Chin Music Press has made a major update to the promotional site for ART SPACE TOKYO, now including a section that will offer the art maps found in the book as downloadable PDFs (a new one every two weeks or so). The maps are absolutely beautiful, and it’s great that they’re offering them for download like this — very useful, even if you own a copy of the book. The new site also features a blog.

The latest episode of Boing Boing TV covers TOKYOLOGY, a documentary that explores a few aspects of contemporary Japanese pop culture. The full documentary can be purchases on online here.

PingMag takes us on a tour of Shinjuku’s retrogaming themed bars (8-bit Cafe and 16 Shots).

Following last week’s post about Nakameguro and whether it’s a hip neighborhood or not, I feel like I need to post a follow-up, since I think a lot of people have gotten the wrong impression regarding my feelings on the area. I love Nakameguro, it’s an area I like to go to and spend time in, and I’d say it’s one of the nicest neighborhoods in Tokyo. Marxy’s original post was about whether it’s a super-hip area or not, which is how western media likes to position it.

Some people pointed to the segment I did for TOKYO EYE. When they approached me about doing it, they asked me what neighborhoods I would be interested in presenting, and Nakameguro was at the top of my list, and I’m glad we were able to feature it.

PingMag takes us on an architectural tour of Omotesando, the first in a series.

It’s finally time to start revealing info about the project I’ve been working on with White Rabbit Press for the past couple of months. TOKYO REALTIME is going to be a series of audio guided walking tours taking you through various neighborhoods of the city. First up, Kabukicho! You can visit the teaser site and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed on when it will be released, and what else will follow (and feel free to DIGG us).

Following the publication of NEW YORK TIMES’s Nakameguro style map (”Hip Nippon”), Marxy goes out and says what a lot of us know to be true: Nakameguro simply isn’t the hip neighborhood everyone wants it to be (not anymore at least).

PingMag heads out to Shin-Okubo to cover The Ghetto, a former love hotel that was turned into a sort of skater cultural center and gallery space.

Another update on the Claska boutique hotel in Meguro: according to the W+K Tokyo blog, the planned renovations are going to take the entire year, with the re-opening happening in 2009.

I haven’t been writing much about my cycling adventures of late, but I do go out pretty much every morning for a spin in the city. I recently picked up a Thermal Ride Jacket and Insulated Cycling Gloves from Mont-Bell, and so the cold weather isn’t at all an issue. I also wanted to pick up their Winter Cycling Pants — yes, I’ve crossed THAT line, I’m ready to wear cycling tights — but they were out of my size.

I don’t always go very far — a regular route is heading down Meiji dori to Kanda river, and then cycling along that for a bit — but it just feels good to be riding. A new accessory I got is a bell equipped with a compass, which I’m finding extremely useful. I have a horrible sense of direction, and I’m finding it really helps me get my bearings when I’m exploring a new area.

This morning after I got down to Kanda river, I decided I’d follow Shin-Mejiro dori and see if it would get me to Nakano (I did bring my TOKYO CITY ATLAS with me). It wasn’t the most direct of routes, but made for a nice ride. I followed Shin-Mejiro dori, and just about the time it turns into Mejiro dori, I headed west on Shin-Ome kaido, and then south-west on Nakano dori. Once I got to Nakano, I figured I’d go to Koenji — a place I haven’t been to in ages — and get a latte at Planet 3rd, which is where I’m at right now, writing this. To get back home, I’m thinking I’ll get back to Nakano and then follow Nakano-dori until I get to Waseda dori, which should bring me back to my starting point.

Ah, the joys of riding — I feel like starting a cycling club now!

Starting today and running all week, NHK World TV’s TOKYO EYE is running a special episode to celebrate 1 year on the air, with a selection of segments from throughout the run. I’m told the visit I did to Cow Books in Nakameguro is to be included, and I expect you’ll see Patrick Macias and Matt Alt as well. Check here for the broadcast schedule.

Earlier this year I mentioned rumors that the Claska boutique hotel would be closing down by the end of the year. Seems that it won’t be closing after all, but instead will be taken over by new management. The renewal, with more emphasis on a new “Japanese style,” will include new rooms and more events. The photo of room 603 in the post is by Liao Yusheng, who sent me the info (it appears in a comment for this photo).

I already felt taxi prices were high in Tokyo, and now this: “Taxi fares were increased Monday in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture. The first price increase since April 1997 raised the flag-down fare for the first 2 kilometers to 710 yen from the current 660 yen.” Via Japan Today.

A few weeks ago I was sitting inside Cafe Pause, working on my laptop, when a girl walks by and notices me through the window. She walks in, comes up to me, and starts asking me if my friends traveled a lot. I was a bit confused, not really knowing where this was heading — and I said as much — but then she finally handed my a flyer for a guest house in Ikebukuro called Backpackers. I haven’t checked it out, but I figure I’d mention it (I was cleaning up my tote bag and found the flyer). Rates sound pretty good: 1800 a night, or 40 000 yen for a month.

The latest segment I did for the TOKYO EYE program is currently airing in this week’s episode (#48, you can see the broadcast schedule on NHK World here). It covers the Sanya area, which has long been known as an area with cheap hotels (frequented by day-laborers mostly), but in recent years has turned its attention to backpackers and budget travelers — most of the hotels/hostels offer rooms for as little as 2000 yen (even 1500 yen if you don’t mind cramped quarters). Unfortunately, as with the last segment I did, I won’t be able to put it up on YouTube.