tokyoliving123

First of all, I wish you all a Happy New Year from Japan where 2020 is the year of the rat, as you can see from the header picture and something I will explain in detail for the next Deep Dive #6 and New Years in Japan.

As the year comes to end, rather than a long personal reflection and rant about resolutions, I tried something different.

It has been a fruitful year having completed writing my book, revisions still in the works, and of course becoming a member of COIL and the supportive CBC telegram group. Thanks to both I have blogged nearly everyday since October, with just shy of 100 posts.

As I scrolled through counting the posts I was moved by the fact that I had enough discipline to post something of substance everyday. While writing on a variety of topics I have found my voice and a through line theme.

If you were to have told me a few years ago that I would complete a book and blog daily I would have said you are out of your mind. Life is funny that way.

I am sure many of you might not have had a chance to read all the posts. Here is what I have done, based on the number of upvotes I chose the top ten (not in any order) blog posts that I like along with the title link and short description. That way you can choose and click on any title link(s) in blue that seem interesting to you and read.

#1

Combating Global Warming Before it was Fashionable

The title speaks for itself from a personal perspective.

#2

Bike v Car

A true life story about a famous Tokyo street battle.

#3

Let There Be More Blood

If you ever wanted to learn about the sport of broomball this is the one to read.

#4

The Star Wars Principle

With the recent release of the newest Star Wars, I thought this would be fitting as one of the top ten.

#5

Effortless Joy

This is one of my favorite personal posts that I want more of in the new year.

#6

Simplicity

The title speaks for itself and a good reminder to continue into the new year.

#7

Japan Life #6 – Food

This was a COIL team favorite. And I just love Japanese food!

#8

Touching Madness

I am back revising my book full time and blog writing daily. In the midst of madness.

#9

Ahhhhh!

I just like the picture and the sound.

#10

Easygoing Acceptance Not Resistance Baby!

Another good reminder for the new year to go about life with a sense of ease and enjoyment. And I think Kojak is pretty damn cool.

COIL’ers read on!

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Welcome back for yet another installment of the Deep Dive series where I write about topics that you might not otherwise know about. Or if you do, I go deeper than what you might expect. Or both.

Today's topic – Oddities. What pray tell do I mean by that? Well it has to do with odd things you might not know about Japan. Rather than tell you up front about what oddities to expect, how about I reveal them to you one paragraph and photograph at a time.

Hand Towels

Sure, I know, what's the big deal with hand towels? Everyone has them. Well in Japan hand towels are used for a few reasons – conserve energy, save paper and for convenience.

Hand towels are exactly what the name implies, wipe your hands after washing them. They are small and meant to fit in your back pocket so that anytime you are out and about, and need to wash your hands, just pull out the hand towel to wipe your hands of course.

The reason for this as I mentioned at the beginning is to save on paper usage first and foremost. Think about how often you use paper towels after washing your hands. Now multiply that by the number of people doing the same thing. That's a lot of wasted paper and more importantly trees. Nearly everyone uses hand towels in Japan and the savings in paper is tremendous. Just think if everyone were to do the same thing worldwide. Need I say more.

I have seven hand towels, one for each day of the week. And for the last fifteen years plus, I have rarely gone a day without one.

Hand towels are quite the industry and considered a fashionable item as you can see from the picture.

So why not give it a try and save a tree. I know it may seem like a pain, but I can tell you from experience if you give it some time, it becomes second nature, while saving nature.

Oshibori

Still on the topic of towels, this time having to do with what are called “oshibori,” or “hot towels.” Although translated into hot towel, it really depends upon the season. This wonderful custom is simply a white cotton towel (twice the size of the hand towel) given to you by the waitstaff in a restaurant before eating to wipe clean your hands.

While the direct translation is hot towel, which it is during the fall and winter months, it also comes to you cool during the spring and summer months.

It is really meant for the hands in restaurants, but is often given in hair salons and barber shops after a cut. And rather than wiping your hands people wipe their face. I will say it is a refreshing feeling after getting the latest hairstyle.

Over the last few years I have noticed a trend that I am not so pleased with. It goes against the intentions of the hand towel – to save paper. Rather than receiving cotton towels many establishments are giving out paper towels.

