A Week in Tokyo 41
Must have been the first time in years where I went a week without writing a photo article - yes its been that busy!
No matter how busy I end up being however, regular meals is something that I dare not skip. Sushi is great because they prepare it fast, its healthy and because they are bite size, you can order accordingly to fill up any gaps left in the stomach.
Apart from the standard fish-on-rice, many sushi places serve izakaya type side dishes. Here is some lovely scallops steamed in soy sauce.
Can you name these sushi?
I prefer to sit at a table and fill in this sheet of what I want rather than yell out at the sushi guy from the counter because they sometimes forget what you want.
We end up moving to the no smoking counters due to the intense smoke coming from the tables around us.
More sushi for lunch. This place is a kaiten sushi place where sushi goes round on a conveyor belt. The stuff that usually goes round is the cheap stuff because they can afford to have it go round forever - this is why you need to call out to the sushi chefs if you want the good stuff. My fave is Engawa but don't know the name in English. An example of a kaiten sushi restaurant from the perspective of a sushi below.
After eating at a kaiten sushi restaurant, your dishes will start to pile up. Each sushi comes on a dish of varying colors. Some can be from about 100 yen through to 900 yen for example. The more expensive ones usually have more gold colors on the dish.
Many kaiten sushi places will count how many dishes you have had and work out the cost from the different colors of the dishes. This place however has some sort of micro chip in the plates. The lady comes along with her scanner and places it near the dishes. The total cost is calculated immediately and a receipt automatically comes of a small printer thingy attached to her belt.
Chairman of Aquafadas came over from France to attend the Tokyo Book Fair and seek new business partners. Was at the office today.
Forgot to mention that some of these photos are more than a week old. Here I'm polishing up the Vader armor for a sale - managed to find a new parent for it.
Nagi and Curry for lunch.
Some slabs of wood being soaked at a fish store.
Octopus slide for the kids in a park.
On the way to a meeting in Ebisu.
Picking up some Calpis water on the way to my next appointment.
Time to pick up an iPhone. I remember the time leading up to the iPhone launch in Japan over a year ago. Said to myself that it would change my life. After finding out that the largest HD model was only 16GB, I decided to wait. Am glad that I did wait and now got a spanking 32GB iPhone 3GS. And it has indeed changed my life in many ways which I will talk about in a different article.
Folks picking up an iPhone get the option of choosing a gift of 5,000 yen in money vouchers...
...or one of these Softbank mascot dogs also known as Otousan (daddy). Otousan in action below advertising student mobile rates. Do students get discount phone rates in your neck of the woods?
Chose black but only because my white NDS turned yellow after a while - decided not to choose any white appliances since then. Wifey got the white one which looks really nice. Does anybody out there have a discolored white iPhone?
A lovely lady at the Softbank store sorts us out. Like the stewardess look ^^; Over 30 mins of paperwork/activation and MNP. Mobile Number Portability was introduced in about 2006 which enabled people to change carriers while keeping their old number - sounds like a given to folks outside Japan but in Japan, the carriers want to control everything. I'll be wanting to know how I can use a local sim card from Singapore, Canada or Malaysia (planned trips this year) on the iPhone - needs some sort of jail breaking or other device?
"Hainan Chicken Rice" Jonathans style. The rice tasted OK but the rest could not be considered anywhere near Hainan.
A queens Blade-esque pachi slot machine poster. We have so many pachinko and pachi slot places around here - I should go in and give them a whirl one day. Pachi slot in action below.
At the underground Chinese restaurant where we usually take guests.
Students line up for some cheap ramen at Seiya.
Picking up some ice cold bottle drinks with a bag O Mr Donuts.
Separated at birth - Mr Donuts Pon De Ring and Saber Lion.
iPhone users in Japan get to use all wireless Yahoo mobile points around Japan for no extra charge. iphone users in Japan should download the app that enables you to do so. Search for "Softbank Mobile Corp" in the app store. Not sure this will work for iPhone users visiting Japan though.
Tokyo 08:53. Waiting for a train going to Tachikawa.
Arrival at the headquarters of Kotobukiya in Tachikawa for a 10:00 meeting.
After the meeting, I go around the office snapping pics. Here are some decoration masters for some figures who I dont recognize.
Another unfamiliar cute figure. Name that character.
Then its off to lunch before continuing meetings in the afternoon. Today its Mabo tofu set. Yep - its a Max Factory figure at a Kotobukiya lunch ^^;
And this is what the rest of the Kotobukiya team is having.
And this is what they look like ^^;
Meetings at Kotobukiya finish at about 15:00. Heading back to the station. I love the elevated train tracks that travel over many parts of tokyo. Some of the JR Yamanote line from Meguro to Akihabara is elevated. Love looking out the window at the metropolis on a golden brown evening sunset.
Changing trains to the Nanbu line.
Wifey makes lovely Hainan chicken rice at home. We dont have any of that brown sauce but have loads of the chilli.
Mentaiko is a food which I couldn't bring myself to eat for quite a while after moving to Japan. Its marinated roe of pollock and looks quite gross.
Did manage to try it after a few years and now love it! Although I do need to eat it with rice and still probably couldn't bite one in half ^^;
Another Japanese dish I cant eat is Natto - its that sticky gooey fermented beans thing which you can see in action below. Are there particular Japanese foods which dont agree with you?
Parking car for some Chinese cuisine at the family restaurant Bamiyan.
Waiting for a seat at Bamiyan. They got some toys at the entrance for the kids who say "mum I want this" when the parents are paying for the meal.
This is a keyholder with the Akihabara train sign. It plays the Akihabara jingle that you hear at the platform when pressed - yours for 525 yen. Most train stations play a different jingle just before the doors close.
For those who have been to Japan, prepare to transport yourself back here - close your eyes and listen to the train jingles in the following video.
Time to choose from the menus filled with photos that hardly resemble the actual dish.
But the food is nice though.
Saturday Lunch - Kaisen Yakisoba. That Kyoka Puchi Nendoroid is so darn cute.
At Gotanda Blog Dinner - the monthly Japan bloggers networking event thats been successfully running for many years.
Aoki-san - the mastermind behind Blog Dinner and also the man who gave you the browser in the PS3.
The Oimachi line will extend to Mizunokuchi soon and this school girl seems to be pretty happy about it.
10:00 in Shibuya. A chap strips a wall of posters.
Many deliveries going on in the morning.
While they dont come as often as trains, bus times are pretty spot on. The driver usually announces where the bus is about to stop too.
At about 10:10 I arrive at the Apple store in Shibuya to pick up a new gadget.
Passing the Hachiko crossing to catch the train back to the office.
iPhone wannabe. Google does promotions by collaborating with other companies.
The problem with Tokyo is that you often see people sleeping out n about so its difficult to judge if people are dead or not. I've somebody lying face down at the top of elevators with people just walking around him.
Lunch at Yumean - soba tempura with chirashi rice - 1,200 yen.
And this is why I was in Shibuya earlier on - my MacBook Pro decided to die for a second time. Same problem where it shows me the Black Screen Of Death. I thought I could take out the HD and boot from it on the Mac Mini but it got fried at the same time!
Have always wanted an 17" MacBook Pro. Its got a crisp 1900 x 1200 resolution. Review of the Alternity Nissan GTR Convoy in a separate post.
Apple Care - dont leave the store without it. Cost me an extra 40,000 yen but you really never know with Apple products. The new line of Mac laptops dont come with DVI adapters anymore so had to pick one up separately.
The first thing to do was to open up the machine. Changing the HD does not void warranty but changing the battery does. Although there is a way to change the battery without Apple knowing about it and you can find out how on YouTube.
The old HD was fried so had to do a Time Machine restore over LAN. Out NAS does not support direct USB so it took about 10 hours for a full restore of about 130GB.
After the Time Machine restore, I boot up Grand Perspective to visually see what files are taking up the most space on the HD. I can mouse over and see the file name/location and remove any crap like swap files or error logs which can end up being a few GB's.
Firefox does not seem to like the new machine as it keeps giving me the spinning ball of death. Here I'm setting up servers and doing a ton of virtual host configs. I think I know everything there is to know about virtual hosts on Apache by now - but pulled out half of my hair trying to figure everything out ^^;
The reason I have many Macs is that some are servers and some are monitoring stuff on the two different optic fiber networks that we have at the office.
