McDonald's Japan Free Coke Glass Promotion (London Olympic ver.)

McDonald's Japan is now doing a promotion in which you can get a free Coke glass when you buy a Large Value Meal. Sometimes they do this kind of a promotion in not only Japan, but also other countries. However, the design of the glasses are probably different. What you can get now in Japan is London Olympic version.

I don't often go to McDonald's, just go there to drink 100 yen coffee sometimes. But I went there for the glass this time. The promotion succeeded in attracting me at least.

McDonald's Japan Free Coke Glass Promotion (London Olympic ver.) [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 26th, 2012

Omotesando Street Car Expo, Tokyo

Due to the long-continued recession, you don't often see expensive cars and rare cars in Tokyo nowadays. However, you may see a relatively large number of them at Omotesando Street.

'Omotesando' literally means 'main approach of a shrine or a temple'. The street was initially built as the main approach to Meiji Shrine, but is now well-known for its high-end stores. Executives come here in executive cars, and enjoy executive shopping.

Even if you are not interested in executive shopping, it should be enjoyable to stroll around this elegant district; see what the district is like or watch various cars passing by. Can you spot your favorite car in this video?

Omotesando Street Car Expo, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 24th, 2012

Here is the post about Meiji Shrine, the shrine situated in a deep forest at the other end of Omotesando. Also check this out!
Meiji Shrine ~Shrine in Deep Forest in Tokyo~

Cat Street, Hot Spot for the Young at Harajuku, Tokyo

Ura-Harajuku, which literally means 'back streets of Harajuku', is an area where you can find a lot of small fashionable boutiques, beauty salons, cafes and restaurants. It is also called 'Ura-Hara' for short. Cat Street and its branches are one of the most bustling streets in the area. You can see young people dressed up and enjoying shopping there.

There was a river once where now Cat Street is, but the river was covered over for the development of this area when Tokyo Olympic was held in 1964. This is why the street is winding.

According to my friend whose birthplace was beside Cat Street, when he was a kid, the area was not like what it is like now, but was a typical old residential area. However, as he grew up, a lot of stores opened around there and it became a popular place among the young.

It would be fun to stroll around with imagining what the fashionable streets were like once.

Cat Street, Hot Spot for the Young at Harajuku, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 24th, 2012

Here is the video about Takeshita Street, the most popular shopping street in the Harajuku area. Check also this!

Takeshita Street, Harajuku ~The Fashion Center of Tokyo~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 11th, 2012

Tokyo View from a Train Arriving at Shinjuku Station

Running among buildings, the train arrived at Shinjuku Station, the busiest station in the world.

Tokyo View from a Train Arriving at Shinjuku Station [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 24th, 2012

Here is the post about the station, 'Tokyo Rush Hour, Shinjuku Station'. You can see what the busiest station in the world is like. Also check this out!
Tokyo Rush Hour, Shinjuku Station

Grilled Gyudon, or Beef Bowl, at 'Tokyo Chikara Meshi'

Gyudon, or beef bowl, is one of the most popular Japanese fast foods. Several gyudon chains are competing for market share here. You would find cities filled with gyudon shops when you visit Japan.

A brand new gyudon chain, 'Tokyo Chikara Meshi' which literally means 'Tokyo Power Food', is starting to become popular. Gyudon is normally a bowl of rice with simmered beef, but their gyudons are a bit different. They grill beef instead of simmering. They taste good and you can have a new experience with them. Worth trying.

Grilled Gyudon, or Beef Bowl, at 'Tokyo Chikara Meshi' [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 24th, 2012

Free Hugs Campaign at Harajuku, Tokyo

I found they were doing this Free Hugs Campaign in front of Harajuku Station on a Sunday afternoon. People who joined it looked so happy with touching their warm hearts.

Free Hugs Campaign at Harajuku, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 24th, 2012

Tokyo Station City ~Shopping Streets at Tokyo Station~

Large train stations in Japan often have a lot of shops and restaurants inside. Tokyo Station, the terminal of 'Shinkansen' or 'bullet trains', has 120 shops inside ticket gates and 80 outside. They make up a massive shopping and gourmet district named 'Tokyo Station City'. Their main staples are 'bento' or 'lunch boxes' which you can enjoy on a long-distance train. A good bento would make your trip more enjoyable.

You might wander in the city like a huge labyrinth(*) when you go into there without a map. But at least you don't have to worry about starving or freezing to death as long as you have enough Japanese yen. They serve and sell various things you could be in need for while wandering. Of course you can also use them on a train, or after getting off the train.

Tokyo Station City ~Shopping Streets at Tokyo Station~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 20th, 2012

*Note: The challenge level of Tokyo Station as a station labyrinth is beginner level. The most challenging station in Tokyo is Shinjuku Station. Here is the video about the station. Check also this!

Tokyo Rush Hour, Shinjuku Station [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Mar. 27th, 2012

Glow of Sunset on My Way Home

Crossing the Arakawa River and leaving Tokyo Metropolis, the train entered into Kawaguchi City where I live. From its window, I saw the evening sky glowing after a typhoon had passed.

