A Big Mark in Japan　・・・　日本の大きいマーク

Tokyo Auto Salon

2012-01-15T22:28:00.013+09:00

Met up with Dave and some other friends this morning and we all headed out to Makuhari Messe in Chiba for the Tokyo Auto Salon. The coolest car I saw there was a Toyota Supra with a Veilside body kit that included Audi head and tail lamps with a Bentley like grill. Nissan also had a great show.

Bad hair in Japan

2012-01-08T01:16:00.002+09:00

Just saw some guy with some crazy hair in the station. I've seen some really bad hair styles here in Japan.

McDonald's

2012-01-08T01:15:00.003+09:00

McDonald's is doing another Big America theme burger series. The first one is the Grand Canyon burger which tasted a lot like the Texas burger they had last year.

Helicopter Tour of Tokyo!

2012-01-07T01:08:00.004+09:00

Today Momo and I headed out towards Disney world where we did a Helicopter cruise of Tokyo. I brought my video camera and my new picture camera but since it was night and the Helicopter isn't perfectly smooth it was hard to get some good pictures. My video camera also had a small problem since I hadn't used it for a while so I didn't get any of my own video but I uploaded the video made by the tour company.

Anyhow the view and experience was very cool and an awesome way to see Tokyo.

Out and about

2012-01-03T01:05:00.003+09:00

Today I headed out to Akihabara where I met up with a friend and we explored some of the crazy stores there. People are starting to come back to Tokyo now so it seems a little more alive but still the city is much more empty than normal cause of everyone visiting their hometowns.

Traditional Japanese New Years

2012-01-02T01:01:00.003+09:00

Today Momo and I headed out to Daiba and met up with the host family for the traditional New Years meal. It was good to see them again and we ate a whole lot of good food.

New Years Eve

2011-12-31T00:58:00.001+09:00

New Years in Japan is probably the most boring place to celebrate New Years. I had gone out to clubs before for New Years in Japan and it never was really all that fun. I guess cause you go with a higher expectation since it's New Years but this year I decided to just take it easy. I met up with Momo and we ordered in a pizza at her place and watched a movie.

Christmas

2011-12-25T00:50:00.004+09:00

As I've mentioned before Christmas in Japan is more of a holiday for couples but since Momo and I did the couple thing on Christmas Eve we invited some people over for food and drinks. We got a lot of snacks, pizza, and drinks. Then we watched some American Christmas specials and played Wii.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T00:53:00.003+09:00

Today was a busy day. One of my friend's moved today and since I'm his only friend with a Japanese drivers license I offered to drive the rental van to move his stuff. He had the address wrong the first time so we drove out to the general area and had to park to correct the address to go to where he actually lived. After he got the keys we pulled the car up to the door and unloaded all his stuff into his new place. He had a lot of stuff so it took two trips.

In the evening I met up with Momo and we went to the Shinagawa Prince Hotel for dinner, they had a really nice buffet style dinner with Western and Asian food. It was all really good and the atmosphere was really cool. I didn't take any pictures though cause I went straight from helping my friend move to Shinagawa to meet up with Momo who actually got me a new camera for Christmas since I'd been having some problems with my old one, but of course the new camera needed to be charged before it could be used so, yeah, no pictures.

2011-12-18T00:49:00.001+09:00

Just saw this ad while waiting for the train and liked the style of it.

Out with friends

2011-12-17T00:46:00.003+09:00

Went out with Momoko and some other friends for dinner in Shibuya today. After dinner we stopped into a game center and took some pictures in the photo booth and I noticed this English that I thought was funny.

Christmas Lights

2011-12-16T11:33:00.007+09:00

After work I met up with Momoko in Roppongi. We got dinner at Cabana Cafe and then checked out the lights at Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills.

Tokyo Cruise

2011-12-11T13:05:00.005+09:00

Today is the official Anniversary for Momoko and I. So I surprised her with a boat cruise around Tokyo Bay. It was really cool. I think cause it was a Sunday there weren't that many people on the ship and the whole cruise lasted about 2 and a half hours. It was cool but not too cold so after we had some food we went on the deck, explored the ship, and took some pictures. It's hard to get really good pictures since the boat is in constant motion, but the view from the ship was pretty awesome. The meal plan we had was buffet style and they have a ton of really good food. After we walked around the ship we went back to our seats and had some more food till the ship started heading back towards Tokyo.

As you can see from the pictures below Momoko wasn't a very good captain so I had to take over, fight the seas, and get us safely back on course.

Then we took a picture near a Christmas Tree.

Christmas shopping

2011-12-04T00:38:00.002+09:00

Met up with Momoko today in Shinjuku for some Christmas shopping. Shinjuku has the usual blue lights on the trees near the east exit and one of the department stores had these giant things at the entrance.

Japanese Train

2011-11-28T21:43:00.002+09:00

Egg Nog

2011-11-19T23:50:00.001+09:00

Headed to the Base in Yokosuka today. Picked up some Taco Bell and then went to the base store to get some US only goods. Picked up some Deodorant, socks that fit me, and a lot of snacks that aren't really available in Japan or are just available in much larger quantity at a lower price.

