Shibuya - a commercial district filled with restaurants, shops and home to the worlds busiest pedestrian crossing.
While Shibuya is still a town where a load of young folks gather and go out n about, there is a feeling that some areas are turning to a kabukicho-like area filled with hostess bars.
Was out n about Shibuya last weekend shopping for a few bits n bobs and as usual took along the trusty Sony NEX-5N. This photo can be taken on the bridge between the JR Yamanote and Inokashira line.
And before I forget - the hd sized wallpaper photos are on my Google Plus.
Zooming back in time heading towards the station. I've got a new road bike (which was a prezzie from the Good Smile Company boss Aki-san ^^;) and am now seeking one for wifey - we got our eyes on a Bianchi and spotted one on the way to the station. Any of you road bike otaku out there? I notice many in the anime industry here like road biking.
Lately more and more people are using these pull-along carry-ons - wondering if its because folks cant be bothered to carry their bags anymore ^^;
Anyway, due to the increase, more accidents are happening in and around the stations which means people tripping up over them where their face would end up flat on the floor - or in somebodies oppai?
Why is this acceptable in public and yet the equivalent 2D moe version is not? I need a good explanation please! An explanation I had from Flickr was that this is considered to be "art" but I consider Moe 2D girlies to be art too - why does he get to decide what is and is not art?
"Kakekomi Josha"[駆け込み乗車[かけこみじょうしゃ]] means "to rush into the train" and you always see folks do it. At times you will see folks or their belongings get sandwiched in the doors which the delays the trains.
Busy Sunday in Shibuya. The wall of red in the right of this photo is Sanzenri Chemist which was still back there in 1952 >>> History of Shibuya.
LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the new standard for wireless communications and the new products have just recently hit the market here in Japan. Here we see the emobile devices which give you speeds of up to 75Mbps on the go at only 3,880 yen per month.
Commercial below staring AKB48 Tomomi Itano.
And when they say speeds up up to 75Mbps then they mean it - throughput tests below. Upload speed is supposed to be 25 Mbps.
What sort of options are available in your neck of the woods regarding hi-speed mobile connectivity?
Passing by Shibuya 109. Its called 109 because 10 is also pronounced "To" and 9 as "Kyu" - the company that owns 109 is Tokyu Group.
Ita-socks.
Started to notice a bunch of Kyabakura (hostess bars) popping up around Shibuya.
At Shibuya Labi checking out the latest electronics. A load of folks after a Sunday bargain. Sometimes they have something called "Time Service" where all of a sudden a shop assistant would shout out "40 inch flat screen TV for 20,000 yen!"
This drink is awesome! Strawberries, Cherries n Peach mixed in Mitsuya Cider. Retro ad below.
Japan is generally graffiti free but on this block in Shibuya, it can be found all over the place.
Exploring the back streets of Shibuya which you may not have seen before.
These back streets are tucked away in the location below.
[gmap=35.662562, 139.697091]
Tokyu Hands - the store that sells anything and everything and is a must visit for anybody visiting Tokyo. Tis located below.
[gmap=35.662154, 139.697483]
At Tokyu Hands checking out their road bikes. These ones between 50,000 yen and 100,000 yen.
Tokyu Hands is commonly abbreviated to just "Hands" [ハンズ] in Japanese.
One is supposed to wear a helmet when road biking but I know many who dont. How about you?
Checking out the bike accessories - have already stocked up on some.
Love the designs of these - but they weigh a ton with nothing inside.
Need a new bin for the kitchen - like these ones but dont like that pink - managed to find on online with an orange draw instead of the pink. There are 3 separate drawers because all folks in Japan are required to practice recycling.
These rucksacks are Dollfie size!
Time for another snack - Shibuya Crepe.
Never seen such a suspicious looking van.
LOFT is another popular lifestyle store just like Tokyu Hands.
Kin no Torikara - a very popular hot snack - deep fried pieces of dead chicken flesh.
New Okinawa restaurant in Shibuya Center Gai.
How many of you are instrumental? If I could play I'd probably choose the piano so that I could play the C64 Sanxion loading tune on it.
There is a poll embedded in this article.
To make a blurry photo (like this one) look half decent, use something like Lightroom to turn up the sharpness to max and then pump up the saturation and then add a vignette.
I dont want to be a bad influence on you - but probably too late for that anyway ^^; But if you have been to Japan, you may have seen these "Information Centers" here n there. The type of information that they dish out here are for folks who are wondering where to go for some hanky panky.
Shibuya seems to be slowly becoming another Shinjuku with this part of Shibuya looking like Kabukicho - hostess bars and hanky panky.
The building with where you can see "DVD" is a place where you can go and watch DVD's in a small room by yourself. They supply you with dolphin polishers and tissue - no I'm not joking either ^^;
Some Thai for dindins.
More competition for Yoshinoya - Chikarameshi do a load of "don" - a heap of meat or other topping on a bowl of rice. The ones showing in the window are from 280 yen - 630 yen.
Nyan.
Dont remember seeing these here before - more hanky panky in the form of Telekura [テレクラ] which is a short form of Telephone Club.
What happens is that you pay a fee to go inside a small room and wait for a girl to call you. You can then chose to continue to talk to her on the phone or arrange to meet up with her later.
More Shibuya backstreet exploration.
Got the urge for some fish n chips.
Mobile carrier Softbank says that if you switch to them then you need not pay for your line for 3 years - and they will thow in a bike for good measure.
Catching the JR Yamanote line from Shibuya station.
Perfume are now on a new label and are frequently on TV - their latest CM below.
Kyoto - where I want to be for this Hanami season. How many of you have been?
I love the JR Kyoto ads on TV! A retro collection of them below.
The latest bunch of ultraman.
I had no idea that you can get a travel history from your Suica card - you can get these printed at the terminals in the station where you charge your Suica.
View more photos in related Shibuya posts below.
More places to visit in Japan listed up below.
