Average Meal in London now the Most Expensive in the World

by Neil Woodburn on

Well, this is hardly a surprise: London has been awarded the honor of being the most expensive city in the world for dining out.

According to a recent article in the Guardian, a typical three-course meal and a glass of wine now costs an average of $79 per person in the British capital. Ouch!

Paris takes second place with $72. Tokyo averages $71 while New York comes in at a comparatively cheap $39.

The data is based upon the ubiquitous Zagat Guide. The most recent London edition has just been published and the 2.9% increase in the average cost of a meal from last year’s edition has concerned local foodies. As for myself, London just keeps dropping lower and lower on my list of places to visit. I’d rather just hang out in New York where the food is half the cost. And, of course, much tastier!

Big in Japan: A Look Inside My Tokyo Apartment

by Matthew Firestone on

This week I decided that I needed a change of surroundings, so I moved to the Nakameguro (??????) district in Tokyo. It’s a highly-respectable neighborhood bordering on the entertainment district of Shibuya (???) and the wealthy residential district of Yebisu (????). To simplify things a bit, it’s within easy striking (or stumbling) distance of the bar and club scene, yet offers all the peace and isolation of a residential area.

And, it’s surprisingly cheap, and much nicer and bigger than you’d imagine.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a two part series on the Myth of Money in Japan, which argued that Japan is surprisingly more affordable than you would imagine. The responses to my post ran the gamut from ‘You’re absolutely correct and thanks for acknowledging what I already knew!’ to ‘You’re an absolute idiot and thanks for wasting five minutes of my life.’

Hey – there’s always a critic!

Well, in order to throw some more fuel into the fire, I’ve decided to give you all a virtual tour of my apartment. Hopefully, this will help dispel the myth that the Japanese live in crowded shoeboxes that rent for thousands of dollars a month.

First of all, the renting agency is a popular foreign-friendly company known as Sakura House (www.sakura-house.com). My room is located in a gaijin house (外人ハウス) or foreigner house that is aimed exclusively at ex-pats temporarily living in Japan.

Although prices vary considerably depending on the neighborhood, my current room lists for ¥83,000 a month including utilities and wireless internet. Depending on the current exchange rate, this is about $690 to $755 a month – not bad for one of the nicest districts in Tokyo.

As you can see from the pictures, it’s spacious (approximately 100 sq m), and comes furnished with a good bed and a somewhat shoddy but workable desk from which I am writing this column. However, take notice of the stone fireplace that sits behind the computer, as well as the polished wooden floors and closets.

The best part of course is the enormous picture window and sliding doors that face out towards the neighborhood. I overlook a number of traditional Japanese-style houses, and there is a Shinto temple complex in the distance.

Not bad for what is commonly referred to as the most expensive city in the world! Try finding a room this nice in New York City for less than $1000 a month.

The house itself is shared by seven other foreigners, all of whom have their own private rooms as well. In regards to common space, we have a fairly spacious kitchen, a lounge with satellite TV, two and a half bathrooms and an onsite washer and dryer.

Still not sold that living in Tokyo is prohibitively expensive? Consider the fact that the house is located only five minutes by foot from the subway station. If you’re a fan of convenience, I should also point out that the station has a number of restaurants, small shops and even a grocery store.

Now do you believe me that Japan can be bargain if you know where to look?

Beaver – it’s all the rage in Japan!

by Matthew Firestone on

There’s no shortage of great ‘Engrish’ in Japan.

Take for instance ‘Beaver,’ the hottest new women’s clothing store in the always hip and trendy shopping district of Shibuya in Tokyo.

Always imitated but never replicated, nothing fits as warm and as snug as a Beaver. And from what I’m told, men in Japan go absolutely hog-wild over a woman sporting Beaver. No wonder Beaver is this fall’s hottest fashion accessory.

(I could go on all day, but I think you get the joke).

For more on the weird, wonderful and wacky world that is Japan, check out my feature column Big in Japan.

Big in Japan: Happy Birthday Emperor Hisahito

by Matthew Firestone on

Last week I was moving into a new apartment here in Tokyo, which is why I completely forget to wish a big ‘Happy Birthday!’ ( ?????????????????, tanjoubi omedetou) to the future Emperor of Japan, Prince Hisahito.

By the way, before I get a lot of angry postings on this column, let’s clear up some nomenclature. Hirohito, the infamous Emperor Showa who thrust an imperialistic Japan into an expansionist campaign during World War II, is not the cute and cuddly toddler, Prince Hisahito, pictured to the right.

Truth be told however, Emperor Hirohito was the great-grandfather of Prince Hisahito, so there’s a good chance that the persimmon might not fall too far from the tree.

Needless to say, the media coverage regarding the first birthday of the prince was something akin to the Superbowl meets Wimbledon. The Imperial Household Agency released video footage of the birthday party, and every major Japanese newspaper published pictures of the boy on their front pages, somewhere between articles on the Japanese economy and the Iraq War.

