Almost everywhere you go in Japan, you can see sunken areas surrounded by fences which were at some stage used as tiny resevoirs. Most of the time now they’re just empty. There are a couple of these in the Danchi where I live, but the powers that be have decided to convert one of them to a car park.

Just as I was passing a week ago, I saw this big tree come down and be pulled away by the digger. Things move fast, and probably in a month or do, this will be a finished car park.

Here’s a project I worked on, then forgot about. I used a screen scraper written in PHP to grab all the Starbucks locations in Japan to make a map. I wrote a batch geocoder to run the address results through Google Maps geocoder and recorded the latitude and longitude of each one.

With Japanese addresses, you have to be careful geocoding. If you give google the entire address, along with building name and other extras, it can’t convert it to a lat-long pair. You have to give it just to the Chome number or Banchi number. To deal with this, I wrote an extra part in the script, where if Google gave me an error code back, I’d try the same address again, cut at the last space. Thankfully, Starbucks wrote their addresses with spaces included, so it often worked.

The app itself was written in CakePHP and uses Google Maps to output the points. The data is a year old now, so there’s probably some inconsistencies there.

Starbucks in Japan Map

If you own a dog in Japan, you have to register it and make sure it has a name tag. It’s very rare to see stray dogs walking around and I’ve only ever seen a dog catcher once.

When you register your dog, you get a sticker for that year to put on your entrance. Each year is a different colour, and you see lots of houses with a large collection. The symbol inside the circle is the kanji for dog, inu (犬). The year is written, Japanese style, at the bottom of the dog kanji. This house hasn’t updated the sticker yet – the latest year is Heisei 20 or 2008.

A couple of odd stickers I noticed while cycling. They were tiny and old and the only reason I even saw them was because the traffic light was red. When I showed it to someone to translate, she told me it gave off a bad feeling. It looks like a voodoo sticker to me. The translation is something like: The economic condition is bad. It will end in disaster. Crimes must be punished!

This one looks more straightforward. Probably a website for a sex line. It says that women can use the service for free. Both of the stickers look like they’ve been there for many years at this lonely crossing, waiting for someone to acknowlege their call.

Here’s an old abandoned cigarette shop I came across on the road between Hasama and Funabashi. It looks like it’s been this way for years, but the price of a pack of cigs written on the poster is ¥240, so it can’t be that old. Now a pack is somewhere around ¥320 I think.

The location was very odd for a shop too, on the intersection of a main road and a small rural road. It didn’t look like it got much foot traffic. Now the whole building has just been consumed by the bamboo plants around it. It’s returning to the earth.

Drinks were ¥100 yen, now they’re usually ¥120 in the machines. You can see the start of the genki drinks too, with one of the found sugary medicine bottles on the right.

I love the picture on the ice-cream fridge, and the old style katakana spelling out “ice-cream”

Shelves still stocked with some shop essentials.

This way goes to the back room, but there was too much stuff to even think about going in. These places always make me feel scared, something ab0ut the sliding doors.

The cigarette machine fighting against the bamboo plant trying to eat it. I guess it was the machines that finally made this shop close it’s windows, it’s easier to put a few coins into a slot that deal with a person.

I wrote a post before about some JR train station maps that are on their site. The list included only maps that had English translations, but recently I found a much longer list (with 170 stations). It’s only in Japanese but you can work out the general layout by looking.

I ran the HTML page through a parser and did a lookup for the Japanese station names, they may not be perfect. I hope it’s helpful to someone.

Update: I made a site with the position of all the train stations in Japan, using Google Maps. Here it is.

