Boxing Day

An ordinary working day here, but in the evening a few friends took me to a tazaki restaurant. Now this placed looked like somewhere out of a film. Westerners don't usually go here because the menu has no hint of English. You need to be taken by someone who speaks Japanese.

We were escorted to a private eating area surrounded by a traditional Japanese garden with the funky sliding doors, traditional corridors and low tables. If you've seen 'Kill Bill' you'll begin to get the idea.

There was lot's of food to eat, mostly sushi based.





Some of the food decided to get fresh with me... (get it?......get fresh!......ok sorry....)









It was a lovely place to have dinner!!!!

Christmas Day

Details to follow.........

Before all that.....

Before all of that karaoke we had an 'all you can eat' buffet. It was similar in some respects to the Mongolian BBQ in Brighton, where you pick the raw ingredients, but here, you took them to your table where there was a mini BBQ in the centre. It was time to get creative!!!!!

karaoke

OK.......here it is!!

I sang quite a few hits.....and some very embarrassing ones!!!

top of the list was NEW YORK NEW YORK - SINANTRA then..

HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME - BRITNEY SPEARS
NEVER HAS A DREAM COME TRUE - SCLUB7
SHINE - ASWARD
I DON'T WANT TO MISS A THING - AEROSMITH

I didn't have time to finish my sausage before the mike was handed to me, so half way through SCLUB7 I decided to sing and eat....and humm the bits I didn't know.....















Now it's time to wrap up the night with the 'all hands up' finale!

with my 'boyz' and backing singers who also play the guitar/bass guitar!!

Christmas Lights & Music

Earlier this week was the Toyo University Xmas celebration. There's a gospel choir belting out festive hymns ... in Japanese... and a countdown before the lights are turned on.


FREE FOOD under the tent, so naturally I was there. I had a tip off about the food so I made sure I was in the right position.

Ikebukuro

This place is one of the main stations in Tokyo (similar to Victoria Station in the Uk). Here you can find lots of strange and wonderful things........











MORE PLASTIC FOOD!!!!

















Oh.....Margaret. When did you arrive in Japan??

Electric Town

The most famous place in Tokyo for electronics is Akihabara (or as the locals call it 'Electric Town').

The type of technology you buy here is relatively the same as in the UK. REMEMBER!! THE ONLY TIME YOU HAVE SEEN HIGH-TECH STUFF IN JAPAN, ON TV, WAS WHEN IT WAS AT AN EXHIBITION.......AND THEREFORE NOT AVAILABLE TO BUY!!!!

Otherwise once you get over that, it's a great place.

EARTHQUAKE

Oh boy, that felt rough! It was more up and down than side to side. No damage around here. I feel sick though......

Brighton - Juice 107.2 FM....

All those early birds out there who were listening to Juice 107.2 FM in Brighton at 8.40am would have heard a 'shout out' to my research group and I here in Japan!