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Bonsai..Where Size Aint Everything.
2008-01-14 12:06:00
Last weekend saw the 78th Annual Bonsai Exhibition hit town at Fukiage Hall in Chikusa.Inside a chilly,crowded aircraft hangar like structure,row upon row of immaculately manicured bonsai specimens sat.Ready and poised for their yearly audience before their admiring masses.The word 'bonsai' is a combination of the Japanese word 'bon' meaning a shallow container and 'sai' meaning plants.You could roughly divide the exhibits into three classes.The smallest group were those you could carry with one hand.The middle group being those plants growing in a container that requires a person to use both hands to carry it while those in the largest category are grown in a container that need two people to carry them safely.Many of the specimens appeared to be either goyo matsu (Japanese White Pine),hinoki (cypress),maples or junipers.There were also a number of flowering cherry and dwarf apple and kaki(persimmon) trees making up the numbers.As well as the variation in size it was obvious ...
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Friday Flash...Kagimochi
2008-01-11 10:22:00
Another New Year decoration commonly seen is the kagimochi.Traditionally it is an offering to the god of the incoming year and placed on the family altar before New Years.On January 11th,known as kagami biraki, it is broken up and eaten by members of the household.Kagimochi is a small,round,two tiered sticky rice cake made from mochi rice.It looks similar to a headless snowman.It usually has a small bitter orange on top.The orange is known as a daiai which is a homonymn for the word "generations" and considered lucky.The kagimochi above has a plastic rodent atop instead of an orange as 2008 is the Year of Mouse.Mochi rice cakes are made from boiled sticky rice or mochi-gome.The mochi-gome is hit repeatedly with a wooden mallet-like hammer until it becomes sticky.It is then formed into rice cakes or made into kagimochi decorations.As mochi is very sticky around New Years it contributes to a number of deaths caused by choking.It seems that elderly people in particular are susceptible...
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MiddleMarch...Ring for Jeeves....Book Review
2008-01-07 14:15:00
MiddleMarch by George Eliot.Oxford University Press 1999.Introduction by A.S Byatt.924 pages.The subtitle "A Study of Provincial Life" gives the reader a hint of what the author was trying to achieve by writing this novel.Its a mixture of sociological,historical and philosophical thoughts.Among other things.Such as small town persecution of strangers and outsiders,gossip and relationships not only between the different classes but between men and women.Of course the concept of marriage is also well traversed as illustrated by the part it plays in the lives of the two main characters Dorothea Brooke and Tertius Lydgate.The motivation for getting married be it for money,stability,social standing or security is also examined in the lives of other characters in the book.I found it a difficult book to read for a number of reasons.First there was an actual physical problem with reading the novel.The actual type is miniscule and it required a lot of concentration just to focus on the sente...
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KitKat Cherry Balls
2008-01-07 01:14:00
KitKat Balls According to the old calendar we have entered the coldest part of winter.Hence I was a little surprised when I saw this packet of cherry flavoured KitKats on the shelves of a small shop on a local train platform.Firstly,its the first time Ive seen circular KitKats.If you cut a cross-section with a knife you find a layer of wafer surrounded by the cherry filling.Secondly,it struck me as odd to see something I associate with the season of Spring and the months of April and March appearing in the midst of Winter and January.Maybe I can put it down to global warming or commercial pressures but it does seem odd.
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Friday Flash..Hatsumode 2008 (part 1)
2008-01-04 11:45:00
Hatsumode refers to the first visit you make to a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple each New Year.Traditionally,Japanese people crowd such places en masse over the first few days of the New Year starting from midnight January 1st to pray for a good New Year. The photo above shows the throngs waiting on January 1st at Osu Kannon.While it wasnt snowing,it was bitterly cold with an Arctic wind blowing into the well wrapped up masses.As well as stalls selling the almost obligatory lucky charms in the temple courtyard, there were also the usual food stalls set up nearby.Steam can be seen rising from the potato stand where the hot potatoes were literally selling like...This okonomiyaki stand was also doing a brisk trade as customers formed a patient, orderly line as their meal was cooked. Another staple like okonomiyaki, to be found at festivals and public events is the choco-banana.This was a steal,literally at 300yen each, but very hard to resist with a generous coating of chocolate. ...
