watashi to tokyo

Let's enjoy Yami-nabe?

I must tell you I love this site "PortalZ". I introduced it once in Sushiroll in California before. I most like their challenge topic; they challenge things we do not normally try. For example, Let's make nude bra with silicon. Let's try to be a guy of bill,   Let's make a my own death mask.(life mask?) I wish they had an English version, so that you could enjoy them all. However I suppose this site is funny/interesting because it is very Japanese! Their point of view, way of joke, way to addict, all are so Japanese. If all of their pages were translated into another language, I suppose they would not be as fun for foreigners. What do you think?

Today I introduce their YAMI-NABE party.. Directly YAMI-NABE means Dark Night-POT. You know Nabe is one of the popular winter foods like this. Usually we eat Nabe with vegetables, fish, meat, meatballs, Udon, those stuff. But Yami-nabe is a sort of "surprise party", everybody brings and adds something we don't add in NABE normally. (it should at least be FOOD though), then it's cooked secretly then eaten in dark room at night. Once you pick something, you cannot change it and have to eat it up. That is normal Yami Nabe rule.

This time they brought shao mai, ramen, jiao-zi...these would be easy, actually I think they are delicious for nabe, Chicken nugget? Hmm it is just chicken so it would be okay. I am not sure about the pineapple, croissant, potato chips, and baguette. As a result, they say this Yami-Nabe was almost delicious. The potato chips were no problem, the croissant and baguette tasted like fu( A kind of gluten bread ). Yes I think this Yami-nabe would be no problem, nobody brought taiyaki,  pocky, apple jelly, those kinds of stuff. Look at this Yami-nabe ah!! pocky there! yes this is a real one!. Do you think this would be fun? Please challenge some soup meals in your country. Have a Yami-nabe!!

Tokyo in the Guiness Records.

I can not find a good topic to write today, I checked the Guiness World Records, to see what records Tokyo has now.

Tokyo is ....
Most Expensive City. :-( Tokyo seems to do title defense still now.
Worst Devastation Due To An Earthquake. :-(
Busiest Railway. :-(
Most Populous City. :-(
Largest Telecommunications Company Sales. :-0
Hey Hey Hey Sounds like Most expensive, crowded, busiest, noisiest, city in the world! Who want to live here?? ha ha ha :-) At least -I- love here.

So as a Eddoko, I can not finish this post with such bad records only. How about this? "Largest Professional Sumo Wrestler", I like that picture very much. Front side person would be Maino-umi. Yes he was small. Here is another funny story. To be proffesional Sumo wrester, you have to pass the acceptability criterion of the Sumo Kyokai. To pass it, one should have a height of over 173cm at least. But Maeno Umi was just 169cm. However he wanted to be a proffesional so much. So....guess what?! He buried Silicon in his head.

Anyway here is some Historical good matchs of Sumo list,(Please click link then movie mark). Here is Konishiki's one. He was really big. well still even now

Funny and Strange English in Japan

I introduced some Strange Japanese T-shirts in other Asian countries before. Like that there are some sites to introduce funny and strange Japanese on panel or products in other countries. We can find them easily on "a pirate CD or DVD " in some Asian countries. I was laughing so much to read all of them. This site(JP) introduces funny things from Hong Kong. This is the "CD" of Namie Amuro, "わがままを許して：wagagama wo yurushite" is written "おがままを許しこ: ogamama wo yurushiko”?? Hard to understand without knowing original title. This site(JP) introduces only food packages. Each packages has funny Japanese. We can SUPPOSE in many case, but sometimes it's hard to guess. I need to work my Imagination.

Okay, English native people!! it is your turn to work your imagination. Here is the site to introduce Strange, weird English in Japan. That site is an English learning site,, then they had a contest of funny English in Japan. You Should Know Better Award is "Our city is fruity";, they say it is the word on Japanese fans which were used Yamagata Hanagata festival (one of big three Tohoku area summer festival). In Japanese page, there is their all list of 2003. (why don't they make English page??)

Funny part is "The Story of Original Recipe"; is on coffee cup of Kentucky Fired Chicken, "Cram Chowder" is menu on McDonalds in Narita Air Port. ( Ahhhh, it is the entrance of Japan! ) Hmm KFC America, and McDonalds America headoffice need to check us? :-)

They say their best 5 are
1.At Hotel : You are invited to take advantage of the chamber maid.
2.A menu of a Bar : Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.
3.How to use AC in Hotel : Cooles and heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.
4.Road panel : Stop: Drive Sideways
5.A leaflet of rental car company : When passengef of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.

