About Me

My husband, Sid, and I both teach history in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Sid was awarded a Fulbright lectureship in Japan for the 2010-2011 academic year and so we are moving to Japan with our two (reluctant) boys. :)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Yasakuni Jinja

A couple weeks back Sid and I visited the Yasakuni Shrine and I meant to go back and take more pictures but never made it.

Yasakuni Shrine is probably the most controversial "site" here in Tokyo.  It is an old Shinto Shrine (originally built in the 1800s) (Shinto is essentially emperor worship).  This particular shrine is to honor those Japanese killed in war.  It is controversial for two main reasons. First, like America, Japan has the separation of church and state, and so a state-maintained shrine (dedicated to emperor worship) is a hotly debated topic. The other reason that it is so controversial is that it honors all the Japanese war dead, even those condemned as war criminals after World War II.  Many younger Japanese will not visit the shrine and many Americans do not.

It was really interesting to see, though. And, one of the most interesting things to me was the literature in English.  A pamphlet at the shrine said that the original tori (gateway) was replaced because it was damaged in World War II (presumably from the fire bombings). But, the placard in front of the tori said that the original had been dismantled in World War II for the war effort (the Japanese needed the metal).  Just goes to show how history can be manipulated for different purposes and told different ways.

The shrine itself is incredibly impressive and beautiful.:


The Tori at Yasakuni Jinja (Shrine)

Yasakuni Jinja seen through the gates.

 Prayers at Yasakuni Jinja.

Giant door at Yasakuni Jinja.

I don't really know what these were.

Prayers?

Gifts left at the shrine.



It was a little awkward being an American at the shrine.  It was sort of like being Japanese and going to see Pearl Harbor.

We did not go all the way up to the shrine. We did not really know protocol and maybe would not have followed it anyway given the nature of this particular shrine.  Basically what you do is wash yourself--all Shinto shrines have a water area with dippers. You use your right hand I think to pour water over the left out of which you splash your face then switch to wash the other hand. You go up to the shrine and bow and clap two or three times.

Drink Machines, Kleenexes, and Irony

There are two great sins in Japanese society.  If you fail to take your shoes off before entering someone's home, you will never be forgiven.  Less serious, but nearly as unappealing to the Japanese is blowing or wiping your nose in public (and most especially at the table).  And, the circumstances don't matter.  I ate lunch with a friend at the faculty and staff dining room at one of the universities here and her nose began to run.  She ate the entire meal snuffling and sniffling and trying to keep the snot out of her food. But...she did NOT wipe her nose.  Had the cafeteria had a bathroom, she would have excused herself to the privacy of the stall for a good blow. But, there was no bathroom and she did not violate the no wiping code. 

I'm not sure how the no blowing/wiping more came to be, but the great irony is that kleenexes are used as advertisements for everything from salons to restaurants to big events coming up.  Nearly everyday I am handed a small, pocket-sized packet of kleenexes.  People stand on streetcorners, at subway stations, on busy sidewalks handing out these kleenexes.  Why do I need a pocket or purse sized pack?  Why take kleenex with you at all since you can't use them in public?

Far less serious than blowing your nose is the unspoken rule that you don't eat or drink while walking or on the street.  I think I mentioned in an earlier blog that even in the dead heat of summer I never saw anyone pull out a bottle of water for a sip.  The Japanese walk miles a day and in the summer heat must get really thirsty. But, they don't walk and drink.  I think I did mention that, but did I mention the total proliferation of drink machines? About every 10-15 yards you encounter one or more drink machines with everything from orange juice (Yako percento--100%), soda, and coffee drinks to beer (usually Kiran).  But, basically if you want to use the machines you either put the drink in your bag until you get somewhere private or you hover by the machine trying to half-hide behind it as you guiltily down the drinks.

In a way, Japan is liking stepping back into America of the 1950s.  The men wear suits (usually navy blue, dark gray, or black) to work and the women wear pumps.  I wonder how the Japanese dressed for work before World War II. Did they wear traditional Japanese clothing?  Are these suits a hold over of American business dress from a long time ago? 