And to make matters worse, besides it being paper they are wrapped in plastic with marketing printed on the front.

As you may have picked up on from this post and others I am conscious of waste and saving our planet.

Funky toilets

On to the next oddity, “toilets.” I titled this funky for obvious reasons. Well you may come up with another adjective to describe it, space age, tech toilet etc.

Ever seen or used one of these? The actual name for this is “bidet toilet.” Calling it a bidet toilet does not do this incredible invention justice. It is so much more. As you can see on the left side of the toilet there are an array of buttons. These control everything from the bidet stream strength to remotely controlling your dishwasher in your kitchen. Okay, not really, I just wanted to make sure you are paying attention.

Truth be told, the buttons control the strength and direction of the stream, the flushing sound as well as the toilet seat temperature. That's right, during the winter months you can sit on a heated toilet seat. I will say having had one since the day I moved here, I cannot live without one, and for the life of me do not understand why everyone across the globe does not own one. Once you sit your set for life.

Well there you have it, a few oddities in Japan. Odd or not?

Come on back for more posts on life and Japan Life.

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Welcome back to the fourth installment of the Deep Dive series. This post has to do with convenience stores. Yes I know, not nearly as cool as the previous post on Mt. Fuji. I guarantee that by the end of this blog post you will have changed your mind or your XRP back!

American Convenience Stores

Many have preconceived notions based on their experiences with convenience stores. My earliest memory was when I first went to Los Angeles to visit relatives when in my mid-teens. Going into a 7-11 to buy junk food and the ever popular Big Gulp, which consisted of what I thought at the time was a gallon of soda, I chose Coca Cola.

We had an old dilapidated convenience stores called the “Superette

in my home town. While it served its purpose as a place to buy items like milk and eggs or other items one may have forgotten while doing the grocery shopping at a supermarket, it is nothing like they are in Japan.

My image of convenience stores now in the US are connected to gas stations, and I find they tend to be dirty, although somewhat convenient.

Conbinis

Convenience stores or “conbini” in Japanese are like nothing you have ever experienced before. In the truest meaning of the word convenience, that is exactly what they are. They are so convenient that they dot the landscape of Japan. You can be out in the middle of nowhere in the mountains, turn the corner on a small town road and there is a convenience store.

The Big Three

That's 7-11. Family Mart and Lawson. The three most common convenience store names in Japan.

What's inside?

While they may be different in name, they all pretty much offer nearly the same thing, that is anything you could possibly want. That's right! Of course you can get food and drinks. But not just a few items to choose from, rather a myriad of choices. And not just junk, food, but also healthy food and actual meals.

Drinks range from soda, to coffee to tea to many types of alcohol.

What else?

But wait there's more, so much more. Conbinis sell magazines. Everything from manga (comics) to sports magazines to adult magazines. In the picture below you may notice next to the comics are adult magazines. Why you might ask? Well unlike my country where there is some level of shame, here it is out in the open. And I can honestly say of all my years and time spent in a conbinis, I have not once seen an underage child peering at an adult magazine. They just don't care. They would rather read the comic next to it.

There are household and toiletry items.

Well this is just a taste of what these truly convenient stores are all about. The only way to realily understand is of course experience one, and that is only done if you come to visit Japan.

Subscribed COIL’ers read on for a little extra on convenience stores in Japan..

If you are new to COIL, why not think about making it a resolution to become part of the revolution. That’s right monetization and micro-payments are the future. Subscribe for the price of a latte (five bucks!) per month, access the rest of this blog and all the content on the COIL site. Or how about be a content creator yourself and get paid.’ers read on for a little extra.

Welcome back to Deep Dive #3 – Mt.Fuji, the iconic mountain revered by all Japanese

Statistics

Let’s start with the stats. First of all Mt. Fuji is an active volcano. While the last eruption was in 1707, there is always the possibility that it can erupt again at any time.

At 3,776 meters (12,388 feet) Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in all of Japan. Only 90 kilometers (55 miles) from Tokyo means that Fuji can be seen from many vantage points across Tokyo.

