Cafe La Boheme in Yokohama

Cafe La Boheme is a restaurant chain in Japan that offers Italian food - pasta, pizza and good wine. This branch of Cafe La Boheme is situated right outside the exit of the Motomachi-Chukugai station in the Minato Mirai Line. 

Even upon entering the restaurant, the ambiance is quite cozy. The setting appears pretty upscale at first look - brick walls, hanging chandeliers and dim lights. There's even a playlist of soothing music playing in the background. However, despite the very regal interior, the prices of the food are very affordable. A plate of pasta costs around Y700-1200 yen, while a platter of pizza costs Y1200 yen. The serving of the pasta is good enough for one person but the pizza is quite small. The four slices of pizza are only good for two people. Four people can share the pizza, like what we did, but each person can only taste a very small portion of it.

The staff are also very friendly. This chef even gave me a peace sign when he saw me taking a picture of the kitchen (too bad I didn't get to catch that adorable peace sign that he made). Some of the dining staff are also foreigners so they can speak fluent English that makes ordering very convenient. The only hassle that we encountered is the extremely long waiting time. We had to wait for around twenty to thirty minutes (or maybe more) before our food is served!

There is also a very good selection of wine that you can choose from if you want a soothing beverage to pair with what you ordered.

I ordered a plate of Genovese worth Y800 yen (i think). The pasta, though very oily, tastes very good. The taste of the herbs are so strong in your palette.

The serving of the roasted chicken is so big that it can be shared by two people.


We also ordered a plate of fruity desserts, which might have taken a century before it arrived, but it was worth the wait.

Because of Cafe La Boheme's relaxing ambiance, it is a good place for people who want to talk and catch-up. It is quiet with just a soft music in the background, the food is good but very affordable and the staff are nice, though the service is a little slow. It's a good place that is worth the money you pay for.

Poltical Memorabilia at the National Diet of Japan

 

            The National Diet of Japan is not only a building that houses Japan’s prime organ of state power. It is also a building that is rich in art and history. The National Diet is open for visitors from Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. There is also a free guided tour around the building that is worth joining. Visitors can enter the Visitors Gate at the Annex of the House of Councillors.

            Before the tour, the visitors will first be asked to wait at the House of Coucillors Visitors Lobby where several important memorabilia are on display. This is the only place in the whole building where visitors are allowed to take pictures. Once the visitors enter the main building, taking pictures is then prohibited.

            Some of the interesting items on display are the following (explanation are based on the flyer distributed to visitors of the National Diet):

            Imperial Decree for the first Imperial Diet Opening Ceremony. The first Imperial Diet convened in November 25, 1980 and the Opening Ceremony was held on the 29^th. The document displayed in the Visitors’ Lobby is only a reproduction of the original decree which, was issued to the members by Emperor Meiji.

            Register of Members of the House of Peers. The House of Peers was then composed of members of the Imperial family, men from notable families and important people especially appointed by the Emperor. This document is a list of these important people who are noted for their distinguished service to the nation.

        Apparatus for deciding group membership by lot. When the session of the House of Peers began, it was necessary to determine the group to which each member belonged. Group membership was decided by lot and the election of members of several standing committees and the allocation of members’ lobbies were based here.

            The apparatus was used from 1904 to 1936. To use the apparatus, balls with the name of each member are placed inside. When the central rod is removed, the balls fall into nine partitions, thereby determining the group to which each member belong.

            Apparatus for anonymous voting. To vote, each member places a ball in one of the two designated slots. White balls signify a positive response and a black one indicate a negative on. When all members finish putting the balls, the apparatus is opened and the scales inside indicate the numbers of votes cast.

            Ballot box and devices for counting the results of the open ballots. Ballot slips with the member’s name is distributed before the voting takes place. There ballots are dropped in a ballot box on the podium. After all the members finish voting, the ballots are divided and placed side by side in the apparatus. The sales marking the inside of the box, it is possible to calculate the number of votes in a quicker manner.

Models of the Diet Building and the Chamber of the House of Councillors. There are models that are prepared for the visually impaired so visitors are free to touch them.

The Throne of his Majesty the Emperor. The throne made of gold was in the chamber of the House of Peers from 1868-1912. It was used by the Emperor during the opening ceremonies of the Diet.

            
Replica of Members’ Seats. Visitors can sit on this replica press the push-button voting device.

 Replica of the gavel. This is a replica of the gavel used by the president of the House of Councillors to call for order at the opening of the plenary session.

