The last time i went to hokkaido in the 1st week of oct... it was a bit too early to see the full autumn colors... only some leaves were starting to turn color.. so i guess if u really want to see more reds & yellowss in autumn, better go for 2nd / 3rd week.. it was the season to pluck apples...provided no typhoon hit hokkaido before that. The weather was just a nice cooling 8-16 degree celcius.

ゴールデンウイーク2日目　高速道路、30日夜から行楽地などに向かう車で混雑の見込み



ゴールデンウイーク2日目の4月30日は、夜から行楽地などに向かう車で、高速道路が混雑すると予想されている。
日本道路交通情報センターによると、東名高速・沼津インター付近で5月1日午前10時ごろに45km、大和トンネル付近で5月1日午前0時ごろに20km。
東北自動車道・上河内サービスエリア付近で5月1日午前6時ごろに40km。
関越自動車道・花園インター付近で5月1日午前0時ごろに20kmなど、4月30日夜から5月1日朝にかけて、下り線を中心に渋滞が予想されている。



4月30日午後7時33分、群馬県南部と埼玉県秩父で震度3の地震を観測　津波の心配なし
4月30日午後7時33分、群馬県南部と埼玉県秩父で震度3の地震を観測した。
震源地は群馬県南部で、震源の深さは20km、　地震の規模を示すマグニチュードは3.9と推定される。

<地域最大震度>　
震度3　群馬県南部　埼玉県秩父

<市町村震度>　
震度3　高崎市　桐生市　伊勢崎市　太田市　長瀞町

なお、この地震による津波の心配はない。

Damn nooo.... no chance to watch kabuki play in tokyo now

Would you've enjoyed it if you had gone?

I've been to Kabuki-za twice and despite 1) the english translation provided by rental headsets 2) some prior familiarity with the historical storyline (kabuki often but not always is based on some historical context), it was a little dense for me.

Kabuki plays stretch over the entire day with multiple acts and at Kabuki-za, they sell tickets to the whole play or specific acts. The cheapest, and shortest, are the 15-minute acts interspersed over longer acts. I sat through one 15-minute act and one one-hour act in the cheap seats (4th floor, at the very top, of the Kabuki-za theatre) on the 2 occasions I went. IIRC, it was maybe 300yen for the 15-minute act and maybe 800yen more for the act that lasted an hour.

Did I regret it? No. It was interesting but I'll say that twice was enough. I went primarily to bring my kids to see Kabuki, and also to see a famous "onnagata" (male actor playing a female role- all roles are played by males). Most of the audience are fans: they know the correct moments to laugh, when to applaud and when to boo the bad guys. They will shout <some specific phrase in Japanese> at the appropriate moments too - everyone knows the stories because again, they are usually based on some well-known historical setting. Noobs like me - best to keep silent. It's like going to a baseball game for the first time - you don't know the cheers, you don't know when to sit or stand or when you can go to the john, and you don't know what songs to sing at what innings.

Besides Kabuki, I've been to several Noh and my kids like rakugo (something like Chinese cross-talk - funny).

Sad to see it gone - the architecture was a nice part of Ginza.

This post has been edited by tatsuyachiba: May 2 2010, 11:41 AM

I remember me and matt85 went there but got unlucky because no show on that day.

Woowooo the iconic landmark going to say bye bye...

is not going..is already bye bye...May 1 is Demolisted Day already...Today is May 2 ....it should be bomb into ashes already

2013 this palce wil be repalce by New 49 Story Office with New Cinema Inside

Today News:

ゴールデンウイーク　常磐道・友部JCT付近で44kmの渋滞　午後は上りでも混雑の予想
ゴールデンウイークの連休中に行楽地やふるさとに向かう人で、2日も各交通機関で混雑が見られる。
日本道路交通情報センターによると、正午現在、いずれも下りで、常磐道・友部JCT付近で44kmの渋滞となっているほか、中央道・相模湖IC付近で27km、名神高速道路・大垣IC付近で21kmなどとなっている。
午後になると、上りでも混雑し始め、東名阪自動車道・四日市IC付近で40km(午後7時)、東名高速・大和トンネル付近で35km(午後7時)、東北道・矢板IC付近で30km(午後6時)、中央道・小仏トンネル付近で30km(午後8時)などの渋滞が予想される。


ゴールデンウイーク　日本航空と全日空で羽田発の便の予約率がほぼ満席に
ゴールデンウイークの連休中に行楽地やふるさとに向かう人で、2日も各交通機関で混雑が見られる。
空の便は、日本航空と全日空で、羽田発の便の予約率がほぼ満席となっていたが、午後は多少、和らぐという。
鉄道も、午前中は東海道新幹線の下りの一部で自由席が乗車率120%となったほか、指定席もほぼ満席となった。
上りの混雑は4日から始まり、5日がピークになるという。

This post has been edited by RegentCid: May 2 2010, 06:01 PM

Tatsuya-san, as jayhan have said, we were actually there last year to catch a kabuki show, only to find Kabuki-za all dark and closed. Apparently the shows were only available on certain period (me don't know )

