TIARA AND GILLE

 Recent guests on my Sunday morning ZIP-FM Radio show, Radio Orbit included the absolutely gorgeous Tiara (above) and the very talented Gille (pronounced Jill) below. Both artists were appearing at Centerair, Nagoya's International Airport 4th floor pavilion for a special ZIP-FM live show!

MERRY CHRISGLENN

Check here to see the Happy Santa in Handa event!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta19lp3ZYAc&feature=player_embedded

X-MAS CAKE

X-mas day, but in Japan, its just Another Day! (Hey, that'd make a great song title!) A work day, and so when PPF Radio DJ School students Shirakawa (left), and Gyoten  (center left) had their lesson, we livened things up with X-mas cake! YAAAY!

SAMURAI ARROW CRAFTSMAN

Interviewed traditional samurai arrow craftsman, Mr Koyama recently for web based "Japan World" magazine. See the interview at Japan World,... http://japanworld.info/blog/2012/12/18/619/

SENGOKU COMMUNITY YEAR END PARTY

Sunday 16th,...
Out for a Year End party with members of my Japanese History Mania group,
Sengoku Community (lit. Warring States Period Community) Good chance to
talk samurai history, learn a few things and get together with an interesting bunch of misfits!
LOL! The venue was a Samurai Civil war themed restaurant near Nagoya Station.

DREAMS COME TRUE!

Sunday December 16, special guests on my ZIP-FM radio show, RADIO ORBIT were Nakamura Hayato of Japanese super group, Dreams Come True, and support act, Fuzzy Control!

This was my third interview with Nakamura San, who wandered into the studio unannounced shouting out in English, "Hey Chris,... Long time no see!"  Good interview, and pretty wild with Fuzzy Control on board too!

FOLT MAGAZINE, HIDEYOSHI HISTORY

The latest December issue of men's fashion and taste magazine, FOLT Magazine carries Part 2 of my Japanese History series, this time following in the footsteps of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Sunomata Castle. We also see where Hideyoshi is said to have been born, and where I think the actual site may be, and the reasons why the "official" marker is in the wrong place!!

Traditional Japanese Taiko Drum Craftsman Interview

Interviewed traditional Japanese Taiko Drum craftsman, Mr Miura at his 150 year old business for Web Magazine, Japan World recently,...see the article in Japan World:  http://japanworld.info/

ONE YEAR!

Oops,
It's been almost a year since my last English blog,...I've been so busy
and most has been recorded on my Japanese site, also my various Face Book
sites, English, Japanese, History, etc. There hasn't been time to maintain this site.
Let's just pretend 2012 didn't happen, and start afresh from today, Dec 21, 2012,....
supposedly the last day ever,...according to the mayans,... What a great day to start
again!

DOCTOR'S SCARF?

It's freezing cold at night in Nagoya. Not much snow this year, not yet anyway, but cold enough to warrant wearing a hat and scarf.... Sort of 4th Doctor, Tom Baker style...
And when we talk scarf, I mean my 4.5 m long, hand knitted 18th Season Tom Baker Dr. Who styled scarf. Nerd? Me? ....Too right!

MORE HISTORY MAGAZINES

I can't help myself,...there seems to be a sudden glut of history related magazines coming out recently, and I find myself having to buy them! Takes me ages to find the time to read them, and some of the information I already know, or is in other magazines and books I have,...but just in case, have to buy them...
Sometimes I buy two! One for me, and one for an Oda Nobunaga fanatic friend in America...

FURNITURE DOME

Visited the furniture and house ware megastore, Furniture Dome over the weekend.... About time I bought some new bedding and a new kitchen table...
This is a great idea, stick one of these badges on, and the staff won't bother you...I didn't, and they still didn't approach me... must be doing alright for themselves then.
This is what I really want, very 60's kitsch with a futuristic taste! Perhaps next trip to Furniture Dome....

YO!

PPF Radio School student, and Pitch-FM reporter, Shirakawa Yo turned 24 this week! Gave him Chicago's latest Best Album!

EEL!

Went out for dinner with some business friends to a special seafood restaurant,...which sounds nice,...until you hear of their specialty,...
And that specialty is,... an Anago, a large, grotesque eel like creature, and they serve not only the flesh of this sea monster, but also various innards as well, boiled with vegetables and bean curd in a pot. It's considered a delicacy in Japan,...I'd prefer a pizza.

