An extra holiday

When I went to pick up my son from school today, I made sure to memorize a new phrase "ashita kesseki shimasu."  I wanted to let the teacher know my son would be absent from school tomorrow.  When I told her this, she laughed and told me everyone would be absent tomorrow because the school would be closed.  I stared at her for a moment in complete confusion and then sought out my English speaking friend.

She laughed when I inquired what was going on, because she completely understood my confusion.  It turns out that Tokyo has a special holiday that isn't celebrated in other parts of the country.  Simply called "Citizen's Day" or "Tomin-no-hi," October first is a special day when many public parks, museums, galleries, and other facilities offer free entry. 

Though not a public holiday (meaning government offices are still open), when October first falls on a weekday most public school children in Tokyo have the day off.  For some reason, I didn't know this and it wasn't in my personal calendar.  So, I wasn't aware my son didn't have school tomorrow!  I was just planning to keep him home from school to spend time with our out of town guests. 

Since many museums are free and some places offering special Citizen's Day events, it’s a great opportunity for a family day out.  If we're here next year, we will go all out in taking advantage of this great concept of a holiday.  But for this year, we'll stick with our original plan of playing with our friends.

A friend comes

Everyday I sit down for at least 30 minutes (usually longer, as I am a slow writer) to think about Japan and reflect on my life here.  It is amazing to me that anyone takes the time to read about my experiences and random thoughts.  I write this blog as it is a way for me to be more present and to process when I get too overwhelmed.  But it is also keeps my friends and family (as well as many people I don't know) updated on what is going on in my life. 

Several people have commented that when they read my blog, they feel like they are going on this journey with me.  They hear about interesting places to visit in Japan, facts that are not widely known about the culture, and food, food, food.  Of course, I also share my personal thoughts on life here and things that I grapple with. 

I appreciate each and every time someone reads this blog, and even more so when they let me know what has resonated with them.  Sometimes it actually inspires them to travel either here or somewhere else they have always wanted to go.  And that makes me feel absolutely incredible. 

Periodically a friend gets on an airplane and flies over an ocean to come to Tokyo.  I might not be the reason they are coming, but being on that list of "things to do and people to see" is so exciting!  I absolutely love showing them around and providing tools for them to make their Japanese dreams come true. 

I have had a love affair with Japan since I was a young child.  So, getting to share that with others (and learning a ton more along the way) is incredible. 

Another friend arrives shortly.  My excitement is through the roof.  She's only in Tokyo for a short time, with lots on her agenda.  But even just a quick meeting with a loved one is exhilarating.  I hope she has the most amazing, memorable trip here.  And I can't wait to be just a smidgen in that special journey.

It's a weed that you eat

Located on the edge of Heiwa no Mori (the fantastic ninja park) is the Omori Nori Museum.  I have been a fan of nori (nor-ee), finely chopped seaweed dried into thin sheets, since I first tasted it in my third grade class.  We were studying Japan and my teacher brought some in for everyone to try.  By that time,  I was already obsessed with Japan and eagerly tried anything labeled "Japanese" or made in Japan. 

The green paper-like sheet is most often used to wrap rice balls or sushi.  It comes in a variety of sizes.  Right now I have long thin sheets for wrapping my son's rice balls, large rectangles left over from a temakizushi party, and some small decorative cut outs that I use to decorate the top of a bed of rice.

For 300 years, Ota city was a bustling nori farming community.  The shallow sea water was perfect for harvesting nori, and the area quickly became famous for its nutritious agricultural product. 

In 1962, the local farmers agreed to move their livelihood to make room for the development and expansion of Tokyo Port, including Haneda airport (a short 20 minutes down river).  Even though the farms moved, the area is still one of the top nori distributers in Japan.

The museum opened in 2008 to teach people about the history of the area.  There are various tools used for gathering and producing nori on display throughout the free museum.  It was interesting to see the narrow and shallow, yet long nori boat on the first floor.  Although they used boats, the farmers actually spent a good deal of time in the water on tall, stool-like  sandals with rocks attached to the bottom of the shoe so it didn't float away. 

I wish I could have seen the walls of nori drying in the sunshine.  It put a smile on my face just thinking about this part of the production, as I remember hanging my hoshigaki and having to wait patiently for it to be the perfect dryness.  Plus, the pattern of framed squares as far at the eye could see would have been really impressive.

