Japan - Cascadian Abroad

How Far Is It? Adding Perspective in a Larger World

August 23, 2014 by Robert Haddan

During our Australia trip, a conversation about perspective came up. Think about looking at a downtown cityscape. If you’re in the middle of the city, you see the individual streets and buildings. But if you’re 20 miles outside of town, the city becomes two-dimensional. The dozen blocks worth of buildings are now a single row of buildings.

Japan is about 142,000 square miles, similar in geographic size to Montana. From north to south, it’s roughly the northern border of Oregon to the southern border of California. But news from Japan in the U.S. flattens like the cityscape from a distance. We often get questions from friends and family as to how far away we are from natural disasters and crazy weather.

To help put our location in perspective, I prepared the following handy dandy chart showing our distance (as the crow flies) from major Japanese cities as well as a comparative distance from Portland to another U.S. city. I also added places like Sendai, which suffered major damage in the 2011 earthquake, and Ōkuma, home to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

City	Distance from Kawagoe	U.S. City	Distance from Portland
Tokyo	20 miles	Newberg, OR	21 miles
Yokohama	35 miles	McMinnville, OR	34 miles
Mt. Hakone	52 miles	Monmouth, OR	54 miles
Mt. Ontake, Nagano	112 miles	Redmond, OR	113 miles
Ōkuma (Fukushima)	132 miles	Kent, WA	130 miles
Nagoya	154 miles	Redmond, WA	151 miles
Sendai	179 miles	Kennewick, WA	177 miles
Kyoto	219 miles	Medford, OR	221 miles
Osaka	240 miles	White Rock, BC	241 miles
Kōbe	257 miles	Vancouver, BC	259 miles
Iwate	276 miles	Spokane, WA	289 miles
Hiroshima	412 miles	Chico, CA	403 miles
Sapporo	503 miles	Butte, MT	490 miles
Mt. Aso, Kyushu	523 miles	San Francisco	536 miles
Fukuoka	541 miles	Pocatello, ID	539 miles
Okinawa	968 miles	Mexicali, Baja MX	972 miles

“Where ARE We?”

July 29, 2014 by Robert Haddan

There are a lot of “can you believe we’re here” moments in Japan. We’ve seen some cool places and have had some amazing experiences. But yesterday’s trip to Tokyo’s Odaiba district was one part “can you believe it” mixed with two parts “what the heck?”

Odaiba is an artificial island built in the 1850s to protect Tokyo from the U.S. Navy and Commodore Matthew Perry’s Pacific fleet. In the 1990s, it was redeveloped as a “city of the future.” That plan never fully materialized before developers starting building shopping malls and hotels. As a result, there’s an interesting mix of architecture on the island, but mostly just a lot of commerce.

The commercial part of the island is easily walkable and we had a few sights in mind. Along the way, we found a lot of unexpected sights as well.

Several tents were set up in the area between DiverCity shopping mall and the West Promenade park. Completely random things were everywhere, like this superhero cutout over a tent with a Viking toddler riding a large, white octopus. Or the man on stilts high-fiving everyone who walked by as he passed a tent selling Under Armour sports gear. I wonder if he can find workout pants that fit?

Stilts — A man on stilts is a man who has a hard time buying pants

I actually found comfort in seeing some normal Japanese weirdness, such as the Funassyi shop. Everyone loves Funassyi! In case you’re wondering, Funassyi is a pear. Funassyi’s parents were pears and Funassyi is the fourth of 274 children. We must refer to Funassyi by name because Funassyi is neither male or female and, therefore, is immune to pronouns. And this is what I consider normal on this day in Odaiba.

We looped back around to our first planned destination. A 60-foot tall Gundam robot statue looms in front of the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza shopping center. Technically, this is a suit worn by Amuro Ray on the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam, one of the most popular anime series to make its way past the shores of Japan.

Gundam Style — Don’t even THINK about shoplifting from DiverCity!

