Roppongi Art Walk

A lovely evening walk included lots of interesting art displays in Roppongi Hills.  We have been watching them build and set up various exhibits over the last week or so.  It was a pleasure to see everything come together into the interesting pieces.  Of course, we liked some more than others.  I wouldn't say it was any different than other Art Walks I have been to over the years.  But, it was a fun event.

In the quest to eat all the cute food in Japan, we bought a hermit crab chocolate cream pastry and a whale sweet bread (called melon pan because it was filled with a fake honeydew filling) at a bakery today.  The cuteness must be consumed!  Honestly, the whale wasn't that good, as I don't like melon that much, but the bread part was really yummy.

And the most surprising find today was the juice box sized box of wine, which included a straw!  I needed a small amount of white wine for a recipe.  Ha, ha!  Don't judge.  I didn't use the straw, just the wine inside.

Chinese and Italian

I haven't been sleeping very well.  The bed in the temporary housing is hard as a rock.  When I do sleep, I'm often woken by my son between 5 and 6 am (so thankful, as this is an improvement from 3 am like when we first arrived here).  Even though I don't get up at that time, the consistent interrupted sleep is not a good thing.  When I do get out of bed, it is slowly with a lot of stiffness.  Maybe part of it is the walking everywhere, but I blame the bed and the kid (just a little).

That said, last night I began to feel worn down and my throat felt a little sore.  Never a good sign.  So, I drank lots of tea, took my vitamins (that I brought from the US), and my son and I had a pajama day today.  Luckily, I purchased him his first set of big kid/adult Legos recently as well as some art supplies.  We watched a little TV (yay for Netflix with lots of shows in English!!!), built things with Legos using our imagination, and painted on paper plates.

When my husband got home, he declared we needed to eat some "cold fighting foods."  So, we headed out for some Chinese food.  Lots of ginger and garlic always does a body good.  Just a short walk away was a Chinese restaurant from Osaka that my husband is very fond of.  I'm sure many foreigners would walk right by it because it is down some stairs and the signage isn't very inviting. 

Once inside, we ordered gyoza (pot stickers), veggies in a garlic sauce, a tofu appetizer, and a noodle dish with seafood and veggies.  The quantity was much smaller than what you would receive in the US, but the food was delicious and satisfying.

After dinner, we wandered around for a bit and then stopped by an Italian gelato place.  I've seen several gelato places and they seem to be quite trendy right now.  But I honestly don't know if the trend is on it's way in or out.  One unique feature of the gelato shop was how you order.  There is a vending machine near the door where you purchase a ticket for what you want - single flavor, double, triple, espresso, chocolate drink, and large quantities for taking home.  You then take your ticket up to the counter where you choose your flavor and get the gelato.  They have these fantastic square cones, which I've never seen before.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be all better, happily avoiding the cold with a little rest, relaxation, and yummy food.

Pet Shops

Just to be clear - I am not a fan of pet shops.  Yes, I purchased my chickens (that I had back in the states) from a farm store, but I know the owner and trust his sources.  I am of the mindset that you should get your pets from shelters, reputable breeders, or a friend.  There are just too many questions regarding where the animals came from (puppy mill???).  Pet shops make me sad for the animals in them.  That said, they seem to be really popular in Japan.

There is a pet store down the street from our apartment.  Every time we walk past, my son begs to go in to look at the cats and dogs.  Entering this shop is pretty surreal to me, as I can't remember the last pet store I saw in the US with cats and dogs (unless it was an adopt a pet day).  The store is pretty stark, as the focus is on the 6 open-air Plexiglas crates at the front and the 8 behind-glass cages at the back.  There are also 2 really tall enclosures for kittens with cat trees in them.  The cats are all super fluffy and the dogs are stinking adorable on multiple levels.  All of the animals (I would guess) are less than 6 months old.  My son oohs and ahhs at them and then spends the rest of the day (or week) begging for a dog. 

After a visit or two, I started noticing and converting the prices of these cats and dogs.  The average price tag seems to be ¥500,000 to ¥850,000 (according to today's exchange rate $4,436 - $7,542).  I guess you REALLY need to want a pet here!  My husband pointed out we live in a really nice area, with sky high rents and humungous salaries.  Emphasizing his point, I have seen some very fancy cars around here.  Who knew car doors that opened up (instead of out) was still a thing?  Anyway, I have noticed that all the dogs are miniatures.  I would guess the crazy breeding tactics and the uniqueness have something to do with the price.

