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  1. #1
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    Wally Dorian Raffles's Avatar
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    Shimokitazawa Tokyo

    Hello teakdoorers - those who know me know that I lived in Japan before moving to Thailand in 2004 - 2008.
    I've been back in Tokyo over 5 years now and back in my old neighbourhood Shimokitazawa.
    Things have really changed here and there are tourists here! Believe me, there were never tourists here years ago and it stills seems strange. I guess Japan was always seen as too expensive before - not now! - it is CHEAPER than Thailand in many ways.
    Also with airbnb offering an alternative to tiny hotel rooms tourists have more options as far as staying somewhere you can relax a bit more
    My home has been Shimokitazawa for the bulk of my time spent in Japan. It has a chilled village type atmosphere and has loads of live music, arts, record stores, antique stores, etc.
    This website has been put together on the neighborhood - please check it out and let me know if you are coming to town!
    Shimokitazawa Now - Shimokitazawa Now

    Also - this thread features yours truly and the silver ( which I bought from Thailand ) jewellery stand I had in the 90's !
    Blogs & Vlogs - Shimokitazawa Now

  2. #2
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    Interesting, japan very popular with Thais now they don't need a visa. I'd want to avoid most of those characters in the blog though, they look like horror movie extras. Is it far from Akihabura in Tokyo? fancy going there next year.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat Storekeeper's Avatar
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    Looks like you're about 70 minutes from here in Yokosuka by train or 45 minutes by taxi.

  4. #4
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    Wally Dorian Raffles's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonfly94 View Post
    Interesting, japan very popular with Thais now they don't need a visa. Is it far from Akihabura in Tokyo? fancy going there next year.
    Yep - lots of Thai tourists here these days. They travel quite well. Much better than Chinese who are getting better.

    Shimokitazawa is 3 minutes (one stop on express train) from Shibuya on the Inokashira line. Shibuya is on the Yamanote line and so is Akihabura and a lot of tourists think it's the best place to stay also. Akihabura is great for your electronic shopping, etc but it's not really a convenient location or nice place to stay. Shimokitazawa has another train line ( Odakyu line ) that takes you to Shinjuku in 7 minutes on the express train - and the same line veers off in another direction and turns into the subway line that goes to Asakusa/Ginza area . Shinjuku and Shibuya are the major hubs though you wouldn't want to stay there - it would be like going to New York and staying in time square. Shimokitazawa is close to both major hubs but is much different - having no cars on the streets because they are too narrow and people just walking around on the roads is a much nicer atmosphere ..

  5. #5
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    Wally Dorian Raffles's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Storekeeper View Post
    Looks like you're about 70 minutes from here in Yokosuka by train or 45 minutes by taxi.
    Are you living back in Yokosuka ??

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat Storekeeper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wally Dorian Raffles
    Are you living back in Yokosuka ??
    Yep, been back in Yokosuka almost two years.

  7. #7
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    ^ We should hook up sometime SK. Let me know if you venture into the city

  8. #8
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    Anyone like Japanese music, these are great:


  9. #9
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    Wally Dorian Raffles's Avatar
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    ^ Three High School girls mixing j-pop & death metal!! brilliant!!

  10. #10
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    Outstanding vid.

    outstanding Band.

    WoW

  11. #11
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    .....wish I knew what they were saying ?

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat CaptainNemo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonfly94 View Post
    Anyone like Japanese music, these are great:

    It's an alluring combo - doll-faced inginues and clean thrash metal... visuals of epic slow mo head-shaking chin-moshing bukkakes and nakadashis all round.

    I thought the land of surprising fun was in perpetual recession with its youth desperate to escape the hamsterlike lifestyle there.

    I remember lads dressed in clean ironed gangsta clothing, with dyed hair cruising around in their low-suspension minivans with lights coming out, and young un' doing breakdancing under bridges and at the entrances to underground train stations.

    No-one really seemed happy - just with a constant blank expression of shock at the life laid out for them.

    Still, nice and clean, porno mags on the bottom shelf in the convenience stores; always felt safe there, even if them lot can be a bit priverant.

    If there were sustainable jobs (in STEM not TEFL) where foreign ways were accommodated, I'd give it a go; but they always seem to make it a chew with silly bits of bureaucracy, and unspoken rules, it kicks the fun out of it after a while.

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat CaptainNemo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dead Metal View Post
    .....wish I knew what they were saying ?
    Summat about fighting with all their hearts... nothing about being vigorously tupped ovver a stile, wit' nostrils pulled beeack wi' tha two fingers, or rubbin' yer teabags all ovver their ears and babby batter smeared into their gums; nowt about that, awd lad. ...I'll show 'em what zenbu looks like, no fear... :d
    Last edited by CaptainNemo; 20-05-2016 at 02:13 AM.

