Blogs from Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, Asia

From MSN Explore: Even as millions of tourists flock to Japan, keep in mind that Japanese people make up the vast majority of those dining at restaurants across the country. According to data from the CIA, a whopping 97.5% of the population is Japanese. Moreover, Japan ranked 87 out of 113 countries in EF's English Proficiency Indexlist, landing in the lower end of the "low proficiency" category. With this in mind, the owners and staff at some establishments may be reluctant to welcome guests they fear might misunderstand them and their culture. Restaurant workers might not have translated menus prepared, and they may not know how to explain their food to people who don't speak Japanese. That was the reason one Okinawa bar owner gave for posting a "Japanese only" sign, according ... read more

In Tokyo, sushi on a budget normally means skipping the uni and fatty tuna rolls and sticking to imported salmon and dashimaki tamago(Japanese omelette) nigiri. This isn’t the case at Sushi Tokyo Ten Shibuya, where you can drop into the Shibuya Stream sushi restaurant for a generous omakase lunch for ¥4,400 (weekdays only) and dinner for ¥8,800. A peaceful oasis in the middle of bustling Shibuya, this sleek counter-style sushi restaurant will leave you feeling pampered, calm and most importantly, satisfied by the end of your lunch break. The restaurant doesn’t have any menus, but you’re in good hands as the chef behind the counter swiftly and seamlessly forms an array of perfectly shaped sushi, including opulent favourites like chutoro (medium fatty tuna) and a mini ikura-don (salmon eggs over rice). Looking for an omakase sushi ... read more

Vor 28 Jahren war ich zum ersten Mal in Japan, als ich im Alter von 20 Jahren vor meinem Sinologiestudium eine 7-wöchige Ostasienreise machte. Das war eine große Aktion und wurde dadurch finanziert, dass ich die Hälfte meines 400 bis 500 DM monatlich hohen Solds als Wehrpflichtiger in diese Reise steckte. Das hätten andere wahrscheinlich nur an den Wochenende versoffen. Damals genau wie heute nutze ich den Japan Rail Pass, der kostenlose Fahrten mit dem Shinkansen und teilweise (wie heute) auch Nahverkehrszüge in den Metropolen erlaubt (aber anscheinend nicht die U-Bahn). Am gestrigen Sonntag gegen Mittag bestieg ich den A 350, der aber mit nur 2 Turbinen - anders als die A 340, A 380 oder Boeing 747, mit denen ich in den letzten Jahren nach Nordamerika oder in den Mittleren Osten flog - einen etwas ... read more

After a bit of investigation from my lovely colleagues at the airport (it's good to have contacts), I find out my case is currently at Narita airport and has been since yesterday. I'm a bit miffed as to why they haven't delivered it already, especially as my only pair of boots are starting to fall apart on me and I really don't want to have to go out and buy new ones. I'm ruminating over the situation when a second later the room phone rings and I perk up with the hope its good news about my case. I am absolutely ecstatic when she confirms it is, and I practically run down to reception. My good karma for helping a women with her case has paid off lol. I run back up the stairs with the ... read more

Our hotel room is on the 30th floor, and the view out to the south over Tokyo is spectacular. What is also obvious from the view is that it's still raining, and it doesn't look overly warm either. We set off towards Shibuya station. We were right about the temperature; I think it might be warmer back in Melbourne right now. It feels like everyone in Tokyo except us has an umbrella, which makes negotiating crowded footpaths a bit challenging. We also see lots of people wearing face masks. We assume they're not all surgeons on their way to a day of heart transplants, so we're not sure whether they're wearing them because they're sick or because they don't want to get sick. I hope it's not the former, because if it is, a significant proportion ... read more