Where Do You Think You're Goin'? Grab a Rake!

As pointed out on a previous post, it's not that often that you see grass in Japan.  For the most part, what available space there is after housing, buildings, and infrastructure, is generally designated for rice fields or gardens.  Parks are liberally mixed in most cities where possible, but they don't necessarily come with grass.  Even the parks meant for soccer, field hockey, baseball, etc.  Instead of grass, which requires too much upkeep and water to survive the climate, generally these pitches are simply fine gravel or dirt.

So, what about grounds-keepers?  They aren't very common as far as I can tell.  You use it.  You clean it up.  That's the rule.  And you learn that rule quickly if you grow up playing sports.  I first learned of this rule the hard way.  After a friendly match with another gaikojin (foreigner) team last year on an excruciatingly hot, humid Nagoya day, all I wanted to do was get to the sideline and douse myself with shade and water.  Not so fast.  All of my teammates - the other team got to relax as we were the hosts - quickly told me to pick up a rake from the nearby shed.  We got in a line at the end of the pitch and walked the length of the pitch back and forth until the entire field was nicely groomed.  A bit like a zamboni - only not automated!!!

This is the rule.  If you host a team, or simply use a field for a day of fun, you clean it up.  In this case, rake it up.  I managed to snap a photo of some kids raking this field on a recent Saturday.

I like the rule.  It teaches you a little discipline, while at the same time, makes you appreciate the people who keep our parks clean and beautiful.

Fun with Fido & Friends

Wouldn't the world be a better place if we could all be this happy about a sac of s$%#!!!

Snail Mail SPAM

Once a month a binder full of information gets passed around our complex. Usually general information affecting our neighborhood or building - construction, clean-up days, maintenance fees, local school meetings, etc. It comes around the end of the month to remind us of next month's activities, and I always dread seeing this thing sticking out of our mailbox or leaning up against our door when that time comes.

I really don't like getting it because number one, it's information we generally can't comprehend (that whole language barrier thing); number two, if the few words we can make out seem important then I have to take it to work for help from a co-worker; and number three, more often than not, the information after all of that is...well...useless.

Although, last month's binder had a great write-up about being aware of roaming fingers on the subway. Either that or a reminder that rear ends aren't the best things to hold onto in order to maintain you balance on the train.

Rise and Shine!!

"Huh, that's funny. At least we got ourselves a new umbrella out of all of this!" was my first thought this morning after opening the door wall in the main room.

And here's what it sounded like when I went outside to retrieve our new-found treasure...


So I guess Mary Poppins wasn't waiting on our porch with her spoonful of sugar... It turns out, we were just going to be able to experience our first typhoon. As luck would have it, the first typhoon to reach land in Japan since September of 2007. About 5am it whipped through Aichi prefecture on its way up north to wreak a little more havoc.

In all honestly, it wasn't all that much different than a tornado, but then again, we had only a small point of view. The whipping winds and thoughts of what to do in an emergency kind of added some extra anxiety, but all-in-all it was more invigorating than anything.

The major winds and rains had passed through our area by the time I had to leave for work, but my ride was eerily empty. Usually, there's a lot of hustle and bustle, but most people delayed their starts. Trains weren't operating due to the heavy winds (many people dependent on the train at work arrived after 10 or so). Besides the lack of traffic, the streets were littered with branches and leaves, which seemed odd if only because the streets are always immaculate. And for those of you who have been to Japan, you know how all the bridges you pass or walk over seem oddly shallow and almost overgrown? And you then wonder why in the heck they are built up on either side by 10-20 foot walls...? Well, this morning I saw the reason. Those little trickles turned into fast-moving rapids. Quite a sight!

Here's a snapshot from the Japan meteorological agency whilst all this was happening. Our home is the little Google mark in the middle!

