Asakusa Diary - The Staff Blog

Let's see who was the chef last night.

He learned how to make " Tastira " from Ghazi san, and tried to make the same thing.
Unfortunately,
because Tomo bought smoked pork liver, the taste was totally different from the one Ghazi san made.
I was surprised even one ingredient made a big difference in taste.

He cooked two kinds of Nabe ( Hot Pot dish ), which is very popular winter dish in Japan.
The one is Miso flavor, and the other is Salt flavor.
He put a lot of vegetables, chiken and meat ball.

Once we eat, we can warm ourselves to the bone. Yum Yum （*⌒∇⌒*)

Nabe Bugyou means a person who takes care of Nabe dish while other people eat.

Thanks to this Japanese guest Sato san, everybody can just concentrate on eating.
We all staffs were in charge of eating at this party.( *´艸｀)

Sakura Hostel Asakusa

Address: 2-24-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel +81-3-3847-8111
fax +81-3-3847-8112

e-mail: info@sakura-hostel.co.jp
URL: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/asakusa_hostel

Sakura Hostel Asakusa by no means works for Apple.

But....You know what !?

Almost all staffs here are iPhone user.
Always some of us charge iPhone here.

Wait a minute......Can we distinguish instantly whose iPhone it is ??

YES !!
Each iPhone reflects our taste.
Now, I want to show you our iPhones.

So cute !!

It's Tomo's !!

Cool !!

It's Naoto's !!

Lovely Mickey !!

It's Johrel's !!

Interesting !!

It's Hiro's !!

My hero, Anpanman !!

It's Agu's !!

Skeleton !!

It's Tomoyuki's !!

Cleaning staff Egashira-san is iPhone user too !!

Which one do you vote for ?

Sakura Hostel Asakusa

Address: 2-24-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel +81-3-3847-8111
fax +81-3-3847-8112

e-mail: info@sakura-hostel.co.jp
URL: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/asakusa_hostel

Do you like Karaoke ??

YES, WE DO !!

We, Agu, Johrel, Cornelia, and Yukako who works in Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro,
went to Karaoke yesterday.

Actually, it's the first time for us to enjoy Karaoke together.
But, the party really livened up.

except me ( Agu ), though.....
Well, my speciality is only J-POP.

And what I sang is.....

You don't know this song !?

You gotta check out my previous blog --->> Asakusa Diary

I tried Maru Mori Dance, but almost forgot how to dance.

We had a pleasant time, and three hours passed very rapidly.

Do you want to enjoy Karaoke ??　♪?θ(^0^ )( ^0^)θ?♪

Sakura Hostel Asakusa

Address: 2-24-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel +81-3-3847-8111
fax +81-3-3847-8112

e-mail: info@sakura-hostel.co.jp
URL: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/asakusa_hostel

Do you know what Hanafuda is?
Hanafuda is one of traditional Japanese games, and is also Japanese playing card.
I saw guests from France playing the Hanafuda today.

Before we had Nintendo video games, Hanafuda was a popular game among kids. Nintendo company also makes Hanafuda besides video games.
It is fun as a game, but what I really want to say here is the picture of these cards.

Each card has 12 different flower plants or scenery for 12 different months. The word "Hana" means flower. That is why the game is called Hanafuda.
When I see the pictures of these cards, I see the good sense and beauty that Japanese people had back in the day.
My favorite card is this "Full Moon with Red Sky".

Simple design, yet, I can feel the magnificence from it.
Do you see any cards you like?

Sakura Hostel Asakusa

Address: 2-24-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel +81-3-3847-8111
fax +81-3-3847-8112

e-mail: info@sakura-hostel.co.jp
URL: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/asakusa_hostel

The word "Omake" (おまけ), means "extra" in Japanese. In other countries, such as the US, the term "Omake" refers to anime fans to describe special features on DVD releases like deleted scenes, interviews with the actors, "the making of" documentary clips and so on.

In Japan, omake is usually small character figurines and toys giveaways that come with soft drinks and candy and often the omake is more desired than the product being sold.

This is what I got for omake when I bought a drink. It's an anime "Chibimaruko chan"

I collected all characters in the family.

Sometimes they have "One piece" omake.

