Alas, I've finally decided to write about my apartment in Chiba, before departing Japan. An awkward schedule that includes working full-time on the weekends and doing activities non-stop on my off days of Wednesday and Thursday has prevented me from writing more often. Also, procrastination tends to be my style at times.
My apartment is a typical compact, boxed up unit facing yet another apartment complex, and parallel to a train station. All day, and at this current moment, I can hear the JR train passing through. But I can choose to eliminate this noise by pulling down a long metal shutter that not only blocks out the noise, but the intense sunlight that hits around 5 am in the morning. Oftentimes without the shutter, I wake up in annoyance thinking it is much later than it really is, and have a terrible time falling back asleep. During spring, many people experience this problem. I call it "the 5 am insomnia."
Although small and squarish in design, my apartment can feel a bit cozy for just one person or up to two people, for when a family member visits. The loft upstairs creates a sense of extra space, as I typically sleep there on a soft mattress rather than on the 1st floor. (Well, technically I already removed my pull-out futon from the 1st floor, so I am limited to sleeping in the loft upstairs until I leave Japan). The loft is actually quite spacious horizontally, but vertically challenged. I am petite at about 5 foot 2 and my feet can reach the ceiling when lying down. At first it was a bit uncomfortable climbing up a ladder to reach the loft, but I got used to it over time. From the top of the loft, you can peer through a small peeping hole, to view the entrance of the apartment. The ladder can also be moved around the room, and can be used to climb to another corner of the room to store extra belongings, though I seldom make use of this function due to laziness.
I have a small closet where I can store most of my clothes. I also found ample space to hang my clothes outside of my room by purchasing a free-standing clothing hanger. I certainly overpacked my clothes for Japan, and now that I am moving, I realized the importance of keeping things simple. Many belongings will have to go back to my parent's home in Taiwan for storage, as I don't want to exceed the baggage limit when I leave.
My unit has all the basic amenities a bachelorette needs at an affordable price of less than $600 USD. Plus it was all new when I moved in! It includes a tiny kitchen with an electronic stove with a very strong might that can burn food quickly, if you're not careful. It has a built-in safety feature that allows the stove to shut down automatically if you forget to turn it off. Why don't they have this in the states?!? I have a tiny refrigerator and freezer, and storage space above and underneath the stove. The washer machine is located in the entry way before the kitchen, separated by a thin divider from the stove.
My bathroom includes a standing shower and a bathtub. The shower head works incredibly well, and I can find myself taking longer showers as the water pressure is perfect and so soothing It is also easy to control the water temperature. The toilet is located in a separate room. As with most Japanese toilets, mine includes a rinse function, a choice of hot or warm water for the the rinse function and music to conceal any unpleasant noises from yourself.
My living room is furnished with a flatscreen TV and a coffee table. The wifi connection in my unit is pretty reliable, too. I have enough space to lay out my yoga mat, and can even hula hoop in the center of the room without banging another table or the TV! Yes, I cherish small thrills in life.
I am also just a short 5 minute walk from the closest Family Mart convenient store that carries everything you need in life and the bus stop. I'm also only a 10-20 walk to two separate train stations.
There are cheap eats close by, such as an Indian-Nepalese restaurant, a Katsu-don place (fried meat cutlets served over rice), and a yakinikku restaurant (grilled meat).
I'll miss the convenience of living in Chiba when I leave Japan. I have everything literally under my doorsteps here, including the random stray cats I see everyday across the street at the ham factory, eagerly waiting beneath car wheels for ham scraps to be thrown out, for when workers come out for a quick cigarette break.
*Video of my apartment*
http://youtu.be/hsUwYN-Y4NU
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Chiba Mascots
Japan has cute mascots for every region of the country, including Chiba prefecture. Souvenirs of Chiba mascots are available for purchase at department stores, and they make great gifts for family and friends living outside of Japan.
*Fukuoka Prefecture Mascot (Not Chiba)*
Chiba Kun
One adorable mascot is the Chiba kun, or Chiba dog. Chiba kun is a red dog, with goofy eyes and a tongue peeping out crookedly to its side. It represents the geographical outline of Chiba prefecture. Chiba kun wins the hearts of adults and children alike with souvenirs such as the Chiba kun tie, stuffed animals, key chains, calendars, notepads, pens, etc. There is even custard bread sold with the Chiba kun logo branded on it.