I must say that I've seen a lot of dogs around here and they seem to be really pampered.  Designer clothes, top of the line strollers, and tons of dogs being carried in Louis Vuitton bags are common sights.  I've even seen a few dogs walking on leashes. There are at least 3 posh pet groomers within a single block radius.  These dogs (and cats) are living the life of luxury.

One day we went in and I noticed they had some "Premium" pets.  These little babies came at an even steeper price tag of ¥1,000,000 for the puppy ($8,873, pictured above) and ¥1,200,000 for the kitten ($10,647, the gray one in the photo above).  The puppy is a mini-Shiba.  The regular "version" is a VERY popular dog in Japan, so the designer version would be very desirable to many people here.  I have no idea about the kitten.

Today, I relented and we went again.  There was a new puppy - a teacup poodle.  Probably the cutest little bundle of joy ever created.  And it could have been mine for the bargain price of ¥2,000,000.  That is not a typo.  And either is the dollar amount... $17,746.  Now, I haven't been shopping for a designer pet in quite some time, but really???

A while ago we were wandering around and we passed an exotic pet shop.  I would guess that these are illegal in the US.  We stopped in our tracks when we saw the owl sitting in the window and were shocked to see that it was for sale!  Curiosity got the best of me and we went in.  There were several animals there that just broke my heart as they are not domesticated animals and shouldn't be in a cage: a tiny squirrel monkey, several owls, a toucan, and more.  I was so shocked and saddened I couldn't even take photos.  I felt so conflicted being there.  I visit a lot of zoos and happily support those that work hard to create wonderful environments for those animals that have been born in captivity and so forth, but this just left me speechless. 

I'm not meaning to get "political" on here.  It is just something that is drastically different in Japan that I think a lot of people don't really know about.  I'll be curious to see if the current pet shop model goes away in the future as it has in the US.

Give Me a Break!

I grew up with Kit Kats.  Their chocolate covered wafers have always been a favorite for me.  These days you can sometimes find specialty Kit Kats in the US - strawberry, dark chocolate, matcha, and white chocolate.  They are fun and pretty special because they are unique.  I usually find the special ones at Uwajimaya or other Japanese grocery stores. 

When I lived in Osaka, I learned that Japan has special Kit Kats that you can't get in other places.  As a matter of fact, there are special flavors for each major city/region!  These flavors can usually be found at major hub train stations and souvenir shops within the specified city.  Of course you can get awesome sets at the airport too!  I used to always bring back these special flavor Kit Kats for my co-workers and friends.  They were always a big hit. 

Over the last several years, Kit Kat has taken their ingenuity even further.  They now have specialty food stands in department stores that have special flavors you can only get in these elite stands.  I've even heard of Kit Kat stores.  They have limited edition flavors that cannot be found in regular stores.  And they have premium flavors featuring really high quality chocolate. 

Today I found myself seeking out special Kit Kat flavors at the Kit Kat Chocolatory in Shinjuku.  This shop is a food stand in a major department store, Takashimaya.  Down in the basement, they have a treasure trove of glorious, beautiful, expensive food.  Most department stores have these and they are simply breathtaking.  They are filled with the finest of the fine food.  Cantaloupes for ¥14,040 ($125), 10 piece fruit baskets for ¥24,840 ($220), incredible cakes, amazing salads, all sorts of foods to enjoy - all at a cost.  Each "shop" is just a glass countertop that displays their food.  If you want something from that shop, you pay for it right there.  They wrap everything up and send you off with your delicacy in a bag.  Depending on your budget, you can walk away with lots and lots of bags...  I could spend days and way too much money in any department store basement.

The Kit Kat food stand has a little history lesson.  Did you know the slogan "Have a break, have a Kit Kat!" was first advertised in 1958?  I sure didn't!  That is some slogan.

I decided to splurge on several Specials flavors: butter, strawberry maple, and green tea & kinako.  I also picked one item from their Connoisseur line: pistachio & grapefruit.  Finally, I selected one of their Sublime flavors: matcha. 

I've only tried a couple of the flavors.  Butter was creamy goodness.  Strawberry maple was really sweet strawberry flavor.  I didn't really taste the maple.  And the Pistachio & grapefruit was... interesting and not in a bad way.  Just really hard to describe!  You could taste a bit of the sourness from the grapefruit and it did taste like it had nuts in it.  Overall, they are just fun.

In other news, we've now been here for an entire month.  My husband brought me home a gerbera daisy - a flower that I love because I don't think you can look at a gerbera daisy without smiling.

Adjusting, I Guess

A friend asked me today how I was adjusting to my new life.  It was an interesting thing to ponder. 

