Author Archives: Michael Gakuran

Wason Card Puzzle

By Michael Gakuran | Published April 28, 2009
Ho ho! Today I have a fun little philosophical puzzle for you that you can impress your friends with (after getting it right yourself!) It’s called the Wason card problem, and only a reputed 5% of university-educated adults get it right!
Posted in Philosophy | 68 Comments

Japansoc Poken Contest

By Michael Gakuran | Published April 24, 2009
Oh yes old chap. I’ve only gone and entered myself into the devilishly hot Japansoc Poken Contest, haven’t I? I was feeling a little tired of typing, so I threw together a rather fine montage for you on Youtube!
Posted in Other | 17 Comments

Warship Island

By Michael Gakuran | Published April 23, 2009
Just spotted this haikyo news article in the Japan Times. Apparently a 35-year landing ban has been lifted on Hashima Island, better known as ‘Gunkanjima’ or ‘Warship Island’. The 480×160 metre long island was abandoned in 1974 after its coal mine collapsed.
Posted in Other | 10 Comments

Launching: Gakuranman.com

By Michael Gakuran | Published April 21, 2009
Hey all. Just to let you know that my website has moved to the domain: Gakuranman.com
Posted in Journal | 3 Comments

Learn Kansai-ben

By Michael Gakuran | Published April 16, 2009
A recent interview saw me exploring some of the wonders of Kansai-ben with a native speaker. If you’re like me, you might have an interest in this wacky dialect from Southern Japan, so come and learn a few phrases with us!
Posted in Japan | 31 Comments

Fine Orient relaunch

By Michael Gakuran | Published April 7, 2009
Fine Orient is an e-commerce site primarily focused around Japanese goods, particularly women’s kimono, but also has a large range of oriental goods, such as Chinese calligraphy, handbags and purses, japanese gifts and even some luxurious oriental-themed women’s nightwear, pyjamas and pyjama sets!
Posted in Other | 11 Comments

Work-Life Balance in Japan

By Michael Gakuran | Published March 29, 2009
I’ve been pondering over this issue so much recently that I feel compelled to write an introspective post. So here are the naive reflections of a young 20-something adult. The topic? Overtime in Japan. With my impending graduation and the possibility of work in Japan, it’s time I faced this troubling problem head-on.
Posted in Japan | 103 Comments

Japansoc Blogger Conference 2

By Michael Gakuran | Published March 15, 2009
Yesterday at 1am I was up and donning my black gakuran to attend the second J-blogger conference. Wonky Tofugu’s Koichi hosted the conference on the popular live video learning platform Edufire. The focus was on the fantastic group of people that blog about all things Japanese.
Posted in Other | 23 Comments