Japanese Hobby

The Monocle travel guide to Tokyo

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 There are tons of books and travel guides about Tokyo out there, a lot are published in Japan and even in English we have quite a decent collection to choose from. Unfortunately none, or few of these, actually show you the interesting spots of a city. The places locals who share your taste and interests would tell you about. That’s what makes the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3899555740/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=3899555740&linkCode=as2&tag=japateas-20&linkId=K5X2FMA6OIVQPDSB">Monocle guide to Tokyo</a> so different from the rest of the bunch because that’s exactly what it does. At least for me.
When I find an interesting book about Japan or Japanese cuisine I usually end up buying it. I love books and always try to show you the best ones which are Japan related here on the blog. But I got a little tired of it lately because it doesn’t take you long to get the feeling that you’ve “seen it all” when it comes to standardized travel books and recipes. You already know how to make Tempura and Tonkatsu and you really don’t care about the Tokyo tower. (Another fun guide is the one by <a href="http://japanesetease.net/kyary-pamyu-pamyus-guide-to-kawaii-tokyo/">Kyary Pamyu Pamyu about kawaii Tokyo</a>)
When I visited Tokyo I went to the marvelous three-building Tstutaya store in Daikanyama. We were wandering around the area and got lucky discovering the most beautiful bookstore I have ever been to.
The selection of art books and magazines from all over the globe is huge in this Tsutaya and they even carry Cds and Dvds on the first floor. But apart from all that (which was already pretty awesome) they have a very cosy lounge inside the heart of the store. We had some cocktails there which were very delicious just sitting around in this pretty luxurious space inside the most beautiful bookstore.
Here are some pictures I made back then. Unfortunately none of the lounge itself but at least we got the Cocktail.
<img alt="tsutaya bookstore daikanyama" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7692" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/DSC_0173-4.jpg" width="1200">
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<img alt="tsutaya bookstore daikanyama 3" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7695" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/DSC_0180-5.jpg" width="1200">
This store is exactly the reason why the Monocle travel guide to Tokyo is so great. Because one of my absolute top spots in the city which I always recommend is in there. Not that I’m by any means an expert when it comes to Tokyo but the Tsutaya store in Daikanyama has been one of the many things I really like to think back to.
<img alt="monocle guide tokyo-4" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7703" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/monocle-guide-tokyo-4.jpg" width="1200">
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<img alt="monocle guide tokyo-7" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7706" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/monocle-guide-tokyo-7.jpg" width="1200">
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Unfortunately I haven’t had this guide at my last trip and missed a lot of great places but it’s always nice to have something to look forward to, right.
<h3>What Monocle’s guide to Tokyo is not</h3>
Like everybody I read some reviews first before buying the guide and I had to notice <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3899555740/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=3899555740&linkCode=as2&tag=japateas-20&linkId=K5X2FMA6OIVQPDSB">some bad reviews</a> who obviously didn’t quite get the whole point of Monocle’s guide in comparison to the more traditional ones. This is a luxury guide for people who enjoy quality and know that you get what you pay for. The hotels presented are no budget ones but more or les the obvious choice for a well situated person who wants to spend a relaxing time in Japan’s capital.
This guide is much more about beauty and style than about practicality. And that’s not a bad thing. You don’t have to buy into high price designer clothing by Thom Brown to enjoy the outstanding <a href="http://japanesetease.net/thom-browne-aoyama-flagship-store-by-wonderwall/">interior design by Wonderwall</a> or the <a href="http://japanesetease.net/bape-exclusive-store-aoyama-2/">Bape stores</a> for that matter (both in Toyama btw and both designed by Masamichi Katayama’s agency Wonderwall. He even wrote an essay for the book).
The Monocle guides are written with a very specific traveler in mind. one who is interested in the quality and heritage of things and wants to discover all the quality places a city has to offer.
If you’re just looking for a cheap, practical place to crash or have some quick lunch, TripAdvisor is your best friend. At least it’s my go-to internet destination when I’m in a foreign city and want to get a first feel for the place. But what you rarely find there, or better said, what you rarely find there if you don’t know what you’re searching for are the mentioned stores, restaurants and places with a lot of heritage and passion.

