Beer Garden

This evening, along with our expat friends, we're heading to one of the beer gardens that has recently opened for the summer downtown. For around $40, it's an all you can eat / all you can drink spree for roughly one hundred and fifty minutes. That seems like enough time to do some serious damage! While the location has a questionable name (Malibu), it's advertised as having one hundred different dishes available for their patrons. Considering we had to make a reservation about a week ago, it sure seems popular enough!

Like a Boss

First Tommy Lee Jones, and now this. In the cut throat world of beverage marketing, it takes a lot to get noticed!

Japanese Alps

Currently lying on the floor at the hotel - 'in bed' on a futon. A and I opted for the Japanese style room for our bed and breakfast (and dinner!) stay in the mountains. The weather has been less than ideal, with not a minutes break in the pouring rain today, but our trip has still managed to be enjoyable. This afternoon we found a good indoor attraction by the name of Ninja-kami; a temple that was actually an undercover trap and secret passage filled fortress. (the 'ninja' name is more of a modern alias) Most impressive about the structure was at the time it was built, the maximum legal number of floors in a building was three - while it looked like that was the case from the outside, there were actually seven floors/layers inside!

Rickey's Euro Pub

Here's that video I promised of the bartender show last Friday. He's got some serious moves, and this five minute clip really only accounted for about half the time the whole show and drink mixing lasted.

I'd love to post about Kyoto, but Flickr has managed to lose my upgraded account info and currently isn't allowing me to upload photos. Thanks Yahoo team. First you unbundle from AT&T DSL, and now you're preventing me from using my paid service. (I'm not bitter or anything)

Big night out

After a wild and crazy bar night in Toyota City, I now need to go to bed for an early departure to Kyoto. A and I will be out till Monday, but I can't wait to post a video I took of the bartender this evening. He put on the most ridiculous show I've ever seen! On top of that, we were accosted by yet another collection of boozified Japanese co-workers, and their stories also need to be documented. This country continues to amaze me!

Happy Tax Day!

I've heard that being out of the country is cause for a tax filing extension, but that's already been taken care of this year. It's strange when these bits of important business crop up from home... If it weren't for this trip I'd probably be stating up calculating my taxes this evening, then scrambling to find a post office that stayed open late. Hooray for forced organization!

Takoyaki Signs

My favorite vendor food sign here is by far the takoyaki. (Octopus balls) They always look so happy, beckoning customers to their booths!

Zombie Attack!

Lets face it, zombies are serious threat we face in our modern world. I commend Japan for taking the lead in educating children on how to respond to the undead threat. (Despite the decaying appearance, you can tell the zombie is Japanese - it removes it's shoes when it chases the family into the house)

Seki - City of Swords

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend a sword forging demonstration in Seki, a city renowned for their cutlery going back to Japan's feudal era. The museum in Seki only does something like five demonstrations a year, so that one of them happened to be while I was here and had an available weekend seems like very good fortune. I'll admit that I'm a huge nerd when it comes to this kind of stuff; I'm not terribly keen on martial arts exactly, I just have an interest in arms and armor.

I went into the demonstration with a solid background in Japanese swords, but knowing how one of the things is put together says nothing about the basic construction. It's like saying you know how a car is made because you've seen the assembly line, even though you're unclear on how the individual parts were produced. I'd previously pictured the swords being produced by one person, when in reality it was a small team. 'Labor intensive' doesn't begin to describe the process. As part of the iron refining (the demonstration we were watching) the metal is folded over and over... in the roughly hour and a half we observed the team of four folded the iron twice, and swords can have more than ten folds. That's a lot of work before the thing starts looking even remotely sword shaped!

Run for your life!

On Saturday, A and I visited Nara, a city in the mountains east of Osaka. It's religiously very important, being home to several notable shrines and temples, but is also home to a large population of sika deer. These aren't the sort of viewed at a distance deer you might be used to; although their 'sacred' status was revoked after WWII, they are protected as national treasures and are absurdly tame. They're content to go about their business, pose for photos, and generally be pleasant, until they spot someone buy a bag of 'deer cookies'.

Small stalls in the park sell stacks of round, baked wafers specifically for feeding the deer. If you've seen someone attempting to feed pidgins in a city and getting completely swarmed, you know where this is going... just imagine getting swarmed by persistent deer! If you run away, they'll only chase you, and do you really think you can run faster than the fleet-footed deer?

I didn't see any smaller children have problems - they were always quick to hand over the cookies when approached by the deer. For some reason, it was usually the older people who rather than handing over the food, thought they'd somehow manage to take a step back and regain control of the situation. As if the deer would allow that to happen! It's full court press from the moment they spot you with food until they're fully convinced you no longer have any.

While dodging the random deer droppings throughout the city can be a little trying, the deer add to the uniqueness of Nara and contributed significantly to my enjoyment of the place.

Cherry Blossom Holiday

While there isn't technically a holiday associated with the cherry blossoms, people here seem to have taken it upon themselves to act like there is. On Friday, the whole American crew (M, L, A, and I) headed over to Tsurmai Park, which we were told was the place to have an evening picnic under the cherry blossoms. We came prepared with adult beverages and tasty snacks, but nothing could prepare us for the view we found when we exited the subway...

The park itself was striking - a large grove of sprawling cherry trees was lit with hanging lanterns. The number of visitors in the park was the real shock - nearly every inch of space under and around the cherry trees was covered with a blanket and picnicking party people. We were expecting a crowd (it was a local university's 'welcome week') but I was a little overwhelmed with the number of people.

We staked out a decent people-watching spot on the edge of a small pond in the park, and proceeded to get our snack and drink on. After finishing sandwiches and our first round, we were snapping photos when a pair of passing guys offered to take a photo including our full group. Happy to accept, we handed over cameras and got some nice pics.

Then our evening took a turn. One of the guys (in the middle) was very insistent that we should join their group closer to the cherry trees, and lacking a good reason not to we packed up and followed them back into the thick of the partying.

It turned out we'd actually walked right by their group earlier, and I'd been impressed by the folding kneeling-height tables they'd brought along. When we were seated at the table (sitting there in our socks, shoes left at the edge of the blanket), I was impressed again by their eagerness to share drinks and food with complete strangers. While I suspect we were the butt of a few jokes, I can't say I really minded. I never would have tried grilled intestine on a stick or tiny whole bbq squid (yes, they were eating it all too - it wasn't just 'feed the foreigner funny food') on my own, and the return to treats I'd tried earlier in the trip like takoyaki (octopus balls) was a nice bonus.