            For people who want to explore more about Japan beyond the Cherry Blossoms and the Shinto Shrines, the National Diet is a good place to start.

A Peek Inside Japan’s Center of Power: The National Diet Building

The facade of the National Diet Building

            Who would have thought that this Greco-Roman-inspired cream-colored building in Chiyoda City, Tokyo is Japan’s highest organ of state power? The Japanese, despite their faithful adherence to their traditional culture and strong claim to homogeneity, have embraced the influences of the West during the Meiji Period (1968-1912). This piece of architecture, which was designed in 1918 but was finally finished in 1927 is a reflection of this change. The compound occupies 103,001 square meters of land while the building has a total floor area of 53,466 square meters.

The Two Houses

            This building houses the Upper House and the Lower House of the National Diet. The House of Councillors has 242 members, 96 of whom are elected by proportional representation system and 146 from 47 prefectural constituencies, who have a term of office of six and three years. In contrast, the House of Representatives is composed of 480 members, 180 of whom are elected under the proportional representation system and 300 from single-seat constituencies, who have a term of office of four years.

Functions of the National Diet

            The National Diet, according to the Constitution of Japan, which was enacted in 1947, shall be “the sole law-making organ of the State” (Article 41). It can draft and pass laws, decide on the national budget, approve treaties made with other countries, choose a Prime Minister and amend the constitution. It can also conduct investigation regarding matters of significance for the country.     

The National Diet Building

            The materials used to build the Diet building mostly come from Japan like the pearls from Okinawa and the marble from Shizuoka. The only important material are the glass used in the ceilings and the windows which came from abroad. Inside the building are several interesting spots that are worthy of seeing because of their capacity to instigate awe from their spectators. The following information came from the official pamphlet handed to visitors of the building.

            Central Entrance. The Bronze doors of the Central Entrance are opened only for His Majesty the Emperor on the day of the Opening Ceremony, for State Guests on official visits, and for newly-elected members of the Diet on the first day of the Diet session following their election.

            Members’ Entrance and Attendance Board. At the Members’ Entrance stood a board where the members press their name-buttons to indicate they are present.

Central Hall. This lies directly under the central tower. The ceiling and windows are made of stained glass and the marble floor is accented with a beautiful mosaic. Three bronze statues of notable men who contributed to the founding of the parliamentary system in Japan are placed in the three corners of the hall. These three men are Ito Hirobumi, Okuma Shigenobu and Itagaki Taisuke. It can be observed that the fourth pedestal on one corner is vacant. It is left that way to remind the people that Japan will give birth to more notable statesmen in the future. The floor area of the hall is 267.65 square meters and the ceiling is 32.62 meters high.

Chamber of the House of Councillors. This is one of the most important rooms in the whole building because this serves as the venue for the plenary sessions. At the center of room stand the podium and the seat of the president of the House of Coucillors that face the 460 seats of members arranged in a semi-circle. Above this seat is the throne of His Majesty the Emperor, which he uses whenever he attends the Opening Ceremony of the Diet.

There are also two rows on both sides of the president’s seat. The first row is allotted for the Ministers of State, the first seat is for the Prime Minister, and the second row is for the secretariat of the House of Councillors. The ceiling is adorned by Arabesque-patterned stained glass. The chamber is 32 meters long and 23 meters wide, while the ceiling is 13 meters high. There is also a public gallery for citizens and press people to observe the plenary sessions.

Emperor’s Room. One of the most beautiful rooms in the building. This room is made with the best materials – most expensive, most beautiful and with the highest quality. This is the holding room of his Majesty the Emperor whenever he attends the Opening Ceremony. This is also where he receives the President and Vice President of the House of Councillors and the Speaker and Vice-Speaker of the House of Representatives. There is also a grand staircase that leads to the Emperor’s Room in the third floor from the Central Hall. This Central Staircase is only used by His Majesty the Emperor.

There are also other rooms in the building such as the Office and Reception Room of the President of the House of Councillors, and several Committee Rooms for various committee hearings.

            The National Diet is open for visitors from Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. There is also a free guided tour around the building that is worth joining. Visitors can enter the Visitors Gate at the Annex of the House of Councillors. To view the displays at the House of Councillors Vistors' Lobby, please see this post Political Memorabilia at the National Diet.

            There are also interesting souvenirs that you can purchase at the stall at the exit of the Diet. There are keychains, notebooks, folders, calendars, fans, pens, ID laces and a special biscuit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's face.