Moon Island & Clear Sea

The name of a novel I'm writing? No - the names of the districts Satoko and I now shop and live in respectively: Tsukishima (Moon island) and Harumi (Clear Sea). Take those translations with a few grains of salt, ok?

No pics of the new apartment yet, but it's just to the left behind the bright lights in the center of the photo here. If you look on a map (and zoom out) you'll see that we're on an island whose periphery is suspiciously Euclidean, surrounded by other islands whose peripheries are ... suspiciously Euclidean!

Yes, they're all reclaimed land, some started as far back as 1650. Actually the northern end of Tsukishima is built on top of a real island which used to support a small village, and now sports a towering housing complex. There's a gym there that we joined lickety-split.

Our "manshon" (=mansion =apartment/apartment building) is part of a self-contained village city called Triton (pronounced to-ri-ton) that predates the much more up-market and scaled-up Roppongi Hills development. Which I'm happy about, because as a Japanese friend remarked: "it doesn't feel like Tokyo". Plenty of shops but no crowds. Plenty of space, but close to the city centre. There's lots to like, if you feel safe ...

What is reclaimed land? There are many answers, but they're hard to find. Some of the locations around Tokyo Bay were filled with, uh, landfill (a tautology?) which basically means rubbish. Others were filled by simply bulldozing the ruins of bombed-out post WWII Tokyo into the bay. So unlike the wise man, I'm not sure what my house is built on. But I'm pretty sure what happens when the next big quake comes.

Here's a very informative and scary article about what happened during and after the Great Hanshin Earthquake that destroyed Kobe. More importantly, it talks about why. Anyway, there's something like a 30% chance of the big one hitting Tokyo in the next 10 years. 90% in the next 50 years. The land under Harumi will liquefy and dozens of very tall buildings will form the next round of landfill.

I don't intend to be here at that time. Until then, it's a relatively pleasant place to leave my hat.

The Stairs

Finally it's goodbye to my home of the last year and a half, and in some ways good riddance, though I will miss some of the conveniences of the quiet surrounding neighbourhood. The apartment was too small, too old, and a little bit dangerous. "Dangerous?" I hear you ask. Well, just look at The Stairs to the front door!

They descend directly onto the road, and the road is without pavements; a one-way, one-lane, one car-width shortcut across a train line and between two large arterial roads. That means fast cars and scant pedestrian refuge. Many a rainy night I trod The Stairs with life-or-death focus on the task at hand.

How I marvelled some time ago, when two delivery guys manhandled an inherited fridge (thanks Nick!) up The Stairs, through the front door - only marginally larger than The Fridge itself - and into the kitchen, whilst miraculously removing their shoes in the process!

Moving The Fridge out last week was similarly miraculous, but in a significantly more alarming vein. This time one of the moving guys lost it on The Stairs, and nearly paid for it with his life. The Fridge is big, and one man alone cannot stop it (save Damian perhaps), so down The Stairs went The Fridge taking with it the hapless moving guy. Along came a car on its high-speed shortcut, and ...

Somehow he survived with only a bruised leg and badly scraped arm. The Fridge suffered a slightly crumpled underside and dented backpiece but luckily still works. The concrete paving at the bottom of the stairs had several chunks smashed off by The Fridge. But The Stairs ...

The Stairs remain. Undamaged. Securely in place. And in my mind.

Down by the riverside

Well, I'm catching up now, as this photo was taken only 6 weeks ago. Satoko and I had the good fortune to be invited to a riverside BBQ with the Kiyosue family. My co-worker Hiroshi, his wife Terumi, and their kids Naoto-kun, Mai-chan, and Jumpei-kun picked us up from the station.

They live a good hour northwest of Ikebukuro, which puts them well into the "unfashionable" but actually rather nice (please refer to the colour 'green' in the photo) prefecture of Saitama. Although it's a mission to get into Tokyo from Saitama, you only really need to do that to work, party, or shop where the "fashionable" people shop. Perhaps you can tell where my sympathies lie. The upside to living in Saitama is that mere mortals can get themselves a decent place to live.

We popped by their spacious 2 level abode, and it was really a nice change to see a family living in a family sized house. Their kitchen and lounge are open-plan; something I've almost never seen in inner Tokyo, though I'm sure millionaires (x 100 = billionaires in Yen) might be able to afford such a luxury. The kids' room is great, with a loft bedspace and a high ceiling. In my place anyone taller than me (172cm) is at risk of banging their head on doorways, and smashing the light in the toilet.