Heading out to look for food.
Speakers for 870 yen a pair and a second hand IBM laptop for 27,800 yen. With the spec on that machine, I'm surprised they dont pay people to take it away ^^;
Picking up some snacks for the office.
Stocking up on plants too. Plants with figures seem to go well with each other.
Yesterday evenings office.
Hmmm? Light Saber chopstick (Chop Saber) samples on the desk?
Looks like I'm working with Kotobukiya on some video for the Chop Sabers.
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BioResearch Assistant
Awesome stuff. I love above figures, anime, manga, otaku-stuff, and everything else on here...all the photographs and articles about food (>OO)> I insist you devote a portal solely to food!
Think I'll grab sushi for lunch tomorrow. There's a great sushi bar that has an all you can eat lunch special for only $12. They don't skimp out either, it's actually quality sushi.
I would travel to Japan just to eat (>^^)>
IT Architect
What, no ootoro? :o
Having sushi in Tokyo completed spoiled me as the fish here doesn't even compare. Planning on going back in December and Tsukiji is one of the first places to hit on my list!
Student
http://situsaleatorius.blogspot.com
This week has a lot of food, I don't eat sushi never but for your photographies looks delicious.
NEET part-time - Technical Support Officer - Network security engineer
http://burugureibi.blogspot.com/
Wow, so much sushi~~~
I will basically eat anything so nothing is an obstacle to me
Had deep fried crickets and 'garden worms' omelete back when i visited China - mmm~~ delicious
What in the lightsabre-chopsticks?!?!
Sure looked like a packed week there - So many photos!
Undergraduate
lol! the chopsticks!!! saw a post in members stuff on it
No more NEET, enineering student now...g
http://saiseki.blogsome.com/
Mentaiko? Remembered trying it once ^^; Tasted quite odd so quickly swallow it with a spoonful of rice... Tried natto, just a small bean, but almost fainted... Love sushi though ^^
Me wants Kyoka puchi nendo >o<
Viewfinder
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harem/
image ID#27265
tentacles + lolis?
Pseudo-Graphic Designer, 触手 wrangler, H-Man
http://lightningsabre.blogspot.com/
That's exactly what I was thinking...
It was just so close to mind ^^;
browsing the nets
http://otakuposts.blogspot.com/
ha ha, same here. think i saw too many ero stuff.
Computer Tech. / Graphic Design
http://reikukan.jimdo.com/
Light Saber chopsticks !?
Thats awesome...
Also its amazing how your food pictures always make me hungry. ^^
University Student
I just ate but this post is making me hungry again. Nice, you have an Alternity Convoy. He's a great figure, I have him and Alternity Megatron.
Student, Otaku, She-Geek(Sheek lol)
http://meimi132.wordpress.com/
Auuuu so much cool stuff this week!!
Chipped plates for quick scanning huh? Clever idea. The sushi places in the UK just use the coloured plates lol.
Mmmmm Kawaii Kotobukiyans.
Japanese food I can't eat/don't like? Shameful to say, I'm not a huge fan of raw fish... not at all... Which is a shame...
Student, Otaku, She-Geek(Sheek lol)
http://meimi132.wordpress.com/
Oh yeah, forgot to mention, 40,000??!! omg.... is that like web security, back up, everything to save your Mac from a grissly death basically?
And YUS those chopsticks look amazing!!
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
no - they only fix it if the machine dies or soemthing.
I.T. Technician
The sushi camera train, that's so cool!
I wouldn't be game to try it here, after one lap it would get stolen!
Linguist
You always take some crispy clear pics~ That lumix is awesome. I need and another point and shoot camera, or upgrade to DSLR~
what's with the slabs of wood being soaked at the fish store? is that how they display the fish?じゃーねー
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
http://puppy52art.com/
does chop saber work for dollfie dreams? lol and image ID#27278 is epic :P
Otaku Graphic Designer
http://neoprolacus.spaces.live.com
From my perspective... those Chop Sabres might work for my 1/6 daughters... XD
Editor
http://cavalock.blogspot.com/
my friend just spent more than 5 hours q-ing for his new iphone yesterday while my sis-in-law just placed her order for her, dunno when hers is coming in.
am hooked on an izakaya chain that opened near my place last month. took more than a few pix at my blog.
its part of this chain from japan, according to their site, this is their first outlet overseas.
http://www.tsubohachi.co.jp/tbh/index.php
miss taking the JR line, i have that train keychain too! but its the Shinjuku one. believe it or not i also bought the JR train money bank! might post something on the JR line one day. hah!
Blue Suit Sapien with White Helmet
http://conrad501.wordpress.com/
Hmmm...it always amazes me how Japan has all these cool technologies...
microchip in plates??? = fast service and less counting....hhehehehehhe
And again as seen in those photos are beautiful presentation of Japanese dishes. The way its presented is enough to take photos of it in every angle.
By the way, why are they soaking the wood at the fish store???
Freelance Digital Production Artist
http://www.flickr.com/photos/victor_lee/sets/
Is the sushi on the right bonito?
Curry and Nagi-sama look delicious.
You seem to be eating at Mr. Donut quite often, Danny.
university film student | ecchikid | the Archivist
http://www.vimeo.com/longhim
They play a *different* melody at each station? That's another cute, quirky little piece of trivia. ^^; In Hong Kong and Toronto they just play the same tone everywhere.
Glad to see more collaboration with Kotobukiya, by the way. I love GSC's figures, but Koto does a lot more of the characters I want to see in 2.5D form. :P
Pseudo-Graphic Designer, 触手 wrangler, H-Man
http://lightningsabre.blogspot.com/
They sorta name the station when the train is about to stop in Vancouver :D
Student
http://otakuinvancouver.wordpress.com/
Yeah but because the trains are so ghetto you can't hear the sound from the scratchy speakers >.>"
Student
http://foxkey.blog126.fc2.com/
You don't even get them announced in Australia, it's either you remember how many stops, listen to the announcement at the station from in the train, or scramble to look for a bench/sign with the place name on it.
Future civil engineer, amateur artist and animator
Have not tried natto yet but gonna try it if i got a chance, it seems to be 'not very popular' food among foreigners. I love sushi but unfortunately sushi comes in small sizes and rather expensive to me...hehe...never get to pile up tonnes and tonnes of plates ^^;
Core Analyst
http://tuanvo.jimdo.com/
Thanks for your time as always.
http://brutalturtle.blogspot.com
nicely done. I'll make it there one day to Japan... one day.
Full-time geek/Part-time student/Part-time musician
http://randomgeekness.livejournal.com/
almost the whole post was about food (which was making me hungry) and Macs lol a question ... why do u like Mac so much?! it has so many hardware problems! and why can't u change the battery on a Macbook? i have a Compaq Presario CQ50 running Microsoft Win Vista Home Premium and i can change my battery just by sliding a little switch lol! and even if i change the HD or the battery i get warranty XD Mac is unfair! lol u should make a post with a pic of every Mac u have in the office lol would be an endless photo article XD btw ... you should not say ppl sleeping in everywhere is a problem that means that citizen's security is not a problem in Japan i think that's the only country in the world peaceful enough to fall sleep everywhere lol! hmmm.. want one of those chop sabers! lol
Art student
http://ohcirnine.wordpress.com
I have a bug in my brain which allows me to eat natto easily, and straight.
Dirty Gentleman
http://cantstanzya.wordpress.com/
Sushi on the left: hokkigai (surf clam)
sushi on the right: seared maguro? (seared tuna)
We still count sushi plates here instead of fancy gizmos. Here, conveyor belt sushi is still considered a novelty, and probably cost considerably more than ordering sushi.
My friend at Apple told me the sim card for the iPhone is at the top, and you can access it by using a pin. However, if your iPhone is locked by Softbank (which it undoubtedly is) it won't let you use another sim card from a outside network anyways. In Canada, we don't have a open market where you can simply buy & swap sim cards, so you are stuck with expensive roaming if you wanna use it here... unless you jailbreak ^^;
Red exclamation mark means girls are happy? I know red period means they're extremely moody.
