No one sleeps in Tokyo

Day 7 (Jan. 12)

My morning in Sendai began with a diverse selection of Western, Chinese and Japanese food.
With a line-up of Shumai, meatballs, onsen tamago, tako wasabi, and more, who would say no to refills and seconds? After a filling and hearty meal, I satisfied my cravings for sweets and desserts with cakes, cakes and cakes XD
































I checked out of the ryokan after treating my tired and exhausted body to a dip in the onsen. Knowing that there will be a lot to miss, our pack hit the road back to Yokohama.
During the long car ride, I got a chance to catch up on some J-POP trends. It seemed like J-pop duo, Love Psychedelico released their 5th original album, "Abbot Kinney".
Known for their hit single, "Last Smile", the band made their major debut back in the year, 2000. With members Kumi on vocal/guitar and Naoki on guitar, the duo has produced tracks oriented on guitar. For their new album, it seemed like they were rediscovering the acoustic guitar in particular. Personally, I found the track, "Here I am" to stand out the most.
This song is definitely worth a listen so check it out next time you get your hands on their CD.
To be honest, I liked the bridge more than the chorus... but this is coming from a guy that writes a piece from the bridge so... I recommend just following your ears =P

Day 8 (Jan. 13)
















Now that I've marked down Kyoto, Sendai and Yokohama on my travel map, there is one location that I still haven't visited. If you haven't guessed already, it's Tokyo!
I hope this is what you were waiting for because Tokyo is the city of entertainment, exotic culture and absolute randomness.
Nothing is really predictable here, because you can be in the middle of a concrete jungle, and still find things like a stone lantern.






















In Shibuya, I came across a Taiyaki store (a fish shaped pancake filled with red beans) that sells different variations, such as matcha, chocolate and strawberry cream.
I wasn't adventurous enough to taste the strawberry cream so I selected matcha (green tea).
The taiyaki actually had a soft mochi-like texture (rice cake) and the fillings were hot, so it was perfect for a cold day.































I also made a trip to Akihabara, the so-called electric town.
Known as an area full of electronic appliances, video games, and anime, the city is full of tourists, maids and otakus (Japanese term for nerds).
While drinking cans of Evangelion (robot anime) coffee, I stopped by at numerous video game shops to watch the Final Fantasy XIII trailer being repeatedly played on the monitors (a role-playing game out for the video game console, PlayStation 3). I actually purchased the game myself, but I guess I will talk about that some other time.





































After re-discovering the fact that I'm actually an otaku myself, I made stops at Shinjuku and Harajuku to "research" the current fashion trend in Japan.
I really enjoyed looking around the clothing stores in Harajuku because they sold clothes for cheap, and they sell various styles depending on the store.
I personally find my style slightly different from the stores in Harajuku, but I enjoyed looking and trying out different styles. It's never too old to explore... right?































I have a strong image of Shinjuku being a city active at night, so there wasn't much to see in the day. I will talk about Shinjuku in my future blog entry, since I made a visit there once again in the night time. That entry will probably explain why it is more interesting to visit there at night than the day as well.... =)

I ended my day in the city shadowed and towered by the great wall of skyscrapers.

The Next Destination - Sendai

Day 5 (Jan. 10)































It was my last day in Kyoto.
2 nights and 3 days swung by at the speed of a bullet train.
While looking back at my memories, we concluded our trip in Kyoto by visiting the Arashiyama area, which is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Kyoto, with its many souvenir shops and beautiful scenery. Although the tables of the shops were nicely decorated with loads of snacks and food, we had one objective in mind, and this was to visit the Geinou Jinja.
Geinou Jinja is a shrine or temple that brings good luck to those seeking to succeed as a celebrity, musician, or artist.
Call me superstitious but I'd rather give it a chance than to just say that I don't believe in these things.































As you can see in the picture, the shrine is full of red wood blocks that have names engraved on them. The names that are on the blocks are names of celebrities who have sponsored the shrine.
If you look close enough, you can see names of many successful individuals... famous actors and actresses, artists, celebrities and musicians (I was able to spot some members of EXILE, the Japanese dance group).
I'm pretty sure this is expected but I made another wish at the shrine.
Again, the wish is a secret =)
















After a long and productive tour around Arashiyama, we headed back to Yokohama.
On the way to Yokohama, we stopped by at a delicious unagi (broiled eel) restaurant that served only unagi dons (eel on rice) and nothing else.
In other words, their reputation and their life is dependent on unagi.
I'm sure you would say that's crazy, but after a bite of this, I'm sure you would understand.
This unagi don.... is simply the best bowl I've had in my life.
Undoubtedly, it was a taste I would never forget.