Chiba Peanut
*Fukuoka Prefecture Mascot (Not Chiba)*
Chiba Kun
One adorable mascot is the Chiba kun, or Chiba dog. Chiba kun is a red dog, with goofy eyes and a tongue peeping out crookedly to its side. It represents the geographical outline of Chiba prefecture. Chiba kun wins the hearts of adults and children alike with souvenirs such as the Chiba kun tie, stuffed animals, key chains, calendars, notepads, pens, etc. There is even custard bread sold with the Chiba kun logo branded on it.
Chiba Peanut
Another equally adorable Chiba mascot is the Chiba peanut. This mascot was chosen because Chiba is famous for peanuts. The Chiba peanut is shaped like a peanut, but with cat like features, including, eyes, pointy ears, and a tail. Key chains, notepads, hand towels, stuffed animals and pens are available in the Chiba peanut mascot variety.
Funassyi
Then, there is Funassyi. Funassyi is a yellow blob representing the region of Funabashi, Chiba that is known for pears. It is a blend of the words Funabashi and nashi (pear). It has big, droopy eyes, with elongated eyelashes, a leaf sticking out from its head, and a baby blue colored tunic on. Unlike other Chiba mascots, Funassyi is an unofficial mascot created by a Funabashi resident, and does not win my heart over, as it is mildly annoying with its antics of awkwardly dancing around or on the contrary, lying lazily on its side like a giant pillow. In other words, it reminds me of a giant marshmallow peep gone awry. (No offense to peeps. I think they are adorable). The Funassyi stuffed animal is a popular purchase among children.
Which Chiba mascot is your favorite? Why?
Funassyi
Then, there is Funassyi. Funassyi is a yellow blob representing the region of Funabashi, Chiba that is known for pears. It is a blend of the words Funabashi and nashi (pear). It has big, droopy eyes, with elongated eyelashes, a leaf sticking out from its head, and a baby blue colored tunic on. Unlike other Chiba mascots, Funassyi is an unofficial mascot created by a Funabashi resident, and does not win my heart over, as it is mildly annoying with its antics of awkwardly dancing around or on the contrary, lying lazily on its side like a giant pillow. In other words, it reminds me of a giant marshmallow peep gone awry. (No offense to peeps. I think they are adorable). The Funassyi stuffed animal is a popular purchase among children.
Here's another mascot (Just kidding)!
Which Chiba mascot is your favorite? Why?
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Sumo
In late January, my Japanese friend and I visited Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium in Tokyo to see what the fervor of sumo was all about. We started off with a traditional sumo meal of chanko nabe at Chanko Tomoegata: http://www.tomoegata.com. Chanko is essentially a hot pot dish filled with nourishing meat and vegetables in a savory broth flavored with meat and dashi. Dashi is a traditional Japanese broth made from boiled kelp and katsuobushi, which is fish flakes made from dried, fermented fish. In my humble opinion, Katsuobushi itself doesn't have much flavor, but should be paired with other foods to draw out the salty, fishy quality it naturally provides. The lunch set I ordered came with not only a hot pot, but several bite sized dishes, and rice. The vegetables, consisting of Napa cabbage, Japanese mushrooms and mizuna (Japanese mustard leaf) brought out a sweetness in the broth, while the beef gave it a rich, meaty flavor. Side dishes included, fresh pickles, a potato croquette with salad, chilled spinach, sashimi over a shiso leaf, chicken with peas and a bowl of rice. The tender cuts of sashimi stood out the most, as I enjoyed the freshness of the meat combined with the wasabi and soy sauce. Next in line was the croquette, as I love fried foods in moderation, although fried foods don't necessarily like me in return. The croquette was a creamy mixture of potato and tiny seafood bits of possibly imitation crab meat, which is made from processed Pollack (fish) meat and not actually crab.
