New Format - Video

For those that have not heard, we have been posting videos recently: sports, areas of Tokyo, etc. For anyone who does not have the link, drop me an e-mail and I'll give you the link. Or, you can leave a comment/request here as well as I'll check for them periodically.

We Need Your Input

Recently a few folks have asked why we haven't posted anything new for a while. First of all, thank you for continuing to read the blog. I guess it is still interesting to some folks.

The reason I haven't posted anything recently is because I've pretty much run out of stuff to post. We've been here almost 2 years and have been through most of the first time events here.

Now it's time for your input. Please let me know what types of things you are curious about. What do you want to see or hear about? Is it restaurants? Stores? Side streets? Markets? Drop us an e-mail or post a comment with your requests and we will 'go on assignment' to cover your inquiries and report them here.

From here on the blog will be driven mostly from you folks.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

By the way, we'll be back in Portland the next 2 weeks, so we'll get on your assignments just as soon as we return back here.

The New School Year Starts

This past week the boys started the new school year. We'll see how long they can walk to school together in the morning without fighting. It is about 15 minutes on foot.

One picture is of Tommy loading his backpack for school.

Tommy Starts 1st Grade

Here are some pictures of Tommy starting first grade. He's at the same school as Michael. Hopefully they can walk to school together without fighting too much.

Mio and Tommy are standing next to a sign that says 'entrance ceremony'.

All first graders at Tommy's school wear the yellow safety hat to identify them as first graders and to make them more visible to cars since all students walk to and from school each day.

There were 4 kids from Tommy's kindergarten class that will be in his first grade class, so he will know some of his new classmates from the start.

For Lent

I walked by an apartment rental office this week and noticed a sign in the window saying that they were offering apartments For Lent. Japaneses often confuse R and L. I thought it was appropriate for Holy Week to see apartments being offered For Lent. Maybe they're expecting the big event this week.

Tommy's Kindergarten Graduation

Here are some pictures of Tommy's graduation from Kindergarten. It was a very emotional event as many of the kids in his class had been together for 2-3 years. In Japan, the teacher usually moves through the preschool/kindergarten with the kids, so they build a strong bond over 2-3 years. Also, the moms become pretty good friends as well, so it was difficult for them.

From April Tommy will go to the same grade school as Michael. They can walk to school together in the morning. However, we suspect they may do more fighting than walking. Of the 26 kids in Tommy's class, most will go to the same grade school as Tommy. However, several of his best buddies will be moving or going to other schools.

The graduation ceremony was pretty formal with speeches from the principal and community supporters. The kids were called onto the stage one at a time. As with any type of Japanese ceremony, there was a lot of bowing at the appropriate times. The kids practised this well in advance.

Kabutomushi - Giant Beetle

I blogged on July 1, 2006, about the boys and their love of bugs. The boys got some Kabutomushi last summer and after they mated, we are now growing about 30 of their larvae in a big covered tub on our balcony. Here are some pictures of the larvae growing, and some pictures of what they will look like this spring when they are mature.

The Kabutomushi is the biggest beetle and the most popular insect in Japan. Most kids buy them, keep them as pets, grow them, etc. There are video games in stores with them fighting. There are also playing cards and a card game that kids play with each other. These beetles fight each other as adults. There are several types of them.

"Kabuto" is the name of the helmets worn by Samurai, and "mushi" means insect or beetle. So Kabutomushi in English would be Samurai Helmet Beetle, and obviously gets its name from the resemblance of the stunning horns to the headwear worn by these fearless warriors of old. You can buy them in many places during the summer, from garden centers to gas stations to department stores, and you can pay hundreds of $$$ for a good specimen. But, like we did, you can also obtain them very cheaply.

After they mate, you end up with little larvae. You put them in a tub and cover them with dirt, leaves, etc. as if they were in their natural forest habitat. Right now, the larvae are about 3 inches long. Once the larvae evolve to mature beetles, you put them in a tank, bowl, etc. where they dig, burrow, climb branches, etc. You have to be careful which ones you put together because they are fierce fighters. They eat fruit and a special beetle Jell-O bought at most toy stores, home centers, and so on. It is special Kabutomushi Jell-O.

