"In The Footsteps of Godzilla" Event News Release

The following News Release will be issued shortly:

The Japan Society of Northern California will be holding a special screening of the original Japanese version of "Godzilla" (1954) at the Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco on Sunday, April 26. The doors open at 3:30 PM. 

"Godzilla" will be shown in Japanese language with English subtitles. 

Following the movie, Armand Vaquer, author of "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" will discuss the special effects techniques used in Godzilla movies, the locations and landmarks used and other tidbits of information. A question & answer period is included. 

Following the screening and discussion, a V.I.P. dinner will be held at the Izakaya Roku Japanese restaurant in San Francisco. 

For more information on the screeening, discussion and V.I.P. dinner along with ticket information, go to http://www.usajapan.org/event/in-the-footsteps-of-godzilla/. The public is invited. 

The event will benefit the Japan Society and help to present future programs.

JAL Resumes Los Angeles and Osaka Flights

Above, Osaka Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you plan to fly to Japan from Los Angeles but wish to by-pass Tokyo's two major airports, Narita and Haneda, Japan Airlines has resumed direct flight service between Los Angeles and Osaka.

According to Anna.Aero:

Japan Airlines has resumed non-stop flights between Osaka Kansai (KIX) and Los Angeles (LAX). On 20 March the Japanese oneworld member started daily flights on the 9,218-kilometre route using its 787-8s. No other carrier operates this airport pair. This is the airline’s second US service from Osaka as it already operates daily flights to Honolulu in Hawaii. It is also Japan Airlines’ second route to Los Angeles complementing the airline’s existing daily service from Tokyo Narita.

To read more, go here. 

ANA Receives 5-Star Rating For 3rd Consecutive Year

Above, an ANA jet at Narita International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one is planning to travel to Japan but haven't decided on what airline to use, the following may be of some help in making that decision.

Japan Today reported:

TOKYO —For the third consecutive year, ANA has been awarded 5-Stars by SKYTRAX, the world’s leading airline and airport review specialists (http://www.airlinequality.com/). Only six other airlines across the globe hold this prestigious 5-Star rating and ANA is the only Japanese airline to hold this award. 

The award recognizes the consistently high levels of service provided by ANA to customers at all stages of their flight, from the airport to the cabin. It also recognizes the ongoing improvements to service quality that ANA has implemented to meet the needs of its increasingly international customer base.

To read more, go here. 

Travel With The Obamas

While Americans are struggling to make ends meet, the Obamas have been living "high on the hog" at taxpayers' expense.

Recently, Barack and Michelle Obama came to Los Angeles in separate planes. Michelle Obama has just concluded a junket trip to Japan and Cambodia, also at the expense of taxpayers.

Investors.com wrote:

Just a quick update, as you organize to file your income taxes, on the Obama family's lavish travel expenses that your money is underwriting. Financing might be a better word. 

Barack and Michelle Obama have traveled more than any other first couple -- doing Spain, Africa, China, South America, among other distant spots. Often they're accompanied by friends and Michelle Obama's Mom, Marian Robinson, who's been living in the White House at taxpayer expense since her son-in-law's inauguration. And in some cases, Mrs. Robinson's friends tag along. 

By one accounting, as of last July the Obamas had spent more than $44.4 million in taxpayer money on travel for 31 international trips lasting 119 days. For comparison, at the same point in his presidency Ronald Reagan had made 14 trips lasting 73 days.

When you read the full article, you will see that the car rental industry, among others, are really making a mint off the Obamas.

Read More At Investor's Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/032515-745018-michelle-obama-travel-expenses.htm#ixzz3VPKw2sWj

JAPANiCAN: 5 Fun Things To Do In Tokyo

★Looking for something different to do in Tokyo? There are loads of interesting places to visit and fun things to do in Tokyo, but it can be a bit overwhelming to pick out what to do, so here are 5 recommendations for a few cool things you might have heard about and a couple that might not be on your radar yet! 1. Robot Show (Shinjuku) The perfect mix of energetic cabaret and anime-like campiness, it's no wonder this unique and definitely fun show -- nay -- experience at Shinjuku's "Robot Restaurant" is one of the top rated things to do in Tokyo. Book with us for JPY 1,500 (21%) OFF the normal price, a drink on us, and a choice of 4 different start times! Book the Robot Show! 2. Awa Dance Restaurant (Shinjuku) Learn the traditional "Awa Odori", or Awa Dance, and enjoy a tasty meal all in one night and one place! The atmosphere is a festival from the moment you walk through the door, and after a brief performance, you can cut loose and jump right into the action with the professional performers and other diners. Choose from a lighter 4-dish meal or the 9-dish version that comes with all-you-can-drink! Book the Awa Dance Restaurant! 3. Maid Cafe (Akihabara) Visit the Mecca of Japan's "otaku" culture, Akihabara, for a cuteness overload at one of the most popular maid cafes around! The plan includes your choice of an entree or special dessert, a drink, a photo with your favorite maid, and a dance performance by the maids. Book with us to save almost JPY 1,500 off the normal price! Book the Akihabara Maid Experience! 4. Bunny Cafe (Asakusa) Need even more cuteness? Check out one of the newest additions to Tokyo's themed cafe scene, the Bunny Cafe! Go by yourself or with a friend and chill out with one of the adorably fluffy residents on this plan including a 30-minute play session and a treat to give your bunny! (Food and drinks for humans are available separately!) Book a playdate with a bunny! 5. All-You-Can-Drink Asahi Super Dry Beer (Tokyo Skytree) Going for drinks is a popular evening activity in Japan, with draft beer a popular choice. Treat yourself to a few frosty libations with this all-you-can-drink plan featuring Asahi Super Dry, right next door to the famous Tokyo Skytree! Plan includes 100 minutes of all-you-can-drink beer, other alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks as well as some light finger food, all for a special price of only JPY 3,000! Book all-you-can-drink Asahi Beer!