Honey Toast

2011-11-13T20:13:00.006+09:00

Today I met up with Momoko and her sister in Shinjuku and for lunch we went to Pasela Resorts which is a primarily a party center but people also go just to eat, play darts, or sing karaoke. We went to try the Honey Toast. I've walked by this place many times before and always wanted to try it so we went. The menu was pretty standard and there were about 16 different kinds of Honey Toast to choose from which are all more or less the same just with different toppings. It's basically a big thing of warm sweet bread with ice cream or fruit on top. It's pretty good, but that one serving was more than enough for 3 people.

Yakiniku!

2011-11-11T20:22:00.002+09:00

Met up with Momoko and her Sister in Shinjuku for dinner. We went to a Yakiniku chain called Gyu Kaku. It's all over Japan and Asia. There are even some Gyu Kakus in America. Yakiniku is Korean food and they give you a tray of meat and then you grill it using the grill on your table. There are a couple sauces you can use for the meat and a wide variety of meats to choose from.

Hakone trip!

2011-11-06T22:01:00.006+09:00

Woke up early and met up with Momo in Shinjuku. We bought tickets to Hakone and got on the hour and a half train ride to Hakone. There is a pretty good travel deal where for 5,000 yen you can get to and from Hakone for two days and it also covers all transportation in Hakone. Hakone is partially famous for Onsens so when we got there we took the cable car up a steep hill went to an Onsen and had lunch. From there we got on the rope way car which is like the Sky ride at Cedar Point but better. The view of the mountain was really cool but later in the day the fog blocked the view of anything but the cables holding the car. We stopped at some of the tourist centers on the top of the mountains there where they are selling black eggs which are just hard boiled eggs that turn black because they are cooked in the hot spring water.

After we got done there we headed down to a big lake in Hakone and rode the pirate ship to the other side in the fog. From there we took a bus to one of the major stations there and took the train back to Shinjuku.

Harrison Ford Uncharted 3 ad

2011-11-06T20:43:00.004+09:00

Harrison Ford is helping to advertise one of the few good PS3 games. Walking through Shibuya station and other stations around Tokyo you'll be able to see these ads and they are pretty awesome solely because it's Harrison Ford.

Train Manners

2011-11-01T22:24:00.001+09:00

A new train manners poster with the same request of not using the phone on the train.

Zoo

2011-10-29T22:18:00.002+09:00

Momoko and I went to the Zoo today. From Ueno Station there is a shuttle bus that looks like a panda which takes you to the numerous museums and the zoo in Ueno. We took the bus cause it was there but it would have been quicker to just walk to the zoo from the station. The Pandas now are the big attraction at the zoo so there was a long line you had to get in to see them but they were surprisingly active. Most of the time when I've been to zoos the animals just sit there but here they all seemed much more active.

Taiwanese Food!

2011-10-29T20:45:00.004+09:00

Momoko and I had walked by the place before and thought it looked good, so we finally decided to go here. It's a Taiwanese restaurant on the west side of Shinjuku. The restaurant was small but the food was good and they had some good things on the menu that you can't get at most chinese restaurants.

Infrequent updates

2011-07-19T19:16:00.004+09:00

Lot's of stuff has been happening since my last entry. One of the reasons I stopped posting is because Google changed their blogger system so if I position pictures on an entry they are no longer viewable in full size.

I'm still in Japan and plan on posting some updates from next month.

Yokohama

2011-04-30T22:26:00.005+09:00

Momoko and I went to Yokohama this evening. Had dinner at Cafe Tosca in the Pan Pacific Hotel. Then we walked around the Landmark Tower and saw the Pokemon Store. After that we walked around more and went to china town where I had my fortune told by a palm reader. It was kinda fun and she did a good cold reading on me.

Earthquakes.......

2011-04-12T22:42:00.002+09:00

Today instead of being woken by my alarm clock I was woken by an earthquake. Not the best way to wake up but I guess it's more effective than an alarm clock. My friend who also lives in Tokyo but a little north of me was woken by the earthquake and an alarm. He thought Japan was getting attacked at first.

Japan also upped the disaster level to 7 for the Fukushima plant 200 miles north of Tokyo putting the disaster on par with Chernobyl despite a much lower risk considering the plant didn't actually blow up and burn for weeks.

Throughout the day more small quakes hit in areas surrounding Tokyo.

Earthquake... again

2011-04-11T01:42:00.002+09:00

Another big quake hit Fukushima today. While there was a lot less coverage on this one the safe zone around the nuclear plant there has been extended by the Japanese government. However the cooling systems they have in place there are still working which is a good thing. One of the positive effects of this quake is that almost all the tobacco in Japan was grown near the Nuclear plant so there is a cigarette shortage going on which should encourage more people to quit. Although I guess if you don't get cancer from smoking, you'll get it from drinking or showering in the radioactive water here. Radiation levels in Japanese water.

