The white stuff

I have barely left the house since the start of the new year. I had a couple dentist appointments, forcing me to take the train into Azabujuban. These excursions left me feeling stressed about exposure to viruses, resulting in a self-imposed quarantine. Besides going to the dentist, grocery store, and taking my son to ballet, I have kept the couch company. This has afforded me to read seven books and work on a quilt.

While I know it has been the responsible thing to do, I’ve felt lonely and missed my friends as well as the “outside world”. But it was important for me to complete 2 weeks of isolation following my last appointment. Today was the day ending the confinement.

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve created a new habit of curling up on the couch, wrapped in a warm blanket, to read for a while after sending my son off to school. I start the day by escaping to Seattle, Scotland, North Carolina, or Paris through the pages of the books I dive into. This morning, my husband yanked me out of the streets of historic Paris by letting me know that my bike battery was ready to be picked up from the bike shop. I acknowledged his message, but decided that I would go in the afternoon to get it since I was in a really good part of my book and I quickly stuck my nose right back into the story.

I had special ordered a new bike battery because mine was not holding a charge for very long anymore. Since we tend to go on long adventures, I need a battery that can keep up with my demands. When I put in the order, the owner told me a few tricks to make the battery last longer - let the battery warm up to room temperature for an hour before putting it on the charger and bring it inside every night, as huge variants of temperature make it die faster.

When I had decided to go to the bike shop in the afternoon, I didn’t realize it was going to be raining. Riding a bike in the rain is not my idea of fun. It feels extra cold as the large drops smack you in the face, often obscuring your vision. Plus, no matter how much rain gear you are wearing, you always feel wet when you arrive at your destination. Regardless of my hesitation, I had committed to the bike shop owner I would go, so I did.

The owner was pleased to see me. He had the battery ready for me, so the visit was pretty quick. It is always nice when I can get in and out of a shop in a timely manner. While it was a really quick transaction, I left with much lighter pockets though, as the battery cost ¥41,000 (or $393 USD). I guess that is what I pay for transportation maintenance/repairs in Japan. I guess compared to a car, it is a bargain! But the sticker shock is still there.

As I rode home, the rain pelted me. I was getting a bit grumpy with my bad timing. I was cold and wet and just wanted to be back on that couch reading another chapter.

Once through the door, I peeled off my coat and wet layers. I found a new set of clothes and hung the dripping wet poncho that I wear bike riding in the bathroom to avoid a mess. Then I went to the living room and stopped. Just outside our sliding glass door, I saw huge snowflakes falling out of the sky!

They were so pretty to see. My grumpiness dissipated as I called out to my husband to look outside. Like two big kids we cheered and exclaimed over the cold white crystals dancing toward the ground.

It continued to snow for hours. My son walked home from school in it. When he arrived, he shouted at us, worried we would miss it. Then he dashed back outside to join in the dance. The flakes were huge, allowing him to catch many on his tongue and laugh as they hit his eyes and nose.

While I know the snow won’t be there in the morning, it was fun to see and feel the magic of it. We didn't mind one bit walking to my son's ballet class through the accumulated snow. It felt nice to enjoy the pretty scene.

It served as a reminder to me today that there’s always something to look forward to, even surprises. If we are patient, the delights of life will reveal itself to us.

Seven Lucky Gods

There are lots of famous characters in Japan. From Hello Kitty to Pokémon, there isn’t a shortage of familiar faces. Just spending a short amount of time in Japan, the most famous characters become known to everyone because they are EVERYWHERE. Beyond pop culture icons that are used in animations, merchandise, and/or marketing, there are some characters that have more meaning than others.

Within many shrines across Japan, there are seven characters that reveal themselves in statues, artwork, and carvings. They are known as Shichifukujin, or the Seven Lucky Gods. Typically seen together as a group, most often in their treasure ship or Takarabune (as it is known), their friendly faces bring joy because they are said to bring good fortune to people’s lives.

