Tokyo Ghost

2009-11-29T22:40:00.001+09:00

Just finished watching
"The curious case of Benjamin Button"

certainly an interesting movie, what does everyone else think .....any comments?

Considering

2009-11-08T18:45:00.001+09:00

whether to come back to this or not.....

Fuji san 2008 preview

2008-07-19T12:02:00.004+09:00

Climbed Fuji yesterday for the first time this year. Have another one planned for later in the season by a different route maybe but of course as ever everything depends on the weather. Will give a more detailed report a little later although there are many blogs and sites about climbing Fuji so not sure how interesting it would be.. Still will be reporting on some outdoor products which should be of greater interest. In the meantime here are a few photos from the top....

Hot summer Setagaya Shrine

2008-07-16T20:58:00.004+09:00

Another hot day in Tokyo, felt like about 34 today but not sure... very humid too but nevermind.. Went to Setagaya Shrine and saw this... anyone have ideas what it is?

Those interested have been here before.. here & here

Fuji 08

2008-07-13T20:33:00.003+09:00

Yes Fuji climbing season is open and yes I am going again. This will mark my third climb and have a few planned options this year... will be looking at some specific routes and info. over the next month and a half as the season remains open. Will also be looking at some outdoor products with some reviews and field reports....... People who didn't know I am an avid climber although I never seem to have enough time which is a real pain...
Regardless stay tuned good things on the horizon

2008-07-13T20:26:00.003+09:00

Been a couple of months and really just been rather busy with things to update but apologies for that. Max is bigger and has just passed the 3 KG mark.

He seems to be growing into a good looking cat...well he was a good looking kitten too :-)
Stay posted, will try to post more in the next week or so.

Cat Tower

2008-05-14T09:18:00.005+09:00

Who knew they made such things as cat towers.....

of course you have to build them but Max seems to think its worth the effort.

It did take him a while to get the courage to go all the way to the top... after all he is still rather small...
Once there though he could see the benefits of being able to look down on everything and everyone....
Unfortunately most of them seem to be really awful colors - yellow, pink etc.. which while might look good in a nursery school does little to "blend in" Luckily there are some which are a little more subtle...

Max Update

2008-04-29T01:21:00.005+09:00

Yes he seems to be getting bigger already and braver... trying to climb the room and enjoying himself in the process.... still he is worth the effort.

His color also seems to be changing slightly and some tiger stripes are showing.. what will he look like when fully grown... interesting!

Max

2008-04-25T23:28:00.004+09:00

So the new addition to the family has arrived. Max is an American Shorthair and Scottish Fold mix cat although to be honest I am not exactly sure I can see both in him.
Anyway there will be more entries on him over coming weeks but for now enjoy......

Army Of Two - Update

2008-04-25T23:14:00.005+09:00

Army of Two: Good, but too short.

As promised an update on the game, overall it is enjoyable. The weapons being extensively customizable and the missions being fairly varied make for an entertaining experience. As probably others have said it is mainly a co-op game and is best played with others to make full use of the aggro system. (read all about the game here)

The main disadvantage is the length of the game. Having finished it in about four hours it leaves you wondering about the value concept.. (compared to Call of Duty 4 for example). It also limits you on the amount of weaponry you can accumulate.

Army Of Two

2008-04-12T20:38:00.004+09:00

Picked up "Army Of Two" (Home page here) the other day. Basically a first person shooter with an emphasis on co-op play and using your partner to the best effect. Review coming soon...

Oh yes also picked up Lego Star Wars.. fun

Kawaiso Cat

2008-04-06T20:16:00.005+09:00

Kawaiso, meaning "poor" is a word commonly used in Japan. This cat in a pet shop is particularly kawaiso.. but he is very also Kawaii meaning "cute". I am thinking of getting him..... stay posted for details. UPDATE - unfortunately he was gone the next day... so ill keep looking... Its good he found a nice home anyway.

