Machida Garden」カテゴリーアーカイブ

Mansions vs Apartments

A friend of mine arrived to teach English at an Eikawa here in Tokyo. He arrived from his native California thinking “ I am going to live in a Mansion in Tokyo, how cool is that?!”  Now, lets analyse what was going through his head. He was thinking :” I am going to live in a huge house , perhaps with a jacuzzi  (Japanese love bahing in hot boiling water, right?) , a nice view of the city , perhaps it is a designer type of architecture mansion , with the latest technology , yea! I’ll clap my hands and  the lights will go off and on!  and we will have plenty of space for parties or gatherings…it is a mansion after all”

Well…imagine his surprise when he saw a normal apartment  in the 10th floor of a concrete building with nothing as special or luxurious as described above…”not even technological toilets”  he said. What he didn’t know is that  in Japan  Mansion has another definition from the Amercian concept. Mansions in Japan are residential buildings that usually have more than 3 or 4 stories. They are mainly constructed out of  reinforced concrete or steel reinforced with concrete and they don’t have the  luxury of an American mansion. Apartments are  made out wood and they are not in buildings as tall as the ones with Mansions…. be careful in your  apartment search and don’t be fooled by this cultural difference :p

“Shiri ga aoi” : The Mongolian spot and the Nanny misadventure!

Two days ago a friend of mine  was changing her baby in front of me…as she was doing so,  I saw again the so famous Mongolian spot: The litttle blue mark that most Asian babies have on the lower back. When I say “again”, I mean that this image reminded me of a little episode that I had years ago when I was student working part time as a baby-sitter with a Japanese family back in France. The very  first time I had to change the baby, I saw the little mark. However, my lack of experience and information back then made me think that that little spot was in fact a big, huge bruise!!! I was in horror thinking I had done that type of  harm to the baby by accident!! when I thought throughly, very carefully of  my time with her( feeding her and putting her to sleep) , I then came up with the conclusion that the bruise was not from me but from her family. “Somebody did this to her!” I thought. I was uneasy with this idea so I called my mother. She asked me to describe the mark and then she laughed ” you silly girl! that is not a bruise, that is a birthmark”. I searched about this birthmark thing right after I hung up with my mother and it looked to me  like an amazing silly little fact. Not all Asian babies have it, but most do. These spots generally fade within a few years and almost always disappear by adolescence ( sometimes they stay during adulthood, but that is rare. I did see a lady in an Onsen with one). The Mongolian mark  are also is referred in a Japanese idiom that says :”shiri ga aoi”, which  means “his butt is blue”, a phrase to describe a person that is  inexperienced, just like I was back then 🙂

TOKYO HEAT…Part 2

Last post I started to talk about ideas of how people here in Tokyo do or what they buy to beat this crazy heat and make summers more enjoyable. Here are more ideas:

6. Shaved ice : This is not really unique to Japan. I have seen shaved ice in the US , in other Asian countries and in some places in South America. What makes this special in Japan are the flavors. If you see this little banner floating, you can be sure to find in that place a refreshing shaved ice with matcha ( Japanese green tea) flavor with some read bean paste added.  If you are not really a matcha fan, there are other traditional flavors like strawberry or lemon.

7. Uchimizu :  Uchimizu tradition involves spilling water around the streets of  the neighborhood in an effort to chill the ground, to settle the dust, and to bond with your neighbors. This can be a cheap way to cool off the atmosphere and make new friends. Find out if there are any collective Uchimizu around your area.

8. Neck coolers: You can find these almost in all supermarkets, convenience stores and beauty shops. There are two types of scarfs: those that you can wet with cold water and it will stay wet without dripping water and those that have a pocket of little pearls that you put in the fridge and stays cool for a long time. Many Japanese women use these, and you can find them in many different colors and patterns

9. Katori- Buta : Well , this has nothing to do with the summer heat, but it does help to have a nice summer. This coil when burnt helps to prevents  mosquitos and therefore those ugly mosquito bites. Plenty of Japanese houses have this ceramic pig shaped  coil container… why a pig, I don’t know, if you know, let me know 🙂

10. Uchiwa : These non-folding fans are really ‘a must’ during summertime! You can find them in convenience stores but you can also find them for free almost everywhere in Tokyo. They serve as advertisement for a company or product, sometimes even as an ad for an event. Traditional uchiwas are made with bamboo and rice paper or textile. Some people use nice ones as a useful accessory to their yukata ( summer kimono) in Matsuris (summer festivals). I personally  prefer these to the folding fans!