On the one hand, I am simply living my life day by day.  I get up every morning.  I take care of my son.  I do things that need to get done.  I try to go interesting places and do new things.  We go to a lot of parks for fresh air and getting wiggles out.  My family eats meals together and we make sure to have various forms of family time.  At the end of the day, I go to bed. 

On the other hand, I am in a new place.  Things are harder here and take more effort to do things that used to be very easy.  When I go to the grocery store, I can't just grab and go.  I have to stop and look at everything to make sure I am getting what I intend to purchase.  Nothing like coming home with sugar when you were trying to buy salt!  I often pause to try to understand something or overcome a language barrier.  After 4 weeks here, my husband just told me I was saying gibberish when telling the grocery clerk that I didn't want a bag.  I was really upset that no one corrected me earlier even after he reminded me that it is considered rude to correct someone.  Since then, my son has been quizzing me on how to say "hukuro iranai."  I get lost - a lot.  It's getting better since getting my phone with GPS, but I don't know where things are and how to get there.  I don't have my things and often can't do things my way, which is very challenging to say the least.  Each day I take the time to write this blog about the things I see, do, and feel.  Topics are easy to come up with because there's so much to consider.

There are very drastic differences between my life in the US and Japan.  Some are easier to get used to than others.  I had a car in the US, but I don't have one here.  Not driving is nice, but everything takes much longer to get to.  I have very wonderful, supportive friends in the US, and here they are far away and usually only reachable until about 3:PM or 4:PM Tokyo time.  This means I can't wait until after my son goes to bed to call them or meet them for lunch.  And, frankly, I haven't made any friends here.  There have been lots of pleasant conversations that haven't developed into anything.  My son had many things that occupied his time in the US, whereas now he demands my attention pretty much nonstop.  He doesn't have his friends here or his yard or most of his toys.  I was very independent in the US, but now have to rely on my husband A LOT!  I texted him the other day from the grocery store so he could tell me if something in a bottle was a marinade or a dipping sauce.  And I'm constantly taking photos of signs for him to translate later.

Honestly, I don't think I have fully really realized that I actually MOVED here.  Living in temporary housing feels like I'm not really here to stay.  There is a receptionist that can help me whenever I need something and always greets me as I walk through the lobby.  Housekeeping comes twice a week.  I don't even have stuff to clean with!!!  The kitchen is how they set it up, not how I would have organized it.  And it definitely doesn't have my tools that I love and use frequently.

I think moving anywhere takes time to really feel like you've adjusted and you're in your new home.  But for me, this process will take even longer because of the strange situation I'm in.  I hope that when we do move into our permanent housing, I will be able to really grasp the drastic shift that has taken place in my life.

Until then, I'll continue to get up and get things done.  I'll continue to focus on my son and his needs.  And I'll continue to seek out adventure and explore new places.

Shibuya

Shibuya is one of the most famous areas of Tokyo.  It is the home of that crazy crosswalk that shows up in movies all the time.  The streets are lined with flashing signs and commotion is endless.  There is never a time when this area isn't packed to the gills with locals and tourists.

On the quest to buy new furniture and house goods, my family headed to Shibuya for some shopping.  We took the bus, which is nice since it's above ground and you can see part of the city.  As soon as we arrived, I was hit with the lights and the noise.  I wouldn't say it was chaotic by any means, it was just intense.  In order to get to Nitori (the Japanese version of IKEA), we had to cross THE crosswalk - known as Shibuya Scramble.  All the people made me nervous in a "if we lose my son we'll never find him" sort of way, so we clung to each other pretty tightly.  (Also, he gets very upset if he loses sight of us in crowded places.)  It struck me as we crossed the street, weaving around the vast number of people, that there were probably 20-50 cameras filming the street crossing at that very moment.  People were standing on cement barriers and holding up selfie sticks to take videos, as well as so many people holding up their phones as they walked.  Heck, I even snapped 2 photos just for this blog.  But where else in the world is crossing the street such an event?

After we crossed the street, we walked down the street several blocks to Nitori.  It is a very well organized store and my family made it through in record time.  We picked out couches (one for the living room and a pull out for the guest bedroom/office), dining area furniture, kitchen cabinets, and even a desk.  We then went to a couple other stores to purchase other necessities. 

On the way back to the bus station, we once again crossed Shibuya Scramble and walked into the train station plaza.  There, amongst all the people, we found the statute of Hachiko.  Hatchiko was a devoted dog who met his owner at the train station every day.  One day the owner did not return home from work, as he had died tragically from a cerebral hemorrhage.  But Hachiko still came to the station to meet his owner.  He kept coming back everyday for 9 years (or 10 years, depending on the source), until he, too, passed away.  Although this happened back in the 1920's/30's, the story is still well known today and has even been made into several movies.  If you ever want a good cry, watch one of these films.

