Just another monkey ...

Nobody Can Stop This Feeling

2009-10-04T16:54:00.002+09:00

Arriving Soon - Soul4 Introducing Mattia Cigalini
Blackhair Blackeyes - Gen Hosokawa
Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag - Soil & "Pimp" Sessions
Time - indigo jam unit
The More I Look At You - Timo Lassy Featuring Jose James
Nobody Can Stop - Alma Plus
Chocolate Chip - The New Mastersounds
The Atlanta Boogaloo - The Inclines
Maybe So, Maybe No - Mayer Hawthorne
Love Czars - Sa-Ra Creative Partners

Click on the songs to listen to online clips.

Meguro

2009-09-30T23:25:00.000+09:00

Meguro was next up on this Yamanote Line project and despite its name, the station itself is actually in Shinagawa-ku rather than Meguro-ku. Heading out from the east exit the main artery is Meguro Dori, which takes you past the huge National Park For Nature Study towards the upmarket Shirokanadai area.

On the approach to the national park there are a number of Thai restaurants, like this one, Tuk Tuk, largely due, I guess, to the fact that the Thai embassy is nearby.

Shirokanedai has a lot of pricey-looking apartment blocks, or 'mansions' as they're called here.

The local shops reflect the neighbourhood and on a different day I would have been tempted to while away some time looking around this wine shop.

The local branch of Book Off is a great place to go for secondhand foreign books, as most branches of this chain carry few if any foreign books. Granted it doesn't have the same character as small independent shops like the Blue Parrot in Takadanobaba, but there are some bargains to be found.

Outside the classy Miyako Hotel there is a spot for dogs to quench their thirst.

One attraction in the Meguro area is the pilgrimage route known as the Yamate course that links six temples housing the Seven Gods of Fortune (shichi fuku-jin). People often make the pilgrimage in January to bring good fortune for the coming year.

The first temple on the route is Kakurinji, or Seishoku, which dates from the seventeenth century, though has doubtlessly been rebuilt over the years, as have most temples in Japan. It's home to Bishamonten, the god of warriors.

Glass and steel in Shirokanedai.

The second temple on the route, Zuishoji, is less than ten minutes' walk away and like the previous temple, it was originally founded in the seventeenth century. It is tucked away in a very quiet area and is home to Hotei, the god of happiness and contentment.

Another one of those incredibly narrow buildings.It's a wonder that the interiors can be put to any practical use.

The next temple on the route is home to two gods, Jurojin (god of wisdom) and Fukurokuju (god of happiness and longevity). Again, peacefully set off the main road, it makes for a nice stroll.

A ridiculously small and not too safe looking car with just about enough room for one average size person.

View along the Meguro-gawa.

Tacky turrets stuck onto the outside of an otherwise plain-looking concrete building ~ it can only be a love hotel.

The fourth temple on the route, Daineji, is just over on to the west side of the station and whilst the temple itself is quite small, there is quite a lot to see. Among all the other many gods on display here, you can see Daikoku, god of wealth and farmers.

If you have any aches and pains, then the story goes that this Buddha can help you out. To relieve your suffering, simply rub some gold leaf onto the corresponding part of his body. Of course, I always carry y very own personal supply for just such an occasion, though on this particular day felt in no particular need of a cure.

Here we have all the seven gods side by side, but don't ask me to name them from left to right.

As with most temples or shrines there is a source of running water to cleanse your hands before you pray. In a move to conserve water, the dragon here is fitted with an electronic eye so that water only flows when someone is standing in front of it.

Close to Daienji is a dentist with a rather quirky sign. I guess even card carrying aliens are welcome here.

The view down Gonnosuke-zaka, the main road on the west side of the station.

Selling tofu outside Otori-jinja.

Otori-jinja is a fairly large shrine that occupies a large corner on Gonnosuke-zaka and even has an electronic vending machine dispensing omikuji ~ a kind of holy lottery where you draw a random strip of paper with your fortune told on it.

Banryuji is the next temple on the route and is tucked away in a very peaceful location that almost makes you forget you're in central Tokyo. Home to Benten, the only female deity among the seven lucky gods, she looks over music and art.

The final temple is the largest complex of buildings on the route goes by the name of Meguro Fudosan. There are many fine temples, buildings and statues in this area including Ebisu, the god of commerce, and fisherman, and, incidentally the name of the next stop on the line.

After about four hours of walking around in the sticky heat, I was done for the day. The Yamate course was an interesting way to frame a pleasant walk through an interesting area of Tokyo. No doubt there are many parts of Meguro I missed due to a lack of time and energy on the day, but it's an area that you can definitely can back to again and again.

Late summer festival in Nakano

2009-09-26T00:11:00.000+09:00

Gauguin @ The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

2009-09-25T22:40:00.000+09:00

First, there was the huge queue for tickets, something you'd expect to see here when a new Krispy Kreme shop opens. Next, there was the slow moving bump and jostle of people, often five deep in front of the pictures, something akin to trying to get through the ticket barrier at a station during rush hour. On top of this you had the inane comments, such as "Hmm, they all look the same. What's so special?", "God, I wish they'd hurry up in front. Why are they stopping?" and "I'm not sure what that's about." The icing on the cake, however, when arriving in the area where the real crowd-pulling work of the exhibition was displayed was the announcement by the museum ushers to "Keep walking and not stop." Hardly ideal conditions for admiring art, but then again I guess I was stupid enough to try to go to a major exhibition in Tokyo on a National Holiday.

Those frustrations aside, it was great to be able to see more then fifty Gauguin works gathered together as a kind of representation of the progression of his career. The exhibition was divided into three sections, the first featuring pictures painted in France wen he was discovering his wild side, the second featuring pictures and woodcuts from Tahiti and the final section was titled 'Destined to wander' and featured his masterpiece Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?, which was being exhibited in Japan for the first time.

Despite the crowds it was an exhibition well worth seeing. I just wish I hadn't left it so late that I only had the choice of going on a National Holiday.

Gotanda

2009-09-21T12:38:00.094+09:00

After a couple of fairly uninteresting stops, I was hoping that Gotanda would have more to offer for the casual visitor. And on exiting the station, the fact that surroundings weren't just a mass of glass and concrete was a promising sign.

The east exit takes you to the area that lies inside the loop of the Yamanote Line, and the main road takes you uphill towards the Seisen University campus.

Tucked away behind the facade of an office block there is this shrine. As with many shrines in Japan, however, big or small, demolition is out of the question, as it would be inviting bad luck to that site in the future. Consequently, with the massive programme of urbanisation that has been in place since the war, if a shrine has been located on a prime piece of land, and the developers had the go ahead to build on that land, the shrine has remained in tact and the building has been built around it. Apparently hemming the gods in from all sides is permissible.

Further up the hill is the huge, but rather strangely shaped Honryu-ji, clearly a major temple in the area give the size of the grounds and the cemetery attached, but hardly the most eye-catching.

A cowboy with a swag bag outside a motorbike repair shop.

Gotanda seems to have a number of small but popular eateries in its back streets, such as this van selling take out bentos or the rickety old ramen shop below.

Heading back towards the station to explore the west side, I saw this picture in the window of a karaoke pub, perhaps depicting the ultimate salaryman fantasy ~ a kimono-clad hostess who is also handy with a set of golf clubs.

Murals beneath the arches at Gotanda station.

Trains over the Meguro-gawa.

The western side of Gotanda is more of a residential area with lots of apartment blocks and shops, though near the station there are side streets with cramped restaurants (as above) and buildings packed with karaoke pubs, hostess bars and other less salubrious establishments (below).

A cafe called Angel Fake ~ I'd much rather have the real thing.

Another example of a building going up around a holy spot, though in this case a very tiny one.

Another view of the Meguro-gawa, this time flanked by blocks of apartments.

Back near the station, an incredibly small yaki-tori shack.

A rather apt name for a love hotel perhaps.

I'm not quite sure what this company sells or what service it provides, but this phrase could be used to describe Tokyo in general, as in most areas there is usually something interesting or exciting going on.

Gotanda made for a pleasant stroll and was a relief after the last couple of stops.

Stickers Near Shinjuku Station

2009-09-16T23:45:00.003+09:00

A panda comments on the recent election results perhaps?

Liquid Landscapes

2009-09-09T21:48:00.003+09:00

One Two Punch - BlackQP'67 clip
Night In Tunisia - The Latin Jazz Quintet clip
Bogota - Roberto Tarenzi Trio clip
One Of Another Kind - McCoy Tyner clip
Freedom Monday - Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers clip
All Matter - Robert Glasper Experiment clip
3/4-5/4-7/2 (Liquid Landscapes) - Afro-Blues Quintet Plus 1 clip
The Sacrifice - The Art Blakey Percussion Ensemble clip
Broasted Or Fried - St Vincent's Latinaires clip
Saturday Night Special - The Lyman Woodard Organization clip

Sticker In Jingumae

2009-09-08T22:43:00.003+09:00

Living Street Art?

2009-09-08T22:33:00.003+09:00

This guy was performing under the title The Living Museum near Iidabashi Station last week. He would move into a particular pose mimicking a statue and hold the position for some time, before morphing into the next pose. This was apparently Buddha of the Future (see below). Like many street performers, he had a box for donations, but I'm not sure if this spot was a good earner for him.

Dark clouds over Shinjuku last week

2009-09-01T15:03:00.002+09:00

Osaki

2009-08-31T20:51:00.004+09:00

After having been distinctly underwhelmed by Shinagawa, I decided to take a look around Osaki, the next stop, on the same day. My Tokyo road atlas suggested that there wasn't going to be a lot to see, so I guessed that visiting a second stop on the same day wasn't going to take up too much time.

One one side of the station there is an area given over to offices and hotels and an extensive residential area. One of the office complexes is called Art Village Osaki, in front of which you can see this gnome with a huge hat titled 'Growing Farmer'.

Immediately behind this is the Megurogawa flanked by offices and apartment blocks, but it makes for a nice peaceful walk after the busy main road in front of the station.

