Mari - diary

Star Wars! Star Wars!

Star Wars season has come! Finally? Yes the movie will be released on July 9th. I will go to see the preview on July 2nd. Lucky me! However, when I say Star Wars season, I'm not talking about the movie this time. Anything else? Yes it means the Pepsi bottle Cap!! This time they have 60 kinds of bottle caps from episodes 1 to 6. Since this Pepsi bottle cap campaign started when Star Wars episode 1 was released in Japan, Han solo, Chewbacca, Leia, Luke Skywalker and the rest of those old characters appeared first. This extra bottle cap is cool! Isn' it? A cap stage is usually pretty big. Since this is their last Star Wars campaign they made these food clips too. Ahh I need to drink a lot of diet Pepsi. Actually my co-worker made his diabetes worse before because of this promotion. But don't worry PEPSI, he thought, it was his self-responsibility. he he he

Those caps are attached to the bottles like this; in small bag. Since we cannot tell what is inside, some people try to find out just by touching them. We call this mo-pai. It means blind tile. It comes from mah-jongg. Some mah-jongg players try to determine what tile it is by touch alone whenever they pick one. So in some shops you will see people touching these bags and concentrating on their finger while staring into space. ha ha ha

Speaking of Star Wars, I went to the reception party for Medicom Exhibition 2005. Starting today until July 4th it is being held in Parco Part3. I really enjoyed seeing Kubrik and their other figures, which were released earlier this year. Not only Kubrick and Bearbrick, they also featured some ipod products and Fabrics, which are new for this year. They gave everyone a Darth Vader Kubricand their special marshmallow. That Darth Vader is a "not for sale" premier Kubrick!! Thanks medycom! If you laughed at that and you love this, then you will love medycomtoy. Yes, I think I may even call them Otaku.

How to get a seat in rush train

I was very surprised to see in the news that California had snow this month. Not only that, but Japan has had strange weather too. We are in the rainy season, but last week we hardly had any rain and we had several very hot days. Some areas are already in a state of alert for water shortages, and Tokyo has reached a new record for the highest temperature in June. It was over 30C every day, and I am very tired because of that. On such days, I feel blue about taking the train to work.

A book called, "How to get a seat in a rush hour" has sold well recently. The writer is a regular salary man, he started by writing "how to get a seat on the morning train" for mails, and then published it later with some funny illustrations.

Some of you might know, rush hour in Tokyo can be compared to a game of 杜usical chairs・ Some stations hire extra part time workers for the morning rush hour. Their job is to push and stuff people into the train cars. Inside a train car, if you lift your foot up, there is nowhere to put it back down. People try not to stand face to face, but if I have to face some Oyaji, I am forced to endure his smelly breath during my entire time on the train. Even when you are back to back, because you are touching, your sweat gradually mixes with his sweat........ yes I cry (T_T). Of course I prefer to get on the "ladies train car", but it is usually the last train car and very inconvenient when I need to change to another line. Anyway, you can easily imagine how different it is to sit or stand in there as opposed to the normal train cars.

The book is basically a kind of joke. But I can't help laughing at his keen advice.

"Be aware of the sitting student's uniform, it is telling you which station she will get off at".
"When she starts to check her make up, it means she is getting ready to get off and meet someone".
"Basically, ignore the sleeping passengers, but if his eyes are slightly open, he might get off soon".
"Even though you are very tired and you need a seat, you shouldn't pretend to throw up (like a drunk) or pretend to be ill."

Ha ha ha funny! However, I have to disagree with this. Because like I said we cannot move inside the train, how could I choose or skip sitting people? Basically you cannot move from the place you are pushed into until the train arrives at the next big terminal.

Is this virtue or trauma?

I made a promotional page for a Japanese movie "Gyakyo NINE". When you visit the site, they say "No full force? you should die". In short it is a comedy about a weak baseball team that gets to win in the end after a few ups and downs. As you know, comedy sports movies like Major League and Shaolin Soccer, as well as serious sports movie like Rocky or Vision Quest, are very common and popular around the world.

