May, 2014 - Cascadian Abroad

Small World

May 28, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Oregonians pride ourselves on being on the fringe. “Keep Portland Weird” is the unofficial city slogan. Darth Vader riding a unicycle while playing flaming bagpipes near a major downtown street? No biggie. We have 171 different brewing companies operating in the state and a new one probably opened while I typed this sentence.

It makes it all that much more odd to see our “brand” as part of daily life in Japan. Granted, our city of Kawagoe is Salem, Oregon’s sister city, but products pop up all over Tokyo. Three varieties from Airlie Winery in little old Monmouth, Oregon is sold in a supermarket under the shadow of the Tokyo Dome.

I try to snap pictures when I see these snippets of home. Here’s a few…

Langlitz Leathers, maker of premium motorcycle leathers, has a shop in Shibuya.

Portland Postcard — This postcard was wedged in the end of the bar at Baird Brewing Company’s taphouse in Harajuku

Rogue Creamery blue cheese made its way from Central Point, Oregon to a supermarket in Ikebukuro.

TIU Sign — This advertisement for Tokyo International University mentions its sister city of Salem, Oregon (オレゴン州セイラム市 – Oregon-shū Seiramu-shi)

True Portland — This book featuring Portland hotspots was on a shelf at a restaurant in Shibuya

This case at the Kawagoe International Center had souvenirs from Salem, including Marionberry jam and hazelnuts.

Mapo Tofu

May 27, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Cooking is something I always wished I had more time to do. I love to collect recipes and try new things, especially modifying existing recipes to make them vegetarian-friendly. With all my free time here, I finally get to spend some time experimenting with new recipes.

The first known recipe is thought to be from an Akkadian tablet circa 1600 B.C., transcribed to a clay tablet that could be passed down through the family or shared with neighbors. That clay tablet gave way to paper, index cards and eventually the internet.

Still, word of mouth is a great way to get new recipe ideas. What do other people love to make? Leave a comment and maybe your idea will be the basis of a future blog post!

Last night’s dinner was inspired by one of Viktoria’s students. Mapo tofu is a Chinese Sichuan recipe that gained popularity in post-war Japan as a less-spicy, sweeter interpretation. It’s as ubiquitous in Japanese homes as macaroni and cheese in the U.S., so much so that “instant mapo tofu” is available in the grocery store. Much of the flavor and rich color comes from tobanjan, a spicy chili bean sauce.

Traditional mapo tofu recipes have oyster sauce and ground meat (pork or beef), so here’s a vegetarian take inspired by this recipe from Viet World Kitchen.

Mapo Tofu (makes 3-4 servings)

Ingredients

1 cup textured soy protein flakes (resembling ground beef)
1 package super-firm tofu
soy sauce
tobanjan sauce (spicy chili bean sauce)
sugar
extra virgin olive oil
cornstarch or flour (for thickener)
boiled water
whole peppercorns
4-5 medium-sized shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
fresh ginger
green onions

Note: When I make stir-fry recipes, I like to prepare the ingredients in advance, especially when using a wok. These recipes cook fast, so there’s not a lot of time to chop, measure and mix along the way.

Prep

Put the textured soy protein in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until tender, then drain the water in a colander or strainer. Mix 3/4 teaspoon of soy sauce into the drained textured soy protein.
Drain the tofu and cut into approximately 1-inch cubes. Cover with boiling water. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until tender, then drain the water. (Note: I used a pre-fried tofu, so I didn’t need to boil it, but fresh super-firm tofu will work fine.)
Reserve 1 1/3 cup of boiled water for making the sauce.
Finely chop the shitake mushrooms and mix in 3/4 teaspoon of soy sauce.
In a frying pan, toast the whole peppercorns over medium heat until fragrant. Let cool slightly and grind roughly with a spice grinder or pestle/mortar.
Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce.
Grate/microplane about 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger. Combine with 3 tablespoons of tobanjan sauce.
Dilute 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch with three tablespoons of water.
Slice 2-3 green onions on a diagonal cut.

Cook

In a wok or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped mushrooms and textured soy protein to the pan and sauté for about a minute until mushrooms start to cook down.
Add the ginger and tobanjan. Mix continuously until combined. The mixture should now have a deep red appearance.
Add in the sugar/soy sauce mixture and stir to combine.
Add the tofu and stir to combine.
Add the 1 1/3 cup of reserved water to the pan and bring to a rolling simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste the sauce and add more sugar as desired.
Add the green onion to the pan and combine.
Stir in the flour/cornstarch mixture and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.
Stir in the ground peppercorns, remove from heat and let sit for about five minutes before serving.

