Congrats to Frank Lamb

Glad my post helped you in your climb - Congrats to you on completing your climb of Fuji-san - It's an experience I'm sure you will never forget!

TexZen: Where East Meets West: Check out this wedding cake

Political Earthquake Hits Japan

This is not my story but Newt gives a good summary of what has happened in Japan in the last week....

Witnessing History in Asia
by Newt Gingrich

In Japan ... a political earthquake. Frustrated Japanese voters tossed out the party that has ruled that country virtually uninterrupted for the past half century.

After 54 years in which the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) was in power for all but one 11-month period in the early 1990s, the combination of economic decay and corruption finally forced enough people to abandon the LDP to form the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) as a serious broad-based competitor.

In this election, the public was clearly eager to send a resounding signal of rejection to the entrenched LDP machine. But the final results were a bigger defeat for the LDP than anticipated.

When all the votes were counted, the DPJ and its allies had a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Japanese parliament. This will give them the opportunity to pass major changes.

There are two challenges facing the newly empowered Democratic Party of Japan, however.

The first challenge is the degree to which the DPJ is really an anti-LDP coalition. The head of the DPJ, for instance, is a grandson of the co-founder of the LDP. It’s not clear yet if the DPJ has a stable majority to implement its agenda.

The second challenge facing the new ruling party in Japan is one we also face here in the United States.

The great stabilizing force in Japanese government has been the permanent bureaucracy. Much like Sacramento, Albany, and Trenton, the key Japanese interest groups and the permanent Japanese bureaucracy combine to overwhelm the popular will as expressed through elected officials.

The LDP clearly failed to reform the bureaucracy. It will be fascinating to watch the DPJ undertake this project of institutional reform.

If they can, we may learn some lessons that can be applied to our local, state and federal government bureaucracies.

No one knows yet how this election will influence Japanese-American ties. The more likely a DPJ victory became, the more their leadership emphasized continuity and cooperation with the United States. Time will tell.

Tokyo's Narita airport installed a device to test the temperatures of passengers arriving from Mexico.

Dear Readers:

I am temporarily sidelined in the USA. At least I'm not quarantined somewhere. I have come down with a virus and decided not to return to Japan until I am symptom free. With the recent surge in swine-flu cases, I'd rather not take a chance...

Coughingly yours...

What Forest Gump Should Have Said: Life is Like a Cherry Blossom

Sakura, the cherry blossom, the elemental symbol of the ephemeral nature of existence... With the appearance of these flowers, the routine of all Japan comes to a halt. In every neighborhood and park one will find the Japanese sitting under these trees...eating and drinking throughout the day and late into the evening...There are lanterns strung in the branches ...and at night the blossoms glow as they reflect the light. Salary men, in their black suits and ties, and office ladies, in their skirts, enjoy picnics on blue plastic mats. The elderly, from nursing homes, are wheeled out to lunch under the cherry trees. Families and couples gather in large and small groups, to laugh and talk...As the days progress, the flowers begin to fall like snow. Children scoop up piles of the fallen petals and chase each other through the park, throwing handfuls into the air. When the wind catches the flowers, there is a snowstorm of Sakura...better than a New York City confetti parade. As I watch the petals blow high into the air, I think these pink blooms must travel round the world, to land who knows where.

Yes, life is like a cherry blossom. One day we're young and beautiful and strong. The next day we look in the mirror and say...where did that person go? Take heed and savor whatever the season of your life. Forest Gump would have appreciated the cherry blossom.

Sakura: Japanese Folk Song Celebrating the Cherry Blossom

Click on the youtube link for song and photos....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKTRnO7SV68

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
On Meadow-hills and mountains
As far as you can see.
Is it a mist, or clouds?
Fragrant in the morning sun.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Flowers in full bloom.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Across the Spring sky,
As far as you can see.
Is it a mist, or clouds?
Fragrant in the air.
Come now, come,
Let’s look, at last!

Calpis and Pocari Sweat: Not what they sound like, thank goodness

Automatic beverage machines are everywhere in Japan. In every machine, can be found two very popular drinks - Calpis and Pocari Sweat. Yes, I know what tastes those names conjure. Forget the names when you're drinking them and you'll be OK. Calpis does come from a cow so your first guess is sort of close. Calpis tastes like a watered down, sweetened milk product - or at least that's my best guess. Pocari Sweat is not sweat in a bottle. It seems to be an electrolyte drink for when you sweat.

If those two beverages do not appeal to you, there's the ubiquitous drink of the world, Coca Cola. I have even found some machines that carry Dr. Pepper, that favorite soft drink of Texans. The Dr. Pepper can has some very wild manga on it though. One looks like a giant monster eyeball. The other is a very curvaceous animae space woman. Nothing at all like the dull Dr. Pepper cans back home.

These machines are giving Starbucks a run for the money. You can find all sorts of cold and hot, coffee and tea in these machines. The hot drinks have a red bar under the label and the cold drinks have a blue bar. There are just about as many choices as a coffee shop for all you espresso lovers. One of the most popular is called Georgia Coffee. Do coffee beans grow in Georgia? Has global warming changed Georgia into the tropics while I've been in Japan? My best guess is that it's made by Coca Cola in Georgia? Another brand is Boss Coffee. The spokesman of Boss coffee is the American film star, Tommy Lee Jones. He is the Coffee Boss. I think it must be his drivers license picture that is all over these machines. Either that or he has not had his morning cup of Boss coffee yet. I love Tommy Lee Jones. He looks so real.

North Korean Launches Rocket Over Japan

TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea launched a long-range rocket over Japan on Sunday, drawing swift international condemnation and triggering an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

The reclusive state's official media said a satellite had been successfully launched and was sent into regular orbit.

U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement that North Korea, which tested a nuclear device in 2006, had violated U.N. resolutions and increased its own isolation with what analysts believe was effectively a test of a ballistic missile designed to carry a warhead potentially as far as Alaska.

Sitting around waiting to see if the North Koreans "accidently" launch their missle over Japan

I'll keep you updated....

Looking for Japanese Guys? Try the Electronics District... Or, have you always dreamed of wearing a maid's costume and waiting on nerds in a cafe?.