The omake is usually limited time offer. It's not always available.
When you visit Japan, go to convenience stores or supermarkets and check drinks or snacks.
You might find something you like.

Sakura Hostel Asakusa

Address: 2-24-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
tel +81-3-3847-8111
fax +81-3-3847-8112

e-mail: info@sakura-hostel.co.jp
URL: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SakuraHotelTokyo
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/asakusa_hostel

The Fall is just around the corner, but the extreame weather madness still continues in Tokyo.

At nighttime, you start to hear the sound of bugs which has evoke a Fall image.

One of the famous bugs that represents the Japanese Fall is Suzumushi, also known as the bell-cricket.

The sound is very mellow.
It is said that the sound of Suzumushi can only be heard in Japan.
When you are here, listen to the beautiful sound of Suzumushi. It somehow relaxes you.

There are a lot of superstitions in Japan.

For example...

"When you see a funeral car, hide your thummbs."
"If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die."
"Hide your bellybutton if you hear thunder, or the god of thunder will steal your bellybutton."

And so on.
　
　
　
There are reasons for each superstitions.
　
　
　
"When you see a funeral car, hide your thummbs."
　
　

　
　
There is a dead body in the funeral car.
To point at it is bad manners.



　
　
"If you cut your nails at night, you will not be with your parents when they die."
　
　

　
　
Long ago, there wasn't enough light.
People use candles.
if they cut their nails in the dark, they might have cut themselves and can't work.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 



"Hide your bellybutton if you hear thunder, or the god of thunder will steal your bellybutton."

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 



If it thunders, it will rain hard also.
And the temperature will drop rapidly.
So, you have to wear warm clothes as to not catch a cold.

I understand these.
However, I have one superstition that I can't understand.


"You can eat food off the floor if it's less than three seconds"

We call it "the three second rule".
Nobody does it now.

I think that it means "Don't cast away foods".
However, I can't understand why it became popular.



If you find a child doing it in Japan, please don't think "Japanese are crazy!"

From who ??
I took a look at the label on this package.

" Oh, it's her !! Our friend in Indonesia !! "

As a matter of fact,
we haven't met her in person. ━━Σ(`･д･´；)━━!!!

So.......How did we get to know each other ??
The answer is Twitter.
We became friends by Twitter. ♪((o(*^∇^)X(^∇^*)o)) ♪

And, the gift from her is some interesting Indonesian snacks.

Brown bars on the left side are " Dodol " which is made from durian.
The right side is the banana chips with milk, coffee, and chocolate flavors.

It tastes unique, and we enjoyed them.

ミ★(*´∀｀)v Thank you very much, Vivi-chan!! ★彡

Are you a ramen fanatic? Then don't miss this opportunity! We have FREE admission tickets to Raumen Museum in Shin-Yokohama, a little over an hour by train from Tokyo.

The main area is set up like a city in Japan in the 1950s. In one section they have several different Ramen resturants. There are different choices of ramen for each different region of Japan that have been chosen to be the best of the best.

Come here hungry and try various bowls of ramens. Just ask our staff for the ticket if you'd like to go. Here is the link to the website for more information on Raumen Museum.

Have you ever been to Kamakura? Kamakura is famous for Buddha and temples, and is a good day trip from Tokyo for locals and tourists.

When I went there, the weather was lovely and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. For a quiet little town, the place offers many temples. Sometimes, Kamakura is called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan.

It only takes less than an hour from Tokyo, and there are plenty of transportation. Like I said, it is good for a day trip. If you get bored in Tokyo, why not take a little trip to Kamakura? I think you'll have a good time.

Since the earthquake,
the charity goods are on sale everywhere in Japan.
They sell the goods, and the proceeds are donated to the charity organization.

As a matter of fact, we also sell the charity goods.

What we sell is "WE ARE ONE" rubber bracelet !!

The price is ......Please donate as much as you like.
All proceeds will be donated to Japanese Red Cross Society.

Look !!
Sakura staffs are wearing this bracelet.

Be cool together !! ＊＞＞（●＾o＾●）＜＜*

On May 25th, we had a fire drill.

Well, May 25th is not a special day for the disaster prevention, though.

The fire station staffs arrived at the hostel !!

This time,
Tomo and Johrel took charge of the fire drill.
They are discussing the evacuation route etc with the fire station staffs.

