Sad Panda

Everyone told us to leave our dog in America when we moved to Japan, but I have found that the Japanese people love dogs, especially little poodles.  In fact, there are doggie boutiques everywhere, filled with everything from frilly dresses to pearl necklaces for puppies.  We don’t generally dress AJ up, with the exception of Halloween and his winter jackets for cold, but when I saw this panda outfit, I had to buy it!  I found it at a doggie boutique in Harajuku and couldn’t pass it up.  (James was clearly not with me that day!) AJ was not impressed, and the panda looks like it’s eating him.  I was thrilled to get a few pictures of him as a little panda.  Perhaps we will see this outfit again next year at Halloween.

Popeyes (www.70beersontap.com)

Always on the search for unique places, we got a tip on an incredible bar in downtown Tokyo through our blog.  A random blog comment from the fine folks at Rogue Ales http://www.rogue.com/ in Oregon informed us about a bar with at least 40 beers on tap in the Ryogoku area of Tokyo.  We looked up the place and realized we were near it while visiting Akihabara on a rainy day with our visiting friend Jonathan (another beer enthusiast).  The cozy little bar was exactly what was needed on the wet day, and it was better than we could have imagined.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that they had expanded to 70 beers on tap, ranging from craft American and European brews to the best locals could offer.  Also, unlike the vast majority of bars in Japan, this one was light on the wallet.  Their happy hour specials included free appetizers with the purchase of a beer... we were sold!  It was fall when we visited and enjoyed some delicious Pumking Ale that was well kegged and had an awesome pumpkin aroma.  The rest of the beers were quality, but what impressed us the most were the friendly staff.  The bar, while larger by Japanese standards, was still rather crowded and 70 taps in the US would take at least a wall.  Here they were stacked behind a half bar, which the staff gladly jumped in several pictures with us.  By the time we left I had joined their gold club membership and had convinced a waiter to call and get us tickets to a sold out craft brew fest.  All in all a very pleasurable experience that the average traveler would never find while visiting Tokyo without some help!

Looking Down

If there is one thing I can confidently generalize about Japan, I would say it is an amazing attention to detail.  Everywhere I have visited, I am always stunned by a tiny detail that was done exceptionally well.  Something that would often be overlooked, but because of a keen eye and a sense of value in the tiny detail, it becomes art.  In Japan, it is often wise to not discount the ground you are walking on, because you could very easily overlook the beautiful manhole covers.  I have never noticed manhole covers before, but I am now a bit addicted to searching for new ones.  Most localities in Japan have their own, unique, manhole cover, which often tells a tiny story about the town.  The cover might display a scene from a famous local festival, or a fruit that is grown there, or a famous temple.  The possibilities are endless, and I am sure each town is proud of its design.  Here is a tiny sample of some of the man hole covers we have spotted.

Bad Beer is the Enemy!

My Senior Year of College I enrolled in a Brewing Science class and have ever since been hooked on good, quality beer.  When our friend Jonathan came to visit last fall (he had taken the class with me) we spent a day at one of Japan’s largest beer festivals.  Japan has a large beer industry of great, rice based beers including famous brands such as Yebisu, Sapporo, and Asahi.  This beer fest was fashioned as a “homebrew” craft style where there were few, if any, rice beers available.  The three of us rode the train to northern Tokyo and found ourselves at the Asahi Beer headquarters building, interesting considering they had nothing to do with the event.  With a small admission price we all got a free half pint glass and tickets to try ten beers.  The conference hall was packed, with a center aisle full of tapped kegs and a stage at the other end.  We decided to dive right in, though we could only read a few of the styles (nearly everything was in Japanese).  My overall impression on Japanese craft beer is they get an “A” for effort… but are missing something.  While they are the best at rice beers, when they  try to emulate European or American style barley and wheat ales or stouts, they get close but miss the mark.  Though the beer was just ok, the cultural experience was awesome.  When you taste test at an American winery, you get just enough wine to smell and taste it.  We were given nearly a full glass of beer with every test, so the beer was better towards the end as alcohol inhibited our ability to discern the flavors.  Every once in a while someone on the stage would obviously be raffling off prizes, but everything was in Japanese, so even if we won we wouldn’t know.  We quickly made some friends by giving away our tickets.  Another great find was running into an American living in Yokohama who publishes a local English magazine called “Japan Beer Times” and promotes local brews to be sold in bars.  He sold some great shirts stating in both English and Japanese that “Bad Beer is the Enemy.”  After buying a few he told us some local bars with good beer on tap.  We had been to one, Popeyes, and plan on visiting the others.  In the end I think the Japanese should stick with rice beers, but there was definitely much interest in quality craft beer, which can only make the world a better place!

