Category: Japan Page 43 of 52

After yesterday’s rain, I was ready for a little adventure. I set off to Kamakura to explore the Gion-Yama hiking trail. Most of the hike is through the city of Kamakura. There is however about 1.5 km along a heavily wooden trail. Here is a map of my route. 

I started and finished at the Kamakura train station. My first stop was the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu Shrine. We have been several times because it is just so beautiful. I detoured off the route today to snap a couple of pictures of the fall foliage. It didn’t disappoint even on an overcast day. 

While I was here, I purchased my Temple stamp book and first stamp. 

I continued on my way. Up hills and over bridges. 

All of the sudden, the road ends and the trail begins. Without the route map I discovered in my research, I never would have found this trail! 

Up I went, one stair at a time! 

Of course, there is a shrine. 

And so many trees! Many of which are still green! It’s the middle of November, where are the colors? 

The trail was a little slippery from the rain yesterday. I’m considering asking Santa for a pair of hiking shoes this year. I have been hiking in an old pair of running shoes. The hikes are more like wooded walks. Not necessarily needing hiking boots, but shoes with better traction. 

I made it to the lookout where on a clear day, “Mt Fuji is visible.” Obviously, today was not a clear day! 

After the lookout, the trail led down to the Yagumojinja Temple. It was a weird experience. After hiking through the woods, you pop out by a temple. The trail just ends. 

The temple was lovely. 

And I collected my second stamp. The stamp from Yagumojinja Temple is on the right. 

I continued my walk along the route with a quick detour at Myochin Temple. It was lovely. Fall colors, cemetery and a Buddha. 

Back to the walking route and I was almost back to the Kamakura train station. With one more temple detour. Here I stopped at the Honganji-ji Temple and received my third stamp. 

This was a quick excursion. Only took me about 2.5 hours round trip from my house. I needed to keep it short today because housing was coming between 1300-1600 to change the filters on the AC/heat. I was home by 12:55, they rang the doorbell at 13:05. The Japanese are definitely punctual. When you visit, we can easily make this a longer adventure. We could enjoy lunch and walk through the cute shops in Kamakura. Kamakura is quickly becoming one of my favorite towns! 

A couple weeks ago, I went to the paper store in Yokosuka. This store has every imaginable paper product available. Cards, stationary and of course origami paper. I purchased several packs of different sized origami paper because I had an idea for our stairwell. Here was how I first used the origami paper. 
I used it to cover a big wooden D I bought on Amazon. 

This is the centerpiece of the left side of the stairs. 

I purchased a pack of plain canvas from Amazon and painted them. It provides a splash of color to the sterile white stairs. 

The art project didn’t take as much origami paper as I anticipated. Meaning, I had a bunch left over. On this overcast, gloomy and drizzly Monday, I decided to give origami a go. 

Origami is the art of folding paper. The ultimate goal is to transform a square flat sheet of paper into a sculpture. I was surprised at not only how fun and addicting making origami can be but, also how easy it is to do! In fact, there is an app for that! Who knew? Several of my creations today. 

When in Japan, learn to make “origami to add fun to life.”

Great news. The commissary received a shipment of La Croix. Talk about a happy Friday! We bought two boxes. We were tempted to buy all three on the shelf, but didn’t want to appear greedy. And because, well, karma. Take two leave one? Seems fair enough. It was the best $3.99 (x2) I have spent since leaving the U.S. I’ll resist the urge to drink it all tonight. 

Happy Friday & Happy Veterans Day. 

One of the things I appreciate about military moving is how supportive other spouses can be when you first arrive. This is especially helpful moving to a foreign country. There are so many questions and so much to learn. There are even questions I don’t know to ask until someone shows me the answer. Case in point – Thrift Store Shopping. 

