Round One - Japanese Fun Center

I went bowling with friends last night at Round One, a six floor mega entertainment complex. It was about $5 per hour each, and the five of us had a great time until 3am. They have Japanese bowling (mini everything), karaoke, electro-darts, scads of video games like you've never seen, bike racing, skating, and just about every mind-numbing thing you could imagine. It's a great place to go for fun. I don't have the exact address, but if you take a taxi, just say "Round One, kudasai" and they will know it. Have fun!

Ikkaku Restaurant

This photograph was taken by bloggers who visited Marugame City, and give a savory account of their experience. It is definitely one of the restaurants I plan to try right away. My fellow bloggers note, "Since it first opened in 1967 this izakaya has become so immensely popular for its signature dish, that it has spawned branches not only on its home turf, the island of Shikoku, but also across the country in Yokohama City (near Tokyo) and soon in Osaka as well." Further, "Ikkaku's menu is short, simple, and straightforward consisting of 'Oyadori' (adult chicken), 'Hinadori' (young chicken), and a few other small dishes like edamame, salad, chicken rice, and soup ... once people have the Ikkaku experience, it is difficult to go back to eating tender chicken ... it is almost as if tender chicken does not have the flavor or provide the satisfaction that should come from eating this farmyard (or probably freerange in this case) fowl. And, as we cleaned the last bits of meat from the bones, we could clearly understand why..."

Why Shikoku?

I'm often asked why I chose to live and work in Shikoku. This image is Awa-Odori, a traditional dance that happens in historical Toukushima. In Shikoku, you can experience these festivals, but also take a very short train ride to the outdoors. I really enjoy being in nature, and that's part of the reason why I prefer Shikoku over a more intensely urban area. Even though the cities are still cities, it is the ability to get to the countyside that I care about the most right now.

I've had the chance to talk via Skype with several people from Shikoku, and it is true that everyone has been very friendly. I don't mean anything against people from East Japan, I know many people are very friendly. Just ask we can't really talk about "American" ideas, it varies. But I will say that the people I've met have been great and I look forward to becoming better friends!