Assuming that a fire broke out on the 4th floor,
the simulation of fire accident started !!

Tomo is announcing both in English and Japanese that a fire broke out.

At the same time,
Johrel rushes to the origin of a fire without using elevator.
Confirming a fire, he reports the situation to Tomo on the phone.

We went through the fire drill without any problem.

As long as you are in Sakura Hostel Asakusa,
we will protect you from a fire accident.　(*･∀･)ﾉﾞ ｡+･｡ﾟ:*:｡･+｡･ﾟ*ﾟ ★:ﾟ*☆

From February 26th to March 6th,
Dutch group "Bouwkunde HHS" stayed in Sakura Hostel Asakusa.
They are the students in Hague University, and study architecture.

Today, they checked out after 8 nights' stay.

When they left, they gave the gift for us.
How sweet they are !! :*.;".*・;・^;・:?(*^▽^*)/:・;^・;・*.";.*:

They say, it's the typical Dutch goodies.
Let's see. （゜▽゜*）♪

"Zeeuwse Babbelaars"
It's a traditional Dutch candy that tastes a bit like butterscotch, first made in 1850.

"Stroopwafels"
It's a waffle made from two thin layers of baked batter with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle.
It was first made in Gouda in the Netherlands in 1784.

"Chocolates" with the Dutch painter Vermeer's paintings

"Klompen"
It's a small porcelain version of the clogs traditionally worn by Dutch farmers.

"Art in the Hague university"
It's a small book about art presented in their atriums and hallways.

We tasted these...... Super Yummy !! (≧▽≦)人(≧▽≦)

We thank them very much.
We hope they enjoyed staying in Sakura Hostel Asakusa.

By our legendary manager TOMO's command, we cleaned up the hostel thoroughly today.

Sakura Hostel Asakusa is always clean thanks to the cleaning staffs, though.

What we did today is

Look !!
The beds are dismantled !!

Jack and Johrel are in charge of bed cleaning.
It's a tough job.
(ﾉ*＞□＜）ﾉ｛　GANBATTE !!　〕

Tomoe is mending the wall painting of "STORIES OF SAKURA".
She is very good at painting.

Agu is vacuuming around the front desk.
The narrow space between wall and PC........Very very carefully

Aki is cleaning up the guest kitchen.
Now, you can use the kitchen comfortably.

Good Job, everyone !! It became nicer.

Now, we wait for your arrival.
ｲ━━━ヾ(´c_,｀*)ノﾗｼｬ━━━ｨ!!

If you are in Japan, you may notice you see a lot of pictures of rabits.

It's not that the Japanese people love rabits. It is Eto (Chinese Zodiac), and next year is the year of rabit.
This year is the year of tiger. It is a scheme that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year cycle.

They have time cycles divided into 12 parts, each labels at least the majority of those parts with names of animals, and each is widely associated with a culture of attributing influence of a person's relationship to the cycle upon their personality and/or events in their life.

If you were born in the year 1979, your sign Chinese sign is Ram.

What's your Chinese sign?

【Rat】(1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008)

You are imaginative, charming and truly generous to the person you love. However, you have a tendency to be quick-tempered and overly critical. You are also inclined to be somewhat of an opportunist. Born under this sign, you should be happy in sales or as a writer, critic, or publicist.

【Ox】 (1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009)

A born leader, you inspire confidence from all around you. You are conservative, methodical and good with your hands. Guard against being chauvinistic and always demanding your own way. The Ox would be successful as a skilled surgeon, general, or hairdresser.

【Tiger】 (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)

You are sensitive, emotional and capable of great love. However, you have a tendency to get carried away and be stubborn about what you think is right; often seen as a "Hothead" or rebel. Your sign shows you would be excellent as a boss, an explorer, a race car driver, or a matador.

【Rabit】(1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011)

You are the kind of person that people like to be around-affectionate, obliging, always pleasant. You have a tendency, though, to get too sentimental and seem superficial. Being cautious and conservative, you are successful in business but would also make a good lawyer, diplomat, or actor.

【Dragon】 (1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)

Full of vitality and enthusiasm, the Dragon is a popular individual even with the reputation of being foolhardy and a "big mouth" at times. You are intelligent, gifted and a perfectionist but these qualities make you unduly demanding on others. You would be well-suited to be an artist, priest, or politician.

