Today marks the official beginning of the Japanese holiday of Tanabata. Tanabata (七夕) translates to “Evening of the Seventh” and celebrates the once-a-year meeting of star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi (read their story here or watch the video at the end of the post).
The legend says if it rains on Tanabata, the two lovers must wait until another year to meet. But a light sprinkle didn’t stop thousands of Tokyoites and tourists from heading out for a day of celebration.
Tokyo Skytree is the backdrop for the Shitamachi Tanabata in Kappabashi
We chose the Shitamachi Tanabata in Tokyo’s Kappabashi District in the shadow of the Tokyo Skytree. More than half-a-mile of street was closed off to traffic and lined with vendors serving all sorts of festival fare, including a rare vegetarian treat—deep-fried soybean “meat” on a stick!
A surprisingly decent beer made with small chunks of asparagus.
Watching people eat awkwardly-large slices of watermelon
Grilled squid—ikayaki
Melon, stuffed meat pockets on a stick and marinated gourd on a stick
“Frankfurter… you must not eat it!”
One of the traditions of Tanabata is to write a wish on a piece of paper and tie it to a bamboo tree. Trees and bamboo branches lined the street, each fully decorated with the wishes of children and adults alike.
Our Tanabata wish: “If Lost, Return to Japan”
The festival happened to fall on July 4, which is also America’s Independence Day holiday. July 4th celebrations often include local parades, so it was a cool coincidence that we got to see a parade that day. After the first group passed, people headed back into the street and we thought it was over. But a few minutes later, everyone headed back to the curb and another parade group would pass through. This continued several more times until the last parade group passed through. Very efficient!
The start of the Shitamachi Tanabata Parade
The powerful and impressive Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Women’s Drum Corp
If you saw this police motorcycle pulling up behind you, would you stop? Also, trying to convince my brother this would be a good luck for his Hog.
Women leading the traditional tanabata dance… it was high-energy and involved a lot of call-and-response with the crowd.
Even the men got into it!
These festivals always offer a lot of opportunities for the kids to have fun. While many sat alongside the road, enjoying their treats, several participated in the parade. We felt bad for those little legs having to make the hike from one end of town to the other.
A group of kids carry a mikoshi (shrine float) down the parade route.
Taking a popcorn break on the curb
There’s nothing cuter than chubby kids eating ice cream
A young trumpeter working hard on a humid day
Adorable boys and girls marching in the parade
Kappabashi literally means “raincoat bridge.” In the old days, residents of the area would hang their raincoats on the nearby bridge to dry. However, “kappa” is also the name of a mythological bird-like creature (interesting story about the kappa) thought to live in Japan’s rivers. In those same old days, farmers would make agreements with the kappa to ensure good irrigation for their farms. Kappabashi uses the kappa as its neighborhood mascot and the image appears all over town on banners and carved wooden statues. Two live-action kappas wandered the parade, one kid-friendly and one with the more menacing appearance of the kappa from folklore.
Young men in samurai costumes are always a draw!
The kid-friendly kappa
A more “realistic” kappa
After the parade, we headed for the Kanda neighborhood to check out a craft beer bar. Devilcraft is run by American ex-pats from Chicago who brought their city’s famous pizza with them.
Chicago-style deep dish pizza and craft beer at Kanda’s Devilcraft.
We sat at the bar and enjoyed an awesome deep-dish veggie pizza and a couple American craft-beers. Two guys came in a few minutes after we arrived and took the seats next to us at the bar. One of them spoke great English (he’d done a homestay in Minnesota as a child) and we struck up a conversation over dinner.
Turned out he was a blacksmith specializing in Imperial-era Japanese swords called katana. His craftsman name is Kanemasa the second. His master, Kanemasa the first, passed away a few years ago at age 88 after 78 years as a sword maker. That’s right… he started at age 10!
Kanemasa the second has made swords for some pretty impressive clients, including the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. He has photos on his website in the Royal Palace presenting the katana to the Prince.
Last weekend brought a welcome break from the plum rain and also aligned with the elusive Kawagoe Shrine Sale. Instead of falling on the fourth Saturday, the outdoor antique market is held on the 28th of every month regardless of convenience.
The market is held on the grounds of the Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin temple where we rang in the New Year. Vendors crowd into the area in front of the shrine and offer everything from kimonos and figurines to toys and antique tools.
