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Moving shop
On Wednesday morning, we lived across the street from the Bunmeido Book Store. By Wednesday night, we didn’t. A few weeks back, workmen started picking apart the building. First all the bricks around the bottom floor disappeared, then big hydraulic jacks were put in place to shore up the walls. I guessed they were either…
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Crazy proprietor
“Crazy proprietor?!?” was Brendan’s greeting to us as he cracked open two Red Hooks and handed us a menu at Pizzakaya last night. Brendan, the refined and dignified proprietor of our favorite Tokyo pizza establishment, had read my Gallery Show entry on this website. I did indeed refer to his as “the crazy proprietor.” But…
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Tachiyomi
Patrons of bookstores in Japan have a long-standing tradition called tachiyomi. Literally translated, it means “standing reading.” In practical terms, this means that the aisles of Japanese bookstores are crowded with people reading books. In a recent visit to Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore chain, I counted half a dozen people in the foreign book section…
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Mama trudges
Mama trudges up the hill with the Mom cycle. Son, decked out in toddlers’ playclothes and a hat, sits in the basket behind. “Mama, mite!” he points enthusiastically across the street at nothing. “Eh?” Mama continues to watch the ground she rolls across. His hands flail more wildly in the same direction. “Koko, koko…” “Doko…
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Autumnf ashion
Autumn is coming to Japan. I can tell by the change in clothing. Even though the last two days have been extremely hot (nearly 38 degrees), women are wearing fall outfits with long sleeves and all. Greys, blacks, fashionable browns, plums and burgundies are all on the streets now. Which isn’t to say that everyone…
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Taiko drumming
During dinner, we heard the sound of taiko drums. That meant that they were dancing the traditional festival odori dances at the Hakusangaoka matsuri festival. I grabbed my video camera and we headed down the street to record the event. Odori are danced in a circle around a raised stage and drummers. The motions are…
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Disaster Prevention Day
The first of September is Disaster Prevention Day. In a country where volcanoes erupt and a major earthquake is decades overdue, perhaps preventing disaster is impossible. But preparing for it is not. The well-prepared household has 8 liters of water on hand for each member of the family, dried food enough for three days, a…
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Computers in another language
Computers in another language. Being presented with a consistent user interface on applications is a boon when confronted with menus and files in a language that is unfamiliar. Sit me at any computer running Japanese MacOS or Windows and I can stumble my way through getting an Internet connection up and running. Even in Japanese…
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Gaze Aversion
How to Make People Avert Their Gaze in Tokyo Sit on a park bench, read a book and laugh aloud at the funny parts. Walk carefully balanced along the edge of a fountain. Strike poses while perched on a rock or ledge. In the middle of an open plaza, stretch out your arms and spin.…
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Mt. Oyama
Yikes! Mt. Oyama’s erupted (again). Miyakejima, one of the Izu islands stretching south from Tokyo, has been experiencing earthquakes and eruptions for months. This morning’s paper shows sulfurous clouds billowing over the landscape while residents look on. After a series of minor eruptions over the last two weeks, the volcanic soothsayers are saying the volcano…
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