P.S. - Wondering about the tiger ------> Went to see "The Golden Compass" or "ライラの冒険" as it is known in Japan. Its not bad.... but a bit "kiddy" Anyway the premise is that the people in this world have their souls on the outside of their body and can appear in the form of an animal of different sorts depending on the character of the person.. take the test and decide your Daemon on the official website here

N905iu

2008-03-28T02:01:00.005+09:00

My simply awful Softbank phone broke.. well has been broken for the last few weeks and besides that I have been fed up with Softbank's poor service so decided to switch back to Docomo. The network is so much more stable and the services far better...

Picked up the N905iu which is one of the new 905 series but at the same time is a little different to the others being ultra slim and stylish but not having every function but the kitchen sink...

That said it still has everything you would ever need, mail, sms, calling of course, video phone, a 2M camera and full GPS navigation. In fact the only thing it doesnt have is 1 SEG TV which, to be honest I rarely used on the T911 Softbank phone...
It is beautiful..........

I also have to say that the menu system and display is great, the best I have ever seen on a phone... and I have had a lot of phones. The display shows 3D graphics in wonderful resolution and the mail for example gives you previews (which on the 3 inch display is essentially the same as opening it without having to do so!), and many shortcut functions which make life easy. It of course also has T9 input for English and Japanese which is a good point (again compared to the T911). The GPS is a really good system also almost identical to the ones found in the cars in Japan. You can get directions to a location, fix your current position, find out useful places around your current location such as restaurants convenience stores etc... or even have a wonderful female voice "speak" out directions to your location.

More info here

Tesco テスコジャパン

2008-03-19T01:17:00.004+09:00

So yes its true there is a Tesco in Japan, I just discovered in by accident but interesting it was!

Check out the website here - in English
in Japanese

They dont have a huge range of UK products but a few essentials are welcome! Picked up some Indian cooking sauces as well as a few old favorites........

Probably the beans are the most important product they carry but also Tesco biscuits and wine is not bad.

Tesco (coming soon)

2008-03-17T12:48:00.002+09:00

A Tesco in Japan? Yes its true..... more details coming soon.

Tobu World Square 東武ワールドスクウェア

2008-03-08T20:59:00.008+09:00

Tobu World Square (東武ワールドスクウェア) is a theme park near to 8-minute walking distance from Kinugawa hot-spring. The theme park has 42 1:25 scale model of the most famous, UNESCO-designated World Cultural and Heritage Sites, completely with 140,000 1:25 miniature people.

The perfect gentleman

2008-03-07T00:17:00.003+09:00

So you aspire to be the perfect gent. sophisticated, suave and debonair.

Now you have the beer to match, the perfect combination! ermmm.....

Premium canned coffee

2008-03-03T22:31:00.004+09:00

Canned coffee in Japan is common-place, in winter you have a choice of hot or cold, in summer just cold. There are endless varieties of coffee and new ones are released all the time promising "enjoyment", "joy", and with this particular example "radiance". I am sure you never thought you could get so much from a can of coffee...

Between you and me I think they all taste the same..... still this one has the nicest design for the can itself although it reminds me of a beer can.

Nothing compared to Nespresso though

Takao - Jimba

2008-02-20T23:56:00.004+09:00

A couple of weeks ago had chance to hike from Mt. Takao to Mt. Jimba. Both are fairly near to Tokyo but the total hike is about 20 km and takes about 6 hours. Luckily..unluckily there was a reasonable amount of snow on the ground which made the going slower than usual Take strong legs ;-)

Tokyo Horse　　東京の馬

2007-11-18T11:39:00.000+09:00

Living in the middle of Tokyo would make you think that there wasn't much chance to see or ride horses but actually thats not the case... I live in Setagaya and not far away is Bajikoen Equestrian Park 馬事公苑 (see here for the website) They hold a variety of different events here such as riding lessons, horse games, days for Children etc.....

I was going to Meiji Shrine (明治神宮) yesterday and so got off the train at参宮橋駅 on the Odakyu line. As I was walking to the shrine I noticed another horse park with people taking riding lessons and also children being given the chance to ride ponies.

