What does it mean to become Japanese? Can a foreigner or ‘gaijin’ ever fully integrate into Japanese society such that they blend in and are treated ‘normally’? A recent video foray into this tricky topic.

Here are the winners to the review and contest I held recently. Philip has supplied me with two copies of his nifty little flash game that helps you learn Japanese to give away, so without further ado, let me announce the lucky people to win!

If you’re as smitten with the ocean as me, you might appreciate this little projector unit I discovered for this week’s Interesting Item (Omoshiro Zakka). It brings the soothing comfort of the deep blue to your bedroom, bathroom or wherever you choose to put it.

Ii Naomasa is known as the Red Demon. A historic figure and one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa in Japanese history. He is best known for his fearsome blood-red samurai armour and nasty habit of killing people over mistakes. That’s the guy I’m set to become in this year’s Spring parade.

It was only last week that I introduced Kotobukiya’s Power of the Force special Star Wars-themed chopsticks. Now they’ve gone and made chopsticks to make your feudal side salivate. Yes, you can become a Samurai at dinner time!

This week’s Interesting Items from Japan (Omoshiro Zakka) are Star Wars chopsticks. Use the Power of the Force to fight your way through a bowl of rice or slice your salted fishy meal cleanly in two. Be you Jedi or Sith, rest assured that the Empire has you covered.

NihongoUp is a neat little game that installs quickly and cleanly and offers great benefits to you learning Japanese. With Kana and Kanji practice and even vocabulary drills for up to the highest level of the JLPT, it’s certainly getting itself noticed in the language-learning arena. You can also win a free copy!

It’s that time of the week again. Here’s another bizarre product from the everlasting goody bag of interesting Japanese items (Omoshiro Zakka). What with my penchant for deep sea creatures (especially the bioluminescent variety) I couldn’t resist this weird bonefish extension cable.

Magic PET creatures from the depths of the sea! What now?! Yes. They float, they sink, they wobble playfully in the waves of your bottled green tea or iced coffee. Discover these mysterious new life forms living in your drink today!

Last week I took you through the bowels of a water-ridden, decomposing onsen hotel haikyo in the heart of the Japanese countryside. The ample time we had made it possible to try out some long exposure light photography. So here’s the artistic side of the hotel, as well as some background to the ghost story.

Since it’s Christmas, I figured this week’s Omoshiro Zakka (Interesting Items) should be Christmas themed. But you’d be surprised at how boring the average goods are that depict Christmas. Santa in underwear is your closest bet… So instead, let’s take a look at the Yura-Koro Tamago Nyanko!

Haikyo (ruins) are often very unsettling. The eerie silence punctured only by unknown bumps in the dark. Warped, decaying wood and floors riddled with damp. Such was the onsen resort hotel I stumbled upon recently. Something about this one said I shouldn’t enter alone, so I enlisted the help of a friend…