東京 2001 〜 2004

i don't like carpet or tatami mats but hard wood floors are great, in my opinion.

Wow, very neat apartment for your first arrival in Japan, pretty much organized, love how you decorate your space ^_^

I can spot a Fujitsu, HP, DELL & Toshiba Tecra laptop, isn't it?

Reading this chronicle does make me feel & enjoy the flow of DC.com deeper & better ^o^

Wow Danny, I don't like domestical moves, and you're asking if I like international move??? OMG! Please, thank you very much! Come another day lol
Don't know Seattle, but I think anywhere of Japan is the better place to live (I lived in Asuncion - Paraguay, Chihuahua - Mexico, Hamamatsu, Minokamo and Ushiku - Japan)

well I guess moving from south korea to the u.s would be considered an international move but thats when I was super young so I dont really remember anything of reference to a big culture shock or change. The picture of the bathroom is cool, I dont know why, it just is.

Don't like moving a lot...Nice Gameboy charging idea..>w<''

I spot my old HP nc6000 laptop! It might have less power than todays laptops but i like it's design. I moved from the Philippines to the US back in 2003. I thought Anime died on me at that time since i couldn't find anyone with any Anime related hobbies and i don't have internet at that time also... ^^;

I like tatami mats, personally. Though I dunno where you can get them where I live... =/
And we just switched from carpet to bamboo relatively recently, so I don't think we're going to be switching again for a while.
And thats a bunch of laptops. (yeah, I don't know computers at all. whatever. :D)

Hmmm interesting once again... though with my future plans i really ponder how international moving works. I did move a lot across germany... rent a truck and get stuff going - no problem... but... international? Uhm... no clue how to get my things from A to B actually. ^^;

Ever visit, I'll take you to a firing range to fire real guns sometime. You'll love it. Winter time we can try snowboarding instead of skiing, so you can injure both legs instead of one. ^^;

i hear having wheels on tatami tends to wear them out faster - the tatami i mean.

just wondering, was your star wars and gundam collection part of the few hundred kilos of important stuff? ^^

I haven't tried tatamis yet, but given my partiality towards anything asian I will most likely love them.

I like how you took everyone for food regularly, it's a great way of knowing your co-workers and taking group photos is very nice too, you can have a good memory of each stage of your work life.

I hope I can have a rich work-life like yours, since I'm not very sociable to begin with ^^U

i've been studying in different countries for my primary, secondary, and tertiary education but Thailand is always my home and where my family is:)

The evolution of Danny Choo continues!!!
So you've been into blogging for 7 years...
Most people would have stopped in like 3 years or so...
I do love those graphic art you had on your old site!!!

this is the first time i see danny in another colour other than black. ^^;

I find your way of charging batteries to be quite clever, never thought of doing something like that. Just curious Danny during the posting of this articles time period, how was Akihabara? Is it like what it is today being an Otaku holy grounds? Just curious because ur last post indicated Akihabara during that time frame wasnt like what it is now.

another nostalgia bomb

have you used Bryce3D before?

U talked about regretting not taking more pix, it is the same with myself, but at the time when I wanted to record everything in pix I only had an automatic film camera lol it was a gift from my parents for doing well in my studies at the time I think ^^ When I got my first digital camera (with quite a bit of my work savings) I took so many pix that the camera finally expired after about a couple years :P

why they dun sell air guns in singapore.... damm.......

born in japan and lived on the navy base there for 8 years. moved to seattle for a while. then here in san diego, ca. been missing japan ever since i left and visited once for vacation with my friends. its my dream to go live where i was born. yokosuka, japan!

Man I would kill to live in another country, especially now with our economy in the toilet and all. :P

Can't wait to read about your time in Seattle, it's a pretty tame city though. Wouldn't mind living there myself... though I would miss California... unless I lived in another country. ^_^

Didn't think much about pictures in the past...now that I'm older views tend to change...good times...

I don't mind tatami but old tatamis have such a distinctive smell that makes me feel weird sometimes.

