Kagurazaka is a lively neighbourhood near Iidabashi Station that is sometimes referred to as "little Kyoto". Whilst that description may not be totally accurate in my opinion, its is a nice little area with plenty of great little places to eat and drink. On Sundays it is closed to traffic, so you can enjoy a quiet stroll up the tree-lined slope. 
At the top of the slope is the imposing Akagi Shrine, which is the focus of several festivals throughout the year.
This 50-floor glass and steel structure is the latest addition to the Shinjuku skyscraper district and will house a fashion and design college as well as other shops and offices from what I can understand. Some three years in the making, this distinctive building will be officially opened in the next couple of months.
Sign outside a yakitori restaurant in Shinjuku. If it's recommended by a Blues Brothers lookalike , it's got to be worth a visit!
British writer David Peace has achieved recognition and acclaim with his previous novels, which include the Red Riding Quartet and The Damned United, but this is his first novel set in the Japanese capital where he has lived since 1994. The story opens of the eve of the Japanese surrender in 1945, with the main protagonist, Detective Minami and some colleagues looking into the discovery of a female corpse in the Shinagawa area. The military police soon find a scapegoat and the case is closed.
Fast forward to a year later, and Minami and his team are called to open a murder hunt after two naked female corpses are discovered in a park having been raped and brutally murdered. As the investigation proceeds, it turns out that there are more than two victims and that some of the killings occurred outside Tokyo.
Whilst the murder investigation is compelling, the real appeal of the book is the way that Peace has evoked the whole atmosphere of darkness, depression and despair that must have existed in the period that immediately followed the war. The picture he paints is of a city full of people on the brink of starvation, with people in official positions desperately trying to reinvent their past in order to avoid the clampdowns and purges, a city with a thriving black market, pan pan girls and occupation forces.
Minami himself is a flawed hero, and during his investigations he struggles with his own demons, that continuously haunt him. He ponders on his own (possibly criminal) involvement in the war in China, his failing to his wife and children, his obsession with his mistress, his obligations to a gang leader who keeps him supplied with sedatives, as well as his concerns over which of his colleagues are working against him.
The homeless in Japan will often assemble bits of scrap material and the ubiquitous blue plastic sheeting to make their own shacks on public land, with some even running cables from public sources to power televisions or other gadgets. These hovels are in Miyashita Koen in Shibuya next to the Yamanote line tracks.
Jimmy Onishi is a Japanese comedian turned painter, though he concentrates his efforts mainly on his art these days. He is known internationally for the 'ten ten ten' clip on YouTube (click here to view) that was an excerpt from a TV comedy special. As a painter, he is famous for his very colourful dreamlike images that have both admirers and detractors. There is little doubt, though, that he has been very successful with his artwork, which includes both acrylics and oil paintings as well as some sculpture work. All of the works were very colourful, and you can see a clear progression in both style and technique as time passes. Personally, I felt that some pieces worked very well, while others were overly busy with detail.
After viewing the exhibition, there was the chance to buy the merchandise (obligatory with any exhibition anywhere these days) from the 'Jimmy Collection'. My money stayed in my pocket, however.
A fun exhibition on the whole.
Berlin in the months after the end of World War I. The Kaiser has fled after the defeat and left a political vacuum in his wake. Late in 1918 was an attempted socialist revolution led by the Spartakus Party with Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg as its leaders. The revolution was crushed and the clampdown severe. An utterly absorbing read.
August 15th is the day that the Japanese remember the end of World War Two, and each year the enormous Yasukuni Shrine is the focus of controversy and media attention. Visits by former Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, despite protests from China and Korea made sure that the shrine was featured on the news worldwide. The present incumbent, however, stayed away this year.It should be remembered that for most Japanese people the shrine serves as a place to honour soldiers who have died in battle for their country (a bit like the Cenotaph), though the war museum in the grounds and the fact that among the enshrined soldiers are some A-listed war criminals, means that it is a controversial place.
I popped along to have a look during my lunch break today in the searing heat, and whilst I missed the face offs between the left wingers and right wingers, there were TV crews aplenty and masses of people going to pay their respects.
Some of the veterans looked as though they were happy to go back in time and don their uniform.
An out of tune voice and a total lack of skill on the shamisen wasn't going to stop this guy singing his heart out.
Police talk with some flag toting teenage thugs (on bicycles) outside the gates of the shrine.
Despite the heat and humidity outside, I decided today to head to Asagaya to Tokyo Ganbanyoku, to pay for the privilege of sweating even more than usual. Sounds odd, I know, but it is a relaxing and refreshing experience. 
If the heat and humidity aren't big enough clues, you really know it's summer in Japan when you see this flag outside cafes and eateries or on festival stalls. This is the kanji for 'ice' and this particular flag means that the establishment in question is selling kakigori, which is crushed ice with a lurid coloured fruit-flavoured syrup.It was a very relaxing and slow-food experience, with the meal lasting well over three hours. The food was incredibly healthy and delicious to boot. Also, once the owner realised we could all speak Japanese, he gave a very detailed explanation of every dish.
If you happening to be in Kyoto I can thoroughly recommend this restaurant ~ really friendly and some of the best food you can hope to taste.
From left to right, mackerel, salmon cartilage and the roe of some fish I can't remember
Steamed vegetables
A selection of sashimi 
Steamed pork with asparagus
Aubergine and ginger soup
Steamed fish and tofu
A serving of rice
Steamed chocolate cake for dessert
The owner showing us out of his restaurant after a three hour feast.
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