Author Archives: Michael Gakuran

New Monkey Island and Remake!

By Michael Gakuran | Published June 2, 2009
The Secret of Monkey Island, that classic adventure game with Guythrush Geekhood Guybrush Threepwood is about to return in full, glorious High Definition! A complete overhaul of the 1990s masterpiece. And that’s just the beginning – a *new* Monkey Island game – The Tales of Monkey Island – is also set to land this summer!
Posted in Other | 13 Comments

The ‘Gaijin’ Debate

By Michael Gakuran | Published May 29, 2009
That perennial debate – is it racist to use the word ‘gaijin’ to refer to foreigners? Here is a summary of the multitude of views out there surrounding this thorny issue and my own humble opinion.
Posted in Japan | 196 Comments

The World of Golden Eggs CM

By Michael Gakuran | Published May 28, 2009
Ooo! The Golden Eggs are back! Gotta love these insane little adverts. Plusheads and CC Lemon last year and right now on Japanese television they’re marketing a low fuel consumption car – the Nissan NOTE – again. Take a look! ^^
Posted in Other | 4 Comments

Super Mario X Japanese Lesson

By Michael Gakuran | Published May 24, 2009
I came across this fantastically hilarious Super Mario World parody today. It’s an original song by Hyadain which I enjoyed so much that I subtitled and turned into a special Gakuranman Japanese lesson for you! Men compete with their heart!
Posted in Japan | 14 Comments

Yakushima – Japan Travel Photos

By Michael Gakuran | Published May 21, 2009
Here’s a video-photo slideshow of my trip to Yakushima (屋久島), the green island in southern Japan, famed for its ancient cedar trees (yakusugi) and captivating forests. I went there for a 3-day trip with a couple of Japanese friends late summer 2008.
Posted in Japan | 23 Comments

Gakuranman Fan Art

By Michael Gakuran | Published May 20, 2009
I’m the proud owner of some wonderful fan art! Dave from The Ramen Blues (also the artist behind my Gakuranman image) has kindly drawn me this fantastic piece!
Posted in Bioluminescence | 8 Comments

Japanese Newspaper Headlines

By Michael Gakuran | Published May 5, 2009
Have you ever wondered how to read the headlines in Japanese newspapers? They’re so chock-a-block full of kanji that it seems like an insurmountable wall to scale. And that’s not to mention the split sentences. What do all those mysterious sentences that end on a particle mean?! I take you through some examples.
Posted in Japan | 29 Comments

Wason Card Puzzle Solution

By Michael Gakuran | Published April 30, 2009
Alrighty then! Time for the solution to that tricky little logic puzzle, the Wason Card Problem. I was impressed! I have many smart readers out there! (SPOILER)
Posted in Philosophy | 6 Comments