Spirit Tour Japan

For all of you who live in or around the Tokyo area, this is something you might be interested in.  Staton Ann, a very talented Spiritual Advisor and Intuitive Healer, is coming to Tokyo and will be holding individual sessions on December 3 and 4th.  I don'tusually use the blog to advertise - and actually, I'm not even really advertising....I consider it more like spreading the word.  Besides, I have known Staton Ann for a very long time and I'm very excited that she's coming to Japan to share her gifts and talents here. 

Stat and I have known each other since 7th Grade (I'm not going to disclose how long ago that was, but trust me when I say it was a while back) - in fact, she was one of my best friends.  She, our friend Jamie and I were inseparable for most of 7th and 8th Grade.  When we hit 9th Grade, Stat went into cheer leading and Jamie and I went into tennis so inevitably we sort of drifted. But what makes her upcoming trip to Japan so awesome is the fact that Japanese language sort of reunited us. Our senior year in high school, we had Japanese Class together and we partnered up for our big assignment which was to make a video speaking all Japanese.  I can't recall exactly but I think we were making a travel video so we did sort of a circle island tour of Oahu, stopping at some interesting attractions.  I remember my cousin Sara drove us around and did the videotaping.  We stopped at the original Kua 'Aina on the North Shore (well back then it was the only Kua 'Aina) and I have a distinct memory of us jumping out of a canoe at the entrance of the Polynesian Cultural Center and saying something in Japanese.  In any case, it was the best video EVER! I am incredibly sad that neither one of us has a copy of that video...watching it would've reminded me that I actually could speak Japanese fairly well (which is no longer the case).

So continuing on, we both went off to college and lost touch for a bit but reunited at some point during college (she at BYU in Provo and me at the University of Puget Sound in Washington) and went on a road trip to Canada one Thanksgiving.  On that trip we got our first tattoos together and had some adventures at the Canada-Washington border which I won't get into here.  As it goes in life, we lost touch again for awhile, but 4 years ago her brother and my sister gave us a gift which, although they are no longer together, will keep us in touch with each other probably for the rest of our lives ---our beautiful niece. 

Anyway, I am very proud of my friend and her success and I encourage anyone that has the time to set up an appointment. I know her appointments are filling up fast, so hurry.  Here's a link to more information about the Spirit Tour and about Staton Ann in general ( Spirit Tour ).  Enjoy!!!

May 2012 Grand Sumo Tournament Part 2

After we found our seats, we chilled out and took in some of the matches but we still had a while to go before the "real" action started so we ended up walking around the arena for a bit (including getting some snacks - they had the best soft serve I've had in long time). Rich noted that this was one of the most English-friendly events he's been to in Japan - they gave us English programs (i.e., the schedule of matches), there were English informational booklets on sumo and they even had radios you could rent that broadcast the commentary of the matches in English. We ended up renting a radio and sharing it and honestly, it helped out a lot (if we hadn't gotten it, we wouldn't have known there was a playoff for the Emperor's Cup).

The Sumo Tournament: The Grand Sumo Tournament lasts for 15 days and the winner of the tournament receives the Emperor's Cup. The winner of the tournament is the wrestler with the best record of wins over losses (must have won at least 8 of his 15 matches). 

Sumo Ceremonies/Rituals:  If you've ever watched a sumo tournament or even just a single match, you will have seen the various ceremonies and rituals that take place, but you may not necessarily know what they mean.

• Dohyo-iri (Maku-uchi) This is the "entering the ring" ceremony that occurs immediately before the maku-uchi matches.  The wrestlers for each side (east and west) of the maku-uchi enter the arena seperately in reverse order of rank wearing colorful ceremonial aprons. 

Maku-uchi of the East entering the dohyo

• Dohyo-iri (Yokozuna): The Yokozuna enters last and is attended by a senior gyoji and two other wrestlers. The Yokozuna then peforms the traditional dohyo-iri ceremony.

Yokozuna Hakuho entering the dohyo

Hakuho performing the dohyo-iri ceremony

• Water - After entering the dohyo, the wrestlers go through a series of symbolic movements.  In order to cleanse the mind and body, the wrestler rinses his mouth with water and wipes his body with a towel.  The wrestlers also go through a series of other movements such as raising their arms to the side, stamping their feet and slapping their body (to ward off injuries).