After further inspection it turned out to be Tokyo Riding Club 東京乗馬倶楽部 (website here)
It is a club but you can also go there as a visitor. Prices range from about 7,000yen for a 45 minute ride on a horse to packages for a number of lessons within a given time period.

Of course you could also just ride a pony :-)

Sausage Rolls

2007-11-16T18:17:00.000+09:00

A staple food item in many countries there are sausage rolls in Japan of course....

Here is a standard sausage roll

A little bigger

And then there is the monster sausage roll (which was very good actually, having mustard and cheese inside always helps)

Finally, you can get sausage rolls in Pizza very strange....

The traditional sausage roll is made with puff pastry with sausage meat in the centre, a little different from the one above... If you want to try making them there is a recipe here

Setagaya Line 東急世田谷線

2007-11-15T20:23:00.000+09:00

The Setagaya Line is a short train line running though... well Setagaya of course....

It is actually not a train but a tram (street car) so it often crosses a street and the actual carriage doesnt really look like a train...

The Setagaya Line is only 5km is is one of only two trams in the Tokyo area (the other is 都電荒川線) and also has its own smart IC card system ( I have to do another post on Japanese Smart cards but please wait for now or request in the comments). You can see an example of the card here which can be bought as a prepaid , top up card or a monthly pass....they can be actually used as both..

Check out the website (in Japanese) here :-)

Convenience Stores ｺﾝﾋﾞﾆ

2007-11-13T22:14:00.000+09:00

Convenience stores are everywhere in Japan, living in Tokyo makes it even more likely that there is one lurking around every corner..

So are they good or bad?

Well they certainly are convenient as the name suggests they offer a wide range of different products although not a wide range (in general) within a specific product type.....unless its alcohol ;-)

They are open 24 hours, and also often offer other facilities such as an ATM, fax, Copying (in color with digital photo printing) and a delivery service. ...
The bad thing about being never closed is that if you are feeling temptation for a late night snack or drink then you can always get one...which probably means you are more likely to get one..hmmmm

One very good thing about them though is that periodically you can win things as they run promotions... Just last week I won an instant noodle and a box of mints totaling 700yen in value...not bad.

Whats the best thing you have won in a convenience store?....

Lunch

2007-11-12T14:11:00.000+09:00

Fancy a bit of lunch?

I'm sure you are thinking, 'what is it?'... well a pasta bake of course :-)

Virtual Museums 小田急バーチャル鉄道博物館

2007-11-11T12:02:00.000+09:00

I recently found this virtual museum for the Odakyu train line (one of the privately owned train lines around Tokyo)

It made me start thinking, why did they decide to make a virtual museum and what is a virtual museum anyway...? Is it any different to searching for information on the web? For me going to a museum means I can see the items for myself, I can touch them and its just a more 'real' experience to seeing something on the TV or the web....

A 'real' museum has character, history and magic... what do you think?

Ultraman ウルトラマン

2007-11-08T13:15:00.000+09:00

Soshigaya okura on the Odakyu line is the official Ultraman (ウルトラマン) station :-)

Ultraman first came on the scene in the 1960's and continues to be popular in Japan.... I did also happen to see it before i came to Japan late at night but I wouldn't say that is so famous compaed to Godzilla for example... So what is Ultraman? Well the story is set in the 90's (near future from 60's when the shows were being run) and at this time the Earth is threatened by various monsters and aliens. There is a special police force to deal with these problems called 'Science Patrol'. One of the police officers has a rather special ability to transform into Ultraman when duty calls.. Why is he good then? Well he has a huge array of special powers and skills to draw upon as needed. These include:
Specium Ray スペシウム光線, Ultra Slash, Electrical Immunity, Ultra Attack Beam ウルトラアタック光線, High Spin ハイスピン, Ultra Air Catch ウルトラエアキャッチ, Ultra Psychokinesis, Flight 飛行能力, Teleportation テレポーテーション, Ultra Current ウルトラ水流, Dynamic Size Change 巨大化能力, Clairvoyance Beam 透視光線, Ultra Chop ウルトラチョップ, Ultra Punch ウルトラパンチ, Ultra Kick ウルトラキック, Ultra Swing ウルトラスウィング,Ultra Eye Spot ウルトラアイスポット, Slash Beam スラッシュ光線, Catch Rings キャッチリング and many more! Wow.. sounds great eh, but he does have one big weakness... time. Due to the fact that he needs solar energy for all of his powers he can only be active on the Earth for three minutes... yep just three minutes....