The other side of the station has the Think Park business complex next to which even more construction is taking place, and beyond that there seemed little of interest to tempt me on what was a stiflingly hot day.

Looking at the remaining stops on the line, I just know that it's going to get more interesting from here on.

Shinagawa

2009-08-27T15:26:00.007+09:00

Shinagawa Station is a major hub on the Yamanote Line, being served by the shinkansen as well as several Tokyo local lines, and the area has a distinct feeling of modernity about it with most of the surrounding buildings, particularly on the Konan side having been constructed in the last two decades.

Shinagawa Intercity is an ultra-modern office complex that dominates the skyline next to the station, with it distinctive glass and steel tower.

A small area of one or two blocks near the station contains the type of eateries and bars typically found near stations, though this area is quite small compared to other neighbourhoods.

One thing in Shinagawa that doesn't figure in every locality is the meat wholesalers' market, occupying a large area near Shinagawa Intercity, complete with the Meat Information Hall, presumably for everything you ever wanted to know about flesh consumption.

Generally speaking, however, the area is pretty devoid of character, with lots of large offices for major companies, and some high end serviced apartments, but little else for the casual visitor.

One reason why most foreign residents in Tokyo will be familiar with the area is that the immigration office is nearby and a visit is required periodically to renew your visa. And to be honest, I can't really see myself having to come back here again until the next visa renewal date comes round.

Beautiful Sadness

2009-08-20T00:40:00.004+09:00

Four In One - Hara Dairiki Trio clip
Sea Shanty - Max Grunhard Quintet clip
Tunji - John Coltrane clip
The Windmills of Your Mind - The Oscar Peterson Trio clip
Nao vou chorar - Os Diagonais clip
Vampires - Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada clip
Double Bind - Mouse On The Keys clip
Cheeba - The Lyman Woodard Organization clip
Beautiful Sadness - Shuya Okino clip
I Only Want You - laidbook feat Think Twice, Schubert & Manchilde clip

Books: Havana Nocturne by T.J. English

2009-08-18T14:06:00.004+09:00

With this year marking the fiftieth anniversary of the revolution, interest in all things Cuban has increased, whether it be CD compilations of Cuban music, a variety of different books about the country before and after the events of 1959, or even President Obama suggesting a slightly less hard line approach to US relations with the Caribbean island.

During the 1950s Cuba was headline news for a number of reasons. It was a tropical playground for the rich, offering a heady cocktail of casinos, mambo and sex. Yet, at the same time, it was also a hotbed of revolutionary activity, with groups of rebels holed up in the mountains led by the charismatic Fidel Castro together with his brother Raul and Che Guevara.

In Havana Nocturne, T.J. Smith weaves both stories together, depicting the emergence of Cuba as the place to go for rich and famous (thanks to the complicity between the island's dictator Fulgencio Batista and the mobsters who set up and ran the casinos); and also the growth of the revolutionary movement, despite some disastrous hiccups along the way ,that ultimately led to victory for Castro at the beginning of 1959.

The narrative starts in the late 1940s, with mobster Lucky Luciano arriving in Cuba from exile in Sicily to meet up with Mayer Lansky to discuss Lansky's vision of turning the Caribbean into a huge gambling playground for the rich and reckless with Havana as the hub, the idea being that smaller, less powerful governments wouldn't be pursuing the gangsters as vigorously and would most likely be open to bribery.

We also follow the transition of Fidel Castro from hell-raising law student to committed revolutionary and his early failed attempted uprising imprisonment, pardon and the subsequent rebirth of his revolutionary movement.

English has obviously researched his topic well, drawing on a variety of sources, and he brings everything together to tell a gripping story. He recreates the atmosphere of a hedonistic world of sleaze and reckless abandon that must have been a huge attraction for many foreign (for that read mainly American) visitors to Cuba in the fifties. He dresses it up enough to excite the reader's curiosity, but also makes it clear that many on the island, all was not well and that many were fed up of the corrupt regime and were desperate for change. Of the revolutionaries, you get the idea that they were a committed but at time hapless bunch who rode the wave of fortune and ultimately succeeded because enough people wanted them to.

Batista is portrayed as a power-hungry, money-grabbing despot, whilst Lanksy is shown more as a man with a plan, and you almost feel as though the author sympathises with his plight as the story unfolds.

A brilliant depiction of an era full of upheaval and doubt, Havana Nocturne makes you wish you could step into a time machine just for a moment to be able to witness events firsthand. Highly recommended.

Camino A La Modernidad ~ Modern Mexican Masterpieces at Setagaya Art Museum

2009-08-12T21:13:00.003+09:00

For most people if you say Mexican Art, they will think of Frida Kahlo or Diego Rivera, or perhaps the Muralist movement of the post-revolution years carrying strong political and social messages. The Modern Mexican Masterpieces exhibition currently showing at the Setagaya Art Museum show features a little Kahlo, and also works from the Muralist "Big Three", namely Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Clemente Orozco, as well as a whole host of other artists depicting different aspects of life in Mexico. In all, there are over 70 works on display in what is said to be one of the biggest exhibitions of modern Mexican painting ever held in Japan.

The first work you see as you walk into the exhibition in a room reserved for this painting alone is the only work by Frida Kahlo here, Autorretrato con medallon, being shown in Japan for the first time. As with many of her self-portraits it is a depiction of pain and sorrow, all the more striking for its solitary display.

The rest of the exhibition is divided into three themed rooms, La Civilidad, Cultura and El Progreso, with some paintings depicting aspects of daily life and social progress in Mexico in the first half of the twentieth century and others having allegorical or overtly political messages. I was particularly struck by Rivera's Paisaje Nocturno and the Soviet propaganda style imagery of Siqueiros' Alegoria del progreso, though there is much to be impressed with in this collection of paintings from a group of artists who worked hard to carve out a clear cultural identity for a nation going through its growing pains after a particularly violent revolution. Well worth seeing.

Trad Jazz at Nakano Station

2009-08-02T18:50:00.001+09:00

Tamachi

2009-08-02T11:57:00.005+09:00

Just a cursory glance at my city atlas before setting out was a hint that there was perhaps not a great deal to see in the Tamachi area, though I always try to approach each stop with an open mind in the hope that I will stumble across something that will spark my curiosity. Perhaps it was the overpowering summer heat, or perhaps I was not in a particularly inspired mood that day, but I truly struggled to find points of interest here.
As with Hamamatsucho, Tamachi station is fairly close to the sea and as you head east out of the station you head towards Shibaura an area of canals, reclaimed land with wharves facing out to Tokyo Bay. There are few signs of port activity here, however, and rather like the Docklands development in London, this part of Minato-ku seems to be given over to expensive looking apartment blocks and other high rise buildings.

You get the impression that the flats in this area are probably fairly spacious by Tokyo standards and on the higher floors you can either enjoy a view of the bay to the east, mount Fuji to the west or a cityscape to the north. Despite this, however, it's not really an area I would feel tempted to live in because, as with many more recently developed residential areas, it seems to lack character and atmosphere.

The landscape also features the monorail which heads out towards Haneda airport adding to the ultra-urban feel to the area.

Here Rainbow Bridge can be seen in the distance, but it was too hot and humid and the area not interesting enough for me to be bothered to get a closer shot.

I then headed back towards the modern station building and went to see what was on the other side of the tracks.

From what I could see it was largely an area filled with offices with apartment blocks dominating the areas a little further afield, as well being an area housing several embassies.

The nearby Sakurada Dori is home to the prestigious Keio University and from there it is a fairly short walk to Tokyo Tower.

It's not all sterile and characterless office buildings here though, as there is an ageing entertainment district in the streets off Sakurada Dori, with lots of tiny little alleys housing grotty looking old coffee shops, izakayas, bars, pachinko parlours and other less salubrious establishments.

Among the many establishments in the area is this motsu restaurant. Motsu is the Japanese word for the guts of an animal, and whilst 'Bowels' might be a fairly accurate translation of what you can actually eat here, if I were to open such a restaurant, it wouldn't be my first choice when it came to naming the place.

The verdict? Even making a concession for the fact that it was unpleasantly hot and sticky on this day, I don't think this is a part of Tokyo I'd choose to visit again unless I had a specific appointment in the area.

Wall in Kichijoji

2009-07-31T19:43:00.002+09:00

Karuizawa

2009-07-30T20:20:00.012+09:00

A hospital without a roof, a summer retreat for the wealthy, the perfect spot for a wedding or simply a great place to take the family shopping. These are all perfectly accurate ways of describing Karuizawa, a town in Nagano prefecture set in the shadow of the volcano Mount Asama.

Just over an hour from the capital thanks to the Nagano Shinkansen, it's an ideal place to get away from the summer heat of the concrete island that is Tokyo, and last week that's exactly what I did for a couple of days, relaxing in the cooler mountain air.

Being a week day when I arrived, and not yet at the peak of the summer holiday season, the town was remarkably quiet in the daytime, though I imagine that at weekends it's an altogether different story.

There are a fair number of places to visit, some of which can be reached easily by bicycle, as there are numerous places renting them out for the day in the town itself. Some of the other points of interest are a little further afield and to get there you either need access to a car or to the not so frequent buses.First port of call was the Shiraito no taki (White Thread Falls), waterfalls that seemingly appear from the middle of a bed of rock, with the white threads of water cascading down into a pond below. The falls are not particularly high, but are 70 metres wide and the water itself is not so cold as rather than coming from a river or snow melt, it comes from inside the rock itself. For those interested, there are a number of hiking routes in the hills above the falls, and there are supposed to be some bears living wild in the area too.

From there it was a bus back into town and then on another bus out to an area called Hoshino which is a fairly recent development that includes an onsen, some classy but tasteful small shops and a hotel. A walk through the woods will also bring you to the modern architecture of the cocoon-shaped stone chapel which was built back in the boom times of the eighties, and just one of the many chapels in the area that make a lot of money from the popularity of western style chapel weddings. Some people may disagree with this sentiment when they hear that drill, but each to their own I guess. It's just a short walk from the stone chapel to the wooden chapel, which can be seen on posters in stations around Tokyo enticing people to the delights of Karuizawa.

