Vikingess Voyages

Monday, April 28, 2014

Japan's Largest Uniqlo: Okachimachi

Anette 8:00:00 PM

On Friday Japan's casual fashion brand Uniqlo (which stands for unique clothing) opened up a new store in Okachimachi. In addition to being the brand's newest this store also boosts of being Japan's largest.

The great thing about Uniqlo is that you can find high quality clothes sold at cheap prices. I simply can't survive the Japanese winter without Uniqlo's heat tech products for instance, they're a real lifesaver for me. In Japan people are often willing to pay a lot extra just because a product has brand value. I still don't get why anyone would pay 10.000 yen for a sweater made of polyester when shops like Uniqlo sell sweaters made of pure merino at about a fourth of the price. But then again, I'm not really that into fashion (In fact, I can't believe I'm writing this post at all, haha..)

Various Uniqlo T-shirts

I really wonder how the conditions for Uniqlo's workers are though? Considering how cheap they're able to sell their products I wouldn't be surprised if the workers in their factories don't receive much payment at all.. When it comes to Western brands there is usually a lot of pressure from the public in Western countries if it is discovered that their workers aren't treated well. But I've never noticed similar movements from the public here in Japan (perhaps I haven't payed enough attention though)..

Anyway, Uniqlo is the place to go if you want cheap fashion that actually holds high quality as well. I would choose them over H&M any day, especially since they have a lot of nice formal clothes I can use at work.

Nippon Omiyage

Lately Uniqlo has also started selling souvenir T-shirts with Japanese motives on. If you're visiting Japan and want to bring home a T-shirt with some fancy kanji (Chinese characters) or random Japanese words on them you could always check out Uniqlo's collection.

But to be honest, I guess the real reason why I wanted to write a blogpost about Uniqlo was that I found their range of "same is lame" T-shirts quite amusing. So amusing (/ridiculous) that I couldn't resist writing about them. I really like Uniqlo's clothes because their design is simple and the quality is high compared to their prices. But who am I kidding? I'm not really going to be seen as a "unique" & "trend setting" person because I choose to wear their products.. I mean, Uniqlo is Japan's most popular apparel retailer so there are obviously a whole bunch of people out there wearing the exact same clothes as me. These mass produced "same is lame" T-shirts aren't exactly gonna make me or anybody else stand out in the crowd, quite the contrary.

Try to be unique and different with a mass produced Uniqlo T-shirt.

I personally think that people with talent don't need fashion (nor does anybody else for that matter), and that rather than hiding behind fancy clothes people should strive to improve themselves.

Anyway, I think I've been blabbering more than enough.. Time to do something productive instead.!

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Tokyo

Running in Tokyo with RunKeeper!

Anette 9:00:00 PM

I recently started working out using an iPhone application called RunKeeper, a smart device that uses GPS to track you while you're out running. With this application you can get detailed feedback about your run; you see how fast you've been running, the route you've used and a lot of other details. I used to dislike running quite a lot (I'm more into dancing and martial arts), but thanks to this application (and my boyfriend, who enjoys running a lot more than I do..) I've started to at least get the motivation to go running once a week. It's not that much, but still a lot more than nothing I suppose.

Running is also a nice way to rediscover your city! Or in my case, since I'm still quite new to Tokyo, a way to discover new areas of the city. Tokyo is certainly a massive concrete jungle, but the metropolis also boosts of some wonderful parks, temples and shrines that are within reach if you decide to go out for a jog. My favorites so far includes the Ueno Koen park and the Imperial Palace, but there are of course many other options out there as well.

Having a break by the Imperial Palace with my boyfriend.

The Imperial Palace is a popular place among joggers in Tokyo

Ueno Koen is the place I visit most often, both because it is closer to home but also because there are so much to see both during daytime and during the night. The Bentendo temple is pretty nice to look at during the day, but absolutely marvelous during night when its light is reflected in the pond (no wonder why so many couples come here to hang out in the evening).

I then use RunKeeper to keep track on how fast I'm running. Once in a while the application provides me with audio feedback on how far I've been running and my pace. This makes it easier to keep on running even during the latter part of the run when my motivation is low. I've included some screenshots of the application below:

Bentensan in Ueno Koen

You can find RunKeeper in the iTunes App Store.

Other related blogposts:
Jogging around the Imperial Palace

Random Tokyo Picture: A cute statue outside Korakuen Station

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Monday, April 21, 2014

Rakuten

Benefits for Rakuten Employees: The Rakuten Cafeteria (楽天食堂)

Anette 9:10:00 PM

楽天食堂

One of the many benefits you receive as a Rakuten employee is the chance to enjoy free breakfast and lunch in one of Rakuten's two cafeterias every day. Since work usually starts at 9:30 (exempt for Tuesdays with the morning Asakai at 8:00) it is advisable to get to the office at around 8:30 for a nice breakfast before work (if you like washoku).

During breakfast

Not that many people there during breakfast, but it sure gets crowded later during lunch hours

The breakfast menu usually doesn't change that much day by day, but the cafeteria offers quite a wide variety of dishes for lunch. I personally think the food is pretty delicious (I'm not the right person to ask about taste though, I'm generally not very picky about my food as long as it is healthy)! You get to choose between 5 main items that change every day, and in addition to that you have some optional small dishes to choose from as well.

Example of lunch

Fish, potatoes and eggplant

The food is quite healthy, you do for instance always get the opportunity to have fresh vegetables and/or salad with your main dish. In addition to the main dish we also get a small dessert (usually jelly or yogurt).