Richie the Flower Guy

Another shout-out for one of our Issha neighborhood stores. This time it's our local flower shop, Le Soleil. It's a modest shop with a bubbly store owner named Richie (of course that's just the name he gives to foreigners). Richie goes out of his way to accompany English-speaking foreigners with an English-based website, and pleasant conversation. The amazing thing is that he picked up the language on his own over the years through Western music (especially the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac) and movies. He spent 3 months in New York city over 20 years ago and fell in love with the culture. Now, it seems his eyes light up whenever he gets the chance to speak a little English and tell stories about New York.

I try to go in as much as the budget or special occasions allow for (Although I'm sure not nearly as much as my wife deserves), and every time I'm amazed at the customer service. In a way, you could say that Richie's service is a microcosm of the Japanese culture's consideration of others. The Japanese don't work for tips, it's considered an insult in the service industry to leave a tip. Instead, they work for the customer. It seems everyone in every service job no matter how small, performs it with the same meticulous detail and routine to respect not only the customer, but the job itself.

Richie does a lot to make the flower buying experience fun. With, 'You Can Go Your Own Way,' blaring in the background, Richie let's you pick and choose what flowers look good depending on what he has in the store for the season. Based on your budget, he fills in the rest, paying close attention to each flower, how it's cut, and how they are wrapped. Finally, he goes through each flower and writes what each one is on the back of his card, so you can sound like a connoisseur when presenting the finished product to your loved one. Thanks Richie!

Sun Protection

Every summer it’s the same thing. No matter if it was from my mother growing up, or from my wife now, it’s the never-ending reminder to put sun block on. Being a redhead, the sun has never agreed with me, but for some reason I can never escape the annual summer burn(s). This summer in Japan, of course, was no different.

The Nagoya climate is hot…a lot hotter than I’m used to, and because I have a hard time with the sun, I wondered how the Japanese would handle it. It’s very common to find women carrying sun umbrellas, wearing full-length clothes or long-sleeved gloves, and sometimes even long-range sun visors to protect themselves from the sun.

We asked a few of our women friends about this, and they simply said that even though it’s hot, they would rather protect their skin. To some, it’s even considered more attractive to have whiter skin.

What a simple answer.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think tan skin is beautiful, but at what cost? Of course I’m biased. Me + sun = red…always. I am jealous of those that have it easy and turn bronze with no trouble, but I have to side with the Japanese on this one.
Why do we worship the sun so? After all, UV is damaging regardless if it turns your skin dark brown or bright red!

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.

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.

Oh, I'm Sorry. Could You Say That in My Good Ear?

Got an old home appliance, PC, TV, or DVD player you want to get rid of? No need to even leave the house. Just wait for the Recycle truck (リサイクル業者) to stroll through your neighborhood. Take it off your hands for a fair price, too. Oh, and don't worry. You can't miss it...



I was shocked, and admittedly a little concerned the first time a truck like this strolled by our apartment (slow moving vehicle with a loud speaker is generally a recipe for disaster, no?). It was especially discomforting when we first moved here and were getting acquainted with the culture.

The Japanese people are generally really cognizant of their neighbors, especially living in such close proximity of each other. For instance, BBQ grills aren't generally allowed on your porch because the smoke can disturb your neighbors, and loud music is frowned upon after certain hours. So, despite the dense living, our neighborhood remains quite peaceful. Peaceful that is, until the piercing decibels from the Recycle Truck's loudspeaker announcing its arrival. Usually, about a two-minute advertisement played on a loop really, really loudly Quite annoying actually, especially at the excruciatingly slow pace the truck is traveling.

I have since gotten the full story from some co-workers. These trucks are used for more than just recycling - selling sweet potatoes, politics, or other various merchandise - and they aren't very popular because of the noise pollution. Apparently, this particular trade - "recycle truck" - is further frowned upon because some consider it illegal. The recycle trader takes your old appliances as "trash" and sells them in other less advanced Southeast Asian markets, so as to make a profit. The sketchy part comes with avoiding the recycle tax that is usually paid to the government. Hey, one country's trash is another country's treasure, right? In this case, at the cost of my eardrums!