Four Months in Tokyo

Twilight Zone Weekend

2009-09-02T16:02:00.009+09:00

This event actually happened back in early July but I’m just getting around to posting the blog since it’s fairly lengthy. I’ve emailed a condensed version of the story to some people but figured I should write up a more detailed one than what was sent out via email.

There are days in Japan where I’ve had these Twilight Zone, almost “out-of-body” experiences like a weekend I had in early July.
I decided to explore more of the Shinagawa area where my apartment is. The Shinagawa Tourist Bureau website mentioned a tourism campaign called the “One Hundred Scenic Spots of Shinagawa” so I decided to see how many I could find one Saturday. A lot of the sights are old Shinto Shrines or Buddhist Temples but some were newer tourist attractions like the Shinagawa Aquarium and the Nori (Seaweed) Museum. Yes, they actually have an entire museum dedicated to seaweed; how it’s harvested and processed etc. I actually went in. How could you not? Fascinating subject, just fascina….zzzzzzzz.
So as I’m wandering around Shinagawa, I stumble across a Park, called Heiwa-no-Mori. The park had some tennis courts and a really cool obstacle course for kids. There are actually several parks in Tokyo that have obstacle courses for kids to run around and wear themselves out in. They even have water hazards, no joke. But Heiwa-no-Mori Park also had an archery range, two actually. The first one was for modern compound bow archery. Most of the people practicing were younger, high school age kids. As I walked past this one I then saw that the second range was walled off and there was a building adjacent to it. I luckily caught a glance into the building and realized that it was a Kyūdō Dojo. Kyūdō means the “Way of the Bow” and the Dojo is “The Place of the Way” or a training hall. Basically it’s a place where people come to learn the lifestyle of the bow or classical Japanese archery. It’s not considered a sport. It’s considered a way of life with physical discipline, courtesy, politeness and self-control.
As I am peering in from the outside, the Sensei or Master of the Dojo sees me and waves to me to come inside. The Sensei is a tiny, old man and I’m just towering over him. He’s talking up a storm and I can’t understand a word he’s saying but I realize he wants me to come in and watch the Kyūdō “students”. I say “students” because the youngest was around forty-five and the oldest was probably in his seventies. I must have sat there for thirty minutes while the Sensei continued to talk to me explaining Kyūdō and the equipment. He’s using a lot of hand gestures which is why I was able to generally understand what he was saying. In between his diatribes he would correct the students posture or form and then come back to continue the one-sided conversation. After practice ended and the students put away their equipment and uniforms, they came over to introduce themselves to me. Two of them spoke enough English and explained that the Sensei was 95 years old! Ninety-five?! The guy talks and acts like he’s thirty. While they’re talking with me, the Sensei magically produces a pack of cigarettes from his uniform and proceeds to chain-smoke through the pack. He’s still going non-stop in Japanese and the students are trying to explain in English but they can’t keep up with the Sensei. The guy’s energy was unbelievable.
One of the men then explains that the Sensei wants me to come to their Kyūdō tournament on Sunday. He explains that the tournament will be held in Hiratsuka during the Tanabata Festival. Normally I would have no idea where Hiratsuka was or what a Tanabata Festival was but the concierges in my apartment print out flyers of Monthly events and one of the events they described in detail was the Tanabata Festival in Hiratsuka which happens to be the biggest one in Japan. I was debating going to the Festival just to get out of Tokyo for a change and now that I had a personal invite, I figured why not. I excused myself from the Sensei and left the Dojo. I wandered around Shinagawa for a few more hours but made it back to the apartment in time to talk with the concierges about the train to Hiratsuka. I also made sure I picked up several different gifts (omiyage) in case I ran into the Sensei again. I’m glad I did as you’ll see.

Sunday I left my apartment fairly early and caught the train to Hiratsuka. The concierge explained I should catch an Express (not Shinkansen) and I was able to make it to Hiratsuka in a little over an hour. I wandered over to the Buddhist Temple grounds where the Tournament was to be held and found the event location. It wasn’t scheduled to start until the afternoon so I had a few hours to kill at the Festival. The city center was pretty much closed down to automobile traffic so that the downtown became one big pedestrian walkway. In many ways, the festival is just one massive summer block party similar to what some cities in the U.S. host albeit this is on a much bigger scale. There are plenty of vendors selling their wares throughout the downtown. For food, I tried some okonomiyaki and takoyaki (octopus balls….poor octopus!). Just kidding, sort of. It just refers to the shape although considering whole octopus is diced up I’m sure the reproductive organs are part of the concoction (pun intended). Other food vendors were selling whole, charcoal grilled fish and there were plenty of yakisoba (fried noodles) vendors. A lot of the vendors were targeting their wares at kids which included various anime action figures and stuffed toys. However, some vendors were selling “kids” toys which consisted of lifelike M16’s, Beretta 9mm’s and various other sidearms. These “toys” had no bright orange parts on them or other distinguishing feature to let you know they weren’t real. I’ve held and fired a Beretta 9mm before and the weight of the toy was the only difference from the real deal. But it gets better. One stall I walked by had brass knuckles. Notice I didn’t write “brass” (as in simulated plastic) knuckles. They weren’t plastic. It was really brass knuckles. When I was ten growing up in Scranton and if I found a vendor willing to sell me real brass knuckles, my older brother would have been in for quite a surprise the next time he picked on me. The vendor was even selling various sizes to fit all hand types. Unbelievable.
(On a side note, I picked up a pair my size. Even though I’m now bigger than my big brother, this year’s family Thanksgiving dinner is going to be interesting. Payback’s coming, Rob!).
In the heart of the city they put up a grandstand and various dancers and musicians were performing traditional Japanese songs and dances.

I roamed through the Festival for a few more hours and then returned to the Tournament grounds. There were already quite a few people sitting down on the bleachers awaiting the tournament start. As I’m looking for a seat, I catch site of the Sensei making a beeline for me. Gee, how’d he spot me in this crowd? The Sensei takes me by the arm and starts leading me away from the tournament grounds. I’m trying to explain to him I want to find a seat but he’s not heeding anything I say. I wish someone had videotaped this tiny old guy pulling the American Godzilla through the crowd. He leads me into one of the Temple buildings where the Tournament contestants are about to have lunch. I find one of the English-speaking gentlemen from the Dojo and he explains the Sensei wants me to have lunch with him. I’m stuffed from the Festival but when a 95-year old Sensei says eat with him, you eat. After lunch I present the omiyage to the Sensei. I had brought a good bottle of California white wine and various American chocolates, candies, nuts etc that I was able to pick up in a store that specializes in American goods in Shinagawa. One Japanese custom satisfied. The Sensei then leads me back to the Tournament grounds and, of course, by this time, a lot of people have filled in the bleachers so I’m thinking I’ll have to find a spot way in the back. Nope, the Sensei leads me up to the front where he’s got a reserved bleacher in the second row. Hmm, it’s good to be the King. The Sensei then hands me his digital camera and from his gestures, I guess he wants me to take pictures of the tournament for him. Considering all the markings were in Japanese and I could barely figure out how to use the damn thing, he also got pictures of the dirt, peoples backs and some lovely shots of the trees.

The Tournament first started by having a formal procession from the building where lunch was held through the Temple grounds and into the Temple. All the contestants were dressed in traditional costumes or formal Kyūdō uniforms. After a blessing by the Buddhist priests, they marched onto the Tournament grounds and everyone took their assigned seats. This is quite an impressive and solemn affair and very colorful. I’ve included a lot of the photos in an album at the end of this blog and encourage you to view the Tanabata Festival and Tournament photos.
The tournament proceeded by having two archers from the Dojo I visited compete against two archers from another. There is a rather elaborate process by which the archers approach the shooting line and move into position. The movements are very slow, graceful and deliberate. One of the gentlemen I spoke to on Saturday was honored with having the first shot of the competition. Talk about a pressure shot with all eyes from the spectators and your 95-year old Sensei watching you. On Saturday, I didn’t see this guy hit the target once in thirty minutes. But he had his Kyūdō game face on for the Tournament. He carefully and patiently moved himself into position. You could see him intently focused on his breathing and lining up his shot. Keep in mind, with a yumi (Kyūdō bow), there are no sights on it as is the case with modern bows. The whole concept of becoming “one with the bow” is a reality. He let the arrow fly and was rewarded with a loud crack as the blunt-tipped arrow struck the thin wooden target at the end of the range. The audience broke out into loud applause and for the briefest of moments; an ever so slight look of pride was on the archers face. But within a millisecond he realized his error and all hint of pride was immediately wiped from his face and replaced with the blank solemn expression that the rest of the contestants had. The tournament proceeded with about eight archers from each Dojo. The Dojo I visited was the eventual winner but only by about two points by my count.
After the tournament the Sensei’s and contestants lined up for a group photo and I’ve included these shots in the album.
I returned the camera to the Sensei and started to make my exit but once again he led me by my sleeve to another building and a banquet hall. “Now what”, I thought? The English speakers informed me there was an after Tournament party for the contestants. They said the Sensei insisted I join him. This was a long day at this point but once again, when the Sensei invites you, you go. So there I am sitting in a post-Tournament party drinking saké with the 95-year old Sensei, he’s going through his pack of cigarettes like their Tic-Tacs, he’s talking non-stop to me and I’m just nodding my head throwing in an occasional “hai” (yes). Who knows what he was saying.
At moments like that, you just sit there and ponder the strange path that life takes us through.
Complete Twilight Zone weekend and also one that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Or until I kill enough brain cells from the alcohol abuse.

Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival and Kyudo Tournament

Strangest Food Poll

2009-09-01T12:40:00.010+09:00

As my four months in Tokyo comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting back on some of the various experiences I’ve had and especially some of the unique dining ones. Although I have my personal favorites, I was curious as to what the readers thought was the strangest food item I’ve consumed. So I’ve put together a quick poll of ten items I’ve eaten since being here.
Let me know what you think.
The poll is posted to the right side of the blog.

Spicy Food in Japan.....Part 3

2009-08-31T09:51:00.003+09:00

Last night I had one of the spiciest dishes I’ve had in a long time. Except it wasn’t Japanese, it was Thai. One of my co-workers is married to a Thai woman and they recently celebrated the birth of their first child. His wife wanted to give birth in Thailand so that her parents could help out after the birth. He’s been in Thailand the past three weeks but returned on Sunday. I invited him out for a celebratory dinner and he decided on a Thai restaurant. I asked him whether he really wanted to have more Thai food especially after being there for the past three weeks but he said it was okay and knowing my penchant for spicy foods, he wanted to take me to a restaurant that his wife said served really authentic Thai dishes.
The restaurant was called Chao Thai in Shibuya but it’s really a chain of Thai restaurants. They had a very extensive menu and also offered set course meals which looked really good but my co-worker insisted we order multiple dishes from the menu. We started off with Po Pia Sod (Springs Rolls) and Tod Man Pla (Spicy Fried Fish Cakes). The Fish Cakes had some heat to them but, had I known what was to come, I would rate their overall heat as “Sissy”. We then stepped up the heat level with a spicy vegetables dish consisting of a Chinese green vegetable that had hollow stems and sliced chilis. Very spicy and very good. The vegetables were followed by a mixed seafood dish and a green curry with chicken (one of my favorite dishes). The mixed seafood also had sliced chilis and I was starting to feel the heat. My co-worker than asks if I’ve ever had Papaya Salad. I’ve heard of it but never ordered it. He insists we get it and says it’s incredibly popular in Thailand. He orders it “Thai-style” which sounded ominous but since my co-worker is the same one who took me to the Chinese red restaurant discussed in the first “Spicy Food In Japan” blog, I’m “assuming” it’s not going to be that hot. You know what happens when you “assume"............you get the sensation of lava being poured into your mouth against your will. That dish was so f’ing hot but it didn’t hit you immediately. This one lulled you into a dull stupor by first giving you the taste of sweet delicious papaya and then when your guard was down the freakin’ chilis kicked you in the gonads followed by the oh-so-enjoyable sensation of licking a red hot poker from a flaming fireplace. My face was red and tears were streaming from my eyes. I had to eat more of the green curry to cool down. After having the Thai-style Papaya Salad, the green curry tasted sweet and had no heat whatsoever. My co-worker was equally red, which looks even funnier on a Japanese person, and his forehead was one big sweaty mess. After I cooled down from the initial assault, I looked at the dish more closely and realized that the chilis used in this dish were the very small Thai chilis or what’s often called Bird’s Eye Chilis. The chilis from the earlier dishes were more likely a Jalapeno-like chili. The difference on the Scoville Scale is that the Thai chilis can easily be twenty times as hot as the Jalapeno. No wonder I was on fire. Oh, and if you think we wussed out and stopped after the first helping, you’d be wrong. We finished the damn dish but after the first wave, your mouth and face feel like they melted away so the pain is irrelevant at that point.

I English Speak Good

2009-08-27T13:09:00.007+09:00

Last night I happened to have dinner with a visiting U.S. co-worker and relayed a story that happened in May that I have not yet blogged about. He found it very amusing so I thought I would share in the blog.

My apartment has two restaurants in the building although they’re both part of the same restaurant called Sakura (Cherry Blossom). Although the first floor restaurant is a pretty sad affair (it doubles as the breakfast room in the morning), the VIP Lounge on the Penthouse floor (24th) of the apartment is very nice with a limited menu. So one Friday night in May I found myself bored and looking for something to do so I decided to go and visit the VIP Lounge. I figured it might give me a chance to meet some of my fellow apartment dwellers and I knew there were quite a few Westerners, including Americans, staying at the apartment complex. I entered the lounge around 8:30 PM and there was not another soul, other than myself, in the bar. Sad, very sad. I sat down at the bar anyway and after about ten minutes the bartender/waiter/busboy/chef appeared. Although he didn’t speak English it was easy enough to order a beer (Belgian Hoegaarden at $10/bottle, pretty typical). After trying to talk with the bartender/waiter/busboy/chef for a few minutes, he signed for me to wait and disappeared. A few minutes later he returned with the Manager and we performed a formal introduction.

A quick side story before I continue. Formal introductions are very important in Japan especially with respect to business. Business cards, therefore, are treated with the utmost respect. When you first meet someone in business, you hold the card with two hands and while bowing formally present the Japanese or English side depending on their expected language preference. You clearly pronounce your name and then let them know what you expect them to call you. Since the Japanese have trouble with the letter “v” in my last name, I always tell them to just call me Craig. They will always add “-san” on the end which is the equivalent of “Mr/Mrs/Miss” so I’m called Craig-san or Mr. Craig. The other person will then formally present their card and you are to take it with two hands and carefully read everything on the card and especially their title. If it’s in Japanese, you pretend to read it. The card must be treated very respectfully. You shouldn’t write on the card or stuff it in your pocket or make an origami animal (although cool) from it.

