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We hosted a holiday
We hosted a holiday party for some of Tod’s coworkers. 17 guests represented 7 nationalities: Australian, Irish, British, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and American. Quite international. Yuki, a Japanese woman who works on the NT team, confided in me. “When I am married and have a house, I want to have a home party like this.”…
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On this crisp, sunny
On this crisp, sunny morning, the woman across the way is hanging out her laundry. Her first action is to wipe the city grime from the laundry poles. She lifts the pole down at one end and her hand sweeps along its length. This looks more like ballet than a household chore. In the laundry…
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When I was a
When I was a kid, I loved joke shops, the sort of places that sold fart cushions and plastic ice cubes with embedded bugs. One of the jokes I never tried was the toothpaste that makes the victim’s teeth turn black. Now that I live in Japan, I don’t have to be subvert. Binotomo “Nasu…
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The postman rings pretty
The postman rings pretty many times. Two days ago I found a notice from the postman in my mailbox. He had tried to deliver a package while I was out. The form gave me many options: specify a date and time for them to redeliver; have the package delivered to a different address (residence or…
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When I was a
When I was a kid, I sat on the floor a lot. Maybe I was preparing for life in Japan. In the traditional Japanese home, furniture is low to the ground. Windows are near the floor; everything is grounded. You’ve probably seen the classic, low dining table with cushions scattered around it. Maybe you’ve slept…
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From 1960 to today,
From 1960 to today, Japan’s population has increased 130%. Its energy consumption has increased 550%. Looking around my house, I can see how that happened a little bit at a time as each new convenience and luxury was introduced. In the kitchen, I have an electric water pot that is on 24 hours a day,…
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There is a restaurant
There is a restaurant chain here in Tokyo called Kushikyu (which is a wordplay too difficult to describe in English) that serves “foods without a country.” Their menu features fusion cuisine–rice ball croquettes, kim chee stew–that are ultimately uniquely Japanese. It’s always a treat to see what specials they are cooking up this week. Not…
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Banking online is a
Banking online is a brilliant idea. We do it all the time because it gives us ready access to our American accounts. We even have an account at a bank we’ve never been to in person. But it has its drawbacks. My banker is a web page (well, a whole bunch of web pages). And…
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There’s a new, huge
There’s a new, huge apartment building on the main drag in our neighborhood. It’s the largest building on the street–taking up an entire block and 20 stories. It’s a really posh place, called L’Age. For the last two months, the construction workers have been fixing up the sidewalks and the landscaping and it’s beginning to…
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I spent my high
I spent my high school years going to auctions with my mother, looking for vintage linens and clothing for her shop. Auctions were a lot of fun. I loved to bid on the boxes of odds n’ ends. LOT #46: pots, pans and assorted items. Minimum bid, $1. It was a thrill to win that…
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