Notice they're all in suits? They'd come straight from work, where they were engineers and architects for an apartment building construction company. This photo was taken around 10pm, so these guys have been at it for a while. What an evening! If you're ever in Japan, I recommend you get picked up by strangers at least once.

Bathroom etiquette

It seems like every time I use a bathroom in one of the subways, just as I get down to business an older woman comes in and starts puttering around cleaning. I might have been more concerned had the bathroom not been quite crowded the first time it happened - the other bathroom patrons went about their business like she wasn't there. It's decidedly stranger when you're alone, and someone of the opposite gender comes in to start mopping the floors. At home there'd be jail time, here there's an apology for the wet floor.

Another good example of lacking bathroom modesty is the arrangement shown in this photo: no bathroom door. This facility was at a botanical garden in Tokyo, and while the bathroom was sort of out of the way, it still seems hard to justify this arrangement. I never anticipated my American sense of bathroom privacy would have me so out of place here!

Helium for sale

I noticed this odd booth at the Okkawa Float Festival a few weeks ago. These aren't really balloons, although they're filled with helium... they're explicitly for inhaling to make you sound funny. I'm told the booth's banner mentions something about 'duck voice', which is actually quite a good description when you think about it. Hooray for random festival merchandise!

Tokyo Fish Market

I haven't felt so much like I was trespassing in Japan quite like I did at the Tokyo Fish Market. That place meant business, and the folks working there were right on the edge of tolerance and outright annoyance at having tourists weave their way through the narrow isles. (followed closely by rampaging motorized pallet movers seemingly hoping to run absent minded visitors down) It's a bit like touring a construction site - you'll probably see some really cool things, but you'll also be in someones way and it might be a little dangerous. ('visit at your own risk' type signs are posted on the bridge to the market, but if you keep your eyes open you'll be fine.)

The volume of seafood-based commerce taking place was astounding. The variety was equally impressive - not only was virtually any edible (and some I suspect not) sea dwelling life form available for sale, even the rarest seemed to be available in bulk - alive or on ice.

A constant stream of trucks and small motor bikes were leaving the market, bound for the kitchens of establishments across the entire city. The fish on ice arrive packaged in styrofoam cartons, which are slowly discarded as the morning's sales add up. While I'm sure they do a good job of recycling like everywhere else in the country, the styrofoam holding area they'd set up outside was the second 'oh my gosh I've never seen so much of that in one place' moment of the day. The day was unusually windy, and a good gust made the entire parking area look like it was in the middle of an unbelievably chunky blizzard.

I wish I was going to Hakodate

How can you not want to visit after seeing a tourism video like this?

Photo Captions

I've been slacking on the blog posting recently in an effort to catch up on my photo captions over at Flickr. I'm only uploading a pretty limited selection, but it's still a large enough number that I'm getting behind!

If you're interested in a preview, everything through this past weekend has been uploaded and is available for viewing. The next few days are shaping up to provide a bit of catch-up time, so stay tuned for the latest photo commentary.

Okkawa Float Festival

Prior to the Tokyo trip over the weekend, A and I attended the Okkawa Float Festival just outside Nagoya. I admit to being ignorant of the religious background of the festival, but the gist of what occurs is large teams drag enormous ornately carved wooden floats between two shrines. The route includes a short, steep hill, which for a tower rolling on wheels that look like something out of the Flintstones is rather perilous.

The surrounding streets are filled with food and game booths, and these festivals always offer tasty food at relatively low costs. I got a decent fried noodle / pork / cabbage dish, and A got a chocolate covered banana on a stick. In stark contrast to the Tagata Shrine festival (Giant wooden phallus, remember?) we spotted only a handful of other foreigners, which was a welcome change. It was arguably just as cool, but apparently a better kept secret. In fact, it's so underground that A's blog is currently the #1 English Google result for coverage!

Tokyonaut In Training

Tomorrow I'm departing on some sort of spaceship for a trip to the futuristic land of Tokyo. The Shinkansen 700 Series is not the fastest bullet train Japan has produced, but it's the newest and in widest circulation - and a top speed of 177 mph is nothing to scoff at, even if it is #2! The trip would take nearly five hours by car, but by train is only an hour and a half. Barely enough time to finish my 'bacon and egg bun' I bought at the grocery store this evening and play some video games! (Game Boy Micro is the final word in travel entertainment, and I'm sure it's pleased to be on this reunion tour of its homeland)

I nearly died last weekend

On Sunday A and I attended the Hounen Matsuri festival at the Tagata Jinja shrine. It's a raucous and slightly naughty fertility festival popularized for the two and a half meter wooden phallus that gets paraded around. While I'll certainly fill you in on that in a later post, prior to the main event a sword demonstration was taking place in the courtyard in front of the shrine. Quite a crowd had gathered, pressing observers in close to the action.

The individuals putting on the demonstration looked like they were part of a hobby martial arts team, sharing a few swords between a large group. Each member would take their turn slicing through a piece of bamboo or rolled tatami mat, going through the full routine of drawing, cutting, and sheathing. And then someone decided to get fancy. You've seen a samurai movie where a character makes a cut straight out of the sheath; instead of pulling out the sword, taking a ready stance, and then swinging, the execute sort of a 'quick-draw' attack and swing the sword as it's pulled from the sheath in one motion. It's not just movie silliness, it's an authentic technique, but one which I imagine requires considerably more skill - skill that this team wasn't demonstrating.

In the photos above, the demonstrator has just executed his cut using this method of attack... sort of... If you examine the photo on the left, you can see the handle of the sword behind his hand - as in, he's not holding it any more. In the right photo, you can see the tip of the razor sharp sword spiraling away behind him, but it happened so quickly none of the audience members have even reacted yet. The flying sword clattered to the ground without striking anything (or anyone) but holy crap did that seem like a close call. If he'd held on a little longer, it could have been flying right towards A and I!

Oddly enough, the demonstration continued on as if nothing had happened, although several of the spectators who witnessed the event got behind someone else in the crowd, or left the area entirely.

Daikon Baby!

I'm not kidding, it's basically the size of the infant. This is one of the biggest radishes I've ever seen - it's taken over a week to eat the thing! You could feed a family with these. End world hunger. Or just make tons and tons of trendy salads.

