Be It Ever So Humble.

There's no place like Nome. (Alaska, that is.) I just came back from Tokyo where I spent the evenings at my buddy Mark's place (who happens to be from Alaska...see what I did there?)

I'm very fatigued so I won't post a long diatribe of my experience, suffice to say, it was fun, it was expensive and I can't wait to do it again. I will tell you all about my time at Hello-Puriland or the Mori Art Museum tomorrow, but for now, here are some random shots of the city:

Falling Off the Wagon.

I fell off the wagon so hard, I bruised my bum! Since Stefan has been in town, I suspect than any weight I'd unacquired has been reacquired.

It started off with a terrific burger at Fat Robs (03-5768-9339) in Ebisu, but it was grease free and with a huge avocado slice.











I wandered around Ebisu looking for a great used book store, but never did find it. (By the way, it's called Good Day Books-now I know.) I did see an a cappella group warble outside the Yebisu Garden Palace. I recommend you go back there at night when it's all lit up...very illuminating.

Next I trekked to Shibuya where I saw a couple of entertainers advertising for the latest Pachinko parlour opening.




At the train station entrance, there are some rivals for Hachiko as the rendezvous spot of choice. These mini-sumo kids look like they're having fun.










Eventually, I'd be meeting the gang in Roppongi that night, so I made it there in order to book a Capsule Hotel. There's a nice one in the ロイ building...Super Sauna Roppongi VIVI (スーパーサウナ 六本木VIVI). Roi Bldg 4F, 5-5-1 Roppongi (Roppongi stn exit A3), tel. 03-3404-4126. While seeking my torpedo-shaped sleeping quarters, I saw this guy monkeying around above a pet store.




While waiting to meet up with Stefan and his pals, I continued my walk-about through Roppongi and took in the Vermeer exhibit at the The National Art Center. Though the painting was good, it was the only Vermeer on display and ALL the other paintings were variations of it by other Dutch artists. It was VERY dull. I did get to see a hurdy-gurdy though, so it wasn't a complete waste.





I wound up in Hiroo waiting and waiting and waiting. But at least I had some company.













Eventually, I did meet the gang and we ate at a place called Gonpachi. It's a warehouse-sized izakaya-style restaurant, with great food & beer.
















Afterwards, we went to Club Yellow to listen to some a friend of a friend named DJ Milo. Though a cool place for the younger generation to hang around, it wasn't my cup of java, so I trudged several blocks back to my capsule.



Part 2 tomorrow...

Pika-Pika,ne! ぴかぴか、ね！

Ahhh the shiny, glittery lights of Tokyo in all her glory. I just took this picture from the top of the Roppongi Mori building in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo. (Actually I just stole this pic off the Net from a guy who took this picture from the top of the Roppongi Mori building in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo.)






This is a cool sculpture of a spider outside that building in the park. Creepy!








But I was in Roppongi Hills last week to eat with DJ Mark Saito and Yuko. We ate at an Okinawan restaurant and we indulged in a few tasty morsels. (This pic is of a 獅子 Shi-sa-, an Okinawan good luck charm to ward off demons.)









One of the fishies we ate had its crispy little head still attached and here I am crunching away at it.




Later that night, Mark played a jamming set of Reggae tunes at one of his local bars. He was grossly overshadowed by the other more experienced Reggae aficionados, but he cranked out a ripping set regardless.

In between dinner and jamming, I remained behind and saw a movie. I got to see "Letters from Iwo Jima" with English subtitles. Roppongi Hills carries the only subtitled version in Japan and there is only one show per day. (It still wasn't packed but was comfortably full.)

I see that Letters won the Golden Globe for best picture and it certainly deserves this honour. Clint captured the angst and spirit of the Japanese soldiers gloriously and it's hard to believe that he also directed the saccharine "Flags of Our Fathers".














If the Japanese decide to retain the kanji for their movie, (硫黄島からの手紙) they had better change it for their Chinese neighbours. The kanji for Iwo Jima is "Sulphur Island" and for 手紙 (te-gami) is "Toilet Paper". So the movie title in China would be "Toilet Paper from Sulphur Island". Come to think of it that title stinks on many levels!

You can see a trailer in Japanese here: Iwo Jima