• Shiomaki - The wrestlers scatter a handful of salt to purify the ring and insure against injuries.

• Chiri-o-Kiru - The wrestlers squat on their toes and face each other in the ring and open their arms wide to show that they respect fair play.

• Sonkyo - Toeing the mark position (also includes glaring at each other).

• Shikiri - The wrestlers squat facing each other in a "get set" position using their fists to support themselves.  At this point, the match usually doesn't start right away; rather, the wrestlers can go back to their corners and repeat the process (from shiomaki on). They have 4 minutes to complete this process and at the end of the 4 minutes, they must start the match.  Repeating the process is considered a psychologial thing for the wrestlers to mentally prepare and it also serves to stir up the crowd.

• Tachi-ai - The initial clash.

• Torikumi - An initial charge by a wrestler toward his opponent.

Yokozuna's Match: The Yokozuna's match is always the last regulation match.  Hakuho lost his final match and ended the tournament with a 10-5 record.

Emperor's Cup: Often, the winner of the tournament will already be known by the end of the second to the last day based on the wrestlers' records.  However, we got lucky because the winner had not been decided the day before and in fact there were actually 3 wrestlers in contention for the Emperor's Cup depending on what happened in their regulation matches (Tochiozan, Kyokutenho and Kisenosato). Tochiozan did not have to wrestle because his opponent withdrew due to injury so he just waited behind the scenes to see whether he would win the Emperor's Cup outwright (based on his record) or whether he would have to wrestle Kyokutenho or Kisenosato.  Kyokutenho ended up winning his match but Kisenosato did not, so it came down to a single playoff match between Tochiozan and Kyokutenho. 

Amazing enough, the arena was still completely full.  The commentator noted that many people leave right after the Yokozuna's match but because this playoff situation was somewhat of a rare occurence and the winner was anyone's guess, everyone stayed till the end.  The actual match lasted mere seconds and to the crowd's delight, was won by Kyokutenho (from Mongolia).  I'm not sure but I think everyone wanted Kyokutenho to win because he was somewhat of an underdog - he became the "oldest wrestler in the modern age to win his first career title."  Shortly after the match the dohyo was cleaned off and the trophy presentation ceremony began.  We were running short on time so we were only able to watch presentation of the first two trophies (both of which went to Kyokutenho and both of which were HUGE). 

It was a long day, but well worth it..watching a sumo tournament in real life is so much better than watching it on t.v.  If you ever the opportunity to go, I would highly recommend it.  In fact, we are definitely considering going again in September! 

Kyokutenho about to receive the Emperor's Cup

May 2012 Grand Sumo Tournament Part 1

Although sumo wrestling has never been legally recognized as Japan's national sport, it originated here, this is the only country where it is practiced professionally, and it is definitely a sport beloved by the Japanese people. The Grand Sumo Tournament lasts for 15 days and takes place 6 times a year, 3 of those ocurring in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan (January, May and September).  When I saw that MWR was offering a tour to the May Grand Sumo Tournament which included brunch at the New Sanno Hotel, I made sure we got tickets (or rather, I made sure Rich went to the office and got tickets) because going to a sumo tournament was definitely on my list of things I wanted to do before leaving Japan.

The buffet at New Sanno Hotel before the Sumo Tournament

Having grown up in Hawaii, I was familiar with sumo wrestling since I grew up during a time when the success of sumo wrestlers from Hawaii was on the rise and as a result the sport/wrestlers received much publicity on Hawaii T.V. stations. In fact, Akebono was the first non-Japanese to reach the rank of Yokozuna (Grand Champion) and Musahimaru was the second non-Japanese to reach that rank.  The success of Hawaiian wrestlers led to the establishment of the number of foreigners a professional stable could have at any one time.  There haven't been many famous sumo wrestlers from Hawaii in recent years, but a number of wrestlers from other places have been very successful (Mongolia, Estonia, etc.)
We arrived at the Kokugikan around Noon.  Although some matches started earlier in the day, they were only the lower division matches so we weren't really concerned that we missed those matches.  The lower level of the arena is divided into boxes that hold up to 4 people all of whom sit on the ground on pillows.  The upper level, where we had reserved seats, has regular cushioned seats that would have been comfortable except for the fact that we were sitting on them for such long periods of time.  The very top level is open seating on plastic chairs. 

