Japan in a Minute

I suppose I have been searching for a theme on my main video channel for a long time. My BusanKevin channel recently celebrated 5 years of existence and I wanted to get more grounded and less random. I decided to go with a new series of videos I call a "Japan Minute." These videos will basically be the main focus of that You Tube channel. Essentially they are anything and everything about Japan in a minute or less. I have made seven so far and there will be many more. I plan to cover history, popular culture, food, drink, literature, folklore, etc. You name it and hopefully there will be a Japan Minute about it at some point.

I have been putting out two videos a week recently. Next week I will be off to Canada for a few weeks to relax with family back home. I plan to post a few Japan minutes, but of course not as many as usual.

I hope you enjoy the new path my You Tube channel is taking!

Here are a few Japan Minute episodes:

Koreans Vacuuming Grass

Life abroad can be one filled with excitement, new discoveries and often, things that make you raise an eyebrow. In different cultures, people often do things in a very different way than you might in yours. It may not be culturally acceptable to spit in one country, but perfectly fine in another.

Different cultures also have different standards and definitions for things such as beauty and cleanliness. We eat our food in different ways. We behave at concerts in different ways. We create in different ways.

Cultures are different and the following photos are no exception to this. I lived in South Korea for more than five years, but never came across something this weird. While surfing around a former colleague's Facebook page, I came across these pictures of Korean cleaning staff outside of a store in Mokpo, Korea. I almost couldn't believe what I saw. I had to email him for clarification and then permission to use these pictures.

These are pictures of Korean cleaning staff at a store vacuuming the grass! That's right! They are actually cleaning the real grass on the lawn with a vacuum cleaner.

Bizarre as it may seem to me, this sort of thing apparently happens in Korea.







You can follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev

Why I need to watch more television

Popular culture is in a way like food. We consume it on a daily basis and often we need an understanding of it, at some level, in order to carry on conversations with our peers, colleagues, friends and random people we meet. We don’t necessarily have to consume an inordinate amount, but we must eat a little for fear of being left out of the conversation. These days, I feel a little left out!

During my childhood and teenage years, there were specific television programs I eagerly anticipated all week long, shows that were special events on certain nights of the week. Like most children/teens in Canada, I spent a fair amount of time propped up in front of the ole boob tube.

As I got older and moved on to university, I found that I was spending more time away from home or at least a television. Instead of watching TV, I was socializing with friends at coffee shops and later bars. We would sit around and listen to music and talk as opposed to watching television.

In my early twenties, post-university, I became a college student, studying 3D graphics and design. I spent every free moment I had creating 3D models and learning about game development. There was no time or even interest in watching television (Aside from season one of “Survivor” which I loved!).

Post-college life involved me working very long hours at a game development studio. I worked a lot and did freelance 3D design on the side. I did have some time for television, but by that time had become a full-fledged tech geek! My roommate had a satellite dish and we would spend evenings, when not working, drinking beer and watching Tech TV (I loved the show “The Screen Savers”.).



Soon after that I found myself living in South Korea, working as an English teacher. I had cable television, but most channels were of course Korean. I did however start watching more television again. I didn’t have a computer during my first year in Korea so had little Internet access (after years as a tech-gek I was purposely going “anti-tech”). I would watch AFN (American Forces Network) a television channel run by the American military for U.S. service personnel in Korea. I was able to watch American sitcoms (Fraiser seemed to be on at least three times a night, seven nights a week) and shows like David Letterman. It was sort of refreshing.

Soon enough I was busier and busier at night with my social life, Tae Kwon Do classes and travel that I would rarely watch TV. That continued for the rest of my time in Korea.

I made the move back to Canada and then to Japan with my wife. By the time I was in Japan I was a full-fledged, hard-core You Tube video blogger. I ate, breathed and lived You Tube. I was having so much fun making videos, watching others’ videos and communicating with the hundreds of people emailing me and commenting on my videos. I simply had no time for watching Canadian/American or any other television! When I got home from work or had any free time, I was plunked down in front of You Tube. I really loved it, but I wasn’t consuming the culture that so many others were.

I started to notice over time that I was missing certain cultural references. I am a massive fan of the daily radio show from Canada called Q. It is a culture and arts show. Often they would make references to shows such as Mad Men, Dexter, or 30 Rock and I had never seen any of these shows.

Although I’ve never been a big television viewer, missing these cultural references is a little troubling for me. I realize that I don’t want to consume too much pop culture that way, but some would be good for me I think. By consuming a modest amount of popular culture from Canada or America I would at least feel a little more included in some conversations. I would feel a little more “with it” I suppose.