  14. #14
    Molecular Mixup
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  15. #15
    Thailand Expat CaptainNemo's Avatar
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    I'd like to see um do more o this durty south stuff:



    The mek me feel all skebby an that

  16. #16
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    onya Wally.

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat CaptainNemo's Avatar
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    How about this for a change?



    That's summat to get sticky wi'.

  18. #18
    Molecular Mixup
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaptainNemo
    Still, nice and clean, porno mags on the bottom shelf in the convenience stores; always felt safe there, even if them lot can be a bit priverant.
    eh? a bit what

    I made a short trip to japan about 25 years ago and had a nice time
    People can have a very different attitude though
    Once I got totally fucking lost, so decided to practiced some Japanese on a man, asking for directions to the train station .
    Dude looked unsure, then confidently pointed the way .
    The wrong way it turned out .
    I was told he wasn't being nasty, just didn't know himself and didn't want to lose face by saying so .

    Japan has some good artists , must be some good musicians,
    though this the only one in my collection
    nice and dreamy

  19. #19
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    Shimokitawa must be a great place to live. Well done on getting a place around there.

    The website looks really smart. I'll be stopping by from time to time.

    A lot of neighborhoods in Tokyo have changed over the years with the tourists. Ginza is one such case. I used to complain about it being up its own arse a bit. Now its full of duty free stores and fast fashion. Don't know which version I prefer now!

  20. #20
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    Not sure why you would say Shibuya or Shinjuku aren't ideal locations to stay. I lived in both places for a few years each. Once you leave the immediate area around the train station it is a whole different world. That's the beauty of Japan you can go around the corner down a small alley and it can be like a small town feel.

    I lived in the Inokashira line one stop from Shibuya near shinsen station and it was great. Short walk through love hotel hill and you were at Hachiko crossing.

    Glad you like where you live but not certain your average tourist would find it better or more convinient than Shinjuku or Shibuya. This assumes one has the budget for a decent place in either location though.

  21. #21
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    Just come back from shinjuku was very impressed with Tokyo and Japanese folks, really shows Thailand up as a shitty unsafe badly developed dump that it is, it will never ever get to Japanese standards in anything. Only went to Toyko though, mrs could not stop shopping, best to go back on my own I think. Govt building in shinjuku park has free observation decks on 45th floor in both towers, free as well. The station of course is a utter nightmare to get around, must be the busiest in the world. Stick to the Yamonote line then you can't go wrong as it's circular. Wish I had gone years ago. Regret not going in a maid cafe, but would have not been fun with mrs, did go in the AKB48 cafe in Akihabara station though, girls dressed as maids and no cover charge, wonderfully weird- they were playing bingo. AKB48 are still Japans best known pop group named after Akihabara where they originated, much copied




    I wonder what the 2020 theme will be, they are doing the city up for the Olympics already



    They should get lisa x to do it



    Like hello Kitty on steroids, even metal is kawaii, like most other things in Japan

    Last edited by Thai3; 24-05-2017 at 12:35 PM.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thai3
    Just come back from shinjuku was very impressed with Tokyo and Japanese folks, really shows Thailand up as a shitty unsafe badly developed dump that it is, it will never ever get to Japanese standards in anything. Only went to Toyko though, mrs could not stop shopping, best to go back on my own I think.
    Agree with that... although I wouldn't say it myself (living in Thai so long, don't want to be labeled a traitor 55)...
    Thailand is great, you just have to accept it for what it is...

    But yeah, Japan is miles ahead in every respect... I feel secure throwing my life savings at my business there - wouldn't even contemplate doing that in Thailand... especially with the instability and contempt it has for us Farang...

    Anyway, I don't want to bag Thailand too much, on a Thai-centric forum, as most of you lot love it (as I did) wouldn't want to disrespect you guys.

    Still prefer Thailand over NZ (crazy as that sounds)... fook Auckland is a mess (rest of NZ might be great... dunno)...

    Japan must be a special place, because no one was crazier about Thailand than me... Japan stole my Thaiophile heart 55... beautiful country, very kind and considerate people, counting down the days to moving there... will be very proud to call Japan my new home...

  23. #23
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    I have to be honest, much as I have enjoyed Thailand and especially the music over the last 23 years, the place is going backward and Thais are completely repressed politically, something foreigners just seem to forget. Few countries hand out 15 years sentences for fb comments or sms messages on opinions, then let off murderers if they are rich. Japan is just so much more civilized, take away the sex for sale industry hypocrisy here and how many foreigners would be interested in Thailand? not many that's for sure. Whats the visa situation long term for Japan if you are older? Any country where people queue up and with no soi dogs and no rubbish all over the place has to be better Japan is a very special place that's true, pity the Japanese left in 1945, they might have knocked some sense into the silly buggers.
    Last edited by Thai3; 24-05-2017 at 11:50 AM.

  24. #24
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    I'm getting "This site is temporarily unavailable" Wally.

  25. #25
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    Probably banned by the Thais, can't stand the competition

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