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2007/12/30 New Year
New Year (shogatsu or oshogatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically gather to spend the days together.
Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate, with each new year providing a fresh start. Consequently, all duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year, while bonenkai parties ("year forgetting parties") are held with the purpose of leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind. Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees, and clothes and houses are cleaned. On New Year's eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, are served. A more recent custom is watching the music show "kohaku uta gassen", a highly popular television program featuring many of Japan's most famous J-pop and enka singers in spectacular performances. January 1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done. It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu (hatsumode). The most popular temples and shrines, such as Tokyo's Meiji Shrine, attract several million people during the three days. Most impressive are such visits at the actual turn of the year, when large temple bells are rung at midnight. Various kinds of special dishes are served during shogatsu. They include osechi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (a soup with mochi). Osechi Ryori
 Toshikoshi Soba
There are also a few games traditionally played on New Year, however, their popularity has decreased in recent times. Hanetsuki (Japanese badminton), takoage (kite flying), and karuta (a card game) are some of them.
A very popular custom is the sending of New Year's cards, which are specially marked to be delivered on January 1. It is not uncommon for one person to send out several dozens of cards to friends, relatives and co-workers. KaruizawaKaruizawa is known as a getaway magnet for the rich, and based on a recent trip to the town in Nagano Prefecture, Japan's wealthy take their pleasures very seriously. From the concrete vistas of the capital, just over an hour by train north of Tokyo in this former playground of Japan's royalty, you'll find sumptuous houses set in dense forest, and high-end restaurants which, despite their prices, help make this town well worth a visit. Karuizawa also has at least eight easily accessible golf courses nearby and tennis courts beckoning those yearning something active. In winter, there are curling facilities, and a nearby ski slope is open between mid-October and early spring, with artificial snow guaranteed if the real stuff doesn't appear on cue. In summer, meanwhile, the cool upland climate gives those who can afford holiday homes a welcome break from sticky Tokyo. But you don't have to be rich to enjoy Karuizawa's year-round crisp air, natural splendors and peaceful atmosphere. In the Edo Period (1603-1867), the town was known as a stop-off post on the Nakasendo, one of the five main roads that sprung from Tokyo to the nether regions of the realm, but thereafter the area turned to tourism after a Canadian priest visited in 1886. By introducing Karuizawa to the intellectuals and missionaries he knew, Alexander Croft Shaw helped Karuizawa to grow in reputation and become a cosmopolitan getaway spot in countryside considered similar to Britain's. The Shaw's house via the Kyukaruizawa shopping street is an interesting stop. The street gives an insight into the petit-bourgeois nature of the town's economy. Many of the shops sell crafts or locally made produce such as jams, German-style sausages and organically grown fruit and vegetables from nearby fields. There is not a chain store in sight, at least on the north side of the station. To the south it's a different matter, and at the huge Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza, those who crave Gucci and the like have plenty to choose from. The walk around this area also gives you a good idea of the people who make up Karuizawa's transient population. Well-heeled, home-owning housewives up from Tokyo for the weekend sporting bling, leopard-skin leggings and fur coats mingled with young families and twentysomething couples on romantic breaks. The town's forte, soon becomes obvious, the slow weekend... partygoers looking for wild times will be disappointed, with few restaurants and bars in the area staying open past 10 p.m. After getting in the swing by buying preserves from one of the many homemade jam "superstores" that dot Kyukaruizawa, you reach Shaw's former holiday home. The house, and a memorial chapel erected in honor of the priest, paled in comparison to the more lavish houses that have sprung up over the last four decades, but it's still easy to imagine that Shaw's wooden home was not to be sniffed at back in the day. The location of the house is also impressive. When you are standing in the middle of a forested area, with only the sounds of birds singing, the rustle of leaves and water flowing in a nearby river, you know you are far away from the big cities where pachinko parlors shriek out trance. The town's appeal was becoming obvious. The Old Hotel Mikasa, an officially designated Important National Cultural Asset (¥400 admission). Completed in 1905, the wooden, Western-style hotel was designed and built exclusively by Japanese, and tourist leaflets claim it is the only one of its kind left standing. Its design had an air of grandeur you'd normally associate with the traditional, high-class hotels of Europe, and acted as a reminder that in the pre-1945 Showa Era, Japan hadn't forgotten all the finer things in life as the militarists held sway.