There was a bit of a "line" to take your photo with Hachiko.  As we stood there, I listened to all the various languages being spoken around me.  It was really quite amazing.  I got a little emotional thinking about how all these people, for some reason, chose to come to this very spot in the world and what a magical place it really is.  I'm currently watching to Facebook show "Humans of New York: The Series" and I couldn't help but think what people would say about why they were there at that exact moment.

I made the comment to my husband that I couldn't imagine many people lived in this area and he chuckled.  He told me that one of his friend's lives there as well as many other people.  While I find it overwhelming and exhausting, others find it vibrant and energizing.  For me, it will remain one of those places I can say I've been, but I'll never seek out unless I really need to go there.  That said, I am really glad I was able to see the Hachiko statue as that dog brings me joy every time I think of him.

Bathing with Strangers - It's a Good Thing

I still vividly remember my first public bathing experience in Japan.  I was on a weekend trip with a group of Japanese teachers and we went to the onsen (a public bath using natural hot spring water).  It was a defining moment for me, as I had never done anything like "that" before.  "That" being bathed with friends.  Afterwards, I wrote a long detailed report for my female friends and family back in the US and sent it to them via email.  Everyone had a good laugh about me walking around naked and sitting in a large "pool" with people I barely knew (the teachers) and lots of people I didn't know at all (other patrons).  After getting over the initial shock of being naked in front of other people, I came to love onsen and have visited many over the years.  Public bathing is part of many cultures around the world and for me evokes a sense of relaxation that is on par with getting a massage or meditating.  Public bathhouses create an environment to help their customers leave their stress behind.

My husband and I have been working very hard, moving and adjusting to our new life.  We decided that a day at an onsen would recharge our batteries.  There are also facilities called sento or super sento.  These are all public bath houses, but an onsen's water is from a natural hot spring, while a sento uses water from the city.  A super sento is a deluxe version of a sento, but still uses the city water.

After a little research, my husband found a neat onsen in Tokyo called Ooedo Onsen Monogatari.  It is a deluxe onsen with hot springs, food court, games, and various types of relaxation wrapped up in an Edo-period theme.  We took the train and arrived right when it opened.  We removed our shoes as we entered the facilities and put them into a locker.  Then we checked in, getting wrist bands and yukata (a casual summer kimono).  We went into our respective changing rooms and changed into our yukata.  I have a small tattoo on my foot and while I was changing, I carefully covered my tattoo with a band aid.  Tattoos are a big no-no for any public bath in Japan (tattoos are associated with Japanese mafia, known as yakuza).  Although I've never been talked to about it, I'd rather not have the situation arise.

I decided to start my day with a spa treatment of sorts that I've always wanted to try - having fish nibble the dead skin off my feet!  It's one of those things that I've seen on TV and just wanted to try it.  It was so ticklish!  I was the first person in there and I assume the fish were exceptionally hungry because I think I had every fish in that pool nibbling away.  At first I couldn't stop giggling, but then I just started to relax.  While I sat in the special fish feeding room, my husband and son sat outside in a "regular" foot bath garden. 

Once we were done with our respective foot baths, we headed to the baths.  The guys went to the men's bath, while I went to the ladies solo.  I received 2 towels upon entering and put my yukata, undergarments, main locker key, and large towel into the bathhouse locker.  I took the small towel and held it up in front of my body as I wandered around.  I walked into the bath house and splashed some water from a fountain on myself.  I then found a shower area - little stools in front of a shower head and faucet, as well as a variety of soaps and shampoo/conditioner.  I scrubbed myself clean.  A person never enters the baths dirty.  Baths are for soaking, not cleaning in Japanese culture.  Once I rinsed off, I headed to the baths.  There were a variety to choose from - inside, outside, with minerals, with bubbles (air bubbles, not soap bubbles), even little wooden tubs to sit in.  With my little towel balanced on my head, I tried quite a few.  Towels aren't allowed in the baths, only clean naked bodies.  The time we agreed to meet up for lunch came way too quickly.

I then dried off, put my yukata back on, and headed out to meet my husband and son for lunch.  We each picked something different to eat.  I had chirashizushi.  My son had ramen.  And my husband ate bi bim bap (Korean rice bowl).  Next we went to the "sofa room."  It was a room filled with recliners, each with their own TV (I swear Japanese people are addicted to television), that was for resting.  We found 3 recliners together and my son quickly fell asleep.  We, the parents, then did a high five.  My husband headed off  to take another bath while I stayed with our sleeping child.

