Asakusa Diary - The Staff Blog

2-24-2 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0032

This is the address of Sakura Hostel Asakusa.

Many people ask us how we find a place with its address. Don't try to do the western style. There is no street name in our addressing system. Let me explain with our address as an example.

When written in Japanese, the order is reversed like this.
〒111-0032 Tokyo, Taito-ku, Asakusa, 2-24-2

〒 signify a postal code.
Tokyo is the name of our prefecture.
Taito-ku is a ward in Tokyo.
Asakusa is a town in Taito-ku.
The first number "2" indicates a district in Asakusa.
The second number "24" is a block in the number "2" district of Asakusa.
The final number "2" is the house/building number that our hostel has got.

Did you get it? Well, I should have simply led you to Wikipedia for a more professional explanation.

But, we strongly recommend you JUST ASK LOCALS ON THE STREET when you are looking for a place. It will waste your time walking around and around with an address in you hand because address signs on the steet are written in Japanese anyways...

To find our hostel, please see the detailed direction with pictures on our website. >>Access map

Have you every seen a mammoth?

YES, I HAVE!!

Last year, a female baby mammonth was discovered in a permafrost in Russia. It died more than 30,000 years ago and had been there in the frozen ground until discovered by accident. It was named Lyuba (means "Love" in Russian) and transferred to Japan for further studying. More about Lyuba.

We can see her at in a special display at Marunouchi building near Tokyo station until February 3rd. When I saw her yesterday in the thick glass case, I thought she was smiling. But the person next to me said that she looked sad. I wonder how she's feeling to be seen by tons of people everyday after dragged out of the long peaceful sleep.

I believe that many of you still remember Hiromi, who worked with us till last summer. Yesterday, I went to the cafe where she is currently working as an event coordinator.

It is a stylish cafe designed with the concept of ecology. >>Otemachi Cafe It is located so close to the Imperial Palace that you might be able to drop by to see her someday. She's doing really well just as she always was. :)

This plum-grove park (Mogusa-en)is close to my home and
there are so many beautiful plum trees.

It looks similar to cherry blossoms but they are totally different.
Following to the flower forecast, plums will come into bloom
the early in Feb. this year.

Though February is still cold and sometimes we have snow, but when I see plum blossoms,
I can feel that the spring is coming...:)

I'm ashamed to say, I didn't know where the Bermuda is...
I've heard about the name but no idea of it, so I gave him many questions
when I knew he was from Bermuda:P

He showed us many many pictures like these↓↓

↑It looks like hotspring but it's not.
He said “it's warm enough, though”.

and I borrowed his bermuda music CD!
Those musics made me relax:) I gotta go!!

Because I was born in June, I'm not good at winter at all...
I can say I'm extremely sensitive to cold!

But everytime I turn on a heater, my co-workers say "it's too hot, can I turn it off?"
So I have Hokkairo on my back now:P

Do you know this↑?
When you put somewhere on you body, it gets hot and makes you warm:)
I can't live without it...

It's snowing today....
So cold outside! We hae only 3℃ here.

For some guests, it is their first time to see it.
I love snow but only when I'm at home:P

Can you see snowflakes on this picture?

When I went to Akihabara to buy SD card for my digital camera,
I found some strange things there.
Some girls were singing surrounded by some young guys.
I didn't know who they were at all but those girls had some exuberant fans there.
Only people who go to Akihabara almost everyday can be real fans.

After I got SD card(it was soooo cheap!!), I found some strange foods at many shops...
One is this↓↓

It's canned Udon noodle !
I'm wondering whether it's gonna be soggy...and I'm afraid of trying them.
Have you ever tried one?

Jose (the guy on the far right) is the first mexican person who I met in my life. We've known each other for 5 years and half since we met in San Francisco while studying at a university there. I visited him in Mexico later, and that was how I met the country that I would love most. I learned "hospitality" from Mexican people, who were always friendly and helpful to this strange Japanese girl. A lot of things and people inspired me to start this hostel, but among them, meeting Mexico was the biggest influence for it.

I'm telling you, Jose, without having met you I wouldn't be working here now and I wouldn't have this great opportunity to meet more and more new people every day. Thank you for visiting my hostel with your friends. That will be my most unforgettable time that I spent while working here. I'll see you soon in Mexico, or maybe here. Hasta entonces!

Are you a good runner?
Or do you prefer just watching them like me?

On 17th of Feb, we'll have Tokyo marathin race.
It starts from Tokyo Metoropolitan Government and pass Imperial Palace,
Tokyo tower, Kaminarimon Gate (Our place!!) and finish at Tokyo Big Sight.

If you are not so interested in marathon, you can still enjoy the other events
held along the course.
For example, Japanese traditional dance and music, cheerleading and so on.

