famous for ninjas

On Monday morning i woke up about 7:30. I read a bit of my Alexander McCall Smith book, and ate breakfast: rice, miso soup, fish eggs, spinach-type salad. Yukari's mom and i went shopping with an old neighbor lady, who apparently remembers me from last time and said i lost weight.

At home, i read, and Yukari's mom served the sweets Yukari bought at Tokyo station. They were made of some kind of sweet potato. Another neighbor came over with a little girl named Marina. She said some words in English, though she pretty much just repeated whatever her chaperon said, in both English and Japanese. She was very, very cute though.

Then Yukari gave me a very nice gift! Too nice, but she said i had to accept the history too.

Lunch was yakisoba. I wrote down that we talked about traditional foods and marriage costs.

In the afternoon, Yukari and i went out. I didn't know she had a Japanese driver's license but she did very well. I took a picture of a cute little Subaru and some breads in a bakery. We went to visit her friend who works Honey's, a clothes store. I bought a jumper and the t-shirt i am wearing right now. Then we went to visit another friend who works at McDonalds. While they visited, i went upstairs to the kiddie land and bought some stationary, notebooks, and mini hand towels.


From there we went to Ueno castle for Ninja Fest (really). Unfortunately, the Ninja house was just closing when we got there. As we walked up the hill, we passed an entire family dressed in ninja wear, even baby.

We did go inside the castle. There was a museum inside with paintings, armor, etc. My favorite piece was an old lunch box. I took a picture but it's poor. But the best part, i think, was looking out the castle windows over the moat and the town. Yukari was straining her eyes to see if she could find a Lotteria, her favorite milkshake spot. (After that, it was on my list of places to go, but i never made it.)


We had to go through a rather small door to get out of the castle.

It was a very nice day, so we spent quite a bit of time walking around outside the castle. Way down in the moat, we could see many turtles and some fish. Yukari scared me a little on her perch. We stopped by a nearby building dedicated to a famous poet, and then looked in the gift shop, although it was closing. As we looked upon the ninja house, Yukari explained to me in a little more detail what it actually was.

Somehow this region is famous for ninjas and people asked me several times that week if i'd been there yet. There is also a train we saw painted like a ninja, and ninja cookies...

After leaving there, we had to stop by Jusco for ginger. Yukari tried to trick me into sampling natto, but we did sample many breads and even bought a few, which were the next day's breakfast. I'm still dreaming of the peanut butter filled kinako roll.

At home, we walked Boss. She is very cute with her dog. Dinner was tempura, with a very expensive mango for dessert. However, it wasn't until after i ate it that i found out how expensive it was... too bad! I wonder if it would have increased the enjoyment?

day of rest

I actually slept some on the bus. We arrived in Nabari early in the morning, and Yukari's mom took us home and made breakfast: tamago-yaki, rice, somen in broth, vinegar-y pickled cucumbers, soy sauce pickled cucumbers, tea, and sweet strawberries with "milk" for dessert. It was some kind of sweetened condensed milk in a tube. They had it Michiyo's house too, for use with strawberries.


First we did laundry, then Yukari went to visit some school friends. Their dog, Boss, was so much better this time -- last time he barked at me non-stop. This time he was very quiet unless someone rang the doorbell. A little while after breakfast, i went to the grocery store with Yukari's mom. It was a nice day and pretty in the countryside. We happened to run into Yukari and her friends at the store, picking out desserts for their barbeque.

On the way home, Yukari's mom pointed out some square fields of water, but i didn't understand what she said and was later curious about them. I asked Yukari but she didn't know what i was talking about, until i could point some out to her later. Turns out they're rice paddies. Last time i left Japan too early in the year for them to be flooded, so i had never seen one before. (I saw plenty this time.)

At home again, we had sushi from the grocery store for lunch, then i fell asleep in Yukari's room.... till 8:00 pm. Then i got up and ate dinner with her mom and dad: sashimi, rice, miso salad. We watched TV for a while and then i took a bath. I love the Japanese bath very much. I'd been cold all day and it warmed me up so nicely.

Believe it or not, after a little while, i could sleep again, and soundly. Yukari came in late but i didn't really notice.

dream cafes of tokyo

So, we had the cake for breakfast. A little later we went to the hot stone spa one station away. I've never really been to any kind of spa before. At this one you go in and lay on this hot slab of stone for ten minutes in a very humid room, then go into the cool break room for five minutes and drink a lot of water. This is repeated several times. It was so nice, warm, and relaxing. But i sweat so much. But you're supposed to.

From there we went to the area where Yukari used to work and got lunch. We went to an old style Japanese tavern. I got a raw fish rice bowl, also with tofu, miso, and pickles.