After this it was back into town for a quick look around, though by this time the day trippers had gone home, and it was really like a ghost town, something exacerbated by the heavy mist that enveloped the town like a blanket. The following morning I decided to rent a bike for the day and cycle around the town. There are a number of cycling routes marked out on the map, none of them particularly long or punishing, so I opted to combine a couple of the routes in order to make a day of it. Close to my starting point, there was another wedding chapel. I use the phrase wedding chapel simply because their sole raison d'etre is for hosting weddings, and there is no notion of Christian worship involved whatsoever. In fact, one fairly lucrative line of work available for foreigners who speak Japanese is to work as a wedding priest (absolutely no theological qualifications needed), where you go through the motions of reading out the vows for the couple dressed in a cassock and dog collar. A lot of the roads lead through a tall canopy of green, with little sunlight getting through, thus keeping the local temperature that much lower than in the city. The Manpei Hotel is one of the older and pricier places to stay in town, and it is set deep in the woods away from the main road leading through the town. Apparently John Lennon used to like staying here when he was in Japan.
One name that can be seen a lot around town is that of A.C. Shaw, the British-Canadian missionary who "discovered" Karuizawa in the late nineteenth century and described as a hospital without a roof and introduced it to other expatriates as a great place to escape Tokyo's summer heat. It was from this time that the town developed into the resort it is today, with expatriates slowly being replaced by wealthy Japanese, including the Imperial family, who are said to spend time here quite often.

There is a (real) church in memory of Shaw, a street named after him and an annual festival which also carries his name ~ all in recognition of the way that his actions changed the economic fortunes of the area. There is another real church in the area, the Catholic Saint Paul's, which is close to the famous Ginza shopping street. Heading out of town on a two-lane tree-lined road you reach the old Mikasa Hotel, one of the old western-style hotels (though completely designed and built by the Japanese) that was open for business from 1906 until 1970. It now stands as a museum piece which you can look around for a small fee, and pages from the guestbook in the early 1920s shows that most of the guests were expats resident in either Tokyo, Yokohama or Kobe.

In the woods around the town, you can see lots of house built on very large plots of wooded land, many of which are second residences of the wealthier section of society, though some are also available for seasonal rental.

With it's heritage as a resort town owed to the expatriate community of years gone by, as well as the disproportionately large number of western style churches and chapels in the are, many of the eateries in town serve French or Italian food, or their is even the 'domestic sausage' shop selling locally produced German-style sausage and cured meats.

I opted for something Japanese in the evening, however, and, lured by the stylish decor and jazz being played with the volume cranked up high, I went to Kawakami An for my evening meal.

No doubt there are many other much cheaper places to get a bowl of soba noodles, but if this restaurant were in Tokyo, I think I'd be a regular, as it was rather special.

Along with all the wedding chapels in the area, there are, of course, wedding outfitters too, and this one has a name that seems to reflect the almost Disneyfied fairytale romantic vision that the Japanese have of western-style white dress weddings. Even the walk down the aisle is described in Japanese as the 'virgin road' ~ I kid you not.

For the last morning, I headed back to the Hoshino area to have a dip at the Tombo onsen, which is new and pretty stylish. The other choice would have been to visit the huge outlet mall, the far side of the station, but I decided to leave that to the bargain-hunting families with bored kids in tow.

Books: McMafia by Misha Glenny

2009-07-28T23:04:00.002+09:00

At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that this book is the movie edition of a pulp fiction crime novel, but once you open it and look inside, you soon discover that it is instead a well-written piece of investigative journalism that reveals just how much of the world's economic dealings are linked to organised crime, which according to the author amounts to about twenty percent of the world's GDP.

Misha Glenny is a reporter who made his name at the BBC and the Guardian reporting on the collapse of communism in the late eighties/early nineties and then the Balkan Wars that followed. It is the knowledge and experience he gained in this period that have allowed him to explore the present day world of organised crime. In the course of the book, he visits all corners of the world demonstrating the extensive reach of criminal activity executed in the search of maximum profit.

Glenny traces the rapid rise of organised crime from localised gangs to a truly global concern back to the twin collapse of communism and the deregulation of global financial markets which happened at around the same time. Even before the final collapse of the Iron curtain Eastern European states were involved in the illicit smuggling or arms and drugs as a means of propping up the ailing economies of their countries. Once communism suddenly collapsed, an out of work police force together with steroid-popping weight-lifters as muscle, suddenly found that they had had good grounding in how to get rich quick.

The chapters that focus on Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union come across as the strongest as it is in these areas that Glenny is clearly more knowledgeable. He also visits India, Brazil, Dubai, South Africa, China and Japan on his travels, each time showing how enterprising individuals with little respect for the law or lives of others have becoming ridiculously wealthy in a short period of time off the back of illegal business activities. The chapters on the Far East are, by comparison to the rest of the book, a less satisfying in their scope, but given the huge scope of this project it is almost inevitable that some parts will be weaker than others.

At times some of the stories are shocking, and at others they are heartbreaking, yet all show what can happen if the untamed pursuit of profit is allowed to develop and grow without regulation.

An eye-opening book that shows the darker side of how today's world really works.

Hamamatsucho

2009-07-25T12:36:00.007+09:00

Hamamatsucho Station is probably the closest point on the Yamanote Line to Tokyo Bay, with the sea being less than half a mile away, and as a result the area you can look around is somewhat restricted.

If you head towards the sea on exiting the station though, you soon arrive at Kyu-Shiba-Rikyu Garden, which makes for a pleasant stroll and seems to be a spot that office workers in the area like to come to during their lunch break if the temperature isn't too high.

The main street leading inland from the station is lined with office buildings including the World Trade Centre Building, and most of these buildings are of a characterless, purely functional design.

The Shiba Dai-jingu is an all-concrete ultra modern shrine that seemed to attract a steady flow of office workers coming to pray for luck during their break. People work through the rope circle part way up the steps following a prescribed pattern in order to bring good luck/ward off bad luck, or something of that order.

This guy with a shoe fetish on a retro looking sign was above a shop in the area, though I forget whether or not it was actually a shoe shop.

Back on the main street and half-way between the station and Shiba Koen is Daimon, an old gate which straddles the busy road.

One of the main attractions in Shiba Koen is the big temple Zojo-ji, and here you can see the Sangedatsu-Mon entrance to the temple grounds.

This tree just inside the main gate was apparently planted by Ulysses Grant on a visit to Tokyo during the Meiji era.

Tokyo Tower viewed from the temple grounds on an overcast afternoon.

After wandering around Shiba Koen for a bit, I headed back towards the station, because there wasn't a great deal else to see to be honest.

Would love to know the story behind the naming of this wine bar.

Just as I was about to head back into the station, I noticed this airship flying past Tokyo Tower.

How can I sum up Hamamatsucho? Well, it's hardly the most vital stop on the Yamanote Line, and while it does have one or two points of interest, I found it largely devoid of local atmosphere.

Sticker in Nakano

2009-07-21T12:46:00.003+09:00

Return Of The Freak

2009-07-19T22:57:00.005+09:00

I've been listing tracks I'm into on this blog for some time, but have now added some links where you can listen to extracts online to actually hear what some of this stuff is like. Enjoy ...

Blow Up The Jazz! - native O
Please Don't Leave Me - Sahib Shihab O
Balarm - Pietr Ciancaligni O
May Street - McCoy Tyner O
Goodbye At 12:00AM - Manami Morita O
Treading Water - Baby Charles O
Return of the Freak - Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada O
Ephra - The Budos Band O
Un Canto A Mi Terra - Quantic & His Combo Barbaro O (video clip on right side of the screen in the link)
Love Letters - Lord Cobra Y Los Hnos Duncan O

Street Perfomers in Nakano

2009-07-16T00:06:00.003+09:00

A little bit of jazz with some tap dance at the North exit of Nakano Station.

Ganguro UK Style

2009-07-06T09:08:00.002+09:00

Well, here's something I never though I'd see ~ young British imitating the ganguro or yamamba style. This fashion of deeply tanned skin, garish make-up that looks like it's been applied by a five-year old and brightly dyed hair was probably at it peak in Japan at the turn of the century, but you can still see some of the young hanging out in Shibuya dressed like this.

Now, according to the BBC, the fashion has spawned some imitators in the UK, and you can see a couple of them dancing para para style in the first video clip, and then talking about the fashion in the second video, the link for which appears in the video window after the dance clip. It has to be seen to be believed.

My World

2009-07-05T00:29:00.002+09:00

Skydive - native
Jova - Jukka Eskola
Two Jaguars In Warsaw - Auteur Jazz
The Blessing Song - Shirley Eubanks Ensemble
SKID - Shinpei Ruike 4 Piece Band
Make The Road By Walking - Menahan Street Band
24 For Betty Page - Snowboy & The Latin Section
I Just Fell In Love Again - Quantic & His Combo Barbaro
My World - Lee Fields & The Expressions
Soul Pop - Mauri Bailey

Shinbashi

2009-07-03T22:02:00.010+09:00

The next stop on the Yamanote Line is Shinbashi, an area which differs enormously depending on the direction you go on leaving the station.

This eatery near the station goes by the name of Baltic Curry, though I'm not sure how close the association is between the Nordic region and the food.

A short walk from the station towards Siodome brings you to the old station building. The original dates back to the early twentieth century, but the building which stands now is a reconstruction and houses a railway museum and a beer hall.
This building looks a bit like a game of Jenga left half-done, and is composed of a number of capsule apartments. Once the architecture of the future no doubt, it is now ageing and is apparently scheduled for demolition.

Siodome in general, however, represents a vision of Tokyo's future, with lots of new glass and steel business premises.

Before wandering around among the ultra-modern office buildings I decided to pay a visit to Hama-Rikyu Gardens, traditional Japanese gardens right next to the Tsukiji Fish Market and looking out over the Tokyo Bay area. The gardens make for a pleasant stroll, and it was an enjoyable experience even on this overcast day.