Nagano Beer!

Japan makes quality rice beers, from Yebisu to Asahi and Sapporo, but traveling around the country and attending a local beer fest, we realized there is a thriving micro-brew community here.  While visiting the Snow Monkeys in Nagano Prefecture we stopped at a local store.  Angela always scans the candy looking for unique local Kit-Kat flavors while I check the sake section (I have not developed a taste for sake yet) and I happened to find a sample pack of a local brewery.  The brewery made quality pale ales, IPAs, and even a porter.  Usually Japanese breweries attempting barley and wheat based beers have difficulty getting it balanced, but these were good!  I only question the authenticity of the brewery founding, as they claim it was early 1800s... prior to Japan opening to the outside world.  Maybe they had a sake distillery?

Kit Kat Mania

Matcha Green Tea: Tastes just like Japanese Matcha, which I would describe as a bitter green tea latte.  The Kit Kat is sweet, of course, but it has a very full flavor of green tea.  I really like this one!  This is a regional Kit Kat from Kyoto.

Candied Sweet Potato:  This Kit Kat is inspired by the Japanese dessert Daigakuimo, which is a candied sweet potato with sesame seeds. I like the actual Daigakuimo and the Kit Kats! These one's taste much more like sweet potato than the regular sweet potato Kit Kat.



Wasabi Kit Kat: This sounds awful, but is actually one of my favorites so far. While it's very sweet, there is a nice spicy aftertaste of Wasabi.  You have to get through the sweetness to enjoy the aftertaste.  This is a regional flavor that is available in Shizuoka & the Kanto area.



Cheese Kit Kat: European Cheese Kit Kat, to be exact.  I hated this one.  It smelled bad when you opened it, and it tasted gross.  It reminded me of spray can cheese, which I've never liked.



Kutsurogi Cacoa: PURE AWESOMENESS!  This Kit Kat tasted just like the center of Lindt milk chocolate truffles.  I was a huge fan. If you enjoy smooth chocolate then this Kit Kat is for you.

Army – Navy 2010

Angela and I, being very passionate college football fans, have traveled thousands of miles to see live gridiron games whenever we can.  One college sports tradition we have never paid much attention to, however, is the annual Army-Navy game, as we have no vested interest in either team.  Working in the US Navy as a profession, I come across many Annapolis grads who hype up the game.  This year we decided to experience the game as much as we could here in Japan.  The week before the game my boss, a USNA grad, started talking trash-talk about West Point and how they used to prank Cadets.  At this point I realized the rivalry was a unique one, different than say the Hokies hatred towards Miami (UVA used to be a rival… but they have to try to win a game once a decade).

The game was set to air live at 0330 local Sunday morning, so we hatched a plan with my co-workers to party all night prior to the game, and continue into the morning.  We headed out to a late dinner at our favorite Yakiniku place to fill up.  It should be noted that Angela and I actually donned Navy gear, despite our natural inclination to wear Hokie jerseys to have that “REAL” college football feel.  After delicious meat we sang our lungs out at a typical Japanese Karaoke bar till 2 in the morning.  The Officer’s Club on base was having a free breakfast bar and showing the game, so we staggered in for eggs and coffee as the place filled up.  Once kickoff happened, the viewing experience was different than any college game we have watched together.  During most Hokie games, we watch every play intently waiting for that special moment when Tyrod Taylor did something awesome, or to see a blocked kick make Lane Stadium explode.  The Navy fans sort of watched the game, but focused more on drinking and talking hours worth of trash on Army.  Navy won the game handily, eliciting cheers and more drinking.  There was little game analysis, but it was fun all around.  If Navy had lost the atmosphere would have likely been exactly the same.  We shook congratulatory hands all around and walked out of the bar into harsh daylight.  It had been quite a while since we had done an all-nighter, but we left having experienced another unique moment in college sports.

