Tokyo Fox (東京狐)

Qatar 2014 Pt I: The “Agony Of Doha” Revisited

Posted on March 4, 2015 by tokyofox

Ever since FIFA controversially awarded Qatar the 2022 World Cup, it’s never been too far from the sports headlines. News of bribery, corruption, controversial labour laws, abuse of migrant workers and monthly deaths during stadium construction have rarely been out of the foreign media, particularly in Britain.

As ever, things are different in Japan though. Mention the word Qatar to any Japanese soccer fan and it’s highly probable that they’ll refer to the “Agony of Doha” (ドーハの悲劇 Dōha no higeki). Readers of a nervous disposition may want to look away now for this is the nickname which refers back to that fateful day on 28th October, 1993 when Japan were on the verge of qualifying for their first World Cup.

Picture the scene; Japan are playing Iraq in Doha and with just seconds to go they lead 2-1 and are heading to USA ’94. However, the Iraqi team hit them on the break and earn a corner which is played short. The Iraqi player takes the man on and beats him, gets his cross in and there to meet it is Jaffar Omran Salman who glances a header past keeper Matsunaga into the corner leaving both the Japanese players and fans absolutely stunned. The defenders are totally deflated and sink to the turf in despair at what has just happened.

These days fans of the Samurai Blue perhaps almost take it for granted that their country will qualify for the World Cup but it was all a bit different a couple of decades ago which is why this game has gone down in the annals of Japanese football history. The score draw was played out in the capital of Qatar because back then a round robin format of matches was used to decide the final couple of qualifying games.

Whilst in the little-but-loaded Gulf state recently, I decided to visit the stadium which played host to the infamous 2-2 draw. Having arrived at Doha International Airport at 4.30 am I waited around for the sun to rise a couple of hours later before taking a taxi to the Al-Ahli Stadium, formerly known as Hamad Bin Khlifa Stadium. For a long time now, bus loads of Japanese tourists doing layovers in Qatar’s capital have been transported around the main sights of Doha and part of the itinerary has always included this crumbling old stadium.

Beforehand my expectations were fairly low as I knew it was an old, decaying ground far removed from the state of the art stadiums which are expected to pop up in the run up to 2022. Based on what I’d seen from the taxi passenger seat, vast parts of the city are building sites but none of that would quite prepare me for the welcome I’d receive on my arrival at this once famous stadium.

The first thing I actually saw was a signboard with an artists impression of what the stadium would look like way down the line when it may be used for some World Cup games. If I’d reversed onto the site of the sports club with a blindfold on after that I might not have been as shocked. The place really was a shadow of its former self and just about standing with the aid of scaffolding all over the place.

With the taxi metre still running I didn’t have too much time to waste so darted straight into the ground and asked one of the many men hanging about if I could see the pitch. Now, this kind of thing certainly wouldn’t work in many countries and it’s not something I’d usually do but time was money and all that. A guy led me through a tangled tapestry of cables, wires, hard hats, rubble and general emptiness before I was eventually left to my own devices and allowed to walk out the tunnel which captain Tetsuji Hashiratani led the Japan team out of. On that occasion, the stadium which holds 12,000, had around 4000 fans waiting to greet the sides. For me, it was a handful of mystified builders!

One of the workmen took an interest in what I was doing and looked at the screenshots of the game I had on my tablet for potential match-up shots. Sadly, he didn’t know about the Japan-Iraq game but I certainly filled in the details on that one. There really wasn’t much to see but at least the grass and goalposts were still there! I just wish I had a ball on me to kick around and do a recreation of that decisive qualification night.

Having finally taken the shots I wanted on the field (photography-wise!) I headed back down the tunnel advancing towards the main reception area. Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola, lured to the country for one last pay day, actually played for the club between 2003 and 2005 and years later became an ambassador for Qatar’s successful World Cup bid and was also in charge of Barcelona when the club agreed a highly lucrative sponsorship deal to have the Qatar name (first the Qatar Foundation and then Qatar Airways) on their shirts.

Guardiola won nothing during his time at the club which may be a surprise to anyone seeing the clubs trophy room! Al-Ahli Sports Club is the oldest one in Qatar, having been established in 1950 and the reception area is absolutely packed full of trophies though god knows what most of them are as my research tells me that they have only ever won five cups! Anyway, among all the silverware is the item of most interest to me; a signed Japan home shirt from the 2010-2011 era.

Football in Japan has progressed a lot since the end of 1993 when the inaugural J-League had only been underway for about five months and some believe that the “Agony of Doha” helped shape things for the better as the team recovered and came back stronger to qualify for each successive World Cup thereafter.

Posted in Middle East Travel, Sport | Tagged agony of doha, Al-Ahli sports club, Al-Ahli Stadium, ドーハの悲劇, Hamad Bin Khlifa Stadium, Iraq 2-2 Japan 1993, layover in Doha, things to do in Doha | 5 Comments

Dining Out: Little Myanmar In Takadanobaba

Posted on February 28, 2015 by tokyofox

Whilst everyone in Tokyo knows that Shin Okubo is the home of all things Korean it is not such common knowledge that just one station along the Yamanote line there is a community of Burmese restaurants and bars. Takadanobaba (also on the Tozai and Seibu Shinjuku lines) possesses a quite surprising number of places serving up delicacies from Myanmar.

Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar shares borders with India, Bangladesh, Laos, China and Thailand. Malaysia is not so far away so it’s no wonder that its cuisine is influenced by elements of all these countries. Generally speaking Burmese food is not as spicy as Thai food and not as dry as Indian food. A lot of these restaurants couldn’t be easier to find assuming you’ve arrived by train.

We decided to sample what these places had to offer starting with the cluster of places alongside the tracks just one minutes walk from the Waseda exit. Nong Inlay (2-19-7 Takadanobaba) specialises in food coming out of the civil war ravaged Shan state of which there is a map on the wall showing its proximity to Thailand, Laos and China with the latter heavily influencing its taste and style. When we went it was a mix of Burmese people and Japanese businessmen who were taking up some of the 10-12 seats on each side of the place for it has two rooms. The restaurant gets its name from a lake in the Shan state. There is a large menu (with pictures alongside the Japanese and Burmese words) with a variety of Shan-style meat and vegetable dishes. Specialities include pei pot kyaw (sour bean condiment) and hmo chawk kyaw (fried mushrooms).

On the other side of the tracks running parallel is Sakae-dori where there’s a couple more ethnic restaurants. Swe Myanmar (3-5-7 Takadanobaba) is located at the end of the street on the right hand side. The walls are lined with pictures of the 80+ authentic home-style Burmese dishes on offer to the 21 customers which the place holds. This restaurant has the cheapest food on offer with nine lunch sets ranging from 500 yen and the most expensive dish is still under 1000 yen! Furthermore, we were even given a service bonus of mochi.

With an estimated 20,000 Myanmar internationals living in the vicinity, a lot of these places cater for the local community and this one has a monthly magazine and two weekly Myanmar-language publications printed in Japan.

The similarly named ShweO (3-2-13, 4F Takadanobaba) is just across the road from there and among the tangled tapestry of visible pipes, wall rugs, ubiquitous spices and sparse flowers, are 50 dishes on offer which are all displayed in poster form on the wall. The decor may be basic but its a large spacious place with a very professional looking menu folder (not always the way at some of these places!) ShweO is famed for its many salads, noodle dishes, rices and curries containing huge chunks of chewy beef. Specialities include hand-made tofu, dry noodles, local shrimp and fish curry. There’s also a wide array of alcohol, including 500 yen beer, to help wash the dishes down. Lunch sets range from 550-900 yen and include a pot of tea. Don’t be put off by the owner wearing headphones whilst she serves you! She is friendly and speaks a bit of English.

Perhaps the most sophisticated and modern looking restaurant is Ruby (3-18-11, 1F Takadanobaba) which has some delicious chicken and potato dishes from the southern part of the country which is where the owner and her husband are from. The place is at its most busy at weekends when there’s a great Sunday buffet service including tabehodai rice, salad, soup, vegetables, tea and shwe yin aye which is a popular and refreshing dessert of agar jelly, tapioca and sago in coconut milk.

There are a couple of Myanmar restaurants on the main road that runs through Takadanobaba. As you’re walking away from the station the first place you come to is Minglaba (2-14-8, 3F Takadanobaba) on the left. This place seems to attract families, offers standard Burmese food at lunch and at night. The owner is a very friendly smiling lady who recommended a few dishes which are characteristic of the country. Lape-toh is a salad made of fermented tea leaves, garlic, lettuce, nuts, sesame seeds, dried fish and other ingredients. Perhaps the most famous dish is mohinga which is a highly savoury stew with a fermented fish gravy the consistency of pea soup, and containing chicken, vegetables and fine wheat-flour noodles. Tofu-joh are fried squares of yellow-lentil tofu served with a hot and sweet dipping sauce.

Whilst you’re waiting for your orders you might wanna try your hand at learning the Burmese alphabet which makes hiragana and katakana seem a doodle. They also have a few packets of imported noodles and spices for sale at the checkout should you be inspired to go home and make your own ethnic dish.

Just over the road is Mali Kha (1-25-9, 3F Takadanobaba) and this one serves up an extensive menu of Kachin food from the country’s most northern state which borders China and India. There is the customary map of the country and state as well as posters of marine and freshwater fishes of Myanmar should you wish to brush up on your knowledge of the country. Possessing a dozen seats on one side and room for plenty more on the other side this oriental kitchen sells home-style dishes like fish steamed in banana leaves, tripe stew and chicken and bean curry.

Almost all of these restaurants have picture menu’s in Japanese and Burmese but no English. Hatch-style service is usually the style and TV’s, used for karaoke at night, are evident everywhere. Expect photos of national landmark Shwedagon Pagoda to don the walls in the majority of these places along with the requisite portrait of political activist Aung San Suu Kyi, practically a national law. They all sell the country’s self-titled national beer ‘Myanmar’ for around 600 yen a can.

After 50 years of nightmare, Myanmar is starting to open up to tourism more and more but if you want to have an introduction to its tastes and smells then you could try Burmese restaurants in Ebisu, Sugamo, Zoushiki, Waseda and Minami Otsuka but for the broader choice you will need to make your way to ‘Little Myanmar’ in Takadanobaba.