The Annaijo Entrance - these house establishments help
arange for seats, souvenirs, refreshments and other fan
services for those with reserved seats.

View inside the Kokugikan from the lower
level and the upper level.

For those of you that aren't too familiar with sumo, here are some definitions and basics about the sport and its rituals:

• Dohyo = The ring
• Rikishi = Wrestler
• Gyoji = Referee
• Banzuke = Sumo rankings
• Mawashi = Loincloth worn by the wrestlers

Rules:  The dohyo is made out of a special kind of clay and the hard surface is covered with a thin layer of sand. A sumo bout is won when the wrestler forces his opponent out of the inner circle or throws him in the dohyo.  The wrestler who touches the ground with any part of his body OR puts any part of his body over the straw bales marking the circle loses the match.  Although there is a gyoji in the dohyo for every bout, there are also 5 judges that sit on the sides of the dohyo.  In the event there is any doubt about the gyoji's decision, the 5 judges will get into the ring and settle the matter amongst themselves - they will either uphold the referee's decision, reverse it or order a rematch.

The judges trying to make a decision on a particular match.
In this particular case, much to the crowd's displeasure,
they ruled that the wrestlers must have a rematch.

Banzuke/Rankings: There are approximately 800 rikishi in professional sumo, from the trainee (i.e., those who have to carry the bags of a more senior wrestler) all the way up to the Yokozuna.  After each tournament, the banzuke is revised with the wrestlers being promoted or demoted depending on their performance during the tournament.

The maku-uchi division is the highest division and is divided into the following ranks:

1. Yokozuna (the Grand Champion)
2. Ozeki
3. Sekiwake
4. Komusubi
5. Maegashira

Yokozuna is the only rank that cannot be demoted but it is generally expected that should a Yokozuna have a number of poor tournament performances, he will retire. There have only been 69 Yokozuna over the past 300 years.  Although there can be more than one Yokozuna at any one time, currently Hakuho is the only Yokozuna (he has been the only one since 2010).  Hakuho is from Mongolia and is only the 4th non-Japanese Yokozuna.

The senior wrestlers entering the arena with their attendant
(a trainee or lower ranking wrestler).  I couldn't see over
the wall so Rich had to take the pictures for me.

The fans usually wait on the ground level to get a glimpse
of and to cheer on their favorite wrestler(s) as they
enter the arena.

Harajuku For Dessert....That's How We Roll

This blog post is a continuation of the Kappabashi-Dori post - well, maybe not really a continuation, but it's basically a recap of what we did post-shopping in Kappabashi.  When we were done shopping, it was only around 1 or 2 in the afternoon and since we were already in Tokyo, we decided to do something else while we were there.  Someone suggested that we go to Harajuku since it was Sunday (and Sunday is generally when the "interesting" people can be found roaming Takeshita Street), so we made our way back to the subway station and headed toward Harajuku.  The subway line that we were on didn't stop at the Harajuku Station so we got off at Omotesando Station and walked up Omotesando Street (actually I think it's an avenue but to be honest, I am not sure what the difference is so I'll just stick with Street).

As we were walking along Omotesando Street, we passed a shop/restaurant called Peltier Chocolatier.  They really draw you in with their bright yellow sign and these amazing donuts that are conspicuously placed on a table in front of the window.  They also have a sign with the price of the donuts to make you think that their prices are reasonable (which of course they are not, with the exception of the donuts).  As usual, we were suckers and were drawn in by their clever marketing...and it was also starting to drizzle and we wanted to get out of the rain while we waited for our friend to meet up with us...and it had also been several hours since we ate lunch so we were a little hungry.  What started out as us just taking a casual look at all the chocolates and sweets they had in their glass display cabinets turned into us grabbing a table and sitting down.

It was actually quite crowded inside so we had to wait a few minutes while they cleaned a table (clearly by the look of all the fancy shopping bags at the tables, these people had worked up a quite an appetite shopping) which was totally fine because it gave us time to look at the menu and the desserts in the display cases to decide what we wanted.  I'm not sure if I've mentioned this in any of my previous blog posts, but the Japanese are all about the "sets" when it comes to menu offerings (you can order stuff ala carte, but for just a little bit more you can get a set which usually comes with a drink, rice, salad, soup, etc.).  Here, there were a couple different dessert sets which all included your choice of drink.  The most expensive set on the menu, the "combination set," included a combination of different desserts.