Anyways, here is just an example of the things you can find during this summer. Tokyo has plenty more of gadgets and stuff to make summers more enjoyable and entertaining, making us forget a little that humidity is all over the place…

TOKYO HEAT!!!!!! Part 1

When I told people who had lived here before that I was moving to Tokyo, one of the first things they will mention with distaste was ” Summer are unbearable”  “…during summer time you will suffer”. Well, here I am , and I am surviving it. I was never really a summer person. Even if all my “genes” comes from the south, I am still not a heat person. I pretty much lived all my childhood  in very humid and sunny places… but I guess that I have to take into account that my family comes from a city  in the mountains that is 2, 600 meters above the sea level, that I believe has something to do with my love for autumns and winters. What is the most difficult thing is humidity. I could bear a very hot place but not humidity. Tokyo, I am afraid, is the summer city of humidity (yea yea I have never been to India, but Tokyo is humid enough for me 🙂

When days start here, I like to look around in the train station : People carrying fans, tapping their  foreheads with little towels, drinking cold green tea or carrying water bottles. The ones I feel most sorry for are the poor salarymen. Even the government has promoted  the “cool biz” attitude, some salaryman still have to wear the ties, and the long sleeve shirts. Worst, when they get to their office, it is now limited to a minimum of 28°C!  ( Let’s not forget that Tokyo is still struggling to save energy with the Fukushima incident) So what do Japanese do to beat the heat?  Well, here are just some examples of what to do or buy to cool you off if you can’t stand this heat:

1. Yea, first of all, do respect the 28°c limit. I know it is hard, but we got a bigger problem in the picture other than our comfort. What  some people do is put it in really low temperatures for a bit and then turn it off, just to cool off the room.

freezing pack
freezing pack

2. Don’t forget to buy an instant freezing pack. You can find plenty in Daiso!!  Not only it is good to relief and avoid further inflammation when you hurt yourself while playing basketball or tennis, it also  helps you to cool off when it is extremely hot (In Daiso you can even find some made to  fit your neck, feet and face)

3. Eat cold noodles, soba or udon! Some foreigners don’t like the idea to eat cold, but believe me, this is actually pretty good and tasty and a perfect meal for a very hot day.

4.Tatami pillows and mats: They are one of the best inventions made by the Japanese for hot summers! If you don’t have a tatami room, try to get a tatami mat and pillow, that way you can bear with very hot and sticky nights. You can buy them in Tokyu Hands, Daiso and if you live abroad, from the J-box website.

5. Chilled Bento boxes: How can you keep you cold noodles during this crazy heat if you don’t have a fridge in the office or at school?  Well, there is this fabulous invention! You put a freezing bag inside the think lid and you can have a cold meal for a long day. This is also a great idea for storing your fruits and veggies, even during winter time.

more ideas to come soon……

KYOTO…. between ancient and modern

I had the opportunity to revisit Kyoto again. I must say it took a second trip for me to fall in love with this city. Why??? Well, I can say I was naive to believe people when they said : “Kyoto is ancient, you feel like you are walking in the Edo period”. When I arrived the first time, I was so disappointed to see the Kyoto tower! I was indeed hoping to see a modern city, yes, but perhaps not that modern, or perhaps I was hoping to see more ” ancient” than modern.  I was never personally fond of the mix between modern and ancient, just like some Parisians dislike the mix of  their dear Louvre Museum with that huge crystal pyramid as an entrance. I think it is very difficult to make both coexists together in harmony, but in some cases it is possible.

Kyoto is perhaps one of the most blessed cities in the world with the most beautiful temples and shrines! Yet I have an after taste that there is something “wrong” about this city. When I think again, yes, I love its shrines, I love shinbashi dori in Gion, but I dislike that around such a beauty, there are ugly buildings that completely kill the ancient atmosphere. To me, some  old houses “struggle” to exist among the new ones (Check out the picture below)

Courtesy of Homesick Home

Courtesy of "Homesick Home"

I have heard that there are laws that try to keep the harmony in some neighborhoods. I do find interesting that in some Gion corners, you are walking down in a modern street and all the sudden you find yourself  in an old street, but when they try to mix both in the same street, it just doesn’t seem to go well :

Courtesy of Home Sickhome

Courtesy of Home Sickhome

Despite all this, I have to say that I enjoyed visiting the city once more. The first time I went there I had only spent 2 days. This time I spent 5 and it was worth revisiting the sites seen and seeing others that I missed in my first visit. My favorite was the twin dragons ceiling painting in Kennin-ji! That is to me a perfect combination of modern and ancient! The painting was made in 2002!

copyright machiyainn

copyright machiyainn

MIYAKEJIMA… A little paradise island not far from Tokyo

Two weekends ago I had the pleasure to go to Miyakejima, a little paradise island that is the perfect getaway for those who need a break from the crazy hectic life inTokyo, but that don’t have time to fly far away. It is an island that is part of the Izu Islands , just 180km away from Tokyo.

