“Stippy” is an association of foreigners who have lived in Japan for so long that Japan now seems home. Stippy members know Japan more than some Japanese, and they want to tell you about this country from a Gaijins point of view. This homepage will be updated sporadically with semi-insightful explanations on the different, strange, and the down right weird parts of Japan that you stumble across every day while living in this wacky country. Stippy is a page that we hope all gaijin living in Japan will enjoy reading, and maybe learn a thing or two, or more likely just have a few chuckles. People actually residing in Japan (or those that have in the past) will likely find Stippy the most interesting, as we try to tackle those issues (if you can call them issues that is) that baffle even the most hard core gaijins living in Japan.
If you like stippy, feel free to contact us from the contact page, or just leave us a message below as a comment, we are always keen to hear from people!
If you don’t appreciate the material on this site, lighten up a little. Oh, and don’t leave a message below if you don’t like what you see here (we don’t want to make that public – because it might get translated into Japanese, and end up in a Tokyo tabloid), you can send it to us via our contact page, and we will file it in our ご意見箱 (ideas box).
Hey fellow stippy-ers!
Excellent site by the way… look forward to catching up again in Japan in Dec sometime… Hannah
PS I was led here by J@pan Inc newsleter 🙂
Hey, Stippy , nice to meet you !
Here is really cool ! I knew here from my friend’s page which introduced here on his page .
I’m gaijin in Japan , too .
Just stop by to say hi .
liwen
Great site, and wonderful content. Living stateside these days, and stoked to find a resource on Japan.
NOTE: this is the most popular del.icio.us tag right now.
Hi. I discovered your site a couple of months ago, quite by chance. I was once a long-term resident of Japan, having spent almost 20 years there, mostly in Tokyo. Now I live in rural France and it’s a real treat to surf through your site and remember what made Japan Japan. Thanks!
Hey Stipsters….. great site. Always fun when I’m feeling a little nostalgic. I do miss the weekly beer consumption counts though!
Great site! Having returned to my home country, I have found that this site keeps me informed on the truly important things. Hoody Hoo and Wody Wo to all fellow Stipsters! Keep out of the 交番 and set good examples for the youth.
waaaaaa!! Great site
Long time between drinks for stippy articles ne!
Is it over?
Found the ‘Gaijin in Jail’ story very interesting,
—
Travel Folio, Japan Photos
Hi Stippies,
How are u doing fellows?
Its a wonderful site, felt like it was made for/by myself.
Hello, I wanted to ask how can I get in touch with Japanese National Universities… Im looking foward to study Japanese like you all did. Now, Im saving the money to start at 2009. Maybe I could become a stuppy too someday… lol.
Was looking for some photos to use with a piece I’m writing on Xmas in Japan and found this site through your Kentucky Fried Christmas article. I’ve just had a poke around a bit of the site – some interesting posts, I’ve just stuck your link on my blogroll on bigonjapan.com
Laterz,
Majestyk.
Would be very keen to make a move to Japan (or various other parts of Asia) but have so far not been able to get any good info on the best avenues re roles in Finance. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
Hi All,
I need help! And besides that, I need you honest opinions. I have posted the beginnings of a funny(?) story about the offbeat adventures of a gaijin bar in Nagoya and am looking for constructive feedback. Check it out and let me know: http://www.BurgerManOfJapan.com. Thank you.
The Burger Man
Great site, found my way here through metropolis ….. look forward to reading more in the future and possibly contributing myself.
‘Success Stories: Japan’ did an article awhile back on the generics industry emerging in Japan, wonder if there is any more news here after the Aeon article? Thx, KM
Great site! I have a freind who has extended working vacations in Japan and is thinking of moving over there. I shall be sure to mention stippy to him!
Cheers.
Hola,tengo interes en postular a una beca monbusho, se que no es facil y me estoy informando y preparando para mi futuro con tiempo. debo mejorar mi nivel de ingles y estudiar aqui en argentina,mi pais, algo de japones. por otra parte desearia contacto con quienes esten en japon y me puedan dar toda informacion util.Me interesan dos carreras tecnicas: una es turismo y la otra diseño de videojuegos, me interesa saber cual conviene elegir para estudiar en japon. El sitio es muy interesante. Espero se contacten a mi mail o a mi pagina http://www.samy lerman.blogspot.com
Great site indeed. I have been reading your articles for 3 hours now!
Weird enough I don’t live in Japan but am quite interested in their culture and perhaps moving there after college!
Well I will be enjoying your company and of course I will comment if I may.
Thank yo for archiving WaiWai at your site! This is helpful to trace back what Mainichi’s stupid
did to curse Japan. The paper will close their business soon. Word to guys’n girls outside Japan: if you want Japanese gossip, learn Japanese and visit 2ch.net and you get much much funny’n bizarre tales at the site. B-)
don’t suppose anybody could explain to me the scholarship program mentioned above? I would really like to check japan out for myself. Also… what’s a gaijin?
Hello,
I came upon this website while researching a book for my marketing class and was intrigued. This is a great website and I look forward to showing this to my daughter.
We lived in Japan for three years while at Iwakuni. We were blessed to live in town so my daughter learned so much in such a little amount of time from our neighbors. Japan is and was amazing while we were there and we still talk about it, even though it has been years.
This site was like a “breath of fresh air” for me. I really enjoyed it and plan to return to this site. We would love to return to Japan, but it is not in the immediate plans. I tell my daughter she can always return in her college years.
Ironically, had a great sushi meal tonight at Kona Grill. Japan is on my mind.
Thanks again and take care.
I just love this site.
Jill
Whats the difference between this site and http://friends.japan-japanese.info
looks as though the same profiles are on both .. I registered as VIP on the other site however cannot see my profile on this site ..
any ideas ? fakes?