Now on the other hand, I think it is a healthy thing that I’ve never been faced with an episode of Jersey Shore or some of the crappier fare, pop culture has to offer back home. I honestly can’t afford to lose any more brain cells, the kind that might face extinction by having too much reality TV pointed in their direction.

When people ask me, “Do you watch TV?” I can honestly say “No.” Do I say that because I am a cultural elitist? There’s not chance of me ever being that! I am pretty damn blue-collar when it comes to most things. I’ll take a cold beer in a pub any day over a glass of wine in a fine restaurant. I am a meat and potatoes guy in the true sense of the term. I haven’t watched TV for years because I have been doing other things. Now, I can honestly sit back and say that I would like to watch some television. I would like to at least know a little more about contemporary pop culture.

The irony is that I have been so wired into social media for the past few years that you would think I would know more about the cultural landscape than many. I find myself in quite the opposite position though.

Time to watch some TV.

I need to eat a little more pop culture!


You can follow more of my thoughts on TWITTER: @jlandkev (Japan-Land Kevin)

Sweating in Japan

Growing up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, I faced a varied climate. There were some distinct seasons. We of course were faced with damp, slushy and cold winters. Those were followed by muddy and damp springs. After spring was the shortest season of them all, summer. Summer lasted from about the second week of July until the end of August. The temperatures were arm and relatively dry. We would deal with average temperatures of about 25C, comfortable and warm. After that came my favorite season, fall. The air was crisp and the fall colours throughout Cape Breton’s forests were simply breathtaking.

Fast forward many years and I find myself living in the Kansai region of Japan. The climate is far different from what I grew up with and people deal with the elements in a very different way.

How do the seasons here in Kobe compare with those I dealt with while growing up? Well, there isn’t a lot in common!

In Kobe, there are certainly distinct seasons. Winter is mild and very easy to cope with. I like to refer to winters here as “winter lite”! We basically have no snow at all and the temperatures hover around 5C. Winter in Kobe is like mid-fall back home. I like it, but I occasionally miss the “white stuff.” Spring comes along and temperatures skyrocket very quickly. By mid-May, temperatures are I the mid to high 20’s. Then comes a bonus season! Rainy Season.

Rainy Season is basically a month of wet and a whole lot of not fun. As I am writing this post, the rainy season is beginning.

This is a month of having to hang your laundry inside your house (although clothes dryers are standard in Canadian households, they don’t exist in Japan). It is a month of your clothes not drying, getting moldy and not smelling so fresh. This is a season of testing the strength and durability of a variety of umbrellas and hoping someone doesn’t steal your umbrella when you leave it in the umbrella stand outside your office. It is wet!

Rainy season passes and we are immediately thrown into the “Japanese sauna”!

Summer in this area of Japan is brutal. It is hot and very humid. Often, with the humidex, temperatures reach the high 30’s and at times the low 40’s. You sweat from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. Then you sweat in bed!

Summer in Japan is all about having high power bills in your house because of the air conditioner (even though many Japanese people refuse to use the air conditioners they have) and pointing fans in every direction you can think of.

During my first summer here, I was often self-conscience about the amount I was sweating. I was embarrassed about the fact that the underarms of my shirt were often wet. I was embarrassed about constantly having to wipe the endless waterfall of sweat from my brow. Then I began to look around and noticed that I wasn’t alone. Most of the people around me were sharing the same misery! Most men were also soaking through their shirts and I realized most people carried “sweat towels.” Small towels used to wipe their brows, necks and faces. Both men and women would constantly use these towels. Construction workers normally just tie a white towel around their heads like a bandana to soak up the moisture (I’ve even seen a few dorky foreigners do the same).

Once the sweltering nastiness of summer passes, we have fall in Japan. Fall here is much like mid-summer where I grew up in Canada. It is still pretty warm, but at least the sweating pretty much stops.

Then we’re back to winter and the cycle continues.


Conclusion: Weather here is a lot different than what I grew up with and summer here REALLY sucks!

Why is there no looting in Japan?

Sems that a lot of commentators in the Western media are really surprised that Japanese people aren't looting in the northern areas affected by the disaster. I've also heard many people say that they are very surprised at how orderly things are in areas suffering from food and water shortages. People wait in line for relief without fights or other conflict.

I'm not surprised. Here's my two cents about the situation in the form of a video blog on my "jlandkev" You Tube channel:

Bread in Japan? Guess I'll Have to Make It!

