Strawberry Season

On January 21, 2017

In Chu-Hai, Japan, Strawberry, Yen, Yorkmart

Yes, that’s right. January through March is strawberry season in Japan. The strawberries are mostly grown in greenhouses, enabling a winter growing season. Fruit in Japan is often considered a dessert. Strawberries are no exception. They are beautifully packaged and can be very costly also making them a nice present.

These strawberries are for sale at YorkMart, the Japanese grocery store near our house. One of the packages pictured below is ¥753 including tax. With 11-15 strawberries in a container, that is a pretty steep price! However, for the fresh right off the vine taste, the price was worth it. The strawberries taste delicious and freshly picked!

This is the package I purchased from the YorkMart.

These Japanese strawberries were for sale at the Commissary on base.

The package I purchased at the Commissary for $4.99.

Fresh strawberries are not the only popular item during strawberry season. Looking around the grocery store, I found strawberries in a variety of items. From snacks, cookies, chocolates and nuts!

I also found strawberry chu-hai, strawberry pocky and chocolates with strawberry filling.

The best find was the delicious pancake with strawberry and cream filling.

As with other things, the Japanese didn’t invent the strawberry, they just found a way to make it a little bit better. They made it better by offering fresh vine ripened strawberries in the middle of winter when everyone is craving a little extra vitamin C.

Mitsui Outlet Park

By wabisabisole

On January 19, 2017

In Google Map, Japan, Shopping, Under Armour, Yokohama

After our trip to Costco, Dina and I decided to check out the Mitsui Outlet Park at the Yokohama Bayside Marina. A quick selfie before getting our shopping on.

The outlets had several name brand American stores. Eddie Bauer, GAP, Coach, UA, Nike, and New Balance, just to name a few. It also had a gigantic whale tail in the center and windmill at one end, because it’s Japan.

I was pretty excited about seeing an Eddie Bauer. The funny part, the store only had petite sizes.

At Under Armour, I was able to find a solution to my latest problem. I found two new pairs of gloves. One pair for running and one pair for going out on liberty.

Here is an explanation of my problem. When riding the train on date night and during the weekends I typically enjoy a Chu-hai or three. It is a cold drink. In the winter, I have on gloves to keep my hands warm from the cold air and the Chu-hai. I hold the drink in my left hand leaving my right hand available to use my phone to scan my train card, check the train schedule or message as required. Under the influence of a couple or four Chu-hai, even with tech-friendly gloves, I need to remove my glove to accurately and efficiently type on my phone. This resulted in me losing my right glove not once but twice on the trains this past weekend! I needed a solution and I found it at UA. Mitten tops that fold back with a cut out for the thumb! Amazing! Absolutely amazing!

Performance ready! I’m excited for our date night on Friday! Fingers crossed I make it home with two gloves!

Another wonderful discovery of our shopping adventure was a store called Franc Franc. The store carries very cute household items. I purchased an aroma humidifier.

To compliment my aroma humidifier, I purchased the Love Beach aroma water. It smells delightfully like a beach. The label made me happy as well. It has the “wabi-sabi” motto.

“Being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It means you’ve decided to see beyond the imperfections.”

One last funny story for the day. While shopping at Franc Franc, Dina and I both had accumulated a carry style shopping basket full of items to purchase. The baskets were awkward because we had the humidifier balanced precariously in them. One of the store workers came up to us and asked in Japanese and charades if she could take our baskets. Having no idea what she said we said, “hai” or yes. She took the baskets and Dina and I were laughing because as normal, we had no idea what she said. We decided she didn’t want the already tall and space taking up Americans to take up any further room. We were obviously interrupting the store “wa.” She returned with two cards. They were the markers for our baskets which were located behind the counter.

The Japanese can be amazingly efficient at times.

