Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

Kozaki Sake Festival

2013-03-19T09:54:00.002+09:00

This past Sunday (St. Patrick's Day) Gordon and I went to the Kozaki Sake Festival. Kozaki is a town about 30 minutes away by train from Tohnosho. We figured St. Patrick's Day was a good excuse to go sample all the sake we could handle. And we did just that.

A sign for the festival. Kozaki has two sake breweries that are over 300 years old!

I didn't know what to expect when I showed up. I had never been to Kozaki or the sake festival, but when I noticed how many people were getting off at the train stop, I knew this was worth checking out. We took a free shuttle from the station to the main street where the festival was taking place. Tents lined the street with venders selling sake, food and crafts.

The street was crowded with festival goers and it was a beautiful day.

Gordon and I started walking the street and noticed people were filling out forms and receiving bags. A kind English speaking stranger helped us fill out the form and in return we received free sake glasses.

We received two of these ~~cute~~ sophisticated sake glasses.

Next on our agenda: sample some sake. We stumbled upon the first brewery and were greeted with amazake (a sweet, cloudy sake with low alcoholic content).

Amazake is cloudy and not clear because it is not filtered like other sake and contains starch from the rice. It is usually served warm.

Let the sampling continue. Next was a booth selling shots of sake for 100 yen ($1). Yes, please.

Next, we went into the brewery to sample their sake using our new sake glasses. This is where all the sake enthusiasts were gathered. Each sake was neatly labeled with a number, percent alcohol, what kind of sake it was and the price. If you liked what you tried all you had to remember was the number which, after an afternoon of sampling sake, might have been difficult for some.

Inside the sake brewery. There were about 20 different sakes you could try... for free!

Here's where you could buy the sake you liked.

It was great to try all the different kinds of sake back-to-back. I could easily taste the differences between them and was surprised to notice how different they each tasted. There was staff available that poured the samples, however, some overzealous and overeager festival goers poured generous "samples" of sake for Gordon and I.

After sampling everything at the first brewery, we headed to the second one. At this brewery, people wore numbers on their heads indicating the sake they were offering.

After sampling all the sake at the festival, I ended up buying a delicious yuzu sake. Yuzu is a fruit... its like a cross between a lemon and an orange.

Buying yuzu sake.

The thing I appreciated most about this festival is that it had something for everyone. Don't like sake? (Are you crazy?!) That's o.k.! There were plenty of other beverages available including coffee, teas, soda and smoothies. Are you hungry? Well, what do you want... takoyaki, kebab, miso soup, yakisoba, taiyaki, yakitori, ramen, gyoza, daifuku, bread, donuts? The festival was also family friendly with plenty of entertainment for the kids.

Here are some of the foods that were available:

Gyoza.

Fish.

Daifuku! My favorite! Daifuku is mochi filled with anko (sweet bean paste).

Senbei (rice crackers).

Steamed buns.

Donuts.

Imagawayaki.

Here is some of the entertainment we saw at the festival:

Singing.

Drum and flute show.

Making mochi.

Dancing with fans.

Hula dancing.

Magic and stunts.

Gordon and I really enjoyed our time at the festival. My only complaint is that the festival is only one day. I would definitely go again and think the its a wonderful way to get people to experience Japanese sake and the quaint town of Kozaki.

Side note: After searching for the mysterious Chiba-kun all day, I finally found him right before we left the festival.

Sayonara. Good-bye.

Strawberries in Tohnosho

2013-02-26T07:53:00.000+09:00

Tohnosho is known for its strawberries. Before you come into town there are signs with strawberries on them advertising the famous "ichigo". I've tried Tohnosho strawberries (and they're delicious!) but I have yet to do an all-you-can-eat strawberry marathon. You can go to one of the many strawberry greenhouses in Tohnosho and for about 1,000-2,000 yen eat all the strawberries you want for 30 minutes. I'm looking forward to getting sick off of strawberries, as many people usually do, and will report back on my experience.

Chiba-kun ambassador tour: Kimitsu

2012-12-21T08:50:00.000+09:00

I got up at 4:00 am to be in Chiba City by 8:20am. It was extremely cold out and I was anxious to get on the warm bust to Kimitsu. It was my first time to Kimitsu and honestly, I'd never heard of it before.

Location of Kimitsu in Chiba

Our first stoop was tamago (egg) paradise. We went to a small stand that sells TKG burgers or Tamago Kake Gohan burgers. The buns are made of rice and egg, bacon, mayo and green onions made up the burger. It was delicious... a perfect breakfast sandwich.

Yummy TKG burger.

And here's the sound track we listened to while waiting for our burgers...

Next, we took a short and very cold walk around a local park next to Lake Kameyama. The scenery was beautiful. The leaves were yellow, red, orange and green. There were also several people braving the cold out on their boats fishing.

Walking over the bridge.

We were grateful to get back on the bus and head to our next stop -- a boat! Luckily, to our surprise, the boat came equipped with kotatsu (tables with heaters underneath). The boat ride on was relaxing and we floated along Lake Kameyama at a leisurely pace. Much of the surroundings reminded me of Matsushima.

The wonderful kotatsu and some of the ambassadors enjoying their TKG burgers.

Showcasing beautiful lake Kameyama.

Torii gate on the lake.

After the boat ride, we ate lunch. We ate at a wonderful restaurant/hot spring. We chose between nabe, tofu and fish. I ate the tofu which was delicious and came with its own soy and yuzu sauce. Of course, the only practical thing to do after lunch is to jump in the hot spring. It was my first time at a Japanese onset and I loved it! I will definitely do it again soon.

Our lunch spot.

Our view.

My tofu lunch set.

After our relaxing lunch we set off for a walking tour of Quruli. Quruli is a quaint town in Kimitsu known for its natural well water sourced from hundreds of meters underground. People come to Quruli to fill up their water bottles for drinking and cooking. We walked around the town and visited the different wells.

Natural well water.

Walking through the town.

Before we left Quruli, we stopped at a local sake distillery. The distillery uses the natural water to make its sake, so of course I had to buy some :)

Inside the sake distillery.

Our last stop of the day was Tokyo German Village. Tokyo German Village is a huge area of land with several attractions including a mini golf course, ferris wheel, doggie park and cute German style shops. However, we were there to see the annual winter illumination. Every year, Tokyo German Village showcases thousands of lights in a wonderful winter wonderland illumination. They even have a light show that is coordinated with music. This is the perfect place to bring the family and there were certainly lots of people there. My favorite part (besides the lights) is that you can buy German products, like foods and beers.

The ferris wheel at Tokyo German Village.

German goods shop.

Light and sound show.

Awesome bubble machine. This was a favorite among the kids.

Cool illuminated circus tent.

There was so much to see in Kimitsu and I definitely want to go back. Seeing the Tokyo German Village illumination was a great way to end an exciting day.

Chiba City Lights

2012-11-26T12:00:00.000+09:00

Yesterday, Gordon and I made a trip to Chiba city. We wanted to spend a relaxing day at Starbucks, reading and studying (Chiba has about 4 Starbucks within a mile radius). After the sun went down, we got a spectacular view of all the Christmas lights and decorations around the city. I wish the pictures did them justice.

Christmas trees and lights outside the SOGO department store.

Merry Christmas!

