A Day in Tokyo 4

As usual, nice pictures, i like them!

Know my car only a bit, since i have to give it away in 1 1/2 years.

I know my car just a bit since I got it 2 years ago...

ONCE?! Unbelievable! Car alarms go off almost everyday here -_-"

Hmm gundam cigarette lighter, would love to get one - even though I don't smoke and is be underage xD

The crane in Lalaport is still there! O_O What is it for anyway.

Oh the nightmare of ice cool lovers - expensive iced drinks. I love cold drinks but if I get to choose hot/cold in a cup, I usually choose hot(warm). Well the canteen auntie is kind enough to gimme free drinks sometimes ^^

Sheryl's Valkyrie! Me wants one! :3

Interesting - The Starbucks(or Starsucks as mentioned by freeman) in image ID#26101 isn't all green like those here. But then again, I don't head out much and theres prolly one rainbow coloured Starbucks I never came to.

Recent National Geographic magazine had a much cheaper way of making your own antquarium using an aquarium. Pity those ants that are forced to live in gel and have no privacy at all.

Hmmm can't think of an answer for the "maybe" giveaway question. The twin building looks kinda familiar tho.. Or does it? ^^;

Dude the pictures of the food look delicious, making me hungry even though i just finished eating, lol. kinda gets me thinking, do you only take pictures of food that looks good? might be interesting to seem some of the less pleasant dishes you have come across.

lol at the pathetic amount of beverage they dish out! the cheek of these people. tsk tsk

glad to see that you keep the place clean. did the recent influenza scare prompt ya to clean up? good for ya!

i can't contemplate why anyone would want to watch ping pong to kill time. seems rather boring...

I used to be a parts counterperson for a car dealership for about 5 years. so I know enough to get by. have had my car for about 7 years (still runs good). looks like you had a nice time. photos look great as always. wouldn't mind see the new film by jackie chan as I am a fan of his work.

Cars are really tricky if you wish to tinker them but it's worth it for anyone with a car should know bits and pieces so that they won't end up a sitting duck when disaster strikes.

NO car alarms....WHAT!?

By the way, the tyre is thinner than the rest of your others because it has to fit in a smaller space in your boot, thats all.

Only an hour for car repairs too...and only 30 minutes for new glasses!? Jeeeeeeezus, I don't even know why I still live in the god forsaken country. @@

(PS I'm now wanting a Ryomou so bad, thanks Danny...)

Some of us in the U.S. say "hoover" as well. Hoover being a common vacuum manufacturer. More of us use it in reference to eating. As in, "He's really hoovering down his meal."

I don't know who has answered this already, but the smaller spare tire is commonplace. It's often referred to as a donut. As far as USB powered devices for car, it's already possible, you just need a cigarette lighter to USB adapter. The problem is cars have 12 V DC coming out all of the cigarette lighter ports while USB devices take 5 V DC. You need to step it down or your stuff will most likely be fried.

Great article.

Well.. Since I'm an ex machanic technician for automobile cars back in my country where I gave up my dream and come to Japan, My parents do hoping that I could continue my studies on automotive field since many people said I have potential to become one of the best, I refused and continue to study others instead of this. So my knowledge about cars is maximum but minimum on coding. ^^;;

Oh gosh.. the food makes me feel hungry right now. ^^;;

Gonna take a short visit at that place when I have the time to go there.

gundam lighter want! btw 70% off the Chogokin as well? I envy. ^^
about my car, can't say I know much on how their inside works but love them both the same.

Know my car inside and out. Don't know about moderns, but usually I change the oil every 6 months in my car, and the filter every second oil change. By the same token the Alfetta's engine was originally designed in 1936 and is a bit of an oil glutton. As for tyres... just wait for them to get down to the wear markers. The Micra should be a front-driver, so you could probably get more milage out of the tyres by swapping the front and rear tyres around. Front drivers tend to chew up the front rubber fast.

The spare: again, seems to be a modern thing to use a space saver tyre (though notably... it's probably the same size as what might be fitted to say, a Morris Minor anyway). Some new cars have full size spares (and older cars like mine), some companies have also taken to fitting runflats or then there's people like Lotus.... who just gave us a can of compressed air and foam mix for the Elise and said good luck ^^;

Man, 30 mins for a new set of glasses? Guess you didn't need to get your perscription renewed huh? I hate having to go for new glasses... it just takes me forever to find a new set of frames that I like...

Sweet picks again, especially the one with the ceiling, quite artistic even ^^.
Amazing what stuff you can buy for your car...although I couldn't care less. The only thing that I think is cool is neon lights on the underside like in Fast and the Furiuous, but I believe it's illegal here. Oh and Ryomo is hot, I want to adopt her =P

For the most part all cars have small spare tires which are only use until you can get your tire fix

The laksa looks like the real deal, but man, the beverage is a rip-off!
Angels and Demons is on my to-watch list. So is X-Men Origins Wolverine, Star Trek and Terminator Salvation.

gundam 40% discount! want!! Nendoroid 70%!!! <faints...>

I wonder when will I ever find these kind of discounts....T_T

as for the car, only know a bit about it...what I know is that I need to take it to the mechanic for maintenance each 3 months or so....

Once again Danny, you've come out with marvellous photos. This time with a Nikon?
Car alarms are pretty much a standard around where I am, but I suppose in Japan it wouldn't be because as you said, it is traditionally a safe place.
The amount of car accessories is astounding, or maybe I haven't visited an automobile shop recently?
Ahh, the food looks so good, I feel that if you live in a city area, you tend to eat out more? Or atleast that's the vibe i'm getting. But nothing beats Hainanese chicken rice, that is the stuff.
Asobit closing down sale.. Everything marked down low, I wish I could get myself a share of the sale.
I was going to watch Shinjuku Incident until I was disappointed that the film wasn't available at my cinema quite yet last time I visited.
Reflective ceiling in a supermarket? What is going on! Well, it seems to be just over the register area so i'm thinking some sort of extra security? But it looks likes anyway, gives off a feeling that the supermarket is full and homely.
Your new daughter also needs a stand so she can stand with Saber and Aoi-chan, they would have interesting conversations i'd say. Boot Haruhi!

