TAKE YOUR VITAMINS - past interviews in chewable form

On October 24, 2007 in Interview Highlights

Time for your daily dose of vitamin J!

We have had some really good interviews over the past few weeks, good enough to repeat in fact. So that is what we’re going to do.

That’s right, it’s time for interview highlights!

Our last highlights post covered Daily J’s first four “launch” interviews, so this post will start with #5:

Highlights

#5 Why KeepingPaceinJapan is a perfect site for Japan-enthusiasts (click for full text)

Highlights

Daily J: What motivated you to start blogging?

Turner: Most of my research upon deciding to come to Japan was in the blogosphere. I found many people writing personal stories for their families and friends, mentioning places they’d been, but not too many with specific information about living conditions, travel advice, or hard-hitting essays on the culture.

Since I was coming over with one of the major English eikaiwa, I knew there would be plenty of people looking through my blog for detailed information on the experience, even if they ended up staying for only one year. As such, I really wanted to give them my perspective on Japan, letting them experience this country using all five senses through my writing; I’m still working on how best to do that, but I think some of my observations have been very helpful to others.

#6 You, Me, and Mari - Interview with “Watashi to Tokyo” (click for all the fun details)

Highlight

How you can help Mari out:

Daily J: I noticed that you have a section where you ask people to proofread your posts. Have you had much response to that (are people help in you)? And, if you need more, how can an interested person help you out?

Mari: I have a few proofreaders now. Everyday some of them send me a proofed
post.
They offered to help me by mail and I welcome new offers by mail too.
It is very great that people who I have never met help me.

#7 Harvey on housing, travel, and skinny girls - an exclusive interview with JapanNewbie (click for full)

Highlight

Daily J: Is there any post in particular that is your favourite, and why? (You’ve been blogging since 2002, right? If you can’t narrow it to one I understand)

Harvey: Favorite posts… Yes, as you said, that’s very very tough. One that has brought a lot of traffic is this one comparing female BMI in various countries. Japan sticks out like a sore thumb. http://www.japannewbie.com/2006/11/26/skinny-girls/

Personally, I like my posts about the Hanshin Tigers and takoyaki! I love Osaka.

# 8 Learn Japanese With Takanori Sensei! (Click for the rest)

Highlight

Daily J: What motivated you to start your site? Also what motivated you to want to start teaching/teaching on the internet?

Takanori: Because I found out that there are a lot of people who want to learn Japanese, but things you learn at a normal school is only grammartical Japanese language.

I want to teach the Japanese language for real communication. So, they can speak Japanese.

# 9 Alternative perspectives on Japan - an interview with Gyaku.jp (click for full interview)

Highlight

“The goal of the project [gyaku.jp] is to amplify (partly through translation) certain voices and stories in Japan that might not otherwise get heard in an international context. “

I wrote a post about one of their translated documents here –>What translated documents on gyaku.jp have to do with you and the fingerprinting of all foreigners in Japan

# 10 “Alright Kids, Who Wants to Write for DigitalWorldTokyo?” “I do, I do!” (click to read all)

Highlight

Daily J: Where do you see DigitalWorldTokyo going in the near future?

Mark: I’m opening it up to contributors who wish to post stories that publicize their own sites. A good example is the noted anime expert Emru Townsend, who posts trailers for his own stories on DWT — those items are really popular and drive lots of traffic. Both sides benefit, as we can send lots of readers to the partner site and we get some nice new content.

Anyone reading this is welcome to contact me at jml[att]digitalworldtokyo.com to talk about the opportunity.

AND Mothers, lock up your USB ports… Digital World Tokyo has let the dogs out <– click at you’re own risk

# 11 Rock Out! Why this site is one of my favourites - an exclusive interview with Rocking In Hakata (click for full)

Highlight

Daily J: What would you say is unique about your site and how can readers get the most from it?

Deas: As I mentioned earlier, it’s a different kind of Japan-related blog. No idols, no anime or manga, no ninjas, and very little of sushi and video games. More cultural delights and hang-ups, language conundrums, real world experiences, and culinary adventures. That’s kind of where my site is, I think, and I like that. It’s a more engaged, interesting, playful way to explore Japan and Japanese language. I leave all of that other stuff up to the myriad sites who specialize in it.

You’ve read the highlights, now check out those posts in full! And be sure to give our interviewees a big hello on their blogs!

Thanks again to all of the bloggers who have given us these great interviews. It has been fun talking to all of you and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making the web a better place for Japan-enthusiasts!

To all a good day,

Daily J

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