Fresh Off the Box

Horseback Archery in Zushi

2009-11-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

My second cousin invited me to watch traditional Japanese horseback archery called Yabusame in her town of Zushi. Zushi is located next to Kamakura and is just over an hour away by train from Shibuya. Yabusame demonstrations take place at different times and places around Japan. Kamakura is famous for its Yabusame events, but the one in Zushi is less crowded so you can get a close up view of the archers in action.

Part of the Yabusame included a small samurai procession through the streets of Zushi that ended at a local shrine.

The cold late November weather forced the children's archery event inside the Zushi city hall.

A young spectator has a great view for the archery demonstation on Zushi beach.

It's a hit!

Click here to watch a video of Yabusame.

With my second cousin, Yukari and a samurai.

With Yukari's little boy, Dai-chan, five years old.

Shichi-Go-San

2009-11-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

Shichi-Go-San (7-5-3) is a tradition of bring children aged three, five and seven to the shrine for a blessing -- and lots of picture taking. The tradition is observed on the nearest weekend to November 15. I went to the Meiji Jingu Shrine next to Harajuku and it was a beautiful sunny day.

A wedding procession at the shrine.

Yoyoji Park in the fall.

Christmas decorations at Omotesando Hills, a really fancy shopping center. Visitors can stand inside the decoration for a photo opp. The photo spot is a cool idea--I saw a similar one at Roppongi Hills.

National Art Center next to Nogizaka Station (near Roppongi Midtown). First time I checked it out and already it is one of my favorite buildings in Tokyo.

Kinoco Hotel

2009-11-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

at SuperDeluxe
November 14, 2009
3000 cover plus 700 drink ticket

Cutesy retro surf rock four-piece band. Check out their YouTube page.

I had to work on a Saturday and wrapped up at 6:30. That gave me 30 minutes to get from Shibuya to Nishi Azabu for which there is no direct subway. I should of just took a bus down Roppongi dori. I got to the gig a little late, but luckily they didn't start on time. I enjoyed this band's music and they have nailed down their look and style, but they need to do more shows to hone the performance. After the show, decided to walk it back to my apartment, it took about an hour.

Western homes walking tour of Motomachi and Yamate

2009-11-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

Last week the temperature dropped across the Kanto plain forcing me to buy a coat (a great find by the way at a second-hand store), but autumn is not quite yet ready to leave and the temperature jumped back up for a fine weekend to walk around and explore. I was invited to meet up with some old friends in Yokohama so I decided to head out a few hours earlier and walk around the Motomachi/Yamate area.

150 years ago the port of Yokohama was opened up to foreigners. Westerners came and set up shop making Yokohama one of the largest foreign settlements in Japan. They built Western-style homes around Motomachi and in the Yamate hills located next to Yokohama's famous Chinatown. Much of the area was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, but today, many of the rebuilt homes have been preserved and make for a nice walking tour of this historical neighborhood.

From the Motomachi Chukagai station, I started off at the Harbor View Park for a view of the city.

The British House is located in the park. Inside, the rooms have been restored and decorated with furnishing of the era.

Yamate 111 Ban-kan is also in the park. There are a lot of tea houses in Yamate for all the walkers, including one in this former home of an American businessman.

The Yokohama Foreign Cemetery is one of the highlighted historical spots in Yokohama. People like the guy who built the first railway in Japan are buried here.

The Yamate Museum (200yen) is located across from the cemetery. Inside you can see odds and ends used in the Western homes.

The Tin Toy Museum (200yen) is a cool place to check out in Yamate. It's located just around the corner from the Yamate Museum.

This is the Ehrismann Residence located in Motomachi Park.

I deviated from the walking tour to go see the remains of the old horse race track in Negishi. From Motomachi Park it's about a 30 minute walk.

From Negishi, I trekked it back down the hill to meet my friends at the Motomachi shopping street. Lots of good places to eat here. In Japan, they already put up Christmas decorations and lights.

The day ended with dinner in Chinatown.

Kawagoe Festival

2009-10-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Kawagoe is a short thirty minute train ride out of Ikebukuro. This year the burb became known as the setting for a popular NHK asa-drama, but in the samurai days it served as a castle town on the way to Edo. Today, the castle is gone, but what makes Kawagoe a unique tourist destination is the feeling that the streets have been untouched by the hyper-urbanization you find in Tokyo. In fact, the city's nickname is Koedo, or Little Edo because it retains the characteristics of when Tokyo was called Edo.

A short walk from the train station is Kurakuzuri Zone--a perfect place to walk around and explore for its mix of historical architecture, charming shops and of course food! The centerpiece of the zone is the wooden time bell tower. It still rings four times a day, but I believe its just a recording played on speakers. Even so, just listening to the sound of the bell, you couldn't help but feel like you were stuck in time. The can't miss attraction is "Kashiya Yokocho," an alleyway of traditional candy shops filled with all kinds of Japanese sweets.

I timed my visit to Kawagoe for the Kawagoe Festival in October. The festival is celebrated by tall floats pulled by townfolk around the city streets. On each float are drummers and flute players and a dancer in mask and costume. The best time to see the floats are at night (between 7-9pm) when the lanterns are lit up. When two (or more) floats meet up on the street, a kind of musical showdown takes place where each team tries to throw the other off beat.

