Photo of the Day (12/13/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Here’s a photo I tried selecting long ago, but had some complications getting it uploaded from Flickr. Thankfully the issue has been taken care of and I suspect I’ll be posting more of Lady Expat’s awesome shots from Asia and beyond. These Japanese drums were found in a shrine in Fukuoka, Japan somewhere, I believe. When I first saw them I thought they were tiny aluminum cans or pots for plants, but boy was I off! I’m hoping you can see how I got the idea. Check out the green leafy looking stuff on top of each. What’s that? Someone school me – please.

Want to see your photo on Gadling? Be sure to submit your favorite travel shots to our Gadling Flickr pool.

Japan’s Vinegar Bars

by Adrienne Wilson on

As a child my taste-buds had always been fond of vinegar. While my brother scrunched his face up as I poured it atop of my dishes, I kept munching on salt n’ vinegar chips, dousing it on homemade collard greens and naturally placed it on fish with chips. Without ever knowing vinegar was a good thing for the body, I simply kept it around because I liked it, but in Japan in turns out people have found more inventive ways to mix vinegar into drinks and desserts. This makes me stop in my tracks.

As much as I like vinegar I’ve never thought of drinking it in a beverage, but oh, how popular the Vinegar Bars and Cafes have become in Japan! The trend of drinking vinegar picked up in 2004 when people started to realize that is a good remedy to high blood pressure and from there started mixing it with soy milk in addition to orange and grapefruit fruit drinks. At Kurozu Bar in Tokyo’s Shinbashi Station interested foodies can get a blueberry vinegar shake or vinegar with blood orange juice beverage. That ought to cool you off on a hot day in the city if you can just get past the sound of the entire concoction.

via Gridskipper

Skiing in Japan

by Iva Skoch on

A recent NY Times article has peaked our interest. We’ve brought Niseko, Japan’s largest ski area, to your attention before, but the new article does a great job of presenting other skiing opportunities in the country.

As it turns out, Japan actually has many more, perhaps a hundred more, ski areas than the U.S., according to the website Snowjapan.com.

While the vertical drops aren’t quite what some have come to expect in the Alps or the Rockies, due to Japan’s unique climate, with winter winds blowing in from Siberia, ski areas can get tons more snow than comparable resorts in the U.S. For example, Niseko gets over 600 inches of snow, while Vail only averages 348. And the powder is supposed to be incredible.

Americans will benefit from the increased traffic from Australian skiers, who have gone to Japan in droves, blazing a skiing trail. Japanese businesspeople have responded by putting up more signs in English and catering to English-speakers. The Times suggested contacting Australian-run tour operators, like Skijapan.com, for more help.

And an additional feature that really intrigues us: the large number of available hot springs (“onsen“) for apres-ski.

Mobile Ashtray Museum

by Adrienne Wilson on

Imagine a world where non-smokers and smokers live harmoniously. How do you picture it? What does it look like? Does the smell of cigarette smoke pollute the air or do you only catch whiffs of apple-pie, roses and other delightful scents floating in the air? I do not yet have a clear vision of what this harmonious world looks like, but Japan Tobacco seems to have one or a piece of one at least.

According to this Japan Times article the world’s third-largest cigarette-maker aims to push portable ashtrays so that smokers can place their butts in a safe place until further disposal and non-smokers can enjoy a landscape unblemished by discarded cigarettes. Are you feeling the harmony yet? The Mobile Ashtray Museum (MAM) is a private collection of manufacturer’s products from the past, but also an emporium selling more than 300 portable ashtrays. Other goods for up for grabs include lighters, cig cases, and all the JT-made cigarettes, of course. I mean, after you go check out all these sort-of cool devices to help keep butts off the ground, I mean you’re going to want to puff on something right? From the sound of this piece the smoking tourist might have somewhat of a blast in the so-called quirky museum, but the truly anti-tobacco minded will choke up and probably burst into flames at Japan Tobacco’s attempt to keep smokers smoking and therefore passing on their second-hand smoke, which is always the biggest issue with smokers anyway.

Right?

Japanese Fleet Heads Out on Whale Kill

by Erik Olsen on

I don’t like to think of myself as a bleeding heart, but something just doesn’t sit right with me about killing whales. It’s seems like an excruciatingly anachronistic practice that has little reason to continue other than culture. Where countries like Japan are concerned, there does not appear to be a broader necessity to hunt whales. And so it’s a bit of a disappointment to learn that last Wednesday, a fleet of six Japanese whaling ships left the southern port of Shimonoseki to begin their annual Antarctic whale hunt.
The group plans to hunt 850 minke whales and ten fin whales. As reported by the BBC, Japan says the catches are small and the populations of these whale species are relatively plentiful in the Antarctic. Of course, someone will out there protesting (and good for them). Captain Paul Watson, founder and president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an activist organization determined to protect the whale species, plans to intervene and prevent the hunt. Again, some outdated cultural practices are probably tolerable, but IMHO whaling is not one of them.