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 |
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