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Everyday tongue twister
Although there’s no phrase for “tongue twister” in Japanese, the language has quite a few words that are challenging to say. Japanese has 5 vowel sounds (plus a few dipthongs) ah (a), ee (i), oo (u), eh (e), & oh (o). Paired with the 11 consonant sounds, this means pronunciation is very regular. Ko is…
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Japan Webgrrls 4th Anniversary
Today, one day only. Japan Webgrrls 4th Anniversary event, e-Lifestyles This is the volunteer project that’s eaten up all my spare time this fall. In fact, it’s eaten all my sleep, too, at least last night. We’ll have a video premiere, “e-Lifestyles” demonstrations, speakers and a keynote presentation. Plus refreshments, and really great door prizes.…
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4:00 am, Tokyo
At 4:00 am, Tokyo is very quiet. The hum of my computers drowns out the distant sounds of sparse traffic. Birds are asleep; school children are asleep. The construction sites all around me are still. The sun is waiting in the wings for his cue to come onstage. The sky is inky; streetlights dot the…
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Ah, home
Ah, home. The familiar sounds and smells of Tokyo welcomed me back home this evening. The musical train announcements, the sound of bicycles swerving to avoid pedestrians, the scents of oden and ramen wafting over the smell of car exhaust. It’s good to be home.
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Bank tranfer
On the Narita Express, 60 seconds from the airport station, Tod’s cell phone rings. It’s Susan Tani calling to give us the billing information for Sunday’s move. “Can you pay promptly?” she asks. We want to pay, but we’re on our way out of Japan for two weeks. What can we do? On the way…
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Trash collection
Finding the trash collection point in our new neighborhood was an adventure. Shimizu-san, a neighbor, paid a call on me yesterday afternoon to welcome me to the neighborhood. Or maybe she was a spy for her friend, Matsuino-san, who used to live here. But I put her to the test when I asked if she…
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Registration
In Tokyo, everyone is registered with the city office. Now that we’ve moved, we have to visit the Bunkyo-ku office and let them know our new address. It’s fun to watch the clerks pull out the very thick, detailed city maps and note the change for our house. Our “green cards” will also be amended…
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Workday Sounds
Our new neighborhood is a symphony of workday sounds. Along the street there are two construction sites, one at the front of the house and one across from my office window. I think the workmen may be trying for a gold medal in Syncopated Hammering. Opposite the front door is a small printing company. The…
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Today is census day.
Today is census day. For Japan’s first census (1920), bells and sirens sounded at midnight on the appointed day. Where ever you where then, that’s what you were to put on your census form. Apparently a lot of nighclubs and brothels closed early that day! Today, we only have to mark our home address as…
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Nutrition guidelines
Nutrition guidelines vary from country to country. Japan recommends that you eat 30 different foods a day. It doesn’t matter what–they figure if you get 30 different things into you, you’re probably eating well. What a challenge! Yesterday I managed 20 different things. I would have fared worse if I had not selected the mix…
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