This week is the start of the Sapporo Snow Festival, and there have already been stories on the TV news of the giant snow sculptures ready for all the visitors. 12 years ago this week, I was there as a member of Team Australia, building a 3 metre high pair of gumnut babies in the International Competition. … Continue reading Sapporo Snow Festival 1997
Trend Hunter reviews Mechakucha
The Trend Hunter website has found a new emerging trend: foreigners in Japan who wear face masks. And it’s more true than used to be the case – I’ve seen plenty of foreigners this winter wearing masks. Maybe on doctor’s orders like me the other week, or maybe it’s really catching on. I expected people… Continue reading Trend Hunter reviews Mechakucha
100 yen fortune
I’m at a Korean restaurant for some bbq extravaganza. On the table is a small machine that dispenses fortunes for 100 yen. It lights up and spins around, and releases a small rolled up piece of paper that looks like it’s just been detached from a carrier pigeon. And my fortune?
Shimbashi steam loco
This is CII292, the old steam locomotive in the square outside Shimbashi station. It’s a perfect meeting place if you’re going to hit the town at one of the many local bars and restaurants.
The non-explosive heat-in-a-bag meal
This is pretty cool – a sealed plastic bag that pops at its vent when it heats up, lets the air out, and there – your dinner doesn’t explode inside the microwave oven.
At home with the flu
I should have known that writing a post comparing surgical masks would have been a prophetic prediction of things to come – I’m currently at home with the flu. I even finished it off with “Watch out office, here I come on Monday”. I should have said Tuesday, as I was only one day out…
A first-timer’s guide to Japanese surgical face masks
Everyone’s sniffling, snuffling and snorting their way through winter, and it seems that much of the population of Tokyo is wearing a surgical face mask to keep their colds to themselves, or protect themselves from catching a nasty bug. I decided to try some masks out for myself, so went down to my local convenience store… Continue reading A first-timer’s guide to Japanese surgical face masks
Around (Tokyo) Bay in a Day
On Saturday, it was by bike around the Yamanote Line in a day. On Monday (Seijin-no-hi – Coming of Age Day – public holiday), it was leaving the bike behind, and travelling around Tokyo Bay in a Day.
Ada Tree & the timber tramways
When I was back in Australia for the Christmas/New Year break, my Dad and I had a day up in the tall timber mountain ash forest east of Melbourne, at one of our favourite locations – the Ada Tree and the surrounding forest that was once home to sawmills and timber tramway lines in the… Continue reading Ada Tree & the timber tramways
Yamanote Line Circuit
Today’s excursion around the Yamanote Line reinforced that Tokyo is a great city to get around by bicycle. Phil and I had been thinking about doing this ride for a long time, and finally put the plan into implementation today. We met at the Marunouchi entrance to Tokyo Station this morning, and set out clockwise.