Hello… Kitty?
January 22nd, 2011I could easily name 10-20 girls that would love to be where I am right now. I’m inside one of the many Sanrio stores in Tokyo, parent company of Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty is one of the most successful marketing brands in the world, and you can see why. They’ve tapped into every possible product you can imagine. Products range from the obvious textiles to some of the most random things like prepackaged french fries and toaster ovens. See for yourself.
Elmo x Kitty hybrid.
Personally my favorite childhood cartoon character was the Anpan Man (Dinner Roll Man). I forget the story behind Anpan Man, but basically he’s got a dinner roll for a head… poor guy.
I wish I had one of these when I was a baby…
Rich in Tradition
January 21st, 2011Japanese culture, like many, are rich in tradition. And in tradition, we made our pilgrimage to a temple hour outside of Tokyo so that we could be blessed with good health, good love, and good fortune for the new year.
Oh and this is also where I come to get my katanas sharpened.
Set aflame all the negative energy.
Before entering the sacred temple, you have to first wash your hands and mouth from this fountain. No… Purell and Scope doesn’t count!
And it all goes down behind these walls.
They wouldn’t allow cameras pass this point. Take my word for it, equal part amazing and creepy.
We always conclude the temple trip with a traditional Japanese bento lunch.
Happy Friday to everyone back home. I’m already on Saturday!
Various Reminiscence
January 20th, 2011My ex-girlfriend and now my good friend first put me up on beignets some time ago. I started today with just that.. a latte and some beignets from Cafe Du Monde. Funny enough, Cafe Du Monde was actually where I had my first beignet except it was on the other side of the World in New Orleans, Louisiana.
On my short walk to the train station, I’m reminded that Japan really is the epitome of old meets new. Even amongst the sea of skyscrapers, temples and traditional architecture stand unhindered, if not treasured.
And this… this is just magic.
When I was little, I had the most massive obsession with trains. I could list all the different types, the lines they took, and even their colors. My favorite of course was the high speed bullet train… but to be honest, I liked them all.
And don’t even get me started with train stations. Once you get over the chaos, it’s actually a pretty sweet place to people watch and all that.
And here’s my favorite Japanese fast food chain: Mos Burger. Mos Burger will give In & Out a run for their money, guaranteed.
Back in Japan
January 19th, 2011I took a last minute flight last night to Japan on some family emergency. While I wish I were here under different circumstances, it’s nice nonetheless to be back home. Japantown in SF just wasn’t cutting it.
You realize breakfast is the most important meal of the day right?
Mr. Jones AKA Men in Black. This dude’s even a boss in Japan.
And this grimy guy… He obviously didn’t get the memo about winter migration.
What do you know, Arnelle’s HUGE in Japan!
Stay tuned for more tomorrow.
