You realize that you can never look at your fruit juice (果汁) the same way again.
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| mmm... 100% fruit pus. |
Thursday, 16 October 2014
That moment when you're studying kanji....
...and you discover that the character for "juice" (汁) is the same as the kanji for "pus".
You realize that you can never look at your fruit juice (果汁) the same way again.
You realize that you can never look at your fruit juice (果汁) the same way again.
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Adaptation to frequent natural disasters
A while ago, someone asked me what kinds of natural disasters we have in Canada. I had to think about it for a while before tentatively responding "...ice storms?". I know that there are sometimes hurricanes that hit the East coast (and rarely come further inland) and there are tornadoes sometimes too. These things don't tend to have the same impact as giant earthquakes or typhoons and they lack the frequency of the small earthquakes that serve as a reminder of what will happen some time.
Compared to Japan, Canada (especially Southern Ontario) has relatively few issues with nature. As a result, moving here can create all sorts of little worries about the earthquakes, typhoon and so forth early on.
However, one thing I've noticed is how easy it is to get used to the natural disasters that happen here. The first time I felt an earthquake here, I was sleeping. It woke me up and I maybe got a bit concerned, even though it was relatively small. It's pretty startling if you've never really experienced an earthquake before and waking up suddenly can result in some general confusion (especially when the room is shaking).
There were a few like that here in the first few months I moved to Japan. I'd wake up and hit daid in the face because I was startled out of a deep sleep. Now, I hardly notice them most of the time and I've slept through a few. I also experienced the largest earthquake here since 2011 without being especially concerned.
Similarly, the first time a typhoon came here, I was worried. The city's safety committee made several announcements in addition to their usual daily announcements and daid's work sent him several emails reminding him to take precautions and assuring him that he didn't have to come into work if it was risky. I made sure to close all the windows and took the clothes drying bar down and all this, but by the time the typhoon got here, it didn't even rain in Tokyo.
The last two typhoons were dubbed "super typhoons" at some point in the media (especially in US sources), but nothing really happened here. We got soaked going to the convenience store and the wind rattled our windows most of last night, but not much really happened otherwise. The one last week meant that some places closed because they didn't want to encourage people to go outside, but it wasn't really bad at all.
While Japan is hit by many typhoons and some people die or are injured by them, most of the injuries tend to be in Okinawa, which is really, really far south and tends to be the first place typhoons headed this way make landfall (and even then, many of the injuries and deaths are to people who do stupid things like standing on the beach photographing the waves or going surfing). By the time a typhoon has made its way through the rest of the archipelago and through the west of the country to get here, it's not nearly so impressive.
Yes, a major earthquake like the one in 2011 could happen again and yes, a typhoon could make landfall on the Kantō plain first. Maybe when one of those happens, I'll get worried again. For now, the typhoons that beat themselves up on the other islands and mountains on their way here and the little day-to-day earthquakes are not especially concerning.
Compared to Japan, Canada (especially Southern Ontario) has relatively few issues with nature. As a result, moving here can create all sorts of little worries about the earthquakes, typhoon and so forth early on.
However, one thing I've noticed is how easy it is to get used to the natural disasters that happen here. The first time I felt an earthquake here, I was sleeping. It woke me up and I maybe got a bit concerned, even though it was relatively small. It's pretty startling if you've never really experienced an earthquake before and waking up suddenly can result in some general confusion (especially when the room is shaking).
There were a few like that here in the first few months I moved to Japan. I'd wake up and hit daid in the face because I was startled out of a deep sleep. Now, I hardly notice them most of the time and I've slept through a few. I also experienced the largest earthquake here since 2011 without being especially concerned.
Similarly, the first time a typhoon came here, I was worried. The city's safety committee made several announcements in addition to their usual daily announcements and daid's work sent him several emails reminding him to take precautions and assuring him that he didn't have to come into work if it was risky. I made sure to close all the windows and took the clothes drying bar down and all this, but by the time the typhoon got here, it didn't even rain in Tokyo.
The last two typhoons were dubbed "super typhoons" at some point in the media (especially in US sources), but nothing really happened here. We got soaked going to the convenience store and the wind rattled our windows most of last night, but not much really happened otherwise. The one last week meant that some places closed because they didn't want to encourage people to go outside, but it wasn't really bad at all.