Ebisu (恵比寿): the God of success in business (originally from Japan). He typically has a fish and a fishing pole with him.

Benzaiten (弁財天): the Goddess of financial fortune, good results in learning, music, and art (originally from India). She is easily identifiable because she is the only woman!

Fukurokuju (福禄寿): the God of wisdom, wealth, luck, and longevity (originally from China). He has a huge brain!

Hotei (布袋): the God of happiness, contentment, good fortune, bringing good match, bringing healthy children (originally from China). He is chubby and holds a fan.

Juroujin (寿老人): the God of long life/longevity and happiness (originally from China). He holds a staff and wears a hat.

Bishamonten (毘沙門天): the God of war and victory (originally from India). He usually looks a bit intimidating or scary.

Daikoku (大黒): the God of commerce, agriculture, and prosperity (originally from India). He carries a mallet and wears a hat.

Shichifukujin have been around for hundreds of years in Japan. Many temples and shrines enshrine the seven gods throughout Japan. During the New Year holiday, some people like to tour shrines that pay heed to these deities. The tours are so popular there is a special name for it - Shichifukujin Meguri. According to my research, there are 28 tour routes just in Tokyo! Many people collect stamps as they visit these shrines, commemorating their journey.

Older and wiser, maybe

With the latest State of Emergency securely in place, many people are back to working from home and avoiding large gatherings. Activities are being canceled left and right, rescheduled for later dates when the Covid numbers have reduced. The Japanese government has promised immunizations would begin in late February using a hierarchy to determine who gets the shot first.

While many are choosing to stay at home, for some, there are certain milestones that people don’t want to let pass by. The second Monday of January is Seijin-no-ji, or Coming of Age Day in Japan. This national holiday is a celebration of everyone who turned 20 years old during school year (April to March), recognizing the official transition from childhood to adulthood.

In Japan, 20 is the golden age of rights, responsibilities, and liberties. 20 year olds are able to drink alcohol, smoke (cigarettes only, marijuana is still illegal), go to hostess bars, gamble, and drive. It used to be the voting age, but that was lowered in 2015 to 18.

Typically those celebrating the holiday dress up in traditional kimono (although many guys prefer to wear suits these days) and attend ceremonies at the city ward office. Afterwards they head out for a day of fun with friends and family.

I tried to quiz my husband about his Coming of Age Day, but he skipped it. He wasn't interested, much to the chagrin of his parents.

This year most of the ceremonies were either canceled or moved to online. So, I didn’t think we would see any newly-minted adults in kimono when we went to the park. (They tend to head there because it is a good place for photos.) But I didn’t need to worry. We saw several groups of 20 year olds dressed up in traditional finery.

As time goes on and there are fewer and fewer chances to see people dressed up in beautiful traditional clothes, it is nice to see some traditions are holding on, regardless of pandemics.

A different kind of tea

I can't believe winter break is almost over. It is a special time for our family. School is closed, but also my husband has time off of work. I am always so happy to have copious quantities of time with my boys. We have had fun over the past two weeks. Our son had about 20 minutes of homework to complete each day and several ballet classes to attend, but otherwise we were able to spend time together.

While we were all sad to not go to the Kansai region to visit some of our favorite places in Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto, we were still happy to have some time together. We spent a lot of time at home - watching movies, playing games, and our son even sewed his first bag and started his first cross stitch. We also got out a bit as well. We visited Tanashi Jinja (dragon shrine), among others, as part of our New Year celebrations.

Just as the break is coming to an end, we have news that Tokyo and a few other prefectures will be reentering a state of emergency due to the number of severe Covid cases. This will be much more relaxed than the state of emergency from earlier in the pandemic. For example, schools will not be closing this time. It has everyone, including us, reassessing their precautions and comfort levels.

It leaves me feeling sad and disappointed, inflaming the longing in my heart to be with friends and family that I haven’t seen in over a year.

