Stuff In Japan

Star Wars Vehicle Collection 2

2009-04-06T20:05:00.005+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Purchased Price : 420 Yen

Scale : 1/144

Maker : F-Toys

Collection Set - History of JMSDF Submarines

2009-03-16T22:02:00.004+09:00

Purchase Location : Sakuraya

Purchased Price : 319 Yen

Scale : 1/700

Maker : TAKARA TOMY

Yattaaman (Yatterman) Collection Set

2009-03-11T23:23:00.004+09:00

Purchase Location : Bic Camera

Purchased Price : 240 Yen

Maker : Runa co., ltd.

Kitahara World Toy Collection

2009-03-09T23:33:00.006+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Purchased Price : 350 Yen

Seller : ZACCAPAP

Fran Patisserie - Mix Berry

2009-03-07T21:30:00.004+09:00

Purchase Location : MINISTOP

Purchased Price : 210 Yen

Kcal : 83 Per Pack (total 332)

Maker : Meiji

Kinnikuman Character Eraser Set

2009-03-05T21:22:00.005+09:00

Purchase Location : Bic Camera

Purchased Price : 330 Yen

Maker : Subarudo

Star Wars Vehicle Collection 1

2009-03-02T22:56:00.006+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Purchased Price : 370 Yen

Scale : 1/144

Maker : F-Toys

Here is another great collection set from the maker F-Toys. This is the same company that makes the Star Trek Fleet Collection set that I posted earlier. Now if only this company would make a Stargate collection set!

This Star Wars Vehicle Collection set comes with one (each box) of the six following models in it.

X-WING STARFIGHTER
AT-ST and SPEEDER BIKE
TIE FIGHTER
NABOO N-1 STARFIGHTER and DROID STARFIGHTER
ETA-2 JEDI STARFIGHTER (2 pieces)
Secret Item (TIE CRAWLER)

As you can see above my box contained the ETA-2 JEDI STARFIGHTER (2 pieces).

If you look at the F-Toys website you can see that they are releasing a new Star Wars Vehicle Collection 2 set.

Robo Q - Retro Red

2009-02-28T21:34:00.013+09:00

Purchase Location : Bic Camera

Purchased Price : 2,780 Yen

Maker : TAKARA TOMY

Cho-pan Strawberry Chocolate

2009-02-26T21:22:00.006+09:00

Purchase Location : Life Supermarket

Purchased Price : 148 Yen

Kcal : 220

Maker : Meiji

Yet another chocolate product from the confectionary maker Meiji. This candy is called Cho-pan. I’m guessing that the “pan” in the name may be referring to the Japanese word for bread. There is a little piece of bread (pie crust) that tops each one of the four chocolates that come in the box.

Eco Choco

2009-02-24T22:57:00.005+09:00

Purchase Location : FamilyMart

Purchased Price : 210 Yen

Kcal : 291

Maker : Lotte

This chocolate bar was released on the 14th of this month by Lotte. As the name implies, it is an ecologically minded product. On the back of the wrapper there is a statement that says this chocolate bar was produced from cacao beans that were grown in Brazil on farms that use an agroforestry system.

Being “eco” does come at a price. The cost of this chocolate bar was 210 yen, while an average plain one can be found for around 105 yen at many stores.

Micro RC Helicopter

2009-02-22T21:00:00.008+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Purchased Price : 2100 Yen

Maker : CCP Co,. Ltd.

Recently I have noticed quite a few stores carrying a slew of RC toy helicopters. Their popularity seems to be booming. Most likely this boom is fueled by the recent low prices of RC toys.

I never really payed that much attention to RC toy helicopters until I ran into this incredibly small one. It is called the miniBee. At only ten centimeters in length it truly is micro sized. I was shocked to see that the helicopter actually fits inside of the remote.

This is my first purchase of a RC copter so I really can’t judge whether or not it flies that well. The tail always seems to spin left or right. There is a trim adjustment knob on the controller, but no matter how many times I adjust it, the tail rotor continues to push the helicopter to spin. I can however use the direction control lever to reduce to rate of spin.

Even if this micro RC helicopter is a mere toy, I have to admit I have had quite a bit of fun with it.

In the photo above the white box on the red label reads sekai saishoukyuu, which translates as “world’s smallest” in English.

As you can see above, the helicopter fits snugly in the remote’s body. The remote also serves as a charging base. According to the manual the charging time is approximately thirty minutes and the flight time is around five minutes on a full charge.

There is a good promo video of this RC helicopter in action on the maker’s website here.

Yamato - Cosmo Fleet Collection

2009-02-19T23:50:00.003+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Purchased Price : 380 Yen

Maker : MegaHouse

Space Battleship Yamato, also know as Star Blazers outside of Japan, is one of the classic Japanese animations.

This collection series based on the animation includes the following space craft:

Okita’s Battleship
Supersize Battleship
Space Battleship Yamato Mechanic Ver.
Middlesize Carrier Naska
Supercarrier Valsey

Even though Space Battleship Yamato is rather old, its popularity still remains. More information about this classic series can be seen on Wikipedia’s Space Battleship Yamato page.

Gundam Collectable Figure

2009-02-16T01:00:00.002+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Purchased Price : 620 Yen

Maker : Bandai

To be honest I am not a big Gundam fan. I haven’t even really followed the series. However, when I saw this collectable figure in the store I thought it was really cool. Also, due to the fact that Gundam is of legendary status, I thought I would like to learn more about it.

Anyone visiting a hobby store in Japan would most likely be overwhelmed by the amount of Gundam figures that are available. In fact according to Wikipedia’s Gundam web page, the Gundam franchise is a 50 billion yen trademark. The same page also says that Gundam plastic models account for 90 percent of the character plastic model market’s income. That is just amazing considering how big the market really is.

The above Gundam figure is called the MSM-03C HY-GOGG. It is a amphibious mobile suit.