Before we ordered, someone brought up the idea of sharing the combination set, but that idea was quickly shot down as no one really wanted to share.  So it ended up that each of us (there were 5 of us) got our own combination set.  The set came with a piece of chocolate, a macaroon and this chocolate mousse /cake thing.  Each of us got a different type of chocolate and a different flavor macaroon - my chocolate had a yummy caramel filling and the macaroon was lemon flavored.  Needless to say, it was all very good BUT there were definitely some pangs of regret by the group since everything was very sweet and rich and the combination set was just a bit much (I'm sure that won't stop us from doing the same thing at the next place).

After Peltier, we made our way back to the main entrance of Takeshita Street to do some people watching.  By the time we got there, it was really starting to rain and we were all feeling a little sick off of the sweets we just ate and none of us really wanted to deal with that mess of people, so we walked across the street to Harajuku Station and headed home.

Kappabashi-Dori - A Shopper's Paradise

Lately, my friends and I have been obsessed with flatware (tea sets in particular), so my friend Marissa suggested we take a Sunday shopping trip to Kappabashi-Dori to see if we could find anything we liked.  Kappabashi-Dori is definitely a shopper's paradise - if you happen to be shopping for flatware, serveware or kitchenware, that is.  Kappabashi-Dori (also called Kitchen Town) is a street located between Ueno and Asakusa in Tokyo and is famous for having tons of shops that sell flatware, kitchen items/tools/gadgets, and basically anything needed in the restaurant industry...including fake food! Although many restaurants have their fake food specially made for them, that can be pricey so apparently a less expensive option is to buy premade fake food from Kappabashi.  Word to the wise (and I'm speaking from experience here) it's not a good idea to go in any of these shops when you're hungry.

We arrived at Kappabashi around 10:30 a.m. and as usual, we were starving. Finding a place to eat in Japan on Sunday before 11:30 a.m. is, as we discovered, incredibly difficult. Since we couldn't really focus on our shopping until we ate, we decided to have coffee at Doutor while waiting for restaurants to open.  Doutor is the "Starbucks" of Japan and although their coffee is actually really good, there is a haze of cigarette smoke throughout the entire place which makes it quite unpleasant for non-smokers (there is a designated smoking section but it's useless since it's right next to the smoking section).

An hour later and stuffed from the delicious dim sum we had at the restaurant across the street from Doutor, we were ready to take on Kappabashi. I will admit, this shopping experience was slightly overwhelming because there was just so much stuff to choose from.  Seriously, you walk in a shop and there are just rows and rows of stuff.  One thing you can count on, if it's related to cooking, serving food or the restaurant industry, you'll find it here. If you ever wondered where you could buy a taiyaki maker (the fish shaped pancake that comes with different fillings like azuki beans or custard), now you know.


There's also a wide range in terms of price - from teapots for 500 Yen to a single cup/saucer set for 15,000 Yen (um, not really in my budget).  I think we were all a little cautious with our purchases because we didn't know what the next store might have and perhaps the next store might have something we'd like better.  A few good things to note about many of these stores:  (1) many of them take U.S. credit cards; and (2) many of them will ship your purchases worldwide. 

At the end of the day, none of us really went too crazy.  I had my eye on this teapot that matched the pink teacups and plates that I got from the 100 Yen store a few weeks ago, but for whatever reason I didn't get it.  Well actually I do KNOW the reason - the reason is that I thought I might see something better at another shop and I didn't want to be stuck with it if that were that case, but it turned out that I didn't find a better one, so I ended up with none. In fact all that I left Kappabashi-Dori with was a bundt pan (which I've been wanting), a plain white teapot for a single cup of tea, and a mortar/pestle (which I've been needing).  However, a day or 2 later, I got a text message from one of my friends expressing regret over not having bought everything she was considering buying....oh well, guess it looks like another trip to Kappabashi-Dori is in our future.

