The Mall and Butt Models

I took the train to the new mall. It was much like our malls but with smaller clothes. It had a supermarket in it and since it was Saturday, they were enticing shoppers with samples. Here was the most popular sample area-
That's right, wine. Both red and white as well as cheese and crackers. After watching several repeat samplers stagger away, I turned the corner to this astounding sight- Butts! By this time, I lost all pretense of politeness in asking whether or not I could take pictures. I just kept repeating "Wakaremasen!? Wakaremasen!? (Apparently, I know enough Japanese to not understand them!)

Getting Lost

My husband is afraid I will get lost in Japan. He even makes a little "getting found" card for me so if I got lost, I could give it to a policeman and they could send me home. However, I'm much more easy going about getting lost. I figure its good for you once in awhile. It promotes independence and learning about a new area.

Like a few nights ago, I drove to Unidy (my favorite hardware store) at the wrong time and got caught in massive traffic. I know two ways to go to Unidy, my very careful sister-in-law's way and my mother-in-law's more risky shortcut. I got tired of waiting in traffic and decided to turn off and start my mother-in-law's shortcut early. Did I mention that Japan goes not adhere to the grid system of road planning? That nothing is straight?

I knew the road I wanted to be on was northwest of me but the road kept twisting and turning and dead ending. As I saw some open fields, I started to feel just a little panic that I had indeed gotten myself lost in the dark, possibly in the country-side, and not a phone or policeman in sight. In fact, I realized had arrogantly left the "getting found" card at home.

I repeated my mantra about getting lost (You're not really lost, you just don't know where you are, you haven't left Japan or fallen off the Earth, you know you're in the Matsudo area and home is in that general direction, the internal gyroscope is not wrong about this). And, just as I was wondering if I might have to sleep in the car, I saw a bright neon sign of a drug store I knew and I found the road again! Now I know a lot more about the area near Unidy.

However, getting lost doesn't always lead to panic. It can also lead to interesting discoveries. Like yesterday in Matsudo, I deliberately walked a different route and went down several interesting streets and found this- A little, old, dog shrine.

There were lots people with dogs around and I think they take their dogs here for a blessing
Look at this fierce little guardian I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.

Old Houses

I just love old houses both here and in the states. Here however, the old houses are disappearing fast. They are costly to maintain and a new house built on your old land is cheap.

Look at this great old house-

I think they can only maintain it because of what's beside it.
I bet they own these apartment buildings or sold the land to create them and have the savings to keep this house.

Lunch with the Japanese Martha Stewart (at least in my nieghborhood)

My Mother-in-law is a social butterfly. Everyone loves her and she has many old friends. She took me to lunch at her friend's house. This lady is known as the "Martha Stewart" of the nieghborhood. Here is a picture-From the left- Mrs. and Mr. W, my lovely mother-in-law and a friend.

Mrs. W is very gracious and a relaxed hostess. She fixed okunomiyaki
Okonomiyaki Recipe
at the table in her lovely dining room and then dessert and coffee. The coffee cups were china. I just thought they were beautiful cups until I went Mitsukoshi's on the Ginza and realized she gave us coffee on real Wedgewood! And, she mixed the patterns! Take a look at the patterns she served with-

Florentine Wedgewood cups

Ulander Turquiose Wedgewood cups

Chatsworth Pattern Wedgewood cCups

Travel Day: Nippori and the Ginza

Today I went to downtown Tokyo. Normally, I could not do this alone but with my new English version train/subway map
and the SUICA card,
I can go alone and not get lost! Mostly.

