What to buy: Essential Tokyo souvenirs
25 only-in-Japan gifts, from chopsticks to Be@rbricks No trip to Tokyo would be complete without some souvenir shopping, but scoring the ultimate omiyage can be a real pain sometimes. We’ve made life easier by picking 25 great Tokyo souvenirs, ranging from the traditional (incense, combs, lucky charms) to the downright quirky (tooth-shaped jewellery, anyone?), and most of them are sold close to the city’s main sightseeing spots. Happy shopping, and remember: there’s more to souvenirs than Tokyo Banana. Fake food keyring...
read moreNissan goes starwars
Nissan has joined forces with the Empire. Images of stormtroopers, the shock troops seen in the Star Wars films, will be emblazoned on promotional materials up and down the country and on TV screens as the car maker enlists their help for the launch of its redesigned Juke sport-utility vehicle. Invision for DisneyConsumer Products/AP ImagesThe stormtrooper character from the Star Wars movies is helping Nissan sell its redesigned Juke SUV in Japan. In a TV ad aimed to boost sales in a flagging market, the sporty compact turns stormtrooper...
read more10 Things Japanese People love to do in Autumn
1. Dig up the old camcorder for Sports day festivals at schools. Health and Sports Day (体育の日 Taiiku no hi), also known as Health-Sports Day or Sports Day, is a national holiday in Japan held annually on the second Monday in October. It commemorates the opening of the 1964 Summer Olympics being held in Tokyo, and exists to promote sports and an active lifestyle. The first Health and Sports Day was held on October 10, 1966, two years after the 1964 Summer Olympics. October was chosen for the unusually late Summer Olympics to avoid the...
read moreWhere to shop: Tokyo’s top 6 department stores
Department Stores Tokyo is home to some of Japan’s biggest department stores, rivaling most around the world. Shoppers can spend the entire day wandering the floors of a Tokyo department store, where primarily fashion and home decor make up the bulk of the goods sold. Throughout the day, visitors can go to a Depachika, or department basement gourmet halls, commonly found throughout the city’s biggest department stores. Here, customers may spend hours walking through the isles of depachika looking for fresh food, snacks, and other...
read moreA country in termoil; Who will inherit the Chrysanteum throne and become the next emperor of Japan?
The Emperor will turn 80 late this year. Next January will mark a quarter century since his accession to the Chrysanthemum throne. The Emperor was enthroned as “the symbol of the State” under the current Constitution, becoming the first head of the Imperial family in its 1,300-year history to assume that position from the beginning of his reign. The Emperor has since joined hands with his wife the Empress, who is 78, in exploring the proper status of a national symbol in a democracy. This country has experienced a number of unfortunate events...
read moreTokyo Public Servants Tango to Buenos Aires for Olympic Bid
It’s a bit late for summer vacations, but a group of Tokyo civil servants has booked tickets to Buenos Aires to cheer on thecity’s bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics–paid for by themselves and with donations from colleagues, and using their own holiday time. About 40-50 Tokyo Metropolitan Government employees plan to depart Wednesday or Thursday ahead of the Sept. 7 International Olympic Committee’s announcement of the winning city, according to a metropolitan government official. The Tokyo workers will take six or seven days of annual...
read moreWhat to read: Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki
This book is a real page turner! Mineko Iwasaki was the foremost geisha of her time, to the extent where she became a legend and was invited to entertain the highest levels of world society. When Arthur Golden wrote his novel, Memoirs of a Geisha, he consulted with Mineko but was apparently sworn to silence. Unfortunately, he then went on to tell people that it was Mineko who had spoken with him about the life of geisha in Japan; Mineko herself was upset that he had twisted what she said and as a result chose to write this book, her own...
read moreOnly in Japan: Try this “dirt menu” at Ne Quittez Pas with actual, … dirt!
It reads like a palate-pleasing menu. You start out with a truffle soup, followed by oysters and then a main course of flounder with risotto and vegetables. There’s a side of potatoes and you finish it off with a scoop of ice cream. Here’s the twist — this all comes with a generous helping of dirt. Not normal, backyard variety dirt, special nutrient-rich soil. The unique tasting menu is the creation of Toshio Tanabe, a former gymnast and boxer turned culinary inventor. Tanabe says the dirt menu was a logical addition for his...
read moreThings to do: this week in Tokyo September 4- September 8
Tokyo Tower 2020 light-up Until Sat Sep 7, 2013 Tokyo Tower Tokyo Tower is doing its part to get the city into the spirit of the Games. Check it out after dark to see it lit up in the Olympic colours of green, yellow, blue and red, with the shut-off observatory lights representing black to complete the set. Catch it while you can – the lights will only be on until the announce date (September 7). Details Open Until Sep 7 Time 5-10pm URL www.tokyotower.co.jp/hot_topics/index.cgi?tno=2135 Venue Tokyo Tower Address 4-2-8 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku,...
read moreWhat to read: Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne
The Japanese royal family has long since been steeped in mystery. This book Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne now changes that and gives you a rare insight in the lives of Nurihito and his wife Masako and their little daughter Aiko who are in succcession for the royal throne. Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne (ISBN 1585425680) is a controversial 2006 book by Australian investigative journalist Ben Hills. Billed as “The Tragic True Story of Japan’s Crown Princess,” the book drew...
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