beer

Ni-chome’s omasturi photos

Ni-chome, Tokyo’s gay bar district in Shinjuku, hosted a summer festival, or omatsuri, the day after the Tokyo Pride Parade two weekends ago. Lots of color: traditional omikoshi, or portable shrine carrying; drag and summer yukatas; foreigners looking Japanese and Japanese looking foreign; some youths who look alien in their highly processed hair; an odd World War II cosplay (even more bizarre since the date was August 15, which marks Japan’s surrender); and a variety of frozen ice, giant sausages on sticks, and plenty of beer in cans.

Pokemon butt at beer vendor in Tokyo Pride Parade

I had a fantastic time at the Tokyo Pride Parade on Saturday. Despite the August heat and humidity, the atmosphere, costumes, and Okinawan music were joyous. The hubb and two good friends joined me and about 10,000 people in Yoyogi and then marching through Shibuya and Meiji Jingu Mae.

I don’t have time to sort through all the photos (and several videos), but I want to post my favorite photo today. There were about eight middle-aged Pokemon wearing furry but revealing outfits.

I hope that these adult Pokemon prompted some awkward child-parent questions during the parade! Here they are lined up for canned beer.

If you’re in Tokyo, you can check out the “gay matsuri” festival from 4 pm to 7 pm on Sunday in Ni-chome. It’s a street fair organized by the bar owners, with promises of a portable shrine carried by lesbians, music and performances.

Red hair in futuristic factory tour

Because I was invited, I found myself in a Suntory beer factory tour. Of course, moe follows me throughout Tokyo. One of the tour mates had the most luminous red hair, piled thickly, widely, and just plain big-ly. I guess I was supposed to be watching the video, where the guy in the fancy hat explains just how Suntory makes such delicious beer. But in fact, I could not take my eyes off this hair-do, whose glory was magnified by the strange lighting.

Asashoryu triumphs!

Asashoryu triumphs!

I think I fell in love with Asashoryu today. This Mongolian sumo bad boy defeated my previous favorite, sweet Mongolian Hakuho. I even bought a Hakuho towel for my nephew in spring. But now I have fallen for Asashoryu, who is criticized for failing to practice all the time, and for slapping himself silly before matches. His stubble and fat face are somehow enchanting!

Asashoryu v Aminishiki

And last year he upset the Japan Sumo Association by calling for a 10% salary raise, the first since 2001, to cover the rising cost of food staples such as “bread, rice, cooking oil, mayonnaise and beer”.

Who is your favorite sumo wrestler?

Online restaurant and bar

Air Yakiniku

A mouth-watering website offers online dining at a Yakiniku restaurant. The sounds of the meat grilling, the hungry diner’s open mouth, the interaction where the viewer uses chopsticks to lift up the meat, and even the paper apron to protect your keyboard, they are all magnificent.

Air Yakiniku Air Yakiniku

And if the online meat makes you thirsty, you can always head to the online bar, with music and small snacks.

Online bar with draft beer