Japan Loves Ferris Wheels

They're everywhere! This particular example was at a small amusement park at the port in Kobe, but they're present in even smaller cities throughout the country. I'm reasonably certain this ferris wheel is larger than the one at Cedar Point, which seems completely out of whack - that park is one of the highest regarded in the world, while this one was scrawny and was situated next to a mall and numerous pachinko parlors.

This park was closed when the photo was taken, so I have no idea how many riders they actually have... my experience so far is that Japanese people love to stand in line for just about anything, so if they do a good job not letting riders on very quickly, I'm sure they build up a nice line of happy visitors.

Welcome To The Future: Pod Bathroom

Allow me to give you a tour of the bathroom of the future, which was located in the hotel we stayed at in Kobe. The toilet had more buttons than the remote for my DVD player, several of which involve activating jets of water in places you might not expect. The sink and shower/tub utilize the same faucet, and I can't decide if that's efficient or inconvenient... I suppose it's both.

The interesting thing was that the bathroom-ness was contained within a pod-like structure, water-tight at all seams. You could cut loose with the shower and spray any of the walls, even the door, and it all would have drained away nicely. (I wouldn't be surprised if the hotel staff use that strategy for cleaning.) Since the setup was so self-contained, it seems like the perfect kind of thing for some converted industrial loft - so long as you had the plumbing hookups, you could put a comfortable bathroom anywhere!

Kobe Beef in Kobe, Japan

When people hear Kobe, they think cows that get massages and drink beer. And let me tell you, now that I know from experience, those cows are delicious. We had lunch at a steakhouse called Wakkoqu - The lunch was reasonably affordable, provided you consider $30+ a plate for lunch affordable. Compared to the dinners ringing up over $100, it seems like a deal.

It turned out to be one of those 'cook at the table' places, so that was an unexpected treat. It was a show on top of a delicious meal! The plate behind the steak there has tofu, bean sprouts, potato, garlic, peppers, and sweet potato goo. When all of those veggies were cooked along with the steak, they also pick up the flavor, and Mmmm, what a meal! With all of that on top of a salad, miso soup, and tea, it was the best meal I've had in Japan to date.

Kobe Earthquake Museum

The first stop on the Kobe tour was a memorial / museum dedicated to the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which took place in 1995. I didn't remember hearing much about this taking place, and the more I learned about it the more it seemed to parallel our semi-recent Katrina natural disaster.

I'm not sure if we happened to visit at an odd time (12:30?) or what, but A and I were the only two visitors in the group. We were significantly outnumbered by the museum staff that was supposed to be watching over us, which was a little awkward at times, but after watching two movies we were released to browse the collection of items and photos taken in the aftermath of the quake.

One of the more interesting sections of the museum was how to avoid similar disasters in the future. The event will still happen, but if people are prepared and buildings are designed with earthquakes in mind, the impact will be greatly decreased. The museum had a few hands-on engineering demos where the importance of cross-bracing and isolated foundations was highlighted in nice, simple terms.

The museum was interesting, but if you're looking for must-see attractions in Kobe this might not be it. While they were very accommodating of English speakers, the content may not be appealing enough to warrant time in a limited schedule. For my part, I'm still glad I went!

Kobe + Osaka = Busy Weekend!

It might have been overly ambitious of us to undertake such a packed itinerary spanning both Kobe and Osaka, but in the end I think it was worth it. Tonight I was playing with the weekend's photos, which are currently still split between iPhone (undercover pics) and D40, but by tomorrow I plan to have them all up and ready for review.

In advance, I will say that Osaka was my favorite location of the weekend, while the 'best meal' award goes to Kobe. While Kobe was eerily empty, Osaka seemed at times uncomfortably crowded. While the large crowds of people can make it a little tedious to get around, at least you have the reassurance that whatever you're doing was such a good idea that everyone else is doing it too. The only thing everybody else seemed too be doing in Kobe was staying home or traveling out of town!

Out for the weekdend

I'll be out of contact for the next few days, with some overnight plans in the lineup. Saturday I'll be in Kobe, and Osaka on Sunday. It's a busy itinerary, but making the most of the weekends feels good.

I have the slightest bit of guilt regarding the driving situation here... At home, I rarely drive, preferring instead to walk or ride my bike to work and local establishments. I opted not to get my international drivers license before coming over, assuming it wouldn't be that important. Now I feel a bit bad, considering the amount of driving that A will be doing over the weekend. At the same time, not being able to drive is a bit of a relief. Driving on the left side of the road seems like nerve-wracking experience, and that's even with my professional driving history!

Nabano no Sato

Last weekend A and I visited Nabano no Sato; a park that does a yearly holiday illumination display that is exceedingly popular. I'm not sure how appealing this would be in cooler weather, but with the cherry blossoms just starting to open in the background, the park was pretty pleasant to walk around.

While it was fun to see the early cherry blossoms, the real show began when it got dark, with light displays that were elaborate and massive in scale.

It was the first time I've dealt with a real Japanese crowd. They seem to take any excuse to stand in a line - lines so long there's no possible way to know what you'd even be standing in line for. Personal space isn't quite the same here - the crowds are shoulder to shoulder (or sometimes in my case elbow to shoulder) and bumping up against the people around you seems to be par for the course. Certainly nothing to apologize for or really even take note of.

This was one of the more impressive views in the park, both for the hundreds of yards of light tunnel, and also the hundreds of people crowding through it. Luckily it thinned out about a third of the way through as the novelty of enormous lighted tunnel wore off and people picked up the pace to get to the other side. But it was a perfect example of 'what am I in this line for?' - the line stretched around a corner and out of sight of the tunnel, where people were waiting when it was still light out! How interesting would this view be if it wasn't in the dark?

In addition to the lights, another big attraction at this park was the food. (as mentioned previously) Half the price of admission went towards vouchers that were redeemable with the parks various vendors, restaurants, and gift shops. With about $20 in vouchers between the two of us, A and I managed to eat well, and still come home with several pastries. Any light show that includes tasty leftovers is a success in my book.

(The pastries are, starting at the bottom and going clockwise, an apple turnover, a potato(?) croquet bun, a fancy latticed croissant thing, and a chocolate goo filled bun. The juice box looking thing is actually hot chocolate)

Water line maintenance continues

For the past week or so I've been dealing with maintenance outside. All morning there's jackhammering and digging, and all afternoon there's compacting asphalt back into place. It's slightly better when the crew is working in an area they've already torn up, because that requires far less work with the jackhammer, but it's still an obnoxious part of my work day.