Mapo tofu served over brown rice with a side salad

Serve over rice and enjoy!

Sanja Matsuri (Three Shrines Festival)

October 6, 2024May 26, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Japanese shrines are impressive, but there’s a sense of “you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all.” Small, local shrines are everywhere. However, the history of these shrines is still inspiring and the major shrines can be overwhelming.

Not surprisingly, the tradition is still celebrated throughout Japan. One of the largest celebrations—and wildest—is the Shinto celebration of Sanja Matsuri (Three Shrines Festival) in the Tokyo district of Asakusa. An estimated two million people visit Asakusa during the festival weekend to watch locals carry portable shrines, or mikoshi, through the district’s streets.

We set up shop at Hōzōmon Gate. From there, we could watch as the mikoshi were carried up Nakamise-dori, the main street leading to the temple. Each mikoshi is ornately decorated with gold sculptures and wood carving. We were there on Saturday, so we missed the three large shrines carried on Sunday, but those shrines cost approximately $400,000 each to build. These aren’t your usual weekend parade floats.

Shrine parade — Shrines are carried up Nakamise-dori toward the main temple.

Approximately 100 mikoshi are carried through Hōzōmon Gate on Saturday. They stop briefly at the gate to pay respects to Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. Those carrying the shrines shake and rock them to energize the kami seated within the shrine.

Even the kids are involved, lugging a heavy shrine around town with a little less excitement than their adult counterparts.

The mikoshi are then carried to Hondō where they are blessed by Shinto priests before being paraded through the 44 neighborhoods of Asakusa.

The video below captures the energy of the parade. You can hear them chanting Soiya! Soiya!

Island Time

May 26, 2014 by Robert Haddan

As I’ve mentioned before, getting around without a smartphone in Japan requires a lot of planning. Before heading somewhere new, I spend a lot of time on Google Maps. Each trip usually includes a new lesson about what not to do next time.

This past weekend, we headed to a new-to-us part of Tokyo. The final destination was to be the Tokyo Island Fair in Hamamatsucho, preceded by a lunchtime stop at Island Veggie, a Hawaiian-style macrobiotic restaurant in Hiroo.

The “mile walk” from the train station to Hiroo was probably closer to two miles. We walked right past the restaurant once and also found a train station about a block away. Add “don’t trust ‘fewer transfers’ on Google Maps” to the list of lessons learned. But, on the sunny side, we saw some cool stuff along the way, including some awesome architecture.

Cracked building — A modern glass building appears to be hatching from this standard concrete structure.

Eventually we did find Island Veggie and enjoyed a great vegan lunch. The menu was entirely in English and the staff spoke it perfectly, which is always a nice surprise at meal time. We’ll definitely be back to try more of the menu. On this day, we had a teriyaki veggie burger, a falafel burger with fries, a soy milkshake and homemade lemonade. Healthy-naughty food is always a treat.

Since the walk to Hiroo was more than we bargained for, we decided to take the train to Hamamatsucho instead of walking as we’d originally planned. The first stop on the line was Roppongi, Tokyo’s high-end midtown, which we’d been meaning to check out. We jumped off the train and did a lap, which is about all Roppongi deserved as far as I could tell. It was a lot of shopping and eating, but the open-air mall near the station did have some decent views.

Tokyo Tower and a park with a heart are visible from the Roppongi Hills complex. A playground with multiple slide options is part of the residential section of the mall.

Back on the train, we headed for the waterfront and our original destination. The Tokyo Island Fair highlighted the food and culture of the Izu and Ogasawara islands. These islands were formed volcanically, so they’ve never been part of the continent. As a result, they’ve evolved on their own and feature plant and animal life unique to the islands. The Ogasawara chain is known as the “Galapagos of the Orient” and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

The festival was held at Takeshiba Ferry Terminal. The terminal serves all of the small islands and opens up into Tokyo Bay, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean. I’m not big on astrology, but I’m an aquarius, the water sign. I love the Willamette Valley, but if I didn’t get to the ocean about once a month, I’d start to get a little claustrophobic. It had been about three months since I’d last seen real water, so this was a treat. A little spiritual cleansing.

