Is it just me, or do we need a Japan Trip report
Dec 10th, 2005, 05:19 PM
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Is it just me, or do we need a Japan Trip report
It's time for me to get fired up for the spring trip. Is there anyone who has been to Japan for the fall folliage season or whatever reason who can just give me a glimpse of their trip so I can get psyched to do everything I need to do for my trip? Please.
Dec 10th, 2005, 05:31 PM
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Here you go...here's a 24 hour clip of "my Japanese life." Not so exciting but the best I can do.
Dec 10/Saturday
Wake up at 7:30, drag ourselves out of bed and brave the cold of the hallway and bathroom - in a typical Japanese house the rooms are heated but hallways and bathrooms are not. We use electric inverters, but many people use kerosene burners.
By 8:00, we'd all had breakfast. Collected Teaghan's friend from next door and headed off to the sports club for kid's hip hop dance class for the girls and treadmill and bike for us. Home by 10:00.
Quick snack. Then off to the shopping center nearby to buy 500 yen gifts for the slew of impending Christmas parties we have to go to. We went to the "Target-style" shopping center...first floor is food and shoes and bags, second floor is an enormous 100 yen shop filled with various stuff, most of which isn't worth 100 yen. The rest of the floor is other smaller shops that sell basically the same things as the 100 yen shop, but for between 20 and 80 yen per item. There is also a flea market shop that was selling lots of used shoes yesterday.
I had 2 classes to teach in the afternoon, but Teaghan and my husband stayed home. 2 friends joined Teaghan for an afternoon of TV sitting in the kotatsu...it's a table that looks like a wide version of a coffee table. There is a heater built into the underside of it, and the table top comes off, you put a big comforter type thing over it, replace the table top. You sit with your legs inside the blanket being warmed by the heater. Sounds a bit strange, but I tell you, these things are great. The room temperature hovers around 10C, but
Dec 10/Saturday
Wake up at 7:30, drag ourselves out of bed and brave the cold of the hallway and bathroom - in a typical Japanese house the rooms are heated but hallways and bathrooms are not. We use electric inverters, but many people use kerosene burners.
By 8:00, we'd all had breakfast. Collected Teaghan's friend from next door and headed off to the sports club for kid's hip hop dance class for the girls and treadmill and bike for us. Home by 10:00.
Quick snack. Then off to the shopping center nearby to buy 500 yen gifts for the slew of impending Christmas parties we have to go to. We went to the "Target-style" shopping center...first floor is food and shoes and bags, second floor is an enormous 100 yen shop filled with various stuff, most of which isn't worth 100 yen. The rest of the floor is other smaller shops that sell basically the same things as the 100 yen shop, but for between 20 and 80 yen per item. There is also a flea market shop that was selling lots of used shoes yesterday.
I had 2 classes to teach in the afternoon, but Teaghan and my husband stayed home. 2 friends joined Teaghan for an afternoon of TV sitting in the kotatsu...it's a table that looks like a wide version of a coffee table. There is a heater built into the underside of it, and the table top comes off, you put a big comforter type thing over it, replace the table top. You sit with your legs inside the blanket being warmed by the heater. Sounds a bit strange, but I tell you, these things are great. The room temperature hovers around 10C, but
Dec 10th, 2005, 05:48 PM
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you don't feel cold.
Return from class, gather up Teaghan and 2 friends, get into the car and head downtown (usually 5 minutes by car) for the first in a string of many Christmas parties. Takes 35 minutes to get downtown due to heavy traffic because it's party season and Saturday night. Party is typical Japanese style...exactly 2 hours long, nice food but not enough for all guests to get a reasonable amount, free flowing alcohol resulting in a large number of very drunk people by 7:00 pm. Bingo game, Christmas carols, small talk.
Party finishes exactly 2 hours later, right on schedule. Take the three kids home to Kaori's house, where they will all spend the night. Return car to home, walk back downtown to meet friends at a bar for a rare night out. Note that it is 10:00 pm, and I walk alone without any thought of safety.
As I get into the downtown area, the sheer number of staggering drunk people is mind boggling. This is typical of party season, but every year I'm amazed. The Christmas decorations are all up...blinking lights in Santa and reindeer shapes, strings of lights on the streetlights and buildings, trees in shops, and Christmas music, too. The only thing missing is snow.
Got to the bar, stayed about an hour...sleepy...but enjoyed chatting with one of Rich's students about culture and travel.
Walking home from the bar, we met Teaghan's 2nd grade teacher and 2 of her friends, who proudly told us that they were seeking coffee as they had been drinking bourbon and were feeling dizzy. During school, this teacher is the picture of discipline and proper behaviour. Funny to see her drunk.
Decided then to take a taxi home because it was quite cold and the street was now quite crowded with people making walking an adventure. Taxi driver was unhappy for such a small fare, but didn't refuse to take us. It isn't unheard of for taxis to refuse a short trip, so we were happy we didn't have to try more than once. Cost was 630 yen.
This morning, up early to pick up Teaghan at Kaori's house. She has her 2nd Christmas party of the season at her ballet school from 10 until 12. After dropping her off, I went to the gas station, crowded as Sunday is gassing up day for many...114 yen/liter...4200 yen to fill our small car's tank. It's self service, cash only, and you have to navigate through a fairly complicated series of menu options before you can pump. A full tank will last me up to a month, though, as we don't drive much. The gas station also sells kerosene...people bring large blue kerosene jugs to fill up for their home heating. Kerosene can also be delivered to your house, but costs a bit more, so many people just refill themselves.