Anyway I got distracted but was talking about Soshigaya Okura.. This station is the only Odakyu station which has a tune to signify the arrival of a train. Of course the tune is the Ultraman theme song! There are also posters everywhere and a statue of the man himself (at the top of this post). The statue is fairly cool, its solar powered.....again like the man himself and his eyes flash (スペシウム光線) at the top of the hour...

Cornish Pasty

2007-11-06T18:57:00.000+09:00

Made this today, it was a little too big but other than that pretty good...

Will have to experiment with different recipes and sizes/shapes in coming weeks..

Cornish Pasties originate from Cornwall (obviously), they were a food kind of like a sandwich that miners could take to work with them down into the mines. The thick crust that is supposed to be on the edge is where the miners could hold the pasty with their dirty fingers.. they then eat the filling and throw away the crust.
There are a huge number of recipes available for pasties, today's variety was the original one with potato, onion, carrot and beef as a filling..... :-)

Japan Open-Air FolkHouseMuseum (川崎市立日本民家園)

2007-11-05T12:09:00.000+09:00

This museum of sorts is located near to Mukougaoka-yuen station on the Odakyu line. It takes about 15 minutes walk from the station but there are signposts to guide you there.

Its a bargain really at 5ooyen for entrance and has 23 buildings, most of which are houses but does include a Kabuki theater and a small water mill as well.

The buildings themselves are from a variety of different places in Japan, there are five main areas: 'Post Town', 'Village in Shin-etsu', 'Village in Kanto', 'Village in Kanagawa', and 'Village in Tohoku'.

Guided tours are available but to be honest its much nicer to just walk around by yourself, there is information available in Japanese and English so you can find out quite a lot without the tour.

If you want more information then here is the website :
English
Japanese

Flip Flap フリップフラップ

2007-11-04T12:01:00.000+09:00

So what is it?....... Its a small solar powered plant.

What does it do?.... Well it just...kind of moves a bit.

Does it need any care?..... No, just since its solar powered you should put it somewhere in the light.

Why do I need it? .... Don't ask stupid questions!

Where can I get one? .. aha well they are made by TakaraTomy, see here for details

Flatpack Fauna

2007-11-04T11:36:00.000+09:00

So you feel you need a little bit more nature ( nature = Polar Bear.....ermmm )in your life, don't have enough cash or energy to go to the North Pole.. don't despair! There are now a new range of flat pack animals just for you! :-)

Enjoy...

Hours of entertainment for you and your family :-)

The full troop.

Cats

2007-11-02T13:07:00.000+09:00

Was never much of a cat person really but they seem to be growing on me... not literally of course... (that would be too weird, even for Japan :-) )

This one is a particularly good example of why I seem to like them more... cute eh...

This cat was at Sunshine city near the aquarium, and whilst being extremely cute I felt a bit sorry for it being messed with my kids all day. I'm sure it really just wanted a quiet place to sleep...

There are also lots of wild cats in Japan in parks and often in the streets at night too...

These cats tend not to be so friendly but of course if you feed them then they will come and make the most of it! These were taken in Ikuta Park (生田緑地). Incidently thats an interesting place which has a museum of old Japanese houses gathered from different areas of Japan. Post coming soon......

Portable Shrines

2007-11-01T23:55:00.000+09:00

A few weeks back whilst in Marunouchi (see here for post), I happened to see this small exhibition of portable shrines from different areas of Japan..

Very beautiful, the details are sadly lost on the poor photos (apologies for that)......

100% Design Tokyo

2007-10-31T18:15:00.000+09:00

Went to the 100% Design show in Tokyo today. Pretty interesting and since today was day one it was also pretty busy!