Immediately on leaving the gardens and heading back towards Siodome, you are faced with the concrete ugliness of flyovers and main roads which remind you that you're never far from city life in Tokyo.

The Italian garden on the other side of the main road, however, offers some respite from the concrete jungle.

The Nihon Television building in Siodome is one of the big landmarks in the area and attracts a variety of visitors.

From there, it was a short walk back to the station, which allowed me to venture through to the other side, which is Shinbashi proper.

As with many stations in the area, the passages under the tracks and the arches beneath the railway are packed with izakayas and other eateries.

An establishment called the Hinomaru, the cultural equivalent of calling a place The Union Jack, The Tricolore or The Stars and Stripes.

What more do you need?

It's got to be better than elementary hair!

The steam locomotive, or SL as it's called locally, is a popular meeting point near the station.

With the old-style Hama-Rikyu Gardens, the ultra-modern architecture in Siodome and the Showa-era izakaya and entertainment district, Shinbashi is an area of pleasant contrasts that makes for an interesting visit.

Video clip: Menahan Street Band - Make The Road By Walking

2009-07-03T21:39:00.001+09:00

Great tune and live debut by a band made up of members of the Dap-Kings and the Budos Band.

Graffiti in Yoga

2009-07-03T00:02:00.000+09:00

Books: Tokyo Station by Martin Cruz Smith

2009-06-21T11:13:00.013+09:00

Martin Cruz Smith established his name with the Arkady Renko novels, the best-selling Gorky Park in particular. While many of his other books have been detective novels, this is more of a period adventure. The main character is Harry Niles, an American growing up in Japan in the early decades of the century. Largely ignored by his missionary parents, Niles carves out his own identity running with his Japanese school friends and developing a fascination for the nightlife of Asakusa.

The novel looks at three different stages of his life, his early years in 1922, his time in China, and in particular Nanking in 1937 and back in Tokyo in 1941 in the final days leading up to the Pearl Harbour attack. Niles' character is part Rick Blaine and part Saint Jack, with self-interest and a quick buck seemingly uppermost in every decision he makes. The Casablanca comparison goes further with Niles trying to secure the paperwork that will give him safe passage to Hong Kong on one of the last flights out of Tokyo. As you read, you are never quite sure where Harry's real loyalty lies, which makes the ending all the more satisfactory.

As well as crafting an enjoyable novel, Smith has done a fantastic job of evoking the atmosphere of pre-war Tokyo which must have been the product of a great deal of research. Worth reading.

Yurakucho

2009-06-21T11:13:00.011+09:00

Things have been a quite on this blog over the past few weeks as work and other commitments have got in the way a bit, and I have a backlog of postings to do, starting with this Yamanote Line posting about Yurakucho. The pictures were taken about a month ago and it wasn't quite so overcast and wet at that time.

Close to Tokyo Station and Ginza, Yurakucho gives easy access to lots of izakaya and old world eating and drinking dens, but it also offers one of the classiest shopping experiences in Tokyo.

Lottery ticket promotion in front of the station.

The huge Marui store in front of the station is one of the recent additions to the area, as everything gradually gets modernised.

Sign on the second floor of a building near the station ~ not sure what kind of business it is.

It's a short walk to Ginza, one of the world's top shopping districts packed with flashy buildings housing exclusive boutiques, with most of the world's top brand names present. While shopping at top end shops doesn't really appeal to me, the architecture is nonetheless impressive.

This building, which houses the Wako department store is one of the few in the area that survived the war, and it can be seen in a number of pictures from the occupation period in the late forties/early fifties.

Fire hydrant with a character reference.

The Kabuki-za theatre is one of Tokyo's landmarks, and it stages plays for locals and tourists alike. The building is scheduled for demolition in less than a year's time, however, with the theatre moving to a new home, so if you're visiting Tokyo soon, it may well be the last chance to see the theatre in its current form.

The number of days left before the theatre closes its doors.

My kind of place, though I didn't go in this time, having got my caffeine fix elsewhere just a little earlier in the day. Will have to keep it in mind for the next time I'm around.

It was the 'jazz lounge' part of this sign that initially caught my eye, though it soon became clear from the smaller sign on the door that Badd Girls (sic) is written in bolder letters for a reason. Entry for women is free, men have to pay an arm, a leg and the shirt off their backs just to get in, with no real explanation of what that money pays for. More sleaze pit than jazz lounge I suspect.

Moving to the other side of the station to Hibiya Park I found that despite it being late May, there was the Hibiya Oktoberfest (go figure), organised by the same committee that do the Yokohama one in the autumn.

Mid-afternoon was a little quiet, but it seemed rude not to have a quick beer in the sunshine. No doubt it filled up after 6pm.

Underneath the arches of the Yamanote Line is always a good place to look for food stalls and bars that go back a few years.

This particular establishment had loads of vintage film posters plastered on the walls, and they looked dog-eared enough to be originals.

Yurakucho offers a fascinating blend of uptown and downtown as well as old and new and it's worth spending a little time wandering around.

Tokyo Dangerous

2009-06-07T23:17:00.002+09:00

Johnny Got A Boom Boom - Imelda May
Tokyo Dangerous - Shima & Shikou Duo
Afrodisia - quasimode
Afro Groove - Adamu Okosun & The Warri Six
Effi - Max Roach
No Marks, No Body, Not Guilty - Contemporary Noise Sextet
Goodbye at 12:00 am - Manami Morita
Wives And Lovers - Roy Haynes
Soul Pop - Mauri Bailey
I Might Do Something Wrong - Tortured Soul

Coffee Tea Jazz

2009-06-05T09:44:00.003+09:00

Coffee Tea Jazz (I've made the assumption that this is the name of the cafe, since there was no other sign on display) is tucked away on a narrow shoutengai (shopping street) in Koenji Minami. Bright and welcoming from the outside with its white wooden terrace doors, the interior has a couple of tables and a short counter, making it a comfortable, airy, but intimate spot to enjoy a cup of your favourite brew.
Behind the counter there is a very extensive collection of jazz albums dating back to the fifties and sixties, with many album sleeves also forming part of the decor around the cafe. The owner is friendly yet unobtrusive and while not making the drinks, he sits quietly behind the counter enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. There is a bilingual menu, and an extensive choice of coffee blends and explanations of the different aspects of the flavour of each type and the prices are reasonable for this type of place. I opted for Brazilian coffee which was simply delicious. Whilst the menu doesn't feature any food, customers are welcome to bring along there own snacks to eat with there beverages.
A little out of the way for many perhaps, but if it's a nice place to read and relax that you're after, then this cafe is just the right spot.

Just Another Monkey Rating: ˜˜˜˜˜

Where All The Dawgs Hang Out

2009-06-02T09:04:00.002+09:00

Sign for a bar on Ome Kaido between Nakano and Koenji.

Tokyo

2009-05-27T00:01:00.008+09:00

Tokyo Station is one of the largest stations in the country and is located in the heart of the Marunouchi district. While Shinjuku and Ikebukuro handle more passengers each day, it is said that Tokyo Station is one of the world's busiest when it comes to the number of trains that pass through each day.

The original grand red-brick station building dates back almost a century to 1914, though most of it was destroyed in the fire bombings in 1945. Only the Marunouchi exit facade still remains of the old structure, and at the moment the station is in the process of being modernised and refurbished ~ a project that is due for completion next year. On the Marunouchi side, in addition to the restoration of the old facade, a broad plaza leading up to the Imperial Palace grounds is being constructed.

The New Marunouchi Building houses a lot of offices with the lower floors given over to fashionable boutiques and restaurants.

A short walk past the New Marunouchi Building brings you to Babasaki Moat and on the other side is the Wadakura Fountain Park, which must be a nice place to relax and escape from the office at lunchtime.

The greater part of the Imperial Palace Gardens are off-limits to the general public, and for the most part all you can see are the bridges and gates leading to the inner grounds, but what is impressive is the sheer scale of the premises. In fact the road that surrounds the Imperial Palace is a popular jogging route and a lap is about five kilometres.

Looking back from the Sakurada-mon section of the Imperial Palace grounds to the office blocks around the station.

Heading back along Babasaki Dori you pass the Meiji Seimei Building and the back half of Tokyo International Forum.

Whilst the area around the station may be filled with large office blocks and somewhat anonymous concrete and glass buildings, you will always find some older grubby-looking eateries in the shop units directly beneath the railway tracks. These izakayas and noodle shops no doubt do a roaring trade in the evening catering to tired salarymen on their way home.

And under the arches you can also find noodle stalls such as this one that only come to life after dark.

I crossed under the tracks to the Yaesu side and wandered around streets lined with yet more tall office blocks with few fascinating features. The ground floor of this building featured a big advertising feature starring Takuya Kimura of SMAP sporting an awful perm, yet he still remains one of the countries top heartthrobs.

The Kyobashi area is home to the National Film Center which screens films in thematic seasons, holds exhibitions and also houses an extensive cinema-related library. The recent Soviet-era silent movie poster exhibition here was superb.

Something I do every morning!

With the intense bombing at the end of World War Two, much of Tokyo's older architecture was destroyed and many of the parts that remained have either fallen into disrepair or have been replaced by newer modern buildings, so it's nice to occasionally come across some older buildings that give you and idea of what Tokyo might have looked like before the war, such as this building that is home to the upmarket grocers Meidi-Ya, who have been in business since the late nineteenth century.

It's not in every town or city you can find a fountain pen museum, but the pen company Pilot have both a museum and cafe in Kyobashi.

The station refurbishments have brought an improved shopping experience to passengers using Tokyo Station, with several fashionable shops selling food, drinks and gifts.

This part of Tokyo has very little to do with my own regular life or routines in the city, but it's interesting to see what this part of the city has to offer.

