Ginza Jazz and Karaoke At Shinjuku

It's a fantastic day because it's a national holiday (Culture Day) on a saturday, so I get a rare full weekend off!

If I realized it earlier I could have taken friday off and have a four day holiday, but this is me we are talking about and I don't look that far ahead.

We didn't have anything planned so we ended up in Ginza. The place was packed with people. I found the Apple store and tried loading my blog into an iTouch and managed to crash it. Oops.

There is the Ginza International Jazz Festival 2007 here today and tomorrow, so we checked out some cool jazz on a rooftop of a department store. Jazz has a very different kind of atmosphere.

Sometime in the future we will definitely go to a jazz club to soak up the vibe.

Later we went to the Sony Building once more and checked out Canvas@Sony, a special art exhibition which will feature on Sony products. One thing I especially liked was what I call the "Chicks with Guitars" art work by Ryuji Otani.


One REALLY cool item in the Sony Showroom is an Sony VAIO ultra portable VGN-UX72 (and I mean TINY) mini PC. Why have a iTouch when you can you have a whole computer instead?

Another toy for my wish list.

We walked around a little and found a small game arcade that had some Studio Ghibli Totoro soft toys. I couldn't resist it and after 1100 yen, I got myself a Totoro. I know, I know, more toys I don't need, but did I mention this is Totoro!

For some reason we decided it would be a good a time as any to go to a karaoke box. Although I wasn't particularly energetic, I agreed and we took a train to Shinjuku.

It cost quite a bit for just two hours of singing (3,740 yen!), but I think you'll agree after watching these hilarious videos we had a ball.

I managed to kill some classic songs such as "Oh Sherrie" (Steve Perry) and a Bon Jovi medley, while she sang heartfelt japanese songs and some bad Enka.

Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye): Yes, I'm singing badly, but look at the smile on her face? Satisfaction guaranteeed.

I Need You Tonight (Inxs): A classic Aussie rock song slaughtered by me. I try singing it with a pretty cool rock face, but she doesn't care.

Crazy In Love (Beyonce): Yes, the singing is shit, but that is the whole point. Authentic japanese karaoke in Shinjuku.

I Want It That Way (Backstreet Boys): This actually sounds pretty good to me. I didn't choose the song I swear. I CAN be in a boy band after all!

We had some okonomiyaki in Shinjuku. The cool thing about this place is they give you the ingredients to fry it on a hot plate yourself.

Guess which one is mine? Yes, the one that looks like a dog got to it before I did.

Having our hunger satisfied we walked home. On arrival back home, I made some nice espresso stovetop coffee that was the perfect end to this day.

Sayonara Tomioka Forever

I didn't get any help from Jesse or Jon cleaning the house, so I didn't finish everything until 3:45am. I didn't ask them to help, but you'd think seeing that they are STILL living in the house they could offer to clean something, anything.

I don't want to get too pissed off about it. Both of these guys have been great to live with. I wouldn't be too worried being a "roomie" with either of them again. I'm sure both of you will probably find out about this blog so..

Jesse, those jamming nights were cool once we both knew the songs we were playing. "Where the Hell is Tomioka?!" is sure to be a hit.

Jon, I know you only moved in a short time ago, but you're way cooler than me. Hooking up with a Japanese girl before you even get here? I thought I did it quickly. Nice work.

I'm sure I'll catch up with both of you soon.

I know I've been bitching about Tomioka so much, but I have to say I AM a little sad to be leaving here. It is after all my first place of residence in Japan, and first times are always special no matter how much they suck.

Today I went around Tomioka one last time and took some photos, just for the memories. Enjoy.

My first memory of Tomioka is catching a taxi at the taxi rank next to the Keikyu supermarket and station in torrential rain.






My first meal was a spaghetti bolognaise from the Family Mart, (which is next to the Tomioka Hill path), because I didn't notice where the supermarket was when I arrived.




Finally, you get to see the Tomioka Hill paths that I hate, which I had to go up and down every day.









Goodbye Tomioka.

The Five Month Clean Up

How good does this look? This is two to three hours of scraping and sponging. That sponge will never be the same again.

I've got my final room inspection tomorrow, so in my paranoia I have cleaned the whole house, including the most disgusting stove that was caked in grease, pasta and other unidentified pieces of crud accumulated over the years.

Maybe it was because I'd lost 800 yen at the UFO catcher. It took my mind off the loss. The fridge, toaster, microwave, even the rubbish bin are all much better.

I bought some sponges and mould cleaner to do a once over in the shower as well. And, for good measure, a one cup sake to celebrate my leaving Tomioka, and oh I almost forgot, my five months in Japan!

