Kansai Trip Part 1: Osaka

I am typing on a Japanese keyboard, which makes it really difficult because I can only hit space bar with my left thumb which is all wrong. So, I will make do and trudge along as is my norm in Japan.

I am on day 3 of the longest vacation of my life around the Kansai region of Japan. We left Yakumo, Hokkaido on December 27th, and after a 2 hr train ride, 2 hr plane ride with discount airline Fly Peach, a shuttle from Kansai Airport Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, a 40 min train ride to Osaka Namba station, and a 3 minute subway ride, we finally arrived at Osaka Hana Hostel. The hostel is located in the Minami chuo (South ward) and is a nice, clean, affordable place. International hostels are a reasonable way to travel.

Upon arrival, we ventured out into Amerikamura, the America-themed shopping/youth/fashion district. We ate at an Indian restaurant; the Japanese are quite fond of curry and there are a surprising number of Indian restaurants around, although this was our first time eating Indian food in Japan. I felt like a truly global citizen, as an American in Japan, speaking Japanese with our waiter, a chubby Indian man, who made us feel more comfortable by speaking a bit of English (probably his third language at least).

The next morning, we had a big and affordable American style breakfast at a place called Planet 3rd Cafe. 

Then, we walked to Tennoji Temple and Park, explored gardens and forests and experienced some of the religious New Year traditions: burning incense, lighting candles, and giving money as an offering. 

Although I planned a daily itinerary, we wandered around and discovered most of the areas I wanted to visit. Dotombori Canal, Shin Sekai (New World District), and Shinsaibashi. There are many narrow, covered alleys with bright neon signs and restaurants, Pachinko Parlors, and restaurants, including the food Osaka is famous for: Kushi Katsu (fried pork cutlets) and Okonomiyaki (fried pancake type things). 

Despite our many adventures, we still had time to take a nap and see Les Miserables, our first movie in Japan. Tickets were about about 2000yen, but concessions were noticibly cheap, and they offered several luxurious amenities like a tray for your popcorn and drink, blankets, and extra seat cushions. The movie was amazing. Tom and I recently watched Hugh Jackman in Oklahoma, and he put on the performace of a lifetime in Les Mis. Russell Crowe's performance left a bit to be desired, as his singing wasn't big screen ready. Sasha Baron Cohen (the Borat guy) and Helena Bonham Carter were the pinnacle of a comedic duo, and Amanda Seyfried and Anne Hathaway were less annoying than I thought they would be. The music was excellent, and I would wholeheartedly recommend seeing it! Tom really wants to see it again...but it's too expensive to go to it in the theaters again. Maybe when it comes out on DVD we can get it.

Yesterday, we took a train to Nara, one of the most historic and famous places in Japan. 1,200 tame deer live in the park, feeding on the biscuits tourists buy for 150yen/pack. We saw Todai-ji (temple) and Kasuga Shrine. Compared to the bustling youth metropolis that is Osaka, Nara was quieter, full of more elderly people, and tourists in general. We enjoyed the forest, the deer, the Great Buddha, and the relaxing three-course Japanese style lunch we had with local pork and matcha (green tea) lattes with deer art drawn on top at Nara Cafe Youan.

And today, our last full day in the Minami area, we took two subway trains to the Osaka Aquarium. We are becoming quite savvy public transport travelers, even with maps and machines in Japanese! I wish you could see us. We're pretty pro, but it took us a fair number of mistakes and confusing conversations with transit officials to figure everything out. But I never told you that. The aquarium is one of the largest in the world, and luckily we accidentally arrived 30 minutes before it opened, putting us 3rd in line, followed by about 150 others waiting outside under our umbrellas. We beat a lot of the rush, on the Sunday before the New Year. It must be one of their busiest days of the year! Much of the aquarium is a winding path around a giant central tank, with fish big and small, sharks and manta rays and turtles and schools of silverfish, all interacting in a pseudo marine environment. We enjoyed seeing the sharks eat other fish in the tank, and the same species of fish riding along under and behind the shark, cannibal-eating the spit out remains of their bretheren. The circle of life...

Now, I must share these three anecdoes: One of the most surprising and enjoyable things about this trip has been the random encounters I've had with Japanese children . While most other tourists are going about their business, children are always interested in their environment, and the two friendly-looking white people (us) couldn't be more intriguing. 

