July | 2013 | IKIMASHO!

The life cycle of a Tokyo cicada

July 29, 2013 by joostay

Oi you. You know the way they say that just before you die your life flashes right before your eyes? You’ve heard that saying right? Well it’s true. I shit you not. I can vouch for it. My name is Semi. I’m a cicada. It’s a type of insect, stupid. I died today. No joke! Had just got married and everything and then BOOM, lights out. Was just on my way home from doing the shopping when I fell out […]

Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, cicada, escape, france, insect, japan, papillon, semi, shawshank redemption, short story, tokyo

Empathy for the inanimate. Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, Japan.

July 27, 2013 by joostay

Solitude is pleasant. Loneliness is not. The forgotten stores of Shimokitazawa. A few years back I was in a supermarket and saw a damaged apple. It was bruised and off-colour. Lonely. Discarded. I felt sorry for it. I bought it because I knew no one else would. I was reminded of this apple today as I walked through Shimokitazawa’s suffocating Station Market. It isn’t really a market at all any more. It’s a dark alleyway that smells like a box […]

Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: alleyways, asia, bar, culture, forgotten, japan, sadness, shimokitazawa, shops, south east asia, tokyo

Takuhiro’s shoes

July 22, 2013 by joostay

Me? You want to know about me? I dunno. What do you want me to tell you? Well, I’m Takuhiro. I’m from Kajicho. It’s in Kanda. Do you know Kanda? They have a famous festival there every year. It’s very traditional. But I guess my area is all office blocks now. There isn’t much to see. I’ve lived in the same house all my life. I’m nearly 50 now. Can you believe that!? My wife and I live with with […]

Categories: Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: asia, dancers, harajuku, japan, lebels, music, park, rockabilly, strangers, sunday, tokyo, travel, yoyogi, yoyogi park

TOKYO STICKER BOMBING v4.0

July 21, 2013 by joostay

TOKYO STICKER BOMBING ARCHIVE

Categories: Art Music & Culture • Tags: art, asia, bombing, culture, graffiti, harajuku, illustration, japan, sticker, street, tags, tokyo, travel

Home is where you lay your head…

July 19, 2013 by joostay

Right now I’m looking into arranging a homestay in rural Bali. It got me thinking of some of the amazing (and not so amazing) places I’ve stayed over the years… 1. Primary Rainforest – Borneo Three hours from civilization in a 4×4 lies Borneo Rainforest Lodge, a spectacular resort buried deep in the Danum Valley Conservation Area – 438 square kilometres of relatively undisturbed lowland dipterocarp forest in Sabah, Malaysia. Indulgent luxury, each room with its own outdoor hot tub […]

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, borneo, chunking mansions, danum valley, deer farm, hong kong, hotel, japan, malaysia, milford sound, nature, new zealand, rainforest, rainforest lodge, san francisco, tenderloin, tokyo, travel

Summer Plans: Bali & beyond

July 8, 2013 by joostay

I’ve been in Japan 16 months now and I’m grateful for the opportunities living here has given me. In that time I’ve been to Taiwan twice, watched the sun set over the Temples of Bagan in Myanmar, drank moonshine in my friend’s apartment in Bangkok and next month I’m off to explore Bali. Time/cash permitting I’d also love to hit the Philippines before the end of the year. In August I’ll also be visiting Nagoya for the first time for […]

Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: bali, food, holidays, indonesia, japan, south east asia, summer, tokyo, travel, ubud, vacation

THE FACE OF JAPANESE POLITICS

July 4, 2013 by joostay

Never judge a book by its cover. True that. When I was a kid I demanded my parents buy me Weetabix as I liked the characters on the cereal box. “You won’t like it,” warned my mum. “Yes I will” I replied. Low and behold, I thought it tasted like shit and I threw it in the bin. I hope these guys have better tasting politics than their posters portray… THE ECONOMY IS A MESS AND SO ARE THE STREETS

Categories: Art Music & Culture, Daily Life in Tokyo • Tags: art, asia, design, japan, politics, posters, tokyo