In the war of Louis Vuitton versus Prada, who would win?

Well in Japan it's Vuitton with almost complete penetration of the market. Of Tokyo twenty-somethings, 94.3% own something from Louis Vuitton, but only 57.5% from Prada (Saison Research Institute).

In an article on luxury goods, one young Tokyo-ite offers this explanation as to why the Japanese are brand crazy: "Wearing any kind of brand makes you feel... good." Oh, that explains it.

Louis Vuitton window display in Omotesando.

Below is some of the signable I saw at Roppongi Hills:

Combustibles, recyclables, non-burnables

It wouldn't be Japan if there were not signs to tell you what you are not allowed to do.

No smoking, no photography, no beverages

Yesterday, I walked around the Roppongi Hills complex and visited its museum where About the Making of Roppongi Hills featured this:

The old neighborhood was indeed a bad place, no greenery, narrow streets down which emergency vehicles could not fit, a darn fire hazard, I’d say.

A proposal for “a city that nurtures people with open minds” was put forward and approved by all.

Yippee for the new Roppongi Hills!

There seems to be signs everywhere telling you this is not allow or that is strictly prohibited. At my subway stations one sign reads, "any behavior that might inconvenience another person is not allowed." Might inconvenience someone? That kind of covers a lot.

About a year ago the subway authority began a new campaign: the Manner Poster, kicking off with the one below. New posters followed every month or so highlighting bad behaviors to avoid such as don’t put make on while on the subway.

Yakitori is grilled, skewered chicken. It can be made with any part of the chicken, which I learned from my colleagues when they took me to one of those Yakitori stalls under the train tracks in Yurakucho, popular with the local “sarariman”.

Nadine's easy yakitori recipe.

Place 3 chicken wings under oven broiler until crispy then place in sauce pot with:
½ cup sake
½ cup mirin (a type of sweet sake)
5 Tlbs. sugar (or substitute brown sugar or honey)
¼ cup soy sauce

Boil together until the consistency of maple syrup (about 30 minutes to 1 hour).

Meanwhile cut (uncooked) chicken breast into bit size pieces, cut spring onion (scallion) or leek into 1 inch pieces. Skewer alternating pieces of chicken and onion. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water first so they don't burn.

Once the yakitori sauce is ready, brush skewered chicken with sauce. Place under the broiler (or on a grill) and brush a few times while cooking.

Serve with shichimi (7 spice powder), rice, miso soup, and salad or Japanese pickles; beer or hot sake.

Variation: vegetable yakitori. Skewer asparagus, shitake mushrooms, or green peppers. Brush with yakitori sauce and grill.

Those boiled wings are yummy (“oishi”) too.

If you can't find the ingredients in your local grocery store try the Ethnic Grocer

Japanese food in Japan is so not the chicken teriyaki or California rolls that are often passed off as representational in the west.

A Japanese meal it is as much an aesthetic experience as something to eat. Tiny portions of one or all of a simmered, a deep fried, a grilled, a steamed, or a vinegared dish, served with rice, miso soup, and pickles all usually based on seasonal ingredients. I always leave a Japanese meal satisfied, but never over stuffed.

Below the lunch set (‘runchi seto’) is presented in a cube shaped lacquer jewelry box at the Cube Zen restaurant in (where else) Omotesando.

View of the Link Link photo wall gallery covering the construction barriers of the Dojunkai Aoyama apartments. Jeansnow has a great photo of the Link Link exhibit here.

I simply cannot look at a boston terrier the same way again after seeing this (Quicktime required).

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