While there are not any English explanations attached to any of the artifacts, there is a helpful English brochure available next to the office, just inside the entrance.  I found everything to be pretty self explanatory.  I'm sure I would have walked away with more details if I were able to read everything, but I didn't feel like I was being deprived information at all.  For example, it was easy for me to understand the machine made to weave the bamboo together into nori drying mats.

While I'm sad that Ota city is no longer the nori farming community it once was, I'm glad I was able to learn about the history and tradition of the area.  I'd be curious to see the modern production process.  But first I have to learn where they moved to!

Dyeing project

For the last couple of days, I have been volunteering at my son's school.  Some of the other parents and I have been tie-dyeing tenugui.  They will be used as gifts for guests to the school. 

On Wednesday we gathered for an hour to fold and bind the fabric.  We used chopsticks, buttons, and rubber bands to create various patterns.  As we worked, many of the mothers chatted happily about this and that.  I sat quietly and worked.  I try to show up to things like this in support of my son.  I want him to see me giving my all and showing up for him, even if I do so in silence.  Sometimes there is someone there for me to talk to, other times not.  For this project, I did not have anyone chat me up.

On Thursday, I showed up but was told the school employees had the dyeing handled.  They divided the tenugui into three batches.  One was dyed with onion skins - turning the fabric bright yellow.  Another batch was double dyed with onion skins - making burnt orange patterns.  The third batch was dyed with flower blossoms - changing the white fabric to light pink.  While I appreciated the extra hour, I was a bit disappointed to not see this part.  I recently watched one too many YouTube videos about dyeing fabric with various things from nature and I was curious to see how much of the ingredients they used.  My son was also super sad that I wasn't at his school and suddenly drop off was a bit harder than normal. 

Today, the parents went to the school to rinse out the cloth and hang them to dry.  Once again, I worked quietly while conversations buzzed around me.  Suddenly, a mom (who was doing something else at the school) came up to me to tell me my son wanted my attention.  He actually wanted a hug as well as to have my attention for just a bit.  He showed me his pogo skills.  He also shot a couple baskets with a soccer ball.  Then he was ready to go back to his friends and I could get back to hanging up the tenugui.  It was nice being there for him for a short moment.

Once all the tenugui were hung, we were free to go.  I quietly slipped away to go home and cook dinner (curry) and get some chores done. 

The project gave me more confidence to try the natural dying at home.  It will be so interesting to see what we decide to do and the patterns we will create.  I have already been saving onion skins.  Now that I see the vibrant colors created by this easily accessible ingredient, I will be more dedicated to gathering as many as I can.

Sandwich anyone?

Two slices of bread and something in the middle can be a meal or a snack.  It is a filling way to cope with a craving.  I grew up eating tons of sandwiches.  I have many memories of eating peanut butter and jelly or meat with cheese as a kid.

While onigiri (rice balls) reign supreme in Japan, sandwiches are easily found.  There is usually a small selection at the convenience store (typically meat with cheese, or veggie, or something a bit unconventional).  Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) sandwiches are very popular.

Cheese chicken & green perilla

Ham & potato salad

The sandwich I just can't seem to fully understand is the "dessert sandwich."  Between two slices of white bread with crusts removed sits a thick layer of whipped cream and fresh fruit.  Strawberries is the most popular fruit found inside a dessert sandwich, but mandarin slices are also common.


Of course, some places go above and beyond with their creativity. 

Grape; Cherry jam; and I forgot...

Orange; Blueberry jam with sour cream

Rum raisin; Mango; Fig; Pineapple

We decided to try the fig sandwich.  As long as I kept in mind that I was eating a dessert and not a sandwich, I enjoyed it.  But as soon as my mind went to sandwich, my brain got all confused and unimpressed.  Since I love fresh figs very much, it was strange to be so mixed in my feelings.

I think these sandwiches are definitely something people grow up loving and just keep eating.  My son is over the moon for them.  Of course you could add sugar to just about anything and he would be a fan. 