A short walk from DiverCity is Toyota’s MegaWeb complex. The first building is part of the Venus Fort mall, which is modeled after Venice, Italy and is a pretty blatant rip-off of the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The museum itself featured several restored cars, both made in Japan as well as cars imported into Japan. The displays were broken into pre- and post-World War II sections, showing the foreign influence on the country in the years following 1945.

The Western influence on post-war Japan showed in cars like the 1962 Mazda Carol and imports from automakers including Ford, Chevrolet and Fiat. Pre-war cars included a 1937 Datsun Model 16 sedan and an American-imported 1936 Cord 810. All of the vehicles have been painstakingly restored to original condition by Toyota’s restoration experts. It’s a nice tribute to Japan’s long automotive history while weaving in the story of the country’s evolution during the 20th century.

Toyota Hydrogen Car — Toyota’s Hydrogen car, the FCV, is scheduled to be available for sale in 2015

Perhaps even more impressive was the MegaWeb’s Toyota City Showcase, which featured several of Toyota’s concept cars. As tree-hugging Cascadians, we left our Toyota Prius in good hands back in the states, but we were drooling over potential future purchases as we walked through the showroom. The revamped hybrids with futuristic dashboards and single-seat three-wheel cars were great, but we were super-impressed by the FCV hydrogen fuel cell car, scheduled for a 2015 release. It’s an attractive car powered by renewable energy and only emits water vapor as byproduct. Sign me up!

Playing the Hydrogen Trivia game at Toyota MegaWeb. The game wand is a replica hydrogen fuel pump.

So, we’ve seen the future of automobiles. What’s next? How about swinging by the Statue of Liberty. Yes, that’s right… Odaiba has one of those too.

Apparently, the French version of the Statue of Liberty was in Odaiba for “The French Year in Japan” back in the late 1990s. It was so popular, a permanent version was built in 2000. Hundreds of these things have been erected around the world, including three more in Japan. The statue in Miyagi Prefecture was damaged by the 2011 tsunami.

Since we’d clearly jumped the shark in Odaiba with the whole Statue of Liberty thing, we headed back to the mainland for dinner and our final stop of the day.

Despite decades of wreaking havoc on their beloved country, Japanese people still love the monster known as Gojira! In celebration/marketing of the newest Godzilla movie, which opened in Japan over the weekend, a replica of the monster has been built in the Tokyo Midtown Gardens park. A tame light and smoke show runs every evening while the exhibit is open. Kids screamed playfully, more interested in running under Godzilla’s wavy tail than away from his sharp teeth.

This, I believe, is the beauty of Japan. Tokyo is an amazing city and from one train station to the next, you can enter a completely different world than the last. This was a playful day and tomorrow might be a nature day or a traditional day. Tokyo offers all of that and more.

Enoshima and Kamakura

July 28, 2014 by Robert Haddan

It’s been a HOT week in the Kantō region with most cities registering the year’s highest temperatures. University classes are done for awhile, so we attempted to escape the heat with a midweek excursion to the Pacific Ocean. The nearest beach town is Enoshima, so we caught an early train from Kawagoe and set out for the two-hour train ride east.

Enoshima is a small island that is technically part of Fujisawa city and the center of the Shōnan coastal region. The island is a living shrine to Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess of music and entertainment. We explored the island for a few hours before heading further east to Kamakura.

Standing in the shadow of The Great Buddha of Kamakura – actually, the shadows are from the trees, but still…

Kamakura is a small city that was considered the capitol of Japan during the reign of the Kamakura shogunate (1185–1333 AD). The highlight of a trip to Kamakura is the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in.

The day’s story is better told in pictures, so enjoy!

A view of Enoshima Island from the bridge between the island and the area near Katase-Enoshima Station

Shopping Street — The shopping street on Enoshima Island is framed by a bronze torii that has been oxidized over the years

Shop Animals — As native species, owl and fish imagery are prevalent on the island. One shop also customized the traditional maneki-neko (beckoning cat).