Anyway, we set up camp by the river, and at a pace similar to that of the placid river's water, the beer and seafood flowed into our marquee in an unending stream of tasty goodness, gently sweeping us into a sea of satiety. It was a very warm day, and the stony riverbed didn't encourage the adults into much activity. So while the kids safely explored the shallow river, we sat and drank and ate and chatted till it was time to leave. For dessert we stopped at an ice-cream parlour whose produce derives from the local farms.

This was a truly relaxing day - a rare thing in Tokyo, and especially in our lives recently, so we owe Hiroshi and his family a debt ... one to be repaid in full, I'm sure, when they eventually visit us in New Zealand.

Not the last, and not a samurai ...

Continuing with my recent tradition of blogging in arrears ... nearly two months ago I accompanied Satoko and some of her (female) family members on a visit to the shrine for the selection of our wedding day kimonos, and a hakama (man's formal skirt) for me.

Now, I had previously vowed not to dress up in Japanese kit until my Japanese language ability was good enough to, for instance, explain to a Japanese person why I was wearing their traditional costume. However, if someone does ask me this on my wedding day, I'm pretty sure I can communiate the bleedin' obvious!

Of course, I tried on only 2 options, and let the girls decide which one was best. Satoko on the other hand tried at least 5 kimono - and it takes some time to tie the intricate knots involved. Revealing which one she chose will have to wait until the big day itself.

What I will reveal is that to accompany her kimono she has a small knife, a small box - both tucked away somewhere secret - and a fan. Now, imagine my furled brow upon finding out that I get only the fan. No katana (sword); not even a stout stick. I'm not sure what she plans to cut off and put in the box, but she'll need more than the fan to cool down afterwards if it involves me!

Romansu Kaa (Hakone Part 3)

Well, this is the train Satoko rebooked specifically to ride. There's nothing romantic about them, but these romansu-kaa (deluxe) trains are definitely comfortable. And to think, of all the hundreds of people on the train, a select 8 get front row seats! Does it cost extra? Reminds me of the time I had the front seats all to myself on Fujiyama at Fuji-Q High Land ...

Anyway, after the disappointing food at the Hakone Open-Air Museum, we decided to round off Satoko's birthday with a tasty Thai dinner in Shinjuku. Beer Chang was the perfect accompaniment. (Anybody remember those Big Changs in Thailand - especially Damian, if you're reading!)

Oh, I gave Satoko an iriver N10 pendant 1GB MP3 player for her birthday, but its lack of (well, poor/optional) USB Mass Storage device functionality, and refusal to play the variable bitrate MP3s I threw at it prevent me from recommending it to other friends. It's also hard to see the display through the mirrored front they put on it, so I can instead heartily recommend the player I chose for my birthday ...

A feast for all senses save taste! (Hakone Part 2)

The main activity planned for The Most Important Day Of The Year was a visit to the Hakone Open-Air Museum. This unique gallery sprawls over a large area in the hills near Hakone, providing a relaxing (though weather-dependent) atmosphere for the combined appreciation of art and nature.

Satoko had visited here 5 or 6 years previously, and although the museum itself was quite enjoyable despite the brooding weather, we were in for a shock when we sought nourishment indoors. The fantastic restaurant Satoko had enjoyed on her last visit had been replaced by a cheap buffet and an overpriced Chinese option. We sampled the Chinese and found it to be wanting in the extreme. Come here for the sculptures; come for the Picasso pottery collection; come to enjoy art in natural surrounds. But bring a packed lunch!

The Day Before The Most Important Day of The Year (Hakone Part 1)

For Satoko's birthday we went to Hakone, a beautiful volcanic area that cradles a large lake and 7 mountainous volcanic cones inside a huge caldera. Although it's a bit touristy, the people are friendly enough, and it felt great to be out of Tokyo and breathing some fresh mountain air.

The photo comprises some classic elements of Japan: rugged forested mountainous scenery, a shrine's torii (gates) placed in the (sacred) water, Fujisan (Mount Fuji) bringing up the rear, and of course a Japanese Mona Risa front-and-center.

Our hotel was right on the lake shore, and the next day from our room we observed the morning mists draw back to reveal the lake, the mountains, and finally Fujisan. After arriving we took a trip on one of the outlandish "pirate" ships (actually galleon replicas) to a town in the next bay. Somehow we found a little Italian restaurant hidden away above a museum, and had a lovely meal in the afternoon sunshine, washed down with some white wine. Perfec' ...

The Visitor

Cripes! Lots to catch up on. Firstly, Sean - my (NZ) business partner and best buddy - visited Tokyo. Of all the friends that I miss back in NZ and elsewhere, it was Sean that I both least expected and most appreciated a visit from. Out of NZ for the first time in his 36 years!