Bagel craze

Tokyoites have discovered the bagel.  Shops are popping up all over the place offering warm carbs to anyone desiring the soft, chewy rings of baked goodness.  Of course they can't just be plain New York bagels.  They have to have a little Japanese twist to them.

Lunchtime at Juno in Setagaya offers an all you can eat bagel meal.  It comes with a small entrée of fish, chicken, or pork, as well as a salad, side, and soup.  Plus, you get as many bagels as you desire.  As someone who is bagel deprived (my favorite are from Costco and I don't get them very often), I was eager to indulge in this carb-loading lunch.

Juno has a selection of bagel flavors, including honey beet, spinach, tomato curry, cheese with pepper, double chocolate, and many more.  Since we had 3 people in our group, it meant we could try lots of different flavors. 

We sat there for over an hour, taking our time eating various bagels and drinking tea.  It was a lovely little escape.  Long ago, I used to find breaks from the craziness of Japan in Starbucks.  But I don't go there very often any more.  It doesn't hold the luster that it used to for me.  But for this short time in Juno I felt a little reprieve from the stress of the city.

I hope this trend continues.  I am a huge bagel fan.  I'm hoping to see bagel sandwiches sometime soon.

The waving kittycat

There is a very famous cat in Japan that can be found at almost any Japanese restaurant or business.  This little white cat is more popular than Hello Kitty!  Known for waving at everyone it sees, the cat looks super friendly and inviting.

Photo credit: japanvisitor.com

Legend has it that if the little kitty, known as Maneki Neko, will bring luck to it's owner.  If the right paw is raised, the kitty will bring wealth and good luck.  The waving left paw attracts customers to a place of business (which is why you see them in so many Japanese and Chinese restaurants).  Some cats even wave with both paws.  They are said to provide protection.

There are lots of theories to the origination of the kitty folklore.  We visited the source of one of these tales to see all the waving kitties. 

In the Edo period, Gotokuji Temple in Setagaya was the home of a monk who had a cat.  The monk was very poor and the temple was just a shabby hut.  Although things were not so bright, he enjoyed the company of his cat very much and treated it like his own child.  One day he asked the cat to bring fortune to the derelict temple.

Several months later, some samurai warriors came into the temple.  Shortly after arriving, it began to rain and the samurai decided to stay in the temple until the sky cleared.  They sat with the monk, drank tea with him, and listened to his teachings.  They were so impressed with the teachings, they decided to convert and become benefactors of Sanze-inga-no-hou (the sect of the temple).  At some point, the monk asked the samurai why they came.  They told him that they saw a cat who waved to them on the street, beaconing them to come inside.  It was this cat that led them to hear the teachings of the monk.  Therefore, the beloved cat brought fortune to the temple.

Since then, Gotokuji Temple has been called the cat temple.  Nowadays people go to the temple to pray for household serenity, business prosperity, and fulfillment of wishes.  Tucked in one little area of the temple is a shrine dedicated to Maneki Neko.  In all honesty, I expected to see seas of the white cats, but it was actually only one small area.  It didn't matter that there were less than I expected, they still brought a smile to my face.  I like the positivity of the cats.  No wonder cats are so beloved here - they are a symbol of hope!

Buy all the pumpkins

Orange pumpkins still aren't really a thing here in Japan.  So, when we saw a small selection today in front of a florist shop while out on a bike ride, I quickly bought 3!  I simply couldn't resist. 

My son absolutely loves Halloween.  I tend to go above and beyond for him on this holiday.  In fact, a friend who will be visiting before Halloween will be bringing a bit of American fun-size candy just for me to use while recreating trick-or-treating.  Friends will hide behind doors in my house and then he'll get to go door-to-door collecting candy and treats! 

Spending ¥1300 ($12) for three small pumpkins didn't seem like too much to pay for such a luxury item. 

I can do hard things

Every night when I put my son to bed, we say affirmations.  "I make smart choices."  "I am courageous."  "I can do hard things."  It is a nice way to end the night saying positive things.  Sometimes we even say examples of why he is strong or brave or so forth.  Tonight it was easy to come up with examples of the hard things he can accomplish. 

A while ago, I asked my Hike it Baby friends for recommendations of "ninja parks" or, as they are called in Japan, athletic parks.  Unfortunately, all of them that were shared with me are located over an hour and a half away.  So, if we want to go, we have to calculate at least 3 hours of train travel into our excursion. 