Books: The Real Odessa by Uki Goni

2009-05-25T10:57:00.004+09:00

It is common knowledge that a number of Nazi war criminals ended up living in South America, and Argentina in particular. What this book deals with, however, is investigating the policy decisions and intricate systems set up to make it happen. Six years of research and interviews took Argentinian journalist and writer Uki Goni to several different parts of the world trying to piece together what actually happened in the last years of the war and in the immediate post-war period ~ a task made even more challenging when he was informed that key immigration files had been destroyed in a bonfire as recently as 1996 by officials of the Peronist government of Carlos Menem.

The book relates how the Argentinian governments of the thirties and forties were openly supportive of Europe's fascist regimes and had an official immigration policy to refuse entry to Jews fleeing the Nazi regime.

It also goes into remarkable detail (given how much documentation has been destroyed or conveniently lost in Argentina) as to how an efficient network of contacts was built up in Europe designed to help collaborators in France, Belgium and members of the Croatian Ustashi escape once it was clear the tide was turning against Hitler in the war, and later to Nazis themselves.

The book reveals the alarming to which the Vatican were involved in helping known war criminals obtain travel permits and passports under assumed names, more as a move against communism than as a direct support of what the Nazis had been doing, and also how, to some extent both Britain and the US were also guilty of turning a blind eye to some of the people who were fleeing as attention started to focus more on the beginning of the Cold War.

The Real Odessa is a goldmine of information and demonstrates quite clearly how a small group of like-minded people with power and influence in Argentina were able to harbour some of the biggest war criminals of the Second World War with practically no intervention from the rest of the world. Highly recommended.

Shibuya Crossing

2009-05-20T23:41:00.002+09:00

Yenyeni - Mombasa
Neveen - Salah Ragab
Something Going On - Dojo Cuts feat Roxie Ray
Momma Momma - Betty Barney
Goodbye Monster - Contemporary Noise Quintet
The Blessing Song - Shirley Eubanks Ensemble
The Sky - Lorenzo Tucci
Bennie's Groove - Finn Mickleborg's Kvintet
Juan-Les Pins - Staffen Abeleen Quintet
Shibuya Crossing - LTC

Odd-shaped cloud

2009-05-17T00:21:00.001+09:00

Sticker at Kinugawa Onsen station

2009-05-15T23:38:00.001+09:00

Nikko

2009-05-10T20:59:00.013+09:00

From Kinugawa Onsen it is a short train ride to Nikko, famous worldwide for its temples and shrines and also its hot springs. Most visitors travelling up from Tokyo arrive at the Tobu Nikko Station, but a couple of hundred metres away is the rather more picturesque, but older JR Nikko Station which dates back a hundred years or so.

Under the station entrance is an artist's impression of the roaring dragon, one of the features of the Toshogu Shrine, though it has to be said that this version isn't a patch on the huge charcoal image on the ceiling of the shrine.

The river that runs through Nikko is both very wide and heavily sculpted in true Japanese fashion with concrete and stone weirs and walls. Building up river banks in either stone or concrete is a common feature to be seen all around the country. It is both a lengthy and costly process, which no doubt keeps many contractors happy.

The main attraction in Nikko is the Nikko Sannai area which is home to some very famous and culturally important shrines and temples that have been recognised as World Heritage sites. The first place to see is Rinnoji, a temple complex originally established in the eighth century.

Inside the main building there is the huge Three Buddha Hall, with (obviously) a trio of huge statues of Buddha in different poses.

After leaving the grounds of the complex, there is a dusty road leading up to the entrance of Toshogu, a shrine dedicated to Ieyasu Tokugawa, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate which heralded the start of the Edo period.

As well as being historically significant, the whole complex is filled absolutely amazing examples of traditional Japanese architecture and craftsmanship, such as the five-storey pagoda.

Another of the famous features of Toshogu are the relief carvings of the Three Wise Monkeys on the Sacred Stable building.

The next of the really famous views at Toshogu is the Yomei-mon Gate which features an incredible amount of detail in its relief carvings, meaning you could easily spend an hour or more looking at each part of the gateway.

There are so many fine examples of detailed carvings and bright colours on show that it's difficult to know where to focus your attention as you try to take in as much as possible on your way through the complex.

Above the shrine is the tomb of Ieyasu Tokugawa, and to get there you have to pass through the Sakushita-mon Gate, famous for the carving of the Sleeping Cat. This ornate carving is actually quite small, but is deemed a national treasure as it is supposed to prevent any evil spirits gaining access to the tomb.

After passing through the gate there is a long climb up two hundred stone steps to the tomb.

Next to the tomb is the wishing tree, what's left of an old cedar tree which dates back a few centuries.

Even after the splendour of Toshogu, there is still more to see, and the next place on the itinerary is Futarasan Shrine, again dating back some twelve centuries or so.

Like all shrines, there are different ways to tell your fortune. In this Wheel of Fortune-style example, you spin the wheel and your fortune is determined by which type of snack lands in front of the arrow. No doubt a more recent addition to the shrine.

The last area to visit in the Nikko Sannai area is the Rinnoji Taiyuin Temple, which is also the mausoleum of the third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa.

All of the gates are guarded on the left and right hand side, both inside and out by elaborately carved statues of different gods.

To summarise, it's difficult to express in words just how impressive the whole area is and for anyone visiting Japan, this has to be a must on the itinerary.

Temple-hopping is thirsty work, so after taking the bus back into town it was time for some refreshing kaki-gori (shaved ice).

A nice contrast of colours and textures which caught my eye.A Showa period sign outside a shop that had long since gone out of business.

Being just about two hours away from Tokyo, Nikko is well worth a visit for anyone who hasn't done so before.

Kinugawa Onsen

2009-05-10T20:21:00.009+09:00

For the Golden Week break, I headed off to Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo to the Nikko area. On the first day, I stayed at the Kinugawa Onsen spa town. The kanji for Kinugawa literally translates as 'angry demon river', so just outside the station you can see this mascot.

... and this one too.

Luckily I had a whole week off work, and the day I got here wasn't actually a national holiday, so it was nice and quiet. I imagine that a couple of days later it was packed.

Arriving in the late morning, there was plenty of time to look around and do some stuff before checking in to the ryokan.

The first thing I did was to take a ride on the Line Kudari boat. It's a 40 or so minute ride down the river through a gorge like valley that is quite picturesque.

The boats are steered by two guides at front and back, with the guy at the front also acting as a kind of MC for the trip. the boats are equipped with clear plastic sheeting which you can hold up to stop you getting too wet as you journey down the river.

As with many similar types of river trip, some the rocks have been named after animals depending on the shape. Some are more easily identified than others, such as this one below which is called the gorilla.

Maybe you have always wondered how electricity supplies reach even the remotest parts of the countryside (or then again maybe you haven't). Well, for those who are curious the hand-powered contraption below is used by the local electricity board so that their workers can get access to the far side of the river in order to maintain/repair the pylons on the far side that aren't close to a road.

The other burning question is since the boats are travelling a few kilometres down the river, which is on a reasonable incline, how do they get back upstream? Well, they are loaded on to a truck by crane and driven back at the end of the day.

As a change of focus and pace, the next place I visited was the Trick Art Museum, a place full of optical illusions that is simply meant to be a bit of fun. Upon entering, an usherette gives a very long-winded and excessively polite talk about how to look at the different images on display in order to see the illusions. Some of the images work much better than others and they all look more convincing through a camera lens than to the naked eye. For example some pictures may appear to be in 3-D despite being flat.

Alternatively you can take pictures that appear to make you float in the air. All a bit tacky and very silly, but a bit of a laugh nevertheless.

Much more fun was the Takehisa Yumeji Museum nearby, though of course I couldn't take pictures there. Yumeji was a self-taught artist/illustrator from the early twentieth century who mainly did pictures of women of the era, and while his work was seen as bit lightweight by the art critics of the day, his work was (and still is) fairly popular.

As it got to late afternoon, it was time to check in to the ryokan, a nice large place with good baths and a nice spread of food in the evening.

Kanda

2009-05-05T21:18:00.009+09:00

Kanda is located in the heart of Tokyo and like other places on the eastern side of the city, it's a neighbourhood with a long history. These days it is buzzing with life as a commercial centre, with many companies with offices in the area. I spent a good three hours or so wandering around the blocks near the station on the look out for something of interest, but it was soon clear that this was not going to be as exciting as some of the other neighbourhoods on the Yamanote Line I've already visited.

A shoe-shine man plying his trade outside the station.

This property doesn't look as expensive as the metal it's named after, and more likely than not, the plot of land is worth more than the building given where it is located.

Being a business-oriented area, there is a demand for shops like this one selling cheap business shirts.

Wherever there is a blank surface in Tokyo, there are people will post stickers, though given that these stickers can be seen all over the city, a small group of people must be pretty busy put them up at night.

Statue outside one of the station exits.

You might expect to see this lively looking canopy outside a live venue or something similar, but in fact it is in front of a spaghetti restaurant.

With Akihabara only one stop away, it is inevitable that there will be some spill over into the Knda area, and here we have a Cosplay Pub catering to the Akiba crowd.

Improvised shelters built by homeless people under one of the many railway bridges in the area.

So cheap even monkeys want to shout about cheap brand goods.

Along with railway bridges, flyovers are another (not so) attractive feature of the Kanda area.

With the area mainly being a commercial district these days, there are plenty of glass and steel office blocks to be seen.

Clearly a Beatles-influenced establishment.

On the whole, there is little to attract the casual visitor to Kanda, as the area is predominantly filled with office blocks. One of the more interesting features of the area is the juxtaposition of ultra-modern office buildings and old unoccupied shop buildings dating back decades awaiting demolition. The famous Kanda Myojin shrine is worth visiting, but is actually closer to Ochanomizu Station than Kanda Station.

Soul Turnaround

2009-05-03T21:27:00.003+09:00

Wedgehead Gets Lucky - Stonephace
Fondle Rock - The Poets of Rhythm
The 1,2,3s - Dojo Cuts featuring Roxie Ray
Emozione - Jabberloop
Tonight The Night (quasimode remix) - Markus Enochson
Nino's Flowers - High Five Quintet
Soul Turnaround - Walter Bishop Jr
Fa Fa 2 - Joe Haider
Afro Blake - Slow Poke
Sun Children - Soulphiction

Books: Stasiland by Anna Funder

2009-05-03T16:44:00.002+09:00

It is said that by the time the Berlin Wall came down the relatively small population of East Germany was under more rigorous surveillance than any other country in the world, with the scrutinising being done by the Stasi and its network of informers.