Lunch + yogurt for dessert

Healthy salad

Meat

If you are tired after work and don't want to go out of your way to get a healthy dinner you could always stop by one of Rakuten's cafeterias. A dinner at the cafeteria usually costs around 380-400 yen, so there is really no need for you to cook your own food at all..

Hamburger

Of course, with such a huge company as Rakuten just one cafeteria isn't quite enough to serve all the employees, and so there are two different Rakuten cafeterias, one in each tower. If you enter the company through the Business/Engineering New Grads group you'll probably find yourself in the cafeteria in Tower 2 most of the time during your initial training period. Still, there is not that much difference between the two cafeterias (I haven't really used the cafeteria in Tower 1 more than once though, so I can't say for sure). The only significant difference I've noticed so far is that the cafeteria in tower 1 has a Tully's Coffee and the one in tower 2 has a regular Rakuten Cafe.

Rakuten Coffee

So far the food at the cafeteria has been great! Thanks to the variety I don't think I'll get tired of the food here anytime soon. Besides, less time cooking means more time doing other things, so it's not a bad idea to eat at the cafeteria as much as possible... ^^

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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Tokyo

Hiking in Tokyo: Sakura viewing (花見) at Mount Takao (高尾山)

Anette 11:23:00 AM

Passing by cherry blossoms on the way up to a shrine in Takaosan
Photo: Anette

For people who want to get out of Tokyo to experience both Japanese nature and culture at once, there is one exceptional place where you can find what you are looking for: The sacred Mount Takao (Takaosan in Japanese).

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Tokyo

Cherry Blossoms and Jogging in Tokyo: The Imperial Palace (皇居)

Anette 10:04:00 PM

If you want to go running during the daytime the area around the Imperial Palace might be a good choice though. The distance around the palace is around 5 km, and there are a lot to see along the way. The area around the palace is a great place to go jogging around April, as the Cherry Blossoms (known in Japanese as sakura) are blooming in this season.

Although Tokyo is a giant and (if I may say so,) slightly overcrowded city there are some green lungs in the city center where you can get a little bit closer to the nature. Tokyo does for instance have some really pretty parks such as Ueno Kōen and Yoyogi Kōen. These are especially popular around April, when people come to enjoy hanami (cherry blossom viewing) with family and friends. If you want to go jogging then these places can also be good options, or at least during the evening when it is not that crowded.

There are always a lot of people jogging around the Imperial Palace, so if you just want to take a stroll you should make sure you're not in their way. Sometimes they even have running events here, and you can for instance pass by the palace as part of the Tokyo Marathon.

Statue of Wake no Kiyomaro outside the Imperial Palace

Flowers and bamboo leaves

For those interested in visiting the Imperial Palace whether it is to go jogging or just to enjoy the sight of the historical buildings in the area you can easily find it by taking the metro to Tokyo Station. I've included a map for reference below:

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Monday, April 7, 2014

Japan

How to catch cockroaches easily with the Gokiburi Hoi-hoi!

Anette 2:32:00 PM

There is one particularly creepy creature you unfortunately are likely to run into during your stay in Japan, and that is the infamous cockroach. They have showed up a couple of times in my apartment too, under the TV-stand and even in the bathtub..

They are not that easy to get rid of unless you take some precautions to get rid of them. But as always, Japan has the tool to save your day: The Gokiburi Hoi-hoi!

The Gokiburi Hoi-hoi is here to save the day!

Gokiburi Hoi-hoi literarily means "Cockroach Shoo!" (although if you say it out load it somehow sounds more like you're calling them over). Especially considering the cute design of the cockroach trap, which looks like a nice little house for the roach and his friends.

The cockroach trap is way too cute..

Inside the little house you put a small bag with some food bait that apparently smells really good for the cockroach, and then you just leave it under some furniture that seems attractive to the little vermin. There is some sticky stuff inside the house that leaves the cockroach unable to move once it has stepped on it, so all you have to do is to leave the house alone and the cockroaches will do the hard work of catching themselves. Yay.

Welcome home dear cockroach! Now it's time to die.

..Which also means that you don't have to actually kill them yourself either. You just throw the house in the garbage once you're satisfied with your catch. Hoi-hoi cockroach! ^^

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Work in Japan

楽天入社式: Our First Day as a Rakuten Employees

Anette 10:50:00 PM

The first of April marks the beginning of a new semester in Japan, and it is also the time when new employees starts their business careers. For me it meant the end of my many years as a university student, and the beginning of my life as a shakaijin working for Rakuten Inc, Japan's largest e-commerce company.

Rakuten

The registration started pretty early, and some of us (dependent on surname) had to meet up at the Rakuten Tower at 6:45 am this morning. Once a week Rakuten is having a morning meeting called the Asakai, and since this week's Asakai coincided with the Welcome Ceremony for new graduates I have a feeling that we might have had to be present earlier than what has been the standard for previous welcome ceremonies.

Flowers in bloom in front of the Rakuten Tower

Anyway, I will of course not go too much into detail about the actual content of the ceremony, as it is confidential information. All I can say is that we had a long and informative day filled with a lot of speeches from among others our CEO Mikitani-san, other superiors and one of our douki.

At the Welcome Ceremony

From tomorrow on we are beginning our training period, where we'll learn all the necessary basics to ensure that we can succeed in our careers in the company. I'm looking forward to the many challenges ahead!