So if you are looking for a quick get-away from Tokyo, try checking out Kawagoe! Visit the city website for more info.

And now, some pics:

Matsuri Kid

Kawagoe Bell Tower

"Kashiya Yokocho" Penny Candy Alley

Two floats face off on the streets of Kawagoe

Performers on a parade float

Kawagoe Matsuri at night

Watch short festival videos on my YouTube page.

Food I ate!
Salty cucumbers - 100yen

Tofu donuts - 80yen

Yakiimo, roasted sweet potatoes - 2 for 100yen

Dango, mochi balls on a stick - 120yen

Taiyaki - 130yen

Gigs

2009-09-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

9/23 Moonstep in Nakano
1500 yen plus 500 drink ticket

Seameal
ククル・アタク
花ト散るらん (hanatochiruran)
SIX
MAJO

9/26 Club Citta in Kawasaki
4000 yen plus 500 yen drink ticket

GO!GO!7188
THE BAWDIES
Scars Borough
Base Ball Bear

Tokyo Toy Show and Gundam at Odaiba

2009-07-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started off with a quick stop at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Shinagawa to see the Micropop show featuring the latest generation of Japanese artists. The show will tour internationally, so look for it! It's going to Germany next. At the museum shop I picked up a graphic book on children's advertising in the Showa era. (1000 yen entrance fee)

Then I hopped on the train to Odaiba to check out the Tokyo Toy Show (free!). Odaiba is a man-made island that unlike the claustrophobic feel of Tokyo is designed with wide open spaces. The island is home to the Big Site convention hall (where the Toy Show was being held), shopping malls and entertainment centers as well as office buildings and residences. There are also an odd assortment of museums and attractions including an onsen theme park and a mini replica of the Statue of Liberty. While it may be a good date spot or nice for a family outing, I think Odaiba was poorly planned. Lots of wasted space and it feels too hodge-podge in terms of the layout.

The Toy Show at Tokyo Big Site is a place for toy companies big and small to show off their latest products. It's a trade show that is open to the public on the weekend. Most of the toys were standard fare you would find in any toy store. The Bandai section was popular with Power Ranger action figures and card games. Anpanman and Hello Kitty were everywhere. And there were a lot of cooking toys. The coolest toy there was a Mickey Mouse Transformer.

From Big Site, I took a long walk to one of the big shopping malls. Inside, there is an interactive sports-type attraction called "Muscle Park." Muscle Park is kind of like being on a Japanese game show. There are games to test your reflexes and balance. Sports-related games like pitching and kicking a soccer ball. And even a replica of the "Ninja Warrior" TV show, called "Sasuke" here in Japan. It's kind of pricey though. I paid 700 yen for the pleasure of embarrassing myself in the pitching game. I couldn't even hit the target...

My final destination was the life-sized Gundam set up on Odaiba for the summer to celebrate the anime robot's 30th anniversary. I know it sounds weird to want to see a giant robot, but it was pretty freakin' cool. And there were a ton of people there, some were even picnicking. It kind of felt religious, and Gundam was their idol. At the top of the hour, music blares from the speakers and smoke comes out of the robot's exhausts, then it moves it's head--and that was it. When they build a Gundam that can walk and shoot a giant gun, then I think the fans will get down on their knees and pray to it, I know I will.

The Gundam is 18 meters high. I don't know how tall that is, but it was huge!

The Gundam will be up through August 31.

Shimokitazawa street art

2009-07-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

Went to go see LAZYgunsBRISKY (again!) at Shelter in Shimokitazawa last night. (7/15/09) 3000yen cover. They were promoting the launch of a new mini-album and played an hour-long set with two encores. Packed house but a pretty mellow crowd. This band has quickly become one of my favorites, ...and they're just getting started!

Also, check out some of the street art in Shimokitazawa. They've painted on some of the shutters of the shops, so you can't see it during the day. I only noticed it on the way home after leaving the club:

Shimokitazawa

2009-07-12T01:04:00.000-07:00

Shimokitazawa has been called cool, hip and indie, so naturally I had to check it out for myself. Located a few stops away from Shibuya, the neighborhood is a cluster of shopping, music and dining. Part of Shimokitazawa's charm is that it hasn't been taken over by the generic chain stores. No Uniqlo or Don Quixote, though I did spot a Suta-ba--what they call Starbucks here.

People waiting in line to buy takoyaki. The shop is on the left. If you don't want to wait in line, there are plenty of places to eat and drink in the neighborhood.

A very quaint antique toy store called Omurice. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures inside. Lots of clothing stores in Shimokitazawa and other places to spend your yen.

Neat store concept. People rent out a small box for 3000yen a month to sell their handmade crafts and accessories.

Dinner at Cowboy. The menu only has four dishes: A hamburger steak, the jumbo hamburger steak, chorizo sausages and chili con carne. I ordered the jumbo, 400 grams of beef covered in demi-glaze sauce with a small side of corn and potatoes and a plate of rice for 900 yen. Oh, what I would give for some barbeque sauce!

Shimokitazawa has some cool record shops and a bunch of places to hear live music. I went to the Daisy Bar, but the bands were so-so.
2800yen cover. Line-up: The Bohemians, The Suzan, Radio Foundation.

After the show, caught a photo with The Suzan. I think I'm being emasculated by the lead singer!