Nippori is a station on the main circular line that goes around Tokyo. My train from Matsudo goes directly there so I didn't have to make any fancy train changes. Nippori is home to Fabric town. Blocks and blocks of fabric and cheap clothing. I met this resident of Nippori-

I bought Liberty fabric-

and this

I then got back on the train and went to Ueno station. Ueno is huge and it is easy to get lost. There I transferred to the Ginza subway line (I know it is the right one because of the orange band on the wall that matches the orange line on my map!)- The Ginza is the most elite shopping area. It is where all the designers have shops. I took this picture for DL at my old work since she might have enjoyed going in. I had to do it secretly so the doorman wouldn't stop me
I went across the street

For BG with her pen fetish- It seems the most venerated and beloved store is closed. I believe I heard that Wako is going to be torn down to make a bigger store. (Later, I found out that I was wrong. They must have been closed that day. The plan to rebuild has been stopped.) Wako was the most expensive store on the Ginza and possibly the world. The last time I checked the cheapest thing you could buy there was undies and the cheapest of those ran about $2000.

Oops, I stepped in the Goo

I've been shopping. Would you like a little goo too?

Japanese Yards

Nearly all Japanese houses have postage stamp yards surrounded by a wall. Think fuedal, think defending your turf.

Since there is little land it is very precious. If the Japanese are so lucky to have a house, they will garden and tend every inch of it. If they have no open ground, they often have planters in the front of the house. Trees and shrubs are trimmed to an inch of their lives!

Here are a few of the local yards I like. I'm sorry some of the pictures are not as clear. I should have taken my husband up on his offer to buy me a new megapixel camera before I left. Gomennasai!




Close up-
Not a leaf out of place!

An apartment building-

Freedom!

This trip I'm able to travel by myself and actually go places of my choosing. What made this possible? Did I study my kanji relentlessly? No way. It's because of this little wonder-

A SUICA card!

You would think that as technologically proficient as the Japanese are they would have made a smartcard that you can keep loading with yen sooner. But, Japan's train system is privatized so there are many lines owned by many different companies and you have buy the right ticket or tickets.

This is how I used to have to get around. First go to the station and get a ticket-That line of different colors near the middle is the different train companies you must choose from. I would have to have my husband buy the tickets because I can't read kanji too well and this local map of stations (below) and fares doesn't make too much sense, although I could buy and travel in an eight station range by myself.

After you figure this out and buy the right ticket, you go through the turnstyles
and battle your way through the people and get on a train that is often standing room only.

Garbage in Japan or Obaasan Terror

I live in fear of disposing of the garbage while in Japan. I do not want to bring shame on my family and bring down the wrath of the obaasan.

Garbage is a big deal to the Japanese. It must be done right or you will be terrorized the local obaasans. They use public garbage areas. Here is an example of one

They are all covered by that green net to keep any garbage sacks from falling into traffic. All garbage must be sorted in to combustables and put in a paper sack that you must buy, cans in a plastic sack, and plastics in a plastic sack. Plastic bottles go into a different net-


Each week, just before the garbage is picked up, the obaasans seem to meet at the garbage bin and grade the garbage. If you have not done it correctly, you will receive a nasty note on top of your garbage which will be put on your porch. Thus you will probably miss the take out date. Thus you will get another nasty note the next week about putting out too much garbage! I have heard of other gaijins who, found lacking in their packaging or sorting, had their garbage re-sorted and re-packaged by a local obaasan and then commented upon the contents ("You are eating too much fried foods, bad for your big gaijin ass")!

Note the little bottle strapped to the fence with a window cut into the side. That is for the lids. I can guaranty you that an obaasan put that there!

Suffice it to say, I am never allowed to take out the garbage and I live in fear someone will see me throw away something wrong at the local train station and report back since I'm the only gaijin in the neighborhood right now.

The Exact Address of Satan

The devil lives one block away from my house-

The Mogami Bakery

Some of you may know that I have lost 28 pounds recently and I'd like to keep them off and lose more. I'm type 2 diabetic so I avoid breads and other carbohydrates. Interestingly, when I was diagnosed as type 2, I lost all cravings for candy (although I wasn't a big sweet eater anyway), cakes and breads (which I used to love).

