A Quick Dinner

 

One great thing about life in Tokyo is the ease and convenience of daily life. On the walk home from little dude's school, which is right across from one of the many nearby train stations, we pass two vegetable sellers, a tempura shop, two fish mongers, three convenience stores, a small supermarket, a small electronics shop, a flower shop, two cleaners, and numerous restaurants. This is about a ten minute stroll at a small kid pace, less than that when I walk it alone. On a few evenings we've made a stop at the tempura shop (at the right of the photo) to pick up part of our dinner, selected veggies from the vegetable market (at the left of the photo), and come home to make a pot of rice and steam whatever green veggie little dude thought looked the best that day. It is so nice to have fresh food accessible in such an easy way, and also great to know the local people who supply our food. At the center of the photo is the fish monger that supplies fish to little dude's school once a week. All of these people know us by name, and greet us as we walk through the neighborhood, providing not just the necessities of a quick weeknight meal, but a pleasant sense of community as well.

A day in green

 

Waiting for the train. Green boots, green jacket, lime green umbrella.

 

Wednesday here was one of those days of heavy rains that happens only when living close to the ocean. Hard, driving, downpour rain for hours on end. I love rainy days, as they are the perfect excuse to stay in with a good book, or drink a warm beverage, and I always get the best sleep during a rainstorm. Throughout the day green was a reoccurring theme, appropriate for these early summer days.

 

 

The floor at Uguisudani Station- nightengales, which the station is named after.

  

 

The view from my office window, particularly verdant on a rainy day.

  

 

Green tea and green tea coated chocolates for an afternoon snack.

  

 

The green stripe of the Yamanotesen on my way home. 

Asukayama Park Sakura 飛鳥山公園の桜

 Sakura at Asukayama Park.

 My love of sakura is becoming an obsession this week. I have now done hanami (flower viewing picnics) four times in the last three days. I know that the blooms won't last, and that it will be rainy for the next two days, so I'm trying to get in as much time under the pink fluff as possible. Yesterday and today (and actually the day before too, but that was after dark), I went to Asukayama Park to view the blossoms there. The park is actually quite close to my apartment, so it's really convenient. It's also one of the more famous sites in Tokyo to view sakura; the first cherry trees were planted there in the 18th century, and it was one of the first public parks in Japan, opening in 1873. Even Emperor Meiji did hanami there back in the 1880s.

 Emperor Meiji at Asukayama Park, late 19th c., by Chikanobu.

A Hiroshige print of Asukayama Park sakura, 1832-4.

 All the happy drinking people.

 All the fluffy puffy blossoms.

 Sakura flavored chuhai (rice liqour and soda). Yummy.

Hanami at night.

桜 Sakura

 

The sakura are in bloom!

The buds started to open up this past weekend, and as of today they are in full bloom around Tokyo. This means that people are taking to the parks in droves, complete with plastic tarps, gobs of snacks, and plenty of liquor. On Saturday Joe and little dude and I enjoyed a picnic lunch beneath the sakura in Arakawa-ku. The above and below pics are from then.

  

Today I picked up some bakery bread on my way into the research institute and had a mini picnic beneath the sakura in Ueno Park. The trees there are among the most famous in Japan, and walking along the lined pathway, it is easy to understand why. 

  

There is no way that photos can do sakura justice. The experience of seeing thousands of people of all ages and in all types of groups (work groups, families, school groups, friends, etc.) gathering for what amounts to a national picnic is like nothing else. The soundtrack of laughter, kampai (cheers), and occasionally someone playing traditional music is pretty awesome.

 

The texture of the trees is also difficult to capture in two-dimensions. The flowers are fluffy and airy, and when they reflect the sunshine on a blue sky day like today it makes one feel as if in the clouds.

 

The joy of the experience is seen with kids and old folks, people taking selfies on their lunch break (like me, but I was definitely not the only one!), tourists and locals alike.

 

  

On my way back to the station after an afternoon at work, I caught some bonus sakura by the cemetery that I pass, complete with Sky Tree in the far distance. Little dude, my mom and I also took a dinner picnic beneath the sakura in Asukayama Park, enjoying the blossoms at twilight and into the dark, lit by the small lanterns that line the paths near the trees.

 

Karaoke カラオケ

 

It was a long week full of ups and downs, and so by the time Friday night arrived I was in need of a reset/release. Thankfully, I already had plans to go out with my friend Sara. We met up in Ikebukuro, had a great dinner at an izakaya, and then sang our hearts out at karaoke for two hours. Karaoke in Japan is generally in a private room with just enough seats for your party. Drinks and food are delivered to your room, and you order via a phone on the wall. The place we went to had eight floors (!) with probably a dozen rooms on each floor. The lobby was packed when we went to leave around 10 pm. One thing I love about living in Japan is that it is generally a very quiet place- my neighborhood is silent most of the time, it is against the rules to talk on your phone on the train, and there is very little chatting at work outside of the designated tea time. While this is great for daily life, it is nice to have the chance to get into a karaoke room and be loud and crazy every once in a while.