Selfie — A little water time on the Takeshiba waterfront.

Unbeknownst to us, our real reason for coming to Japan is to try ALL of the ice cream. This milk ice, made on Izu Oshima island, was fantastic. The best way to describe most Japanese ice cream is that it tastes “clean.” I’m sure an island with an active volcano that last erupted in 1990 could use a good milk ice.

As with any place in Japan, the best treats are usually at the front of the longest line. Well, there’s another theory out the window. The front of this line had snails. Giant snails. Still in their shell. Looking like some sort of hose in the engine of a souped-up car. Suffice to say, we skipped that line.

What are these mollusks? Snails. That’s right… giant, nasty snails.

There were plenty of activities to keep the kiddies entertained as well.

Fishtank — Kids gather around a tank with baby sharks and rays from the islands.

Painting — Kids paint little figurines as part of the Island Fair activities.

When we got off the train in Hamamatsucho, we saw the Tokyo Tower, another landmark on our to-do list. Two birds, one stone… great! The tower is Japan’s second-tallest structure with a design inspired by the Eiffle Tower, although slightly de-classed by the industrial white and safety-orange paint job.

Zōjō-ji temple, a beautiful Buddhist temple, separated us from the Tokyo Tower. Much of Zōjō-ji was destroyed in World War II. The oldest structure on the grounds, Sangedatsu Gate, was built in 1622. Walking through the gate will free a person from greed, hate and foolishness.

We finally arrived at Tokyo Tower where dozens of other tourists joined us in taking up-the-nose pictures trying to get the whole tower in the frame. 1,420 yen (about $14 USD) will get you a great view of the city from the observation deck, but we’d seen enough of Tokyo for one day and headed home.

The Argument for Over-packaging

May 19, 2014 by Robert Haddan

A grocery trip back home meant hopping into our fuel-efficient hybrid car and driving three or four miles to the nearest store. We’d enter armed with reusable grocery and produce bags, choose unpackaged fresh fruits and vegetables, bulk nuts and snacks, etc. Once home, the packaging would be separated into recycling (unsorted for the most part), compost and finally trash.

When we first arrived in Japan, the sheer amount of packaging used in the grocery stores hurt our green Cascadian hearts. Most snack items are individually packaged, then included in a larger package with a plastic tray and cellophane wrapper. Fruit and vegetables are rarely available per item. Rather, they are pre-packaged in cellophane-wrapped, culturally-friendly quantities.

As we approach the two-month mark in Japan, I’ve moved from appalled to thinking the Japanese might be on to something. Bear with me as I lay out my arguments for over-packaging.

Convenience

Of course, the convenience of individually-packed items is nice. Whether packing work lunches or snacks for a weekend day trip, it’s easy to grab a few items, toss them in the bag and go. At home, we typically bought nuts, etc. in bulk and used plastic containers or re-used sandwich bags to take things to go. While we used our sandwich bags until they punctured, seeing some of our neighbors trash, I know most of those bags ended up in the general trash, creating as much landfill waste as if the items were individually packaged.

Could the same thing be true in Japan? Sure, but…

Japan has one of the world’s best waste management systems

I’ve written briefly before about the complex recycling system in Japan. In Kawagoe, we have nine categories of waste. On the extreme, the village of Kamikatsu in Tokushima Prefecture has 44 categories as its citizens aim to eliminate landfill-bound trash by 2020.

As of 2010, Japan recycled 77 percent of its plastic waste, compared to 20 percent in the U.S. There’s also a broader category of what types of plastics can be recycled. In Linn County, Oregon, for example, we had to throw away the lids to plastic bottles. Those are recyclable in Japan.

As refuse collection areas are shared by neighborhood, peer pressure encourages the proper sorting. All waste is required to be placed in transparent plastic bags and trash collectors will gently remind rule breakers of the proper sorting techniques.

Since the system is so good, it got me to thinking about the health benefits…

Individual serving sizes are better for your health

Japan is not a “super-sized” country. Restaurant portions are appropriate. Desserts in grocery stores come in smaller sizes. Actually, most items are an appropriate serving. According to an International Business Times article, the obesity rate in Japan is 3.5 percent compared to 34.9 percent in the U.S. The government has set a “maximum waist size” limit for people age 40 or older that, if breached, results in mandatory weight counseling and support sessions. Companies with high rates of obesity among its employees are fined.