Posted in Food & Drink | Tagged burmese restaurants tokyo, Mali Hka takadanobaba, Minglaba, myanmar restaurants tokyo, Nong Inlay, Ruby Takadanobaba, ShewO, Swe Myanmar, takadanobaba restaurants | 15 Comments

Tokyo Filming Locations #14 – House Of Bamboo (1955)

Posted on February 25, 2015 by tokyofox

This Sam Fuller directed film was released a decade after the end of WWII and Japan has of course transformed itself quite a bit since then. ‘House Of Bamboo‘ was the first post-war American movie to be filmed in Japan and as you can imagine most of the Tokyo locations (including Ginza and Asakusa) now look nothing like what’s seen on screen. However, there are a couple of locations which have remained relatively unchanged in the six decades that have passed since filming wrapped and the reason for that is that they are places of worship in the form of a temple and shrine respectively.

Now, yes I do know that Kamakura is actually part of Kanagawa prefecture but lets not small things like that get in the way! If it was good enough for ‘Ju-on: The Grudge 2‘ (filmed in Tokorozawa in Saitama) and ‘The Ramen Girl‘ (filmed in part in Yokohama) then it’s fine for ‘House Of Bamboo‘ to be included in this Tokyo-based series!

First up on 33 minutes is the Great Buddha (below) of Kamakura at Kōtoku-in temple (200 yen entry) which appears for less than a minute! The 13.4 metre Daibutsu statue is an awe-inspiring sight even after many visits and it’s quite easy to see why it’s a national treasure.

Suddenly the scene changes to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine (below) for a couple of minutes and Maiden and Wakamiya Shrine are seen before the guys ascend the 60 steps that lead up to Hongu (Main Shrine).

However, the place at the top where they have a discussion is not where it seems in the film. In fact, I’m not even sure where it was filmed. It could have even been shot in the studio but my guess is that it was filmed in the Shrine Museum which costs (200 yen to enter) which features some time-honoured treasures such as weapons and craftwork. Remember that a long, long time has passed since this film was made!

From the outset of the film the narration informs viewers that it was filmed entirely on location in Japan and then the magical and mystical Mount Fuji lingers beautifully in the background (a matte painting perhaps given it really is captured so perfectly in the centre of the screen!) as the scene is set.

The film concludes in the city of Yokohama which is actually Japan’s second largest city and just a short train ride south of Tokyo.

Screenshots appear courtesy of thisislandrod.blogspot (though of course they are just copied from the movie!)

For other Japan filming locations click on the links below:

You Only Live Twice Lost In Translation Kill Bill Babel Godzilla Walk Don’t Run Into The Sun Monster Wasabi The Grudge Ju:On The Grudge The Ramen Girl The Toxic Avenger Pt II The Wolverine Memoirs Of A Geisha The Last Samurai

Posted in Japan Filming Locations | Tagged day trip to kamakura, films set in tokyo, films set in Yokohama, house of bamboo filming locations, Japan filming locations map, Kōtoku-in, things to do in yokohama, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu | 10 Comments

Review: Films Set In Japan – Cars 2 (2011)

Posted on February 22, 2015 by tokyofox

Always keen to add a twist or two to these ‘set in Japan’ reviews here is the first review of an animated movie. My sister told me at Christmas that ‘Cars 2‘ featured Japan and I had hoped to watch it with my nephew but sadly that never happened and so I ended up viewing it all alone one afternoon which is pretty sa-a-a-a-ad!!

Having been challenged to a series of races by an Italian car, Lightning McQueen and his tow-trucking sidekick Mater head to Japan and Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix. Now I’ve not seen the original ‘Cars‘ (2006) movie so all the characters were new to me but I do now that Lightning McQueen is the prime protagonist. However, in this film the roles are pretty much switched as Mater becomes the main focus as he becomes sidetracked in an international espionage adventure via the classic movie mistaken identity scenario.

Lets start with the positives then. Naturally, for a series titled ‘Films Set In Japan’ it is the scenes set in Tokyo which I was most interested in. There’s plenty of attention to detail here (both automobile-related and otherwise) to please and amuse those who know what Tokyo is like. Alongside some fantastic animated views of Mount Fuji, Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Tower and the neon-lit city there are references to vending machines, capsule hotels and state-of-the-art toilets and the fight in the latter is quite reminiscent of the pre-title sequence in Daniel Craig’s first outing as 007 in ‘Casino Royale‘ (2006).

What this film is lacking in though is any kind of story. The plot is far too convoluted for a kids film and it’s been so over-stuffed that one can’t even remember which plot they should be focusing on at times whether it be the race, secret agent or alternative fuels one. The kids surely want to see racing scenes but they seemed almost incidental at times in this Pixar-produced sequel. Heartwarming moments are few and far between and too many of the characters are just not that interesting or funny!

There seems to be too much focus on Mater who doesn’t really cut it as the lead character and his slightly annoying country drawl and demeanour starts to grate a bit as the film drags on. It may be funny when he’s in the supporting role but when it’s the centre of attention it fails to amuse so much.

Furthermore, all the stuff about environmentally friendly alternative fuel sources is a bit forced and comes across as a little bit preachy. Cinema is one particular part of the entertainment industry which is disposable and I, for one, really didn’t feel the need for Pixar to climb on their moral high horse and start telling us about how bad the oil companies are. The (far too limited) racing scenes may keep the children happy but I don’t believe that too many of them would have followed the plot about oil companies, mafia and espionage.

