Transmissions from Tokyo

What's a Pamyu Pamyu?

2012-03-06T14:35:00.003+09:00

For better or worse, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is an up and coming celebrity known for her rather outlandish fashion. She first gained the spotlight with her song Ponponpon. She's appeared on a few some variety shows and most recently, she's begun to show up in commercials such as the one below.

Tokyo in Timelapse

2012-03-06T13:34:00.002+09:00

Vimeo user Holger Metter has produced a stunning video simple titled Tokyo in Timelapse. Even if the timelapse technique isn't your cup of tea, I think at least you'll be impressed by the wonderful photography.

He says that this is his second main city stop for the year and that he intends to film in 12 different cities around the world by years end. Check out his other work here.

What's happening now in Japan

2012-03-05T19:28:00.001+09:00

Thoughts are still on my grandmother but I'll try and move on. Frankly, news this week here in Japan was pretty thin. The major story I suppose is that the Emperor has returned home after heart surgery. Everything else is either dull, depressing, or ridiculous. For instance, news broke this week that Government officials hid information on fallout from the Fukushima disaster last year. Depressing. AIJ Managers may face a criminal probe after loosing more than $2.4 billion from pension funds. Ridiculous and not at all supprising to be honest.

You know what? Nevermind. Forgot all that crap. We need to cheer up a bit and I happen to have just the thing: 20-minutes of Genki Sudo!!

Saying goodbye to Grandma

2012-03-04T09:40:00.001+09:00

Julia was amazing woman. Last year, she celebrated her centennial birthday with loving family around her. Yesterday, she passed away.

As anyone who has lived overseas and away from family will tell you, moments like this are the hardest. A sense of guilt of not being there for her last moments and being absent at a time of grief weighs heavily. Yet, we do what we must. So many members of our family are scattered all over the world that the funeral will be a very simple one with only a few people in attendence. There will be a memorial service next month and I will be flying back to Canada to attend.

She was my last living grandparent and personally, that makes her passing all the more difficult. Yet, I have an incredible amount of warm memories to cling to. Julia made the most amazing food. No exaggeration at all. Her salad was unbelievable and her pasta was world class. The woman had a simple kitchen and no fancy tools and what she could make from scratch was unbelievable. That was the Italian in her I guess. I remember telling her how amazing her food was and she'd just sit there and smile. She didn't have an easy life but looking at her, you wouldn't know it. She always had a smile ready for her kids and her grandkids or a stranger willing to strike up conversation. She had an adorable laugh and the sound of her voice will forever be burned into me. My grandmother was an amazing human being. I love her and I will miss her.

I am sorry that I am so far away from family at a time like this. But I've let everyone know that when called, I will be there. I wish I could give my dad and his brother and sister a hug. At the moment, kind words sent over email and Skype will have to suffice.

Random Photo: Menu

2012-03-03T21:31:00.002+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Items from a menu are posted on the wall at a local izakaya.

George Lucas has me by the balls

2012-03-03T12:55:00.000+09:00

It's true. I can't help myself. I grew up on Star Wars and the original trilogy remains as three of my favorites movies. When I was a young lad, I had Star Wars everything. Star Wars figures of course but also Star Wars bedsheets, books, cd's etc...

I'm not a fan of the new trilogy and I've become burnt out by the constant re-releases and the barrage of Star Wars products available. But I'm also a hypocrite. To promite the release of Star Wars Episode One 3D, Pepsi is offering these little cellphone strap figures. All the main characters are there. And of course, like a shmuck, I bought one. Uggh... I don't know why I keep supporting George and his crazy ideas. But oh well... Take my money George. Just go on and take it. ughh...

Hina Matsuri

2012-03-03T12:22:00.002+09:00

Today, March 3rd, is an event in Japan known as Hina Matsuri - otherwise known as Girls Day. The festival dates way back to the Heian period in Japanese history (794-1185) and is usually celebrated by people displaying ornamental dolls of the Emperor and Empress in traditional Heian period clothing.

In modern times, parents and grandparents with daughters and granddaughters in the family often visit a shrine to pray for their long life and happiness. I googled Hina Matsuri and this is what I got. People in thsi country often also eat pink foods like mochi, cake or rice dishes.

Construction on Sky Tree is complete

2012-03-01T08:59:00.001+09:00

It's Tokyo's new icon and it's a beautiful site to see. At 634 meters, Tokyo Sky Tree is officially the tallest tower in the world and it's already a source of pride for many Japanese people. You can read more about it here.

Japan in a day

2012-03-01T08:53:00.003+09:00

News is breaking this morning that famed film director Ridley Scott will be working on a documentary project on Japan's March 11th disaster. The project is called Japan in a day and it sounds really interesting.

"In memory of the disaster, Fuji Television and Ridley and Tony Scott’s Scott Free London are embarking on Japan In A Day, a 24-hour self-portrait of the country filmed by the public based on the Life In A Day series. Beginning at midnight March 11, participants will capture the day and upload footage to YouTube at www.youtube.com/JapanInADay. Fuji will donate 200 cameras to people in the most affected areas of the country, and the gathered footage as well as Fuji TV’s coverage from the day will also be submitted. Fuji TV plans to select the best material to complete a feature, which will debut at cinemas worldwide."

Kit Kat Citrus

2012-03-01T08:36:00.004+09:00

One of my clients visited Nagasaki and was kind enough to bring me back a little souvenir. All of you who read this blog on a regular basis know how much I love to try new Kit Kat flavors so you can imagine my joy when I received this. Kit Kat Citrus is a tangy version of the classic we all know. It's really good and not too sweet. Hope you guys get a chance to try it!

Snowing yet again

2012-02-29T08:53:00.000+09:00

I'm starting to think that what I've been told about how rare snowfall is in Tokyo isn't true. I just got to work and yet again, we're having ourselves a snow storm over here. It's a bit tricky to walk in but that hasn't stopped young women wearing pumps with no damn socks in the snow.

The only incident to report so far is that a tree in front of my office collapsed under the weight of the snow. But wait for it... When there's snow here, there's bound to be accidents. Edit: It's nearly noon and the snow is still coming down thick and heavy. Glorious! I'm dreading the news tonight though... I predict a slew of accidents.

3-11: The Memories

2012-02-27T09:59:00.000+09:00

The one-year anniversary of the March 11th disaster is fast approaching. I'm sure it will be a national day of mourning and remembrance. But some have already started to share their memories of where they were and what they saw that day.

GaijinPot Blog has asked for submissions from people who remember the events of that day and wanted to share. Foreigners from all walks of life have replied so far and it's an interesting read. I also submitted my recollection. Since it's not directly linkable, I posted it in full below:

“I distinctly remember looking out the windows and seeing the trees swaying like flowers in the wind. It was then I knew that it was an earthquake.”

Canadian, Tokyo, Male, Business Consultant
I remember when the earthquake struck. I was in a building in Kanagawa when I started to feel the ground shake. I wasn’t quite sure what it was at first. I thought it might be a large bus or truck driving by the building. But my co-workers knew what it was. For a moment they glanced around and then suddenly, they all crouched down. I was the only one standing still looking around taking in what exactly was going on. I distinctly remember looking out the windows and seeing the trees swaying like flowers in the wind. It was then I knew that it was an earthquake.

It seemed to go on forever. I calmed a few people around me and once it finished, I helped clean up the mess that was left behind. One moment in the clean up that sticks out in my mind the most was when I went downstairs and saw that the large aquarium with goldfish had fallen over. Pebbles, plants, water covered nearly the entire hallway with the lifeless bodies of the fish scattered about.

The real horror came, however, when we turned on the television. After our initial cleanup, myself and another co-worker walked into our central office room on the main floor and turned on the flatscreen. We didn’t have to change the channel. Right there, was a live helicopter shot of a field and something moving. A mass of water just roaring up on a farmers field. I can’t speak for my co-worker but it took me a minute or so to realize what I was watching. The tsunami had started. More and more co-workers trickled into the office and all watched in horror as the tsunami crashed and smashed its way over land.

It took my eight hours to get back home from Kanagawa to Setagaya. I walked half of it wearing out my shoes in the process. I was fortunate however. Millions of other people had it far, far worse that night.

Well I learned something new today.

2012-02-25T12:57:00.001+09:00

I learned that coffee and tea mixed together creates one god awful beverage the likes of which I have seldom had the displeasure of tasting. That's just me though.

Tokyo Heartbeat

2012-02-23T12:48:00.002+09:00

Vimeo user Darwinfish105 has posted yet another video. This one is called Tokyo Heartbeat. Check it out.

Tokyo Heartbeat from darwinfish105 on Vimeo.

Random Photo: Driving

2012-02-23T12:41:00.003+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Just going for a drive on a cloudy day.

Sorry boss!

2012-02-23T08:28:00.001+09:00

Yesterday, I had a situation occur at work and this morning, I'm feeling a little guilty about how I dealt with it. I'm not sure I was wrong, but my innocent boss took the full brunt of my rage and that's why I feel sheepish about it.

Yesterday, I had a business course to put on and had scheduled it with four clients. One of those clients is habitually late. 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there. No big deal. She even nods off sometimes which is usually funny. But yesterday, she came in to our course 32 minutes late. The kicker is it's a one-hour course. And that did not sit well with me at all. I was furious mostly because it was a disruption to the other clients who were on-time but also because it's gave me the impression that the course didn't really matter to her and she could just show up when she wants. Oh hell no!! It made matters worse, I think, that I bit my lip and didn't say anything at all to her. Hi, come on in. Yes, no worries. Thanks or coming.