Great site ! 🙂
I love this website =)
Cool site. Don’t know why I never heard of it ‘till now.
Was searching for Hagetaka and came across you. The drama is rerunning on NHK as I write this (Golden Week). I missed the first run. Boy, I’ve missed a lot, this site and Hagetake. Both reasons for smacking myself with a wet soba noodle. Well, I’ll leave that for later.
I’ve been running a blog Adventures of a Super Cub, about life in Tokyo on Honda’s groovy little motorbike. The blog, and the cub, have been going since ’04. Stop by if you have the inclination.
About this drama. Story aside, I gotta say, it’s very well done. Japanese modern TV drama is 99% of the time awful, awful in story, and even worse, awful in production. No, the money’s there, but the Japanese production field seems to have lost their way, and their creativity since, well, the days when Hiroshi Tachi rode a motorcycle while firing off a shotgun at some Yak baddies. And before all dramas had to have the ubiquitous female idol singing the theme song. God, I miss filmed drama. But this comes darn close! Darn close. It reminds me of a lot of very nicely done contemporary story animation the way it’s show, like Byosoku 35 centimeter (I think I got that title right).
This series though, is in that 1% that is superbly made. I was astounded by the production design, the camera work, the lighting. Excellent and compelling. What a waste it was shot on video. At least 24p, for goodness sakes, would have preserved the ‘film look’. I’d pay to watch it. This one has a female pop singer performing the theme as well, I think. But I’ll ignore it. The incidental music is quite good, though. Stark piano. Nice.
Some flaws:
1. Dumb floating money. Stupid. Cut it.
2. Some overacting. Not much, but some.
3. When you show a counter on the screen, a timer, say “09:00am” don’t have it read exactly at the top of the hour unless the story calls for that, such as ‘the deadline is at nine o’clock!” Mix it up. “09:15” is much better. And if you do use a top of hour mark, don’t do it again. This drama had about 3 top of the hour marks in a row! C’mon! I think that says more about the Japanese scheduling obsession than the production crew.
Anyway, great stuff.
Also, the babe, is that what’s her name from KB (which I never saw) and Panasonic ads, which I have seen? She looks remarkably like one of the key, but rarely shown characters in my own production. Did I say ‘my own production’?
Yes, I did. I’m working on an independent movie here in Tokyo. Been working on it for ages, since Meiji. Well, not that long, but seems like it. Almost done now. Almost.
I was equally astounded to see many of the same ideas I had and already shot! present in this production. I’m not saying they were lifted, since creativity is a funny thing, but who knows? I’ve put up clips on the net, not thinking anyone would care to see them aside from friends, and I’ve had colleagues tell me, and show me images on Apple apps, such as Motion that came right out of my production design. Just too coincidental. But that’s showbiz. All’s fair. They beat me to it.
All I can say is, be careful who you share your ideas with, until you’re ready to officially announce them to the world. Lol. Just now, I see on my TV screen yet another shot I did, takes place in front of a public housing structure with a huge C 1 next to it. Would you believe I shot a very similar meeting with a…wait for it…B 1. I was first alphabetically too! What ya gonna do?
Like I said, cool site. I’ll have to come back here again.
Ciao.
-Robbie
The site was sent to me by a friend. As you can see by my last name, it’s very amusing to stumble upon such a fun play on it. Stippy happens to be my nickname.
Although I don’t live in Japan, I feel compelled to become a Stippy friend.
Fun site!
Hello to all in stippy 🙂
Love the site, gives me an additional information about some things.
I’m a hispanic and currently studying my bachelors degree. I wish to achieve my masters degree in Japan. I’m trying to find a scholarship to study there. If anybody can give me some tips I’m all ears and woud be grateful.
Great site!
I know what is BNE. And if you still seraching to Brisbane airport code..sorry…you re wrong way.
This is not happening in Australia, not in Japan too. it s in Thailand right now.
and it s more great than you can imagine.
DEAR LAVANDURA,
I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMUNICATE AS SOON AS POSSABLE.SEND ME A EMAIL.
JOHNBSTETSON
dear lavandura,
if you received my message……….please email me.
johnbstetson
I still dont get the meaningful etimology of the word stippy… PLease, explain
Just stumbled across your excellent site. Been here for 19 years and your site is like a breath of fresh air.
we need a voice in japan
just read “Sexless Japan – Really?”
a good read. will visit again and recommend to friends.
Just found your site and read all the long posts on Kokusai Kekkon. That’s me, Yamagata for six years. Lots of real substance in George’s story and the posts after. This site is much better than the one I tried to do : http://www.HennaGaijin.org. I’ll be back soon
Hi there fellow Stippy folk!
I cannot believe that I have just stumbled across this website.
I worked the Roppongi bar & club scene in the mid 90’s for a couple of years, and just wanted to let everyone know my novel ‘Roppongi’ will be released on February 11th 2012, with a launch party in Roppongi on that same date!
Ha! – only took me 12 years to get the bloody thing finally finished!
Anyone who is curious to discover more, please feel free to visit the website, and if you have any queries, you can email me from there.
Best wishes to all for a fabulous New Year and 2012 in general.
Maybe I’ll see you at the launch party next year?
Why out of any photo’s of yourself you show a Zoomed in picture of your nose with hair growing out of it? That’s gross man…
Youre attractive right from the introduction. NIce to know your page.
Lucy – From Vietnam
Hi
My name is Joyce, I am a marketing executive at expatfinder.com which is a leading expat information and services website.
I saw on your blog that you are and expat. I wish to interview you to further share some of your tips. The questions are mainly about the housing, the daily life etc.
It just takes 5 minutes (or more depending if you have lots to say 🙂
Of course, if you accept we can add a link to your blog or some of your website.
If you are interested to participate at this project, please send me an email at interview@expatfinder.com.