After 3 nights without proper sleep, it was nice to finally get a lie-in this morning.

I thought heavy snow at Heathrow Airport on Sunday would have delayed my departure to Japan. As my luck it would have it, all flights were back to normal and I ended up arriving in Japan almost 45 minutes earlier than expected!

12 hour flights are impossible to enjoy unless you’re asleep. I only managed to catch about 4 hours of it before I spent the rest of the flight watching “How I Met Your Mother”. Flying with British Airways was definitely a pleasurable flight. I would highly recommend their direct flights to Tokyo.

When I reached Koto-ku, I threw down my suitcase and went to Ueno to meet my friend. We spent the rest of the day catching-up. As I could barely keep awake, we called it a night early.

As I was saying, after 3 nights without proper sleep it was nice to finally get a lie-in! I thought I’d be best to take it easy today. I took a walk around the local district to familiarize myself with the place. It’s hard to believe I’m living in Tokyo when the streets are as quiet as they were today.

I stumbled upon a local park where I got a nice view of the soon to be complete Tokyo Sky Tree.

I met my good friend and fellow writer here at yonasu.com, Brian for lunch this afternoon. I can’t remember what we had exactly but it was delicious! Here’s to more lunches in the future, I owe you one!

As we met for lunch close-by Akihabara I spent the afternoon in and out of shops there. It’s easy to spend the day looking at figures and anime goods in the many different shops. My roommate called to say he had tickets for Momoiro Clover Z’s movie version of “Momo+dra” at Toho Cinema in Roppongi.

It was the first time I went into Roppongi Hills, I was blown away by the size of the building. You’d think a cinema would be one of the biggest attractions but it looked like just a small part of such a big building.

I had no idea Momoiro Clover Z had a theatrical version of their drama coming out. I had been excited to see it but as it was only shown online in Japan I never got the chance. You may remember my pervious post. “Momo+dra” is a 5 part drama feature each member for 10 minutes.

The screening which held over 680 people was sold out. Shiori and Momoka joined us before the movie started for an interview and some janken.

I hadn’t seen Shiori since her Momoiro Clover days but, she’s exactly as I remember. It sounded like the interview hadn’t been rehearsed. One of the questions was “What do you like about Roppongi?” Momoka answered “It’s too busy for me, it has of clubs and foreigners”. I was a little shocked as I was the only foreigner in the crowd but I did bump into a lot of them on my way there.

Just before Shiori and Momoka exited stage left, the entire theater, all 680+ participated in a game of janken with them for signed posters. An example of something only possible in Japan. Needless to say, I lost both times just after the 2nd throw.

It was really cool seeing everyone in the theater playing janken. I’m still shocked at how civilized it was. Overall I found “Momo+dra” like any teen drama. Full of romance and quest for self confidence. If you ever get the chance, it’s worth checking out.

That’s all to report for now. It’s been cold since I got here, but I’m already enjoying it more than I imagined!

Classic Creepers

As I mentioned in my last post, the full name for these shoes is “brothel creepers”. Way back when they originated in the years following World War II, soldiers based in the hotter climates of North Africa had to wear suede boots with hard-wearing soles in order to cope with the harsh climate. After leaving the army, many soldiers reused the shoes when schmoozing the nightlife of London, hence the – ahem – colourful term eventually coined to them.

Suede Creepers

The shoes made a resurgence during the Teddy Boy period of the 1950s, which became an important influence of Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2011 collection. Fast forward to today and creepers in all shapes, colours and styles can be found on the fast moving feet of the youth in Tokyo.

Red Leather Creepers

The style of the shoes themselves gives off a playful, slightly rebellious look and – as you can see from some of these pictures – the differences in material and colour play a part in encapsulating the unique style of the wearer. Which style is your favourite – the classic chequered look or a look that is slightly more offbeat?

Images courtesy of TokyoFashion.com

Do you play the saxophone? Or are there any sax players around you? Today, I would like to introduce you to this Japanese-manufactured saxophone.

This is a second hand alto sax from YAMAHA, legendary makers of fine musical instruments. The model number is YAS-875EX, a very popular model of the finest type.

In regards to condition, there are some minor scratches, and partial lacquer worn-off can be seen. It does look like a second hand instrument. However, aside from the finish, no noticeable damage is apparent. Leather key pads are soft and in fine condition as well. This sax wants to be played! And the tones are lovely and penetrating.

We’re offering a remarkable deal on this popular model! The retail price for the brand new one in Japan is ¥430,500 (app. US$5,620). The price of this slightly used example is…

Please check it out with the link below!

>>> Japanese Products Online Shop

Don’ miss the chance! ;D

Do you know any other albums/singles similar to this? If so, please share! I’d love to hear more.

The Japanese design company PetWORKs Co. designed these dolls to resemble the members of the group AKB48 and they are now at an exhibition at Kyoto University of Art and Design. The vice-president of the university is none other than Yasushi Akimoto, the creator of AKB48, and he himself has approved with the lifelike likeness of the dolls.

