問答ブックス - Mondo Books

The World's Biggest....

2011-12-30T14:18:00.001+09:00

Nagoya Planetarium Officially Declared World's Largest by Guinness Book of Records

Image courtesy of Chris Glen

Looking a bit like a giant, gleaming pachinko ball, the new planetarium at the Nagoya City Science Museum has now officially been declared the world's largest by the Guinness Book of World Records. As the Mainichi Daily News reports, the planetarium's (also known as "Brother Earth") has a diameter of 35 meters - topping that of the previous champion by a full 5 meters.

If you can handle the long lines, it might be an interesting and warm place to while away an hour or two during the winter vacation. While Mayor Kawamura hopes that the planetarium will attract tourists to the city, the planetarium show is still only offered in Japanese with no English translation.

However, ticket and show information (in English) can be found here.

So, have any of you been to the new planetarium yet? Did you find it was worth a visit? Leave us a comment below.

-Mike

We Deliver!

2011-12-26T17:22:00.001+09:00

Our online stores ship nationwide!

Want to pick up some great books, but avoid the cold at the same time? There's no need to leave your home - you can always buy online! We ship our books all across Japan via www.mondo-books.com and Amazon.jp.

Easy Payment

You don't have to pay by credit card either. Amazon.jp offers convenience store payment at hundreds of locations across Japan.

Why not give it a try? Check out some of our books online today!

Great books at Great Prices.

www.Mondo-Books.com

Mondo Books on Amazon.jp

How to save money and still have a great time this weekend

2011-12-05T20:24:00.001+09:00

Trying to save up some money for Christmas, but still looking to have some affordable fun? Why not join us this weekend at Mondo Books for 3 great events under 1000 yen?

1. Gaming Night III - This Time It's Personal
Friday December 9, 2011 - 5:30PM

On Friday night, we'll be hosting Gaming Night III. Hosted by Emanuele, the game night will include popular board games and table top RPGs such as Blood Bowl, Cosmic Encounters, Dungeon Quest, Carcassonne and Battletech.

Check out some of the excitement from Gaming Night II:

Please feel free to bring your favorite games as gaming space i available

Cost: Only 500 yen, (which includes 2 Free Coffees, 20% off all books, CDs and DVDs and free gaming!) Less than the cost of two drinks at a bar!

"Join" our event on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest developments and meet other gamers in Nagoya. You'll be glad you did.

日本語しか喋らない方もOK!

2. Christmas Movie Double Feature
Saturday December 10, 2011 - 3:30 PM

On Saturday night, we will be hosting a Christmas Double Feature and Pot Luck with 2 Great Christmas Movies! Doors open at 3:30pm. (15:30) At 4pm we will be showing "A Muppet Christmas Carol" followed by a Pot Luck dinner/snack session after the movie (around 6pm) and then "Die Hard" at 8pm!

Cost: 500 yen or FREE if you bring food to share (enough to share with about 10-12 people).

Seating is limited, so click "Join" on our Facebook Event Page now if you would like to attend.

A Muppet Christmas Carol (Trailer)

3. Aftershock Launch Party
Sunday December 11, 2011 - 5:00 PM

Come celebrate the launch of this unique graphic novel created to raise funds for the reconstruction of Tohoku after the quake. There will be a talk with several internationally acclaimed cartoonists discussing their experience working on this project, and making comics in Japan, along with drinks and music.

Proceeds from this event and book sales will be donated to Architecture for Humanity in their rebuilding efforts in Tohoku!

Panelists include:

Lars Martinson, (Winner of the prestigious Xeric Grant for his graphic novel Tonoharu)
Michiru Morikawa (Critically acclaimed artist of Yakuza Moon: the Manga Edition)
Adam Pasion (Creator: Sundogs: Diary of an Expat and editor of Aftershock)
Sam Mooney, whose beautiful comics have been gracing the pages of RAN Magazine for the past half year.

Adam Pasion on why you should attend the Aftershock Launch Party

Check out the video that got them a successful Kickstarter grant.

