"Gotham"

Finally, I watched the new Fox television series Gotham last night. It came on before Sleepy Hollow.

Gotham is an interesting concept. It is about Gotham City, Jim Gordon (Benjamin McKenzie), Bruce Wayne and the city's criminal underworld many years before Wayne becomes Batman.

At this point, Bruce Wayne's parents were just murdered and detective Jim Gordon promised Bruce to find their killer and bring him to justice.

The show introduces different characters who will later become foes of Batman. The Penguin and Catwoman were two that were featured last night. The Penguin character is quite obvious as those of us familiar with Batman lore know that Oswald Cobblepot is The Penguin's real name. In last night's episode, there was a young girl who managed to escape out of Gordon's handcuffs. Her name was Selena. Again, those familiar with Batman lore know that Catwoman's real name is Selena Kyle.

Series regular Oswald Cobblepot was played by Robin Taylor. David Mazouz, formerly of the television series Touch, plays the young Bruce Wayne.

In last night's episode, crooked police officials were sent skyward to their doom (in the stratosphere) by being attached to weather balloons. It was up to Gordon to figure out who the culprit is. The show has some gallows humor, most evident when one of the victims came back down (right on top of an old lady walking her dog).

I think I will keep on watching Gotham. My grade: A.

Yesterday's Pick-Ups

The good folks at The Japan Daily picked up several blog posts yesterday for sharing with their readers.

They include:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

The Rise and Fall of Tower Records

Above, Tower Records Shibuya store. Wikipedia photo.

Back around 1970, after friends and I got our drivers licenses, we would occasionally head up to Hollywood to see movies on Hollywood Blvd. While in Hollywood, we would also stop into the Tower Records store on the Sunset Strip.

The store had a huge selection of records (back then, vinyl LPs were big), 8-Track and cassette tapes. At the time, records and tapes sold for under $5.00. Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. was the "mecca" for records and tapes (and later, VHS movie tapes).

Above, the late, great Tower Records store on the Sunset Strip. Wikipedia photo.

Unfortunately, the Sunset Strip Tower Records store closed down in 2006 as the company went bankrupt. All other Tower Records stores in the U.S. were closed down as well. But, there is still a Tower Records store open in Tokyo's Shibuya section.

Time Out Tokyo has an interesting article on Tower Records with Colin Hanks and Sean Stuart about their upcoming documentary on the Tower Records story, All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records.

To read the article, go here.

Tokyo Hospitals/Clinics With English-Speaking Doctors

Above, street near the Great Buddha of Kamakura where, seconds before, an
 ambulance took one of our tour members to a hospital. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Suppose you are in Tokyo and you come down with an illness or have an accident that requires medical treatment. Where would you go and does the facility have English-speaking staff?

Personally, I've never had to make use of a Japanese medical clinic, but I do recall a member of 2004's G-Tour who came down with a sudden, and serious, illness while we were in Kamakura and had to be ambulanced to a hospital. Good thing he had the foresight to have travel insurance that covered his medical expenses.

Thankfully, Tokyoing.net has a list of Tokyo-area medical clinics with English-speaking doctors.

Before listing the facilities, they begin with:

We listed hospitals and clinics with English speaking doctors and medical staff in Tokyo. 

We advise you to call the institution in advance for making appointments if possible.   

In case of Emergency, dial 119 for ambulance. 

Japan is highly regarded for its advanced level in medicine and medical technology. 

Hospitals and clinics use only the latest medical equipment.

If you are planning to go to Tokyo in the future, you may want to bookmark the link for future reference.

To see the list, go here. 

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Facebook Page Reaches 200 Members!

The Facebook page of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has now reached 200 members!

I started it earlier this year for book news and updates on Japan travel that may be of interest to the page's members.

To join up, go here.

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Sale Word Is Getting Out

Above, Yuu Asakura with The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The news release on the clearance/close-out sale of first edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is being picked up by a number of news aggregators and various blogs.

Besides The Japan Daily and the BBC Record - London (previously mentioned in earlier blog posts), the news has been picked up by Alltop.com, Biz Wire Express, Broadway World.com, Got News Wire.com and others. The news will be picked up by more sites as we move into the new business week.

Here's the direct link to the press release at PR.com:

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Clearance Sale

For ordering, go here.

Monster Japan Travel Guide Dominates Pick-ups

The nice folks at The Japan Daily picked up several blog posts to share with their readers.

They include:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

October Airfares From L.A. To Tokyo Up Slightly

Above, the walkway to Zuigan-ji in Matsushima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Los Angeles Times Travel section of yesterday reported that airfares from Los Angeles to Tokyo have gone up a little bit since my last report of two weeks ago.

