Sunday, October 25

Random photos from Japan

Pachinko outlets - Smoking is allowed in these joints.
And guess what the prizes are? Cigarettes. That's why we didn't play.


Cigarette vending machines. Luckily we don't have that in Singapore & Malaysia. It would have made cigarettes way too accessible.


Food anyone?


Japanese White rice wrapped with succulent eggs. It taste damn good!


Rickshaw drivers in Japan.


Statue of Liberty in Odaiba, Japan.
Or are we in the United States?
(Odaiba is like Singapore's Suntec City, where you can find convention halls)


Japan's famous Rainbow bridge, connecting mainland Japan to Odaiba.
It's lovely when you view it in the evening. Did I mention that Japan is dark at 5pm in October?


Curry Rice. Yum yum, but actually it taste like the one we had in Singapore.


Scenery taken from the train. We were outside greater (central) Tokyo.


No one leaves Japan without trying their ramen. There are 2 types of ramen
(1) ramen that comes with VERY potent (MSG laden?) soup
(2) yucky ramen that taste like the maggi mee soup we have in Malaysia/Singapore.


Takoyaki (octopus) balls that Wifey ordered. The restaurants give us unlimited ice water to go with this (even though I wasn't eating). How nice. Wifey says the balls are very bouncy, very juicy, much better than the ones we eat in Singapore.


Smoking boxes. Ok, the glass panel says "smoking station". These are the BEST invention in Japan - simple and effective. Smokers stay in, non-smokers stay out.


More pics to come.

20 comments:

khengsiong said...

Can't actually see your face. You're secretive, LOL...

Yeah, maybe we should have smoking station here also, and ban smoking in public place.

Shingo T said...

khengsiong:
Looking at the photo again from my office PC, the shadow didn't really cover my face well enough as it should. So I have taken it down. Consider yourself one of the lucky few who have seen my "face". =p

One reason why smoking stations work in Japan is because they are not allowed to walk and smoke at the same time. In Malaysia, it won't work unless the smoking stations move together when we walk. Haha.

Superman said...

Japan is really a nice place to visit. Tom Cruise bought a pacinko machine and bring it back to U.S. Imagine that. Did you play it? Is it really so exciting?

Ice said...

I heard so much about their vending machines. It would be fun to see them for myself.

They even have a Status of Liberty? Do they have the imitation of the Twin Tower there? haha! I'm just being sarcastic :)

Ice said...

That Rainbow Bridge looks very much like the San Francisco Golden Gate.

Old Beng said...

Been to Japan many years ago with my cha-bo-lang, it seems like Japan looks different now.

Pachinko - Yes, played a few rounds then just to feel what it was all about.

Hello got Facebook bo? Add lim peh and we can see each other's face.

old_beng@yahoo.com.sg

Cherish Tulips said...

Looking at your pics reminds me so much of my Japan trip earlier this year!Did you get to snap any photos of the "Love Hotels" in Japan?

Anonymous said...

The octopus balls looked yummy. The curry looks kind of watery. But then again, this is Japanese curry. Not like the ones we have here which is way, way better! :)

How come there's a statue of liberty there?

Shingo T said...

Superman:
I didn't play Pachinko. Heard it uses up the money quite fast. Plus we didn't like the prizes.

Ai Shiang:
No imitation of Twin Towers, but there is one imitation of Eiffel Tower in Japan too.
I have yet to see the famous bridge in San Francisco. Hope I go there someday.

Old_Beng:
My facebook account is as good as dead. I don't even login anymore.

Cherish Tulips:
No photos of love hotels. And no love birds either. =p

Mei Teng:
I read that the statue "was shipped to Japan from its
home near the foot of the Grenelle Bridge on the Seine River to commemorate France Year."

Also it "will return to her beloved Paris after a year."

Sharon said...

i like the rice stuffed in the egg thingie. we always have the opposite here, too much rice and not enough egg!

TG said...

Shingo, ah, you should post one pic of you and your wifey ;) Just for us, your loyal readers. Then after a week, you can take the pic down and morphe back into the small Shing avatar you use for blogger comments :)

I really enjoyed your pics. You could post more, maybe part II? I'm sure you snapped like hundreds of them, right? Where are some lovely Japanese ladies? Hehe..

wenn said...

lovely pictures..love the smoking box..

Roxy. said...

WOW. I was hungry when i saw the food on your blog that at this time i had to call for mcdelivery instead. NO JAP FOOD. ):
Great pictures. waiting for more. (:

Erny said...

I am drooling over your food pictures.
I am soo hungry.
I am having this love-hate relationship with food. *argh*

HappySurfer said...

Nice pictorial version of your Random Notes, Shingo.

I was told one could change one's Pachinko balls (hehe..) for other items besides ciggies. Probably not in this joint.

Jap curry nothing to shout about leh. Malaysian one much better.

Not surprised about the MSG-laden ramen soup afterall our very first experience with MSG comes from Ajinomoto. haha..

The smoking station concept is awesome. I wonder if there is an ionizer in there, did you notice? Otherwise, everyone else would be third-hand smokers coming in contact with one who has just used the station.

Thanks for sharing the nice pictures, esp the one of the bridge - almost like a postcard. Kudos!

Looking forward to the next installemnt. *fingers drumming the table*

7-8 said...

How's the ramen there compared to over here? You can get ramen (potent soup version) in Singapore too, there are at least 10 different shops, at the Central, Robertson Quay, Liang Court, Marina centre. Could do a comparison.

Most of my memories of Japan (in 2001) revolve around the zen temples and the incredible variety of porn. At that time I was unaware of the existence of ramen.

Shingo T said...

Sharon:
Agreed totally. More eggs, less rice.

MKL:
As with all superheroes, most of us bloggers just prefer to stay anonymous. If my boss or colleagues know who I am, I will have to start writing with more restraint.

I snapped close to a thousand photos. However, there are almost no photos of pretty chicks. The Japanese are so courteous people, that it make me feel bad for intruding into their privacy by snapping right in front of their faces.

wenn:
All non-smokers love smoking boxes. =p

Roxy:
have added more pics, hope you liked them as much. ^_^

Erny:
We all have a love-hate relationship with food, even for guys! I'm trying to lose some belly weight. =(

HappySurfer:
Not sure about any ioniser in the smoking box, but that's a great idea.
Hope you like the next instalment of pics too.

numbernine:
I have tasted the ramens with potent soups in Singapore. They are comparable to the ones in Japan. But the thing is that most ramen shops in Japan has potent soups. In Singapore, only a rare few stalls have good ones.

foongpc said...

Oh, so you are like me? Don't reveal your face? Gimme five! : )

foongpc said...

Ooh, I want those rice wrapped in eggs! Yummy!

Gosh! cigarette vending machines!! If in Malaysia, won't work cos the machines would be vandalised in no time! Haha.

But the smoking boxes! That's cool! Malaysia should have these boxes! Best invention ever!!

So the curry and the ramen not that good after all? I don't know but I think Malaysia have better curries. I don't think japanese are good in making curries : )

Shingo T said...

foongpc:
I haven't seen your face, but I saw your legs. =p

foongpc:
Everyone says Malaysia have better curries. I will be dropping by KL in 2 weeks time with Wifey, so maybe I should go try it.

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