Two interesting facts I learnt visiting Kaminarimon in Asakusa recently.

1 – Kaminarimon (雷門 “Thunder Gate”) is written on the front. Know what’s written on the back?
2 – What has become of Matsushita Electric (松下電器)?

Dropped into Kawasaki for dinner and came across this very interesting restaurant. I usually don’t go to the other side of the station, stations in Japan usually have 2 sides where you exit, I ventured out that day. And then I saw this restaurant, I knew right away I wanted to eat there – I saw fresh seafood and grills.

Isomarusuisan (磯丸水産).

Doesn’t this place look interesting? Maybe it’s just me, but I really like this kind of local Japanese restaurant.

Same shot as the one above, but iPhone 4 HDR. See how the words on the board come out nicely.

Sushi/sashimi specials. We had Tai (鯛).

Part of the main menu. All the grilled goodies. I forgot to ask if they had an English menu… But get your Japanese friends to bring you there. A good place to socialize over drinks and chow.

Grill where magic happens.

Everything was fresh. Scallops were fantastic! The gray paste in the crab shell on the right is “kani miso”. That was just mmmmmmm YUMMY. Best kani miso I’ve had all year.

What is kani miso? Well, it’s everything else that’s left in the crab once you’ve removed the white meat. Nothing goes to waste. What’s left after you’ve removed the white meat? It’s nasty, but I can assure you it tastes better than you or I can word it. ^^.

If you’ve heading here, do yourself a favor and get your very own kani miso. One just for you. It’s too good for sharing.

Do you know what this is? ^^.

Tai sashimi. Fresh and good.

One whole squid. The legs are called “geso”. Which part do you fancy?

I know of friends who don’t like squids or octopus because of the texture. I like them all.

Tuna cheek. Not sashimi, but something for the grill. Soft and delicious. mmmm. まぐろのほほ肉焼き。

Something about old beer posters I like. I have a collection of old beer posters I keep in my blackBook app.

Next time we’ll take a look at what’s here.

Let’s take a little walk through Meiji Jingu (Shrine). Located right beside Harajuku station, Meiji Jingu (明治神宮) was constructed on November 1 and enshrines the souls of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. If you’ve been to Tokyo, chances are you’ve been here. If not, this is a place you would like to visit.

The main shrine is located in the heart of an evergreen forest and is a short 8 minute walk from the front gate. Along the way, you’ll find barrels of Japanese sake lined up to greet you.

This is the entrance to the main shrine complex.

There’s always a small crowd at Meiji Jingu throughout the year. The grounds get really crowded during special events like the new year countdown. Shinto weddings are also held here from time to time.

The spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken are enshrined in the building up ahead. One can go and pay their respects there.

Looking out from the main shrine, you can see the that the grounds are pretty spacious. I haven’t been here on new year’s eve, but to imagine a horde occupying the grounds is simply just mindblowing!

It’s a common practice to leave a wish whenever you visit a shinto shrine. Ema (絵馬) are small wooden plaques (usually sold for ¥500) on which you write your prayers or wishes before hanging them up for all to see at the shrine. Ema-s are collected and burnt in a daily ritual. From what I’ve been told, the smoke from the burning ema rises up to the gods, conveying the people’s wishes.

You can read more about Meiji Jingu over at Wikipedia.

Here’s a little trivia for you. Do you know the difference between a shrine (神宮) and a temple (寺)?

Here’s something you don’t see everyday. An empty Hachiko crossing in Shibuya. Took this photo quite a while back when I roamed Harajuku early one Sunday morning. Even at that early weekend hour, getting a seat at Starbucks overlooking this popular junction required a short wait.

The surreal calm doesn’t last long though. Within seconds, people start crossing from all directions. I know this junction is a very popular tourist attraction for people visiting Tokyo. But do you have something similar where you are? A nice spot where you can just watch crowds of people drift by?

Ever been to Harajuku? Ever fought your way through the sea of bodies along Takeshita Street? It’s not a pleasant experience. Especially if it’s summer and everybody is sweaty and sticky! I don’t know about you, but I really dread skin contact in those situations.

What if you could just whizz through Takeshita Dori. Forget about everyone. Forget about progressing 2 inches every 5 minutes (I’m exaggerating of course. ^^.) and just take a brisk walk through towards Shibuya. How would you like that? ^^.

