Jib-kun's Diary - jibtv

by Jib-kun

Where I'm from in the serene mountains of Japan, the excitement level is not exactly that high.  But this week on Tokyo Eye, our intrepid reporters take us to the peaks of excitement a top the roller coasters of Japan. They visit amazing spectacles like aquariums and character themed parks.  Tokyo has a lot of theme parks!

Amusement parks, aquariums, parks with thrill rides, water parks, character parks, you name it!  No matter what your interests there is fun to be found at any of these wonderful spots around the city.

 We'll show you around several that offer fun for kids of all ages!

By Jib-kun


"Leslie Kee - A Celebrated Photographer who Loves Japan more than most Japanese"

Singaporean photographer Leslie Kee landed in Japan in 1994.  His star as a fashion photographer has been rising ever since graduating from a photography school here.  He works in Tokyo and other cities in Asia, as well as in New York.  His portraits are acclaimed for bringing out his subjects best qualities.  Client-fans include Japanese icons Ayumi Hamasaki and Kumi Koda, as well as superstars like Beyonc?. Kee adores Japan. He has done a series of projects featuring people here. For his Super Tokyo exhibition, he shot a thousand Tokyoites. He's donating a portion of his royalties from sales of the Super Tokyo book to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

TFE's ia interviews Kee about his passions-Japan and, of course, his art. They also discuss his background and youth. We watch, too, as he shoots for a fashion magazine feature.



"Anything Goes for this Summer's Yukata!"

Summer in Japan is full of festivals, firework displays, lively street stalls and traditional dancing... Many people enjoy these events in light cotton kimonos called yukata. The yukata trend this season is "making a statement, by individualistic styling."  For young women that only wear yukata once or twice a season, they want to make sure they stand out in the crowd, by turning out in an original style. We'll introduce some of the less conventional options for this season.

by Jib-kun

    Before I moved to Tokyo, I was living in the mountains.  So I'm not the best of swimmers.  Ok... I can't swim.  That said, Japan is an island nation.  Which... as you might have guessed, means we have a bunch of islands.  Seriously a lot of them. 
    Actually, Tokyo has islands of its own and they're easy to visit.  When you think Tokyo, you probably think buildings and bustling streets.  In another part of the city, a boat ride away, there are dolphins swimming, nature hikes awaiting and adventures to be had!
 
     Spectacular natural beauty! Teeming with life on land and sea! A cornucopia of greenery and scenery!  The islands are a paradise and a part of Tokyo.

     So head with Tokyo Eye over the sea to Mikurajima, one of the seven islands of the Izu Island chain and a part of Tokyo.

By Jib-kun

Sachi is a top model who has graced the runways of a number of well known fashion houses for their Paris and Tokyo Collections.
Her extensive modeling career began when she was a student at Vantan Design Institute (Art College.)

Since 1998, she has regularly appeared as a model for Yohji Yamamoto`s collection.
And though retaining a modeling career, in October of 2005 Sachi launched "atomic green" - a ladies shoe line.

Unlike her own chic and trendy look, her shoe designs are delicate and gently feminine.  After choosing a seasonal theme, she designs her shoe line based on inspirations from the small details of everyday life.
Her unique style includes assigning a poetic title to each design.
For this week's program, we followed her from the preparatory stages to the launch of her collection in mid July.

Sachi is very hands on. Here, she talks with craftsmen at the factory about design details and advises on alterations for the shoe samples.
As a model, Sachi has had the tactile experience of wearing high fashion creations.  How has this inspired her creatively?

By Jib-kun

It's time to climb Mt. Fuji! Japan's highest peak, Mt. Fuji's elegant profile has made it famous around the world as a symbol of Japan.

And even people with no mountain climbing experience can make it to the summit.

Join us for the second part of our two-part special on what you need to know to climb Mt. Fuji.

By Jib-kun

It's time to climb Mt. Fuji! Japan's highest peak, Mt. Fuji's elegant profile has made it famous around the world as a symbol of Japan.

And even people with no mountain climbing experience can make it to the summit.
Join us for the first part of our two-part special on what you need to know to climb Mt. Fuji.

By Jib-kun

On this edition of Journeys in Japan, JJ visits Minabe, Wakayama Pref., whose products are an essential part of Japanese food culture.
 
Minabe produces more ume fruit than anywhere else in Japan - 30,000 tons every year.  The type of ume grown in the area is called Nanko-ume. They are particularly large and flavorful, and are considered the highest quality in Japan.
Most of the fruit harvested is pickled to make umeboshi, one of Japan's most distinctive foods.  These pickled fruit are really sour and salty but they go perfectly with rice.

