JAPAN THREAD!

Some suggestions for off the beaten path destinations:

Tokyo:

• Mount Takao: it’s a small mountain on the edge of Tokyo. It’s a good way to experience a little nature in the city, plus getting to the top, which offers good views of Mt Fuji, involves taking a chair lift and walking through a couple of temples/shines.
• Enoshima: a hilly island SW of Tokyo that has cool caves and shrines and lighthouse that you can go up to get good views of the city/Mt Fuji. But the real treat is the ride out there. If you go through Ofuna, you can stop at a really incredible temple and then take a hanging monorail into Enoshima (this was one of the top experiences in my life).

Kyoto:

• Philosophers Path: a low-key walk along a canal on the edge of Kyoto that’ll take you by a handful of shrines (you can also trek up into the mountains to see a pretty cool waterfall, but it’s steep as hell). Cherry trees line the canal, so depending on what time of year you go, you might be walking under a canopy of pink blossoms. But I’d recommend it even if the trees aren’t in bloom.

Disk Union for records. Heaps of stores round Tokyo especially Shinjuku. I dig the 2nd hand store there, spent way too much money last trip
Get a map from the store with all the locations.
Nat Records http://natrecords.shop-pro.jp/
Nice shop in Shinjuku, cool punk selection.
BASE records in Koenji was another store I went to, highly recommended.

I haven't been back to Osaka for a while but you gotta hit up Time Bomb Records, massive collection, a total punk rock wet dream. It's close to a lot of other stores.

Sukebe_GG where do I remember you from? was it terminal boredom or somewhere else? discogs?

connie v TB and still friended on FB I think - Greg L. I even joined your "fan club" one year!

Sukebe_GG Oh and in Kyoto check out Pop Pizza run by ex-Radio Beats, MOTO etc. I'm going for the first time in a few weeks...
https://www.facebook.com/PopPizzaKyoto_
That's pretty cool I did not know he was doing that now.

connie v
Of course! Everyone is welcome to sleep in our tub!

Kevin E
Forget to mention his name: Dan McNellie, and that he runs the excellent Secret Mission Records.
NOT the crazy dude in Radio Beats who got all into yoga!

heading to japan around christmas/new years with my gf to escape family & NYE shite! should be between tokyo & kyoto and working on some onsen stops and the like.. only for two weeks so kinda squeezed for time. any winter and punk recs would be sick, but looks like the thread's well covered already..

also hoping to line up a wrestling show or a gig if the planets align?? any ideas on that would be mad.. NJPW or local wrestling, any kinda punk/hardcore/experimental stuff.. is there a good place to look for that kinda thing?

Sushi Dai is the best meal I've ever had

Bath houses are a very pleasant experience.

As far as live gigs, these are good for Osaka
https://x.com/LmeOsaka
https://x.com/osakapunk_gig

Check out this for Tokyo
https://www.instagram.com/japangigs/
This one is way more broad
https://www.tokyogigguide.com/en/
so better to check individual clubs like the one our own Ayapapa works at
https://www.heavysick.co.jp/club/
She can definitely chime in with more, but there are these long-running venues:
http://www.shimokitazawa-loft.com/live/index.html
https://www.loft-prj.co.jp/schedule/shelter
https://redcloth.sputniklab.com/

An outdoor onsen with free-flowing sake in winter is heavenly!

have a drink and play records with fifi at the poor cow in shimokitazawa

Sukebe_GG thanks heaps sukebe! these look sick.. much much appreciated. pretty much gonna pickle from the outside in onsen water and pickle from the inside with sake for two weeks, hopefully that refreshes life's ailments..

filthqueen666 少し日本語を知っています。[I know a little!]

I’ve been going to classes and studying on my own for about a year now just as hobby. I really enjoy it, but it’s quite a time commitment and I’m still much better at reading it than speaking/understanding someone speaking it at this point. Learning a little before you go will definitely help you enjoy things more, but it’s not essential to get around, especially in Tokyo or Kyoto.

You can teach yourself hiragana and katakana through Tofugu, which you’ll need to ultimately learn kanji:
https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/learn-hiragana/
https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/learn-katakana/

Katakana is basically the character set they use for loan words, so learning that more or less will let you read English in code. A lot of bar menus are written in katakana, so you’ll see stuff like マティーニ　(“ma-tei-ni”/martini) or ビール (“bii-ru”/beer). We were in a basement bar with no cell service at one point, so no one could use google translate, and I got to swoop in and act as translator…despite barely knowing any grammar. It felt awesome!

Anyway, holler if you want any recommendations for what to prioritize or good learning resources!

I was lucky to be living here while studying but try as much as you can to immerse yourself even if not in Japan: watch Doraemon cartoons to start to get your ears attuned. Move on to Sanae, Crayon Shinchan, etc. as you progress. Keep it on the background while making dinner or doing other stuff.
If you do start on kanji - write them out numerous times to start, at least the first few hundred basic ones. I would also watch the Tuesday night enka music show because the songs are slow and the lyrics pretty basic themes - love and seasons! The harder kanji has furigana and you might just find yourself mastering a classic or two...

(the title (Soemon-cho Blues) is just the name of a neighborhood in Osaka)

This one also fits in the "why havnt this been reissued yet" thread....

I've really been enjoying this record by Miharu Koshi. Guess i would call it "art pop" or whatever. Not unlike YMO. Reccomendations for anything similar would be great.