Akihabara - All things weird and wonderful

Akihabara Electric Town, Japan


Akihabara, nowadays shortened to Akiba, is the gravitational center of all things you imagine the modern unconventional japan that is. Especially if you think electronics, gadgets, anime, cosplay, maid cafes, internet and all things that are weird and typically Japanese in nature.

Remember the time when Sony introduced the Walkman? Walk Man? The mind boggled at the 'japaneseness' of this word. Today we understand instantly but back when it was launched, you wondered whether to laugh or cry at the mangling of such terms.

And this is what Akiba is all about. Here in this city within Tokyo, the Akihabara Electric Town is the epitome of Japanese quirkiness.

The main focus in this place is consumer electronics. You find the latest gadgets here long before it is introduced to the rest of the world.
I remembered back in 2002 when we were still selling normal 29" and 34" large CRT TVs (I work for an electronic retail store) and had just begun selling 14" & 21" LCD TVs, our jaws dropped when we saw whopping 42" LCD TVs being sold here! Hitachi it was, I can still recall.


Today, Akiba has evolved from purely electronics to the internet and video gaming arenas and more especially into the center of the anime revolution. Anime is the Japanese form of cartoons and animation. And this place continues to evolve, with maid cafes being the current craze.

Here in Akiba are found all the unusual things that you would normally only fantasize about out. Almost everything you want can be found in about 400 to 500 stores surrounding the Akihabara train station. Building after building, each 7, 8 or 10 floors tall, all catering to a certain aspect of the electronic trade.
I went into Pockets, the store you see in the picture above top left (under the bridge). It sold nothing but used Apple products, all re-conditioned and looking new. G4 Macs were going for only US$300!

However, not everything is computer related. The building next door called Merci Love is an adult store with 8 floors of paraphernalia ranging from truly unmentionables for all your wildest fetishes to adults toys. to new as well as used uniforms and used underwear. (Whatever for, I'll leave that to your imagination)

Akihabara is that quirky side of Japan that you want to see. There is really nothing in the world that comes close to its uniqueness.

Postcards on my blog?

My sister Sue was browsing through my latest blog entries and commented that my photos were suspiciously like postcards. Postcards?? Postcards!!!??? I am sure she meant it as a compliment.

Well, I do admit that about half a dozen pictures in my blog don't belong to me but credit has been given to its rightful owners. But most definitely all the others photos are NOT postcards scanned and inserted.

All these were taken by me with my trusty little Casio 10 megapixel EX-Z200 digital camera. I used to dabble in photography with my Nikons and Canons but that was in the days of celluloid films. Today I just carry as small a camera as possible which is wonderful for traveling.

On the other hand, I do readily admit that all my pictures are doctored, or in today's terminology, photoshopped.

And why not? It's not cheating or deception. There's a whole host of programs out there you can use to enhance, embellish and correct all your mistakes prior to letting the whole world look at your pictures. I'd rather look at photos that are nice and presentable than to look at boring raw footage.

I've been using Photoshop since it was called Photoshop ver. 3 back in the 1980's. And I can tell you that all major magazines of supermodels from Sports Illustrated to Vogue have been photoshopped. In the old days it was called airbrushing.

Enhancing your photos not only gives you the satisfaction of perfecting your lousy shots but also, I am sure, reduces the pain for those you present it to for viewing.

For example, some of the pictures from my last couple of postings against the original raw digital photos....

Original ------------------------ Photoshop

Original -------------------------------Photoshop


Original ------------------------Photoshop

Some of the obvious mistakes we amateur photographers all make are capturing too much details, buildings that are tilted and not vertical and the horizon not being leveled. These are very common mistakes which with a little manipulation can make the picture so much better.

So there, Sue, definitely no postcards here. But with a little photoshop magic you can make your pictures to look like postcards.

Sakuratei- Finding a gem in Tokyo

Harajuku, Tokyo, February 22, 2009

Since my last posting about dining on Monjayaki back in Sep 08, the truth was that I had not had this dish despite the number of trips I've made back to Tokyo since then.

Thus, it was to the greatest of satisfaction that I found Sakuratei in the back street area of Harajuku. This delightful little restaurant, with its youthful and friendly servers, may be a little off the usual beat for tourists at the moment. But as Harajuku is still spreading from the main Omote-sando and Takeshita-dori areas into the back lanes, this restaurant will soon, no doubt, be right in the midst of the growing Harajuku cultural area.

Sakuratei is located right at the edge of the residential area. I had found the place after walking right through Takeshita-dori, that youth and fashion mecca street, and into an entirely new area which I had yet to venture, and was on the verge of turning back when I spotted this semi-hidden gem.

