November 2007 Archives

The tree went up on Union Square the other night.

That means the Season of Sales has begun!

It's all pretty and all lit up but check THIS out. Using a cherry picker to place ornaments? Isn't that...erm...cheating??

Back in MY day, we used a ladder! Or a chair...

I was at Omiya Station (Sataima, wah!) waiting to catch the Asama Shinkansen to Nagano a couple of Sundays back when I saw this sign.

Nothing unusual, right? Just a couple of signs telling you when and what the next train will be at the platform. But look closer at the sign on the right side.

What is a "party" train?

Wonder how the "party" was. Can someone explain, please? =P

Well, after years and years, MUJI has finally made it to the USA. Of cors, it's in Soho. Here's some info about the new Soho store and an interview with the MUJI president.

Since it's the first store here, figures that they'd have a limited selection of products. But do they have the house?? Now THAT's something I'd like to have shipped! When you're in Tokyo, visit the flagship store in Yurakucho where they actually have the house assembled (and a greeter in the foyer) so you can do a walk through. More on the MUJI infill house here.

A visit is due next time I'm in New York! (hat tip: Mari's Diary)

Remember this scene from Memoirs of a Geisha (AKA Sayuri in Japan)?

It looks dramatic because it is! Thanks Roy!

In this picture, it looks very dramatic. And in real life, it's dramatic as well. Fushimi Inari-taisha is the name of the temple in Kyoto that's really a MOUNTAIN with paths covered in torii.

This is the beginning. It's all UPHILL from here...

If you can get over the fact that you're climbing a MOUNTAIN, it's really beautiful and it's more torii gates then you'll ever need to see for your entire life.

This was pretty much the view for 2+ hours. There were lots of rest stops though.

Then when you get to the top, do you get a view or some kind of "you're done, yay" sign? NO. You do get a shrine and a rest stop where the lady, who doesn't speak much english but must get this question a lot, said "is top" as I asked her if she spoke english.

I understand that this is a shrine and all, but is this IT? Yup...

I took a lot of artsy fartsy pix on the trudge up the mountain. Eventually they'll show up here...

At least I think it's a geisha (or geiko in Kyoto-Ben)

So beautiful, so elegant...

So so HUNGRY??

How does one slurp noodles lidat and not mess up the makeup?

It kinda looked like they were having fun eating!

Hey, you gonna eat that?

Drinking in Japan is the stuff of legend. Both for the fun and for the price (usually expensive). In Kyoto however, is a bar called the Moonwalker. It's on the main drag along the canal next to a Harley themed bar. Entry is Y300 and drinks are Y200 apiece. They're not watered down but they ARE half size. Regardless, you can drink a LOT and get smashed very quickly.

So here's Momo and Yuki again. Fellow backpackers at the hostel who I wound up going to dinner and boozing with on my first night in Kyoto. Soon to be graduates of Uni in Tokyo, both of them have spent a year in english speaking countries (New Zealand and Canada) so their english is quite good. Also very fun to hang out with.

Erm, too many drinks will do this to you...!

Besides cheap drinks, the Moonwalker has a small selection of snacks that we were comped since we ordered so many drinks. Like these bunny shaped buns. Bun buns? We had something else too but I forgot what else we ate.

...cuz we ate lots of these bunnies!

Shortly after we arrived, a party of three came in and took the table next to us. Since they were "next to us", for them to be seated meant that half of our table had to get up so they could squeeze inside. As a result, they became part of our merryment (along with the Aussies at the bar). Note the one in the red cardigan on the right. Unbeknownst to me, I was to see her again...fate perhaps?

Hiya neighbours!

They had the same fascination with the drinks as we did. They did the Japanese thing. Whipped out their phones and took pictures of their drinks. As opposed to us Joe Gaijin that merely whipped out cameras.

wish MY phone could do that...

More drunken merriment until our neighbours left and then we left the bar later on.

I can hold my breath for THIS long!

Wheeee! Merryment!

And on the death march back to the hostel, we passed a LOT of combini. So naturally we heeded the siren's call and got some refreshment. Mmmmm! Refreshment!

Nightcap!

WAHAHAHAH!

After settling in at the hostel, the next order of business was finding a place to eat.

I do have priorities you know!

I went to the room next door and met two more backpackers who were also hungry. On the way out the door, we picked up one more for a total of four. Makes it easier to get a table lah.

Anyway, we wound up in Kyoto's Terimachi Arcade at a beer hall called Ichiba Coji. There's also one of these in the Kyoto Station building. Look at how this place is designed. Definitely does not scream "beer hall". I thought it was a "Kyoto cuisine" place.

Very design-y. And inbetween the bricks on the floor, there's water and goldfish

The food didn't seem very much in the "beer hall" vein either.

Wah! So nice! This is bar food??

So nice, ne? Momo and Yukiko

We also ordered some bibimbhap and some grilled beef with sauce.

You figure out which dish this is!!

Naturally at the end of a good meal, it's time for camwhoring!

One of these people is NOT from the hostel but from the restaurant (our waitress). CHOOSE!

Four full and slightly tipsy backpackers, ready for more!

I found out after the fact that they also have a "free flow drinks" option where you pay Y1200 and for 90 minutes, you get all the booze you can drink. I'm sure there's SOME limits, but I would have liked to try that!

Come on in!