Miyakejima is perhaps well known for its active volcano (actually the whole island is a volcano). A couple of eruptions occurred throughout the years, some very recent like in 1962, 1983 and the most recent one, in the year 2000. The island was completely evacuated and it was not until 2005 that residents were allowed to go back. In fact, according to what I was told by the locals, it was until very recently that tourists were allowed to come and camp without masks. (Well, there are still parts of the island that you can’t hike, or pass by, since there are still concentration of toxic gases, but it is now safe to go travelling around the island)

So what is it in this island that makes it so special? Well, if you are looking to go shopping, this is NOT your place. There are very few shops. In fact, I only saw a main supermarket and a little  “conbini”shop  (not even the chain  stores are here, so if you need to get money from a Family mart, 7/11 or Sunkus, get it in Tokyo before coming here). Now if you are looking for a place to see birds and fish, this is your place. This island is mostly about its sea life: if you’ll enjoy snorkling or scuba diving. This place is not even a place for beach swimmers. The beach is not sandy but rocky ( imagine that instead of sand there are  plenty of little rocks, which makes it a little hard to walk ^-^) and  it is hard to get in the sea sometimes since there are waves are quite agressive. However this doesn’t mean you can’t get into the water at all. Yes, it is possible, there are some spots that you can go swimming, and you will be amazed  how the water is beautiful!!!! It has an amazing blue!

For those who have time and money to spare, the big deal here is the dolphin swim. The dolphins are not quite in Miyakejima, but in an island near by. For around 16,000yen the day yo can swim with wild dolphins for like 4 hours. You can’t touch them, but they will come to you and swim around you. I didn’t have this money with me at the time, but I do plan to go back for that 🙂

For transportation you have to think about that before coming to the island, specially if you have children. There are only 4 buses that run a day around the island and it is too far ( and tooooo hot in summer time) to walk around the island. You can make it around only with the buses ( that is actually what I did, I bought the bus 2-day  pass and it was enough ) but you have to be organised about your trip. You can think about a bike ( again if you are courageous enough to bike during this hot summer) or rent a motorbike for like 44, 000yen the day. You can also hire a car  at the port when you arrive.

So if you don’t mind not having shops and you enjoy gorgeous scenery, Miyakejima is really the palce to go. Oh !! bird lovers, this is also your island. There is a huge variety of birds and you can go and watch them!  To gop there for a weekend, catch the night ferry from Takeshiba Sanbashi Pier on Friday,you get there at 5am on Saturday. Get to enjoy free camping sites and eventually enjoy the dolphin swim. You can get back to work on Monday if you catch the 2pm ferry on sunday ( you ‘ll be in Tokyo by 8pm sunday)

If you feel curious about this island and you don’t exactly want to go now, check out the movie that was just released 3 days ago. The true story that happened during the 2000 eruption : http://www.rock-wanko.com/

Enjoy!

Courtesy of Tokyo Gaijins

Courtesy of Tokyo Gaijins

Miyakeyima map, Tokaikisen Ferry Company

Miyakeyima map, Tokaikisen Ferry Company

MIYAKEJIMA MEGANE

MIYAKEJIMA MEGANE

My Japanese school in Tokyo…”Espace Langue Tokyo” (also a French school)

When you arrive to Tokyo, there are endless choices when it comes to language schools.  There are also schools that promise you “rapid and efficient methods” that make you speak Japanese in “10 lessons”, “in a few months”, in “miracle”  no time, etc. The truth is that Japanese is quite a complex language  and  no matter what language you want to learn in general, there are really no miracle methods. The magic formula adds up to practicing as much as you can until it sinks in 🙂 So be careful when you chose your school. Be picky and check their program, their methods and their teachers 🙂

I chose my school because of two main reasons: they have small classes and they speak French. I am not really a French native speaker, but it is always nice to see Japanese native speakers learning French…and it definitely changes from the usual English-Japanese school. This school is conveniently located  in Omotesando, just few steps away from Harajuku, the famous Meiji-jingu, and just a 15 minute walk away  from Shibuya. So you are  a native Japanese speaker and you want to learn French? They got tailored classes for you. You are French and you want to learn Japanese from your native language? This school is perfect for you. You are an American, Irish, Spanish, etc and you want to learn French for your next jump? This is also your perfect place. All teachers are completely bilingual. In fact, they have short and long stay programs for French learners in Japan as well as intensive language classes for Japanese learners. To check out their  prices and information, go to their website:

http://espacelanguetokyo.com/ They also have a facebook page.