The Old Hotel Mikasa which dates from 1905 Today, the building is teetering toward decay, its outer paint work flaking in places, while inside it's all but a shell. Surely, we thought, with a little more investment this venerable structure could rival the old, refurbished European stately homes that tourists from all around the world flock to visit. A representative for the Karuizawa Tourist Board, however, disagrees "The aim is to keep the hotel in its original state, so we don't wish to give it an extensive makeover." When pressed about the state of the inside of the building though, he agreed that "a lot of furniture has been lost over the years, but there is little we can do about that." An excellent Italian meal will cement your positive impression of the town's restaurants. Huge salad full of fresh vegetables accompanied homemade pasta and a pizza from a wood-fire oven is the standard here. Next an expedition to the outskirts of the town on mamachari (old ladies' bicycles) that cost ¥1,000 a day to hire from one of Karuizawa's many rental shops.
Visitors throng Kyukaruizawa shopping street, where crafts and local fare abound
Mount Asama towering over Karuizawa's scenic splendor Bikes secured, most head first to Kumoba Pond, also known as Swan Lake. A little out of town, it is recommended as a good scenic spot for a morning stroll. Deep blue skies and tranquil waters turned the pond into a mirror, stroll around it and you will soon be in the shadow of Mount Asama. This snow-topped active volcano looking down on the town was the site of the famous Asama Sanso Incident, a 10-day hostage standoff in February 1972 between the police and the Japanese United Red Army that caused a media frenzy and left two police officers dead.
Kumoba Pond, or Swan Lake as it's known, is one of Karuizawa's prime strolling spots As spectacular as the late-autumn scenery, trees bare of leaves but not yet carrying winter's snow, are the houses in the area. It seems that each corner has a new piece of peace for Tokyo's elite. Huge log cabins jostled with picket-fenced houses that evoke an America of yore when space is not a commodity. Big houses are followed by bigger houses, gardens were adorned with hand-crafted furniture, and this is Karuizawa in off-peak season, when the wealthy owners were not there on their summer vacations. Lake Shiozawa has a cycle path that goes through the heart of one of the many small forests scattered throughout the area. For its ¥800 entrance fee, Shiozawa seems a little pricey though. The lake is pleasant but the small theme park and row boats to keep visitors occupied look decidedly out of place in 10-degree weather of winter. Though the park would probably be as crowded as Shibuya Crossing at warmer times of the year, the food on offer here certainly did't account for its appeal. Hot dogs and french fries for lunch sums up the lake area, European elegance replaced by Disneyesque tackiness. On the way back to Tokyo, relaxed and ready for a warmer climate, you'll know a little more of how Japan's wealthier half live. Perhaps salarymen like me laboring all the hours and driving themselves mad for their companies and paychecks are aiming to buy something more than a tiny piece of Tokyo after all. Getting there: The Asama Shinkansen runs frequently from Tokyo and takes around an hour (¥5,500). 2007/12/29 By Far The Best Restaurant In TokyoThe best restaurant this year, for me anyway, was Tofuya Ukai under the Tokyo Tower, which I went to four times this year for work, it is by far the best restaurant in all of Tokyo!