Sunday in Odaiba

2011-04-10T22:25:00.006+09:00

Met up with Momoko in the afternoon and we headed to Odaiba to take advantage of the good weather we've been having. I think we went a little too late in the afternoon cause by the time we got there it was a little cooler than we had hoped. We got some food and then walked around the area. They Cherry Blossoms are blooming which was nice to see but due to the power saving that is happening in Tokyo a lot of things that look really cool when lit were not lit up again. On my way home I changed trains at Shibuya and took a picture of the crossing. It looks so weird when so many of the lights are off.

Out in Shinjuku

2011-04-09T23:11:00.010+09:00

Met up with Momoko in Shinjuku and we went to a place called Sweets Paradise. It's an all-you-can-eat cake place. Inside is super colorful as you can see from the pictures and they have a ton of different cakes to choose from. I tried to eat one of each but I couldn't make it.

The food was pretty good and the variety of cakes was impressive. After I sat down and looked around a bit I noticed that many of the customers there were heavier than most Japanese. I don't think I'll go back here for another 4 months if I do return.

From there to walked to a park on the west side of Shinjuku to burn off all the cake calories that we just ate and took some pictures of the cherry blossoms there.

Back to Tokyo

2011-03-21T01:01:00.005+09:00

o today was my last day in Okinawa. In Okinawa is the 2nd largest aquarium in the world. The Churaumi Aquarium is huge and the glass is super thick. Really amazing to see.

In the evening I headed to the airport and 3 hours later found myself back in a much colder Tokyo. After having almost a week of warm sunny weather in Okinawa it was hard to readjust to Tokyo.

Another thing that I noticed as soon as I left the airport was how much darker Tokyo seemed. While the blackouts never really occurred in the core part of Tokyo for more than a couple days most of the city was very dark due to a new voluntarily power saving policy that is in effect. Most stores and restaurants have their front signs off and are using reduced lighting indie as well. The trains had many of the signs turned off and also were operating with reduced lighting. I actually like it cause it seems much more relaxed. Anyhow I was pretty tired and just went home, unpacked and went to sleep.

Below is a video explaining everything that has been happening with the Nuclear Plant here in Japan in case you haven't been following the news.

Last night in Okinawa

2011-03-20T21:51:00.002+09:00

Nothing too exciting today. In the evening I headed out and took pictures.

Naha and Shurijo Castle

2011-03-18T21:55:00.006+09:00

Today we hit up Naha to check out the town there. They had some interesting shops and stuff to look at. Later we drove out to Shurijo Castle which was on top of a mountain overlooking the city and was very impressive. On the way back home we stopped at a couple more stores and then grabbed dinner at home. From there we headed back out to Naha to check out some of the night life in Okinawa.

Checking out the City

2011-03-17T22:05:00.018+09:00

Today I headed out in the morning till afternoon walking along the coast and checking out part of the city. It was a little warmer and we checked out a popular shopping center. The people here are more friendly than in Tokyo and at one point just taking pictures around the beach and a group of school girls came up and started taking pictures with my friend and I. It was pretty funny.

I can understand a bit about why the people here complain about the bases here since the pilots are doing practice flights around the city often making it difficult to have a conversation but at the same time it's pretty cool seeing some of those jets just flying over the city.

In the afternoon we met up with Charles and he showed us some of the places in the area but I guess cause it was cold there weren't many people out.

Despite what news you may have heard Tokyo is almost back to normal. I have over 10 friends who stayed and I probably got more radiation on my flight to Okinawa than if I had stayed in Tokyo. The radiation levels in the city are back to normal. While some foods are hard to come by there is no food shortage in Tokyo. Many of the shops have shipped their breads and other select food items to help in Sendai and the housewives

Okinawa

2011-03-16T00:14:00.003+09:00

Got on the flight out of Haneda at 6:20 to Okinawa. When we got close to landing the view out of the window was awesome. The water is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom from the plane. Today was actually colder than I expected. When I arrived at the airport I met my friend Dollar who works in the same industry as me. We grabbed some food and then met with my buddy Charles who is doing some consulting work for the military here. We stopped at Kadena Air Base and got some food and things for the week and then headed to his place.

Okinawa has a very different feel from Tokyo but seems very different from the Hawaii image that I had in mind. I don't think there are any trains here and almost everyone seems to get around by car. The taxis here are much cheaper than in Tokyo but the buses are more expensive.

I hope I'm not here for too long, since I've landed I heard about a few smaller quakes near Tokyo but also some good news about the reactors starting to cool down and radiation levels in Tokyo dropping to normal. While the Japanese news tends to underplay the recent events the Western news tends to overplay it but I'm hoping thinks will be back to normal by the end of the week.

Going to the Airport

2011-03-15T20:40:00.000+09:00

So today I finished up some last minute work in the afternoon and then packed a suitcase and bag. Headed to Ebisu and met up with Don. After seeing news on TV about a reactor being at 70% meltdown and feeling another quake I felt pretty sure that I was doing the right thing by getting out of Tokyo. Around 3am we got a taxi to Haneda Airport. The International Terminal was pretty full of people sleeping in every chair and corner waiting for their flight out of Japan. Three Chinese people used the buckets for weighing luggage to sleep in which was pretty funny.