At a noodle restaurant yesterday, upon entering, a little girl sitting on a stool looked right up at me with the most sparking eyes and genuinely kind smile and said, "Yoi otoshio" which means, "Happy New Year," in the Kansai dialect. I was just smitten with her, and smiled, but I didn't say anything back because Tom was still walking and I was too startled! The girl and her parents ended up leaving about 30 seconds after us, and the girl yelled "Happy New Year" after us. What a doll.

I was raving to Tom about this sweet girl on the walk back to the hostel, when this barefoot old lady near a bike parking rack was frantically running about and yelling, "Onegaishimasu!" (Please!). This was on a busy sidestreet in Amemura, with cars and bikes whizzing by. It was then that we noticed a playful little puppy (who had likely snuck out of the apartment and took off down the street) weaving in and out of the bikes, play bowing, and trying to escape in a game of chase. Tom and I simultaneously, no questions asked, started helping this woman (while many other Japanese people stood around laughing at the crazy lady's fate and the 2 gaijin and pizza guy helping her). I ended up shooing it away from the street, and Tom grabbed the little puppy's rump and picked it up. The lady was soooo relieved and thankful, and Tom was beaming, having rescued (and touched) this adorable, fluffy puppy.

Finally, while waiting for the subway train from the aquarium today, I was playing DS, and a little boy walked in front of me in line. I looked at him like, "What do you think you're doing?" and he just smiled up at me and peeked over my shoulder at the DS. Later, on the subway, he and his mom sat across from Tom and I, and he kept looking over at me, getting out his DS. I play this game called "Street Pass" which allows me to wirelessly connect to other people's DSes and "meet them" to exchange puzzle pieces and  have them be characters in this little RPG. I saw then that I had a "New Arrival" at my Street Pass Plaza Gate, and sure enough it was Kaito, a Japanese boy from Shimane in a purple shirt. I held the character up to the boy and there was a resemblance, and before I knew it, Tom was asking, "Kaito?" across the train. The mom said, "Hai, Kaito!" and I showed the boy his profile on my DS. He had already met me, I think, on his, and was amazed, smiling, and shy. In the game, it shows every country you meet someone from, and I may have been his first American! At the airport on the way to Osaka, waiting for our flight, I saw a child showing his parents the "Amerikajin" (American) on his DS. I have a cool Bowser hat in the game, so I'm representin,' no worries.

This afternoon we will take naps and try to find the Cat Cafe that we walked by yesterday (a coffee shop with a bunch of cats in it). Tomorrow we will take the train to Kita (north) for New Years. More updates to come!

Driving in Japan

Would you like to know about what it's like to drive in Japan? Here is some general advice about obtaining a car in Japan, rules and regulations, and general tips. When I received my placement on the JET Program in Hokkaido, I discovered that I would be driving to 5 junior high schools in the Board of Education car, new last year. I also purchased my predecessor's car.

 

 

Before leaving the U.S. I obtained an International Drivers Permit from AAA for $15. Every country has different restrictions for international driving, but for drivers from the US, you need your US license along with your international permit and you can drive legally for one year. After one year, you must obtain a Japanese license, with which your supervisor can help you. When purchasing a car in Japan, you are responsible for the change of ownership form and the mandatory car fees (road tax, parking space registered with city, 2-year car inspection).

 

I was incredibly nervous to begin driving in Japan. Thankfully, BOE members took turns taking me on driving lessons, gesturing left and right, using their limited English and notes they took, and telling me “migi” and “hidari”. Driving on the left hand side of the road and reversing the driver's side of the car took some getting used to, and I still have to think about which side of the car to enter on! As far as I know, you can’t turn left at red lights.

The speed limits in town are from 30-40 km/hr, on highway roads its between 50-60km/hr, and on expressways the limit increases to between 80-100 km/hr. You must pay a pricey toll to use the expressway, but as it is heated in winter and the speed limit is significantly increased, it may be worth it. Despite the in-town and highway speed limits, Japanese drivers continue to speed, and it is polite to move over to the side to let cars pass you on no passing roads. 

 

The cost of gasoline in Japan is roughly ¥150/L (¥600/gal) or over $6.00/gal. However, the cars are smaller and more fuel efficient, so it probably evens out.

Here is a general overview of rules of the road in Japan. Road signs are easy to get used to. Stop signs are like red yield signs. The crosswalk signs are blue with people walking. The no parking signs are big red circles with lines through them. It is the law to stop at every train track. Talking on cell phones while driving is a big no-no. As is drinking while driving, so much so that there is a big “alcohol-free” beer industry so you can drink beer with your coworkers after work and still drive home.  

