The Subways Here are Filthy

Actually, they are the cleanest I've ever seen. I've been lucky to ride on the L in Chicago, the subway in New York, the Tube in London, the Metro in Paris, and the Person...I mean People Mover in Detroit. None of them stand up to the cleanliness of the subway's here in Japan. Ok, the People Mover is pretty clean, but that's likely more a result of its lack of use. I kid because I love ya Detroit!

On a few Saturdays, we've been lucky enough to see the reason why. These women mean business and seem to take a lot of pride in it. I have no idea where they come from, but it seems there's an army of them that silently, yet earnestly go about their work spreading elbow grease. No sticky piece of trash goes un-scraped, and no stubborn brake dust gets by them.

Photos taken at Issha station and Kakuozan station along the Higashiyama line in Nagoya.

Sake in a Box

Thanks to a suggestion from my friend and co-worker living upstairs, Special Agent ADub, I decided to do a little research about why the heck our glass of sake was served in a box on a recent night out.

Not surprisingly, drinking sake has its own rituals for making, serving, and consuming. In this case, I'm going to focus on the fun stuff - serving and consuming (Although, I stumbled upon this website describing how sake is made, which is really quite interesting).

The box that our sake was served in is called a masu. In the restaurant, our sake serving consisted of an overflowing glass inside the masu. It turns out that the glass is not standard for serving. The main thing is that the sake has to be served overflowing either from or into the masu. If, as was our case, the box contains a glass brimming with sake, that is best sipped without hands until the glass can safely be picked up and used without fear of spilling. Once the glass is empty, the overflow can be drunk from the box.

Our plastic masu was more for show. Traditionally, the masu is made of wood in order to complement the wooden cask, which traditional sake is brewed in. A true masu will hold the standard measurement of 1 fl oz. Filling to the brim and over is a customary sign of prosperity.

As the traditional sake-serving cup and a symbol of prosperity, the masu still has a place in modern times and is still used for the purpose of ceremony or to show generosity. Lot's of Japanese restaurants, however, will serve it in an overflowing glass inside of the masu in order to highlight the tradition and enhance the drinking experience regardless of whether you are celebrating a special occasion or not.

Whew, all that research has made me thirsty. Off to fill my masu!

Japan, Belgium, & Aretha Franklin

What could make a Friday morning commute any better than knowing the weekend is right around the corner? Try a pleasant blast from the past care of Radio-i followed by an interesting news report.

I couldn't help but crank up my radio last week when that classic duet by George Michael and Aretha Franklin, "Knew You Were Waiting," came on. (Go ahead. Click on this youtube link to refresh your memory. Definitely worth it. Go ahead. I'll wait).

Freshly buttered up from George and Aretha, the Radio-i morning jockey then delivered a report (First in English, then in Japanese) talking about Belgium going vegetarian for a day. (Here's the London Guardian article for a complete report). Being married to a vegetarian, and passionate about reducing the amount of meat I myself consume, I was intrigued.

It turns out, that in an effort to promote sustainability and healthy living, the city of Ghent in Belgium is attempting to go vegetarian every Thursday. What a novel idea! Over the course of the last fifty years or so, our diet has been saturated with meat. It has become common-place for most of us to think every meal, or at least dinner, should include meat in some form or another. That meat is somehow synonymous with a "real man's" meal, and without it, dinner would be boring. When, in fact, this couldn't be further from the truth.

As I said, I'm married to a vegetarian who also happens to be one heck of a cook. I have no complaints. Of course, I'm not completely meat-free and like to indulge every now and then. But that's the point. It should be an indulgence when you think about where it comes from and how it is produced. I don't necessarily think everyone has to become complete vegetarians and give up meat altogether, but there's overwhelming data to support a need to reduce our consumption. It certainly doesn't help our hearts or the ever-climbing obesity numbers. And do you think it's just a coincidence that the birth of the H5N1 influenza outbreak (ie. swine flu) was found in a city miles from an industrial pig farm in Mexico? You know, those places where pigs are farmed under enormous stress in tight quarters, drugged and overloaded with antibiotics to prevent the spread of disease that would otherwise run rampant in such an environment, and produce vast seas of pig feces? You know...those places we try not to think about? But most importantly, is the data which Ghent cited in making their decision to go vegetarian for a day:

The organisers cite UN data arguing that meat production and consumption are to blame for 18% of greenhouse gases – more than cars. (Complete Guardian article on UN data).

Now I work in the auto industry, and believe me, it's not fun constantly having the finger of blame pointed at you. So, I welcome the spotlight on the other areas of our life that we can all do a better job at in reducing our carbon footprints. Sooner or later, we all have to stop pointing fingers, stop complaining, and start doing our own parts together.

