Time To Unwind In Tokyo

20th August, 2010 - Ok - first things first.... I admit I haven't been posting many new blog entries of late. There's a reason - several. Firstly - had child #2 (kind of changed priorities), second - have been holidaying in Japan (yeah - ninth trip... man am I behind on my posts), and third - there's some big news which you can read about on my sister blog (Raising Adelaide). Anyhow - I'm back at home - busy as usual, but I want to get stuck into these posts. Real quick.

So where were we - oh that's right - Odaiba. We had a totally full-on day there, T-chan with her friend, and me with L-kun visiting all the different and very interesting things (in the middle of a very hot Tokyo summer day). After the end of the day, we decided to visit another old friend. But I won't spoil the surprise. First thing we did was jump on the Tokyo Monorail that stops at Odaiba, and wound our way to Hamamatsucho. The monorail is a slightly expensive, but a worthwhile experience in Tokyo... 470 yen will take you end to end, from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho.

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Only 1 minute after getting on the Monorail, L-kun was fast asleep... we got off at Takeshiba Station and found a quiet place to sit down by the harbour, watching the boats come and go. L-kun slept soundly in Mum's arms for an hour, whilst Mum and Dad had some quiet time together. It was a strange afternoon - but amidst the hustle and bustle of the trip, and especially of the day - it was great afternoon break together. Just goes to show that for all the excitement of sight-seeing in a big city, sometimes you just need to sit back, relax and unwind.

Of Fireworks and Farewells

16th August, 2010 - Our last night in Sapporo for 2010. It's been a wonderful summer, and it's come to an end all too quickly. And perhaps it's somewhat fitting to end our trip to Sapporo with another family fireworks session, this time using up all the ones that we had left over. Fireworks being the quintessential traditional childhood thing in Japan during summer.

Final days are always spent nervously - though still without much fanfare. We all know that our time is coming to an end. After all, we've been packing suitcases for the last couple of days in preparation. Yet each moment with obaachan and ojiichan are precious. And especially for them. This is their last chance for at least another year to spend with their grand-child... and they hold on to each and ever second.

And it's also the time they can be simply grandparents. After all, skype may be wonderful technology - and so much better than phones. But it doesn't replace a warm embrace, or a gentle guiding hand on a shoulder. Nor does it transfer the smell and heat of summer's fireworks. L-kun gains so much from these trips. Not just in terms of his Japanese, and his cultural awareness (also very good for myself)... but for connecting again with his Japanese family. And that's an important part of why we go again and again.

So with the candle slowly burning down for 2010... our story moves location. Sapporo may have come to an end, but Tokyo here we come.

Farewell Sapporo... until next trip!

Sushi Magic... What's Your Going Away Food?

16th August, 2010 - There's one thing that we all enjoy at T-chan's home... great takeaway sushi. Of course, there's great sushi every where in Japan (and I suppose a few dodgy ones as well), but Hokkaido is home of fresh seafood... something for which I'm eternally grateful. 

T-chan's parents always manage to organise a good meal of osushi, and especially before we head back home. Always a huge selection... but you can bet there's not much if anything left on the plate after we've finished eating. But the one sad thing about having sushi for dinner (whether take-away or eating out), is that it often signifies the end of our trip. And therefore, each mouthful comes with a slight bittersweet taste of tears to perfectly complement the sweet taste of well as deliciousness.

I thought I'd throw up some totally self-indulgent sushi photos.... hmmmm, I can't be sure that I've got all the fish names in the right place, or that I haven't missed anything out.... but at the end of the day... who cares. Bring on the Sushi! It's hard to pick a favourite - but I think it's hard to go past a good maguro (tuna)... but the aburi (seared) salmon is delicious too... and the ikura (roe) is just devine. I love 'em all!

Front/right: ikura (salmon roe), middle: ebi (prawn), right: saba (mackerel). top/left:,  engawa (dorsal fin muscle from the halibut), top middle: kani (crab).

Bottom: Another otoro sake (salmon belly), ebi , maguro (tuna), and uni (urchin)

Bottom left: kani, centre: salmon (yum), top: toro tuna.

