Tokyo Christmas Market

On December 19, 2016

In Christmas, Christmas Market, Google Map, Hibiya Park, Japan, Tokyo, Train

Sunday afternoon Dave and I went to the Tokyo Christmas Market. We had heard it was better than the Red Brick Christmas Market we went to in Yokohama. It was a beautiful afternoon and we thought it would be a fun and festive way to enjoy the sunshine.

Here was our route. We met in Kanazawa-Hakkei and switched to the Yamanote line. The Yamanote line makes a big rectangle around Tokyo. The trains run in both the CW and CCW direction. It reminds me of the EL in Chicago. Except it’s underground.

Once off the train, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. We found a nice little Italian restaurant. Dave had calamari and steamed mussels & clams.

I had the lunch set. It was a turkey sandwich with fries and a side of lasagna. The sandwich and fries were good. The lasagna was a seafood lasagna. Gross. I had one bite and passed the rest to Dave.

After lunch, we walked over to Hibiya Park where the Christmas Market was located. The park was lovely and festive with the lights.

Notice how they make Christmas trees by using structures around the sculpted trees.

The Christmas Market Entrance.

This Christmas Market had more vendors overall. There were many food vendors and cute little shops. Like most places in Japan, it was very crowded.

The decorations on the buildings were very festive!

The German Christmas Pyramid (Weihnachtspyramide) was beautiful!

Can’t forget a selfie with my Glühwein and Dave’s Bier!

I stood in line to visit a store so I could buy an ornament.

It was a long line and an expensive ornament. But, it’s super cute!

My favorite photo of the day was Dave with the nesting doll. Kawaii!!

Merry Christmas! Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Matsumoto

By wabisabisole

On December 18, 2016

In Japan, Matsumoto, Matsumoto Castle, Temple, Travel

The second half of our day on Saturday was spent in Matsumoto. Matsumoto is a city surrounded by mountains in the Nagano prefecture. It was about a 1.5 hour drive from the Snow Monkey Park.

The highlight of our visit to Matsumoto was the Matsumoto Castle. This castle was unlike any castle I have ever seen. Mainly because it was a Japanese castle.

The weather in the afternoon was perfect allowing for excellent lighting on the castle. We were amazed with the perfect weather we had all day. Clear in the morning so we could see Mt. Fuji, snowed while we were visiting the snow Monkeys and then perfect clouds in Matsumoto.

The Matsumoto Castle is listed as a National Treasure of Japan. It is often referred to as the “Crow Castle” because it’s black color and roof line give the image of crow wings.

The castle was built during the Sengoku Period and completed between 1593-1594. For 280 years, the castle was ruled by 23 different lords until the Meiji Restoration abolished the feudal system. In 1873, the castle was sold at auction and prepared for restoration. The main structure was experiencing a significant starboard list. Since 1873b, two significant renovations have occurred. One between 1903-1913 and the other between 1950-1955. An earthquake in June of 2011 caused 10 cracks to form in the walls of the main structure and potential renovations are being discussed.

Upon entering the castle, visitors are asked to remove their shoes. You are provided slippers to wear while walking around. Dave had a little bit of a struggle finding a pair to fit his size 12.

The Castle has 6 floors. Each floor is connected by a set of narrow and steep stairs! I wasn’t able to photograph each set because of the crowds. These will give you an idea.

The view of the surrounding mountains from the sixth floor was beautiful.

After exploring the castle, we walked around the gardens and had a couple unique photo opportunities.

We had a little bit of time before needing to catch the bus, enabling us to explore the city of Matsumoto. We found this beautiful temple and I purchased another temple book. Two reasons – 1. I only have 3 spots left in my book. 2. I forgot mine. Ugh. Rookie mistake!

When we first arrived, we were able to see the end of a wedding.

We walked through the shopping district and found this cute store! It has my name!

As always, thanks for reading! Hugs & kisses from Japan!

Snow Monkeys

By wabisabisole

On December 17, 2016

In Japan, Jigokudani Yaen-Koen, Mt. Fuji, Nagano, Snow Monkeys, Travel, Yokosuka

Visiting the Snow Monkeys has been on my list of “must do” since we started discussing the possibility of taking orders to Japan. I first learned about Snow Monkeys when I taught AP Environmental Science at Bayside High school in 2004. A picture of a snow monkey was on the cover of our text book and we discussed the monkeys when learning about an animal’s ability to adapt to their environment. Snow Monkeys live in a harsh winter environment and use the onsen (hot spring) as a refuge from the cold.

I signed us up to take the tour offered by ITT on Saturday 12/17. The tour bus picked us up at 3:30am and we returned at 10pm. It was a long day on the bus, but well worth it!

Jigokudani Yaen-Koen or Snow Monkey Park is located near the city of Nagano in the northern part of the Nagano prefecture. Nagano was the sight of the 1998 winter Olympics. It is about a 5 hour drive from Yokosuka.

We had two rest stops on our way to Nagano. The first was slightly before sunrise and gave us a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji.

The Nagano area receives heavy snowfalls and the Jigokudani Yaen-Koen remains snow covered four months of the year. The elevation of the park is 850m (2,788 ft). The path to see the snow monkeys is very narrow and and only accessible by foot. From where the buses drop you off, it is approximately 2km through the forest to see the monkeys. The park includes mountains forests surrounding a valley. The onsen is located in the valley. The steam from the hot springs during the cold winter makes the name Jigokudani, (meaning: “Hell’s Valley”) appropriate because the steam rise up.

The path to the Monkeys was an unexpected delight. It was already snow covered and the forest was serene. About 5 minutes into our walk along the path, it started snowing. Talk picturesque!

At one point a park worker passed us on his snow mobile!

We moved to the side for him to pass and then continued on our way.

A sharp right turn took us up the steps for the Snow Monkey Park. But first, let me take a selfie!

Our tour guide passed out our tickets and we were off to find SNOW MONKEYS!!

And did we ever… I hope I convey how big of a deal this was for me. Like I said, I have thought about this for years. It was better than I expected. The monkeys are so chill, they don’t care about humans and the opportunities to observe and photograph them are endless.the first set of photos were from the creek bed area. The brown furry rocks are monkeys.

The monkeys are wild Japanese macaques. They are free to roam the forest. There is nothing preventing them from coming or going. Often they are seen just sitting, walking about or grooming their friends.

I think if I could have stayed all day, I would have. They were fascinating to watch. This one… just posed and posed. Their faces turn red as they warm up in the onsen. Notice the difference in the earlier pictures.

Here are a few shots from the upper viewing area.

The close-up pictures are amazing. I also tried to see how many I could photograph at once.

Frequently, momma gives rides.

As we left the park, my heart was happy. I felt so fortunate to have experienced such a magical moment. We are sacrificing a lot by being away from our family and friends. Especially during the holidays. Having the opportunity to go on adventures and explore helps ease the separation. And being able to share it with you, helps me feel grounded and connected. Wow. That was heavy. We obviously need more monkey pictures!!

And a few more pictures of the walk back to the bus. It was still snowing!!

Can you believe this was only the first half of our day? We left the Snow Monkey Park at noon. We stopped about thirty minutes away for lunch. Shockingly, I had ramen. Although not the best ever, it was perfect on a snowy snow monkey day!

I am going to save the second half of our day for tomorrow. I have already written half a book with numerous pictures. I will save our afternoon in Matsumoto visiting the castle and exploring the town for tomorrow!

P.S. If you decide to visit in the winter months, we will definitely add a visit to Jigokudani Yaen-Koen to your list. As always, thank you for reading. Hugs and kisses from Japan.

English Class

By wabisabisole

On December 16, 2016

In Customs, English, Japan, Kamakura, Train

My new English teaching job is from 12:30-2:00 on Friday afternoons. The Japanese teacher of the class is Yasuko (pronounced Yas-Ko). She and I co-teach the class. The students consist of 4-6 Japanese ladies, all grandmothers. The class is a conversational English class. Each students prepares a story, in English, about an event in their life. They read me their story and I help them by correcting their word choice and grammar. Once we have created a smooth story, I ask them questions about their experience. Usually, about half way through, we take a break and have a snack.

The class is held in Kamakura at a women’s and children’s center.

I take the 11:55 train from the Jimmuji station – the station outside our housing area – to the Shin-Zushi station (1-stop). It is a 3 minute train ride. Once I’m in Zushi, I walk about 5 minutes to the Zushi station and catch the 12:12 train to Kamakura (1-stop) about 6 minutes. Once arriving in Kamakura, I walk about 5 minutes to the school. I arrive at approximately 12:23. In keeping with Japanese culture, my promptness is appreciated.

When the previous teacher invited me to her class and to meet Yasuko, she told me two rules. No jeans. No yawning. Got it. Also, she suggested I bring something to drink. Before class, I stop at a vending machine and purchase a bottle of warm green tea. This was my third time buying the same green tea. I realized yesterday that each class I drink about one more sip than I did the previous class. Obviously, I don’t really like the tea, but perhaps I’m starting to like it? Or maybe it’s just wet and washes down my snack. I do not being my own snack. I’m still learning the protocol on who brings the snack and when. So far, someone from the class brings a snack and shares with everyone. I anticipate surprising them with sweet treats very soon.

Last week, we went around the table and each lady introduced herself to me. They told me their marriage status (three are “Merry Widows”), kids, grandkids and hobbies. After each one talked, I asked a question or two. All of my grandmothers have a hobby of gardening. And like my grandmothers, they are always quick to compliment me. Whether it is my smile, timeliness to class, handwriting or color of my scarf, they all give me accolades during our time together.

Today, the ladies told me about an event occurring during their week. We discussed the jazzy and unique holiday sweater Junko knitted and was wearing. Hisako went to a Violin Concert. Kikumi went to Tokyo to visit her daughter. We discussed what they ate for dinner. Finally, Keiko told us why she missed class last Friday. Her husband wasn’t feeling well and they went to the hospital. In the end, he was fine and they were able to still attend the opera that evening in Tokyo!

After class, Yasuko took me to the room next door and gave me an envelope with my paycheck for two classes and a Christmas present! So very sweet and unexpected. I definitely wasn’t prepared for a gift exchange!

A side note about gift giving in Japan. The Japanese love to give little gifts to each other. The custom is when you receive a gift, to give a little bigger gift in return. You can see how this can get out of hand, similar to their customer of bowing. The school is on break until 1/13/2017, giving me plenty of time to select the perfect gift in return. The gift Yasuko gave me was a small drawstring bag made by her sister. The wrapping was adorable. She placed the bag into a plastic sleeve and then into the gift bag. Stapled the top and added a bow. Kawaii!!

I couldn’t pass up the chance to take a picture of my “lesson plan book” – haha what I use to take notes and write down questions to ask. And my ¥10,000 bill handed to me in an envelope, of course and with my name spelled wrong. This is my first ¥10,000 bill! It looks like so much money. With the dollar so strong right now, it is only about $83.00. Regardless, it is money towards my next plane ticket! Also, my green tea, blah.

At the end of class today, we had a little extra time. Yasuko told me to ask each lady a question. I started with “what will you do during break?” Next I asked, “what is happening in the news?” This was a big one! They wanted to talk about Trump! Oh, boy. The general consensus was they like America and are concerned Trump will change current policy and affect existing relations. To quote directly, “America is our friends. We concern Trump not let us remain allies.”

Enoshima Island

By wabisabisole

On December 15, 2016

In Enoshima Island, Illuminations, Japan, Mt. Fuji, Seven Lucky Gods, Shrine, Temple

Thinking of something to do on a crisp winter mostly sunny day, Dina suggested we go to Enoshima Island. It is a small island just off the coast. We took 3 trains to get to the island. It took a little over an hour. Here was our route.

One of the trains is the Enoshima Electric train. The train actually hangs from the tracks. The train was very smooth and quiet. It was a little weird to see other trains hanging from the tracks!

Train Station

Train coming in opposite direction

Once we arrived in Shonan, we had a short walk through the town and across a small bridge that connects the island to the mainland.

On the island, there are several shrines, a temple, an observation tower (lighthouse / sea candle), lots of cafes, a garden and sea caves. Once you are on the island your mode of transportation are your feet! Keep in mind there are a lot of stairs! Oh, and on a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji.

A Torii gate greets you once you are over the bridge and you begin climbing to the top of the island.

Our first stop was at the Enoshima Shrine. The Enoshima Shrine is a Shinto Shrine dedicated to the worship of the Goddess Benten. Benten is one of the Seven Lucky Gods. Within the Shrine are three shrines: Hatsuno-miya, Nakatsuno-miya, Okutsuno-miya.

But first, we must climb stairs.

The lanterns are part of the illuminations. I was excited to see the illuminations will last until 2/19/17. There will be plenty of time for Dave and I to return to see the lights.

Three pictures that scream “Japan.” A shrine, a fortune wall and a red bridge (over a road – yes, with cars).

Up we continue to the Shrine.

The man in the center is throwing money on to the alter and making his wish to the Gods

We had our temple books stamped and continued up the island and up more stairs!

We enjoyed a nice view along the way!

And another Shrine.

Our next point of interest was the Sea Candle. I didn’t make Dina go up into the Candle today because it was cloudy around Mt. Fuji. Another reason to return.

Our next point of interest was the Enoshima-Daishi Temple.

Temple Roof

Temple Altar

Stained Glass Window

Here, Dina returned a fortune she collected earlier this year. Fortunes must be returned to the Temple where they are collected before the end of the year. Another reason Dina suggested Enoshima for our adventure today!

Within the temple gardens were two statues of Goma, the God of Fire.

We had our temple books stamped and continued on our way. Past another shrine with a built in selfie spot. Too bad I don’t have an Apple Watch to click my picture!

On we went. This time down the stairs. It was while we were descending, Dina mentioned we had to walk back up all these stairs!! Wait, what!?!

Fortunately, there was a nice view even without Mt. Fuji.

We could have continued walking along the cliffs and down to the sea caves and tidal pools. We didn’t have enough time today for too much exploring. Another reason for Dave and I to return.

We began climbing back up!

Finally, at the top we stopped for a snack. “Octopus Cracker” You will have to eat one when you visit. It’s a cracker made out of Octopus. Seriously.

Can you see the eyes and tentacles?

We continued our walk back to the train station. We stopped for one more snack. I picked ice cream with donuts. Yummmm! Much better than the octopus cracker…

A very fun and chilly day exploring another beautiful area of Japan. I am excited to go back and see the areas we didn’t have time for and the illuminations!!

Rainy Day = Cat Cafe

By wabisabisole

On December 14, 2016

In Cat cafe, Japan, Kamakura, Maneki Neko

What better place to spend a rainy day than a cat cafe? My friend, Laila, and I went to the Cat Cafe in Kamakura. The building is easy to spot, although, I didn’t realize it was a cat cafe until a couple of weeks ago. The train the cat is holding is the Enoshima Electric train that takes you from Kamakura to the small island of Enoshima. One of the stops along this train line is the Great Buddha.

This cafe was a little bit different than the one we visited a couple months ago. For starters, they served food. Yes, food. The thought of eating at a cat cafe grossed me out. Especially, when all that was served was curry. The pictures alone are unappetizing and the thought of a cat hair in my food. Blah. Gross.

On the third floor was the cat cafe and on the second floor was the gift shop. We went to the cat cafe first. You don’t have to order food, you can just order a drink. I ordered a green tea latte. I was pleased it came with a lid and it tasted alright.

There were fewer cats at this cafe. They were however, more playful than the cats at the other cafe. I think there were six total cats.

The cats had no boundaries. Once we saw them climbing on the tables, we were happy we decided not to eat.

One of the other customers bought a bag of kitty treats. They all came running when she opened them.

This picture makes me laugh – she’s taking a picture with her flip phone. Notice the charms dangling!!

A couple of the cats were bold and would come over for pets.

Or to clean their butt. On the table. Yeah, definitely glad I’m not trying to eat food.

None the less, it was fun to get a little cat love and spend some time relaxing.

After we left the cafe, we went to the gift shop. There were all types of cat souvenirs. Including a GIANT cat.

A huge Zen cat and of course lots of maneki-neko.

When you visit and you fancy a trip to a cat cafe, I will suggest we go to the one in Yokohama. Despite being a little further away, I like the atmosphere and the larger space and more cats. Plus, as I mentioned, the food factor was pretty gross.

Roppongi Hills Illuminations

By wabisabisole

On December 13, 2016

In Illuminations, Japan, New Sanno, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Train

We packed this past weekend in Tokyo with so many fun things. I need to rewind to Friday night in order to share our experiences in The Roppongi Hills area of Tokyo.

It took about 20 minutes with walking and one train stop from the New Sanno Hotel.

My research informed me there were illuminations on the streets and the park. After we checked into the New Sanno, we headed out for illumination viewing and dinner.

Coming out of the station, we had a great view of the Tokyo Tower and found this amazing Christmas spider. Haha

Right across from the spider was a very illuminated Christmas tree.

The special thing about the lights on the tree and throughout the garden was they continued to change colors. It was magical.

The gold heart looks like it is glowing from above. When we got closer, we realized it was just reflecting the light. At the heart, we took a picture for a Japanese family and they offered to take ours. While the daughter was taking our picture with my phone, the father stood behind her taking pictures of her taking our picture with his camera. Too, funny.

The street illuminations were lovely! So blue!

And in the other direction, there was another great view of Tokyo Tower.

There was a Police crossing guard to help manage traffic & tourist.

We walked to the end of the street and then worked our way to finding food. We discovered a little place that had a grill, bar and beer. Winner, winner! The chef used straw on the grill to give the meat a flame fired taste!

Building the base of fire with straw

Straw starts smoking

Start of fire

Now that’s a fire!

Seriously, that’s a fire!!

I ordered tempura blue laver (fried seaweed). It was delicious.

I also ordered a new favorite of mine. It is a bowl of rice with slightly seared tuna and a raw egg on top. The bowl it is served in is very hot. When set before you, stir it quickly to mix in the egg. The heat causes it to “cook”. Trust me, you don’t have a raw egg in the bowl! It’s delicious.

Dave ordered a sesame chicken dish and a straw fired chicken dish.

The meal really good. I would love to take you when you visit. But, I have no idea where it was exactly. We were some what down a back alley in Roppongi. Not to worry, if we don’t find this place exactly, we will find something just as good if not better!

Ramen

By wabisabisole

On December 12, 2016

In Japan, Ramen

Ramen is a Japanese staple dish. It is served in a large bowl with copious amounts of thin curly noodles and a pork or fish broth. The dish includes toppings such as sliced pork (chashu), dried seaweed (nori), a boiled egg (tamago), marinated bamboo shoots (menma), processed fish cakes (kamaboko) and green onions (negi). A fun note about the fish cakes, sometimes they are presented as a white circle with frilly edges and a pink spiral through the center.

Most ramen restaurants offer the choice of either soy sauce broth or salt broth. The bowl is served with a special spoon that rests nicely on the side of the bowl when not in use. Chopsticks are also served with the meal. Locals will typically use the chopsticks to grab the noodles and toppings. After placing the noodles in their mouth, they slurp. Surprisingly, this is completely acceptable. I haven’t been able to adopt this custom. I prefer to fish out the noodles with my chopsticks, place them neatly on my spoon and then take the spoon with noodles to my mouth. No slurping required.

We have tried many ramen restaurants over the past 4.5 months (3 in Yokosuka alone!). In fact, it was our first meal when we arrived in Japan on July 31st.

Salt ramen in Yokosuka. Our first meal in Japan.

Soy ramen in Yokohama

Salt ramen with extra nori in Yokosuka (my favorite)

Soy ramen in Yokosuka

Salt ramen with extra pork & extra egg, too much! (No English at this restaurant in Yokohama making it a little more difficult to get the right item ordered)

Salt ramen after Cat Temple

Many restaurants that serve only ramen are very small and have a long bar where customers sit. Typically, ramen isn’t a “relaxing” meal. Think of it as made to order fast food Japanese style! The cook sets a timer each time he drops noodles into the boiling water. It only takes 3 minutes to boil the noodles! The warm broth and noodles make ramen a perfect meal on a chilly winter day.

The condiments on the bar counter include a spicy powder, spicy sesame sauce, soy sauce and a couple of different paste items. I’m sure the sign behind them tells me what to add to make it extra delicious. Dave adds the spicy stuff, I prefer mine plain. The tissues are napkins.

The glasses are for the self-serve water.

This past weekend was the first time Dave and I experienced the walk up ordering system. Fortunately, the machine had a little bit of English and coordinating number system. Also, the restaurant server spoke a little English and helped by explaining the English and numbers. We deposited our Yen and made our selections.

I ordered a Number 2 (salt broth – second picture from the left on the top row). I pushed the matching number 2 on the second row (green), third button of the machine. Remember, they read from right to left. So, it makes sense the smaller number is to the right, right? Maybe. Dave ordered the Number 4 (salt broth with extra meat – second picture from the left on the bottom row). He pushed the matching number 4 on the second row (green), second button on the machine. And then we both pushed the beer button! Bottom row (blue), first button from the left. After that evolution, perhaps we needed a second beer!

The ramen was very good and made our bellies full and happy. The nori and green onion bites are my favorite!! No worries, when you visit, ramen will be a must eat – at least twice! You need to decide if you like the soy or salt broth the best!!

Japanese Hair Dryer

By wabisabisole

On December 11, 2016

In Japan, New Sanno

As a space saving and savvy traveler, I don’t pack my hair dryer. If I’ve stayed at your house, you know I always ask to borrow yours when I visit.

My personal hair dryer is huge and powerful. It has a diffuser attachment to help tame the frizziness of my crazy curly hair. It usually takes about 6 minutes to dry my hair.

When staying at hotels, typically, the in room hair dryer is good enough to get the job accomplished. This was not the case at the New Sanno. The hair dryer was a circa 1970s model and had less force than a summer breeze.

The hose!

It took about 20 minutes to dry my hair each morning. This falls closely in step with my assessment that it takes about 3 times longer to do things in Japan. I can also draw a parallel between the politeness of the Japanese and this hair dryer. It was as if the hair dryer was being polite and didn’t blow too much air on the user.

Considering this is the opposite of my hair dryer, low power and no diffuser, I assume it is meant for people with straight hair. Ahhh. Right. 97% of the Japanese population has straight hair!

A quick Google search of the “Classic 2000” wall mounted hair dryer revealed it is still in production. It can be purchase for $245.00. Seriously!?!

Fortunately, I was planning on straightening my hair for the Christmas party and brought along my new (free) straightener. I’m so glad I didn’t have to try and dry it curly with this dryer. It would have been a frizzy mess!

I took a quick video to show the absurdity.

Ginza Christmas

By wabisabisole

On December 10, 2016

In Christmas, Ginza, Japan, Shopping, Tokyo, Train

Dave and I spent Saturday morning and early afternoon walking around Ginza. Ginza is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo. There are numerous internationally renowned department stores, jewelry stores and restaurants located in its vicinity. Ginza is considered one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world. It was like The Magnificent Mile on steroids.

It was a quick 15 minute trip on the Tokyo Subway from our hotel.

Every day at noon the main road, Ginza Street, is closed to vehicles and pedestrians are able to walk freely across the street.