While Japan is hit by many typhoons and some people die or are injured by them, most of the injuries tend to be in Okinawa, which is really, really far south and tends to be the first place typhoons headed this way make landfall (and even then, many of the injuries and deaths are to people who do stupid things like standing on the beach photographing the waves or going surfing). By the time a typhoon has made its way through the rest of the archipelago and through the west of the country to get here, it's not nearly so impressive.
Yes, a major earthquake like the one in 2011 could happen again and yes, a typhoon could make landfall on the Kantō plain first. Maybe when one of those happens, I'll get worried again. For now, the typhoons that beat themselves up on the other islands and mountains on their way here and the little day-to-day earthquakes are not especially concerning.
Wednesday, 3 September 2014
Modified Otsu
About two weeks ago, I decided to try making something with soba noodles, but didn't want to just go for some cold soba. So I searched around I came across this recipe for Otsu, which I made in a slightly modified form and thought was delicious. I'm not sure if the original recipe is especially traditional, but the more extensively modified version I made it today is certainly not. As daid described it, "it's about as Japanese as curry hamburger onigiri".
It's not that I don't use any Japanese ingredients at all, it's just that there are a few very definitely non-Japanese ingredients involved as well. In all, the result was pretty tasty so I thought it was worth sharing.
Dressing
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated (approx 3 cm long)
1 lemon, zested
5 mL salt
2.5 mL habanero pepper powder
Juice from 0.5 lemon
60 mL unseasoned rice vinegar
80 mL soy sauce
30 mL olive oil
30 mL sesame seed oil
Salad
180 g dried soba (or two servings, if your soba is portioned out like that)
15 mL canola oil
1 block tofu, chopped into 1 cm x 1 cm x 2 cm blocks (approx)
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 bunches mizuna, roughly chopped (approx 500 mL after being chopped)
0.5 long onion, finely diced
1 avocado, roughly chopped
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Give the jar a swirl to combine.
Add the oils. Put the lid on the jar and shake thoroughly. Set aside.
Put a pot of water with a bit of salt on the stove and bring it to a boil for the soba.
When the water starts to boil, add the noodles and prepare according to package instructions (or until the noodles seem soft) then drain.
Put cooked soba in a serving bowl and toss in about 2/3rds of the dressing.
While the water is coming to a boil, heat a frying pan. When the pan is hot, add a bit of canola oil and start to fry the tofu.
When the tofu is mostly browned (after about 5 mins), add the broccoli and when the broccoli turns bright green (after about 2 mins) add the mizuna and onion for another minute or two, then turn off the heat.
Put vegetables in a different serving bowl and toss with the remaining dressing.
Put avocado in a third bowl.
Serve by putting some soba into a bowl (or plate, if you really want), adding some vegetables, then some avocado (or really, you can do it in whatever order you prefer) and garnishing with some sesame seeds.
Enjoy!
I use a Japanese vegetable called mizuna (literally "water greens"), it's basically a leafy green that looks a bit like dandelion leaves, except not quite. Any other leafy green would probably work just as well as long as it doesn't have an especially strong taste (unlike dandelion leaves).
Similarly, I use half of a long onion, which you might note is pretty giant from the first photo (it's the thing that's longer than the width of my refrigerator). If you want to make this, but don't live somewhere that such giant onions exist, you can try about three green onions instead.
In addition, I use habanero pepper powder because the grocery store nearby doesn't see it fit to carry cayenne pepper so my options were jalepeno, habenero, korean pepper and paprika. If you use something less spicy than habanero powder, you can probably add more (the original recipe calls for 0.75 tsp cayenne).
Finally, I note that if I had thought about it a bit more in advance, I would have picked up some additional veggies for more colour. I suspect that some red bell pepper would go wonderfully here.
It's not that I don't use any Japanese ingredients at all, it's just that there are a few very definitely non-Japanese ingredients involved as well. In all, the result was pretty tasty so I thought it was worth sharing.