The work was taking place particularly close to the door to the apartment building today, and I was pretty much exiting into the middle of their construction zone. These work sites all have uniformed safety officials, and on the way back from lunch my approach was noticed, and the safety guy came over to assist. Had I been walking down the road just passing through, I would have crossed the street and avoided the mess altogether, but the safety official seemed ready to usher me completely through all of the ongoing instruction so I wouldn't need to alter course. Luckily I was able to duck back into the building before he started interrupting workers in order to let me walk by.

Food on a stick

While I haven't yet had the opportunity to sample any local eel, food on a stick comes in a close second for things I'm excited about eating while in Japan. This weekend we visited Nabano no Sato (more on that another time), one of the major attractions of which was a variety of tasty vendor food. Octopus balls (taco yaki) were my choice, which I found to be tender and delicious, and A went with some sort of cheese filled gelatinous vegetable stick. The flavor was agreeable, but the rubbery texture made it unappealing.

Thing is, I didn't know what these were until I'd taken a bite. (actually I was half way through when the food was identified) Knowing the names of the food really wouldn't have made for a better or different decision, since I've never had anything comparable. It's all about the context - this was sort of a fair atmosphere, and when was the last time you ever had bad food from a fair? Worst case scenario, the item on the right might have been a corn dog.

Custom Racing Van

Japan's interest in racing and tuner cars has been the subject of much pop culture fodder, but up until now sweet custom vans have largely been overlooked. No longer! This is an important part of Japanese automotive culture, and this particular example can be yours for only about $15,000.

While America has generally turned its back on a noble heritage of custom vans, it's somehow comforting to know that it lives on, and is in fact stronger than ever. With the declining popularity of SUV's in the US, I suspect it's only a matter of time before the van makes a comeback, followed closely by the sweet custom van. Start shopping now to get the best deal!

When Bentos Attack!

Nothing too strange here... starting in the upper left and working clockwise, we have tomato, potato salad, and lemon, delicious lemony fried chicken, random pickled vegetables, and a bed of rice topped with a pickled plum. An excellent Friday lunch.

This was picked up at a nearby restaurant, which was a semi-classy takeout place. (Maybe a chain?) The menu was located on the front of the counter, out of view of the cashier, which made my charades version of ordering more difficult. Ever polite though, the employee came out from behind the counter to see which menu item I was pointing at and hooked me up. I'm told fried chicken is a very Nagoya food, and really it must be... have you ever heard of fried chicken being big in Japan? I certainly wasn't expecting to be eating it here.

Here's the thing, this is effectively fast food in prep time and price, but the care in presentation is noteworthy. This is how it looked when I brought it home; notice how the top of the bag is actually taped shut? Maybe they're just trying to prevent me from stealing things on the way out of the place (why it's done at the department stores), but it still shows a great amount of care for a restaurant without anything to pilfer on your way out. I'd like to think they were just doing a nice job packaging it.

Inuyama Castle - Part 2

Now I've been to castles in England before, and arriving here I was expecting something in roughly the same vein: a lot of old stones, somewhat restored, with kind of a crummy interior museum. That was mostly correct, but the way it's presented was unexpected.

What I wasn't counting on were the particulars of Japanese castle construction. Sure the outer walls and base are made of stone, but the rest of the thing is wood. As such, the castle interior is treated like a home: no shoes. Slippers are provided for visitors to use while inside, and as what I've determined to be a cruel joke (although I'm sure she'll disagree) A grabbed a pair for me to use. Unfortunately I don't think they were expecting these one-size-fits-all slippers to be used by size thirteen feet - the heel of the slipper stretched no further than the arch of my foot. "So I'll be scuffing around..." I think to myself "No big deal."

Again, I was unprepared for Japanese castle architecture: In order to make the castle difficult for invaders to enter, it's only possible to get inside via steep wooden stairs. Wooden stairs polished slippery smooth by the shuffling feet of thousands of slipper wearing visitors... Even in good shoes I would have been rather nervous about negotiating these stairs, and in my ill-fitting footwear I was downright unsettled. It ended up being simpler than I anticipated, with long legs making it much easier to take the high steps than it was for the locals. This kind of attraction isn't remotely handicap accessible.

The reward for braving the treacherous climb up several crowded flights of stairs to the top was an incredible view of the surrounding area. There was a narrow lookout platform around the top floor of the castle which was exhilaratingly unsafe - the railing around the edge only came up to my knee. Not exactly the kind of national historic site presentation that would fly in the US, but it seems to make perfect sense here.

I've been told that if you've seen one Japanese castle you've seen them all, and I'm inclined to agree with that for the interior. The exterior was by far my favorite part of the excursion, and I wouldn't be opposed to browsing the grounds of others during my stay here.

Inuyama Castle - Part 1

Last weekend A and I visited Inuyama Castle, which is supposedly the oldest castle in Japan. It's all a bit debatable when it comes to 'oldest' since many were destroyed, moved, rebuilt, etc, but this one seems to have the claim on the oldest original castle tied up without much debate.

The location of the castle is scenic; high on a cliff overlooking a river. The castle naturally wasn't built to be scenic, it was built for maximum visibility, and being difficult to approach. It may have been built in the 1400's, but it succeeds admirably at both to this day - The castle was always in view, but getting close for parking was next to impossible. We ended up tucking our car between the road and a sidewalk near a public toilet along the river, and walking up the hill to the castle.

I knew there was an entrance fee (500 yen) for the castle, but was suprised that so much of the castle grounds were fair game for browsing for free. A series of small shrines and gardens have grown up on the sides of the hill the castle stands on, and throughly exploring those on their own could kill your entire afternoon. We were on a mission however - the castle was closing in an hour and a half, and we had some site-seeing to do!

Stay tuned tomorrow for tales from the castle interior...

Boss

I watched 'Lost In Translation' over the weekend, which is a funny experience when you're living in the country in question. For those not familiar, Bill Murray plays an American actor visiting Japan to promote Suntory Whiskey. ("For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.") The product endorsement is the target of jokes throughout the movie, which makes this real-world example that much worse...

