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Tokyo Alice

Welcome back to Caught*Red-handed, and welcome also to Episode 3 of Guest_bloggers. This episode was actually promised to you about three months ago, however perfection takes a long time to, well, er, perfect actually, so apologies, however I promise you it’s all going to be worthwhile. (more…)

Podcast: Download (18.2MB)

Latest Catches

有名！２: Fukuzawa Yukichi

Anybody who has visited Japan will have seen Fukuzawa Yukichi on nearly a daily basis, though they may not know it. His serious face and stalwart image is indeed involved in many everyday transactions. Even if you haven’t set foot even close to Japan yet, then the first few pages of a textbook on Japanese will undoubtedly present his image to you. And in both cases, he’s usually worth about £70, $110 or ¥10000.

Of course, having your face printed on the one side of a yen bill is truly a mark of a nation’s recognition for the work that one has undertaken, however awareness of Fukuzawa very rarely goes further than this, if indeed one is aware even of his presence on Japanese money. So, why is he so celebrated? What did this man borne into a family of both honour and hardship do that gives him the right to be recognised by every Japanese person every single day of their lives..? (more…)

Podcast: Download (7.2MB)

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Giveaway Winners

Well, well, well. Did you enter? Do you think you’re in with a chance of winning? Read on for the results! (more…)

Podcast: Download (2.8MB)

Latest Catches

The C*R-h New Year Giveaway

Well hello again. It’s that time of year once more, and Caught*Red-handed (through a genuine dislike for the 25th day of December) is completely bypassing the subject and moving directly onto New Year! And with that, as advertised tirelessly on Twitter over the past month or so, Caught*Red-handed launches the first of (hopefully many) New Year Giveaways! (more…)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 11:52 — 5.7MB)

Latest Catches

Jitters Lunacy Panic Terror

One additional year of study. Three months of intense revision. Countless early starts. Frantic days of worry. A miasma of guilty feelings. Endless late nights. One suppressed social life. This is: Japanese Language Proficiency Test 2009.

As you all know, the build up to December 6th 2009 had been traumatic to say the least. When it came to it, there were no drums, nor were their hordes of tribesmen attempting to induct me into their crazy JLPT Sect, but what there was instead was a whole load of worry, an incessant smattering of rain, two crazy Americans, a late train, a complete lack of geographical awareness, a crazy invigilator, and a whole load of people looking a million times more nervous than myself. (I think that’s a good thing, but it depends on how you look at it, right?) (more…)

Podcast: Download (6.2MB)