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Friday Flash..Hatsumode 2008 (part 2)
2008-01-04 11:16:00
These photos below show some examples of New Year decorations or shimekazari which are hung on or over the front door.There are many different designs but generally it is a rope or straw decoration from which a shide or white strip of paper hangs.Shimekazari are hung on or over doors to both show the temporary residence of the God of the New Year or Toshigami who brings good luck and also to deter bad spirits from entering the home.
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Nengajo...Japanese New Years Cards
2007-12-31 11:44:00
Japanese people,traditionally near the end of December, send New Years cards to almost all of their friends,relatives and acquaintances.Likewise businesses send them to their customers.This year being the Year of the Rat nengajo cards bear designs of rats or mice on them.Disney shareholders must be rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of selling cards adorned with Mickey and Minnie on them.Bear in mind that between 3 and 4 billion cards are sent each year.Its a big marketing and commercial opportunity;for example there were numerous Snoppy cards available for the last Year of the Dog.Cards that are mailed through to late December are collected and delivered together by Japan Post on January 1st.Since 1950 government issued cards have been available for purchase.These cards have their own lottery number.Should the recipient's number be drawn they become entitled to such prizes as TVs,kitchen appliances or car navigation systems.
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O-Shogatsu..Japanese New Year 2008
2007-12-31 10:29:00
Well the New Year is almost upon us again.A bleak day outside this Monday 31st December 2007.A brisk wind has been blowing most of the day and theres a 40% chance of snow today.This year is the Year of the Rat or Mouse according to the twelve year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.The Rat is the first animal in the cycle,2007`s wild boar or pig representing the last animal in the series.Historically the rat or nezumi (mouse) is linked with bringing and protecting material prosperity.On the other paw,its also associated with war,pestilence and death.Images of The Black Plague and cries of "Bring out your dead" spring to mind.Temperament-wise it is seen as being intense and powerful,eloquent and charismatic but also can be ruthless,tyrannical and megalomaniac.Should make for an interesting year...
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Friday Flash...
2007-12-28 10:50:00
A small slice of sponge Christmas cake.The yellow citric lemon icing atop the cake was quite sweet.I was given one of these red centered kiwifruit some weeks ago by a student but only recently saw them in my local supermarket.Being used to the more common yellow or green cored fruit this newer variety at first seemed strange.However it tastes just as you would expect a kiwifruit to.One thing in its favour is its thin almost bald,hairless skin.This makes it easy to wash and eat.Here in Japan,the average price of a single fruit is around 100 yen.The red variety above however were on special and therefore cheaper.I was able to purchase a carton of six for 360yen.
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2007 Year End Round Up
2007-12-28 09:02:00
Trust.n 1 firm belief in the reliability,truth,ability,or strength of someone or somethingBlind.Naive.By weight of office or years,I think it would be fair to say that many peoples trust was tested one way or another this year.From January 11th,when Fujiya Co announced that it had used milk past its use by date in some of products it seems not a month has gone by when some food mislabelling scandal hasnt come to light involving a local Japanese company.Ironic really,when you consider concern over the safety of imported Chinese food products and people turning toward domestic produce amid these fears.In June a meat processing company based in Hokkaido was found to have mixed pork into ground beef.The fact that a company had some 300 years tradition behind it was also no guarantee as to the products.Akafuku Co was discovered to have falsified the production date of its red bean paste and mochi rice cakes.Apparently the practice had been going on for more than thirty years.Frozen Akafu...
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What?? Christmas already!!
2007-12-24 11:38:00
Another well presented lunchbox from the Mitsukoshi Department store basement.The purple coloured mass in the lower part of the bento is sweet potato.There is a mixture of meat and salads and vegetables.Below is the latest flavour Ive tried from the Dean and Deluca range.At first glance the combination seems odd.Balsamic vinegar isnt the first thing Id think of putting into my ice cream.I thought it would be over-powering.Too striking and at odds with the other ingredients.However,combined with little chunks of fig mixed through the sweet ice cream,the result is akin to a raisin like ice cream in terms of flavour and texture.The ice cream is packaged very attractively and sports yuletide seasonal red and gold.I only discovered by chance there is a Dean and Deluca store opened in a new shopping complex near Nagoya Station.Something to check out on my short Christmas break.The sight of Father Christmas figures climbing up the outside of buildings is quite common in Nagoya.I suppose yo...