Torii to Enoshima Shrine — The torii to Enoshima Shrine… and the first of many, MANY stairs we’d encounter on the island

Statues leading to Hetsu-no-miya Jinja (Shrine at the Edge), the first of the smaller shrines making up Enoshima Shrine

Hetsu-no-miya Shrine. The large ring is made from bundled grass. Tradition suggests walking through the ring in a figure-eight (infinity – ∞) prior to prayer .

View from the top — View of the Enoshima beaches near Hetsu-no-miya Shrine

Wadatsunomiya Shrine houses the dragon that once terrorized the island. His story is included throughout the island.

“Love locks” are attached to the fence around Koibito-no-oka. Legend says if a couple ties a lock and rings the bell, they will never be separated.

A sign at the entrance to the island warns “Beware of Hawks.” While we were resting near the water, a hawk swooped down and took a bite of someone’s onigiri. Beware of hawks for reals!

The Iwaya Caves are lined with Buddhist statues and symbolism. Candles are distributed as you enter to light the way (lower-right).

More stairs — It’s all uphill from the Iwaya Caves back to the Hetsu-no-miya Shrine. So. Many. Stairs.

Back on the shopping street, a shop offered the Dr. Fish service. For 500 yen, you put your feet in a small pool and little fish eat the crud off of your feet. The fish are visible in the background.

Birds at Enoshima Station — Outside the gate of Enoshima Station, these steel-sculpted birds sat perched on a rail. Someone knitted little hats and shawls for them.

Fish Flops — Fish-shaped flip flops for sale at a shop in Kamakura

Yuigahama Beach near Kamakura. The ocean was warm and mostly calm, perfect for a refreshing dip after a humid day.

Farmers Markets

July 22, 2014 by Robert Haddan

One of my favorite weekend activities back home was walking around weekend markets. There was no shortage of options in our neck of the woods and we frequented several. It’s fun to snack on unique homemade treats and see local craftspeople selling their goods. Music is everywhere, from full bands to middle school violinists. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday.

With all the gardens in our new neighborhood, the lack of farmers markets strikes me as odd. I’m guessing most of the gardeners must sell their veggies to local restaurants and stores. Some have unmanned stands set up. But no farmers markets.

Leave it to the world’s largest city to save the day. Every weekend, farmers markets spring up throughout Tokyo. A couple weeks ago, we hit a pair of them: Taiyou no Marche (Market of the Sun) in the Chūō ward and the United Nations University farmers market in the Omotesando district.

Tofu Tofu Food Truck — The Tofu Tofu food truck offered three varieties of tofu burgers

Taiyou no Marche was the larger market of the two and we stepped off the train around lunchtime. Food trucks lined the path from the train station offering a variety of good eats. We checked out all of our options, but decided on Tofu Burgers from the TofuTofu truck—or more accurately, Volkswagen Bus. The lady taking orders gave me a half-hug when we approached. Food made with love… literally. No joke… layered in salsa and cheddar with an awesome fresh bun, I could have eaten this thing all day long.

The Addictive Masterpiece Tofu Burger (絶品やみつきとうふバーガー)

Fueled up, we wandered up and down the aisles of the market. Fresh veggies and Japanese wine (with copious samples) around every corner. One booth was milling freshly-roasted sesame seeds into oil right at the market.

The find of the market, however, was beets! I know, right? Beets! Maybe they’ll show up in the stores later in the year, but this was the first beet sighting in Japan so far. The man at the booth spoke decent English and asked how we prepare them. My amazing wife turned into Bubba from Forrest Gump, listing multiple ways to prepare them. The man said his favorite method was to grill them, but we put them into an awesome borsch.

Most of the booths offered samples, but one was more memorable than others. The Natural Meal Lab had samples of their granola. As we were tasting, a Japanese TV crew walked up. I think I’d dropped an oishī (delicious) to compliment the granola lady and the TV guys seemed to like that. It took three takes to get a shot of them panning from the granola display to me tasting it and saying “Mmmm…. oishī!”