Immediately after we wrapped up, I pulled my boss outside of the building and unleashed fury the likes of which I haven't done in a long time. I yelled at the top of my lungs how unacceptable that was to admit someone who is so late to the course. It was venomous. Thing is... What choice did he have? I probably would have done the same thing. It's her money she's wasting right? So why should we care?
I know Japanese people work hard and put in a lot of time at their work. But so do I. I work from 8:30am to 10pm and my goal in this job is to improve both their cultural understanding of foreign business practices and their communication ability. I take it seriously, and there's no damn way I am going to accept something like that.

I feel bad that I threw so much abuse to my boss who was just doing his job. I'll tell him how sorry I am this morning and will suggest we setup some rules. Any client who shows up 20 minutes late or more will be excluded. (Special circumstances of course would null the rule). I appreciate the business the clients give us, but like my best friend Mike in Canada might say, I'm getting too damn old to put up with that kind of bull shit.

Random Photo: Gyu Curry Cheese don

2012-02-21T17:44:00.000+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Yoshinoya is offering a nice Japanese curry cheese beef on rice dish which is a perfect pick-me-up for the cold winter evenings. Delicious.

Akihabara

2012-02-21T17:39:00.002+09:00

After purchasing my computer, I spent the remainder of the day walking around the city and taking in the cities. I don't go to Akihabara often, which is a shame because there's lots to do there. Everything from girls in maid outfits handing out fliers to Japanese Colonel Sanders (I like how he isn't wearing glasses too) to the usual crap about AKB48.

I hot up the local game centers and plays the usual rounds of Street Fighter but one machine that caught my eye in particular was a fairly new Gundam game. Players sit themselves down in these giant pods and play as if they are inside a Gundam robot. 3D sound and full peripheral vision screens provide a pretty friggin awesome gaming experience.

After that, it was time for food and amazingly, I found a place that sold poutine. I ate the standard version (a pale comparison to the Canadian treat) and then I tried the Japanese version made from Mentaiko (marinated fish roe) and mayo, which was pretty good.

Rounded off the day with some shopping in a few game centers and went home. The new computer is doing well and I think she's adjusting well to her new home.

Finally... I got my new computer!

2012-02-19T22:13:00.000+09:00

Well, it took a little while but i've finally purchased a new laptop. I found a few systems that interested me online but the thought of shipping from Canada to my home here in Tokyo seemed a bit iffy. There's also an import tax that made that option even less attractive. So today, I went off to Akihabara in search of her... My new computer.

I went into one of the larger department stores to see what selection they had to offer. My previous experiences in the large stores were disapointing. And so it was again this time around. So, I moved on. After a bit of walking, I went into a slick boutique offering high end English computer systems. I got excited to see Alienware systems for sale and seriously considered picking one up. But the price point is quite high for what we get so I wanted to look around a bit first and see what else might be available.

After a short walk, I passed by this rather plain looking building and figured I'd take a peak. Quite the opposite of the slick boutique, this place reminded me of the computer shops I frequented back home in Ottawa - Definetly a good thing in my opinion. I took a look and came across this HP system; Pavilion dv6 that features a 15.6 full 1920x1080 resolution and a very slick polished metal design. 750gig hard drive, 6gig DDR3 in an Intel Core i7 2.0 ghz processor. Blue Ray drive and an ATI Radeon 6770m video card.

Basically, it's a decent middle class system that cost me (after currency conversion) cost about $900.00. I apologise to all of you for the constant delays in my blog posts and even more for all the delays in my email replys to you guys. I should be back on my virtual feet now so-to-speak.

As a proud father shows off his new baby, you'll excuse me if I take a moment to show off mine. Below is what my desktop currently looks like. Ah, sweet bliss!!

Random Photo: Police board

2012-02-16T12:41:00.000+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. The new poster-boy for Tokyo police is now Shirato Jiro, the white dog made famous from the Softbank commercials.

Gangland shooting at a Denny's

2012-02-15T11:54:00.003+09:00

Earlier this week, a 65-year-old man Tomio Ishikawa (also known as Chong Young Bom) apparently shot and killed a 62-year-old man at a Denny's family restaurant in Chiba. News sources are saying that it was dispute over money. While police have a manhunt underway for the 65-year-old, the Yakuza murder is the latest in what the Japan Times says is a disturbing trend in gang violence.

"The trend in Fukuoka Prefecture is especially worrisome; in 2011, the prefecture experienced a nation-leading 18 shooting incidents. In nine of the incidents, enterprises or their officials were the targets. On Nov. 26, a construction company executive was shot to death in Kokura Kita Ward, Kitakyushu. Last month, on Jan. 17, a construction company president was seriously injured when he was shot in the stomach and the arm by a man who approached him in front of a branch of his company in Nakama."

Click here for the full article.

World of fantasy

2012-02-14T19:42:00.004+09:00

My co-worker Etoh-san just introduced me to this awesome music video by a Japanese group called Capsule. The video is called World of Fantasy and features everything you need in a music video: hot chick, awesome car, cool visuals! Check it out!!

The cartoon life of Whitney

2012-02-14T08:15:00.002+09:00

The news that pop-star Whitney Houston has died has been a big topic for the morning television shows here in Japan. Most talked about her career highlights including her success in the film The Bodyguard and her trips to Japan (apparently, she liked tempura).

One station decided to do a summary of her troubled marriage to Bobby Brown in cartoon form. And frankly, that seems a perfect way to summarize her life. Unbelievable success and undeniable talent with crushing lows and pressures. Hers was a very strange existence that the vast majority of us will never experience. A surreal experience which came to an end a few days ago.

Random Photo: Shinjuku sunset

2012-02-14T08:08:00.001+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Sun sets just beyond the tall buildings in downtown Shinjuku.

Android waits for her valentine

2012-02-09T09:39:00.002+09:00

Anyone else find this sorta creepy? What is it with Japanese people and their fascination with robots? This video was originally posted here. Check out the article.

Death of my computer pt. 3

2012-02-09T09:37:00.000+09:00

A quick note to give you guys an update on the situation. So, I found a couple of systems that I'd like to purchase. But they are overseas (amazon.com) and shipping to Japan presents a few issues. I have not yet had a chance to go to Akihabara and take a look at the English systems there to compare and see what's available locally.

So yeah, I'm still basically computerless (is that grammatically correct?) at home but hopefully will be buying something in the next few weeks. I will keep you guys posted. Sorry for the slow down of posts. I don't have the time really at work to post much but once I get my laptop, I'll be back to my regular schedule.

Random Photo: Downtown Shinjuku

2012-02-07T13:24:00.001+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Driving downtown Shinjuku with a highway overhead. Beautiful day for a drive.

Sometimes, I'm an idiot

2012-02-07T13:22:00.000+09:00

Oh god! It was one of those moments that I wish never happened. A few days ago, I went to a three-year memorial service for Naya's grandmother. I didn't know the woman but all the same, I should go to pay my respects. Everyone took turns bowing and offering a prayer at her grave and when it came to me, I refused. (Just thinking about it now a few days later makes my face flush with embarrassment).

When I was asked why I refused, I said that I didn't believe in prayer. While that's true, I really am not a religious person, that wasn't the time to say or do that. I should have at least bowed my head. I didn't have to offer a prayer or anything. I knew all this but for some reason I just listened to myself say those horrible words as if I was listening to someone else speak.

I messed up and I feel guilty about it. While I am not religious, I have nothing against people who choose to be religious. I really don't know what happened or why I did that. But that was not the time or place and I really proved that sometimes, I'm an idiot.

Tokyo's Cat Cafe

2012-02-04T12:31:00.002+09:00

Here's an interesting link for you to check out if you have time. Cat Cafe's are all the rage these days. British media company The Guarding has an interesting video you can check out here.

Crocodile jerky

2012-01-31T21:19:00.002+09:00

A client of mine went to Australia last week and was kind enough to bring me back a little gift. Crocodile jerky. I have a cold at the moment so I am going to wait to try this. But when I do, I'll let you know what it tastes like. Hopefully, it will taste better than what I imagine it does.

Splendid lunch with splendid friend

2012-01-28T09:50:00.000+09:00

Yesterday, I was invited to a clients home. She's over 80-years-old but sure doesn't act like it. She's a successful artist of some note yet beyond that, she always has something on the go (teaching flower arrangement, teaching tea ceremony classes etc). She's an impressive person.

Her home is located in a Soshigaya-okura and features an amazing front gate and garden pathway that leads to her front door. Inside, her home is a very unique mix of both traditional Japanese and Western style. She has an amazing tea room with tatami mats and a kettle for her tea ceremony classes as well as this traditional display celebrating the coming of the new year. In her Western room (that's what I'm calling it) she has many handcrafted pieces from India and elsewhere around the world.

After the tour, it was time for lunch. And wow! What an incredible lunch this woman made. It was an absolute banquet. We started with slices of roast beef and salad as an appetizer and then were served this amazing dish of sweet fried egg, fried scallops and beef. Next, we moved on to shumai (Chinese dumplings) which was fresh and chewy. There was plenty of sake to go around and the real highlight of the lunch was the Japanese lobster. Description is useless. I wish you were there to try it with me.

As full as we were, we all made space for a nice maple cake and milk tea for dessert. After lunch, she opened up her photo books and regaled us with tales of her youth which as a student of history, I found endlessly fascinating.

It's as the saying goes: half of everything is luck. I've been so lucky and have had so many experiences to try new things while living here in Japan. People have been so kind and this is one more example of that. What an amazing woman.

Random Photo: Sumo-Osembei

2012-01-28T09:13:00.001+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Here's a snack that puts osembei (rice crackers) in little packages so they look like sumo wrestlers. I thought that was pretty cute.

