urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:bounen_no_kou Kou's Lost Memories Kou's Lost Memories 2008-08-29T17:53:08Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:bounen_no_kou:703 2008-08-29T17:50:32Z 2008-08-29T17:53:08Z Well, I've started giving this journal address out to people, so I guess I'd better post something!<br /><br />I'm an amateur artist and professional Japanese translator who has lived in a small town in Maryland her whole life (26 at the end of September). I do my work online, translating mostly for video game-related paraphernalia such as instruction manuals and strategy guides. I like to think I'm pretty good at translating and reading Japanese, though I'm no good at speaking it.<br /><br />Eight days from now, I'll be getting on a plane to Japan. I'll be there for a year, participating in the Japanese Language Program at Keio University in Tokyo. I will have my own apartment in Aoto, just a fifteen minute commute to the central Yamanote area of Tokyo. I've been there a couple of times before, but this will be my first experience living there for an extended period of time.<br /><br />I am unbelievably excited.<br /><br />At any rate, the purpose of this journal is threefold:<br /><br />1.) To serve as a journal of my own time in Japan. This journal won't be replacing my personal journal (which is at <span class='ljuser ljuser-name_kouaidou' lj:user='kouaidou' style='white-space: nowrap;'><a href='http://kouaidou.livejournal.com/profile'><img src='http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif' alt='[info]' width='17' height='17' style='vertical-align: bottom; border: 0; padding-right: 1px;' /></a><a href='http://kouaidou.livejournal.com/'><b>kouaidou</b></a></span>, if you're curious), but it will much more general and picture-centric. No rants, no drama, no friends-only entries. Just the nitty-gritty stuff.<br /><br />2.) To provide a useful window for others into the daily life activities of Tokyo. As an artist and a translator, I am often frustrated by the lack of really detailed descriptions and visual resources about the specifics of Japanese daily life that can found online. While there are a lot of great blogs out there and I realize that no one can be a fully comprehensive reference.<br /><br />In my experience, most Japanese travelogues seem to assume that people only want to see the big stuff. Me, I'm fascinated by the small differences: The bright yellow guideways for the blind that line all the streets of Tokyo; the way they build their stores up and not out, the crosswalk platforms that take you across streets; the unnerving friendliness of the train system; the pristine uniforms of the street-sweepers; the odd school rituals; the home-cooked meals organized into a dozen tiny bowls.<br /><br />Little stuff. <i>Flavor</i>. That's what I hope this journal can provide.<br /><br />3.) To improve my life drawing. For instances where photos are not allowed, I hope to be able to use pencil and paper to sketch them out. So you may see my art here from time to time, but I'll try to keep it on-topic and useful. Sorry!<br /><br />Since I'm providing this journal as a reference, please don't hesitate to offer requests, questions, corrections, thoughts, or notes about your own experiences. Or just drop me a comment to let me know you're reading!<br /><br />Note: Any photographs posted here can be considered public domain; please feel free to use them for artistic reference, essays, articles, websites, or anything else you might need. Sketches and art, however, belong to me, so please request permission before using them.