A Day In Utsunomiya (Tochigi Prefecture)

Posted on June 30, 2017 by tokyofox

 

Mention the city of Utsunomiya to any Japanese person and the likely first response will be a remark about gyoza. This part of Tochigi prefecture is famed for these delectable  dumplings and so Neil and I felt obliged to keep Continue reading →

Posted in Japan Travel, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Live Basketball Play Off Final In Tokyo

Posted on June 27, 2017 by tokyofox

What I thought I knew about basketball before going to this live game could probably have been written on a very small piece of paper.

However, as the game tipped off, I soon discovered that I knew more than I realised as memories came flooding back of Continue reading →

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Tokyo Filming Locations #16 – Your Name (2016)

Posted on June 24, 2017 by tokyofox

This critically acclaimed animation from director Makoto Shinkai has been wowing audiences in Japan and around the world ever since it premiered last August. ‘Your Name‘ (original Japanese title: ‘Kimi No Na Wa‘) is a beautifully animated teen romance film with fantasy elements but most importantly many of the locales featured are actual real places in Gifu and Tokyo.

I actually began tracking down some of these locations back in November 2016 but then got distracted by other things so having re-watched the film recently I took many screen shots and set about visiting them all via bicycle one Sunday over the space of about four hours, including the journey from the Tokyo Fox Global Operations Centre to Shinjuku ward and back. The order I did them in was done geographically but for simplicity they are listed here in the order which they appear in the 106 minute movie. The time codes given are approximate and may be slightly different to the DVD or blu-ray versions.

Warning: Contains spoilers! 

Labi Shinjuku Higashiguchi-kan (3-23-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku) is the first recognisable Tokyo landmark to appear as the capital scenes start 20 minutes into the film. This giant electronics store is just a couple of minutes walk from the east exit of Shinjuku station and it features a couple more times.

 

The view of the south exit of JR Shinjuku Station taken from Continue reading →

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Science Fiction Bar In Tokyo

Posted on June 21, 2017 by tokyofox

 

A short time ago in a galaxy not so far away I went to this science fiction themed bar in the east of Tokyo. Apologies for that opening line but (not for the first time!) I couldn’t think of a more imaginative opener. My friend Yoshinori a.k.a. “John” of Tokyo Character Map (*) fame has recently moved into YouTubing and among his toy hunting videos was one that really Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Drink, James Bond, Quirky Japan, Star Wars | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Interesting Japanese Playground Structures #4 – Beetle Slide

Posted on June 17, 2017 by tokyofox

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: Beetle Slide

Location: Continue reading →

Posted in Quirky Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 46 Comments

Local Life In Itō

Posted on June 14, 2017 by tokyofox

The Japanese Golden Week holiday at the end of April and start of May might have looked like it was relentlessly busy based on the many recent posts compiled from various day trips and places visited. However, there was quite a lot of time spent doing nothing too much and just pottering around fairly local places so here is the best of the rest….

The Komuroyama Tsutsuji flower Festival (below) was on in Kawana for the whole of the holiday period and, following two consecutive days at the football in Fujieda and Shimizu, I was keen to see it as soon as I could. I took Momiji for an early morning walk (well, I carried her all the way!) up the small mountain to see the beautiful pink flowers.

 

At the end of the week I returned to Continue reading →

Posted in Japan Life, Japan Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Banana Wani-En Gardens

Posted on June 11, 2017 by tokyofox

My parents-in-law bought a second home in Ito earlier this year and before my first couple of visits I asked a group of students about things to do on the Izu Peninsula. The first answer to come back was about this place which has a very intriguing name. It translates as banana crocodile gardens (below) and they are located close to Izu-Atagawa down towards the south of the peninsula.

 

However, when I left home on this particular day I actually had no intention of visiting these interestingly named gardens and neither did I even know that Continue reading →

Posted in Japan Travel, Quirky Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Quirkiness Aplenty At This Strange Retro Museum In Shizuoka

Posted on June 8, 2017 by tokyofox

There was never really any plan to go to this museum directly after Usami Kannon-ji temple but as it was still early and I didn’t have to be home by midday I thought I’d take the train to Fudo station and walk for half an hour (uphill!) to this museum which is only 3.6 kilometres down the road from the Ayashii Shonen Shojo Museum (Mysterious Boys and Girls Museum). What is it about this area and weird museums?!!

 

This Japanese retro strange museum is accessed via some steps leading up to the ticket office window at a kind of crossroads from where the different zones can be explored. It is incredibly difficult to Continue reading →

Posted in Hentai, Japan Travel, Quirky Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Japan’s Largest Sitting Kannon Statue Has A Great View In The Mountains

Posted on June 5, 2017 by tokyofox

 

As I took the train up the east coast of the Izu Peninsula towards Atami a few months ago I noticed a giant statue high up in the forest in the distance. My subsequent research told me that it was called Usami Kannon-ji temple and I set my sights on one day hiking up to it. I had to be patient though as on follow-up trips to Izu there just wasn’t time for me to go off and explore the area.

The Japanese Golden Week holiday finally gave me the chance to check it out and it was a very early start. I felt so awake on waking at about 5:30am that I thought I’d go to Usami station and just Continue reading →

Posted in Japan Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Temple Of The Toilet God

Posted on June 1, 2017 by tokyofox

 

Obviously the title gives it away but before asking my father-in-law to drive us all to Myotoku-ji temple (234 Ichiyama, Izu-shi) I wasn’t really sure why it was considered a quirky place. Over the last couple of years though I have come to trust my source for such places but on arrival  Continue reading →

Posted in Japan Travel, Quirky Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments