watashi to tokyo

Billy Joel in Tokyo

Billy Joel in Tokyo, he started with SUKIYAKI. Very good vidao.

BBC Close-up: Japan's amazing lunchboxes "Chara-ben"

chara-ben (charactor bento) is getting common in kindergarden, it's not so special anymore. So mom share the idea on the site, but personally it is too much now. I don't think every mom has time to make it in busy morning. I know it's very cute though.

Kazuyoshi Saito

Kazuyoshi Saito released his new song "Yasahikunaritai(I wanna be doux)". Since he loves the Beatles very much, his music video is mimicry of the Beatles's Tokyo Budokan tour. Singer is Kazuyoshi Saito, drum is an actor Gaku Hamada, Guitar is comdian Hiroyuki Kobori, bass is popular author Lily Franky.

やさしくなりたい（斉藤 和義）- (HDV) from Ken Arakaki on Vimeo.

He did the same before, it was mimicry of Get back.

my favorite site, "nifty portal Z" !!

Finally I could join my favorite site "nifty portal Z" as Yahoo!Japan Auction staff, me and Koga san from nifty portal Z competete price of "my treasure". Since I have advantage coz I watch auction everyday and I know the market, the rule was I brought "very personal treasure"that we have hardly see on the auction.

At the first fight, her treasure was ICHIRO and famous Japanese actress Ayako Wakao's autograph. Her grandma had fish store and she got them when Ichiro and the actress came to buy fish. On the other hand my treasure was 30 sheets of handkerchiefs that I used when I was a elementary school girl. The judge was her two autograph is worth of 10000yen. (ichiro is 8000, actress's one is 2000) and my handkerchiefs is 7000yen! I lost.

The second fight was miserable one, her thing was badge of Tokyo Olympic. On the other hand, my was ugly Nessie that I bought at Nessi when I visited almost 20 years ago, a stone that I call the piece of Angel that I got when I went to the Sacrada Family (some curved an angel on the wall of the Sacrada Family at that time, so I picked a stone under it) and a leaf that I picked in fron to the Strawberry fireld when I visited Liverpool. Since I thought they were not enought strong, I added a 5 yen coin of Showa 64 year. Since Showa Hirohito emperor died in January 7th, we had only 7 days of Showa 64 year. I thought it was very good treasure!

But the result was her badge was worth of 2000yen! and mine was 350yen. The stone and leaf had no worth and Nessie was 200yen, 5 yen coin was 150yen, totally 350yen.

 

I promise I will win!! next time.

"Castle in the Sky" comes on TV and we made the new record of tweeting

Last night, Studio Ghibli's "Castle in the Sky" was aired on TV in two years. Every it comes on TV, we have funny mess :-) on the Internet. It is "Balse" バルス festival.

In the end of the movie, Pazu and Sheeta decide to use the Spell of Destruction. With a single word, the pendant triggers the collapse of the city's core. I don't know English version of the Spell(I can't find it), but in Japanese one is the word "Balse". (don't know this is the correct way to spell)

People say the word at the same timing of animation on TV and it made down servers of Twitter, niconico doga and 2ch always. This year, niconico doga said "We will be okay" and actually they had "a live watching show", and Twitter seemed to okay (even though some said I saw the whole) but 2ch had to be down before the timing.

And last night they made the world new record of tweeting. it was 11,349 in a second.(it was 8868 of Beyonce's pregnant tweets before) Those tweets were all "Balse"!.

Cheer World Championships 2011 - Japan All Girl

Calbee's antenna shop in Harajuku!

Calbee is one of the most popular snack maker in Japan, their potato chips flavor variation is a kind of chaos, look at this. this is Yuzu Kosho(yuzu kosho?) this is Katsuo dashi(It's a kind of Japanese soup stock made from katsuobushi) this is Chinese dumpling this is burned butter, this is miso, this is kimchi. this is mentai and mayo(mentai?). The most popular flavor is always light sat but we love to taste new or limited version.

this is salt and rayu!

Recently Calbee opened their antenna shop in Harajuku. They sell their snacks, store limited snacks and even unreleased snacks too. And good part is thier cafe, you can try freshy-fried potato chips. Wooo looks yummy.

UNIQLO will have new recruit method

Like other countries, it's difficult to get a job in Japan, 60% of college senior do not get any job offer from company, it's really tough year, especially after 311. it will be harder.

In this situation, UNIQLO announced they are thinking to have new recruit method. They said they don't care about grade, they will take even first grade students if he is good. For example, UNIQLO hire first degree students and let him work as parttime workers at shop. He can learn about job and experience a lot during school days, so when he graduate, he can become a store manager quickly. He will make good money comparing to other graduates of other companies. Secure job and good money! Who can hesitate to such chance? UNIQLO will have a lot of good students if they have this method.

Olympus, Daio Paper, we have such ugly news, those highlight profound defects in Japanese corporate culture as a whole. I hope UNIQLO or such new companies will change it. we need fresh air.

Transparency international's 2011 Corruption Perception Index

NGO Transparency international's 2011 Corruption Perception Index released today, It shows some governments failing to protect citizens from corruption, be it abuse o public resources, bribery or secretive decision-making. Here is a video of retest. New Zealand is the cleanest country, then Finland, Norway, Japan is no.8. The worst is North Korea and Somalia.

Japanese brand beef is expensive, Matsuzaka beef, Kobe beef, Oumi beef, Yonezawa beef etc,. (Kobe Bryant was named Kobe coz his father like Kobe beef. you know that?) I can't eat every day such brand beef even though I like very much.

Hamburger shop Lotteria sell Oumi beef humburger and Matsuzaka beef humburger, Oumi one costs $6 and Matsuzaka one cost $18!! Hmm I don't need it. But I understand why it's so expensive, check this video.