Friday Flash...Christmas Desserts
2007-12-21 05:32:00
It seems at Christmas the small bakeries and pastisserie shops go all out to produce eye-catching and colourful desserts and treats.Much care and attention goes into producing these extravagant individual offerings.The one above has a few strawberries and cranberries sitting on a base of cream and sponge.The sponge is itself floating on a sweet caramel like sauce.The second dessert has a thin champagne coloured jelly on top.Once you dig in below the surface there emerges a trifle like mixture.Small chunks of pineapple and sponge together with a custard sauce appear on the end of your spoon.Very tempting.
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Tsuramai Park in Autumn
2007-12-17 01:54:00
A brisk walk around Tsuramai Park last Saturday morning revealed some lingering autumn foilage offsetting the grey overcast day.The band rotunda above is used for a variety of concerts during the year.Its surrounded by grass covered mounds and steps for people to sit and relax.Despite this being the season of consumption with a constant barrage of ads to spend and shop till you drop,there are a number of people who wont be making big ticket purchases this year.Easy to ignore and avert ones eyes.But the evidence is there.Shuffling through rubbish bags and crushing cans to be recycled.The bedding under this walkway bridge in the park has been neatly folded and left for the day sheltered from any rain or showers that may occur while the owners are away.A final flurry of colour before the chilly breeze and cooler temperatures curl the fragile dry maple leaves.The tent above differs from the usual blue canvas or plastic structures you can find scattered throughout Tsuramai Park.The numbe...
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Friday Flash..More Bentos
2007-12-14 09:02:00
I spent the best part of Friday morning at the local city tax office trying to explain that I havent received a full salary since August and wont be getting another till mid January.Yet I still found myself having to pay a late penalty despite my pleading for some kind of waiver or compassion.Anyway to cheer myself up I visited the basement of Mitsukoshi Department Store in Sakae,Central Nagoya. The bowels of the Mitsukoshi Building(which may not be the most apt adjective) contain a huge food court.Fresh produce and vegetable stalls are jammed up against other small counters serving a virtual myriad of foods and sweets.Not only can you see fresh bentos being made up as you watch,dazzled by the rainbow of colours and ingredients on display but one can also purchase many different types of confectionery such as cakes,cream rolls,pastry,traditional sweets...the list is endless The bento above contains all sorts of beans and things to nibble on.Theres a small portion of hamburger meat...
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Tokugawaen Garden in Autumn
2007-12-10 14:32:00
I travelled again last Friday to Tokugawaen Garde n in Nagoya to take in the autumn colours.Ive blogged about the Garden recently but wanted to return after hearing that it was a nice spot in autumn.I wasnt disappointed by what I saw as I walked around.Unfortunately my camera doesnt do justice to the late fall foilage.Brilliant reds and yellows almost iridescent in hue.No need for Photoshop or any other computer software to "big up" or amplify the colours on display.The varied colours of the maples stood out among the darker green leaved pines near the lake and were reflected and repeated in the waters by the passing koi on the look out for any water borne insects within their range.It was a pleasant way to spend a few spare hours reflecting on the past week at work.Things are getting more organised and the number of students is increasing.Consequently Im also teaching more lessons per day and slowly getting back into the rhythmn and timing of classes.While it still doesnt feel like...
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Seasonal KitKat MiniPacks..Strawberry,White Maple KitKats
2007-12-10 01:44:00
This pack contains 15 mini kitkats and is obvivously aimed for the Christmas season.Once you open the wrapper you are greeted with a strong strawberry scent which doesnt smell totally natural.That said the brown chocolate on the outside and the smooth strawberry creme inside combine nicely. The white maple minipack are another limited seasonal addition to the KitKat range.I spotted them among the Christmas confectionery shelves last week.The name of these kitkats,"white maple" describes their taste and appearance exactly.In appearance,the smooth white chocolate exterior contrasts nicely with the crumbly texture of the biscuit and maple creme interior.To be honest,I found them a bit too sickly sweet.The novelty of the maple flavour soon wore off as it overpowered the white chocolate.A case of the whole being less than the sum of the parts.
