http://www.city-cost.comThu, 18 Jun 2026 14:12:29 +0900A working mom/writer/teacher explores her surroundings in Miyagi-ken and Tohoku, enjoying the fun, quirky, and family friendly options the area has to offer.enCopyright © 2015 - 2026 City-Cost All Rights Reserved.webmaster@city-cost.com (CC Team)http://img.city-cost.com/static/blog_campaign_icon.pnghttp://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlgO1-living_narita_shi_chibaIf you're a big fan of local mascots, a trip to Narita might be a good choice in your near future as the UNAFAN 2026 local mascot pilgrimage happens on May 23rd and 24th. It runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day with a slew of different talent slated to appear.While I have been a fan of local mascots and the general general Japanese tendency toward ascribing mascots to things that we wouldn't even consider worth putting a cute figure on in other countries, I had no idea there was a convention for these and if I lived near Narita I may well consider going to this just for kicks. Since I do not live anywhere near Narita, I'll have to abstain.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlgO1-living_narita_shi_chibaWed, 13 May 2026 13:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlgO1-living_narita_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDQbl-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagiAt the San Juan Pavilion at the San Juan Bautista in Ishinomaki city as part of the envoy ships 30th anniversary project, there will be an exhibition of paintings featuring vessels similar to the enormous and lovely ship forever ensconced along the shore in Miyagi at states of sail.The opening hours are between 9:30 a.m. And 4:30 p.m. with the last entry being half an hour before closing. General admission for adults is 500 Yen with a 100 Yen discount if you show up in a group of 20 or more. High school students and younger get free admission.The exhibition will open later this week and run until September, giving sailing enthusiasts plenty of time to enjoy it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDQbl-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagiWed, 13 May 2026 12:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDQbl-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBk5A-living_food_onagawa_cho_miyagiOn May 27th from 5:30PM through 8PM, the Sea Pal Pier Onagawa (シーパルペア女川レンガ道) walking and shopping area will host a sake filled evening featuring a multitude of name brand sakes from across Japan in a 4,000 yen all-you-can-drink buffet. There will also be an entry ceremony and special menu options from the restaurants in the area so the evening is likely to be quite enjoyable for those inclined to pair their drinking with some appreciation of local food.For 100 lucky people who made online reservations for such, a special 6000 yen carefully selected Onagawa specific appetizer plates will be prepared, but unfortunately the due date for those reservations ended on the tenth.If you're in Miyagi and enjoy sake, this might be quite a lovely summer activity for you to enjoy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBk5A-living_food_onagawa_cho_miyagiWed, 13 May 2026 11:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBk5A-living_food_onagawa_cho_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb48o-living_food_transportationLater this month the Miyagi town of Rifu will host a fun event in their Rifu City Gymnasium's Sub Arena.In addition to performances from local bands, student bands, dancers and more, there will also be local crafts and craft making opportunities for visitors. Bread will be available as well as tacos for some reason and undoubtedly other food and drinks as well.Those interested in attending the event should use the QR code on the image provided to find more details at the event's website. I also recommend searching for the Rifu City Gymnasium and calculating a route as often the gymnasiums in this area aren't as close to train lines as they are to bus lines and even those are sparse.I do not know why the poster says 2025 when the event is in 2026.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb48o-living_food_transportationWed, 11 Mar 2026 18:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb48o-living_food_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M95O8-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiLater this month at the Jun Sugimura Museum of Art there will be an event for the younger artists of the area to showcase their awesomeness and present their art to the world. Entry is free and the event runs from 10AM to noon on Saturday, March 28th.There will be seven different interactive programs during the event and it's sure to be fun for most ages and families in the area. If you're in Miyagi, take the Senseki line to Honshiogama and follow the pedestrian signage for the museum, a short walk in the general direction of Shiogama's Okama Shrine.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M95O8-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 11 Mar 2026 17:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M95O8-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5m6r-living_food_shoppingIt's funny to me that Starbucks in Sendai usually are stocked with what they need to make whatever fancy new drink there is, and I've never seen a sold out sign on a big Starbucks promotion within a week of it coming out anywhere but Tagajo. The Starbucks in the library just outside of Tagajo Station, twenty minutes from Sendai on the Senseki line, is always sold out of whatever seasonal thing they are also actively advertising. A similar sold out sign appeared on the sign outside the shop, advertising the new peach frappe, or lack thereof.I wonder if the people who run this location are just really bad at keeping things stocked. I can't imagine people coming here at such a rate as to cause this issue this often otherwise.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5m6r-living_food_shoppingWed, 11 Mar 2026 17:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5m6r-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQd1q-livingAny time I see the shape of my home state in Japan, it draws my attention and I have to investigate. In this case, I'm guessing for some reason Sanki has elected to stock random canvas-like uncut cloth bolts in the style of US collegiate patterns, probably as a deal to help some US based company that had originally sold these on the other side of the Pacific offload their unsold surplus.I can't be terribly surprised that some famous schools may have gone fast and others with bright colors or fun mascots next. The maroon of Texas A&M with only the name logo over the state hardly compares, so here is waits for someone desperate enough to use it anyway.Of course, if they had had my university, I would have bought the whole bolt, but since they didn't, I left this where I found it, weirded out by its presence.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQd1q-livingWed, 11 Mar 2026 17:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQd1q-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mpg41-livingToday marks the first March 11th since 2011 that I didn't have a big pang of survivor's guilt around 2:46 PM. I didn't even hear the siren as I was having a brief nap, so I'm not sure if it went off.The blueberry heartful pocky, bisected, says it all.We we Remembering those who were lost and all that changes is important. Being aware of the current state of the world-- terrifying in my homeland and all the places they attack-- is also important.But we can't live only in that. The human mind needs a break and joy and love to survive to fight on into the future.So today I'm embracing the love, even in a world on fire.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mpg41-livingWed, 11 Mar 2026 17:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mpg41-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgOOB-living_food_shoppingI was really surprised to see this at the grocery store the other day. Apparently there's currently an egg shortage and my local grocery store has limited the number of cartons of eggs. A family can buy to one per family.I wasn't sure if it was just a supply line issue or something bigger so I did some searching it and apparently the bird flu has been devastating to the Japanese poultry population since mid January.Expect egg prices to rise, more notices like this to exist, and to generally have to find substitutions for eggs in many recipes until the poultry population can recover.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgOOB-living_food_shoppingWed, 25 Feb 2026 16:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgOOB-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb44W-living_food_shoppingA few weeks ago, the local Mister Donut would have a deal where they would put two two random donuts that they had left after 6PM into a bag that you could buy for 300 yen. They were almost always the most basic of donuts, but it wasn't a bad way to get a little bit of a sugar rush before dinner.Apparently they've decided to change up the process. Not only does the person who wants the deal have to buy six donuts, those six donuts cannot include the ones on this list, which are mostly the most fancy of the donuts available. I don't mind avoiding the fancy donuts for this sort of situation, but shop didn't have a lot of selection other than them.The next time I see that deal up if I'm in the mood to buy donuts I will just buy six of whatever the cheapest donut is since that's what they want me to do. If you were going to buy six unique donuts, you would not be able to get the sale price on any of them at this shop when we went.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb44W-living_food_shoppingWed, 25 Feb 2026 16:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb44W-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M955v-livingWhen I moved to Japan I was extremely amused by the sometimes seemingly random English words used as brand names. Here, you can by Happiness after all. It's a fabric softener. You might also use Attack! and Wide Fighter on your clothes as they are detergents.Meanwhile the cigarette shops offer the thin and delicate Pianissimo (I have always argued that they should also sell cigars called Forte, for balance) and the ever humble Peace.I can't tell if it's amusing or not to come across this empty pack on the ground, brand proclaiming something my home country seems incapable of achieving or maintaining.Peace we do not have in America. We're either complicit in violence committed against our own people or we are standing up against it. There is no peace without justice and right now there is quite little of that, too.But here in Japan, we can smoke Peace and throw the remnants on the ground. We are safe for now, but how can we help?For now, we wait.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M955v-livingWed, 25 Feb 2026 16:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M955v-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5mmX-livingA chance shopping experience in Sendai earlier this week had us face to face with a dino booty.Later observations included a space where kids seemed to be attempting amateur paleontology via finding bones buried in small blocks that they had to break apart carefully. This was apparently part of some very fun event aimed at kids on the national holiday last Monday, and perhaps before though I was unable to find current information about it on the website of the department store where we saw it.We didn't see the big dino figures move but even without animatronics, what an exciting event for the young ones.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5mmX-livingWed, 25 Feb 2026 16:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5mmX-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0ygR-livingSince I can't go home this summer or anytime soon, I thought it might be a good idea to research my roots and feel more connected to my people that way. It would also be cool to know at what point my ancestors weren't in America. Maybe those distant relatives of mine are similar to me in living so far from whatever home might look like.Earlier this month in an attempt to entertain myself away from all the dangers at home and all the cold still prevalent in my current location, I took on the 2-week free trial of the most expensive ancestry.com package, excluding DNA. I then let myself have a few days of hyper focus, tearing through whatever rabbit holes I could find to hopefully locate my long lost ancestors in and out of America.Unfortunately, the vast majority of information on ancestry.com either ends when useful censuses end (1900) or is input by other humans, some of whom did decent research and some of whom just wrote some names down.The algorithm or whatever it is at this website that actually tries to help piece together. Hints from your potential family tree does not account for dates at all apparently, and that is important when it starts suggesting time, travel or necrophilia might be a normal thing for people to engage in.In several spots on both sides of my family tree, it is recommended to me that this person was born, lived, and died in a certain century...and then somehow, more than 50 years after their death, got married or filled out paperwork to prove that they're Native American or something similar.At the end of the day you just can't trust data that you can't corroborate and there isn't enough information for my family on that website just yet.So it's back to feeling distant and removed. Such is expat life sometimes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0ygR-livingFri, 20 Feb 2026 13:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0ygR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZa2m-living_transportationLast summer, I was supposed to go and visit my family in America. It would be one of the last chances for my daughter to enjoy some time with her American family before Junior high and high school stole so much of her time.Unfortunately the current political climate in America, even then, was not what I could consider safe for my husband as a non-citizen and non-resident of America. At that point we already had news reports of people being detained at the borders merely for not already being citizens of America. Now, the situation is so much worse and more violent that I do not know when I will next be able to visit my home country.Different country (Japan, not US), different distant fire, similar helpless feeling.When we realized we couldn't be safe going to America, I did what I could to get as much of a refund as possible on the tickets my father had already paid for. The best option I had was getting a large portion of the value put in a kind of online wallet to be used for a later ticket purchase within one year of the original purchase date.Where would you go if you had to fly Air Canada somewhere this summer?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZa2m-living_transportationFri, 20 Feb 2026 13:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZa2m-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md4q0-living_shoppingDespite ranting a little bit in my last post about the cherry blossom themed goods being on sale already in mid February, I do have to admit that this one appeals to me anyway. Somehow in this cascade of endless shades of pink, we wound up with something nice and dark.I don't know if they're going trying to appeal to the more goth aesthetic or if it's just me, but I really like this as a counterpoint to what we usually see. It's not that I mind the pink. If anything cherry blossom doing time is the one time of year we get to fully embrace pink.... But it's nice to see something different too, isn't it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md4q0-living_shoppingFri, 20 Feb 2026 13:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md4q0-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEnWY-living_shoppingMy local hundred yen store has already put forth their cherry blossoms seemed display for events we will not be able to hold on this area for at least another month and a half.Their proud little banner declares that spring has come but has it? To Miyagi? I don't think so. We still have temperatures circling around the 0° Mark in Centigrade which I'm fine with, weirdly, but it also makes sense for the season, which is still winter. What I consider to be winter temperatures will continue well into March, but capitalism will not be rained in by something so petty as the actual weather or season, even in Japan.I personally hate the idea of having to buy stuff for cherry blossom viewing picnics so far in advance. Perhaps in other parts of Japan this isn't wildly out of touch with time, but for us, it's significant.Do your stores already have Sakura goods for sale?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEnWY-living_shoppingFri, 20 Feb 2026 13:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEnWY-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlgV8-living_shoppingI don't always stop to take pictures of the posters for the new products out at a local convenience store, but when I do it's because something is adorable.... Or really really weird. In this case, adorable!Products range from a lunch pack style sealed sandwich with a cat paw imprint on the bread to cat head shaped cookies and a cat paw tart amongst others. I also love how they did so many of the little mofu cats up in different conbini attire. My favorite is either the orange cat in the chicken bag or the one sleeping in the sock.Which one is your favorite?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlgV8-living_shoppingFri, 20 Feb 2026 12:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlgV8-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDQWL-drink_productOne of the newest products in the Zone energy line of drinks is this blue bottle covered in equations, calling its flavor AI [解], where that sound of the kanji in parentheses is Kai and the meaning is "solution"To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDQWL-drink_productFri, 20 Feb 2026 12:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDQWL-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBkmn-drink_productAnother fairly recent addition to the zone energy drink flavor compendium, Gaming Energy 24/7 comes in a bright orange can with a vague pixelated design.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBkmn-drink_productFri, 20 Feb 2026 12:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBkmn-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVa2J-drink_productThis special spring edition beer from Abashiri brewery in Hokkaido boasts a slightly pink hue and slightly fruity flavor thanks to the inclusion of cherry blossom petals in the brewing process.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVa2J-drink_productFri, 20 Feb 2026 12:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVa2J-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgO3K-living_moneyI'm currently in a bit of a tight spot financially because my kid caught the flu and I was told to stay home for a week to make sure that I didn't pass it on to anybody, which means I'm out more than 20,000 Yen for my kid catching the flu.Am I this leader duck, breaking away from the pack? Or just a random floating duck, waiting to sink or swim?This is problematic for me because I definitely needed that money, and it reaffirms the overall understanding that we should all have that we are way closer to being impoverished than we are to being millionaires. I think, between what's in my American bank account and what I have in Japan, I will be able to make it to the end of the month, and I'm very lucky to be in such a position, but this also makes me consider whether or not I should take a harder look at my finances in the coming months. April is a great time to change to a new company and lots of places are hiring, but getting on at any new company means changing my entire schedule, and I'm not sure I'm ready to do that. In addition, there are plans in the works for me to go abroad in the summer and taking a new job in Japan with a caveat that there will be two weeks during which I will not be reachable during the summer might not be a real option. What do you guys do when looking for additional work?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgO3K-living_moneyWed, 18 Feb 2026 06:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgO3K-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb4NP-drink_productJazzy Beer, a recently introduced produce from Yebisu seeks to infuse a Malty flavor with a jazz style experience to create something engaging and delicious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb4NP-drink_productWed, 18 Feb 2026 06:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb4NP-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9536-livingToday's blog post is written here while looking at ducks hanging out in the bay. I had to escape my apartment today, because my apartment has been having some extra shaky times thanks to the renovations going on directly below it. It would be bad enough with how weak Japanese insulation tends to be against sound with the banging and the drilling noises that make me feel like either my house is about to fall apart or I'm about to have my teeth drilled at the dentist.I would already be having a really bad time, but I could put on headphones and ignore it if not for the vibrations. The fact that I can feel the vibrations from all of the hammering and all of the noise through the floor means I actually can't be at home and at peace between the hours of 9 A.M and 5 PM for at least another month. Even when they're not making noise, the noise is coming back soon, always, until 5PM.Bonus portion here is that this is my least favorite month because I am cold. After many months of being cold, I am completely done emotionally with being cold, and there is nothing I can do to prevent myself from continuing to be cold. My previous answers of stay home, relax and hide under the kotatsu have been abolished between the hours of nine and five.So here I am at a makeshift standing desk that's actually part of a sea wall, looking at some ducks. Where do you go when it's too noisy in your apartment?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9536-livingWed, 18 Feb 2026 06:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9536-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdmAO-livingKeigo, the ultra formal Japanese that people here tend to use with customers and the like, is still mostly incomprehensible to me. Even after 17 years in the country, I don't know what they're trying to say most of the time.If I am very lucky, my accent and limited vocabulary in Japanese will make it very clear to them that I am not sure what they're trying to say when I say that I am not sure what they're trying to say, and remind them that I'm not fluent, and then they will rephrase and something more colloquial.This did not happen today.I went as I usually do on Mondays to a nearby culture center where I happen to have a private lesson. The elevator would not go up to the floor on which the lesson would take place so I went to the library/ office area instead to wait for my student to show up and get the key so that we could go up together.As I'm standing there, one woman comes out of the back room to get something from the library area and gives me such a look as she walks back that I don't know if she's ever seen a white person before and seems surprised that I'm allowed in the building.The one behind the desk then comes out and starts talking to me, of course, in keigo.I respond as I frequently do to such language by explaining that I'm not fluent and that I did not understand anything she just said.She responded by repeating herself exactly as she had.I responded in English that I would wait downstairs for my student since I have no idea what she was talking about. Literally the only word I understood was something like okurimashita, meaning sent.Class? No class? Death? Accident? No idea. Just waiting to understand.I spent 15 minutes waiting downstairs to see if my student would show up. Waiting downstairs to see if my student would show up. When she didn't I sent her a message explaining that I wasn't sure what the staff said but I hope she's okay.I then got to spend about an hour letting my brain run through the scenarios while I walked around my town, wondering if they'd said that her family members had contacted them to cancel the lesson because she was dead, or if she had had to cancel because she was in an accident, or if she was in the hospital, or what exactly had happened because of course when I say, "I don't understand you...", all they hear is: "Say it again, exactly the same way, for the stupid Foreigner."My student later did message and has confirmed that she is okay. There was some sort of accident that included police intervention and she will fill me in more later.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdmAO-livingMon, 26 Jan 2026 14:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdmAO-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4YgL-living_foodLast year, I started working occasionally at a kindergarten I had not been to before and in a city where I haven't worked in more than a decade.It's bigger and busier than the kindergarten where I usually work these days. Having done this job for more almost twenty years, I wasn't exactly nervous that I wasn't doing a good job or capable of delivering a quality lesson to the kids there, but you never know if you are catching on well at a new place. Couple my naturally high levels of social awkwardness and anxiety with almost any new social experience and we have a recipe that could well lead to disaster.When we add in the Japanese tendency to be overly polite to the point where I can't tell there's a problem or so direct that even I see it as rude and honestly I'm a little surprised I can still work here.And then I have days like this. They didn't buy me a bento on purpose but they had extra so they offered me one with the idea that I would bring back the container, washed and empty, next week.It was a small thing and on the surface just to avoid wasting food, but it still meant a lot to me. Giving food in Japan seems a pretty good indication of appreciationTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4YgL-living_foodSun, 25 Jan 2026 14:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4YgL-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPdeV-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThere is a Monster at the Edge of the Dining Table is a new exhibit from the mixed media artist Aoyama Yume and is currently on display at Bordo Flugas, the gallery a short walk from Honshiogama Station (330 Yen and about half an hour from Sendai on the Senseki Line in Miyagi Prefecture).The pieces seem to be a connection including both two dimensional and three dimensional works or art with several of the pieces involving a level of work with silk.Monsters everywhere, even in the mundane, seems to be the theme and the collection of pieces as well as the color and skill in depiction really bring this topic to life. The event runs from January 17th through February 8th and admission is free.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPdeV-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSun, 25 Jan 2026 14:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPdeV-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAl19-living_foodOne gripe I've had about cooking in Japan my whole time here is the side of the potatoes. Personally, I really like potatoes, especially baked or mashed. Baking tiny potatoes seems pointless and carving the skin off of every nook and cranny on tiny potatoes for mashing is extremely tedious.This led me to abandon mashing potatoes for years until a recent dental surgery made yh necessity for mashed potatoes more prevalent than before. I had run out of squishy foods and my face hurt, so I bought some normal tiny potatoes.In asking for help from some friends, I was given some advice that might change my potato game forever:Rinse and boil them. Then peel them by squeezing.It was so much more satisfying to squeeze the delicious innards out of the potato than twirl the peeler over every single surface.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAl19-living_foodSun, 25 Jan 2026 14:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAl19-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjjOV-living_miyagiThe other day, I happened to be out late in the evening and looked across a parking lot. Perhaps it was because I don't get out much these days, or perhaps because I'm more internationally focussed than I once was, but I was struck by these adorable stuffiest organized across someone's dashboard..This was hardly the first time I had seen such a display in a vehicle but it was one of the first times in years I recognized the feeling of admiration at the appreciation of adorableness in me.It's not every car, but many days boards and back windows out here in the small city areas and countryside double as showcases for the hobbies and interests of the drivers, be it an adorable selection of Pokemon stuffies or a few animal shapes decals with the names of family pets proudly showing.Is it like this where you are, too? It strikes me as much more common here than it was anywhere outside of a college campus when I was in the states.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjjOV-living_miyagiSun, 25 Jan 2026 13:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjjOV-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaY2Y-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThe Area in front of the Jinja-side exit of Honshiogama station in Miyagi prefecture used to have a tradition of showcasing one of that year's zodiac animals, both in the form of a large piece of stone masonry and as a painting from the historical Shiogama Shrine located in the same city.The stone menagerie was such a delight that it was one of the area's prominent Pokemon Go gyms from early in the game's existence in Miyagi.Unfortunately a few years ago, the paintings stopped showing up here. They can still be found at the shrine but none are brought down the year to sit outside the train station anymore.The stone mason kept going, albeit on smaller scale. What once was tigers the size of doberman were replaced eventually but a rat just bigger than a volleyball.Now? Horses fit for Barbie's little sister.At least they're still putting something out there, right.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaY2Y-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSun, 25 Jan 2026 13:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaY2Y-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqVnW-living_shopping_moneyIf you happen to have bank account in your home country and need to send money into it but don't want to pay the ridiculous surcharges for international remittance, I found another way.It turns out Western Union can be used through its app or website to send money from Japan to foreign bank accounts or people in foreign countries depending on what services you require. You can do this via bank transfer or by paying in-person at Lawson's convenience store, using the Loppi machine.It's really simple to set up and takes only minutes to complete the transaction. Simply fill in your details and the details of the account or person that you are trying to send money to, go through the steps (I recommend taking a screenshot a screen above) to the store and inputting the 13 digit code in the Loppi. You'll need the 4 digit code after that. Then you take the receipt it gives you to the counter within 30 minutes and pay. They money should be deposited in 1-3 days.How do you send money abroad?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqVnW-living_shopping_moneySun, 25 Jan 2026 13:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqVnW-living_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvakN-living_shoppingI found this a few weeks ago while killing time at an outlet mall in Sendai and was so curious that I spent a few minutes in the cold doing a lap of the mall, using my phone to register each of the QR codes before moving on to the next display.I was surprised to find a pop up shop in one of the empty storefronts, offering various goods from a game company that made a lot of games my friends back home played. If not for the current situation in the states regarding international shipping, I would have spent a little money there.Instead, I took more QR codes down and made my way to the information kiosk to collect my reward.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvakN-living_shoppingSun, 25 Jan 2026 13:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvakN-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgvD6-living_medicalEven living in the middle of nowhere in Japan, I find myself still masking. Part of this is because it is still considered fairly normal here, especially if you have something like a cold. During cold and flu season this can be really advantageous.As I make more friends and the international sphere, I realized that no one else is doing this. Most are the countries abandoned the masking procedures years ago and find it weird when I I share selfies still clad in weird little white face covering.This led me to have an unmasked adventure this past December in Osaka, which also led to me being sick for two solid weeks. So I'm still going to be masking.But my question is, my fellow expats in Japan, are you?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgvD6-living_medicalSun, 25 Jan 2026 06:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgvD6-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5R3W-livingBefore coming to Japan, I was convinced that everything in Japan was better. Everything in the Land of the rising Sun would be based on logic and that sense of beauty and usefulness that comes from having limited space, so much, unlike my homeland.Everything would be better in Japan, I told myself. Now, almost two decades later, I have to ask myself:If everything in Japan is better, then why are the garbage bags so stupid?You have to use the city issued garbage bags for whatever kind of garbage you're throwing out and pay for them. That I can kind of deal with but we don't have options like drawstring tops on these plastic sacks. You must tie them shut and you must tie them shut well because when you try to tie besides that have not been tied yet, it will untie the original knot if you're not careful.I hate these. I want it to be easier, especially as I get older and are more prone to arthritis in these long cold months.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5R3W-livingSat, 24 Jan 2026 17:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5R3W-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVemP-livingI've been playing Monster Hunter Now since it came out a few years ago as another fun thing to distract myself with while I walk around the small city where I live, and overall it has been a lot of fun.On a trip to Osaka last month, I had a chance to pop into the game for a bit and I was shocked.It makes sense I guess given population density in such an urban center that the number of active players would be dramatically more but the effect it had on game play was a little beyond what I was expecting. Not only could I jump into any monster hunt near me and rest assured that several people would join me, sometimes in festive garb, as seen above.But also the monsters that came up as suggested nearby fights on the app were stronger than what I can take or even see in game usually on my own.Back in Miyagi now, I'm still waiting for more players to join but mostly just solo everything I can while I walk, or give up as I did on the one above.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVemP-livingWed, 21 Jan 2026 16:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVemP-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weX2k-living_medicalMy visit to see about the date of my dental cap was yesterday and the results were dramatic.It turns out, in addition to fitting poorly the whole time it was in my mouth and spending the last three weeks wiggling about, the metallic jerk also fractured the remaining root in such a way that the only option was complete extraction.The amazing thing was that the whole process took less than an hour and my doctor even sent me home with pain medication all for the low low price of just over 2000 yen.Being a few days from payday, I've never been more elated to have medical issues here instead of in my homeland.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weX2k-living_medicalWed, 21 Jan 2026 15:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weX2k-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11NV-living_medicalThis thing started wiggling right before we went on vacation. Since we were almost out of town, I thought it would wait till we got back from our little trip. It wasn't even a week.Then I got sick on the trip and since my dentist would be closed for New Years when we got back, I set the idea to the side until I got better.That took a couple of weeks.Sunday, I was talking to my mom and told her that I would be contacting my dentist the very next day. Then I felt something stuck between this tooth and the one behind it. So I went to try to remove it with my fingernail. Apparently nothing was stuck between the teeth and what I was feeling was more of the exposed original tooth, weakened by how much I grind my teeth at night without my tooth guard (during the trip) and the constant sugary lozenges I was using once we got back.The next thing I knew...According to the internet, a crown like this falling off/out of place is to be expected after 10-15 years, which fits the timeline for when I got it in Japan from an old man with whom I had serious communication issues.We managed to get an appointment for today so in a few hours I get to find out how expensive fixing this is going to be. Until then, I'm praying that it's less than what I have left until payday but rejoice in that Japan's healthcare costs are so much lower than that of the states.If you're ever in this position, save the cap. If chunks of tooth have come with it, just try to keep the area clean instead of jamming it back in. If it was already wiggling, that's when you should have gone to the doctor. The second best time is ASAP, preferably within a couple of days at the latest.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11NV-living_medicalTue, 20 Jan 2026 05:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11NV-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXeyX-living_shoppingI found this at a gift shop on a late December road trip from Miyagi to Osaka.As much as I love interesting New Year's decorations and daruma in general, I couldn't part with nearly 2,000 Yen just for another stuffed animal.Especially one that looks grumpy and uncomfortable. Who is this marketed to?Apparently the younger generations find it adorable (my kid said so at least), so I guess in cat obsessed Japan there will always be a market for feline embodiments any time of the year in any decorative mood, even if they do look surly.We found a better (cuter, smaller, and cheaper) iteration of a daruma cat later in trip anyway.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXeyX-living_shoppingSat, 17 Jan 2026 19:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXeyX-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmevQ-living_food_osakaFor some reason my family found ourselves hungry and inside Universal Studios Japan just after Christmas this year. Since we had been in the area belonging to the boy wizard, we opted to pop into the nearby restaurant for sustenance.Like so many things in Japan, it kind of looks all right until you really think about it. The potatoes are put on the way they're supposed to be, with the blowtorch or baking caramelizing the outside. Then you realize the veg. The veg outside of the pie. Why is there veg outside of the pie?Because there's no veg in the pie. There is meat, fungus (mushrooms that I was grateful not to taste or feel the texture of despite seeing them), gravy, and the potatoes on top.In my experience, shepherd's pie was really more like what should be called a cattleman's pie in that it was usually made with minced beef. The thing that it had in common with shepherd's pie is that there were vegetables between the meat and the potato. It was my assumption that that is how the meal was meant to be made. I'm not entirely sure why that didn't matter. Maybe if you're living in the brain of her esteemed terf-lord, your veg can just go wherever.At least it was all cooked well and the chicken was rather good.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmevQ-living_food_osakaSat, 17 Jan 2026 19:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmevQ-living_food_osakahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8X67-living_food_miyagiI had seen this food truck so many times and on further investigation I finally realized why. The main offices of the restaurant, Kitchen Ambers, is located in a town near me in Miyagi. I saw them occasionally at the beach, serving the summer folk usually when I couldn't afford to spring for a 1000 yen sandwich for lunch.Luckily for me, the food truck was parked just outside of the shrine that my family chose to go to in celebration of the new year and my husband chose to get us both sandwiches.It might not look like much but it was delicious, especially how warm and toasty it was in the chill of the January air. The meat was well seasoned and the cheddar cheese complemented it well. I also especially enjoyed the pickles.I'm definitely saving 1000 yen for lunch on our next beach day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8X67-living_food_miyagiSat, 17 Jan 2026 18:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8X67-living_food_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRe3e-living_shoppingTo be fair, I knew when I checked the mailbox that I was unlikely to be entirely happy with my purchases. On one end, I had a 2500 Yen fukubukuro that promised four of the items in a picture that included a fancy coffee maker, a fancy hair dryer, and a number of other interesting home electronics and small appliances. On the other side, I had a tiny 1000 yen fukubukuro from a beauty shop, containing three items from a bunch of girly stuff that I assumed my kid might like enough to steal from me.The final item between them was the manga my kid actually wanted and the only thing she wound up wanting from these purchases.Package one:Useless items:* alcohol breath checker (I don't drive, my husband doesn't drink)* Hand held fan (we already have four. There are only three people in our household)Technically useful:* iPad cable (kid has an iPad)* iPad cable with wall charger (wall chargers are always going bad)Fun:Battery powered light string with a remote.Girly package:* Hair removal pad (I've heard these are like sandpaper on your legs. Not trying it out soon)* "Eraser for heel" which is amusing for the engrish alone* Acne Heart Acne SoapOf the two, the cheaper one was likely the better deal, but maybe I've learned my lesson and don't have to buy any more of these.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRe3e-living_shoppingSat, 17 Jan 2026 18:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRe3e-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYeK2-living_shopping_osakaOn a December trip to Osaka, by kid and I stopped by a Mofusand shop because we find the little cats absolutely adorable.There I debated buying a t-shirt or eco bag but settled on this: 500 Yen gatcha pon in the style of a daruma with a kitty face and, surprisingly, a fortune fitting the omikuji style fortune telling papers so many people enjoy getting as a new year's tradition during their first shrine visit of the new year.Big luck! And what seems to be the main character orange cat! How incredibly fortunate indeed.This actually is going to be a Christmas ornament for our tree next year, befitting our yearly tradition of adding one ornament for every winter trip.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYeK2-living_shopping_osakaSat, 17 Jan 2026 18:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYeK2-living_shopping_osakahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDrD0-living_sendai_shi_miyagiThe Pageant of Starlight is currently happening along Jozenji Street in Sendai. Looking at the lights as they decorate the trees is free as always. My kid and I were both surprised to see a total of no food or drink booths on the way to the street down the main arcade, save for one single sweet potato roasting vehicle parked on an off street.The lights were pretty as they always are and there or a few spots with raised platforms where one could get a really good selfie with the trees in the background. In addition, there was a heart-shaped mirror photo op space that came complete with a very long line. We walked down the street and saw that the park at the far end of the street that had sported decorations along its resident vintage train engine was this year in darkness.There were however some lights at the other end of Jozenji Street.Not only was there one single beverage booth but also heated indoor space with a very large tree, a differentiated indoor space with a small craft market of Christmas goods and a small outdoor skating rink.Because we were early in the month, we had the chance to skate for the low price of 1,500 Yen. Each visitors now will pay 300 Yen more for skate rental and ice time.We found the experience to be exhilarating and fun. In the center of the rink is an excellent photo opportunity where a small raised platform sports a large well-lit heart in the middle. Perfect for couples on a date or people who are not as afraid of smashing their phone by falling down on it as I was.The event runs until Sunday December 28th. More details available on the event website here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDrD0-living_sendai_shi_miyagiTue, 23 Dec 2025 16:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDrD0-living_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go02A-livingFall has come, and I am miserable. Usually by this point in the month I have written between 40,000 and 50,000 words of some new novel that I may not ever actually edit, and I am feeling slightly accomplished. This year, I cannot push myself to do so.Honestly, this year has been a lot. Some personal issues stole away a lot of time and energy and while most things are more settled and reasonable now, this summer took a toll on my mental health.And now it's cold. Long time readers might remember that cold is not my forte.Feeling like one of those last dead leaves, just waiting to careen towards the Earth? Me too buddy. Hang on.The sudden cold snap in my area recently has started some less than pleasant triggers for meI am doing my best to perform some level of self-care and keep myself ready for the upcoming holidays. How do I do so?One method is to go out and enjoy some part of Japan-only events and such. It can be very isolating to be out here so close to family holidays back home, so remind yourself why it's also nice to be here.Another option that I love is maintaining contact. For me, most of my friends make some time to chat with me every week, and this helps us all stay in each other's lives and knowing what's going on as situations in children and lives evolve as the months go by.Also, treat yourself. This doesn't have to be expensive, but find something you can do to help yourself feel good. There's enough feeling bad out there in the universe. Give yourself a chance to feel something nice while you can.Don't worry if you feel like the darkest maple leaf in the gutter. You're not alone.Lastly, if things are really bleak, seek help. If you can afford therapy of some kind and are having a really rough time, please go and talk to someone. Most people need at least a mental health checkup regularly, and it seems like almost no one actually gets it.How do you survive the colder months?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go02A-livingFri, 21 Nov 2025 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go02A-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnvko-living_foodA few weeks ago the new pokémon set from Mr. Donut went on sale and of course we bought it right off. And of course my daughter ate the shroom like donut while I made do with the sprinkled pon du wreath instead.Despite being an entirely grown adult woman and knowing that a reasonable diet it would be a better choice for my overall health, I could not stop the desire to eat one of those donuts.In the same set, there are several other delicious looking Pikachu donuts including a donut shipped like Pikachu's head. We have eaten several donuts over the years that were shaped like Pikachu's head. I have never had a donut that was shaped like a shroom with a red sugar and white chocolate top to go with a smaller oblong pastry underneath.Finally, the other day I had the chance to buy one for myself and I enjoyed it immensely. 400 yen is not a lot for the relief of actually getting what you want.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnvko-living_foodFri, 21 Nov 2025 10:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnvko-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wraOD-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiThere are only a few days left in Matsushima's Sake Festival, but I found out something interesting and noteworthy only after my attempt to enjoy the festivities.Apparently, in the bag that you get that contains the sake cup and the list of all the available sake varieties, you also get a ticket for entry to the building and garden area for daytime enjoyment on the same day.So, if you are free this weekend and wanted to see the building and gardens around this building in Matsushima while sipping sake, this is the time to do it.During the Sake Festival, 500 yen gets you a cup of sake and entry to the facilities, which usually costs 400 yen on its own.It's actually a pretty good deal. My only issue is no one told me the ticket was in there, so I didn't get the chance to use it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wraOD-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiFri, 21 Nov 2025 10:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wraOD-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mgv1W-living_miyagiWhy, Aeon?!? Why is this necessary the day after Halloween? Colorful leaves are still on the trees and you're acting like we're in my December!This was at an Aeon I went to earlier in the month and I'm still horrified. Part of growing up in America usually means including Thanksgiving in the mix of holidays as we careen towards the end of the year, but not so in Japan. I have even seen shops transition to the Santa oriented holiday before Halloween before.I understand they are businesses looking to make money and this is a good holiday to take advantage of with that in mind, but I can't handle eight weeks of this nonsense in my house so at least in my home Christmas can wait until the appropriate month.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mgv1W-living_miyagiTue, 18 Nov 2025 15:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mgv1W-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbRA0-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiLast week, I wrote about this light display I had beheld two weeks previous and been confused by. Now I am no longer confused.It turns out that the event started on November 5th, a few days after I originally spotted it, and is running through next week. The decagonal pagoda in the center of the space is meant to also be the backdrop for some projected imagery while the space around it is set up with beautiful views including a backdrop of umbrellas, a few shallow pools, and of course many many gorgeously lit Autumn trees.If you're in the area, this event takes place just across the street from Matsushima Kaigan station. It ends on the 24th and entrance to the park starts at 4 PM though the lights don't come up until just after sunset at 4:30. The entry price is 1300 yen for adults and 650 yen for junior high and high school students.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbRA0-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiTue, 18 Nov 2025 15:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbRA0-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9LV9-living_food_shopping_matsushima_machi_miyagiIn addition to the well-lit trees, Matsushima is boasting a little sake fest that runs until November 24th. The location is just across the street from Matsushima Kaigan station and the coat starts at 500 yen, for which you get a sake cup and the ability to try one of the fifteen Miyagi based sake variations available.At the booth at the front, you pay 500 yen and get a sheet that explains which sake types are available and short explanations, including whether the sake is on the dry or sweet side.You can then go to the sake booth and tell them which one you would prefer. At the booth to the left, the sake options are good hot or cold. To the right? Cold is better.With your one cup of sake, you can then walk to a seating area and enjoy while taking in the view.If you want to try more, it's only 300 yen per refill and five cups will get you an entry in the raffle, the grand prize of which is 10,000 yen worth of regional sake.There is also seafood available and a Tully's nearby for those who need to embrace a little sobriety before they head back to the train station.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9LV9-living_food_shopping_matsushima_machi_miyagiTue, 18 Nov 2025 15:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9LV9-living_food_shopping_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MErQp-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiOn my way back towards Matsushima Kaigan station from enjoying the lovely fall light up at Entsuiin Temple, I happened up this shopping complex that I consider fairly new but has been around for a few years now. I remembered them having a Starbucks and wondered if it would still be open as it wasn't that late in the evening yet in my opinion.As I grew closer to the building, I noticed that all of the lights were off and it was highly likely any of the shops inside of the building were actually open. A look at some signage confirmed that all of the shops closed around 6:00, which was around the time that I had arrived in Matsushima.As I looked at the well-lit gorgeous Autumn foliage on the other side of a closed barrier, I had to wonder who this exhibit was set up for. I had imagined myself sitting in a cafe warming up for a moment and drinking some nice hot caffeine. Instead I stood there in the increasingly chilly fall wind, staring at these forbidden trees.Even with the shorter days, I can't imagine it's worth the increase to the electric bill for this property to keep these trees lit all night when patrons can only enjoy such a view for an hour or so. Why are the lights for the trees still on after the building is closed?It was pretty and pretty confusing.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MErQp-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiWed, 12 Nov 2025 09:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MErQp-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlvLq-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiThis year again Matsushima is hosting its annual Autumn light up featuring this time not only the garden at Entsuiin Temple but also the gardens around Zuiganji, the neighboring Buddhist temple in the same area. Both require separate fees so I only went to the first one this time, but I highly recommend anyone who is planning to go to take advantage of this chance to see the Buddhist gardens also lit up. It is the first time that I can remember them lighting up that site as well.Also, on the website you will find information about what days the gardens will host which performer and type of performance. There's something very enchanting about walking through these well-lit beautiful Autumn trees while listening to a pan flute or piano play in the background.One difference from years previous is the tickets can be purchased exclusively at a booth booth located closer to the matsushima kaigan train station, not at the gates themselves. I did go a few weeks ago on a weekday so that might have made a difference in ticket availability, but unless you want to walk back and forth, I would recommend buying them at the first booth rather than hoping they're on sale somewhere else.There's still a few weeks left before this event closes on the 24th, so if you're in the area and want to see some lovely Fall foliage at Matsushima's gorgeous temples, do so soon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlvLq-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiWed, 12 Nov 2025 09:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlvLq-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRegE-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiDespite the threat of rain and the mud left from the previous evening's rain, a large number of people enjoyed the mini Oktoberfest available in Shiogama, Miyagi earlier this month.Small breweries from Miyagi seem to be the most represented but there was also very notably an interesting Fukushima brewery at the festival as well.Argon Brewery is in Shiogama, just a few blocks away from the site of the festival and Black Tide, further up the coast in Kessenuma has been a favorite stop over of mine on family road trips for years. I was most surprised by the peach beer from the Fukushima based yellow bannered brewery and the Bulldog brewery from Akiu, in Miyagi but also with a base in Wisconsin, USA.There was music, fun, food and a lot of beer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRegE-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 23 Oct 2025 09:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRegE-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkee7-living_food_shoppingShortly after our trip south to Aichi and Gifu, I realized we had not bought enough omiyage and as it was just after payday, I raced to Sendai with the idea that I might find something suitable at one of the department stores.Luck was absolutely on my side as I walked out of the main gates of the Japan rail exit to find a pop-up shop specifically for Gifu prefecture.They had everything I could imagine from the chestnut sweets I so miss from my time there to the good luck charms from that area and various snacks containing Hidagyu, the wagyu specific to Gifu prefecture.I spent ¥7000 on a makeup omiyage and even walked away with the chestnut sweets from the very town that I had lived in when I lived in Gifu.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkee7-living_food_shoppingWed, 17 Sep 2025 16:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkee7-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWVV8-living_medicalThe single use wet wipes we're given as cheap oshibori alternatives frequently wind up in my purse and stay there, and for good reason!I am a bit of a klutz, which means sometimes I might need a wet wipe for getting some stain off of my clothes or, in worse circumstances, I might have to staunch some bleeding as I did the other day. Weirdly enough, this time the bleeding was not my own.On a rare morning pokewalk (though it may have been a Monster Hunt), I wandered to a nearby park with a nice view of the ocean and took a few pictures as I took on the view. I was trying to clear my head after a few days of job hunting and feeling like I may have wasted my life by not choosing more lucrative, if also more demanding, work.I noticed an older man walking around as well and thought nothing of it, until he crossed behind me and stumbled right out of his shoes, his head lightly colliding with the wall of the nearby seagate.I asked, "Daijoubu?!"He didn't respond for a moment but it seemed that the collision wasn't too bad as no immediate dents, bruising, or bleeding from the scalp seemed evident.Then I looked down.He had managed to fall out of his shoes and scrape one foot on the ground, resulting in one slightly deep gash.I grabbed a wipe, apologized, and applied it with pressure to his foot until the bleeding slowed enough for him to get his shoe back on.I then helped him to his feet and checked to see if he was ok. He said he was and asked if I was travelling.I said I lived nearby.There was an awkward pause.I ran away.But maybe I'm exactly where I need to be.Though next time, I'm bringing bandaids.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWVV8-living_medicalWed, 17 Sep 2025 16:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWVV8-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJrWJ-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiI was so excited to see this poster this morning. A craft beer festival celebrating the small breweries of Tohoku in mid October sounds exactly like the kind of thing I would move to experience, assuming the timing works out for me to do so.It will take place at a green space only a few minutes walk from HonShiogama station, likely near the Tsunami memorial. In addition to ten craft breweries, several restaurants will also be participating. The likelihood of some lovely vaguely Octoberfest vibes is high.One of the breweries is Black Tide, the main store of which I've visited and much enjoyed elsewhere in Miyagi.If you're in the area and in the mood for Octoberfest without Sendai crowds, this would be a good choice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJrWJ-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 17 Sep 2025 16:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJrWJ-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GygW6-living_nagoya_shi_aichiWhile we were wandering through Nagoya on our trip, I noticed a random art installation. If I had been on my own or with my kid, I would have taken the time to figure out more about it but with my husband rushing about, I could only take a quick a snapshot.I do miss the art adventure aspect of living near such a big city. To be fair I never lived really close to Nagoya but I did travel there regularly from the place I lived and worked in Gifu. When I did come into town once every few months, I would wander through and marvel at the unexpected art displays, taking time to enjoy them because I had that time all to myself.Life is different when it isn't just me on my own wasting a Sunday or Monday afternoon but instead visiting as part of a group that have to get to certain places by certain times.I miss that.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GygW6-living_nagoya_shi_aichiThu, 28 Aug 2025 13:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GygW6-living_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11vA-living_shopping_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichiI believe we found this one in the waiting area for the rapid express trains for Osaka. I suppose it is a reasonable assumption that those who would take such a train especially over the slightly more expensive but also faster bullet trains might be a fan of trains in general. At least in our case, that wouldn't be a faulty assumption but we also aren't hardcore otaku for it, and it was the end of our trip when money had become tight, so we didn't buy anything from it.I was considering the hankachi though, One can never have too many of those. The pens looked near but were way too expensive and I have no one to impress with such a fancy pen.Have you ever bought a souvenir from a vending machine? Would you buy one from a train station vending machine?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11vA-living_shopping_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichiThu, 28 Aug 2025 13:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11vA-living_shopping_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Ll6-living_education_ena_shi_gifuI found this machine at waiting room for the sightseeing cruise boat pier at Enakyo in Gifu prefecture.200 yen for a charm with blessings from the rocks seemed like a good deal so I went for it. If I had gotten the passing exams one, I would have given it to my daughter. Instead...I thought it seemed to be a general good luck charm though google translates it as "Passing Guard" so I googled further. It is a school related charm after all, to ensure a passing grade!So I suppose my kid got another fun accessory for the time being, likely soon to be found in her school bag. Fingers crossed it does its job in the months to come.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Ll6-living_education_ena_shi_gifuSun, 17 Aug 2025 09:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Ll6-living_education_ena_shi_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Rll-living_gifuOn our recent trip southward, we stopped by the Nakasendo post town of Magome, a well known tourist sight in Gifu prefecture. The whole touristy area of town seems to be built on a 30 - 45 degree incline, so walking through it on a day when the temperature was over 35 degrees celsius wasn't out favorite thing, but the little town is picturesque and beautiful.One of the things we noticed were the lovely little old houses, genuine issue unlike other places we have been that have replicas of funtional houses from yesteryear. Many had shops inside or were guesthouses of sorts. Some offered drinks or snacks while others were more proper styled restaurants.The view at the top was gorgeous and I would have taken a nice long video of it if I hadn't been interrupted by a group of noisy American tourists, one of whom insinuated that I was a grandmother as we walked away. Why are some people from my home country so aggressively rude?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Rll-living_gifuSun, 17 Aug 2025 08:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Rll-living_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQpPm-living_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichiI was so surprised to see this banner add on a trin in Nagoya that I had to take a picture. Unfortunately the hand grips cover up one of the example pictures but the others show fairly nondescript male characters assualting uniformed people, assumably train station staff.One throws a briefcase at someone's head. Another delivers a headbutt to the back of a woman in a vest. A third is doing after a man with what might be a knife or a shoe. In any case, these are all bodily hard. They're obviously assault. They're obviously illegal. I feel more alien than ever seeing a place where this kind of a sign is necessary but maybe that is the joy of living in a less densely populated area.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQpPm-living_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichiSun, 17 Aug 2025 08:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQpPm-living_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11BD-food_gifuDuring out recent trip down south, we stopped for a walk through the historical Nakasendo post town of Magome where we spotted this treat.To be fair, I would have eaten any of these, but my spouse picked up the 800 yen sampler plate so that's what I ate.The meat was delicious and tender...and a little too squishy for me in terms of texture. Most people who like nigiri and sashimi would love this as it has a very similar texture to raw fish. The flavor was wonderful anyway and I could have eaten three of these plates despite the texture issue I was having.In addition, I thought it was really clever that they served the little nigiri on shrimp sembei rice crackers so one could just eat the plate, provided they didn't have a shellfish or crustacean allergy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11BD-food_gifuFri, 15 Aug 2025 09:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z11BD-food_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go04v-living_gifuDespite having more than a day back in my old neighborhood, I didn't manage to take pictures of the two things I really wanted to see save for this one of the distant mountains as we headed out to dinner one night.It is weird what you miss about the places you've lived, isn't it? My first town in Japan was tiny and surrounded by mountains. The day I looked out and watched the storm clouds come down over the distant green peaks, and realized how much like woodblock prints reality actually looks here, is a memory I hope to retain forever. It was eye opening for sure. That's why the art looks like that. Some art is just based on something you quite fathom until you see it for yourself.So this is the only shot to add to the hard drives full of pictures I took of the distant mountains over the years that I lived in that area, and you can still kind of see how it looks a little like a woodblock print.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go04v-living_gifuFri, 15 Aug 2025 09:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go04v-living_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3KZP-living_gifuThis pavement didn't feel special to me back when I first moved to Japan and then I saw it almost every day for two and a half years. My daughter remarked on how interesting it was on our recent trip back through our old stomping grounds and I felt I had to take a picture to capture the moment and feeling. Something that even to my nascent-to-Japan eyes seemed only a little special or different was immediately recognizable to my Japanese American kid as definitely special and even intriguing.I don't really know why the pavement has this pattern but I think the difference in population density explains a little of it. We live in a busier small city in the north, so pavement is racked with the yellow tracks to aide the visually impaired rather than fanciful vaguely-floral lines. Another aspect is that in this smaller mountain town, big big quakes aren't as common of an occurence where our neck of the woods has a real whopper every thirty years or so. They haven't had to change it, so it retains this nice, kind of retro feel.Does your area have interesting pavement designs?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3KZP-living_gifuFri, 15 Aug 2025 09:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3KZP-living_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNqxZ-living_nagoya_shi_aichiOne of the surprising things I noted on our recent trip to Nagoya was the number of people I saw walking around with visible tattoos. Once a faux pas that seemed to intrinsicly tie someone to organized crime, the permanent skin inking seems to be becoming more accepted at least in some urban environments.We personally saw several separate tattooed individuals at different points during the trip, as well as this sign.I don't know if it's the influx of foreign tattooed tourists helping to normalize this or some other social forces at play, or if perhaps the mob is just bigger in the south and tattoos still mean what they used to. I really don't know.Are tattoos increasingly common in your part of Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNqxZ-living_nagoya_shi_aichiFri, 15 Aug 2025 08:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNqxZ-living_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0o9R-living_nagoya_shi_aichiI really thought the days of this kind of engrish were gone but I was wrong! On our recent trek through Nagoya and specifically the Nagoya aquarium we found this beauty of a sign, reminding us not to smoke cigarettes on the premises even though it was an outdoor part of the facility.I really thought now in the days of AI and google translate, that signs like this would be a thing of the past but we found a remarkable amount of just slightly weird English to provocative and some down right confusing signage on our trip.No Smorking I have seen before, but seems like something they can spell check these days, even on a phone, without much issue.So don't smork y'all. Smorking is for losers.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0o9R-living_nagoya_shi_aichiFri, 15 Aug 2025 06:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0o9R-living_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEr5Y-living_food_money_gifu_nagoya_shi_aichiOne of the things I most love about travel in Japan is staying in hotels and eating tons of fruit for breakfast. The cost of fruit in Japan being higher than I was used to back home plus the rising prices of everything mean that I don't orten indulge in as much of the fructose rich fresh goodliness at home.Unfortunately our recent trip to Nagoya and the surrounding areas saw us staying at hotels which only offered this for fresh fruit, though I will admit one of the places also had lychee.I am sure that canned fruit cocktail is signifigantly cheaper than fresh fruit and maybe fewer people with bother eating it, but if I'm desperate enough for fruit, I don't mind scarfing a bowl or two of this stuff. I do this partially because I need the fruit intake and don't mind the cocktail, and partially as revenge. If the powers that be think cheaping out here means people will just eat less and save them more money, they are at least wrong about this specific foreigner.Are you still seeing fresh fruit at hotels during your Japanese travels?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEr5Y-living_food_money_gifu_nagoya_shi_aichiThu, 14 Aug 2025 19:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEr5Y-living_food_money_gifu_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glvp8-living_food_nagoya_shi_aichiWe didn't get to eat here because, as I said in a previous post, we came to the pier area late on a day when one of the biggest and most loved aquarium animals died and many things were already closed. In addition, my husband had his own ideas for dinner so we only walked by this place on the pier.The parfait, named Unbelievable, seems to be served in a large glass pitcher and costs seven thousand yen! In my mind that is seventy dollars even though it is more like fifty dollars by the modern exchange rate.Several kinds of sliced fruit along with whole puddings and scoops of ice cream load the top of the displayed model with more fruit and undoubtedly enough cream to kill the lactose intolerant throughout.If we had had more time, more money, or the driving need for the overly sweet, I would have tried to split this with my kid and we likely would not have finished it.Have you seen a parfait this big? Did you try it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glvp8-living_food_nagoya_shi_aichiThu, 14 Aug 2025 19:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glvp8-living_food_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDr0L-living_food_nagoya_shi_aichiWe were walking through the arcade and I had to take a picture of this place to show my friends.A dungeon themed cafe and bar? Where better to play Dungeons and Dragons! Except of course that that wasn't really an option. Not only was I on a trip with my family, none of whom play, but also all of the people in the groups I do play with live on this side of the world. Add in the trouble with rolling for initiative without getting a twenty sided die in your appetizer and the fact that paying to buy enough food over the hours of play to keep the owners from giving you the stink eye and it makes more sense to just not bother.If I found this place when I was wandering around with my brother when we were younger, we absolutely would have gone in and tried whatever the ten second challenge is. Instead, I walked by with my family, taking a picture to remember the D&D game that never was.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDr0L-living_food_nagoya_shi_aichiThu, 14 Aug 2025 19:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDr0L-living_food_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB7gn-living_food_shopping_nagoya_shi_aichiThis isn't the first time I had seen or taken advantage of these machines, but they are a recent adaptation to Japan living as far as I understand it, and only usually available in very urban environments. This one was at the train station, just next to the boarding area for the Rapid Express for Osaka.this is the first time I had seen one being serviced and unfortunately that meant we didn't get the chance to bring juice with us on the train but we did grab some at two other machines this trip and the cheaper ones at that. This brand uses oranges from Australia and costs slightly more than the alternative which sources its oranges from elsewhere in Asia instead.We have tried both and really don't taste the difference so it's really a matter of which one is available wherever you are.Does your area have these and if so, do you like them as much as we do?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB7gn-living_food_shopping_nagoya_shi_aichiThu, 14 Aug 2025 18:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB7gn-living_food_shopping_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVeRJ-living_nagoya_shi_aichiWe saw this one while walking around Nagoya a few weeks ago during out vacation and it only struck me after I got home how perfect it was for the setting.The koiging or Magicarp and its shiny partner represent the golden fish from the top of Nagoya Castle, decoration that became symbols of the city itself. Including them here alongside the castle only makes perfect sense, as does the nekkoala or Komala, which represents the adapted mascot of the local baseball team, the chunichi dragons and their cute-ified Doala, the blue koala.According to mascotopedia, Doala is a koala because the first koala in Japan came to Nagoya zoo and Nagoya is a sister city of Sydney, Australia.Very fitting, Pokemon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVeRJ-living_nagoya_shi_aichiThu, 14 Aug 2025 18:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVeRJ-living_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Yro-living_food_shopping_nagoya_shi_aichiWhile briefly visiting the Nagoya area, we popped into a Lawsons and I was stunned by the fruit selection.I honestly can't tell if Lawson's Orchard is a Aichi specific thing or something only at select stores nationwide or something they are just trying out but I am jealous. We don't see half as much fruit on the shelves at Lawsons in Miyagi.Unfortunately I didn't have the chance to sample any of the goods but they do look delisious despite my (second hand, temporary replacement) cell phone's inability to process light correctly.Have you seen this kind of fruit selection in Lawsons convenience stores near you?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Yro-living_food_shopping_nagoya_shi_aichiWed, 13 Aug 2025 17:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Yro-living_food_shopping_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPd8g-living_food_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichiTechnically, there is only free hot water on the rapid express train connecting Nagoya to Osaka, as well as 200 yen fresh brewed coffee with I alsolutely also enjoyed.Since I had taken the tea bags from our hotel room, the hot water meant free tea, but there was a problem. The machine only dispensed free hot water up to the 60% full mark, well below the amount of tea one bag can produce. The trick? make two cups of hot water, then a third that you split between the other two. Add tea bags and lids to the two full cups, tuck the third under one of them, and add lids before wandering back to your seat with plenty of tea for your two hour trip.Extra cup works great as a cup sleeve, insulating the heat from burning your fingies.Add in a complimentary donut from the hotel and you've got a lovely little snack set. Didn't get a hotel donut? You can also grab snacks on the train, in a vending machine right next to the tea and coffee.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPd8g-living_food_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichiWed, 13 Aug 2025 17:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPd8g-living_food_transportation_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAlnv-living_nagoya_shi_aichiOn our recent family trip to Nagoya, we made a strong attempt to make it out to Higashiyama Zoo, which takes a significant half hour or so on the train to get to from the area where we were staying.I do love that the station closest to the zoo had excellent zoo themed decorations. It turned out to be the closest we would get to any zoo animal for the duration of the trip.We raced up the stairs and out through the heat and humidity only to see a sign from the distance indicating the zoo was closed. As it turns out, it is always closed on Mondays and it was Monday.We would later race back to the zoo in a rental car, hoping we would still have enough time to enjoy it on our last day in the area, only to find that of course they were closing early that day and had already closed off every single parking lot several hours before their normal closing time.I suppose we just weren't meant to see those animals this time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAlnv-living_nagoya_shi_aichiWed, 13 Aug 2025 17:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAlnv-living_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLpbN-living_nagoya_shi_aichiThat's right. The orca known as Earth, resident of Nagoya's aquarium, died earlier this month, unfortunately right on the day that my family visited the attraction.Nagoya loves orcas and the pair of orcas at the aquarium were much beloved as symbols of the city itself. Many fans of the massive sea beast left flowers and messages of condolence in memory of the much loved creature.The biggest orca in Japan passed on, last recorded at the age of 16 in October of 2024 to be six meters long and weighing an epic 3.6 tons.Rest in peace, you massive, beautiful beast.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLpbN-living_nagoya_shi_aichiWed, 13 Aug 2025 17:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLpbN-living_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaY59-livingI was excited to revisit the first castle I even visited in my life and this time with my husband and kid, so when my husband suggested it, I jumped at the chance. We would look over Aichi and I would see if I could feel the same twinges of history and grandeur I felt all those years ago...or not.It turns out Nagoya castle's insides have been off limits to visitors since 2018 for earthquake damage. My husband has never seen the inside and who knows if he ever will, but the outside was still nice and pretty enough to look at. For a few hundred yen, you can walk around the grounds and buy some souvenirs. You can even take a few pictures in front of the castle if you so choose.If I hadn't been inside before, I wouldn't even mind. I really wanted to see how it stands up to the other castle experiences I've aquired since then, but I guess it just doesn't.If you're really into castles and want to get into them, look elsewhere.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaY59-livingWed, 13 Aug 2025 09:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaY59-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqVek-living_nagoya_shi_aichiAs a make up trip to distract my family from the sadness of not going stateside this summer, my husband planned a little excursion to Nagoya and Gifu which we enjoyed immensely.When I first moved to Japan, it was to a little town in Gifu where I wound up meeting my future husband and living for two and a half years. The closest big city was Nagoya which I visited once every couple of months in that time. Despite having such familiarity with the general area, we found a lot had changed in the 15 years since we lived in that area.The biggest differences from Miyagi were the drastically increased temperatures and population density, though after our recent trips to Tokyo and Osaka, I found Nagoya significantly less overwhelming.How do the big cities in Japan rank in your books?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqVek-living_nagoya_shi_aichiWed, 13 Aug 2025 09:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqVek-living_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0gNn-livingBack in January, my father graciously offered to pay for plane tickets for my family to travel to the states to visit them this summer. It would be really opportune, as my child is about to start junior high, so it'll be the last summer that she has a lot of free time.My excitement for summer looks about as good and happy as my unfortunate attempt at drawing a bison.Unfortunately, my homeland is the United States of America and the current immigration policies mean my husband wouldn't be safe there. Despite adjusting our plans to include a Toronto leg of the vacation so my husband wouldn't have to cross into the US, in the end we had to scrub the entire trip.It just isn't safe, and it's not getting safer anytime soon.While I hope that the protests have generated understanding and support that will lead to some changes happening, I also cannot bring my family there safely and my family that is there doesn't feel safe crossing the border and crossing back.So we are not going to the United States this summer, which is extremely sad for me as it prevents me from meeting my four year olf nephew in person for the first time and a host of other opportunities we just won't have.At the same time, keeping your family safe, wherever they are, has to be a priority.So,l that's what we're going to do.How do you cheer yourself up when this kind of thing happens?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0gNn-livingWed, 02 Jul 2025 17:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0gNn-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqWoA-livingI was recently asked how to make friends as an adult and I have to admit that I don't have many answers. As an adult living abroad in Japan, I recommend getting into hobby groups and meeting other folks with similar interests.Since I don't have make interests that take me out of my home, I wound up doing that online, specifically on a particular discord server.How do you make new friends when your interests are obscure? The internet! See also a quilt I'm making for a friend I met on Discord.For the uninitiated, Discord is a site and app that seems to be really popular for socialization within the gaming community among mostly young men ranging in age from their teens to their thirties, though older folks (like me) and ladies (also like me) as well as other gender identities are present as well, at least on the discord server I have been frequenting for the last year or so.What started as a few chats here and there with a few people I didn't know any other way has turned into a few very endearing long-term friendships and a bunch of art and fun. There was also some drama in between, as happens with large groups of people , especially young and emotionally charged people.As someone who just left their 30s, I find it really awkward sometimes to be so generationally different from the people I'm trying to chat with, but it's also a great way to keep the mind young.Discord can also be useful for finding people to study Japanese with as there are Japanese discord servers, so instead of the same old conversation with a neighbor or shopkeeper, you could potentially find people with similar interests in the very language you're trying to learn. This could provide much needed incentive for the highly social but studiously unmotivated like me, if I had the courage.One day.How do you meet new people?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqWoA-livingTue, 01 Jul 2025 16:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqWoA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyeqa-living_food_matsushima_machi_miyagiThe other day, I took myself on a little day trip to Matsushima, the lovely touristy area that also sports one of the three best views in all of Japan.My goal was to relax and enjoy a short walk near the Buddhist temple, where I stumbled across this.The shop this belongs to, located between Entsuiin temple and Zuihouden temple, offers a wide variety of ice cream in various flavors.I usually opt for sesame since the black color is so striking but today I opted for the new one and was pleasantly surprised.It was lovely and delicious, with the fruity raspberry pairing delightfully with its cousin, the rose. While it's a combo I don't know if I'd choose all the time, it did make for a lovely and surprisingly yummy treat.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyeqa-living_food_matsushima_machi_miyagiSat, 21 Jun 2025 18:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyeqa-living_food_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2vLg-living_miyagiI know I haven't written here in a while, and it's not been entirely intentional, though sometimes I feel like my perspective as an increasingly middle-aged, long-term expat probably isn't as valuable as it could be. I've written about the things that I thought were really important and really valuable to know about different topics concerning life in Japan, especially as a long-term expat.Here I come, back up at you like a weed through the cracks of the sidewalk. Flourishing where I don't belong.Other than trying to seek out new trends and things, I'm not sure what else people actually want to hear about.I know there is a lot of interest in whatever the newest coolest thing is in Tokyo or Osaka, but I don't live there. I don't know how many people are really interested in kife outside the big cities, but I will keep writing if you guys keep reading.What kind of topics do people want to see more of is my question?Feel free to drop a comment about com topics you would like me to cover.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2vLg-living_miyagiTue, 17 Jun 2025 18:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2vLg-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnWOE-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiAs part of Shiogama's Sakura events tomorrow, DJ Konstantin will be performing at the cafe inside the Sugimura Jun Museum of Art. The bar is open from 3-8PM with the DJ portion running from 6PM to 8PM.Drinks are set to include coffee, beer and liquor, so there are options for most adults. If you're looking for a fun early Saturday night and especially if you are already enjoying the beautiful sakura event in Shiogama already, there is no reason not to stop by and check out the music while you enjoy a beverage or two.