A Story about a Dog

While hunting for somewhere to live this week, we encountered an area called Shibuya. Shibuya has a huge railway station and just outside is Hachiko Square, which is one of the world's largest intersections. When the pedestrian crossing lights turn green, the entire intersection becomes a car-free area and you can cross at any angle. Quite impressive, if daunting.

Hugo and Ryan with Hachiko

The story of how the square got its name appealed to me and I hope it will appeal to anybody who loves or has loved a dog.

Hachiko Square got its name from a faithful dog that once waited by the station. As the legend goes, the dog, Hachiko, would wait everyday in the same spot for his master to return home from work. Hachiko faithfully waited by the station year after year, and night after night. Even years after his master had long passed away he faithfully waited. When Hachiko died on March 8th 1935, many hearts were touched. Today a statue of Hachiko resides in the square named after him and it has become the most famous meeting place in the city.

A Brief Update

Thought I might post a brief update. We have been busy house/apartment hunting, so not a lot to report lately. We had a great weekend, walking great distances, exploring the city, going to see Avatar (3D in English) and window shopping at all the expensive stores in the Ginza area. We went to an antique/flea market, which was fascinating and full of items from both east and west. 

On Monday, we went to the new members reception at the Tokyo American Club. It is in a temporary location while a new club is being built, which will be backing onto the Russian Embassy. The current location is pretty impressive for a temporary site and has a great book/DVD library, lots of classes for language and culture and a very active womens' group. So, once we are officially members, I hope to widen my horizons with new faces and new skills. I hope I can take a language class as my skills are improving just minutely with the Rosetta Stone software that I am using currently.

We are still enjoying exploring the restaurants around the city and, as you can see from the photo above, have had some unusual menu items. Our relocation agent took us to a noodle restaurant for lunch on Tuesday, where you look at small photos on a machine, put in your money and press the button corresponding to your choice. Slightly tricky as the photos were miniscule and the descriptions in Japanese. However, with some assistance, we were able to make our choices. The tickets that are issued from the machine are then given to a waitress, who very quickly brings the food to you. A wonderful, flavorful steaming bowl of noodles with vegetables (me) or meat (Tony) then arrives at the table......and a plastic bib to protect your clothes from all those sloshing noodles. All for $5 each. The restaurant was tiny, but packed with office workers and city workmen alike. 

The house we are leaning towards is called Sakura House (Cherry Blossom House) and is in a great area, near a park and just uphill from the subway station and lots of small shops and restaurants. It is fairly central and will be an easy commute for Tony. However, we are still looking at anything the relocation agent sends our way.

I will add to this post, when I have more time (who thought I could be so busy, so soon).

Love to all,

Julie and Tony

Earthquakes and Snow and Sun-Oh My!

Well, it has been a busy week, as the lack of any postings on this blog will show.  We are still learning to get around on the underground and continue to find kind and helpful souls to point us in the right direction. We are even helped by Japanese people who do not speak a word of English. Lots of pointing and nodding and smiling and we are on our way again.

On Wednesday we woke to the feeling of a train passing under our bed. Since we are on the 19th floor, I was somewhat surprised and then even more so, when Tony told me it was an earthquake. Just as if it was a thunderstorm or lightning flash! We later learned that it was 4.8 on the Richter Scale and that this happens regularly.....everybody carried on their day as if nothing had happened. This is another aspect of life here that I will have to become accustomed to.

On Thursday, after the snow had melted on the ground (just a light dusting, I am relieved to say) Tony had a big open house in his new offices on Thursday with a couple of hundred people, representing many of the large corporations and trading houses, passing through and bearing gifts of fruit, flowers, chocolates, wine and champagne. No event goes by without a gift being offered, another custom which is evidence of the charming and generous nature of the Japanese.

On Friday, our well-informed and energetic, if diminutive, relocation agent Ayako, took us around various different parts of the city to get a feel for where we might like to live. We visited areas of high rise apartments and large supermarkets, like Roppongi, and other places where there are smaller homes and quieter back streets, near parks and with delightful shopping areas full of individual stores, like Hiroo and Azabu. We are hoping to find somewhere to live in one of the latter areas. Then you can all come and stay! That same day, we three had lunch in a tiny basement sushi bar, where we sat at an oblong counter, with a sushi chef in the middle of a revolving conveyor belt with dishes of sushi and miso soup circulating around. You helped yourself to the sushi, or called out an order to the chef and instantly he made your request and put it on the conveyor belt. At the end, they count the number of plates in front of you (plus the delicious local beers) and you pay on your way out. Some of the best (and cheapest) food we have had so far. $25 for three of us. Needless to day, it was a very popular venue. So, Tokyo does not have to cost us an arm and a leg, after all.

