The newest Romance Car train. In first and last carriage, the passengers are sightseeing through panoramic glass. Still there is more: rotated chairs, train attendants, TV and well supplied bar.
The engineer is sitting in his cabin, above passengers. It's like a JumboJet among trains. It circulates from Hakone to Shinjuku, in the center of Tokyo.

Today a dinner in fancy Japanese restaurant. You have to take off your shoes and put them to the case, locked by wooden stick..
Big variety of food, from fried meat, salads to sashimi (sushi without the rice)
You could order a rigorous horse meat (I heard that big part of the import comes from Poland). However, I has not been induced. :)

The smart idea is to buy a bottle of alcohol. It is cheaper than in drinks and if you couldn't drink the whole bottle, they stick your name on it and you can have it by next visit.

Sunday evening, Meguro - view of the Ebara office buildings.

Monday morning (very), slightly softed going back home. All bright salarymen in trains are going work.

Hihi, at last!
Little, black, shiny - good for cuddly. Canbe carried in wallet. You have to watch not to swalow it, by accident ;)



It wonders. A lots of gadgets. Great interface. Nothing to complain for now.

Street festivals are proceeded almost each weekend in different parts of cities on summer. It is not important if its worship this or another. The imporatnt thing is Japanese show me how they can enjoy again. In the whole area of the party you can hear drums and bells sounds, feel the street food aroma. One of two pedestrians is wearing ocasional Yukata.




Incredible crowd at the station. Going down from the platform takes about 20 minutes. Some security forces are taking care of the traffic. People are unbelievebly patient.

The most beautifull yukata I ever seen, so far.

A shortclip to download, about 19MB, Divx501.

Today it was a great day for a long trip over the ocean. This time we went a bit further. The place is called Oisu, which sounds incentive (means "big beach" in Japanese)
In fact it is big. The biggest of two I've seen in Japan. It's biggest advantage was lack of people. Water full of beginner surfers waiting for waves. You can rest in calm.




Unfortunately even so nice place like Oisu has its disadvantages: it is hard to find something to eat. I take packed lunch with me next time.

NEC showcase, on which I had pleasure to be, was a regular IT equipment demonstration. Some ideas was interesting to me:

A server that takes only half length of rack. In this way You can fit 2 times more hardware in one case. Built on mobile architecture, Celeron M 1.7Ghz, 2 SATAII disks placed one after another. Specific laptop among the servers.

40 tapes 4U changer. 16TB backup storage. Impressive!

3U data storage server, 10TB, RAID 6.

And the most important, NEC as the most company, introduced watercooled servers. Noiseless, suits for Hospitals or some other places where silence is expected.

When asking questions to particular products, you earn some gadgets, main price lottery-drawing at the end. The same rules everywhere.

Yunichiro Koizumi on the cover, Japanese health minister three times, now the prime minister.

Akihabara (literally: Electric City) - is a center of electronic goods shops. Tokyo is divided to that kind of thematic centers at all - supposedly there is also a bookstore, music store, construction... Neighborhood.
Anyway, a shocking number of computer, hi-fi and photo shops. And I heard, this is the only place when you can merchander.


Statues section. Statues are everywhere.

New ideas for lamps: 1. Waterproof lighting bathtub sphere - many colors; 2. Projection lamp. It displays for example sky on the ceiling, exchangeable fillings with variety of shapes.


BOSE showroom, I didn't expected that the name could be as far exact (in polish boso = barefoot) :)

Evening in Shibuya, the center of nampa (street flirt) and swank. One of the centers of Tokyo. This is the famous Hachiko Crossing in 6 directions. Salesmen shouts of the megaphones. Chaos, lots of people. Everybody waits for his date.

Some hurricane flies over Asia again. Umbrellas doesn't help in Tokyo. It's not important if You have one or not. It rains from top, side, bottom (when car passes). You will be wet for sure. Evenings look like some scenes from Blade Runner.

Today I was commuting in real crowd. I was waiting on Shibuya station, the Chuo-Rinkan express came, 20:07. I could see that there is no way I fit inside. I was standing in queue, which started to silently slip into the carriage. I surrend then, flow! It was ok, I was alive. But what kind of life is it... I couldn't had an ability to raise my left hand from the trousers pocket and lower right, that was holding the banister. I could put forth, but I would look silly with not holding anything and raised hand. There was no space for anything.
The ride in that position took more than 20 minutes.
Two stops before my station the flow was engaged again. With all the crowd I appeared at the platform. I was barely able to return to, almost empty, train. Hugh!