So as I made my formal introductions with the Manager, I learned that her name was Nahomi-san (Mrs. Nahomi). She spoke very little English but through a combination of her broken English, my broken Japanese and simple hand signals, I learned she briefly lived in Montreal with her husband who is a chef and I explained a little of my background and family. We carried on a broken conversation for another thirty minutes or so and then, amazingly, someone else joined us in the lounge. The third person was an Indian gentleman and after briefly speaking to him I learned he was a computer consultant temporarily in Japan supporting a contract for a telecommunications company. Here’s where the fun starts. After Nahomi-san formally introduced herself to the Indian gentleman, she asks him, in English, “What would you like?” The Indian is looking at her like she has two heads. I realize he couldn’t understand a word she said not because he didn’t speak English but because he couldn’t understand her accent. So I “translate” which in this instance was to repeat exactly what Nahomi-san said. “Oh, I see” said the Indian. “I’d like to see a menu”. Now it’s Nahomi-san’s turn. She looks at him and then at me. Same situation. Although she understands some English, she can’t understand his accent. Craig the parrot to the rescue. In English, I tell Nahomi-san he wants to see a menu. “Ahh”, Nahomi-san mutters. She quickly provides an English-language menu to the Indian. I have a feeling at what’s coming next since I’m familiar with the menu and there are almost no vegetarian items on it other than a few vegetable side dishes but certainly not enough for a meal. The Indian asks Nahomi-san if the chef could make him a stir-fry of just rice and vegetables. Once again, she looks at him and then at me. I dutifully repeat. “This is getting ridiculous”, I’m thinking. “You’re both speaking English!”
“Daijoubu”, Nahomi-san says which is slang for “No problem”. Off she goes to the kitchen and I tell the Indian she understands. He says to me, “I’m glad you’re here, I don’t speak Japanese.” “Neither do I”, I tell him. “She’s speaking English to you.” With all seriousness he looks at me and says “You’re kidding me!” The rest of the Indian’s dinner proceeded as before with me “translating” English to English between the two of them. Eventually the Indian left to go back to his apartment.
I was still drinking and talking with Nahomi-san. Once she knew the Indian gentleman wasn’t around, she says to me, “What room are you in? If he comes back another night I’m calling you up to translate for me. I couldn’t understand anything he said!”

If my current job doesn’t work out it looks like I might have a second career as an English translator. “So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.”

Lost In Translation

2009-08-26T12:40:00.006+09:00

Prior to reading this blog, you may want to read the last section of the Politically Incorrect Tokyo Observations blog. It’s definitely relevant to the following blog.

Last weekend was a pretty busy sightseeing and souvenir shopping weekend. One of the souvenir shops I had planned to visit was the Oriental Bazaar in Harajuku. You may also remember that Harajuku is the area I refer to in the Sunday Freak Show blog. I visited Harajuku on Saturday which is the less busy day and it was still packed with people. I made my way through the crowds and found the store which was only about three blocks from the train station. Great store, a lot of touristy type items but decent quality and a great selection. Some of the items I was looking to buy were kimonos and yukatas. A yukata is a cotton kimono usually worn in the summertime but also used in the onsens. I was looking to buy a kimono for Ellen and a yukata for myself. One nice thing this store offered was both metric and English measurements but the measurements were only listed for the polyester and cotton kimonos. For the silk kimonos, there was no measurement. They had several hanging on the wall and they all looked like the same size but I wanted to be sure. So looking around the room, I saw a store employee working the area. The employee was a young guy, probably early twenties, with dyed blonde, spiked hair which is not that uncommon in Tokyo and especially in Harajuku. He saw me approaching and I asked him, “eigo wo hanase masu ka” (Do you speak English?). In a clear American accent and lacking any masculine tones, he says “Yessssssss”. Dom Deluise’s Director-character Buddy’s line, from Blazing Saddles, immediately comes to my mind, “Sounds like steam escaping”.
I ask for help with the kimonos and he “sashays” over to the kimono section.

The following is our conversation:
ME: Do the silk kimonos come in various sizes?
HIM: No, it’s only one size. Do you want to see the length?
ME: Sure. I’m interested in this one.
He takes the kimono off the wall.
HIM: Is this for a man or a woman?
ME: [Thinking to myself] Why would he ask that? Aren’t these all women’s kimonos?
ME: It’s for a woman.
HIM: [Sounding disappointed] Hmmm.
HIM: How tall is she? Is she taller than me?
ME: No, she’s just a little shorter than you.
HIM: [All excited] I’ll try it on!
He proceeds to slip on the silk kimono.
HIM: What do you think?
ME: [Being a wise-ass] It looks good on you.
The above was clearly “Lost in Translation” or he just didn’t care.
HIM: I know. I love silk against my body.
He’s rubbing the sleeves against his arms.
HIM: Do you want it?
ME: I’ll take it.
I pause and thinking more about his comment, I clarify
ME: Yes, I’ll take “the kimono”.
He continues to rub the kimono against his body.
ME: I think I’ll take this one here [as I proceed to take a different one of the wall] Thanks for the help.
HIM: [Sounding disappointed again] Okay.

You gotta love Harajuku.

I've Met My Match

2009-08-25T17:30:00.016+09:00

As readers of this blog may have surmised by now, there’s not much I won’t try food-wise. And usually, my stomach doesn’t bother me afterwards so whether it’s eels, sea urchins, fugu or a jalapeno cheeseburger, no problems afterwards. Not this weekend. I finally met my match.

Dinner on Saturday night was, in order, Beer, Ox Tongue, Shark Fin & Noodle Soup and Blue Liquor. You may be thinking, “Well, Ox Tongue and Shark Fin Soup aren’t that unusual.” In fact, some people reading this blog may even have tried these culinary treats. But I guarantee that you’ve probably never had them served the way I experienced them on Saturday. You see, those were all ice cream flavors. Yes, that’s right, ice cream courtesy of Ice Cream City in Namjatown.
A few weeks ago when I joined my co-workers for dinner at Namahage, I knew that the restaurant served raw horse (basashi). I decide to learn more about this Japanese delicacy and my subsequent Google query brought up an entry for basashi ice cream that was served at Ice Cream City so of course I needed to visit this unique attraction.
Last Saturday I boarded the Yamanote train and after thirty minutes arrived at Ikebukuro station. Ice Cream City is a section of an indoor theme park called Namjatown which itself is located inside a mall called Sunshine City 60 in an area of Tokyo called Ikebukuro.
Ice Cream City within Namjatown has about five or six ice cream stations where you can try Turkish pulled ice cream, Europrean-style gelato, or visit the Cup Ice Museum. It’s the Cup Ice Museum that I made my way to as they have hundreds of ice cream flavors all served in little cups that are about 4-5 ounces in size. A typical cup sells for about $4.00 but the most expensive flavor was caviar at $16 for a four ounce container. I walked around the Cup Ice Museum coolers for quite some time before finding the “alcoholic” ice cream flavors. Where else do you think I would start? The Beer-flavor caught my attention immediately and since my Japanese dinners have always started with a beer, why break from tradition? I sat down, popped the lid off and on the top was some salted nuts. Beautiful. This was my favorite flavor of the night. Japanese beers are not overly hoppy so the ice cream flavor met my expectations. If you’re thinking beer-flavored ice cream is disgusting, have you ever had an Ice Cream “Malt”? Think about it and you’ll realize that those flavors can work well together. If only I had stopped there I would have been a happy man. But greed and curiosity got the better of me. I next grabbed the ox tongue-flavor. Mistake #1. How bad could it be? When I popped the lid off, I knew right away something was NQR (Not Quite Right). There were small chunks of beef tongue riddled throughout the ice cream and the ice cream itself had a strange off-white color to it. My tongue (the human kind) was probably still a little frozen from the beer-ice cream so the first few spoonfuls didn’t quite get the flavor across. Mistake #2, I then made the error of letting a large spoonful of the ice cream melt on my tongue. Imagine enjoying a nice cool creamy treat (the ice cream base itself was okay despite the off-white color) and then suddenly your taste buds experience a shocking splash of juicy beefy tongue. Mmmm. The brain struggles to comprehend what is occurring. Mistake #3, for some dumb reason I finished the whole cup. Immediately my stomach started churning a little bit revolting at what I had just eaten. Did I quit then? Hell no, that’s for amateurs and intelligent people. Mistake #4, I actually bought a bottle of water not to clean the taste out of my mouth but to cleanse the palette so I could better taste the next ice cream. Mistake #5, for some stupid reason I went with Shark Fin & Noodle Soup-flavor next. When I removed the lid, on the top was what I assumed was some kind of candy concoction. It wasn’t candy. I don’t know what it was but it wasn’t candy. After eating the topping and about half the cup, I had enough. I don’t know whether it was the fishy cartilage taste or the cold slimy noodles but this wasn’t a winner. Just writing this blog now and thinking about those flavors is causing me to fight back the bile in my throat. Mistake #6, to finish the meal I decided to have an after-dinner drink flavor (Blue Liquor). It seemed logical at the time. I assumed “Blue Liquor” was going to be Curaçao, the bitter orange liqueur of the Caribbean or Blue Triple Sec which is also an orange-flavored liqueur. Truthfully, it may have been this but I certainly didn’t taste orange in the ice cream. Frankly I didn’t taste much of anything at this point other than a slight alcohol taste. It could be that after four months abusing my taste buds in Tokyo, they committed suicide en masse.
Nonetheless, those four unique flavors made for an interesting train ride back to my apartment. I was breaking out in cold sweats the whole way home and for me this is usually a prelude to a good projectile vomiting session. I used every mental distraction technique I could think of to get my mind off of the feeling in my stomach and not launch on the train. Many Japanese already think most gaijins are disease-carrying creatures as it is. I’ve watched them try to furtively apply a face mask if I get too close to them on the subway so you can imagine their reaction if I started spewing cold, milky, tongue-chunky fluid around the train. Actually, that sounds like a great “Jackass” bit but since I’m just days away from freedom and not wanting to be quarantined, I did everything I could to hold it in. My stomach settled down as I walked back to my apartment and even though it was only about 6:30 PM, I actually crashed on my bed for an hour just to further let the feeling pass. Luckily I was able to sleep through the worst of it but the rest of the night and for most of the following morning, my stomach did not feel right. Cool and horrible experience all at the same time.

Ice Cream City

Mistake #7, I’m probably going back this weekend. I never said I learn from my mistakes. There are way too many freaky flavors that I want to try. Here’s a list of some of the other unique ice cream flavors that were being offered at the time of my visit. The ones in blue are the ones I’m most interested in trying:
Adzuki Beans
Avocado
Blue Liquor
Buckwheat
Caviar
Cheese Risotto
Chicken Wing (not Buffalo)
Crab
Deep Seawater (?)
Eel
Eggplant
Fish Sauce
Flat Wheat Noodle
Garlic
Garlic & Mint
Grated Yam
Health Food (lots of veggies)
Indian Curry
Miso Noodle
Natto (Fermented Soybean)
Octopus
Old Taste (WTF?)
Ox Tongue
Potato & Butter
Powdered Pearl (most popular)
Rose
Saké
Sea Urchin
Seaweed
Shark’s Fin & Noodle
Shochu (Barley Liquor)
Shrimp
Soy Sauce
Soybean Flour
Squid
Squid Ink
Sunflower
Tofu
Tomato
Tulip
Viper (Mmm, snake)
Wasabi

Minor Tokyo Annoyances

2009-08-11T23:48:00.011+09:00

Well, here I am back in Japan. But this is a short trip and potentially my last. I return to the U.S. on Sept 3rd but I’ll have a few more blogs before then for everyone’s amusement.
Today I figured I would spout off on a few little minor annoyances with living and working in Tokyo.

Beware Decorative Marble!
The National government of Japan and the local Tokyo government are constantly warning the average citizen and tourist about various dangers. You hear and see these warnings everywhere you go. As an example, on the subway there are posted signs warning you of getting stuck between the doors when they close. Not that the door would crush you as they don’t close that quickly and they also automatically spring back when they encounter resistance. However, the Government still wants to make sure you’re aware of the danger (or lack thereof). My understanding of the warnings is that the Government truly wants to warn the citizens and not because they’re afraid of litigation. Their society is just not as litigious as the U.S. In most cases, I have no idea how you could possibly be injured by the particular threats the warning notices are conveying. I guess there are idiots in every country that can’t walk and chew nori at the same time. The warnings are not the annoyance however. It’s the lack of warning where there are real threats that are the annoyance. As an example, many office buildings like to decorate the outside plazas of their buildings with marble. But they don’t just put the marble in columns and walls; they actually put marble on the plazas and walkways. I’ve included two examples.

The first photo is taken right outside of my apartment and I’m highlighting the marble in red on both photos. The marble outside of my apartment is used to separate the sidewalk from the plaza area outside the office and apartment buildings. In the second photo, this is the walkway into the Shinagawa Post Office. I’ve highlighted two marbles slabs but you can see the marble goes all the way out to the sidewalk. So what’s so dangerous about the marble? Nothing on a nice sunny day but on a rainy day which is pretty much every day from mid-June through mid-July, these become sidewalks of death. The first time I stepped on a wet marble slab I nearly went flat on my back. The acrobatic maneuver I performed to stay on two feet was quite impressive but I probably did more damage tearing muscles and ligaments than if I had just taken the fall. I now realize that these slabs are probably meant for the amusement of locals.

Enjoying the View?
The men’s room in my one office has floor to ceiling (about 12 feet high) windows. Although there are vertical blinds on the windows, they’re almost never closed so when you use the urinals you use them in full view of a major hotel and two office buildings. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against public urination as long as the proper amount of alcohol has been applied to my system but there’s just something odd and annoying when you’re stone cold sober. The girls in the office building across the street don’t help when they hold up a score for each of the guys.

Musical Trains
I’ve yet to completely figure this one out. Sometimes when I take the subway from my Roppongi office back to Shinagawa apartment, the train will stop after a station or two and everyone must exit that train, cross the platform and board the next train on the opposite tracks. You do not want to be on these “Last Stop” trains. I’m assuming the trains are going into scheduled maintenance but it’s just frustrating because it typically happens during rush-hour. This happened to me last Wednesday night. When I got on the train in Roppongi, there were not as many people on-board as there usually is. That was my first clue that I might be on the “Last Stop”. Sure enough, as we approached the second stop, everyone began fidgeting and pushing their way towards the doors. Because once the doors open, there’s a mad dash across the platform to the other side. If you don’t get a spot in the front of the line, you might not be able to squeeze onto the first train and have to wait. That’s musical trains and it’s just as annoying and frustrating as the kids game.