During the summer months it is not snow capped, but from late fall to late spring there is a coating of snow that frames the peak making it easy to spot and beautiful, even from a long distance.

I see it nearly everyday whether from the train or during my bicycle commute. There is something calming every time I see Mt. Fuji. And I think the Japanese feel the same way, and why it is so iconic.

From a recent bike ride a few kilometers from my home.

Photographers

Because Mt. Fuji is such a beautiful mountain, photographers professional and amateur alike love to photograph it.

The Diamond

One phenomenon many photographers strive to capture is the “diamond”. This illusive shot can only be captured from a certain vantage point at just the right time. It takes patience and persistence. I’d say the photos pretty much speak for themselves.

Climbing

The climbing season for Mt. Fuji is during the summer months only due to the weather and temperatures. While I use the word climbing loosely, it is more like a hike with some steep sections where you are aided with a chain-like rope to hold on to.

Anyone can coming Mt. Fuji. But be forewarned it is above 10,000 feet and you will experience a certain level of oxygen deprivation. I would suggest that you be in decent physical shape. Although I have seen people climbing Mt. Fuji with shopping bags in hand as if they had just come from a day of shopping in the famous Ginza shopping district of Tokyo.

Recommendation

I have only climbed Mt. Fuji once. One time is enough for me. Something that was recommended to me and I will pass on to you if you ever choose to climb this iconic mountain, and that is start your journey at 9 pm. Wait what? Nine at night! I bet you are asking yourself why start at night. First of, all the climb takes between 7-8 hours depending upon your physical fitness and the number of breaks you take along the way. Incidentally, there are a few places to purchase items to eat and drink during the ascent if you forget to bring your own. While the price is a premium it is worth it to fuel your continued journey to the summit.

Well we have reached the summit, but it feels like so much more can be said of Mt. Fuji. Maybe I will dedicate another post on this iconic feature of Japan in the future.

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Well did you survive another Christmas? I did. Nice and peaceful time here in Tokyo during the holidays.

Welcome back to another installment of the Deep Dive series. #2 has to do with cherry blossoms or sakura in Japanese. The kanji or Chinese character of sakura looks like this – 桜

The cherry blossom season is very short from the end of March to early April depending upon the weather. And because of the short season it is celebrated with a certain intensity.

This is the signal that winter has come to an end and spring is upon us. It's a time to gather together friends and family outdoors under the trees, eat, drink and for many sing. I think this is the Japanese version of having had cabin fever and time to get out of the house and really let loose feeling the sunshine and taking in the beauty of the blossoms.

Cherry Blossom party

The cherry blossom party is called hanami and the kanji looks like this – 花見. People gather at local parks that are home to many cherry blossoms. They find whatever space is available, lay down a blue tarp to claim their space and eat, drink and sing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4aG3S38rSE

This video pretty much sums up a typical cherry blossom party in one of the many parks across Tokyo.

My park

Well okay, not my park, but the park I live closest to happens to be home to over 3,000 plus cherry blossom trees. Because of this people come from miles around and arriving before the crack of dawn to claim the limited space available. Fortuantely we are within walking and biking distance and usually are able to find a space in which to set down our blue tarp, which incidentally in Japanese is called a “leisure sheet.”

As you can see cherry blossoms are an integral part of the Japanese culture and one that must be experiencoed to truly enjoy.

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First of all a Merry Christmas from Tokyo, Japan.

This is the first post for my Japan Life: Deep Dive Series where I will write about things that are off the radar and not usually discussed about Japan. Much like I did with the first Japan Life Series there will also be pictures and videos.

Topics for this one includes Christmas, Mt Fuji, New Years, convenience stores, cherry blossoms, hand towels and oddities and a few other topics that have not come to mind yet.

Here we go – Christmas in Japan!

Japan for the most part is a non-Christian culture that celebrates Christmas. Without religious overtones the feeling of Christmas in Japan is quite unique. While there are some things similar like Christmas trees, which tend to be over the top with decorations, and as you may notice use different color lights.

As for actual pine for tress, they tend to be fake. I have only on a few occasions seen real trees used. Part of this has to do with the fact that given its proximity and care for nature they do not want to cut down trees only to throw them away a month later. I know this is odd because Japan actually uses far too much plastic and wrapping in general. But that is Japan in a nutshell.