Ikebana New Year Luncheon

By wabisabisole

On January 18, 2017

In 2017, Ikebana International, Japan, Kamakura, New Year, Palace Hotel Tokyo, Tokyo, Travel

Ikebana International celebrated the New Year with a special luncheon in Tokyo. The luncheon was held at the Palace Hotel Tokyo.

The following Ikebana Chapters were represented and brought an arrangement to display:

Tokyo Founding Chapter

Kyoto Chapter

Kobe Chapter

Shinano Chapter

Okinawa Chapter

Sapporo Chapter

Kamakura Chapter (The one I am a member of.)

Fukuoka

Nagoya Chapter

Osaka Chapter

Shinano Chapter

Saitama Chapter

Hiroshima Chapter

Besides lunch, the event included three Ikebana demonstrations by renowned Ikebana headmasters. Pictures were not permitted during the demonstrations. You will have to take my word for it, watching them make the arrangements was mesmerizing. Evergreens, bamboo, and plum blossoms were the focus of the three arrangements. In the picture below, the three Ikebana headmasters who made arrangements are in the center. Mr. Akihiro Kasuy is wearing the gray kimono, Mrs. Senko Ikenobo is wearing the yellow kimono, and Mr. Hirooki Ohara is the youngest gentleman in the gray suit.

The arrangement pictured below was completed by Mrs. Senko Ikenobo.

The arrangement pictured below was completed by Mr. Hiroki Ohara who become an Ikebana Headmaster at the age of 6. Yes, 6.

Mr. Akihiro Kasuya completed the arrangement pictured below.

I had to take a couple pictures of the crowds and chaos after the demonstrations were complete. Everyone wanted pictures!

So much going on – gotta take a selfie!

After the Ikebana demonstrations, lunch was served. A four-course lunch with a glass of champagne.

Course 1: quinoa and seafood salad with spinach mousse and spicy cauliflower coulis.

What looks like an egg on top was actually the spinach mousse. It was delicious.

Course 2: Clam soup with thyme. It was served without the broth. The waiters then came around and filled the soup with broth.

Soup with broth.

Course 3: Sous vide beef tenderloin with truffle sauce and seasonal vegetables.

Course 4: Dessert – Cremet d’Anjou with berries and a side of raspberry sherbert.

The appetizer and dessert were my favorite! The seafood salad with spinach mousse was delicious. The raspberry sherbert and fresh berries were a delightful and satisfying treat at the end of the meal.

A group shot of the Americans from the Ikebana International Kamakura Chapter members.

Before leaving, Dina and I were able to get a picture with Mori-san. Mori-san is the president of the Japan side of the Ikebana Kamakura Chapter. She is very kind and is always willing to give us hugs and appreciation for us joining Ikebana.

As I have said several times in my previous discussions about Ikebana International, it is such a fun way to experience Japanese culture. The underlying theme to bring peace and friendship through flowers enhances the experience.

Sasuke Inari Shrine

By wabisabisole

On January 17, 2017

In Google Map, Hiking, Japan, Kamakura, Shrine

The Sasuke Inari Shrine is known as the “White Fox Shrine.” The Shrine is located in Kamakura and very well hidden. My neighbor invited me to go this morning with two other spouses. We drove because the temple is off the beaten path and not convenient to a train station. I put a gold ⭐️ on the location of Shrine. I know this area well and if you are interested visiting during your stay, we can incorporate stopping during one of our Kamakura hikes. It is very close to the Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine, the money washing shrine I went to with Dina last month.

According to legend, an Inari (white fox) came to the first Shogun of Kamakura, Minamoto Yoritomo, in a dream and advised him when to attack his enemies. He followed the advice of the Inari and was victorious over his enemies. To show his gratitude, Minamoto Yoritomo built the Sasuke Inari Shrine in the 12th century.

The steps leading to the shrine are flanked with Tori gates.

Climbing the steps to the temple was like traveling back into a different era.

Being located on top of a steep hill made the Shrine easier to defend against attacks. When you reach the top of the stairs, you are transported to a fox loving world.