SAMURAI MAGAZINES

Latest series of samurai history magazines is now available,...this means I have to spend even more money on these now..... Never mind, more information to absorb!

NOT SO SEXY NOW!

Jan 10, Rod Stewart turns 67! Not so sexy now!

BUSINESS YEAR STARTS

First bit of business for the year involves a computer graphics and a video production company for our latest endeavor.... hopefully more details soon!

POST FLIGHT PARTY

After the helicopter flight, it was back to DJ Masami's house for a home party!

2012 FIRST FLIGHT

Took my radio program, "Radio Orbit" staff flying after the show on Sunday... Took off from Hachiya Heliport for a couple of local flights...
Conditions were perfect! It was a beautiful day, light winds, great visibility...and a lot of fun!
This was the first time in a helicopter for the staff too, and everyone enjoyed themselves!

DARTH BURGER

Star wars Episode 1 3D comes out at the end of January, and European fast food chain, Quick have come out with a Darth Vader and a Jedi burger. I'm a huge Star wars fan, but I think I'll pass on this one! How on Earth could you eat one of those things? May the Fork be with you!

BUSINESS MEETING WITH THE BUSINESS GOD

A late night business meeting? Left the office at 11:30pm, and arrived at Japan's second most important shrine, Atsuta Shrines' Ebisu Shrine just after midnight on the 5th for the annual prayer to the God of Commerce, Ebisu. In the shrine grounds was a huge fire where the charms of the past year are burned, and new business good luck charms are sold. Tell you what, the shrines make sure that return business is good!
Posters within the shrine grounds reminding visitors to get their good luck charms and lucky business talismans at Hatsu Ebisu.

NAGOYA NOODLES!

For an article for Japan Tourist (see www.japantourist.jp) lunch today was Nagoya's famed Miso Nikomi Udon noodles. Thick, chewy, tasty Udon noodles in Hatcho Miso broth! Perfect on a freezing cold day!

LOCAL SHRINE HATSUMODE!

Every New Years, the Japanese go to a shrine to make Hatsumode, their New Years observances, this year I went to nearby Fujino Shrine, about a minutes walk from home. During the construction of Nagoya Castle, the shrine grounds became a small town for the many carpenters brought in to work on the various buildings.
The shrine was also important for blessing the huge stones used in the walls surrounding and supporting the castle. Some still remain in the shrines precincts. Here's to a strong and sturdy 2012!

MILLENNIUM FALCON 3D BOOK

My friend Kobayashi San is also a Star Wars fan, and recently bought an interesting book. Each page shows a slice of the Millennium Falcon, explaining the engines, weaponry, protective shields, crew and operations quarters, storage facilities etc. It's written as an owners manual, and quite well done,... Now I have to buy one too! Book that is, not Falcon,...

NEW YEARS CARD

New Years Greeting card for 2012, the Year of the Dragon. In my office, apart from the suits of samurai armor, is a large carved dragon. This is a ranma, a relief set above a sliding door from an Edo Period (1603-1868) temple.

NEW YEARS BROADCAST

In kimono, On Air, at 77.8 ZIP-FM on New Years Day 2012!

CRABS ON NEW YEARS EVE

New Years Eve,...it's a Saturday, and as I have to be at the radio station from 5am, Sunday morning, it's a quiet night at home with the crabs! Just went shopping for dinner and decided upon 3,000 Yen ($30) worth of crab! Yum!

YEAR END PARTY TIME

It's that time of year when almost every night is a year end dinner / drinkies session with friends and colleagues,...this time with the G-factory production team and Steve Edwards, a local cameraman...

SHOGUN'S BIRTHDAY

December 26 is Tokugawa Ieyasu's birthday, and to celebrate, I went to the Shogun's birthplace, Okazaki Castle. It was absolutely freezing, and snowing most of the day!
The Shogun's samurai appeared first and put on a sword display,...their teacher by the way is your's truly,.....

And then the Birthday Boy himself appeared! Happy 469th birthday, Ieyasu!

X-MAS DINNER

X-mas dinner was at Shikimichi, a French styled restaurant in a refurbished 270 year old traditional Japanese warehouse with some business friends...
Not a very X-massy style of dinner, but there was some red and green involved to give the impression of X-mas...

The staff and management of the Shikimichi...Merry X-mas!