A Day In Tokyo: Harajuku and Meiji Shrine

After my friend and I were done in Odaiba, we got back on the train and made our way to Harajuku Station.  Our plan was to make our way down Takeshita Street, check out Omotesando Hills and finish with Meiji Shrine which is basically right next to the station (also on the list was to find somewhere to eat along the way).  I had been to Takeshita Street once a few weeks prior but I didn't have time to walk down the whole thing. That last time had been in the afternoon on a Friday so the street was aleady packed, but this time it was slightly before noon on a Tuesday which allowed for a more leisurely stroll down this Harajuku hot spot.  For a second we considered getting crepes at the infamous Marion Crepes since there was no line (which is a rare event) but we had just had soft serve ice cream back at Odaiba and also we were a little overwhelmed by all the choices at Marion Crepes. 

We continued down Takeshita Street and we also hit Cat Street where we found some really cool shops (one of them had tons of hats).  Then we went into Omotesando Hills where I thought perhaps we could find a place to have lunch. At the time, I didn't know that Omotesando Hills was a super upscale mall, but I soon found out.  Architecturally, it's really cool but shopping-wise, I can't really say....I mean, I don't think I could even afford to buy truffles from the French chocolate store. We took a quick stroll around the top floor where all the restaurants were located but as we didn't feel like spending a small fortune on lunch, we decided to walk around the area and find someplace else.  I think it was fate that as we happened to be crossing a street, I turned my head and recognized the sign for Ichiran Ramen. There were no ifs ands or buts about it, we headed straight there.  My friend loved the "cubicle eating" experience and this time around, since I knew what to expect, I was a bit more adventurous with the customization of my ramen.  In any case, it totally hit the spot.

The great thing about ramen is that even though you're full, it's a pleasant full (not a disgusting I want to vomit kind of full).  It was already late in the afternoon so we made our way to Meiji Shrine which was just a short ways up the road.  Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. It was originally established in 1920 but the original shrine buildings burnt down in 1945.  The buildings that exist today were built in approximately 1958 (see their website for more info on the shrine at Meiji Jingu Website).  The shrine is located in a forest that covers approximately 175 acres and includes over 120,000 trees which were donated by people from all over Japan when the shrine was first established.  It is also consistently listed as one of the top spots to visit in Tokyo, so there is generally always a good amount of foot traffic in and out of the shrine grounds.

Literally as soon as we passed through the Torii gate (the main entrance) of the shrine, there was this really loud rumbling sound which turned out to be thunder.  We looked up and the skies had really darkened so we figured we should probably hurry it up.  Usually visitors come here to take a leisurely stroll through the grounds but the skies were dark and depressing and we didn't want to get caught in the rain so we did a quick tour of the grounds.  I had taken Japanese History in college which was, needless to say, a long time ago, but my memory was definitely refreshed as I read the information they had posted around the grounds on Emperor Meiji and the path the country took during his time as emperor (i.e., the Meiji Restoration).  We also got to see a wedding party right after they finished their ceremony, so that was pretty cool.  I ended my trip to Meiji Jingu by purchasing some charms and then practically sprinting back toward the exit (and Harajuku Station) just as the rain started coming down.

To Odaiba And Back

One of the things that has been on my "things I want to do" list was to check out Odaiba, so when another friend of mine came to town recently, I suggested we stop there on our way to Harajuku.  Odaiba is a man made island in Tokyo Bay that has developed into a popular destination amongst locals and tourists. It has a somewhat interesting history -it was originally built in the 1850's for defensive purposes.  Later there were attempts to expand/develop the island but development slowed in the mid 90's and didn't pick up again until the late 90's.  Today, Odaiba is well known for its futuristic look - illustrative of this look is the Fuji Television Building, which is the headquarters of Fuji Television and which some call the landmark of Odaiba.  At the time I didn't know what that crazy boat thing was, but I have since learned it is the Himiko Ferry that travels between Asakusa and Odaiba.

The Rainbow Bridge connects Tokyo and Odaiba, and you can get across the bridge by car, elevated railway system (the Yurikamome line) or by foot.  Since I wasn't about to drive to Tokyo and I didn't really feel like walking across the bridge, we caught the train there (I got the sense that walking across the Rainbow Bridge  just doesn't hold the same appeal as, say walking across the Golden Gate Bridge).  Actually, the Yurikamome Line while technically a train is more like a  monorail and is a fully automated system controlled by computers.