Off to drink my new bottle of Calpis...
Student
http://foxkey.blog126.fc2.com/
Ahh Calpis is the stuff, i'm considering just ordering a whole box of it, I got relatives in Taiwan where it is manufactured so i'm sure I can get it for cheaper.
Also just bought 2 bottles as well, they cost too much here.
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
>I know red period means they're extremely moody.
..... --; ..
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
http://puppy52art.com/
dunno why they call a bloody mess once a month period :P it's nothing like a period!!!!
Student
http://miri.textcube.com/
Sushi looks delicious.
Student Pilot
http://sanctuarystation.wordpress.com/
The sushi looked so delicious~~~! And the sushi-plate-scanner is a really cool concept. ^^, First time seeing it though. >.<
I lmao at Mr Donuts Pon De Ring and Saber Lion. They sure looked alike. At first glance, the donut caught my attention first and I thought Saber was another donut. But I was thinking "hey how come the donut has a body attached to it?" >.<0 yen|
Another great photo article. Enjoyed it. ^^,
Danny, which part of Malaysia will you be visiting this time around? Just for your information, in Langkawi, Malaysia this 1st-5th December, there will be an International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition. If you are interested in military ships and aircrafts, maybe you can come visit. >.<
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Probably in November. KL.
Pseudo-Graphic Designer, 触手 wrangler, H-Man
http://lightningsabre.blogspot.com/
Good thing I had a full dinner or I would be very hungry... Unfortunately those sushi pictures are making me crave some sushi >_< May have to push my brother to have all-you-can-eat sushi dinner for my bday.
LoL I have to bring a Saber Lily Nendo to Mr. Donuts to make her into a Saber Lion ^_^
Lotsa Kotobukiya collaborations, eh? What else are we expecting from them? :D Hmmm... underground Chinese restaurant for guests eh? How was the food there, Chun? XD
Student
http://nintendopapercraft.com
Ummy...*dreams about food*
Lol at the guy in the sushi video who was about to pick his nose in front of the camera.
???Confused???
Busy indeed...good food and light saber chopsticks...what will they think up next?...
Student
http://www.lesterho.com
Got my Iphone last 2 weeks ago and Manage to get a student price for the plan.
Sushi? After coming to Japan, Never had the chance to taste the original made Sushi here. ^^;;
A Curiosity
The plates stack up high if you is heavy eater... Like me...
I remember eating 15-20 plates once...
Financial Consultant
http://maftynavue.deviantart.com/
now I'm hungry and drooling at the same time..
I always want to taste Japanese curry rice, because Indonesian curry is something more like a soup, it looks delicious.
Student
Wow that sushi plate scanner thing is kind of cool lol. XD
CG artist, Sunrise Emotion
http://halcyonrealms.com
Phew, very tasty pictures of the new macbook pro - its just getting better and better, and the lure bigger and bigger !
Medical student
http://www.protocolsnow.com
Mmmm... Mr. Donuts. Pon de Ring is so tasty.
> student :]
soo much food, YUMMMY
i also love the nendos <3
Mechanical Engineer/Traveling Kamen Rider/Dollfie Dream Hunter
http://tcwenterprise.com/wordpress/
Awesome stuff as always, reading these photo articles is making me wanting to visit Japan more and more, hopefully my trip will materialize next month.
Software Development Engineer in Test
http://anime.greywings.net
Ah, I miss the trains, they were one of my favorite parts of Japan. Every day when I'm stuck in horrible Seattle-area traffic, I reminisce over the super convenience of taking the train to wherever I needed to go, and have a nice scenic view along the way. Gah, need to go back there soon...
Student
Cool thx, I like the long articles. Lol@ the saber pic.
College Student, Computer Science Major
http://www.projectsaber.com
Always cool seeing how life in Japan is like, just makes me want to go there more!
Love the light saber chopsticks!
And look at all that delicious food...
student
http://zephi-san.deviantart.com/
oh the sushi looks great.. Interesting stuff about the scanning plates. I really wished that I had waited an extra 2 months and bought the iphone 3G S instead. but oh well... I'm still satisfied with my iPhone 3G. Gets the job done for me...
We sometimes find free wireless hot spots but they're so rare... lucky Japan has a lot and is free..so jealous..
I was pretty close to getting one of those Keyrings which plays the station music... and that video of all those songs is so nostalgic.
Very interesting that most of the meals you had this week are Chinese.
Since I always eat Chinese foods here... I only ever tried Chinese food once in Japan, the rest was Japanese.
Student
http://kokost.deviantart.com/
Ordering sushi from a list isn't always perfect. I went with a friend to an all you can eat Japanese restaurant with a time limit. We ordered a bunch of food but quite a few of it never came. We thought they might have forgotten so we decided to grab another slip and order a bunch of stuff again. The next run came with a bit more food but still short of what we wrote down. Upon asking what was wrong, the waitress said something similar to this: due to the busy schedule tonight, we may not be able to fulfill all your requests. That was such a disappointment... the meal wasn't cheap either... I still filled myself with sushi as all those orders came through. At least the food tasted good...
IT Support
In Perth, the cheapest place for chicken rice is a place called Chilliz. The first shop was near my University, but now there's one near my work. The go with this place is you select your dish from the takeaway containers of food in the warmer, pay for it and move to the end of the counter where there's a pot of Chilli sauce and a bottle of Kecap Manis waiting and ladle or drizzle to your hearts content.
Someone's written about it here: http://sharon-adrian.blogspot.com/2008/04/chilliz.html
@image ID#27272: Do Softbank do the iTunes activation for your iPhone as well?
If you paid full price for your iPhone, you probably don't need to jailbreak it to use other SIMs.
@image ID#27304: C'mon, that's a bit shit stirring don't you think? Android is the open source hero phone :))
Looking at the innard of your old and new Macbooks (and looking at the teardowns on iFixit), Apple have certainly taken a great leap in engineering quality with the new Macbook. Still hate the ribbon HDD cables though.
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Yes - they activate the phone for you but if you are in a rush then you can do it yourself.
I was talking about the hardware - not the OS.
IT Support
Don't worry Danny, I was sarcastically preempting the reaction of Open Source zealots.
Please people, life's too short to take anything seriously, and variety is the spice of life!
Exploring worlds and ways of thought
Ahhh! One day I will be there. Maybe go to Shirakawa Gifu when it's not busy and sip some sake while listening to the evening ambiance. Of course go to Tokyo as well.
I remember the first time I had wusabi, I thought it was avocado and loaded my sushi with half a thumbnail size. After eating it I played it cool, but I was hurting.
Otaku, US Army, Student (Political Science)
http://figure.tsuki-board.net/profile/Syaoran
lol I didn't notice that was Saber lion at first next to the donut. Was wondering what kind of donut it was XD
Excellent pictures as always Danny. Now I'm hungry and must find food ^^
Student, Performer
http://kesenaitsumi89.wordpress.com/
LOL...Fun days. Bought Iphone 3GS and The new 17 Inch Mac Book Pro....Really rich.
mobile contents creator
Chicken rice of 海南鶏飯 in 水道橋(Suidoubashi) is taste good!! I wanna go again.
former Emperor of Britannia
http://reflectiarx.wordpress.com/
I was wondering as to why your recently bought mac was at that value. Turns out there was the Apple Care added unto it. Changing the HDD does not void the warranty nor OPENING IT? Whoah! totally amazing discovery for me there.
Amazing tool that Grand Perspective is. Will add that to the list of to try softwares once i get a mac.
'cher
maybe if Hard Gay comes out of retirement, we can make a request for him to teach danny how to eat natto.
Student
http://foxkey.blog126.fc2.com/
Many food varieties. I'd have to say that there are a few Japanese foods which erk me, one of them is natto my mother sometimes eats it and I don't think I can stand it. Another food is sea urchin, I know it's a delicacy but there is just something that isn't appetizing about a speckled, yellow jelly mass. I always seem to overspend at kaiten sushi places so I tend not to go there, I prefer just ordering.
Been meaning to get an iPhone although I haven't really done any research into them, so I need to find out who carries them in Australia. This country seems pretty gimped when it comes to phone deals and plans. Also i'd probably take the mascot plushie, you don't get those everyday!
