Top 5 Experiences with Seafood in Japan

 The subject of fish comes up a surprising amount in everyday conversation and is often a source of confusion: from school lunch, to work parties at sushi restaurants, to giving tours of Hokkaido to in-laws, which includes navigating the seafood on various restaurant menus. The average Japanese person doesn't know the English words for different kinds of meat (pig, cow, etc.) let alone all the different species of fish!  Anyway, here are some of the weirdest and most surprising seafood that I've encountered in Japan:

5. Ikameshi - I ate this dish for the first time for school lunch. I thought it was a potato, and when I asked, "What's this?" a student drew an excellent picture of a squid of the chalkboard. The rubbery sea creature is hollowed, stuffed with glutinous rice, and simmered in a sweet soy sauce-based soup. Does it sound appetizing? I was even more surprised when we received three packages of ikameshi as a prize from my husband's basketball tournament! Also, here I'll include my honorable mention: eating baked whole fish, including the bones and the head and the eyes and the skin, for school lunch. Who knew that kyuushoku (school lunch) could sophisticate my palate?

4. Fish cakes, the hot dogs of Japan: The wide world of fish cakes begins with surimi (literally "scraped meat"), a thick paste made from various types and parts of whitefish. When cooked, it becomes dense and rubbery and includes additives like MSG. Sometimes packaged as imitation crab meat, sometimes as kamaboko "loaves", and sometimes packaged with artistic patterns like this Hello Kitty fish cake, it is quite a treat. Another type of fish cake is narutomaki, named for the tidal whirlpools near the Japanese city of Naruto and for which the anime character Naruto is named (the creator loved ramen!).

3. Ikura: Have you ever tried roe, or fish eggs, atop your fancy sushi? One of the best (and most expensive) is ikura, salmon roe. Every fall, the salmon migrate upstream through my town in Japan, and though protected during this season, the fish and their eggs are local delicacies. The Hakodate Asa Ichi Morning Market offers whole bowls of ikura and rice. When you take a bite, they burst liquid into your mouth like fruit Gushers. Their taste is bold, salty, and uniquely delicious, making it one of my favorite foods in Japan.

2. Sea urchin (uni): I received some sea urchin in a can as a prize for winning BINGO at the end of the year party with my BOE. Here is my husband's description: "Opening the can, the urchin appears dry, brown with white specks, like a can of wet cat food that has been opened and left out to dry.  The aroma is musky; pungent; you get the sense that flavors have been... maturing in that can for some time.  The flavor is hard to describe; it's salty, definitely, but there's also a strong, meat-like flavor, with a lingering aftertaste reminiscent of a mild cigar.  The texture is granular, and it breaks down in your mouth into its constituent parts: moist grains of briny sand.  Certainly, one could develop an aficionado's palate for it; for me, though, once was enough."

1. Whale - Without opening a whole big can of worms about the whaling industry, it is always shocking to see whale being sold at the grocery store and at the cheap conveyor belt sushi restaurants. Its bright pink color is unmistakable and its flavor has been described as similar to that of reindeer or moose, neither of which I've ever eaten or intend to.

Although I hail from Minnesota, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes," my knowledge of fish in English or Japanese is severely lacking. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the mysteries of the oceans on my plate. Now, I can't wait to explore the oceans snorkeling in Okinawa and try to find some of my favorite foods, as Sebastian the crab would say, "Under the Sea."

The Swastika in Japan

Me: "Why are there swastikas all over my Google map?"
My friend: "Those are Buddhist Temples."

Let's play "How many swastikas can you spot?" I counted 11.

This is a real conversation I had when I came to Japan which lead to my discovery of the storied history of the swastika. While it is used in many ancient and modern civilizations the world over, the swastika is primarily associated with the Nazi party of Germany, and in the U.S. it is rather taboo. But the symbol is used on Japanese maps to denote a Buddhist temple, and is even found on the official flag of Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture, just across the Tsugaru strait from Hakodate, Hokkaido, where I first asked this question.

However, I am surprised by how little the general public knows about its greater meanings. Behold the fruits of my last 5 minutes' labor on Wikipedia:

The history of the swastika is complex and full of misconceptions. From ancient India to many Native American tribes, from theories about it appearing in the visual cortex during state of altered consciousness to Carl Sagan's theories that it represents a comet that could be seen across the world...suffice it to say that its origins and evolution cannot be explained easily. The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good" or "higher self", "asti" meaning "to be" and "ka" as a suffix. The most common interpretations are "to be good" or "being with the higher self." In Buddhism, the word evolved to represent eternity and as a symbol for the religion itself. Just let it be known that the swastika does not simply equal fascism, but still I wouldn't wear it on your sleeve.