It's evident almost immediately why Odaiba is such a popular destination - there is literally something for everyone here - there are business, hotels, shopping, restaurants, parks, museums and entertainment complexes.  Odaiba has several shopping/entertainment type plazas, but the ones closest to the train station are Aquacity and Decks Tokyo Beach. Since we got there so early, many of the businesses weren't open yet, so we did the tourist thing and took pictures of the Goddess of Democracy statue (basically a replica of the Statue of Liberty), walked down the length of Aquacity and Decks Tokyo Bay and then checked out Odaiba Seaside Park (I think this park goes by other names as well).  It seemed really quiet and peaceful when we were there (although there were tons of people taking pictures of the Goddess of Democracy), but I bet it gets really crowded during the summer. 

Odaiba Seaside Park runs along the water and has a great view of the Rainbow Bridge and the rest of Tokyo. Like I said, I think it goes by other names, and probably some consider it a beach since it does have artificial sand. To give it even more of a beachy feel, there is a "Hawaiian Restaurant and a huge shop where you can rent paddleboards and kayaks.  As we walked along the "beach" portion my friend and I looked at each other and both commented that there's really no way we would ever go in that water (which didn't look as bad as the Ala Wai Canal but, well you get my point).  I have since learned that swimming is not allowed (for obvious reasons such as pollution), but you are allowed to paddleboard and kayak there (hence the shop that rents paddleboards and kayaks).  Personally, I don't think I would risk paddleboarding or kayaking in that water for fear of falling in.

There were other things on our agenda for the day so we headed back to the train station. I definitely plan to come back and check out the museums and other attractions (plus I bet the Rainbow Bridge at night is really pretty).  So stay tuned for Odaiba Part 2 - probably relatively soon since it's approaching that time of year here where getting me to leave my house (and more importantly, the air conditioning in my house) during the day becomes nearly impossible.

Want Some Tea & Creme Brule With Your Lotion? Try L'Occitane Cafe In Shibuya

As I mentioned in the prevoius blog about ramen, I was in Shibuya a few weeks ago with some friends who were visiting.  My friend Ryan had printed out some travel information, including a list of things that one should check out while in Shibuya.  One of the things on the list was the L'Occitane Cafe. Perhaps you're thinking that L'Occitane is a store that sells body/skin care products and that you've never heard of L'Occitane having a restaurant or serving food?  Well, that's because the L'Occitane Cafe in Shibuya is their only cafe worldwide.  According to the travel guide's description, it's known for its convenient, spacious and relaxing atmosphere and for its "safe" dishes which are made with organic ingredients.  After walking around Shibuya, we had worked back up an appetite (well to be honest, even if I'm full, I can usually always make room for dessert) so we decided to see what all the hype was about.

L'Occitane Cafe occupies the 2nd and 3rd floors directly above the L'Occitane Store which is located at the famed Shibuya Crossing (across from the equally famous Starbucks).  It was definitely a little weird walking through a shop with skincare/beauty products in order to get to a cafe, but whatever, I went with it.  In order to access the stairs to the Cafe, you have to walk through the shop - but now that I'm thinking about it, perhaps that was intentional to get you to stop and look at their products, in which case it's brilliant (and in fact, as we were leaving, someone in our group ended up buying stuff from the shop). 

I will say, the atmosphere really was relaxing and quite spacious (well, for as far as Tokyo establishments go anyway), and it had a great view of the crossing. We had no trouble getting a table (and actually, the entire 3rd floor was empty) but this probably had something to do with the fact that it was during the week and not at a peak eating time. I was under the impression that they only served desserts, but they also serve breakfast (mostly sandwich type things) and lunch.  People at tables around us had ordered real food and everything I saw looked really good.  But we were there for dessert so I didn't bother to look at the food menu too carefully.  Now, the drink/dessert menu was a different story....

The special of the month was creme brule with fruits and ice cream (strawberry) and from the picture it looked delicious, so I knew that's what I was having.  Since I was already having an actual dessert, I decided to go with tea as my drink rather than one of the dessert drinks. No matter though, Ryan ordered the cocounut drink so I got to taste it.  I wouldn't go out of my way to order something coconut, but I have to say, that drink/dessert was really good.  It had coconut ice cream, ice and milk tea, and the combination was delicious (it got better as the ice melted into smaller chunks).  The creme brule was perfect and exactly how I like it; the presentation was impeccable and looked exactly as it did in the picture, which is something I have become accustomed to here in Japan (I'll probably be in for a rude awakening when we move).  I certainly wasn't blown away by this Cafe, but if you're in the area it's a cool spot to chill, grab some dessert and watch all the craziness down below at the crossing.