Please enjoy a few photos from the day.
Vintage perfume bottles are popular with collectors around the world.Vendors and shoppers crowd into the area inside Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin TempleHundreds of gently-used kimonos and yukata for sale. New ones are pretty spendy, but these could be had for around 1,000 yen (less than $10 USD).Many vendors offered wooden kokeshi dolls. Messages are placed inside and the dolls are given as gifts of friendship.Traditional clay dolls called Hakata ningyō are popular both in Japan and abroad.Miscellaneous handmade dolls and figurines. The guy with the white belly on the left is a Tanuki, often found in shops and restaurants as a very-thorough lucky charm.A diorama depicting a winter shrine. Several make-your-own pieces were for sale at this booth.Trading cards featuring samurai film stars used to be distributed in packs of chewing gum in 1960s Japan.Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah in a battle for time!A box full of cats—maneki neko (beckoning cat) to be specific.A match made in vintage heaven… a Mickey Mouse phone and a Blushing Willy drinking doll (check out a video of Willy in action)A traditional decorative maskA rather large collection of adult-humor booksA mismatch of Japanese toys, dolls and autographed baseballs.An ichimatsu doll. The current style is modeled on dolls created for the friendship doll exchange between the U.S. and Japan during the 1920s.Shopping works up an appetite! Unique green tea soba noodles at nearby Kotobukian. It’s served wariko-style, served in three lacquered bowls stacked on top of each other. Our meals included Kawagoe’s famous sweet potatoes.
I wanted to remember my experience returning to the U.S. after a year away and with a group of Japanese students.
Every year, our university subsidizes a trip for all freshmen in our English communication program to visit Willamette University in Salem, OR for five days. We call it “American Culture Tour.” Willamette University is the sister university to our school and where our students go to study abroad. This year, about 200 students, 10 teachers and a handful of admins made the trek across eight time zones and back.
Click on any photo for a larger view and full caption. More of the story below.
Drinks from Archive Coffee & Bar in Salem
Oh, Safeway.
American pizza
“Big” hamburgers
Willamette Star Trees
Basketball inside Sparks Center.
Picnicking during the farewell BBQ.
Patriotic face painting for sports day.
Ed’s group during sports day
Home for a week…Willamette dormitory.
A tour of Portland food: Hair of the Dog’s Blue Dot Double IPA; vegetarian tacos at Robo Taco; no Portland trip is complete without a stop at Voodoo Doughnuts, coming soon to Tokyo!
A never-ending selection of English-language books at Salem Public Library
Starbucks in the U.S. is a lot sweeter than in Japan… this photo featuring some secret menu drinks like Cotton Candy Frappuccinno.
A taste of home back in Japan: Oregon beer, refried black beans, Stumptown Coffee, Oregon wine and Costco-sized peanut butter to name a few
Safeway is so cool!
Cool Willamette shirts from the bookstore.
My group at Portland International Airport experiencing the new PDX Carpet
Students at the Bush Park gazebo in Salem, OR. A nice 360 moment as we were married here in 2007.
American Culture Tour
Squirrels were very “kawaii” according to students.
The “chicken” fountain at Willamette’s campus.
Campus was beautiful.
Lunch at Goudy featuring “American salad.” The salad bar was pretty good!
Making s’mores for the first time!
Enjoying Salem’s nature.
Go, team! We had a closing ceremony to end the trip.
My mom, me and my sister.
Archive Coffee & Bar in Salem
Shopping in Portland. Love that shirt!
Carnitas and a giant quesadilla. Que rico!
Cool Pikachu shirt at Hot Topic!
Las tortilleras hard at work.
Before we set off, we had a series of classes to teach our students what to anticipate when traveling. We covered everything from packing, customs/security, airport plans, etc. Most students had never left Japan before and it was their first trip abroad or to the U.S. We placed a lot of emphasis on packing comfortable clothes and shoes. Americans dress a lot more casually than the Japanese. A couple of my ladies still brought their platform heels!
The airport experience was really smooth. My students were very well behaved and accepted my authority when I asked them to do something. Only one student accidentally brought a pen/X-ACTO knife combo through security, which was confiscated. In Japan (and most other countries I have traveled to), it’s not necessary to take off your shoes going through security!