If anyone knows a good Gundam primer website please let me know.

Dear Cacao - White & Cocoa

2009-02-15T23:14:00.007+09:00

Purchase Location : MINISTOP

Purchased Price : 148 Yen

Kcal : 201

Maker : Glico

Just as the name of this candy suggest it is chocolate pieces that are regular dark chocolate coated with white chocolate. The chocolate in the center is soft in comparison with a regular piece of milk chocolate.

I was quite satisfied with the quality of the chocolate and found it to taste better than the average chocolate bar.

Ultimate Monsters Collection

2009-02-12T20:25:00.008+09:00

Purchase Location : Bic Camera

Purchased Price : 670 Yen

Maker : Bandai

The name of this figure collection series is Ultimate Monsters Godzilla 3. There are six figures in this set. They are as follows:

Godzilla 2003
Mechagodzilla 2003 (jyuubusougata)
Mechagodzilla 2003 (koukidougata)
Space Godzilla 1994
Mothra 2003 (two figures - one male and one female)

I was really hoping to get the regular Godzilla 2003, but when I opened the box I found two Mothra larvae. I was rather surprised to find two. After looking at the back of the box again I discovered that one is male and the other is female. The male Mothra has red eyes and the female Mothra has blue eyes. Also, the Mothra “man” has a slightly movable three segment body, while the female is solid. Blah blah blah... okay as you can see in the photo they look pretty disgusting, not something I will be displaying anywhere soon.

White Gyoza

2009-02-11T21:18:00.006+09:00

Restaurant Name : White Gyoza

Location : Kashiwa, Chiba

Item(s) Purchased : Fried Gyoza & Boiled Gyoza

Purchased Price : 420 Yen (10 Pieces)

Cheesecake Chocolate

2009-02-10T20:33:00.010+09:00

Purchase Location : MINISTOP

Purchased Price : 210 Yen

Kcal : 347 (58g)

Maker : Meiji

As I was milling around the candy section of the local convenience store I happened to run into this new chocolate from Meiji. In fact, according to Meiji’s website this chocolate officially went on sale today.

The name of this chocolate is Gâteau Chocolate and the flavor is Cheesecake Tart. Gâteau is a type of French cake.

The taste of this chocolate was even better than I had expected. It has a rich taste, but it is not overly sweet. Anyone who is a fan of cheesecake would most likely enjoy this chocolate.

Kewpie Mayonnaise

2009-02-09T19:58:00.009+09:00

Purchase Location : Lawson Store 100

Purchased Price : 105 Yen

Kcal : 100 (15g)

Maker : Kewpie

Kewpie Mayonnaise (Kyuupii in Japanese) is just as about as famous as a brand can get. I would be surprised to find any supermarket in Japan that didn’t carry this legendary mayo.

Mayonnaise in Japan has a unique taste. I have heard many Japanese people who have lived overseas say that Japanese mayonnaise is the best. Actually, I would have to agree.

On Wikipedia’s mayonnaise entry page there is a good section about Japanese mayonnaise with several Japanese mayo facts I wasn’t aware of.

The bottle pictured above is rather small at 130g.

Choco Ball - Caramel

2009-02-05T22:17:00.005+09:00

Purchase Location : Life Supermarket

Purchased Price : 73 Yen

Kcal : 145

Maker : Morinaga

Morinaga Choco Balls come in several varieties and are one of the most famous candies in Japan. Even the mascot cartoon bird on the front of the box is well known in Japan. The name of this mascot is “Kyoro-Chan.”

The caramel version of this candy (pictured above) is my personal favorite.

These Choco Balls come in a small re-sealable box. This particular box contains approximately twenty-nine grams inside. At 145 calories it won’t make you feel too guilty to eat the whole box.

LOST Figure Collection - SAYID

2009-02-04T00:25:00.005+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Purchased Price : 420 Yen

Maker : Medicom Toy Corporation

Product Line : Kubrick

As I was browsing the model figures at Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara I ran into this collection series. I actually had to do a double take because I was rather surprised to find a figure collection series for the television show LOST.

As you can see from the picture above, there are seven different character figurines available.

JACK

KATE

SAWYER

SAYID

HURLEY

LOCKE

CHARLIE

As I mention in an earlier posting these collection sets only come with one figure inside and you don’t know which one you will get. I was lucy enough to get my favorite character Sayid.

I may buy a few more boxes of this collection for two reasons. One, I have heard these Krubrick sets are highly sought after and two, I would really like to have that Kate figure.

Dorayaki - Usagiya

2009-02-03T21:30:00.005+09:00

Purchase Location : Usagiya (Ueno, Tokyo)

Purchased Price : 180 Yen

Kcal : Unknown

Maker : Usagiya

Dorayaki is a type of wagashi, which is a traditional Japanese confectionary. It is basically two mini pancakes with sweet red bean paste inside the center. It is very popular and is also the favorite food of the fictional anime character Doremon.

This particular dorayaki is consider by some to be the best in Japan. Personally with my limited experience of eating dorayaki I really can not judge if it is the best. However, of all the ones I have eaten, I can say this one is the best.

This famous wagashi shop is located in the Ueno section of Tokyo. The address is 1-10-10 Ueno, Taito-Ku and a map (Japanese) can be found at this link.

Okayu - Rice Porridge

2009-02-02T21:45:00.005+09:00

Purchase Location : Life Supermarket

Purchased Price : 128 Yen

Kcal : 102 (250g)

Maker : Hikari Shokuhin

When your stomach hurts, or you have a cold, many Japanese people will suggest eating okayu.

Okayu is a type of rice porridge. It can be made in most rice cookers and can also be purchased at most supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan.

There are different pre-made flavors of okayu such as ume, salmon and egg. The one pictured above is shirogayu (plain.)