Tokyo Fox Rating 4/10

Posted in Review: Films Set In Japan | Tagged animation set in Japan, Cars 2 Japan scenes, cars 2 review, film review, films set in Japan, films set in tokyo, Japanese references Cars 2, Japanese scenes Cars 2, Lightning McQueen | 1 Comment

Meeting A Leicester City Legend

Posted on February 19, 2015 by tokyofox

Ask Foxes fans to compile their all-time Leicester City XI and the chances are that one of the centre back positions would be filled by Matt Elliott. The gravelly-voiced former City captain has been working as a match-day summariser for BBC Radio Leicester this season and whilst I was in the city recently I went along to meet one of my heroes.

Signed from Oxford United for £1.6m, Elliott settled into the team in no time and became a Premier League star under the guidance of manager Martin O’Neill who had a knack for making average to good players play consistently way above their level.

When Matt arrived at the BBC studios I was on hand to greet him, introduce myself and nervously utter some nonsense before we walked into the actual studios together where he was due on air 15 minutes later to give his views on the Monday night Football Forum (6-7pm).

I was then alone with Matt and talking to him about managing Army United and just generally living in Thailand before I realised my error! I was in the company of a Leicester legend and talking to him about something other than his City days! I soon corrected that by bringing up an article by Mark Lawrenson in his Mirror column in 1998 when he said that Elliott was his player of the year. Matt said that he had that cutting and was well pleased to have received such an accolade from an ex-player like Lawro although he did humbly say that he must have been looking for an alternative to the usual stars of the Premier League at that time.

To be fair I thought our meeting was going to be nothing more than asking him for a photo and exchanging a few words (and I would have been more than happy with that!) so to get a few minutes with such a lovely down-to-earth nice guy throughout the evening was an absolute delight.

Once the show had gone off air I was allowed to enter the studio used by him and presenter Ian Stringer to get my photo taken with the man who used to be on my wall in my early 20’s. Yes, I still had pictures of Leicester players in my bedroom at that age!

As he was about to exit he asked me where my car was parked after as if to say we could leave together but I told him I had come by train and joked that if he was passing through Market Harborough then I’d accept a lift!! Sadly he wasn’t but worth a try anyway!

Elliott was an absolute colossus in our defence during his 245 appearances between 1997 and 2005 (though he did play a few of them up front!) but it’s probably his goals (a very respectable 26) that defined his time at the club and here is the Tokyo Fox top 10……Matt Elliott moments!

1. v Tranmere, 2-1 (League Cup Final): 27 February 2000 – The game that ultimately defined Elliott’s time at City as he led the Foxes to victory at Wembley with two very similar goals from corners. Watch it here.

2. Premier League Player Of The Year, Daily Mirror: April 1998 – Former Liverpool defender and BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson said in his newspaper column that Elliott was his player of the year for the 1997-98 season.

3. v Aston Villa, 1-0 (H): 2 February 2000 – A great header in the League Cup Semi Final was enough to separate these teams over two closely fought matches. Watch it here.

4. v Wimbledon, 3-1 (A): 1 March 1997 – Quite possibly the match when Elliott really announced his arrival at Leicester with a brace of goals that helped City “do a Wimbledon” against the Dons at Selhurst Park.

5. v Everton, 2-2 (A): 3 January 2000 – In a televised match, Elliott was playing as a makeshift striker and scored twice in five minutes with goals that any striker would be proud of.

6. v Arsenal, 3-3 (H): 27 August 1997 – Bergkamp took all the plaudits from this game for a sensational hat-trick but it was Elliott who got the first equaliser for City as they clawed their way back from 2-0 down late on before the late, late drama. Watch it here.

7. v Sheffield Wednesday, 1-0 (H): 7 May 1997 – City may have finished 9th in their first season back in the Premier League but that was due to back-to-back victories in the final two games as well as other results going their way. Indeed, City weren’t even safe until the penultimate game against Wednesday when Elliott scored four minutes from time to ensure survival for the Foxes.

8. v Liverpool, 2-1 (A): 13 August 1997 – In the 1980’s City were the bogie team against the Reds and Elliott rolled back the years with the opener at Anfield.

9. Penalties – Rarely the main taker but never afraid to step up to the spot during the League and FA Cup penalty shoot out victories (1999-2000) as well as league games against local rivals Coventry and Nottingham Forest, Elliott (to my memory) blasted each and every one high down the middle. Watch the Arsenal shoot-out goal here (Elliott’s penalty on 2:50)

10. v Newcastle United, 3-4 (A): 2 February 1997 – Elliott’s first goal in a City shirt was an equaliser which set Leicester on their way to a 3-1 lead before the wheels fell off as Shearer helped the Toon Army comeback to win in front of the Sky TV cameras. Watch it here.

Bonus: v Faroe Islands, 1-1 (A): 5 June 1999 – Thanks to his Scottish grandmother, Elliott was eligible to play for Scotland and gained 18 caps whilst scoring a solitary goal along the way but it was the tabloid newspaper headline “PRAT ELLIOTT” the day after he was sent off against the mighty Faroe’s which I most remember!