Power shortages!

2011-03-14T11:57:00.002+09:00

The second day after the earthquake. This morning there was a 5 earthquake which may have caused the 3rd plan to blow. This morning another power plant blew up around 11 for a total of 3. While the TV says Tokyo is still safe they are still recommending everyone stay inside. The power in most of the city surrounding Tokyo has been cut and in parts of Tokyo today they are cutting power from 1:50 pm-5:00 pm. Many stores have been running on reduced power and have turned off their outside signage so the convenience stores look closed but they are still open and running. Compared to this weekend the convenience stores are restocked so while it's not up to the usual stock there is a lot more regular food items available which is good.
One good thing is that the weather is great today so even if there is no power it's not too cold.

Kamakura

2011-03-13T22:46:00.009+09:00

Today Momoko and I headed to Kamakura with John and his Girlfriend Izumi. The weather was great and in Kamakura there was no evidence of a quake at all. Everything was totally normal except that there were a lot less people visiting which kept the amount of people at each stop we made to a minimum. When we got there we rented bikes for the day and drove around to all the popular tourist spots. In the evening we returned the bike and walked around the shopping street near the station. We stopped at a place there for dinner and then headed home.

After the Quake

2011-03-12T15:46:00.006+09:00

A little back to normal. After the quake yesterday most of the trains were stopped completely or running on a very limited basis. There were some tremors and aftershocks through out the day but nothing like yesterday. Walking around Tokyo if you really pay attention you can find some evidence of the quake but overall everything looked pretty normal.

A lot of the food items that are normally shipped to local stores are now being shipped up to where the quake hit and as a result many Japanese are panicking and buying up food to stockpile at home.

EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-11T21:57:00.004+09:00

So today started out normal until I got back from lunch. One of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history hit off the coast of Japan and started to shake the office. My office is on the ground floor so we all ran out quickly into the parking lot across the street. It was crazy. The cars in the lot were shaking and part of a small concrete wall fell down. The past quakes I've experienced were mostly side to side but this one was up and down too. It was crazy. After about 10 minutes we headed back inside to find a lot of stuff on the floor. Through out the rest of the day there were after shocks and I think we went outside 2 more times.

Somehow the top of Tokyo Tower got bent so it looks dumb now.

The after shocks and small tremors were felt for the rest of the day making me sea sick despite the fact that I was on land and I don't actually get sea sick.

All the trains were stopped and the roads were packed with cars so I think a lot of people were stuck at work and unable to go home.

Also for those who are wondering why I haven't updated in so long, it's been a combination of lack of time and being lazy with it. I will be updating more frequently in the future.

Work and Out

2011-01-17T16:06:00.004+09:00

Work like usual and then met up with Momoko in the evening and we went to a Taiwanese restaurant for dinner. It's a chain in Taiwan and she said it didn't taste anything like the real place. I thought it was good, but I never tasted the food at the one in Taiwan so I donno.

Work and Sushi

2011-01-15T21:54:00.004+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I met up with Momoko in Shinjuku and we got Sushi.

New Years

2011-01-02T21:23:00.002+09:00

Headed to Odaiba where I met with my old host family and we ate Osechi, the traditional New Years food. It was a good time with good food.

Blue Note

2010-12-19T01:53:00.003+09:00

Headed to Blue Note Tokyo tonight. Keiko Matsui was playing to promote her new CD coming out beginning of next year. They put on a pretty solid show and did some Christmas songs as well. After the show we hung out with the band backstage and then got on the bus where we hung out at Mixx at the ANA Hotel.

More Light Displays

2010-12-12T21:07:00.007+09:00

Was near Tokyo Dome today so I walked around there for a bit to take some pictures.

Hanging out

2010-12-11T14:19:00.003+09:00

I met up with one of my friends in Shibuya. We were just hanging out at Starbucks and some random homeless guy comes and sits next to me and just starts talking about stuff. After about 5 minutes he asked for some money so I gave him 100 yen and then we left. After walking around for a bit we saw a "Fugu" or Blowfish restaurant that had a pretty awesome sign in front so I took a couple pictures of that.

Pizza Burger

2010-12-10T13:43:00.000+09:00

Work like usual but for lunch I headed to Burger King and got the new Burger King Pizza burger. On the website they are marketing it almost as a Christmas meal which is kinda funny. I called in advance cause I wasn't sure how long it would take them to make it. The guy on the phone told me about 5 minutes and I headed to Shibuya to pick it up. When I got there I told them that I had called ahead to order it and the girl working there gave me a funny smile like I was crazy for ordering it. Maybe she thought I was planning on eating the whole thing.
Anyhow I got the burger and headed back to the office. It was actually really good. The bottom bread is like pizza with just tomato sauce then the beef is on top with cheese and onions on top and the final bun on the top. I split it with one of my coworkers but if I really tried, I think I could have eaten the whole thing.