The only thing out of my control happened in the airport going through customs. We had lined up when alarms and sirens started going off. Students’ phones started beeping with emergency notifications. And then the ground started to shake. We had a pretty major earthquake—actually in our home prefecture of Saitama—but we were about two hours away at the airport in Narita. A couple of the students started to freak out while myself and another teacher (Cassie, you rock!) just froze and looked at each other like, “What the hell is happening?” I have to say, we did great. But, my nerves were frayed after that. Being responsible for 17 lives in a natural disaster? No, thanks.
I think the students were excited about being in an airplane—watching movies and eating the food, ordering beverages, etc., although they were instructed not to order alcohol! We left Tokyo at 5 p.m. on Monday and arrived in Portland around 1 p.m. on Monday. Going through American customs took forever because all 200 kids were in the foreign passport line. And some of the customs agents were pills. Even I got stopped and asked for my American ID in addition to my passport.
Students and staff from Willamette met us at the airport, which was a nice greeting. My group had two Willamette students who stayed with us that week and arranged activities for my students when I wasn’t holding class.
We arrived on campus and students got their dormitory room keys and unpacked. We had a boxed lunch in the courtyard. We had beautiful weather that week! In fact, the Willamette campus was so gorgeous. Flowers blooming. The sun was out. The grass was green. The students were impressed by the “nature” and squirrels on campus and in the parks.
Speaking of lunch, is everything is bigger in America? When my students returned from their weeklong trip to Oregon last year and reported that the “food is big,” I thought, “Eh, whatever. American food is not that big in size.”
But, this year, I discovered they were right. Mea culpa. American people are bigger. The cars (trucks) are gigantic. And yes, the food portions are pretty big. At least from the perspective of the Japanese diet. Our lunch that day had a big sandwich, a bag of chips, a side of hummus, a pear and a brownie. It was awesome! But no way did anyone finish it all.
We had been awake for who knows how many hours at this point. I wish I had written down what times I actually slept. I was on a crazy schedule. I would try to sleep at midnight, but be wide awake. And if I fell asleep, I would nap and wake up at 3 a.m. ready to go. I actually slept through my alarm the first day, but I made it to class only 4 minutes after 9 a.m.
Each day, we held class in the morning for three hours. The first day, I took my students to a coffee shop, which was great because I slept through breakfast! Mmmm… Oregon definitely has great coffee. Sorry, Japan! I had an Americano and a Marionberry-basil scone. My students mostly ordered cocoa, but it was great to see them trying to read the menu and order and give the correct amount of money. I stayed out of the way and let them figure it out! A couple of students in the group emerged as leaders and helped out their peers. I had students ranging in sections (based on skill level) from three to 14 (of 15 total).
We also walked along Salem’s riverfront and saw the carousel. We popped into Salem Center mall and browsed through some stores. “Bik shi” or Victoria’s Secret was popular among the girls and everyone seemed to like Hot Topic. The second day, we went to the Salem Public Library—which I love—and we read some children’s books and Japanese manga (comics) translated into English. It was fun and somewhat academic.
One of the students chose a picture book that detailed a Japanese woman’s time in an internment camp in Oregon during World War II. The student didn’t really understand; that was a difficult one to explain. After the library, we walked to get some Dutch Bros coffee and hung out at Bush Park.
Overall, the trip was pretty relaxed. The Willamette students took care of a lot of evening activities so that I could see my family.
It was fun to see my mom and sister. My mom hauled me around town as I browsed through Trader Joe’s, Fred Meyer and Costco. She even brought me my favorite cake from the Market of Choice in Corvallis!
My sister and her boyfriend accompanied us one of the days that we took the students to Portland. The culinary highlight of that day for me was Stumptown’s cold brew coffee. Oh so good. I want another one. Please drink one for me, Cascadians. My sister and her gentleman friend were awesome and served as the navigators for that day.
My students LOVED shopping and thought the prices (even the prices at Pioneer Place) were cheaper than Japan. Favorite stores included Nike, Kitson, Forever 21 and the Made in Oregon store. Oh, and students were in love with the Safeway near campus. The worst Safeway in Salem probably. Oh well. Maybe it’s like how Robert and I were excited about going to grocery stores when we first came to Japan.