A hand drawn map of the Shrine peaked my curiosity. It appeared to identify small shrines within the shrine.

I walked around the main building and more stairs led me to a shrine on the hill. So many foxes!

Walking around and down the side steps revealed another miniature shrine.

As I continued down, I came across a super cute fox village. The moss covered stone houses were captivating.

Heading down the steps through the Torii gates transported us back to modern times.

And back to my friend’s car where a local Japanese resident had taped a piece of paper with “no parking” written on it to the window. Guess I will definitely walk next time!!

A Clear Winter Day

By wabisabisole

On January 16, 2017

In 2017, Enoshima Island, Japan, Mt. Fuji, Train

Dave and I ventured out to Enoshima Island today for two reasons.

1. Luke’s Lobster Roll.

2. Clear winter skies are the best to see Mt. Fuji.

Yes, that’s right. A Maine lobster roll in Japan. It took us 54 minutes and 3 trains. Have no doubt, it was worth it.

I’m extra glad we went when we did. According to the sign out front, they are closing Luke’s on January 31st. So, sad. I see at least one more lobster roll in my future.

After lunch, we walked over to Enoshima Island to check out Mt. Fuji. And the view was amazing. We have never been able to see the whole mountain, let alone the mountains in the foreground. It was spectacular.

Our goal was to see Mt. Fuji from the Sea Candle. The Sea Candle is the top point in the picture below. If you remember, Dina and I went to Enoshima Island when it wasn’t clear. Winter in this part of Japan means lots of sunshine, low humidity and clear skies. It might be the best winter I’ve ever experienced.

To gain access to the Sea Candle, requires purchasing a ¥500 ticket. The ticket gives you access to the gardens and Sea Candle. The gardens were a surprise! They were full of tulips!

Our trip to the Sea Candle was pretty amazing. This is the clearest we have ever seen Mt. Fuji.

I obviously had to take serval pictures. It was just too beautiful.

When you visit, we will definitely go to Enoshima Island. We will take the monorail to get there. Here is a quick video from the front of the train. It was like riding the “Big Bad Wolf” at Busch Gardens without the roller coaster effect!

Simultaneously, I must help you set expectations. Prepare for clouds. Hope for clear skies. Regardless, it is such a fun area, you won’t be disappointed on our trip!

Ikebana New Year

By wabisabisole

On January 15, 2017

In 2017, Customs, Ikebana International, Japan, Kamakura, Kimono, Sake, Temple

The January meeting of Ikebana was held at the residence of Mrs. Sato’s at the Great Buddha of Kamakura. This is the same location as the first Ikebana meeting I attended in September.

The January meeting was held on a Saturday enabling family members to attend. Lucky for Dave, he was my plus one!

Julia, Dina, Dave and Brent (Dina’s plus one)

Even luckier for him the meeting included a kabuki makeup demonstration, a Nihon Buyo performance, Mochi pounding and Sake tasting! Kanpie!

The Sake was served with our lunch in traditional a traditional Sake box. The Sake box is made of cedar. The cedar enhances the flavor of the Sake.

The guest performer was Minosuke Nishikawa. He has a detailed resume with extensive training, international performances, and notable awards in theater and dance. He began by introducing himself without makeup and giving simple demonstrations of Nihon Buyo.

Following his introduction, he applied kabuki makeup. He started by wrapping his hair and applying a sticky paste to help the makeup adhere to his skin and stay flawless during the performance.

Next, he applied the white face makeup.

And then he drew eyebrows.

Once his face was prepared, he donned the kimono he would wear during his performance. He had an assistant to assist him with tying his obi.

The top kimono was elaborate and required additional attention from his assistant. In the picture, his assistant is ensuring the obi and kimono are secure!

The final pieces to his costume included yellow socks, sideburns, and a hat.

