A Taste Of Siberia In Tokyo

Tokyo is absolutely packed full of museums and just when you think you’re aware of most of them you hear of another that has somehow bypassed you. I came across this one about 13 months ago whilst touring around Tokyo using my Grutto Museum pass to maximum effect. This one wasn’t included in that pass as it’s free to enter for all.

With a curiosity about the vast geographical region of Siberia and ever interested by any war-related museum, I was keen to check this place out as I thought it was about the Japanese intervention in Siberia (1918-1922) but it was actually to do with the Japanese prisoners of war at the end of WWII. It’s called Heiwa Kinen Tenji Shiryokan which in English is the not-so-simply named Memorial Museum for Soldiers, Detainees in Siberia, and Postwar Repatriates!

This small museum consists of three main zones designed to present the hardships suffered in WWII by Japanese soldiers, prisoners of war, and repatriates in a permanent exhibition of relics, graphics, footage and dioramas that can help ensure that the memory of what they were subjected to is  Continue reading

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Interesting Japanese Playground Structures #9 – Dinosaur Park

Many of the parks and children’s playgrounds in Japan, particularly in Tokyo, are quite poor compared to other countries in terms of space, surroundings and a lack of grass. However, a handful of them do tend to possess extremely creative structures and they will be explored in this series.

Nickname: Dinosaur Slide 

Location: Continue reading

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3rd and 5th Tier Japanese Football

There are four league teams in Shizuoka prefecture; Azul Claro Numazu, Fujieda MYFC, Shimizu S-Pulse and Jubilo Iwata, and I’ve now been to all but the latter following a recent day trip to watch the first club mentioned on that list. It was a beautiful day with clear blue skies, bright sunshine and even some Autumn leaves in the mountains fringing the stadium.

Having wolfed down my food at the floating restaurant I legged it over to the other side of the station Continue reading

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Dining Out: Donguri Floating Restaurant (Including Video!)

The days of kaiten-zushi (conveyor-belt sushi) may be coming to an end as they get replaced by express delivery direct to tables but that original style lives on at this restaurant where dishes arrive via the water.

 

Only a fortnight after visiting the vending machine restaurant in Gunma I was yet again combining some J-League football with a quirky, fun restaurant and I just had to Continue reading

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Day Trip To Numazu

Numazu is at the northern end of the Izu Peninsula on the opposite side to Atami and a place that I went to back in November whilst staying with my parents in law for a couple of nights. My wife was otherwise Continue reading

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Cosplaying At Tokyo ComicCon 2017

 

This year was the first time I wasn’t sure what costume to wear and indeed I actually took a couple with me (Jawa and X-Wing pilot) but ended up sticking to just one as the whole process of getting Continue reading

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Tokyo ComicCon 2017

 

Now in its second proper year, this convention returned to Japan for an extended three full days this year with the promise of a bigger event featuring a lot more Continue reading

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A Temple Statue In Monzennakacho That Speaks To You!

 

On the face of it, Hojo-in Temple seems like a fairly nondescript run-of-the-mill temple but there is an interesting feature lying within the place which is just a five minute walk from Monzen-Nakacho station on the Tozai Line or the Toei Oedo Line.

Inside one of the buildings sits a fearful (but slightly comical!) red-faced Enma Daio (a.k.a. King Yama) who is the Judge of the Underworld. He is supposedly the first Continue reading

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On The Trail Of John Rain (雨) Part XI – Tokyo

In 2014 Barry Eisler penned a prequel book called ‘Graveyard Of Memories‘ which took us back to the Tokyo city of 1972 and the ninth John Rain novel ‘Zero Sum’ throws forward a decade to 1982. I’m not sure if Rain will return to modern day action again but for now there’s plenty of milage to be gained from dipping into his past.

 

The latest book was released at the end of June this year but I thought that it was Continue reading

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Japan’s 3rd Largest Buddha Statue Is Actually In Tokyo!

When it comes to buddha statues, the ones in Kamakura and Nara are the most likely to be at the forefront of most peoples minds (and rightly so!) but there is an impressive one tucked away far from a station in the northern suburbs of Tokyo.

 

Despite the accolade of being the third largest bronze buddha in Japan, the not-so-originally named Tokyo Daibutsu doesn’t seem to feature in any guide books and is very much off the beaten track. It can be found at Continue reading

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