Posted in Leicester City | Tagged 15th anniversary league cup win, bbc radio leicester, ian stringer, Leicester v Tranmere final, matt elliott, Prat Elliott newspaper headline, top 10 matt elliott moments, watch league cup final 2000, watch matt elliott goals | 7 Comments

London Filming Locations: Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Posted on February 16, 2015 by tokyofox

Movie locations being faked has been a bit of a fascination for me these last few years. Many different places have been used to replicate the likes of Afghanistan, Myanmar and Vietnam but who would’ve thought that this Stanley Kubrick film did the same trick. Whilst its no surprise that some of those aforementioned far-flung places have been faked it’s quite rare to see New York city filmed elsewhere but that is what happened in ‘Eyes Wide Shut‘ as Kubrick’s fear of flying meant it was predominantly shot in London.

Don’t be fooled by the edit. Sure, there are lots of New York street scenes featuring the ubiquitous yellow cabs but these shots were picked up by a Second Unit team and are all interspersed with what was filmed on sets at Pinewood. The Greenwich Village street scenes were dressed to look like those from New York.

This erotic thriller actually takes place at Christmas and opens with a big festive party filmed at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa in Bedfordshire which has been used in ‘Four Weddings & A Funeral‘ (1994) and as the interior of an Azerbaijan palace in ‘The World Is Not Enough‘ (1999). In the wake of that and the news that his wife Alice (Nicole Kidman) had a sexual fantasy about another man, a rather disturbed Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) goes on a sexual odyssey so that he can feel equal in some way.

He meets a prostitute called Domino but back at her place he does nothing and so leaves and heads on to ‘Club Sonata’ which in reality is Madame JoJo’s (below) on Brewer Street in Soho. It’s here that Bill catches the end of his old pal Nick’s piano performance on 55 minutes at the New York jazz club and manages to get the password to the orgy out of him.

Bill returns to Domino’s apartment (by yellow cab of course as it is in the United States right?!) with a gift and her roommate Sally informs him that Domino has just tested positive for HIV. Bill leaves soon after that (120 minutes) and notices someone is following him. That sinister man is on Worship Street with Nicon House (below) at number 21 very clearly visible in the background. Shoreditch High Street station in East London is the nearest station.

As for Bill, he is actually a couple of miles away on Hatton Garden where New York-style payphones were installed between numbers 32 and 38 and shops were adorned with the 555 phone numbers which are the fictitious NYC dialling code used in American films. He continues on past Diamond House (below) which is at 36-38 Hatton Garden and very close to a couple of locations used in Guy Richie’s ‘Snatch‘ (2000). It is reported that Berner Street and Eastcastle Street also stood-in for other Greenwich Village scenes.

On 124 minutes Bill walks through the revolving doors of Chelsea & Westminster Hospital (below) as he goes in search of Mandy; the beauty queen who he saw in the newspaper had died of a drug overdose.

The Royal Suite of the Lanesborough Hotel (* SEE COMMENTS) at 1 Lanesborough Place is where Bill meets the Christmas party host (from the start of the film) Victor Ziegler (Sydney Pollack) who fills him in on many details regarding the ritual orgy and Mandy’s unfortunate fate. This huge complex, located on Hyde Park Corner, was built in the 1830’s though sadly it’s been under reconstruction since the end of 2013 (hence the rather dull photo below) and is all set to re-open this year.

This slightly weird but highly watchable movie concludes on the ground floor of the famous toyshop Hamley’s (below) in London’s Regent Street on 141 minutes as Bill and Alice take their daughter Christmas shopping and have some kind of reconciliation.

For other London filming locations click on the links below:

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Trainspotting Mission: Impossible Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Bourne Ultimatum Harry Potter & The Philosophers Stone James Bond About A Boy Quadrophenia Bridget Jones’s Diary Goodnight Sweetheart Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels Basic Instinct 2 Batman Begins/The Dark Knight The Italian Job Snatch Rom-Com Special Skyfall Notting Hill The World Is Not Enough Paddington Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Re-Visited) Entrapment Sliding Doors

Posted in London Film Locations | Tagged Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Diamond House Hatton Garden, eyes wide shut filming locations, Hamley's, Lanesborough Hotel, madame jojo's, New York faked in London, tom cruise, where was Eyes Wide Shut filmed? | 19 Comments

Japan-Related References In The Simpsons

Posted on February 13, 2015 by tokyofox

It’s a fact that one of my lasting images of Japan came not from one of the many movies ‘set’ in Japan but Homer Simpson continuing to just walk through the paper walls when he and his family came to Tokyo (and Osaka) in season 10 of the long running animated sitcom.

Since the dysfunctional family burst onto our screens in December 1989 there have been quite a few Japan-related references throughout the seasons and Tokyo Fox has cobbled as many of them together as possible.

S01E01: ‘Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire‘ – Not long to wait as this reference appears within the first 90 seconds of the first proper full length episode. There is a Christmas Pageant being held at Springfield Elementary and as well as the german equivalent of Santa we also get to meet Hotseiosha, a Japanese priest who supposedly acts like Santa Claus and has eyes in the back of his head so that kids behave better when he’s nearby.

S02E11: ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, BlueFish‘ – In a change to the normal Friday night pork chops, the Simpsons go to a sushi bar on 2 minutes called The Happy Sumo.

Homer takes a liking to sushi and works his way through the menu before he ends up ordering fugu (blowfish); the poisonous fish which requires chefs to have a license to prepare it. However, the main chef is otherwise engaged so his apprentice has to slice the toxic fish which he tries to do carefully.