Right: toro (underbelly) tuna, left: sake, salmon, top/middle: unagi (eel), top left: engawa  and very top left: hotate (scallops).

Left: aburi sake (seared salmon), right: tuna, tuna, tuna!

Now of course, if you've been living in a cave for the last thousand years, you may not know the deliciousness of good sushi... and unfortunately, a lot of the sushi you buy in your local shopping strip just doesn't quite cut it. Actually - to be honest, 10 years ago, I most probably wouldn't know good sushi from a wet sock... I was such a culturally and gastronomically challenged lad. So I don't think it's particularly bad if you don't eat sushi, and the thought of raw fish turns your stomach... I'm a very good example of someone that (given the right push along) can become quite a fan!

Though it is difficult to find really good sushi here... perhaps because it's hard to get the same range of fresh ingredients, and I think difficult to find sushi chefs with the authentic technique. I guess that's one of the reasons we always fill up before coming home. Of course, this is take away sushi ... so I suppose it's fitting as a parting gift before leaving Sapporo... If only we could pack every spare inch of our suitcases with sushi, but I suspect we might not like the welcome home when we arrived back in Adelaide.

What's your favourite sushi, and what dish (if any) symbolises the end of journey to Japan? Or do you have other food for other favourite destinations?

Summer Reflective Thinking and Not-So-Reflective Playing

15th August, 2010 - No... it wasn't the revenge of the killer whales; instead it was one of the great little pools in one of the many good childrens parks in Sapporo. And what better place to spend your summer afternoon (a hot, muggy afternoon at that) than to go splashing in the pool? This wasn't the first time we'd visited here. The park is known as Noushi-Kouen (check the link for a map), and L-kun, T-chan and her parents had visited in 2009. Of course L-kun remembered it very well.

Actually, we were here to meet up with some of T-chan's web-friends (from her blogging days) who lived in Sapporo. Let's just call them G-man (the Aussie) and S-chan (Japanese), with their son S-kun. Actually, it turns out that they were quite good pals of some of our Adelaide Aussie/Japanese couple friends whom had stayed temporarily in Sapporo a few years ago. Talk about a small world! And of course for L-kun and S-kun, none of that mattered. It was just a good excuse to go for a run in the pool.

And lets face it - when you're 3 years old (as L-kun was at this stage), pools are wonderous things.Water... so much water. And you can run around in it without a care in the world. Freedom to do what you want. Free, that is, to stick your head in the pool. Coz that's just the sort of thing that you have to do... though I'm not exactly sure why. In fact, I'm not sure that L-kun knew what he was doing at this point either. Water can be so attractive. Ah, for a child's perspective....

It was interesting to meet this family - for the first time. I have to admit that I'm always envious of people that have had a chance to live in Japan for an extended period (of course, S-chan was a native girl from Sapporo, so she was much more excited about Australia). The longest single stay I've had in Japan was about 2 months. I know it must be a very different experience visiting a city/country with your partner, than living there. And whilst I've spent a good amount of time in Sapporo, I can't claim to really know the city. But it's also a strange environment in Japan for foreigners - especially for mixed families (and mixed, or hafu, children). It sounds like it's a largely un-real experience, which doesn't quite follow the same rules as you would normally expect. And it can be a pretty care-free whirlwind experience indeed. And by the sound of it, after 10 years, it can be very hard to consider leaving. Imagine trying to re-build a normal life after a decade of being abroad without necessarily being able to directly use any of that employment history. It's a hard call - and it sounds like many gaijin in Japan struggle with the both the uncertainty and practicality - and possibly even fear - of returning to the everyday existence in their homelands...

The biggest impediment for us to move to Japan is my career... it's hard to consider putting a career (which you've spent a long time training for) on hold for 12 months - let alone 10 years. Yet, it's a sacrifice my wife made in coming to Australia (and more so, as she left behind her family). International marriages are often built upon such tough choices - where there is more times than not, no one right decision. We each of us have to muddle our way through, not only trying to pick the right course for ourselves, but also for our children. As a I write this, we are expecting our second child in about 5 weeks. More difficult choices are coming our way... but also many more exciting and amazing times. Home, after all, is not just where you hang your hat, but also where you raise a family. Wherever that is... and sometimes, that can be in more than one place....

