Last night I went to see what I thought was going to be a modest art-light event on the Yokohama waterfront, secretly expecting that the photos from past years were exaggerating the quality of the illuminations. I was SO WRONG! This event was spectacular. See for yourself! You know you’re in the right place when you chance across aContinueContinue reading “「Yokohama Smart Illuminations」: Wow. Just…wow.”
Category Archives: Awesome Stuff To Do
Festival Of 10,000 Lanterns
Every once in a while, Japan so wildly exceeds expectations, it’s hard to put it into words, so I’ll just show you pictures of last night’s Oeshiki Ikegami festival instead. Strong men twirling pikes announcing the names of their temples danced through the streets ahead of their lanterns. Every lantern was different. This one was fantastically decoratedContinueContinue reading “Festival Of 10,000 Lanterns”
Up To My Knees In A Vermilion Sea
As you may have guessed by now, in Japan no flower is safe from being planted together en masse, in order to deliver total sensory overload at the appointed moment. It’s no surprise that cherry blossoms, wisteria and azaleas all vie to attract record crowds as they burst into bloom, but who knew that lesser-known denizens have their ownContinueContinue reading “Up To My Knees In A Vermilion Sea”
Art Aquarium
Part laser light show, part aquatic extravaganza, Art Aquarium is the newest take on the old idea of keeping cool during the steamy Japanese summertime by contemplating goldfish bowls. Over 3 million people have visited this summer-long exhibition since it started in 2008, and now I see why: giant artfully-designed aquariums use inset lenses, unusual facetedContinueContinue reading “Art Aquarium”
Fishing For Women
Of all the rakugo performances I’ve seen, Fishing For Women is my fave. It’s got great characters, including a guy who’s more of a nightmare than the worst Tinder story you’ve ever heard! THE CHARACTERS The kind old fisherman who hooks a skull and prays for the repose of the unfortunate soul. The attractiveness-challenged young guy next door, whose spying throughContinueContinue reading “Fishing For Women”
The Wart Shrine
Warts. Just hearing their name makes you want to get rid of them faster than pronto. And what easier way, than to visit the Wart-Be-Gone Jizo at Nishiarai Daishi temple? Just toss a coin in the box and take a pinch of the sacred pile-o-salt to rub on the offending carbuncle, and this benevolent bodhisattva will cure whatContinueContinue reading “The Wart Shrine”
Peonies As Big As Dinner Plates!
If you could smell these right now, you’d be in heaven. Nishiarai Daishi Temple, Tokyo Not to be outdone by the cherry blossoms, azaleas and wisteria, the peonies of Tokyo come into their glory in May and June! First the big boys, like these at the Hama-Rikyu Garden, then the lovely fragrant ones at NishiaraiContinueContinue reading “Peonies As Big As Dinner Plates!”
Flower Dream Expo
You know how everybody thinks Japanese people sit around in their kimonos all day, arranging flowers into works of art? Well, they don’t. But when they do…it’s amazing. I admit – this one is my favorite. If you’re in Tokyo in April and you’d like to go to Flower Dream, check their website for more info. •
Cherry Blossoms Lit Up At Night: My Favorite Spots!
Oh no, don’t think you can put your feet up and flip some channels after the sun goes down during cherry blossom season – thanks to the current craze for “illuminations,” the ogling opportunities will seriously cut into your TV time. Here are my favorite nighttime viewing spots. Get thee to the nearest grove and give your camera aContinueContinue reading “Cherry Blossoms Lit Up At Night: My Favorite Spots!”
