ひどい風邪をひいている。。。I've catch cold...and it is the worst one among several series of influenza I've had before in my life...Seems like my body is still in the stage of adapting to the winter condition..cold and dry...I still managed to attend my everyday routine to the kenkyuushitsu but with less experimental activity and more to surfing and reading journals..
My bad influenza starts with only a few cough but it get worst day by day..By recommendation from a lab friend, I bought Benzablock, self-remedy lozenges (24 in a box) for cough and flu with natural herbs costing 900Yen at the Coop's pharmacy. They even bought me some kairo カイロ, sticky patches like koyok in Malaysia but you stick it outside your inner (not directly on skin) and it wil... Read More
I stumbled upon a rare sight whilst walking along the front of Starbucks at the Hachiko crossing. It was nothing unusual at first as I noticed a group of young, trendy girls having a quick cigarette by the roadside.
Soon, my view cleared up and I saw these girls standing by two baby strollers. It was my first experience seeing a “Shibuya Mummy” let alone a Shibuya "Gyaru” mother!
For those who are unfamiliar with the slangs of the j-folk, the word “Gyaru” is a katakanised version of the English word “girl” used to describe heavily made-up, brown haired, Japanese girls. These Shibuya mothers walk around with their strollers, a cigarette in hand constantly blowing smoke right in their children's faces. Shocking isn’t it? Well after living in Tokyo for a few ye... Read More
I knew I was gonna get my mind freakin’ blown upon finally making it to Japan. But you can never predict mind-blowing and just how incredible it is, no matter how much you prepare. I thought I had a decent grasp, I got over my mild panic upon first stepping into Kansai airport in a matter of one pack of cheap smokes. The train was easy enough to figure with my pidgin Japanese, and the walk to the hotel was harmless, despite the sudden realisation I was in a ghetto, with my pack, blue eyes and blonde hair acting as a sign round my neck that said very clearly for everyone ? ‘tourist.’
So I meet this dude Yoji on my first expedition to the communal lounge, and he asks if I want to go check out the red light district, just a block or so east. I’m feeling consc... Read More
Yes it’s about that time people! Time to go to your local Tokiwa department store or Lawson and browse the shelves for what a majority of the population will be eating for Shougatsu (New Years). The highly coveted Osechi meal box appears but once a season. Now to the untrained gaijin eye you may wonder why this special new years boxed meal is so expensive… The reason is it’s not a bento but Osechi or prepared traditional dishes of the New Year.
Osechi traditionally is a large array of New years dishes cooked and prepared before the actual Shougatsu or first of January. A tomodachi told me that osechi basically started out as cultural festival cuisine but over the years has evolved into a way to ensure mom doesn’t have to cook for a couple of days. Thank the gods, mom... Read More
When uninitiated people think of Japan they generally think of the centuries old history and rich culture however these things have nothing to do with the daily experience of life in Tokyo. Well my life anyway. Having lived in a guest house in Maruyamacho, the 'dirty' part of Shibuya I have seen and heard a lot of things. Being a young, blonde, white woman in Tokyo you can get yourself into some very strange situations, very easily. It's not that I purposely go out of my way to get into these situations I guess I'm just a general freak magnet.
While living in the 'dirty' part of Shibuya last time I regularly walked through pink town to get to the station in the morning. One such morning I was approached by a reasonably normal looking Japanese man w... Read More
It's not everyday that you wake up and realize that you have over a dozen World Heritage Sites in your backyard. UNESCO assigns natural and cultural sites World Heritage status every year around the world. What makes Japan particularly special is its high concentration of sites. Doting the landscape from Kyushu to Hokkaido, Japan is one of the most culturally relevant countries on the planet.
As a foreigner living in Japan I am constantly in awe of my surroundings. From the mundane to the spectacular, I am always in the presence of what I consider beauty. Nowhere are these differences made more apparent then in Japan's relationship with it's own history. A civilization with a richer and more sophisticated history then my own; I often find myself marvelin... Read More
?1000 says you have never heard of them. Their name is Psychic Lover (サイキックラバー), and I spent ample time during my two weeks in the anime division at Columbia Music hanging out with them. The guy on the left is Yoffy (pronounced yoh-fee) and the guy on the right is Jo (pronounced Jo). Both guys are 29, though like every Japanese person, they certainly don’t look that old. Yoffy is responsible for the band’s name, and is the composer and lead vocalist for all the duo’s songs. Jo works on lyrics, provides backup vocals, and shreds through wicked guitar solos.
Psychic Lover is one of the biggest names in Japanese anime music. They have written theme songs or supporting music for Power Rangers, Witchblade, Gaiking, and Transformers (among many others)... Read More
It started out as a trip with Doshisha University students to Osaka Castle and other sightseeing areas around the city. I enjoy these joint sightseeing trips because they are a great opportunity to speak Japanese; however, walking around a crowded city with a group of indecisive students always proves to be trouble.