TV Tokyo Bit — Me being filmed by Japanese TV. Can’t wait to see the treatment if they actually air it because Japanese TV is hilarious!

After ensuring our fame on Japanese television, we hopped back on the train and headed for Omotesando. The United Nations University hosts a farmers market every weekend. It was a little smaller than Taiyou no Marche, but had some great food options.

One booth sold anadomikan, Japanese oranges that are big like a grapefruit and have a slightly more bitter flavor than a regular orange, but pack the awesomeness of both fruits. The lady kindly explained this as she doled out samples.

Like the last market, several food trucks circled the booths. We had a couple snacks, including deep-fried soy nuggets (holy smokes, these were naughty!) and a falafel sandwich with chili sauce.

Almond kid — This kid was taking advantage of the free samples

Japan is well-known for its kawaii culture, but there was actual cuteness all over this market. Little kids took part in the free samples and the dog-friendly market made it feel like a day in Portland. What appeared to be a dog adoption clinic was being held in the back of the market, which was a nice contrast to the puppies for sale (at $5,000 USD each) in the pet store next to the market.

On any given weekend, there’s at least a dozen farmers markets around Tokyo. The access to farm-fresh vegetables filled another gap in our Japan life and I’m sure these market trips will continue throughout the summer.

Hiking Hiwada

July 16, 2014 by Robert Haddan

Before leaving the U.S., we’d started to get into hiking. With the beautiful natural areas in Oregon, it’s not hard to find a hiking trail to fit your mood. Japan offers many hiking opportunities, but our area is so citified that greenspace is mostly limited to parks with walking paths.

However, just a short train ride to the west lies the Okuchichibu Mountainous Region (奥秩父山地). The area is full of wooded hiking trails and reminiscent of the Cascade and Coast ranges back home. Hidaka City is the gateway to the Okuchichibu region, with three great peaks and just a 15 minute train ride from our station. We headed for Hidaka, choosing to brave the 90-plus degree temperatures following a few days of Typhoon Neoguri leftovers. Luckily, although just a few miles west, the temperatures were pleasant and a light breeze made for a comfortable day.

Playing Bus Stop Bingo, matching the kanji on the display board for the Kinchakuda stop

We’d been to Hidaka recently for lunch, so we knew that we needed to plan slightly better for the bus ride. In reading the few reviews I could find for the hike, I also knew we wouldn’t see much rōmaji, so I carefully wrote out the kanji for each mountain we’d be hiking and the bus stop we’d need. Since the bus only stops when people need to get on or off, we played some Bus Stop Bingo trying to match my scribbles to the reader board on the bus.

Hiwadayama Street Sign — The sign from the road pointing to the Hiwadayama trail head.

After successfully departing the bus at Kinchakuda, we headed up the road to the Mt. Hiwada (日和田山) trail head. The trail had a couple options. You could walk the gentle slope of the switchbacks up to the start of the main trail or follow the makeshift stairs straight up the side of the mountain. We opted for the challenge of the stairs and worked our way up to the trail’s first torii.

At the top of the initial climb, the trail splits into two paths to Hiwada’s summit. The politically-incorrect options: to the left, the “Men’s Course” (男坂経由) and to the right, the “Women’s Course” (女坂経由). In true Cascadian fashion, we opted for the more difficult Men’s Course, a rocky and hilly climb to the peak.

Panorama — Part of the gorgeous panoramic view near the top of Mt. Hiwada

The trees opened up along the way to offer views of Tokyo to the east and the Okuchichibu region to the west. Eventually, the summit comes into view as a large torii frames Kotahira Shrine.

View from Kotahira Shrine — The view from Kotahira Shrine

From the shrine, it’s a short, rocky climb to the peak. From the trail head to the summit, it was about 1,000 ft of elevation gain over a half-mile distance. The straight-up climb plugged our ears, but the benches at the summit offered a chance to adjust to the elevation.