<h3>Take some walks in Tokyo and find the perfect route</h3>
I love walking and discovering a city on foot and I really like taking pictures while doing so. When I last visited Tokyo I had a small book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3837066282/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=3837066282&linkCode=as2&tag=japateas-20&linkId=QC4H6ZHXZNAJP6JG">Labyrinth Tokyo</a> with me which contains 38 tours (on foot) around Tokyo. Unfortunately it’s only available in German but it really has been a great help to discover the various districts of Tokyo with it.
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3899555740/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=3899555740&linkCode=as2&tag=japateas-20&linkId=K5X2FMA6OIVQPDSB">Monocle’s Tokyo guide</a> features four tours as well through Daikanyama, Sendagaya, Tomigaya and Yanaka. The walks are much more specific than the ones in Labyrinth Tokyo and will lead you to the top spots of the districts explaining every step you need to take.
<img alt="monocle guide tokyo-11" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7710" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/monocle-guide-tokyo-11.jpg" width="1200">
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When I started Japanese Tease I wanted to show you my version of Japan and share all the great things I discover about this fascinating country. I like manga but I’m also heavily into design and architecture and always felt that the internet was lacking a site which combined all the things I like so very much about Japan.
It was always either fashion or manga/anime or the latest crazy things and novelties released in Japan. If I were to make a guide of my own I wanted it to turn out exactly like the guys over at Monocle did it. No matter what city   the approach to present the most beautiful places and aim for the ones which have a story behind them. Will the definitely buy all the other entries of Monocle’s city guides as well.
<ul>
<li>Buy The Monocle Travel Guide To Tokyo at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/3899555740/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=3899555740&linkCode=as2&tag=japateas-20&linkId=K5X2FMA6OIVQPDSB">Amazon</a> 
If you buy the book through my link I’ll get a small referral fee which will help to support the site. Thank you!</li>
</ul>
 
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The Monocle travel guide to Tokyo

There are tons of books and travel guides about Tokyo out there, a lot are published in Japan and even in English we have quite a decent collection to choose from. Unf…

