January 2018: Welcome, visitors from Australia, Singapore, China, Thailand, Hong Kong and beyond! I started this blog in 2015 when I moved to Japan, and my audience is primarily family and friends who know me IRL. Yet clearly this one post about Jimbocho has filled a void for information in English. While most of my …
Happy [Thursday] from Japan!
Before arriving in Japan we knew that--obviously--American holidays would not be recognized by the kids' international school calendar. Somehow none of us really made the next leap to realize that this means that the kids actually go to school on Thanksgiving. Because here it's just, you know, Thursday. Most Americans in Japan work for Japanese …
Veterans Day Thoughts from Japan
Roughly a million years ago, I was in the Navy. On my first tour I was a Surface Warfare Officer, ship's company, Left Standard Rudder Steady Course 1-8-0 type of sailor. The kind that never sleeps, basically. My second tour was a lot more fun. I was assigned to Assault Craft Unit 5, the Navy's …
Edo Wonderland. Or, When Colonial Williamsburg meets Renn Fest. In Japan.
Last weekend Mark, Cy, and I headed out to Edo Wonderland, a historical theme park about two hours from Tokyo. The park strives to educate its visitors about the Edo period through activities and displays that both educate and entertain--and sometimes at the same time! Edo Wonderland reminded me of a cross between the earnest historical …
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Our First Japanese Halloween
Based on the displays in the 100 yen stores, you would think that Halloween is huge in Japan. And it is, sort of--just not quite as Americans think of it. To American kids, Halloween means two things--costumes and trick and treating. The Japanese nail the costume part, but the free candy to strangers thing needs a little work. …
DO MEE NO’s
Yesterday I chaperoned a school field trip to the zoo. I lucked out with a lovely group of kids, but I was still pretty wiped and not up for cooking dinner. The kids have noticed Domino's pizza out in town and have begged to try it. So last night we did. We're not huge pizza …
Disney, Tokyo Style
Last week the kids' school closed for fall break. We spent a day at Disney Sea, seeing how the Japanese do The Mouse. The basic gist is the same: FastPass, crowds even mid-week, etc. But Japanese visitors really nail one thing, and that's dressing like their pals. Plenty of American kids and even families will …
Back Alley Ramen on a Saturday Night
This past Saturday the elder child headed out to a sleepover, so the menfolk and I went out for a rockin' Saturday night. We headed off on foot to Yamate Station, a nearby train station. We rode a few stops and got off the train at Yokohama Station. Our destination: Tanukikoji, a pedestrian alley with …
Adventures in Baking with a Crappy Japanese Oven
OK, it's probably not fair to call my Japanese oven crappy. Perhaps "not suiting my needs, or bakeware" is a more diplomatic description. I've used the oven a bit since moving in about six weeks ago, but until now I haven't mustered the courage to bake for real. Elder Spawn turns ten this weekend, and we're …
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Japanese Potato Salad
Nope, not a euphemism. I'm talking about actual potato salad, in Japan. Any time I pass near a prepared foods section of a grocery store, I always end up buying a small portion of potato salad. I used to buy some only when I was actually shopping for prepared foods, but I've given up practicing …
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