Tokyo Institute of Technology at sunset with a nice fan of clouds.
Category Archives: Travel
Across the platform
Looking across the platform at Shinjuku station, from a train on the Chūō-Sōbu Line to a packed train on the Yamanote Line.
Get on the iPod train
Looking back through the photos I have taken in Tokyo I found this one of a train covered in iPod advertisements. Not just the outside, but also all the ads inside.
Being the major transportation form in Tokyo, about 70% of all travel, trains are also the perfect venue for advertising. There are ads around the inside of the car just below the roof; banners hang from the ceiling at intervals the length of the car; and JR East carriages have video ads above the doors (with all the dialogue in subtitles).
But this train was special. All the ads are for iPods, all the poster, all the video, and it even had some on the outside. And not just this car, but every car of the train.
I wonder how much it costs to have a train devoted solely to your advertising? And is it worth it?
I have only seen a couple of devoted trains in my stay. But I can see when they might be effective: you have 5 to 30 minutes of a lot of people’s time, with only your ads to look at (aside from their keitai or PSP).
Don’t go through this door, its sharp
It is interesting the peculiarities of shops in different parts of the world. In Japan they play music at you when they are going to close, you get about 15 minutes warning. And quite often they will play Auld Lang Syne.
At night most of the local Summit closes, the food section stays open. Summit is like a Kmart, a supermarket and a 2 dollar shop combined into one store.
Since most of the shop has closed they close and lock all but one set of the entrance doors. Putting a sign behind the one not open, so you don’t try to use them.
The night this photo was taken they put the sign advertising their Sharp コピー (copy) centre sign out.
It was too good an opportunity not to take a photo. 
Boxed in on the train
This train is only medium full, I have been on much more crowed trains in Tokyo, where you can’t move.
The interesting thing about this shot is the advertisement for boxer briefs in multiple colours and patterns. In Tokyo you see more adverts for fancy men’s underwear (than in Australia).
While there are still ads for women’s underwear, there more a balance. The social structure allows men to be more concerned about their appearance, without people queerying their sexuality.
And the man on the ad reminds me of Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen from Changing rooms.
Queue at Sensoji temple in Asakusa as the new year begins
On new years eve we went and queued up at Sensoji temple in Asakusa. It is custom for Japanese to visit a temple to pray on the first day of the new year. And we though it would be interesting to go along and look while in Japan.
It was very cold. But the crowd was friendly and well behaved. No drunken behaviour. Little to no pushing or shoving (until just inside the temple). A different evening to one you might encounter in Sydney, Australia.
While we didn’t get to see any fireworks (they aren’t a feature of Japanese new years celebrations), there was a lively atmosphere. And lots of interesting food to try once you left the temple.
Nano big at Shinjuku station
Filed under Mac, Photos, Travel
Tagged as advertisment, Apple, iPod, Japan, Nano, Shinjutu, Tokyo, train station
Tagged as advertisment, Apple, iPod, Japan, Nano, Shinjutu, Tokyo, train station
As you leave Shinjuku station via the west exit you can’t but notice the mass of advertising for Apple iPod Nano. The rise between the pedestrian level and the ceiling has a ring of iPod advertisements (pictured below). And many of the pillars had the same advertisement on each side.
While this may seem like overkill, here in Tokyo I have seen a whole train covered in advertisements for one product. All the ads on the walls and hanging from the ceiling conveyed the same message. And the same video ads in the train playing over and over again.
It seems that advertising campaigns here in Tokyo can be overwhelming, but short in duration, and then disappear like the last season.
For those interested, the ads say “Nano 色いろ” (iroiro). The Kanji means ‘colour’, and is pronounced ‘iro’. The Hiragana that follows is also pronounced the same. The pun being that, いろいろ, pronounced ‘iroiro’, means ‘various’.
Fishing for bass lures we found the net more than full
For a friend’s Christmas present it was suggested to get fishing equipment, something for fishing bass. Japanese are mad about fishing, get some Japanese stuff I was told.
Well that statement is about right. We asked at one fishing shop, Sansui Shibuya, and they sent us to another one of their stores a few blocks away. Seems they have one store for each type of fishing.
This photo shows a wall of bass lures on one she of the store. The other side has this much bass fishing paraphernalia again. Not to mention the stuff on the wall behind me, and down the stairs to the first floor.
So, if fishing is you cup of tea, have a look for equipment while in Japan. Your sure to reel in more than you expected.
Tokyo, the wierdest city in the world
According to an article in the SMH, The weirdest cities in the world , the Lonely Planet guide books have rated Tokyo as number one. And though I haven’t been to the other cities listed. After living in Tokyo, I can see why it made the number one spot. Talking toilets and microsized pod hotels are just the short list that grabs your imediate attention, there is a lot more to see, hear and do.
The season changes from Christmas to strawberry
The seasons are important in Tokyo, and things often change for the season. The types of clothes on sale, food at restaurants, and even the type of chocolate milk available.
Just a few days before Christmas we can see that the season is already changing. Van Houten Cocoa, a chocolate milk, is changing from its ‘Christmas’ branded packaging back to the normal variety. And a new line of Strawberry cocoa milk is available.
It is interesting to observe how often advertising and packaging here in Tokyo changes. This brand, for instance, has changed its packaging 3 or 4 times since we got here in April. There seems to be a need to keep changing, and offering something new, to stay competitive here.
