Jan 12th - Sega has started testing pressure-controlled toilet games/ads display consoles

Only in Japan? .........  In an effort to find new advertising display opportunities, Sega has started testing pressure-controlled toilet games/ads display consoles in mens' urinals at Metro stations around Tokyo, until January 31st. The games are designed to allow male patrons to have a bit of fun and distraction while taking a whizz. Amongst the four games, one measures the strength of urine flow, one allows you to clean a screen with a hose, one allows you to compete against another character trying to flush them away, and the last allows you to try to cause wind to blow up a girl's skirt.

Alternative washing line

Drying in the fresh crisp air and mid-day sun.

Hakone

Just a 90 minute journey from Tokyo, and you feel like you entered another world ....

Amusing translation

Best to make sure something is confident before you touch it.

Need to learn to cook ?

Then just pop along to your local ABC Cooking Studio ...... (I prefer the 'eating' bit)

Shiodome bar on 42nd floor

A stunning view of Tokyo city skyline while you sip your cocktails ....... (if you drink too much then your champagne glass suddenly appears larger than Tokyo Tower!)

Amusing menu item

I think I'll avoid the 'Squits wrapped in UME-PERILLA' . Sounds like it could give you .....(digestion problems!)

Tokyo taxi bikes

One certain way to beat the traffic jams ...... the egg bike ! (I tried to avoid the obvious puns like 'whisk me over to the other side of Tokyo' and 'what happens if we get into a crash, do we get scrambled?' etc etc ....)

Dinner celebration party

Always important to celebrate success ..... (and a good excuse for an 'after 5' dinner party!)

Stunning view from the plane

I took this picture on Sunday during the flight back to Japan. The reduction in size on the blog restricts appreciation of the view, but you can see snow covered mountains at the bottom, the curvature of the earth on the horizon and stars twinkling at the top. This kind of scene puts all the 'day to day' challenges of ones life into a different perspective.

Good use of free space in Tokyo

This scene made me smile ...... back in December there were 3 vending machines in this location near our office, and I noticed the suppliers had taken one away recently. But within 48 hours of it's removal, a fast moving local resident had claimed the space as a parking spot for his micro-car! Where else in the world could you see a car so small it can occupy the space vacated by a vending machine?

Back in Japan to make a speech to Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission

I headed back to Japan on January 12th to deliver a speech and presentation to a group of companies attending a trade mission organized by Enterprise Ireland. The event was refreshingly well attended with almost 80 companies taking part overall, and 28 from the ICT sector. I delivered a speech on my experiences as a foreigner doing business in Japan, together with some 'tips and tricks', and also a section on the 'hot emerging' technology trends in Japan. I met some great people, and enjoyed a sociable evening or two during the week!

Watching Manchester United play at Old Trafford

Manchester United have just returned from Japan as proud winners of the 'Club World Championship'. I got to join a group of friends as guests at Old Trafford to see the Red Devils parade the trophy. This is the one and only time my friends and I will get to hold the European Cup and Premiership Trophy ...... one for the photo album!

Sushi .... UK Style !!

Had the chance to visit YoSushi in Leicester UK. The quality of sushi was very good and atmosphere / layout of the restaurant is excellent. A really fun evening out ...... a slice of Japan in the East Midlands!

Heading back to UK ... at Narita Airport

It was an exhausting but very successful trip to Japan. We managed to pack so much into a relatively short time and I'm heading back to the UK feeling very optimistic, despite the current global economic downturn.

After check-in I had time to explore some more of the unusual and often futuristic services at Japanese airports; more evidence of the vending machine culture was presented by a bank of machines offering travellers last minute travel insurance (no humans required!), a chance to top up on Oxygen at the "OxyBar" (customers can sit inside and inhale flavoured oxygen through the nose or mouth) - incidentally the OxyBar is located right next door to the 'smokers room' .... a nice touch if you wish to dash from one to the other! There was also one last chance to top up your Edy wireless IC card (but I could not understand why you would want to do this just before you leave Japan!?!)

Meeting place for dogs

After a tough week chasing balls and eating biscuits Tokyo's dog population can smarten themselves up and head down to the 'Dog Meeting Park' at the weekend.

It is quite literally a dedicated park for dogs to meet each other and exchange barks, sniffs and licks.

The sign at the entrance made me smile ...... (I'm glad it said 'rabies' and not 'babies' !)

Yoyogi Park

I took some time out on Saturday to visit Yoyogi park. The park is stunningly beautiful in all seasons, but something special happens in winter - blue sky, crisp air, sunshine, autumn colours, happy people, exercise, hearty food all combine to create the atmosphere.

Within seconds of leaving the 'big city' you feel so close to nature, and some of the bizarre activities going on there make it feel like you have entered a different world. On Saturday morning there were a group of actors rehearsing (for something resembling the Rocky Horror Show) a team of High School cheer leaders practicing their routines, 3 guys playing Maurie 'didgeridoos', umpteen joggers, cyclists and skaters, a group of Punks (eating their healthy looking pack lunches) and a mob of slightly overage 'Rockers' who did a mime routine to 'Peggy Sue' by Buddie Holly.

Probably the only place in the world where you will see punks and rockers join forces to pick up litter and sweep up around them before they go home.

Back to Tokyo in time for dinner

Another 2.5 hour journey back to Tokyo on the shinkansen, and plenty of time to discuss what we wanted to eat for dinner that evening. David chose Sushi, I went for tofu and sashimi, and Yoshiyuki was happy with anything as long as it included a beer (as usual!)

Kyoto Station

Kyoto Station is one of Japan's largest and most impressive buildings, incorporating a shopping centre, hotel, movie theatre department store and offices, all housed under one 15 storey roof.

It was completed in 1997 and designed by Japanese architect Hiroshi Hara. From the outside it resembles a cruise liner docked in a port, and the inside is a futuristic design using steel and glass.

The station's completion paved the way for a series of new high rise modern buildings in Kyoto, culminating in the 20 floor Kyocera building (see earlier post this week). Some people criticise the building for triggering the breakdown in the traditional city-scape of Kyoto.

Is Japan expensive?

Many people ask that question, and my usual answer is 'it can be'. This pyramid shaped melon really caught my eye as I walked past the vegetable shop, not so much because of it's unique shape, but more because of the price ....... YES, that is 60,000 JPY (or 600 USD, or 300 GBP) ...... fancy a slice?