Jean Renot cast as Doraemon

2012-01-26T16:15:00.001+09:00

Famed French actor Jean Reno has been cast in a series of Toyota car ads playing the lovable cartoon character Doraemon. As is sometimes true in the cartoon, the ads feature Jean Reno helping his love-sick friend Nobita win the heart of Shizuka-chan. All the ads are for Toyota's ReBorn vehicles. Check one of them out below.

Japan: Robot Nation

2012-01-24T13:25:00.001+09:00

Japan, the world's third largest economy, is facing a demographic crisis that will shrink the population dramatically in the coming years. The birth rate is down and Japanese immigration is not as welcoming as other nations. But Vanguard, a popular television show, says that Japan may have a unique solution --- Robots!

Snowfall wrecks havoc on Tokyo

2012-01-24T13:05:00.001+09:00

What started off as beautiful winter snowfall has created a pretty hellish day for many here in Tokyo. Last night, at around 10pm, I was told that it was snowing again. I peeked out my window and sure enough big beautiful snowflakes were fluttering down from the sky.

The storm lasted through most of the night covering cars, streets and even parked bikes with a blanket of snow and ice. I had the intention of writing to you guys how beautiful this all was unfortunately, it didn't stay that way.

Residence of this city, generally speaking, have very little experience to navigating such winter conditions and as of this morning, NHK was reporting that over 700 accidents occurred between last night and today. This is to say nothing of the delays in getting to work and school. I was mentioning to clients that back home, we spray ice over our walkways to melt the ice and this ice seems somehow revolutionary. It's about one o'clock in the afternoon at the moment and the suns out. The roads aren't as bad as they were, but the damage as already been done.

King sized Cup

2012-01-24T12:38:00.002+09:00

The fine folks at Nissin company have released an extra large cup of noodles. If you're like me, and you love instant noodles once in a while, then you're in luck. The King Cup of Noodles went on sale last week and go for 190yen each.

As you can see, the difference is visible. The regular size cup weights in at 85g. But the King size is a whopping 125g.

Learning to make Soba noodles

2012-01-22T16:36:00.001+09:00

Sundays - Boring no matter what continent you happen to be on. In what was both a bit of luck and a change from the ordinary, there was a sort of community Soba making class today that I happened to stumble upon where I learned to make Soba noodles. I had no idea it was taking place, I just literally walked by and saw it and thought I'd try. Folks from the community were very kind and I was invited right in to learn and partake in the deliciousness. There was even free booze to which I liberally helped myself. So without further ado, I present to you: Alex's unhelpful but simple guide to making Soba noodles!

It all starts with soba-koh (Buckwheat and flour mixture) which is refined and commonly sold in most grocery stores here in Japan. I'm willing to bet the stuff is commonly available at your local Asian grocery store back home in Canada and in the U.S. as well. Anyways, ok... the powder is first syphoned into a larg mixing bowl. Why? I don't know, but it is. After you've done that, manhandle the mixture while adding water. You wanna add about 430 ml of water but add it to your mixture a little bit at a time. After that, massage the dough until it's smooth and puddy-like. Roll it into a ball for some unknown reason.

At this point, you take your soba puddy out of the bowl and put it on a plank (preferably a wooden plank. It's more pirate-like that way). Roll it flat with a small stick then roll it flat again with a bigger stick all while sprinkling flour over the dough so it doesn't stick to the sticks your sticking it with. Did you get all that? K, let's move on.

So, roll out your dough until it's super thin into a large surface. Use lots of sticks to do it! Then, roll the dough as it was tissue on a tissue paper roll. Do this a couple times to ensure it's super thin and make sure to add a lot of flower so it doesn't stick.

The last step is to take your large flat dough surface and fold it in half. Then fold it again. Then again and probably again after that. Basically, you wanna have something like would be about the same size as a book. Take a large kitch knife and begin cutting very thin slices. (There's actually a knife made specifically for cutting soba which looks like a Klingon weapon from the Star Trek series. You can sorta see it in this picture.) Cutting the dough is harder then it seems because you gotta do in a very thin way. One solid chop through the layers. The fact that it's layered will make individual strands of the noodle.

Boil your cut strands for about 10 minutes and there you go... Homemade soba noodles! Easy right? Well, actually it was pretty damn laborious and I'm very appriciative of the fact that I can just mosey on over to the local Combini (convinience store) to buy pre-made package goodness. Yes, it was probably manufactured by some large industrial machine but personally, I'm of the opinion that it really doesn't matter if it's made by the worlds best chef or by Croatian slaves in a factory in Mongolia. Good noodles is noodles!

Snowfall in Tokyo

2012-01-21T09:34:00.001+09:00

I was hoping to post this yesterday, but I'm still without a PC at home so I apologies about the delay. Tokyo had it's first big snowfall of the year yesterday and it, at least for me, like mana from heaven!

I guess it's my Canadian sensibility but it's not really winter if there isn't even a little bit of snow. Well, we got our fair share yesterday. Naturally, the rarity of snowfall in this city meant it was a major news story. People up in Hokkaido must be scoffing because this was just a drop in the bucket of what they get up there.

As you can see here, the snow pretty much melted as soon as it hit. What did remain was rather slushy and wet making some slick driving conditions. All the same, I was thrilled to see a little bit of home find us here in Tokyo.

Random Photo: Soshigaya

2012-01-19T17:41:00.001+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Winter sunset over Soshigaya-station.

Death of my laptop pt.2

2012-01-15T13:39:00.002+09:00

While I continue to mope around depressed about my dead laptop, the folks over at Reddit (r/japan) have been amazing in pointing my in the right direction on how to replace it.

If you're in the same position, in need of advice on anything related to Japan, drop by the Reddit community and ask away. Chances are, someone has been been there and done that and will have information that's going to help you out.

I've been looking at a few sites and so far, Dospara seems to have more or less what I'm looking for. This is the current model that I've got my eye on. I'll keep you posted. Once I get that issue settled, I'll be able to post on a regular basis. Until then, I'm sorta stuck blogging and emailing at work. Sorry for the delay.

Death of my laptop

2012-01-14T08:55:00.001+09:00

I know most of you will probably not care at all, but my laptop died Thursday night and it feels like a punch in the gut. Before you accuse me of over dramatizing this, let me remind you that when living in a foreign country, it's the connection to home that helps keep people balanced. At least for me anyways.

I loved my laptop. It's been with me nearly since the birth of my son over four years ago. They both arrived at around the same time. It was a fairly beefy system for its time too. Blu-ray player, decent graphics card, large enough hard drive. Now it's all gone. Well, sort of. I always keep a backup of critical files on an external drive including backups of bookmarks, all my work stuff and media (video/audio). So in that sense, I'm fine. But settings, profiles, several applications... all that will have to be replaced and I'll need to learn some more Japanese if I am going to be able to buy a computer here . Does anyone know how to say one terabyte of hard disk space in Japanese? (Obviously, I'm writing this post from work!) :(

Tokyo Echoes

2012-01-12T18:23:00.001+09:00

Wow! Vimeo user Blue Eden has produced a short video titled Tokyo Echoes which he shot in and around the Tokyo area on his Canon 5D II, Sony A65, and Glidecam rig. It turned out great IMO.

In his Vimeo post, he writes that he "first visited Tokyo nearly 10 years ago and was swept away by its futuristic society steeped in ancient culture. The beautiful mix of new and old still entrance me today. We hoped to capture that beauty and filmed for 2 weeks in Tokyo and its surrounding areas. As we visited during the New Year, we were lucky to attend the "dezuiri" sumo ring-entering ceremony, which you'll see in the opening shot. We also captured "yumi hajime" (first archery practice of the year) as well as "hatsumode" (first shrine visit of the year) at Asakusa."

Blue Eden also produced a video in Kyoto called Rising Dawn that is worth check out also. Nice technique on display as well as some truly beautiful scenery.

Referee knocked out at sumo match

2012-01-12T17:47:00.003+09:00

Earlier today, Sumo referee Shozaburo Kimura "took a nasty spill in ozeki Baruto's bout against Wakakoyu and was left unconscious at ringside before he had to be carted out of the auditorium on a stretcher by sumo officials."

Lost in Tokyo

2012-01-10T14:12:00.000+09:00

Vimeo user Mark Bramley posted a great short video titled Lost in Tokyo. He says he had 2 days to himself in Tokyo so he decided to take about 10,000 photos. It was all shot on a Canon 5D MkII. Music is by GMZ - Parametaphoriquement. You can check out more of his photography here.

Coming of Age day underscores population problem

2012-01-10T13:04:00.003+09:00

Yesterday, Monday, was Coming of Age day. In Japan, it's a holiday that marks the point where children become adults. In Japan, 20-years-old is the age of majority. So, every December 9th, girls and boys who either are 20-years-old or will soon be 20 put on their best clothes and participate in local festivities.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs started keeping national statistics in 1968 with respect to how many people were reaching age of majority. Kyodo, a national news service, reported that the figures peaked in 1970 with about 2.46 million people. This year saw the lowest number every recorded: about 1.22 million people - 20,000 less than last year.

It's estimated that about 620,000 men and 600,000 women turned 20 this year in Japan. This accounts for about 0.96 percent of the population.

Emperor of Japan's New Year Address

2012-01-09T18:35:00.002+09:00

On January 2nd, the Japanese Emperor made 5 appearances with members of the Imperial Household to give a short (emphasis on short) speech welcoming the New Year.

One Week in Japan

2012-01-07T21:50:00.001+09:00

Vimeo user Mike Matas uploaded this cool video of his recent trip to Japan. Check it out!

A little bit of magic

2012-01-07T21:47:00.001+09:00

There's an Indian restaurant a few minutes walk from my house called Spice Magic that I've been wanting to try for a while. I finally had some time and decided to go check it out. Japan has a fairly large native Indian population and there's also a good deal of curry shops around Tokyo.

