Jonelle Patrick's Blog, page 27

Instabae

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That’s what you call this in Japan. An experience that looks way better shared on social media than in real life. And, I gotta say, Japan is genius at it.

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Even this unfiltered photo looks more like the “Candles & Amber” promised by the publicity than the real life lights. The Roppongi Hills illuminations marketing team did their best, but in real life, the lights were…orange. (Bet they got managerial bonus points for repurposing those Halloween lights for Xmas, though.)

But even though they did a pretty decent job of selling orange as the new amber, this team gets a certain number of #instabae demerit points because every half hour, when the lights switch from “Snow & Blue” to ten minutes of “Candle & Amber,” everybody collects eagerly at the photo spot with phones set to “Video,” hoping to catch the transition, but all that happens is that they turn off the blue ones, leave it dark for a few seconds, then turn on the orange ones. Hashtag #disappointment, trending.

(Here’s how everyone wishes it happened)

Other places are far more experienced at instabae. In fact, they were totally designed to be instabae, even back when all people could do was inflict their holiday photos on their friends face to face. Take Ashikaga Flower Park, for example. The actual experience is less like strolling through a garden than elbowing your way through a crowded plant theme park – it’s a small area utterly crammed with as many plantings (and people) as it can hold. It is, however totally designed for amazing photos.

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Lights, camera, upload! (And even though there are tons of people standing around the other side of the photo-worthy wisteria, you don’t see them because of the way the lights are set up.)

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Reflecting pool to make it look even more amazing? Check.

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How to attract tens of thousands of phone-toting visitors to your middle-of-nowhere park? Plant a few flowers on a spare hill and let the instabae roll in

I’ve got to admit, even though I know these places are pure uploading honey traps, I still go. Because Japan is really really really good at making the schlep worthwhile. And how did they get to be so good? By being snag-that-moment-and-save-it fanatics since the days before there were photos, of course. Back when you had to pen a haiku to capture a shareable travel moment.

How wild the sea is,

and over Sado Island,

the River of Heaven

                       –Matsuo Bashō

Didn’t even need to master the “starry night” setting on his camera for that one, did he?

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How long has this been going on? Well, right behind me as I took this photo of completely natural wonders: massive tourist rest top and souvenir store, dating back to two centuries ago.

If you’re in Tokyo and you’d like to capture your own instabae moments, here are the best places to see autumn leaves, the most fab holiday illuminations, and amazing flower extravaganzas in every season.

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When not dashing around to capture all the instabae sights of Japan, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo…

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A young woman dressed as a Gothic Lolita is found dead in a car with a pair of strangers. But the more Yumi Hata learns about her friend’s death, the more she’s convinced it was murder…read more

 

A Feast Of Autumn Leaves

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Showa Kinen Park, November 8, 2017

The season has arrived, and in somewhat strange order this year. The ginkgo trees are full-on gold and already carpeting their surroundings with fallen leaves, but most Japanese maples are still just showing a mere tinge of red.

Here’s what’s happening right now, and here are the best places to see them, with maps.

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Showa Kinen Park, November 8, 2017

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Showa Kinen Park, November 8, 2017

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Showa Kinen Park, November 8, 2017

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Showa Kinen Park, November 8, 2017

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Jindai Botanical Garden, November 4, 2017

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Jindai Botanical Garden, November 4, 2017

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Jindai Botanical Garden, November 4, 2017

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Shinjuku Gyouen Garden, October 31, 2017

These are actually the advance guard of Japanese maples – the best are yet to come, so there’s plenty of time to get out and see them before the end of November! Here are more pix and maps to these and my other favorite spots in/around Tokyo.

It’s also chrysanthemum season right now, and even if you’re like me and chrysanthemums don’t come close to making the list of flowers you’d hop a train across town to see, you should go see these. You will not be disappointed!

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These are at the Yushima Shrine, but there are lots more all over Tokyo until the end of November. Here’s where! (And guess what – some of the spots have both leaves AND flowers, how great is that?)