Macs look so sleek and hip but from what i've read in DC articles they don't seem too reliable which makes me fearful of purchasing one. Is it just bad hardware? or human carelessness? that causes most problems.
I'm more of a bus man myself, they come regularly and there isn't much confusion which getting on different platforms and what not, also I live in an outer suburb where there isn't a train station and the nearest one is about 20 minutes drive away.
Great article again, much more to talk about when you've skipped a few days.
Dental Technician, i make teeth!
http://antsizedman.blogspot.com/
Cool article, still have not been able to get the black iphone here.
Hospital supply manager and Gundam pilot in training
Awesome post Danny!! Lots of good food ideas!! I tried a few of these today and: Oishi!! Totemo oishikata desu!! Again, I`m in Tokyo till thursday to do some picture taking of all parts of the city and of the Gundam of course, so if you could let me know of a time and place we could meet for a few minutes talk and so I can give you some good canadian (quebecian) mapple tea, please let me know. I know you are very busy. Arigatou Danny-san!! Sore ja, mata ne!
Student Otaku (ITM Student) and ACG NA Staff
http://koiaichaku.com/
I wonder if my Iphone (Canada) will work in Japan at all...hmmm...
I will try if I can...
One goal in Japan...eat a lot of Japanese style food...and a lot of sushi!!!
Software Developer
I've been checking into this. Your iPhone will work in Japan, because it's 3G, but you'll be on international roaming charges. The data roaming cost is $0.15 per KB, or $15 per meg. Kinda steep. You can't rent a Softbank SIM to use while in Japan, because Rogers has the iPhones SIM-locked. There doesn't seem to be a way to unlock the iPhone 3GS right now.
struggling undergraduate student
http://playevolution.wordpress.com/
Now I understand the significance of the different jingles when Masked Rider Den-O switches forms. It's a very interesting piece of trivia for someone who's never been to Japan before.
Also, congratulations on the iPhone 3GS and Macbook Pro! I'm looking to change my phone but have no dough for an iPhone or N97.
Ninja / Engineer / Sensei / 魔法少女 (What!?! I can't be, I'm a guy...)
Is the octopus (at the park) truly safe for kids to play on? What if he's aligned himself with a certain bear we all know...?
Nekophilia
Very neat way to calculate the total price. Microchips in plates, who would've thought of that? @.@
They play different chimes for different stations? Now that's pretty cool. I want that keychain now xD
Marketing Student
"Separated at birth - Mr Donuts Pon De Ring and Saber Lion."
I loled hard when I saw this picture, hahahaha!
Student
me too hahaha!
http://thisblogissuxor.blogspot.com
I love the pillowcase or scroll above your window Danny!
Could anyone help me find where I can purchase it?
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Will be on sale soon - keep your eye on DC.
~Undine~
http://bluebluewave.wordpress.com
Lovely article and photos.
MacBook Pro <3 Were you able to get Firefox running ok on it?
Biostatistical Programmer
as i always i just soak up your fotos. damn, i need a holiday and that one sooner than later :/ ^^
Student and full-time otaku
Lots of food and lots of other things going on past week, so it seems. Lolz at the Saber x donut pic
Otaku
mmmm, sushi! And so many figurines, I'm envious. must... get more
Online Shop
http://wildarms.egloos.com
I always find it amazing(in a bad way) how intense Japanese people smoke inside the restaurant. Sometimes, sitting at the non-smoking doesn't help because people smoke so hard that just being in the same restaurant makes you smell all the smoke :( I don't smoke so I wouldn't know so I wonder if they can taste the food as it was meant to be with all that smoking >_<
Student
http://www.projectharuhi.net
what the heck is roe of pollock? but when it comes to iffy looking food, therein lies usually their one and only (hopefully tasty) charm...
Network Technician
http://www.myyaruki.com
Excellent post, was almost starting to miss the week in Tokyo posts :)
Love the way to calculate the price of the food at the sushi place.
Network Technician
http://www.myyaruki.com
Oh and the issue with Firefox crashing, make sure its not being caused by flash as my other laptops Firefox kept constantly so I uninstalled flash and re-installed and works fine now.
Student
Hmmm beautiful and colorful food I love sushi so much, now I'm gonna grab some for lunch tomorrow as for an iphone I think I will wait till towards then end of this year or the beginning of next to pick up a 32GB I currently have an 8GB ipod touch. The lady at the Softbank front desk looks cute.
Lazy Gamer at home
http://www.espadakiller.wordpress.com
Awesome, i love your a week in tokyo posts, this is 1 of the nicest ones =)
I love sushi! Making me hungry now =(
About Aoki-san, cool that he's the one making the internet browser on the PS3, but sadly the browser is really slow and lousy =/
And i am so jealous about you keep buying new Apple products...i want a macbook but i do not have the money to get one...rich Danny rich! :P
student
http://shinyui.wordpress.com/
me is speechless .... and hungry ^^ nice sushi photos erm...i think you can cheat with the brown sauce by using some soy sauce and sesame oil>.< ah remember to add some ginger too(young ones)
Student
http://johnyo.wordpress.com/
Sushi looks good - I've never had proper sushi before.
I also want to try natto, just to see if it's as bad as people say.
Student
Looks so delicious, makes me want to eat sushi... Hmm...
Figures are cute as always.
NEET
http://austrianotaku.com/
Do you really have to go to a SoftBank store to get an iPhone? That's quite inconvenient. Here you just order one, sign the contract at the post office and you are ready to go.
Jailbreaking is not Unlocking! Seems like a lot of people think about the wrong thing when talking about jailbreaking.
Jailbreaking: using 3rd party Apps for more awesomeness.
Unlocking: To use it with whatever SIM you'd like to.
Did you solve your 32GB iPhone car docking problem?
Looks like there were some problems with the old MBPs. Which specs did you choose for the new one?
>>Mr Donuts Pon De Ring and Saber Lion. ROFL
Software Consultant
http://kamlau.com
I think part of the confusion comes in because you typically have jailbreak your iPhone before you can run the "third party" software to unlock your iPhone. Make sense?
Dirty Gentleman
http://cantstanzya.wordpress.com/
Ah yes. Exactly my meaning too. Thanks dada dada Batmouse ^^
NEET
http://austrianotaku.com/
Yah, of course but just wanted to mention it.
photoshop junkie
http://blossoming.livejournal.com
Ooh, kaiten sushi restaurants are fun! We've got a few here. Went to one where the sushi and stuff is on little boats floating on water that goes around in the same fashion. Not really sure what you'd call them here... eh~ "sushi that goes on conveyor belts"? XD But they're nowhere near getting the microchips in the plates!
That octo-slide looks so cool. D:
http://www.pantsu.jp
When I would go eat outside the most of time, my bank account would fast be empty^^" As you have already notice, in Germany it is cheaper to cook self at home.
Hmm... a 17" Notebook/Macbook would be to big and not really mobile for me. Had an 15,4" Notebook befor and search now for a Subnotebook because of the mobility.
But you Office is as nice as ever, want such a workplace too^^
Student, PoomDomain Director
http://www.poomdomain.com/
I have been eating sushi and sashimi from premium restuarants in sydney, but your pictures of them certainly prove that im wrong
IT Manager
http://thumbnail-of-life.blogspot.com/
I also prefer to sit on the table because of the same reason. LOLed at the Saber Lion photo.
university student
For a second there i thought the exclamation girl was accually real
Light sabers for chop sticks.......who comes up with this stuff?,it friggin hilarious
Student
http://darenothope.livejournal.com
I love the photos of the sushi. Now I'm craving some.
And I'm just really amused by the Buzzer Beat poster at the train station right about the sleeping guy.
Mad scientist
http://yazor-san.daportfolio.com/
Great post. I love the 'daily-life' photo articles. Nice Macbook Pro btw. I want it!
High School Student
http://scorchnroses.wordpress.com
Ahhh now I'm hungry after looking at those sushi :/ Skipped dinner...
If people sleep like how that guy does, I think I would never ever choose to sit down on the seats while waiting for a train -_-
Anyway nice photos :D
health carer
IBM Thinkpads are iconic, so there will always be a buyer. Of course you'd be a lot better off getting a Lenovo Thinkpad if it's spec you're after.