I continue to marvel at the glorious flowers everywhere, even in the chilly February climate and hope to create a whole album of photos to show you. On Thursday I found some floating flower pots (see top photograph) and an arrangement in a pot, which, on closer inspection, were tiny cabbages of different colors (to left).
Delightful.


I still haven't seen Mt. Fuji from our window, but the sun is shining today.........

We love to hear your observations, either on this site, or by email.

Sayonara,

Julie and Tony

Brief video of our arrival in Tokyo-very tired!

http://sharing.theflip.com/session/fffdbadcc882f595b5ce4c3821fc8636/video/10777065

Cheers!

Just in case you do not feel like a Pinna Korada, how about these drinks? Hope you can guess what they are!

February 16th

Last night we went to a small Singaporean restaurant for dinner. Thought you might enjoy the cocktail menu (on the left).

It is freezing cold today, windy and snow in the forecast. Now, where have we heard that before? I am still unable to see Mt. Fuji from my window, as promised by the hotel manager when we checked in, but remain hopeful.

We girded up our loins and tackled the underground today, traveling to Tony's office and navigating the purchase of a Suica card each, which you load up with yen and then it scans you as you pass through all the turnstiles. We must look particularly lost (and daft) as we have been helped every step of the way, by kindly, English-speaking Japanese. We cleverly managed to climb on the wrong train and were quickly put right and sent on our way to the correct line. As you may imagine, the trains are impeccably clean and everybody stands in an orderly line to climb aboard. AND-I can reach the handles that hang down from the ceiling - definitely a plus being in a short person world. The flowers along the window sills in the station are REAL and gorgeous. So unlike anywhere I have seen before now.

We now have to apply for alien registration and re-entry visas. So many forms to fill in and so little time. We will just be sorted out when it will be time to return. However, we have a tough, feisty Japanese relocation agent, who speaks perfect English, helping us every step of the way. We have nicknamed her "the Barracuda" as she seems perfectly fit to negotiate whatever we need. Tony's office is in a large complex of shops and offices, really bustling with activity. The office is new (they moved in December). I think they are all a bit nervous of his arrival-they probably imagine he is going to shake up their nicely ordered world with his high energy and they may well be correct.

I managed to navigate my way back, despite one train stopping and everybody getting off, when it should have gone to my next stop. Again, the hopeless tourist look worked and a sweet and pretty young Japanese girl with a broad Australian accent helped me on my way. So far so good.

I am sure these posts will take on a more interesting and less detailed turn once we start exploring the larger world around us. Keep your emails coming, I love to hear news of you all and of home.

We Finally Made it! February 15th 2010

Well, we finally got here, after an incredible week of wandering the Caribbean and Florida, in an attempt to get home and pack to fly to Tokyo. We took four days to get home and despite 40" of snow, power cuts, freezer meltdowns, flat batteries, downed trees, unplowed driveways and much more, we got back to Fairfax on Thursday night and then flew to Tokyo on Saturday. The fourteen hour flight was uneventful and we staggered into our hotel on Sunday evening (Tokyo is 14 hours ahead of the USA EST and 9 hours ahead of the UK). Our Valentine celebration was in the form of a glass of sake and a bento box.....and (for me) falling asleep fully-dressed, until chased to bed by Tony.

We are staying in the Westin Hotel and at the moment all our luggage (6 suitcases ++) is squeezed into a bedroom, with the promise of a suite next week, so we can spread out for the next month or so that we will be here. Our shipment is due to arrive at the end of March and apartment-hunting is in our future for the next few weeks. Tony has already gone in to the office today, so I am about to make a new best friend of the concierge and I am going out and about exploring and finding the basics.

Later the same day:

As always, the devil is in the details....

ATM machine was-guess where? In a nearby Seven Eleven. Always a small piece of home to be found. Not that there was anything recognizable sold there. With an ATM machine that started out speaking Japanese, there was, initially, a lot of guesswork and random key punching. I have also to master the exchange rate, so was unsure if I was taking out $20 or $200. Since I was also in search of Scotch for Tony, (a miniature bottle in the hotel mini bar is $12) I found good luck here also. In Seven Eleven, I found a small bottle (1/5th?) and felt like the local lush, when I purchased it with my newly withdrawn yen. Then on to the department store nearby in whose basement I found a glorious food hall, where I was able to buy myself lunch and life's other essential-Earl Grey tea. Everything is so beautifully displayed and the people working there were very patient as I tipped the coins in my purse onto the counter for them to select whatever I was paying. Everybody's worst nightmare of a tourist. Not sure what I was eating, so am grateful that I have no food allergies. Tony and I have memorized the word for scallops-'hodategai' in order to avoid a severe reaction from him.

We miss you all very much, but intend to keep in touch by Skype, email, phone, chat, IM, whatever your preferred method!

Big hugs to all of you,

Love Julie and Tony