There are other things that are like a time gone by, too.  You really have to go shopping nearly everyday.  Things are made for single consumption--tiny packages of ground beef or chicken, tiny boxes of cereal, small, small, small.  And, the people you meet tend to all have a profession (not just a job until they get on to something better). There is the Isetan uniform lady with the measuring tape around her neck to figure out what size pants your child needs and to call in the measurements to the seamstress who hems the legs before the pants are delivered to your door in a box tied up with string by a tidy man in a little uniform.  There are the noodle makers at the numerous little ramen and udon restaurants and the ubiquitous little old ladies who carry the noodles to your table and, if you are a henna gaijin (crazy foreigner), instruct you in what sauce goes on what.  There are the grocery delivery people (not young men, by the way, but old, wrinkled guys who have delivered junk to peoples' doors for half a century or more) and the guys who clean streets.  Yes, you actually see guys with a bucket and sponge cleaning off the sidewalks and streets. Japan is very service oriented.

We are finally done with the rain today. It is typhoon season and it's been cold and wet. But today the sky is bright blue above the skyrises with big puffy clouds.  I figured out how to open some of our windows. Of course, the air comes in, but not much else. We are about three feet from the next big building with a cinder block wall in between. So, no view.  But, fall is nice all the same.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Boating with Graham

On Saturday we walked to the Boathouse, one of several located on the emperor's moat, and rented boats. At first, Sam was very reluctant as he thought that the emperor might have soldiers with guns who would shoot us out of the water. He needn't have worried about Graham and me, though. We rented a row boat and with Graham at the oars we barely moved!  See the videos below. :)



Saturday, September 18, 2010

Back in the USA

On Wednesday Sid and I returned to the United States.  Okay, we didn't actually leave Japan, but we did attend a Fulbright dinner at the U.S. Ambassador's home which is located inside of the U.S. Embassy gates (and is therefore U.S. soil).  The residence dates back to the 1920s and was occupied by those men seeking to negotiate with Japan from the 1920s to the eve of World War II.  And now again.  It is quite a fancy place. Sort of interesting, though. The Ambassador's wife ordered art to decorate the house but so far it has not arrived and so she asked artists with a US-Japanese connection to create art for the home.  There is a tree sent by Yoko Ono where visitors write messages on tags and attach them to the tree.

Sid and Melinda on the entrance of the U.S. ambassador's home.

The entrance.

The Yoko Ono Tree with another Fulbrighter and his wife.

An interesting message on the Yoko Ono tree.

Oeno Pond

Some photos from Oeno Pond tonight.



Lily Pads covering much of the pond

Sam and Sid at the shrine

Swan Peddle boats

Traditional Japanese toilet in ladies room at Oeno Park--not it is essentially a hole in the floor.

Sunset over the pond


Lanterns lighting the way out

Close up of a lantern


Another shrine thing.

Video of Sam's school program

Those of you who have seen Sam in action in a school play/performance before will not be surprised by this one. His school participated in the 80th anniversary event for the Japanese school they share the school grounds with--Jinsho or Jingumae Elementary.  Here is Sam's role in that event.


Odds and Ends

I am not sure why, but often eggs come on top of whatever food you order. It doesn't really seem to matter what...pizza with a sunny side up egg on top, noodles with scrambled egg. Sid ordered a Caesar salad at one of the little Italian restaurants at Sunshine City (a chain called Italian Tomato Cafe Jr.) and it came with...that's right...eggs.  I am putting a picture below. 

Monday, September 13, 2010

Don't put in your mouth what you wouldn't put in your hand

To those of you who know me well, it will come as no surprise that as a kid my mother often told me, "Don't put in your mouth what you wouldn't put in your hand." (I had two older brothers and I think the first words I learned were cuss words!) Now I am remembering that advice in a totally new context.

