Asakusa Diary - The Staff Blog

26th of May.

27th of May

Look! Look!↑↑

My sunflowers are growing up so quickly.
It's just because I put a lot of love into them:P

I need to thin out some of them from here, though...
I can't choose:(

My anxiety now is who is going to take care of them
during my vacation next month.

Have you ever heard about "the best job in the world" in Hamilton Island?
Or did you happen to apply for this job offer?
If you get this job, you can live in the beautiful Hamilton Island for half a year with your family
and will be paid about $110,000 as an island taker.

Taking care of the island and reporting to a global audience
through weblogs with photos and videos are the main job.

I watched the tv program about this competition last night and
I was just wondering if anyone who was reading this weblog had interests.

One Japanese woman, Mieko, had selected as one of the finalist.

It depends on the person which job is the best.
I think if you can say your job is the best in the world,
that's the best no matter what anyone tells you;)

How about you?

Finally, Eiro found his missing younger brother!!
He had been looking for him for more than 10 years and he turned up as a guest last month.

Eiro told us that he used to be much shorter than him but now...
Hmmm...the environment makes people.

According to the T-shirt, Eiro's brother is looking for Japanese girlfriend.
Anybody has an interest?

I found that his hair was a fake one:P

Summer is coming.
It means it's time to make a plan for our summer vacation!

This is our shift schedule for four months (from June to September)
and we can put × where you want to take days off.
Most of us haven't decided where&when to go yet but Tomo put many many ×in July.
Where do you think she is going?
We'll wait for her answer here;)

If we find someone put new ×, we ask him/her where to go.
I put ×in June but it's not for a summer vacation, just a vacation:P
We are trying not to have a schedule conflict
but the rule is simple...
First come, first served!!

What are you planting, Tsuyoshi?

Do you remember that we grew heavenly blues last summer?
These are those seeds we got from them so in other words, it's a second-generation♪
Also, we try to grow bitter gourd (we call it Nigauri) this year.
I'm wondering whether I can gather many nigauri and cook it for our guests;)

In addition, I'm taking care of mini sunflowers now.

↑I just planted 6 of tiny seeds here.
I'm really looking forward to meeting the flowers!

Design Festa finished on last Sunday.

What was new this time was;
Sakura Group (Sakura House, Hotel & Hostel) had a small sitting area where our guests could rest and chat with other Sakura guests.

Jack (our hostel's staff member) took care of this place and welcomed our guests with some free drinks.

This sitting area was popular as it was sometimes hard to find a place to take a rest in this big event hall with a huge crowd of people.

The webmaster of Sakura Group (he is the one who created our hostel's website) was there, too.
Mr. Aoyama & his little son, so cuuuuuuute♪ ↓　↓　↓　↓

Did you know that you can ride on this cute Panda bus?↑↑
I was just wondering where it goes around but Tsuyoshi told me that
anyone can take this for free♪
He should have told me earlier:(

Anyway, this bus is available in fromt of Hanayashiki amusement park (1min from our hostel!)
and it goes to Asakusa station and the ferry landing as well.

Inside is like this...normal:)

The driver was funny guy and he gave us some questions.
If you have the correct answer, you'll get the free bus coupon for a year! :P
He speaks only Japanese, though.

Now, I got a free ride to the station★
Timetable is available at our hostel, so please feel free to ask us;)

You guys all know that the main writer of this weblog is Yuri.
She has been writing on here for three years.

Among her 600 posts, do you know which one has received the most comments?

This is the one. ---->"I love elephants!!!"

I've been wondering why for a long time, but today I found the answer.
Go to Google Images
Google "elephants" on there.
Look at the 4th pic on it.

That's what Yuri posted.

Ah huh, that's why!

What are you doing, Ebi-chan??

He's trying Tim Tam, Australian biscuit coated with chocolate.

Our guest, Chris, brought us some and taught us how the local people eat it in his country.

1. Prepare a warm drink like coffee and a Tim Tam.
2. Bite both ends off the Tim Tam and use it as a straw for your drink.
3. Eat your Tim Tam up quickly before it melts and falls apart.

You cannot avoid automatically bending down your head like Ebi-chan does on the photo.

Thanks, Chris.
Why did they name it Tim Tam, by the way? It sounds a little cute.