If you have trouble controling your husband's TV remote control clicking, stay away from Akihabara. Every conceivable electronic device known to man can be found within a few square blocks. And, when the shopper gets tired of electronics, he can play video games at Sega world. It's loud and obnoxious here, with the sound from the games spilling out into the street. The Akihabara electronics district, or Akiba for short, is a guy's idea of heaven, especially if he's an Otaku. According to Wikipedia, Otaku is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga, and video games.

After one is finished with electronics shopping and tried all the video games, the next stop would be to buy manga, which are Japanese comics. These are more like little paperback books. I recently became obsessed with Japanese manga myself, but only because I went to see the movie "Dragonballs" which is based on the best selling manga of all time. The hero, Goku, is a cross between Karate Kid and Superman. It had the usual high school bully fight scene. Of course, Goku can't defend himself because his Japanese grandfather will not allow him to use his special fighting skills for just any old thing. I especially enjoyed the movie's glimpse into Japanese pop culture and fashion. If you go to see it, note Goku's hair that sticks straight up, in the popular young, Japanese guy hair-do.

But back to the manga store. There are manga for everyone but it seemed to me that these stores carried mainly "guy" manga. Unfortunately, while I was wandering around, lost in the six floors of Comic Toranoama, my lack of ability to read Japanese Kanji got me into trouble once again. I suddenly looked up and realized that I was the only woman, dressed in pink of course, in a labyrinth of comics... and surrounded by guys in black...black being the favorite fashion color in Tokyo. Opps, somehow, I wandered into the "X" rated comic book section. My main concern was how to squeeze through the narrow isles, between and around all these guys, without laughing hysterically at my predicament. The Japanese are soooo polite that they will pretend they don't see a person doing something silly, but of course they see EVERYTHING. Whew!!!! Made it out of there....

Next stop, the Maid Cafes. The Maid Cafes are conveniently located in the electronics district. Who is more in need of a Maid than a guy who's worn out from playing video games and trying out cool technology? The very cute Maids are decked out in very cute and authentic maid costumes. Some of the Maid Cafes even have video games and will play video games with their customers. What did I say? Sounds like guy heaven to me.

There was one other interesting cafe that I came across. It was a Cat Cafe. For 800Yen (about $9.00 US)a person can hold a cat for half an hour. This is probably where the guys leave their girlfriends and wives while they shop for electronics and manga. There were even photos of the cats that you could choose to hold.

Akihabara carries another very important product of the Japanese subculture...Animae Cosplay costumes...animae stands for animation as in Japanese animated films, video games, or manga ....cosplay is short for costume play... The stores here specialize in reproducing entire costumes so that people can dress up and pretend they are their favorite characters. You'll see a lot of these cosplay folks hanging around the parks near Harajuku Station. Obviously, these are serious Otaku.

The final purchase one needs to make at Akihabara is a plastic figurine of one's favoite animae, manga, robotic, or video characters. Some of these are huge and quite expensive. I'm trying to figure out where people keep gigantic robots or monsters in their small apartments... I even found one place that sell what look like naked Barbie dolls without their heads. That way a collector can choose the head and the hair that fit the particular character they want to display. Also, just like Barbie dolls, there are entire wardrobes for these dolls, all based upon what they wear in their movie or manga.

I certainly felt plain Jane in my black pants and pink top. I really should have bought one of those blue wigs...If you're a mom like me, you'd skip the Maid costume though. I'm trying to hide out from those Maid duties these days.

The Octagonal Fish Dinner: The fish was octagonal, not the plate

Yes, fact is stranger than fiction. There is actually a fish that has 8 sides to it.

Last week, Greg and I decided to eat at our favorite Japanese "French" restaurant, Lapin D'or, which means The Gold Rabbit. For some reason, the rabbit is a popular symbol in Japan. Rabbit or no rabbit, the food is excellent! Anyway, the restaurant is down a funny little pedestrian street and always an interesting walk to get there. The restaurant is run by the chef, Koshimizu, and his waiter, Ito. They are definitely a comedic duo, with Koshimizu having all the straight lines. Their taste in music leans toward jazz ... makes a person want to sit there and drink wine for hours...guess that's the point.

Every meal is different. Koshimizu has a little black chalk board with the menu for that evening, all in Japanese of course, so we never quite know what we're going to eat. Our favorite salad is the "Greg" salad...that's how often we eat there.

Koshimizu usually surprises us with something interesting. This evening, it was the eight sided fish. It was long and thin and covered with very hard and sharp spines. The head was still on and the eyes were bulging out at us saying..."how could you!" We were stumped as to how to eat the thing. Koshimizu came to the rescue. If you turn the fish over, there is a line down the belly of the fish where the spines end. You simply slice down the line and pull the spines apart. Inside is a very delicate and tasty white fish. It takes about four fish to get a serving though. It's a pretty skinny fish.

For dessert, Koshimizu's wife had baked a homemade chocolate cake. I thought homemade cake was extinct....

Some days, I think all people do in Japan is eat. I have found that a lovely dinner or afternoon tea is an important part of the Japanese culture and now it is part of my culture. I think it is because most people are living in such small spaces. Restaurants, cafes, coffee shops - all offer a way out of the isolation of the tiny apartments.

Japanese Foods of the Week: Eggs, Waffles, Banana Flips, and Strawberry Shortcake

When I came to Japan, I expected rice and sushi. I never expected eggs everywhere. Every Japanese restaurant has some version of the plain, old egg. You will find a soft boiled egg on a salad, a raw egg in a bowl to pour over your hot rice or noodles, or an over-easy fried egg plopped down on top of almost anything. At first I was a little afraid to eat them. Sometimes they are not refrigerated and the yolks are a bright orange. What I have discovered is that they are absolutely delicious. I'm assuming these are what farm-fresh eggs really taste like. In the grocery stores there are also various eggs besides chicken eggs to choose from - there are tiny spotted eggs, bright red eggs, pre-cooked eggs, and so forth. The pre-cooked eggs were a surprise for me. I thought I had a regular egg. I tried to crack one open and an entire soft-boiled egg fell out.