Cost: FREE!! But please feel free to donate by buying a copy of Aftershock at Mondo Books for only 1000 yen!

Seating is limited, so click "Join" now on the Aftershock Launch Party page on Facebook if you would like to attend.

http://aftershockcomic.blogspot.com/
http://mondolounge.jp/directions/
http://architectureforhumanity.org/

Gaming Night Tonight at 7!

2011-11-25T15:53:00.001+09:00

Join us for board games and table-top RPGs tonight at 7PM!

BOARDGAMING NIGHT: We are happy to invite you to the Second Edition of Mondo Books Gaming Night. You don't need to be a Geek to participate. 日本語しか喋らない方もOK!

ADMISSION FEE: 500 yen (2 Free Coffees, 20% books discount, free gaming!)

AVAILABLE GAMES: Our game stock is rapidly growing. This time the following titles will be available: BATTLETECH, CARCASSONNE (plus many expansions), ONCE UPON A TIME, DUNGEONEER, GREED, FEARSOME FLOORS. Please feel free to bring your favorite games with you as free gaming areas are available.

Nagoya gamers hard at work at the Mondo Lounge in Kamimaezu:

Please RSVP on Facebook if you would like to attend.

Happy Labour Thanksgiving Day!

2011-11-23T11:37:00.001+09:00

Mondo Lounge open until 8PM!

We're open! Drop by and check out our selection of books all day today at Mondo. The NaNoWriMo meeting starts at 5PM. All are welcome to attend.

What's Labour Thanksgiving Day all about? The Wikipedia knows and sees all:

Labor Thanksgiving Day is the modern name for an ancient cereals (rice, barley/wheat, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, proso millet, and beans) harvest festival known as Niiname-sai (新嘗祭^?). The Nihon Shoki mentions a harvest ritual having taken place during the reign of the legendary Emperor Jimmu (660–585 BCE), as well as more formalized harvest celebrations during the reign of Emperor Seinei (480–484). Modern scholars can date the basic forms of niiname-sai to the time of Emperor Temmu (667–686).^[1] Traditionally, it celebrated the year's hard work; during the Niiname-sai ceremony, the Emperor would dedicate the year's harvest to kami (spirits), and taste the rice for the first time.

The modern holiday was established after World War II in 1948 as a day to mark some of the changes of the postwar constitution of Japan, including fundamental human rights and the expansion of workers rights.^[2] Currently Niiname-sai is held privately by the Imperial House of Japan while Labor Thanksgiving Day has become a national holiday.^[3]

1 May is also celebrated as Labor Day by many trade unions in Japan,^[4] which hold large rallies and marches in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.

-Mike

CANCELLED - Tsunami Nucleare

2011-11-05T20:33:00.001+09:00

~~Sunday, November 27~~

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=257838550927873

We here at Mondo Books are sad to report that Pio d'Emilia's scheduled reading of Tsunami Nucleare on Nov. 27th has been cancelled.

Despite earlier assurances from the author that he would be able to attend, he decided to cancel his event at the Mondo Lounge.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and want to thank all of you who expressed an interest in attending this event.

Sincerely,

Mike, Jose, Hitomi and Ema

The Mondo Lounge

ITALIAN:

~~Sabato 27 novembre~~ annulato

日本語

~~11月27日（日）~~ キャンセル

NaNoWriMo hits Nagoya

2011-11-03T15:36:00.001+09:00

National Novel Writing Month at the Mondo Lounge

Could you be the next great novelist? This month may be your chance to find out if you've got what it takes.

November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), an annual event that challenges writers to hammer out a 50,000 word novel between November 1st and November 30th.

Beginning in the San Francisco Bay area, the event now involves writers around the world. The Mondo Lounge is proud to host several gatherings of Nagoya writers who have taken on the 50,000 word challenge.

We are planning to host writer gatherings on the following days:

Thursday, November 3 at 5PM
Saturday, November 5 at 5PM
Wednesday, November 23rd at 5PM
Saturday, November 26 at 5PM

*Times are subject to change, so please contact us at info@mondo-books.com for more information.