Gallery party in outskirts of Tokyo became the mini-wedding-like.
First of all a piano/fiddle performance, full gravity and kindness. Then cold snacks and wine. When everybody met each other, we started to sing, oral harmony and consumption of different drinks. Meshed eggs with Soya sauce was served.
We've been one of the secondary importance attractions of the evening. When all the subjects to conversation has ended, some of the other guests have put to get gajdzins drunk for purpose :) It didn't worked.
Nice experiences, people are really friendly here.



It starts to be pleasant when the pianist, smiles to us, during introducing some Chopin's work.

A ready to download clip from the party (13,5MB; DivX)

Going to Roppongi you have to know that the earliest trains starts at 5:00. There are no night ones. Leaving the club in the morning is like returning from a distant trip. Bright street seems to be like a hangovered virgin running of grassland. Still fresh but very tired, a bit dirty :D
Her pedestrians doesn't like, she woke up so early. Everybody are walking like in rage, with squinting eyes, trying to remember their dreams.






The subway full of people, inspite of pale dawn. Telling you the truth I was hoping that there would be lying seats available... :(

Another wallpaper of mine.

To download: 1024x768, 1280x1024

Matheusz has showed the night life of Tokyo to me. Everything it concentrates in principle around district Roppongi. There is a American embassy and some military base area. The number of ready to entertain soldiers caused developing of large amount of clubs, hostess-bars, public houses and big variety of places of entertain here.
Roppongi means "six trees" in English, which is used in gajdzin terminology, if you don't want to say directly where do You are going.
I didn't saw everything of course, the night was limited to clubVanilla, located close to subway station.
Nice place, entrance=3000Y, every drink=500Y. Three floors House/RnB/Trance. Negroes as a security, no photographing ban, lots of people. It was getting really stuffy at the end.
The thing that was surprised me the most was the way, Japanese enjoy the party. They really know how to chill. There is no swank, white gloves, strange looks - there is much of rhythmic shouts and very friendly atmosphere.
There is nothing more shocking than Japanese girls in jukatas, jumping to goa-trance music :D
I met two completely stoned marines, one of them was trying to tell me a joke about polish prostitute, I didn't get a point unfortunately.
I was also speaking with two Ukrainian singers, from Ukrainian expo pavilion in Aichi. One of them, for a question "What are You doing here guys?!" said "We are producing drugs"...

I met some other people as well, and that because of some Japanese guy, Taira - positively weird bastard. He speaks some Polish, he was studying in Warsaw. He wants to run a business in Poland at the end of the year. Porcelain or Japanese toilets probably.
A night full of loud music, Meluns stories and żubrovka with grapefruit (there was no apple juice)
I am really happy I've been there.

Saturday afternoon is my first experience with a rollercoaster. In the center, beside famous Tokyo Dome a big park of entertainment was build. Great view from the top. Unfortunately, it is not possible to take a camera with you. It rushes with 130km/h and has tight bends. Oldest passengers must leave artificial jaws even :D


Entrance with unlimited number of attractions = 4000Y. Single attractions, for example this rollercoaster = 800-1000Y every time.

During dinner - fountains in ballet.

Fleetingly, Yokohama is not much different from Tokyo very distinguished. Supposedly there is a beautifully park. I will visit it next time.

Eyes of a fly, glass balls... How else could it associate? Yes, I know - the tree is really suggestive.

This is how McDonald's convicts to shakes.

Did you ever get a ticket for wrongly parked bike?

About 12:30 the majority of office workers goes lunch, the minority - entering cars and trying to drive lunch. There is not much sense in it, unless they know all the places in the area, what I want to know now :).

Why this girl does not ride on motor scooter beside of the traffic jam, she stands only in it - Maybe she is well-bred.

And by the way, Salaryman no.552342432, identical to thousands of others. Out of dated model, during withdrawal from circulation.

A bit of folklore of japanese street...


To download clip (~10MB, DivX 5.0.3)

To sit in an empty train is like to watch a huge panoramic screen, with quickly moving orient in front of your eyes, 30fps.

Sundays trip to Shinjuku abounded in following pictures:





Accidentally met music store has turned out with mine of used vinyls, from Zeppelins and The Cream to polish Vader.


Prices from 100 to 6000Y, new NIN CD in four different editions

Romance Car once again.


And the visit in hentai section of Kinokuniya bookstore ;)

And the "Fantastic Four" atthe end.

Empty cooler has enforced for exit. I have gone for store some other way, exploring the area.

The first thing I found was a house Bruczkowski mentioned in his book. These apartments have 4,5 tatamis of the surface probably. And there is even a shop downstairs.