My family made an international move from Korea to US almost 20 years ago. I was only like 12 years old at the time so it was more exciting than scary. I did not speak English fluently but I eventually did so did not face too much problems. My recent domestic move was much difficult with all my collections rather -_-

I remember my father had Japanese tenant once, he had all the flooring changed to tatami mats. he always keep the place so clean that my dad said one could eat food off the floor. ^^;
love that CGI ship of yours, especially with the image of it parked on top of a building. ^^ great idea with the series battery charging. ^^

I think everyone here would like to give Mrs. Choo a very big round of applause for her supporting you so well throughout your career. I hope, Danny, that you appreciate your good lady's input into your being able to share with us the rich life you have led so far.

May those who have smiled upon you both continue to do so.

I have never moved house in my life - It woulda been nice when i was a little younger - going to a nicer place to start over again :) otherwise is my turn to find my own place n reach for the stars

I've only been through six international moves, so far. May do number seven in April.

Funny that you were in Seattle. I might've passed by you back then, and never have realized it (I head back there once a year to visit friends and family). ^^

Wow.... still can't believe how different the site was before now.... I've moved :counts: 5 times I think... have always lived in Norfolk. Parents don't come from Norfolk though lol.

Reading this article sure make one bring up old memories.
By time i decide to go back to Singapore, I think I will too cherish the memories I have here ^^;

oh.. that GBA battery charging is idea!

i am moving to tokyo for work this coming Sunday, my work has only given me a shitty budget for my relocation costs so it's giving me a big headache deciding on what to pack >_<

when i was looking for an apartment, i was actually trying to find an apartment with tatamis hehe.. but then my friends have all started to tease me about being like Hideki (Chobits) and living in one of those types of apartments haha.. ended up going with a newly constructed apartment instead heh

In 2000 my dad got a job over in Saudi Arabia, so my whole family relocated over there. It was a major culture shock when we got over there. It wasn't like anything that I had imagined, it was a good experience being over there.

I like tatami mats... but they are just too expensive here in Brazil.
Imported stuff, shipping, taxes. It's almost like paying to have a gold plated floor.

Nice pics and article Danny!

so did you spend more time looking out the window admiring the scenery or working

Me and my family only moved once and it was only within the city. I was little back then so I can't really remember how I felt at that time. I might move permanently to the country where I will work x_x

I can't believe you weren't into moe back then. It came as a shock to me when I read it here XD

haven't made international move (yet,but soon though) only moved domestic, to indiana and Miami,Florida. out here some apartments have wooden walls but mainly thick drywall. not familiar with tatami mats either. never really started taking pics until 1-2 years ago since I am leaving I need memories. wow how dannychoo.com has evolved great job on that danny. I applaud you on another great story danny.

Nice to know more about you Danny! You really did go through a lot!

We also have something similar to the tatami which we call "banig", it also has similarities with the tatami and I can bet that they have almost the same smell. Also materials can also vary depending on what region they are made form..I always used to have my afternoon naps with my favorite mat when I was still a kid, aah good times...

International move! yay!
It's just a dream to me, to move to tokyo in a travel trip, and so, if there is a chance, stay there for some time.
To reach that objetive, I'm studing and working in Pub. & Marketing and Japanese as well =P Hope that helps me in my dream ^^;

Seriously cool 3D work Danny, modelling detail and texturing way beyond anything i've ever managed and my degree was in 3D Computer Animation & Special Effects!

These days I've been using the old 3d skills to model how my house will look when finished to try and inspire myself, it's not working.

http://www.naffworld.co.uk/blog/?cat=11 <- few bits there, cinemas gonna be amazing I hope :D

thanks for the great insight into yr working history. Luv the Star Wars office! ^;^

I like tatamis!!!!But i guess my parents don't *sigh*...I wish parents are not in the way,and that way,i'll be a true Otaku!!!but i think i'll pass when it comes to moe....just animes and figures

I helped my wife move from Japan to the US. Does that count? I tell ya, it was much easier to move her than it would to move me! I've got way too much stuff (mostly toys/models/tools).

I'm looking forward to your Seattle days. I have spent most of my life in two places: Tokyo and Seattle and I miss Tokyo like you wouldn't believe.

tatami is more for me. Carpets stink on certain occasion and i really dont like that kind of smell. Nice article. A blast from the past is definitely an interesting read.