The goal is not a socialist takeover of the individual rights of citizens, but a responsible approach to reducing weight-related diseases that put a burden on taxpayers to cover rising health care costs for preventable diseases (sound familiar, U.S.?). The result is a lifespan about five years longer than in the U.S.

We’ve noticed this on a personal level in our first two months here. I’ve already lost those stress-eating-related 20 lbs. I brought with me. Urban development built around walking and public transportation and a national culture of portion-control promotes general healthiness.

Want a Kit Kat? The individually-packaged ones have about 64 calories. I grab one, get my fix and move on with my day. Grab a Kit Kat at 7-11 in the states? 210 calories. That beautiful chocolate-carmel ice cream bar at home? 320 calories. The smaller version in Japan is just 160 calories. All the satisfaction with half the calories.

As an experiment, take what you consider a serving of a snack. Nuts are a great example. An actual serving of nuts, about 180 calories, is only 1/4 cup. My guess is you have at least two servings in your hand. I know I did.

There’s an increasing trend in processed convenience foods attributed to Japan’s fast-paced lifestyle. It will be interesting to see how this clashes with the anti-obesity campaign in the next couple decades.

Is it really better?

Frankly, I’m sure there’s a bunch of holes in my arguments. But generally, Japan does several things I agree with.

There’s a national focus on responsible waste management and the system is enforced by the people, not the government. Grass roots support is critical in lasting change.
The food industry supports a healthier diet through portion control. An individual can still choose to eat more, but servings are carved out via packaging. This makes overeating an informed choice vs. an ignorant one.
Health care is managed with an eye toward the future. The obesity rate in the U.S. increased from 12 percent in 1990 to 23 percent in 2005. In 2010, it jumped to 35.7 percent. U.S. weight-related health care costs are estimated to be $147 billion annually. These are preventable diseases.

Shinrin Koen

May 15, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Last weekend, we headed west for the first time, taking the Tobu Tojo train to Shinrin Koen (Forest Park). There’s a pretty awesome Forest Park back home too and times like these feel like we’re back in the great, green Pacific Northwest.

We rented bikes and rode most of the 17 kilometer (about 10.5 miles) path around the park. The paths wind through the trees, and around ponds, fountains, arboretums, playgrounds and art installations. A great day trip and definitely on the list of places to return again and again.

Shinrin Koen South Gate — Fountain at the south gate of Shinrin Koen

Fountain Gnomes — These gnomes protected the fountain at the south gate of Shinrin Koen

Tree Climbing — These kids were learning how to rope climb

Ponpoko Mountain—We should have known this wasn’t a real mountain when we had to climb downhill to get there

Memorial Plaza Fountain — The fountain at Memorial Plaza in Shinrin Koen. Snack shack had rose ice cream. Delicious!

Bike basket — I’ve always wanted a cruiser bike

Bike selfie — Kids: Do not try bike selfies at home

Cycling map — Map of the cycling course at Shinrin Koen

Walking path — We had to walk a couple kilometers from the train station to the park. Stay on the walking path… or meet your fate!

Empty train — The train emptied out a couple stops before the park. We’ve never been on a train this empty in Japan.

Rice fields — We passed this recently flooded rice field on the way to Shinrin Koen. The growing season is just starting.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

May 13, 2014 by Robert Haddan

In Oregon, earthquakes are something you remember. Ask a resident of the Willamette Valley about the 5.6 magnitude Spring Break Quake, and they’ll be able to tell you exactly how they were woken up at 5:34 a.m. on March 25, 1993. I felt the bed shaking and heard the closet doors rattling in my bedroom. I thought our dog, Sampson, was scratching at the end of my bed, so I gave him a little foot-shove to get him to stop. Apparently he was close to the end of the bed, because he fell off and landed with a thud on the floor, but the bed was still shaking. I still feel bad about that…

In Japan, they’re a fairly regular occurrence. A 2013 study showed that an earthquake of magnitude 3 or more occurs every two to three days on average since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. I’m not sure if you get used to them, but I certainly haven’t yet.

Since part of the intention of Cascadian Abroad was to document our experience in Japan, I’m choosing to use this post as a running log of the quakes we feel in Kawagoe with the date, magnitude and epicenter. Hopefully it’s interesting to some of you as well.