Before I begin, I need to provide background information. I have been asking around my social groups about how to get started teaching English to Japanese. All roads were leading me to one specific person. I finally had the opportunity to meet with her a couple weeks ago and asked her about teaching. From there, Micky took me under her wing and invited me to one of her Thursday morning classes. Today we went and I shadowed her during the class. It was fun. Six Japanese ladies, all over 60, who have been getting together for 30+ years with a slew of English speaking spouses. There is a potential spot opening early next spring and I might be able to slide into a regular teaching gig. In the meantime, I will be a substitute. In preparation for our day, she asked if I had any time restraints. Nope. “Want to hit some thrift stores on the way home?” Yes, please! 

We started at a thrift store chain called Watt mann / BOOKOFF. Obviously, BOOKOFF provides me no value (a used Japanese bookstore). Watt mann however is a whole different story. It’s like going to the upscale recycle store. Perfect for buying Japanese items at a discount and perfect for selling American premium labels for cash. 

The largest women’s shoe I saw was a 6. Most were a 5.5. Seriously!?! Also, lots and lots of purses. There is a whole row behind me and a lot of them still had tags!! 

From here we went to “the next place.” As with a lot of Japanese businesses, they don’t have an English name and so they are given a nickname by expats. This thrift store was in no way on the same level as Watt mann/ BOOKOFF. In many ways, it was better. It was mostly household items and very few clothes. Considering the sizing issues, I was good. It truly was a treasure hunt.

And then I found the mother load. Kokeshi Dolls. They are traditional Japanese dolls hand crafted out of wood and painted. There are so many different ones with a variety of meanings. They are so beautiful and can be expensive. I purchased these two little ones at the NEX (on base) for ¥4500. They are about 6 inches high. 

At the recycle store, I found these guys. 

Some, if not all, were coming home with me!! I picked out three and an amazing cat. All four items were ¥3000. Seriously. 

Check them out. The tallest one is 18 inches. Then 14 inches and 12 inches. I already had the Tansu (Japanese wooden staircase). I purchased that years ago in Maryland with my mom. I feel like I brought brought it home where it belongs. 

What about the cat, you ask? 

All together now… 

Did I ever find “joy in this journey!” 

When traveling around Japan, it is common to see several Japanese Cemeteries along the way. The cemeteries are very different than the cemeteries in the United States. As I have discussed before, space is a premium in Japan. This is also the case with the deceased. Close to 100% of all deceased Japanese are cremated and provided a Buddhist funeral. Cemeteries are typically built on hillsides where building a livable structure would be difficult. Japanese grave plots are also very expensive, costing on average ¥2,000,000 ($20,000).

The grave plots typically include all of the family remains. 

 The family grave usually has a place for flowers and mourners will create a makeshift shrine. 

 Also, sticks with the family name and the new Buddhist name given to the deceased are written on the stick. 

 The naming of the deceased has increased in controversy because the name is associated with the virtues of the deceased and the amount of donation made by the family of the deceased.

As with all of Japan, the cemeteries are meticulously maintained and respected.

I realize this topic is a bit morose. It parallels my mood from watching the election results, regardless of the determined winner. My heart breaks for a country so divided. I truly hope there is peace in our future. Just keeping it real. 

Kamakura is a town rich with Temples. I have been to several already to include the Great Buddha. Feeding my pseudo-obsession with discovering more about temples, Dina and I went to the Bamboo Temple (Hōkokuji Temple) and Jomyoji Temple in Kamakura. 

The Bamboo Temple is a Zen temple established in 1334. In the Gardens are several Zen gardens and a Mōsō bamboo forest. The Mōsō Bamboo is the largest species of bamboo and in the garden was over 2,000 trees. To give you a little science, a bamboo forest originate from one tree. The bamboo forest is one giant organisms. (Like the Aspen Tree) It was lovely. In the brochure they provided, I found this perfect quote. “We wish your visit to this temple will bring you peace of mind.” With so much beauty, how could it not? Here was the entrance. 

The bamboo forest. 

The larger Zen garden 

This tree looked like a giant bonsai. 

Another Zen garden. 

The main building where meditation is held on Sundays. 

