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Georgetown Cupcake

2012-01-21T21:58:00.002+09:00

I rarely eat a cake. Not because I don't like cake, I just prefer to eat other foods. However, if I live in DC, I would definitely treat myself once in a while with these delicious mouthwatering Georgetown Cupcakes.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Georgetown Cupcake, it is a cupcake bakery located in the Washington, D.C. The shop was founded by the two sisters, Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne, in February 2008. At that time, the Georgetown Cupcake was the first and the only cupcake bakery in the town. Georgetown Cupcake is a very well know cupcake bakery, they even has their own reality TV show called DC Cupcakes. There's even a story that people come to D.C. just to treat themselves with Georgetown Cupcake.

I was in DC a few weeks ago. I've tried Magnolia and Sprinkles Cupcakes before, so I needed to try Georgetown Cupcake to see how good they are. And they're good. Very, very goodddddd.

Georgetown Cupcake building on the M Street. If there is one thing that I don't like about Georgetown Cupcake, it's the fact that you need to line up almost an hour just to eat it.

Look at all those cupcakes. Yummy.

Georgetown Cupcake offers some daily and seasonal special cupcakes. They have different flavors every day. Red Velvet is the most famous out of them. I'm not gonna lie. I tried a dozen of different flavors and I like every single one of them. Delicious !

The cool thing about them, you could watch the cupcake making in action while waiting for your order. They even allowed me to take photos of them.

If you're a cupcake lover, the Georgetown Cupcake should be in your need-to-try list. If you're from Washington and you're just happen to come to Japan, please make sure you bring some of the cupcakes for me ! :D

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-09T08:46:00.001+09:00

Happy New Year 2012, everyone ! How was last year ? Did you accomplished last year's goal ? Sorry for not updating this blog as often as I promised. Last year, especially last month, was a bit hectic. Now that things are starting to quiet down, hopefully I will have more time to blog.

Anyway, goodbye 2011 and welcome 2012 ! Hope for more adventures in 2012. Happy New Year ! :)

Culture Japan HQ

2011-11-27T12:15:00.001+09:00

It all began one day when I noticed that Chun, a very talented doll fashion designer, was tweeting from Akihabara, Tokyo. I contacted her immediately and we all ended up invading Culture Japan HQ. XD

We had ramen for dinner first before going to Danny's house. And as you can expect from bloggers, we always take photos before eating our food. ^^'

Ordered Tsukemen this time.

Some of these photos were taken by Chun and her hubby.

First time inside Danny's house. Lovely House. <3

Danny's new employee ? :P

Chun's Aki and Danny's Yuki-chan are gorgeous.

Danbos also join the fun.

Someone was a bit jealous.

Gumako is so adorable. <3 Little Danbo and Gumako make a cute couple.
On the other hand, Papa Danbo has someone else in mind. XD

Watching Culture Japan from Culture Japan HQ.

Thanks to Chun for hanging out with me, and Danny for inviting us to his home.

iPhone 4S

2011-11-03T23:00:00.000+09:00

I finally upgraded my iPhone from 3GS to 4S a few weeks ago. I've been trying my hard to resist the temptation to upgrade my iPhone when iPhone 4 came out last year. I couldn't get it because I was stuck with my 2 years contract at that time. When iPhone 4S came out, I still had a couple of months left in my contract. Luckily, Softbank had a free upgrade plan from 3GS to 4S. And that's how I got my iPhone 4S.

I always wanted a pocket camera that I could bring with me everywhere I go. I don't want to bring my DSLR with me because it's heavy and I definitely couldn't bring it to my work. I could get a pocket camera, but a camera with a good quality, reasonable price, and light weight is pretty hard to find. The iPhone is the answer to that. I love the idea of using your phone as a camera which means I could bring it with me everywhere I go.

What about the quality ? So far, I've been really impressed by the camera. With the help of apps, you can take photos and retouch them almost instantly. The DSLR is definitely better and I have more control with it. However, the iPhone 4S camera is already good enough. Sometimes it made me feel like I don't want to take out my Canon 40D.

Let me show you some of the photos that I took with my iPhone.

Hello Kitty Bus at Shinjuku

ニラ玉炒め for dinner

Huge Mentos

Tennozu Isle

Danbo at Murayama Reservoir. Lovely place.

I can even do this. :)

Good bye, 3GS. Sorry, but you're not going to be missed. :)

Oohara Naked Festival

2011-10-12T21:42:00.000+09:00

Wait, Naked Festival ?? Well, don't worry. The men weren't entirely naked. Every year in Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture, the Japanese people celebrates the Oohara Hadaka ( Naked ) Festival. The festival is celebrated by hundreds of nearly naked males and females to wish for the good luck and the prosperity of the year. It is by far the most interesting festival I've ever seen.

The Oohara Hadaka Matsuri is one of the oldest and most famous festival. It managed to entice thousands of people to come to Oohara to watch the festival. In this festival, there are 18 mikoshi ( the portable shrine ). Each district forms a group and bring out their mikoshi from their local shrine to this place, and later they will carry the mikoshi into the sea. Each of this mikoshi represents local god. Only during this festival, the gods could gather together. The festival is celebrated each year on 23rd September.

Yes, girls and women were also there. They weren't naked though. Sorry to disappoint. :)

The photographers were ready to capture the moment.

One of them were too eager to take photos of the festival.

At the start of the festival, all the teams were rushing to make a few laps around the place, shouting and chanting while hoisting the heavy mikoshi up and down. As if they were competing with other teams.

There were hundreds ( or thousands ) of people participating in this festival.

After that, they all went down, close to the beach, and be prepared to get wet.

This ritual is called Shiofumi. They rushed to the sea with their mikoshi while fighting the strong waves.

Sorry I couldn't take a better photos of Shiofumi. There were just too many people in front of me.

I managed to shoot the dog in front of me though.

At the end of the day, the mikoshi paraded through the town for about one hour. Later they would all gathered at one place and started to run in circles carrying the 18 mikoshi and lanterns for a while.

And that was the end of the festival. It was so much fun. If you live in Japan, this is definitely one of the festival that you should not miss.

Paris Revisited

2011-09-22T23:14:00.000+09:00

My Europe Trip last month started from Paris. Originally, I didn't want to visit Paris. But then I changed my mind. There were still a few places that I hadn't visited last time such as the Sacre Coeur. So, there I was. In Paris. For the 2nd time.

This time I stayed at Jul and Jen Szeps Apartment, trying to live like a Parisien. Jul was very friendly, and the apartment was clean and comfortable.

On the way to Sacre Coeur, we stopped by at Le Mur des "Je t'aime", otherwise known as the "I Love You" Wall. If you want to learn how to say "I Love You" in other languages, this is the right place.

How many languages can you recognize ?

Lovely view from Sacre Coeur.

Sacre Coeur, or Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city.

Tourists were everywhere !

Not sure whether I should call it a brave or crazy performance. Or both !

In case you wondering where he was.

And at last, let's end this post with a few photos from around Paris. Au revoir !

Amsterdam : Part 2

2011-09-13T23:39:00.000+09:00

The 2nd part of Amsterdam photos. This time I'm going to cover the charming the market, the people, and the food.

This is where I stayed. It's a cute and gorgeous hotel called 't hotel. If you don't mind the stairs ( not the loft stairs ! ) then I highly recommend this hotel.

Had a quick brunch here.

Delicious

Sweet !

Dam Square. Is it a Dam or a town square ? Well, it's both a dam and a town square. It's build as a dam but gradually expanded wide enough to become a town square.

If you come to Dam Square, you definitely will see some street performances.

If you come to Amsterdam, you definitely need to visit the street markets and try some local foods.

Such as this one, a raw Herring. No excuses. Just try it !

Yummy

Tasty

Just look at how he enjoyed his food.

And don't forget the cheese.

Wasabi cheese. Does it taste like cheese or wasabi ?

Lovely dog was looking around for his/her owner.

That's all. We are going to move to another city on the next post. Happy Wednesday !

Amsterdam part 1 is here

Amsterdam : Part 1

2011-09-10T14:13:00.001+09:00

If you enjoy cycling, you're going to like Amsterdam. I still remembered the time when I was cycling through the Amsterdam's maze of canal, shady trees, narrow streets, artistic buildings, and authentic shops. Amsterdam is definitely a charming city.

Even though the city is bike-friendly, you need to be careful when you cycling in Amsterdam. The streets are narrow, lot of tram rails on the roads, and the car / tram drivers have a ruthless driving style. I do still recommend you to rent a bike and cycling to get around Amsterdam. Or you can just enjoy strolling along the canals. Amsterdam is not that big, but there are plenty to do, to eat, and to see.

Here are some of snapshots of Amsterdam.

Happy cycling !

Part 2 is here

I Amsterdam

2011-09-04T00:08:00.000+09:00

Danbo in Amsterdam !
ダンボがアムステルダムに行った！

Chess Game

2011-08-20T21:31:00.001+09:00

Ever wonder what Danbo and others do when they're bored ?
暇の時にダンボたちは何をやっているのか分かりますか？

Yoyogi in Black and White

2011-08-17T20:22:00.000+09:00

It was Sunday, another day of scorching heat. No matter how hot it was, it couldn't stop me and my partner in crime, Derek, to do a photowalk at Yoyogi Koen. We walked ( a lot ! ), took photos, ate Biryani rice at Indian / African Festival, watched basketball match, and practiced some Juujutsu.

It's quite refreshing to shoot Black and White photos once in a while.

Derek is a talented Black and White photographer. His black and white photos are gorgeous, and he definitely has a unique talent to make people pose for him.

Practicing Juujutsu.

Derek getting beaten by an old man. ^^

Goutokuji - The Maneki Neko Legend

2011-08-11T21:36:00.001+09:00

The Maneki Neko ( 招き猫 = The Beckoning Cat ) is a Japanese cat sculpture, usually made of ceramic, which is believed to bring good fortune and wealth. If you come to Japan, you will be able to see Maneki Neko in shops, restaurants, pachinko, banks, offices, houses, etc. The Maneki Neko is also one of the famous souvenirs from Japan. You could also found Maneki Neko as piggy banks, keychains, straps, and other miscellaneous ornaments.

招き猫は日本の猫の彫刻です。招き猫は福を招くとして商家、銀行、事務所などで飾る縁起物です。招き猫は有名な日本のお土産です。彫刻だけでわなくて招き猫の貯金箱、キーホルダー、ストラップなどもある。

There are many stories regarding the origin of Maneki Neko. The three famous legends are the Goutokuji, Imado, and Yoshiwara.

招き猫の由来はいくつ説があるけど豪徳寺と今戸神社と吉原説が一番有名です。

Goutokuji Maneki Neko district
豪徳寺の招き猫街

At the beginning of Edo period, there was a rundown temple in Setagaya. One day, a Japanese lord named Naotaka Ii ( 井伊直孝 1590 ~ 1659 ) was getting home from hunting hawk. He was walking in front of the temple when he noticed a white cat beckoning to him from inside the temple. Tempted by the cat's gesture, he followed the cat. As soon as he approached the cat, there was a sudden heavy rainfall and the place he stand before was struck by lighting. His life was saved by the white cat. The cat's name was Tama, and Tama was the temple priest's cat.

江戸時代、世田谷に祖末寺があった。ある時、彦根藩第二代藩主・井伊直孝 (1590 ~ 1659) が鷹狩りの帰りに豪徳寺の前にさしかかった。そのときこ白い猫が門前で手招きするような仕草をしていた。つれて入ると、にわかに雷雨が降りはじめた。前の直孝がいた場所に雷が落ちた。猫が直孝を助けてくれたのだ。その白い猫の名前はタマです。タマの飼い主はその寺の和尚です。

Naotaka Ii became closed to the priest of the temple. The temple became Ii's family temple and the temple was named Goutokuji ( 豪徳寺 ). The temple became prosperous.

直孝は和尚と仲良くになって、後日荒れていた寺を建て直すために多額の寄進をし、豪徳寺は盛り返したという。この縁でこの寺は井伊家の菩提寺となって豪徳寺と言われている。

After it's death, Tama was buried at Goutokuji and the first Maneki Neko was made to honor Tama.
タマが死んだとき、豪徳寺に墓を建てて弔った。そして、世界一番目の招き猫が作られたという。

There is another version of the story which tells that Naotaka Ii was standing under the tree when a cat beckoned at him. When Naotaka was approaching the cat, the tree was struck by lighting. Feeling grateful, Naotaka gave a lot of donation to the temple.