We hit up Ryogoku Stadium in the late afternoon around 3 pm. The games began as early as 8:30 am and would continue until the early evening, but knowing it would start with mostly junior athletes and then move onto more senior players later, we delayed our entrance, so we could see the cream of the crop in the afternoon. Before entering, we spotted some younger sumo players outside, randomly standing about in the rain, so we invited ourselves to take photos with them. They were pretty cute, but probably about a decade younger than I. I was surprised to notice that the salesperson working at the ticket booth was probably a sumo wrestler at one point, given his tall physical stature confined within a small ticket booth. My friend pointed out that many sumo players upon finishing their sumo career, still remain connected with Ryogoku Stadium, which explains why I spotted several men working there who sported the typically tall, round and bulky sumo wrestler build. We proceeded to seat ourselves at the top of the stadium, which housed the cheapest available seats for less than $40 USD. Unfortunately, taking photographs of players from the top of the stadium proved to be difficult, as my smartphone lacked the in depth focus of a traditional camera. Interestingly enough, quite a number of people surrounding us were foreigners, as they were probably spectating for the first time and unwilling to spend much for something they knew very little about, while folks sitting on the front row, kneeling on mats, directly in line with the ring were all Japanese. Those seats are apparently an upward $200 USD or so. The audience were mostly distracted during the match, playing on their smartphones, chatting amongst themselves or snacking away. But they somehow knew when to tune into climactic moments. The usual procession of each sumo match began with each player facing different sides of the ring, sprinkling salt over his body to purify himself and then, making hard slaps all over one's body, usually the thighs and arms to get the body in gear for the match. Usually a match was finished within a couple of minutes at the most, which makes sumo a perfect sport for people with limited attention spans. The process repeated itself, over and over. At random, unexpected moments, I would hear the same person loudly shouting for a player's name. (Although on a completely different occasion, this also happened when I watched Kabuki theater last year). I found this to be startling, annoying and amusing all at the same time.
Out of pity for his poor performance and fascination of his foreign origin, I cheered for Osuna-arashi from Egypt; his name appropriately means desert storm to reflect the terrain of his home country, as he was an underdog who suffered from various physical ailments being mostly bandaged up. He could have been better named as the "mummy," according to another friend's non-politically correct remark. But unfortunately, he was quickly pushed off the ring. Also, Ramadan is reportedly tough for him, as his performance is weakened from fasting. On the other hand, speaking of top players, I was surprised to learn that most of the lead winners are Mongolian. Hakuho Sho from Mongolia is currently the top champion.
A highlight of being at Ryogoku Stadium was not watching the matches, but admiring the competitors' attired during the opening ceremony, when all the players would form a circle in the ring, displaying their colorful loincloths, known as mawashi. Typically during the match, the mawashi is worn just as a loincloth, but during the opening ceremony, players drape a long cloth over the front of their mawashi. This long cloth can display colorful, creative artwork such as Japanese fish, the rising sun, Mount Fuji, and as a total anomaly, Charlie Chaplin! I also love the hairstyles they sport of long hair wrapped up in a soft bun. Their overall roundness, miwashis and adorable hairstyles remind me of adult babies. Next to actual babies, sumo wrestlers rank second in cuteness!
We hit up Ryogoku Stadium in the late afternoon around 3 pm. The games began as early as 8:30 am and would continue until the early evening, but knowing it would start with mostly junior athletes and then move onto more senior players later, we delayed our entrance, so we could see the cream of the crop in the afternoon. Before entering, we spotted some younger sumo players outside, randomly standing about in the rain, so we invited ourselves to take photos with them. They were pretty cute, but probably about a decade younger than I. I was surprised to notice that the salesperson working at the ticket booth was probably a sumo wrestler at one point, given his tall physical stature confined within a small ticket booth. My friend pointed out that many sumo players upon finishing their sumo career, still remain connected with Ryogoku Stadium, which explains why I spotted several men working there who sported the typically tall, round and bulky sumo wrestler build. We proceeded to seat ourselves at the top of the stadium, which housed the cheapest available seats for less than $40 USD. Unfortunately, taking photographs of players from the top of the stadium proved to be difficult, as my smartphone lacked the in depth focus of a traditional camera. Interestingly enough, quite a number of people surrounding us were foreigners, as they were probably spectating for the first time and unwilling to spend much for something they knew very little about, while folks sitting on the front row, kneeling on mats, directly in line with the ring were all Japanese. Those seats are apparently an upward $200 USD or so. The audience were mostly distracted during the match, playing on their smartphones, chatting amongst themselves or snacking away. But they somehow knew when to tune into climactic moments. The usual procession of each sumo match began with each player facing different sides of the ring, sprinkling salt over his body to purify himself and then, making hard slaps all over one's body, usually the thighs and arms to get the body in gear for the match. Usually a match was finished within a couple of minutes at the most, which makes sumo a perfect sport for people with limited attention spans. The process repeated itself, over and over. At random, unexpected moments, I would hear the same person loudly shouting for a player's name. (Although on a completely different occasion, this also happened when I watched Kabuki theater last year). I found this to be startling, annoying and amusing all at the same time.
