simply charming

So today we visited a little place called Kamakura (stay tuned for more info and photos - there are just several [hundred] to sort through :) ). Kamakura is an area well known for its Buddhist and Zen shrines, temples, and statues. They're practically around every corner, and they're beautiful.

While visiting the gigantic Buddha statue, I made a quick visit to the tourist trap of a souvenir shop and picked myself up a little charm. It's Buddha's slipper, which is said

"to make your leg strong," which I thought was quite perfect. And as it turns out, despite all the hiking and climbing and walking we did today, my leg is feeling quite solid. So here's to a little faith and a kneestrap. Oh, and Buddha's shoe. :)

tokyo's chuck-a-rama

Great news. The spirit of Chuck-A-Rama's all-you-can-eat fest is alive and well in Tokyo. Except for here it's just meat. Unbelievably good meat. And this coming from the one who prefers to just avoid meat when possible. And this eating fest is what we like to call "yakiniku."

So when you visit a yakiniku joint, ordering is rather simple. You choose what type of "broth" you want your meat and vegetables to cook in and you choose if you want beef, pork, or both. They then bring you a bowl of your "broth," plates of the most thinly sliced meat I've ever seen and veggies, turn on your burner, and let you go wild. You have ninety minutes to go crazy - and they refill your meat plates as you go.


So it's like Chuck-A-Rama meets Benihana. And it is so delicious. I didn't make it long, but the boys kept putting it away. For ninety minutes.

Oh, by the way. It's typical to take your cooked meat and then dip it in raw egg. Gag. Me. The left is Jess' raw egg, the right is mine (untouched and untasted - some things just aren't right).

But all in all, pretty much the best meal ever. By the end of our adventure, we had swollen bellies and a pan of bubbling grease.

I say yakiyummy.

a tasty gift

So you can never get enough Japanenglish right? I'm really not sure why they don't just have one American read their stuff. Just one of us could help. I mean, my editing brain just has a hey day with some of these, but I'm pretty sure that even the average toddler would have a handle on this one. Maybe let them know that the mold part is a little...um...unappetizing. But hey, this is the Japan I love.

And really, who doesn't want an oyster that is "yummy and yummy so much"? I know I do.

feelin' the love

Further proof that Tokyo loves me: hydrangeas. Lots and lots of them.

These are my most favorite flowers. The Palace trail is lined with them in spots. I've never seen so many together. Today's another rainy day, so when I had a clear window, I headed out. Just as I reached the bottom of the hill, where the flowers run out, the rain came. By the time I made it to the nearest subway station, I was drenched (even with the umbrella). So I put aside additional plans for the day and headed home. Decided that today, I'd just be grateful for the hydrangeas. :)

fine dining

About this photo:

1. This is the "fanciest" meal we've eaten in Tokyo, as in fine china and a meal divided into parts. It's a little restaurant in Hibiya Park, near Jess' office. The menu features not only the typical curry, but also "spaghetti with meat sause" and about fifty dishes with "gratin" (what we think might be referring to cheese). We ate outside on the patio in the beautiful non-rainy air. Perhaps the best moment was when Ryan noticed the bats flying overhead. Although the cats sauntering through the dining area also made for some serious ambiance.

2. This is a hamburger. Unless you're at McDonald's or Mos Burger, a hamburger usually means a sort of salisbury steak kind of a thing. And by the way, the carrots were really good. (And so was the hamburger.)

3. If it appears that I am always wearing this jacket, um, I am. You see, I brought only this in terms of warm clothing. In my mind, it was just going to be hot here. And I'm always hot, right? But it isn't quite the hot season yet. Actually it's the rain season. So I am pretty much always wearing this. And I've been looking for a new jacket, but so far, all I can find costs about thirty bucks. And they're nothing to write home about. If I'm paying thirty bucks for a sweatshirt, it better have Pokemon front and center or some other extremely cool anime characters dancing up the sleeve. Seriously.

evolution before your eyes

Japan: where evolution happens.

PHOTO: This is a turtle-like sea creature spotted in the Imperial Palace moat. I cannot look at it without throwing up in my mouth. So if upon viewing this disgusting creature you also gag, don't worry - it's totally normal. The gagging. Not the creature.

sugar cookie survival

So all I really want is a sugar cookie.

Like, if someone told me that I was going to be stranded on an island and could take only one item, it would be...a sugar cookie. Forget first aid supplies, a radio, medication. These things are inconsequential and of entirely little importance. Right now, survival is dependent on a sugar cookie.

Now as I've said, Tokyo has insanely good pastries and breads. I swear that their bread is actually cake, that's how good it is. And they slice it super thick and delicious. But still, I just want a sugar cookie. And there are rows of pastries and breads at the back of every conveni, but cookies, there are none.

However, despite the fact that I have a sugar cookie imprinted on my brain, I'd have to say that I'm still pretty content here. Don't get me wrong, I miss the States, being able to talk with ease to my family (as I wasn't living in the same state as them anyhow), the ease of finding things like a kneestrap, but excepting my mind numbing need for a sugar cookie, I'd have to say that leaving this little place in a few weeks will be pretty sad. Especially as today the sun is out and it couldn't be more beautiful. If I don't stop and think about it, I start taking this place for granted, which I don't want to do. I want to remember every happy little thing about this place - from the rare sunset (the pollution and cloud cover usually obscure it) to the crowded little streets, stuffed with restaurants and insanely good smells of curry and other spices that I'll only find here.

So even though I can't seem to locate a sugar cookie, I can't complain. Tokyo is lovely. More lovely than I could have ever imagined.

pen it down

So one rainy day, much like today (I would seriously appreciate it if the tsunami just did it's thing and moved on), Jess and I made a visit to Asakusa (home of the golden turd) just for the sake of getting out. While there we visited a few shrines, as well as the (read: tourist trap) Nakamise (a street lined with super cool, "authentic" souvenirs). But I think one of my favorite photos of the outing is this one. Jess was busy navigating, turning our mini map in circles, so I grabbed the camera and took a few pictures of these.

I've seen these elsewhere since, several times actually, and to this day I'm not entirely sure what they are. I think they might be pen lids? Sounds strange, but they take pens seriously here. I saw one Japanese lady sit down on the subway with her Coach purse and shopping bags full of stuff, take out this long skinny zipper (Coach) pouch, and pull out...her pen.

But to be honest, I don't know what they are. Just that they make for a pretty picture. :)

man(nequin) at work

Because sometimes your arm just gets tired.

PHOTO: This is an actual mannequin (he's Asian - notice the eyes) helping with some road work. Makes total sense to me - who wants to get paid to wave a wand around anyhow? But then again, spending the moolah to outfit a mannequin with the entire uniform? Signs are handy - and don't require uniforms...I love Japan. :)

like clock work

So Papa, this entry is for you. :)

Yesterday, one of our favorite stores was a watch store called "two 0 two - unique watch museum." It wasn't a museum at all, but the fact of the matter is, the watches are so insane, they belong in a museum.

I haven't worn a watch for years, but I totally took the bait here. I bought the above watch - not too hard to read, right? But some of the watches (for a "few" more yen) actually required demonstrations in order to read them. The boys were utterly fascinated, and we spent considerable time with a super nice Japanese fellow who showed us the clock works.

I've included a sampling of the watches we found. My favorite is the one that looks like it was crafted out of the side paneling of an old station wagon. So Dad, if you want a watch unlike any other, that requires lessons to read, I'd be happy to go choose one for you.





Oh, they also have excellent names for the watches. Our favorite was PIMP2, because as they say, "Pimpin ain't easy." :)