また、豪徳寺に別の説がある。直孝が豪徳寺の一本の木の下で雨宿りをしていたところ、猫が手招きをしていた。直孝がその猫に近づいたところ、先ほど雨宿りをしていた木に雷が落ちた。それを避けられたことを感謝し、直孝は豪徳寺に多くの寄進をしたというものである。

Tama !
タマ！

29 September is Maneki Neko's day. At this day, Maneki Neko festival will be held at various place such as Mie Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, and Nagasaki Prefecture.

9月29日は「招き猫の日」に制定されている。この日の前後の土日を中心に、三重県伊勢市、愛知県瀬戸市、長崎県島原市などで来る福招き猫まつりが開催されている。

Takano Fruits Parlor

2011-08-05T18:15:00.000+09:00

There are many All You Can Eat restaurant in Tokyo, such as the Guts Soul for the meat lover. For those of you fruits lover, let me introduce you a fruits buffet restaurant called Takano Fruits Parlor.

東京には食べ放題レストランが多いです。例えば,、Guts Soul、焼き肉食べ放題レストランです。Guts Soulは肉好きの方にとっておきのレストランです。果物好きの方にタカノフルーツバーを紹介する。

For 2625 Yen, you could eat fresh fruits as much as you want within 90 minutes. Not only fruits, they also have cake, salad, meat, bread, gelato, Jambalaya, pizza, drinks, etc.

2625円で90分以内に果物を好きなだけ食べることができる。果物だけではなくてケーキ、サラダ、肉、パン、ジェラート、ジャンバラヤ、ピザ、ドリンクなどもある。

Takano Fruits Parlos
Shinjuku 3-26-11 5F
TEL.03-5368-5147
The closest station is Shinjuku Station. One minute walk from East Exit.
Open from 11AM to 9 PM.

タカノフルーツバー
東京都新宿区新宿3-26-11 5F
TEL.03-5368-5147(直通)
アクセス JR新宿駅東口より徒歩1分
営業時間 11:00AM - 9:00PM

Wonder Festival 2011 Summer Coverage

2011-07-27T23:45:00.002+09:00

Here's the full coverage of Wonfes Summer 2011. Continuing from the previous post, this summer Wonfes was held in Makuhari Messe (幕張メッセ), Chiba, on July 24th. I was actually forgot about the Wonfes, luckily Danny called and invited me to come. Otherwise, you probably will never see this post. ^^;

Received the dealer and press pass from Danny. With these, you don't need to line up to come inside. Thanks, Danny. ^^

Mirai is looking lovely as usual.

Gorgeous illustration

Lovely girls

The Wonfes was opened for public at 10 AM. Once the door was opened, everyone was rushing inside trying to get their hands on the goods.

In a matter of minutes, a long line was formed already.

Danny was busy filming everything

Low angle filming, Danny ? ^^

Danny as Kotobukiya's Guest

I didn't get to see all the figures and cosplayers, but below are what I snapped. As usual, lots of these figures could cause heavy damage to your wallet. Proceed with caution.

Puchi Black Rock Shooter

Nendoroid Hatsune Miku Append Ver. (Good Smile)

Princess Knight Miku (Good Smile)

Figma Black Rock Shooter

Black Rock Shooter Beast

Tantei Opera Milky Holmes

Ikoku Meiro no Croisee

Fate Stay Night

Millhiore F. Biscotti - Dog Days

Hatsune Miku Love is War

Saber (Good Smile)

Senjougahara & Araragi - Bakemonogatari

Mayoi - Bakemonogatari

Elsie & Haqua - The World Only God Knows (Max Factory)

Ingrid - Freezing

Miku (Gift)

Kyuubei Curry

Arbalest - FMP

Griffon - Patlabor

Lelouch Lamperouge - Code Geass R2 (Mega House)

Proto Man / Blues - Megaman / Rockman

Black Rock Shooter

Nizuma Eiji - Bakuman

Ranka and Sheryl

I noticed there were lots of Madoka and Homura cosplayers.

The characters from Tiger and Bunny were also quite popular.

Danbo x Mirai !

That's all for Wonfes 2011 Summer Coverage. There are still lots of photos remaining but I will let Danny handle it. ^^

More photos could be seen at Danny's site.

Wonder Festival Summer 2011 - One Piece and Harry Potter

2011-07-25T22:41:00.002+09:00

Wonder Festival (Wonfes) is the largest annual event displaying and selling garage kit and figures of anime, mecha, and game characters. Took hundreds of photo yesterday and still haven't finished processing all photos. Will do the coverage, but meanwhile, enjoy some One Piece and Harry Potter figures. Aokiji looks amazing here.

Luffy after time skip.

Silvers Rayleigh

Luffy and Zoro

Zoro's figure is absolutely amazing. The painted color and the pose are bloody cool.

The three brothers: Luffy, Ace, and Sabo

Ace & Enel

Nami & Chopper

And behold ! The one who defeated You Know Who, Harry Potter !

Looking good, Harry.

The rest of the photos will follow later. Happy Monday !

Higashi Murayama

2011-07-23T01:20:00.000+09:00

Flowers are part of the Japanese culture. Apart from Sakura, Japan has many flowers to enjoy throughout the seasons, such as Ajisai, Kouyou, Rengeshouma, Ume, Yuri, etc. Higashi Murayama is a pretty good place to hunt flowers.

花は日本の文化の一部です。桜を始め、紫陽花、紅葉、蓮華升麻、梅、ゆりなど、色々な花を楽しむことができる。東村山は花狩り所としていい場所だと思う。

Higashi Murayama Map
東村山の地図

Make sure you take the map from the station. It's all in Japanese though.
東村山駅に地図があるから、良ければ地図を取ってください。

Iris
アイリス

Ajisai ( Hydrangea )
紫陽花

Hanashoubu ( Japanese Iris )
花菖蒲

Hollyhock + bee
タチアオイ＋蜂

Sunflower
向日葵

Shoufuku Ji

2011-06-29T15:44:00.000+09:00

Shoufuku Ji (正福寺) is a Zen Buddhist temple in Higashi Murayama (東村山). The Shoufuku Jizo Hall is registered as one of the National Treasure of Japan. It is considered to be the oldest intact building in Tokyo Prefecture and a unique example of Kamakura era architecture.

Inside the hall are thousands of small Jizo statues that were offered by worshippers during the Edo Period. Every year on November 3rd, they have a festival there. During the festival, the hall is opened and you could see the Jizo statues.

Komainu guarding the entrance.

Noticed the Zelda's Triforce symbol ?

The Triforce is actually the Hojo clan family symbol. The Hojo clan was one of the clans during the Kamakura Shogunate.

The temple address is 〒189-0022 Higashimurayama-shi 4-6 Noguchi-cho. The closest station is Higashi Murayama Station on Seibu Shinjuku Line. From there, it's just 10 minutes walk.

Dim + Tomo Pre Wedding

2011-06-25T16:31:00.002+09:00

Boy Meets Girl. Like a match made in heaven, they had a romantic encounter and fell in love with each other.

I was given the opportunity to photograph them last year in Yokohama. It was the first time for me to shoot a Japanese style pre wedding. It was lovely and super fun. <3

Jump !

Ready...

...and Jump ! Please refrain from asking me why he likes to jump ^^

Last shot before we changed place.

You are going to need to wait for a little while for their wedding photos. Until then. Happy Saturday !

Koshintei Arbor

2011-06-15T19:39:00.002+09:00

I discovered this place, Koshintei (湖心亭) Arbor, when I got lost trying to meet my friend. Gorgeous place.

Sometimes, getting lost is a good thing. ^^

As a bonus, let me share two shots from Sankeien Garden that I took on the same day. :)

Hiroshima Okonomiyaki

2011-06-10T21:35:00.000+09:00

Most of you probably have heard about Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き). Some people call it the Japanese Pancake, others called it the Japanese Pizza. The name came from the word okonomi (to one's liking) and yaki (grill/cook). As the name implies, you could put whatever ingredients you want (cabbage, egg, cheese, meat, shrimp, scallop, pork, kimchi, etc) and cook it on top of an iron griddle called teppan.

Although there are many kinds of toppings and ingredients involved, you could separate okonomiyaki into two types, Osaka (or Kansai) Okonomiyaki and Hiroshima Okonomiyaki. In Osaka, we mix the batter and ingredients first inside a bowl and then cook it on the teppan. In Hiroshima, we layer the ingredients one by one on the teppan and then press it down together while cooking. If the Hiroshima okonomiyaki is served with a layer of noodles (either yakisoba or udon), the dish is called modanyaki (modern yaki).

Most restaurants in Tokyo serve the Osaka style Okonomiyaki. Recently, I had a chance to go to Hiroshima and taste the 'real' Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki.

If you're looking for a reasonable (read: cheap and delicious) Okonomiyaki restaurant in Hiroshima, the Okonomi Monogatari Eki Mae Hiroba (お好み物語駅前ひろば) is my recommendation. It is on the 6th floor of Full Focus Building, across the street from JR Hiroshima station. There are around 20 okonomiyaki restaurants that you could choose. Price is about 900 yen.

There is also another place called the Okonomi Mura (お好み村) close to Hatchobori tram stop, but unfortunately I didn't have time to visit it.

Anyway, we decided to eat in Kyabetsu (きゃべつ). They serve lots of cabbages on their okonomiyaki.

Time to watch him cook.

First, put some cooking oil and batter on the teppan. As a note, we ordered two okonomiyaki.

Add cabbage, bean sprout, meat, shrimp, scallop, etc.

Flip it, press it down.

Add some soba or udon.

Add eggs, lots of okonomiyaki sauce, and onion. Press it again.

And there you go, the Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. What about the taste ?

It was soooo GOOD ! A must try if you go to Hiroshima.

Shuugi Bukuro ( 祝儀袋 )

2011-05-31T15:16:00.002+09:00

Last week I had the opportunity to visit a Japanese wedding in Hiroshima. There are lots of wedding custom in Japan. One of them is the Shuugi Bukuro. There is a custom in Japan to give money inside an envelope for special occasions such as wedding, new year, or funeral. The standard general envelope is called Noshi Bukuro (熨斗袋). There are also a special envelope for specific occasions, such as the Otoshidama Bukuro (お年玉袋) for giving money to kids on new year. You could easily find most of the envelopes in a stationary shop. The price ranging from 100 ~ 500 yen. Make sure you get a nice one !

The tradition of giving money gifts in an envelope goes all the way back to the samurai period. The money had always been considered as something "dirty", something that "corrupts" the society. Simply by looking at the money, you could have a corrupt mind. Because of that, the money was put inside an envelope before giving it to somebody.

Shuugi Bukuro (祝儀袋) refers to a traditional envelope (paper wrapping) to celebrate wedding or recovering from illness. First, the money is placed inside an envelope. Then the envelope is wrapped in a piece of decorative paper folded in a certain way based on what it is going to be used for. The last touch is a bow wrapped around the paper.

One thing you need to know is that there is a rule, an etiquette on how to use the Shuugi Bukuro correctly. This post is a guide to properly use the Shuugi Bukuro.

These are what you normally get when you buy the envelope.

The long thin paper is used to write a short message and your name. You only need one of them. You could use the pre-printed messages such as 御結婚御祝, 寿, 御結婚おめでとうございます, or you could write your own message on the blank paper.

Although people tends to write using brush, it is acceptable to write using normal pen.

This is the outer paper wrapping to wrap the envelope. The bow is called mizuhiki (水引). The bow knot and color have a specific meaning, such as for celebrating birth, the growth of kid, longevity, birthday, new year, etc. For wedding, the bow colors are usually white, red, gold, or silver. The black and white are used for funeral.

The bow knot needs to point upward. Make a mistake, and it will means funeral.

This is the money envelope. You need to write your name, address, and the amount on the envelope.

Did you notice the Kanji 住所 (juusho) and 氏名 (shimei) ? 住所 is for your address and 氏名 is for your full name. You need to write it vertically.

The amount (金 = kane) is usually located at the bottom. The amount differs according to your relationship to the bride or groom, your social status, and the wedding style. Family usually ranges from 50,000 ~ 100,000 yen. For relatives, 30,000 ~ 50,000 yen. As for friends and coworkers, 10,000 ~ 30,000 yen is acceptable. Couple or married couples usually give 50,000 yen as a couple, or 30,000 yen per person.