Oy! Such A Deal! A Tent For $16.00!

A friend emailed me an ad she saw on eBay for a Coleman 6-person "Hampton" camping cabin tent for $16.00.

She thought the ad might be "too good to be true" but decided (since she was on the market for a tent and other camping gear anyway) to hit "buy now" and ordered it.

Since she did, 33 more orders came into that account and they may be sold out. At that price, small wonder!

She thinks that if this was a bogus ad, it may have been because the account holder's account was hacked. I suspect that, at worst, the $16.00 price may have been a typo and they intended it to be listed at $160.00 as I saw other ads for this model tent for around $150.00. But, as the ad wasn't pulled, the account holder, in my view, is stuck. For $16.00, she thought it worth the risk.

We'll see if the tent is delivered to her for $16.00. If so, then she got herself a great deal!

Japan Tourism Agency To Promote Historic Locations As Conference Venues

Above, Osaka Castle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan Tourism Agency is set to promote historic locations as venues for foreign conferences.

According to The Japan Times:

The Japan Tourism Agency is going to publish a list of 85 historic buildings suitable for use as conference venues in the hopes of luring more foreign professionals who might then become tourists, officials said Tuesday. 

It is the first time that the government has created a comprehensive list of what it calls “unique venues” — historic buildings like castles, temples and museums that can serve as memorable locations for business events such as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, otherwise known as MICE. 

The agency will publish the list on its website in April, said Hiroyuki Kozuma, the agency’s deputy director of MICE Promotion and International Organization.

To read more, go here.

What You Can Do During A Narita Airport Layover

Above, the departure terminal at Narita International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you happen to find yourself in Narita International Airport for several hours in a layover while waiting for a connecting flight, you don't have to stay in the airport and be bored stiff (the airport also has some things you can do).

Tokyo Cheapo has a new article with some great suggestions on what to do during a lengthy layover at the airport.

They begin it with:

You’ve got hours and hours to wait until your connecting flight, or worse, you have to stay overnight waiting for an early morning flight. What’s there to do during your layover, aside from checking out the souvenirs and keeping yourself fed? Luckily, you don’t have to consider yourself stuck in Narita International Airport, as there are places and activities to check out (which might actually make you enjoy your layover!) and facilities to ensure a relatively comfortable (by that, we mean comfortable for an airport) stay.

 To see what you can do during a layover, go here.

L.A. To Tokyo Airfares Rise

Above, a view of Fukuoka from Fukuoka Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Los Angeles Times Travel section reported yesterday that airfares between Los Angeles and Tokyo have gone up since my March 2 report.

In my report, I posted that airfares between L.A. and Tokyo were (according to the Times Travel section of the day before) at $709 on the low end and $1,061 on the high end. These prices are before any fees or taxes added.

Yesterday, the Times reported that their survey found airfares were at $859 on the low end and $1,211 on the high end. Again, these prices do not include any fees or taxes.

It appears that these prices reflect tourist interest in visiting Japan when the cherry blossoms are in bloom and, possibly, the Golden Week holidays.

The next airfare report will be posted in April.

The Robert Durst Case, Something Interesting

While watching the Fox News Channel's show, Justice w/Judge Jeanine, the Robert Durst story came on and during the story, a letter involved with the murder of Susan Berman flashed on the screen and caught my attention.

Durst is alleged to be the serial killer of a number of people, including Berman.

This is the letter to Susan Berman:

What caught my attention about the letter was the address of Susan Berman: 1527 Benedict Canyon.

Why, you may ask?

Here is a photo of 1579 Benedict Canyon that I took a few years ago:

1579 Benedict Canyon was the home of Adventures of Superman star George Reeves and where he allegedly committed suicide.

Here's how close the Reeves and Berman homes are:

Above, the location of the Reeves home.

Above, the location of the Berman home.

As Arte Johnson used to say on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, "Verrrry interesting!"

Camping Amenities of Today

Above, my "new toy" parked at home. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been about 20-25 years since I last camped in an RV park.

I recently received the 2015 Good Sam Club and the 2015 KOA campground directories and have spent some time looking them over. I've noticed that things are a bit different these days.