Our groups had lunch at the food cart pod downtown. One of my students said “It’s world food.” I guess she was right—Korean, Thai, Greek, Mexican, Polish, Chinese, even Japanese. But I think students mostly tried American food: “big” hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs. Some had burritos or tacos, but overall, I don’t think they were into Mexican food. One of the nights, the Willamette student leaders took them to a taqueria and most Japanese students ordered fish and chips or hamburgers. Ha. When my students say they had Mexican food, I always ask, “was it spicy?” And they always say, “yes.” It makes me giggle. I love spicy food so I am a fish out of water in Japan.
My mom took my sister and I to my favorite Mexican restaurant in Salem: La Hacienda. It’s the best because they make their own flour tortillas. Along with a Negra Modelo, that was as good as I remember. I also went to Robo Taco in northeast Portland and ordered some “pork” and “sausage” tacos, which I doused in habanero salsa. YES. And +1 for vegetarian food options.
I’ll also add that in addition to amazing coffee and awesome Mexican food, Oregon has the best beer. Nobody else makes beer like Cascadians. It has color! It has hops! It has depth! Flavor! I die! It was fun shopping around and finding beers on Robert’s wish list. I also enjoyed a hoppy pint at Hair of the Dog and some sours to change it up at Cascade Brewing (on a night off! I was not on duty or in charge of any lives 🙂 ).
My other observations:
Portland really IS weird. I could do without randos begging our students for money while in line at VooDoo or screaming and ranting about restraining orders and gun permits in front of the courthouse. I’m glad that last one didn’t erupt in violence.
It’s hard to go from Tokyo back to Portland. 13 million people vs. 600,000. I do love pockets of Portland and I’m sure we’ll end up living there, but…there’s no comparison.
Americans are rude (but not as rude as Europeans) when compared to super-polite Japanese people. I witnessed Salemites arguing about parking spots, who was in line first and inconsequential things like that. That would never happen in Japan. The Japanese apologize and say excuse me even when they’ve done nothing wrong.
Overall, I had a really great time bonding with my students and seeing them use English in a real world setting. I got to see some of my students from last year who were studying abroad at Willamette. And I got to spend more time with some of my co-workers who went on the trip. Win, win, win. Thanks, ‘Merica.
There’s a phenomenon in Japan—and probably other countries—known as the “Gaijin Nod.” “Gaijin” is a more casual version of the Japanese word for “foreign person” and, while it’s sometimes used with a negative connotation by some Japanese people, it’s widely embraced by many foreigners.
It’s a simple maneuver to perform. When you see a fellow Gaijin, you may choose to tilt your head down slightly, hold briefly at the bottom, then return your head to its original position. Chances are the person at whom the nod is directed will respond in kind.
“The Nod” occurs most frequently outside of the major tourist areas. It’s not uncommon to see foreigners in Tokyo or Kyoto, but outside of these areas, we’re a sight to behold. As such, an automatic connection is formed between us, one that crosses the boundaries of race and nationality.
Today I took a trip to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo to prepare for our next adventure. Most of the embassies are grouped together in the Roppongi district, so there’s a high concentration of foreigners. Along the way, I passed embassies for Madagascar, Iran and Qatar. At each, when I made eye contact with the embassy employee manning the door, we engaged in “The Nod.”
The great thing about “The Nod” is that it also transcends language. Off the top of my head, I know I don’t speak Malagasy, Persian or Arabic, yet we still share a bond simply because we’re part of a larger community…
During late spring in Japan, the weather is in the sweet spot for bringing a bounty of blossoms out for viewing. It’s hard not to have a little extra joy in your heart. A couple weeks ago, we visited Chichibu for the phlox blossoms and last weekend we headed back for the “heavenly poppies” at Sainokuni Friendship Farm.
Enjoy the photos (click any of them to view at a larger size) and watch the video at full size for a couple of special treats.