Tanabata Matsuri

2009-07-07T07:00:00.001-07:00

7/7 is known as "Tanabata" in Japan. The story of Tanabata is about two "star-crossed" lovers who can only meet once a year on this day. The most famous Tanabata festival in Japan takes place up north in Sendai.

On Saturday, I went to the town of Hiratsuka, located about 30 minutes from Yokohama, for the local Tanabata celebration.

The main attraction for a Tanabata festival is the colorful paper streamers that decorate the streets. At night the streamers are lit up. Another custom is to write your wish and tie it to a bamboo pole.

Here are some pics:

"Two buttheads" Even smoking is cute in Japan.

Lazy Guns Brisky at Heaven's Door

2009-06-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 24, 2009
Heaven's Door
Sangenjaya
2600 yen, includes one drink ticket

Line up:
Saltlee
1000000$boys
Cold Kitchen
Lazy Guns Brisky
Leo Imai

Bought
Saltlee CD - 500 yen
Lazy Guns Brisky CD "quixotic" 2200 yen

Basement Bar in Shimokitazawa

2009-06-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

Watusi Zombie at Basement Bar

I finally made it out to Shimokitazawa. It's a pocket of shopping and night life located a few stops away from Shibuya. It's a great place to go to check out live rock music and then grab some drinks at one of the many izakayas. Compared to the mass of swirling humanity that is Shibuya, Shimokitazawa feels cozy and relaxed.

Shimokita (the short name) is about a 30 minute walk from my apartment. (Man, if I just get a bicycle, I'll be able to check out so much more of the city!) I went to see a band called TsuShiMaMiRe. I last saw them at the Silverlake Lounge in LA -- it must of been six years ago? Electric Eel Shock was also on the lineup, so double bonus for me!

Basement Bar, June 4, 2009
2800 yen plus 500 yen for a mandatory drink ticket

Electric Eel Shock
The Novembers
TsuShiMaMiRe
Watusi Zombie

The Shimokita crowd was pretty laid back, mostly college aged and more than 50 percent women. They weren't vibing the rock-laced antics of EES who opened the show. The Novembers were too emo for my taste. A group of fan boys came out for TsuShiMaMiRe and moshed for the whole set. Mari, the lead singer, jumped into the crowd for one song and the action really picked up. It seemed that most of the people were there for Watusi Zombie, who weren't that bad. At the end of their set, the drummer brought the whole kit off the stage into the crowd and that really blew up the night.

After the show I walked around Shimokita and there were still a lot of people eating and drinking late on a weekday night. I grabbed a kimchi-yakiniku rice bowl for about 700 yen. I have to go back and explore more! I especially want to find a Doraemon shop that I saw on the now defunct PingMag website.

With Yayoi, bassist for TsuShiMaMiRe

TsuShiMaMiRe
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4JUtmua2NI

Watusi Zombie
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGa8igWC00s

What's Bobby eating?

2009-05-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

I just moved into my apartment and don't have a refrigerator, microwave or rice cooker yet, so I haven't started cooking. Mostly I rely on bentos from the conbini (convenience market) to keep me alive. But one of the great things about living in a new city is finding new places to eat!

Our table at a yakitori restaurant near the Oimachi train station. We were there for six hours and rushed back to the station to catch the last train home! The restaurant was in a narrow alley lined with tiny pubs. Inside it was decorated with natsukashii (nostalgic) Japanese pop culture memorabilia, which is common here and I love it.

A hot pot rice bowl from Churari, an Okinawan restaurant in Shibuya. This one is kalbi and kimchee (not very Okinawan I know!) and cost 880 yen. They also have a taco rice bowl, and by taco, I mean a Mexican taco, which is a very Okinawan dish.

Okonomiyaki at a restaurant in Ebisu. I think it's more fun when you cook it yourself, but then mine wouldn't of looked this good to eat.

500 yen bowl of green curry with chicken and eggplant from a booth at the Thai Festival in Yoyogi Park.

A deluxe bento from the basement food court under Tokyu Department Store in Shibuya station. It's pricer than the combini, but they have a huge selection of goodies.

The Ebi Filet-o at McDonald's! It's a shrimp sandwich and oh-so tasty!
(Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TN9RKY9hXk)

Room with a view

2009-05-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here is my mansion! (What they call a modern style apartment here in Japan, older apartments are called apaato.) Basically it's one room with a phone booth for a bathroom and the kitchen is in the hallway. I live in Meguro, next to Daikanyama, but I'm about a 15 minute walk to Shibuya station.

I have a great view of Tokyo! I live on the 12th floor of a 14 story building.
This is the view from my balcony. It looks east over Meguro Ward.

Looking to the left you can see Ebisu.

This is the view out the front door. On the horizon you can see the skyscrapers in Shinjuku.

My mansion is right next to a freeway! This is looking to the right in the direction of Shibuya station.

Design Festa 09

2009-05-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

Design Festa is a huge community art event held twice a year in the Tokyo Big Sight convention hall on Odaiba. 1000 yen gets you a one day pass to explore the 2500 plus art spaces set up inside. Most of the "creators" are amateur artists and hobbyists, but their skill level and creativity is well developed and you won't be disappointed. I went on Saturday, May 16 and after spending seven hours there, my feet were worn out!