An impatient Homer is served the fugu but when the chef returns and believes it hasn’t been prepared correctly he tells Homer that he may have been poisoned. Back in February 2007 I wrote about watching a dramatic TV show in the 1990’s that brought me close to tears as I thought a much loved character was about to be killed off. If you’re following me then you’ll have probably guessed that the person in question was Homer Simpson and the reason I had a tear in my eye was because having eaten the badly prepared fugu he is told at the hospital that he has only 24 hours to live and so makes a list of things he wants to do on his last day on earth.

S04E11: ‘Homer’s Triple Bypass‘ – Homer’s health is in a bad way again and having been diagnosed with clogged arteries, he needs triple bypass heart surgery but the $40,000 operation cost is obviously a problem! Whilst in bed with Marge doing their accounts Homer reassures her not to worry as America’s health care system is second only to that in Japan…….Canada and all of Europe. At least it’s better than Paraguay is his consoling thought!

S04E17: ‘Last Exit To Springfield‘ – Mr. Burns is reminiscing about his grandfather’s old Atom Smashing Plant in 1909 when a thin-looking young worker is asked to turn out his pockets having been accused of stealing atoms. He’s taken away and protests that working men can’t be treated in such a way and in the future a union will be formed to aid equality which will go too far leading to corruption and “the Japanese will eat us alive!” In response Burns’ grandfather laughs and calls them sandal-wearing goldfish tenders! Back in the present and Mr. Burns concedes that they should’ve listened to that young man.

S04E21: ‘Marge In Chains‘ – Homer orders the Juice Loosener on 3 minutes which is packaged in Osaka by someone who has the flu resulting in over 300 cases of the “dreaded” Osaka flu spreading to the residents of Springfield according to News anchor Kent Brockman.

S08E22: ‘In Marge We Trust‘ – In a subplot to the main story, Homer discovers (4 minutes) that the mascot on the box of a Japanese dishwashing detergent bares a strong resemblance to him. Akira at The Happy Sumo restaurant tells him that it’s called ‘Mr Sparkle’ and so after making a phone call to Japan Homer thinks that the company is using his likeness without his permission. Eventually, a video arrives from Mr. Sparkle’s parent company explaining that the mascot came from combining a cartoon fish and a lightbulb.

S09E14: ‘Das Bus‘ – School bully Nelson Muntz represents Japan at the Model U.N. Club; a small group of Springfield Elementary students. After 3 minutes he is seen to be sticking his chopsticks up the nose of the Mexican representative.

S10E23: ‘Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo‘ – Naturally, this is the most famous episode relating to Japan as the family snag some mega-saver tickets at the airport and head to the capital of Japan.

This Japanese adventure starts 8 minutes in and is obviously packed with many stereotypical Japanese references like bowing, technological toilets and battling seizure robots. I’ve previously used a fairly large section of this episode in class for a lesson on stereotypes which was fun and a nice break from the book.

Homer is upset about having to go to Japan and tells Marge on the plane that they could’ve just gone to the zoo to see Japanese people…..as the guy who washes the elephants in Japanese! Marge then tells Homer that she liked “Rashomon‘ (1950) to which Homer claims that he doesn’t remember it that way. The underlying joke is that this famous Akira Kurosawa film is about people remembering different things about the same event!

On their arrival in Tokyo (where the local time is tomorrow!) they head to an American-themed restaurant named Americatown followed by some sumo which results in Homer and Bart being jailed for throwing the Emperor into a washbin for worn mawashi. Whilst in prison they learn Japanese and explore its culture until Marge uses most of their money to bail them out. Homer then stupidly loses their last bill in the wind having made an origami crane out of it prompting him to say “D’oh!” in Japanese.

To make money they get jobs in a fish-gutting factory in Osaka until one day when Marge notices a TV game show called ‘The Happy Smile Super Challenge Family Wish Show’. Appearing on the show, they tell the Japanese host Wink that what they wish for is plane tickets back home, but to get them they have to go through a series of stupid, torturous and humiliating activities which are typical of the terrible Japanese terebi variety shows.

Subsequently, Homer scolds the Japanese for their lack of ethics and makes them feel ashamed but nothing changes. Finally, as the Simpsons leave Japan, their plane is confronted by Japanese monsters Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra but Lisa goes to sleep and the monsters let the plane fly off back to Springfield.

This episode has supposedly never been aired in Japan due in part to the scene with Homer throwing the emperor into the sumo thong box being considered disrespectful.

S25E10: ‘Married To The Blob‘ – “Nerds don’t get girls” is what Comic Book guy tells his competitor Milo who is now married. On 8 minutes, Kumiko Nakamura from Osaka walks into his store to which Stan Lee tells him not to waste the opportunity.

They go on a double date with Homer and Marge and some time later Homer meets Kumiko’s father outside the comic book store and tells him that Comic Book Guy is an obese nerd thus prompting Mr Nakamura to take Kumiko away.

Wanting to fix things, Homer takes Mr Nakamura to a Japanese bar where they both drink habushu (snake rice wine) and subsequently stumble home intoxicated, where Springfield turns into a wonderland based on a host of Studio Ghibli films. Mr Nakamura learns he will be taking his daughters life away if he objects to their relationship and so they subsequently get married in Comic Book Guy’s store.

