Monthly Archives: May 2011

Kansai Trip 2011 Pt III: Himeji

The second full-day of my trip saw me go west to Himeji which is famous for its castle. At the moment its not too much to look at though and nor will it be for for the next five years … Continue reading

Posted in Films, James Bond, Japan Filming Locations, Japan Travel, Movie Locations | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Kansai Trip 2011 Pt II: Kyoto

I spent two of my days on this trip in Kyoto with the majority of the places having some movie relevance but there were a few other ones which didn’t feature in any Hollywood production. It is often said that while Tokyo is … Continue reading

Posted in Japan Travel | 9 Comments

Kyoto Filming Locations: Memoirs Of A Geisha (2005)

The majority of ‘Memoirs of a Geisha‘ (2005) was made in the USA but director Rob Marshall did feel it necessary to bring the production to Japan to open up the movie and feel like they were in some very … Continue reading

Posted in Japan Filming Locations, Japan Travel, Movie Locations | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 41 Comments

Kansai Trip 2011 Pt I: Fushimi-Inari Taisha

I’d never heard of this shrine until a few months ago and so this became my first port of call on my fourth trip to Kyoto. After a long sleepless night on the bus from Tokyo to Osaka, followed by … Continue reading

Posted in Japan Filming Locations, Japan Travel, Leicester City | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

A New Addition To The Family #3 – George

Welcome to the family! I’m an uncle again as George Smedley was born at 5.45am on April the 30th. Congratulations to Stuart and my sister Lorna on their first child.    

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Review: Films Set In Japan – 3 Ninja’s Kick Back (1994)

I originally thought this was one of those made-for-TV kids movies; the kind of which used to be shown on BBC1 on Friday afternoons when I was a child. However, it seems I was wrong as its actually the second of four … Continue reading

Posted in Films, Review: Films Set In Japan | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Get Your Kits Out For The Lads!

The above photo of Leicester’s Japan player Yuki Abe in the new shirt appeared on the official club site today. According to them the new design takes a “classic, retro style with a modern twist” which sounds like your typical … Continue reading

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When The Lights Go Down

Obviously the March 11th earthquake had very few benefits but in the aftermath of the event there are a few lessons to be learned. Several of the nuclear power plants which provide Tokyo’s electricity were knocked out and the city … Continue reading

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Review: Films Set In Japan – Memoirs Of A Geisha (2005)

Get beyond the whole Chinese actresses portraying Japanese geisha debacle and what you see in ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ (called ‘Sayuri’ in Japan) is a beautiful, colourful, gorgeous film showing the spirit of this one girl as she battles against the odds. That … Continue reading

Posted in Films, Review: Films Set In Japan | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

There’s Now An Apple Vending Machine In Tokyo

Last August I told you about the banana vending machine in Shibuya and now there is a machine dispensing apples. Not just normal apples though like I saw in Italy last year but cut-up apples in a bag. The machine … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Drink, Quirky Japan | Tagged , , | 3 Comments