Out of pity for his poor performance and fascination of his foreign origin, I cheered for Osuna-arashi from Egypt; his name appropriately means desert storm to reflect the terrain of his home country, as he was an underdog who suffered from various physical ailments being mostly bandaged up. He could have been better named as the "mummy," according to another friend's non-politically correct remark. But unfortunately, he was quickly pushed off the ring. Also, Ramadan is reportedly tough for him, as his performance is weakened from fasting. On the other hand, speaking of top players, I was surprised to learn that most of the lead winners are Mongolian. Hakuho Sho from Mongolia is currently the top champion.
A highlight of being at Ryogoku Stadium was not watching the matches, but admiring the competitors' attired during the opening ceremony, when all the players would form a circle in the ring, displaying their colorful loincloths, known as mawashi. Typically during the match, the mawashi is worn just as a loincloth, but during the opening ceremony, players drape a long cloth over the front of their mawashi. This long cloth can display colorful, creative artwork such as Japanese fish, the rising sun, Mount Fuji, and as a total anomaly, Charlie Chaplin! I also love the hairstyles they sport of long hair wrapped up in a soft bun. Their overall roundness, miwashis and adorable hairstyles remind me of adult babies. Next to actual babies, sumo wrestlers rank second in cuteness!
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| Ryogoku JR Station |
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| Chanko Nabe (Oishi ne!/Delicious!) |
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| Young sumo wrestlers |
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| Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium |
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| Music played from the top of a tower after the tournament |
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| The aftermath: massive crowds walking towards the JR train station |
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Cats galore
I was surprised to find out that stray cats are scattered throughout Japan. I see them scavenging about during the day and night at odd moments, when I least expect it. I suspect people give up their house pets easily here, which is terrible. Then, they probably repopulate quickly out in the wild, especially if they are not spayed. On my usual return home from work in the late evening, a black cat has crossed my path a few times, usually from the right to left. Luckily, I am still alive and well; fingers crossed. On another account, I've seen a cat being surrounded by several large ravens. I felt like rescuing the poor cat before something ominous would happen. But I dare not cross the path of ravens. Ravens in Japan are known to be bullies to humans and animals alike, allegedly snatching snacks from the hands of children and pecking away at those who have tried to confront them. They are also believed to have a keen sense of memory and can seek repeated revenge to those who have offended them, so the best thing to do is avoid them at all costs. When one hears the loud "caw, caw, caw," from the ravens flying in and out of the train station, keep calm and carry on.
I've seen cats in the office parking lot across from my apartment, usually hiding near the wheels of a car. On a positive note, someone is feeding these furry creatures, as some of them tend to be quite plump (or pregnant) and I've spotted cat food a couple of times near the parking lot. I try to feed these cats whenever I can with seafood inspired junk food. Lately, I've been feeding them dried fish strips, a Taiwanese snack made for humans and not cats. But they seem to like it. I've also seen a beautiful, gray cat a couple of times at the local park. A cat lady was able to get its attention, and managed to pet it, but when I tried, it just ran away. I also hear them at night, through the walls of my boxy apartment, howling and hissing at each other through the darkness.
Cat cafes are found everywhere. I visited one in Tokyo lately, and although the cats were adorable, I felt slightly disappointed. The price was slightly steep, at about $10 USD for one hour, and there was a sharp cat stench. I was surprised, but I guess the ventilation in a compact building doesn't help, and if there are 10 or more cats incased in a room, it is hard to keep up with them all, especially if each one has a mind of its own (uncontrollable). Also, I tried to get their attention, but they could care less about me. I think they recognized that I was a dog, according to the Chinese zodiac. Perhaps I should have acted disinterested; then I would've had their undivided attention. I prefer my previous trip to a bird cafe which housed mostly owls. Although they were still and mostly sleeping, I admired their silent wisdom and beauty.
In addition, there are a few cat islands in Japan. The one that sticks out to me the most is Tashirojima. It is located in Miyagi prefecture, north of Tokyo, which was unfortunately victim to the 2011 tsunami. This island is known for having a higher feral cat population than humans. Most of the humans on the island are elderly. Fishermen here are known to feed the cats. These are some lucky cats, when you think of all the sashimi they are getting every day. Although off the beaten path, Tashirojima is becoming a popular tourist destination for cat lovers. The recommended time to visit is in the summer, as one needs to take a ferry to the island, and traveling by boat in the winter would be really cold, with all the strong wind gusts. Take a moment to Youtube cat island. You'll be entertained with what you see.