Spicy Food in Japan.....Part 2

2009-08-05T13:53:00.005+09:00

I’ve got my name on the wall!
My Japanese co-workers know I like really spicy food. They recently found a curry restaurant (Robinson's) in Shinagawa where you can personally order your heat index. If you order and finish a curry meal with a heat level of fifty or above, they print out a page with your name and comment and pin it to the wall. The first time they went, the hottest they ordered was five but Liu-san, a Chinese co-worker married to a Thai, said it was weak and thought he can handle more. Today we went back to get our names on the wall. There were six in our party, three Japanese and three foreigners (Chinese, New Zealander, and me). The three Japanese all ordered a level five and the three gaijins all ordered a fifty. My lunch was the first one out and the three Japanese were concerned because the color of the stew was red when over here it is normally brown. The chili oil was even starting to pool on top. They watched as I took the first spoonful and although it was spicy, I knew it wasn’t going to be difficult to finish. I’ve had much hotter Indian and Thai dishes. When I come back at the end of August my name should be up by then and I’ll get a photo taken. Plus Liu-san and I are determined to go for 100 as the next level. There were plenty of other higher scores, 100s, 300s, and three people who did 5000, 7000, and 8000. My co-workers all said they must have been drunk to do that. I’ll see what 100 is like and go from there.

Did You Ever Notice.....Part 2

2009-08-04T13:50:00.002+09:00

Once again, it’s time for a quick trip back to the U.S. so I’ll be taking a short break from the blog. I’ll be traveling back to the States from August 6-16 to see the family. Here are some more observations and stories that don’t fit into any specific blog I may have posted so far.
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The Japanese are terrified of rain.
The moment one raindrop hits the sidewalk, out come the umbrellas and they go into doubletime. Now, I understand why the umbrellas are necessary because some of the downpours are quite significant. That just makes sense but many of the rains are very light, sporadic sprinkles but the Japanese still act like a monsoon is hitting. I always carry an umbrella with me but the moment I realize it’s a light shower, I’ll put it away. They just stare at me and I can tell they’re thinking, “Hey, crazy Gaijin, are you too stupid to realize it’s raining!” This is happening more frequently as we’re coming to an end of the rainy season in Japan. The best explanation I’ve heard so far came from one of my Japanese co-workers who is an exceptionally small guy. As we were walking to lunch one day, a light rain started. I opened my umbrella like the rest of them but put it away when I saw how light the rain was. My co-worker asked me “Are you immune to the rain? Aren’t you getting wet?” When I replied that it wasn’t that heavy of a rain to warrant the umbrella, he replied, “Perhaps you don’t realize the proportion of a raindrop hitting your body versus one hitting mine. It hurts.” F’ing brilliant. That line had me laughing all afternoon.
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Since I’ve been in Japan, I am aware of only two earthquakes that have occurred in the Tokyo area. One occurred while I was sleeping and the other was East of Tokyo and I never noticed the effects even though many people in Tokyo felt it. I will say that a few times a week I do feel the ground move and spin and I will get a sudden wave of nausea that will hit me typically around 10:00-11:00 PM on Friday and Saturday nights usually after I’ve left the Izakaya (Bar). It’s curious that the earthquakes regularly hit around this time.
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Take a look at the following picture. It’s a snapshot of various beer cans that are available in my local supermarket. This isn’t an optical illusion and I didn’t manipulate the photo. From largest to smallest:
Bomber-size (500 ml or 16.9 ounces)
Standard-size (350 ml or 11.8 ounces)
Pony-size (250 ml or 8.5 ounces)
WTF-size (135 ml or 4.6 ounces)!
For what possible reason would you sell a 4.6 ounce beer can other than for some Gaijin to buy and include as a photo in his blog?

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I love Japanese konbinis. A konbini is a Japanese Convenient store and includes chains like 7-Eleven, AM/PM, FamilyMart and Lawson’s. They’re everywhere in Tokyo. I believe there’s a Japanese law that you must have at least one konbini on every city block. In addition to carrying your typical water, soda and iced tea (green, of course), you can get beer, wine and liquor. Many of them actually have a pretty good selection. And, if you’re looking for snacks, they have the standard candy bars but also squid jerky and dried fish. Mmmm, chocolate and dried salty fish, the latest craze soon to be sweeping America. When you’re drunk and got the munchies, you tend to get creative in your snack selection.
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Over the last few weeks I’ve become a regular visitor to my apartment’s gym on the 24th floor. Don’t jump to conclusions; it’s not what you think. I happened to stumble up to the bar, also on the 24th floor, and accidently turned left into the gym instead of right into the bar. Surprise, surprise, I was still able to get the same end results for a lot less money. Take a look at this snapshot of the gym’s vending machine. As you can see they have energy drinks and healthy green tea but they also sell beer! 220 Yen ($2.30) for a 12 ounce Asahi or 290 Yen ($3.00) for the bombers. That same 12 ounce Asahi is probably $8.00 in the bar. What a bargain. My fellow apartment dwellers aren’t so happy with me since I don’t buy just one and leave. The recumbent bikes are right next to the vending machine so you can plop yourself down on the bike and take a nice leisurely ride with your cold brew(s). One word of advice from experience talking, stick to two or three and then leave. Six or more could potentially result in nausea and regurgitated maguro sashimi is very difficult to clean out of the cracks and gaps of a recumbent bike.
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I forgot to blog about this men’s fashion trend earlier but many Japanese business men wear a style of dress shoes that are easily three to four inches longer than their feet. Here’s a picture of the oversized, square-tipped dress shoe.
The first time I saw this style I was on the subway. I was packed in like a sardine and looking down at the floor and saw what was probably the equivalent of a U.S. Men’s size 13 shoe. I followed the shoe up to the person expecting a six foot and above individual and instead this guy was probably five foot five. When I looked back down at the shoe, you could see where his toes were within the shoe and clearly there was at least three inches of shoe beyond his toes. WTF? The more I started looking around; I started seeing this style of shoe everywhere. Why would short Asian men want to give others the impression that their feet are really bigger than they really are? Hmmm, maybe this is the equivalent of an American man’s sports car complex?
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Back on July 22nd, Asia experienced a major solar eclipse. The best viewing in Japan was down south in the Okinawa area. In Tokyo, we were predicted to have about a 75% eclipse. On the day of the eclipse, a co-worker and I headed outside to see if the eclipse would be visible even though it was an incredibly cloudy day. As soon as we walked outside, the clouds parted briefly and I was able to get this quick shot with my Blackberry Storm. I took several shots after that but the first one was the best. Most of my co-workers didn’t get a good shot and my lucky snap became the de facto image passed around the office.

Fugu You Too!

2009-08-01T15:20:00.071+09:00

Another epicureal peak conquered! I have eaten fugu. Unfortunately the view from the summit was not as grand as I would have imagined but there was a hidden gem discovered as will be described in the blog. As many followers of the blog have read, I’ve been “dying” to try fugu or Japanese pufferfish. My co-workers and I finally were able to make a reservation for five at “Genpin Fugu” in Roppongi on Friday night.

We arrived at the restaurant and first ordered a beer. This seems a fairly standard ritual at most of the dinners I’ve been to and you toast each other with “Kampai” and clink glasses. Some rituals are just universal. What surprised me most was that I noticed my hand was shaking a little when we toasted. Now, I’d like to think this was because it was 7:00 PM on a Friday and I’d yet to have a drink. Normally, I’d be six deep by seven but, in truth; I realized I was bit nervous about the meal. Oh sure, the odds were definitely stacked in my favor. This was a fully licensed fugu restaurant and most fugu poisonings in Japan are the result of fisherman eating their catch but, the more I thought about it, this was a really dumb idea. I’d like to think I’m not prone to doing stupid things but this was one of them. But as I’ve said previously in this blog, I’m using my trip to Japan as a way to experience new things and not allow my normally logical mind to stop me from enjoying these experiences. So when the waiter placed our first fugu course in front of me. I dove right in. The first course was Fugu Skin Sashimi and it’s what I’m eating in the photo to the right. If you think about this for a second, you might realize what the texture was like. The pufferfish, when threatened underwater, can inflate itself with water, until it’s almost spherical in shape. Once it’s no longer threatened, it deflates itself. So the skin is very elastic in nature, almost like a balloon. So as I popped that first piece of Fugu Skin Sashimi in my mouth and bit down, that’s what I thought I was eating…..a balloon. Texturally, it was horrendous and I made sure my facial expressions did not give away my personal feeling. I also noticed a faint, what I’ll call “medicinal” taste on the far back of my tongue near the throat. It wasn’t pleasant or unpleasant, just noticeable. So after much chewing and pondering whether that “medicinal” taste would subsequently lead to muscle paralysis and then death, I completed the first course. One fugu dish down.

But we were a long way off from being completed with the meal. The second course was fugu sashimi where the meat is sliced very thin. A wedge of lime was provided and was squeezed over the sashimi. The sashimi was then dipped into soy sauce with green onions and radish. I eat sashimi weekly but normally with maguro (blue fin tuna), sake (salmon) and saba (mackerel). I assumed that since the fugu was sliced thinly, it would be tender just as the other types of sashimi are. Nope. It wasn’t as rubbery as the fugu skin sashimi but definitely very chewy. My jaw was going to get a workout tonight (nudge, nudge, say no more squire). Once again, that same “medicinal” flavor was hitting the back of my tongue.

One of my co-workers then suggested we have some saké (rice wine not salmon which is spelled sake). Of course, we couldn’t have just everyday saké. Instead we were served Fugu Hire-zake or Pufferfish fin saké. The fish fins are deep fried then soaked in some kind of liquid combustible. The fins are then lit aflame and dunked in the warmed saké. They place a lid over the flaming saké cup and after about twenty seconds, you can start to drink. In general, I like saké. But then again, there are very few alcoholic beverages I don’t like. However, I’m not sure placing the lid over the cup before all the liquid combustible is burned off is such a good idea as the first taste was not that of sweet saké. I thought, “Won’t this be ironic if I am poisoned in a fugu restaurant but not by the fish but because of some un-ignited chemical fuelant”.

The third course was a chunky fugu sashimi but this was placed on a piece of Chinese cabbage and topped with a spicy sauce and green onions. This dish I liked a lot and for some reason the fugu wasn’t that chewy. Probably my jaw was numb at this point. No “medicinal”
taste but then again I’m a believer that a good sauce can mask almost any food.

Fourth course was deep-fried fugu. I watched as my co-worker popped a piece of the fried fish into his mouth and I did the same. Before he had a chance to warn me I bit down and felt something akin to a razor blade slicing into the roof of my mouth. I heard him say “Be careful, you have to eat around the bones”. Why would the restaurant serve chunky (boneless) fugu sashimi but when it comes to coating the fish and frying it, they keep the bones intact?! More amazing still, my co-workers popped chunk after chunk of fried fish into their mouths and would then remove a 3-D jigsaw puzzle-looking bone that was picked completely clean. A little Blazing Saddles Taggart comes to mind: “God darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore”.

Fifth course they brought out a small charcoal grill and cooked up several pieces of fugu similar in size to the fried fugu. The ashes from the grill were floating everywhere, in the dipping sauces, in my saké, even found some in my underwear later on. Don’t ask. Let’s just say I had a lot more Fugu Hire-zake after the first.

Sixth course was fugu hotpot also known as shabu-shabu (“swish-swish”). A big bowl of water was placed on the center grill of the table and boiled. They then placed a layer of fugu chunks in the bottom, followed by Chinese cabbage, big chunks of tofu, ginger bulbs and mushrooms. While this was cooking up, they provided various cuts of fugu that you quickly dipped (swish-swish) into the hotpot to lightly cook and then dipped in a tangy ponzu vinegar sauce. The flesh portions were similar to the fugu sashimi and a light cooking made them easy to eat. However, my co-workers insisted I try something from another plate which I have no idea what part of the fish it was. I believe it was the egg sac where the roe is held but honestly I am not sure. Nonetheless, it was impossible to eat. I was chewing and chewing but the material just wasn’t breaking down. I eventually had to swallow the item whole. I would liken that experience to the following; imagine if you found a whitish-pink balloon that had been sitting outside all summer in a fetid puddle of water such that the balloon was all coated with a thick slimy layer of scum and little back spots where mold and mildew had adhered to the balloon. Then, since you missed lunch you decided on a little nourishment and popped that elastic morsel into your mouth but rather than having the common sense to spit out, you gnawed and chewed like a wild animal before powering it down like a Columbian drug mule prepping for her trip to America. Mmmm, slimy moldy balloons.
It was during the shabu-shabu, however, that I discovered the hidden gem. In addition to the various ingredients that were added above, there was also a green leafy plant that was also provided for consumption but it wasn’t added to the shabu-shabu while the soup cooked. The diners were allowed to quickly boil these green stalks and then dip in the ponzu and eat. I tried one and it was delicious. There was an initial floral taste to the plant followed by a slight bitterness which was counter-balanced by the sweetness from the ponzu sauce. Fantastic. I asked my co-workers what it was and they said Shungiku. If you’re like me, that meant nothing. My co-worker than used my blackberry to look up the English word and he replied “Garland Chrysanthemum”. Okay, not much better other than knowing that a Chrysanthemum is a flower. But it was still delicious.

After most of the soup ingredients are consumed, they then add rice and eggs to the broth and make Zosui rice. The rice/soup is served with green onions and nori (seaweed) and a side order of Japanese pickles.

And then finally we finished off the meal with some dessert which was a mango ice cream.

Throughout the meal, we primarily drank saké. For the early part of the meal, I was drinking the Fugu Hire-zake. They only light the first cup on fire and after that just refill your cup which I did multiple times. One of my co-workers considers himself quite a saké aficionado so I asked him if he would recommend a little sampling of sakés which he was pleased to do. We tried three different sakés all with the latter half of the meal. I told him I would withhold my comments and rankings until I tried all three that he selected. They served the saké in a tall glass shooter that was placed in a lacquerware box and they overfill the glass so that the lacquerware box is about half-filled. You drink the shooter glass first and then the saké in the box. Since these were all better quality sakés, they were served cool not warmed. The first saké was excellent with a really clean taste. The second was acceptable but I did not like it as much as the first. The third was a sweeter variety different from the first two and one that many Americans would probably enjoy. When I completed the sampling, I told my co-worker that, for my tastes and what I thought was the better quality products, the first saké was the best, the third (sweet) saké was second and the middle saké was last. My ranking really surprised my co-worker as he said that is how a Japanese person would rank them. As a side note, they’re always amazed when a gaijin can do something that they consider “Japanese”. I occasionally will use (properly pronounced) various Japanese phrases that I’ve learned and you would think they were watching a dog talking. I probably should be insulted by it but I generally find it more humorous and like surprising them. My co-worker was so pleased that I appreciated quality saké that he brought in a bottle of saké for me on Monday which is one of his favorite brands. I am now obligated to search out an equal quality product and bring that back from America as a gift. Not a problem. I love international cooperation.

