May 13
The original water source for Edo (as Tokyo used to be called) was Inokashira pond. Today you can still see that pond, which is located on the west side of Tokyo very close to Kichijoji station in Inokashira park. Very different to parks like Shinjuku Gyoen and Kiyosumi gardens, this is more of a “people`s park”, something that appeals to the everyday person and attracts them in large numbers. It`s literally got something for everybody. Read more
May 11
During the cherry blossom season a few weeks ago we featured a song by Naotaro Moriyama. And he has a connection with Begin, the band that sings our latest featured song, Nada Sousou. Any idea what that connection might be? I hope a few of you know the answer. But if you don`t, I`ll tell you the answer in a bit. Read more
Inokashira park in Kichijoji is a well-known haven for Tokyo`s buskers. And there is a good reason for it, as Inokashira is one of the most popular parks in the city. It`s big and very green big, so there is plenty of space for people to do their thing in a pleasant environment without bumping into others. You`ll see buskers of all types there: magicians, organists, guitarists, singers, balloon twisters and jugglers. Some of them are really, really good. And if you`re lucky you`ll see someone playing a shamisen or koto, but just in my experience they seem to be a little rare. Or maybe I just don`t go to the park often enough? Read more
May 4
Hiromi Go, one of the legends of the Japanese music scene. Born in 1955, he has been active ever since his debut in 1972. 1972 was a big year as it was the year that saw singers like Hideki Saijo and Goro Noguchi also debut. Hiromi has effectively been on the, “Go”, for over forty years. He really has had an incredible career. And his changes of image have been just as incredible. Not sure if any of you remember his debut, but who would have thought that the Hiromi of 1972 with curly hair would be the guy he turned out to be in the twenty-first century. Read more
Recently I visited Kameido Tenjin for the Wisteria Festival. It was an immensely enjoyable event as the weather was close to perfect. And even though it was a weekday, the number of visitors was quite large. So, with the wisteria in bloom and very fragrant, the drum bridges spanning the ponds and Tokyo Skytree in the background I hopefully got some decent pictures for you. Read more
“Melty Love”, by Shazna is our latest Song of the Week. Shazna debuted in 1993 and at that time they were a little unusual, due to their leader singer`s cross-dressing fashion. These guys were very much a visual kei rock band. Visual kei being lots of makeup, elaborate hairstyles and very flamboyant fashion. I often think of it as something similar to glam rock when people like David Bowie, Gary Glitter and T. Rex were at their biggest in the 1970s. Read more
The Sanja Matsuri is returning to Tokyo next month from May 17 to 19. It is one of the three great festivals in Tokyo, with the other two being the Sanno and Kanda. Over two days, something like two million people will visit the event in Asakusa. It is big, big, big. I`ve been to it and can vouch that it is a one of those events that you should attend at least once in your life. Read more
Apr 20
I`ve always had trouble this group`s name, “Ulfuls”, for some reason. I could just never get my tongue around the name. It`s short, so there shouldn`t be anything difficult about it but I`ve made it possible. I constantly butcher their name and it is a little embarrassing considering how long I`ve been in Japan. But they are another one of my favourite Japanese groups. And the release of this song coincided with my return to Japan after graduating from university in 1996. What a wonderful year that was. There was so much great music then in Japan that left me with some amazing memories. Got a job teaching at NOVA in Nakano with a great bunch of people and for the most part had some amazing students as well. Was truly a fantastic year, never have I experienced anything like it since. Read more
Apr 18
As you may remember, I purchased my Pentax K-30 about halfway through last year. So in August, 2012 I did a review of it here and now, after a year`s worth of experience with it I thought I would put my final thoughts here again. My second and last review of of this fine camera. What can I say about it after a year? It is still a great camera, nothing has changed. I am still extremely happy with it. Read more
And yet another great time-lapse video, “Tokyo City View”, coming from darwinfish105. And with thanks to his skilful use of a tilt-shift lens it really looks like he has once again transformed the city into a gigantic miniature playset. I`m amazed at his skills with a camera. It really is amazing how he can make everything look miniature but still give it a rather dramatic atmosphere. I think it might be due to his masterful use of rolling clouds plus the contrasting areas of light and dark combined with good music. Read more
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