S26E03: ‘Super Franchise Me‘ – Neighbour Ned Flanders discovers that Homer has been stealing electricity (2 minutes in) from him to power a ferris wheel and a freezer full of meat. The “freezerino” actually belonged to Flanders and he takes it back but not before explaining that it was made in Okily Dokahama which is an area near Mount Fuji. Given that Ned’s catchphrase is “Okilly-dokilly” the name is an apt one!

Although the characters have been used to advertise C.C. Lemon ‘The Simpsons‘ has never really been popular in Japan. It’s not shown on a popular TV channel and probably doesn’t translate very well. Japanese people tend not to understand its sarcasm, irony and cultural references.

No doubt there have been a few other Japanese references on this long-running animated sitcom that I’ve missed so please let me know. You can either comment below, mail me at tokyo_fox@hotmail.co.uk or tweet me @tokyofox

Posted in Japan Life, TV Shows | Tagged Hotseiosha japanese priest, Okily Dokahama, simpsons japanese references, the happy sumo, the simpsons 30 minutes over tokyo, the simpsons fugu episode, the simpsons Japan, watch the simpsons S02E11 online free | 6 Comments

TF Flashback: New Zealand v England One Day International (2002)

Posted on February 10, 2015 by tokyofox

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 begins on Valentines Day with Australia and New Zealand sharing hosting duties and England play their second game against the latter in Wellington on February 20th which has brought back memories of the one and only time I saw the England cricket team play live.

Flashback to 2002 and I was travelling around New Zealand for a few months and whilst I was in Auckland there happened to be a One Day International game between the New Zealand Black Caps and England on February 23rd and I was in attendance.

Before I left my hostel (Nomads Fat Camel Backpackers in Auckland) that morning I sprayed my hair red and when I got to Eden Park, which was about an hours walk away, I met three guys from Bournemouth called Dave, Pete and Matt who put some face paint on me in the form of a St George cross.

England won the toss and chose to bat first but as soon as they came out on to the pitch it began to rain lightly. Worse was to follow as Marcus Trescothick was bowled out on the third ball and a couple more wickets also fell in quick succession. Just as I thought England were doing really bad, things started to improve (almost unnoticed to me!) with Nick Knight scoring 38 and Michael Vaughan reaching 59 although a few silly wickets were lost too.

Graham Thorpe also scored 59 and was not out as England scored 193 in a reduced 40-over match due to the frequent rainfalls – one which was very heavy and meant the players were off the pitch for about an hour. In the meantime, I had to protect my hair dye and face paint from running by wearing a plastic bag on my head as well as partly sheltering under my inflatable hand.

Due to the Duckworth-Lewis method; a scoring system designed for weather affected matches, New Zealand had to score about 226 in 40 overs to win. However, they were bowled out for 189 in 38 overs with Chris Cairns getting a respectable 58 runs. This levelled the series at 2-2 (though the Kiwis would go on to win 3-2 a few days later!). Whilst celebrating the wickets we English fans were pelted by a load of missiles including plastic bottles, beer cups, tomatoes, water melon pieces and bits of meat!

After the match, I went with the Bournemouth boys to an English pub in the city for some post-match celebration drinks. Due to my tiredness, these celebrations were very tame and I arrived back at the hostel at around 1.30am receiving a few strange looks along the way as my face was still painted. I took a much needed shower before collapsing into bed.

Posted in Australasia Travel, Sport | Tagged 23 February 2002, Auckland, Eden Park, England, Graham Thorpe 59 Not Out, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, New Zealand black caps, New Zealand v England Feb 20 2015, one day international cricket | 1 Comment

London Filming Locations: Sliding Doors (1999)

Posted on February 7, 2015 by tokyofox

Whilst back in England recently I watched this rom-com with Gwyneth Paltrow. Well, obviously not with her but I did view this 92 minute film and recognised many of the locations from the nations capital so when I travelled down to London a few days later I set about finding some of them.

The alternate parallel universe premise has been seen in TV and film many times such as in the fantastic 1988 German movie ‘Lola Rennt‘ (a.k.a. ‘Run Lola Run‘). As for ‘Sliding Doors‘, the scenes run side by side in this imaginative British-American rom-com drama which is based on the paths taken in life by Helen (Paltrow) determined by whether or not she catches her intended train which causes different outcomes in her life. The shooting locations are as follows:

* 62 Princes Square in Notting Hill is Helen’s house which she shares with two-timing Gerry (John Lynch).

* 25 Primrose Gardens is where Helen’s friend Anna (Zara Turner) lives and in one of the parallel narratives she goes to stay with her after catching Gerry in bed with his ex-girlfriend.

* Pattern House at 223-227 St John Street is the loft apartment where Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn) lives and is where she tricks both Helen and Gerry into coming (separately) to find out about the latter’s affair with her. Distraught by the deception Helen runs off and subsequently falls down the staircase whilst fleeing from Gerry.

* Bertorelli’s at 19-23 Charlotte Street is the restaurant where Helen works to support Gerry in one timeline and drinks with new love interest James (John Hannah) in the other.

* 6-8 All Saints Road in Notting Hill is the new restaurant of Clive which Helen organises the grand opening party for.

* The Blue Anchor on 13 Lower Mall in Chiswick, close to Hammersmith Station, is where James gets Helen fully involved in some post-rowing crazy dance celebrations.