Nope, don't know jack about the new cars, never learned electronic ignitions or fuel injection. In fact I didn't know until last winter that this Ford SUV with the 6cylinder doesn't even have a radiator in it. (to get the new truck I made a deal that I wouldn't touch the engine).
Haruhi has my camera! I can't stand getting a cup of ice either for a drink. By the way those peddles for brake with no grip are bad when its wet the foot slides off of them like ice...

i know my car pretty well - i've tinkered with my idle speed, changed the timing and fan belt... on several occasions, flat charge assist, cleaned the sparks, changed the tyre in <6mins (personal best), list goes on...

Don't use space saving tyres - they damage the diff if you drive too far/fast and screw around with your electronic safties, making them pretty useless - Call for a tow if you don't have a full sized tyre.
Seriously.

Had a mate who changed to a space saver because of a flat - 200m in, the whole thing bent on itself. Very dangerous that was. He bought a full sized spare the next week.

Haha you should try my mom's chicken rice, she learnt it from a famous chicken rice chef and its one of the best I've eaten so far. ^^

Nifty to hear about the Mini running Ubuntu. I love Ubuntu, and it runs on all my desktop computers that aren't Macs. However, on the server I always use CentOS. CentOS isn't perfect, but it's something of a business standard and I don't feel like have to step around as much system automation.

The small spare tire is normal... these days. I miss the days of full-size spares. Now the spare compartment in most cars won't even fit a full-size tire! This is especially difficult when one has a full trunk load and has to use the spare--the old wheel/tire combination then has nowhere to go. Very frustrating.

I have to say, "hoover" is a word that drives me nuts. Using trademarks as generic terms is a pet peeve of mine, and I go extra nutty when they're changed to verbs. Where I'm from, some older folks use the word "clorox" as a generic verb. Crazy folk!

I'm lucky to have a friend that could probably build a car from parts if he wanted to, so I can learn quite a bit from him and get his help should I ever have any problems with my car.

is it only me? why do i feel that portion of foods you get in restaurants in japan looked so little?

and that curry looked nice.

wow, beautiful pics as always. the auto car accesory shop's cool!

A friend of mine just got new glasses, but it'll be ready in 3 weeks. 30 minutes is crazy fast. Mine usually take an hour or two, but that's with anti-glare coating and thinning of the lenses.

I suppose it's worth the wait for someone who sits in front of a computer all day...

Do people even steal cars in Japan?
I imagine it'd be like- "OK, I've got the car, now where should I hide it? Drive it up to Hokkaido and have it catapulted to Russia?"

I always say hoover rather than vacuum cleaner. I think most ex-British colonies do that. BTW, Dyson is over-hyped, IMHO.

If you think about it, a lot of the top Ping Pong players from varous countries are either from China, or of Chinese-decent, or China-trained (I think Fukuhara Ai is trained in China, correct me if I'm wrong). Such is their dominance in the sport that every nation covets them. It's a bit like Brazilian football players, i.e. they can be found in every corner of the world.

Wow, Laksa and Hainan Chicken Rice in Japan. Though Danny's laksa contains the thick udon rather than the standard bee-hoon. :p

Antquarium, I wouldn't want to own such a thing. I already have more than enough ants to squish at home everytime summer arrives, thank you very much. Though I like Danny's idea of pouring milk down their tunnels. lol (Or if you want to be sadistic, try pouring deadly corrosive liquid. )

Jackie Chan's in a bit of a PR trouble lately, first insulting all Taiwanese and Hong Kongers by saying "Chinese deserved to be controlled, just look at the 'mess' in Hong Kong and Taiwan - they're too democratic", prompting a Facebook group to suggest sending him to North Korea, where he'll be under control all he likes. And then he goes on to insult Singaporeans by claiming they have "no self respect". As the old saying goes, "It is better to keep quiet and be thought as a fool, rather than speaking out and confirming yourself as one." That's all I'll say about this affair.

Now that you mentioned cleaning.... :D any good tip to take out the dust from the figures? I use something like a feather duster and I put the vacum cleaner near it..., I'm sure you figured out a fast method since you have so many figures!

About the car, I just know how to use it, the other day I went to the annual mechanical "inspection" and out of the blue the alarm went crazy :o and I didn't know how to stop it:p

40% off for gunpla? I want!

*scream in despair*

Wow , You were inspired by that restaurant Idea from the Lalaport foodcourt . Hopefully they serve Nasi Lemak or even Teh Tarik XD .

Japanese people are very sincere and kind people . No wonder crime rates in Japan is very low because they are very social and caring people . Heck ,they even give free figures to Danny just to show how they appreciate Danny's kind help .

Great Photos! I hope to be visiting Japan sometime soon!

SPARE TIRE IS ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES AND SHOULD NOT BE KEPT RUNNING FOR LONG!

/allcaps

^^; It's true though, if you ever need to use your spare tire you should send the real one for a fix and change it ASAP

Yup, that spare looks the same as the one in my car, a silver Subaru Impreza. Only had to use the spare once. Not interested in how cars work. It pays to have friends who know about cars. Whenever something goes wrong I just call one of them up.

There are lots of car service places over here. They get you in with the promise of a quick oil change and then try to tell you half your car needs replacing.

The branded facial wipes are funny. No cute girls in sight. Tough guys want to buy wipes promoted by cool, gangster types.

I need to start knowing more about cars, i'm currently learning to drive and going to get my grans old car once i pass my test. I haven't got a clue how to change tires and things like that. I also wish i could have been there for the 70% of nendoroids.

Also, Hey everyone this is my first comment although i've been lurking here for awhile.

I don't hear car alarms all that often around my neighborhood.

All that food has made me hungry. Luckily for me its lunch time(at the time of reading/posting).

i lol'd at the amount left after the ice was removed.
as usual great pics and interesting article.

