I guess I’m a sort of semi-official Edoite now – I have an apartment, a futon, and a Bic Camera points card. It’s been yet another crazy week here in Tokyo. Between trying to get a landlord to accept me, getting my money to Japan from the states (harder and […] Read more
Not so many words but a lot of pictures from a very busy Saturday. Lots of stuff happening in Tokyo this weekend, in addition to my quest to find an apartment. Jidai Matsuri was held in Asakusa, and there were numerous events celebrating Meiji’s birthday at Meiji-Jingu Shrine. Several videos […] Read more
Ishihara Shintaro, the racist, xenophobic politician who wrote books glorifying the rape of teenaged girls and got Bill 156 passed, has quit as Governor of Tokyo. Clearly he’s decided this town isn’t big enough for the both of us, so you’re welcome. Sadly, the other side of the story is […] Read more
Just a few images from an outing to Yoyogi Koen with friends on Sunday. Meiji Shrine is a special place to the Japanese, but it also has a personal connection for me. On my first trip to Japan it was the place I visited on my last day here. It […] Read more
A full day today, as the rain trickled down. I’d never been to Yokohama, so I thought it’d be fun to check out. I didn’t see the black ships but I did see Yokohama’s Chinatown, and got a sense for why this considered the most international of Japanese cities. There’s […] Read more
It was an eventful day in Tokyo for this idiot abroad… I’m still very much in tourist mode, but I sort of feel as if I became a real resident today – I got my first shoe locker, and my first commuter pass. Be it ever so humble, my guesthouse […] Read more
Gardena Buddhist Temple in California held their Obon Festival and Bon Odori this weekend, and I stopped by today. More pics and video below the fold. This first video is Jodaiko, the UC Irvine taiko group celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. If you’ve never been to an Obon festival, I highly […] Read more
You know this had to happen sooner or later – and it did, at Namco’s Namja Town. My favorite? “Sloth’s ‘I’m hoping to live here’ Lazy Bum Crepe”. Read more
Time for a brief trip to the world of Japanese Cinema… Kore-eda Hirokazu isn’t a name that’ll be familiar to any but the most ardent art-house cinema buffs or serious Japanese culture geeks – but it should be. He’s a documentary trained director who’s turned his talents to narrative films that are […] Read more
I don’t make a habit of highlighting commercial videos often, but this one is pretty cool. Japanese commercials are incredibly creative and sometimes almost unbelievably weird. Note: this is not an endorsement of delicious Sapporo Beer (I’m more of a Belgian beer man myself) – just their creative team. Read more