ねこぐち | nekoguchi.com

Tokyo Life 6 – Japanese Train Etiquette Ads

dice — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:52:48 +0000

The advertisements in the trains of Japan never fails to entertain me. They’re either covered with text or bombarded with colorful images. When I was staying there, I always notice some public service ads that sometimes sarcastically reminds us commuters to mind our own manners and so I randomly snapped up a few for keepsake.

These ones are generally found on the JR line and I’m already guilty of the first one!

Guilty of this too!

They should hang this one in our MRTs too!

And these to the deaf ones!

Makes your ride more interesting I must say. . . but did you notice if anyone bothered about the this one?

Apparently the Tokyo metro offers the Do It At Home series which you can read about it at Danny’s post.

Anyhoos, its rule of thumb that you can’t talk on your mobile while commuting on the trains in Japan. Some cars even require you chuck it out the window… I mean turn it off entirely. Every Japanese there usually switches it to Manner Mode (aka silent mode) and starts practicing otaku-ism on it.. (though actually I think most are just checking train times and weather reports).

Most foreigners aren’t aware of the SHUTDUPP rule and then only realises it when people start throwing daggers at them. Seriously we should implement the same thing to commuters here and it applies most of the time to forgeiners who blabs as if they are in their own house! We need some Do It At Home sarcasm too! LOL

Nasu Kogen那須高原 – Winter

dice — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:31:37 +0000

I realise that every time I start a new blog entry, I apologise for being late and not up keeping it… I mean what’s new? the epitome of procrastination is still herself… well not really so this time. I kinda deserted my entire family during the Chinese New year holidays and flew to my second home, so here’s your long awaited post fresh from the sushi bar…

Two years back I visited Nasu Kogen during the summer time. Two weeks ago I was back there and boy was it a transformation! It’s Fuyu (winter) time in Nippon and I was ecstatic to see snow! Yes yes there’s no snow in sunny sizzling Singapore…

Anyway it was quite an adventure just getting into gear itself! In an instance, one miraculously transforms into a dumpling being wrapped in layers and layers of clothes. Despite the ball of fabric that I am, I was surprised that I could still scale some snow covered mini cliffs that leads to the Otome Waterfall. Pretty slippery if you ask me and I couldn’t even make out where the steps were.

Summer : Luscious Greens

Winter: dry twigs

Summer

Winter

The long exposures were quite a challenge because yours truly here is too cold and lazy to set up her tripod. Most shots turned out brrrr. . . i mean blur.

Summer

Winter

Gotta have lunch. Went back to the same soba place last summer. No difference between how soba looks during summer & winter though. LOL

After the meal, we headed to Onsen Shrine and then to Sesshouseki – 殺生石. (oooh i love the ring to it) The first stop’s feet onsen!

In summer, everyone wants to soak their feet

In winter, everyone’s lazy to take off their shoes… me included

Entrance to Onsen Shrine… the smell of sulfur was amazingly strong in winter. Aren’t you glad you’re just viewing pictures here.

Summer

Winter… i love the snow~!

Walk down to Sesshouseki

Summer

Winter

Summer

Winter

Sesshouseki is an area filled with noxious volcanic gas (sulpur) that kills most small animals approaching and there’s where its name came from. The place is also known for the legend of Fox with Nine Tails (No we’re not talking about Naruto here)..

Anyhoos, the story was set about 3500 years ago. After devastating China and India, a fox with nine tails arrived in Japan by JAL and transformed itself into a beautiful woman named “Tamamo no Mae” and I have no idea what it means. Although she succeeded in winning the emperor’s favour, her aim was to take over Japan (not the world???) after killing him. But after having its true form discovered by feng shui master Yin-Yang diviner Aberno Yasunari, she ran into Nasunohara forest, and was killed by a military tank commanded by Kazuanosuke Hirotsuna and Miuranosuke Yoshizumi (who were nominees in the longest name award).

So then the monstrous fox turned its figure into a big stone after death; however, the grudge remained as poisonous gas and killed everything approaching it.

After reading the story posted up on Wikipedia, great priest Gennou visited the place. He yelled out and banged the stone with his stick, breaking it into three pieces. It is said that one of the pieces flew to Aizu (Fukushima Prefrecture which I’ll blog about in the next post and yes that means aeons later haha) the other went to Bingo in Hiroshima and the last piece remains at Sesshouseki as the Killing Rock.　So there you have it.

Summer: Summer Rain…

Winter

Was lucky the sky’s clear

Summer

Winter

Summer: Jizo look wet

Winter: Jizo looks cold

Just a day before re-exploring Nasu, I stayed over at this really nice inn called the Cosy Inn Antique. Old french cottage styled ambiance warms your heart the moment you stepped in but…

… it’s what warms your stomach that really matters.