But I suppose serious sports animation would be rare other than in Japan.  Many Japanese sports animations are so far from comedy, they are completely serious; "Perfect Stoic world". Main character works hard to make his dream come true, but many troubles and tough episodes come to him from one minute to the next. Sometimes he sheds bitter tears because of severe coach's training or miserable losses to his rival. But still he tries to go up and up... That is a typical story of Spokon Anime (Sports Konjo animation) = Spots balls animation.

For example I wrote about "Kyojin no Hoshi" (A star of Yomiuri Giants) before. It is old, but still the most famous Supokon Anime. The main Character Hyuma wears this type of brace to make his muscles big. That brace is called "Major League training brace" :-). Hyuma is patient for his father's severe training everyday, but he never gives up wanting to be a player for the Tokyo Giants. Fire in eyes are a typical expression to show Hyuma's passion. Sometimes it took 10 minutes before Hyuma throws a ball because they show his intense psychological conflict. He stares at batter (3minutes), cocks (3minutes) , rises his leg (3minutes) and particles of sand flutters from his show toe (1 minutes). You'll be physically tired with just watching this animation. We have to see Hyuma is overstraining and being tense. By the way when my brother was an elementary school boy, he tried to make that brace with a spring from my mom's diet machine and cried because his skin was nipped by the springs. Yes yes many boys did the same in those days. I am sure.

"Ashita no Joe" (Tomorrow, Joe) is another big old comic/animation. Joe is a bad boy who was in Juvenile Training School, he meets his coach Danpei and gets to be a professional boxer. A fight with his rival Rikiishi is a kind of legend for Japanese guys. Actually Rikiishi's funeral was held in fact when he died in the comic. This white page is a famous last scene, where people argued "is Joe dead or is it just metaphor of his burning out". Not only boy's comic, girls old animations "Ace wo Nerae", "Attack No.1" were so popular for girls,  those sports are very popular in Japan, I am sure it is related to those animations. 

Actually basically I can say Japanese have a concept that to make efforts, to be patient, to do hard is valuable.  But not only that, many 30s, 40s Japanese were imprinted with "I can get my victory after big efforts and patience" by his hero in his favourite animation in their childhood.  I wonder if some foreigners who works for Japanese companies or work with Japanese will may feel it and agree with me.

But I can't say Spokon Anime is only an old product. Captain Tsubasa or Slumdank aren't so old animation but still they keep those severe tastes a little.  Recently "Ace wo Nerae" and "Attack No.1" have been remade into TV dramas featuring Aya Ueto. 

Maybe Japanese like "KONJO!" (have balls). -You can't make it? It because you haven't done enough yet!-  Hmm maybe yes basically, then those ideas are bolstered by the kids animated heroes which we love to see in childhood. Is this a kind of virtue or just bad trauma?

TVGame ads from Tokyo

This is the site collects game TV ads from all over the world. Then I check game ads in Japan by myself. I said this game Chibi Robo is cute. Now they air their TV ad. Look at this page and click -CM- in the bottom of page. Hmm cute!
Ah! Did you read this news? Jokes don't always translate properly to a different culture, it is difficult. So at that point, Fomicom Wars DS has this ad in Japan. Of course I don't think they show same ad in the U.S. too. (That place is public bath.) But if they tried, I don't think this will be funny for most Americans.

Do you know Ape Escape's original Japanese name is "SaruGechu". Saru means Ape and gechu means "get you". Yes it was English written in Romanji. Sony will will release Sarugechu 3 (Ape Escape 3) on the PS2 soon, here is their non-sense ad. (but I think the Sarugechu 2 theme song was better.) Speaking about the language, I don't know how Nintendo will name this in other countries. This name is No No No Puzzle Chailian, "No" doesn't mean "deny" in this case. Check this TV ad, the spiral Japanese letter on the pork cutlet is pronounced "no". You need to move a machine like "no" shape. That is the reason of such name of this game.

Kanagawa prefecture decided to have an "age limited" rule for violent games. In competition with such public movements, CESA (Computer Entertainment Software Association) introduced its own rules "requiring that customers show their proof of age for violent game" by themselves. Since I am weak for violence, I welcome them. Look at this Kagero2!. It is such a violent game. But the last two movies are TV ads. They made only comedy ads. (but this is bad sense too)

So I love to "see" (since I don't play game), cute game like Pikmin, and Katamari Damacy. However the best TV ad is still this! Metal Gear Solid3.