Like Aretha herself says in the song, "So we were drawn together through destiny."

Sonne Garden

I owe a shout out to our friends at Sonne Garden. This, of course, is the local organic grocery store where our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box comes from every week. You can read about some of the interesting veggies and recipes that my wife has worked with from the contents of this box on her blog here. On occasion we are even given 'extra' fruits deemed too sweet for Japanese taste buds. It has really been a great store right around the corner from us for its location, friendly staff, and organic way of life.

Being on my own while my wife has been visiting family in the States, I have had to be more active in the kitchen and with the groceries. So of course, last week I forgot to pick up our CSA box as I thought we had skipped a week. Never fear, though. Our friends at Sonne Garden hunted me down through friends in my office. I felt terrible that I had forgotten our box on Monday, so when I went in to pick it up on Wednesday I was very apologetic. To my surprise, I was given a discounted rate because the veggies were 2 days old (mind you it was my fault). However, as I was leaving one of our friends, the owner, came running out to replace some of the greens and potatoes that I just received a discount on with fresh ones. Amazing!

Thanks for taking care of me Sonne friends! You guys always have a smile and are always open to helping your community. In a world that seems to be increasingly moving faster and where everyone seems more apt to find and maintain friends in online communities, this is one relationship that I'm proud to have in the 'real world' and in my community. Sometimes it pays to slow down and be involved in your community, and our friends at Sonne garden are a good reminder of that.

Japan & Guns

Spurned on by all of the model novelty guns showcased at KAC's CAFE Beer & Kiyono Arms - a combination bar and US Marine Corp novelty store located down the street from us (see 5/10/09 post) - I decided to check out Japan's gun laws. I've heard from some co-workers that guns are illegal in Japan. I've heard from others that they are, in fact, legal but only can be used to hunt. After a little research, it appears both statements are accurate.

While gun control in Japan is considered stringent compared to most democracies, there a some exceptions. No citizen is allowed to possess guns, unless they are for sporting (hunting, skeet, or trap shooting). Furthermore, the guns are limited to shotguns and single-shot rifles. No handguns or semi-automatics are permitted. Before you can acquire one of these guns for hunting or sport, you must take a class and pass a written test. After passing the first time, the gun owner must repeat the test every year thereafter. Furthermore, every 3 months police will come on an 'unexpected' visit to inspect gun and ammunition storage. And oh yeah, the gun and ammunition must be stored in a designated locker with a corresponding map of its location in the house for when the police show up.

It should be noted that the military and police are allowed to carry semi and full automatic guns. But the main point is that there is no, 'Right to bear arms', mentality here. That is a far cry from the message often referred to in the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution - a rally cry for many in the States. I know it's our right, and I'm far too naive to seriously argue for or against the right to bear arms. Truth be told, I've just never liked guns. It is an awful lot of power for a human to hold, regardless of how 'responsible' he or she may be. I've also never understood why that right has to include semi automatics. It's just a different mentality I guess. Perhaps that's the best way to explain Japan's gun laws - just a different mentality as well. A mentality that has produced a nation with one of the lowest amount of gun violence in the world. From a 2007 Japan Times article:

According to the 2006 Police White Paper, in 2005, Japan had a grand total 19 firearms-related homicides, of which only five were non-gang related and none of whom were minors. This remarkably low number, moreover, represented a marked decline from 2002, when 42 people were killed in gun violence.

'Hawk-eye to Rabbit, We Have a Parking Spot Open'

It's no secret Japan is dense. Lot's of people translates into a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic to go along with car traffic. To manage this, many areas of Japan utilize parking lot attendants. My first impression of Japan was that there are way too many of these parking lot attendants/security/traffic officers. After living here for a while, I still think there are way too many of them, but I can see where they can be helpful in many situations. Pedestrian blind spots coming out of a parking lot or parking building, knowledge of the nearest open parking spot, and to look simultaneously cool and professional with a helmet and a parking guide tool/light saber, just to name a few.

On a recent road trip to Kyoto while our friend Marvin was visiting, however, I was blown away by the highway rest stop parking crew. Now granted, the rest stop seemed busy, but it was perfectly navigable. This was a situation where I thought to myself, "Yeah, one attendant makes sense to help guide us to the open spot, but 4 on the ground and one on the roof? Really?"

Yes, one attendant was actually on the roof for a bird's eye view transmitting that vital parking lot information to the ground crew.