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Friday Flash..Some recent Bentos Ive eaten..
2007-12-07 09:46:00
Having enjoyed the recently rare pleasure of actually being paid for my labours I expanded my spartan diet to include the bentos or Japanese lunchboxes Ive photographed below.The first bento has a mixture of rice and various meat servings including a small saveloy or red hotdog together with a less than tradtional dollop of mustard and tomato sauce.This second more traditional bento below illustrates what for me are important factors when considering bentos...the colour and presentation.It is very attractive with a variety of autumnal colours.The egg yellow omelette(top left),compliments the orange pumpkin in the mid foreground while being separated by the diagonally arranged rice servings.There are also a variety of tastes and textures included in this offering.Crunchy carrots.Fibrous mushrooms.Smooth tofu.Pickled ginger.While this third and last bento is less visually compelling than the vegetarian offering above it still contains assorted tastes and different servings.Top left th...
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I Smell Winter
2007-12-03 03:46:00
I shot this autumn scene down a narrow lane in Osu Kannon on a bright,sunny Saturday afternoon.Today,though it feels like winter as this morning opens with driving rain, dark skies and cool temperatures.Workwise things are gearing up with more students booking lessons plus we got paid on Friday.Not a full months salary but enough to keep the wolf from the door.
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Book Review..I am a Cat
2007-12-03 01:00:00
I am a Cat.Soseki Natsume.Tuttle Publishing.2002.Translated by aiko Ito and Graeme Wilson.Introduction and 638pages.This novel started out as a short story and gradually grew by installments into the three volume publication I recently read.In a nutshell its a collection of observations of a cat living in an upper middle class household in Meiji era Japan.This was a period of social change and economic growth as well as a time of conflict with the Russo-Sino War in the background.As the book develops the cats descriptions of human foibles extend to cover not only the society and times it lives in to more general human attributes found in all societies.Soseki's writing and description of the teachers household where the cat lived reminded me at times of P.G Wodehouse's domestic farces with characters similiar to Bertie Wooster and his Aunt coming to mind.Theres a very funny breakfast scene laid out from page 494 in which the father is oblivious to the chaos and mayhem of his daught...
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Friday Flash..Nana Chan
2007-11-30 10:26:00
This six metre or so tall mannequin stands outside the Meitestsu Department store near Nagoya Station.Here she is sporting a seasonal Christmas outfit.She seems to have a large wardrobe of clothes.In summer she wore a pink bikini and recently she was clad in the Chunichi Dragons baseball strip when the team won the Japan Series for the first time in about fifty years.Apparently Nana chan is the largest doll-like figure in Japan and first appeared in 1973 to mark the anniversary of the Meitestu Department store opening.
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Christmas Illuminations
2007-11-26 02:14:00
Around this time of year the streets are ablaze with Christmas lights or what are locally known as "Christmas Illuminations".The Santa Claus decoration above is postioned beside an intersection in central Nagoya.The largest concentration of lights and decorations however can be found at Nagoya Station.On the wall above the main entrance to Nagoya Station a huge illuminated castle draws crowds of camera bearing people eager to pose under the display.As you approach Nagoya Station from Sakae and walk up the steps there is what can best be described as a lit garden display.In this area there are illuminated arches to walk through and various illuminated animals such as bears and penguins as well as the requisite Christmas trees.All bedecked in red,green and white lights.
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Friday Flash..Paper Mache Lizard
2007-11-23 11:40:00
I finally got round to finishing this small gecko/lizard paper mache creation over the last few weeks.It had been lying around in a semi-completed state for about six months.Its only in the last month or so while being "unemployed" or "on standby"I have had the oppurtunity to add a few more layers of paper mache to it as well as paint and varnish it.From the tip of its nose to its tail it measures around 25 centimeters in length.The black and silver paint and varnish sheen is quite deceptive.One of my friends thought it was metal rather than paper and glue.