Generally speaking Christmas in Japan is really based on commercialization, which I will discuss in detail later.

Presents are not the main part of the holiday, only one present, instead of stacks are put under the tree. Unlike what I was so accustomed to growing up.

Unique

What is unique about Christmas in Japan is KFC. What is KFC you might be wondering? That’s Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yes, for the Christmas family gathering KFC is eaten. Why? Marketing. In the 70s a KFC Japanese franchise owner heard a foreigner say, “I miss eating turkey for the holidays.” Apparently, the owner seized on this chance and substituted chicken for turkey. In 1974 the company came up with a slogan “Kentucky is Christmas,” and from that point on KFC has been synonymous with Christmas in Japan. We have KFC for Christmas every year.

Cake!

More to the point – Christmas Cake!

In Japan, Christmas cake is another thing eaten during the holiday. Christmas cake is a sponge cake filled and stuffed with whip cream and strawberries.

It is incredibly delicious and the go to desert after KFC. I will say that deserts in Japan are not quite the same as the United States. On first glance, the cake in the picture above looks incredibly sweet. The Japanese have a tendency to use less sugar in the deserts resulting in a less sweet, subtle taste. I prefer this more than the heavy laden sugary deserts I am used to.

Santa!

Santa in Japan lives in Finland, not the North Pole. Children do not go to sit on Santa's lap asking for presents, that's too selfish for the culture. While Santa does exist in theory, he is not something a lot of kids believe in.

Yes that's right, the Colonel is dressed like Santa every year and the image for many is connected to, you guessed it KFC.

I have on the other hand made it a point that my now nine year old son believe in Santa. Every year he writes a letter, puts out milk and a “delicious” cookie for his visit. I fear the cat will be out of the bag next year as his friends are already letting him in on the secret that it is really the parents. This year he still believed!

My so got what he wanted from Santa.

Well that’s it for the Christmas in Japan installment. Come back for the next one.

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I don’t want to live in that place between being conscious and unconscious. Actually it is the state of delusion not acknowledging or accepting the reality of one’s actions or the feeling or that thought that continues like a loop in my mind that perpetuates the feeling of whatever it is I want to hold on to. No I want it brought to the light so that it is fully acknowledged and known.

I do not profess to know what goes on inside the head of those around me. I can get a sense of someone by their outward appearance if you really have eyes wide open. People have a tell and you have to be present and open to pick up on the nuances and subtleties, whether it is in the way the move, hold themselves, vibe they give off or words they use. It’s all right there. Hell I have a tell.

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Time to be true to oneself. To be comfortable in the skin. To occupy space with knowing the things I know. To be honorable, responsible. I have flaws, not perfect, I tell white lies, I have done things that many people have not.

I do know that there are many things that can be changed in life. If living in the now is not getting trapped in the past or future then anything can just be as it is. I hear it in other’s voices . The way in which they speak. Not connected to the heart and just a head game to themselves. Most are not awake and cannot hear the difference and so pay no heed and go on in life.

My task is to not pass judgment, to listen, speak and live by example. Passing the messages of the heart on to others. The message of life experience. The messages of life lessons whatever they may be and however it need be said in the moment. That is all no more.

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Hello.

Today is December 22nd, 18:18 (that's 6:18 pm). We use military time here in Japan. Don't ask me why. Well you can, and I will tell you the answer to that question and many more from December 25th when the Japan Life Series: Deep Dive begins.

As you may have noticed, or not, I have been posting Japan-related pictures along with very few words. Call it teasers if you will. While they were that, truth be told it was also a break from blogging. I have been posting everyday for the past two months. That's a lot of blogging if you ask me. I need a break. But I hope you’ve enjoyed some of what has been posted.

As I said beginning December 25th the first Deep Dive topic will be posted. The topic? Christmas in Japan. I know Christmas is somewhat different all over the world, but there is some commonality. In Japan as you may have noticed from some of the teaser pics I posted it is quite different. I will begin the series with explanations, pictures and video.

COIL'ers read on

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