However, eating in Japan is a challenge with all the rice and the Japanese always take some thing that another culture does well and do it even better (such as the French and their bread). Bread is definately one of those things! Look in closer-

Yes, that's satan's little helper a staff member keeping the shelves stocked with HOT, FRESH items ALL DAY. I do not breath deeply when I walk by to the train station and I most certainly do not enter the shop. I have been known to lick the glass though.

So, what did I find on my plate for lunch? Yes, you got it. This is what my mom-in-law served me-

Clockwise from left top on plate- crusty, cheesy, light mayo soft roll, a soft sweet roll, and a soft roll filled with spicy curry (like a long humbao). To the right is three pork katsu (crispy fried pork) sandwiches. What do you think? Did I eat it?

Close up of inside of curry roll-

The quality of this curry rivals that of my friend Sakuntla who makes the best!

In case you're wondering, the devil lives one block away.

The Real Power in Japan

You might think that the Prime Minister or the Japanese Royalty or even the big business leaders are the most powerful people in Japan.


You'd be wrong! It is the obaassan. Obaasan is the word for Grandmother but also stands in for all old ladies. For those of you who know me, you know that I am one tough cookie. Even the weakest obaasan is 5 times tougher than I am. Most are at least 10 times tougher!


They seem oblivious to the cold, putting out their laundry with no gloves, no coat and only plastic sandles. I tried it the other day and damn near froze.



I spent a good half hour hugging that pink heater! My mother-in-law is soo tough. She hangs out the laundry everyday in freezing high winds.


Including at least one set of futons, blankets and pillow-
Notice the gigantic clothes pins! When I say futons, I don't mean the American type futons that are about 8 inches thick. No, mon ami, I mean two, two inches thick futons that barely qualify as blankets! They are pretty hard. But, they get aired weekly and beaten to peices by my mother-in-law. They do smell wonderful and they are at least fluffier for two days. There are four of us, so my day for airing is Wednesday. I put my own out to give her a break but she still beat the tar out of them herself.

Driving on the Wrong side of the Road

I made sure to get my international driving license before coming to Japan. It is very exhillerating to drive on the wrong side (for Americans that is) of the road, the wrong side of the car, and being totally illiterate when it comes to signs!


Here is the car I'm driving-

Here's what it looks like inside-

While everything inside is mirror image to a car in the US, the pedals are not. This is a manual and the clutch is still on the left and the gas on the right. Here is a sign I can barely read-

A Good Thing: Convenience Stores

Japan has the most marvelous convenience stores! Their fast food is actually healthy. Here, you can get nearly anything you would find on a general menu at a Japanese restaurant back in the states!

Of course, the Japanese take our English, shorten it and mangle it a bit. The term the Japanese use is Combini. They are open 24/7 which is unusual in Japan. They are tiny but they pack a lot in. You can get hard liquor here too!

Here is one of my favorite-


Lots of school boys stop in to read magazines all evening. Girls to buy candy. I can' count how many times I've snuck away to buy karage (boneless fried chicken) when I've finally had too much wierd fish and tofu.

Your fellow riders or Pervs in Japan

I do love taking the trains but you have to allow for local customs. For instance this picture I quietly took on the train-

There are soooo many things wrong here. See how he's sitting with his legs crossed? Only Japanese men can do that on the train! Women are not allowed to sit with their legs crossed.

Do you see what he is drinking on the train? Well here is a close up that I borrowed to make sure it would be clear-

That's right, beer!

And what is he reading? Soft porn. This is normal relaxation for a businessman in Japan!

Trains in Japan

You take trains everywhere in Japan. Your local train station is virtually your address. Houses closer to the local train station (walking distance) are worth more. We live pretty close: its only a five block walk. Here is some pictures of the local station-





If you live a little farther or you want to travel in between, the bike is the transportation of choice. You bike to the station and park your bike in one of the many bike parking lots. Bikes do get stolen but it is rare.



I love taking the trains. This is part of the reason the Japanese stay so fit. You have to walk or bike to the station. All stations are on the second story and you have to climb two very steep flights buy the ticket and then go down two steep flights of stairs to get on to the platform. When you arrive... up two and down two.