Mmm mmm good!

Interesting Fact:
It is socially acceptable to slurp your soup and noodles in Japan.  Try it!  It's quite liberating.

Small Revelation

Had a small revelation today...
I've been distraught about how far behind my blog is.  I mean it's already December and I haven't even finished writing about Kirby and my trip to Kyoto/Nara/Osaka.  With each passing week, my list of things to blog about has become dauntingly long.  I have got to get it updated before I go home for Christmas!  Then I realized, I can still write my current thoughts while they are fresh in my mind and work on the older posts at the same time.  I'll just change the posted date and the entries won't be jumbled out of order!  While this may not seem like an epiphany to most people, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders that I won't have to forget the little things anymore.  For instance, like this little gem I wrote earlier today...


The Japanese are often described as polite, respectful, and well-mannered.  I can't say that I disagree with any of these adjectives...but what adjective describes people who don't pick up their dog's poo?!  (I think Americans could also be described by this word).
Everyday on my commute to the Chugakkou (Junior High School) a new "little present" as been waiting for me.  Often, conveniently, in the middle of the sidewalk.
1.  First of all, we don't live in Tokyo.  We live in the inaka, the frickin' country.  It's not like we are lacking in rice paddies and fields to let our dogs poop in.
2.  Secondly, what are they feeding these poor little guys?  I won't go into much detail due to the sensitive and rather gross nature of this blog topic, but let's just say its not normal.  Mutant dog poo.
3.  And lastly, how difficult is it to carry a plastic bag with you?  With the amount of recycling regulations that goes on in Japan, plus the apparent environmental disregard for limiting plastic packaging, plastic bags are not scarce; they are abundant.
My walk back home is not any more safe, as it becomes increasingly difficult to dodge these little doggy bombs in the dark.  I've started walking in the road to miss them, which isn't much safer.  Even if I did find the culprit (or culprits as I suspect.  No one dog is capable of this much damage), I do not have the requisite tact in Japanese to politely say "PICK UP YOUR DOG'S POO!" 

Naked in the Snow - Noji Onsen

Recently I met a very nice co-worker at the BOE.  We've gone out to dinner a couple times and last Friday he invited me to go to an onsen in Fukushima.  Some of my eikaiwa (adult conversation class) students were attending and I decided to jump on the bandwagon.


When I got picked up at 7am, I was already grumpy.  For those of you who have had no interaction with me before 10am, I'm not a happy camper in the mornings.  I just wanted to go back to sleep.  So when we got on the bus and I realized I was the youngest person by at least 25 years, I resigned myself to a long, boring day.  Fortunately, that's not quite how the Japanese do bus trips here...


Just as I'm about to fall back into my morning coma, I hear a "tssst", like a pop can opening (or in my mind - beer).  And lo and behold, my bus buddy has just broken open a 12 pack of Asahi pounders.  Without trying to look too surprised, I look around at my neighboring passengers.  There is whiskey, there is beer, there is sake, there is even chu-hi!  It was like a bar on a bus!  Everyone had a drink and was getting wasted like it was 5 in the afternoon, not 7:30 in the morning!  This lasted all morning, with increasing stops for bathroom breaks.  I started having Lake Shasta deja vu and politely declined a drink.  We stopped at pretty omiyage shops (like souvenir stores) and bought local fruits and ketai charms (for your cellphone).  Fukushima Prefecture is known for its peaches, apples, and mikans (mandarin oranges).


We finally arrived at Noji Onsen around 11am.  It is located on top of a mountain and the view is stunning! Here was where I got to see my first snowfall in Japan.  Sitting in a hot bath, naked, outside in the snow is an exhilarating experience.  The water at Noji Onsen is milky white.  Even though it smells a little like eggs (sulfur), it felt relaxing and supposedly is good for your skin.  The Japanese swear that different onsens are good for different body ailments.  Onsen water is believed to have healing powers derived from its mineral content.  A good soak in a proper onsen can heal aches, pains and diseases.  They often visit onsens to treat illnesses, such as arthralgia, chronic skin diseases, diabetes, constipation, menstrual disorders and so on.  Understandably it's very popular with the older Japanese generation.  However, watch out if you have tattoos!  Most onsens, pools, and even gyms, won't let you use their facilities if you have any.


We had a huge delicious lunch, more alcohol, more bathing, and then headed back to Hirono.  I crashed hard on the bus ride home.  Thank God they didn't bust out the karaoke.  

Osaka: Day 2 continued

After "ooo-ing" and "ahh-ing" at the Aquarium, Kirby and I headed back to the station to visit Hep5.  It's kind of difficult to describe this place since it has a little bit of everything.  Floors 1 through 7 are a colossal mall - perpetually packed with teeny-boppers, floors 8 and 9 are a Sega game arcade (if you haven't heard, the Japanese are really fond of their video games) complete with claw-style games, taiko drum games (like dance dance revolution but with drums), and purikura (photo booths that let you edit your appearance), and on top of the building is a 106 meter high ferris wheel.  That's about 348 feet above the ground!!  Not a great idea for someone who is afraid of heights, like me.  Kirby had to practically drag me onto the ferris wheel.  But overall, the experience was exhilarating and I'm glad I did it.