Waffles were another surprise. You can go into any grocery store or 7/11 and find waffles where we have the Twinkies and bakery goods. There are various flavors - chocolate waffles, waffles with a sticky honey glaze and so forth. Move over Twinkies!

The talk of Twinkies brings us to our next vintage food...the Banana Flip. I don't know whether we got the Banana Flip from the Japanese or whether they got it from the American GI's after WWII. All I can say is this. Their Banana Flip wins, hands down. The Banana Flip in the USA used to sit right next to the above mentioned Twinkies in our grocery stores. The Japanese Banana Flip sits in the refrigerated case with all sorts of rich pastries. Their Banana Flip is made of a round slice of sponge cake which is rolled around an actual banana - sort of like a banana in a tortilla made of cake. The cake and the banana are held together with real whipped cream. No cool whip here. Time to bring back the original Banana Flip...

And last, but not least, this has to be the favorite dessert in all of Japan...the strawberry shortcake. These beautiful little cakes are everywhere...and once again, they all have the rich taste of a dessert that has been made with love from the finest ingredients...no hydrogenated fats here and the strawberries in Japan are famous for their flavor.

When I get tired of eating unknown food, I just order dessert...Yum, yum, yum.

The Free Store...Or what to do with your "trash n' stuff"

When a person lives in a high rise apartment, no matter how small it is, one still piles up "trash n' stuff." In fact when living in such a small space, the "trash n'stuff" seems to grow like an invasion of horrible, reeking giant mushrooms that spring up overnight...but no, those are not mushrooms...upon closer inspection it appears that they are white plastic bags full of trash for recycling.

Each apartment has "the trash room." This is where you bring your "trash n' stuff." There are elaborate posters detailing the proper method for recycling the garbage. Of course for us foreigners, it's always a big guess as to what those posters mean. Apparently, there is a common complaint in Japanese apartments regarding foreigners who don't sort the trash properly. No matter how hard we try, we can never get the right stuff in the right bucket.

We have lived in two apartments now and I can see that apartment managers have their own quirks when it comes to sorting trash. In my current apartment, Suzuki-san wants the tabs on drink cans pulled off and put into a little jar. In the last apartment, Shimizu-san wanted something else...but I could never read the sign, so I don't know what that something else was...Fortunately, they have both been very nice folks and are quite forgiving about our inability to sort out the complexities of sorting out the trash.

There is one great thing about Japanese recycling procedures...and that is THE FREE STORE !!! At least that's what we foreigners have named it. Japanese people always seem to be moving. Whenever they switch apartments, the furniture often does not fit the configuration of the new rooms.... soooooo...entire contents of an apartment might show up in the recycle area. Too bad I don't surf. There was a great surf board in the free store for months.

The other thing about Japanese apartments is that you may never hear or see your neighbors. It is hard to believe that I am living in a city of MILLIONS. These people are very, very quiet. Either that or their construction is really soundproof. Sometimes I feel like I am in one of those Twilight Zone episodes where the entire population of Tokyo has been evacuated...except that they forgot to tell me about it...so I'm the only person left in this huge high rise. I haven't even see one ant or bug or spider. I guess 12 floors up is just too high for a bug to climb.

There was one instance when we were tempted to knock on someone's door. We noticed an unsavory odor coming from an apartment near the elevator. In our minds we ticked off the possibilities....maybe they left town and forgot to take out the trash - well, when they return, they'll have to take it out because the smell will knock them over....or maybe they left town and their little doggy died - well if so, it's already dead and when they return, they'll have to deal with it....or maybe the neighbor died...I know that sounds awful, but if we are going through the entire checklist of possibilities, we have to include that one - well, if they're dead, we can't help them - so, our rationale was, if the smell gets worse after two days, we'd better call someone....of course we don't know who that someone is supposed to be. We haven't figured that out yet. We just know that for an emergency, we press the button in our apartment that looks like a campfire... or dial 119.

OK, All You Rude People Out There, Pay Attention: Or The Most Important Socio-Economic & Political Movement of the Century

Today I was walking on the sidewalk that goes through the park. A group of 9 and 10 year old boys, in their jogging suits and baseball caps, were running toward me. It looked as though they were warming up for a baseball game. There was no room for them to pass on the narrow sidewalk, so I stepped aside. The boys proceeded to ALL tip their baseball caps to me and say "arrigato," which means, thank you. When was the last time anyone "tipped" their hat to me....Uh...never. Let me remind my readers that there was NO adult there to tell them to be polite...

When I moved to Tokyo, I did not expect a "peaceful" lifestyle. I expected horns honking, music booming, people using expletives in other languages. Instead, I have a very "peaceful" existence. When I come home to my little abode, the lobby and elebator (that's Japanese for elevator)are filled with wonderfully soothing music. There is generally no eye contact on the sidewalks; but, if I have occasion to ask someone a question, folks go out of their way to help. I have had people miss their train while trying to get me to my train. I have often been bumped by these very crazy looking Japanese guys...weird clothes combinations and hair sticking up everywhere, as only the great Japanese guy hair can. It is always surprising when these fellows look at me, bow and say, sorry.

A lot of very smart people have all sorts of theories about how to reform society and politics? My answer is MANNERS. Do you want to save crumbling marriages and families? The answer is MANNERS. Do you want to improve classrooms and wipe out gang behavior? MANNERS....Do you want the Democrats and Republicans in the Congress and Senate to get something accomplished? MANNERS !!!!!

There are things the Japanese could learn from us but this is one thing we need to learn from them. Manners are the oil that makes human interaction productive and pleasant. So, to put that in plain English, you @$#!X*<#! get some manners!

COMMENTS:

Anonymous said...
Manners huh? Tell that to the poor Horn Frog in the Horn Frog juice bottle!!

-Texas Horn Frog hugger

March 16, 2009 9:26 PM


laur0902 said...
I REALLY,REALLY like your posting with regard to manners...
It seems so simple - too good to be true, and yet....
Thanks!!