The number of bills you need to give must be an odd number. An odd number symbolizes that the newly married couple will not split up. If you decide to give 20,000 yen, you need to give 1 x 10,000 yen bill and 2 x 5,000 yen bills. 40,000 and 90,000 yen are also a big NO. The number 4 in Japanese can be pronounced as 'shi' which means 'death'. The number 9 'ku' means suffering.

The bill must be a new bill without any creases or dirt. It symbolizes the couple can start off with their freshly new life together. You could ask the bank to exchange your money with a new one.

You need to write the amount using a special Kanji for number. You also need to write 也 (nari) at the end to finalize the sum of money. Let's say you are going to give 30,000 yen. Instead of 三万円, you need to write 参萬圓也. However, these days it is okay to write 三万円.

When you put the money inside the envelope, you need to put it the same way as the photo above. The newlywed couple need to be able to see Yukichi Fukuzawa's face when they open the envelope.

Now take the paper wrapping and pull off the mizuhiki.

Unfold it.

Put the envelope inside, in the middle.

Next is the folding. Fold the top one first ! If you fold the bottom one first, it means funeral.

Put back the mizuhiki, and don't forget to write your full name there.

Now you can give your shuugi bukuro with confidence on wedding reception ! :)

Note that there is also another optional step after this. The shuugi bukuro needs to be wrapped in a small silk cloth called 袱紗 (fukusa). It is optional though.

That's it. I hope it's clear enough. There are still a lot more Japanese wedding custom. Will try to blog about it sometimes. :)

Thumbnail of Life Fan Pages

2011-05-24T18:05:00.000+09:00

Thumbnail of Life now has its own Facebook Fan Page. With Fan Pages, you could easily contact me, ask questions, or give suggestions. I will also upload photos of my daily life ( taken with iPhone ) from time to time.

Say a big hi to Thumbnail of Life Photography Fan Pages.

Izu Teddy Bear Museum

2011-05-18T15:37:00.000+09:00

Izu Teddy Bear Museum was the best Teddy Bear Museum I've ever been so far. There were lots of teddy bears of all sizes on display from all around the world. There was also 'Teddy Girl', a 1904 cinnamon Steiff bear which sold over £110,000 ( around 14.5 million yen ) at an auction in London. The museum was designed with old English style. There were store, garden, cute cafe, and a special exhibition floor. Very impressive.

The entrance sign.

It's Teddy Bear Museum 15th anniversary !

The founder of the museum was Yoshihiro Sekiguchi.

Huge huggable teddy bear. ♥

The store.

The reception area.

The special exhibition floor was on the 2nd floor.

Currently they are showing Suzy's Zoo exhibition.

Witzy, the main character from Suzy’ Zoo. He loves adventuring in the backyard with his staffed toy friends.

Boof, Witzy's best friend.

If you go to Izu, make sure you visit this place. :)

Address :
伊豆テディベア・ミュージアム
〒413-0232　静岡県伊東市八幡野1064-2
TEL 0557-54-5001　FAX 0557-54-5005

Nippon, Fight !

2011-05-07T00:22:00.001+09:00

Received this lovely drawing of Danbo from Felix yesterday. Thanks, Felix !

Head over to his galleries to see more of his work.
http://nekomancerz.deviantart.com/
http://nekomancerz.cghub.com/

Australia: Tasmaniyeaaahh !!

2011-04-26T22:06:00.000+09:00

Yeay for Tasmania ! Tasmania is an island full of natural beauty. It has everything from historical and charming towns, such as Hobart and Launceston, to breathtaking scenery, such as Bridestowe Farm. Not to mention it's only one hour flight away from Melbourne.

After spending some time in Melbourne, we took the local airline, Virgin Blue, to Devonport, a small city in the northwestern part of Tasmania.

From there, it's time for some road trip. Road trip in Tasmania is a must. In my opinion, driving in Tasmania is the best way to getting around this enchanting island. There is a flexibility in time and you could make your own itineraries based on your interest.

There are also so many things you could see along the roads.

The nature,

beautiful houses,

unique buildings,

historical places (Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia),

the animal,

sexy ducks,

and also the Jaywalkers...

One of the places that I visited was the Bridestowe Lavender Farm. The Lavender Farm is so stunning that you could call it the little Provence in Tasmania.

Jump !

There is always time for some camwhoring moments.

You just need to be a little bit careful there. There are lots of bees around the lavender.

Danbo was having fun too.

Behind the scene.

If you're on your way from Launceston to Hobart, make sure you stop at Ross Village Bakery. The pie was delicious.

Yummy indeed.

^^

Despite all of the that, the main attraction in Tasmania is not the scenery, but its remarkable and abundance wildlife. You have a good chance of seeing the wildlife in their natural habitat. There are also lots of Wildlife Park to visit, such as ZooDoo Wildlife.

Beautiful pony

Friendly wallaby

Cuteeee wombat *heart melts*

Elegant swan

Gorgeous Camel

Hello !

Tasmanian Devil. He doesn't look like a devil.

Quite cute actually. I wonder if Tasmanian people got it wrong.

THIS is the one whom they should called Tasmanian Devil !

iDanbo

2011-04-09T15:19:00.000+09:00

My Danbo is a gadget geek.

If only he could get his hands on the new iPad2, he would be very grateful. ^^

Japan Earthquake 2011 - Twitter Messages

2011-03-17T23:21:00.000+09:00

modernman15 uploaded a beautiful video of the heart-warming twitter messages and photos about Japan Earthquake. Let us help Japan !

American Red Cross
British Red Cross
Canadian Red Cross
Doctors Without Borders
Global Giving
International Medical Corps
Japanese Red Cross
Salvation Army Japan Shelterbox
World Vision

Japan Earthquake Stories from Twitter

2011-03-13T20:44:00.001+09:00

During these depressing time, I would like to share you some heartwarming stories from Japan. I hope these stories will bring some strength to people in Japan. Thanks to Jun Shiomitsu for doing a wonderful job translating it.

Jun Shiomitsu's FB Notes

Japanese people have been very open on Twitter about their experiences following the quake. These snippets of what moved them and touched them during these very trying times are heart-warming. I have attempted a rough translation on some of them so that you can have a read.

Please continue to pray for the people in Japan.

I hope these mini-stories will bring strength and encouragement to my friends and family in Japan by letting them know that, not only does the world sympathize with them, it looks up to them in admiration! My thoughts are with you.

---------------------------------------------------

* ディズニーランドでの出来事

http://twitter.com/unosuke/status/46376846505426944

ディズニーランドでは、ショップのお菓子なども配給された。ちょっと派手目な女子高生たちが必要以上にたくさんもらってて「何だ？」って一瞬思ったけど、その後その子たちが、避難所の子供たちにお菓子を配っていたところ見て感動。子供連れは動けない状況だったから、本当にありがたい心配りだった

At Tokyo Disneyland:

Tokyo Disneyland was handing out its shops’ food and drinks for free to the stranded people nearby. I saw a bunch of snobby looking highschool girls walking away with large portions of it and initially though “What the …” But I later I found out they were taking them to the families with little children at emergency evacuation areas. Very perceptive of them, and a very kind thing to do indeed.

* 国連からのメッセージ

http://twitter.com/akitosk/status/46302222346223616

国連からのコメント「日本は今まで世界中に援助をしてきた援助大国だ。今回は国連が全力で日本を援助する。」に感動した。良い事をしたら戻ってくるのです。これがいい例なのです

Message from the UN

Secretary General Ban Ki Moon: “Japan is one of (the UN’s) most generous and strongest benefactors, coming to the assistance of those in need the world over. In that spirit, the United Nations stands by the people of Japan and we will do anything and everything we can at this very difficult time.” I was moved at his words. What better example that good things happen to those who do good.

* 渋滞した交差点での出来事

http://twitter.com/micakom/status/46264887281848320

一回の青信号で１台しか前に進めないなんてザラだったけど、誰もが譲り合い穏やかに運転している姿に感動した。複雑な交差点で交通が５分以上完全マヒするシーンもあったけど、１０時間の間お礼以外のクラクションの音を耳にしなかった。恐怖と同時に心温まる時間で、日本がますます好きになった。

At a congested downtown intersection …

Cars were moving at the rate of maybe one every green light, but everyone was letting each other go first with a warm look and a smile. At a complicated intersection, the traffic was at a complete standstill for 5 minutes, but I listened for 10 minutes and didn’t hear a single beep or honk except for an occasional one thanking someone for giving way. It was a terrifying day, but scenes like this warmed me and made me love my country even more.

* 揺れている最中でも・・・

http://twitter.com/gj_neko26/statuses/46394706481004544

聞いた話でびっくりしたのが、とっさに「入口の確保」と揺れてるにも関わらず、あの状況で歩いて入口を開けた人が居たのが凄いと思った。正直、シャンデリアも証明も何時落ちるか分からないのに、凄く勇敢な人が居た事に感動した。

During the earthquake

We’ve all been trained to immediately open the doors and establish an escape route when there is an earthquake. In the middle of the quake while the building was shaking crazily and things falling everywhere, a man made his way to the entrance and held it open. Honestly, the chandelier could have crashed down any minute … that was a brave man!

* バス停で・・・

http://twitter.com/yunico_jp/status/46168394755612672

バスが全然来ない中、@saiso が、バス停の前にある薬局でカイロを買ってきて、並んで待ってる人みんなに配った！

Bus stop mini episode:

It was freezing and bus was taking ages to arrive. “@saiso” left the queue to run to a nearby pharmacy. He bought heating pads and gave one to everyone in the queue!

* ディズニーシーにて

http://twitter.com/kfstudio/status/46390032776437760

ディズニーシーに一泊した娘、無事帰宅しました！キャストのみなさんが寒い中でも笑顔で接してくれて不安を感じることなく過ごせたそうです。防寒のカイロやビニール袋、夜・朝の軽食と飲み物、おやつまで。ディズニーの素晴らしさに感動です。頑張ってくれたキャストさん、ほんとにありがとう！！

Thank you Tokyo Disney Sea

My daughter who was staying at DisneySea just made it back home! Many, many thanks to the staff who worked very hard in the cold with ready smiles that made her to feel safe and secure during the entire night. They brought her food, drinks, snacks, heating pads, and anything necessary to ensure she was comfortable and secure throughout her stay. I was touched by the Disney staff’s warmth and hospitality. Thank you so much!

* 日本人の良さを再認識

http://twitter.com/VietL/status/46376383592677376

この地震が、きっかけになって、失いかけていた日本人本来の良さが戒間見れた気がする。犯罪はする様子はなく、助け合い、律儀、紳士的。普段日本人は冷たい人が多い…。って個人的に感じてるんだけど、多くの人が今回で「絆」を取り戻しつつあるように見えて、それがなんか感動して、泣けてくる。

Reminded of the goodness of the Japanese people

This earthquake has reminded me of that Japanese goodness that had recently become harder and harder to see. Today I see no crime or looting: I am reminded once again of the good Japanese spirit of helping one another, of propriety, and of gentleness. I had recently begun to regard my modern countrymen as cold people … but this earthquake has revived and given back to all of us the spirit of “kizuna” (bond, trust, sharing, the human connection). I am very touched. I am brought to tears.

* 段ボールに感動

http://twitter.com/aquarius_rabbit/status/46213254376210432

ホームで待ちくたびれていたら、ホームレスの人達が寒いから敷けって段ボールをくれた。いつも私達は横目で流してるのに。あたたかいです。

Card board boxes, Thank you!

It was cold and I was getting very weary waiting forever for the train to come. Some homeless people saw me, gave me some of their own cardboard boxes and saying “you’ll be warmer if you sit on these!” I have always walked by homeless people pretending I didn’t see them, and yet here they were offering me warmth. Such warm people.

* 外国人から見た日本人

http://twitter.com/kiritansu/status/46335057689980928

外国人から見た地震災害の反応。物が散乱しているスーパーで、落ちているものを律儀に拾い、そして列に黙って並んでお金を払って買い物をする。運転再開した電車で混んでるのに妊婦に席を譲るお年寄り。この光景を見て外国人は絶句したようだ。本当だろう、この話。すごいよ日本。

What foreigners are saying about Japanese people

At a supermarket where everything was scattered everywhere over the floors, shoppers were helping pick them up and putting them back neatly on the shelves before quietly moving into line to wait to pay for them. On the totally jam-packed first train after the quake, an elderly man gave up his seat for a pregnant woman. Foreigners have told me they are amazed witnessing sights like these. I do believe they actually saw what they said they saw. Japan is truly amazing.