If you come from North America, Europe, Australia or many other countries that have bread as a staple food in their diet, you may be surprised when you arrive in Japan (or any other Asian country for that matter). Bread is something simple. Bread is something wonderful. Bread is something you may take for granted. If you ever plan to move to Asia, it will be something that you will eventually learn to appreciate in a new way!

Obviously, many, if not most Asian countries have rice as their staple food. For me, rice is good, but lacks in flavour. I feel this way, but my Japanese wife laughs and simply says that my palate isn't refined enough to know the difference between different types of rice (that is probably very true). This being a "rice culture" bread is something new. There isn't a long history of bread in this country. Even if it has been here for awhile, bread is consumed on a different way in Japan. Bread is by no means a staple food, it is a treat!

When you walk into a Japanese bakery, you will see many wonderful things. There are so many amazing paistries, cakes, muffins and very cool (if not downright weird) combinations of bread/food! Sausage and curry in a bun. Sweet potato and curry in a bun. Potato and mayonnaise in a bun. This of course goes on!

There are many wonderful types of baked product, but one thing you will soon realize, if you are a bread lover and long term resident of Japan, is that good loaves of bread are a rare thing. 95% of bread is white and lacking in taste (in my opinion). Rye bread, whole wheat bread, pumpernickle bread are almost impossible to find and if you do find them, will probably disappoint! The bread palate of Japanese people is very different than a Canadian such as myself! My wife always loves to say to me, "You come from a bread culture!" Maybe she is right!

If you plan to move to Japan and live here for more than a few years, there is a simple solution. Buy a bread maker, or "home bakery" as they are called in Japan.


We bought this bread maker last year at a major Wal-Mart-ish store called Izumiya. This machine cost about $150 and can make a loaf of bread in a few hours. It's a nifty contraption and we make bread five or six days a week! I realize that many people out there buy bread makers on a whim and use it a few times before it gets sent off to the "dust collecting" appliance corner of the room, but here in Japan, it is very necessary for me. I love bread and this is my means to an end!


It is pretty simple to use and only takes about five minutes to mix your bread ingredients together (flour, yeast, butter, salt and milk). One advantage to living in Kobe is that there are many "foreign food" stores here. While in Japanese supermarkets you can only buy processed and refined white flour, in the foreign food shops I can buy many more types. My wife and I tend to shop in a foreign food store in Sannomiya in the Santica shop area. There we can buy whole wheat, rye and graham flour. it is indeed more expensive than white flour, but for a Canuck like me, it's well worth it.

I still eat rice twice a day, but it is nice to have a piece of whole wheat toast for breakfast or some peanut butter on a peiece of graham and whole wheat toast for an evening snack!

Earlier in the week I made a video for You Tube about some of the "interesting" baked goods you can buy at a Japanese bakery. I featured a muffin that was made from two types of sweet potato. it was made from Murasaki Imo, a purple skinned sweet potato and a regular sweet potato.

This was a murasaki imo/satsuma imo (purple and regular sweet potato) muffin I bought at a bakery called Dans marche in Akashi Station in Akashi, Japan.

I also made a video about my PURPLE MUFFIN experience:



REMEMBER folks, you can follow my Twitter business here @jlandkev

Why Living Abroad Can Be So Great

There are definitely many benefits to living in ones’ native country, but there are also many benefits to living abroad (depends on the country of course). Learning about a new language and culture can be wonderful for a person’s personal growth. Opening your mind to new types of food and drink and the importance they have in another culture can be an amazing experience.

I think that the greatest thing about living in a different country for me is the fact that everything seems so interesting. This may simply be because of the fact that I am an incredibly curious and sometimes child-like (I find a great deal of wonderment in simple everyday things) kind of guy. A simple, quiet nighttime walk down a street in Japan leaves me excited. Everywhere I go; I’m packing at least one or two cameras because I always feel that there is something exciting that’s worth documenting.

I can clearly remember the first night I landed in Asia in February of 2002. I flew into Incheon International Airport in South Korea. The owner of the school that had hired me, picked me up at the airport and drove me to a “strange” Korean love motel where I dropped off my bags. I was then taken to a great galbi (yakiniku or Korean bbq) restaurant where I had to sit on the floor and eat for the first time in my life. I nervously and excitedly met my future coworkers and took in the thrill of a drastically new culture for the first time. Everyone spoke to me in a friendly way and I felt more energized and nervous than I could remember. I was then dropped off at my hotel and told that I would be picked up the next morning.

I will always remember the wonderment I had as I decided to go for a walk. I bought a bottle of beer at the convenience store located across the road from the love motel and wandered into a large local park. I sat down, drank my beer and thought to myself, “The adventure now begins.”