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I've seen cats in the office parking lot across from my apartment, usually hiding near the wheels of a car. On a positive note, someone is feeding these furry creatures, as some of them tend to be quite plump (or pregnant) and I've spotted cat food a couple of times near the parking lot. I try to feed these cats whenever I can with seafood inspired junk food. Lately, I've been feeding them dried fish strips, a Taiwanese snack made for humans and not cats. But they seem to like it. I've also seen a beautiful, gray cat a couple of times at the local park. A cat lady was able to get its attention, and managed to pet it, but when I tried, it just ran away. I also hear them at night, through the walls of my boxy apartment, howling and hissing at each other through the darkness.
Cat cafes are found everywhere. I visited one in Tokyo lately, and although the cats were adorable, I felt slightly disappointed. The price was slightly steep, at about $10 USD for one hour, and there was a sharp cat stench. I was surprised, but I guess the ventilation in a compact building doesn't help, and if there are 10 or more cats incased in a room, it is hard to keep up with them all, especially if each one has a mind of its own (uncontrollable). Also, I tried to get their attention, but they could care less about me. I think they recognized that I was a dog, according to the Chinese zodiac. Perhaps I should have acted disinterested; then I would've had their undivided attention. I prefer my previous trip to a bird cafe which housed mostly owls. Although they were still and mostly sleeping, I admired their silent wisdom and beauty.
In addition, there are a few cat islands in Japan. The one that sticks out to me the most is Tashirojima. It is located in Miyagi prefecture, north of Tokyo, which was unfortunately victim to the 2011 tsunami. This island is known for having a higher feral cat population than humans. Most of the humans on the island are elderly. Fishermen here are known to feed the cats. These are some lucky cats, when you think of all the sashimi they are getting every day. Although off the beaten path, Tashirojima is becoming a popular tourist destination for cat lovers. The recommended time to visit is in the summer, as one needs to take a ferry to the island, and traveling by boat in the winter would be really cold, with all the strong wind gusts. Take a moment to Youtube cat island. You'll be entertained with what you see.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Kuro burger
Burger King released a "kuro burger," or black burger, earlier this September, just a month before Halloween. Like a small child, amplified advertising caught my attention, and I couldn't resist the temptation of trying it. I knew I would be disappointed, but I developed a craving that couldn't be tempered. It tasted a bit spooky.
Having a taste for food adventures, I knew getting to Burger King would be a food quest and I was up for the challenge. I had to hop on a train over an hour away to Shinagawa, as there is no Burger King in my neighborhood. After getting off the train, I got utterly lost and frustrated, but once I reached a certain spot, I smelled the distinct aroma of fast food nearby. After a few twirls in the light rain around the same block, I followed the smell, and found Burger King lodged next to a Labi department store.
Like you had imagined, this burger is black, including the bun. There are two kuro burgers available. One is the kuro pearl, which comes with cheese but without vegetables and mayonnaise. The second version I tried was the kuro diamond burger, or the deluxe version of the kuro burger, with similar main staple ingredients to that of the whopper, with onions, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, but it has a wildly different flavor profile. The bun tasted of plain charcoal, but not smoky barbecue charcoal. It was unsavory. The cheese and special sauce was supposed to taste like squid ink, but I'm not sure what it tasted like, perhaps some kind of artificially processed food product that is made to taste like squid ink. The artificial seafood taste was rather unusual and didn't blend in with the burger theme. It would have tasted better in some sort of seafood dish or on top of rice. Each bite had me thinking the next one would be tastier and better, but no, each bite was equally disappointing. I think the best part of the burger was the vegetables and mayonnaise, as those ingredients had not been tampered in charcoal or squid ink.
I finished my burger as I had paid about 8,000 yen (8 USD) for my meal and wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting my hard earned yen. The fries were a bit cold and soggy, as they had been sitting out of the fryer for a while, but otherwise tasty, just like battered french fries from any Burger King. This burger was not for me, but chewing the burger got bits of it glued to the grooves of my teeth, which was pretty amusing. I also stumbled upon a decent used bookstore in Shinagawa called Good Day Books, which I would not have otherwise visited had it not been for the kuro burger. The selection was quite decent, and the prices were slightly discounted from the original prices, but not a discount in comparison to used bookstores in the United States. But it did the trick, and I stocked up on a few reads.
Having a taste for food adventures, I knew getting to Burger King would be a food quest and I was up for the challenge. I had to hop on a train over an hour away to Shinagawa, as there is no Burger King in my neighborhood. After getting off the train, I got utterly lost and frustrated, but once I reached a certain spot, I smelled the distinct aroma of fast food nearby. After a few twirls in the light rain around the same block, I followed the smell, and found Burger King lodged next to a Labi department store.