Next we went to Akihabara to see the maids at the station and the electronics. From there we walked an walked and walked along the river to a neighborhood i can't remember the name of (Kagurazaka i think, but i cheated), which Yukari said was very classic Japanese. After we got there, it started to rain, so we had trouble finding the cafe she wanted to take me to. When we did find it, it was full and not expected to empty out anytime soon because of the rain. The hostess lent us an umbrella and sent us around the corner to another cafe, Mugi Maru 2. It's a coffee and tea shop in a tiny little house with a tiny little upstairs area to sit on the floor Japanese style, where you could buy various kinds of steamed buns for 100 yen. (It's a fun website too, with that spinny thing.) I forgot (or didn't know) to take my shoes off when i started to go upstairs. Embarrassed! I ordered chai, Yukari maccha and a tea flavored bun. This is the door to the cafe:


When we were finished there we decided to try the first cafe again, Saryo, and as the hostess was telling us again that she wasn't sure how long it would be, and seeming to say it many times, one party left and opened up a table. Yay! I really can't explain what i ordered. It was cheesecake, but with this season ingredient we can't translate, which we later noticed in all sorts of seasonal goodies throughout my stay -- something to do with green peas and grass. I can't really say what's in the bowl, except for ice cream and a pink jelly. I have no idea what Yukari ordered. Here are photos though:

But as for drinks, i got a cappuccino, served with delicious and fun maybe-kinako brown sugar, and she got a maccha latte served with brown syrup. Isn't it all very lovely?

By then the rain had stopped so we walked around the neighborhood for a while and then went to Tokyo station to get certain sweets. She also took me to a little clothes shop she'd told me about before. I bought the dress i wore yesterday, which sort of matches my swimsuit.

Then, we went home to get our bags and took them to the bus station, where we boarded the midnight bus to Mie.

Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Pizza Hut

I woke up super early the next morning. This is my favorite part of jet lag. I'd love to be a morning person and be able to get up nice and early whenever i wanted and have the whole quiet morning to enjoy, but i am not this way at all. Usually it's all i can do to get up with just enough time to get to where i need to go, even if i don't have to be there till 11 or 12. However, i can stay up till morning rather easily. But for the first part of my trip, i enjoyed waking up bright and early every day without even trying.

For breakfast i had a yogurt i'd got at the convenience store on the way home the night before, and tea. The yogurt was grapefruit flavor, and coconut (i think... natsu de koko?) and had these weird little fruit jellies in it, like what they serve at bubble tea shops...not the tapioca bubbles, but the other fruity jelly things. It was interesting. I left with Yukari and we rode the train together for a little while, then she changed trains to go to work, and i went on to Shinjuku.

It was about 9:00 when i got there, so nothing was open yet. I found a cafe (Tully's, which may be American Chikako thinks but i've only seen it in Japan) and had second breakfast: a latte and an almost croissant that turned out to have a filling of butter or possibly some kind of cheese.





When i finished there i started exploring and discovered that most of the shops didn't open till 11:30. For old time's sake i went into LAWSON and looked around. I bought some gum and one of those cute (but not most delicious ever) Cafe Lattes that come in the little carry-out style cup with a straw.
Soon i stumbled upon a courtyard with a sign that said "Shinjuku Mini Museum," where there was a museum (i guess) with a couple of cats laying on the steps and a lady sweeping nearby, a few temples, a Buddha statue, and a cemetery. I was curious so i went into the cemetery, but didn't stay very long.


After walking a little further, i found Shinjuku Gyoen gardens and went in. It's very beautiful and a nice change from all the city-ness around, and today it was filled with sketching school children. I stopped in the tea house for maccha and a sweet.


By the time i left, the city had started coming to life. I went into a few shops and eventually took the train down to Shibuya and from there walked to Harajuku, where i ate a rice ball from 7-11 for lunch and then had a crepe with strawberries, ice cream and whipped cream. I browsed lots and bought some socks. By 4:00, the not-so-fun aspect of jet lag hit and i felt like i could hardly stand up. I felt like the ground was shaking, but i may have been just dizzy. Or it may have been an earthquake, or perhaps it was just because i was near the train station.

Anyway i stopped in another coffee shop, Doutor, got an iced tea, and wrote illegibly in my notebook. I took the train back to Shinjuku without any real purpose -- just because i would have to eventually anyway -- and right after i got there Yukari called me and said she was finished working. So i headed home the rest of the way. I arrived before she did so i waited at the station, browsing in the underground mall (i bought a phone strap and some earrings), and eventually just sitting by the fountain.


When she got there she wanted to stop at a nearby cake shop for dessert. She got one with chestnut and i got a chocolate chiffon cake (didn't i?), which we took home for later. Then we ordered pizza!!! We got the Gorgeous 4 from Pizza Hut, which had sausage links in the crust, and four different topping themes. The only ones i can remember specifically is "Italian," and the one with corn and mayonnaise. I think one had eggplant too. It was very good although i got very full, and before we could eat dessert i fell asleep on my suitcase.

first impressions, take two

I arrived at Narita in late afternoon, and as i was going through customs, i started to realize "oh my goodness, i'm actually going to have to speak Japanese!"

Why this was a surprise, i'm not quite sure. I hadn't thought too much about that practicality and oddly, it caught me off guard.