March 30, 2009 2:11 PM

Train Station Song Bank - As seen on howtogetevenwithirritatingpeople.com

The perfect Japanese souvenir to buy for the 9 year old child of your worst enemy is the train bank that plays all the songs from the Japanese Yamanote railway line....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_jk8jsHkYc


It plays them over and over and over and over....

White Day: The Valentine's Day Pay-back

On March 14, Japan celebrates White Day. White Day is the "pay-back" day for any guys who received chocolate or other gifts on Valentine's ....This is because, in Japan, Valentines is only observed by women.

There are two types of gifts given out by women on Valentine's Day:

1. Giri Choco, which is an obligatory gift for bosses and co-workers, or male friends. Women may have to buy 20 or 30 of these small boxes of candy. Fortunately, they are quite affordable. You can get a wonderful chocolate gift for only a few dollars.

2. Honmei Choco, which is the chocolate of love. This is often hand-made or more elaborate and given to the boyfriend or husband.

These chocolates put the American Valentine's candy makers to shame. Both the candy and the packaging are absolutely beautiful! They are works of art and taste fabulous. And the variety is endless.

I almost forgot to tell my dear readers "WHY" this is called White Day. I was told that initially white marshmallow candy was given as a gift. Sounds like as good a reason as any.

White Day is also celebrated in Korea where Black Day has been invented for those single folks that don't have someone to celebrate White Day with ... Black Day sounds pretty mornful but it was actually given that name because these singles go out in groups and eat together. They have white noodles with black bean sauce, thus Black Day.

In Japan, gifts are a very important part of the culture. When someone gives you a gift, it "obliges" the receiver to reciprocate. And the return gift has to be "sanbai gaeshi" which means "thrice the return." What that means is that those poor guys that got some chocolates have to come up with a better gift on White Day than they received on Valentine's....and it should be about three times more expensive. I'm thinking of giving Greg a $15,000 box of bon bons. I've got my eye on a new car...

Sounds of Tokyo...The Doo Dah Station

As mentioned previously, each train/subway station has it's own "song." That makes it easy to know where you are, even when you can't read the signs. I've just discovered the song at Tachiaigawa Station....It's the old Southern classic, Camp Town Race Track.

Camp Town Race Track five miles long....Doo Dah...Doo Dah
Camp Town Race Track five miles long...All the Doo Dah day...

Gonna run all night, gonna run all day
I bet my money on the bob tail nag, somebody bet on the bay

This is so weird...I never ever expected to be in Japan and have the "Doo Dah" song stuck in my head all day..... Help, Help !!!!

New Apartment Technology or Cookin' with Magnets....Could this replace Dr. Phil?

I spent the first week in my apartment in the usual way...Unable to work the Japanese buttons that control everything...

...I was unable to figure out how to turn the heat on so I had to pile on the blankets and wear a bunch of clothes to bed.

...Then I had to figure out the doo-dads on my new toilet...Wow, this one has a nice warm "wind" to dry off your backside...

...The cooktop was the real mystery though...It is one of those flat surfaces that, one assumes, has an electrical coil built in. I was able to get a light to turn on, but when I would put my hand over the cooking area, it would never heat up. I became convinced that, because this is a new apartment building, the electrics needed to be connected. Finally, I talked our apartment locator, Tavis, into dropping by - so that he could translate for me and tell our apartment manager to send a repairman. When Tavis showed up, he examined it. Apparently, my cooktop is "magnetic."

This is the ultimate in yin/yang technology. What it means is that it ONLY heats up when the proper pan is put on top of the cooking area ...and actually, it is ONLY the pan that heats up. (Too bad they can't figure out a way to adapt this technology to the human relationship. Can you imagine husbands and wives only heating up when they comes into contact with each other? Of course that might mean no more Dr. Phil and a lot more boring daytime television.)

But, back to the "magnetic" cooktop. The pan itself heats VERY quickly. This is the fastest boiling water that I've ever seen. I have done a few fire starter experiments. While my pot is boiling, I put a paper towel at the base of the pan near the cooking coil. It would have burst into flames with gas or electric, but it is barely warm with this cooktop - and I never did get it to catch on fire. Personally, this is a great relief. I live on the 12th floor and I'm happy to know that it will be difficult to start a kitchen fire.

There are a few other features of Japanese apartments that are worth noting. The newer apartments have very strict earthquake building codes. This building is not even a year old. So far I have been unable to feel any earthquakes here.

Also, if there is a fire, a person can go out onto their balcony. There is a rather flimsy screen between the balcony of each apartment. They are built flimsy for a reason. To escape a fire, one can knock down the neighboring screen and escape to other parts of the building. Also underneath the balcony flooring there are often trapdoors that allow a person to escape to lower floors.

And then, we just made a new discovery. Our inside doorlocks glow in the dark. I guess that is so a person can find his way around if there is no electricity.

PS - Regarding the magnetic cooktop - I have just heard from a friend who has one in Austin, TX.....I'll bet his does not have indeciperable Japanese operation instructions though...

Apartment Ceremonies Lead to TCU Horned Frog Ransom Project

We have just moved to another apartment. To do that, we had to have a "closing ceremony" with the old apartment managers... to decide how much of a cleaning fee we have to pay. The Japanese are meticulous about cleanliness. I decided that there was NO WAY they were going to find a spec of dirt in our apartment...and they didn't. The shock on their faces was worth every scrub. They even ask me what brand of cleaning solution I used on the floor. I imagine I was the first Westerner in the history of US/Japanese political relations to avoid paying a cleaning fee. I loved all those bows I got for my clean apartment. I really wish my family would bow when I clean the house. In fact, I want two bows if I cook dinner.

When a lease is signed for a new apartment, there is also a "signing ceremony." We were served a cup of tea at the beginning and a cup of tea at the end. Then we took our Australian property locater out for lunch. We ended up at a nearby Chinese restaurant...which is right across from the "love" hotel (more about "love" hotels later).