Jet-Black Stealth - Scale Model

2009-02-01T19:00:00.002+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Purchased Price : 350 Yen

Scale : 1/144

Maker : DOYUSHA

It just amazes me how many scale models you can find in Japan. Of course there are a lot of model kits, but what is surprising is the amount of pre-assembled collector series models available.

This “collection figure” series is called “Shikkoku No Suterusu.” In English that would be “Jet-Black Stealth.” It is a collection of five types of F-117 Nighthawk models and one “Special” F/A 22” model.

I was wondering, what exactly should these type of models be called? I never really thought about it until I started posting about them. technically they are not model kits because the come pre-painted and partly assembled. On this particular model maker’s home page they are called “collection figure.” I personally thought calling them scale models sounds more correct.

Throat Candy - Honey Lemon

2009-01-31T19:17:00.006+09:00

Purchase Location : NEWSDAYS

Purchased Price : 100 Yen

Kcal : 15.1 (one piece)

Maker : KANRO

Well, I thought I was going to be lucky this year, but I was wrong. I ended up getting a cold. I felt it coming on yesterday and it was full-blown today. I’m just hoping it isn’t the flu.

When my throat gets dry or sore my favorite candy is the one pictured above.

The name of this candy is “Hachimitsu Remon C Nodo Ame.” In English it would translate as “Honey Lemon C Throat Candy.”

There are a wide variety of noda ame candies in Japan. This particular one is my personal favorite. It sweetness isn’t overwhelming. If your throat really hurts lozenges that are too sweet get old quickly.

It is sometime hard to find this particular nodo ame. I have only seen it at 7-11 and NEWSDAYS convenience stores.

CHOCO BABY

2009-01-30T23:30:00.003+09:00

Purchase Location : Suriiefu (Three F)

Purchased Price : 118 Yen

Kcal : 186

Maker : Meiji

Oh yeah, Choco Baby!

Basically Choco Baby candy is just little pellets of chocolate. They are slightly hard because they seem to have some type of waxy coating on them.

Choco Baby is very popular in Japan and can be found at a lot of locations. The container this candy comes in makes it convenient to carry around with you and eat a few at a time.

If you are a chocolate lover you will most likely enjoy these. The taste is rather strong. May be it is the small shape of these chocolate pellets that makes them so tasty.

Drinkable Yogurt

2009-01-29T21:53:00.014+09:00

Purchase Location : Suriiefu (Three F)

Purchased Price : 110 Yen

Kcal : 112 (240ml)

Maker : MEIJI

The name of this drink in Romaji is “Burugaria Nomu Youguruto .” The flavor is “Blueberry Mix.”

I’m a diehard Diet Coke fan who doesn’t drink much else. Yes, I know Cola is not the most healthy drink in the world. My friends who drink beer like a fish love to tell me how bad cola is all the time.

Every once in a while I get the urge to drink something other than cola, and this drink is one of my favorites. It has a surprisingly thin taste. It is slightly sweet, but not overbearing.

This drinkable yogurt is a great drink to smooth your stomach after eating too many snacks!

Men's Pocky

2009-01-28T23:45:00.007+09:00

Purchase Location : Sankus

Price : 150 Yen

Kcal : 155 (per pack)

Maker : Glico

Men’s Pocky? Is it just me, or would this name be okay in other countries?

As far as I have heard and seen, Pocky is quite famous in many other countries.

According to the Wikipedia page, Pocky was first introduced in Japan in 1966. Many varieties of Pocky are sold in almost every supermarket and convenience store here in Japan. I would even say it has legendary status as far as snacks go.

Pocky Men’s is not as sweet as other flavors. As the box says, it’s “Bitter Chocolate.” I guess men like it that way? Personally I prefer the coconut flavor. I guess I’m not much of a man.

Star Trek Fleet Collection 01

2009-01-27T23:10:00.007+09:00

Purchase Location : Yodobashi Camera

Price : 370 Yen

Scale : 1/5000

Maker : F-Toys

When I was milling around the other day in my favorite store Yodobashi Camera I came across this collector’s set of Star Trek ships.

There are six different ships in this collection of pre-made plastic models. When you buy one of these boxes you are taking a chance on what Star Trek ship you will be getting. Even if you buy several boxes they might all have the same ship in them.

The six different ships in this collection are as follows:

01 [1/5000] U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D

02 [1/2500] Enterprise NX-01

03 [1/2500] U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701

04 [1/2500] U.S.S. Defiant NX-74205

05 [1/2500] U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Refit)

06 “Secret Item”

As you can see, In this box was the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D. I’m not disappointed, but I was really hoping that it would be the U.S.S. Defiant. Deep Space 9 was my favorite out of all the Star Trek series.

The quality of this model is quite surprising at such a reasonable price. I guess I will just have to play the “plastic model lottery” in an attempt to get all the ships in this collection!

Ume Candy - Muji

2009-01-26T19:03:00.010+09:00

Purchase Location : FamilyMart

Price : 95 Yen

Kcal : 91

Maker : Muji

Ume is a variety of plum, but is often called a Japanese apricot. It is used to make umeboshi, an extremely popular type of pickled food here in Japan.

The candy shown above is just one type of the many ume products sold as snacks.

This particular ume candy is actually “honey neri-ume.” It is sweet, but tartish and very chewy.

Wasabi Ochazuke

2009-01-25T02:30:00.006+09:00

Purchase Location : Lawson Store 100

Price : 105 Yen

Kcal : 12 (per packet)

Maker : Nagatanien

Ochazuke is a very Japanese dish. In the most basic form, ochazuke is just hot tea poured over rice. It is more common though to included other topping items such as seaweed, salmon flakes, ume, etc.

I usually eat ochazuke for breakfast, however I was informed that it isn’t necessarily a breakfast dish. It can be eaten at any meal, and many times at the end of the meal. Also, it is not uncommon to eat ochazuke when you have a bad cold, or even after a drinking party.