Yesterday the Fulbright Office very graciously paid for an expensive lunch for the Fulbrighters and those of us spouses willing to come.  I was very excited. It was a beautiful traditional Japanese restaurant where the chair mat things sit on the floor and the table is low and all the waitresses are dressed in traditional attire and make up.  And, I was hungry (you might recall that this is a common occurrence for me in Japan).  So, I could hardly wait for the food to arrive. Then it arrived.

The first course consisted of raw squid, raw fish (it was red like salmon), and a raw whole shrimp thing looking at me through its big black eye.  With the shrimp thing, people seemed to be popping it into their mouths (eye and all).  I could not eat the raw fish food.  So, as I furtively looked around, I saw salvation. Sid would eat some of my raw fish food. Yes, it would look like I had eaten it!  Sid, sadly, is putting on weight now in Japan. Everyday he eats two lunches (his own and mine).  The next course was tempura (fried vegetables and shrimp) (yum--except the shrimp which I gave to Sid), some more raw fish stuff accompanied by a big, gelatinous piece of tofu (did not eat), a mayonnaise-based cold salad thing (I tasted but did not eat), and two cucumber pieces on a pile of something.  Then the main course in little individual stove things on the table--beef and noodles.  I ate the noodles. Sid later said he wished I had given him the beef. But, by his own admission he is eating too much.... Dessert was a bowl of milky white stuff (not sweet) with a piece of kiwi and mint on top.  Hmmm.

So, what did I do then?  I went for a little piece of home. Across the street was a Krispy Kreme so I went and munched down 2 American glazed donuts.  I was then satisfied.

Japanese desserts are much less sweet than American ones. Even cakes seem to be only about half as sweet.  Again, I wonder why the Japanese are so thin!?!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Japanese Trash Talk

I am not Oscar the Grouch.  I hate trash.  And, I hate trash now more than ever.  I can't remember if I have mentioned it before or not, but here in Japan we have to separate all the trash before throwing it out.  It is extremely complicated and, if I may so, extremely gross.  There is burnable trash, non-burnable trash, recyclable trash, can trash, plastic trash, etc. etc. etc.  So, how do you know what trash something goes in?  You don't really until you take your trash down to the trash room and watch the man who essentially lives there pick through your trash and tell you where you went wrong (in Japanese and very excitedly).  There are steep fines for putting the wrong trash in the containers and so landlords and apartment managers are fanatical about trash.

So, think about this for a minute. In the US, you finish off a jug of milk, a jar of peanut butter, a t.v. dinner, a package of chicken...all that trash goes into the trash.  In Tokyo, you finish off a jug of milk, you break down the box (because things don't really come in plastic--it's all quart sized paper cartons), wash it off, and set it to the side until you take the carton trash down.  You scoop out the last real bit of peanut butter, you use liquid soap and a cloth to clean out the jar (it must be clean before becoming trash) and set it aside until you take down big plastic jar things.  You don't eat t.v. dinners because there is no oven and you can't find much by way of prepared foods here anyway, but if you did you would break down the box (for the carton trash), wash out the plastic or metal tray until it was clean and set it aside for that type of trash, and throw the plastic cover in with the plastic trash.  And meat? So gross.. chicken, beef, or whatever mystery meat you happened to buy because the labels are in Japanese...you use the meat and then wash off that styrofoam thingy to be set aside until you take down styrofoam thingy trash.

Our apartment is full of trash--several trashes in the bathroom because dental floss and toilet paper are separate types of trash. And, I might mention that "dirty" toilet paper can't be recycled while clean might be so they really should be separated.

We have boxes everywhere.  When you order food to be delivered (such as our wonderful American junk food from the Flying Pig), they come in big boxes delivered by Yamato Shipping.  It's great. Except when you sit down and realize you now have several big boxes in your small apartment. What to do with them?  Well, ultimately you have to break them down, but we haven't done that yet because we are completely uncertain about which trash to put them in!

