Interesting Tidbits: Other Resources

Not a recent picture.

I'm not saying this to toot my own horn, but my friends and coworkers in Tokyo have come to know me as that one guy who knows about all the interesting things going on in town. The truth is, I do spend a lot of time in front of a computer, often just digging for places I haven't been to or new shop openings and events and the like. That being said, there are lots of places I have in my sights but haven't yet had a chance to visit, and don't know when I likely will. Japan, and Tokyo in particular, is choke full with places just begging for the attentions of curious people to check out, and with the right resources, they're all within grasp.
 You ready? It feels like I'm blowing the lid off of a huge secret. Here are the websites I use to keep track of the best of what's happening around me. You can access each site by clicking on their respective logos.

1. Time Out Tokyo
Time Out has great lists of 50-100 things to do in each area of Tokyo (amongst other cities across the world too.) The website also features a "what to do today in Tokyo" section that keeps track of the location, price and beginning and end dates of all major events happening in and around town, ranging from small shows to major festivals. It's also a great website to look for unique places to eat.

2. Tokyo Cheapo
Ken presented this website to me two years ago and I've been making good use of it since. Tokyo Cheapo, as the name implies, is based entirely on budget-saving exploration. The site keeps me up to date on the cheapest ways to get from place to place, where to stay, and what to eat. But my favorite thing about Tokyo Cheapo is that they also list a bunch of free or cheap things to do which can (almost) only be done on the upcoming weekend. I get lots of ideas from this Tokyo Cheapo.

3. Japan-Guide.com
Japan-Guide is my greatest tool when it comes to getting out of town. I use it to plan my road-trips and scope out different areas and cities. The website offers a map of Japan, with each of the provinces' and cities' having their respective attractions listed if you click on them. With the help of Japan-Guide, I was able to plan last year's roadtrip to Takayama from start to finish, baring in mind not only the destination, but everything interesting along the way too.

4. 100 Tokyo
The youngest addition to the websites I use, 100 Tokyo allows me to keep an eye on all the smaller venues that would usually pass under my radar. There's nothing fancy or extraordinary that 100 Tokyo brings to my attention which the other websites don't, but I use it to keep tabs with the quainter little shops that offer pockets of unique products, or the small, strange cafes that are unknown to all but a few.

5. Rocket News 24
Rocket News 24 is more of a news outlet than a website dedicated to tourism, but what they excel at is keeping track of all the weirdest, most outlandish news in Asia, with 70% of it being from Japan. I knew it from Rocket News when a strange new themed restaurant opens in Tokyo, or other such stories. Although the quality of the journalism here is sometimes questionable, it's hard not to admire the fact that an average of 5-10 articles are published a day. I check morning and night, and often several times in between.

Protip: If you're interested in the resources I used to settle in Japan as opposed to exploring, you can find those here.

2014 Banners!

 I'm happy to announce that I got a couple of submissions this year! Actually, more than I did last year, and almost from a completely new crowd! Many of these banners even have me in them. Neat!

Here they are! A great big thanks to:

Caitlin Hall!

Ken Tanaka!

Sophie "The Dane" Monrad!

My cousin-in-law, Tony DiPietro!

Danick Benoit!

I'll shortly be asking for your addresses so that I can compensate you as promised! You guys rock! If anyone still wants to submit banners, feel free to, but you won't get a prize!

New Banners for a New Year!

Hey, You!
 Yeah, you, reader!

I just got a precious new banner from Caitlin Hall ( it's the one up there! Thanks Caitlin!) And thought I might as well do the yearly banner call. It's nice to know who's been keeping up with my adventures at any rate. You don't have to spend crazy time on it or anything.

I've no expectations. At all.

Here are the rules once again!


Does anyone want to design a banner for this blog?


There'll be no winners or losers. I'll rotate the banners every week.
The rules are simple:
 - It has to say "Sean the Alien" on it, somewhere.
 - It has to relate in some way. That doesn't mean I have to be on it. It could. Or it could be something to do with Japan, or an alien, or whatever. Nothing totally unrelated like a picture of Nicholas Cage or some shit.
 - It can't be too nutty. And by that, I mean, nothing offensive.

That's about it. A little effort is appreciated!

THERE WILL BE PRIZES for those of you who send a banner in before February 20th. Like, I will literally buy you something cool (but inexpensive) from Japan. And it will be different for each of you. Isn't that exciting?  You don't know what you'll get.
 Regardless of if you send it before February 20th or not, I will be displaying all banners though.

