Japan possesses a ridiculous number of ‘jihanki‘ (vending machines) equating to one for about 22 people or something like that. The majority of them sell drinks and cigarettes but other things are available such as newspapers, flowers, condoms, bananas, ice-cream, tissues, toys, rice, snacks, apples, eggs and perhaps the most famous story overseas is of used schoolgirl undies being sold in these vending machines but I think that may just be Continue reading
The Japan Cup may be one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan but I had never really heard of it until quite recently when I saw adverts for it plastered all over the Keio Inohashira Line in Shibuya station. It’s not really any surprise I was unaware of it though as horse racing really isn’t a sport that interests me. Having said all that, I was up for a day at the races to experience Continue reading
Around a decade ago there was a trend for Maid Cafe’s in Tokyo but in the last few years the craze has been for animal themed cafe’s. I’ve only been to a dog cafe (back in 2013) but there are also cafes devoted to cats, rabbits, owls, reptiles, penguins, hedgehogs, sheep and probably a few more unbeknown to me.
Wondering how we’d spend our day off together last Sunday my wife said she’d research cinemas which show two fairly recent (but not brand new) movies as part of a cheap double billing but then she came back minutes later saying she wanted to go to a rabbit cafe in Ikebukuro. How that transition Continue reading
As it is, Tokyo is an ever-changing city with buildings seemingly going up and coming down regularly and on top of that shops, restaurants, cafes and bars help constantly change the landscape. None of this is new to the Japanese capital though as even when it was known as Edo it changed a fair bit due to fires, floods, earthquakes and warfare.
This vast open-air museum (400 yen entry), located in Koganei-koen Park, is a collection of culturally valuable historical buildings which have been relocated, reconstructed and preserved for future generations. My wife and I took the 25 minute walk on a recent Sunday from Hana-Koganei Station on the Seibu-Shinjuku Line. It is divided into three zones with the most interesting one for me being the Continue reading
Ever since the Shinkansen (bullet train) route between Tokyo and Kanazawa opened last year, reducing the travel time from five hours to two, tourists have been descending on the city in their droves to eat the many local delicacies and see such places like Kenroku-en which, alongside Kairaku-en (Mito) and Koraku-en (Okayama), are the three most famous gardens in Japan. Sightseeing spots have never really been Bourdain’s forte and it’s no surprise that this particular one doesn’t feature here.
Season eight episode six of this CNN show is not exactly a typical guide to the capital city of Ishikawa prefecture but just Continue reading
Cats seemingly play a very important role in Japanese lives. Hello Kitty is a hugely popular brand and then there’s also the station master cat, numerous cat cafes, cat island and super-lucky cats are often seen outside restaurants and shops beckoning (not waving good-bye as many tourists think!) customers to enter the establishment.
Time Out Tokyo often produce guides to different parts of the capital city (and beyond) and I usually make a point of Continue reading
This tale of three stories on three different continents intertwining with one another features Mexico, Morocco and Japan which is of course the reason it’s included in this feature. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu makes full use of these differing backdrops to bring the picture alive with a heavy preference for hand-held camera work.
The director certainly likes the muted screen approach too and lets the pictures do the talking with just a soundtrack. This happens a few times and just goes to show how Continue reading
There’s something alluring for me about visiting lower league grounds as this is the true spirit of football which is often lost amidst the glitz and glamour of the Premier League and the Champions League. Watching FC Ryukyu in Okinawa among so many nice, friendly supporters was a wonderful experience and when Hiro said he’d be in Yokohama for a match two weeks after that I thought it’d be nice to meet up with him again whilst adding another ground to my list!
Thinking the match kicked off at 12 noon I then set about combining it with another match and it became apparent that Continue reading
Disneyland is one of those places which has long mystified me regarding its popularity, especially in Japan where it is widely loved and regarded. Even your coolest looking hip-hop-type guys can often be seen over here sporting a Disney accessory of sorts amongst their apparel! Maybe it’s because us Brits generally think of Disney stuff as being something of a joke and we often use the phrase “it’s a bit Mickey Mouse” to summarise seemingly unimportant things.
Despite all that, I did take my two sisters and brother-in-law to Tokyo Disneyland back in 2004 and I have to admit that I didn’t see much reason for me to ever return there. However, a few years ago I learned that there was a Star Wars ride called Star Tours and as time went on my stance on going back changed a bit and that was further heightened when Disney bought LucasFilm in 2012. Some free tickets on top of that helped push along the idea and so a few days after returning from our (extended!) trip to Okinawa we Continue reading
Japan is very good at coming up with movie tie-ins in unconventional ways and that is certainly true where one of its most famous sons is concerned. The “Godzilla Hotel” in Shinjuku is one such example of that and a recent addition has been to transform this traditional Japanese bathhouse into a Godzilla-themed one.
Kamata Onsen has actually been a place I’ve been interested in visiting for a couple of years now as it is famed for its kuroyu (black hot spring water). We never quite Continue reading
Tokyo Fox (東京狐) 