Falling Monkeys

Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess

I am very fortunate to live in the city where the animation studio known as Studio Ghibli is located. They are responsible for such wonderful movies as “Spirited Away” and most recently “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”. Nearby is a wonderful Ghibli museum where guests are able to watch a short film made by Ghibli. The big news here is that Miyazaki Hayao has created a new short film for this Ghibli museum. It is not available yet, but pictures are available at the museum and it looks like a ton of fun!

Miyazaki’s new short-film:

Once it is out and I have a chance to see it I will post a review!

New Sesame Street Plushes

Check out these new Sesame Street plush toys available here in Tokyo.

I think I will pick up the Oscar the Grouch one. I really dig his expression!

Samurai Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse makes for one awesome looking samurai. Check out these new releases for Children’s Day at Tokyo Disneyland. Children’s Day is an official holiday here in Japan that takes place on May 5. It is basically a day to remember what it was like to be a child and to celebrate the happiness and welfare of children. It actually used to be known as Boys’ Day, since Hinamatsuri or Girls’ Day already existed. Anyway take a look at these pictures that I snapped while at Disneyland:

I would love to have picked these up [...]

Japan's Disney Store

Sorry about the slow response in posting lately! I have been quite busy putting together an in-depth guide to Tokyo Disneyland. Yes there are a few available on the internet already but they are mostly outdated. Not many people are in the position that I am to keep an updated guide online. I think it will take me a few more days to get it in place so please be patient!

In the mean time I recently went to the Disney Store again with my family. These items are marketed to Japanese students who are about to take life changing exams. [...]

The Restaurant of Dreams and Magic

I went to the Disney Store here in Tokyo and picked up this little blind-box toy:

It is called “Yume to Maho no Resutoran” and roughly translates to be “The Restaurant of Dreams and Magic”. Basically various Disney themes and characters are taken and presented with various dishes. I was hoping to get the Donald Duck themed toy “meal” but it was the Pinocchio one instead:

Unfortunately I do not have a camera that can take proper pictures up-close. However if you look at the above picture you can see that everything is quite detailed. The dish is entitled “Pinocchio’s Salad of [...]

Sesame Street Characters

Sesame Street premiered on November 10, 1969. One thing it is known for is its wonderful array of colorful characters. Check out this wonderful illustration of Sesame Street characters:

Lately I have been looking through some old pictures and came across this one of a Sesame Street character goods display in the Japanese toy store called Kiddyland. Pretty colorful!!

I do love Sesame Street but I am always hoping that the Muppets will make a come back. If they can revive their popularity in the states then they can definitely become more popular here in Japan too!

Sesame Street Backgrounds and Birthday Cards

I am not sure if these are available on the US Sesame Street home page as well, so if they are apologies! These are some interesting finds from the official Japanese Sesame Street homepage:

Elmo Wallpaper:

Sesame Wallpaper:

Also if you would like to print out and make some nifty Sesame Street Birthday cards check out these pages (just click the image):

If you ever make it to Japan and are able to make it to Universal Studios in Osaka, be sure to check out the Elmo waffle shop! It is a fun little shop where you can purchase some sweet waffles.

Speaking of world [...]

Disney UFO Catcher

So last night my wife and I went to the local grocery store and spent a few minutes playing the UFO catcher games to see what we could get. Not the greatest picture but check out our latest haul:

Here is a close-up of the little Nemo guys and Minnie (anybody know if the little turtle guy is supposed to be Squirt? Or maybe he is a different character?):

It took us about 800 yen (about 8 US dollars) to get these items and was a ton of fun. I was really surprised at how quickly I was able to get the [...]

Elmo as Oscar the Grouch

Here is a little cartoon with Elmo dressed up as Oscar the Grouch.

It can be found on the official Japanese Sesame Street blog here. Even though the Japanese version of Sesame Street was canceled some time ago, the company still continues to promote Sesame Street here in Japan. A lot of this is due to the enormous popularity of Elmo among young girls.

Also on the blog is a nifty little PDF that you can use to make your own Sesame Street birthday cards. I am not sure if this was available on the official US Sesame Street home page, but [...]

Alice in Wonderland Light

I really like this “Alice in Wonderland” light featuring Alice stuck in a jar. This wonderful piece was created by Seto Craft. There are many other very nice Disney themed products on their site. Created in 1954, Seto Craft has won numerous awards at the International Gift Show.

I think I will have to pick up some of these. If not for me, for my family back in the states!

Maybe I will have to start a business to sell Japanese products in the states. Especially Disney related products. Anybody interested?