Back when I last camped at a RV park or private/commercial campground, the Internet was either in the experimental stage or non-existent (very few people, if any, had home computers back then anyway). Today, people now require that their camping experience includes Wi-Fi service, besides the usual water, electric, sewer and other amenities. They also want, if they are lucky enough to get it, cell phone service out in the wilderness (that's all I need, some dummy at the next door campsite chattering on his/her cell phone in the middle of the night while I am trying to sleep).

Here is what one KOA Kampground is offering in amenities today:

Where To Find Wi-Fi On Domestic Flights

If you are flying an airline on a domestic route, whether you are on business or pleasure, you may want to use your computer or other device on the flight to surf the Internet.

Most domestic airlines now offer Wi-Fi aboard their planes, but the prices to use their service varies. Personally, I've never used in-flight Wi-Fi while going to Japan or anywhere else. First, the cost was too excessive (in my opinion) and, second, there were no power outlets at my seat to keep my laptop batteries fully charged. Some airlines now have power plug outlets installed at their seats and others are in the process of installing them.

If you want to use in-flight Wi-Fi, Condé Nast Traveler has posted a list on "Where To Find Wi-Fi On Domestic Flights."

To view it, go here.

U.S. Vets Return To Iwo Jima

Above, with Mount Suribachi in the background, a U.S. 37mm cannon fires against Japanese cave positions on Iwo Jima.

70 years ago, the taking of the island of Iwo Jima in February 1945 was one of the bloodiest battles of World War II.

Today, veterans of that 36-day battle returned for a Reunion of Honor ceremony on the island, now called Ioto on Japanese maps.

According to Japan Today:

IOTO, Japan —Dozens of aging U.S. veterans gathered on the tiny, barren island of Iwo Jima on Saturday to mark one of the bloodiest and most iconic battles of World War II 70 years ago. 

The vets, many in the early 90s and some in wheelchairs, toured the black sand beaches where they invaded the deeply dug-in forces of the island’s Japanese defenders.

To read more, go here. 

Live Long and Eat Sushi Star Trek-style!

Above, the U.S.S. Enterprise sushi set. ThinkGeek image.

If you are a Star Trek fan (original NBC series) and also a fan of sushi, then ThinkGeek has just the thing for you!

It is a U.S.S. Enterprise (original series version) sushi set.

It consists of:

And now you can have a Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise Sushi Set of your very own. Set it on your table, and it looks like a mid-warp U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 on a wooden base. But the wooden base is actually a sushi plate. Remove the top of the saucer section, and you have a little dish for your soy sauce. And slide out the warp effect from the nacelles and you'll have a pair of chopsticks. The Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise Sushi Set is just the thing to elevate sushi... into the final frontier!

The price? Only $34.99!

To find out more, go here. 

Latest Blog Post Pick-ups

The fine folks at The Japan Daily picked up two of yesterday's blog posts for sharing with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

"In The Footsteps of Godzilla" Dinner Information

The Japan Society of Northern California has posted the menu and information on the post-event dinner that will follow the screening of Godzilla (1954) and the question & answer session on Sunday, April 26 in San Francisco.

Here's a snapshot of the menu:

To go to the website of Izakaya Roku, go here.

To go to the Japan Society of North America's website on the event (including ticket information), go here.

The Japan News To Be Given A Renovation For 60th Anniversary

Above, the Japan News article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide
 To Japan when it was called the Daily Yomiuri in 2011.

The Japan News, the English-language newspaper (and website) of the Yomiuri Shimbun, will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next month. To celebrate, they are giving the paper a face-lift.

According to their website:

The Japan News, the English-language daily newspaper published by The Yomiuri Shimbun, will commemorate its 60th anniversary on April 1. To mark this occasion, the pages and content of The Japan News will be improved to bring you an even better reading experience. We will carry more in-depth and insightful commentary and analysis articles, start new Japanese cuisine and tourism sections, and launch kabuki and sumo columns written by reporters specializing in these fields.

To read more, go here.

1.38 Million Foreign Visitors Attracted To Japan In February

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

The rise in foreign tourism to Japan is continuing this year.

The figures for February 2015 are now out and posted by The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun).

They wrote:

The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in February jumped 57.6 percent from a year before to a monthly record of 1,387,000, up for the 25th straight month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday.

They attribute the rise in foreign tourism to the weakened yen (which makes things in Japan much cheaper) and goods exempted from the consumption tax for foreign visitors.

To read more, go here. 

Photos In Flight: What You Can and Can't Shoot

Above, a United Airlines Boeiug 787. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Did you know that airlines have policies against photos and videos taken aboard their aircraft?

Yes, it is true! The taking of some videos or photographs are allowed, but others are forbidden. An article by Fox News explains all.

According to Fox News:

You need to think twice about using that smartphone to shoot video or still pictures on your next flight. Despite the fact that many airlines do not have a firm policy when it comes to onboard videos or photographs, you could find yourself standing at the gate, instead of sitting in your seat, as the plane taxis for takeoff if you try to take videos and photos onboard your flight.   

To read the article, go here.