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnWOE-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiFri, 11 Apr 2025 21:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnWOE-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrWdX-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSaturday, April 12, the seaside town of Shiogama, Miyagi (330 yen and 30 minutes from Sendai via the Senseki Line to Honshiogama station) will host some fun seasonal events.It looks like the area around the shrine will be getting festive from 3PM with bigger events scheduled for the 6PM to 8PM time slot. Shiogama shrine and the smaller nearby Okama shrine will both have fun activities going on including music, a lantern light up event, and sake tasting at the local Urakasumi sake brewery.If you are in Miyagi or the surrounding areas and looking for a fun way to celebrate the new season this weekend, Shiogama is your best bet Saturday afternoon. Come see how magical the cherry blossoms look when the sun goes down!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrWdX-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiFri, 11 Apr 2025 21:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrWdX-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxego-living_miyagiThe siren went off about half an hour ago, reminding us of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.No one who was living here at the time needs to be reminded of the fear and panic as the magnitude 9 quake slammed into our buildings, testing the Japanese structures beyond normal measure.No one who watched neighborhoods washed away on the news or worse from meters below their evacuation points needs a other reminder.But another year has passed. Another year since all of those people perished. Another year since we reclaimed what we could and rebuilt lives anew.The sun still rises, beautiful as ever, over the sea that killed tens of thousands 14 years ago.Here we are in 2025. Japanese houses are safe. Miyagi likely has at least another decade and a half before another big quake, and my country across the Pacific falls to fascism a little more every single day.Will we be able to rebuild from that? How long will it take? And how many tens of thousands will die to trump's policies?My bet is on his presidency costing humanity more than the tsunami did in numbers alone.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxego-living_miyagiTue, 11 Mar 2025 15:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxego-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7AKe-livingIt's hard to watch the current state of affairs in America. Things are getting worse everyday and fascism really does seem to be moving in to stay.How do you fight to keep your country safe when you don't live in it anymore? I still have friends and family back home. I still want to back home to feel like back home. I don't know if it ever will again, especially after the things that are happening right now.So how do you fight for your country when you're not military and live on the other side of the world? Emails and social media!If you're an American and you're watching your world back home crumble, I recommend using your last home address back in the States to find the Congress people responsible to you and ask them what exactly Elon Musk is doing with the social security money that he has no right to. Why is someone who wasn't elected to any office handling the treasury? What is going on? Why are they letting it happen?I can throw a lot of conjecture around, but most of it seems to be greed oriented. I don't care. The best answer I have to fight against what's happening is to use the means that we have to communicate what we can. If you have a way to make phone calls to your Congress people, do that.If you don't, write emails and engage with them on social media. Let them know that the things they are choosing to do right now have consequences. The things they can't be bothered to oppose will kill people.Today I found my congress person and sent them a fairly nasty message, though I think it was well constructed. I then found the sponsor of the bill to terminate the department of education and sent him and even longer and nastier message.Use your words to change the world, while you still can.How did you fight fascism today?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7AKe-livingMon, 03 Feb 2025 15:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7AKe-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M93jO-living_foodThis year, we celebrated the midnight celebration at home, quietly playing on our respective smart phones and drinking some home made apple cider I whipped up after realizing I had forgotten to buy us any special bubbly drinks.I didn't enjoy this batch as much as my last batch but it was made somewhat hastily after we got home from my in-laws' house. I peeled, cored, diced and boiled two apples with a bunch of spices. The strained remnants became apple sauce which it took a few days to finish off. The liquid component is what you see here, and an additional mason jar full in the fridge that I also managed to drink within a week.However 2025 finds you, I hope it's a safe, happy year for you and yours.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M93jO-living_foodTue, 07 Jan 2025 17:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M93jO-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkW3m-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiWhen my kid and I recently enjoyed Sendai's Pageant of Starlight, I was so happy to see such a wide selection of street food.We had shown up early and still had twenty minutes until the lights would go on, so we grab some lovely warm drinks.We also grabbed delicious snacks in the form of a handheld apple pie and fries.After that brief culinary interlude, we were ready to stand in the cold and wait for the fun to start. When it did, we walked down the length of the lit area and then around the park. The organization in charge was selling arm bands that would offer special experiences, like walking through one light exhibit in the park and standing on scaffolding for a better view near the middle of the Jozenji street display.We were already exhausted so we did not partake of the extra experience. Maybe if they had sold the 300 yen wrist bands at the other end of the event, we would be have.If you're going to this event, catch it before the lights go out at midnight on the 31st.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkW3m-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiSun, 29 Dec 2024 06:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkW3m-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWqmO-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiJust before Christmas, my kid and I had the opportunity to go and see the Sendai lighting display that runs down part of Jozenji Douri and into a park at the end.The park at the end held many of its own beautiful surprises including some great photo ops like this massive lighting structure and colorful lights thoughtfully distributed about the train enguine that usually sits in that park.On weekdays, the fun kicks off at 7PM, an hour later than the weekends and it does not run the full length of Jozenji this year but was really fun to see nonetheless.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWqmO-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiSun, 29 Dec 2024 06:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWqmO-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoWJl-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiIf you're attending Sendai's annual Pageant of Starlight winter light display, avoid this food!This was ¥900 straight into the garbage can.It claimed to be a blooming onion. What it was was cold and inedible. At 900 yen, it was one of the most expensive options on the street and I couldn't even eat more than two bites for how cold it was.I'm assuming now that they fried their poor attempt at fried onion in advance and meant to reheat it and just did so badly, but I strongly advise anyone going to this event to run from anything claiming to resemble a fried onion.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoWJl-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiWed, 25 Dec 2024 00:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoWJl-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV26P-livingIt's no mystery that I myself personally have issues with winter. It's far too cold for far too long for me to enjoy and somehow despite sixteen years of doing it over and over, I'm still just terribly uncomfortable.This year, I did a lot of weird things. Every time my mental health tried to take a heavy dip, I would turn to whatever the most positive or least negative alternative was. I wrote, edited and shared more than I've ever written before, and even if that was not something I can profit financially from, I feel certain that I am a better writer now than I was before.What keeps you going and growing?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV26P-livingSun, 22 Dec 2024 22:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV26P-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weaek-foodMy family recently went to an all you can eat okonomiyaki restaurant in Sendai and I decided to treat myself to a coffee jelly. The picture on the tablet menu did not have anything to compare to in size, but it was clear based on the amount of zooming in they had done that they meant for it to appear about the size of a regular drinking glass. I thought perhaps it would be half that size and that would be for the best as I was already a little full.What came was about the size of a shot glass. I was surprised and the jelly itself was okay but I didn't bother to order another.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weaek-foodSun, 22 Dec 2024 22:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weaek-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4VEr-food_shoppingThe other day, I took a long walk to the other side of my town to raid a Yamaya, the import store and liquor store, to grab a bunch of deliciousness to help me stay relaxed through the increasingly cold temperatures of Miyagi in winter.Among my choices for purchase were tortilla chips, cream soda, a couple of flavors of hard cider, a couple of beers, and a cheap red wine I plan to try and then likely turned into mulled wine later this week.What do you buy to keep yourself safe from home sickness during the long Japanese winter?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4VEr-food_shoppingSun, 22 Dec 2024 22:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4VEr-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA8k5-living_fashionThis week, yet another pair of jeans has seem to have bitten the dust. This was one of my favorite stretchy denims from the states.As you can see, I have spent a lot of time over the years mending the chub rub area of the inner thighs of the jeans, going over the weak spaces with white and blue thread.Another hole, a rip this time, along the waistband has me considering whether or not it might be time to stop mending and change this pair into something more useful, but I have yet to determine what would be more useful than another pair of stretchy light blue jeans.Perhaps I'll mend it after all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA8k5-living_fashionSun, 22 Dec 2024 21:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA8k5-living_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLekv-livingIt took a few extra days weeks this year but last week, with less than a week till the holiday, I finally got our tiny try out of storage and decorated our apartment.Is it perfect? No! But it's ours and it's out here. I managed to misplace a whole quilt and rearrange things to where the tree is in danger of toppling over if I don't very carefully arrange the ornaments to keep weight towards the back of the tree.Most of our big ornaments are staying in their boxes this year. Hopefully next year, I'll have a better game plan going in.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLekv-livingSun, 22 Dec 2024 21:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLekv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjnVe-living_food_shoppingAs a Texan, I was really surprised to see chocolate covered pecans available at 7-11 recently.The pecan nut, as it is called on the package, is plentiful in my home state where it grows with such abundance that in addition to being the state nut, it is also found in a lot of native Texan sweets including cookies like pecan sandies and the ubiquitous pecan pie, the top of which usually includes a layer of the shelled nut laid out atop the gooey insides.This is no pecan pie, but might help push away the homesick blues for an expat or two.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjnVe-living_food_shoppingSun, 22 Dec 2024 21:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjnVe-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaJ4g-living_food_shoppingI found a bottle of this wine, Casillero del Diablo, on sale at a grocery store and bought it. It was delightful enough, with citris notes, so my friends and I looked it up online and were so amused by the website that I went on to seek out more of it.I was a little surprised to find only one wine had a freebie and that freebie was...Nail clippers! Why? The world will never know!I didn't buy this wine but will go back and get some if given the chance. This is hardly the weirdest free with purchase type item I've found but I do consider it interesting enough to warrant a second chance.And I would be amused to own devil wine nail clippers.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaJ4g-living_food_shoppingSun, 22 Dec 2024 21:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaJ4g-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnWgO-living_shoppingOnce again, the massive inflatable monk with the small dear friend have graced the ceiling area of Sendai strapping arcade welcoming shoppers to spend at their chosen businesses at their convenience this holiday season.I have written about this character before and his status as a local mascot for good businesses. Historically, the mentally ill monk that the iconography is based on would favor certain businesses that would inevitably wind up doing really well otherwise. He became a local folk deity (sort of?) for good consumerism and business.Every year he hangs out above the shops in the arcade and dresses like Santa sitting on a sleigh pulled by a single reindeer. It's always if it's strange to see the combination of east and west in this way, but I can't help but smile when I look at it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnWgO-living_shoppingThu, 19 Dec 2024 19:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnWgO-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrWeR-livingI saw this tree the other day and had it to stop and take a picture.As you can see it's not the most amazing or large or fantastic tree but what I noticed about it and what really spoke to me is the new growth stemming out of an older stump. As I careen towards middle age, I find it really hard not to feel archaic, especially as I broaden my social horizons to include different circles. Some of these circles hold much younger members and I find myself struggling to keep up but just the fact of trying to keep up means I'm more like this tree.I'm not a dead stump waiting to fall over and I'm not a rotted tree that has nowhere left to go.I have new growth in areas that I had not expected and I spent this year writing and editing more than I ever had before even if it wasn't on this blog.So if you're feeling relatively stumpy and need something new to embrace in the new year, embrace growth.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrWeR-livingThu, 19 Dec 2024 19:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrWeR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmqJm-food_shoppingIf you're a fan of American candy and haven't gotten a care package from home in a while, you might be excited to know that Don Quixote now at least in some locations is selling Skittles. The packages are not very large and seem a little overpriced for what's there, but they still are affordable enough for a little treat.If you really need that sugar fix that only tasting the rainbow can bring, you would do well to get your butt to a Don Quixote and check out the candy section soon. I found them near the gummies in the Sendai shopping arcade Don Quixote location.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmqJm-food_shoppingWed, 18 Dec 2024 22:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmqJm-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8Z7b-food_shopping_moneyOn a recent trip to Yamaya, the liquor store and import shop, I was elated to find cheap packages of what I believe to be tortillas. I grabbed them from the top shelf near the other Taco shells and salsa, just above the various flavors of tortilla chips, and did not even look at the package properly until I got home.Pizza bases?! What??I went ahead and used them to make quesadillas the next week and they worked out just fine. It's my belief that this was the company's best attempt to make more money off of less stuff since instead of putting 8 to 10 tortillas in a bag, they only put four and still charged money for them. It cost less than the packages of eight to ten usually do, but they probably still made more money than they could have gotten for four tortillas otherwise.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8Z7b-food_shopping_moneyWed, 18 Dec 2024 22:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8Z7b-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GROd8-living_food_shoppingI saw this on a recent trip to a liquor store but chose not to buy it as I already had plenty of pasta at home but this was the first time I ever seen wine with complementary pasta bundled at any shop in my life.The freebies that come with things usually are more closely related to the things in wild. Pasta with wine may make a really nice meal. It just really wasn't expected at the liquor store.The wine itself being on the lower end of the price spectrum made it seem like It must not be very good wine if you need to incentivize the purchase with food.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GROd8-living_food_shoppingWed, 18 Dec 2024 22:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GROd8-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyejD-living_foodThis week we were told that our child needed to bring Okazu to school for lunch on a day when rice was being prepared via a traditional method.When I asked my husband what this word meant, he only said things that go with rice. When I suggested furikake he said no.He failed to elaborate further and eventually we wind up going to the store to get a better picture of what exactly we needed. Our kid picked a few things and we slept together a nice looking little vento box for her the next morning. Apparently this is a great word for what they consider to be a main dish or again the kinds of things you eat with rice. Specifically we used the kinds of little bento box additionals you can find in the freezer section of most grocery stores.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyejD-living_foodTue, 17 Dec 2024 18:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyejD-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1EKV-living_foodThis week we had to throw away my husband's lunch box. We had been using this for several years and I had in fact picked it up during one of my first years in Japan. It was one of those deals you sometimes see in Japanese grocery stores where you have to buy so many products from a certain brand in order to qualify for the free item. In this case, I'm pretty sure it was Coca-Cola and I drank a fair amount of soda so I didn't see a problem with buying eight drinks in order to get a couple of lunch boxes. Luckily I also kept the other lunch box, sporting a different character from the same series, that my husband is now using.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1EKV-living_foodTue, 17 Dec 2024 18:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1EKV-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoWgb-living_foodI was told when I moved to Japan that people in Japan do not eat while they walk and for the most part that seems to be true. Most of the people I see eating while they walk are foreigners but that won't stop me, an obvious foreigner, from also eating while I walk when the occasion arises.The other day I got so wrapped up in trying to clean and prepare for the holidays and such that I managed to entirely forget to have any kind of lunch. Lucky for me, a vending machine on my way to work supplied me with something suitable enough to get me through the next hour of teaching.The best lunch? Hardly but also a lot better than going to work hungry.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoWgb-living_foodTue, 17 Dec 2024 18:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoWgb-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3dR8-livingThe lights are bright at Honshiogama Station, just over 20 minutes away from Sendai on the Senseki line.This year's display uses a lot of the same elements from previous displays, including a fence of Lights, strings of lights coming from the main Central Pole, a few conical tree-shaped light elements and a few reindeer. I think this year they made some good choices for how to place things fairly elegantly and they went through the trouble of posting two signs tastefully done in English and Japanese to state that entry is not permitted into that area.My only issue with any of it is that the lights on the deer and the lights on the trees do not match, but that's hardly a real problem. The whole setup looks better than I think it's looked in many years so.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3dR8-livingTue, 17 Dec 2024 18:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3dR8-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBm28-living_shoppingTomorrow, Marine Gate Shiogama will host a Christmas Fair with a variety of handicrafts and food stalls.It promises to be a little bit of festive fun for the whole family. It runs from 10AM to 3PM. Similar activities and events in Shiogama have sold out of things before the end of the event, so come early to enjoy the full run of festivities.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBm28-living_shoppingSat, 30 Nov 2024 21:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBm28-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQjK2-livingIn Matsushima, Entsuiin Temple's beautiful Fall light up is a marvel to behold and truly a magical place to visit if I you have the chance. Unfortunately, my family didn't manage to make time for it this year, but if you're free tomorrow night in Miyagi, I recommend heading to Matsushima for this lovely event showcasing the natural beauty of the gardens of the Entsuiin Temple.While the event costs 1000 yen per adult, it's well worth it. The years I have gone, I have never been disappointed despite the crowds.If you have a chance and haven't been, I highly recommend it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQjK2-livingThu, 14 Nov 2024 21:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQjK2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpWYY-living_shoppingNovember 16th and 17th, this coming Saturday and Sunday, the Jun Sugimura Art Museum in Shiogama will host Kurashi no Ichi, an arts and crafts fair with work shops and fun for the whole family.The event runs from 10AM to 3PM both days and is free to enter. The theme is Coloring Your Life with Wisdom and Ingenuity and the event promises to showcase plants, bread, a confetti workshop and more!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpWYY-living_shoppingThu, 14 Nov 2024 21:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpWYY-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7ABR-livingLast weekend, we were lucky enough to catch the last day of the solo exhibit of Lizzie Lombardo titled am I a ghost to you? at birdo flugas art gallery in Shiogama.Several of the pieces included plastic placards in front of beautifully painted backgrounds, creating an interesting sense of distance and perspective.My kid and I really enjoyed the art and even bought a candle and a sticker.I'm not sure why paintings and candles are both available but at the same time, I was happy to have a way to support the art and artist at a reasonable price.I'm so glad to see so many pieces sold! Good for them!Two pieces spoke to me. Night Time Routine:And I'm Not Entirely Here:If you want to keep up with this artist, their social media is below:To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7ABR-livingThu, 14 Nov 2024 21:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7ABR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weaq4-livingI've been getting into some weird hobbies lately and one including trying to record heavy metal vocals, something I find my thin walled Japanese apartment unsuitable for, so I did something I've never done before.I went to the Karaoke box by myself.I did look it up online and apparently you can also rent rooms for telecommuting, meetings and such if the need arises.I wish the big echo mic would talk to my phone. Unfortunately that just did not work so I recorded with my dinky mic I bought off of Amazon. I wound up with five takes on a 90 second song and later edited the best of those together.While I feel like a hit some great notes despite frying my throat, the guys I'm working with felt the space was too full of echoes and the mic shredded things at a certain volume level, so I'm going to try a softer rendition at home before I go back to the place where I can scream.Still, I feel good about doing things I'm afraid of, including singing in front of people and renting karaoke rooms by myself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weaq4-livingSun, 27 Oct 2024 15:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weaq4-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4VZJ-living_foodNot every flower on my plants has become a tomato but enough are finally doing it that I don't feel totally screwed about having planted so many plants.Never again. I am never just shoving tomato guts in the dirt and dealing with whatever pops up again. At one point there were 42 plants out there!Now there are far fewer and not all are flowering or growing tomatoes. In fact, a few looks half dead, but I'm doing my best with them anyway. The cold will kill them whether I like it or not. Hopefully I'll get some yummy fresh fruit before that.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4VZJ-living_foodSun, 27 Oct 2024 15:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4VZJ-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP4j1-livingOne of the nicest things about things cooling down is how nice it is to walk around in the early darkness of late afternoon.I used to hate this, being from the states where daylight savings time changes this for us and makes everyone late to everything for a week when it happens. It turns out a lot of countries use daylight savings time, but America is most famous current example.I'll admit it's a little off putting to walk across town in darkness before 6PM, but I really like not changing the clocks ever.How do you feel about daylight savings time and the earlier darkness of fall?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP4j1-livingSun, 27 Oct 2024 15:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP4j1-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA85N-livingLong term expat life can be challenging emotionally. Sometimes, the states in the grocery store and the lack of clothes and food and comfort can be overwhelming.I feel this especially as it gets colder. My homestate does not stay cold and despite over a decade here, I'm still getting accustomed to the gradually dropping temps.So it is important to find a way to stay happy. Find things you can do at and suck and still love doing. For me, writing is a big source of accomplished feelings, and gardening is pleasant when it occurs. I also don't care if I'm not perfect at sewing or quilting. I'll work on what makes me happy and that's now I'm going to get through this winter.How about you? What do you enjoy (even if you're not good at it)? What are you going to do to avoid the winter blues?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA85N-livingSun, 27 Oct 2024 14:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA85N-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLe0P-food_medicalI've been dealing with anxiety and depression for most of my life. Recently, I added ADHD to the list of things that are likely different about my brain but without an official diagnosis or the means/desire to get one, I'm not entirely sure what to do about it.I have spent a little time stealing ADHD lifehacks from the internet and then started to look at the problem as a dopamine deficiency, which some say it is. So then came an urge to change my dopamine intake, which is hard when relief from no longer stressing about something and genuinely enjoying something feel similar.Another thing I decided to check out was dopamine supplements on Amazon. For less than 2000 yen, I'm grabbing a month's worth of supplements that should help offset some of the weird in my head at least sometimes. After a couple of months of taking these pretty regularly, I've noticed less suicidal ideation and a better kind of middle ground in my head. I don't wake up overjoyed, but it's easier to get things done from where I start and it's not shutting off my ability to hyperfocus when I have time to indulge.If you can, see a doctor for problems like these. If you can't, playing with safe, regulated supplements within reason can sometimes be beneficial.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLe0P-food_medicalSun, 27 Oct 2024 14:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLe0P-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWq8e-livingIf you're American, living in Japan, and politically active, you should have already cast your vote since it takes about 2 weeks to get where it needs to go.Most of my friends who opt for paper ballots got them, filled them out and sent them back weeks ago. I dragged my feet since I was in the middle of a couple of hyperfocus projects and finally got around to printing out what I needed, filling it out and sending it in last week.I did what I could. Let's hope it helps.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWq8e-livingSat, 26 Oct 2024 15:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWq8e-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJWqk-living_foodOne problem I'm seeing with my tomatoes is that they're turning red when they're still pretty small.Either it's the chill in the air and that I planted them a little late or maybe throwing seeds from produce into potting soil at random wasn't the best idea. Either way, I know better for next year.Still, at least I finally have more coming up. Will they ripen before the chill kills their plants? Who knows!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJWqk-living_foodSat, 26 Oct 2024 15:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJWqk-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpPdn-living_fashionThis year, I have been both busy and distracted. I'm not as focussed as years previous and this was overwhelmingly clear as the Halloween party for my workplace approached.I usually have a costume picked and at least half made a week beforehand. This time, I was running through options the day before and feeling like a jerk.Finally I threw together some of my old Ozzonste clothes with some coordinating pieces to create:The vampire pirate, or vampirate! Pictured here with my kid (cat) and my coworker (zombie Pikachu), I think it worked together alright, especially when I utilized the now ill-fitting over skirt as a cape instead.What's your Halloween costume?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpPdn-living_fashionWed, 16 Oct 2024 16:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpPdn-living_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G712n-livingThis year I offered to make piñatas for my workplace for our first Halloween party since the pandemic began.In years previous, I used paper maché but found the results rather messy. This year I used a cardboard base with paperboard between the top and bottom and shredded tissue paper on top.It wasn't that hard but did take a lot of time and I made them a bit too strong. Also, the weapons from the 100 yen store shredded themselves on the piñatas so if you're doing something similar, pick your piñata beaters appropriately.Because I made them too strong, I had to shank the Eye of Sauron repeatedly before it could be broken by a kid, so next time I'm definitely going to make them a bit weaker.Still, they were a hit.BadumtissTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G712n-livingWed, 16 Oct 2024 16:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G712n-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4lJ-living_foodThis shouldn't even be happening in October, but thansk to climate change, here are my pitiful little crops for today.I finally got the tomato plants I had as seedlings in summer to make tomatoes, and some just pop off while green unfortunately. Hopefully some of the others will redden and ripen first.Also behold the last of my strawberries for the year! These are white strawberries, so this tiny guy was ripe yesterday but I avoided picking him then and now he's too squishy.Oh well.What do you grow on your Japanese balcony?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4lJ-living_foodWed, 16 Oct 2024 15:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4lJ-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNvg4-living_transportationThis was our first time using this airline and for short flights, they are fine.Even the seatbelt in purple!I did love the color choice for the plane interior and they gave kids stickers.I was also amused by the in flight magazine even though the English in it was not uniform in presentation. Some pages had thoughtfully translated sections. Some had none at all.Until I busted my leg, I was overall pretty satisfied with this little airline, though I didn't love having to walk across the tarmac upon arrival in Kansai.It's good that they're most suitable for short flights since that's what they specialize in.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNvg4-living_transportationSat, 07 Sep 2024 16:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNvg4-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxNvW-livingOur recent trip to Osaka during a heat wave worried me because I have a bunch of tomato plants and didn't want them all to fry. We don't have anyone I can ask to come and water them, so what can I do?I saw some advice online saying to drill holes in bottle caps and fill the clean plastic bottles with water before capping and upending them into the dirt, burying the cap enough to keep the bottle in position and leave it. I did this to a bunch of bottles and installed them after thoroughly watering my little garden the night before and morning off our departure.I also saw something suggesting using 100% cotton rope in large containers of water, extending out to pots where the other end of the rope is buried, would also work. I set up a few of these.The small plants were placed in our balcony sink, filled with water.The sink worked, as well as the bottles. The rope thing did not, potentially because the 100% cotton rope from the 100 yen store might have been optimistically labelled or coated in something that prevented them being beneficial in this situation.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxNvW-livingSat, 07 Sep 2024 16:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxNvW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJ35-living_food_osakaI do not understand the name of this restaurant, but we were desperate and tired when we got here, having finished off a full day of running around at Universal Studios Japan. We came to this place after trying to get in line at two other places and realizing that the line system was a little bit mangled and we really just wanted to sit down and get into some food.My husband sees that there's the sign up sheet so he signs our name up. We see that there are two names in front of us. One is the large Japanese family already sitting in front of the restaurant, waiting to go in. The other name isn't in Japanese but is a group of four.After we sit to wait, this long white couple comes up and signs up too.The staff comes out and calls the Japanese name and they the family of five go in. We know that we're next, after a group of four that we haven't seen.When they call the next name, the late coming white couple charges in and I. Am. Furious.Our view while I rage.Luckily, within a few short moments, the waiter calls our name.I leap up and shout "Yes!" At him.He is confused and looks to my husband who assures him with a look that I'm not a rabid foreign beast and yes, that is really his last name.It seems like the waiter asks the white line cutters where the rest of their group is, at which point they seem to forget Japanese if they ever knew it.I only glared daggers at the jerks for about five minutes before I realized it no longer mattered.We were finally inside and enjoying our meal and all was well.My daughter ate almost everything on the plate which is not always what she does. Overall, it was a very enjoyable meal, after which my daughter needed to race off to the bathroom. I went with her and apparently, once we were out of earshot, the waiter came over and asked my husband a million questions about our relationship.Now, this might feel too personal to a lot of people especially in Japan but I hearing my husband explain the questions he was asking made us both smile.Questions like: where did you meet? How did you start dating? How did you wind up here?The impression I got was that the Gotti waiter was really asking: how did you acquire a gaijin wife? Can I acquire one too? Teach me, Sensei!Which I find to be hysterical, partially because my husband is not responsible for our relationship starting. He's part of it, of course and the relationship wouldn't work without him but I asked him out.Unless his advice is something like this:"Go back in time, spend puberty in England, get a British accent, come back and find a weirdo."I just don't know what on Earth he could possibly teach this man, but I digress. I have no idea what my husband responded to the man with, but I found it very amusing that that was the experience that we had.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJ35-living_food_osakaFri, 06 Sep 2024 15:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJ35-living_food_osakahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Wbq-living_shoppingI do not understand any of this. I mean, I kind of understand drag queens sort of And I get RuPaul's Drag Race as a thing and RuPaul as a person, I even listened to his master class.But I don't really understand having (famous?) drag queen gachapon. I do not understand at all. Now, I, of course, am not involved with the LGBTQ/drag situation in Japan, so maybe in Osaka there's a really big drag community and I just don't know about it.Admittedly, I did not buy one of these even though I was intensely curious just because I could not afford to spend another 400 Yen on a random piece of acrylic, especially celebrating something I just don't even quite have a clue about. It was found at the back of a big gachapon shop in one of the shopping arcades in their greater Osaka area.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Wbq-living_shoppingFri, 06 Sep 2024 13:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Wbq-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP96W-livingOne day of our Osaka trip was allocated to having an adventure walking around the town. This is something that I've been fighting for with our family vacations for a while. My husband prefers the go go mentality of seeing all the best things and all of that, but one of our reasons for going to Osaka is that, despite having lived in Japan for as long as I have, I've never seen the city. We went through the city once when we were dating to go to Universal Studios Japan, and that is all.For me to get to actually get a feel for the city, I need to have a little bit of time, walking through it, so we made a day of exploring the city.In preparations for this, I made a lot of plans and thoughts about what exactly I should wear and it seemed to me that the best thing to wear on an adventuring day is a shirt celebrating my favorite gold-rank adventuring team, The Horns of Hammerad from the Wandering Inn.So this is what I wore. There are a lot of departures from my normal outfits in this, first being the skirt. I almost never wear skirts because I tend to sit like a cellist since I played cello for 10 years.I don't like trying to force my legs to stay together when I sit down, but I countered that by wearing colorful knee-length underneath the skirt, so I can still sit however and have some level of modesty. This was also super helpful with chafing. My shorts from the previous day had drifted downward enough to cause chun-rub so bad that it bled. Having thick tights over that really helped it heal up.The second big departure from my norm is the usage of so much white. I tend to be messy, so it was kind of a running bet for how long it would take me to get a splotch of something awful on this skirt.Surprisingly, we went through most of the day without any trouble. We went and saw the large signboard of the Glico running man, and walked through every one of the arcades. We even got up to Osaka Tower and went up to the lower most of the top levels and looked out over the city in every direction.Then we stopped to have a little bit of a pick-me-up by the tower, and that's where it finally happened.The delicious culpritA chunk of apple flung itself from my mixed fruit parfait and landed on my skirt and you might be thinking: Why is it green? The Apple wasn't green, of course, but it was sitting in Melon soda, so it brought that color with it. The stain came out perfectly fine later and honestly, we were so close to the end of our day that it didn't bother me that much to have a random green stain on my skirt.The splotch.To my displeasure, no one asked me about my shirt at all. Oh well.Someone did ask me about my Mensa cap though, and that was unexpected, but a story for another postTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP96W-livingFri, 06 Sep 2024 13:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP96W-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqv8a-drink_productI found this on a recent trip to Welcia in Miyagi in the energy drink section in September of 2024. I was struck by the brand which I know to be interesting and the colorful can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqv8a-drink_productThu, 05 Sep 2024 13:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqv8a-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvNnK-living_food_shoppingOn a recent trip to my neighborhood supermarket, I was shocked to see this.No rice. Not microwavable or for the rice cooker. No rice. Nothing in the way of plain white rice.Luckily I found some at 7-11 but even the neighboring drug store was low.Then I saw this article and learned why.Apparently the rice crops were adversely affected by the heat and now we have a bit of a shortage, though the newspaper seems to think it'll be resolved within this month.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvNnK-living_food_shoppingThu, 05 Sep 2024 13:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvNnK-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrnmD-living_medicalMy satisfaction with my local doctors has dropped with continued exposure.The first visit, I felt like it mattered to them if I knew what was going on.The second round, less so, but I honestly thought my mother-in-law interrupting him, and my panic about that repeating, led to that.This third round, I wasn't spoken to. My mother-in-law exclusively was spoken to, until they turned to me to ask if I understood everything.I didn't.So they repeated only the last piece of information. Wrap your leg from the bottom.That's all I get to know.So I tried to ask how much longer the doc thought it would take to get better.I guess that's not something people ask.He didn't understand a damn word so I laid it out slowly.今だめです。Now, no good.先週もうだめLast week, no good.来週もうだめNext week, no good.いつだめじゃない?When not no good?He nodded with understanding but mumbled through something vague and stuttery, clarifying that he didn't really have an answer.How you're apparently supposed to act when you see a doctor in Japan. No questions, only trust.Apparently you're not supposed to have questions.You're supposed to accept whatever Japanese they tell someone else, ask nothing, hope you got useful into, and say thank you on your way out.I love how affordable this is but I really wish I felt better about how they operate.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrnmD-living_medicalWed, 04 Sep 2024 15:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrnmD-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJP5-living_shoppingVaguely suspicious looking lady bug decorations in one of Osaka's shopping arcadesA good part of my trip to Osaka involved shopping. While we were there for fun, we always have to pick up souvenirs and it's not easy to know what you're going to find in what shop in a city you haven't been to before.So I did more shopping in unknown places that are more used to foreigners who don't know Japanese or Japanese customs. This was not a good thing.At Osaka tower, it was just not reading my total to me or talking to me at all. I responded by reading the total to them in Japanese and then putting down exact change and leaving. I've had similar experiences, albeit rarely, in Sendai.At one shop in the arcade, it was worse. I watched the woman place no fewer than five individual purchases each in their own little gift envelopes for the Japanese woman in front of me.Because I was talking to my daughter in English as we approached the counter, the woman didn't talk to me. She rang up the total and pointed. Since one gift was for a student, I wanted a gift envelope/bag/thing. I asked in Japanese. She stared at me like I hadn't said anything at all.I found where the damn things were and pointed, using Japanese again.これを上げますか?Kore o agemasu ka?Can this be given?(I might have used もらえます moraemasu receive, which would have made more sense but this was weeks ago and I was upset. I do not remember.)Finally she stopped acting like talking to me was illegal and asked how many.I asked for one.It was slightly crumpled in the bag.She doesn't bother to read the total. I put the money down. She hands me the bag. I walk away.As I walk, I hear a man on the other side of the store yell. He sounds angry. I'm angry. I'm leaving. I'm focussed on the door.Then there's a flurry of movement and someone touches my shoulder.I turn and there's the woman who didn't want to talk to me, trying to drop the 200 yen of change she hadn't bothered to give me and my receipt into my hand.I instinctively pull my hand back.The change drops to the floor and the angry man comes to help, shooing the unhelpful register staff back to her normal job.He helps pick up one coin and hands it to my kid who also picks up the other coin and we leave.Worse customer service experience of the year.Most of our shopping in Osaka was perfectly fine and normal by Japanese standards, but I usually only have one negative social experience in Japan every 6-12 months. Having 2 in a week was a lot for me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJP5-living_shoppingSun, 01 Sep 2024 17:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJP5-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7YY-livingMy first thought on having my butt pushed for no reason: am I big? Not as round as this watermelon from one of Osaka's shopping arcades!My least favorite Osaka experience save for busting my leg and the sometimes assumptive customer service was a lack of understanding of physical space which I am guessing came mostly from other foreigners.In Osaka Castle, my butt was pushed by random passers by on no less than three occassions. It wasn't a grope and no one pressed themselves against me, but it was more contact than I wanted. No one stopped or apologized and there was nothing in my pockets to take, but it was really off putting.I had to cut our castle tour a dash short because it was bothering me.Later that day, in the middle of a barely populated street inside of Universal Studios Japan, it happened again!I turned immediately to see the culprit -- a random white dude with a hip slung fanny pack, choosing to walk within inches of me rather than using the vast open walking spaces around me.So maybe it was just foreigners who don't get personal space?Still, super uncomfortable and not something I've experienced in Miyagi or Tokyo or Nagoya or Gifu or Yamagata or anywhere else I've spent time in Japan, save for the one time I was sexually harassed on the Nagoya subway.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7YY-livingSat, 31 Aug 2024 16:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7YY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKDo-living_medicalWhile I'm supposed to be resting my leg or at least using crutches when I go out, I also needed to go shopping but it took a while to come up with a way to carry the dang things without my kid to help.While this isn't perfect, it was better than any alternative I could come up with. Using a cart meant for two baskets, I could balance the crutches in the near basket place, use the outer basket place for my basket and purchases. This generally kept things manageable and I'm likely to use the same method when I next have to shop.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKDo-living_medicalSat, 31 Aug 2024 16:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKDo-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zabaE-living_medicalI had another appointment to check progress on my hematoma at the hospital this week, and it sucked.Part of this is because my kid was back in school, so translation didn't exist. The one time the doctor tried to talk to me in English, my mother-in-law interrupted him because he was taking time to think of the words. When he came back to try again, I wound up interrupting him with vocabulary suggestions as I was worried that my mother-in-law would steer it all back into medical level Japanese otherwise.I don't really know what's happening but apparently it's worse because I'm not resting enough. The doctor threatened surgery and I was unphased but I do get that the risks with surgery and recovery time would be worse than just getting better now.Then we came back to my apartment where the elevator was out, so I had to shift myself up flight after flight of stairs without bending my right knee.Luckily it was good to go when I had to walk to class a few hours later. Also my primary employers told me to take time off to try to get this fixed so I spent the rest of the week sitting at home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zabaE-living_medicalSat, 31 Aug 2024 16:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zabaE-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6obE-living_food_shoppingAfter so many years living abroad in Japan, I've acquired too many trinkets and bobbles from trips to one place or another.My favorite souvenir from Osaka had to be this coffee that I bought inside Osaka Castle.Not only was it affordable but also a delicious way to remember our trip in the week afterwards and with five packets inside, it gave me the opportunity to hand a useful, delicious memento to a similarly burdened-by-excess long term expat.Of course, it wasn't made in the castle or anything like that, but as far as I'm concerned, it's castle coffee because that's where I bought it.What's your favorite souvenir?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6obE-living_food_shoppingSun, 25 Aug 2024 16:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6obE-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wxn-drink_productI found this souvenir on the open shelves of the souvenir shop in Tsutenkaku tower in Osaka and felt like it was worth a try for what I remember being around 400 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wxn-drink_productWed, 21 Aug 2024 17:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wxn-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md5lE-living_food_osakaOne of my favorite random things we did in Osaka was pick up some street food in the form of a large cheese filled ten yen coin shaped pastry and an Oreo laden ice cream, which was admittedly the more popular treat amongst tourists that summer day.This shop is right across from a theater but I honestly don't know where anything is in Osaka and was just following my husband around, not that he knows where anything is either.I personally loved that the machine was easy to understand. The ten yen costs 500 yen but is pretty delicious for street food that costs so little.I loved my cheesy yen.My kid loved her treat, too, but got sugared out before she got to the churros, which were also delicious.And it was!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md5lE-living_food_osakaTue, 20 Aug 2024 21:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md5lE-living_food_osakahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEkxp-livingOne thing I noticed repeatedly on our recent trip to Osaka was how often people didn't know what to make of my family.My husband is Japanese, but he was asked about this many times, which annoyed him greatly. It could be that we speak English a lot or that his accent in English isn't in the Japanese to American English range. Spending puberty in the UK will do that to you.I'm Caucasian and American and don't bother speaking Japanese often as my patience for getting corrected publicly by my ten-year-old is weak.Our kid probably looks half Caucasian, but I've noticed that most of the time, people will assume she belongs to whichever parent spoke to her last. If they're speaking Japanese, they're a Japanese dad out with his kid and I'm some aggressive foreign woman getting too close to them in public.If we're speaking English, it's gaijin and gaijin jr, out for a walk. Some Japanese man is walking near them, which is probably a coincidence.This happens less in Miyagi and my guess is that the lack of foreign tourists here combined with the slower pace means people aren't expecting me at all rather than assuming I'm with people who look like me and they have longer to see us all interacting before they make a guess.Still, it was disheartening to be checked out separately by security at USJ, after they ushered my husband and daughter away, because they saw me as a random wandering foreign tourist and not part of the family I've been making for the last decade plus.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEkxp-livingTue, 20 Aug 2024 18:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEkxp-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABxo-living_medicalToday I returned to the hospital for a follow up regarding my leg injury which still has yet to fully heal.The doctor said less in English but did address me and slow down to make sure I knew what was happening.As irritating as being injured is, it was nice to see a doctor who cared if I knew what was happening.My leg, with a loose compress and elastic knee support and ice packs sandwiched between, elevated and waiting to heal.I'll be heading back next week for another follow-up but hopefully by that point the now toddler fist sized squishy lump on my leg will be gone. This week, I'm back to work but at least can walk unaided now, albeit slowly with a stiff leg and noticeable limp.Yay improvements!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABxo-living_medicalMon, 19 Aug 2024 16:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABxo-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKo1-living_medicalLast week, I got to get my leg unjury checked out in Miyagi. Because it was during the week long day of the dead that is Obon, we only had one hospital in our area to choose from and they apparently don't take appointments. We showed up at 10AM with my in-laws and waited a while.One of the most annoying things about using crutches or a wheel chair in Japan is the way people don't allocate for space appropriately. I frequently have been put into positions where I don't have space to move and the people behind me are getting annoyed that I don't just ram into the people in front of me who can't conceive of scooting a bit to the left to let me pass.In the waiting room, we ran into a very polite caucasian man who offered my in-laws seats that they refused to take until he had left the room. He did not speak to me, but I also didn't bother speaking to him in Japanese and told him in English that they wouldn't sit down anyway.I got an MRI, my second one to date, and it showed no damage to any tendons, ligaments, or miniscus, so all I have is en enlarged hematoma from soft tissue damage.They drained it a bit, took away my cast and told me to ice it for a few days while wrapping it with a compress.The little old man who was the doctor for this kind of thing was extremely gentle and kind. He even drew out this diagram for me and answered my questions. My daughter later criticized his English but I told her even his less than perfect English was light-years beyond what those jackasses in Osaka offered by comparison.The doctor's diagram. I could have cried tears of joy, y'all. Almost like he cares if I know what's happening.Maybe gaijin get better medical help in places that remember we are people, too, and not just wallets with plane tickets.Today I go in for my check-up and I'm so much less frustrated, not just because I'm feeling better but also because I am fairly certain this will suck less than the initial medical event in Osaka.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKo1-living_medicalMon, 19 Aug 2024 08:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKo1-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5vxq-living_medicalAfter my recent fall in Osaka, I was told to use some crutches that the people at Ohno Memorial hospital in Osaka swore to my family (they did not speak to me nor listen to me) were the right size for me to use.We used them to get through Osaka to the airport, where we transitioned on an on-site wheel chair. The crutches only came out again in Sendai where they were used to get through the airport and out into the city.I assumed the accompanying arm pain was from the fall and from starting crutches again, which I haven't used in 20 years. Maybe I'm out of shape.Nope.After three days, the pain in my shoulders had not changed, so I consulted the internet, which said this kind of pain was consistent with using crutches set too high.Only then did I look at the crutches more specifically and note that they had been originally set to an approximate patient height of 5'8. I am not 5'8. That's several inches taller than me.I'm assuming either the Ohno staff didn't know what the gauge meant since it was in inches and feet or didn't care and just wanted the massive foreigner to get out. Even without reading it, they should have been able to tell that it was wrong for me when I used the crutches in front of them. My best guess is that they really just did not care.After fixing the crutches, my shoulder pain disappeared in about a day.Always check, especially if your medical advice came from people who wouldn't even speak to you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5vxq-living_medicalThu, 15 Aug 2024 18:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5vxq-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4Y4-living_transportation_medicalWe hobbled through elevator to train to elevator until we got to the airport with my husband dealing with my luggage in addition to his own while I just tried to stay on the crutches and our kid kept up with her own stuff.When we checked in, they offered us a wheelchair which we took and talked for a bit to make sure whatever is wrong with me wouldn't be made worse by air travel. Once that was confirmed, we wheeled through the airport and waited.We were told we would be seated by priority, which meant waiting for literally every other passenger to be in line and then being wheeled past them. In Osaka, there was a vehicle to deliver the wheelchair and me to the wing where I was wheeled over to a door opposite the main entrance. The chair wouldn't fit in the plane, so then I hobbled with my husband down the aisle to the seat I was supposed to have anyway.I was glad the people next to me didn't have to get up at any point during the flight.Getting off at Sendai meant hobbling back down the aisle with my husband and getting into another wheelchair. An airline employee elected to push the chair and we gathered our things. When we got to the first elevator, it was made clear that the woman was at the end of a long day and not noticing the length of my leg or position of my cast as she rammed my foot into the back wall of the elevator. If I had broken a bone, this would have been excruciating.Luckily it was only annoying. I grabbed the wheels and turned my body to be at an angle sp my leg could actually fit into the space. The woman was apologetic but not enough to satisfy my husband.They finally took the chair back at some point and we gooir luggage and I started hobbling about on the crutches once more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4Y4-living_transportation_medicalThu, 15 Aug 2024 13:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4Y4-living_transportation_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrnXy-living_medical_osakaThe hospital we came to was Ohno Memorial Hospital which kind of fits with the experience. Weirdly, they had English on their intake forms and a neat aquarium in the lobby, but that's where my positive impressions of their facility cease.None of the medical professionals spoke English to me. In fact, when it was clear that I wasn't completely fluent in Japanese, they stopped speaking to me entirely. They also didn't allow my husband time to translate and explain. They just talked to him like he was the patient, then wheeled me away in the wheelchair they demanded I use.Even in Osaka, Japanese wheelchairs barely fit a size 16 American ass.This communication issue would prove to be a problem as my husband doesn't know or remember that I used crutches in high school thanks to repeated soccer injuries, so I don't need a training course in using them, which they tried to provide anyway while standing in my way so I had trouble getting up to show them what I knew.Because none of them were listening to anything I said in any language, the twenty-something nurse who is used to guiding weak geriatrics to their feet managed to grab the two open wounds on my elbow that no one in the hospital could bother to notice despite me mentioning them repeatedly.After I shouted in horror, the woman realized that 1) she should maybe not be touching the open wounds and the 2) perhaps bandaging them might be a good usage of her time.They did finally bandage my elbow after that, but one of the bandaids would not stay in place and wound up later sticking to the wall of the elevator to the metro.They took X-rays and said that my bones seem to be in good condition, but getting in for a CT scan would require a wait that we wouldn't be able to make.The got me a half-cast, fit to the back of my leg and wrapped around the front with bandages. I was happier to be able to take it off and shower later while keeping the knee stabilized otherwise, but their wrappings were a poor match for navigating the streets, leading my husband to acquire duct tape to keep the damn wrappings on my damn leg.We are "renting" the crutches from them and will have to send them back when we're finished, at which point they will likely keep the deposit regardless.Total cost: less than 14,000 yenTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrnXy-living_medical_osakaThu, 15 Aug 2024 12:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrnXy-living_medical_osakahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX8lQ-living_medical_osakaOur last day in Osaka was going to include a trip to the somewhat dismal zoo, some light wandering toward the airport, some souvenir shopping, and at last, our flight back northward.We checked out of our hotel and took the train. Once above ground, my kid was slowing, chatting about all the pigeons while my husband raced ahead. We had plenty of time to walk the two blocks to the zoo, but I told her we had to run to catch up.I should have kept chatting about the pigeons.Instead, I fell down.I didn't fall down a flight of stairs and I wasn't pushed but I took a couple of hurried strides and wound up on the pavement.And then I couldn't get up.And then I noticed the bulge that had already swollen up at the side of my calf, not on the knee but close by.My husband and kid got me to my feet. I found I could still walk, so we walked back the way we had come, at which point my husband's janky GPS on his phone sent us back and forth across two different streets before I stopped him so I could go into the convenience store at the apex of this panicky crosswalk shuffle to get some ice for my leg. I also picked up zoikin, which are cotton cleaning cloths, and plastic garbage bags because I couldn't find anything smaller.I made my make-shift ice pack while my husband hailed a cab.This Osaka cab driver absolutely restored my faith in humanity. After several crappy exchanges with service folks in the big city, I was prepared for him to avoid putting a bleeding foreigner in his cab, but no. He let us put our luggage in the trunk and we wobbled into the back. While en route, he used hands free calling to make us an appointment at the hospital we were racing towards.I didn't get his name, but wow do I hope he gets everything he wants out of life.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX8lQ-living_medical_osakaThu, 15 Aug 2024 11:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX8lQ-living_medical_osakahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYqlL-living_shoppingOne of the weirdest things we did in Osaka was buy this random "Ultimate Equipment for Women" gatcha pon machine while walking through the shopping arcades of the massive city.I was curious as to why the balls were opaque and asked my husband before I brothered to read it, at which point my husband and kid urged me to buy one just to see what's inside.400 yen isn't a cheap gatcha, but how many times were we going to have this opportunity? We don't wind up in places where this is an option often, so I said why not and plunked my coins in the weird little machine.And what was inside?Just a thong. ¥400 for underwear that isn't my size nor a color I would wear.You got me, explicit Osaka gatcha!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYqlL-living_shoppingWed, 14 Aug 2024 11:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYqlL-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK3Ek-livingOne of my biggest tips for surviving heat is staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. You should have plans for staying inside between noon and 2 PM at least.Coordinating these breaks in an unfamiliar city can be tricky but lots of great sights to see have decent indoor or at least shaded waiting areas, as we found on our recent family trip to Osaka.The view from under the awning as we waited to buy tickets in the morning.Osaka Castle even had mist sprayers near the castle entrance and a covered line waiting area. Mist! But only on the castle steps.Still, it's more fun to come earlier in the morning, then dart to the nearby Miraiza Osaka Jo building to enjoy kakigori, ice cream, lunch, or just air conditioned souvenir shopping during the hottest part of the day.Nothing cools you down like a little mountain of ice.The Miraiza building is also a great place for a ninja selfie.We did leave the castle area after cooling off with sweet treats but kept ourselves well hydrated and didn't dawdle outside.We also made a bee line for out next stop, the aggressively air conditioned metro, which we took to our next location.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK3Ek-livingWed, 14 Aug 2024 11:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK3Ek-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNZY-living_osakaMy family recently took a trip to Universal Studios Japan in the midst of a heat advisory.My little family of Miyagi born folks had something most other tourists didn't -- a native Texan with tons of experience in surviving long term heat.General rules for this are staying hydrated, getting out of the sun ASAP if to start feeling wonky, and trying to stay out of the sun especially during the hottest parts of the day.How do you do that in a busy amusement park?Bottled drinks only means glass bottles. The English translation could use some work.1) At USJ, you're allowed to bring in PET bottles, so bring some water, tea, or sports drink with you.Inside the park, replacing these will cost you at least 300 yen unless you utilize the extremely rare water fountains.Kimetsu no Yaiba even had fans attached to the ceiling of the long waiting area.2) Pick rides with covered waiting areas for hot parts of the day. The flying Harry Potter ride and the castle walk are great for this, as is the Kimetsu no Yaiba ride. If there's not a huge line outside, the My Hero Academia ride and the Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show can be excellent and the enjoyable escapes from the sun.The only awning for the Hippogriff is within 50 meters or so of the ride itself. If the wait is longer than 20 minutes, you will be in the sun for some of it.The Flight of the Hippogriff does not offer covered waiting spaces for the most part but does have a water fountain in the line, so I recommend using sun umbrellas or coming outside of the hottest part of the day.A little planning and thinking can help you battle the intense summer heat wherever you are.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNZY-living_osakaWed, 14 Aug 2024 11:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNZY-living_osakahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5vDq-living_shoppingYou can tell I'm to the end of my American deodorant stash because I've resorted to using this one. I prefer the powder options just for how it feels going on, but now I know more about why these are a bad choice.Without opening it for the day, or dropping it, or anything, this is a what it looks like.Those aren't cool plastic lines in the lid. They're the product responding poorly to humidity and occasionally exploding in mt face when I open it.This time wasn't as explosive, but the bits in the middle come up on their own, which still wastes product.Back to the powder fresh options I go.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5vDq-living_shoppingSat, 03 Aug 2024 16:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5vDq-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK3Jk-living_educationThis is a grammar point I wouldn't have known how to explain before teaching English in Japan for so long, but it comes up a lot in my favorite long running web serial, so I think it's a good chance to review the grammar issue in context of something that would be interesting for a student.Here, I'm going to pretend the student making the mistake is very fond of this serial and making the same mistake the author makes pretty regularly.The actual writer of the serial does not use the same word fewer almost ever. They always use less, which works sometimes but is wrong sometimes, too.So I would start with a basic explanation with examples:Fewer is for countable things, like people, bones, buildings, and bugs. One building? Six bugs? No problem!Less is for "uncountable" things that require extra words to function with numbers. One lettuce? No, one head of lettuce or one leaf of lettuce or one bite of lettuce. Seven Rains? Not grammatically. Seven days of rain, seven milliliters of rain, seven gallons of rain.Then I would get some examples inspired by the text.The innkeeper found fewer goblins around the inn after she killed a chieftan.There was less blue fruit juice after the guests drank most of it.The necromancer had fewer archmage bones after he used one to animate a found skeleton.The innkeeper had less sugar and less butter after she cooked a bunch without knowing where to shop for more.Then I would bring up a worksheet with blank spaces to see if the lesson has his home or not.Answers: fewer, fewer, less, lessAs homework, I would ask the students to write 3-5 new example sentences for each of the target words. Checking that will tell if the information is being grasped.With the same kind of focus on a topic the student is interested in, a skillful teacher might be able to help a student break through tedious problems that just haven't quite made sense yetTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK3Jk-living_educationThu, 01 Aug 2024 19:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK3Jk-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md57O-livingLiving abroad in Japan long term can be a daunting, lonely time and I have been doing it for a while.One of the reasons for my recent fascination with The Wandering Inn, an ongoing web serial that has also been edited into audiobooks available on Audible, is that it feels familiar in that expat sort of way.Recently, I started re-listening to the first audiobook with my kid and was struck by one scene.A young woman from our world suddenly finds herself in a completely different place where dragons and goblins (among others) are real, people have classes that level and earn skills like any good RPG.After a few things settle out, she winds up walking through the nearby city of drakes (humanoid iguana-like people), trying to make sense of where things are and what things cost. If you took this scene and changed the set dressing could have been from my first week in Japan, wandering the little town I wound up in. There are also times when she adapts recipes from her world to the shock and awe of her friends, which is also familiar.This isn't the only scene that speaks to me of course, and I have chosen to assume that the writer, extremely private Pirate Aba, probably has spent some time in Japan specifically. One of the characters shares the sound of her name with a 100 yen store chain, which amuses me.If I had this series when I moved to Japan, I would have felt less lonely and isolated. Since it's literally free to read online, I wouldn't even have been able to argue with the cost.I do recommend the audiobooks highly because the reader does an amazing job, but sign up for Audible to do it because the price per audiobook in Japan is weirdly high. The books are long, but still.Don't pay these prices. Read it for free online or pay for Audible and use your credits.The story is ongoing, and there's a lot of it, so if you're feeling like you need a nice, long escape, this is one I recommend.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md57O-livingWed, 24 Jul 2024 20:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md57O-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4WAL-living_shoppingMy kid talked me into buying her one of these 1500 yen cat masks and I don't entirely regret it. She did dance and bounce around the festival after that, and it's a special item she will treasure for a while.I was surprised to see these upscale masks at a vendor at Shiogama's port day festivities last week. Usually places like this sell a small variety of very cheap looking anime character masks to very young kids, but this one diversified the sizes, styles and prices.I don't know if I'd buy it again, but my kiddo is still happy about it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4WAL-living_shoppingTue, 23 Jul 2024 20:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4WAL-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP9qV-living_medicalI was really surprised to see this on my phone tonight. I then looked outside.As someone who spent 23 years in north Texas, I can say I have seen ny share of tornado inducing skies. This? Nope. All the nope.Perhaps it was different closer to the mountains or I missed the part where tornadoes were likely. The most dangerous part of this is people not knowing what to do in case of a twister, which is a course of public safety most Japanese people don't really go through.Suffice it to say: go inside, stay away from windows, and get underground if you can. If you're in an apartment, hiding near your plumbing, literally in your bathtub, can save your life. At least that's what I was taught based on Texas twisters and plumbing.Stay safe, y'all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP9qV-living_medicalTue, 23 Jul 2024 20:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP9qV-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zab6Y-livingThe Urato Island beach is open! From July 20th through August 16th, swimming will be allowed at the Urato Island Maehama beach, a favorite with locals. The swimming time will only be from ten in the morning to four on the afternoon, but considering that you have to take a ferry out there and back, the early ending time makes sense.My family went out here once with a group of people and it wasn't my favorite beach, but like I said, it's a favorite with the local folks and if ferry rides there and back don't bug you, it might be a really nice time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zab6Y-livingTue, 23 Jul 2024 17:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zab6Y-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqvaW-livingApparently the USAF has a Pacific band and that band is planning to play at Shiogama's international hall early next month.If you'd prefer a google translation, I did that, too.Tickets are 2000 yen for adults with discounts for high school students but a 500 yen surcharge for same day purchases.I don't really know how to feel about this but for people who like this kind of music, I'm sure it's likely to be an enjoyable afternoon of music, including oldies and new hits according to the poster.But I do wonder if they mean US hits of the past and present, which I have come to realize don't always line up with hits from elsewhere. They are active in 87 countries apparently, so they're probably quite good.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqvaW-livingTue, 23 Jul 2024 17:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqvaW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvN4N-livingI saw this at a culture center recently and was interested so I took a picture and made google translate it.Getting to enjoy a mini space camp three times for 1500 yen sounds like a pretty good time if you live in the area, like space stuff, and are an elementary school student. Unfortunately, we won't be in the right place at the right time for this, but it sounds like a really good opportunity for some kids in this area.The Esp building where this seems to be taking place is just across from Shiogama Station on the Tohoku line, which I remember being less than 250 yen and 30ish minutes from Sendai station.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvN4N-livingTue, 23 Jul 2024 17:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvN4N-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbbr2-livingOne weird thing I wasn't expecting on port day last week was to stumble upon this bizarre scene in front of the oldest toy shop in town.It's easy as a long term expat on Japan to get a bit jaded about the Japanese stuff we see all the time.This was a great palate cleanser for me.This was also just so freaking weird. To me. Because small town Japan, where I live, isn't known for maid cafes, yet maids were in the streets, in specific matching uniforms with slight differences in cat costume accessories, dancing to songs coming out of a speaker right next to them. I can't fully remember if they were just lip syncing or singing along, but they did a lot of parapara and a curmudgeonly part of me wanted to shout about seeing Psycho le Cemu live and that this parapara was subpar...But then I looked to my kid in the cat mask she got at the festival and remembered that I don't need to be that person, ever, but especially not while my kid is enjoying something that's not actually bad for her.I don't know if the guys they dragged up were coworkers, bosses, brothers, friends, or lovers, but they participated. They cheered on the cat girls for the whole duration.I'm not really into maid cafes and we won't be visiting the establishment in Sendai especially since the internet calls it a bar (their promotional fan said cafe) and it seems to cost 5000 yen per person, but it was fun to see something so weirdly Japanese in such an unexpected place.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbbr2-livingMon, 22 Jul 2024 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbbr2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9K1n-livingLast week, my family found it difficult to go down and enjoy the port festival as thoroughly as qe had in years previous. This is owing in part to how climate change has made the thing hard to take, the disbanding of the group we used to dance with, and our growing reluctance to be amongst large groups of people.Nevertheless, we popped down and walked around the dancing area that ran for part of the main street in front of the shrine and saw several groups of school children doing the same dance we remember from years ago.Unfortunately it was so hot and humid that we only stayed for about an hour, walking the length of the dancing route, then back to find festival foods and head home to cool off.Still, it was good to see the old traditions of school children dancing to celebrate port day in Shiogama surviving, even as it seemed to update for time, energy, and the risk of overheating.Also this year it seemed to start a little later than usual, likely in order to avoid a morning rain.People who really want the full experience should come early and follow the omikoshi (portable shrines) to the magnificent shrine boats. We were far too exhausted to do that this year.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9K1n-livingMon, 22 Jul 2024 21:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9K1n-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5voW-livingLast week, Shiogama kicked off its port day festivities with a fireworks display over the bay. As with years previous, there was a promise of rain which luckily seemed to fall through.One great adaptation to the event was the inclusion of low altitude fireworks, which helped combat the cloud of smoke that soon hung ominously over the bay, obscuring all high reaching pyrotechnics from view.The reason why my family including my child got bored and went home was the tempo or lack thereof. Every 45 seconds of fireworks seemed to be met with two solid minutes of waiting for something else to start.I think this was an octopusWe couldn't figure this one out. A skull perhaps, but why????Professional displays in the states don't leave gaps like that because people get bored. Having two or three platforms ready, setting things off, and preparing for the next is a better way to coordinate something like this. Asking a modern crowd to spend more than half of the 50 minute display waiting between short bursts just isn't very entertaining.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5voW-livingMon, 22 Jul 2024 20:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5voW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gon5b-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiJust in case you missed it, Port Day weekend is a special time in my neck of the woods.Tomorrow night brings the fireworks over the bay, hopefully with less foggy cloud cover than in years previous.Monday the portable shrines make their rounds on the gorgeous shrine boats and dancing groups parade down the main street in front of the main entrance to the shrine.It promises to be good old Japanese festival times for all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gon5b-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 13 Jul 2024 14:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gon5b-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3j58-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiToday and tomorrow mark the last days to see the art of Shion Takahashi at Birdo Flugas in Shiogama, Miyagi.It's a great chance to check out some excellent, detailed work and I potentially even converse with the artist, who boasts almost 15,000 followers on Twitter/X and over 1,000 followers on Instagram.The gallery is a short walk from HonShiogama station on the Senseki line.For more information, check out the artist's website or the gallery's website.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3j58-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 13 Jul 2024 14:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3j58-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP9ZO-living_foodA recent trip to our local Kurazushi was met with absolute delight by me as the roasted corn sushi I loved years ago has returned to the seasonal menu for a limited time!It was so delicious! I ate four plates of the golden kernels on rice and look forward to eating more soon.My favorite nigiri are a bit weird, owing to my general dislike of fish. If all I have is this, ebi avocado, and fried cheese, I'll be plenty satisfied at Kurazushi this summer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP9ZO-living_foodThu, 11 Jul 2024 21:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP9ZO-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABP5-living_shoppingI just read an online article from a reputable news agency talking about the challenges of writing books in English in Japan.One of the three writers quoted at length in the article is problematic for me, but I get why the writer of the article didn't know.They read the blurb and review for this woman's first self-published novel and believed her.They shouldn't have.When I last attempted to look into this, the preview pages on Amazon were rife with typos. There are also major plot elements that make literally no sense.Yellow triangle: where the pearl divers areRed circles: Where the 3.11 tsunami hit and killed tens of thousands of real peopleDo you know where pearl diving exists in Japan?Mie prefecture, close to Aichi. Middle of Japan. Halfway between Tokyo and Kyoto. Not a place that was at all involved in the March 11, 2011 disasters.Do you know where this woman shoves a pearl diver and her family?Iwate prefecture. Because stealing other people's pain to make ourselves feel better doesn't necessitate accuracy.In addition, a friend of mine actually read the book and found to her dismay that the poorly conceived thing seems actually to be little more than a tool for forcing pro-birth, anti-choice rhetoric into the minds of the unsuspecting children in its intended audience.I don't think I can even look into the other two writers quoted in the article if their bar for legitimacy is this low. While the writer with questionable geography skills did self publish this and one other book on Amazon, I definitely don't need to hear any advice from her.I recommend anyone interested in publishing in English in Japan also to look elsewhere for useful information.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABP5-living_shoppingThu, 11 Jul 2024 21:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABP5-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7mv-living_shoppingA few months ago, I found myself in the midst of a hyper fixation on The Wandering Inn, a web serial turned audiobook series by an extremely private individual known as Pirateaba who seems to write practically a nanowrimo novel's worth of words almost every week. If you're in the mood for a whole lot of story, you can check it all out on their website. I highly recommend starting with the audiobooks.As I had already listened to the then 11 (now 12, soon to be 13) audiobooks available on Audible, I went to the website to read beyond the audiobooks. I also found a shop on the site and felt like I should have a t-shirt, especially after shipping was less than ten dollars to Japan!Why did it ship so cheap? I'm guessing Latvia. Bless you, Latvia.I filled in the shipping info during a late night insomnia-induced reading binge, which is likely why I missed the part where the website ate my zip code and spat out something similar but not the same.I only found this out weeks later when the shirt hadn't arrived. The last two digits were entirely different.I spent a good twenty minutes looking up the closest post offices to the mistaken zip code and picked a day when I could likely go and ask around, mentally preparing the Japanese dialogue for "I ordered this but the zip code is wrong. Do you have my package?"When the day came, the shirt had already found its way to my post box without any intervention on my part at all.I love this shipping label.So apparently, if most of the address is good and only the last couple of digits of the zipcode are off, the package will likely just arrive a couple of days late.I don't know how you celebrate your favorite gold ranked adventuring team, but this is how I do.Huzzah!