They are to IBM what Macbooks are to Apple ;)
Future anime voice actor
http://bladexd.deviantart.com
Sweet transformer figure xD Is it Jazz?
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Optimus as a Nissan GTR
Custom Arcadestick builder
http://twitter.com/dryrice
man you got a shit load of macs. still though thats one laptop i still saving up for. a macbook pro. time for me to switch soon!
College Freshmen, Otaku, Gamer, etc
Ooo... After seeing the prices of the sushi's, it's almost the same as the prices for Sushi Tei here (ex: 100 yen = Rp11.000), and those sushi's look more delicious....
Hmm... It's not rare to see some gadget wannabe anywhere, even iPod have many wannabe.
"The problem with Tokyo is that you often see people sleeping out n about so its difficult to judge if people are dead or not. I've somebody lying face down at the top of elevators with people just walking around him." I actually kinda LOL'ed when I read this, even if it serious, but I still think it's funny that there's something like that in other country
But still, awesome photo's you took there Danny :D
Technical Account Manager
http://howdoyoufigure.wordpress.com
That's an interesting way of counting sushi plates. Maybe RFID tags...?
Instructor
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuponjr/
Maybe only semi-related but it may help a few fellow users.
When I came to Japan 3 months ago i purchased a standard Softbank sim with the sole intention of using my jail broken iPhone 3G. I made sure that I spoke to the representives at an official Softbank store and they assured me there would be no problems.
For the first 2 months my bills were fine "unlimited data plan" was working as the reps said it would and I was happily using my iPhone in peace.
Then along comes month 3 and suddenly Softbank drop a "final" warning demanding 358,000 yen. Ultimately I've had the bill squashed but Softbank have changed, or more rigorously enforcing thier phone policies.
Now I'm stuck using my Softbank dumb phone and I'm unable to get a iPhone 3GS on the two year contract... Too poor to buy it outright right now :/
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Thats a huge phone bill.
Games addicted
http://addictedtoludus.com/
Nice pics as alaways Danny..
Let's see the one on the left should be with Hokkigai and the one on the righit with Katsuo Tataki... where they nice?
studying comp studies, planning to look for part time job
http://bruneian-otaku.blogspot.com
awesome week for you ^^
Student
vader outfit , cool.
http://www.ricekiller.com
Arnt the 2Gen and 3rd gen iPhones network unlocked?
US Navy Sailor
http://punynari.wordpress.com/
Nice pics Danny. They made me really miss Japan. I hope to be back there soon.
For Sushi, my favorite one is Aji. Was one of the first Japanese words I knew how to say over here. See you like Aji as well in that first picture.
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Where are you now?
You have been really busy... Another great photo article! Enjoyed it. Sushi looks delicious. Your 17" MacBook Pro is really good, is so nice have one... ^^;
browsing the nets
http://otakuposts.blogspot.com/
中とろ ＝ is it pronounced nakatoro OR uchitoro
つぶ貝 ＝ pronounced as tsubukai ?
havent tasted any japanese food yet so cant comment on that.
"Separated at birth - Mr Donuts Pon De Ring and Saber Lion"
i lol'd.
iphone is available in unlocked version too, but costs significantly lot more.
Daydreaming student
http://princessrisi.tumblr.com
one again, all the food makes me drool and wish I could just click my fingers and get some here. Pretty impossible though :(
Software Consultant
http://kamlau.com
There is a tutorial on how to unlock your iPhone 3GS but I don't have a 3GS to try.
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=4253
Also in Canada, only recently are we allowed to switch carrier and have our phone number transfered. Canadian cell providers are definitely not leading in this area as there seems to be monopoly in this area.
And good job picking up the 17" MacBook Pro. Gorgeous screen it has. I want a 13" for myself as I already have the 24" iMac and I like to have a portable Mac.
Student
Cool article. Made me want to eat more sushi:) But sadly no sushi places near here, have to wait until I go back to university..
I always wondered how those machines calculating the price for the sushi plates work, so there're chips inside the plates, huh?
Ah yes, the JR train jingles. Everytime I think of my trip to Tokyo, one of those jingles would always play in my mind. Thanks for bringing back the good memories, Danny. I never realized they had a different jingle for each station, and even for each different direction. From the video, it seems some lines seem to have only one jingle for all stations going one direction, others have more variety.
I must go back there one day and relive those train jingles. XD
Nyoro-n...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yuki-to/
love that softbank cash note! ^^
University Student
http://sunshine-report.com
I'm pretty sure you'd be able to use your 3GS with local sim cards of those countries.
Since your phone is locked to SoftBank, you'd have to first jailbreak it using Purplera1n or redsn0w 0.8 (Mac version). After jailbreaking you'd have to download ultrasn0w through cydia (appears after jailbreaking) to unlock your phone. After that, you should be able to get reception from local telcos.
Creative Director
I have a White iPhone 3G that I got almost a year ago. I use it day and night, night and day. I spent a month in Europe with it. It is still pure white and perfect. No discoloration. No problems whatsoever.
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
I should have got the white one then! ToT
One man company, visual UI / icon designer.
http://blog.cocoia.com
Nice to see a photo article again, Danny. To answer some of your open questions:
I think the 3GS in Japan is SIM-locked. I believe you can ask your carrier to unlock it for you for $$$ – if you don't feel like that, there's 'slightly risky' solutions like the hacks described in the comment above mine. It's risky as the software flashes the 'baseband' modem ROM that's on board of the iPhone. If the baseband software gets botched... well... suffice to say you've got a nice iPod touch with a camera, or worse, a dead iPhone.
I suggest you also try some iPhone apps I've been involved in: You convert a lot of currencies, so Currencies by Edovia is a nice lightweight and well-designed currency converter http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=294380646&mt=8
If you want to read some books on the go, check out Classics - it was also featured in an Apple commercial! http://www.classicsapp.com/
As I mentioned in your earlier mini-post, I also just got the 17". It's a very nice machine. Once time comes, try installing the new Snow Leopard betas - even more battery life!
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Thanks for info.
Dont think I'll be using Snow Leopard for a while - will probably break our dev environments.
Sales + Technician + Trainer = 何でも屋
I love natto, so i probably like mentaiko too lol.
Singapore iPhones are sold factory unlocked, so you can just stick in any sim card from around the world and it will work.
Otherwise, you need to jailbreak and unlock, which would mean redsn0w and ultrasn0w lol. Megasn0w sounds kinda cool, if they ever made one. ^^;;
Momusufan
That Sushi looks awesome, there are at least a dozen Sushi places within walking distance of my place. Loads of Asians in my area, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Needless to say lots of great restaurants, and lots of cute girls. I'm in heaven.
Student
Phah no Japanese food no Japanese people and no cute free girls small towns rule!
Paintball Technician
http://www.myspace.com/sarsinajar
great, now i am starving for a Volcano Roll, Tempura, and Curried Chicken/Beef...
Student, Uncle & hopfully a good husband..
Wow...quite a bit of stuff over the week...a real pity about the laptop though...that's what back up are there for...
Industrial engineer
http://inotas.blogspot.com
this article is peculiar, many things of many things all mixed. Of course not like the natto fried rice. Never tried japanese food but have to give it a try... or die trying =P
I think Danny-san should made another article about his Mac HD... the transformer figure looks interesting. ;)
大学生
I notice from all the food photos that the serving size in Japan is really tiny.
I'd go broke trying to fill myself with good food!
Hmm, why wouldn't you just be able to pop in a local sim into your iPhone?
Thought a mobile phone is just a device to read the SIM and provide the interface?
Btw didn't you want the RED iPhone?
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Yep - many (not all) portions are small.
hmmmm ... the first picture looks extremely delicious!
I'm still waiting to get my new iPhone 3GS ... 1 month to go ...
http://akari-nyan.deviantart.com/
Awesome photos. That sushi looks delicious >w<''
Lol'd at the donut and Saber Lion separated at birth XD
http://underleft.com/
In regards to you asking about using a SIM card or needing to jailbreak your iPhone in Canada.. you can just pick up a new SIM card via Fido or Rogers, without the need of anything extra.
