Veterans of Disney parks in the U.S. will probably be well-acquainted with the words “no flash photography,” having heard the words ad nauseam as part of the regular spiel before rides and shows at Disney. What first-time guests at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea might be surprised to learn is that there are some places inside these two parks where the staff can be downright militant in enforcing a rule of no photography ... period! It all depends on which attraction or show you are in, and which Cast Member you are dealing with at any given time.
Read MoreThe Greatest 'Star Wars' Music Video That Never Was
The 40th anniversary of Star Wars is almost upon us. May 25, 1977 was the date of the original movie's theatrical release. In honor of this 40-year milestone, The Gaijin Ghost would like to share a special lyric video from the Sea Flats, a mock-rock act whose singer went on to become "big in Japan," as they say. After the jump, you can also read the original 500-word treatment for the unfilmed music video of the band's song "If I Could Live in the Movie Star Wars."
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Susukino Crossing at night, with Nikka Whiskey's King of Blenders sign visible on the side of the Susukino Building.
Susukino: Sapporo's Realm of Ramen and Ice - In 500 Words
#Kabukicho - Tweetstorm Travel Guide (Blog Version)
This post uses short self-quotes from a Twitter thread to narrate a photo tour of Kabukicho, the red-light district in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The pictures here are drawn from the Kabukicho photo gallery on The Gaijin Ghost home page.
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The main hall of Hanazono, a Shinto shrine in Shinjuku, Tokyo, whose bells are said to be the inspiration for the face of the Disney character Baymax.
The Shinjuku Shrine That Inspired the Face of Baymax in 'Big Hero 6'
In 2014, the Disney animated feature Big Hero 6 made its world premiere at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival. It was an obvious choice for this film to debut in Japan’s capital, given that Japanese culture played such a heavy influence on the film’s production design.
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The marquee for Big Band Beat and the Broadway Music Theatre in American Waterfront at Tokyo DisneySea.
Jive Talkin’ Bout ‘Big Band Beat’
This post delves more into Big Band Beat, a show that recently made the list of The Gaijin Ghost’s Five Favorite Rides & Shows at Tokyo DisneySea.
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Five Favorite Restaurants at Tokyo DisneySea
All of these restaurants should be treated like Fastpass attractions. Stop by at 10 a.m. on the day of your park visit to get a Priority Seating ticket for later. Or you can use auto-translate in Google Chrome to navigate the online booking system. The park’s Japanese website accepts reservations up to one month in advance.
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Five Favorite Rides & Shows at Tokyo DisneySea
If you are visiting Tokyo Disney Resort, but you only have a day or two in each park, this immediately raises the question: which rides should be your top priority?
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Streamers fly down at the end of the grand finale during a 2016 showing of A Table Is Waiting in American Waterfront at Tokyo DisneySea.
TDR Hall of Fame: 'A Table Is Waiting'
A Table Is Waiting, which ran for six years in American Waterfront at Tokyo DisneySea, belongs in its own separate wing of The Gaijin Ghost’s TDR Museum. Simply put, this show is a Hall-of-Famer. The costumes were great, the title song was catchy, and the food theme made it easy to follow the show’s nominal “plot,” even if you were coming at it from the perspective of someone who could not understand a word of Japanese.
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Stormtrooper helmet art at the Mo Hitotsu no Star Wars Ten exhibition in Shiodome, Tokyo, on Christmas Day 2016.
'Star Wars' in Japan - Preface
It’s no secret that when George Lucas first began devising the Star Wars mythology, he drew heavily from Japanese influences.
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