* メディアの動きについて

http://twitter.com/V10CENTAURO/statuses/46388641001508864

ツイッターやＵＳＴでの状況共有と、それに連動するマスコミの動きは、阪神淡路大震災の時とは比べ物にならない質の高さを感じる。もちろん過去の辛い経験から得た教訓を、みんな活かそうとしている感動。

Information network this time around

The information sharing efforts on Twitter or USTREAM, together with the quality of coverage and crucial updates provided by the mass media this time around is incomparable to what we got during the Kobe earthquake. I am deeply impressed by Japan’s successful efforts and ability to put to practice lessons learnt from past tragedies.

* 絵師さん

http://twitter.com/izumi823/statuses/46387948681297920

絵師さんたちがこの地震でみんなに元気付けようと必死に美しい絵や励ましのイラストを描いていることに感動。みんな自分にできることをしたいと思っているんだね。

Touch of art

I saw artists and painters trying to keep things upbeat by painting or drawing beautiful or encouraging drawings for the evacuees around them. I was touched at how everyone was doing their very best to help.

* BBCの報道

http://twitter.com/bozzo1985/status/46228470614855681

本当に感動。泣けてくる。⇒BBCめっちゃ誉めてる。地球最悪の地震が世界で一番準備され訓練された国を襲った。その力や政府が試される。犠牲は出たが他の国ではこんなに正しい行動はとれないだろう。日本人は文化的に感情を抑制する力がある。

BBC Reports

The words of BBC’s reports are so moving they make me cry. They were praising us with words of admiration! “One of the worst earthquakes in recorded history has hit the world’s most well-prepared, well-trained nations. The strength of its government and its people are put to the test. While there have been casualties, in no other country could the government and the people have worked together in such an accurate and coordinated way in the face of such tragedy. The Japanese people have shown their cultural ability to remain calm in the face of adversity.”

* 父親の行動

http://twitter.com/s_hayatsuki/status/46386255767937024

1階に下りて中部電力から関東に送電が始まってる話をしたら、普段はTVも暖房も明かりもつけっぱなしの父親が何も言わずに率先してコンセントを抜きに行った。少し感動した。

A little story about Papa

We live in an area that was not directly hit. When my father came downstairs and heard the news saying that our area had begun allocating electricity to the hard-hit areas, he quietly led by example, turning off the power around the house and pulling the plugs out of their sockets. I was touched. He usually NEVER turns off the lights or the AC or the TV or anything!

* 整列する日本人

http://twitter.com/HASUNA_Natsuko/status/46331839136276480

日本人すごい！！こんな時にも山手線ホームできれいに整列してる …涙。有楽町駅を上から眺む。 http://twitpic.com/48kn1u

Japanese people don’t shove

I'm looking at Yurakucho station from above. I see people standing in line, not pushing or shoving to get onto the Yamanote Line (probably the busiest line in central Tokyo), even at a time like this!

* パン屋

http://twitter.com/ayakishimoto/statuses/46403599743451136

昨日の夜中、大学から徒歩で帰宅する道すがら、とっくに閉店したパン屋のおばちゃんが無料でパン配給していた。こんな喧噪のなかでも自分にできること見つけて実践している人に感動。心温まった。東京も捨てたもんじゃないな。

The bakery lady

There was a small bread shop on the street I take to go to school. It has long been out of business. But last night, I saw the old lady of the shop giving people her handmade bread for free. It was a heart-warming sight. She, like everyone else, was doing what she could to help people in a time of need. Tokyo isn’t that bad afterall!

* 日本ってすごい

http://twitter.com/tksksks/statuses/46403815397801984

日本って凄い。官僚も民間も、皆で助けようとしてる。トラックの運転手も有志で物資運んでるらしいし、東北の交通整備をヤクザさんがやってるという話も聞いた。最近、日本に対して誇りを持てないことが続いていたけれど、そんなことない。日本は凄い国だ。素直に感動してる。日本国の皆さん頑張ろう！

Japan is a wonderful nation!

Both the government and the people, everyone is helping one another today. There are truck drivers helping evacuees move. I even heard that the “yakuza” (gangsters, organized crime groups) are helping to direct traffic in the Tohoku region! There have been many recent developments that have made me lose my sense of pride in my country, but not anymore. Japan is an amazing place! I’m just simply touched. Go Japan!

* twitterすごい

http://twitter.com/bobiko009/statuses/46403721046933504

Twitterの方々の情報とかが一致団結しててすごくたすかります。みなさま親切です！！こういうとき、なんか、感動します。最近は近所とつきあいなかったり冷たい世の中だとか思ってたけどそんなことなかったね。

Twitter is amazing!

The information shared to us all by the twitter community has been amazingly consistent with each other and has been so helpful. Thank you Twitterers! I’m very moved. People recently talk about social networks replacing traditional social life and making people cold and unsociable in real life. But … I guess that’s not true at all.

* ドイツ人の友達

http://twitter.com/sikkoku_otsuyu/status/46392832893796352

ドイツ人の友達が地震が起きた時に渋谷に居て、パニックになっていた所を日本人に助けてもらったらしく、その時の毅然とした日本人の態度や足並み乱さずに店の外に出てやるべきことを淡々とこなす姿にひどく感動し、まるでアーミーのようだったと言っていた。

From a German friend

A German friend of mine was in Shibuya (downtown Tokyo shopping district) when the earthquake hit. He was panicking when a Japanese passerby saved him, taking him into a building. My friend was blown away at how calm and disciplined this Japanese man was. He went out of the building with firm, unfaltering steps, did everything he was trained to do and came back. My German friend was deeply impressed by the Japanese people’s actions during the earthquake, saying they looked like a trained army.

* スーパーでの出来事

http://twitter.com/endless_6/status/46395420523503616

スーパーで無事買物出来ましたヽ(´o｀；でもお客さんのほとんどが他の人の事を考えて必要最低限しか買わない感じだったのが感動しました（涙）

At the supermarket

I just came back safely from the supermarket! Man, I was so touched at how everyone there was mindful of others, buying only as much as they needed and leaving the rest for the people behind them.

* 御殿場で

http://twitter.com/Raaaaayuu/statuses/46392890313801728

実際日本すごいよ。昨日信号が一カ所も機能していない御殿場市でもお互いにドライバー同士譲り合ってたし、地元のおじいちゃんおばあちゃんが手信号やってくれてたりで、混乱もなく本当感動した。9時間運転してたけど前車を煽るようなドライバーはもちろんいなかったし、みんな譲り合い精神。

Gotenba traffic

Japan is really something! Yesterday, not a single traffic light was functioning in Gotenba City. But drivers knew to take turns at intersections and give way to others when needed. Local people were using flags to direct traffic at intersections. I drove for 9 hours but never saw a single car trying to get in front of another. Every single driver on the road contributed to the traffic situation and as a result there was no confusion at all.

* 「みんな」

http://twitter.com/n_yum/statuses/46388003706380288

タクシー運ちゃんと電車駅員さんとおばさんと話したけど、みんな遅くまで帰れなかったりしてすごく疲れているのに、苛立つ事なく、言葉遣いもふるまいも丁寧で、逆に気遣われてしまった。｢みんな大変だから｣という"みんな"って意識があることに感動するし、私も受け継いで大事にしたい文化。

“All of us”

I spoke with an old taxi driver and some elderly staff at the train stations. All of them had been working non-stop and had not been able to go home for a long time. They were visibly very tired, but never once did they show any sign of impatience; they were gentle and very caring. They told me “… because all of us are in this together.” I was touched at what the notion of “all of us” meant to these elderly people. It is a value I will treasure and carry on to my generation.

* 日本の強さ

http://twitter.com/dita_69/status/46309373458382849

サントリーの自販機無料化softbankWi-Fiスポット解放、色んな人達が全力で頑張っててそれに海外が感動・協力してる。海外からの援助受け入れに躊躇したり自衛隊派遣を遅らせたりしてた阪神淡路大震災の頃より日本は確実に強い国になってるんだ。みんな頑張ろう。

A strong Japan

Suntory Beverages has set up free vending machines. Softbank Telephone services is offering free Wifi spots. Everyone in Japan is putting everything they can into helping one another. Japan is also now receiving aid from abroad. Compared to the Kobe earthquake, when Japan took too long to contemplate accepting foreign aid or dispatching the self-defense force to join the rescue effort, Japan has definitely grown into a far stronger nation. Be strong, everyone!

* 朝礼

http://twitter.com/kyoheimai/status/46374747755388928

今朝の朝礼で「何があっても決して不安な顔は見せずに売り場に立つ以上はおもてなしをする気持ちを忘れずにお客様を安心させてあげてください」ちょっと感動した。がんばるか。開店です!

Morning Ceremony

At the shopping center I work at, every morning we have a ritual (common in Japan) where we stand and recite, “No matter what the situation, I will never show anxiety before my customer; in all customer-facing situations I will treat my customers with respect and do everything I can to make them feel comfortable and at ease”. Today, these words were all actually kind of touching. Well, so the day begins! Here we go people, open shop!

* 井上さん

http://twitter.com/frankyonn/status/46401442583552000

井上雄彦さんがものすごい勢いで笑顔のイラストをいっぱいあげてて感動する。励ましとか勇気とかメッセージって、こういうことなんだなーと思う。ＲＴ@inouetake Smile42.

Mr. Inoue

Mr. Inoue has been churning out drawings of smiling and laughing faces at an amazing pace! Things like this remind me again of what it truly means to give people a message of strength and courage.

* 学び

http://twitter.com/chaos_chaotic/statuses/46388646038876160

TLの拡散希望を見て思ったことは、阪神淡路大地震から学んだことがとても多くツイートされていること。当たり前のことなんだけど、やはり人間は、学んで考えることができる生き物なんだと改めて思い、感動した。

Lessons Learnt

What caught my attention on twitter is that a lot of the tweets were about the Kobe earthquake and how what we have learned from it has been put into practice this time around. I know it goes without saying, but I was once again reminded of how humans are indeed creatures that possess the amazing ability to think and learn from experience. It’s a great thought.

* ローマから

http://twitter.com/tsubakianna/statuses/46387133396688896

ローマにいる友達からメール。ローマの人々はニュースを見ながらこのような状況でも冷静に対処する日本人に感動し、尊敬の念を覚えながら、非常に心配しているとのことです。

Message from a friend in Rome

My friend in Rome emailed me. He said that people in Rome are watching the news and sharing their amazement and their heartfelt respect at how, even at a time like this, the people of Japan are able to remain calm and systematically respond to the situation. People in Rome are thinking of us and are very concerned for us.

* 声をかけること

http://twitter.com/RUMI88LoL/statuses/46342599149240320

昨日、裏の家の高１になるお兄ちゃんに感動した。家に１人で居たらしく、地震後すぐ自転車で飛び出し近所をひと回り。【大丈夫ですか―――！？】と道路に逃げてきた人達にひたすら声掛けてた。あの時間には老人や母子しか居なかったから、声掛けてくれただけでもホッとしたよ。ありがとう。

A strong voice

Yesterday, I was impressed and touched by the actions of my neighbor’s 13-year-old-boy. He was home alone when the earthquake hit. But instead of hiding, as soon as the earthquake quieted down, he jumped on his bicycle and road around the block repeatedly shouting at the top of his voice, “Is everyone alright? Is everyone okay?” At the time, there were only women and children and the elderly in the homes. I cannot describe how comforting it was just to hear a strong voice asking if I was okay. Thank you!

* 助け合い

http://twitter.com/sorry_no_user/statuses/46332985133375488

警備員の友人何人かが町田〜相模大野で夜間警備のボランティアをしていたので手伝ってきた。年齢問わずいろんな知らない人同士が助け合っていて心強かった。ちょっと感動してトイレの隅で泣いた。

The beauty of helping one another

I went out last night to help some friends who were volunteering as security personnel between Machida City and Sagami Ohno City. I saw total strangers, both young and old, helping each other along everywhere I turned and was heartened with an overwhelming feeling of encouragement. I was so touched I hid behind the toilets and cried.