There are about 20 tables which can can seat 2-6 persons and their specialties are Monja-yaki and Okonomi-yaki. The decor is fun and youthful in keeping with the Harajuku culture.

They have an excellent menu which, because I was gaijin (foreigner), was given to me in the English version. Accompanying this menu were also instructions on how to cook your monja-yaki. Nothing could have been easier.

Cooked Monja-yaki (..I hope!!)

In my previous posting on recommending you to try Monja whilst in Tokyo, I would now specifically direct you to this gem of a restaurant in Harajuku. You won't be intimidated by the strangeness of this Tokyoite dish here and I can assure you that it is delicious. Goes along great with some sake or beer.

Crossing outside Harajuku Station

Ghibli Museum, Mitaka

Even if you've not heard of Studio Ghibli, you might have in fact seen some of their anime. These include the 2002 Oscar winning animation, Spirited Away, or more recently, Ponyo by the cliff over the sea.

Since the 1980s, they have been producing classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Laputa:Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Nausicaa and Graveyard of the Fireflies.

If you have not, then you might want to watch this short compilation for a quick overview of the genius of Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli films.

Please Click on the picture if the top Youtube clip didn't appear.

On my recent trip to Tokyo, I just had to make a trip to the Ghibli Museum. It was almost like a pilgrimage to see the holy of holies where Miyazaki dispenses out his blessings on the world in the form of Totoro, Kiki, Ponyo and the likes.

Ghibli Museum is located in the city of Mitaka, about 15 mins out of Tokyo by rapid express train. To gain entrance to the Museum, an advance ticket purchase is required. Strangely, the tickets can only be ordered through the Lawson convenience stores using their Loppi ticket machines! For those who can't read japanese, it can be quite intimidating I tell you, but luckily, the Lawson store clerks were only too happy to help out bewildered gaijins like me!

Inside the Museum. Photography not allowed! hee hee.

Entrance to the Museum

The gardener Robot from Laputa:Castle in the sky.
It looks after the garden on the Museum rooftop.

Salariman's domain - Ikebukuro japan

Ikebukuro, Tokyo Japan

This area was largely unknown to the tourist trade, being home to smaller corporations and suburban workers or salariman (salaried employees) as is commonly called by the Japanese.

However, Ikebukuro (pronounced Ee-ke-bu-kro) actually has the 2nd busiest train station in Tokyo after Shinjuku and is the terminal for the Narita Express and subways like the Ginza and Yurakucho lines. Deviously, the train station was built by 2 major departmental stores, the Seibu and the Tobu, built directly above the tracks. These are humongous stores where you can literally get lost within. You are fed directly off the train platforms into the department stores with its enticing sales and food outlets. Talk about retaining customers!

Over the past years, Ikebukuro has come into its own and is now a tourist mecca due to lower prices here than in more popular localities like Shinjuku, Shibuya or Ginza. More so, with the construction of more mega-malls like the Sunshine City, Amlux Toyota showroom, Louis Vuitton showroom, Mitsukoshi and Parco department stores. Yet, it still retains an old charm of Japanese culture with its myriad small neighborhood shops.

Ikebukuro at night

Amlux building houses the Toyota Showroom and Museum.
A must see destination for sporting and car enthusiasts.

Family Mart is just one of the several convenience store located all over Tokyo.
Commonly known as 'conben'. Others are 7-11, am~pm and Lawsons.
Buying your necessities from these stores saves you lots of money.
You can also have meals within most stores.

Japanese goods store in Sunshine City mall

A Pachinko & Gaming parlour.

A Discount Store with its typical Japanese signages.

Back from my hiatus

Tokyo, 21st - 25th February 2009


It's been a while since my last posting... 3 months i guess...writer's block, sloth, lazy or whatever. I just couldn't get around to putting my thoughts into the blog.

Just got back from another visit to Tokyo. 21st to 25th February. Temperatures there averaged 5 deg Celsuis. Nice and cold.

As usual, booked into the Sunshine City Prince Hotel.
"Irrashaimasse. Welcome back, Mr Tann."
Well, things already starting to look good if they greet you like that. Of course, being a member of the Prince Club International entitles you to some privileges at their chain, but better was yet to come. If you do travel, I'd encourage you to sign up for any in-house programs. It doesn't cost you anything and you always benefit from it.

"We've given you a room on the top panorama floor, 37th floor, Room 3732. We hope you enjoy your stay with us."
The 34th to 37th floors of the Sunshine City Prince are the executive floors. Although having the same tiny room size as the others, the amenities are a little better. You get little niceties like real drip coffee, a Simmons pocketed spring bed, better toiletries like shaving foam and facial cleansers, and even branded soap and shampoo from Pola Cosmetics. Small stuff but it makes you 'feel' better, hmmm. And the ubiquitous Japanese automatic toilet!