There is a fashion section with hand-made apparel, funky t-shirts and accessories for sale. The craft area is chock full of dolls, paper craft and other original creations. But the bulk of the event is devoted to art. From illustrations of cute characters to live performances to inventive photography, you will be overloaded by the amount of talent. And in-between all this creativity, you're sure to find a number of surprises and just plain wackiness.

What I enjoy the most about Design Festa is the spirit of the people. They are there not just to make sales, but rather to share their art with others. Even with the language barrier, everyone I spoke with enjoyed telling me about their works. For more info check out www.designfesta.com.

Many of the artists offer postcards of their work for sale for 100 or 150 yen. It's fun to collect the art you like this way. I bought ten postcards.

This young girl made these stuffed creatures. The detail of each doll is amazing!

This guy was wearing a signboard offering to take a photo of you as you jump. On his table he displayed postcards of jumpers from previous Design Festa events. After I did it, I asked him to jump for me!

Some of the artists offered to draw your portrait for only 100 yen! I want to get mine next time.

A young artist in her booth space. A small space costs about $200 for the two day event.

Some Design Festa fun!

For more Design Festa pics, go to my Flickr.

Electric Eel Shock @ Shibuya Yaneura

2009-05-08T21:12:00.001-07:00

I was planning on seeing Detroit7 in Shimokitazawa and while looking for directions, discovered that Electric Eel Shock would be playing in Shibuya that same night. They came to the States a lot and I kept missing them every time, including a chance to see them when I was visiting the folks in Olympia. (I found out a few days late! Was so bummed.)

I was torn between a cool girl rock band and a crazy boy rock band. Since I had seen Detroit7 live in LA, I went with Electric Eel Shock.

Date: May 8, 2009 (Friday)
Venue: Shibuya Yaneura
Cost: 3000 yen, includes a drink ticket

Line up: Jighead, Kirihito, The JFK, Electric Eel Shock
EES set lasted about 30 minutes plus one encore song

In Japan, a club that plays live music is called a "live house." I never quite figured out if we use the same term in English. One thing for sure though is that the music mix in Japan is sooo much better than the places I've been in LA. I've been to three live houses and in all of them you can hear the vocals and the mix is solid.

I got to meet the band and also the lead singer for The JFK, and no, the band name has nothing to do with Kennedy. The JFK was the perfect complement to EES - very rock and a great performance. Also check out the drummer of Kirihito - he looks like the Japanese Curly from the Three Stooges!

With Aki, vocals and guitar. I need to work on my rock'n'roll face.

With Gian, drums and Kazuto, bass. Gian is wearing clothes in this pic, but on stage, he's naked except for a sock on his johnson! I need A LOT more work on my rock'n'roll face.

This picture is why I need to buy the Canon G10! No more blurry concert pics!

The event was called Rock'n'Roll Fisherman. Electric Eel Shock loves to fish when they aren't shredding on stage. After the show there were giveaways from the sponsors. The crowd played rock-scissors-paper to win. I kept losing to paper! But then got lucky and won this Gary Yamamoto custom baits jacket! Sugoi!

Tacos, Togo and Totoro

2009-05-06T02:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't started working yet and so I've taken advantage of my free time and done some wandering around Tokyo. A couple things that strike me: they've really cut down on smoking in public and I wonder why there aren't more alternative energy cars in Japan. You would think it makes more sense for Japan to go electric and get off of oil. Ok, on to the pics.

It's not Kogi, but they have taco trucks in Japan too! They're just smaller. Mmmm, tuna taco for $6.

On Omotesando Street, there are a lot of luxury brand stores. Took a picture of this Takashi Murakami giant stuffed figure at the Louis Vuitton store.

In Harajuku, the Togo Shrine flea market offers up Japanese antiques on the first and fourth Sundays of the month. It's small but plenty of interesting things to browse through like World War II sake cups for 500 yen. It's located just off of Takeshita shopping alley and you would never know it's there unless you looked for it.

A woman who was visiting Tokyo asked me if they bargain. I wasn't sure, but it was a flea market after all and I'm sure a reasonable counter offer wouldn't be taken as an insult. She told me the vendor told her 3000 yen for a small globe she was interested in. She had countered with 2000 yen, but the vendor refused to sell it at that price and she didn't understand why he kept saying 1000 yen. I asked what the price was. The vendor clarified that he made a mistake. The selling price was really 1000 yen and he was refusing to take the 2000 yen she was willing to pay. Sugoi!

Wedding at the Togo Shrine and photo op for tourists!

I went to the Studio Ghibli Museum just a short trip ride out of Shinjuku. It cost 1000 yen, but you will have to buy your ticket ahead of time, no walk-ins! They don't allow any picture taking inside the museum. It is a must see if you are a fan of any of the Hayao Miyazaki films like "My Neighbor, Totoro" or "Spirited Away." In the museum store I had planned not to buy anything, especially not anything expensive. But the collector in me came out like a dog finding a bone. I bought this Noritake collectible plate, limited edition and the artwork changes every year. And it is only sold at the museum. Don't need it, won't use it, but someday it will be worth something.... woof.

