Monthly Archives: February 2012

Live Music for Eight

Last Saturday night, sitting with the band at the Apollo. Remember how I was talking about shoebox-sized businesses here in Tokyo? Well, around the corner from Eat A Peach in Shimokitazawa is the Apollo Jazz Bar. As you walk by on the narrow street outside, the sound of pro musicians jamming wafts up the steps fromContinueContinue reading “Live Music for Eight”

Time For Your Sand Bath

Forget the bubbles and the aromatherapy oil – there’s nothing like a nice hot sand bath to put you back in fighting form! Like the sign says, “It feels really great when the heat penetrates to every corner of your body and you sweat a lot.” Southern Kyushu is famous for sunaburo, where hot springs seep upContinueContinue reading “Time For Your Sand Bath”

Half Nakedness Prohibited

Floating above Shibuya, with the Yamanote Line trains rocketing by, is Miyashita Park, its carvalicious bowls, ledges, rails, ramps and quarter pipes a skater’s dream. Except for…The Rules. Drinking for enjoyment rather than rehydration: prohibited! Light up a smoke? Tanuki raccoon-dogs will carry you off to be executed by the death of a thousand cuts! Wax a ledge? NotContinueContinue reading “Half Nakedness Prohibited”

Big Red Underwear

This store is called Red Underpants, and as you can see, we’re not talking lacy thongs, here. It’s in Sugamo, a neighborhood that caters to the post-retirement crowd. Wearing red after you turn 60 is considered auspicious here in Japan, and thanks to this shop, no matter what size or shape you are, if you’reContinueContinue reading “Big Red Underwear”

It’s Plum-Flavored Potato Chip Season!

Pickled plum flavored potato chips If it’s February, it must be time for the shelves to be bursting with umeboshi-flavored goods, but think twice before you pop one in your mouth, expecting something sweet! Umeboshi are not for the weak. The über-sour, extra-salty pickled plums star in children’s lunches early and often as the redContinueContinue reading “It’s Plum-Flavored Potato Chip Season!”

Diabolically Simple Pest Control

See the little straw mats wrapped around the trunks of these trees? They aren’t to keep the pines from catching cold, they’re old-fashioned pesticide! In the wintertime, insects crawl down from the branches and burrow into the temptingly warm straw mats, which are wrapped tightly at the bottom and loosely at the top.  Congratulating themselvesContinueContinue reading “Diabolically Simple Pest Control”

Thumbnail Art for Men

Nail art: not just for girls anymore! Apparently, this competition was mostly about who could turn their male models’ hands into paragons of nail buffitude, but then there are the…thumbs. The cartoon art would barely rate an eyebrow twitch, but what would your co-workers think if you turned up sporting that little gold dragon at theContinueContinue reading “Thumbnail Art for Men”

Happy Obligation Day

Okay, first of all, a dozen black roses to whoever decided women do all the giving on V-Day in Japan. They tried to band-aid over this egregious error by creating White Day on March 14 (on which men are supposed to triple-return the favor) but all that really did was create more giri-choco. Yes, ObligationContinueContinue reading “Happy Obligation Day”

The Garbage Police Strike Again!

Remember how I was stressing about not putting out the five different arcane types of garbage correctly? Well, this is what happens if you screw up! Your trash is shamefully left behind with big colorful notes on it to tell you what you did wrong! The yellow note says that the kind of trash inContinueContinue reading “The Garbage Police Strike Again!”

Smoke With Abandon, All Ye Who Enter Here

The Blue Windy Lounge is about as close to a smoker’s paradise as you can get: comfy seats, fine ventilation, vending machines stocked with your favorite smokes if you need a top-up, no cover charge and best of all, nobody glaring at you as though your presence were shortening their lives! For years, Asia has beenContinueContinue reading “Smoke With Abandon, All Ye Who Enter Here”

Cola Beer and Other Cocktail Delights

Saw these advertised outside an izakaya in Ikebukuro last weekend. For your happy hour entertainment: RED EYE: Beer + tomato juice SHANDY GAFF: Beer + ginger ale DOUBLE BERRY: Beer + cassis + cranberry PEACH HEART: Beer + shō-chū + white peach ROYAL YEBISU: Beer + royal jelly + lemon honey DOUBLE BLACK: Dark beer +ContinueContinue reading “Cola Beer and Other Cocktail Delights”

No Wonder Everybody Hates English

Japanese game shows are famous for testing just how much abuse people will take in front of an audience, but this one truly raises the bar! I mean, what kind of masochists sign up to have their English corrected on prime time TV? Here three hapless contestants must step up in front of the worthy professorsContinueContinue reading “No Wonder Everybody Hates English”

I Guess They Ran Out of Girl Mannequins

Walking through my local Daiei, I thought there was something a little funny about the display in front of the elementary school book bags. Sure enough, the “girl” in the faux private school uniform definitely got drafted from the boys’ department. Maybe they wanted to ride the cosplay theme set by the anime-style mannequins usedContinueContinue reading “I Guess They Ran Out of Girl Mannequins”

Party Bodhisattva

Just because you’re a bodhisattva and charged with the un-small task of looking after children and travelers doesn’t mean you never get to kick off your sandals and party. This O-Jizo-sama at Zōjōji temple is ready to blow out the candles on his birthday cake (although he might need help, considering there would be over 1500 ofContinueContinue reading “Party Bodhisattva”

Industrial-Strength Exorcism in Three Easy Steps

Today, in honor of Setsubun, allow me to divulge the time-honored Japanese method for getting rid of all your demons! 1: First, you need beans Soybeans. Roasted ones. These are for throwing at the oldest male member of your family, who will be wearing a demon mask for the occasion. The demon must be peltedContinueContinue reading “Industrial-Strength Exorcism in Three Easy Steps”