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• 1. The Digital Planner  |  October 7th, 2008 at 9:53 am

  Bobble Heads

  Definitely check out the Bobble Heads

• 2. Jako  |  October 7th, 2008 at 9:56 am

  Japan is a place where foreigners are given a strange sort of stature: you are god but god can never really become part of Japanese society can he now. Put another way you can by no means get away with murder (nor even become a citizen even if you are born here), but you can be a little naughty and we generally were, within reason of course. I went there to visit my brother in Osaka with my buddy Vanya tagging along and came away with the experience of a life-time and a bunch of new friends.

  Osaka

  Osaka is sometimes referred to as the anti-capital of Japan. Lacking the commercial pull of Tokyo it makes do being the cultural capital having better food and nightlife and is bolstered by its proximity to the major historical areas that make Japan what it is today. We ate, we drank and we saw a castle with not less than two moats and two walls – penetrate that! Some school kids thought my tall travelling buddy Vanya was in fact Godzilla and told him so and after some intense questioning asked for his autograph.

  At night we met up with my friend Lauren who immediately took us to a sticker photo shop, apparently to immerse us in the culture. It worked and made me think that perhaps Ritalin should be put into some of the water over here. But the most bizarre afternoon was spent at what is known as a Maid Cafe where the waitresses are dressed as maids and greet you upon arrival with the phrase: “Welcome home father”. Now it gets only stranger: the whole place is filled with weirdos who appear to come for the 1930′s wallpaper, the ballerina jewel-box music and the extravagant chandeliers. One overheard conversation was: “You wouldn’t believe how many girlfriends I have!” – got that one right buddy! To get service you ring the little bell on your table and your maid shuffles along and asks what she can get “father”. Unfortunately we missed “short skirt Tuesdays” – bizarre!

  My brother organised a party for my arrival and 30 of my closest friends whom I’d never met before arrived duly brandishing gifts and shouting me the nights shenanigans. I felt like some sort of celebrity. The venue was an izakaya restaurant which had the novel idea of providing unlimited drinks for two hours which we made full use of, of course, and Leon, a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in 2 years, popped in from London, as one does. Afterwards we headed to a major gaijin (foreigner) hang-out called Sam & Dave’s where the gaijin are there for the locals and vice-versa and it all works rather splendidly. We made many friends that night, and two or three enemies but lets not go there. It ended with Vanya’s tragic fall down some train station steps and a visit to a Japanese hospital which was cheap, efficient and utterly surprising!

  Two days in Kyoto

  Backtracking to our first day in Japan where we headed to the Aoi Festival in Kyoto, which is essentially a couple of hundred people dressed in clothes from a 1000 years ago in a parade which has been done every year for over a millennium without really changing much. It goes through a large area of Kyoto crossing the beautiful river and meandering through a bunch of temples and shrines that seem to be littered like confetti throughout Kyoto. Afterwards we checked out The Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji which is this amazing golden structure nestled amongst delicately beautiful garden surrounds.

  In the evening, we wandered down to the amazing Pontochō lane, the traditional nightlife hub of Kyoto, which runs along the Kamo river where there is an abundance of exclusive riverfront restaurants whose outdoor courtyards are suspended on poles over the river. This was our splurge and it was delicious food with a remarkable backdrop, the kind of place where I am told one might spot one of the few remaining geisha in the world, the majority of whom reside in Kyoto. Afterwards we went to a dessert superstore as big as the Louvre where the cakes look like art and taste so good it should be illegal.

  Kyoto train station is unbelievable – it screams “welcome to the future” with a 12 storey shopping complex and hotel attached as well as bizarre, confronting metal artwork and architectural designs. Kiyomizu-dera is arguably Kyoto’s finest temple complex and is up for a nod as a new wonder of the world on top of its World Heritage status. It’s nestled in a beautiful forest atop a mountain and is known for the healing properties the water from its spring provides. We managed to see not one but two maiko who are apprentice geisha. There are a few hundred maiko in existence (and less than a hundred geisha) and seeing one is a very rare thing indeed and our brief exchange felt like a chit-chat with royalty complete with bowing and polite smiles.