I finished my burger as I had paid about 8,000 yen (8 USD) for my meal and wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting my hard earned yen. The fries were a bit cold and soggy, as they had been sitting out of the fryer for a while, but otherwise tasty, just like battered french fries from any Burger King. This burger was not for me, but chewing the burger got bits of it glued to the grooves of my teeth, which was pretty amusing. I also stumbled upon a decent used bookstore in Shinagawa called Good Day Books, which I would not have otherwise visited had it not been for the kuro burger. The selection was quite decent, and the prices were slightly discounted from the original prices, but not a discount in comparison to used bookstores in the United States. But it did the trick, and I stocked up on a few reads.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
An early morning start at Tsukiji Market! *New photo slideshow included*
I recently visited the world renown Tsukiji Market's tuna auction in Tokyo. As featured on various food focused television programs, one has probably come across Tsukiji's tuna auction on television before. Visiting Tsukiji involves planning a few days ahead before going. The market is open to the public on select days, as notated on the Tsukiji Market calendar: Tsukiji Market Calendar. The tuna auction only takes place early in the morning. Also, only 120 visitors are permitted into the tuna auction area per day. These factors make entrance challenging but not impossible, if one is well prepared and willing to wait in line for several hours.
My visit to Tsukiji involved staying overnight at an affordable hotel near the market. Trains in Tokyo shut down fairly early, and don't run during awkward hours like 3:30 am, so one needs to stay at a hotel nearby, or snooze in a 24 hour cafe, but the former option sounded more realistic, given I was traveling alone. I paid only about $59 USD by booking a room at the APA Hotel Tsukiji-Eki-Minami through Expedia. This included a complimentary Japanese style breakfast and free wireless internet. This was great, given I wasn't expecting any perks for paying less than $60 USD. My room was snug and comfortable. It was a bit dusty, but convenience trumped this tiny nuisance, being only a 6-7 minute walk from Tsukiji Market.
The night before, I plotted myself down at a sushi restaurant a few blocks down from Tsukiji Market and devoured fresh chirashi don, a heaping bowl of miso soup and green tea. Chirashi don is called "scattered sushi," and is served over rice in a bowl or don. My favorite were the fish eggs over shiso. The eggs popped in my mouth, releasing their oily texture, contrasted by the intensely aromatic flavor of the shiso leaf. A big bowl of hot miso helped even out the rawness of the chirashi don. I finished my meal with a cup of green tea that I ordered by mistake. The sushi chef confused my request for the check in Japanese with green tea. I'm not sure how these two requests sounded remotely alike, so I should probably work on my Japanese. Also, knowing how sensitive I am to caffeine in the evening, I knew I had a long night ahead of me.
Back at the hotel, I rolled around in bed all night with light sleep in anticipation of the next morning. The green tea I had with dinner fueled my insomnia. Around 2:30 am, I headed over to the market. Not to my surprise, there were already 3 people waiting in line outside of the ticket gate. We chatted while being uncomfortably bitten by mosquitoes. Around past 3:00 am, staff welcomed us into the waiting room, where each person was given a colored vest and told to move towards the front of the room. The purpose of the vest is for personal safety, as there is constant vehicle movement outside of the market. We sat down on the floor for about 2 hours and waited for the room to fill up to 120 people. Folks were divided into two groups of 60. 60 from the first group were given a neon yellow vest and 60 from the second group were given a dark blue vest. We joked that the second group was given an inconspicuous color since they were arriving later. Apparently, their safety was not guaranteed (just kidding).
Time went by relatively quickly, although my excitement deteriorated into sleeping with my eyes open. Soon enough, my group was invited to enter the market.
The market was a large warehouse divided into two sections, with one half being the auction area. I took as many photos as possible, given there's a time limit for being there. There was some incredibly big fish that resembled baby seals more than fish given their mere size. Their fish tails had been previously removed. To be fair to conservationists out there, after watching mounds of dead frozen fish being inspected, it pulled on my empathic side, and I recalled how overfishing of bluefin tuna is a serious problem, which I hope can be resolved in my lifetime.