ZOMG, i've wanted to goto a super autobacs all my life lol sooo lucky

re spare tires: they are meant to be small on cars to save space and weight, some luxury cars and most SUVs have fullsizes from what i've seen. the 'donut' as we call it here is exactly only for temporary use and probably has a speed rating of 80km/hish, its a 'just in case' fix.

Yeah the spare tire is supposed to be smaller... most likely so it can easily fit in the car. In my roommate's case though he had a full size tire for some reason lol. Also interesting "security device"... "Oh noes, a bright light, I should stay away from this car!"

I'd be all over that store closing sale... if I was in Japan T_T

"Bit blurry. On the way home. Can you name this location? Maybe next giveaway question ^^;"
東京都港区高輪台高輪２丁目？
ie down the road from Shinagawa station and the close to the Grand Prince Takanawa Hotel?

!! i wish we had a autobacs here in the states...actually... i think we do... i just wish we had one here in florida.. lol ... Danny !! what kinda watch you got?!? it looks serious...

Oops
東京都港区高輪２丁目, right?

>Its got "temporary use only" on it and was wondering if spare tyres are supposed to be smaller than the others or what?
Yea, on cheaper cars they usually try to be cost effective or smth and give you this good-for-nothing small backup tire that greatly limits your speed.
The best way to deal with this is to buy a bigger (correct size) backup tire. But sometimes you can run into a problem with this approach: bigger tire may not fit to the backup tire compartment:P And then you are pretty much stuck with the smaller tire. Unless you buy a bigger car...

In my kingdom, all cars belong to me. So no need car alarms.
*evil laugh...

I don't hear many car alarms go off here but I'd say a good 50% have car alarms.

That food looked very tasty but that drink...even starbucks gives you more for half the price here.

Hopefully that green was just pure midori. ^^

I always hears car alarms go off. I want to see that jackie chan movie and I need to get an antquarium. Love the reflection picture.

The only stuff I know about cars comes from Top Gear lol.

That drink was a mega rip off.... thats worse than McD's does....

Regarding Pingpong... isn't that the way lol? Football teams filled with foreign players lol. Didn't know it was the same with pingpong lol. I did see the movie though. Arata-kun was cute.

That sucks that Asobit's closing... means it won't be there when I finally get to go to Japan...

Haha the drink was a total rip-off, considering the amount left in the cup :X Somehow, I feel like eating the Laksa and Hainanese Chicken Rice in Japan even though I'm in Singapore myself xD. Wonder what's the difference between them (One's for sure, the rice used. And I prefer Japanese rice :P) I don't really hear car alarms going off in my neighbourhood and instead it's fire alarms that go off thanks to some people who might have activated them by accident -_-

OH MY GOD!!! tamiya cars!!!

Ugh 40% off Gunpla. How much I would die for that T__T

Glasses look pretty nice. I probably need a new pair sometime soon. Looked on eBay and actually found a really nice pair of Jimmy Choo's that I'll save up for ^^I

I know my car inside and out! But really Danny, you need to check stuff out and not listen to mechanics from autobacs. Those tires only need to be changed before they wear out. The filter and oil should be changed between every 3-4 months and an inspection of the engine filter should be done to make sure that it is clean enough (if not you can either replace it or clean it with a vacuum or compressed air). Car alarms are kinda of a standard here in US, but its more of an annoyance factor now since everyone has one than a carjacker catcher.

I like what you did to the Dell! I personally dont like Dells so I bought a Samsung NC10: no complaints yet! (the keyboard is superb too!)

Is there ever a place where it's NOT clean in Japan? I'm always so bewildered at how clean and neat Japan is. o.o

Amazing photos, that part about Japan not having car alarms is something. You'd think with all the gadgets and accessories there are for cars, people would do any and everything to prevent car theft :o!

The reflective ceiling pictures were really cool! I wish I could get some sweet gundam deals like that though...

every 3 years to replace tires? are you driving that much? i'm no expert either, but at least here in the states, tire replacement is based more on how much you drive and tread wear rather than a fixed period of time. for instance tires will come with a 40, 60... even 80,000 mile warranty. i can't imagine driving 80,000 miles in 3 years ^^;;;

Always order your drinks without ice! It's kind of redundant since liquids usually are kept cold to preserve them.

Very nice! Though sale signs next to Haruhi items and Gunpla puts me on edge, I just want to reach through the screen and start grabbing things off the shelves!

That's why I always order my drinks without ice. You won't get my money you greedy corporations! xD

Don't know that much about cars but still some. My first car was an old timer, classic 1973 VW Beetle, did most of the maintenance myself with a guidebook and some advice from mechanic friends. Took a lot of it apart as well, like changing engine, clutch,...

those anime-themed face-wipes with the rough looking dudes are probably from Worst (ironic). I want that gundam cigarette lighter charger.

Just effing love these photo articles.

The curry beef bowl looks so yummy~ Ahhhh! I'm hungry now~

Changing car tires kind of depends on how you drive. If you're rough and race with it, you'll probably change before the season ends. I don't know that much about tires but my family changes tires when it changes from winter to summer and vice versa. When it snows, specialty tires help with traction and prevent hydroplaning. In the summer, the winter tire rubber gets affected by the difference in temperatures. Not sure if 3 years is a good gauge... it usually depends on driving style and local climate. Discount on anime goods... how come I never see that here? ever? :(

lol at the bra in Saber chan's hand XD I like how Saber is leaning towards Aoi chan tho!

Gundam Car Lighter DO WANT~

Ah Jacky Chan, what a legend.
Yeah the wheel doesn't have to be the same size, it's also a bit more crappy coz it is a emergency tempory replacement afterall. I usually find in garages they take advantage if you let them know you are in a hurry or don't know anything about cars. They'll charge an arm and a leg and replace everything not necessary. ^^ Hope that didn't happen to you!

Nice set of pictures!

