Getting out of town (Part 2 of 2)

We rose on Sunday to a lovely sunny day. It was a bit cool, but I prefer it to be a bit too cool over too hot any day. Regardless of the temperature, we were just happy it wasn't raining.

We planned on going to Izu Animal Kingdom, a small zoo. We arrived right when it opened to find only a few people lining up to go inside. This zoo is well known for letting visitors feed various animals throughout the zoo.

Our son was super excited to be able to feed giraffes, ostrich, and zebras.

He was most excited about feeding the tigers.  There were actually tiger cubs born just 3 days before our visit!  We could only see them on a tv screen, but it was exciting nonetheless.

Each feeding cost an extra bit - between ¥100 and ¥500 for every bit of food.

Although I enjoyed watching my son feed the animals. I still have difficulties going to zoos in Japan. The enclosures are often small without much enrichment, or things for the animals to do. This zoo was much better than others I have seen, but there was still lots of room for improvement.

Once we wrapped up our zoo excursion, we headed back toward home. The GPS took us on a different route. The day before, we drove south along the sea, but this time we went up into the hills. Unexpectedly, we ended up on the Izu Skyline. As my husband maneuvered the car along the curvy road, we suddenly had the most spectacular view of Mount Fuji. My son and I gasped at the majestic sight. It is so rare to get such a glorious view of the beloved mountain, we were both giddy with excitement.

After a bit, my husband found a viewpoint to pull off and get a good look. We couldn't believe our luck. Just the day before, it was rainy and we never would have been able to see such a sight.

Seeing Mount Fuji was the perfect way to end a wonderful escape from reality.

Getting out of town (Part 1 of 2)

When my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I didn’t hesitate to let him know that I wanted to leave Nerima for my birthday. I wanted a break. I wanted to see different sights and do different things.

While I don't mind hanging out at home, I do like to explore. To some degree, I've enjoyed all this time at home with my boys since February. But, I also need little escapes. I love traveling and seeing new places.

Beyond letting my husband know my desire to leave town, I left the details up to him. He decided to rent a car and go to his family’s timeshare in Izu. We went there a couple years ago. The area is very quiet, with not much around the hotel. But it does have a view of the Pacific Ocean lapping upon big boulders, making the most relaxing sound of ocean waves.

Knowing the drive would take us at least 3 hours, we left right after the car rental shop opened at 7 am. It was raining and dreary, but our spirits were high. We were going on an adventure. My husband had scheduled lots of fun activities for us to do.

Our first stop was at a kamaboko factory/museum/shop. Kamaboko (fish pulverized into a paste then steamed, baked or fried) is a very popular addition to udon soup, bento boxes, and more in Japanese cuisine. It is also consumed as a side dish. This huge shop offers classes for people to make the fishcake themselves or participate in a simpler version of mixing the paste with vegetables, forming it into a shape, and frying it. We decided to take the easier class purely based on time (the first class is two hours, while ours was only 30 minutes).

Our class was a fun activity, letting us play with our food a bit. Afterwards, we walked away with freshly fried kamaboko, which everyone in our family enjoys immensely. We peeked through the museum a bit, watched the professionals form the traditional half-moon for sale, and picked up several items in the huge gift shop to enjoy later.

Almost an hour down the road, we found our second destination - a soba making class. My son and I have made soba before, but we didn’t do it with my husband. Plus, this was a make and eat class! We ground the buckwheat using a neat stone mill that was surprisingly easy to use. Then we mixed the dough before rolling it out and cutting it into thin noodles. Each family in the class put their noodles into a labeled box for it to be taken back to the kitchen and boiled. While it was being cooked, we moved to the restaurant, where they brought our prepared noodles out for us to enjoy. As the staff brought out dishes, they were careful to ensure each table was served the noodles they had made.

Two doors down from the soba restaurant was an art studio. Inside the studio, there were people throwing pots on pottery wheels, painting already made plates, and more. My husband had made reservations for us to do etching. The staff took us upstairs where we picked out dishes to etch and sticker stencils. We applied the stickers to the little cups we had selected and wrapped the rest of the cup in packing tape.