Business Analyst
Omigosh! Erica Fontaine AF! I really would like a second issue of that figure, never had the chance to buy it ;___;
Year 11 student/Otaku
Btw for anyone who lives in london there is a really nice japanese restaurant next to covent garden called samurai
http://at1987.com
Sushi're looked delicious.
Danny-san. Do you know where to get clone trooper costume ? I'm 165 cm tall.
I wanna try out Vader costume but my friend told me that it's looked great if the wearer is quite tall. (over 175 -180cm. )
Professional Photographer, Post-Graduate College Student
http://www.kinume.com
The conveyor belt video footage is so awesome. I've only seen such belt loops in anime and tv. I hope to return to the "Land of Choo" soon, but there was a fairly large bomb dropped on me today and aside from the required schoolwork, I will not be doing anything extra for a bit. Please continue to enjoy the Japanese/Otaku lifestyle; maybe just a little more in place of me =).
今日はじめてこのサイトを見つけた
日本のサイト！？と間違えちゃうくらいの濃い内容
でもコメント見ると英語ばかり、、、
お寿司おいしそうおなかすいてきた
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
初めまして&カキコありがとうございました！
Student
the photo "image ID#27303" reminds me of the motorcycle from terminator salvation~ ^^
High School Student
Oh my god that food looks way too good. You are lucky lucky.
Student
http://cream77.deviantart.com/
That sushi looks lovely.Cant name too many though only the ones I like.
Web Admin
http://hhanyu.com
Thank you always for showing us mouth-watering foods.
MI Manager, Blogger and Newswriter
http://cutkillavince.com/
Nice and all this food look delicious ^^
Student, part-time worker
I love that the sushi restaurant let them put a camera on the belt. Too bad it didn't get to finish.
Is it weird that I teared up a little and got really happy listening to the train jingles?
I do remember quite a few (not the stops that go with them though) but there are a bunch of interesting ones I've never heard before.
I spot Nagase, Matsujun, and Yamapi this week. Well done, Danny. Hahaha..
Sushi chef, and will be student.
hmmm would it be weird to others if you shake someone who's lying face down to check if he;s dead or alive?
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Probably ^;;;
Paintball Technician
http://www.myspace.com/sarsinajar
"40,000 yen" for a battery
And this is why i am an avid PC/Netbook user!
Also, didn;t know the Alternity's were that small. Thought they were just a little smaller than the Binaltechs.
unemployed gamer and anime watcher
http://otoboku.se
Nice footage and coverage of everything as usual.
I´d love to get myself some Apple products, but when I look at the price I don´t want any of them anymore.
project finance adviser
The Sushi on the left is Aoyagi (chinese surf clam) and thats Katsuo on the right....I much prefer the Aoyagi!
That negi-toro in the first pic looks yummy!
http://www.stefkov.com/
image ID#27303 = I love the bike in that image.
Great images again. Some of the food looked delicious.
http://twitter.com/phossil
http://www.animoe.net
I thought if you opened the laptop, you will lose the warranty.. but I guess you dont..
Software Engineer (Web)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cachopls/
That place where the blog dinner was held looks like Maya!
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
It is^^
大学生
Really awesome food pictures as usual it makes me hungry! haha.
I really enjoyed the train sounds video too it brought back memories...
Student
http://holy-star-ocean.livejournal.com
So in Shibuya have place that full of scrabbles and poster too ^^
And love your post about Japan~
Student (Programing, Streaming, Gaming)
Awww, the food looks good! I hope you had a splendid week.
College Freshmen
I also use something similar to Grand Perspective although it automatically tells you which is which. It's actually very useful.
Slacker
You must really be working hard, it looks like you've lost weight in that shot with the folks from Aquafadas. Maybe it's because you're standing behind them a bit and the picture was shot with a wideangle lens. Hope you take time out for a vacation sometime soon.
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Hope to still make the Canada trip but things in Tokyo are getting a wee bit too busy.
http://www.marvinryan.com
your 32gb iphone has the new os right? I don't think it can be jailbroken at the moment.
Just like to share, thought Otousan means daddy, in Filipino it share a phonetic similarity to a derogatory term for maid or house help. ^^
btw your local mister donuts seem to sell better quality stuff than out local one. ^^; also your image of mabo tofu made me hungry. ^^;
IT Support
According to this article, 3GS has been jailbroken:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/07/03/how-to-jailbreak-the-iphone-3gs/
http://www.marvinryan.com
coolness! guess it's time to upgrade my firmware. ^^
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Yes - the 3GS.
graphic designer, dog groomer
http://www.kilmerhansen.com
I read through this post and listened to all the train jingles while doing it. Kind of enchanting.
Undergraduate student.
http://quantum-force.deviantart.com
I laughed for that donut XD
Undergraduate student.
http://quantum-force.deviantart.com
Oh, also, I just remembered...
Is the sushi on the right the sake nigiri?
Looked different, though...
Graphic Designer
I love Otosan! XD
Ever since I saw your article with the Otosan keychain I can’t get enough of him. Like many of the Softbank commercial featuring him. My favorite commercial is the cake one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od3nBvG59iA
There was a time I was curious about Natto and wanted to try it. I was thinking, how different could it be from some funky Chinese foods I love? Like fermented bean cured or thousand year old eggs. But then I had a Japanese friend tell me Natto is a sticky gooey food, which I discovered I had a problem downing. Its one sensation I can’t quite stomach for any cuisine. I’ve had a few run in with stick gooey foods while I was in Japan as well… seems quite popular over there.
image ID#27299
Wow, did not expect to see something like this in Tokyo. Very NYC, lol, or USA.
University Student
Am interested in those unknown figures. Sushi looks delicious, sucks how I can't find a good place to get some decent sushi's around where I live.
drafting designer,video game tester
nice
Student
http://lordofgundams.blogspot.com/
Interesting week:
Food looks yummy, welcome to the iPhone 3G S, cute figures you photographed, and I hope your Macbook Pro is restored to an operational state.
anime + games collector
all round brillance as always danny.
Dance Trooper: DCX-001 O.D.E. (Order of the Dancing Empire)
http://dannychoo.com.my
Wow! that dish calculating gadget is soo advanced & hassle free~~~
I would go for the Otousan plushy~~~
No students rate call plans here........
"Underground Chinese restaurant", do they serve exotic foods ^^
LMAO @ Pon De Ring and Saber Lion
Nice MBP 17'
Ah....the figure are too cute tat make me feel like wanting it! >_<
Otari Vader, Sith Lord for Hire, will fillet Makoto Itou for free
http://coffeebugg.blogspot.com/
Another tasty week in Tokyo I see. I'm craving sushi now.
vendor
http://www.friendster.com
Nice food. thanks.
Illustrator, Animator ...wanna be
http://raineiro.com/wordpress/
Wow! Thanks so much for share the train jingles, you almost make me cry.
Until listen, I realize the different kinds and variety in sounds.
How I miss that Yamanote times...
I think I found my new ring tone ^_^
Otaku Programmer/Gamer/Artist/Photographer
http://argylebolivar.wordpress.com
w00t nice pictures Danny~!! OCTOPUS SLIDE!?!?!? 0___0
I want some sushi nao ~_~ =3
Web Designer & Game Developer
http://www.naffworld.co.uk/blog/
Really want one of those Akihabara keyholders! I loved all the little train jingles, miles better than the bored droning voice I get on my train to Leeds everyday
Computer science student
The "inu" no yen note is "priceless"!!
Don't know much about iphone. But Canada is not a mobile phone friendly place. You can still buy prepaid sim cards from these companies
7-eleven http://speakout7eleven.ca
PetroCanada Mobility http://mobility.petro-canada.ca
Fido http://fido.ca
Rogers http://rogers.com
7-11 seems to be best bet for visitors. But they don't sell sim cards only. They sell it in a startup package which includes: a sim card, $5 CAD of air time, and a useless low-end phone (sim-locked).
PetroCanada (a gas station chain) works pretty much the same way as 7-11, except you go to a gas station to buy & recharge.
Fido & Rogers requires you open an account and be a resident. Pretty dumb.
BTW, 7-11 & PetroCanada don't have 3G network, only regular GSM, and they have no data service.
Paintball Technician
http://www.myspace.com/sarsinajar
lol i just realized there was a picture of Lion Saber and Donut, lol.
