After only like 2 years of thinking about it I finally got an HDD recorder (think Tivo).

The biggest reason I didn't get one earlier is they are EXPENSIVE in Japan. Tivo was the first in the states (I think) and their business model was sell you the hardware cheap and make you pay for the service. No one has really done that in Japan. Almost all the various units are not attached to any service. That means instead of like a Tivo which is/was $300˜$400 the Japanese HDD recorders were more like $1000˜$1500!!! This last year they came down to around $600 at the low end but still that was more than I wanted to spend.

Some of you probably already know other ways but if you go to Yahoo Japan's E-Mail and sign up for an account (free), then once you are signed up you can add extra POP accounts (normal e−mail accounts) for it download (set it to leave the messages on the server). Once you do that you can access all your e−mail from your cell phone at http://mail.mobile.yahoo.co.jp. If you have a long commute that might be a good way to catch up.

If you want Vietnamese food you could probably do better than here.

More Kiwa / tantan−men goodness!

I was looking through a guide of late night places in Tokyo and Chinese Cafe Eight was on the list. I had wanted to check it out just a couple of weeks before I read it was open 24 hours when I passed by it with some friends so I finally went and checked it out.

I'm in love with Tantan−men and this is a good place to get it.

I started private Japanese lessons recently and my teacher introduced me to this very cool store, Bonjinsha. They are a book store that carries nothing but books for learning Japanese (and for teaching it). They have a ton of books. Probaby 5 or 6 times as many as like Book 1st or Kinokuniya. There are 2 stores, one in Tokyo and one in Osaka. If you are looking for books for studying it would be a good place to check out. The one in Tokyo is near the Nagatacho station (永田町駅) which is also connected to the Akasaka−Mitsuke station (赤坂見附), that's 5 lines to choose from. Marunouchi, Ginza, Hanzomon, Yurakucho and Nanboku lines.

I saw on TV the Hotel Villa Fontaine in Shiodome (she oh doh may) just opened August 9th. What makes it different is it's a more Western style business hotel. Very much like an Embassy Suites. Larger Western style rooms with either 2 doubles or one king size bed and a reasonable price. Starting a 10000yen a night (about $90). Net connection in every room supposedly.

Origin Bento isn't a restaurant it's a take out only place but since I've been here these 3 years in Japan they have grown and grown and gotten more and more popular.

Loco Moco is a restaurant that serves loco moco which is the Hawaiian surfer version of donburi or a rice bowl.