Ingredients
 |
| The ingredients. Not pictured: ginger, olive oil, salt. |
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated (approx 3 cm long)
1 lemon, zested
5 mL salt
2.5 mL habanero pepper powder
Juice from 0.5 lemon
60 mL unseasoned rice vinegar
80 mL soy sauce
30 mL olive oil
30 mL sesame seed oil
Salad
180 g dried soba (or two servings, if your soba is portioned out like that)
15 mL canola oil
1 block tofu, chopped into 1 cm x 1 cm x 2 cm blocks (approx)
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 bunches mizuna, roughly chopped (approx 500 mL after being chopped)
0.5 long onion, finely diced
1 avocado, roughly chopped
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Make dressing by first combining the grated ginger, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a jar (use a jar with a tight-fitting lid, if possible). Mix together well.Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Give the jar a swirl to combine.
Add the oils. Put the lid on the jar and shake thoroughly. Set aside.
Put a pot of water with a bit of salt on the stove and bring it to a boil for the soba.
When the water starts to boil, add the noodles and prepare according to package instructions (or until the noodles seem soft) then drain.
Put cooked soba in a serving bowl and toss in about 2/3rds of the dressing.
While the water is coming to a boil, heat a frying pan. When the pan is hot, add a bit of canola oil and start to fry the tofu.
When the tofu is mostly browned (after about 5 mins), add the broccoli and when the broccoli turns bright green (after about 2 mins) add the mizuna and onion for another minute or two, then turn off the heat.
Put vegetables in a different serving bowl and toss with the remaining dressing.
Put avocado in a third bowl.
Serve by putting some soba into a bowl (or plate, if you really want), adding some vegetables, then some avocado (or really, you can do it in whatever order you prefer) and garnishing with some sesame seeds.
Enjoy!
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| Nom nom nom. |
Notes
Makes about four servings.I use a Japanese vegetable called mizuna (literally "water greens"), it's basically a leafy green that looks a bit like dandelion leaves, except not quite. Any other leafy green would probably work just as well as long as it doesn't have an especially strong taste (unlike dandelion leaves).
Similarly, I use half of a long onion, which you might note is pretty giant from the first photo (it's the thing that's longer than the width of my refrigerator). If you want to make this, but don't live somewhere that such giant onions exist, you can try about three green onions instead.
In addition, I use habanero pepper powder because the grocery store nearby doesn't see it fit to carry cayenne pepper so my options were jalepeno, habenero, korean pepper and paprika. If you use something less spicy than habanero powder, you can probably add more (the original recipe calls for 0.75 tsp cayenne).
Finally, I note that if I had thought about it a bit more in advance, I would have picked up some additional veggies for more colour. I suspect that some red bell pepper would go wonderfully here.
Tuesday, 26 August 2014
Things that Japan does really well: refillable everything!
So I've definitely complained about a lot of the weird package designs or the weather or various day to day things. However, I do think that there are lots of things that Japan does that other places should also do (or do more of) so I thought it would be good to focus on those.
Since I complained about package designs the most, this week, I'm starting with some packaging I really like: the refillable sort.
Since I complained about package designs the most, this week, I'm starting with some packaging I really like: the refillable sort.
Thursday, 21 August 2014
In which I complain about the weather
Before I moved here, I would chat with daid a fair bit and when he'd complain about the summer in Tokyo, I'd complain about the summer back in Ontario. However, since I hadn't visited Tokyo in the summer before moving here, I had no idea how terrible a comparison that was.
While Ontario can sometimes get pretty hot and is frequently humid, the weather will alternate between something vaguely hellish and something pretty reasonable every week or two (or at least this is how I remember it). Around here, the maximum temperature is at least 5 °C hotter and it's just constantly hellish outside.
I do not think there has been a day this month where the humidity has been less than 60% and this entire week, the humidity has been above 80%. When combined with daytime highs in the low- to mid-30s, even sitting somewhere shaded and not moving around very much results in profuse sweating during the day. I can't even walk to the train station in the morning without being disgusting by the time I get there (and I don't even want to think about what happens when I have to jog a little to catch a train).
That's also just the usual bad weather. There are also typhoons, which fortunately haven't really hit Tokyo at all this year. One was supposed to pass over, but it dissipated first and the other crossed over Honshu to the south of Tokyo into the Sea of Japan so it just rained sideways and sporadically for a day. Granted, at least when a typhoon is nearby, it feels cooler outside because it's at least really windy.
And yes, the winter is pretty mild here, which is more than I can say for the winter in Ontario. In principle, this should make up for the terrible, terrible summer. Except that our apartment lacks central heating and any insulation to speak of, which is unpleasant in its own way... but I still look forward to it because it's much better than this.
