Austin Otaku
Archives
Find articles and blogs from the old Austin Otaku site, including anime reviews, restaurant reviews, articles, and photo blogs.
Learning Traditional Japanese Dance in Austin
Of all the places on Earth to learn nihon buyo (traditional Japanese dance), you'd hardly expect Austin, deep in the heart of Texas, to be one of them. And yet, the city serves as home to the Hanayagi Dance Academy, which is directed by Chizuko Matsumoto (also known...
Natto: 1st Impressions of a Popular Japanese Staple
Growing up, my family went through several years of being very poor after my parents divorced, and, as a result, we ended up having to settle for some less than desirable food (the infamous "government cheese") and so many nights of leftovers, I often had a hard time...
My First JASGA Member Mixer
I attended my first mixer and lecture with the Japan-America Society of Greater Austin tonight as a member. It was a great opportunity to meet some of the Japanese and Japanese-Americans living in Austin as well as several other Japan enthusiasts. The meeting was held...
Otaku Indulgences of the Week of July 30th
Believe it or not, being an otaku can be quite a time drain. In addition to keeping up the Austin Otaku blog, my spare time is filled with a variety of activities, from anime to social engagements. I present Exhibit A - a summary of the things that will be occupying...
Get Your Anime and Manga Fix at Dragon’s Lair
In Austin, you have to expect that each store you want to visit as an otaku (or anyone for that matter) is far removed from the next store you want to visit. Austin has truly mastered the art of urban sprawl. So it's a pleasant surprise to find a good source for manga...
Austin Otaku with a Knife? Attending a Sushi Workshop
Having joined the Japan-America Society of Greater Austin as part of my new commitment to learn Japanese, I decided to go to my first JASGA event this weekend - a Sushi Workshop. Jorge, the head sushi chef at Kenichi (419 Colorado St.), taught a large turn-out how to...
Dinner and Drinks with the Japanese Meetup
If I set my mind on something, I generally stick to it until I accomplish my goal. So, with my desire to learn the Japanese language, I did three things this week to overcome my own lack of initiative in my spare time to learn the language: I joined the Japan-America...
Fill Up on Bubble Tea and Kawaii at Momoko
With more than 60 days per year over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a poorly designed road system, terrible drivers, panhandlers on every street corner, and plenty of ignorant but proud Texans, not much about Austin can be considered kawaii (Japanese for "cute"). So finding...
SXSW: The Pillows at Japan Nite
Each Spring, Austin ("The Live Music Capital of the World") brings in musical talent from all over for its annual four-day music festival known as South-by-Southwest (SXSW). Of the 1400 people performing at dozens of venues throughout the city, some include bands from...
A Guide to the Great Food of Japantown
San Francisco is known for its wonderful cuisine, and the Japantown (Nihonmachi) neighborhood is no exception. Except that while the rest of San Francisco is dining on cioppino, clam chowder in bread bowls, and whole crabs, Japantown is eating more exotic fare,...
Sing Along if You Know the Song
Asian Kung Fu Generation must have some friends in anime production world. Their songs have been used in hit shows like "Bleach", "Naruto", and "Full Metal Alchemist", and I'm sure that didn't hurt sales of their music. Sure, they can stand on their own as a band, but...
Nihongo wa Wakarimasen
The third trait of a "wapanese" person ("the term used to describe a person of non-japanese descent ... who is incredibly obsessed with Japanese things"), according to the Urban Dictionary, is that they "Halfheartedly [study the] Japanese language and/or is a...
Where on Earth is Austin Otaku?
I've been mostly incommunicado for the past 5 days, not adding blog posts, not really tweeting on Twitter, and definitely not answering my phone. So where have I been? I have been in what is as close to an otaku's/Japanophile's paradise as you can get in the U.S. -...
Office Cronies: Corporate America Personified
If you've ever spent any time in Corporate America, you've run into people just like them. The utterly useless executive, who earns a lot of money to accomplish very little. The self-important admin assistant, who thinks that because she's the CEO's secretary, she's...
User Poll: Subs or Dubs?
I know what I prefer when I watch an anime, J-drama, or Japanese movie, but I'd like to hear what you prefer. So, how about it? Do you prefer animes, J-dramas, and movies in their original language with subtitles? Or do you prefer English (or whatever your language...
Slacking: It’s What I Do
I apologize for the delay in putting up a new post. Work, that necessary but evil aspect of life, has kept me quite busy. I am currently working on a review of Austin Book's manga section as well as a review of local plushie producer nottaTOY. Those reviews should be...
Updating My J-Pop and J-Rock Collection
If you're a fan of Japanese music here in the States, you face a more difficult challenge getting your fix than anime and manga fans face. There just isn't a good, American-based distribution channel (that I'm aware of) for J-Rock or J-Pop. Amazon.com has a few major...
Another n00b moment: the Austin Japanese Meetup Group
The more I dig into the otaku and Japanophile culture here in Austin, the more I feel like a novice. Despite a couple of decades of reading Japanese literature and watching Japanese cinema, I find so many more people who know so much more than I do. Such was the case...
Gackt Performs “Kalmia” and “Cube” Live
When it comes to talented showmanship and range, I'd say very few performers come close to Gackt. This live performance of "Kalmia" (from his Rebirth album) and "Cube" (from the Kimi no tame ni dekiru koto album) really shows off his ability to entertain a crowd and...
Asahi Imports: Austin’s Own Konbini
Nestled between the Dragon's Lair Comic Book Store and Turquoise Trading Post in a low-key strip mall along Burnet Road in Austin is a quaint, family-owned Japanese grocery store named Asahi Imports. It boasts, rightfully so, that it is the only Japanese grocery store...