The second shock was getting on the train. The first time i came to Japan, five years ago, i was a little surprised by all the litter near the Biwako shore. I guess i'd expected Japan to be immaculate. But this time, my first impression conformed perfectly to my previously debunked expectation. Remember i just spent a week in New York City, so the comparison may have had a lot to do with my noticing this... but this train was so clean, if i'd been forced to eat of the floor, i wouldn't have minded too much.

The third shock was the lighting. It was around 6:30 or so and it was getting dark outside. Could that be right? Then, in Michigan, it was still late at least till 7:30. It also (naturally) seemed to get light very early in the morning. Perhaps it's a daylight savings issue or something?

This was the first time i'd returned to a foreign country. I wasn't sure how this would contrast with my first visit, and if it would be a lot different from visiting a place for the first time. Anyway looking out the train window and seeing all the power lines and the sort of piled-up look of the houses felt the same as finding someone else's photos of Saratov on the internet.

I made it to Shinagawa Station as i was told to do, but Yukari was delayed at work so i waited for her at Starbucks. Somehow i managed to order an Americano and a Cafe Mocha. Thankfully i caught the error soon enough (when i saw the total near 1000 yen). While waiting, i got a call from Masashi, which surprised me. He used to provide us with all kinds of Lotte chocolate when we lived in Kalamazoo. (Yukari's mom calls him Koala March.) He said he wanted to meet us that night.

Starbucks closed rather early, but Yukari arrived soon after. She introduced me to some of her co-workers, and then we went off to a nearby izakaya to wait for Masashi. I ordered a drink with kahlua and Royal Milk Tea, and she ordered some strawberry yogurt creation, and we also got some little omlette bites with cheese and mendaiko, which is a spicy caviar everyone has been feeding me lately. Horse sashimi was also on the menu. Masashi came after a bit and we all caught up. He recently married a Russian girl and said "ochen priyatna" to me. He works for a different company now, but with a similar product, and his business card lists his job title as "chocolate specialist." This place also closed rather early for an izakaya, so we said good night and Yukari took me to her very tiny very Tokyo apartment for some mu

On the airplane...

This was not the sort of day when one really regrets leaving Detroit. I ran a few errands in the morning -- went to the bank to get some money, took my nameplate and ID badge back to the other bank (where i worked), finished packing, etc. My mom came over with "Heath Bar" lattes and some donuts form the Bearclaw coffee stand near her house (i've always wanted to stop there but the timing was never right) and she, Gramma and i shared them.

We got to the aiport fine, but had a rather hard time finding the entrance. I'd checked in online so it was okay; after checking my luggage, i got to the gate just as they were boarding the plane. The flight wasn't very full and as usual i had a window seat. I went with the Asian-style choice for dinner, some sort of chicken, and the American-style choice for breakfast (omlette). I watched part of Dream Girls but mostly i just read my book, The Time Traveller's Wife. It was interesting, but there were a number of things that didn't go over very well with me, so after two weeks of reflection, i've decided to give it a thumbs down. Also the time travel romance reminded me a little of StarMoon.

Esperando por salir - my phone types in spanish i wanted to make use of the feature.

pre-trip

Tomorrow i'm going to Japan! Meanwhile i can't seem to sleep. This is okay-ish because i can sleep on the plane, i guess, but i probably won't. Also i still have to pack in the morning, so i'd rather sleep now than then.

Anyway i expect to fill my new little Charmmy Kitty notebook to the brim.

NY slideshow

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Janna and Brianna's white board artwork

new bonnet!

It doesn't go very well with my winter coat but it's perfect with the dress underneath

meeting fellow alumni

in NYC...not pictured is Yuusei's girlfriend, a Malaysian WMU grad that used to work at the Bubble tea stand at the Kzoo mall. She is now a bank teller (haha) in Chinatown and has the same kind of handbag i do. She misses Meijers very much.

Miki is pictured, and she knew me immediately (by my smile, she said) as "Tiramisu Girl," something that had to do with my pronounciation of the word "tiramisu" being so funny to them. This was a very vague memory to me but i think it's there.

Thanks to "Supaghetti Girl" for these photos.

Cafe Stories

I got a good milk tea from here which was perfect for the rainy day if a bit difficult to balance with my umbrella

I love aprons

I always want to buy them but then i think they would be so easy to make but i don't really sew

For future reference

I was admiring these hair bows while yukari was in the rest room at the japanese department store on fifth ave

getting in the habit

Ice cream season is beginning and i'm very excited. In the summer i try to eat ice cream almost every day

walking stories

I walked home from work at lunch time it's a little cool out but nice. it's quiet in the bank and in the town. some people were working on their yards. i talked to my sister and took pictures. for lunch i had a little salad, an egg, some ice cream, and some tea.

easter sunday tea party

It was my mom's birthday too. We had tea and sandwiches and Mom brought garlicky potato salad. Then we played Scrabble. Here i am with Bethany and her eyeshadow.

Mishka and the tiger

delicious korean feast

cookie plate!!