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Although her neck is permanently cricked in the ogling-leaves position, Jonelle Patrick still manages to write novels set in Tokyo…

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When Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death wasn’t an accident, his life begins to unravel…read more

Poppins-san

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In the land where nannies are nearly as scarce as chimney sweeps, this all-Japanese celebration of bygone British privilege is about to hit the stage. It’s too bad they don’t adapt these things for the local audience the same way they “improve” pizza, because I would pay good money to hear someone sing such hits as “Just a spoonful of nattō makes the medicine go down” and enjoy the Japanese pronunciation of “sūpa-cari-furaja-risutikku-ekusupi-ari-dōshasu.”

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When not imagining chimney sweeps cavorting on the roof of the Diet Building, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

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A young woman dressed as a Gothic Lolita is found dead in a car with a pair of strangers. But the more Yumi Hata learns about her friend’s death, the more she’s convinced it was murder…read more

Most Useless Subway Poster In The History Of Useless Subway Posters

Yesterday I was walking through Ueno Station, and I spotted this

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People dropping dead at their desks (or committing suicide out of despair at their never-ending pile of work) is such a thing in Japan that it’s even been given it its own mascot-like name and kanji spelling: 過労死 (karoshi). And right now, death from overwork is in the news again, because companies are finally being successfully sued and told to fork over damages to victims’ families

I’ve posted before about silly subway posters that warn against kicking the ticket wicket, pitching a beer in the station attendant’s face and walking while rockabilly, but this one takes the cake for sheer WHAT THE HELL?

Because some faceless bureaucrat (yes, this is a message from the Japanese government) thought that printing posters exhorting commuters to “STOP! DEATH FROM OVERWORK” was the most effective use of whatever money has been grudgingly doled out to combat the actual serious problem of employers burdening their workers with such a Sisyphean amount of work that they die from never sleeping, never going home, and basically never having a life.

I mean, who is this message even intended to reach? The gray-haired CEO? Nah, he’s not rubbing shoulders with the rank and file on the subway, he’s sitting behind his driver being swanned to work while reading the newspaper. Oh. That’s right. It’s a subway poster. It must be intended for  the poor sods who cram into a train car twice a day (unless they’ve got too much work to go home).

And DUH, that makes total sense. Obviously, they’re the ones who are dying, so they must be the problem. Let’s just tell them to stop dying from karoshi. MY WORK HERE IS DONE.

Tip o’ the tip beanie to Jake Adelstein, whose ever-keen journalistic eyes were the first to spot this WTFery

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Jonelle Patrick occasionally takes time off from ranting about death from overwork to write novels set in Tokyo

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In the wake of a deadly earthquake, fans erupt in a frenzy of mourning when it’s discovered that their favorite pop star is among the dead. But when Detective Kenji Nakamura is sent to investigate a death at a local shrine, he finds evidence that suggests the impossible: How could the head priest have been murdered by…read more

Yokohama Smart Illumination 2017: Even More & Better Than Before

I know it seems like all I do these days is frant about looking at stuff lit up at night, but there’s been a sudden rash of illuminations events in & around Tokyo lately, and they’ve all been worth staying up way past bedtime for!

Last time I went to the Yokohama Smart Illuminations, you may remember that I blatted on and on about it, like was the best thing since electric ramen. Well, this year it’s even better.

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For these five days, when the sun goes down, Zo-no-hana Park (that’s Elephant Nose Park to you) is transformed into a fairy wonderland of eclectic, electric art

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Once again, one of the nearby buildings seems to have acquired a living, grimacing face, which turns out to be…

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…YOU! You can stand in line to stick your face through the hole in this spoof on tourist photo ops, and later discover that (SURPRISE!) your face was also being projected weh bigger than life-size on the tower behind you (Artist: Kyota Takahashi)

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I was not disappointed to see the return of the illuminated man (Artist: Junichi Kusaka)

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And this “Musical Chairs” floating lit-up furniture was pretty entertaining (Artist: Naho Kawabe)

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These little golden snitch-like things were actually glowing. They were made from discarded gashapon capsules fitted out with solar lights and suspended in a mobile-like web against the night sky

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This thing that sort of looks like a 3D scribble of the Olympic torch was actually called “The Light of Life” and was beating rather creepily like a heart (Artist: Yusuke Wakata)

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These charming life-size doodles looked like they were drawn with a glow pen in the thin air (Artist: Kateryna Snizhko)

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This was weirdly mesmerizing, despite the fact it was just bubbles being blown out of a cylinder with a color-changing glow around the rim. The wind was blowing the night I went, so they escaped so fast they just sort of drew sparks in the air.