Some of the stands were good many just 'ok'. There does seem to be a real lack of new creativity these days and I was a little disappointed with products which, although nice, lacked any inspiration or new thinking....

One of the good areas was the section for student designers from universities and colleges.

My goodies from the show.

Temples (well Shrines actually) & Turtles

2007-10-30T16:10:00.000+09:00

Well OK its actually not a temple, its a shrine but then I couldn't use my T&T title...... Its strange that parks, shrines and temples often have turtles lurking in the ponds and pools. I did hear a story that they are often abandoned pets who have been 'released' but not sure if there is any truth to that. Regardless, they seem quite content and proliferate into large groups on rocks to enjoy the sun...

This small shrine is fairly close to my house, and is a quiet break from the craziness of Tokyo life....

The small water fountain chōzuya (手水舎) at the entrance is to purify yourself, as can be seen small ladles are used to wash the hands, and the mouth if so desired....then you are free to approach the main structure and pray... Many people visit this shrine and others at New Year to pray for a good year. You can see the same place on New Years night here

A koma-inu (狛犬)

2007-10-28T13:49:00.000+09:00

Mt Takao 高尾山 (takaosan) is about one hour from my house in central Tokyo. A perfect place for checking out the greenery and forgetting the greynery of the city.....

It has a number of shrines on the slopes and is associated with Tengu 天狗, one of which you can see below in all his splendor.

In order to get to the top you can take a chair lift which at times seems like its about to stop... erm actually it did stop that day but thankfully not at the same time that these pictures were taken!

Many people take their dogs for a walk, here is a particularly cute one .... must be a nightmare to keep him clean though!

Its been a Beary long time.......

2007-10-28T13:32:00.000+09:00

This keyring/key chain is made by a German company called Lumibear. The design is by Elmar Flötotto and the original one is about two feet high and has a light inside...

Anyway I used to have one of these...maybe about 8 or 9 years ago now but it was stolen and since then i have been looking for the same colour and type.. finally found one in Fukuoka (福岡市). Great
...............

Oh, and I know what you are thinking.....are those MORE penguins? Ermm well yes and since you want to see them so much, here they are :-)

Tired....................?

2007-10-21T22:28:00.000+09:00

Feeling stressed?... Had enough? Then the "so tired" cafe may be for you. They make a good cup of coffee (for about 700yen), or something stronger if you'd prefer. Its in the new Marunouchi building near to Tokyo station. ( here's the link to the English site)

The lesser known Ikebukuro Penguin

2007-10-14T20:46:00.001+09:00

Went to the Sunshine 60 building in Ikebukuro a couple of weeks ago. I was interested in the aquarium there as they had a new attraction.. the penguin walk. The penguins walk along a path and you get to see them close up..

More details here

Unfortunately I didn't get there in time so I will have to see it next time. The aquarium itself is not bad, Enoshima is better though...

I saw the penguins in their regular enclosure, these are genuine Ikebukuro Penguins... well not really they are African Penguins..... if you love penguins like me then you can check them out on a 24 hour web camera at the aquarium. Enjoy

Shiseido

2007-10-13T17:33:00.000+09:00

Went to an exhibition of art work for the cosmetics company Shiseido last weekend at Setagaya Art Museum

Couldn't take any photos inside of course but here is the link, it was certainly interesting, the company seems to tend towards Art Deco style designs. The Museum itself is an interesting design too and is also in the middle of a large park. Very relaxing :-)

X-Ray Postcards

2007-10-13T14:17:00.000+09:00

Had a bit of an accident about three weeks ago, hence no updates. Ended up breaking my wrist and thumb which hasn't been the best situation. But....on the bright side I got X-Ray postcards from the hospital! The all new craze, break a bone and then send a picture to your family and loved ones.....

Chimney

2007-09-22T13:25:00.001+09:00

The Chimney is a room humidifier.... the air gets very dry with air conditioning and also in Japan its extremely dry so something like this will help your throat, nose, and general feeling.

The good thing about this one is that it also has a cool design unlike most of the horrible little box ones you can get in electric shops.....