I know it's been covered by M and A already, but I can't help it: Behold - Tommy Lee Jones is Boss. The Boss? Maybe that's still Springsteen, even in Japan. How exactly does Tommy's weathered face help sell canned beverages? I'm not entirely sure. They're getting free exposure because I took a picture of the machine, but all the folks in the US can't buy Suntory products even if they wanted to! Maybe 'No Country For Old Men' was just really popular here.

Shopping Shenanigans

After mentioning that I got into trouble for taking photos in the department store in my caption for this photo over on Flickr, I've gotten a few questions about what exactly went down.

The fact is I'm not exactly inconspicuous over here. I'm about a foot taller than what seems to be the average height, and at the time I had this thing dangling around my neck. (not my photo) That I started shooting in the department of the store with the highest staff presence (costumes) probably also didn't help. After I snapped this one photo of the spandex body suits, a clerk very politely asked me not to take photos, and I was happy to oblige.

Walking around the store later, I spotted small signs which actually mention their 'no photos' policy, so I was feeling a bit embarrassed I was unknowingly going against their rules. I guess it makes sense, considering even stores at home wouldn't exactly take kindly to you browsing the store with photographic hardware like that visible, let alone using it.

When it comes down to it, I'll take mild embarrassment to missing a good photo every time. Even when it doesn't work out, it makes for a good story.

A visit to downtown Nagoya

Saturday was my first trip on the subway, and also a first look at the heart of Nagoya. It's maybe a twenty minute trip by subway, and we're by no means living in the sticks, so that should give an indication of just how large this city really is.

The downtown area and the subway, like the rest of the city, is impressively clean. I've never ridden in a subway car without rider-inflicted damage... the underground in London always had scratches and graffiti, torn seats and stuck gum. The Nagoya subway was spotless - even the windows were clean! Getting around was reasonably straightforward too, since most signs and announcements were in both English and Japanese.

Sakae Station was a different matter; you exit the subway into what is essentially an underground mall. So busy! Restaurants and stores are spread in all directions, and simply getting out of the station at the correct exit can be pretty difficult.

We were visiting the area for a bit of sightseeing / shopping at some of the large downtown stores like Loft and Tokyo Hands. These department stores are crazy, carrying everything from groceries to bicycles on their multiple floors. Tokyo Hands was a little claustrophobic for me, since the shelves were packed very closely together, but Loft was more western in scale. (which makes sense since the goods they carry are also more western in style) They also don't like photography (I found this out the hard way) so photos from the stores are unfortunately absent.

Navigating the crowds was tiring, and at the end of the day I was happy to return to the apartment. I can see where those stores could be useful when you have a shopping agenda, but for browsing it's a pretty exhausting process!

Grocery Store Bento Box

Look at this feast! I picked this up for lunch on Monday, and I'm really impressed with how tasty it was. For 499 yen (about $5.30) the following items were included (starting in the upper left, moving clockwise):

• Potato salad, and a slice of rolled omelet
  
• Two pieces of fried chicken with lemon
• A salad of pickled vegetables (and maybe squid?)
• Shredded crab on a bed of rice
• Misc. pickled vegetables
• Glazed chicken dumpling, and a breaded, fried shrimp

It's fast food prices, but quality and variety unlike anything I can get for lunch at home. The next step is stopping by a restaurant that puts these together for takeout, rather than just hitting the nearby grocery store.

Money Tray

One of the things that struck me when I first went though a Japanese store was use of a little tray for your money when you pay for something.  For having a reputation of being very technologically forward, nearly all shopping transactions are still conducted using cash, and the exchange at the register reflects this.  After you've been given a price by the cashier, you place the money you intend to pay with onto a small tray; you don't hand the money over directly.  Sometimes more than one tray gets involved, where your change gets placed in a second tray while your original money remains set aside until the transaction is complete.  While it has something to do politeness, it also serves as a good delay for me - I'm not 100% familiar with the coins and often need a moment to count out what I need!

I'm where exactly?

As I mentioned earlier, I have iPhone along for the ride, although I'm not allowing it to connect to the cell network.  As an iPod Touch though, it's still quite effective when it comes to web browsing and email checking.  One unexpected piece of functionality is that the 'find my location' function in Google Maps still works over here.  (A company by the name of Skyhook Wireless can find a location based on the nearby wifi sources)

When I first arrived, the only wifi signal belonged to a neighbor, and the iPhone had the location nailed within half a block.  After setting up a wireless router Skyhook believes to be located in Michigan in this apartment, the iPhone is now thoroughly confused and no longer provides a location.  It makes sense - if there are only two signals to go by, and they're on different sides of the planet, I'd rather have the phone not make a decision than guess wrong!

Japanese Home Supplies

Venturing a bit deeper into the pool today... Moving my clothes in the apartment's main closet consumed the remaining empty hangers yesterday, so a shopping trip was in order to expand the supply. The store we traveled to was essentially a Japanese version of Bed, Bath & Beyond, complemented with a second story furniture annex. There were also a lot of similarities with Ikea, being high in style and low in cost. The store was impressive in its scale and selection; If there's one area where the Japanese have the US beat hands down, it's cool, affordable interior decorating.

In the afternoon, A and I took a walk to a nearby shrine where we were treated to the resident monk ringing the massive bell while we were browsing around the grounds. I've never heard one of those bells in-person, and the resonant effect of being so close was unexpectedly moving.

I have arrived!

And what an arrival it has been. I seem to have dodged the worst of the jet lag - prior to my departure I was up until 5am packing, so after napping on the plane I was still ready to go to bed in the Nagoya evening. Last night was a perfectly restful evening, no insomnia all Lost in Translation style!

The 'World Business Class' flight was terribly pleasant. The flight, despite its 13ish hour duration, seemed shorter than a flight to California. I was eating and drinking about 30% of my time on the plane, and the rest was spent sleeping. It may not be the most financially practical method of travel, but it's certainly the most comfortable I've experienced.

Thanks to the diligence of the TSA before even leaving the states, my trip through immigration and customs was a breeze. A cardboard box I'd packed as my third piece of luggage had been searched and resealed with conspicuous TSA labeled tape. No need to search the guy who's already been scrutinized by his own country!

My first full day in Nagoya involved a brief walking tour of the area, a visit to an enormous cemetery park, and an introduction to a few of the area stores. I thought I lived in a convenient location in Detroit, but this is urban living at its finest. This apartment is literally a block and a half from a nice grocery store, and you only need to travel a few blocks further for a 24 hour grocery.