* バイクでよければ

http://twitter.com/hikaru_star/statuses/46332900928532480

僕は感動しました。バイトの先輩が1人でも救うために寒い中紙に「バイクでよければ送ります」と書き駅前で掲げ鳶職のお兄ちゃんを所沢まで送ったそうです。世の中まだ捨てたもんじゃないなって思いました。本当に尊敬です！！自分もなんか人の役に立ちたいと生まれて初めて思いました。

I just have a bike

I’m so touched! My colleague at my part time job, wanting to help even just one extra person, wrote a sign saying “I just have a bike, but if you don’t mind hop on!”, rode out on his motorbike, picked up a stranded construction worker and took him all the way to Tokorozawa! Respect! I have never felt so strongly that I want to do something helpful for others.

* 乗り合い

http://twitter.com/pao313/statuses/46332792174411776

浦和美園からタクシー使えると思ったのが甘かった…30分歩いてたら知らない人が車に乗せてくれた（つд；*) 人間の優しさに感動。ありがとうございました。

Sharing your ride

It was stupid of me to think I could catch a cab at Urawamien Station. I ended up walking 30 minutes and then finally was picked up by a stranger who offered to give me a lift. I’m touched by the warmth of human kindness. Thank you, thank you!

* 開放

http://twitter.com/robasuke23/statuses/46326711935172609

昨日、歩いて帰ろうって決めて甲州街道を西へ向かっていて夜の21時くらいなのに、ビルの前で会社をトイレと休憩所として解放してる所があった。社員さんが大声でその旨を歩く人に伝えていた。感動して泣きそうになった。いや、昨日は緊張してて泣けなかったけど、今思い出してないてる。

Rest here!

Last night, I decided, rather than stay at the office, I should try walking home. So I slowly made my way west on Koshu freeway on foot. It was around 9PM when I saw an office building that had a sign that said “Please use our office’s bathrooms! Please rest here!” The employees of the office were loudly shouting out the same to all the people trying to walk home. I was so touch I felt like crying. Well, I guess I was too tense yesterday to cry, but now the tension is wearing off and am very much in tears.

* コンビニ

http://twitter.com/sugarun/statuses/46323030732967936

停電地区のほとんどの店が店を閉めてる中、あるセブンイレブンが店内陳列棚にいくつもろうそくを置いて、営業をしていた。レジが使えないため在庫確認用のハンディで値段確認し読み上げ、もう1人が電卓で計算、もうひとりが懐中電灯で照らす。その状態でレジ２台稼動させていた。感動した。

At the convenience store

While most of the convenience stores near the station were closed because of the quake, there was just one Seven Eleven that was open. The employees had lit lots of candles and put them on the stores shelves. The cash register was not working and they could not take inventory, so the employees worked in threes, one reading up the item description and price, another punching the numbers into a calculator, and the last one using a flashlight to help them work. The store managed to operate both “cash registers” efficiently this way. Impressed!

* 避難所

http://twitter.com/msakatan/statuses/46302864980705280

長女いわく、横浜の避難所に向かう時に、知らない人達と声を掛け合い、場所を教え合っていたそうです。普段は冷たいと思っていた他人の優しさに触れ、感動したそうです。日本人のいざという時の団結力を再認識しました。まだまだ日本も捨てたものではないです。

On the way to the emergency evacuation area

My oldest daughter was making her way to Yokohama’s emergency evacuation area. Total strangers were helping each other out and showing each other the way to the emergency evacuation area. She told me she was moved at how strangers, who can seem so cold at times, showed her kindness and care. I was reminded at the Japanese peoples’ inherent ability to immediately unite in the face of adversity. Today, I have discovered a newfound faith in my nation and my people.

* 呼びかけ

http://twitter.com/akanensm/status/46214540161064960

何時間も歩き続けてたんだけど、至る所でトイレかしますとか、休憩できますとか言うビルや飲食店が沢山あって感動しました。とある企業ビルの人がボランティアで、○○線運転再開ですー！とか、休憩できますー！！って呼びかけてるの見て感動して泣きそうになったマジでw日本も捨てたもんじゃないな

A big, kind voice

I’ve been walking for many hours now. I’m touched at how everywhere I turn, there are shops open with people shouting “Please use our bathroom!” or “Please rest here!” There were also office buildings where people with access to information were voluntarily shouting out helpful tips, like “**** line is now operational!” Seeing things like this after walking for hours and hours made me feel like weeping with gratitude. Seriously, there is still hope for this country!

* ホームにて

http://twitter.com/masa_kisshie/statuses/46323838316843008

都営大江戸線の光ヶ丘方面行きは、非常に混雑しています。ホームにも、改札の外にも、電車を待つ溢れんばかりの人。でも、誰一人列を崩さず、通路を開け、係員の誘導に従っている。ロープがあるわけでもないのに、通る人のための通路スペースが。その不自然なほどの快適さに、ただただ感動するばかり。

On the platform

The Oedo Subway Line for Hikarigaoka is very congested. On the platform and at the gate there are just crowds and crowds of people waiting for the train. But in all the confusion, every last person is neatly lined up waiting his or her turn while managing to keep a passage of space open for staff and people going the other way. Everyone is listening to the instructions from the staff and everyone acts accordingly. And amazingly … there isn’t even a rope or anything in sight to keep people in queue or open space for staff to pass, they just do! I am so impressed at this almost unnatural orderliness! I have nothing but praise for these people!

* 駅員さん

http://twitter.com/tadakatz/status/46274214654787584

終夜運転のメトロの駅員に、大変ですねって声かけたら、笑顔で、こんな時ですから！だって。捨てたもんじゃないね、感動した。

Station staff

I said to a Tokyometro station staff who was on all-night duty, “I’m sure it has been a tough night for you. Thank you.” He responded with a smile, “On a night like this, gladly!” I was touched.

* おっちゃん

http://twitter.com/sumonya/status/46479563412348928

昨日4時間かけて歩いて帰ってきた主人。赤羽で心が折れそうになってた時「お寒い中大変ですね！あったかいコーヒーどうぞ！」って叫びながら無料配布してるおっちゃんに出会った。これがあったから頑張れたそうだ。もう5回もこの話をしてくるので本当に嬉しかったんだと思う。おっちゃんありがとう。

Coffee

My husband finally got home very late last night after walking for 4 hours. He told me he felt like giving up at around Akabane, when an elderly man who was going around handing out free coffee saw him, gave him a steaming cup and said, “You must be tired and cold. Here, have some coffee!” My husband told me that it was because of this elderly man that he found the will and strength to continue walking. I’ve already heard this story from him five times tonight, so no doubt he was really, really touched! Thank you to my husband’s anonymous helper!

* 献血の列

http://twitter.com/NOBCHIDORI/status/46477518169047040

日本は強いです！大阪難波の献血施設は被災地の方の為に超満員の順番待ちでした。私欲の無い列を初めて見ました。感動しました。被災地の方々、全国でその辛さを受け止めます。諦めずに頑張って下さい！

Blood donations

Japan is strong! At Osaka I saw a LONG line of people waiting to give blood at the blood donation center. This is the first time I have seen such a queue of selfless people waiting patiently in line just to give. It was a moving sight! To everyone in the hard-hit areas, we your countrymen accept your suffering as our own and we share in your grief. Do not give up! Stay strong!

* 節電営業

http://twitter.com/hisyakakukeima/status/46584079558250496

近所のスーパー・サミットに来てみたら、通常深夜1時まで営業なのに大きい看板が付いていなかった。早めに店を閉めたのかと思ったら、外の電気だけ消して節電しつつ営業していた。ちょっと感動

Saving electricity for the North

I went to my neighborhood supermarket and was initially surprised that their neon signs were off. They usually are open till 1AM. I then found out that they were open, but were saving electricity so that more power could be channeled to the hard-hit coastal areas. Wow!

* 買うのやめるわ

http://twitter.com/raai15/status/46546475362160640

バイト先に若いお兄さんたちが軍団でお酒を買いに来たんだけど、その中の一人が｢やべえ、オレお酒のためにしかお金持ってきてないから募金できん。ちょっとこれ買うのやめるわ｣って言って商品返品してそのお金全部募金してた。お友達も続々と募金しててすごい感動した。すごいよ

Not enough money!

At the store where I work, a huge group of young men suddenly came in to buy booze. One of them suddenly said, “Oops, I only have enough money to buy booze, I can’t donate! Forget the booze, maybe next time!” and instead put ALL his money into the disaster relief donation box. One by one, every single one of the army of youths threw all their money into the box after him. What a heart-warming sight that was!

* いつでも買える

http://twitter.com/7474529/status/46565903520907264

今日、募金箱に金髪にピアスの若い兄ちゃんが万札数枚入れていた。そしてその友人に｢ゲームなんていつでも買えるからな｣と言っていたのが聞こえて私含め周りの人達も募金していた。人は見た目じゃないことを実感した。そんなお昼でした。この話感動しました。

Goth youth

A goth youth with white hair and body piercings walked into my store and shoved several hundred dollars (several tens of thousands of yen) into the disaster relief fund donation box. As he walked out, I and people around me heard him saying to his buddies, “I mean, we can buy those games anytime!” At that, we all opened our wallets and put our money into the donation box. Really, you cannot judge people by their appearances.

* 絶対うまいはず

http://twitter.com/kyugatimuti/statuses/46594200061493249

僕も秋葉からの帰りにおにぎりとみそ汁配ってる方に会いました、感動しました、チャリだったからダイジョブです他の人にって言ったけどもらっておけばよかったなぁ絶対うまかったと思う

They looked absolutely delicious!

I too saw the guy handing out free rice balls and miso soup on the way back from Akihabara. I was on my bicycle so I told him, “I’m okay, please give it to other people!” On hindsight, I should have taken one … they looked absolutely delicious!!

* お菓子いっぱい

http://twitter.com/moebamuse/status/46379810217406465

すごい。弟たった今ディズニーランドから帰宅したんだけど。新品のお菓子袋いっぱいにもらってきて、客全員分の帰りの交通費負担してくれたんだって。一晩中、何か言えば全て対応してくれたって。やっぱり世界のディズニーランドなんだね。

Another Disney episode

Amazing! My brother just managed to get home from Disneyland right now. He’s got bags and bags of free sweets. Furthermore, Disneyland paid for every customer’s travel fare back. All night long, the staff responded immediately and fully to every request he made. Disneyland is truly a world class brand!

* 困ったときは！

http://twitter.com/ryoshun49/statuses/46605524434821120

昨日青葉台駅で帰宅困難者が溢れる中、車に乗ってる人が「○○方面の方どうぞ！」って行って車に乗せてた。「困った時はみんな一緒ですから！」って言ってた。超感動したの思い出した。

Same boat!

Last night, Aobadai station was jammed with stranded people unable to get home. But there were private cars with drivers shouting “If you’re going in the direction of ****, please hop on!” I was able to hitch a ride on one of them. When I thanked the driver, he replied “No worries! We’re all on the same boat. We have to stick together!”

* 充電されたい方は・・・・

http://twitter.com/yamachin_x1/statuses/46609620210421760

避難所にいたときに、社会人1年生で、研修でこっちにきてた女の子が、たまたま携帯のバッテリーも持参してたらしく、体育館のコンセントを使用する許可ももらい、「携帯の充電をされたい方は、ご自由につかってください」と呼びかけて回ってたんだ。僕はその子にとても感動したんだよ･･

Need to charge your phone?

At the emergency evacuation area, a young first-year intern at my company who had brought her phone’s charger got permission from the facility to use their power socket and went around shouting “Anyone need to charge their phone? Please use my charger!” Just a little thing, but I was touched.

Great Tohoku Earthquake

2011-03-12T10:46:00.009+09:00

Yesterday around 2.46 PM, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Pacific Ocean nearby Northeastern Japan causing damage with blackouts, fires and tsunami.

In Tokyo, nothing in my vicinity was collapsed, however street was full of people. The never ending aftershocks were stressful ( Even now the aftershocks still haven't stopped ). All phones were down. Trains stopped moving. Thankfully, the internet was okay so we could got news and information using email, facebook and twitter. We could also reached our loved ones with Skype, Whatsapp, Pingchat, or Viber.

Currently Tokyo is quite safe and we only got minor damage. We still in alert for the follow up quake, but Tokyo people are okay. Most of train lines already reopened. However the condition in Sendai and Miyagi are really bad. It's so depressing to see what the earthquake and tsunami left behind. Let's pray for them.

Below are some resources and links about the earthquakes and tsunami. Let me know if you have more.

Emergency line for non-Japanese speakers
An emergency line has been set up for non-Japanese speakers, on 050 5814 7230 and 03 5366 6001.
English, Chinese, Korean are available 24 hours a day.
Portuguese and Spanish between 9am-8pm.