After a bit of a calculation, we decided to head over to Heiwa no Mori in Ota Ward for a fun-filled family day.  With the promise of a challenge, we headed out to find adventure.  Three trains and a 7 minute walk later, we arrived at the gates of the park.

This was the first athletic park we've had to pay for.  At ¥360 per adult and only ¥100 per child (totally ¥820/$7.60 for my whole family), we felt the fees were not too high.  Personally, I'm happy to pay these fees to support the upkeep of these parks.  They are so amazing and beneficial for children.

After giving the ticket to the man at the gate, my son immediately began the 40 obstacle course. 

While traversing a long balancing log, he fell off a couple times.  He was frustrated, but restarted the beam again and again until he didn't fall off.  At one point, he grumbled to me "I can do hard things!" 

The place was a bit crowded.  My son had to wait at several of the obstacles for his turn to balance, mount, and conquer.  We weren't surprised since it was the weekend.

I wasn't prepared for the water obstacles, so my son reluctantly obliged our request for him to skip those.  After all, if he fell in and got all wet, he would be the one sitting in wet clothes all afternoon!

As he challenged himself again and again, he continued to conquer all of the challenges put in front of him. 

I am continually impressed by these parks.  The wooden structures are a bit daunting for me as an adult, but thrill my son to no end.  He is endlessly proud of each accomplishment, ready for the next.  As he learns confidence in himself, he also feels my pride in him. 

The second option

Following the ballet lesson, my son's next class to try out was judo.  This well known Japanese martial art was derived from Jujitsu, the art for either attacking others or defending oneself.  For little kids, they learn about falling so they won't get hurt, building skills and respect, as well as defensive moves.  I like the idea that they teach kids to grapple and wrestle versus strike and kicking. 

My son was super eager to try judo after watching a bit of the sport with my husband.  So, after getting a recommendation from my husband's coworker who has practiced judo for many years, we headed to a dojo (place where they practice judo) in Setagaya for a trial class.  It was very far, but we felt the personal recommendation was worth the trip for a trial class.

Setagaya Judo Club had a uniform for my son to wear during the trial.  It was so cute to see him in the white clothing, along with all the other kiddos.  I immediately noticed that the class was almost equal girls and boys.  This made me very happy to see girls and boys represented as the skills learned in judo are important for everyone.

The class began with several stretching exercises, followed by some runs of forward rolls and backward rolls.  My son was so excited to use balancing skills along with momentum.  There were things that came easy and things that really challenged him.  It was wonderful to watch as a parent - him pushing himself while having fun. 

While I admittedly was a bit nervous taking him to a martial art class, I left feeling that judo would be a very good thing for my very gentle son to take.  Between the physical demands to the respect aspects, I now feel like it would lay a good foundation for him in anything he would pursue in the future.

Now it is up to my son to decide.  Will he take ballet?  Or will he take judo?  Or will he choose door number 3?

Trying again and again

My son is trying out several different activities.  There are lots of classes around for him to test out to see what he is interested in pursuing.  He tried a classic ballet class this week. 

According to this "investigative reporter," ballet classes in Japan for children are exactly the same as ballet classes in other places around the world.  Cute kids in tutus and black leggings lined up at the bar doing plies and learning foot positions. 

The school was overjoyed to have the interest of a little boy, as they are always hopeful to have them join the classes and performances.  I would expect to have the same reaction regardless of the location (with the exception of Russia, where I'd think it was pretty popular, but that is just an assumption). 

Farm fresh Italian

A friend sent me an invite to lunch today.  She was craving lunch at La Mouri and wondered if I wanted to join her.  Of course I did!  Last time we went to the farm-to-table restaurant, it was amazing.

I arrived a few minutes early and found myself gazing at the farm for a few minutes.  It was such a beautiful day.  The fields were bursting with so much produce - peanuts, eggplants, carrots, and so much more. 

Today's lunch was splendid and fulfilled my every craving.  La Mouri makes amazing, scrumptious food.  Both our appetizers and pasta were incredible.  Knowing that so many ingredients came from right next door made it even more amazing.