The etching machine reminded me of a science lab. There was a door on the side which you use to put the cup into the machine. Next, we donned gloves and arm covers. Sticking our arms through holes on the front of the machine allowed us to grab the sand blaster in one hand and the cup in the other. Using our foot to press the “gas petal”, we etched our cups. It took a while to remove all the glaze, but everyone really enjoyed the calm process of revealing the pottery underneath. Once it was properly etched, we could remove the cup from the machine and rip off all the tape. It was so neat to see our completed projects. Everyone agreed this was a super fun activity.

We had a bit of time to kill before starting our relaxed evening at the time share, so we decided to check out the teddy bear museum in town, which happened to have a Totoro exhibit. I don’t know what it is, but these places usually creep me out. A teddy bear is meant to be cuddled, not sit behind glass, staring into oblivion. It was definitely an unusual activity for us, but the exhibit was amazing. I’m so glad we checked it out and got to see the recreations of the Totoro story in various art forms, mostly as stuffed characters.

By the time we checked into the timeshare, we were ready for the onsen (bath), dinner, and bed. Our brains were overwhelmed with all the activities we had done during the day. As I lay in my futon, after our son fell asleep, I simply listened to the ocean sounds and felt a calmness inside that I haven’t experienced in some time. There was a mixture of normalcy, exhilaration, and serenity coursing through me. It was the best kind of birthday gift.

My opinion matters

It has been 3 years since I have lived in the states. But I am still a citizen. I am still very invested in what goes on in my home country. So, when it comes time to help choose the future direction of our government, I take it very seriously.

Hailing from Washington State, we are fortunate to have mail in ballots. Since my 18th birthday, I have voted in every election by absentee ballot.

In the past, I have had my ballots forwarded to me via the postal system. This is both nerve wracking and expensive. I always fret that my ballot isn’t going to reach me in time and pay through the nose to get it to me before the deadline (for the primaries I paid over $60 to have it delivered in less than 7 days). Since I can look at the voters pamphlet online, I am ready as soon as that ballot appears.

After paying so much to participate in the August 4th election, I decided to finally look into my options. Since how you vote is determined by where you live/where you are registered to vote, I looked up the voting options for those in King County, Washington State. I was excited to learn there was an online option for those in the service and anyone living abroad.

I had to fill out a form and explain my reason for wanting an electronic ballot, changing how I am registered to vote. Although I filled out the form electronically, I still had to print it out to sign it. While I had the option to mail the forms in, I chose to scan them and email them back. Two days later, I received an email back from King County Elections stating they were processing my request and a hard copy was not required (meaning they could easily read my forms).

Then the waiting game began. Just as millions of Americans anxiously wait by their mailboxes for their ballots, I diligently kept checking my email. What if it got sent to junk mail and I didn’t see it? What if submitting my form on September 22, I was too late to participate in this election with an electronic ballot?

I shouldn’t have feared. On October 14, I received an email with instructions for voting electronically. I was so excited that I immediately filled out my ballot: approving and rejecting measures, as well as filling out the circle next to my preferred governmental representatives.

Once again, I had to print everything out to sign it. I chose to scan it and send it via email instead of mailing the form back. Now I can check the status of my ballot online as early as next week. Of course, anyone (at least in King County) can do this last step. I love going on there and seeing how many times I’ve voted over the years.

When my son came home from school, we had a chat about how mommy is an American citizen regardless of where I live. As an American, I have the right to vote and it is very important for me to do so. I need to make sure that the people I love are being cared for, even if I’m not there. We talked about the differences between governors and presidents, and why we want those people to share our values. Listening to my seven year old tell me about things that are important to him, that he would want to make sure a president also valued, was inspiring.

I’m so thankful I can vote, no matter where I am on Election Day. Knowing that I made my voice and opinions heard is not just important to me, but to my son’s future as well.

A time for renewal

I can hardly believe that I have been here for over three years. But, there are little reminders all over the place. My son has completed a two-year kindergarten and has moved onto the next level of schooling - elementary school. I have enjoyed a third Japanese birthday cake with my name on it. And, my driver’s license was up for renewal.

