Red bike

Despite how hilly Japan is, bicycles are a really popular mode of transportation.

Usually, there aren't parking spots for cars around train stations, so commuters will bike to the station.  Older school kids will bike to school, rather than being ferried back and forth by parents or a school bus.

I finally got one today.

It's coincidentally about the same color as my car back home.  It's an ordinary single-speed bike.

I got it at a bike shop in Wing Town Mall, near the dormitories where I stayed last time.  I had hoped to pay less than ¥10,000 ($89), but this was close enough.

Japanese addresses don't usually list a street.  They list prefecture, municipality, ward  or "ku"(of large cities, like Tokyo), town or "cho",  neighborhood, block number and building number. The town I'm in is Hane-cho (羽根町, which literally means "Wing Town".  These towns are just part of the address, not an administrative unit like the Town of Fox Crossing is.

I had to register the bike when I bought it -- my name and address, and I used the school's phone number since I haven't got mine sorted out yet.

Theoretically, when I'm out on my bike, a policeman can stop me and ask to see the registration.  This is because bicycles are among the rare items that are regularly stolen in Japan, along with umbrellas.  If an office worker misses his last train home, he might "borrow" one of the bikes left at the station to get home.

There are anecdotes of foreigners being harassed by police by being regularly stopped and asked for their bike registration, much more often than anyone else would be.  I had a bike when I lived in Tochigi and this never happened to me.  My bet is that it varies by place and foreigner.

Since foreigners are more likely to buy a bike at a "sayonara" sale or from a friend, and not go through the process of re-registering the bike, it's more likely that the police will find an unregistered bike that way.  Even if a bike is truly abandoned, it's considered theft to take it.  Also, in some prefectures (like Aichi, where I am), the owner must cancel their registration and the new owner must register the bike, so it's a bit of a hassle for the seller, too.

Since bikes are more likely to be stolen, they come with built in locks.

Here is the lock open.  You can't lose your keys when your bike is unlocked -- the key won't come out!

Here is the bike locked -- the bar goes through the spokes, so the rear tire can't move or be removed.  Oddly, people will leave things in their bike baskets, fully expecting them to be there when they get back, but still lock the actual bike.

Before I ride my bike to school, I'll have to get a parking sticker for it from the school.  I think this is to prevent students from abandoning bikes at the school when they leave, and to keep them from riding stolen/abandoned/improperly registered bikes.

Some things that it's illegal to do with a bicycle:

• Ride holding an umbrella
• Have a passenger, unless it's a child in a child seat.
• Have earbud in or headphones on while riding.
• Have a blood alcohol level higher than 0%.
• Make a one step right hand turn, like cars do.  Bikes must do a two-step right hand turn, like pedestrians do.  

Even if I walk my bike up and down the steeper hills, there is enough flat road that it will make shopping so much easier than walking.

Tuna

If you could get this seared tuna for $1.75 at the grocery store, would you choose anything else for dinner?  

Testing, Orientation...and the Sweet Potato Truck

On Monday, we had our placement test.  It included an 80 minute written test and an interview with a teacher.  The teacher would use various grammatical patterns to see what the student could understand, and respond properly to.

The AIJP (Academic Intensive Japanese Program) has 3 beginner levels, 2 intermediate levels and those who test into advanced are placed in the AJSP (Advanced Japanese Study Program).  I expected to be placed in the upper beginner (103) level, and I was.  I'll review some chapters from Minna no Nihongo (again!), then move to a more intermediate text.  When learning a language, immersion helps and without it, it's easy to lose what you've recently learned.

An aside: as I'm typing this, the yaki imo truck just went by.  It's similar to an ice cream truck, but the product is roasted sweet potatoes.  Like an ice-cream truck, the yaki imo truck has a song to announce itself.  It sounded like this one.  I hope I can catch him sometime, but I'm on the second floor so I'll have to learn his schedule.  I bet those are really good when it gets chilly!

Back to school!  Today we had a 2 hour orientation and tour. Most things seemed reasonable and straight forward.  Poor attendance can lead to loss of visa status. In Japan the drinking age is 20 (the age of majority), and the blood alcohol limit for driving or bicycling is 0%.  Health insurance is simple:  as a student on a visa we will all enroll in the national health insurance, which pays about 70% of medical costs.  