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7mv-living_shoppingThu, 11 Jul 2024 20:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7mv-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB2j3-living_food_rifu_cho_miyagiA soba shop closed recently and in its place is now a Hawaiian style cafe that opened recently.How recently? Very recently. So recently that the Congratulations on Opening a Store flowers are still on display.My husband tried to take me there at almost 3PM on a Monday, assuming it would be after lunch rush, before dinner, and on a weekday.Could we get in?Not for several hours, they said. Literally 47 groups were ahead of us in line, having written down their names and walked off to wait elsewhere. They wouldn't let us make reservations for later, so we left to have steak for lunch instead.While we were both disappointed, I also feel like this was for the best. Most shops like this are exciting but poorly managed at the beginning, eventually finding a level of decent, consistent customer service or quickly dying away.We'll check back in a few months.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB2j3-living_food_rifu_cho_miyagiWed, 03 Jul 2024 17:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB2j3-living_food_rifu_cho_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrndq-shoppingI was happy and a little surprised to see this in the grocery store the other day. I would have bought it to review it properly but I know this brand. While they make colorful and fun toilet tissue, the company doesn't invest much in durability in regards to washlet use. I bought some a few years ago for the belated Tokyo Olympics, but while the product was soft, it tended to shred when met with the wetness resulting from washlet use.Still, this is probably fun if you have really young kids that you need to entice toward using the potty.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrndq-shoppingWed, 12 Jun 2024 16:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrndq-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8dQ-drink_productI found this new flavor of monster in a shop on Miyagi in June of 2024 and was immediately interested because of the adorable, colorful design on the can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8dQ-drink_productTue, 11 Jun 2024 17:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8dQ-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Ko0-living_education_workThis week at my normal job of teaching at a small eikaiwa or English conversational school, I was witness to three distinct events that were out of the ordinary for me but exemplify what this job can look like really well.Head Shoulders Knees and TearsThe first event came in a weekday afternoon kindergarten-aged kids class with four students, all girls.Two of the girls had great attitudes about participation and were really on the ball. The other half of the class was so new as to require their parents direct observation in order to participate.One spent 90% of the group participation portions of the class staring silently. She did write and she has been in class long enough that we know she is capable of play when she feels like it, which apparently she didn't on this day.As we transitioned through a performance of Head Shoulders Knees and Toes with variable speed, she stared on. At round 4, the super slow round, she still stared. At round five, the ridiculously fast round, she began to wail.Her mom did a great job by taking her to the side and letting her calm down. She is going to try a weekend class from next week.A less experienced teacher might blame themselves for not catering to the student enough, but in this case, it's a personal exhaustion issue more than a teacher issue.FlashCashPissOffThe next day, a kid who has been with the school for a while and has had disciplinary issues in the past came in for a class fifteen minutes early. We ask him to sit and relax while we prepare. He then shouts random words he tries to pick up from my conversation with the other teacher.I can't tell if he is completely attention starved at home or if he's so used to getting all the attention all of the time that he feels insulted by not having someone pander to him for fifteen extra unpaid minutes.Either way, when we don't rise to the bait of random shouts, he doubles down by taking the payment envelope from his bag, pulling out the 10,000 yen bill and waving it over his head, yelling "Money! Money!"In Japan, the use of envelopes to conceal cash for payments is for politeness sake when engaging with small businesses and pre-arranged payments. Taking out the money and waving it around told us that this kid was eager to be the most rude he felt he could get away with. We told him to put it back in the envelope and take it to the owner of the school himself.The kid later even frustrated our fun-loving Canadian teacher to the point of loud words. I guess that kid just needed to get some negative attention that day.Panic Attack by PhonicsThe last trial student of the week came in on Saturday morning in a class of intermediate children. We were told he had been studying English for five years but experience tells me that this information means nothing.In some eikaiwa, five years could be long enough to achieve basic fluency and have conversations almost freely. In others, it might mean knowing a lot of kids songs in English, but not how to write the alphabet. In this kid's case, it meant knowing what sounds the letters make but not how to write them lowercase or combine them to form words. The act of applying phonics to spelling was so overwhelming that after about thirty minutes of trying, he began having what looked very much like a panic attack and left the room with his mom who later came back for her purse.I recommended getting that kid private lessons for a few weeks to get him used to using the phonics slowly. He might instead be placed with another newer kid who is about the same age and also has issues with phonics.Just a week in the life of a conversational English teacher in JapanTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Ko0-living_education_workMon, 10 Jun 2024 09:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Ko0-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQOqL-living_shopping_healthI have seen these things occasionally in drug stores, but never gave them a second thought, because the idea of attaching something to my shirt to hopefully soak up my sweat and stink did not appeal and it seemed like it would be itchy. As my kid has grown into a more pubescent human, it has become apparent that being a little more on the ball about body odor is more imperative than it used to be. With that in mind, my husband has insisted that we start using these. Another issue that we've had is that as a Caucasian woman, I don't necessarily have the same sweat glands and sense of scents as my Japanese husband does. He insists that things smell awful when I cannot smell them at all and if we were in America, I would probably assume that he was gaslighting me. Because we were in Japan, and I have noticed that a lot of scents here are very subdued and a lot of people's noses more sensitive than mine, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and we started using these to help make sure that our daughter stays safe from any unwanted attention or bullying caused by things like having international interracial sweat glands that don't necessarily abide by Japanese norms at a time of life when even Japanese norms would have extra stink.We've also made a point of using American deodorant and supplying her with body wipes and mini size Japanese deodorant that she can use during the day if she feels sweaty or icky at any point.These armpit pad things aren't that hard to acquire or use. They do add up to some extra garbage but so far they seem to be helping keep the sweat stains from the uniform and that is beneficial.The instructions are as follows. Remove from plastic outer packaging. Remove the paper label from one side. Stick it to the lower half of the inside armpit of the shirt. Remove the paper label from the upper side and stick that down, too. There you have it, a protected unit.Do remember to remove the pad when changing out of the garment to prevent washing the pad in the washing machine, which is very much not what it was meant to do.Since I could not smell the problem before, I also do not smell the problem now, but my husband insists that this has been beneficial on our quest toward being less stinky in general.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQOqL-living_shopping_healthWed, 05 Jun 2024 09:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQOqL-living_shopping_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvN6d-livingThis weekend the six prefectures of tohoku will gather together the best of the best to show off their splendor on the Tohoku Kizuna Festival in Sendai, culminating in a parade on Sunday afternoon.If you're in Miyagi anyway, this is sure to be good fun if also a bit busy. What a great way to experience the coolest stuff in the region! Event spaces include Nishikoen and Aobayamakoen and the parade will include participants from each of Tohoku's six prefectures.It promises to be a fun time for anyone curious about the rest of this beautiful region of northern Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvN6d-livingTue, 04 Jun 2024 15:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvN6d-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2WJJ-living_shoppingAt Marine Gate in Shiogama there appears to be a coffee and music festival this...weekend? It's hard to tell since the date given is a Thursday, but I think it's safe to assume they meant 6/8 since they also said Sunday on the poster.The poster claims that coffee and snacks will be available from 10 AM to 3PM with the live performances lasting until 4PM and including a number of genres like Jpop and rock.It will likely be a fair amount of good, free fun for anyone interested, and a short walk from HonShiogama station on the Senseki line.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2WJJ-living_shoppingTue, 04 Jun 2024 15:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2WJJ-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbb5B-living_education_familylifeLast month, Miyagi was full of undukai or sports festivals, or school sports days, or field days, depending on which one of the terms you would prefer to use. My child's school like many others had the event thankfully on a Sunday so I could actually attend.I had such anxiety about it for about a week beforehand which was really uncomfortable and owed mostly to the discomfort I felt at the last event I had gone to at my daughter's school a few weeks previous which happened to occur on the anniversary of my miscarriage. That event also featured lots of happy tiny babies, making me feel all the more worthless and the without proper distraction as I was at that event by myself. I felt really isolated and sad.Since my in-laws would be coming to the undokai, I knew full well that my normal tactic of just having quiet English conversation with my husband was not going to fly. Instead, I would be stuck being either entirely silent and drifting through my own thoughts (which the last event proved was not the most healthy of ideas), or exhausting my brain trying to pick through their native level, native speed Japanese.Luckily, the event actually went pretty well. My daughter's team lost almost every event, but they did their best.The funniest part was the tug of war in which my daughter's team lost all but one rope for three different rounds. At one point, my daughter was pulled entirely off of her feet holding only onto the rope to stay aloft.Once her feet touched the ground again, she ran to try to help out with one of the other ropes, which they also lost. That was one of the rounds where the parents could help out, so once the whistle blew, my husband ran in to try to assist.He grabbed the exact same spot on the rope that our daughter had, and the exact same thing happened. After he got up, he kept fighting with the rope and they kept losing.At the end of the day, they lost by more than 100 points across all events, but what I took away as a win was watching my husband wrap his arm around the shoulders of our daughter, both of them feeling a little bit down for losing the game but both of them smiling and being okay.That's the real win. We can play a game and we don't have to win to feel good. That's what winning really looks like in real life to me.In addition, I failed to have a panic attack and the worst thing that happened for the whole day for me was forgetting that wearing sunglasses and a mask and a hat means that no one can see enough of my face to know if I am smiling at them.All in all, not actually a bad dayTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbb5B-living_education_familylifeMon, 03 Jun 2024 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbb5B-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpP1Y-living_shoppingI haven't seen a lot of these around but on a recent trip through Rifu Station in Miyagi prefecture, I happened upon this.I had to take a closer look to see what all they had to offer. Rifu is most known for being home to a train depot and some pear orchards.For 640 yen, a patron can acquire pear juice and for just 200 yen more, a handmade ceramic cup or bottle of spicy cooking sauce could also be yours.We didn't buy anything but I found it amusing. I suppose, if you were using the train to get home from a trip to Rifu and you had forgotten to acquire omiyage, this could be very convenient indeed.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpP1Y-living_shoppingWed, 22 May 2024 16:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpP1Y-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbb6R-drink_productI saw this at a Don Quixote variety goods shop in Miyagi prefecture at the beginning of April 2024 and was immediately excited by the design on the can, clearly designed to celebrate the year of the dragon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbb6R-drink_productSun, 19 May 2024 19:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbb6R-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgojA-livingI don't really know how I got here. Sixteen years sounds like a long time to live abroad but I know people who have done it for longer. I thought I would be better at all of this by now, but I'm still a novice in a lot of ways. I'm still not fluent in Japanese and haven't really studied in ages, but this year I'm going to at least attempt to see a doctor on my own when I go for my physical in a few weeks.The one picture I took on my Monster Hunter walk before the rain started pouring down, destroying part one of my fun plan for the day.Today, I thought I would celebrate by getting my free Baskin Robbins ice cream (my Japanniversary is one of my special days in the app) only to find that the free ice cream offer has been replaced with minimal coupons. 100 yen off a specific purchase that costs more than 800 yen is not the same as a free ice cream and upset me so greatly that I decided against ice cream all together.Then I spent more than I meant to while shopping and then had a friend unintentionally stand me up online. Following that, I took a nap that felt like the beginning of a depression before going to work.This was not the best day, but it wasn't really that bad either. I didn't catch any of the microaggressions I've been seeing lately. No one was weird or rude to me. Work even went pretty well overall.At the end of the day, my home and family are safe and happy, even if I can't make today any more special than a slightly crappier than average Friday.Thus begins my seventeenth year in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgojA-livingFri, 17 May 2024 20:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgojA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4oX-living_medical_healthBy the end of March, I was very excited to be finally done with several weeks worth of dental work that I had endured for the sake of not being in terrible pain every time I drank anything colder than lukewarm water or chewed anything harder than soft bread.Three root canals and one filling later, I was finally done or at least that was what I had thought until the pain came back two weeks later.And it wasn't exactly as it had been, because now even lukewarm water was causing surges of pain through my face and being that I had tasted a lot little bit of dental adhesive every time I chewed basically anything for those couple weeks without pain, I assumed that maybe some of the adhesive had worn off, leaving crevices through which drinks were seeping directly into the middle of the tooth, triggering a reaction down into the gums and causing all this pain. So I messaged my dentist and made the soonest appointment I could.I went in about a week later and after a thorough X ray and exam, they told me that there were no new cavities. That was good because it meant that even if the teeth and fillings weren't exactly perfectly sealed together, they weren't separated enough to allow for further destruction...yet. I think since the cavities had been at the sides, between my teeth, the pain before was based on cold things hitting those places, whereas now there are holes through the tops of the teeth. While everything is filled, the enamel is still kinda weak and isn't working quite as it should.The most reasonable thing they said to do about this is to add fluoride to my everyday dental maintenance. I was fairly annoyed in that I realized I should have been using International fluoride toothpaste this whole time. It probably would have been better for my own weak teeth from the get-go, but as I had decided to budget otherwise and buy the cheapest Japanese toothpaste available at my supermarket, it's no surprise that I haven't been using fluoride in ages. I was given some professional quality fluoride gel to apply after brushing with the caveat that I must wait for 20 minutes after applying the gel to then eat or drink anything, so the gel has a chance to actually sink into my teeth.Thus begins my newest journey in dental health care. To my delight, after just two days of applying the stuff regularly, I was able to go out to eat with my in-laws and not be in so much pain that I could not finish a meal. Even the ice water at the table was not so bad that I was uncomfortable.Chewing was easier than it had been before. So with that, I caution anybody else who is having dental trouble to seek assistance as quickly as you can from professionals. Because even in a situation where drilling through the teeth and repairing one problem may have caused another. The professionals are almost always the best ones to find an answer to fix whatever is currently wrong.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4oX-living_medical_healthThu, 02 May 2024 11:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4oX-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6odW-living_familylifeIn Fukushima there is a mountain known as Hanamiyama, the cherry blossom viewing mountain, where my husband decided to take us on a small family trip during the first weekend in April. We were a little bit worried that the flowers wouldn't be in bloom because when we arrived in the prefecture the previous day, a lot of the cherry blossom viewing areas that we went by didn't have anything going on yet in the blossom opening department, despite there being advertisements at about cherry blossom viewing experiences happening around that time.This wasn't our first trip to Hanamiyama, but it is the first trip to this place that we all enjoyed.We parked in the visitor's parking lot near the river and took the visitor's parking bus to the main area after paying a small fee.The main area opened onto a road up the mountain with a couple of shopping areas to the side offering local snacks and crafts including woodwork and a locally sourced honey.The path up to the mountain was excellent and had a few of it's own little shops right on the main street, lending the area the atmosphere of a little old Japanese town's shopping area, which is likely what it is in the off season anyway.There was one sign for foreign tourists, asking us to "click here" which we attempted to do despite the nonsensical nature of "clicking" a large flat wooden sign. We then followed that path up a lovely hill and enjoyed the view. This was after we had gone up a different way and enjoyed a different hill. Walking sticks were provided but we didn't take any.The day had lots and lots of walking but even an out-of-shape thirty-something woman like me didn't have that hard of a time getting around. If you have severe mobility issues, this is likely not the best place to go for sakura viewing, but if you can walk well enough and take your time, this could be a fun option.There were some really lovely photo ops set up near the top of the hills, including this lovely heart shape. We were also happy to find some food trucks up that way as well, offering coffee and tea as well as directions to a nearby port-a-potty.The view as we walked was wonderful and well worth the effort of walking all the way up there.On the way back, we stopped at one of the shops at the side of the road for cafe au lait soft serve ice cream and cucumbers on sticks.This is a fun little spring adventure for anyone who wants a little time out in nature, and it wasn't too crowded when we went so it was comfortable and easy to enjoy. We will be back.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6odW-living_familylifeTue, 30 Apr 2024 17:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6odW-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX8D4-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiIf you're in Miyagi and looking for something fun to do on the Friday of Golden Week, look no further than this event.From 10 AM to 2 PM in front of one of the entrances to the shrine, a bunch of stalls with various wares will be stationed. For the first time in five years, they are encouraging new vendors to come and participate, according to the poster.There will also be a green tea ceremony in the presence of the cherry blossoms which promises to be lovely.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX8D4-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 27 Apr 2024 19:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX8D4-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8g8-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiIn addition to the omikoshi portable shrines coming down from the shrine, Shiogama will also host some kind of festival complete with dancing and food trucks among other activities.There will also be a sauna car, a dance contest, and a bingo tournament!It apparently takes place at Kitahama Ryokuchi Park which the poster claims is just seven minutes on foot from HonShiogama station on the Senseki line.In case anyone needed it, here is a depiction of the walking route to this park including assumptions about where food trucks might be stationed. It promises to be a fun time for those who can join in.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8g8-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 27 Apr 2024 18:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8g8-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8yed-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiFor those who live in Miyagi or are really interested in the portable shrines that get brought down from Shiogama Shrine a few times a year, tomorrow would be a great time to visit Shiogama.The poster also lists times when the portable shrines will be in certain areas of the town, including a return planned for around 7 PM.It is something special to see especially if you don't live in a town where this happens more than once a year. If you miss this and want to see the portable shrines make their rounds, another option is the port festival on Marine Day later in summer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8yed-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 27 Apr 2024 18:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8yed-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNV5-living_money_workI mentioned a few months ago that I was looking at trying to secure more online students, and as a result of that search, I finally gave Preply a try.Preply is a company that connects tutors to students and provides a classroom simulator. I thought I had a good handle on what to do and how to do it when I secured a student. I had been on the app, charging a reasonable rate for my area and expertise for several months with no responses. I dropped the rate to $10 an hour and suddenly the app was messaging me about people looking at my profile. One of them wound up working out to be a regular student. As grading homework essays became a requested function of the class, I mentioned raising my rate to cover the time outside of the class time that I would be spending marking the essays and preparing feedback.The student agreed and I went to the part of the website where a teacher sets their rate. I increased it to the agreed price.Everything in the website says that changing price is as easy as going to the pricing button on the dashboard and entering a new number. This button only appears on the PC version of the website, not the mobile version or the app.I did as instructed. The next week, my student was charged the old price. I asked the help desk via chat, and they said that the student must not have responded to the email. My student insisted no email ever came. The help desk then said to cancel all the student's lessons and then change the price.I did this and waited a week to see if it worked.It changed nothing.After that, I was ready to give up on Preply but in poking around on the website, I finally figured it out. It turns out that you have to go to the My lessons section, click on the specific student that you are changing the rate of and then change the rate on the resulting page after deleting all of their future classes.Using the information on the website, I had only changed the rate for new students, not existing ones. Every existing student must have all classes cancelled and then have their rate changed on their own personal page for the change to take effect, which means a lot of extra work if you have a few students and are working your way up to decent pay.This was very tedious, the help desk didn't really understand how to fix it, and I am not a fan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNV5-living_money_workWed, 10 Apr 2024 12:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNV5-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gonbv-living_medical_healthFinally, at long last, I have finished my last root canal of the year. I am very grateful to my dentist who went through and carved out all the bad bits and then installed whatever it is that they install in the roots of teeth that require root canals now before filling each of my three root-canaled teeth with resin that was molded to match the contours of each respective damaged tooth.This process took a lot longer than I would have expected. Back on January 30th, I received the news that I would requiring three root canals and a filling. I wasn't excited about it but I was happy to be finally dealing with my own personal hell of going to the dentist.I have a nice dentist, but I also have childhood trauma involving dentistry, so it's not always easy to just go and take care of myself in the way that I know I need to. This last appointment was made more important by the fact that my daughter also needed to go in and get one of her baby teeth removed because it was being very stubborn about getting out of the way for an adult tooth that should be coming to the surface soon.Luckily, my dentist could fit us in together, so I went in for my appointment with my daughter keeping me company and then we went across the room so my daughter could have her appointment. Everything was done within about half an hour and it was just very easy.My daughter was very brave, though she also has no reason to fear the dentist, which is fantastic. The utter joy of finding a good dentist for my kid cannot be overstated.She won't be like me, 40 years old almost and still shaking when she sits in the dentist's chair. Honestly, this experience of seeing the dentist at least once every two weeks for a couple of months has really helped me with that, too. I was forced to deal with that fear and working on calm, controlled breathing was especially beneficial.If you also need dental work in Japan, prepare to spend a little time in the chair. Each visit might be short, but there will likely be many to get the jobs done. The bonus is that you likely won't be paying for it all at once and this gives you ample chance to overcome your nerves if you also have any residual past dental trauma.Over the course of two months, I saw the dentist 5 times to finish my three root canals and one filling. A few of the appointments cost between 3000 and 4000 yen, and one or two were over 4000 yen. All told they average out to less than 20,000 yen which is now $132. I no longer fear the dentist and can eat normally again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gonbv-living_medical_healthWed, 03 Apr 2024 10:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gonbv-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1WPD-living_familylifeMy kid has wanted to go to this massive fun looking space since it opened in the middle of the pandemic, but in light of our need to avoid crowds and stay healthy, we put off trying out the place. This year, we managed to receive a coupon offering discounted rates for up to four people so we decided to give it a try as a family.We chose the last snowy, cold day and headed out. I think the weather kept a lot of people home so despite it being in the middle of spring break, there weren't long lines and we spent the vast majority of our two hour time limit playing around and having a great time.We all tried outrunning large virtual animals. My kid and I tried out Segway style machines for the first time. My husband and kid managed to go through several levels of a game in which they had to change poses to match the ninja shaped cut-outs. They also enjoyed archery, in which blunted arrows were shot at a large screen that calculated their score based on proximity to a bull's-eye.I really enjoyed Giga bowling which was bowling with human sized pins in a smallish space with a yoga ball. I realized sadly that I don't have the upper body strength to fully enjoy the obstacle course style amusements, of which there were several, but I still had fun trying.My least favorite activity was probably the American Gladiator style swinging arm machine that forced the two players to leap over a large foam arm or duck under a high mounted foam covered arm while staying on a foam rock. I was not good at the jumping and nearly hurt my shoulder trying.This thing kicked my whole butt.The large pink inflatable called Up & Down was also a big challenge for me. Somehow, I ran up the right parts with only a little difficulty at first but after hitting the button on the top and sliding down, I seemed to lose all traction. My second attempt to climb the inflatable hill had me losing my socks from lack of traction and fearing that I might rip new holes in the duct-taped exterior if I kept trying. Eventually time was up and my ten year old had beaten me by one point.The whole family had a great time and we didn't even do all of the things we could have. I look forward to trying this place out again when I'm in better shape.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1WPD-living_familylifeMon, 01 Apr 2024 10:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1WPD-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABvv-drink_productI found this in a 7-11 in Miyagi prefecture in late March 2024. The label boasts a tropical pink grapefruit flavor and was on sale for the same price as regular Red Bull which is 213 yen for one small can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABvv-drink_productMon, 25 Mar 2024 12:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABvv-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEkL1-living_howtoI have finally had the opportunity to make this happen in the last month and it is worth discussing. As I have previous mentioned Japanese Paypal is not a useful tool for most transactions and I just do not recommend it at all to anyone for any thing.However, if you are working with Preply for online teaching options, you may not have a lot of alternative options for how to receive your money.When you have finally earned some kind of money, you can go to the payout screen. In order to receive your payout, you have to perform an account verification that includes taking a picture of your passport followed by taking short videos of your face from different angles. Surprisingly, this really doesn't take very long. Then you can have the money minus Preply's 30% cut of your earnings and any fees required by whichever service you choose. Here are the services available.Wise, PayPal, Skrill and Payoneer are the four options available with Preply but not all of them work everywhere.According to the Wise website, Japanese yen is an option for accounts within Japan, so it seems it can work for people here.Skrill on the other hand does not even work in Japan and has the land of the rising sun on its non-serviced countries list.PayPal, as I have said before, has serious issues. If you have a PayPal account from back home that you set up outside of Japan, it will work well if you want to use the money you make on Preply online. That's what I did and it worked quickly and easily.Payoneer has a Japanese language website, so clearly it can be used in Japan, so that is another option.Each of these companies takes a different cut of the money coming through and has different minimum amounts, so checking for which one works for you might take a little extra time. The minimum withdrawal amounts range from 0 for PayPal to $20 plus fees for Payoneer. The percentage of total charged as a fee ranges from 0.6% on Wise to 2% on PayPal. The website that explains this data gets confused on Payoneer, which either has a flat $1 transfer fee or a flat $3 tranfer fee depending on which part of the page you are looking at.It might be a good idea to check these things out to make sure you can be paid before putting time and energy into acquiring students on a website like Preply.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEkL1-living_howtoMon, 18 Mar 2024 10:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEkL1-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7NN-livingIn a few minutes, a chime will go off and a moment of silence will stretch over the city I live in, sending us all the tens of thousands of people who lost their lives 13 years ago and the tsunami following the magnitude 9 earthquake that literally changed the shape of the earth slightly.While I just wrote a blog post about visiting the tsunami preparation center in Shiogama to mark this occasion, I also wanted to remark on what I did after. The guy at the desk in the tsunami preparation center handed me a piece of paper that invited me to the flower arranging event in memory of the tsunami victims at the tsunami memorial in Shiogama.It sounds amazing but also like me being there would be overstepping. Honestly, even seeing the pictures from the disaster reminded me of panic that I forgot that I had felt and brought back huge surges of survivor's guilt that I know what to do with, but I'm still not comforted by.Still, I walked by the memorial early enough that there weren't too many people around, so I didn't feel like I was bothering them by taking a couple of pictures. The flowers looked amazing and I hope that they have a lovely, thoughtful memorial.Meanwhile, I'll be doing this. Ganbatte-ing, the way they told us to right after the disasters. The catch phrase for Tohoku in 2011 was Ganbatte Tohoku, and it was everywhere. And we did our best.And here we are.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7NN-livingMon, 11 Mar 2024 14:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GL7NN-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKNm-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiI've already told you too many times about what happened 13 years ago today. I'm sure I have already explained that I was at work in an office building in Sendai when the ground started shaking, and how the rest of that afternoon went, and how one miraculous phone call finally went through to my then-boyfriend, now-husband letting him know where I was so he could pick me up.Instead of reliving the past today, I took advantage of the good weather and appropriate timing and walked over to Shiogama's Tsunami Evacuation Center which is located right next to Marine Gate, the ferry port.The building is nice and new with stairs and an elevator on the first floor which seems to act mostly as a parking lot. The second floor houses the exhibit which is a series of well made informative posters with pictures, explaining what happened on each day of the week after the quake including statistics like how many people were still under excavation orders and the deployment of the Self Defence Forces as well as information about the condition of the city at the time with pictures.All of this is in Japanese, but translator apps on smart phones can make up for that.In addition, there is information about what to do in case of these kinds of emergencies and a space for meetings.If you move to the east side of Tohoku, please visit one of these places to get a better grasp of what everyone you meet there has been through at least to some degree. Anyone who lived through March 11, 2011 in Tohoku lost something, and some lost it all.One room has pictures that go into more detail.Even if you never step foot in Tohoku, do yourself a favor today and look up the guidelines for where you need to evacuate to in the case of a major quake or tsunami in your area of Japan. As we learned on January 1st of this year, big quakes can happen anywhere in Japan and the resulting tsunamis can hit anywhere along the coast.Stay safeTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKNm-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 11 Mar 2024 14:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjKNm-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlR6Q-living_familylifeLiving abroad long-term means you say a lot of hellos and a lot of goodbyes over time.Friendships amongst gaijin in Japan can be brief, leaving you like strangers in a city only overlapping in time and place for a moment. Longer lasting friendships take work to bring them into the light and hold on.Years ago, long before the pandemic, one of my co-workers became a close friend. I considered her part of my found family. When I quit my job to be a mom, she was one of the people who visited me in the hospital when I was on bed rest to make sure that I was staying same.After my daughter was out and about, she visited us many times even though we lived in different cities. When my kid could run around but wasn't in kindergarten yet, my friend would meet up with us in Sendai for picnic lunches and it is still such a warm memory.It was a lovely friendship, but not without its challenges.My friend was in the middle of a disastrous relationship shortly before she left Japan. The recovery process from that took years and a lot of hard work back in her homeland.Now, many years later, she seems thoroughly recovered and genuinely happy, and I'm very glad to see that.The last time she visited us, there were difficulties likely brought on by a toxic mutual acquaintance. A sudden urge by the toxic party to go on a date week long road trip with her temporary house guest meant that my visiting friend's promise to stay at my home for a couple of days went up in flames.I try not to be bitter about it, but planning on seeing someone for days just to have them suddenly cut it to maybe just one day, then just one afternoon, then just coffee, and then literally messaging me while we are on the way to get coffee, my daughter in tow, to ask how long coffee really needs to be was some extremely bad behavior. I told her then that she hurt my feelings and if she didn't want to hang out, that would be easier than dealing with my heartbroken daughter who was five then and still remembered time with her.My kid is ten now and doesn't remember at all. That's fine because when this visiting friend mentioned wanting to hang out, I waited until the day before to mention it to her anyway, just to be safe.I'm glad I went. She was actually a delight to hang out with and I enjoyed getting to know her a little again.By the end of the meetup, I really feel like we had only barely scratched the surface of things that should have been said and feelings that should have been shared, but what can you do? At least this time I'm genuinely looking forward to the next time she makes contact. I have hope that our next encounter will be just as pleasant as this one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlR6Q-living_familylifeSat, 09 Mar 2024 11:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlR6Q-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4WLv-living_medical_healthAs a consequence of my being born and raised in America, where the cost of health care is astronomical compared to most other nations, I simply do not know how much dental work actually costs in Japan.Earlier, I mentioned a numbing agent that I used on my gums when some serious dental pain started to become a problem.Luckily I managed to get an appointment with my dentist the following week. There I found out that I required not just one, not just two, but three root canals.I guess that's what happens when you don't do regular checkups and only see the dentist when something is broken.I can admit now that if I had gone in for the little twinges I felt in November the results might have been fillings and wouldn't have been as expensive as my current situation has become.Unfortunately , I couldn't conceive of these things being affordable, so I put it off since Christmas was coming and waited until I could barely chew toast.Another thing that seems different with Japanese dentistry is the amount of time per session, but that could be specific to my dentist as he seems really busy. I feel like these things would be done in one sitting most of the time in the states but they would also cost several thousand dollars.My first appointment lasted 30 minutes, included a drilling out of two teeth, x rays, a filled prescription for what was essentially Tylenol, and application of temporary filler. All of this cost less than 5000 yen.My next appointment was scheduled for two and a half weeks later but I freaked out about the temporary filler's flakiness as it felt like it was getting scraped off on everything. I messaged the dentist and managed to get in for a cancelled appointment a lot sooner. There, the two drilled teeth were hollowed out and whatever it is they put in the root was placed there before a different temporary filler was applied. This stuff acted less like gum/chalk and more like tooth, so I had no trouble waiting for my next appointment. It also cost less than 5000 yen.The third appointment came and my first two root canals were completed, for less than 5000 yen again. The tooth-colored resin they used to make the replacements for the bad parts of my teeth were made to fit my teeth exactly and they feel great.Bills for 2 of my 3 appointments. So cheap!So the grand total for the first two root canals is less than 15000 yen ($100 with today's exchange rate) and I am ecstaticTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4WLv-living_medical_healthWed, 06 Mar 2024 10:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4WLv-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVY12-living_money_workI mentioned this teaching site and app before, but getting an account and getting classes actually happening takes a little bit of work.One of the benefits of Preply is unlike some online teaching gigs, teachers can set their own prices. Some other companies force the rate as low as twelve dollars an hour.Theoretically, you can make much more than that per hour on Preply, but first you have to get enough people into your classes and giving you positive reviews.I had set up my account months ago and left my going rate at $30 an hour, which in my mind was equal to the three thousand yen it usually costs for one hour of English teaching in my area. In reality, that should have been $20, but even that price probably wouldn't have helped.At the beginning of this year, a sudden shock to my livelihood left me a little more desperate so I dropped my rate to $10 an hour and I waited.It turns out that students can set their budget before they search, so if they only want to pay $10 an hour, they'll only see people who have set that rate or cheaper.As I expected, there was more interest in my profile, but most seemed to come from the app itself, sending my notifications any time someone viewed my profile, encouraging me to contact them and ask about their English goals.Out of seven of these notifications, I responded to the app and sent inquiries to five, received responses on three of those, and actually landed one student.What I didn't realize until later is that students are encouraged to take a preliminary exam to see what their levels are and these results can be seen by the teacher but only on the website as viewed on a PC. Their mobile app and website as viewed on a mobile browser will only shunt you into the classroom waiting area to sit alone until class starts.This student seems happy with our current progress and even wrote a review. I will mention my plan to increase my rates a little in the coming months, but only after we've had a few more classes together.In addition, I had one very strange interaction on the app. Someone sent me a message asking if I could help them with their English. I asked what about their English they wanted help with. They responded by asking if I wanted to take their class and learn English from them. I don't know if this is just a confused person or some bizarre scam, but I stopped responding after explaining that I wasn't interested in taking lessons from them and was confused by what they had said at the beginning. They responded twice. I'm not going to bother reading them.I don't know if I like Preply, but it is workTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVY12-living_money_workFri, 01 Mar 2024 09:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVY12-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNm9-livingSomething neat happened on the way to work last week. On my walk through the tiny red light district of my little town, I happened to see these containers of glassware left open with a note written in marker on the lid in front of a bar/restaurant.According to Google translate, it basically says take one if you want one. I decided that if there were any glasses left when I walked by on my way home, I would pick one up. Luckily there were several left so I grabbed one heavy glass mugs with a handle and took it home.Now it's my favorite glassware for cola. I think it'll do well for coke floats this summer, and while I wanted to take home more, I didn't have space for more than one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNm9-livingSun, 25 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyNm9-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wo5-foodI was devastated earlier this month to find this note taped to the door of the curry shop I frequent most often.According to Google translate, it says something to the effect of a sudden need for closure with no known date of restart which saddens me greatly.It's hard to know with a foreign run business what the problem might have been but I imagine visas running out, family trouble back home, or financial stresses may have been issues.In any case, I do really hope they figure it out soon and have a chance to reopen. I'll miss my authentic curry until then.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wo5-foodSat, 24 Feb 2024 23:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wo5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GonrA-drink_productI found this smaller package of whey protein powder in a chocolate flavor in a bin at Don Quixote. I was drawn to its smaller size a reasonable price.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GonrA-drink_productSat, 24 Feb 2024 23:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GonrA-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wl1-shopping_medical_healthRecently, my teeth is started to feel fairly sensitive when chewing on foods that didn't used to give me any kind of issue.Suddenly even chewing on toast made me feel like maybe my precious mouth bones will just fall out. Then, one molar started to ache off and on without provocation.If you're feeling this way, seeing a dentist ASAP is a necessity. If, for some reason, your dental appointment can't happen immediately, getting some topical anesthetic can make things less awful.This is what I found. I am so happy for the massive picture, even if the pictured product is a bit greener than the real thing.If you're the kind of person you can walk into a Japanese drugstore, ask someone for help and actually get it, I'm exceedingly happy for you. After too many encounters with store employees who 1) have no idea where anything is, 2) have no interest in communicating with a non-native Japanese speaker, or 3) are too busy/bored to be bothered with helping a foreigner, I usually no longer ask. I just search.I went straight to the cankre sore medication section but it turns out that in the drug store closest to my home, cankre sores count as a skin ailment more than a mouth ailment as far as medicinal organization is concerned.The toothpaste section was my next stop, but I was overwhelmed and confused. Ignoring the toothpaste tubes, I focussed on the smaller, which tubes seemed to be entirely filled with whitening cream.Taking out my phone, I searched for mouth numbing creams, wound up on Amazon's Japanese site, and found a Japanese brand for this item. I took that info to the shelves and had a much easier time finding what I was looking for.This one worked really well for me, though this may or may not be the best choice depending on the cause of your tooth pain. For me, this was extremely beneficial. After getting home and get washing my hands, I put some on my finger, rubbed it onto my gums and felt a blissful absence of pain.So teal! Heal with the power of teal...or at least numb...For less than 1000 yen, I had a way to stop the pain, at least temporarily, until I could get an appointment with my dentist.With any medicine, be sure to check the dose limitations and requirements, with Google translate if necessary, before you start using it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wl1-shopping_medical_healthTue, 13 Feb 2024 16:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Wl1-shopping_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4Jo-living_howtoBefore we get into the details, it is important to remember a few things about this topic.First, Japan differs from the US in that children born to foreign nationals are not granted Japanese citizenship automatically. A Japanese citizen has a Japanese citizen as a parent or has renounced their former citizenship (among other steps) to become naturalized as a Japanese citizen.Second, if you aren't fluent in Japanese, I do not recommend attempting to renew your child's Japanese passport without some serious help from a native Japanese speaker, preferably the Japanese parent of your kid.A passport center in Sendai.Passport centers in Japan are pretty easy to find with a basic internet search. Stopping by to pick up the paperwork in advance and double check what you need would be a good idea, but if that isn't possible, the most important things to remember are the koseki tohon (family register, which you can get at city hall) and an appropriate sized photo with a white background. Photo ID for the Japanese parent and child including the previous passport for the child will also be necessary.It is my understanding that the Japanese parent must be present with the child at the passport office, but unlike the US system, the other parent is not required at all.After taking a number and waiting a while, the parent will hand all of the prepared forms and the appropriate photo to a clerk who will check for errors and omissions.Forms available including the 5 year passport forms for children, the ten year options for adults, and a handy guide to passport photo etiquette.If your child's name uses an L, make sure to tell the clerk and present alternative identification with the name written as you would prefer it. For this, we used our kid's new US passport.After the initial trip to the passport office, we were told to return in two weeks to receive the passport.When returning to receive the passport, parents will need to pay for the process via one 2000 yen and one 4000 yen revenue stamp, sold in Sendai at a vending machine within the passport office. We had to attach them to a form and turn it in before we could collect the passport, which of course also followed a short check of the child's face and recitation of personal facts like birthday and home prefecture.At the end, the process was much cheaper and faster than the US version.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4Jo-living_howtoFri, 09 Feb 2024 11:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn4Jo-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6o7E-living_familylifeAt the end of last year, my family had the chance to go to Disney Sea.Overall, it was pretty fun. We only get the chance to go around the capital once every five years, so we try to make the most of it when we do. Including a Disney park has been one of our priorities in the last couple of trips.Five years ago, we went to Disneyland and overall had a good time there, too. While I think our time could have been managed better, we packed in so much fun that our then five-year-old left the park unconscious, completely wiped out.This trip to DisneySea with our now ten-year-old had the same time management issues but we still managed to enjoy it.The entryway. If you scanned your tickets into your phone, present the bar code at the gate. Also, the phone that scanned the tickets is now in charge of all the fast pass options and this cannot be changed.In an attempt to raise my enthusiasm for DisneySea, I spent some time before the trip checking out all of the shops and food stalls online, picking which alcoholic drinks I just had to try and the order we should progress through the park.When we actually got to the park, all of this was thrown off by the first ride I had chosen being temporarily closed, negating our reason to be in the area of my first drink choice.A musical performance on a large boat sat before us and our preteen couldn't care less, which sank my heart all the more. By the time we started moving, I had abandoned my plans and set us in the shortest line available, for the train to another part of the park.This wound up being a good idea as we all enjoyed the rides in the area where we wound up and the lines there weren't too long at that time.My planning did help in finding food and the popcorn container my kid wanted, though the Monsters Inc box I had wanted got brushed aside in the process. Who needs so many of those anyway?Screen shot from in the app as we waited in the line from hell.The worst thing we did was get into a 100 minute long line for the Indiana Jones ride, which could have been avoided if 1) my husband used the one-time-only free fastpass alternative on his phone in the Disneypark App or 2) he had let me scan our damned tickets so I could do it from my own phone.At least the decorations were interesting.So we stood there in the rain with our kid whining loudly that she didn't think the ride would be worth it and we should just leave and saying this every five minutes. Meanwhile my husband ignored her and ignored my pleas for him to use the app since he was the one who had scanned the tickets.Inside the temple of the crystal skull. Again, at least the scenery was alright.In the end, the ride had been worth it but my kid was averse to lines for the rest of the trip.Surprisingly good plant based meat pita sandwich. Well seasoned!Finding a nearby restaurant without a line hadn't been hard thanks to the app and we all enjoyed our meal at Miguel's El Dorado Cantina. Even the avacado dip was significantly better than ot looked. Unfortunately, I took too long to get to my one alcoholic drink of the day and really couldn't enjoy it. It looks nice though, yeah?The toppo garnish was a limp bread noodle and the coffee and chocolate flavors were overshadowed by a think alcohol flavor that brought little to no actual alcohol to the drink. It's probably more delicious when enjoyed promptly.After lunch, I half-dragged us to Aggrabah, where we enjoyed The Voyages of Sinbad, the Carousel (I rode the genie), and the flying carpets.The highlight of the day was riding the flying carpets right around sunset and feeling for just a moment like I had entered the world of one of my favorite movies from my childhood.Diamond in the rough...I also realized that flying a real magic carpet would be utterly terrifying.By the time we left the Arabian Coast, we only had time for two more rides: the Blowfish Balloon Race (kid's choice) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (husband's choice), both of which were wonderful.We left the park as the fireworks started, all of us utterly exhausted.If we were doing it again, I would avoid making any kind of game plan but research the menus if picky eaters are an issue. I would also make sure whoever scans the tickets is also aware of the current fast pass alternative to avoid soul-sucking wait times.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6o7E-living_familylifeMon, 05 Feb 2024 13:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6o7E-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK344-living_money_workWorking in Japan long-term as a conversational English teacher can be a strange life choice and the longer that I'm here, the more I realize that everything is temporary.At the beginning of the year, this became even more obvious to me when one of my students started our first lesson of 2024 with the notification that she would have to quit the class in a few weeks because of scheduling conflicts at her job starting around the change of the fiscal year. These changes would take place in March or April and she wasn't excited about it, but her schedule was full otherwise.I agreed that her schedule sounded quite busy and said that I completely understood, as a professional person is meant to.And I do understand. As a conversational English teacher in Japan, I am not as necessary in the lives of my students as I might prefer to be. The few students who genuinely require immediately survival English for a trip abroad will eventually take that trip and have no more use for lessons. Older folks just trying to stay active will eventually reach a point where this level of activity isn't a possibility or isn't worth the effort anymore. Child students grow until they no longer have time on top of their club activities or other school responsibilities if they don't just move away.In the face of change, staying as stable and stone faced as this maguro statue can be a challenge. Staying professional has huge advantages.While I understand the need to quit, I'd be lying if I said the departure wouldn't be felt in my household. The money I make is not that plentiful and this would be a good chunk to just suddenly be without.Right after she said this, I tried to focus on the class at hand but I couldn't help mentally trying to look for other options and opportunities to make ends meet without this class.I pulled my mind back into the class and taught in the same fashion as I had before. The next class after this, I did the same, bringing the same level of professionalism as always even while I tried to drum up new work options outside of class.Two weeks after her declaration, my student announced that she had worked things out with her boss so that she would be able to continue class. We were both so relieved and elated.While everything is temporary, I'm very glad to not have lost this connection yet. If I hadn't kept my professionalism and courtesy intact, I don't think my student would have put the extra effort in to keep the classTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK344-living_money_workWed, 31 Jan 2024 11:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK344-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqvga-foodThese burgers came out earlier this month and sales have ended at some stores but I feel the need to share my experience with the brief burger that was the Godzilla Mac.I wanted to like this and was excited to try it. The line consisted of three burgers-- one with spicy thick beef and potatoes, a smoky pepper chicken option, and the cheese double teriyaki burger. Of these, only the teriyaki appealed to me and I was thrilled when my partner brought one home for me to try.This was the coolest burger wrapper I've ever seen and I'm glad I took a picture. The paper itself can't really be saved afterall.The burger inside? It was okay. The meat wasn't really seasoned and the lettuce was super wimpy. The black and white sesame seeds looked pretty cool but didn't add much to the flavor. Honestly, it paled in comparison to every version of the Texas Burger that Japanese McDonald's has released in the last decade. Every samurai mac is also an improvement on this.It was alright overall, but the wrapper was very cool.Maybe I should have tried the smoky pepper chicken instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqvga-foodWed, 24 Jan 2024 21:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqvga-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvNgK-living_kami_machi_miyagiI was excited to find this poster advertising a Snow Fantasy Festival which surely promised to be fun for the whole family.Upon further inspection, I realized that I didn't recognize the place names and had to search on the internet a bit before realizing that this was happening in Kami town, Miyagi.The website for the event explains that since this has been a warmer winter than expected, the snow isn't quite to fantasy levels, so some adjustments have been made. Snowman making and snow art as well as sledding have been cancelled, but there Will still be marshmallows to roast and gatchapon to get in addition to several other festive winter elements.My family's participation depends on variables beyond my control, but it sounds like it'll be a fun time even without much snow.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvNgK-living_kami_machi_miyagiWed, 24 Jan 2024 20:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvNgK-living_kami_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2WY3-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiAt Birdo Flugus, a little gallery located just a short walk from HonShiogama Station in Shiogama, Miyagi, there will soon be a ln exhibition of drawings from an international artist currently based in Miyagi.According to the bio on the back, the artist has lots of international experience including spending more than a decade on the Philippines and some time in Canada.I'm not entirely sure what to expect but the art looks interesting and exhibitions are usually a pretty fun time as I recall.Entrance to the exhibit is free and it runs from February 4th through 12th, excluding the 5th.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2WY3-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 24 Jan 2024 20:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2WY3-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkYWB-living_medical_healthI cannot say enough things about how amazing this cream is.Every winter I tend to encounter the same awful problem, but it can happen any time of year. It started for the first time when I was working in the food service industry back in college but it also got really bad the spring that my then-toddler was running about before starting kindergarten.It seems for every time I am put in a position to be washing my hands frequently, my skin dries out enough to crack and bleed around the knuckles.It is horrifying and I didn't bother to take pictures of it because it's gross and worries me, but it looked kind of like this.Just imagine every red conjunction of lines to be a small open wound, worst at the middle knuckle and pinky, but genuinely uncomfortable all over. That's my usual, especially in winter during the pandemic. This rendering was done with filters instead, but it makes me uncomfortable just looking at it all the same.The pandemic has made both my need to wash my hands and my discomfort with having open wounds on my hands worse than before. With my family's trip to Tokyo approaching, I started looking at my options in the drug store at the beginning of December.After a little bit of cost comparison shopping in the lotion section, I decided on this one. Nivea had some similar options but were more expensive and for smaller amounts. Using this a few times a day and filling up a travel bottle with it, I still have half a container left.Check out this great big bottle of Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Repair and just look what it did to my hand!It cost a little over 1,000 yen for 400 milliliters and after using it a few times a day for less than a week, my hands weren't bleeding anymore. At the end of the week, I was no longer dreading the use of hand sanitizer as it wouldn't be causing my pain anymore. My hands were healed!Self care seems obvious and necessary but it is weirdly hard even as an adult to admit that I should just buy some intensive lotion that might work in the hope of not walking around the nation's capital with bleeding hands. I'm so glad I made the right call.If your hands get so dry that they bleed and you don't have the time or ability to see a dermatologist, check out Vasaline Intensive Care Advanced Repair. I found it to be 100% worth it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkYWB-living_medical_healthTue, 23 Jan 2024 10:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkYWB-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8J2-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiTomorrow at Marine Gate Shiogama there will be some sort of oyster festival!The advertisement boasts of many kinds of fresh food options as well as arts and crafts and musical performances. Oysters will even be on sale for lower than market price.While I'm not a big fan of most seafood, the offering of free music and delicious looking muffins may just lure me out.Marine Gate, the ferry port, is a few minutes walk from HonShiogama Station, which is 320 yen and a little over 20 minutes from Sendai station on the Senseki Line.The festivities start at 10AM and last until 3 PM.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8J2-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 20 Jan 2024 15:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8J2-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8Jx-food_makinoharacity_makinohara_shi_shizuokaThese lovely leaf pies with genuine matcha filling from Makinohara town in Shizuoka prefecture arrived neatly wrapped in a black box. Even the plastic for the individual wrapping of each pie seemed a little extra fancy as we devoured the pastries.My family and I were happy to try these during winter vacation and overall I was really delighted with the flavor and consistency. Rich and somehow also light matcha flavor permeated the treat, rendering it sweet without being too much and offering some nice matcha flavor without the bitterness. The flavor also didn't lean too hardcore on the umami aspect, which sometimes makes green tea taste a bit like dog food to me. These pies were gentle and delicious as far as I was concerned.My Japanese husband didn't get the feeling of much matcha in this snack, but he still thinks it is good as a treat.Our ten-year-old feels that the flavor is both bitter and sweet. She said that she loves how it has the texture of "actual pie" though I think she is referring to similar single serving pie type snacks rather than the larger dessert pies from abroad. The dough did have a lovely texture with more tender flakeyness than I had assumed.We paired the pies with a basic black tea, saving the green tea beverage option for the next day with different, sweeter snacks.I followed the instructions on the package and found several thing interesting. First off, the instructions suggested these tea bags only require 30 seconds of steeping to make a decent cup of tea. I tested this out. My husband again wasn't overly impressed with the flavor but he did see how it would have a wide appeal. My daughter enjoyed it well enough and actually requested it the next day in her thermos for school. I enjoyed it well enough and was super surprised by how deep and rich the color was in such a short time of steeping. Very fond of green tea flavor though I do think steeping it a little longer would be beneficial. I wound up reusing our tea bags and steeping them for quite some time. Honestly, I forgot that I had done that and came back later to drink the beverage when it was still just a little bit warm. Usually when I forget I am steeping some tea, the resulting beverage is so bitter that I cannot enjoy it, but that was not the case this time. Feel free to steep these a bit longer. Even my kid enjoyed the flavor of the tea more after a longer steep.All of these treats come from the town of Makinohara in Shizuoka, which seems to mostly be known for surfing and tea. Among the tourist attractions, it is easy to find a number of swimming and surfing beaches as well as a green tea factory and museum. If it were more convenient, I am sure my family would enjoy a visit to the Grinpia facility where guests can tour the factory and evenpick their own tea leaves. I'm sure that's one delicious adventure.This post is supported by Makinohara City, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8Jx-food_makinoharacity_makinohara_shi_shizuokaThu, 18 Jan 2024 09:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm8Jx-food_makinoharacity_makinohara_shi_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9K3O-living_transportationIf you followed all of the tips from my last post on this topic, you should be properly prepared for this endeavor, but there are a few points that may need to be pointed out a little bit more specifically in regards to timing.If you are from out of town and don't actually live anywhere near the city where your closest embassy is, booking an appointment time when you are absolutely sure that you could be in the right area is imperative.Despite having done the math and thought through where the hotel we had booked was and how long it would take to get where we were supposed to be, we still managed to have so many difficulties related to mass transit that my husband had to drive through Tokyo traffic instead, which was something he was very uncomfortable with though he managed to work through it very well.The last place you want to be with the clock ticking on your embassy appointment is stuck in gridlock like we were when I took the above photo. Luckily, we had allocated more than half an hour for traffic congestion and wound up at the right place with a little time to spare.Still, if he had looked into the shuttle bus schedule and train options for the exact time of day he had planned for us to go to the embassy in advance, we would have seen how impossible some of those transfers were going to be and moved our appointment to the afternoon when that had been an option.Trying to move the appointment within a few days of your embassy appointment is not advised. We could not even find a replacement appointment for the same week! These are all choices that need to be made weeks in advance.It turns out that when my husband was running the numbers for our embassy logistics, he was doing it on a weekday afternoon, never considering that the train times and bus times might be different in the morning.Early morning appointments should only be attempted if you already know exactly how to get there at the right time.This of course could be ignored if you're staying at a hotel near the embassy.If you have double checked the logistics of your adventure, brought all of the appropriate forms, and have the passport photo and money ready, there really shouldn't be any issues.The actual process was very quick and stress free. We entered the building fifteen minutes before our appointment time and left with everything completed within half an hour. Our longest waiting time was at the payment window and only because we had to wait behind someone else.Follow the directions, give yourselves enough time, and you should be fine.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9K3O-living_transportationFri, 12 Jan 2024 17:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9K3O-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWRqJ-living_food_shopping_workGetting omiyage, or gifts from your travels, has become kind of a challenge for me. When I worked in a larger school with a large number of coworkers, buying something for them to share was more automatic, and therefor less personal. Just pick a box of something that looks yummy or is special to that place and call it a day, I would say. As long as I brought enough pieces for everyone, it was fine.Now I work for a much smaller English school. My main coworkers are my bosses and they regularly have to hand out to me and the other part-timers any omiyage they receive from students or other teachers. They just receive too much and have nothing to do with it. Giving them more of something they don't want or need isn't really an intention of mine.I was even told before my winter vacation not to bring them things as they don't want any, which would be great and easy, frankly a relief, if I hadn't already received one small gift from one of the other part-time teachers from his trip to Tokyo earlier in the year.In the spirit of reciprocity, I was obliged to bring something back for him, but couldn't financially commit to much during my trip. In addition, he is likely to be moving to a new apartment some time this spring and inundating him with extra possessions would be less than optimal.He had only given me one small snack cake in a box, around the size of my index finger. It doesn't seem like the return gift should have to be huge, but my husband scoffed when I suggested getting something of a similar size, so I eventually wound up with this.A box of sembei rice crackers with capybara bathing in onsen printed on them. One of my favorite places we've been in recent memory, Nasu Animal Kingdom, has such capybara and onsen set up, and patrons can even enter the capybara enclosure and feed leaves to the massive rodents. It is magical.So after all my difficulty in choosing a gift and finally buying one and bringing it to work, I was met with the unpleasant memory that the coworker I had intended these for would be off the week that I got back from vacation and I would have to bring them back in the new year after all.So the challenges continue.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWRqJ-living_food_shopping_workFri, 05 Jan 2024 16:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWRqJ-living_food_shopping_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ2Wd-living_familylifeMy family was lucky enough to have the chance to stop by this lovely aquarium in Ibaraki prefecture in December of 2023. Since we have spent a lot of time at the Uminomori Aquarium in Sendai, a lot of the basic fish viewing spaces were not as exciting as they would have been otherwise, but they were still still nice and well maintained.A very exciting and surprising interval came when we got to the shark area. They not only had a large variety, including zebra sharks that we can see. Up close enough to realize how beautiful the eyes are. They also had hammerheads, which I have to admit the I have never seen actually swimming in person. They're very interesting to watch. As happens with many aquariums around this time of year, there were a few tanks set up with Christmas decorations inside and those were cute and fun as always. There was even a great big tree in the entry area, too.Admittedly, my daughter didn't even want to go to the dolphin show as she has seen the dolphin show at Sendai's aquarium too many times, but my husband insisted. We found a seat just outside of the splash zone, which seemed very very large.The show was well done and more engaging than we had assumed. Between the large dolphin's massive splashes and sea lion vs carrying technique, it was clearly the star of the show, though all of its costars also performed well. It turns out that the big one is an endangered false killer whale which is still a kind of dolphin and maybe my favorite creature in this aquarium.One other special thing about this place was shark petting time. In order to pet the very young sharks who were born in captivity at the aquarium, one must buy one of the limited tickets for petting time, wait until the allotted time, and watch an instructional video before being led to the petting tank in small groups.Two of the kinds of shark in the tank were soft and smooth to the touch. The third kind of shark we could pet had small risen bumps in its skin texture, kind of like certain kinds of expensive wallpaper.Indoors and outdoors seating areas near the cafe were clean and stylish, like a sea-fetishist's coffee house. The food was stylish and enjoyable, too.We greatly enjoyed our time at this aquarium and I am sure it is a very fun time all year round.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ2Wd-living_familylifeThu, 04 Jan 2024 09:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ2Wd-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX88b-shoppingWhat exactly is going on at the outlet mall in Izumi?When we stopped by for dinner in the middle of December, we were surprised to see that the normally expected holiday light decorations were interspersed with 2-dimensional cut out decorations in a Mario theme.When I scanned the QR code, it took me to a kind of scavenger hunt which would have been fun if we had had more time. In the end, it looks like finding all of the QR codes in the various Mario decorations would unlock a downloadable screen background or something like that.Still, something fun and a little weird, but I don't know why it needed to be in the middle of the holiday decorations.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX88b-shoppingSun, 24 Dec 2023 16:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wX88b-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm88O-living_food_izumi_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiWe went by Eggs N Things at the outlet mall in Izumi and the tried out their holiday menu.I had the pistachio cream wreath pancakes. They were a bit too much for me but I liked the berry syrup on the pancakes as an additional element.The little chocolate garnishes were also cute and fun.I also had the eggnog, which I felt didn't need the whipped cream but otherwise was excellent.My kid had one of the kids meals but my husband beef stew loco moco and loved it. I didn't get a chance to try it, but it did look good.All in all, it was a lovely little meal and I was happy to see this iteration of the restaurant chain doing well after what we considered a kinda rocky start.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm88O-living_food_izumi_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiSun, 24 Dec 2023 16:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm88O-living_food_izumi_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWRpO-living_workI first came across the job hunting site Yolo, Japan in advertisement several years ago. Each of the ads seemed targeted at foreigners living in Japan, most of the ads were in English. They all seem to show excited young foreign people getting jobs somewhere in Japan.When I looked over the website at that point, I could not even find jobs in my prefecture. The few jobs I did see were usually low paying part-time gigs geared toward young students or people on working holidays who were just trying to find a way to make up for the cost of living in Japan for however short. They were planning on doing so.In this way, these jobs were very much not meant for people like me who already have more than a decade of experience teaching English in Japan.Recent changes to my household have led me to do a little more online searching for jobs and that led me back to considering Yolo Japan and what they might have to offer. I was excited to see that there was a job as an extra in a film and then disappointed to note that of course it is in Osaka. I knew it wasn't going to be Miyagi anyway, but it's always sad to see something that looks like it might be fun or interesting to do instead be so far away.So I went to the search bar and then put in my parameters of a person with minimal Japanese level looking for any kind of job in Miyagi. Here are my results:And this is actually exciting because there are two results that are actually in my prefecture! Right after that they suggest that I relocate to Aichi to work for 1300 yen per hour or less in some sort of construction job, but at least there were two that actually were in my region.Neither of them is a good fit for me, but I'm still excited to see that they exist. The job listing at an izakaya actually seems to pay pretty decently, but I'm not sure what the hours would entail and I feel pretty certain that it would be a lot of time and energy that I don't really have. I get the feeling from my experience so far in Japan that the ideal candidate for this job is under the age of 40 and trim. They might be looking for a woman, but they probably want a 25-year-old blonde woman who weighs less than 150 pounds. I am not that woman.The other job is interesting too and while I would find it curious as a choice, I also know they are not looking for me. They do say that they are looking for seniors or people in their fifties, so it's already out of my age range but I'm going to go ahead and assume they also mean male. Can you imagine a Japanese wedding being led by a roundish white lady? I've never seen that in the commercials.I guess I'll just stick to teaching English.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWRpO-living_workFri, 22 Dec 2023 11:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWRpO-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9KEn-living_shopping_medical_healthSome time ago, I came to realize that I had a chronic back pain that responded very well to treatment with heat. Consequently, I spent a good amount of winter and some part of the rest of the year using heat pads across my lower back.How it looked in early April 2023.Unfortunately, prolonged exposure (via direct contact) to a heat source, such as a laptop balanced on bare legs or a heating pad basically anywhere can cause something known as crispy skin syndrome. This is not a low temperature burn, which would act like a burn in the way of being painful and blistering. This does not act like a burn. It just looks hideous.After one week of using retinol cream back in April.I only realized about a year ago that my lower back looks something like I had a creepy vein-like haunted tree tramp stamp, and I was not comfortable with this.After a significant amount of digging about online, I finally figured out what this thing was called and what the recommended options were.Retinol. Retinoids like retinol are one of the best ways to try to clear something like this up.Thanks, Amazon, for being easier to deal with than Japanese clinic staff of the lack of qualified dermatologists in my area.If you have the option of going to a qualified dermatologist, they will probably give you a prescription for a retinoid cream stronger than commercially available retinol, and this will likely heal the skin damage faster than my method.Since I don't have a qualified dermatologist near me, I went on Amazon and got the best little vat of retinol cream I could afford.I also found out that retinol cream is not for use by pregnant people, so if you're expecting, don't use it.I tried to apply it to the area regularly and, while I forgot a few days, I've still seen a huge improvement in the darkness of my creepy tree tramp stamp.What little remains of my creepy vein tree tramp stamp as of late November 2023 after significant though inconsistent usage of commercially available retinol cream.The other recommendation if you have this problem is to avoid heat. While I can't really stop using my heating pad for the sake of a cosmetic issue, I do keep it down to a lower intensity and use it less constantly than I once did.So if you notice marks like this on a place you keep heated, get to a dermatologist or at least get yourself some retinol cream.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9KEn-living_shopping_medical_healthFri, 15 Dec 2023 12:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9KEn-living_shopping_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ2jo-living_howtoI've been through this process a few times before, but I also know it's easy to be nervous about things like this, so here's a handy guide to getting your American kid's passport renewed in Japan.First go to the US embassy website. Make sure of where the closest US embassy is to your home in Japan. To renew your kids passport, it used to be required for both parents to appear in person at the embassy. Because of this, my husband and I just plan to make it part of our family vacation for that year. We really can't afford willy-nilly trips to Tokyo otherwise.If you're living in one of the big cities, this probably doesn't seem like that big of a deal. For those of us further away from an embassy, this can be a very challenging thing.At some point in the last five years, the US embassy has chosen to include options for parents who can't appear in person on the website, including filling out a couple of forms. It seems that in some cases, a child can be sent for a passport renewal with a non-parent guardian, but I'm not entirely sure on the specifics.The US embassy website is pretty easy to navigate for this situation. When you click through to renewing a passport for a child under 16, You'll find a page that lists all the things that need to be brought. These include proof of citizenship which would be the old passport, proof of family relationship which could be a certificate of birth abroad or your Japanese family register (koseki tohon) for which you will have to provide a translation since it is not an English. Downloadable templates to aid in translating this are available on the internet.The entire list of necessary documents is available on the website.Click make an appointment, then make the appointment.One important factor is making an appointment. These have to be made before you go and can be made as little as a few days ahead it seems, but I recommend making an appointment for a time that works for you at the embassy closest to you around 3 weeks before you plan to go especially if you don't live near that embassy.You can't book January in November. You can't book anything more than 30 days out.When you are ready to book your appointment, click on the day and then click on the time and click through till you have confirmation that you have an appointment. Make sure to jot down the important information about exactly when you're supposed to be there and then get there 15 to 30 minutes early and prepare to spend a few hours working through the paperwork you've already filled out and making sure everything is correct.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ2jo-living_howtoTue, 12 Dec 2023 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ2jo-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpPYB-living_familylifeOn a national holiday in November, my kid and I took a trip to Beniland, the small amusement park outside of the zoo in Sendai. It was crowded but less crowded than I had expected. Overall, it was a lot of fun.Usually the entrance fee is 1,000 yen each, then you also pay for tickets to ride the rides.On this specially occasion, they waved the entry fee entirely, which was excellent for our budget. In addition, the day pass for unlimited rides had changed price, too. Usually, for adults the prices 4,500 yen and for children it is 3,500 yen but on this day the price for anybody was 3,000 yen.That means for the low price of 6000 yen, my kid and I could ride whatever rides we wanted to in Beniland.We started in the smaller kids area before maneuvering to the bigger rides elsewhere in the park. I was impressed by how reasonably priced the food was.My only big frustration with the park was a that the mystery house (haunted house type attraction) towards the back of the park was for some reason cash only. They wouldn't take tickets and didn't care about our day pass. It was only 300 yen each I think, but it being cash only was weird.This whole area of the park seems to have been renovated and improved since my last visit. That said, going through the mystery house with a group of loud teen girls behind me is an experience I would prefer never to do again.Tiny view of the Megadance from the ferris wheel.The rest of the rides went really well, save for when my kid went on the Mega Dance, a big swirling coaster, and came off feeling very upset by how scared she had gotten, after which she proceeded to have a bit of meltdown.As we were with friends that day, we went to stand in line for one of the more gentle rides back in the kiddy area while I talked my kid through her meltdown in English. After I had connected with my kid and she had started to calm down, I noticed no fewer than three people standing directly in front of us in line, staring directly at us. The group seemed to be two teenage girls and their mom, all of whom were old enough to know how very rude that was.If I were Japanese and speaking Japanese, no one in the park would even have looked in our direction while my child had a meltdown. I've seen this happen so many times.Because this was a gaijin mom talking in English, they seemed to decide that we were a) monkeys at the zoo, incapable of grasping nuance so staring is a-ok, or b) part of some drama they're watching on TV, not real people in a real setting, really right in front of them being real. I made eye contact with them and nothing changed.Clearly they understood some English because when I said to my kid in English that I was getting frustrated about the people staring at us, they suddenly chose to look elsewhere.My kid did recover from her meltdown and rode the Megadance two more times before we left, thoroughly conquering her fear.While I was bothered by many fellow park-goers during our time there, our trip to Beniland was so much fun that I am looking forward to checking it out the next time they have an entrance-fee free special.