A Little Known Shinjuku Eye-Con

Posted on April 22, 2016 by tokyofox

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Shinjuku was revealed to be the the world’s busiest train station a few years back in a top 50 list that was pretty much monopolised by Japan. It’s not until the number 24 position that a non-Japanese station appears by way of Paris’ Gare du Nord! Of course it’s a little uncertain how the data was calculated and how accurate it is as India’s stations are not represented in the chart despite reportedly handling millions of passengers every day.

This place really is more than just a station and it is often included in lists of top attractions in Tokyo with so much to see and do beyond the train side of things. Though the “attraction” featured in this piece only takes a minute to see (not really sufficient enough to merit it’s inclusion under the usual Tokyo Daytripper banner!) it is worth Continue reading →

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Back To J-League Action In Kawasaki

Posted on April 18, 2016 by tokyofox

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The J-League kicked off back at the end of February and I’ve been raring to get stuck into some more live match action following my renewed interest in the local game over the last couple of years. My plan (time and wife permitting!!) is to Continue reading →

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Tokyo Daytripper: Sayama Koen Park & Lake Tama

Posted on April 15, 2016 by tokyofox

The cherry blossom season often seems to come and go before I’ve barely even noticed it but this year it seemed to be a particularly long one. I certainly didn’t expect it and so I’m quite surprised myself to be posting a third consecutive sakura post! One week on from our trip to Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens, my wife and I embraced the pink flowers again but this time we went further afield albeit still within the boundaries of Tokyo.

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This place first came to my attention a year or two ago as I searched for ideas regarding cycling adventures in Tokyo. One day I will cycle there from the Tokyo Fox Global Operations Centre and go around both Lake Tama and the smaller Lake Sayama but it’s Continue reading →

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Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens

Posted on April 12, 2016 by tokyofox

When it comes to sakura (cherry blossoms) viewing, I really believe that the best places are the ones lining some of the rivers and roads around Tokyo. The sakura is far more prominent in these area’s yet many, many people descend on the various parks and gardens of the capital to get their fix of the pink flowers. Not sure why. I guess it’s not just about the cherry trees but also the atmosphere and ambience that comes with being in an official and proper place rather than just being on a random street. Who knows?!!

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I’ve already posted about our trip to Shinjuku Gyoen gardens but a couple of days prior to that I went to Koishikawa Korakuen gardens to see both cherry blossoms and the Continue reading →

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Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens

Posted on April 9, 2016 by tokyofox

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The cherry blossom season is upon us again in Tokyo and as ever the locals have been getting very excited about the blooming of the pink flowers. Despite what they may think, having four seasons and such seasonal events really is not exclusive to Japan but they certainly seem to be celebrated here more than elsewhere. They really are a huge deal and pretty much the whole population descend on parks and gardens to embrace the occasion.

One of the most popular places is Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens; usually a nice quiet place offering a bit of respite from the hustle and bustle of the Kabukicho district of the area. Not during the hanami (cherry blossom party) season though, thats for sure!  Continue reading →

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TF Flashback: My One & Only Trip To Nara (2005)

Posted on April 7, 2016 by tokyofox

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One of the guys I met at the Tokyo Leicester City supporters meet-up the other day was from Nara; the former ancient capital city of Japan which lies 20 miles south of Kyoto. It was nice to talk about the place and I said it would be lovely to return there one day. I later realised that I had never actually written about Nara on Tokyo Fox so let’s rectify that straight away! Continue reading →

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Leicester City/Okazaki Fans Tokyo Get-Together

Posted on April 4, 2016 by tokyofox

At the start of April 2015 Leicester City were rooted to the bottom of the Premier League seven points from safety and now one year on they are top of the table and seven points ahead of nearest rivals Spurs. What an incredible 12 months it’s been for Foxes fans. Of course, there’s no way in hell I’m gonna say it’s all over but, as it stands, things are looking pretty good!

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When I was interviewed by Ian Stringer on BBC Radio Leicester in February 2014 I jokingly told him that I was the “Chairman of the Leicester City Supporters Club – 1 member and growing.” It was a flippant throwaway comment but two years on and Continue reading →

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24 hours In Sendai

Posted on April 1, 2016 by tokyofox

Ahead of this trip I asked a number of students what to do in Sendai and true to form they all said to eat gyutan (beef tongue). Food in Japan really is an obsession and whichever part of Japan I mention the response is usually food-based. It had already been one hell of a long day by the time we arrived in Sendai on the back of visits to Zao Fox Village and Funaoka. After a short rest break at our hotel we popped out to get some gyutan and it was only by chance that we stumbled upon this popular restaurant (below) where you are limited to one hour.

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The Tall White Statue Towering Over Sendai City & Beyond!

Posted on March 29, 2016 by tokyofox

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There’s something about Daibutsu (buddha) and kannon statues which keep me coming back for more and more. As mentioned in a long forgotten post in May 2006, I have seen my fair share of them, and an extra few have been added to the collection since that post nearly a decade ago. Over the years in Japan I have seen the famous ones in Nara and Kamakura as well as the record breaking ones in Ushiku (the worlds 3rd tallest statue at 110 metres high) and Nokogiri-yama which is Japan’s largest. Obviously height isn’t a measure of what is large!

I’m not certain where the one in Sendai sits (or stands) in the scheme of things but Continue reading →

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A Quick Stop In Funaoka

Posted on March 26, 2016 by tokyofox

Whilst in the vicinity of Miyagi prefecture I thought we’d make a quick stop in Funaoka en-route to Sendai. Having left the awesome Zao Fox Village just after 1pm we managed to get a shared taxi without waiting and this time went to Shiroishi station (as opposed to Shiroishizao which is a stop on the shinkansen) and from there we took the Tohoku Line a couple of stops to Funaoka.

It wasn’t exactly a top priority but with no real urgency to get to Sendai, and having been recommended it by a student, I thought we might as well drop by Funaoka Castle Park to see a pretty tall statue (24 metres including the four metre stand) standing atop the hill. Well I say we, but in the end it was just me as my wife decided against it preferring to just relax in the station instead!

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The 300 metre long slope car was not in operation but it only took me about 10-15 minutes to hike on up to the top where a splendid looking Continue reading →

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