The workers there walk around in jumpsuits, rubber rain boots to avoid slipping and carry a fairly intimidating stick. The stick has a curved, sharp hook which is used to inspect the tuna. Workers walked around using the stick to check the flesh below the fins of the tuna. When not using the stick, I saw workers swinging the stick around like a toy or hooking it on their trousers. Besides the fish, I noticed the funky hairstyles (or lack thereof) of the workers. One man looked like an Asian version of Mr. T, being incredibly tall, with a shaved head that was shiny like a waxed apple, with all due respect. Another person had anime style hair. I noticed their camaraderie.
On the auction side, a bell would ring and workers would be projecting their voices enthusiastically. Fish was chosen and whisked away into the back of trucks. Immediately after the auction finished, we were asked to exit. Outside, danger was coming from every direction with big trucks and fast moving transport carts haphazardly whizzing by. I later heard an American mention it reminded her of the game "Frogger." I'm not a gamer, but I know what "Frogger" is and agree.
I returned my yellow vest and made my way to Uogashi Yokocho, an unpretentious shopping and restaurant area located next to the market. I waited in line for one sushi restaurant, but the line wasn't budging with all the tourists, so I was recommended by some visitors to check out another restaurant likely serving the same fare, sushi. The other restaurant had only a quick 10 minute wait, which was not bad in comparison to the other restaurant where the line was barely moving, even after I had finished my meal. This was all happening at about 6:30 in the morning.
The sushi at this restaurant was amazing. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos, as the dining area was a tight squeeze, and I had already placed my bag on the floor. Picking up my bag and getting my camera out meant possibly elbowing my neighbors. I admired the chef's personal touch, an older man with a friendly demeanor, who gave one piece of sushi to each customer immediately after hand crafting each piece, rather than providing each customer an entire plate of sushi at once. When I was given the sea urchin, I hesitated and offered it to my neighbor. Although I understand sea urchin is a delicacy, I tried it before but found the taste bitter and the texture difficult to chew. My neighbor said yes, but out of concern probably for sanitation, the chef removed my sea urchin and gave me another piece of sushi instead. I finished my meal off with a hot bowl of miso soup, and then sipped on a comforting cup of green tea. This cost me $40 USD but was well worth the price.
I then returned to my hotel and had a second breakfast of traditional Japanese food. It was well balanced and nutritious with pickled vegetables, fish, seaweed and soup. But after having sushi for breakfast, I felt a bit spoiled with my previously established food standards.
If you are a sushi lover, and happen to be in Japan on vacation or living there, please visit the Tsukiji Market. I guarantee it is worth the wait.
***Photo slideshow***
Tsukiji Market Album
***Information on Tsukiji Market***
Tsukiji Market
My visit to Tsukiji involved staying overnight at an affordable hotel near the market. Trains in Tokyo shut down fairly early, and don't run during awkward hours like 3:30 am, so one needs to stay at a hotel nearby, or snooze in a 24 hour cafe, but the former option sounded more realistic, given I was traveling alone. I paid only about $59 USD by booking a room at the APA Hotel Tsukiji-Eki-Minami through Expedia. This included a complimentary Japanese style breakfast and free wireless internet. This was great, given I wasn't expecting any perks for paying less than $60 USD. My room was snug and comfortable. It was a bit dusty, but convenience trumped this tiny nuisance, being only a 6-7 minute walk from Tsukiji Market.
The night before, I plotted myself down at a sushi restaurant a few blocks down from Tsukiji Market and devoured fresh chirashi don, a heaping bowl of miso soup and green tea. Chirashi don is called "scattered sushi," and is served over rice in a bowl or don. My favorite were the fish eggs over shiso. The eggs popped in my mouth, releasing their oily texture, contrasted by the intensely aromatic flavor of the shiso leaf. A big bowl of hot miso helped even out the rawness of the chirashi don. I finished my meal with a cup of green tea that I ordered by mistake. The sushi chef confused my request for the check in Japanese with green tea. I'm not sure how these two requests sounded remotely alike, so I should probably work on my Japanese. Also, knowing how sensitive I am to caffeine in the evening, I knew I had a long night ahead of me.
Back at the hotel, I rolled around in bed all night with light sleep in anticipation of the next morning. The green tea I had with dinner fueled my insomnia. Around 2:30 am, I headed over to the market. Not to my surprise, there were already 3 people waiting in line outside of the ticket gate. We chatted while being uncomfortably bitten by mosquitoes. Around past 3:00 am, staff welcomed us into the waiting room, where each person was given a colored vest and told to move towards the front of the room. The purpose of the vest is for personal safety, as there is constant vehicle movement outside of the market. We sat down on the floor for about 2 hours and waited for the room to fill up to 120 people. Folks were divided into two groups of 60. 60 from the first group were given a neon yellow vest and 60 from the second group were given a dark blue vest. We joked that the second group was given an inconspicuous color since they were arriving later. Apparently, their safety was not guaranteed (just kidding).