Osaka: Day 2

Woke up early and had gyudon for breakfast (a bowl of rice topped with beef and onion simmered in a sweet sauce) before catching the train to the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, near Osaka Bay.

The Kaiyukan is one of the world's largest aquariums, comprising of 16 exhibits, 580 different species, 30,000 specimens, and 2.9 million gallons of water!  It's hard to miss since the place is huge!  The architecture is absolutely stunning and is  completed by a modern art piece of dolphins on the outside of the building.  It's not cheap, but it is totally worth it.  We started walking through a tunnel filled with reef fish, followed by taking an escalator ride to the 8th floor.  From here we followed the aquarium's theme "Ring of Fire" through the 16 different habitats ranging from arctic to tropical as we spiraled back down to the ground floor.  The Ring of Fire refers to the volcanic perimeter encircling the Pacific Ocean which Japan is apart of.

We started at the top in the Japanese forest with a skylight ceiling, watching ducks play in the water and Japanese otters take a nap.  Then we went beneath the surface and "walked" into Antarctica.  Here we watched penguins, polar bears, and narwhales.  Onto Monterey Bay, Gulf of Panama, Ecuador Rain Forest, Tasman Sea, Coast of Chile, the Great Barrier Reef, and other ecosystems as we traveled to the depth of the ocean floor.  We saw the odd-looking ocean sunfish (which has the circumference of a truck tire but is as flat as a pancake), and the Japan giant spider crab with its incredible 3m (9 3/4-ft.) span.  But the stars of the Osaka Aquarium are their pair of whale sharks.  

Whale sharks are the largest fish in captivity, at an average of 41 and a half feet long.  Even though is has a huge mouth, the whale shark is considered a filter feeder and is not considered dangerous for divers.  They'll even sometimes let divers hitch a ride.  Additionally, in the whale shark tank were giant manta rays and other species of fish.  Across from the main tank they had a special exhibit on finless porpoises.  This was the only time when I had to criticize the amount of space given for an animal.  The poor animal was just circling it's tank over and over again.  Dolphins and finless porpoises don't belong in captivity.  In case you need some justification, watch The Cove and then tell me what you think.
This was Kirby's first time to an aquarium.  It was pretty obvious that he enjoyed it since he commandeered my camera and took over 300 pictures!  I'm so thankful that we got to share this experience together before he left and I can't wait to take him to the aquarium in Newport, Oregon when I come back home.

Osaka: eat till you drop (Day 1)

Osaka is the third largest city by population in Japan (after Tokyo and Yokohama).   It is known for its food, castle, port, underground shopping arcades, and Bunraku puppet theater.  It also has one of the nation's best aquariums, which Kirby and I had to check out (see the next post for our aquarium adventures).


We arrived in Osaka after a 30 minute train ride from Kyoto in the late afternoon on Friday.  We stayed in a hostel near the Umeda station.  We hadn't really planned out what were wanted to do here (a far cry from my overly detailed itinerary in Kyoto).  Osaka boasts the only Universal Studios outside of America, the oldest state temple in Japan, not to mention America-mura (a fashion district based on America for hipsters) or the "Kitchen District" (a district that sells everything you'd need to open a restaurant).  But seeing that we were running out of daylight, we decided to go to the best place for entertainment after hours - Dotonbori.

Dotonbori (pronouned dou-tom-boree) is a single street, running alongside the Dōtonbori canal between the Dōtonboribashi Bridge and the Nipponbashi Bridge in the Namba ward of Osaka. A former pleasure district, Dōtonbori is famous for its historic theaters (all gone now), its shops and restaurants, and its many neon and mechanized signs.  This includes snack/candy manufacturer Glico's giant electronic display of a runner crossing the finish line, Cui-daore's mechanical drum-playing clown, and the restaurant Kani Doraku's six and a half meter crab that moves its arms and eyes.

Tourists come from all over Japan, and the world, to try Osaka cooking.  There is even a Japanese proverb, "Dress (in kimonos) till you drop in Kyoto, eat till you drop in Osaka" (京の着倒れ、大阪の食い倒れ).  Osaka regional cuisine includes okonomiyaki (pan-fried batter cake), takoyaki (octopus dumplings), udon (Japanese thick noodle), as well as regional sushi and other traditional Japanese foods.  Kirby was in heaven!  We ate Subway (YUM!), drank chu-hi, and just people-watched while wandering down the busy street.  Dotonbori kinda reminds me of Vegas.  No casinos, but people out and about like it's two in the afternoon.  Osaka's population at night is still 2.6 million! (3.7 during the day).  We even found a Krispy Kreme! Unfortunately, the line was around the block, and the boy didn't want to wait all night to satisfy my craving for American junk food. ;)

We also found a pet store!  I was very interested to see what Japanese pet stores were like.  The pet store was packed even though it was close to midnight.  We immediately noticed some big differences.  The puppies are all small dogs (which makes sense in a society where your house isn't very big and your entire family lives with you), both dogs and cats are horribly expensive (think like thousands of dollars), and they don't just sell typical domestic animals.  They sell miniature monkeys.  

