Nintendo DS Lite

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

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

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

Godzilla

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

Koda Kumi's Short Shorts

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

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

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

Elevated : Shiodome

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

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

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

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

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

Long time, no blog!

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