Pecha Kucha Night

2009-04-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

The Pecha Kucha Night concept is simple. A presenter shows 20 slides for 20 seconds each. The total show is 6 minutes and 40 seconds. It's like show and tell but with cocktails. The original presenters were architects and designers and artists who would meet up to show their works or works in progress, but now anything creative or informative goes -- a travel slide show, a collection of hairstyles, a community history, even the many applications of gum tape in the streets of Japan. The format is designed to show as many works as possible without dragging on the time, and the good thing is that if a presenter is boring, at least they'll only be boring for less than seven minutes. But they are rarely boring.

Me and Akira

Last Wednesday I went to Pecha Kucha 61 at Super Deluxe, a subterranean creative space located next to Roppongi Hills. Akira Uchimura, who I knew virtually from my work at Discover Nikkei, was scheduled as one of the presenters. This was the first time we met and he introduced me to his crew. Like him, they were Latin American Nikkei now living in Tokyo. Akira's presentation was about Latin American Nikkei and his website NikkeiPortal.com.

Akira's presentation at Super Deluxe

There was a 1,000 yen entrance fee (about $10), and that included a drink. The space was great because they had four projectors set up so everyone could see and had just put in a brand new sound system earlier that day that made it easy to hear. In keeping with the 20/20 format, the event started at 20:20. The MC's were Astrid and Mark of Klein Dytham Architecture in Tokyo. They originated the Pecha Kucha Night concept in 2003 and it has now grown to encompass 189 cities. There were a dozen or so presenters including Akira. A Fulbright scholar named Erika Nishizato was the first to go. She introduced her research on "surface" -- the visual nature of things in Japan or the nature of visual things, I don't know, it's a scholarly thing. There were artists and designers. And a girl who was into hooping (they're not called hula hoops people!) even did a demonstation. I thought it was cool that she learned how to do it by watching YouTube. The presentations were a mixture of English and Japanese. There was a presentation of an eco living magazine called eco + waza. And there was the gum tape guy.

Astrid, MC and co-creator of Pecha Kucha Night

That night I got to meet some of the presenters. I met Deanna, the hooping girl. She co-runs a website called Tokyo Made that I am familiar with from when I had my Japanese fashion site. So it was cool to meet up with her and Masao (the other half). My favorite was artist Miu Kiuchi. At first glance, her work looks like an abstract painting. But you have to take a step back to see that it's really a close up photograph of a city street or rusted metal and chipped paint. What a brilliant eye! I asked her to sign one of her postcards for me and she said that was the first time anyone asked her to sign anything. Yea me!

Okinawan music

2009-04-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

As soon as you step foot on Okinawa, a unique sound greets you. It is the lively rhythm of a stringed instrument called a jabisen, or sanshin in the local dialect. The sanshin is like the shamisen except that the body is covered with the snake skin of the habu (shamisen is made from cat skin!). I guess you can call it a Japanese banjo.

There is something about island culture and music. The locals in Okinawa gather together to play sanshin and sing old folk songs (and drink awamori!). During a party, people will get up and dance. The dance is called kachashi; they wave their arms back and forth and step up and down to the rhythm. At a festival, people dance to the sanshin and taiko. The largest festival is called Eisa Matsuri that takes place throughout the island in August. They wear colorful costumes that conjure up images of when the island was called the Ryukyu Kingdom, but what you really feel is the Uchinanchu spirit -- Uchinanchu is the name the Okinawan people call themselves.

Eisa Matsuri dancing (youtube)

Traditional Okinawan folk music is not lost among the young people on this island. In the 80s musicians like Rinken Band added a rock back beat to the sound of the sanshin to created a fusion of folk music with a modern sound. Today, other musicians continue to create and perform. On Saturday I went to Kokusai Dori -- a lively shopping street in the main city of Naha -- to meet a friend and stumbled across a music stage set up in front of a department store. I stopped to listen to a girl with a violin backed by a sanshin and acoustic guitar. I wanted to buy her CD right there except that I promised myself not to buy anymore CDs! (Digital download only from now on!!) She is called Aria Asia.

Aria Asia (my video)

I met my friend and she told me that Rinken Band opened up a place in Chatan where you could watch live music. Really! I had to go! As luck would have it, I was having dinner with my aunt's friend that night near the live house. So I dropped a friendly suggestion and it was decided we would go! Ironically, the venue is located in a new development called American Village - an American style entertainment megaplex with a movie theater, shopping, restaurants and a giant ferris wheel located right next to an artificial beach.

The venue is called Kalahaai. It is a stage with table seating in front. It cost about $15 for the cover and you can order drinks (Orion beer!) and traditional Okinawan food (pig ear!) The hour-long show featured three acts, Tink Tink, Isa Yumi and churaku. At the end everyone got up and danced kachashi! Shows are nightly and start at 7 and 8:30. If you visit Okinawa and would like to see a live music performance, make sure you check out the Kalahaai live house in American Village!

Rinken Band (youtube)

How to Kachashi (youtube)

Huge Kachashi (youtube)

Haisai from Okinawa!

2009-04-14T05:33:00.000-07:00

"Haisai" is "hello" in the Okinawan language.

I'm now in Okinawa visiting family from my mother's side before I settle down in Tokyo. This is my sixth time here and I love Okinawa. My family lives in northern Okinawa in a city called Nago. Let me share a little bit about this island and its rich culture.

