just walking around : Okayama edition

This is a very picture-heavy post.  Please be aware!

I had the chance to do a good amount of walking around my first weekend here in Okayama, so I thought I'd share some pictures I took.

 The first thing to know about Okayama city is that it is basically a transport hub.  There's not too much in the way of sightseeing, although I did see signs that were trying to promote Okayama as Japan's #1 shopping destination (which struck me as odd).  But anyway, Okayama prefecture itself grows a huge amount of Japan's fruit, apparently, and is known for its peaches and grapes in particular.

Perhaps in part to promote their famous peaches, Okayama city has embraced the folk legend of Momotaro, the peach boy.  Maybe you have heard the story of Momotaro?  He was a warrior who protected the land from ogres, with the help of his faithful friends: a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant.  His origin story is pretty interesting: one day, an old couple saw a giant peach floating down the river, and when they fished it out and cut it open they found a baby inside.  That's how he gets his name, Momotaro ("momo" means peach).

Anyway, what I'm getting to is, Momotaro landmarks are everywhere in Okayama.  He's essentially become the city's mascot.  That's him in the first picture above, his statue is just outside Okayama Station.

 

And this is a depiction of Momotaro as a little boy, presumably just sprung from the peach.  I didn't see the head-scar from where they cut him out, though.  (Maybe that would have been too graphic.)

 

This mosaic is in an underground passage beneath Okayama Station.  I thought it was a very pretty way of thinking about Okayama.  I like how the castle is depicted here.
 

So, I saw this bank.  It's called Tomato Bank.  Did you know there was a bank called Tomato Bank?  I did not.

"Material is a key factor to jeans."

Here is the Omotecho shopping street.  Quite a nice little walk to be had down this street!

 

They are SERIOUS about not wanting you to ride bikes, though, in the shopping street.  In spite of these cutely drawn sign warning how DANGEROUS it is, I still saw people riding bikes here.  Fortunately, no children or dogs were injured (that I saw).

OH!  I saw the Tama Tram!  Do you know about Tama the cat?  She was a cat who was actually officially named the station master of Kishi Station in Wakayama prefecture.  As station master, Tama wore a cute hat and greeted passengers for many years.  Tama became quite a beloved public figure all over the country, because who doesn't love cute animal stories?  And particularly cute CAT stories!  Sadly, Tama died in 2015, but her memory lives on.  This is a tramcar that was decorated in her honor.  I wish I had gotten a better picture of it!

Okayama Castle is certainly one of the most well-known attractions in Okayama.  Because its exterior is all-black, it's also known as Ujo (烏城 ) or "Crow Castle" - which sounds totally badass to me.  I'm not going to lie, though others have found it to be touristic and maybe even a little cheesy, I love Okayama Castle.  It has a special place it my heart, not just because it was the first castle I ever visited in Japan, but also because I just find it charming.  There's a museum inside (admission was ¥300 on this most recent trip) and a workshop where you can make your own Bizen-yaki pottery.

Here is one of the views from the castle.  I really liked these gold fish gargoyles.  You know, this was a really great day, all told.

Right next to the castle are the Korakuen gardens, but I didn't go there on this most recent trip.  They are lovely from what I remember, however, and I do recommend them, if you have the time and inclination.

I'll end this post with a montage of Momotaro-themed manhole covers.  Hooray!

At the beginning of this post, I stated that Okayama doesn't have much in the way of sightseeing.  Even so, I think there is a lot to love about this city.  Maybe you'll visit it one day, too, and if so, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.

Matcha in Omotecho: out and about in Okayama

I've now had my first cup of matcha since being back in Japan, and I'm happy to report it was a lovely experience!

My first full day in Okayama, I was able to walk around freely quite a bit, and found myself at the Omotecho Shopping Arcade, which is a long shopping street full of cute stores that more or less seem to cater to tourists.  At a little hole-in-the-wall tea shop, though, I found something that seemed really special: matcha tea service for only ¥500.

  

 The matcha bowl was brought to me with just enough matcha powder at the bottom, and the little dish you see on the back of the tray was full of water at the appropriate temperature.  I got to whisk the matcha myself!

 I had done this before, but I thought it was really nice that they provided instructions in English, too, just in case. (The Japanese instructions were on the other side of this card.)  Not only that, but the older woman running the shop was incredibly sweet and offered me some advice on the whisking of matcha, too.  I would have liked to talk with her a little bit more, but I'm not confident in my Japanese speaking abilities. . .