Small Christmas trees on the walk up to SOGO.

Beautiful white, silver, gold and blue decorations.

I love the snowflake ornaments!

Trees strung with lights near the Mitsukoshi department store.

The lights by the Mitsukoshi department store can be seen from above if you ride the Chiba Urban Monorail. If you have time I recommend stopping by Chiba Port Tower to see the impressive Christmas tree illumination. How often do you get to see a 100 meter tall Christmas tree? Here are the details:

Each year from late November to late December, a giant Christmas tree appears on the outside of Chiba Port Tower. Approximately 3,500 lights decorate the tower’s surface to create a 100 meter high, 30 meter wide Christmas tree about as tall as a normal 30 floor building. Lights will “snow” down on this tree, making for a festive mood.

Date: Friday, November 23 – Tuesday, December 25 Weekdays 17:00-20:00, weekends/holidays 17:00-22:00 ※Dec. 22-25 17:00-24:00
Place: Chiba Port Tower (1 Chiba-minato, Chuo-ku Chiba City)
Admission: 410 yen for adults, 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students, free for kindergarteners and younger
Access: 12 minutes by foot from Chiba Minato Station (Chiba Urban Monorail or JR Keiyo Line)
Inquiries: (043)241-0125 (Chiba Port Tower)
URL: http://www.chiba-porttower.com/index.html (Japanese only)

Sawara festival

2012-11-13T22:46:00.003+09:00

Floats at Sawara festival.

Disneyland and Disneysea

2012-10-04T09:04:00.000+09:00

One word. Disneyland.

Nothing will bring out the kid in you faster than seeing Cinderella's castle, Mickey Mouse and smelling curry and soy sauce flavored popcorn.

Gordon and I planned a last minute trip (in under one week) to go to Tokyo Disneyland. Even though its called "Tokyo" Disneyland, its actually in Chiba prefecture, not far from Gordon and I. It has been on my Japan list of to-dos and we finally decided to bite the bullet and go. Fortunately we went during the regular season and not the peak season (can you say 3 hour line?) We also visited during Disney's Halloween time!

At the entrance to Tokyo Disneyland. Unfortunately, it rained all day, BUT the lines were a lot shorter :)

Brass band greeting us near the entrance in front of Cinderella's castle.

The light parade at night. I finally got to see Mickey and Minnie!

The rainy weather really worked to our benefit and drove away the large crowds. On average we waited in line for about 30 minutes. The longest wait was at Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (our favorite ride). We waited about 50 minutes. It was worth it!

The next day we went to Tokyo Disneysea. This is considered the more "adult" park and has more roller coasters and attractions geared toward an older crowd. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We were grateful for no more rain! However, with the beautiful weather came the crowds.

Disneysea's entrance is set-up like an Italian villa. It has beautiful buildings and the only hotel, the Mira Costa, where you stay IN the park. Yes, you can watch the parade and fireworks from the comfort of your room!

Gordon and I at the Roosevelt Lounge.

Waiting in line at the Tower of Tower. Not so scary when your wearing Minnie ears.

One of the biggest attractions right now at Disneysea is Toy Story Mania... and that's just what it is... MANIA. Gordon and I would check on the line for the ride every once in a while and there was a consistent 3 hour wait for the ride. No thank you. Luckily, Gordon and I were wise and knew if we waited until the park was about to close, we'd have a shorter wait.

9:30 rolled around (the park closes at 10pm) and we decided to jump in line. At this point the wait was only 1 hour and 30 minutes. In typical Disney fashion, everyone who wanted to ride the attraction could even though we were going way past closing time.

To say that Gordon and I loved Toy Story Mania would be an understatement. This attraction has Disney magic on steroids and we were juiced! The ride is a basic point and shoot ride with a twist. You wear 3D glasses and shoot 3D objects. Your total is tallied on a scoreboard in front of you and you get to compete against your partner next to you. Not to mention the ride is longer than most of the rides at Disney, so the wait seems worth it. Let the record show that I totally swamped Gordon.

Toy Story Mania. When you walk into the attraction you feel like you've shrunk to the size of a toy. Don't you love the employees' outfits?

Tinker Toys... and a long line.

After we got off the ride. The park was slowly clearing out. No more lines!

Gordon and I really enjoyed our Disney adventure. Its certainly not for the faint of heart though. Be prepared to wait and wait some more. But you'll find the some attractions are well worth the wait!

Mt. Tsukuba

2012-09-11T09:57:00.001+09:00

Mt. Tsukuba is a famous mountain located north of us in Ibaraki Prefecture. Gordon and I have been wanting to climb it for the longest time. Its been taunting us on clear days in Tonosho when we can see its distinct double peaks. Well, on Sunday, we finally made it up to Mt. Tsukuba.

Mt. Tsukuba is 30 minutes outside of Tsukuba City, a city known for its science museums and space center JAXA (the Japanese version of NASA). It took us about 2 hours to drive to Mt. Tsukuba.

Mt. Tsukuba.

When we arrived at Mt. Tsukuba we were greeted by a giant, red torii gate and Tsukubasan Shrine.

The torii before the mountain.

Gordon at the entrance to the shrine.

Tsukubasan shrine.

Gordon and I decided to hike up the mountain (about a 1 1/2 to 2 hour climb) and ride the cable car down. The nice thing about Mt. Tsukuba is that it is very family friendly. If you want to hike it, you can or you can take the cable car or rope line. One complaint I've heard about Mt. Tsukuba is that its too commercialized and not as rugged and natural as other mountains, but I thought it was a great experience that people of any age can enjoy, not just the young, fit and healthy.

We started our hike on the Miyukigahara course around 10:15 am. We didn't know what to expect but we were assuming this hike wouldn't be as bad or as hard as climbing Mt. Fuji.

The Mikyukigahara Course. Let's go!

And so we began hiking. The course was very well laid out and was like climbing a series of rock and wooden steps. We kept a good pace and stopped every once in a while for water. Our only problem was the humidity and heat. Even though we had the shade of the trees, the humidity left us drenched in sweat 10 minutes into our hike. Gordon said "There's a smiley face on your back, Emily! Oh... that's the outline of your sport's bra". Yes. Thank you Gordon. That's the outline of MY SWEAT!

Beautiful tall trees surrounded us on our hike.

Gordon hiking along.

Rocks are no obstacle for me!

Climbing the convenient natural staircase.

Gordon washing off at a little mountain stream. The water was nice and cold.

1 and 1/2 hours later... we made it to the top!

We had no clue how much further we had until we reached the top because we couldn't read any of the signs on the trail, so we just kept hiking and following the people in front of us. Getting to the top was anticlimactic because we were unsure for the first minute or two whether or not we reached the top. Then we saw the view and knew we had made it!

Taking pictures of the view. I love the little boy at the binoculars :)

There were lots of restaurants and shops at the top.

The next thing on our to-do list was to hike to both peaks. We had made it to the middle of the top of the mountain but needed to conquer Nantaisan peak and Nyotaisan peak.

Shrine at the top of Nantaisan.

The view at the top of Nantaisan.

Shrine at the top of Nyotaisan.

Gordon looking at the view below.

Don't worry mom, we were careful not to fall!

Its a baybee Gordon and GIANT Emily. I had way too much fun.