Hi! My name is Mitsuko.
I am coming from Sakura Hotel Hatagaya.
I am working at Sakura Hotel Asakusa for 2 days training.
I'm very exsited to talk with Customers (from many countries).
People here are very nice!!!

Now, we have one of the biggest Festivals in Tokyo starting from 15th
and it's the last day today!
When I walked through the Sensoji temple at 6:30 in the morning,
so many people were already there and waiting for Mikoshi's set out.

Eiro, who loves this festival dropped by with his friends.
This is a kind of uniform for Japanese traditional festival.
Aren't they cool?

Fortunately, rain had stopped and people would have parties
here and there until midnight:)

As Tomo posted on the 9th, Tomoe was in Hawaii and just returned to work today:)
She is not so tanned as we've expected but looks very refreshed;)

We got some nice cookies and nuts from her♪

*Mahalo means thank you in Hawaii.

One of our night staff members, Hiro, is an actor during the daytime. Did you know?

Hiro at dawn, sleepy after the night shift.
↓↓↓

Last week, he appeared on a TV drama and played a role!
Hiro acting as a criminal guy on a drama.
↓↓↓

TV drama "Hancho." It's a police drama.

You should get his autograph now before he becomes a big star!

Look at this masterpiece↓↓

Who drew it?

Yes, it's my cousin's daughter, Aki-chan♪
She is 5 years old and the cutest girl in the world:P

This picture is my idle screen now☆

This is our first time to be bitten by a mosquito this year:(
I got two and Naoto got one.
I didn't know that mosquitos are already awakened.
I hate their hollow booming!

Fortunately, we had an anti-itch cream here and it worked well:)
You can borrow it if you want;)

One famous Sumo wrestler, Tamakasuga, will hold his retirement ceremony on May 30th at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

Sakura Group (Sakura House & Hotel) will go see the ceremony together.
It's not only a retirement ceremony but also a series of exciting Sumo competitions.
After watching the sport, we are planning to go to a Chanko (Sumo wrestler's meal) restaurant.

Date: Saturday, May 30th
Meeting Time: 11AM
Place: Ryogoku Sumo Stadium

Tickets are sold at the hostel.
Sumo Event & Chanko (meal): 5,000 yen
Only Sumo Event (no meal): 3,000 yen

Ask us for more at the reception:)

You won't see Tomoe for a week because she is in.....

in....

HAWAII?♪♪♪

She went to attend her friend's wedding and is enjoying her holidays in Hawaii. Nice!
Let's see how much she will be tanned when she's back.

Tomoe, don't forget to buy some Downy from there besides some sweets for Yuri.
See you in a week!

May Grand Sumo Tounament will start on this Sunday.
It will be at Ryogoku Sumo Stadium in Tokyo. It takes only 15 min. by train from our hostel, or you can even walk.

Have you seen sumo before?
I haven't. Well I want to.

There are many kinds of tickets still available.
Unfortunately, you cannot buy tickets if you are overseas.
But you still have chances to buy one after you arrived in Japan.
See here for more details or ask us at the reception when you arrive at the hostel.

I've found our latest guestbook completely worn out on the table. It's almost broken...
I believe that it's the 5th or 6th one since we had our first guestbook.
It's always fun for us to read what our guests left on this book.

Ebi-chan is trying to fix it.

Doesn't know how.

You can write whatever you like on it. But take a good care of it for the future readers, please:)

Isn't she Tomo?
And isn't he Daniel who is taking an interview by Nights?

Yes, they were on TV at Tokyo MX TV on 26th of April.
Anyone who watched that program?
The famous comedians (I didn't know them, though...), Nights, came to search our hostel.
Some of our guests were also on TV;)

It's kind of weired to see someone I know well on TV:P

Don't worry, Daniel.
I'll send you a DVD for you.

The result of the last month was.....

(drumroll)

No. 1 FRANCE!
Lots of French travelers filled our hostel in April.
We can now count in French (up to 10...) Good students, aren't we?

This year marks the 150th anniversary of its opening of the Port of Yokohama.
Yokohama city is now holding a big event to commemorate it.

On the first day, 28th of April, I went to see this event.
I found huge spider moving!!

I had no idea why spider was here but it's worth seeing:)

At night. you'll enjoy this giant ‘earth balloon' using images of light and sound.

How about going there?
More info?
Click one of picture above;)