-
Rice shortage
Japan is facing a crisis of its main staple, rice. In terms of food self-sufficiency, rice is about the only thing that Japan produces in large enough quantities for everyone – about 7 million tons/year. But since summer, rice supplies have dwindled. Prices have jumped about 20%. Grocery shelves are empty and customers are limited…
-
Trivial Pursuit 日本版
Yesterday at a thrift store, Tod stumbled upon an old Trivial Pursuit game in a dusty original box wrapped in cling film with an oddly printed out import label on it. We both have fond memories of playing Trivial Pursuit around our family tables, so he snatched it up for 2000 yen. Upon unboxing, we…
-
Wara no junbi
At Oyama Senmaida, the season’s first official harvest activity is on Sunday, when the sake owners’ program brings in its three paddies of grain. I was there for the planting and I’ll be there for harvest, too. There is lots of work to be done before the owners come for their event. One of the…
-
Typhoons incoming
Last weekend was the annual festival at Oyama Fudoson, where the seven local villages carry their portable shrines up the mountain to pray for rain to swell the rice before harvest. I think those prayers may have worked too well (but too late) this year. A couple weeks ago the JMA made its three month…
-
Paneer vs Chikko
As a fun Saturday project, Tod suggested we make paneer. I was on board with that because I have been wanting to make the Chiba version of paneer, chikko katametano. Chikko katametano (entirely too long a name, so I just call it chikko) is traditionally made with colostrum, but since that’s not available unless you…
-
Oops, I slid it again
We had a long, hard deluge of rain on Friday night into Saturday morning. Thunder boomed; lightning crackled. Kamogawa announced a Level 4 evacuation and the local school opened up as a shelter for anyone in landslide territory. It was a big deal. It was hard to sleep, so the cats and I were up…
-
Celebrating the planting
Last night was the Oyama Senmaida sanaburi – a celebration of the safe and successful spring planting. Since I helped out with the planting, I earned an invitation. I decided to go becasue I spend a lot of time working with everyone, but we only superficially know one another. Maybe I’d get to know people…
-
New circles
After building 555, I wasn’t sure what my next big project would be. Well, it has turned into a fluster of expanding my circle of acquaintances and activities. I am making time to get to know the neighbors, build rapport, find support, be a useful member of the community, and ensure my life is not…
-
Beachy days
Our friend, Matt, had a long stopover in Japan after his flight out of Delhi and he came out to visit us over the weekend. Matt works in a think tank doing ocean policy research and was eager to see the ocean and our local beaches. We were happy to comply, hitting both the Pacific…
-
Painting Yatsufusa
This beagle is the key to our new animal hospital. Fujii-san and Yatsufusa met Dr. Aoyama at a dog park in Tokyo many years ago. Because of that encounter and the friendship that developed, Aoyama-sensei and her family moved to Kamogawa to build a house with an attached veterinary office. So I thought that a…
Archives