 

 

If you are caught violating the rules, you are given demerit points, and once you accumulate a certain number of points, your license can be revoked. Police cars are white with red oscillating lights. They patrol frequently but rarely pull you over while driving. Their lights are always on, and if they wish to pull you over, they will talk through a loud speaker at you, at which point you must pull over, and they will come take you into the back of their car for you to fill out some forms. You are not being arrested; this is just how it works in Japan. A ticket can also be mailed to you if you are caught excessively speeding by a speed camera, which are housed in giant metallic boxes and you are warned by about five yellow signs in advance. 

 

Because the streets are often narrow in town and in the countryside sidewalks are rare, oftentimes cars will swerve wildly around pedestrians. In addition, cars will park anywhere they want and throw on their flashers if there isn't a convenient parking lot, in which case more wild swerving ensues. 

There are two main practices that I have come to love in Japan, which seem to be very thoughtful. First, everyone backs into parking spaces. Its kind of an enigma as to why exactly this is a common practice, but I think it seems really orderly. Secondly, it is very common for people to lift their windshield wipers in winter in anticipation of a heavy snow or freezing temperatures to make scraping their windshield easier in the future. Its really smart. 

 

 

Winter driving is another topic entirely. One of my schools is about an hour away through a mountain pass, and in Hokkaido, the winter road conditions are often quite treacherous. They don’t salt/sand their roads and therefore snow gets packed down atop ice in a treacherous layer cake of winter driving danger. Furthermore, before steep climbs, vehicles will pull over in order to equip tires with chains to aid traction. 

 

Overall, driving in Japan is easy to adapt to, and once you jump through the initial hoops of car ownership, you can drive around Japan with relative ease!

At the end of last week, I traveled to Sapporo for the Winter ALT Skill Development Conference. I always enjoy the 2-hour train ride, which is relaxing time to play video games and Words with Friends, except for the train shaking and when we go at high speeds through tunnels my ears always pop.

We had many hours of lecture during the day, and many inches of snow fell outside while we awaited our night-time adventures. On the first night, I walked to Odori Park, a long and narrow park running through the middle of Sapporo. Much of Odori Park (and other parks) are part of Sapporo's "White Illumination": a Christmas light festival and display.  

 

I walked around the German Christmas Market too, pictured here:

The second night, I skipped the expensive and awkward HAJET-sponsored activities and walked through a blizzard to Sapporo Factory, a large, sprawling mall, which is more more like a multi-story strip mall than tall and impressive like the Mall of America.  The mall is famous for its giant Christmas tree located in the atrium, and I was able to thaw my feet and eat KFC under the tree, while being serenaded by a Japanese musician up on the stage. I was surprised that the mall had many stores like North Face and Nike. I was directed to a foreign food store by some other JETs, and found sriracha sauce, a Yankee candle (my favorite), and some excellent foreign food prizes for the English circle.

I also found excellent Christmas presents for each of my five schools, team-teachers, my supervisor, and the organizer of the English circle. I also bought omiyage for the BOE and the one school that always gives me amazing gifts: the Wednesday before I left for Sapporo, the principal delivered an apple pie to my desk!

Overall, Sapporo left me feeling rather melancholy and misanthropic about humanity, modern life, beauty, and consumerism (clearly a hypocrite since I just detailed my Christmas purchases to you). The city is a Mecca for Hokkaido's youth, and many young women could be seen walking the streets in perfect little outfits with styled hair and mask-like made up faces. I took this photo in the heart of Sapporo's shopping district, and found myself walking behind this man, a street sweeper amongst the high-fashion and wealthy.

I just can't understand how people can care so much about material things and how this is one of the fundamental principles of the world in which we live. Being rich, acquiring, being better than others. Not to mention the cliques and popularity contests that result from a congregation of JETs, always willing to talk over you about their endless expertise. I know so few listeners. The world is built by the people who talk the most and the loudest, I guess.

Sorry about that. Anyway, on the last day, I bravely hailed my first taxi in Sapporo rather than walking 25 minutes to the train station with my bags! I was so nervous! In Japan, the drivers have control over the doors, so if you don't look out, you will get smacked. It cost about ¥1200 for a 10 minute ride...not bad!