Okinawa is a beautiful island located between Japan and Taiwan. It was once called the Ryukyu Kingdom. The Kingdom was independent and had close ties with China before being invaded by Japan four hundred years ago. During World War II, a terrible battle was fought on the island with over 100,000 civilians killed -- many by Japanese soldiers or by suicide. My aunt was actually born in the middle of the fighting. I can't imagine how it must have been for my grandparents during that time. After the war, Okinawa was placed under the control of the U.S. government until 1972. Today, there is still a strong U.S. military presence on the island.

Okinawa prides itself on its unique culture. It has its own language, food, music and other traditions. Let's start with food!

Okinawan soba is one of the island's most popular dishes. We found this great place in Nago that makes its own soba noodles. Okinawan people love to eat pork. This bowl is topped with "souki" (stewed pork spare rib), "sanmai-niku" (stewed pork belly) and "kamaboko" (steamed fish cake, a kind of fish hot dog). This bowl cost 500 yen, about $5.

This funny looking vegetable is called "goya." It has a bitter taste that takes some getting used to, but once you learn to love it, you really love it!

Goya is commonly served in a stir fry dish called "goya champuru" with tofu and/or meat and egg and served with rice.

This nice lady is selling saataa andagi -- an Okinawan donut -- from a stand for 90 yen each, about 90 cents.

Andagi can be plain, with brown sugar or with sesame seeds.

This is beni imo ice cream. Beni imo is a purple potato. I tried to find Foremost brand ice cream but the super market only carried this one for 250 yen, about $2.50 for a small cup.

One interesting fact about Okinawan food is that there is a strong influence from American culture through the military. In addition to Foremost ice cream, Okinawa has A&W drive ins and tacos!

As for drinking, Okinawa is famous for it's own brand of beer called Orion and it's own sake called "awamori." A special kind of awamori is made with a snake in the jar called "habu sake." Habu is a poisonous snake indigenous to the Ryukyus and habu sake is said to pass along special powers to the drinker.

image credit: panduh

More cool Okinawan culture to follow!

Shabu Zen

2009-04-12T00:28:00.001-07:00

What is the sound of thinly sliced beef swishing in boiling hot water? And if no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

My second night in Tokyo I had dinner at Shabu Zen in Shibuya, an all-you-can-eat shabu shabu joint. Dinner starts at around $38 and goes up with higher quality of meat.

There are several Shabu Zen restaurants in Tokyo. This one is Shibuya is famous for being in the movie "Lost in Translation."

In Japanese, all-you-can-eat is called "tabe-houdai." And an all-you-can-eat buffet is called "viking."

After finishing up the shabu shabu meat, the broth is used to make a noodle soup.

LINK: Shabu Zen

Early morning walk along the Meguro River

2009-04-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

I moved out of LA and so won't be interviewing any more APAs for Fresh Off the Box for the foreseeable future. But for now, I'll use this blog space to write about the things I do in Japan, which is where I will be living as of yesterday!

This morning I took a walk along the Meguro River that runs through Tokyo. It's a river that can be described as a large concrete ditch flowing with smelly black-greenish water and you are surprised to see anything living in there. Considering the conditions however, it could be a lot worse and is nowhere near an open cesspool that you see in some major cities. In fact, it is something of an urban oasis that is lined with walking paths and cherry blossom trees. Thanks to the jet lag, I was up early with the dog walkers and morning joggers and the garbage collectors and even a few late night party-ers trying to get home before the sun rose. One thing that caught my eye was all the people out sweeping the fallen cherry blossoms petals. It's probably more of a morning ritual thing, petals or not, they were keeping their spaces tidy.

The Meguro River Sakura trees at full bloom. The river is not as bad as I describe it!

I arrived in Tokyo just in time for the blossoming of the cherry blossom trees. Sakura is very symbolic of Japan and represents the nature of beauty (as well as the beauty of nature) and impermanence of life. The blossoms also represent the coming of spring and renewal and the people go outside and celebrate with hanami--a picnic under the cherry blossom trees. The blossoms have peaked and now the petals are starting to fall. I took some photos, but to be honest it's hard to capture the beauty of the moment in two dimensions. Later this evening I want to go out again when the place is packed with people and maybe have a beer or three.

The river is to the right. Some parts along the path are lined with small eating places and tiny boutiques. The walking area along the river is pretty long. My walk lasted about two hours and I didn't go all the way.

Kogi BBQ in Little Tokyo

2009-02-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

The taco truck is a definitive part of LA culture. And in this place where cultures intermix we discover that we can create something bold. A Mexican staple meets Korean flavor in a Japanese setting. This is our LA. This is the tale of the "two-hour taco" at the Japanese American National Museum.

For more info: www.kogibbq.com

Get ready for Kollaboration 9

2009-02-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

Meet some of the artists performing at this year's showcase:

Kina Grannis, singer (www.kinagrannis.com)

Paul Dateh, musician (www.pauldateh.com)

Kollaboration 9 is on February 21, 2009 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Special Guest Performers:
Jo Koy (Comedy Central)
Kaba Modern (America's Best Dance Crew 1)
Fanny Pak (America's Best Dance Crew 2)
Norman Ng (Magician)

Competitors:
David Choi (YouTube Sensation)
Jane Lui (Singer/Songwriter)
Jazmin (MTV's Top Pop Group)
Kina Grannis (Singer/Songwriter)
Kenichi Ebina (Showtime at the Apollo)
Lilybeth Evardome (Vocalist)
Paul Dateh (Hip-Hop Violinist)

For more information visit www.kollaboration.org.

