New zombie series - Attack on Titans - MUST WATCH!

Wow! Talk about an epic anime series- Attack on Titans (Shingeki no Kyojin 進撃の巨人). I could not stop watching this 10 episode animation about giant zombies terrorizing little European hamlets. The main characters are like 3 Musketeers - Eren, Mikasa, and Armin - who survive trials and tribulations with the support of each other.

I liked the pace of the series, the plot, and often surprising twists and turns. Attack On Titans does a superb job of connecting the viewer to the plight of the helpless inhabitants of the fortified lands called Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina. As you see the giant zombies tear down each wall, and the villagers backed into a corner, the bravery of these people come through. At times, I thought "finally some defensive action! These people are totally chicken shit!" Armin can really annoy when he's constantly crying, but you'll see his character development. I would say there's a bit of graphic death scenes, but not in the style of Walking Dead. Anyway, just watch it already!

(From Wikipedia)

Where cats outnumber humans - Cat Island Tashirojima

Here's a cute story for you cat lovers (愛猫家), and especially to my friend Jenny! Tashirojima, or Cat Island, has only 100 permanent residents but almost 1,000 cats. The island is near Miyagi prefecture, where the tsunami hit in 2011. Luckily all people and most cats on Tashirojima survived. Cats are a beloved part of Japanese culture. You may have noticed this at Japanese restaurants and seeing a white bob cat statue with 1 arm raised greeting you. They represent good luck and fortune.

According to International Science Times, the island was popular with fisherman during the 1800s, and there is one tale that says a fisherman collecting rocks accidently killed a cat when a rock fell on it. So he buried it and created shrine. Since then there's been cat devoted architecture erected throughout the island. They are super kitsch, and I like!

Japan-guide.com states the only way to get to the island is by ferry, which departs 3 times a day from Ajishima Line terminal near Ishinomaki. The tickets can be purchased on the boat for about 1200 yen and takes 45-60 minutes.

(From Youtube)

(From amusingplanet.com)

(From Flickr: Hirano_sui)

Saving money to Japan

If you are making any travel plans to Japan, here are some ways to save money! There are several things working in favor of an affordable trip. According to a recent New York Times report, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's changes appear to be working, which inadvertently leads to a weaker yen. A weaker yen for Americans and others means more spending power when you visit.

In 2006, I remember the exchange rate being $1 US = 116 Japanese yen. As of today, it is $1 US = $98 Japanese yen. Also, my roommates found a $600 roundtrip deal to Tokyo in September, so it is possible to get a steal of a deal to Japan. My goal is to be there in 2014.

One website that I find super helpful when planning my foreign trips is Onetravel.com. I noticed that flight aggregate sites such as Kayak.com or Vayama tend to miss Asian or European carriers that could offer better rates.

For affordable places to stay, I chose Toyoko Inn, which has locations throughout Japan. This chain is awesome because they've got locations within walking distance to train stations, and the Shinjuku Kabukicho location offered free breakfast. Check to see if the one you select offers free breakfast.

Finally, researchers at Texas A&M University seemed to have debunked the belief that Tuesdays or Wednesdays are good days to book cheap airfare.

How do you find travel deals? How do you budget for trips besides eating ramen noodles or bringing a flask to a club then pouring it into your drink? Just wondering...

RIP Nujabes 瀬場潤 - Japanese DJ

I was recently turned onto Nujabes 瀬場潤, a Japanese DJ who died in 2010 from a car accident. Nujabes stands for the DJ's name spelled backwards - Seba Jun. It's sad that artists are usually noticed post death, but his music is perfect for relaxation and reflection. I was turned onto his stuff by a very special Someone, and I'm glad I was introduced to this DJ because his stuff is sentimental, worldly and telephonic. Basically....I love it!

My favorite tracks are Flowers, which features Dinah Washington, and has a retro 1940s sound to it and Luv4u, a Nujabes mix created by Thomas Prime. Luv4u has a Japanese male singer flowing in a poetry slam style tone.