Glow of Sunset on My Way Home [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 20th, 2012

Curious Alley at Ginza, Tokyo

When you explore an old town, you often find it like a maze with alleys. Ginza, the most luxurious district in Tokyo, is also an old town like it. Going away from glamorous streets and down alleys, you would see another face of Ginza.

Sometimes you come across a curious alley like the one in this video. Walking along the gloomy alley, you have to cut through a modern cafe and end up finding a small shrine sitting at close quarters.

Curious Alley at Ginza, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 14th, 2012

Typhoon Guchol Passing by Tokyo Area

Typhoon #4, named 'Guchol' which means 'turmeric' in a Micronesian language, became the first typhoon of this year that hit mainland of Japan. It did not cause considerable damage fortunately, but it caused a leak in the ceiling of my house...

Typhoon Guchol Passing by Tokyo Area [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 19th, 2012

Shinkansen ~Bullet Trains Running between Buildings in Tokyo~

The maximum speed of the Shinkansen during commercial service is 300 km/h (187 mph), but they have to slow down in urban areas due to curved tracks and noise issue. You can see the bullet trains traveling between buildings quite slowly in those areas.

Yurakucho, just south of Tokyo Station, is one of my favorite places to watch the trains going by. When a train passes by, you can also see its reflection on the mirror wall of a building.

Shinkansen ~Bullet Trains Running between Buildings in Tokyo~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 14th, 2012

Shrine on Rooftop of Building in Tokyo

Here in Japan, there are small shrines here and there. You can see them in mountains, on seashores, beside rice fields, in residential areas, and even in developed city areas.

Ginza, Tokyo is one of the most luxurious shopping and gourmet districts in the world, but it is not so difficult to find a shrine there once you go down back streets.

Asahi Inari Shrine, one of the 'largest' small shrines in Ginza, settles beside a back street three blocks away from the main street. This Shinto shrine appears as a common small shrine among buildings at a glance, but is a bit different. The shrine you can see at the street is not a main shrine. When a building was built where once the shrine was, the main shrine was moved to the rooftop of the building. They also built the vice-shrine beside the street for people to make it accessible to worship. This is a kind of an urban-type shrine.

Shrine on Rooftop of Building in Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 14th, 2012

Tokyo Sunset ~The View from Tokyo Station~

Standing in front of Marunouchi Central Exit, Tokyo Station, you can see a wide street leading straight to the Imperial Palace located in the west of the station. There, you can watch the sunset over the palace at the end of the street in sunny evenings.

Tokyo Sunset ~The View from Tokyo Station~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 14th, 2012

A Cat Piggybacking on His Owner's Shoulder

At Ginza, Tokyo.

A Cat Piggybacking on His Owner's Shoulder [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 14th, 2012

Meiji Shrine ~Shrine in Deep Forest in Tokyo~

In front of Harajuku Station which is known as the gateway of Tokyo's fashion center, there is a stately Shinto shrine gate. This is the main entrance of Meiji Shrine.

The shrine was built to be dedicated to the spirits of Meiji Emperor and his wife, Shoken Empress. It is surrounded by an artificial forest made up by trees that were donated by people from the whole Japan. The huge forest, which covers 700 thousand square-meters, initially had 120 thousand trees, but it has been growing up naturally and now has 170 thousand.

On your way to the worship place, you can breathe the fresh air and relax your mind at the calm and quiet place while being in one of the busiest capitals in the world.

Here is the post about another face of Harajuku, the face of a fashion center.
Takeshita Street, Harajuku ~Fashion Center of Tokyo~

And here is the post of the place called 'Grandma's Harajuku'. Check also this!
Sugamo, Tokyo ~Grandma's Harajuku~

Meiji Shrine ~Shrine in Deep Forest in Tokyo~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 11th, 2012

Takeshita Street, Harajuku ~Fashion Center of Tokyo~

Harajuku, located next to the Shibuya area, has two faces. One is the face of a worship place, the other is the face of a fashion center.

Takeshita Street is a narrow but busy street where you can see what is hot now among the young here in Japan. To experience the peak of the bustle of the street, you should visit there in a weekend afternoon, but this video was taken in a weekday afternoon. I wanted to avoid the crazy bustle to be honest. Sorry for my laziness. However, you can at least see what the street is like in this video.

Here is the post about another face of Harajuku, the face of a worship place.
Meiji Shrine ~Shrine in Deep Forest in Tokyo~

And here is the post of the place called 'Grandma's Harajuku'. Check also this!
Sugamo, Tokyo ~Grandma's Harajuku~

Takeshita Street, Harajuku ~The Fashion Center of Tokyo~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 11th, 2012

Shibuya Station, Tokyo

Shibuya Station is the world's 5th busiest station, in 4th place in Japan, and in 3rd place in Tokyo. This video is just to give you an idea of what Shibuya Station is like. This was taken in a weekday afternoon, not so busy hour.

