Whose opinion do you trust?

[LTLurker]

[CrankyBastard]

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Trust no-one...ever!

Seriously, though, whatever you read or hear or watch, it's only ever one person's opinion and there's no guarantee you'll feel the same thing. I'd say the best thing to do is just head out alone and throw yourself wholeheartedly into whatever tickles your fancy.

[Mulboyne]

A few years ago, I would regularly get magazines like Arigatt, Tokyo Calendar, Pia and Tokyo Isshukan. Not so much for recommendations, more for information. Nowadays, there is a lot of information available on the web so those magazines are largely redundant. However, I find it harder to sift through web information, compared with how I could flick through magazines, so ultimately I also find it more difficult to make judgements than before. It isn't just the problem of having more information, it's also one of having less context.

[FG Lurker]

[quote="LTLurker"]When it comes to living in Japan –]
Nice name.

Using restaurants as an example, I generally know what sort of place I want to go to and then search Google in Japanese for opinions on those sorts of restaurants in the area I want to go to.

If you want to find out what's famous or popular at a given time there are lots of Japanese food and travel magazines full of what seem to be mostly paid-for "reviews". Still, they give you an idea what is out there.

[Taro Toporific]

...there is a lot of information available on the web so those magazines are largely redundant. However, I find it harder to sift through web information, compared with how I could flick through magazines, so ultimately I also find it more difficult to make judgements than before....

I have the same problem. I used to religiously follow the suggestions of the Tokyo Journal in its heyday (second half of the 1980s).

Now I don't follow anything, which means I haven't clue where to take a client to the business lunch in Shinjuku this Saturday---Sites like bento.com are like drinking from a firehose of information.

(I really miss the Tokyo Journal [in its heyday--not now] that used to run all sorts of k-cool articles on things like Chiba's "secret" nude beach shown below.)

[YT]VnjY6SdCCAw[/YT]

[GomiGirl]

I tend to go on what friends say and recommend.

Then to look up these via google, bento.com (for restaurants), metropolis, weekender, being a broad etc.

This site here is pretty up to date with news abeit the odd end of the scale but that is where I live.

I know that most of the paid reviews for restaurants in the street mags like weekender and metropolis are sponsored, but they are usually pretty accurate and I use my own judgement to decide if they are also places I would like to try.

Also, there are a number of seminars around town on any day of the week. I tend to go to the ones that are relevent for my job and these are usually at fairly interesting places. Plus talking to people I meet at these events usually give me an idea of what is going on. If I hear things from more than one source then this is usually a good indication.

I am also a member of my chamber of commerce, social club and womens groups and these usually have monthly newsletters that are fairly intersting as well.

So this is a long answer that basically means that I sift through the sum of the information I have and then decide for myself.

[LTLurker]

Thanks for the feedback, folks. That's helpful.

@ Mulboyne: You raise a good point about context. The magazines did was act as filters. Even if the reviews were bought and paid for, they couldn't be too outrageous for fear of damaging the magazine's brand.

@ FGLurker: It's the sincerest form of flattery, after all.

@ Taro: Tokyo Journal was a favorite when I lived in Tokyo (89-91)

[Catoneinutica]

Also, there are a number of seminars around town on any day of the week.

There are? I'd sure like to know how you find out about them, GG!

To the OP: we still fall back on tried-and-true method of choosing a restaurant that's crowded and avoiding ones that have a too-good-to-be-true number of available tables.

My recommendation for Best Italian Restaurant in/near Tokyo would be Pomme d'Oro in Karuizawa. The chef/owner is a real Italian (well, Italian-Venezuelan), and he hasn't mediated his flavors to the ketchupy Japanese norm. Any good non-nipponified Italian restaurants in Tokyo? It's a big city; I'm all ears.

[GomiGirl]

There are? I'd sure like to know how you find out about them, GG!

What sort of seminars you interested in?

Best place I find to see what is going on is Andrew Shuttleworth's site. He has his finger on the pulse of most of the professional stuff going on.

Japan Events

But really it depends on what you are into.

[Catoneinutica]

Great links, GG - thanks!

But really it depends on what you are into.

Quick, check out Taro's avatar before he changes it again!

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Great links, GG - thanks!



Quick, check out Taro's avatar before he changes it again!

He's, er, brought out that one before...

[nottu]

[Mock Cockpit]

When I go to a restaurant with someone and they pay the bill, I always trust their culinary opinion.

Wise words my friend, wise words.

[Mulboyne]

[dimwit]

I've always found magazines be a better bet than the internet because they tend to hire an least semi-professional writers who may actually know something about the subject rather than... well, me.

Personally, the only opinions worth trusting are the one you get from your silver fillings and child party clowns.

[Coligny]

I have the same problem. I used to religiously follow the suggestions of the Tokyo Journal in its heyday (second half of the 1980s).

Now I don't follow anything, which means I haven't clue where to take a client to the business lunch in Shinjuku this Saturday---Sites like bento.com are like drinking from a firehose of information.

(I really miss the Tokyo Journal [in its heyday--not now] that used to run all sorts of k-cool articles on things like Chiba's "secret" nude beach shown below.)

I am sooo not clicking on that video...

(I dun wanna see an old-baldy-creepy looking amuricun guy nekkid...)

[Greji]

I am sooo not clicking on that video...

I don't know. That last scene view of the ocean through the shrubbery was pretty nice......