While Ontario can sometimes get pretty hot and is frequently humid, the weather will alternate between something vaguely hellish and something pretty reasonable every week or two (or at least this is how I remember it). Around here, the maximum temperature is at least 5 °C hotter and it's just constantly hellish outside.
I do not think there has been a day this month where the humidity has been less than 60% and this entire week, the humidity has been above 80%. When combined with daytime highs in the low- to mid-30s, even sitting somewhere shaded and not moving around very much results in profuse sweating during the day. I can't even walk to the train station in the morning without being disgusting by the time I get there (and I don't even want to think about what happens when I have to jog a little to catch a train).
That's also just the usual bad weather. There are also typhoons, which fortunately haven't really hit Tokyo at all this year. One was supposed to pass over, but it dissipated first and the other crossed over Honshu to the south of Tokyo into the Sea of Japan so it just rained sideways and sporadically for a day. Granted, at least when a typhoon is nearby, it feels cooler outside because it's at least really windy.
And yes, the winter is pretty mild here, which is more than I can say for the winter in Ontario. In principle, this should make up for the terrible, terrible summer. Except that our apartment lacks central heating and any insulation to speak of, which is unpleasant in its own way... but I still look forward to it because it's much better than this.
Monday, 18 August 2014
Taking the wrong train and the fun times that ensue
There are many different train lines and companies in and around Tokyo. Typically, each train has its own stop on its own platform or on a particular side of one platform so it's very easy to know which train you're getting on in principle.
However, in practice some trains will change into other trains or the line will branch or something else. Generally, the terminal stop is indicated both on the train and on the signs so you should know what you're in for, but sometimes you're not paying attention when you get on the train or you just get really unlucky when a train that you thought would turn into a local train turns into an express.
In general, the best thing to do in this situation is to get off the train as soon as you discover your error and either backtrack or take an alternate route (if you know one). As long as it's not the last train, it isn't necessarily that big of a deal, although taking an alternate route might cost you a bit more, especially if it involves changing to a different train line or company. Also, if you mess up your attempt to backtrack, you might also end up spending more than you planned on.
For example, the other week I was taking the Fukutoshin line (part of the Tokyo Metro system) home from Ikebukuro. This platform has one Fukutoshin train going toward downtown Tokyo and one going further out. A few stops after Ikebukuro on this line, however, this train branches; one line continues to be the Fukutoshin while the other becomes a Seibu-Ikebukuro train or something (owned by Seibu).
I wasn't paying attention and I accidentally got on the express train that was going to turn into a Seibu. I could have got off at the next stop on the express and it would have been fine, but I was reading or playing with my phone or something and didn't notice until the announcement for Nerima started. I know that Nerima is definitely not the right way.
So I got off at Nerima and went onto the platform that I believed should be retracing my steps (also, everyone on the platform stared at me so I suspect that not many foreigners go there), but instead of getting onto the Seibu train that would turn back into a Yurakucho, I got on one that remained a Seibu train until it rolled up to Ikebukuro on a different platform.
So I had to leave at the gate, pay my 440 yen (I had taken a different Tokyo Metro train line to get to Ikebukuro in the first place) and then go back to a train that would take me to my station, paying another 240 to get home (for reference, I can go almost all over Tokyo from my station on 240 yen).
I could have got back on the train going the other way and get on the correct train that would take me to the right platform. However, I was tired and hungry so I just wanted to go home instead of continuing to play train pinball.
Since then, I definitely pay much more attention to the trains before I get on them.
However, in practice some trains will change into other trains or the line will branch or something else. Generally, the terminal stop is indicated both on the train and on the signs so you should know what you're in for, but sometimes you're not paying attention when you get on the train or you just get really unlucky when a train that you thought would turn into a local train turns into an express.
In general, the best thing to do in this situation is to get off the train as soon as you discover your error and either backtrack or take an alternate route (if you know one). As long as it's not the last train, it isn't necessarily that big of a deal, although taking an alternate route might cost you a bit more, especially if it involves changing to a different train line or company. Also, if you mess up your attempt to backtrack, you might also end up spending more than you planned on.
For example, the other week I was taking the Fukutoshin line (part of the Tokyo Metro system) home from Ikebukuro. This platform has one Fukutoshin train going toward downtown Tokyo and one going further out. A few stops after Ikebukuro on this line, however, this train branches; one line continues to be the Fukutoshin while the other becomes a Seibu-Ikebukuro train or something (owned by Seibu).
