ミュータントフロッグトラベロッグは、日本やアジア諸国の文化・政治情勢・技術を英語で紹介するためのブログとして誕生しました。タイトルを日本語に訳すと「変異体蛙の旅行日記」になりますが、意味はないので気にしないでください（詳しくはミュータントフロッグ君に聞いてください）。旅行中で撮った写真や、日本語のニュースから選ばれたオモシロ記事の英訳を主に掲載しています。
編集者は私（アダム）とミュータントフロッグ君、アメリカ人二人です。二人とも日本に２年住んだこともあり、日本やアジアに興味深いです。このブログは、あくまで暇つぶしに過ぎないかもしれませんが、基本的にアジアに対する理解を深めるのが私たちの目的です。
そこで、このブログに日本語コーナーを設けることにしました。 Continue reading ミュータントフロッグ日本語版へようこそ（ミッションステートメント（使命声明）
That’s the title of my new song, as yet unwritten. It harks back to the days when long, parenthetical song titles dotted the top 10. I like to think it’s something Jello Biafra would come up with.
OK, so what is this concept? This is something that the President has been touting, especially in reference to Social Security. But here are some key areas: Continue reading The Ownership Society (Makes me want to puke)
Today was quite the day. The gf had her bag stolen today so we spent the afternoon trying to track down the culprit. She was in the basement of the library and left her bag unattended for two seconds when some crackhead-looking guy made off with it. She lost $200, her license, a nice wallet, her bag that went to India and Canada with her, her Social Security card, and the guy used her credit cards to buy dog food and a tank of gas of all things.
When we cancelled her credit cards it showed what he bought and where, and it looked like the cops werent gonna do shit so we went and checked it out. The guy left an authentic looking signature on the receipt at the pet store in addition to showing up on camera, and the gas station manager was very cooperative and said he’d help us out in the morning.
Our hope is that the gas station caught his car, so we can get a model and make and maybe the plates. Then we can submit the signature and the car info to the cops and ask them to run it for people with records in the area. At first i didnt even take a photocopy of the receipt at the pet store because i assumed the cops would come check things out. But then i tried calling them with the info and the woman who answered was a BITCH. We asked to talk to the officer we were speaking with before and she was like ‘he’s gone try back tomorrow at 7am’ and then took down our info really curtly.
All in all it was kind of fun playing detective, although not quite $200 worth of fun. I’ll let you know what kind of dogs the guy has if we catch him.
Before I went to Kazkhstan last year I knew almost nothing about the country besides it’s general location. When I bring it up in conversation many people have never heard of it, few know anything about it, and of course virtually noone would ever actually consider going there.
While not exactly an introduction to the country, this article makes a good case for why one should know Kazakhstan.
Ten Reasons for loving Kazakhstan
4. Oily
. . . what is thought to be the world’s biggest oil field was discovered there in 2002. Specialists believe the offshore Kashagan field, in the Caspian Sea, contains about 40 billion barrels of the black stuff. Western governments, keen to reduce their dependency on the Middle East, have snuggled up to the Kazakhs ever since. There are also plans to construct an oil pipeline to China later this year. The upshot is . . .
Osaka Prefecture to Enact New Law
On Jan. 18th, Osaka Prefecture affirmed its intention to preserve local mass culture from Noh theater to Rakugo, Manzai, and Takoyaki with the “Osaka Culture Law.” After submitting it to the local legislature in February they expect to enact it by April. According to prefectural authorities, 8 other prefectures already have similar laws, such as Hokkaido, Tokyo, and Kumamoto, but this is a first for the Kansai region. Continue reading Protecting Manzai and Takoyaki
The Japan that Can Beat China
I decided to print this from the Shukan Post (Weekly Post) because it seems like the English-language media only print what he says out of context. While I don’t agree with the man, he does have some provocative things to say that make it obvious why he’s so popular. Take a look:
Foreign Relations, The Economy, Territories — How long can Japan stand being the country that everyone dumps on? Continue reading A Very Special New Year Interview with Your Friend Ishihara Shintaro
I got this inexplicable email. It sure wasn’t intended for me, but doesn’t exactly appear to be spam. If it’s some kind of phishing scam, I just don’t understand how. I include the email address it came from, so if anyone wants to contact this person, feel free.
谭 明飚
Dear Sir/Madam
I am a international student who come from China and last time returned
China,have been transient in Seoul Incheon International Airport by ASINANA
AIRLINES.However,when I chek out,the staff of your airport doubt about my
passport and defined my passport is artifical.After than they were detain
me!!Keep me in a room over 10hours!taken freedom from me and confine me in
the room!Such rude it is unbeliveable!!!but it was happened in your
airport!
