We had finished an amazing day of snowboarding and were coming home. Five of us crammed into a car the size of a shoebox, with as many snowboards and skis strapped to the top. As we careened down the road, a 7-11 beckoned with promises of good food and drink.
(A side note for those from the U.S. The 7-11 chain is also ubiquitous here in Japan—to the point that many Japanese think it’s a Japanese rather than an American-based business (UPDATE: oops—so much for fact-checking). But unlike at 7-11’s found in the States, you can actually find decent food at a 7-11 in Japan. Convenience stores here offer so much more than junk food and slurpees.)
We piled, or rather exploded, out of the car in search of sustenance. Along with a generous helping of snacks, all but the driver chose alcoholic beverages to top off a great day and to make the hour-long, cramped drive home a little more enjoyable.
I was in the mood for something hot — and sake sounded just right. I found the sake shelf and grabbed a self-heating can. Peel a plastic lid off the bottom of the can and press the bottom inwards until it pops. Three minutes later, the can and the sake have magically heated to an acceptably warm temperature.
I was happy, but not for long. After we were back on the road, I opened the top of the sake can to enjoy my beverage. The first problem was that, unlike most soda cans, the entire top was to be opened. I could see right away this was going to be a challenge in the cramped quarters and on a bumpy, windy road. Then the smell hit me. Dead fish was my first instinct — and, unhappily, it was accurate. I tried a sip and the taste was just as bad as the smell. As my stinky sake sloshed out of the can, I noticed the special added ingredient that was the source of the foul smell and taste. A small piece of dried fish floating in the can.
A comedy of sorts ensued as we tried to pass the can to the front so the contents could be tossed out the window as soon as possible.
I love sake, but make mine without fish.
(UPDATE: I’ve subsequently found that the odiferous item was squid.)
Category: Life in Japan
Bitch Board
There was the young guy on the slopes today who, like many others, looked as if he was just learning to snowboard. After a fall and a tumble, he lay on the ground and the bottom of his snowboard was visible to those of us below. In big, big letters, it said, “bitch.”
Is this particular board only marketed in Japan, or are there bitch boards throughout the world?
The Ladies
I lost both my arms recently, and these dear, kind ladies — Emiko, Hiroe, Noriko and Miyuki — took me in and fed me when no one else would. They even sent me home with leftovers.
Japan Travel Map
I’ve made a small update to the neglected Life in Japan section of my site, adding a travel map showing most of the places I’ve visited during my stay in Japan.
A Snowy Day
It’s been snowing pretty heavily here since late last night, so there’s a good amount of snow on the ground. I’ve been ensconced in the comfort of my warm apartment all day, relaxing, writing and reading. I was supposed to have returned some DVDs today, but the thought of riding my bicycle a considerable distance on snow-covered sidewalks hasn’t sounded appealing. I’ll deal with the late fees.
I watched Le Grande Blue last night for the first time. I was a bit disappointed — too much buildup, I suppose. Rosanna Arquette was terrible. I read somewhere that the best way to watch the movie is to turn off the dialogue and enjoy the music and images. Good suggestion.
New Year
Happy New Year everyone.
I just got back from two days up at Hakuba resort, about an hour away from Nagano. Went boarding both days, and spent New Year’s Eve at a small house party in nearby Omachi. At midnight, we went to a small shrine in the woods, surrounded by huge, towering trees. As we approached on the snowy path, a huge bonfire glowed and flickered from within the forest, and the sounds of a shrine gong rang out. We were among several dozen people — children, parents, grandparents — who lit incense at the temple, drank proffered sake, accepted a mikan (mandarin orange) and then stood around the bonfire visiting. The colors of the shrine were bright, and the bonfire warm, creating a cozy enclave in the midst of the silent forest, white with snow and black with night.
Chopstick Fiasco
The above picture was taken in 1981 during a family trip to Japan. Though my Grandpa and I shared impeccable taste in fashion, we definitely did not share skills with the chopsticks. Having lived the first thirty years of his life in Japan, he was a pro. I, on the other hand, can be seen using a crude scrape and shovel method. And look at the hand position! The chopsticks look like they’re upside-down.
After my embarrassing display of ineptness during that trip to Japan, I was promptly enrolled at the International Academy for the Development of Gifted Foreign Chopstick Users where, after years of stern tutelage that pushed me to my physical and emotional limits, I became the celebrated and much-honored chopstick master that I am today.
Merry Christmas
It’s a working holiday here in Japan. I’ve opened my presents, talked with family back home, and now I’m hauling my hungover ass off to work.
Christmas Eve Karaoke Photos
What to do on Christmas Eve in Japan? Why, sing karaoke, of course.
The One I Didn’t Eat
I had a Christmas Eve feast of raw fish.
A student of mine took me out to a sushi restaurant for dinner. It was a good restaurant, and they served an enormous and well-prepared meal of serious sashimi. I’ve been enjoying sushi during my time in Japan, but it’s been fairly tame as far as raw fish goes — mostly salmon and tuna. Last night I took the plunge and braved what seemed like a never ending parade of creatures from the deep.
The dinner was an extreme exercise in will power — I was determined to eat it all. And I did, except for the creature pictured above.
A little background. When I first visited Japan, I was thirteen years old and a very picky eater. I survived mostly on rice during the weeks my family traveled around the county. Although I’ve become much more willing to try new foods, I still don’t venture too far afield when it comes to edibles that once were alive. But last night I wanted to give it my all.
I tried octopus, squid, various types of fish, clams in miso soup, sea urchin and still more that I didn’t get the names of. I even ate the shrimp that was still moving (I’m not kidding) when I put it in my mouth. And when they presented the flash-fried head of that very same moving shrimp, I was going to eat it to. No, I wasn’t. Yes, I was. No, I wasn’t. Yes, I was.
In the end, I just couldn’t. So I left one little critter behind and apologized profusely. Even with that one failure, though, I’m fairly impressed with what I managed to put down last night.