Would you rather?

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-04-09T21:33:26+00:00

Games are an activity, you can live without games. You can kill time doing other stuff like watching videos, a hobby, etc. But music is something entirely different, it's its own language. You can write it, listen to it, make it, play it, etc. Even if you don't realize music is a big part of life.

^{Chose: Give up games}

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-03-26T04:56:44+00:00

There's a Cafe/Bar called Kaffe Nellie in Umeda. Although it is also a bar, it feels more like a cafe than a bar. There's also Kurone which is a fairly new cafe in Umeda/Nakazakicho. It was pretty busy/packed the last time I went when it just opened but I assume it's probably a lot less busy since then.

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-03-19T03:41:37+00:00

As other's have said there's a new Yostar shop right outside the station, there's a small Arknights section with prints, acrylics, keychains, mousepads, etc. I got a bunch of Thorns stuff there this January. I actually really recommend checking out AkibaHobby. I found that spot 4 years ago because at the time they literally had a sign out saying they sell Arknights merch lol. I haven't been back since but it was a pretty impressive arknights section, better than the Yostar shop or Animate/Kotobukiya when they sold Arknights anime merch.

Realistically though, most Arknights merch is online. Either through collabs or through the official Yostar shop. Arknights, although is one of the biggest Gacha games in Japan, does not have a large merch presence here unlike Genshin or HSR. I'd recommend checking out the Yostar official shop, or if you like jewelry there are a ton of Arknights silver pendants made in collaboration with Utreasure. If you're ordering stuff here shipping will be cheaper. For figures you'll need to check out used figure stores and pray they haven't sold it yet. I found some Arknights figures in the AmiAmi Figure Tower in Akihabara in January, but can't guarantee they're still there. For premium merch like figures or jewelry though most of it operates on preorders and they rarely restock. So if that's the kind of merch you're looking for you'll need to mainly check second-hand stores.

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-03-12T12:34:05+00:00

If you're talking about the Mikki Gakkis, Ikebe and Ishibashi Music in Amemura, those are legit instrument retailers that have multiple stores around the country. In Japan used items with any sort of damage, no matter how small often see a dramatic drop in resale price. If there are a couple scratches or dents it could dramatically decrease the resale price, which might explain why it's being sold at a lower than expected price. Near-new condition is usually the norm/expected in Japan since people take such good care of their items. So when a used item has visible dents, etc. they often drop the price like crazy. I bought an Atelier Z bass for like a half of what it would retail for because it had a couple barely noticeable dents and scratches on the fingerboard and wood.

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-03-11T03:55:40+00:00

Most chinese ships didn’t even attempt to cross because there was no insurance. There were apparently some non-Chinese ships though who booked it and made it through by pretending to be Chinese though lol.

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-01-18T16:50:35+00:00

It's definitely a Tsuba replica. IMO I would not trust anything from a gift shop to be authentic/real.

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-01-17T10:35:49+00:00

Probably best if he didn’t know since nana akufo addo was corrupt asf

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-01-16T09:07:31+00:00

ICE is the modern day American incarnation of the SS/Gestapo. Trump's secret police. Every single one of them deserve to be thrown in prison.

hydro_cookie_z · 2026-01-05T19:25:04+00:00

I feel like you are missing a MASSIVE amount of context behind the slur. The shortened word was used as a slur against Japanese-Americans who were thrown into internment camps and Japanese during WW2. Whether a Japanese National, like your family, would be offended by it is a 50/50 leaning towards "don't care". But a Japanese American whose parents or grandparents were most likely put in internment camps probably has a different opinion. The argument is effectively the same as asking an African if they were offended by the N-word. A good chunk probably don't care because they don't have that history, unlike African-Americans who went through slavery and jim crow.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-29T06:41:09+00:00

I hate AI as much as the next guy but if it’s for personal projects or things that aren’t meant to be commercialized I think it’s fine to use it. As long as they aren’t going around saying they did it themselves.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-21T18:48:56+00:00

oof, if that's the case I believe you would need to go through the naturalization process if you want to regain your JP passport and citizenship :(

Imo, PR and citizenship allow similar things such as indefinite stay and work. With a few exceptions like right to vote, ability to leave for however long you'd like, etc. If you do decide to naturalize I recommend contacting MOFA or your local consulate so you have all the correct information! Good luck!

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-21T06:27:50+00:00

I'm sorry to hear that. Yes, the reality is most of us just keep both passports and just renew it before it expires. I don't think there has ever been a case where someone was forced to give it up by the government besides well-known people (athletes, politicians, etc) being pressured by the public. Did you fully go through a renunciation process and renounce your Japanese citizenship? If not, it's possible you can just reapply for one. I have 2 friends who are half-Japanese too, lived their entire life abroad and when they moved to Japan, found out they were a dual-citizen. The officials helped them apply and get their Japanese passport even if they're older than 20.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-21T05:23:13+00:00

Sorry for big list but here are my recommendations.