You gotta come and see it!

Hi, guys!!
How's everything?

Daniel, Declan, Aaron, Tiffany, James, Kingsley, Stuart and Christine
became friends here and spent most of their time together:)

They went to clubs, bars and Karaoke at night.
But from yesterday, some of them started leaving...
Some people went to the next destination, the others went back to their home.

I think they'll keep in touch with on the website, like facebook or myspace;)

Did you see monkies soaking in a hotspring?
I hope you did★
I've been to some hot springs but never seen those monkies.

Is anyone had seen them in somewhere?
Like this↓

And thank you for the honey;)

And thank you for this pretty elephants, Lee san!!

Did you guys arrive home safely? Your vase (we've found out that he is accually the god of fire) had been empty and looked sad after you left. But he's finally got beautiful flowers in it. Looks nicer. A mexican god of fire will protect the hostel.

Hope to see you guys again soon. Saludos de Sakura Hostel!

When he checked in to Sakura Hostel,
I found many pin badges of flags on his hat.
Can you see your country's pin?

As you can guess, those flags are the countries where he had been to so far.
Almost 15 countries?

I can't see Japan's one....
He said that he was looking for it now.

We meet many many travelers everyday as you know.
There is one good traveler here in Sakura Staff.
Naoto has been to more than 60 countries so far and his passport has a bunch of stamps.
He made an additional page for it.

I've just got my new passport last week, so I'll try to make it to be full of stamps this time☆
First will be Guam!!

Maybe you guys should go out and do something different:)

They are long-stay travelers and get to know each other here.
I saw them always enjoyed talking at our lounge.
It is so nice to make new friends here but I heard that we have rain this weekend,
so we reccommend them to go out.

This is the 3rd of Seven wonders of Sakura Hostel.
"Long-stay travelers prefer talking with new friends to going out".

In 2002, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport started the campaign
to promote the number of foreigners to visit Japan.

This tour is the part of their campaign and starts from 19th of Jan. to 20th of Feb.
If you want to join them, you need to book first.
Just ask us anytime if you are our guest and we'll make a reservation for you;)

New year performances at the Asakusa Kokaido run through Jan. 26.
It is located only 5mins walk from Sakura Hostel
and the cheapest ticket is available for only 2,000yen.

Very famous actors apper in this play, so I would love to go there, too...
You gotta go!

During new year's holidays, people sometimes (always?)
ate a lot and it makes indigestion.

This↓↓is called "nanakusa-gayu" (rice porridge with seven herbs) and it's good for those people.
(Not me:p)

On the 7th of Jan, it is often served to visitors at shrines or temples,
so let's　try to visit there tomorrow♪

Actually. I don't like rice porridge and didn't eat too much this year though...

I got an iPod last month:)
Do you have it, too?

At first, I didn't think I needed it but now, I'm always be with him;)
Especially, when I'm on a train, I enjoy my favorite musics a lot.
Do you have any recommendation for me?

I tried to study English with iPod but it just made me fall asleep...

Anyway, I like it very much★

Have you ever heard about Hakone Ekiden or have you ever seen it?

If you live in Tokyo and went out to cities on the 2nd or 3rd, you might have seen some runners.
Every year, we have Hakone Ekiden on the 2nd and 3rd of Jan.
I love to watch it very much since I was little child.

Hakone-Ekiden is the most exciting event during new year's holidays.
This marathon relay race compete with 20 universities ekiden-teams going from Tokyo
to Lake Ashino(in Hakone) and back.

Sometimes I go and cheer on the sidelines.
When I was a child, all runners looked pretty mature, but now, all of them are younger than me.
I feel strange... but still like it.

Greeting from Sakura Staff♪

I had two days off and it's my first day to work this year.
How did you spend your new year's holidays?
I visited my grand parents and ate a lot!!

↑This special meals for a new year are called "Osechi" and my grandmother cooked it;)
It's so yummy♪
Maybe I got weight...though I don't check my weight on the scale yet.

I've got to do sit-ups again!

Guess waht these bags are? They are called fuku bukuro, which literally means "bags of happiness" or "lucky bags." Most stores celebrate New Years by selling sealed bags of items inside at one flat price, such as 5,000 yen or 10,000 yen. There are varios kinds of items and stores, but the most popular ones are those of ladies' clothes.

The bags are sealed, so you don't know what are inside. But our common understanding is that there will be more than we pay. If you pay 10,000 yen, the bag should have items of 50,000 yen or more. If not, people will not come back to the store. But sometimes, this is a good opportunity for some stores to sell out unsold goods.

I bought one of these bags today, and the result was... ok.. not so bad, but not so good. Mmm...

Do you guys have this in your countries? We do this only from January 1st to 2nd or 3rd. I wonder if it's worldwide or only here.