Thai Spring Rolls

Living in one of largest cities in Asia allows us to enjoy food from all over the region.  One of our favorite local Thai restaurants serves absolutely amazing fried spring rolls, perhaps the best I have ever had.  They are handmade upon ordering, and although they take about an hour to arrive to your table, the wait is definitely worth it.  They also serve a coconut curry panang that is simply amazing! The restaurant is in a building right next to the train tracks, meaning we deal with shaking plates every few minutes.  The shaking building, long wait, awesome spring rolls, and Thai language makes for a great culinary experience.

Oodles of Noodles

My preconceptions about Japan proved false in thinking that I would not particularly care much for the local food.  I only thought of sushi and raw squid.  We have been pleasantly surprised how diverse and delicious Japanese restaurants are.  I think I only miss Chick-fil-A.  While you can get high priced sushi here, we have recently been enjoying bowls of steamed Chinese noodles, known to "poor" college students in America as Ramen.  The winter here is cold and dry, but relief can be found in a 500 yen bowl of awesome.  Of course the ramen is very diverse here, much more than the cheap instant noodles I was used to.  The Japanese add different base broths depending on which region of the country you are in, but usually it is a soy based broth, whether miso or soy sauce.



They add anything you can think of to the soup bowl, including seafood and pork.  You do get a spoon to slurp up liquid, and you are expected to loudly slurp the warm, delicious noodles.

Traditional Japanese noodles are not the instant Chinese delicious ramen, but are wheat based known as soba and udon.  Soba is thin buckwheat noodles that are best in summer cold, in my opinion.  Udon are thick wheat base noodles that are sort of chewy.  I usually do not order udon, but bought a curried udon in Kyoto last weekend when it was -5 Celsius out.  It was great and warm, but not what you would expect as far as traditional pasta is concerned.  So despite what you may think about Japanese food, it is in fact very diverse.  Our eating experiences here have been great, and we are enjoying trying all the new food!

Our Japanese Oven

Living off base has been very exciting for us, though it has come with some interesting challenges.  A great example would be New Year's Day.  In the spirit of our southern tradition, we hosted friends for some black-eyed peas (for luck) and collard greens (for money). Great idea!  It would have been a better idea if we had tried our stovetop and oven before having people over.  After an hour of deciphering the Japanese directions and pictures, we were able to figure out our convection oven. We ended up baking our ham on the cake setting, and it turned out great.  However, the stovetop was a different story, and unlike the oven, it did not come with directions. We played and played with the buttons, and two hours later, we were still unable to boil water.  Lights were working, and the pot seemed to be getting warm, but our closely watched pot refused to boil.  Dismayed, we threw out the beans and resorted to canned ones!  We needed the luck for 2011 whether we could figure out the stovetop or not.   We have since found that we were doing everything correctly, but our pots were too thick, and required special ones.  And sure enough, we found the pots at our local home store, with a picture of our stovetop on the sticker.  What a huge difference!  Equipped with new pots, we can now boil water in a little over thirty seconds!  Every day in the new house is an adventure, but we love living in a Japanese home.

Happy Snow Dance

I was taking a video of the snow (I know….I’ve lived in Southern California for far too long!) when I happened to see this guy doing a happy snow dance.  Win!

[flickr video=5377264876 show_info=true secret=4f24cdd67f w=500 h=281]
Kyoto Jan 2010 a video by WanderingHokies on Flickr.


Green Tea Love Affair

When I first arrived in the land of the rising sun, I wasn't a huge fan of green tea.  I didn’t even know what matcha was, but I didn’t particularly like it.  Matcha is a finely ground, frothy green tea used in tea ceremonies in Japan.  After living here (and drinking green tea) I can confidently say that green tea is an acquired taste.  A few months ago, I could barely drink it, and now I find myself having green tea cravings. Especially matcha cravings! Anytime we travel, I try to order matcha for dessert, or visit a tea house to enjoy that bitter leaf.  Matcha is usually served on a lacquer platter, accompanied by a traditional Japanese sweet that frequently represents the season.  During the spring, tea will often be served with a cherry blossom shaped sweet, and in the fall, usually a maple leaf.  Each tea house serves the sweet differently, and I appreciate the slight differences.  Two of my favorite places to drink green tea in Japan are the Nakajima tea house in Tokyo and the Hokoku-ji Temple in Kamakura.  The Nakajima tea house in Tokyo is famous because Emperor Meiji drank tea with Ulysses S. Grant here in 1879.  The tea house is beautifully set on a pond, surrounded by the concrete jungle of Tokyo.  The Hokoku-ji Temple in Kamakura is fondly called the bamboo forest, and here you can enjoy your green tea peacefully surrounded by bamboo trees.  I will say that I do I have a hard time drinking the tea in three sips, as is proper, and instead choose to enjoy every last sip (which is usually about 10 for me!).  How can you fully enjoy matcha in three sips?  I guess I need to take a class on the tea ceremony to understand.  And green tea is not limited to tea houses and travel destinations, but can be found in your local Starbucks and in green tea flavored treats.   I am addicted to the matcha latte at Starbucks.  And at the local grocery store I find myself buying green tea latte packets to enjoy at home.   I have recently found the matcha green tea kit kat, and green tea oreos!  And did I mention how much I love green tea ice-cream?? Green tea is literally everywhere in Japan, and I am excited I have fallen in love with it.