The street leading to Chichibu shrine is full of quaint shops, feeling like a throwback to another timeOne of those quaint shops, “Cocktail Bar Snob.” Finally a cocktail bar that’s keeping it real!100 of these statues, called kaiun annai ban (開運案内板) or “Good Luck Guide Plates” are located around the area of Chichibu Shrine.Two cats ruling the roost in a small neighborhood park near Chichibu Shrine.The haiden (prayer hall) of Chichibu Shrine. The shrine dates back more than 900 years and was a sacred site during the Edo period.Some of the colorful carvings around the top of Chichibu Shrine. The work is attributed to Jingoro Hidari, an artist from the early 1600s famous for a similar—and much more famous—monkey carving at Nikko Shrine.The monkeys get another treatment on an ema, wooden planks on which worshippers at Shinto shrines write their prayers.A ceremony took place in the shrine while we were there and they gathered for a photo after. The Shinto priest (kannushi) is seated in the middle. It appeared to be a business group, perhaps receiving a blessing for an upcoming project, a common occurrence in Japan.We had lunch at a great macrobiotic place near Chichibu Shrine called Tsuki no Usagi (Moon Rabbit). It was a little hard to find as it was tucked back off the main road, but well worth the effort!The train to the poppy fields with Mt. Buko in the backgroundThe bus from Minano Station is decorated with characters from a Japanese cartoon (anime) called Anohana that was set in Chichibu. Many visitors to Chichibu come to see the sights from the show.Rikyu Shrine, a small shrine in the woods along the road to the poppy fields. Shuttle services to the fields ended the weekend before our visit, so we got a nice 2.5 KM walk up the hill to see them.The poppy fields of Sainokuni Friendship Farm. Click the photo for a larger image.The poppy fields of Sainokuni Friendship Farm.
Every culture has its idiosyncrasies. Even after living in Japan for a year, I still learn something new nearly every day. Sometimes it’s an “a-ha” moment. Other times it’s something that I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to. Here’s five things that I’ve never experienced before living in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The Japanese take cleaning up after their dogs to another level
The Royal Treatment
Cleaning up after your dog isn’t unique to Japan. The production of poop pickup products is a multi-million dollar international industry. However, dog owners in Japan take it a step further. After the dog has done its business and the output is properly bagged, out comes the tissue. The dog instinctively props up its tail while the owner proceeds to wipe the offending area. There’s no question who’s boss in this situation.
The Shoshinsha and Kōreisha marks warn drivers about other drivers
The Scarlet Letter
Top: Shoshinsha mark for new drivers. Bottom: Kōreisha mark for elderly drivers.
New drivers are required to display the Shoshinsha mark for at least one year after getting their license. Drivers who are uncomfortable with their driving skills may also choose to display the sticker. The idea is to let other drivers know there’s an inexperienced driver in their midst.
On the other end of the spectrum, drivers over the age of 70 are encouraged to display the Kōreisha mark while drivers older than 75 are required to display the sticker. The design of the mark was changed from a teardrop shape to a four-leaf design in 2011 after many drivers refused to use the sticker because it resembled a dying autumn leaf.
A surprise in the bathhouse
An Unexpected Guest
For all of America’s exhibitionism, we’re actually quite prudish compared to the rest of the world. So, for this prudish American, I always have to do a double-take when I walk into a public restroom and there’s a female attendant cleaning up the facilities. But, this is nothing compared to a recent onsen experience.
Onsens are public baths—specifically natural hot springs—and are popular with both Japanese people and foreign visitors. They’re usually separated by sex with a changing room leading into the main bathing area where there are no bathing suits allowed. In fact, the phrase “hadaka no tsukiai” means “naked relations” and is considered an important part of the culture—interacting with literally no barriers.
After a long day in the Chichibu region recently, we visited an onsen in Yokoze. I walked into the men’s changing room where the fellas were disrobing for the onsen. A cleaning woman meandered through the crowd, wiping down benches and countertops. The men didn’t appear to be modest or even notice that she was there. In turn, she didn’t seem particularly interested in the sausagefest surrounding her.
Every street corner is a lost and found
Lost and Found
In a culture obsessed by cute knick-knacks and one that tends to get around on bicycle or foot, dropped items are a common sight on the sidewalk. But there’s also a great cultural element of trying to help the item find its owner. Lost items aren’t left on the street to be destroyed, but instead picked up and placed in a conspicuous place to hopefully be discovered later. Who actually grabs these items is a mystery, but I’ve seen things sit on a curb or bush for more than a couple days.
Even lost money usually finds its owner. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Lost and Found Center, 72 percent of lost money brought to the center in 2002 was returned to its owner. That’s a total of nearly $23 million. Simply amazing!