 Every room has a garden view at Tofuya Ukai, where the traditional tofu cuisine (known as tofu kaiseki) and service (below) is as elegant as the setting.  A winding path leads you along smooth flagstones, through a second gate to an inner garden of shrubs, rocks and pools filled with ornamental carp, surrounded by a complex of half-timbered buildings decorated in resplendent vermilion. Two years ago, this site was a run-down bowling alley and car park. Now it's Tokyo's top dining destination, the showpiece in the growing portfolio of restaurants run by the Ukai group. Think of this as the sophisticated urban cousin of Ukai Toriyama, the wonderful restaurant "village" out in the hills of Takao, west of Tokyo. Instead of rustic farmhouses, here the core of the premises is a 200-year-old sake brewery transplanted from Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, massive polished beams, thick-walled warehouse, and all. You are greeted by kimono-clad staff, then ushered through winding passages, past a miniature sake museum with ancient vats and a wooden sake press, to your private dining room. There are 55 rooms in total, enough to seat over 500 people. Apart from a few chambers at the front of the house that are equipped with tables and chairs for wheelchair-friendly access, the rooms are in traditional zashiki-style, with simple, spare furnishings, tatami floors and leg wells. The layout is carefully designed so that all rooms have views over the inner garden, with its thatched grill house and wooden waterwheel turning lazily. Tokyo Tower remains totally out of sight. Given such remarkable surroundings, it would be easy to surmise that the food here is perhaps of secondary importance. Not so. As the name suggests, the menu revolves around tofu, incorporated into refined kaiseki cuisine. What distinguishes Tofuya Ukai from other restaurants of this ilk is that they produce all their own tofu. It's made at their own in-house workshop in Owadamachi, in the foothills of the Okutama mountains behind Hachioji. The beans are grown in Hokkaido; the local water is famous for its purity; the tofu is made and delivered daily. At both lunch and dinner, they offer a choice of full-course set meals (from 5,500 yen at lunch and 8,400 yen at dinner). You must order in advance, which gives you the opportunity to discuss the menu and adjust it to your own preferences. They can provide entirely vegetarian fare. When we went for lunch earlier this month, we notified them that one of our party was allergic to seafood, a request they took on board without any ado. The menu is seasonal, changing every two months. Can't wait to see the Autumn dishes tomorrow, should be absolutely exquisite beyond compare. Here's an example of some of the summer dishes from my last visits... Age-dengaku: Thin strips of deep-fried tofu (abura-age), grilled over charcoal and basted with a special sweet-savory miso sauce. Prepared in the thatched grill house visible in the center of the inner garden, this is delivered to the table in stacks of handsome boxes of red lacquer. The squares of golden abura-age are warm and crisp, their flavor hinting lightly of the charcoal grill. These are slivers, barely even a couple of bites each, yet their simple subtlety lingers in the memory. Otsukuri, the sashimi course: A few slices of market-fresh fish, perfectly accompanied by a flask of chilled sake. Recommended is the supremely fragrant Kariho Daiginjo — an elegant, expensive brew, totally appropriate to the setting. The hassun course: Seasonal tidbits, beautifully arranged to highlight the artistry of the kitchen. The standouts here were delectable morsels of wagyu beef from the Ukai ranch in Hyogo Prefecture, simmered with ginger (think gyudon for the gods); and wild fuki (butterbur) stems, steamed and anointed with a white shira-ae dressing, the gently fibrous texture balanced by the creamy mix of tofu and white miso. Tosui-tofu: The house special is a chunky ceramic nabe hot pot heated over charcoal in the center of the table, containing blocks of smooth tofu in a thick white soup of soy milk, and topped with fresh-made soy-milk skin. The soup is so rich with dashi stock that no extra seasoning is needed, and the tofu slips down like a smooth, savory custard. Deep-fried ayu (sweetfish): This comes with a kaki-age (tempura) of tiny sakura-ebi shrimp. Excellent, but overshadowed by what had come before. Dishes are usually closed with rice, miso soup and pickles; fragrant shincha green tea; and, as dessert, a green ume plum steeped in a clear syrup. Throughout, there is never a single note or flavor out of place. Service is as attentive as you'd expect at a long-established ryokan. An English translation of the menu is provided on request. Best of all, you are allowed to linger as long as you like in your own private room. After about three or four leisurely hours of chatting and enjoying the the spectacular view of the surrounding gardens you'll step out from this tranquil, pampering oasis, blinking and culture-shocked. Mind you a meal here at Tofuya Ukai needs to be booked well in advance because of its overwhelming popularity. Tofuya Ukai www.ukai.co.jp
Best Restaurant In Tokyo?The worldwide buzz among food people is all about Tokyo as the top gourmet city in the Michelin guide this year, it's also the best selling book in Japan this year too! But before I get too carried away, a reality check is in order. The proliferation of new high-rise developments has spawned an epidemic of spinoffs, branches of reputed restaurants that have been enticed to open offshoots inside cavernous malls such as the Tokyo Midtown complex. Highly professional they may be, but the food is often soulless, call it the curse of sleek mediocrity.