Here is a picture of the view from the school, sometimes it makes it very hard to concentrate :p

One of the best things from Japan: Onsens!

If you need to forget your troubles for a day, release your stress or simply pamper yourself, there is nothing like an Onsen! Onsens are hot spring bathing facilities that look nothing like any other bathing facilities anywhere else in the world: Yes, Korea and Taiwan has plenty hots springs, and it is not perhaps the first time you hear about other hot springs in the world. The baltic countries are known for their fantastic spas and who doesn’t dream about the a hot deep in Iceland’s volcanic waters. Yet there is something ceremonial and different about Japan’s onsens. If you are in Japan, it has to be listed as a must -do in your agenda!

So what is so special about them…Well, as a western foreigner there are things you might find amusing or very different. First of all, there are etiquette rules to be followed:

1. When you go to an onsen, leave your swimming suits home! This might be obvious for those who live already in Japan, but I still find it amusing everytime I see a friend who comes to visit for the first time how embarrassing is to bathe naked. It was also for me very difficult  to an the beginning, but believe me you get used to it :p  Traditionally, men and women  bathed together (way back before the Meiji period, before Japan opened to the West), but single-sex bathing has now become the established custom . You can still find mixed onsens in some parts of Japan, but they are rare. If you ever see one, girls you can always were a towel wrapped around you. 69376_10150285385410068_784805067_15276820_1364168_n

2. Towels!! You are not permitted in theory to take a towel into the bath with you. You may see some people with small towels on their heads (see the picture), but the etiquette indicates that dipping the towel is a no- no. You can also use  the small towel for modesty while walking around.

3. Clean and Rinse yourself before entering the hot spring!!!! That is the most important rule!!! Hot springs are really for relaxing and to enjoy the minerals in it , however, you have to be completely clean before entering it. Most onsens will provide soap , shampoo and conditioner. If not, you can buy it from them. Use the stool to sit and wash yourself throughly (see below)

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Where to go?

If you are in Tokyo, your best shot is to go to one of the Onsen’s meccas in this area: Hakone. You can take the Odakyu line from Shinjuku and buy a Romance car train ticket and it will take you faster than any other train. You can also take an express, but it does takes long from Shinjuku. A weekend could be the best option to fully enjoy your stay there. There are other onsens around Tokyo, ask your friends. If you don’t have time, you live downtown and still want to get a hot dip, try the “sentōs”, which are indoor public bath houses where the baths are filled with heated tap water. You will probably won’t get all the minerals from an onsen, but you will relax.  My suggestion: If you live on the Odakyu and you don’t want to go all the way to Hakone, there is a fantastic black water onsen near the train station in Shin-yuriogaoka (shuttle bus available) :

http://www.yukaisoukai.com

or one near Machida, but not easy to access by foot:

http://www.roten-garden.com/

Enjoy!!

You don’t have a pet? No problem, go to a Cat cafe or a Rabbit cafe

…And in the saga of offbeat things you can find in Japan and  you cannot miss is the Neko (cat) or  the Usagi (rabbit) cafe !

Yeap, that is right, a place on earth where you pay to pet cats or rabbits! Cat cafes are perhaps more popular than rabbit cafes ( So far I haven’t seen a rabbit cafe here in Tokyo, but I know they exists because I got a link  from a friend to a Usagi cafe homepage) The popularity of   these cafes can be attributed to the limited space you have in many Tokyo apartments and to the  so unfamous forbidding -pet rule many landlords impose their tenants. So how the Japanese kawaii culture addicts managed to satisfy their kawaii needs? Well, for a cover fee, you can have a drink and up to an hour or more to enjoy the company of these little furry creatures. This picture was taken in a cafe in Shimokitazawa, (for 30 minutes 700yen!!!!! I think this one was pricy):

catcafe

Now I as told  that these cafes actually are controlled by the local authorities in order to protect your health as well as the animals’  health. The protocol to enter this place demands you to remove your shoes (well that is pretty much everywhere in Japan), wash your hands and sanitize them with alcohol gel at the entrance. You are provided with cat toys to play with and you may not bring you own . You cannot disturb sleeping animals and you will be asked to leave if you engage in inappropriate behavior. This place is quite peaceful, but not peaceful enough for me…. did I mention I was allergic to cats? well, yea, I just did this for mere curiosity 🙂