It doesn’t matter when you get your initial license in Japan. It always expires one month after your birthday. How many years you have between renewals depends on how long you’ve had your license as well as your driving record. There are three levels of driver’s licenses here - green, blue, and gold. The green (indicating a new license) and blue licenses must be renewed every three years. If you have infractions (tickets, accidents, and so forth) on your license, you have to stick with this three year renewal cycle. However, if you make it to gold status (6 years accident and ticket-free), you only have to renew every 5 years.

With this renewal, I was moving up from a green to a blue license.

One month before my birthday, I received my renewal notice via a postcard. I had between then and one month after my birthday to go to the DLC (Driver’s License Center) to complete the process.

Last time, I had special circumstances that allowed me to jump through several hoops, specifically I didn’t have to attend driver’s education courses or a driving school and I didn’t have to take an exam because I hold a Washington State driver’s license (there is a special agreement between Japan and 4 states - Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington). This time, I wouldn’t be so lucky.

We tried to leave early, but somehow managed to arrive at the DLC 30 minutes after it opened. While I have no idea what the line was like at 8 am, by 8:30 the line wrapped around the building and into the adjoining parking lot. My heart sank, knowing this was going to be a long process.

Once inside, I turned in my postcard and showed my driver’s license at Station 1. They handed over a form and directed me to Station 2. After filling out the form, I went to Station 2 and paid a fee (I can’t recall the exact amount, but it was less than $30USD). At Station 8 (out of order for some reason), I had to create a password that would be used later in the process. I had a vision test at Station 3 and turned in paperwork at Station 4. I picked up a printed document at Station 5 and then hopped over to Station 6 to get my picture taken.

After all that, I was directed upstairs to register for a class. I needed to sit through a 2 hour lecture before they would give me my updated license. Not looking forward to this portion, I took a deep breath and headed into the classroom. The rooms are filled in a first come, first serve basis. I had to laugh when I noticed all the desks in the back and sides of the classroom were filling up first. Some things don’t change, regardless of where you are in the world. I took my seat near the back and got ready for the course to begin.

An older gentleman arrived right at the starting time and stood at the front of the classroom. He was wearing his COVID uniform of a mask and face shield, as well as normal attire of a lapel microphone. He then walked the class through a variety of information. Some of it came from the two booklets we were given. Other, finer points, were explained with the help of an overhead projector. At some point we had to watch a video as well.

The whole course was in Japanese. I understood very little of it beyond the main concept of “don’t be a distracted driver.” At the beginning of class, the instructor emphatically told the class no cell phones were allowed. So, I just did my best and tried to stay engaged despite not comprehending most of the information. Thank goodness for the dried oranges I had in my bag that I could sneak whenever I felt my eyelids getting a bit too heavy.

At some point, we were given a short quiz. As soon as he started explaining it, my heart started beating super fast. Were they not going to to give me my license if I failed the quiz? But I couldn’t read the kanji (Chinese characters), let alone understand what was being asked! So I raised my hand and asked if I could use the translator on my phone. The teacher said it was fine. I pulled it out and did the best I could. After a couple questions I realized the quiz was a self reflection on distracted driving. Do you drive the same route everyday? Don’t get lazy and not pay attention! Do you drive while sleepy? That is very dangerous and reduces your reaction time! As soon I realized we didn’t even have to turn the quiz in, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Exactly two hours later, the class was done. I then stood in a line at Station 9 to pick up my license. (I have no idea where Station 7 was. Maybe it was the class...) A quick check on a computer using my new license and the passcode I had created earlier (to confirm everything matched and my license pulled up my information), and I was all done!

The whole process took 4 long hours! I’m so glad this isn’t an annual renewal. Maybe by the next time I have to go through this process I’ll understand more of what is said in the class. Then again, maybe not.

Escaping reality

At the end of 2002, I had been living in Japan for a couple of months and I experienced my first real battle of culture shock mixed with homesickness. I had never lived far from home (college was only an hour or two away to either parent’s house). I broke down in tears at small challenges and felt desperate to be with my loved ones. The emotional rollercoaster was confusing and overwhelming.