Almost nine years later, I am still in Asia. I’m now in Japan. I’m older and certainly wiser, but I have to admit that I am still, to an extent, filled with a level of wonderment! Although, these days I have been pining for home a lot more than usual, I still find the fact that I live in Asia….”cool!”

Check out a few random photos from the previous year in Japan!


A fireboat located close to my house on Port Island. I have never seen this boat in action, but it would be cool!


The small park in Sannomiya (behind the JR Sannomiya Station, know as Oppai-yama akaBreast Mountain) is a place where many indie bands like to gather and promote themselves in the warmer weather.




We Love Kobe!


Like most cities in Japan or anywhere in the world, Kobe looks great. Although I think I love the slow paced life of smaller towns more than big cities, I always love the bright lights of the big city at night.

A new look

As of this weekend, when episode 6 of Looks Like Canada (my podcast) comes out, there will be new album art.


Hope you like it!

The weekend is here!

Another hot weekend. Check out my latest video. Last weekend there was a motorcycle show on Port Island in Kobe. I am honestly not into motorcycles very much, but I do appreciate a beautiful machine when I see one. I took some footage with my iPhone.



Also, my new podcast, "Looks Like Canada" is now available in the iTunes store. Subscribing on iTunes is the easiest way to get the newest episodes. Episode 3 should be out tomorrow evening.

Looks Like Canada: the Podcast

It is finally up and online. My latest project and one I will continue post-Japan (not leaving soon).


Looks Like Canada is a podcast about all things Canadian. It will be about Canadian history, food and culture. Looks Like Canada will be hosted by myself and sometimes I may conduct interviews or have guests. I will upload a new episode weekly and once the summer is over, I will upload on a strict schedule (of course with a newborn at home now it is hard to follow any schedule!).



Episode One is about the Canadian running icon, Johnny Miles. You can download the show or listen to it in your browser with Quicktime.

Looks Like Canada will be up on the iTunes store soon I hope.

Take car and check out my latest media project.

Things coming together

Hello one and all. Things in Kobe, Japan are sweaty and hot. That's right! We are in the midst of a heat wave here in japan and apparently it has already sent many folks to the hospital and a few to the grave!

As for good ole Kevin, i am busy with my newborn son. My little fella was born almost two weeks ago at Kobe General Hospital. he is very handsome, healthy and happy. He is also quite a handful for my wife and I! I suppose that is normal for any newborn baby and two first-time parents. It is a learning process that books and websites didn't prepare me for. I am learning though and enjoying it. I am also appreciating how much of a commodity time is. It is hard to get work done on my many media projects, but I am finding the time somehow.

I talk about that in my latest little video blog.

The project I am trying to get up and moving is something that I have been wanting to pursue for several years. I have put together a podcast. I put a lot of thought into the topic and I wanted it to be something I could do for a long time. I also wanted to create a podcast that would be relevant to me long after I had left Japan and moved either back to Canada or elsewhere.

This year marks more than eight years living abroad for me in Asia. With so much time living in other countries and being surrounded by other cultures, it has made me long for, appreciate and want to learn more about my own country. That's why my podcast will be about Canadian history, culture and food. No matter where I am in the world, I know that the topics will remain relevant to me!

The first episode is in the can and episode two will be finished this weekend. the website is almost up and running (it will be a constant work in progress though). I have also realized that I need to invest in a decent microphone, but I will do that in time and if people show an interest in the show!

Things will go live this weekend I hope, but having a newborn baby can often cause sudden changes to schedule!

When the podcast does go up, I will inform you all here, on Twitter and You Tube!

Do Monsters Like Poo?

Quick excerpt from a conversation yesterday between myself and one of my students:

Student: "Mr. O'Shea."
Me: "Yes."
Student: "Do monsters like poo?"
Me: "I don't know. I think some might, but most probably don't."
Student: "Do monsters drink poo?"
Me: "No, I don't think monsters do that."



Yep. It's too weird for even my creative brain to make up! Previous to this discussion, my class was watching the movie Monsters Inc. In one scene in the movie, a monster was drinking a cup of coffee. Some students argued that it was coffee, while others thought it was feces! Kids can have a warped way of looking at things sometimes!


On another note, I posted a video this morning on You Tube showing some of the problems I've faced over the years that I've been abroad when it comes to speaking on the telephone. It's amazing how much we rely on nonverbal cues when speaking to someone who doesn't use English.


Culture Shock: The Telephone

Here's the original.


Ah....tomorrow morning I'm running in the Kobe Valentine's Love Run. That's right!! I didn't make that name up either. That's the name of the race I'm entered in. I'll be running the half-marathon starting at 10:30am.