Delayed Gratification

Delayed Gratification

On June 15, 2017

In English, Flowers, Hydrangeas, Japan, Yokosuka

Even though my Tuesday night teaching gig ended three weeks ago, I didn’t receive payment until today. I worked in a trip to Yokosuka today to pick up my earnings and was delighted to see the hydrangeas blooming in the park next to the school where I taught for six weeks.

Here are a couple shots with the building in the background. I taught on the second floor of the short building in the foreground behind the tree. The building in the background is an apartment building.

The size of some the hydrangeas were impressive!

I honestly didn’t expect much payment for this little side gig. However, I was pleasantly surprised not only with the hydrangeas but also with the compensation. Delayed gratification paid off.

Proving yet again, good things come to those who wait.

PS. Subtract 4x¥500 for my round trip train ticket each day I taught. Subtract 2x¥4000 for the two dinners Dave and I enjoyed together on two of the four nights I taught. Suddenly, my compensation is nil. None the less, time with my husband & a chance to see hydrangeas- priceless.

Nogeyama Zoo & Park

By wabisabisole

On June 14, 2017

In Flowers, Gardens, Hydrangeas, Japan, Yokohama, Zoo

Dina and I both needed a trip to the Daiso and we wanted to visit the four-story Daiso in Hinodechō. I thought we would make a detour to help entertain the little person acompanying us. The Nogeyama Zoo is a small and free zoo about a 10 minute walk from the Hinodechō train station. First stop at the zoo was the ice cream stand for a vanilla, apple, and mango swirl.

There were a couple cool animals at the zoo. The red panda, the peacock, and the giraffe were our favorites.

After visiting the zoo, we went to the park. From my research, I learned the park had a a variety of flower gardens and this time of year we should expect to see the hydrangeas in bloom. There were several hydrangeas and they were absolutely stunning.

A couple of my favorites because they include my beautiful friend and one her sweet daughters.

There were two small rose gardens that deserve a picture or two as well.

The zoo and park were a pleasant detour. I continue to be amazed at how many quiet parks / gardens are tucked away throughout the major cities. I truly love how the Japanese incorporate natural beauty into urban settings. I look forward to sharing these hidden gems with you when you visit.

Chasing Rainbows

By wabisabisole

On June 13, 2017

In Hello Kitty, Japan, Sushi, Train

When it rains, chase rainbows. Or maybe train stamps. Except if it involves Hello Kitty. Because the cutest train station in Tokyo may have amazing Sushi… but, it doesn’t have a train stamp. Seriously. Dina and I rode the train for an hour and forty-five minutes with additional delays to arrive at Tama Station. Hoping for Hello Kitty overload and at least a stamp. We did get a little kawaii but, no stamp.

The highlight of kawaii in the station was the stained glass. I went to the floor to get the perfect shot or five. Photo credit to Dina for the picture of me on the floor of the train station…

Here were my shots from the floor.

The day wasn’t a complete rain out. We enjoyed amazing Sushi and self squeezed lemon chu-hai.

Lesson learned. Train stamps aren’t always the pot of gold you seek. Instead, settle for tuna.

Hello Kitty World

By wabisabisole

On June 10, 2017

In Hello Kitty, Japan

On my “must do because I live in Japan list” is a trip to Sanrio Puroland aka Helly Kitty World.

For obvious reasons, Dave expressed zero desire to go with me. I decided to use the time he was out of town for work to check this adventure off my must-do list. My friend Katie, her daughter, and I took the ITT tour on Sunday.

Hello Kitty World is is about an hour and 15 minute drive from where we live.

Hello Kitty World is an indoor amusement park with two main rides, several interactive exhibits, and numerous shows. There are 4 levels. The entrance and main gift shop are on the third floor. The fourth floor has several different restaurants. The first and second floor contain the main attractions. The exhibits and rides are all in Japanese. This however didn’t distract from all the Kawaii!! A few pictures from the Sanrio Character Boat Ride. It reminded me of Disney’s It’s a Small World.

After the ride we were ready for a snack. We went to the Sanrio Rainbow World Restaurant. We opted for the crepes. Wow oh wow! Lots of whipped cream!

After our sugary snack, we went to the other main ride, My Melody and Kuromi Mymeroad Drive. Kawaii!

Our next attraction was Strawberry Hill. The interactive Gudetama Land. We researched Gudatama while waiting in line. It translates to English as lazy egg. We all thought he was sad and seeing him flattened we started calling him depressed egg.

The characters were strategically placed near the entrance and rotated every 15 minutes. I was able to catch a couple in transition.