The last time I was in Japan on a visa, I had to apply for a residence card at my city hall once I moved my assigned city, and then wait for it and go pick it up in order to open a bank account, set up internet, etc.  

That process has been revamped and now if you come to Japan on any visa that includes resident status (such as student visas, work visas, but not tourist visas), you receive a residence card at the airport.  If you've filled out the form, you can get work permission at the same time, which I did, just in case something presents itself.

However, you do have to register at the city where you'll live and sign up for health insurance and pension.  Next week, we'll all fill out our paperwork for that, and the school will bus us to city hall to take care of everything.  

As a student, I think I'll be exempt from the pension requirement, and I'll be able to apply for a discount on my health insurance since I earned no money in Japan last year.  Health insurance premiums are determined at the local level.  In Okazaki, without the discount, mine would be ¥7000 (less than $70) a month.  

Yamasa tries to avoid concentrations of students from any one country or language, and I think they do a good job at this.  It's good for the students to have only Japanese as a common language, although that's not really the case because of how many people learn English in school.  

Here is the breakdown of the October intake of 44 AIJP students:

• Brazil - 4
• Canada -1
• China - 4
• France - 1
• Germany - 2
• Indonesia - 4
• Israel - 1
• Mexico - 1
• Philippines - 1
• Singapore - 2
• South Korea - 1
• Taiwan - 13
• UK - 1
• USA - 7
• Viet Nam - 1

Tomorrow the fun begins!

Bento Lunch

The entrance ceremony is today.  The last time I was at Yamasa, I usually bought lunch from the deli at the nearby grocery store, Domy.  Since I have my own kitchen now, I intend to make lunches most of the time.  Here is today's very simple lunch.

Some gyoza that I bought pre-made but uncooked, mock crab legs, seasoned cucumber, rice. 

There is a company connected to Yamasa that makes and sells bento lunches (Japanese-style ready-cooked meals).  Their specialty is healthy bento -- organic veggies, no additives, that kind of thing.  They sell them in the lobby at lunch time. The menu is posted, so when there is a particularly good one, or one that I just can't make myself, I'll buy it. 

Isn't it expensive?

One question I was often asked when I said that I'm going to Japan is, "Isn't it expensive?"

Well, kind of, but not as much as you'd think.

First of all, I'm not in Tokyo, so that makes a difference.  I'm about 190 miles/300 km away from Tokyo.

Okazaki has 372,357 people, according to Wikipedia, while the metro Appleton area has 367,516.  Okazaki's density is 992 people per square kilometer, while Appleton's is 1172.  Okazaki's cost of living is less than Tokyo, like Appleton's is less than New York City, or even Chicago.

I did some shopping today, so I'll give you some prices to compare with costs where you live.

2L green tea (not sweetened) = ¥118/$1.04
This can of beer (Kirin Platinum Double -- 0 purine, 0 carbs!) = ¥128/$1.13

500 g/1.1 lb sugar = ¥125/$1.11
2 kg/4.4 lbs uncooked short-grain rice = ¥880/$7.80
5 bath's worth of bath salts =  ¥100/$0.88

Conversely, I can get some things here that I can't find at any price in the Appleton area -- mostly a greater variety of fresh seafood, mushrooms and tea.  Like maitake mushrooms:

Sales tax here is 8%.  If you want a plastic bag for your groceries, you'll pay a few yen for one -- or just bring a reusable bag of your own.

Housing is more expensive in Japan than in Appleton, partly because so much of Japan is mountainous and not suitable for building on.  A positive side of that is that Japan has a lot of forest.  I'm avoiding some of the costs of renting, such as unrefunded fees paid to landlords and real estate agents when signing a lease.  That's because the school owns the building I'm living in.

Gasoline is more expensive than in the US, but not as expensive as places like Norway.  But that's an expense I won't have -- I intend to get a bicycle and take trains and buses for long distance travel.

Of course, if you come to Japan and want to eat only Western-style food and drink imported beverages, you'll pay more than someone who eats and drinks local fare.  Japan is not a cheap destination, but it doesn't have to be ridiculously expensive, either.