My personal favorite ochazuke flavor is the one above, wasabi. The spiciness of the wasabi gives it a little bit of a kick. The brand of wasabi ochazuke pictured above is a little hard to find. It’s good to know the local 100 yen shop carries it.

Sequoia Candy Bar

2009-01-24T17:20:00.006+09:00

Purchase Location : Lawson Store 100

Price : 105 Yen

Kcal : 127 (one bar)

Maker : Furuta

Sequoia candy bars come in several flavors. The one pictured above is strawberry chocolate. They are considered to be in the dagashi (cheap sweets) category of candy. These candy bars are usually sold individually and are priced around thirty-five yen apiece.

This strawberry version has a strawberry cream, milk cream and wafer center.

One interesting note about these famous candy bars is that they are popular with students taking entrance examinations. The reason being is that the Japanese pronunciation of these candy bars is sekoiya. This resembles the word seikou, which means success. By eating these candy bars I guess the students hope to pass their test. Personally, by eating these candy bars I haven’t had too much success on my diet recently.

SOYJOY - Cacao & Orange

2009-01-23T20:20:00.010+09:00

Purchase Location : ampm

Price : 115 Yen

Kcal : 133

Maker : Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company

After eating the 324 calorie mochi donut I posted about yesterday, I thought it might be a good idea to pick something a little more healthy for today.

SOYJOY energy bars have become quite popular here in Japan lately. I have even seen dedicated vending machines for these healthy bars.

When I was looking up some information for this posting I noticed that these energy bars are sold in other countries too. It appears SOYJOY bars were originally produced here in Japan by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company.

The bar above is Cacao & Orange flavor. Many other flavors can be found here in Japan. At 133 calories a bar they are rather healthy, and actually quite tasty too!

Mochi Ring Donut

2009-01-22T14:00:00.019+09:00

Purchase Location : ampm

Price : 120 Yen

Kcal : 324

Recently many stores around the the Tokyo area carry some type of mochi donut. Out of all of them, this one sold under the brand name Bakery avenue at am/pm convenience stores, is my favorite. The special ingredient that makes these donuts so tasty is of course, mochi.

Mochi is often called “Japanese rice cake.” It is made from glutinous rice that is pounded into a paste and then molded into blocks, or other shapes varying in different levels of consistency.

The mochi added gives these donuts a great chewy taste and balances the sweetness of the chocolate.

Manga Heroes

2009-01-21T17:15:00.008+09:00

Purchase Location : MINISTOP

Price : 210 Yen

Maker : ZACCA

It is common for convenience stores in Japan to carry toys. Many of these toys are not only for children, such as this character from a spin-off series of the famous Japanese manga and animation series called Tensai Bakabon. This Animation is so famous that there is even a English Wikipedia page about it (link here).

This plastic figure’s name is Atarou. It is one of a set. The name of this set is Manga Heroes. There appears to be twenty-four different characters, plus a special one, in this collection.

Even though I am not a big collector of plastic figures I was really hoping to get one the characters from Tensai Bakabon called Unagi-Inu (“Eel Dog” in English).

To see more of the character figurines of Tensai Bakabon (and the spin-off series) available from this toy maker take a look at this link.

Cheeza Crackers

2009-01-20T20:00:00.012+09:00

Purchase Location : MINISTOP

Price : 190 Yen

Kcal : 194

Cheeza crackers are produced by Glico food company and can be found at many convenience stores and supermarkets in the Tokyo area.

They come in two flavors, cheddar and Camembert cheese. The cheddar version, with fifty-two percent real cheese, is hands down my favorite snack in Japan.

As far as the taste goes, they have a very strong cheese taste and they are extremely crunchy.

At 190 yen for a small bag, these crackers are quite pricey. Even at this steep price there seems to be many fans of these cheesy treats. There is even a blog dedicated to them which can be found at this link.

Two Year Plus Hiatus

2009-01-05T18:00:00.006+09:00

Looking back, it would have been better if I had deleted or suspended this blog rather than letting it stay on the internet without any updates for such a long period. For this I apologize. In my opinion it is bad manners to leave a dead blog floating around where people surfing run into it and are left disappointed.

I wasn’t updating this blog for several reasons. I really didn’t have the time and I really didn’t have much to blog about. Better yet, I was thinking about what type of blog I really wanted to make. With that in mind I have decided to salvage this blog.

After long consideration I have decided to make this blog’s future content more in line with it’s title, “Stuff In Japan.”

After my ten plus years in Japan I still find myself interested in the unique “stuff” that can be found here. When speaking of this “stuff” I’m mainly thinking about consumer products, whether it is some food product or a plastic model sold at a connivence store.

There are so many wondrous products in Japan. Even after the thousand plus times I have made a trip to the local supermarket I still find myself saying, “What’s that?” when looking at the products on the shelf. Cooking ingredients are especially confusing to non-Japanese as myself.

I hope my future postings may help some readers to understand about the wide variety of products here in Japan or just to satisfy the curiosity of others.

With that wordy explanation I will once again make an effort to make this blog interesting and useful to someone.

Sincerely,

Zentaro

Nintendo DS Lite

2006-03-22T09:41:00.000+09:00

Well, after running around Tokyo to about fifteen different stores, I finally was able to buy a new DS Lite handheld video game.

According to the news, about 89,000 DS lites were sold between March 6th and 12th here in Japan. It is really hard to find any place that doesn't have a sign out in front of the store that says "DS lite sold out."

The Nintendo DS is really popular here in Japan. Not only with kids, but with adults as well. Several adult games have been wildly popular here.

In the photo above one of the bestselling games (if not the bestseller now) can be seen. This adult geared game is called "Brain Train : DS Adult Training."

This isn't a great photo, but you can see how bright the new screen is.

I don't plan on using my DS Lite to play games (yeah right!) I am hoping to get the soon to be released dictionary and Kanji practice software to help me study Japanese.

Maru Building

2006-03-16T14:03:00.000+09:00

This photo was taken from the inside of the Maru Building. This building is located next to the Tokyo Train Station.