Fire awareness is important
Remember Fire?
There’s a deep-rooted fear of fire in Japanese culture. It’s certainly not unwarranted. It seems nearly every important historical building has been destroyed by fire at least once in its history, including Kawagoe’s own Toki no Kane (Bell of Time). Fire prevention most definitely takes precedence over fire fighting.
During times of particularly fire-friendly weather, especially during the cold, dry winters, volunteers from the local fire brigade will walk up and down the street. They bang two wooden sticks together twice and shout “hi no yōjin” or “watch out for fire.”
Your Take
What do you think? Would you be offended by the driving stickers or shocked by the opposite sex attendant in the locker room? Leave your comments below.
No matter where you are in the world, the topic of weather is a popular one. Everyone has an opinion on the weather, so it’s a perfect conversation topic amongst strangers. We all plan our activities and clothing choices around the weather. One of the first things our various Japanese language lessons teach is how to say “It’s good weather today, isn’t it?” (今日は良い天気ですね).
Meteorologists are regular targets of death threats and harassment when their forecasts go awry. The forecast is so important in South Africa that independent forecasters can be fined or imprisoned for incorrectly predicting the weather.
Today’s high temperatures. It’s the first day over 30ºC (86ºF) in Saitama in 2015.
In Japan, a country whose citizens spend a significant amount of time navigating the day on foot or bicycle, the weather report is a big part of the morning newscast. From your run-of-the-mill temperature forecast to predicting the path of wild weather from Pacific typhoons, the forecast covers it all.
The daily wind forecast
The wind and tides forecast is part of our daily weather story. In addition to damaging storms, the daily breeze can help determine whether it’s a good day to wash blankets (and hang them outside to dry), air out the house (high winds bring in a lot of dust and dirt) or bring a light jacket despite warm weather. Fire danger is a big concern in Japan and the prevailing winds can alleviate or amplify those worries. The forecast is important to coastal fishermen as well.
The laundry forecast: Should I do laundry today? (きょうのお洗濯は？)
Then it gets fun. There’s a daily laundry forecast. Most Japanese homes don’t have clothes dryers (we don’t). Laundry is hung out on poles mounted over patios or outside apartment building windows using a variety of strategic drying gadgets. The scale goes from blue (hard to dry) to orange (dry well) depending on the day’s weather conditions. Today is a good day to do laundry.
The ultraviolet rays forecast (紫外線情報)
The ultraviolet rays forecast shows the strength of UV rays throughout the day. Many women wear large, floppy hats, arm-length gloves and carry a parasol to protect themselves from the harmful rays of the sun. I wish I’d seen yesterday’s forecast before my run. My shoulders were Barney the Dinosaur purple!
Kanto Heat Stroke Index (熱中症予防情報)
Finally, the heat stroke index. At first, I thought maybe this was the child tolerance index—how long your child will last before having a meltdown due to the heat. This one ranges from safe (ほぼ安心) up to danger (危険). Today in Saitama (さいたま), we’re in the caution (注意) to vigilance (警戒) range. All jokes aside, it gets hot and humid in Japan during the summertime. In 2013, nearly 40,000 people were hospitalized from June to August due to heat stroke and 78 people died from complications.
NHK’s current asadora (朝ドラ—morning drama) Mare, starring Tao Tsuchiya
Best of all, the weather forecast leads into the morning 15-minute soap opera miniseries. The current iteration—NHK’s 92nd asadora or morning drama series—is about a young woman who moves to Yokohama to become a baker, but finds that the cake just doesn’t taste right and sets out to create the perfect pastries. The previous miniseries featured Charlotte Kate Fox, NHK’s first American actress in a leading role, about the creation of the Nikka Whisky Distilling company.
After two weeks of adventuring through India and Nepal, we were ready for a little rest and relaxation. We spent the next two weeks meandering about Thailand, including a week of hanging out on the amazing beaches on the island of Koh Samui. The story of our travels through Thailand are best told through photos, so please enjoy a snapshot of the beautiful Kingdom of Thailand.