The Shin-Marunouchi Building, in front of Tokyo JR Station, garnered significant buzz for its three restaurant floors, almost entirely populated by spinoffs. Our favorite there is the branch of Kanda Shinpachi, which manages to maintain the earthy izakaya feel of the parent shop while offering the same range of excellent sake backed up by sakana (sake cuisine) of commendable delicacy. One floor up and significantly more swish is Salt , the first overseas venture by star Aussie chef Luke Mangan. We loved the decor, especially the glam love-seat banquettes and dramatic artistic photographs on the walls. The windows look down over the Imperial Palace grounds. The wine cellar is a who's who of Aussie wineries. And the menu? Well, it's eclectic and quite hit or miss.
The king prawn and mango salad at Salt Mangan's recipes, here delivered by chef-in-residence Shannon Binnie, can be excellent. His raviolo of Western Australian prawns is sheer simple brilliance, and we heartily enjoyed the Tasmanian blue-eyed cod wrapped in pancetta and served with miso sauce and Dijon mustard. But the obligatory starter, a soft-boiled quail's egg dusted in brown sugar and thyme, tasted like the worst kind of fusion — and cried out just for a little dash of . . . plain salt. The most pleasant corner of the entire Shin-Marunouchi restaurant complex is the open-air balcony on the 7th floor. You can grab a drink at the aptly named So Tired (it's run by the same people as the hip Bowery Kitchen in Komazawa in the western 'burbs) and look down on the redbrick facade of the station. The best place to sit and relax in the whole area.
The relaxed vibe at So Tired Kanda Shinpachi, Shin-Marunouchi Bldg. 5F, 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku; (03) 3287-3688; www.kanda-shinpachi.com. Open daily 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30-11 p.m. Salt, Shin-Marunouchi Bldg. 6F; (03) 5288-7828; www.pjgroup.jp/salt. Open daily 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and 5:30-11 p.m. So Tired, Shin-Marunouchi Bldg. 7F; (03) 5220-1358; www.heads-west.com. Open daily 11 a.m.-3 a.m. (Sunday and holidays until 11 p.m.). New Year Food, Food & More Food Osechi or sechi are traditional Japanese New Year foods. The tradition started in the Heian Period (794-1185). Osechi are easily recognizable by their special boxes called jubako, which resemble bento boxes. Like bento boxes, jubako are often kept stacked before and after use.
New Year Food, Food & More Food More Ameyokocho, the famous shopping district in Ueno, Central Tokyo. I went there today and it was packed beyond belief, I could barely move in a sea of New Year food shoppers and seafood everywhere as year-end shoppers throng to the area to prepare for their New Year's Day celebrations. There are hundreds of food stalls here selling everything from fish to candies. This stall sells salmon "sake", salmon roe "ikura", salted pollock roe "tarako" and spicy pollock roe "mentaiko". Hello Kitty For MenHello Kitty products targeted at young men is the new thing at Sanrio. The cuddly white cat, usually seen on toys and jewelry for young females, will soon adorn T-shirts, bags, watches and other products targeting young men. The products will go on sale in Japan next month, and will be sold soon in the U.S. and other Asian nations, according to Sanrio. 2007/12/28 Story Of The YearOne of the biggest news stories here this year, at least for me, was the story of Tatsuya Ichihashi, the young Japanese guy who brutally murdered a British English Teacher, left her rotten corpse in a sand filled bathtub on his veranda, literally ran away from the cops and is still evading cops to this day with hints that he has been hiding out in gay establishments all over Japan!