Quiche for breakfast

Home baked rolls

With clam chowder

life is short. . .eat the dessert first!

beef & fish for dinner

onion soup and salad for starters…

The last Choux pastry’s from Rindarou cafe some where in the middle of no-where. Sells a cup of coffee and a slice of chocolate cake or a Choux pastry for 500 Yen respectively and pottery made by the owner (thou shall not divulge the heavenly pricesssss….

I heard that the imperial family visits Nasu every year…For those feeling adventurous, one could drive up to Nasu via the Tohoku highway. Takes about 2 to 3 hours in a speeding car.

Tokyo Life 5 – Enoshima (江ノ島)

dice — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:34:13 +0000

I wanted to go to Kamakura but ended up in Enoshima (江ノ島) a small island seaside town next to the island of Kanagawa prefecture and to to the south of Tokyo . . . Another classic example of my randomness! So it’s not in Tokyo. . . Thus I reckon the title’s not very apt. But anyhoos, this post is a continuation of my travelogue while loafing in Japan the other time round so here goes! Enoshima is a beach destination and, on a nice summer day, has a bit of the laid-back California surfer vibe. Are we talking yet?

I took the Odakyu line setting off from Shinjuaku to Fujisawa and then made a transfer. There were other trains that goes there. . like the ROMANCE CAR for example and I was stumped the first time I saw the advert. ROMANCE CAR??? Sounds sleazy if you ask me… Whatever the case . . didn’t get that ticket cause I wasn’t particularly feeling romantic. There is also a 1 day Enoshima-Kamakura Free Pass at a steal of about 1400 Yen , which covers your round trip from Shinjuku and allows you to take unlimited rides on the nostalgic Enoden (江ノ電) which is combination of a street car and a train, and runs on the Enoshima line. Kinda cool for city stalkers like me.

The ride from Shinjuku to Fujisawa lasted about an hour and I remember watching people go about their daily summer lives as they board and un-board the train. People eat noodles in train as if its the most natural thing to do! Didn’t capture a shot cause I didn’t want to get smacked with half eaten noodles on my face.The ambiance change immediately the moment you arrive at Fujisawa for the transfer. Pace is MUCH slower. I could feel the sea breeze already! The Enoden has a hundred years of history and is one of the few remaining street trains (trains that literally run along the streets) left in Japan. At one juncture the lines run SOCLOSE to the houses, you could easily peep into some one’s toilet!

Anyway let the photos do the stalking!

The stops that the train makes. Enoshima is right in the middle

I should be going to Kamakura!

Spotted a number of classic and expensive cars.

Was told that this is the famous spot where they filmed some top rated japanese drama. Clueless! But still took an obligatory shot! ha!

The sands in Japan are black!

It is always good to have beer in summer. Drown away the heat!

Flea market

Hotbabe – not for sale

Expensive dog. . also not for sale

That’s the island in the background

Houses- station-railway – road- beach-sea

The bridge to the Eno island – The small island is attached to the mainland by a causeway and is the main tourist attraction. I wonder why. It’s just a bridge!

Enoshima Shrine (江島神社 Enoshima-jinja). 2-3-8 Enoshima. Best known for its rather unusual naked statue of Benzaiten (裸弁財天 hadaka Benzaiten), a Shinto deity rarely found in such a state, which I never got to see

Map of the island

You only tie this up when you’ve prayed and received a bad fortune!

View of main island from Enoshima. It was said that Mt. Fuji could be seen from the top of Enoshima on clear days (best season for viewing is winter). But every time I read about things like that, I have absolutely no idea which direction to face to find that mountain

You can choose to walk up or take the escalator up. You’ll have to pay a whopping 700 yen to ride the escalator though! That’s about 10 bucks here!

When I reached the top, I immediately spotted a long queue. As if by Singaporean nature, I joined without even knowing what’s in stored. Turned out. . .

it’s Tako Senbei! Octopus Rice cake!

Method: Mix 1 octopus in batter (yes the WHOLE thing including its head) , throw it in funky old machine (yes the WHOLE thing including its tentacles), close lid and PRESS! *beware of flying bits of batter!

T’was the result of the long queue. It’s very yummie and well worth the wait!

Japanese cats are fat!

I had to take this peekture because I’ve never seen a cat up on a tree before. Loser I am!!

The other side of the island offers a vast view of the w i d e o p e n s e a!
The island is actually surrounded by high sea cliffs, rocks and tidal pools, so there’s only one way in, and one way out. unless of cos you swim.

At Enoshima, all the women are like kunoichis, they can control their chakra and walk on water!

Night has fallen and its shopping time!