Live TV
Fuji TV
BBC

News
Time Out Japan Live Report
Time Out Japan Live Report 2

Public Shelters
Time Out
Google Map Tokyo Shelter

Train Status
JR East

How to Help
Technolog List

Check Person Phone Number
Docomo
AU
Softbank

Others
Google Person Finder
Google Crisis Response
Japan Meteorological Agency
Gakuranman live update

Australia: Melbourne Food

2011-03-05T21:52:00.000+09:00

The food culture is strong in Melbourne. There are plenty of good restaurants, cafes, and open market to satisfy your hunger. I kinda wish some of those restaurants are in Japan to satisfy my need. :)

Time for Food Photos ! You have been warned. ^^

Hutong Dumpling Bar was our first food stop in Melbourne. After we checked into our hotel, we made our way down to Market Lane to Hutong Dumpling Bar.

The famous Hutong's Xiao Long Bao. Inside the dumpling were minced pork and mushrooms. The skin (wrapper) was a bit thick. It tasted quite juicy and yummy, but not as great as Din Tai Fung's.

Mapo Tofu

Overall, Hutong was pretty satisfying. The Xiao Long Bao wasn't as good as I expected though.

Max Brenner. As a chocolate lover, I was addicted to it when my friend introduced it to me in Singapore.

Danbo loves it too.

However, Koko Black has always been my favorite. Koko Black is heaven for chocolate lover.

Yummy.

Pie in The Sky. The best pie that I've ever had so far. The pastry was light and the filling was delicious.

Pho Bo Ga Mekong was the best Vietnamese Restaurant that I've ever known. The noodle soup, broken rice, and spring rolls were delicious. It was cheap too.

I'm getting hungry after writing this. Anyway, Happy Saturday !

Australia: Melbourne

2011-02-26T11:37:00.001+09:00

Melbourne, the second most populous city in Australia. It is located in the south-eastern part of mainland Australia, within the state of Victoria. It is also the capital of Victoria.

Melbourne has wonderful, vibrant art and culture scenes all around the city. There are a lot of interesting architectures and urban arts in Melbourne which gives the city a unique character. The foods are terrific, and the cafe culture is fantastic.

Melbourne was ranked as one of the top three World's Most Livable Cities by the Economist Group's Intelligence Unit on 2002.

We stayed at Oaks Apartment for a few days. The apartment was clean and quiet. It had everything we needed. The rooms were spacious, and the view from the balcony was gorgeous. The only bad thing was the car park system. It was confusing.

Marvelous view from the balcony.

Everything looks like a miniature of the town.

Danbo's taking a nap for a while.

After checked in, we strolled down the street to enjoy the city.

Flinders Street Station

Hosier Lane, popular for its graffiti walls.

Graffiti walls everywhere !

Royal Arcade

Enjoying some delish chocolates at Koko Black.

Got some chocolates for Danbo too.

Coops Shot Tower at Melbourne Central

Melbourne Museum

Huge Rubix Cube

Satisfied with the city, we went out of the city to enjoy the colorful Brighton Beach Huts.

Cherry Picking at Cherryhill.

Board the Puffing Billy at Belcrave.

And that was my Melbourne story. Happy Saturday, everyone !

Australia: Bondi Beach

2011-02-17T20:50:00.000+09:00

Sydney is renowned for its beaches which attract thousands of people all year round. The city has plenty of golden beaches such as Bondi, Tamarama, Bronte, Coogee, and Maroubra. Among them, Bondi Beach is one of Australia's most famous beaches. Not only that Bondi beach is a popular beach in Australia but also among the world's most well-known beaches. For surfer, Bondi Beach has big waves that make it a perfect place for surfing.

The Bondi beach is about one kilometer long, and it is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district.

"Bondi" is derived from an Aboriginal word which means as like water breaking over rocks or noise of water breaking over rocks.

If you travel to Sydney, make sure you visit this beach otherwise you would miss one of the Sydney's beauty.

Australia: The Harbour City Sydney

2011-02-11T11:40:00.003+09:00

Knowing how much Australia has to offer and how little time we had, it's difficult to decide which places to go. Australia is big, and we only had 10 days to explore Australia. Getting to know Australia will be a difficult task. With that in mind, we narrowed it down to three: Sydney, Melbourne, and Tasmania.

The Harbour City, Sydney, is known as the largest, oldest, and most beautiful city in Australia. Sydney is a multicultural city. You could easily notice the differences in race, culture, art, fashion, and cuisine in the city.

There are plenty of things to do in Sydney. First of all, it would be strange to visit Sydney without making a trip to Circular Quay and look at two Australia’s most recognizable icons: The Harbour Bridge and The Opera House.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge, the world's largest steel arch bridge. Built by 1400 men over eight years, the bridge was opened in 1932.

If you want to experience something different, you can go to the BridgeClimb and climb to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It's not as scary as I imagined. It's a very interesting experience, and you could see the sunrise or the sunset from the top.

I've been there once. ^^

Close to them is the Royal Botanic Gardens. You can take a walk, have a picnic, take a bike ride, watch seagulls, or you can just lie on the grass, have a short nap and enjoy the weather.

Or you could just bring Danbo out to enjoy some fresh air.

Take a ferry ride to enjoy a different view of the harbour from the deck.

You don't need to worry about food in Sydney. There are plenty of restaurants offering all kinds of menus to suit your taste from Asian to Western cuisines. For Asian restaurants, I recommend eating at Chat Thai or Mamak. For chocolate lover, too bad there is no Koko Black in Sydney. :(

Nasi Lemak.

Mamak's mee goreng. A must try food.

Fresh fish from Sydney Fish Market.

Sydney's New Year Eve Fireworks

With all that Sydney has to offer, who doesn't love Sydney ?

Australia Trip

2011-02-02T19:02:00.000+09:00

Procrastinating. Guilty as charged. That's me. Sorry for not updating my blog in a while. Whenever I had time, I ended up doing something else other than blogging. By the time I realized, a month has passed and it's already February. I blame Dexter for that.

Anyway, the blog theme will temporarily focus on Australia. I often heard a lot of bad things about Australia. Venomous snakes, spiders, sharks, etc. But when I asked my friends about Australia, they all love Australia. For good reasons.

Last month, I finally got a chance to see the country closely. I found out that there were so many things to do, and so many wonderful things to be discovered there.

I could tell you one thing now. I love Australia. :)

2010

2011-01-11T11:51:00.000+09:00

Whenever I reach the end of year, I usually spend my time to look back and think how fast time flies. 2010 for me was a memorable year. Lots of good and bad, happy and sad things happened in 2010. So many things happened that I couldn't really follow what had happened.

There is one great thing about blogging your life. During this time of year, bloggers could go through our own blog to go through the entries. Looking at the photos that we've taken through out the years, reading the words we wrote, and recalling back how we felt at that day at that time. With those we could easily remember our stories.

Let’s take a quick look of the things that I did in 2010.

I started using twitter at the end of January. Didn't like it in the beginning, but now I use it everyday. It's really easy to get and share information with it.

Went snowboarding to Hakuba Goryu, one of the most gorgeous ski resorts in Japan.

Attended Wonfes 2010 on February to take photos of the cosplayers.

February was also the month when the CGM Night 7 was organized.

Took a flight to Singapore to meet with friends.

While I was in Singapore, I also had a chance to meet and do photoshoot with Kodomut and Yukito.

Celebrating my one year of blogging.

Did something different on April. It was my first time shooting a pre-wedding Photography. Will continue doing the wedding photography. Contact me if you want one. :)

Took a journey to Gongendou Koen to see an amazing park full of sakura and nanohana.

Walked down to Hitsujiyama Koen to see Shibazakura. Lovely garden.

May is Eva's birthday. She is my dear friend who no longer live in Japan. Decided to give a birthday surprise to her. Came up with this idea, and I was happy that my friends agreed to help me do this.

Braved myself and set off to Sanrio Puroland, the land of cuteness.

Headed to Hiratsuka on early July to see the biggest Tanabata Festival.

Visited Doraemon's Grave to pay my respect to Hiroshi Fujimoto.

Challenged myself by climbing Mount Fuji. Amazing experience.

Revisited Singapore during my holiday. I was actually thinking of moving to Singapore but decided to stay in Japan.

Bought the Seishun 18 Kippu ticket and went to Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan National Treasures.

Tagging along with Danny to film Culture Japan: Akihabara episode. Learned a lot about filming.

November is the month to enjoy the autumn colors. Spent some quality time at Yamanashi Prefecture and Showa Kinen Koen enjoying what nature has to offer,

and doing lots of happy thing with friends.

And that was a quick summary of my 2010. Good bye 2010 and HELLOOO.... 2011 !!

Let's all trying our best, aiming for the sky, to make a fabulous 2011. Happy New Year !

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T00:08:00.000+09:00

It's Christmas ! Hang up your socks cause Santa Danbo is coming to the town. Merry Christmas. Wish you have a fun Christmas and a joyful New Year.

Danbo got a lot of presents this year. :)

Showa Kinen Koen

2010-12-01T00:22:00.002+09:00

Showa Kinen Koen is one of the nicest park I've ever seen in Japan. It's a little bit out of the way from the city but the nature is gorgeous. It is a perfect destination to watch the fall colors.

The closest station is Nishi Tachikawa Station (JR Ome Line). You could also get off at Tachikawa Station (JR Chuo Line) and walk a bit to reach the park.

The entrance fee is 400 yen. 80 yen if you can pretend that you're still 15 years old.

This park is huge. Really huge. With 400+ acres of nature, you could spend the whole day inside the park.

There are lot of things you could do inside the park. You can watch the beauty of nature from Tulip to Cosmos to Bonsai, go bird watching, cycling, jogging, take a boat, have a BBQ, olay at Children's Forest, play croquet, mini golf, futsal, etc. Even if you just want to read a book under the shade of tree, this park is just perfect.

It's also a good place to take photos of Danbo. :)

The beauty of nature. :)

Gorgeous place. I will definitely revisit this place in the future.

Autumn Colors

2010-11-24T23:53:00.000+09:00

The Fall season is upon us. I brought my little Danbo with me around so he could enjoy the beauty of autumn. Danbo just love the colors of autumn. :)

The Road to Success

2010-11-16T15:56:00.001+09:00

is currently under construction....

Odaiba Statue of Liberty

2010-11-08T16:24:00.003+09:00

Back in April 1998, to celebrate and strengthen the France - Japan relationship, the original French Statue of Liberty was briefly put in Japan for one year. Due to its popularity, the Japanese decided to make the replica of French Statue of Liberty. The statue was completed in 22 December 2000.

The Japanese Statue of Liberty is located in front of the Aqua City at Odaiba. Take the Yurikamome line and get off at Daiba station.

Some trivia for readers. The words "IV. JUILLET 1776" and "XIV. JUILLET 1789" are written in the tablet. "IV. JUILLET 1776" refers to 4 July 1776: the US Declaration of Independence. "XIV. JUILLET 1789" refers to 14 July 1789: Paris's Storming of Bastille.

And here's the Odaiba Statue of Liberty taken using love shaped bokeh kit. ^^

Yamanashi Prefecture

2010-11-04T18:59:00.000+09:00

Yamanashi Prefecture is one of the most popular tourist destination in Japan. Yamanashi Prefecture is rich in nature, surrounded by mountains and forests. Mount Fuji, Fuji Q Highland, Fuji Five Lakes, Minami Alps National Park are some of the famous places. For nature lover, this place feels like heaven. Clean air, refreshing breeze, forests, mountains, hot springs, parks, ranches, stylish towns among the natures, the natural surroundings are just breathtaking.

Nice weather, lovely sky, a bit cold though.

After spending almost 2.5 hours sitting inside the car, we stopped by Masaba Koen to had a little picnic.

Delicious and spicy ! Thanks to all the people who cooked all these delicious foods. It's good to have friends who can cook yummy foods. ^^

Having our stomach full, we traveled around enjoying the color of autumn, taking photos, doing fun stuffs together.

Absolutely gorgeous place. Might visit this place again in the future. :)

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T21:13:00.001+09:00

At this time of year, in the dark of the night, when the black cats are hissing and the werewolves are howling, strange ghosts, zombies, and Danbo the witch are out to bring you lots of thrill. Wish you a hell-y happy Halloween !

Eka + Fanny

2010-10-16T19:07:00.006+09:00

Meet Eka and Fanny, the cute couple who just got married... last week ! That's right. Last week !!

Eka is one of my good friends since I was in university. We studied, played games, giggled, laughed, and doing fun stuffs together. When I heard about his wedding, I was sad that I couldn't attend his wedding in Jakarta.

I wished I could go...

However, instead of me coming to their wedding, they both decided to hop on a plane, fly here to Tokyo, and ask me to document their sweet escape in Tokyo. How could I say 'no' to them ?

These past few days, we walked around Tokyo from Shinjuku to Asakusa... from Odaiba to Disneyland, laughed together, shared stories, and took lots of memorable photos.

Such an adorable couple.

Practicing my loved shape bokeh. Started to get used to it.

Tokyo Disneyland, a must-visit place when you first came to Japan. Disney is my number one suggestion to couples. =)

Thank you Eka and Fanny for giving me the chance to photograph you two. I hope you love these photos as much as I love them. And congratulation to both of you ! :)

Miso Soup

2010-10-05T14:45:00.000+09:00

Miso Soup is a traditional Japanese soup based on dashi. Miso soup is rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is also believed that miso soup helps prevent breast cancer because Miso Soup is rich in isoflavones, which are believed to help block out cells that can become cancerous. Sounds delicious and nutritious ? Let me show you how to make one.

First, fill a stock pot with water 1/2 full, and bring it to boil.

Prepare a half Daikon ( radish ).

Peel off the skin.

Cut the daikon into small pieces.

Need to warn Danbo not to come closer when we cook.

Throw the Daikon into the pot.

Cut off the bottom of the mushrooms and wash it.

Throw 'em into the pot too.

Mix some dashi into it.

This is the dashi that we used.

Already looks good.

Now add some wakame into it...

Shoyu

And last, add a chunk of miso.

Simmers it for a while. Hmmm... Smells good.

And here it is. The miso soup.

Now you know the recipe. Go forth and make one ! And thanks to Anas for the recipe. =)

Chiba Floral Museum

2010-09-28T22:43:00.001+09:00

Chiba City is also known as the City of Flowers. The city holds flowers festival and gardening contest every year. There are lots of flower related places around Chiba, one of them is the Chiba Floral Museum ( 花の美術館 ). I visited the museum just before I moved to Tokyo from Chiba.

A little bit history about this museum. For the 59 days between August 25th, 1995 and October 22nd, 1995, an event to promote city beautification and the preservation of nature, titled “Green Symphony CHIBA ‘95” was held in Inage and Makuhari. The original structure of the Chiba City Floral Museum was built at this time, as a themed exhibit for the Inage location of the fair. Upon the event’s completion, Chiba City decided to rebuild the museum as a permanent city facility. The building officially reopened to the public as the Chiba City Floral Museum on April 2nd, 1996.

Don't have macro lens so this was the best thing I could do.

The Chiba City Floral Museum is located in the middle of Inage Kaihin Koen in Mihama Ward.

Below is the address.

〒261-0003 千葉市美浜区高浜7-2-4(稲毛海浜公園内)
7-2-4 Takahama, Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi 261-0003

Entrance fee is 200 Yen. 100 Yen if you managed to pretend that you're still a junior high school student.

There are Restaurant, Atrium/Flower Garden, Shop, Flower College and Classrooms, Light Garden, Computer Corner, Monet Salon, and Tropical Garden on the first floor. On the second floor, there are Tropical Garden, Flower Discovery Gallery, Flower Experience Cafe, Computer Corner, Exhibition Room, Japanese Garden, and a Library.

There are over 1000 plant varieties in the museum. There are also Central Garden with a fountain, a Rooftop Garden with potted plants, a Conifer Garden, and a Vegetable Garden.

If you enter your birthday in one of the computers, it will give you your birthday flower, a description of your personality, and your fortune. You can also print it on a postcard for 100 yen.

Lovely artwork

The museum closed every Monday, so don't go there on Monday !

Happy Tuesday everyone !

Bokeh

2010-09-27T15:49:00.001+09:00

Bokeh (暈け or ボケ) is a a Japanese term for the subjective aesthetic quality of out-of-focus areas of a photographic image. It refers to those beautiful magical out-of-focus light, with different shapes and colors that you found in the background of many photos taken with large aperture ( such as f1.8 or larger ). Normal bokeh usually has a circle shaped like this one, but I've been playing around with my lens to create a love shaped one. ^^

Still need to practice more to get a good shape. Will try to post more bokeh photos in the future. =)

Nicholai-do

2010-09-20T11:19:00.001+09:00

Holy Resurrection Cathedral ( 復活大聖堂 ) is the main cathedral of the Japanese Orthodox Church. It is also known as Nicholai-do ( ニコライ堂 ), named after St. Nicholai Kasatkin who introduced Orthodox in Japan. The Cathedral was completed on 8 March 1891. Stumbled upon this church while I was walking down the Ochanomizu yesterday. It's a bit hidden among tall buildings.

The design of the cathedral was planned by Dr. Michael A. Shchurupov based on the Russian style, designed by British architect named Josiah Conder, and constructed by Nagasato Taisuke. The work took about seven years, lasting from 1884 to 1891.

The original design, both interior and exterior, prior to the present one, was based on Russian style, with a big dome. Unfortunately, during the great Kanto earthquake on September 1923, the belfry collapsed on the roof and the interiors were completely burned down.

During the restoration, the belfry was lowered in order to avoid the same fate. The dome was also changed into present Byzantine style. The interior design was simplified too according to Okada Shinichiro's design.

You're not allowed to take photos inside the cathedral but the interior was pretty nice. You could pay an offering for 300 Yen to help the renovation. Most services are in Japanese. Some services could be held in English if requested.

St. Nicholai Kasatkin first came to Japan as a chaplain for the Russion consulate in Hakodate. He spent his first seven years in Japan studying Japanese language and religion as well as its culture. Within a few years after he began his missionary work, there were thirty thousand people responded to his call. He departed his life on 16 February 1912, at the age of 75. His missionary is manifested now in the presence of 150 churches all over Japan as well as the voluminous works of his translations of the prayer books which are still in use.

The graceful sight of the cathedral has been a favorite symbol of Ochanomizu since its foundation and is visited by many people every year.

Culture Japan Filming

2010-09-16T22:04:00.000+09:00

Culture: Japan is a Japanese TV show directed by Danny Choo. He also appears as the presenter. The show covers Japanese Pop Culture and feature contents that folks in and outside of Japan would enjoy. Culture Japan will be broadcast every week on Tokyo MX TV in Japan and probably every two weeks on Animax Asia. I was invited by Danny to tag along with his filming yesterday as his camera man.

Yesterday filming was done at Akihabara from 9AM until night covering places like Clone Factory, Volks, Kotobukiya, @Home Cafe, Taito Game Station, Fujisoba, and Super Potato.

Met Danny in front of Yodobashi Camera and headed straight to our first destination, the Clone Factory.

Danny was in the process of cloning himself. You should expect to see more of Tokyo Stormtrooper clones in the future. ^^

First time I saw Danny without his hat and glasses. ^^

It was really interesting hearing the explanation about the technology they use to make the clones.

Was surprised to see Otacool there.

After Danny finished cloning himself, we headed to Fujisoba to grab some yummy soba and udon for lunch.

Danny taking photo of her daughter in front of Fujisoba. ^^

Had this yummy Tempura Udon for lunch.

Next was Kotobukiya. I didn't take that much photos with my camera because I was using Danny's Lumix GF1 for most of the day.

@Home Cafe. First time for me to visit a maid cafe. A very interesting experience. =)

Bushi Road

Saber-chan looking cute as usual

With Ayako-chan from Taito Game Station

Volks

King Kazuma !!

Super Potato

Thanks to Danny for inviting me. The whole filming session was really interesting. Will probably bug Danny again with his filming. ^^

Matsumoto Castle

2010-09-10T22:55:00.001+09:00

Matsumoto Castle (松本城) is one of the four castles designated as Japan National Treasures. Due to its black exterior, it is also known as Crow Castle (烏城). The other three castles are Himeji Castle, Inuyama castle and Hikone Castle.

Matsumoto Castle is located at Matsumoto, a beautiful historical city in Nagano Prefecture. It is also famous for its delicious Matsumoto Soba and Grasshopper. Too bad I didn't have a chance to try it.

I went there two weeks ago using the Seishun 18 Kippu (青春18きっぷ). Seishun 18 Kippu is a seasonally special discount railway ticket, which gives you five days of unlimited, nationwide travel on local and rapid JR (Japan Railways) trains. You won't be able to use it for Shinkansen and limited express train that requires additional charge. Took me around 5 or 6 hours to reach there by train.

The admission ticket is 600 yen. You need to take a 15 minute walk from Matsumoto train station.

There is a Moon Viewing Festival held every autumn on the grounds and in the moon viewing room of Matsumoto Castle. During that time, you will be able to see three moons from the moon viewing room. One in the sky, one in the water below, and one in your cup of sake. You might be able to see more moons if you drink too much. :)

Inside the castle was very hot and a bit crowded. You need to climb an extremely steep steps to go to the top. Be careful inside.

View from the top of castle.

From there, we took a short walk around the city. As a historical city, Matsumoto is surprisingly very clean and well maintained. The old buildings are nicely preserved.

Beautiful city ! Might come back here during winter to enjoy the onsen. ^^

FAQ: Diptych

2010-08-31T18:14:00.002+09:00

Diptych. I just found out about the word yesterday. I don't even know how to pronounce it correctly. Diptych refers to a single image composed of two photos that fit together nicely. Above photo is one of the example of Diptych.

Remember that you can only use two photos for Diptych. Two. Not three. Not Four. Otherwise it will be called Triptych (3), Tetraptych (4), or Pentaptych (5). Maybe we should called it Polyptych.

Any two photos that work well together can be used for Diptych.

Two photos with different perspective

Different time

Same theme

Same story

Same place

Same subject

Same species

Basically you can put any two photos that are calling out each other.

The quick way to do it is by doubling the width of your canvas. Fire up Photoshop, open two images with the same size, double the width of the first photo, copy the second photo and drop it into the first photo. Done ! Very easy.

Now get creative and diptych away because two are better than one !

Pizza Hut Party

2010-08-29T12:19:00.002+09:00

A few weeks ago, two of my friends moved to the new apartment. It's been our ~~excuse~~ tradition to do a house warming party whenever someone moving in to new residence. What's better than Pizza to celebrate it ?

Oh yeah! We ordered these much. Each box has different taste.

Pizza Hut !

^_^

We wrote our name on each cups so we didn't make any mistake doing indirect kisses on each other. ^^

Friend of mine just came back from Saipan bringing back this delicious cookie, Mauna Loa.

Danbo couldn't wait to have some.

Look at those meats. Yum Yum...

Kanpai!

After the house warming party, we went to Futago Tamagawa to watch some fireworks.

Great fireworks, great party !

Click here to see last year fireworks' photos.

Stephanie & Daniel Wedding

2010-08-26T21:54:00.001+09:00

Meet Stephanie and Daniel, two sweet and loving souls, who invited me to their wonderful wedding in Indonesia. Stephanie is one of my good friends. I’ve known her since university. She’s a pretty, smart, and funny girl. A couple of weeks ago I received the news that she's getting married and she invited me to her wedding in Jakarta. Thank you Stephanie and Daniel for the honor to capture your beautiful wedding. I had a great time shooting your wedding.

Lovely invitation letter

Stephanie looks gorgeous in that wedding dress, isn't she ? She made a wonderful bride.

And then it's time for their wedding reception.

Didn't forget to introduce my little friend to them.

Congratulation for the wedding !

Singapore Travel

2010-08-22T23:12:00.000+09:00

I love traveling. Traveling for me is like a therapy when things get crazy. I always try to take lots of travel photos because the photos are making me happy. When you look at the photos, you can recall back your memories of that place and time. Remembering the time when you strolled down the street, remembering how good the foods were, remembering how you felt when you explored something new, remembering how beautiful what life had offered.

During my holiday, I went to Singapore again to meet old and new friends, explore new and interesting places, take silly photos, eat delicious food, and enjoy what Singapore has to offer. I was actually thinking of moving to Singapore but decided not to, because right now my passion lies here in Japan.

Here are some of my Singapore travel photos. Enjoy ! :)

I was using ANA to fly to Singapore from Japan. Had an enjoyable flight.

Chinese Garden. The garden was not as big as I had hoped but still a nice garden.