 

秋二 Autumn 2

 

The weather in Tokyo is gradually cooling, but autumn is still hanging on a bit here. On Monday I had business to take care of at the Ward Office. Difficult applying for preschool translating and explaining a US 1040 Tax form into Japanese tax language kind of business. Luckily, the workers there are really kind, and the woman processing our application was super nice. Now we just need to keep our fingers crossed that we can get in! In any case, the walk to the Kita-ku Ward Office is along a path beside this dry-for-winter riverbed, past a lovely arched bridge and near some fiery red maples (above). After my two hour (!) consultation and trying to pretend like I understand the US tax system, as well as learning about the Japanese tax system (preschool rates are based on taxes), I took a little sanity break and walked over to Oji Shrine (below), which is very close to the Ward Office. A great place to take a deep breath and return to a balanced state.

 

 

Tuesday was rainy and chilly, and as I walked through Ueno this morning the ginkgo leaves were falling from the trees. I am obsessed with their perfect golden color, and lovely curved shape.

 

 

Even though the 40 and 50 degree temperatures are nothing to complain about, the blowing wind and rain gets chilly while walking outside and standing on train platforms. My favorite anecdote is a hot yuzu drink from the vending machine- it warms your hands and your body, and matches the golden color of the ginkgo leaves.

 

Thanksgiving 2

 

Well, my tart made it across Tokyo on the trains (above), and tasted quite good.  My friend's apartment had a fantastic view of the city and the Sumida River, and with 15 people, the party was a lot of fun.

 

 

There were two turkeys, as only one 4 lb bird could fit into the convection at a time.

 

 

 

 The spread- mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli, stuffing, wild rice salad, tart, and turkey. Brownies and doughnuts for desert.

 

My plate of carbo-loaded Thanksgiving goodness. 

 

Spinach Mushroom Tart

 

Tonight I'm going to a Thanksgiving party at a friend's house, and I offered to bring something with leafy greens in it. One of the challenges of cooking abroad isn't necessarily finding things you like, or adapting your cooking, but rather I find the challenge to be in the moments when I'm trying to cook American-style food, or cook things that are easy to prepare at home. Enter the tart. Enter my oven.

In my apartment I have a combination microwave-toaster-convection oven. It is the size of a small American microwave. I also own one large pyrex measuring cup, and one pyrex pie pan, both of which I inherited from friends moving back to the States. My usual pie/tart crust is a Pate Brisee, and my usual method is made on a large marble board with a rolling pin- two things I don't have. Instead I found a recipe for an easy dough (click here), that consisted of cooking together water, oil, sugar, salt, and butter. The recipe said for about 15 minutes, but mine took more like 25. Add flour, mix, and it worked to create a crust! Magic. Meanwhile, I chopped a mixture of three mushrooms, some garlic, and onion. This is a Japan bonus- there is a great variety of mushrooms here that are very inexpensive.

 

 

The crust was pinched into the pie pan, and then I baked it for about 20 minutes, twice as long as the recipe said, but it looked good.

 

 

I sauteed the mushrooms, onion, and garlic together with some spinach and a liberal amount of basil and some sage. Unfortunately I couldn't find thyme in my neighborhood, and didn't take the time to go to an import grocer.

 

 

I mixed the veggies with an egg and some heavy cream, stirred in grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper, and baked for about 30 minutes. Voila! The apartment smells heavenly, and I now know a shortcut for tart or pie crust. I can't wait to see how it tastes!

 

Japanese Christmas

 

1920s Santa is in a rush in his wacky polka-dot-pjs! Thumbs up!

Well, it's the day before Thanksgiving. The holiday doesn't mean much here in Japan, but it does make me a little homesick to see all of my friends posting things to the internet about meals, travel, and break. I have a few things planned for tomorrow and the weekend, and have enjoyed reading the NPR Project Expat series this week, so my favorite holiday of the year will definitely not go without notice.

While Thanksgiving is virtually non-existant, Christmas is a secular holiday here in Japan, something celebrated the way Americans celebrate Valentines Day or Halloween- good, fluffy fun. I'll post more about it in the coming weeks, but decided to start my own Japanese Christmas season today. In the midst of combing through 1920s newspapers this afternoon for my research, I came across an amazing 1921 advertisement for Christmas decorations at a Ginza department store, complete with cocoa served at the store (above). I took it as a sign that my own holiday season should start today, despite my usual hard line against anything Christmas before Black Friday. So, this evening, I got out the decorations that I bought at the 100 Yen store a few weeks back.

 

 

Five dollar Christmas!

I turned to YouTube, and selected a Christmas music mix with a fireplace video. Amazing!

 

 

Ah, modern life.

