Category: English

Filming Location: A Bride for Rip van Winkle

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This time we post filming locations based on Instagram’s request. The movie called リップヴァンウィンクルの花嫁, with the English titled A Bride for Rip van Winkle. It’s based on a novel with the same title and the movie was released in 2016. What I love about having this blog is when our readers request something that we usually don’t watch, so thank you for the request to cover the filming locations of this movie. Thank you and sorry that it took us a long time to write the post!

The first filming location is the opening scene where Nanami (Haru Kuroki) is waiting for his blind date, Tetsuya.

Pic taken from Google Map

The street which is located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, might look a little bit different than the movie because some shops have changed, but the post box still remains the same.

Moving on to the next place, the restaurant in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, where Nanami and Tetsuya met with their family to officially engage.

Pic taken from Google Map

The restaurant, Tanaka-ya, has a long history established since 1863. They actually offer their place for wedding reception. Their website has an English option and you can book it online which I found impressive. The food is on the pricier side as they offer a full kaiseki course. They give clear directions on how to find the restaurant, so you can find it easily.

Perhaps the next place is more affordable, it’s the cafe located in Minato-ku, Tokyo, where Nanami met Amuro (Ayano Go): Cafe La Bohème Shirogane.

Pic taken from Google Map

Nanami who then works for Amuro meets her new “family” at a wedding reception, and Mashiro (Cocco) becomes her older sister. The restaurant where Nanami and Mashiro drank again from the wedding party is Downbeat in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Pic taken from Downbeat website

Fast-forward, Nanami becomes a live-in maid in a big mansion together with Mashiro.

Pic taken from Google Map

The movie is actually accurate when describes the house used to be a restaurant, because…. it is! It’s an Italian restaurant called Albergo Bamboo. Located in Hakone, you can rent the whole space if you want.

The last place would be the wedding dress shop where Nanami finally becomes Rip van Winkle’s bride.

Pic taken from Google Map

It is a wedding dress shop, Live Love Laugh. Not sure if they really accept a walk-in customer like in the movie.

So, that’s it! This movie is not something that I typically watch because I never pick up something that has a 3-hour-long duration. I actually watched it at 2x speed, lol. But the story is very interesting, and the character development is also great.

Do you have a request for us to cover filming locations of certain J-movie or Jdorama? Just poke us through our instagram, twitter, or drop your comment in one of our blog posts here. We are pleased to do it 😉

Joining Arashi (or any other JE’s group) as overseas fans

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I joined their fan club right after their hiatus announcement in the hope to secure their concert ticket for the last time. Alas, the pandemic happened, which is actually a good thing in a way they provide online concert viewing so everyone can watch. Even after their hiatus, Arashi still gives a lot of benefits to their fan club members. If you live outside Japan and need help joining a fan club, here we recommend three services that we already tested.

1. Onegai Kaeru

This is the first proxy service that I use until now. Their annual agent fee is quite high (USD100 – 150) and that only covers basic services such as lending an address, helping to sign up for a fan club, and receiving fan club mail. On their website, they stated offering additional services like translating fan club newsletters and balloting for tickets. Well, I asked and they said they don’t do such things. So if you want to ballot for ticket, you have to do it by yourself. If you want to forward your fan club mail, you have to pay USD20 plus the shipping fee. The reason why I still use their service is because of their good customer service and they are very accommodating.

2. SOS Japan

Actually, their service is on par with Onegai Kaeru despite how fishy their website looks. I used their service for Ikuta Toma’s fan club. Just like Onegai Kaeru, they handled all fan club member registration. FYI, for Ikuta Toma, JE doesn’t send fan club mail so it is free to become a fan club member. The annual agent fee for SOS japan is slightly cheaper (8000 yen). Their customer service was also good, they help to claim a refund for Toma’s stage play ticket when the show got canceled due to the pandemic at no cost. They also help me to buy Kanjani8’s 15sai concert ticket from ticket.co.jp. The reason why I stop using their service is that I see no reason to pay for the agent fee when I don’t receive any fan club mail.

3. Blackship

This service is quite new. They are basically a package forwarding service like Tenso. I don’t use Tenso because they can’t forward mail to Indonesia (which is weird because Buyee can do it). They don’t charge annual fee. Their service is only to provide a Japanese address so you can receive package/mail and then forward the mail to you. So when JE finally accept an overseas credit card, I use the address their provided to join Ikuta Toma fan club again. It is definitely a cheaper option than using agents like Onegai Kaeru and SOS Japan.

So that are three options that you can choose from if you decided to join JE’s group fan club.

Halal Restaurant: Yoshiya Oku no Niwa, Kyoto

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Wow, we can’t believe that after six years blogging, this is the first time we write a post about Kyoto! Kyoto had been in our bucket list especially since we wanted to visit Arashiyama during Sakura season, but only until last December I finally stepped my foot on Kyoto. Not for Sakura viewing (well… obiviously…), but to try a restaurant that offer Halal washoku dish near Arashiyama area.

Yoshiya Kyoto

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Filming Location: Solanin/ソラニン

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As requested from Alexis (sorry that we took so long to make this post!), this time we will share the filming location of 2010’s movie: Solanin. Most of the locations are located at the border of Kanagawa and Tokyo. You can start your journey from Izumi-Tamagawa Station which is along Odakyu Line, about 30 minutes train ride from Shibuya Station.

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No Pork Ichiran Ramen, Shinjuku

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Have you ever wondered how the non-halal non-vegetarian Ramen taste like? We’ve tasted some Halal or vegetarian Ramen before. Our most favorite Ramen is the one from Matsuri restaurant in Osaka. Since then, there’s barely any Halal Ramen that can meet our standard. We always goes “yeah…. it’s good, but not as good as the one in Matsuri”. Lol.

Early this year, the famous Tonkotsu Ramen shop, Ichiran, open their No Pork Ichiran Ramen shop in Tokyo. I’ve read the review that said the taste is similar to original one. It spark my curiosity wether it can beat the Matsuri Ramen. However please understand that there is no Halal certification for this No Pork Ichiran Ramen.

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Kobe Muslim Mosque

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Do you know that this mosque is the oldest one in Japan? It’s not Tokyo, it’s Kobe, a city means “Gate of God”. What history Kobe Mosque offers and what it currently has? How to go there if you want to pay a visit? Read this post to find out.

Kobe Muslim Mosque

Kobe Muslim Mosque

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