According to the papers, the drooling toddler wore a white shirt and blue overalls for his meeting with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. His mother, Princess Kiko, told reporters that Hisahito was as an active baby who simply couldn’t stop walking and talking.

“His Highness Prince Hisahito is walking with support and crawling on stairs, and his activity has grown vigorous particularly in the past month,” the Princess said in a statement. “He likes picture books and turns the pages himself.”

The Imperial Household Agency also released a rare statement: ‘Prince Hisahito has been growing up in good health without getting sick. On sunny days his mother often strolls around the palace garden with him.’

For those of you not versed in the politics of the Chrysanthemum Throne, Japan’s controversial (to say the least) royal family, it is important to know that Hisahito was the first male born into the royal family for 41 years. His birth averted a succession crisis in Japan, where only men can be monarchs.

Emperor Akihito has two sons, Naruhito and Akishino. Prince Hisahito is the son of Prince Akishino, the emperor’s younger son. The little boy has two older sisters, Princess Mako and Princess Kako. The emperor’s elder son, Crown Prince Naruhito, and his wife Princess Masako have a young daughter, Princess Aiko, who is pictured below.

So, to make things simple, if Naruhito died without a male heir, Akishino would become emperor. His baby son, Hisahito, would then become next in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Here is where things get interesting.

Prior to the birth of Hisahito, Japan’s former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi had been advocating constitutional reform to allow women to ascend to the throne. If passed, this legislation would have allowed Princess Aiko to become Japan’s first empress. However, although the reform was supported by the general public, Japan’s conservative politicians were up in arms.

Of course, the much-needed debate was shelved entirely when news of Princess Kiko’s pregnancy was announced.

Politics aside, Hisahito is a cute little kid, so hopefully you can all join me in wishing the pudgy little guy a very happy first birthday.

** All photos courtesy of the Associated Press (AP) **

Big in Japan: A Look Inside Japanese Sewers

by Matthew Firestone on

Let’s start out with some comparisons, shall we?

In regards to total land area, Japan is approximately the size of the US State of Montana. However, unlike Montana which is home to less than one million people (and a whole bunch of cattle), the island nation of Japan tops out at over 127 million people.

To put things into perspective, consider the fact that California, which is home to no shortage of large American cities, is only home to 36 million people. The greater Tokyo metropolis alone tops out at 35 million people, and is considered by demographers to be the world’s largest urban area.

So of course, this brings about a very simple question: where does all the poo go?

Fortunately for the island residents of Japan (myself included), Japan has one of the world’s most advanced sewerage systems. Considering that Japanese cuisine can at times be heavy on the brown rice and cabbage, this is a good thing for all of us using the porcelain throne.

Although some historians argue that modern institutions such as democracy and the legal system are the greatest Greco-Roman inventions, I have to argue that it’s sewerage. I mean, if you think about it, it’s kinda hard to elect public officials and hold judicial hearing if there are rivers of raw effluent running down the streets, even if they happen to be made of polished marble.

Not surprisingly, the Romans caught on to the whole sewerage thing fairly quickly. In approximately 600 BC, the Cloaca Maxima, literally the ‘Greatest Sewer,’ was built in Rome in order to drain local marshes and remove the waste of one of the world’s most populous cities.

Of course, environmentalism hadn’t really been invented yet – the sewer dumped its untreated contents directly into the River Tiber, which ran beside the city. Think about that when you order ‘Frutas del Mar’ over linguini the next time you’re in Rome!

Moving to the other side of the world, the Japanese were also implementing sewerage systems in all of their cities. In the Nara Period, approximately 1,300 years ago, a large and complex drainage system ran through the capital area. A few hundred years later, large stone culverts designed to collect human waste were standard features on castles and stately homes.

So, it’s not surprising that the Japan Sewage Works Association (that’s the JWSA for those of you not in the know) is able continue this proud history of poo-related achievements.

Every year, the JWSA holds a ‘Sewerage Works Exhibition’ aimed at highlighting the latest in poo-draining, poo-collecting and poo-treating technologies from around Japan and the world. It’s also a forum for poo-networking and poo-information exchange, and a time for sewerage officials to let down their hair and engage in a variety of poo-related festivities.

(I’m sorry, but as a professional writer, it’s rare that I can use the word ‘poo’ in abundance without inquiring the wrath of my editors. Forgive me if I get a little carried away with it!)

Anyway, I’m sure I can speak for everyone by saying that I’d love to be a fly on the wall at the poo conference. Next year, I’ll see if I can work my press credentials and get you some photos from the inside.

Special thanks to the big boss Justin Glow for tipping me off to these photos.

** All photos courtesy of the Edogawa River Office in Tokyo, Japan. **