I am not going to start a debate here about animal rights, but I have to consider both sides of the coin. This place keeps more o less 20 to 60 cats. Some I was told where stray cats and some cafes intend to promote awareness about pet abandonment. However  some people argue that these cafes are  some sort of  “pet pimping” places: you pay, you can touch. Many  are  open until late hours and despite the rules, it is doubtful these animals have complete rest when numerous customers  touch them per day.

Up to  you to make an opinion… perhaps visit them and judge by yourself…..

Here below: a cat cafe in Shibuya

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WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT A GARDEN IN TOKYO? Umeshu and Kaki jam

I am a lucky person … why? Because I live in a house with an awesome GARDEN in Tokyo! Not many can say that. I live in a house with plenty of green and I love it!  That is actually one of the main reasons I chose Machida Garden. Look at this:

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Now, I am not really a gardener. Having goods things require major responsibilities and having a garden like ours demands time and patience. In addition to that I am afraid I was not born to grow my own veggies and a cactus doesn’t last much in my possession 🙁  So how can I have an awesome garden in my house without it becoming a hopeless jungle?  I have the luck to have housemates that love gardening! They take good care of the garden and I may say I enjoy having people like them around. They are a French couple that enjoys working on our Japanese garden in exchange of a discount in their rent with Oakhouse.

So I get to enjoy the benefits of a garden without being an expert: In our garden we have a plum tree and a kaki tree. And what did we do? We did Umeshu last weekend. Yes, The kaki season is over, it was in November and we had plenty of kakis to make jam until we got sick of it:

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However picking the Ume (plums) last weekend reminded me of the good time we had last November and that it is nice to have a garden and have something to do with the fruits in all seasons.

In Japan there are a couple of things you can do with Ume. You can try to do Umeboshi, which is like a pickled plum that you can eat with rice. Some people hate it because it is extremely salty and sour, some people love it, I personally looooove it! Nonetheless our Ume were very green to make Umeboshi and with my housemates, who are not as Umeboshi fans as I am, decided to make Umeshu.

Umeshu is a sweet liquor made with steeping Ume, fruit alcohol and rock sugar. If you are interested to make this liqueur, you need:

a. 2¼ lbs of unripe green Ume plums. If you don’t have a plum tree like me, you can buy them in the supermarket, they look like this:

b. 2 lbs of Rock sugar (or kouri zatou 氷砂糖 is Japanese). Rock sugar is preferred because it melts very slowly, however if you cannot find it, you can also use granulated sugar.

c. 7½ cups of Shochu or another flavorless distilled alcoholic beverage.  (any white liquor with 35% will be fine. No worries, at the end your Umeshu will be 15%)

d. Very important: a sterilized glass jar that you can hermetically close with a plastic lid. You can buy the jar in any big supermarket store  (especially during this season) or in Tokyu Hands. Most supermarkets will sell the DIY Umeshu kit if you feel you don’t want to search all ingredients separately.

e. And the last thing you need is: PATIENCE – You will not enjoy your drink right the way. Once you have followed all steps, you need to store your jar for 6 months to have real Umeshu. If you really want it to have a strong taste, store it for 1 or 2 years!

NOW, once you have all ingredients:

1.Clean the Ume! Remove the dead skin, any “bruises” and the stem. The stems are small and deep, so use a toothpick or your pinky fingernail to dig them out.

2. Once your Ume are clean and dried with a towel, place a layer of plums in the jar, then a layer of rock sugar, then a layer of plums, then a layer of rock sugar. Continue until all the plums and sugar are used up.

3. Pour the alcohol in the jars until there’s about an inch of alcohol over the top of the plums.

4. Put the lid on the jar securely and store the plums in a cool, dark place. Shake the jar occasionally to help the sugar mix with the alcohol. Like I said, after 6 months, the umeshu is ready to drink. However, this liqueur is better with age, so you may notice a different flavor after a year or two.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CHEK OUT THIS LINK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlBNdRKNhJI

ENJOY!