JR Aomori Station Map (青森駅) JR Akabane Station Map (赤羽駅) JR Akita Station Map (秋田駅) JR Akihabara Station Map (秋葉原駅) JR Ageo Station Map (上尾駅) JR Asagaya Station Map (阿佐ケ谷駅) JR Asakusabashi Station Map (浅草橋駅) JR Atami Station Map (熱海駅) JR Abiko Station Map (我孫子駅) JR Iidabashi Station Map (飯田橋駅) JR Ikebukuro Station Map (池袋駅) JR Itabashi Station Map (板橋駅) JR Ichigaya Station Map (市ケ谷駅) JR Ichinoseki Station Map (一ノ関駅) JR Iwaki Station Map (いわき駅) JR Ueda Station Map (上田駅) JR Ueno Station Map (上野駅) JR Ukimafunado Station Map (浮間舟渡駅) JR Uguisudani Station Map (鶯谷駅) JR Utsunomiya Station Map (宇都宮駅) JR Urawa Station Map (浦和駅) JR Echigoyuzawa Station Map (越後湯沢駅) JR Ecchujima Station Map (越中島駅) JR Ebisu Station Map (恵比寿駅) JR Ebina Station Map (海老名駅) JR Oji Station Map (王子駅) JR Oimachi Station Map (大井町駅) JR Okubo Station Map (大久保駅) JR Osaki Station Map (大崎駅) JR Otsuka Station Map (大塚駅) JR Ofuna Station Map (大船駅) JR Omagashi Station Map (大曲駅) JR Omiya Station Map (大宮駅) JR Omori Station Map (大森駅) JR Okachimachi Station Map (御徒町駅) JR Ogikubo Station Map (荻窪駅) JR Oku Station Map (尾久駅) JR Odawara Station Map (小田原駅) JR Ochanomizu Station Map (御茶ノ水駅) JR Oyama Station Map (小山駅) JR Kashiwa Station Map (柏駅) JR Kanamachi Station Map (金町駅) JR Kamakura Station Map (鎌倉駅) JR Kamata Station Map (蒲田駅) JR Kaminakazato Station Map (上中里駅) JR Kameari Station Map (亀有駅) JR Kameido Station Map (亀戸駅) JR Karuizawa Station Map (軽井沢駅) JR Kawagoe Station Map (川越駅) JR Kawasaki Station Map (川崎駅) JR Kanda Station Map (神田駅) JR Kannai Station Map (関内駅) JR Kikuna Station Map (菊名駅) JR Kita akabane Station Map (北赤羽駅) JR Kita asaka Station Map (北朝霞駅) JR Kita kashiwa Station Map (北柏駅) JR Kita kami Station Map (北上駅) JR Kita kogane Station Map (北小金駅) JR Kita senju Station Map (北千住駅) JR Kita matsudo Station Map (北松戸駅) JR Kichijoji Station Map (吉祥寺駅) JR Kinshicho Station Map (錦糸町駅) JR Narita Airport Terminal 2 Station Map (空港第２ビル駅) JR Kumagaya Station Map (熊谷駅) JR Koenji Station Map (高円寺駅) JR Kofu Station Map (甲府駅) JR Koriyama Station Map (郡山駅) JR Kokubunji Station Map (国分寺駅) JR Gotanda Station Map (五反田駅) JR Komagome Station Map (駒込駅) JR Sakudaira Station Map (佐久平駅) JR Sakuragicho Station Map (桜木町駅) JR Shiojiri Station Map (塩尻駅) JR Shinagawa Station Map (品川駅) JR Shinanomachi Station Map (信濃町駅) JR Shinonoi Station Map (篠ノ井駅) JR Shibuya Station Map (渋谷駅) JR Jujo Station Map (十条駅) JR Shin Akitsu Station Map (新秋津駅) JR Shin Ookubo Station Map (新大久保駅) JR Shinkiba Station Map (新木場駅) JR Shin koiwa Station Map (新小岩駅) JR Shinjuku Station Map (新宿駅) JR Shinjo Station Map (新庄駅) JR Shin shirakawa Station Map (新白河駅) JR Shinsugita Station Map (新杉田駅) JR Shin nihonbashi Station Map (新日本橋駅) JR Shinbashi Station Map (新橋駅) JR Shin maebashi Station Map (新前橋駅) JR Shin matsudo Station Map (新松戸駅) JR Shin Yahashira Station Map (新八柱駅) JR Shin Yokohama Station Map (新横浜駅) JR Suidobashi Station Map (水道橋駅) JR Sugamo Station Map (巣鴨駅) JR Sendai Station Map (仙台駅) JR Sendagaya Station Map (千駄ケ谷駅) JR Soga Station Map (蘇我駅) JR Saitamashintoshin Station Map (さいたま新都心駅) JR Takao Station Map (高尾駅) JR Takasaki Station Map (高崎駅) JR Takadanobaba Station Map (高田馬場駅) JR Tachikawa Station Map (立川駅) JR Tabata Station Map (田端駅) JR Tamachi Station Map (田町駅) JR Chigasaki Station Map (茅ケ崎駅) JR Chiba Station Map (千葉駅) JR Tsudanuma Station Map (津田沼駅) JR Tsuchiura Station Map (土浦駅) JR Tsubamesanjo Station Map (燕三条駅) JR Tsurumi Station Map (鶴見駅) JR Tennodai Station Map (天王台駅) JR Tokyo Station Map (東京駅) JR Todakoen Station Map (戸田公園駅) JR Totsuka Station Map (戸塚駅) JR Toride Station Map (取手駅) JR Nagaoka Station Map (長岡駅) JR Nagatsuta Station Map (長津田駅) JR Nakano Station Map (中野駅) JR Nagano Station Map (長野駅) JR Nasushiobara Station Map (那須塩原駅) JR Narita Airport Station Map (成田空港駅) JR Niigata Station Map (新潟駅) JR Nishi ooi Station Map (西大井駅) JR Nishi ogikubo Station Map (西荻窪駅) JR Nishi kokubunji Station Map (西国分寺駅) JR Nishi nippori Station Map (西日暮里駅) JR Nishi funabashi Station Map (西船橋駅) JR Nippori Station Map (日暮里駅) JR Noborito Station Map (登戸駅) JR Haijima Station Map (拝島駅) JR Bakurocho Station Map (馬喰町駅) JR Hashimoto Station Map (橋本駅) JR Hachioji Station Map (八王子駅) JR Hachinohe Station Map (八戸駅) JR Hatchobori Station Map (八丁堀駅) JR Hamamatsucho Station Map (浜松町駅) JR Harajuku Station Map (原宿駅) JR Higashikanagawa Station Map (東神奈川駅) JR Higashijujo Station Map (東十条駅) JR Higashinakano Station Map (東中野駅) JR Hirosaki Station Map (弘前駅) JR Fukushima Station Map (福島駅) JR Fujisawa Station Map (藤沢駅) JR Fuchuhonmachi Station Map (府中本町駅) JR Funabashi Station Map (船橋駅) JR Bubaigawara Station Map (分倍河原駅) JR Furukawa Station Map (古川駅) JR Maihama Station Map (舞浜駅) JR Maebashi Station Map (前橋駅) JR Machida Station Map (町田駅) JR Matsudo Station Map (松戸駅) JR Matsumoto Station Map (松本駅) JR Mabashi Station Map (馬橋駅) JR Mikawashima Station Map (三河島駅) JR Mitaka Station Map (三鷹駅) JR Mito Station Map (水戸駅) JR Minami urawa Station Map (南浦和駅) JR Minami kashiwa Station Map (南柏駅) JR Minami koshigaya Station Map (南越谷駅) JR Minami senju Station Map (南千住駅) JR Minami nagareyama Station Map (南流山駅) JR Muikamachi Station Map (六日町駅) JR Musashiurawa Station Map (武蔵浦和駅) JR Musashikosugi Station Map (武蔵小杉駅) JR Musashisakai Station Map (武蔵境駅) JR Musashimizonokuchi Station Map (武蔵溝ノ口駅) JR Meguro Station Map (目黒駅) JR Mejiro Station Map (目白駅) JR Motoyawata Station Map (本八幡駅) JR Morioka Station Map (盛岡駅) JR Yamagata Station Map (山形駅) JR Yurakucho Station Map (有楽町駅) JR Yokohama Station Map (横浜駅) JR Yotsuya Station Map (四ツ谷駅) JR Yonezawa Station Map (米沢駅) JR Yoyogi Station Map (代々木駅)