Haven't been through an international move but I had to stay in an apartment for a little over a year while our house being rebuilt after a fire.

I don't know if I would be able to buy tatami mats here, but they wouldn't really be fitting anyway^^

Dwellings with only wood walls? No, I don't think theres somthing like that here.

Although skiing is like a national sport here in Austria, I haven't been skking since years.

An international move? Moving to Japan would be a dream, but without beeing able to speak Japanese and beeing able to work as ???it isn't somthing that seems very realistic for me atm.

International move? yup, many times, from holland to england then to Hong kong then to malaysia now in Beijing. but i want to live in japan in the future... so in UNI i will learn japanese... do u think i wud be able to speak fluently after uni?

Wow!! Amazing post desu!! I never moved really far from where I live. I hope I'll have the chance to experience it once in my lifetime. (to move to Japan of course!!) Man , Danny-san, I just ovethose Shibuya pics!! Thank you very much Danny for sharing these memories with us!! Arigatou gozaimashita!!

You have been at this a while.. It is interesting to see older versions of the site.

Makes me wonder, some times when your in a region speaking another language different then your own you tend to forget things in your native tongue. Did you forget some Japanese while in Seattle? Or catch yourself speaking in Japanese accidently?

Yayami mats are a yay for me, I like the smell and I agree that sleeping on one is the best feeling ever!

Mmm... Hikaru in bikini... Are there any recent pictures of her or has she retired?

I haven't been through an international move before... Still a long time before that happens LOL

International moves suck in so many ways. Especially at a young age. Was moved to the UK at age 7 and often it feels like I don't belong to either culture. Also miss family, never had the chance to have childhood friends, miss certain foods....it's difficult. Can't wait to get out of the UK though (to Japan) and restart somewhere new as an adult : ) I think when it comes to international moves it's better to make them when kids are uber young or even better as an adult who can make the decision themselves. International moves do have their benefits of course : )

Also- Very interesting posts these!! Looking forward to the time in the US one : )

All my moves have been between the same two states. XD Kind of weird, but that's the way it panned out.

I've never encountered tatami in person, so I can't say whether I like it or not, but the durability sounds like the thing that would really vex me.

Moved to Canada a couple of years ago. So far so good ^_^
I want to try and live in Japan for a while though.

Since my love is for Japan and Games I took notice of the above and about photos and your ship in 3DMax. I'm going try to make that ship in Spore now. ^-^

Always nice to see more of "Danny's past" articles.
The "both limping back to Tokyo" was oddly cute. xD

I moved to Canada eight years ago (Which is, relatively speaking, a long time, since I only turned 18 this year). I've not been out of North America in all these eight years and am a bit reluctant to visit China (though I wouldn't mind Japan for obvious reasons). My English and Chinese are both quite good, although I try to speak in Chinese more because I don't want to forget it (which is sort of why I'm doing F/HA translations by myself). It's weird though, people who hear my English thinks I was born here, and people who hear my Chinese thinks I just moved here.

Danny you really worked for Nature? I can't recall how many times I cited their articles for my high school papers. Awesome!

All that relocating and moving around... Even though it is spread over a long period of time, it still sound exhaustive to move so many times ^^;.

I know that distinct smell from tatami mats and I love it! it's that "country" sorta smell and I think it's cozy to sleep in. Houses are similar to what you described in Japan although I think we have a bit more insulation with the wooden walls.

Danny, I really wonder... if you've chosen to stay in Seattle, how would that affect DC.com's future? How much different would this site be? Seattle Dancing Trooper perhaps? It's an interesting scenario to ponder about ^^

i am sure i said thie before, but i have never been overseas my entire life. :(
my family has always been a thrifty one and going on a trip was deemed as a frivolous luxury we could not afford. We are a tad bit affluent now, but we have yet to find the time to venture beyond this country hurhur.

posts like this are some reason why i deemed a camera absolutely necessary. Ya can't go on life without reminiscing the past, albeit there's certainly more room for improvement in my photography skills...

on a side note, i think i am yearning for a long haircut... looks kinda cool in a black suit...

You had a great view at Yoyogi park and Shinjuku from your office at Amazon!
And in that hotel in Shibuya too.