My discovery of the history and meanings of the swastika beyond the American notion is just one example of the way my year in Japan has broadened my sense of world history and made me aware of my own limited knowledge and ethnocentrism.

This revelation also reminds me of the quotation by John Muir that is printed on the back of a t-shirt I have from the Macalester College Environmental Studies Department:

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe."

The Top 5 Embarrassing and Hilarious Blunders in Japan (So Far)

International travel has taught me how to be apologetically foolish and gracefully embarrassed. Heck, I think that's a great characterization of foreigners in Japan, despite their best efforts to appear skillful within Japanese culture. While many of the things I have done to make a fool out of myself are the result of lacking Japanese language proficiency, some are the result of intercultural misunderstandings. Here are my (and my husband's) top 5 blunders in Japan:

5. "Douzo"

Most of the language problems we've had I must credit to my husband. His Japanese is better than mine, and he's more willing to try speaking, whereas I will usually smile cutely and gesture my way through a conversation, using as little language as possible. Being willing to make mistakes is a great characteristic of a language learner which leads to many breakthroughs in language. However, it also leads to many strange miscommunications. My husband visited the town gym on one of his first days in town. The manager at the town gym was trying to show my husband the facilities, as he had given me a tour a couple weeks before.

He opened the door to the pool building for my husband, saying, “Douzo!” My husband, not understanding, replied, "Douzo!" and walked away. Later, he discovered that "Douzo" in that context means, "Please, after you," and the manager was trying to get the door for him not say goodbye. This is a really common mistake when learning a language: the correct response isn't always repeating what someone says. Of course, "Good morning!" can be replied to with a "Good morning!" but I have experienced saying "How are you?" to teenagers and having them reply, "How are you?"

4. “My tomorrow hurts.”

If face to face communication is difficult for us in Japanese, let me tell you, talking on the phone is almost impossible. My husband has been playing on the town basketball team, and he must sometimes communicate with the organizer by phone. A few months ago, my husband received a phone call from that man, asking if he was coming to basketball that night (later, we found out that he had some gifts to give us). My husband replied, "Watashi no ashita ga itai desu." My tomorrow hurts. He was trying to say that his leg (ashi) hurt. The organizer laughed it off and understood that my husband wouldn't be at basketball. But I know that's the last time my husband will mistake the word for tomorrow for the word for leg.

3. The whiskey dilemma

I debated for months about what to give my BOE as an omiyage gift from America. After some research and recommendations, I decided on a bottle of whiskey and some sweets. Instead of choosing some top shelf whiskey (which it turns out you can find in Japan anyway), I chose a bottle made in Minnesota. Needless to say, Minnesota isn't known for their whiskey, and I don't know much about it in the first place. And Japanese men know A LOT about whiskey. At my welcome party, they brought the bottle and made a big deal out of tasting it and trying to read the English label. They discovered that the bottle I gave them turned out to be blended, not 100% whiskey. Furthermore, they brought their own bottles of sake for me to try, packaged in boxes and probably valued much higher. My advice is either not to give alcohol, or if you do, make it something damn good.

2. Forgetting to take off my shoes

When walking into my apartment for the first time, with my supervisor and the organizer of the English Circle right behind me, I made a rookie mistake. I stepped right up onto the wood floor with my summer sandals on. My supervisor went, "Ah!" and I turned around immediately and realized my faux pas. It was bound to happen eventually.

1. Getting pulled over by the police in front of my junior high school

This situation takes the cake on embarrassing moments for me. I left for work on what seemed like a normal Tuesday morning. Little did I know that the 5 minute drive would result in a terrifying and embarrassing experience. But let me set some back story here.

First of all, police cars in Japan always have their lights on. I always wondered how I would know when I was getting pulled over. The first hint is that you did something really wrong, because the cops here aren't just looking for any small reason to pull you over like in America. You have to be doing something really dangerous or REALLY speeding. They have like a megaphone thing they speak out of. Secondly, cars in Japan pull over for no reason every time I am driving. Parking lots are rare, and talking on the phone while driving is illegal, so for many reasons people just throw on their flashers and stop. Thirdly, the roads are so icy. While there are snow plows and occasionally sand is put down as a de-icer, most roads are layers and layers of ice. 

So now that the scene has been set...here is what happened. The car in front of me came to a sudden stop and turned on their flashers. I started to go around the car in fear of not being able to stop in time because of the icy roads, and then behind me I see an ambulance! I pull over quickly, and then I see a police car heading the other direction. I turn onto the street that goes to my junior high school and 15 seconds later the police car pulls around the corner. I come to this 5-way intersection and realize that I need to pull over, but there is a man pulling his child in a sled through the middle of it. So I wait, go through the intersection, and stop just outside my junior high school.