The bridge connecting the Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden.

Japanese Garden

Suntec City

I love Museums

Of course I didn't forget to take Danbo with me. :)

The famous Tiong Bahru Lor Mee. Delicious and has a great variety of ingredients inside.

Little Guilin

Keppel Bay. Wanted to rent a yacht but way too expensive for me. Anyone want to take me on a yacht trip ? :D

Chijmes

Singapore Sampan - Marina Bay Sands

Bukit Gombak Stadium

Happy Sunday, everyone !

Mount Fuji Climbing

2010-07-28T15:26:00.000+09:00

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 feet). For many people, summer season means it is time to challenge themselves to climb Mount Fuji for whatever crazy or wild reasons they have. As for me, I love nature and I love taking photos. I don't think I need more reason to climb it.

The official climbing season for Mt. Fuji is from the beginning of July to the end of August. The Fuji's trails are divided into ten stations according to the elevation. Most people go by bus or car to the 5th station and start climbing.

We started climbing at 10PM from the 5th station. The goal was to reach station 8.5 before 4AM to see the sunrise. Didn't take any photos at night because it was too dark and I was too busy climbing, but the starry night was so amazing. The sky was clear and full of stars.

Arrived at station 8.5 before 4AM and we decided to just wait there until sunrise.

Blazing yellow sky.

The sunrise was beautiful. It's just like being taken out of a picture book. Amazing !!

After enjoying the sunrise, we continued our climbing to the top of the mountain. As you can see, the terrain was just barren. No tree, no life, only volcano ashes and rocks.

Be quiet at night.

If you are following my twitter that day, you could read that you should know that I was tweeting from top of Mount Fuji. Japan's phone signal is amazing. ^^

The crater. If you plan to send a postcard, there is a post office at the top of the Mount Fuji. You need to walk 20 minutes to get there from station 9th.

Without a doubt, climbing Fuji-san was an amazing experience. If you have the chance to do it, it is one of the experience not to be missed.

Doraemon's Grave

2010-07-17T23:55:00.003+09:00

Who doesn't know who Doraemon is ? Doraemon is a popular and long-running manga about a robotic cat who come from the future to help Nobi Nobita. Doraemon manga was created by the duo Fujiko Fujio. Fujiko Fujio is a pen name for Hiroshi Fujimoto ( Fujiko F. Fujio ) and Abiko Moto ( Fujiko Fujio A ). Doraemon was started in December 1969 by Fujimoto, and since then Doraemon has appeared in lots of mangas, magazines, and animation. Fujimoto is one of my favorite manga artists. Went to the grave today to pay my respects to Hiroshi Fujimoto.

Fujimoto was buried in Midorigaoka. From Tsudayama station, you need to walk an hour to reach his grave because the graveyard is really huge.

The graveyard map. His grave is in block 103 section 7. Quite far, isn't it ?

Don't worry too much about getting lost. There are lots of signs there.

Graves are everywhere.

Fujimoto died in September 23rd, 1996 due to the liver failure. Because of that, there is no official ending for Doraemon. Any endings were actually fan fiction.

Halfway there !

One of the most famous fan fiction endings was made by Nobuo Sato. In this ending, Doraemon's battery power ran out. Nobita was given a choice between replacing the battery inside Doraemon, which would cause a memory reset, or waiting for a brilliant robotics technician who is able to resurrect Doraemon one day. Nobita swore that very day to do his best at school and become a robotics technician. In the future, he successfully resurrected Doraemon and thus lived happily ever after.

Snapped this cat on my way there.

Almost there.

Finally !

This is the grave of Fujiko F. Fujio.

There are a small Doraemon's stone and Doraemon's vases right beside the grave.

Thank you, Hiroshi Fujimoto for giving us Doraemon.

Hiratsuka Tanabata

2010-07-05T18:14:00.007+09:00

Tanabata is a Japanese festival celebrating the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair). According to the legend, the Milky Way separates the lover from each other, and only once a year they are allowed to meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. It is believed that if that day is rainy, Orihime and Hikoboshi will not be able to see each other and must wait for another year, so people usually pray for good weather and make wishes for themselves.

Lots of Tanabata Festivals are being held in Japan on July or August. The biggest one is in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa. Hiratsuka Tanabata is held in the beginning of July for a few days. Took me one and a half hour to reach Hiratsuka from Tokyo.

The Tanabata is being celebrated all over the place. You should expect to see hundreds of people in Hiratsuka.

Japanese people celebrates Tanabata by writing a wish on a small piece of colorful paper called Tanzaku, and then hanging it on a bamboo.

You can put as many Tanzaku as you want but the effectiveness will decrease each time you put another one.

There are lots of huge Tanabata decorations in the streets. It is amazing to see so many large streamers along the street. You can easily feel the festive moods all around you.

Senbazuru, a string of a thousand paper cranes origami. Folding a thousand paper cranes origami will make a person's wish come true.

After spending some quality time enjoying the festival, we went to the beach to take some photos of us. These people are my good friends whom I usually hangout with. I just thought it would be best to show their faces in here once in a while. :)

Happy Tanabata everyone !

Sanrio Puroland

2010-06-21T19:30:00.000+09:00

Last Saturday I set off to the land of cuteness, Sanrio Puroland. I know some people who try to avoid this kind of a place, but I just know I should visit it at least once. :)

Sanrio Puroland is an indoor theme park based on Sanrio's popular characters such as Hello Kitty, Keroppi, and many others. It is located five minutes walk from Keio Tama Center station.

Once you arrived here, you'll notice the cuteness of Tama New City. Hello Kitty is everywhere in the city.

My cute ticket.

Sanrio Puroland was opened on December 7, 1990. It is quite famous worldwide due to its characters. Every year it attracts over 1.5 million visitors.

Cuteness is the theme of this park. Colorful wall murals are everywhere. If you are allergic to cuteness, you better stay away from this place. :D

Even the toilet looks cute.

The rides and performances are held in the basement. It is a bit dark inside.

They have shows every few hours in the middle of the main hall.

Most of the shows are targeted for kids so you might not be able to enjoy it.

My Hello Kitty Ramen. Delicious and cute !

Danbo is looking as cute as ever.

If you like cute things then you should definitely go to this place. As for me, once is more than enough. :)

It's Your Special Day !

2010-05-31T01:00:00.007+09:00

May 31st is a special day for one of my dearest friends, Eva. Eva is a very sweet and cool girl. She and I first met at university and we've been a good friend since then. We graduated at the same time, went our separate ways after that, and then we met again in Japan. We laughed together, had fun traveling together, went snowboarding together, and took some silly photos together. It is sad that she is no longer in Japan now. Even though we're far away from each other, she's still my best friend.

I've never been good at giving surprises. Having a thought of coming up with a way to celebrate birthday always freezes me up a bit. However, this time I decided to do something special for her birthday. Good thing I have my friends to help me. Thank you, guys.

Anyway, today is Eva's birthday and I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to her and to let her know how special she is to me.

Eva, you're loved by many and we all miss you here in Japan. Best wishes to you. I hope your birthday will be as wonderful as you are. Happy Birthday !

Guts Soul - Koenji

2010-05-16T22:28:00.002+09:00

Guts Soul is known among people as the super cheap Yakiniku Tabe Houdai (All-You-Can-Eat) restaurant. It means you can sit down and eat Yakiniku as much as you want. Sounds like heaven for meat lovers.

The menu has 50+ selection of foods depends on which course you want. The price ranges from 980 to 1500 yen. The cheapest one gives you chicken, pork and some lower cut beef. The more expensive ones give you better cuts.

Yummy Sausage

Fried Potato

Tofu

Their stores can be found in Yoyogi, Nakano, and Koenji. Don't be too greedy when ordering food, otherwise they charge you for leftovers on your plate. Make sure to mix some veggies too. Too much meat is no good ! ^^

And yesterday we were having a birthday celebration for our dear friend, Inge.

Happy Birthday, Inge. Hope all your birthday dreams and wishes come true. Be happy, girl !

Hitsujiyama Park - Chichibu

2010-04-28T22:52:00.003+09:00

Japan offers lots of flowers to enjoy in spring. Although Sakura season is over, the Shibazakura (Moss Pink or Phlox Subulata) season is at its peak. Hitsujiyama Park is one of the most popular Shibazakura viewing spots in Japan. For people who like flowers, this area is a must see.

In order to get to Hitsujiyama Park, you can hop on the Seibu-Chichibu Line train from Ikebukuro and get off at Seibu-Chichibu. It is a two-hour trip so make sure you bring something to make your trip enjoyable.

From Seibu-Chichibu station you could take a bus to the park.

Or if you prefer to walk, it takes 30 minutes.

There are plenty of shrines to see in Chichibu. One of them is Chichibu Shrine, an ancient shrine.

Sacred tree in Imamiya Temple.

There are about 34 Sacred Temples in Chichibu if you are interested on doing the pilgrimage.

Meow !

Washoku Steak and Danbo for lunch.

The main destination, Hitsujiyama Koen. The park opens from 8AM to 5PM and the admission fee is 300 yen.

When you entering the place, you will definitely amazed by the carpet of flowers. Beautiful place !

The park has 9 varieties of Shibazakura. It covers 16,500 square meters and has more than 400,000 flowers.

Danbo in Heaven.

You can still enjoy Shibazakura until Golden Week. Go there early in the morning so there will be fewer people.

Spring 2010

2010-04-12T22:42:00.000+09:00

There is always something really nice about spring. After having a cold winter for a few months, the warm feeling of spring has been a pleasant one. Not to mention the weather on weekends were perfect. Have a look at my flower hunting's photos during the last few weeks.

Sakura, my favorite flower. Took a couple of shots of it at Shinjuku Gyoen.

Far from Tokyo, in Saitama Prefecture, there is an amazing field full of sakura and nanohana in Gongendou Koen.

Yellow color everywhere !

Happy Spring everyone !

Tokyo Sweet Escape

2010-04-06T23:12:00.001+09:00

Last week was a little bit special for me. I had a chance to become Han and Waiyu's photographer. What's a better time for a couple to visit Tokyo than Sakura season? During their little sweet escape to Tokyo, I was lucky enough to be able to capture a part of their life.

We started shooting from Shinjuku Station heading toward Shinjuku Gyoen.

Before this photoshoot, I was a stranger for both Han and Waiyu. I never met them before but I could easily tell how much they love each other.

I was told there's a certain joy for wedding photographer to be able to capture the happy moments. I could vouch for it now.

*Bling Bling*

These photos are the best part of the day.

Han was crazy enough to show his love in the middle of the street.

It was a great experience for me. Thank you for Han and Waiyu for letting me be a part of their life.

And thanks to Stiv who helped me out and for a shot of me in action above. ^^

The Season That I've Been Waiting For

2010-03-31T23:15:00.000+09:00

I hope I'm not the only who is so excited to see Sakura. ;)

1 Year Ago...

2010-03-19T23:14:00.000+09:00

Today for me was just a normal day. While I was in train heading back home, I was thinking about what I should write for my blog. That's when I realized something.

OMG, my blog 1st year anniversary !! I totally forgot about it. The day I started blogging was March 3rd, 2009. It's been a year now. I should have prepared a cake.

To celebrate it, I am going to show you photos of me in action. Thanks to my sister for these photos.

Stopping by in the middle of nowhere just to take photo of the car. ^^

Hooray for the 1st year ! Time sure flies by quickly.

You could see the highlights of 2009 here.

Singapore Photoshoot with Kodomut and Yukito

2010-03-14T12:31:00.000+09:00

I have been wanting to do photoshoot together with Kodomut after finding out about his cool photos' of Drossel. I was amazed by his passion for figure photography and mushroom. You can immediately feel his passion throughout his blog.

Kodomut, Yukito, and I met online a couple months before. While I was in Singapore, we finally had the chance to meet offline under the blazing heat of Singapore's sun.

That day was really hot I felt like melting. If I was an egg, I would've become a boiled egg under a minute. Under that condition, Kodomut took me for an outdoor photography in Singapore Botanic Gardens. Did he try to torture me ? :D

Kodomut in Action

Kodomut's nendoroid face collection. How many Nendoroid faces can you recognize ?

Nendoroid Ein. Cute and Dangerous.

Danbo ?

Danbo's peeking at me from inside the plastic bag.

Taco Luca's tree.

Thank you to Kodomut and Yukito. It was great meeting you guys !

Check out Kodomut's photos here.