Here's some video of the participants at the first NaNoWriMo meeting at the Mondo Lounge on Thursday November 3rd:

And November 5th:

Of course, for the price of a small coffee or book purchase, you're more than welcome to hang out and write a few chapters in the lounge anytime we are open. We've also got wifi, if you are looking to conduct some online research.

For more information, check out the official NaNoWriMo website, or the Chubu/Tokai writers forum page.

-Mike

Nagoya News: Subway Graffiti Comes to Town

2011-11-02T16:00:00.000+09:00

Graffiti has been spotted on a Higashiyama-line subway train here in Nagoya, in a trend that seems to be sweeping the nation, writes the Mainichi Daily News:

Graffiti that has been troubling subway trains in five cities since September this year was also found on a subway car here on Oct. 26, city officials said.

According to the Nagoya City Transportation Bureau, the graffiti was spotted on the Higashiyama Line's first train in the morning of Oct. 26, which left Takabata Station at around 6 a.m. A railway worker became aware of the problem after the train stopped at Shin-Sakaemachi.

The graffiti, which spelled "MTGS" in pink curvy letters, covered approximately 5.8 meters on the second car from the front. (Article)

Anyone out there have an idea as to what "MTGS" means?

MeeTinGS? Must Try to Get Sober? My Train Graffiti Sucks?.....

Post your best guess below and get 20% off your next purchase at Mondo. Just mention "Graffiti" before you buy.

In the meantime, check out this cool video about graffiti in Japan.

Local Artist Feature: Adam Pasion

2011-10-31T16:00:00.000+09:00

Expat Artist Draws Inspiration from Japan

Originally from San Francisco, Adam Pasion has been living and working in Nagoya for the last 5 years. His work focuses on the adventures of daily life as an expat in Japan.

A few months back Jimi Okelana from Nagoya's own Axiom Magazine spoke with Adam about his life and work.

Check out Adam's website www.biguglyrobot.net or drop by Mondo to pick up a copy of Adam's graphic novel Sundogs for only 1000 yen.

(Sundogs page courtesy Adam Pasion's blog)

Rocky Horror at Mondo!

2011-10-30T14:13:00.001+09:00

Check out some videos of Friday night's Rocky Horror Picture Show!

Thanks to Vash for organizing Friday's great Rocky Horror screening and to everyone who came. Looking forward to the next movie screening!

The Line Up

Shine a light

Talking back to the screen

It's all over. See you next year!

Let's do the Timewarp Again

2011-10-27T20:34:00.001+09:00

Rocky Horror Picture Show Screening - Friday, October 28th!

A Cult Classic - Just in Time for Halloween!

Join us tonight at 8 PM for a one night only screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The Movie will be an authentic showing, complete with all the audience participation routines that has made Rocky Horror a famous in midnight showings around the world.

Check out the official trailer:

Audience Participation

For those not familiar with the Rocky Horror experience, it involves shouting lines (NSFW) back at the characters on screen, making sound effects and dancing. In other words, fun.

We will be providing you with a bag containing all that you need for the show. All that we ask in return is a small contribution in yen (￥750 or only ￥500 if you come in costume) to cover the cost of the goodies.

Join us this Friday night for one of your few chances to see an authentic showing of Rocky Horror in Japan! There are only a few spaces left for Friday's show, so do RSVP on Facebook to reserve your spot.

お待ちしております！

(Poster photo courtesy Wikipedia)

LAST DAY! Osu Street Performers Festival - Oct. 15 and 16, 2011

2011-10-10T18:00:00.003+09:00

Silver Street Performer

Just a reminder that today, the streets of Osu will be packed with people for the Osu Street Performers Festival (大須大道町人祭 Osu Daidou Chonin Matsuri). The festival is taking place at numerous locations around Osu, and include street performers, dancers and musicians.

Event Locations

View Osu Street Performance Festival 2010 Map in a larger map

For more information, check out official festival page (via Google translate) or Yokoso Japan's helpful guide to the festival, including a LIVE video feed.