Affordable Tokyo - accommodation

I will collect affordable Tokyo information. This post is affordable accomodations. I am making a list of reasonable accomodations. I really hope this page can help you to find affodable room. Unfortunately if you ask me something about this, I will not reply and help you personally. Please understand it.　<(_ _)> Goryosho kudasai.

General information for accomodation & transfer
Nipponia: General info
Tokyo Transportation guide: General links
Tokyo Hotel & Travel Guide: by area
Subway Train Map :including a part of JR
Tokyo Transfer Guide : transfer guide program. Very nice
real Time Train Schedule
UrbanRail net

1. Youth Hostels : 2000yen-
Youth Hostels are always reasonable in the world. Of course they are in Tokyo too. Unfortunately most of them looks old.
Youth Hostels in Japan.

2. Foreigner inns : 1500yen-
There are some regular, dorm, and shared type inns for foreigners only. The price is usually reasonable than usual. Not only for a night, some place has weekly and monthly rent too.
Tatami Guest House : 1800yen-/monthly.
Yotsugi Crib : 1500yen- / monthly.
Tokyo House : 2500yen- / weekly/monthly.
Banana House : 3000yen- / weekly/monthly.
Orange House : 3000yen- / weekly/monthly.
The Tokyo Cozy House : 1200yen- / monthly.
Tojian Guest House : 2000yen- / monthly.
Apple House : varioius type / monthly.
Sakura Hotel : 3780yen-
Sawanoya: 4935yen-
Tokyo Backpackers : 2100yen
Hoteiya : 2600yen
Ebisuya : 1500yen
Yadoya Guest House : 1600yen-
Hotel New Azuma : 2900yen
Guess House : 2900yen-/weekly.
Shrek Watta House : 3900yen-/weekly/monthly
*Guest houses informatin site.

3. Cupsel hotel : 2600yen-
Althought sleeping space is just cupsel, functions are better than regular hotels. Some place has spa, sauna, relaxing space, ethetic salon. I will pick some hotels which looks nice. Please check more in listing page.
Green Plaza (J) : 4300yen-, regular room / English info : 1, 2
Hotel White city (J) : 3990yen- / regular room. / English info : 1, 2
Hotel Siesta in Ebisu : 3300 yen- / regular room.
Central inn Gotanda : 3300 yen- / regular room.
Capsule in Komagome (J) : 3150yen- / regular room.
*Capsule hotels information site.

4. 24 hours open Spaland : 2300yen-
Because of Spa boom in Japan, there are some good pulic baths opening 24hours. Even thought they do not have any bed, you may lie down and relax in good relax space. They have various type of bathes and relaxation facilities, I prefer staying this type of place to staying cheap hotels for one or two night.
La Qua : 4455yen for stay at night-
Oedo Onsen Monogarai : 2827yen for stay at night- / English info : 1, 2.
Ogikubo Yutopia (J) : 2700yen for stay at night-/ English info : 1, 2
Qua House Heiwajima (J) : 2300yen for stay at night-
*Spa information site

5. Affordable hotels : less than 6000 yen for one person(single or twin).
Each hotel would have some reasonable plan. Please make sure befor your resavation.

[Nihonbashi area]
Hotel Nihonbashi Villa (J) : 7980yen-
Nishitetsu Inn Nihonbashi (J) : 8000yen-
Hamilton Inn : 7140yen-

[Shinjuku area]
Loanstar : 7350yen-
Tokyo Business Hotel : 5775yen-

[Ueno area]
Hotel Oozora : 2200yen-
Hotel Musashi : 2300yen-
Hoteiya : 2500yen-
Hotel New Azuma : 2900yen-
Hotel Fukudaya : 3100yen-
Joyoh Hotel : 3200yen-
Taito Ryokan : 3000yen-
Andon Ryokan : 8190yen-
villa-fontaineo : some location in Tokyo, 7980yen-
Yushima Hotel Tokyo (J) : 8500yen-
Hotel Green Captal : 7875yen-

