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We celebrated the lunar
We celebrated the lunar new year by trudging through the slush to Tokyo Daihanten, a dim sum restaurant in Shinjuku. It was a great holiday treat. I love stopping the carts as they trundle through the restaurant with their loads of steamed buns, shumai, gyoza, shrimp cakes, fried daikon patties and spring rolls. A few…
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I’ve never seen so
I’ve never seen so much snow in Tokyo. “We’re going to have a big snowfall tonight,” my friend Kristen mentioned on Friday at lunch. How intriguing. It rarely snows here. She was right. It began snowing late on Friday night and continued all of Saturday. By Saturday evening, five inches blanketed the ground. Public services…
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The movie theatre experience
The movie theatre experience in Japan is a mixed bag. Ticket prices are outrageously high. We spent 1800 yen per ticket (That’s about $17) to go see 13 Days last night. Popcorn, my favorite movie treat, is disappointing. It’s not freshly made and it tastes like its wrapping. But the concession stand sells ice cream…
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Jonathan’s is the Denny’s
Jonathan’s is the Denny’s restaurant of Japan. Jonathan’s decor screams “family restaurant.” The walls are pink textured wallpaper with a stained wood chair rail. Watercolor paintings and mirrors add spots of color. Brass poles and frosted glass offer privacy between sections. Potted plants in baskets hang from the ceiling. You’ve been in here before. But…
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Japan deregulated its phone
Japan deregulated its phone services and now we are seeing the rate wars beginning. NTT East has routed all local phone traffic in Tokyo until now. They’ve been charging 10 yen for a three minute call. But their new competitors are charging only 8.8 yen for three minues and one has gone to 8.7 yen.…
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Soy is used for
Soy is used for a lot more things in Japan that in America. Every part of the bean is used, and very little is wasted. Take o-kara for example. This is the fibrous part of the bean that is left behind when it’s pressed for tofu. It’s a damp, crumbly, pretty tasteless substance. But it’s…
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I make videos as
I make videos as part of my living. Sometimes I have the most amazing luck with timing music and video. The video I’m working on now is a fast-paced review of last year’s accomplishments for a company. It’s bright, with quick cuts, lots of color and a rap soundtrack. I was asked to incorporate a…
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Thank goodness for genki
Thank goodness for genki drinks. Japanese don’t take their vitamins in pills the way Americans do. Here we have vitamin candy and health (genki) drinks. For the past week or more I’ve been drinking a couple of “C 1000 Vitamin Lemon” drinks every day. The tiny, 140 ml bottle contains a bright yellow, sweet and…
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Not many people were
Not many people were biking this morning. One who did attempt the hill near our house skidded and wiped out on the crunchy ice and sleet that fell last night. Her maroon bag toppled out of the black wire basket of the bike, and her possessions slid over the road. She carefully picked up strewn…
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I wear my pink
I wear my pink pajamas in the summer when it’s hot; I wear my flannel nightie in the winter when it’s not. But sometimes in the springtime and sometimes in the fall, I jump between the covers with nothing on at all! I learned that silly song at a Girl Scout summer camp but it’s…
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