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  • Life in the modern city of Tokyo.

  • It all revolves around...

  • ...coffee?

  • They have so much stuff

  • that you just don't see on TV at home!

  • Idols don't provide anything to TV.

  • What are they really doing?

  • Reacting to "things?"

  • Join our boys as they tackle everyday life

  • as an expat in Japan

  • in the quintessential

  • coffee houses of Tokyo.

  • Hi! I'm Stan Jedermann.

  • Living in Japan

  • offers a different media perspective

  • than what we're used to in our home countries.

  • While the U.S. is concerned with

  • crime, courtroom drama and

  • reality television,

  • Japan focuses mainly on

  • travel, food and variety programs.

  • But like any country,

  • Japan has its clichés.

  • What kind of issues do the expats,

  • who've gotten used to the Japanese programming

  • have with the media?

  • Listen and learn

  • as the Yaro discuss

  • their perspectives on how they see TV.

  • Welcome to Ikejiri Ohashi!

  • Until the Bakumatsu Era

  • in Japanese history,

  • this area was called

  • either

  • Hebeike, or,

  • Tatsuike,

  • depending on who was doing the talking.

  • Just north,

  • this area is called

  • "Ikenoue"

  • which means "above the pond"

  • for that very reason.

  • These days,

  • the area is mostly residential

  • but hints of the watery past remain

  • diverted into the local streams.

  • A part of the neighborhood

  • is called "Mishuku"

  • which, you will note,

  • contains the character "three."

  • It is a quirk of Japanese culture

  • to group things into threes.

  • You will often hear of the

  • "three big festivals,"

  • or, "three best foods,"

  • and many other examples.

  • They are listed together

  • for very little good reason.

  • In this case,

  • the reasoning for calling the area "three,"

  • was because,

  • until they renamed it,

  • there had been a Main Inn,

  • Northern Inn,

  • and Southern Inn,

  • in the area.

  • Hence, three inns.

  • But an inn is not where we are headed today.

  • Good People & Good Coffee

  • is a tiny little coffee house

  • nestled into a

  • garage-turned art-studio.

  • Despite its unassuming appearance,

  • the baristas are serious about their job

  • and provide a cozy drip.

  • Health and exercise have always

  • been fads in Japan,

  • and here's one of the newest.

  • Taishu engeki chambara,

  • paired with aerobics.

  • It's called "Katana Exercise."

  • "Taishu engeki" refers to

  • cheap review shows

  • that mimic popular kabuki

  • and musicals

  • and are shown in very small theatres.

  • Their costumes and props

  • are very exaggerated,

  • but feature scenes

  • of well-choreographed chambara sword-fighting.

  • This aerobics class

  • features chambara moves

  • taught by a real-deal taishu engeki actor.

  • A brand-new exercise

  • for a culture that revels in the new.

  • Wait a minute, guys!

  • This looks like it's just for women!

  • And this is why you

  • don't let girls into

  • the pillow fort-

  • -I mean, coffee thi-

  • I mean-...!

  • Coffee fort!!

  • Dammit!

  • This family has issues.

  • To recap,

  • Good People & Good Coffee

  • in Ikejiri Ohashi

  • is the coffee house

  • we went to today.

  • Our boys talked about television there,

  • and then followed Stan's cousin, Rosa

  • into a Katana Exercise class.

  • It is, in fact,

  • only for women.

  • So don't try this at home,

  • unless you are of the

  • "lady persuasion!"

  • Like me!

  • I hope you learned something today!

  • However,

  • everyone's experience in Japan

  • is a little different.

  • Which one of the Yaro are most like you?

  • All of our information can be found on the webpage

  • and be sure to join us next time

  • as we discuss travelling in Japan.

Life in the modern city of Tokyo.

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