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpPYB-living_familylifeWed, 06 Dec 2023 16:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpPYB-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2Wgg-food_shoppingI found these delicious looking Coconut Latte Biscuits at the 100 yen store the other day and thought why not treat myself.They look pretty yummy, right? I hadn't thought of putting coconut flavors with coffee before so it sounded really fun to me. I didn't even realize that the writing on it was also in hongul and that might mean that my husband was unlikely to try them with me as he doesn't always trust things from the Asian mainland.Luckily I did convince him to try the biscuits with me last night but we were both really surprised to see their actual size.What's with this tiny cookie?Then I thought maybe the little package on the outside was supposed to be warning us about how small the cookies would be, like the "actual size" pictures on some American snacks, next to the "enlarged to show texture" messages near the bigger pictures of the same treat.Nope. The package for the tiny cookie is bigger than the package shown on the outside of the packaging, while the cookie itself is bigger than the package shown on the packaging, but so much smaller than the cookies shown right next to it.Maybe that's why they're at the 100 yen store.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2Wgg-food_shoppingFri, 01 Dec 2023 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2Wgg-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkYam-shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiSunday, December 3rd from 10:00AM to 3:00PM, Marine Gate Shiogama will host a Christmas/Winter holiday market. The fliers and posters show a lot of neat arts and crafts, seemingly all hand made and fun.A more detailed look at the shops and layout shows that there will be a Christmas tree near the elevators on the ground floor.There seem to be some nice food options too like curry, Christmas cookies, breads and cakes as well as more portable foods like jam, wine, and pasta sauce.Marine Gate is a short walk from HonShiogama Station on the Senseki Line, 320 yen and less than 30 minutes from Sendai.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkYam-shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiFri, 01 Dec 2023 11:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkYam-shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABy5-living_shoppingI was really excited to see the ad for this new Pokemon campaign at Mister Donut. It started at a weird time in mid November, but offered some interesting options. In addition to the Psyduck and Pikachu shaped donuts, there is a lovely PokeBall donut and two different more basic donuts in Pokemon themed plastic wrap.Our lovelies.I loved the PokeBall as it was a nice, different donut and my kid really enjoyed the Psyduck.Even more importantly, we spent the nearly 2000 yen to get the delux pack of 2 fancy donuts with our choice of a blanket or bento box. As my kid already has a gorgeous bento box and we we can always use another blanket, we went with option A.The blanket is soft and warm, showing many of our favorite pocket monsters lounging on donuts or each other.But what's this?A hidden purse? An accidental pouch? Nope.If you fold it up like an eco bag...And roll it all up inside...And zip it shut...You've got an adorable little pokemon pillow.We're looking forward to using this on a car trip next month.I kinda feel like 2000 yen is a bit steep for 2 donuts and a blanket, but we really wanted the blanket.And apparently we weren't the only ones, but we were lucky. A note went up on the Mister Donut where we bought ours the day after qe bought it.I thought it was a sold out notice but it's actually about the zipper being faulty on some blankets and the process for exchange if needed.So be careful with you pokeblankets if you're lucky enough to get them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABy5-living_shoppingMon, 20 Nov 2023 07:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MABy5-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP98E-living_education I was recently asked to read a certain picture book at a kindergarten where I regularly teach. While I acquiesced to the request, I also had certain reservations about the book itself. I know a lot of this relates to my own personal thoughts on educational materials but I think my logic here is pretty sound. When you're choosing an English language book to read to a classroom full of your average Japanese kindergartners, one of the first things you should look for are big, easy to understand pictures. If all the pictures on the page are smaller than the palm of my average adult sized hand (as was the case with the book I was asked to read) the kids in the back of the class will not be able to see the pictures clearly. Detail work, if you're going to ask about it in class (i.e. what color is it? What is he doing?) also needs to be big and easy to see for this kind of class. Picture books with smaller pictures or smaller details would be great for very small class lessons of five or fewer children who are gathered very closely to the page. Books like that are fine for one on one lessons also, provided the student can get close to the page. When you're observing social distancing, and there are between 20 and 30 children in the class, there is no way for any kid in the back to know what is happening in a small illustration unless they've already memorized the book. In the case I encountered recently, the kids had read the book previously in Japanese and a few of the littlest ones were excited about it anyway. Another thing that upset me about the book was the story. The star of the book in question is a little mouse who has a lovely hand-knit vest. One friend asks if he can try it on, so the mouse lends it. The vest doesn't fit the new friend, who smiles uncomfortably in the too-tight vest before lending the vest to the next in a long line of increasingly large creatures. The mouse eventually stumbles upon the vest being worn by an elephant, at which point the vest is so stretched out that the mouse cannot use it as a vest. A smaller picture on a wordless subsequent page shows the mouse now using the vest as a swing with the help of the elephant's trunk. My first issue is the friend lending the vest to another animal. Lending someone else something that is not yours is wrong and should not be presented to kids as normal behavior. My other big issue is the fat shaming. Making each animal bigger than a mouse stand there in the too small clothes, looking uncomfortable while the kids are encouraged to laugh at them, is also bad. You can tell that the writer and illustrator either never had issues with weight loss or finding clothes in their sizes, or have such serious issues with body size that they think kids should learn early to laugh at anyone whose clothes are tight. Honestly that isn't so surprising for Japan, but that doesn't make it okay. The one redeeming point of the book doesn't resound loud enough as it doesn't even have words. It's a sad mottanai afterthought and it's not enough. Needless to say, I won't be recommending this book to others.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP98E-living_educationThu, 02 Nov 2023 11:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP98E-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyN6k-living Back in September, Niantic released Monster Hunter Now, the latest in its fitness oriented phone based revamps of older games along the same lines as Pokemon Go and Pikmin Bloom. I can't compare Monster Hunter Now to previous Monster Hunter games as I haven't played any except for this one, but it's the same for me with Pokemon Go which I've been playing since 2016. In the couple of weeks that I've been playing Monster Hunter Now, I've managed to rise to level 35, had a lot of fun, and found some of issues. The first big difference from Pokemon Go and PikminBloom is that there's no incentive for distance. In Pokemon Go, an incubating egg hatches after you walk a certain distance. Something similar happened in Pikmin Bloom, but in Monster Hunter, the number of kilometers you trek seems to have no meaning whatsoever. Second, it's not a really good walking game overall. They warn you several times during the game to not engage with big monsters while on foot, suggesting that you get to a safe place, which i'm taking to mean slow down and do not enter a crosswalk. This is because you're going to need to focus on the gameplay at that point. When a monster of a decent size is fighting you, it will flash red right before it attacks. If you're not paying attention, you can get wiped out pretty easily especially early on when your armor isn't great yet. Even with healing potions, getting knocked out costs time and that can eliminate your chance to beat the creature. The bits and pieces you get from defeating monsters go into making or upgrading weapons and armor so you can stand against bigger monsters more easily. You only get experience to level up from the monsters with star level, which is another issue I have. If you want to level up by catching only dinky Pokemon in Pokemon Go, you can. It'll take ages, but it'll happen. Not so in Monster Hunter Now. Fighting the easy guys just gets you more windrake pelts. At level 35, I'm stuck at level 9 of the storyline because I don't have a powerful enough electrical weapon to fight the end monster for that chapter. I didn't know I needed one and now have to seek out more electrical monsters that might give me the bits I need to upgrade my weapon. I find this more tedious than fun. Group battles are also a bit different, too. In Pokemon Go, if you're in an area like mine and want to do big raid battles, you have to have a distant raid pass pr be right at the place when the first raid starts or you won't have enough people to take down the raid boss. In Monster Hunter Now, you can start a group battle with any big monster you happen across who has a star value but that doesn't mean anyone will respond. You might also see a button inviting you to a battle pop across your screen if you're in the right place at the right time and level. Overall, it's fun but the need to walk long distances is gone and replaced with seeking specific monsters for upgrading weapons and armor. Also, playing when you are perceived to have moved at superhuman speeds, whether by vehicle or satellite positioning issues, is impossible. It flattens out the opportunities around you until you stop moving, so playing on the train or long car trips is not advisable.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyN6k-livingMon, 30 Oct 2023 18:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyN6k-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVYR5-drink_productI found this at a 7-11 convenience store in Miyagi in October of 2023. Its colorful packaging set it apart from the normal Match drinks sitting next to it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVYR5-drink_productTue, 24 Oct 2023 21:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVYR5-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJ8P-drink_productI found this at a 7-11 convenience store in Miyagi prefecture in October of 2023. Its slim, slightly fancier bottle intrigued me and the flavors are things I have enjoyed in the past.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJ8P-drink_productTue, 24 Oct 2023 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weJ8P-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Wrx-drink_productThis is a weird thing I found at a slightly more upscale (new) York Benimal Grocery store in Miyagi prefecture in fall of 2023.I don't know what I was expecting so I have no idea what elderflower is supposed to taste like.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Wrx-drink_productTue, 24 Oct 2023 21:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Wrx-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRo4e-living_shopping_fashion_howto If you are ordering clothes from Uniqlo on the internet, you may have a chance to take advantage of some cool sales or get sizes that aren't necessarily available in store, but paying online can seem like a challenge when you don't have a credit card. Actually, in Japan, there are a lot of ways to pay online without a credit card but every retailer has their own options. For Uniqlo.co.jp, there are a few non credit card choices. My favorite is this.The current easy to use non credit card options seem to be D-pay and the PayPay, so those are also options, though not ones I use. You can also choose to pay at the store if you can get to a Uniqlo store in person.Same thing, but in English. I don't know why cash on delivery is no longer an option but I would assume COD was always heading the way of the dinosaurs, much as it did in the states a while back. I usually choose the Pay Later (Google translates it as postpayment but the kanji is 後払い ) option, which means about a week after my clothes arrive, a bill arrives. Within about a week, I take that bill to the convenience store of my choice and pay before the deadline also marked on the bill.As long as I pay it before or on 10/24, everything is fine and good. I'm not entirely sure what happens if you don't pay it but it doesn't sound like something worth finding out. Just pay your bills. At the beginning of this month, I saw a few pairs of flannel pajama pants that I just could not be without and replacements for shorts that became worn and torn during the summer. The resulting purchase I decided to have sorted this way. Now, I'll have to do is take this piece of paper to the convenience store with the cash in hand, pay them and be done with the whole system. It is advisable to keep your receipt upon payment, just in case there are any hiccups in the system, you'll still be able to prove that you did pay it. I've never had any payment I made through a convenience store be called into question. I highly recommend this system if you are buying things on the Uniqlo website and do not have access to a credit card.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRo4e-living_shopping_fashion_howtoMon, 23 Oct 2023 09:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRo4e-living_shopping_fashion_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gon4j-living_education_familylife The other day, I happened upon a social media post regarding a recently published article about some of the difficulties faced by one foreign mom in Japan years ago. The writer, the previously mentioned mother, explained in numerous ways how she felt that the notes sent home from the teachers made her feel inadequate and the focus on remembering every little thing that each kid was meant to bring every day was too much. The teachers seemed to say that a kid forgetting one thing here or there will set them up poorly for life and that it was her fault as a mother for not preparing them better. Her kids still grew up fine, the author remarked. I have not had this experience. It's not that I haven't forgotten stuff. Every school year, we forget things a few times, and we feel bad, but I've yet to receive admonishment from the school. When we forgot to send her with her water bottle one day, we were asked to reimburse them for the bottle of water they gave her, and this was done without any issue. Maybe it's a different time and Japanese schools better acknowledge the difficulties in raising kids and remembering all the details. Maybe it's my kid's school where most households are dual income so almost no one has a stay-at-home spouse to make sure of all the details. Maybe we've been lucky not to get harassment for our forgetfulness or I've been too distracted to notice it. Maybe with the declining birthrate continuing its trend, schools are opting for the more understanding and polite approach over the stringent admonishments because keeping the classes full is more important. I don't know why our experiences are so different, but they are.My experience with forgetting stuff for my kid's school is like a rainbow. Things kinda suck for a minute, but they will get better. Embrace growth over shame. Do better next time. When we forgot to order school lunch, they supplied a lunch and we paid them back. When we forgot to send her chopsticks, they gave her disposable ones. We forgot her drink one time and paid them back for it. It's not the end of the world and honestly, almost anything you could have forgotten I seem to have, but my kids is still in that school. No one told me I was a failure or sent a mean note home. Nothing bad seemed to happen from it, but we did try harder to remember in the future. Compared to my experience as a kid, Japanese elementary school kids bring a whole lot of stuff to school, and these things change on different days and it only gets more complicated as they start clubs and activities. It's easy to forget some of it sometimes. If you have had kids in school and forgotten things that they were meant to bring, how did you handle it? Did you get passive aggressive notes from the teacher?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gon4j-living_education_familylifeThu, 19 Oct 2023 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gon4j-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK393-drink_productI saw this in a Welcia in Miyagi in early October 2023. It looked like an interesting choice for flavors, and Monster has done okay with flavors like this before, so I decided to give it a shot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK393-drink_productWed, 18 Oct 2023 19:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK393-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNvQl-living_medical_education_work Right now, we should all have some basic idea of things we should do to keep our workplace safe from COVID as the numbers of hospitalizations increase from a number of illnesses that are running rampant through Japan right now. At the school where I work the most often, we still check the temperatures of the kids coming in, make sure everyone wears a mask and keeps the mask over their nose and mouth without playing with it or touching their faces for the duration of the class. We also sanitize the desks and chairs between classes. I do what I can to maintain some level of social distance when possible , but all of this has become more challenging since Japan laxed its COVID rules a few months as go. Despite staying masked in public, sanitizing my hands on the regular, and generally being careful, I managed to catch COVID in September and now I am pretty sure that I know where I brought it home from, and that's work. It was weird that one of my coworkers caught it around the same time as I did, but I didn't put the pieces together until I saw another of my coworkers handing the vocabulary cards every teacher in the school uses to the students and letting them play around with the hard-to-clean unlaminated card stock. Socially distant teaching is a challenge, as most of what we used in class before the pandemic involved card games and such that don't work as well when kids can't hold the cards. We adapted. The coworker who was handing out cards to kids had to have witnessed me dozens of times dealing out cards to students with the caveat of "Don't touch!" The kids can read the cards in front of them and point to the one they want to play, at which point I will pick them up and play them. This way the only person touching the cards is one who knows to spray down their hands if they have to touch their face before they touch the cards again. Why would that matter? Because you can catch COVID and be making other people sick for days before you get symptoms and kids aren't great at adhering to these don't-touch-your-dang-face rules especially as adults pretend the rules stopped existing in April. Let's say one kid has it but doesn't know it and reached his hand into his mask to rub the snot off of his nose when the teacher isn't looking. The teacher hands him a card. That card is now crawling with COVID germs which spread when it touches the other cards when it's handed back. The teacher sprays down the kids' hands, but the cards are still contaminated.See these? These cannot withstand hand sanitizer. I'm the only one who touches them. The next teacher to touch the cards, thinking they are safe from random snot germs, is a woman who spent the last two years pregnant or breastfeeding and was unable to get the vaccine in that time. She catches COVID. It spreads to her infant. The teacher gets long COVID and literally cannot work for weeks. Her kid has to be admitted to the hospital because the fever just won't stay down. While I can't be 100% sure about the snot germs on the cards, everything after the picture happened to my friend and coworker. Given that she and I both had managed to not catch it in the years leading up to this and the week after we both catch it, I see the kids handling the cards, I'm going to go ahead and guess that the one big change in our risk level was someone getting untold numbers of other people's germs on the school properly we handle every class and cannot spray down with hand sanitizer. If you're working eikaiwa and using cards that can't be cleaned easily, don't let the kids touch the cards unless you're the only one using the cards and are happy to take in whatever germs the kids may have.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNvQl-living_medical_education_workTue, 10 Oct 2023 13:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNvQl-living_medical_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3jEQ-living_shopping_howto If you play a lot of video games on PC, then you probably already know about Steam, which has been around for twenty years now and is an easy way to find some of the latest games that are available on PC and get them at a decent discount if you shop during sales times. You can also make a wish list of games that you are interested in and receive emails when they go on sale, which happens regularly. Steam sales are really big in summer and winter, but also happen in fall and spring and give lots of opportunities for the budget-conscious gamer to enjoy, including some entirely free games. Personally I now have a steam library of 93 games, only a handful of which I've actually played and many I acquired for free. The rest I bought at a steep discount during one sale or another. I don't think I've paid full price for a game that cost more than $15 since I started using Steam. If you're a budget-conscious gamer, living in Japan without a credit card, you might think that shopping online is impossible but you would be wrong. Many online merchants in Japan are set up fairly well for managing that specific situation with a variety of options, which I guess plays hand in hand with the fact that bank cards that you get from your bank in Japan are not usually debit cards and don't have that capability.As September 2023, Steam has these payment options available. Of course you have to pick your game(s) and click check-out to get to this screen. Do not use Japanese PayPal. They are useless and awful in my personal experience. These are all the options that I saw available when I attempted to check out the other day. For some reason, Steam has decided it no longer likes the rechargeable Japanese Mastercard that I have been using for years, so I instead went to the Konbini option.No 7-11? I guess I'll go with Family Mart... This means paying at the convenience store, or konbini, which I have done before and find easy enough to do. After you select Konbini, you'll be taken to another page to select the convenience store chain that you prefer. After you've chosen, write down the numbers they give you or take a picture with your phone and go to the store that you listed as your choice. When you provide them with the number that you were given, you will have the opportunity to pay right there in person in cash. By the time you get back to your PC, the game will be in your library. This can be a really convenient option if you live in a place with a decent number of convenience stores that align with the ones offered on the website. It isn't quite as useful if you're too far in the countryside, but it's better than never getting to shop online.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3jEQ-living_shopping_howtoThu, 05 Oct 2023 18:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3jEQ-living_shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxNjZ-living_medical_health If you've been unfortunate enough to catch COVID, even if you're fully vaccinated, you may notice some long-term symptoms. As you get back to work after the five day waiting period that Japan allowed rather than the 10-day period during which you are still infectious, it's important to keep public safety in mind. So even if Japan officially says that you are safe to be out and about, unmasked and sneezing freely into the faces of random strangers at five days after your symptoms appear, the germs you're releasing into the world can still make others sick. Ten days is what scientists say it takes to stop producing enough COVID germs to infect others. For those of us who could get vaccinated and did, being around someone who had it a few days ago might not be a big deal. For those who couldn't get vaccinated because of pre-existing conditions or auto-immune disorders, this can kill. Literally kill. Like really, this is what the whole masking and social distancing thing was about. For many people, the real threat of COVID didn't end with some of us getting the option to be vaccinated, no matter what the prime minister decides in regards to masking and staying away from other people. Even if you feel better, stay masked and maintain social distance as you can at least for ten days, because COVID isn't something you should be trying to share. Now, assuming you're not playing Typhoid Mary to your community and are well on your way to better, remember that recovery takes time. It's important to give yourself enough time to heal, if you can, and a little extra the time and patience to do the things that might have been easier to do before. Since my job frequently requires walking across town, I have spent the week after recovery giving myself an extra five to ten minutes to make the journey. I also pay more attention to dizzy spells, confusion, and exhaustion than I did before.Glide like the seagull. Take your time. Another thing I've noticed in the long term post covid is a slightly worst case of nominal aphasia. My brain is forgetting words at a faster, more aggressive rate than before and it's frustrating. For most of my work, this isn't a big deal, but if you are working the kind of job where suddenly forgetting the word you were trying to use would be extremely problematic, keep accessibility tools nearby, so you can try to find the word online or in a dictionary or thesaurus. Most importantly, give yourself a break. You're doing your best to heal from unprecedented disease that literally killed an amazing number of people worldwide. Do what you can to help yourself recover. Give yourself time if you can, and if you have to get back to work really quick, try to take it as easy as you can, remembering to supply accessibility for possible neurological differences that may occur. Stay safe, and if you can't, take time to recover.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxNjZ-living_medical_healthTue, 03 Oct 2023 12:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxNjZ-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEk0g-living_medical_familylife I was going to call this COVID Induced Staycation in Miyagi Part 4: Plague House, but it was more than a staycation and the impressive thing was not getting everyone sick. So it finally happened. We caught the plague.Top line: you do not have the flu.Bottom line: You definitely have the plague. When it started for me, I felt like this couldn't possibly be the plague, because of how it came on and how mild it felt to me. Keep in mind I am fully vaccinated and have taken every shot available to me regarding staving off the coronavirus. I am in reasonably decent health and have type-o blood, which apparently seems to relate to having milder symptoms overall. It started with a bit of a tickling in my throat which I attributed to dehydrated or a summer cold coming on. A few days later, after a grueling walk in the midday sun, I felt utterly wiped out and assumed it was heat exhaustion. A few hours later, the fever started and I masked up and laid down. I spent the next 36 hours only getting up to use the bathroom, drink a lot of water, eat something, and take over-the-counter sinus and fever medicine. We tried to separate the family, which is hard in a Japanese apartment, and my kid came down with a fever of her own a couple of days later, a few hours after mine was over. I was upset with myself for not keeping her safe, but now I'm guessing that I likely infected her when I was still asymptomatic. Since her fever was spiking a little higher, we went to the hospital where they asked if she wanted to take a COVID test just to be safe. It came back positive in seconds and we were quickly shuttled away. Once home, I checked via newly purchased home test. I had taken three previously purchased tests the first night of my fever, and they all came back inconclusive or negative. Apparently they were just old. My new one came back with a positive for Corona in less than a minute. We would be sent medicine and had to pay 500 yen for the delivery. My kid wasn't drinking enough fluids to flush her system as quickly as I had flushed mine, and once we got that settled, she quickly recovered. We still had to take the rest of the week off, since we could still get people sick even after our symptoms abated. Most of the week went fine but the most stressful thing was trying to keep my husband safe. When he caught Covid, it was really hard on his body and we didn't want to go through that again. He slept in a different room and we tried to sanitize the social space before he came home. I was very lucky that neither of us had a hard time with it and both my kid and I were sick at the same time, so I could help her without being afraid of getting sick. Despite my husband's insistence that droplets only spread when you talk (inaccurate-- if you breathe, small particles fly from your mouth and/or nose, which is why the nose-out maskers are not helping themselves) and my having to constantly remind him to mask up, he managed to not catch Covid from us! If you're in a similar situation, mask up and isolate ASAP. Stay vaccinated and stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEk0g-living_medical_familylifeMon, 02 Oct 2023 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEk0g-living_medical_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3q9Q-livingThis is a throw back to early August but one thing I was shocked to see at an aquarium in Fukushima was the Sendai style Tanabata decorations, celebrating different aquarium animals.From above you can see the details in the construction of the heads.From below, you can appreciate the drapey length of the colorful streamers.If you want to see things like this in person, you'll habe to wait for next August and head for Sendai station. Maybe they'll be back in Fukushima then, too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3q9Q-livingSun, 24 Sep 2023 20:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3q9Q-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN4Ll-livingI usually don't note my absences here, but I feel the need to do so on this occasion. I write posts in my head but sometimes forget to put them onto the internet, and things get busy on occassion, but this month shaped up to be one of the hardest of my recent life and that is saying something.As I will discuss in a few upcoming posts, my kid and I caught covid and managed to recover without getting my husband sick, which is still a shocker. My frustrations with finances (mostly PayPal) have caused extra stress, causing me to take a break from a lot of things as I work toward a happier medium for myself.I started a new project that I'm anxious to share with all of you as soon as it's complete. It's the first time I've really used anything from my major in ages.My family had an amazing summer adventure that I really wanted to blog about immediately but instead got busy enjoying the things and living in the moment. I still took tons of pictures and notes to share woth you all as soon as I have the energy to put them together.For now, we're rejoicing in the cooler temperatures and appreciating finally getting to see the sea again, after all these months of staring out at the world from behind a stained tarp.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN4Ll-livingSun, 24 Sep 2023 20:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN4Ll-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxkaZ-living_educationSendai city's Museum of History and Folklore is apparently having an exhibit about luxury items of food and drink. The exhibit runs through November twelfth and general entry costs 240 yen for adults, 120 yen for elementary and middle school students.The museum is located in Tsutsujigaoka Park, a short twenty minute walk from Sendai station or an even shorter 1 minute walk from Tsutsujigaoka subway station. More information is available at the website here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxkaZ-living_educationSun, 24 Sep 2023 20:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxkaZ-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO3Pv-living One of our most fun but exhausting little adventures this summer was when my kid and I walked all the way to the beach. It took two whole hours and I was so exhausted that we found a random bus stop on the way back and took it halfway home. On the way, we elected to stop for a bathroom break and drink purchase at Family Mart, where they also had the opportunity to try to win one of these adorable Sumikkogurashi characters in dog costumes and to our mutual shock, my kid won one! She was elated and despite a couple more tries, I haven't managed to win anything more exciting than a pouch. She really is a lucky kid.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO3Pv-livingSun, 24 Sep 2023 20:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO3Pv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0Brj-living_food_shoppingMy family visited a Kurazushi restaurant for the first time in a while the other night a noticed something new. The conveyor belt sushi place has been a favorite for ages both because of it's covered sushi on the belt and for the bikkuripon capsules patrons can win.Usually, for every five plates that are put into the slot in the table, the diners get one chance to win a prize. Apparently now, if you agree to spend ten more yen per plate, you can get your chance to win after every third plate instead of every fifth, increasing your odds of winning.While we elected not to bother this time, we will be considering this if and when any of our friends or family from abroad visit for bonus chances to send them home with a fun souvenir and a story to go with it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0Brj-living_food_shoppingSun, 24 Sep 2023 19:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0Brj-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvXZ-living_educationDid you wanna see some haniwa this summer? I guess you should have taken the time to get to the Tohoku History Museum!Unfortunately I only read the dates today so I won't be getting to see the artifacts or learn more about the ancient people of Japan who made them this time, but I have to note how neat the illustrated ad is. I don't know if any kids were convinced to go and explore history this summer based on these ads, but they charmed me nonetheless.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvXZ-living_educationSun, 24 Sep 2023 18:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvXZ-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoAy-living_foodThe other day, we decided to order dinner from our local Korakuen ramen franchise. We used to go to this shop once a month before the pandemic, and we've been a few times since. The last time my husband called in an order for pickup at 6PM, he showed up on time to find them just deciding to start it and only because he was standing in front of them.We don't know what happened to the staff, but whatever made this place alright before is gone. Still, I assumed that their point of sale system with UberEATS would be better and my husband encouraged me to order from them.It was delivered well and I had no issues with the driver, but I was shocked to see this when I opened the package.This is the soup for the kids ramen, with shards of plastic inside. The lid is melted because it was far too hot when packaged. This means chemicals from the plastic are now in the soup. This means the soup is toxic and they wanted me to feed it to my kid?!Via the UberEATS app, I easily found a link to report a food safety issue and got a quick response, telling me they were taking it seriously and would get back to me. Within an hour of explaining my situation, I was given a refund and a little UberEATS credit for the trouble.This is how a company keeps my business.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoAy-living_foodSun, 24 Sep 2023 17:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoAy-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MER6g-living_shoppingWith the equinox yesterday and the cooler temperatures prevailing, it seems a great time to recount the weirdest thing I saw during summer 2023 in Japan.I did not buy these as I had nowhere to set them off, but for some reason poop fireworks are a thing and I can't say I'm here for it.Why is the illustration doing magic? Is it just like the snake pellet crappy fireworks in the states? The ones that just generate massive trails of ash and burn out?Is it supposed to do something else?Does it stink?I have so many more questions than answers.I left it where I found it, in the discounted summer leftover section at Homac.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MER6g-living_shoppingSun, 24 Sep 2023 17:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MER6g-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx1d-living_moneyI still haven't been able to get my 3500 yen out of the hell hole that is Japanese PayPal.Their Twitter based useless people have one opinion about why:So I clicked though and logged in and found this:So they literally just have no idea what in the hell they are talking about. At all. And this is par for the course.The stress of this isn't worth the money, but I really need the money and then there's the principle of the thing. It's my money, but I can't spend it or send it or use it or anything. They can just sit with my money forever, apparently.Oh, but they want my mynumber, the Japanese social security type identification number that I had to fight to get last year. I'm considering telling the trash lords that I was told I couldn't have one, which is true. The fact that we then went back to city hall with the paperwork they had sent me in the mail a year before that to force them to give me one is beside the point.Japanese PayPal is at best utterly incompetent. The less of my personal information they hold, the better.I can't wait to be done with this dumpster fire of a company.I did look through their list of websites that take Japan based PayPal. None sells anything that can be bought for 3500 yen or less.Please do not use this company. Ever. For anything. Literally burning your money would be better because at least you'd know where your money is at the point, and you wouldn't have to fight for it anymore.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx1d-living_moneySun, 24 Sep 2023 17:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx1d-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYmn-livingAll earthquakes suck, but the magnitude 5.5, 4 of 6 on the Japan scale, shock of the morning the other day hit at 4:32 AM and I was not amused.This graphic appeared on my phone, which must be New in recent updates as it definitely hasn't happened before. The voice is still a calm British woman, sounding a little disappointed in the situation, repeating only the word "Earthquake."My husband's phone had a lot more to say in Japanese and all the angry alarms were going off, warning us that this might be a big one.So we herded into the living room and turned on the TV, waiting for the news chirons to tell us if we needed to scamper up hill and inland to avoid a tsunami. By the time it was confirmed that no tsunami was coming, it was already a quarter to five, and my kid would have had to be up at 5:20 anyway to start getting ready for school. As it takes me more than ten minutes on a good day to get to sleep, I opted to stay up too and we just got an extra early start to the morning, thanks to living on the ring of fire.There's no good time for a quake but I would prefer them.... never actually. It's just extra sucky when it steals sleep.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYmn-livingSun, 24 Sep 2023 16:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYmn-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GByKR-livingThe last time I went to the beach with my kid, we ran into some issues with people just getting too darn close.The beach had a maskless policy to avoid heatstroke, so I wanted to keep social distancing as well as we could. Every time we sat our stuff on our leisure sheet, someone would sit right next to us.Frequently it was folks being displaced by the lifeguard lane, just looking for somewhere to put their stuff and not thinking about how close they were to us.So we would come back from a quick dip in the sea, find ourselves within 3 feet of some randos, pull our leisure sheet a little further away, and run back into the ocean to repeat the process ad nauseam.Then the tent fam showed up and popped their 2-3 person tent up within 3 feet to the side of our stuff. On the other side of their tent, six feet of open sand stood waiting for whatever they wanted to put next to their tent. Instead, the put their various flotation devices between their tent and our little leisure sheet, equidistant from both.By this point, I'd moved our stuff three times and didn't want to do it again. I was so frustrated with the lack of respect that my kid had to calm me down. Within second, I had a plan.We moved our sheet again, this time straight forward and slightly in front of the tent. They had more space to get by us than they had left between their stuff and ours.Then my kid and I quickly whipped up a sand barrier, a wall that extended on foot high in the back and about half as tall in the front. I wasn't trying to tell the ocean that I, a human, had possessions that didn't need to be co-opted into itself, after all. The visual reminder that other people exist and their stuff isn't there for you to crap on (even if they didn't bring a tent) seemed to annoy the tent family enough that they immediately sent a family member to gaurd the tent, as if my declaration of This Stuff Exists was somehow a threat to them.I didn't care that much about their discomfort and odds are that they weren't looking to take my possessions either, but crowding into someone else's space when you don't have to, when other spaces are open to you, is something they needed to be made aware of.It was basically our only real beach day this year, and thanks to a little creative construction, it wasn't ruined by my frustration or other people thinking our space wasn't worth considering when they plopped all their crap down within inches of our stuff.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GByKR-livingSun, 24 Sep 2023 16:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GByKR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we14O-living_shoppingI didn't buy these because they're a bit expensive for me since I'm not sure if I need hair wax or how to use it.Reviewing it properly isn't an option since I didn't buy it and use it, but I had to take a picture.Such lovely colorful packaging and great, clear distinctions in quality and hold probably make this a great product for someone who knows what they want in regards to hair wax and enjoys Pokemon. Honestly, if I were still friends with one of my college roommates, he'd be getting some of these for Christmas.There appears to be a pair in of promo codes included with the packages, so this could be advantageous for someone who is into the Pokemon trading card game.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we14O-living_shoppingSun, 24 Sep 2023 16:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we14O-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4vgp-livingI was in the middle of a film project and realized I needed video of forests in general and squirrels in the wild in specific. Where could I go but Shiogama Shrine?The trees were lovely and massive and gorgeous as always. The mosquitos were utter bastards but I was so distracted by the rest of nature and PokemonGo that I barely noticed them at the time.Unfortunately, the closest I came to seeing a real squirrel was this sign, but the videos I took of the trees were enough for my project.Don't smoke in the woods, y'all. If you don't know, the stick the squirrel is holding is associated with ancient firemen in Japan.Where to you go to find squirrels?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4vgp-livingSun, 24 Sep 2023 16:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4vgp-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPbeY-livingFinally, after six months of agony, the company refurbishing our building to maintain its earthquake-proof status has completed work and my balcony is mine again!The only plant to make it through from outside in March to outside in September is this half dead lavender. It turns out lavender doesn't really like moisture, so growing it in a humid place like near the sea in Japan isn't really the best idea anyway.In the meantime, I've bought a couple of things to help balance out the sad loss of life inflicted on my little garden. Another broccoli and cauliflower went into the ground in a small pot, but I'll be replanting them in something bigger after payday. I also grabbed another basil and rosemary. Unfortunately, the apple mint I grabbed at the same time just collapsed into nothing and all the mint related advice I saw online was no help at all.At least now I have the life experience not to take the death too personally.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPbeY-livingSun, 24 Sep 2023 15:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPbeY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA310-living_food_shoppingIt's still unnerving to me that Doordash sold out our area to Wolt, a similar company in that they deliver food but less similar in that they have never delivered to our area.I checked in again yesterday because I'm still getting ads with discounts from them. It's been over a year. Something may have changed, right?Not as far as I can tell. It's not that much of a loss as UberEATS and Demaekan both do deliver to our area, now.But I really wish the Wolt people would stop sending discounts to people who geographically cannot use them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA310-living_food_shoppingSun, 24 Sep 2023 15:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MA310-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYk0-living_money_work In Japan, we still use banks for a lot of things including transfers between accounts as a means to make payments or receive payments for work, but for those of us trying to do more international work and online work, that might not be as easy as a possibility. Decades ago, PayPal in America started doing this kind of a job specifically in conjunction with sites like eBay to protect the sellers and buyers from exchanging information that could be sensitive like credit card numbers and the like. Still Paypal internationally is accepted at tens of thousands of retailers. However, an American paypal account that connects to an American bank has significantly different options than a Japanese paypal account. When I first got my Japanese paypal account in 2016, I had to sign up with the website and then receive a note verified in the mail to prove my identity. After that, I could use my Japanese PayPal account to accept payments from students and shop online. Nowadays, there are many more successful similar options in Japan like Paypay, and the number of retailers that accept Paypal from a Japanese account online is down to 30 according to a search I ran through their website. The one student that was paying me through this account quit years ago and the most use it has been since then was to receive a monetary gift from a family member last month. I was able to send some money to my American PayPal account to use online but hadn't thought to send it all, which I am now regretting. When I tried to use the less than half of the remaining cash at one of the few online retailers that accepts Japanese PayPal, I received this notice. Unaware of any reason for this limitation, I went to the help chat where a robot told me in Japanese to check the FAQs, which did not help. One part of the website suggests turning off the limitations on your profile but there is no actual way to do that. I tried to send the remainder to my other account and got a similar message. I even tried to send as little as 200 yen, and still got this message. After all of that, the last idea I had was to try to send it to my Japanese bank account, a process which I was reluctant to try again. Previous attempts only resulted in the sent money disappearing from my account for a few days before reappearing short a few hundred yen of sundry fees. Hopefully it works better this time, since they've had years to figure out how to do something the American version was doing before I moved to Japan. By the end of the months, I'm closing my Japanese PayPal account since it has revealed itself to be utterly useless. I recommend not getting an account with them and closing any account with them you may have. If my money doesn't come through to my bank account, I'll be forced to burn a day off on the phone, fighting with whatever kind of a help desk I can find on their website. Japanese PayPal is garbage. Don't use them. You have better options.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYk0-living_money_workFri, 01 Sep 2023 15:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYk0-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MER2P-living_transportation_howto If you're in a metropolis, you probably already have a decent train route to somewhere near the beach, and once upon a time, similar things existed in Miyagi. Once in 2010, I took a train all the way up to Nobiru beach and walked maybe 200 meters between the train station and the ocean. 2011 changed all that and all the train lines moved further inland when they were rebuilt, so now the distance between the beach and the train line is much more challenging on foot than it used to be.Sun, fun, sand and waves, but how do we get there? Not being in a major city and not having a car can be huge impediments on getting to the beach. We've used taxis and walked, but the most comfortable solution we've found is this: busses. 1) If you want to get to the beach without a car in Japan, the first thing you should do is an internet search for beaches in your area or the specific beach you intend to visit. It was only in checking the website for this specific beach that I found out that there was a bus line connecting it to a train station near my home. The website even gave a link to a page where I could download the schedule for the bus, which is step two. 2) If you can find the details for the bus online, it'll likely include pdf documents featuring the schedule. Looking over this might be daunting if you aren't great at Japanese or don't know the exact bus stop name for the place you're trying to go. I had to take a screenshot and use Google Translate on it to be sure of the kanji for my beach plan. 3) Be sure of the times of the busses you want to take and remember that they aren't quite as punctual as trains, being that they also have to deal with traffic. I usually plan to be at least ten minutes early just to make sure I can identify the bus and get on the right one. 4) Take the bus, and pay attention on the way both so that you know when to get off and so that you can find your way back of you miss your intended return bus and have to walk. 5) Pay attention when you get off the bus, and not just to your possessions or watching your step. Look for the return bus stop and make sure it's for your intended bus. They will usually be just across the street from the bus stop where you got off, but might be further off depending on the logistics of your specific location. 6) Enjoy your day at the beach and make sure to be at the return bus stop ten minutes before it is set to arrive.Note: Some small regional busses like the one we took might require verbal confirmation of where you're going and payment up front, before you're even seated. Having your change ready can be beneficial.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MER2P-living_transportation_howtoTue, 29 Aug 2023 12:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MER2P-living_transportation_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvYv-foods_productFound these at a convenience store at a highway rest stop near Utsunomiya in Tochigi prefecture, an area known for lemons and this nostalgic lemon milk pictured on the package.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvYv-foods_productFri, 25 Aug 2023 11:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvYv-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoQB-living I found this guy at the Uminomori Aquarium in Sendai last week and I was shocked! There's not a lot of attention drawn to his unassuming tank, but as I looked past the bundle of eel curled up on the floor of the tank, I was elated to see this bug-eyed beasty, in its relaxed state, just chilling out and being bigger than the small stuffed dolphin my kid convinced me to spend 1200 yen on. Can you even imagine what he would look like if he got scared?! He would be bigger than a beach ball, I'd bet. If you're in Sendai and into fugu, go pay this little big guy a visit.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoQB-livingFri, 25 Aug 2023 11:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoQB-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9EP8-living_medical_health On a recent beach trip with my kid, I managed to get a fairly awful sunburn. Like many people, I managed to coat the easily reached parts of my face and upper body without much issue, but only getting my kid to help cover an exposed area of my back once meant that my skin has been fried in an area I find it hard to apply skin cream to. If you're like me, as easy to sunburn as it is to forget to apply sunscreen, one way to improve your skin's healing time from this painful plight is going to involve a small vat at aloe cream and a flat backed plastic back scratcher, preferably with a telescoping handle. This aloe cream is from Welcia where I recall it costing in the neighborhood of 1000 yen. The backscratcher is from Can Do and only cost 100 yen. Simply plop a dollop of cream on the back of the scratcher and telescope it out to the appropriate length for reaching your unreachable spaces. Then move as you would to use it as a backscratcher, stopping as it makes contact with the skin and rubbing slowly to apply the cream instead of moving quickly in a scratching motion. Within a few applications via this process, I found that I had managed to cover the red patches of my back with healing aloe cream without having to pester my family to come and help. The flat back is important because we want to use it more like an icing spatula than a backscratcher. Similar impliments with many holes would be less useful. Using the palm of the backscratcher's hand-shaped ending would also be a bad call as scratching the damaged skin is something you should avoid doing for the sake of healing what's there and less of the cream would be making contact with the skin. Also, somewhat thick creams work better for this. While this method could also work for reapplying sunscreen to the frequently adversely affected swaths of skin at the beach, the weird looks from passersby likely won't be as welcome so I would advise covering up the skin you can't easily reach when going out on aggressively sunny days instead. In addition, keeping a sunscreen with an SPF value of at least 50 with you and reapplying it hourly should cut down on the need for this kind of thing. Most of the people found on Japanese beaches in my experience tend to be closer to fully covered anyway and these days there are many lightweight, UV blocking jackets available.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9EP8-living_medical_healthThu, 24 Aug 2023 08:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9EP8-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbY1W-living_familylife_utsunomiya_shi_tochigi My family recently took a trip to a Zoo in Tochigi prefecture, which frequent readers might realize is very far from where we live in Miyagi, but as part of our summer fun initiative, we made the long journey southward and wound up at the zoo's entrance on a day that promised to be very interesting. Originally, we're lured there by an advertisement that stated that the manager of the place was a cat. We know it's just a publicity mascot thing but it's still exciting for my kid, who is cat obsessed. Unfortunately, that cat was busy, out making his rounds or doing his job or whatever it is that cats who are also managers do during their work days. So we were unable to see him during our visit, but we did see a lot of fun stuff. The first big shock to me was that they had several options to buy small amounts of food and little signs that said which animals you could feed and who you couldn't feed. With the vegetable selections given, I was really surprised that you were welcome to feed the giraffes. Two big things make this interesting and fabulous. One is that the giraffes seem much happier in more responsive than their depressed looking breathren in Yagiyama zoo in Sendai. This is probably due to people meaning potential food source and that they get a nice grassy space instead of a tiny paved quadrant. The second awesome thing about this is you actually get to see how a giraffe eats. Its tongue comes out and grips whatever the food is and pulls it into its face. The exciting thing about that is you get to be the person on the other side of that, holding up the piece of cabbage or thing slice of corn on the cob. It was an unforgettable experience for my whole family. Addition to the giraffes, you can also feed goats, deer and sheep. There's also a pond with koi fish and a nearby vending machine with food for them, too. On the other side of the koi pond is a small amusement park that we were delighted to find mostly uninhabited. We got to ride the biggest roller coaster, the monorail, the ferris wheel, the carousel, and the go-carts, all without waiting in line once! We hung around for (and participated in!) the dog show that showcased the talents of four fantastic pooches. A lot of the buildings are painted with some excellent wall art, and we signed up so my kid could feed a lion (with tongs) so the whole event was memorable and excellent. Pet bottle for scale. There's also a huge pool attached to the zoo but we didn't have time nor bring our swimsuits. If you're looking for some fun that would help a small business stay in business and give you a breath of uncrowded fresh air, Utsunomiya Doubutsuen is a great place to be this summer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbY1W-living_familylife_utsunomiya_shi_tochigiFri, 18 Aug 2023 09:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbY1W-living_familylife_utsunomiya_shi_tochigihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0Bp1-living_money_work I've been trying to pick up a few extra students online and considering that I have 15 years of teaching experience, a lot of the options that are open to random internet people aren't really quite my cup of tea. Signing up to teach someone else's curriculum for less than 20 bucks an hour isn't going to work for me for obvious reasons. The last time I checked, the going rate for one hour of English teaching from a native speaker in my area was around 3000 yen per hour. Even with the falling into dollar exchange rate, I still can't really wrap my head around accepting something like nine dollars an hour for teaching, yet that's exactly what one website suggested I do because I don't have American teaching credentials aside from an online certified TEFL and 15 years teaching experience. I also have a bachelor's degree from an accredited American institution, but not a degree in teaching. Trying to find a company that would work with my hours and my options was a big challenge, so I was very excited when I happened upon Preply.One day, maybe I will, creepy app. It seems you can pick your own hours and change your prices according to what you want to offer and they will take a percentage of whatever it is you make. That percentage will get smaller the more you teach, according to their website. I thought this sounded like probably the best version of this setup that I'm going to get right now so I signed up. The process for signing up took about ten days of me going back and forth, re-recording pictures and welcome videos and re-explaining myself while hunting down ancient TEFL certificates. Finally, I got the okay to go ahead and be a part of that community where they suggested based on my qualifications that I offer classes for nine dollars an hour or less.Who is Ben G? Why does Inactive Student have an account? How can they open a message box with me and not actually message me? What is going on?! Six weeks passed with no actual messages or class requests. Part of this is due to my awkward scheduling and part due to my choice for pricing. The website recommends setting classes for 7-10 AM in Japan, which isn't a time that I have available usually.Screen shot from the website. The peak hours change based on your timezone and they use a 24 hour clock, so they mean 7-10 AM in Japan. It's my assumption that the best way to make this work is to lower prices to almost nothing for a time in order to attract customers and get reviews. Since you don't get paid for trial lessons anyway, you might as well do those for $5 each or less, right? After a month or two of burning up your energy for profit equal to less than a cup of coffee per hour, you start increasing prices. A lot of clients will fall away, chasing cheaper deals, but the ones who know what a deal they were getting will stay, hopefully. If you were only in the market for a few more students, this might be a way to find them. I just don't have the time to put into it when my kid is out for summer breakTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0Bp1-living_money_workMon, 07 Aug 2023 16:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0Bp1-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxkpo-living_shopping_medical_familylife It was early in our child's life when my husband related to me that when he was around seven years old, his eyesight suddenly degraded from totally normal vision to needing thick glasses. I had assumed he'd always had bad vision and I was slightly horrified for what that might mean for our offspring, but I came to grips with the fact that my child would probably eventually need glasses. That was fine. I wear glasses all the time. I prefer them. When I got glasses at the age of 15, it was only then that I noticed that other people could read the brightly lit store signs that I had only thought of as electrified smudges. While I couldn't see the board in class, I wrote down what the teachers were saying as they were saying it, so I never had any academic issues. I was firmly under the assumption that all of the other children in orchestra class just memorized the music better than I had, when really they could read the music from their seats and I could not. To my delight, my child is going to a school that has regular eye checks where an optometrist from the area checks through the student body's eyesight and alerts us to any difficulties. Thanks to these checkups we've noticed her eyesight gradually degrading and got her in for an ophthalmology appointment regarding that. She came back with a prescription for glasses that we then took to an eyeglass shop and let her choose from the frames available. There are several differences with eyeglass shopping in Japan from an American standpoint, including the fact that the 20/20 vision scale doesn't exist here at all and many things are not covered by insurance in the slightest. That said, in general these days you can get an affordable pair of eyeglasses if you look in the right places. We got her a great pair of glasses that she was very excited to wear...for about a week. If her eyesight were as bad as her father's is, and everyone in the family assumed that it was, then her glasses would need to be used constantly. And then bought her swimming goggles. My husband, who had looked over the prescription form, ordered negative 7 level prescription goggle lenses. When they came, both my daughter and I had a hard time looking through them without feeling slightly nauseous. My husband had no problem with them, of course. Finally we looked at her perscription form again, and it turns out that my kid does not have a negative seven level prescription. She has a negative 0.7 level prescription. So while her timing for ocular deficiency matches up with her father, her level of ocular deficiency is more in line with mine. For all I know my eyes were similarly bad at that age. They just got a bit worse before anyone noticed that anything was wrong. I feel very, very lucky that we are in a place where my daughter got the check up she needed when she needed it, got to choose glasses that she wanted, and gets to see when she needs to see. I'm also relieved that her eyesight is not as bad as her father's is...yet.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxkpo-living_shopping_medical_familylifeMon, 31 Jul 2023 14:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxkpo-living_shopping_medical_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3qQP-living_shopping_familylife If you have a kid who is going through puberty and wants a brassiere, the idea of when to get it for them may be up for debate in some people's minds. For me it was really simple. This is partially due to the privilege of having an assigned female at birth, cis-gendered kid. Everyone expects her to dress like a girl, so the natural progression to advanced underwear is not unexpected. Some may say we are doing this a bit early and honestly I would not have expected to be buying bras before a tenth birthday party, but that matters so much less than my kid being comfortable with her body. When your kid comes to you and says that they feel like they need a bra, they probably do. It's easy as an adult to equivocate and negotiate but when it comes to helping your kid feel comfortable with their own body, I don't think debate is the right answer especially in situations like this.If your kid needs these, let them try on as many as they need to to make sure things fit comfortably. I know what it's like to need this kind of help and be ignored or dismissed by a busy parent, even those with the best intentions at heart. I developed a chest faster than my mother had, so when I needed help, it was ignored until it couldn't be and then delt with with a sense of tedium and reluctance that could have lent itself to some hardcore body dismorphia. I did everything I could to make sure my kid felt the opposite when it came to her first bras. We are very fortunate to live close enough to a reasonably priced clothing shop that carries a number of options in kids underwear that my kid could try on, picking out the ones that were actually comfortable instead of just grabbing whatever was cheapest or most convenient option seemed to be. One style that looked interesting to my kid was something that called itself a peanut cup, because the gel-like cups were separated into a vaguely peanut shape. Unfortunately, the cups stayed in a weird shape and were not actually comfortable for my kid, so we went with some basic cotton numbers instead. A great option in summer is the bra-tank top or bra-camisole, an excellent and easy-to-wear addition to a pubescent person's wardrobe, especially when it comes in breathable 100% cotton. In the end, we bought two bras, two bra-camisoles and one bra-tank. A week later, her father joined in and grabbed some more upscale items from Uniqlo to help, and now she feels supported and comfortable.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3qQP-living_shopping_familylifeThu, 27 Jul 2023 11:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3qQP-living_shopping_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaKj0-food My little town held it's fantastic port day festival the other day and I was thrilled to find my favorite Japanese festival food, the humble but delicious Hurricane Potato, also sometimes known as Tornado Potato. It's always a spiral cut potato on a stick, fried, with your choice of flavoring. Five hundred yen was a little steep but I paid it without a second thought. I went for the soy sauce butter flavor and it was amazing!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaKj0-foodMon, 24 Jul 2023 22:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaKj0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq18O-drink_productI found this in a convenience store in Miyagi preference in late spring of 2023. It was alongside the other flavors of Monster energy drink and Red Bull Energy Drink.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq18O-drink_productMon, 24 Jul 2023 22:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq18O-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2g5n-living_shopping Gatchapon machines are known for having some pretty weird items in them. Some fabulous, some just bizarre, some purely a waste of money. This one caught me off guard and made me stop and turn back to take a picture. At first, it seems like some sort of canvas pouch and features bread in some sort of carnal embrace. Honestly it disturbed me considering how many kid friendly things are in the same gatchapon machine space. Upon closer inspection, it seems to be a rat or mouse cosplaying sliced bread while holding a baguette in some kind of embrace. It turns out that Pandorobou or Bread Thief is a kids book with a wide variety of character goods and line app stickers. I will not be putting my money down for this one, even though it is super bizarre. The other units of it that are not pictured on the main picture seem a lot more tame by comparison. Still not worth 400 yen for me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2g5n-living_shoppingMon, 24 Jul 2023 21:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2g5n-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaoL-drink_productI found this at a Family Mart in early June of 2023 in Miyagi Prefecture in the energy drink section near the Red Bull, Monster, and other ZONe flavor variations.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaoL-drink_productMon, 24 Jul 2023 20:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaoL-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxkE2-living_howtoWhy so many options Japan?! What the heck is all of this? Recently I realized that one of my daughter's bike tires was going flat. I ran into Homac for the cheapest available air pump, but unfortunately my minimal experience growing up in the airing up bike tires in Texas did not prepare me at all for airing up a Japanese bike tire.Kinda looks familiar, but the double lined silver ring can be removed, as can a rubber thing underneath, but doing this makes it impossible to air up. If memory serves, in America, you twist off the cap on the tire and plug in the pump nozzle. Then you pump up the tire and disconnect when you're done. Put the cap back on and you're ready to go. Bike tires in Japan are apparently slightly more complicated but can be manageable as long as you actually find the right information. Googling how to air up a bike tire was unhelpful as I searched in English and got a lot of American led videos that only told me the useless information I already knew.Attach the weird thing with the spring clip to the pump end. According to my husband, British bike tires are similar to the Japanese variety, so maybe you UK expats in Japan would not have to endure the level of frustration that I experienced in trying to do this.Keep the rings and the little metal outlet bit in place. If you unscrewed them, put them back on before you try to air it up. Japanese bike tires have an extra part. The outer cap is similar to the US variety but there's also an inner, rubber insulating prong-shaped thing. Leave the rubber insulating prong thing in place. Only remove the outer cap.The open end of the clip goes to the opposite side of th I double rings, pushing the tiny prong right into the pump and holding it there. Use the weird, spring loaded claw gimmick to forcibly attach the pump to the tire as shown in the picture. Then pump as normal to the desired pressure. If you have a pressure gauge to check, the ideal pressure range for bike tires is usually printed on the side. Release the claw gimmick and recap the tire when you're done. If you try all this without the rubber prong thing, it will release all of the air when you detach.There she goes, after only one hour of confusion, frustration, and scouring the internet.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxkE2-living_howtoSun, 23 Jul 2023 18:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxkE2-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryE0-living The novel coronavirus has forced me home on two previous occassions and I've never been happy about it. This time it's more out of caution and concern for my spouse. I can't have him catching covid again. Despite being vaccinated and relatively young when he caught it, he's still seeing some of the long lasting effects over a year later.Hey Butterfly! Do you know where I can pick up half a paycheck I'm going to be missing? Me neither! My employers were excellent enough to inform me that the whole school essentially had become a deep contact when their vaccinated teenage son caught the plague. While people are going around mask less and this guy could at least get some medicine and recuperate in his own bedroom, it's still too close for my family to feel safe. With obon also coming out of this pay period, I'm really uncomfortable with taking the time off, but I don't think I'd ever forgive myself for bringing it home and getting him sick again. So now I'm going to be fighting to make the next two months work financially. Our need for a greater income has been highlighted in a way that had my brain running in such circles today that now I'm utterly exhausted and I barely got anything done. I'm more tired than I usually am when I finish at work on Fridays and I didn't even have to teach today. Tomorrow my kid starts her summer vacation by spending a cheap day at home cleaning and relaxing, and I try not to bite my nails to the quick while waiting out payday on Tuesday.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryE0-livingFri, 21 Jul 2023 23:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryE0-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPNv-drink_productI found this can of Boss Caffeine enriched caramel coffee in a Family Mart convenience store in Miyagi in summer of 2023. The can claims to use caffeine rich beans with a light roast and lower extraction rate.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPNv-drink_productTue, 18 Jul 2023 23:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPNv-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN48Z-living After my previous attempts, I decided the best way to go about trying to fix my silly couch might be to go back to straps, but to employ my friend, the staple gun. I took some straps from the previous attempt to strap all of the cushions to the couch, and instead of sewing them to the cushions, stapled them to the frame of the couch itself! I then used the d-ring that was still connected to the strap to connect through a carabineer clip, sewn sandwiched between the cushions on the far back left and far back right corners. As for the back cushion, it was still in place from being stapled to the back a few months ago. Two weeks later, it was still working better than the previous options. The one improvement I want is for more connection in the center of the cushions, but attaching a strap through there may be tricky. Days after I put on my thoughts on how great this new stapled and strapped version of my couch cushions were, my kid managed to bounce up and down hard enough to rip one of the clips from the cushions where only a few stitches were keeping it in place. I was very excited to find that as few as 10 stitches were enough to hold this very securely in place. The fix only took about five minutes, give or take. Previous fixing attempts had taken over an hour, so this is just fantastic by comparison.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN48Z-livingTue, 18 Jul 2023 21:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN48Z-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaEe-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagi Shiogama's touristy port area will host a lot of excitement this weekend, starting with a bunch of summer festival activities and food stalls around Aeon Townmall Shiogama on Saturday the 15th. The big excitement will come later, but on Sunday the same space will be open to even more people, likely flowing all the way down to Marine Gate, with more summer activities and food stalls to enjoy. That evening, assuming the weather agrees, fireworks will light up the sky around the bay, just past Marine Gate.Food and fun also available at Marine Gate this weekend. The fireworks will starting off the port day festival with a bang. The next day, the omikoshi portable shrines will make their way down the 202 steps of Shiogama Shrine and Head down to the port to take the gorgeously adorned shrine boats on a visit to the outlying islands. After the portable shrine departs, the dancing starts. Group after group will take to the street, doing their versions of the traditional dance as they make their way toward the main shrine entrance. In years past, I had the pleasure of joining in with Shiogama International Friendship Club alongside my kid, but they won't be dancing this year so neither will we. It'll be nice to just watch and enjoy the festival this year, even if a little bittersweet for us.LOTS of food trucks at Aeon! If you're in the area, Honshiogama station is only a few hundred yen and half an hour from Sendai. Why not check it out?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaEe-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 13 Jul 2023 22:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaEe-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BxR-livingHappy Forth of July to my fellow American expats! I hope your day was filled with safe fireworks if you wished them and reasonably priced watermelon if you prefer. In years past, I made a big deal out of grabbing sparklers and heading for a field or parking lot so I could have a little touch of the holiday I grew up with. Now, I couldn't manage much more than making barbecued beef sandwich buns for dinner and acquiring a 1000 yen watermelon the size of a nine-year-old's head. My plan to watch Hamilton was quashed by my husband's need to watch Japanese TV instead and I spent most of the evening feeling really alone. On a day when I literally spent hours in the morning chatting and playing games online with some of my best and longest lasting friends, I shouldn't feel so lonely, but I absolutely do. This has been a hell of a year already and things are still challenging in a number of ways, but they are getting better. So let's celebrate the American dedication to inacting change and make those changes in our lives for the better, if we can. There's so much we can do if we put our minds to it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BxR-livingTue, 04 Jul 2023 20:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BxR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aDQ-living_food_shopping_health After having to throw away half a gallon of protein powder that I had bought on iHerb because it managed to expire before I had used it all, I decided to try protein powders again, but this time in smaller portions. I was delighted to see these selections available on Amazon. Affordable and in smaller, easy to finish packages. Easy to store, easy to use. Just really really easy. The green veggies flavor contains vitamins and nutrients while the peach contains collagen. I ordered one of each and really enjoyed them both, though I had to ignore the preparations and serving selections on package. Some of the reviews I found online complained about the taste and I assume this is because some people actually listen to the manufacturer's advice. If you use almost any kind of protein powder by mixing it into plain water or skim milk as they seem to suggest, odds are you're going to have a less than appealing flavor as a result. Another issue I take with the serving suggestion is that the illustrations seem to want the customers to replace coffee with a protein shake and I think that is a bad call. I want the caffeine. The protein drink for me is a better replacement for the fried egg I'm definitely not going to bother to make for myself in the morning. When I first started using protein powder, I would blend frozen fruit into a smoothie and add the powder to that. As time went on, this process became too tedious to me, which in time led me to stop using protien powder at all and having to throw away that expired protein powder before. Recently I've started just mixing the powder with fruit juice and am happy with those results as well. If not properly mixed, these protein drinks can be a bit grainy, so I put the liquid and powder components in a mason jar and seal it before giving it a good shake. The great thing about this is it is vigorous, fast, and can be done repeatedly if the contents separate. I went to check my local stores to see if anyone else was stocking these affordable packets of protein powder and unfortunately only found massive tubs of much more expensive stuff that I can't really afford, don't have space for, and won't use completely before it expires. I guess I'm heading back to Amazon to pick up some more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aDQ-living_food_shopping_healthFri, 30 Jun 2023 16:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aDQ-living_food_shopping_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnEx-living_shopping My kid went on a school excursion this month and in preparation we were given a sizeable list of things that must be acquired and provided, including rain gear. For some reason, most things were pretty simple to find but this last one was a really challenging thing to get. I'm guessing it's because we waited until rainy season was fully upon us before venturing out to look for it, so most places that have kids clothes that might have had the kind of rain gear we were looking for were already sold out of our kid's size. The problem is we're not just looking for a raincoat. Just a raincoat is easy enough to find. For this specific excursion, she was also going to need rain pants separate from the top. It took scouting around five different stores to finally locate something that would work well. While we did find a small adult size that claimed that it was for people of 150 centimeters in height, my husband insisted that we should not buy that one because children's "clothing sizes in Japan are not based on height." He does not have any better ideas as to why 80 centimeters is the size for an 80 centimeter tall child, but I also agree that the height as weight measurement system is inadequate. It implies a standardization in size that just is not reliable. Hips, shoulders, bellies, butts and boobs cannot be properly assessed exclusively by height, but those with differences from any brand's perceived norm can be reminded immediately of their abnormality. You're not tall enough to be this wide, Japanese sizes tell not-precisely-average 9 year olds, starting body shaming even before puberty has a chance to make everything uncontrollably awkward. That's not to say that Japanese height based kid clothes sizing isn't useful in the early years when clothes are stretchy and most kids are a little round. If your kid fits in the mold for that size, it is much easier to grab a bunch of new clothes without making your kid try them all on, and in the early days that can be an easy often correct assumption to make. Our kid is not 150cm tall, but especially with plastic material that has no give, we need movement to be an option so this is what we bought. She is not yet ten years old and already her hips and the designers' ideas of what her hips should be do not align. To offset any perceived abnormalities, we remind our kid that she is perfect just as she is and that the important thing is how she feels in the clothes. We don't need to feel shame about getting bigger. We need to keep getting bigger and stronger regardless of what any labels say. Wear what fits, we say, and ignore the labels.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnEx-living_shoppingMon, 26 Jun 2023 15:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnEx-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrZR-living This quick fix was unintentionally amusing in that the glue gun I grabbed was preloaded with glittery gold glue, so the resulting mend resembles that well known traditional Japanese craft of fixing broken pottery with gold. I've been wanting to do kintsuji for real for a while but having no well ventilated space means not being able to even get started. Meanwhile, an accidental throwing of this Daiso mouse and subsequent gathering of its parts led to an opportunity for something vaguely similar. Since the only real damage was to part of the plastic case and all the insides could be placed back together easily, odds are strong that this will work fine as a backup mouse when then better quality model I replaced it with stops working. Does anyone else have cheap knockoff versions of crafts they wanted to do but couldn't?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrZR-livingMon, 26 Jun 2023 07:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrZR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPOv-livingAaaaand it came unstitched. And I stitched it back, and it popped them all in less than 2 weeks. I don't know if anyone was taking odds on how long it would take for my last couch fix to fail but the answer is less than 2 weeks. The stitches started popping here and there a couple of times in the week after rhe fix but then the whole right side of the seam came undone within days of the 2 week anniversary of fixing it. So what can I do now? It took me a few days but I came up with a few ideas utilizing the straps and caribiner clips from my last attempt to fix it. If it works (and even if it doesn't) I'll post an update.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPOv-livingThu, 22 Jun 2023 20:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPOv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrZj-living_shopping I found this fabric at a shop near my home the other day and I was equal parts amused and confused. The Back to the Future series of movies was popular once and during the pandemic, we streamed them all, but I don't really get why this fabric exists. The fabric consists entirely of chibi miniatures of Doc Brown and Marty McFly, each in exactly one pose that gets repeated, and the Back to the Future logo from the first movie, all on a deep blue background. People old enough to remember the movies want more in the fabric (No DeLorean? No clocktower? No Biff?) and people who want cute chibi characters on fabric want something cuter than this. Have you found any bizarre fabric lately?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrZj-living_shoppingThu, 22 Jun 2023 19:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrZj-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8dDa-living_money_work A few months ago, a friend of my went to Hallo Work, the Japanese employment office to see what she might be able to do as a native English speaker living in Japan. She was absolutely shocked (as was I) to find out that English-speaking positions in her area were not open to any people over the age of 35. Unfortunately, my friend was past the cut off but luckily was more looking out of curiosity rather than necessity. While I have been aware that ageism is involved in the English teaching scheme in Japan, I hadn't really put much thought into when that cut off was. When I came to Japan in my early 20s, I didn't honestly think there would be a reason to care. But now I find myself past my friend's city's cut off and slightly horrified. There's nothing about being over the age of 35 that makes us less skilled at teaching.How we appear to Japanese society. Sure, there are some companies and programs that utilize the charisma of recent native English-speaking expats with an eye toward cultural exchange. This is great for getting the latest colloquialisms and most modern grasp of the language, but not necessarily great for technique or ability. I'm much better at teaching now than when I landed in Japan. More experience gives me a better grasp of what unfamiliar English phonemes can turn into in a Japanese mind. I am more capable now than I was at any point in my twenties. What I lack now is a slim figure and more conventionally attractive appearance by Japanese standards. It seems like I'm no longer at the age that Japanese businessmen want to flirt with and apparently that means I shouldn't bother teaching English, at least at job opportunities in my friend's city. Meanwhile, the few teaching jobs I could find in my area in a brief search around the internet revealed a few options, only one of which had an age cut off and that was at age 39. While it was good to know that I am still not quite too old for the one age restricted job I'd found, it didn't solve the problem of the age restrictions in the first place. It's also hard to say how many of these restrictions lurk beneath the surface, unstated but costing people job opportunities all the same. So while I'm young and willing enough to teach, I'm going to do the work I can to move away from age restricted paths.