I wasn't paying attention and I accidentally got on the express train that was going to turn into a Seibu. I could have got off at the next stop on the express and it would have been fine, but I was reading or playing with my phone or something and didn't notice until the announcement for Nerima started. I know that Nerima is definitely not the right way.
So I got off at Nerima and went onto the platform that I believed should be retracing my steps (also, everyone on the platform stared at me so I suspect that not many foreigners go there), but instead of getting onto the Seibu train that would turn back into a Yurakucho, I got on one that remained a Seibu train until it rolled up to Ikebukuro on a different platform.
So I had to leave at the gate, pay my 440 yen (I had taken a different Tokyo Metro train line to get to Ikebukuro in the first place) and then go back to a train that would take me to my station, paying another 240 to get home (for reference, I can go almost all over Tokyo from my station on 240 yen).
I could have got back on the train going the other way and get on the correct train that would take me to the right platform. However, I was tired and hungry so I just wanted to go home instead of continuing to play train pinball.
Since then, I definitely pay much more attention to the trains before I get on them.
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Sorry for the neglect!
Apparently when I have issues with one post (my phone didn't save it) and the discover a book series I can't put down (observe the evidence in my Books of 2014 list), I neglect my blog.
Fortunately for my blog, the bookstore doesn't have the rest of the series and I have yet to place my order on Amazon (btw, Amazon in Japan seems to do free shipping on books without a minimum order price) so I won't occupy all of my time reading and will definitely make it up to you, my dear readers.
Thus, for the next couple weeks, I'll post three times a week (likely MWF) to make up for lost time. For now, here's a picture of an interesting food combination I noticed in a flier we received yesterday.
Fortunately for my blog, the bookstore doesn't have the rest of the series and I have yet to place my order on Amazon (btw, Amazon in Japan seems to do free shipping on books without a minimum order price) so I won't occupy all of my time reading and will definitely make it up to you, my dear readers.
Thus, for the next couple weeks, I'll post three times a week (likely MWF) to make up for lost time. For now, here's a picture of an interesting food combination I noticed in a flier we received yesterday.
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| Grilled cheese curry paella: so many things wrong here. |
Monday, 21 July 2014
I'm back!
...not that I really went anywhere, but I had a nice, little vacation from deadlines (even the self-imposed kind).
I'll do a more proper post on Thursday, but for now, I'll leave you with this lovely ad from the train.
I'll do a more proper post on Thursday, but for now, I'll leave you with this lovely ad from the train.
Thursday, 3 July 2014
50th post!
Since this is my 50th blog post, I thought I'd take a break from talking about Japan and take a look back at some of the things I've written so far. It's also a bit more than halfway through the year, so this seems like a good opportunity to report on the status of my resolutions this year.
Since I started the blog, it has had over 2500 pageviews, which is much more than I thought I'd actually get when I started it, to be honest. The top posts (by pageview) are:
While it looks like people enjoy when I point out silly packaging decisions, assorted differences or complain about something. It also seems like you guys like when I post silly pictures of restroom signs or promise to do things.
It's interesting to me that some of my more thoughtful posts (like when I describe my local park or go act like a tourist) don't get as many pageviews as posts where I say "the egg cartons here are weird". I don't take it personally or anything like this, but I've been seeing these stats for a while and I thought it interesting enough to share.
Anyway, on to the Resolutions and their current statuses. Back in January, I resolved to do the following:
I've been doing pretty badly at drawing every day. I'm not sure the best way to try to force myself to be accountable here either. If I said that I'd post something online somewhere (maybe get a DeviantArt account or something) then that's a commitment I'd try to keep, but I don't have a scanner and don't really feel like posting crappy pictures of drawings.
I'm succeeding at running more. I'm back to running 5 km three times a week and am planning on increasing to four runs a week (in a nice, gradual way to avoid injury). I've also started looking for races around Tokyo, but I haven't registered for any yet.
I've definitely been doing well on learning kanji, with more than one per day on average (as I mentioned earlier). I haven't been studying grammar and speaking and the like as much as I should, but I've been working on that as well as trying to learn how individual kanji go together in words instead of by themselves much more lately, so hopefully I should improve on that. I still feel a bit intimidated when I try to speak, which often results in me just not saying anything (or I spend too long trying to think of what to say and the opportunity to say something passes). This definitely doesn't help me practice and it's something I still have to work on getting over.
