Tohoku Earthquake 東北 地震

In light of the horrific events (8.9 magnitude earthquake and 10 meter high tsunami wave of water) that have taken place in Miyagi-ken and the Tohoku (東北) region, I've listed below some organizations that were posted by yahoo.com on their site indicating that these organizations are accepting donations to assist in the relief/recovery efforts in Japan.

American Red Cross
Global Giving
Save The Children
Salvation Army
Convoy of Hope
International Medical Corps


All the best...Mark

Podo Marunouchi - ぽど丸の内

Have you ever walked by all of those signs along the street pointing to a lounge, cafe, shop in the basement level of a building and wondered what they were like????

Podo in Marunouchi is certainly worth taking a look.

This casual basement level hidden gem is a lively after-work pub that serves eleven kinds of makkoli, a milky pumpkin flavored sake from Korea, starting at JPY380 per cup.

Podo Marunouchi
B1F Shin-Tokyo Building
3-3-1 Marunouchi

So make sure to try a taste of Korea in the heart of Tokyo.

All the best...Mark

Jukka 十火 - Designer Senbei 煎餅 in Aoyama

Are you a fan of senbei 煎餅 (rice crackers to you and me)?

Well there is a great little shop in Aoyama between Koto Dori and Omotesando Station named Jukka 十火.

This is not your run of the mill rice cracker shop - the owners have taken it to a whole other level - the display cases found here resemble those found in high end jewelry shops - displaying the items under glass and on pedestal stands.

A modern ascetic combined with simple Japanese tradition.

The shop also offers a wide variety of tea options to act as a companion to their senbei offerings...you didn't hear it from me ( wink, wink) but they give free tastings to those that stop in for a visit.

They have a great web site with pictures of their creations - and a shop on line option as well : http://jukka.toyosu.co.jp/

So if you are a fan of senbei, you'll want to make sure to head to Aoyama to sample these tasty treats.

All the best...Mark

Japan Restaurant Week 2011 - ジャパンレストランウィーク

Sorry for the extended silence, the economic crisis required all of us to focus on other matters...but I'm back.

Since we are all looking for deals these days, I thought I'd start posting again with an interesting, tasty and cost conscious posting.

Japan Restaurant Week is coming in February and it is a great way for all of us to try new restaurants while not breaking the bank or budget at the same time.

Check out great spots in Roppongi, Shinagawa, Nihonbashi, etc.

They have a great web site with more details: http://www.jrw.jp/

Here's to a better 2011 for all of us.

All the best....Mark

World Cup 2010 - Japan Team Arrives in South Africa

Friday June 11th starts the supreme soccer event that takes place every 4 years - the World Cup.

This year the country of South Africa is hosting and if previous events such as the Rugby World Cup are any indication the hosts will pull off an incredible job on the world stage.

Japan’s soccer team arrived for the World Cup in South Africa ready to give it their level best.

They will play in Group E with the Netherlands, Cameroon and Denmark, will be based in George and play matches in Bloemfontein, Durban and Rustenburg.

So, whichever team you are routing for, the next few weeks are sure to be entertaining.

All the best...Mark

Kyoto 京都 - Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺,

So looking for an escape for the day from Tokyo. How about heading to Kyoto 京都.

What..too far you say...not at all. In less than 3 hours via Shinkansen 新幹線(bullet train) you'll be in Kyoto and able to explore and enjoy all that this great city and former capital has to offer.

Kinkaku-ji 金閣寺 or the Temple of the Golden Pavilion to you and me, was originally constructed in the late 1300's for the use of Shogun Ahikaga as a villa. This villa was converted to a temple later on by his son Yoshimochi.

The temple that we currently see today is not the original, as that was burned down, rebuilt and burned down again.

The most famous episode of burning down the temple was in 1950 and this event was immortalized in a fictional account of events in Yukio Misima's famous book The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. For those who have not yet had the chance to read this incredible book, it relays the tale of a monk, Hayashi Yoken, who burned down the temple while he attempts to commit suicide.

The Golden Pavilion is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex and is set amidst a superb Japanese strolling garden (kaiyū-shiki). The pond in front of it is called Kyōko-chi (Mirror Pond). As you can see in my photo, the image of the temple is reflected wonderfully in the waters of the pond. Certainly on a sunny blue sky day your pictures will be out of control and will wow your friends and family.

There are many islands and stones on the pond that represent the Buddhist creation story.

My next few posts will cover other spots in Kyoto well worth your time. So book that train ticket now and head west.

All the best...Mark

Narita Taiko Festival

Heading to Tokyo this week????

Since you'll be flying into Narita International Airport you might want to check out the city of Narita before heading into Tokyo city center.

In Narita-city is Naritasan Shinshoji Temple which attracts about 12 million visitors in a year. A large-scale Japanese taiko drum festival takes place on April 10 & 11, 2010 at the temple and the front approach to the temple.

Japanese taiko drums 和太鼓 are impressive and were used in feudal times to inspire/motivate the soldiers as they marched off to battle. Today the style is appreciated more for the music and the coordinated rhythms but is still worthwhile an interesting.

All the best...Mark