The special that this restaurant serves is the "sword" cut noodle....available on Sundays only....you can tell a "sword" cut noodle from a regular noodle because the "sword" cut noodle is all ragged on the edges - kind of like it's been hacked to death by a Samurai who had a hangover from Saturday night. The noodles were delicious...but then....I looked at the gallon bottle on display near my table...It was filled with a beautiful, golden liquid... along with what looked like a flattened Texas road-kill, horny-toad floating in it. OK, I thought, maybe it's part of someone's kinky global warming project... The giveaway was the spigot. For a price, you can imbibe in horned-frog liquor. Well, if you're from Texas, you know that the Horned Frog, or Horny Toad as it's known to the locals, is the mascot of Texas Christian University. This is a huge deal!!! I am therefore putting together a "ransom fund" to free the little guy. Please send your cash to my paypal account. When I get enough money together, I'll change my name and head for the Bahamas ... opps, I mean I'll fly him back to Texas and release him to the biology department at TCU.

Back by Popular Demand...The TexZen meets Tokyo

Sorry to all my faithful readers...I have been in a meditative Zen state for the last few months...wondering about the sound of one hand clapping...actually, I have been in the process of moving to a new apartment.....

Speaking of Apologies

My husband, Greg, lost his flight wings for his uniform. For him to get a new set, he had to write an apology to the company. They even had an apology form for him to fill out...

And then, there is my girlfriend who has had to sign, not one, but two, apologies for improper re-entry into Japan.

I really like the idea of written apologies. I have decided that I am going to type up "apology letters" for all of my family and friends to sign. It's really quite a good idea. That way folks can understand EXACTLY what I am mad about. No more guessing ... Did I forget her birthday? ... Is it our anniversary? ... Should I have had that last glass of wine?...

I think I see a dot.com start-up in all this ... www.apologies.com

DO NOT DISTURB OTHER PEOPLE SIGNS ON THE SUBWAY

"Masterpiece just becomes noise disturbance when heard without earphones."



"I silently hold my breath when I pass someone smoking."

NINE MINUTE TOUR OF JAPAN

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=1_P4OvsW5mg&feature=related

The background music to this nine minute tour of Japan is Sakura, the very famous traditional Japanese song....if it gets stuck in the middle of the song, just move the "dot" a little....enjoy

Monkey Business in Shinjuku Station

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=yx8Yi0VCYWE&feature=related

THE CONQUEST OF FUJI-SAN....or, who forgot to call the Sherpas???

Don’t believe everything you read on the internet….I know that I’ve learned my lesson. All of those stories featuring hordes of grandmothers, small children, and women in 4 inch high heels summiting Mt. Fuji are definitely urban legends… and, depending upon where you start your climb, four hours is not a realistic climb time. When we finally reached the crest, the “clothes de jour” were hiking boots and warm REI-type duds….It was very windy, wet, and cold, but needless to say, the exhilaration of being THERE, ON THE TOP OF MT. FUJI is an experience I will not ever forget. I recommend the experience very highly. I also have a few other recommendations if you want to survive and enjoy the climb.

Suggested requirements are:

1. Experienced mountain guide company (we used Fuji Mountain Guides www.fujimountainguides.com ). There were only 8 of us including our guide versus the HUGE tour groups that we pass on the way to the top. I don’t know how they can ever keep track of their people. For them, it has to be a bit like a kindergarten field trip – always counting their hikers and wondering if anyone is left in the bathroom.

2. Young, handsome, Japanese-speaking, American climbing guide that knows how to strike “epic” mountain guide poses - and is in such good shape that he can not only carry his own pack, but that of some un-named hiker. His motto covers it all: “Look good, and make sure you know where your people are.” He certainly does that. In addition, he is a superlative entertainer and provides us with the Mt. Fuji lore and legends along the way.

3. Proper gear. No high heels, no flip flops, no jeans. This is about comfort. The better your equipment, the more comfortable you will be. Yes, you may balk at buying hiking boots, rain gear, and a comfortable back pack but you will not regret it. Also, bring at least $100 (in Japanese Yen). The amenities get pricier as the altitude increases.

4. Train for the hike. Yes there are thousands of people that climb Mt. Fuji each summer but it is definitely not a walk in the park. Train for the “going down” part, not just the “going up” part. Be prepared for the possibility of altitude sickness. Canisters of oxygen are on sale at the base of the mountain…and bring ibuprofen. Keep properly hydrated and have some sort of electrolyte replacing drinks along the way.



………but now, let’s get to the nitty gritty details of the climb….


THE RENDEZVOUS:

It is 6:00 AM and I find myself sitting in the lobby of the fabulous Keio Plaza Hotel near Shinjuku Station feeling completely “out of costume.” I look as if I am starring in the movie “Heidi Does Tokyo.” It is easy to spot the other “mentally unstable,” excuse me, I mean “intrepid,” hikers that will join me for this grand adventure. They are not yodeling but they have that mountaineering look. They are, as follows:

Patty, from Seattle, WA, who was also my college room-mate. She climbed Mt. Ranier 25 years ago. She should know better.


















Anne and Audrey, my neighbors from Austin, TX. They are obviously in the midst of a mid-life crisis and trying to threaten their husbands and children ….”If things don’t change around here, well, I’m doing something drastic…I’ll go climb Mt. Fuji.”
























Jodie and Shelly from Australia. They are on a mother/daughter bonding expedition. Yes, tribulation does create closeness. The best part of their plan is the weekend at the Japanese hot springs that follows the climb.






















Paul, a Chinese fellow from Australia, who left his wife shopping in Tokyo while he climbs. It would strike fear in the hearts of most husbands to leave their wives shopping for an afternoon in Tokyo, much less two days. As it turns out, this was only a small measure of Paul’s “true grit” for he is the only male in our group - except for our guide....Does he deserve an award or what !!??





Brent, our professionally trained mountain guide, a young man in his twenties and a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Brent is the product of American missionaries. He grew up in Japan and is fluent in the language and customs. He is quite popular with the locals that are working in the mountain huts…and he has the savoir faire to handle our motley group of hikers.




THE TRAIN & BUS RIDE UP:


The ride to Gotemba, on one of those wonderfully comfortable Japanese trains, charged our emotional batteries for the coming climb…. On the train we could buy yummy bento boxes and a variety of drinks. Wow, this is great isn’t it??? From Gotemba, we climbed onto a bus for our starting point at the head of the Subashiri trail.