Anna Funder's book is part travelogue, part investigative journalism and tells the story of the time she spent in Berlin and other cities of the former GDR talking to people who lived under the watchful eye of the Stasi. At first she has difficulty trying to start her work, but then she decides to post a classified ad in a newspaper asking for people to come forward. The people she meets all have one point in common ~ they were all emotionally scarred in one way or another by the old regime. There are tales of tragedy, regret and loss throughout the book, with some having gone through enormous pain and suffering at the hands of the powers that were, with others, who were on the side of the regime, angry at what they see as the injustices of democracy.

Stasiland is beautifully written and is at once riveting and moving. A heavily annotated history book it may not be, but Funder's prose creates a startling image of what life must have been like for people living in a state that only existed for forty years. A must-read for anyone with an interest in post-war European history.

Sun Setting Beneath A Blanket Of Cloud

2009-04-28T10:11:00.002+09:00

What's Wrong With Being Naked?

2009-04-23T23:38:00.003+09:00

The news story of the day in Japan is the arrest of SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi for public indecency. He was apparently reported to the police at around three in the morning and was found drunk and naked in a park shouting at the top of his voice. With SMAP being a squeaky clean boy band who have been famous for close to twenty years and who have their own weekly TV show, this is a scandal that has made big headlines and there's speculation as to whether his career has been irrevocably damaged.

Curious though that this was big news within hours of his arrest, yet the former finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa appearing at a G7 press conference three sheets to the wind only made waves in Japan after it had been reported in the European media.

Akihabara

2009-04-22T21:19:00.007+09:00

The name Akihabara translates as 'field of autumn leaves', but there are few trees in sight in this busy neighbourhood just a short ride north of Tokyo Station. Akihabara (or Akiba for short) is famous around the world as Electric Town ~ the place to go in Tokyo for electrical goods.

Many of the big name stores such as Yodabashi Camera, Sofmap and LAOX are here as well as a host of smaller independent stores.

The area is also famous as a haven for otaku (geeks) into games, anime and cosplay, with plenty of shops catering to those customers.

Since it's featured in almost all of the guide books to Japan, it's also one of the areas in Tokyo that has one of the highest concentration of foreign tourists all on the hunt for bargains, though with the exchange rate as it is at the moment, I suspect that they are hard to come by at the moment.

Near the station there is a maze of smaller retailers dealing in all kinds of goods ranging from cheap memory sticks and mobile phone parts to metres and metres of cable and spy cameras. Literally something for everyone when it comes to electrical goods.

The otaku culture has seen the rise of the maid cafe and with Akihabara being the birth place of these establishments, it's only natural that the area should cash in by producing maid omiyage (souvenirs) such as cookies and chocolates.

Some guy eyeing up a maid costume in a shop window.

Prime Minister Taro Aso is a self-confessed manga freak and so he is feted in the area as a 'cool old dude' with his cartoon likeness visible in several places.

The maid culture goes beyond the simple cafe. Here we have a 'maid opticians', presumably where the staff all wear maid costumes, but unfortunately it was shut on the day I was there so I can't say for sure.

Lots of shops sell cute but somewhat near the mark figurines for collectors, a snip at just 500 yen.

This building is a 'live house' for performance by plastic sounding girl groups who are unknown beyond the otaku world. The singers perform saccharine sweet pop-dance songs over tinny backing tapes and the fans go wild with their own unique dance routines. It's quite unlike anything you can see anywhere else.

A maid touting for customers.

Even the Prime Minister comes in for the omiyage treatment.

Pink-clad maids on the street.

The Kanda river as seen from close to the station.

Patch It Up

2009-04-20T19:03:00.002+09:00

With All My Love - Jabberloop
Sketch 2009 Version - Re-Trick
Latona - The Fascinations
Bossa Blue Port - Birds of Paradise
Chitterlings Con Carne - Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers
Clear As Water - Una Mas Trio
Patch It Up - Roy Lee Johnson
Hide Out - The Hideaways
Deeper Waters (Eva Be's Secret Love Remix) - Recloose
Morning Brings The Light - Grand Union

Cherry Blossoms in Nakano Last Sunday

2009-04-09T23:53:00.003+09:00

Last weekend was probably the peak time for cherry blossom viewing around Tokyo with many areas having trees in full bloom. Nakano was no exception, and I decided to take a ride on my bike to have a look. In retrospect, however, it was a mistake as there were so many people wandering around in varying states of inebriation that progress by bicycle was no faster than it would have been on foot.
The lower part of Tetsugakudo (Philosopher's Park) is a popualr place for hanami parties and ther were hundreds of people having picnics under the trees there.
Riding or driving along Nakano Dori at this time of year is like going through a light pink tunnel. The traffic moves at a much slower pace during these few weeks as drivers slow down to take in the view.
The Nakano Sakura Matsuri was taking place in Arai Yakushi park and even more people were out picnicking here with live performances from enka singers and hula dancers. If you're thinking of going next year, be warned that you need to stake out a picnic spot very early.

Books: Dancing In The Streets ~ A History of Collective Joy - Barbara Ehrenreich

2009-04-09T08:26:00.003+09:00

When you hear a certain type of music, you may find it difficult to resist the urge to tap you foot, nod along in time to the beat or generally move your body in some way. Reviewers often resort to using adjectives such as 'catchy', 'infectious', 'insistent' and 'unrelenting' to describe beats, tunes or music in general, again suggesting some inner urge to react in some way. Of course in the majority of situations where we can hear music these days it is inappropriate to give in to the urge to dance, no matter how strong that desire may be. You might be really into the sounds coming from your iPod, but breaking into dance on the commuter train is (at best) simply likely to draw stares from bewildered onlookers.

This is one of the points that Barbara Ehrenreich alludes to in her hugely enjoyable book Dancing In The Streets. The basic premise of her book is that human beings have some inner urge to get together and dance, creating some kind of collective feeling of euphoria or ecstasy, but that over time people have been doing so less and less. She looks at different points of human history to illustrate her ideas starting in ancient times with the worship of Dionysus going up to modern day rock concerts and crowds in sports stadiums. Throughout the book we are offered examples of the conflict between people's desire to celebrate collectively and society's desire to impose order on its citizens, with the latter more often than not winning in some way or another.

So why don't we dance as much as we used to? Well, Ehrenreich puts forwards a number of ideas such as the restrictions of Protestantism, the age of the gun and the emergence of capitalism as contributing to the move away from dance over the centuries. She also suggests that despite all of this, the inner urge still exists, hence the rock revolution of the sixties.

The book as a whole tackles a huge subject and the author chooses to select examples that back up her central ideas quite nicely, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable to read. As Ehrenreich herself acknowledges, most of the examples used are from Western history, yet I think it would be interesting as an aside to discuss with the author what she makes of similar traditions in Asia. Japan, for example, is often cited as an example of a very ordered society, yet at the same time it has a long history of collective celebration in its many festivals many of which are still celebrated today.

A wonderful book that makes you feel good and dares you to dance a bit more.

Cherry Blossoms at Higashi Nakano

2009-04-07T22:08:00.002+09:00

Near Higashi Nakano station, the area near the Kanda-gawa is a great spot to view cherry blossoms and last weekend it was packed with people having hanami parties.

Coffee L'Ambre

2009-04-04T10:15:00.003+09:00

Coffee L'Ambre is a short walk from the east exit of Shinjuku station on a street that runs just behind Shinjuku Dori. From the street it looks fairly small, with thirty or so seats in a typical old smoky cafe, but the real treat lies in the basement floor, a vast area that seats around two hundred people and is a no smoking area to boot, which is fairly unusual in privately run coffee shops.

The seats are comfortable and the place is large enough for you to easily spend an hour or two chatting with friends or simply relaxing and reading.

As you relax with your coffee you can enjoy the gentle sounds of the piped classical music or simply take in the view, which is reminiscent of years gone by.

As with many coffee shops, there is a reasonable selection of food including savoury treats such as pizza toast and the like, or a selection cakes.

The large chain coffee shops may be better positioned and advertised, but this is a place where you will rarely have to wait for a seat and where you can enjoy your coffee at leisure. Recommended.

Just Another Monkey Rating: ˜˜˜˜˜

Okachimachi

2009-04-01T22:01:00.009+09:00

Okachimachi is a very short hop from Ueno and the station itself is situated in the heart of the downtown shopping district with Ameyoko running parallel to the tracks between the two station of one side of the tracks and Ekimae Dori running on the other side.
On leaving the station I walked west for a few blocks, passing a variety of different shops including this place offering a great combination for the middle of the day.

After walking for about ten minutes or so I reached the steps leading up to the impressive Yushima Shrine, with it extensive grounds that make for a pleasant stroll.

There were a lot of ema (little wooden plaques on which people write their wishes to the gods) hanging up at various points around the shrine, suggesting that it gets a lot of visitors.

The side streets either side of the main road heading back to the station were lined with lots of different late night establishments, including this bar.

Back on Ameyoko-cho, the shoppers at the various stalls were out in force.

Cheeky sign posted outside a bar called Yariki on Ekimae Dori.

Faded sign representing an establishment that no longer appears to be in business.

An almost Village Vanguard-style zakka shop.

The ideal place to get tattooed and dismembered in one go.

This novelty shop had a variety of masks on sale from TV personalities to politicians and scientists of the past.

South of the station there are several blocks taken up by shops that specialise in jewelery and accessories for both retail and wholesale.

All in all Okachimachi is a fun place to wander around and could easily be taken in on a visit to Ueno, since the two stations are so close together.