Getting Fat in Japan

One of my favorite things and one of the most intriguing aspects about Japan is the food. Here is a photo of some tonkatsu (pork cutlet) ramen ordered at a roadside restaurant when returning from my husband's basketball tournament. The restaurant was vacant, except for the owners, an elderly couple, watching a bloody kung-fu movie on TV. Delicious:

However, portion sizes being more reasonable in Japan is a rumor, because noodle soups come in one size: gigantic. Finishing every last bit of food on your plate is quite expected, as when you have a bowl of rice, you are being wasteful and unappreciative if you leave even a single grain. But how does anyone finish all of that salty broth? Usually your ramen broth choices are shouyu (soy sauce), shio (salt), or miso (also salty), and there is usually about a cup of some or another kind of oil.

Here are two dinners that my husband and I made together. The first is our first attempt at sushi in Japan. Looks delicious, right? Unfortunately, someone (not pointing fingers) put in the wrong ratio of rice to water and the rice turned out a bit hard. 

Here is another meal, with salmon sashimi, homemade umeboshi (pickled plum) onegiri and tofu wakame miso soup. The affordability and freshness of fish in Japan is unbeatable.

Next, I have just discovered the way to bake in Japan! I realized that our toaster oven can be set up to 250 degrees, which is not Fahrenheit, because in Japan the default is metric! I had been cooking everything on full heat, in other words: 482 degrees F! Using the handy unit converter app that I have for my iPhone, I am able to convert Fahrenheit recipes to Celsius and voila: kabocha pumpkin bread! Recipe here.

Here is my advice for cooking the excess kabocha pumpkin received by neighbors:

1. Make kabocha bread

2. Make pumpkin soup

3. Make ginger kabocha mashed potatoes (I use the Ishikawa cookbookrecipe): 

Lastly, here is a photograph of a popover and raspberry chai ordered from the one and only (actually it's a chain) Freshness Burger in Hakodate. Can't beat fancy warm coffee type drinks when winter hits. 

I want to relish the opportunity to eat authentic Japanese food and comfort foods from home, but  I'm clearly getting fatter. There is a foot of snow on the ground and the town gym is always packed with school-age children playing sports in the main gym, high schoolers lounging around the weight room, and jogging ladies on the indoor track, in other words, I have a lot of excuses as to why I don't want to go to the gym, not to mention the inevitability of seeing one of my students there. Sometimes we do some P90X plyometrics or yoga, or my personal favorite, Jillian Michaels workouts, inside the apartment.  But if any jumping is involved, the fat gaijin shake the entire building (no, people, it's not an earthquake, we're just trying to work off that entire cheesecake we just ate between the both of us).

I'm 25. By the time I'm 30, I will have a front butt.  So let it be written, so let it be done. On that note...sayonara.

Basketball and New Friends

My husband hates when I blog about him, but the fact is that we have met some great new friends since he became involved with the Yakumo Town official basketball team and I must share! 

There are photos his first game with them at Shiriuchi Sports Center in Hokkaido. 

 Their team name is NERV and the team they played against were the Rich Leapers. The back of their opponents' jerseys read, "Rainbow Arrows." The English language is used as decoration in Japan, the same way westerners get tattoos in Japanese. It looks exotic and is an artistic way to express your ideas. Apparently English can be "punny" too, since another team that played that day was called Hallowin. It was surprising that my 6 foot (180 cm) husband played center, and his teammates were not confident in his ball-handling skills, despite the fact that he played point guard in the U.S.

On November 25th, NERV played in a single-elimination tournament in Mori Town. To make a long story short, they won their first two games earning them a spot in the championship game. Despite a well-matched game, NERV was quite tired, and played against a team that had played one less game, and wasn't able to pull off the win. Teams were awarded prizes of rice-filled squid and cakes. 

After the game, the team met at a yakiniku (fried meat) restaurant serving all Yakumo meat. We got the nomihoudai and tabehoudai: two hours of all you can eat and all you can drink. We had an excellent time, teaching each other English and Japanese and laughing at each other's jokes.

And on Friday, we invited everyone over to our apartment to watch NBA on TV. We purchased enough drinks and snacks for everyone, but were surprised when some very generous friends brought delicious homemade tamagoyaki, a huge sashimi tray, and some artisan cheesecake. We watched the Spurs vs. Heat game in which Greg Popavich sat his three stars, Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli, and in the end the team was fined $250,000, despite nearly emerging victorious!

I have been so busy with teaching at schools during the day and adult classes at night that I haven't found the time to join a weekly club in Japan, so I am really glad that my husband has found such an amazing group of people to enjoy basketball with. 

Next, he will take a trip with them to Sapporo to see the Panasonic Trians ofthe JBL (Japan Basketball League), and our friends said that this winter we will enjoy nabe (hot pot) together!