Hiwada summit — This statue marked the summit of Mt. Hiwada

From here, it was about a one-third mile walk to the Mt. Takasasu (高指山) summit. The short path felt like exploring the jungle in Lost. Oddly-placed, dilapidated structures rose from the trees around every corner. The summit itself was marked by a radio tower surrounded by a rusted, broken-down building. We quickly moved on before the Smoke Monster decided to make an appearance.

Takasasu summit — The summit of Mt. Takasasu, otherwise known as Dharma Initiative Station 11, The Tower.

The last peak was Mt. Monomi (物見山). Along the way, a beautiful view emerged with a house perched over a valley with views of nothing but trees and mountains. A small rest house offered respite from the sun as well as vending machines and restrooms. We stopped briefly to refill the water bottle and buy a couple sports drinks before moving on.

Rest House — The rest house leading to the Mt. Monomi trail head

The Monomi trail was some of the day’s more challenging terrain. The recent rain left some muddy spots and steep, rocky trails interrupted the smoother paths up to the summit. At the top, any potential view was blocked by pesky trees, but some comfy benches allowed for another short rest and a snack.

“Say Chīzu!” A hiking group stopped to take a picture at the Mt. Monomi summit.

A large hiking group came in from another trail and stopped to take a picture. In a funny moment of cross-culturalism, the photographer urges the group to “Say Chīzu!” While the shape of the word “cheese” naturally creates a smile, the Japanese equivalent of “chīzu” creates more of a, um, dumb face! After saying “chīzu,” they adjust their mouths into smiles and the photo is snapped.

We briefly followed the group down the hill, but took the first opportunity to pass the slow-moving herd (on the muddiest part of the trail, of course) to head back down Monomi. The path down winds through some interesting terrain. At times, the path is rocky and muddy, while in other places, you find yourself walking through someone’s orange orchard. Eventually you reach a road and follow it down for about a mile where you end up at Musashi Yokote Station (武蔵横手駅).

Summit Markers — The summit markers for Hiwada, Takasasu and Monomi

By the end of the day, we’d hiked roughly five miles and ascended/descended 1,200 feet over three-plus hours. The hike itself was very convenient with well-placed facilities that don’t interrupt the natural experience. The views were unbelievable in places and the trails were challenging, but doable with any level of fitness. I’m sure we’ll venture further into the Okuchichibu region for our next hike, but with the proximity and access of the Hiwada-Takasasu-Monomi trail, we’ll be back here sooner rather than later.

Staycation

July 15, 2014 by Robert Haddan

The guardian at Naritasankawagoebetsuin Hongyoin Buddhist temple.

Japan has a lot to offer in terms of sightseeing. With Tokyo nearby, we’ve overlooked some of the local sights. We found ourselves with a couple free afternoons last week, so we took advantage to explore Kawagoe and the area surrounding our neighborhood a little more.

Neighboring Tsurugashima is a couple miles from our apartment. It’s a scenic walk when we cut through Oisezuka Park.

The lotus flowers are starting to bloom. They grow out of the shallow ponds around the park. There’s a walking path with benches around this pond, which makes it a great place for a relaxing walk or to sit and listen to a local plucking away on her shamisen.

Shamisen — This woman was playing the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument similar to a guitar.

This side of the Iruma River (入間川) is home for many local farmers. The rice paddy fields stretch the length of the river. It’s also home to a lot of wildlife, including a family of ducks who worked their way up and down the rows.

Ducks — This mama had three little ducklings following her through the rice paddy field.

We originally headed for Wood Bakers Pizza in Tsurugashima, but the restaurant was closed unexpectedly. We found some really great Indian food nearby with naan larger than my head.

Naan — Head-sized naan at New Darjeeling Indian Restaurant

A few days later we headed into central Kawagoe and the Koedo (or “Little Edo”) area. Edo was the name of Tokyo until the mid-1800s. This is the historic part of Kawagoe. But, first… pizza! The pizza shop in Tsurugashima also has a location in Koedo and it was open!