November 7, 2015 at 10:45 p.m. — 4.9 (Ibaraki)

There’s not a lot more unsettling that the start of an earthquake after you’ve already gone to bed. We hadn’t quite fallen asleep when this one started with a slow roll. It felt like one of those that could really get going, but fortunately it was just a little guy.

October 21, 2015 at 3:04 p.m. — 5.5 (Fukushima)

We’ve had a couple little earthquakes since May, but this is the first one in awhile. I try to flip on the local news channel right away to see how long it takes from when I feel it before they mention it. They always beat me to it! This one was about a minute of light shaking, but since it was epicentered in Fukushima—home of the nuclear reactor damaged in the 2011 quake—the news is all over it.

May 30, 2015 at 8:24 p.m. — 8.5 (Ogasawara-shoto Seiho-oki)

Something’s brewing… third quake in a week and by far the largest. Viktoria had just arrived back in Japan from the U.S. when this one hit. We were at the supermarket grabbing a bite to eat in the cafe when the building started to roll for nearly a minute. The overhead lights and signage swayed for several minutes afterward. Everyone froze in place, some announcements were made and some people headed for the exits. We finished our dinner while chatting with the ladies next to us about the “cool” earthquake that just woke us all up.

May 29, 2015 at 1:15 a.m. — 4.8 (Ibaraki Prefecture)

Earth is angry again! In the morning, I watched as Mt. Shindake on Kuchinoerabu Island in southwest Japan erupted live on television. Around 1 a.m., the earth started moving significantly for the second time in a week. It would have been enough to wake me up had I not already been awake, stuck on the addictive Walking Dead game for iPad.

May 25, 2015 at 2:28 p.m. — 5.6 (Saitama Prefecture)

The first significant quake with an epicenter in our home prefecture since we’ve arrived. The epicenter was 68 miles to the northeast of Kawagoe, but actually felt stronger in Ibaraki Prefecture, 120 miles to the east of the epicenter. It was plenty strong here as our little apartment swayed for a good 30 seconds. Viktoria was at Narita Airport preparing to fly back to the U.S. with a group of 200-plus students where alarms sounded when the quake hit.

May 13, 2015 at 6:13 a.m. — 6.6 (Iwate and Miyagi prefectures)

Earth is angry! Yesterday, another large quake struck Kathmandu, Nepal. During the night, tropical storm Noul soaked our neck of the woods. Then, early this morning, a strong quake hit of the northeast coast of Japan. It was enough to wake us from an early-morning slumber, enhanced by the siren of an ambulance that was passing by.

December 20, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. — 5.9 (Fukushima Prefecture)

Our couch wobbles a bit when someone adjusts their position. We’d just commented on this when a 5.9 quake shook our little apartment (low magnitude in our area). The feeling on the couch is exactly the same, but the added rattle of the sliding doors was an indicator that this was not a simple adjustment.

November 22, 2014 at 10:08 p.m. — 6.8 (Nagano Prefecture)

This one hit while Viktoria was in Ibaraki for a conference. We were FaceTiming when the light fixture started to sway. She was on the sixth floor of her hotel and felt it for awhile. Turned out it was a pretty big quake in Nagano, about 90 miles to the east of Kawagoe. Several people were injured, wooden homes collapsed and a mudslide closed a road. Officials were surprised by the strength as inland quakes are typically not as powerful as the coastal quakes.

November 12, 2014 at 9:53 a.m. — 4.7 (Ibaraki Prefecture)

It’s been awhile since we had a good shimmy! A subtle sustained shake to make you say “Hey, it’s been awhile since we had a good shimmy!”

September 16, 2014 at 12:28 p.m. — 5.6 (Ibaraki Prefecture)

Eating lunch when the closet doors starting shaking, then the whole apartment started swaying and seemed to last forever! This only measured as a 5.6, but it felt stronger than any earthquake we’ve experienced since arriving in Japan.

July 12, 2014 at 4:22 a.m. — 6.8 (Fukushima Prefecture)

I thought I was dreaming, but this was an actual (quite long) quake. This one hit near the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant and triggered a small tsunami. According to Japan Today, workers on night shift were instructed to retreat to higher ground.

June 17, 2014 at 2:42 a.m. — 5.3 (Chiba Prefecture)

In a night filled with loud cars and more than one ambulance burning by, why not be woken up in the middle of the night to a shaking floor. Lots of seismic activity in Japan this week.