Relaxing in a cove near Lamai Beach on the east coast of Koh SamuiBuddhist statues outside Wat Lamai. The temple is home to a folklore museum with artifacts from Samui’s history.One of the waterfalls at Na Muang on the mountain in the center of Koh SamuiThis rock is called the Hin Ta or Grandfather Rock. Can you guess why?! There’s a Grandmother Rock equivalent. Tourists flock to take very inappropriate photos with this rock. Google it…Eating coconut ice cream made from actual coconut served in a coconut shell near Hin Ta on Lamai BeachAuthentic phat thai (noodles) and curry. Eating local food is one of our favorite things about traveling.A produce stand selling durian. Durian is a popular fruit in Thailand. It smells and tastes like trash. Literally, like garbage.Fisherman’s Village in the Bo Phut area on the northern side of Koh Samui. Lots of hotels, food and souvenirs.Finally some authentic street food! Egg roll and a fried rice ball in Fisherman’s Village.A beach vendor selling bird wind chimes in Bo PhutLooking out at the tour boat that took us out to Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park. The park is made up of 42 small islands.Parts of the Leonardo Di Caprio movie “The Beach” were filmed in Ang Thong. Emerald Lake on Talay Nai played the role of “Blue Lagoon” in the movie.Our home away from home for a couple nights. Ko Wua Talap on Ang Thong is packed with tourists during the day, but at night, there were just a handful of campers.The trees around our campsite were full of langur monkeys. You could hear them swinging in the trees all day and night.Getting ready to head back to Koh SamuiOn the Thai mainland, we did a homestay in Khiriwong Village, a quiet village near Khao Luang National Park outside Nakhon Si Thammarat.On our second day in Khiriwong Village, we hired a local guide to take us hiking in the mountains. We did a homestay at his home where he’d built a couple small huts for guests.After lunch, our guide took an hour-long nap near the waterfall. It was a little awkward…In Bangkok, we visited Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of the world’s largest weekend markets. Dinner included fresh mango, phat thai, egg rolls and fried quail eggs.Food vendors lined the road by the main gate of Chatuchak Weekend MarketAt Wat Pho, we visited the giant reclining Buddha. It’s 50 feet tall and 150 feet long.The full length view of the reclining BuddhaA statue garden in Wat Pho showed the various positions of Thai-style yoga. Each pose targets a specific ailment.We did a food tour of Bangkok’s Old City and saw some things off the beaten tourist track, including the fresh produce at Trok Mor Morning MarketSao Ching Cha, or the Giant Swing, was used in religious cermonies from the 1700s to the early 1900s. Participants would swing and try to grab a bag of coins off a pillar. The swing itself was removed in 1935 after several fatalities.Our guide Chin runs Chili Paste Tours. If you’re in Bangkok, it’s a great way to taste some real Thai food and get away from the other tourists for a bit.Bangkok’s Nuttaporn has been making fresh coconut milk ice cream the old fashioned way for more than 60 years.Outside the Bangkok’s famous Pak Khlong Talat flower market, vendors load a took-tuk full of chili peppers… unfortunately, they loaded it a little too full and the bags all tumbled out. It drew quite a crowd of locals.The iconic Wat Arun temple at nightMay Kaidee makes authentic Thai food that is completely vegetarian and teaches cooking classes at her restaurant in the Khao San area of BangkokA statue of King Rama VI outside Lumpini Park, Bangkok’s first public park established in the 1920s.A mirror selfie (melfie?) on the last day of our 33 day, three country adventure
I’m self-diagnosing a case of selective attention deficit disorder. It’s brought on my projects that aren’t particularly interesting to me. Treatments include watching baseball, going for a run or doing just about anything else.
I have a couple of those projects on my plate this week, so I decided to remove the distractions. I loaded up my computer and headed to Starbucks to work for a bit. There’s plenty of good workspaces around town, but the coffee giant is the only one that offers free WiFi.
The closest Starbucks in Kawagoe Station is usually crowded with commuters and since the station is our transportation hub, I wanted some new scenery. I pulled up Google Maps and plotted out some of the other shops in the area. That landed me in nearby Fujimino City.
Fujimino is the first stop on the express line toward Tokyo from Kawagoe Station, but we’ve never had reason to go there, so this was a good chance to explore the area a bit. I arrived around lunchtime and had plotted out a couple potential lunch spots.
The curry lunch set at Arcturus Cafe in Fujimino. The small shop has a couple tables in a solarium surrounded by flowers in bloom
I chose Arcturus Cafe, which I’m told by Wikipedia may be named for the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere. Macrobiotic cafes like this are one of the few safe bets for a vegetarian meal in Japan.
