Hokkaido FairOnce in a while the university cafeteria likes to surprise our tastebuds with specials like these.
What do you like having? This is a Tokyo Live Blogger post posted from the iPhone. You can read more by this and other live bloggers or follow them v...
Bagus DartsCame up for a game of darts at Bagus Cafe in Shibuya. Haven't played
the electronic darts since they first gained popularity in Tokyo years
ago.
This Bagus game center is where I normally play simulator golf as
well. There are also a heap of billiar...
US Ambassador to JapanAt a conference today listening to John V. Roos, the new US ambassador to Japan.
Amb. Roos was appointed by President Obama and arrived in Japan in August. He has a tough job ahead trying to negotiate issues like US military bases in Okinawa and bu...
Live street music Shibuyaif you're in Shibuya in the evenings and want to see some live street music, check out the area just outside the exit from the Tokyu Toyoku line - you'll often find a band there.
I'm not sure who these three are as a collective, but according to th...
Suntec SingaporeSetting up at the Suntec International & Exhibition Center. The Bandai
booth on the left and a bit of my booth on the right with the dannychoo.com
orange carpet. Good Smile just arrived and brought over some
Decoration Masters for you which you can s...
Virtual Reality in JapanAnother day, another trade show at Makihari Messe. -_-;
Hiding from the rain at the InterBEE show going on this week. This show is dedicated to professional level audio and video equipment and technologies. Some neat stuff including this virtual new...
Zosui LunchHaving some of yesterdays dinner remade into a nice warm zosui 雑
炊. Great for a cold rainy day. The TV says it is under 10c.
The left hand kanji for zosui is the same one used in zakkyo bldg,
雑居, a bldg with lots of different types of store tenn...
Christmas Decorations In JapanI swear they go up earlier and earlier each year ^^ There's Christmas music playing too.
Always reminds me of eating mince pies in the warm with the ground covered in ice outside.
Do you have Christmas decorations up yet?This is a Tokyo Live Blogge...
Analog to Digital TV Switchover JapanGot a letter through the post today telling us about local meetings to hear about the switchover from analog to digital TV - the move started over a year ago, and by March this year about 700 smaller broadcasters had already switched off their analog...
November in JapanWe're now halfway through November. Can't believe time moves so fast. Shot this in the Ochanomizu subway station. Nice design with a calendar built into the walls!
I like November quite a bit. It's cool and winter is almost upon us. Still warm. enou...
Gundam00Locked myself out of my apartment so sitting in cafe at bottom of
building waiting for spare key.
Looks like someone has good taste in magazines here. I'm now reading
up on some Gundam00 info while i wait with a cup of rose hip tea that
only cost me...
Japan Hybrid TaxiHybrid cars have been selling well in Japan recently with most
companies having a shortage of stock.
Taxi companies and rental service companies in particular are waiting
on delivery of hybrid vehicles they have ordered.
Here is a hybrid taxi run b...
Dog Food In JapanAt the pet store before picking up lunch. Not having these cakes for pudding tho because they're for dogs!
Would you give your cat or dog one of these for their birthday?This is a Tokyo Live Blogger post posted from the iPhone. You can read more by...
Teh TarikBeen in Singapore for just a few hours and am already on my 3rd cuppa
Teh Tarik ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teh_tarik )
Will miss this drink the most when I leave SG. Using Wireless SG - a
free wifi service that can be found all over the island. FTW desu...
Hair removal Japan styleGotta love the way virtually anything in Japan can somehow be turned into some 'cute' character.
Here we have some bodily hair that isn't too happy about being removed!
According to the poster you can trial their service for free - is that just on...
Using Hiragana alphabet to draw a faceToday I found this funny puppet in the station.
If you see inside the face, the eyes, the mouth, the nose and the eyebrow, everything is composed by letters of the hiragana alphabet. If we read it, it's へのへのもへじ (he-no-he-no-mo-he-ji) more inf...
Tokyo Duty FreeThe armor goes on board via hand luggage ^^;
Walking though the duty free section where you can find souvenirs
which are usually only available in different prefectures around Japan.
I better dash now. Ping you again when I arrive in Changi airport....
Street View: RoppongiJust heading home from a job in Roppongi. Roppongi is in the central part of Tokyo and is known for lots of bars and clubs.
In the last few years however a couple of high end shopping centers and five star hotels have been built here raising the imag...
Ukiyo PaintingsUkiyo-e contain a lot of history about Japan and often tell
interesting stories of the times.