Adventures in Ramen: Ichiran Ramen in Shibuya

Ramen eating is serious business here in Japan.  It is one of Japan's most well known and popular foods - perhaps even more so than sushi. I love them both, so living in Japan is a dream for me. Before I moved here, one of my besties and I would eat dinner at Goma Tei in Honolulu every chance we got.  I realize now that I was fairly ignorant about ramen and the fact that there are so many different types and different aspects to it.  I'm still no expert, but I feel like I know a little more than I did before.  For example, the different regions in Japan have their own unique ramen style based on the type of soup/broth used (e.g., miso, shoyu, shio).  There's even a whole museum dedicated to ramen in Yokohama, but that's a post for another day (if you're interested, here's the website: Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. There are a few things about ramen consumption in Japan that are common to most places: (1) you order by machine: (2) ramen restaurants are generally not meant for socializing; (3) it is perfectly acceptable to slurp your ramen (sometimes it seems like the louder the better). 

I met some friends visiting in Tokyo earlier in the week and the first thing on their list of things they wanted to do was check out Shibuya.  None of us had eaten as of yet so that was our priority upon getting to Shibuya.  Someone found Ichiran Ramen on Tripadvisor and since it had good ratings, we headed there.  However, we almost had a totally different experience because initially we walked into the wrong place (both places had "ichi" in the name) but after looking at the menu above the vending machine, we were pretty sure we were in the wrong spot - this place was very fast foody looking and served what appeared to be more donburi type dishes.  So, after all 5 of us turned around and walked out, I saw another sign with "ichi" in the name and promptly led us down the stairs (I should've known it was downstairs - underground restaurants usually end up being the best ones).

As I mentioned, ordering at ramen establishments takes place by way of a vending machine. Basically you select and pay for all the things you want - i.e., your ramen, extra condiments for your ramen, gyoza perhaps, a drink if they offer them.  Some places will have their menu items listed in Japanese AND English AND/OR will at least have a picture of the item (if not, then you pretty much just guess and hope for the best).  Once you put the correct amount of Yen in the machine, it spits out a ticket which you present when you sit down.  When I first looked at the choices on the machine, I was a little skeptical because there was only one option for ramen (usually, there are at least 2-3 different options), so I wasn't really sure what I was going to get.  As I waited for the rest of the group to finish ordering, I took a peek around the corner to look at the seating area.  What I saw was a row of cubicle looking seating - I had heard about ramen establishments like this where you don't talk to anyone and it's really all about just eating your ramen.  This was clearly a serious ramen joint, so I was excited.

Everything you would need to enjoy this meal is right there in your cubicle area - water dispenser, a pen to complete the customization form and a buzzer to let them know you need something or when you are finished.  As soon as I sat down, I was instructed by the guy on the other side of the counter to complete the form so they could prepare my ramen according to how I wanted it.  The form was pretty intense (thankfully it was in English); it was almost like taking a test except there were really no wrong answers.  Ichiran allows you to customize your ramen based on the following  (1) flavor strength; (2) richness (fat content); (3) amount of garlic; (4) amount of green onions; (5) whether I wanted roast pork in it; (6) how spicy I wanted it; and (7) how hard/soft I wanted the noodles.  Also, I had the option of whether I wanted to add egg,  mushrooms and a variety of other condiments.  After I completed the form, the bamboo shade was dropped to ensure maximum privacy - like I said, this was a serious ramen joint.