Christmas lights

2010-12-03T13:58:00.006+09:00

Headed to Tokyo Midtown today to check out the Christmas display they have set up. Pretty much the same as last year except they have lights behind it and a smoke machine in the middle if you watch the full display.

New Company Car

2010-12-01T02:01:00.001+09:00

Today we got a new company car. It's a Lexus LS600h and it's pretty nice.

Work and Out

2010-11-28T01:35:00.003+09:00

Woke up early and headed to Chofu studio for a shoot. Got to the studio at 9 and had breakfast. Then after sitting around for a while we had lunch. Then maybe around 1 or 2 we got on set and started shooting. It was made to look like a cafe and somehow was an advertisement for a microchip company. It was also in french which made it even more confusing, but I guess I'll have to wait till it comes out to try and understand it.

After that I headed to Shibuya where I met up with Josh, Beck, and Yu at Outbac k Steakhouse. That place is a lot like Fridays so I don't really like it. The food isn't really good, I don't feel good after eating it, it's way too much food, and for food I don't really enjoy it's overpriced. However despite all the negatives for me I will still go every now and then to remind myself of why I don't go. After dinner everyone just headed home.

Touring a friend around Tokyo

2010-11-27T01:28:00.001+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I met up with my friend Jason who is visiting from the States. We headed out to Shibuya where we met up with Dave and some girls at Hub. From there we headed to Roppongi and hit up 57 since there was a party there and Dave knew the people working there so we got in cheap. It worked out well cause it was Jason's birthday as well so Dave got a bottle of Champagne for everyone which was good. Around 2 or 3 we all headed to Dave's place, played cards for a bit and then crashed there.

Work and Out

2010-11-24T01:18:00.002+09:00

Today after work I went home and took a nap till 11:00 and then got up and headed to Roppongi where I met up with Josh and Ryan at a small bar and then we went to Lex for another friend's birthday party. Josh pretty much knows everyone there so we had free entrance, coat check, drinks, and access to VIP. It was a fun night.

Early Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T01:12:00.003+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I headed out to Ebisu where I met up with my friend Don and one of his friends at Buri for a Thanksgiving party. They actually had a pretty good representation of what Thanksgiving is like including turkey which you don't see very often in Japan. They were missing a couple things like pumpkin pie and sweet potatos but overall they did a good job. From there we headed to two different places where Don knows the owners in NakaMeguro. Good times.

Out and about

2010-11-21T01:21:00.004+09:00

Did laundry and other things that I don't usually have time for during the week and in the evening I headed out to Shibuya where I met up with John, Kazu, and their girlfriends. I guess it was a typical night in Shibuya, we had a couple drinks, relaxed, and then took the last train home.

Work and out

2010-11-20T20:05:00.002+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I headed to 82 in Tamachi where I met up with John, Mike, and some other friends. From there Mike and I headed to Ebisu where we met up with Don at Buri and headed to Aoyama. Before hitting up the party we stopped at a pretty cool bar that Don knew and then headed to the party at Chambres D'hotes which I think is usually a restaurant but is used for parties on weekends. Good times.

Work and Billboard Live

2010-11-19T19:55:00.004+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I headed out to Billboard Live in Tokyo Midtown where I met up with my friend Ken. He knows the drummer from Swing Out Sister and got use back stage passes. The venue is pretty cool. We sat on the floor close to the stage and the sound wasn't too bad despite the fact that we were in the corner. The band was good and put on a terrific show. They had curtains behind the band which opened for the encore revealing an awesome view of Tokyo as the background.

After the show we went back stage and talked with the band for a while before heading to 57 to talk about the label that Ken is moving to Japan. Pretty cool stuff.

From there I headed to Rina's bar and met some cool people there before heading home.

Work and out

2010-11-13T23:27:00.002+09:00

Work like usual. Today a customer came by and brought a bunch of ice cream and other sweets so that made the day go by a little quicker. In the evening I met up with Josh, Beck, Mike, and Yu in Shibuya for bowling and then Mike and I headed to Dave's place for a party. From there John, Mike, and I headed back to my place and they crashed there.

Work and out

2010-11-11T23:25:00.000+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I headed to Jiyugaoka where I met up with a friend for dinner and headed home.

Work and out

2010-11-10T23:24:00.001+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I headed out to 57 in Roppongi to see my friend's band play. They moslty do rock stuff and put on a fun show.

Another commercial

2010-11-07T23:14:00.003+09:00

Usual Sunday today. Headed to Shinjuku for work. I found the Gatsby CM that I worked on is out now. I don't appear in this one but helped out behind the scenes choosing the model, her dress, and some coaching for the Kimtaku.

Work and out with friends

2010-11-06T23:54:00.002+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I headed to Shibuya where I met up with Dave and some other friends at the Hub for a big and then headed home.

Work and out with friends

2010-11-05T23:24:00.002+09:00

Work like usual. After work I headed to Marunouchi where I met up with some friends at Pagliaccio for dinner and then we headed to the Cotton Club which is a really cool Jazz bar. Inside it's got a great layout and there isn't a bad seat in the place. It's not to big so it's got a really cool personal feel and the staff is all very professional. Pat Martino was playing, they got a video showing part of their first show. The band was really tight and my friend Ken knew all the guys in the band so we got to talk to them before and after the show. The owner also owns Blue Note which is another Jazz club in Tokyo. We talked to the owner and he worked as a producer in Cleveland. Small world.