Student
http://fruitjuicy.wordpress.com/
Are those Rainier cherries I spot with the mentaiko? Quite a combo!
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Not sure if Rainier but tasted good.
http://robototoro.wordpress.com/
Never actually paid attention to the jingles on trains, except on the Shinkansen.
pwn3d by two big and a whole bunch of itty bitty dolls.
http://msgeek.insanejournal.com/
J-foods I don't like? UMEBOSHI. Ugh. Never got a taste for it. I know umeboshi is supposed to be really good for you but I don't like it. I also don't like most octopus or squid dishes.
Ditching the Dark Lord: such a nice Vader suit...very well done. Sad to see you part with it. Then again, you're better known for your trooper. I still think you should get one of your musumes a bunhead wig and a Princess Leia dress, and troop with them.
MacBook Pro fail: funny thing, I'm running on a MacBook that is almost 3 years old...it will reach that milestone in November. Still running strong. A few upgrades but no repairs yet. You have such bad luck with your Macs. I wonder if there is some sort of amulet against crashy computers you can get at a shrine somewhere.
$50 beats a plushie anyday.
Chop Sabers: I want the chop sabers that say "B.M.F." on them. Kotobukiya needs to do a Mace Windu pair. Purple for the win!
Programmer
I have a question about the difference between sushi in Japan and the US.
In the US we always get a lump of wasabi with our sushi but I've heard that
sushi in Japan comes prepared with the correct amount of wasabi already in
it and so no wasabi on the side in Japan (and I didn't see any in the pictures
above). Is that correct?
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
yes - wasabi usually in the sushi but you can ask for it without.
Wannabe Web Developer
http://www.sakuafk.com
I am not sure if your Iphone is locked to your carrier or not but I will assume it is. It would not work with SIM card from Canadian carriers unless, of course, you jailbreak it as some people already mentioned it.
If you are planning to your iphone for roaming, I would advice you not to do that because it's pretty pricey for roaming in Canada according to my parents (who came to visit me from Indonesia). It might not be the case since it differs between carriers but just a heads up ^^. In addition, mobile technology in Canada is 1 or 2 generations behind asia-pacific.
Out of curiosity , how sturdy is your office desk (I saw quite a lot of stuff on your desk) ? I wonder if it can hold my pc (25 kg) ^^;. Correct me if I am wrong but did you get those desks from Ikea ?
CEO MIrai Inc
http://www.dannychoo.com/profile/eng/
Apparently can hold up to 50kg.
Wannabe Web Developer
http://www.sakuafk.com
Thx for the info ^^
Library Technician
Hey Danny, I don't think anyone has pointed it out yet, but the figures you have in image #27282 and #27283 are from Mizuiro, an old visual novel from Neko Neko Soft; I'm amazed such figures were even made since Neko Neko Soft was such as small name. The blond girl with the really large bow is Onosaki Kiyoka, the one in back (same uniform) sitting on the floor with the two bows in her hair is Katase Yuki, and the one on the right side, featured prominently in the second picture is the female lead, Hayasaka Hiyori. The girl in the red dress and the one with the blue hair and red bow, behind Hiyori in the first picture, are from Sakura Taisen, I'm not familiar with the series so I don't know their names.
Since I'm on the subject of Mizuiro and Neko Neko Soft. The original game was made into two anime adaptations, one H in 2002 and a second non-H one in 2003, both two episodes long and retained the original cast from the game. An interesting little tid-bit about the series, Yuko Goto (of Haruhi's Mukuru fame) was one of the staple voice actors for Neko Neko Soft and provided the voices for many of the female leads in their games, including the role of Hayasaka Hiyori (prominent girl in image #27283) in Mizuiro.
Another Neko Neko Soft games that was made into an anime is Lamune, featurning none other than Yuko Goto, once again voicing the female lead. Unfortunately, Lamune (the anime) was quite boring and subsequently fell off the map. Neko Neko Soft's demise promptly ended Yuko Goto's career voicing H-games, but opened up her talent for anime.
If you're interested in seeing the Mizuiro anime (2003 version, the non-H one) just google "chibi no choco mizuiro" and it should be the first result. Might have to scroll down a little to find the link. I highly recommend it, it's short and sweet, and was one of the animes that really brought me into taking anime more as an art form than just quick, dry entertainment.
part-time professional part-timer
So many Mappletoshes O.O you should do another Mac life Danny XD
buffer
Sweet pics, Danny. Betcha you had a awesome week.
Informant
http://www.kyotokitty.com
What type of camera(s) are you using for all of your photos in this entry? The pictures are so bright with color and extremely sharp!
I'm hoping you're not going to say it's in the 4-digit category -_-;
Art Student/Freelancer
http://jenarwen.deviant.art.com
Wow that laptop has some pretty pathetic specs. Can buy something far better for that price. Wodner if any poor soul fell for that.
health carer
The reason they can fetch such prices is that they are kind of a collectors item, IBM computers are seriously well designed in terms of how they are built inside and outer case strength, underneath the rubberized black exterior is titanium ;)
Quite an expensive metal!
They are also designed to be super self-serviceable, so in the event that anything goes wrong it is quite easy to repair yourself.
To put it in perspective, a new IBM Thinkpad would cost you over a grand, much the same as a Macbook.
And old Macbooks with poor specs still fetch charming prices, because of how well they are built ;) It is much the same with Thinkpads.
There are people who need fast laptops, people who need strong laptops, and people who need both.
But for that price you would not be getting anything with the exterior durability of a Thinkpad, Macbook or Toughbook.
Polytechnic Junior, Bronze Lifesaving Trainee, Mech Designer In-training.
http://thehangerbay.wordpress.com/
Can't keep my eyes... off... the food... *growl*
University slacker
http://chocopan.wordpress.com
Pon de Rings look so good ;_;
All the food you take photos of looks good. ;_; And the Kyoka Puchi Nendoroid is super adoraboo! :D
Student, Part time Mechanic, Otaku
Goodness, more macs for the mac man. I'm glad I build my own systems, however there is no luxury of tech support. Although the recovery system is a lot more efficient in macs I see.
Cook, avid manga reader, avid video game player
http://blogbygene.blogspot.com/
ya iv had my white iphone 3g for about 6 motnhs now, actually its 6 months today. its still white and perfect as i bought it. i chose the white over black cause i kinda new that the white wasnt gona turn yellow.
University Student; Full-Time Tiger, part-time Geneticist. (One day, the alligator-puppy will be mine...)
I think it would be cool to see the item you order when you get it alongside the picture from the menu.
And yeah, the white on the mac stuff is a lot better than the NDS (mine's white[ish]).
Fandubbing Teenager & Amateur Otaku
http://polymused.0fees.net/blog/
OOOO I just love the light saber chopsticks. I want a pair!! D8
Great pictures of food! The various Japanese food looked simply delicious. I got hungry once again.. XD
Multimedia Technology Student
http://thehappyninjadrawn.wordpress.com
I wish we had student discounts for mobile phone plans here, but alas we don't. I can't wait till my plan ends for my iPhone so that I can get the 3GS, but probably by the time my plan finishes there will be a newer iPhone =D.
I've also heard that the white iPhone starts to turn a bit yellow after a while which is a shame since I really wanted to get a white iPhone next. I might still get one none the less and just keep it in super protective armour ^^.
Graphic Design student | Receptionist | Otaku
http://sukidesho.blogspot.com/
Beautiful pictures as always, Danny! I've been keeping up with the site via RSS-email feed but, it certainly feels better reading the photo articles with photos XD
The food looks quite tasty, makes one wonder how Japanese people manage to maintain their weight, since the food looks so yummy~
With each "A week in Tokyo" photo article, our desire to go to Japan increases, all thanks you Danny ^-^
Overman
http://myplasticmoustache.blogspot.com/
Most excellent food porn, as usual. I can already imagine how they taste like. Even the food that probably won't agree with me, like that fish sperm sack you posted once. Did you ever try that Danny?
Computer Engineer , Jedi
I just love the look of the Tasty Food options out there, I want to get me to Japan so bad, when my kids are grown up and I can afford it I am so over there...
student
I want the saber chop sticks...