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8dDa-living_money_workThu, 22 Jun 2023 17:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8dDa-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we1EJ-living My plants at the end of their third month inside have done very poorly or perhaps I've been very poorly by them. All of the broccoli and cauliflower now dead. One of those was three years old and several of the others were its offshoots. All have perished, as have the white and purple cauliflowers.What the cauliflower looked like in the last week of May. Now the only things that seem to be able to live inside that were already inside and a lavender plant that's still barely cleaning to life. A small pot of wildflowers was not completely dead yet, but when I tried to weed out the dark brown bits, I was greeted by insect life and a thoroughly wet clump of leaves. I couldn't even get the thing out of the pot, so the whole thing went into the garbage last week.That was the last of the broccoli, still green in the stalk but with no remaining leaves. It is extremely depressing to me, especially considering other issues that are happening in my private life, but I'm trying to keep my head up, remembering that this frees up a lot of space for me to plant all sorts of stuff next year. I may actually plan out my garden properly instead of just grabbing things willy-nilly and hoping they survive.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we1EJ-livingMon, 12 Jun 2023 20:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we1EJ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjgL-living_shopping_money_fashion I am no stranger to the Japanese secondhand clothes shop. Since the pandemic began, however, my trips to Sendai have ceased and my need for all this excessive clothing has really gone down as well. In addition, I find myself inundated with all of my kid's old clothes, many of which weren't worn enough to justify throwing away but are nevertheless useless now. In addition, there are bags of clothes given to me by people who would have felt bad throwing them away but didn't feel bad about taking up more of my space and energy on dealing with clothes they just didn't want anymore. From these various collections, I pulled together a total of 69 items, including a 10 year old DVD player, a loud walker for toddlers, a couple of unwanted but perfectly good condition toys from my kid, and a whole lot of clothes that appear to be without any stains or problems. If you are selling this many items I fully recommend going to large, stand-alone store rather than a small shop in a mall as they are more likely to buy a whole lot of stuff if they have space on the shelves to sell it. Do pay attention to the seasons. In late winter, you can sell a lot of things that belong in early spring, but in spring, you can sell the things that will be sold in summer. In summer, you can sell stuff in preparation for fall and in fall, you can sell stuff in preparation for winter. Always work one season ahead. The quality of the items is also a factor. If there are stains or holes or tears, the shops are unlikely to buy them at all. That said, as we walked around this two-story 2nd Street, we found a number of items with small stains or scuffs, so it's possible that some shops are less stringent than I remember.Boots on the shelf, scuffed but still for sale? When you sort your items and come into the place, you'll be given a time estimate (ours was half an hour, which they went over but it was okay) and sign a form attesting that these are your own possessions that you are happy to part with. You'll also need to provide photo ID. Then you either linger for the allotted time or return after it has passed and learn what they're taking, what they're not interested in, and what they'll give you in return.Everything they gave back, which wasn't a lot all told. Of the eleven things returned to us, half were undershirts that my daughter had worn once or twice, and a couple were just cotton tops that were no longer fashionable. And how much did we get for parting with 69 items? Less than 2000 yen. You won't get rich selling non-luxury-brand stuff to the second hand shops, but it will get things out of your house. Back home, most of this would have been donated anyway, so getting any money back and not having to toss something in a dumpster is a bonus.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjgL-living_shopping_money_fashionThu, 08 Jun 2023 14:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjgL-living_shopping_money_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z12a5-living Today, I fixed my couch again, or at least tried to. It's the same couch that I've mentioned before, the one that started having cracks years ago and that I tried to fix last summer with vinyl patches from Amazon. At the end of last summer, I finally bought three long cushions that have made the couch extremely comfortable in comparison to how it used to be. However, They don't really stay in place well and when gravity was the only thing holding them in place, I wasn't really surprised by that. So I devised a system of straps and d-rings and elastic and nylon cording from 100 yen store. It was a lot of hand sewing and in the end, the cushions still tried to slide off every other day.The back of the couch may be a wavy line, , but it's solid enough for now. I finally got so fed up with the process of pulling them back into place that I took a staple gun and some needle and thread and made things work a little better. I took the straps that I'd already been using and repurpose them for usage along the back, giving me a place where I could staple into the couch itself rather than through the whole cushion. Then I sewed the bottom cushions to the seat of the couch itself, angling them so that the stress will not be overly placed on the staples across the back because I'm still not entirely sure whether or not, they will hold properly. Will this be the final time I fix this couch? I have no idea, but at least right now it looks better than it has in a whileTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z12a5-livingThu, 01 Jun 2023 21:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z12a5-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mdo7e-living Once upon a time, I started college and met someone who introduced me to Visual Kei of the late 90s, which had only passed a few years previous. The word cosplay wasn't in the modern American lexicon yet and I had to keep explaining things to people as our plans to dress up like rock stars and anime characters came to pass. That was my first real contact with modern Japanese pop culture outside of the occasional anime that I would watch with my brother, and it changed everything. The idea that rock stars would wear and perform in these intricate costumes that were so interesting, elegant and strange transfixed me. Nothing could be cooler to my later teen brain than cosplaying VK, and so we did. Finally that weird talent I picked up out of boredom (sewing) was useful and impressive to my friends! My brain was encouraged to deconstruct what I saw in music videos and isolate every detail I could before puzzling out how to achieve the same effects.I made both of these costumes from second hand goods. The trim on the front of the clown had to be painted on as I couldn't find anything that matched the video exactly. I will never make another clown collar again! Soon, we were cosplaying VK groups at anime conventions across north Texas and it was a grand time. There's nothing quite like borrowing someone else's fame for a moment so other fans can marvel at your crafting ability.My solo non-vk cosplay as the basalisk from Pet Shop of Horrors. I wish I had had time to finish the tail, but it would have made the thing impossible to get around in. It was a fabulous amount of fun while it lasted, but the demands of real life took their toll and eventually I had no one to cosplay with. As we had once cosplayed Malice Mizer, I found it fitting to be doing my first solo cosplay weekend as versions of Gackt from various Malice Mizer incarnations. It's astounding to me now how safe I felt. People sometimes ask for cosplayers at conventions to pose for a picture, so when I was stopped by a couple of guys who didn't look like normally anime fans, I did my normal standing-to-the-side pose, at which point one of them grabbed me and pushed me over so the picture they took would look like I was being assaulted. As soon as I realized what was happening, I grabbed the purse I had set down for the photo and ran. I was shocked that the convention-friend I had been walking with had done nothing to help me. He insisted that he thought I was "into it" and I was horrified. Prior to this, anime conventions had felt like home in a way. I had an identifiable subculture and when I saw the other cosplayers around the hotel, I knew I was where I belonged. That feeling of safety and belonging was gone before I came to Japan where I feel like I belong even less. The next time I used those skills, it was to construct a replica of the costume worn in one music video by bassist of the band my manager and I had bonded over before he had been transferred to a different school. It was a weird choice as far as ways to get someone's attention go. I wore the costume for Halloween and had to tell everyone I was a witch because "No, I'm Toshiya from Dir En Grey" would not have meant anything to any of them. I guess it did get his attention in a way, as we're married now. After that, my last best costuming attempt was for our kid, celebrating 11 months of life with a gender bend on the 11th Doctor. The skills I utilized for cosplay still exist and I'm happy for that, even if it's not part of Japanese culture I'm likely to engage with. I was warned that Japanese cosplayers are too serious and extreme, but that is second to the fact that I just don't have the time and money to throw into this anymore.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mdo7e-livingThu, 01 Jun 2023 10:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mdo7e-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaK6N-living I wouldn't be surprised if this sign has probably been on this community message board that I walk by almost every day for years, but i have never actually paid attention to it until now. Suddenly, I looked over and realized that I have no idea what anything seems to mean on this. I assumed it meant something like the lines of "Post messages for the community here" since it looks like an official notice on a big community message board. It turns out Google translate had some interesting things to add to that thought process. It said something about fraud and oreos. I don't know how a cookie could be involved in fraud, but also I realized that the translation software Missed the last ㇾ. Instead of continuing to ponder fraudulent snack cookies, I went on to search for the term itself. オレオレWhat on earth could it be? I had mental images of Spanish bullfighters in my head but apparently this is actually a modern Japanese term used for a kind of fraudulent phone call in which someone pretends to be in distress and somehow this gets them money. I'm a little bit confused and concerned but the moral of the story seems to be in line with my completely normal millennial tactic of just not answering the phone.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaK6N-livingWed, 24 May 2023 20:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaK6N-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1ap-living Dry cleaning isn't something that my family ever took part in. I literally never dry cleaned, anything until I came to Japan and then it was only suits for work back when I worked in suits. I understand that every dry cleaning business isn't necessarily also a repair business so when my suits usually came back with notes about the rips in the lining, I wasn't surprised. Now we're still getting notes back for sweat stains, which makes me question what the point of dry cleaning is. I mean, apparently it's not cleaning in the way of removing stains. We're lucky that the sweat stained parts are machine washable once the fancier attributes are removed, so I can fix this specific stain issue. I'm just still not clear on the point of dry cleaning nor am I aware if American dry cleaners give the same kinds of notes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1ap-livingWed, 24 May 2023 20:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1ap-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLKk-living Another update that came recently to Pokemon Go is the expansion of postcard saving options. In Pokemon Go, postcards are sent and received by friends at the same time as in game presents. Players collect presents from pokestops in their area and send them to friends in game who get items like pokeballs and stardust but also always an accompanying postcards from the pokestop where the present was originally received. The present and postcard giving situation has led me to work harder at going to aesthetically pleasing pokestops as much as possible so I can send my friends something cute or special rather than a corporate logo, as is the pokestop icon for corporate sponsors like Family Mart and Starbucks.A small selection of ones I've saved from all over the world. A few weeks ago, more people were sending presents nd saving postcards than ever before. That's because of scatterbug, a pokemon who evolves into one of a number of butterfly variations. It cannot be caught in game unless you have pinned a certain number of postcards from the same region to your postcard book, and that number changes based on how many you've already pinned from that region. The color of the eventual evolution's wings depends on the region the cards were pinned from, so having international friends is a plus. Finally my struggles with deleting artsy PokeStop postcards from my friends to make room so I can keep pinning for scatterbugs is at an end. For 100 in game coins, I can just pin more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLKk-livingWed, 24 May 2023 20:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLKk-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkavA-living The second month of having my plants inside do not go as smoothly as it could have. Some medical problems in my household caused a lot of excess stress and worry which led to me not moving the plants to their watering location and back as frequently as I could have. As a result of that or the stress of being indoors or the wattage or proximity of the light, several pants died. The first to go were the basils. The ruby red basil that had been more of a purple at one point and had been dying for a while died first, but it was soon followed the other basil which I had had for three years at this point. My kid thought of it as a small tree. Then the end came for the small weedling that I had transplanted from a strawberry pot it had somehow found itself in at one point. It seemed to be doing well on its own, until it wasn't. Next was the pot of flowery plants that I don't remember the name of but they came in Lisa-Frank-esque colors and I really really liked them last year when I bought them and they flourished for a few months. Most of that had seemed to die off in winter, but I trimmed it back and a few green leaves was showing and growing. Then it died anyway. Then came the end of the long suffering rosemary, which had never grown very big, but I had kept alive for two years anyway. Wildflowers, broccoli, and cauliflower survive alongside succulents and something colloquially known as a snake plant. The strawberry plants are hit and miss. We'll see what happens next.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkavA-livingWed, 24 May 2023 17:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkavA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWpKQ-food When we went to see the amazing azalea mountain the other weekend, there were three food trucks in the parking lot and the one that seemed the most interesting was this shaved ice stand.That sign on the right? Not actually available flavors. The clothes pinned sheets on the left, where you order? Those you can have, apparently. We each picked a flavor, and then had to pick again because the sandwich board sign out front did not reflect the current day's actual options, only viewable in the laminated sheets splashed across the area where you order. We each got medium sized, assuming it would be just enough for each of us. While we all enjoyed our shaved ice treats, the size was much larger than expected and the temperature outside was not high enough to warrant it, so we were all a bit chilly by the end. As much as I love yuzu, I needed a dash more sweetness to this one. It could just be that I was still disappointed about the advertising-unavailable-flavors deal. If only they'd been serving peach like I had originally wanted.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWpKQ-foodWed, 24 May 2023 17:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWpKQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjkL-living_food_shopping A special treat for my kid last week was finding out that Baskin-Robbins now has a Sumikogurashi specific snack. She was very excited to have a little chocolate sumiko gurashi cat to devour along with one scoop of her choice of ice cream. Even better, the cup decorated with these popular characters is actually a removable ring of stickers!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjkL-living_food_shoppingWed, 24 May 2023 16:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjkL-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKJd-living_food_shopping Things in my personal life have been difficult in the last few weeks, and I'll take whatever happy brain chemicals my body is willing to make these days, so I stopped by 7-11 the other day and I bought myself a chocolate chip cookie. I also grabbed a carton of peach tea to wash it down. My walk back from work was more enjoyable by far. This isn't the kind of thing that I would have done back when I worked in Sendai, when I didn't walk far enough to be able to consume anything between the train station and my home. Nowadays, I have nice long 10 to 20 minute walk with little human interference. While it isn't considered a common or decent practice to eat while you walk in Japan, I figure if no one is around to mind and the treat would do you well, there's no reason not to squeeze in a tea time treat while you walk.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKJd-living_food_shoppingWed, 24 May 2023 16:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKJd-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbYQ1-mind_body_productThis little bottle of non gas bug spray comes in a small plastic spray bottle containing 12 mL of insect repellent for 100 yen and is available at the 100 yen store chain Can Do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbYQ1-mind_body_productWed, 24 May 2023 15:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbYQ1-mind_body_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9EY2-living May of 2023 has been one of the hardest months of my entire life. It's been a challenge just getting through it, so I was overjoyed to receive this little bath set gift from a student at a yochien where I am sometimes lucky enough to teach. I have been teaching occassional English classes at this place for a few years now but was warned a few months ago that they had received an offer for a free eikaiwa trial lesson fro a former student. I had been shocked but not offended. I kind of thought this job was a done deal that I wouldn't have to fight for, and honestly even in that condition I have consistently brought my best possible teaching to the plate for them. Receiving this gift, with a child's scrawling to and from card on the back, really made my day, as did receiving bookings from them for the next year of classes moving forward. Remembering that there are people who recognize the quality of the work I put into this job has helped ease me through another week, though I also have to keep in mind that everything is temporary. Every job I have now will eventually dry up, so doing my best to do what I can when I can seems to be the right idea. Taking a break when I i have the opportunity is also enthusiastically supported, especially this month.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9EY2-livingWed, 24 May 2023 14:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9EY2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Eo9-living_shopping Wandering through a second hand shop, I managed to find an instrument I could not identify. It was so exciting to see something new and interesting that I started playing around with it right there in the store, plucking the strings to a random rythym and inadvertently attracting the attention of a random little old lady who was shocked to find a strangely enthusiastic foreigner to be the source of the faint music. I immediately tried to scurry away, as did she, so we wound up scaring each other again at the other end of the aisle before I wandered off to find my husband. Unfortunately my husband also had no idea what this instrument was and suggested I search for variations of Japanese harp online. Problem? Almost all English language sources I could find equated the term "Japanese harp" exclusively to koto and this tiny guy was not the massive, expensive and beautiful koto, fun and interesting though he may be. I tried searching using the brand name of one of the units in the store, Lyrissh. In English searches, it is hard to get results that don't just assume you've misspelled lyrics. It may have taken searching for the brand name in Japanese to finally find one obscure, ancient looking website from a non-native English speaker explaining the history of the Taisho koto. This lovely little instrument was originally invented in the early 1900s, so the Taisho period, as a an easier version of the koto for kids to learn in school. I think of it similarly to how the recorder is the easy flute alternative for kids, but in Japan before the recorder became popular using a classical Japanese instrument as inspiration instead. As someone who has always wanted to play the koto but finds it way too complicated and expensive, something like an 800 yen, second-hand, easy kid version is really, really thrilling. Unfortunately, right now my house is still cluttered with far too many things so I could not buy it at this time, but in the future, I will be on the lookout for a Taisho koto.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Eo9-living_shoppingWed, 24 May 2023 14:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Eo9-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQ2Al-living_food_shoppingI do not know what this bag means. No beatings were brought in the making of this post. Recently, there was a food truck festival on the weekend in front of the Aeon Townmall Shiogama and there I picked up a few things for lunch. I was so impressed with this guy's bread selection that I grabbed one of everything. The salt butter bread was on par with the stuff we can get inside of the grocery store section of that same Aeon, but the food truck version was slightly bigger and fluffier, which was nice. The cinnamon roll was interesting. The dough itself was a little bit too thick to be a proper cinnamon roll and he really wasn't sure what to do with the icing, but he made a better guess than some Japanese bakers have (i.e. the ones that though the white dust on french toast was uncooked flour, not powdered sugar) Here, it seems he didn't know how to make the icing or maybe he just wanted yo try something different by using white chocolate instead but it was delicious in any case. The french toast took me a couple of days to get around to eating so it wasn't as fresh as possible, but it was still pretty delicious and pretty much okay. Again, the dough was thick and non fresh french toast is usually not as good as it could be, but this was still tasty. The melon pan was exquisite, even a couple of days after I bought it. I guess I don't have really high expectations for melon pan, but this one fit the bill well and was neither too sugary nor too plain. In general, i'm happy with all of my purchases and would buy the melon pan and salt butter bread again if given the option.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQ2Al-living_food_shoppingWed, 24 May 2023 08:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQ2Al-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnrjj-living_shopping A few weeks ago, my daughter managed to lose a very specific rabbit toy that we had bought her from this one place we had been on a trip. It took going back to the same place on a recent trip, finding the same brand and model of doll, and using Google Lens on one of the other wrong-colored bunnies itself to find this specific brand of bunny anywhere online. It turns out that the brand name literally being the CUTE was problematic. The shop we found had the bunny in question on the way in hours. When it arrived within days, the bunny was even gift wrapped! I'm not sure if anyone else will have a similar experience of needing a specific bunny replacement, but if they do, check these folks out!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnrjj-living_shoppingTue, 23 May 2023 21:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnrjj-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6a1Q-foods_productI found this fruit-flavored and vitamin rich carbonated beverage at 7-11 in Miyagi in May of 2023. The label claims that it contains one day's worth of vitamin C and vitamin B6.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6a1Q-foods_productTue, 23 May 2023 21:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6a1Q-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXn3x-living Since the remote raid pass price hike in Pokemon Go last month, one of my favorite parts of the game has been utterly ruined for me. As someone who lives in Japan and on the other side of the world, for most people, I know and like, I don't have the ability to meet up with my friends in person to go on pokemon raids. Until this change, I had the option to check in with my friends when I had time and raids were happening in my area, then invite them to join my in the raid and battle together. It was the only way that many of my friends including my mom had a chance to catch some pretty epic creatures and it made me feel a lot less alone. I also had friends in other countries invite me to their raids, and it always made my day, even when I didn't catch the pokemon after the battle.Remote raid passes, previously 100 coins each or 3 for 300, now priced almost double for no reason. Now my friends can't afford the remote passes and I can't blame them. I can't afford them either and don't always have the time to jog across town for this. Without remote raid passes, a player has to be in the physical location of the raid with a normal raid pass to get in. If you're not in a booming metropolis, the only way you're likely to catch anything stronger than level 3 is by bringing people with you or being there right when the egg opens and the most other random players are likely to try to join. That said, fewer random players will be joining raids now that they are less convenient and more expensive. My biggest problem is there doesn't seem to be a reason for this outside of a mindless cash grab. It's not as if the data that makes up the raid passes was suddenly more expensive to process or there was a bad growing season for virtual raid passes this year. So while I may still play the game, I'm officially done with raids I don't happen upon in personTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXn3x-livingTue, 23 May 2023 15:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXn3x-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPad-living Due to a recent note of reconstruction from a decade of earthquake damage on the outside of my building, we were required to move all possessions from the balcony into apartment. Thus, all of my plants, several of which I've had for a few years now, had to somehow find a place to occupy within my home and hopefully survive despite my curtains needing to be drawn at all times until the renovations end. The first thing I did was splurge on a 3000 yen indoor plant lighting setup from Amazon, so that the plants might survive the renovations. In addition, not all of the plants are in positions where watering is possible, so I wound up physically moving many of them in and out of watering areas where a large, flat bin could collect water drain off.The first few weeks of this happened back in March, and most of the plants were still thriving. The basil was already dying and continued to do so for another couple of weeks.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPad-livingTue, 23 May 2023 15:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPad-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wry4D-living As I mentioned in my blog post the other day, it's officially been 15 years in Japan for me, and what I was surprised by last week was the heat. This seems bizarre, especially with my upbringing in Texas, where summer starts somewhere between March and May and just gets hotter and worse. That's where June July and August are full of heat advisories because people will die of heat stroke. Because I'm not where that heat lives anymore, I tend to forget about what the degrees really mean out here. I get what temperature which I should wear a flannel shirt versus a tank top, but I'm not always fully together on how exactly hot anything is going to feel. Somewhere deep in my mind, 30 degrees celsius is just not that hot, because it's not to me. But for Tohoku, it is. The expected high in summer when I moved here was 30 degrees. And last week, with a burst of heat before more chilly rain, we were right around 30 again, at the tail end of spring. I had to change my morning flannel button down for a light cotton button down that I still sweat through, but I was extremely happy to have already changed over my winter wardrobe to summer clothing. Now I can more comfortably greet the rest of the heat this year.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wry4D-livingMon, 22 May 2023 08:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wry4D-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKb24-food My whole family was delighted on a recent trip to Aeon Townmall Shiogama. That's where we found the pop-up Panda-yaki stall. This little venture will only be offered it this location for another week or so. After that, anyone who wants a delicious panda snack like this will have to make a trip to Tokyo to find its permanent location in Ueno. It's really just taiyaki with the twist of being prepared and served in bite-sized panda-shaped portions, instead of a fistful of fish. We took a sampling, including the caramel, strawberry milk, chocolate, and custard. The guy running the pop up stand offered us a free sample, even making a point of declaring in imperfect but very well intentioned English that the custard was still very hot and should be enjoyed by me rather than my overzealous kiddo who got to chomp down on cooler chocolate sampling instead. The price was really reasonable, with 24 little panda bites for 1,200 yen. We genuinely enjoyed devouring the contents of our bag of pandas. If you're in the area, and would prefer taiyaki to be smaller and cuter, you should absolutely give this one a try.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKb24-foodFri, 19 May 2023 21:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKb24-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyk8j-living If you're looking for something exciting to do in Miyagi this weekend, a short trip to Kessenuma might be in order. There a mountain of beautiful flowers will be in full bloom, ready for frequent photographic opportunities. The hill does require a bit of a drive or booking a bus tour of some kind. Mt. Tokusenjou is covered in 500,000 azalea blossoms according to the website for the event. In general, it's such a small place that seems to be more centered on local tourists than out of towners. The parking lot by the front entrance still had a few spots open when we parked in the late morning that we found last weekend. The flowers themselves are really beautiful and when we broke away from the groups a little bit, it did feel a bit magical. My biggest warning for this is if you have mobility issues, or have children who are afraid of heights, getting up to the peak is not the best goal for you to have. We tried to go in what looked like the straightest way to walk up and involve the fewest zigzaggy paths and the least amount of steep inclines. Still at the end, we had to turn around and come back before reaching the top. This was because what greeted us going up to the top was not a carefully lined staircase of logs put in place to maintain some level of grip, but a steep slope with mud and a few haphazardly placed rocks. That made it very hard for my family to climb. Between the my kid's height issues and the slipperiness, we didn't make it more than half way up the last hill before giving up We still really enjoyed it overall. If you do go, take some caution and wear hiking boots rather than sneakers as they might give you the traction you need to have a better time than we did.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyk8j-livingFri, 19 May 2023 21:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyk8j-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx71-drink_productI found this potentially temporary summer flavor in the energy drink section of the refrigerated drink section of a Family Mart by a highway rest stop in Miyagi in May of 2023.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx71-drink_productThu, 18 May 2023 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx71-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVvZp-living Today marks my fifteenth Japanniversary. I really hadn't planned on being here this long. When I moved here, I had planned to stay here for just two to five years, teaching and adventuring while my Japanese improved. Six months later, I started dating the love of my life. Things haven't been perfect but they have been interesting enough to keep me here. The country has changed a bit in the time since my arrival, even hosting the Olympics despite the pandemic somewhere in there. The little town I first lived in the and small city that now supports me have both been wonderful backdrops for my ongoing adventures in Japan. The best change in my life in all that time has to be the existence of my offspring, who was born here without medication and after several months of hospitalized bed rest. She's the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. The worst change recently is the cost of shipping internationally which has more than doubled in recent years, tanking one of my side gigs and just about destroying my ability to share my world with my family in any tactile way. I used to celebrate these things properly, with cake and maybe an evening out, but this round I think I'll just make eggplant lasagna and call it a night. This time it's really just an extra special Wednesday. So happy special Wednesday to you. This is my first ever four leaf clover which I found last week.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVvZp-livingWed, 17 May 2023 14:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVvZp-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvL2K-food My family and I have visited Manbo, a small restaurant in the small but gorgeous little seaside town of Kessenuma in our very own Miyagi Prefecture on a few occasions. Each time, we find ourselves reveling in the weird combination of chandeliers, stained glass, and American music classics from the 1950s. The food is interesting, too. It's the only place I've ever ordered a "Hamburger Sandwich" but that's not what they had on the menu this time.I have called it The Strawberry Monstrosity because of its size. That is because this time I saw the ad for Babaloa. For some reason, I associated it immediately with the late Harry Belafonte, though the root of this word shares no origin with Belafonte's body of work.Instead, it manifested from a term for Bavarian cream and is the inaccurate re-romanization from the katakana for Bavarois. As far as I can tell through some cursory searching, usually in France this is a cream/pudding adorned with a small portion of artful fruit placed to the side. In Japanese-based search results, it sometimes visually shares more with jello molds and aspics of old, with slices of fruit imbedded inside of a thicker gelatinous mixture.Glistening and gorgeous, the full sized portion was well worth the price. To our delight, despite the 50s diner theme, Manbo presents its Babaloa as a delicious mound of fresh strawberries served over a smaller mound of chilled cream pudding which seems to have the texture halfway between pudding and ice cream. It is available in full portion and half portion sizes, and only for the first two weeks of May according to a note in the highlights rolodex located next to the menu on every table. We felt very privileged to enjoy it and a full portion was the perfect size for our party of two adults and one child. What I love about this manifestation of this dessert in Japan is that it capitalizes on what we acknowledge as opulence-- the ever expensive freshly picked fruit.The cream does indeed exist, buried within the mountain of delicious fruit! The owners of the shop seem to know what a special dish they have here as it has become a symbol for the shop and appears on goods for sale near the entrance.T-shirts and tote bags with the beautiful strawberry dessert designs are for sale. If you happen to be in Kessenuma or are spending some time in a restaurant in your area and see babaloa on themenu, check it out. It might just be a mountain of delicious fruit and cream.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvL2K-foodTue, 16 May 2023 10:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvL2K-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRXpv-living_food_familylife On Sunday, April 16th, my family took a little trip northward to the prefecture of Iwate, specifically to see the cherry blossom tunnel in Kitakami's Tenshochi park. We have attempted to experience this place several times over the years and honestly this was my favorite instance.Maybe not full bloom but still beautiful and haunting. Despite my husband's checking of the full bloom schedule and temperature patterns for this month over the last few years, we managed to get there a week after full bloom hit the cherry blossom tunnel. This meant that the huge, exciting splendor of the tunnel was already spent with just a few petals clinging in random places, but it also meant that the crowds were smaller. For a few moments, we got to explore the tunnel all by ourselves as the wind whipped the few remaining petals around us. It felt more magical and comfortable for me than when we had come in 2012 and seen it with the crowds in full bloom.Several drooping blossom trees had just hit full bloom and made for some wonderful selfies. Not as captivating as the tunnel, but very nice. Just because the tunnel was past full bloom didn't mean there weren't blooming trees to be seen. Many other cherry blossoms around the park were in bloom, including a cluster of dropping blossoms close to the end of the tunnel.Elsewhere in the park, many trees were still blooming and gorgeous. After a walk through the blossoms, a lunch of festival food was on order for us and there was a lot to choose from. The festival food area located in front of the gift shop and bathrooms was full of people as lunch approached, but also featured fun live music at the same time.Our tiny feast.Such a lovely feasting spot, too. My sweet potato/creme brulee hybrid was actually pretty delectable and my kid loved the long fries. My husband grabbed yakisoba and okonomiyaki and we all ate well at the picnic tables that were cordened off from each other, forcing social distance in a way that made me feel so much safer.The pink sakura princess seemed happy to see our little princess. The mascot for the area was also seen walking about and had a really great personality. The festival fun runs through April 30th so if you're in the area and haven't taken part, you still have the chance but need to act fastTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRXpv-living_food_familylifeFri, 21 Apr 2023 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRXpv-living_food_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1lA-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThe main hanami area, still with some great trees to see. April 11th proved to be an excellent day for walking to Shiogama Shrine to see if the Shiogamazakura was in bloom yet. That's the special double petalled cherry blossoms that are famous in this area and a symbol of the city. The walk up to the shrine felt swifter than usual in the great weather, but visitors with mobility issues should come by car and park in the hanami area parking lot for ease of access.In case you need a refresher on the treasured tree, this placard and a free printout wait at the base of the main Shiogamazakura tree in the main shrine area.So puffy! But still with some buds!The tree is gorgeous but the backdrop of the shrine buildings adds a little something.Lots of buds, it turns out. The biggest Shiogamazakura tree that I've found is inside of the main shrine complex, nestled between the two main shrines. I was elated to find that the blossoms on this main tree were approaching full bloom. Luckily, they were not quite there yet, with some small blossoms still in bud form, just beginning to unfurl. This meant that I could take in the shape without a barrage of windswept petals being torn assunder.Not Shiogamazakura, but still lovely and blooming.Inside the main gate to the shrine. In addition to the Shiogamazakara, of which there are several scattered about, there were also a couple of other kinds of tree in bloom including most of the trees that have drooping limbs with flowers.Near the view of the bay, more blossoms beckon. The weather was fine and the crowds were minimal. It was a great day for seeing some blossoms. It is my assessment that most weekdays are probably similar but those wanting to behold the Shiogamazakura in all of its glory will want to make a trip soon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1lA-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 13 Apr 2023 16:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1lA-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLlX-living_sendai_shi_miyagi Who goes to the zoo for hanami? No one, I would have said last week, but this week my opinion is different. A strangely great thing to do when the cherry blossoms are finally blooming in northern Japan is to take a quick trip to Yagiyama Zoo, in Sendai. Surprisingly, there are many many cherry blossom trees dotting the zoological park with a few even located directly over park benches and such. Finally, there is a chance to do something like the traditional hanami without breaking any laws or causing any problems! Some benches are even next to vending machines, so if all you wanted was a quick chance to rest your feet between exhibits, you could enjoy the sights of early Japanese spring at the same time. Upon entering the park, the first cherry blossom trees you see on the other side of a bridge and not actually accessible for proper viewing, but the further you walk into the park, you'll find more and more of the lovely trees spreading out above in a great show of traditional, Japanese beauty. What was wonderful was the different kinds of trees also had different colors of flower and slightly different blooming schedule.Right by the red pandas, a massive sakura tree blooms. While many of the trees showed evidence of already having reached full bloom and moved beyond, many others were in a fantastic state of beauty on Thursday, April sixth when my family visited. Getting to Yagiyama zoo is fairly easy and only requires a subway trip from Sendai Station or short drive into the Yagiyama area. Parking is around 500 yen for most of the day for on-site parking and the ticket price. Admissions is only 480 yen for adults and 120 yen for elementary and junior high school students. For spring, the open hours run from 9AM to 4:45PM with the last admittance at 4:00PM.Pretty trees and a crepe for me! Happy hanami season! The zoo itself is always a really fun thing to see but If you're going for a family trip and to enjoy some cherry blossoms, going a little bit early in the day so that you can also enjoy crepes under the cherry blossoms, or a lunch from the nearby cafeteria is also a good idea.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLlX-living_sendai_shi_miyagiWed, 12 Apr 2023 17:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLlX-living_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjvd-living April first was a great day for checking out the cherry blossoms around Shiogama, Miyagi, Japan. As mentioned in a previous post, Okama Shrine, a small shrine located a block away from the main entrance stairs of Shiogama Shrine, is likely to be a great place for a couple of selfies or enjoying a cup of gelato procured from a shop nearby, but it wasn't quite ready as March wound down. We were delighted to see a difference on April first, when the background area I had mentioned before as a great selfie place was finally showing some decent flowering in their taller sakura trees. The big, old and oddly shaped cherry blossom trees were still not ready to bloom yet upon that visit.This oddly shaped tree still wasn't ready for the season quite yet but might be soon.The walk to the back is short and a tiny bit scenic, but well worth the steps as long as mobility issues are not too much. The massive roots in the way can be a problem if the visitor is in a wheelchair. We were visiting with out of town friends but saw fit to take our little detour to the back and were elated when we turned the corner and saw the two trees bright and flowering, one bright pink and one pale, almost white.My kid, posing skillfully with a stuffed cat balanced on her head. My kid was the only one I could entice to come forward for a picture but she really enjoy it and balanced the cuddle buddy of a stuffed animal on her headas a bonus. As I explained in my previous post about this place, there isn't really convenient parking nearby. I would recommend taking the train or parking at the Aeon near the station if you do not have mobility issues.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjvd-livingMon, 10 Apr 2023 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjvd-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLq8V-living April first proved to be an excellent day for taking in the sights at Shiogama Shrine.The walking paths were as delightful as the weather and the crowds far more sparse than expected. Many of the big, beautiful trees were just starting into full bloom, meaning we have about a week until a strong wind knocks half of the petals asunder, and another week beyond that before the only things left on thos branches are fresh green leaves.The view heading down to the bay was still breathtaking and gorgeous, as always, with even more large spots of soft pink petals in-between the hill on which we stood and the sea. The trees that were blooming earlier in the week were missing half of their petals now. Still, there were plenty of great places to get wonderful shots of the cherry blossoms present.This lovely tree beside a stone lantern almost blends into the scenery among so much gorgeousness, making it a great spot to find if you want a solo selfie without random bystanders. While technically the sign prohibiting hanami parties os only prohibiting eating and drinking, not sitting, we chose to do a walking tour instead and enjoyed the gorgeous surroundings amongst surprisingly thin crowds for a Saturday afternoon during sakura season.The big tori and the gardens beyond it are always great, but demand a lot of attention. One of the best things about this space is being able to find out of the way spots to enjoy even within the main shrine garden area. One thing I felt important to note was the lack of shiogamazakura which still needs a little time as it seemed to be once again barely budding if at all. The presence of so many kinds of cherry blossom in such a lovely place make it a great choice for the Miyagi based sakura lover any time between now and golden week.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLq8V-livingSun, 02 Apr 2023 17:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLq8V-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrydy-living On Wednesday, March 29th, my kid and I took a nice hike up to Shiogama Shrine to see the current state of cherry blossoms. Not an overwhelming surge of blossoms. Also not a surprise. There we were not surprised to see that only two of the trees in the main formerly hanami area were currently in bloom, in addition to two bright pink trees overlooking the parking lot. What I was surprised to note was that a couple of other trees in that area had already finished blooming.Maybe 20 percent of the trees are going right now, 10 percent already done, and more than 50 percent nowhere near ready yet. That said, many of the trees in the most notable areas haven't even really started to bud properly yet. Again, for this area that's not actually shocking because Miyagi isn't known to fully experience cherry blossom fever for another few weeks yet.It's trying to start.They're just not ready yet. If you're looking forward to seeing the, Shiogamazakura in full effect, you're going to need to wait a few weeks because they are definitely not even nearing bloom just yet.And there's an early bloomer, already mostly leaves. Even so, there is almost never a bad time to visit the shrine, and we very much enjoyed our visit and our quiet time to peacefully observe the trees.It's still gorgeous, even if the blossoms aren't exploding yet. In accordance with the last few years and in a difference to times previous, flower viewing parties are disallowed at the shrine now. The sign says no hanami for you, but with more kanji. You can go look at the flowers, but you can't put out a tarp and have a picnic and drink. None of that's allowed anymore. They're open to walk through tours only. Shiogama Shrine is a bit of a walk from Honshiogama Station but with lots of pedestrian signs pointing the way. There is a small parking lot but for weekday visits it should work well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrydy-livingFri, 31 Mar 2023 15:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrydy-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6anl-living This small shrine called Inari sits at the top of a hill so decently sized that it actually is considered a tsunami evacuation point for the area in which it exists, right next to the Grand Palace Shiogama Hotel. The massive hill sports well over 100 stairs and at the very top a small weathered playground with non-functioning swings and slide entice no one, though the pull-up bars still work. In addition, there is exactly one small cherry blossom tree right next to the shrine itself. We went up here because I hadn't remembered whether or not cherry trees were common up in this place. Usually most shrines around Japan seem to have some cherry trees near them just because the natural beauty or cultural significance.Kinda cool, but not a lot of flower. Maybe another angle...Not quite.Sort-of, almost...The closest thing I could get to a good sakura shot. In this case, we were disappointed. The one cherry tree that was in existence seemed to be blossoming with its few branches of buds. But again, if you were looking for a fantastic flower viewing experience, this is probably not a place that you would prefer to go especially considering that it's not that easy to get to if you have any kind of mobility issues.Sticks? Yes. View? No. I was hoping that the experience would be redeemed by giving a fantastic view of the city below, but with the trees and shrubbery being somewhat unkempt even in their winter state without foliage, there are just a lot of sticks between you and the view.Creepy foxes a-plenty though. If all you wanted was to get outside and sit somewhere, quiet and comfortably, this would be a great place. There's also a number of slightly creepy, fox statues, and small, old, ceramic, house-shaped shrines that seem to rest just beyond the transported fox shrine. While it's not a bad place and nature lovers in the area may well enjoy a hike all the way up there, it's not the best place for flower viewing.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6anl-livingFri, 31 Mar 2023 14:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6anl-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXngQ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagi On Monday, March 27th, my child and I found ourselves scouring our city for cherry blossoms, which of course are not known to bloom in this area of Japan so plentifully in March, but nevertheless, we were walking and looking. The only cherry blossoms we managed to find that were blooming near the station were actually right in front of the station on the Aqua Gate side. That's the one that leads to Aeon Townmall Shiogama and eventually Marine Gate, the ferry port for this area. Fifteen cherry blossom trees of a few varieties line the sidewalk and dot the island in the middle of the traffic circle on this side of the building. On Monday, two of them were in bloom and nothing else really seemed to be budding. After a few days of bright sunshine and warm temperatures, apparently the rest of the shy flowering trees reluctantly elected to join their fabulous neighbors and bloom thoroughly as well. As of Thursday, March 30th, no fewer than ten of the fifteen trees are in bloom, with eight heading towards full bloom and the early bloomers heading towards leaf town.The big one in the middle and the drooping deep pinks are still waiting for their turn, but most of the light petals are out now. If you're looking for some place to sit down and have something of a proper hanami picnic, this will not do at all. If all you needed was to look at some blossoms and take some selfies, this is a great place to do it. Right now, the temperature is also ensuring that it won't be the worst time either. While we saw a few other folks taking selfies, it also seems like everyone moves on quickly.We're waiting for you, magenta droopers. Don't let us down! Honshiogama Station is on the Senseki Line between Sendai Station and Matsushima Kaigan Station. The best nearby parking lot is at Aeon Townmall Shiogama or Homac, though do remember to make a purchase if you choose to park there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXngQ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 30 Mar 2023 17:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXngQ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbg2-living_shiogama_shi_miyagi On the afternoon of Saturday, March 25th, my kid and I took a walk around Shiogama, Miyagi in search of cherry blossoms. We weren't entirely surprised when we happened up Okama Shrine replete with trees that were barely beginning to bud. Geography and a farmer's almanac if not the observations of people like me who live in northern Japan would indicate that cherry blossom aren't exactly popping just yet. They usually don't for another month.The huge hunk of tree to the left is an ancient Sakura, but as you can see, no blossoms yet. Out of the shot in the left foreground are lovely benches for partons to use for a short rest and make great places to enjoy the gelato from a nearby shop.The view from the end of the year walkway shown before includes a few more cherry blossom trees in equally lackluster states of bloom. It is my guess that this area will be excellent for viewing after 2 weeks at least. The petals aren't even visable on these trees yet.I feel like this would make a great selfie spot when the blooms are out. Since this isn't the main shrine in Shiogama, it doesn't get the same foot traffic and might make for a more subtle and quiet good time by comparison. When we are a bit closer to golden week, it is likely that this place will be nice for pictures or a short walking trip. A small, independent gelato shop rests just half a block from the shrine and a tea house that offer small lunch options is even closer, directly across Motomachi Street.The foot traffic was so minor that near 5PM on Saturday, the morning's gravel raking was still somewhat visible. Whether that was from a lack of blooms or a lack of interest remains to be seen. By train, this is a short ten minute walk from Honshiogama Station on the Senseki Line. If you drive, be careful with your parking choices as there aren't really spaces in the immediate area. Personally, I would park at the Aeon Townmall Honshiogama (on the other side of the station) and walk.Even the sakura by the big red tori wasn't ready for spring yet, but just you wait.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbg2-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiTue, 28 Mar 2023 12:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbg2-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoP2l-living_healthOne of the he best changes I have made for my mental health in the last decade has been getting very friendly with the block button.When I share something on social media and get an unexpectedly hostile reaction, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and work with them toward mutual understanding. I'm not afraid of saying I'm sorry when I realize I've misunderstood something or said something wrong. Other people aren't as kind and that's why I've developed these excellent things called boundaries.In my case, skills like setting healthy boundaries and eliminating the fight when exhausted.Recently, I had a couple of guys who appear to have been stressed out about some unrelated drama of their own decide that I made the perfect target for their wandering aggression. As I was already low on emotional energy at the time, I only commented back twice, mostly with questions because the aggressive all caps messages didn't make sense to me given the post I'd shared.When they only doubled down on the hostility, I left a clear, carefully worded essay as my final message. They are friends of a friend, so I assumed they would also be mature enough to understand that there was a misunderstanding but everyone had valid points and apologize for the attack. 12 hours later, they had not responded in any way that I could see. A key point of my essay included sensitive, personal information that can easily get someone like me fired in Japan. I need my job more than I need to be right, so I deleted the post and blocked the jerks.In hindsight, I wish I'd messaged them after their first comment, explaining that I wouldn't be talking to them again if all caps is the tone they want to take and pulling them into acquiantence level so that the majority of my posts wouldn't even be visible to them. If they had responded to that message the way they responded to my comments, at least my responses wouldn't have had to be visible to people who could torch my life on a whim.When I spoke to the friend I share with these guys, she noted that one of them actually called her during this event, though whether that was asking for advice because he knew he'd messed up or asking for confirmation that of course he was right, I don't know. What I do know is that eliminating these toxic troll men from my life isn't something I'm likely to regret. I don't deserve to be treated the way they went out of their way to treat me.So if you're getting mistreated online, especially by people you're not actually fond of, block them and walk away. You deserve better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoP2l-living_healthMon, 13 Mar 2023 09:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoP2l-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z12X6-living_howtoGetting rid of old clothes in Japan can be a challenge. If it's practically perfect quality, a second hand shop might take it. If it had any signs of wear and tear? Throw it in the bin or repurpose it.The environmental impact of just burning all the polyester and polyurethane is big and I don't really want to do that here. I'm environmentally conscious enough that throwing away a whole bunch of otherwise useful cloth tends to be challenging.It turns out that there are several ways to repurpose your old clothes. Today I'm tearing apart a hoodie given to me by someone who didn't want the guilt of throwing it in the garbage but also couldn't figure out what to do on her own. Originally, I had thought to use it as backing or part of a quilt, but looking closer at the condition of the material made me rethink that.I've worked with damaged fabric enough to know that this level of pilling isn't fixable, especially in such a thin fabric. More washing will convert it into scraps in no time. What can I do?I soon realized that the material would hold up well enough for t-shirt yarn, so I looked up some tutorials and went from there.I chopped out the zipper first and put it to the side. Then I started ripping the seams out of all of the hems. I took sections and started cutting according to the guidelines I'd found online. With t-shirt yarn, if you want to make a single strand, you need to start with a tube shaped piece of fabric. The body wasn't up for that, so it became long strips. The sleeves were perfect for this though.I took a sleeve and laid it out flat. Then I folded it in half and cut 2-3cm wide strips, but only one third of the way through the fabric. After doing this down the whole sleeve, I laid it flat again.Then cut the lines on the front in a diagnal fashion. Only cut the front layer like this. The back layer will go straight across instead.After doing all the front diagonals, I cut the back side, too.Now for the long flat pieces I chose to cut into strips. Some have said that you can cut a zigzag pattern down the length of the fabric, but I've noticed that this leaves a weird frill edge that I'm even less fond of that visible knots. Instead I'm using someone else's knotting method I found on youtube.First, you make a small hole in one end. Then you make a small hole in the piece you're going to attach. Push the attaching piece through so that the attaching piece's hole is accessable. Bring the tail of the attaching piece back through its own hole and adjust the holes so that they don't bunch up too much. Pull tight and you're done.Then repeat with all strips and ball it all up.Now, instead of one lousy shirt that wasn't good enough quality for selling, most crafting, or even quilting, you have a whole ball of t-shirt yarn for your other crafting needs.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z12X6-living_howtoFri, 10 Mar 2023 12:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z12X6-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryOR-living_education_familylifeThis week, I was called into my boss's office. Wait, no. That's not right. I received a summons with similar gravitas not from my employer but from my husband's family. We were meant to discuss our child's education and apparently our lack of natural concern that the girl doesn't spend every waking moment out of school studying. It seems that part of the having a great kid in Japan deal implied utter and complete focus on her grades and performance to the point that all homework should be done in my sight, preferably with me looking over her shoulder the whole way. No one in my family has ever done this. I find it intrusive and awful. My opinions, as always, have no meaning here.This disintegrating marshmallow cat perfectly captures how I feel when confronted with a 3 hour Japanese shame lecture.The main complaint was that extracurricular study books were going unused. These study books are paid for by those who did the summoning, but not at my request nor with my permission. I was meant to be using them all the same, because my lack of fluency is no excuse for not reading the Japanese-for-native-use materials using energy and time I don't have all in the hopes of forcing more information into my kid's skull.Luckily my husband tried to explain the need for social time and breaks while I silently marred my hands with my finger nails in an attempt to stay awake long enough to get out of there. My maximum length of time right now for focussed Japanese listening is 60 minutes. At that point, I start passing out from mental exhaustion. At 90 minutes, they started to ask me questions that I couldn't understand. Another hour and a half later, after they had repeated their points (you feel shame. Child should study always. Child is suffering. You feel shame.) enough for even me with my limited fluency to get the idea, we were finally released.She's passing all of her classes and I had attributed any slip in grades to be about the math getting harder, not some failure with studying and certainly not because I wasn't leaning over her, forcing her to do it. Most of this is overly concerned but unknowing family, trying to force conformity to social norms only they currently understand.The one thing I am willing to change in light of this is instituting a snuggle-study time in which the kid and I sit together, snuggling under the kotatsu, while she studyies for 30 minutes and I write blog posts or study something at the same time. Dinner for the forseable future will be soup as it is the one thing I can have bubbling away in the kitchen for half an hour without a problem. When soup gets boring, someone can remind their parents to stop dictating my time so I can make different food.Until then, snuggling and studying and soup shall prevail.Does anyone else encounter family drama like this? What do you do?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryOR-living_education_familylifeWed, 08 Mar 2023 14:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryOR-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrkO-living_food_shoppingThanks to a fairly constant post nasal drip around the changing of the seasons, even though I don't have what traditionally constitutes hay fever in Japan, I frequently have a sore throat around this time of year. This leads to coughing which leads to everyone from staring at me like I may or may not have the plague. Enter Halls lozenges.They offer an interesting selection of flavors here in Japan where you can find them in small rectangular boxes in health sections at the grocery store or drug stores all over. In addition to the more internationally recognizable options like lemon or orange, you can also find Japan specific options like green tea and ume plum. Even acerola makes an appearance sometimes, if you're into that kind of flavor. I seem to remember finding yuzu once as well. As a lover of sour sweets, I found these flavors especially delectable, especially in a functioning cough drop.When I came to Japan, I was surprised by the lozenge selection. It seemed that sore throats were treated with candy. I can remember how horrified my students were when I brought Ricola cough drops from the import shop. In America, my family swore by these because they seemed to work on most of our sore throats and their flavor wasn't as awful as most proper medicine. My students and future husband all found them disgusting. Seeing what they use as over the counter cough suppressant, I wasn't so surprised.Part of that reliance on a trustworthy cough drop stems from the problems with the American medical system. We couldn't afford to go to the doctor for less than a broken bone or pneumonia, so we found something we could afford and trusted in it.Halls was a brand that I had used at times as well, though I remember them being square, coming in a pack that was similar in size and shape to gum in stick form and exclusively in some variation of mint flavor.I very much enjoy these interesting Japanese Halls flavors and find the product itself to be just as effective as ever. Here they are little triangles instead of squares and they seem smaller than the American squares, though I can't be sure if that is accurate as I haven't been able to compare the two variations in close proximity.Unfortunately, I do have some issues with the packaging. I find myself a little bit annoyed that the boxes that they come in hold long packets that contain sets of four lozenges instead of having them individually packaged, as I may have see them back home.Usually for me this means that I am going to wind up with one or two left in the bottom of the small, unsealable packet, ready to fall out and ruin the inside of my bag or creep toward the opening I'd folded over and stick to other things in my pocket.Still, if you need to soothe your throat and enjoy these kinds of flavors, this could be a good choice. Just eat four at once or bring a plastic baggy to put the remainder in while you wait to use them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrkO-living_food_shoppingTue, 07 Mar 2023 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrkO-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnvv-living Romance-related gifting in the early days of a relationship may seem pretty obvious. Your partner may bring you flowers or chocolates or some kind of sweets. You may go out to a nice meal somewhere special that would be enough for most people, and rightfully so. Romance is a little different after more than a decade together. Sure, it's still nice to go out and it's nice to receive presents, but familiarity and memories of shared experiences can shift the where and what of the situation.I heard this is actually called codependency and is not the hallmark of a healthy relationship, no matter what this notebook calls itself. Personally, I prefer gifts and events that show thought and care over flashy, expensive and impersonal options. I also can't afford those options and not being able to reciprocate in kind makes me uncomfortable as well. Luckily, my partner seems to enjoy this style of gift giving that's a little heavier on the brain work and lighter in the pocketbook. I once heard someone say that the trick to keeping a long-term relationship going was to never stop dating your partner. I took this to mean something along the lines of not taking your partner for granted and to continue the process of wooing them even as you grow old together. I don't consider myself nor my partner old yet, but I think we're both mostly happy in this relationship. Part of that happiness is obvious when he asks me out to lunch instead of just assuming the wife will make him something around noon on his day off, as I assume many a more traditional Japanese man is likely to do. Likewise, I ask what his plans are for his day off instead of telling him the laundry list of things I would prefer he did, as I've heard some more traditional wives may do here. When your relationship is already non-traditional, keep going with it and be true to yourselves. It seems the best way to me to keep the relationship and the romance alive. So when it comes to my relationship and romantic gift giving for Valentine's or white day, I'm happy with thinking outside of the box and receiving similarly nontraditional gifts. For Valentine's Day this year, I made a quilt and my husband bought ice cream. I don't remember the last time I bought my husband chocolate, but we celebrate every Valentine's day and white day together, each giving a present to the other. Being honest about your expectations is another key here though. If I wanted him to do something big and special, it's on me to make sure he knows that and the same goes for him. We don't need to complete each other or buy into whatever the stores stock as things to get for your romantic partner. Something small and thoughtful that says he remembers me and cares is more important to me. Whatever your expectations, make sure to let your partner know so conversations can be had and plans can be made. In the long run, this is what will keep the relationship going strong as far as I can tell.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnvv-livingFri, 03 Mar 2023 10:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnvv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPWm-living This year, I spent weeks transforming a pile of washed and clean, but otherwise, unwearable socks into a quilt for my family for Valentine's Day. The idea was to make one big enough that we could gather on the couch together and all be covered by the same blanket. Previous versions of trying to do this with other gift blankets we had received resulted in at least one of us always being chilly.The finished product. Cloth, socks, and bias tape were all on hand. Batting was under 1000 yen altogether. My daughter was especially fond of this decorative sushi sock. This was crafty and weird, but that's kind of my jam. Also, it meant using up some of my cloth stash hoard and turning what could be wasted as garbage into something the whole family could enjoy. I picked up batting from a couple of 100 yen stores. Why a couple? Daiso has a better selection with larger swaths of batting but isn't actually close to my house, so before I had time to walk over there, I would be stuck grabbing the smaller sections of batting from Can Do which is much closer. All told, I wound up spending less than a thousand yen on the batting alone.The work in progress. Some socks selected seemed to even have a Valentine's theme. In a surprise twist, my husband then asked if he could buy me chocolate for Valentine's Day. This is the same man who told me that he would absolutely under no circumstances buy me chocolate for our first Valentine's as a slur couple for fear that it would make him appear homosexual. I told him that I didn't care if he got me chocolate, but that he just had to bring home some kind of present. All those years ago, he managed to deliver a flower and a pair of earrings on February 14th and I was satisfied. Fast forward to February 14, 2023. I spent the morning finishing the quilt which took far longer than I had expected but looked comfy anyway. I folded and hid it in a gift bag before going to retrieve my kid from the bus stop. A few hours later, my husband called to explain that he hadn't had time to shop before right now, after 6PM on the holiday itself, and ALL forms of chocolate have been removed from the store. As far the delayed shopping is not a new behavior of his, I told him it was fine, we didn't mind, and if he still wanted to grab us something, why not ice cream from the grocery store? We'd all love that just as much as a box of chocolates. About half an hour later he came home with Baskin Robbins, which we heartily enjoyed together near the blanket I made and still have yet to see anyone use. No worries though. A reasonably well-made quilt is a gift that lasts ages if treated reasonably well. I expect this one to get a lot of use next fall, before the kotatsu comes out.My masterpiece, laid out across the dining table. I consider this a successful Valentine's Day because we still enjoyed our time together and had presents and treats to boot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPWm-livingWed, 01 Mar 2023 11:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPWm-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gO2-living_food Nestled in the woods around Rifu City in Miyagi prefecture, just outside of a camping area run by some branch of Christians, sits a quaint little coffee house. While it's not the easiest place to get to on foot unless you happen to be hiking nearby, it does make for a nice, comfortable little romantic getaway if all you have time for is a coffee date.Easy to get to? No. Nice when the weather is nice? Sure! My husband brought me out here for a little treat one afternoon after having read something about it reopening online. We guessed that it had been closed for lack of business during the pandemic but don't know for sure. Now they are open out there in the woods and with temperatures warming up, there's never been a better time to visit.A keen observer might notice the Christian carvings on the rock wall and floor. We weren't preached at and no one tried to convert us, so as far as randomly religious spaces go, it was okay. There's a small menu including biscotti, biscuits, and a number of coffee options among other beverages. We both ordered blends based on the flavor profile information available in the shop and we both genuinely enjoyed our coffees. Our only negative for the beverages was that they were served in disposable paper cups, as were all the other patrons' coffees that we could see.This is half of the seating area. What you don't see is the couple seated at one wall, the couple seated at the next wall and the two unattached men who came and took seats at opposite ends of this bar before we ordered. Nice setting in general, but too many unmasked mouths for our comfort. The space inside is nice and pretty spread out, so if there were only a couple of other people in there, you probably wouldn't feel too cramped. A few too many people had come to enjoy the atmosphere when visited so we chose just sit outside instead.Please forgive my husband's elbow for choosing to make a cameo in this shot. On the table, you can see the cookies near my cup and the biscotti near his, arranged in order from chocolate to carrot to nut. They did offer wide variety of biscotti with some interesting flavor options. I enjoyed the chocolate biscotti while husband ordered the carrot biscotti, which is something I had never heard of before. Once my husband forfeited it, not realizing that biscotti needs to be softened in coffee to be palatable, I tried it out of curiosity. I found it to have an unsettling fish flavor that was probably left over from using dashi in the cooking process. I personally feel like biscotti should be in flavors that complement coffee, and carrot is not one of those flavors. Even with the bizarre carrot biscotti and paper cups, the experience was really pleasant and an excellent way to add a touch of romance to our week. Whether you just forgot white day or just want your partner to remember you care, a little coffee date here in the woods can be a really good experience.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gO2-living_foodFri, 24 Feb 2023 09:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gO2-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlxL2-living_healthIf you are someone who plays Pokemon Go pretty frequently, then you probably won't be too surprised to know that after level 37, you can nominate places in the real world to become pokestops in one of Niantic's mobile games.In the settings menu, level 37 or above.The app allows for 40 pokestop nominations which you could use all at once, but they will only regenerate at a rate of one per day. When you nominate a spot, you'll need a close up picture of the thing, a picture of it in the surrounding area, the exact location as findable on google maps, and a description. The final bit is your note to the voters, telling them why you think it's special.Just nominating a place won't make it a Pokestop. Other players will vote on whether or not they think it's a good choice and that will determine whether or not it gets through. The official rules are available on the website but the main objectives are good places to hang with friends, good places for working out, and places of cultural or historical relevance.If you've been playing the game in different areas, you'll notice so many different kinds of pokestops but that doesn't necessarily mean nominating something similar will work.Lights like those are pokestops in Tagajo, but not Shiogama. Why? No rejection criteria given. Hence the appeal.In January of 2023, I nominated 27 different places to become pokestops. I wasn't just picking random places but trying to pay attention to the criteria given by the Niantic wayfarer guidelines, recent updates to which required those wanting to nominate stops to go through additional training that involved a mandatory quiz. After passing the quiz, I started looking at the world around me with more excitement despite the winter chill. I could bring Pokestops to my city! Seeing them regularly would give me a chance to better enjoy the game and remind myself that the changes I make have value. This is just the kind of boost I need at a time of year that makes me want to hibernate.You get emails thanking you for your nominations and telling you how it came out. You can also find this information on the wayfarer website.After logging in and heading to the contributions tab, you'll see a list of all of your nominations and how they turned out. If they've been rejected, there's usually rejection criteria listed (wrong place, duplicate of current stop, dangerous area) and a chance to appeal and have it re-evaluated, but you can only ask for an appeal once per month, so choose wisely. Sometimes all it needs is a better picture, in which case making a new submission with pictures taken on an overcast day is the best idea.Out of my 27 nominations, 12 were rejected, 7 were accepted, 1 is under appeal,and the rest are still in queue or in voting.It generally takes about two weeks maximum for the results to be in, but even if they're rejected unjustly, you can still only appeal one per month.While the rejections sting, especially the ones that don't make any sense (one claimed a pedestrian walkway with visable staircases didn't have pedestrian access), it's still awesome to see the ones that made it through. I can't say they're all my favorite submissions, but they still improve the space and prove that these silly little things I do can have long lasting positive effects.These lovely ink prints outside of Honshiogama station have entranced me for years. Now they're a Pokestop as they should be, but when I first nominated them in 2021 they were rejected. Reasons given then included "clearly a private residence or farm" which boggled my mind. This has since been changed to "other criteria" and a claim that the location was mismatched, something that makes no sense either. When I resubmitted this year, I made sure that the pictures showed the area well and without such huge shadows as to avoid confusion about the location.So if you need a reason to walk and see your little changes grow into something more, feel free to try this out. Just don't forget to appeal and/or resubmit when you can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlxL2-living_healthMon, 13 Feb 2023 10:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlxL2-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoOk-living_howtoBack when we moved into this place in 2011, we bought all new furnishings and it all looked really, really nice...until I started living here. Since then it's slowly started filling with clutter and things started to break. One of the first things to break was the couch, which started with a small seam rip.While I debated the best way to treat the steam rip in a pleather couch, it grew and grew until rips formed down the entire seam and other cracks formed around it. Before I knew it, the couch was more crack than couch and something had to be done.My 2017, 2000 yen solution: pretty duct tape.My initial response was duct tape. I bought a bunch of galactic-patterned duct tape online and interlaced it try to pair the seat. It worked for a time but slowly the ends of each strip started to roll up in every direction. I doubled down, sticking the up bits down with more tape until the new tape also rolled up. Each exposed end would get covered in dust and lose adhesion and the seat itself just wasn't viable anymore.2022 solution for 6000 yen: vinyl repair sheets.In 2022, I decided to take another stab at fixing the couch. I bought several sheets of almost matching brown vinyl couch repair sheets from Amazon. None of these required additional adhesive. All of these were pre-treated on the back and just had to be stuck down like a massive pleather sticker. The one I put on the back of the couch is still there and mostly covers the seam rips pretty well.The one that was put on the seat proved to be a challenge. First, it started to drift toward the floor. The adhesive clearly wasn't made to put up with the pressure of a whole family sitting down and getting up right on top of it every day.Also, it was horrible in summer. This was not what this fabric was meant to do, if evidence of how it stuck to any uncovered skin was anything to go by. It was literally painful.The back vinyl is starting to drift, but the over cushion is helping keep it in place. Yay!Last summer, I had had enough and finally came up with another idea. Cushions. Our couch never had cushions and while it had okay cushioning when we first bought it, that has also worn down over time. It wasn't very comfortable to sit on or lay on anymore regardless of the fabric problems.I could either go through the pain of trying to completely reupholster at this thing which i am not really ready for, or I could just buy massive cushions and strap them to the couch. I opted it for a plan b, which I then spent about six thousand yen on.Three couch-length cushions from a nearby Sanki, each costing just under 2000 yen, were fitted with long straps and elastic as well as D rings from 100 yen store. I then tied it all together with carabiner clips from Homac. While it's not perfect, and it does need readjustment every now and again, the current situation is much improved one from before.At least it's not trying to rip my skin off now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoOk-living_howtoThu, 09 Feb 2023 09:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoOk-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvQ5-living_money_familylifeMy kid stumbled upon this the other day as we walked through the Aeon town mall near our home. An ad detailed all the joys of the Molly Fantasy arcade's 500 yen all-you-can-play gaming card.I understand my kid's need to play but I also understand that these places are horrible for germs, especially with children and especially when they're busy. My kid had her heart set on it though, so I picked the most reasonable option I could come up with.One of the early days of winter break, we woke up early and got ready. We arrived at the arcade just 30 minutes after they opened and found the place mostly vacant. This seemed like a good enough reason to go in.With my daughter being excited and me not reading clearly enough, we missed something big. The 500 yen card gets you 30 minutes of games, but with a limit on the crane-type games at the front of the shop. These only work twice with the card, presumably to stop someone from spending their entire half hour emptying an entire machine of bouncy balls or candy.And that's actually fine because the games it does work on without such limits, like Mariokart and that taiko drum game, also works in dual player mode even when scanning only one card.For a mommy-and-me date on a budget, this is a big bonus.Thanks to us going early in the morning, we got to enjoy our whole half hour playing several new songs on the taiko drum game and running a race on Mariokart as well. Not a bad bit if entertainment for just 500 yen.While I don't recommend going to these places in really busy areas, we managed to make it work partially because my kid os great at keeping her mark on and sanitizing her hands regularly. We brought our own sanitizer of course, through there were also a couple of places to clean your hands in the arcade, too.There is also a 1000 yen version that allows for an hour of the same thing with slightly better bonuses I assume. For us, the 500 yen worked well and kept us from spending too long in a place that is known to be teeming with germs most of the time.If you have the interest and option of enjoying a place like this in a quiet part of town, I'm here to say it's not bad and we didn't get sick. Stay safe and be careful, but don't forget to have fun, especially with your kids.