Always have a camera with you

I realised that I should always carry a camera while here in Japan. The other day I was wondering around the local mall, called Roppongi Hills (similar to Tyson's Corner) on a rainy day. Outside the shopping area is an open forum where special events and concerts are frequently held. Well, imagine my surprise when I wandered over to see an Octoberfest/Tyrolean style 'oompapa band', in full lederhosen, valiently playing away in the pouring rain. They were all Japanese. It isn't even October! I was so frustrated to have left my camera behind, as this was a rare and special opportunity.

I lost my front door key this weekend, it must have fallen out of my basket when Tony and I took a lovely outing on our bikes to celebrate Father's Day and lunched at a little restaurant by the river a few miles from here. We were so hot and tired and thirsty by the time we had cycled uphill on the way home and were more than frustrated at struggling to find someone, who understood our English and who had a spare house key on a Sunday. Luckily, the owner was not so far away and we finally managed to track him down and he soon came to let us in. The estimate for the cost of changing the lock was monumentally high, but when four men turned up today to change it, I could understand the cost, except that only one man actually changed the lock. The rest of the suited men (including the senior architect of the management company) all watched and commented. It took all of 10 minutes. They were concerned that I was unable to return all the old keys, despite me using my wonderful mime skills to demonstrate that I had lost one of the keys and that was the reason for the new lock. Then they all stood in line on the front door step, bowed to me and departed. This is, apparently, how Japan manages to ensure a low unemployment rate. Layer upon layer of bureaucracy, several people to do the job of one man or woman. I dare not ask how many Japanese it takes to change a lightbulb... Whenever we have had to deal with government agencies (driving license office, alien registration department in the local ward office, to name but two examples), we have to wade our way through innumerable levels of seniority and many layers of workers to achieve our aim. It must be immensely costly, but it ensures a high employment rate and a very low number of homeless people, so perhaps not entirely without good results.

Spring Weather and Plastic Food

After three weeks in the US, fixing everything that seems to have broken in my absence, I am back in Tokyo and continuing to explore this fascinating city. This week, I visited Kappabashi Dori, which is the part of Tokyo where everything you might need in order to equip a restaurant can be found, except for the food. You know you have found the right street when you see the chef with his hat on top of a building (see above!). The street is full of shops selling ceramics, glass, pots, pans, linens, knives, utensils and any other item you can think of that you might need to start a restaurant. The shelves are packed and it all spills out onto the street. The most interesting shops (for me and many other overseas visitors) are those that sell plastic food. Yes, plastic food. Many restaurants in Tokyo have window displays with plastic versions of the food that they serve inside. Silly as it may sound, it is a very useful device, especially for those of us who have limited Japanese language skills. We can just point to what we want to eat. The range of plastic foods on sale in the Kappabashi Dori is extensive and very realistic. Also expensive. Many of the dishes cost more than double the price that I imagine the actual dish to cost, when served in a restaurant.

What I am not sure I understand is how they know what plastic food to make? Do the restaurant owners select the plastic food and then design the menu? I will have to delve deeper into this mystery.

If you want a souvenir, then you can buy a key chain with sushi or tofu on it. Elsewhere in the city you can buy sushi candles, but that is a story for another day!

If you were to look at a distance, you would really believe the food to be the actual dish. One can leave the Kappabashi Dori so ravenous that you will be seeking out the nearest noodle bar.

I did come away with a lovely selection of sake glasses, all different, so we can share our new knowledge of that delicious beverage when we return home. I went to a sake tasting lunch not so long ago. After tasting six (yes 6!) different types of sake, I was able to appreciate the subtle differences in flavor. The prices can vary enormously, but I am not entirely sure that I preferred the expensive or the inexpensive kinds. It was a very jolly lunch and fortunately, the lecture on sake came early on, before the warm glow occluded my ability to listen to the information being shared......

The weather is finally beautiful, warm, breezy and dry. I have been zipping around on my bike, exploring the nearby streets and searching for new places to look at. There are shrines everywhere, some very small and modest, others larger and more impressive, but all are delightful to visit and represent a part of the city that is most charming and an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Most shrines have cherry blossom trees and sometimes other plants as well, so they are like an oasis of peace and quiet. I hope to include some photos in a future posting.