Sakura -- just in the nick of time!

I was afraid I'd have to leave before seeing a good sakura show.  Yesterday, I used an app to find a spot that had almost full bloom.  Yes, there's an app for that!

It was in Kariya, which is  a city between Okazaki and Nagoya.  When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, the Japanese partake in Hanami.  It's a festival atmosphere -- lots of food stand with okonomiyaki, takoyaki, frankfurters, choco-bananas, beer!, etc.  People either buy food from the stands or bring their own, and picnic under the cherry trees, enjoying the flowers' brief, but beautiful, appearance.  There are some carnival game for the kids, too.

Here are some of pictures from Kijou Park:

This guy might be saving a space for a group. If it's a group of employees from a company, he is likely the most junior person there.

You can see some food stands here.  The one that says たこやき (right behind the light pole), is selling "takoyaki" or cooked balls of dough with octopus in it.

Usually that translates to "octopus balls" and my late, friend Mako used to say that there were 8 per octopus.

On an unrelated topic, here are some new homes that I passed by.  

Some people already have gardens going!  I won't be able to plant mine for another month at least.

Here's how to provide a spot for people to rest while they wait for a ride without having people sleep there.  I've seen this in other places, too.  Japan does have homelessness -- I've seen people roughing it in Tokyo.

On my way home, I saw that the trees near the pond had bloomed a bit more.  Just in time!!

Another Sakura Update

I have only 2 school days left.  I gave my last presentation today. I can discuss pow-wows in Japanese, which is a skill that looks good on any resume. There is also a small group of Japanese who now have a craving for fry bread.

Cherry blossoms are blooming late this year, because of course they are.  I wonder out loud if I'll get to see them before I leave.  I usually get a "Maybe"sort of response, which really means "Maybe if you're really lucky and have awesome karma".  But I'm not getting the "It's difficult" response, which translates to "No way in hell".  So, that 's  good.

At the pond, there are some blooms.  Here are some pictures I took this morning.  My plan is to head up to Okazaki Park, where the castle is, after graduation on Thursday.  Yes, I have to give a speech at graduation.

Sakura update

Of course the day I'm not traveling is absolutely gorgeous outside!  I even have my window open!

I went to the pond for a sakura update.  They are starting to pop!

I was making a beeline for the tree that I thought was furthest along, and almost walked right past the one that IS the furthest along!

 

Here is what the tree I expected to be doing the best looked like.

While there, I took some duck pictures.  The internet tells me that they are Eurasian wigeons.

Also, some bamboo grows there.

Hamamatsu

Yesterday I went to Hamamatsu after class.  I took a train from Okazaki to Toyohashi, then another to Hamamatsu.  There is a shinkansen from Toyohashi, but I just took a regular train.  The whole trip took about an hour.

It was raining, though, so the camera didn't leave my backpack.  I hope to come back to Hamamatsu on a nicer day to see the castle and seashore.

I went to Shikisado, which has lots of traditional Japanese craft items.  There were lots of chopsticks, lacquer bowls as well as handkerchiefs, towels and bags with Japanese motifs.  There is also a tea shop inside.  It's a good place for souvenirs because it's not kitschy.

Then I went to Bungu Box, a pen shop that's well-known on the internet.  I was stunned by how small the store was -- about two people could fit inside.

They say that you can't buy happiness, but I did:

Nagoya

On Saturday, I went to Nagoya for the day.

Nagoya has a subway and bus system.  If you are going for a day, and plan to see several sites (or have business that takes to to several places), the day pass is a good choice.  I used the Donichi Eco pass for the day.  It bought it from a subway ticket vending machine and it cost 600 yen.

The bus from Nagoya Station to my first stop, the Tokugawa Art Museum, would have cost 450 yen one way, so you can see how this saves money.  The weekday pass costs more, but both passes also cover the Nagoya's sight-seeing bus.  It does not cover any JR trains, though.

If you're planning a trip to Nagoya in the near future, you may want to look at this site for more information: http://www.nagoya-info.jp/en/access/getting_around_nagoya/discount_tickets_passes/1-day_tickets_nagoya.html

I took the bus from Nagoya station, and saw this pretty garden on the way to the Tokugawa Art Museum.