 

The matcha was of a very nice quality for ¥500, I thought.  It frothed up nicely, and the sweets that accompanied it were of the exact level of sweetness to best bring out the creaminess in the matcha.

This was a truly delightful, simple experience on my first day back in Japan.  If you are ever in Omotecho Shopping Arcade and happen to pass a shop advertising ¥500 Matcha Service, I absolutely recommend you go in and try it.  Well worth it!

among the reasons I love Japan

If you want to know why I love Japan, and why I wanted to live here. . . it's not always easy to explain!  But I think I can sum up part of it with this picture of my breakfast this morning.

Yakiimo-pan

I went by Vie de France to shop for my breakfast this morning.  Despite the bakery's name, much of the fare offered is distinctly Japanese.  For example, this yakiimo-pan.  Yakiimo is roasted sweet potato, and it's a popular treat in the autumn.  The pastry pictured here is not yakiimo, but doesn't it look just like a sweet potato?  The filling tastes like sweet potato, and it's very creamy and sweet.

The traditional seasonality of yakiimo, expressed whimsically in a pastry-form, creates something new and unique.  The expression of the seasons, the ideal of tradition inspiring creativity, and incredibly delicious food - these are all things that I love about Japan.

arrival in Okayama

I arrived safely in Japan yesterday afternoon.  I definitely haven't adjusted to the time difference yet, but I'm very happy to be here.  I will be in Okayama-shi (in Okayama prefecture) for one week, before finally moving into my new home in Saitama.

The train journey from Kansai airport to Okayama was almost more exhausting than the long plane ride, somehow!  It was nice being able to look out the window and see the familiar landscape, though.  It gets dark earlier here, as Japan doesn't observe daylight savings, and I got to see the sunset from the train.  I admit, I was feeling very nostalgic already.  In a way, it doesn't quite feel like I'm back in Japan - instead, it almost feels like I never left.  Like there was a part of me that was maybe always here.  How else can I say this?  Maybe I'll get hit with culture shock later on, but for now. . . it feels good to be here.

Oh dear, this has been a rather sentimental post.  I will write more very soon!  I've been taking lots of pictures (especially of. . . food!) and I'll post those, too.

Until then ~ !

the last pre-departure post, with a matcha latte

It's my last night in California for awhile.  Tomorrow morning, I'll be boarding a plane bound for Kansai International Airport.  Wow!  It's almost time for this adventure to begin.

So tonight, I'm relaxing at home.  I've made myself a matcha latte as a treat; it has a very soothing taste, I find.  It's energizing and revitalizing, which (even though it's late in the evening) I'm really enjoying.  (Maybe if I stay up all night, I'll be able to sleep through the long flight.)

I know I'm going to have lots of opportunity to drink matcha in Japan, but, you know, it's nice to remind myself of these pleasures.  Moving is always hectic, and the past few days have been a whirlwind of activity for me - but I'm really excited.  I do have have a lot to look forward to.

Next time, I'll be posting from Japan!  Please wish me luck!

Japanese currency, or: Turban Noguchi at home

One week left to go before my departure!  Today, my Japanese currency arrived.

Japan is still a primarily cash-based society; credit cards may be becoming more popular, but most transactions in stores are still done with cash.  So, I wanted to be sure to have yen on me as soon as I arrived.

When I last lived in Japan (2012 - 2013), I remember waiting in line at the grocery store and seeing people open their wallets with the equivalent of hundreds of dollars inside.  It's quite common to walk around with huge amounts of cash on one's person.  This would be unusual in the United States, where getting mugged is a very real fear.  However, Japan is a much safer country, generally speaking.  (Even in big cities like Tokyo, one often hears anecdotes about lost wallets being returned with all the cash still safely inside.)  I believe it is this sense of safety that allows Japan to remain so comfortably cash-based.

There are benefits to carrying cash.  I found that when I paid for everything in cash, I tended to save more money.  This makes sense; one is more aware of what one can and cannot afford when one needs only to look in their wallet to be sure.