The transition has been a little overwhelming to say the least, but I feel like I'm adjusting well so far. Sure this is the start of an extended stay in an amazing foreign country, but the real draw this weekend was arriving in town just in time for a long overdue date with A for Valentines Day. (hooray for a plan put in motion seven months ago) One day in, and I'm prepared to declare this trip an unconditional success.

Check out the latest batch of photos! I'll have a new batch in Flickr for each blog post featuring one. You can always hit the Japan collection via the link in the right column, or here.

T MINUS 46.5 HOURS

Roughly 167,600 seconds.  My brain is going to explode.

Parting Party

Tomorrow evening I'm having a bit of a send-off at Bastone, my favorite local brewery.  The place is hard to beat on a Tuesday, since Beer Club members (which I count myself among) get 22oz glasses of their microbrews for only $2.  Their beer is great, and those prices make you feel like you're in a college town!  The food is reliably tasty too, and while the service can be hit or miss, it's hands down my favorite local restaurant.

The invite email for this gathering was rather ambiguous when it came to the purpose and duration of my trip to Japan, giving several coworkers the impression that I'm actually leaving the company.  Ack!  Can't let that kind of misperception survive.  The days since that invite went out have been full of explanations, and I'm sure tomorrow will be no exception.  No matter how many times I run through the "Yeah!  I'm going to Japan for three months!" spiel, I'm really looking forward to a good old fashioned coworker outing just like in the bad old days of 2007.  Kanpai!

The packing has begun

My living room is slowly becoming buried in stacks of folded clothes and clusters of electronics with all their associated cords carefully coiled.  My packing process involves putting everything that's coming with me in the same location, and then figuring out the best way to get it all into the available luggage space.  I'm feeling good on available space, (hopefully not jinxing myself) but my main concern is keeping track of what is where.  Three months is a long time to pack for, and my living room floor is only so large!

While this method of packing ensures everything gets stowed in an orderly fashion, it also means that my lists have to be covered twice: once to get an item present, and again when it gets packed.  It's a bit more work than putting things straight into a bag, but it makes the measure of success is very straightforward: if there are no random items left on the floor when the last bag is closed, I'm set!

World Business Class

I've never had the distinction of flying anywhere First Class, and in wonderfully unexpected move A dipped into her considerable well of frequent flyer miles and upgraded my flight.  As if I didn't have enough reasons to be excited about this trip already!

The upgrade in some respects is actually quite practical.  I'm a tall guy, and not sitting with my knees jammed into the seat in front of me for fourteen hours is going to be a delightful change.  Also on the logistics front, upgraded status means I can bring an additional piece of luggage, and the acceptable weight on all three is increased.  The relaxed restrictions on packing will be greatly appreciated as I get my bags together in the next few days.

Then there's the ridiculous aspects of the premium travel.  With Detroit being NWA's hub, the direct flight to Nagoya is one of their flagship runs.  In the same way the Ritz in NY, NY is classier than the Ritz in Dearborn, MI, the service on this flight seems gratuitous even when compared to other first class flights.  A run-down of last month's menu for that flight:

 dinner

• Salmon and lemon-chive crostini, Asian beef tenderloin skewer, mixed nuts
• Caesar salad with Romaine, shaved parmesan, Roma tomatoes and toasted pine nuts
• Assorted breads


• Beef tenderloin with blue cheese crust, roasted carrots, Tuscan potato wedges and broccolini or
• Spinach-Boursin stuffed chicken breast, haricot vert, white and wild rice medley or
• Maple-smoked salmon with mashed potatoes, edamame and mixed vegetables 

 dessert

• Fresh fruit
• Rembrandt extra-aged gouda and havarti
• Cherry-vanilla ice cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cup
• Your choice of port wine, liqueurs, coffee or Stash^® tea

mid-flight snack

• Ramen noodles, pepperoni pizza or yogurt and fruit parfait
• Light snacks available from our skybreak™ basket located in the galley. Please help yourself.

on arrival

• Fresh fruit and warm breads
• Coffee or a selection of Stash^® tea
• Cheddar and bacon omelet with roasted red potatoes and pork sausage links or
• Raisin Bran cereal or
• Cold plate of ginger pork, lemon-cilantro shrimp, grilled pineapple chutney, sweet potato salad and chili-orange broccoli

And those are just the listed items, not including the other option of the Japanese style dinner, never mind the wine list and root beer floats I've heard about.  Complete madness!  (And also quite exciting)  Some part of me will feel slightly embarrassed when I break out my huge camera to take a photo of each course I'm served, but it will be overwhelmed by the part that's giggling the whole time and enjoying itself too much to care.

Jag kan inte tala japanska

-translate the headline-

One of the common questions that comes up regarding traveling to Japan is language proficiency.  As a guy who had Spanish in high school and Swedish in college, I'm hosed.

My only hope has come in the form of some computer-based education: Slime Forest.  It's software that teaches reading Japanese in the thin disguise of an RPG game.  While written Japanese uses complex characters to represent subjects and actions, they also have a phonetic alphabet - Katakana.  According to A it's a useful bit of knowledge since many Japanese nouns are simply English words spelled out using the characters from this alphabet.  If you know each character's corresponding sound, you'll hopefully be able to decipher some labeling and signage.

As only my third time in a country that doesn't speak English as a primary language, (Canada does not count) I admit that I'm a little nervous.  There's still hope though... no matter how bad my foreign language skills may be, or how poorly I play charades trying to convey something to a local, I'll always be able to make sense of the anthropomorphic food!

Fridge Cleanout

What does ice cream, a loaf of bread, frozen shrimp, and green onions have in common?  It's the tip of the iceberg for food I need to use up before my departure.  Since I'm not doing any more grocery shopping, it's going to be a week of weird meals as I clean out the pantry.  Some things will be a breeze - oh no, twist my arm and make me have a larger serving of ice cream!  But some things like spare sticks of butter just aren't as easy to rapidly consume.  I've only got one more trash day, and I want to use up absolutely as much as possible.  Few things bother me more than wasted food!

Facebook Bump

Welcome visitors from Facebook! Feel free to browse through past posts, although I have to say the most interesting content is yet to come.

For those in my unique profession, this blog has proved to be an great learning experience... I'm running Google Analytics on the site, which keeps remarkably detailed statistics about visitors. I had no idea just how poor my personal site's visitor stats were until I fired up this Analytics account. Visitor geography, frequency, bounce rate, it's all available on a simple dashboard view, with the in-depth statistics available for closer review. If you run your own site, I'd highly recommend adding the simple tracking code and giving it a shot.