The tank holds about two litres of water which will keep it working for about 8 hours... not that I need to leave it on for 8 hours, my house fills up with a cool water mist hanging in the air...its interesting but you have to be careful that you don't raise the humidity too much, otherwise you can get mold and other nasty bacteria growing everywhere...

Polar Bear Juice

2007-09-19T20:08:00.000+09:00

Just what you have always wanted, a Polar Bear drink made from 100% juice...

Well no not really its just another strange energy drink from Japan, Hokkaido to be precise.

What does it taste like? Hmmmm has a cold, strong taste with a hint of fur...

Hedgehog

2007-09-19T19:59:00.000+09:00

Picked up this rather interesting wooden hedgehog a while back from Muji. Actually i think i was more attracted by the box but that said once open i kind of like the actual thing too.. and at 990yen a bargain....

What's it for? Hmmmm well its a toy for kids, I'm sure not enough kids get to play with wooden hedgehogs ............................................. don't you?

Jaeger-lecoultre

2007-09-15T17:30:00.000+09:00

Not well known in Japan which for me is a good thing but I love my Reverso by Jaeger-lecoultre

The watch can reverse sides with two different dials one black one white... the white one has a seconds indicator and the black one a day night indicator.... all without taking it from your wrist.

What makes it more special is that it runs off one movement, so the hands on the white dial are fixed normally to the movement whilst for the reverse side there is a system which enables the hands to run in the correct direction (if they were simply attached to the bottom of the movement they would run in reverse)

The black dial also enables you to display a different time zone from the front... the small button de-clutches the mechanism and shifts if forward an hour or more, as many as you need. (handy for the traveller)

Finally its a mechanical movement (no batteries and a power reserve in the form of a spring) , and also a square movement, not common amongst wrist watches...... I never get tired of it and really the photos do not do the thing justice, the workmanship and art deco inspired design (the original Reverso was designed in 1931) are amazing.

Paella

2007-09-15T10:31:00.000+09:00

Paella is a great dish, possibly my favorite... had this one a couple of days ago at a small Spanish place. They had a couple of options, the traditional seafood paella (which can be seen here) or the Valencia paella which has chicken instead of seafood and is served in the inland areas of Spain.

The restaurant also had some interesting tableware (its a jug for Sangria)... after a few glasses however it seems to make increasingly more sense :-)

Nespresso

2007-09-12T17:58:00.000+09:00

Had this coffee machine for a while now, I can't do without good coffee although my stomach probably could. The great thing about this machine is that it makes a superb Espresso, Latte, or Cappuccino but also at the same time looks good and is easy to use.

Check out the web site for more info, George Clooney did an advertisement about a year ago which was really great but unfortunately its now been removed from the site....

The machine uses coffee capsules

which come in a variety of different types, all distinct variants each sealed for freshness........ nice :-)
................. and the best thing is it still works out cheaper than Starbucks or similar!

Japanese medicine

2007-09-12T17:36:00.000+09:00

Medicine is a little strange in Japan,...or should I say different. This is an example of a cute character advertising your medication of choice, in this case one for a bad stomach after eating or drinking too much...

Knowing that you have this little guy alongside you fighting to make you feel better of course makes all the difference :-)

Rain

2007-09-11T20:03:00.000+09:00

Oceans 13 today. It was OK.....parts were very good but not all. I guess the first one is always going to be the best one but never mind. It was nice weather this morning but then by the afternoon felt like rainy season all over again...... doesn't Shinjuku look nice in the rain?
OK the second picture isn't Shinjuku at all but another place famous for rain......somehow we don't seem to mind.....

Rainbow Six

2007-09-10T20:59:00.000+09:00

I'm not usually a video game fan but succumbed to getting a PS3 a couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about the Wii but was impressed by the overall visuals of the PS3 and that it had HDMI. Anyway Rainbow Six Vegas is great, music, graphics and controls/strategy makes for a challenge but fun at the same time :-) Yet to check out the multi player options.......

Japanese politicians - conservative?