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These sky-mirroring kotatsus were quite popular once it started to get a bit chilly, because you could stick your feet under the quilts and they actually had heaters in them like real kotatsus (Artist: Takahito Kimura)

But the video below is of my absolute favorite thing. The glass whatsits that the laser bounces off of are set up in different ways each night, but the bonus excellence is that the colors and patterns are controlled by a sort of rattle with a sensor in it, and you can take a turn shaking it at the laser, and feel like The Force is strong with you.

If you’re in Tokyo right now, there’s still time to see the Yokohama Smart Illuminations, because they’re on through Sunday, November 5, 2017. Things light up once it gets dark at 17:00 and stay on until 20:00. And yay, it’s free! If you’d like to go, a map is on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.

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Jonelle Patrick occasionally takes a break from ogling stuff lit up at night to write novels set in Tokyo

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In the wake of a deadly earthquake, fans erupt in a frenzy of mourning when it’s discovered that their favorite pop star is among the dead. But when Detective Kenji Nakamura is sent to investigate a death at a local shrine, he finds evidence that suggests the impossible: How could the head priest have been murdered by…read more

The Digital Greenhouse: Interactive Illuminations, I Am In You!

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Level up, holiday lightshow fanboys & girls! This digital greenhouse ups the ante in the illuminations game, bigtime.

First of all, you can go inside and LIVE THE KALEIDOSCOPIC DREAM.

But that’s not all. You can trigger new musical sounds and light patterns by touching the live veggie plants inside. (Yes. Dying. Going to heaven.) Seriously, isn’t this what you always wished illuminations could be?

But don’t take my word for it – here’s a clip of it, from the outside.

 

But enough of that, let’s go in!

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At first it’s just all sparkly

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Then the music and lights begin to pulse and glow

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Vines snake out from the planter boxes

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And bloom into big poppy-ish flowers

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And then the light show begins, cycling through birds flying overhead and a rainbow aurora of light

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That was worth a trip to Tokyo, right? But hang on, here’s a two-minute clip of my favorite sequence:

 

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The greenhouse is lined with planters of real, live vegetables, and official attendants are roaming around to help you figure out how to touch them so they layer in new lights and sounds. Tomatoes add violins, cabbages insert oboe sounds, and carrots trigger trumpets.

So, you may ask rhetorically, could it get any better? Why yes, it could. Because it’s FREE!

This installation is called “Digital Vegetables,” and it was made by up-and-coming design studio PARTY. If you’re in Tokyo and want to see it for yourself, it’ll be at Tokyo Midtown until November 15, 2017. There’s a map on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.

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When not mesmerized by the glow, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

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The #1 hostboy at Club Nova makes a handsome living, whispering sweet nothings in the ears of women who pay him a fortune for the privilege. But the party’s over when Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura is assigned to investigate the death of…read more

And here’s a one-minute Fallen Angel video, for your viewing pleasure…

 

The Digital Greenhouse: Interactive Illumination, I Am In You!

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Level up, suckers! This digital greenhouse takes the illuminations game to a whole new level.

First of all, you can go inside and LIVE THE KALEIDOSCOPIC DREAM. (Me, fainting from the sheer grandiosity of being surrounded by fantasmic whooshing LEDs.)

But that’s not all. You can trigger new musical sounds and light patterns by touching the live veggie plants inside. (Yes. Dying. Going to heaven.) Seriously, isn’t this what you always wished illuminations could be?

But don’t take my word for it – here’s a clip of it, from the outside.

But enough of that, let’s go in!

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At first it’s just all sparkly

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Then the music and lights begin to pulse and glow

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Vines snake out from the planter boxes

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And bloom into big poppy-ish flowers

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And then the light show begins, cycling through birds flying overhead and a rainbow aurora of light

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That was worth a trip to Tokyo, right? But hang on, here’s a two-minute clip of my favorite sequence:

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The greenhouse is lined with planters of real, live vegetables, and official attendants are roaming around to help you figure out how to touch them so they trigger both lights and new sounds. Tomatoes add violins, cabbages insert oboe sounds, and carrots trigger trumpets.