The place isn't very large. Fully wood interior greets patrons as they enter and there's about six tables lined up against the right side to choose from. The smell is amazing and the taste is even better. We ordered a few dishes: a red bean spicy one, a yellow thick creamy one, and a shrimp coconut one. I'm sorry, I don't remember what these were called but OH my GOD the red bean spicy curry (pictured below) was amazing!

We went around lunch and it's about 9:45pm at the moment and I'm craving more of it. God! So delicious. Well, almost everything was. I wasn't a big fan of the shrimp coconut and the dessert we ordered was not at all to my liking. There was ice cream coconut that tasted like water, chai ice cream that was unbelievably spicy, the wet timbit thing was over-the-top sweet and the yogurt stuff was very sour. But there's no accounting for taste, right? While there were things I wasn't a fan of, the red bean spicy curry was fantastic.

I'm glad I finally went and tried something a bit different. I'll be heading back again soon (minus the dessert though).

Random Photo: Oooo?

2012-01-07T21:30:00.000+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Came across this little boutique today. Anyone have any idea how I should pronounce the shops name?

Machine washed my hair

2012-01-04T22:14:00.001+09:00

I've been looking rather hellish these past couple of weeks. Haven't shaved since the holidays started and I just got over some sort of stomach flu thing that had me in bed for four days straight. I figured it would be nice to get out, stretch my legs a bit and get groomed up.

I went to the barber and after a trim, I was given the choice of whether or not I wanted a hair-wash by hand or by machine. I thought maybe I misunderstood so I asked what she meant about a machine. She explained and I figured I'd give it a try.

Basically, you recline into a sink as you normally would and the staff sort of put your head in a dome and then wrap towels around so that water won't splash out. The sink has three omnidirectional water jets and move in different patterns. Honestly, when it started it sorta felt like two little puppies peeing on my head and it made my laugh. I was told after that I was laughing so loud that staff and clients turned and looked. (oops...)

Anyways, check out what Panasonic is working on. I'm looking forward to trying this thing out someday.

M. 6.8 Earthquake rings in the new year

2012-01-01T21:58:00.002+09:00

Well, that didn't take too long did it? At around 2:30pm, I was at home in bed sick when an earthquake struck off the Izu peninsula. My apartment shook for at least a minute or so knocking over a picture frame. It's been a while since a big quake hit.

Originally, it was thought to be a M. 7.0 but was later downgraded to M. 6.8.

2011 in review

2011-12-31T15:35:00.001+09:00

As the sun sets on 2011, there is little doubt that this year was a historic one globally. February 11th, the overthrow of Egyptian tyrant Hosni Mubarak added fuel to the surge in the Middle East that that we now know as the Arab Spring. May 2nd, the assassination of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. forces in Pakistan. September 17th and the Occupy Wall Street movement which saw protests around the world. The deepening Euro crisis in Europe, Rupert Murdoch's voicemail phone scandal in London, Hurricane Irene's destruction in the United States, the massacre in Norway and the death of Gadhafi in Lybia. Frankly, it's been a bloody and devastating year.

For Japan, 2011 was a year of horror and hero making. You already know what the major story of the year is. And let me tell you, the events of March 11th will have a deep impact on the country (literally and figuratively) for an entire generation of people. I dare say, it will not be soon forgotten especially by those who survived it.

Television stations here in Tokyo have been airing wall-to-wall coverage of the incidents of that day with follow up interviews with those who survived and those who lost loved ones. It's an attempt to make sense of the ordeal and to make sure that even as a new year dawns, the memory of that day will not be forgotten. Images like this are being broadcast from morning to night right now. And like everyone else, the events are burned into my mind. Train delays as well as empty convenience store shelves were the things I had to deal with. Those in Tohoku had to suffer through so much more.

But there was one bright highlight this year for the country. Nadeshiko Japan's victory over the United States in the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals was a major boost for the entire country when it needed it the most. It was a breath of fresh air for the nation. The girls became national heroes and were even awarded the prestigious People's Honor Awards.

I'm glad the sun is finally setting on this calendar year yet in a way I can't help but worry what the following year may bring. Happy New Year... Well... Let's hope so anyways.

Bōnenkai 2011

2011-12-28T12:42:00.002+09:00

End of the year in Japan means that it's time for companies to hold their annual "Bōnenkai" party. Translated into English, Bōnenkai means "forget the year gathering" but basically, it's just a chance for co-workers to get together and drink. It's also a cozy tax write-off for the companies who pay for it and a boost to the national economy. But I digress...

Last year, I had a few Bōnenkai's to attend. This year, thankfully, just one. Since coming to Japan, I've learned a few drinking tips that will save me from horrible headaches the next morning. Some of those rules are: never mix drinks (stick to one drink all night) and for every three drinks, have a full glass of water. So, I stuck to rum and coke all night and I'm glad I did. These things were awesome.

Of course, there's much more than just drinking. There's food. And we had some pretty awesome dishes last night that I'd like to share with you guys. Our first main order was this tuna and avocado salad. Delicious! That was quickly followed up with this stuff. Honestly, I know I've eaten it before but I forgot what it is. I wasn't a big fan to be honest. It was a bit too slimy and strong tasting. If anyone knows what it is, please let me know and I'll update this post accordingly.

That was followed by more conventional foods like beef and delicious sashimi. My boss also ordered some horse meat for us which I've rather developed a fondness for. There was also some fried chicken served but by this point in the evening I was getting pretty full. Not so full, however, as to pass up the evenings piece de resistance! Negi Toro-don. Chopped up raw tuna served on a bowl of hot white rice with a raw egg and strips of nori. Marvelous!

I'll be posting a sort of 2011 wrap up post before New Years. Just a summary of the year I had... My thoughts and experience of things that have happened both personally, locally and globally. I suspect that will arrive in the next day or so. Stay tuned.

American sailors save man on Mt. Fuji

2011-12-27T18:12:00.001+09:00

Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Three American Navy sailors climbing Mt. Fuji and taking video of their trip when suddenly behind them, a Japanese man plunges down the side of the mountain.

“It was surreal,” Baughman recalled. “I thought for sure the guy was dead.”For the next 24 hours, the sailors and some Japanese climbers risked their own safety to give aid to the man. At the end of the ordeal, Baughman was headed home with more than the pride of summiting Mount Fuji. He spent the night in a freezing hut with the injured man, had to climb back up the mountain to retrieve his car keys and ended up with frostbitten toes.”

The article states that “the Japanese man was flown to a hospital in Kanagawa prefecture, where he is recovering from fractured legs and frostbite, according to a spokesman for Shizuoka prefectural police in Gotenba.”

Mourning Kim Jong-Il in Japan

2011-12-27T11:28:00.003+09:00

AlJazeera recently reported on how some people in Japan, loyal to Kim Jong-Il's regime, mourned his loss.

"In Japan, the General Association of Korean Residents, commonly known as the Soren, a group loyal to the deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, has asked the government to allow them to attend his funeral on Wednesday.The secretive group was reportedly so loyal to the communist leader, its members are known to have sent upwards of a billion US dollars to him. But the group also stands accused of smuggling electronics to help in North Korea's missile programmes and of spying on Japan for North Korean officials. Al Jazeera's Steve Chao went under cover to file this exclusive report from Tokyo."

I read yesterday an interesting article published by AsiaOne on this subject. In part, the article reads "Japan's 700,000-strong Korean community are mostly descendants of migrants and forced workers from Tokyo's sometimes brutal 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean peninsula, and chose sides after it was divided along the 38th parallel.

The pro-Pyongyang minority have maintained their loyalties and have their own civic organisations and educational institutions funded by the North, while integration with the host culture is strongly discouraged.Even in Japan the secretiveness of the hardline communist regime was being closely observed."Both students and faculty members, we are all deeply confused," said an official at the gate of Korea University in western Tokyo. "We just want to be left alone for some time."

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T13:55:00.001+09:00

Happy holidays everyone!

Battle for the internet

2011-12-24T09:26:00.002+09:00

Our friends in the United States are under attack. It's not terrorists, but rather lobbyists and the scumbags at the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) that may soon control what you can say and do on the internet.

Michael Geist, Professor of Law at Ottawa University, wrote in his blog that "the U.S. Congress is currently embroiled in a heated debated over the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), proposed legislation that supporters argue is needed combat online infringement, but critics fear would create the "great firewall of the United States." SOPA’s potential impact on the Internet and development of online services is enormous as it cuts across the lifeblood of the Internet and e-commerce in the effort to target websites that are characterized as being "dedicated to the theft of U.S. property." This represents a new standard that many experts believe could capture hundreds of legitimate websites and services."

Yesterday, someone posted a link on Reddit about how domain registrar GoDaddy not only helped support the legislation but helped craft it. The backlash was swift. An untold number of people pulled their sites from GoDaddy or strongly threatened to do so that it forced GoDaddy to issue a statement today saying that they no longer support the legislation. There is a long list of companies that support this insane legislation and GoDaddy is only the first to feel the wrath of the internet.

There is similar legislation in Canada at the moment that needs to be crushed. Under SOPA (in America) and Bill C-11 (in Canada), simply using a copyrighted song in a home video of your kids would could see you face very stiff fines or jail time. Entire websites could be shut down because someone posted one link to copyrighted material. This legislation is the Guantanamo Bay of the internet and in a free and democratic society, there is no place for this kind of nonsense. While stealing is wrong, such heavy handed tactics not only take away rights, but punish innocent people.

Barack Obama might be the single biggest disappointing American President of my lifetime. So it's up to us to help our American friends by being informed and by making sure our money doesn't go to those who support controlling the internet no matter where in the world they may be. Personally, I'm boycotting anything Time Warner (which is also a major player here in Japan) and I hope you'll do the same.

