Golden Week and a New Home

 It has been a while since we added to this post. In the meantime, we finally moved out of the hotel and into Sakura House (Cherry Blossom House). So, in the last two weeks we have been settling in, getting systems up and running (TV, Cable, Internet) and opened a bank account during a marathon morning at Citibank, with Tony filling endless forms and me discovering that there is no such thing as a joint account and I am not eligible to open my own as I am not working here. A very different approach, but I am sure I will cope. Of course, the challenge to getting everything going has been the fact that all instructions are in Japanese and so we have to go by trial and error on most things. We did take delivery of an electric bike this week, so I can get out and about, venture further afield without using the subway or taxis and carry home more than one loaf of bread and a pint of milk! The bicycle is great fun and the little motor gives me just the boost I need to get up the hill between the nearest supermarket and our house. There are bikes all over the city, a very popular form of transport and it is so safe here that people leave their shopping in the bicycle baskets when they park them in the street and it stays safe and sound.

This is our back patio, where we can sit and have a cup of coffee or glass of wine in the evenings. The weather has not been so great of late, but last weekend we did manage to have lunch outside. There are small trees (cherry blossom and Japanese maple) and bushes and I have bought two tubs to fill with annuals for some more color. Now I have to find somewhere to buy soil and plants..

We are just 7 minutes from the subway and walking distance from a large multiplex movie theater, where English language movies are shown. Shops are plentiful, now I just have to figure out what I am buying. I am meeting up with a Scottish friend and a Japanese lady from the Tokyo American Club who is going to give us a supermarket tour, identifying the various items and how to read the labels. Should be very helpful!

We are having an interesting time in the ciy, meeting an assortment of people from all over the world. I play mahjong with a group of British, American and Japanese ladies and have joined the "Chicken and Chablis" lunch group, mainly New Zealanders and Australians with a smattering of British and Americans and Tony and I go to some fun events like the celebration of the Queen's Birthday Luncheon at the British Embassy (fish and chips and Cornish pasties, washed down with British beer and wine) on Wednesday (April 21st-her actual birthday). We came third in the trivia competition at the Tokyo American Club last night, teaming up with a couple of Scottish friends, coming home two bottles of wine the richer!

Next week sees the start of "Golden Week" (Ogata Renkyu), a time with sufficient public holidays as to constitute nearly a whole week off (with one day of one's own leave inserted in the middle).

The following holidays make up Golden Week:

 

April 29^th – Showa Day honors the Emperor Showa (Hirohito) who was emperor before, during and after World War II. Apparently, the holiday is to encourage reflection on the 63 turbulent years of the Emperor’s reign.

May 3^rd – Constitution Memorial Day is a day to reflect on the meaning of democracy

May 4^th – Greenery Day is a day to commune with nature and be thankful for its blessings

May 5^th – Children’s Day takes place on the fifth day of the fifth month every year and is to encourage respect for children’s personalities and to celebrate their happiness.

A lot to think about, but at the end of the day it is a week of holidays and everybody travels during this week, so airlines, trains, hotels, are all fully-booked, months in advance (a lot like Thanksgiving). We are staying in Tokyo and exploring a bit further afield. Now if only the weather would improve!

Cherry Blossom Time

This photograph is of a beautiful cherry blossom tree at Togo's Shrine in the city. The weekend when the blossoms were at their finest was unfortunately not so great weather-wise. The cherry blossoms were still spectacular. All over the city, especially near shrines and around the Imperial Palace, the trees were blossoming in all their glory. Families and friends come together for Hanami-a cherry blossom viewing party. They gather in parks where the trees are blooming and have picnics and enjoy the glory of the trees. We attended a Hanami party at the British Embassy and were entertained by some pretty lively (and loud) drummers, while drinking a special cocktail with cherry blossom flavoring. At a cooking class, I tasted salted cherry blossoms that had been stirred into a rice dish. They were very sour and not entirely a new favorite, but certainly were different from other flavors I have enjoyed in the past.