June 16, 2014 at 5:14 a.m. — 5.8 (Fukushima Prefecture)

Woke up to a long shaking quake this morning. The epicenter was about 90 km (about 56 miles) off the coast of Fukushima, home to the nuclear power plant that was damaged in the 2011 earthquake/tsunami. Japan Meteorological Agency says there was a 5.6 in Ibaraki Prefecture at 3:19 a.m., but that one didn’t wake us.

May 13, 2014 at 8:35 a.m. — 4.9 (northwest Chiba Prefecture)

Just a good, long shake. I was reading e-mail and drinking coffee. First reports indicate that I did not spill said coffee.

May 7, 2014 at 5:18 a.m. — 6.0 (Izu Oshima island south of Tokyo)

This one started with a hard “shove” followed by an extended period of shaking. We were still in bed, but the shove was enough to wake me up.

April 18, 2014 at 7:53 a.m. — 4.7 (south Ibaraki Prefecture)

Making breakfast and noticed the water bottle and pepper shaker on the counter wobbling. Didn’t really feel it otherwise.

Costco

May 12, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Bulk purchasing isn’t really part of our day-to-day life in Japan. Our 550 square foot apartment, which actually has quite a bit of storage, doesn’t really necessitate things like the Gorilla Metropolis Playset, a swingset that is almost twice the size of our apartment. Or even two-dozen rolls of toilet paper for that matter.

Still, visiting a Japanese Costco was on our list of things to do. In the U.S., a trip to Costco every couple weeks was part of our shopping routine. A case of black beans here, a giant bag of tortilla chips there… things that would keep for awhile. Of course, we had a big pantry and a garage to keep all these things in.

The closest Costco in Iruma was actually not the most convenient, requiring two train transfers and a bus ride, so we chose the other Saitama location in Shinmisato.

The train let us off right outside LaLaport, an expansive indoor/outdoor shopping mall with Forever 21, H&M, Columbia, Adidas; the best fashion stores America Japan has to offer. Ikea anchors the mall on one end and Costco holds down the other.

Costco Outdoor Seating — That little girl’s about to start a riot for a Costco dog!

As we approached Costco, it wasn’t any different from the ones we frequented at home. People packed the outdoor seating, attacking their ¼ pound all-beef sausage with all the toppings.

Costco Front Door — I can only assume that guy is finishing up something from the Fresh Food Hot Items menu

Just outside the main door, the giant Costco weekly deals billboard greeted us with similar bargains as we’d find in the U.S. Frying pans, reading glasses, tires and tents alongside party-sized platters of sweet rolls and sushi.

Costco Pasteries — Carrot cake cupcakes and Very Berry Mousse Cake

Inside, it was bumper to bumper. The bakery section had giant carrot cake cupcakes and “Very Berry Mousse Cake” that seemed to be popular. The specialty cake section was there too, although with a more Japanese-friendly whipped cream frosting option. It was starting to feel like the end of Wizard of Oz… “And you were there…”

Costco Sake — Enough sake to fill a swimming pool, which you can buy on aisle 10

If sweet treats aren’t your thing, maybe the giant liquor section is? I’m sure it’s not that much of a novelty outside of Oregon where liquor sales are tightly controlled, but it was odd to us to see sake, tequila and whiskey for sale alongside the beer and wine.

Our cart. I will gladly ride the train for two hours for Kettle Chips and Tillamook Cheese

All of the product signs were in both Japanese and English, so we were able to put names to items we’d seen other places, but couldn’t identify. In the end, our cart ended up very similar to what we’d buy at home. Sea Salt Kettle Chips (from Salem, OR), Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese (from Tillamook, OR), strawberry jam, bread, pickled Jalapenos, baby kale and a bottle of Kirkland-brand Malbec. We did buy one distinctly-Japanese item: edamame tofu. The little squares had whole edamame beans (soybeans) inside.

Costco snackbar — A little taste of home and a little taste of Hokkaido

Epilogue

No trip to Costco is complete without swinging through the snack bar. The famous ¼-pound hot dog—which has a better ring to it than the “0.11339809 kilogram hot dog”, even in metric system Japan—was a crowd favorite. Pizza, coffee, churros and ice cream were paired with some new-to-us items, including clam chowder, pineapple smoothie and bulgogi (Korean barbequed meat) bake.