He was now ready to perform the Nihon Buyo. Nihon Buyo is a traditional Japanese dance dating back to the 18th century. The dance was originally deeply rooted in worship and religion. Over time, it developed into a more creative and theatrical performance. In the performance we observed, Minosuke Nishikawa imitated a stringed marionette doll. His assistant was the puppeteer. It was impressive, unique and very entertaining.

I was able to download a few pictures from the Ikebana Facebook page of the preparation and performance.

After the performance, we had the opportunity to enjoy different flavors of Mochi and Mochi pounding. Black sesame seed, red bean, and ginger.

After letting the guests take turns, Mr. Tago Yuji, showed us all how to get the job done!

All of this entertainment and we still had lunch to enjoy! A bento box and Sake!

Another fun cultural experience made even better because I was able to share the day with Dave and friends!

Japanese Tea Box

By wabisabisole

On January 13, 2017

In Christmas, Customs, English, Friendship, Ikego, Japan, Tea Box

In early December, Dina and I signed up for a class to make (cover) a Japanese Tea Box. I had to delay sharing this experience because the tea box was a Christmas present for my mom and I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. The class was taught by a sweet Japanese lady named Atsuko and was held here on the Ikego base.

Dina and I went shopping for the materials together at the fabric store, Swany’s, in Kamakura. The box itself is provided as part of the class fee.

The first step was to wrap the inside edges with a metallic tape to match the aluminum lining.

In Japan, the tea box is part of the traditional tea ceremony. The tea box holds the items used throughout the tea ceremony. I thought the tea box would be a fun and unique gift for my mom for Christmas. Simultaneously, parents love getting homemade gifts, right? I picked out this fabric to cover the tea box.

The next part involved wrapping the tea box with batting. I was actually able to use leftover quilt batting I had from making tshirt quilts. Yes, I moved batting scraps to Japan. In my defense, it was an excellent use of the scraps!

First, the batting is wrapped around the box and then with a decent amount of tension, the fabric is wrapped around. The last part requires hand stitching of the corners.

The final part to the bottom of the box is wrapping the upper edge with a contrasting fabric. A plastic band is stapled to the edge to help hold the fabric and keep it taut.

The top is made in a similar manner. Atsuko helped me ensure the print of the fabric was centered.

The finished product!

Besides having a cool Christmas present for my mom, another positive result occurred from meeting Atsuko. Earlier this week, I was contacted by Atsuko’s daughter asking if I would be willing to give her private English lessons. She recently took a new job with an International company and needed to brush up on her English. We agreed to meet once a week for our English conversation sessions. Our first meeting was last night, (Thursday) at my house. I met her at the train station on her way home from work. As in true Japanese style, she brought me a gift. Wrapped perfectly.

And inside, little cheesecakes. Very delicious, but more like a moist coffee cake vice cheesecake.

Our first session went very well. I helped her with comprehending a work related email and we talked about her New Year traditions. I’m excited to have an opportunity to learn more about the Japanese culture, make a local friend and build my travel fund.

Purikura

By wabisabisole

On January 12, 2017

In Culture, Gacha, Gachapon, Gashapon, Harajuku, Japan, Takeshita Street, Tokyo

Purikura (pronounced pu-ree-ku-ra) is the shortened common name for Purinto Kurabu meaning Print Club. Purikura are Japanese photo booths that enable the users to take digital pictures with a twist.

Purikura photo booths can be found in shopping malls, arcades and of course, Harajuku. Yesterday we stopped in one while walking around Takeshita Street. The purikura was in the basement of one of the buildings on Takeshita Street. It had about 12 different booths to choose from. This is the one we selected.

Check out the close up… so weird and funny. Something was lost in translation, obviously.

For only ¥400, the six of us were able to cram together into the Japanese sized photo booth and have 6 silly pictures taken.

The purikura photo booths have image editing features that wash out skin tones giving the person smoother, lighter and blemish free skin. Also, there is a feature that will enlarge a person’s eyes making them look like an anime character. The pictures can also be enhanced with decorations using a stylus before the pictures are printed.

A few close-up pictures of the editing and decorating.

In the purikura there was also Gacha. The Gacha were all boy bands!

The experience was yet another opportunity to enjoy a fun and funny aspect of Japanese culture. I can’t wait to take you during your visit. I’m giggling just thinking about it!!

Harajuku

By wabisabisole

On January 11, 2017

In Cat cafe, Harajuku, Japan, Tokyo

I went to Harajuku with my neighbor and several other spouses to celebrate her birthday. Harajuku is the common name for the area spreading away from the Harajuku Station in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo.

Harajuku is known internationally as a center of Japanese youth culture and fashion. Most recently, Gwynn Stefani has helped to promote the area. Harajuku is “kawaii” overload. There are many shopping options. Everything from big name retailers like Nike, American Eagle, Gap, Chanel and Ralph Lauren to smaller, youth-oriented, independent boutiques. There are also lots of restaurants and cafés. Not only coffee cafes, I counted three cat cafes and an owl cafe.

Our first stop was the Dominique Ansel Bakery. There are three bakeries worldwide. New York, Paris & Tokyo. They are famous for their “blooming cocoa.” The marshmallow is cut into a cute shape and then set into a ring of chocolate. The ring of chocolate melts once it is placed in the hot cocoa, causing the marshmallow to appear to bloom.

Marshmallows in a ring of chocolate

Hot Cocoa

Finished product- blooms in cocoa

To accompany our cocoa, we enjoyed lime custard cronuts. Yummmmmmm

Takeshita Street is the main boutique area of Harajuku. There was so much going on…

We walked off our breakfast in order to make room for cotton candy. Magic Mountain Cotton Candy. It was ridiculous. So many layers!

And as a result, it was ginormous!

How about this little cutie!

Harajuku is on my list of must return and on Julia’s tour when you visit. If we are lucky we might see a “Harajuku Girl” or boy…

Gashapon

By wabisabisole

On January 10, 2017

In Gacha, Gachapon, Gashapon, Japan, Neko Atsume, Shopping, Yen, Yokosuka, Yorkmart, Zushi

Throughout Japan there are vending machines that will dispense small toys inside plastic capsules.

They are called gashapon or gachapon or just gacha for short. The word gachapon is a Japanese onomatopoeia. “Gacha” for the sound the dial makes as it turns and “pon” for the sound of the capsule dropping. The gacha machines are everywhere and have toys designed appeal to all ages.

The gacha have a variety of available toys. Most of the gacha machines I have seen cost either 200¥ or 300¥. The machines only take a 100¥ coin. Typically, the toys are sold in sets of 5 – 7 different toys. However, your purchase only gives you one toy at a time. Trying to collect all of the toys in a set can become frustrating and expensive because you are making blind purchases. Not to mention, the series you are trying to collect may be difficult to find.

I keep trying to get a dog drinking beer. All I have gotten is a sad cat drinking Sake, twice.

Each time I go shopping, I check the gatcha machines. The closest one to me here in Zushi is at the Japanese grocery store, Yorkmart. Here are the gatcha I have collected from the grocery store. They are supposed to be little cherub statues. Peeing. What in the…??

I have also been looking for my favorite Japanese characters from the Neko Atsume (Cat Collector) app. I finally was able to find them today while in Yokosuka. Yay!

Jeeves and Kathmandu

This series are like the opposite of wine charms. They sit under your wine glass instead of hanging on them. The brunette with a smashed umbrella makes makes me giggle. I think of my friend, Sue, enduring car rider circle in VB during a Nor’easter. Just make it wine time already!!

A couple more things you should know. During my gacha collecting, I have gotten duplicates. These I plan on sharing with you and I hope they make you laugh. Second, when you come to visit and if you fly into Narita Airport, there is a expansive collection of gacha machines. You will be able to search and find your favorite to look for throughout your visit! There are so many choices!!