Yasukuni

A Japanese client asked me about sights and good places to eat in Tokyo. Instantly, two places came to mind, Yasukuni Shrine and Oedo in Tsukiji, two of my favorite stops in Tokyo! No trip to Japan would be complete without a visit to the Yushukan Museum in Yasukuni in my opinion; just visiting the alter of this sacred shrine wouldn't be enough and neither would it suffice the enormous cultural and spiritual significants attached to it. The legacy of the men and women who fought for the country are enshrined there, so it's much more than just a place to snap pictures of cute gargoyles and blonde haired kimono clad young Japanese girls. It's a place where the bereaved mourn their loss and a place I feel that all Japanese and tourist should visit at least once in their life time. I was asked, so I delivered. Welcome to Yasukuni, again.

It's not the first time I've taken people to this shrine. A few times I've taken females,high schoolers,and even business men here. Yasukuni represents to me an enormous piece of Japanese history that's gone missing in academia, a piece of history shared by both of our countries, two men who would've fought to defend their country had they been called to serve, and two men who were spared such misery by destiny can now walk in peace together down that glorious yellow autumn lane full of dead beauty...amongst the pain and the guilt and the shame. Many ordinary Japanese know little about this place,but the ones who do know, and who have come to terms with the war and its aftermath have come away from this shrine with a deeper and richer understanding of the sacrifices made by their countrymen and women in uniform. I thought to myself this would be a great way we both could share a bit of history between our two countries and enjoy some seafood afterwards, and then back to Yokohama for work.

Everything worked out well getting there. After arriving we headed through those enormous gates adorned with the emblem of the imperial seal, called Kiku, in Japanese. As we approached the main alter I could see yellow leaves falling from the trees and resting along the pathway leading up to the offering box like a warm golden energy. We shared a moment of silence there, heads bowed, then headed over to the Yushukan, a war museum, perhaps the the most thorough and well planned out war museum I have ever visited, aside from the Korean War Museum in Seoul. My client was fascinated by all of the history and exhibits that were on display. The thousands of names of the fallen, both men and women. The artillery and bullets along with the shrapnel. Remains of old soldiers uniforms and diaries, and other memorabilia, which were all on display. He like I was moved because we were in a museum that honored its own people, not condemned them. I gave him a lot to chew on that day.

After spending about an hour or two in the Yushukan (which I did not take a picture of) we decided we had had enough. The sense of loss there was enormous and required time to digest just the basic historical points that so many ordinary people know very little about. We headed back to the parking lot, got in the car and headed to Tsukiji.

Tsukuji is a place I know very well. I have been there dozens of times and I know my way around the place. I know where to eat and I know what's good. For me, I love sea urchin and tuna so my place is called Oedo 大江戸 We were quickly seated and enjoyed a nice bowl of sea urchin and tuna over hot rice along with a delicious bowl of miso. The whole thing was excellent, and I was reminded once again at how much I love Japan.

I am lucky. My client is lucky. I wonder how many of us expats and Japanese alike can realize that...? Why do people come to Japan? I know why I came. Do you...? This is Japan, I hope it never changes.

Asaya Hotel

Rooftop onsen(s) are really nice no matter what season. I know how I feel when I'm on my way to an onsen, do you? I don't know about you, but for me, a nice drive up a long winding road through Tochigi, a stop here and there, at a rest stop overlooking a breathtaking vista. A little road side diner, some tea, a light snack, a stretch, a piss. Getting back in the car and readjusting my seatbelt, feeling refreshed, checking the rear view mirror, back on the road again. Half a tank of gas left, quick glance at my watch, a sudden impulse to drive faster. On my mind right about then is checking-in at three, so I want to be walking in the front door of the hotel at 2:30, if possible, but my watch says 2:45. I want to take every advantage to be the first in that hot water.

Welcome to Asaya Hotel.

I've been sitting on dozens of photos of onsen hotels since I last published my book on natural hot springs back in 2008. Now, back to doing what I do best, and that's talking about the hot spring; at least this way, some of my detractors can share a common link with me on this topic whereas my more risque topics not. On and in onsen(s) again.

Asaya Hotel is one of the those rare gems that's frequented by Old Timers in Kinugawa Onsen, a hot spring resort located in the city of Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. I think what these regulars find most appealing at this hotel are the rooftop hot springs, especially on a cool autumn day, like today.

That was the first thing I did after check in. Race to the room, change into my yukata and head up to the top floor for some relaxation. Afterwards, back down to my room for an ice cold beer to get the blood circulating again, then enjoying some sake and sweets.

The Asaya is a very clean hotel with excellent amenities. The staff are very warm and friendly. The rooms are comfortable and the food is decent. Basically, what you'd come to expect at a Japanese onsen hotel. I won't quote prices here, but last time I was there it was about 8000 yen per person, so about $90. I bet this place would be awesome in the winter.

