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Crisp fall day
Yesterday’s crisp fall day inspired us to have lunch in the Imperial Palace north garden. It is an oasis of nature in the middle of the business district. As we sat on a bench eating our lunch, we could see Tod’s office building, but the wind through the trees scrubbed the air clean of city…
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Dragonfly
A glint of light caught my eye. A red-bodied dragonfly angled its wings to soak in the warmth of the morning. The gossamer wings reflected the light of the sun. I moved closer to look at him. As I approached, he raised his long, crimson body and turned his head toward me to assess the…
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Seasonality
I love the seasonality of Japan because it’s based on seasons. Sounds silly, but… In America there are periods and cycles for clothing, decorations and food. But often they are based on a holiday: Christmas decorations; turkey dinner and all its trimmings for Thanksgiving; Easter bonnets. Some things have no season at all. You can…
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Census
Japan is having a census this year and we are being counted. Last evening, a census enumerator showed up on our doorstep with a form for us. It’s a one-page, computer-readable sheet with a small booklet of instructions in Japanese. There is also a separate multi-language translation. The translated directions ensure us that the information…
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Geinojin
“Geinojin ha koko ni kitta, ne…” “An entertainment star came in here” the young convenience store clerk giggled nervously to a customer. “Sou desu ka? Kowaisou?” “Really? Was it scary?” the customer asked. The word “kowaisou” means frightening or scary. Beware not to confuse this with “kawaisou” which means pathetic, or kawaii which is cute.…
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Shellfish
When ordering a dish with shellfish in Japan, be prepapred to see the shells and to participate in the removal of meat from animal. Last night at dinner in an Italian restaurant, we ordered a crab and tomato pasta. The presentation was lovely–liguine piled on a plate and topped with a half a crab shell.…
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3:00 am
3:00 am. The strains of “La Cucaracha” invade my dream…and grow louder. The song is so loud I suddenly realise it is not part of my dream. I look out the window in time to see three motorcycles, tricked out with the glow of blue and violet neon and a sound system loud enough to…
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The weather is cooling,
The weather is cooling, finally. For the last two days I’ve had the aircon off and all the windows open. We get a nice breeze through the house and the fresh air enhances the grassy scent of our tatami floors. But I’d forgotten how noisy our street is–particularly at 5 am when delivery trucks start…
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Mikoshi
Mikoshi are portable shrines set on poles. Once or twice a year, Shinto shrines bring out their mikoshi and parade them through the streets. Dozens of men carry the heavy wooden beams that support the small, ornately decorated shrines. The bearers wear short coats and white shorts. They bind their heads with towels or scarves…
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Maps
You cannot live in Tokyo without a map. Tokyo addresses are organized in descending order by To, Ku, neighborhood, Chome, block and finally building number. For example, here is the address of the Diet: Tokyo-to Chiyoda-ku, Nagatacho 1-7-1 If you have an address and a map, you can find any place in the city. If…
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