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvQ5-living_money_familylifeThu, 02 Feb 2023 11:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvQ5-living_money_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWpo2-livingThis year, for the first year, I bought an online fukubukuro from a retailer on Rakuten that I didn't really know and that didn't have a guide to what specifically would be in the lucky bag.This shop with the adorable chicken mascot offered a selection of electronic items worth up to 6000 yen for the low low price of 2023 yen.As mentioned before, instead of displaying exact sample items for all the goods that would be included, this one offered only a sample of the ideas of what might be inside, including USB storage drives, small electronic fans, and air humidifiers.The most exciting thing for my kid was this Pink Kraken Fan. It charges by usb and I got another good USB-C cable. The fan has several speeds and the three tentacles/legs allow it to grip onto several kinds of surfaces.Another interesting item that I would never have picked up but I'm kind of happy to have is a rainbow light humidifier. After charging for more than an hour, this thing can be used easily. While I had to use Google Translate to understand the instructions, I also did eventually figure it out. It hinges, revealing the light to make it a pretty neat little accent lamp. The light has three modes, including quickly transitioning through the rainbow, slowly transitioning, and staying solid on one color.The first night I tried to use it, I was wondering if i was just not seeing the humid air rising from it. After I charged it again, the thing emitted a nice stream of steam. As it turns out, the steam button also has a couple of functions, including straight steam, blips of steam, and off.I did have some issues with getting into stay on, but overall, it was a fun addition to my home.The other contents if the small box included a USB light, which may be great in situations where you have a fully charged mobile battery, but no flashlight.Another emergency item was included in the form of a an emergency battery charger with three new rechargeable batteries inside. I was more excited about the batteries than the charger in this case.Other than that, there was also a set of colorful cord arranging items to help clear up cord organization related messes and a 64 GB thumb drive, which is something I needed anyway.While I didn't research each item to double check the total value, I'm happy with the items I received. I don't know if I'll order it again next year as our needs for random tech have been met, but I'll keep this shop in mind when I do want random tech.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWpo2-livingMon, 16 Jan 2023 10:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWpo2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1x4-living_medical_healthMy daughter had her third coronavirus vaccination a couple of months ago, to my delight. In addition, my daughter was happy to go and receive the shot. Everyone in my family is pro-science and anti-corona so there was never a debate over whether or not to get the shot sorted for her. Keeping her alive and well is the most basic of our jobs as parents.So does anyone else know why people aren't vaccinating their kids against covid?I can't really wrap my head around it. Is it that they wrongly assume that kids can't get it? After years of this, we know they can and that it can kill them or seriously injure them especially if they are unvaccinated.Is it that they wrongly assume that their kid is special and won't get it? Why would anyone assume god/the universe/whatever loves them enough to spare their kid especially while others die of bone cancer?Do they just assume that it won't be that bad because most people don't die from it especially here in Japan? You don't have to die from it for covid to change your life for the worse and forever. Even vaccinated folks can see negative changes in the long term.Maybe it's that people aren't dying here the way they did in the states, so people just assume it's no big deal.I've been trying to answer these questions since the mother of one of my kid's school chums admitted that they chose not to vaccinate their daughter against covid. She's not the only mom of one of my kid's friends to admit this, either. I really want to ask them why but I know that I have no idea how to bring that up politely in Japanese and don't want to alienate my kid's few friends via preaching science at their parents.To be clear, none of these people have mentioned their kids having any physical ailments that would prohibit a vaccination and all the parents appear to have taken at least the first shots. The kids have played together enough for most obvious signs of autoimmune conditions to make themselves known. It seems really clear that the parents are just choosing not to.I also know that my listening skill is not good enough to follow any of the above answers in Japanese, even if I figured out how to politely ask the question. My vocabulary for adult conversation just isn't there.At the end of the day, I just have to make peace with the fact that the only kid I can make sure is safe from corona in all the ways she can be is my own. That also means we have less socialization with the friends who aren't vaccinated, both for their safety and our own.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1x4-living_medical_healthTue, 10 Jan 2023 19:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mq1x4-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPDY-living_foodThe last time I tried to make eggnog in Japan was many years ago and as I recall, it didn't go well. The only recipe I had found online then specified that you had to use the eggwhites and that meant you had to whip them into stiff peaks. The recipe failed to mention that the only real way to do that is an electric mixer, and I don't have one that does anything apart from sitting in a cupboard or jettisoning ingredients across the room.The cinnamon was sent to me but cinnamon bought in Japan would also work. Everything else was bought here in Japan.I was really excited to try again and find recipes that made it clear that the egg whites were optional. I don't like throwing them out, but I like beating them uselessly for hours even less.Six egg yolks and 100 grams of sugar. Whisk them until they are one thing.My kid and I stuck to this recipe I found online and even when I misread a few things, it seemed to go okay. This time we didn't alter the size and the yield at the end was about 800 milliliters, which isn't too much for a small family.Yay! They are one! Now put the milk and cream in a pan with nutmeg and simmer it while stirring.The hardest part for us was tempering the egg mixture with the hot milk mixture, which is something I never accomplished before, but with my kid conveying the hot milk and cream mixture while I furiously whisked, it worked out just fine.No curdles! Yay!!!Back on the heat until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.In the end, the only container that would fit our needs was my coffee pot, so we poured the warm eggnog in. Through a strainer, as instructed, to eliminate any incidental curdles.Because the pot is glass and I didn't want it to bust in the cold fridge, I let the beverage get closer to room temperature before I put it in to chill. An hour later, we enjoyed some delicious nog.Coffee? Tea? Nog!It wasn't quite the same as the store bought stuff back home, but it was absolutely 100 times better than my last attempt.Cinnamon for decoration-- probably works better if you know how to do this. If you mess it up, just stir it in!While my kid was a little ambivalent about the look of the nog, she firmly agreed that it was delicious when she gave it a try.Cheers, y'all!If you're looking for more of an adult oriented rendition of the drink, the recipe I linked to includes information about when to add what kind of alcohol to the mix.Personally, we're happy with it this way.Enjoy!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPDY-living_foodWed, 04 Jan 2023 10:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPDY-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYnV9-living_food_shoppingThe Mister Donut at the mall closest to my home reopened this year and we are so delighted to once again enjoy their fabulous fukubukuro.This used to be the way I got calendars for the next year, but when this shop closed, it left us without a Mister Donut in walking distance.When I realized the fukubukuro were already on sale, I ran out the next day to find that the most expensive bag was already sold out. This was no worry to us as we were aiming for the cheapest bag anyway.If you're looking for that awesome bath towel, you'll have to go by a different Mister Donut location as it is only available in the 5900 bag which is sold out here. Luckily, we didn't need one.Inside the 2400 yen bag was not just a card worth 20 donuts priced up to 184 yen each, which already covers the cost of the bag if used correctly. In addition, there is a sheet of 12 coupons, one for 5% off an 800 yen purchase. The expiration dates correspond with the calendar so one is useful each month of the year and expires at the end of that month. Definitely a good deal if you grab a bunch of donuts at least once a month.The contents of our 2400 yen bag.I also need to rave about this tote. I love that it has handles and a strap. It's also delightfully colorful and highly durable. The small towel is also much more high quality than I had expected.Of course, the card has an expiration date, so our twenty donuts will have to be purchased before the end of may or forfeited, which is a decent enough time considering Mister Donut is walking distance once again.I love the calendar, with little pokemon hiding between the months. Also, it does a great job of reminding us to grab some donuts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYnV9-living_food_shoppingTue, 03 Jan 2023 12:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYnV9-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8dYv-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiWe decided to take a walk down to Honshiogama station to see the light display that has been up for a little over a month now. In addition to a few deer, there are ten small conical light trees, one big conical light tree, and a shooting star that might also just be shining bright. I'm not sure why a place that used to be a garden clock before they paved it over is only holding ten scattered trees instead of twelve, one for each hour on the clock it still holds or one for each month depending on how you want to see it, but that's just how it is.It's nice and tasteful though it seems like we are not welcome to be venture over to it which is different from some years in the past.We were very lucky as we got there between trains, so there weren't a bunch of commuters coming through as we watched the twinkling lights.We were expecting to see glowing balls based on the picture. There are no balls.From there, we walked over toward Aeon Town Mall Shiogama where we found an ad for an interactive display that we somehow missed. Unfortunately the ad was on a changing ad board, so we had to wait for the ad to come back on in order to find out more.This artistic wall did not used to be here.Once it did, we photographed it and headed back toward the station where we found flashlights attached to a fence near large, abstract panels. We picked them up and started playing around with the panels, me trying to make letters and hearts while my daughter drew smiley faces.Oooh. Lights! Right next to the abstract wall, attached to the fence.It was a lot of fun! For safety, we disinfected our hands before and after. We only played around with it for a few minutes in the cold, but we enjoyed it. Faint J, because I thought it had to be done from a distance.While it was very different from the interactive light display we saw in Yamagata, it was still great to see more interactive art coming to the illumination thing.How we left it.According to the ad, this interactive display will run until the third. I'm not sure when the station lights will go down but it'll likely be the first or second.The last lights we saw for the evening came from the boats on the bay which were up to their usual holiday festivities of impersonating floating Christmas trees. You can see them from the parking lot at the other end of the Aeon.I'm sure not every area in Japan is as festively decorated as the area around Honshiogama Station.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8dYv-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSun, 01 Jan 2023 10:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8dYv-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnDB-living_shoppingI started my morning by walking to the 7-11 closest to my home in order to print out the new years cards as I had meaning to do for the past week. I absolutely believed that the hardest part was going to be the tech aspect in getting my phone to talk to the machine and getting the machine to print what I wanted. I was wrong, or at least half wrong.I got there around 8:30AM and started working with the printer. After disliking a trial print, I figured out how to adjust the image and put my postcards into the machine as instructed. After three of the five came out, it suddenly stopped and left a huge error message on the screen.So I called the shop assistant, who didn't seem to completely know what she was doing as she opened various compartments. She eventually removed my final two cards from the machine, one half printed and one not printed at all.She handed them back to me without a word. I tried to explain that I couldn't just go buy more of these now and this half printed card was going to be a problem. She laughed in my face, literally, and walked away.This is what she walked away from. See that 120 yen still left in the machine? Yeah, it wasn't coming out no matter how hard I pressed the coin return. She left me there with a messed up card and my money stuck in the machine.I was so furious that I walked out for a moment, but decided that she didn't deserve my 120 yen on top of everything else. I stood by the machine, waiting for help. Finally, I got the attention of another member of staff who came over and listened at least while I explained the situation. She didn't have any reaction to my explaining that her coworker laughed in my face, but she did at least understand that I should not have to leave my money in the machine. She went to retrieve an older male coworker who also didn't care about his coworker laughing in the face of customers, but did at least get my money out of the machine and get the machine back into working order.Apparently this is so funny certain people can't be bothered to treat me like a human being after seeing it.I left that 7-11 for the last time this year and likely next year as well. Luckily the main branch of the post office was still open and next to a different 7-11, so I walked over there and retrieved more cards (which were still in stock! Yay!) before printing them right next door. Yay! The cute Disney postage-paid lottery backs! Woot woot!That 7-11 wasn't filled with garbage humans and people who condone their crap, so I bought some drinks there, too. It will be my 7-11 of choice likely for years to come.The reviews on Google for the other place seem to indicate that I'm not the only on dissatisfied with their customer service.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnDB-living_shoppingSat, 31 Dec 2022 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnDB-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPNK-living_education_workPolicies regarding popular media vary school by school, so this set of tips is really for people who have some control over how and what they teach or have the ability to add in a fun side activity at some point in a lesson.Something amazing happened in my last week of kids classes before winter break. I suddenly realized that the abundance of Christmas music that has been annoying me since October isn't without value. If I'd had to hear it while shopping, so had my students, and that meant that we had a common holiday topic whether they knew it or not.So we played many rounds of Spell That Title.First, I hum a few bars of a famous holiday song to see if any of them recognize it. I ask if they do. If they don't, I sing a couple of lines of the lyrics. Then I plot out the number of letters in each word of the title on the board and sound out the words for them. The students take turns giving me either the next letter or another letter in the puzzle. If they get it wrong, I put the letter in the "We don't have any" box to the side on the board and we move on to the next student until the title is complete. It runs more like Wheel of Fortune than hangman as there aren't any limits to the errors. When the title is complete, they write it in their notebooks.For older kids, I start by asking if anyone knows any Christmas songs and we start with spelling those instead. Another way to add difficulty is to force the next letter rather than any other letter in the word and not fill in multiple instances of the same letter for a single guess. For the right higher level students, you could opt to not give them the title and have them guess the letters based on their knowledge of the titles of holiday songs or have them guess the title from the lyrics you say.Holiday songs could also be used for dictation practice if you have the students write the lyrics as you sing or say them. All of this can be done with practically zero preparation if you know some holiday songs.While Christmas music is over for this year, some songs like Winter Wonderland and Frosty the Snowman are more season based than specifically Christmas oriented and could be used in January as well.So the next time you're stuck for a holiday activity it class, remember the music that's been blaring at you for months and use it to your advantage.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPNK-living_education_workSat, 31 Dec 2022 09:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPNK-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaKVW-living_familylifeBuilding a community with your fellow foreigners in Japan can be a big challenge. You've got something in common with all foreigners, but that's not always enough for a friendship of any kind, much less one that can endure.A new boundary that I have put in place this year is one that I probably should have seen coming years ago, when it became a weirdly common thing for me to hear.If anyone else ever tells me that I remind them of their mother, I need to run away from them at high speed. This seemingly innocuous or even endearing comment has come to mean something else to me now, after all of the Gaijin women who said these words to me have finally careened out of my life.Right now, it feels like what they really mean, deep down, is that some point they're going treat me like a total piece of crap and expect the unconditional forgiveness and love that their mothers give.When I was younger and childless, I took the endearing message and ran with it. I must be well liked if people felt this way about me, I thought, ignoring the expectations they would be bringing to the situation.As the sun sets on yet another gaijin to gaijin friendship.Some problems from this were obvious and fast acting, but I would always ignore them. They didn't treat me as an equal in the relationship. Even as it became more clear that they were visiting with me the way a teenager visits an elderly relative, mouth open to fill me on on all of their thrilling antics and ears closed to anything I might hope to express, my loneliness drove me to continue the friendship as it was.And then there was Covid.When one of these women who had always brought extra passive aggressive garbage to every conversation took a common phrase weirdly personally and used it as an excuse to silently cancel our previously made plans, I realized that I really couldn't put up with her behavior in the friendship anymore. That was 2020.When another treated news of my husband's covid diagnosis like an excuse to cancel our previous weekly online chat time for the next four months with no warning or conversation, I was surprised. We had been talking for years, then suddenly something scary happens in my life and she's just gone. Messages sent were responded to days later with simple "Oh, I was busy" messages if at all. After a few weeks, I gave up trying. The more heartbreaking thing was having to answer my daughter when she asked when we were talking to that friend and why we weren't when I never got an answer from a text. Imagine having to tell yourself over and over that your friend doesn't hate you, she just suddenly has no time for you at all when you are very scared, and then having to explain the situation to a small child who has met and enjoyed chatting with this person literally almost every week for their whole lives.Four months later, she popped back into my messages like nothing happened. When I expressed my concerns over her sudden drop in contact, she got all the way defensive. There were no excuses or explanations given, not even an admission of departure. I slowed it down and tried to explain the situation from my point of view thoughtfully and calmly. By the time I got to the end of writing the message, I knew the friendship was over.Her response went unread, save for the first line that came up in preview, defending that time she downplayed the global reaction to the coronavirus in the same conversation that I had revealed my husband's diagnosis. Literally moments after I told her that my husband had caught the big bad scary thing, there she was saying I was complaining about nothing, right before disappearing for four solid months.After giving myself four more months of silent deliberation on my end, I finally deleted and blocked her and her family from my social media.So if some younger foreigner says you remind them of their mom, run, or set up really clear boundaries really fast.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaKVW-living_familylifeWed, 28 Dec 2022 14:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaKVW-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BJj-living_foodI have been wanting some nice, American style apple cider for months. Actually years, if we're honest. It's just not something that's done here. If you ask around for apple cider, everyone thinks you mean a sweet, clear carbonated beverage or an alcoholic beverage. I'm not really looking for either.In America, you can buy jugs of apple cider by the gallon from most grocery stores, especially in colder months.The vast majority of recipes on the internet came with the same problems that we always have when transferring an American recipe to a Japanese household. First, it'll include options we don't have. Some "easy" recipes literally start with buying a gallon of apple cider from the grocery store.The second problem that I encounter is quantity. Most of these recipes yield gallons of the beverage. My Japanese refrigerator can't really handle several gallons of anything. My family won't want a gallon of this, and drinking a whole gallon alone before it goes bad will probably make me hate it.So we took a "from scratch" recipe and halved it, hoping for the best.The original recipe called for 10 apples, quartered. Happy to be halving it to five, we still found it a struggle to fit everything into a pot. I had to move up the the largest pot in my house and chop the apple bits smaller so they'd actually fit in. The recipe says to add water to cover by 2 inches, which is hard to figure out when your chunks of apple float, but we did what we could. We added the allspice as instructed but opted for cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon and brown sugar instead of white, because that was what was on hand. We also reduced the sugar by 1/3.Straining after I hour.After that, we followed the recipe. The whole process is a series of boil/simmer, and strain, repeated. And that's all you really do for four hours. After boiling it for one hour, we reduced the heat and covered it. And back on the heat, low, covered.At one point the recipe suggested straining the cider to be through cheesecloth which did not happen but we did use a fine mesh tea strainer at one point.After 3 hours, the solids are darker and smaller, but also get added to the apple sauce.The recipe called for discarding the solids but a comment on that page also suggested turning the solids into apple sauce, so that's what we did. If I did it again with an eye toward apple sauce, I would use the ground cinnamon and peel the apples so I don't have to pick chunks of apple peel and shards of cinnamon sticks out later.In the end, our total yield was 1260 milliliters, which is a drinkable amount. I find it more delicious when warmed up in the microwave or stovetop though my kid prefers her apple cider chilled.If you've got an afternoon and a need for apple cider, give this a try.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BJj-living_foodTue, 27 Dec 2022 10:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BJj-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPBK-living_shopping_howtoI was inspired to try to create casseroles a few months ago when working late afternoon shifts left me without the energy to create dinner, but the warm meal is also a delight as the temperatures dip. My idea was to make the casserole in my rice cooker and then serve them when I got home.The first time I tried to do this, it went very, very poorly because I used fast boiling noodles that are ready in just around three minutes. Soaking them in spiced water overnight and baking them into the casserole converted them into bland mush that brought down the whole dish. It took my casserole from cheesy veg in savory sauce to a bland and poorly textured lump of goo.Start with veg. Frozen veg that's been boiled works well. Leftovers also welcome.Instead of fiddling with the soaking and type of noodles, I decided to leave them out from the recipe entirely. Ideally, someone who just got home from work could boil three minute noodles or microwave a packet of rice to go with the contents of the rice cooker.Add 1 can of cut tomatoes.One big selling point to making a casserole is getting the chance to use up leftovers, and for that reason, it's best made with already cooked ingredients, like some leftover ground meat from an earlier dish or veggies that are about to go bad.Add and mix in whatever seasoning you like. This is basil, oregano, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and cumin.I boiled some frozen vegetable medley and threw it in the pot of the rice cooker, along with a can of tomatoes and some leftover fully cooked ground meat. If you have cooked chicken leftovers or most other kinds of meat, this would also work well. I added shredded cheese and seasoning before I popped it into the rice cooker and took off for work.Mix together with shredded cheese before putting it into the cooker.As for seasoning, salt and pepper are always welcome. I also added my normal arrangement of a touch of cumin along with oregano and basil and a helping of garlic and onion mixture that I bought in dried form from the supermarket. One of the reasons not to use fresh garlic in a recipe like this is that small chunks of garlic is cooked and properly can turn weirdly green and that can be off-putting when you're trying to eat. There's still fine to eat, but the color can make you feel like something might be wrong with the dish. For this reason, dried garlic is preferable for these kinds of slower-to-cook options.When I came home, this is what I found after mixing it together a little bit and putting on a plate with some rice.Utterly delectable.This was a very good answer to the quandary of how to make a nice, warm dinner when I have a lot of leftovers and a little time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPBK-living_shopping_howtoMon, 26 Dec 2022 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPBK-living_shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLDx-livingWe found a large poster placard advertising this display at the sight of a similar but much smaller display in Sagae, Yamagata's Cherryland shopping and culture center earlier the same day.The placard, which lists the ending date for this event as February 12, which gives everyone in the area plenty of time to go and enjoy.Since we were in the area, we headed to this second location which turns out to be the location as a snow festival we went to back in the day.We got there just after 9 PM on a weekday and it was vacant save for exactly two random people.Some of the pieces were similar to the Cherryland illumination in a lot of ways.The entire time we were there, we basically had full run of the place and the prerecorded light and music program was wonderful. It only ran about 20 minutes or so. We took lots of pictures and video as we walked around the space, finding several Instagramable settings including both what looked like wings or a really massive glowing bow and a very large heart with a seat in front of it for couples or cute solo selfies.The heart, with plenty of space for one or two, or more if you utilize the walkway a little further back, past the roped off area.The main attraction seemed to be these huge pillars that wanted to be castles but were so thin that they reminded me of chess bishops the size of trees. I don't really know what they want to be, but they're very very pretty.Towering and gorgeous, the tower/bishop/pillars weren't content to just stand there gloriously and instead had softly shifting light through the beginning of the prerecorded program, followed by sudden darkness that seemed hit every light in the whole park. Just a moment passed before the music picked up and flashes of red brought the tower/bishop/pillars back in the closest thing to a dance as can be estimated via stationary, stand-alone objects.The entire experience was well worth the drive out there, and being able to be there alone with my family was one of the most memorable events of this year. I highly recommend seeing this if you're in the area and have the chance. The park is pretty close to the highway exit for Sagae and we saw many people coming in as we left, so even on a weekday evening, people will frequent this place right before it shuts off at 10PM. If you're not into large groups, I would also steer clear on weekends. Find out more on the official website here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLDx-livingSat, 24 Dec 2022 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvLDx-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gVe-livingMy family went on a brief trip to Yamagata recently and really lucked out as far as the light shows were concerned. Our first wonderful light display came in the town of Sagae where a brief stop by Cherryland, the souvenir and regional delicacy shop proved to be more enlightening than any of us had expected. Outside and to the left of the main entrance sat a display with several different tree shaped objects, each sporting many evenly spaced colored lights. At the beginning, they all seem to radiate the pinkish hue, which is fitting in that this area of Japan is known for its cherries.We stopped by shortly before 5 PM and after a short trip inside the building (which had been renovated since our last visit years ago) I dragged my family back to check out the lights.On the side of the display, facing the building, a placard with a large button labelled PUSH appears, like something out of a modernized Alice in Wonderland. Unfortunately, every time we pressed it, nothing happened save for our growing confusion and frustration.My daughter grabbed an ice cream before the shops closed and we relaxed for a moment as the clock finally clicked past five.Fueled by sugar, curiosity, and a dash of residual frustration, my daughter leapt at the change to hit the button again before we headed back to the car and when she did, she moved with a vengeance, whacking the plastic dome five times before we noticed anything happening.And finally, things were happening. Every whack of the buttons restarted the lights on a vibrant shift through the rainbow. We were awestruck.While it is a small and set-up in a place that isn't easy to get to without a car, the interactive part of the light display won us over.While I haven't been able to confirm when the display will be over, it might be safe to assume early January and head out to see ot ASAP if you're already in the area and haven't yet.We went on a Wednesday night and were the only ones exploring, so we highly recommend weekday evenings between four and six to avoid crowds.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gVe-livingFri, 23 Dec 2022 11:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gVe-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrykX-living_shopping_familylife Like many parents in Japan, I take full advantage of the school lunch system at my kid's school, but as they vary from more dry chopstick ready options to curry, there has been a need in the last few years for a spoon to be included. This renders her previous lunch kits useless. Even childless folks might find the need for a reusable spoon in their lunch boxes to use with soups or stews as the seasons turn chilly. We started with a hundred yen store kit to replace her chopsticks only previous set, and they worked fine for a couple of weeks until the hinge on the cheap plastic container broke. We put it back together and it would hold for a little while, but it quickly soon fell apart again. And again. After a couple of weeks of putting it back together every time I washed it, I knew I had to find another option. Soon, I found another, much more expensive 1400 yen kit at a gift shop near my house. While this one had a lid that only covered the very top of the spoon and chopsticks, but the fit around the chopsticks was a little loose. Still, with the different location of the hinge, I had hope that this one would work better. The hinge on this model only lasted about a month longer than the hundred yen store option, leaving us once again with a flimsy plastic thing that just will not stay together. Finally, I happened upon this lovely piece of machinery in Homac. There are several big differences here, including that the spoon and chopsticks each have their own little space with rubber grippers that keep them for the most part in place. The spoon sticks better than the chopsticks, but at least this time they aren't as likely to fall out of the container. The next big obvious difference is the hinge. The problem with all the other kits involved the hinge and here it is reinforced with rubber. So far we've been using it for a few months. And it has not even slightly broken. It is by far my favorite option and was somewhat cheaper than the flimsy one from the gift shop.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrykX-living_shopping_familylifeFri, 09 Dec 2022 10:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrykX-living_shopping_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7lPW-living_health I know I'm not the only person in japan who's going into this winter not feeling great about the number of things that need to get done that aren't getting done right this second. That's why it's important for me and for any of you out there who might be feeling the same way to look at our little gains and savor our little victories. We have to remember that progress almost never looks like a straight line to first place. Progress is almost always a series of little victories and little setbacks, moving forward with overall gains until we get where we're trying to go. As I have discussed before seasonal effective disorder, winter really isn't my season and I was supposed to get stuff done this year. I've been trying to clean out space in our small condo apartment so that a new baby might have anursery there. This has been a really emotionally consuming and difficult process for me and it was waylaid midway through the year when my co-worker went on bed rest and I took on more hours at work. This was great financially but also so draining that I couldn't get any of the big project cleaning done on top of that. These days we're back to a more normal schedule and I'm trying to get things done and it's not going as quickly as I'd like. Part of me feels like anything that is not an immediate victory is failure. If you're feeling that way too, it might be helpful to take account of your little victories. I keep a list of all the small gains I've made during the week my schedule book. There are little daily use spaces that I don't actually need, so I fill them in past tense with what I accomplished that day. Taking a little time out of the day to reflect on your wins is a great way to remind yourself that winning is happening, even in small increments. Being able to look back through all the victories helps me stay in a positive mindset for going forward. So if you feel like you're not getting anywhere on your goals, keep a record of your progress, as little as it seems. It is likely to help.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7lPW-living_healthMon, 05 Dec 2022 10:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7lPW-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrbE-living_familylife I have many older students and have been working with older folks since I got to Japan, but I recently encountered some startling behavior from an older woman and felt the need to share. Considering that the Japanese population is significantly aged, and many of the women here have spent their whole lives as housewives might be quite bored. Instead of doing a crossword puzzle or sudoku, some choose to start drama wherever they can find it. And to me it's boring. And it's tedious. And it's life. Months ago, I was going to write about how conversations with Japanese ladies sometimes become circuitous for me as they follow a certain pattern. They ask a question. I give an answer that they don't expect. This shouldn't be terribly surprising. I'm from an entirely different economic class, creed, country and culture from them. My answers are gonna be different. After they respond with silence, they drop the topic, only to ask the exact same question the next week as if my answer would have changed. It doesn't. They stop asking. This seemed like an awkward quirk until I found out more about what was being said about me to my mother-in-law. The older woman who asked if I wanted to move back to the states twice, receiving firm negative answers each time, told my mother-in-law in no uncertain terms that I was planning to abandon the family and leave Japan for good. So maybe it wasn't a conversationally quirky response to hearing something she couldn't believe. Maybe she thought this was how to mesmerize someone or plant unwanted thoughts. Maybe she just watched Inception too many times. I have no idea but I didn't appreciate being lied about and the discomfort she caused in my relationship with my mother-in-law was palpable. So what can you do? My normal Texas answer would be to call the woman out directly and tell her to stop, but I can't imagine that going any other way than her lying to me about lying and then playing the victim when she repeats it later. Option two as far as I can see it is engaging in levels of manipulation that I don't have the cunning or energy for. So what did I do? I invented my own option number three. The only person whose opinion matters in this situation is my mother-in-law, so I wrote her a long message in Japanese, explaining that I just heard what that woman had said and I absolutely do not understand why she said that. I want to be here. I love this country and this family. I'm not going anywhere. She responded positively and it really feels like that relationship is mended. So what am I going to do about the old woman? Nothing. I will be polite as always but any change in my demeanor might make her choose to do more dramatic crap. As long as my relationship with my mother-in-law is alright, I'll be fine.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrbE-living_familylifeFri, 02 Dec 2022 14:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrbE-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aPD-living_food_howto Now this treat is a traditional Japanese treat, but it's specific to one area of Japan which I no longer live in. My first autumn in Japan happened in Gifu prefecture, way down south in Chubu, somewhere between Nagoya and Kyoto. It was marvelous and amazing and one of the things that the town I lived in was most known for were these delicious little Chestnut sweets. They meant a lot to me and were very delicious. In my 2 years in that area, I came to associate fall very much with this specific flavor. Since moving to northern Japan, I've come to find that the term Kurikinton has a totally different meaning up here. They think what is candied chestnuts on rice, or just nuts with some sort of mashed element. They absolutely in no way understand that I want a lovely little dumpling of soft sweetness.A basic search of the internet comes up with plenty of different recipes for different dishes called Kurikinton by someone, but only one looks like the delicacy I'm looking for, and that's the bottom left. So it has become been kind of sad for me to go through fall in Northern Japan where the only place I have found my Kurikinton was the bottom level of a department store in Sendai once a few years ago. Sweetened chestnuts that I didn't realize were sweetened until after I bought the proper confectioners sugar, but it needed the fancy sugar to become what I wanted.l anyway. This year, one of my students who is from the north misunderstood my call for Kurikinton and sent me canned, sweetened chestnuts. Now, the idea there for the average person up here would be of to just apply these to rice and mix them and eat them that way. This is not what I'm going to do because I don't actually enjoy that dish. I am going to use a recipe I found online to make a snack that I actually want them to become. I was surprised by how many of the recipes claimed to be what I was looking for but then wanted to include sweet potato. I'm sure that's not quite right so I kept looking and found one that only used chestnuts, a specialty confectioners sugar I had to order on Amazon, and a pinch of salt. The first step for me was emptying the chestnuts into a pan on the lowest heat setting. The recipe called for raw chestnuts but I was determined to use up these cans of chestnut instead so I skipped a couple of steps including boiling and shelling the nuts. I jumped to putting them in a pan and mashing them up.The 100 yen potato masher came in handy. After mashing up all the chunks, start adding sugar. Since these were already sweetened, I scaled back. Instead of the 80 grams of the wasanbonto sugar per 500 grams of chestnut, I wound up using around 25 grams, slowly adding and tasting it until it tasted right.Add. Mix. Taste. Repeat. Then I let them cool in the pan. The cooking took a little less than 20 minutes. After they were cool, I wrapped them in individual servings in plastic wrap and put them on the fridge overnight.They look like garbage. They taste like heaven. The next day I took one out for a taste and was as happy about the flavor as I was sad about the presentation. It doesn't look right yet, but finally fall has arrived once again for my taste buds.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aPD-living_food_howtoThu, 01 Dec 2022 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aPD-living_food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvRv-living_medical We found these the other day while I was looking for the thicker, pellet type soothing canker sore medication I usually use. My daughter was having a few very bad canker sores that we were having trouble trying to get rid of. Unfortunately when I went to the store I was in a rush and I picked up the closest thing I could find to my favorite product and brought them home without me realizing that they were completely different. Does it cover cankre sores? Yes, but it shreds itself on your teeth if you're talking and rips off your skin when you remove it otherwise. These flat sticker type items don't seem to contain the same medicinal healing properties and I'm not entirely sure what their purpose is. I thought the purpose was to maybe just provide a cover over the sore during the day so that the person inflicted with canker sores would not be constantly hurting themselves when they talk. When the sticker was applied to my daughter's mouth I the middle of the day, it soon ripped itself up on her teeth through no more complicated of an act than talking.This tiny size gives no space for medicine. I figured maybe it was kind of like the pellet form in that I also can't use those during the day because the rubbery part that forms on the outside of the medicated bundle will also self destruct easily. So we decided to try again and use it at nighttime right before bed. We figured it would be able to do its job while she was sleeping and not talking. In the morning, we found that the thing had not ripped itself up, but it also hadn't changed form at all, unlike my preferred product which becomes somewhat rubbery. When we moved to remove it from her mouth, The sticker ripped up some of the skin around the sore and around her lip. It literally damaged my kid instead of helping heal anything. I cannot explain fully how much I dislike this product. I genuinely do not know what the purpose is and I'm personally annoyed. The Welcia near my home carried two versions of this and no versions of my preferred canker sore treatment. I later found my preferred treatment at an Aeon instead. I do not recommend these things at all. Has anyone else gotten these things to work?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvRv-living_medicalTue, 29 Nov 2022 10:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvRv-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BPk-living_shopping At many shops and stores in Japan at different times, you might see a little placard displaying different prizes that can be won. There's a small selection of tickets that you can bring up to the front to ask for the chance to play. The prices usually range somewhere between 500 yen and 800 yen depending on the kind of prizes offered and the store that you're in. In this case, I was at a book store and found a phantom spooky pokemon tea time treasures contest for 650 yen per chance. The top prize was a large stuffy that I did not need, but the second best was a basic drip coffee maker, essentially just a nice coffee pot with a good filter holder. Being that I didn't really have a coffee pot at home, I thought this would be a really cool thing if I could win it. The lower prizes that are easier to win included cups and handkerchiefs that I could easily hand off to my kid, so I went for it. The clerk asked how many tickets I wanted and I replied only one as that was the limit for how many times I wanted to spend 650 yen on a handkerchief that day. It turned out that to the surprise of everyone involved, my luck was strong that day. I've literally never tried these and wound up with a thing that I actually wanted from the list. When I pulled the card and opened it to reveal the letter B, I had to double check. Could I really have won the thing I wanted? The clerk had to ask another clerk to retrieve this, the last of the coffee pots, which they seemed surprised to see go so quickly. Most of the middle and lower prizes were still waiting, but all the B tickets had been obtained. Looking at the pictures, I was a little bit afraid that they might not have included the coffee filter portion for the top, but it turns out that of course they did. Because it's from Japan, the pot itself instructs me to have a good cafe time and you know what? I absolutely will and haveTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BPk-living_shoppingThu, 24 Nov 2022 21:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BPk-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvBV-living As I've mentioned in several blog posts over the years, one of my favorite things to do in summer in Japan is GISH. That is to say participating in the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt by making weird art trying to help the planet giving to charity and dozens of other things that drop on this megalist of about 200 items sent out at the beginning of the hunt to those who had paid to play all over the world.One of our favorite items from this year: a sand cow. The teams of 15 would then compete to see who could do the most items in the best way, capturing the best pictures or videos of their entries. My team even got coveted spots in the GISH coffee table book a few times over the years!Sashiko the Great Wave on a patchwork denim jacket. My fingers bled for this. It's now one of my daughter's favorite jackets. I'm pretty proud of it. My family and friends did really enjoy playing together with the system and participating in such a big wild fun time. And then, earlier this week, an announcement was made. Misha Collins, the creator of GISH and the Random Acts of Kindness charity that he founded when he realized he'd become something of a celebrity clarified to the shock of many that GISH as it exists is dead. He has no plans to resurrect it but didn't put it out of the realm of overall possibility either. For now, it's gone and it won't be back for the foreseeable future. Like many gishers, I'm gutted but trying to look at the positives. I got to play for eight years and drag countless friends and loved ones into the insanity. Some of them even loved it. Gish gave me an excuse to chase dreams and be weird and connect with people I thought were cool.All my gishing, all my points, and that's all. My kid and I cried over the loss and did our best to move forward. There's so much were working on right now, thanks in part to gish giving us the courage to pursue our dreams. So long GISH. I will miss you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvBV-livingThu, 24 Nov 2022 21:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZvBV-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdogW-foods_productI saw this newer new flavor of Red Bull available at the at a convenience store in Miyagi in early October 2022 for the price of around 200 yen, the same price as any Red Bull.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdogW-foods_productThu, 24 Nov 2022 21:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdogW-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbNR-living I don't know that I could call this specific site easy to get to, especially for anyone with actual like hardcore mobility issues. While it does have something of a ramp for part of the way up, the ramp doesn't extend to the uppermost shrine bits of this place. The concrete steps are not uniform in size overall but not hard to use either, though there are 145 of them. I counted. I visited on November 17th in the early-afternoon. The entire walk from Honshiogama station up to the main shrine thing took me less than 10 minutes. I was also really surprised to see, despite it being mid November, that some of the trees were still in a great state of coloration. Pretty? Yes. Accessible? Maybe not. If what you want is to take some really quiet pictures of cool leaves in hidden Japan, or maybe if you're looking for the sensation of stepping on a bunch of already fallen leaves on the ground and crunching them under your feet with no one around, this might be a pretty nice place to go. The abandoned playground is perfect for leaf crunching. This is something of a hidden gem because the main stairwell is not the most clearly noted for access to the shrine. In fact, I spent years living in Shiogama and not knowing how to get up to the space. Big access clue-- the maroon building to the right is the Grand Palace Shiogama Hotel. You're welcome. But if you walk towards the Grand Palace Shiogama Hotel and just veer left into the alleyway, you'll see a staircase and a sign for tsunami evacuation. If you follow those stairs upward, you'll eventually find the elusive and tiny Inari Shrine. The view from inside the main shrine. The shrine specific area doesn't offer a whole lot of foliage, but it is quaint and quiet. There's a whole area in the back where old bits of smaller shrines have come to rest that I find a bit creepy but in a nice way. Bits of old shrine AND a view of the train station.If autumn leaves are what you're after, the main attraction has to be the playground area. The playground itself is not well maintained and I do not recommend bringing children to play on it because most of the equipment is not usable and all of it is rusted.The view from under the red tree in the playground. For a mid-november autumn leaf photo shoot, this wouldn't be a bad choice, even though most of Miyagi has already said goodbye to the colors of autumn.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbNR-livingFri, 18 Nov 2022 11:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbNR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx6X-living_food_howto There are plenty of recipes online regarding how to make buttercream frosting, but most of them come from North America, where the assumption is that of course you need a gallon of frosting for whatever you're trying to do and can come across mass quantities of things like icing sugar that will not be hard or expensive to procure.This is seriously all you need other than a bowl and a wooden spoon. In Japan, even the small baking department at the grocery store closest to my home has icing sugar, also known as confectioners sugar, as well as a number of other things that could be useful, but in much smaller quantities. Here, the refrigerated section has butter salted and unsalted as well as whipped cream in non-aerosol form which is pretty easy to use as well.The mixture, folded, plus an appropriate amount of whipped cream. Honestly, that's all you need other than a pinch of vanilla or whatever other flavoring you might be using. The most important part here is knowing the ratios for buttercream icing. You only really need a ratio of three to one sugar to butter. You can also use a 4:1 ratio if you prefer that, I assume the resulting frosting is a little bit sweeter, but if you're already dealing with Japanese pallets that aren't so keen and the high sugar content of American sweets, three to one is probably a better way to go. First you have to get the butter to room temperature, whether that's by leaving it out or microwaving it for short bursts doesn't seem to matter. Then put the butter, sugar, and vanilla together and fold them, which in this case just means squish them together. Keeping mixing and squishing them together until they become one thing.The crumbly mixture before whipped cream. And the one thing they should become is a kind of like yellow crumbly mixture. When you've got that, add the whipped cream. I didn't actually measure out how much whipped cream I used, but I just made a line across the mixing bowl in whipped cream and then mixed it all the way through. Soon it became a very smooth and creamy mixture. Then you can smear or pipe, the resulting icing onto whatever cake or bread product you have available and enjoy.Resulting buttercream icing in use. They might not be the name world's tightest spirals, but they were delicious and really hit the spot for American style cupcakes with real icing in my house.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx6X-living_food_howtoWed, 16 Nov 2022 10:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glx6X-living_food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we1y4-living As I walked through Shiogama shrine looking for autumn leaves on November 9th of 2022, I was really surprised to see that not all of the trees were reacting to the weather in the exact same way. In some areas that are a little bit more insulated, the popping red of the leaves of the Japanese maples haven't really started to turn yet. That massive green overhang on the right is an unseasonably green Japanese maple. On the upside, you can see a magnificent display of chrysanthemums right now instead. The one area where this is most noticeable is the main entrance. The view from the outside street level up the stairs to the shrine doesn't really look so fantastically autumnal just yet, either. There's that one reddened tree on the right but everything else is green. When you are at the top of the stairs in a week or two, the Japanese maples that should be bright and red right in front of the main entrance. They are simply not ready yet.It's only just starting here. By the time this is going well, most of the rest of the shrine's trees will be done. If you want a great shot of the main entrance, your best bet is to wait at least a week. Other parts of the shrine are ready to go, as I said in a separate post, but this section of the main entrance to Shiogama shrine seems to have its own weird sense of timing.The view from just inside the main entrance shows dashes of color waiting to become something more. While it's green now, soon it will be an even more lovely place for selfies and nature photographs. As a bonus, if you go around sunset, the lights coming on around the shrine can create a really lovely haunting atmosphere.Descending the stairs around 4:15PM was a special treat.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we1y4-livingSun, 13 Nov 2022 17:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we1y4-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4vLJ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagi On November the, the same day that I went to Shiogama Shrine to enjoy the leaves, I popped over to Okama Shrine, which is a very short walk from the middle entrance, which I also call the nature oriented entrance, to Shiogama Shrine. Of course, you can take any of the exits from Shiogama Shrine and get here fairly easily. After crossing the street away from the big shrine, you'll walk by the old candy shop that was shown on the fourth episode of Old Enough that is currently streaming on Netflix. From there, you'll walk forward and slightly left to find the shrine. Okama shrine is where they keep the cauldron that makes up the gama part of Shiogama. This is where the priests from Shiogama shrine will boil down the seawater to make special salt, keeping alive a traditional that is older than my country. This shrine is very, very small compared to the nearby Shiogama shrine but that also means that it can act as a hidden gem when the other spaces are busier. It doesn't take long to walk through but there's still some autumn spectacle left. Even at this time of year, we're all the cherry trees have already given up their leaves for the season, there was still some beauty to be found. I even saw a kind of neat place to take a selfie if you really wanted one for little autumn color in the background against a neat, little old wall. There's also this fantastic tree that was very inspiring to me because this ancient old massive tree clearly had died and been worn away, but from the very center of it grows something new. On the outside, the trail of ivy has reddened with the changing seasons but the tree inside is only barely hinting yellow amongst the green. It was pretty astounding. I don't remember seeing it there before, but I'm sure it was probably their last time I visited. It still felt magical. Even though my visit was short, it felt memorable and nice. I will definitely go back again. It might not be big or flashy but if you were heading to Shiogama Shrine anyway, why not stop by and check out the living dead tree?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4vLJ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiFri, 11 Nov 2022 09:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4vLJ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPb01-living_shiogama_shi_miyagi On November 9, 2022, I walked up to Shiogama Shrine to try to take some pictures of the fall foliage. I went a little after 3:30 in the afternoon and I was surprised to see that there were still some nice, beautiful leaves on display. Especially the Japanese maples near the big red tori, located just across from the shrine museum were striking and in great if slightly early condition. The main parking lot near the garden area of the shrine is accessible by car. If you have serious mobility issues, most of the shrine complex may be difficult to navigate. That said, the view of the garden leading down to the town and the ocean is always something that I really enjoy. Looking out over the town as the seasons change has been a joy of mine since I moved to this area. While most of the cherry trees in the area that is usually great for hanami are already done with their leaves for the year, the Japanese maples around most of the shrine space seem to be approaching peak condition right now.The cherry trees are done but autumn isn't over yet. Both the nature oriented entrance and the easy way that I prefer offer some good tree viewing and foliage at the moment, though places to stop for a good selfie are not that easy to come by on my easy path. As neither of those paths seems to have a lot of the maples, their trees seem to be just past peak performance right now. I feel like we are about a week past what perfect form would actually look like for those trees at Shiogama Shrine, but because those aren't the only trees available, there is still plenty to see. If you're in the area, stopping by soon would be recommended and stopping by on a weekday would be even better. Shichigisan is going on right now and makes weekend shots likely to be crowded with kimono clad tots. Those looking to focus on the serenity of the fall's changing leaves would enjoy this better on a weekend.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPb01-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 10 Nov 2022 09:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPb01-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpoJn-living_education_familylife I've mentioned before how happy it makes me that my kid gets to learn basic botany in a natural way with her schooling. It seems like a common thing for schools in Japan to use things like summer homework activities that include taking care of a plant as a way to teach kids a little bit about life, basic horticulture, and responsibility. This all started in first grade for us when she brought home a morning glory. While that plant is common both in my homeland and here, it's not one that I ever grew. Previous to the morning glories taking over the balcony, I had thought that I lacked the diligence or care to keep up with a balcony garden but we managed to keep those plants alive and happy for the whole summer. The next year it was a tomato plant and that was a lot of fun because it also made delicious sweet mini tomatoes. At this point I felt like I was somewhat in charge of what my balcony was doing and knew how to grow something anyway.Hosenka in July. If I'd been paying attention, I would have already noticed the brown leaves. This year the summer plant was the hosenka, a tall green thing that lived on our balcony for the entirety of summer vacation. The worksheets that she was meant to fill out as the assignment included drawing and describing the buds, flowers and seed pods when each of these occurred.Hosenka in August. Taller, but troubled. I watered it and tried to pay attention but as the last week of summer vacation loomed, I became aware that we still had not seen even a single bud. I was really upset, thinking that my kid was going to have trouble in class because of her lack of ability to do the assignment. I also thought the assignment was kind of unfair. Expecting them to be able to control whether or not the plant chooses to put out a bud or a flower or a seed seems like a lot to put on the shoulders of small children. As that last week came into focus, I finally took a more active look at the plant and compared photos from my phone from the months previous. While it had grown taller, it had also lost some of its lower leaves to an over crisp browning, which would indicate to anyone who is really paying attention that the thing was getting too much sun. I moved it to another part of the balcony that gets a little bit less sun and within 2 days, we saw the tiniest of little buds.There we go! When she went back to school, at least she had something to turn in for that assignment. It turned out that a lot of kids had similar problems getting the plant to actually do what it was supposed to do for the assignment, and it doesn't seem like the teacher counted off for nature taking its course and its sweet time. So if your kid has an assignment featuring a plant that is not doing its job, make sure to take a look at the plant and see if it has any special needs that you haven't seen to, like adjusting the amount of sun or water. Also, keep in mind that the teacher knows that nature cannot always be rushed and your kid will probably be fine as long as the plant is alive.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpoJn-living_education_familylifeWed, 02 Nov 2022 10:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpoJn-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7lkn-living_education_work In my time in Japan, I've had a few different teaching jobs at a few different companies and with each company comes a variety of different challenges. One of my least favorite things is blatantly antagonistic students, but none in my 14 years of teaching in Japan has been as bad as one who recently quit from my current job. My least favorite student at one school was the grown man who thought using the n-word in class was totally acceptable and when I told him it wasn't shooed me away with his hand as if I were a small pest and not the teacher of the class. That bothered me enough that it still bothers me now, more than a decade later. While this man's behavior wasn't the reason why I quit that job, it made it easier as a choice. Another unfavorable male was the half-Caucasian half-Japanese 5-year-old who thought that talking loudly in Japanese about his penis in class was not only acceptable, but something he should absolutely do anytime I asked him to do anything in English. I realized that this was a small child and that he was growing up in the difficult situation of being not just Japanese in a society that looks on anything other than just Japanese as problematic. This was a small child with an identity crisis who clearly wasn't emotionally ready to work on English. After a few discussions with the male manager of the school and the child's parents, we all came to an understanding that involved the kid leaving my class permanently. What makes the student I most recently had issues with worse than the previous two? I think it was the length of time that I had to endure his garbage behavior. The grown man who preferred obscene language was only in one of my classes once and that was enough. The 5-year-old didn't last a month. This recent problem persisted for several months during which each class time was a battle between my literal job to teach him English and his utter unwillingness to do anything but mock me. It is considered normal in my job to sometimes translate our suggestions into Japanese for the benefit of the more recent additions to the class and work in a more English-only atmosphere when the kids are ready. This is the first time I've had a student openly mock my Japanese and pretend not to understand me as a normal defense mechanism against literally any class work. When we did speaking assignments, even basic follow along with my grammar kind of assignments, he would only focus on getting enough information that he would know how to mess it up so that the other students would laugh. For this reason, his classmates didn't get a lot of speaking exercise in the last 4 months because we had to write a lot instead.This kid was the caterpillar in the center of my sunflower picture, actively ruining my shot in a determined manner. It got to the point where I told myself that I could remain cool and calm because whenever that kid finally quit, I would be able to party and party I did a few weeks ago. It wasn't until two weeks had passed that I realized how much more energy I now have for my job and my child and my life now that it's not being sucked away by someone who only wanted to abuse my language and cause me emotional pain. New students are starting and maybe some of them will also be jerks, but I sincerely doubt that they will be as bad for me as this specific student was. Sometimes the devil you know is bad enough to make you try something different and hope for the best. What do you do with blatantly antagonistic students?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7lkn-living_education_workMon, 31 Oct 2022 10:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7lkn-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQ24q-living_shopping Halloween snacks over their course of the last few years have become more and more common in Japan. Many snack companies offer packages of fun size snacks that come with Halloween packaging on the outside. Some even incorporate the spooky theme to the products inside the little shareable packages, too. My favorite so far for incorporating the theme in more than just the packaging is the Haribo gummy snacks which come in shapes like bats and jack-o'-lanterns. They are deliciously fun though the gummies themselves are. While this is an import, I did find it at a local grocery store which means they're available in some places in Japan. They weren't necessarily the cheapest candy options but made for a nice little holiday treat. Halloween Bis come in the Sweet Halloween styrofoam cup. For some reason, we always receive these at my house for my daughter and we almost never wind up finishing them. Usually, I find them months after they've expired to throw the lingering half of them away. If you really like these little chocolate squares and the varieties they offer, the Halloween wrappers on the chocolates can be a cute addition to any little Halloween snack adventure. The kids snack section in my grocery store was filled with an offerings ranging in price from around. 212 yen for a multi-pack to 536 yen for the big cup of little BIS chocolates. So many of these treats I'm like came in larger packets that featured cute animals in Halloween garb. These Bourbon Mini Rumando snacks even have tiny bats on the packages, which is still cute even if the product itself didn't change much. These Choco Pies won me over on the packaging department. Check out the puzzles and activities on the mini packs shown on the front of the big bag! That's some fun Halloween treats right there, with more than just tasty treats inside and cute mascots from various product lines dressed up on the front cover. One that I think did a very good job of both utilizing cute packaging and something cute inside was this Pokemon chocolate puffed snack, which not only featured little chocolate Pikachus inside, but also creative adorable packaging with your favorite pocket monsters in various states of Halloween dress and pokemon quizzes on the packages. I was a little disappointed with Country Maam. They only make the same half-dollar sized chocolate and vanilla with chip cookies and the biggest non-wrapper change was including almonds in the chocolate cookies, so the only spooky thing here is the threat to those with nut allergies. The larger package being made to open like a massive monster mouth is cute, though. I'm not really sure what's going on with the little packages but overall this is another case where if you already like this product, you're pretty much guaranteed to like the Halloween version so long as you have no problems with almonds. Whatever your choice, I hope your Halloween snacks are delightful, and I look forward to seeing as many of these as I can on sale next week when they're packaging is no longer appropriate.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQ24q-living_shoppingFri, 28 Oct 2022 13:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQ24q-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPXg-living_shopping One of the saddest things about this time of year for me during the pandemic has been the absence of the ESL Halloween parties that I had really enjoyed in the past. Now the idea of having a party where the children literally are touching candy and running around in close proximity is just terrifying, especially when you consider how few of these children are vaccinated against guess the coronavirus. What I have managed to do to help but myself achieve a better Halloween mood is finding more ways for me to be Halloweeny at home. One of the great things about living in Japan these days is that most of the hundred yen stores start pulling out Halloween decor pretty early in the year. This means, if you've been keeping an eye on the selection and picking up little things here and there, you're already ready. If you haven't, then now is the best chance you'll have before next year. This year, I added two felt Halloween wreaths our already pretty vast Halloween decor selection. In addition we already had several varieties of cute little Halloween lights that are battery operated. Usage of these lights depends on what space you have available. I personally like hanging them by 3M. Hooks provided that I've also acquired a tiny Halloween pouch to hold the battery compartment. It makes a cute additional evening decoration, even if you don't want to go out and repurpose a normally Christmas-oriented holiday tree into something a little more spooky. Another necessity is entertainment and that Halloween entertainment again depends very much on who you are and what your traditions may be. Every year, I really want to watch a few American style. child-friendly spooky stories and that isn't always easy to get here any language, but especially in English. Now with the advent of streaming services, the whole world of entertainment is opened up, provided you also spring for a VPN, which I highly recommend. Most decent VPNs will have a monthly fee between $10 and $15 in US currency. For that fee, the VPN, or the virtual proxy network, will connect you to servers in other countries that ideally will connect to several of the streaming websites that may not be otherwise accessible in your country.A tiny sampling of the awful that awaits on the US Paramount Plus website. You could also watch decent movies there probably. I use this to keep up with American television shows on Hulu and American movies on Paramount Plus, which also has an amazing array or truly terrible horror movies if making fun of something more awkward that scary sounds like fun. It also has access to other more family friendly halloween movies and TV shows, as do Netflix and Disney in the US or Japan, though the overall selections may differ. Hulu in America also has some good Halloween entertainment but I'm not sure about the Japanese version. So how are you getting into the spooky season?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPXg-living_shoppingThu, 27 Oct 2022 10:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPXg-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoXK-living_shopping_rifu_cho_miyagi The other day, my husband and I took a short trip to the megamall at Rifu. I had my phone at the ready to capture what I was sure would be a plethora of awesome Halloween-ness. Their Christmas directions last year had been fantastic and earlier in the summer, they had even sported a two story tall, inflatable Dragon Ball Z dragon. I just assumed there would be good reason to expect some sort of a decent Halloween decor, more advanced that the inflatable backdrops used as photo op spots in the much smaller Aeon closer to my home. The import shop side of the Aeon grocery section offered some spooky treats. Unfortunately, I found little to none of that. A few of the shops had a few Halloween decorations out, even if they weren't on sale.The imported variety goods shop Flying Tiger decorated some and offered decorations for sale as well. One in particular I hadn't expected anything from so the small amount of decorating they did stood out. The upscale tea shop doesn't really seem to cater to foreign influence the same way the import shops do, but on this occasion at least they showed off a nice stack of artificial jack-o-lanterns. In addition, there were large, banner sized decorations hanging in several of the open walking areas in the colors of Dia De Muertos, a style of decorations I grew used to back in Texas and saw featured prominently in the Disney Movie that was called Coco in the US and Remember Me here in Japan. While they were colorful and had something to do with an authentic cultural event around this time, they were not quite the showstoppers I was expecting. I guess a costumed selfie with them hanging in the background might look cool? We had enjoyed a fun mall walk a few weeks previous. We had explored a little more thoroughly on the second floor with our daughter, who posed in front of the one decoration we found for a picture. It's actually smaller than the blow up Halloween photo op stuff at our smaller, nearby Aeon. All in all, the only thing that actually held my attention for more than a few seconds was my desire to try the purple Starbucks Halloween frappuccino, which we wound up not having time to get anyway. So my Halloween Mall romp was somewhat of a disappointment. What places work for good Halloween photo opportunities for you?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoXK-living_shopping_rifu_cho_miyagiTue, 25 Oct 2022 20:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdoXK-living_shopping_rifu_cho_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7l8Q-drink_productThis alcoholic beverage boasts 9% alcohol by volume and claims to be a pink lemonade flavor. It seems to have debuted some time in the summer of 2022 and is available in 350 ml and 500ml size, the latter of which is the price listed above.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7l8Q-drink_productTue, 25 Oct 2022 15:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7l8Q-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnO4-living_food_howto A couple years ago I decided that I would start composting, but composting in Japanese apartments can be really tricky. Filling a lot of space with rotting garbage and making horrible smells on your balconies is bound to get you in trouble. I looked into bucket composting, which comes with a few options, but unless you know where to get earthworms in Japan, your best bet might be bokashi. A bokashi bucket has a special spigot at the bottom for draining the nutrient rich bokashi tea to then dilute and feed to your plants.The bucket isn't too heavy and is easy to hoist up to this area so I can drain off the tea and add more garbage. In order to make the bokashi work, you have to also buy the special enzymes that you apply on top of whatever raw veggie and fruit cast offs that you're adding to the bucket. This is really easy to identify in the home improvement shops as it has a picture of the bucket on the front of the package. One of the problems I've had is the differences between what I have read on English language websites and the information on the back of the actual product. When in doubt, trust the product over internet info. When I started this bucket, I thought it was the same as compost, so I added other biodegradable things like shredded paper. This was wrong, because bokashi isn't compost. The contents really need to be just organic fruit and vegetable matter. If you do it wrong, the bucket will fill up fast and then you'll just be stuck with a full bucket of garbage the way I was for years when I gave up and decided to try again. After fully cleaning it out, I started again, and this time I actually read the package, thanks in no small part to Google translate. There I learned that things will disintegrate faster if you chop them to smaller pieces, so that's what I did with this melon rind. One interesting thing I read online was that the bokashi needs limited air, which makes it better for condensed apartment living where the smells of open compost aren't welcome. The website suggested only opening the bucket to add to it and then closing it immediately, which is a natural choice anyway. Another thing I thought was interesting is according to some information that I'd found, you're meant to empty the bucket of the fully rotted contents after a certain number of weeks and then bury that under some dirt like an acidic fertilizer. Because it's acidic, the suggestion was to bury it several centimeters from other plants and I just don't have that kind of space in the pots on my balcony. If I can confirm specifics of this fertilizer idea with a Japanese website or product description, I will bury the stuff at the bottom of a deep pot with some old dirt on top of it and hope for the best some time in the future. In the meantime, I am coming out twice a week to drain off the nutritious bokashi tea that I then dilute with water from my faucet and spray around the edges of the containers of several of my plants. The internet basically said to pour it directly on the plants, but the product said to dilute it by a factor of 1000 and pour it a few centimeters away so the acidity doesn't kill the roots. My nearly dead two-year-old broccoli plant has sprung back to life thanks to this, as did a cauliflower plant in a different container.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnO4-living_food_howtoMon, 24 Oct 2022 12:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXnO4-living_food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPQ8-living_shopping_health As I grow older here in Japan, I realize more infirmities I hadn't thought I'd ever have to deal with abroad. The other day, I was doing the same kind of thing I do every single morning, leaning over my dining room table to the open box of face masks so that I could grab one and put one on before leaving the house. As I leaned forward, my back just above my hips freaked out, sending pain throughout. After I let out a tirade of obscenities, I pulled myself up to a study position and tried to assess the damage. Lucky for me, it didn't seem to have pinched any major nerves. My legs still operated just fine. I could use my arms. I could even twist my waist somewhat but doing something like Head Shoulders Knees and Toes was going to be out of the question. I hurried down to get my kid onto the bus before I came back and finished the rest of my morning chores, which on that day also included going to a kindergarten to teach four 15 minutes lessons. My new back injury made this a little bit of a challenge, but I managed to find things I could do and tried to take it easy. Thanks to problems with the American healthcare, a lot of English language information about a number of ailments is available online for those of us who don't have the time, or language ability to just pop by a clinic. After checking the internet, I journeyed over to the closest variety goods shop Sanki and grabbed a basic back supporter or brace. I like to back brace for less than 1000 yen. I wore this to go to work later in the day and tried to avoid straining my back with some good effects. I also used intermittent heat and ice to provide comfort and slow the swelling respectively. The internet suggests using ice in 20 minute intervals followed by heat after two days. One thing the internet suggested that I ignored was avoiding rest. I assumed they meant not to just lay in bed all day and weren't really talking to me, a woman who still had to walk across town twice in the same day for work. After a week of using ice, heat, light stretching and rest, my back was back to normal, but I'm more aware of the dangers that may lay ahead and will be working on strengthening my core muscles in my waist and back as well as improving my posture to avoid further injury. I got lucky that this injury was minor enough to heal on its own. If you have any kind of pain that radiates out and affects your nerves in your arms or legs, you should definitely see a professional immediately.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPQ8-living_shopping_healthThu, 13 Oct 2022 14:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPQ8-living_shopping_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrJJ-living_food About a week after I made my best ever batch of akebi fries, I finally had a chance to do something with the guts. On a previous attempt to use this material, I had combined it with a basic cooking mix and made a kind of muffin/cookie which was fine and worked alright with the naturally delicate sweetness of this flavor. This year, I wanted to do something a little bit less conventional and went for some kind of jam. Now it was my idea hypothesis that the guts from the Akebi, as viscous as they are, would absolutely work just fine as jam on their own and it might relieve me of the problems I have with their texture. However, with their soft flavor, it was not entirely clear whether or not this would actually be palatable in the long run. To test this, I poured half of the guts into a tea strainer and squished them around with a small spoon, disconnecting the goo from the seeds. I then left this pure, raw goo to the side while I took the other half of my akebi guts for the other half of the experiment. I put them in a part that was already on the stove, heating with just enough water in it to cover the bottom of the pot. I spread the guts out so that the water could help disconnect the seeds from the group and stirred it with a cooking chopstick for a few minutes on low heat.The hot goo is already more colorful. So as not to burn the fruit, after a few minutes I poured this back through the strainer to remove any other seeds from the goo. Then I poured the resulting goo back into the pot and added about 15 grams of sugar. I let the fruit and sugar mixture sit over low to medium heat for somewhere between three and five minutes. The sugared goo was turning a brownish, so I removed the mixture from heat and poured it into another vessel. I then applied both the raw goo and the sugared goo to small pieces of toast so I could have a taste test with my kid. The important thing to note here is that I have an American palette for which sweets are a big deal and she has a more Japanese palette which is more cued to subtle flavors. I have a taste test with other people upon eating the raw version, I tasted nothing but toast, though I could tell it was more moist than usual. Upon eating, the more jam like variety, I felt a faint flavor of something sweet, but it was very light. For my kid, the basic raw version had her smiling and she said tasted normal, whatever that means. When she ate the more sugared jam variety, she was much happier and said it tasted very faintly of orange which I think is a nice thought. It is possible that mixing akebi guts with another fruit flavor may be a better solution for the jam situation or perhaps combining it with something strong that would bring out that flavor like lemon or salt may be beneficial. As I am no jam expert, this is where I left off my fall akebi jam making experiment.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrJJ-living_foodTue, 11 Oct 2022 11:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnrJJ-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6a78-living_shopping I was excited to see an email in my inbox the other week offering Uniqlo's new flannel shirt options at a somewhat discounted price. I went ahead and picked up three, even daring to pick up one from the ladies section. This is despite last year's revelation that for some reason, Uniqlo's ladies flannels tend to be shaped for people who really like looking like triangles while the men's tend to come out for people in a more rectangular shape. Being a bit more hourglass myself, the rectangular option is a closer fit to something that I would actually want to wear. Usually I wouldn't bother to give the ladies selections a second thought, but the colors on the lady's flannel looked interesting this round, so I went ahead and picked one up. One thing that I did do wrong was I misunderstood the colors on my cell phone screen. When I pulled this gray shirt out of the box, I had to double check my order confirmation emails afterward to ensure that it actually picked this option. On my phone screen, the green cross lines were a bit more vibrant.It falls! It falls like a shirt! Like it's saying hey, there's a waist in here, no need to tent out! After realizing I had indeed ordered this, I put it on and was excited to see that this time, the shirt actually fits a lady shape. It doesn't tailor into my waist especially well, but it does a lot better than the previous version. My previous Uniqlo ladies shirt is now worn as an overshirt on a specially chilly days as it is a thicker flannel fabric. Looks good from the front, too. That is one thing about these new flannels. Each of them seems a bit thinner than last year's options, but they're also more colorful. One of the reasons why I went ahead and bought new ones despite my models from last year not being totally worn out was that I realized all the ones I bought last year came out very dark. From a solid dark blue, to a black with occasional light stripes, my previous selections were all in a similar and very dark palette which I chose, but also were the only colors that had appealed to me other than an orange and white checkered piece that really only works well in October. This time, I grabbed three shirts including the green, gray and beige number from the ladies section as well as this other beige with grey and blue from the mens. The mens shirt is heavier and lacks secondary post-cuff buttons on the sleeves but does have a single breast pocket where the ladies shirt is pocket free. If you are a shapely human who wants to wear ladies flannel shirts from Uniqlo this year, you can now do so without it overshadowing your assets and making you look vaguely pregnant forever. I have to say I'm excited about this development and shifting fashion seasons from overly hot summer to cool, comfy fall, the season of the flannel shirt.