Cheers,

剛毛ひと妻ハミ出し水着

Madonna productions never ceases to amaze at how well they put together AV materials. I can't exactly recollect the last time I saw a good Muff Fuji worshipping DVD before, but when I heard that Hata Tairyo was in on one I decided to stop by a local adult store to pick up his latest cut called Body of Hairy Beautiful women - not the exact same cover you see in the picture. The actress, Sena Ryo starred in this masterpiece as a middle aged housewife with overgrown pubes. What I like most about Ms. Sena is the contrast between her creamy fair skin and her pubic hair. She's leggy, fairly tall, and cute, too.

What I really like most about how this cut was put together is the directors technique by using his own precum to highlight the beauty of Ms. Sena's pubes. He achieves this by rubbing his own precum onto her bushiness and then dabbling with it to show the stickiness, which turns out to be a very sexy expose of her milky whiteness contrasted with the director's pre-cum smeared across her pubic hair.

There aren't very many DVDs that highlight this part of a womans anatomy so clearly, so I had to at least add this DVD to my collection. In my dealings with a lot Westerners in Japan many have complained that their girlfriends/wives have excessive hair down there. This is true, but I don't think it's worth complaining about since I happen to be a great admirer of both excessive pubic hair and clean shaven mounds.

There are many aspects of Japanese women that I find beautiful, but two things that stand out the most are well toned thighs and fine pubic hair; thick and bushy! Other things would be fair skin, fairly tall, and cute.

In this DVD the director also uses a lot of wide angle lenses to really bring out the subjects long coarse hair. I notice in a lot of J women, especially my Jukujo, long fine and thin pubes whereas Sena's was a bit coarse, long, and bristly. Either is fine for me. Both have their own quality.

In a much older post, I highlight some uses for pubic hair, particularly with sake. Winter is about a month away still, but just to get an idea of what's to come. Here's another piece. As the movie progresses Tairyo uses a variety of different shots to bring out the natural beauty of Sena's lanky smooth body. He also experiments with different types of bathing suits including some water play. Another thing that I really love about the actress is her raspy voice and natural acting style. Rare and priceless. The director also experiments with a lot natural and artificial lighting which really brings out Sena's curvaceousness. A really well put together piece dedicated this most beautiful area of a Japanese woman's body.

Cheers!

Senso-Ji Temple of Asakusa

Reaching the Kaminarimon Gate (" thunder gate"), which by the way is the most famous gate entrance in all of Tokyo. When you look at picture post cards of Japan, you will almost always see a picture of this gate. The gate itself is guarded by two enormous wooden statues: Furin the wind god, and Raijin the thunder god.

Passing under the first huge red lantern through the gates you enter into another world. Welcome to old Edo. Walking along Nakmise-dori street you instantly get a sense that you are in the real Japan. Everybody making their way down this street are usually headed to the second gate called Hozomon Gate which houses two Nio statues that guard the temple. You must snap pictures of these. Once finished continue through to the Main Hall. Before proceeding any further stop and take a few more snaps of the Main Hall then reflect a little on its beauty. It was destroyed during the Tokyo Fire Bombings. Rebuilt in 1958 now houses the secret Bodhisattva Kannon statue.

( Mr. K was surprised at how many Westerners were here, and at how tall they were).

Whenever I visit a temple or a shrine I always work my way to the water trough first. After rinsing my hands and mouth I head up the stairs to deposit my coin, clap, and then pray. Once this is done and I have taken a few more pictures of the place, I head over to the food stalls to enjoy some sweets. I will be introducing a few places that are noteworthy, and are must try delicacies.

(Mr. K standing in from of the Hozomon Gate. The second gate)

(This is the Main Hall)

Earlier in the car, after leaving behind the vacuousness of the maid cafe, heading over to Asakusa, home of Senso-ji Kannon Temple we felt it was time to get a taste of real Japanese culture, you know, something with substance and meaning. This temple is visited by over 30 million people a year and is the oldest temple in Tokyo, that's almost like the entire population of California visiting one tiny little Japanese village. The Bodhisattva is venerated in the sacred halls of Sensoji and is regarded as one of the holiest Bodhisattva temples in Japan. I love Senso-Ji. I don't know about you, but I always get a sense of nostalgia when visiting temples. I mean, there really aren't any words for me to describe how i feel when I see thick plumes of ceremonial smoke fill the air, or when I hear the low dirge hum of a temple monk uttering the words of a 2000 year old ancient script. The peace that transcends all boundaries, all time, and space. An infinite knowingness out of nothingness. A timeless dance of a dervish. The waning Autumnal sun thinly spread out across the cool blue afternoon sky, like the sky itself was etherized. My soul was revived from the vaingloriousness that people attach to this country's sub-culture; the weakness; and the pity; the vulgar childishness that has poisoned the soul of this country all have no place here. Sensoji is a holy place.

( Oka, or incense)

The burning of the incense is supposed to create a smoke that you rub in your hair to make you smart. I made sure to stay there for as long as I could.

The caretaker was tending to the flames and trying to keep the smoke under control.

Another point I wanted to highlight was the contrast between modern and traditional architecture. In the foreground you can see parts of the temple and in the background you can see Tokyo Sky Tree, a mammoth new Tokyo Tower that's being built to overlook all of Tokyo.