May The Force Be With You and Your Photographer - Shichi-Go-San

15th August, 2010 - In Japan, there is a celebration for just about everything, and one of the more popular ones (for young families) is the 3-5-7 celebration. Well, it's not so much a celebration as an opportunity to spend some money down at the photography studio (which I hasten to add are not particularly cheap in Japan... but we don't have a price comparison in Adelaide). It is a time when all young padawans must learn to harness the force, and all Jedi parents must learn to suffer the pains of child photography sessions with a smile.

Actually, the celebration Shichi-Go-San (7-5-3) does date back to antiquity (i.e. before I can find any real references - though in reality it was in the Edo period some time, after 1600AD). It comes from Chinese traditions of uneven numbers being auspicious, and also a good smattering of Japanese aesthetics, to celebrate special or sacred years of childhood. From the survival of early childhood (at 3 yo... which was likely no mean feat), to the leaving of infanthood (at 7 yo...). In fact the child's spirit was said to belong to the gods until age 7, at which time the child would formally be added to the "population books" and ujigami-sama. Ok... if it sounds like I know a lot, I don't. This is from Japan: How We Breathe and How Our Hearts Beat.

At the age of 3, the tradition entailed that children changed their hairstyles, wearing it on top. Well L-kun has never had much hair to do much with, so a costume change was going to have to suffice. We took him down to the photography studio - and spent a good couple of hours there. We only went with 2 costume changes (a traditional kimono and a western suit)... though I'm sure there were countless other styles we could have tried.

I think he looked particularly dashing in the suit - with...

Or without jacket....

And he was such a ham away from the professional's camera. But I have to admit that in front of the real camera, it was a different story.... and no, we couldn't bring in our camera to the studio area (just the changing area... which is a little strange). In fact, he developed an instantaneous affectation of sticking his tongue (unconsciously) out the side of his mouth. He'd never done this before - but today, he couldn't stop himself. I guess this was a stress reaction... even though the photographers at the studio were great and very friendly. It certainly is a testament to the professionalism, and the brute inner strength that the photographers (and their assistants) have... and I'm sure that L-kun wasn't the most difficult by a long, long way.

So the following photos are taken from the supplied cd (of I think 9 out of the total of 100 photos that were taken). Speaking of stress - it's very stressful having to down-select photos from a studio (something I'm assuming they are well aware of, and depend financially upon). The package that they offer is a number of photos in an album, a calendar, and a number small photos. All good presents for the grandparents.

Note - I do not hold the copyright to these photos - which is held of course by the studio - but I hope this constitutes reasonable use. Doesn't it?

Anyway - L-kun was 3 years of age at this point... and now he's 4. We're already planning his next visit for his 5th year. May the force (and the savings plan) truly be with us!....

Extended Family Lunches In Sapporo

14th August, 2010 - One of the fun things about returning to Japan is that L-kun gets to experience more of an extended family... something we don't really have much of here in Australia. And part of that is visiting our T-chan's Auntie-S with her grandchild... let's call him S-kun. I'm not so good on family trees, but I'm guessing that makes S-kun a 2nd or 3rd cousin...

And of course - there's lots of fun to be had... watching TV is a universal enjoyment for children (of all ages). L-kun only takes a day or two to get back into the swing of watching Japanese TV. And it was good that T-chan's parents would often send us tapes of his favourite children's TV programs.

Not to mention playing ball - hiding balls - or otherwise creating havoc.  But it's nice to visit, as though we have plenty of friends (especially mixed Aussie-Japanese families) here in Adelaide, we don't have any family with children. So family gatherings are nice to see. Even if they do occur only once or twice a year. And L-kun  and S-kun seemed to get along very well (even if there's nearly two years difference between them).

I never get the feeling that L-kun has too many difficulties with fitting into which ever country's children scene. That's the great thing about young children. Doesn't matter where you come from, what language you speak, or what you look like. Children are pretty well much accepting of everyone - until we as parents/society start messing things up.

And the one thing about Auntie-S is that when you go there for a light lunch, you end up coming back a lot heavier than when you arrived. Her lunches are sugoi! Always lots of yummy food - hand-made and much sourced from her own garden as well! And L-kun loves Auntie-S a lot (coz she just lavishes attention on to him).

