Tokyo neighborhoods – Something on Roppongi

Around Christmas time, Tokyo was decorated with many lights. Even if in general, Japanese people don’t celebrate Christmas, the commercial aspect of it remains quite big here.
And they don’t do things badly…I must say!
We went to Roppongi Hills, a recent urban development, headquarters of many high tech and internet companies. Trendy it is.

Roppongi Hills
Roppongi Hills is located next to the very famous neighborhood of Roppongi. Roppongi is known for being the neighborhood when one should go for nightlife. When walking down the streets there, if you are a bunch of boys together, you will find yourself asked about 20 times, if you want to go to a hostess bar. That kind of nightlife, yep!
Also many bars and a lot of…’hidden and secret’ stories about the back streets of Roppongi…if that doesn’t sound like an interesting program!

Livedoor
Recently, a big financial scandal happened in Japan. The company, named Livedoor, is now suspected to have manipulated the company’s financial statements and stock value to make more money at the expense of the “poor” investors!
Oh no!! Another scandal linked to the evil internet….!
The CEO is now sleeping for free in jail and the scandal reveals another side of Roppongi Hills.
Everyone knows that a hill has many sides but still…
Livedoor was one of these new companies in Japan, headed by an anti-conformist guy, breaking all the many rules existing in Japan and dictating the way business is done here.
For your information, all these companies located in Roppongi Hills were named the Hills Family (Roppongi zoku in Japanese).

Nevertheless, it is very pleasant to walk around the Roppongi Hills complex. You sometimes see street performers. I, for example, once walked by and watched a circus performance (Mongolian circus). Pretty awesome spot.

And now you know what is happening behind these fancy and super cool looking buildings!

- Nico

Ride on …. The SmoCar!
The smokers’ caravan.

Did you know?
In Japan about 50% of men and 14% of women smoke. About 30% of the population. This makes a good business for Japan Tobacco (JT) the world’s third cigarette maker.
Cigarettes here in Japan are still pretty cheap by European standards (about 300 yens for 20…less than 2.5 euros). And you can buy cigarettes from vending machines on the streets (any time of the day and night). Everything is ready for the smoking party to go on and on and on.
Many coffee shops and restaurants are smoking and finding a non smoking section can be something of a challenge.
Now stop worrying, things are changing.

Time to quit
More and more people are concerned about health problem linked to tobacco and in the past years, the government has applied the world proven policy of price increase to reduce the number of smokers.
Also in some parts of town you find streets where smoking is not allowed. If ever you do, you might get fined. And it’s not like in Europe where no one ever gets fined, in Japan you really might (up to 2000 yens or 15 euros)!!
This somehow works but JT has also found another answer to the question of cohabitation between smokers and non smokers.

The SmoCar
The SmoCar is a little caravan built by JT for his customers. For technical information the SmoCar’s trailer can host about 20 smokers and will provide them with a great location to light up!
And if you don’t smoke, you might not get to visit the inside of this new air conditioned spot.
When the hot Japanese summers arrive, I wonder what option is worse between the outside hot and wet air and the inside of a smoky but cool trailer…

Get educated
When walking around Tokyo, we saw the SmoCar parked in front of Tokyo Station. Who knows how much it might cost to rent a parking space there.
But next to the SmoCar were displayed some very interesting information about cigarettes and the danger of smoking while walking.
Do it but do it with style

-Nico

Happy New Year 2006

Karin and I just came back to Japan after a well deserved vacation in Europe!
New adventures from Japan coming soon!

- Nico