Music! in the Month of June, 2015

Quite a few music-themed films this month.  Some music in Bucharest and Cannes as well.

Pride. Rather timely.

Visiting a label in Bucharest, Romania.

MIDEM @ Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France.

Get On Up, a biopic about the king of soul, James Brown

Pitch Perfect

Shingo Sekiguchi @ Motion Blue Yokohama

Blue @ Studio Coast

Moodoid @ Unit

The Shiny Stockings @ Blues Alley

Hysteric Panic @ Yatsui Festival @ O-Nest

Blind Guardian @ O-East

Hiroko Kokubu @ Yamaha Hall

I quite enjoyed seeing these metal guys from Krefeld, Germany who came back to Japan on a proper tour for the first time in 13 years.

A Casual Italian Near My Gym

Every Saturday morning I go to see my personal trainer for one hour after which time I often walk around in the neighborhood of his gym and beyond.  Because it’s just past 11 am when I’m done, many restaurants in the neighborhood would still be closed.  One of those places caught my attention so I looked it up and according to reviews, it seemed like an OK restaurant to visit, so with my friends I ventured out last week.

It was excellent.

 

Roberto

 

‘Tis the Season for… Edamame!!

The edamame season is said to be between June and August in Japan and we see varieties of fresh edamame in stores.  Last week I had my first of the season though they were nothing special that came in a plastic bag.

Great nevertheless.  Became my Saturday lunch.  Will be doing many more of these this summer.

The 32nd Birthday

No, not mine.  A visiting business associate.  We happened to meet (for the first time) on the night of his birthday last week and we had good fun.

Kampai! to the birthday boy. That would be sake in the cup.

Sitting down for a proper dinner with a draft to start.

With nice sake to follow.

Then the birthday cake.

Had my share.

And the birthday boy was dying to try the umeshu – the plum wine.

The restaurant’s plum wine in the making.

Gonpachi

 

A Long Wining Night

Attended the semi-annual wining event with the “Latour Group” of friends and associates in its 20th anniversary year with fabulous food and wines last week. The venue was once again Chez Lui in Daikanyama.

And if that weren’t enough, some of us went onto another bar for a few more drinks.

And then the four of us onto yet another place which was really an Italian restaurant than a bar.

Before the end of the evening which was I would think about 2 am, I was fading away to a faraway place…