F.O.B. II: Art Speaks - Vietnamese American Art Show

2009-01-26T23:42:00.000-08:00

Tram Le and Lan Duong, Co-Curators of F.O.B. II: Art Speaks

F.O.B. II: Art Speaks was an art show featuring over 50 visual and performing artists from the Vietnamese and Vietnamese American community. The event was organized by the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) and co-curated by Tram Le and Lan Duong. It was held at the VAALA Center in Santa Ana, CA. The show was scheduled to run from January 9-18, 2009, but within the community where bitter memories of the war in Vietnam still run deep, political activists came out to protest the art show when they falsely believed that the art supported communism. The show organizers shut down the show three days early.

I intended to interview Tram and Lan at the VAALA Center on the night of a live performance event that was part of the show. But I arrived in Orange County only to find the doors locked and the show canceled. Fortunately I was able to catch up with the co-curators at a restaurant where they were having dinner with some of the artists and other supporters. Even though it had been a long hard day dealing with the protesters, the local law and the media, they agreed to do an interview. Inside the restaurant was too dark and noisy, so the only place I could do the interview was in the parking lot.

For more information on VAALA visit www.vaala.org

Part 1

Part 2

Little Tokyo community speaks up about Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

I went to the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles to watch the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama on a giant screen with other people from the community. Afterwards I asked people what they thought about the inauguration of the new president. Check it out! You can watch the high quality version on the YouTube page.

Ping Pong Playa DVD Launch

2009-01-19T21:39:00.000-08:00

pictured: Jessica Yu, Smith Cho, Jimmy Tsai, Roger Fan, Jim Lau
image: Eric Nakamura

"Ping Pong Playa" is a comedy by Academy Award winning director, Jessica Yu. The director and cast members dropped by GR2 in West Los Angeles to meet with fans for the release of the "Ping Pong Playa" DVD. If you haven't guessed it, the film is about ping pong.

For more info visit www.pingpongplaya.com.

movie trailer:

San Diego Asian Film Festival

2008-12-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

From Los Angeles I've gone down to San Diego a few times for the San Diego Asian Film Festival. 2008 was its 9th year of bringing Asian and Asian American films to the community. They are really organized and put together a great event. Unfortunately, I'm too poor to attend their closing night ceremony dinner (I think its a fund raiser as well). But if you have a chance, I recommend visiting San Diego in October, then you can catch some cool cinema as well.

LINK: San Diego Asian Film Festival

Wong Fu Productions

2008-10-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ouch! I haven't touched this project for almost a year! I have a really good excuse though, I started working full time and just didn't have the time to put together any more interviews. But Fresh Off the Box was always in the back of my mind. There were other issues as well -- wanting to improve the look of the site, figuring out how to get better video quality, finding a new host... I did shoot some more over the summer, but have been slow to edit. But I plan on keeping this project alive, so if anyone is reading this, thanks for your support!

Wong Fu Productions are three nice guys who like to make videos and post them on YouTube. They've built up quite a following. I cornered them at Nucleus Gallery in Alhambra where they were doing a meet and greet with their fans. Sorry the video quality is so crappy. Enjoy!

LINK: Wong Fu Productions

David Ngo

2007-12-09T18:56:00.000-08:00

Jackie Bong Wright entered a beauty contest and won. She was 64 years old at the time. Her story is more than just about a beauty pageant for seniors--it's about a woman who was displaced by war and started up a new life in a new land. At its heart, her story represents the Vietnamese community and the realization of the American dream.

David Ngo grabbed a video camera and documented her story. The documentary, "The Queen from Virginia: The Jackie Bong Wright Story" screened at a few film festivals including the VC Film Festival where it won the Best Documentary Feature in 2006. The doc is now available on DVD at www.doubleohthree.com.

David talks about "The Queen from Virginia"

David talks about the Second Wave of Vietnamese American filmmakers

Allan Axibal

2007-11-28T01:36:00.000-08:00

I first met Allan as a reporter for a website at UCLA called Asia Pacific Arts. This was before he co-wrote a theatrical show, performed in front of packed houses, and has been non-stop touring for the past four years. I can say I knew him when.

His show has a controversial name -- "N*gger Wetb*ck Ch*nk". These words might never go away, but we can try and take the hate out of them by challenging the way people think about racial stereotypes. Listen to what Allan has to say about it:

N*W*C Promo

The Slants

2007-11-22T01:39:00.000-08:00

I was checking out some of the booths at the Pacific Media Expo a week ago and saw some guys sitting at a table pimping their CDs. Their band is called The Slants -- a name that raised my eyebrows above my slanted eyes. They drove all the way down from Portland to perform in LA. So I was like, "Hey, how long are you going to be in town? I want to interview you guys." And they were cool with it. I drove home and got my video camera and a microphone and set up in one of the hotel bedrooms. Check out the interview:

The Slants are a fairly new group. Their latest CD is called "Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts". Look for a tour next spring. For more info, check out www.theslants.com.

Eddie Kim

2007-11-14T00:40:00.000-08:00

First off, you'll notice something new on this video. Yes, we have a new background! Ok, seriously, Renee has moved on to bigger and brighter challenges and so that leaves me to handle the task of interviewing our guests. You can tell I'm thinking and talking at the same time and I don't look comfortable up there, but give me a few interviews to get used to sitting in the chair, I promise I'll get better!