We could see the ropeway from Nyotaisan.

Butterfly resting on a rock. There were so many bees and butterflies at the top of the mountain.

On the small bridge next to Nyotaisan shrine.

The view from Nyotaisan peak was definitely the best. Several people found a rock and just sat to admire the view for a while. There was a slight breeze and the sun felt great. Here's a video I took at the top of Nyotaisan:

After we visited both peaks, we went down to the center of the top and did some shopping and ate lunch. We chose a place that had a good crowd of people and attempted to read the menu outside. The man who sat us spoke a little English and recommended Tsukuba udon. A bowl of udon noodles with pork, chicken meatballs and vegetables in broth. We also ordered some beer to celebrate our ascent :)

Tsukuba udon. It was delicious!

The view from our restaurant. Not bad!

Reading up on Tsukuba.

The udon obviously didn't fill me up and I had to get some warm mochi that was cooking over some coals. YUMMY!

Mochi.

We decided to be lazy and take the cable car down the mountain. It was a fun, short 8 minute ride. We got to enjoy the mountain scenery from the comfort of a seat.

Here we go!

Getting off the cable car at the bottom of Mt. Tsukuba.

Gordon and I had so much fun at Mt. Tsukuba. Its definitely on our list of places to take friends/family if they visit. After our time on the mountain, we went to a nearby shopping mall, Iias. It is relatively new and had 3 floors of shopping and a movie theater. We shopped for a little while and then hung out at Starbucks. Whew! What a productive day!

Iias in the distance. Its a huge shopping mall!

Thank you for coming!

Rice

2012-08-30T11:39:00.002+09:00

Gordon and I arrived back in Japan two days ago after almost a month in the U.S. After getting off the airplane and driving back to Tonosho, we were greeted by the lush, green rice paddies that surround our town. Its hard to think about Japan without thinking about rice. And it just so happens that right now is rice harvesting season!

I like rice for many reasons. Reason#1: its a food, I like food and it happens to be delicious. Reason#2: its relatively healthy (if you don't drown it in soy sauce or melt a stick of butter over it). Reason#3: rice is the most important product in Japan and is treated with respect. Reason#4: I absolutely love the look of rice paddies when the shoots are growing... it one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

Rice right after being planted. Struggling to survive.

Baybee rices.

I title this one: Sunset over rice paddy.

A man tending to his rice. Just a man and his rice.

Even herons love rice.

Now, before you start thinking I'm some sort of a nut over rice, you have to give me the benefit of the doubt. I live in a country where rice is included in almost every meal. If you don't like rice and you live in Japan, then GET OUT!

Its almost bittersweet that its rice harvesting time. On one hand, the rice is the most beautiful when its fully grown and the rice grains are gracefully hanging on the shoot and swaying in the breeze. On the other hand, once the rice is harvested a large dirt rectangle is left behind and soils the beautiful landscape until the rice is planted again in March.

"Oh beautiful for shoots of rice for green waves of grain..."

Yummy.

Harvesting time.

Bye-bye rice :(

For whatever reason, some of the best rice comes from a small town in Chiba called Tako. Gordon and I were given about 30 kilograms of Tako rice by one of the teachers at Tonosho Junior High. We didn't realize this precious gift until we told people about our "Tako rice" and they nearly had a religious experience at our mention of it. We don't live far from Tako, so hopefully we can make a trip to see what Tako is all about and pay our respects to our supplier of rice.

The town of Tako in dark pink.

So that about sums up my love affair with rice. Now I'm going to eat a bowl of the stuff!

Japanese hospitality

2012-07-27T21:47:00.001+09:00

Tomorrow Gordon and I are going back to America to visit family and for our wedding ceremony. Even though we are coming back to Japan to stay for another year, our friends have been wishing us luck, stuffing our faces and giving us gifts. It feels like we're leaving forever when we'll only be gone for a month!

Our first stop was at Mikyo-san's house on Saturday night. She made a wonderful dinner for Gordon and I and gave us a few gifts to bring back to the states. She also introduced us to her new kitten, Mint!

Our feast! Cucumber and crab sushi, boiled corn, fresh tomatoes and miso soup.

Mikyo-san also made miso ramen for Gordon.

Mint! My hand scared her.

Time to rest and clean. :)

Mint was almost thrown into a river by the person that found her. Luckily Mikyo-san saved Mint without a moments hesitation. I don't know who would want to get rid of a kitten, especially one that cute! (Mikyo-san names all her cats after food: Sesame, Melon, Parsley and now, Mint!)

The next night we went over to Yashiro's house where his mother whipped up our favorite foods: tempura pumpkin and inarizushi. This was an unexpected surprise that Yashiro requested from his mother.

Yashiro and his mother showing us how to make tempura.

Yeah! Food!

Close-up on the tempura, inarizushi and edamame. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

I love inarizushi. Inarizushi is basically sushi rice (sometimes with chopped, cooked vegetables) inside a fried tofu skin that has been soaked in sugar and soy sauce. My mouth is watering. I WANT IT NOW!

Anyway, we sat down to dinner with Yashiro and his mother and father. We talked about America, food and traveling. It was so comforting sitting down to a meal with a family. I felt right at home.

Next on the agenda was lunch at my friend Ayano's house. We ate yakisoba and Korean pancakes. All the kids were there because of summer vacation. It was quite the adventure. During lunch, Naomi gave me calligraphy to display at our wedding.

Kose, Miki, Chino and Yuna cooking yakisoba.

Cute little chefs!

Yummy food! (the bottle was for Chino... not the adults.)

Naomi's calligraphy. It has Gordon's and my name in Kanji and Kanji characters that mean strong relationship or marriage knot.

I will miss these women while I'm away!

So, we got our fill of Japanese hospitality this week. I always love spending time with people over great food and drinks. I'm glad I have something to look forward to when I get back!

LaLaport

2012-07-24T13:21:00.000+09:00

Last week I went through training for American Language School in Funabashi. Funabashi is only a short train ride from Tokyo and has many shops, restaurants and things to do. One of Funabashi's main attractions is LaLaport. LaLaport is essentially a mall, but reminds me more of a maze of shops. There are two buildings, each 3 floors high with a variety of shops, restaurants and a movie theater inside. LaLaport is Chiba Prefecture's biggest shopping mall. How big is it? Its SO big it even has TWO Starbucks :)

One day after training, I spent about 2 hours walking around LaLaport. The Japanese are serious about their shopping and it showed by the sheer numbers at LaLaport and the huge summer sales. I got lost several times (I think that's the point) and didn't really buy much because I couldn't decide what to buy. It was information overload!

You can find just about anything you want at LaLaport: food, clothing, soaps, cosmetics, shoes, electronics, outdoor gear, books, pets and the list goes on. They even have a cute little doggie park area with a doggie bath for your furry friend to cool off!

My favorite area was between the two buildings of LaLaport. There is an outdoor walkway where you can access restaurants and shops. I, of course, went to Starbucks and relaxed at a table outside while sipping an iced Chai soy latte. Pure bliss!

Outdoor walkway at LaLaport.