Setsubun and Bean-Throwing

Japan has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The term setsubun originally referred to the days marking the change from one season to the next, so that there were four of them, but today only the day before risshun (the beginning of spring in the traditional Japanese calendar) is called by that name. Setsubun comes on either February 3 or 4, depending on the year.

On the night of Setsubun, many households do mame-maki - a bean-throwing ceremony. They fill a masu (a wooden measuring cup) with roasted soybeans and throw the beans all about the room, shouting "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" meaning "Out with the goblins and in with fortune!" They also open the windows and throw the beans outside. Mame-maki began as a New Year ceremony (in the traditional Japanese calendar) to drive out evil spirits and the seeds of misfortune, as well as to pray for the family's well-being and good business.

After the mame-maki is over, everyone eats the same number of beans as their own age. It is believed that by doing so, people will be free of sickness during that year.

Families with little children especially look forward to this day because mame-maki can be a lot of fun. One person acts as the goblin and runs around, while the others throw beans at the person. At some schools, the students make goblin masks and enjoy mame-maki.

Last year we did Setsubun in our apartment. This year, we went to a shrine near Michael's school where the shrine folks threw the beans out to the crowd.

Blind Faith Music

While out with Eric, we came across a music store selling new/used CDs and other music. We thought the store name was interesting.

Eric's Visit

A friend from college, Eric, had a business trip to Tokyo. We were able to get together one evening for some food and to catch up. Here we are at a yakiniku restaurant. This is a restaurant where you have a barbecue in front of you and you cook your own food (meat and veges) the way you like it. Then you dip it into small bowls of different sauces. It's quite tasty. This restaurant offered bibs to keep barbecue splatters off of our clothes.

How to Make a Hamburger, Part II

A recent package of hamburger buns showing us how to make a hamburger. This one had great pictures showing the layers of a hamburger.
This package also included instructions on making a fish burger.

An Office Picture

Here's an office picture. Typical Japanese office with no partitions. Just rows of desks face to face. In the background is a partition that separates 1 group from another. There are about 80 people on this floor.

Sometimes it gets very loud as people talk on the phone.

Tommy's Christmas Concert

Tommy and some of his classmates put on a Christmas concert. One of his classmates' mom is a music teacher and recruited a few of the kids and their moms to put on a concert for fun. Here's Tommy and some of his classmates.

Richmond Kids in Tokyo

Here are a couple pics of a few of Michael's classmates from Richmond in Portland. Two of his classmates have moved here since we did and now live in Tokyo. A couple of other classmates were here for winter vacation to visit their Japanese families. Also, Mogi-sensei was here as well.

Everyone had a great time at Jumpei's house. We ate lots of great Japanese food and the kids had a great time getting caught up with each other. It was a time for sharing Portland school news, Japanese life stories, and playing their favorite video games.

Also, Caleb's dad had some fun drawing upside down faces on some of the kids and putting on a short skit. It was hilarious and the uncontrolled laughing by the parents was priceless.

Another Successful Costco Trip

Some of you know that we go to Costco once per month or once every 2 months. The main items we buy are Tostitos Lime Tortilla chips, Heinz Ketchup, Krusteaz Pancake Mix, American peanut butter, cheddar cheese, Western sausages, and American beef. We normally take our suitcases and lug them to and from the store on the train.

The train takes about 50-60 minutes, but it's worth it for us and the kids to have some of the basics that we feel we need to have. These are the treats we enjoy once in a while as we have settled into a mostly Japanese diet of rice, fish and veges. However, the American beef from Costco is at least 1/2-2/3 cheaper than the beef in Japanese stores. In this picture, Terry is toting a suitcase and a carry bag on his bike. It's amazing what you can carry on a bicycle. The suitcase probably weighed 30-40 pounds as it was full of beef, chicken, sausages, and so on.

Halloween, Japanese Style

Here are some pictures of Tommy's Halloween party. Mio and a mom who just returned from 2 years in New York planned the party. All of the kids got to make costumes, listen to spooky music, eat spooky candy from the USA, and have fun. It was the first Halloween party for most of Tommy's class. You can see Michael and Tommy both in the upper picture. It may be tough to recognize Michael, but he's the big kid compared to the rest, who are kindergartners.