Before leaving he had trekked around a good deal of Tokyo. Ikebukuro (Best Tonkatsu in the Known Universe), Akihabara (strange hentai manga), Shibuya (109!), Shinjuku (Kabukichou), Korakuen (the drum game - pictured), Asakusa (Sensouji temple), and of course my own little backwoods, Kami-Itabashi.

He did well considering his previous week's activity; just one of the demons summoned together from all 7 levels of hell - receiving a sermon from the great B. (Beelzebub) Gates himself. All I can say is roll on .NET Framework 2. As Matt Shroff once asked: how come no-one's ever overwhelmed by the good side of the force?

Trainspotting (Nagoya Part 3)

Well, work has been a bit crazy, so I've only just now had some time to think about blogging again. Lots has happened this month, but first I should finish off the Nagoya chronicle. Actually I'm skipping a bit - Satoko and I visited the 2005 World Expo in Aichi (near Nagoya), but it was a quick visit, and the place was so busy that we didn't see much and there's not a lot to say. We did have an exceptionally smooth ride out there on the maglev train Linimo, though. Which brings me to the topic of getting to (and from) Nagoya in the first place.

Selection of the mode of transport was a tradeoff: either an overnight cheapy on a bus, or an hour and a bit on the shinkansen (literal translation: new trunk line) for about NZ$300 each return. We chose the latter in order to squeeze in what little sightseeing we could.

Having already ridden Eurostar (300km/h, European side) and TGV (270km/h, France) this trip (270km/h) was no landspeed record for me, but it was interesting to see what high-speed Japanese trains offer in terms of comfort etc. Our train was a 700 series (pictured above) - actually slower than the older 500 series!

The interior was very clean and comfortable - similar but superior to flying by plane. In an almost cinematic gesture, the beautiful, uh, "ride-attendants" bow as they enter or leave the cars through silent, automatic doors. In fact the whole experience was very much like air travel without all the hassles and danger. As evidenced by the horrific crash in Osaka recently, a reasonable percentage of occupants survive catastrophic failure of a train compared to those in a plane.

I'm a bit worried that Satoko and I are becoming densha-otaku (train geeks/trainspotters). We recently made a completely unnecessary transfer on my line just to take a ride in the shiny new train we'd seen operating outside my "local" zone. Then a few weeks ago Satoko rebooked the return portion of a trip we made - for the sole purpose of taking a spin in one of the new express trains on that line! Photos to come ...

Real "National Treasure" (Nagoya Part 2)

Inuyama-jou (Dog Mountain Castle) is a lovely day trip from Nagoya; not only a great castle next to a picturesque river, but also providing great views over the surrounding area. One of less than a dozen original (non-reconstructed) Japanese castles standing, it was famous for being privately owned until just recently. It has many interesting features, including a secret room, and a huge old tree remnant next to it which used to be a protective lightning rod as high as the castle.

You can read a review here, alongside lots of ratings and info about other Japanese castles. I'm really hoping to visit Himeji-jou, which in addition to being a Japanese National Treasure is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Quick little monkeys (Nagoya Part 1)

Last weekend Satoko and I visited Nagoya. She had several friends to catch up with including Mariko, who lives in NZ with her husband Grant and two lovely girls Kiriko (3) and Kauri (6). As seen above, they're quite a handful!

For 2 months each year Mariko brings the kids to Japan. They stay at Mariko's mother's house, and because the kids go to school while in Japan, they are truly bilingual - keeping up-to-date with both the language and the culture.

Anyway, they soon tired me out, but I felt a strange loneliness when they weren't around. Could it be that kids are addictive? I look forward to seeing them again, and can't wait to be a daddy myself now. (Gasp!)

Satoko and I really enjoyed staying with Mariko's family, so I hope we can return the favour somehow, someday. Mariko arigatou!

Three little girls from school: extracurricular

It's not me, ok? Japan is obsessed with schoolgirls. I suppose even Japanese schoolgirls might be obsessed with schoolgirls. Anyway, Satoko and I sauntered through Yoyogi park last weekend, and to get there you have to run the gauntlet of J-goths, gosu-rori (goth Lolitas), b-boys (breakdancers), rock bands, boy bands, and as shown above, girl bands.

Most tourists get photos of the goths. These kids probably commute every weekend from their towns in the country. During the week they look like your average Jimmy or Suzy (Junichi or Suki), and then just to be different (like everyone else) they head to the big smoke wearing the most outlandish and elaborate costumes they can fashion. Last weekend I noticed a kind of head/nose-bandage/mask-thing was the latest mode.