Car alarms, well, since I live in a small town they don't go off that often, but if it is to happen, it always happens in the middle of the night. A loud car alarm accompanied by dog barking is the best thing that can happen at 2 A.M. (not). My car had a car alarm system once, but it never really worked, used to drain off the battery and went off randomly, even while driving. I "uninstalled" it when someone stole the fog light from the car and the alarm didn't go off.:/

I know my car a bit, but I'm learning something new every time something malfunctions in it.^^ Otherwise, I'm not really the engineer type.

And glasses are surprisingly cheap over in Japan, they are almost at the same price as over here (too bad my salary is not as much as in Japan^^). Did you ever considered having contact lenses Danny? A photo article about contact lenses in Japan would be interesting!^^

Once the oil light starts blinking, ain't not like gasoline: it's a BIG reminder that your engine needs a refill quite fast. Otherwise you could have the pistons stuck and engine dead. Or just a new car, Mirai colored ;)

Saying that because someone I know has been moron enough to just "wait" after that 200 kms trip :)
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Big disappointement, not wearing black? Years softened you up?
Loligoths are close to a revolt!!

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Pic #26063: The empire is vigilant on your data, always!

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Great reportage, really like the Tokyo series.

My car is busted and I'm too busy with work to get it fixed. At least I get to work from home.

Most cars in the US have some sort of alarm, at least that's my impression. Get a break in car insurance if you have it. They've gotten better about going off every time a mosquito farts. I live in an apartment complex and have only heard an alarm go off once this year.

As far as ice, I love having ice in my drink. I know I'm getting way less, but I like my drink ice cold.

Nice post gawd that food looks so nice I really gotta see shinjuku incident I love jackie Chan movies, as for cars I think I know enough but probably not enough to know how to fix things myself only small things.

Full size spare tires are rare these days. You usually find them on high end luxury vehicles and even then they are starting to disappear with the increased use of run-flat tires. Most vehicles will have what we call in the US, a doughnut. It's a smaller temporary tire the you put on just long enough to get you somewhere that can fix your tire.

Oh yeah, the mirrored ceiling does make for interesting photos, but the mirrored ceiling plus checkered floor makes it look like something out of a fun house that you see at a carnival.

LOL @ Obama on the notice board~~

Lights that can deter automobile thief.........

LOL! Rx-78 blaster rifle lighter~~~

Wow, I didn't know Japanese automobile dont really bother about the car alarm~~

Oh my... the amount of ice in the drink.....

Shinjuku Incident wasn't really a typical Jackie Chan movie as he didn't feature his signature martial arts, this movie is more towards conspiracy theory. Since Jackie only release 1 movie per year, it is a Must-Watch for me~~~~~~

funneh to hear you talking about "cars" ... don't know a lot about but I used to have a racing motorbike which teached meh a lot of meca stuff ... like how to change oil, clean tech pieces etc ... got some friends addict to car tuning, could be a quite freaky hobby sometimes ... yeah because of what they are able to put on/in/under their cars ... thx for the diary and the pics o//

I rarely hear car alarms go off here in the States. Although it might just be the area where I live. I have a car alarm but I have never heard it go off unless a friend opens the door before I get a chance to turn off the alarm. All this talk about cars reminds me that I need to get off the computer and change my radiator, I had to buy myself a new one since my old one had a large crack on the top. It'll probably take me a little less than an hour to change it out since my Camry surprisingly has a lot of space in the front.

Well Danny,
Another great article as always. Cograts!!
Car alarms seem to be useless now days because thieves know how to get around them. Everytime they come out with a new one, the bad guys have it figured out already. there's been programs on tv showing how they bypass those and steal what they want.
Although i didn't have one on my tracker and they broke my window and stole my satelite reciever it wouldn't do them any good, I called company and reported it stollen and they deactivated it immediately,no good to crooks,ha-ha.
As for Jackie Chan everyone is entilted to their own opinions,but in todays world with tensions as they are; just remember if you can't say anything nice don't say it at all. this might hurt his chances of doing a movie here in the states.

would really like that Gundam for my tracker can we get that here in the states? also that charger with the toggle switches is neat,just a sucker for gadgets,lol...
Sorry so long winded, just adding my 2-3 cents worth.
je mata ne.

Most cars have gone to the small dounut spare for several reason. It cheaper then a full size spare, they don't take up as much space, and the don't weight as much. The weight issues helps with gas mileage. You usually only see full sized spares now a days on trucks and high end cars.

Awesome article Danny!
The Obama ad made me laugh so hard.
And they totally ripped you off with that drink ;_;

Aaaah! Gorgeous pictures as always!
And the Shinjuku Incident trailer looks amazing. Didn't know Jackie had a new movie out, orz.
Lol @ Sabor holding her bra. You daughters are as gorgeous as ever!

Really great pictures in this one.

I know my car fairly well thanks to my friends who have taught me a lot about cars. But I'm not an expert by any means.

Also, in California, there is no escape from traffic. Ever.

oh, I forgot to mention that car alarms are almost mandatory in france ... cars are unfortunately some kind of honeypots here ... and this is sad.

Perhaps Ryomo's boot is warm enough for her to sleep in after a long day of taking pictures.

Love the Dollfie pics as well.

Overall it seems you've had a nice day. Don't reallyc are much about cars though -never did. How many Car otakus are amongst the comrades here?

Can't wait for the Mac Mini Leopard Walcthough. How much does it cost these days?

Also congrats on the new glasses!

Car alarms go off constantly even though they do nothing. People hear them so often if someone is actually breaking into a car, no one will notice.

What camera does he use for these awesome pictures?? probably some billion yen SLR

Haruhi and boot, gattai!

how do you like your Dyson? I'm about to pick one up for me mom (mothers day this Suday)

thanks.

btw. I have owned my current Jeep for 19 years and know everything that is wrong with it. I should be replacing it soon though... thinking of getting an FJ Cruiser.

Since I started to watch Initial D and Wangan Midnight, I applied a bit in car comprehension. Very useful to avoid of being fooled by greedy mechanics.