Cute tiny little fuzzy things that grab onto your fingers.  They had at least two different species, but this little guy was my favorite.  Extremely expensive, like everything else in Japan, but heart-achingly cute!  I know the environmentalist in me was saying, this fuzz-ball should be in the jungle, wild and free.  But the girl in me was saying I want to put him in a designer handbag and parade him around town!  These completely unrealistic desires are why so many animals end up in humane societies or released into the local habitat, which can have dire consequences.  In fact, I hate to support pet stores at all, but that doesn't stop my heart from melting when something cute and fuzzy looks at me.  Just need to back away from the pet...

Nara: land of people-eating deer pets

Our day trip to Nara didn't begin with the best luck.  We woke up late and took our sweet time digesting yummy crepes and window shopping.  Although, even if we had gotten to the station earlier, it wouldn't have helped.  The train for Nara was delayed and then it was canceled!  Luckily, they switched tracks and we were able to get on our way, but only after waiting around for an hour.

We arrived in Nara around two in the afternoon and our luck hadn't improved - it was raining.  But the rain didn't dampen our spirits; we were too excited to see all of Nara's fascinating culture and check out those famous deer!  We learned that in early Japanese history, the nation's capital was moved to a new site each time the previous emperor died (bad spirits and whatnot).  However in 710, Nara became the first permanent Japanese capital...not that it turned out to be very permanent.  After only 74 years, the capital was moved, first to Nagaoka, and shortly thereafter to Kyoto, where it remained for more than 1,000 years!  But what's important about those 74 years, however, is that during this period was the birth of Japan's arts, crafts, and literature, as Nara imported everything from religion to art and architecture from China.  Even the city itself is laid out in a rectangular grid pattern from Chinese concepts (Frommers.com).

We thought about going on a walking tour of the city, but decided to follow the deer instead.  According to the legend of Kasuga Shrine, a mythological god arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital.  Since then the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals and are protected by the city and country.  This is awesome!  There are hundreds of deer just wandering around the city and they are completely tame!  Well, completely might be stretching the truth a bit.  They will let you pet them and are fairly docile - unless you have deer biscuits ("shika sembei").  Then they will try to eat you.  They will nudge, jostle, and even try to bite for their yummy nom noms.  Don't believe me?  See the video below. <-- (The video isn't working.  I don't know why.  I'm going to try to upload it to YouTube instead.  Sorry!)

After the treacherous walk through Nara's deer park, we entered Todaiji Temple, the premier tourist attraction in Nara.  The temple is not the original (like many temples in Japan) and is only two-thirds of the original size.  Even though it's considerably smaller than the original, Todaiji temple is still the largest wooden structure in the world.  It is 161 feet tall, 187 feet long, and 164 feet wide!  Inside the temple is its Daibutsu or Great Buddha, it is also Japan's largest bronze Buddha.  At a height of more than 50 feet, the Daibutsu is made of 437 tons of bronze, 286 pounds of pure gold, 165 pounds of mercury, and 7 tons of vegetable wax (Frommers.com).  Wow!

However, thanks to Japan's frequency of natural disasters, today's Buddha isn't quite what it used to be.  In 855, in what had to be a ginormous earthquake, the statue lost its head.  It was repaired, but alas, the huge wooden building was burned twice during wars, melting the Buddha's head. The present head dates from 1692.

Both Kirby and I really enjoyed Todaiji Temple.  The sheer size of it alone was enough to astonish even the most traveled tourist.  I wish we could say that we wandered around the rest of Nara's historical landmarks, reflecting on Japan's beautiful cultural heritage, but I just wanted to play with the deer.  Haha!

We ate takoyaki for lunch.  Literally "fried or grilled octopus".  It is a popular Japanese dumpling made of batter, diced or whole baby octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion, topped with okonomiyaki sauce, ponzu, mayonnaise, green laver, and fish shavings.  We also watched a famous shop make green tea mochi.  The cooked rice is pounded with a wooden mallet in a traditional mortar.  Two people will alternate the work, one pounding and the other turning and wetting the mochi.  It looked considerably dangerous at the speed they were working.

Our Nara adventures only lasted an afternoon but were exceptionally satisfying.  Afterwords we quickly headed back to Kyoto before the sun set.

(We would have liked to stop by Fushimi Inari Shrine on our way back to Kyoto but unfortunately we didn't make it before it got dark)