And then, of course, there's the view of Tokyo from that height.
Unfortunately, Ikebukuro is not Shinjuku or Roponggi with iconic views of Tokyo. It's a 'suburban' sprawl, if there's such a thing within Tokyo. The place is so massive that there's no demarcation from one area to another. I am beginning to really like the place and this trip gave me the full opportunity to explore every nook and cranny there.

The view of Ikebuburo, Tokyo from the 37th floor of Sunshine City Prince Hotel.
Click on the picture for a detailed view.

Toileteries from Pola Cosmetics in the bathroom












Japanese auto toilet.
You just do what comes naturally and it does the rest for you,
including warming the seat. ha ha.

Only the air is free, pay for everything else.

The Equinox @ Swissotel, Singapore.

It was the Thai beef broth I had for lunch. Their custom of using sugar, salt, spicy and sour in their cuisine had left my throat slake the whole afternoon. Even the two cups of Cappucino at Cedele Raffles City wouldn't quench my thirst. I desperately needed water by the time I arrived at the Equinox with my dinner date.

We arrived just as the restaurant opened and apparently they had just turned on the air-conditioning. It was still stuffy and warm inside, adding to my discomfort.

" Could I have a glass of water please?"
"Will that be still or sparkling?"
" Tap will be fine"
"I am sorry, sir, we don't have tap water."
" You wash your dishes with sparkling water?
Ok, nevermind. Could you tell me where I can find the Gents please?"

Despite what you hear about the waters here being recycled from the sewers, tap water in Singapore exceeds WHO standards and is safe to drink!

The Equinox is located on the 70th floor of the Swissotel complex, which was once the tallest hotel in the world, but now only holds the title for South East Asia. It was my 2nd visit in as many months there.

Personally, I think the place is overrated and is not value for money for the food. I was there only because I owed my dinner date a treat and she had not been up to the top level before.
Dinner was Black Angus steak and Coconut Chicken Soup with Cloudy Bay wine to complement the meal. And yes, we did order still water later, after all.

What makes the dining worthwhile is the view you get from the 70th floor. Go early before dark and you get to see the sky and city lights changing before your eyes.

click on any picture for a larger image

For the curious, the round thing sitting on top of the building seen clearly in the bottom left photo is rumoured to be the getaway spacecraft in case of an alien attack on Singapore. It's reserved for the Men In White who curiously all work within the vicinity of that building. You can read more of that alien technology rumours at this satirical website.

But caveat emptor!
(wow, this word sure is being abused these days with the banking guys having to find excuses for the big debacle in the financial crisis.)
And I use this here because while you are taking in the view at the Equinox, they are laughing all the way to the bank!

You have to pay to see the view from the top. At $20 a pop!
This is entered into your dining bill.

At the top of the bill, it says "Window seat $20"! @$*#%#!
Hey, I sat facing inside the restaurant, doesn't that mean I should get a discount??

.

Shopping Streets - Kiyomizuzaka & Sannenzaka

Kyoto, Japan.

In eastern Kyoto, when you visit the Kiyomizu Temple (a World Heritage site not to be missed !), you will definitely pass these 2 shopping streets. These are the 2 stone paved streets that lead up to the temple compound and has been the only way for worshipers and tourists alike for past 400 years.


These streets have been around since the temple was founded and have houses lining both sides that are still typically japanese shophouses. Most are wooden and in keeping with the traditional outlook of the whole area. Thank God for that.


And this is what makes the place unique. You seemed to have been transported back in time and actually expect or hope to see samurais round the corner! Japanese residents in yukatas and Maikos in kominos still occasionally trod through cobblestone pavements. You know you are in Japan and you imagine "This is what Japan should be like!"

Although catering mainly to the tourists, these streets provide a unique glimpse into the Japanese way of life. Souvenirs are not the usual tacky shopping mall stuff (though it's also there) but you get offerings of many traditional Japanese goods like handmade parasols, fans, pottery & kyoto dolls. And this makes the world of difference to other shopping streets, even of those in japan.


One thing you must sample are the various types of Japanese cookies, yatsuhashi. These are all prepared in the traditional manner and are the usual omiyagi (gifts) which the Japanese themselves give to their friends and colleagues to mark their visit to that place.



Searching through the narrow alleyways and side streets along the steep incline will also reward you with unique japanese inns, cafes, and horrors, vending machines shops. Luckily, these ugly symbols of Japanese life are not so obvious here!