I LOVE MY CAR! Its a Ford Fiesta, and its awesome.

Got it in January, its fuel economic, spares are cheap, and its a great quality car.

I know people who paid slightly less for a different car, than I paid for mine, and theirs is terrible quality.

I dont know much about it though, havent got the froggiest idea what its specs are :/

For me and my family...anything with Jackie Chan in it = AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE.

I live in Los Angeles, the traffic is always a nightmare during prime hours on every freeway. We don't have very many toll ways or pay to use freeways here, its all free except one or two down in the Orange County area.

During holiday time the main route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas is an absolute nightmare. So is getting a good price on hotels.

I could finish that drink in two sips. What blatant highway robbery.

Awesome pictures!
Really looks like a great time!

DANNY: REPLACE THAT SPARE TIRE ASAP!!!
The issue is a bit of the same as when you have a worn tire and a new one on the other site. If you have to brake hard then the car will not move forward, but start to turn or spin. I recommend getting this issue fixed ASAP.
I'm not sure if it's even legal not to have the same size wheels. I think it's illegal here.

I wonder about the statement that tires lasts 3 years. Usually they last x km. After around 6 years the rubber gets old and they need to be replaced even if you hardly used them.

Another thing I wondered about is using only one set of tires. Here everybody have one set for 0°C or lower and a set for 15°C or higher. The rubber aren't the same and they are equally good at 8°C. The "warm" tires gets hard and loses road connecting when they are too cold and the "cold" tires gets too soft and is worn in no time during the summer. The "cold" tires are also made to handle snow better, but they have higher rolling resistance and use more fuel.

Do Japan only use one set of tires all year round?

As for knowing my car. I tend to avoid mechanics whenever possible because they are expensive and I encountered some who had figured out how to modify the car to break after a few weeks. Sure it can take a little while to fix it myself but I can live with that. I once experienced that I turned the key and the engine didn't even try to start. Lights were on and so, but the engine didn't turn. It would have been really expensive to get that fixed since they would have to send a big car to pick it up and stuff. The error turned out to be a broken wire which supplied the start engine with power. Shortening the wire to get rid of the bad part fixed the problem. Price: 20 minutes of work and one new connector. I got the connector from a friend since they are so cheap that he didn't even bother about payment and he had 20+ spare ones.

I fixed other issues as well, but nothing else as scary as "nothing happens when I try to start".

The Shinjuku Incident trailer looks very interesting. Will put in my watch list. ^^

Just noticed the question about the cigarette lighter interface vs USB power thing. All I can say is that if it bothers you then take a look at devices like this: http://xgengadget.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/usb-car-charger-4-port-is-useful/

You can get them with one or two ports too.

140 for glasses and only waiting 30 minutes is pretty good, I hope I can do that good when I finally get mine. Money acquired! Just have to get over to the store...

*grabby hands at Haruhi figures* So inexpensive! It's crazy how much overseas people have to pay for the same figures. :(

Car alarms are definitely commonplace here. I always hear someones car alarm going off, hardly ever do I pay attention to it. I think that is the case with most people here, you just keep walking and ignore the alarm. It's because of this, that I don't really see car alarms as useful things (I hope our car doesn't get stolen after saying that, and I'm sure many car thefts have been stopped due to an alarm). I know nothing about cars, especially the new cars since they have all these fancy computer thingies in them.

The smaller spare tire is common here, all of the cars I've seen have used one like it and as someone mentioned up above it's referred to as a "donut". It's definitely not suppose to be used all the time; just long enough for you to get off the shoulder of the road if you get a flat and to the mechanics to get a patch on your normal tire. Mine worked just fine the two times that I've been forced to use it.

Good post as always, Danny. ^^

9000 yen for a tire? you got ripped... for your size tire, 5000 to 7000 yen for a good brand, cheaper for lower end. as for changing them, check your tread, if there's still grooves in it, its fine, if its smooth.. time for change. i say this as mine last me for 3-4 years, but i do a hell of a lot more driving, so for you it might even be every 5 years, and don't forget about the battery, change it after 4 years (and don't pay over 10000 yen for it..please..) as it goes dead after awhile check all your fluids brake fluid, power stearing fluid, water in the radiator ( a good shop does this with your oil change, so ask) you run out of a fluid... your walking home.. do all these, your car will last for awhile..

Danny.. thought you were more mechanicaly inclined.. :)

Love the pictures today.. need a good camera myself hint hint... :)

Ryomo is gorgeous!

I wonder, what are crepes filled with in Japan? Here it's strawberry jam and whipped cream.

nice place to visit ^^;

The size of your spare is dependent on many factors. I, for example, drive a 1998 GMC Jimmy 4x4 and have a full-sized spare. My 1986 Pontiac 6000 LE (Which I had in college) had only a donut tire, because that's all it needed. My mother's 1997 Dodge Intrepid also has a full-size spare, but my aunt's 2008 Chevy Impala has only a donut. IIRC, the factors that influence the spare is engine size, wheel base, drive train and overall weight of the vehicle. You can get an longer-lasting temp tire (Instead of 50MPH/75 miles it's 75MPH/250 miles) for about $45 USD.

niice pictures Danny!!! ^^ =3
WOW all those Nendoroids are 70% off! and gundams are all 40% off kyaa~~ I would loooovee to buy a lot of stuff from there =3 ^^

Lalaport looks amazing! Wish had shopping complexes of that size here where I live ;_;

Really like that new Haruhi. Will be getting one pretty soon.

So fast to have your glasses ready and it isn't expensive!
Car alarm is standard in most car in Canada, Japan is safe! And it is terrible to stuck on the highway during golden week...
Have seen such big sales for models and figure in my area, Orz

Car alarms are fairly standard but not as popular anymore due to noise complaints in the area. Especially which the extra sensitive ones. The Club is considered a better option for car protection by most people I know ^^;

Wow nice pictures. Can't believe the gundams 40% off. Need to get me some of them.