【Snake】 (1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)

Rich in wisdom and charm, you are romantic and deep thinking and your intuition guides you strongly. Avoid procrastination and your stingy attitude towards money. Keep your sense of humor about life. The Snake would be most content as a teacher, philosopher, writer, psychiatrist and fortune teller.

【Horse】 (1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)

Your capacity for hard work is amazing. You are your own person-very independent. While intelligent and friendly, you have a strong streak of selfishness and sharp cunning and should guard against being egotistical. Your sign suggests success as an adventurer, scientist, poet, or politician.

【Sheep】 (1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)

Except for the knack of always getting off on the wrong foot with people, the Sheep can be charming company. You are elegant and artistic but the first to complain about things. Put aside your pessimism and worry and try to be less dependent on material comforts. You would be best as an actor, gardener, or beachcomber.

【Monkey】 (1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)

You are very intelligent and have a very clever wit. Because of your extraordinary nature and magnetic personality you are always well-liked. The Monkey, however, must guard against being an opportunist and distrustful of other people. Your sign promises success in any field you try.

【Rooster】 (1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)

The Rooster is a hard worker; shrewd and definite in decision making often speaking his mind. Because of this you tend to seem boastful to others. You are a dreamer, flashy dresser and extravagant to an extreme. Born under this sign you should be happy as a restaurant owner, publicist, soldier, or world traveler.

【Dog】 (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)

The Dog will never let you down. Born under this sign you are honest and faithful to those you love. You are plagued by constant worry, a sharp tongue and a tendency to be a fault finder. You would make an excellent businessman, activist, teacher or secret agent.

【Pig】 (1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019)

You are a splendid companion -- an intellectual with a very strong need to set difficult goals and carry them out.
You are sincere, tolerant and honest but by expecting the same from others you are incredibly naive. Your quest for material goods could be your downfall. The Pig would be best in the arts as an entertainer, or possibly a lawyer.

Today,
Santa Clause came along to Sakura Hostel Asakusa in Japan !!

Who is this Santa Clause?

It's Enoki Santa.
He is carrying the bag in which a lot of presents put !?

Oops. He must be a bad Santa Clause!!

And then, Jack Santa showed up.
The reindeer next to Santa Clause is ........... Tsuyoshi Reindeer !!
What a sly look it is!!

Now, Agu Santa and Johrel Reindeer came to the hostel.
Look !! His antler is pink !!
Is he an angel one !?

Those Santa Clause may sneak into your room and give you a present, or may not.

Best wishes to you and your family for a joyous season filled with health, happiness and prosperity.

A woman is turning in circle.

If you see the woman turning clockwise, that means you use more of the right side of the brain.
If you see the woman turning anti-clockwise, that means you use more of the left side of the brain.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

I see the woman turning clockwise.
What about you?
Which side of the brain do you use more?

Just this past weekend, we had a friendship party at the hostel.
The party is held every week at various locations (Sakura Hostel Asakusa, Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro, Hatagaya and Jimbocho), and the purpose of this party is to meet new friends.

So what kind of party did we have at the hostel last Sunday? We did a maki-zushi (sushi roll) party.

I prepared various types of ingredients; cucumber, pickled radish, crab sticks, tuna salad, egg etc.

With my culinary experience, I showed them how to make sushi rolls.

We were very pleased to have so many guests attending this party and everyone had a lot of fun making the sushi rolls.

One of the guests made these sushi rolls. Pretty good, don't you think?

I made these with the leftover ingredients (Our staff Agu made the rolls ;-P).

The party was very successful and we were all happy that our guests enjoyed themselves.

We will be having more parties so stop by and make new friends!

Thanks to everyone who came to the party and we hope to see you soon!

I'm so fascinated with "Ippei-kun".
Ippei-kun is a mascot character for a soccer team (FC Ehime) in Japan.

For a soccer team's mascot character, he isn't so good looking.
AND, there is a real problem.
The character is ridiculously weak! Everytime they do a race within fellow mascot characters, Ippei-kun pulls a muschle, or suffer from heat exhaustion and carry him off on a strecher.

Of course, these are just an act, but if the character is weak and always having problems, it's kind of a bad luck for the soccer team.
But then, the mismatch is kind of interesting.