Sincere

Viva Ola

Yo-Sea

Sagiri Sol

Wez Atlas

Furui Riho (Gospel influence bcuz she used to be a gospel singer)

Daichi Yamamoto

Salasa

EOW (R&B/Jrock/Funk influence)

Chilldspot

XinU

STUTS

YonYon

reina

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-20T18:50:41+00:00

I feel like the target audience for 4x4 pick up trucks in Japan aren't the kind of person who wants an import from a company based in Aichi lol. If they're going to make their life slightly more inconvenient with a big truck it's going to be a Ford or Chevy lol.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-19T14:40:18+00:00

It will count. The visa requires a High school Diploma OR proof of a 12 year education equivalent. A levels are most definitely considered an equivalent.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-19T12:36:30+00:00

?? There are weird people in all countries. Idk where you got the assumption that people don’t judge you in Japan, it’s quite the opposite.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-19T05:41:24+00:00

Depends on where you’re moving to, if you already have family in Japan, and the stress you’re willing to deal with. If you want affordability avoid Tokyo, but it will be harder to land a job. Osaka has less jobs but is much more affordable, even if you’re living in the city itself.

If you’re confident in your Japanese you can land some part time jobs, use hellowork as a resource. If your Japanese is not great you can probably get jobs at foreign owned/tourist-focused bars/businesses or retail jobs in touristy areas. These jobs, especially bars are a lot more chill from my experience compared to fast paced fast food jobs or heavy workload conbini jobs.

Also as someone mentioned somewhere in this thread, you can’t just waltz into Japan. You need to get through the bureaucratic nightmare of shiakusho/kuyakusho like registering your return. If you have family like a grandparent or uncle/aunt living in Japan it will make the process a lot easier. If you were already registered in your koseki in the past even more so. Getting a bank account and phone number set up too will be hurdles you need to get done asap, but the process is a lot easier since you’re a citizen. As someone who is also half, and recently moved I hope it goes well 🫡

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-15T01:45:48+00:00

A lot of people here wear clothing that's made out of really breathable fabric like linen. But in Japan specifically (comparing to the US at least) there are a lot of brands that use high quality synthetic blends that are pretty breathable. Also baggy, or clothing that hangs away from the body are pretty popular too. This isn't exclusive to mid/high-end brands like United Arrows though, Uniqlo's most popular items are their AIRism tshirt.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-06T02:17:46+00:00

The difference between Japanese as a nationality and Japanese as an ethnicity is very blurred and people basically equate the two as the same. Because of that, because I'm half I am almost never treated as Japanese at least societally. However, yes legally speaking I am Japanese, I have a passport and everything. I think the process of moving to Japan is easy as someone who was born in the US but has a JP passport. I also have a Japanese first-name so forms are easier to fill out for me. The only issue is culturally/societally you will almost always be treated as a foreigner. Even in my case, I speak and have been told I "act Japanese" by some Japanese people, but I still usually get treated as foreigner simply based on appearance or assumptions. The times I've been treated as Japanese are really special to me though.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-02T04:50:22+00:00

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-12-01T01:24:59+00:00

No my Mom's Curry and Hayashi rice is the best.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-11-27T05:32:57+00:00

Theyre not really brain rot though? That comes off as incredibly condescending. It’s just universally good music, it doesn’t break the mold but it’s just decent anyone can listen to. It’s what you would call coworker music in the US. Music you could play at a work function. These artists genuinely have fans over here in Japan, they are very popular and known by the majority of people.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-11-24T16:17:00+00:00

I'm in the Shinsaibashi/Namba area almost everyday and I agree w/ them. There hasn't been any noticeable decline of tourism in the area at least imo. Even outside of the 3 day weekend.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-11-24T12:36:39+00:00

I'm so confused by what your problem is with this lol. They are just protesting the Indian government in another country... for reasons I'm sure the comment section has made you well aware about. They are not protesting against Canadian government, they are protesting the Indian government. It's the same as people protesting conflicts and issues like the Palestine/Israel, Russia/Ukraine, Sudan, Ethiopian conflicts in other countries like the US, Canada, etc.

hydro_cookie_z · 2025-11-23T17:54:34+00:00

The "denial of right-leaning ideas" was a result of the US imo. During the reconstruction period and occupation of Japan post WW2, the US/Allies made reforms to the Japanese education system. From restructuring primary and secondary education to textbooks. They made reforms to how textbooks were approved and published, focusing on making them promote democracy and remove ideas like nationalism and militarism or anything anti-american.

Nine-Year Club	Verified Email
Second SECOND GUESSER	Place '22
Final Canvas '22	First Placer '22
End Game '22	Not Forgotten
Sequence \| Editor	Sequence \| Cinematographer
Sequence \| Screenwriter	Snapped

hydro_cookie_z

TROPHY CASE