Whatever it is - it's NOT f"#&"ing cute

2011-12-22T19:03:00.001+09:00

That's it. I've had it! No no no... seriously, I have really had enough. If someone tells me one more damn time how "cute" pop-group AKB48 are, I might punch them in the face.

My co-workers and I were discussing music and one of them commented that she thought Japanese pop group AKB48 were cute. I exploded. Now, I know I've touched on this subject before but I've kinda reached a breaking point. I'm going to avoid commenting on what I think of their music skill, or rather lack of it. I'm going to avoid going into a diatribe on how this all-girl group is nothing but a heavily marketed overly produced corporate product. I'm going to avoid all that and simply state the following truth: AKB48 are not musicians because they're not selling music. They're selling sex through music. What does that make them? Well, I'm not sure. I've been searching the Oxford English dictionary and I haven't quite found a word that accuratly describes this yet.

A stripper sells you an illusion of connection and sex appeal. That's more or less the same thing as what these girls are doing. The only difference is that strippers are generally naked. AKB48 are only half naked. Of course this isn't a new phenomena. Madonna made her career doing this. And good for her. I'm glad for her success. But no one ever said Madonna was "cute" and that's my point here.

Honestly, a puppy dog is cute. A kitten a cute. A couple holding hands while the sun sets could be considered cute. This? NO, this isn't cute. Let's be honest. To call this or this or this cute is to mangle the meaning of the word. In their music video Heavy Rotation, the girls dance around the video on large beds wearing nothing but lingerie. In their recently released video Ponytail to Chocho, the girls undress in a locker room for half the video, then pose on the beach for the camera.

As if this wasn't enough to prove my point, I have more. "AKB48’s Internet provider service, AKB Official Net, opened on Tuesday. If you register for membership on AKB Official Net, you can use the service AKBaby which synthesizes your photo with the image of your favorite AKB48 member to simulate how a baby would look if the two of you were to have a child. Yes, you read that right. The homepage shows Yuko Oshima asking "Would you have a baby with me?" The membership fee is 1,480 yen a month. Once you become a member, you can use an AKB48 email address (for example, @akb48.ne.jp, @atchan.akb48.ne.jp and so on), so you can communicate with other fans too. Also, you can get advance tickets to the AKB48 theater and can register for the AKB48 Official fan club at the same time for free."

Japan Times writer Daniel Robson has refered to the music group as "a hate crime". He says in a recent article that the band presents "a kind of sexless sexuality, presenting the girls as unthreatening objects of disinterested desire. No wonder Japanese people have pretty much stopped reproducing — AKB48's libido-sapping music dribbles from every TV set in the land."

Hey, don't get me wrong. I have no problem with cute girls who want to show off their talents. But I would argue to you that to describe such products as "cute" is not only morally questionable, but socially dangerous. If nothing else, I just want society to be more open and honest. To me, this is false advertising and I don't think there is anything cute in this at all. Sexy? Absolutely.

Sticky situation

2011-12-22T16:23:00.001+09:00

I went to have lunch with my co-workers yesterday and while browsing the menu, I came across this interesting concauction. A raw egg, natto (fermented soy beans), slices of raw tuna and chopped up okra. There's also a good helping of tororo (it's a type of yam that when grated, creates a super sticky white glue-like substance.)

I'm not quite sure what came over me, but I figured since I can't eat anything like this back home, I might as well give it a go. Generally, I like trying new things and for me, this was definitely a new taste experience. I'm not sure if it was good, but it wasn't bad. It was...you know... just... sticky.

Kim Jong-il dies: Reaction from Tokyo

2011-12-19T19:17:00.001+09:00

News is breaking that the DPRK leader Kim Jong-il has died. North Korean media is reacting predictably showing images of folks breaking down in tears at the image of their "dear leader." The official broadcast by state media in North Korea was pretty dramatic. CNN has a portion of it here. Now, International leaders have now turned their attention to Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong-il's young and apparently very inexperienced son who is apparently going to take the reigns of power.

"The Central Broadcasting Television Station says Kim's body will be placed in the Kumsusan memorial palace in the capital Pyongyang and mourners will be allowed to visit the body until December 27th. It says a funeral will be held on December 28th. The National Funeral Committee has been set up. It will be led by the late leader's third son and apparent successor, Kim Jong Un."

South Korea went on high alert as a precaution and BBC reports that here in Tokyo, Prime Minister Noda has setup a crises management team to stay alert on any developments. "Japan has already discussed DPRK leader Kim Jong Il's death with U.S., South Korea, and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urged officials to keep in touch with U.S., China, South Korea over the issue, according to Kyodo citing a senior government official.Noda also urged officials to make full preparations for contingencies while Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba asked foreign ministry to prepare for any events after Kim's death, according to local reports."

If nothing else, 2010 will go down in history as a year that was very unlucky for terrorists and dictatorial leaders. Men such as Osama Bin Laden and Moammar Gadhafi died violently, Fidel Castro died of natural causes back in April and others like Tunisia's Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen lost their dictatorial powers in revolutions. But unlike some past dictators, I have a feeling that Kim Jong-il will be long remembered. Mostly on his successful efforts to make the DPRK a nuclear state and for prolonging the atrocities currently underway in the country he, and his father before him, ruled like mafia kingpins.

Matsusaka Beef party

2011-12-19T07:58:00.002+09:00

Oh wow! You guys, I just ate the most amazing beef I've ever tasted. Have you ever heard of Matsusaka Beef? Wikipedia says it's generally considered one of the top three meats in Japan. From what I tasted tonight, I might say it's one of the top three in the world.

Wikipedia says that "Matsusaka beef is produced from Tajima-ushi heifers chiefly born in Hyōgo Prefecture. They are raised in the quiet, serene area surrounding Matsusaka between the Kumozu River to the north and Miyagawa River to the south. Only female wagyu are raised in Matsusaka, where they are fed plenty of fodder, as well as tofu lees and ground wheat. When they have no appetite, they are fed beer to stimulate their eating, and receive regular massages. Soothing music is played to the cattle to "calm" them and promote better quality beef."

Wow. Not a bad way to live for a cow. Beer, soothing music, tofu lees... Sounds like a typical evening for a New York hipster. Anyways, one of our former co-workers sent us a box and it was decided to have a workplace BBQ. We closed up shop, pulled out a portable BBQ and starting cooking right there in the office. It worked out really well.

I brought a bottle of French champagne to share, others brought beer and cheese. One of our Korean co-workers brought this awesome vegetable stuff. I have no idea what it is but it was really good!

Matsusaka Beef is tender and very fatty. I'm afraid I lack the proper ability to describe its taste but I'd say it give Alberta Beef a run for its money. It's truly fantastic.

Random Photo: Fall colors

2011-12-19T07:56:00.003+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. It's quite cool now in Tokyo with average morning temperatures of around 5' Celsius. I say cool knowing that my loved ones back home in Canada are dealing with weather far colder. (Hang in there guys!) :)

PS Vita launches in Japan

2011-12-17T19:27:00.005+09:00

It feels like it's been a long time coming. But for many, the wait is now over. Sony's new technological offering has hit store shelves here in Japan. The PlayStation Vita portable game machine offers a touch-interface and motion-sensitive handheld game experience. Even if your not into games, you have to admit that the tech behind it is pretty cool.

I thought long and hard about buying one. I had the chance to put some money down on it back in September when my PSP broke. I really miss listening to music on my way to and from work. I decided not to pre-order the system mostly because of Skyrim (yet to be released at the time) but also because there really wasn't any software for the Vita that interested me.

Of course I'll probably end up getting one. And when I do, I'll put in my two-cents worth on this blog. But frankly, cool tech is useless without appealing applications. So far, I haven't seen anything that could pull me away from the glory that is Skyrim!

47 Ronin anniversary

2011-12-15T17:19:00.005+09:00

Yesterday, December 14th, marked the 310th anniversary of the famous (perhaps infamous might be a better word) 47 Ronin revenge attack.

The Akō incident, as it is commonly known, has gone down in history as one of the most badass true stories in Japanese history. And considering the amount of crazy badass true stories in Japanese history, this is really saying something.

Basically, in 1701, Kira Kozuke-no-Suke Yoshinaka, a powerful Edo official in the hierarchy of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's shogunate (government) had mistreated and bullyed one of his subordinates Asano Naganori, himself a lord of the Akō Domain. Kira was being a huge dick for reasons that aren't historicaly clear. This poor treatment went on and on with Kira insulting Asano and embarassing him in public.

Samurai culture being the way it was, loosing face in public was a pretty big deal and one day, Asano just lost it. He pulled out his sword and took a swing at Kira cutting him superficially but was restrained by others before any real damage was done. While it's generally a bad thing to try and kill someone, it's even worse if you do it in the shogun's residence (which is where the two men were at the time).

So yeah, Asano was sentenced to self-disembowlement (commonly known as seppuku or hara-kiri). Kira didn't face any form of justice at all for his part. Nothing. Most historians today agree it was pretty shitty that the douchebag Kira didn't even get a slap on the wrist for his part in that whole mess. He probably bought his freedom or had the right connections. Whatever... the point is this totally did not sit well with Asano's loyal retainers.

Oishi Kuranosuke was the leader of that group of retainers and it's at this moment that the famous tale of revenge begins. Oishi gathered the 300 Akō men who were working under Asano to join him in a plot against Kira's life to get justice for their fallen leader. Most refused but 47 of them stayed.