Did I mention that different kinds of trash have their own day?  Or that you have to collect all the uneaten food in its own bag? That's right--dinner scraps become one more bag of trash (and a disgusting one at that).

In NC I felt lazy about the big blue recycling bin--I put in cans and some stuff, but I'll be honest, a lot of things ended up in the general trash.  Now I am thinking longingly of my big tubs outside and a kitchen unlittered with cartons and food waste.

One last note.  In America we have garbage disposals. Here in Tokyo we have nets.  The kitchen sink has a drain that you cover with a net that catches any food trash that happens to be headed down. Then, every day or so you take off that net and--once again--separate the trash.  I have been putting the net with the food trash, but I think technically it goes a different place.  At this point I would rather pay a fine or risk the ire of the guy in the trash room.

I hate trash!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Flying Pig

Today will be a good day. We have broken down and ordered many hundreds of dollars worth (many tens of thousands of yen worth) of American junk food to be delivered to us from the Tokyo Costco via the delivery service, the Flying Pig.  Tonight we will indulge in Skippy peanut butter, rice crispy treats, Lucky Charms (I believe they are known as Yucky Charms in some parts), Goldfish, and potato chips.  We are all very excited.  We will become American eaters again.  Well, we haven't really given that up. Almost every evening we walk to the 7-11 for a piece of home (Snickers bars).  So, we are not wasting away, but.....American junk food by the boxful! 

I also wanted to talk about the amusement park we went to on Odaiba--Joypolis.  With little space, the amusement park was inside and the rides were all virtual rides. They were like the ones at the NC zoo where you watch a video and the seats move to make you feel like you are on a ride or in an avalanche or whatever.  But, it was pretty cool. And, it was airconditioned! We are still stuck in a terrible heat wave here, so anything airconditioned is good.  :)  While the kids rode the attractions, Sid and I hunted around for food.  We finally came across a popcorn stand, In true Japanese style, it was caramel corn. Even the movie theaters here offer caramel corn. They also have "Solt" popcorn, but the caramel is very, very popular.  So, we ate popcorn while the kids complained of hunger and were forced to get their money's worth out of the unlimited ride ticket we bought them.  That's a great money saver--don't feed the kids!

My race car drivers

At the Science Museum again


Sam with denky (electricity)


Sam inside a bubble.

A funny sign.

And another.

I really want to take a picture of the hand dryers in public bathrooms. They are fantastic!  You just put your hands down inside them and they turn on automatically, then air shoots from all around your hands and dries them really fast.  Way better than our hand dryers back in the US!

At the rooftop restaurant


The rooftop restaurant on Odaiba

Night Views from restaurant on Odaiba--notice the Tokyo Tower with lights on it

Day View from Odaiba

The car of the future--built for one

Sam riding a dog at the Fun Fun Fun place

A funny sign at the Fun Fun Fun type place

Graham putting together a model car at the Toyota place

Also at Odaiba

Also at Odaiba is a big Toyota place--not a car dealership exactly (although new models are there to be viewed and coveted), but like a free Toyota themed museum and activity center. You can test drive cars (if you have the appropriate license, which we did not), ride in a fully electric vehicle, and let your kids drive simulators.

Graham in the simulator.  He drove very fast and had several wrecks.

Sam kept running off the road and driving the wrong way through the streets of Tokyo.  The man in charge of the simulator kept running over to try and get Sam back on tract. (to no avail).  I will not let Sam drive for a very, very long time!

Odaiba

There is a little man-made island in Tokyo Bay that has all kinds of things to do on it.  Below are pictures of the World's Largest Ferris Wheel which Sid and Sam rode while Graham and I cooled our heels in a place much like Fun Fun Fun, drinking Dr. Pepper. The ferris wheel is just shy of 400 feet high.




Friday, September 3, 2010

The subway

This subway is not even full.  At peak hours, there are attendants who smash people into the trains to ensure maximum capacity.  Personal space? Not an option.

Just down from Sam's school, an unusual site