Cockroach Cojones

2009-07-30T23:05:00.005+09:00

I’ve developed a new routine over here that I like to partake in about every two weeks. I’ve also got new friends to share the routine with. Frequently my dinner consists of raw fish (sashimi or Nigirizushi), soba noodles or beer (very nourishing). But every week to two weeks I need to break out of these habits. If I can get out of work early enough and get to the grocery store before the main rush, I like to pick up some bell peppers ($2.00 for one small), oversized green onions (these things are 2-3 feet long!), and some nice Kobe beef steaks. A quick seasoning of the steaks and a light sauté of the beef and vegetables in some good quality soy sauce and that is one easy and fantastic meal especially when topped off with a Sapporo bomber. I’m really going to miss Kobe beef when I get back to the U.S.

After the meal, I make my way down to my apartment’s outside patio area along the river and enjoy a Cuban cigar, usually a Montecristo #4 which is one of my favorites.
I’ve included a night shot of the outside patio area.

Not the best since it was taken with my blackberry.

The first time I enjoyed this routine and was sitting at one of the tables, I happened to glance down and thought I saw a lot of leaves moving in the wind. Except it wasn’t windy and there’s no leafy trees in the immediate area. When I used my blackberry camera flash on the ground, I realized it wasn’t leaves but cockroaches moving around.

These things are pretty robust. About 1-2 inches in length but they have wide bodies and really hard shells (discovered when I applied my foot to one of them). The amazing thing is that they don’t run when you come at them. If anything, they’ll come running at you. The one I crunched was really done in self defense. I swear that thing was eyeing me up like a Kobe beef steak. Now I’m sort of used to them. We’ve reached a mutual truce. When I come outside for a smoke, they leave me alone and when they swarm a small passing Japanese citizen, I leave them to their meal.

Mystery Meat

2009-07-27T17:23:00.020+09:00

On Friday I was invited out to dinner with a few co-workers. The restaurant is called “Namahage” (Demons) and is located up in Roppongi. The restaurant is a bit touristy since the Namahage demons come out later in the evening and scare the diners into being good. Typically, if someone told me they were going to take me to a place like that in the U.S., I’d pass but my co-worker who set up the reservation did two things that piqued my interest. First, he said the price (5000 Yen/U.S. $50) included all you could drink of beer, sake, shōchū and umeshu for two to three hours. More on this later but one of my co-workers and I made sure we got our money’s worth. At one point in the dinner I had a glass of beer and three glasses of different shōchūs in front of me. The second thing my co-worker did was to show me the menu and some of the items we’d be having. One item, in particular, I’ve been searching out and was able to cross off my list of “bizarre foods” to try while in Japan.

The dinner started with a little cup of soup. As typical with many Japanese menu items, there’s always something familiar about the item but on the other hand, the individual components seem completely unfamiliar and unidentifiable. So although the soup had a familiar miso/soy sauce base, it also had an unfamiliar green leafy vegetable matter which my co-workers described as a plant that only grows in the mountain ranges in Japan and I thought had a peppery, spicy flavor (very nice). There was also a sticky, glutinous substance that seemed to float in the middle of the soup cup which if I understood my co-workers was a type of potato or yam that was grated. They then brought out a vegetable plate with ginger dip and a grilled meat and vegetable plate. Both nice but nothing particularly unusual. The next dish was thin slices of raw beef. These were dipped in a mustard sauce. Enjoyable but, once again, not what I would describe as unusual.

Finally, the mystery meat dish I had been waiting for arrived. First visual inspection is nothing unusual as you can see. Beefy looking in appearance but probably not as fresh as could be since the meat is also called “sakuraniku” or “cherry blossom meat” since it should be pink in color. This course was served as “basashi” or as sashimi (raw) slices. The white matter underneath the red slices I first thought was daikon radish slices but upon closer inspection realized I was getting an extra treat as they were also including slices of neck fat(“mmmm, neck fat”) with the sakuraniku. The accompanying sauce was soy sauce and you mixed in sliced green onions along with freshly grated ginger and radish.

Clearly this was a photo op and one of my co-workers, who was not partaking of the basashi, snapped a nice photo of the moment. I did a light dip in the soy sauce and then popped the meat and neck fat into my mouth. Initial impression was that these slices probably could be thinner. Texturally, chewing a thick piece of raw meat and a thicker piece of raw neck fat is not the most pleasant, but overall the taste was okay. It must have been because I tried it twice more. What was the mystery meat? It was horse. Unlike the U.S., many countries do not have a taboo against eating horse. Japan is one of those countries and “when in Rome”, why not give it a try?
After the horse sashimi, there was a pork and noodle dish which was tasty and a nice mango ice cream but both were anti-climatic to the raw horse. Check that food off the list.

Let’s switch from food to drink now.
Joining me for dinner Friday night was one of the Directors in the Marketing Department. In talking with one of my teammates, he explained that he was proud of his drinking capability and wanted to see if he could out drink me. Foolish man but I admire his tenacity. We started drinking beer and we each threw back about three glasses. He decided to change tactics and ordered shōchū (see first Izakaya visit for more about shōchū). The first glass was really crisp and clean. That was my favorite brand of the night. After I threw back the first glass, he then ordered two more types. Those were thrown back in rapid succession. I asked for a beer chaser and he joined me. About this time, we noticed a ruddy glow coming over our co-worker. He then ordered three more glasses, two new shōchūs and a repeat of the first one. I’d like to say I wasn’t feeling the effects but that would be a lie. But I certainly was in much better shape than my co-worker who at this point was well lubricated. I’m pretty sure we had maybe two more after that but I really lost count when the three were placed in front. When we left the restaurant, our other two dining partners excused themselves and went home but not my new drinking partner. We stumbled into an Italian restaurant and polished off two bottles of red wine together. It’s amazing how much better my Japanese was and his English was at this point. Beer, shōchū and red wine, not a good combo, and one I definitely felt in the morning. I got back to my apartment about midnight and was out cold within one minute of my head hitting the pillow. I have a feeling we’ll have a repeat performance in the future.

Japanese Orgy

2009-07-23T14:44:00.004+09:00

Today I needed to work at the office in Roppongi which is further away from my apartment. Unfortunately I also left my apartment late which means I was going to get to experience what I call the “Japanese Orgy” also known as the 8:00 am trains from Meguro station to my destination of Roppongi-itchōme. To complicate the commute, it was also raining in the morning which meant more people would probably be riding the trains versus biking or walking to work. Ugghhh. My first train from Shinagawa to Meguro was crowded but not inconvenient. It almost never is. I knew the next connection was the troublespot.
When I first started taking the trains, there were many times I would wait for a second or third train just because they were so crowded. Or at least I thought they were crowded. I now realize there’s always room as long as you have a productive posterior. What does that mean? It’s a Japanese technique that I call “Back that Booty Up”. They use this technique to cram every last human being in Tokyo on your train.

Here’s how it works. You stand in line with what appears to be 10,000 other people. When the train arrives maybe one or two people will get off the train. That means that another 100 can get on. If you’re in the front of the line, you’ve got it made, walk forward onto the train and try to find a handhold. The tops of little old ladies’ heads don’t count. Their ankles are too weak and they’re sure to go flying when the train takes a corner at Mach 5. If you’re in the back of the line wait until the train looks like it’s about to explode due to the volume of people and that means there’s also room for you since it didn’t explode. Think positively! Turn around so that your butt is facing the people on the train and start to “Back that Booty Up”. You may need to shimmy it side to side a little bit to create a wedge into the masses. No bending at the waist. That’s bad form. It’s more of a backwards shuffle step and wiggle your butt side-to-side. Once you master this technique, there’s no train in Tokyo you can’t get on.

So as I made my way down the stairs to the platform, I could see that there was already a train in the process of boarding and it was mine. I was at the end of line but I am now a booty shuffle sensei. I wedged on and another 10 people followed me. Let the Japanese Orgy begin. The Japanese are masters of living inside their minds and not letting the close intimate contact of a train ride bother them. Each train car becomes one big mass of arms, legs and miscellaneous body parts all rubbing up against each other. On very rare occasions, I might have a lovely twenty-something woman wedged up against me but more often it’s a little old lady. I know I’m in trouble when they see me and a little smirk comes across their face and they start trying to wedge up against me getting their freak on. I’m usually yelling “zutsū ga shite imasu” (I have a headache!) but it never works. I always feel so cheap and used by the time I get off the train.

If you think I’m exaggerating about the trains, I’m really not for once.
If you don’t believe me, go to YouTube and enter “tokyo subway rush hour” into the search field and enjoy.
I’ve also found one that is more extreme but not uncommon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQdS5HY_O6k

"Hanging Out" in Japan

2009-07-21T23:09:00.012+09:00

My apologies for the following blog.
Some of the mental images I will conjure up may scar some of you for life.

This past weekend was a three day weekend in Japan as Monday was a National Holiday known as “Umi no hi” or Marine Day which celebrates the blessings of the oceans. So rather than stay in Tokyo I decided to explore further afield and headed West across the country. Although I was looking forward to seeing the Japanese countryside and especially the Nihon Arupusu (Japanese Alps), the main purpose of the trip was to stay in several ryokans which is the Japanese equivalent of a bed & breakfast. I was also determined to find one that had an onsen (hot springs) as part of the ryokan. The onsen can be either outdoor or indoor but the ones I stayed at included indoor pools or hot tubs and frankly they’re not difficult to find although the quality can vary greatly. These are really fantastic places to stay but one requirement is that you must throw away the concept of American embarrassment towards nudity. So read on if you dare because you know where this is going.

Friday night I found a Ryokan tucked up into the hills of a city called Suwa which is in the geographic center of Japan. The city overlooks a small rectangular shaped lake that is about 2 miles by 2.5 miles in size. As typical in Japanese homes and lodging, you take off your shoes in the entrance area but the procedure takes a little getting used to and requires a bit of a balancing act. The idea is as follows: walk into the hotel or ryokan and take off one shoe on the stone or marble floor but don’t place your shoeless foot on the stone or marble floor. That would get your sock or foot dirty and would track dirt into the main lobby which is the same as wearing the shoes into the lobby. Big no-no. You place your shoeless foot on a little step next to the floor. While balancing on the step, take off your other shoe and then stand on the step with both feet. On the main lobby floor are hotel or ryokan provided slippers. You slide into the slippers from the step and then walk into the lobby and the Registration Desk. Complicated? You bet. Try remembering all that when you come stumbling in drunk from the local sakeya. Of course, for me I can never actually achieve the slipper part because they’re typically about a Men’s size 8 and I wear a size 13. As I walked towards the Registration Desk in my socks the first night the clerk began pointing excitedly at the slippers as I was violating the protocol. I picked one of these elfin flip flops up and held it against my foot showing him there was no way on Buddha’s green earth that toy was gonna fit on my boat feet. The clerk let out an astonished string of Japanese words (who knows what he said) which made both of us laugh. The clerk spoke enough English and escorted me to the room which was really nice. It was actually three rooms which is pretty unusual; one room for eating and watching TV, a bedroom area, and an in-room bathroom with just a toilet and sink, no shower or bathtub. The TV room and bedroom contained Tatami (rice straw) mats throughout the rooms. These are actually quite comfortable to walk on and I like the scent that they add to the rooms. The clerk then told me to wait while he went to retrieve my “yukata” or cotton kimono that I was supposed to wear while visiting the baths. I knew there was going to be a problem when he came back and said, “biggest one we have”. Why would there be a problem? Well, you generally don’t wear anything underneath the yukata. It’s perfectly acceptable to walk through the lobby in just your yukata and slippers or tabi socks as you go to the onsen. Of course, that assumes the yukata will actually cover your body. I slipped mine on over my clothes as a test and the clerk said, “that’s fine” and left. “That’s fine?!” I knew right away that it was not fine. As long as I didn’t breathe, bend, or move I was fine but otherwise, I was truly going to be “hanging out” in Japan. But don’t think for a minute that was going to stop me from visiting the onsen. I stripped off my clothes, slid on the yukata (left side over right as proper, right over left is how they dress the deceased), and tied it close with the obi sash. To say I “gingerly” made my way down to the onsen on the first floor would be an understatement.

I stood outside the door to the men’s onsen (women have separate bathing facilities) and the only thing that went through my head was Peter Graves’ Captain Oveur voice “Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?” No guts, no glory. I slid open the door and stepped inside. The first room you enter is a changing room where you store your yukata, tabi socks and/or sandals. Standing there naked as the day I was born, I just had to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. What the hell was I doing on the other side of the world standing naked in a men’s bath house? Don’t answer that! This is Japan, don’t question, just go with it.

You then enter the bathing area. Prior to actually soaking in the onsen, you must first thoroughly soap, shampoo and rinse yourself. It’s considered bad manners to enter the onsen without first cleaning oneself thoroughly. I’ve borrowed a picture from the Wikipedia Onsen article to give you an idea of what a bathing area looks like.

The photo is pretty typical. You’re provided

a little stool to sit on while you clean yourself.

How my fat ass didn’t break the damn thing

I’ll never know but I looked completely silly washing myself while sitting on that little bench.

After making sure all the soap was rinsed away, you can now step into the onsen area itself. The first night’s ryokan’s onsen was really nice. Their facilities were top notch. They had a large rectangular hot tub that was probably 6 x 10 feet and they had a large circular tub that was about 7 feet in diameter. Both tubs sat in an enclosed area outside decorated with various pines and plants which added to the overall atmosphere. I opted for the circular tub and joined two Japanese men. They asked me a question to which I replied in Japanese “Sorry, can’t understand, I don’t speak Japanese, only English” response. That seemed to satisfy them and we just sat there for a few minutes soaking. You really can’t sit long in the onsen area itself. The water is incredibly hot. They left and I sat for a few more minutes floating in the onsen alone with my own thoughts. A light rain was hitting the onsen’s roof top. I could hear the traffic in the distance on the road that circled the lake. What a great f’ing night.

What’s the lesson to be learned?
I really can’t answer that for anyone. You need to answer your own questions.
I’m just trying to give everyone a perspective on life in Japan and hopefully do it in a humorous and thoughtful way.
One thing I do know is that this assignment has been many things to me.
Frustrating and lonely…..absolutely.
But also incredibly rewarding and I’m glad I was given the chance to experience it.
I do know that each of us are given various opportunities in life. Some small and some big.

Just don’t be afraid to take advantage of those opportunities.
I’m not saying you’ll become a better person for doing so, only that your life will be more enriched as a result.

The Date's Been Set

2009-07-16T14:52:00.006+09:00

Well, after much negotiation and coordination between co-workers, the date has been set. On July 31st, I and my colleagues will be visiting a fugu (pufferfish) restaurant. For those not familiar with fugu, here’s an excerpt from Wikipedia:

Fugu contains lethal amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin in the organs, especially the liver and ovaries, and also the skin. The poison, a sodium channel blocker, paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. Currently, there is no known antidote, and the standard medical approach is to try to support the respiratory and circulatory system until the poison wears off.Wait, say what? Yes, that’s right; the Japanese apparently have a fondness for going to restaurants where if the chef is having an off night, you die. I was discussing fugu with my co-workers at lunch yesterday (see side story below) and they’re amused that I find it disconcerting. One of my co-workers tried to assuage my concerns by saying that when I fly, I’m putting my life in the pilot’s hands. True, but I responded by saying that is a choice made due to necessity. If I need to get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time, flying is an acceptable risk, but just because I need food does not logically mean I should seek out a source that can kill me. They just laughed. This is going to be interesting.