Murdered Briton's killer Tatsuya Ichihashi still confounding cops nine months later
Mainichi Daily News
December 28, 2007
 Fugitive Tatsuya Ichihashi, the prime suspect in the savage murder of a young British teacher in March this year, may have gone under covers in the sleazy netherworld of Tokyo's red light districts, according to Sunday Mainichi (12/30). Ichihashi, 28, has been on the run since giving pursuing police the slip shortly after Lindsay Ann Hawker's naked body was found covered in sand in the bath of his apartment in Chiba Prefecture's Gyotoku district. Ichihashi, son of wealthy medical practitioner parents, vanished with barely a trace, and remains unaccounted for in the nine months that have passed since Hawker's tragic death half a world away from home. Even now, Ichihashi's apartment bears an address label, leaving residents of the condominium feeling nervous.  Ichihashi's victim Lindsay Ann Hawker, seen on security camera footage shortly before her death. "Nothing about the apartment has changed at all. And people living here don't talk about him much. But because nobody knows where he is, everybody's scared," a resident of the same condo tells Sunday Mainichi. "We wish the cops would hurry up and solve the case." Police actually had Ichihashi within their grasp on the same day Hawker's body was discovered. As they went to his apartment, the door burst open, he flew out through a cordon of officers going to visit him and hasn't been seen since. Ichihashi is the scion of a top surgeon at a hospital in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, and a mother who was once a dentist. Ichihashi intended to follow in their footsteps, but failed to get grades good enough to study medicine and instead took a landscape gardening course at Chiba University. After graduating from university, he never took up a job, instead living on hefty handouts from mommy and daddy. Police tell the weekly they've ruled out the possibility Ichihashi went overseas -- at least legitimately -- as they found his passport in a raid on his apartment following Hawker's death. They also point out he couldn't have gone too far as he had no money and wasn't wearing shoes when the cops came to talk to him.  "Based on tip-offs we've received, we're concentrating our search for him in red-light districts and entertainment areas like (Tokyo's) Shinjuku, Shibuya, Yokohama, (Saitama Prefecture's) Kawaguchi, Omiya and the like," a police investigation insider tells Sunday Mainichi. "We're examining security camera footage to see if he's working in these sex businesses or going there as a customer. We're also asking sex business employees to keep an eye out for him and plastering those places with his wanted poster." Many of Hawker's foreign friends, some apparently fearing Ichihashi, have returned to their homelands in the wake of her killing and the collapse in October of NOVA, the English conversation school where the young Briton worked and where she met many of her associates in Japan. Her boss at the time, however, has remained in Japan at the behest of Hawker's parents looking for someone to coordinate the campaign to track down Ichihashi. One of Hawker's friends speaks of the frustration being felt that the rich doctor's son is still on the loose. "It's so frustrating that we can't do anything and Christmas is approaching," the friend says. "We don't want people to forget what happened, and we're going to keep trying until they catch the killer." Police, meanwhile, remain baffled by the case. As of mid-December, they had received about 2,600 tips about the case from the general public. There remains 141 officers posted to a task force dedicated to solving the case -- the same number that started the investigation immediately after Hawker's death -- and 31,170 police have been involved in the search for Ichihashi in some way. Yet he still remains unaccounted for. "I think you could say," the investigation insider tells Sunday Mainichi, "that we have absolutely no idea where he has gone." Into The New YearA fishmonger discounts the price of crabs on sale at Tokyo's Ameyoko shopping district in Ueno, Central Tokyo on Thursday, December 27, as year-end shoppers throng to the area to prepare for their New Year's Day celebrations. There are hundreds of food stalls here selling everything from fish to candies. This stall sells "Tarabagani," a type of winter snow crab. 2007/12/25 Christmas I ended up having a pretty nice Christmas Eve here after all. I bought an amazing Christmas Cake glazed with strawberry gelle and infused with a strawberry, raspberry and blueberry parfait inside a fluffy white chocolate cream and bits of dark chocolate roll on shortcakes from Lettre D'amoure, a popular sweet shop here, and two large Odebleu from RF1 Sozai, a popular food shop here. By the way, for those of you who never heard of Odebleu, it is a very popular traditional party platter served on special occasions in Japan and usually features ham, roast beef, meats, poultry, cheeses and a variety of fried foods on lots of green lettuce garnished with parsley and cherry tomatoes and are available almost everywhere food is served. Christmas Odebleu however mainly includes a variety of fried chicken.
 Me and Yuzu enjoyed it all in addition to a box of goodies (including li hing mui, chocolates, gummies and snacks from Hawaii) I received from my mom and some new American TV shows from my friends in Hawaii just in time for Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve (Monday) was actually the Emperor's Birthday, a national holiday in Japan and Christmas Day (today, Tuesday) we all went back to work for the remainder of the last workweek of this year. The Japanese New Year Holiday officially starts on Saturday, December 29 until Sunday, January 6.
LETTRE D'AMOURE: http://www.shidax.co.jp/srm/sweets/ RF1 SOZAI: http://www.rf-one.com/index.html 2007/12/23 New Year Cake It's all about cake here in Japan, in christmas almost every cake shop is filled with strawberry shortcake whipped cakes beyond imagination and in the New Year, the Hotel Grand Palace in Tokyo is taking orders for its popular orange cake, baked in the shape of kagami-mochi. New Year Cake!