Chuo University is holding an exhibition at the Tobacco and Salt
museum in Shibuya with a number of Ukiyo paintings.
The exhibition is being held as part...
Recycled bicycles TokyoNeed a cheap bicycle in Tokyo? Then head for your local bicycle pound!
Bicycles left around stations in no-parking areas are regularly picked up by local councils and taken to bike pounds. With all bicycles registered in Japan (supposedly!), the own...
Tokyo to SingaporeHaving fun n games figuring out how to carry the armor over to
Singapore. Not going to check it in as I don't want it going missing
^^; Have worked at the airport before and seen first hand how they
throw bags around. Have you experienced damaged or...
ATMs in JapanUnlike in the UK or in the USA, credit / debit card use is pretty limited in Japan. You rarely see anyone paying for anything with a card unless it's more than 100,000 yen, and even then cash is usually the way to go.
Because of this there's a much...
Japan Influenza ProtectionInfluenza has hit Japan hard at the moment with many people suffering.
Days off from work also costs companies money and many are buying
masks to protect themselves.
When shopping in Tokyu Hands I saw this display corner for influenza
protection goo...
Tokyo ClimateHeading back to the office after some ramen for lunch. An absolutely
gorgeous day. T'was so quite n peaceful outside on this sunny Sunday
afternoon. We would usually just drop everything and head out but I'm
stuck in doors prepping my keynotes for Si...
Tokyo Phone NumbersAbout to get some ice cream, head back home, shower, clean up office
and then get some posts out. Am completely swamped! But having a whale
of a time.
Outside a shop which still displays its phone number as 7 digits long.
The tokyo phone numbers are...
Shibuya QFrontMeeting up with some friends at Shibuya in front of the Q Front
building. Starbucks is still as popular as ever in this location.
Looks like the rain might be coming back in a few hours. Time to head
indoors and get some drinks. ^^
Where's your fav...
Tokyo Korean TownCurrently in West Shinjuku where there are a load of Korean
restaurants and outlets. So many that folks call it Korean town.
Having a fave Korean dish of mine - haemul chijimi which is like a
seafood pancake thingy.
Are there Korean towns in your ne...
Hanging out in TokyoTokyo is the perfect place to hang out in the night. There are tons of really cheap bars and restaurants with a really cool and funny atmosphere. You can usually find tons of locals with a very interesting mix of foreigners and Japaneses enjoying the...
Obama in JapanCome to Shibuya tonight and it'll be impossible to not realise that *something*s going on. Shibuya station (and I guess other major stations around Tokyo) is crawling with baton-wielding cops, located near the ticket barriers looking for dangerous sa...
Demae Delivery ServiceIt's raining and cold outside so decided to order in tonight. In Japan
many restaurants allow you to order over the phone and then they
deliver to your door. The service is called demae.
I had plenty of choice but decided to go with an old regular,...
Portion Sizes in JapanCompared to the UK & US, portion sizes in Japan are smaller, probably what a normal portion should be ;)
Do you prefer just a taste, normal portions or do you like your food super size? ^^This is a Tokyo Live Blogger post posted from the iPhone. You...
Tokyo FoodLunch today. "Pizza." Cost about 880 yen. The average cost of lunch in
Tokyo is about 1000 yen but if you go to the same restaurant at night,
you would normally see the prices double or triple for the same meal.
Apparently, most restaurants don't mak...
Funny ads in TokyoAt Shinjuku I found this weird ad.
Basically it says "a kind face is a lie!!" it just tries to prevent people about swindlers, robbers, psychos or any kind of evil guy that try to approach us with a kind and polite behavior.
Because Japan is such a s...
Where is Tokyo Station?I could have sworn Ieft Tokyo Station around here somewhere.
:)
Actually the station is being demolished and rebuilt. The old classic station burned down many years ago and was quickly rebuilt. Unfortunately when is was rebuilt they didn't have much...
Chinese Food in TokyoAbout to have some chahan (fly lice) at a "The Milky Way" Chinese restaurant.
The Chinese restaurants don't quite serve up the stuff that one would
be used to eating in (from my experience) Seattle, LA or the UK where
it generally tastes better. The...
Japan Trains and DogsHave you ever seen pets on trains? Maybe a dog or a cat peering out of someones bag in front of you. I saw a guy with a bunny rabbit in his backpack once.
This poster by JR is telling people to keep their pets fully inside their case whilst on the t...