have fun in tokyo, cole
February 13th, 2010 by
A Allen
my friend cole will be in japan next month and he recently asked for a few suggestions on what to do there – if you think this is overboard i should let you know i could go on. i always love the opportunity to impart my knowledge of places and experiences – it makes me excited thinking of the amazing time i had in tokyo and the opportunity to help friends and family have a similarly great adventure is always a joy – plus i get to reminisce a bit…bon voyage, cole!
Cole,
I love the opportunity to pass on the knowledge of places I’ve come to love – I know how much fun and excitement I experienced in Tokyo over my 27 months in the area and I hope I can guide you to experience the city in a similar manner! Here’s a version of my Tokyo Tour Guide – not at all comprehensive…I could type for days, but will definitely set you on the right path. But first a disclaimer: one of the features that makes Tokyo so amazing are its maze like streets and alleyways – you will quickly find it apparent that street signs are useless here and any sort of urban planning has been an afterthought for many years – but this is what makes every hour in the city such an adventure. Searching down narrow streets for a shop or restaurant, wandering through quiet neighborhoods to find cool boutiques or hidden bars is something I always loved about the city. So, the disclaimer – I’m not going to give any directions, you’ll have to do a little searching on the internet for maps, and you’ll inevitably get lost trying to find some of the more tucked away spots, but, hey, that’s half the fun. Enjoy!
sakura in shinjuku gyoen
April 10th, 2009 by
A Allen
more sakura viewing. this time in shinjuku park. yoyogi is wild, shinjuku more subdued. hanging out in the tokyo city parks at spring time will be one of my fondest memories of my time in japan. an entirely unique scene.
two years ago today
April 5th, 2009 by
A Allen
i landed in japan April 5th, 2007. how time flies. this adventure will soon come to an end. i need to collect my thoughts.
peter bjorn and john – nothing to worry about
April 5th, 2009 by
A Allen
check it out. the music video for this pb&j (remember young folks?) track features yoyogi park favourites, the rockabilly club. footage strait from yoyogi park.
Pencils
December 27th, 2008 by
N Amabile
My mother always said I had good taste in office supplies. I used to think that it was just one of those things that my mom said because I was her son. Things like I could be anything, do anything, or go to any school I wanted to. Fortunately for me, I’ve recently discovered finer writing instruments and stationary products. That just about redeems my mother for those other things being less true.
On a recent trip to little Tokyo in LA, I came to Kinokuniya bookstore.
blood red maple
December 8th, 2008 by
A Allen
jotted this down after stumbling across shinjuku goen yesterday following some holiday gift shopping. i can’t belive it’s taken me this long to discover what is probably the most beautiful park in the city. all the flat ground a man needs to roll bocce, beautiful winding paths, coy ponds and ancient trees dazzling in their fall colours. one old man of the forest in particular struck me with much awe and i sat for quite some time in a wooden pergola overlooking the japanese maple on a hill above a large coy pond. the juxtaposition of the bustling city shopping block and the meditative repose of the park shocked me out of the consumer stupor i had been in all morning and afternoon.
blood red maple
blood red maple
raging fire in my veins
burst forth from a wooden nervous system
burst forth from roots as old as
time
in the autumn of your life
warmed by the heat of a thousand suns
wise old man who has lived through so much
who has seen so much
emperors are born and die
under the shade of your wooden arms
battles are fought and empires crumble
in the impenetrable shadow of your mighty stalk
history is etched in your very skin
and your blood is the blood of a nation
proud and mysterious
it is the blood of the shogun
the samurai
it is so much the blood of the peasant
blood red maple
in this the autumn of our life
which was predicted in the first shoot of your might brow
and now smolders
in the raging fire of your bloody cannopy
you who have heard so much
the confession of murderers
the cooing of lovers
a mother’s tears as they fall in pond of coy
blood red maple
if you could speak on the eve
of our great demise
what would you say to a deaf man
gan ban night tokyo
December 5th, 2008 by
A Allen
several weeks ago, my man adam and i hit up the gan ban night in chiba. all night dj festival featuring the likes of Justice, Vitalic, Crookers, Basement Jaxx, Busy P of Ed Banger, etc.
i think there were three stages and so much music…ended up sleeping in an internet cafe at 4 am waiting for the first train…good experience, but chiba is just too far!