Interesting and busy day there..

As far as Car work is concerned.. I know my vehicles.. been working on cars since before I could drive legally. Started helping my dad at around ten years old. ^_^

Only a few things I won't do myself on a vehicle.

1. Body Work, Lets face it.. best left to the professionals.
2. Alignments.. Screw it up, and your tires won't last long at all, again best left to the professionals
3. Tires. I gotta go buy em at the store, might as well get em mounted there too.. and since they are doing the tires.. they can align it.. makes things so convinent.

Tires though really kill me cost wise with two vehicles. Tires on my van cost me around 700 dollars .. on the car about 500 for four of em..

That small tire Danny, thats your Donut. Its basically a small spare in case one of your main tires goes flat. Inside the boot you'll find the donut, and your jack and tire iron.. Read your owners manual on how to operate and change a flat tire. I highly suggest no matter how limited a knowledge of cars you have, you should know how to change a tire, Check your oil, and do an oil change. Never know when those three things could save your butt ^_^

Ohh yeah, them telling ya to change your tires every three years is bunk! When ya buy tires your given a time frame on how long they'll last approximately.. 50 thousand, 60 thousand so on and so forth. Generally a tire will last that many miles. Easiest way to check your tire.. If you've less tread then 3/32 of a inch.. you need new tires ^_^ Nice and easy that.

If you don't drive a whole lot.. tires can last many many many years

Danny, your food pics always make me hungry.

We have an alarm on our Subaru, but never use it. Donut spare tires are supposed to be used just to get you to a service station to get your flat fixed. The engine compartment on contemporary cars are way too small for the owners to do any work on them. I open the hood, look for the oil cap, radiator cap, windshield wash cap, and battery, then close it up again. You need a certified tech for the rest. Darned hard to call them mechanics anymore.
A USB power connection is a good idea. Having USB connections for networking your car would be way too cool!

LOL at the gundam lighter ^0^ Japan really has some extreme stuff that north america doesnt offer >__< food looks yummy, and your dell mini is awesome ^0^ will look into one myself sometime. as for car maintainance, im still in the process in getting my license -__- i've got lots of other stuff to deal with first.

I got my car about 3 weeks ago. Don't really bother getting to know it. Got new glasses recently too. They were about $500 CDN though. I go all out when I buy stuff.

...your roaming internet is faster than my DSL...sigh...this place feels so technologically challenged...

I am a car nut, I have owned my Subaru Impreza WRX for 5 years now and unlike Japan, here in the States you can sort of enjoy driving/stress reliever. (Not during rush hour of course)

When changing your car's oil it is always recommended to change the oil filter with it, so good call there. But besides changing your oil and keeping current on your routine maintenance your car will last you a while (until you get your Fairlady, which I must add is an excellent choice)

The spare tire is usually smaller than the actual tire because you use it temporary to get you to a safe stopping point (more of a weight-saving thing than an actual useful item).

Need to go to that store. :D
Car alarms... go off very frequently here xD Sorta defeats the purpose, as people usually just ignore.

I know that the numbers on tires tell you things that are supposed to help you. I've got it saved as an email so I can find out if I ever need new tires.

Have a car alarm, but it doesn't really work. Brother was using my car a few years ago while I was studying abroad in Japan and when I came back he told me someone broke into it one night and stole his iPod (big, clunky, white one) along with the AM/FM transmitter accessory I had for the iPod. Car was parked in our driveway and the alarm never went off. When he took the car in to get the window replaced he said he asked the mechanic and was told that standard alarms generally don't protect the car from busted windows...

GAO!!! Must get Gundam charger...must get Haruhi figures...They don't happen to have an online English store do they? I would love to order some stuff from them, or if I was there, go pick up a lot of stuff

I see you're taking Summer Seifuku Haruhi out on your escapades now instead of Kagamin. Is Kagamin jealous, or do your figs take changes like this in stride? ^o^ I wish I could go out and do something like this, but to be honest, I would have nowhere to go XD

Where I work is on the approach/egress path for the Airport (about two kliks away). A few years ago after one of the National Capital Air-show, the B1-B was taking off and we stepped outside to watch it thunder over. As the roar of it's passing faded away, all you could hear was car alarms going off all over the business park we were in. :)

Used to work on my own car, but don't have one anymore and getting another in the foreseeable future is just not in the cards... really starting to hate the buses, too... Maybe I'll get another motorbike. :)

I never knew about the lack of car alarms in Japan. Kinda amazed me. My new (used) car is the same model as my old car, just a few years newer. (1996 to a 1999 model) so I guess I can say with confidence I still know a lot about my new car. Only difference would be my new one is stick shift.

Traffic is only bad here in Philly at morning rush hour around 6-9 when you hit downtown. Other then that, there is only major traffic in the summer on Sunday nights coming home from the beach in New Jersey and, Friday days, and Monday days, going to the beach in New Jersey.

I think there is a reason why the spare donut tire is smaller. It's so you don't continue to use it after fixing it to prevent lazy people form keeping the haphazard tire in use. I think some don't even need air to fill it up. I got a flat back in high school and got my small donut fixed on it and it was just a rubber tire which didn't need air to fill it up.

lol, the rusty bat line gave me a chuckle.

Geez only 14.000 yen for glasses? I wish mine were that cheap (for some reason all of our local retailers like to rip customers off) -___-

I just follow the service/maintenance schedule that is in my car's owner's manual. The manufacturer built the car, they should very well know how and when the car should be maintained.

As for me knowing my car inside and out? No. But I do drive my car like I stolen it. HAH.

Manual transmission all the way!

I would love those discounts on Gundam and figurines....

Sad to say most of the time when a car alarm goes off here people think of it as annoying rather than thinking something is up...

I'm a car guy so I actually know most bits of my car...even before I bought it ^^;. Knowledge about cars is great because it can save you THOUSANDS from not being ripped off by shop guys who usually tell you BS that you need to do this or that or your car will fail. I change my own oil, and install mods by myself. It's great to work on your car!