I think that Japanese yen is beautiful, too.  The different denominations are in different colors, so one can easily select the right bill at a glance.  I feel this is preferable to our monochromatic American cash.  Also, in the United States, our money tends to feature political figures only, whereas the yen banknotes now show a range of cultural personae.  I prefer the Japanese banknotes.  On the 10,000 yen note is Yukichi Fukuzawa ( 福澤 諭吉 ), a philosophical writer and the founder of Keio University.  The 5,000 yen note features Ichiyo Higuchi ( 樋口 一葉 ), a writer and poet from the Meiji Era.  The 1,000 yen note shows Hideyo Noguchi ( 野口 英世 ), who was a doctor and bacteriologist.

There is another banknote in current usage, but it tends to be a little more rare; the 2,000 yen note was first issued in the year 2000.  I hear that it's still considered kind of a novelty, but I think the 2,000 yen note is the prettiest banknote of all.

The 2,000 Yen Banknote

 Look!  One one side, you can see a chrysanthemum motif and the Shureimon, a castle gate in Okinawa.  On the other side is an illustration and quotation from The Tale of Genji, a very important classical work of literature.  Don't you think it's pretty?  It seems a shame it isn't more popular.  Then again, I suppose all the yen banknotes are nice, in their own way.

Well, after this long post about cash, perhaps you will assume I am a mature and responsible adult who treats money with serious care.  I wish you were right.  The fact is, as soon as I saw my new 1,000 yen bills, I had an uncontrollable urge to fold some origami.

Meet "Turban Noguchi"

"Turban Noguchi" is a form of origami that was popularized in the early 2000s by Hiroyuki Nakajima.  Why did this become popular?  Well, I can't help but think it's quite cute to give Mr Noguchi a little hat.  If you'd like to create one for yourself, I learned by watching this YouTube tutorial.  There is also an adorable website, "Turban Noguchi and His Delightful Companions," that features many more "moneygami" creations.

In any case, it's all just for fun - there are many ways to appreciate currency, don't you think?

views from my Californian home

In the weeks leading up to my departure for Japan, I have been trying to enjoy my current life here at home as much as possible.  There are so many things that I know I'm going to miss.  I want to be able to notice them and appreciate them now, while I can.

I know I'm particularly going to miss the view from the Stockton Street garage in North Beach.

I'm not actually from San Francisco; I was born in the East Bay.  When I travel, it's inevitable that people will ask, "Where are you from?"  I almost always say San Francisco, which is easier than naming and explaining the location of the little-known suburban town where I was raised.  To say I'm from San Francisco isn't too much of an exaggeration, I think; I've worked in the city for the past two-and-a-half years, and have visited it fairly regularly my whole life.  Then again, the distance from my hometown to San Francisco is roughly equivalent to the distance from Kawagoe to Tokyo.

I do feel at home in the city.  I know I'm going to miss the brightly colored buildings, the fog, the people, and the lights.

To end this post, I'll share a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, former Poet Laureate of San Francisco.


The Changing Light
by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

The changing light
                 at San Francisco
       is none of your East Coast light
                none of your
                            pearly light of Paris
The light of San Francisco
                        is a sea light
                                       an island light
And the light of fog
                   blanketing the hills
          drifting in at night
                      through the Golden Gate
                                       to lie on the city at dawn
And then the halcyon late mornings
       after the fog burns off
            and the sun paints white houses
                                    with the sea light of Greece
                 with sharp clean shadows 
                       making the town look like
                                it had just been painted

But the wind comes up at four o’clock
                                     sweeping the hills

And then the veil of light of early evening

And then another scrim
                  when the new night fog
                                        floats in
And in that vale of light
                      the city drifts
                                    anchorless upon the ocean

Post: The First

Hello!  Nice to meet you.  Let's begin.

I've created this blog at the beginning of what promises to be a "new chapter" in my life.  On the 23rd of this month (September), I will be moving from my lifelong home in California to Japan.  So, I want a blog that will chronicle my experiences.  I want a place where I can post photos of my travels and share meaningful discoveries.  It is nice that such a place is freely provided on the internet.

I intend to use this blog to post about my journeys, experiences, and various things that I enjoy.  (If you are wondering what these might include, the title of this blog may provide a hint.)  I hope it will be a way for me to easily keep in touch with my family, too.

Fair warning: it may be that this blog will be filled with effusive sentimentality, as I am quite softhearted and prone to nostalgia.  As such, I'm not sure if it will be of much interest to others.  Of course, I will be pleased to share recommendations and discussions with anyone who does care to follow along.

I hope you will look forward to it!  I am happy to be here.