Kagami-mochi, or "mirror" rice cake, is a traditional Japanese New Year's decoration that consists of two layered, round rice cakes with a Japanese orange on top. During New Year celebrations, kagami-mochi is displayed in houses as an offering to the gods for a healthy and happy new year, after which it is eaten. The Hotel Grand Palace's cake, an almost perfect replica of kagami-mochi coated with white chocolate, could make a nice surprise yearend or New Year's gift for family and friends. The cake is ¥4,500 and can be picked up between Dec. 25 and Dec. 30 at the hotel's first-floor Julie cake shop from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m on weekdays or 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The stand and an orange, as seen in the picture, are not included. The Hotel Grand Palace is a 1-minute walk from Kudanshita Station. Jingle Bells Japan Christmas in Japan is basically no turkey, trees in the house, gifts, christianity but lots of food especially chicken, strawberry christmas cakes and lights...
Mainichi Daily News has put together a selection of christmas images from across Japan.
Series Zero Shinkansen Decommission A "Series Zero" bullet train is pictured above in this file photo from August 1964, shortly before the inauguration of the Tokaido Shinkansen Line.
The original first-generation bullet trains will be decommissioned in autumn next year, to be replaced by the most advanced model, West Japan Railway Co. said. The Series Zero trains were first produced for the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, which was inaugurated in October 1964 shortly before the Tokyo Olympics. At the time, they were the world's fastest train, with a maximum speed of 210 kilometers per hour. Since then, Series Zero trains remained in production until the mid-1980s, and have transported numerous passengers on the Tokaido-Sanyo line, which was extended to Hakata in Fukuoka Prefecture in March 1975. The Series Zero has long been the symbol of Japan's advanced railway technology, and one of its front carriages is on display at a railway museum in Britain, the birthplace of railways. However, new models capable of traveling at higher speeds have gradually replaced them, and currently, only six Series Zero trains, each consisting of six carriages, are in operation on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line. The latest model, the Series 700, capable of a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour, will replace the last remaining Series Zero train in the autumn of next year. Rakuten, Kinshicho & Hotel
I was going through hotels in Rakuten today, for the first time, and found several hotels I never knew existed in Tokyo including one unbelievably affordable brand new business hotel right outside the JR Kinshicho Station. Rakuten, by the way, for those of you that don't already know, is one of Japan's most popular online travel, dinning, entertainment and shopping conglomerates in Japan. Almost everyone uses it here to book hotels, events and shop online. I never used it before because I thought it was too cluttered with all kind of crap but found it was really simple to use and very convenient with just a few clicks, all hotels available in a selected area can be quickly referenced and booked through Rakuten in seconds! I found this extraordinarily cheap brand new hotel called Hotel Famy Inn Kinshicho which is located right outside the bustling JR Kinshicho Station. The rooms are pretty much standard business hotel fairly small, all rooms have free high-speed internet connection and fully adjustable in-wall air conditioning but it also includes some unique perks including a hotspring sauna (for men only), relaxation space and restaurant on its top floor all overlooking the bustling Kinshicho area below in full open glass windows even the baths are wide open so the many office buildings and apartments all around can see you bare, an exhibitionist's delight I guess? But what makes this hotel so special is the price, I only paid 4,900 yen ($44) with the Rakuten plan I reserved but all rooms are less than 7,000 yen ($65) even the twin rooms! For a location like this, I don't think that can be beat in Tokyo especially for a location like this. Kinshicho is located just two stops from JR Akihabara Station on the JR Loop Line. JR Kinshicho Station is on the JR Sobu Line which the JR Narita Express runs on between Tokyo and Narita Airport in Chiba. In fact the JR Yokosuka Limited Express (a slightly slower version of the JR Narita Express) also runs on this line from Narita Airport and stops at JR Kinshicho Station too! So it is very convenient and the area is bustling with activity thanks to several large shopping malls, many shops and entertainment areas, one of the JR Horse Racing Associations biggest bidding centers and the Tobu Hotel (formerly Tokyo Marriott) in the area. The place is buzzing with life!
2007/12/21 Ruth's Chris Steak House Opens In Tokyo The newest premium steakhouse in Tokyo is Ruth’s Chris Steak House. It is the first Japan restaurant for the Orlando-based chain, and is operated by franchisee Trio KK, which runs three Ruth’s Chris outlets in Taiwan and two in Hong Kong. Tokyo is location No. 111 and seats about 130.