Want to find out more about LaLaport? Check out their English webpage!
http://tokyobay.lalaport.net/lala_eng/index.html

CHIBA+KUN ambassador Choshi tour: 6/24/12

2012-07-12T11:56:00.004+09:00

Our first tour as CHIBA+KUN ambassadors was to Choshi. Choshi is a sea-side city only 30 minutes away from Tonosho. Choshi is known for it's Yamasa soy sauce factory, moist rice crackers, its lighthouse and beautiful rocky coasts. I've visited Choshi several times (Choshi has the closest mall to Tonosho), but was excited to experience Choshi again with the other ambassadors!

Choshi: the eastern-most tip of Japan. I can see America from here!

We started our tour at Choshi City Hall. We all gathered out front and a group of men, each wearing a happi (short robe) and hachimaki (headband), was there to greet us. We were then asked to put on happis that had Choshi's mascot on the back!

Then, to our delight, we got a private taiko drum and flute show. The men played several traditional Japanese songs, including one Osakan style song.

So cool!

The most impressive part was when the men started dancing around while holding and playing the drums! Check out the video below.

After the show, we got to try out the instruments for ourselves!

Playing the drums.

The flute was more difficult than the drums. It was funny watching everyone attempting to play it.

All together now! We didn't sound too great :( Maybe we need some more practice. We'll call ourselves "The Ambassadors"! I like it! Is that band name already taken?

We felt so welcomed by the city of Choshi and were ready to see the rest of the city. Our next stop was at a local Japanese restaurant for a sashimi and tempura lunch. I had tempura (shrimp, egg plant, pepper and fish) with rice, miso soup and japanese pickles. What is the best thing to eat after a meal? Dessert. Everyone was talking about the soy sauce ice cream (shouyu ice cream) available at a souvenir shop close by. So we all headed to the shop and very cautiously tried the famous treat. What does soy sauce ice cream taste like? Well, we all had different opinions and we were all right. It tasted like a combination of several things. Here's what everyone said: coffee, caramel, cheese cake, chocolate and butterscotch. But, to be honest, it didn't taste like soy sauce. We actually saw them making another batch of soy sauce ice cream and yes, they do add soy sauce to the ice cream mixture... about 3 cups worth!

Trying soy sauce ice cream. A very confusing, but delicious treat.

Fresh off our sugar high, we walked to the train station to ride the local Choshi electric train or Choshi Dentetsu. This is a very old train which runs along the tip of Choshi. Its a great way to see the city and stops at several sightseeing spots.

Choshi Dentetsu route.

Waiting for the train. Our train tour guide, Yuko, is standing to the right.

About to get on the train. Retro.

Some of the fellow ambassadors enjoying the ride.

Our tour guide, Yuko, described the various sites and scenes along the train route. We got to see the beautiful rural areas of Choshi and some of the old stations that line the route (most were build in the 1920's!) Once we arrived at Inubo Station we got off to head to the famous lighthouse Choshi is known for, Inubo lighthouse (Inubosaki).

The lighthouse is over 100 years old and you can climb up the 99 steps inside to get an amazing view at the top. Definitely something you have to do when you're in Choshi.

Beautiful. See that white post box? Its the only white post box in Japan! All the others are red.

View from the top. I found this reflective material at the top of the lighthouse. Such a great view from the top!

We had plenty of time to take in the beautiful coastal views and enjoy the breeze off the ocean. There are also plenty of places to explore around the lighthouse. You can have a picnic on the green grassy area next to the lighthouse, walk down to the beach or stop in the shops next the lighthouse for something to eat. Look at what I found at one of the shops...

Chiba-kun section! I couldn't decide if I needed Chiba-kun socks, pen, folder or key chain. So much Chiba-kun stuff, so little money!

Our next stop was the Ocean View Observatory. This observatory is located at the top of Atagoyama hill and provides a wonderful 360 degree view.

On the way up to the observatory there was a large variety of beautiful hydrangeas (ajisai).

The ambassadors at the top. The 360 degree view allows you to see the curve of the earth.

View of the Inubo lighthouse from the observatory. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Fuji.

CHIBA+KUN ambassadors unite!

Our day was drawing to a close, and before we left the observatory, we thanked our 3 Choshi volunteer guides. They gave us interesting facts and information about the lighthouse, the observatory and Choshi.

Arigato gozaimashita! I got the chance to speak a little Spanish with the man in the middle. He lived in Mexico over 30 years ago.

Want to find out more about Choshi? They have an English webpage!

http://www.city.choshi.chiba.jp/english/guide.html

I learned and experienced so much about Choshi that I had never known before. I'm excited about the next tour with the CHIBA+KUN ambassadors and can't wait to explore another city in Chiba. Until then... sayonara!

Volunteering in Matsushima: 6/23/12

2012-07-03T09:40:00.003+09:00

YEAH! Gordon and I were so happy to be traveling to Matsushima in Miyagi prefecture to volunteer for the second time! We fell in love with this beautiful area last time (see our past blog about volunteering in Miyagi) and were excited to go back and do some more work!

Here are some pictures from our trip...

Gordon, I and Hiyashi ready to start!

Headed to the beach.

Picking up lots of sticks and debris. Another beautiful day in Matsushima!

Sticks. And more sticks. Oh, did I mention there were lots of sticks on the beach!

Where'd he come from?!

More surfers! I enjoyed watching them surf while I picked up sticks!

During a water break, I looked for sea shells near the water.

Other volunteers working hard gathering sticks.

Lunch break! We hopped back on the bus to eat lunch and head to our next volunteer site. Today's bento: hamburger, rice, egg, broccoli, pickles and spaghetti.

Debris and water left from the tsunami.

A makeshift landfill; where all the debris gets dumped.

Our next task was to weed around baby sunflowers. This is the sign we put up next to the hill of sunflowers.

Hiyashi, Gordon and Fumiko taking a break.

The sign going up! All those green leafy things will be beautiful sunflowers soon!

After we were done with our work, we went into town for a short visit. Gordon and I saw this temple (Godaido Temple) from the street and had to check it out!

This bridge leading to the temple is supposed to be unlucky. HAHAHA! Gordon and I laugh in the face of danger!

On second thought... this is kind of scary!

The temple.

The view. :)

Gordon and I had yet another wonderful experience volunteering. The work was a little harder this time, but that just makes it feel more rewarding after a long day. I hope Gordon and I can show our friends and family Matsushima one day. Its definitely one of the most beautiful places in Japan.

Gordon and I already saw progress being made since our last visit. Remember last time we saw this house being built?

Well, now that house is almost finished! Its amazing how fast people can turn around, work hard and rebuild!

Cooking class

2012-06-26T13:20:00.001+09:00

Last Tuesday I attended the cooking class at Tonosho community center. I have been to about 5 cooking classes so far and I always learn a lot about Japanese food and cooking when I go.

Cooking class is a little like an adventure. First of all, the class and the recipes are all in Japanese and second, the cooking instructor, Ishige san, is a force to be reckoned with!

About 30 people attended the cooking class on Tuesday and we were split up into groups of 5 at each cooking station. On the menu for the day was ajisai rice ("hydrangea rice"), clams, pineapple cake and a pineapple drink. Ishige san went over the recipes (which I tried to quickly translate with the few words I recognized) and we got our ingredients and got started!

My cooking group preparing the ingredients.

Adding flour to the butter and sugar for the pineapple cake.

Ishige san (red apron and white shirt) checking on our progress.