Kira was rich and very well defended. He sent spies out to keep tabs on folks like Oishi. Further to that, revenge killings were illegal so to do so would put his own wife and two kids in danger. So to protect his loved ones, he went undercover and divorced his wife so she couldn't be blamed for his future actions. For over two years, he pretended to be a whoring depressed drunk - no threat at all to Kira or anyone else. At least this is exactly what Kira's spies reported back to him. Naturally, after a while the douchebag Kira let his guard down.

"On January 30, 1703 (元禄十五年十二月十四日), early in the morning in a driving wind during a heavy fall of snow, Ōishi and the ronin attacked Kira Yoshinaka's mansion in Edo. According to a carefully laid-out plan, they split up into two groups and attacked, armed with swords and bows. One group, led by Ōishi, was to attack the front gate; the other, led by his son, Ōishi Chikara, was to attack the house via the back gate. A drum would sound the simultaneous attack, and a whistle would signal that Kira was dead."

Indeed, the boys stormed the house, found Kira hiding and crying like a little bitch and simply cut his head off. They calmly walked out, walked to their masters grave and placed Kira head on Asano's grave.

The incident stunned Japanese society. The men knew very well that to do such a thing meant they would be throwing their own lives away. But they did so to honor their master as loyal samurai should do.

Each of the 47 ronin were sentenced to death and one by one, they took their own lives in the same way as their master. But the story of their actions lived far beyond their lives and eventually became legend. Today, the graveyard of the 47 Ronin at Sengakuji Temple is a famous destination for both tourists and Japanese people alike. It's been the subject of many movies, books, and kabuki plays over the century. And at its heart, the story of the 47 Ronin is a tale that teaches the values of loyalty, friendship and self sacrifce in the face of injustice.

2011's word of the year

2011-12-13T13:01:00.004+09:00

There's a long standing tradition in Japan that a word of the year be chosen in December. The word is usually in reaction to the events of the year but should also inspire people for the following year. Seihan Mori, chief Monk at the famous Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto chose the word Kizuna as the word of the year. It means bond (to bond with someone).

I think the word is a truly perfect choice. It's been a tough year for Japan. One of unimaginable loss and devastation due to the March 11th disasters and of financial troubles. If Japan is going to emerge from these and other disasters, having a bond with fellow countrymen could be a factor in that success.

A message from Tohoku

2011-12-11T08:49:00.005+09:00

YouTube user Otsutakumi uploaded this rather touching tribute video of the help Japan received shortly after the March 11th disaster. It's also a "thank you" message from people in the Tohoku region to those who donated.

By the way, Tohoku residents are collecting Christmas cards from around the world to give to kids on Christmas. You can send your postcard here:

c/o Mrs. Mayumi Hoshi

Shichigahama-cho Saigai-Volunteer Center

Noyama 5-9, Yoshidahama

Shichigahama-cho, Miyagi

JAPAN 985-0802

ATTN: Boys and Girls

Sad news: Mao Asada's mother passes away

2011-12-11T08:28:00.003+09:00

Japanese figure skating sensation Mao Asada's mother has passed away.

"Asada's mother, Kyoko, lost her battle with liver cirrhosis and passed away aged 48 at a Nagoya hospital in the early hours of Friday morning before Mao could reach her bedside. Mao, 21, had pulled out of the Grand Prix Final in Canada early Thursday morning and rushed back to Japan after learning that her mother was in a critical condition."

PokeAwesome - Just a Pokemon Battle

2011-12-09T16:26:00.001+09:00

Here's a video produced by Newgrounds that presents the lovably Pokemon in a new light. I urge you to not watch this video if swearing is objectionable to you.

Christmas at the office

2011-12-08T17:13:00.004+09:00

It's almost Christmas time and that means that all across Japan, people are putting up their decorations.

The office staff where I work put up a Christmas tree near the front door with funky blue lights. I think it's helping to get people in the Christmas spirit because I've been given several gifts this week from clients of mine. Everything from chocolate and beernuts to Hermes brand socks. So of course, I'm planning on getting my clients christmas gifts too. The only problem is, I haven't a clue what to give them... I had this same exact problem back in Canada. Good to know that somethings never change.

It's all about ambience

2011-12-08T11:50:00.003+09:00

Our office has a speaker system that pumps out generic mood music for clients that pass through. I recently inquired if I might suggest a few new tracks as, honestly, the music is pretty dull. My boss said ok and so now, we're playing music from the Skyrim soundtrack!

Here's an example of what we're playing. No one knows it's from a video game except me and one of my coworkers. And it feels AWESOME to be working at my desk then suddenly hear Skyrim on the loudspeaker! ;) hehe...

Skyrim has its official release here in Japan tomorrow I think.

The most expensive car crash?

2011-12-05T11:45:00.001+09:00

14 luxury cars - including eight Ferraris - were involved in a pricey pile-up in western Japan. A Lamborghini and two Mercedes were also involved in the smash. The damage caused to many of the vehicles was thought to be so severe that they will have to be scrapped.

Ten drivers were reportedly taken to hospital after the incident but no-one was seriously hurt. The accident is understood to have happened after one of the Ferrari drivers lost control on a wet road. He is thought to have hit the central reservation and rebounded into the path of the oncoming cars.

Boil Japan

2011-12-05T11:04:00.003+09:00

Instant noodle maker Nissin has had many famous faces appear in commercials for their Cup of Noodle products. Now, they've brought in Yoda.

For the love of gaaawwddd...

2011-12-03T09:43:00.004+09:00

Ok, I've had it. I have tried time and again to enjoy the programming available on television here in Japan. And I can't do. I just can't. I think I would rather get punched in the nuts then watch more television. I realize I am going to catch flack for being a jerk here and generalizing. Not all programming is crap. Just the vast majority of it.

My objection to Japanese television comes with the fact that the commercials are often times more interesting then the shows themselves. News shows here are often less about news and more about gossip. I suppose you could say the same with many American news stations as well though. But seriously, Spartacus was awesome, Game of Thrones was fantastic, Breaking Bad season 4 was epic, Mad Men season 4 was highly intelligent, The Walking Dead season 1 was awesome, Sherlock season 1 was fairly awesome... I could go on and on. So, what do we get over here? This shit. (What is this? What are they wearing? Are they talking about eggs?...)

Beyond questionable content, tarento's (タレント) translated "on-air talent" are another major point of concern for me. Again, without generalizing too much, many of these so-called talents make a living appearing as guests on variety television shows. They do fuck-all and are about as interesting as drying paint. They just talk and act amazed at the smallest of things when the camera is pointing at them. Whenever they eat food, it's always an overdone reaction that gives the audience the appearance that it's the best thing they have ever eaten. And it's always the best thing they have ever eaten. Every single time...

Once in a while, they'll do something rather amazing like letting a guy slice a cucumber off their head blind folded. That was, I admit, pretty sweet. But this really is the exception. Most of these shmucks have a gimmick. Hard Gay is a good example. A Japanese guy acting gay and wearing leather in public was kinda funny for a short time, but quickly dried out and got really, really boring really, really fast.

Beyond Variety shows, dramas and period pieces are often over acted, poorly scripted and generally underwhelming. This years Taiga Drama Gou was a train wreck. The least interesting I've seen in a while. I could go on and on with examples and video clips but honestly, I'm not sure it's worth the effort.

Try as I did, I have totally failed in finding entertaining and intelligent content on my television on this side of the Pacific. I give up. I'm going back to Skyrim.

Random Photo: Warming up

2011-12-01T19:15:00.003+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. The weathers been pretty cold these last couple of days. Well, cold for Tokyo (around 10'c). It's 7pm and I'm just grabbing a bite to eat between meetings along with other businessmen. Gyudon appears to be the meal of choice for people on the go. This place is packed with only businessmen. Anyways, can't wait to get home to my beloved Skyrim.

Too old to be Emperor?

2011-12-01T18:24:00.004+09:00

At a press conference recently, Prince Akishino mentioned that it may prudent to set an age limit for ruling Emperors. As is the case for the English Monarch, Emperors of Japan currently serve for life right up until the moment they die.

He said that "introducing a retirement age for emperors is "one idea" and "discussions should be held including at what age to draw the line," he said, noting that the aging speed differs depending on the individual."

The current Emperor appears to have been having a hard time keeping up with official buisiness and even spent some time at a hospital recently. Other royal family members have had to cover for him in certain venues. Combining this with an unrelenting schedule, it's easy to see why this topic has been mentioned.

In understanding if something like this even has a possibility of happening, it's important to understand what role Japan's Imperial dynasty plays in modern times. The Japanese Imperial family is the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world. Their very existence, Imperialists will claim, is to keep alive a bond with the nations traditional values of old. Because of that, I doubt that such an idea of Imperial retirement would ever happen unless medical issues became apparent. Then again, there was that one British king who abdicated for love. Could that ever happen in Japan? uhh...hmm... never say never I guess.

What the hell is wrong with Japan?

2011-11-30T09:27:00.005+09:00

The big scoop this week has got to be the recent release of a survey that examines sex and procreation in Japan. The BBC has covered it, CNN has covered it, The Wall Street Journal has covered it... etc.

So what is the big deal you may be wondering? Well, if the statistics are to be believed then the results of the survey (available here) are rather shocking indeed. It says, in part, that "the number of single men aged 18 to 34 rose 9.2% from the previous survey in 2005. About 61% of unmarried adult men don’t have a girlfriend, while half the adult women surveyed don’t have a husband or a boyfriend. Worse still, 45% of the men and women who don’t have a girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse are not interested in finding one, either."

uh.. what? Ok wait... it gets weirder. "One in four unmarried men and women in their late 30s have never had sex. A vast majority of the single men and women surveyed - 86% and 89%, respectively - say they one day want to tie the knot. The largest roadblock, according to the survey authors, is financial concerns more than 40% of the singletons surveyed said money worries are a top reason they don’t marry."

