If you had a burning desire for Elvis to be alive and running a ramen shop near Yoyogi Park – conveniently located, of course, for the leather-jacketed, ducktailed rockabilly dancers’ Sunday evening afterparty – this is exactly the sort of Daruma figure you might need. If your hearts’ desire is more pedestrian, you can stillContinueContinue reading “Rockabilly Daruma”
Monthly Archives: October 2011
Obscure Stuffies
Japanese toy makers can usually rise to the challenge of making a cute stuffed animal out of even the most unappealing lifeforms – witness Capybara-san, a surprisingly popular character even though World’s Biggest Rodent is not exactly anybody’s idea of a heartwarming claim to fame. So whose idea was it to produce the anatomically correctContinueContinue reading “Obscure Stuffies”
Happy Death Anniversary
This invitation to a death anniversary arrived in yesterday’s mail. I love the idea of death anniversaries. In Japan, people don’t forget all about you after you die. One year after, they throw a party. Family and friends are invited, a plate of your favorite foods and a cup of your favorite refreshment is setContinueContinue reading “Happy Death Anniversary”
No Rescuing Allowed
Tokyo Metro subway poster at Ichigaya station, Yūrakachō line. This is the first time I’ve seen a Japanese subway poster advising people NOT to follow their noblest instincts. Usually the general public is being admonished to silence their cell phones, put their makeup on at home, crank their earphones down, not pass out on theContinueContinue reading “No Rescuing Allowed”
Speedboat Sushi
See my four-plate order on the red boat under the touchscreen? Conveyor belt sushi joints are a fast food fixture in Japan, but I’d never been to one that delivered the special orders on a red speedboat before. This place near my Japanese school in Takanobaba has a system: each setting is outfitted with its ownContinueContinue reading “Speedboat Sushi”
Elvis is Alive and Performing in Yoyogi Park
It was a beautiful autumn afternoon yesterday in Yoyogi Park, and the rockabilly clubs were out in force. These guys gather around boom boxes near the Harajuku Station entrance, occasionally swigging from a bottle of whisky, taking turns dancing their hearts out to “Blue Suede Shoes” and other classics from when The King was king.ContinueContinue reading “Elvis is Alive and Performing in Yoyogi Park”
The Ur-Vending Machine
I was walking along a little back street in Tama when I came across the great grand-daddy of vending machines: this little neighborhood vegetable hutch. People leave their backyard surplus in the bins and anyone can buy it by dropping ¥100 in the slot marked “Put Money In Here.” I know that there are lots ofContinueContinue reading “The Ur-Vending Machine”
Mozart-san
Yep, it’s the profusely be-wigged, all-Japanese production of Amadeus. •
Dessert Pizza from Hell
Yes, those ARE marshmallows joining the pumpkin and red bean paste topping, drizzled with black sesame sauce. I’m sure you’re craving an extra large. •
The Vinegar Cafe
Some of the house-made fruit vinegars at Marusan Vinegar is not my favorite thing. Not even close. So I was kind of lukewarm on the idea of going to a café where the house specialty was drinks based on fruit vinegar. How could I have been so wrong? The drinks were so delicious, I’ve beenContinueContinue reading “The Vinegar Cafe”
King Of Tattoo
Taiwanese artist Horian working on a full-body piece. People from all over the world flew in to be worked on by the international artists at the King of Tattoo three-day inkfest in Daikanyama yesterday. I don’t have any tattoos myself, but I’ve always been interested in art that has to adapt to its environment (like,ContinueContinue reading “King Of Tattoo”
More Alike Than You Might Think
This week my friend Tomoko and I searched out a tiny vintage kimono shop in Shimo-kitazawa that was featured in Yamato Kimono-hime, the magazine from which I scanned the fabulously styled photo on the left. That article made me think differently about kimonos, and I got to thinking about how Kalico Delafay’s Dollymop designs made me think differently about a western garment that historically defined female beauty:ContinueContinue reading “More Alike Than You Might Think”
Only In Japan 