Graffiti in Nakano

2009-03-30T22:39:00.003+09:00

Inside Story

2009-03-29T21:57:00.002+09:00

The Alchemist Manifesto - Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada
Old Age (Youngblood) - Madlib
Who Is This America Dem Speak Of Today? - Antibalas
BMW - Chicago Afrobeat Project
F*ck Off And Leave Me Alone - The Magnificent Freedom
Inside Story - Prince Lasha
Inez - Dave Grusin
To Iskol'Hof - Bent Axen
Get Into Trouble - What's Up?
Shake It - The Five Corners Quintet

Cafe De Souvenir Nakano

2009-03-29T18:37:00.003+09:00

You can find Cafe de Souvenir tucked away on the second floor of a building situated on one the narrow walkways that run between Nakano Dori and the Sunmall shopping arcade. The dimly lit narrow coffee shop is fairly comfortable and has a decent enough menu.

There are two types of 'blend' on offer, espresso and other coffee drinks as well as other soft drinks. If you're having an afternoon break then you can also treat yourself to one of the many cakes they have on offer, though be warned that as delicious as they are, they are also pretty filling.

A great place for a quiet coffee in Nakano, especially since many of the chain coffee shops are packed at weekends.

Just Another Monkey Rating: ˜˜˜˜˜

Early Evening Sky In Nakano

2009-03-29T17:49:00.001+09:00

Soviet Film Posters In The Silent Era @ The National Film Center

2009-03-27T20:18:00.003+09:00

The other day I popped along to the National Film Center in Kyobashi, which is just a short walk from Tokyo Station. The centre has cinema screens, a library and, on the seventh floor, an exhibition hall. It costs just 200 yen to go to see the exhibition and the first half is a permanent collection of memorabilia from Japanese cinema history dating, including camera equipment, posters, short film clips and animation plates.

The second half of the exhibition space is given over to the temporary exhibition, a collection of more than 140 Soviet film posters from the silent era, and so also from the early days of the revolution.

The graphic art of the early Soviet period is very distinctive with its blocks of colours, stark angles and heroic poses, with many of the posters also featuring machinery or agricultural equipment as the films obviously reflected the political mood of the times.
Many of the posters featured in the exhibition were designed by the Stenberg brothers, who started out as architects in the Constructivist movement, but gained greater renown through their graphic works.

The exhibition runs until March 29th.

What The Devil's Inside?

2009-03-26T23:28:00.003+09:00

Decorated shutter in Nakano.

Extreme Shepherding

2009-03-26T19:02:00.002+09:00

Obviously some people have far too much time on their hands. Clever stuff if it's 100% authentic.

R Koenji

2009-03-24T20:17:00.002+09:00

A little south of Koenji station off the PAL shopping arcade is the Chosenji Temple, and on the street leading to the temple tucked away on the second floor is a coffee shop called R. It's not the kind of place you're likely to stumble across by accident, because its presence is announced only by the narrow sign above and a staircase. Climb the stairs and you reach a large green door with a small peephole so you can look inside and a sign reminding customers that it's a place to come for peace and quiet, or rather coffee, books and peace and quiet.
The interior is decorated in a stylish way with an interesting mix of tables and chairs, with none repeated, so that you can, in theory, enjoy a different experience each time you visit.
I managed to find a nice comfy chair with a grandstand view of an aquarium, one of two or three dotted around the shop.
There is an extensive stock of books for customers to peruse if you haven't brought your own with you, with titles to satisfy a variety of ages and interests.

And what of the coffee? Well there are several blends on the menu and I opted for the Kilimanjaro, which was had a nice smooth yet rich flavour. For 680 yen you get a pot from which you can fill your cup three times, making it good value for money.

A great place to spend an hour or two with a good book.

Just Another Monkey Rating: ˜˜˜˜˜

Bebop Escalator

2009-03-23T22:58:00.002+09:00

Stumbled across this while browsing YouTube for something completely different. Not much to it, but simply the title 'Bebop Escalator' with the various squeaks and noises sounding slightly like a jazz improv session makes it quite amusing.

Tokyo Marathon 2009

2009-03-23T20:31:00.002+09:00

Yesterday was the Tokyo Marathon, an event which saw some 35,000 runners beating the tarmac around the capital. The conditions weren't exactly ideal as it was a blustery and cloudy day, but luckily the rain held off for the duration of the race. Of course I wasn't one of the participants in the race myself ~ I watched some of the TV coverage from the comfort of my flat ~ but the event did hold an interest for me this year as a friend from work took part. It was his first marathon and he completed the race in a very impressive 3 hours 31 minutes. Nice one mate!

Will this inspire me to train for next year's race?

I doubt it somehow. I'm happy enough with my 40 minute jogs a couple of times a week and don't really relish the pain barrier that marathons no doubt hold.

A New Japanese Icon?

2009-03-22T17:51:00.003+09:00

I saw this sticker in Koenji the other day, with Prime Minister Aso depicted in the style of the famous Obama image from last year, with the word 'Hope' replaced by 'Gone', though someone obviously objected to this and sprayed over it. However, with approval ratings reportedly running at less than ten per cent, it must only be a matter of time until that prediction comes true.

Real And Unreal Spaces

2009-03-20T21:37:00.002+09:00

Decadence - Re-Trick
Junior's Idea - Franco Tonani
Baon Que Bash - P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble
Real And Unreal Spaces - Nation of Multiverse
African Village - quasimode
Operacion Sitio - Pedro Luis Ferrer
Let Me Do My Thing - Los Dinamicos Exciters
Mahlalela - Letta Mbulu
Heavy On Me - Boozoo Bajou
Where Would You Be - Yaw

Times Shinjuku

2009-03-20T21:22:00.004+09:00

The Times coffee shop is just a short walk from the East exit of Shinjuku station. This is another coffee shop that seems to have a long history with dark brown worn tables and red upholstered chairs. It also has 'coffee' written in kanji rather than in the more normal katakana, suggesting a more traditional approach.
It's a fairly spacious place and you can relax and pick up one of the many newspapers on offer near the entrance. In fact, a lot of the customers appeared to be poring studiously over the racing form guides on the sports pages and making notes on scraps of paper.
The coffee itself tasted very good but was a little on the tepid side by the time it reached my table. In addition, none of the staff seem to believe in offering service with a smile, or maybe it was just a bad day.

Good coffee and a nice enough place to relax and read for a bit, but the tepid drink, and not so friendly service loses this place one star on my rating.

Just Another Monkey Rating: ˜˜˜˜˜

Books: Cuba - A New History by Richard Gott

2009-03-17T22:29:00.004+09:00

Cuba is a country that has long held a fascination for me for a number of reasons. There is the idyllic Caribbean location, the wonderful music, famous around the world, the romance of Hemingway, the revolution and, above all, the notion of a country that has stood tall and remained defiantly independent in the face of serious threats from larger and stronger powers.

Since Cuba is a country that polarises opinion in other parts of the world, there are all manner of books that are either strongly in favour or violently against the revolution, but Cuba ~ A New History takes a refreshingly objective view of this small Caribbean island nation. The author, Richard Gott, has visited the island many times and made a career as a journalist on Latin American affairs. Indeed, he was one of the few people on the scene in the Bolivian jungle able to give a positive identification on the body of Che Guevara after the revolutionary had been shot.

Gott's book looks at the history of Cuba over the 500 years or so since the Spaniards first reached its shores. The first half of the book gives us an overview of the island under Spanish rule and the various slave rebellions that took place periodically. Due to the paucity of documentation on the early periods, many of the incidents are explained fairly briefly.

Things become more interesting as the book tackles the battle for independence from Spain and the subsequent American rule of the early twentieth century. It really hits top gear however when dealing with Castro's revolution and the history of the country since then, an era that the author has firsthand experience of. Gott offers a refreshingly objective view of the revolution, in turns praising its victories and criticising its shortcomings, but all the while trying to retain an overall balance.

The book is highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand how Cuba has developed in the way it has and why Castro's government didn't fall when other communist regimes crumbled twenty years ago.

I haven't been to Cuba yet, but finding out more about the place makes me want to go more than ever.

Nakano has it maid

2009-03-10T21:49:00.003+09:00

With Nakano being home to otaku-heaven Broadway, the shopping centre that is chock full of shops selling manga, figures and costumes, it should come as little surprise that there are also some maid cafes in the area. The two signs below caught my eye because of the punnery. I've translated the names below each picture.

"Home Maid"

" Maid in Nakano"

If, like me, you have never been inside a maid cafe and are curious as to what may go on inside, then check out this English-language video clip from NHK.

Ueno

2009-03-09T20:40:00.013+09:00

Ueno is one of the larger stations on the Yamanote Line, with shinkansen lines passing through as well as Tokyo commuter lines. Consequently there are several exits from the station, and for my visit to the area, I decided to take the Park Exit.
As the name suggests, the Park Exit takes you into Ueno Park, a large municipal park which is home to several museums and Ueno Zoo. However, if you wish to enjoy the cultural attractions, then you shouldn't go on a Monday as I did, since Monday is the day when museums are closed. Sadly, it's also my day off, so I miss out on some cultural aspects of Tokyo life as a result.

Poster in the park for an exhibit at the International Library of Children's Literature.

A large statue of a whale outside the National Science Museum.

Ryo-Daishi is a temple in the park grounds that is open on Mondays, so I could look around. It's a fairly impressive temple with some nice gardens, though it was deserted late on a Monday morning.

The main fountain in the park on the main path that takes you to all the museums. Stand too close and you'll get a shower.

The museums may have been closed but there was a Chinese circus act performing near the fountain. This performer most definitely had rubber limbs and undoubtedly spent her childhood doing hours of training.

The entrance to the zoo, with barely a soul in sight on a Monday.

Near the zoo, you can see the five-storey pagoda.

Next to the pagoda is Toshogu Shrine, which was packed with visitors when I visited last year.

A totem pole showing the way to the zoo, sponsored by the ubiquitous Lions Club.

Gojo Tenjinsha Shrine

Hanazono Inari Shrine

Benten-Do

At the bottom end of the pond you can see the huge Shinobazu Pond, which has lots of reeds and wild birds as well as a boating pond.