Quiz:  Are these cherry blossoms?

Answer:  Nope.  The petals are round a the end.  Cherry blossom petals have splits at the end.

This, I believe, is a magnolia.  I have lived where magnolias will happily grow, but don't remember it.  I was pretty young then.

This is a statue of a tanuki, or a Japanese raccoon dog.  Tanukis are real, actual animals.  However, the tanuki plays a big role in Japanese folklore.  The tanuki in folk stories can shapshift into humans, commit mischief and certain bits of anatomy are ridiculously large.  This tanuki is modestly hiding those bits behind some foliage.  If you wish to learn more, Wikipedia has a good-sized article on tanukis.

This is the gate to a house I saw.  I just like the gate. 

When I got to the park where the museum is, I ended up at a car park.  I didn't see an obvious entry way, so I asked someone who had just pulled in.  She kindly showed me the path in.  I thought this was very cool.  

This was a little low.  The first part is the bottom of a hallway from one part of the museum to another.  I like the idea of this gateway from the outside world into the park.

I imagine this is just a little cool and refreshing in the hot, humid summer months.  If the plant that covers this was one that bloomed, that would be very cool.

On the other side, there are steps up to the normal street level again.

Here is the museum.  Since it's a museum, I won't be able to take pictures on the inside.  Sorry!  I do recommend that you go, though.  The museum houses many articles that were owned by members of the various branches of the Tokugawa family.  Many of these branch families still exist.

Quick History Refresher:  Tokugawa Ieyasu (family name is Tokugawa) established the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from the early 1600s to the mid 1800s.  He was the basis for the titular character of the book "Shogun", in case you remember that.

Here is a path leading out of the park.  There is also a garden that you can pay to see, but I think it will look it's best when spring has sprung and there's more foliage.

Here is the main gate to the park.
After leaving the park, I went to Ozone Station.  No, that's not the ozone layer.  Pronounce the fine "e" as somewhere in between a Canaadian "eh" and the Fonz's "ay".

It was noonish, so I went into a little restaurant outside the station and had this delicious mackeral lunch.  In the back are:  miso soup, a veggie salad, some pickles and tofu in broth.  In front are rice and the roasted mackeral with grated radish.  Yum!  This trip has been nothing if not delicous!

My next stop is Osu Kannon.  It's a Buddhist temple, whose official name is Kitanosan Sinpuku-ji Hosho-in .  Osu Kannon also the name of neighborhood nearby, which has a shopping arcade.

Across the street from the temple is this building.

Here's a view of the shopping arcade.  Many Japanese cities have these covered shopping areas.  They are covered pedestrian streets, and I think they must be behind the idea of a shopping mall -- without the chain stores.  Of course, there may be chain stores in a shopping street.  I saw ABC Mart here -- it's a shoe store chain.

If my brother ever makes it over to Japan with me, I'll take him to this guitar store.

Not sure what they sell here.  Maybe if your town is missing it's idiot, you can come here to get a new one.   

Here's a shrine I saw in the middle of a commercial area.

One of the subway stations had some beautiful stained glass.  I hope the people who race through here going to and from work get a chance to really look at it once in a while.

 My next stop was the Sakae area.  I was looking for either Tokyu Hands or Loft.
Here is Nagoya's TV to























Near the TV tower is subterranean shopping center.  It connects to Oasis 21, which is  a bus station, and shopping center.

It looks like this.  I have pictures of it, which I can't find at the moment.  This is from the Oasis 21's website.  It looks like a spaceship!

The website is here, if you want more information:  http://www.sakaepark.co.jp/en/

From below, it looks like this.

You can take steps or an elevator to the top.  Here's the surprise -- there's water up here!

You can look down on unsuspecting  people.




Or at other nearby areas.

Take a stroll.

I returned to Nagoya Station.

And had a nice dinner in the underground shopping area.  Dinner was gyoza with edamame and a beer.

Outside, trees are lit up to look like cherry blossoms.  Which are not yet blooming!  I've been to Japan 6 times now and have yet to see sakura.  Grr!