The Subashiri route is a less used path, traditionally taken by Japanese only – probably because all the signs are in Japanese? This enabled us to avoid the huge crowds found on the other routes.







THE BEGINNING: WALK SOFTLY, CARRYING A BIG STICK... AND EATING MUSHROOM SOUP




In the ever hospitable manner of the Japanese, we were greeted at the starting point of our climb by a little old woman that bowed and handed us cups of tasty mushroom broth. This was also where we bought our oxygen canisters. You folks that are used to living at higher altitudes may scoff at the use of oxygen, but remember, Tokyo is at sea level. The change in altitude can be a problem. Then we bought our “sticks.” For a small fee, one buys a walking stick with a bell tied at the top. Of course after about two hours of listening to those ringing bells, we are smiling insanely and stomping them to pieces….actually, there are shrines along the way… leaving a bell at a shrine allows one to avoid the insane stomping bit.





But back to the original purpose of the sticks….they are great hiking aids - but they are also your climb “record keeper.” At each rest station along the climb, the hiker has a brand burned into the stick to prove that they have actually reached that particular altitude of the climb. I buy two sticks, because I have two daughters, and besides I figure I can use the extra help…..Maybe I will give each of my daughters their stick when they have their first child…. I’m not sure they will appreciate the symbolism until then.

"FIGHT - DON'T GIVE UP" ... AND THROUGH THE TORII GATE:











Before any important endeavor, the very Japanese thing to do is to cheer one’s comrades on. We begin our hike with a shout of “Gumbaruzo!” (Fight- Don’t give up!) and answer with a cry of “Oooooh!” In Wizard of Oz style, we then follow the brick road to step through a Torii gate. I love the idea of the Torii gates. They are found at all Shinto shrines and are used for cleansing the spirit. There is a final Torii gate at the top of the mountain and, therefore, the climb of Fuji is really considered a spiritual pilgrimage. If that’s not spiritual enough for you, I imagine most folks invoke the mercy of God Almighty somewhere along the way.










AOKIGAHARA: THE HAUNTED OCEAN OF TREES

The first hours of our walk take us through an ancient forest. It felt a bit surreal, like one of those fairy tales where the travelers follow the path through the woods, only to be lost forever. Unfortunately, this is very close to the truth. If we would have been in a movie, this would have been where the sinister soundtrack would have begun to play.
In Japanese, the loosely translated name of the forest, Aokigahara, means “Ocean of Trees.” It is the prime spot for folks that want to “end it all.” They simply walk into the woods, never to be seen again. In addition to the legends of hauntings by Youkai (Japanese versions of monsters and ghosts), the magnetic iron deposits underground are rumored to cause compasses to spin wildly leaving travelers hopelessly lost. There is an annual search of the area for the bodies of suicide victims as well as the lost. In 2002, 78 bodies were found in the forest, beating out the previous record of 73 in 1998. Officials have also placed signs throughout the area urging potential suicide victims to seek help rather than end their lives. The bad part is, if they identify the body, a fine may be levied upon their family. Obviously, the area also draws a number of thrill seekers who leave “Hansel and Gretel” type trails of tape throughout the forest so that they can find their way back out. There is even a 2004 movie about the forest, called Jyukai – The Sea of Trees Behind Mt. Fuji (English Title). Sounds like a Halloween classic to me.


THE FIRST REST STOP






Making it to the first rest stop feels like quite an accomplishment. We have our sticks branded, and, we can buy water and snacks….and most importantly, we can pay 100 Yen to use the restroom. As we get higher in elevation, the prices of the amenities also go up, thus my recommendation to bring $$ along.




SPEAKING OF REST:

Our guide Brent taught us a great hiking tip, the Rest Step. This involves taking the easiest route up the mountain, not the most direct route. Zigzagging and small steps are easier on the legs. It is also advisable to completely straighten and lock the leg after each step. This gives relief to the part of the legs that are doing the step-up. I loved the Rest Step. In fact, “rest” soon becomes my favorite word. As we get higher and higher, I begin having flashbacks of my ancestors that had to travel over the American plains in wagon trains, and had to cross the Rocky Mountains on foot, and had to chase the buffalo, and had to tote that barge, and carry that water, and hoe that row and, because they did all of that, I could be here at this moment putting one foot in front of the other, trying to see if we in the computer age have retained some semblance of their toughness. I don't imagine they had little stores along the way selling bottles of beer for 735 Yen...

The only excitement to be had at the Rest of the Rest Stops is Jodie’s blister… and it is a big one. Brent, ever the competent guide, takes care of it with expertise. A blister under these circumstances can be very, very bad.








BUDDHIST HELL:

After the Sea of Trees, the terrain becomes volcanic – steep sides, very rocky and dusty with an occasional plant hanging on here and there. There are shrines along the way to commemorate some who have died on our trail. In winter, Mt. Fuji becomes quite treacherous. The snow you see on all those Mt. Fuji postcards is actually a sheet of ice. That’s why the safe climbing season is limited to July and August.











The sound track for this part of the movie would have to be those Buddhist monks that chant in very deep tones, and of course the chant goes on monotonously forever and ever. There are clouds above and below us so that it appears we are going nowhere and progress is an illusion.
Brent, cheers us on – “Only 20 more minutes to the next rest stop.” Of course by then, we know he is lying….only kidding Brent…. To distract us, Brent tells about the famous painting of Buddhist Hell. Ironically, it looks just like where we are, a rocky trail winding ever upward through the clouds, with no way down and no way up. I vaguely wonder if I will reach Enlightenment on this pilgrimage to Mt. Fuji, but mainly I wonder if I will make it to the next pay toilet. Maybe that is Enlightenment….recognizing that we are mostly ruled by the Tyranny of the Urgent.

















THE GREAT SHADOW OF MT. FUJI OVER THE FUJI-SAN HOTEL:




As the day comes to an end, the sun passes behind Fuji and we see the looming shadow of the top of the mountain. This is the hardest part of the climb for me. Someone with no sense of humor has built a series of very steep stone steps up to the Fuji-san Hotel. But, at least my cell phone works here. I call my husband to see if he’s collected my life insurance money yet. We’ll have a hot meal here and a few hours of sleep before waking at 1:30 AM to make the rush for the top, to beat the sunrise.