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”
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”
Beer Engineering
Better than a cherry on top. Three to seven. That’s the ideal ratio of foamy head to actual beer, according to the experts at the Ebisu Brewery. And how do you achieve this perfect glass of brewski? Well, first, you have to be drinking Ebisu, which is engineered to deliver that perfect ratio, every time. ButContinueContinue reading “Beer Engineering”
The Lucky Cat Temple
In a corner of Gotokuji Temple, I discovered a Kannon figure totally surrounded by maneki neko lucky cats! Their raised paws are believed to beckon money and good luck into the owner’s business, so shopkeepers from all over Tokyo come here to buy a cat figure and offer it to the bodhisattva, hoping for a bigContinueContinue reading “The Lucky Cat Temple”
At The Ise Shrine, Everything New Is Old
Hey, don’t we already have one of these? The god of rice’s building at the Ise Shrine sits next to a vacant lot. Or, actually, a construction site. Because every twenty years, a replica of the rice god’s shrine is lovingly built right next door. In the twentieth year, the god of rice is movedContinueContinue reading “At The Ise Shrine, Everything New Is Old”
Tokyo Illuminations 2013
Tokyo Midtown Once again, the holiday light displays in Tokyo were totally over the top! Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi led the way, with another lovely abstract creation set to a dreamy soundtrack. This year, the lights leapt free of the ground in glittering arcs, bounding across the ever-changing field of blue. Since couples on romanticContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Illuminations 2013”
Slaves Of Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum growers, You are the slaves Of chrysanthemums. I must admit I didn’t fully understand Basho’s haiku until I saw these astonishing examples of chrysanthemum husbandry at the Yushima Tenjin Shrine last weekend… Yes, this is ONE plant! This style always makes me think of the Yoyogi Park rockabillies’ hair! All the specimens have to bloomContinueContinue reading “Slaves Of Chrysanthemums”
Giant Faux White Herons
It’s not every day I nip out to the local shrine for a little photo taking and run into gaggle of women dressed as eight foot tall birds. Japan can be weird, but it’s not usually this weird! They were performing a thousand-year-old dance called Shirasagi no Mai, which means (unsurprisingly), White Heron Dance. It was originally performedContinueContinue reading “Giant Faux White Herons”
St. Nyancat Of Matchmaking
Those lovely dangling mobiles are a favorite Girls’ Day decoration If you want to find the gf/bf of your dreams, this is the place to do it! The gods of the Imado Shrine in Asakusa are apparently better at forking over perfect mates than the yenta in Fiddler On The Roof. This shrine is alsoContinueContinue reading “St. Nyancat Of Matchmaking”
Hangover Coffins: Rent ‘Em By The Hour
Next time you wake up and feel like you’ve died and gone to hell, spend an hour sleeping off that mandatory company drinking party in an oxygen-filled hangover coffin! You’ll not only emerge without that pounding head and queasy stomach, you’ll feel thinner, younger, more relaxed and able to perform feats of athletic prowess withContinueContinue reading “Hangover Coffins: Rent ‘Em By The Hour”
Tomb Of The Untold Stories
Here lie the funniest Japanese stories ever told. Or so they say, because when it was decided in 1941 that tales of wayward sons in the red light district, mistress mishaps and too much saké were inappropriately funny for wartime, the famous rakugo performers who buried them under this slab vowed the stories would never beContinueContinue reading “Tomb Of The Untold Stories”
Catch Your Own Noodles
Next time you hoist a brew over the sad story of the one that got away, nobody is going to believe it was a NOODLE. But if you want to snag a tasty bite of nagashi sōmen, that’s just what might happen when you try to scoop the slippery little dudes up with your chopsticksContinueContinue reading “Catch Your Own Noodles”
I’ll Take A Pound Of The Cricket Snacks, Please
Mmm-mmm, on market day in Koshinzuka, they still sell inago tsukudani, scoops of Jiminy Cricket’s relatives all toasted up nice and crispy in a salty-sweet marinade. And what do they taste like, you may ask? Okay, I admit I chickened out of this one. But if they’re anything like shrimp tsukudani or tuna tsukudani orContinueContinue reading “I’ll Take A Pound Of The Cricket Snacks, Please”
The Secret Garden
Behind the long, boring building mostly known for blocking views of the pagoda at Senso-ji is the secret garden of Denpo-in. Within those walls is a serene retreat used by the priests for meditation, closed to the public except for a few days each year. But if you’re in Tokyo right now, woo hoo, it’sContinueContinue reading “The Secret Garden”
Tokyo Steampunk!
Alice In Wonderland X Jules Verne! Gothic Lolita X Victorian Mourning! Manga X Edwardian Gentleman! In the land where costume is king (and often queen, even if you’re not a woman!), steampunk does not disappoint. The Tokyo Steampunk Society has adopted a time travel motif, which allows anybody who already cosplays to reimagine themselves inContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Steampunk!”