I didn't receive a ticket, only a warning ("Very dangerous! Be careful!"), but some of my students walked by and I knew that word would spread. The next day, the English teacher told me her students had been asking about it, and so I told her the story. It ended up being just fine.

---

I am learning so much in Japan. No matter how much I want to be, it's impossible to be in control. I tried to learn everything and prepare so much before arrival, but been being adaptable and forgiving of myself for the inevitable mistakes has proved the most useful. 

Last weekend we took our trip to Niseko and the road conditions were terrible.  Visibility was limited. It was dark. Strong winds blew snow drifts onto the roads and the snow plows had totally neglected some roads. When nearing our hotel, following my GPS, we took a left up a hill that would bring us to our destination. However, it hadn't been plowed, my husband put the pedal to the medal to get through the deep snow, but we ended up beaching our car. The level of the snow reached the underside of our car. I was freaking out. We were on a dark hill with no one around and my cell phone wasn't getting reception. What did we do? We ended up just pushing the car back down the hill and going back to the main road.

Messing up may be the rule, but matter how deep in the snow or muck you get, or how big of a fool you make of yourself, life goes on. You can live your life being careful, controlled, and risk-averse; troubled by the repercussions of chance. But I'm learning that life is one big adventure, and a better one if you're not playing it safe all the time. So do some fish tails on that icy road. Swim into the ocean even though there might be a shark. Eat a raw egg.  Take this great advice, "Do one thing every day that scares you," (like talking on the phone in Japanese). Follow your dreams to the end of the world, then spread your arms and jump.

5 Weird Things About Japan

While my last "Top 5" list talked about the Crazy Cool Things in Japan, this list will document the Top 5 altogether strange things in Japan. Maybe they are still cool, but they fit more in the category of, "Things that make you go hmm..."

5. Jumbo McDonalds sandwiches 

The McDonalds international menu is remarkable. Did you know that McDonalds India serves the Chicken Maharaja Mac and there is no beef on the menu? In Egypt you'll find the McArabia: two chicken or beef patties between pita bread with tahini sauce. While Japanese McDonalds serve an EBI Filet-O shrimp burger and a Green Tea Oreo McFlurry, the most curious menu items are from the America-style menu. Behold, the Mega Mac. Packing 700 calories and 40 grams of fat, it's a surprise that this item isn't actually found on American menus.

4. 2-ring binders and 2-hole punches

Who ever heard of a 2-ring binder? The fact is that it's almost impossible to find a 3-ring binder in Japan. It's nothing against the number 3 (4 and 7 are the taboo numbers). It would make sense, then, that there aren't any 3-hole punches either.

3. Super hunched over old ladies everywhere

Ubiquitous osteoporosis. Say that 10 times fast. Little calcium is consumed here, so what that amounts to is hundreds of hunched over old ladies. But considering, the country has a relatively low rate of osteoporosis, likely due to the weight-bearing exercises of old ladies who I see shoveling away every last flurry of snow that touches their property. Also floor-sitting and squat-peeing might contribute. And natto never hurts.

2. Bags in bags in bags

Despite the best efforts of grocery stores in Japan to reduce plastic waste by charging you 5 yen per bag, putting things in bags is really a part of Japanese culture. When buying gifts for coworkers they must be individually wrapped, and then artfully packaged. The redundancy is disturbing, but I think it serves to show the efforts that are taken to present a purchased product as clean, contained, and cared for.

1. Technological backwardness

You think of Japan as the land of technological innovation: from consumer electronics to robotics to the automotive industry. The one most surprising thing about living in Japan is how far from our expectations technology here really is.

Would it surprise you that most workplaces are stuck in the 80's using fax machines? And while some people have Smartphones, the vast majority are using really simplistic flip phones. There is almost no wi-fi in businesses or hotels, and while many classrooms have a television, they have a chalkboard and not a Smart board like in many modern American classrooms. Furthermore, credit cards are rarely accepted at businesses.

In Japan, I have encountered so many things that blow my mind, either because of their awesomeness or because of just how very different they are from American culture. I found out yesterday that sleeping at work is not frowned upon as it's a sign of exhaustion from hard work rather than laziness! 

Top 5 cool (but weird) things in Japan

There are so many crazy cool things about Japan that I had a hard time picking my top 5. Begin the countdown...