This grisly park could be place of action of a thriller. I felt creeps after entering. All children have been eaten. Seal swallowed boys, the giraffe burst girls. Besides, there I heard most loud gathering of cikadas ever.

Bonsai XXL

--

My disease seems reach the end. It have off already lying on floor and to looking at ceiling.

This place is hailing for lightsaber battle with dark jedi knight, or anybody...
Did I play starwars fpp games only so much?

It was little rain in the morning. Ok it was a huge rain. Today I lie in bed. "Don't go out" treatment isn't giving me any results for now. I feel as bad as yesterday. The photo taken from my balcony

I tried calories mate. It's a block of something prepared especialy for hard-working people, that doesn't have a time to eat (salarymen in default). It consists of all ingredients necessary to live in balanced doses. You can live whole day eating just one package.
Inside the box you can find 4 shortcake bars artificially spilled by citron aroma. Bleeh...

I can't recommend this.

Today after getting back home I didn't have to take a shower. It was enough to dry myself by towel. I have also credited cleaning of shirt, trousers, shoes and washing my glasses. Some hurricane passes Japan currently. It's raining a bit then.
Besides that, I'm trying to fight sore throat. Currently the aspirin+calcium+sebidin therapy doesn't give any results. Today I will try nurofen.
Lots of work. Also new ideas. There is something to do always.
Last night it was an earthquake, 4.8. Apparently small, but took so long (about 10 seconds). I was scared for the first time.

At the KFC restaurant, a second backbone of American taste in Japan, the menu is in English also. Country music, twister the same as in Poland, pieces of chicken much worse. I can't recommend it.

Today it weekend trip to the beach. Katase-Enoshima station is located 20 meters of the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It's only 20 minutes away from my place.
Entering the train You can feel different climate, maritime one. Chicks with beach bags, surfer with a board under his arm. It's different.

The water is not the first class one, but the waves are great. You stand in knee long hot soup and the waves covering You all. Never been to that place. The sand is grey, volcanic and first class sea floor.




Beach habits like in every place: baking pancakes, games and plays in general. Sand castles, various swank, cold beer and some music. There are no hand salesmen (witch is good).

100 meters from the coast is a small island (some mini-Gibraltar) with great rocky corners, witch Japanese uses to have a barbecue and take a bath in, more clean the at the beach, water. At the top of the island is a big temple, bars and tourist shops complex.





Even the youngest citizen is getting used to the camera pointed directly into his face.

I can't believe that this guy drank only one beer.

Good looking couple. There are lots of Mister varieties, the ladys are rather two only.

For a good time, make Suntory time!

A gulf at front, servers at back and me in the middle, still stunned.

After almost two weeks eating sushi and various Japanese ready-to-eat products I went to the backbone of American taste. The first impression - not so good. The restaurant close to Shinjuku station is small and narrow. I stand in queue, looking for Royal (or quarter pound with cheese), everything is in katakana...

I've asked some European/American looking girl, in front of me, how she would order. She said - as usual - by my finger. However when it was her turn, and she started to point her finger at the menu pictures, the clerk switched the menu back, to the English one. Everything was all right since this moment :)
I avoided discredit (one of thousand as far as now). She should feel silly, that she didn't know that English menu is on the back, and she was pointing sets of meal, for example from one year :P.

I started to look around after eating. In some Japanese McDonald's recycling is obligatory.
I'm always wonder, I'm not used to this, how safely is here. The scene like from Luxemburg or what... (Greetings for Sadek): Some guy with a tray came. He puts it on the table, with his cell phone on side. Then took the bag with DELL sign of his shoulder, puts it on the chair and goes to the toilet. In most of European countries, they would stole him everything in two minutes and even ate his lunch in five :)

And this guy took a nap. 10 seconds after taking this picture he opened his eyes and ran outside the restaurant. He had a dream about someone photographing him probably :P

This morning, at shop. Too bad I had no camera with me. He was wearing black sportsuit with gold VERSACE logos along the trousers, on the back and sleves. I wonder if there is also a BMW as the symbol of this kind of rednecks...

Can you see what's wrong at this gas station? There are no distributors. The hoses hangs directly from the ceiling. Still, there is more. The station is on the ground floor of 20 floors skyscraper. In case of explosion, salarymans from the offices above are flying to meet the crew of Discovery shuttle. Cool!

It is nothing unusual to meet Japanese in Jukata. To tell the truth it seems like seeing bavarian highlander in his traditional suit traveling berlins underground. In Japan, the tradition won't surrend to modernity. Japanese goes like this to temples, family meetings or street happenings.