Busy blog change and new CM

2010-11-01T01:12:00.004+09:00

As you may or may not have noticed I haven't posted in a while. Basically with my new company we are going through a merger and there are a ton of changes being made with both our company and the one we are merging with. On top of that business has been going crazy and move than tripled the past 3-4 months. Since most days I'm just working and I know most people hate my posts where I say "went to work and went home" I'm going to post less frequently.

The only update recently outside of work is the Aoki commercial I was in is out finally. You can see me briefly walking on the left around the 2-3 second mark.

Workin'

2010-10-22T01:39:00.002+09:00

Another busy day at work today. Since we are merging with another company there are a lot of issues right now dealing with the shippers and under which names each order will be . So today I delt a lot with the shipping companies to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Crazy day.

Relaxing Sunday

2010-10-10T01:43:00.003+09:00

Headed out to Shinjuku where I had a quick lesson. I tried the new Cheese Fondue Burger at McDonald's. In the afternoon I met up with a friend and we walked around Shinjuku for a bit before heading home. For some reason they have a big Eva in Shinjuku station promoting the Lumine mall

Back to work

2010-10-04T21:24:00.002+09:00

Had work like usual and in the evenining I just relaxed.

Day 2

2010-10-03T21:24:00.008+09:00

Woke up and the clouds had cleared around Mt. Fuji. I headed to the Onsen for a bit in the morning and then after cleaning up the place we got back in the car and headed to the park nearby. We played freeze tag, baseball, piggy back race, and some other stuff. After that we all got back into the car and headed to a spring with water from Mt. Fuji. After that we headed back to Tokyo and after spending some time in traffic we got back to Shinjuku around 8:00. We all went to Burger King and had all-you-can-eat Whoppers before dropping everyone off at the station.

From there I headed to Jon's place and helped him move to his new place and then headed to John's place to pick up a few things he was holding for me and then headed home.

Vacation!

2010-10-02T21:24:00.017+09:00

Today I got up and met with my friend Dave in Shibuya and we headed to Tokyo from there to get the rental car. In Tokyo we met up with Witter, and three other friends. I was the driver for the trip and Dave managed the music.

After about 3 hours or so we got to Yamanashi. It's a quiet country area near Mt. Fuji and is a nice change from the concrete jungle of Tokyo. We went to Shiki's place there which has an awesome view of Mt. Fuji and relaxed there till her sister and friend showed up.

Then we headed down to the BBQ area and made some good food. The building itself is a collection of condos which people buy, but the layout is like a hotel. It has an indoor pool and onsen attached as well. After dinner we sang karaoke, played cards, and beer pong.

Work

2010-10-01T22:06:00.001+09:00

Headed to work like usual. In the evening I met a client in Suidobashi and then after that I went with my boss to meet a potential business partner.

Last day at Tamachi

2010-09-30T22:15:00.005+09:00

Today had work like usual. In the evening I headed to the Tamachi office for the last day there. From one of my students who works for Coke I got a bunch of Coke goods, like a glass, tie, and business card case. From another student I got some McDonald's gift certificates. Thank you! Since it was the closing of the office after we all went out to a Izakaya near by for food and drinks.

Work

2010-09-29T21:23:00.001+09:00

Work and then home.

Work

2010-09-28T21:23:00.001+09:00

Work and then home.

Work

2010-09-27T21:22:00.002+09:00

Work like usual and then home.

Work and out and about

2010-09-26T23:56:00.003+09:00

Headed to work like usual in Shinjuku. Today they had a huge inflatable lady set up near the station holding a camera to advertise a new digital camera. It was kinda creepy.

After work I met up with some friends and we went to Burger King. Right now at Burger King there is promotion where if you order a regular meal set you can get all-you-can-eat Whoppers. The burger has to be eaten in 30 minutes and the wrapper has to be returned as proof along with your receipt. A Whopper is pretty filling as it is so for my second burger I just got a Whopper Jr. and stopped. I've got to be honest, I'm a little worried that western fast food companies are going to make Japan fat.

Work and out

2010-09-25T21:18:00.002+09:00

Met Takehito today and saw his new son. He is really small. I worked during the day and just relaxed in the evening.

Friday

2010-09-24T21:18:00.002+09:00

Headed to work like usual and then home.

Holiday but work

2010-09-23T21:17:00.002+09:00

Today was another national holiday. Autumn equinox day. Nothing too special today.

Work

2010-09-22T21:17:00.001+09:00

Work like usual and then home.

Work

2010-09-21T21:16:00.001+09:00

Headed to work like usual. In the evening I stopped at ToToDoN and then worked in Tamachi till closing.