JJ visits a Zen temple that has a special connection with this ume-growing region.  
Soten Akamatsu, the priest at this temple, has kept a jar of umeboshi made over 150 years ago by a doctor of traditional oriental medicine. In the old days, this was considered a very effective medicine.

Thanks to the thick, lush forests covering the local hills, Minabe is also famous for its premium bincho-tan charcoal. Compared to regular charcoal, binchotan burns for longer and maintains a constant heat during the cooking process. It also cooks foods faster, and draws out their flavors to the maximum. 

When JJ is introduced to veteran charcoal-burners, Yukio Hara and his son Masaaki, they cook fish over charcoal for him.
The forestry tradition that's been passed down since ancient times remains very much alive here to this day.

At the end of his trip, JJ meets another ume farmer, Masahiko Gekko, who produces sweet and fruity umeshu, liquor made with ume fruit.
He wants more people to discover the rich flavor of this drink, which he prepares from the Nanko-ume fruit that he harvests with such care from his orchards.
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To reach Minabe from Tokyo, it takes about 2.5 hours by bullet train to Shin-Osaka, and then another two hours to Minabe by express train. Express buses are also available from Osaka to Minabe.

By Jib-kun

Tokyo is full of great things to eat: sushi, tempura, shabu-shabu. But nothing is more delicious than ramen!  Chinese noodles imported to Japan but given a domestic flavor that makes them a truly Japanese dish.  Below you see only one of the many interesting places they visited the "Ramen Museum" in Kanagawa.  It was a collection of the best ramen shops from across Japan!

I tagged along with reporters John and Kevin as they took an extensive tour of the world of Ramen.  They were getting pretty tired of eating after the first 10 bowls or so, and they were nice enough to let me finish off the left overs.  Yum!  But unfortunately, these two didn't leave much behind in these delicious bowls of noodles.  This is waaaaayyy different than the instant noodles you may be used to.


I t was so cool to see all the different types of ramen.  Miso, shio, tonkotsu, and shoyu ramen are just the starting point.  Tokyo is filled with all kinds of new and ever changing versions of this classic food for the soul.  If you come to Japan you need to know your noodles, and you too can chow down on the best ramen in Tokyo.

By Jib-kun

Let's go for a drive!
Tokyo is full of car lovers and interesting journeys.

We visit some of Tokyo's unique spots for the automobile enthusiast.

     This time, the show traveled by car, from one of the geoparks - Mount Unzen in Shimabara, to Sakurajima in Kagoshima.  It is a trip to feel the Earth's great energy and to learn about volcanoes and their connections to people's livelihood.

     Severe eruptions began on Mount Unzen in 1990.  We went near "Heisei-shinzan" peak that was created during the eruptions at the time, and witnessed scars left by streams of magma and volcanic ash that flowed down the mountain.  It makes me miss the forest!  Such beautiful nature!  Some people think of Japan and only imagine tall buildings and bright lights. This is a great chance to see the raw beautiful nature of the Japanese countryside.  The violent, humbling beauty of a volcano is something to see!

      Then we took a ferry to cross the Ariake Sea to go to Kumamoto.  We went close to the crater on Mount Aso, and felt the mystical smoke rising from the bottom of the crater.  We then visited an astronomical observatory (Luna Astronomical Observatory) at the foot of the mountain.  There, we saw our small corner of earth in the display about the Earth and the universe.  How awesome it was to see that this beautiful place was just a tiny spot compared to the vastness of the universe.

     The trip's last destination was Sakurajima in Kagoshima Prefecture.  Sakurajima continues to spew out smoke even now.  It is the most active volcano in Japan, repeatedly erupting 3 to 4 times a day.  We went around Sakurajima, visiting Sakurajima Daikon radish farms and other places, met people living with the volcano.  With Daisuke Fukushima who has a doctor's degree in volcanology, the reporter excavated a hot spring for himself alone.  That was so cool to see!

Our reporter made an epic trip on a 4-wheel vehicle, covering about 800 kilometers, to experience the Earth's energy.  You must check this out!


■ACCESS■

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・To reach Shimabara Peninsula and Mount Unzen, it takes 1 hour and 45 minutes by plane from Tokyo to Nagasaki.
・Mount Aso's crater can be reached by bus, car or ropeway.
・To get to Sakurajima, take a ferry from Kagoshima City. The service for the fifteen minute ride is available around-the-clock.