All the recipes written in Japanese on the board. Help! I can't read that!

Cooking class is fast paced and always a flurry of people running back and forth, looking at other groups and making sure they are doing things correctly. For some reason, everyone is concerned they will do something wrong. If Ishige san sees a group adding an ingredient before its time or (heaven forbid) mixing something the wrong way, she swoops in, scolds the wrong-doer and finishes the task herself. Everything must be done a certain way. You'd think that these women never cooked a day in their life they way they act sometimes! I always find myself laughing when this happens and from time to time, if a group does something wrong, they will try and clean up the evidence quickly before Ishige san notices. :)

Ishige san demonstrating the proper method of mixing.

Luckily, I was placed in a smart group of women and we always doubled checked before we moved on to the next step in the recipe.

Once we finished assembling the cake and it was in the oven, we moved onto the clams.

So pretty! The clams were all different colors.

Kako san cutting garlic for the clams. Kako spoke a little English, to my delight!

Clams, 2 cloves of garlic, green onion and a cup of sake. Now into the microwave.

The finished product! Yummy!

Next, we took out the rice from the rice cooker and placed it into a circular mold along with two edamame beans. The rice was cooked with some water and a cup of red wine, so it was a beautiful purple/red color and smelled delicious. Its called "hydrangea rice" because it is the color of a hydrangea.

Putting the rice into the mold.

The cakes are done!

Beautiful! You can even see the chunks of pineapple poking through.

With the leftover pineapple juice from the cake, we made a refreshing smoothie. Ishige san put the pineapple juice, a cup of heavy cream, honey and some ice in the blender.

Assembling the smoothie.

Ishige san adding a small hydrangea leaf on top of each drink.

Once the food was ready, we arranged the food at our station and sat down to eat!

Our spread! Everything was delicious, but I have to admit I loved the cake and the pineapple smoothie the most.

CHI-BA+KUN Ambassador

2012-06-12T20:41:00.000+09:00

Yesterday I was officially sworn-in as a CHI-BA+KUN Ambassador! Do you remember who Chiba-kun is? A couple of posts back, I wrote about Chiba prefecture's beloved mascot, Chiba-kun...

CHI-BA+KUN ambassadors are “Ambassadors to Spread Chiba Prefecture’s Charm to the World Together with CHI-BA+KUN” (abbreviated CHI-BA+KUN). Basically our job is to promote Chiba Prefecture and all it has to offer. Throughout the course of one year I will blog, post and tweet about my excursions in Chiba including the food, people, entertainment and culture.

I get to share this honor with 19 other non-Japanese natives. The requirements for being a Chiba-kun ambassador are:

1. must live in Chiba
2. are a foreigner/exchange student
3. must LOVE Chiba!

I, of course, meet all three criteria (especially number 3!) You can learn more about the CHI-BA+KUN ambassador program here:
http://www.pref.chiba.lg.jp/kokusai/english/information/residents/ambassadors.html

At last, I finally meet Chiba-kun!

The swearing-in ceremony was in Chiba City (about a 2 hour train ride from Tonosho.) We met at the Prefectural government's assembly hall and were debriefed on the day's proceedings and our duties as ambassadors. The ceremony began and we were each handed our official certificates.

Yes! Its official!

After we all received our certificates, lots of pictures were taken (Chiba-kun got the most attention) and we got some time to socialize and get to know one another. We also received a pretty cool CHI-BA+KUN ambassador pin!

This is what the pin looks like. These are made specifically for the CHI-BA+KUN ambassadors.

I really enjoyed myself at the ceremony and all the other ambassadors are extremely nice. Several countries are represented by the ambassadors including the U.S., Taiwan, South Korea, Italy, Germany, China, Mongolia and the Philippines among others. I will be blogging more about Chiba (specifically for CHI-BA+KUN ambassador) and letting everyone know all the neat places to visit and things to do in Chiba! Our first group tour as Chiba-kun ambassadors is to Choshi on June 24th. Stay tuned for the blog post!

Here's your parting shot, all 20 CHI-BA+KUN ambassadors and the governor of Chiba in the middle :)

Volunteering in Miyagi

2012-06-01T09:32:00.003+09:00

Gordon and I have been wanting to visit the Tohoku region ever since we arrived in Japan last August. We wanted the chance to help with the clean-up efforts and to see the damage firsthand. Where we live (further south) only a few roads were cracked and some roofs damaged from the earthquake, so it is difficult to imagine the extreme devastation people experienced up north.

Our friend Fumiko, who works for the Tonosho Board of Education, has volunteered 3 times in the Tohoku region and we told her we wanted to go with her the next time she went. So, this past Saturday, Gordon and I finally got the chance to volunteer in Miyagi Prefecture.

We left our apartment at 2am on Saturday morning. Fumiko drove us about 2 hours up north into Ibaraki Prefecture where we got on a bus with about 30 other volunteers. We were all on the bus and leaving Ibaraki at 4:30am. Gordon and I settled into our seats and tried to sleep. As we neared our destination, the volunteer leader told us what we'd be doing and gave us our instructions.

At a rest stop near Sendai, the epicenter of the earthquake.

Then the volunteer leader showed a film of footage from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. It was a somber reminder of why we were volunteering and made me reflect on all that the Japanese people have been through.

Around 8:50am we start driving closer to the coast toward the city of Matsushima and started to see the affects of the tsunami. There were very few trees along the coastline and only the foundations or plots of land remained where houses once stood. Every once in a while we'd pass a house or building that survived the tsunami, but was completely gutted and deserted. I just stared out the window with my mouth open. I couldn't believe I was in the same place the earthquake and tsunami destroyed a year prior.

View of the coastline. You can see where trees once stood.

Foundations where houses once stood.

Twisted and bent bridge railing.

A deserted house.

The bus arrived at the beach and we all got out and put on our boots, work gloves and hats. It was time to get down to business.

Climbing up the barrier to get to the beach.

Our job was to collect debris along the beach and separate it into burnable or nonburnable waste. One of the things the volunteer leader told us was if we found a photo to give it to her and if we find a bone, not to touch it, but to alert her so she could give it to the police. I was a little nervous after she said that, but I knew that was the unfortunate reality of the devastation and loss of life the tsunami had caused.

At first, I thought a day of volunteering here would be a sad reminder of all that happened on March 11th, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Every volunteer had a positive attitude and was happy to help cleanup. Even our trash bags had colorful drawings done by school children on them. On top of that, it was a beautiful day! All these factors combined made it hard to focus on the negative.

Gordon and Fumiko with their trash bags. Smile! :)

Gordon picking up random pieces of debris including a ball of yarn and a doll.

Picking up sticks.

All of the trash we picked up.

Gordon and I worked as a team to collect debris. We worked on a small area of the beach and combed it until we had picked up all the trash. We found bottles, bottle caps, lighters, plastic containers, string, bullet casings, jars, metal scraps, toys, a recorder, styrofoam, glass, a golf ball, pieces of fabric and tons of plastic bags. Every once in a while, Gordon and I would stop to look around at the beautiful ocean and islands in the distance. The volunteers were the only ones on the beach except for two surfers out in the water. The beach was once a popular swimming area for families but is now deserted because of the damage the tsunami caused and the debris it left behind.Gordon and I both agreed that if the tsunami hadn't happened, he and I would have definitely visited Matsushima and the beach on a trip. Hopefully the beach gets back to normal soon and people will start to return too.

