Nothing to do with me. That's all Google's work. I just typed in the name, chose a room, an avatar and a few bits of furniture. It took less than half an hour to set up. I thought Lively would be huge in the future, but obviously Google thought otherwise. :???:

Yeah, it's always empty. The "incredibly busy" thing was a joke. I'm surprised to see Lively shut down so soon. In a way, I'm quite happy about it. Second Life is far, far better anyway, so hopefully more people will use that instead.

I'd love to visit Kyoto for a while, and it would be great to do it if my wife could see something new at the same time. Maybe she'll be tempted to take another trip to see these hidden treasures before they're locked away for another few years :)

Hmm ... my company has been doing the same kind of thing recently, but not by plane. Instead we're shipped off via Shinkansen to train people (both students and teachers at other branches). I agree that it's not so fun, but it can certainly help us appreciate those days where we get to stay in just one place :P

I just went to check out the room and saw this note "Lively is shutting down - Rooms and avatars will not be available after December 31st, 2008" If you follow the link it tells you how to save all of your avatars, etc. Sorry to be the bearer of such news...

Why don't you come and see the monkey? If you experienced a link probem, it has been fixed.

Now those are really amazing.

Every time I go into the japansoc lively room it is empty.

DBR you're right about someone always wanting to make money out of it.... but sometimes it is a lot of fun. I guess I've gotten harder as I don't feel the obligation to buy anymore : )

That looks great Nick! At work now so will have to wait to play later. Looks very Sim style design.

WOW! Just... wow!

My excuse is that I can't spell mariwana...

Interesting. Although, I am a meat eater and I have no desire to give up　meat. I feel that eating meat is natural and nothing will ever sway my opinion.

hehe looks like someone picked that up on the page, too - pity I don't get comments on my RSS. What do you think they do with a place like that when it closes? It's so huge and purpose-built. It would be eery if it were jsut abandoned like those theme parks...

We eat a variety of things, most of which are tofu based. The most famous product is called "Tofurky." It is even shaped like a turkey. Over a decade ago I invented my own baked tofu dish on a Thanksgiving Day that made for a nice festive dish. In Japan I go to the great, vegetarian friendly buffet dinner at the Pink Cow in Shibuya. They coincidentally have a baked tofu dish very similar to the one I made many years ago.

I smoked so much pot in college I am surprised I learned anything(but I actually learned a lot from those old profs).

True. I do wonder what the hell people who do not eat meat eat on Thanksgiving?

All the things written in this article are very good advice. It really is the basics that everyone coming to Japan to teach should know.

Not everyone still eats turkey on Thanksgiving these days.

We Americans do love our turkey eating and football watching holiday that is for sure. Thanksgiving has always been an odd holiday for me.

It closed last year. www.seagaia.co.jp/english/guidance/news/20070807.html

I wish they'd call it marijuana. Also, university officials in the _US_ apologizing for pot smokers on their campuses? :-T  harharhahehehe

Yay Tokyo! :-D

You bring the soap and beer, I'll provide the room - the one and only, incredibly busy, Google Lively JapanSoc Room! :-P http://blog.japansoc.com/google-lively-japansoc-room/

These sound like a great idea because the products are everything from food to cosmetics from all sorts of companies. These kinds of parties in Australia are usually in a private home and from the one Amway-like companies, often either poor quality products which don't want to risk comparison to other products or sex toys. Your party host is usually out to make money from it and in full, obnoxious, POSITIVITY mode with all the charm of a religious convert but they are either a friend or friend of a friend so you feel guilty if you don't buy anything but conned when you do lol!