[Other area]
Kimi Ryokan : 4500yen-
Hotel Business Villa Omori : 7350yen-
Oak Wood Residense : Very nice hotels for long stay.
Hotel Park Lane : 8900yen-
Kangetsu : 5250yen-
urbest hotel Kamata : 9540yen-
New Koyo : 2500yen-

: you might find very affordable hotels in English.
Hotel and Ryokan in Tokyo
Toyoko Inn : Nation wide
Japanese Inn : Nation wide

6. Weekly and monthly rental : 1week 28000yen-
If you stay the same area more than one week, weekly rental will be cheaper.
Tokyo apartament
This is very nice furnished room, located in center of Tokyo. Monthly rent is from 150,000yen. But if you stay in more than two people. this apartment is very affordable because of its location and great furniture. I want to live ha ha ha.
Hiragana Times
J&F Guest House
Oak House
Lease Mansion KURUMI
weekly Machida (J)
weekly Hachioji
Guest House Ouji
U&I House
Guest House 1965
Guest House Koyomiya
*Weekly Mansion search Tokyo
Tokyu Stay

7. Hotels in surburb. : 4000yen-
It takes 45 minsute by train to go work for me everyday, so 30minutes away by train from Tokyo is not big deal. You may find reasonable and bigger room in surburb.

[Yokohama area]
I willl not call Yokohama surburb, it is only 20 minutes from Tokyo and it is very good sightseeing area. Some pepple prefer Yokohama to Tokyo.
Yokohama Senin Center : 5,100yen-
Hotel Grand Sun Yokohama (J) : 6000yen-
Hotel Tokai (J) : 6800yen-
*Yokohama hotels list

[Tachikawa, Hachioji]
30miniutes from Shinjuku by Chuoline.
Hotel Royal Authentic : 4095yen-

[Machida, Fuchu, area]
35minutes from Shinjuku by Odakyu line.
Central Hotel machida : 6500yen-

8. Free member ship site
Isize (J) : The largest Japanese accomodation serach, resavation site. They discount 30% or more. For example, Hotel Green Captial's price is  Twin 11550yen, in their HP, but it is 4800yen in Isize Jyaran.
: You might find discount price in this site, they will give you 3000yen - 5000yen off price.

9. Hotel auction
You have a chance to stay luxuary Hotel in affordable price. Please try hotel auction.
: member can bid.
eaction (J) : Unfortunately they have only Japanese, but you can bid very nice hotel less than half price sometimes.
Yado o (J) : Nation wide, business hotel, Ryokan, B&B anytime you can bid.
Yahoo acution (J) : Yahoo Japan acution has a lot of discount ticket for Hotels. But unfortunately most acution will not send overseas.

10. Fashion hotels (Love Hotel)
If you are couple, fashon hotels , love hotels are actually option. You may find them everywhere in Tokyo. They are reasonable, most of them are clean and of course safe. Some place has Karaoke machine in the room. The points is "check in". New type of hotel use auto check in/ check out system, and their human service is completely close to zero.
Fashion Hotel search in Japan.

From Mari
I will add here looks nice hotel to me. Of course I will try to find reasonable one.
Arietta: This is in Gotanda, and very new hotel. 1F is Italian restaurant.

A Hot Pork cutlet restaurant in Tokyo

Today was a home party night.  My friend and I cooked dinner. I will tell you what we cooked.  I tried to cook Tonkatsu (pork cutlet ) in hot style. It is called mille-feuille katsu.  25 pieces of very thin pork loin are overlapped and fried.

Kimukatsu is a restaurant which serves this type of pork cutlet. Whenever I passed the restaurant, there was long line of people waiting. Many people wrote a review in their blog and most say "it was so crispy and juicy, I could cut it with chopsticks so easily." If you go there, here is a map. They have shops in Ginza, Hakata, Kyoto and Sendai.