PetWORKs Co. have received a lot of questions about when the dolls will hit the stores, but unfortunately there are no plans of a mass production yet.

The Dolls are wearing a black and white outfit and are 27 centimeter (10 inches) tall.

Here are a two more pictures of the dolls:

Will you buy one (or more) if you ever get the chance?

Article + Pictures:  Asahi.com

Here’s J-pop queen Namie Amuro’s commercial for KOSE ESPRIQUE make-up brand featuring her new single “Go Round”, which is set to be released on the 21st of March alongside the song “YEAH OH”.

Check out the beautiful Namie and the song in the CM below:

Source: NamieAmuroOfficial

Of course this doesn’t solve everything, some apps never go on sale, but it’s quite a good way to find new apps, so it’s definitely worth checking out!

Do you know of any other similar apps? I would love to get some recommendations if you have any.

Back in October, it was announced that AKB48 would be creating their own original anime. After the “Voice Actress Battle” where 30 members where chosen, the 9 main character voice cast list has been announced;

Nakaya Sayaka (AKB48 Team A) as Aida Orine
Sato Amina (AKB48 Team B) as Ichijo Yuka
Hata Sawako (SKE48 Team KII) as Kanzaki Suzuko
Sato Sumire (AKB48 Team B) as Kishida Mimori
Ishida Haruka (AKB48 Team B) as Shinonome Kanata
Yagami Kumi (SKE48 Team S) as Shinonome Sonata
Watanabe Mayu (AKB48 Team B) as Sono Chieri
Iwata Karen (AKB48 Kenkyuusei) as Motomiya Nagisa
Mita Mao (NMB48 Team M) as Yokomizo Makoto

AKB48′s anime will be called “AKB0048″.

“AKB0048″ is a science fiction series that takes place in the 21st century. In this alternate universe, a war breaks out and forces mankind to leave the Earth; under such circumstances, entertainment becomes heavily regulated and the idol groups slowly die out. Yet one idol group, called ‘AKB0048′, is determined to rise up and live free lives.”

-Tokyohive

Although the air date is still unknown, it is certainly shaping up to be an anime worth watching. Look forward to more details soon. In the meantime check out more character photos here.

Source: Tokyohive, natalie

As the March 11th anniversary approaches, images of torn down homes and debris-filled streets come to mind when people talk about Japan. However, for a long time a classic image of Japan is a street filled with the gentle flutters of cherry blossom petals. The cherry blossom seems linked to the Japanese people since ancient times with its ubiquitous presence in artworks to hanami–days devoted to viewing cherry blossom in blooms. In The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, a short documentary by Lucy Walker, Japan’s most beloved flower once again proves its power to move people by coming into bloom a month after the tsunami disaster. Even while enthralled on a broken earth, the cherry blossom comes to life at the start of spring and brings with it a comfort no other flower possess.

The film won the Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and is nominated for an Oscar as well. The film starts off with home-recordings of the tsunami rushing into town and washing away everything in its path. The survivors recounts their painful memory of the day’s event. However, life and color are returned for the disaster stricken area when the cherry blossoms come alive and provide the town with their gentle colors. I’m very excited to see this film and see the side of Japan that I am most impressed with. While their technology, food, and entertainment scenes are enough to impress anyone, for me it’s this ganbarimasu* spirit of Japan that I truly love. Click here to visit the film’s website and see if you can make it any of the screenings.

* ganbarimasu: means “to do your best”

Printed Maxi Skirts –  A bevy of lovely ladies were snapped on the streets in long, printed maxi skirts a la Mori Girl. The hippy styled patterning gives off a humble, earthy feel that goes well with the wintertime. After something similar? Check out Rakuten!

Long Style Coats – The guys weren’t trailing far behind in their fashion game – trendy and loose long style coats seem to be a bucking trend right now. These can also look pretty darn cool when paired with skinny style pants. If you’re after something similar, check out this coat.

Ponchos – The trusty poncho has become a timeless item (when used in the right way of course) and a number of style-savvy ladies were spotted wearing the loose fitted fashion piece around Tokyo. Team it up with some boots and jeans and you’ll be trending with the best of them! Start your poncho journey by checking this one out.

Faux-Fur/Fur Scarves – These were found on both the guys and the girls! Despite my opposition towards wearing real fur, the faux-fur equivalent looks great (and you can feel great about wearing it) and the variety of styles and colours makes them easy to mix and match.

Honourable Mention: Creepers – It seems like every man, woman and chiba inu own a pair of creepers these days – did you know that the full name is brothel creeper? Let’s not get into explaining that, the Wikipedia article can do that for you! The creepers pictured are actually quite common and relatively tame compared to others. Have you seen the platform creepers some brave Tokyoites? Yowza!

So that’s it for this week – how many of you own anything on this list?

Images courtesy of Style-Arena.jp