In Japan, Ruth’s Chris serves mainly wagyu beef from Japan and Australia, as well as U.S. prime under 20 months of age, says director Edward Ko. The menu is the same as the U.S., but sizes are smaller, ranging from 8 ounces to 20 ounces. Prices average about 3,000-4,000 yen per cut, and the most expensive item on the menu is a Porterhouse steak for two at 25,000 yen. Japan Today recently conducted an interview entitled "Steak Out" with Edward Ko, the director of Trio KK, at the restaurant in Tokyo’s Kasumigaseki district.
Edward Ko, Director Trio KK How long has Trio been operating in Japan? About a year. But we have been researching this market for almost 15 years, getting a feel for Japanese tastes, preferences. We wanted to execute the brand properly and we have been waiting for the right timing and the right location. Where else do you have Ruth’s Chris restaurants? We have separate operations in Asia – two in Hong Kong and three in Taiwan. Trio is a family-owned business. Our HQ is in Taipei. What market research did you do? We looked at our competitors, such as hotels and other steak houses, seeing what their approach was. We visited pretty much every steakhouse in the city. What is your approach? Our strategy is to sell an experience. It starts with our hospitality and leads up to our steak and dining experience. How well known is the brand in Japan? We’ve been surprised at how many Japanese know us. We do have a strong presence on the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii (5 there). There is a knowledge about the brand that we are a high-end American steak house chain. Is beef consumption rising in Japan? Yes, much more than two years ago. Japanese taste for beef is very strong, evidenced by growth in the market for a Western-style steak experience. Where do you get your beef from? We have domestic wagyu, wagyu from Australia and selected cuts from the U.S. Beef that is 20 months or younger can be imported from the U.S. To find our grade of beef at 20 months or longer is difficult. Are the steaks smaller for Japanese consumers? Yes. This is a trend we started with our Hong Kong and Taiwan stores to offer slightly smaller size selections. When we first started, the smallest size you could have was a 12-ounce filet or 16-ounce rib-eye or New York strip. We introduced the 12-ounce size for strip and rib-eye which is more manageable for the Asian market. In Japan, we have a wagyu cut at 6 ounces. However, you can still get the 20-ounce T-bones. What else is on the menu? Most of the signature and classic salads and appetizers are there. We have a greater selection of steaks on our menu than you would have elsewhere. What about prices? We are a premium level steak house. That being said, we wanted to provide a value versus a 5-star hotel price. I think our prices are competitive. How do you market the restaurant? Word of mouth is the best advertising. The best advertising tool is a satisfied guest. That has helped build the brand from city to city around the world and it has served us well in Asia. What are your expansion plans? We have a development agreement for three restaurants. Right now, we are furthering our research on location. I really like the visibility of the location here in Kasumigaseki, which has been revitalized. There is easy access, which is important. We also want to be in a place where we can be easily recognized from the street. Where did you get your staff from? The majority came from high-end hotels and restaurants. Currently, we have about 30 staff. We may go up to 35. Our general manager and head chef trained in California. Our sous chef and assistant manager did their training in Taipei. Most serving staff have basic English skills. What is your role? I support the general manager. I have an administrative role in the daytime and at night, I’m on the floor. You’ll get tired of seeing me. Has it been hectic? For the first one or two months, you can go seven-day weeks. But it’s fun. It’s our baby. It doesn’t seem like work. How often do you eat steak? I love steak but I don’t eat it more than once a week. http://www.ruthschris.com/locations/tokyosteakhouse.html?globeCheck=0 Colossal CandlesThis aerial photo taken from a Mainichi helicopter shows “Tokyo GranCandle 2007,” a group of high-rise buildings near JR Tokyo Station with their top floors lit up blue to represent candles, Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007. Pictured lower left is a 42-meter-high Christmas tree in Hibiya Park, decked out in color-changing lights. The Christmas lights will continue until Jan. 1, 2008. (Mainichi) 2007/12/20 More Japan Snow Tateyama Mountain Range
Japan is a popular travel destination in winter and early spring for those seeking snow. Whether you are a die hard skiier or come from a country where the coldest it gets is in an air conditioned room, Japan offers something for everyone within easy reach of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. While most of Japan's major cities, including Tokyo and Osaka, receive only small amounts of snow, there are many places in Japan that get covered by lots of snow each year. The snow season in Japan is long and in some places begins as early as November and lasts into May with the peak in February.