Lunch Side Story: My co-workers took me yesterday to the “crab” restaurant. Guess what their specialty is? There was a huge tank as soon as you walked in filled with enormous crabs of all varieties. So when I asked the kimono-clad waitress what she would recommend for lunch, she said “unagi” which is freshwater eel?! Having been in this country for about 3 months now, I’m sort of immune to these contradictions at this point. They’re more amusing than annoying. So what did I order, the unagi, of course. Why, well there’s a general belief that you should eat eel on one of the hottest days of the summer, usually in July, and yesterday was a scorcher. High heat and high humidity. If you do this, the eel, supposedly, will provide strength and vitality for the rest of the year.

Politically Incorrect Tokyo Observations

2009-07-16T11:36:00.005+09:00

Here are some more general observations on Tokyo.
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The Japanese love small dogs.
Now before your mind heads down the stereotypical Asian edible path, that’s not what I meant. For them it’s purely a matter of bestiality. Kidding, just kidding.
As I walk around Tokyo, I see a lot of people walking or carrying small dogs. I mean really, really small dogs. Some I would describe as “Chihuahuas” but they just seem so much smaller than the U.S. breed if that’s possible. You would swear some of them are just overgrown ants with cubic zirconia studded collars. At first I thought this was just a fact of city living, that you can’t have a large dog in the city but then I thought about NYC and realize that many New Yorkers have larger dogs so that doesn’t seem like a reasonable explanation. To make matters worse, many of the Japanese dress their dogs up in clothes. I’m not talking of a t-shirt with some pithy saying. I’m talking about little suits or sweaters. I know I’m not the most fashionable man but it’s really sad when I look at a dog and say, “Wow, that’s a really nice suit, I wonder who is tailor is?”
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Speaking of small, I am shocked on a daily basis at how small some of the Japanese men are. I see way more petite men than women. And it’s just not stature, their builds are so slight. I know this isn’t politically correct but I just can’t help thinking, “I wonder how far I could throw one of these guys?” It’s not that I want to physically hurt them. I’d prefer they land in something soft. But anytime I see one of these guys I just have this overwhelming desire to grab them by the back of their collar and belt, heave ho at 45 degrees and see what distance I can achieve. I’d also yell “Up, Up and Away” while I’m launching them hoping it would make them feel better about their temporary heavenly flight.
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I’ve yet to see what I would define as an openly gay Japanese man………nor am I searching them out in case you’re wondering. I’m not talking about the flamboyant behavior one might see at a Gay Pride Parade but typically if you’re walking around where there is a large population, you’re bound to see someone and your first thought is, “I bet they’re gay”. Not here. Nor do I really care about an individual’s sexual preference but I just find it curious as to why there’s not more of an “openness” about it? Japanese cultural restrictions maybe? To further confuse the situation, many straight Japanese men will wear clothes that might be considered feminine by Americans. As an example, the shoes called “Crocs” are pretty popular over here and many Japanese men will wear pink Crocs. That might raise an eyebrow in the U.S. but over here it’s pretty normal. You also see a lot of men with little plastic figurines clipped to their cell phones. White and pink “Hello Kitty” figurines are fairly popular. I saw a Hello Kitty figurine on a co-worker’s phone who I know is straight. I also know he’s also obtained something like 3rd degree karate black belt status and given that I like my teeth the way they are (in my mouth), these thoughts are never going to be verbalized.

Last chance for Bidet Contest

2009-07-13T09:23:00.002+09:00

Just wanted to remind everyone that all entries for the Bidet Contest must be submitted by midnight (U.S.) this Wed, July 15th.
I will post the video and announce the winner after that.
Take a guess, what have you got to lose.

Wilson!!!

2009-07-09T13:29:00.003+09:00

Queue The Vapors’ chorus, "I’m turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so."
This blog may not make sense for anyone, as you’ll see, but I had to post.
The first month I was here was pure culture shock. Tokyo and the contradictions of Japanese culture and society really can mess with an American's mind. When discussing these contradictions with various Westerners who have lived here for years, they all generally gave me the same advice. “True Japanese experiences are not something you experience by thinking; it’s best experienced if you just let it come to you and wash over you.” Now if you're saying to yourself, “Craig, that sounds like a lot of hokey Zen Buddhism, Mr. Miyagi mumbo-jumbo”, I don't blame you. There's still a rebellious logical part of my mind screaming the same thing.
But there are times, like today, where I’ve given in to the flow and have experienced some unusual things.

Here’s a quick little incident that happened to me this morning as an example.
Did you ever see the Tom Hanks movie “Castaway” where he’s marooned on the island?
I just experienced something similar to a key scene in that movie but also very much one of those Japanese Shinto good/bad, happy/sad experiences.

I needed to visit both offices today. I left my Shinagawa office at 10:30 today to head up to the train station to catch the train to the Roppongi office.
As I crossed over the bridge by the Shinagawa office, a butterfly landed on my right shoulder but it didn’t just stop and then fly away. It stayed there as I continued walking.
I didn’t try to brush it off. I just continued walking figuring it would eventually fly away but it didn’t. Every time I stopped at an intersection waiting for the light to change, people were smiling and looking at the butterfly and commenting to me. Of course, I have no idea what they were saying. Perhaps they thought I was some kind of moth whispering sensei.
So block after block I’m walking down the sidewalk with my new friend on my shoulder, the sun was shining. It was a beautiful moment.
But then I reached a spot along one of the sidewalks where there really are no plants or flowers, just a gray dark warehouse on the left and heavy traffic on the right.
It was at that moment that it flew into the street. I couldn’t see whether it made it through the traffic but I felt like Castaway’s Tom Hanks when he’s floating on the raft as “Wilson” the volleyball floats away from him, lost forever. That’s all that went through my head at that moment, Tom Hanks screaming “Wilson!!!” Then I was sad. Why? No idea. It was just a butterfly.

I must be losing it…..or turning Japanese.

Sunday Freak Show

2009-07-02T14:12:00.003+09:00

MALE readers of this blog may want to skip this one as they may find it too horrifying.

There are events that have occurred throughout history whereby man’s courage was challenged in the face of insurmountable odds: the Spartan King Leonidas at the Battle of Thermopylae, Lord Cardigan’s Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War and finally the Texians at the Battle of the Alamo. In all of these instances, I am sure each of these warriors in facing their potentially pending doom thought to themselves, “What the F#%@ am I doing here?!” On Sunday, I was asking myself the same question when I faced my personal Alamo in the form of Takeshita-dōri (street) in Harajuku.

Over the past few weekends, I have explored Northern and Central Tokyo but I had not yet visited Western Tokyo. This was my objective last weekend. On Saturday I spent an enjoyable day visiting the Meiji (Shinto) Shrine, a samurai sword museum and parts of southern Shinjuku. I’ll blog about that trip separately. I saved my visit to Harajuku, though, for Sunday. Harajuku is an area in Western Tokyo. This Wikipedia Harajuku article does an excellent job describing the place. Basically, it’s what we would call a “Freak Show” and Sunday is Prime Time. The Wikipedia article describes one fashion style that I’ve seen throughout Tokyo but especially in Harajuku called “Gothic Lolita”. I haven’t blogged about this fashion style before mainly because I’ve struggled to find a term to accurately describe it. But this week one of co-workers nailed it. He called it “Cute Punk”. Japanese girls take the typically dark colors and clothes of the 1980’s punk era but then they soften the overall appearance often by dyeing their hair a soft pink or other pastel color. There’s no element of danger of anarchy to their appearance. It’s just funny looking. The only other “Freak Show” place I’ve been to that compares is Venice Beach in California.

Just walking around Harajuku would have been entertaining enough but I also decided to test my nerves and patience. This test was via walking Takeshita-dōri which is a pedestrian only street (alley is more like it) that is primarily filled with fashion boutiques. There are also music stores, restaurants and God knows what other venues were down the side alleys but it’s primarily for the fashion that draws the crowds which is why it was so illogical to find me there. My fashion sense is blue jeans, t-shirt and my Columbia hiking shoes. Most people are there to shop and my wife and family can attest that I hate shopping. Loathe it. If I was given the choice of being forced to go shopping on Black Friday or having my left testicle bitten off by a rabid chipmunk my response would be “Just the left?”
As I stood at the top of Takeshita-dōri about to make the plunge into a crowd of crazed Japanese shoppers, I had to fight back the bile that was rising in my throat. I started down the street wedged into the crowd which was a mix of curious tourists like myself and teens and twenty-somethings all looking for the latest fashion bargains. Katie, my 13 year old daughter, could easily have spent her entire day there shopping. Takeshita-dōri is a little over 200 yards long but it takes a long time to walk as the crowds are shoulder-to-shoulder. It also started to rain on my way back up the street and this further slowed down the pace. I’ve included this small photo album to give everyone an idea of how packed it was.

Takeshita-dori

Overall an interesting experience but one I’m not likely to repeat anytime soon.

Olé

2009-06-30T11:22:00.008+09:00

Many people use bikes as a means to commute to and from work each day. You actually need to have good Situational Awareness when you’re walking around the city as many of the cyclists fly through the crowds and it’s very easy to accidentally step in front of one of them. I like to play “Chicken” with them when I’m walking around. I don’t recommend doing that unless you’re my size and can sustain a hit. My scoring system: 10 points if I get them to swerve out of my way and crash, 20 points if they take out someone else while swerving and 30 points if I can get them into rush hour traffic. So far this week I’ve scored two 10-pointers.
That being said, the Japanese are very talented when it comes to riding bikes. June and July are the rainy season for Tokyo but that doesn’t prevent people from continuing to ride their bikes to work. This is where the talent comes in as they can ride and hold an umbrella at the same time. Riding a bike with one hand on a flat road is not all that difficult but they’re riding in and out of people, across various surfaces on slick rainy streets. It’s pretty amazing to watch. The real Sensei’s are the older businessmen dressed in their black suits who also smoke a cigarette while holding the umbrella and riding the bike usually with a laptop bag slung across their back. I’ve yet to score points against one of these matadors.

Japanese Honesty

2009-06-26T16:33:00.004+09:00

One of the admirable qualities of the Japanese is their honesty especially when it comes to finding lost items. As an example, I have frequently seen a Japanese person walking along and find some small personal token on the sidewalk. They’ll pick the item up and then try and place it somewhere on the edge of the sidewalk, preferably off the ground, where the person who lost it can find it again. I’ve seen umbrellas, scarves, hats and gloves on the edges of sidewalks just waiting for their owners to reclaim them.

Here’s another good example that will really hammer home the point. The smallest Japanese bill is a 1000 Yen note worth approximately US $10. Any denominations smaller than the 1000 Yen note come in the form of coins: 500 Yen ($5), 100 Yen ($1), 50 Yen etc etc. Because it’s pretty easy to accumulate change over here, it’s noisy carrying them in your pants pockets. I’ve found that when I do that and walk, all I hear is “kaching, kaching, kaching”. It sounds like I’m wearing spurs and since many foreign countries consider Americans as “cowboys” anyway, I try to avoid the stereotype and usually carry my change in my shirt pocket. So recently I had a 500 Yen coin in my shirt pocket and while I was retrieving change for the vending machine in our break room, I accidently dropped the 500 Yen coin on the floor. I thought I heard a coin drop and looked on the floor but didn’t see it so I shrugged it off and went on my merry way. A couple hours later when we were at lunch, my part of the bill was 800 Yen. I knew, or at least thought I knew, that I had a 500 Yen coin as well as a couple of 100 Yen coins in my pocket to pay for the bill. Nope. No 500 Yen coin in the pocket. I knew right than that I did drop the 500 Yen coin in the break room.
It may have only been $5 but I was still PO’d all the same mainly because I heard the coin drop and didn’t take the time to really look for it. However, when we got back to the office I happened to walk past the break room and, lo and behold, there on top of a file cabinet right outside the break room was my 500 Yen coin. Think about that for a second. First, one of my Japanese co-workers found the coin and didn’t bother to pocket it. He or she then placed the coin on top of the file cabinet in full view of the entire floor. There are probably about 50 people who work on that floor and someone goes by that cabinet every few minutes to the break room. Yet no one bothered to pocket the coin because it wasn’t theirs. In my home office, I could drop a $5 bill in front of my co-workers and not only would they insist it was theirs but they’d probably shank me for it.

Bidet Contest

2009-06-25T23:23:00.007+09:00

Time for another contest.

This one came to me one day when I was using my Washlet or Super Toilet (ST) in my bathroom.
I don’t believe I mentioned this previously in the blog but a lot of the hotels, office buildings, restaurants and apartments are installed with Super Toilets. They almost always have an integrated bidet and some have other features. My apartment’s Washlet also has a heated seat. Fantastic feature. When I return home in August I’m going to dismantle the Super Toilet and pack it into my three suitcases. I might have to leave behind some items (gifts, clothes, critical medical prescriptions and laptop), but screw it, it’s got a heated seat for God’s sake!
That’ll be priceless come January in Pennsylvania.

Check out the control panel on the ST:

Anyway, one day while pondering life sitting on the ST I decided to play with the controls. I activated the bidet and cranked the Water Pressure knob to maximum which nearly knocked me off the seat. No wonder the cleaning staff turned the Water Pressure knob to low. There’s a Japanese sign in the bathroom which obviously I can’t read but it probably says something like, “Warning. Use of high pressure may result in small children being thrown through walls.”

So this near (rectal) death experience got me to thinking, “I wonder how far that water would shoot out if I wasn’t sitting there?” And thus this contest was born. Your challenge will be to guess in inches, how far the bidet can shoot water when set at three quarters pressure. I’m afraid if I set it at full pressure I might take out the apartment building across the street from mine. Whoever guesses closest to the farthest splash of water wins. The winner will be awarded a similar prize as offered in the Tokyo Price Is Right Contest blog.

Rules
(1.) All guesses must be submitted by midnight (U.S. time) on July 15th.
(2.) In order to make a guess, you can add a comment to this specific blog or you can email me at craig@waverka.com.
(3.) Guesses can be in one of the following measurements: inches, feet, feet and inches, kilometers or parsecs.
(4.) The winner will be the guess that is closest (on either side) to the farthest drop of water thrown
Meaningless Clues
(1.) The Washlet is a Toto Model TCF521R
(2.) The bidet nozzle extends approximately 3 inches into the bowl and this measurement will be subtracted from the end measurement for true distance

Good luck.

EUI

2009-06-24T22:12:00.000+09:00

I'm trying to coin a new phrase called "EUI" which stands for "Experimenting Under the Influence". I've got a theory that many great experiments and inventions were not successfully achieved until the scientist or inventor was completely hammered. My proof is an experiment I carried out tonight.....while Under the Influence, not quite hammered, but definitely UI.