* Fatboy’s Diner – The scene for Helen’s date with James after her disastrous break-up. This classic 1950s-style chrome-and-neon diner with counter stools is located out on a limb a bit as it’s across the river from The 02 Arena. The address is 64 Orchard Place, Poplar and it’s a 12 minute walk from East India Station on the DLR Line.

* Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Fulham Road is where Helen ends up in both timelines and loses her baby with two different outcomes following in the wake of that devastating news. In one of the timelines she sees brief visions of her alternative life.

For other London filming locations click on the links below:

Posted in London Film Locations | Tagged Bertorelli's London, Gwyneth Paltrow house, London movie locations, notting hill london filming locations, parallel universe films, primrose gardens, princes square, sliding doors movie locations | 18 Comments

A Tour Of The BBC Radio Leicester Studios And Watching The Football Forum Show

Posted on February 4, 2015 by tokyofox

As a lover of the wireless, the highlight of my trip into Leicester earlier this year came when I popped into the BBC Radio Leicester studios which are located at 9 St Nicholas Place adjacent to the medieval Guildhall and Leicester Cathedral as featured in my ‘Sightseeing In Leicester‘ post last month. Following a text conversation with the station’s football commentator Ian Stringer around the New Years period I was invited to see the studios as he knew I was a bit of a radio geek.

Naturally I jumped at the chance as it would fit in well with the other stuff I had to do in the city and so I agreed to meet him at 3pm for a studio tour of the station which my parents are avid listeners of. Ian was in Tokyo last February to run the marathon and we hung out a fair bit during his time in the capital and he kindly let me interview him for the inaugural Tokyo FoxCast podcast. (The second podcast is still in the pipeline!!)

Right on the dot he appeared and greeted me (the only person who calls me Tokyo Fox in person!) and took me on a 30 minute tour starting of course with the main two studios which are used for the daily output on the station. I got to sit in the main hotseat at the control desk and where the guests sit whilst he showed me what some of the knobs, buttons and faders do. Very exciting stuff for me!

Other things which I got to see included the outdoor broadcast vehicles, the newsroom, the record library, the unused studios vacated by the Asian Network (which used to share the building) and the staff office where I met Jason Bourne (no, not that one!) and Political reporter Tim Parker who I spoke to for quite a while as he previously lived and worked in Japan. I even tried on his BBC jacket which probably saw me reach optimum level of nerdiness!

What seemed to be very apparent from my time at the studios is the protocol and procedure to follow if (when?!) the Queen eventually departs this world. There are notices everywhere stating what should and shouldn’t be done in the case of that happening.

Ian had to do the preparation needed for that evenings Football Forum show so there wasn’t too much time to hang out but as I was leaving I asked about meeting ex- Leicester City captain Matt Elliott, who is the regular expert guest on the show, and he said that if I came back later he’d let me in to meet the former foxes legend.

(You can read more about when I met Matt Elliott here)

Having killed two hours in the City centre I headed back to the reception area where I waited patiently whilst watching legendary Radio Leicester presenter Ben Jackson present the teatime show through the window when one of my City heroes arrived. I had a quick word with Ben when he came off air and, like everyone else at the station, he was very friendly and nice to speak to.

Earlier in the day I had bumped into Jonathan Lampon (who was the presenter on the breakfast show back then that played out the interview Ian did with me at Meiji Shrine) by chance. I arrived a bit early so was just smartening myself up in the window of an empty shop a few doors along when I saw him appear in my reflection. I ran after him and introduced myself as we had never ever met despite the odd bit of communication here and there on Twitter. I thanked him for reading out a fair few of my tweets last year as well as the dedication he kindly read out on our wedding day back in July.

I wasn’t actually expecting to hang around for the the Monday night Football Forum (which airs between 6-7pm) but Ian said it was fine to do so and so I watched the whole show through the glass in the bit where Jason and fellow Broadcast Journalist Namrata (who also works on the programme from time to time) sit. This was a little bit surreal at times but I really liked it and was really pumped for it from the moment I heard the Kasabian theme tune (‘Eez-eh‘) kick the show off at 6:05pm. The content of the show included post-analysis of the FA Cup win over Newcastle, a few callers and some interviews with experts about potential new signings in the transfer window.

Jason was very kind to me and showed me stuff like the running order, script and the incoming tweets and texts on his computer. I was actually expecting a few more people like producers and broadcast assistants to be around but there was only five of us in the whole building whilst it was on air.

I had a quick word with the guys once the show went off air at 7pm, got some photos with them and left the place shortly after that and was buzzing as I made my way back to the station and headed home.

Posted in Leicester City | Tagged bbc radio leicester studio tour, ben jackson, football commentator, football forum, ian stringer, Jason Bourne, jonathan lampon, matt elliott, tim parker | 5 Comments

Tokyo Fox (東京狐)

Qatar 2014 Pt I: The “Agony Of Doha” Revisited

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Tokyo Filming Locations #14 – House Of Bamboo (1955)

Review: Films Set In Japan – Cars 2 (2011)

Meeting A Leicester City Legend

London Filming Locations: Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Japan-Related References In The Simpsons

TF Flashback: New Zealand v England One Day International (2002)

London Filming Locations: Sliding Doors (1999)

A Tour Of The BBC Radio Leicester Studios And Watching The Football Forum Show

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