User:(WT-en) Kurkoski/Sandbox 1

Maid Cafe
An article, not really about Tokyo/Akihabara, but about Japanese geeks. 

Japan Times article.

The Gaurdian.


 * Maid in Angels' Cafe Meiji Bldg 1F, 3-1-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku (intesection of Kanda Meishin Dori and Shinobuzu Dori, next to Sound Park Diner).  Maid Kissa or made cafe in Akihabara.


 * Tea Room Alice Nakano Broadway 4F, 5-52-15-153 Nakano, Nakano-ku (Nakano Broadway is a shopping arcade north of the station)


 * @home cafe Don Quixote Bldg 5F, 4-3-3 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku (along Chuo Dori, 10 min from station), 03-3254-7878. Counter 11:00 AM to 11 PM, Living 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM.  [www.cafe-athome.com]


 * Hiyokoya Takaoka Bldg 1F, 1-27-2 Taito, Taito-ku (dir), 03-5812-5909.  Open 11AM-3PM, 5PM-10PM, closed Mon. [www.hiyokoya.net]


 * Cos-Cha Desu Bldg. 2F, 3-7-12 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, 03-3253-4560.

Kamakura
Bicycles are an excellent way to get around Kamakura. Rentals are available at Grove Kamakura, south of Kamakura station's east exit. &yen;2310/one day; &yen;1890 after 3:00 PM.

Kichijoji

 * Patisserie A. K Labo 4-25-9 Kichijoji Honcho (0422-20-6117). Tea is &yen;500, pasteries &yen;150 to 300.

Yuzawa
Ski resort attached to a Joetsu Shinkansen station in Nigata.

Echigo Yuzawa Map

Tourist info

Japanese Architecture
Infoplease Japanese architecture article

Oriental Architecture has an impressive collection of photographs from Asia, including Japan.

Kenzo Kange, modern Japanese architect

Kantei
Kantei, the Prime Minister's Official Residence, is always a center of attention, particularly in times of national crisis, including when a big earthquake struck Niigata Prefecture in October 2004 and when North Korea tested a nuclear weapon last October.

During natural disasters, the prime minister assumes command at the crisis-management headquarters in the basement, which operates 24 hours a day. Real-time footage is beamed in via cameras mounted on helicopters. Other details pertaining to the headquarters are kept secret.

Though the new building is called a residence, Abe and his wife do not actually reside there, but rather in the older building. Built in the style of U.S. architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the old Kantei has now been fully refurbished.

From Japan Times, March 6, 2007

Nagoya
Expo robots at slashdot

Resturants at restaurants.com

Kento's

West Tokyo Parks
Mustang West Tokyo

Tokyo area parks

Nogawa Koen map

[http://map.yahoo.co.jp/pl?nl=35.42.47.375&el=139.31.20.371&la=1&fi=1&skey=%c5%ec%b5%fe%c5%d4%be%ae%b6%e2%b0%e6&sc=4 Koganei Koen] map

Japanese Microbrews
Sanktgallen Brewery (サンクトガーレン); Atsugi, Kanagawa (Japanese only)

Baird Brewing Company; Numazu, Shizoka

Echigo Beer (エチゴ); Niigata

Fuji Sakura Kogen (富士桜高原表酒); Yamanashi

Swan Lake Beer (スワンレイクビール); Niigata (Japanese only)

Gargery (ガージェリー) (Japanese only). Stouts, etc.

Minami Shinshu Beer (南信州ビール) Central alps brewery, includes non-alcholohic beer (Japanese only)

Koedo Brewery (���江戸）　Saitama, Kawagoe 〒350-0821 川越市福田59-1 049-228-0800  (in Japanese)

Hoppy-Happy. Tokyo, Minato-ku. Brews some seemingly "local" beers like Jindaiji Beer, Chofu Beer and Nihonbashi beer. (in Japanese)

Full Moon Beer. Tokyo. Seems to offer a major-label tasting lager beer. Advertising at the store seemed to suggest it was a couple of foriegners. 

Ginga Kogen. Kyushu. 

Kinshchi Beer (金しゃちビール), Nagoya



Liquor Stores Tanakaya Liguor Store, 3-4-14 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan (03) 3953-8888. Kameya 亀屋矢崎商店, 東京都武蔵野市中町2-24-18, tel:0422-54-3931.

Beer Bars in Tokyo These were reviewed in Brews News, so the reviews are not suitable for direct copying into Wikivoyage. They're here because I'd like to try and review them myself.