FC Ehime is not a major soccer team, but people go see the game just to see Ippei-kun.

You can watch some of the videlo clips of Ippei-kun below.

We had farewell party for Ryoko last night.
She worked in Sakura hostel for a half year, and took charge of our staff blog.
I think you enjoyed her blog a lot.
Now, she decided to start her new life in the U.S.
She will work in Disney Land in Florida for a year!!
We believe she do a good job over there as well as in Sakura hostel.

Here are some photos we took last night.

with her best friend Enocchi

Sakura Girls!!

We gave her message card.
Was she so happy that she couldn't help crying!?

We will miss you, Ryoko!!
Come to see us when you come back to Japan!!

Today is my last day working here.
Time flies so fast these past 6 months.
I really liked the international atmosphere here.

I'm glad to work with awesome Sakura staffs.
Everyone has interesting characteristics;
Tsuyoshi=Looks scary, but warm hearted

Naoto=Not only just a crazy fighter, but a laid back & generous guy
Tomoe=Shy and indoor image at first, but friendly, active, and surprisingly beer lover

Ebi=Sensitive guy in contrast to his wild appearance

Jack=Supportive and gentle, but keeping a gang sta mind in secret

Johrel=Fashionable and peaceful, but scared at a cockroach

Enoki=Serious and organized, at the same time, funny and hilarious

Instead of me writing this blog, new staffs, Agu and Aki will take care of it.
They'll give you lots of info about Japan from their different perspective.

I'm going to the States for a year to work as a cultural representative.
Working here at Sakura gave me good opportunity to share my own culture
and customs with guests from all over the world.

This place is the second home for guests, but for me at the same time.

I'll definitely stop by sometimes to say hello.

See you then!! Muah!!

When you look at a person, what do you look at?
According to a book, Japanese people look at a person's eyes, and Westerners look at their lips/mouth.
Therefore, Japanese people don't usually wear sun glasses.
They feel that not showing their eyes would be impolite.

Unlike the Westerners, the lips are part of their expression, so they don't cover their mouth.

It is very usual that Japanese people wear a face mask in everyday life.
You'd probably see a lot of people wearing face masks in the winter, but don't be scared :)

"Himonoya" is such a nice Izakaya restaurant.
It's just 8 mins walk from the hostel.
It delivers a nice interior design, together with all the classics of Japanese izakaya food,
like yakitori, grilled fish, salads, etc., and a wide variety of drinks.

We played interesting masks that were hanged on the wall.
I can't tell the difference between Enoki and this funny mask.

Tomoe and Johrel

Haha, Ben chan. You look like Namahage.

Namahage= A person dressed as scary looking demon, and scare young children
in the houses to encourage them to obey their parents and to behave.

Hit the Taiko (Japanese drum) to call the servers

Naoto loves to go there during lunch time.
Lunch menu is just 580~680yen includes main dish, miso soup, Rice and natto (sticky beans).
You can get rice and natto as much you can.
Naoto always has at least 2 rice bowls and 2 natto packs.
That's why he gains 2kg recently. lol

Their size of beer mug is quite amazing!! That's HUGE!!

Even though you are good at chugging a beer like this guy, you would have hard time.

Himonoya is our paradise!!!

It is certainly nice to gather with all the staff and have dinner and drink. Tonight was Ben's last day of work, and we throw a farewell party for him at an izakaya.

He's been working with us for 2 months as an intern, and he's going back to Germany this Saturday! He was such a good worker and we will miss him so much.

Thank you so much Ben chan, we hope you enjoyed working with us. When you come back, don't forget to visit us!

''What is your blood type?''

Westerners might think that this question sounds a little bit creepy.
However, for Japanese people, blood types carry significance and are similar to horoscopes.
Each person with a certain blood type are commonly known to have specific
characteristics and traits.
There are four blood types: A, B, O and AB.
If you don't know your blood type, Japanese people will be shocked.

According to the blood type assessment,
A-type people are regarded as calm, polite, responsible, sensitive,

Type A Enoki

Type A Ebi

but also they are perfectionists, anxious, nervous and over cautions.

Type A Ryoko

B-type people are strong, creative, outgoing, optimistic, flexible,
more laid-back who do things at their own pace, but eccentric and selfish.