Since I don't cook "fried food" for myself, and also I can't stand to wait to eat something usually. The party was good timing to try cooking at home. So how was my cutlet?. Well when you try this, I recommend you choose lean rather than fatty pork loin. I chose a little fatty meat, because I thought it would add good juice inside the cutlet. However the fat went all around inside, it was fattier that I expected. So I needed to roast it to reduce the excess extra fat, which made the surface hard. Here is a basic Japanese cutlet recipe, please use pork loin instead of pork chop, other part is completely same. Anyway, people said "delicious!!" to me, which made me satisfied.

The most convenient store in Tokyo.

I really love my Panton light from Denmark. I can drink three glasses of whisky while looking at it. :-p To install it in my kitchen, I needed to remove the old one, and get new connector, connector cover and a light bulb. We can find a light bulb in any store, but a ceiling attachment cover is not easy to find around here.

Then I went to Tokyu Hands. Tokyu Hands is very useful store. How I can explain. They sell things you can find at regular shops, things at "Do-It-Yourself" shops, things at "hobby shops", and they also have things which only wholesalers sell. They have anything that a person might need, even if it is something rare.

I went to the lighting floor. They have many types of lighting like a regular shop. And they have frameworks, fabric, a string for pendant lights, and top for string code, connecters, various colours of light bulb, they have a light for ship and vessel. Yes someone will has their own boat.

I went down to get dental floss, they have huge variety of toothbrushes and toothpaste. And also tools like dental mirror and dental scaler which we usually see at the dentist. And I tried to hard to give up this MIRUHA (see teeth) kun!! Because I know I will be bored soon.

The very important point is some Tokyu Hands staff are professionals with some of its products. I heard Tokyu Hands cares more about their staff member's careers than their ages. So experts will advise you when you ask questions. Actually when I asked about my light bulb, the man who helped me looked old, maybe he already retired once. When we try "do it yourself", it is very useful ( necessary ) to get a advice from such professionals.

If you are living in an apartment, except for elevator and automatic door, I suppose it is hard to find what they don't have. When you need a small metal part for your broken necklace, when you need an acrylic board for your art object, when you need a silver ring hand made kit, when you need nimmt for your weekend party. When you need a piece of tiling which has a close colour to the broken one in your shower room. When you need a very special key for a lock, Or just fake key cylinder for your "instant" security. Please go to Tokyo Hands.

You may enjoy virtual tour here and here. You can see recent paper ad here. They have shops around Japan, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Machida, Futako Tamagawa, Kita Senjyu, Yokohama, Kawasaki around Tokyo

A bit of Pulp Fiction Trivia!!

Do you like Tarantino's movie? Unfortunately I can't watch his movie because I am too weak for violence. But many people said I should at leaset try watching "Pulp Fiction". I don't know if this is a well_known story. So that I will tell you this bit of trivia about Pulp Fiction. (since I have never watched it - this is what I read on the web) Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta kill a guy because he use up all the money  he stole from a group. In that scene, Jules (Samuel L Jackson) talks about the Bible (Old Testament). This is the dialougue he talking about.

Jules: You read the Bible?
Ringo: Not regularly
Jules: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you."

But it did not come from Ezekiel 25:17. Yes this site talks about it. Actually this is the real Ezekiel 25:17
17:And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

So what is that? What did Tarantino use? Was It his original? You know Tarantino likes Japanese Yakuza and karate movies. Chiba Shinichi (Sonny Chiba) is one of the action actors who have appeared in some Japanese Karate and action movies. The Japanese movie "Bodyguard Kiba"(1974) was exported to the U.S and renamde "The Bodyguard". The U.S promotions side changed of the subtitles for American people. That Ezekiel part was attached during that time. HAI! It was lifted from script of a cheesy Japanese action movie :-p which were made by the movie promoters. This site talks about it.  Interesting.

Why men don't listen and don't notice that.

Somebody said to me "Don't fail to keep us updated on this issue!" Okay, I wont. Here's the follow up!

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport formed a group to investigate the Crash Barrier's thorn problem. The group was named "Attached metal pieces to protection barrier research conference "「防護柵への付着金属片調査委員会」.( Ha! It has long and detailed name.) The conference announced the results of their investigation yesterday. Ministry of MLIT said there are 4432 pieces attached to Crash Barriers and they investigated 102 of them, then identified the cause.