WHAT? How can that be? One in four?? WTF! Well, before I get too vocal about this I have to say that I am rather skeptical of these results. Now mind you, there is no doubt that the population is dropping here in Japan. People are having fewer children in this country than before. That is a proven fact. But can there really be that many virgins in the country? Honestly?

Address is Approximate

2011-11-27T16:22:00.003+09:00

Wow. Came across this Stop Motion short film while browsing today. Brilliant and touching. Filmmaker Tom Jenkins has created a wonderful short film. See it for yourself.

Kit Kat Caramel Pudding

2011-11-27T08:45:00.003+09:00

Good grief. There are so many Kit Kat flavors that it's getting hard to remember which I've tried and which I haven't. Yesterday, I found Kit Kat Caramel Pudding. I thought it was pretty damn good (tastes exactly like Caramel Pudding).

A blogger by the name of Jen is apparently on a mission to try as many of these Kit Kat flavors as possible. She has an interesting blog. Check it out.

マル・マル・モリ・モリ！

2011-11-24T18:46:00.003+09:00

Well, here's a daily dose of WTF! There's a popular drama on TV called ‘Marumo no okite’ – ‘Marumo’s Rule’. Apparently, Fuji TV was flooded with calls enquiring about the theme song so they decided to release it on its own. The single debuted on the Oricon music chart at number 3!! That makes the two kids who sing the song the youngest singers (do I call them that?) to ever make the top 10 list in Japan. Gakuranman says that Maru-maru means ‘healthily (plump)’ and mori-mori means ‘with a voracious appetite (for eating, studying and living – etc.)’.

So, what do you think?

When one goes beyond their visa...

2011-11-24T17:25:00.006+09:00

29-year-old Yann Cleary is in a heap of trouble it seems. The native from France had appeared in several high profile commercials here on Japanese TV. He's also been arrested for "working in fields not coherent with his visa status".

Basically, when you apply for a visa to Japan, you have to select a type. For short term stay, you can apply for a simple tourist visa or business visa (goot for up to 90 days) but these do not allow the individual to work in the country. If you want to work in Japan, then you need to apply for anyone one of the following: Diplomatic visa, spousal visa (given to those married to a Japanese native), working visa (sponsered by the company you will work for), general visa (given for students or people related to cultural activities) etc...

It's easy to see how someone might make a mistake in working beyond what their visa allows. Unfortunatly, it appears that Yann clearly knew that what he was doing was wrong. According to an article in the Mainichi Daily, Yann paid an Italian guy "a registration fee of 100,000 yen" and "additional monthly charges of 8,000 yen" to sponser his visa as his employer. In reality, it was all just a bogus company setup only to help foreign people renew their visas.

"According to the MPD, in order to obtain a visa, Cleary had registered himself as an employee at a fictitious interpreting company run by a 42-year-old Italian man. Investigators found that there are 74 foreigners from 15 different nationalities registered at the dummy company, all of whom had obtained their visas illegally by registering themselves as "employees."

Yann was arrested for violating the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law and frankly, I think he's a shmuck for working as a musician and on-air talent with a bogus visa. But it is a good lesson for anyone working in a foreign country to make sure what the limits of the visas are.

Source

2011-11-23T11:47:00.003+09:00

Here's an interesting short film called Source. According to the filmmakers, the year is year is 2044, Japan's once strong prestige in the international community has been tarnished after years of economic stagnation. In order to reclaim its prestige, the National Strategy Bureau has resorted to an extravagant series of mass media psyops. This program is called "Source".

Some pretty nice CG work and photography combine for an interesting, albeit confusing, short story. Check it out.

The BBC asks an interesting question

2011-11-23T11:24:00.004+09:00

I read an article on the BBC News site recently that got me thinking. The article was titled Have Japanese brands lost their way? The author of the article, Dan Simmons, raises some really good points that I think culturally need to be addressed.

Remember when Japan used to be the hub of tech? I'm not going to say that it isn't anymore but things have certainly changed. Mr. Simmons points out in his article that "entire districts of Tokyo are devoted to robots, computers, gadgets and huge electronics shops. But over recent years, the former dominance of Japanese brands in their own country has been challenged like never before by the new behemoths of South Korea, China and the US. The Japanese have been married to technology for decades and their brand loyalty is well documented. But whereas once these brands were nearly always Japanese, the lucrative market of the Far East has been the target of a number of other firms. And this has had an effect on profits."

Honestly, having lived here for a year and a half, I have seen some really cool usage of technology. But when it comes to everyday items like cellphones, mp3 players or even laptops and computers, I see American and European dominance. The iPhone appears to be ruling this market place.

So how did this happen? A lot of people blame compliance. It appears, from my perspective, that tech firms here aren't innovating nearly as much as they need to. Companies aren't being as creative as they have to be in the global market place. And for a country with a huge surplus of skilled technical minded engineers, that's a huge waste of potential.

Anyways, I highly recommend you read Mr. Simmons article. You can find it here.

Wow, that's an expensive burger!

2011-11-21T07:57:00.003+09:00

Last night, I went out with Naya and her friends. Just hanging out and being social with other human beings. Ever since buying Skyrim, I haven't really done anything outside of the Tamriel Universe. In fact, I should also apologies because ever since installing it, I haven't posted anything to this blog either!

So yeah, anyways. The weather was terrible - rain and strong winds and all that. I made my way to Ebisu station to meet everyone. We're all pretty hungry and haven't eaten yet so start looking at delivery options. I stumble upon a Hamburger shop called Blacows. The menu looks good but wow check out the prices. $20 bucks for a hamburger? Challenge accepted. I chose the Bacon Cheese Avocado Burger.

Blacows is a unique style of hamburger. First of all, there isn't any ham in it. They use steak meat to make their "hamburgers". I was very curious about what my $20 hamburger might taste like. Finally, the doorbell rang and in came the delivery dude with our.. boxes? Hm.. Ok!

The lighting was dim and as you guys already know my phone takes really horrible pictures in the dark. So instead of that, take a look at the official Blacows website. This will give you a good indication of what the burger looks like.

Steak sauce and avocado with thick stripes of bacon and melted cheese. Absolutely fantastic. Would have been excellent with the Don Perignon 2000 ($360 a bottle) that I didn't try. Oh well. Maybe next time? :)

Preparing for Christmas

2011-11-17T08:49:00.004+09:00

Wow. I can't believe New Years is just around the corner. Good grief... Anyways, right now stores all across Tokyo (and presumably Japan) are stocking up on Christmas stuff. Everything you can think of. Santa coffee mugs, Christmas trees, holly... everything you'd find back home.

Only thing is, people here don't really celebrate Christmas. Well, they do. Sorta. I've been speaking about this with clients and co-workers and it seems that in Japan, Christmas is more like Valentines day. Young kids might get a gift and people will eat Christmas cake or KFC. But that's about it.

One of my clients noted yesterday that Christmas is a time to decorate her house. She puts up a small tree and some lights on the 24th and then on the 26th, she takes everything down. No gift giving (her kids are in their 20's) nothing other than just decoration for a couple days.

Of course Japan isn't a Christian country so in a way this makes sense. But still, I'm not Christian and I love the hell out of Christmas gift giving! Hopefully this part of the Christmas season will catch on too.

Georgia X; Matcha Coffee

2011-11-16T11:30:00.005+09:00

Coca Cola owned beverage company Georgia has released a new offering just in time for the cold winter season. The beverage combines a sweet potent taste of traditional matcha green tea with the familiar taste of it's canned coffee. They call it George X.

I finished work late last night and got cold while waiting for the bus. I figured I would wrap my hands around a warm beverage while I waited. The convenience store is literally five steps from the bus stop. I took a look and came across Georgia X and thought I would give it a try.

At first, it's a bit confusing for the brain. I think my first thought was what the hell am I drinking here? But after a few sips, I started to enjoy it. I got a slight buzz from the sugar / caffeine combination so at the very least, it's an effective wake up tool. Yeah, it's not too bad actually. I figure I'll give it another try sometime.

Japan plays soccer in the DPRK

2011-11-15T17:04:00.005+09:00

For the first time in 22 years, Japan's national soccer team is heading to the DPRK. According to the Associated Press, soccer in North Korea is very different than it is in most parts of the world.

"There are no hot dogs, peanuts or plastic cups of beer for sale when the North Korean soccer team takes the field. There are no noisemakers, and no one does the wave. Yet the fans are passionate in their own way, packing the stadium to the rafters, stamping and booing every time the visiting team threatens to score. From schoolchildren in Adidas tracksuits to soldiers in uniform, they jostle for a good view of the team that has become a symbol of national pride."

This is a match for the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers so every win is important. And the North Koreans are going to be a tough team to beat for Team Japan. Especially considering that the group of people allowed to see the game have very strict rules they must adhere to. "Pyongyang granted visas to 200 Japanese ahead of the game – 150 fans, two dozen journalists and diplomats – along with strict rules accompanying their visit. Fans are banned from bringing laptops, cell phones, and cameras with zoom lenses. No drums, vuvuzelas, or Japanese flags are allowed. Supporters can bring digital cameras, so long as the data cards are emptied prior to their entry into the Hermit Kingdom."

The game is scheduled to start in a few minutes so unfortunatly I won't be able to watch it. (I'm writing this from work. It's 5pm and I have another 5 hours to go so I'll check the score when I get home this evening).

Edit: Game is over. North Korea won 1-0.

Compilation Earth Time Lapse

2011-11-14T16:30:00.004+09:00

Apologies. This post doesn't have anything related to Tokyo or Japan specifically but it was so incredibly cool, that I thought I'd share anyways. Check out this Time lapse sequences of photographs taken with a special low-light 4K-camera by the crew of expedition 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station. They filmed from August to October, 2011.