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Clinging to the Wreckage
2007-11-19 03:34:00
Well I finally got rung last Thursday night by a G.Com rep around 10:45pm.I was asked to go to a school last Friday which was across from G.Coms headquarters in Nagoya.There were about 20 or so instructors who turned up.So far so good.Lots of bits of paper and information flying around.There are plans to open 30 or so schools shortly.It will be interesting to see how the Nova and EC school systems are intergrated both in terms of resources and management styles.Today Im off to a school in central Nagoya only ten minutes from my apartment which cuts down travelling costs and time.
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Autumn in Shirotori Garden
2007-11-19 02:35:00
I bicycled down to Shirotori Garde n yesterday,buffeted by strong northerly winds which apparently herald the onset of winter.Suitably clad in coats and scarves,many people were taking the opportunity to stretch their legs and observe the autumn foilage.
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Friday Flash..Apple KitKats
2007-11-16 12:49:00
This small KitKat box contains two apple flavoured KitKats.On opening each KitKat wrapper you are greeted with a sweet apple scent.The creamy apple flavouring and biscuit are surrounded by thick dark brown chocolate.Im not sure that eating one of these apple KitKats is "a moment of precious indulgence" as written on the box front but nonetheless its a pleasant enough treat.
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Haagen Dazs Kokuto and Kuromitsu
2007-11-12 13:17:00
This new flavour has a distinctive bitter coffee/burnt caramel taste.Kokuto translates as brown sugar while kuromitsu translates roughly as sugar syrup or treacle depending where you google.It seems that both kokuto and kuromitsu originally come from Okinawa where the main sugar cane fields are found in Japan.

Hanging on the Telephone....
2007-11-12 12:50:00
G Communications Co,the offically annointed sponsor of Nova held meetings in Tokyo,Osaka and 23 other locations on Saturday.I attended one in Nagoya.Along with multitudes of other hopefuls I sat crouched in a corridor while the three and a half hour meeting unfolded on a small TV linked to Tokyo.There wasnt much information given out that was specific or even new.The meeting was prolonged due to the need for translation both Japanese and English.The government official translating the legal documents merely referred to the page numbers and different sections as if those present couldnt read that for themselves.Not particularly useful or encouraging.Anyway,it was confirmed that G Comm would take on those who wanted a job.An official from G Comm,which is based in Nagoya stated it planned to open 30 branches by the end of the month.Eventually its planned to open 200 schools in total.Umm 30 branches and 4,000 odd Nova instructors.Oh and they would still pay wages even if there wasnt a b...
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Friday Flash..Mild Bitter Kit Kats
2007-11-09 09:38:00
In between applying for jobs,trying to keep up with the continuing Nova saga and attending meetings I spied these Mild Bitter KitKats on the shelves of my local convenience store.My first thought was...WHY? Mild bitter...KitKats for the indecisive?After sampling a couple of bars(there are 6 in this pack) I thought they still tasted rather sweet so Im not sure who they would appeal too.What next sweet and sour kitkats?
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Stand by at Home
2007-11-05 12:22:00
The receivers or now as they are termed "interim trustees" of Nova Corp announced on the company website today they were approached by around ten companies in their quest to find a sponsor company.After screening these companies the interim trustees in their words"would like to determine the sponsor by Thursday this week November 8th".Later they ask that"you wait at home until November 8th".Thats all well and good but every day that goes by ones savings decrease.Ive been applying for various jobs in schools and ALT(assistant language teacher) positions in Nagoya and further afield even China.My lack of Japanese is a considerable hindrance and rules me out of many jobs.If Im here in a months time I'll make a serious attempt to upskill.Trying to stretch and eke out my savings Ive been buying a few packets of moyashi(bean sprouts) each week.At twenty yen a bag they represent good value and can be eaten fresh in a salad or sandwich or stir-fried with other vegetables.
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Foreign Artists Exhibition 2007
2007-11-05 03:07:00
The Foreign Artists Exhibit ion finished last night having been held at the International Centre in Nagoya.It was the twenty second exhibition.There were around fifty two artists exhibiting from seventeen different countries.Some of the exhibits that caught my eye are below.The first is a painting by Glen Spencer.This paper mache character was created by Marcio Minoru Ueno.Apparently he assembled it on site with just a couple of Japanese newspapers and glue in a matter of hours.Finally a ceramic tile carving by Rezeq Boshnaq.
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