There are a lot of good restaurants and shops located in this building. The 35th and 36th floor also have restaurants located on them.

Here is the link to the building's website (Japanese only.)

This is a shot taken from the other direction (looking up.)

The Ueno Area

2006-03-12T21:30:00.000+09:00

This is just a shot from a street corner in the Ueno area of Tokyo.

Godzilla

2006-03-08T23:00:00.000+09:00

This is the semi-famous bronze statue of Godzilla. It is located in the Hibiya section of Tokyo.

Koda Kumi's Short Shorts

2006-03-03T21:00:00.000+09:00

This photo was taken (yesterday) at the Ebisu Station on the Hibiya Subway Line (Tokyo.)

This ad board for a new album from the singer Koda Kumi, is a lot larger than it looks in this photo. It is about as high as the subway train when it is stopped at the platform.

Koda Kumi is a solo R&B singer and recently she has been becoming a sort of "sex symbol" that frequently appears on TV.

Here are some links to some information about Koda Kumi.

Koda Kumi : Wikipedia

Koda Kumi Official Web Site (Japanese Only)

Hitchhiker

2006-03-01T21:00:00.000+09:00

I was looking through my photos for something to post and I found this photo of a Cicada that was hitchhiking in my bike basket last year. It rode all the way home with me from the train station.

The photo was taken last year in August, which is around the season when these little buggers come out of the ground and start making a lot of noise.

Here is a link to an interesting site called "Cicada Mania."

Three More : Shiodome

2006-02-27T01:15:00.000+09:00

Here is a few more shots taken in the Shiodome area.

Elevated : Shiodome

2006-02-25T00:27:00.000+09:00

Here is another photo of the Shiodome area.

Shiodome City Center's web site shows some great photos of the area and also has information about restaurants, ect.

Looking Out : Shiodome

2006-02-21T09:15:00.000+09:00

Here is another photo from the Shiodome Area of Tokyo.

This photo was taken from inside the Shiodome Sumitomo Building. This link will show you a map of this building's location.

This building was completed in 2004.

To see what this building looks like from the outside here is a good rendition of the Shiodome Sumitomo Building (Japanese only.)

Shiodome Area

2006-02-20T11:30:00.000+09:00

The photo above was taken in the Shiodome area of Tokyo. The building in the photo is an office building, which also houses one of Japan's major TV networks, Nippon television.

The Shiodome area used to be the site of the original Shimbashi (train) Station. The current Shimbashi Station is located within a short distance of Shiodome.

Shiodome also used to be a freight terminal before it was redeveloped into it's current state.

There are many new buildings, hotels, and shops in this area. For a better explanation take a look at this link to a page from japan-guide.com.

Shiodome really is a great place to hangout. It isn't as busy as many other shopping areas in Tokyo.

Today I thought I would start posting photos in the larger sized format. This blog really is just a photo blog of sorts. Sometimes I feel like commenting on Japan, but I worry that I might start complaining too much, so I think it might be better to keep this blog as it is. My tag line says it all "A Love-Hate Relationship."

Anyway if someone has any photo requests, especially of the Tokyo area, let me know. I will do my best to fulfill any requests! I have thousands of photos that I have taken in the Tokyo area.

Update: Well, changed my mind and decided to go back to the smaller sized photo.

The Ginza Area

2006-02-13T12:45:00.000+09:00

The photo above is from the Ginza area of Tokyo. This uniquely designed building, which was completed last year, houses a new Mikimoto Boutique. Mikimoto is the famous pearl company.

Giant Turtle

2006-02-05T17:00:00.000+09:00

Just felt like this photo of a building in Shinjuku (Ward of Tokyo) was interesting. I believe the store is a work clothing shop. The character on the turtle reads "Win."

Akihabara Development

2006-02-04T16:14:00.000+09:00

Long time, no blog!

Well, here is another photo of the Akihabara area. They are several new towers going up in this area.

Ginormous Electronics Store

2005-09-29T19:42:00.000+09:00

Yodobashi Camera Akiba

Tokyo Tower Area

2005-09-04T23:10:00.000+09:00

Tokyo

This photo was also taken from the Mori Building in Roppongi Hills (see last posting.)

Roppongi Hills

2005-08-28T23:26:00.000+09:00

Condos

Well, after taking a long break (about four months!) I am going to start posting again. I got a little bit burned out there after posting all most everyday when I first started on this blog. This time I am going to try and post about once a week.

The photo above was taken from the Mori Building in the Roppongi Hills section of Tokyo.

Akihabara

2005-04-27T13:45:00.000+09:00

Main Road Akihabara

Public Restroom

2005-04-15T23:15:00.000+09:00

Daimon

Narrow Building

2005-04-14T21:30:00.000+09:00

Ginza Area

In Tokyo you can find a lot of narrow buildings like the black one in this photo.

Tokyo Station

2005-04-13T22:30:00.000+09:00

Tokyo Station

More to follow…

Garbage Incinerator

2005-04-12T20:30:00.000+09:00

Harumi Area

This is one of the many garbage incinerators that are in Tokyo. This particular one is located near Harumi Island (see previous posting.) Not much room for landfills in Tokyo.

Matsudo City

2005-04-11T20:30:00.000+09:00

Near The Station

Just a photo today of Matsudo City, which is located in Chiba Prefecture. This city is right next to Tokyo (only separated by the Edo River.)

Tsukishima : Part Two

2005-04-10T21:30:00.000+09:00

Canal

Here are some more photos of the Tsukishima area (see previous posting.)

Tsukishima

Monjyayaki Restaurant

Hanami

2005-04-09T11:55:00.000+09:00

Chiba

This weekend the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. People are enjoying Hanami, which in English would be “cherry blossom viewing.” Actually it’s just an excuse for some people to get really drunk!

Ogawamachi

This photo was taken next to a park, in a business section of Tokyo.