I poured a glass of wine, and about 15 minutes later it's Christmas in my Tokyo apartment! Yay!

 

 

Cheers! 

Shimachu Fishmonger 島忠魚屋

 

Shimachu Fishmonger, Kajiwara, Kita-ku, Tokyo, 

amazing fish and fun conversation.

 I think I may have to change the name of my blog to fishyhiker. 

Today was mostly a Skype-with-the-fam-work-from-home Sunday, but I stepped out to run some errands and pick up some groceries in the late afternoon and early evening hours. I've long spied the fishmonger in my neighborhood, and today the selections in the case were so appealing, that I finally stopped by. My only wish is that I had done so sooner.

 

 

 Here, fishy, fishy. 

 

 

 I need to up my Japanese fish vocabulary.

 I selected the beautiful, but not so adventurous, toro (fatty tuna) from the case. The fishmonger then proceeded to engage me in conversation- asking where I'm from, what do I do in Japan, all the usual questions. He then invited me around the case and started giving me samples, telling me how to prepare certain fish, why they are popular, what's good and in season today, it was a rapid-fire crash course in Japanese seafood. I should have taken notes. I sampled a house-made veggie and fish dish first (you can see it at the bottom of the photo below). It was so wonderfully awkward- he held out a bunch on a chopstick, but I didn't know how to get it to my mouth (!), so we laughed and he gave me a towel to wipe my hands, and then I proceeded to eat it from my hand. It was delectable- slightly acidic from the mirin it was coated with (that softens the veggies and fish), with a bit of a kick from red peppers, and the density of the fish (I think saba, or mackerel), was nicely contrasted with the carrots and daikon. My next sample was the squid and squid ink that you see him holding below. After I got past the oddity of the pure black lump, I tasted it and it was even better than the other sample. Slightly salty, but really smooth and dense. The freshness was apparent in the taste. I need to integrate this into my cooking, and soon. Like, tomorrow. It was also funny to have squid ink on my hands, it is so black! The rest of the family was in the back of the shop, and we all chatted for a few minutes about the daughter's trip to America (Hawaii), and what Chicago is like, how I like Japan, and what my research is about. I paid for my toro, and my new pal threw in a huge bag of the veggie fish dish as a bonus. Kajiwara and Shimachu Fishmonger for the win.

 

Samples of deliciousness. 

Kajiwara 梶原

 

It's Saturday. A day to relax, do chores around the house, and errands around the neighborhood. While I spend a good deal of time hanging around Oji, about a 15 minute walk or 5 minute streetcar ride away, my immediate neighborhood is Kajiwara (both are in Kita-ku).  

A view of Kajiwara from my rooftop. For perspective, the population density of Kita-ku is 16,000 people per square kilometer (41,000/sq mi). Contrast this with Kansas City, which is 500 per square kilometer (1,500/sq mi), or Chicago which is 4,500 per square kilometer (11,800/sq mi). Yeah, it took me a few minutes to wrap my head around that.

 

 

To get to the shopping street of Kajiwara, I walk about 3 minutes through the narrow lanes of the neighborhood. Most of them look something like this:

 

 

The Kajiwara shopping street. It stretches from the street car stop off to the north for about four blocks. The street has a few restaurants and a variety of shops, from a toy store to a cosmetics shop, housewares, a few clothing stores, a sweets shop and a two dentists, a coffee shop, and a variety of vegetable stands, grocers, and a fish monger. 

 

 

Late Saturday afternoon in Kajiwara.

 

 

There is also a small Jizo statue next to the cosmetics shop.

 

 

 Jizo.

 

 

What I like about the neighborhood is that it is just that- a neighborhood. The shop keepers are really friendly and the pace is slower than in many parts of Tokyo. Old folks socialize by the senior center on the shopping street, and there are occasional festivals. There are a number of convenience stores, but they are outnumbered by the local shops. It is quiet at night. While it might not be a glossy as other parts of Tokyo, it has an easy pace, and is very liveable. Despite the high population density, it never feels crowded, which is something I can not say for many parts of the city. 

The neighborhood has a shitamachi (low city) feel; historically shitamachi was the geographically low part of Tokyo, or the area near the river, as contrasted with yamanote, which was next to the mountains. Shitamachi housed the merchant and artisan classes, and was home to the city's entertainment districts. To me, the small house on the corner of my block exemplifies the shitamachi lifestyle- the grandmother of the household sells candy and ice cream from a tiny  room-sized shop on the first floor, only open on weekend days when the neighborhood kids are out and about, and with no regular schedule. One wouldn't even know that it's there, if not for her handmade sign and for passing it during open hours. Much of the neighborhood is like this, shops are closed for vacations, and hours are abbreviated. The shopping street is bustling in the morning, but most things are closed by dinner time. It stands in contrast with the 24-hour convenience stores and is an interesting niche in a fast-paced mega-city such as Tokyo.