When my husband returned about a half hour later, my son woke up and he and I headed for a second bath while my husband took a nap of his own.  Bathing with my son wasn't quite as relaxing, but still fun.  It was his first experience at an onsen.  He's always loved the water and bathing is right up there as a favorite activity.  When he was two all we had to do was say "o furo" (bath in Japanese) and he would run full speed toward the bathroom.  He liked going from bath to bath and thought it was neat that the women's bath had small wooden tubs for individuals (or 2 very friendly people) that the men's did not have.

All too soon, we met up with my husband again for some dessert and wandering around the game area.  My son got to throw his very first shuriken (steel ninja throwing stars).  He hit the bulls eye during his test throw, but then missed it when it was official.  So, he walked away with a glow stick bracelet.  My husband wanted to take one more bath before we left, so the guys headed off to bathe again while I found a massage chair to sit in and then went back to the foot bath (no fish this time).

By the time we left, we had spent over 5 hours there.  We felt rejuvenated and relaxed.  I asked my son what he thought and he declared he was a "little sad."  I was surprised with this response and asked more questions.  He clarified by saying that he wanted to put his hair in the water and splash, but both of those things were against the rules.  He also wanted to keep his yukata, but that was also against the rules.  But, he liked the rest of the experience.

On our way home, we were in a bit of a relaxed daze.  However, when we went to change trains, we all snapped out of our trances when we saw something strange on the side of a building.  We walked closer to check it out and saw a fantastic sculpture.  It turns out that the building is the Nippon TV Tower.  There was a sign that explained that the television station has a good relationship with Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli creator) and he designed this sculpture just for them.  It took them 6 years to build!  The sculpture, named the Nittele Giant Clock, looks like it walked right out of the movie Howl's Moving Castle.  We plan to go back when it springs to life at certain times of the day!  So, stay tuned!

Harvesting Rice

One day my husband was in the elevator at work when he saw an advertisement for a rice harvesting event for people who live or work in Roppongi Hills.  He asked if I was interested and I jumped at the chance, even if I couldn't figure out where they might be growing rice in this downtown area.  I love gardening and learning about where my food comes from.  Since moving here 4 weeks ago, my son has lamented that he misses our garden a lot.  So, having the opportunity to harvest rice was very exciting to my son and me.

We gathered in the plaza this morning with lots of other families and headed up the elevator to a rooftop garden 10 stories up.  There were trees, hedges, stone walkways, a few flowers, and a rice patty.  It was quite lovely.  You'd never know you were on a roof except you had to get up there to be in the garden.  There was a small pond with fish and frogs in it.  Some of the frogs had leapt into the rice patty.  The children enjoyed getting super close and seeing the frog in it's "native" habitat.

We started the event with announcements and a visit from the Fukui (the prefecture where the rice was developed) mascot - a big yellow dinosaur looking creature wearing a red athletic jacket.  It seems that every city, group, or landmark needs it's own mascot here.  My son declared this one to be super soft and hugged it repeatedly while other kids whacked it in the head.  I always feel so bad for the human inside those costumes. 

It rained pretty hard yesterday and the rice patty was very muddy.  So, we weren't able to cut the rice stalks ourselves.  Instead, they had people (I assume employees) decked out in boots and wading pants cut the rice out of the patty.  The rice was grown in small bunches.  So, they grabbed a bunch, cut it with their curved knife and set it in a nice pile.

Someone grabbed the piles and moved them to another location where the children were able to take dry stalks of rice "grass" and tie two bunches of freshly harvested rice together.

They then hung the rice to dry on bamboo racks.  It was so beautiful hanging there to dry.

We then moved to another station where they had dry rice bundles and a thrasher.  The thrashing machine was a box with a wheel inside.  The wheel had spikes coming out of it.  A person was pressing a lever on the outside of the box which turned the wheel around and around.  Each child took a bundle of dried rice stalks and held it over the turning wheel.  The rice grains were removed from the stalks and tossed into a container below. 

We then cleaned ourselves up a bit and ate some of the previously harvested rice (along with nori/dried flattened seaweed, satoimo/taro, ume/sour plum paste, shredded kombu/seaweed).  It was quite tasty. 

That was it!  I now have to google how they remove the hull from the grains of rice because we never learned how they do that and that was my son's first question when we were done.  I did learn that they harvest approximately 30 kg (66 lbs) of rice from that small plot on the roof.  If one had the space, I would think it would be totally feasible to grow enough rice for their own family each year.

It was a nicely planned event and a well spent morning.  I'm so thankful my husband pays attention in the elevator and takes us to random places to do interesting things.