I chose one of the two tables in the solarium at the back of the restaurant. Outside, rose bushes and other greenery pushed against the glass. I ordered the curry set. Japanese curry is available nearly everywhere, but it’s made with chicken, so it’s usually on the no-fly list. Potatoes and mushrooms took the place of the chicken. It was fantastic!
Arcturus also bakes its own bread using a naturally fermented yeast. The soup and salad set is served with fresh bread and coffee. I can’t wait to go back to try it.
The quiet surroundings of Starbucks in Fujimino offered a nice work environment
After lunch, I headed to Starbucks to actually get some work done. The Starbucks is about 10 minutes from the station, so the crowd was pretty thin in the early afternoon with most of the customers coming through the drive-through.
A taste of home… beers from Newport, Oregon’s Rogue Ales & Spirits
After I finished my work, I popped into the Aeon department store down the street. I remembered from a trip to the Aeon near Costco that they have a large liquor section with a decent selection of craft beers. Sure enough, they had three different choices from Oregon’s Rogue Ales & Spirits. I took one of each: Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Dead Guy and Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout.
I tried to make a joke with the cashier that both the beer and I were from the same place. She laughed and said a whole bunch of other stuff that I didn’t really catch. Can’t win ’em all…
My projects will keep me busy for a few more weeks and I plan to use my new method of navigating the area by Starbucks locations to find a few more new gems.
The great thing about a city like Tokyo is that you never run out of things to see. After a brief Tokyo rut, we’ve recommitted ourselves to crossing things off the “to-see” list.
First item off the list was the historic Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo’s Chūō Ward. Tsukiji is a popular tourist spot, but it’s also a working wholesale fish market. Visitors rub elbows with local chefs picking through the freshest (in many cases, still alive) seafood in Tokyo.
A turret truck cruises through the narrow aisles of Tsukiji Fish Market
Inside, hundreds of vendors crowd into a warehouse. The smell of the sea greets you from a block away. The aisles are narrow with just enough room for one-and-a-half people to pass through. Tourists alternate between snapping photos, sidestepping fish-water puddles and dodging the turret trucks that zip down the aisles. Old-school wooden carts roll through more slowly, loaded with some of the larger ocean fish and offering a hint at the origins of the market.
Catch of the day… it looks like I’m afraid someone’s going to steal my fish!
Fish markets in Tokyo date back to the 1600s, but the current incarnation was built in 1935 after its Nihonbashi district predecessor was destroyed in the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923. In November 2016, the market will be moved to nearby Toyosu to free up the current location for development prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The tools of the trade at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market.
The butchers worked with surgical precision, carving the large fish into perfectly-weighted fillets and making paper-thin slices for sashimi (raw fish). Many used “knives” that more closely resemble a samurai sword than anything you or I have in our kitchens. The four-foot long blades made short work of the even the largest tuna.
The surgeon vs. the sturgeon. Did I mention this was a working fish market?
After awhile, the aromas inherent in such a place started to take their toll on our stomachs. Occasionally I’ll come across Japanese food that makes me second-guess my vegetarian choices, but the fish market was not one of those places.
Cascadia-style coffee perfection at Kachidoki’s Market of the Sun
We headed outside for some fresh air and a short walk over the Kachidoki Bridge to our very favorite farmers market in Japan. Market of the Sun is Japan’s largest regular farmers market and has the most unique selection of local produce, goods and snacks in Tokyo. We left with a couple varieties of honest-to-goodness rye bread and a hearty beet, both nearly impossible to find in our local area.
Looking down Monja Street on a quiet Saturday morning.
A couple blocks away from the market, we checked off another of our Tokyo to-dos with a visit to Monja Street. We’d first tried monjayaki during my birthday weekend in Asakusa. This two-block stretch of restaurants in the Tsukishima district features almost exclusively monjayaki and okonomiyakishops.
Although it was proper lunchtime, most of the shops were still closed when we arrived. We found one with several people inside and ordered a monjayaki and an okonomiyaki—best described as savory Japanese-style pancakes. The waiter started our monja on the table-top grill, but we took care of the okonomiyaki ourselves. Check out the video below to see us in action!