Thinking outside the Box....Spring

When your bed (or box-spring) doesn’t fit up the stairs, you have to think outside the box.  Or perhaps outside the house through the bedroom window.

Yakiniku

A few weeks ago, we discovered an amazing restaurant a few blocks from our home.  And since the discovery, we have been frequent visitors (to say the least). It's a yakiniku (which literally translates as “grilled meat”) BBQ place, where you can grill your own meat at the table. We've been to a few of these types of restaurants in Japan, but this is by far our favorite.  And the best part about it....it's very close!  It's a local favorite, and there are not  many Americans who visit, which makes me like it even more.  There are no English menus, so we just told the waitress to bring us whatever they thought was good, with the exception of tongue, which I'm not strong enough to try yet.  My favorite is galbi (which I pronounce kalbi), and is thin strips of beef.  The meat is already flavored, and it's a great experience all around.  James sums up the restaurant experience with “meat and beer.”  No more words are needed.  Come and visit so we can take you here to eat!

Harnessing the power of the Eel

I saw an article on CNN Go about an electric eel in Japan that lights up a Christmas tree, and knew we had to go and see it.  Inside the eel’s tank are two aluminum sheets that transfer or capture the electricity the eel generates when it moves.  (Obviously, I am not an electrical engineer, so please excuse my probably incorrect words used to describe how the power is actually collected.) Every time the eel moves, the electricity is transferred to the Christmas tree, and it lights up!  We visited the eel two days before Christmas, and it was very impressive.  The tree flickered every time that little eel moved.  You can watch the video of the eel through the link below.  Please excuse my high pitched voice and excited commentary.

[flickr video=5366651576 show_info=no w=500 h=300]


Magical Lights

There's something about Christmas lights that make everything a bit more magical. I watched a TV special this year on those people who spend their entire year planning exquisite (or tacky depending on your opinion) light displays to make the holiday season a little more festive. What I didn't know was that many of these lights displays have more than a million bulbs, and the displays literally take all year to plan. I also didn't know that many of these homeowners have been ticketed by the city, taken to court, and harassed by unhappy neighbors and homeowners associations.  I didn’t realize these beautiful displays bothered people, but I guess the bright lights and the crowds get to individuals who have to live next door. That's not really my point though. My point is that I love Christmas lights, and every year we make an effort to visit a large display. Some of the childlike happiness of the holidays comes back to me through the lights, and I appreciate the artistry that goes into the designs. This year, we visited Enoshima Island on my birthday to view the light displays. It was pouring rain, which meant we had this magical island to ourselves and that the lights were reflected all over the ground. It was like we'd been transformed into a fairy tale.  Minus the being wet part and getting rid of my rain boots before we moved, it was perfect. Despite not being a Christian nation, the Japanese love decorating for Christmas. It's strange for me, Christmas without Christ, but I love the light displays, so I am excited they put them up.  These are some of my favorite pictures from the Christmas season this year. Enjoy!

Snow Monkeys

One of my top five things I wanted to do while living in Japan was to see the snow monkeys in Nagano.   I think I saw them in National Geographic when I was little, and I have been wanting to see them ever since.  Every time I thought about Japan, I pictured those snow monkeys.  So, as soon as winter arrived in Japan, we made the trek to Nagano to see these monkeys enjoying the hot springs.  Nagano is about a 5 to 6 hour drive from where we live, but it was definitely worth the trip!