I like this "Do not feed your arm." : at Zoo in Okinawa. Is this true?? There is a big USAF base. hmm many American soldiers would laugh to see this.) So funny. Am I embarrassed to have those mistakes? No way, I know I wrote weird English everyday by myself before I got kind proofreadings of friends. I am an accomplice.

A Japanese fairy, Zashiki-warashi

There is a room of Japanese style hotel "Ryokan " which has been filled until 2005/12/31. Then many people are waiting until they start to accept reservations again 2006/1/1. You think it would be cool place with fine view? No, unfortunately I can say no.

It is here Ryokufuso in Iwate Prefecture. I have to say just a old Ryokan which is very inconvenient place to visit. So why is this place so popular?  It's because they say Zashiki-washi lives in "the room Enjyu". This is the room.  Zashiki-warashi is a sort of a Japanese fairy of hearth, which guards a house and brings fortune to its inhabitants. It often appears in old native tale in Japan. We have a little child image like this for Zashiki-warashi.

Here is an article written about Zashiki-warashi, actually he tried to enter the room. Sometimes I saw about this Ryokuenso on TV. A reporters slept the room and said "someone walked around my pillow" or " A little kid touched my feet" or etc,. HA! I don't know it is true or not. But at least I can say this; Ryokan has a good fortune and seem to be lucky because they get so many custmers without reform or renewal to their building and no need for sales efforts. Is it because of him? he he

The reason for the chihuahua boom in Japan

I heard in the U.S many celebs have a chihuahua as their pet. In Japan. For the last two years the long-haired chihuahua has been a boom in Japan too, and finally it seems to have calmed down.

The reason of the boom is a commercial of consumer banking AIFUL. They started "a guy and his pet" commercial series. Fortunately a guy saved the first commercial in his site.

This is the very first one, and the reason for this big boom.
A guy, and his daughter went shopping, and a daugther said "Dad, I want a dog! so cute!" But Dad said "no no" at first, however as soon as he looked at the little dog in a cage, especially his moist eyes, he could not leave anymore...Then the commercial says "What will you do? ---AIFUL...!". It means AIFUL can lend money for sudden expenditures.

This Long-haired chihuahua's name is "Qoo-chan", because he says Qoo always. Well I must say he made very big money for the last two years, Photos Books, CD(for what?), etc,.

The commercial series has ppair taxido version,  snow board version, return home version then newest one is painting. (Anyway qoo-chan has a panel that says "make a plan first---AIFUL!" (this link will be dead sooner or later, I will find any link, let me know if you find dead links. )

I love all animals (ah expect for this), especially I love dogs. However Qoo-chan looks like a stuffed animal, he is not my taste.

KUBRICK is a cubic toy.

Today on business I went to medicomtoy co.ltd,. which is the one of famous figure makers in Japan.

I may say Kaiyodo is big because of thier ingenuity with the details. They are craftsmen. Their work looks like a living encyclopedia, this is a one thier product  a turtle, yes good a job. But it costs 17,670yen (US$170)?!.

On the other hand medicomtoy is cool because of thier deformation and maniac obsessiveness. So I may say they are designers? They are famous for KUBRICK and BEARBRICK. Some Fans try to get all the items to make "complete", but a guy who I met today said, it would be impossible because they make so many limited versions (only a few in the world!).   
I was laughing to see this Kane of Alien2.　How about this Edward Scissor Hands? 

Okay look at their product for the same character. This is Ultraman of Kaiyodo. This is Ultraman of medicomtoy. Although medicom  is famous for this KUBRICK types, they make real type too. I can see their cool sense in thier choice of motif.  I almost shouted to find this figure on ther site!!  Do you know him? I read this "The Little House" again and again when I was a little girl.  You know I feel as if I am sharing something with them, such a feeling would be important to get customers loyalty. This is the one of reason I offereda collabration with them on our web site.

Basically KUBRICK cost 2000yen or so, but since medicom doesn't produce many of each item, the price rises very easily. I checked ebay US. I wonder if I should open online shopping place for Kubrick :-p.  shiiii

StarBlazers & Yamato, Galaxy Express999

Tom Hanks's new movie Polar express looks nice to see now.  It reminds me of the old Japanese animation Galaxy Express 999 (= Ginga Tetsudo 999). Reiji Matumoto created this old animation. And this animation received much influence from "Night On The Milky Way Train" by Kenji Miyazawa. I wrote about him before.  I like him very much.

Anyway, the most famous Reiji Matsumoto animation is Star Blazer (=Uchu senkan Yamato). This animation made a big boom in the 70s in Japan, many people cired at the scene where Yuki dies. ( not sure what is her name is in foreign coutnries). I think the theme song of Yamato is one of best 3 animation theme which Japanese like very much.  I was a little bit surprised to know the U.S used the same sound.