That's a lot of work Auntie-S... arigatou!

PS - and now we have twin cousins as well... things are getting busy!

Fireworks are a Family Affair

August 6th, 2010 - Summer, in Japan is a time for fireworks (as I've mentioned before). And coming from Australia, where fireworks are typically not a home-based experience, we made the most of it. L-kun loved them... and was always wanting to go out to light a few more of an evening.

I guess that whilst fireworks are synonymous with summer, family is just as important a connection. There may be a good many years, and a great many kilometres separating them most of the year; but it's great to see Okaasan and L-kun sharing these important moments of Japanese family culture together.

Of course, always take care when using fireworks.... but enjoy them while you can!

Takino Reien... Summer Sounds and Mysterious Sights

5th August, 2010 - After departing one cemetery, we were off to another... to visit Otousan's fathers grave in Takino, further to the south of Sapporo. Now as many 'regulars' might realise (though really, if you're a regular, you should most probably re-assess your priorities).... I've been to the Takino cemetery, or Takino Reien, a few times before. In fact I've posted about it before in our trips from 2003, 2006 and 2008... It's almost certainly more notable as one of the more seriously odd cemeteries in Hokkaido... but more on that shortly.

It was hot, and the cicada's call was resounding through the hills of Takino. Cicada's, or semi, as they are known in Japan, are synonymous with summer - and they have a truly awesome sound - a sound we don't really have here in Adelaide, Australia... though it's common on the East Coast.

Visits to cemeteries are slightly odd in Japan. They're more like family meetings than anything particularly sombre. We've had lunch at Takino Reien after 'visiting relatives', and I can't imagine sitting down in a cemetery here for a bite to eat. I guess it's a time to talk... akin to a friendly update... for relatives who have already passed on. But there is a serious side - and the important thing is to first clean the grave site... and that means washing, replacing any old offerings and setting up some nice flowers (out of Okaasan's garden). 

The mood is strangely more cheerful here compared to earlier in the morning, the still forested foothills of before are replaced by the open and I have to admit sprawling cemetery plots... a forest of headstones. Yet, perhaps it's the artificiality of it that makes it less a imposing atmosphere. L-kun was definitely happy to lend a helpful hand when it came to cleaning....

As before, Okaasan and Otousan put together a beautiful floral arrangement, and prepared the candles and joss-sticks. The food offerings are made for those departed, but unlike years gone by, the food offerings are taken with us to avoid luring wild animals into the cemetery.

Now I mentioned before that Takino Reien was notable for it's oddness... as I've posted before, one of the most bizarre sights I've seen is the Easter Island heads lining the entrance of the cemetery:

From 2003 visit

Well, it's always a bit of a mystery as to what they'll build next, but even I wasn't expecting the addition that we found. A new Easter Island head had suddenly appeared since last we were there. This one had a distinctively different air about him however. Something a little more modern... virile... commanding... he obviously had leadership potential in the way he stood out from the crowd. Seriously - no one apparently can understand or appreciate why they do these things... just that they do. I'm not sure if it's a black sense of humour or a complete disconnect from reality...

Then again, this is also the place where you will find a giant buddha hiding behind a lifesize replica of stonehenge... of course.

It's enough to make you need a sit down... .and what better place to do it...

As I said, Takino Reien is a unique place - but very popular in Sapporo. It is one of the things that makes Japan, Japanese - but it's also one of those places that just makes you want to pull your hair out with exasperation. What the....!!!!! Some things are always to remain a mystery.

Meeting With Family Departed - A Traditional Sapporo Cemetery

5th August, 2010 - Today was going to be a big day, and it was going to start off with a trip to T-chan's Ojiichan's grave in Sapporo. L-kun had been to Japanese cemeteries a few times now, and he knew (instinctively) that these were different sorts of places. He also knew that there was a connection between this place and what Okaasan did in terms of the family shrine, or butsudan back at her home. He naturally did, as he often does at home, and put his hands together in prayer. I doubt that there's much prayer going on - other than wishing for some of the food offering to be offered his way... Still, it makes you wonder. What do children think about in cemeteries?