The airfares held steady for two weeks at the low end of $1,006.00 and the high end of $1,593.00 according to the Times. Yesterday, the Times reported their survey of airfares found the low end price to be $1,087.00 and the high end price to be $1,758.00. These prices, of course, are before any taxes or fees are added.

Still, I was able to find this low price through my favorite source for airline tickets, GatewayLAX (with a departure on October 17 and return on October 27):

GatewayLAX did come up with several lower-priced fares of $500 (before taxes and fees) with Asiana Air, but they are not direct flights from Los Angeles as there are stop-overs at Seoul Incheon in South Korea both ways. The above Singapore Airlines flight was the first one that came up that was non-stop.

We'll see if there are any changes to airfares this coming month. If there are none, the next report will be on the first Monday of November.

BBC Record - London Picks Up Monster Japan Travelguide News

The news release on the clearance sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is starting to hit different media outlets. The first one is the BBC Record - London. This is the first I've ever heard of this news organization (it doesn't seem to be a part of the British Broadcasting System (BBC) and it apparently has origins in Pakistan).

It does seem odd that they don't include banner or any other kinds of headlines for their article postings. But, I'll take it!

To view the site, go here.

Monster Japan Travel Guide Release Issued

Above, Yuu Asakura with The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Right on schedule, the press release on the clearance sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has been issued by PR.com:

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Clearance Sale 

To make room for the upcoming second edition of the travel guide, the first edition is now on sale.

 Tarzana, CA, October 05, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Armand Vaquer, author of "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" has announced a clearance (or close-out) sale of the travel guide's first edition in preparation of publishing the second edition early next year. 

"As we are shortly getting into the holiday season, and I am preparing to publish the second edition of 'The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan' (it should be ready during the first quarter of 2015), I am now having a close-out (or clearance) sale of the first edition for $9.95, plus $2.00 shipping and handling," Vaquer said. "By having this close-out sale of the first edition, I will be able to make room for the second edition." 

Just send a check or money order payable to: Armand Vaquer, 18618 Collins Street, #105,Tarzana, CA 91356 or go through PayPal. For PayPal details, go to: http://armandsrancho.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-monster-movie-fans-guide-to-japan.html. 

The sale will be while supplies last.

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Clearance Sale

Not What To Do In Los Angeles

Above, Los Angeles City Hall and the moon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Los Angeles (or its suburbs) has been my home all my life (I was born in L.A., too) and have been to just about every tourist attraction in the city.

Condé Nast Traveler has a slideshow of things not to do (and to do) while in Los Angeles. Angelenos are familiar with these and the slideshow offers sage advice.

They start the slideshow with:

Ditch the guidebook for our much cooler guide to L.A. We'll tell you what to really do (and what not to do) in the City of Angels. (Spoiler alert—don't go to Santa Monica, the Hollywood Wax Museum, or eat at Pinks Hot Dogs)

Instead of Pink's Hot Dogs, go to the original Tommy's for chili burgers at their original location at Beverly Blvd. and Rampart Blvd. (near downtown L.A.). They have locations around the city, such as Hollywood, Van Nuys, Burbank and others.

To see the slideshow, go here.

Japan Times: "Tourists May Not Warm To Japan's Welcome"

Above, a ryokan room in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As Japan is gearing up to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, conundrums involving the unique hospitality customs are becoming more apparent. I have to give the Japanese credit for looking into questions on what foreigners expect and what they will actually get and possibly coming up with solutions.

The Japan Times has an article on this that provides good food for thought.

They begin it with:

A former colleague of mine always made it a point to tell people coming to Japan for a visit to bring lots of handkerchiefs because the public restrooms didn’t have towel dispensers. I always took a more positive view and emphasized that public restrooms in Japan were everywhere and open to everyone, something I think would be more important to more people, considering how difficult it can be to find one when you need a restroom in other countries. 

Nobody who travels with any sort of frequency expects the same things that they have at home. It’s the main reason people go abroad. Nevertheless, countries that want to attract visitors do what they can to make the sojourn smooth. Travelers with open minds will accept the lack of familiar comforts as the price they pay for new experiences, but then maybe most people don’t have open minds.

 There is one telling sentence in the article that sums up Japanese-style hospitality:

Whatever you want to call it, hospitality Japanese-style is noted by everyone who comes here as indeed being special and appreciated, but there are also inconveniences inherent in this hospitality.

Personally, I've never encountered any problems in regard to Japanese-style hospitality. Then again, I've been over there seven times so I'm used to their culture. The article mentions a couple of customs by ryokans (Japanese inns) that are examples of "inconveniences" that foreigners may not like.

Thanks to the Olympics and Japan's push to increase tourism, there are many who will be coming over for the first time and may not warm to their style of hospitality.

To read the article, go here. 

