Onigiri is often called a rice ball in America. I'm not sure of the technical definition but they can also be called Musubi or Omusubi.  If I understand correctly, musubi means "tied up" so I would think that maybe originally it referred to the kind of rice ball with a little strip of nori running around the center but as you can see below, some of the ones labeled as musubi have no piece of nori.

My understanding is that basically Onigiri is rice that's been pressed into a ball after putting some water on your hands and a little salt so that as you press it into a ball you add some favor do it.  Of course that's the base.  You can add anything you want to it from using different spices in the rice to adding stuffing and or wrapping it with a piece of nori or even scrambled egg or other wrappings.

Last week I was in Tokyo's Akihabara, the place for geeks like me to get my tech fix and I noticed there was a new store opening up in a few days called "Linux Cafe" so I went back today (after it opened, to check it out).

I found this random software the other day called n-Gen.  Basically it's a semi random design generator.  You can download various modules.  Each module has various parts like backgrounds, icons, images, fonts, colors schemes and layout rules.  You run n−Gen, pick a module, type in a few things and then press [n−generate] and ... POOF ... you get instant graphic design.

In July I checked out the NTT InterCommunications Center. It would better be called a multi−media museum or exhibition hall. I'm curious how you become a multi−media artist and have your creation / art displayed (and funded since lots of them clearly require some major money).

Like most art museums the exhibits are only there for a limited time which in this case is probably fairly important since the state of the art in multi−media changes relatively quickly. Not that it's just about "state of the art" tech though.

Here's a list of "entities" as they are called by the HTML standard

Even though I've been in Japan nearly 2 years I've really never been to a Japanese Matsuri (festival). I've stumbled upon a few before especially near the temple in Shinjuku but probably the #1 thing about a Japanese Matsuri is all the food and since I found the other matsuris by accident and I had already eaten and didn't really feel like partaking in the festivities (ie, eating lots more).

Hong Kong, city of tall buildings. At least that's how I would describe it. You'd be hard pressed to find a building less than 10 stories tall and I suspect the average height is higher. Maybe I missed some suburb area with single story houses but as far as I could tell there is no such area. It's all tall buildings.

Here in Japan women are obsessed with looking *beautiful*.  I'm sure American women are also but I don't think it's quite to the same level as the Japanese.  It's insane and actually one reason I'm afraid of the *stereotypical* Japanese woman.  I'm sure some of this stuff is available in the states but I don't think all of it is.

The Tokyo Miraikan, which I guess would be best translated as the Tokyo Museum of the Future, opened July 10th 2001.  It's spankin new and in Odiaba which is a small, I believe, man made island in Tokyo Bay where nearly all the buildings and structures are architectural wonders.