The months are going so quickly. Five months and still not a dull moment.

My New Haircut

I went to a Tokyo hairdresser. I got my hair straightened and coloured red. 

 That is a total lie.. I actually found another job in a host bar. 

 Ok, that is a lie as well. The truth is the wig is part of my costume just for Halloween kids class. I WAS thinking of dressing as Gachapin but $50 for a crap costume was just not going to happen. 

  I knew today would be a good day when I won a small snoopy at Shin-sugita. I saw it was hanging towards the shute on a wall of other snoopys, so it was going to be a cinch to nudge it in. It's not that big, but it has a pouch I can use for small change or guitar picks and a click carry strap so pretty good for 100 yen.

Woodstock, Not The Festival

She wanted to go to a Brain Science Institute information show in Aoyama, I wanted to go to the motor show. 

She won. 

 The motor show runs next weekend so I guess I wait a little longer to have my photo taken with a lot of hot girls with the cars. Thanks girlfriend. 

 It was all in japanese, so apart from a robot that could follow the movement of a red ball it was a little boring. 

  We walked through Aoyama past a lot of interesting buildings with expensive fashion clothes. We had Haagan Daaz icecreams and a free Macdonalds coffee with more expired coupons. 

 

It cost 320 yen to have the icecream at a table and 260 yen take away. As you can see on the look on my face I am not impressed.

Along the way we saw a Honda dealership. I laugh a little that they call the Honda Jazz, a "Fit". I saw a Honda S2000 convertible for only 3,900,000 yen (about $40,000), much cheaper than in Australia. I couldn't resist jumping on the Harley-style motorcycles. 

We had some green tea, caramel coffee and Cheesecake at Cafe Madu. We made our way to Shibuya. We haven't been there for a while. I checked out the Blister toy store, Bic Camera, Apple Store and some UFO catcher arcades and Don Quijote. At Blister, I saw two big Totoro stuffed toys. One was 30,000 yen and the other ginormous one was 90,000 yen! The larger one would be fantastic, but virtually impossible to get into a suitcase. I'll have to wait for their 50% off sale.

The Apple store had someone showcasing and performing their music, but like everyone else I was having a play with Apple's cool iTouch looking at websites. This thing is REALLY cool, but I think I'm going to hang out for the iPhone. The Taito arcade had a Star Wars R2D2 that projected a light onto the walls. I didn't think I could sink it, but at the Club Sega I played for a Snoopy Woodstock toy and won it first go, 100 yen. Sweet.

We played a puck game as well. I was beaten nine to seven. Yes, I let her win a little. If I kicked her butt I'd pay for it later. I just know it.

By this time we were both hungry. At first we thought a Yakiniku, but they had no chicken meat so instead we did an "all you can eat" at Shakey's Pizza for 1500 yen each for two hours. The pizza is not that great, but you can't say you are still hungry after that. Actually I felt a little sick from all that oil and cheese. Feeling bloated we caught the train home. Someone has a fixation with the Suica Penguin. Not naming any names.

I'm Not On Shakai Hoken, Goddamit

After cancelling my National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenko Hoken) at Kanazawa Bunko yesterday, I wanted to make sure I was still covered, so before my shift today I decided to catch the train from Tomioka to Shinjuku to attempt another try at the ward office.

I was in Kawasaki today so it wasn't too far away.

For some reason the woman thought I should be on Shakai Hoken (company insurance) because my gaijin card had the company I worked for on it. She called my HQ and finally gave me what I asked for. I'm pleased to say that my monthly bill is about 200 yen cheaper. That's two Crunkys in my world.

I've just about taken care of everything here now. My addresses have been changed, except for my bank. I don't have much left to take over. In about a week from now I'll be living in the centre of Tokyo! Sugoi!

Halloween In Japan?

You wouldn't think it, but halloween in Japan is a big thing. Yes, really!

 In Australia, most people don't give a thought to the occasion and it thankfully passes by without anyone missing it's absence. 

 Here in Japan, it's as big as Christmas. Obviously someone with some marketing nous has managed to give the Japanese something else to spend their hard-earned yen on. 

 It has the same cynical elements of Christmas with the stores filled with pumpkins, witches costumes and Halloween candy. Even the UFO catchers have Halloween themed soft toys in them! Having said that, they already have Christmas toys in the machines as well already.
This is a slideshow courtesy of Hamachi!'s from Halloween 2006. Thanks in advance. Although it's last year, it shows pretty much what it's like this year as well. Oh no.