Type B Jack

O-type people are curious, generous, romantic and tolerant.

Type O Tomoe

Type O Johrel

Type O Naoto & Ben chan

They love to be the center of attention and appear very self confident.
They don''t always finish what they start.

AB-type people have both types of A and B, so they are shy and outgoing,

Tsuyoshi B side
They easily switch from one opposite to another.

Tsuyoshi A side
They are trustworthy and responsible, but can't handle it when too much is asked of them.

Most Japanese are type A while most Westerners are type O.

The reason why Japanese like linking blood types to personality is that
Japanese are group-oriented.
Japanese do not like to be isolated to do things differently from others.
They are fond to stick together: eating, working, or traveling in a group.
Being with people of the same ''blood'' gives them a kind of carefreeness and joy.

Are you getting interested knowing your blood type???

Sometimes it cost too much if you buy bento box from convenience stores. So, I made one for myself tonight because I had some time before work.

This is what I made. Very simple, and saved me some money.

☆ croquette
☆ dumplings
☆ sauteed ham, bean sprout and chives
☆ beans
☆ mini tomato
☆ rice

What should I make tomorrow?

Tsuyoshi got national uniforms, and all staff wear them for FIFA world cup next week!!!

England!

Argentina!

Brazil!

Cameroon!

Portugal !

Spain!

Germany!

France!

We are waiting for your arrival with passionate heart.

i PAD!!!!!!!!!!

Johrel was waiting for a long time and he finally got it the day
when the i pad was just released in Japan.
He made a reservation thru the Mac website, so that he didn't have to
make a loooooong line to get them.

There is a Mac shop locates in Akihabara.
Its just 2 station from Asakusa.
Why don't you get the hottest item to fulfill your ordinary life?

Last night, we had a futsal.
People from Sakura Hotel, Hostel, and Sakura House got together and play.

Group Picture~

Tsuyoshi, Naoto, Johrel, and Kevin teamed up.

Cheers with beer

Run, Johrel, Run!

Johrel is stretching and getting ready for the next half match.

The game ended in a 3-3 tie.
Good job guys!

By the way, Naoto hasn't had sore muscles by yesterday's futsal so far.
If he gets sore tomorrow, that means he's turning to Oyaji (old men) lol.

Our common point　is "Drinking the Protein"
We are always getting in shape.

Be careful !
If you drink and be loud, I hold you back.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced that the Tsukiji Fish Market's tuna auction site is temporarily close to the public from April 8th to May 8th. The tuna auction has become one of the most popular site seeing spots in Japan and more and more visitors have been to the area observing the auction. They said that they had over 500 people waiting in line to see the auction!

The government decided to close the tuna auction area to secure the area's safety and keep the market's operations from being disrupted by visitors.

But don't worry, the market is not completely close down. You can still go to the other area and see fisherman slicing the big tuna. That's not something you see everyday.

Also you can have fresh fish for your breakfast! I had this delicious Kaisendon (a bowl of rice topped with sashimi) for my breakfast. Yummy!

The tuna auction area will re-open to the public on May 10. Till then, you don't have to get up too early to go to the fish market.

It was probably the best day for hanami (viewing cherry blossom). I went to this place called Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Shinjuku last weekend for hanami. It is one of the best gardens in Tokyo and a popular location for hanami.

It'll cost 200 yen to get in, but it was worth the cost.

It's been a week since Yuri left the hostel. We had a farewell party for her last week at a cozy Korean restaurant in Asakusa.
It's very rare to get together and have dinner like we did last week.

We sure had a great time getting together outside of work.

We gave her dish sets as a wedding gift.

Last night, she sent us an email with a photo.

Look, she's already making use of our gift!　（＾o＾）/
The meal looks so good! I didn't know Yuri can cook.

Anyway, we are happy for her and hope that they have a great life together.
Come visit us anytime, Yuri, the staff and our guests are waiting for you☆☆

It's very rare in Tokyo to get snow like last night.
I knew it was going to snow, but I didn't think we'd get that much! I'm sure a lot of people weren't ready for this.

Lucky Christina, it was her first time to see the snow! She was so excited, she helped make the snowman with guys.

Isn't she cute?