The world's busiest stations ranking (users/day)

1. Shinjuku Station, Tokyo, Japan (3.6 million)
2. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Station, Mumbai, India (3 to 3.5 million)
3. Ikebukuro Station, Tokyo, Japan (2.7 million)
4. Umeda-Osaka Station, Osaka, Japan (2.4 million)
5. Shibuya Station, Tokyo, Japan (2.1 million)

Three of them are in Tokyo!

Shibuya Station, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on May 17th, 2012

Here is the video of the busiest station on the planet, Shinjuku Station.


Tokyo Rush Hour, Shinjuku Station [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Mar. 27th, 2012

Adorable Dog Growling Quietly

I came across these adorable dogs while strolling around my neighborhood. I was trying to play the staring game with one of them, but he kept growling at me quietly without barking. I realized he was seriously preparing to pounce on me, quit shooting the video, and got away. :P

Adorable Dog Growling Quietly [iPhone 4S/HD] - Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 7th, 2012

Handkerchief Art Project in Kawaguchi, Saitama

While strolling around my neighborhood, I found that this exhibition titled; "Handkerchief Art Project" was taking place at the Citizens Gallery. The description signboard was saying that an art professor asked people to paint pictures on white handkerchiefs, which he gathered together and made the exhibition using them. Oh my goodness; I didn't know this project had been going on! I should've joined it!

Handkerchief Art Project in Kawaguchi, Japan [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on May 24th, 2012

Exploring Random Building at Shibuya, Tokyo

Exploring random buildings in a city is fun. Sometimes you find something cool like the elevators in this video.

Exploring Random Building at Shibuya, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on May 23rd, 2012

Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Exhibition at Ueno Park, Tokyo

I came across this small and open-air exhibition of bonsai on Satsuki azaleas while strolling around Ueno Park.

This massive public park is located next to Ueno Station which is one of the largest terminals in Tokyo. It has a few museums, a zoo, a temple, a shrine, 2500 sakura trees, and a large pond famous for its lotus. Everyday, there are small exhibitions, festivities and markets at this place. A great place to stroll around when you want to relax.

Satsuki Azalea Bonsai Exhibition at Ueno Park, Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on May 30th, 2012

Sugamo, Tokyo ~Grandma's Harajuku~

Sugamo, located in North Tokyo, is well-known as an area where the old gather. It is also called 'Grandma's Harajuku' after Harajuku, a hot spot among the young. At Sugamo, You can see what is hot among seniors. It looks like the most trendy thing now is 'Lucky Charm Red Underpants'.

The main attraction of the area is Koganji Temple, also called 'Togenuki Jizo' Temple, where a 'Jizo', or a Ksitigarbha statue, reputedly cures people by washing and scrubbing the part of the statue that corresponds your area that ails you.

On every 4th, 14th and 24th, there are more than the usual number of markets on the Jizo Shopping Street, the bustling street in front of Koganji Temple. On those days, you may find something that you cannot find elsewhere.

Sugamo, Tokyo ~Grandma's Harajuku~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 4th, 2012

Here is the video of 'original' Harajuku.
Takeshita Street, Harajuku ~The Fashion Center of Tokyo~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 11th, 2012

How Many Trains and Trams Do You See? ~Tokyo's Busy Train Schedules~

Rail transport is the keystone of urban transport in Japan. A total of over 22 billion people use railroads every year here. This figure ranks first in the world and there is a huge gap to second-place, India, with 8 billion people.

This video was taken at a weekday evening near Oji Station in North Tokyo. It was originally about 20 minutes in length, but cut down to less than 11 minutes. You can see how busy Tokyo's train schedules are on it. How many trains and trams do you see?

How Many Trains and Trams Do You See? ~Tokyo's Busy Train Schedules~ [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 4th, 2012

Onsen Theme Park, or Hot Spring Theme Park, in Tokyo

Ooedo Onsen Monogatari, located in Odaiba, Tokyo's waterfront entertainment area, is an onsen theme park, or a hot spring theme park, with various baths using natural hot spring water pumped from 1,400 meters below ground. The theme park houses not only baths, but also restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and an accommodation facility. You can relax your body there after you fully enjoyed the area.

Onsen Theme Park, or Hot Spring Theme Park, in Tokyo [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 2nd, 2012

Baked Hello Kitty at Diver City Tokyo Plaza

Diver City Tokyo Plaza, a brand new commercial complex which opened this April in Odaiba, Tokyo, houses over 150 shops and a few entertainment facilities. You can get these Hello Kitty shaped baked cakes at 'Hello Kitty Japan' by Sanrio, one of the shops. Too cute to eat? Come on, it would be a waste not to try them. They taste wonderful and are cute!

Baked Hello Kitty at Diver City Tokyo Plaza [iPhone 4S/HD]
- Shot in 1080p full HD with an iPhone 4S on Jun. 2nd, 2012