The point of the blog isn't all business however, it's primarily for fun. The curious, quirky, stressful, and exciting aspects of living in Japan for a few months will be on display, and I hope you'll stop by to check in and leave a comment!

Single Digits

I'm departing in 9 days.

(but really, who's counting)

Superbowl Sunday

Are you ready for The Big Game?  Wait, maybe I can't say that.  Well, regardless, lets plan a big party and we'll all watch it together.  Hold up, that's illegal.  I thought the fouls and penalties happened in the game, not attempting to watch it.  So if watching the game on TV isn't the way to go, I'm sure it's more fun in person.  If you have fun going through airport security, you'll be right at home in the stadium this year!

Despite all the restrictions, it's possible to watch the game live even in Japan.  A few quick Google searches pull up message boards full of people looking to watch the game with other expatriate football fans.  How (or why) you'd watch a football game early on a Monday morning I have no idea, but it's good to know that culture and time have no bearing on this momentus event.

Last Minute Shopping

I'll admit to going on a bit of a shopping binge this past week.  There are some significant differences that will prevent me from buying much in the way of clothes while I'm in Japan, so I need to be sure I'm prepared for just about anything for the two seasons I'm going to be present for in the upcoming months.

Normally I'm not much of a shopper... I virtually never leave the house without a reliable lead for a good price or the location of an item I'm on the market for.  That 'slim to none' level of shopping has trended much closer to none since July: How badly do I really need new outfits when the person I'm most trying to impress isn't around?  Luckily, now is an excellent time to be gearing up a wardrobe.  With all the retail companies doing so poorly along with the rest of the economy, they're practically paying you to show up in their stores.  Of all my recent purchaces, only one item wasn't at least half-off its original price. (a sweater, 'only' 25% off)

Don't lick the tuna

I was directed to a recent article where tourists in Japan are ordered not to lick the tuna. Earlier this year the tuna auction portion of the Tokyo city fish market was closed to foreigners due to bad behavior. While the bad behavior mentioned in the article, like flash photography and general thoughtlessness, is attributed entirely to foreigners, I have it on authority that it's just as likely that the culprits were Japanese too.

Skype FTW?

One of the hurdles of being gone for three months is staying in touch with the folks at home.  I've already mentioned Google Talk as being the perfect tool for social communication, but when it comes to business concerns I figured having a no-install-required means of synchronous communication was the way to go.  What better way to handle that little task than the phone?

I love my iPhone, and AT&T is certainly eager to help you use their international network while traveling.  Unfortunately this eagerness comes from the fact that AT&T will utterly ream you for the 'privilege' of using your existing phone abroad.  (The iPhone will still be coming along, but only for weezing wifi)  After a bit of research, I settled on Skype.  For about $20, I was able to set up a local Detroit phone number which will ring my computer, and from which calls made on my computer appear to be made from.  That's three months of unlimited calls to the US and Canada for about $20.  (Ever get the impression the wireless carriers are overcharging just a bit?)  I'll be able to get in touch with anyone not sporting a camera on their computer with a simple phone call!

That is, of course, if it works acceptably in Japan.  I've asked A to help me test this week, so I'll know in advance.  If it works, I'm set on the communication front!  If it fails, I'm out $20 and will be pranking people from a number that will go dead in three months.  Either way, I'm counting this VoIP experiment as a win. 

Proud to be an American...

... where at least I know I can get back into the country if the Department of Homeland Security is in a good mood.

Last week I got an email from Orbitz (the folks I purchased my NWA plane ticket through) which stated the following:

Subject:Important information regarding your trip to the United States
"... We wanted to make you aware that all international visitors planning to the United States from Visa Waiver Program countries are required by law to apply for travel authorization. ..."

Sorry, what was that again? It's a good thing Orbitz sent me this email, as I happened to be planning to the United States. Still confused? So am I. "Planning to _______ the United States" is the problem here - we're missing the word the entire sentence hinges on. Visit? Depart? Later in the email was a link to a DHS site. Apparently we require all foreigners to register themselves online prior to arrival here, so I determined the email was not only impossible to understand, it was inapplicable.

The second interesting thing in that email is the Visa Waiver Program... That specifically relates to the US government's handling of visitors, not the overall agreement between developed nations that allows travellers to show up unannounced and stay for ninety days without prior approval.  (which is exactly what I plan to be doing in Japan)  What I find curious is if the US requires foreigners to register themselves on a website prior to arrival, aren't we effectively making them apply for a visa?  Sure, it's a simpler, less demanding process, but visa-lite is still a visa, so it isn't exactly waived.  Maybe it's time to change the name and be up front about things - Express Visa Program anyone?

Noise Canceling Headphones

A while ago (with this trip in the back of my mind) I invested in a pair of noise canceling headphones that I've been using at the office. I was initially skeptical of the technology's effectiveness, but I've been nothing but satisfied with their performance.

The model that I decided to go with is the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7. They seem to generally be reviewed at the same level as the Bose models, but with a significantly lower price tag. Whether it's drowning out the noisiness of travel, or concealing the distractions of the office, they perform admirably.

A word of caution that I suspect is a potential hazard in all noise canceling headphones: remember to equalize the pressure in your ears while on a plane. The first time I flew with these headphones I put them on shortly after takeoff and comfortably fell asleep during our ascent. My initial comfort had turned into a headache later in the flight when I woke up - the headphones had actually allowed me to be TOO comfortable; I was sleeping soundly and doing nothing for any equalizing of pressure in my head.

If you travel semi-frequently or listen to music at work, I'd recommend these as the top choice. I know their comfort and sound quality will be appreciated on the nearly fourteen hour flight!

Omiyagi

One of my coworkers mentioned earlier this week that I'd have to bring back small, cool Japanese gifts for people on our team. Something clicked in my head - Ding! I know about that practice! The Japanese term for small gifts from traveling is 'omiyagi'. They seem to be primarily sweets, and are given to let the people you left behind know you were thinking about them.

I've heard that the pressure to pick up omiyagi leads some Japanese to keep their vacation travel under wraps; non-travelers can't expect a gift if they don't know you're gone! I feel like my time out of the office is going to be a little conspicuous, so I'll be doubly indebted in the omiyagi department. It'll have to be awesome, something combining chocolate and robots perhaps?