It was a little after lunch, so we were the only customers in the place. The pizza is cooked in a pellet-fired oven using Traeger pellets from Mt. Angel, OR and Strawberry Mountain pellets from John Day, OR. They framed the bags and hung them on the wall as decor.

The staff was laughing a bit when I started snapping pictures of the pellet bags on the wall, but when I explained Watashi wa Oregon kara desu or I’m from Oregon! they got pretty excited. They pulled pellets out of the bag for me to smell and showed me their Traeger grill in the shop. We sounded out Ponderosa Pine together. Great pizza and more new friends!

Stomachs full, we headed for Kita-in, a Buddhist temple originally founded in 830. The temple burnt down in 1202 and again in 1638. Because of the site’s importance to the Tokugawa shogunate, following the 1638 fire, several structures from Edo Castle were transferred here. Since Edo Castle was destroyed by fire in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the structures at Kita-in are the only remaining structures from the original Edo Castle.

One of the highlights of Kita-in is the Gohyaku Rakan, or the 500 disciples of Buddha. There are 540 hand-carved statues that are so unique in design that no two are alike. The local legend says that if you feel each of the statues in the dead of night, one will feel warm to you. When you return during daylight, you’ll find that the statue resembles you. Since the statues were gated off during the middle of the day, I’ll have to assume the legend is accurate.

Along the way, we passed Naritasankawagoebetsuin Hongyoin Buddhist temple. We were drawn in by the rhythmic pounding of Taiko drums and haunting Buddhist chants. In addition to the shrines, there were also great statues, including the gate protector who didn’t look like someone you’d want to run into in a dark alley.

Guard — The guardian at Naritasankawagoebetsuin Hongyoin Buddhist temple.

Kawagoe has several more sights to see, but since they’re spread across town and we were racing the rain, we decided to save them for another day.

Tongue Tied: Adventures in Japanese

July 8, 2014 by Robert Haddan

I went to the grocery store today. This isn’t unusual. I shop for groceries every couple of days. We eat a lot of veggies and have limited storage.

The script is usually the same. The cashier greets you, asks if you have a store card and rings up the order. There’s a handy bag-tag if you have your own reusable bag, so usually that’s not even part of the conversation.

Something funny happened today though. I walk up to the register and the clerk, probably in her mid-20s, says the Japanese equivalent of “You don’t have a card.” I laughed out loud… one look at the American and she knew my story. She kept talking to me, which was both great and frustrating.

I’m reaching the point in my Japanese language adventure of understanding in context. I’m pretty good at the grocery stores or restaurants now as long as the speaker doesn’t deviate from the standard spiel too much. But I’m also still a little behind in comprehension and response. That two-second delay is just enough for the speaker to move on or just give up altogether.

I read something recently about learning a language. I’m still in the “translate this to English in my head” phase of learning Japanese. When you actually learn the language, you understand the Japanese itself and are no longer translating to the English equivalent.

Today I understood everything the clerk said, which was exciting. I asked her to leave my rice ball out so I could eat it now and she responded oishii desu ne! or “It’s good, isn’t it?! She asked if it was hot out since I was wearing short sleeves and said it was too cold in the store.

The frustrating part is, in that two second delay, all I can muster is Hai or “Yes.” I know the response is Atsui desu ne! or “It IS hot!” but the words don’t come to mind until the conversation has moved on.

I’ve written before about my frustration in not being able to communicate. But I run across enough people like the clerk that are patient and, frankly, don’t seem to care that I can’t keep up my end of the conversation.

I was riding the train the other day after a four-mile run that ended up at Starbucks, ultimately resulting in a Dark Mocha Chip Frappuccino. The guys across from me on the train were snickering a bit. I heard “Starbucks” at one point and their dodging eyes told me I was probably the butt of a harmless joke, but they seemed nice about it, so I engaged them.