Gordon and I got the chance to talk to several of the volunteers while working on the beach. We got asked many questions mainly because we were the only foreigners there. People wanted to know where we were from, how long we'd been living in Japan and what we liked about Japan. They also thanked us for being there (I have to admit, it feels strange being thanked by a fellow volunteer. I felt like I needed to thank them back!) Gordon and I found out that all the volunteers had volunteered in the Tohoku region before, many of them 3 or more times! These people are committed and dedicated!

After about 3 hours on the beach, we hopped back on the bus to eat our bento box lunches and head into town for restrooms.

Our lunch: rice, fish, squid, egg, broccoli, meatballs and spaghetti.

When we entered the downtown area of Matsushima, there were many people busy visiting all the stores, restaurants and gift shops. We got a couple minutes to wander around the gift shops and purchase a few postcards and food items. Outside one of the shops, a man and woman were grilling and selling oysters. It was great to see this area getting back to business as a popular tourist spot.

Yummy grilled oysters!

We hopped back on our bus after shopping to visit the next volunteer site.

Our next stop was a roadside flowerbed that had been planted a couple weeks prior. One part of getting Matsushima back to normal is making the area beautiful. The flowerbed had lots of weeds and grass growing in it. Our next task was to pull weeds, something Gordon and I are very skilled at.

Gordon and the other volunteers picking weeds on a steep hill.

KILL ALL THE WEEDS!

We were careful not step on any of the flowers and careful not to mistake the flowers as weeds, but I have to be honest, Gordon did have to ask me several times what was a flower and what was a weed.

"Is this a flower, Emily?"
"No. That's a weed."

*5 minutes later*

"Is this a flower?"
"Yes. The plants with flowers are flowers, not weeds."

*20 minutes later*

"GORDON! You just pulled a flower!"
"Oh crap! Seriously?!"
"Hurry, dig a hole and plant it again!"
(We quickly look around making sure nobody noticed.)

Is this a weed? :)

So, maybe we could use some more practice with weeding. At one point an older Japanese lady walked by on the sidewalk near where we were weeding. She surveyed our work, smiled, and thanked all the volunteers for being there. It was great to hear that encouragement and motivated us to keep working to make the flowerbed as clean and as beautiful as possible. After about 2 hours of weeding, it was time to call it a day and the flowerbed looked significantly better than when we first came.

Just flowers now. No weeds!

We all changed into clean clothes and hopped back on the bus to drive home. Gordon and I were sad to leave and told Fumiko we wanted to come back again. She seemed slightly surprised and asked if the work was too easy. Gordon and I laughed and told her we really enjoyed ourselves and that it felt good to be productive and finally help out after months of only seeing the damage. The volunteer company did a wonderful job of managing the trip. They made sure we took breaks to drink water and even served hot green tea on the bus. We felt well taken care of and appreciated for our efforts. It was a very humbling experience.

Being served green tea on the bus.

The number one lesson I believe Gordon and I learned from volunteering was the power of optimism, healing and the will to move on. As we were leaving, we saw a new house being built not far from the devastation. Its a sign that people want to call this place home once again and are not deterred or defeated by what happened on March 11th.

Life goes on.

Gordon and I recently found out we will have the opportunity to volunteer with Fumiko again on June 23rd. Our work is not done! :)

Tokyo with Yashiro sensei (May 10th)

2012-05-17T14:53:00.003+09:00

I will always look forward to going to Tokyo no matter how many times Gordon and I visit. It is such a fascinating city and I could live a lifetime in Tokyo and never experience all it has to offer.

I was particularly excited when I found out Gordon and I would be making a trip to Tokyo with our good friend and Gordon's coworker, Yashiro.

The past three times I've gone to Tokyo have been with Gordon and we've just used the internet and word of mouth to explore different places and areas. This time we would have a seasoned Japanese local to show us a glimpse of Tokyo! Gordon and I basically sat back and let Yashiro be our tour guide.

We started off the day early. We arrived at Yashiro's house a little after 9 am and he drove us into Tokyo. From Yashiro's house it only took us 1 hour. Not bad!

Our first stop in Tokyo was at Yashiro's cousin's apartment. Yashiro's cousin, "Ma chan" we were told to call him, is a Japanese history teacher in his mid 30's. Ma chan is definitely living the bachelor's life and has a beautiful apartment on the 38th floor in the Shinonome area (east Tokyo). We got to see the amazing view he experiences everyday which includes Tokyo Bay and Tokyo Tower.

Nice view of Tokyo. That would never get old.

After we took a gazillion pictures, we all sat down to have some coffee and cake (TEA TIME!) We talked about teaching, life in Japan, Gordon's job and learning English. Ma chan knows only basic English, so Yashiro was there to help translate.

After tea time, we went up to the roof on the 42nd floor and got an even better view of the city. It didn't hurt that it was a beautiful day out and around 70 degrees. Perfect weather.

Peace.

Yashiro, Gordon and Ma chan.

Our next stop in Tokyo was the Edo-Tokyo Museum, where we got to learn about the history of Tokyo from past to present.

Edo-Tokyo Museum.

We watched a show with traditional Japanese instruments.

Greetings from the past!

I was tired of walking, so Gordon gave me a lift.

We were all starving by the time we were done at the museum. Yashiro wanted to take Gordon and I to an area of Tokyo know for okinomiyaki (okinomi means "whatever you like/want" yaki means "grilled"). Okinomiyaki is essentially a pancake filled with whatever ingredients you want, but it normally always contains shredded cabbage and tiny, pink, sakura shrimp. I love okinomiyaki, particularly when it has mochi or kimchi in it!

Along the way to the restaurant, we went down all these neat, quiet little side streets with beautiful flowers and plants.

Quaint.

So pretty.

Oh, and we saw a man walking his turtle. No big deal.

Turns out that this man owns a restaurant on the street and occasionally walks his turtle. The turtle is from Africa.

We finally arrived at a street that stretched for two blocks and consisted entirely of okinomiyaki restaurants. The smell was heavenly. We selected a restaurant that Yashiro and Ma chan suggested and ordered all-you-can-eat okinomiyaki and soft drinks for 70 minutes (only 1,800 yen... about $20! Cheap!). Have I died and gone to heaven?! Yes. Okinomiyaki heaven.

What's that I hear? Ah, yes, a chorus of angels!

Los tres amigos. San tomodachi. The three musketeers.

The meal would have been perfect, except they kept putting the little pink shrimps (baybee skrimps, as I like to call them) into the okinomiyaki mix. The shrimp give the okinomiyaki a peculiar shrimpy taste that I'd rather do without. Luckily, Gordon and I finally got them to omit the shrimps on the last order of okinomiyaki. We also ordered yakisoba (fried noodles) that were delicious!

Ma chan and Yashiro. Yashiro was the master chef. Here he is cooking yakisoba.

Looking at this makes me hungry!

Gordon digging into the monja... like okinomiyaki, but made from wheat flour.