Three Weeks

Only three weeks stand between me and imminent departure. Of those three weekends, I plan on visiting the parents for one, which leaves me with only two weekends remaining in Detroit. With time for errands winding down, I'm in the 'getting stuff together' phase of the trip prep. This past weekend I picked up a timer for lights in my house along with various drugstore supplies, for example. There are countless little things like that needing to be taken care of before I leave, and if I procrastinate I'll be making things very hard on myself.

One way or another I know everything will get done... it's just that I'd like to have things sorted (in the English slang sense - I've been watching Dr. Who) so when the time comes I can be excited and enjoy myself, avoiding all the stress and anxiety of rushing to get my act together right at the end.

Bed time for me - being caught up on my sleep is also on my agenda. I'll need to be rested to help adjust to the time shift smoothly, otherwise I'll become some kind of horrible sleepwalking zombie!

Mercury Poisoning?

My mother approached me with a news story she'd recently read regarding a rather high profile case of mercury poisoning - she was concerned that my diet in Japan, primarily consisting of seafood, would put me at a similar risk. My initial reaction was 'No, I don't plan to eat fatty fish at every meal', but apparently it's a more widespread problem than I was aware of.

Variety is the spice of life, as they say, and if you eat too much of the same thing it's bound to catch up with you sooner or later. As a sidenote, I suspect this 'choice of foods' topic will be revisited in the next few months, as A, M, and L all happen to be vegetarians. (or pescetarian, as the case may be) There are certain things I'm a little squeamish about trying, but provided it's actual food (not Fear Factor pickled livestock testicles type stuff) and not going to make me pathologically sick (raw foods with questionable storage quality), I'll try anything once! I'm curious to see just how often my culinary courage will be tested.

Televised Entertainment

I'm steeling myself for the loss of all my favorite streaming media while in Japan - Hulu, Netflix, and Pandora only have license agreements for the US, and as such their content is unavailable to IP addresses outside the country. (Yes, there are ways around that, and No, I don't care enough to work through them. Bear with me while I get to the point.)

In place of these sorts of distractions, A, M, and L have several seasons of the HBO show The Wire on DVD. They've been watching them weekly, so in order to be part of the fun when I arrive I've been getting the disks from Netflix in order to catch up. I've closed the gap, watching two seasons in the last few months, and am currently only three or so episodes behind. It's a top-notch show, and I'm looking forward to really getting into season three next month, but I'm not used to having to wait to see what happens! I guess this will force me to learn a little patience when it comes to television drama.

A Change in the Weather

Reason #438 I'm excited about heading to Japan is skipping some of the worst of the Michigan winter. Today was absurdly cold, that kind of bitter, cutting cold that scratches at your jacket and creeps up your sleeves and down your collar. Even walking from a car to a building entrance was a harrowing experience. I couldn't feel my face walking into the office this morning!

Compare that to the weather in Nagoya today: It's currently a balmy 45 °F. While they still get some snow and below-freezing weather, it's nowhere near the 'My car is stalling it's so cold' weather Detroit will be seeing more of this season.

New Kicks

I've been planning on picking up a new pair of shoes prior to going to Japan. Requirements include being comfortable for extended walking, easy to put on and take off (since that will be happening frequently even while out and about), and decently stylish. It's a tricky order, since the 'ease of putting on and taking off' requirement usually means a slip on shoe, and that interferes with the 'extended comfort' requirement.

I may have found a candidate... the Teva Ryley. Since they're made by Teva, I trust their comfort as well as their durability, and the strap closure system will be quick to fasten/unfasten, but won't wear out over time the way elastic or velcro would. The strappy setup even manages to put a check in the 'stylish' column in my opinion.

The price is a bit higher than I'd like, but considering finding them in my size is an impossibility otherwise, I guess I have to take what I can get. I think I'll put in my order before the weekend so I'll have them next week!

Time Zones

Compared to Detroit, Nagoya is either thirteen or fourteen hours ahead, depending on whether Daylight Savings Time is being observed in the US.  This point has been particularly important to consider, since synchonous communication can really only happen at the beginning or end of the day.  I've been communicating overseas for nearly six months now, and I'm still not used to the premise of saying 'Have a good day!' when I'm headed to bed.

In my past travels the only consideration I had of time zones was resetting my watch while I was on the plane so it was correct when we landed.  There was never anything so pressing that it couldn't wait do be dealt with until I returned home.  This time around, I worry that circumstance is unavoidable - I'm almost certain something will come up that needs my immediate attention in a three month span of time.  While having a few pressing events pop up is likely, I'm working hard now to keep me being up during Detroit working hours (in the middle of the night) to the absolute minimum!

Google Talk

For those of you who aren't already using Gmail, Google Talk is a great reason to start. Basically every time you open your web mail, you can be signed into the AOL and Google chat networks as well. With a recent update, if you have a web cam or microphone attached you can make computer to computer calls too! Compared to other applications that enable video chatting like MSN Messenger and Skype, it doesn't require a large or complex program installation - everything happens inside your browser with the help of a small plugin similar to Flash. The quality is also noticeably higher, with the video being more tolerant of slower connection speeds.

If you think all this video communication sounds a little gimmicky, that's because it is. I couldn't see getting very excited about video chatting when a phone call is so much more readily available. That is, of course, until you or someone you keep in contact with frequently is out of the easy reach of the telephone... Japan for example? The program has allowed my girlfriend and I to stay in touch quite well over the past few months, and I anticipate it will continue to do the same when I am on the other end.

If you're interested in giving it a try, you can get a Gmail account and download the plugin at: http://www.google.com/talk/

Making Lists

In my previous job I was traveling all the time. It got to the point where I could throw my gear together the night before a trip and be gone for a week or two with no problems. Being gone for three months is a whole new animal though... having to worry about paying bills, stopping mail, packing for two seasons, it's a little overwhelming!

That's where lists come in. While I have begun some modest packing efforts, the bulk of my work is happening right now on paper. Things to buy, things to do, things to find - I could virtually guarantee I'll forget something if it doesn't appear on a list. List making is also rather fun, when it comes down to it. While it's still a bit more than a month away, lists mean I'm constantly reminding myself about the trip, and it's hard not to get excited about it.

As proof that the lists work, one of my to-do items happened to be firing up this blog. Mission accomplished!