We had about five hours to explore, eat, and shop. It was plenty. There were lines for each of the exhibits and attractions. I think the longest we waited was for about 45 minutes. Considering it was Sunday, it wasn’t unbearably crowded. Another interesting observation was how the crowd shifted. In the morning, most of the crowd consisted of young kids and parents. By the early afternoon, the crowd was full of teenagers decked out in their most Hello of Hello Kitty outfits.

Overall, it was a fun day experiencing Hello Kitty with Katie and Virginia. Virginia did a great job of telling me who the different characters were because Hello Kitty has changed since 1980 something. When you visit, we can go… it will give me another chance to wear my Tokyo Marathon tshirt and ring the bell of happiness. Kitty kitty!

Kamikochi

By wabisabisole

On June 9, 2017

In Hiking, Japan, Japanese Alps, Kamikochi, Monkey, Nagano, Rainy Day, Sake

On Saturday, Dina, her daughters, and I went on an ITT tour to Kamikochi. Kamikochi is a hiking area in the Japanese Alps. It is located in the Nagano prefecture and about a five hour bus ride from where we live.

Out guide gave us a map of the route we should follow during our hike. The hike was advertised as being a 6-7 mile flat and easy hike. We were also told to be watchful for monkeys, deer, and bears. We only saw monkeys.

The bus dropped us off around 9:30am. It was a clear and sunny morning. We all decided to leave our sweatshirts on the bus.

Our first point of interest was Taisho Pond. The views were stunning in the bright sunshine and the water was so clear.

Our next point of interest was Mt. Yakedake, an active volcano.

We continued along the nature trail and had our first monkey sighting. We were warned not to look them in the eye!

We continued along the trail and crossed a couple bridges and went past a shrine.

It wasn’t too much further when we saw our first bear sighting sign report. We appreciated the sign also being in English. Fortunately, the sighting was almost a month ago.

More beautiful views.

And soon we made it to the Kappa Bridge. We stopped briefly for a little souvenir shopping and for a quick lunch. I took this picture when we first arrived.

By the time we were leaving, the clouds had rolled in and it was starting to sprinkle. We had no rain gear or jackets. Fortunately, we were able to purchase new fleece for everyone! Here is the view from the Kappa Bridge.

And oh, was it ever windy! Here we all are decked out in our new fleece.

Being the super troopers that we are, we set out for the remainder of the hike. It was approximately 4 miles. In the light rain at first and then very heavy rain.

At one point we all started to have Mt. Fuji climbing flashbacks. Even though we didn’t climb Mt. Fuji on the same day, we had very similar experiences. Rain.

I took a quick recording of the rain sheets coming down.

We were completely unprepared for foul weather during this hike. Dina mentioned the irony of us not being prepared for rainy season especially after I discussed in yesterday’s blog! Live and learn and pack a rain coat. The turn around point was across the Myojin Bridge.

We made one more quick stop for energy aka Sake.

After this last stop, we quickly scampered back to the Kappa Bridge area where we would find the bus.

We had one more chance to see a monkey.

And another bear sighting report. When we realized how recent this sighting was and that we should be especially cautious in rain, we really started to scurry!

But first, one more selfie…

And me with my new Wabi-Sabi Sole SnapBack and fleece.

The day started out beautifully and turned into one of those days we will always remember. There was Eme almost falling in a puddle, no one having gear, and Dina getting snarled at by a monkey. Or maybe it was running back to warm up, playing tag, and silly science puns to keep us all laughing. Regardless, we made the entire hike (4 of the 6 people on the tour who did) and laughed more than we complained along the way!

Rainy Season

By wabisabisole

On June 9, 2017

In Japan, Monsoon, Mukade, Rainy Day, Rainy Season

Since the beginning of this month, we have heard a lot about the rainy season in Japan. June started off with very rainy and humid weather and then cooled down and the humidity cleared. On Wednesday, there was noticeably more humidity in the air.

At both of my English classes today, my Japanese students mentioned rainy season has begun. I find this funny because other than the rain yesterday, it hasn’t rained in a while. I asked my students how can it be rainy season when it’s not raining. They explained that it wasn’t just about thevrain but also the extra humidity. Ahhh. Ok, I felt I needed more information.

I was able to find a very interesting and informative video from Westpacwx about the rainy season. It is too long to insert into my blog, but you can view it here.

For where we live in Japan, we should expect to experience the rainy season from now until the end of the month.