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6a78-living_shoppingThu, 06 Oct 2022 09:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6a78-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryJe-living_food The akebi is a weird kind of purplish blue fruit that comes from a vine that only seems to grow in northern Japan and only seems to have fruit at the very beginning of fall. I have made a few dishes with this in years previous, including this breaded and baked dish I attempt again in this post, but this was easily my most successful attempt at turning this weird bitter rind into something I can enjoy eating.It might seem weird to pay more than 400 yen for fruit that literally grows on wild vines in parts of the city where I live, but since I don't live in those parts of the city and don't know the legality of taking the fruit from the seemingly public vines, I absolutely bought these despite the fact that my Japanese husband considers them the food of poor hill people and will not eat them. First off, I sliced open the fruit and separated the rinds from the translucent whitish guts inside of the fruit. I put the fruit guts aside in a covered container in the refrigerator where it waited about a week for me to decide on something to do with it.A big plus was adding powdered parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb mixture. In the meantime, I diced the rinds into slivers as I have done before. I placed each sliver in a basic egg wash using a fork this time and it really improved the process. I used a different fork to remove it from the mixture of breadcrumbs, seasoning and parmesan cheese that came after the egg wash. There were still some unusable chunks, but a lot less waste than my last attempt. I placed all of the slivers on an oiled piece of aluminum foil and baked it in the toaster oven for five minutes on a 600 watt setting. The results were actually fine for the really thin slivers but the thicker slivers maintained some of their bitterness. With no time left to deliberate, the whole lot went into the refrigerator for a few days until I had time to fry them up in a pan of butter, as I assumed that frying almost anything in a pan of butter should make it significantly more palatable. In many cases, I think this might be true. In this case, they still remained a little bit bitter. I think they would have been very good with dollop of marinara sauce but as I hadn't been available instead used ketchup and mustard as if they were a strange vegetable french fry and they were very edible. I'm not sure this is in amazing fall snack option, but it is another way to eat a strange fruit that only appears in fall in one region of Japan. I'm not sure whether or not your foodie friends back home would be envious if they actually had a taste of this, but purely for the fact that akebi are not easy to get outside of this country might make it seem like a very exciting thing indeed.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryJe-living_foodMon, 03 Oct 2022 09:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wryJe-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPgv-living_education This is my favorite new thing. For around 750 yen, I picked up this book of connect the dots kanji puzzles from the bookstore. As someone who was told too many times as a kid that my creative choices regarding coloring were just wrong, I don't actually find the act of coloring relaxing at all, unlike so many people of my generation. Connect the dots, though? That's hella relaxing. Just maneuvering the to the next number and the next and the next. And at the end, I get the actual puzzle of figuring out which kanji I have made. This isn't the most challenging of brain puzzles, but it is easy and fun. It also forces a little more Japanese language study into my daily life. Each page has a question in the margin and a select of answer choices. Match the right answer to have a chance to win the prize listed at the bottom of the page, in this case a 1,000 yen gift card. Not all of the prizes are gift cards. Prizes in this booklet include a pig shaped electric foot massager, a sony walkman, a jigsaw puzzle, nice slippers and more. Some of the puzzles for these are bigger or harder but they're all pretty easy to do. But how do you get these fabulous prizes? Sending in your answers, of course. When you finish with the puzzles, you're meant to submit your answers by postcard provided in the center of the booklet and this has to be done before November 18th to qualify for the drawings. My kid and I are on it, finishing all we can before the deadline. Will we finish all 110 puzzles in time? Will we then win any of the prizes? Only time will tell!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPgv-living_educationSat, 24 Sep 2022 19:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoPgv-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3qRP-food My favorite non-sushi sushi is back at Kurazushi! That's right, grilled corn sliced from the cob and placed on delicate sushi rice is available again and likely for a limited time only.Corny but soooo good. So if you also are looking forward to some roasted corn on rice, hit up your nearest Kurazushi while supplies last.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3qRP-foodSat, 24 Sep 2022 19:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3qRP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mdo40-living_education_sendai_shi_miyagi The Pompei exhibit at the Miyagi Museum of Art in Sendai is running up until September 25th and is well worth a visit. I've been excited about seeing it since I saw the first advertisements before the exhibit actually began but only finally got to a chance to see it in mid September. The items on display aren't those of the typical Romans on holiday, but came from the well kept houses of the elites of that society, whose possessions were worth digging out and taking abroad to show us. These are signs of opulence, not everyday goods, but that doesn't make them less interesting. I found the mosaics fascinating. How the tiny tiles remain so vibrant is fascinating. If they hadn't been buried under ash for centuries, they may have been weathered by the elements or destroyed by later residents. Instead, we get to see their splendor as it was, and it is captivating. At the same time, my daughter was more fascinated by the details in the jewelry in that each of the golden snakes' scales in the bracelets and rings was marked out specifically in detail. My husband was interested in the cookware and was amazed at the quality of the ironwork and fascinating designs of the pots and pans. My daughter's main reason in coming was finding the origin of this one strange face that had shown up on the advertisements. It took us around 70% of the trip through the exhibit to find the face that she was talking about, in a mosaic of theatrical masks and the somewhat awful exhibit. Most of the exhibit is made up of mosaics and frescos but it all starts with a video of the eruption to explain the situation to anyone who doesn't already know and a genuine 1800s plaster cast made from one of the victims of the eruption, done so well that you can even see the folds in her clothes. There are lots of English language placards, so you don't have to be fluent in Latin or Japanese to enjoy this exhibit. If you're going to see it, go soon. This is the last weekend and it's well worth the time and money.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mdo40-living_education_sendai_shi_miyagiWed, 21 Sep 2022 22:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mdo40-living_education_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aAQ-living_familylifeThe other day we ran into a problem. My daughter spotted a small kitten while looking around as we walked to her school bus before 7:00 in the morning. The kitten was clearly a stray with no collar or identification and upon closer inspection, was clearly also fighting at least a sinus infection and some kind of eye or eyelid injury. Based on the amount of opaque green mucus coming out of her nose, I thought it best if we didn't touch her and I hurried my kid along, anxious to make sure she got on the bus. I promised to go back and check on the kitten later. The tiny kitten in question was not something we could do anything about immediately and unfortunately this was on a Friday morning when I had 15 other things to do before I could come back and think about anything. More than an hour had passed before I ran back downstairs to check on the poor little thing.Remembering that I had a kitten to go and look at, I googled animal shelters in my area, only to find that when you google something like that in English, you get very bad English in Japan. Mine included the zoo in Sendai, which of course is not an animal shelter nor near me. Once I plugged animal shelter into google translate, I searched again and found three options. None of them in my city and all of them required at least a phone call to try to instigate help. For me talking on the phone in Japanese is basically not gonna happen. My fluency just isn't high enough for this to be anything but stressful. It's not fun, it's not easy, and in my experience generally it is not worth it. So Instead I tried to come up with other answers.The big Gaijin part of this dilemma and why it's a dilemma and not something I can easily solve is that I know what the Texas answer. The Texan critter lover in me says the answer is to scoop up that tiny little critter and wrap it in a towel and put it in a box and take it to the nearest animal hospital and have them check it out for you. Then, if the number they come back with for how expensive it is to help fix the kitten is within your price range, you pay it and then you have a kitten.Unfortunately, none of this works for me. Not only am I on a tighter budget than that but I also literally cannot have a cat. This is not for any personal vendetta. I actually really like cats, dogs, ferrets, hamsters, and a number of other creatures. My problem is that my husband is very, very allergic to cats.So adding a feline member of the family was not going to be an option. I tried to look through other options that existed which included becoming part of something called the Japanese cat network, which should be beneficial, but didn't provide immediate assistance.One of the beneficial things, I did see online was a post saying that you should work with the animal control people in your area when you can, but otherwise, if you are going to feed the stray, feed them wet food and do not leave litter. So I took that information to heart and ran into the only store in the area that was open at that time of the morning, grabbing kitten specific food before returning to the little one.Since I wasn't sure what else to do, I left a small amount of food next to the kitten and went back to my apartment to better research what to do and to wait for the animal hospital in my area to open. As I got busy with other chores and appointments, time ticked by and soon it was noon. I raced down to find that the kitten had disappeared. Most of the food was still there and I checked around to see if the kitten had moved but could not find her. I did see other people looking around as if for the kitten, so odds are favorable that the cat was rescued by someone who could take care of it after all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aAQ-living_familylifeMon, 12 Sep 2022 16:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6aAQ-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPqd-living_education_kesennuma_shi_miyagiThere are a number of beautiful places to visit in Miyagi and in any season and I promise, not all of them are somber devotionals to the tragedies that occurred more than 10 years ago, but this is another really beautiful and touching one that I thought I should share.Atop a small peak in Kesennuma sits a really touching tribute to the lives lost back in 2011. The walk up is paved and there is a road with a small parking area if you would rather drive instead of taking the long hike up. Kesennuma, like many costal towns in Miyagi, was devastated by the 2011 tsunami that wiped out whole communities along the sea. Where once was prosperous if small fishing villages and small cities instead became nothing by devastation. In the more than a decade that has passed since, lots of great projects have come through these areas, looking to rebuild and renew. Kesennuma's costal area is a good example of it going well and transforming into a space visitors like me long to return to. From the top of the little mountain, visitors can see a really beautiful view of the town and the outlying spaces along the coast.Behind the dismayed statue sits the silver ring of names only half of them are in this picture and every slat represents multiple individuals. A central fixture of the remembrance space is the placards, naming the lives lost in commemoration and reverence. They are grouped by family and labelled by location, so someone not entirely aware of how devastating the tsunami was for this specific area can get an idea of just how bad it was. This was not a large town. It still isn't. This is a lot of people to lose suddenly in one afternoon.In addition to the ring of placards reading the names of all the deceased, there's a tall but narrow and somewhat strange looking building. It really catches the eye but being from a land-locked hometown, I couldn't place the massive, asymmetrical shape until I read about it online. It is meant to be a sail. It's also in the kanji for the name of the structure. 祈りの帆. Prayer Sail. We went up to this peak for a brief respite from people during our summer vacation and found it peacefully empty. The prayer sail feels special and offers a place for private prayer for the souls of the departed. There is a lot more information in Japanese on the website, detailing how much it cost, how it was financed and who came up with the idea. For our trip the important thing was that it was special and despite the brevity of our trip, this touching tribute lives on in my head rent-free.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPqd-living_education_kesennuma_shi_miyagiTue, 06 Sep 2022 16:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmPqd-living_education_kesennuma_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXn4x-living_foodKakigori is not shaved ice. I've had trouble with this because when I first moved to Japan, I'd never tried Japanese style kakigori, so I always said that it would be applicable to call one shaved ice or a snow cone, terms that were synonymous where I come from, but now I know better. The small chunks of crushed ice we pour chemical-rich, artificially flavored, technicolor syrups on in Texas are about as far from kakigori as a discount American hot dog is from home-made German bratwurst. They might look the same if you're not wearing your glasses, and they may have some similar ingredients, but one is usually a lot higher in quality.This kakigori with cream, sweetened condensed mild, and strawberry syrup with real chunks of strawberry was enjoyed at Kurazushi, a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant chain, a few years ago. Even when they are cheap, Japanese-made kaigori tend to be so much higher in quality.The first kakigori I ever enjoyed was a strawberry flavored concoction I shared with my daughter at a little shop on Tashirojima, the cat island off the coast of Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture. It was the perfect condition under which to encounter this new treat, thinking I was just placating my child's wants and instead introducing myself to something so much better.Snow cones in my hometown were usually just small chunks of ice made by a machine that it came out in kind of a clump with a sugary syrup added on top. No fruit was ever anywhere near it and neither was anything like a sweetened condensed milk and these basic forms were an acceptable and wonderful treat for poorly hydrated children in the Texas heat.The Japanese alternative is so so much better, especially when you can get it from a nicer restaurant. For instance this lovely little kakigori creation that my daughter got to enjoy at K-port in Kesennuma was thoroughly enjoyable. Look at those chunks of real fruit in the mixture, and the way they shaved ice is less chunky than anything I remember receiving as a kid. Other variations I've seen at other proper shops include the use of massive, hand-cranked ice machines, barely shaving these thin, beautiful layers of of ice into bowls to be devoured by hot, hungry patrons but not before the food artist adds a layer of sweetened condensed milk along with sauce in whatever desirable flavor. A few years ago, I heard about how delicious Hawaiian snow cones were by comparison to the ones in the continental US and that also owes a debt to kakigori as almost everything special about Hawaiian style shaved ice other than the tropical, native flavors comes straight from Japanese immigrants making kakirgori decades ago. So, before summer is completely gone, go enjoy an authentic Japanese kakigori. It is most definitely not a snowcone.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXn4x-living_foodMon, 05 Sep 2022 10:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXn4x-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO3bd-living_education_kurihara_shi_miyagiThis summer attraction was undersold to me, but I guess that might be the best way to approach it. My husband warned that this would not be a very exciting stop. It would be a small weird hole in the ground, but maybe it would be fun. Other caves that we have explored in other prefectures have been vast limestone tunnel systems which were very different. You can tell by how it was set up that when people were investing in making this specific mining cave into an attraction, they anticipated much larger numbers and are currently enjoying the facilities. For modern prices, it was very affordable at only 500 yen for adults. There was an extensive gift shop with products from around the area as well.In light of the pandemic, this location's lack of popularity makes it a perfect getaway for a hot summer day. We went into the cave and noticed it was cool and comfortable, which was just wonderful considering the heat and humidity baking us outside. We were slightly disturbed by the mannequins that were shown and doing various mining related jobs with interactive Chinese, Korean, English and Japanese via vocal description at the press of a button. I didn't necessarily agree with all of the English translations, but we did enjoy the facilities and I had a chance to actually understand it without having to grab a kanji dictionary.This history of the mine had no translation but I could take pictures to translate later. One of the most interesting things inside of the cave is a whole area that set up for panning for gold. There's a little man-made stream and people on staff ready to show you how to pan for tiny chunks of gold that are most assuredly buried somewhere in the sand. My daughter did an amazing job at finding not just one but four somewhat large, tiny chunks of precious metal. I was less lucky, but did find some and that was exciting as well. This part of the cave and mining system was set up very much with children in mind, so if you are an adult with back problems, panning for gold might not be the most fun experience for you. That said, it was still a really neat thing to do and a nice souvenir. It's not free but it was affordable.Mannequin mine workers. Creepy? Cool? I still don't know.Also with light up miniatures!All my years of RPG playing say I should bust down this door and take the treasures inside. I did not do that.One of the things I like most about being there is it's not a major tourist attraction these days. By visiting, we're helping a small, weird thing stay open and exploring something new without huge crowds of disease vectors choosing not to wear their masks around us.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO3bd-living_education_kurihara_shi_miyagiWed, 31 Aug 2022 17:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO3bd-living_education_kurihara_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO33W-living_education_iwanuma_shi_miyagiA newcomer to Japan who stumbles across this park would likely feel really out of place as this isn't on a train line or really close to anything else. If you're coming out here, you probably know why. If for some reason they did stumble across this lovely park with a giant hill that features a great view along with several beautiful monuments, I can't really imagine what they would think.For those of us who were here in this part of Tohoku in 2011, it is impossible not to feel a little haunted as we walk up this hill. There is a little placard explaining the story of this space for those who don't already know it, but it hardly feels necessary. People died here. Families. Children. A whole community and then some. This used to be a town.There is a small information office with very little English. There you might learn that this was a small town on the coast on that fateful Friday in March of 2011. A lot of kids were visiting their friends because school breaks were beginning. When the tsunami hit, the whole town was wiped off the map. I think that Miyagi prefecture chose the best possible thing to do with the space after it was reclaimed from the devastation. They didn't build condos or sell of the land to the highest bidder. They acknowledged what happened here and converted the space into a peace park so that we can remember those people and honor their loss.I found the overall feel of the park to be calm and reflective, with the sound of the ocean coming from just out of view.My visit to this place was unfortunately marred by frustrations I was feeling toward a certain unnamable foreign woman who despite not even being in Japan at the time of the quake chose to use the deaths of tens of thousands of people as a backdrop for her attempt to convince children of the validity of her anti-choice agenda. I will never understand the audacity of this, but I also noted that if there are restless tsunami spirits who need someone to haunt, I would hope they find her address in Tokyo. They don't deserve to be used this way.But as I walked up that hill, I also realized that, even more than vengeance upon a jerk who misused a massive tragedy in area of Japan that I love just in order to shove their dogma down unsuspecting children's throats, I don't want the spirits to be restless. They deserve rest and peace more than anything. If you're looking for a getaway where the people are sparse, but the monuments are plentiful, this would fit the bill nicely. With the option of a bit of hiking, this could be the perfect if solemn trip for the right kind of respectful adventurer. More information is available at their website.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO33W-living_education_iwanuma_shi_miyagiFri, 05 Aug 2022 13:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO33W-living_education_iwanuma_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MERR0-living_shopping_health If you are prone to optical nerve damage or have photosensitivity or light colored eyes, it may be a really good idea to invest in a decent pair of sunglasses. Wearing sunglasses when it is bright outside isn't exactly revolutionary as far as ideas go, but something that I didn't realize when I came here and definitely didn't make a priority of was the fact that my blue eyes were also not doing a great job of blocking the UV rays from hitting the back of my eyes and causing damage. Now that I've spent a decade frequently walking in the sun without wearing protective lenses, I have noticed that the pain I feel from a long walk on a sunny day can lead to a full-on migraine. This didn't used to be the case, but now a couple of days without protecting my eyes can ruin a week. After realizing that the harsh sunlight might be triggering the migraines and that my light colored eyes were letting in too much light, the obvious solution of wearing sunglasses presented itself, but there was a problem. I normally wear glasses and I do not have the money to get prescription sunglasses. Also, I'm great at losing things, so making me keep tabs on two pairs of glasses at one time is a really bad call. I have tried wearing cheap sunglasses instead of my regular pair when I am out in the sun but then there's always the issue of where to put my real glasses when I'm just trying not to fry my eyeballs. So what do you do? The only other solution I could come up with was clip-on sunglasses, but I have bad memories of those looking awful in the 90s.They do not look as bulky as I remember these things looking in the 90s. It could also be that I'm too old to care about the clunkiness now. As it turns out, some things have improved over time and I bought these Spalding clip-on shades Amazon for fairly cheap. For less than 2,000 yen, these clip on to my glasses well, flip up as needed and are pretty easy to take care of. That said, the pouch they came with just did not provide great protection for the product. Instead I'm using the case that came with a similar pair that was bought for me in the US and later were sadly destroyed when left in a shirt pocket and mistakenly laundered.Mix-matched, but perfectly functional These are placements are great and they fit perfectly in my already useful box.If I need to take them off, I have somewhere to put them that will keep them safe. Another idea that works for me, especially as a mom creeping toward middle age, is just clipping the things straight to my shirt so that I can easily remember where they are, just so long as I remove them before the shirt goes into the laundry. This is easier to do when I can clip the shades were I can see them instead of putting them into a pocket to be forgotten to death. So if the bright summer sky is burning your eyes, keep yourself cool, collected and safe with protective lenses in whatever variation works for you, even if you have to clip them on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MERR0-living_shopping_healthThu, 04 Aug 2022 10:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MERR0-living_shopping_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BBV-living_yamagataIt should come as absolutely no surprise that one of my favorite places for a visit any time of year is Ginzan in Yamagata prefecture. While we are not currently traveling outside of the prefecture to avoid catching or spreading the coronavirus, we did make a short trip to Yamagata back in 2020 on a lovely summer afternoon.Just a neat little town, relaxed and quiet and magical. After a short drive through the mountainous countryside, we came upon the old mining town, preserved in some ways and changing in others.The town in winter is something to see, especially in light of the way the glowing old-style street lamps illuminate the bridges that connect the two sides of the town over the large mountain stream that divides them. On a summer afternoon, the snowy wonderland effect is gone, but the town is still quite bright and lovely. Being so far from the bustling coastal places and busy cities, it also makes for a cool, calm getaway for a couple of hours.Crowded streets got you down? How does this look for a change. Breathe in that fresh air.While I am not sure that it is currently recommended to visit if you're coming from far outside of Yamagata prefecture, I still think this is a great stop to put on future road trip plans for anyone who wants to get out of the big, hot and crowded spots for something more quiet and gorgeous. A short trip out to Ginzan might be a really lovely highlight to a summer reel in 2023. It's got some fantastic scenery and it's easier to walk around the various bridge pathways in summer comparing to winter, when some spaces get a little icy. When we went on our little summer trip back in 2020, there were some buildings that were still being renovated that probably look amazing now. Even when we went, there was a small park off I had not noticed on our previous visits as that space is usually covered with snow. Far back from the entrance to the town, there is actually a little sliver of green where a thoughtfully prepared person could have a picnic if they were tired of the delicious soba and tempura at the best little restaurant in town.We were not so well prepared and instead enjoyed our normal course of soba and tempura at the soba shop in town overlooking the stream.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BBV-living_yamagataTue, 02 Aug 2022 16:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0BBV-living_yamagatahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glxo1-livingI know it is officially summer in Japan when I notice that a lot of the feminine appearing folks here have wrapped themselves and layers of cloth to avoid UV rays, donning either a wide-brimmed, floppy sunhat atop their heads or clutching a massive, dark sun parasol in their dainty hands. Maybe this is different in big, fashionable places like Tokyo or Osaka, but in smaller cities and the countryside, I have personally seen this consistently any time the temperature is over 25 degrees Celsius.The only reason to cover yourself in UV blocking cloth, with a UV blocking hat and UV blocking parasol is of course to avoid UV radiation and the damage it causes to skin. As I don't like the look of floppy hats and don't like carrying parasols and don't like sweating through long sleeves on days with high temperatures and matching humidity, I have chosen a different route: Sunscreen.A selection of specifically cooling sunscreen varieties from Amazon. My favorite is actually the cheapest. It's the only one of these that I have personally used. Also available at most drug stores.When you go into your neighborhood drugstore or grocery store in summer, there is usually a small selection of sunscreen somewhere. For some reason, "lotion" in Japan tends to have the consistency of water, while "cream" is more on par with the gloopy American lotions I'm used to, but don't let the light consistency fool you. These sunscreen lotions go on smooth without the occasional smudges, streaks, and gloopy spots that US brands sometimes leave behind.When I first started buying Japanese sunscreen, I didn't care much which variation I got and I was always upset about the thin texture. I also didn't appreciate that all of the bottles seem to be SPF 50 exclusively. Why only SPF 50? After looking around the internet for a bit, I got the impression that the bare minimum people are being pressed to used in the states is SPF 30, with some websites saying that is as much protection as anyone needs if they reapply regularly. That means SPF 50, blocking 98% of the harmful rays, is even better if reapplied regularly.This year, I specifically looked into using the blue bottles of "cooling" sunscreen and it has been awesome. It really does take the edge off of the heat and humidity you feel when walking around in the sun in Japan on a regular basis. Quickly lathering my arms, legs, and face, I get a cool shock, like feeling the air coming from inside of the freezer. That feeling doesn't last forever, but using the sunscreen does help me feel like the overall temperature is a bit lower and leaves me feeling much more comfortable. So if you're looking for a cool way to beat the heat while walking in the sun, cooling sunscreen is surprisingly useful. If you're main goal is just avoiding UV damage, those floppy hats and UV cutting sleeves are probably a good addition if you really have to be outside for long. If wearing them bugs you as much as it bugs me, remember to reapply the cooling sunscreen on all exposed skin before you have to be outdoors.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glxo1-livingMon, 01 Aug 2022 10:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Glxo1-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbO4-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiI'm sure I have mentioned this beach before. The small inlet of beach in Matsushima, a short walk from Matsushima Kaigan station on the Senseki Line is one of my very favorite beaches in Japan. Mostly this is because it's one of the easiest ones to get to from where I live. It's not a beach where swimming or camping is allowed, but the sand is nice and there are no biting bugs in the sand, which isn't the case in some other more entertaining (but also painful and difficult to get to) beaches I have been to in this prefecture.For me, it was more about being near the water. You can still look for seashells and shiny rocks. You can still look out at the ocean and get some great pictures. There is a little island nearby and a gorgeous red bridge connecting it to the mainland. It is free to use and easy to get to, so on a little trip to this beach, you can walk across the little bridge to the tiny island and look around the ancient statuary and small buildings there. When the Matsushima Park Music Festival is going, you can even hear music played live right here on this beach. The last time we came before the pandemic, they even had a little stage on the island, too. All in all it's I'm pretty neat place to have access to but the main point for me ages ago was that you could get there by train without too much trouble. Taking a train to the beach didn't used to bea big deal in Miyagi because back in 2010, I could easily take the train at all the way out to Noburi Beach, a proper swimming beach further north along the coast. The station was a short, direct walk from the coast then, but it should surprise no one that all of that changed in 2011. Now, the beach is back but the train lines were rebuilt further inland, so my train-to-beach access no longer exists there. Back in April, my husband asked if I wanted to be driven somewhere on his day off andI asked him to take me to a beach. He asked if I had a specific beach in mind and I told him I didn't but I fully expected him to pick some random, out of the way place I had never heard of.I was absolutely shocked to look up from my phone to find us at parking at the little lot in Matsushima, overlooking that little stretch of beach that I've always found so comforting.I've been to this place so many times and while I wish there were more things to do there, I also feel like it's nice to have a space where you're not walking over the possessions of dozens of beachgoers. There is something great about a place where you can't plan a full day of activities and can only really relax and enjoy the view.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbO4-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiThu, 21 Jul 2022 13:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKbO4-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wka4B-food_howtoThis dish is really common in America and in the UK. From watching so many Gordon Ramsay shows, I know that in the UK, this would be a cottage pie as it uses a beef and pork combination for the meat rather than mutton. In America, we just call them all shepherd's pies, regardless of the meat source. Now, this is a pretty easy thing to make. You just need all of the little bits and pieces and I found all of these in Japan really easily. As long as you have a casserole dish or something similar, the rest isn't really challenging at all.Making extra meat to save for this is only a great idea if you actually make this within a couple of days. The formerly taco meat above was just about to be dumpster food. First, you need ground meat that must already be cooked. This works well if you have some ground meat leftovers from a previous meal, but if you don't, cook up some ground meat and put it in the bottom of your baking dish. Make an even layer.Next, add pre-cooked vegetables of some kind. I used a pack of generic frozen mixed veg that I boiled and strained before placing in an even layer over the meat. Feel free to season every layer with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and/or whatever flavors you enjoy in a savory dish like this.After that comes mashed potatoes. Now, if you have leftover mashed potatoes to use, that's fantastic. If you have potatoes and want to peel them and mash them, that's wonderful too. I found an instant mashed potato made with Hokkaido potatoes in my grocery store and decided to use that instead. While this potato product is alright. I don't recommend it very highly as a side dish if you're used to homemade mashed potatoes. With a little bit of salt and pepper and butter and such you can make it taste okay. And the texture is not bad, but on its own, it leaves a little bit to be desired. Cover the top of your veggies in an even layer of mashed potato.Then cover the entire thing with shredded cheese. I covered mine with aluminum foil and then put it in my microwave that has an oven function on 200 degrees for 30 minutes. After that, I uncovered it and baked it for an additional 15 minutes.When served, it was delicious. Enjoy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wka4B-food_howtoTue, 19 Jul 2022 12:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wka4B-food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2goV-livingWith as much walking as a lot of us are doing and now mostly in the summer sun, it might be a good time to take care of our feet with a little something special. I found this foot mask at the store that calls itself the Awesome Store in a mall in Miyagi. I am sure similar products are available online and at other gift shops near you.I was excited to try it out with my kid and we made a point of going ahead and doing it the other weekend. First off, it's kind of weird to try to put a healing mask thing on your feet. I was a little surprised that it wasn't just a soft, disposable cloth like material like the similar disposable face masks. These have a layer of that situated inside of a large plastic sock. Essentially, you slip these massive plastic sock-like things over your feet, tape them shut with attached tape, and then let them do their magic. We sat around and tried not to walk because I can't imagine walking on these things being useful at all. I didn't bother to read the back of the package to see whether or not walking was expressly forbidden, but I'm gonna go with the fact that putting your body weight on to feet that are covered in wet fabric under slippery plastic is definitely not a good idea.I had to use masking tape to get them around my child's ankles, likely because of her smaller size. They did not have child sized options and these were one size fits all, so of course that one size means adult.After waiting for the prescribed amount of time, we removed the things. I had to use scissors to cut mine as the tape would not unseal.It was actually rather pleasant. My feet felt very soft and the blisters that had formed over a few weeks of ill-fitting shoes had mostly disappeared. It was a fun and comfortable thing to do. I don't know how much it really helps my overall foot health but I felt better for having done it. Afterward my feet aren't cracking or bleeding, so I think it was a pretty fun and easy thing to do. Unless you have specifically dry feet, this is probably more beneficial for your mental health than providing any huge benefits specifically to your feet, but keeping your skin moisturized and your body relaxed is almost always a good thing.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2goV-livingWed, 13 Jul 2022 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2goV-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWp4J-living_workI will freely admit that I am in a lucky position. I work for a small company that wants to keep me employed and happy. I work in a place that is safe enough to bring my kid to. In fact, my employers like my kid well enough that they are happy to have her there whenever she wants to be there, which is nothing like any job I had before this.Bringing your kid to work isn't new to me. When I was a kid, Bring Your Daughter To Work Day had started being a thing in America. I think the goal was to get girls in particular to think of themselves as employable in the future, but I didn't really need that lesson. I got a day off from school and I got to wander around a beauty salon with friendly staff, so it was a win-win for me. My mom also took me to work sometimes in the oppressive Texas summers, hoping the air conditioning there or at the grocery store across the street would keep me from melting or running up our electric bill.My reasons for bringing my kid to work are different. I offered to help out with the class load when the main teacher at the school had a medical situation arise, and that means an extra hour of work three afternoons a week for the next couple of months.That also means that I get to race from picking up my daughter at the bus stop straight to work and then straight home for dinner which I have to already have in the slow-cooker, rice-cooker or fridge because it's already too late to start a new meal.Iadmit that this isn't really super easy, but it's also worth the extra money and only short term.The most amazing thing is that my kid will sit and do her homework while I am teaching, so all we have to do when we get home is relax and eat. I also make sure to bring other activities for her, like a notebook to write in or an English book to read. She also enjoys coloring in the huge coloring book my employers left for her.Upside down coloring page from my kid's activity choices during my teaching time. So if you are ever in a similar situation, make sure your kid has enough things to do (including things they actually like to do) and plan ahead for meals and such as the brain drain after these kinds of days is very real. If your kid isn't as happy to sit quietly and do their homework, arrangements (bribes if I'm honest) might have to be made. But isn't it lovely to have a job with a safe space for your kid? If you don't, do not bring your kid to work. Again, I know I am in a lucky position.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWp4J-living_workFri, 08 Jul 2022 09:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWp4J-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjod-living_familylifeOne of the major choices we made when we got our apartment was how many babies we wanted to have. This wasn't a rental but a for-purchase home, a "mansion" in the Japanese sense or a condo in the American approximation. We had to consider this because we wanted to have space for all the little ones but I failed to take into account all of our stuff. In the time since our firstborn came into our lives, we've acquired a lot of the bits and bobs that come along with caring for a small person as they grow. Because I have always been expecting to have another one at some point, I have had difficulty in doing as my in-laws insist is correct and throwing away every item the second it is no longer of use for our kid.When you add almost a decade's worth of kid stuff to the loss of my last home in the US a few years ago (and therefor the perpetual storage of anything I claim to own being exclusively here, in this little apartment), it may be easy to picture the resulting chaos.I always plan to do it later. I always think I will get around to cleaning and organizing the whole of the apartment and the whole of my life's possessions at some undefinable point in the future.The same thing went for having another baby. First, I knew I needed to get the firstborn out of diapers. Then there wasn't enough money. Then there were problems with the extra job I had only taken to make up that money. Then there was illness in the family that meant my in-laws wouldn't be able to help me the way I had needed them to last time.And then it was 2021, and my cycle started slowing. I went into a rampage, trying to jumpstart biology to keep me from losing out on one of the oldest promises I have ever made to myself. I would have two kids, of course. I was one of two after all. It was as good as done.My spouse did not agree. What followed was a lengthy but much needed conversation about our finances and life that ended with him conceding that yes, another kid could be made at some point soon. I misinterpreted that as an immediate yes and was heartbroken to find a few months later that there were prerequisites I had yet to meet.A small sampling of the chaos.One that he insists on is having a space available for the nursery. As much as do not want to, I have to get that room, the spare room that my daughter calls the chaos room, back into some kind of order with enough space for all the things a baby needs.The best part of this is that it has given me a really good incentive to get the space cleared out and ready as soon as possible. My biology is giving me an indefinite timeline that terrifies me, so all I can do is focus on the next right step. Right now, that's cleaning as much as I can before my next ovulation.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjod-living_familylifeThu, 07 Jul 2022 09:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjod-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKXY-livingOne of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Japan was the use of space. It was something that I had been warned about but hadn't fully believed. Spaces small enough to be ignored in the states were filled here with whatever needs to be there-- a shrine, or small garden, or flower patch, or whatever. I know it's partially because of the lack of land mass people utilize even the smallest, little sliver of space for cultivating something, but sometimes even things left uncultivated take advantage of whatever space they can get here.There are several rocky outcroppings that aren't quite big enough to be mountains but are too sudden to be hills that lurk in the town where I live. While some of the stone has been carved away to make room for houses and such, the rockfaces that remain are frequently covered by greenery.I really like the seemingly unintended side of the nature like this in Japan. For instance, one of my favorite spaces that I see when I'm walking through my town is this lovely patch of green wall on just such a rockface. It's along the backside of a tiny parking lot, which itself is just barely squeezed between two larger buildings. The parking lot is almost never full of cars in the middle of the day, so my midday walks can be treated to this lovely view of so much nice greenery. It makes a really nice random remembrance of nature as I walk, and as the vines change color with the seasons, it's also a nice reminder of the changes happening all around us. I am absolutely sure it would make a lovely backdrop if I could find a way to shoot it well.This isn't the only random bit of nature that's thrown into my otherwise semi-urban life. I also have a fondness for any weed or plant that has the audacity to grow up through the asphalt here. Just like me, they are finding a place that isn't entirely hospitable, but making it their own and surviving. I can't help but feel a little camaraderie there.And then there's this lovely, strange parking lot tree that I have found on my walks. Is it an overgrown bonsai? Was this someone's lovely garden long ago, before it was sold and paved into a parking lot, and the people doing the paving just didn't have the heart to kill or transplant the tree?Honestly, I don't know this tree's story, but I am absolutely sure there is one. Maybe one day, I'll figure it out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKXY-livingMon, 04 Jul 2022 18:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKXY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbY39-livingBack before rainy season really set in in Tohoku, I asked my husband to take me out to some wonderful natural location and he managed to do just that. Again, a great thing about living in Miyagi as I do is that there are many lovely locations about that are all natural and gorgeous. The only real downside for me is that many of them require either riding public transit or taking a car to get to. Still mindful of the pandemic, I opted to ask my husband for a ride instead of taking a bus or train.We drove out to a small wooded area in a move that should surprise no one. This one translates to Miyagi Prefecture Youth Forest or 宮城県青少年の森 though the website uses Miyagi Prefectural Forest as the official translation.The woods on one side of the parking lot seemed very thick and beautiful but not entirely like something I'd want to walk through. I didn't really see a clear and easy path except for the one that led from the parking lot toward a few buildings. It was clear to me that some serious investment had gone into making this outdoor learning center kind of thing. Peering inside the huge front windows, we could see materials prepared for small community groups or school groups to partake in some sort of crafting activity using the natural things, but none seemed to be happening in the middle of that weekday.We didn't wander inside since it didn't seem like the kind of place that wanted random adult interference and they were no prices or anything quoted out the door. Instead we walked around and as we did one of the employees came out to suggest we do as we were already doing.Further back on the property, there were a couple of historical-looking buildings. The first didn't look as fancy from the outside but was set up inside to resemble a living room from earlier periods in Japanese history, complete with cooking area and accoutrements on the walls.At the back end of the easy to access portion of the property, a large white building with a strange shape stood. Looking inside, we saw what now resembled a basic church or community hall. To the right was a sign explaining what the building was located just above a shelf of slippers for guests. The building itself dates back to 1909 in Sendai and was transplanted here later. It opened at this location in 1976. It is now used as a multipurpose hall and was renovated in 2014.This outdoor area was nice for a short walk, though there were many small stairways. According to the website, more fun places to hike and enjoy the great outdoors are out there, further out in the woods than we had the chance to visit this time. The website also features pictures that seem to indicate some interactive events for the whole family that we look forward to trying to enjoy some time in the future.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbY39-livingFri, 01 Jul 2022 10:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbY39-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9ElO-livingWhen I started studying Japanese, one of cultural differences that my Japanese teacher in college seem to think was very important was the idea that Japanese streets are pristine. She assured us that even in the busiest metropolitan areas of Japan and without garbage cans provided, there was no garbage anywhere. She insisted the streets were home to absolutely no garbage at all because everyone just took their garbage home with them.Imagine my surprise when, on my second day in the first little town I was sent to in Japan, I found a fast food wrapper and bag in the park. This was hardly an urban center, but garbage was there on the street, even if in smaller quantities than similar places back home.While it is a rare sight, the garbage strewn in front of the station plentiful in June.My college Japanese teacher was probably trying to ensure than the gruff American students she might take abroad on a summer program weren't going to mess up her homeland and she had been living abroad for a couple of decades, so it is also possible that her memories of the streets of Tokyo were a bit rose-tinted by nostalgia. Either way, I felt betrayed, standing in that park, but also somehow relieved?My momentary desire to take a picture of the garbage and send it to her, noting that garbage was on the streets of Japan was really short lived, replaced almost immediately by the realization that this society wasn't so much unlike me after all.On the side streets and back alleys even of a small town like the one where I live, bits of litter gather. Japan is clean and people take care of the space, it is said, and to a large extent, it is true. We can all remember stories of Japanese fans at a World Cup match cleaning their area so thoroughly that it made international headlines. But Japan is not spotless or perfect, as no country or culture truly is. For me, knowing that it isn't a perfect place I am somehow besmirching with my presence makes me a little more comfortable, but that isn't to say that we shouldn't do something about this. There are still things I can do to improve my area, even if it's just picking up garbage now and again. These days, I use tongs for this activity and bring a large garbage sack. I have no interest in getting corona from some litterer's cigarette butts.There's no excuse for this. With 2 convenience stores a block away, each with places where you can put this straight into the recycling, there is no excuse for leaving an empty can on the street. Come on, Japan!If everyone in Japan could police their own garbage the way I was told they would, there would be no need for people like me to waste time picking up what they leave behind. If more people had the time and energy to pick up a bit of what lingers on the streets, the place would be even cleaner than it is now. That's what we should be striving for.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9ElO-livingThu, 30 Jun 2022 10:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9ElO-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRX4v-livingAnother keynote about using umbrellas in Japan that I realize not every foreigner knows about is the need to dry your umbrella especially during rainy season. Where I come from the humidity doesn't usually hang around long enough to cause significant damage in this way. Living in Japan where humidity is a constant thing and dryness is a rare opportunity creates new challenges especially if you're from a dryer climate.How did I learn this if I keep claiming to be from Texas and whining about the humidity? Easy. Other foreigners showed me ages back when I first came to Japan. It is a come to my attention that if you're a newcomer, and maybe only you just started your Japanese travels right as the world shut down, you may not have had those experiences I did in hanging out with more experienced expats in Japan.When I first saw these people I respected bringing their soaking umbrellas inside their homes, I thought they were being a bit weird. Why wouldn't you just leave it to dry outside? The answer is because it doesn't fully dry outside in its closed position especially when it is still raining. They showed me that I needed to open my umbrella in my house and let the umbrella dry and whatever manner I also dried my clothes. In my first apartment in Japan that would have meant hanging it anywhere in the house because there was no real drying facility and the clothesline was a line that hung from one room to the other. I only had cheap umbrellas anyway, but drying them proved somewhat difficult.In my current situation, the shower room acts as a drying room and for that, I need only go into the room, open the umbrella, and leave it open in such a way that it can dry out. If it's still really wet, I might turn on the vent or hit the clothes drying button. I don't think the umbrella really needs to stay in there with the heater on for hours and hours, but I usually wind up leaving it in there without the heater on until someone needs the shower room for something else.You can check after a while to see how dry the umbrella has become and remove it from the drying area, storing it as usual after that. You may wonder why someone would bother with all this trouble and if you only have cheap umbrellas you don't mind replacing, it might not be worth it to you. Even knowing about the need to do this, I had the assumption that higher quality umbrellas like the one that was purchased for me years ago by my in-laws would not succumb to such a fate and I was wrong. I didn't maintain the item correctly because I assumed I didn't need to and before long the lovely lilac hue of the vinyl eventually to a weird mottled red and gross splattered shade before I eventually threw the thing away. See the rust? I haven't been as good to this 7-11 umbrella as I could have been.If you're using an umbrella to allow it to open and dry fully inside of your house somewhere or on your balcony. If you want your umbrellas staying good condition, pop them open in your drying area so that they can completely dry before you put them away.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRX4v-livingTue, 28 Jun 2022 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRX4v-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYn7L-livingIf you're like me and you live in a part of Japan that is not only experiencing rainy season but also regular bouts of high wind you may come to have a very specific issue with your umbrella essentially turning itself inside out. There have even been times that I've walked out into a total rainstorm without an umbrella at all to avoid this problem. What's the point of bringing along something that will not only fail to protect me in the wind but also break in the process?It seems like inevitably if you're not used to these strong wind conditions, a strong wind is going to hit the wrong side of the umbrella at the wrong time, and pop the umbrella into a weird U-shape, rendering it generally useless for the time being.In my early days in this part of Japan, I would freak out about this and not know what to do. I even considered just leaving the broken thing to the side, the way we later saw the former US President do when he personally did not understand how to use an umbrella properly and couldn't be bothered to fold the thing away before boarding an aircraft.Lucky for me, time and intelligence won out. At some point in the last few years I had spent enough time in these conditions to figure out how to quickly pop the umbrella back into a useful position and carry on.Now it also is worth noting that investing in a higher quality umbrella is valuable here. Lower quality umbrellas won't have the right coating around the hinges, so when pops in the wrong direction, the metal hinges are more likely to puncture the vinyl, rendering the umbrella practically useless. That said, even with punctured vinyl, some covering is sometimes better than none at all if you can pop the umbrella back into the right shape before a huge rip forms.I still will opt for the 500 yen 7-eleven umbrella over the hundred yen store umbrella purely because I have had to pop them back into shape many times with very few punctures. When you're in a windy situation and your umbrella has popped in the wrong direction, what you do is point the top of your umbrella into the wind. This usually means turning it in the exact opposite of the direction it just went and the direction the wind wants you to go.If you can hold it in that direction with the wind blowing over the inverted top of the umbrella for a few seconds, that is usually enough to pop the thing back into the right shape.To keep your umbrella from having this issue, make sure to point the top of the umbrella into the wind instead of holding it just any way you please. The inversion happens because a strong wind gets underneath the umbrella and pulls it in the direction the wind is going, which lets more strong wind beneath it and overpowers the joints keeping it in the desired shape.So if the wind is blowing directly at you from the front and your umbrella was briefly behind you long enough to get popped, you pull the umbrella back in front of you facing directly ahead of you. The gusts of strong wind should help uninvert your umbrella.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYn7L-livingFri, 24 Jun 2022 10:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYn7L-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYP9-living_shopping_workWhat do you do when your main means of communication starts having weird freak out moments just before you're supposed to use it for a zoom call with a regularly scheduled student?My first answer was to make sure I had a supplemental option for the zoom call which meant turning on a slightly abused laptop and getting an old webcam up and ready to use while my phone recovered from its tech-seizure. My poor little 2-year-old phone had reached its limit, resulting in the screen going black and being completely useless for irregular intervals of about 30 minutes when something otherwise innocuous might happen, like an alarm going off at the same time that I was listening to a podcast.Look into the eye of the damned. Behold, it is blurry and useless.It became clear to me when this happened for a second time in less than 6 months that a new phone would need to be purchased pronto. When I picked my new phone, I chose to avoid Xperia, the makers of my last phone. That was the only time I had used an Xperia and had had problems with many things over the years, including the camera randomly losing focus in video mode. The phone I chose was made by Google apparently and that's where some more problems began.The problem with switching to a phone made by a non-Japanese company was that for some reason, the Japanese phone-based email address that I was issued when I first got my first phone in Japan back in 2008 was suddenly not reachable. There appears to be nothing that can be done with my new phone to reach what was a professional and personal lifeline for more than a decade. Since the old phone was still working somewhat, I copied and pasted a lot of my contacts into an email that I sent to a PC based email address, but it turned out that most of those email addresses do not accept emails from addresses outside of their own contacts, attempting to cut down on random spam by limiting just who can contact them. Unfortunately for me, this included a couple of students who had been on break because of the pandemic numbers in my prefecture and one of my former students who is also my daughter's dentist.I was very lucky to be able to make a trip to my former student's office and explain the situation with my phone and email-based troubles. She understood and we reconnected via the Line messaging app, which is generally a better tool for this situation. Socializing and making business contacts in Japan should definitely be done with PC email (like gmail) or a messaging app like Line where you have made a professional enough looking profile that you won't scare away clients.My husband has confirmed that the old phone's email address is still accepting email even if that's all that it does. The emails cannot be reached or read by me, and that includes all contact with one older student that I'm just not likely to get back in touch with. The worst part is that she won't even know why I literally can't respond to her anymore. So if you're communicating with important contacts and students, use an app you can redownload if your phone breaks or a PC based email system. Whatever ezweb.ne.jp was for, it isn't a good choice for this anymore.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYP9-living_shopping_workMon, 13 Jun 2022 09:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDYP9-living_shopping_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gZg-living_shopping_education_howtoThe other day I took over washing my kid's school-issued calligraphy brushes just to be nice. I had seen my husband get very particular about the fact that the brushes must be washed the day they come home to ensure that the ink doesn't cause any problems. I have experience with paint brushes of course, but I know these are different and more expensive.Cleaning a large brush was much like cleaning any other kind of paint brush though it is recommended that you have treated a little bit more carefully than you would in average 100 yen store paintbrush. The websites I have seen since recommend running cold water directly over the inky portion of the brush while slowly moving it across the palm of your hand, which is basically what I had done. That one wasn't so hard to do and came through all right. Hang with the brush side down but not touching anything to dry.Big inky jerk, but not actually hard to clean. Better iThen I saw a smaller brush. The tip of this one was also ink coated and clearly needing a wash. I assumed that when my husband said the brushes needed to be washed, he must have meant it in the plural and this was the only other one with ink on it.I honestly don't know these brushes well enough to know what I'm supposed to do, but I took the little brush to task, scrubbing it until all of the ink and some filmy gunk were completely off of the hairs. I thought I'd done a great job until my daughter saw it and freaked out. Apparently the little brush with super long hairs in the very middle is not meant to be cleaned at all. It is meant to maintain its small glue-coated shape forever. Only after I had scrapped all of that glue off of the strangely pointed brush did I realize that that glue had some sort of importance.I asked my kid to ask her teacher what we should do and where we could order a new one, which she forgot to do.My husband was off-put by the realization that the brush in question was beyond fixing, andafter a short family discussion regarding who is meant to wash the brushes in the first place (the kid who knows which ones need to be washed), he then went about finding a new brush online.I tried this myself a few times and found it overly daunting. Most of this is because I wasn't even sure what to call that specific brush. When it came down to it, I didn't even have a name of the subject correct. I thought this was calligraphy, (書道, shodō), a reasonable assumption given the brushes. Really, this is a related but different subject (習字 shūji) and it's more focused on penmanship and writing tiny letters than it is the overall artistic expression of the characters on paper. Needless to say, I could not find the brush we were looking for.Replacing the brush I ruined wasn't actually that expensive, but it did take some leg work because the brush sets that my daughter's school uses are specifically made just for that school. It is easier I suppose if your kids go to a school that uses brushes that are available at your local stationary or DIY shop. If you're a parent like me in Japan, watching your kid learn stuff that you still don't really know about, make sure to ask questions and make sure that the kid actually does their work as it is very easy to mess up something that isn't always obvious or easy to fix.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gZg-living_shopping_education_howtoThu, 09 Jun 2022 10:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2gZg-living_shopping_education_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaPm-living_shopping_fashionRainy season is upon some of us and about to be upon others. In Tohoku where I live, the rainy season starts sometime in June and basically eats the entirety of the month. It usually lasts about 2 weeks into July and then we go into the humid summer that I used to look forward to and now spend a lot of time dreading. Because of this, rainy season doesn't strike me as negatively as it used to, but I can remember how overbearing it felt to go through yet another rainy day in a week of rainy days that seemed like an endless streak of dismal weather.One good thing to remember about rainy season is that it is not actually a solid month of nothing but rain usually. There are always bright spots at some point. One of the locals here once told me that there was a pattern to it along the lines of "For every 3 days of rain, 1 of sun" or something similar, but I've long since forgotten it. Also, with climate change, ancient sounding patterns passed on by old folks seem a little less trustworthy, but the basic idea is generally true. Even though it will rain a lot, there will be sunny days, too. So if the rain has you down, try to remember that the sun is coming and to make the most of it when it does. When a randomly sunny day occurs in the middle of a rainy week, find a way to go and do something nice and happy outside. The sooner you can go out and enjoy it, the better you will feel. If you make the most of your sunny day and exhaust yourself completely, the rainy days will feel like an overdue rest in which you get to stay inside instead of an occasion in which you have to stay inside.Due to climate change in the general in predictability of weather, I also recommend buying a cute (or cool, or whatever fits your style) umbrella. This selection of folding umbrellas I found at the Copenhagen Flying Tiger store in the Aeon Rifu megamall. I carried one such umbrella on our Golden week trip and it came in handy numerous times. Since it comes with a cover, I never had to leave it at the umbrella stand and hope no one stole it. I even enjoyed the button mechanism on this one a lot more than the non-folding standard umbrellas I have bought before at the 100 yen store.More cute ones. They don't fold, but they are still useful.Having a cute or cool or fun folding umbrella in your bag frees you to enjoy the moments of sun in rainy season without fearing that you might get stuck being drenched by a sudden downpour. In addition, knowing that you like the look of your umbrella means you won't feel as down about having to use it which should also help.Other cute umbrellas at Flying Tiger. Non-folding but still good and cheerful.If you keep your eyes open for the sunny days and keep an umbrella in your bag in case that sunny day turns sour, you're sure to make it through rainy season with at least slightly better spirits than otherwise.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaPm-living_shopping_fashionTue, 07 Jun 2022 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkaPm-living_shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKk6-shopping_medical_healthWhen you walk as much as I do, you have to take care of your feet. Over the course of the last few months, I've noticed a just significant uptick in heel pain on my left side. In America, I would ignore this entirely and just keep going until I literally couldn't anymore because the cost of going to the doctor would be out of range for me. In Japan, I can afford to go to the doctor but in my previous attempts to get help for non-obvious foot pain, I received no real benefit from visiting a physician. It could be that I'm going to the wrong physicians, or that I need a better translator then my half-distracted husband. It could also be that I need to memorize a bunch of terms of specifically about foot health so that I could better understand whatever the doctor rattles off rapid speed with no concern as to whether or not I am understanding a single syllable. I don't know. What I do know is that my feet hurt and I still have to walk across town on a regular basis, several times a week.A basic web search of "insoles" led to these ads from a number of online shops for reasonable prices.Enter insoles. There is a huge selection of comfortable insoles for most kinds of shoes both online and in stores here in Japan. Even the 100 yen shop in my area has a few to offer in a variety of sizes and styles depending on your needs while some imported models online can cost upwards of 10,000 yen.A fancy brand, recommended by podiatrists in the states, runs a little steeper on Amazon.When choosing an insole, it's important to check for quality and durability but also pay attention to size. I bought a pair in the mid price range of those available at Homac for around 1000 yen only to discover that the thickness of the insoles when worn inside in my chosen footwear created a huge problem. The resulting tightness of the shoe limited blood circulation to my smallest toes and after half a day of normal walking, I was losing feeling in those digits. I moved those insoles to another pair of shoes that was a little more loose in the fit and will seek new insoles of a more slim design for my newest shoes.Even with the circulation problem, I saw a huge decrease in heel pain when using the insoles in my new shoes. In general, if you're in a similar situation, grabbing some insoles and changing to a more comfortable pair of shoes should prove beneficial as long as you remember that not every insole is a good fit for every foot or every shoe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKk6-shopping_medical_healthMon, 06 Jun 2022 11:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgKk6-shopping_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjqo-livingI was very lucky to have a nice day of sunshine in which to go and enjoy a lovely trip to Moririn Kasenuma park in Rifu, Miyagi recently. This park has a gloriously large open space, perfect for flying kites or playing around catch with any number of sports ball. It's wonderful for kids, especially given the fact there are two massive play structures.One is more of a play structure complex. It looks like it would be a lot of fun for kids of any age to play on, but maybe more fun after the pandemic is over. Even with that main space for children to be playing in, there are other smaller play structures located in other parts of the large open park complex.To one side of the park, there is a very large hill. Apparently from this hill space you can walk a few kilometers and a number of directions and find interesting things like a history museum. If instead you just walk up the staircase that is imbedded in the hill, you will see a large body of water that my husband calls a swamp. Where I come from, this would be a lake. The body of water extends out in several directions. We even saw one guy who had walked around the water's edge and through the trees to come to a space where he could journey out on an outcropping and go fishing. Even if you just walked up the stairs and stood there for a minute, it's a rather lovely view and when we went we could only hear birds singing despite a couple of talkative folks walking around us. It was a lovely little day trip to somewhere to just walk around in nature and relax. Also, I'm planning on coming back here with our kid on a random weekday during summer. Hopefully it won't be too busy and we'll be able to have a really good time. The park differs from other parks in the area by having a bathroom and vending machines on site, but no public camping is allowed and the park has distinct open and closing hours that very depending on the season. While it is a lovely park, it is also best approached by car as it is a bit off of the beaten path and I saw no bus stops nearby. As the sign near the hill notes, Rifu train station is a few kilometers away.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjqo-livingFri, 03 Jun 2022 16:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJjqo-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWp8O-living_shopping_fashionRainy season can be depressing, especially if you're not used to it yet. Every region of Japan experiences rainy season at some point. For us up here in Tohoku, it usually takes most of June and part of July. If the overwhelming presence of this rain has got you down, I have found one way you might be able to make a life a little bit better, especially if you happen to have a more demonstratively fashionable persuasion.These boots are tall but hard for my new camera to fully capture. Look at the shape of the foot, though. For wide-feet that want to be presented cutely, this cut is everything. they may just be rubber rain boots, but they're also my life-raft out of rain-drain.Buy yourself a cute (or cool or classy or whatever your taste may be) pair of rain boots. Now for those of us with larger feet and a desire for more colorful patterns, this can be a little challenging in Japan, where generally anything over an American lady size 6 or 7 is considered monstrously large Godzilla-manfeet and can only come in shades of black, navy or dark green. While I love black and dark green, I wanted something cuter for a season in which gray already own the landscape, so a couple of years ago I went on Amazon and bought myself this pair of black and floral rain boots.And they really make me happy. Every time I slide them on, I feel a little bit better about the world and my place in it. Not only do they cheer me up, but they also protect my feet and the lower parts of my pants from getting soaked as a traverse a city where the sidewalks have long forgotten what uniformity might look like. I think mine were cheaper than this but that was also years before the pandemic. These might be camo, but I think they look kinda cool.Almost nothing ruins my day faster than having a slight misstep in my dance to avoid puddles on the pavement render my feet soaked, and then having to teach children for hours on end in those drenched socks.I'm sure not everyone wants bright purple rain boots, but someone will, and if it helps them get through rainy season with higher hopes and drier feet, all the better.I did go ahead and check online these days to see if I can find the same kinds of boots on Amazon and had no luck, but I did find some other boots with fun styles. I think they're a little more expensive than mine were, but they did at least have some selection of larger but also colorful rain boots. Other options could be to shop internationally in which case I suggest buying things soon as shipping rates and delivery times are still rather messed up due to the pandemic. I was shocked to find that the brand my rain boots came from no longer shops internationally at all, so unless you have a contact in the US or want to use one of those repackaging services, you aren't getting Sloggers in Japan these days.I highly recommend getting yourself something useful that will make you feel better when you put it on to walk out in the rain, especially if the rain itself is a little depressing for you. Around six weeks of it are coming. Dress accordingly.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWp8O-living_shopping_fashionThu, 02 Jun 2022 10:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWp8O-living_shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5ZWW-livingAs mentioned in a previous post, I recently had to take my daughter on a bug hunt that turned into a pretty long nature walk. We were fortunate to find not only many bugs but also pleasant weather and a lovely little space of nature to enjoy. Shiogama Shrine is one of my very favorite local spots, as I've mentioned so many times before. Specifically, when it comes to nature in this area I most love Shiogama Shrine's garden space. I have been here so many times I have practically memorized the space, but somehow, despite having come there many times a year for years on end, I still haven't explored every inch of the place. On this occasion we've got a little bit closer to that goal when my daughter located an interesting walking path slightly off of the heavily trafficked area.The first little bridge into the area.It isn't that I haven't noticed the space before, but it never occurred to me to explore it until the necessity of finding new bugs for the assignment drove us off the more standard pathways and into our own little wonderland.Check out the trees and the light. It was kinda magical.Lovely tall trees covered the little stone pathways with shade while a small stream of water flowed down through a defined space that ran under a couple of minor bridges. The area for the water wasn't wide enough to be a creek but was set up like someone trimmed down a larger park with bridges to a smaller scale. Walking through felt a little bit like slipping into an anime fantasy as it was so well put together and so delightfully enchanting even with its admittedly limited area. A little walkway, a lot of grass.I marvel at how they crammed so much great nature into such a small area, even after more of a decade of getting used to that kind of space utilization in this country. This same amount of space would barely be anything worth noting in America as that space would make even a small yard seem inadequate and tiny. Here, they created a whole wonderland of green spaces and little paths in dappled light.The diversity of plants creates a quilt of greenery rather than a uniform blanket. Finding hidden gems like this are well worth the effort of a little nature walk. Have you found any similar hideaway garden spaces?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5ZWW-livingTue, 31 May 2022 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5ZWW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v76-living_zao_machi_miyagiIt's pretty rare for my family to have a great golden week adventures, but this time we took a few days and headed out to a few different lovely places in Miyagi. This time, one of the best places we went was a field of daffodils at Eboshi ski grounds on Mount Zao. I've been to Zao before and we've traveled around the area a couple of times, but we never went to this one place that is a skiing ground in winter and a lovely field in spring and summer. You can still take the gondola rope way that brings skiers up to the top of the hill in winter. The view as you cross over the scenery that surrounds the mountain is pretty breathtaking, even in the rain. When we got to the top of the hill, we discovered that at that altitude, the rain had transitioned to a light snow. Despite this, we had a lovely view. Near the top of the mountain, there stood a bell with a large wooden sign that red in Japanese something about Mount Zao's 1100 Smiling Stars. I'm guessing by context that this is the number of stars that you could theoretically see from the top of this mountain, but I'm really not sure. We all made wishes and rang the bell before heading back to the gondola and back down the hill.At the bottom of the mountain is a restaurant that I am sure maintains a decent amount of business in winter. To attract more customers at other times of the year, it seems, they have planted many different species of daffodils along the side of the mountain, stretching up in zigzags across the landscape. These daffodils were surprisingly exciting. I honestly didn't know there were that many variations of daffodil. Having the chance to compare them right there on the hillside was wonderful all on its own. Despite it being a national holiday, the space was wide open and mostly vacant, so we felt free to take our time walking up the flowery hillside. Another great advantage about this specific flowery hillside was the placement of benches along one of the steeper hills, giving people like me who aren't so physically active a chance to rest between sections of walking up a steep incline.Our trip to Mt Zao's daffodil field was one that afforded so many great photos and videos in addition to just a lovely chance to enjoy the great outdoors.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v76-living_zao_machi_miyagiWed, 25 May 2022 09:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v76-living_zao_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWLa-drink_productAnother flavor of Zone Energy Drink from Cocoacola, available in 500 mL cans at Welcia and likely convenience stores around Japan for a limited time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWLa-drink_productTue, 24 May 2022 16:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWLa-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWv79-living_education_familylife I was shocked the other day by some of my daughter's homework. One of the assignments included a nature walk around the student's home, looking specifically for some sort of living sign of the spring season. What she knew from class and tried to convey to us was that specifically her teacher wanted her looking for insects. Unfortunately both my husband and I read the form which only said that the things need to be living organisms and the assignment was done poorly. Still, we managed to find some bugs including some I never thought I would be excited to see. In addition to a couple of ants and sparrows at the small parks near our home, we found grubs under a rock in the ground. Unfortunately, as we couldn't find enough insects specifically, my daughter had to redo the assignment over the weekend which was perfectly fine but required another long nature walk searching for more kinds of bugs. The lucky thing was that it didn't take long for us to start finding insects. A fly was pollinating the plants we found for sale at the home improvement store. A bee was doing the same job on some petunias in front of a different shop just a block from our home. While we could find bugs easily enough, my daughter still wanted to do a more thorough walk and look for as many bugs as possible. That walk, which took us all the way to shrine, resulted in many interesting bug finds, including a strange variety of beetle that had red markings along its back outlining the different parts of its thorax and some kind of millipede or centipede, which I still don't really know how to identify. After we got home came the actual hard part. Do you know how to identify bugs in Japanese? I don't and it turns out when you search for bug in English, you get English answers based in North America. I did find a lovely app that would have been useful if I had been helping my daughter complete this assignment in my home country instead of here. Unfortunately there was no app I could find for basic entomology in Japan. Most of the bug information I could get was about bugs to avoid in Japan, none of which helped. I spent the solid 20 minutes of research trying to locate the name of the red marked bug and the closest I got was the harlequin bug which is more closely related to a ladybug. Even I remember from my long ago biology classes that these bugs are so dissimilar in shape as to not likely be related. My husband is no entomologist, but he does have something that I don't. He is a native Japanese speaker and can understand how to Google something in Japanese. It turns out when you're trying to find the identity of something that only seems to exist in Japan, googling it in Japanese is beneficial. My husband searched with Japanese that roughly translates to "black bug with a red face on its back" and immediately found a suitable name for our pesky little beetle. Turns out that these bugs really like to kind of flower that we found them on. So if your child's homework assignment requires scrolling through pictures of bugs on the Internet, remember to search in Japanese for Japanese bugs. It seems to stop the Internet from trying to only talk to you about things that exist in North America.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWv79-living_education_familylifeFri, 20 May 2022 10:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWv79-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02Nr-living_howtoSome people in Japan have large, potentially heavy items that they might want to hang on a wall, but many Japanese homes do not accommodate such options. In addition to concerns regarding accidentally puncturing a pipe or electric cable when putting a nail in the wall to hang something from, many Japanese apartments are meant to be left exactly as they were received, spotless and without even small holes in the walls. When my husband caught this glorious fish and my father decided to have it converted into taxidermy, the concern for how we would hang it hadn't crossed my mind yet. When it arrived in the mail, my husband forbade me to drill or hammer anything into the wall, so the fish sat in a box for quite some time, waiting for us to get around to displaying it properly. In the years that followed, I developed the means by which I could hang the fish on the decorative piece of wood in a part of the room that doesn't get too much direct sunlight and without making any holes in the actual wall.This involved getting a large plank of wood from a home improvement store. This plank of Acacia wood measures 180 cm by 40 cm. Some other similar stores will likely have similar items if you go into the woodworking section, usually an outdoor area located to the side or back of the main shopping space. The section at my store included planks of several different kinds of wood in a variety of sizes. I chose this lovely plank of acacia wood because I liked the coloration. It is important to measure the space you plan to put your plank in before you shop so you know what you're looking for. The strongest warning I should give here is to stay away from particle board, the cheap wood-substitute made from a few sheets of ply-wood stuck together. That kind of plank does not do well with holes being introduced into any place where there was not already a pre-formed hole. Real wood will usually deal with a screw or a nail. Particle board will fall apart. I learned this when trying to alternate where shelves would go on a particle-board shelving unit.When I got at home, I checked for which side looks best and then realize that one side of the wood was already pretreated and glossy, meaning that the makers of this plank had already designated which side should be the front. With that in mind I picked the spot that would align well with my Taxidermy fish and used a small baggie of screws that I found in the same woodworking section, right next to the planks. Originally I thought it would be best to use the massive screws that came with the fish to connect the fish directly to the plank, but on later inspection, I realized those screws were so long that they would likely go all the way through the fish and come out the other side. The fish was meant to be mounted on a small but thick chunk of wood that it came with, so that's what I did. After I got the fish on the small chunk of wood, I used some trial-and-error to mount the wood chunk on my plank. I secured it with many screws, some of which don't seem to be doing anything right now, but I think they might help to keep it in place.I positioned the plank behind a heavy desk that isn't flush with our multi-level wall. I placed a few heavy books behind the plank on the floor, forcing a little bit of space between the base of the plank and the wall. This means that the plank spends most of its time reclining backward slightly, and in the event of a quake, it is most likely just going to slam against the desk and then back against the wall. If the fish should fall, it will do so only be a couple of feet and into a stack of papers that never seem to leave the desk, even after major quakes.A few weeks after I hung the fish, a massive magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook my prefecture and to the shock of everyone in the apartment including myself, the fish was fine. I had been a bit worried that my precautions wouldn't be good enough, with me not being a proper engineer and literally using large books as spacers, but at the end of the day, our fish stayed in place.After the quake. Moved? Yes. Fallen? No. Huzzah!So there it is.