Viola. Nobody Takeshita. How long do you suppose it’ll take to run to the other end? I went for a morning photo walk with two friends in Harajuku. Not seeing a crowd along Takeshita Dori is just mind-blowing!

We went down on a Sunday morning. 0730. Shops were all still closed so it was pretty much deserted.

Has anyone been here? Lots of posters of idols, actors, singers and everyone else but me. ^^. Can’t do any shopping now, but you’ll get to see a few new things along Takeshita Dori early in the morning.

Graffiti. I bet you can’t see this on a regular Harajuku midday.

In Japan, trash is very neatly packed and placed outside for the garbage collectors. No bins.

SOS-MARKET. Don’t believe I’ve been there. Must go back and check out the shop.

All these stalls look so different when they have their shutters down. I don’t recognize any!

Doesn’t say “Ken was here”. I wonder what “KenTo” means

I certainly haven’t seen this before! They must really hate Barbie. I don’t see Ken among those hanging. phew. ^^.

Lots of cardboard boxes outside 7-11. If you ever need any.

There are alot of small streets that run off Takeshita Dori too. A big challenge walking along Takeshita Dori on a regular day is to not keep looking straight ahead.

The crepe desert stalls are all halfway in. There’s a whole lot of variety to choose from. Lots of goodies wrapped in a thin pancake. Have you tried it before? I tried it on a few occasions and it has always been a little too sweet for me. ^^.

Nothing but the truth.

Some shops are running summer sales. Paying less for summer clothes that have less material in them. Good idea. ^^.

I believe there was a Sweets Paradise at the end of this corridor. It’s a cafe with a huge collection of…. hmmm… Sweets Paradise. Need I say more? ^^.

Just messing around. Please forgive me Spasso.

That’s it for Takeshita Dori. It was a very comfortable stroll. You should try it sometime too. ^^. If you squint, you will just about be able to see my other friend Alex in this shot.

We didn’t stop there though. We explored a little more.

When I explore areas, I like to walk through small alleys and get lost. Only when you are lost, can you find something new.

Have to find out where these stairs lead to another time.

I found a rather interesting place at the end of this street.

Check out this funky building. I saw the red okonomiyaki lantern hanging and wondered where the restaurant was. So I looked for an entrance.

I found this suspicious-looking narrow walkway.

I’m glad I followed the graffiti and walked through. I was surprised to find this oasis of a cafe!

Design Festa Cafe’s menu. Open from 1100-2000.

Design Festa vol.30. Tokyo Big Sight October 24-25 2009.

Pretty neat place to chill don’t you think?

I found out later that this is the west end of the Design Festa Gallery. It’s a rental gallery for artists to showcase their work. Might make a good spot for other events too. ^^.

Followed the Sakura Tei (さくら亭) sign and I came to the okonomiyaki restaurant. This is one heck of an interesting okonomiyaki restaurant. I’m going to be dining here real soon. Gotta show this place to my friends from Kansai.

This is the front of the Design Festa Gallery East end.

That art piece right on top reminds me of those tissue boxes where you pull a tissue out from the nostrils.

Walked around the area and found this interesting cafe. Yellow 96 cafe. Me is definitely coming back here again. Checked out their main page here. This morning photo walk is turning out pretty good. I’ve found a few new places to dine at. ^^.

I suppose this is where you sit and wait if there is a queue. Reminds me of Forrest Gump.

Please use the entrance.

Quite a cosy veranda don’t you think?

I took this photo because it reminded me of some apartments I’ve seen in a Japanese drama somewhere. You happen to know which one?

This goes towards Shibuya. Which is where I’m headed.

A Nike boutique used to be in that black building over there. Probably sold collector air force ones and nike dunks. It’s just empty now.

I was very excited to see new sights and find new places to shop…. probably.

No summer sale here. Just ummer sal.

Surprised to see 4 cameras keeping surveillance here. There’s always someone watching these days isn’t it.

A candid shot of sunnycamel as he walks past Lost and Found. Now you know where to go when you lose something in Harajuku. ^^.

Be sure to check out his photostream. He has good eyes.