Now no chance to catch it anymore

one week left for me
now already with super limited $$
planning jalan2 to Ueno park and some other place & take pics only
love the performances at Ueno park, the yoyo & musical...
gotto record video next time

gotta fully utilize your last weeek there lol

Today News:

ゴールデンウイーク　高速道路でUターンラッシュ本格化　東北道・白石ICで38kmの渋滞
ゴールデンウイークを行楽地やふるさとで過ごした人たちのUターンラッシュが本格化し、高速道路では渋滞が続いている。
日本道路交通情報センターによると、午後5時半現在の渋滞は、いずれも上りで、東北道・白石ICで38km、東名阪・四日市ICで37km、東名高速・大和トンネル付近で34km、九州道・小倉南ICで30kmなどとなっている。
渋滞はこのあと3日のピークを迎え、東名高速・大和トンネル付近で午後7時に45km、東名阪・四日市ICで午後7時に40km、中央道・小仏トンネルで午後8時に35kmの渋滞が予想されている。

東京・練馬区の関越道上りでトラックと乗用車など5台がからむ事故　6人軽傷
東京・練馬区の関越道上りで、トラックと乗用車などあわせて5台がからむ事故があり、6人が軽傷を負った。
3日正午すぎ、練馬区大泉町の関越道上り・大泉ジャンクション付近で、トラック1台と乗用車4台のあわせて5台がからむ事故があった。
この事故で、数人が車の中に閉じ込められるなどしたが、消防隊員により助け出され、男性3人、女性3人のあわせて6人が軽傷を負っている。
渋滞の列にトラックが突っ込んだものとみられていて、警察が事故原因を調べている。
また、事故の影響で、午後2時現在、関越道上りは6kmの渋滞となっている。

ゴールデンウイーク　空の便は国内各地の空港から羽田に向かう便の混雑始まる
ゴールデンウイーク5連休3日目の3日、空の便は、国内各地の空港から羽田に向かう便の混雑が始まり、午後は全日空、日本航空ともに、ほぼ満席だという。
また、各新幹線の上りのピークは、4日以降になるという。

You do understand that only Kabuki-za will disappear, not kabuki performances, from Tokyo. My regret was for the passing of a grand old Ginza landmark, not kabuki itself.

Like I said earlier, this is Japan - kabuki is far from extinct and there are plenty of kabuki fans especially recent converts due to a new kabuki "prince" - Ichikawa Ebizo
The Japanese love to anoint "princes" aka enka prince (Kiyoshi), golf prince (Ryo-kun), this-prince-n-that-prince etc.

If you want to catch kabuki in Tokyo, there are other places to do so e.g. National Theater (near the Hanzomon line near Tokyo Sta.) and and the Shinbashi Enbujo.

If you like culture, you might be interested in other Japanese traditional art-forms e.g. Noh, Bunraku, Rakugo/Manzai etc as well as musical performances such as taiko drums, shakuhachi, samisen etc

This post has been edited by tatsuyachiba: May 4 2010, 10:34 AM

@tanoshi san!
sorry didnt meet u guys
i was busy going here and there and had to meet my jap papa!
my jap papa is a singer too in jap
not sure by any chance you guys know him. kadokawa hiroshi who sings classic songs
he's damn cool!

anyhow, as expected jap trip was awesome!
i went to fuji Q and ride super fast bullet roller coaster, and the scary fujiyama king coaster.. sugoiiiine!!
the rest of the time i spent in tokyo lurking around

i'll be back in jap maybe end of the year. lol

Fuji Q Highland? Omoshiroi!

yes yes! weird thing is there was plenty of sakura still blooming! nice scenery, good weather (can see fuji mt clearly), awesome companion, awesome rides! = perfect!
its a must-go-place for those who like extreme mind blowing rides

Was passing by there...

just got back from Hitsujiyama Koen
supposed not to be that far but on Golden Weeeeeeek, its like from KL to JB
arrived there, parked near 2 km away
need climb up bukit , go down and walk some more only then arrive at the what said to be interesting place to visit, (Antioch Park) taman bunga like

the taman bunga was so small but so crowded
not much to take pictures of
most picture taken got many ppl sibuk inside it

the best shot i end up got was a Nissan GTR lol



1 question: tomorrow planning to go Zoo, either at Ueno park or Saitama Zoo... which one preferred?

This post has been edited by mastering89: May 4 2010, 09:22 PM

Watching kabuki in Kabuki-za is once-in-a-lifetime experience, imo. So, there's a bit of regret. Of course i'd try catching kabuki shows from the other places, i'm a deculture fan

Btw, nice photos there mastering89. I've had a great time at Ueno Zoo, but the pandas were no longer there.

oops end up didnt go Ueno Zoo as planned yesterday
went to Round 1 till 6 am and slept till 2pm
today going Ueno Park and some other places

waiting for your pics ya

i am student studying in sydney now. booked ticket to japan flying from australia.

i heard from a friend that i need a guarantor to apply for the visa. is it true?