We ordered a slice of cheese pizza and a Hokkaido soft-cream sundae with raspberries and chocolate and sat down amongst the masses, relishing our first Japanese Costco experience.

Supeingo

May 10, 2014 by Viktoria Haddan

Supeingo is “Spanish” in katakana, which is the set of Japanese characters for foreign words. To my untrained ear, it sounds like “spango.”

As a former Spanish teacher, I’m always on the lookout for Spanish words and phrases. A part of me is still in “I have to tell my students about this” mode. Even in Japan! I have found many examples of a Latin presence in this part of the world. A family registering with city hall. A young woman in Japanese class. Several of my students are Latino. I find these glimpses familiar, more so than overhearing Americans on a crowded street in Tokyo.

Last week, I had the chance to sit in on a beginning Spanish class at the university. I can’t remember whether I was invited, or (probably more likely) I invited myself. Several students mentioned taking Spanish class and I was intrigued at an opportunity to compare it to my own experience teaching.

I arrived with the two students. The seats were assigned, but a seat near them was open. While we waited for the professor, I asked one of the students why he decided to take Spanish, and after crowd sourcing for a bit, he came back with the answer that most of the students thought it was an easy class. Ha. I have heard that before.

The professor walked in to a class of about 30. My students introduced me in Japanese and she conversed with me for a bit in Spanish. That was probably the first time I communicated well with a Japanese person in a foreign language. Maybe some day that language will be Japanese. If she was feeling any emotion at my surprise sit in, she didn’t show it. I admit, I tried contacting her in advance but had no luck. What bad manners! But, here we were.

Spanish class — Going over subject pronouns in supeingo class

A flurry of conversation in Japanese. Understandably so as I taught my own students a foreign language in their native language.

The students were passed out a quiz. I grabbed one. It was on beginning vocabulary—teacher, student, etc.—and how to make nouns plural based on number and gender. Ah, this I knew! I was going to ace this quiz. Except for the Japanese prompts. Afterwards, she called on students to give answers and she wrote them on the board. Students corrected their own quiz.

The professor called on me to answer a question. I told her in Spanish that I couldn’t read Japanese but I thought the answer was x or y. My student leaned over and whispered that she told me I was wrong. She only wanted to hear x as the answer. How mortifying! That was a good lesson for me in how my current Japanese students probably feel. They might know the answer, but they have no idea what I’m asking.

After the quiz, students orally reported their score to the teacher. Again, I quietly asked my student about that. What’s to stop a student from calling out a higher score? He said, “She trusts us and we trust her.” This would never fly in the U.S. Also, again, interesting to me my own students’ reactions when I either ask them to grade a neighboring student’s paper or I just take the paper when the quiz is over. They may be used to grading their own and doing so honestly? What a concept.

More Japanese. A video on Toledo, Spain appeared. I was interested because I spent some time in Toledo in college. I could get the gist of the video because I knew the context. That was basically the theme of the class for me. Even though it was conducted in Japanese, I could understand what she was teaching. It actually helped me learn some Japanese vocabulary. It was a fun, brain teaser. My mind was fried by the end of the two hours.

I thanked the teacher as I left and we had a mini conversation about Toledo. I asked her if she had ever seen it in person and then proceeded to thank her/apologize for my presence.

The next day, we went to a Celebration of the Americas/Cinco de Mayo festival in Tokyo. Again, a lot of cross-lingual communication. I had fun talking to some of the food vendors asking them to describe what they were serving. There was food from Colombia, Peru and Spain. Not the most authentic in the world, but I’ll take what I can get!

At some point, a young Latina translated a Japanese menu into Spanish for me so that was exciting. Yes, exciting! I got a high out of feeling understood and an exchange where both parties communicated with each other!

I look forward to my next encounter with supeingo.

Emphasis on the wrong sylLAble

May 9, 2014 by Robert Haddan

“If you don’t know how to pronounce a word, say it loud! Why compound ignorance with inaudibility?”
– E.B. White, The Elements of Style

Minor pronunciation kerfuffle at the dry cleaners today. The nice old lady at the counter asked for my name. “Robato” I spit out with all the usual confidence of my Japanese conversational transactions. She started laughing as did the other customer. I realized quickly what I’d done…

My name is Robot

Did I mention how kind and patient everyone here is? For the record, it’s “Robaato” with a long A sound.