March 2014 – Only In Japan

Sneakers Of Yore

If I were a samurai in the olden days, these would totally be my sneakers of choice for the cherry blossom viewing marathon. I’d stock up on those shoelaces hanging up above too. •

Don’t let this big daddy sneak up on you in the dark! In Japan they don’t mess around when it comes to cherry trees. I saw this explosion of goodness last night at Rikugi-en garden in Tokyo, where they light up the all-powerful sakura until 9:00 every night during The Season. But this one isn’t the only monsterContinueContinue reading “The Godzilla Of Cherry Trees”

Cherry Blossom Party Costumes I Would Regret

Having a bad hair day? Put this sakura-themed bag over your head and untag yourself from the cherry blossom festivities! The cherry trees are readying their onslaught, and it’s almost time for the annual beer-fuelled frolicking to commence. What better way to say, “I am a wild and crazy guy” than to don one of these festiveContinueContinue reading “Cherry Blossom Party Costumes I Would Regret”

Neon Wonderland At Night

Tokyo isn’t a beautiful city, except when it rains at night. Then the neon flows into the streets, brighter than liquid gold. Shin Okubo’s main street More Shin Okubo Kabukicho Takadanobaba Shin Okubo again •

Lego. Minifig. Popsicles.

Need I say more? Okay, actually, I also want the minifig & eight-brick ice cube trays. And the salt and pepper shakers. Thank you, Santa. In advance. •

Scary Eyes Made Easy

If you don’t think it’s quite out there enough to have eyes that make you look like a living doll, say hello to this line of definitely unnatural contacts! How about a nice alien look, with Solid White? Or perhaps a touch of psychopath, with Spiral or Manson Red? I saw these for sale atContinueContinue reading “Scary Eyes Made Easy”

Changing The World, One Tag At A Time

I started taking pictures of work by the street artist known as 281_Antinuke a couple of years ago because I thought it was beautiful. Now I shoot it because I think it’s the voice of young Japanese saying to their society: we don’t want prosperity at the price of environmental destruction. While the government triesContinueContinue reading “Changing The World, One Tag At A Time”

Cuddle Up With An Adorable Slice Of Raw Fish

Okay, I thought the stuffed animal wizards were pretty much scraping the bottom of the vertebrate barrel when they came up with Kapybara-san a few years ago. I mean, how many of your childhood friends were really dying to invite the world’s largest rodent into bed with them? I rest my case. Of course theyContinueContinue reading “Cuddle Up With An Adorable Slice Of Raw Fish”

Early Spring At Shinjuku Gyōen

Today it was raining. But I went to Shinjuku Gyouen garden anyway. If you’d like to visit Shinjuku Gyō-en garden the next time you’re in Tokyo visit my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had. •

Firewalking 101

I’m not sure who first thought that walking across burning coals would be an awesome superpower to have, but sometime in the distant past, that’s exactly what a bunch of more-rugged-then-thou Japanese warrior priests learned to do. Firewalking is still done once a year at the foot of Mt. Takao by practitioners of shugendo, aContinueContinue reading “Firewalking 101”

The Anime Shrine

If I were one of the gods at the Kanda Myojin shrine, I’d give these mortals whatever they asked for! If you live, breathe, and want to work in anime, the Kanda Myōjin shrine is the place to pray that your dreams come true. But you’d better bring your markers and all your drawing chops,ContinueContinue reading “The Anime Shrine”

Death By Cuteness: Baby Penguin Rice Balls

A lunchbox filled with penguin rice balls would be dangerous enough, but BABY penguin rice balls definitely sends the message NO MERCY in the cafeteria lunchbox fight-to-the-death! Comes with easy stuff-it rice mold and a seaweed cutter, so you can leave your lunchboxing nail scissors in the drawer to fight another day. •

Where To Get The Best Cup Of Coffee In The Whole World

Best. Coffee. In. The. World. You’re lookin’ at it. Let me ask you this: how often can you get something that’s the best in the world for less than ten bucks? Because today – score! – I had the BEST COFFEE IN THE WORLD for ¥700. It was at a little timeslip of a coffeeContinueContinue reading “Where To Get The Best Cup Of Coffee In The Whole World”

How Underwhelming Can You Get?

Tokyo SkyTree. You can’t miss it. It’s that gigantic over-hyped TV tower rearing its unremarkable, yet insistently lit-up head out beyond Asakusa. For twenty bucks you can go up it and see the view. Except today. Today all I could see was, well, this. The most expensive clouds I have ever seen. Fortunately for usContinueContinue reading “How Underwhelming Can You Get?”