I took a jet plane home this past Wednesday (first time on a 747 actually) and am now writing this post from the couch at my parents home in New Hampshire. It’s been nice to finally fly home and I am so tired-out I can barely stand it.

I did manage to take a picture of my last meal in Japan though at the airport. I will send some updates along when I finish up the final episode, just as soon as my jet lag subsides. Talk to you all very soon.

Photo taken at the Panasonic Center in Ariake, Tokyo, Japan. Cardboard dinosaurs rule!

Ok, well not really wrapping it up quite yet. Just some thoughts on paying my last rent payment here in Tokyo, a small request to all listeners, answering a letter to my future self, and more. Che-ch-che-ch-checka-check it out!

Show Notes:

• Paying my last rent payment
• Listeners - submit your thoughts on your favorite part of FJ
• Watching an excavator for 2 mins (sorry for leaving that in there)
• Interlude: “Memories of an Old Dog” by Fireproof Babies
• Thoughts on video games in Japan
• Answering future self letter from 1 year ago
• My Japanese ability
• Moving out sale
• Outro: “Uno Two (Instrumental)” by KCentric

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Hello everyone. Just a few thoughts I’m tossing out as a catch up episode. Join me for lunch on the bay as we sit, chat, and do a little catching up. Also, in this podcast, I was joined by a special feline guest. Tune in here.

Show Notes

• (none because I am lazy tonight)

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This was too good not to put up.

I am so glad I don’t take this train. Looks like it was taken in the 80s or 90s though.

You asked for it, you got it. Straight from my (old) studio to your ears. This episode is 100% sound tour. Put on a pair of nice headphones and sit back to relax to the sounds of the Japan. The following sounds have been recorded during the last year or so and have been collected for your listening enjoyment.

Show Notes:

• Short Intro
• Clip1: 2007-05-31 Riding the Yurakuchou Line
• Clip2: 2007-09-19 Ariake TOC Building 7-11 Guy with Music
• Clip3: 2007-06-01 Crows at Waseda University
• Clip4: 2007-10-08 Watching Aural Expression Class Video
• Clip5: 2008-01-18 Singing Lame SMAP Songs in Class
• Clip6: 2007-07-07 Watching Tokyo Bousaikan (Disaster Preparedness Center) Smoke Video
• Clip7: 2007-07-15 Awesome French Elevator Music at Doutour Coffee
• Clip8: 2007-12-16 Chilling at a Club in Kobe Talking about Cats with Awesome Funk Music in the Background (Guest Appearance: Terrance from Kobe Beef)
• Clip9: 2007-12-16 Kobe Planetarium Presentation
• Clip10: 2008-04-05 Tokyo Giants Game
• Clip11: 2007-09-20 Sumo Tournament Match
• Clip12: 2007-08-08 Inside the Shinkanesen (Accelerating with Train Announcements)
• Clip13: 2008-04-07 Kanamara Matsuri (a.k.a. Kawasaki Penis Festival)
• Clip14: 2008-04-06 Crazy Sounding Cement Mixer
• Clip15: 2008-02-10 Cacophonous Sounds in Iidabashi (with commentary)
• Clip16: 2007-07-28 Drumming in a Small Park in Shinjuku

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I feel like its quiet time. Join me for lunch in Ariake as I talk about what’s been going on with me over the past few weeks.

Show Notes:

• Intro - my favorite 7-11 guy
• Quick Overview of What’s Been Up
• Some Hakone ropeway / cable car Audio
• Sounds like a spaceship docking bay, for real
• Interlude - Unmoored (Again) by Fourstones (via ccmixter.org)
• Some discussion about my visa problems earlier this month

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You’ll have to wait until the end to get to the saxophone train on this one. No cheating and no fastforwarding. If so you’ll miss plenty, including some catch up chat, thoughts on what’s been keeping me so busy, and a beer review.

Show Notes:

• What’s been going on
• Linda’s Arrival
• Work
• Meeting up with Saya
• Meeting up with Scott and Karamoon
• New Listeners
• Responding to Blog Comments
• Projects
• Economics, finance, and work-related stuff
• Explaination of how I’d like to keep learning Kanji (help me out)
• Drink Review
• Kamakura Beer
• Daibutsu is there
• Saxophone train

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Hey everyone, this is just a quick post to let you know all that I’m still alive and well.

Life here as been quite busy the past few weeks. The first week was spent trying to get my visa paperwork straightened out which has finally settled. Then was the onslaught of work events that has keep me bowling, drinking, and singing till the cows coming home.

Now things are settling down a bit, I will be doing a whole podcast just on the past visa experience as well as doing a audio-scrapbook episode coming up with the best unused audio clips from 2007. Stay tuned!

Ever wonder what its like to sit in someone’s pocket as they walk around Tokyo?? Now is your chance to find out! In this episode, I take a commute to Tokyu Hands leaving the recorder on for the full monty. I also talk about two fairly interesting topics. If you’re into sound tours, you’ll enjoy this episode.

Show Notes:

• Pre-show - explanation of show format
• Current Laundry Setup
• 
• Screwing around with my laundry machine
• Walk to Kuramae
• Hanging out with Scott from Tokyo Calling
• Needed the de-stressing from my visa issues
• Talking about co-habitation with the fiancee
• Quick stop at Lawsons (19:00)
• Cement truck turning sound
• Brief explanation of numbers on train maps
• Kuramae to Iidabashi (9 minutes edited out)
• Construction warnings
• Really annoying alien sound
• Running into the same guy who sold me food the day before
• Iidabashi to Ikebukuro (42:00 - 51:45)
• Trying to find the right exit
• Talking about usage of strange English
• The Bic Camera audio Assault! (45:00)
• Almost going to McDonalds for coffee
• Sonna no kankei nai advertisement (51:00)
• Tokyu Hands
• Valentine’s Day explosion!

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