There you have it...24 hours in Japan.
Return from class, gather up Teaghan and 2 friends, get into the car and head downtown (usually 5 minutes by car) for the first in a string of many Christmas parties. Takes 35 minutes to get downtown due to heavy traffic because it's party season and Saturday night. Party is typical Japanese style...exactly 2 hours long, nice food but not enough for all guests to get a reasonable amount, free flowing alcohol resulting in a large number of very drunk people by 7:00 pm. Bingo game, Christmas carols, small talk.
Party finishes exactly 2 hours later, right on schedule. Take the three kids home to Kaori's house, where they will all spend the night. Return car to home, walk back downtown to meet friends at a bar for a rare night out. Note that it is 10:00 pm, and I walk alone without any thought of safety.
As I get into the downtown area, the sheer number of staggering drunk people is mind boggling. This is typical of party season, but every year I'm amazed. The Christmas decorations are all up...blinking lights in Santa and reindeer shapes, strings of lights on the streetlights and buildings, trees in shops, and Christmas music, too. The only thing missing is snow.
Got to the bar, stayed about an hour...sleepy...but enjoyed chatting with one of Rich's students about culture and travel.
Walking home from the bar, we met Teaghan's 2nd grade teacher and 2 of her friends, who proudly told us that they were seeking coffee as they had been drinking bourbon and were feeling dizzy. During school, this teacher is the picture of discipline and proper behaviour. Funny to see her drunk.
Decided then to take a taxi home because it was quite cold and the street was now quite crowded with people making walking an adventure. Taxi driver was unhappy for such a small fare, but didn't refuse to take us. It isn't unheard of for taxis to refuse a short trip, so we were happy we didn't have to try more than once. Cost was 630 yen.
This morning, up early to pick up Teaghan at Kaori's house. She has her 2nd Christmas party of the season at her ballet school from 10 until 12. After dropping her off, I went to the gas station, crowded as Sunday is gassing up day for many...114 yen/liter...4200 yen to fill our small car's tank. It's self service, cash only, and you have to navigate through a fairly complicated series of menu options before you can pump. A full tank will last me up to a month, though, as we don't drive much. The gas station also sells kerosene...people bring large blue kerosene jugs to fill up for their home heating. Kerosene can also be delivered to your house, but costs a bit more, so many people just refill themselves.
There you have it...24 hours in Japan.
Dec 10th, 2005, 06:34 PM
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Wow, that is like an installment of my favorite TV drama, "24" (actually the only TV I watch, and even then I only have watched it on DVD).
Kim, explain to me the big Christmas thing in Japan. What is it? Is it a westernization thing, or what? I thought Japan was Shinto and Buddhism. I didn't realize there was a big Christmas celebration there.
Kim, explain to me the big Christmas thing in Japan. What is it? Is it a westernization thing, or what? I thought Japan was Shinto and Buddhism. I didn't realize there was a big Christmas celebration there.
Dec 10th, 2005, 06:50 PM
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Christmas is commercial. It's the big time of year for Tiffany's to make their sales goals...no kidding. Christmas Eve is the all time most popular night for marriage proposals. It's also a night when love hotels are hard to find vacancies.
There are big deal Christmas shows...big name (or not so big name) performers in hotels with special dinners with a high price tag. Every day starting a couple of weeks ago, the local radio station (1 of about a total 6 to choose from, 2 of which are NHK) has a lunchtime hour long talk show, featuring a different "unique" present they are promoting. Some new item from Tiffany's, new iPod w/video, Frank Mueller watches...everything in the $400.00 + price range.
In Kobe and Tokyo, there are internationally famous "illumination" exhibits...every year they change. We meant to go to Kobe last year, but gave up that plan when we learned that the wait to get close to the street with the illumination was over 2 hours, and it would take an hour to shuffle down the street in an unbelievable crowd...I'm not one to enjoy a crowd.
Kids are visited by Santa, and typically receive one present. Teaghan has some friends who proclaim it "zurui - unfair" that Teaghan not only gets more than one present, but they seem to keep showing up even after Christmas...we usually travel at Christmas so have present opening when we get back to Japan in January in addition to a "visit from Santa" wherever we are on Christmas morning.
Although Japan is Shinto and Buddhist, most people will say they are not religeous. There are a handful of people subscribing to a variety of Christian churches, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.
There are big deal Christmas shows...big name (or not so big name) performers in hotels with special dinners with a high price tag. Every day starting a couple of weeks ago, the local radio station (1 of about a total 6 to choose from, 2 of which are NHK) has a lunchtime hour long talk show, featuring a different "unique" present they are promoting. Some new item from Tiffany's, new iPod w/video, Frank Mueller watches...everything in the $400.00 + price range.
In Kobe and Tokyo, there are internationally famous "illumination" exhibits...every year they change. We meant to go to Kobe last year, but gave up that plan when we learned that the wait to get close to the street with the illumination was over 2 hours, and it would take an hour to shuffle down the street in an unbelievable crowd...I'm not one to enjoy a crowd.
Kids are visited by Santa, and typically receive one present. Teaghan has some friends who proclaim it "zurui - unfair" that Teaghan not only gets more than one present, but they seem to keep showing up even after Christmas...we usually travel at Christmas so have present opening when we get back to Japan in January in addition to a "visit from Santa" wherever we are on Christmas morning.
Although Japan is Shinto and Buddhist, most people will say they are not religeous. There are a handful of people subscribing to a variety of Christian churches, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.