I found a few strange stations in Japan, which have ‘Eki’ as part of the name, so they end up being called eki-eki.

Here’s one called Koyukanshineki eki: 湖遊館新駅駅 and another called Hiroshima Eki Eki (can’t find any more information on this one, so it might be wrong).

Here’s one more: 横川駅駅 (Yokogawa Eki Eki)

After hearing that Omotesando was closed down, I got up early and headed down to my local Softbank shop at 5:30 this morning. I needn’t have worried, cos there was noone there yet. At 6:00, the next iPhone fan arrived, an otaku kind of guy. At 7:00, a very genki oyaji came along, he was super chatty and told everyone that he was getting it in Japan cos his son in America said that he US version wouldn’t work with Japanese input. Then slowly more people arrived. Another otaku type went to the shop and got us all canned coffee! About 8, the only woman arrived. She wanted to get the white 16 gig version. At 9:00, the Softbank guy came out and gave us all tickets so that we could come back later and claim our iPhone. I’ll have to go to AU now and get a cancellation ticket so I can transfer my number over.

I asked what I needed to bring along, but the guy didn’t say anything about the 27 month visa limit. He just said that if I was using an Alien Registration card, that I’d need to bring along my bank details. He said the only ways I could pay were by bank transfer of credit card transfer. I’ll find out later about the 27 month thing.

A few details from a friend working in a Softbank shop..

Only 10 phones are going to be delivered. It’s a small shop, but that’s a very small number. The shipment will only arrive tomorrow.

Phone calls were coming in all day asking if they could reserve. The policy at the shop was no reservations, you have to line up on Friday.

For foreign residents of Japan, you have to have a valid visa with at least 29 (!) months left. This seems a bit crazy, since most foreigners in Japan have at most a 3 year visa (ie 36 months) so you would have had to just gotten your visa. Or have a marriage or permanent visa.

The only alternative is to buy the phone outright, which will cost about 70,000 yen. Supposedly, you’d get a plan cheaper than the 7,200 yen that’s currently on offer, since you wouldn’t be paying the monthly charge for the phone. I heard that it comes out to about the same price.

You have to sign up for a 26 month plan, not 24 month.

You need to bring your alien registration card, possibly also a passport and credit card.

There is definitely no place to hang dangly Hello Kitty straps.

Here’s the best keyboard shop that I’ve found in Tokyo. It’s in Akihabara, about 5 minutes walk from the station, in a small alley. It’s called Cleverly and there are 3 separate stores. Only one of them does all keyboards, but they’re all close together, so just ask if you land in the wrong one. Here’s the link.

http://www.clevery.co.jp/shop/shop-2.html

They have plenty of different keyboards to buy, like Filco, Happy Hacking, Microsoft. They have both Japanese layout keyboards and American (US ascii) layout, all nicely set out so you can try the action on them. As far as Filco keyboards go, last time I was there there were about 10 or 15 to choose from, with Alps and Cherry switches, as well as a Bluetooth wireless keyboard. They have more PC keyboards, but have a few specifically for mac, including the very stylish mac happy hacking keyboard.

Along with keyboards, there are mice and other accessories, but the main focus is keyboards. If you want to see Akihabara keyboard Otaku, this is the place to come. The only problem is that it’s a tiny shop, and all the geeks have their Otaku standard backpacks on. Combine that with the cup ramen and pizza diet and it’s hard to get past. Here’s the details of the shop:

Map: http://mymapofjapan.com/spot.php?id=k3ad5v

Cleverly No. 2

Chiyoda-ku, Soto Kanda 3 Chome 13-2

クレバリー２号店

東京都千代田区外神田3丁目13番2号

Telephone: 03-5296-1775

Opening Hours: 11:00 – 20:00 Sunday, Holidays: 19:30

Click on the link above for a map.