I had dinner with some co-workers at a restaurant that is located on the West side of the Shinagawa train station, the "good side" of the tracks. My apartment lies a few blocks away on the East side of the station. After stumbling out of the restaurant, the quickest way back to my apartment is to cut through the station which is several city blocks long. As I entered the station at about 9:00 PM, I was amazed at the volume of people heading West through the station. I shouldn't have been that surprised as most of the corporate buildings lie East of the station and since people tend to work very late, in order to catch their homebound trains, they need to cross to the West side of the station where the main tracks are. In the morning it's just the opposite flow and when I need to get to the West-side tracks, I usually need to make my way to the side walls in order to make it past the mass exodus of people flooding out of the station. Not tonight though. It's amazing what a different thought process one has when UI.

Thus it was as I watched the oncoming tsunami of black suits that I decided to conduct a Fluid Dynamics experiment. Fluid being the multiple beers I downed in the restaurant and Dynamics being the decision to see whether I could walk straight up the center of the station against the flow of pedestrians without having someone run into me. Now, I will admit this experiment may be slightly biased based upon my size and the grim determination I had on my face to make it all the way through without contacting someone. I wish I had videotaped the experiment because it probably would have looked like a Humvee Wind Tunnel test. I almost made it all the way through but right before the exit I noticed an old woman with a walker on a collision course with me. She was trying to correct her course but she didn't have the strength to slide that walker fast enough to get out of the way. I felt a little guilty when I made contact. The forearm to her head I applied didn't help either but without it I would have strayed from my straight line. Alright, that's a bit of embellishment. The Japanese don't use walkers; it was more of a bamboo walking cane.

As any scientifically minded person would agree, I'll need to try and repeat this experiment multiple times in order to prove my theory. Next time to avoid the old ladies I'm thinking of acquiring a TAZER. I figure I can hit them at a distance and while they're shaking on the ground they should roll out of my path.

That's all for tonight. Everyone stay safe and out of my way.

Blog Instructions

2009-06-23T08:25:00.000+09:00

After traveling back home last week and talking with various people about the blog, I discovered that some people weren’t fully exploring the hyperlinks (text and photo albums) that were embedded in the blog or were not sure how to subscribe to the blog which provides email notifications when blog updates occur.
So this blog is more of an instructional entry than a comment on Japan.

Hyperlinks
Although I don’t frequently embed hyperlinks, there are a few blogs that contain them but apparently no one may have explored them. As an example, here’s an embedded hyperlink from the “What’s an “Izakaya”?” blog:

The Japanese LOVE bacon (who doesn’t) and I’m amazed at how many dishes you find it in. It’s never overcooked like the crispy bacon in the States.

Click on the “LOVE bacon” hyperlink but have your volume turned up a little bit. Don’t worry it’s not going to get you in trouble if you’re at work.

Photos & Photo Albums
Embedded within the blog are both individual photos and photo album hyperlinks. An example of an embedded photo can be found in the "Did You Ever Notice..." blog. If you click on the picture, it will enlarge the photo but there's only one photo. An example of an embedded photo album can be found in the "Japanese BBQ" blog. Photo albums usually will be a square picture embedded within the blog that when clicked will take you to Picasa Online Albums.

Subscribing
If you would like to be notified when a new blog entry has been made, you can also "subscribe" to the blog.
On the main page to the right, there's a "Followers" panel. Click on the gray Google "Follow" button. This should bring up a new window. If you already have a Google, AIM or Yahoo! account, you can sign in with one of these accounts. You can also create a new Google account by clicking on the hyperlink in the new window. Simply fill in the Account info and once created, you'll be automatically notified via email when a new blog entry occurs.

Did You Ever Notice.....

2009-06-09T20:46:00.000+09:00

I’ll be taking a short break from the blog as I’ll be traveling back to the States from Jun 11-19 to see the family. Prior to my departure I figured I would throw in one quick blog on various observations or stories that didn’t fit into any specific blog I may have posted so far.
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I’ve pointed out that black suits are fairly standard business attire for Japanese men. But here’s something I don’t get. When it rains, which is starting to occur more frequently as we’re entering Japan’s rainy season, one would assume Japanese men would use a black umbrella. But no, this is where standardization flies out the window. In fact, one of the most popular umbrellas is the clear plastic umbrella. I suppose it helps when walking the crowded Tokyo streets to be able to see better but I can’t help but think I used to have that type of umbrella when I was six. Although mine might also have had a cartoon character on it, probably Snoopy. I’m seriously debating finding an adult clear plastic cartoon umbrella and bringing it back to Japan just to mess with their minds or to start a new fashion trend.
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One of the more popular hair colors for elderly women that I’ve seen over here is light purple. Yes, that’s not a typo. Light purple. I’m being serious. The first elderly woman I saw with this hair color, I thought, “Man, that poor woman must have gone to an inexperienced stylist. I would have loved to seen her face when she saw herself in the mirror.” However, a few days after I saw the first woman, I saw another lavender-locks elderly woman and it was definitely not the same woman. So now I’m thinking there’s this maniacal hair stylist loose in Tokyo playing a purple prank on elderly woman who might not have the eyesight to see what he/she is doing to their hair. Two weekends ago I did a lot of sightseeing and was all over Tokyo and saw about ten elderly women with the same light purple hair color so I decided to do a search on the web and, sure enough, found a comment on the purple hair phenomenon.

It is a fashion. Japanese women don't like white hair. White hair will become yellowish if we are idle in caring for our hair. It looks dirty. Older women like purple on their hair best. An elder woman whom I know said to me that she would liked to get older sooner to have very white hair, then she can dye her hair her favorite color.

I think it’s also more than fashion. Japanese society can be rigid in certain ways and I think these women have reached an age where they don’t feel bound to the traditions and codes that applied to them earlier in their life. I’m all for the difference. It’s nice to see a little splash of color in a sea of gray and black.
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Did anyone notice something unique about the picture of the groceries in the “Tokyo-version of the Price Is Right” blog. Take a look at this image.

The limes are wrapped nicely in plastic with a little twist-tie on it! Why would you wrap a lime? It naturally comes with a wrapper.
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The vending machines in the office are forcing me to exercise and I loathe them on a personal level. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not an exercise nut. The machines are nearly identical to those in the States except for one sinister difference. The pickup tray for the machine is about eight inches off the floor and whereas that may be a perfectly acceptable height for your average Japanese citizen, it’s a pain in the ass when your 6’4”.
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I’m really starting to enjoy the subway commute on the way home especially if I hit peak of rush hour. When you’re packed in like sardines you can always count on getting groped. Once was even by a woman. Okay, I made that one up, she wasn’t a woman, more like a pre-op tranny. Reno, that one’s for you.
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One Japanese Yen is roughly equivalent to a U.S. penny and is just as worthless. Plus they look and feel like they might be a token from a Chuck E. Cheese-type restaurant.
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Japanese taxis rule. You never have a problem finding one. They’re super clean. The doors open automatically. A lot of them have little TVs for your viewing pleasure. The drivers are very professional and you don’t need to tip the driver which is a general rule in Japan, no tipping required. I’ve talked with my Japanese co-workers about tipping and they are equally perplexed as to this American custom as I am about several of theirs.
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Major faux-pas at the office a few weeks back. A female co-worker handed me what I thought was a little bottle of Purell hand lotion. I thought “okay, it’s been two weeks and maybe I’m starting to get that desperate look”. I asked if she was willing to help out. She then pointed to the label which when read more closely said “Purell Hand Sanitizer”. The company was handing them out as a swine flu prevention measure. Whoops.

Okay, before anyone thinks I’m actually soliciting female co-workers that was obviously a joke. The company did pass out hand sanitizer which, it turns out, can be used for more than swine flu prevention. I’m on my third bottle.
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Tokyo is super clean. No litter on the streets. Which is amazing since you won’t see a trash can for miles in this city. If you walk out of a store with a food item, you better be prepared to carry that trash back to your apartment. What litter that does occur in the city does not stay on the streets for long either. Here’s a little tourist travel trash tip, the best time for trash viewing is Sunday morning but be up and about early. A few Sundays ago I was up early and walked over to some stores close to the train station by my apartment. I need to cross a bridge to get to the station and there are several mini-gardens and shrubs right near the bridge entrance. Apparently some late Saturday night revelers decided to dump their fast food bags and napkins in the shrubs and one of them dumped (guess how) their soba noodle dinner on the other side of the bridge. I was in the stores for maybe an hour or two and by the time I walked back, the soba dinner was gone and the sidewalk washed and the trash from the shrubs was picked up. It’s like they’re using cleaning leprechauns. I’m determined to snap a photo of one before I leave here.
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Japanese BBQ

2009-06-08T21:52:00.000+09:00

I didn’t get a chance to blog about this earlier but figured it was worth adding a post. On Sunday, May 31st, I was invited to my Department’s BBQ. The BBQ was held at the Wakasu Campground which is about 5 miles East of my apartment but it took me 90 minutes to get there (15 minutes to walk to the Shinagawa train station, 30 minutes on two different trains to the Shinkiba train station and then a 45 minute, 3 mile walk from the train station to the campground). There are apparently buses that head out from the Station to the Campground but I couldn’t figure it out. Plus I didn’t mind the exercise and it was a nice walk as you crossed several bridges along Tokyo Bay to get out to the island.

Wakasu BBQ

When I reached the campgrounds, it was about 11:30 am and I was told to be there around 11:00 so I figured I would see some company signs. No such luck. Imagine walking around a large campground area trying to spot a Japanese co-worker at 100 yards when everyone is roughly the same height and body build. I approached several campsites but each time the campers screamed and fled in terror possibly thinking I was some kind of Japanese Sasquatch. Luckily I spotted a tall Caucasian in one group and figured it had to be one of my co-workers who is from New Zealand. Bingo. Thank God because after the 3 mile walk I really needed a beer.

Although I was told this was a department BBQ, it turned out that only about 6-7 families made the trek out for the day. I can’t say I blame them. When you work 12+ hours (in the office) a day, the last thing you want to do with your precious weekend time is spend it with your co-workers and boss. Nonetheless, the families who did show up had a good time and the food was fantastic. I was really looking forward to the BBQ as the woman organizing the event had mentioned she was bringing Kobe beef which I’ve never had before.
Only one family brought a propane gas grill and the main grills were fueled with charcoal briquettes. No lighter fuel used either. Just a match and people, including myself, fanning the briquettes with a Japanese fan to get the fire going.

They didn’t waste any time but brought the Kobe beef steaks out right away. The organizer had about five steaks that were each about ten inches in diameter and an inch-thick. Kobe beef isn’t a dark, rich red like a U.S. steak but is marbled throughout with fat. The meat itself is lighter in color as well. They also treated these steaks right. No marinade. Right on the grill for a slight sear on both sides and only a little seasoning added. They sliced them pretty quickly after taking them off the grill and I was wondering if the juice would all spill out like a U.S steak that isn’t allowed to rest properly but that wasn’t the case. While they were grilling up the Kobe steaks they also grilled up some small sausages which were almost like a breakfast sausage link. Along side the sausages were large chunks of grilled vegetables (onions, thick green onion stalks, peppers and big straw mushrooms). This entire first course was served with soy sauce in dishes around the tables. Grab a pair of ohashi (chopsticks) and dig in.

I gingerly picked up my first slice of Kobe beef and admired all that fat riddled throughout the meat. I would say the meat was done medium rare which is how I like a U.S steak but I’m not sure if that’s an accurate description. I popped that first piece of heaven into my mouth and glanced around me. The sun was shining brightly and glistening off the waves out on Tokyo Bay. I had a cold Suntory in my hands and that piece of Kobe was just melting in my mouth. Not much chewing required. If you’re thinking I’m being overly dramatic here, you may be right but when you’re a true carnivore, this is a pilgrimage one needs to make in your lifetime. My co-workers looked at me and gave me a knowing nod. No words needed to be spoken.

Now came the difficult part, sharing. My base instinct was to start shoveling the meat into my mouth like I was the American Werewolf in Tokyo devouring a citizen but the Japanese above all else are extremely well mannered so patience was the motto of the day. Surprisingly, although everyone was enjoying the beef, there was plenty to go around and I didn’t have to cause an international incident.

If the food ended there, it would have been an excellent meal. But they were only getting started. Next on the grill were short-ribs with a soy sauce marinade, enormous tiger shrimp and several whole squid (minus the tentacles). The shrimp and squid were lightly seasoned as well but with a different spice mixture than the beef. They sliced the squid into huge calamari rings. The rings were probably 2-3 inches in diameter and surprisingly tender. I only had one shrimp but I really enjoyed the squid. As delicious as the squid was, I can’t say I’ll be grilling that up this Fall at my Penn State tailgates. It works in Japan but would really be out of place in Central Pennsylvania. Accompanying the ribs, shrimp and squid were grilled chunks of eggplant and pumpkin. Different but it worked with those dishes somehow. One of my co-workers also served up a soup at this time. I guess it could best be described as a miso soup with chunks of tofu and vegetables. In the U.S., I’ve had miso soup plenty of times but am never that wild about it. For some reason, over here, I love it and it’s going to be one of the simple things I miss when I return to the States. Along with cheap booze.

Their final course of the day for the adults was a stir fry. They placed large aluminum pans on top of the grates and sautéed various vegetables (cabbage, bean sprouts and carrots) and then added a Chinese ramen noodle (not that cheap dried-out ramen crap we sell in the States) but long soft noodles to the mixture. To sprinkle on top of the stir fry was a diced pickled ginger and finely shredded seaweed. Simple but very satisfying.

For the kids after the meal, they had marshmallows and it was good to see that U.S. campfire favorite being used. But they also had sticky rice that was shaped into 3-inch hearts and stars. They grilled the rice until it was slightly carmelized and then shoved popsicle sticks into them and handed them out to the kids who sat there happily licking and chomping away at their grilled rice treats.

Overall a great day and another excellent meal.

Motion-less Detector?

2009-06-08T16:20:00.000+09:00

I know I haven’t included any photos yet of myself standing next to Japanese people but an incident just happened that might give you an idea of Japanese people’s stature.
Occasionally during the day I'll take a short break to step outside for some fresh air. The entrance to our office building is a large double glass door with a motion sensor at the top. As you approach the doors, they open automatically. So you can imagine my surprise when as I was walking to the exit that at the same time I could see a Japanese man standing right outside the doors but they weren’t opening. The guy was in early twenties and was dressed in the standard issue black suit. He was probably about 5’5” but had the typically Japanese slight build. Before I got to the exit, the man gave up and started walking along the side to find another entrance. I stepped outside. The man heard the door open and rushed back but the doors closed before he got there. I was off to the side and watched as he stood right beneath the motion sensor but those doors wouldn’t open! Which meant one of two things, either he was a vampire and just like a mirror can’t display the vampire’s reflection, the motion sensor couldn’t see him or he was so slight in stature the sensor couldn’t see him. I contemplated staking him but given that it was 3:00 in the afternoon and the sun was shining I figured maybe I should go with the latter. He gave up trying to get into the building and started walking back towards the road. I walked over to the doors and “Open Sesame” they parted like the Red Sea. I yelled a “Sumimasen” (Excuse Me) to get the man’s attention and when he turned I pointed to the open doors. I had to stand there until he got into the building. Bizarre. I’ve seen those doors open when a bee flew by.