30 Oct 2017

Review: Japanese Cheat Sheets are a good way to refresh your memory

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 I bought a lot of study materials over the past few years. When I started to learn Japanese back in 2011 I didn’t really know much about it. All this talk about Japanese being one of the most difficult languages to learn was a little discouraging to say the least. I browsed the App store and just picked one which seemed alright. Back then the market was not as huge digitally as it is today. There wasn’t that many alternatives to choose from. When you don’t have <a href="http://japanesetease.net/how-i-learn-japanese-my-essentials/">a guide</a> or anything to go buy you just end up buying a lot of different stuff. The point is to stick with the purchases you made and not instantly put them away when it doesn’t seem as easy as or efficient as you thought it would be. Unfortunately I wasn’t aware of this fact when I started my Japanese journey and was always questioning the methods and materials I used.
<h4>Get the big picture.</h4>
What I missed was a big overview about all the different conjugations, suffixes and so on. Something which collected all the information in a very short and easy to look up way. Of course I could’ve just written up a transcript of everything I learned and in fact I even did that. But I was always missing some stuff and it didn’t look exactly neat. Not to mention that it was a damn hassle. Recently I discovered a great book which tries to give you the big picture on Japanese grammar. And they really did a splendid job on explaining the basics in an approachable format where it’s easy to look up a certain tense or a special sentence structure you want to express in Japanese (more on that book soon!). But, here comes the downside, it’s only for the very basics. Maybe about the content that Genki I is teaching.
I don’t remember exactly how I came across the cheat-sheets from NihonShock but these were exactly <a href="https://whiterabbit.refersion.com/l/ea0.27989">what I had been looking for</a>. All the important information in one place, easy to look up and nicely formatted.
<h4>The content.</h4>
The different sheets are all dedicatd to different “levels” of Japanese beginning with the basics through Spoken Japanese to Keigo (the humble forms). I love these sheets and even had a time when I plastered my walls with them. The only downside to this was the the sheets are printed on both sides so I had to change from time to time. Before I studied  dentistry I was working as a dental technician. On my workplace, right before my eyes, I hung <a href="https://whiterabbit.refersion.com/l/ea0.27989">three of those sheets</a> so I was always able to catch a little peek once in a while. And we all know repetition is king if you’re trying to learn something.
<ul>
<li>Buy the Japanese Cheat Sheet Pack from <a href="https://whiterabbit.refersion.com/l/ea0.27989">WhiteRabbitJapan</a> 
If you buy the sheets through my link I’ll get a small referral fee which will help to support the site and get more awesome stuff for review as well. Thank you for your support!</li>
</ul>
<img alt="japanese grammar cheat sheets_-3" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6933" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/japanese-grammar-cheat-sheets_-3.jpg" width="1200">
The explanation what these Japanese grammar cheat sheets are all about. Basically to give you a quick overview about the grammatical quirks of Japanese. When I once learnt English and French I had something like this as well (from Pons) and loved the grammar sheets. They were always fantastic for a quick repetition and that’s exactly what the Japanese grammar cheat sheets are made for as well.
<img alt="japanese grammar cheat sheets_" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6944" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/japanese-grammar-cheat-sheets_.jpg" width="1200">
That’s how you receive these Japanese grammar cheat sheets, neatly bundled. If some of the English native speakers could tell me how you call the plastic thing where the sheets are collected in, I would be really grateful. Bought some of these in the Pokemon center (yeah, with 16bit Pokemon on them) and would love to get some more but don’t really know the search term. Thanks.
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<img alt="japanese grammar cheat sheets_-5" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6935" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/japanese-grammar-cheat-sheets_-5.jpg" width="1200">
<img alt="japanese grammar cheat sheets_-4" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6934" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/japanese-grammar-cheat-sheets_-4.jpg" width="1200">
<img alt="japanese grammar cheat sheets_-12" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6942" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/japanese-grammar-cheat-sheets_-12.jpg" width="1200">
You may have notice it, I didn’t use the classic review format with a score I usually use. These Japanese grammar cheat sheets are amazing no doubt but because they are not books it would be difficult to fit into my usual rating system. I think you’ve probably seen enough to judge for yourself if you like these or not. That’s why I’m always trying to take some decent pictures for you guys.

As always, let me know what you think about buying some cheat sheets with the essential information or just doing one for yourself continuously while studying.
<ul>
<li>Buy the Japanese Cheat Sheet Pack from <a href="https://whiterabbit.refersion.com/l/ea0.27989">WhiteRabbitJapan</a> 
If you buy the sheets through my link I’ll get a small referral fee which will help to support the site and get more awesome stuff for review as well. Thank you for your support!</li>
</ul>
 
 </div>

Review: Japanese Cheat Sheets are a good way to refresh your memory

I bought a lot of study materials over the past few years. When I started to learn Japanese back in 2011 I didn’t really know much about it. All this talk about Japane…