My friend and I had a lovely chat as we talked about birthdays (she reads my blog and since I just wrote about it, it was fun to discuss the differences in cultural approaches to aging), kids, and so much more. 

As we were leaving, we chatted with the chef for a bit.  He actually has visited Seattle.  Soon the three of us were talking in a mix of Japanese and English all about Seattle, food, and duck eggs.  There are some topics that go beyond language.  Food is always one of those topics. 

I left the restaurant elated.  Good food, good conversation, and a whole lot of good feelings.  And the rest of the day, the smile wouldn't leave my face. 

They just don't care

In less than an month, I am turning 40.  That is a four followed by a zero.  Although I try to pretend it isn't a big deal, it really is.

For me, turning forty is a rite of passage.  It is something that I've been looking forward to for a while now.  Forty is a way of saying "I've lived a lot, but I have a lot more to live."  In fact, I have lived an interesting life thus far with many chapters that are so diverse that most would not expect one chapter to lead into the next.  But here I am, turning another page in the book of life. 

I don't think anything will happen at the magical moment of turning the calendar from 39 to 40, but if I was in the US, I would probably celebrate in some way.  Maybe I'd have an evening out with my girlfriends or a party at my house.  But no matter how I chose to celebrate, when I told people it was my 40th birthday, they would make a fuss over it.  It is just what one does.  Any time someone changes that first digit of their age it is considered a big deal.  In Japan, people couldn't care less.

They will kindly say happy birthday, but going from 29 to 30 or 39 to 40 and so forth simply is not a big deal here.  For the most part, Japanese people do not celebrate birthdays after childhood beyond eating cake. 

There are, however, a few exceptions.  The year a child turns 3, 5, and 7, they attend a special festival called shichi-go-san at the local shrine honoring their birth.  When a Japanese person turns 20, they officially become an adult. 

The next biggest birthday isn't until the person turns 60!  Known as Kanreki, the 60th birthday is considered a rebirth because they person has completed 5 cycles of the Chinese zodiac (jikan junishi).  The celebrant wears red, has a party, eats a special cake, and is gifted presents featuring the symbolic red color.  This is perhaps the most celebrated birthday in a Japanese person's life.

The last three big birthdays are special because the kanji (Chinese writing system) is written in a way that has multiple meanings.  Turning 77 is known as "happy age."  Eleven years later the kanji brings attention to the 88th birthday which is known as "rice age."  Finally, the 99th birthday is the "white age."

It sounds as if I am having a bit of a pity party.  I guess I am just a little bit.  After all, for me, turning 40 is a big deal.  It is something I want to celebrate.  And yet, I fear, it will just be another holiday that is special to me and not to anyone else on this continent (with the exception of my husband and son).

Flutter away

Last year I was sitting in the park, enjoying a lovely afternoon, when something black flew right past my face.  I jumped back in surprise and tried to follow it with my eyes.  The wingspan was wider than the width of my hand.  I immediately thought it was a very confused bat.  And then I realized it would have been a rabid bat. 

Once my mind really got going I mentioned it to a park mom.  She laughed and told me, "That was a butterfly.  There are lots of them around here." 

Since that informative talk, I have been on the hunt to get a better view of this fast butterfly, named onaga ageha (also known as long-tail spangle swallowtail).  I would see them often during the heat of summer, but they never stuck around long enough for me to take a photo.  Every time I saw one my heart would pound a little faster and I'd reach for my phone just to watch it flutter away.

When we saw one at the park this weekend, my husband and I both reached for our phones and started clicking.  We were so excited when we actually captured it on film.  We took as many as we could as it fluttered around a tall, pink Hibiscus syriacus (also known as Rose of Sharon).

Later in the day, we checked our phones to see who got the best photo.  Our son was very eager to look at the photos.  He wanted to look the butterfly up in his bug book.  He zoomed in on each photo.  Suddenly he gasped and then squealed with delight. 

In the background, hidden behind a flower was a praying mantis.  We had no idea it was there, but he found it in the photo.  It was an extra fascinating find.  I only saw praying mantis' at the zoo when I was a kid, so every time I see one here it is extra thrilling for me.  Since my son has a praying mantis in his classroom that he often watches eat live crickets, he knew exactly what could have happened.

Having the photo feels like mission accomplished with a bonus.