I started the Eddie Kim interview by asking him about NewSpeak TV, only to find out that it's part of something bigger called Projekt NewSpeak. You can see Eddie's videos on his YouTube page. Better yet, catch him live in "The Sketch Comedy Show" on Dec. 1 at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood.

Part 1: NewSpeak TV and Projekt NewSpeak

Part 2: Eddie explains why he got into acting

miwaLyric

2007-11-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

miwaLyric got her moniker when she was a little girl because she used to always write lyrics in class. Now she's all grown up, but she still continues to write as well as perform as both a solo act and with a new band, bleumseed. miwaLyric uses her music to raise awareness to issues close to her heart, like promoting peace and protecting the environment. Find out more about this artist in her interview...

Angry Asian Man

2007-10-19T01:04:00.000-07:00

Who is the Angry Asian Man and why is he so angry? We were able to pull Phil Yu away from his blog to sit down and rap with Renee for this exclusive interview. Phil, as it turns out, is a pretty normal and likeable guy. He shares with us the story of the Angry Asian Man website and how it's morphed to become a voice for the community and a supporter of APA media. Check it out at www.angryasianman.com.

Why so angry?

On supporting APA media.

Kristina Wong

2007-10-11T02:34:00.000-07:00

Kristina Wong left us speechless, literally! But what else would you expect from someone with the creative passion to put on her own one-woman show? Kristina's latest project is called "Wong Flew Off the Cuckoo's Nest" -- a show that deals with the high suicide rate among Asian American women. But even though she tackles such a heavy topic, Kristina is really an artist full of life and energy. The Wongster also travels around the country participating in women's writing workshops and is a contributor to "Playgirl" magazine. You can find out more about her at www.kristinawong.com.

Kristina talks about her solo performance piece.

In part 2, Kristina tells us about her other projects.

Jeannie Mai

2007-09-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

I first saw Jeannie Mai on "Stir TV" a Bay Area-based Asian American magazine style tv show. Unfortunately "Stir TV" didn't last, but for Jeannie it was just another stepping stone in her career as a television host. You can now see her giving makeovers on the USA Network. Jeannie is also a celebrity makeup artist and started a styling company called The Doll Service.

Jeannie tells us about "Character Fantasy"

Where are all the fashionable Asians at?

Ryan Suda

2007-09-20T03:15:00.001-07:00

Ryan is the man behind Blacklava, a t-shirt company that challenges negative views of Asian Americans with slogans such as "I will not love you long time" and "I suck at math." He also supports APA artists on his website by promoting their music and artwork, so make sure to check out www.blacklava.net often!

"Asian is not Oriental"

Ryan talks about Tuesday Night Cafe

Renee asks if Ryan is an activist.

Natalise

2007-09-12T21:35:00.001-07:00

In today's digital age, you can write and record your own music, make music videos and market yourself on the Web. That's just what our next guest Natalise did. Originally from the Bay Area, Natalise is pursuing her dreams as a singer/songwriter here in LA. She took some time away from finishing her third album to sit down with Renee in our "studio."

"Get Me Off" - Natalise

To check out more of Natalise's music, visit her MySpace page.

Randall Park

2007-09-04T00:24:00.000-07:00

Randall Park is an actor and stand-up comic. You may have seen him on MTV's "Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out" or spotted him on a TV commercial. Randall isn't just a creative person, he's a creator -- he's one of the founding members of LCC, an Asian American theater group at UCLA and has produced a series of comedy shorts called "Dr. Miracles."

Part 1: Randall talks about putting on shows in his mom's backyard.

Part 2: Renee asks Randall where he gets his jokes from.

For Randall's stand up schedule or to watch "Dr. Miracles," check out his MySpace page. You can also see him performing live with the Old Dirty Conservatory Comedy Hour at the Westside Eclectic in Santa Monica, CA.

Carl Choi

2007-08-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yeah! Our very first interview! We sat down with Carl Choi at his office in Los Angeles. Carl started out as a party promoter then turned that into an entertainment marketing business for the Asian American community. Among his many hats, he is the CEO of Plan C Group and manager for the hip hop group Far East Movement.

Part 1: Carl shares how he found his calling.

Part 2: Carl talks about how he got into the music biz and working with Far East Movement.

Are you fresh?

2007-08-29T01:07:00.001-07:00

When it comes to Asian Americans in the media, one of the things I commonly hear is that we need more representation. I'm gonna go against conventional wisdom and say that APAs are everywhere. I see Cambodian rappers, reality tv stars, radio personalities, a magazine for Asian women, a time-shifting "hero," feature film directors, professional athletes, stand up comics and even a conservative political pundit. I see APAs everywhere.

Fresh Off the Box

Here at Fresh Off the Box, we talk with Asian Americans in the arts, entertainment, community service and other walks of life. We want to bring these people to you and let you hear where they find inspiration, how they overcame obstacles and what dreams they are working to achieve.

Our mission is to support Asian Americans in the media by promoting their creative work. We also want to shine a light on the people who work to build up the community or found success in their chosen path. Along the way, I hope we will discover what it means to be Asian in America today.

We are in the process of shooting our video interviews and the first one will be posted shortly. So please bookmark Fresh Off the Box and don't forget to support Asian Americans in the media!