20 Oct 2017

Easy to read manga Vol.04 – A mixed bag

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 When I started to read manga I was always looking for the ones which contain furigana to make picking up new vocab easier. On top of that I was under the impression that manga with furigana support generally were a little more on the easy side with their content. Don’t ask me why I thought that because when young Japanese boys and girls still may have some problems with their Kanji reading skills, they of course are speaking Japanese perfectly. There is no limitation in vocab or grammar and why should there be any. These kids are already going to high school. I was obviously thinking about manga which were aimed at kids, young kids. Nevertheless, there actually are some manga out there which are more easy than other and contain furigana, which really makes picking up new vocab much more comfortable. But now that we cleared that little misbelief we can continue with some great manga recommendations for Japanese learners.
If you haven’t read my previous manga recommendations, which are more on the easy side (especially the first two):
– <a href="http://japanesetease.net/easy-to-read-manga-for-japanese-beginners-vol-01/">Easy to read manga for Japanese beginners Vol.01</a>, <a href="http://japanesetease.net/easy-to-read-manga-for-japanese-beginners-vol-02/">Vol.02</a>, <a href="http://japanesetease.net/easy-to-read-manga-for-japanese-beginners-vol-03-without-furigana/">Vol.03</a>
And if you’re not sure how ordering manga from Japan works check my guide about <a href="http://japanesetease.net/guide-where-to-buy-japanese-manga-and-books/">how to order books from Japan</a>.
<h3>This time content only, no furigana restrictions</h3>
I probably made my point clear why you shouldn’t give two cents about if a manga has furigana or not to judge about it’s difficulty. Especially if you already started with <a href="http://japanesetease.net/getting-back-learning-japanese-wanikani/">WaniKani</a>. Read something without furigana and be amazed that you probably don’t recognize some Kanji you always seemed to ace at your daily WaniKani practice. That’s why I’ll just have some recommendations in here which are not too challenging and all have one thing in common: They are good fun and worth your time (and money).
<h3>1.) Yawara</h3>
I’m a sucker for everything by Naoki Urasawa. he’s just the most brilliant contemporary mangaka. Pluto is a futuristic, philosophical masterpiece and his epic stories are yet to find a true challenge. The Yawara 完全版 (complete edition) was released at the beginning of 2014 end gets two new volumes every month. Only bought the <a href="http://japanesetease.net/new-japanese-manga-arrived/">first two</a> for now but will probably buy some more with my next honto order. Yawara is a manga about Judo and a young girl who is forced by her strict grandfather to keep on practicing. Just because she is so good at it. I’m still at the very beginning but the manga has all the ingredients I like about Urasawas works in general. It’s mainly a comedy manga but always manages to be serious enough to introduce more mature themes without being off.
When I bought the first edition there was a dvd with some episodes of the anime attached. Unfortunately this wasn’t for free and did cost 1000¥ on top.
Buy the manga: <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/product%2FNEOBK-1585106" target="_blank">Yawara 完全版</a>
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<img alt="yawara complete edition" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4343" height="800" src="http://japanesetease.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/leran-to-read-japanese-20.jpg" width="1200">
<h3>2.) Hikaru no go</h3>
If it wasn’t for Great Teacher Onizuka this would probably be my favorite Jump manga. Forget about Bakuman and its ridiculous love story, this is definitely the best work by Takeshi Obata and a manga classic that you should definitely give a try. The 12 year old Hikaru discovers an old go table in their attic and when he touches it, the soul of a Go teacher from the Edo period appears. But only he is able to see him. What’s following is the story of how Hikaru wants to become the GOAT Go player. The drawings are fantastic and the story has a very unique vibe that just sucks you in. When I received the manga I made a couple of pictures and wrote some more about the series. Give it a look, because the <a href="http://japanesetease.net/hikaru-go-%E5%AE%8C%E5%85%A8%E7%89%88-looks-just-amazing/">Hikaru no go 完全版</a> really does look stunning.
The manga contains furigana and is relatively easy to understand. If you’re comfortable with Yotsuba you should give Hikaru a try. I found it the most approachable Jump Manga so far and story-wise it’s above everything I have read from Jump. Exept GTO, of course.
Buy the manga: <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/product%2FNEOBK-534075" target="_blank">Hikaru no Go 完全版</a>
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<h3>3.) 聖☆おにいさん (Saint Oniisan)</h3>