Spicy Food in Japan

2009-06-06T20:08:00.000+09:00

I had dinner at Devi India last night and I thought I might have a good blog as a result so I'm posting it while it's fresh in my mind. For those who know me, you know I love spicy food. That's been one of the biggest drawbacks with living in Tokyo. The Japanese, in general, do not eat spicy food. Yes, wasabi can be extremely spicy but what I've found so far is that they use it sparingly in the nigirizushi. They don't want the heat of the wasabi to overcome the clean, fresh taste of the fish. That's a good thing.

However, if you're used to spicy food, it's lacking here. After about seven days without a real kick in my food, I finally found the Tabasco sauces in the grocery stores and despite being fairly expensive, it's well worth the price. When I explained to some of my Japanese co-workers what I was putting the Tabasco sauce on (cabbage, cucumbers, rice, ice cream, you name it), I think they were horrified. Earlier in the week, the one team I'm working with must have decided to take pity on me because they took me to the "red" restaurant. They call it the "red" restaurant not because of the color of the store but because of the color of the food. The restaurant is Chinese and they only serve two or three dishes with the primary being a noodle soup and you pick the level of heat. The chili oil gives the soup a rich red color. I ordered the hottest available and my co-workers said, "Are you sure you want to do that? We normally get the medium-level." Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! One of my co-workers ordered the medium and the other ordered the mild. The waitress laid a huge bowl of spicy noodle soup in front of me and you could see the chili oil pooling on the top of the broth. It was heaven. Hot but not overpowering. They also provided a bowl of rice and a spicy tofu stir fry to accompany the soup and the rice helped cut the heat from the soup. One of the better meals I've had over here for my tastes. Plus it was fun watching my co-worker Koga-san sweat like crazy as he tried to eat his bowl of medium heat soup. He couldn't finish it. Although they were amazed I could finish the hottest soup I tried to explain to them that many Americans really love hot, spicy foods.

Last night's meal at the Indian restaurant was also one of the better meals I've had but obviously nothing traditionally Japanese (other than the beer) about it. I started with a large draft of Asahi ($10). I thought this was going to be like an imperial pint (20 oz) but the waiter brought this huge glass mug that must have held 25-30 oz. After walking all around Tokyo for the day, the beer just tasted so good. I started with some Onion Bhaji (rings) which was served with a green sauce.
The main meal was a mutton stew with tomatoes and onions and it was labeled on the menu as the second hottest meal next to their Chicken Vindaloo. It was spicy but not really hot. I ordered it with naan bread which was made fresh and arrived at the table hot with parts of the crust crisp. Fantastic meal. When I tried that first spoonful of lamb in a dark brown sauce infused with various Indian spices and chilis, I knew I found a restaurant that I'll be coming back to. I struck up a conversation with the waiter who was Indian and had been in Tokyo for ten years. He asked if I thought the meal was too hot and I told him no but I was used to spicier foods. He challenged me to come back and order the Vindaloo. Game on.

Tokyo-version of the Price Is Right Part 2

2009-06-06T11:44:00.000+09:00

And the winner of the Tokyo-version of the Price Is Right is:
Jack Gilligan.
Jack’s showcase bid was $ 46.50 which was closest to the actual price of $ 53.32.
Hmmmm, let me see if I can guess what Jack might want, could it be liquor?
Jack, I'll call you on Sat morning and you can let me know.

The Bonus question was a little trickier as I was looking for the most expensive item per unit price.
The most appropriate answer is the lime as that cost me about $ 2.10 for the one lime. In the States, I can get 3-6 limes for that price.
However, other acceptable answers would be:
Tabasco Green Chili is about $1.50 per ounce
Maguro (Blue Fin Tuna) is $1.40 per slice
The Nigirizushi and dumplings typically run about $1.00 per piece which is expensive but not the most expensive items.
The ice cream per container is fairly expensive as well at about $ 3.00 or $0.75 per ounce. If you bought a pint of ice cream that would run you about $ 12.00.
You’ll notice that a lot of the items run 3-4 times the price compared to the U.S. That’s pretty typical.
Liquor, on the other hand, is very reasonably priced. Thank God for that because I’m drinking it like water. I bought a 750 ml bottle of Bombay Sapphire and paid about $ 19.00. I would pay more than that if I bought it in a Pennsylvania Liquor Store due to the taxes.

Tokyo Sights (Part 3)

2009-06-05T21:17:00.000+09:00

May 30th was quite a busy sightseeing day and I was able to cover a lot of territory.

Ueno Park
I started the day by visiting Ueno Park which is loaded with sightseeing spots (and homeless Japanese men on bikes (?) and feral cats). The sights include multiple museums (Tokyo National Museum, the Orient Museum, the National Science Museum, the Shitamachi Museum, the National Museum for Western Art and the Tokyo Metropolitan Fine Art Gallery), temples and shrines, an amusement park and a zoo.

I started on the southern point of the park where there’s a statue of Saigō Takamori (1827-1877). Takemori was an important historical figure and played a major role in the Meiji Restoration when power was returned to the Emperor in 1868. Although Takemori helped return power to the Emperor, he subsequently helped lead the Satsuma Rebellion against the Meiji government. The Satsuma Rebellion was eventually crushed by the Imperial forces at the Battle of Shiroyama where Takamori was also killed. How he died is a little vague (gunshot, committed seppuku etc) but holding true to his samurai lifestyle, it does appear he was decapitated. If you’ve read my earlier blogs you’ll realize the samurai love a good disembowelment and decapitation to return one’s honor. Also, if you’ve ever seen the Tom Cruise movie “The Last Samurai”, Ken Watanabe’s character Katsumoto is based off of Takemori’s life and the last battle scene is the Battle of Shiroyama.

Saigo Takemori Statue

Moving Northwest through the park, I then stopped at a Buddhist Temple, Kiyomizo Kannon-Do built in 1694. One interesting item I’ve not previously mentioned about Temples in Japan is that they often have an area outside for hanging ema boards. An ema board is a small wooden plaque that a visitor can purchase form the Temple and then write their prayers or wishes on and hang outside the Temple so that the spirits or gods can receive them. I’ve included some photos of the main display outside Kiyomizo along with several boards that I thought were interesting. You’ll notice that one of the boards has text on the side wishing that swine flu would disappear. I saw many boards with this same wish. I point this out because throughout this blog I’ve often called out what I see as the contradictory nature of Japanese society. So keep the point about swine flu in the back of your mind and read on as I’ll bring up the point later.

Ema Boards

As I continued to head North through the park, I then stopped at the Gojo Shrine. This is a Shinto shrine and the first one I’ve visited in Tokyo. Shinto shrines have entrances with red torii gates as seen in the photos. This particular shrine is dedicated to Inari the God of Rice. Inari’s earthly messenger, the Fox, is well represented at the shrine and in the photos I’ve included. Don’t ask about the red bibs, I’m still trying to figure them out myself. The red is associated with the deity but I’m not sure of the bib connection. The foxes all look like they're about to dine on Chicken Little. Sometimes it’s best just to go with it.

Gojo Shrine

My final stop for the day in Ueno Park was the Tokyo National Museum and specifically the Heiseikan Building which includes special exhibitions and an entire floor dedicated to Japanese Archaeology. Although I find the subject fascinating, I know most readers of this blog could care less about the world’s oldest pottery so let’s move on.

I’ll probably visit Ueno Park again as there’s much more to see but I had other sights I was interested in visiting.

Senso-ji Temple
Heading due East from Ueno Park, my next stop was another Buddhist Temple, the Senso-ji Temple. Unlike many of the other Buddhist Temples where peace and tranquility reign, the Senso-ji Temple is a Charlie Foxtrot. For you non-military types, Google “Charlie Foxtrot” and enjoy. The Senso-ji Temple is one of Tokyo’s oldest and largest and attracts an enormous number of visitors and keeping with the Buddhist tenet of forsaking worldly goods, the environs surrounding the Temple are a complete tourist trap where you can buy cheap plastic trinkets and other souvenirs. There are some better quality stores as well but the tourist trap section is right outside the Temple gates. Unfortunate.
You enter the Temple grounds by walking through the Kaminarimon or "Thunder Gate” which is quite impressive. The backside of the gate has two massive straw sandals mounted on the supports of the gate. If you look close you can see a Nike “swoosh” on the side of the sandals.

Senso-ji Temple (Kaminarimon or "Thunder Gate”)

Further into the Temple grounds is a huge incense burner where a steady stream of visitors fan the incense smoke over themselves. The smoke is thought to have healing properties. I don’t recommend inhaling it like I did. I carried on a flirtatious ten minute conversation with a wooden bench before the haze lifted. I did get the bench’s phone number though.

Senso-ji Temple (Incense Burner)

Right next to the incense burner is a purification fountain. The concept is to pour a ladleful of water over the hands and perform a quick washing and also rinse out the mouth. But you’re not supposed to drink from the ladle. You pour the water into your hands and drink. But here’s something that boggled my mind. If you recall earlier in this blog, I mentioned the ema boards and the wishes to eliminate swine flu. Plus if you walk around Tokyo or ride the subway, you’ll see a good percentage of the population wearing masks. There’s even a sign in the elevator of my apartment complex warning about the rapid spread of H1N1 in Japan and to take all necessary precautions. Yet here I was at the Senso-ji purification fountain and I watched person after person drink from the same ladles. Contradictions abound but that’s also what makes Tokyo an interesting place to see.

Senso-ji Temple (Dragon Purification Fountain)

Asahi Building
After I left the Temple, I decided to take a boat ride down the Sumida River. I walked out of an alleyway and when I looked East, this is what I saw:

Asahi Building

I’m calling it the Temple of the Golden Sperm.
Apparently it’s also known as the Asahi Super Dry Hall. Asahi is a major beer manufacturer in Japan and Super Dry is one of their brands. The Japanese affectionately refer to it as “kin no unchi” or “The Golden Turd”. That might be more apt of a description.

Hama-rikyu Gardens
The boat ride was a nice leisurely cruise down the Sumida and I left the boat when they stopped at the Hama-rikyu (Hama Detached Palace) Gardens.
For those male readers who might not be all that secure in your masculinity, you may want to stop reading at this point. Although the Gardens were originally established as a duck hunting refuge for the Shogun, it now contains a tea garden and flowers and I took multiple photos. Yes, I’m now taking pictures of flowers and even thinking of attending a Kabuki play (Broadway equivalent in Japan). What the hell happened to me? I better get myself to the samurai sword museum quick.

Hama-rikyu Gardens 2

As I mentioned, this was originally established as a duck hunting refuge and I had to laugh when I walked through a small glade and discovered this lone duck in one of the ponds.

Hama-rikyu Gardens 1

He was the only duck I saw in the entire gardens which means he’s either the dumbest waterfowl or has the biggest set of cojones. They even have a duck grave/memorial (no joke) within the Gardens to appease the spirits of all the ducks that were killed throughout the years.

Since I'm coming back to the States for a quick trip in mid-June I plan on doing some tourist shopping this weekend. I need to take some photos in one of the stores I visited previously called "Bic Camera". Imagine if Best Buy and Las Vegas had a love child, that would be "Bic Camera".

Tokyo Sights (Part 2)

2009-06-02T08:34:00.000+09:00

Imperial Palace
Just Northwest of Ginza is the Imperial Palace and Gardens.
This is an immense open space area within Tokyo although I’m not sure how much of the Imperial Garden portion is open to the public. There’s a sizable plaza and park outside of the Gardens itself but from where I was taking pictures, it did not appear the public was allowed into the Imperial Garden section itself. Can you really blame the Japanese Royal Family? From the look of the people hanging around outside, including myself, I wouldn’t want them in the Palace either.
There is a fairly photographic spot included in the web album overlooking an entrance bridge with the palace in the background. Many people were having their photos at this spot and a blond girl asked me to take her photo here. I suspected she was Eastern European based upon her dialect, clothes and the fact that her mustache was thicker than Tom Selleck’s “Magnum, P.I.” character. She confirmed she was originally from Poland.

Imperial Palace & Gardens

Seisho-ji Temple
After I left the Imperial Palace and Gardens, I took about a 1.5 mile walk south towards the Tokyo Tower. One of the things I love about Tokyo is that throughout the city, you can be walking along a major thoroughfare and glance down a side street and find a Buddhist Temple and garden. What’s truly amazing is how well these Temples can block out the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. I find myself frequently stopping and walking through the gardens just to enjoy the solitude. I’ve included several photos of the Seisho-ji Temple I found on my walk to Tokyo Tower. Seisho-ji Temple also includes a tomb called Yakko-Jizo where apparently many people come to pray for a cure from venereal diseases. Those who have been cured show their gratitude by leaving an offering of a bamboo cylinder filled with sake. I hung around for about 30 minutes doing sake shots but eventually the monks escorted me off the premises explaining that it was inappropriate to call the female visitors “whores”.

Seisho-ji Temple

Tokyo Tower
Next stop was Tokyo Tower, a 333-meter high communications and observation steel tower located in Shiba Park. It was inspired by the Eiffel Tower and you can access observation decks at 150 and 250 meters. I was limited on time so I just visited the 150 meter observation deck which still gave some great views of Tokyo. I stitched together multiple photos so you can see North, South, East and West panoramic views of Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower

Tokyo-Version of The Price Is Right

2009-05-30T18:57:00.000+09:00

Who wants to play the Tokyo version of the Price Is Right?
As most people know, Tokyo is not a cheap city so I figured I would give everyone a chance to understand what typical grocery items cost in this city.
Here’s how to play:
(1.) Inserted into this blog are two pictures which represent the “showcase” that you need to guess the total cost of.
(2.) Closest to the actual cost without going over wins.
(3.) In order to make a guess, you can add a comment to this specific blog or you can email me at craig@waverka.com.
(4.) All guesses must be submitted by midnight (U.S. time) on June 5th.
(5.) The winner will get a grocery item (approx $10-20) of their choice that I will carry back with me on June 11th which can include candy or a small bottle of Sake, Shōchū or Whiskey if desired.

I was able to carry these items in just two small plastic bags from the Queen Setan market which is located in

the Shinagawa Train Station.