Not far from Shinjuku is a big shopping mall. I went there to buy a map of Tokyo in English. My kanji knowledge = 0,5% - so this is the only choice.


Kimonos and Jukatas, summer/autumn 2005


30% of Japanese publications is manga, everybody reads this, young & old ones. Comics has many varieties and sorts. Two floors (of seven) of Kinokuniya bookstore is manga, and whole floor of anime on DVD.

Some Japanese writer signs his new book. He's got to be famous because the queue had 50 meters long and two pavilions of length.

Shinjuku is the one of centers of Tokyo. Area of the station is a place of meetings. This is a place where you can see that the city is vibrant with life (sometimes sleeps also).




The later the more people. Unique atmosphere, the cars, the music of one band man, screams of traffic controllers and the lights of banners.

For me, as the notorious allergic, the best idea is to hand out some tissues with advertisement prints. And of course getting them from so nice hands... Only pleasure.

My first wallpaper of Yebisu colors:

To download: 1024x768, 1280x1024

Sightseeing Tokyo by myself is a big challenge.
Besides, securing a sense of confidence, Romance Car Train, there is a big variety of subway and ground rail lines, cutting each other in chaotic way sometimes.
The problem is that the whole train business is held by couple companies that owns different stations and tracks. Sometimes the stations of different companies are connected (ex. Shinjuku). Often there are no information about the other company's trains.
It means that You are forced to cruise the station in search of the part owned by the company that is providing the line you looking for. Only there you will know which platform to go.


The Romance Car carriage. The name gets from the idea of having the first carriage a kind of sightseeing balcony for lovers. You sit comfortable, and see the rails in front of you. Besides that, rotating chairs creates family atmosphere.
It looks great when at the last stop these chairs are rotating by their selves to adjust to the new direction.
The train is going from the foot of a mountain Fuji to Tokyo.


Ebisu neighborhood, where the Polish embassy takes place. Preparation for opening a new restaurant are shown at the picture. Some guy drawing the shorts of the menu.

I was at some P's place. National Japanese gambling is not making a great impression. It's so damn noisy, you couldn't speak to anybody.

Rows of machines. Half of them is pachinko, other one is regular slots.

Pachinko is some flippers and cards mix. At least these I've seen. There are many varieties.


Balls, you gets a lot of balls. You are putting them inside, they pass the labyrinth. I don't know the exact rules so I didn't dare to try.

Maybe in a month or two...

A story told during lunch, yesterday by my coleague, American:

One day he was traveling train with his jap female friend (not wife, girlfriend just female friend). They are seating, talking, nothing unusual.
Couple sits from them sits a woman (about 40s) with a young boy (about 10). One station passed, then the next, nothing happened. The American guy noticed that the lady stairs at him very intensive. He knews than gajdzins (foreigners) gets attention of Japanese, so he didn't care. He smiled to her even.
This smile was treated too serious. After some while the boy with ringing phone came by. The guy recieved the call, start listening broken English. He was so suprised when he noticed that the lady was trying to date him...

His friend took his outside the train, holding his hand. He asked her if it is regular. She was astonished that the lady did that knowing he's not traveling alone at the moment only.

Still me.
(And the donkey of course :))

Area of Machida station at lunch time.

I don't know what gets more attention, dull eyes of this guy or the chicks at left... :D

Today I decided to eat some polish style pork chop in japanese restaurant.
Interesting ordering system: you step in, put some coins into the machine, entering the sequence: Start the order -> Eat in -> Dish No. -> End the order. You gets the change and the coupon.

Next you sit by the table, waitress brings rye tea, gets the coupon. You wait.
I don't know how is this named in Japanese, it looks like vienna style cutlet in soy sauce.

Mediocre...

Neighbourhood of my office, typical evening view. If there would be so empty in train at this time...

It's me again :)

Visiting electronic shop ended buing some speakers. At least I have serious bass. I started to miss it. The variety of goods is impressive, prices are similiar to Europe.

All gaming consoles in one showcase. Of course famous PSP also

In kinder section you can buy Darth Vader's mask, wchich modulates the voice.

Lunch in sushi bar is probably the healthies meal ever. Everything is fresh, eclectic and delicious. Besides this, the great athmosphere, cooks shouts, the line.

You sit and eat. You are billed at the end, counting color plates. The cheapests dishes are 105Y, on green. The most expensive = 505Y, ongold ones. My favourite is tsunasarada (tuna salad on rice, bounded with seaweed).


Green tea is free, then pickled ginger and the soy sauce. Scrumptious!
And nice service of course :)