I'm also feeling gratitude toward my husband for the mental break he provided earlier this week. On Monday evening, while watching TV, he looked at me and said “do you want to go to tea tomorrow in Ikebukuro? I can make a reservation for 2 pm.” I gave him a confused look and questioned what he meant, needing more information. After all, tea is everywhere in Japan. Why would we bike an hour each direction just for tea? He then clarified it was high tea, as in British high tea. Well... THAT I would bike over an hour for!

Tucked beneath the streets of Ikebukuro, just a short distance from my favorite bookstore, is Racines Bistro. This little hidden gem is a bakery and bistro serves a Japanese version of British high tea. It is one of those things that you just have to know about, as it isn’t even on the menu (it is on their website, though). It is served at 2 pm and reservations are required.

We arrived right on time and were seated in the corner of the modern style dining room. Since it is a set menu, there isn’t any ordering required. Just sit back and wait for everything to arrive.

Instead of perusing a large list of teas and choosing one, we were told we would be enjoying a flight of teas - seven in total. Without meaning to, I let out a little laugh and said “this might be an interesting bike ride home after seven cups of tea!”

When they brought out our three tiers of scrumptious treats, my eyes lit up with excitement. Everything had fresh strawberries on it! January is peak strawberry season in Japan (they are grown in greenhouses) and the bistro offers a special seasonal tea featuring the bright red berries.

Realizing there were seven treats for each of us, we decided to pace ourselves over the next hour and a half, eating just one treat with each cup of tea that found its way into our cups. It was hard to not just dive in, but we all exhibited great self control.

As we relaxed and chatted, we enjoyed scones with honey, butter, and strawberry jam with earl grey tea. Time just stood still as we escaped into little courses of a savory bun with clotted cream and a strawberry along with white peach tea; financier cake with apple tea; croissant hearts and rose tea; cream puffs with chestnut tea; strawberry mousse paired with royal milk tea; and sandwich cookies with strawberry tea.

After we were done with everything, the waitress came and asked if we wanted another cup of tea - any of our choosing. My husband asked for another cup of the apple tea, while I had chestnut and our son requested strawberry. I couldn’t believe our son had not just made it through all the “courses,” but wanted more! He was only drinking half cups, but still...

At some point during our lovely tea experience, I said to my husband “it feels like it is my birthday!” It felt like that much of an escape from all the insanity in the world today. With the new State of Emergency being declared, we will be sticking even closer to home, so I am extra glad we were able to have the refreshment break.

Welcome 2021!

As we rung in the new year last night, I, like millions of other people, was happy to leave 2020 behind. It was a difficult year on so many levels. I look forward to releasing the stress and hardship of the past year and working toward a brighter tomorrow.

We traditionally spend New Year's Eve eating soba for lunch with friends and celebrating with a quiet evening at home. We always tune in to NHK for their New Year Eve special and eat nabe. This year we ate soba and nabe at home and still watched the televised entertainment.

As for New Year's Day, we normally eat our osechi and head out the door to visit a couple shrines. With Covid numbers in Tokyo at an all time high, we ate our osechi and chose to limit our shrine visits to just the small local shrine in our neighborhood.

We spent the rest of the day at home. We had a lovely outdoor chat with our neighbors and video chatted with a friend. We also let our son watch "Spirited Away" for the first time.

2021 is the year of the cow (or ox), an animal revered for its diligence and persistence. It is also thought of as grounded, loyal, gentle, and trustworthy. As an agricultural animal, it has a strong connection to the earth, creating both stability and nourishment. I am certain that we need these things worldwide as soon as possible.

Statues of cows can be found at many shrines throughout Japan. It is believed that cows possess wisdom, so many students go to shrines to rub the cow's forehead before exams.  (These shrines are labeled as Tenmangu.)

We look forward to going to more shrines over the course of the first month of 2021.  I appreciate the time to reflect on generating good fortune and looking forward instead of behind.