Interesting Architecture

Here's a picture of a house around the corner from us. It has a huge pencil sticking out of the roof. Not sure what the purpose is of this style/design, but it does look interesting.

Tokyo Disneyland

A week ago the boys had the day off of school because it was the anniversary of their school's founding. So, we took advantage of the day off by going to Tokyo Disneyland. And thanks to our good friends Taka and Yoshie, we had some free tickets to use!!

Michael did not enjoy the 45 minute bus ride to Tokyo Disneyland, but once we arrived, he started feeling better soon. Enjoy the pics.

Train Troubles

Yesterday the train from my home station was delayed. There was some type of pedestrian accident. When I got to the station in the morning, I noticed that the platform was packed, the reader board was blank, and people seemed stressed. After a couple of minutes, a train showed up. It was so packed, that no one near me was able to get on the train. In fact, the people already on the train had difficulty getting the doors closed again when the train was ready to leave the station.

Another couple of minutes and another train came by. Again, no one near me was able to get on the train. Lots of people tried, but they were not strong enough to push themselves onto the packed train. In fact, there was someone inside the train that appeared to be trying to get out, but couldn't get through the packed train. Eventually the doors closed and the train moved on.

This same pattern repeated itself for about 20 minutes before slowly, 1 or 2 people from my station could get in each train door as the trains stopped. After a little more than 1 hour of waiting around on the platform, I was able to get on the train. The train was so packed that some people pinned against poles or doors were gasping for air as they were being crushed by the weight of those around them.

Here are some pics from my camera as I waited for a chance to get on the train. You can see the pushers, a person stuck in a door, people leaning against windows and window frames trying to hold on, and more. It was a new level of packed raisin train.

I Just Need a Lil' Nap

Here's a shot of a typical office worker needing a lil' nap. This is taken at a subway stop about 10 PM on a Friday night. The guy has found a safe little corner next to a vending machine where he can get a quick recharge before continuing on home. He's prepared, with his umbrella, bag, etc. Apparently he had a few too many and needed a break on the way home.

In the past, I have seen folks flat on their back on the ground passed out. At least this guy is off to the side where no one will trip over him.

The Office Lunch Bento

Here's a picture of a typical daily lunch bento, about $3.50. It is delivered to the office by an outside company each day, which is really convenient. It comes with miso soup. At the end of the month, the company deducts the cost from my pay check. Of course, the lunch bento is optional. I find that just under 50% of the people in the office order it. The rest head out on the streets to local restaurants, soup shops, bento shops, convenience stores, etc.

The lunch bento menu is different each day and the meal is designed to be dietetically balanced for food groups, calories, etc. The first few months after I arrived here I wondered how I could order 2 of them as I was never full after just one. Now, I sometimes don't eat all of the rice as I have learned to stop eating before my stomach feels completely full. It's very cultural to stop eating when the stomach feels about 70-80% full.

Most of the people that don't order the lunch bento tell me that they may not be in the mood for a particular menu on a particular day, so they would rather see what their food mood is on a given day and then find it nearby. As for the taste? Well, it is cafeteria grade food, but for the cost and convenience, it’s a lot better than heading out in rain/cold weather or hot/humid weather. After eating the lunch bento, some folks take a nap at their desk. Others head off to the smoking room. I prefer taking a walk outside to stretch my legs and see what new stuff has arrived in shops nearby, or just to observe the lunch time culture of people whirling around.

Tokyo Car

While on my lunch break the other day, I spotted the perfect car for maneuvering the crowded city streets. This car can be parked almost anywhere.

A Trip to Okinawa

This past week we decided to take a family vacation to Okinawa. Mio found a discounted package tour which included airfare, hotel, most of our meals, sightseeing, and so forth. It was my first Japanese tour, so I was not exactly sure what to expect.

The first day consisted of taking 2 trains to get to the airport, flying to Okinawa, then getting on the tour bus once we arrived. There were about 30 people in our tour group. There was a mixture of ages from infant to senior citizen. A couple of family groups were in our tour. It is not uncommon to see families travel together here, whether they are related or just friends.

The second day we took a boat about 20 minutes to a nearby island for a day in the sun. The boys had a super time. The beach was similar to the beaches in Tahiti with coral sand and a very long, shallow bay to play around in. The water was as warm as bath water and there were lots of colorful tropical fish swimming all around. Tommy was especially fascinated with the hundreds and hundreds of hermit crabs all around. He even learned firsthand what it feels like to be pinched by one!