Jesus and Buddha are roommates in modern Tokyo while taking some time of on earth. Each chapters shows the two living their daily lives as tourists with frequent puns on each others religion. Awesome idea and for this worth buying alone. Just got the first two volumes and it’s something of a long time goal for me. One day I can read this comfortably in Japanese. At least I hope so. I understand bits and pieces but when the two boys are talking about philosophical stuff, my <a href="http://japanesetease.net/how-i-learn-japanese-my-essentials/">Kanji reading ability</a> is not on my side. Still, worth a look, even if it’s something you’ll tackle later on.
I just had to include this title here, because it’s the most awesome idea for a manga I’ve come across in a long time. There is a also an Anime out there but I haven’t watched it yet. If it’s any good, please let me know.
Buy the manga: <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/product%2FNEOBK-50510" target="_blank">聖☆おにいさん (Saint Oniisan)</a>
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<h3>4.) 東京旅さんぽ (Tokyo Tabi Sanpo)</h3>
Two girls are taking a trip to Tokyo because they can’t afford to go abroad. Each chapter takes place in a different area in Tokyo, with lots of realistic drawings and everyday story charm. If you’d like to discover Tokyo through manga, this is the one for you. There are only two books and I highly recommend buying both at once. After finishing the first one you’d be angry if you couldn’t continue reading immediately. Not because these two girls were especially funny or interesting. It’s all about the city – and Tokyo is awesome. Nuff’ said.
There are no furigana but with basic skills it’s really doable. Everday stuff, nothing too fancy and actually quite good practice fro your Japanese.
Buy the manga: <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/product%2FNEOBK-1261801" target="_blank">東京旅さんぽ (Tokyo Tabi Sanpo)</a>
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<h3>5.) Nisekoi</h3>
I discovered this one over at <a href="http://chringle.wordpress.com">chringle</a> and just thought I would give it a try. A boy from a gangster family is supposed to date a girl from a Yakuza family so that there will remain peace between the two families. Reads as ridiculous as it sounds. I read the first volume some time ago and even started with the Anime which recently began airing but suddenly lost interest while waiting for the next episode to arrive. Should really pick this one up again. It was actually the Yakuza element which got me interested in the title in the first place , unfortunately it’s only a minor element, at least in the first chapters.
It’s a Jump manga, so it contains furigana but (like I wrote above) this is one of the more difficult ones and the partway yakuza setting doesn’t make it any more simple. But if you have a knack for these very Japanese love stories where the two lovers overthink everything and make a huge deal out of it, this is right up your alley.
Buy the manga: <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/product%2FNEOBK-1225887" target="_blank">Nisekoi</a>
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<h3>6.) ハンツー x トラッシュ</h3>
This is one for the boys, who are into water ball. The story is about a first year high school student who has to decide on a school-club to join and because of his interests, he picks the water-ball club. Guess what his interests are. ハンツー x トラッシュ is actually much more decent then one would expect from the cover. The story is well written (with the essential dose of love story) and it’s highly entertaining (if you are into water ball – and girls).
It doesn’t contain furigana but is one the easy side. This one would actually one to recommend if you want to get rid of furigana and try yourself with an all Kanji manga for the first time. I’m currently reading the third volume. It’s the perfect stuff when you don’t want anything too difficult or complex in story. Just a very straight forward manga with the right amount of ecchi.
Buy the manga: <a href="http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/aff/click.cgi/PytJTGW7Lok/4756/A148868/product%2FNEOBK-1392638" target="_blank">ハンツー x トラッシュ</a>
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I’m probably done now with my easy to read manga recommendations. From now on I’ll have posts about Japanese manga again but probably not in the same manner.
More like, some recommendations with good stuff for you for read. The last one here was compiled with this in mind so there is some (hopefully) good stuff for everybody in it. At least I hope so.
We all knew it but I just had to do another entry in the series. <a href="http://japanesetease.net/easy-to-read-manga-for-japanese-beginners-vol-05/">Continue reading Vol.05</a>.
 
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Easy to read manga Vol.04 – A mixed bag

When I started to read manga I was always looking for the ones which contain furigana to make picking up new vocab easier. On top of that I was under the impression th…

20 Oct 2017

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Easy to read manga Vol.04 – A mixed bag

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