KAC's CAFE Beer & Kiyono Arms

This bar is quickly becoming my favorite in our area, KAC's Cafe Beer & Kiyono Arms. It is about 1 block west of Issha Station, or a 5 minute walk from our house. The combination of American novelty items in the window plus the name of the place were enough to draw us in. Once inside, however, you'll find an amazing array of US Marine paraphernalia from World War II - model hand guns, model rifles, Marine fatigues, old bullet shells, US Marine shot glasses. Literally anything USMC-related, you name it, chances are Kiyono-san has it. There's also a small bar serving Budweiser on tap. In all honesty, there is literally, no space in this bar, and the amount of marine paraphernalia is overwhelming, but that that adds to the experience. Apparently, the owner runs the bar by night, while maintaining a website for collecting and selling USMC novelty items. It is a site to behold. Here is the website if you have that sudden urge for say, I don't know, a gold-plated US Marine toilet paper dispenser (Yes, they exist, no kidding; there's even one in the bar's bathroom).

http://www2.odn.ne.jp/k_arms/index.html

My visits there have included some great conversations with the owner, the bartender, and some salary men getting their Budweiser fix after work. I love history, especially World War II, so many of my conversations inevitably stumbled into this subject given the setting. The owner, Japanese of course, obviously loves the subject as well. When I told him that my grandfather fought in the Pacific, he immediately brought out some fatigues to show me what he might have worn.

There's no doubt of the brutalities of war. I don't necessarily like the history of World War II because I'm a war buff. I like it because it was an incredible time when political and cultural philosophies clashed - the entire world was engaged, and as a result, millions of ordinary people lived incredible, heroic tales of survival. Everywhere life as it was typically known was suddenly turned upside down. It's these stories that I enjoy.

Kiyono-san is an extension of these stories. Decades have past since the war ended, yet he is obsessed with US Marine paraphernalia from the era. He doesn't look at the war with hostility. Instead, like Hiroshima's memorial, he likes to use it as a reminder of what to avoid.

NBC Nightly News

I don't know how much of it is nostalgia...okay probably a lot of it...but there is something about hearing the music as the NBC Nightly News rolls in (or exits). You know, "dah dah dah da da da daaa daaa daaaaaaa."

Anyway, I'm pretty sure this is what my parents had on in the background of my childhood every night around 7 o'clock. That might be why I find that sound so comforting. That, or the fact that I'm a little nostalgic for the good ol' days when news was what you got from the morning paper and the evening national TV broadcast.

While living abroad, we've found that the NBC Nightly News offers a free podcast of their show. So, if we're in the mood for a little 'un-biased' news from the States (or a little 'dah dah da da da'), we can watch the previous day's Nightly News while we eat dinner.

It's a good way to get our news and remind us of life back at home. And from what I've seen, I'd say Brian Williams is doing a pretty good job filling the shoes of Tom Brokaw. Of course, Brian Williams has yet to have an SNL character immortalize him like Dana Carvey did in this skit impersonating Tom Brokaw.

Head Chef

With my better half leaving today for a return visit stateside, I thought this post seemed fitting. She has pulled off a lot of great meals during our time here in Japan, which is no small task given the language barrier and the new or unusual fruits and veggies we've encountered in our CSA box.

Since she'll be in the States for the next few weeks, however, kitchen duty falls on my plate (pun intended). I enjoy cooking, but it is never easy. She left me with some tips and a list, which will help, but it won't be the same. Part of it is watching her cook. It is an art. From timing, to planning, to presentation, she's got a knack, and you can tell that she loves it.

I recently finished the book, Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell. A great book dealing with life on the cusp of poverty. In it Orwell explains this 'art' of cooking better than I ever could. Here is Orwell's perspective of the head chef while working as a plongeur to earn end's meat at the Hotel X in Paris:

"Undoubtedly the most workmanlike class, and the least servile, are the cooks. They do not earn quite so much as waiters, but their prestige is higher and their employment steadier. The cook does not look upon himself as a servant, but as a skilled workman; he is generally called 'un ouvrier,' which a waiter never is. He knows his power-knows that he alone makes or mars a restaurant, and that if he is five minutes late everything is out of gear. And he takes a genuine artistic pride in his work, which demands very great skill. It is not the cooking that is so difficult, but the doing everything to time. Between breakfast and luncheon the head cook at the Hotel X would receive orders for several hundred dishes, all to be served at different times; he cooked few of them himself, but he gave instructions about all of them and inspected them before they were sent up. His memory was wonderful. The vouchers were pinned on a board, but the head cook seldom looked at them; everything was stored in his mind, and exactly to the minute, as each dish fell due, he would call out, 'Faites marcher une colette de veau' (or whatever it was) unfailingly. He was an insufferable bully, but he was also an artist."

Thanks for the tips darlin, but it won't be the same. Safe travels!!