A group of us went to the “electric town” area of Osaka, but didn’t manage to make it into a single electronics shop due to inter-group indecision. We finally ended up at the technologically innovative McDonald’s and ate special edition fries flavored with spicy basil. At least the fries were spot on.
The Doshisha University students (probably the male ones) decided that we should all go to a maid café after our sightseeing was done. However, since ou... Read More
My friend Izumi and I went to a small restaurant in nearby Akasaka to eat poisonous blowfish. Since this may very well be my last blog post before death sets in, I will take a moment to say that I love you all!
Blowfish or “fugu” has been a taste treat in Japan since the medieval period. The best time to eat the dish is in the winter, when the fugu get fat in order to survive the icy waters. The dish is famous due to the poisonous toxins found in certain parts of the meat. If not prepared correctly, the fish meat can retain enough poison to cause death if ingested. Every year a handful of people die from fugu poisoning. Since 1958, fugu chefs have been required by the Japanese Ministry of Health to be officially licensed to serve the meat (this license should be visi... Read More
Seriously. I have been to Tokyo enough times to feel comfortable finding my way on the JR and the local subway lines. I know which spots in Shinjuku to avoid and where to go to get an amazing bowl of ramen. This city, though, always finds a way to leave me stunned and gawking; with my mouth hanging open like a fresh off the plane gaijin.
Senso-Ji temple is a perfect example. Tucked away in a sedate corner of Taito, the temple perfectly encapsulates all that is modern day Japan. The temple is nestled in the neighborhood of Asakusa, and it is sometimes erroneously referred to as Asakusa temple, as opposed to Senso-ji. The temple is the oldest in all of Tokyo and one of it's most significant.
The temple is devoted to the bodhisattva Kannon, as well a... Read More
No story of success would be complete without beginning with disaster. For those interested in the clubbing scene in Japan, this article should give a good foray into the unusual world of Tokyo nightlife. To begin, Japan for some reason does not adhere to a set system of street signs or numbered buildings. That being said, finding any location in the major cities is nearly impossible without a guide. We weren't so fortunate.
I stated previously that our purpose in Japan was to bring our musical tastes as Dj's to the Asian market. The first step would be to find a few clubs to play at. To tackle this obstacle we tried a number of approaches. The first was to email every club in the greater Tokyo region with resumes, which proved unfruitful. The second step was to visit t... Read More
Since the transplanting has now reached it's seventh month, I have begun to truly miss some things. These things, would have gone unnoticed, and un-missed, for the most part. A decent slice of pizza and a normal jar of peanut butter, bottoming out this list. Being from the south, however, I had began missing something that I was sure I would be unable to find in the land of the corn, mayo, egg, potato pizza. It was a weekend tradition among my friends that persisted for many a year. I speak, of course, of the flea market. Most of my friends were devout thrifters and loved the flea market for its endless mountains of cheap vintage clothing. Not to mention the hours afforded observing the colorful cross section of drowning victims in the human gen... Read More
Our adventures in Japan started off on a difficult and tumultuous journey. My name is Lance Lasheras, and alongside my best friend Justin Kim, we decided to journey to Japan in order to pursue our dream of becoming world famous DJ's. The reason why we would choose to go to a country in which we know nothing about the culture, language, or industry is simply because our genre of music is very popular there. Our stories will chronicle our adventures in the country, in hopes to entertain others as well as possibly make some contacts while over here.
Our first real adventure in Japan came in the form of picking up our equipment. Anyone who has Dj'ed before is aware of the sheer volume of electronic equipment necessary for the craft. While we moved into a home in Noborito,... Read More
What a wonder it is to witness another country's music industry. Surely, I thought to myself Japan with it's Manga anime and crazy films and game shows would indeed be a melting pot of creativity and flair.
I spent the last five years in England floating from band to band and eventually to acoustic night playing my way around drunken venues. Always with a key message in my head about my belief in music and how I would never "sell out" or "be an ego" when it came to becoming famous. On arrival in Japan I thought "f#ck it". I decided that this was a great place to "make it" in the music business so that in the future after i at least break the market I could start to record what I enjoy. I auditioned for a few western bands around tokyo but eventually found solace in an al... Read More
12 days Hokkaido motorcycle touring are over - lots of memories remain. Let me share some of them with you.
Going from Toon City (Shikoku) to Maizuru City (Kyoto-ken) for the ferry to Otaru City (Hokkaido) was my first challenge. Roughly 450 kilometers with a fully loaded bike. At Otaru I stayed at a friend's place, who is a log house builder. From there I went to Wakkanai, my home for two nights, enjoying the nature, great food, talking to other bikers and visiting places like Cape Soya, with Russia's Sakhalin island 43 kilometers away. Wakkanai to Shiretoko National Park past Lake Saroma was next. Long, straight roads with little traffic, along the coastline everything that makes a biker's heart beat faster. Two nights at the Raussu camp ground, watching ... Read More