Festival Sale!

The Mondo Lounge in Kamimaezu is just down the street from many of the main festival events. Drop by and pick up a free Osu map in English. In keeping with the festival, Mondo will also be hosting a festival of savings, with 25% off all books on October 15 and 16. See you there!

Check out some scenes from last year's festival below:

(Photo courtesy http://macorrin.exblog.jp)

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

2011-10-09T18:00:00.002+09:00

Stare if you Dare (Photo Courtesy http://arnikristjansson.com)

Japan's public transportation is one of the world's most efficient ways to get around. Trains quickly whisk you from one part of the city to another with a minimum of fuss. But travelling by train for many foreigners means standing out like a sore thumb. Bring the only non-Japanese face on the train can lead to the occasional stare, or hushed comment by one's fellow commuters.

Tired of being stared at on the train, Tokyo foreign resident 29-year-old DJ and musician Arni Kristjansson came up with a novel solution. He put his graphic design skills to work and came up with a fake book cover "Why do Japanese People Stare at Foreigners?" 「日本人はなぜ外国人見つめるの？」to wrap around the books he reads on the train.

The reaction so far? "For the most part, laughter," he tells CNNGo. "When I explain the idea ... they realize that a 300-page book on why Japanese people stare at foreigners is pretty ridiculous."

Read more: 'You lookin' at me?' Fake book soothes race relations | CNNGo.com

The book cover has even spawned a Facebook Group. Check it out!

Author Reading: Tsunami Nucleare by Pio d'Emilia

2011-10-09T13:23:00.002+09:00

~~Sunday, November 27~~

: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=257838550927873

We here at Mondo Books are sad to report that Pio d'Emilia's scheduled reading of Tsunami Nucleare on Nov. 27th has been cancelled.

Despite earlier assurances from the author that he would be able to attend, he decided to cancel his event at the Mondo Lounge.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and want to thank all of you who expressed an interest in attending this event.

Sincerely,

Mike, Jose, Hitomi and Ema

The Mondo Lounge

ITALIAN:

~~Sabato 27 novembre~~ annulato

日本語

~~11月27日（日）~~ キャンセル

A Tsunami Shelter?

2011-10-01T18:10:00.002+09:00

A company in Hiratsuka has just launched a new kind of Tsunami shelter, reports the Associated Press.

Their solution? The "Noah": a large contraption that looks a bit like an over-sized ping pong ball. Hopefully it's a bit more secure than that. What do you think? Would you trust the "Noah" in an emergency?

Aichi News: Bird power

2011-09-27T10:44:00.000+09:00

Sound advice

A few days back, over 15,000 households in Aichi Prefecture lost power. The reason, according to the Telegraph:

"The power outage was triggered after the bird excrement landing on vital equipment caused a conducting cable to make a connection with a metal frame, resulting in the short circuit."

Supposedly, Chubu electric has remedied the problem by installing a wire frame. Hope that none of you fell victim to our feathered friends.

Happy Banned Books Week! (禁書週間)

2011-09-26T20:43:00.001+09:00

Sunday the 24th marked the beginning of Banned Books Week, an event held every year to promote awareness of censorship, freedom of expression and the freedom to read. Started in 1982 by librarian and civil rights activist Judith Krug, the event continues to this day, promoting an examination of challenged literature in schools, libraries and bookstores. So what makes for a banned book? Wikipedia has an extensive list of titles that have been banned or restricted around the world.

Check out this article by the Los Angeles Times for more info.

Enjoy your freedom to read!

（9月24日～10月1日は例年に行って禁書週間です。アメリカで作り出したイベント、禁書週間の目的は禁書についての話に通じて、読書の自由と言論の自由を奨励することです。好奇心あれば、ウイキペディアで禁書一覧ご覧下さい。）

How to take care of your books.

2011-06-30T23:32:00.000+09:00

It's great to have a personal library. And it's even better if you can keep it for life. Something to pass on to your kids.

Proper book care starts the moment you strip the shrink wrap off of it.

Turn pages with care.