Is this post a little too long? It’s the first time I’ve had such a long post with 59 photos. Are you tired of reading now? ^^. What to you suppose is a good length for a photo walk post?

A fancy shop front. I think it’s a clothing store. Very studded entrance though!

Here’s probably another cool place to hang out and get a bite, R/O-426. It’s quite an experience, having your meal served from a classic Airstream trailer in Omotesando.

Omotesando Dori.

Here we have the Jingumae “koban”, the neighbourhood police box. Omotesando Hills is conveniently located right next to the koban.

There’s an overhead path right in front of the koban. Took this picture when I was right on top. There’s usually alot of people walking along the sides and cars on the roads. At this time in the morning, it’s just empty.

On the other side, there are still lots of streets to explore. But we kept to this one between Anna Sui and Locanda F.Q.

I window shop here from time to time.

Here’s a new Nike boutique. Haven’t been in there yet. Heard that the building was designed by a very famous Japanese architect.

This is a very interesting street. You have some houses as well as shop lots. It must be fun living here. Probably a little noisy too.

I tend to frequent this Adidas boutique store. I like Adidas Jackets and have a small collection. Only those retro looking designs with the maple leaf. Gotta pack them up for the summer. Won’t be needing them for a few months.

cool sale.

I own a small Gregory pouch. There’s a small little shop here and this sign post is right beside it. It’s not to be trusted though. You can rotate the signs to face any direction you so wish Mt. Fuji to be in. ^^.

I like this neighbourhood. It has kid-friendly facilities. Great for people bringing me out.

This is the end of the this photo walk. I hope you enjoyed it. ^^. Will leave you here with Hello Kitty at the end of Cat Street!

Dave was visiting and he wanted to drop by the Yebisu Beer Museum. I haven’t been there myself so we hopped on a train and rode the Hibiya line all the way to Ebisu. ^^. There’s about a 3 minute walk from the station to Yebisu Garden Place where the beer museum is located. The journey starts with getting on this particular escalator. Once you’re on it, you’re all set.

The escalator brings you all the way to Yebisu Garden Place.

Here we are. This place was once a beer brewery. Now it’s a place to hang out and drink good Japanese beer… and work, if you work here.

There’s a Mitsukoshi department store here. I’ve only walked through it though. Can’t tell you what shopping is like there unfortunately. ^^.

For the thirsty, we have the Sapporo Beer Station to fill you up for the day.

The Yebisu Beer Museum is behind Mitsukoshi. I find the easiest way is probably to walk through Mitsukoshi to get there. They had a Premium Yebisu Creamy Top Stout debuting that day.

Yebisu (ヱビス Webisu) is one of Japan’s oldest brands, first brewed in Tokyo in 1890 by the Japan Beer Brewery Company. It is now produced by Sapporo Brewery.

Giant cans of Yebisu beer for your viewing pleasure. The humongous shiny copper kettle in the middle of the hall was once used to brew beer in the original Yebisu Brewery. How’s that for a slip of history? Let’s see… from the left, that’s the limited edition Yebisu white, Yebisu the Black, Yebisu the hop and premium Yebisu beer. Did I get it all right?

This is what happens when you drink that big a can all by yourself. ^^.

If you follow this timeline, you’ll see that beer was once ¥2!

You know what’s this? It’s a heat exchanger!

BTW, do you know who Yebisu is in Japanese mythology? That guy in the picture is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune.

A closer look at the copper kettle. I wasn’t allowed photos in other parts of the museum where they explained the intricate science that is beer brewing. There are mainly 4 ingredients that make up beer. Water, malt, hops and yeast; fruits and spices being among others.

The variety of beers that we indulge in are a result of creative combinations and processing of those ingredients.

The tasting lounge. This is where all the fun is!

There are many beers to choose from. Some are only available at the museum. ¥300-500. I didn’t go for the creamy top stout, but I went for the Yebisu Amber. Also got myself a tasting set.

Yum yum.

That’s the beer tasting set. Lagers, ale and stout. That’s my Amber standing tall in the middle. It was very good. Very smooth and ale like. ^^.

Everyone had pretty much the same idea. Get the tasting set before getting a pint of anything else.