Brent fixes us a warm and tasty meal. I think it is rice and curry? Sorry Brent, my brain was gone by then. The sleeping quarters are interesting to say the least. They involve a room with platforms above and below. Let’s just call them giant “bunk beds.” On these bunk beds are laid out lovely sleeping bags and pillows, arranged together like sardines in a can – well they looked lovely to me then. We are put in a bunk that is supposed to hold 10 hikers. What a lucky break, there are only 8 of us. I’m trying to figure out where the other 2 would have fit. It is a bit like that childhood song of the “10 monkeys” in the bed – where they all roll over and one falls out.




It is at this rest station that many of the trails converge. We’ve not seen more than 10 other hikers all day but as the night passes we begin to hear some of those 10,000 people a day that try to climb Fuji. In other words, I don’t think we sleep a wink. Meanwhile most of the women in our group are suffering from altitude sickness or knee problems. It is determined that three of our group will stay at the Fuji-san hotel and wait for the rest of us to return from the top.





LITTLE LIGHTS EVERYWHERE ... AND THROUGH THE FINAL TORII GATE:
Outside is an eerie sight. There is a full moon partially obscured by drifting clouds. I have never walked through clouds before. The drops of moisture fly around my face. As the light from my headlamp reflects on the floating drops of water, it makes a bit of an optical illusion. There are people everywhere with head lamps – so we see little dots of light creeping in lines toward the top of Fuji. It is windy and very cold - and I am glad that it is too dark to see what is below me….I’m also glad I don’t find out till later that many people who die on Fuji are blown off the mountain by the strong winds.

I have little memory of the last push, except for passing through the final Torii gate. Halleluiah! I’m cleansed now! It seems quite easy but I’m sure we are buoyed by the exhilaration of reaching the final station.

































The sunrise is breathtaking. Brent gets the final brand on our sticks and mails postcards for us…yes, there is a Mt. Fuji post office. We have a wonderful breakfast of noodles and chat with fellow climbers. I spoke with a Japanese woman from Nagoya. This was her third try. She said her other girlfriends had not made it to the top. Ignorance is bliss….I just assumed that I would finish the climb. The final task is souvenir shopping. I love the Japanese attitude toward shopping – wherever you are, there’s something wonderful to buy. I decide small is better, since I will have to carry it down. I buy a commemorative key ring. As it turns out, that was a smart decision. Down turned out to be the hardest part of the climb for me …..


SKIING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN IN MY BOOTS ON VOLCANIC DUST ... WORSE THAN BUDDHIST HELL ... OR THE THREE STOOGES MEET FUJI-SAN:


OK. I’ll just give it to you straight. This part of the hike is not good for me. It is worse than Buddhist Hell. It is probably more like Catholic Hell.
I had broken my ankle the year before by rolling on rocky terrain. Therefore, I get VERY freaked out by this down movement (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.) Although, when I am not freaked out, it is sort of fun and a bit like walking on clouds.
We are basically skiing through fine volcanic dust. The rest of my group seems to find the rhythm of it – and we even see some Japanese men RUNNING straight down the mountain –but, unfortunately, my legs don’t get it. There is another problem toward the bottom…I find my muscles have said "enough!". I am in no pain, but they just turn to jelly. I realize later that I did not drink my water and I did not drink my electrolyte powder as instructed. They are still in my pack when I reach the bottom. Consequently, the last hours are a monumental struggle. Sorry to my fellow hikers for any delay. We could have gotten to that McDonalds hamburger a half hour earlier, had my nerve not failed me. This is where having the right guide helps. I will never forget Brent’s mantra of “Slow and Steady Wins the Race,” but mostly I’m glad he takes my pack for the last part of the slide down. I am ready to throw it over the edge of the mountain and go down on my bum. Our other savior is Paul. We all begin having varing degrees of the “legs no workie” problem and Paul helps Patty down….after she, Anne, and Audrey trip on each other – or some such scenario. We are not exactly in the same league as the "Three Stooges" but close. I’m assuming that Jodie and Shelley now have a bonding experience to pass down through the generations of their family.

My last vivid memory of the climb is the look of fear on the faces of those hikers who are just starting up the mountain. As they pass us we are laughing hysterically, trying to keep from yelling “Turn Back, Turn Back While You Can!” And suddenly it all ends in a very civilized manner….with another cup of mushroom tea and a bow from the old woman to us, the pilgrims of Fuji-san.

Congratulations to my fellow climbers and my thanks to our guide, Brent. I have to say there was not a “whinger” among the group – I believe that’s Aussie for “whiner.”

GUMBARUZO !!!

Mt. Fuji Climb Update

The Mt. Fuji climb date is fast approaching....July 17 & 18

There will be a total of four(4)climbers representing the TexZen Blogsite. They are as follows:

Patty, my college room-mate, from Seattle, Wa. Patty is the only experienced climber in the group. She climbed Mt. Ranier about 30 years ago....she ought to know better.

Anne from Houston, Tx. Anne is a former neighbor. She was a nurse 30 years ago. We hope she will not need to bind our wounds. Anne has four kids and is therefore calm in all situations.

Audrey, another neighbor, from Austin, Tx...formerly from Chicago and first generation Lithuanian-American...we are trying to be politically correct and allow someone without a Texas accent to climb with us. Audrey will be providing the Texas flag for the photo shoot.

Barbara, the TexZen blogger...I hope my name is not mud when this is all over with.....I'm in charge of logistics and peanut butter sandwiches. I plan on bringing up the rear.

We will be leaving on a bus from Shinjuku Station...one of the busiest and wildest intersections in the world. This whole Fuji-san things is obviously some sort of mid-life crisis - I think my kids were hoping I would buy a red sports car instead.

Three things worse things than turning 50: Having a robot carry you around, having your waist measured at work, and being a Sumo Wrestler

The Japanese are one of the longest lived groups of people in the world. The Japanese men typically live a few years less than their wives - the men say that is because they have to live with Japanese women. Men everywhere probably say the same thing. The Japanese are also having fewer children and there is already a shortage of younger people to care for the aging population.