Harumi Island

2005-04-08T22:30:00.000+09:00

Harumi

Right next to Tsukishima Island (see yesterday's posting) is another small Island called Harumi Island.

This photo was taken from Triton Square, which is a shopping complex located on Harumi Island. Across the water you can see Tsukishima.

Tsukishima

2005-04-07T22:15:00.000+09:00

Tsukuda Chuo-Ku

This photo was taken in the Tsukuda area of Tsukishima Island, which is located in Chuo-Ku (ward of Tokyo.)

Tsukishima (literally “moon island”) is an island that was made from reclaimed land. Take a look at this page from Japan Reference’s website to see a great aerial view of this island (bottom of the page.)

Cherry Blossoms

2005-04-06T22:30:00.000+09:00

Chiba Prefecture 1 of 2

Chiba Prefecture 2 of 2

Well, the cherry blossoms are blooming this week. A few more photos to follow in the next few days.

Shinjuku

2005-04-05T22:00:00.000+09:00

Shinjuku

This photo is from the Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo. Shinjuku is one of busiest sections of Tokyo.

Take a look at japan-guide.com’s information on Shinjuku. It really is an interesting place the has many “faces” to it.

The Sumida River

2005-04-04T19:00:00.000+09:00

Sumida River

Feeling a little bit lazy this week, so here is just another photo for today’s posting. The Sumida River is in Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower

2005-04-03T20:00:00.000+09:00

Tokyo Tower

Just another photo of Tokyo Tower!

Vending Machines

2005-04-02T23:00:00.000+09:00

Vending Machines

In Japan you can find vending machines almost anywhere. During the winter months some of the drinks in these machines are heated.

A New Police Box

2005-04-01T21:00:00.000+09:00

Ginza

Here is an example of a more modern police box. Yes, the one with the two frogs on top! There are many different styles of police boxes in Japan. This one is located in the famous Ginza area; not all look this nice.

In Japanese, these police boxes are called Koban (kouban.) Here is an interesting article that mentions the Koban system.

An Old Police Box

2005-03-31T19:00:00.000+09:00

Tsukishima

This old police box is located in Tsukishima Island, which is part of Chuo-Ku (ward of Tokyo.)

Most likely this old police box is a historical landmark, and not in actual use. Nobody ever seems to be inside of it. However, on the desk the white sign reads “somebody is watching you!”

Almost

2005-03-30T19:00:00.000+09:00

Cherry Blossom Buds

Well, it should be any day now that the Cherry Blossoms should bloom. It looks like the buds might open soon in this photo (that was taken just a few hours ago.)

Water Bus : Part Two

2005-03-29T20:00:00.000+09:00

Himiko 1 of 3

Today’s posting is just three more photos of an unusual water bus / taxi called the “Himiko.” To see more about this strange looking boat take a look at this previous posting.

Himiko 2 of 3

Himiko 3 of 3

From Tokyo Tower : Part Two

2005-03-28T17:15:00.000+09:00

Tokyo 1 of 4

Here are four more photos that were taken from Tokyo Tower (see yesterday’s posting.)

Tokyo 2 of 2

Tokyo 3 of 4

The building in the center of this photo is actually being torn down. At first sight it looks like it might be new, but the outside is covered with scaffolding (thought it was a wall at first.)

Looking at this photo makes you wonder how they got that backhoe and other stuff up there.

Tokyo 4 of 4

Here is the web page for Tokyo Tower, which has some great photos of its own.

From Tokyo Tower : Part One

2005-03-27T20:00:00.000+09:00

From Tokyo Tower 1 of 4

Here are some photos that were taken from Tokyo Tower. The view from the tower is an excellent way to see just how crowded Tokyo really is.

Tokyo Tower is located in the Minato-Ku section of Tokyo. Here is the Wikipedia page for Minato-Ku. You can see the location of Tokyo Tower at the bottom of this map on Yahoo Travel’s web page.

From Tokyo Tower 2 of 2

From Tokyo Tower 3 of 4

From Tokyo Tower 4 of 4

Tomorrow’s posting will be four more photos taken from Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo Architecture : Part Three

2005-03-26T21:15:00.000+09:00

NOA Building

This unusually designed building is located in the Minato-Ku area of Tokyo. It is just a short distance from Tokyo Tower (obviously!)

Red Brick Base

The base of this building is made of red brick. Even though brick was used in the past for the construction of buildings in Tokyo, now it is rarely seen.

This building can be seen in the first photo posting on this blog, which was taken from the top of Tokyo Tower.

Old Crusty

2005-03-25T20:00:00.000+09:00

The Sauce Pot

This is an offbeat photo of an old crusty Yakitori sauce jar, for today’s posting.

Yakitori is type of shish kabob made of various types of meat that is grilled on a small wooden/bamboo skewer. After it is cooked it is dipped in a special sauce. This sauce is usually made from soy sauce, sugar, honey, Sake, and Mirin (a type of sweet Sake.)

The guy in the photo said that he has been using the jar for twenty years. It’s kind of gross, isn’t it?

Dry Dock

2005-03-24T19:00:00.000+09:00

Public Space

This dry dock is what was leftover after the construction of the Minato Mirai 21 area (see yesterday’s posting.)

At the top of this photo the base of Landmark Tower can be seen.

Dry Dock

At the bottom right hand side of this dry dock, there are doors that enter into the underground portion of a shopping mall. This mall runs under Landmark tower and several adjacent buildings. The doors were not unlocked when this photo was taken, but they might be during the summer months.

The Mall Below

This photo was taken inside the portion of the shopping mall that runs directly under Landmark Tower. The name of this mall is Queen’s Square.

The Minato Mirai 21 (Harbor of the Future) area is a good example of beautiful urban development. Other big cities should probably take a lesson from the way Yokohama City is developing. It may not be perfect, but it seems that they are at least making an effort.

