Rugby was introduced to Japan in 1899 and Japan’s first international was a match against a Canadian team in 1932. Notable games for Japan include a victory over the Junior All Blacks in 1968, and a narrow 6-3 loss to England in 1971. Japan’s most famous victory so far is a 28-24 victory over Scotland in 1989. In the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Japan drew 12-12 against Canada, their second best result in the tournament.

The 2007 Rugby Wolrd Cup saw Japan score one of the tries of the tournament.

Sunday June 22nd at the National Stadium (Kokuritsu Kogijou) from 14:00 Japan plays Fiji. Billed as the REMATCH OF THE YEAR (They were beaten 35 – 31 by Fiji at the 2007 RWC), and with Japan fresh off a big win over Tonga, this should be a great game.

Tickets can be bought at the JRFU website or at convenience stores. They are selling fast, so I recommend buying in advance. Hope to see you there. Go the Brave Blossoms.

Throw on your favorite pair of sneakers and sunglasses, and get on down.

Flowers are in full bloom almost everywhere.

Hitsujiyama Park in Chichibu, Saitama

Ashikaga Flower Park in Tochigi

Get out and about.

Enjoy.

Came across a powerful looking tool/weapon the other day in my local DIY store the other day. My first impression was that it was straight out of The Nightmare on Elm Street series. A few questions later, I found out that it was a ninja kumade (rake or pitchfork – see thumbnail at end of post), used to dig clams.

500 yen later, I had all the neccesary equipment needed to embark on my first clamming adventure, a ninja kumade and a bucket.

Futtsu Kaigan (in Chiba) is located a couple of hours drive from Tokyo. Opening times vary depending on the tides.

I took this photo just before the day began, with a long line of people behind me anxious to begin the hunt.

One friendly staff member told me, “20, 000 people were expected to come over the weekend, and 2 tonnes of clams were awaiting there arrival”.

After paying the entrance fee of 1,400 yen, I was ready to dig my fair share of clams.

5 minutes after opening time I took this photo. You can see the hardcore hunters out the back, getting the prized clams.

1 and a half hours later, I had a bucket full of fresh clams and a wet backside.

Luckily I brought a change of clothes with me.

Top 5 Clamming Spots in Japan

1. Kisarazu Kaigan in Chiba – 1, 200 yen

2. Shinmaiko in Hyogo – 1, 400 yen

3. Futtsu Kaigan in Chiba – 1, 400 yen

4. Usigome Kaigan in Chiba – 1, 200 yen

5. Nishiki no Hama in Osaka – 1, 500 yen

Clam seasons runs from March til August.

Located on the top floor of the Don Quijote building, @home cafe is one of the most popular maid cafes in Akihabara. After seeing it on tv a couple of times, I thought that i too would venture out into the world of otaku.

Would I hear or be able to use the otaku catch phrase, “moe” ?

We arrived at @home cafe just before 12 on a weekday. We were greeted by a cute little waitress, dressed up in a maids uniform. She greeted us with, “Welcome back my master”. Feeling kind of special, with a rather large grin on my face, we were then shown to our table in the lounge area.

Surprisingly the food was reasonably priced, most dishes around the 1000 yen mark.

We were informed that to make the food taste good, we would all have to say “moe moe mune kyun” and make a cute pose to finish. Embarrasing but fun.

We then had our portraits painted on our food in ketchup. The food wasn’t bad at all, 2 thumbs up.

The menu listed other services that were available here. These services included :

- A game with a maid for 500 yen (rock paper scissors or a dice rolling game).

- A photo taken with a maid for 500 yen (see above).

- A purikura (photo sticker) taken with a maid for 1000 yen (here you could get very close).

I wanted to have my photo taken. I was then given a photo list of all the maids available. I chose the maid that served us, she gave me a rabbit to hold. I wasn’t looking the best, so I distorted my face.

On the way out we were presented with a Level 1 – Licence of your Majesty Card, then farwelled with the line, “When will you be back home?”

I thought the same.

Totally moe.

The aquarium has 12 zones, including The Mermaid Sea Zone. It is the only one in the world, where you can see a dugong couple, the legendary mermaids.

It also has daily performances by sea lions. A favorite of all kids young and old.

There is a live web camera, where you can see a wide variety of sea life .

April is the start of the school/business year in Japan, so there are many welcome ceremonies for new employees. Toba Aquarium held theirs underwater. How fun would that be! Wonder how their suits help up!?

I wasn’t one to appreciate the beauty of nature that much, until I came to Japan. Nowadays, I make the pilgrimage to numerous parks to eat and drink under the cherry blossoms, known as Hanami!

This year I stayed local, to avoid all the crowded parks. It was a smaller, more intimate affair, shared with the closest of friends.

You”ll be surprised what you can find close to home!

“Free mind with Smile”, is the motto of Nagisa. Not quite sure what that means, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my last 10 outings.

Nagisa is an outdoor music festival that started in 2003 and takes place every spring and autumn, in Tokyo and Osaka.

Nagisa Tokyo is always held in front of the futuristic looking Fuji TV building, Odaiba (Odaiba web cam (Odaiba web cam here). 2008 sees the spring event on this weekend, April 12 – 13. Tickets are 4000 yen on the day.

If you don’t mind a bit of a dance, then this is the place for you. Everything from Reggae to Psy trance is on show here. 7 stages showcase the best in local and overseas talent.

Hats off to the organisers for providing a really cool atmosphere. You will find all walks of life here, happily enjoying the day together. It”s a great place for people watching, so bring your favorite fold up chair/plastic sheet, and a camera.

It’s a 3 minute walk from Tokyo Teleport Station (on the Rinkai line), or a 5 minute walk from Daiba Station (on the Yurikamone).

I will be there on Sunday from 10 am shaking my thang. This weekend the weather is looking good, so get outside and enjoy the vibe.

Hope to have a few interesting photos for you from this event.

Have been enjoying spring, and with summer just round the corner it’s time to get out and about. See you soon!

Families with girls display the hina ningyo (ornamental dolls). There are many ways to celebrate the day, such as Tsurushi bina (dolls are hung by string – famous in Yanagawa, Fukuoka), Nagashi bina (floating paper dolls down rivers, and in the ocean), and the most common Hinadan (platforms are used to display the dolls, with 5 or 7 tiers most widely used).

I went to Toyama Memorial Museum in Saitama, to see an old Hinadan display.

The top tier holds the Emperor and Empress. They are usually placed infront of a gold fan.
The 2nd tier holds three court ladies.
The 3rd tier holds five musicians.
The 4th, 5th, and lower tiers, hold miniature furniture, carriages, and tools. The 4th tier often holds two ministers. The Right Minister depicted as a young man, while the Left Minister is much older.

Also displayed with the dolls are peach blossoms, Hishi mochi (pink, white, and green, diamond shaped rice cakes), and Hina arare (colorful popped rice).

The dolls are dressed in costumes from the Heian period (794 – 1192), with the Empress wearing a Jyuuni Hitoe (12 layered kimino). The style of kimino is now only used for royal weddings.

The dolls are then packed away soon after the day of Hinamatsuri. Failing to do so will result in the girl being doomed to marry late.

As my day at Toyama was coming to a close, I received a complimentary cup of hot ama zake ( a sweet, non – alcoholic version of sake). It is the traditional drink of the day.