Books are meant to be read. But the least you can do is to take extra care flipping the pages. Here's a tip on "priming" your book for page turning :

Lay the book on its back.
Open it a few pages.
Press lightly along the bound edge to reduce the stiffness.
Do it with the back cover side.

Spine wrinkles.

Some book collectors are particularly keen on spine wrinkles. We've met book collectors who painstakingly peek into a little opening between pages just to make sure the book doesn't get spine wrinkles. Use a bookmark too, instead of putting the book face down or using dog-ears.

But if you really want a book in mint condition, buy two copies and keep one in its shrink wrap. The other, read and enjoy.

Repair torn pages.

Torn pages do happen and the best way to deal with them is to repair them as soon as possible. Leaving a small tear alone can worsen in the long run with all the stress of page-turning. There are many ways you can repair torn pages but my best bet is to use archival repair tape. Some die-hard book repair people, however, go by Japanese paper (or rice paper) with some starch paste.

Cover it with plastic.

Clear plastic book covers helps in keeping your book in pristine condition, specially your paperbacks. One tip though, allow for extra for shrinkage. Some plastic covers shrink with age.

Storing in shelves.

Make sure that your shelves have ample space and are strong enough to carry the collective weight of the books. You don't want to overcrowd them. You might unnecessarily use too much fore pulling books free that you may damage them. Use bookends if the shelves are not filled. Letting the books slump damages the binding.

For large and heavy books like atlases and unabridged dictionaries, you may want to stack them flat on their back covers. The weight can put stress along the edges of their covers.

Mind the heat.

Too much heat can dry out the pages causing them to be stiff. Some types of paper can crumble with too much stiffness. Too much moisture can cause mold and mildew to grow and ruin them too. So a cool dry place is suitable for book storage. Also, allow for ample space at the front and back of the shelf so air can circulate freely in the shelf.

Cleaning and dusting.

Not because they're individually protected by book cover and shelved, you can be off free not minding your book collection. Dust the shelves once a month. Schedule a yearly individual dusting too.

As for your precious leather-bound books, you may want to condition leather with good petroleum jelly.

Pay attention to this!! - これにも注目!!

2011-06-28T15:36:00.000+09:00

Harry Potter books Clearance Sale!!

ハリーポッターの本のクリアランスセール!!

Our price ￥580

Our price ￥680

Our price ￥780

Buy the whole collection at ￥4280. Only at Mondo Books!!

Today's Book Selection by Mondo Books - 問答ブックスで今日の本の勧め

2011-06-16T11:37:00.007+09:00

Title : Sex and the City

Author : Candace Bushnell
Publisher : Grand Central Publishing

Publication date : 2006
Our price : 700 yen

Title : Shoes

Author : Elizabeth Cotton
Publisher : Stewart, Tabori & Chang

Publication date : 1999-05
Our price : 550 yen

Title : Che

Author : Jon Lee Anderson
Publisher : Grove Press

Publication date : 1997
Our price : 1,000 yen

Title : Fat Land

Author : Greg Critser
Publisher : Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt (HMH)

Publication date : 2004
Our price : 700 yen

Title : Good in Bed

Author : Jennifer Weiner
Publisher : Washingtong Square Press

Publication date : 2002
Our price : 300 yen

箱売りもおこなっています!! Books-in-a-box Sale!!

2011-06-11T23:39:00.000+09:00

<日本語>

箱売りもおこなっています。ミニライブラリ、カフェなどのディスプレイとしてお使いいただけます。

1箱ペーパーバックス、クッキング、インテリヤ絵本、子供向け洋書などを組み合わせて40冊で8,000円。全国配送します。配送料1,000円から。

詳しくはMondo Books・問答書店 052-331-3799 まで

Books-in-a-box Sale!!

Specially for those people who owns a Mini-library, Coffee shop or English Academy. Combination of 40 books from different categories (Cooking, Children, Novels, ...) inside a cardboard box at only ¥8,000. Nationwide delivery starting from ¥1,000.

For more information, please call us at 052-331-3799.