Day 6 (Jan. 11)

Continuing with our reckless tour of non-stop entertainment, our next destination was Sendai.
To seek a relaxing stay, we headed towards a ryokan (traditional Japanese-style hotel), that was located in the middle of mountains and lakes. It seemed like it was snowing at Sendai for a while, but fortunately, on the day of our arrival, the snow took mercy on our poor souls with no jackets.




































For our stay, we selected a package with dinner, free access to the onsen (hot springs), and a breakfast buffet.
To be honest, I wasn't really expecting much when I first heard the package deal.
8000 yen (approx. $94 CDN) for all this!? It sounded too good to be true.
However, my presumptions were clearly mistaken.
















When I first saw the dinner tray, I thought it was for the two of us.
Pork sukiyaki, sashimi, and a few small dishes. Sounded reasonable.
But no, this was actually for one individual.
Although I couldn't fit the other dishes and the dessert in the frame, this was actually only part of it! What a deal!

What surprised me the most was actually the onsen.
The ryokan actually had one big indoor onsen (like the one from Harrison Hot Springs in Canada), as well as a big outdoor onsen with four different types of springs.
I found the outdoor one to be a really good experience because I was able to look at the mountains topped with snow, while relaxing in the warm and cozy onsen.
This is something you can't really experience in Canada, and surely something you can't really experience in big cities like Tokyo.
With all my stress and pain flowing out of my body, my sleep that night was the most comfortable and relaxing one yet.
With high expectations for a delicious and filling breakfast, I called it a day.

Hopes For The New Year

Day 4 (Jan.9)
















It was a nice fine Kyoto morning - quiet, modest, delicate and spiritual.
As I let the alcohol slowly evaporate within my system, the sun slipped through the curtains to shed light upon the tatami and my drowsy life-less eyes.
Knowing that my time here is very little, and that I can only enjoy so much, I hopped on to the bus to the heart of Kyoto city.





































After a stroll around Shijo street and Gion, I grabbed myself a Kyo-ramen (Kyoto noodles) for lunch. Unlike the other ramen I've tried, the taste was quite light and it contained a lot of mushrooms (which I don't usually prefer) but it was very refreshing for an intoxicated traveler.
To be honest, I actually preferred more of the Matcha parfait that my partner got, but let's just pretend you never heard that.





































As soon as our stomachs were satisfied with a filling lunch, we walked to the shrines to make our wishes for the new coming year.
In Japanese tradition, there is a superstition that our wishes would be granted by making a wish in front of the shrine while putting your hands before you.
It is said that our wishes would not come true if you reveal it to any one other than yourself and the spirit you made your wish upon. So no, I'm not going to be telling you my wish =D















To finish off my tour in Kyoto, I attempted at an Omikuji, which is a box with a hole at the bottom with a bunch of straws inside. After a good shake of the box, one of the straws will come out telling you your fortune for the new year. I was actually fortunate enough to pull out a Daikichi, which is the best fortune you can ever get! Although all the messages that were in the fortune were very vague, I am hoping that everything will work out this year.
With big hopes for a great year I ended Day 4.

In Kyoto

Day 3 (Jan.8)

Right after the China Town tour, we took the night bus to head to our second destination - Kyoto.
The bus was freezing cold, and the only thing that could really keep us warm was a blanket that was supplied in the bus. As you can see in the picture below, the rest station that the bus stopped at was getting covered with sheets of snow. Fortunately, the inside of the station was fairly warm and there was a small food court with a few souvenir stores... perfect for killing time!



We arrived in Kyoto at 7am in the morning, and after a short coffee break, we headed to Osaka to watch Takarazuka (a musical theatre performed by only females).
It was actually the first musical I've ever watched. I was astonished by the dynamic outfits, and the amazing set. Before the show, I happened to be reading a book about what distinguishes good musicals from the bad, and in the book, it mentioned that good musicals make smooth transitions from the plot to the songs.
I could really see that in the performance. I felt that musicals have a lot of things in common with band shows. Kind of like how successful shows make smooth transitions from one band to another... something that we have constantly been working towards.



























































At night, I met up with a friend who has taught me a lot about music, over some okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza) and beer in Kyoto.
We only meet and talk every once in two years, but everytime I meet him, we have something to talk about. Currently, he is the vocal/guitar of the band, The Lions, and he also hosts many band shows for other bands in the community.
Recently, their band released their first mini-album on a cassette tape, and has been successful in having their copies sold at local indie shops.






















After a brief conversation, I was quite interested to find that success is only a matter of perception and nothing concrete. I have always thought that in order to be successful in music, you have to get your music known. In order to get known, I have thought of many methods, such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, and other social networking sites.
However, he mentioned that his dream is to explore various mediums and for his next album, he mentioned that he wanted to release it on vinyl.
















