The One about What Music I’m Listening To – #02
I am a major believer in opening one’s mind to the world and that includes enjoying pop culture from other countries. That includes music. And I hope that by sharing what I’m listening to this week, may influence some of you to go out and Read More …
The One about Brooklyn Mills in Minami-Ikebukuro
Right next to Minami-Ikebukuro Park and Ramen Jiro is a restaurant known as Brooklyn Mills. The restaurant was created with a concept of having an authentic New York atmosphere where people can come and eat and relax. One can eat in the terrace and with Read More …
The One about Tacos y Tortas Chalio 3 in Hanford, California
I’m still in the search for the best burrito in California. And what I mean by best, I measure by taste, cost and customer service. And this time, I decided to try a place called Tacos y Tortas Chalio 3 in Hanford, California. Before I Read More …
The One about Deus Ex Machina in Harajuku Part 3: The Deus Harajuku Retail Shop
The One about Deus Ex Machina Part 1: Deus Cafe The One about Deus Ex Machina Part 2: Basement, Level 1.5, Radeus & More As mentioned in our first post, Deus Ex Machina is a company from Australia that has managed to extend their brand Read More …
The One about Deus Ex Machina in Harajuku Part 2: Basement, level 1.5, Radeus and more!
The One about Deus Ex Machina Part 1: Deus Cafe On December 1, 2017, Deus Ex Machina Harajuku, “The Residence of Impermanence” had a Super Limited Edition Radeus Collection Launch which featured artist Stevie Gee. According to Deus Ex Machina: The underlying concept for Stevie’s Read More …
The One about Deus Ex Machina in Harajuku Part 1: Deus Cafe
Located in the Jingumae area of Harajuku is a cafe/store that many people regard as one of the coolest coffee shop places to visit and it’s Deus Ex Machina. But before we talk about the cafe portion of the store, Deus Ex Machina began in Read More …
The One about 551 Horai and a reminder to NOT eat your butaman on the shinkansen
Located in Osaka is 551 Horai, a famous location to purchase steamed pork dumplings. Many claim it’s as good as the ones in China and others who say it’s the most delicious dumplings they have ever tried. There are stores where you can purchase these Read More …
The One about Jean-Marc Vallée’s “Café de Flore”
When I first watched “Café de Flore”, the first thing that stood out for me about Jean-Marc Vallée’s film is how the film employs many cuts. To quickly show the life of each person, we are given various short cuts of different duration. For example, Read More …
The One about Shibuya at Night
I absolutely love Shibuya at night. It’s literally a city that never sleeps and the nightlife in the area, is something to be experienced. In fact, I remember my first time experiencing Shibuya at night back in my college years in 1999 and people were Read More …
The One about Surugaya in Kamakura
In Japan, Dorayaki is a popular Japanese confection that is said to have been invented in 1914 by Usagiya in Ueno. Featuring two small pancakes with sweet Azuki-red bean paste, dorayaki is popular among Japanese. In the Kansai area, some may know this as Mikasa. Read More …
The One about Shugenji Temple in Kamakura
Located not far from Hase Station in Kamakura is a small temple known as Shugenji Temple. The location is the former resident of Shijo Kingo, a samurai and vassal of Ema Mitsuoki (the Ema family was a branch of the ruling Hojo clan) and a Read More …
The One about eggcellent in Roppongi Hills
November 2013 is when eggcellent opened in Roppongi. A popular breakfast destination and also a popular destination for egg lovers, eggcellent’s Chief Operating Officer, Jinguji Nozomi was an airline flight attendant who traveled abroad and throughout Japan. Because she flew on international flights, she would Read More …
The One about What Music I’m Listening To – #01
I am a major believer in opening one’s mind to the world and that includes enjoying pop culture from other countries. That includes music. Lately, I’m listening to Yamashita Tatsuro’s “山下達郎 – OPUS ～ALL TIME BEST 1975-2012～”, Dream Come True’s “DREAMS COME TRUE GREATEST HITS Read More …
Travel Guide: The One about “Do I need a JR Pass?” + Q&A
I often get e-mails and social media messages from people of whether or not a JR Pass is necessary. They often hear from their friends who traveled to Japan that they bought a JR Pass but is it necessary? My opinion is: Only BUY a Read More …
The One about Buster Keaton’s “The Navigator”
“The Navigator” is a film that definitely shows the audience why Buster Keaton is one of the three kings of silent comedy. The film not only offers wonderful physical and risky comedy that Keaton is best known for, the amount of gags and having an Read More …
The One about Iwasaku Rei Sui in Nikko
Located near the Shinkyo Bridge are three scenic areas, two statues and one big rock that you’ll find people drinking from, it’s known as “Iwasaku Rei Sui”. According to legend, over 1,200 years ago, when shrines were built for Nikko, the spring water from the Read More …
The One about Asaya Yuba Restaurant in Nikko
When I was at Nikko, the locals told me that Yuba is the local cuisine to eat in the area. Yuba is made from boiled soymilk and the thick residue that is built when the yuba is boiled is skimmed off. While Yuba is known Read More …
The One about the Random Musings Off-Shot 01
Greetings everyone, My “Random Musings” Travel Vlog #31 went up this past weekend but due to YouTube rules, it’s only available for viewing in Japan. But you can view it here: But I went ahead and posted an off-shot “Random Musings” to make up for Read More …
The One about Oosugi Jinja Kokuzoson in Nikko
You know when you see a photo of a location and when you get up close, it’s not exactly what you expected to see. This is how I felt about Oosugi Jinjia Kokuzoson in Nikko. Kokuzoson (虚空蔵尊) means “God of Emptiness”. I am not an Read More …
The One about the Unicorn Gundam at Diver City Tokyo in Odaiba
When I visited Japan at the end of 2017, I was saying goodbye to the RG 1/1 RX-78-2 Ver. GFT statue that had been a fixture at Diver City Tokyo in Odaiba. The Gundam that many of us have come to see and love would Read More …
The One about Moriva Coffee – Part 2 (in Ikebukuro)
I wrote about my experience at Moriva Coffee back in January 2017 but there are times that I get there and start working on posting photos on Facebook or answering messages that I forget to take photos of the interior or the food. So, I Read More …
The One about Yona Yona Beer Works
When it comes to beer, it is said that there are 100 types of beer in the world and most of the time, it’s divided into “ale” or “lager” beer. The differences between the two is on the temperature they are fermented. And this is Read More …
The One about BEER BRAIN at Commune 2nd
Located at the famous Commune 2nd is BEER BRAIN, one of the popular locations for people interested in quality craft beer. What started out as a conversation between close friends (known as the Tokyo Beer Boyz), about wanting to drink quality craft beer anywhere they Read More …