Japanese Bicycle Polo

During my 4+ years in Japan I have seen many weird and wonderful things. Bicycle polo was definitely one of them. I saw these guys playing this rather unusual sport a few nights ago while out on an evening run. They were playing in downtown Kobe, Japan.



I'm glad I had my phone with me at the time to capture this odd, but cool looking sport!



You can follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev 

Asia Tube

Ok, here's the deal. Most of you know that I am a fairly "well known" You Tube video blogger. I now have more than 19,000 subscribers combined on my two channels. i spend a lot of time on You Tube (not so much these days with a busy work schedule) and I spend a lot of time interacting with and meeting other You Tube video bloggers.

My good friend Johnathan, aka "reynoldsair" on You Tube just stared a new series of videos called "Asia Tube." These are a hilarious "analysis" of videos by other You Tubers in Asia. His first two videos are awesome. The first was great. the second even better!

Here they are:

Sumo Time in Osaka

On Sunday I went to the Osaka Sumo Tournament. It was my first time seeing live sumo wrestling and I seriously plan to do it again next year. It was simply that fun. The crowd was energetic and since I know a little about sumo and am familiar with many of the top division wrestlers, had a lot of fun watching.

It was a little pricey at 5,400 yen for the second cheapest tickets, but even in the "nosebleed" section, I still was able to see everything easily.

If you are ever visiting Japan during one of the six annual sumo tournaments, I would completely suggest taking one in.


This is the video I made about my sumo experience in Osaka.




You can see the Estonian wrestler, Baruto. he is rising through the ranks and having a great tournament. Many people are hoping he will soon be promoted.


Here is the Grad Champion (Yokozuna) Hakuho. He is a Mongolian fighter.


Here is the Grad Champion (Yokozuna) Hakuho. He is a Mongolian fighter. This is him performing a ritual before the top division fighters began to wrestle.


These are the top division fighter. BIG boys!

Tokyo Marathon 2010

Tokyo Marathon 2010


I did it! 4 hours 23 minutes (by my stopwatch) Official time might be a couple of minutes more.

A lot more about the marathon to come very soon.

The Best Burger in Kobe

Here's the deal. I live in Japan and I really love Japanese food. Japanese food is simply wonderful, but as a Canadian, sometimes I crave the food I know best. I crave things I used to eat when I lived back in Canuckistan!

As a stereotypical male, I love eating flame broiled beef! Yep, I love steak and hamburgers. Sometimes I really just want to enjoy a nice juicy cheeseburger. These days, it's fairly easy to get a cheeseburger in a place like Japan, but the challenge is to find a good one!

McDonald's sucks, Wendy's will do in a pinch, but for a TRUE cheeseburger, I know a place.

If you need a meat fix for a great price, hit Polo Dog in Sannomiya, the main shopping area of Kobe. Polo Dog is a pub located on the second floor of a building behind Uniqlo, Seiden, etc. I believe it is mentioned in the Lonely Planet Japan.


Here you can see the outside of the pub and the signboards. What is really great about this pub is the price of food! Eating in Japan can be expensive as can drinking. The regular price for the cheeseburger platter is 600¥, which is about $7.00 Canadian. That is a really low price. Also, a pint of Kirin draft beer is only 500¥...that's VERY cheap in Japan.


Check this baby out! It is a thick beef paddy that is seasoned very well. It comes with fresh tomato and lettuce as well as potato wedges and onion rings. The burger is juicy and makes you want to come back again and again!

I've tried some other pubs and restaurants in the Kansai area and no burger holds a candle to this one in my opinion. Normally, an equivalent meal at a pub in Japan will set you back 1,200¥ (double Polo Dog's price) and only be half as good.


So, why does Polo Dog have the best cheeseburger in Kobe (if not Kansai):
1. It tastes great!
2. At 600¥, the price is amazing (that includes potato wedges and onion rings).
3. The drinks are cheap too!
4. the staff is SUPER friendly and nice.