There are usually a whole bunch of other things to see off the island – like fireworks in summer at the beach, but I didnt stay that late that day. It was said that about 5,000 fireworks are displayed in late July or in early August every year. Having viewed the Yokohama and some Tokyo fireworks which encompasses hello kitty and pokemon faces, the strange thought of fishes and turtles crept into my mind. I just can’t help wondering if they really do have fireworks in those shapes. Maybe the next time I go, I’ll see a beachboy outlined one!

Saber Lily + Kureha Nendoroid & a Happy New Year!

dice — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:34:43 +0000

8th day of Christmas (sorry no maido san milking ) and a Happy New Year !

It’s the dawn of a new year and I just made some crazy resolution including “Die Happy” and then I start to wonder if I should even try achieving that one this year! LOL. Anyhoos, Nekoguchi’s resolution is of cos getting more updates and growing this space! (Monetizing it seems too far fetched for now but I hope to keep everyone’s eyes scrolling for more!) What ever it is, here’s some back dated peektures I took of Kureha and Saber Lily Nendoroid over the X’mas season which were also featured over at Gordonator – cos Neko’s down and so the trooper picked up the kitty and posted it there..

Saber’s a part of my friend’s collection (not mine cos I ran out of space). I love everything about this figure ‘cept for the grouchy face. . .

. . . nothing beats a little DIY cosmetic surgery and so I swapped hers with Kureha’s sleeping one. Much cuter!

Baby Kureha . . . happy with her pressies~!

Testing out my friend’s macro converter. . .very bad vignetting

*pout face*

* Hearts* – a sneak preview to V-day! Gotta do better than the one last year!

So, what’s your NY resolution?

Of Coffee Breaks & Dejavu

dice — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 05:44:33 +0000

Hello world!

I know, I know, this space was practically dead for some time; I’m just terrible at maintaining one! And perhaps I should change the blog name to “Late As Usual” . . . This actually kinda reminds me of the Nekoguchi2.0 post last year when we swapped servers. We’ve missed a few significant events including Nekoguchi’s 1st birthday and now, we missed its 2nd one cos the server went kaput and life went ——- dead in server land!

Anyhoos after a 7 month long coffee break, Nekoguchi’s back (and still undergoing changes so please bear with it). Now that the year is coming to an end it some how seem so surreal that everything went by like lightning. You know, one flash and it’s gone and pretty soon its new year resolution time! This time, I hope to fill this space up more often. (There, I said it! Now let’s see if it comes true!)

While nekoguchi was on hiatus, I’ve kinda collected a truckload of entries and photos from here and there and they’ve been residing in my HDD that’s about to burst its seams. And like my stack of Christmas gifts, they’ve been screaming “Put us away woman!” – Epitome of Procrastination I tell you!

Oh and by the way, Saber & Kureha will appear in some back-dated log and they wish everyone Merry X’mas! (Late as usual. . . )

Ringo Noyamano – Hot On Wheels

dice — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:50:08 +0000

This is it! The epitome of procrastination has struck again! I admit. This is very late! Air Gear’s Ringo Noyamano’s actually my friend’s figure, who asked me to help him snap her up (before Chinese New Year in January) so that he can ogle at Ringo secretly on screen and keep the fig safely tucked under his comforter at night. Anyhow Ringo’s the second figure that the Kanaru post mentioned – Yes I know, its majorly overdue!!!

By the way it’s NSFW so click when you think you’re clear of beady eyes from a 5 year old, blinking innocently up at you from behind while you let your eyes roam shamelessly across the screen admiring the curvature of certain aspects. LOL

One thing I like about the figure is it’s ability to show a different expression when viewed from different perspectives. The roundness is complete and not flat.

The normal straight face

Looks a little smug here

One of my favourite shots. The shy look

Nonchalant here

I pulled out her hair. But hey I think she looks good without the twin tails!

Worried

That’s the Lucky Star Akira Nendoroid I got from Danny when he came over to SG for the Blogging workshop.

Fits nicely in the bag! LOL

Remember the SM Hello Kitty saga a few posts back? Ringo’s doing a better job.

Cute “lacy” details in the outfit. oooo…

I like her pissed-off face!

I must admit. I totally dig the ecchi outfit and her curves are just so alluring. The bag was kinda cute considering its got LV look-alike prints (at a glance) all plastered over it. I personally have not much qualms over Ringo except that her skin shows bits and traces of paint and dust despite the many layers of plastic wraps when unboxed. What irked me was the fact that since one couldn’t inspect the doll before purchase, the wraps make it harder to spot faults. And she definitely needs killer boots or stilettos!

PSP-4000 Friend or Foe

dice — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 07:11:19 +0000

Rumor has it that the new PSP, or PSP2 will have a sliding screen. You know, something like your push up phones. It was also reported that it’s basically the same screen as the 3000 series just that in this one, it needs lubricant.