 

5. Ramen counter restaurants

This is the Japanese version of fast food or a greasy spoon diner. When you enter, you punch what you want into this machine and it prints your ticket which you hand to the guy who is the greeter, the cook, and the server. If I were an entrepreneur in America, I would love to open a ramen counter restaurant. Most Japanese restaurants in the U.S. serve expensive sushi, so a ramen counter restaurant would fill the equivalent niche that Panda Express does for Chinese food in the U.S. You don't really have to talk to anyone, and you can enjoy a filling meal for cheap. It's the American dream.

 

4. Umbrellas on bikes

When we were in Osaka for the New Year it rained every day. We observed an impressive display of umbrellas on bikes, with Japanese people like Mary Poppins, somehow pulling an umbrella out of their bags at any time. Biking is more popular in Japanese cities than even in hipster Minneapolis. Although riding with an umbrella is hands-free, it is technically against traffic regulations because it impedes sight. However, it is not an enforced policy. 

 

3. Heated toilet seats
When is the last time you sat on a warm toilet seat? Was it in the public restroom at the mall? While warm toilet seats might evoke the feeling that someone's butt had occupied the same spot only seconds before, heated toilet seats come in at #3 on my cool things in Japan list. Japanese toilets themselves are pretty amazing: front and rear bidets and sound effects to mask your noises. But houses and apartments usually don't have central heating, so when you wake up in the middle of the night for a pee and your heater is off, heated toilet seats make it so that you aren't shocked awake by an icicle seat. Instead, the warmth touches your buns as you do your business, relaxed, before heading back to bed. 

 

2. Heated drinks (and soup) in vending machines

The vending machine phenomenon in Japan is often criticized. The energy-sucking eyesores line the city streets of Japan, but their convenience cannot be denied.  There are roughly 5.5 million vending machines here: the highest density in the world. Since walking, biking, and public transportation are more common, vending machines are useful for pedestrians. Whether you're headed home after a long day of work and need to chug a corn soup or adzuki bean soup, or you're starting your drive across a snowy mountain pass and need a coffee to keep you focused, vending machines are there. And there are usually 5-10 heated items!

 

1. Kotatsu aka "The Winter Devil"

Maybe the United States is home to Snuggies and USB-powered socks, but they can't boast anything as cool as the kotatsu: table meets electric blanket. The table frame is designed with a built-in heater, on top of which a futon blanket is draped, and then a tabletop is placed.  Sittin' in chairs ain't got nothin' on this. Plus, it helps save a fortune in energy costs, because it heats the area around your body, rather than your entire house! However, its nickname is "The Winter Devil" because it creates the hikkikumori effect: never leaving your house or for that matter, the warmth of your kotatsu.

 

Okay, so my top three is clearly being influenced by the fact that I am stuck in the depths of Hokkaido winter. I had to leave a lot of things out of my top 5. My honorable mention is the innovative packaging on noodle bowls and onigiri. It is very cleverly designed, but not foolproof. A visitor to Japan once asked me, “How do I open this sandwich package?”

I wonder, what things do you find cool and useful in Japan or other countries?

Upcoming Travel Plans

These two months after our New Years trip have found me lazy and lethargic, hibernating from the coldest, snowiest, darkest days of winter under my kotatsu. So, to raise my spirits, I am going to talk about my upcoming travel plans.

This weekend, my husband and I will visit Niseko ski resort for the HAJET winter meeting. There is ample time to enjoy the slopes, so we are excited to rent some gear and hit the powder. Literally, we're going to hit it with our bodies when we fall down because we aren't great skiers. We've each been skiing twice, but the only thing I remember is "pizza" and I'm not quite sure what it does. Bunny hills, here we come! Almost all kids in Hokkaido own skis and there is a skiing unit in gym class. When my students ask me, "Can you ski?" I always say, "A little!" but I think I should just say, "No."

Mid-March my parents-in-law are visiting. We will give them the grand tour of our town, spend one night in Hakodate, one at the Noboribetsu Hot Spring Resort, one night in Otaru, and two nights in Sapporo. I can't wait to share my Japan experience with family!

And while May seems a world away, I am looking forward to our Golden Week trip to the tropical paradise of Okinawa. I have already booked our plane tickets (great deals with Peach), our beach house, and hostel book-ending our stay. We hope to snorkel, try some Okinawa food, and relax on the beach. 

I can't wait!

A Day in the Life of an ALT on the JET Program

I arrive at school around 8:00. I take off my snow boots, store them in a shoe locker, and put on my indoor-only tennis shoes. I am greeted by teachers and students with a resounding "Ohayo gozaimasu" or good morning. I sit at my desk and await the morning staff meeting. A staff member asks me, "Last week did you go to elementary school?" "Yes, I did!" "Maybe you saw my son?" I met about 120 kids last week. "You signed his paper." Ah, so that narrows it down to the one class, after leaving, in which students dashed into the hallway, begging for my signature. About 20 of them made it before I moved on. "Oh, yes!" I say, "They were so cute!" Word always gets around town about what I did on the weekends. "I saw you at the supermarket! Can you cook Japanese food?" or "Were you at the town gym? Do you like running?" It's like Where's Waldo, except I usually stick out a lot more than Waldo does. That would be a great Halloween costume.