Random Photo: Daikichi

2011-11-14T07:34:00.002+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. It's Sunday night. Just hanging out at a local yakitori shop called Daikichi. Good food!

Genki Sudo is Back!

2011-11-13T08:30:00.007+09:00

Sweet! Genki Sudo is back with yet another music video! In his previous videos, the group has filmed both in Tokyo and New York City. They also produced Boy meets girl and Machine Civilization - two excellent examples of their choreography abilities. Now, they travel to Mexico preparing for 2012. Seriously, these guys are so awesome!

Android Dreams

2011-11-13T08:20:00.004+09:00

Vimeo user Samuel Cockedy has released this rather interesting video called Android Dreams. Many of you will recognize the Blade Runner audio which works surprisingly well with Cockedy's visuals. Have a look.

Pepsi Pink

2011-11-13T08:05:00.005+09:00

Well, a new season dawns. Winter is on the horizon. And that means that Pepsi Co. is releasing a new flavor. This year, they've released Pepsi Pink - Strawberry and Milk flavor.

It's not as unique as some of their previous products. I've reviewed many of them here in the past. The best in my opinion was Pepsi Mont Blanc. Pepsi Energy and Pepsi Baobab were not memorable enough to mention twice. So how does this new offering compare?

Well, it has that artificial strawberry taste that you find in everything that claims it has artificial strawberry taste. You know what mean? It tastes like everything that tastes like strawberry. So there isn't anything unique in that regard. As for the milk aspect, I dunno. Maybe that's referring to the color. It's a light cloudy pinkish white.

Nope, I have to give Pepsi Pink a fail because it tastes like hundreds of products that have come out before it. It's not so much Pepsi as it is carbonated strawberry fizz. Meh...

Skyrim launches

2011-11-09T11:39:00.008+09:00

Two days from now, Skyrim, the newest addition to the Elder Scrolls video game franchise, will hit store shelves in North America. If you're not familiar with the title, imagine it this way: a totally open-ended-do anything you want-go anywhere you want-kill or steal anything you want-monster hunting- dungeon crawling game set in a lush fantasy universe with thousands of unique characters that you can interact with. That, basically, is what the Elder Scrolls franchise is all about. And Skyrim looks to impress with it's stunning graphics and score.

I've been playing Oblivion (the previous Elder Scrolls game) on my computer at home for a couple of weeks now. I put well over 200-hours of playtime into that game when it first came out in 2006. Whenever I feel bored or tired or a little down, playing Oblivion has always done the trick and playing it again, it's just as good as the first time. It's a work of art frankly.

Here in Japan, we're going to have to wait a bit before we can get our hands on it. Sometime in December I heard. Anyways, my plan is to play Oblivion again to completion and then immediately after install and play its sequel Skyrim. I figure that will be around January (yes, Oblivion is a long damn game).

I don't understand the concept that video games are for kids or that it's somehow immature. In a lot of ways, the complexities and strategy involved in quest completion make games such as this quite intense. There's lots to think about to discuss and there really is a sense of completion waiting for us at the end. To hell with the idea that video games are somehow juvenile. I hope to be playing them until I'm old and grey and will love every minute of it!

Emperor admited to hospital

2011-11-07T15:17:00.002+09:00

Not much to report on at the moment, but one never knows. The Emperor, who turns 78 next month, has been suffering from bronchitis with a fever and was taken to the University of Tokyo Hospital on Sunday evening as a precaution.

Crown Prince Naruhito will temporarily take over the emperor's official duties until the Emperor is well again. Link to the story can be found here.

Observations of Japan-Canada Relations

2011-11-07T14:45:00.004+09:00

Today was the day of the seminar. There was a fairly decent turn out I think (18 people in all). The presentation was really focused on two main points. The first was cross cultural perceptions referencing statistical information and the second was Canada-Japan relations post March 11th.

I went a bit over the one-hour mark but I think the audience was very receptive to that (always a good sign). After the seminar, a few of the individuals and I ate Chinese food at a local restaurant and discussed various issues. If any of you are interested, send me an email and I'll forward you the presentation in PDF format.

The Olympus scandal

2011-11-04T19:42:00.004+09:00

There's been no shortages of reports on corporate malfeasance in the United States recently. But this new scandal which has been brewing here in Japan for the last month or so is a stark reminder that shady business dealings happen all over the world.

Camera company Olympus is fighting for its reputation as a major scandal has erupted that started with the firing of its new President Michael Woodford. After only a short time on the job, Woodford was let go. Woodford claimed that it was because he had uncovered shady, if not illegal, business practices with one of the companies minor divisions. But in what appeared to be an attempt to silence him, Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, Chairman of Olympus, publicaly stated that he was let go because of "problems with his management style" and that he had a "dislike of Japan".

Journalist and Japan-expert Jake Adelstein published an article in The Guardian a couple days ago titled Japan's Olympus scandal is slowly coming into focus. It's a fascinating and slightly upsetting read.

"By 12 October, Woodford urged the company chairman, Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, to step down due to "serious governance concerns". The response of the Olympus board was to strip Woodford of his executive position, while playing it to the Japanese media that he had been fired due to cultural clashes with management.

The Japanese mainstream press went with the cultural angle. But the foreign media – led by the Financial Times – began an assault on Olympus, strongly questioning its management decisions. When mainstream Japanese newspaper Sankei Shinbun ran an interview with Woodford in which he voiced his misgivings, the rest of the Japanese media began pursuing allegations of malfeasance as well.

By 26 October, with Olympus stock prices tanking, Kikukawa stepped down as chairman to become a director – while remaining on the board. The Tokyo stock exchange's head lambasted the company shortly afterwards. Japan's financial services agency began their own investigation, and the Japanese police began to look at whether Olympus executives could be charged with special breach of trust."

Click here for the full article.

Canada-Japan Seminar

2011-11-04T15:03:00.004+09:00

I've been stressing out all day today trying to get my presentation ready for Monday. Usually, when I hold a seminar, I'm teaching something to a class so there are workshops and exercises to complete. But this one is different in so-much as it's a one-hour speech titled Observations of Japan-Canada Relations.

The audience I'm presenting to is a community association group here in Tokyo interested in discussing international issues. I've been plugging away at this presentation for a couple of weeks, and now with only a couple days left I'm finding myself stressing out. My first draft was far too dull. Basically, it was a debrief on issues of state. The second draft is far different. It's far more of my personal experiences with Japan and how I see the current state of affairs. I'm worried that I'm being too pretentious.

Ticket prices are pretty high and I'd like to both inform but also entertain the audience. Walking that fine line is proving to be more difficult that I imagined however. Argh! I don't think I'm going to sleep well tonight.

Harrison Ford: Uncharted 3

2011-11-03T21:59:00.004+09:00

It's not everyday you see Harrison Ford in a commercial. Much less a commercial for a video game.

Random Photo: Sunset at the temple

2011-11-02T23:01:00.001+09:00

Here is another random photo from around Tokyo. Sunset at Hikawajinja in Akasaka.

Ukai-Toriyama

2011-10-31T20:19:00.007+09:00

Some of my clients had mentioned to me about a restaurant called Ukai-Toriyama. We made a plan and today, we boarded a train for one-day excursion. It takes about an hour from Seijogakuen-mae station and you'll need to change trains three times.

It's located in Hachioji which is in the greater Tokyo area but as you can see here, it's very much in the countryside. I think that's part of the charm actually. Anyways, there's a free shuttle bus from the train station that picks you up and drops you off. The 10-minute bus ride through the countryside and small narrow streets was quite pleasant but is nothing compared to the feeling one has once you arrive.

It's quite simply breathtaking. It's the closest I'll ever get to walking into a Hayao Miyazaki movie. The entire place is nestled into the mountainside and visitors are surrounded by a 230,000 foot traditional Japanese garden. Everything from ponds with large Koi to small waterfalls to flower gardens to dragonflies to Shishi Odoshis greeted us as we walked through the breathtaking grounds.

In our small walk around, we came across this small hut. In it, an old traditional wood-burning pot kept fresh complimentary Soba tea for thirsty visitors. Every single detail here has been planned out. Even the roof of the hut had overgrowth to give visitors the feeling of age.

While all of this is incredibly cool, the key feature in my opinion is that every group has their own "house" to eat in. Here's what ours looked like. The inside is all tatami floors and an elongated table with fine china. Servers come to your house with your orders and then leave. As you can see, it's open windows but the amazing amount of surrounding nature makes it very private at the same time. An absolutely brilliant idea for a restaurant.

Remember I said everything was surrounded by nature? Ok, take a look at this. Take a real close look. Can you see where the chef is? Yeah... That's what I mean. This. This is exactly why Ukai-Toriyama is the incredible dining experience of my entire life.

Ok so let me tell you about the food. Customers order by course, not by items. Here's the menu in English. We ordered the Sumibiyaki-course and this was our first dish; Chicken and lemon served with a well-cooked Japanese potato. I ordered a glass of red wine and enjoyed the pleasant conversation with my honored friends as the second item arrived. Lightly cooked tofu in a walnut sauce I think it was. Incredibly delicious!

After that, the staff brought for us the real-wood burning elements for us to cook with. Chicken and potatoes and vegetables. Splendid. Absolutely delicious. After that, we were served Tororo-rice and finally topped off with a small serving of grape flavored crushed ice for dessert.

I am so truly grateful for everyone that came with me today. If it weren't for them, I would have never known about Ukai-Toriyama and the absolute wonders that it has. This was a privilege and a joy that I'll never forget.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T19:29:00.001+09:00

To all my friends and family back home, have a safe and exciting Halloween!