Now this cemetery is quite different from the one at Takino (where Otousan's family's grave is). This is more your old-school cemetery. Nothing too fancy, and a little more traditional. The cemetery is in a relatively nice location in the city with the graves leading up to a hillside shrine, Souma Jinja... it's a peaceful resting place.

The mood in this cemetery is still, and slightly sombre. In that, it reminds me of a more typical cemetery that I might find in country Australia (ok - minus the Buddhist statues...). And quite a contrast to our next stop...

I'm sure there are many stories to tell in this place... and it's also the sort of place that invites the visitor to wander around and examine the headstones (though I'm not sure about how this is seen). There are many interesting examples in the cemetery, which a sense of unease prevented me from focussing on. After all, a cemetery is not the sort of place that makes for a good blog story in general. It is a personal place, and filled with many memories. 

Yet there's something in seeing how different cultures mark the passing of their people; their parents, their children, and even those that are no longer remembered in any other way. And how at the end of the day, they are not too dissimilar.

I have to admit that I don't know much about the history of this small cemetery...It's a nice spot however to be at one with the earth again, and I suppose that's not a bad thing to seek for in that which comes after. 

We paid our respects to T-chan's Ojiichan - whom we last saw back in the 2005 New Year prior to his passing. Partings are never final however, and we often meet even those that have gone before in our thoughts. I hope that he would have been happy for his grand-daughter, and satisfied that I had been looking after her well enough. I recall his soft gentle smile the first time I met him; and seeing him at our pre-wedding party back in October 2003. They are happy memories for me.

A Family BBQ - Eat Till You Burst, and Then Eat Some More.

3rd August, 2010 - Now Australian's like to believe we perfected (if not invented) the barbecue, however, the reality is that bbq is one of the universal (almost) joys of living. No matter where you live, almost. Ok... that might be being a little culturally insensitive (especially to vegetarians), but I am a BIG FAN of the barbecue. The Japanese are no different - although their concept of barbecue can be a little different. One differences is that the barbecues tend to be portable - and known in the west as a hibachi, though these are not strictly speaking hibachi (which are small heating pots). Back at home in Oz, we have a tendency to go industrial size - becoming an integral part of your house. As the weather was a bit hot outside, we actually cooked - and ate - in the comfort of the garage... well, cooked, ate, drank, talked and laughed that is.

It's not just the bbq itself that's different  - but the ingredients are quite different as well... although, I'm sure that each family has their own "flavours". Today we had a quick bbq with pork sausages, chicken meatball (tsukune), bbq'd mutton (jingisukan),  vegetables including bean sprouts (mame moyashi) and eggplant (nasu)...

And corn on the cob as well as small cow intestine (called, strangely, hormone  in Japanese) which is the rather wet looking white ingredient in the front of the photo below. I'm not a big fan of hormone, but it's ok I guess.

And not forgetting something a little more exotic....squid (ika)... yummy.

And L-kun is showing off the rice balls (onigiri) for lunch... at 3 yo he was still in his, I'm not sure I want to be adventurous mood when it came to food. Simple things were often what was needed, but overall he used to eat plenty of veg and fruit as well as meat.

And the good thing is that if you want a little more of something, you just whack it on the bbq. I love communal cooking! And after a long afternoon of eating, drinking and an occasional game of soccer...the bbq charcoals were finally put out. There's something quite magical about watching the charcoals cool down. Our modern gas-fired bbq's don't quite have the same appeal... though I'm not sure about the goodness of it in this environment of carbon credits...

And then it's time for dessert... provided by T-chan's best friend, T2-chan.... and what a lovely assortment of delectables there were...

Let me just lick my lips a bit...

Yumm-o... I miss these cheeky little Japanese individualised desserts.

And they even had a mini-mini-pavlova!

Of course, sometimes a lad's got hide the fact that he really likes something (that way he might be able to score some more, if we think he's eating it under sufferance)... L-kun was playing up for the cameras. His face said  I don't like it, but his belly said more please. Cheeky monkey... ok... if you want to be like that, Daddy will eat them all!

It was a lovely family bbq - and we all ended the day feeling full in stomach, and full in heart.

Gochisousamadeshita!