Landmark Tower : Part Two

2005-03-23T22:30:00.000+09:00

Looking Up

Here are some more photos of Landmark Tower in Yokohama (see yesterday’s posting.)

This photo was taken from inside a dry dock that was left at the base of this tower when it was constructed (will post photos tomorrow!)

Harbor of the Future

More of the Minato Mirai 21 (Harbor of the Future) area can be seen in this photo. This area used to be a shipyard before it was redeveloped.

Closer View

Here is just a closer shot of this beautifully designed skyscraper.

Landmark Tower

2005-03-22T19:00:00.000+09:00

Landmark Tower

Landmark Tower is located in the Minato Mirai 21 (near the waterfront) area of Yokohama. At 70 floors, landmark Tower is currently the tallest building in Japan. Seventy floors might not seem like much, but for an earthquake prone country such as Japan, it is considered tall.

This beautiful building was designed by three different architectural firms, Taisei Construction Company, The Stubbins Associates (main firm?), and Mitsubishi Real Estate. It was completed in 1993 and stands at 296 meters tall.

Floors 49 to 70 of the Landmark Tower are occupied by the Yokohama Royal Park Hotel. Other floors include office space, and at the bottom of the tower there is a shopping mall.

More photos of this beautiful skyscraper and surrounding buildings will be posted tomorrow!

Red Brick Warehouses

2005-03-21T22:00:00.000+09:00

Building Two

The photo above shows Building Number Two of the historical Yokohama “Red Brick Warehouses.” These two warehouses were completed sometime around 1913. They are located on the Yokohama waterfront (see yesterday’s posting.)

Building One

In this photo Building Number One can be seen on the right hand side. It is actually smaller than Building Number Two.

What makes these two warehouses special is that they have been beautifully remodeled. Building One is now a multipurpose hall. It is used for art exhibits and concerts, among other things. Building Two has been converted into a commercial building. It currently houses many shops and restaurants.

Building Two

Another view of Building Number Two. The shops may not be that interesting in this building, but it is worth a look inside to see how well the conversion / renovation of this beautiful building was done.

Yokohama Port

2005-03-20T19:00:00.000+09:00

Old Crane

For today’s posting here are some photos taken around the port area of Yokohama City.

Yokohama Port

The Port of Yokohama was opened in 1859; just six years after Commodore Perry visited Japan demanding that it open itself up to outsiders.

To learn some more history of the Port of Yokohama take a look at this link.

Old Passenger Boat

The ocean liner in this photo is called the Hikawa-Maru (Japanese only link.) She once ran service between Kobe and Seattle (U.S.A.) She was also used as a hospital ship. Now she is a tourist attraction that is permanently berthed in Yamashita Park, which is located on the Yokohama waterfront.

Terminal

This is the Yokohama International Passenger Terminal, which was opened in 2002. It is also called the “Osanbashi Pier.” It’s official website can be found here (Japanese only.)

Yokohama City

2005-03-19T20:45:00.000+09:00

Near The Station

Yokohama City is located about 30 kilometers from Tokyo. Yokohama’s population is approximately 3.5 million, making it the second largest city in Japan.

Yokohama is considered to be part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, which is the world’s largest urban area. The total population of this area exceeds 33 million people (see previous posting.)

Yokohama is a very beautiful city with a lot of places to see, and many things to do. Take a look at Yokohama City’s website to learn more about this great city.

Party Boats

2005-03-18T22:00:00.000+09:00

Boat Parking

This photo was taken near Hamamatsucho Station, which is located in the Minato-ku area of Tokyo.

The boats in the photo that have lanterns hanging on them are party boats. This type of boat is called a “Yakatabune” (pleasure boat or houseboat.) It common to see them zipping up and down the rivers of Tokyo during the summer.

To see more information about Yakatabune party boats take a look at this story.

Chiyoda Ward

2005-03-17T20:30:00.000+09:00

The Kanda River

The photo above was taken near Akihabara, which is in the Chiyoda-ku area of Tokyo. The “ku” in Chiyoda-ku means “ward, district, or section.” As mentioned before, Tokyo has twenty-three wards.

Yufuin Town

2005-03-16T23:00:00.000+09:00

Yufuin Town

Just a photo for today’s posting. This photo was taken in Yufuin Town, which is located in Oita Prefecture (Kyushu.)

Political Campaign Posters

2005-03-15T20:15:00.000+09:00

Campaign Posters

The people on the posters in the photo above are running for political office. These political poster boards can be found all most anywhere in Japan.

Without getting to deep into Japanese politics, these posters can only be placed in pre-assigned areas and must be of the same regulated size (of course smaller sizes might be okay!)

Yamaguchi City

2005-03-14T20:15:00.000+09:00

Yamaguchi City

This photo was taken (from a hotel) in Yamaguchi City, which is the prefectural capital of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Yamaguchi City’s population is about 160,000 people. It is a very clean and beautiful city. Some people call it the “Kyoto of the West.” It’s also famous for the many hot springs within the city.

Concrete Coast : Part Two

2005-03-13T21:00:00.000+09:00

Zushi Marina

Once again to follow up on yesterday’s posting (yes, again!), here are some more photos of concrete wave-breakers / tetrapods in various parts of Japan.

Zushi

Well, at least this concrete wave-breaker has a useful secondary purpose for the sun tanners.

This photo (and the previous one) was taken in Zushi City, which is located in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Izu Peninsula

If you look closely at this photo you can see some type of triangular concrete forms that are lined up against the wave-breaking arm that extends outward. There might be some scientific reasoning behind the various shapes?

The Izu Peninsula is located in Shizuoka Prefecture (see previous posting.)

Fukui Prefecture

Fukui Prefecture

The two photos above were taken in Fukui Prefecture, which is located on the coast of the Sea of Japan (opposite of Tokyo.)

To see a great photo of giant tetrapods being cast in their forms see this link, which is from the forum’s page of the web site SNOWJAPAN.