Monster Japan Travel Guide Clearance Sale News To Hit Tomorrow Night

Above, Yuu Asakura with The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The news release on the clearance/close-out sale of the first edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan will be hitting around 23 hours from now.

This is to clear out space at La Casa Vaquer for the second edition that is slated to be published during the first quarter of 2015.

The clearance/close-out price is $9.95 plus $2.00 shipping & handling.

The sale will be ongoing while supplies last, so readers of this blog, Monster Island News blog and members of the travel guide's Facebook page received an early "head's up" on the sale. Some have already taken advantage of the sale. Once the supply is exhausted, that's it! First come, first served!

Commercially-produced travel guides such as Lonely Planet, Frommer's and others generally publish revised/updated travel guides annually. Since I am not "Corporate America," I have to space out updated editions a bit wider. But the time is right to get it done now.

For ordering information, including a button for ordering through PayPal, go here.

Yesterday's Blog Pick-ups

The good folks at The Japan Daily picked up several blog posts from yesterday, including one from Monster Island News, to share with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Stripes Japan Kaiju Pick-ups

For those in the service of our country in Japan (or the Pacific region) and their families, Stripes Japan is an online version of the Stripes Japan newspaper.

In case some of them happen to be kaiju fans, Stripes Japan picked up three kaiju-oriented articles during this past year for their readers. They were originally posted at JapanTravel.

Here's what Stripes Japan is about:

Japan.stripes.com is an interactive version of Stripes Japan, a newspaper serving the U.S. military community in mainland Japan with local, community-focused news and information on events, dining, activities, travel, and entertainment. Stripes Japan and Japan.stripes.com were established to meet the demand of the U.S. military community for local news and information in an easily accessible, English-language format. 

Stripes Japan is printed every week and is a product of Stars and Stripes Pacific. Stripes Japan and Stripes’ other community products are supplements of the daily Stars and Stripes newspaper and its corresponding website, stripes.com. Stars and Stripes is authorized for publication by the Department of Defense (DOD) for members of the U.S. military serving overseas. 

The contents of Stripes Japan and its corresponding website, Japan.stripes.com, are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense or the U.S. Pacific Command.

The three articles posted:

Rodan's Saikai Bridge

Tokyo Tower, The Monster Magnet

Yokosuka's Godzilla Slide

SoftBank Corp. Investing $250 Million In Legendary Entertainment

Legendary Entertainment looks like a good investment since they have a number of hit movies under their belts in recent years. So good an investment that SoftBank Corp. is making a major investment into the production company.

According to the Los Angeles Times:

SoftBank Corp. is making its first investment in a Hollywood studio as the Japanese technology giant seeks to bring more content to its mobile and digital networks. 

The cash-flush company said Thursday that it will invest $250 million in Legendary Entertainment, the Burbank production house and financier behind recent movies including "Godzilla" and "300: Rise of an Empire." 

SoftBank owns major stakes in industries including Internet and e-commerce, and it has been looking around Hollywood for a studio play.

To read more, go here. 

Tourists Steering Away From Japan's Volcanic Venues

Above, a view outside of the Mt. Aso ropeway station in 2007. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The eruption of Mount Ontake in which 47 hikers were killed and about 16 people are reported missing has scared away tourists to Japan's volcanic venues.

According to the Japan Times:

Tourist destinations around the nation’s volcanoes have been flooded with inquiries from worried customers in the wake of the deadly eruption of Mount Ontake on Sept. 27. 

Reservations at some inns are being canceled even as the best time for viewing the autumn leaves approaches. 

An employee of the Mount Aso cable car company in Kumamoto Prefecture, at the foot of Mount Aso, said inquiries, mostly from travel companies, have surged in the wake of the surprise eruption, which left at least 47 hikers dead on Mount Ontake.

When I visited Mount Aso back in 2007, although the park was in the midst of a blizzard, we were told that we could not use the ropeway as there was poisonous gases being emitted from the volcano. This is one of the things that people have to contend with when visiting active volcanic areas.

To read more, go here. 

Dollar Set To Remain Strong Against Yen

The U.S. dollar has shown remarkable strength during the past two months and The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) has taken notice and wrote up an article about it.

They begin with:

There seems to be no end in sight for the dollar’s worldwide strength, against a backdrop of improvement in the U.S. economy, according to specialists. 

The value of the yen may drop to a level as low as ¥115 against the dollar toward the end of the year, some market participants have said. 

On Wednesday, the yen continued to weaken in the Tokyo foreign exchange market, temporarily reaching the ¥110 range against the dollar for the first time in about six years and one month. The yen’s value somewhat rebounded Thursday.

This is good news for American tourists to Japan as their dollars buy more yen, making a trip to Japan more affordable.