After we stuffed ourselves to the max, taking full advantage of all-you-can-eat, we went to a nearby mall. We walked around the mall and went to the book store so Gordon could get an English magazine (a luxury we can only find in Tokyo). The mall was big and had many interesting shops. We then went to the Starbucks in the mall and went outside to sit and enjoy our drinks. The temperature was just right and the view of the sun setting was beautiful.

Gordon and I relaxing with our Starbucks.

Yashiro and Ma chan. Yashiro loves sweets (particularly whipped cream) and ordered a strawberry frap.

And here is your parting shot...

I can't help it. I think he is so cute! (the turtle, that is)

Kimono

2012-04-26T13:21:00.002+09:00

A couple months ago, I had the chance to try on a kimono (traditional Japanese dress). My friend Mikyo offered to help me put one of her kimonos on and I jumped at the opportunity.

Every once in a while I will see a woman wearing a kimono. I always stare when I do because I think they are so pretty and women in kimonos carry themselves a certain way. It almost makes me feel like I'm in ancient Japan.

Nowadays, women only wear kimonos on special occasions such as New Years, 20th birthday and graduations. Kimonos are seen as a very traditional and formal attire.

Beautiful white kimono worn by a bride for her wedding. The white headpiece is also for the wedding. Notice all the layers of fabric?!

Gordon and I went over to Mikyo-san's house on the weekend to eat lunch and so I could try on a kimono. Putting on a kimono is quite a process and many people cannot do it on their own. It is an intricate system of wrapping and tying and you have to know the process in order to do it correctly. The end result left me feeling like a big birthday present.

First, I put on a thin white undergarment that wrapped around me like a robe. On top of that, Mikyo wrapped a thicker, more formal looking light pink robe around me. Before the final dark pink, silk robe was put on, Mikyo tied a bundle of fabric, like a pillow, onto my back (I guess to give me junk in the trunk?)

Mikyo wrapping me in the final robe.

At this point I'm thinking... that's not too bad! I could easily do this at home! In fact, I wrap a robe around me every time I get out of the shower! Well, Mikyo wasn't done. She then proceeded to get the outer robe to the correct length so it would hit right at my ankles.

Mikyo's daughter was busy taking pictures of the funny foreigner posing as Japanese.

Next, Mikyo used pieces of fabric as ropes to tie me into place.

Man, I really need to cut back on the rice!

More ropes and lots of adjusting and then Mikyo brought out the obi. The obi is one of the most expensive pieces on a kimono and one of the prettiest. Its made out of silk and normally has a beautiful design and color. The obi is the like the bow on top of a present.

The obi. It is actually quite long and gets wrapped around the waist and tied into a big bow in the back.

Tying the obi.

Almost finished. Those ties are holding everything in place. I can't breath.

After some last minute adjusting, Mikyo removed the fabric ties and tied a beautiful silk rope around my waist.

Finished product. Mikyo was very humble about her skill of putting on the kimono.

Now it was time to eat lunch! I think Mikyo wanted me to experience the grace and posture that comes with wearing a kimono, so she challenged me to eat lunch while wearing it, all the while being careful not to get food or drink on it. Challenge accepted!

I had to sit in a chair instead of on the floor. It was impossible for me to bend my back.

Gordon got to sit back and relax and pet Seasame. I had to stay away from cat hair and claws.

The enemy.

We ate delicious pizza Mikyo made from scratch.

Yoko-san and Akemi-san came to visit as soon as they heard I'd be attempting to wear a kimono.

Well, I survived lunch, but it was not easy. Wearing a kimono is work! But it did make me feel special wearing such a beautiful and traditional piece of clothing. Before Mikyo helped me take the kimono off, she let me try on a hakama which is like a pants skirt with a hole for each leg. Hakama are normally worn by students for graduation and are much easier to move around in.

I felt like I could potentially run in this if I had to.

I would really like to purchase a kimono while in Japan, but unfortunately, they aren't cheap. The average kimono (with all the trimmings) costs around $1,000. Plus I'm not sure I would even get a chance to wear it out. I guess I could just wear it around the house... hmm... maybe I do need a kimono :)

And here's your parting shot...

Gordon and I ready to go out on the town! I'm sporting zori, very small, high heeled flipflops.

I stumbled upon this article on kimonos. It was written a while ago, but still contains interesting information about kimonos.

http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/29/travel/all-about-japanese-kimonos.html?pagewanted=all

Exploring Chiba Prefecture/Golden Week

2012-04-20T15:38:00.001+09:00

The first week of May is Golden Week in Japan. Golden Week is a culmination of several holidays including the Emperor's birthday, Showa Day and Constitution Memorial Day, among others.

Students and teachers have off and get a nice vacation. Gordon and I have been trying to decide what we will do with this glorious week of freedom.

Ever since Gordon and I arrived in Japan, we've been trying to make the most of our free time and explore as much of Japan as possible, in particular, our prefecture, Chiba.

So far we've been to several cities in Chiba such as: Chiba City, Sakura, Katori City, Sawara, Choshi, Asahi, Narita and Makuhari, but that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface.

There are many more cities to explore in Chiba and so much to do. Gordon and I still have to make it down to the southern end of Chiba (I heard there are excellent beaches!)

For those of you who don't know about Chiba, or even where it is, here's a short introduction...

There's Chiba!

This is Chiba's mascot, Chiba-kun. Notice the shape?

Is he a dog or a bear? I'm not sure, but I think he's cute.

Gordon and I both wore a Chiba-kun pin for the Tokyo Marathon to show our Chiba pride!

Chiba-kun is running through the white tape at the finish line.

Chiba-kun close-up.

Chiba is also known for its peanuts. I can easily find peanuts anywhere, including many types of sweets!

Peanuts.

That's Chiba in a nut shell. No pun intended. Wherever Gordon and I decide to go in Chiba, I'll be sure to let you know :)

We're still here!

2012-04-19T14:31:00.001+09:00

So, I haven't written a blog post in a while. I'm sorry. Its not that Gordon and I have been busy, its just that I've been lazy. The longer time went on, the lazier I got about blogging. But that changes today.

To catch you up on whats been going on the last... uh, 5 months... I will give you the short and sweet highlights...

Gordon and I went to Okinawa.

We went to Okinawa with our social group, Aomugurikai, from Town Hall

We ran the Tokyo Marathon.

Actual time: 5 hours and 30 minutes.

And we went to Sapporo, Hokkaido.

With the 3rd grade teachers from Tohnosho Junior High.

Those are the highlights. I'll spare you the boring, mundane details of the everyday. Gordon and I are still like kids in a candy store here in Japan. Every experience seems like a great adventure and we have decided to stay in Japan another year! :)

I promise to blog soon about our next adventure.

Takoyaki

2011-12-01T09:06:00.001+09:00

(tako = octopus, yaki = grilled)

There's a takoyaki truck that drives around Tonosho about once a week. It reminds me of an ice cream truck because music blares from its speakers and people come running up to it to get their takoyaki fix.

Takoyaki are round balls of batter with a piece of octopus in the middle (like an octopus dumpling surprise). They are cooked in a special griddle with round depressions. Monday I ate lunch with some friends and we made takoyaki and it was delicious!

Takoyaki grills!

We made takoyaki at Naoko-san's house. Here she is ladling the batter onto the grills.

Niko-chan watching her mother put octopus pieces into each takoyaki.