After a day in the sun, we took the boat back to Okinawa and boarded the bus for dinner. We ate at a fun place similar to Benihana. The boys got to drink fruit punch out of cups shaped like skulls. The highlight of the day was Tommy learning how to dog-paddle on his own.

Day 3 started with a morning swim in the hotel pool and nearby ocean, then a bus ride to a butterfly and beetle park, a huge aquarium, and a pineapple farm. For dinner we went to a dinner show to see the old Okinawa dancing and singing in a location made up like an old Okinawa village.

The 4th day included another show at the nearby Okinawa village which consisted of a mongoose and snake followed by a 3-D movie of their interactions in nature. Then it was off to the international shopping district for some shopping before heading to the airport. While shopping we found a Vietnamese restaurant where Mio got to have her favorite lunch, Pho. Boy was she happy.

As I mentioned before, I have never been on a Japanese tour before. It was quite interesting. There were 2 leaders of the tour. One handled the details of times, tickets, etc. The other was the bus girl. The entire time we were on the bus, the bus girl stood at the front of the bus and filled the time with trivia, history, song, and other musings about the area we were presently in. She sure gave that PA system a workout. The tour guide was efficient with tickets and other arrangements. We stayed in typical Japanese family hotels. Sparse on technology and gadgets because the focus is on relaxing, not staying in touch. This was a nice change from business hotels. And most of the meals were buffet style with a mixture of Japanese and western food. There were no other foreigners in site in any of our hotels or bus trips. It was kind of nice in that there were no awkward moments.

Going to a Wedding

We recently attended a wedding for one of Terry's friends from graduate school. Japanese weddings are very glamorous, to say the least. This wedding was at the Miracosta hotel at Disney Sea. The hotel is a 5 star hotel.

In Japan, all adults wear black and white to weddings. Men wear a black suite and a white tie. For funerals, the same suits are worn, but with a black tie. Many men buy a special black suit, kind of like a tuxedo, to wear at these occasions, and then keep a black tie and a white tie in the closet for the appropriate occasion. It is very easy to tell when someone is going to a wedding or a funeral.

Before the ceremony, we were escorted to a waiting room for the bride and groom's friends. There we met several guys from graduate school. There was a separate waiting room for the bride and groom’s family. When it was time for the ceremony, we were escorted into the chapel. The exchange of vows was very Western with an American pastor performing a traditional Christian ceremony, in Japanese. We even sang a traditional Christian hymn during the ceremony, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

The ceremony lasted about 20 minutes. Only the bride and groom stood up front with the pastor. They don't use bridesmaids and groomsmen here. They had a small choir singing some parts of the ceremony. After every part where someone should say "Amen," the choir sang it, a capella. After the exchange of vows we were escorted back to the waiting room until the reception room was ready. During this time the bride and groom went to an outside balcony to be introduced to the public enjoying the Disney Sea attractions. They were introduced to the public with an enthusiastic applause from the public.

When the reception room was ready, we went in to look for our names at one of the tables. The meal was superb. There were at least 5 or 6 courses served. The kids had special meals and really enjoyed them. One of the pictures is of Michael's appetizer plate. The reception was very organized. The hotel provided the emcee services. A friend for the groom gave a speech about the groom. This is kind of like the best man at an American wedding, but his only duty is giving a speech. When he was done, the bride's friend gave a similar speech. It was more of a biographical speech.

For the majority of the reception, people sit at their tables as speeches are given by family members, the bride and groom cut the cake, travel to each table to greet/thank their guests, and so on. It's not a big dancing/drinking party. It is much more subdued and orderly. At one point during the reception, the bride and groom came around and handed out small gifts to everyone. Tommy and Michael got a bag with some candy in it.

In Japan, people don't give gifts to the bride and groom. The custom here is to give money. You go to the bank and get new bills. You give a set amount based on the relationship with the bride and/or groom, according to etiquette. A single person going to a not so close friend's wedding would give about $200. It goes up from there, in $100 dollar increments, depending on the relationship, if you bring your spouse or children, etc.

On the way home Tommy was beat and took a cat nap next to Mio.