After downing all that beer, ’twas time to leave. When leaving the museum, one can drop by the shop and get some memorabilia. Who wants beer jelly?

Yebisu Garden Place Hiroba. Nice place to laze about on a weekend.

Chateau Restaurant Joel Robuchon. The restaurant was award 3 stars in the Michelin Guide to good food Tokyo. Have to dine there one of these days. ^^.

The Yamanote Line running towards Shibuya.

Stopped at Excelsior Cafe for some coffee. We needed the caffeine boost!

A quick glance before heading off.

Back on the escalator. As you might have noticed with the earlier picture, no one is walking in the middle. Weekends.

The Ebisu station ticket gates.

Care to take a guess which train was going where?

We ended up in Shibuya to meet up with some friends and hunt down an ATM that accepted foreign cards. Lesson learnt, Citi ATMs always work for foreign cards.

I’ve certainly learnt a great deal about beer at the museum. Fancy going there yourself sometime?

Took a walk through Kabukicho with a few buddies of mine a while back. Japanese houses are very lightweight and usually just made entirely of wood. Pretty easy to bring down for a constructicon. ^^.

tkyosam terrorizes one of the local residents while her royal highness youtube queen applemilk1988 looks on. ^^.

The last time I was in Kabukicho, I was on a missing to do something naughty. Those were some good times with friends who have since left Tokyo.

Walking by a host club. Looks pretty quiet outside in the daytime. Maybe things are more happening inside. Have you been to one?

I have nothing against hosts. I think it’s a pretty good business to be in. If you’re really good at it, you can make loads of money and even get showered with gifts… which you can also pawn for more cash.

I for one would make a horrible host. I can’t even handle one girl, yet alone 3-4 at a time. ^^. Seems like that industry is out for me.

There’s this thing about hosts that pipped my curiosity though. Why do they all look and dress alike? Is that what the ideal man would look like for most Japanese women?

For those interested, 見学自由 means “you are free to come in for a tour”. I don’t think it means you get a “free tour” though. ^^.

Had a most interesting afternoon with Tokyo’s very own Stormtrooper. Two things to accomplish yesterday. Earn some pocket money and interview with BBC’s Fast:Track.

Was out with Johnny Li too. He was the designated video man and I the photo man. ^^.

The story goes like this right, Death Star blew up, Empire overthrown and replaced by the New Republic… yada yada. What’s a stormtrooper to do in order to make a living? Vader got a job. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t die. ^^.

So, this particular trooper got stranded in Tokyo after his battalion upped and left for the Outer Rim without him. With the economy so bad, he couldn’t get a proper desk job, so he started working part-time for stores around Shibuya. First he was out doing odd jobs keeping the entrance to the Apple Store clean. Someone has to keep the streets clean you know. ^^.

His job also included greeting customers. It’s a really normal thing here in Shibuya actually, stormtroopers greeting customers.

Sometimes he gets distracted… very distracted.

Distracted enough to leave his post! Ever wondered how he got stranded in the first place? ^^.

Shibuya’s a pretty safe town for a stormtrooper. One can freely roam the streets without fear of being hunted down or harassed by rogue Jedi… or New Republic soldiers (what do you call them these days?). So if you’re a stormtrooper and your planet of residence isn’t treating you so well, you might want to consider relocating.

No one really cares. ^^.

New Republic cadets.

Back to work.

We also met up with folks from BBC Fast:Track. Danny was scheduled to interview with them that afternoon.


Which stormtrooper would you want to see more of?… more?? ^^.

Filming, filming, filming. Lots of school kids out and about. It was about 3pm. I guess school ended. Reminds me of me roaming Orchard Road after school with me buddies when I was studying in Singapore many galactic moons ago.

I heard someone walk past and say “cyo eigo syabetteru kedo”.

I wonder what Danny’s talking about.

Maybe something like, “Buy Ken’s iPhone Apps”. ^^.

In between takes, we ran into shibuya246. Great to finally put a face on a fellow blogger.

Guess those girls were probably out on a school trip. The instant camera was a dead giveaway.

Fans.

Everyone loves a stormtrooper.

Here’s a little game. Can you spot him in the picture above?

GUTS!

You saw it here first! Stormtroopers like to scare little girls.

A break in between filming comes a cute fan.

