Gundam Odaiba..

Never been much of an Otaku, and to be honest, the relevance of Gundam is really beyond me. Nevertheless, while in Odaiba last weekend we decided to make the short trek over to see the 1/1 scale model of the big robot that has been built in commemoration of its 30th year. It really is quite big, and as we arrived close to the turning of the hour, we were able to see it do its little head turn and look briefly up at the sky. It also squirted some steam from various parts of its body, and then it was all over. The crowd of people were as entertaining as the robot itself, and almost as big..

Kabukicho by day..

Kabukicho has a (well deserved) reputation for being an epicentre of vice, but by day, you can almost see a different side of the infamous Shinjuku suburb.



From the numerous hotels..







To the establishments of a more dubious nature..













To what seems like your average street scenes from a regular neighborhood, a walk around Kabukicho during the day leaves you with the realization that this place is anything but ordinary..

The Amazing Kippon..

It's not unusual to go to the park and be entertained or amused, but to be completely blown away like I was last weekend is something of a rarity. Kippon plays Beatle songs on acoustic and electric guitars, and way he runs and jumps and gets the audience clapping along with him is nothing short of incredible. Oh yeah, did I mention he's only five years old!

If you are lucky enough to catch a Kippon performance, you would do well to make sure that you: sing the right words (he'll stop and correct you); don't speak while he's singing (he'll stop and tell you to listen); and try not to request something he's already played (he'll know you weren't listening, and let you know he knows)..

Unbelievable..

St Patrick's Day Parade '09..

The parade is always a bunch of fun, and this year was certainly no exception. I really only managed to catch the tail end of it because there was so much happening in the park, but by the time I arrived the merriment was in full swing. The annual 'party on the street' usually lasts a bit over an hour, and then moves on to the various English themed pubs around the place. It's always been a little surreal to me, seeing so many Japanese people dressed in green and getting involved in a celebration of the famous St. Pat, but just goes to show that this town certainly knows how to put on a good party..

The aliens have landed..

It's not at all uncommon to be strolling down centregai and run into some completely bizarre people, but sometimes you just have to wonder. This one is admittedly from the vaults, evidence being in the panda faces in the back, and those 'oh so' short shorts of summers past..

Park life: Crow bloke..

Yet another addition to the group of Tokyoites that enjoy taking care of our animal friends in public places, but this time, one with a difference. Tucked into one of the more uninhabited corners of Yoyogi park last weekend, I found this guy feeding the crows. Crows are infamous in Tokyo, most notably during the early morning hours where they can be found tearing apart garbage bags in search of a meal, especially in more populated areas like Shibuya. Crow bloke obviously doesn't share the same kind of disdain that the rest of Tokyo feels towards these beligerant creatures, as he goes about his business, quietly feeding them in the relative anonymity of the fading light..

Flowerpot men..

That's who these guys reminded me of last week, the Bill and Ben of Yoyogi park. Lazing around the fountain, soaking up the attention and happily posing for photos with passers by, these two were certainly an interesting looking duo that fit in quite well with all the other extroverts that hang around the park..

Elvises Inc.

There was some major backjob action going down amongst the Elvises last Sunday. In Japan (China, Asia et al.), dragons are generally seen as creatures that protect Buddhism. Add equal parts of denim and leather, and a heavy dose of 50's rocknroll music, and you get the famous dancing Elvises of Yoyogi park..

Maid in Japan..

Strolling through Yoyogi park on Sunday afternoon, and admiring kanzakura trees (thanks Neil) I spied a young lass decked out in full maid gear, stepping on someone's head! After a little further observation I surmised that it was probably some kind of satsuekai, where a group of young enthusiastic photographers get their click on with a young model. It wasn't all head stepping though for this young maiden, as the small group soon took up residence in front of the early blooming trees for a bit more straight up clickery..