UFC 144: World’s most violent sport hits Tokyo
January 31, 2012 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
by Jason Coskrey
Later this month, that bastion of bash-‘em-ups, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), makes a long-awaited appearance in Japan, giving fans an opportunity to see some of the best fighters in the world, including the latest incarnation of B.A. Baracus in the flesh.
The Japanese fight scene hasn’t been quite the same since Pride Fighting Championships (PRIDE) shuttered its doors in 2007.
As UFC holding company Zuffa bought the remains of the old company that year, it’s no surprise the card UFC has put together is a mixture of new Mixed Martail Arts (MMA) stars and former PRIDE stalwarts.
For the curious, or uninitiated, it’s a chance to get a taste of a rapidly growing sport that has deep roots in Japan. MMA is unarmed combat that brings together fighters with backgrounds in karate, Brazilian jiujitsu, boxing, wrestling and various other disciplines.
If it involves pummeling your opponent in a ring, it’s in.
A brand-new village in the heart of Tokyo
January 24, 2012 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
Yoyogi is rarely (well, never) highlighted on tourist maps of Tokyo, but one man is on a mission to bring new life to an area that until 1889 was actually known as Yoyogi Village.
Music producer Takeshi Kobayashi is opening up his own, all-new Yoyogi Village and in the spirit of the literal translation of Yoyogi — “generations of trees” — it is an eco-park filled with shops, eateries and event spaces around a central landscaped garden.
Despite being a stone’s throw from the station, Yoyogi Village is actually tricky to find, with no signage to its side-street main entrance.
But once stumbled upon, it can’t be mistaken, as the entrance itself has the feeling of entering a theme park — or at least a green oasis within an otherwise standard Tokyo shopping district.
A hull-shaped wooden walkways offer an initial choice inside the mostly open-air complex — either explore the upper decking and terrace, or walk through a street of cafés to the greenery in the center.
Jack Sparrow takes the helm of a Tokyo cake store
January 16, 2012 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
by Jessica Ocheltree
One of the best things about living in Japan is that there’s always some completely surreal surprise waiting around the corner.
This week, it’s Captain Jack Sparrow, decked out in full swashbuckling garb, behind the counter of a cake shop in Nakano. Really.
The sight of the grizzled sea dog schlepping tarts around a decidedly pink and princessy shop is enough to stop most passersby in their tracks.
Of course, it’s not the real Jack Sparrow, though they look so similar you might be hard pressed to tell the difference.
This pirate proprietor calls himself Koenji Jack Sparrow, after the nearby hipster neighborhood, and he specializes in pastries, not plunder.
Tokyo 2012 ultimate dining guide
January 8, 2012 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
“I have a little challenge for you,” my editor began, employing the disingenuous tone of an adult trying to convince an eight-year-old that math homework is fun. “I want you to put together a food guide that would reflect what it’s like to eat in Tokyo right now, in 2012.”
Tokyo Marathon fun run seeks international approval
January 6, 2012 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
Japan’s scheme to buy flights for incoming tourists may have been punted into touch recently, but that’s not stopping the suits from coming up with wheezes to win back hearts and minds in the aftermath of last year’s March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
The latest such scheme comes from the organizer of the Tokyo Marathon in the form of an International Friendship Run to be held as a prelude to this year’s main event in February.
Dave Perry: Food critics need to look beyond central Tokyo
January 5, 2012 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
In 2008 Michelin awarded a total of 191 of its coveted stars to Tokyo restaurants, confirming the status of Japan’s capital as a dining nirvana.
The city has consistently displaced the once mighty Paris as the culinary capital of the world ever since, racking up 331 stars in the recently released 2012 guide.
Critics, writers and bloggers have all played their part in maintaining the litany of praise.
English-language commentators should also broaden their horizons.
After all, Tokyo is really a collection of villages sharing a concrete veneer that, thankfully, has failed to completely obliterate the individual charms of myriad neighborhoods and the multitude of dining experiences they provide.
How to cycle from Tokyo to Okinawa in a day
January 1, 2012 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
Of all the cycling routes in and around Tokyo, the trippiest is the one along the Tama River to Zamami Island in Okinawa. Yup — that Okinawa.
It really is possible to make a one-day bike trip from Tokyo to a tropical paradise. All you need is a bike, a cycle bag, an air ticket and, preferably, a tent.
From the Ebisu area in central Tokyo, it’s about a 20-kilometer ride to Haneda Airport, at the mouth of the Tama River. The easiest route follows Komazawa-dori, crossing Kampachi-dori, down the hill, and then left to avoid the riverside construction until you reach the paved cycle path along the river.
Best Tokyo onsen
December 28, 2011 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
Like all good things, let’s start with a proper introduction — I’m Beniko Yamada, and I love onsen. I make my living as an office worker, but I spend all my free time on trips to Japan’s hot springs, and to date I’ve visited 3,750 of them. And no — that’s not a typo, by the way.
I’m enchanted by the bubbling waters of onsen and it’s an honor to be able to share some of my favorites in Tokyo with CNNGo readers.
While the word “onsen” conjures up images of springs bubbling in sylvan valleys, there’s no shortage of superb soaks in and around the capital city (which is far larger than you might think, by the way).
What to do on New Year’s Eve in Tokyo
December 23, 2011 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
I’ve agonized over the whole New Year’s Eve thing for as long as I can remember. It used to be simple: fondue with the family, followed by banging pots and pans outside at midnight (it’s a British thing).
It’s a been mixed bag since then: 1997 — my university girlfriend wanted to try an open relationship over the holidays (she met Rob, I met Carmen, we broke up); 1999 — I ended the 1990s dancing in a gay club with an peculiar husband-wife duo (they hinted at a threesome, I demurred); 2007 — I slept through midnight to catch an early plane to St. Bart’s in the French Caribbean (a bikini-clad Penelope Cruz walked past me on New Year’s Day).
Top Tokyo spots for Christmas dinner
December 18, 2011 by JapanGuide
Filed under Japan Today
Ask any random nipper from the West and they’ll tell you with bells on that Christmas is a family time — shift the question to Japan and they’ll have a much harder time pinning it down.
That’s because the festive season in Asia is, almost exclusively, one of romance, dating and being together with a significant other.
Being single on Christmas Eve — the peak of the amorous vacation — is about as desirable as pouring o-cha from a chocolate teapot.
Naturally, the highlight of any romantic Yule is a carefully chosen (often, booked months in advance) Christmas dinner — which is where we come in.