Here it is Japanese version. Uchu senkan Yamato
And here is English version StarBlazer
Anyway at my job, we serve ring tone in our contents,  many Yamato fans requested to us and what they wanted was not the main theme, but this type of minor BGM, like this and this.

By the way, I will make a post about animation singers in the future. Because Only a few singers sing most of Japanese animation themes. One of them is Isao Sasaki besides Uchu Senkan Yamato, he sang Gallaxy Express 999 movie version. UFO robo Grendizer. etc,. etc,. Ah! an interesting story is in France, UFO robo Grandizer( Goldorak ) was so popular, much more than Gundam. In 1999, for the France Asian Movie festival they made a poster of it with "Big Grandrizer". I heard Grendizer made 100% viewer rate! Can you believe it?

Food challenge

For 8 years, Takeru Kobayashi (I did not know he was called "Tsunami" ha ha ) won Hot Dog Eating Contest on Independence Day in the U.S. Recently he ate 69 burger in 8 minutes. He is a food fighter, actually in this Krystal burger competition, he got $10,000.

Do you want to try such a challenge?? Before you try such a competition or contest, how about you checking your chances and ability? In the Tokyo area, some restaurants have such BIG challenge menus. They do not have a prize, but some places make your challenge "free of charge". I'll introduce some places on this site. "Big eating challenger".

Udon
Udon for 10 peoples. Time limits is 5minutes, if you fail, it costs 2500yen.

jiao-zi
60 piece of Jiao-zi(1.5kg). The time limit is 15 minutes. Hmm this looks not so heavy.

Curry
2.3kg curry. Time limit is 20 minutes, if you fail, it costs 1400yen. Cheap?

Tontatsu
Big pork and a mountain of cabbege, Time limit is 25 minutes. Only 10% could succeed, actually he could not make it. The difficult part is cabbage he said.

Beef Sukiyaki
This is the challenge menu of Chain beef bowl store "Sukiya". At random they make this event. Only 1kg beef looks small after looking at above food.

1kg Ramen
About 1kg, ramen ( separate soup type), he says this is quite easy. If you fail, it costs 1400yen.

In my past, what I ate most was...hmm...I think it was Yakiimo! maybe two or three big size I can eat always once.   And a bar of roll cake, it is easy too.

Original Sukiyaki Song

When I read about airplane crashes, I remember "Kyu Sakamoto" always.

The most world-wide famous Japanese song is still Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto now. Do you know he died in the worst air plane acctident in Japan in 1985.

In the U.S. I remember Sukiyaki got popular againg as 4pm and taste of Honey also covered Sukiyaki. However the lyrics of  Sukiyaki in English are so different. It is good, such a nice love song. To be popular, that change was good I think.

But still I like the original one. The Original one's title is "Ue wo muite aruko" (I look up when I walk.)

I look up while I walk
So the tears won't fall
Remembering those spring days
But tonight I'm all alone
I look up while I walk
Counting the stars with teary eyes
Remembering those summer days
But tonight I'm all alone
Happiness lies beyond the clouds
Happiness lies above the sky
I look up while I walk
So the tears won't fall
I cry while I walk
For I am alone tonight
Remembering those autumn days
But tonight I'm all alone
Sadness hides in the shadow of the stars
Sadness hides in the shadow of the moon
I look up while I walk
So the tears won't fall
My heart is filled with sorrow
For tonight I am alone
For tonight I am alone

Sound is very simple, up tempo and light, but the lyrics are a little painful to express the moment he has just gives up and released something important. A sort of dry feeling with a full of tears. Those all combination can be good for when I need to cry. Tears are important when you recover, to forget something right?

Sukiyaki was created by composer Nakamura Hachidai(including 8 in his name), lyrics Ei Rokusuke (including 6 in his name), and sing by Kyu Sakamoto (including nine in his name), This 689 trio made good songs.

Howl has been released

Howl's moving castle has been released worldwide.

I have not seen it yet. This time, I could not get ticket for the media preview. (because my boss went twice!!! ) You can hear the main theme here in my past post.. And this is the Japanese main site.

I don't know if you can see it with subtitles in foreign countries, or if it will be dubbed. In the original version Chieko Baisho is Sophie. She sings the theme song. The Witch in rough field is Akihiro Miwa.. "HE" played Moro no kimi in Prince of Mononoke. Then Howl is Kimutaku did. So, will Howl be a big success like Spirited Away?