Even though he is now married and is a full-time worker in Japan, he still continues to play music to accomplish his dream. On weekdays, he works. On weekends, he hosts band shows, drives his band, writes songs, and leads the band.
For me, I find that a lot of work, and if I was put in the same position, I probably wouldn't be able to last a month. I asked him how he could handle so much work, and why he puts so much time into something he cannot earn money for. He simply answered "the band is what I live for."

I somehow felt that this was the answer I had been waiting for.














After being enlightened for the night, I realized that I had just missed the last bus....
I ended the night having to catch the taxi and being locked out from the hotel for an hour =(

Back from Japan!

13 days. Japan.

Every day was another day, another city, another feeling.
All the cities I was able to visit had their own unique qualities that was distinctively different from another.
My original purpose for this trip was to expand connections with bands in Japan, as an aspiring musician, a member of Epic Marble Project and as the bassist of Paris in Tokyo.
This is a blog about my 13 days in Japan.







































Day 1 (Jan.6)
After a long and dull plane ride (that was spiced up with 2-3 cans of Asahi Beer), I arrived in Japan at 3pm in the afternoon.
Due to the fact that all my trips to Japan were usually during the summer, which are rather disturbingly hot and humid, I was quite surprised to be welcomed this time by dry and piercing cold air. For me, cold is always better than hot... but that's ONLY when you're dressed RIGHT.
But yes, as you can see, I did make it through alive. Thank god Japanese buildings are all over-heated.

On my first day of arrival, I stayed at Yokohama.



































Day 2 (Jan. 7)
On the second day of my trip, I woke up early in the morning to get ready for an adventure in Yokohama China Town.
This was actually my second visit to China Town, but on my first time, I ended up only eating a Bento lunch box that I could have purchased anywhere. It was a big waste for me, but since I was alone that time I was reluctant in entering a restaurant.
This time, I wasn't alone so we decided to try out the gourmet "nikuman" (meat bun).

















We decided to try out three types of nikuman.
For our first choice, we got an Abalone shark fin bun (Awabi Fukahire man), which we chose for its appealing name and rich combination. For the second choice, we selected a big butaman (pork bun) and for the third, we picked 3 different types of buns - anman (red bean), nikuman (meat), and matchaman (match green tea).
All of them were delicious, but I prefer the Abalone Sharkfin bun.
This was definitely one-of-a-kind!
To top it off, I finished my lunch with my personal favorite, Mabo-Tofu.


















After a filling lunch, we visited the Aka Renga Souko (red brick warehouse), which is pretty much a shopping mall that looks like a warehouse.
With its stylish design, you can enjoy shopping for items such as silver accessories, clothing, and hats. Even though it is supposed to look like a "warehouse", most of the shops inside are a little pricy so I recommend putting a lock on your wallet unless you're loaded and ready to spend.
At the same location, I was quite surprised to see Yuko Ogura, who is a Japanese celebrity, trying out the food from the restaurants in the Aka Renga.
It seemed like they were filming her so I guess it was for some food variety program that they show on TV.
What was really surprising was when I exited the mall, she was right in front of my eyes running toward the ocean with a large film crew chasing after her.....

































It was certainly an interesting way to start off Day 2 in Japan....

Epic Marble Project's LOCUS helping with the Haiti Relief Effort Fund

Epic Marble Project's LOCUS is now donating a portion of there CD sales as well as itune downloads to UNICEF for the Haiti Disaster Relief Effort Fund. In hours of dark may music spread help and hope to those in need.

LOCUS itune download link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ambrosiaid336707039

Or donate to UNICEF: www.unicef.org



Best wishes.

Rock Bands Potluck!

Hey everyone! Yup, pink text, Gigi's here. XD

Jan 2,2010 Gigi had a little potluck at home with a bunch of musician friends. It was awesome fun, good foods, chats about music, and we jammed! .. on Wii "Rock Band". lol Members from 6 different bands joined the party, felt like all types of music mixed together that night, felt like a really cool concert. XD It was really fun to see Kaila(vocal of "Locus") and Misaki(vocal of "Paris in Tokyo") on drums. Mati(drummer of "One Arm Bear) on guitar, Jake(drummer of "X:enders") on vocal. 2 of our greatest bassists Daizo(Paris in Tokyo) and Mike(Cakeshop) were on bass as usual^^. and Moses(guitarist of "Aura"), he fitted in every positions! Vocal, guitar, drum.. Momo was everywhere! XD
Thx Q everyone for joining the party, it was super awesome. and we must do it again! Soon!! XD

xoxo
Gigi