It was during my 2007 trip to Japan that I was able to get around ¥116 for every dollar I exchanged.

To read more, go here.

Japan Outlines Plan To Reach 20 Million Visitors By 2020 Olympics

Above, a night view of the Tokyo Skytree and Asahi Beer Hall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The United Kingdom's Travel Weekly posted an article on Japan's six point plan to boost tourism to Japan to 20 million visitors by the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

According to the article:

Japan has unveiled a six-point strategy to attract 20 million tourists a year by 2020 when it hosts the Olympic and Paralympic games in Tokyo. 

In a special Japan-UK Tourism Symposium held in London yesterday (Thurs), the ambassador of Japan to the UK outlined the country's plan to double the number of tourists in the year it hosts the Olympic games, in part by learning lessons from the London 2012 Olympic games.

The ambassador outlined the strategy as follows:

• promoting tourism for the 2020 Olympics and beyond; 
• putting in place plans to expand the inbound market; 
• simplifying entry procedures such as relaxing visa requirements; 
• cultivating hidden regional tourism resources; 
• promoting a welcoming environment for international visitors; 
• attracting the meetings and incentives market.

To read the full article, go here.

Current Blog Pick-ups

The great folks at The Japan Daily have picked up several of yesterday's blog posts for sharing with their readers.

They include:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Name The Episode

The following by Brad Shey references an episode of the Adventures of Superman. What episode was it?

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Close-Out Sale

As we are moving out of 2014 and into the new year, I am preparing to publish the second edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan (it should be ready during the first or second quarter of 2015), I am now having a close-out (or clearance) sale of the first edition for only $9.95 plus $2.00 shipping & handling. That's $5.05 off the cover price!

By having this close-out sale of the first edition, I will be able to make room for the second edition.

There are two ways to order it at the above price.

First, just send by snail mail your check or money order payable to:

Armand Vaquer
P.O. Box 816
Jamestown, NM 87347

Second, you can go the PayPal route at by hitting this button:

The sale will be ongoing while supplies last!

Things To See and Do Near Tokyo Station

Above, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you happen to find yourself in the vicinity of Tokyo Station and want something to see and do, Tokyoing.net has two pages of suggestions to take into consideration.

The suggestions range from visiting the Imperial Palace to browsing inside of the Pokemon Store in Tokyo Station.

To see the things to see and do, go here.

First October Pick-ups

October started out with two blog pick-ups by the nice folks at The Japan Daily for sharing with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Godzilla's Nichigeki Theater

Above, the shinkansen passes the Nichigeki Theater after leaving
Tokyo Station on December 21, 1964. Photo: Kyodo News/AP.

The above photo has been accompanying articles on the 50th anniversary of Japan's shinkansen (bullet train) in various news outlets.

The photo was taken on December 21, 1964, two months after the shinkansens were put into service. The first shinkansens ran from Tokyo to Osaka.

The Toho Nichigeki Theater in Yurakucho (sandwiched in-between Ginza and Hibiya) is familiar to Godzilla fans. It was featured in the 1954 Godzilla as sort of an inside joke for theater patrons who were sitting in that very theater screening Godzilla. In the movie, Godzilla steps on the nearby train tracks. The electricity from the tracks course through Godzilla (it must've tickled him), causing his tail to whip around and smashing the theater building.

Above, Godzilla approaches the Nichigeki Theater in 1954.

The theater was later demolished (for real, this time) and the site is now occupied by the Yurakucho Mullion Building (featured in Return of Godzilla in 1984).

The Ginza-Hibiya areas of Tokyo are spotlighted in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan on page 28.

UFO Over Tarzana?

Actually, it was a drone flying around the local supermarket parking lot that was loaded with LED lights.

Japan Increases Duty-Free Items For Foreign Tourists

Above, the Mitsukoshi department store in Ginza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As expected, Japan has increased the items that can be purchased by foreign tourists duty-free.

Kyodo News reported:

The Japanese government expanded Wednesday its list of duty-free items for foreign visitors to include foods, alcohol, drugs and cosmetics on top of electronic goods, clothing and bags already exempt from the consumption tax.

The consumption tax currently stands at 8% in Japan, but there are discussions of raising it to 10%.

This is great news for tourists as the items are the most popular souvenirs for visitors to Japan.

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Shinkansen Turns 50

Above, a Tohoku shinkansen in 2006. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today's the day that Japan's shinkansen (bullet train) marks 50 years of service.

News On Japan reported:

Japan's Shinkansen bullet-train has marked its 50th anniversary. The first Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka debuted on October 1st, 1964, ahead of the Tokyo Summer Olympics. 

On Wednesday, a celebratory event was held at Tokyo Station.

 To read more, go here.