A few more forest shots & us! 

Our next stop was the Jomyoji Temple. Another Zen temple built in 1188 and a national historic site. Beautiful gardens.  

The main gate. 

The main building. 

And more gardens. 

By the time we finished our meditative walking, we were ready for lunch! Dina suggested a Farm to Table restaurant in Kamakura. It was delicious. I had an open faced mushroom & bacon sandwich. 

When you come visit, which ever temple we visit first, we will purchase a temple stamp book. Then when we visit each temple you can have you book stamped to commemorate your visit. Dina schooled me on the temple stamp book today. Can’t wait to get started! 

A side note – as we were walking to the Jomyoji Temple, a local Japanese lady asked us where we were from. “Chicago, United States” is always my reply. She then communicated in broken English about the election. She said “Tump” (no r in the Japanese language) and put her arms in a big X and said, “baaah.” Haha. Yes, I said “Trump bad person.” “Hite (yes) Clin-Ton not good either.” She said. Haha. Pretty funny. In case you were wondering, the whole world will be watching the U.S. on Election Day. Simultaneously, I am proud to Dave and I both, “sent our vote home” last month.  #wevoted 

1. If you see something you like, buy it. “Coming back later” isn’t always the best plan. 

2. If you must go back, plan an additional adventure. 

Last week, when I went to Kappabashi with my neighbor, I saw adorable kid bento boxes. I thought of my favorite two littles, Jack and Isaac. At the time, I thought Dave and I would have plenty of time to return, pick them out together and get them in the mail in time for Jack’s birthday in a couple of weeks. Clearly, I wasn’t considering, most of the area is closed on Sunday (we planned to go yesterday) or that mail takes at least 7-10 days to arrive. If I put it in the mail tomorrow, I’ll have 11. Guess I have a plan for my Monday. 

Back to #1 – if you see something you like, buy it. I failed on that one. 

Back to #2 – if you must go back, plan an additional adventure. Boy, did I ever! 

I decided to visit the Asakusa Sensō-ji Temple. This made me feel as though my ¥1820 round trip train ticket wasn’t just spent on buying presents (not that the boys aren’t worth it!) I was also having fun exploring and investigating vice just running an errand. Simultaneously, I was working on perfecting using the trains around Tokyo! Here was my route via the train. The most amazing thing, I only had to switch trains once!! 

Once I was out of the station, it was easy to find the temple and Tokyo Skytree. 

Talk about a tourist spot. I heard so many people speaking English. Honestly, it was kind of weird to understand people’s conversations as they were looking at trinkets. Check out all the souvenir shops!! 

Another interesting thing was the availability to rent kimonos and enjoy the temple dressed up. Their were a lot of Japanese who were donning a kimono. I’m not sure if they were rented or owned. But, please consider when you visit, we could rent kimonos and make perfect pictures! 

Back to the Temple. It was amazing. 

I know I have mentioned it before and I’ll say it again. I love exploring the temples. They bring me a sense of calm, happiness and peace. 

By now, it was time to find the bento boxes. Remember, the reason I came back here less than a week later. And find them I did! Here’s a picture. Please, if you see Jack before his birthday, don’t ruin the surprise! 

Before I went up today, Dave and I decided the fire truck for Jack and the train for Isaac. Adorable, right!?! 

I’m also please to report, I made it home without issues. I was a boss of the Tokyo trains today!! 

The Sensō-ji is an option to visit if you want to explore Kappabashi during your visit!! Peace, friends. 

I enjoy running in a new location because it gives me an opportunity to see the area from a different perspective. Running provides for data collection and discovery without the concern for appearance or protocols. Without the stress of an agenda, running let’s me explore without purpose. It is simultaneously therapeutic and investigative. 

That being said, there is a certain level of comfort that comes when a running route becomes a familiar route. Finding the perfect route is a bit like creating a work of art. When you know exactly where a mile is from every direction of your house. Or approximately how far you need to go “out” to run “back” and achieve all of your desired mileage. 