Oishii desu. I said, letting them know this Frappuccino was a tasty, tasty treat. He asked me if I spoke Japanese and I replied with my new standby: Nihongo ga chotto wakarimasu… demo ganbarimasu! or “I only understand a little Japanese, but I try my best.”

For some reason, this is killing people! Both men laughed big, belly laughs. I’ve asked a couple people who actually DO speak the language and they think it’s just a level of appreciation that I’m trying, but I’m seriously considering taking this act on the road!

Things We Eat: Dining Out Edition

July 1, 2014 by Robert Haddan

We had a couple breakthroughs in our eating out adventures in the last couple weeks. I’ve mentioned before that it’s tough to find a vegetarian meal in Japan without going to a speciality shop, which are also few and far between. The awesome website vegi-navi.jp is starting to change that. Sites like Happy Cow are great, but they tend to focus on vegetarian/vegan-only places. Vegi-Navi adds in the local places that might have only a single veg meal on the menu, which is all you need sometimes.

Kick-Ass Thai — The sign under this Thai boxer says they have “World-Famous Thai Food.” I’m not gonna argue…

We were in Tokyo last week and ended up getting a couple good meals out. First stop was Tinun, a Thai place in Omotesando across from the Toyko Metro station. The lunch menu was NOT vegetarian-friendly, but the waiter was very helpful. We explained our eating preference and together we came up with a couple dishes that could be modified. We ended up with Pad Thai with tofu and a Thai Fried Rice. Both were really good.

Taiwanese Food — This Taiwanese place was a hole-in-the-wall down a side street. Always the best!

We were back in Ikebukuro around dinner time, so we headed toward one of the places we’d pre-mapped. We came out the wrong station exit, but fortunately I recognized the landmarks for another place we’d pre-mapped! According to vegi-navi, it’s called SENJOUTEUCHIGYOUZATEN. The poster inside the three-table restaurant said “Sen Jou Dumplings,” which is both accurate and easier to say.

The owner, I’m quite certain, sold us the veggie gyoza at the Taiwan Festival we attended in our first week in Japan. Her first question was “Are you vegetarian?” which was a good sign. She had a nice mix of veggie and meat options, but two complete vegetarian set options. We ordered one of each and got a table-load of food. Multi-colored gyoza, rice, veggies, soup and a mock-meat stir fry.

As we left, she introduced us to the cook—who also happened to be her mother. I told her we were already contemplating what we’d order next time.

The best find, purely for convenience purposes, might have been Tempura Tendon Tenya. Located in Crea Mall, the open-air shopping hub in the heart of central Kawagoe, they have a full English menu (!!) and several set options. The rice set comes with all-you-can-eat rice and noodle sets are also available with soba or udon. The only “oops” in the meal was some dried fish shavings (katsuobushi) on the spinach, but it was easily brushed aside.

Last weekend, we headed west (without our camera) on the JR Kawagoe train for the first time, pointed toward Alishan Organic Cafe in Hidaka City. Only three stops and a bus ride from our station, this will be a return destination. The cafe menu is 100% vegetarian and mixes a standard menu with seasonal specialties. We ordered a donburi bowl (rice bowl) with mock-meat and veggies and a teriyaki veggie burger. Both came with a salad and fried panko-crusted potato ball. Excellent, clean-tasting food. They also have a small store with hard-to-find organic and vegetarian products.

I really enjoy cooking at home, but it’s also nice to find some places for those days where cooking just isn’t in the cards.

Lost in Japan… Again

June 20, 2014 by Robert Haddan

When I set out for my runs, I always have the same plan. Go halfway, turn around, go home. I’ve yet to actually do this. I always try to take a different route, and when I reach the halfway point, I see something that looks interesting and check it out. I usually add a mile of walking to my run as a result.

