Shinjuku at Sundown

I was in Shinjuku just before sunset, so the lighting was just perfect...... my wife was out shopping at a recycle shop called Treasure Factory, so I was free to roam about and take pictures. I nerded out at a few stationary stores and at Tokyu Hands at Times Square, and then got down to taking some pictures......

$10 Coffee in Ebisu

Sitting at Miyakoshiya Coffee in Ebisu Gardens and relaxing with my wife. We came to look at the beautiful light display here at night. I would never spend $10 on coffee back at home, but for the ambience, the made in Italy cup and saucer and made in Japan cutlery, the million dollar view, and a chance to rest my tired feet (we came straight from the madness of Akihabara to the calm tranquility of Ebisu), it was totally worth it!! In fact, the best cafe mocha I've ever had, and I don't even drink coffee!! The Japanese always have the coffee at the exact perfect temperature. I don't know how they do it all the time, but they do!!

Chabuya Ramen

I've been on the hunt for the best ramen in Tokyo, and although I know I'll never find it (as much of it is a matter of personal taste) this place has come at the top of my list:
Chabuya Ramen.
They use classy and modern cutlery, Peugeot pepper mills on the table (I should have checked if it was actually pepper in it, or perhaps it was sesame?) and a cute drawer to store chopsticks at each spot. They even had monogrammed napkins! A bit of a modern flare, even in the presentation, but the food held up on its own. I had the shoyu, and my wife had miso. Even the egg was perfect, with the yolk half creamy, have solid....... I must go back again!! Even the gyoza was done a bit different!!

Working Late Into the Night

Suntory Whisky and Tower Records Collaboration Ad

A Rainy, Late Night Walk in Ikebukuro

I've walked by the Toyota Amlux Auto Salon a million times on numerous trips, but always through the glass late at night. When I have time to go, I'm with my wife and she doesn't want to go, and when I am finally alone to do what I what, everything is closed, except for bookstores. Actually, that's why I was out, to go pick up a magazine to read at night before going to bed.....

Entrance into Sunshine City entertainment district late at night. Tokyu Hands had already closed. Too bad.....

Bikes everywhere, and getting wet.......

Even in the darkest, most isolated alleys, there's always a pop machine to save the day, including hot drinks and soups. Corn chowder anyone?

Another pop machine working hard when everything else is closed.......

Bars and food establishments are everywhere and open late. Too bad I don't drink, or do I like to eat late.......

They can't just have one pop machine on a sinlge corner, but to make sure that traffic from both directions see their products, they put the exact same machine facing out on each corner for all to see.......

An Mitsu Mihashi

This place is suppose to be pretty famous for their desserts, and at times has line-ups to get in during the afternoon tea rush hour (mostly women.... I always feel out of place at dessert and coffee shops during the mid afternoon). Very good dessert. Call me cliche, but I always have to have some sort of green tea in my dessert..... have you ever had the Haagen Dazs green tea icecream sandwich? I think it was a limited time special, because I can't seem to find it..... I'm going off track. We went to an Mitsu Mihashi dessert shop near the Ueno JR station, but they have multiple locations. They also have a really good hot dessert, the zenzai (red bean soup?) with mochi. I'll try that next time. It looked good......

Cold Apartments in Tokyo

Considering Japan is the future (my friends always tease me when I get back to Canada by asking me how the future looks like.....) heating in homes and apartments are pretty backwards. Tables with blankets on the bottoms with built in heat lamps to stay warm, and heated floor mats are all pretty cool and hi-tech, but how about centralized heating and insulation? I think that's a bit easier isn't it? I was told that houses are built to breath because the summers are so hot. Okay, perhaps that's true for Okinawa, where I'm originally from, but how about places like Hokkaido? They have the same problem up there too..... anyway, this is the heater that keeps the room that my wife and I sleep at night warm...... sometimes it feels colder inside the apartment than outside!! I feel like I'm in a cave!!

Famous Hollywood Stars in Japan: Continue.......

Uniqlo is a huge clothing retailer in Japan, similar in pricing to Gap, but better quality and selection. They even do t-shirt collaborations with famous designers, artists, and iconic brands (I picked up a Ricoh GR t-shirt!!). They have a single store in New York, and one in London, and maybe Paris? None in Canada so far, but I think Uniqlo should be the model for all clothing retailers. I'm going off point here though.

I took these pictures to show how there are so many Hollywood actors who go to Japan and allow themselves to be plastered all over the place, as advertising in Japan is nothing like what it is in N.America, and perhaps even Europe. It's pretty "in-your-face" ad campaigns, sometimes with the same poster lined up 100-200 times in a row, or 50 foot banners off sides of buildings. I'm not complaining about 50 ft Charlize's and Orlando's, it's just odd seeing them out of context in Japan.......

Who's the Boss? Me or the Old Guy?

It's very common for famous stars to go to Japan and partake in ad campaigns that are hard to ignore. Bill Murray's character in the Suntory Times whiskey ad in Lost in Translation was sort of a satire I guess on the whole thing: American actors who would never, ever do an ad campaign for a pop drink or for a fast food chain, or mass market clothing company in their domestic market will gladly go to Japan and happily lend their face.

In this picture, I was trying to get this shot with no one in the way (which is very difficult at a Tokyo train station), and just as I was ready to snap, a young boy appeared in my frame, and it worked...... downstairs of Ikebukuro Station in the North West corner of Tokyo.......

Tokyo 2010: The Beginning

Well, first new pic in a while, and first fresh pic from Tokyo in a year. Since arriving, I've been busy doing some work for my father, as well as settling in, and going here and there with my wife, I just haven't been able to get any good shots. By the time I see something I want to shoot, hand over a shopping bag to my wife, take out my camera from my bag, make sure the settings are correct....... I lose the shot!! I just wasn't mentally in shooting mode yet. I felt out of photographic rhythm.

Today was the first day I felt half on. I've been playing around with my i-Phone camera as well. The resolution and quality is okay, but I like working within limits, and it's a lot easier taking certain pics with an i-Phone versus a camera, especially taking discreet pics of people. I may do just i-Phone pics only entry soon.

This picture was taken just outside the outer area of the Imperial Palace grounds in Tokyo. A bike rider taking a nap in the afternoon sun. From a distance he looked like a street person, but as I got closer, I noticed his sweet wheels and killer frame, and finally his Knog riding cap and super green windbreaker!! Sweet!! I wanted to wake him and tell him I was a fellow bike rider, but I didn't want to disturb his nap.... my dream is to ride my fixie in Tokyo..... one day.....