Dave and I are slowly working out the kinks of our long run routes. We have consistently run over double digits the past few weekends and will break into the teens next week. We have yet to perfect the exact route. Today, we doubled backed at mile 8.25. We were approximately 2 miles from home and I was hoping if we added a 2 mile circle, we would arrive back at the gate right around 12 miles. I underestimated the distance. We agreed to stop running at 12 miles and walk home from there. Plan your work and work your plan! We essentially did a half marathon by the time we returned to our front door. All in all it was successful. We achieved our mileage, had ¥110 for water at the vending machines and enjoyed amazing views of Mt. Fuji. Run happy! 

But when you do, make a big one. Seriously. Let me set the stage. Dave needed to go into work for a couple hours this morning. We decided we would meet when he was finished at the Kanazawa-Hakkei station and continue to Yokohama together. We have talked about going to Antenna American for a few months now (haha, we’ve been here for a few months!) Anyways, that was our plan. Also part of the plan was for Dave to pick up onigiri and I would bring roadies (fizzy water with a shot of vodka). 

Before I go further, I must provide a little background to the story about riding the trains. It is frowned upon to talk loudly, to eat, or to drink on the train. (Definitely don’t share a bottle of wine with your friends while eating Garrett’s Popcorn.) However, water is acceptable. Dave and I anticipated we would have time at the station to eat our onigiri and we would enjoy our fizzy water with vodka along the 30 minute train ride to Yokohama. Like all plans, they were subject to change. 

There was an accident. Apparently, between Kanazawa-Hakkei and Shiori Station (where Dave was) a person jumped in front of the train. (Horrible) This created a huge delay in train operations. About 2 hours total. 

Another side note, suicide in the Japanese culture brings huge shame to the family. Simultaneously, the family is responsible for paying for the damages to include: train delays or train damage. It is horrible and tragic. 

Ok. Let me regroup. Back to me waiting for Dave in Kanazawa- Hakkei and him not being able to leave Shiori. We realize he could switch train lines and we could meet in Zushi. From there we could continue our trek together to Yokohama. So, I backtrack. Dave walks to the other side of Yokosuka. He catches his train, I catch mine, he meets me at the shin-Zushi station, with onigiri and I have roadies. We are both starving, but no food on the train. And please don’t make a spectacle by eating. Instead, I encouraged Dave to have a sip of his roadie. I mean after an hour of essentially going backwards, we both needed a drink. And so he opens his fizzy water and it explodes!!  All over the train. Seriously. Gaijin!! (Foreigners!) Dave runs off the train (still at station) and I’m using wet wipes to attempt to clean it up. OMG. Awful. The Japanese guy next to me moves away because he’s embarrassed for us. As we are wiping the floor, a sweet Japanese lady across the aisle offers us a pack of tissues. Arigatōgozaimas. We continue to clean (the train is moving) there are no trash cans (I use a recycle bag from my purse). OMG. So, embarrassing. My face was bright red. When we finish, the same sweet Japanese lady then offers us a hand cleaning towel. OMG. Again. Seriously. I feel like a moron. Arigatōgozaimas. I’m sitting across from her bowing with my bright red face. Go big or go home, right. Oh, yeah. We made a big spectacle and stayed on the train. We owned that spectacle. Like a boss! 

I was ready to jump off when we passed our housing stop. Remember, we had to backtrack. Dave said “just relax.”  When the sweet Japanese lady exited the train I bowed at least three times and Dave did too. She smiled and return our bows. 

The rest of the afternoon, thankfully, was a delight. Blue skies and sunshine on a patio with American beer. It was delightful. 

I realized we were in the same area as the Cat Cafe and attempted to find the same Ramen place Laila and I ate that day. No luck. Instead, we found a conveyor belt Sushi. Sushi you order is delivered to you via a train. Kawaii!! 

So many lessons learned today. Like life is an adventure, have fun. And of course, use the flavored water for roadies… they don’t fizz so much!