Looking for some cooking recipes? Check out these books from our stock!

2011-06-09T23:19:00.001+09:00

Title : Food Made Fast - Pasta

Author : Julia Della Croce / Chuck Williams
Publisher : Oxmoor House

Publication date : 2006
Our price : 1,200 yen

Title : Baking Bread at Home : Traditional Recipes from around the World

Author : Tom Jaine
Publisher : Rizzoli International Publications

Publication date : 1995
Our price : 800 yen

Increase your TOEIC score using these textbooks - これらの教科書を使用して、TOEICのスコアを向上させる

2011-06-06T23:16:00.000+09:00

Title : TOEIC テストスーパートレーニングリスニング編 (includes 2 CDs)

Author : Kiyoshi Takahashi - 高橋潔
Publisher : 研究社出版

Publication date : 1999
Our price : 200 yen

Title : Tactics for TOEIC Listening and Reading Test

Author : Grant Trew
Publisher : Oxford University Press

Publication date : 2007
Our price : 700 yen

Title : TOEIC

Author : Lin Lougheed
Publisher : Barron's Educational Series

Publication date : 2010
Our price : 1,500 yen

You can buy these English as a Second Language (ESL) textbooks at Mondo Books.

2011-06-04T22:51:00.001+09:00

Title : Reading & Vocabulary Development 2 (Thoughts & Notions)
Author : Patricia Ackert / Linda Lee
Publisher : Heinle & Heinle Pub

Publication date : 2005
Our price : 1,000 yen

Title : Reading & Vocabulary Development 3 (Cause & Effect)
Author : Patricia Ackert / Linda Lee
Publisher : Heinle & Heinle Pub

Publication date : 2005
Our price : 1,800 yen

Title : Reading & Vocabulary Development 4 (Concepts & Comments)

Author : Patricia Ackert / Linda Lee
Publisher : Heinle & Heinle Pub

Publication date : 2005
Our price : 1,300 yen

Today's ESL textbook recommendations.

2011-06-03T23:59:00.002+09:00

Title : Talk a Lot - Book One (2nd Edition)
Author : David Martin
Publisher : EFL Press
Our price : 1,800 yen

Title : Talk a Lot - Book Two (2nd Edition)
Author : David Martin
Publisher : EFL Press
Our price : 1,800 yen

Title : New Headway - Intermediate Student's Book
Author : Liz & John Soars
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Our price : 1,300 yen

Title : English Know How - Student Book Opener
Author : Therese Naber / Angela Blackwell
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Our price : 1,500 yen

Check out our selection of ESL books (中古英語の教科書).

2011-06-02T22:26:00.006+09:00

Title : Passport - English for International Communication (Student Book)
Author : Angela Buckingham / Norman Whitney
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Publication date : 1996
Our price : 1,000 yen

Title : Impact Issues 1 with Self-study CD

Author : Richard R. Day / Joseph Shaules / Junko Yamanaka

Publisher : Pearson Longman

Publication date : 2008

Our price : 2,000 yen

Title : Impact Issues 2 with Self-study CD

Author : Richard R. Day / Joseph Shaules / Junko Yamanaka

Publisher : Pearson Longman

Publication date : 2008

Our price : 2,000 yen

Title : Impact Issues 3 (Self-study CD not included)

Author : Richard R. Day / Joseph Shaules / Junko Yamanaka

Publisher : Pearson Longman

Publication date : 2008

Our price : 700 yen

Title : Impact Issues 3 with Self-study CD

Author : Richard R. Day / Joseph Shaules / Junko Yamanaka

Publisher : Pearson Longman

Publication date : 2008

Our price : 2,000 yen

Coming to visit us? Follow these easy instructions...

2011-06-01T08:01:00.000+09:00

問答ブックス / 問答ラウンジ
名古屋市中区上前津2-4-6伊正ビル21号室
電話番号 : (052) 331-3799

Mondo Books / Mondo Lounge
Nagoya city, Naka ward, Kamimaezu 2-4-6 Ishou Bldg #21
Tel. (052) 331-3799