Superb photos as always Danny... Every time I look at these articles, it makes me wish I'm that much closer to Japan... itsuka...itsuka...

I am a car mechanic so I know the ins and outs of a car. I went to college but I dropped out because the classes I took where too much talking and not enough hands on stuff. I learned so much from working at dealerships and independent shops. Great pictures by the way!

I really like your camera because your pictures always turn out very nice!

Nope, car alarms are almost nonexistant in my neck of the woods. Most people go for other, more efficient anti-theft devices.

those facial wipes are characters from crows zero

Spare tire IS supposed to be smaller than the real ones. To save on weight

Most small cars will have small spare tires so you can drive somewhere to get it replaced ASAP. As it says, "For emergency use only" ^^;

Get me Nendoroid Neuro at 70% please! XD

watched the Shinjuku incident at Roppongi Hills cinema last few days ago along with my friends and the story was quite good.

Gonna get myself a new pair of glasses soon. ^^;;

nice pic!
can't imagine how your megane cost more than your car tire...
btw, Laksa is from Indonesia

and that discount is just too tempting
I wish they discounted Gundam in here

Yeah the spare tyre is always smaller. It's smaller to prevent it from taking up too much space. Usually it has a speeding limit which is way lower than the normal tires too, like 90km/h instead of 200km/h for example...:)

OMG... 7000+ in your inbox 0.o

GAAAAAAH!!!! Nendoroid Kotona Elegance for 70% off?? I wants!

Hmm... well I just recently acquired my car, so I'm a bit new to it. If I have questions I ask my dad or my brother who are great sources of information about cars ^_^

car alarms are a must in vancouver i think, especially with stolen carparts
i dont want nobody touchin my ride, so alarm is needed
COMPUSTAR autostarter!

its perfect!

having a car alarm makes a large difference to your insurance premiums, upgrading from an older car to a recent model sliced AU$200 off my MOT! However, i think the more auxiliary after market goodies you have attached has the opposite affect, if you declare them. Also, someone mentioned you drive a megane, or is that a micra, danny?

Donut tires are good spares because they save weight and space.

I know the basic inner workings of cars. You gotta, or mechanics will try to rip you off here. Nowadays tho, car engines are so compact with components, you most likely have to go to one to get at the problem. So the trick is to shop around for a good, reliable mechanic that is reasonably priced. You're lucky you live there D, as I'm sure a few here would luv to take advantage of you.

Most small to mid size automobiles here have a smaller spare. Since they are lighter weight and usually driven for normal commute, than say a commercial pickup truck, a small spare is pretty stable if installed correctly and you don't do anything crazy.

Most cars here have some kinda armed system. Newer models usually have some kinda chip cutoff key system making them less prone to theft.

I take it that Autobacs is the one near Odaiba near Shinonome station? I went there last December. Jetstar had cheap flights so i'm going back this December Yay! I came back to see ur post of Hakkone covered in snow and ever since I've wanted to go back!

No return flight yet lol maybe i'll just stay!

change tires every 3 years? lol
i'm changing them every half of the year. spring - from winter tires to summer, and back to winter during fall

My friend from high school came down to USA for the golden week holiday from Japan so I get to treat him around. But USA isn't as fun as Japan I think and could not go do many fun stuffs, just watched X-Men Origins: Wolverin and went to karaoke :P

Hope he got back to Japan safely but since he visited USA, he might have to endure some check up about swine flu upon arriving at Narita Airport >_<

cars are hard to figure out but if u take a mechanics course say in college it doesnt seem to bad. btw great job with the pics.

I don't drive and I know absolutely nothing about cars! lol I have always been more of a "figure boy" than a "car boy" :D

Loved the photos! I'm hungry now!

YOu took some good pics.
These Dyson vacuums work great. I noticed a huge improvement.

Hehe, I love the Haruhi figma. Though I'm so used to seeing Kagamin in your photos, I felt the difference today XD I love the pictures of food, I live in a place where either you cook at home, or you get takeout, nothing like the nice food you have in your photos haha, makes me kinda jealous ;-;

spare tires suppose to be small and light weight..
because you want to save more space and weight..
after you change your tire you need to do the balancing..
its prevent your tire from worn out not evenly..
and of course for car stability..
and make sure to check your tire pressure..
its prevent your tire worn out to soon or not even..
filter and oil are important thing cause its can effect your car performance..
make sure to tune your car for better performance..
good car, save fuel, more economic and good for environment..
that Gundam cigarette lighter charger i like it..
never seen here in my place..
actually i prefer superbike than car..
anyway penang laksa is the BEST...
hahahahahahaha..

long time reader first time commenting.... i have to say i do envy you.. being able to live in a place like that and do the things that you do.... to tell the truth i may be able to get to live in japan in a few years. but that will be for another time....anyway just keep doing what you are doing and i hope to see more of the life in japan.

Ahh, poor Asobit u_u~ We had a store in Sydney close down, my brother used to go there for all his Gundams. Luckily we happen to visit on the last day it was open, 50% off all Gundams~! We could only get about 3 though since it was just before I left for Chile and we didn't have much money orz

That Dell looks so tempting to buy Danny~ I wouldn't install Leopard, but might get tempted to try out Ubuntu, I haven't played around with a Linux distro yet. Am planning to save up to get on this year or next~

Dad's car is a '90 Civic DX hatchback, recently got a '96 Mazda 323 Protege a few weeks ago. (I don't drive)

Love the Dollfie and lunch pics by the way.

Yo Danny!
I wondered about your watcg in the picture where your wife is driving?
It seems like you have some kinda data storage watch and another one attached to the strap?

During Holidays and Springtime the Autobahn or trains get quite crowded but its usually really bad wehn vacation starts/ends.Just match the time with unbusy hours and you "should" be fine

hmm nice Asian food in Japan dunno if I could make them myself... tries with something and din't came out well .. post some at my Blog.... visit if you wan to know what happens when Chinese noddle meet Italian pesto and a bad cook(me).