Niko-chan, Ayano and Naoko putting green onion and pickled ginger into the batter.

More batter goes on top.

Naomi, Niko, Cino and Miki checking on the progress of the takoyaki.

Me getting in on the takoyaki action. Turning the dumplings over was actually fun and easier than it looked.

Naomi cooking away.

Our finished meal. Naoko also made delicious pad thai!

Now I want a takoyaki grill so I can have a takoyaki party. I figured I could also use it to make cute little pancakes! For those of you who want to make takoyaki at home, I found a fun video teaching you how...

What's for lunch?

2011-12-01T09:01:00.001+09:00

Here's what Gordon had for lunch on 11/29 and 11/30...

Rice, mixed veggies with pork, tuna, bean sprouts and cabbage, grape jelly and milk.

Fried chicken, rice, pickled vegetables, seafood curry, cherry jelly and milk.

Kojurin Marathon

2011-11-27T20:49:00.001+09:00

Gordon and I ran the Kojurin marathon today. Marathon being a deceptive word since, technically, Gordon ran a 5k (3.1 miles) and I ran a 3k (1.8 miles). Kojurin is the mascot of Tonosho. He's a bird, with a red cap and running sneakers.

Isn't he cute?! (his name is pronounced Ko-jur-een)

This is the actual bird, a kojurin, that you can see all over Tonosho.

We arrived at the site of the race around 8:20 am and checked-in. Several of Gordon's students were there along with their families. Basically, most of Tonosho showed up at the race. There were a couple different races. A 1k for small children, a 2k for the older kids, a 3k for women, 2k for families and a 5k for men. My race didn't start until 10:05 and Gordon didn't have to run until 10:40, so we got to observe all the race day activities.

Kojurin being mobbed by overeager kids.

Gordon sporting number 54 and representing UT. Hook'em!

First wave of runners. Those kids were fast! Notice that the race course was next to rice paddies...gotta love Tonosho!

Gordon and I watched as the kids ran their races and I started to get nervous as the time for my race approached. I don't like running short distances because I don't like running fast. I get tired. I'd rather keep a slow and steady pace and run 200 miles than run 1 or 2 miles very fast. O.k., I'm exaggerating, but I was not looking forward to running. Finally, 10:00 rolled around and I got into starting position.

Stretching.

Nervous adjusting of running shirt. See my competition? Junior high school runners!?


And we're off!

1.8 miles later...

And we're back!

Long story short, several girls finished ahead of me, but it turns out they weren't in my age group. Little did I know, I wasn't competing against the junior high schoolers...AND...I got first place in my age group!

How many people were in my age group you ask?

Is that really important?

Does that REALLY matter?

Alright, there were only four other women in my age group and I was the youngest.

Anyway, Gordon's race was coming up so I took up my position as photographer and his personal cheer section.

Gordon talking up the competition. Being charismatic as usual.

I imagine he's probably deflecting a compliment given by one of his students. He's so modest.

There they go!

Gordon approaching the finish line. Everyone was shouting "Ganbare!" (Hang in there!).

After the race, Gordon was approached by several of his admirers.

Cutest. Picture. Ever.

Gordon and I joked that we should make this the Christmas card photo of "our family". The young boy is Kei, a student at Tachibana Elementary. Gordon's holding his time sheet, 26 minutes and 38 seconds! Awesome!

Gordon and I had an amazing time at the race. My favorite part was seeing everyone from around Tonosho and getting to see Gordon interact with his students outside of school. I was reminded of how truly blessed we are to be surrounded by such wonderful people and to enjoy each others company in the spirit of competition.

On a side note, Gordon and I had a lot of time to kill before we had to run, so I sneaked this video of Gordon being his goofy self. Please don't be mad, Gordon :)

Mochi at Tachibana Elementary

2011-11-26T18:58:00.001+09:00

Today Gordon and I got to experience mochi at Tachibana Elementary school. Mochi is a japanese rice cake that's made by pounding rice into a paste and then molding it (normally into small balls or dumpling shapes).

Gordon's last day at Tachibana was on Friday, November 25th. He's going to miss teaching the kids there. I got to go with him several times to watch him teach and the kids were always excited to see him.

Gordon with his students

Luckily, Gordon and I were invited to the mochi festival at Tachibana today, so Gordon got to see all of his students again. There were several kinds of mochi at the festival:

Regular/plain mochi.

Anko mochi (bean jam rice cake).


Kinako mochi (soybean flour rice cake).

Karami mochi (grated radish rice cake).

Zoni (rice cake in soup).

Unfortunately, we didn't come early enough to see the mochi being made, but we did get to eat it!

Students and their families sitting down to eat mochi in the gym at Tachibana.

Gordon eating zoni.

Gordon coming back after a second helping of zoni.

Gordon eating plain mochi.

Yummy soup.

Happy after a good meal of mochi.

Full and satisfied!

A Japanese Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T18:12:00.001+09:00

Thanksgiving this year was a little nontraditional. Nontraditional in the fact that it was my first Thanksgiving away from family and I was spending it in Japan. Thanksgiving kind of sneaked up on Gordon and I. There were no fat, Butterball turkeys at the grocery store or decorations of cornucopias to remind us it was the season. And even though the day before, November 23rd, was a national holiday in Japan (Labor Day and Thanksgiving Day) they only treated it like another day off and not an excuse to eat too much food.

So that left me contemplating what to make for Thanksgiving dinner so that it would actually feel like Thanksgiving. Our first course (appetizer) was guacamole, per Gordon's request.

Hogging the bowl.

Then I decided to make mashed potatoes (anyone who knows Gordon, knows he loves mashed potatoes) macaroni and cheese, dressing, green beans and Subu's Mexican chicken. This seems like a pretty conservative and modest Thanksgiving meal, but you need to consider the fact that I am working with a toaster oven. Yes, I don't actually have a real oven, just an easy bake that's pretending to be one.

This is what I have to work with. I'm not complaining, in fact I'm very THANKful (like that?) I even have a toaster oven.

Peeling potatoes.

The food turned out better than I anticipated, meaning it was edible, and it actually felt like Thanksgiving.

Helping myself to some macaroni and cheese and to the right is dressing.

Let's eat!

After dinner, Gordon and I played a game of scrabble and set up our Christmas decorations. Gordon was hesitant to put up Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving was even over, but I didn't want Christmas to sneak up on us. It took us a whole 5 minutes to finish (we don't have many Christmas decorations).

Scrabble time.

Gordon "fluffing" the tree. Its going to be a Charlie Brown Christmas ya'll.

Gordon being a ham. He decided to add his special touch and throw the last two ribbons on the tree and declare Christmas decorating "Done!"

The finished product. Gordon told me it was probably not a good idea to light the Christmas tree candles underneath the tree... thank you for the advice. (Notice the beautiful Thanksgiving card from our friends back home, the Hogues).

This was our Thanksgiving Day surprise, a box full of goodies from Gordon's parents!

What's for lunch?

2011-11-25T18:11:00.001+09:00

Here's what Gordon had for lunch on 11/24 and 11/25...

Rice, fried fish, konnyaku (potato jelly) with green beans and root vegetables,Vienna sausages, and milk.

Bread, an orange slice, corn and spinach, hamburg, milk and clam chowder soup.