Retailerz
Lies! The food does look like the pictures! Unlike here we have next to no pictures and get severed a sloppy mess.
This is awesome! xO
I wish my car would make these jingles when I stop to go somewhere >.<
I love the disney ones. ^^
Dollfie Dream collector, student, and software technician
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dollfiedreams
omg, now I feel in need of nigiri sushi refill.
I think those sushi are surf clam (Hokkigai) on the left and bonito on the right.
。。。that octopus slide looks pretty funny
I have yet to find where I can buy mentaiko here, saw it in a recipy book and got curious. Is it sold frozen or in the refrigirated section at the grocery store?
I tried natto once, I couldn't tell if it had gone bad or if it was supposed to taste that way... tasted weird!! hehe.
Designer/Artist
I think the Saber-chopsticks are so cool!! Wonder whether I can find it in Malaysia...
Airlines
http://twitter.com/ckonefilm
Extraordinary update. It was worth the wait. I enjoyed every bit of it.
中学生
http://thezhukeeper.blogspot.com
Those saber chopsticks are sooo cute! ^^ should put some bulbs in and make it light up, useful when eating in low lighting!
High School Student
Food looks so good XD especially the sushi :p
♦College Student♦
Mr Donuts Pon De Ring looks yummy. As for the guy who's stripping posters off a wall; where can I get a pair of those pants D:
三年せいとオタク
Wow looks like Saber was seperated at birth. All that food looks really yummu could use some nice chinese food right about now T^T All I´ve had for 2 weeks is Mexican food which is okay but I want some variety.
Student
OH the chip in the plates work with the scanner is really functionable, quick and modern
Hope this kind of technical can work in the world
I.T. Student
http://twitter.com/imaginarywall
It's a good thing you didn't get the White iPhone Danny, people over here in the US have seen discoloration from the battery heating up so much. It turns slightly brownish because the battery gets so hot. I dont think any have exploded or died yet, but it did get hot. As far as Jailbreaking the 3GS it is possible. I dont know about your version for hardware goes, but I'm sure that it is locked to your carrier only, that's how it is here in the US. You'll have to most likely get it Jailbroken, and you are in luck, it is already able to be broken. One thing though with the Jailbroken phones is that with the Jailbroken firmware you have to pay attention to what you install as far as application goes, since with the Jailbroken firmware you will see some application Lag, especially if you have alot of them running in the background. Really depends, with that the application that you can run on a Jailbroken iPhone are awesome, you can run Winterboard to change your iPhone looks and add crazy Themes to it. The firmware also allows you to use SSH with the phone and install a light weight http server, so you can connection remotely to the iphone and and remotely transfer any file to/from it. Most people are useing a SSH Daemon to do it~ So Jailbreak has its pros and cons~ Really depends~
thousand master II, Internet Learner, Auto didacta
http://pipopaz.wordpress.com/
since i can't go to Japan yet, i love reading this articles to get my taste of Japan, thx Danny!
west virginia janitor
http://yahoo.com
Hi pipopaz. I have a comment I would like to pass on. If you would like to get an actual taste of something that comes directly from Japan, then try this. Are you familiar with Ebay? If you are, if you like Doritos, go to Ebay and search for Japanese Doritos. I've been buying Japanese Doritos for some time from Ebay. They have some really interesting flavors too. I always request for the seller to wrap the Doritos bag in Japanese Newspaper and when I receive them in the mail, the box the Doritos come in comes from Customs in Japan and the Newspaper inside is extremely cool. Just thought I would pass this information along to you if you are interested in something that comes directly from Japan.
west virginia janitor
http://yahoo.com
Wow, a week in Tokyo 41 is extremely cool. I scrolled from the top to the bottom. I'd give anything to visit Japan even if it were a month. To live among those people there, browsing the stores, meeting the people, just being there would blow my mind.I especially enjoyed the youtube segment about the best sushi place where the camera panned along the counter showing the different people enjoying their meal. Wondering what is going through their minds at that moment. And I've never seen anything like the kaiten sushi places that count how many dishes a person has to work out the cost from the different colors of the dishes? The girl puts some kind of reader on the dishes and it prints out how much the meal costs? I don't think the U.S. here would do anything like that. And then it shows inside of the stores there and also seeing pictures of Tokyo at night? I just can't get over how everything in Japan and Tokyo looks clean. I'm sure there are places though in Japan and Tokyo that aren't. I'm sure there are dirty places around the world but Japan and Tokyo to me looks absolutely gorgeous. Keep up all the wonderful things going on because this is all very very wonderful to see.
Navy Recruit
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=519499924&ref=profile
Wow once again great stuff, food looks yummy, pics look great. can't wait to get to japan
高専生
http://umedaizu.blog.shinobi.jp/
こんにちは、
先ほど撮うろうろくしたものです。
なんとなく登録しまいました。
こういう写真ブログは大好物だったりします。またちらほらのぞきに来るので( ・∀・)
closet hikikomori
http://www.nekoguchi.com
oh man i miss the japanese train station ring tones soooooooooooooooo much!
Daigakusei [Consular and Diplomatic Affairs]
http://dixinfernal.wordpress.com
lovely food!!!
and
microchips on plates?!?!?! that's friggin' awesome!
Illustrator/japanese language student
http://animesoussu.blogspot.com/
That train jingle keychain is awesome! I'm really hungry for sushi now... >.>
pixels & photography
http://www.studiosushi.com
ohoh aquafadas @ dannychoo ! I worked for them (internship) few years ago, a very cool company w/ very cool softwares ! wishin' them all the best ! o//
Noodle Eater
http://www.gamekult.com/blog/lerudi/
Like everyday, awesome pictures!
Illustrator
The sushi on the right should be sea surf clams. Ive used to eat them by the bagfull when I was young using toothpicks. Good times.. heh. Chewy, but utterly delicious.
Photographer, Writer and Anthropologist
http://www.ladylarajonesadventures.com
As always, a fantastic article that I can't help but browse the pictures over more than once. And yes, the train station sound does transport me back to Japan! Thanks for that! It was exactly what I needed to break up my work day.
Aspiring Comic Artist
http://rhodavoxie.blogspot.com/
Great photos!! Each fabulously documented - I love how you take us through your journeys, I feel like I'm there with you almost/ :3
And Natto... UGH. I really wanted to eat and swallow (very hard!) it, masking it over with the notion that it is extremely good for you. I felt like a child again, being forced by your parents to eat those brussel sprouts again. But I'd much rather each sprouts than natto! One word sticks in my head when I eat it - Phlegm.
Dang that food looks so good, I wish they had that good looking of sushi where I live. I hear from friends that sushi in Japan is cheaper and better then comparing to Canada, is this true?
Student
http://blackcomet.pcriot.com/
haha wish i had that here... am hungry now :P
Game Designer
http://www.ahbonk.net
OMG those hotates look good! Feel like going out now to grab some of those!
CEO of iKurisu.com
http://www.ikurisu.com
making me hungry =/
Associate Engineer
Hey yo, Interesting read. i always like your weeks in Tokyo posts. gives me a great insight on everyday stuff in Tokyo. Anyway your beachballing in the mac system might be due to an update from Apple. If you googled firmware EFI 1.7, you can see you are not alone in the world of beachballing. apparently it screws up hard disks compatibility.
hope to see more posts like these!
International Being of Mystery
http://oneandonlyjem.com
mmmmmmmm. All that food looks delicious.
Programmer
The sushi looks great.
On september I'll go to Japan for around 2 weeks, can you tell me where are the place from the first pictures? Seems to be a good place to taste some nigiri and sashimi.
Thx.
PS: Congrats on your web, I found you after reading kirai ones, and yours is amazing.
I like the the high technology (compared to Italy:( ) and food you have in Japan....what I found amazing is that when I was in Japan I felt full also with little portions and I felt so well...when I came back to Italy my stomach asked loudly for Japanese food again...so I began to look for shops of Japanese food in Milan...
Very nice post...I miss Japan so much...
student and lover
http://www.littlebigworkshop.com/en-us/Me
tokyo food looks great there is only a couple of sushi restarants in my contry
Spec Ops Otaku
More fantastic things, nice.
Pic 27298:
*Alert Sound Effect*