Anyway, the buttons are apparently underneath the screen which makes me wonder if the end result would be as thick as my club sandwich given that you still need to slot some UMD & Li-on battrey somewhere. Apparently source here reckons that the screen won’t cover the console totally and only the L1 and R1 controls at the shoulders are exposed.

Anyway judging from the said image, there’s no lingering traits of the old PSP which make it sound more like a fan-made design. Whatever the case, be prepared for more fingerprints.

Mac Hello Kitty

dice — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:17:47 +0000

Introducing the new Hello Kitty in SM version! ooooooh

Ok so its actually not the real deal. This new black hello kitty is in fact part of the cosmetic brand, M.A.C’s new toy.. I mean launch. I attended their launch party complete with pink lemonade vodka and walking male SM look-alike kitties. I swear they were molested by the real cats at the scene aka, the female of the species, aka … me! nyaa~ nyaa~ nyaa~ nyaa~ nyaa~

Kitty Mild is cute…

Kitty Wild is snazzy…

… but I’d still prefer Kitty SM! LOL!

Against all odds, the high end cosmetics brand tied up with Sanrio’s Kitty to launch a totally mild & wild collection. Come to think of it, this line of products incidentally broke ALL perceptions and the goody-two-shoes innocent cat without a mouth that we all know. You know, flaming pink and electrifying blues against dark patent pvc that’s supposedly leather. Hard leather!

The range of M.A.C Hello Kitty products. S$40 bucks for the compact mirror and yes the plushie is for sale.

The launch was also graced by some local celebrities here in Singapore. All in all pretty fun and as usual, I ended up spending more than I should have.

So tell me, which kitty do you prefer? Nyaaaaa~

Happy White Day!

dice — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:44:04 +0000

Exactly one month after Valentine’s Day, comes March 14th – White Day ホワイトデー. Don’t ask me why its white and not purple or teal or mahogany. It is a celebrated “holiday” in Japan and white day basically means that the guys will get to decide whether they’re going to return the favor to the female of the species who gave them honmei-choco” [chocolate of love] or “giri-choco” [courtesy chocolate] on Valentine’s Day… Naturally, my not-so-glamorous V-day confession won’t get a favourable return.

So if you’re going to return your favour don’t give her back the same chocolates that might have already become mouldy. You’re expected to return with a more expensive gift to express your lurve. Ohhh another benefit of being a gurl.

Apparently White Day is also observed in Taiwan & Korea. For the latter there’s even a subsequent Black Day for the singles. How relevant!

But the champion goes to the a bunch of Americans who decided to dedicate March 14 to Steak & Blow Job day (I leave it to your imagination what it’s all about). The essence in short, is for women to erm express how much they er care for their dudes. Very creative! LOL!

Hataraki Mode ON!

dice — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:26:54 +0000

This is it – my not so official announcement of me leaving the N.E.E.T society. It’s high time to put the thinking cap back on. The mere CASHLESS society that I’ve been dwelling in is making me deprived & desperate (major pun intended aka. CREDIT).

While I dawdle away the minutes of my life generally stoning in front of my TV or computer screen, there comes a mili second where by the mere actualization that my pockets don’t actually run that deep strikes my disillusioned Grey cells. Four harsh reality checks in half a day actually left me feeling pretty feeble, much less guilty. You might have guessed… the checks all point to the bank account, the age, the scale and the wheezy fact that I couldn’t even bring myself to get a copy of Street Fighter IV just cause I reckon I should be saving! Mega deprivation!

So that’s it! In the last couple of weeks I’ve returned to join the dark side (my feeble excuse of not updating this space.) The side that George Orwell would simply call Big Brother. Industrial revolution has kinda re-invented itself in my caged up world. I wasn’t sure if i was ready to get back into the working force and the constant sad news about the plunging economy everywhere else in the world only made me worry about my own existence in this quick fix society. But one thing’s for sure. I couldn’t wait any longer to get my copy of Street Fighter IV and perhaps a Hori stick as well. – evident signs that she’s been hanging around the arcades too much. LOL

Truth be told, I was feeling the gritters getting back to work. The Hataraki (working) mode that I was constantly in while I was holding my previous job came in only bursts of flashes this time, like a spluttering car that ran out of gas (or more vividly, like a dying soul drawing the last few gulps of air) . Somehow I wonder if I’ve lost it while I was so freakin gay in Japan.

I hope my sense of clothing & cleanliness never vanish…

Anyhoolaloos I was kinda reminded of the Hataraki Man managa-based anime at my new hataraki place. Same line, same industry, but unlike Matsukata san, not the same role and I don’t like natto. *wink* I’ve watched this anime like way back in 2006 and thanks to Gordon he reminded me of it so I went to dig it up for a re-watch and boy does it touch my semi disturbed soul. By the way, I just remembered that there’s a live action drama for the same title which I promised myself to watch exactly 157 days ago to which I have so conveniently forgot. . .