Japan’s Night Scene

This is a typical Japan street in Tokyo .. and if you are from a very small town .. like the people here .. you would be going .. wow..!! at all the digital signage and even flashy ones.  Ahhh..!! life in Japan is very colorful.. and very high tech… as compared to here.  In this small town where I currently lived .. you need a bylaw or a permit to put out flashy signs for your store.. and you can only do it .. when it is Christmas.  JOY..!!

Ferris Wheel In Tokyo, Japan

I was surprised i didn’t show you one of the biggest Ferris wheel.. i had seen when i was in Japan.  No i didn’t go on it.. because they had told me it would take quite a few minutes.. and we were out shopping… and had just gone to the Toyota showroom.  It was very near there.. if i didn’t remembered incorrectly.  Yes.. it was pretty huge.. and at night.. from a distance.. as we drove back to the hotel.. i saw it light up.. it was very pretty.  I would have loved to go up for a ride .. if i wasn’t in such a hurry.

Traveling With Japanese Friends

I don’t know if it is just me or if it is my Japanese friends, whenever they come to town, they insist on splurging like there was no tomorrow.  Take for example, the trip we went to in Las Vegas, they inisisted on going for those ultra expensive las vegas suites even though we could have been very comfy in superior rooms. But since they were paying.. i didn’t really object to it.  Are all Japanese so generous..?? i think so..!  i remember my host parents.. throwing me a huge party during my birthday in a very expensive restaurant. .when i was doing cross training in Japan.  They were really awesome ppl.

Geishas

Pictures from Reuters

Geishas are a very important part that represents Japan.  I was in Osaka.. and attending a conference there.. where these lovely ladies where hired to entertain us in the evening.  A lot of people associate the Geishas with being the traditional ladies of the night.. but we were told otherwise.   That this ladies were trained to sell and art.. and not their body.  But I can never make out where they have to paint their faces these way..??  it doesn’t make sense to me at all. I often wonder too.. if those white painting on their faces would caused acne , afterall they do have this for a long night sometimes.

The Japanese Sure Loves Their Beans

I was in Osaka for a vacation and you can be sure .. that the Japanese loves their beans.  You see many of these open stores.. everywhere in the neighbourhood.. and they are run by your regular mom and pop kind of set up.  They had barley, black beans, azuki beans and green beans as well .. and there is peanuts right .. at the left hand side.

First Snow

December 19 was the day I remembered that I saw my first snow in Japan .. while i was there on a project.  I remembered the date so well.. because my daughter was also born on this day.  I was certainly not hoping to get so much snow.. after all, I’ve seen enough snow in Canada eh.  But i was glad that the hostess of the place we were staying in .. had  electric blanket ready for me when I got home from work. I love my host family.

Traditional Japanese House

I love the Japaneses traditional houses in Japan.. they are so simple.. yet very zen .. but don’t be deceived by these houses and think that they drink from the well.  Nope..! they are just like us and have the same kinda kitchen faucets like you and I have at home.The friend of mine that this house belongs to, was worried about not having a environmentally friendly building materials, so they build their house with an all wood theme. And it was on a hillside that looks down a valley that they chose the spot to build their home.  It was pure serenity.. and calmness when we visited their home. Gomanasai !

Chocolate Sushi

I’ve always known that my Japanese friends.. can be a little wacky at times.. but chocolate sushi.. hehehe!! that’s cute..!! and very interesting and absolutely new.   But a closer look at these chocolate sushi.. you know that they are a work of art .. and to someone who really takes great care and give their hearts to doing it right.

Sisters Karen Sasaki and Janice Murai wanted to enter  a national cookie contest with the concept but decided against it.. but to explore the option themselves.  But since both had no prior expereinces in the food business.. they took one year off.. to go for classes. So here we have them .. an online business.. selling chocolate sushi. Check out Kooki Sushi to satisfy your chocolate craving.. the healthy looking way.. muahahah!! punt intended.. 

White Chocolate Kozara

Hotels In Osaka

This is the Swissotel Nankai in Osaka, being a hotelier before with the Swissotel group, i had the privileged to stay in their complimentary rooms when i was on vacation in Osaka many years ago.  When we had first decided to choose Osaka as one of our destination, we didn’t know that Osaka is actually a very vibrant city.  The hotel itself is at the heart of Namba .. where you can just shop till you drop because Takashimaya which consist of a 7 storey high shopping arcade is just beneath the hotel.   And when you are tired out with the shopping, you can just head back to the hotel’s 9 different restaurants and bar and i have to specially mention their  bar stools because they were really pretty and comfy. You bet it was expensive.. !! had we not had gotten complimentary rooms, I doubt that we could have afforded to stay a week in Osaka.

HaraJuku Lovers Fragrance

These are awfully cute right..?? this week at our local Shoppers Drug Mart, they are coming on sale exclusively at $49.  This is Gwen Stefani’s new line of fragrances but what has Gwen Stefani gotta do with Harajuku right..?  For those who are not aware of this .. Harajuku is a place in Japan between Shinjuku and Shinbuya.  These are the main shopping and fashion area in Japan and on Sundays this street is closed to traffic during the 80s, so that these youngsters can show off their talent and their fashion wear. But in the 90s this streets leading to Harajuku station were opened again… thus there isn’t such a great crowd these days.

The Harajuku Lovers Fragrance is just one of the many lines of fashion wear and accessories by Gwen Stefani.. and every bottle comes with a different fragrance.. and a cute lil’ toy gal.  They are cute enough that people were lining up to purchase them in the United States.

I’m wondering if the head piece can be taken out and use as hair accessories..?   But i’m gonna for sure try it out this weekend.