Time went by relatively quickly, although my excitement deteriorated into sleeping with my eyes open. Soon enough, my group was invited to enter the market.
The market was a large warehouse divided into two sections, with one half being the auction area. I took as many photos as possible, given there's a time limit for being there. There was some incredibly big fish that resembled baby seals more than fish given their mere size. Their fish tails had been previously removed. To be fair to conservationists out there, after watching mounds of dead frozen fish being inspected, it pulled on my empathic side, and I recalled how overfishing of bluefin tuna is a serious problem, which I hope can be resolved in my lifetime.
The workers there walk around in jumpsuits, rubber rain boots to avoid slipping and carry a fairly intimidating stick. The stick has a curved, sharp hook which is used to inspect the tuna. Workers walked around using the stick to check the flesh below the fins of the tuna. When not using the stick, I saw workers swinging the stick around like a toy or hooking it on their trousers. Besides the fish, I noticed the funky hairstyles (or lack thereof) of the workers. One man looked like an Asian version of Mr. T, being incredibly tall, with a shaved head that was shiny like a waxed apple, with all due respect. Another person had anime style hair. I noticed their camaraderie.
On the auction side, a bell would ring and workers would be projecting their voices enthusiastically. Fish was chosen and whisked away into the back of trucks. Immediately after the auction finished, we were asked to exit. Outside, danger was coming from every direction with big trucks and fast moving transport carts haphazardly whizzing by. I later heard an American mention it reminded her of the game "Frogger." I'm not a gamer, but I know what "Frogger" is and agree.
I returned my yellow vest and made my way to Uogashi Yokocho, an unpretentious shopping and restaurant area located next to the market. I waited in line for one sushi restaurant, but the line wasn't budging with all the tourists, so I was recommended by some visitors to check out another restaurant likely serving the same fare, sushi. The other restaurant had only a quick 10 minute wait, which was not bad in comparison to the other restaurant where the line was barely moving, even after I had finished my meal. This was all happening at about 6:30 in the morning.
The sushi at this restaurant was amazing. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos, as the dining area was a tight squeeze, and I had already placed my bag on the floor. Picking up my bag and getting my camera out meant possibly elbowing my neighbors. I admired the chef's personal touch, an older man with a friendly demeanor, who gave one piece of sushi to each customer immediately after hand crafting each piece, rather than providing each customer an entire plate of sushi at once. When I was given the sea urchin, I hesitated and offered it to my neighbor. Although I understand sea urchin is a delicacy, I tried it before but found the taste bitter and the texture difficult to chew. My neighbor said yes, but out of concern probably for sanitation, the chef removed my sea urchin and gave me another piece of sushi instead. I finished my meal off with a hot bowl of miso soup, and then sipped on a comforting cup of green tea. This cost me $40 USD but was well worth the price.
I then returned to my hotel and had a second breakfast of traditional Japanese food. It was well balanced and nutritious with pickled vegetables, fish, seaweed and soup. But after having sushi for breakfast, I felt a bit spoiled with my previously established food standards.
If you are a sushi lover, and happen to be in Japan on vacation or living there, please visit the Tsukiji Market. I guarantee it is worth the wait.
***Photo slideshow***
Tsukiji Market Album
***Information on Tsukiji Market***
Tsukiji Market
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Chibatman!
Watch out! Chibatman is coming. That's right, you heard me. Chibatman. My Dad recently shared an article about Chibatman. Chibatman is a mysterious man dressed up as Batman who drives around Chiba prefecture in a motorcycle. Unlike the real Batman who comes out at night, Chibatman can be spotted during daylight hours in traffic, and is seemingly law abiding with his respectful driving manners. During my short time living here so far, I'm not entirely shocked with this behavior. I once watched an English speaking television program called "Cool Japan," in which one episode mentioned the popularity of mimicry, or trying to be like someone else. Some of the people featured practicing mimicry prove the Japanese can skillfully bring it to a whole new level with voices or actions just like the original person. Sometimes I wonder how Chibatman manages to have ample time to dress up as a comic book/movie character during the day. Chibatman, what's your day job?
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/mysterious-batman-like-character-captures-the-95933855482.html
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/mysterious-batman-like-character-captures-the-95933855482.html
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