The One about Discovering Japanese Music: Nogizaka46 – “Kimi no Na wa Kibo”

Nogizaka46 began year 2013 with their fifth CD single “Kimi no Na wa Kibo” (which translates to “Your Name is Hope”), one of their most popular singles to this day. Nogizaka46, the idol pop group was created by Onyanko Club and AKB48 creator Yasushi Akimoto. Read More …

The One about Niku no Suzuki in Yanaka Ginza

When it comes to menchi-katsu (minced meat with vegetables in a fried potato covering), people are quite selective of what’s best. From Kichijoji’s Harmonica Alley to Asakusa, there are people who have their favorites, but there is one menchi-katsu restaurant that gets a lot of Read More …

The One about Emmei-in Temple in Yanaka

In 1648 Misawa no Tsubone, the west nurse of Tokugawa Ietsuna, 4th Shogun of the Tokugawa Dynasty, founded Emmei-in Temple in Yanaka.  The Nichiren Buddhist Temple was established as a bettoji, a temple attached to a Shinto shrine (typically in Japan, temples and shrines are Read More …

The One about the Geidai Taito Sumida Sightseeing Art Project

If you happen to be near Sumida Park near the river with the Tokyo Skytree in the background, you will see structures for the Geidai Taito Sumida Sightseeing Art Project. The project was created by students and professors at Tokyo University of the Arts and Read More …

The One about Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ “West Side Story”

“West Side Story”, a musical classic that has entertained and awed generation after generation. What began as a 1957 Broadway musical directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins and is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, because the storyline dealt with urban street gangs, Read More …