Below is a list of places where you can experience snow within easy reach of major cities: From Tokyo: The two easiest places to enjoy guaranteed snow from Tokyo are Yuzawa (75 minutes from Tokyo Station by Joetsu Shinkansen) and Karuizawa (70 minutes from Tokyo Station by Nagano Shinkansen).
Yuzawa
Karuizawa
Kusatsu
Snow Monkeys
Nikko
Shirakawago Northern Japan: Japan's northern most island of Hokkaido gets lots of snow, and has some of the country's best snow resorts.
Niseko
Sapporo Snow Festival
Ryuhyo Drift Ice
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Christmas Lights All Over JapanSeasonal illuminations around Christmas have become a popular attraction in cities across Japan. Illuminations are typically displayed from November to Christmas Day, while a few are kept up until Valentine's Day in February.
 Kobe Luminarie Some of Tokyo's popular seasonal illumination spots...
Shiodome
Roppongi Hills
Tokyo Midtown
Odaiba
Tokyo Dome City
Ginza
Marunouchi
Yebisu Garden Place
Shinjuku Southern Terrace Long Walk To Makuhari Messe Today I decided to take the rest of the week off and stay at the APA Hotel & Resort Tokyo Bay Makuhari (formerly the Makuhari Prince Hotel) which is also a pretty great hotel overlooking Tokyo Bay from the Chiba side near the Tokyo Disney Resort. It has many new free features including a full on onsen hotspring, manga and internet cafe on its top 54-55th floors as well as many shops and restaurants with over 3,000 guest rooms in a glistening 60 floor glass tower overlooking Tokyo Bay, it is an amazing full-fledged resort. The panormic views of the sunset over Tokyo Bay alone is incredible! Rooms and common areas have also been fully updated from its Prince days. APA is a nationwide chain of affordable hotels and apartments known for their affordable rates and all-inclusive free amenities like in-house hotspring baths and freshly designed interiors. Anyway, I decided to take the JR Sobu train line instead of the usual JR Keiyo train line and got lost! I got off at the JR Makuhari Station where the JR Sobu train line stops and which I mistakenly thought was the same station as the JR Keihin Makuhari Station where the JR Keiyo train line stops near the Makuhari Messe convention center where all the hotels, shops and Chiba Marine Stadium is. So I began walking and walking and walking... seemed like hours, passing by huge shopping malls, rivers, parks and whatnot until I finally saw the big skyscrapers in the Makuhari Messe area. I was dripping wet, in the middle of these freezing cold winter days, when I got to the lobby.
2007/12/18 Arashiyama HanatoroFrom December 8 to 17, Kyoto's pleasant Arashiyama district at the city's outskirts remains busy even after sunset, as walking trails are lined and illuminated by lanterns, ikebana works are exhibited in the streets, and forests and temples are lit up.
 Lit up Arashiyama mountains and Togetsukyo Bridge
The annual event is called Arashiyama Hanatoro (lit. "flower and light road"), and is held for the third time in Arashiyama. During the ten days, lights are turned on daily at 17:00 and turned off again at 20:30.
 Lit up walking trail in the bamboo groves
In early spring, Hanatoro is also held in Kyoto's Higashiyama district, where the event dates back to the year 2003. In 2008, the Higashiyama Hanatoro will be held from March 14 to 23.
 Due to warm weather earlier this year, the autumn foliage season has been delayed by a few days in 2007. Although the season's peak has passed in the meantime, the Arashiyama mountains were still colorful on December 8, and Hanatoro could be enjoyed in combination with some remaining autumn foliage.
 For a particularly pleasant and comfortable Hanatoro experience, I recommend to spend the night in Arashiyama, where there are several ryokan attractively located along the river. We stayed at one of them, the Rangetsu Ryokan.
 Rangetsu Ryokan in Arashiyama
The great location, good food, friendly service, brand new infrastructure and our bad timing (Saturday is the busiest and most expensive day of the week) resulted in what I found to be a slightly oversized bill. Regular off-season rates start at 28,000 yen per person with dinner and breakfast included. |
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