Finally, with the exception of March and April, I have mostly been posting a blog entry twice a week. So this one is pretty successful so far and I plan on continuing it for the rest of the year.
Though I would really like to thank you guys for taking the time to read my blog. It's definitely much more motivating to post new things when I see that my posts are being read (or glanced at anyway). I don't think I would have made it to 50 posts on a regular schedule if I knew that nobody was reading my posts anyway. I hope you continue to read, because I really do enjoy writing these and I have a bunch of ideas for future posts that I'd like to share with you all.
Since I started the blog, it has had over 2500 pageviews, which is much more than I thought I'd actually get when I started it, to be honest. The top posts (by pageview) are:
- Settling In
- Worst egg cartons, ever
- If you're a dude...
- Excessive packaging is excessive
- Keeping warm in drafty apartments
- In Tsukuba
- Resolutions
While it looks like people enjoy when I point out silly packaging decisions, assorted differences or complain about something. It also seems like you guys like when I post silly pictures of restroom signs or promise to do things.
It's interesting to me that some of my more thoughtful posts (like when I describe my local park or go act like a tourist) don't get as many pageviews as posts where I say "the egg cartons here are weird". I don't take it personally or anything like this, but I've been seeing these stats for a while and I thought it interesting enough to share.
Anyway, on to the Resolutions and their current statuses. Back in January, I resolved to do the following:
- Read more: With a goal of reading 30 books by the end of the year (and at least 15 by women).
- Draw more: Draw something every day.
- Run more: Run regularly with a goal of eventually signing up for and running a race.
- Study Japanese: Learn one kanji a day and spend some time each week learning to read/write/listen/speak.
- Blog more: Blog twice a week.
I've been doing pretty badly at drawing every day. I'm not sure the best way to try to force myself to be accountable here either. If I said that I'd post something online somewhere (maybe get a DeviantArt account or something) then that's a commitment I'd try to keep, but I don't have a scanner and don't really feel like posting crappy pictures of drawings.
I'm succeeding at running more. I'm back to running 5 km three times a week and am planning on increasing to four runs a week (in a nice, gradual way to avoid injury). I've also started looking for races around Tokyo, but I haven't registered for any yet.
I've definitely been doing well on learning kanji, with more than one per day on average (as I mentioned earlier). I haven't been studying grammar and speaking and the like as much as I should, but I've been working on that as well as trying to learn how individual kanji go together in words instead of by themselves much more lately, so hopefully I should improve on that. I still feel a bit intimidated when I try to speak, which often results in me just not saying anything (or I spend too long trying to think of what to say and the opportunity to say something passes). This definitely doesn't help me practice and it's something I still have to work on getting over.
Finally, with the exception of March and April, I have mostly been posting a blog entry twice a week. So this one is pretty successful so far and I plan on continuing it for the rest of the year.
Though I would really like to thank you guys for taking the time to read my blog. It's definitely much more motivating to post new things when I see that my posts are being read (or glanced at anyway). I don't think I would have made it to 50 posts on a regular schedule if I knew that nobody was reading my posts anyway. I hope you continue to read, because I really do enjoy writing these and I have a bunch of ideas for future posts that I'd like to share with you all.
Monday, 30 June 2014
Tokyo Imperial Palace: East Garden
Last Wednesday, I had another free afternoon and since it was neither Monday nor Friday, I took another trip to the Imperial Palace to visit the East Gardens. It was rainy, but open so I finally got to see it (unlike last time). In addition, the rain meant that instead of being crowded, it was pretty sparsely populated, which made it especially nice.
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Excessive packaging is excessive
If I bought a bottle of ketchup in Canada, I would expect just that: a bottle. It would have a little seal under the cap, but that's about all the extra packaging it would have.
Not so in Japan. Here, when you buy a bottle of ketchup, it comes in a bag.
Not so in Japan. Here, when you buy a bottle of ketchup, it comes in a bag.