Work and Tokyo Marketing

2010-09-20T21:14:00.004+09:00

Today was a national holiday, "Old People Day". Not really sure what the holiday is all about, but it's kinda sweet.
However, I just headed to work like usual, no old people for me. During the day I had to go to some of the banks we deal with in Tokyo. The Yamanote line, which is probably the busiest line in Tokyo was covered inside and out with Pocky ads. It's pretty cool to see since the same ad is covering the whole train and it costs companies a ton of money to do it so usually the ads are pretty good.

Day off

2010-09-19T18:45:00.002+09:00

I was planning on going to the Tokyo Game Show today but I was pretty tired from last night and after mailing my friend and hearing that there was no Nintendo booth or Sonic 4 I just decided to stay home and watch a movie.

Work and party

2010-09-18T18:38:00.005+09:00

Headed to work like usual. I got out a little early today so I headed home, picked up some dry cleaning, and changed before heading back out to Tamachi where I met up with John, Hide, and some other friends. From there we headed to a place in Omote-Sando which was really cool. We met some people there who came with us to Roppongi and then headed home. Good times.

Work and other stuff

2010-09-17T18:29:00.002+09:00

Today my boss was in Nagoya with another co-worker so I was working alone. In the morning I went to UFJ in Nihonbashi and got some documents approved and then headed to the office. From there I took some other documents to another UFJ nearby and did some more paper work. The girl helping me introduced me to most of the people she works with so now I know everyone in the bank!

I finished my work around 3 and then headed to the ward office to update my foreigner ID card and then got a haircut before heading to Tokyo where I met up with Momoko for dinner. From there we headed to Shinjuku and walked around Shinokubo. We saw a place that had a good looking ice cream thing so we stopped in there and one of the guys I went to language school with in 2005 was working there. He is on his 3rd year of college to become an architect. It was good to see him and he gave us a good discount as well. One thing I love about Korean people is that they always hook people they know up.

Work and Work

2010-09-16T18:27:00.001+09:00

Work like usual. In the afternoon I headed to UFJ, the bank we work with. Since we do a lot of business with them they wanted to give us something in return so I filled out the forms needed to apply for a Gold Card. I don't really need or want a credit card but it's a sign of status in Japan so it's kinda cool. From the bank I stopped back at the office and then headed off to Tamachi.

Work and McDonald's

2010-09-15T18:20:00.004+09:00

Headed to work like usual. I don't know why but I really wanted to eat a big mac today. I guess cause off all the advertising I've been seeing recently. Anyhow a couple months ago McDonald's started redesigning the insides of all the McDonald's in Japan. The inside has a much more upscale look to it and even the images of the food on the menu have been redone to give a higher quality image of the food. It's pretty nice. I think I might have had the wrong mode selected which is why the pictures didn't quite come out like they were supposed to, but you get the idea.

Work

2010-09-14T18:18:00.003+09:00

Work like usual. Today I made some calls to people in Africa. The phone system in the countries I called was pretty bad. The volume would fade in and out through out the calls and sometimes just drop the call all together. It's a little frustrating but makes you appreciate the systems we have here in Japan or in the US.

Work

2010-09-13T18:16:00.002+09:00

Had work like usual today. I'm still learning a lot of new things and I'm developing a training guide for any new people which should help to eliminate mistakes and save money.

Work and Walking around

2010-09-12T00:40:00.002+09:00

Had work like usual. In the evening I met up with Momoko for dinner since she lives in Shinjuku and then I headed home.

Wedding, work, and out

2010-09-11T00:00:00.002+09:00

This morning I headed to Dai Shiba shrine in Hamamatsucho for my friend Ryu's wedding. There are a lot of rules associated with weddings here in Japan. Typical dress for guys attending the wedding is a suit with a white tie. When you write a card you are supposed to buy a special card with a string wrapped around it that has a knot that is hard to untie symbolizing a lasting relationship. On the card it self you should not use a regular pen because the thin ink doesn't look as strong so it's recommended that you use a felt tip ink pen. Typically guests give $300 or more as a gift. The money should always be new bills symbolizing a new relationship and the amount should always be odd so it can't be easily divided also in support of a lasting relationship. By western standards $300 may seem like a lot of money but a large part of that goes toward paying for the wedding and also the guests typically receive a gift for coming as well.

Anyhow, after the ceremony everyone took a taxi to Gonpachi which is a famous restaurant where George Bush ate with the former Prime Minister of Japan and other famous people have dined. The food was great and Ryu and his wife changed into more a suit and Kimono respectively and then later the wife changed into a western style wedding dress. It was a lot of fun and it was great to meet the families. Ryu also dressed up as a sushi chef and served sushi to the guests.

Another cool thing with Japanese weddings is that there is usually a slide show with a history of each person telling what they did through out their lives and explaining how they met.
After the wedding I headed to work in Yoga for a meeting and then to Shinjuku where I met up with Momoko for dinner.

Work and out

2010-09-10T00:37:00.002+09:00

Headed to work like usual and then went out in the evening with some friends for dinner.

Work and another Winston ad

2010-09-09T00:32:00.002+09:00

Work like usual today. Had to do some running around today and saw a new Winston cigarette ad with the muscle guy which is almost as dumb as the original.

