or interesting things in baseball is almost impossible.
By the way, for those won might have any interest: last season the Seibu Lions won the Japan series.
My favourite aspects of Japanese culture??? :roll:
:idea: Convenience stores that are open 24/7 and have everything from dried squid to hardcore porn.
:idea: Trains that actually arrive and leave on time.
:idea: Tokyo having everything you want, so you don't have to go to some far off place (like Leeds or somewhere, sorry for being a Yorkshire boy) to get something you need.
I can't think of anything else at the moment...
Tenchi OAV and Outlaw Star 2:
I'll do a little digging and get back to you soon :wink:
Samurai Champloo:
It sh*ts on CB from a great hight
Cb was cool but SC is better! I heard that it is getting a release in America soon on DVD. The new series starts here SOON!!!
Shoes:
All houses have a place that it lower than the rest of the house at the door where you take your shoes off. It is quite a big deal if you don't do it, but no-one will kill you or anything like that. In most offices, schools etc people change into slippers. At home most people use slippers sometimes but mostly bare feet or socks.
Japanese Food:
I do like Japanese food. Not all of it of course, some I wouldn't even offer to my worst enemy :!: I do get cravings for British food, especially Cadbury's "Mini Eggs", Galaxy Hazelnut, Pork Scratchings, KP Skips, those little pink/yellow/brown MR. Kipling cakes that are full of e-numbers, Jelly Tots, sausages (there are NO bloody
real sausages here! I'm thinking about contacting the Human Rights Commision).
I do a lot of cooking myself so fish&chips etc, I can make at home. But I do miss standing in the rain outside a chippy, freezing and covering them in so much salt you could preserve them for a year and drowning them in vinegar so your eyes melt if you put them over them :roll: