Japanese Cucumbers

Japanese Cucumbers

On May 9, 2017

In Costco, Cucumbers, English, Japan, Yokosuka

A cloudy Tuesday can’t even compare to the beautiful day I experienced yesterday. Today was filled with errands. First, I dropped off “Julia’s Baked Beans” at Dave’s work for the potluck. Then, I met up with Dina For our bi-weekly Costco outing. No time to explore much after that because I needed to prepare the cookie dough for the bake sale at Dave’s work on Thursday. This all happened before my Tuesday evening English lessons in Yokosuka. I agreed to sub for six weeks for three Japanese children’s English lessons. After today, two more! These are not my favorite. The highlight of the lesson is when they are over, Dave and I ride the train home together.

But, I digress. This post is about Japanese cucumbers. As I’m happily riding the train back to Yokosuka and avoiding traffic, I’ll tell you about my latest discovery of favorite Japanese vegetable. Yes, the Japanese cucumber. They remind me a lot of English cucumbers because they are long and skinny. They seem to have skin more like homegrown American cucumbers because they have the little white spines. The best part is the delicious crunch!

Here was the pack of eight I picked up at Costco. They were ¥680 or about $6.50. I don’t know if that is a good deal compared to cucumbers in America. In my opinion, they’re worth every yenny! And a better deal than the package of American Cherries grown in CA for ¥2,280 or about $22. I didn’t buy the cherries!

I can easily eat an entire cucumber in one sitting. It like to slice them and then add garlic salt and dill weed.

I think they would be a nice accompaniment to happy hour Roxanne’s house in VB on Friday night. I know my friend, Sue, would love them. And I know my father-in-law wouldn’t. Next time Delaney and James are here visiting, I will have plenty available to dip in Ranch. My mom would enjoy cucumber sandwiches on Japanese bread! I almost feel nostalgic/ home sick thinking about who would enjoy the cucumbers! Ha! Love and miss you all!

Patio Weather

By wabisabisole

On May 7, 2017

In Beer, Japan, Pizza, Sashimi, Sushi, Yokosuka

The weather has been so delightful the past week. I like to describe it as patio weather. For lunch, Dave and I went to one of our favorite patios in Yokosuka. Napoli’s pizza. We started with a salad.

And ended with a pizza. I ordered a four cheese pizza. They suggest honey to be added. It sounds weird but, tastes amazing.

Patio, pizza, and beer. It was a nice lunch.

For dinner, we decided to avoid the crowds of Golden Week and instead visit our favorite patio in Zushi. Ours. We set up our table top grills and enjoyed our Japanese style meal. We started with edamame and Sake.

Dave was my personal chef. He made veggies (cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts) on the hot plate in the ceramic bowl and grilled steak and pumpkin. I nicely displayed the tuna sashimi and tuna rolls.

It was a team effort of deliciousness.

I hope when you visit we are able to enjoy patio weather.

PS. Saturday we had the pleasure to welcome friends from Great Lakes who just moved to Japan. It was very fun to see familiar faces. We took them to the first place we had ramen in Yokosuka. Seemed appropriate. Welcome, Jenn, Heath, Hayden, and Mady! We are happy to have you in Japan with us!! I also promise to take a better photo next time we are together! ? in the meantime, ramen.

Yokosuka Shobuen

By wabisabisole

On May 2, 2017

In Flowers, Google Map, Hooptie, Japan, Wisteria, Yokosuka, Yokosuka Shobuen

I had one more garden on my list to view wisteria, Yokosuka Shobuen. Yokosuka Shobuen is actually known for being one of the largest iris gardens in Japan. The wisteria is an added bonus. The garden has over 140,000 iris. They were beginning to sprout but, not yet in bloom. Guess, I will be returning next month!

The garden opened at 9:00am. I decided to drive because my research told me there was plenty of parking. I arrived 9:30 and was ahead of the crowds. Here was my route.

The funniest part was the Japanese parking attendant coming over to my car after I parked. Following the protocol, I backed into the spot. However, I parked the Hooptie a little crooked. The attendant came over and asked me to re-park with her assistant, of course. Haha! If she only knew crooked parking is pretty much how I roll. Or stop rolling for that matter.

Moving on to the garden. The entry ticket was self-service. Fortunately, there was English.

Also, remember yesterday I mentioned the carp streamers being hung for Children’s Day. There were some at the garden entrance.

The wisteria was delightful. The garden wasn’t very large, I was able to walk around the entire garden in about an hour. I took a lot of pictures. I’ll share my favorites. Hopefully, not too many.

Here is the view when entering the garden. The beds in the foreground are the iris.

The first stop was the wisteria arbor.

The path then led to the wisteria garden. There were so many different colors. The scent was intoxicating!

The path then took me through a wisteria tunnel. So much pink and purple! It was magical.

The next area was the trellis of Japanese wisteria. There were actually several trellises. One was set up for hanami.

The others were a little lower and beautiful as well. More pink and purple!

I couldn’t resist a wisteria selfie.

My other favorite thing to do was to literally stand under / inside the wisteria.

In closing, a few close-up shots of the blooms. Do you have a favorite? Pink or purple?

Buddha’s Pooper

By wabisabisole

On April 19, 2017

In Cherry Blossoms, Diabatsu, Japan, Kamakura, Ramen, Sakura, Shrine, Temple, Yokosuka

Bill’s visit was work related and only provided for a small amount of time for me to give him a Julia Tour. Between the jet lag and his work schedule, it was tough to find too much spare time. We did squeeze in a few traditional Japanese experiences. Starting with ramen.

Tuesday night, I met Dave and Bill in Yokosuka after work. After a brief pit stop at the O’Club for an informal Navy happy hour, we went to the “Red Door” ramen shop in Yokosuka. This is actually the first place Dave and I had dinner when we arrived in July. It was just as delicious! Dave ordered the spicy ramen and Bill and I both ordered the salt ramen – mine with extra nori (seaweed sheets) – remember, seaweed is the pickle bite of the burger. I think Bill would have this chopstick thing down if he was here another couple days!

Bill’s flight left Wednesday evening giving us a few hours to explore Kamakura. The first stop was the Great Buddha. My favorite.

There wasn’t a line to go inside Buddha, so, we ventured in for ¥20 (16 cents). The best part, was Bill referring to this opportunity as “going into the Buddha’s pooper.” Haha! I snapped this quick picture of Bill looking in the same direction as the Japanese ladies were pointing. No, he has no idea what they are saying.

As we returned back to Hase Station, I snapped one more picture of the last remaining Sakura and the wisteria starting to bloom. Considering the wisteria photo foreshadowing for next week!

We returned to Kamakura and walked to the Hachiman-gū Shrine.

We walked up behind the main shrine and found this quiet sanctuary and shrine.

It was a beautiful morning and I was happy to share a couple of my favorite spots in Japan with Bill before he headed back to America.

After I dropped Bill off in Yokosuka to catch his shuttle to Narita, I stopped by the post office to pick up a package. The Chick-Fil-A fairy delivered again! This time from Germantown, TN and with a few other essentials to kick off grilling and smoking season! Thank you, Layla, Nick, Nina, and Noah for going to several Chick-Fil-A stores to gather yummy sauce for us. I truly appreciate your friendship, love, and support to help us taste TN in Japan. Watch out for a few Neko Atsume surprises coming your way!

Izakaya

By wabisabisole

On April 8, 2017

In Beer, Culture, Edamame, Honcho, Izakaya, Japan, Sashimi, Train, Yokosuka

Friday night, Dave’s work held a “Department Head” outing at an Izakaya restaurant in Yokosuka. Izakaya is a Japanese style restaurant that offers an all you can eat and drink set menu for a set period of time. The Izakaya restaurant we went to was called わん or One. The cost was 4,200 yen (~$42.00) per person. For that price, we enjoyed 10 courses of tapas and drinks for 3 hours. This wasn’t our first experience with Izakaya, just the first time I knew what to expect and was prepared to snap pictures!

At わん, we dined at low tables with benches. There was space for our legs to go under the table so we didn’t have to sit cross-legged for three hours. We were given an oshibori (wet towel) to clean our hands prior to eating. Wet towels are served at most restaurants in Japan. Along with heated toilet seats in the winter, wet towels are a favorite “Japan thing” of mine! The table top gas grill will be used to cook the crocodile pot – course 9. Each setting had two bowls, a plate, a dipping plate, chopsticks, and a glass for your cold beer!

Izakaya is different than other Japanese styles of eating because the food is shared, similar to Spanish tapas. The portions in each of my pictures (except the sashimi and ice cream) was shared by 4 people.
Our 10-course menu included:
1) Edamame

2) Bang-Bang Chicken Salad

3) Sashimi Set (Tuna, Fatty Tuna, Octopus, Salmon) This was my favorite course, of course!

4) Deep-fried Sea Eel

5) Chicken Ball Grilled Avocado Cheese – I didn’t get a picture of the tray before the Chicken balls were served. This is my plate of meat and the chicken ball is on top. Food started arriving quickly and I had to load my plate because I couldn’t keep up!

6) Fatty Tuna Flavor Rice Sushi – This was my second favorite.

7) Karaage Chicken

8) Beef Steak

9) Crocodile Pot – The crocodile pot was cooked on the table top gas grill featured in the first picture. Seriously, the crocodile tasted just like chicken.

10) Desert is Green Tea and Vanilla Ice Cream

As we walked through the Honch to the train station to head home, we ran into Darth Vader. Never a dull moment in the Honch!

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!!

Gacha!!

Kadomatsu

By wabisabisole

On January 6, 2017

In 2017, Japan, Kadomatsu, Lucky, Yokosuka

Have you ever noticed this emoji ?? Have you ever used ??

What does ?mean?

Well, now you can impress all your friends and explain to them what ?is.

The emoji ? is a kadomatsu. Kadomatsu means “gate pine.” It is pronounced ka-do-mā-zoo. Kadomatsu is a traditional New Year Japanese decoration. They are placed in pairs in front of homes and businesses to welcome Toshigami, the god of the New Year. The kadomatsu is considered temporary housing for the spirits. Usually, they placed after Christmas and remain until January 7 (although some sources said the 15th). Traditionally, after they are removed they are burned to appease the spirits and release them. Several of my sources said modern day kadomatsu are made of plastic and reused each year.

Three large bamboo shoots are placed in the center of the kadomatsu. In keeping with Ikebana traditions, the three bamboo shoots are set at different heights to represent heaven, humanity, and earth. The tallest shoot represents heaven, the middle shoot represents humanity and the shortest shoot represents earth. A pine wreath binds the bamboo. Because pine remains green, it is considered lucky. Further meaning of using bamboo and pine is for longevity and prosperity. The kadomatsu are placed in pairs on either side of the entrance, representing male and female.

Here are the two kadomatsu in front of Dave’s office building.

After living here for five months, my knowledge of emojis is growing faster than my ability to speak Japanese!

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.

Japanese Hair Cut

By wabisabisole

On December 8, 2016

In Hair, Japan, Navy, Yokosuka

Several of my friends & blog followers have asked me about having my hair cut & highlighted. I’m not sure you have noticed from my pictures, the color and texture of my hair is very different from the Japanese. Those factors combined with the language barrier, I have been too scared to venture out in town for my cut and highlights. Fortunately, I have access to “little America” aka Yokosuka Naval Base and the Navy Exchange (NEX) Salon is fully staffed with hair stylists and nail technicians. This was my second time having my hair treated at the NEX Salon. The stylist I see for my appointments is Ari (pronounced “Airy”). She is Japanese and speaks very good English. Or at least she speaks very good English about what I want done to my hair. Other than that, we don’t speak.
If you remember back a little over a year ago, I had a wild hair (literally) and thought going red was a good idea. It wasn’t. All the processing really damaged my hair. Not only to go red but, to go back blonde. The ends were a frizzy mess last spring and prompted me to cut my hair. Over the summer, I had even more cut to shape it and help it look healthy again. I can tell it has grown and needed specific shaping at this appointment. I was a little stressed with the thought of trying to communicate this to Ari. It actually went rather well.
I asked for her to cut a little less than an inch off the back and only trim the top layers. I want to make the layers “longer.” “Hai” – “Yes” She continued to say. I also asked for her to weave my highlights a little thicker because it was “too blonde” last time. “Hai”
She was very methodical as she foiled my hair. Once the color was on, she diligently checked the time and the processing speed of the color. I had her complete attention. She didn’t try to “squeeze” in another client. Once my hair was finished processing, she shampooed and massaged my head while the shampoo was in my hair. It felt AMAZING. As I often do when I have my hair shampooed, I thought of my late Aunt Jan. I remember when I was young and she would wash and style my hair. She always said how much she loved to have her hair washed. She would have LOVED to have Ari wash her hair!!
Returning to the chair, Ari asked me if it was ok if she gave me a massage. Is it ok? YES, PLEASE! She massaged my shoulders, neck, head, and temples. Again, absolutely amazing. The part that makes me laugh – she said “thank you” when she finished. Seriously? Thank you!
She trimmed as per my request and then asked if she could straighten my hair. Of course. It is so much easier when you are not familiar with curls.
The whole evolution took about 2.5 hours – partial highlights, shampoo, cut and blowout – for only $105. Seriously. Cheap. Let’s not forget the two massages! I tipped her very nicely!
Oh! And as Holiday special, if you spend over $60 at the salon in December, you receive a FREE straightener ($50 value).

I laughed and said, “is this a hint the Japanese don’t appreciate my curls?” Haha. Seriously straight and hopefully on the road to healthy.

Seven Lucky Gods of Japan

By wabisabisole

On November 4, 2016

In Customs, Japan, Seven Lucky Gods, Yokosuka

In our travels around this beautiful country, Dave and I have seen several different portrayals of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan. I have been intrigued and curious about them. The first time I saw them was when we went to the Mashiko Kyohan Pottery factory. I thought they were so cute that I was tempted to purchase. But, I didn’t and of course regretted it! The next time I saw them was in the stationary store in Yokosuka. Again, I didn’t purchase because although they were very cute, I thought they were too expensive and didn’t want one more thing to have to put on a table or counter.

¥7,500 ($75) seems like a lot for a knick-knack

The third time I saw them, was on the trip to Kappabashi. This time, the Seven Lucky Gods of Japan were displayed on a plaque that could easily hang on the wall. Perfect!

My Lucky Seven

Here is a little background on these adorable and Lucky Gods. Starting on the left and going down.

Ebisu

Ebisu is the God of Fishing, Shipping and Commerce and is the only one to have his origins in Japan. Ebisu represents prosperity and wealth in business. He is the patron of fisherman and Sailors. He is often presented with a fishing rod in his right hand and a large red fish under his left arm. The virtue he represents is Honesty.

Jurōjin

Jurōjin is the God of Wisdom. He is depicted as an old man wearing a hat with a long white beard holding a walking staff with a scroll tied to it. He is often confused with Fukurokuju, as both are presented in a very similar way. Frequently, Jurōjin is accompanied by a black deer as symbol of longevity. Jurōjin is the protector of politicians, teachers, scientists, philosophers and mathematicians. The virtue he represents is Wisdom.

Daikoku

Originally, he was a Hindu warrior and once introduced in Japan he became the God of Wealth and Prosperity. He is the patron of farmers and bankers. He is well known for his happy-looking smile and is often presented with a bag on this shoulder filled with money and a golden mallet. The virtue he represents is Fortune.

Bishamon

He originates from Indian Buddhism and is the God of Warriors (not war). He is also a God of Defense Against Evil. He is typically dressed in armor with a fierce look on his face. In one hand he has a weapon to fight against evil influences and suppress the enemies. On the other hand he holds a treasure pagoda. He is the patron of missionaries, priests, soldiers and doctors. The virtue he represents is Dignity.

On the right and going down.

Hotei

Hotei originates from Chinese beliefs and is the God of Happiness and Abundance. He is the only one of the seven who is supposedly based on an actual person, a Chinese hermit Budaishi (d. 917). He is depicted as a Buddhist monk with a smiling face and a prominent belly. He holds a sack and wooden staff. Outside Japan, he is known as “Laughing Buddha”. The virtue he represents is Happiness.

Benton

Benton is the only female and is originally the Hindu goddess of water. In Japanese representation, she is the Goddess of Arts and Knowledge. Her common form is a beautiful woman dressed in a flowing Chinese-style dress. Her attributes include: talent, beauty and music. The instrument she is playing the Japanese biwa. The virtue she represents is Joy.

Fukurokuju

Fukurokuju originates from China’s Taoist-Buddhist traditions. Fukurokuju is the God of Wealth, Happiness, and Longevity. He typically is depicted with an elongated forehead and long mustache. He is wearing typical clothes of a Chinese scholar and carries a walking stick with a scroll attached. He is the only one from the seven that has the ability to revive the dead. His attributes also include: luck, wealth and happiness. The virtue he represents is Longevity.

I love the portrayal of the Seven Lucky Gods I found. They make me happy and help me feel a little more settled in Japan. At Dave’s suggestion, I’m doing everything to “embrace the experience” of living in Japan!

Finding Beauty with Imperfection

Category: Yokosuka Page 2 of 3