Several things are being done to address the declining population issue...the robotics industry in Japan is developing robots to care for the elderly and new health initiatives are being launched by the government.


















In addition, in an attempt to head off age related disorders and keep the older folks self-sufficient, Japanese employers are now measuring the waistlines of their employees. If the employee's waistline is outside of the accepted parameters, the employer (not the employee) can be fined by the government. Talk about pressure on the job! Even though, as far as I can tell, Japan is the land of the skinny, this still causes distress among workers. It probably explains the products that I see for sale in the pharmacy. There are all sorts of Jack Lalaine era "waistline reducing" sweat belts. There are also all sorts of herbal remedies which show the before and after waistline on the package. And, I just received a great brochure in the mail for a spa which seems to connect electrical devices to the waistline to zap the fat off. I think I'll try that one out.....

Now for the dichotomy. In Japanese society, if you happen to be a Sumo wrestler, you get to have a VERY big waistline...and a lot of status to go with it. Sumo wrestling matches take place during certain weeks of the year. They are busy eating and training during the rest of the year. It takes a lot of eating to maintain Sumo Size! I've been busy trying out all the food over here myself so I can identify with them.





A few weeks ago, I really needed someone to make me feel skinny for a change - who better than a Sumo wrestler!!! I had never been to Kokugikan, the Sumo wrestling ring, and wasn't quite sure how to find it. I took a train part way and then a taxi the rest of the way. The taxi driver immediately began asking about my favorite wrestlers...his was a European fellow called Baruto He also pointed out the restaurants where the wrestlers were chowing down before the matches.....

Ticket sales for the peons like me begin early in the morning. They have to be bought on site so it's first come, first serve. Of course I bought my ticket and went on in - not knowing that most people don't show up till later in the day when the top wrestlers begin their matches. But the good thing about being ignorant is that it gives one lots of room for being nosy and, if a person stumbles into the wrong place, they can just act dumb...so I decided to stumble around for a while....

The wrestling ring is set up like a square stadium with seats rising on all sides. The ring itself has a fancy canopy over the top with four giant tassels hanging in each of the four corners. The four corners depict the four directions ... and later during the matches the referee would refer to the winner by singing out the side he was standing on - Higashi (East) wins!!!




The best seats in the house are on the lower level, around the ring. This was one time when I was very glad to be in the upper level of "bad" seats. I had a nice comfortable, cushioned movie theater chair. The "good" seats were Japanese style - which means a cushion on the floor with no back. There were four cushions to a box -a box meaning four cushions surrounded by a little metal railing. Everyone in those seats had to sit "Indian-style" for hours. There is no room to stretch out your legs - just watching them made my knees hurt. They did get all sorts of perks - like drinks and food and bags of gifts - but it seemed to me that all that stuff gave them even less room for sitting.



Another bad thing about those "good" seats was that, once the wrestling started, a person could get squashed flat by flying Sumo wrestlers. The ring is slightly elevated and those 500 pounds guys would get thrown off into the crowd on a regular basis.

The first wrestlers up were the rookies. Only their mothers, girl friends, and buddies were there to cheer them on....but it did give me a chance to see, close up, what this was all about.



When a match starts, the two wrestlers climb up into the ring. They throw salt around to purify the ring. Of course, everyone has their special "salt-throwing" technique ... and there's always a salt-throwing show-off. Then they do some elaborate stomping exercises to squash any bad spirits. There are no bad spirits left after a Sumo stomps. In fact, there's nothing left after a Sumo stomps. The third ritual is to sip water. That is for purifying their bodies. All of these preparations build up to what is usually a very brief match. The two wrestlers charge each other like bulls. It becomes quickly apparent why they've got all that extra blubber. It protects their organs from the ferocious tackles. Once they engage, it is quite apparent that the Sumo wrestler is not all fat. Their legs are absolutely HUGE muscles. Their leg muscles are so huge that they are not able to walk like a regular person. They have one of those bow-legged, gun-fighter type waddles. Anyway, in under a minute, one of these giants has tossed or pushed the other down or out of the ring. I thought it would be quite boring but I found myself screaming along with everyone else.












SUMO FASHION SENSE





Sumo wrestlers have all sorts of perks. They have their own hairdressers to make sure their "topknots" are just so. They also get to wear really fancy "aprons" during their ceremonial entrances and exits. These aprons cost at least 2 million yen each - that's about $20,000 in US dollars. That price does not include the cost of the diamonds, pearls and other precious gems that are embroidered into the fabric with gold and silver thread. I LOVE the aprons. The designs and symbols are all quite colorful and wild. They range from attacking tigers to giant flowers, to tsunami waves.




The judges for the bouts sit on all four sides of the ring. They are dressed in basic black outfits....the male version of the kimono. My favorite person was the referee type person who introduced the wrestlers and helped to sing out the winner. These guys had fabulous silk outfits and great fans...by fans I don't mean spectators, I mean "fan your face when you're hot" fans. The fabric of their outfits had wild, huge geometric patterns, lots of giant polka-dots. These guys really belonged on a fashion runway. I want clothes out of their fabrics....someone, somewhere needs to design a line of clothes styled after the Sumo Season.










HOW DOES A SUMO WRESTLER GET FAT ON SOUP? ..... AND WATCH OUT FOR THE BEANS



When the crowds were not watching the wrestling bouts, they could sample the genuine Sumo Chanko soup. I decided it was a lunch that I could not pass up. Everyone sat together on long tables with metal chairs...just like in your old high school cafeteria. Each person received a bowl of the traditional stew eaten by the Sumo to build strength. Basically, it was a cabbage, vegetable soup with a small fatty piece of pork or chicken with skin. It was delicious. After that, if you're still hungry, there are stalls selling Sumo shaped chocolates... or bean-jam filled wafers shaped like the referee's fan....While we're talking about bean-jam, be warned. A lot of the dishes in Japan that look like they have chocolate in them actually are made with beans...those chocolate looking things in your ice cream are often beans ....