These girls caught my eye, not because of their quite average performance (and average looks - although the one on the left is cute in a more adult way) but because of the attention they were receiving. Mostly none, that is, except for a few photography otaku (geeks) that had all the gears. Expensive cameras on tripods with huge zoom lenses (compensating for other inadequacies) were trained on these girls less than 3 metres away.

As we left later the show was over, and the otaku were squatting red-faced with excitement as they collected the girls' autographs. Everyone's got to have a hobby, I guess.

Footnote: I suppose I should fess up and thank Sean for sending five large (but not inadequacy-compensating) computer texts to feed my Apple 2 emulation hobby. I too am another happy otaku ...

The joy of spring (Spring Part 1)

Pink and white blossoms softly raining down are a bit reminiscent of weddings, so the timing seemed perfect this weekend when Satoko and I made another visit to the temple where we are planning to be married in September. Before that we had a chance to check out a chic Japanese restaurant we are considering for the reception, and caught up with Satoko's friend Lisa on her home turf: Akasaka. Desirable turf it is too, with enviable architecture both old and new. Sakura (cherry blossoms) were in full bloom; tourists here today saw Japan at its best.

For those of us who live here, it's like nature's own end-of-winter ceremony - admitting defeat after months of relentless, bitter cold. Yatta!

Nice vice city (Spring Part 2)

Even the city I work in, Ikebukuro - not known for it's beauty - is suddenly snap-worthy, and possibly even picturesque! It's nice to see my namesake "West Gate Park" with a dash of natural daytime colour, rather than just the obligatory nighttime neon.

Spring's first act (Spring Part 3)

My local park now. One day it's thermals and a jacket, the next it's sandals and a singlet! The trees burst into bloom, and people head to parks everywhere to enjoy hanami (flower-watching), often with the traditional accompaniment of nihonshu (Japanese sake/rice-wine).

Winter's last gasp (Epilogue)

Just for comparison - here's my local park one month ago.

Menu for the first spring outing (Part I)

Recently the weather has been quite unpredictable. For instance it's been raining more than 3 times a month, and that signals the beginning of spring. Graf organised a gathering for hanami (flower-watching) in a park near his appartment (near Ebisu). So with a forecast for fine weather, Satoko cooked up a storm in the morning - yakisoba (fried noodles), onigiri (sushi rice rolls) and nikujaga (sweet and salty meat and vegetable stew).

We headed to Naka-Meguro (a futile attempt at name translation would be central-black-eye) and met up with him and his friends. Unfortunately the flowers were rather uncooperative - just a handful of early bloomers - and are expected to fully blossom next weekend, so with the temperature dropping we decided to move the festivites to Graf's pad.

FrieNZ (Part II)

In addition to Graf's many fine friends, the Auckland Massive was represented by myself, ex-transplants Satoko and Yusuke, and his flatmate Zane. Yusuke's GF Manami and Satoko's friend Lisa were also witness to the festivites and shenanigans. Plenty of eating and drinking ensued, with much conversation of both frivolous and hilarious nature. Only one casualty was observed, and a temporary one at that: Chinatsu - with more red wine in her than blood - was taken to a cell and coaxed into having a nap.

We were in part celebrating Graf's approaching birthday, so it was nice to catch up with his crowd on his home turf. Mine is always the worst level of Japanese ability there, so it's a great environment for me to be in. A kick in the pants to remind me that one day I want not to be worst Japanese speaker in the room. (I could just wait until Zeal visits next I suppose ...)

When Australians Attack (Part III)

Scott, a new addition to the menagerie, sure turns heads - Lisa's in this case. For some reason she was permitted to look in one direction only, and for some reason we all found this quite amusing. Scott's another GABA (English school) refugee, former linguistics scholar, funky house DJ, and goodness knows what else. He also sports a few good Japanese comedy impersonations - a sure way to win over a crowd here. I'm sure Lisa's still laughing.

Shootin' star

Last weekend Satoko went to South Korea with a friend. Shopping seems to have been the main reason for the trip, though I doubt there's much there that can't be bought here in Tokyo somewhere. Stuff's mostly made in Korea or China anyway. She did, however, have some photographs taken - one of which is posted above.

The name of the shop was Star Shots, and I suppose I must congratulate the Photoshopographer. Satoko is much happier with this photo than the last one I posted. It serves to remind us that gritty, unfiltered samples of the real world often jar our sensibilities. Like listening to a playback of your own voice. In particular, it reminds me of a photo prepared for FHM. Rollover (with the mouse) to see just how much deception there is these days in image media.

Anyway, I'll be trying to up my posting average from the current once a month!