OH YEAH! We Attacked Pool WAI on the HOTTEST Day Ever! What’s up, everybody! Dady Joy here! On the hottest day in August, when the thermometer was about to have a meltdown in the afternoon, we made a family assault on Yomiuriland Pool WAI! WOW WOW! Just zoom down the Chuo Expressway from central Tokyo for 30 minutes to an hour. Check it out yo! Inagi City, Tokyo is a bit away from the city center, so the air is totally different! Instead of skyscrapers, you can see green scenery - this is what I’m talking about! ...

The Golden Rule After Pool Days: Hungry Stomachs Need Sushi! What’s up, everybody! Dady Joy here! After playing hard at Oiso Long Beach, the moment we got in the car, our whole family started the chorus: “We’re hungry!” Well of course we are! After all that swimming, we’re absolutely starving! Then I had a brilliant idea! “Hey guys, we’re near the ocean, let’s eat some fish!” The kids got super excited shouting “Sushi! Sushi!” Alright then, time to check Google Maps! ...

Where Ocean and Pool Boundaries Disappear What’s up, everybody! Dady Joy here! Went to Oiso Long Beach attached to Oiso Prince Hotel! Man, this place is amazing! There’s an ocean right in front of a pool, and I was like “Wait, is this a pool? A beach? Which one?” It’s that awesome! This time I couldn’t get hotel reservations so it was a day trip, but still totally satisfied! Actually made me more fired up like “Next time I’m definitely staying overnight!” I think I’m totally falling for the hotel’s strategy (lol). ...

The Special Radiance That Yurakucho Wears at Year’s End On December 29, 2024, walking through the streets of Yurakucho as the year drew to a close, I felt a special atmosphere different from usual permeating the air. The illuminated streetscape beautifully staged this milestone moment marking the end of the year. While gazing at this scene, I found myself reflecting on the year 2024. This year was truly a turbulent era. Various events occurring around the world, waves of technological innovation, and changes in each of our individual lives. It’s precisely during this special period of year’s end that I feel anew the significance of stopping to look back. ...

Reunion at Hibiya, a Cultural Crossroads On June 9, 2024, during a refreshing afternoon between rainy days, I reunited with a long-unseen friend at “Kabe no Ana” (Hole in the Wall) in a corner of Hibiya Chanter. Hibiya is a place that symbolizes Japan’s modernization since the Meiji era, serving as Tokyo’s cultural heart where government districts, commercial areas, and cultural facilities harmonize exquisitely. The time spent with my friend here holds meaning beyond mere dining. “Kabe no Ana,” which opened in 1953 in Tamura-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, is also a living witness to an era when post-war Japanese people harbored yearning for Western culture. The spaghetti savored at this restaurant contains countless human dramas woven over 71 years. ...

A Crossroads of Multinational Fine Dining in Modern Osaki On the evening of May 28, 2024, I opened the doors to “Italian Dining Il Chianti” on the second floor of Daiwa Roynet Hotel Tokyo Osaki, located near Osaki Station. Osaki is a place that has undergone dramatic transformation from a corner of Shinagawa that once prospered with seaweed cultivation to a refined modern office district. While gazing at this colorful salad, I was reminded anew of the richness of modern Tokyo’s food culture. Here, vivid colors reminiscent of Mediterranean sunshine dance before you. The deep red of tomatoes, the rich green of broccoli, the yellow and orange of bell peppers, and the beautiful purple of red onions. The harmony woven by these vegetables is truly a symbol of the “internationalization of food” that modern Japan has embraced. ...

The Airport Experience as a Ritual of Departure On the evening of May 15, 2024, the moment I stepped into Haneda Airport’s terminal, I realized anew that airports are not merely transit points for movement, but microcosms of modern Japanese culture and special ritual spaces that open doors to the extraordinary journey of travel. The aircraft standing on the runway at dusk truly appear like giant modern birds. Their graceful forms could be called works of art that crystallize humanity’s aspiration for flight and the pinnacle of technology. There seems to be something that connects the feelings that ancient Manyoshu poets entrusted to birds with the longing we modern people harbor for aircraft. ...

Stepping foot in Meguro, this is not merely a corner of Tokyo, but a special space where a treasure trove of art and culture spanning time and space unfolds—Meguro Gajoen. And nestled in one corner of this temple of history and beauty, the renowned teppanyaki restaurant STEAK HOUSE hama. Today, we present this luxurious yet intellectual lunch experience woven by these two establishments. The Beautiful Space of Gajoen Weaving History Born in 1931 as a traditional Japanese restaurant, Meguro Gajoen traces its beginnings to “Shibaura Gajoen,” opened by founder Rikizo Hosokawa in Shibaura, Tokyo in 1928. Later moving to Meguro, it established its position as a prestigious traditional restaurant. Furthermore, it became known as Japan’s first comprehensive wedding venue. ...

Authentic Wine Bar Produced by Seijo Ishii Le Bar a Vin 52 (Le Bar à Vin 52), located on the 4th floor of Atre Ebisu West Wing, just 1 minute from Ebisu Station. This wine bar produced by Seijo Ishii doesn’t stop at being just a “trendy drinking spot.” This is a place to perfect the marriage of ingredients and wine. Utilizing Seijo Ishii’s procurement capabilities, famous for their supermarket chain, you can casually enjoy carefully selected ingredients from around the world and wines chosen by the shop master. ...