I can't wait for your guide Danny on the Dell9. I would like to see that film with Jackie Chan in it

I know the inside and out about my car as well as others; or else being in my high school's Automotive Academy for 3 years was a waste of my time. I have an equal passion for cars as I do with anime, figures, and videogames. Though I consider my passion for cars more as a hobby, since I am good at diagnosing problems and fixing them (as long as it physically and economically reasonable).

Hmmm...Danny doesn't know enough about cars huh? Seems like a new anime should be made about mechanics and there should be some moe-some girl in there as well. Then Danny will wanna watch and will definitely learn something. ^^;

I love the looks of the firefox sticker on the dell 9 mini ^^

You've got plenty of car advice already, and I don't know that much to start with, but it's my impression that most donuts/spare tires are run-flats - tires designed to hit a nail or lose air and still keep rolling. Obviously, it should be replaced as soon as possible since it's neither worn down or aligned equally with your other three - makes for bad handling, wear, and safety.

...I think I'll go look for that Jackie Chan movie.

Oh, I totally missed the ¥500 drink. o.O What is it? Melon Fanta? An entire can should be what, ¥100, ¥150 at the most...

Been a long time lurker of the site and I have finally registered. This is a great page Danny, seems like you really are living the dream!

It's really nice to see postings about automobiles (now two of my loves on one site)

I don't understand why someone would tell you to change tires every 3 years when it is a wear item strictly dependent on mileage and driving style. There should be wear indicators on the tires that will show a smooth line across the tread area when worn.

Autobacs looks like automotive paradise, a colleague of mine went there on his last trip to Japan and loved it. I will definitely have to go next time...ahh aftermarket Japanese parts~

One thing I noticed is how many people have those Aftermarket Nav systems in their cars, I "HAD" one in my old car but no car alarm :( (seems like a must have in America if you park in urban settings outside) Also I noticed how many people park their cars outside, is there no concern about the effects of the elements?

its been 2 months since I got my driver license, my dad lend me his favorite car: Honda Civic 1997 its been with us for 11 years, still alive though and I love that car even she's old ^^ about the 500 yen drink its a common strategy for me. Once saw many ices I won't gonna buy it such a waste

What's scary to me is that most people knowingly choose to ride / drive in a box made up of roughly 14,000 metal or plastic parts at interstate speeds and they only know where the key, seat belt clip and gas go.

the location is shinagawa... i see taht building in the picture out my window of my hotel :D

hmm.....i think i know everything i need to know about my car thanks to the owners manual.....but then again...my car is a toyota vitz....and i dont think there is much to "know" about it...since i dont go street racing or anything

DAMN 40% off!!!

Oh wow, great food pics here! Also, beautiful new daughter, she has amazing eyes! ;)

Nice pics, the food looks delicious ^^

wow there are some crazy sales!

The part about the antquarium is funny! Ant milk eew...

Hey, Chicken Rice and Laksa in Japan! But i doubt they'd be comparable in price. XD

Hm let's see... Automatic car right? Engine (dipstick and top-up point visible), Battery, Radiator, Air intake, Brake fluid reservior, not much i see... lol.

That green drink was such a rip-off D:

Hey! Next time, you should just ask them to leave the ice out :D The drink is coming from a cold storage unit already I would assume, so just ask for a cup with no ice and get more for your money.

ah a day another day in tokyo....from my computer.....

OMG! Danny, you're from the UK? Same here! You also explained why my American friends look so blank when I say I'm helping my parents hoover the house. *swweatdrop*

Wow, nice pics!

sometimes too much things too choose from can be a little annoying, because you don't know which one to pick! XD Lastest jackie chan movie looks a little more serious in tone than the ones before...i'm also going to watch angels and demons with my dad next friday, i'll be reading the book soon as well ^^

the Dell looks like it really is the perfect OS X netbook. I mean, you have had experience with the Air, so you can probably tell. What do you think, Dan?

Wow even the car parts packages look awesome :(

I like how that grocery store looks, nice and flashy with those mirrors!

Japan seems alot more interesting than Europe really, it's a shame..

Cars there have lots of accessories.. Dang. Nice new comp thingy. And the food looks delicious.

Hi Danny. Which Desktop Clock app are you using on your Ipod Touch?

Haha the pedal covers to have some nice stepage. So I suppose theres no need for the ever famous car security item known as "the club" ^^

I am waiting for my Dell mini 9, hope it arrive quikly !!!! cant wait to install OS X on !!!!!!

Spare tires are usually a slight bit smaller and you also usually can't exceed 45 or 55 MPH while driving with it. I had to drive with a spare on my car for a whole week once and it drove me crazy because I couldn't go full speed on the highway to work...and it took me an extra thirty minutes to get there because of this.

The glasses cost 14,000 yen. How much US dollars is that? Around 140? I don't know but it still looks too expensive.

Danny the captions you make on some of your photos really crack me up! XD

Saw Angels and Demons movie, very exciting. 2 hours and 10 minutes in length. Take some snacks with you.

I went to an iPhoto workshop this week and learned a few things. For example, before you try to remove red eye from your photos, enlarge the photo, the menus will hide at the top and bottom of the screen until you move your curser over them, then you can use the auto button (or manually if you wish) to remove red eye. This works much better when the photos are really large.

How can you compare your photo after you have made some changes to it to the original? Simply press the Shift key. You will see your photo before you made any changes. So simple.

Use the Retouch brush to remove unwanted items from a photo. Enlarge the photo very big, and simply drag the brush over the item, (like a ugly telephone wire, etc.). This works best on uncluttered areas in the pictures.

The anime wipes are from a manga series called "Worst" which is a sequel to a similar series by the same author called " Crows ."
Which also has two loosely based live action movies directed by the guy who did Ichi the Killer, cannnot remember his name. I believe the second one is out in theatres currently.
Called " Crows Zero"

I know nothing about cars ><;;
And Tokyoo looks so nice .__.;

Great article.