The monsoon or rainy season is a result of the Siberian high pressure receding and being replaced by the Western Pacific High. The Siberian high pressure system is cool dry air that was in place during the winter and the Western Pacific High pressure is warm moist air which by July and through August will be in place over Japan. Where these two high pressure systems meet create a frontal system with intense periods of rain or monsoons.

Another article I found discussed survival strategies for monsoon season. I feel like I’m ahead of the curve. I have two pairs of rain boots, a plethora of umbrellas in a stand (and car), and three dehumidifiers.

Also, I over purchased disposable dehumidifiers at Costco earlier this spring.

Another item the article suggest is a gauze sheet for sleeping. Surprisingly, Dave and I prefer to sleep on our lightweight flannel sheets in the summer. Last summer, we found the cotton sheets to feel too cool and almost damp. The light weight flannel is soft and snuggly! The article encourages a couple types of shoe dyers and charcoal sheets. I haven’t purcahsed these specific items yet. So far, I have experienced success by keeping our running shoes next to the dehumidifier after we run to help them dry faster. I might need to look into the mold killer if my preventive methods fail. Like keeping all doors open and running the bathroom exhaust fans. All of this might seem a little extreme. However, I have been told numerous horror stories about couches and walls being covered in mold. Ugh. Between mold and the mukade, I’m officially waging war on moisture!

And yes, the mukade have returned. I have killed three outside of our house this spring. I call housing weekly to come and spray. I’m hoping to prevent the infiltration we experienced last summer. I keep forgetting to snap a picture of them before I kill them because I just want them dead. Next time, I will video their dance of death after I spray them with the Japanese mukade death spray.

Overall, I think we are adequately prepared for the onset of monsoon season. I’ll report back on my lessons learned in September.

Making it Rain

By wabisabisole

On June 8, 2017

In Currency, Japan, Rainy Day, Yen

A rainy Thursday was the perfect opportunity to attend to a few errands that I have been procrastinating to complete. The most exciting was a visit to the local bank. I needed to exchange my ¥500 ($4.56) rolled coins for paper bills. I forgot to take a picture of the rolls before I went to the bank. These are the leftover pieces and an empty coin roll. It gives you an idea.

The ¥500 is slightly larger than a U.S. Quarter. It takes 50 of the ¥500 pieces to make a complete roll. I know you are capable of doing the math, I just wanted you to realize how many ¥500 pieces we had when I tell you we had three rolls!! (150+) And now you’re wondering, why did we have so many?

During our Area Orientation Brief (AOB), one of the presenters told us his family saved all of their ¥500 pieces and then used them to pay for trips exploring Japan. Dave and I agreed this would be a great way to save for excursions. For the past 10 months, we have saved our ¥500 pieces. Recently, I rolled them into ¥25,000 ($228) coin rolls. The three rolls of coins we accumulated equaled ¥75,000 or approximately $684.33. The paper bills of ¥75,000 is much more impressive and worthy of a photo.

Now that it is raining both inside and outside our house, I need to start planning our next Shinkansen adventure!

Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden

By wabisabisole

On June 7, 2017

In Gardens, Hydrangeas, Japan, Tokyo, Wabi-Sabi

The second garden I was able to visit on my Wabi-Sabi list was the Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden. The garden is located on the south side of Tokyo and only about an hour and fifteen minute train ride.

On my walk from the train station to he garden I was passed several times by the Shinkansen. Seeing the train still makes me happy. I can’t wait to plan another trip!

Also, on my walk to the garden, I passed several beautiful hydrangeas blooming along the street. The hydrangeas alternated blue and purple. They were stunning.

The garden was a bit smaller than the Hamarikyu Garden and again nestled in the middle of the surrounding city. The garden centers around a pond with a designated path to travel around and across the pond.

Along your journey around the pond, there are many beautiful land and rock formations to look at and perhaps contemplate the passing of time.

There was also one beautiful hydrangea blooming in the garden.

As I was walking through the garden, I came across these interesting rock stairs.

Originally, I thought they were just a cute path to follow. While reading the brochure, I realized they were there to simulate a “waterless waterfall.” The intention was to remind visitors of water coming off the mountains and flowing into the pond. Can you see it?

On the far side of the pond was a group of artist painting the garden with watercolors. For every artist you see in this picture, there are two tucked in somewhere else. They obviously found their wabi-sabi.

There were so many different features along the path. I enjoyed the stones and islands.

Can you see the turtles?

A beautiful view! Without a doubt, I was able to experience wabi-sabi in this lovely little garden. When you visit, if we need a quiet break from the hustle and bustle of the city, we can take a detour. It was worth the ¥150.