I like tatami mats and japanese doors very much myself, and would love to have them in my house later.

I would miss Japan too if I worked so hard to finally get there and then to be transferred permanently to another country...

Interesting read, thanks as always:)

Hmm nice article once again but I have something I have to ask. Am I the only one who is slightly annoyed that the text that comments/describes a certain picture comes before the picture in question and not after? It really isnt a big issue or anything but I find it slightly annoying since on 99,5% of web pages I read it's the other way around, pic first and text under it. It always takes me few minutes to adjust to read-dannychoo.com -mode to really follow what's going on :)

After thinking it for a while it might make sense to have the picture before the text as one would think that pictures are more interesting and at least pics attract our attention first. So now when Im first attracted to the picture and look it through I have to look higher again to read the text while I could continue reading down for the text that belongs to the pic, think it would make reading a bit more enjoyable and I think that's why majority of sites also have text and pictures in that order.

Really interesting article Danny, keep them coming.

Personally I've never lived outside the UK, but I've been to Japan many times (I was last there about a month and a half ago) and I always miss it a lot. I'd love to move there, but getting a job there with only passable Japanese skills like mine seems like mission impossible. I shall keep studying.

Great pics as always. Thanks for the link to Terragen. It looks like I've got a new app to fiddle with over the next while. =D

Never stayed long in another country - longest times are on biz trips - 3 weeks max. If ever possible, I would prefer to travel to as many places as possible to experience as many cultures as possible.

Nice article as always. Looking back at the past is always interesting in my opinion. Just done my first international move lately, and it's kinda hard to leave my home country and my past. Even after a year, homesickness still pangs my heart. I'm amazed at the courage you and Mrs. Choo have to make many movements around the world. But in the end, you came back to Japan, because Japan is not complete without Danny Choo. ^^

It's always nice to read of your achievements and take in your advice ^^
To blog for more than 3 years, constanly updating your skills and adapting to life in another country, you really are an inspiration to us all, Danny.

I love reading life stories of other people. Especially when it involved travel. ^^ Reading yours make me see myself doing the same thing in the near future.

Must be nice to make an international move. The only move I've ever made was a domestic one. heheh!

Wow, that was a great write up Danny. Very interesting, I look foward to reading more when you post about living in the U.S. and working with Amazon...By the way keep throwing in some Gundams...Zeon prefereably :)

I have not done any international moves but my parents have. As for me I did cross continental moves, my father was in the Coast Guard. We moved From New Jersey to Hawaii then to Virginia, then to Alaska then to New York then finally to Florida. All these moves occurred before my 14th birthday.

I do 3D stuff all the time, but I can't afford any good software so I'm stuck with blender which is very difficult to use.

holy man enoff comments. iv never been through an international move yet, i probly will though next summer assuming i dont finance a car before then. Umm the move would be 2 liverpool england with my brother (not really my brother, hes practically family though).actually that would be my 3 move aswell which should be kool.

Do to my occupation, I travel quite a bit and will no doubt make 1 or 2 international moves before my time here is up. Though, the only things I have are my uniforms, a very small amount of civie clothes, laptop, ds, and a camara. There not alot of room on a warship for xboxes and tvs naturally.

I'm considering doing the English Teacher In Japan thing after college, and one thing I'm concerned about is the transportation of my figures. Any Hot Tipz for movin' stuff like that overseas?

Wow Danny, what you did was awesome. I would love to live in work in Japan! Maybe one day I'll have that chance.

its a dream of mine to go live and work in japan :( i soo wish i could T_T im originally from Colombia (South America)and thanks from family things i had to move to the US Florida and i had to leave so many things behind. at first sucked so much but now it doesn't sucks but my goal is to move to japan Some day!

I wish I really could move to Japan. Everytime I look at the photos here on DC.com I sigh and think "Maybe some day.."

Also makes me wish I had taken more of an interest in the previous skills taught to me in college. I really should pursue my web design hobby more..

I really enjoy reading about your life and looking at all the cool pics ^_^

WOW., danny your space been changhed so much... nowdays you have so much computer and other stuff... but i heard that you moved in other basement... The startrooper thing and other things you doing helped you to live better life than few years ago... am i right??