2007-09-09T12:43:00.001+09:00

Now its well known that Japanese in general are fairly conservative and reserved ...... then possibly with the exception of the ex-prime minister the politicians here are even more so... So then was mildly amused to see this candidate on the local election boards about a month ago.. Did he win? ermmmm well no... but I would have voted for him, if i could vote :-)

Back...with a penguin

2007-09-09T12:37:00.000+09:00

Been a hot summer, haven't really had so much to write about and then probably have been too lazy to keep up to date but will try to do better. As you can see I have a penguin.... ermm.. lost my mind maybe but really love penguins. This one is actually a small cushion and was ridiculously expensive but couldn't resist....oh never mind.

This will save your life.................no really!

2007-07-15T12:58:00.000+09:00

Looking like a small alien device this item is a common sight in Japanese homes during the summer. It looks extremely simple, just a small unit you plug into the wall, has a power button on the front, a small hole on the top and it lights up with a soft glow when its switched on..

Inside you put one of these little bottles, they have either 60 or 90 days capacity....thats it! So what is it? Well it s a mosquito killer... essential, I hate the things, especially at night, no more endless mosquito hunts at 2 in the morning, this will take care of them. Essentially, the little bottle has some poison or something simular. There is a little heater in the machine which causes the poison to evaporate into the air then killing any mosquitos who maybe out for a bite to eat in your apartment.

Its completely safe and a wonderful addition to any home.. there are a few different designs but are all essentially the same, the price for keeping your home free of the little buzzing things? ..about 1,500yen, a bargain!

HiVision Recorder

2007-07-13T10:28:00.000+09:00

Picked up this new HDD/DVD machine a couple of weeks ago, my previous one gave up after two years of service in January and I have been pondering which model to buy for the last 4 months or so... after moving house I managed to get cable which happens to be digital and then just got a HD TV last month so it seemed like it was finally time to make the decision

The machine itself is pretty cool as it has twin digital tuners......I'm not that technically minded but essentially it allows you to record up to two different things simultaneously, whilst watching a third either on the HDD or DVD player. It records in HiVision which is very cool, but unfortunately i can't find a way to route the cable signal through the machine in digital format so reduced to S-Video. (The cable box is connected to the TV digitally however so can view in digital just not record) It records regular TV in digital though which does look great.
All I have to do now then is try to work out how to use it! ....well at least use the functions I need, like so many products these days it seems to include many features you wouldn't need...well i wouldn't anyway...like being able to control the unit from your cell-phone...hmmmm

....and perhaps some pain for dessert Sir?

2007-07-11T01:07:00.001+09:00

Errmmmm...... I can't see this being a popular choice really, in fact I would hesitate to eat it. The unpleasant possibilities are endless.... does it cause pain....going in? coming out? ....im just going to stop there but feel free to post options.

Beetle Attack!

2007-07-08T00:33:00.000+09:00

Flee now while you can! Well maybe not but these giant beetles were invading a Shopping Mall in Kanagawa.... only in Japan.

Unfortunately i was only able to take a quick shot but now wish i had taken a movie... yes they were moving too simulating a battle... :-) I wonder if they are available in my local toy shop.

Beetles are popular pets for Kids in Japan during the summer. The average kid has two choices, they can try to capture a beetle in the wold somewhere... (not so many of those in Tokyo but possibly in some of the bigger parks) or buy one from a local pet shop. Pricey at times a couple of years ago some thief stole some beetles from a Beetle Farmer, apparently they were worth a total of 2,000,000yen... thats a lot of beetle.

Softbank

2007-07-08T00:18:00.000+09:00

Since the new year been having problems with Docomo, it seems i have the worst luck when it comes to cellphones, they always break.. anyway since Softbank are offering a good range of cheaper call plans now thought i would get myself to the local Softbank shop and see what was what. Came away with this new handset, managed to keep my old number which was cool for no extra cost and hopefully the new monthly bill will be smaller....

Anyway in addition to that the new handset has all the features you could ever want...and then another 100 more that you didnt know you needed... TV, Satellite Navigation, Mobile e-Wallet, 3.2 M Digital Camera and Video Camera, Video Phone, MP3 player with 1GB of internal memory.....