Yesterday, I set out for my run early on a 77 degree morning. I had a general route in mind for a 45 minute (roughly four miles) run. I turned on my Garmin GPS running watch and was on my way. But it happened again…

I did manage to turn around at the halfway point, but as I crossed the street, I discovered the narrow bridge in the road didn’t have a sidewalk. Instead of dodging traffic, I headed down a side street parallel to the bridge. I was looking for the river path, which I found, but it also led me into Kawagoe Park, where I hadn’t been yet.

It’s a fantastic park, complete with a pond and the ever-present swan boat rentals, tennis courts and a great running path with some shade. I followed the path for a bit until I came to the river path which would take me home. Here’s where it all went wrong.

I’ve decided that my navigation issues in Japan are due to the fact that none of the streets are straight. In the U.S., you can typically follow a street, pop up a block and still be running parallel to the previous street. In Japan, streets curve without reason and if your attention wanders for even a second, it’s all over.

As I approached the river path, I saw that the running path ran alongside it under some nice, shady trees. I stayed in the shade and then crossed the road to head for home. Apparently I got turned around, because instead of heading north for home, I was heading south.

Kawagoe’s a decent-sized city, but I saw enough potential landmarks that I thought I was still heading in the right direction. After about five miles though, I hadn’t seen the landmarks I was expecting. I did, however, see a giant battleship, a DeLorean (Back to the Future car!) on a roof and an oversized fiberglass chimpanzee in blue overalls.

I stopped in a 7-11, bought a water with my last 100 yen and asked for directions.

Matoba-eki wa doko desu ka? Where is Matoba Train Station?

The clerk drew me a map on the back of my receipt, indicating the station was just up the road a bit. I headed in that direction, his map perfectly guiding me… to Minamiotsuka Station on the south side of Kawagoe.

One thing I’ve come to learn about the Japanese is that they will give incorrect information before they come off as being unhelpful. The clerk basically gave me directions to the nearest train station, which sent me another mile in the wrong direction.

Things only got worse as I saw a sign for Belc Grocery Store, one of the landmarks I was seeking. I headed toward that, which is sort of like heading toward a Safeway in the states… there’s probably half-a-dozen Belc stores in Kawagoe. Finally, I came across a lady with a small produce stand. Huffing and puffing, I asked again… Matoba-eki wa doko desu ka?

She gave me a sort of pathetic look and said, what I gathered to be, you’re nowhere near Matoba Station. Totemo tooi desu ka? I asked while pulling distance between my hands in case my Japanese was faulty. She nodded yes with something between pity and empathy.

I usually don’t mind getting lost on my runs. I know I can’t get too far from home on foot and will eventually find my way, but for the first time, I was nervous. I had no clue where I was and knew that every step was likely taking me further from home. We had an appointment in Tokyo later in the day and I needed to be home. Usually I throw 1,000 yen in my pocket, just in case, but I didn’t have any money with me. About seven miles into my run, I alternated sprinting and walking back toward the main street.

That’s when my rescue plan came together. When we first arrived in Kawagoe, we took a taxi to our hotel. The driver lets you in, takes you to your destination, then collects payment. I headed back toward Minamiotsuka Station, where I hoped to find a taxi stand. Sure enough, two taxis had just pulled in and I flagged one of them down.

I gave the driver my address, he wrote it down to verify and we were on our way. I got a chance to try out a new phrase I’d just learned.

Nihongo ga chotto wakarimasu… I paused as I found the next words… demo ganbarimasu! The driver chuckled, my comedic timing translating to Japanese.

I only understand a little Japanese… but I try my best!

I guess the same can be said for my navigation skills. I made it home, safe and sound, and ran upstairs to grab my wallet. I was so far away from home that it cost 1,900 yen (about $19 USD) for the taxi ride. Best 1,900 yen I’ve ever spent.

In all, my 45-minute, four mile run became a one hour and 50 minute, 8.25 mile trek. My favorite part of the Garmin mapping of the run is the end. I’d left the watch on for a minute in the car, so the last split is a two-minute mile as we sped toward home.