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.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Last chance for Bidet Contest
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.
I will post the video and announce the winner after that.
Take a guess, what have you got to lose.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wilson!!!
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.
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.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sunday Freak Show
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.
Overall an interesting experience but one I’m not likely to repeat anytime soon.
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.
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| Takeshita-dori |
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Olé
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.
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.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Japanese Honesty
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.
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.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Bidet Contest
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
EUI
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Blog Instructions
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Did You Ever Notice.....
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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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.
------------------
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.
------------------
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.
------------------
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”.
------------------
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.
------------------
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.
------------------
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.
------------------
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.
------------------
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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Monday, June 8, 2009
Japanese BBQ
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Spicy Food in Japan
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.
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
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.
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.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Tokyo Sights (Part 3)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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".
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".
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tokyo Sights (Part 2)
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.
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”.
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.
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 |
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tokyo-Version of The Price Is Right
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.
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
· 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.
Hint: It wasn’t the Liquor.
Once the contest is over, I will update the blog with the winner and the overall prices.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Size Does Matter
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”.
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.
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.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Tokyo Sights (Part 1)
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.
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.
Stay Tuned for Part 2
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.
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| 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.
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| Ginza Sights |
Stay Tuned for Part 2
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
What's an "Izakaya"?
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sengakuji (47 Ronin) Temple
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.
YouTube Video
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.
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| 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 photosYouTube Video
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Japanese Buildings
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.
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.
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.
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Japanese Double Rainbows
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.
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| Japanese Double Rainbows |
Call me Mr. Weber?
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?
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?
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Views from my apartment
When I arrived Friday (May 8th) I took a few photos from the apartment.
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| Bureau Shinagawa Apartment Views |
Friday, May 8, 2009
Day One & Two (May 7-8)
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.
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.
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