So, you may ask rhetorically, could it get any better? Why yes, it could. Because it’s FREE!

This installation is called “Digital Vegetables,” and it was made by up-and-coming design studio PARTY. If you’re in Tokyo and want to see it for yourself, it’ll be at Tokyo Midtown until November 15, 2017. There’s a map on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.

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When not mesmerized by the glow, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

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The #1 hostboy at Club Nova makes a handsome living, whispering sweet nothings in the ears of women who pay him a fortune for the privilege. But the party’s over when Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura is assigned to investigate the death of…read more

And here’s a one-minute Fallen Angel video, for your viewing pleasure…

Hallowrong

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This insidious Halloween snowman’s got a world-class #xmasmissioncreep game going on, but I’m going to choose not to be reminded that the Japanese Christmas glitter bomb is poised to hit us right between the eyes at 12:01 a.m. on November first.

Tip o’ the thank you scream mask to my friend Shuri T, for telling me where to find these! ^^;;

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When not casting a jaundiced eye at thinly disguised Xmas decorations, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

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A young woman dressed as a Gothic Lolita is found dead in a car with two strangers. But the more Yumi Hata learns about her best friend’s death, the more she’s convinced it was murder…read more

Modern Day Tweets From The Pillow Book

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If Sei Shonagōn were alive and well and living in Tokyo…

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@seishonagon A latecomer pushes in front of you at a festival and holds up his huge ipad to take pictures #hatefulthings

@seishonagon Someone wearing a bright orange jacket is standing around texting on his phone, smack in the middle of a famous photo spot #hatefulthings

@seishonagon You step off the train to let other people leave, and another passenger slides into your spot next to the door #hatefulthings

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@seishonagon The remnants of latte art in the bottom of a cup #thingsthathavelosttheirpower

@seishonagon A free ticket for a museum exhibit that’s already over #thingsthathavelosttheirpower

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@seishonagon It’s finally your turn to toss your coin at the shrine, but it bounces off the slats of the offering box and rolls away #embarrassingthings

@seishonagon A small child waiting for the light to change watches you dash across the street while it’s still red #embarrassingthings

@seishonagon A visiting friend takes your advice to go see your favorite museum, but it’s the day after a national holiday and it’s closed #embarrassingthings

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@seishonagon Your station zipping past when you accidentally boarded the express train #thingsthataredistantthoughnear

@seishonagon You can see that the immigration clerk is several days past her ideal roots touch-up date, but there are still fifty numbers ahead of yours #thingsthataredistantthoughnear

@seishonagon A sold-out light burns below the peach-flavored water in the vending machine #thingsthataredistantthoughnear

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@seishonagon Those pale cherry blossoms that barely look pink, even in real life #thingsthatgainbybeingphotoshopped

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@seishonagon The mildewed raincoat of the man pressed up against you in a packed train #squalidthings

@seishonagon A trampled washcloth in the crosswalk on a rainy day #squalidthings

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@seishonagon Discovering your point card is filled up, so your coffee is unexpectedly free #pleasingthings

@seishonagon A famous garden, deserted on a rainy day #pleasingthings

@seishonagon Being the first one to walk through fresh snow in the morning #pleasingthings

Detail from a portrait of Sei Shonagōn, with apologies to Mitsuoki Tosa

(And if you’re looking for ACTUAL tweets from the Pillow Book, they are here, in all their timeless glory!)

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When not channeling snark from beyond the grave, Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Tokyo

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When Detective Kenji Nakamura’s phone rings with the news that his mother’s death wasn’t an accident, his life begins to unravel…read more

 

 

In The Japanese Dahlia Garden

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There’s a secret walled garden at the Ueno Toshogu Shrine that’s only open once a year for peony season, but guess what? This year they’re letting us come in to see the dahlias too! Bring your thesaurus, though, so you don’t wear out the word WOW.

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Open: Every day from September 30 – October 29

Hours: 9:30 – 16:30

Admission: ¥500

MAP

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Read a novel set in Tokyo…

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The #1 hostboy at Club Nova makes a handsome living, whispering sweet nothings in the ears of women who pay him a fortune for the privilege. But the party’s over when Tokyo Detective Kenji Nakamura is assigned to investigate the death of…read more