As the result,I returne to China spent my holiday,after then I comeing New
Zealand for my study,without any trouble with my passport and my status!!!I
am a chinese,No any doubt about that!!
Iam sure that you will agree that this is most unsatisfactory
situation.However there is not any apologize from you airport!!!
I wish to make complaint and request your pay me!!Pay my time and spirit,it
was hurt me deeply!!
My name is TAN MINGBIAO
Paeeport Number GO3671006
Flight Number OZ608 from AUCKLAND to Seoul incheon
Flight Number OZ325 from Seoul to GUILIN
Flight Number OZ370 from GUANGZHON to Seoul
Flight Number OZ607 from Seoul to AUCKLAND
I look forward to hearing from you soon!!
TAN MINGBIAO
27/11/2004
By the way,your staff’english is badly,I mean need more training,because
this is an international airport!!!
A friend and I recently attended an exhibit at the Smithsonian of some guy’s collection of Late 19th- Mid-20th century Japanese woodblock prints, or Hanga.
It turns out that at the Japanese National Museum in Tokyo they were running a similar exhibit at the same time. I didn’t check it out but it was probably a different collection of prints.
Anyway here (thanks to FG for the link) is an article describing the boom that Japanese art experienced at the end of the 19th century and how it influenced Van Gogh. Here is something he wrote to his sister whilst in the grip of madness:
Theo wrote that he offered you Japanese woodblock prints. That is certainly the best way to understand which direction the light and colorful painting has taken. Here I need no Japanese woodblock prints, because I am here in Japan. This is why I only have to open my eyes and paint the impressions that I receive.
Currently in America there is kind of a Japanese culture boom as well, except mostly in children’s entertainment rather than art. Perhaps, like the Japonisme boom of 100 years ago, this won’t be permanent but the best work resulting from it will leave a lasting effect on pop culture.
Funabashi, Chiba — Unemployed Miyabe Hideteru (57) of Kasuga, Saitama, was arrested Jan. 5th by Chiba Prefectural Police at the Matsudo East Precinct on suspicion of defrauding a woman out of 5 million yen by telling her he was “the descendant of Mito Koumon.”
(Mito Koumon was a Tokugawa-era shadow ruler who was famous for traveling the countryside and checking up on the various fiefdoms. He’s been the subject of many many movies and TV shows, where he was famous for revealing himself by flashing a card showing his haiku pen name and shouting, “Can’t you see this seal?!”)
According to investigation, the man told a woman he met at Funabashi Health Center in April 2001 that, “I am the current head of the Mito household. That makes me his grandson,” and “I am going to sell land in Hokkaido to the government for 3.6 billion yen, so lend me the money to pay for the paper work. At the end of May I will pay you back double,” upon which he took 5 million yen from the woman. Continue reading Man claiming to be Mito Koumon’s Descendant Cheats Woman out of 5 Million Yen
It’s something that I’ve known for years, having criss-crossed to and from Japan every year or so: first knee-high boots are popular in Japan, then they’re popular here. First thick turtlenecks are popular in Japan, then they’re popular here. About 10 years ago Japan was infamous for its extreme reality shows (MXC, anyone?). Now it’s Britain and America. American pop culture has been secretly ripping off Japan for quite some time. I was happy to finally see something about it here:
Nike keeping secret eye on Shibuya
Nonfiction writer Hideki Kiriyama reveals that Nike Inc, the world’s largest sports and fitness company, is secretly keeping a close eye on Tokyo’s Shibuya district, a favorite hangout of the capital’s youth.
Writingin this month’s issue of Voice, Kiriyama says that Nike always bases its product design on insight that enables it to connect with consumers. The casual product sensibility and taste for bright colors seen in the street fashion that fills the cities of modern Japan, he says, are known as “J sense” and have attracted not only American designers but also young people and children in Asia.
Kiriyama asserts that Japanese “cool,” which involves improving Western designs and colors in a Japanese style, such as by adding transparency or sheen to cosmetic products, is unmistakably beginning to win the hearts of people all over the world.
He laments that in contrast to Nike, which takes inspiration for its designs from Shibuya, the heart of Japanese youth culture, Japan itself has failed to recognize the global value of this culture and can only focus on the decadent aspects of the changes instigated by young people.
He stresses that if rejection is Japan’s only reaction to its youth culture, the country will not be able to recognize the new value created by the new generation. (Foreign Press Center)
He certainly has a point. While ultra-cool Japanese kids have been supplying rich clothing companies with ideas, they have been getting nothing but crap from the press and public opinion.