Back to filming.

I’m getting a little envious. I need my own bodysuit. Anyone want to buy me a Chewbacca suit? I’ll dance for free.

Group photo! Was told that the BBC interview would be up in month or so. Wonder if they got any shots of me in the background. Maybe for a second or two. Just like me meeting Prince Charles.

Once the interview was done, it was back to work alongside the two lovely ladies here.

Rockstar fan.

Working outside Bic Camera is tough. Lots of sweeping and bowing involved.

Ran into a real star wars fan.

How many of you out there know your blood type? If you don’t, give him a pint and he’ll tell you.

Caption this photo?

ありがとうございます!

おつかれさまです Tokyo Stormtrooper san.

Easily the world’s most famous crossing. Pretty nice picture given that it was taken on an iPhone don’t you think? It was a Thursday night before 春分の日 and I met up with Ken and Adam from Genkii and Chris for a mini drinking session at Shibuya. There’s more to Shibuya than Hachiko and the dodgy area. ^^.

I was in Roppongi earlier. Easiest way to get from Roppongi to Shibuya is to hop on a bus. Short ride for ¥200.

Love to take photos when I’m crossing the road. Took this with my iPhone. Not too shabby is it? ^^.

This is the original south exit of Shibuya Station. Found out yesterday that there is another “new” south exit, which is quite a walk from the old south exit. We were waiting for Chris at the south exit and he was waiting for us at the new south exit. ^^. Gotta be careful there next time.

We headed off to have a couple of beers at Belgo’s. It’s a little hideaway near the south exit.

Lots of glasses behind the counter.

What do you think I had last night?

I missed out on a Guinness during St. Patrick’s Day. Had a pint last night. Thursday night is “Irish Nights”. 1 pint for ¥800 instead of the usual ¥900.

Here, I saved a pint for you too! ^^.

I only had a pint that night. Wasn’t feeling comfortable. Had some tiny bugs doing a free-for-all buffet on me. Do bugs like malt vinegar? I noticed I started itching after I placed a bottle of malt vinegar on the floor. Headed straight for the showers when I got home. Clothes went straight into the washing machine. Can’t keep those little buggers around can we. A hot shower never felt so good. ^^.

Although they serve Guinness, Belgo specializes in Belgium beers. There’s a whole fridge where you can take your pick. Lots of fruity ones too, including banana flavored beer and cherry flavored ones. ^^.

I found some older photos of Vedett extra white in my iPhone. Great Belgian Beer.

Very nice coaster too. If you can find this particular one, you’ll find some number behind it. ^^.

Everything you need to know about Vedett extra white. 250ml for ¥900. A little pricey, but smooth.


You can always pick up a Belgian Beer Passport when you’re there. Every week or so, they have a different beer on tap, which is pretty cool if you go often. Oh, and the mussels there, Wine-steamed mussels with half-size frites. Best in Tokyo! ^^.

This is where they are on Google Maps. You can also find their homepage here.

Oh! Found more pics taken at Belgo in my photo library. Including a photo of their fridge!

Choose your poison and pay for it at the bar.

More Beer!

Saison regal anyone?

This satan beer was real poison. Once is enough for me.

Did I mention that they have coasters for every single brand?

Coasters on the wall for those who can drink there. You’ll probably need to down quite a number before you can start drinking there. ^^.

Anyone collect matchboxes?

How about we take a look at some of the graffiti one can find while taking a stroll in Shibuya? Some are stickers, some are scribbles, but some really complement their surroundings. Others just answer hard life questions like “Can I have an AT-AT walker as a pet?”.

One thing I have yet to figure out though, is when does all the graphic work get done…

This is actually under an overhead pass heading into Yoyogi Park.

A pretty complex work of graffiti art.

One thing I noticed about graffiti on road signs like the one above is that it always comes with a taxi in the background. ^^.

By the way, if you’re wondering about the BNE stickers, STIPPY has a very informative blog post all about BNE. ^^. BNE is a worldwide phenomenon! BNE stickers can be found in most major cities in the world. There’s even a reward for the capture of Mr BNE. ^^.

This one I like. Found it on the way walking from Daikanyama to Shibuya. Don’t you think it adds some color to the already grey stairway? ^^.