Dina’s Birthday

By wabisabisole

On June 6, 2017

In Hasedera, Hydrangeas, Japan, Kamakura, Temple, Train

Today is Dina’s birthday. To help celebrate the day, Dina, Katie, Andrea, and I decided to visit one of the few temples in Kamakura (Hase) we had not been to yet. Hasedera Temple is very famous for hydrangeas. The temple and surrounding gardens were beautiful. I enjoyed the visit so much that I’m going to add it to my Julia tour of Kamakura. Today, the Temple was especially crowded because it is the beginning of hydrangea season. Even though the hydrangeas weren’t quite in full bloom and despite the crowds, the Temple was beautiful and well worth this visit and many more. There was a steady stream of people on the street to visit the temple.

The hydrangeas were beautiful. So many picture opportunities.

There was a hydrangea route to follow to keep traffic moving in one direction. The route went past several potted hydrangeas and then up the hillside.

The view from the first level was lovely and perfect for a group selfie.

We continued to climb up more steps and the hydrangeas and views only got better!

After reaching the top of the hill, the path went back down the hill. At one point, Dina and Andrea were above Katie and me. Perfect opportunity for another group selfie!

A few close up hydrangea pictures. The different colors were so beautiful.

There were also several kawaii statues.

Another part of the Temple was a cave dedicated to the Goddess Benzaiten. There were many statues and it was definitely a cave. Check out the low ceilings. Dina and I had to walk like a duck to make it through!

The oyster prayer cards were also interesting. According to the temple brochure, the statue appeared floating on the sea and drifting with the guidance of oysters attached to the statue. As a result, the shrine was established.

After our visit at the temple, we went to lunch in Kamakura. To you, my friend! Cheers, to another good beer! Happy Birthday!!

Hama-rikyu Gardens

By wabisabisole

On June 5, 2017

In Gardens, Google Map, Japan, Tokyo, Wabi-Sabi

Recently, I read an article discussing five different gardens in Tokyo to discover wabi-sabi. I bookmarked the article and added all five of the gardens to my saved places in Google Maps. I found the definition of wabi-sabi used in the article interesting. “To Japanese people, there is a peculiar sense of aesthetics called “Wabi-sabi” where it is key to find the beauty in silence and the passing of time.” Other definitions I have found describe wabi-sabi as finding the beauty in the imperfections and also accepting transience. Accepting the passing of time and change is similar in both these descriptions. I also appreciate the ability to beauty in silence. Each of the gardens listed are located in a Tokyo and surrounded by the city. Visiting Hama-rikyu today, the sights and sounds of the city were all around. Finding a quiet spot in the garden was easy. Many people were enjoying their lunch as I arrived.

A couple things about the Hama-rikyu Gardens makes it very unique. It has a large pond that is fed by seawater from the Tokyo Bay. The pond has several lock gates that are opened and closed with the rise and fall of the tides of the Tokyo Bay. This creates a tidal affect within the pond.

The other unique thing about the garden were the two Kamoba or Duck hunting sites. They were both built in the late 1700s. The sites consisted of a large pond used to attract the ducks.

The hunters would lure the ducks into the pond with grasses and domesticated ducks while they hid in deep trenches.

Another hunter would stand watch in a wooden shack and watch the pond.

I took this picture looking out the peep holes in the hunting shack out over the pond.

On cue, someone would make a loud noise or distraction causing the ducks to take flight. The hunters would catch the ducks with long nets! Here was the sign that accompanied the explanation.

In true Japanese kindness, there is now a shrine dedicated to the ducks who were hunted.

The main pond of the garden was beautiful. The view of the Tokyo skyline provided a dynamic contrast with the natural setting of the garden.

There were a couple iris gardens blooming and one hydrangea bush in full bloom. The rest of the hydrangeas were not quite blooming yet.

Another notable mention within the garden was the 300 year old pine tree. It was gigantic and well supported with numerous wood braces and stantions.

The O-tsutai-bashi is the 118m long bridge over the center of the lake was renovated in 2012. The wisteria trellis are beautiful and make me want to visit again next spring to see them in bloom!

The garden did help me find my own definition of wabi-sabi. The way the garden was nestled in with so many city skyscrapers helped me to see and appreciate the beauty of nature and industry. Simultaneously, the city sounds of construction work, trains, and traffic helped me to experience and be settled with time passing. It was an enjoyable adventure to discover a beautiful garden in an urban environment with the intentions of experiencing wabi-sabi.

Finding Beauty with Imperfection

Author: wabisabisole Page 28 of 54