Ill probably just use e-mail, and the phone function.... oh and the camera does come in useful though....

Fugu

2007-01-14T22:20:00.000+09:00

Fugu, (box fish/puffer fish) are are delicacy in Japan, and also my pet. The actual fish to eat is bigger than the ones I have but deadly poisonous. Chefs need a special license in Japan in order to prepare the fish for eating (removing all the poisonous parts). The taste is rather bland in my opinion but it obviously appeals to some as it is also fairly expensive.
Of course I would never eat my fish, they seem to have a character all of their own which i have never seen in fish.. they are also constantly hungry!!!

iPhone

2007-01-10T10:03:00.000+09:00

Its arrived :) The long awaited and much speculated about item...the Apple iPhone. Tired of carrying your phone and your ipod around separately? No problem pick up this dandy device and your all set for any eventuality... ok well maybe thats going a bit too far but eventualities involving phones and ipods anyway :-)
It looks nice! but...has a touch screen, i dont know exactly why but never been a fan of these... end up getting your finger marks all over the screen, sometimes the wrong button is pressed by mistake etc..... oh well its not available in Japan anyway (not sure if it ever will be since the phone networks here are quite tightly controlled, we only just got razor)

Kamakura - Enoshima

2007-01-09T20:21:00.000+09:00

Well today I decided to go out somewhere... was playing with the idea of going to FujiYoshida (near to Mt.Fuji) but the weather was just 'OK' so changed my mind and ended up at Kamakura. This is a popular seaside place for both foreigners and Japanese alike. Its famous for temples and shrines but decided to not go that route today and ended up at the beach... pretty deserted but nice all the same.
Started walking along and along and eventually found myself at Enoshima which is another famous seaside resort along the coast. A good workout at any rate and it did present some photo opportunities on the way.....

Train snacks

2007-01-09T20:15:00.000+09:00

Its so cute! Well... so Japanese at any rate, only in Japan can you buy snacks from the train when you're not actually on the train yet..

Mille

2007-01-08T22:20:00.000+09:00

I was window shopping today and saw this ...... would love to own it but its rather expensive :-(
Still I can dream......

Good & Bad

2007-01-08T00:11:00.000+09:00

First the bad.... it was really nasty weather this weekend, wet and cold. Made me loathed to

leave the house but nevermind, sometimes these things are necessary..... Here is my station looking grey, and miserable........

Next the good...got a photo published in the Metropolis free magazine this week.. submitted it a while back and had totally forgotton about it so was very suprised when someone said it was there... here is the website

and an edited version of

the original --------->

A good start!

2007-01-02T17:03:00.000+09:00

As is usual for the new year one ambition is to try to become healthier.. so with this in mind decided to visit one of my favorite hamburger places to "kick things off" as it were... Double cheeseburger with extra cheese.. mmmmmmmmm.

But seriously, going to try to get fitter this year so have set a limit of a burger once a week and going to do my best to stick to it!

あけましておめでとうございます (Happy New Year!)

2007-01-01T11:06:00.000+09:00

Well its here, another year starts the first to be recorded on here. What did I do? Well the somewhat traditional practice of going to the local shrine and praying for a good new year.

Arrived at about 11:15pm, hardly anyone there yet, the whole place is lit up but not much going on.......

As you can see though it gets popular, actually this was at 11:40pm and the line is already forming pretty fast... hmm better get in line.

By the time I'm leaving the line is going down the steps, under the entrance and...well down the road. These people are going to be waiting a while :-)

Getting my "New Year Fortune"........pay the modest sum of 100 yen and shake a small drum which has a large number of bamboo sticks inside, one will fall out and the number inscribed on it corresponds to a fortune.

My fortune, as you can see its all in Japanese, this one is classed as an "OK" fortune, meaning some good and some bad. (I'll try to put more info. later)

A begining

2006-12-31T20:34:00.000+09:00

New Year - A traditional time to begin new projects and bring things into a sharper focus. Feel free to join in and comment in any way you feel inclined...........