TJWL winner

Mike GristJapan 1 Comment

Has it already been (over!) a month since I announced this contest? Sorry to keep everyone waiting so long, and thanks again for your efforts to help pimp my site all over stumbleupon and really stick it to the man. Awesome, you are awesome! Anyway, a winner! From a hat, drawn at random and helped by her multiple entries is… Drum Roll….. Geekmom! Geekmom if you can just let me know your address I’ll pop the book in the post to you in a jiffy. Would you like it encased in plastic, or shall I open it up and sign …

12 questions to J-painter Michael Beddall

Mike GristJapan, People / Culture 8 Comments

Last Sunday Michael Beddall opened up his latest art show at the Pink Cow in Shibuya- a delightful smorgasbord of Japanese beauty, animal still-life, and the occasional chilling fantasy. There was a great showing of fans and supporters, and several paintings have already sold.

Ladies for ladies, Bears for men

Mike GristAds / Signs, Japan Leave a Comment

kuma1On toilet doors you sometimes see fancy graphics, stylized versions of the little dude and chick that tell us which little room to go in to do our business. I’ve seen Picasso-esque renderings, melting-egg Dali versions, etc..

Crazy Kei the DIY cosplayer

Mike GristJapan, Manga / Anime / Cosplay 2 Comments

kei1Kei is a funky if kind of mad old guy I met one night on a random photo-walk through Shinjuku’s skyscraper district (West). I was on the bridge shooting pretty city lights and so was he, me with my dSLR and he with some weirdly contrived home-made compact camera.

Not many banana

Mike GristJapangrish 3 Comments

many banana21Raising kids is tough. Ask any parent and they’ll talk to you for hours about the hundreds of daily decisions they face in naturing and nurturing their kids into healthy little human robots.