  Day trips: Himeji, Kobe and Nara

  The good thing about Osaka is its proximity to other places meaning day trips are the order of the day. One day we went to Kobe (yes, where the beef comes from) and checked out the harbour and the fun park and gorged ourselves on so much meat that we got the “meat sweats”. Another day saw us head to Nara which is a town populated with spectacular temples and shrines and an over abundance of aggressively hungry deer. One of the temples is the largest wooden structure in the world and houses a Buddha which is so big it makes your brain think it is an illusion of some variety – photos do it no justice.

  Another day we headed to the city of Himeji which is well known for it’s amazing castle which remains in its original form from many hundred years ago. In the royal quarters the floorboards are designed to squeak at every step so the guards would know if any ninja, samurai or sushi chef would be coming in to assassinate the dignitaries. Afterwards we caught a bus and a cable car up a mountain to a lesser known attraction, Mount Shosha which is covered in a beautiful forest and houses Shoshazan and Engyo-ji Temples. More of a pilgrimage for locals than a tourist attraction, it was the surprise package of the trip as we trekked through the forest catching glimpses of age old temples and the odd tombs. It provided the backdrop for part of the filming of Tom Cruise’s “The Last Samurai”, if that means anything to anyone.

  Getting around Japan is at first a daunting experience and trains are the best way to do it. At peak hour, people are hired at train stations to push people into the carriages to make sure as many people are jammed in as possible. After the initial shock of the volume of people and the fact that they rarely acknowledge each others existence, you realise just how good this train system is: frequent, reliable trains that go everywhere and anywhere you want at an affordable price. Plus you get to sashay on silent carriages shared with salubrious salary men and sassy school girls – what more could you want?

  Food, fashion and freaks

  Shopping in Japan is an experience unto itself. Many fashion trends start in the land of the rising sun and the point where many believe they originate is a small district in Osaka called Amerika-mura where no matter what you wear you will still feel tragically unhip. Nearby is the boutique shopping street of Horie and the very popular Shinsaibashi which offers everything from massive expensive department stores to small, cheap fashion stores. We picked up some Bathing Ape sneakers for a fraction of the price you would pay outside Japan. Then there is Namba Parks – a massive shopping centre that is half park, half ritzy shopping experience, as well the massive 12 storey electrical stores and the shops in Umeda including a shopping centre with its own Ferris wheel on top.

  On the seedier side of the track, there is an entire suburb in Osaka that is devoted to women of the night. In a country where you can buy used girl’s underwear from vending machines with a photo of the girl attached, this was not surprising. But a stroll through it’s many streets makes Amsterdam’s red light district look like, well, it makes it look like a bordello! It’s like you have stepped back 300 years where geisha choose who they want as customers and not the other way around. Every little house had a mama-san (of grandma age) who chooses whether or not the passers-by are worthy of being a customer for her “daughter”. Curious!

  Lots of people have been asking me about the food, so lets explore that area shall we? Okonomiyaki is a mix between an omelette and a pizza and in Osaka you generally make it yourself in a restaurant with each table having their own hot plate and of course a few friends to make things interesting. Other delicacies include takoyaki (octupus balls), ramen (a thin noodle soup), horse sashimi (a novelty purchase but delicious), beef tongue (see horse sashimi), fried chicken cartilage, fish head, udon, gyoza (fried dumplings) and teppanyaki (we were shouted to a very expensive restaurant by future in-laws where we had two chefs for our table of 9 people situated 25 floors above Osaka and the food, well, it was divine). We particularly enjoyed the karage (a type of fried chicken) with Asahi beer, both of which are cheap and in abundance and go together like Kyoto and the protocol (except in Australia and the US, but I digress). I also had the best sushi ever but that is no surprise.

  Coming back to Australia we were confronted by what we thought were rude service people, when in fact we had just become so accustomed to the friendly nature of the Japanese and the exemplary service that we forgot what was the norm in Australia. With the Australian dollar so good against the Japanese Yen, and JetStar’s amazing deals to Osaka, any Aussie would be mad not to head over there for a holiday of culture shock, weird rock and sushi roll.

  Sayonara,

• 3. Fashion Hayley  |  October 7th, 2008 at 10:16 am

  Hey

  As you know I did live in Tokyo for a year. I get asked all the time about tips to Tokyo so I have a general thing I give to people.

  Just go to a 100yen shop and buy a hand held fan and you will be fine.