Ichiba Coji
Terimachi Arcade, Bottom Floor
Kyoto

京都市中京区寺町錦上ル
ウイズユービル BF
TEL 075-252-2008

Miyajima, one of THE scenic spots in Japan is only 30 minutes away from JR Hiroshima by train and then 10 minutes away via ferry. For a scenic spot, it's VERY easy to get to. Some of the best shots can be had on the ferry ride over.

Please take note of the sky...

The floating torii at low tide

I actually made TWO trips to Miyajima. The first trip was made on a day that started rainy and continued to be rainy. The next day was sunny so I made land and visited the Itsukushima temple and the town.

The entrance to the temple. Y300 please!

Much of the temple is actually on stilts so when it's high tide, it looks like it's floating, like the torii. Unfortunately, high tide is at 0740 and then gradually recedes.

Low tide is so low you can walk to the torii.

The temple is a big part of the town. It draws the tourists in and is the symbol of Miyajima. Here's some renditions from the local school.

I like the second one. Verrrry abstract

Miyajima is also a town with several other temples and a main street that runs from the ferry terminal along the side of the island to the entrance of the temples. The town also runs into the hills.

Miyajima is also known for the quality of their rice scoops. And on display in the center of town is the world's largest rice scoop.

Dun wanna see the rice cooker that they use this with!

There's also some ryokan here. Next time I'll spend the night and chill.

Remember how much I luurve good advertising??

I think it's an ad for a credit card or something lidat

Well, it's about shopping but I'm not really paying attention!

I even took a swing at creating some advertising! Wonder if they'll pay me for it?

On the first episode of No Reservations aptly titled "why the french don't suck", Tony Bourdain devotes part of the show to the simple joy of sticking your head into the door of a strange restaurant and finding bliss.

Of course, as it is with all TV shows, this segment was scripted. However, it still explained the point of leaving your culinary comfort zone to try and find new places that can eventually become old places (and part of your comfort zone) and then you can continue the search for new places. It never ends, unless they outlaw good tasting reasonably priced food (like they seem like they're trying to do back home in SF, NYC and other places).

My first visit to Tokyo and my indoctrination into the ramen world took place a few years back at a small ramen shop off of Koshu-Kaido dori, across from a Citibank down the hill from the south exit of JR Shinjuku-eki. The place is still there and I've made my usual visit.

But the other night, I was hungry and decided to expand my horizons. I noticed a small shop across the way from one of the many small computer shops that populate this part of Shinjuku.

There's an a/v shop behind me!

It has the usual flags up, but none of them said "ramen". Looking inside, there were lots of people and it LOOKED like a ramen place, but I wasn't sure. So I continued to walk around, passing the mysterious place every 5 to 10 minutes, sneaking peeks through the wooden slats that cover the windows.

When you see this from the other side, it's intimidating

After 30 minutes of indecision (and stomach grumbling), I walked in and took a seat and tried to figure out the elegant looking menu. Thankfully they had an english menu that was not as elegant looking and I was able to place an order for a bowl of shio ramen.

irrashimasse!

Well, it looks nice...too bad I can only read 6 characters on it!

After the beer and the water, comes the shio!


This is the starter in all true ramen shops!

SHIO!!

It was a delicious broth, light and flavourful with just a touch of oil with the slices of toriniku and negi sitting majestically on the top

And guess what? The thin ramen noodles I lurrve! I hit a gold mine!

So now this is one of my "must go" places now. And they play real jazz inside!

The Tokyo Design Week had a lot of neat stuff. Held in a field in Aoyama Park, it had a big tent in the middle full of vendors and cool stuff you could buy (but couldn't photograph), a stage for musicians, a cafe and obligatory omiyage stand and about 20 containers (you know, the kind that big ships and trucks carry) full of design exhibitions from different organizations.

There was soo much design, I forgot to keep good notes. However, I did take pictures for your bemusement...

Being "green" (the only time you will EVER read that phrase on this blog) was a popular theme this year. Not only did it get people's attention to the exhibits, it served as an opportunity for designers to get creative. This lamp is made with old gashapon containers as the light fixtures and what looks like junk for the rest.

Colourful too!

How about these distant relations to SpongeBob?

blah blah blah under the sea...

Here is a lamp from the collection of Wile E. Coyote. Gee, I didn't know he was a designer in addition to being a soooooper geeeenius. No mention if this is from the Acme Corporation...

...sooooper geeeenius

This bag pretty much sums up what I like to cook with and put under my pancakes in the morning...

NEVER COOK WITH MARGARINE!!! THAT'S EVIL!!!

This was a projector dog from the Sanyo container, I believe. It's a dog you plug into your computer and it projects whatever is on the computer on the nearest screen. Very powerful.

And big too! See Kanako for scale

Sometimes it's nice to take a breather and slow down. Also it's nice to do when the sun comes out!

Tokyo has one tram line left, a line that cuts through backyards and runs parallel to main streets, rumbling along at its own leisurely pace with lots of old folks riding it.

Many of these folks grew up with the tram line and some fear that once they begin to pass on, so too will this last tram line. It was a nice day to ride around and get some fresh air (because you can open the windows).

Nope. Not yet anyway. This is Kanako, formerly of Rumble Fish sitting in a container exhibit at the Tokyo Design Week event. It's basically a container with a small incline with shredded papers, like the kind you empty out of your shredder at home.

When you toss it up in the air, its looks kinda snowy!

The belle of the ball at the Tokyo Motor Show was the new GT-R.

Of cors, if you're in the know, you know that you could get up close and personal with the GT-R at Nissan's Ginza Gallery instead of having to deal with the scrum at the show. So here we are.

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The back end, which most drivers will see briefly

Hi!