You Know You Want One

They're so stylish.

Speaking of stupid merchandise, you might have noticed pictures of me wearing shirts with my own face or likeness on them. I made those!
 If you want a shirt with your own face on it, then too bad, go make it yourself. But if you're one of my friends or acquaintances in Japan and you want a shirt with my face on it, then I'll be glad to make you one!
 They're 2500¥, which is the exact amount it costs to make one, so I'm not really pulling any profit from this other than the giggles I'll get of seeing you wear it.
My face is upside down so that you can look down and stare me in the eyes. The other model has me sitting on the ground holding two toy telephones. It's cutting-edge fashion, folks.

They probably won't get you laid, either.

Interesting Tidbits: Resources

Good work, Sean! You survived this far!

Hey there. You. Reader!
 As it turns out, most of my readership lately has been people from within Japan. Not that this blog is big or anything, but this started out as just a little something to keep my friends and family back in Canada updated. If you're reading from Japan, I'm assuming you're a workmate or a friend, with maybe the rare case of a stray foreigner looking for something to do, possibly even to have an adventure of your own.
 If you're a reader from abroad or from Canada, you may be thinking of coming here to visit, or possibly to settle for a long-term like I did. I might've made it look easier than it is, but it's not exactly rocket science either.

If you're any of the above, here's a handout. It's great stuff.


  

1. METROPOLIS MAGAZINE
  Ideal for: Adventurers, Lonely People, Nihongo Enthousiasts
 Metropolis is how I met Ken and Mori both. It's a massive hub for foreigners to do...everything. The classifieds section comes in handy for all the things listed above. There are numerous reviews about things to do or places to visit in Tokyo. It's also where many Japanese people try to reach out and get in contact with foreigners, notably for language exchange. The magazine exists in physical form, but it's much more convenient to just use the website right here. Metropolis offers a small classifieds section for people looking for a job, but the better place to look for that would be...

2. GAIJIN POT
Ideal for:  Job-Seekers
  When I needed a job, I was referred to Gaijin Pot. And then I got one. It was that easy. Although the website offers everything Metropolis has, I personally find it a lot more useful for the purposes stated above. Within GaijinPot, one can make a profile and resume that is readable by any potential employer. Many employers looking for English-speakers put their business's profile up for people to apply to as well. My Gym happened to be there - I sent them my resume, and my former-boss-turned-adventuring-buddy Nana called me up to set an interview. I owe that to Gaijin Pot.

craigslist

3. CRAIGSLIST
Ideal for: Home-Making
  Okay, okay. I can hear you sigh already. Yeah, I know. In North America you use Craigslist to find a cheap hooker. You could probably do that in Tokyo, too. But Tokyo Craigslist has a lot to offer for someone in need of second-hand furniture or home electronics. I got most of what I own from craigslist. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it's a website where people sell or give stuff away from hand to hand. All you have to do is figure out where to meet and how you're transporting the goods.

4. Meet-Up
Ideal for: Lonely People, Adventurers, Nihongo Enthousiasts...and Meeting Me.

Look at me, I can make friends! [photo taken by Aala]

Yeah, I listed the same things under Metropolis, but Meet-Up offers it in a different way. If I'm looking for something to do, just open up Meet-Up and see if anyone threw an event together that's to your liking. There are hundreds of groups that plan events big or small, and I've met quite a few of my current friends from Meet-Up as well.
 But tell you what, on top of all that, if you want to hang out with me sometime, then just join me at one of Aala's events. They're cheap as hell, and they're great for meeting people.
Even I may occasionally create an event in that group. And you know I like to go to crazy, adventurous, interesting places and do silly shit.
 So join us.

NOTE: As of 2014, Aala has stepped down
from making events, and I attend much less often as well. 
 
And there you have! Your Tokyo-survival kit. Thank me not.

2013 Banners!

Wow, I actually got four submissions this year! A big thanks to all of you who sent in a banner!
 You know, I could've made one myself, but like this I'm glad to be able to keep in touch with you guys. I'll be rotating these banners weekly!

 A big thank you to:

Marie Grob!

 Owen Gregory!

Ken Tanaka!

Eri Karasawa!

It's About That Time Again

This picture unrelated.

Hey, You!
 Yeah, you, reader!

 Just about last year, I threw up an invitation to all my readers to design a logo for this blog. Actually, my readership is quite poor, as this blog was mostly made for friends and family to keep up with my antics, and I imagine most of my friends on the North American side have kind of forgotten about it any way.