Monday, 23 June 2014
Useful phrases in Japanese #2
I was originally going to write a post on the intricacies of sorting one's household trash here, but Blogger decided that it doesn't want to let me upload photos today (or my internet is being crappy and won't let me upload photos to Blogger) so I have to postpone that post. Instead, I thought it might be good to actually make a series of my earlier Useful phrases in Japanese #1 post since the "#1" did suggest that there was going to be more than one such post. If you recall, last time I described the words "sumimasen" and "gomenasai" and suggested when each was appropriate to use.
I thought it might be good to continue on the theme of being generally polite so this time I'll discuss the "pleases" and "thank yous".
I thought it might be good to continue on the theme of being generally polite so this time I'll discuss the "pleases" and "thank yous".
Thursday, 19 June 2014
My local park is awesome
So I might not have brought this up before, but I live in a city called Wakō (和光) which is in Saitama prefecture, just outside of Tokyo. Typically, I'll tell people outside of Japan that I live in Tokyo which, while it isn't strictly true is true enough (it's like a 20 minute walk to Tokyo).
There are a lot of things I like around here, but there's one place that I've been getting a lot of use out of: the local park.
There are a lot of things I like around here, but there's one place that I've been getting a lot of use out of: the local park.
Monday, 16 June 2014
The questionable art of nekoyoke
Nekoyoke (猫よけ) literally means "scare cat" where neko (猫 or ねこ) means "cat" and I suppose yoke (よけ) means "to scare" (at least in this context). You may wonder why anyone would want to scare cats as they are not only adorable, but they are also majestic and wonderful creatures.
However, in Japan (or at least around Tokyo), there are a lot of stray cats and people consider this a problem. Well, I consider it a problem in the sense where all cats deserve loving homes, but there are other issues with stray cats in principle. As a result, people put up various nekoyoke to keep them away from their homes and gardens.
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| Exhibit A: Look at that belly! |
Friday, 13 June 2014
Subtle strip club is subtle
I'm going to wrap up this week by being a little lazy. Here's a picture I took back in March of a strip club I saw wandering around Ikebukuro one day. Someone seemed to think that calling a place "Men's Private Theater" would class up the look, though the blacked out windows just scream "this is a strip club".
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Worst egg cartons, ever.
While I generally like Japan and don't have too many complaints, there is one thing that is really terrible here: the design of the egg cartons.
Now, you may be asking "But Sarah, how can an egg carton be terrible?" this is perhaps because you're used to the egg cartons in North America1 that are made out of fairly rigid, easily recycled or composted cardboard that maintain their shape. The kind of egg cartons that can be easily opened and closed again and again. The kind of egg cartons that are unlikely to spill all of your eggs out all over the place if you aren't careful. These are not those kinds of egg cartons.
Now, you may be asking "But Sarah, how can an egg carton be terrible?" this is perhaps because you're used to the egg cartons in North America1 that are made out of fairly rigid, easily recycled or composted cardboard that maintain their shape. The kind of egg cartons that can be easily opened and closed again and again. The kind of egg cartons that are unlikely to spill all of your eggs out all over the place if you aren't careful. These are not those kinds of egg cartons.
Sunday, 8 June 2014
A nice view of the city, for free!
The week before last, I visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, which has a pair of observing decks on the 45th floor. While these aren't super high, all things considered, they do offer a pretty good view of Tokyo and some surroundings. This is probably because despite being the biggest city in the world (or biggest metropolitan area in the world, depending on your definition of "city"), Tokyo doesn't actually have a lot of really tall skyscrapers.The observing deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is also totally free to visit. So if you have some time to kill and you're in Shinjuku and like going to the tops of tall buildings, I definitely recommend visiting it.
The Metropolitan Government Building is also pretty easy to find from Shinjuku station. If you can find your way to the area of the station with the taxi and bus stops, there are moving sidewalks from the station which will take you most of the way there underground and signage exists in English as well as Japanese indicating the path there.
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Sunset over Tokyo
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| Even though it looks like the sun is reflecting on a river, it's actually buildings. Apologies for my reflection. |
Saturday, 31 May 2014
Monorail
Here's the Tokyo monorail in Shinagawa.
Yes, in addition to having a million trains, Tokyo also has a monorail.
Monday, 26 May 2014
Going to the local farmer's market
On Saturdays and Wednesdays around the corner from our house, there's a nice farmer's market that starts in the afternoon and continues into the evening. This makes it much more convenient than farmer's markets we've seen in North America which tend to start at terribly early times and close early in the afternoon, so we end up going there a lot.
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