JapanSugoi

If you want to travel to Tokyo this summer and are on a budget, check out this report from Japanese TV show Tokyo Eye (NHK) on cheap Japanese hotels and guest houses in Tokyo.  The video report covers “Sanya” in North Asakusa (close to otaku capital Akihabara) and well-known to backpackers around the world for its affordable accommodations.  

There are more than 170  cheap hotels in the area that traditionally cater to the day laborers who stay in them. In recent years Sanya has focused on international backpacker customers with hotels and hostels catering to the super budget traveler.

Host Jean Snow tours various accommodations which feature western and Japanese style rooms  and interviews various customers.  Prices start as low as 2,500 Yen a night. Just don’t expect big rooms, much privacy, meals and other “hotel” luxuries.

Dorm Hostel　EBISUYA & HOTEIYA
http://www.spocom.net/
Backpakers hotel NEW KOYO
http://www.newkoyo.jp

Natsumi Kamata 鎌田奈津美 is a pretty Japanese gravure idol from Kobe who started modeling in late 2007.  She won Young Sunday High School grand prix 2007  ミスYS乙女学院’07.

This new gravure idol has been busy releasing 6 DVDs, 2 Photo books, one TV commercial (Meiji Dairy), appeared on TV show Keitai Investigators 7  ケータイ捜査官7  and released a colorful 2009 Calendar.  Her lastest DVD Natsuminutes was released in mid March.  She also starred in her first horror movie 本当は怖い童謡 Vol 1

More photos of Natsumi here, here and here or read her blog here.

Natsumi Kamata Videos

Like Natsumi’s videos? We do! See more or purchase here.

Top-Gear is a famous BBC show about cars.  In one episode filmed in Japan, host Jeremy Clarkson previews a Nissan GTR and has a race with the Top Gear crew Richard Hammond and James May across Japan

Jeremy Clarkson drives the Nissan while the crew use efficient and on time Japanese public transport including the shinkansen 新幹線 bullet trains. The finish line is a Mt Nokogiri in Chiba prefecture  where there is a Buddha for road safety. See who wins this fun race.

via Gaijin No Sekai

Japanese fashion magazine Anecan 姉キャン, which targets Japanese women in their late twenties and thirties has been a success since it first launched.   The “older sister” magazine to CanCam, it features models Eriko Kumazawa 熊澤 枝里子, Hitomi Sawano 澤野 ひとみ,  Keiko Mayama 真山景子, Moe Oshikiri 押切もえ, Reiko Takagaki 高垣麗子, Sachi Suzuki 鈴木サチ, Yuri Ebihara 蛯原友里 and singer Alan.   Past models include Asami Usuda,  Maimi Okuwa and Yoko Horiuchi.

For last month’s cover, models Sachi Suzuki 鈴木サチ ( top photo left) and Moe Oshikiri 押切もえ (top photo right) were featured and from the clip below, you can see they are professionals when it comes to posing.  Which model do you like more?

Last month, heavy metal guitarist and Japanese TV celebrity Marty Friedman released a Jpop cover album called “TOKYO JUKEBOX”

The project was made in conjunction with his magazine column “J-POP Metal-giri (J-POPメタル斬り)” on “Nikkei Entertainment! (日経エンタテインメント！)” and the tracks on the album like Sayuri Ishikawa’s (石川さゆり) “AMAGIGOE (天城越え)” were requested from fans of his column.

Marty also released a Jpop book (in Japanese) last year which became a best seller on Amazon Japan. He’ s been trying to get the book translated into English.

Marty Friedman Tokyo Jukebox playist

01. TSUME TSUME TSUME (爪爪爪) / Maximum the Hormone (マキシマム ザ ホルモン)
02. GIFT / Mr.Children
03. AMAGIGOE (天城越え) / Sayuri Ishikawa (石川さゆり)
04. Story / AI
05. Polyrhythm (ポリリズムポリリズム) / Perfume
06. Karitaku Nattayo (帰りたくなったよ) / IKIMONOGAKARI (いきものがかり)
07. TSUNAMI / Southern All Stars (サザンオールスターズ)
08. Yuki no Hana (雪の華) / Mika Nakashima (中島美嘉)
09. Eki (駅) / Maria Takeuchi (竹内まりや)
10. Sekai ni Hitotsudake no Hana (世界に一つだけの花) / SMAP
11. Romance no Kamisama (ロマンスの神様) / Koumi Hirose (広瀬香美)
12. Ashita he no Sanka (明日への讃歌) / alan

Marty Friedman promoting his Jpop book

Hagoromo Foods はごろも缶詰 is a large Japanese food producer and packager best known for its canned seafood and packed meals. Back in 1978, the company had a Star Wars themed TV commercial for is tuna (sea chicken シーチキン) complete with dueling Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker who take a break from fighting to eat some yummy tuna.

Hagoromo Star Wars Tuna Commercial

Still don’t understand how the the sub prime situation led to the global financial crisis?  It’s a complex issue but luckily Japanese TV has gravure idol Haruka Namami 名波はるか to help explain the effects.  For her help explaining the whole situation in a bikini, she got to promote her DVD Grind-H.