"Only a few cases were caused by pranksters--if any. Statistically speaking, vehicles were the cause in most cases." In July they will experiment with a car and try to determine how cars were able to leave such pieces embedded in the crash barriers."

Hmm perhaps carmakers like Toyota and Honda might be nervous now. Fortunately nobody died from them. Actually thinking of the number "4432", it seems to be a miracle that only a few people were injured. The police looked back into the history of these types of incidents, and they found the first such accident in 1998, and they discovered two more in 2003 too. We suppose more people have been injured, but didn't tell the police. Well it would be hard to imagine for them the same type of pieces attached to another 4431 places in Japan.

I read a very interesting article about this. Some years ago, a book called, "Why men don't listen and women can't read map" became a topic. I think the book was a best seller in the U.S. and it had strong sales in Japan too. Actually I read it and had to agree. I am a woman who has to turn the map around when I need to navigate in front passenger seat. And guys around me; Dad, brother, friends can't seem to find butter in the refrigerator. My boyfriend has trouble not only finding butter, but also Tofu. There are 5 or 6 containers of tofu in the refrigerator right now orz... Yeah I don't know why, but I agree that guys cannot find things at short range. (cannot find? cannot care? I forget). Then guess what! The injuries from these crash barrier thorns are all boys. In the 1998 case it was a 14 year old boy, the 2003 case was a 17 year old boy. This "thorn issue" began with the news of a serious injury, which happened on May 30th, 2005. It was a 14 year old boy in junior high school. I do not know all the details of each case, but at least from reading the injury reports I found in the news, it seems that all those injured are boys.

Ha! Would you check around your house? There might be something dangerous that you have never noticed before.

Sushi topic from Paris

The French magazine "Figaro" featured an article about the sushi boom in Paris. Here is their English translated page. (Ah French to English seems much better than Japanese to English) It seems Parisians have been enjoying a sushi boom and the number of sushi restaurants has doubled in last four years. 600 sushi restaurants in Paris!? Amazing. But Francois Simon of Figaro says 40% of the restaurants have problems with food hygiene, and many of the restaurants don't have a Japanese sushi chef. Since it is not so hard to open a restaurant in Paris, there are many restaurants, which serve "mocko sushi" or "looks like sushi food". They say such sushi is made on a rough cutting surface. Hmm The cutting surface is strongly related to the taste. Rough-cut sushi will smell like fish! :-)

I did not know this; in Japan a chef usually spends four years in very basic training, like how to make green tea, how to make sour garlic. etc,. Then for the next two years they learn how to cook sushi. In all it's a total of 7 years they will have spent to become a sushi chef. This is live camera of a real sushi counter in Japan. 　If you catch a good timing, you may see how quickly he prepares the sushi. You know, sushi is not just a sour small ball of rice with raw fish :-), it requires a special technique for preparation. Actually we Japanese cook Chirashi or Inari, Temaki, but we do not make Nigiri at home, (check this out post too.) because we know that the taste between handmade and cook made is so different.

Food doesn't have borders. Like I致e always said, and it will be nice to have special sushi version your country. Even though Italian people will say "unbelievable!", Japanese eat Japanese basil Natto spaghetti with a fork and spoon. he he he. This Sun Jose sushi is "lacking in delicacy" [sorry to say like that <(_ _)> ] it made me grin wryly though, but it is still very nice, that they like sushi so much! This is a flash that caused my American friend to laugh really hard; they show sushi as an American food. Good joke!

Basically if some food goes with sour rice (=sushi meshi), you may use it to create your original sushi. Actually many Japanese like to eat California rolls which were first made in the U.S. Hmm how about kidney stuffed Gunkan_maki (Gunkan means warship, since its black appearance looks like this, we call this Gunkan) as the UK version? Slightly grilled foie gras or roast canard Nigiri can be a French original? Turkey, Greece and other such Mediterranean countries eat a lot of fish; they will have many good dishes to modify as sushi. I think Turkey's hummus would be a good compliment to sour rice. What do you think?