Concrete Coast

2005-03-12T20:00:00.000+09:00

Fishing

As in the photo above, many coastal areas in Japan are lined with concrete Tetrapods. These blocks of concrete protect the coastline from the erosive effects of waves. Many people complain that these Tetrapods make the coastline areas ugly, but for a country that frequently is battered by typhoons, what else can be done?

It’s not only the coastline that is littered with concrete; many hills and mountainsides are coated with concrete to prevent erosion.

One of the most outspoken opponents to the “concreting” of Japan happens to be a foreigner. His name is Alex Kerr, and his book “Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Modern Japan,” talks about this problem (among many others!)

Tokyo Architecture : Part Two

2005-03-11T20:30:00.000+09:00

Shimbashi Area

Following up on yesterday’s posting, here is another interesting building that is located in the Shimbashi area of Tokyo (next to Ginza.) This building is only a short distance from the Nakagin Capsule Tower, which was the topic of yesterday’s post.

SPBC Headquarters Building

This unusual tower is the Shizuoka Press and Broadcasting Centre Headquarters Building. Kenzo Tange Associates designed it. Their web site can be found at this link.

Close Up

Surprisingly the date of completion of the building is listed as 1967. Somehow it seems like a more modern design.

Front

At only 1,493 square meters of floor space, it really doesn’t have much area for offices.

Tokyo Architecture

2005-03-10T20:30:00.000+09:00

Nakagin Capsule Tower

This unusual building is called the Nakagin Capsule Tower. It is located on the outskirts of the Ginza area of Tokyo.

Close Up

The famous Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa (his web site can be found here) designed this building. It was completed in 1972.

Each of the capsules was pre-manufactured and then assembled on site. They were designed so that they could be removed and replaced.

Take a look at Kisho Kurokawa’s web site (linked above) many of his other works, and future projects, are really very interesting.

The Real Thing

2005-03-09T14:00:00.000+09:00

PSP

To follow up on yesterday’s posting, here is a photo of Sony's PSP playing a demo video clip. Yes, the screen really is that beautiful! Even if you are not a video game player the PSP makes an excellent personal video player.

Giant PSP

2005-03-08T17:30:00.000+09:00

Tokyo Station

The photo above was taken in December last year. This giant mock-up of Sony’s PSP was hanging in the south exit of Tokyo Station shortly before the release of the PSP in Japan (December 10th.) It actually had a working display that was running game demos.

Sendai City

2005-03-07T18:00:00.000+09:00

Downtown Sendai

Sendai City is the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, which is located north of Tokyo. The population of Sendai is approximately 1 million, making it the largest city in the Tohoku region.

City of Trees

Sendai is sometimes called the “City of Trees.” It really is a beautiful city. Many of the streets within the city are lined with trees. It also seems a little more relaxing than some other larger cities in Japan.

If you do get a chance to travel to this area it would be a good idea to go to Matsushima (see previous posting.)

One of the specialty foods of this area is "gyuutan" (grilled cow tongue.) There are quite a few people that actually love this (no thanks!)

Near Train Station

It takes about two hours to get to Sendai from Tokyo by train. It’s a great place to visit!

Winter Sports

2005-03-06T22:02:00.000+09:00

Yamagata Prefecture

The ski season in Japan usually runs from December to March. So, if you are a skier or snowboarder there isn’t much time left!

A great web site for finding information on places to ski or snowboard (or other winter sports) in Japan is Snow Japan.

Beautiful Day

2005-03-05T21:00:00.000+09:00

Roppongi Area

Today was a beautiful day in the Tokyo area. The photo above was taken today in the Roppongi area of Tokyo. By looking at this photo it is hard to imagine that yesterday Tokyo saw the heaviest March snowfall since 1995 (see yesterday’s posting.)

Heavy Snowfall

2005-03-04T17:30:00.000+09:00

Snowy Day

Today Tokyo, and the surrounding areas, were hit with a heavy snowfall. Many news sources are reporting that this is the heaviest March snowfall in Tokyo since 1995. Burr! Burr!

Interesting Architecture

2005-03-03T07:00:00.000+09:00

Golden Flame

The building with the “Golden Flame” on the roof in the center of this photo is probably one of the most joked about buildings in Japan. It is called the “Golden Poo” (kin no unchi) by some people.

This building is located in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. Asakusa is a popular tourist location, not only for Japanese, but also for non-Japanese (doesn’t that sound much better than “foreigners”) as well.

The Izu Peninsula

2005-03-02T01:00:00.000+09:00

Izu Peninsula

The Izu Peninsula is part of Shizuoka Prefecture, which is located on the East Side of Japan below Tokyo. Izu is famous for it’s beautiful coastline. It is a popular travel destination for people from Tokyo and the surrounding areas.

The photo above was taken below Atami, which is located on the side of Izu Peninsula that faces towards Tokyo.

If you live in Japan, or plan on taking a trip here, Izu is a great place to visit at anytime of the year. While it’s probably more popular in the summer time for it’s many beaches, the numerous onsens (hot springs) can make a winter time visit great.

Waiting...

2005-03-01T19:30:00.000+09:00

Blossoms 2004

Well, It’s the first day of March today. One can only hope that spring will be here soon!

The photo above was taken on March 29th last year. Hopefully early warm weather will come and bring the cherry blossoms before April this year too.

Manner Advertisement

2005-02-28T22:45:00.000+09:00

Wacky Sign

It seems like almost every site or blog published about Japan usually includes a posting about wacky signs. Well, why be different?

This advertisement was hanging inside a train car. Actually one of its intents was to be funny. There was a whole set of these ads. Also, ironically these ads were produced by Japan Tobacco (JT Tobacco) as a smoker’s good manner campaign.

The whole series of ads can be found at the following links.

Page #1
Page #2
Page #3
Page #4

Take special note on the “passing gas” ad located on the fourth page (top-right hand corner.)