Japan Trip - Summer 2012: 2012

Saturday, July 28, 2012

So here we are in a silver capsule, hurdling through a vast darkness over the North Pacific Ocean, having left Tokyo on Thursday, July 26th. When morning breaks, it will be Thursday again. It’s Groundhog Day in July. Julia’s beside me watching The Hunger Games (in German ?!), trying to keep her mind off her achy, slightly feverish body. And I’m thinking about Japan.

I don’t feel like I’m being torn in half, the way I did when I left after my visit 23 years ago. I wasn’t ready to leave that time. Maybe if I’d stayed then, and fed the part of me that craved Japan, I would have become someone else. It’s an interesting thought, and I wonder about her. But I didn’t. I took a different path and became this person. I like my life now, so I’m not particularly concerned about it. And now, I don’t need Japan. But I do enjoy Japan, immensely. This time my departure just feels blessedly free of unfinished business. Not that I don’t expect to return, mind you; I do! Some day.

But for now, I feel happy and satisfied. The trip went so well, we had such a rich variety of experiences, we felt so embraced over and over, and we had so much fun. I got to see old friends and retrace many footsteps of places I loved.

I was glad to see that Japan seems to be doing well. Perhaps this is a silly comment. It’s certainly not an educated one, and doesn’t take things like the current economic trends into consideration. It’s just that as I traveled around, things looked good. Buildings, homes, neighborhoods seemed well-built and roads seemed remarkably (compared to Seattle) well maintained. Public areas and restrooms were very clean. There didn’t appear to be as much poverty as there was when I was young. There appeared to be a high level of employment, given how many people were always at hand the moment you needed anything and businesses appeared to be thriving. I saw lots of happy people. The air in Tokyo didn’t seem as polluted. There is recycling. The waterways are cleaner than they used to be. There seems to be some relaxing of the “us and them” attitude: we got looked at some, but I didn’t hear the word “gaijin” (foreigner) once; in tourist areas, I heard a tremendous amount of Korean and Chinese being spoken; K-pop (Korean pop music) is apparently quite popular with some of the teens. Of course, there’s Tohoku with it’s suffering, damage, displacement, radiation and the long, hard work of rebuilding. And there is the fear of more earthquake-related nuclear problems. And, I’m sure, many, many other concerns. One inevitably sees things rather superficially as a tourist. But I saw many things that seemed to indicate well-being, and that made me happy.

And finally, I got to share Japan and more of my history with my daughter. Now she knows the places and a few more of the stories. She knows what it feels like to be watched, to be the minority and an object of curiosity. She knows what heavy Tokyo summer air and cool, moist Hokkaido summer air feel like. She knows the smells that waft from the little restaurants selling tempura, udon and domburi. She knows the tastes of Japanese sweets. She knows the sounds and the crush of people in the market places. She has experienced Japanese kindness and generosity. Finally, we have Japan in common. And that may be the most satisfying thing of all.

Japanese Manhole Covers - Photos

Early on, Julia drew my attention to manhole covers, of all things. "They're all different, and they're really pretty, Mom!" As it turns out, it seems every area has their own design. Although as you may notice below, it seems Akan in Hokkaido had a whole variety. So I'm not sure what the policy is, but we enjoyed noticing them. Here are a few examples:

Friday, July 27, 2012

Okay, I know it's a little weird, but it had to be done. There's quite a spectrum, but one can certainly see Japanese technology put to creative use! I came home wondering if I could ever have one of these installed. Lots of people have them - they're not just in public restrooms. Some have heated seats...

Here's a standard sort. Looks fairly simple,
but take a closer look below...

Egad! They think of everything!

This one had a lid that opened automatically when you entered.
A personal invitation to the throne, as it were.

This one wasn't quite as fancy, but came supplied with a built-in child's seat.

I found this department store bathroom stall
to have one of the most comprehensive packages I ever encountered.
The toilet had a heated seat, with all the standard functions.
Both the toilet and garbage can in the corner were operated with sensors.

Extra flush sensor, plus disinfectant spray to clean the toilet seat, if desired.

A baby seat in the corner, with an upper lock on the door,
in case the toddler flips the lower lock open from his/her perch.
Hooks for coat and bag.

And last, but not least. a flip-down platform to stand on
if you need to step out of your shoes to change your clothes.

Then again, there's the traditional sort, of which there are still quite a few around.
Like this one on a train, which Julia summarily rejected.

And... there are still a few of the pit kind around.
This one found at the harbor of a Hokkaido fishing town.

The Artistry of Japanese Food - Photos

Here are just a few examples of the food we got to enjoy:

Breakfast at on of our hotels.

Salmon roe on a shiso leaf with pickled ginger and raw tuna over rice.

Soup at Mike & Yoko's.

At many Japanese restaurants, there are plastic food models displayed out front
which show all the different dishes served.

And here's the real thing.

Amusing Oneself - Photos

Every country has their quirks, the things that strike visitors funny, the odd things they do with other countries' languages and cultures. Japan is no exception. As with cute stuff, there were many examples and these are just of few:

Thank Goodness for the graphics.

This has got to be one of my favorites!

I especially like the title and the second bullet point.
Also, the level of detail. Seems like some employee, without a lot of language training,
got disgruntled.and took matters into their own hands...

But at least the meaning is clear.

I like "Rise" and the clarification provided in that third bullet point.

A bacon flower! Why didn't I ever think of that?!

And it's not only English...

It would appear that German is also not safe.

And then there's that odd beverage that always has - and always will - sound like another, very different sort of liquid when said out loud with an American accept.