E-Books

Today I went to the library near my place. I love reading, so I used to have a big bookshelf covering a wall of my room, but I had to sell most of my books to a book-recycle shop before I went to Africa three years ago. There was nowhere to keep them during my absence. In Africa, I really missed reading. I couldn't get Japanese books there. Some my friends were enjoying e-books, but the Japanese e-book industry was still fledgling, so they didn't have enough variety. I couldn't satisfy my thirst for books there. After I returned to Tokyo, I started to think that I should buy only e-books, because I can't take all my printed books if I move somewhere. But, I found that only books published recently are available as e-books, and older books aren't, and we can find many manga, novels for young adults, business books, and self-development e-books, but we can't find enough volumes of other genres. I heard on CNN that e-book publications exceed paper-based books in the US. Is the e-book industry in Japan still in it's early stages? If publication companies make all old books digital, I would be really happy, but is it impossible? I know there are companies who can make my paper-based books digital, but it costs money and I have so many books ... Anyway, I'm still scared to add new printed books to my book shelf, so I go to a library.

Ramen at AFRI in Ebisu

Today I ate ramen ( Japanese style-Chinese noodle) at AFRI in Ebisu. AFRI is a popular ramen restaurant. I love it!

This review is from Tokyo Metropolis   http://metropolis.co.jp/features/feature/ramenote/

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Popularizing a new style of ramen is no easy task. Popularizing something for the ladies is even harder. Afuri breaks into the male-dominated ramen scene with its light and refreshing—some would even say “healthy”—soups. The yuzu citrus-tinted shio ramen (yuzu shiomen, ゆず塩麺, ¥850) ensures a host of repeat customers. A newly opened shop in Harajuku makes a nice stop after that Omotesando Hills shopping spree.

1-1-7 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-5795-0750. Open daily 11am-4am.

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A Lingerie Shop in Aoyama

I went to 'Rue de Ryu', a lingerie shop in Aoyama. The owner of the boutique, Madam Ryu is extraordinary. She is in her 50's and is a beautiful, very elegant, sophisticated and smart woman. She and her boutique have been introduced frequently in fashion magazines for 20 years. She always wears sexy lingerie and coordinates them as fashion items, for example, she wears a bustier under a jacket instead of a shirt. She has published 4 books about lingerie and her philosophy about life, beauty and health. She is a charismatic person for women.
Madam Ryu says, we can't choose bras using only the measurement. All women have different figures, so we should confirm if a bra fits our breasts before we buy one. These days, shopping on the web is really popular, so some people buy bras on the web. I have also done so sometimes. She says, we should try on bras with a skilled professional. I always wear a 70A size in Japan, 32A size in the UK, and they make me sick with pain. Madam Ryu selected a 65C, meaning 30C for me and it fitted ! Most of products in the shop were imported from Europe, but that one was Rue de Ryu's original pattern for Japanese women. I selected a red-lace one and Madam Ryu adjusted it with small falsies. It was pretty expensive but I was satisfied. We have to spend all-day long wearing a bra, so if it is nice and comfortable, we are happy!

Fish and Chips in Tokyo

Today I wanted to eat fish and chips suddenly. I searched for a place where I could eat it around my place on the web, and I went to a restaurant in Ueno. It wasn't too bad, but I think I can find a better one in another restaurant. I ate fish and chips when I went to London 15 years ago. I think the one I ate today was different from the one in London. Tokyo is a metropolis, so we can eat any kind of food from all over the world here. I believe that there is a restaurant that serves genuine British style fish and chips in Tokyo. I know that there are many British pubs in Tokyo. They might serve good fish and chips. The problem is that they are always crowded with people, and they are mostly guys from Western countries. I'm too scared to go there alone. In Tokyo, a woman going to a restaurant or bar by herself is very common, since many working single women are here. After work, we eat dinner on the way to our place. I can eat ramen, curry and beef-bowl in Yoshinoya by myself. Chinese dishes in a Chinese restaurant is also OK. Nobody pays much attention to me, so I can relax. But going to a pub alone is too hard, I imagine no single women are there. Maybe I should find a male friend to go there with ...

The Opening Party of El Caliente

On 27th Apr, I went to a opening party of new restaurant, El Caliente in Shinagawa. 

The operator is Huge, a restaurant company. The owner of the company, Mr. Shinkawa is famous in the restaurant industry. When former US president Mr. Bush came to Japan, Japanese prime minister Mr. Koizumi took him to an izakaya, a Japanese style pub in Nishi-Azabu. It was a kind of sensation, because until then only high-end restaurants were chosen in that situation. Shinkawa was the man who served sake and food to them. That pub, Gonpachi is not an izakaya actually, it is a stylish Japanese restaurant known as 'Kill Bill restaurant', because movie producer Quentin Tarantino created scenes in Kill Bill after being inspired by this restaurant. Shinkawa was a board member of that company and then he started his own company in 2005. Now Shinkawa is the new restaurant king in Tokyo. He has produced nice restaurants in trendy areas. His restaurants Rigoletto in Roppongi and one in Marunouchi are always full with customers as well as his other restaurants.
The new restaurant El Caliente is a Mexican restaurant. When I arrived at the party, it was already very crowded. I greeted Mr. Shinkawa at the entrance, and tried to see inside, but it was jammed with people, so my friend and I went to the balcony. 

On the stage a Latin band was playing music, I was happy with a Mexican beer and Latin music. Next time I want to taste their food, because we couldn't get to do so that night.