 * Zum Eichen Platz 5-5-11 Akasaka 2F, Minato-ku, Phone 03-5545-6623 (Go out exit 7 of Akasaka Station (Chiyoda subway line), turn right, and walk about two minutes. You'll see it on the right. ) All Tokyo needs is another German beer bar? Why, of course! This new one in Akasaka, near TBS, is a welcome addition. Specializing in Spaten, Franziskaner and Flensburger beers, it is certainly reminiscent the German Farm Grill and the three Franziskaner Cafés in Tokyo. Rumor even has it that the owner used to work for Zato Shokai that runs them. The food menu is also impressive; our "salad of the day" was a bed of greens topped by swordfish in basil sauce. Of course, there's all the sausage and potato dishes you could want. Recommended beers are the Flensburger Pilsener, the Franziskaner Weiss Dunkel (a dark wheat beer) and the potent Spaten Optimator Doppelbock.


 * Towers 2-8-10 Yaesu, Chuo-ku. Open Monday to Friday 5-11 p.m. Phone 03-3272-8488   (From Tokyo Station (Yaesu side) walk towards Yurakucho along Sotobori-dori. Turn left at the first big intersection (shortly after the Yaesu Book Center), then turn right down the side street at the Kinko's. Towers is on the right about 50 meters down. From Kyobashi Station (Ginza Line) Exit 3, walk down Kajibashi-dori toward Tokyo Station and turn left at Kinko's. Towers is down the street on the right. )  This wonderful little hole-in-the-wall, introduced in Brews News last fall by Jonathan Lloyd-Owen and Robbie Swinnerton, has been open for about a year now, and always seems to be packed by the time the sun goes down. It's a 'stand bar' meaning just that - no seats, just belly up to the bar and order from among their beers on tap. You have to love a place with beer on tap only, and good beers at that. From the conventional Edel Pils lager to the popular Hoegaarden White all the way to the deliciously drinkable Yona Yona real ale and Baird Beer's beautiful creations, Towers is the quick stop for good beer. The food menu is minimal, but most people stay satisfied with the free beer snacks like peanuts and rice crackers in big jars on the bar - help yourself. It's near the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station, with Kyobashi station on the Ginza Line the closest.


 * barBAR Marunouchi 1-9-1, Kurobei Yokocho (B1F). Open 11am-11pm daily. Phone 03-3216-0581 (On the walkway on the north side of Tokyo station that connects the Marunouchi and Yaesu sides, take the stairway down one floor when you are near the Shochu Authority, and you will be very close.)  Billing itself as a 'Homemade Deli & Micro Brewery'  bar, this little place is a welcome addition to the north end of Tokyo Station, in the Kurobei Yokocho complex of medium-sized restaurants and drinking places. Like Towers, it's a standing bar, but with lots of thick wood in the tables, there's a certain comfort factor. Despite the excessive hype of August-brand beer during the month of August, it was still a satisfactory pilsner that I'd give three stars. Less satisfactory was the two-star Red Sunset Barleywine from Nihonkai Yuhi Misaki beer of Niigata. For eats, I found the breadsticks and rolls (100 yen/piece) quite tasty.

About
Cherry blossom viewing

Various flowers at Tokyo Metropolitan gov't

Wiki2pdf
A Wiki to PDF converter was written for Wikipedia, it should be considered for use with Wikivoyage. The script is written in Python, uses LaTeX. In prints a huge GFDL license at the end, too, which seems to not be required for Wikivoyage, because of differing licensing.

Unfortunately, it seems kind of buggy, only 1 out of 3 pages that I tried to translate work.

Talk about Lazy
ō ū Ō

&mdash; &amp;mdash;

Gōūgle

Religion
When you go to temples (or shrines?), you can easily see a collection of wooden plaques hanging in racks. These are votives called ema or euma, "picture horse" (絵馬), on one side is an image, originally of a horse, now of anything. On the other side is a hand-written prayer made by the purchaser. Periodically, the priests collect these and burn them. The rising smoke carries the prayers to heaven.



Wikipedia Shinto

Jindaiji
Historical commentary on Jindaiji

More photos about Jindaiji and botanical gardens

Tachikawa
OK, so there isn't much in Tokyo/Tachikawa. But I ate dinner there few times.


 * Rumon (るもん) 2-12-13 Akebono-cho 042-527-3022 (on the station's north side, just past the KFC). 11:30-15:00, 17:00-0:00.   This restaurant puts an Italian spin on the traditional izakaya.  Although not spectacular, its a reasonable choice if you are looking for dinner or lunch near the station.  The house special Rumon salad comes features sashimi, a good value at &yen;900, and the beef-wrapped avocado is an appealing combination (&yen;610); draft beer &yen;500.  Brush up on your Japanese &mdash; there are no English or picture menus.

Kōbe
off-site history

Simple English at Wikipedia is better than the regular English article, for history.