Have you ever seen Mt. Fuji from the top?
I was on the airplane on the way to Taiwan, I looked out of the window, there it is!
The highest mountain in Japan.
What are the chances huh? I was lucky (^o^)ノ
Maybe I'll climb the mountain next year when the weather is nice and see the sunrise from the top.
That'd be awesome.

By the way, doesn't it kinda look like HERSHEY'S KISSES?

I'm in the mood for chocolate now♪

Have you ever seen a movie called "Spirited Away"?

I went on a trip to Taiwan and went to a place called 九份 (Jiu fen).

A small town in north Taiwan.
Famous Japanese film director, Miyazaki Hayao got an inspiration and modeled this place for his famous film, "千と千尋の神隠し (Spirited Away)"

The weather was cloudy, but I was able to see the beautiful scenery, just like in the movie.

The place made me feel somewhat nostalgic.

If you ever have a chance to visit Taiwan, I recommend going to Jiu fen.
It only takes a little more than 1 hour by bus from Taipei city.

One day, when I arrived at the hostel,
I saw Johrel was smashing a chair into tiny pieces.

What I thought were as follows↓
Some scampish guests made you get angry last night?
or
He was sick and tired of Naoto's pranks?
or
He's had about enough of Tomo's unreasonable demands?

I hesitated to ask what happend to him but realized he was smiling:)
Hmmm, he's just doing it to throw it away:P

Don't worry, Naoto&Tomo. He is very mild person♪

Last night, one of our guests was walking and a stag beetle landed on his head! How often do you get into such situation?! So he brought it to the hostel.

I was actually surprised to see the stag beetle in the city, because you usually see them in the country side or in the mountain. I remember when I was a kid I used to have them fight like a sumo wrestling. You set up a small ring like in sumo and have them fight until one gets out of ring. Beetle vs Stag beetle, Beetle vs Beetle... Good old summer days.

We would've kept it as our pet, but it's best to bring it back to the nature.. so we did.

I have a friend who works as a reporter for NHK, Nippon Hoso Kyokai, (Japan Broadcasting Corporation).
On his personal website, I found very interesting video clips on Tokyo and I'd like to share them with you.

Each report (video clip) is a little bit long, but they are very informative and I think you can get a better idea about Tokyo, or Japan in general.

Here's the link to the video clips

Enjoy!

A few weeks ago, I went on a trip to Seoul, South Korea.
To be honest, I didn't expect much from this trip because there are many similarities between South Korea and Japan, including shops, buildings, and food choices.
Why did I choose South Korea for my vacation? Simple reasons... The plane ticket was affordable and it only takes about 2 hours to get there!

I'm glad I went because I had a really good time! The food was great and there were many people who spoke Japanese in the places I visited, so I didn't have to worry about miscommunication.

What I find interesting is that, although there are many similarities in terms of atmosphere, some things are totally different. For example, in Japan, a lot of people hold their plates/rice bowl up while eating, but not in Korea. In Korea, all plates and bowls remain on the table and you have to use a spoon to have soup, unlike Japanese people who usually hold their soup bowl and eat it directly from there.

Anyway, if you ever have a chance to visit South Korea, I recommend trying Korean food because it is so delicious and affordable! Shopping is a lot of fun too! Because I didn't have much time to spend in Korea last time, I'm going back there again this month! So I can experience more of Korea.

Here are some more photos I took when I was there.

They were shooting some famous Korean TV drama that is currently showing.

An Actress having her make-up done.

Hello, my name is Johrel (pronounced as jor-el).
It's been about 2 months since I started working at Sakura Hostel.
I'm still new to this industry but staff here are very friendly and kind
which makes it easier for me to work.

A bit more about myself... I'm Japanese and Filipino mix.
I was born in the Philippines but I grew up in Japan.
Unfortunately, I cannot speak Tagalog (Filipino language), but I can speak English and Japanese.

Here are some of the things I enjoy doing when I have free time:

* Taking photographs
* Designing websites, posters
* Cooking
* Watching movies
* Listening to music
* Surfing the web

Due to my dad's job, I've lived in several countries.
I came back to Japan a few years ago from the US (Rhode Island)
where I spent 7 years.
I really enjoy being in a place where many different cultures meet in one place.
This place is great because we have people coming from many different countries
and so far I enjoy it!

(Written by Johrel)