Included in the “showcase” were:
· Cabbage (1/2 Cup)
· Eight pieces Nigirizushi (hand-formed sushi)
· Fauchon Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream - 1/2 C
· Five Green Onion Dumplings
· Haagen-Dazs Banana Chocolate Cookie - 1/2 C
· One Lime
· Pack of Gari (Pickled Ginger)
· Six slides of Maguro (Blue Fin Tuna)
· Suntory Umeshu 660ml (Plum Liquor)
· Tabasco Green Chili Sauce (60ml)
· Three Dumplings (Golf Ball Size)
· Two Bottles Schweppes Tonic Water - 8 oz

As a bonus game, see if you can guess what the most expensive item was per unit price.
Hint: It wasn’t the Liquor.

Once the contest is over, I will update the blog with the winner and the overall prices.

Size Does Matter

2009-05-27T21:16:00.000+09:00

Tuesday night I was invited to a Departmental party for the group I am supporting in Tokyo and I came to the startling realization that I am one big mofo.
Now, you might be asking “he’s just figuring this out now?!”
Allow me to explain.
I’ve spent almost my entire life being taller and bigger than everyone else and, over time, your mind has a tendency to rationalize things, like being 6’ 4”.

You actually think you can blend in.
Occasionally, like Tuesday night, I get slapped in the face with reality.
The Department party was held at the T.Y. Harbor Brewery which makes pretty decent beer. This is the second party I’ve been to at the Brewery and both times it was held in the floating party boat docked next to the Brewery.

Quick side story: Because the party boat looks nothing like a boat, it can play a trick on your mind. As you’re drinking and another large party boat cruises by, the T.Y. boat will move only slightly which gives many people the impression that they are tipsier than they really are and they’ll stop drinking. Rookie mistake. Seasoned pros will power through the temporary disorientation to ensure true inebriation. Unfortunately to get back to my apartment I have to walk across a pedestrian bridge. Remember kids, intoxication and bridges are not a good mix.
Back to the main story.

In order to make the interior of the party boat appear bigger, the Brewery lined the back wall with a long mirror. And so it happened at one point in the night as I was talking with a group of my Japanese co-workers that I happened to glance to the back of the boat and looked in the mirror. To make matters worse I was in the center of the boat and had a good view of the people to the left and right of me. I was also wearing a gray sports coat and my first impression was that I very much looked like a giant silverback gorilla talking to a pack of Chihuahuas, in standard issue black suits mind you. Ouch. There was no blending in here. Now that’s what I call a slap in the face by reality.

Tokyo Sights (Part 1)

2009-05-25T22:15:00.000+09:00

On Saturday I spent about 8 hours sightseeing in Tokyo.
This is Part One.

Tsukiji Fish Market
I started my day by visiting the Tsukiji (TSOO KEY GEE) Fish Market in the Ginza area of Tokyo. The Market, by itself, isn’t anything that much to look at although I’ve included a few photos in the link. The reason for going to Tsukiji is the sushi as it has some of the freshest in the world. You need to work for it a little bit as to get to the restaurants within the market, you have to dodge forklifts and trucks that criss-cross the entrance area hauling crates and boxes of just-packaged fish. I followed an elderly couple into the market and their poor reflexes almost got them whacked by two different forklifts. Imagine that moral dilemma. Be delayed from fresh sushi by providing first aid to a flattened Japanese couple or stepping over their twitching bodies to get to the maguro (blue fin)? Hmmm. You probably don’t want to know my answer. Moving on.
You might also think that the Market has the overpowering stench of fish but it wasn’t that way. By the time I got there, most of the fish from that morning’s catch was already completely packaged or being sliced and diced in the Market’s sushi restaurants. By the way, I’m using the term “restaurant” rather loosely here as most of the sushi joints were only about 6-8 feet wide that’s including the sushi table for the chef and the counter and stools for the customers. You can imagine how easily I fit into one of these places. But the misery of the seating was well worth it as it was a great meal. Most people were ordering just one lunch. Lightweights. I didn’t come all the way to Tsukiji to try one lunch. When I ordered the two meals the waitress looked at me like “who else is with you?”
So I ended up ordering the “Sazanka” (photo included) which consisted of 6 pieces of Makizushi (rolled sushi), 7 pieces of Nigirizushi (hand-formed sushi) and the fairly standard piece of Tamago (egg omelet). I’m not sure of everything that was included in the Nigirizushi but it did include maguro (blue fin), ebi (shrimp), Hotategai (scallop) and mackarel. I also ordered the Chirashizushi which is a bowl of rice with various sushi ingredients on top. In this case, the Chirashizushi included sliced maguro and diced toro (tuna belly). The fresh maguro was definitely the best part of the meal. Top all that off with some miso soup and green tea and I left Tsukiji a happy man. Total cost for lunch: $38. Maguro ain’t cheap.

Tsukiji Fish Market

Ginza
I then took a stroll East and then North through Ginza. Ginza is overloaded with stores and restaurants. I almost rented a place in Ginza but made the poor choice of staying in Shinagawa since I could walk to the one work location. I may need to relocate before this assignment is up. The apartments are smaller but way more to see and do in Ginza.
Ginza includes the Kabuki-za Theater and one of Tokyo’s busiest intersections at the corner of Harumi-Dori and Chuo-Dori. I’ve included photos of both.

Ginza Sights

Stay Tuned for Part 2

What's an "Izakaya"?

2009-05-20T23:28:00.000+09:00

One of my favorite things about Tokyo is the contrasting, contradictory and confusing nature of this city. As an example, Tuesday night one of my co-workers took me to a friend’s “izakaya” which is primarily a drinking establishment but also serves food to accompany the drinks. You might think, “well that’s a restaurant” but it’s really not. Its primary purpose is drinking. The name “izakaya” means “i” (to remain) and “sakaya” (sake shop). So naturally one would assume if we were at a sake shop we would be sampling various sakes. Not so, we were actually drinking Shōchū. Shōchū is a distilled beverage usually made from sweet potatoes, barley or rice but I also had one last night that was made from black sugar (molasses) and obviously tasted very rum-like. Shōchū is stronger than sake and wine but weaker than whiskey and vodka. This isn’t the first time I’ve had a beverage like this as I’ve sampled a similar drink in Korea which they call Soju. Now although the Shōchū’s we were sampling were good, I wanted to describe the food that the owner provided. It was very reminiscent of a Spanish tapas bar as she constantly brought out various plates for us to sample as we threw back the Shōchū.

We started with various vegetable dishes which included cooked spinach, pickled eggplant (soy sauce marinade), cooked bean sprouts and noodles and a specialty seaweed from Okinawa called Umi Budou or Ocean Grapes. I found a photo on the web and have included in the blog.

The Umi Budou were fantastic. When you bite down on the tiny grapes they pop in your mouth and release a briny burst of flavor which was offset by a sweet sauce that they were marinated in.

The owner then brought out several meat dishes. The first was thick cut, lightly grilled chunks of bacon and potatoes. When I say thick cut bacon, I don’t mean like you buy packaged in the grocery store. The bacon was at least a half and inch thick if not more and was cut in about 2 by 2 inch slices resplendent with all that wonderful bacon fat. I guarantee your cholesterol just went up a few points by reading that. The Japanese LOVE bacon (who doesn’t) and I’m amazed at how many dishes you find it in. It’s never overcooked like the crispy bacon in the States.
The next meat dish was my favorite. The chef thinly sliced marinated pork and then cut it into strips. She then spread a thin layer of miso on the pork and then wrapped the pork around a young ginger root and stalk. Grill to perfection and serve. Outstanding. It’s key to understand that the ginger root is not like what you see in the grocery stores. A young ginger root looks more like an oversized green onion (bulb and stalk) and the flavor is very mild. They were so good I seriously debated knocking out my co-worker and taking his half-eaten portion. I think he noticed the “food rage” look in my eyes as he quickly proposed a toast and the Shōchū calmed me down.
The third meat dish was a pork dumpling that was more cylindrical like an egg roll. The dipping sauce was a simple combination of red wine vinegar and ground pepper which worked well with the dumplings.
Finally, my co-worker insisted we try “Okonomiyaki” or what is also called Japanese pizza or Japanese pancake. I’m not even sure where to begin to describe this concoction. It arrived in a small personal-pan pizza tray and cut into four wedges. I was told it was served Hiroshima-style meaning that it was layered versus mixed as is more traditional. The dish included cabbage, bacon (go figure), noodles and topped with a thin omelet. The omelet itself was topped with a sweet brown sauce and then mayonnaise was squirted on top of that. Different, definitely different. Not bad, just different.

Anyway, I know a few people were asking about some of the foods I've tried over here and I thought this was a good situation to describe to everyone.

Coming soon: My first fugu (poisonous blowfish) experience. My co-workers insist I must try it which could either mean I've pissed them off royally and this is a way to rid themselves of a nuisance or, as they describe, it's delicious.

Sengakuji (47 Ronin) Temple

2009-05-18T17:52:00.000+09:00

This past weekend I decided to visit one of the few tourist sites in the Shinagawa area.
It's called the Sengakuji Temple which is the resting place for the 47 Ronin. Ronin are Samurai without a Lord or Master.
I'll try and summarize the story of the 47 Ronin but I'm also including some links to additional sites and information.

The story takes place from March 1701 to February 1703. The Samurais' Master was a Lord Asano. Lord Asano was continuosuly provoked and insulted by another lord called Kira. The provocation continued until one day in March 1701, Lord Asano drew his sword and struck Lord Kira but he did not kill him. Unfortunately for Lord Asano, he committed this act of violence in Shogun Tokugawa's palace where it was illegal to both draw one's sword and strike someone in anger. The Shogun ordered Asano to commit seppuku or ritual suicide by disembowelment which Lord Asano did. To further add insult, Lord Asano's family was removed from power which made the 47 Samurai Master-less or Ronin.
But althought the Ronin were Master-less, they were not without a leader. Oishi Kuranosuke Yoshio fulfilled this role and with the help of the other Ronin, they plotted their revenge against Lord Kira for a year and a half.
On 14 December 1702, they made a surprise attack on Lord Kira's mansion. I've read different versions of Lord Kira's death (Kira committed seppuku first or the Ronin killed him) but, in the end, the Ronin left with Lord Kira's head.

They returned to Sengakuji Temple and after washing the head in the Well, laid it at the grave of their Master, Lord Asano.
Their revenge complete, the Ronin were allowed to have an honorable death and all committed seppuku on 4-Feb-1703.

05.17.2009 Sengakuji Temple

The Temple grounds are a fairly somber place as would be expected. It's fairly common for visitors to purchase incense sticks before entering the gravesite and place a burning stick in a holder at each Ronin grave.

Here are a couple of other links that further explain the incident:

Forty-Seven Ronin Wikipedia Article

Website with text and photos

YouTube Video

Japanese Buildings

2009-05-17T22:52:00.000+09:00

One of my goals of this blog was to capture what I find interesting about Tokyo. Others may find my posts completely boring which is perfectly fine but hopefully I point out some different things about Japan that you may not see elsewhere.

So here's one that continues to perplex me.
In Tokyo, land and space are at a premium. I think that is well understood by most Americans. Yet for some reason, I consistently see buildings with holes in them?!

Here are three buildings I've stumbled across in the Shinagawa area alone.

Japanese Buildings

On the one hand, I really appreciate the fact that the Japanese, from an architectural standpoint, do not feel compelled to create your typical standard rectangular office buildings. But on the other hand, when space is at a premium, the logical side of me wonders why they're not using that space to maximum advantage.

Japanese Double Rainbows

2009-05-17T22:25:00.000+09:00

When I first arrived in my apartment, it was right after a rain shower and when I looked out the window, there was a double rainbow. I interpreted this as a fortuitous premonition.

Japanese Double Rainbows

Call me Mr. Weber?

2009-05-17T20:41:00.000+09:00

Business cards are a very important part of doing business in Japan.
Most of the personnel I've met so far have business cards printed in Japanese on one side and English on the other.
The Japanese team, therefore, is helping me put together a bi-lingual business card.

Unfortunately they don’t use “v” in their language. They usually substitute “b” so “vitamin” becomes “bitamin” when you write it in Romaji characters and how they pronounce it.

So logically, I’m being renamed “Waberka”.

Let’s complicate things. They don’t use “?” in their language for a question. They usually end a question with “ka”. So my last name has now become a question.

And the final step, “waber” is their pronunciation for the last name Weber or Webber.

So because Japan doesn’t use v’s, I’ve been informally renamed Weber?

Views from my apartment

2009-05-09T08:04:00.001+09:00

When I arrived Friday (May 8th) I took a few photos from the apartment.

Bureau Shinagawa Apartment Views

Day One & Two (May 7-8)

2009-05-08T23:12:00.000+09:00

Well, the day I was dreading and looking forward to at the same time finally arrived. It was extremely difficult saying goodbye to the family Thursday morning. The youngest, Logan (19 mos.), had no clue what was going on. As I tried to give him a hug and kiss goodbye he was pushing me out of the way as he was more concerned with the fact that I was disrupting his Little Einstein video. Ungrateful punk.

I fell far short of my goal of only bringing two suitcases. I ended up with three BIG check-ins and two carry-ons. Plus I really thought the 3 check-ins were going to be over the 50 pound extra fee mark. Clothes for a 6'4" man are not light. The skycap at Philadelphia airport was about 75 years old and I thought he was going to drop from trying to lift my luggage. The final suitcase weigh-in (1 at 62 pounds and 2 just below 50).

The flights over were uneventful. I was able to sleep most of the way from Philly to Chicago and on and off from Chicago to Tokyo. United's movie selection was horrendous (Bride Wars, Frost/Nixon,
Gran Torino, InkHeart, Not Easily Broken, Seven Pounds and Underworld: Rise of the Lycans). The one I liked best (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) was certainly no Oscar classic but you can't beat seeing a Lycan get an 8-foot crossbow bolt through the head. If I'm lucky, United will still be showing two classic movies (Paul Blart: Mall Cop & Hotel For Dogs) on their Eastbound flights when I fly back in June or July.

The funniest moment of the trip came when we landed at Narita. We weren't able to depart from the plane until a team from the Japanese Ministry of Health cleared the passengers. This included completing a health questionnaire as well as a team of three MoH employees dressed in blue HAZMAT suits scanning the passengers for fevers with thermal cameras. I say HAZMAT suits so you understand their apparel but it looked more like blue Hefty bags duck-taped together. Several of them also wore plastic goggles like the kind we were required to wear in shop class in school. Bizarre, sad and funny all at once.

Now that being said, I have to say the Japanese customs and baggage were incredibly efficient. I was through customs in 5 minutes and by the time we got to the baggage carousel, they not only unloaded the bags but had grouped your suitcases together. They might have even been alphabetized because my bags were at the end of the pack. In Philly you feel like you won the lottery if you get your bag back.

Once I left the airport, it was an hour long bus ride into downtown Tokyo and then a quick cab ride to my apartment complex. Check-in went fine and the apartment personnel (concierges) spoke perfect English.

My next update will include views from the room.