As per usual, it only took 10 minutes before my steaming bowl of ramen was put in front of my face. Although we were talking to each other up to this point (and not really abiding by the "don't talk" policy), once our food came, you could hear crickets. So how was it?  I thought it was really yummy and I loved the fact that you could customize the ramen to your specifically tastes (and now I know why there was only one option on the vending machine), BUT I prefer my ramen to have a bigger/thicker piece of pork in it.  Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to ramen and in fact some people that I know (I'm not going to name names ) are very adamant about which restaurant/establishment has the best ramen.  Anyway, back to what I was saying, people have their own preferences based generally on one or more of these : (1) broth; (2) noodles; and (3) meat. Some people may not think the meat is an important part, but I am not one of them. While Ichiran was definitely a winner, unless I happen to be in Tokyo, I'll stick with my hubby's fave down here in Kamakura (we don't know the name because we can't read the kanji).

50 Reasons Tokyo Is The World's Greatest City

Ok let me start by saying that the title of this blog post is not something I came up with myself (and it does not even necessarily reflect my own sentiments); it's the title of a CNNGo article I recently came across online.  I found it amusing and I also agreed with a lot of what they said (as much of it applies not only to Tokyo but to much of Japan in general), so I thought I would share it.  The article can be found here in case you want to read the whole thing: 50 reasons why Tokyo is the world's greatest city , but here are a few of the "reasons" I liked the best (or which stood out to me the most).

The world's most sophisticated railways (#1) - I have to say, the train system in Japan is impressive.  There are above ground trains, subways, bullet trains...you name it, they have it.  What's more, some of the major stations have all three, so all you have to do is catch an elevator up or down (sometimes way way up or down) if your final destination requires a connection on one of the other rail systems. The sheer number of "lines" and stations (and people all racing to make their train) can be daunting to a traveler that is not used to the system, but think about it this way - if 6 year old children can navigate the railways by themselves (it's quite a common occurrence here to see children riding alone), so can you!

Highway rest stops are destinations (#20) - I laughed when I saw that this was one of the items on the list, because this is one of the things Rich and I commented on the first time we experienced a Japanese rest stop.  I have not been to Umi-hotaru, the rest stop mentioned in the article, but I have been to other rest stops in Japan, and all of them have been way more elaborate than any rest stop I had ever been to before. The first time Rich and I went on a "road trip" here was the end of last summer when we went to an IndyCar race at Motegi Racetrack.  Since Motegi is about a 5 hour drive north from Yokosuka, the MWR bus had to leave base at 5 a.m. (which I thought was ridiculous at the time) in order to make it to the track on time.  After the first 5 minutes on the bus, I promptly fell asleep and was awakened 2.5 hours later when we arrived at the rest stop.  My first thought was:  woah, this is a rest stop?  There was a Starbucks, about 50 vending machines and a restaurant - and everything was really nice (even the bathrooms were ridiculously clean for being a rest stop). 

The next rest stop I encountered was even bigger and nicer - it had even more vending machines, a full blown food court with fast food type stands as well as actual restaurants, a convenience store and specialty stores (in case you forgot to get omiyage from wherever you were coming from).  The thing is that every rest stop I've been to has always been packed with buses, cars and people.  I'm guessing that because people have to drive such far distances to get around, that's the reason Japan has such elaborate rest stops.  Whatever the reason, I think they're great and it makes stopping so much more pleasant.

Bat's what's up (#23) - Omg, before I  moved here, I had no idea there were so many bats around, but I soon found out! Shortly after our furniture and other stuff we had shipped to Japan was delivered to our house (before I arrived in Japan), our friend Bryan helped Rich move some of our furniture into various parts of our house.  One night after I got to Japan, Rich said that Bryan asked if I had met our new pet.  I was confused because we didn't have any pets per se.  He started laughing and said, yeah he wanted to know if you met our pet BAT.  Apparently at around dusk, Bryan was oustide of our house and saw something flying around near the top of the lamp post next to our front deck (fyi, the top of the lamp post is right outside my bedroom window) - at first he thought it was a bird, but then he realized it was a bat.  A few nights later, when we were heading to catch the train, I DID in fact see the bat, which apparently likes our lamp post.  Later, when we were at the train station waiting for the train, I saw tons of bats flying around in the sky - it kinda grossed me out, but at it made me feel better knowing that my house probably isn't the only one with a pet bat. :)  I haven't seen the bat since it's been winter, but now that summer is fast approaching, I'm guessing the bat will make its appearance soon.

Cocktails are maniacally fresh (#46) - See my post about the Pine Sour where I described how they juiced an actual pineapple at our table and then poured it over the Chu Hi (Pine Sour Anyone?)...enough said.