Andy in Tokyo

Organic Japanese Beer

Andy in Tokyo — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:34:39 +0000

The LOHAS movement is a big deal in Tokyo, especially among the young, well-heeled Nakameguro set. Although it seems that many people view it more as a fashion statement than a “lifestyle of health and sustainability”, plenty of companies have realised that serious money can be made by going organic. Thankfully, this also includes breweries:

The verdict: A little bit on the bitter side but worth a try. However, for this kind of money (about ¥300 a can) I think I’ll stick to Suntory’s Premium Malts.

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The Joys of Japan Post

Andy in Tokyo — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:22:43 +0000

Japan could teach the world a thing or two about logistics. Apart from being the country’s largest employer Japan Post is also pretty good at getting things delivered. If you happen to be out when the postman arrives with a parcel you’ll find a little redelivery slip in your letterbox:

Although the automated telephone system is only available in Japanese using it is a breeze. Notice that different parts of the slip are initialled in katakana. All you need to do is follow the steps in order (a, i, u, e, o).

You can choose to have your parcel redelivered in the morning, afternoon, evening or night. The service operates seven days a week as well, which is absolutely bloomin’ marvellous.

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Swine flu hits Tokyo

Andy in Tokyo — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:34:32 +0000

Japanese organisations, especially big ones, seem to relish the task of preparing for emergencies. The recent swine flu outbreak is being used by the media here as a way of boring people to death by repeating the same information over and over (and over) again. Wednesday’s nine o’clock news on NHK devoted more than thirty minutes to the subject, leaving only a few seconds for the baseball results and something about a “global recession”, whatever that is.

To combat the evil menace that is H1N1 flu my company has decided that we need to be told how to wash our hands:

We’ve also been told to wear surgical masks in the office and on the trains. God only knows what kind of instructional material they’ll provide if there’s a severe outbreak of dysentery.

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A Gaijin’s Guide to Japan

Andy in Tokyo — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:46:26 +0000

For many English-speaking folks looking to spend a few years in Japan two of the most popular routes are the JET programme and the eikaiwa. Both offer sprightly young university graduates the opportunity to immerse themselves in Japanese culture, learn a new language and get wasted on a regular basis. You could also put your mind to writing a book about Japan an’ that, which is exactly what Ben Stevens did and, look, here it is:

Rather than go for your chapter-by-chapter insight into various aspects of life in Japan, Ben’s opted for an A-to-Z of some of the more intriguing customs, people, places and things that westerners may have heard of, such as fugu, salarymen, the yakuza, and even the phenomenon that is/was Cameron Diaz (although I have to admit her shiny gob has been conspicuously absent from Softbank adverts recently).

For the entry on chikan we have a wonderful quote from economic pundit Kazuhide Uekusa, who was accused of molesting a schoolgirl on a train in 2006:

“My hand touched the student when the train rattled and I may have been misunderstood.”

Misunderstood indeed! What did he intend her to “understand”, exactly?

Anyway, A Gaijin’s Guide to Japan is a lively, entertaining read that remains good-natured when explaining obvious targets of frustration for the “The Problem With Japan Is…” crowd. You can get your mitts on it via Amazon or your local high street bookshop. Retail price: £7.99.

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Tokyo’s Rush-Hour Rudeness

Andy in Tokyo — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:07:51 +0000

It’s been a couple of years since my last Tokyo rush-hour post, but something happened recently that I have to moan about:

I was on a fairly busy train to work yesterday morning. As usual the seats were all taken so I stood towards the middle of the carriage. At one stop a woman boarded the train and stood next to me. Despite the fact that she was obviously heavily pregnant not a single person offered to give up their seat for her. It was only when a few people got off the train at Shinjuku that I was able to offer her the now-vacated seat in front of me, which she gladly accepted.

This kind of behaviour absolutely infuriates me. Surely any physically fit adult with a smidgeon of human decency would give up their seat for a pregnant woman?

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Uniqlo Designers’ Invitation Project: Gilded Age

Andy in Tokyo — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:08:24 +0000

Every few months Uniqlo introduces a new range of clothes in conjunction with famous design types. One of this season’s collaborations is with Gilded Age, whose clothing is “inspired by the craftsmanship of the Gilded Age and assembled from artisanal fabrics.”

Blimey. Well, a bit of Googling reveals that the Gilded Age (1878-1889) was shaped by America’s greatest industrialists - men like John D. Rockerfeller, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. These chaps created the modern industrial economy and helped America’s manufacturing capacity dwarf the likes of Britain, Germany and France.

What does this mean for the clothes, then? The Uniqlo collection utilises natural, earthy colours and light, comfortable fabrics, with jackets boasting a deconstructed smart-yet-casual cut that would normally cost you a lot more than ¥5,900. The only problem is finding a store that hasn’t already sold out!

More: The Designers’ Invitation Project at uniqlo.com (in English)

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Daily Tokyo Occurrence 1: The Street Sloth

Andy in Tokyo — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:33:08 +0000

The Street Sloth is a particularly widespread pest. It is native to Tokyo, but has now spread throughout Japan, and can even be found in some of the world’s major cities during the summer migratory period. This heel-clad monstrosity walks along pavements in a zigzag fashion, blocking the progress of anyone who would like to get to work before Christmas.

The Street Sloth has an ingenious method for killing its prey: it will walk in a straight line for a brief period, luring would-be overtakers into a false sense of security, before suddenly lunging “accidentally” into their way, forcing them into the path of an oncoming heavy-goods vehicle. It then feasts on the corpse, taking only the poor victim’s mobile phone strap as a memento of its kill.

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Spring in Tokyo

Andy in Tokyo — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:15:38 +0000

Nothing beats lounging outside in the park on a wonderful Spring day:

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Steve McQueen vs. Lewis Hamilton

Andy in Tokyo — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:50:01 +0000

Resurrecting long-dead film stars for TV adverts is a far from new idea, and being a bit of McQueen fan I couldn’t help but notice this recent TAG Heuer campaign featuring the man himself and Lewis Hamilton. It’s certainly eye-catching, but for all the wrong reasons:

What on earth were they thinking? I’ve seen dead tortoises with better acting skills than Lewis Hamilton; Steve McQueen’s voice is utterly, utterly wrong; the lip-synching is dreadful; and the whole Lewis-McQueen dialogue scene has a distinctly 2D cardboardy quality about it.

Golden rules: stay away from dialogue, keep the CGI simple and have a Lalo Schiffrin theme-tune up your sleeve:

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Engrish of the Month

Andy in Tokyo — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:01:15 +0000

For God’s sake man, if you’re going to smoke in the toilet at least try to aim for the bowl:

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