  If you want to party and see bands and cool dj’s this is the best party in Tokyo
  http://www.myspace.com/teenagekicks0311

  Or Google NarziB which is a super cool party featured in ID mag, V mag and its run by my old housemate The Fashion Ramone (google him too)

  Must sees are:

  *Harajuku – on a Sunday to see the crazy kids dressed up on the bridge towards Yoyogi Park and then the rockabilly dancers at the entrance of the Park.
  *Do not however even try to shop in Harajuku on a Sunday, you have never seen anything so crowded before in your life, its worse than the Royal Show. So try to go there on a weekday, but not a Wednesday. Tuesday is the best day for Fruits fashion spotting as that is the day they take the photos for Fruits.

  *Asakusa – Beautiful old temples and gardens.

  *Ueno Park – and nearby market – the park is really nice and big and there is a nice temple and a strange lake filled with dead plants..really weird looking place. The marker is good for fake Chanel bathmats and socks. lol

  *Shinjuku – the famous neon lights. Go to kabuchicho the red light district and laugh at the male host’s with their Rod Stuart hair and cheap suits. Lots of department stores.

  *Shibuya – cross the famous crossing from lost in translation.

  Shopping in Tokyo

  This is really hard without maps, there are no street names in Tokyo if they are small streets, big streets tend to have names (mostly)

  3 great shopping districts

  Harajuku, Koenji and Shimo Kitazawa.

  In Harajuku I recommend getting off at Harajuku station, walking down Takeshitta Dori and look at all those crazy shops. Turn right on Meji Dori and walk towards LaForet department store which is AMAZING…Also watch out for signs saying “Thank You Mart” and go to that shop too, everything is 390Yen of $4. Opposite LaForet you will see the Gap store which is where a lot of the Fruits photos are taken. kinda next door to the Gap and a Taco stand and down some stairs is an AMAZING 2nd hand store called Kinji. After all this walk down omotesando dori and look at all the luxury brands flagship stores. The backstreets of Harajuku are called Ura Hara which means exactly that, behind Harajuku, explore all these streets. opposite the Gap store, diagnally opposte LaForet is a Jonathan’s Restaurant, DONT eat there, lol, but walk towards it and turn left and walk down omotesando till you get to “cat street” walk down cat street towards Shibuya. lots of cool shops.

  See how that is super confusing. I need a map. You will get super lost without good maps. It took me 3 months to not get lost every time I went to work. 4 million people walk through Shinjuku Station everyday, and there is something like 90 exists, if I accidentally went out one I never went through before it would take 30 minutes to work out where I was again.

  Are you a vegetarian? if you are be prepared to not find anything to eat. It’s impossible as there is no such thing as vegetarian in Japan. Its the same word (only you pronounce it Begetarian…which is very important, no one will understand you if you say it with V so remember the B)

  So Koenji and Shimo Kitazawa are the BEST areas for shopping. Lots and lots of vintage stores. They aren’t even mentioned in the Lonely Planet Guide. I would recommend buying the Time Out guide to Tokyo it has a lot more info and better maps and the REAL train maps (The lonely planet’s train maps don’t include the main JR lines, only shows the subway.)

  Ebisu and Daikayama are full of cool “Select shops” (boutiques in Japanese) Aaoyama is cool too. Ura Hara (behind Harajuku) and cat Street are the best spots in Harajuku,

  I hope that helps.

  You really can’t go wrong wondering around those areas, even if you don’t find a shop I loved you will find a shop that you love…there are just so many shops. To find a particular shop you will need a map because there are no street names in Tokyo. So just explore.

• 4. Fashion Hayley  |  October 7th, 2008 at 10:17 am

  Ohh sorry the thing about the fan was for someone going in Summer

• 5. The Digital Planner  |  October 7th, 2008 at 12:39 pm

  well now my comment feels inadequate compared to the next 2 posts!

  Dammnit! LOL

• 6. Reza  |  October 7th, 2008 at 6:48 pm

  Not been to Japan yet but can see myself in one of those crazy tv game shows over there. would be stoked travelling with either Jako or Fashion Hayley too… wooohoo =)

• 7. Sam Sample  |  October 9th, 2008 at 10:10 am

  Hey mecho… I haven’t spent a huge amount of time in Japan so can only give you a couple of my favourites ….

  GO TO:
  Shibuya – very cool fashion district of Tokyo. Walk through the little streets in this area and you’ll disocver lots of hidden treasures – funky shops.