At this point in my tour I became Mr. Ks teacher. Some of you may know that I have spent years traveling all over Japan sampling delicious food and onsen, so when it comes to sweets and treats, well, I am pretty good. What many people skip over when visiting Asakusa is the Age-manju stall. Agemanju is a deep fried sweet bean paste filled pie which was originally made popular in Nara, about 700 years ago! The really neat thing about age-manju is its regional diversity. For 700 years this sweet bean confection has been evolving and getting better and better. Some of my favorites are from the Tohoku region, namely Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures. Words like "crispy" and "hot" and down right delicious is what crosses my mind. Agemanju is not Japanese soul of food, it's Japanese comfort food, the kind of stuff you can snack all day and never get tired of, especially with hot tea! The reason I highlight this confection is because they're hard to come by in Kanagawa and parts of Tokyo, so whenever I'm around Tokyo, and I have time I like to stop by Asakusa and grab a bag or two. I highly recommend the plain ones, although the apricot ones are excellent, too! The sesame ones are OK. If I had to choose then plain would be the best. When the agemanju is very fresh and hot is when you want to eat it.

Agemanju is cheap and delicious and they come in a variety of different flavors. Good examples are here and here.

Several flavors were available.

The apricot was absolutely delicious. I've also heard that there were some pumpkin flavors, too. For me, it's the plain and apricot ones that are the most delicious.

Continuing our walk down Nakamise-dori, we came across a few more stalls. The next one is a very old favorite of mine called Kaminariokoshi(雪おこし), which is basically a rice crispy treat that'll knock your socks off.
Next week when I go back up there I'm going to buy several boxes of this stuff.

I remember when I was a kid back in the States, and at how much I enjoyed eating rice crispy treats. That's the best way I can describe these! They come in pepper, soy sauce, and few others. Try em'

And then, there's nothing quite like the rice cracker (osenbei). One of the nicest treats to enjoy with hot barley tea in the morning.

After walking around for several hours and catching up with some old favorites we stopped by a very famous sukiyaki place called Imahan[今半]
From what I heard it was one of the most well known and expensive sukiyaki place in Asakusa.

Reflecting on this little trip my image of beautiful Japan was revived. Often times people get stuck in a rut and forget where they are living and why they came to this country. Visiting Asakusa reminded me of all the reasons why I love this country so much, and why I don't want to leave.

Maid Cafe: Welcome to the Land of Dreams

Today a client swung by and picked me up in the company car and whisked me off for an afternoon of fun in the electronics capital of Japan, Akihabara. No, we didn't visit any go-go-gadget shops, but where we did go was a Maid Cafe which was something totally unexpected. Maid Cafes are a part of Japan's erotic and exotic subculture, so knowing me I had to go, and Mr. K was the perfect host who knows how a like the " weird and the strange," and about how I love to explore the unknown.

The name of the cafe is called MaiDreamin' and it's here where we were escorted up to the 6th floor by elevator. Stepping off into a magical dream land, we entered into a portal full of eager to serve young spry Japanese vixens who ran about at every beck and call, bright eyed and bushy tail like...super cute. I was impressed. When we tried asking where one of the maids was from she just looked at us with this look of utter befuddlement and said "niya-niya, nippon!" Literally. Part of the entertainment is sounding like a baby by making little squeaky noises while making cat paw poses. We got a little chuckle over that, way too cute for us.

Later on, I was disappointed because we weren't allowed to snap photos, but I managed to get a snap of me with this super cute type just to prove I was there. Me and Mr. K still managed to have a good time. The highlight for him were the dresses they were wearing; hiked up minis, nylons, hundreds of little trinkets dangling everywhere. The big feature for me was just being there, nothing special really as I would gladly take a milk parlor tour over anything. The cafe itself was all adorned in pink and white with either a table or counter seat option - pay to sit down. Table seats are ¥1000, counter seats are ¥500, plus the entrance fee you pay when you leave. Mr. K and I ordered curry rice at ¥1200 per plate. We skipped the drinks.

The usual otaku types started rolling in at about noonish. Grown ass men,too! I didn't see anybody under 25 in the place. I saw cross dressers and new halfs, salarymen, NEETS, Westerners. I even saw two very gorgeous Japanese girls walk in to the place. I had no idea girls were into this type of cafe fetish! Tokyo truly is like stepping into another world. I noticed a white guy at the counter playing card games with one of the maids. Apparently, card games are an optional service at ¥500 per game. If you want the girl to jump up and down and act incredibly stupid then that's an additional ¥500! I had one of them draw "I love you" on my rice with ketchup. Hahaha... It was sweet. I got a sense that many of the customers there were regulars.

Getting there shouldn't be too difficult:

By metro subway: Okamachi exit

By car: Exit Ueno off the Shuto Expressway, turn left, keep straight until you come up on the intersection Chuo Dori and Kuramaebashi. You should start looking for parking then. Walk up Chuo Dori heading away from Ueno to LOX, so you should be on the right side of the street. You'll see several ramen places and a few signs pointing to the maid cafe.

They are open seven days a week from 10:30 to 23:00!