Yay Miyazaki

They've turned music from Miyazaki's films into muzak over here. Insane I know. The first thing I heard was in the Mado Lounge in Tokyo, a high rise, fine dining-type place with an amazing view. A lounge, synth-heavy piano tune came on and I looked over at Hiro, our interpreter, and said, "Is that... Naussicaa?" Damned if he knew, but it was.

Now in Hong Kong, the main theme from My Neighbor Totoro is being played in cute little bells at the breakfast buffet.

This stuff actually works way better and taking Beatles and Billy Joel and turning them into Kenny G songs.

Typhoon!

The rain today is brutal, in an umbrella-destroying kind of way. I'm told this happens for days at a time. It's wet.

Getting Caught Up

Well I figured if I didn't start a blog for this, I'd probably never get around to making one. Right now I'm smack dab in the middle of my Grand Pan-Asian Tour, shooting, hip nightclubs, fancy restaurants and cool people for inthemo.com.

I'll get you all caught up over the next couple of posts, filling in the trip so far. Right now, suffice it to say, things is crazy. My producing partner, Maria Speranza, the organized one, has just left for the States because of a family emergency, which leaves me to finish shooting Hong Kong by myself.

Also, I'm going to backdate the entries so they appear as if posted on the day they happened. Hope this doesn't confuse anyone.

A preview of things to come:
Japan and giant green sheep
Tokyo AM/PMs
The best restaurants in Tokyo
Egoga wakadimasen!
How there are more airconditioners in Hong Kong than can possibly be a good thing.

Ah Hong Kong. This city is damn hot, and, justifiably I suppose, is the air conditioning capital of the world.

Check it out. Every building is like this.
EVERY building.

Okay, not EVERY building.

So yeah, hot. That said, it's a nice heat, even with the humidity, I gradually settled into it. It was like being in a sauna the whole time. Why is that good? I don't know. Maybe because I was in Hong Kong.

On the Night of the 16th, we found a place of such gloriousness that it needed it's own post.

Nihonbashi Yukari.

Sushi bar on the first floor.

Tatami rooms in the basement.

The chef, Kimio Nonaga, an Iron Chef, decorated the place with objects from his own past.
A piece of pottery he made in grade school.

And a painting by his father.

Tokyo Resautrant Day

July 16th. We started out with the typical high-end , proporting-to0have-some-famous-chef's-food place. L'atlier de Joel Robochon. This place was just stunning. I'll let the pictures do the talking.
The Facade.

The interior.

They also had a substantial pastry section.

Yummy.

Afterwards, we scaled the very same building. On the top floor...

The Mado Lounge, with it's amazing view.


The VIP room.
Continued in next post...

On Sunday, June 15th, we went to Harajuku, home to dessert crepes and Gothic Lolitas, and Yoyogi Park, Tokyo's Central Park. On Sundays, bands of many types just show up to play. I have some pictures that will illustrate much better than I ever could.The Plaza on the South side, just north of Harajuku.

I'll get my free hug, dammit, even if Miyuki here hates me for it.

Smile, little girl... please?

Summer lovin', happened so fa-ast.

Later died in a hair-styling related accident.

Yay J-Pop!