  TSUKIJI – is a MUST! Get up really early (4am) and go to the Fish markets, and you won’t regret it. The best raw fish you’ll ever eat and a really fun experience too!

  EAT:
  You should definitely find an Okonomiyaki to eat (it’s a Japanese Savoury Pancake which you can never find done well in Australia).

  Teyandei 2-20-1 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 03-3407-8127
  A fab little restaurant (izakaya) that has been converted from a house in Tokyo. Seriously yummy Japanese food and not too expensive. Really fun vibe and traditional funky interior.

  And I didn’t have a chance to do it, as I was only in Tokyo, but if you’re venturing out of the city then going to a tradiotional onsen is a must do too. I am seriously looking forward to my next trip to Tokyo just so I can experience this.

  Am very excited for you. I simply LOVED Tokyo. The people are so lovely and it’s so safe walking the streets (which is a massive difference to the some places in the rest of the world).
  The one thing that I noticed is the amount of trees. Really beautiful. The Imperial Palace is a good place to visit too, and it’s amazing just seeing the size of the outskirts of it.

  Hope that information helps.
  xxxSam

• 8. Jen  |  October 9th, 2008 at 5:11 pm

  I went to Japan a few years ago and absolutely loved it! I agree with the comment above about becoming a citizen but their quality in customer service, food and shopping makes up for everything!

  Check out my food / photography blog on where i ate and shopped: http://www.jenius.com.au/asia_north_east

  Must eats are:
  - fresh Hokkaido crabs
  - tayokai in Osaka
  - kobe beef
  - ramen in random tiny noodle houses

• 9. Mark Roscoe  |  October 12th, 2008 at 9:50 pm

  The vending machines are not only lifesavers with stuff like ice cold Asahi, condoms, vitamins (trust me, you will need that to keep up in Tokyo!) but these machines are ART. You will see what I mean. Check them out!

• 10. sumo fan  |  October 13th, 2008 at 1:24 pm

  check out sumo in action!

  Ryogoko (tokyo’s sumo town) its free but check out first if they welcome guest…and make sure you get the early morning around 7-8 am

• 11. zoe  |  October 14th, 2008 at 5:19 pm

  I have not seen much of Japan however If you are lucky enough to hit the ski slopes I would reccomend heading to Niseko where the village and people are amazing and the ramen after a hard day skiiing is to die for!

• 12. James  |  October 20th, 2008 at 8:38 am

  LOL Couldnt help to nod and chuckle about Fashion Hayley’s prompt highlight to pronounce vegeterian BEGETARIAN. Have fun decipher Japanese Engrish on signs, labels and when speaking to the locals. GOLD!!

• 13. lou  |  October 30th, 2008 at 2:11 pm

  fancy the toliets…..you can spray or bidet…

• 14. mecho team  |  November 18th, 2008 at 11:36 am

  mecho is back in Sydney after an amazing trip to Japan and appreciate all the tips we got!

  Consumerism and entertainment seem to be at constant peak in the vibrating cities of Osaka and Tokyo. Tourism has a firm grip on Kyoto which geisha district (Gion) was mysterious but hauntingly dark and quiet at night. Whilst roaming the streets for discoveries of style, culture, history, new things, faces and places, we also chewed our way through culinary experiences like PacMan on acid! Japan has beautiful and exquisite cuisine, beautiful green tea, refreshing Kirin and Asahi as well as locally recommended plum wine and sake. Fruit and red meat are however hard to find…

  With the lack of these nutrition sources and lots of active/passive smoking, we wonder what makes the Japanese skin look so plump and smooth… Perhaps the high intake of Omega-3 and avoiding damaging sun rays as well as the access of endless beauty products help? We also found one of the natural ways from thousands of hot springs (onsen) to soak in for the skin.

  Read more and blog about Japanese Style and Japanese Fashion with us:
  http://www.mecho.com.au/her/fashion/japanese-fashion-and-japanese-style/

  We were also thrilled to attend Tokyo Designers Week 2008 with key events such as 100% Design Tokyo and au Design project at KDDI Designing Studio. Japan also has cool street art as there’s legal graffiti in Japan and the art form is dynamite!

  Special features from Tokyo Designers Week 2008:
  http://www.mecho.com.au/lifestyle/tokyo-designers-week-2008
  http://www.mecho.com.au/lifestyle/kddi-au-design-project-future-of-mobile-phones/

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