Sample these songs from Soundcloud below..

Nujabes - Flowers ft. Dinah Washington
Nujabes - Luv4u a Tribute by Thomas Prime

You can play Nujubes' whole 2005 Modal Soul album below. It's perfect "I'm in bed on a weekend and don't wanna leave the comfort of the covers" music.

RIP Nujabes

For some upbeat sounds, I like listening to Shinichi Osawa. My favorite mix is his Star Guitar mix by Au Revoir Simone. His music videos are ethereal, fun and are like visual crack candy.

From Youtube, Paris 

From Youtube, Star Guitars ft. Au Revoir Simone

Download the unmixed Star Guitars by Shinchi Osawa

Happy listening!

New York City and Hawaii turning Japanese

Just returned from visiting New York City and Hawaii. I've gotta say the Japanese food in these two spots are just as authentic as being in Japan. In NYC, I visited MOMO's in Brooklyn, then Kambi, a ramen spot. My friends and I started at Momo's while waiting for a table at ROBERTA'S (excellent pizza!). Momo's served fusion Japanese food. We ordered lamb gyoza then tofu salad. At first I was disturbed at the thought of lamb gyoza due to the imagined "gamey" flavor, but it was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. Pheww. The tofu salad was also interesting because the texture of the tofu was thicker and creamier than regular tofu. I liked the avocado and drizzle of light shoyu (soy sauce) with it. A few days later I checked out Kambi, a ramen spot, and enjoyed a yummy chicken shoyu ramen. The ramen broth here is more fuller in flavor and appearance. The chicken had a nice fatty flavor to it and the green onion and tea egg were perfect accents.

    Tofu salad at Momo's

Shoyu chicken ramen at Kambi

Hawaii, of course, has an abundance of Japanese inspired foods. One place to start is Shirokiya at ALA MOANA MALL. SHIROKIYA was the oldest mall in Japan started in 1662. They've got a fun food court to purchase bento boxes or made to order food. I ordered a chicken katsu on bed of salad from one of the stalls. It was perfectly fried with just the right amount of tonkatsu sauce. 

If you are ever traveling outside Japan, and want a touch of Japan, then visit these locations!

Momo's Brooklyn

Kambi

Shirokiya

JPOP my ear!

This past month I've been discovering some fun, Japanese dance and pop music. My favorite finds are Perfume and DJ Moonbug. These are all thanks to Soundcloud, which is an awesome app of strictly homemade music or remixes. I have found some of my favorite house, pop and dance music remixes on it, so download when you get the chance!

I found Perfume on Youtube almost 3 years ago, and love their modern dance sound and music videos. They've got slick choreographed moves, and the visuals, including their costumes and background are AMAZING! Below is their music video for Fushizen na Girl.



(Video from Youtube - Tokuma Japan Communication)


(Video from Youtube ultrakohji)

 
(Video from TokumaJapan's Youtube site)

Perfume has had a few of their songs remixed by Moonbug or Novoiski 2 on Youtube. Visit Novoiski's page on Soundcloud

This remix by Moonbug is my FAVORITE!

Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a $300 Japanese dinner

Been busy with work, however, found the time to watch "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". It is about an 85 year old man in Tokyo, who owns a 3 star Michelin restaurant. It's the rags to almost riches tale of a man with a single dream of running his own sushi restaurant. This is an inspiring movie because it shows the dedication, hardwork, and love this man brings to his craft. When you watch the movie, you will see that even at his age, he still moves around- going to the market, overseeing the sushi chefs, personally serving his customers, and he still tells himself that he is still learning how to perfect his craft. It's truly a Japanese trait to strive for perfection while being humble. LOVE IT!

Photo courtesy of hardergeneration.org



(Trailer courtesy of Magnolia Pictures and VISO Trailers Youtube page)