Magical Food At The Ninja Restaurant
I have to admit, until last week I’d never been to a restaurant where my waitress brought me an egg, set it on fire and turned it into a chicken. Apparently, when the waitress is a ninja, this is no big deal. A minor exertion, in fact, after conjuring up a drawbridge so we couldContinueContinue reading “Magical Food At The Ninja Restaurant”
A Japanese Garden That Makes Music
This garden is actually a musical instrument! All you have to do to play it is scoop up a dipper of water and pour it over the rocks. If you put your ear up to the end of the bamboo stick nearby, you can hear the water as it drips down into the buried cistern,ContinueContinue reading “A Japanese Garden That Makes Music”
Funeral For A Pin
In Japan, February 8th is the day that old and broken needles are laid to rest. Anyone whose work involves sewing stuff together gathers at Awashima Shrine in Asakusa for a requiem service to thank their old needles and pins for good and faithful service. During the harikuyo memorial service, seamstresses, tailors, shoemakers, and milliners approachContinueContinue reading “Funeral For A Pin”
Out, Troll, Out! Setsubun For The Modern Age
While everyone was congratulating themselves on demon possession being at an all time low…damn! The pesky oni sneaked out and rebranded themselves! But that doesn’t mean we have to just lie back and let ourselves get trolled! Setsubun is the perfect holiday for showing those rickrollers the door. Here’s how: Chances are, you have aContinueContinue reading “Out, Troll, Out! Setsubun For The Modern Age”
Holiday Lights Just Don’t Get Any Better Than This!
Forget the plastic Santas and bobbing dwarves mistaken for elves – let’s skip right to the computer-choreographed field of lights that pulses and ripples to wintry electronic music! The display at Tokyo Midtown this year is jaw-droppingly spectacular, with shadowy shapes that flicker across the twinkly landscape like clouds passing in fast motion, punctuated byContinueContinue reading “Holiday Lights Just Don’t Get Any Better Than This!”
The Leaves Are Nice, But It’s All About The Sticky Rice Balls
Yeah, yeah, I know – leaves glowing in autumnal splendor, fall evening clear and crisp, moon shining bright, pond like a mirror, and the photos are sure to wow the folks back home. But let’s go bottom line: it’s really all about the miso dango. I’ve waited ALL YEAR for the Rikugi-en garden in Komagome toContinueContinue reading “The Leaves Are Nice, But It’s All About The Sticky Rice Balls”
King Of Tattoo Returns!
I knew studying kanji would come in handy someday! The big character on this gentleman’s neck is the one for “nine” and the ones running down the front are Chinese, not Japanese, but the characters are the ones for “fleeting dreams.” I’m quite sure it’s an idiom rather than something that can be easily translated,ContinueContinue reading “King Of Tattoo Returns!”
Sit Down Stand Up
One day last fall, as I was walking through Yoyogi Park on my way to fall off the slackline, I saw this guy standing by a tree in a vaguely medieval-looking costume. In America I’d have hustled by, careful to make ZERO eye contact, sure he was either a member of a rabidly proselytizing religious cultContinueContinue reading “Sit Down Stand Up”
Where To Get The Most Killer Profile Pix Ever
My friend Hiro deals with a pesky infestation of ninjas. Follow the directions posted on the wall next to each life-size, optical illusion painting at the Trick Art Museum in Odaiba, and your life will instantly look way more exciting than it actually is! A deadline sneaks up on the novelist Defying gravity with rigorous ninjaContinueContinue reading “Where To Get The Most Killer Profile Pix Ever”
How to Survive a Company Drinking Party
How hard could it be? Gallop with your co-workers to a nearby watering hole, then eat, drink & be merry until they kick you out. But like the seasonal cherry blossom party, nomikais are not for the weak, and if you happen to be the junior member of the team, your duties will require staminaContinueContinue reading “How to Survive a Company Drinking Party”
Gateway to Kitty Nirvana
This cat café is in the Decks entertainment complex in Odaiba In a country where many people live in places too small for pets, cat cafés are a booming business. For about $10 an hour, anyone (over the age of 12) can sip a latte and pet herds of cats for as long as theirContinueContinue reading “Gateway to Kitty Nirvana”
Only In Japan 