TV Party

This seems somewhat inappropriate to post just after I talked about foreigners behaving badly in Japan. But this video of the Beastie Boys in Japan from 1987 rocks! Adam Yauch sticking a sausage out of his zipper is just wrong in so many ways, not just because he rubs it against the hostess of the show. It's even funnier because in Japanese sausages are called wieners. And the whole performance with some porno actress on a bed is out of control! Yes, this kind of activity in public is B.A.D. As entertainment, though, I give it a big thumbs up.

Ain't Not Misbehavin'

Everyone knows that tourists act dumb no matter what country they are in. Its hard to even say the word "tourist" without it sounding derogatory. But for some reason, tourists in Japan, as well as some long term foreign visitors, feel compelled to act even stupider and ruder than your typical out-of-towner. A couple months ago there was the British guy who stripped off his clothes, jumped into the moat of the Imperial Palace grounds, and swam around while police tried to catch him. I have to say, when I saw the video of this incident, I found myself laughing at the insanity of it all, and the Keystone Cops aspect to it.
But I didn't laugh when I saw the video of drunk white guys licking fish and joyriding in forklifts at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. Behavior like this forced the market to temporarily place a ban on tourists. The ban was lifted on Jan. 19, and I am sure that the antics will begin again. You can read the AP story here. I remember how the Lonely Planet guide book for Japan that I read back in 1998 suggested going to Tsukiji in the early morning hours when you are wide awake due to jet-lag. It's also common for people staying out all night drinking to take the first train to the market, which accounts for some of the alcohol-induced retardedness. There's talk about the market moving further out of central Tokyo by 2012. Will it be far enough to keep gaijin from getting fresh with the tuna? I doubt it.

Sweeney Todd-san

My mom took me to see "Sweeney Todd" on Broadway with Angela Lansbury when I was 9. It scared and amazed me. Definitely my favorite musical/tragedy/gorefest of all time. Apparently, maybe to tie in with the Tim Burton movie version, there was Japanese version staged in Tokyo last year. I missed it, but after catching this rehearsal video on YouTube, I don't think I missed much. Something a bit weird about this story being performed by an all Japanese cast in Japanese. Doesn't do much for Sondheim's music or lyrics.



On a similar note, this Korean actress seems to get the voice sounding right on another "Sweeney Todd" song.

Yes, We Can!

I am waiting for the inauguration, and with that in mind, I have to say that I love this Obama mask. It's called "Mr. Obama." It's only 2,310 yen. It's made in Japan. And it looks NOTHING like him! Well, maybe it does, a little. . . if I squint. You can buy it at Loft department store.

Double Vision

Interesting. Photographer Shouzo Maruta is suing another photographer, Shinichiro Kobayashi, for taking photos of the same ruined buildings in Japan. Some of the angles are similar, but the color of the images and feeling appears to be pretty different. I think this is just a case of sour grapes for a guy who didn't put out a book and establish a reputation for himself like Kobayashi did. Kobayashi is pretty much the preeminent haikyo (ruins) photographer in Japan.

Octopus Slide

Haven't been posting at all. Here's just some random photo I want to share. An octopus slide in a park in Ebisu.

Home Sweet Home

I've been looking for an apartment, and in my search, I have been using Google Street View. I came across this pretty amazing rundown house in Yoyogi-Uehara. I think someone is still living there, but haven't actually checked it out in yet real-life.
(If the image doesn't appear, click on View Larger Map to see it.)


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Ueno

Ueno
Originally uploaded by Braincell Jupiter

This brick building near Ueno Park is probably pre-war. I like the windows. Unfortunately, it's covered with netting as most old buildings here are.

Patbingsu

When my girlfriend and I went to Seoul last January, we enjoyed eating Patbingsu -- -- Korean shaved-ice, soft vanilla ice cream, assorted fruits, mochi and sweet beans. It's similar to Japanese kaki-gori, except the proper way to eat this Korean specialty is mixing it all up into an unrecognizable mess. Last week, we went to IceBerry in Shin-Okubo, which serves up some good Patbingsu. Unfortunately, I only have the pretty "before" photo. My girlfriend took an "after" mixing photo. Oh, this is a two-person serving, hence the two spoons. I could probably eat it all by myself, though, if I had to . . .

Rainbow Heffers

The Cow Parade is currently going in the Marunouchi area of Tokyo. We went to the area on Sunday to walk around the Imperial Palace grounds, but when I got hold of a map of the Cow Parade, we decided to go a little out of our way to see the cow that the photographer Nobuyoshi Araki painted.