Anyway, the staff meeting begins with the bell, and all staff members stand and utter another "Ohayo gozaimasu" in unison. News and upcoming meetings are discussed and perhaps I can catch a few words: "Yoroshiku onegaitashimasu, ijou desu." or "infuruenza" (influenza) at this time of year.

Some days I have 3-4 classes and some days, like today, I have none. My JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) left me this note: I'm gonna return tests to the students so please do your work today! I'm not sure what "do your work" means because I am rarely involved in lesson planning, but I make myself look busy. I'm just glad he gave me a heads up, because my JTEs at all of my other schools send me an e-mail a few days before or have a meeting with me in the morning. I am lucky if this JTE talks to me before lunch, so I'll be happy to "do my work."

On the days when I teach, I enter the classroom and the students are always surprised and excited to see me since I rotate between five junior high schools. Class sizes vary greatly between my schools. Two of my schools are in a small town about 50 km away through a mountain pass, but due to declining population, the town just merged with my main town. There are only about 6-10 students per grade. Two of my other schools are just outside town, with about 15-20 students per grade. But my main school has about 30 students per class and 3-4 classes per grade.

Students wear school uniforms. The boys wear a sport coat with the school emblem on the pocket and their name badge and grade pins situated below. They wear clip on ties and slacks that are both usually too short because of their growth spurts. Girls wear pleated skirts that fall below the knee, with scarves around their necks and vests or fitted coats. Some days students wear track suits too.

Class begins when the teacher gives the cue. There is a student leader who says, "kiotsuke, minnasan nijikan benkyou hajimemasu" (Attention, everyone, we are beginning second period study). All the students bow, and then we begin the morning English greetings. Please imagine students' responses in the dreariest monotone possible, like they just rolled out of bed. Good morning everyone! "Good morning, Ms. Rebekah." How are you today? "I'm fine, and you?" I'm happy, thank you. What day is it today? "It's Monday." What's the date today? "It's February twenty fifth." How is the weather today? "It's sunny."

The teacher usually makes a few remarks, gives a worksheet or vocabulary test, and then says, "Open your textbooks to page 92." Perhaps there is a reading passage or a dialogue. I begin by reading vocabulary words and students repeat, twice. Then, I read the passage and students repeat. Behold, the JET Program human tape recorder, all the way from America.  For the rest of class, I will either stand in the corner while the teacher goes over grammar on the blackboard or help students with "their work" in class.

When lunch comes around, I choose a classroom and eat with my students. I will usually take a picture of my lunch to blog about, and students will come over and ask about my phone, "iPhone 5?" "4S," I say. They are still impressed for some reason. That happens almost every day.

Students put on aprons and hats and dish out food while others bring food to their peers' desks. Then, the class leader gets everyone's attention, "Kiotsuke..." and then everyone says, "Itadakimasu," together. In Japan, before eating, people say itadakimasu to express appreciation for the food and those who have prepared it. People ask me what the English equivalent is, but we Americans just eat. Maybe some people pray. But there isn't as simple a translation as, like "Cheers" for "Kanpai." Anyway, lunch commences and at the end of the meal it's another, "Kiotsuke..." and then "Gochisosamadeshita," meaning "Thanks for the food I just ate."

Now, I am "doing my work." The math teacher is itching his butt, inside his pants, directly across from me in the teacher's room. I have my Kindle and my laptop and my iPhone for 3G internet connection so I can check my mail and play games on my phone. Sometimes I study Japanese. It's pretty relaxed. Now there is a teacher gurgling at the sink in the office.

While every day in Japan is an adventure and something cute always happens with my students*, it's a shame that I am so underutilized in lesson planning and teaching in general. While JETs are told, "every situation is different," every JET seems underutilized. I have traveled across the world, become TEFL certified, and here I am, "doing my work" for 8 hours in the staff room. 

I hope you enjoyed the little slice of life description of a school day in Japan!

*At lunch, a student had the teacher translate this hypothetical situation: "if you were on an island with a friend and your friend died, what body part would you eat?" I was grossed out and confused. He explained, "Japanese people usually say 'hands' and Americans usually say 'brains.'" I guess we're zombies... "No brains!" I replied, "brains make you sick. I wouldn't eat my friend. I would go fishing." My students laughed.