Work

2010-09-08T01:00:00.003+09:00

Today I contacted a few customers and called a couple local places try and help one guy. In the afternoon I went to Shibuya to pick up three new laptops for work and then spent the rest of the day getting them configured properly and loading the needed software.

Work and a good commercial

2010-09-07T01:49:00.000+09:00

Headed to work like usual. I worked with our site and contacted some more customers. In the evening we met with a programmer and went over all the changes we wanted made to our database. He was a good guy and also had some ideas that he contributed that we hadn't thought of.

This is one of my current favorite commercials for a Nisshinbo which is a company that helps develop Eco friendly products. The bear is shaving cause it's too hot from global warming. If this video isn't viewable for you try using vtunnel to watch it at work. The popups are a little annoying but it's safe for work.

Work

2010-09-06T23:46:00.004+09:00

Today we had a meeting and looked at ways we can improve the software we use and also talked about any potential problems that could arise with the new business model and how to handle them. It was pretty fun.

Work and out

2010-09-05T01:47:00.001+09:00

Work like usual. In the evening I met up with Momoko and we grabbed dinner and picked up some stuff at Donki before heading home.

Work and Onsen

2010-09-04T01:43:00.001+09:00

Headed to work like usual. In the evening I met up with my old host family in Daiba and we all headed to the Onsen. It has been a while since I was last there and it felt super relaxing.

Workin' and beauty products for men?

2010-09-03T23:52:00.004+09:00

Work like usual today. Today I worked with some customers via E-mail and learned more about how the business is run. In the evening I headed out to Suidobashi and met up with a client before heading home.
On the train today I saw an add for Mascara with a guy pictured. Usually for a mascara ad you'd expect a picture of a girl but aparently this girly looking guy is popular among girls who this product is targeted at.

Work

2010-09-02T00:55:00.006+09:00

Headed to Studio 246 named after Route 246 nearby. I got there around 11:00 and ate some food. After getting hair and makeup done I tried on the tux. Although they had my measurements to make the tux with the pants were a little tight. From there I headed up to the set which was another red carpet. The main talent today was Aya Ueto. She is one of the bigger stars in Japan and was the main actress in some of the movies I've seen here. They did the voice clip of her saying the brand and then another escort guy and I walked a bit behind her. The whole shoot was really well organized and finished ahead of schedule which was great. Aya's birthday is on the 14th but the crew got a birthday cake for today however they spelled birthday wrong somehow. So after the shoot we all sang and celebrated her birthday with her.

At night I headed out to Tokyo and met up with Momoko for dinner and then headed home.

Work and train manners

2010-09-01T00:22:00.002+09:00

Today was my first full day at SAS3. I'm still learning a lot but it's pretty fun and at night my boss A.J. bought everyone dinner which was cool.

It is the start of a new month and the new train manners poster is out. This one is about sitting close to other people so there is space for others. Unfortunately, with the introduction of McDonald's and other western food here in Japan the amount of fat people is slowly increasing so even if the person is sitting in one seat it can still be uncomfortable to sit next to them.

Work

2010-08-31T00:54:00.001+09:00

Work like usual and then work in Tamachi. Non stop!

Work

2010-08-30T00:52:00.000+09:00

Headed to work in Yoga. For those of you that don't know Yoga is the name of the station not a class for streaching. In the evening I headed to Tamachi and had dinner at TotoDon. I'm gonna miss that place after the Tamachi office closes.

A Big Mark in Japan ・・・ 日本の大きいマーク

Tokyo Auto Salon

Bad hair in Japan

McDonald's

Helicopter Tour of Tokyo!

Out and about

Traditional Japanese New Years

New Years Eve

Christmas

Christmas Eve

Advertisement

Out with friends

Christmas Lights

Tokyo Cruise

Christmas shopping

Japanese Train

Egg Nog

Honey Toast

Yakiniku!

Hakone trip!

Harrison Ford Uncharted 3 ad

Train Manners

Zoo

Taiwanese Food!

Infrequent updates

Yokohama

Earthquakes.......

Earthquake... again

Sunday in Odaiba

Out in Shinjuku

Back to Tokyo

Last night in Okinawa

Naha and Shurijo Castle

Checking out the City

Okinawa

Going to the Airport

Power shortages!

Kamakura

After the Quake

EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!!!!

Work and Out

Work and Sushi

New Years

Blue Note

More Light Displays

Hanging out

Pizza Burger

Christmas lights

New Company Car

Work and Out

Touring a friend around Tokyo

Work and Out

Early Thanksgiving

Out and about

Work and out

Work and Billboard Live

Work and out

Work and out

Work and out

Another commercial

Work and out with friends

Work and out with friends

Busy blog change and new CM

Workin'

Relaxing Sunday

Back to work

Day 2

Vacation!

Work

Last day at Tamachi

Work

Work

Work

Work and out and about

Work and out

Friday

Holiday but work

Work

Work

Work and Tokyo Marketing

A Big Mark in Japan　・・・　日本の大きいマーク