Feeding the birds

Local council workers clear the weeds to maintain an area around the edge of the pond where the ducks, coots and other birds can swim.

Just south of Shinobazu Pond is Nakamachi Dori, lined with izakayas, dodgy bars and an entertainment district.

There's something for all tastes there. The English 'Undies Club' doesn't quite sound as exotic as the 'lingerie club' written in katakana however.

Nakamachi Dori leads on to the busy Chuo Dori, and beyond that there are several shopping streets, including the famous Ameya Yokocho, a market street which was a famous black market area after the war, and it's retained its shitamachi (downtown) feel ever since.

I only ventured halfway down these streets, because the next stop on the line is very close, and I wanted to make sure there was something left to see at Okachimachi.

So I did an about-turn and headed back towards the station, and walked over Asakusa side.

Showa Dori runs parallel to the station and is also known as Bike Town due to the huge number of bike showrooms and repair shops that line either side of the street.

First Rule of Flight Club: Politely inform your customers when the bar is closed.

Second Rule of Flight Club: Confuse any potential customers with your name and sign, when what in fact you do is sell bikes and run a bar on the floor above.

Unfortunately I had already stopped for lunch and a drink elsewhere, otherwise this interestingly named cafe could have been a contender for the 'coffee filter' section.

A shrine on Asakusa Dori

As the afternoon wore on the wind was getting increasingly strong and chilly, so I headed back towards the station, with the prospect of more fun wondering through the downtown area of Okachimachi for the next stop.

Edinburgh Shinjuku

2009-03-09T17:18:00.005+09:00

Located on Yasukuni Dori in Shinjuku, Edinburgh is a coffee shop that has the look of a place that has been around for some time. The interior is in the style of more traditional coffee shops of years gone by, with lots of browns and yellows.
The coffee is pretty good and is made with a siphon, meaning each drink is made specifically to order rather than poured from a large pot, which can only be a good thing. There is also a large choice of coffee types on the menu, with several different blends as well as things such as Viennese and Irish coffee.

I ordered a cake set, though to be honest the cake wasn't that good and not as fresh as you might hope, especially since the coffee and cake came to 1,100 yen! There is a variety of cakes and sandwiches on the menu, though all of the prices are on the high side.

My guess is that the prices are high because the coffee shop is just a short walk away from the Kabuki-cho entertainment district and it is open 24 hours a day, meaning that it is likely that thy have a steady night trade.

Worth visiting once to get a feel for the more traditional coffee shops, but a little pricey for regular visits as far as I'm concerned.

Just Another Monkey Rating: ˜˜˜˜˜

Freaks

2009-03-05T22:54:00.002+09:00

NaMa - PFP
Asmarina - Fedaqu Amde-Mesqel
Pula Pula - Jorge Ben
Cosi Com Sei - High Five Quintet
Blues For Kate - Fiction Dynasty
The Windmills Of Your Mind - Oscar Peterson Trio
I'm So Thankful - Ronnie McNeir
100 Yard Dash - Raphael Saadiq
Freaks - Afro-Blues Quinet + 1
Why Am I Standing Here? - Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro

Backstreet in Shinjuku

2009-03-03T20:53:00.000+09:00

Art On The Streets of Shinjuku

2009-03-03T10:10:00.002+09:00

This is one of the works currently on display on Shinjuku Dori opposite Isetan where the new Marui shop is being built. The title of the piece roughly translates as 'High School Girl With A Beard of Beans' by Takao Sakai. So now you know. Apparently this is just one of a whole series of portraits he has done with beans.

Books: Real World by Natsuo Kirino

2009-03-03T09:31:00.004+09:00

Worm is a nobody, just another teenager of average intelligence struggling with the pressures of Japanese high school life, yet largely ignored by the world at large. Things change when he bludgeons his own mother to death ~ suddenly he is the focus the news, Internet chat and the media in general. More importantly he manages to become the focus of attention of four teenage girls. Toshi, his quiet and sensible neighbour overhears the crime being committed and he steals her bike and mobile phone as he makes his getaway from the scene. He then proceeds to contact three of her friends and they each, in their own way, become complicit in his attempt to stay hidden from the police.

Real World is the third novel by Natsuo Kirino to be translated into English, hot on the heels of the success of Out and Grotesque. A slimmer volume than its predecessors, the pace of the narrative is unrelenting as the drama unfolds. As with the above-mentioned novels, there is no mystery as to who has committed the crime. Rather the reader's attention is drawn to the way in which the main protagonists interact with society and come to terms with the events around them. In this sense, Real World is as much a coming-of-age novel as it is crime novel, with Worm and the four girls all struggling to discover their place in a modern society that doesn't really seem to care about their existence. Both entertaining and disturbing, Real World deserves a read.

Sticker in Shinjuku

2009-03-01T19:28:00.002+09:00

One of the many stickers on the stairwell at the Disk Union soul shop in Shinjuku.

Yanaka Bossa

2009-03-01T18:27:00.004+09:00

Having recently thoroughly enjoyed The Devil's Cup, I have decided to add a new feature to this blog, namely a focus on some of the coffee shops of Tokyo. Given that wherever you go they are pretty much the same, I'll be ignoring the famous chain shops, regardless of their merits, and will instead focus on the small independent shops, of which there are many.

The honour of the first posting in this feature goes to Yanaka Bossa where I lunched on my recent visit to Uguisudani.

This small coffee shop has a nice laid back feel to it and you can relax to the sound of Brazilian music, though not always bossa nova, from an extensive collection of CDs while you eat and drink.

There are a couple of options regarding lunch sets, and you can either have a curry set or a quiche set, both of which come with a small salad and drink for a very reasonable price.

But what about the coffee? Well, the 'blend coffee' that came with the curry set I had was particularly nice, a good balance of smoothness and bitterness ~ just right to go with a meal.

The coffee shop is also used to house exhibitions and sometimes acoustic live music performances in the evenings, and I'm sorely tempted to come back to see one or the other at some point.

Just Another Monkey rating: ˜˜˜˜˜

Uguisudani

2009-02-27T21:22:00.009+09:00

Uguisudani is two minutes on from Nippori, and one thing you notice in the station on the way out are pictures of birds like the one above, because Uguisudani roughly translates as 'Valley of the Bush Warblers'. Several other flags and posters in the area carry similar pictures, juts so you don't forget where you are.

Monday was a grey, drizzly day, and to start off my walk around the area I headed to the Yanaka side, and joined up with part of the neighbourhood I reached last week.

One of the largest temples in the area is Kan'eiji, with its large imposing main building and spacious grounds, and the huge cemetery behind it runs alongside the railway tracks.

This building is the old sake house which dates back about a hundred years and now serves as a kind of small museum and information desk (except Mondays).

Nearby I noticed this 'Rest Station, a little shaded area for tired visitors to rest their weary feet. You can also buy postcards and leave the money in little box on one of the benches.

I popped into a great little cafe called Yanaka Bossa and had a curry set for lunch which was a perfect way to warm up.

A few blocks in the direction of Ueno Park brought me to Tokyo Geijitsu University, the university of art, and they were holding their graduation works exhibition, so I decided to take a look, pleased that at least one museum or gallery wasn't closed on Mondays.

There were many kinds of work on display over a number of floors, and though you're not usually supposed to take pictures in exhibitions, I noticed that several others were happily snapping away, so I decided to take a couple of pictures too. Sadly, because my kanji isn't too great, I wasn't able to note the names of the artists, as I would have liked to have credited them here. The above works were a series of chairs made out of different types of shredded publication. For example, one is entirely made up of shredded novels, another fashion magazines and so on.

One the steps outside the university, though not connected to the exhibition.

The International Library of Children's Literature

I wandered back toward the station and out the other side to an area that was much more built up and grey.

This sign was sadly not indicative of the weather on Monday.

A tiny taco-yaki shop wedged in a corner to take advantage of every inch of land.

The blocks next to the station on this side of the tracks are filled with two types of establishment. Firstly you have some small eating and drinking establishments ~ all closed in the middle of the afternoon of course.

The other dominant establishment in the area is the love hotel, and there are literally dozens of them crammed in the maze of streets next to the station, and apparently Uguisudani is famous for this. By day they look fairly drab and lifeless, but by night they will all be lit up in gaudy neon trying to attract customers.

A guy collecting the empty cans from the hotels.

Hidden in among the hotels is this shrine, though I couldn't read the name.

A watering hole called What's Up, not yet open for business.

Various bits of graffiti and stickers on the streets near the station.

Looking back to the shrine from the station platform.

Books: The Devil's Cup by Stewart Lee Allen

2009-02-25T09:58:00.002+09:00

Being rather partial to a daily fix of caffeine ~ in fact I find it virtually impossible to get going in the morning without a cup ~ a book that suggests that coffee is one of the major driving forces in world history had its obvious attractions.

The Devil's Cup is part travelogue, part social history and part theorising on the contribution the bitter beverage has made to world history. Stewart Lee Allen takes us most of the way around the world from the birthplace of the bean (Ethiopia) through its rise in Yemen and the Ottoman Empire, and then Europe. He follows the trail to the New World, ending his trip in the US, land of the truck stop and coffee chains.

All the time, the prose is witty and informative, hitting just the right spot, like a perfect cup should do. The book is written in a gonzo journalist style, with tales of Allen's adventures and accounts of the various characters he meets interwoven with fascinating tidbits of information about the use of coffee in past societies, and how it was introduced (by foul means and fair) to different parts of the world.

A highly entertaining read which left me gasping for more.

Sticker in Nakano

2009-02-23T23:08:00.002+09:00

The Amen Break

2009-02-23T20:38:00.003+09:00

Over the last couple of decades there has been tendency for a lot of new music to include samples or break beats from tunes made in the sixties or seventies. Sampling has its fans and detractors, but the truth is it's likely to be around for some time to come. One of the most commonly heard drum breaks is what is known as the 'Amen break' and even of you don't know the break by name, you have most probably heard a piece of music that uses it. This 18 minute video is a fascinating look at the history of the break and also looks at the issue of copyright and property rights.