 But if there are still precious readers who graduated from Illustration & Design, I'd like to throw the same proposition again!


I've no expectations. At all.




Does anyone want to design a banner for this blog?


There'll be no winners or losers. I'll rotate the banners every week.
The rules are simple:
 - It has to say "Sean the Alien" on it, somewhere.
 - It has to relate in some way. That doesn't mean I have to be on it. It could. Or it could be something to do with Japan, or an alien, or whatever. Nothing totally unrelated like a picture of Nicholas Cage or some shit.
 - It can't be too nutty. And by that, I mean, nothing offensive.

That's about it. Put a little effort in it, please!

THERE WILL BE PRIZES for those of you who send a banner in before February. Like, I will literally buy you something cool (but inexpensive) from Japan. And it will be different for each of you. Isn't that exciting?  You don't know what you'll get.
 Regardless of if you send it before February or not, I will be displaying all banners though.

New Year at Roppongi

My December 31st had me lounging around at home with Mori for most of the daytime. I hooked up the PS3 to the common room's 3D television, and it was nice to just kick back and relax in the spacious sun-filled room. Julian was out working, picking up dog shit or whatever, so the day was pretty quiet and otherwise uneventful until he arrived home and we kicked off our New Year's Eve celebrating. Mori, who works at events throughout town, couldn't join us for the night.

You can see Tokyo Tower in the back!

We met up with two of Julian's friends, Kaz and Yasu, in Roppongi.
Most adult Japanese people tend to avoid this part of town. It's known for its concentration of foreign embassies, and therefore, of young gaijins who just want to go clubbing all night every night. The streets are bustling with girls who want to hook up with tall white guys. There's no shortage of those in Montreal (both the former and the latter,) so I can't say I'm too fond of Roppongi in general, but this is where things were mostly happening in Tokyo on New Year's Eve, so this is where we went.
You can see Tokyo Tower from here! It's a giant rip-off of the Eiffel Tower, serving as a broadcast antenna.

I think this was Yasu's default face for the night.

The cover fees to get into the bars and clubs on New Year's Eve was pretty ridiculous, ranging from 25$ to fuckin' 63$. We went into a bar that charged the cheaper end of those fees, called Motown House, and, to our dismay, it catered mostly to middle-aged south-east Asians, with only a few exceptions here and there. I can not blame Fumi for not coming when I tried to invite her. Well, you get what you pay for. It was fun none-the-less, and we had our countdown here.
Yasu parted with us shortly after, having drank a drop too much.





We then headed out to a karaoke place. Kaz and I tried inviting some girls to join us (Julian being too shy to try!) But we weren't tall or white enough, so that didn't work. Curse you, Roppongi. But we ended up going in anyway. The room was way too big for a group of three, but we had a nice view on Tokyo Tower, so hey, why the hell not.
Aaaaand that about sums up my New Year's!




Oh, and a special thanks to Marianne for contributing the banner up top! Geez, she was the only one. You would've thought I graduated from Economics instead of Illustration & Design. You guys are lazy bastards (but I still love you. Please don't flood the comment box or my facebook wall with excuses!)
Also, a "special" special thanks to Self (not myself,  but the guy named Self) for making me a banner featuring me being sodomized by Godzilla while Nicholas Cage watches. You need help, but I love you too.

Let's Get Something Going!

I have your attention now, right?

Hey people! Notably you fellow Illustration & Design graduates. I know it's Christmas Break for a lot of you, so I thought I could get some kind of art-off going. Here's the dealio;

Does anyone want to design a banner for this blog?


There'll be no winners or losers. I'll rotate the banners every week.
The rules are simple:
 - It has to say "Sean the Alien" on it, somewhere.
 - It has to relate in some way. That doesn't mean I have to be on it. It could. Or it could be something to do with Japan, or an alien, or whatever. Nothing totally unrelated like a picture of Nicholas Cage or some shit.
 - It can't be too nutty. And by that, I mean, nothing offensive. Like, no drawings of me being sodomized by Godzilla or anything like that.

That's about it. Put a little effort in it, please!

THERE WILL BE PRIZES for those of you who send a banner in before New Years. Like, I will literally send you something cool (but inexpensive) from Japan. And it will be different for each of you. Isn't that exciting?  You don't know what you'll get.
 Regardless of if you send it before New Years or not, I will be displaying all banners though.

 Ready, Steady, Go!