When my boyfriend (now husband) called to chat, I told him about my distress and he told me “I’ll be right there.” Soon, he arrived and informed me we were having a movie night. I shrugged my shoulders and invited him in. A quiet night inside sounded perfect for my overstimulated brain. I was a bit surprised that he chose an animated movie, but I wasn’t going to argue about it.

As I settled in, the movie “My Neighbor Totoro” started to play. It is a very famous cartoon about 2 young sisters who move to a new house with their dad while their mom is in the hospital. As they are adjusting to their current circumstances, they meet a new imaginary friend, Totoro. He is a big, soft, kind animal-like creature that brings them joy and comfort. And he did the same for me. I fell in love with that sweet creature on that day, and he’s held a special place in my heart ever since.

My Neighbor Totoro, and 21 other full-length movies, are the creation of Studio Ghibli. The studio has a cult-like following, with many famous characters that rival Mickey Mouse in popularity here. Although I’ve seen 17 of their movies, several of which I’ve watched countless times, Totoro always ranks top in my book.

Holding this adoration in my heart, I was excited to learn about the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, a suburb of Tokyo, on a trip to Japan with friends back in 2008. We were able to get tickets and made a special excursion to Tokyo to go. That museum visit had a lasting impact on me.

Because I had such a wonderful experience the first time, when we moved here, I wanted to take my son so badly. He had only watched two of their movies at that point (My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service), but it was on my list of things to do.

I didn’t realize how difficult it was/is to get tickets. There are only so many available. Each ticket is for a specified date and time. The tickets are released on a certain date each month for the following month. Tickets are not sold at the door. You have to log onto their website and purchase the tickets super fast. They sell out each month in as fast as ten minutes!

I’d pester my husband about it here and there, but the timing was always wrong and there wouldn’t be any tickets available. Then, a couple weeks ago, he popped his head into the living room while I was watching tv and casually mentioned “I got tickets for Ghibli Museum. I put it in the calendar.” Then he left, not waiting for me to jump off the couch screaming in excitement and give him a big kiss.

Knowing it was 12 km (7.5 miles) away from our house (located in Inokashira Park), we’ve been riding our bikes a lot to make sure we could make it on our own two wheels versus taking public transportation. Our son was up for the challenge as well. Luckily, the weather cooperated and getting there by bikes was much easier than any of us expected.

By the time we arrived, I thought our son would be a bit worn out, but he was jumping up and down saying over and over “I’m so excited!” Our tickets were for 2pm, and there was a lot of anticipation on all of our parts to get inside and see everything. There was a short line, as people had their temperatures taken and were kindly instructed to use hand sanitizer before entering the building.

Guests are not allowed to use cellphones or take any photos inside the museum. Although disappointing, I really do feel I was able to enjoy the museum even more without the distraction of getting good photos.

A stained glass window depicting Laputa.  I took this from outside the museum.

Seeing Totoro just outside the entrance.

We started in "The Beginning of Movement" room, where we saw examples of stop animation and layering cells to give movies depth. Then we explored the replicas of the studio offices (called "Where a Film is Born"). We also reserved a time slot for our son to climb on the life-sized cat bus (from My Neighbor Totoro). Since it was a beautiful day, we were able to climb the stairs to the rooftop garden to see a statue of a robot from my husband’s favorite Ghibli movie, Laputa or Castle in the Sky. They allow photos up there because it is outside.

We stopped by the gift shop and then went to see the animated short that is only viewable at the museum. These movies change monthly. The one we saw was about a hiker who used apples to thank the spirits for guiding her on a safe journey. It was really cute. All three of us enjoyed it a lot.

When it was time to go, we felt satiated. The museum is not especially foreigner friendly. They don’t have any English (or other language) descriptions or information beyond the map. (You can buy a book in the giftshop that details everything in the museum in English.) But it didn’t matter. Studio Ghibli makes people feel good and just being there and seeing their displays made me happy.

I'm so glad we were finally able to take our son. It is a beautiful museum featuring characters close to our heart. Although it isn't really interactive, it is still a magical experience for everyone who goes.