Orange You Gere-san?

I am a fan of many things that end in the letters "gina." So I am glad that Orangina is finally available in Japan. I find it odd, though, that Richard Gere was chosen for the ad campaign for several reasons. First, he is not French, but the text in the ad seems to refer that he is using the word "Monsieur." Second, he is dressed as the vagabond character Tora-san, from the Otoko wa tsurai yo series of films, and I don't see the connection there. Third, if you believe the long-standing rumors about Gere, he is not a fan of things that end in the letters "gina," orange-flavored or otherwise.

New Thought

Does the sun ever get bored doing the same thing every day?

The sun gives us life. Does it care?

The sun is worshiped. Does it care?

Am I any different than the sun?

Needles and Pins

I'd been curious about acupuncture and finally had my first treatment last night. I've had neck problems for years now, and recently my shoulders have gotten really stiff and sore, especially in the morning. Shiatsu and chiropractic massages haven't helped much, and while there are many acupuncture places in Tokyo, I didn't want to just wander into a some random place. A friend from my weekly improv group recommended this place near Korakuen, so I made a reservation.

The place is in an older building with a traditional Japanese-style tatami room waiting area. The acupuncturist speaks English fairly well, and was very friendly. Calming, New Age Chinese ambient music was playing throughout my session. Since I was an acupuncture virgin, he told me he would use the smallest needles. Apparently there are different lengths and widths. I had no fear of the needles, and it really didn't hurt at all (except for one spot on the very top of my head!). When I left, I felt extremely relaxed and my shoulders and neck were the loosest they have been in ages. If you're looking to try it, give them a call!

Sakura Yogurt

It's sakura (cherry blossom) season again in Japan. That means a lot of sakura-flavored items in  traditional Japanese sweet shops and also in places like Starbucks. This year was the first time, however, that I saw this product -- sakura-flavored Danone yogurt. Tasted pretty good, if you like sakura flavor. What exactly is sakura flavor, you may ask? It's not cherry! It's actually the perfume-like flavor that comes from the dried flowers and/or leaves. I like it, but I believe it's an acquired taste.

Happy Birthday to the one called "me"

This blog has been in a coma. But seeing that I have recently started to awaken, the time feels right to wake this boy up, too. It also seems fitting that today is my birthday. In some ways, I feel like the past year has served as a call to action, and I have new appreciation of life. 

I considered starting a totally new blog, but that didn't seem right. I am not totally starting over with my life. I am just evolving. I intend to acknowledge the past but stay focused on the present day. Keeping this blog shows that I am aware of that continuity. 

Here's to gratitude, peace and love. Here's to today. Thank you. We are all in this together. 

Tree Tunnel

"Tree Tunnel" Akebonobashi, Tokyo

Decades Old

Sign for a restaurant chain in Tokyo. I am assuming it means "Since 1974." Even still, is the AD really necessary? Now if it actually was BC, that would be worth mentioning!

Monsutaa Doggu

I am loving this cover image for the Japanese VHS version of "Monster Dog" starring Alice Cooper.

Ega-chan's Antics

I originally saw this on TV last summer when the theme song from the anime "Ponyo" was a hit. I finally rented and watched the film last weekend, and I thought it was dumb, even for a kid's movie. But this spoof of the theme song, with lyrics about the comedian Egashira 2:50 and featuring him doing all sorts of crazy stuff, is pretty funny.

Central Post Office

The Central Post Office in Tokyo was a 1930s structure just across the street from Tokyo Station. It was listed by Docomomo as a historically important Modernist building. Japan Post was slated to build a new tower on the site and preserve only 20% of the original building. Then a politician got involved, made a fuss about getting the site registered as a Cultural Asset, and the plans were revised to "retain more of the building" -- or so the Japan Times said back in March. Even in the Asahi Shimbun, an article stated that Japan Post's plans to demolish the building were "abandoned."

For months the building has been entirely covered up, but on my daily train ride to work, I could see at the rear of the building that demolition was taking place. On Tuesday, though, I noticed that some the screens covering the facade had come down, so I took this photo. It looks like more than just the facade is being preserved (there are actually lights on inside the building), but to me it doesn't look like more than 20% of the original building has been saved. Check out this aerial photo and judge for yourself. Basically, the building was fairly large, as it occupied pretty much most of that site. Sometime after this aerial photo was taken, the middle section of the facade was also demolished, as you can see if you look at the left of my photo. For me, that curved part of the building was most architecturally appealing detail of the post office as it mimicked the flow of the street.