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02Nr-living_howtoWed, 11 May 2022 11:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02Nr-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYKe-living_education_workThe other day I stumbled upon the information that Duolingo, the free language learning app, was giving proceeds for ad revenue from people learning Ukrainian to charities in Ukraine. I figured that dabbling in a language I'm never going to be likely to use would be a good chance for me to do a little something to benefit someone out there without having to find money to give and figure out who to send money to. What I found was really surprising. First, I was glad to see that the work I had years done before in Duolingo had maintained some kind of value. It was several years ago that I went to the entirety of the Japanese program they had available. While I learned very little new information for me personally, the activity made for good practice. However, I stopped having interest in it when I got to the end of the lessons and hadn't learned anything really new. I don't remember getting crowns in those subject, because I don't remember it being set up quite this way, but they still tried to translate my previous progress to their current system.My progress from my previous study had been saved, even as the program had been revamped and added to. I consider it pretty elevated compared to where it was before, though my friends who are studying at the lower levels of Japanese still inform me that Duolingo is forcing personal pronouns in sentences that generally would not have them in spoken Japanese. Still, when I picked up a random later unit, I found some kanji that I have never seen before. It may well be a common kanji that I personally have yet to study, but still it was something new and that was intriguing.That they have.I'm still keeping up with studying Ukrainian as well, and honestly find it kind of refreshing. Studying without the intent to show off or completely master the language is really freeing in a way. I'm excited to be learning as a weird way to benefit people in danger, but it's also great to finally have some use for the one semester of Hellenistic Greek I took in college as some letters in Ukranian relate to their sounds in a similar way. It's been a really positive learning experience and getting back to the habit of studying any kind of language helps me. Will it make me immediately fluent? Of course not. But popping into my Japanese section every once in awhile and continuing on with the basics in Ukrainian gives my brain a great workout and since Duolingo is a better game than before, it doesn't really feel like work.If you're an intermediate Japanese learner who exhausted Duolingo years back or just someone who wants to try to help Ukraine, Duolingo might be something good to check out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYKe-living_education_workMon, 09 May 2022 11:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYKe-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82g7-living_fashion In contrast to my previous post about hanami experiences that I would never want to duplicate, this is the story of one of my favorite hanami experiences ever. A few years ago, I had managed somehow to make friends with a number of ALTs and other eikaiwa teachers in the area, some of whom expressed interest in joining me in some bizarre but very entertaining activities. One of these wound up being steampunk hanami. We spent a few weeks buying things from second hand shops and crafting them into steampunk-esque semi-historical attire. I also made costumes and personas for the children involved including my own, who was quite young at the time. Even though we didn't have the most time to spend under the blossoms or best snacks to accompany us, we had fun while we could. Our chosen spot for this activity was the usual best hanami spot for our town, the picnic area near Shiogama Shrine. The weather had been fantastic that day and I remember everyone having a great time. We all got dressed up and took thousands of pictures, none of which I've had the energy or creativity since to properly edit since. My original plan had been to creatively edit out all non-ancient and non-steampunk elements in the pictures, turning them into excellent illustrations for a story I might write. It's still a dream I have in the back of my head, but unfortunately in the mean time I have managed to save them to some forgotten hard drive, never to be heard from again. Perhaps one day they will turn up and I'll be able to turn them into what they should have been, creating a manufactured reality of the steampunk hanami by turning our short afternoon that my daughter slept through into a mystical adventure. We had personas and costumes and the making of a basic story just waiting to happen, but the story I thought I would capture in pictures shifted from a semi-prepared script to something very different. This is usually the case now, I know, when confronted with the reality of children and exhaustion and adults. In the end, we all really had a good time and that was the most we were going to make of it.Actually from our second steampunk hanami, from Easter of the next year, when my kid wasn't asleep the whole time. For some reason, this is the only photo I have from either event. I do look forward to trying to this again even though almost none of these people are still in the country over willing to do these kinds of things with me. Even if it's just my kid and me, a hanami dress up party will have to be had at some point in the future. This time I'll be thoughtful enough to be creative with the snacks, too and turn the little weird thing I did into something really fun, not just in pictures. Sometimes the best thing you can do with events like hanami that can get boring when you've done them more than a dozen times is embrace your inner child and turn it into something new.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82g7-living_fashionTue, 03 May 2022 12:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82g7-living_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKVj-living_food_shoppingUnfortunately, this part of the ongoing pandemic nonsense has left me high and dry for creativity when it comes to things like semi-religious holidays that I don't personally have that much attachment to. It would probably feel more important if we were living in a country where I could pick up an Easter basket from the nearest drugstore and my daughter would have some sort of extra snacks and treats for the day, but I don't live there. And it's true that I have bought food dye from import stores before and dyed eggs for Easter events, but I didn't have it in me this year. With just me and my 8-year-old at home for the holiday itself, it didn't feel terribly important to do anything. So we didn't. We played Untitled Goose Game and had a wonderful time. Easter goose is a thing right?But one of the more fun things that we had done together before, back when I had energy to do more, was making cupcakes from scratch. This can easily be done with all the materials that you can find in Japan, including icing sugar, eggs, flour, and whatever else you really need. You can even get baking mixes from the hundred yen store that can help with making this, which is super useful when you're a little bit anxious about how exactly the making will go. They're pretty useful, but I found in our experiments that I always somehow managed to make the dough extremely thick and the resulting cupcakes are not nearly as delicious as they could be.Another even less time intensive option is buying small, pre-made muffins that work well as cupcakes. I can get these at my local Aeon for less than 300 yen. Buying the cupcakes already made means I can't make them too dense, leaving me with just making the icing, which is admittedly enough of a chore by itself. Icing sugar and butter as easy enough to come by but you have to make sure of the measurements for your chosen recipe before you go shopping. In general, I usually wind up buying so many little packets of powdered sugar that I am sure it looks wild to the cashiers, but that's the easiest way for me to get what I need for buttercream icing.Bad at making the cake part? Buy these and just make the icing instead. Still delicious!While making the icing yourself will take time and energy, I saw better effects from doing that myself than I did the rest of the cupcake making process. I mixed in some pureed strawberries for color and flavor, but it didn't do much. Buying a tub of premade icing is totally an option in my home country, but even if you found these products at as import store, they won't be as tasty as homemade, fresh icing. At least that is what my experience indicates.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKVj-living_food_shoppingSun, 01 May 2022 03:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKVj-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z36p1-livingI don't know if this has been normalized for other people yet, but I had a great experience doing what I'm calling a walk-through hanami experience with my husband the other day. It was his day off and I asked him to take me somewhere to see the cherry blossoms. He picked a place neither of us had never been to before and we took the short drive out there. Coming up half of a mountain to find cherry blossoms lining the side of a hill felt somewhat like Tendo, where the yearly human chess event takes place on a similar hill in late April most years.While the steps were bolstered by logs, there were no handrails. It was beautiful, but not necessarily easy for me.We were still in Miyagi though and there were no people in fanciful clothing. Instead there was just trees after trees lining this lovely if uphill walk. While I found the walking itself to be somewhat physically demanding, my husband had no problem with it and we both overall enjoyed the scenery so much, especially from the top of the hill. The little lookout tower.There's also a lookout tower in a small two-story building where you can see all the way to the ocean. My only trouble was the noise from the SDF forces air patrol coming through and disrupting the videos I was attempting to take. At the same time, we found the space so lovely and wonderful for the brief time that we were there. The big monument, resembling a massive family grave, sits at the top of the hill, overlooking the sea.At the top of the hill, in addition to the view, there are a few special monuments to the victims of the tsunami and a small kids playground as well. There are a few benches where someone could sit and eat if they so chose, but we opted to keep walking instead.One monument with tons of writing overlooks the inland mountainside.While we didn't choose to sit down and have a proper picnic style event, the way we did it as an exploration with tons of photography and chatting and nice fresh air but in this way, it was also significantly more pandemic friendly. When we parked, there was no one else on the premises, but the longer we stayed there the more people came. By the time we left the parking lot had three other cars in it, which seemed like a lot for such a remote viewing experience on a random non-holiday weekday. It was still a great time that I would definitely suggest to anyone who wanted to see the cherry blossoms at this time of year with a lovely walking space and view of the city and ocean beyond. I would not recommend this walk to anyone with serious mobility issues as there did not appear to be any way to get anywhere without using your feet.In the strictest sense, I consider this to be hanami as we did view the cherry blossoms in our walk through them as we enjoy our time. While we didn't do the traditional snacking and drinking, we did something smarter for our circumstances.The view of the monument on top from below.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z36p1-livingFri, 29 Apr 2022 23:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z36p1-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02Wj-livingOne of my absolute favorite places to see the cherry blossoms isn't even in my prefecture. It isn't in a prefecture where I have every lived, either! It's the 1000 year old cherry blossom tree named Miharu which lives in Fukushima prefecture. I had been living in Tohoku for quite a few years when I heard about this tree in a round-up of the oldest sakura trees in Japan on a Japanese TV show some time before 2020. I told my husband we simply had to go and he agreed. I've never met celebrities at anime conventions or anything like that before, so I can't say I know what that is like, but that is what it felt like when we waded through the crowd that had lined up to see the beauty in its glory. The process of getting close enough to take pictures with it, to see the tiny shrine box at its base, to witness it up close and personal, left my mind in a whirl of star struck nonsense as I walked away, making room for the next visitors to have their moment with a tree that was a sapling when the capital was still in Kyoto.The gorgeous tree back in 2017ish My fascination with this tree isn't just in its age, which on its own is incredible, but also the impressive size and wild shape. In a country where so much is made to fit in and hammered down until it looks identical to the rest, this tree was allowed to grow as it would, and take a massive shape that defies the normal construction. This tree would never be flat planks of something simpler, but instead sprawls as it pleases into any open space. It goes high and low, filling the area with its presence and the knowledge that spring is here.So many poles supporting so many limbs. This tree is free and loved and supported. Another takeaway I had from our first visit with this marvelous historical tree was how the people who take care of the tree kept it safe and growing as it wanted to. The heavy limbs weren't cut away or bound up. On the contrary, they were gifted mighty supports, almost like crutches, angling the appendages further upward so the tree could continue to reach into the sky in every direction it wishes, defying gravity and understood Japanese social norms in the process. This tree is allowed to be whatever mighty shape it has chosen to take, and the love and support shown to keep its thousand years running forward is astounding to me. People in Japan are rarely afforded the same kind of love or support. We aren't a thousand years old or as likely to be deified at any point, but we all need to take the time to surround ourselves with the right kind of support so that we can continue to flourish in our own ways. If you don't have a team that would help prop up an appendage to keep you growing emotionally, you should probably build one. It might not let you live to the age of 1000, but you're a lot more likely to enjoy the years you do get.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02Wj-livingTue, 05 Apr 2022 17:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02Wj-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6qZ-living One of my favorite things about the little town that I live in is that the flowers in general and the cherry blossom in specific seems to be revered enough to put on metalwork around the city, including manhole covers and other grating. I always think it's such a lovely reminder of where I am and how lovely it can be when I walk across town as I often do.Pretty, right? A few years ago, I was made aware of a street-printing artist in Europe who would apply eco-safe ink to the metalwork on the streets and use that as a printing device for T-shirts and the like. I fell in love with the idea but realized quickly that something like that is unlikely to fly in Japan. The time and energy it would take to explain the process and get permission to do it would be extraordinarily difficult for me and that isn't even mentioning where on earth I could get eco-safe ink! It took months for me to come up with a safe alternative, and it involved air-drying clay from the 100 yen store and thin plastic bags. First you scout the metalwork you want to copy and make sure it's clean. Your clay won't be touching it directly, but you don't want to take an imprint of someone's gum either. Then you take the clay out of its package and work it into a pancake shape, maintaining just enough thickness that the metalwork won't rip through it. Then you put the clay inside of the thin plastic bag. These should be the super thin ones from the grocery store, not the freezer bags which will be too thick for the impressions to go through well. Make sure the clay is entirely inside of the bag before you nonchalantly place it on the piece you want to copy and step on the back side of the plastic. After a few second of leaning your weight onto the clay, the metalwork should be copied. Quickly pick it up and take it home to dry. I recommend trimming away any excess you don't want from the sides of the clay before you lay it flat somewhere it won't be disturbed. I chose the top of a box in our shoe closet in the entryway.Once dry, the imprint can be used with fabric paint (available on Amazon) to create a number of fun projects. I attached my finished Shiogama sakura clay imprint to a chunk of discarded wood (I found at Homac in the scrap bin for 20 yen) with hundred yen store wood glue for more sustained use. Every time you press the clay to fabric, it will leave a little of itself behind so for thinks like sakura, it might be best to use clay colors like white or red. Also, this clay wasn't really meant for this, so the print will slowly get less and less useful over time. Still, it's a fun way to bring a bit of Japan's sakura pride home with you and get to do something fun with it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6qZ-livingMon, 04 Apr 2022 17:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6qZ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAKg-livingI think many people miss the camaraderie of the work-mate hanami party or the weekend hang out with friends under the blossoms, but I don't. I could blame this on my social anxiety or my unlucky nature when it comes to meeting people who aren't awful, but my main take-away from the pandemic is that I will not attend another one of these get-togethers. My family and I may accomoany a friend or two on a flower-viewing picnic when the time is right and the danger is over, but I will never again share a massive plastic tarp with people who make me uncomfortable and for that, I rejoice.One of my least favorite hanami memories came the year after my daughter was born. I went to Sendai at the behest of a former friend from my old job and sat on the tarp alongside a bunch of people I had never met. One couple in the unknown group of friends of my former work friend demanded financial restitution for providing food that no one had asked for. After the husband was paid around 500 yen per person, the wife arrived and revealed the petty offerings that I now recognize from my grocery store's frozen section of small portions for school bento boxes. While I am sure she and her husband enjoyed making more than 3000 yen off of us for what looked like it amounted to roughly 1000 yen in actual food cost, I probably wasn't the only person who felt insulted at the gathering.No one called her out on it, which was surprising as my former coworker tended to stir up anxiety and drama like it was some sort of party snack everyone could enjoy. She would call lots of people out on minor infractions even if it meant making everyone else uncomfortable and regardless of whether or not her beef had any legitimacy, but when this couple demanding financial contributions, she just went with it. I'm more of a people pleaser, and an exhausted mom to boot, so I didn't have the mental energy to fight back at the time. Even with a group that was more than half filled with foreign folks, no one raised a stink on the topic. everyone paid. No one ate. It is probably worth noting that the husband of the food prep wizardwas one of the worst tempered white folks I have had the displeasure of meeting in Japan. Maybe that's where the line was for my former work friend. Telling him and his wife publicly that they were being awful when they were wasn't worth the blow back of the couple having a huge tantrum right there in the park. Griping at me when she misheard something I said in Japanese or trying to give me crap because she was drunk at a party, those were all well and good because I was going to take it and talk to her later, not wanting to cause a scene at the time. This experience taught me that this friend was not to be trusted, and neither was anyone she considered a friend. I only wish I had paid more attention then and saved myself literally years of further emotional abuse at the hands of this person. Luckily, our completely opposite response to covid put an end to the friendship. At least now I know that even when we can go back to small group hanami parties, I will no longer be subjected to surprise fees for pre-packaged garbage. Instead, I'm going to spend time with people I know and love, appreciating the coming of spring with people who deserve my time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAKg-livingMon, 04 Apr 2022 10:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAKg-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBDy-foodI acquired this cheap little cherry chu-hi at the grocery store nearest my home last week as a quiet way to celebrate the coming season at my leisure at my house. Being that it is currently spring break for most of Japan and my kid still isn't fully vaccinated, we're spending a lot of time at home together which means I have no excuse for big drinking hanami parties inside or outside of the home.But one little drink does not a big party make, at least not for me. At three percent alcohol by volume, we're talking about a pretty weak specimen, all things considered. It also boasts a zero in its flavor name sakuranbozero, but I'm not sure what that zero was meant to convey as the beverage also has 50 calories per 100 millileters, making it more heavy in caloric intake than the same amount of most dark sodas including Dr Pepper and Coca Cola. Some how, despite the high calorie count, the drink still tastes soulless, with that hollow zero-calorie feeling. I am not sure how they accomplished that. I am usually wild about any cherry flavored beverage I can find when the season hits and they are on the shelves again, but this one was a little shy of the mark for me, at least when enjoyed by itself. I opted to use this instead as a mixer, adding about an ounce and a half of the pink bubbling liquid to a small glass, followed by a dash of Malibu coconut rum, a splash of Beefeater gin, and a drop or two of cherry syrup I bought on Amazon a few months ago when I was so desperate for a cherry coke that I figured out how to make something similar at home with ingredients I could actually get in Japan. Both the Malibu and gin were bought at the grocery store nearest my home but could also be found in many other stores in Japan. The resulting beverage was unmistakably better, with the sweetness of the cherry syrup bringing a touch of something rich to make up for the hollowness of the sakuranbozero while the coconut flavoring of the Malibu elevated the rest. In the end, I made this into something I could enjoy drinking, but it didn't start out that way and I don't know if I will bother to buy another one of these again if I'm not looking for a season mixer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBDy-foodFri, 01 Apr 2022 10:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBDy-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1pv-living I was surprised when my husband, the least willfully athletic person I know, suggested we take a walk up to the shrine on his day off about a week ago. He's not usually up for that kind of thing and the walk can be strenuous, but I was also anxious to see how the blossoms were doing, so I agreed. I have mentioned before how lovely this area can be in spring, but we're still weeks away from the proper blooming season. The shiogamazakura would have to wait until later, but to my surprise, there were some blossoms already starting up. When I consulted the shrine website later, I found that the bright magenta blossoms I was seeing were actually a kind of plum blossom and not cherry blossoms at all, but they were still gorgeous and opening well to urge the coming of the warmer months.The main hanami space. in years past, late April would mean this area was littered with tarps of people enjoying the blossoms. In mid-pandemic march, it's just this...for now. The main hanami and cherry blossom viewing space was not closed off, so I walked through and took as many pictures as I could, trying to ignore the old people walking on the pathways outside of the viewing area as they commented about *those foreigners* on their ways back to their cars. Any attempt at a peaceful video recording of the blossoms at the park was not to be, but at least the photos came out okay. There was one tree of lighter pink blossoms starting to bloom, but as I said before, the main riot of pink petals will not be upon us for a few weeks to come. Still, it was a peaceful walk and most people weren't trying to crowd around us. Honestly it was less crowded than I had seen the place on a weekend in some time, so we felt relaxed for the most part though we also kept our masks on any time we were not actively drinking cups of coffee or tea from the little snack shop located next to the hanami area. The trees throughout the main shrine space all seemed to be in the pre-budding state, all sticks and little green nobs, no petals showing yet, but seeing them still made me hopeful for the coming months of color.I don't blame myself for not knowing right off the bat that these were not cherry blossoms when I first moved to Japan. I had never seen plum blossoms or cherry blossoms outside of anime before moving to Japan, and the shape of the flowers are very similar. Personally, I love that they plant both of these gorgeous trees in close proximity, so spring is more than just the pale blossoms of the most popular tree.And even though they are not cherry blossoms and therefor not the extremely popular flowers that this country wants to celebrate spring with, the little bright pink blossoms of the plum trees still remind us that spring is technically already here. Warmer weather is coming, even to Tohoku, and if we just hang on a little longer, things are going to get better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1pv-livingThu, 31 Mar 2022 12:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1pv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBKy-living_shopping_medical_howtoOne of the things that I was surprised to note was what Japan's testing situation looks like for the Coronavirus from the other side of the test tube. Scientifically, if you really wanted to know how many people were sick, we would test the people with symptoms and test everyone who is close to them. We would follow up with more tests when symptoms subsided or new ones developed. We would know who exactly is sick and when. Japan is not doing this, instead choosing to be more reserved with their testing. While some places offer free PCR tests to anyone, the bottom line of that "anyone" at least in Miyagi does not include close contacts of corona patients. While the antigen test seen here, purchased on Amazon but also available at many drug stores, isn't nearly as useful as a PCR test, it does seem to be the way that Japanese folks, especially close contacts, are going about proving a negative status if they have yet to test positive on any other kind of test.The antigen tests are not 100% accurate and it says both in the description on Amazon and in the info packet that comes with the test that these should not be used to confirm a negative diagnosis on coronavirus. However, that's exactly what everyone is doing, because it is the only method we seem to have. This test comes in a packet. It warns not to open the packet until right before you're going to use it. Anyone who went through puberty was the uterus will likely see some familiarity with how this runs, save for everything involving different fluids in different orifices. There's a saliva collection sponge that extends from the tip of a plastic tube, kind of like a spit collection tampon. It's recommended to rub the sponge around under your tongue and over the roof of your mouth for up to two minutes. This should be done more than half an hour after you last ate or drank anything. Then you stab the saliva tampon into the bottom end and push down hard enough for it to connect and click. Then you wait 15 minutes, kind of like a long pregnancy test, only this time you are definitely, definitely hoping for a negative result. Decoding the results follow the pregnancy test model pretty closely. The top line means the test went through correctly. The bottom line means you are positive for coronavirus antigen and will likely test positive on the PCR test you can now get for free from the makers of this test (see package for details), but only if you see two lines. If you don't have the top line, the test was not completed correctly and should be done again after consulting the instructions more thoroughly. The package warns not the trust results after a certain timeline. Just set a timer and check your results at the appropriate time. If you only see the top line, you're fine. Probably. Huzzah!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBKy-living_shopping_medical_howtoTue, 29 Mar 2022 14:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBKy-living_shopping_medical_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7BgW-living_health_deeperdives One of my very favorite things about modern Japan has to be the washlet. The value of these amazing undercarriage cleaning devices cannot be overstated, I think. As someone who personally always had a little dose of extra anxiety regarding smelling horrible after certain acts of nature, the use of these things has absolutely changed my life. My first time utilizing one of these came one year after moving to Japan, while having to use the facilities at a mall during a date with my then-boyfriend now-husband. At the time, I felt very insecure about going back out to my date and trying to look cool and confident while secretly fearing that I harbored some horrible smells. I went ahead and set the item on its lowest possible spray setting and felt so much cleaner than I could have expected. I left that bathroom as a changed woman, someone who was less afraid of using the tools that Japan had to offer. Now, it's one of the things I most miss when visiting my home country.Toto ad from the airport the last time I left the country back in 2019. I missed you, washlet. I really did. While it's true that the last time I visited the states, most American households did not have such items but their prevalence has increased with the pandemic. With misgivings about toilet paper shortages and fears of not being able to ever wipe properly along with more people staying at home for longer, sales of these toilet seat marvels and other similar products have skyrocketed all over the world but especially in my home country. But what made these things the way they are? Why are Japanese electronic toilet seats a thing and for how long has this been "normal" in Japan? Well, according to the Toto company website, the entire electronic washlet craze came exclusively out of their company in a sudden burst of genius in 1980. The history of the washlet according to that website then goes on to include countless improvements that have been made to the product in the time since, from the self-cleaning spray wand to alternating jet-flow meant to save water while still giving you a satisfying performance. I found this history interesting enough but it felt somewhat incomplete. I kept digging. It turns out that there is more to this story at least according to some other websites. Some of those stories have to go all the way back to the 1600s in France when a number of furniture makers decided that it would be nice to have a private basin in which one could wash their under bits when baths were generally held once a week or less. Porcelain basins installed in what would essentially resemble of a stool or backless chair became a thing and the bidet was born. It quickly became popular amongst both men and women as a way to more regularly clean some of the dirtiest parts of the body. The word "bidet" actually comes from the French word for horse which is a borrowing that lends itself to one of two stories. Either it was called this because the way in which one sits upon the bidet is similar to the way one would straddle a horse or because soldiers from France found it very comfortable and convenient to use the bidet to soothe their under bits after a hard day's ride on horseback. According to an article on bidet.org, the idea of an electronic bidet installed on a toilet seat didn't come into fruition until the 1960s when a young man named Arnold Cohen developed a toilet seat with a wand that sprayed water as a way to help his father who required such an implement for daily usage because of a medical condition. The electronic bidet was born then, but failed to really take off in America where advertising proved horrifically challenging. After years of selling his products here and there in New York, Cohen licensed his patent to the Toto company in Japan, where it was utilized and modified into what we enjoy today as the washlet. How popular is the washlet and how did it get that way? According to many sources, the washlet owes its popularity at least in part to a very convincing Toto commercial from the early 1980s in which a woman in lacey underwear advises the viewers that even their butts want to be cleaned. After this, many people seemed to agree and purchased the products for their own homes. To my utter shock, a copy of this commercial exists onyoutube. The woman in the commercial is actually Jun Togawa, a rising 80s popstar at the time of the commercial. Also, I think "lacey underwear" was a different thing in the 80s in Japan. According to the Toto website, they had sold more than 50 million units worldwide cumulatively as of April of 2019. While they might not exist on every toilet in Japan (as many of us find with squatty potties at tourist areas), it is hard to debate that they are quite popular and for good reason.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7BgW-living_health_deeperdivesFri, 25 Mar 2022 10:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7BgW-living_health_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRY2K-living_medical_familylife_healthNow, finally, after years of waiting and being utterly terrified of every cough or runny nose, parents of children ages 5 to 12 can get their kids vaccinated against covid in Japan. I am relatively sure that I am not the only parent to suffer a few seconds of concern over how this specific situation might affect my child. When I finally got the paperwork to get my kid signed up for her shot, I was so relieved to be seeing the beginning of a phase of safety for my kid against this deadly world-harrowing pandemic that it took a few moments for me to remember a few important things about the situation.Most kids aren't scared of covid the way reasonable adults who respect science tend to be. They still feel invincible. They may not know anyone who has been seriously ill or died (of anything, ever) yet. The gravity of the pandemic may not be something they are really aware of in a way beyond being bummed out when they can't hang out with their friends or over-joyed when they get to spend time at home when outbreaks at their schools close the doors for a bit.I feel pretty lucky in that my kid had been great about mask wearing and avoiding maskless people. She washes her hands and usually maintains okay social distance. She's doing pretty well, I would say, but how will she feel about the vaccine's side-effects?The idea of my kid being feverish or having bowel trouble for a day upsets me of course, but not nearly as much as her catching covid would, especially if she did so before she received the vaccine. The big positive of being vaccinated first was that I could tell her what the reactions were like for me and her father and all of her grandparents and aunts and uncles. There was a wealth of family information on what your body might do after the shot that I could share with her to help her keep her mind at ease. If your kid freaks out about the list of likely side-effects, remind them that it is all only for a couple of days while their bodies do their jobs of learning how to better fight against the 'rona. If they feel ill, you all will know why and it will be a short crappy time instead of a potentially much longer one. As a side note, if your kid gets the flu shot, the covid vaccine needle is much smaller and less painful. Telling my kid this helped her remember that she's had vaccinations before with no problems and a smaller needle was naturally less scary than a bigger one. In the time between signing up for your kid's appointment and getting them in for the shot, I recommend stocking up on some of their favorite easy-to-eat snacks and food that helps with tummy trouble, just in case. It is better if you can get the shot during school break or on a Friday afternoon, but we took our earliest option on the last Monday of the school year in March, opting to have her take the next day off and return if she felt up to it on Wednesday, which she did without any trouble. Her only side effects were sleepiness and a tiny bit of whining, which in the big scheme of things was pretty close to nothing.If you are getting your kid vaxxed, I hope the side effects are minimal and that this post helps keep the best things in focus.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRY2K-living_medical_familylife_healthWed, 23 Mar 2022 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRY2K-living_medical_familylife_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyEE-livingThe last couple of years haven't been easy on anyone and living abroad doesn't necessarily make any of that easier. I have been lucky enough to have the mental energy to spend a little time over the last 2 years thinking through certain aspect of my mental health. One big issue I have always had is maintaining healthy boundaries with people and I have worked hard on figuring out what my boundaries should be and how to best go about making sure they don't get trampled on. This has meant drawing some new conclusions about who I cannot be friends with, but what happens when someone you can't just remove from your life decides to treat your fairly reasonably boundaries like a tissue paper finish line they just can't wait to break through?The first step to this is figuring out what your boundaries are and voicing them to the parties concerned. While this method would work well enough with other foreign friends, I don't know how to say this tactfully enough to make a proper, monolingual, middle-aged Japanese woman understand without being offensive or cruel. Again, this isn't someone I can just cast aside, even if they make it hard for me to maintain my sanity.Something I'm having trouble keeping, but not just for toilet.My first answer was to ask my husband to make it clear to the woman that her behavior had not been okay. He can do this tactfully of course, but because she is always thoughtful and kind to my husband, he dismissed my concerns save for asking if I was mentally okay. He did have some kind of conversation with her in which she negated any wrongdoing and insisted that her behavior had been beneficial. It traumatized both my daughter and myself, but sure. Beneficial. Whatever.If you find yourself in a similar position, one tactic I found helpful was to do some mental first aid and do some nice things for myself before making any other rash decisions. I kept things calm and relaxed with my kid. We talked about what happened and focused on emotional reparation. Will it happen again? Probably, but when it does we will be better prepared emotionally. Since my boundaries on this topic aren't things that these folks have any understanding of and there's no way for me to convey it properly, there is no reason to assume conditions will change for the better any time soon. She had the sense to not bring up any of this to me and let my kid fill me in on her behavior instead, which means she probably knows what my boundaries are and just blatantly does not care. So far, I've elected to continue on doing the things I was doing for me before this woman interrupted my life and take care of my kid to the best of my ability. I honestly don't know how to make this woman understand me, but I also can't waste too much energy trying to do that right now. I have too much else to do.How do you clarify boundaries to your Japanese friends and family?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyEE-livingTue, 22 Mar 2022 12:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyEE-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEA3g-living Last week, I posted about entering the second phase of our covid experience, waiting for my husband to come home from quarantine while my kid and I went about our business. We were told he would be stuck there for about 2 weeks and every conversation with him indicated increased loneliness but an inability to change the timeline. So we were shocked when I received an email from him on Sunday afternoon saying that he would be released that day! We were overjoyed. We had missed him so much. He was released and driven home by his father. He came home sporting more facial hair than I have ever seen on him and stroking his cheek felt something like petting a hedgehog. It was not unpleasant.Magnificent scruff for less than 2 weeks sans razor. Unfortunately, his hedgehog status could not remain intact as most Japanese companies, his included, have standards for physical appearance that include clean-shaven faces. His company told him to take a day off and come back Tuesday, which they amended the next day by demanding a negative PCR test prior to his return. My husband informed me that this is not standard practice anymore because the government has asked companies not to do this. Normally I would be shocked by the government not wanting people to test negative before they go back to work, but this is also a government that actually forbids close contacts of an infected person from getting a PCR test. It seems more clear to me that knowing who has it isn't as important as keeping the testing to a minimal level at least where the government is concerned. Luckily my husband could schedule a test for the next morning so he only missed a few days of work and had a little more time to relax at home. This also meant he could drive our kid and me to her first shot that Monday. This was so much safer than taking a taxi.Vaccine Vaccine Vaccine Vaccciiiiiinnnee!!! Tuesday, I had opted for the kid to stay home just in case side effects sprang up but none really seemed to. She was a little more grumbly than usual, but that was it. She returned to school on Wednesday. My husband also got his results from the PCR on Wednesday evening and started back to work the next day. Finally, I thought. Finally everything would be back to normal for half a week before spring break starts. I was so wrong. I had opted to stay up and watch a little TV with my husband Wednesday night. It was only as I attempted to go and get ready for bed that the apartment jumped and the rumbling began. Luckily, there was a break between the first and second bouts of rumbling which afforded me to opportunity to retrieve my precariously placed blender from its high shelf. When the rumbling began again, I deposited the glass bit of the blender into the sink and put the bottom half on the stove before swearing loudly and feeling quite like a junkie on a very very bad trip. You'd not supposed to feel like the walls are moving. Like, ever. Thursday, we still all went back to work, but we did it after spending the night at my in-laws' place, inland and uphill from here. It's where we always go when there's a tsunami alert for this area. If the water reached our building, it and any debris were all gone by the time we returned the next morning to journey up the stairs to our eighth floor apartment as the elevator was out of service due to quake damage for a few days. I don't really know how I got anything done with less than 2 hours of sleep, but I did my main jobs of mom-ing, cleaning up our house enough to make it usable, and teaching before my kid got home.My husband was responsible for righting the dresser but I had to take care of the rest of the debris. As I write this, it has been less than 24 hours since our last tremor, but I am so thankful to be in Japan, where engineering and regulation render something unimaginable in the west. The houses might not be completely quake-proof, but in areas that rebuild on the regular, they are pretty damn close.Alas, sloth glass. I hardly knew ye. The most we lost in the quake, other than one night's sleep, is a couple of dishes which only died because I forgot to open the cupboards slowly to catch the falling bits before they got damaged. For a magnitude 7.4 to only kill a bowl, a glass, a mug and a small teapot is essentially a miracle anywhere else on Earth. Now spring break has begun and we still have more cleaning to do, but it's getting better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEA3g-livingSat, 19 Mar 2022 18:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEA3g-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWE7-living_food As our chilly weather persists, some expats yearn for more warm flavors from our homelands, but not all dishes from abroad have decent facsimiles available in Japan. Beef stew is something that I have seen on menus in Japan but I usually find the result less than enjoyable. Sometimes it's more like a thinner version of Japanese curry with tiny chunks of ugly textured meat. It could be that I'm not going to the best places to get beef stew or it could be that this dish just has a completely different connotation and what I'm used to. Either way, here's a great way to make beef stew at home in Japan using ingredients that I got from the Japanese grocery store nearest my house. You're going to need chunks of meat that are usually intended for curry along with a couple of kinds of vegetable, preferably fresh carrots and broccoli but honestly a lot of options would work just as well. To save money, I usually buy meat on discount and shove it in my freezer for later consumption, as I did with this block of beef chunks. Fresh will work just as well. Either way, put the meat in lightly salted boiling water. You're going to boil it for a decent amount of time, at least 15 to 20 minutes if frozen. While your meat is boiling, prepare your vegetables by peeling and dicing the carrots into whatever size is comfortable for you.This is a good time to chop the broccoli into florets as well. I also recommend adding one small diced onion and a few cloves of garlic, also diced, but I was low on those at the time. Once the meat is soft enough to pull apart, pull it out of the broth, but do not drain the broth. This is the base of your soup. Instead, you can pick the meat up piece by piece with a fork or chopsticks, or you can strain the broth into a bowl and then deposit it back into the pot while you deal with the meat. After you take the meat out, throw the garlic and onions into the pot, followed in five minutes or so by the carrots and then the broccoli about five minutes after that. While the veggies are stewing in these juices on a low boil, start pulling apart the meat. If you're like me and you're not entirely fond of chewing big chunks of fat that Japan tends to think is equal in quality and desirability to actual meat, then you need to separate the meat from the chunks of fat. This might be a little bit time-consuming but in the end it is a much more enjoyable soup for me. Separation could be done with a fork or knife but I prefer doing it by hand to ensure the largest amount of meat staying in the soup while the largest amount of fat is removed. Once you remove the fat from the meat, dump the meat back into the soup and add your seasonings. Your water should have already been salted, but now's a great time to add cumin, oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, or really any spice that you really enjoy and think will add some sort of richness to the hearty flavor beef stew. I even sometimes put a few extra bouillon cubes in the soup to help it along. Stir the spices in and continue to heat until they have become one with the broth. If you haven't been tasting it, now is a great time to make sure it is as flavorful as you want it to be and increase seasoning or water concentration accordingly. If you want a thicker stew, you're going to need to leave this on the stove a bit longer. When you're happy with the flavor, serve and enjoy!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWE7-living_foodTue, 15 Mar 2022 14:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWE7-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1yK-living It's been eleven years since the world shook beneath my feet and kept going until I was under a desk, watching the furniture self-destruct while buildings across the way waved in a truly unsettling way. I was near the water today, walking along the pedestrian walkway after shopping first the first time after our week-long lockdown. The siren went off as it always has at that time on this day,every time since 2011, when the world changed for people up here. I had planned to make my own little pilgrimmage to the memorial statue in a nearby park but found it filled with proper mourners having a formal ceremony. I didn't want to intrude so I walked away, finding myself on the walkway when the siren went off. The meaning of the sound, the depths of the thousands of lives lost, hit me in the gut. I've spent years working on my survivor's guilt and didn't feel it this round but that didn't mean I was fine. It's still painful to think of how much was ripped away that afternoon. It's harder this year without my husband, who's still quarantined elsewhere, but we are safe and alive. We have to be thankful for that.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1yK-livingFri, 11 Mar 2022 22:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1yK-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWQb-living After Day 5 of our little adventure, I resumed sleeping in my own bed, having given the virus more time than necessary to die off of the unwashable bits of my bedroom before I went ahead and washed what I could. Unfortunately, being able to sleep in my bed meant not being able to write about anything. The best times for me to write usually happen when I'm alone, and for the last week, I haven't had a lot of that. The sixth day was actually great. My kid and I got along well. She did the online classes that she could and we even had time in between to watch a terrible movie (and make fun of it) with my family in the states. As I had gone down to the lobby the previous evening to drop off our garbage and pick up our mail, I had the antigen tests I had ordered from Amazon. We wound up taking them in the morning and confirming our negative statuses so I no longer had to wear a mask 24/7. After that, one of my online students brought cake to hand-off to me in the lobby, so we got to enjoy that after dinner as well. My kid and I made a point of getting some reading in, which was also a great time and a necessary distraction from my husband's vacancy. Luckily, the extremely humorous Hyperbole and a Half book came in the mail I had picked up the day before, and reading it has given me some much needed laughter in the midst of this extremely stressful time. My daughter's Catwings books, also a thriftbooks purchase, were gifts last Christmas and now something my kid can read all by herself. After a brief video chat with her father, we went to sleep. Day 7 also passed rather well. My kid made it to her online classes. I started my day by devouring a bowl of life, which in this case is an American cereal brand that my dad sent me recently. Despite the negative tests, I still was minimizing our contact with other folks, so we didn't leave our home again. We had enough food to make it all work just fine though I would be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to getting back out to the grocery store soon. We tried to take it easy, and for the most part that was enough. After our short video chat, we went to bed and slept even more easily than before. If you'restuck being isolated from the world due to potential covid exposure, staying calm is imperative. Save your energy and don't try to get it all done at once. Seven days is a long time to be inside of your house, especially when you're the primary caretaker to a child for all of that time. Figure out how long you have to stay there, ask for help when you need it, and do your best to relax. Stressing out about this situation only burns up your energy and patience faster. Today we enter phase 2 of the covid adventure which for us means going back to "normal" while our missing family member remains at Hotel Quarantine for one more week, fully recovered but unable to be released. I find this abysmal as Japan would seemingly rather burn up people's time and livelihoods than waste tests confirming that a covid patient is no longer in need of care. I do not know right now if my spouse has bothered to ask to be tested and released or if he is merely making the Japanese assumption that these appear to be the rules, therefor no changes can be made. They know he no longer has symptoms. They have not offered to test or release him. But we are still one step closer to normal. For now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWQb-livingFri, 11 Mar 2022 09:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWQb-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1Oa-living_shopping_education_workPrevious to the pandemic, I would have said a great resource for finding books to read to kindergarteners or in small ESL classes would be most major bookstores in most large cities. Places like Maruzen had a decent enough selection but at prices that include a certain amount of import fee. It's not always the most affordable option but you would get what you paid for and with things like pop-up or lift-the-flap books, it's a great way to make sure your brand new book has not already been damaged by tiny perusing fingers.I don't get into any major cities these days and don't really get to see those book stores anymore either, so where do I go when I'm looking for another good kids book to read in class?If you're in a rush, Amazon or The Book Depository are a pretty good options that will get you a decent selection in a reasonable amount of time. If you don't mind a bit of a wait or are looking for something more eclectic, Thriftbooks is a great way to go. Last year, I bought both of these excellent books from Scholastic Via Thrift Books and the first, The Busy Little Squirrel, was very enjoyable for the kids classes that I taught last fall. We get to see how the squirrel prepares for winter and meet his various small animal friends as well as the actions they do, and all in a delightful number of colors. While this book is available on The Book Depository's website, I wouldn't have found it there. It's not a best seller and has been out for a few years now. Happening upon it in the picture books section on Thriftbooks was the only way I would have found it.Check out that cheap shipping price. $7 for international shipping on 2 books?Thriftbooks shipping rates are very reasonable, but shipping time is frequently delayed. I've usually forgotten what I ordered by the time my order arrives, but it's still always a reason to rejoice. While it's not as cheap or fast as going to BookOff in Sendai once was, it does happen to be safe and have a great selection of English books. Every book on Thriftbooks is labeled with what quality the book is ranging from new to acceptable with prices to match the differences, so you can get a decent quality second-hand book for a decent price. That said, books that are actually brand-new will not ship to Japan for international processing reasons, so this might not be the right choice for recent releases.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1Oa-living_shopping_education_workWed, 09 Mar 2022 14:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1Oa-living_shopping_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1ya-living Things got done today, including filing some US taxes online, my kid attending a couple of classes online, and a short chat with my husband. It turns out, part of the Hotel Covid experience is that you're basically just stuck there for ten days, even if your symptoms are gone long before that. They're apparently just not going to bother testing you again, instead forcing you to wait out the 13 days that you're capable of being contagious from the onset of a positive test. So my guy is feeling better but is stuck there all the same. Meanwhile, I'm still having to slow down and try to get my kid to work with me on making it through this. She wants her dad back. I feel really lucky that we're only separated by a couple of weeks of quarantine, not something worse or longer lasting.Clay cat du jour One thing that has gone well is my kid using her creativity to express herself during these trying times. It's mostly clay cats and ipad-generated songs right now, but she's finding something to do with the energy and that's important. Every day that we don't have symptoms, I feel more like we're probably fine. Tomorrow morning, we'll take some drug store antigen tests to make sure we're safe and go from there. I can't believe it's already day 5! Just a couple more days and we'll be able to shop, study, and work again. Normal is coming.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1ya-livingTue, 08 Mar 2022 22:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1ya-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB3eY-living_familylife_healthVaccinations for children ages 5 to 11 are finally starting in Japan. As a parent of such a child, I've been anxiously waiting for this time to come. I finally received the letter stating my kid's registration number and time to register in the mail on March 2nd.Appointments would available online in the same basic system that was used for the adult vaccinations, which makes things easier, but the registration process was to start the very next day at 9 am. As I was the first one in my household to set up my appointment and get my vaccination, I wasn't initially worried about that, but my husband and his folks cautioned me that it would likely be more challenging than I had originally counted on. In this they were correct, but not in the way they meant.If you are in the same spot, please remember that if you have done this before, you can do this again. It really isn't that hard. Have a few ideas for times that work into your schedule. Then throw that information out the window because if your experience is anything like mine, you won't have a choice of hospitals and the only time available will be 4PM on a weekday. Any weekday. Always only 4PM.I could log in before the 9AM start time, but not find the place I wanted. I thought it was because of the time, but it might have just be the address.The process of getting the appointment in about the same as getting my own appointment last year. This time, the website was actually working before the given time instead of only allowing people to login a full 10 minutes after the time mentioned on the sheet. Despite there being six vaccination locations in my area, the only one I was allowed to use was the one physically closest to my address, which wasn't my preferred location. When I stopped using the kanji for my preferred location and searched instead just for my city name, exactly one location came up. So I chose that location. I'm not sure if the other locations are only accepting appointments by phone or if they've set up the system to force everyone to choose only the hospital or clinic physically closest to their address.I chose that location and went to look at times. I was very happy to see if there are still times available on the first and second day that shots will be available, the following Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately, the only time that any shot would be given this 4 p.m. There's no variation in shot times. No second option on the same day. Not spaced out by 15 minutes or half an hour like the adult shots. Only 4 p.m. If the child is unfortunate enough to have two working parents with nine-to-five jobs, someone's just going to have to take a day off of work to take the kid to the shot. Can't grandparents take them? No. Not unless Grandma or Grandpa lives with the family. According to a sheets that came in the envelope with the rest of the information, a parent or guardian who lives with the child must be the one to accompany them to the shot.I opted for the earliest day I could, in this case the following Monday. It's the last Monday of the school year and she won't be able to make it back by 4, so she won't be able to go to class, but that means she'll be there for the last Thursday and Friday of the school year, when so many of the school projects come home.Once again, Japan's policies regarding children is extremely short-sighted and lacks any consideration toward working families. Sure, everyone still living in 1956 with a live-in housewife can handle this with no problem. The rest of us have to mangle our lives to keep our children safe, and that is assuming that they won't have contracted the virus by the time we finally get around to these frustratingly late shots.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB3eY-living_familylife_healthTue, 08 Mar 2022 10:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB3eY-living_familylife_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNom0-living It's frustrating how many symptoms might be the start of something huge and terrible or could merely indicate a need for rest and relaxation. Stress can raise your body temperature, loosen your bowels and cause panic that sends your brain into a state of confusion without much effort or time. This might be why they say that a persistent, high grade fever is a proper symptom of covid. That is unlikely to be just stress or exhaustion. These are the thoughts that plague me as I lay on my couch, giving the germs in my bed 72 hours to die off before I haul my bedding through the main hallway of the house. My kid has her first set of online classes since 2020. It went alright. It turns out only a couple of the classes can be done online and some of those will have tests or in class activities that just won't work for her. Still, it was better than nothing. I'm trying to keep things relaxed and I'm still overdoing it. Having no alone time to recharge drains me even more than sleeping on the couch. As I wait for our covid tests to arrive, I struggle to keep my kid at arm's length. Hopefully everything will be back to normal in 2 weeks. Until then, I'm just going to keep trying to move forward. It's all I can do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNom0-livingMon, 07 Mar 2022 23:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNom0-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v34-livingI mentioned in a previous post that getting stared at while naked really limits the joy of the onsen experience for me. As mentioned before, my trips to the public baths my first few years in Japan were few and far between because having children and teens stare at me like I might be a gorilla really bothers me while clothed and the experience is not made easier by my being in the buff.My best way around this is also one of the reasons I'm very grateful for my daughter. We can go to the onsen together and just having her there makes me feel more brave or at least a lot less concerned about being stared at. Honestly I feel like that has to be one of the silliest things about my adulthood, but it's true that my mama bear aspects seem to surge forward if my kid is present in situations that would make a pre-parenthood version of myself shrink away. If my daughter wants to go into the bath with her mother, we are going into the bath together, and I don't care how many people are watching my round white butt while we do it.Just how I like my onsen changing rooms-- completely vacant. But if I'm with my kid and we're not in the middle of a pandemic, a couple quiet people won't bother me at all, even if it's more and a couple and they're not actually that quiet.At the same time, I can't completely shake how uncomfortable and disquieting it is even as an adult woman from a culture in which most average people are naked only in front of their lovers or doctors to be suddenly standing nude in front of judgmental teenagers who are looking me up and down while I am standing there naked, overweight and over thirty. I don't actually care what they think, but the looks on their faces harken back to looks I remember receiving from the popular kids in high school when I said or did something that clarified me as "other" in their eyes.Something about going with my daughter to the onsen helps offset this discomfort, because I'm no longer just going to the bath to relax for myself. I am accompanying my child into the onsen, which gives me a level of emotional armor, even if I am in reality absolutely buck naked. Her little hand in mind reminds me that I'm not some awkward teen trying to figure out what fitting out is supposed to look like. I'm a fully grown awkward adult, and as long as she is in the room, I have more important priorities for my time and focus than whatever these random strangers think of me, naked or otherwise.I also find it easier to avoid looking at the bodies of people around me while simultaneously not focusing on how many eyes dart to parts of me. It's not about me when I am with my kid. It's about us, which means my little girl enjoying herself outweighs the reproachful glares or overly curious stares of a thousand petulant adolescents.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v34-livingMon, 07 Mar 2022 12:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v34-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6JV-living Today was long and weird, but mostly good. We talked to a bunch of our family back in the states. We also watched Encanto for the tenth time and had quick meals. After a short chat with our missing family member in Sendai, we all felt more relaxed and napped well. He's feeling better. His temperature is down, and that's his most notable symptom.Napping under the kotatsu is easy when we know Daddy is okay. I felt a little weird at lunch but my temperature never got to 37 and dropped right after, so I'm not worried. Okay, I'm worried enough that I bought some rapid covid tests on Amazon and will take one when they come in. In the meantime, I'm trying to keep myself and the kid calm and safe, which is a challenge all on its own. Tomorrow we try going to school online for the first time. I'm sure it'll be an adventure.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6JV-livingSun, 06 Mar 2022 23:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6JV-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEADv-livingToday was our second day of staying in our home with my husband stuck in a bedroom and the rest of us hanging in the living room for the most part. The most taxing part of this, other than meal times, is cleaning the bathroom after literally every time he has to use it just to try to keep it safe for the kid.It's been tricky.He told the health center yesterday that he would prefer to stay in a hotel. It took them until after 3PM to call him today to confirm that he was on the list and would be picked up by taxi after 7PM. There will be one other patient in the taxi and they will report directly to the hotel where they will be staying in Sendai. There, he'll be stuck in the same room for 2 weeks but they will bring him food and such. We'll still get to talk to him via video chat, which I expect us to be doing often.No one else in the household is having any symptoms. My temperature is a little higher than normal but it still isn't even touching 37 degrees, so I'm going with this being something that happens when you're exhausted and stressed. I'm still going to wear a mask around my kid for the next few days. Since we had to take this morning off anywayk, we decided to make the most of it by enjoyingthe livestream (for kickstarter backers only) of the newest episode of the newest season of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Those who weren't involved in the Kickstarter will be able to watch these new episodes in May at the Gizmoplex, the MST3K streaming website, made up to feel like the movie cinema megaplexes on 80s and 90s Americana. There were a few technical difficulties at the beginning but once the show got underway, it was a whole lot of fun. I laughed out loud several times despite everything else that's going on for me right now.Something I forgot about our last rendition of the covid waiting game was how much I hate cooking when I am stuck cooking every single meal. It is going to be slightly easier with just my kid and I, but it still gets tiring.Lunch which included eggs prepared by my kid! Maybe if we share the work, it won't suck as much.At a little after seven, we said goodbye to my husband. We didn't cry until the door was shut and he was a few steps away. It hurts to rip him away like this but it would hurt more to lose our daughter. Wecleaned what we could of the communal spaces after that. Since my winter bedding takes a full two days to launder and the virus stays alive on surfaces for 72 hours, I'm just going to sleep on the couch for a couple of days before I bother with trying to clean the bedroom. The fewer living virus cells falling off my bedding and into the hallway, the better. For now, we're just going to keep going.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEADv-livingSat, 05 Mar 2022 20:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEADv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVX58-living Two days ago, my husband thought he had a cold or was suffering some of those long term effects of exhaustion that a lot of overworked Japanese people encounter at some point. He took cold medicine with him the next day and like a fool I assumed things would be fine. Things were not fine. Yesterday, he came home with a worse fever than ever, topping out over 39 degrees Celsius, and called the health center helpline which told him to call back the next day at 8:30 if his problems persisted. He slept in the living room and we all wore masks throughout the house, still hoping for the best. When he called, he was told that the hospital he chose wasn't the one they would send him to and instead he should drive to the other location as soon as he can. He came home with a positive test result and was quarantined to the bedroom while I used my UV sanitization wand and hand sanitizing spray to coat everything he had touched the night before with a mist of protection and a 30 second frying by UV light. Meanwhile, my daughter and I have no symptoms but as close contacts we both had to take today off to figure out what would happen next. With the confirmed diagnosis, both of us are stuck in our home for 7 days. If that passes with no symptoms, we can go about our lives as usual.Today, to keep ourselves from freaking out, we put together two puzzles, then watched silly videos. Then my husband asked his parents to bring us some supplies and as usual they went above and beyond, leaving easily three times as much food as we asked for in bags at our door, including bento which we enjoyed for dinner. My husband made the decision to take the health center up on the offer to stay in a hotel for the next two weeks in order to keep us safe. So far, his only symptom is a fever that is already mostly gone, and unfortunately just the trip to the place will put him in contact with more people who likely are having worse reactions, potentially to other strains of the virus. Unfortunately, since kids vaccinations don't even start for another week, it isn't as if our child is safe in her own home right now. The week-long quarantine is harsh enough, but with him here, it's also prolonging her exposure to a known carrier of the coronavirus, and that isn't sitting right with any of us. So the health center is supposed to call us back tomorrow and take him away. We'll do a lot of video chatting and he knows we love him. I'm glad I married someone capable of making the right choice, even if it is a painful one. And another chapter of the Covid-Induced Staycation in Miyagi begins, but this one hopefully won't run for nearly as long. Hopefully a week is enough to do the trick.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVX58-livingFri, 04 Mar 2022 23:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVX58-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lbD-living_shopping If you're looking for an inexpensive and easy way to bring a dash of that lovely spring ambiance into your home, a short trip to the hundred yen store might be in order. At many hundred yen stores, especially larger branches of major stores in Japan and Daiso in particular, you should be able to find a selection of aroma oils with a variety of diffusers. Admittedly, these specific diffusers I found in my home were purchased earlier this year but I know I saw similar items at a large Daiso branch not that long ago. These were both just 100 yen each, though I remember other options being available in larger sizes for a higher price.Two little diffusers, both from Daiso, both Cherry Blossom scented, though admittedly, the one on the left smelled a little more sweet like a cherry candy while the one on the right had the undertones of a sophisticated perfume. Both could only be smelled intensely enough to grasp this when held directly under my nose. If you don't have your own personal cherry blossom tree somewhere in your home and can't bring a cutting of some sakura tree home with you, this is a good alternative even if the scents aren't that strong. Unless you're really sensitive to smells, I don't know how likely you are to notice these by smell alone, so I recommend putting them in a place where you will see them. If they are on a counter, the lovely spring scent might actually waft up near a nostril at some point.Both of the boxes warn that the liquid is not for drinking and to keep the aromatic oil out of the reach of children and animals. Keeping the diffusers on a high shelf or counter might also help the gentle aroma to waft closer to the noses of people who might enjoy them while knowing better than to drink them.Another way to try to make the most of these little touches is to use them as a finishing embellishment to top off a newly reorganized home after a bout of spring cleaning. Clearing your home of any unwanted smells first may also have the added benefit of giving these subtle scented diffusers less to overcome. There is something especially nice about looking at a place that used to be cluttered and instead of a stack of sundry objects, seeing one of these waiting to fill the air with some pleasant reminders of the flowers waiting to bloom outside.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lbD-living_shoppingFri, 04 Mar 2022 16:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lbD-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAVv-living_shopping_familylifeEven in America, the kind of hair you have can limit your resources when it comes to finding a hair stylist. The difference I have found with Japan is that most Japanese stylists outside of major cities have very little experience with anything but straight Japanese hair. Taking something like a naturally occurring wave into account is beyond them for the most part.My slightly wavy hair is generally considered a really manageable texture the states. It was never hard for me to find a stylist there if I wanted a haircut. Unfortunately, this just isn't the case in smaller town Japan. I'm sure if I had the time to check out every hair stylist in Sendai or Tokyo, I would find someone who specializes in slightly wavy hair, but unfortunately I have none of the resources for that. I have had my haircut in a couple of places in this area over the years and genuinely don't tend to enjoy the results. This wasn't a big deal for low-maintenance me who can go years between trips to a salon, but then I had a kid. Her hair came out as a good blend between her father's hair and my own, with slightly more thickness than I have but also a bit of inherent waviness.Just to be clear, I do not in any way see our wavy hair as a negative trait. It's awesome. You can convince it to be curlier or straighter just by playing with it when it is wet and blow drying it in the shape you want it to take. It's great.Japan does not agree, to the point that my mother-in-law once had the whole thing cut down to one-inch strands, apparently by my daughter's insistence but also to some degree to eliminate some of the inherent otherness any half-non-Japanese kid faces here in Japan.When I tried to maintain the hairstyle by trimming it myself, it was difficult. When I went to a shop instead, they charged me 3000 yen for a cut that looked fine as we left the shop and was utterly clumpy once washed. They didn't take the waviness into account. They assumed her hair would just fall flat with no other dimension, like "normal" Japanese hair.That was the last time I paid for my kid to get a haircut here. It just isn't worth it to have to take my kid back to a shop repeatedly to ask them to do a job they are simply not equipped to handle.So when my kid mentioned recently that she wanted a hair cut, I agreed to figure out how to do it myself. This is cheaper and safer than going to a stylist after all.The 100 yen store had a selection of haircutting scissors, which are always a good idea. They also had haircutting wraps to cover clothing but I wound up using a towel. We talked several times about how long she wanted it and then I made the mistake of not taking the weight of hair versus wave into account. I wanted it to lay around shoulder length so I chopped it off at that space instead of giving it an extra inch for natural curling wave-action. So in the end, her hair wound up a tiny bit shorter than I had intended, but it is long enough to tie back for school and, most importantly, she loves it.So if you're having trouble finding helpful Japanese hairdressers in your area, and you only want a basic chop or trim anyway, considering doing it yourself. It might not be the worst idea and it'll grow out if you fail.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAVv-living_shopping_familylifeTue, 01 Mar 2022 17:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAVv-living_shopping_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXm9o-living_shoppingSome sakura goodies are only available for short periods of late winter or early spring, but these lovely little treats are actually available year-round at Shiogama's local good shop near HonShiogama Station. The packaging is covered in soft depictions of cherry blossoms and even utilizes the ancient kanji for Shiogama which happens to be the same kanji used in the name of the variety of cherry blossom that is named for the area, the Shiogamazakura, which I have written about before.The cherry blossom pictures don't stop at the packaging, either. That same sakura motif is visible on the candies themselves which are otherwise a soft, translucent pinkish hue. The petals of the flower on the candies transition from white near the yellow center to pink toward the outside and are as lovely to look at as they are to eat. They almost look more like decorative Chopstick holders than actual food, but they highly enjoyable and make good gifts to send to friends and relatives elsewhere in the world when shipping to other parts of the world is more affordable.Laid out in their package, the delicate candies almost do not look like food.The lovely pinkish outer bit is translucent after all, hinting at the delicate flavor inside.The taste of these lovely little candies it's something I've enjoyed for years now. They're lightly sweet but not overly so and they're honestly not trying to be anything more than little spot of deliciousness. The flavor is almost a little bit delicate, in a way that so few American candies can replicate. If you happen to be in Miyagi and in the mood for these sweets, you know where to get them. If you aren't in the area, you can always order them online at this website, along with a bunch of other Shiogama related goods including Shiogamazakura broches and furoshiki cloths.The inside fold of the packaging even has a short description in Japanese if you need some extra reading practice for the day.I was surprised to find that just inside the flap of the packaging, a whole paragraph of text waits to bombard you with more Japanese or help you with a little extra reading practice, depending on your perspective. From what I could gather, it mentions Dragon Cherry Blossoms and that the double-blossoming Shiogama-zakura should bloom in May. It suggests these candies make a good reward for yourself or present for your loved ones.I actually agree with the package. I love these things and have received nothing but positive responses from those who I sent them to. At a price of 350 yen per package, they also won't break the bank.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXm9o-living_shoppingMon, 28 Feb 2022 13:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXm9o-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXQ8-livingAnyone who has been obviously foreign in Japan for more than a week will tell you that some people are just going to stare. Most people don't mean anything by it and may just be genuinely captivated by the idea that someone from another country might visit a little town. While that's all well and good, it gets really tiresome sometimes, even when you're out and about, fully dressed. Even after more than a decade in Japan, I feel it is much worse in the onsen. I don't get this reaction from adults generally. The oba-san-tachi (what I call the groups of old grandma types) aren't interested in making me uncomfortable when I'm already naked. Maybe they see my roundness and drooping as a normal thing that happens to adult bodies. Maybe they are just more clever about sneaking their looks. What gets me is the kids between the ages of 5 and 15, the ones who have, in all likelihood, had some kind of native English-speaking teacher at one of their schools sometime before now, and still think that I must be some kind of a human-hybrid, escaped from the zoo, because there's no way I could possibly tell that they are staring directly at me, tactlessly and tastelessly, mouth agape as I nakedly walk into the warm bath.Etiquette poster from one onsen hotel in Miyagi. Notice "Don't stare at people like a mindless zombie" is absent. Fear and discomfort resulting from this kind of reaction is exactly why I didn't visit baths so often when I was younger. For my first five years in Japan, the only way that I would enjoy a trip to the onsen was if the ladies bath areas were otherwise unoccupied. If they were occupied, I would do what I had to do to avoid the other people and leave as quickly as I could without making my then-boyfriend now-husband upset that we had wasted an afternoon bringing me to a place where I could not or would not enjoy the only thing to do there. A recent trip to some onsen a few months ago afforded exactly this kind of behavior out of one girl who had to be around ten years old. When my daughter and I entered the changing area, she greeted us at the front with such wide eyes, I could only assume that her mouth was making the same shape beneath her mask. We went around her and changed, happy to find her busy showering with her family as we entered the main bathing area. When we were content to leave, we once again ran into her family, slowly drying their hair but fully capable of taking a break to gape again at the naked foreigner. I did what I think is the most responsible thing to do. I walked away, got changed, and left the area with my kid.For any other foreigners who are not keen on being stared at in the bath, one important thing to remember is that unless you are extremely unlucky, most of the people you run into while fully nude at the hot spring are not people you will ever have to interact with again. That doesn't mean that it's okay to be a jerk, but it also means that you don't have to worry terribly about people at work gossiping about your naked body. Instead, just be courteous, stay away from other people, and mind your own business. It is the best thing you can do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXQ8-livingFri, 25 Feb 2022 19:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXQ8-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4B58-shopping_fashionOne article of winter fashion that I recently fell in love with was flannel shirts. Last year, Uniqlo and GU both had an interesting selection of flannel shirts in the men's department that I found would fit me quite nicely. The cut of these shirts is as boxy as one would assume most men's clothing made by fast fashion companies to be, but my frame fills it out well enough that I still feel perfectly womanly.Front view of me in one of the three flannel shirts I bought from the mens departments of Uniqlo and GU in fall of 2020. They've been a staple of my fall and winter outfits ever since. As you can see, it doesn't overly reveal my figure but doesn't mask it completely either, allowing me to stand up straight and feel perfectly womanly and warm.Same shirt, side view. It falls straight from the bust down and tucks in around the waist in the back.This year, my husband offered to buy me a woman's cut flannel shirt from Uniqlo because their online store actually had a size that I've been able to wear from them before. I picked a soft gray color that I thought I could probably work into my wardrobe and waited. I was dismayed by the cut. Instead of that nice basic boxy shape that hangs over my frame just fine, I got a billowing tent. Where my mens cut shirts pull into my waist enough to say that yes, under the shirt there is an indention somewhere between my bust and hips, I felt like this thing gave me the silhouette of a monster in a garbage sack.The front was clearly not meant to cover a shape like mine. See how short it becomes in the middle? They could have planned for someone wearing a woman's shirt to have a bust, but they didn't. The designers assumed a big billowy shape would be more desirable than a reasonably fitted alternative.Another awful view. The shortness is really apparent here, as well as the outward motion of the fabric. It wants to be a tent. See the back? It bunches around the waist in an even less flattering shape.The only way to make it look okay involves slouching a considerable amount. Teenage me would not have minded but teenage me didn't have my back problems. So now I am stuck trying to turn this billowy tent into something I would enjoy wearing if only to better utilize my spouse's thoughtful gift. In the meantime, if you're a curvier lady, try the mens section flannel shirts if these billowy shapes annoy you as much as they annoy me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4B58-shopping_fashionThu, 24 Feb 2022 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4B58-shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmlo-living The Plaza Hotel stands on its landscape in a way that makes it clear that at one point it was a beacon of prosperity, but now, while it's still impressive, and the view is still magnificent, the rooms themselves aren't necessarily amazing on their own. That said, if you're coming to a luxurious onsen hotel and only stay in the room, you're missing out anyway. Our room was fine and free of any major problems. I spotted a few things that could have been a little bit more thoughtfully prepared, but at the end of the day, we got a last-minute room after an emergency cancellation, so we were very happy with anything. The view was wonderful and the staff were helpful. The onsen was the shining star of the experience though.The five story elevator connects the hotel to the ground level and was instrumental on saving lives back in 2011 when the tsunami wiped out most of the town. In The Plaza Hotel in Kessenuma, the onsen features several wonderful options, including a more shallow area for kids on one side of the large indoor bath overlooking the bay. A slightly smaller but still quite large outdoor bath is just a couple of glass doors and a short walk away. A tall fence obscures any view from the pedestrians on the street below while the top opens under the sky in proper open-air fashion, allowing evening guests to enjoy a view of the stars. The small walking area between the indoor and outdoor baths also features a sauna. Between the outdoor bath and the sauna is a small tub of cold water to prevent anyone from overheating when going between the bath and the small hot room.The entrance after hours. HoyaBoya, the town mascot, can be seen next to the central pillar. We arrived at the hotel one evening after dinner, so my daughter and I took to the baths rather quickly, delighted to see only a few other guests choosing such a late hour for a bath. We actually didn't manage to have to share the water with anyone that night since the one other family coming in around the same time were never in the same bath as we were. When they were showered and ready for the indoor bath, we had already headed outside. By the time they ventured that way, we were in the sauna. I don't know that onsen or sauna usage during the pandemic is a great call, but we were staying away from people and the covid numbers in Miyagi had been stuck at zero for a while when we went. Still, we only ventured into the sauna because it was unoccupied. This was my daughter's first trip to a sauna and she enjoyed it so immensely that she eventually started referring to it as the bakery. My kid devised a circuit of roughly 15 minute intervals to spend in each of the baths and the sauna before repeating the pattern. After the second round, I was out of energy and primed for some serious deep sleeping. It turned out, after a short rest in the outdoor bath, she was too.The evening view from our room. One great thing about staying in the hotel is that after the bath, you can throw on the hotel yukata robe, wrap your hair up in a towel and go back up to your room instead of spending 10 minutes around other people in various states of dress as they tool around with the public-use hair dryers. We retreated to the comfort of our room and relaxed pretty thoroughly. This is an onsen experience I look forward to repeating when covid numbers are down again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmlo-livingThu, 17 Feb 2022 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmlo-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4BAJ-food_howtoThis one goes out to all my fellow Texans stuck abroad for now and having a dangerous hankering for a certain style of sandwich ubiquitous in the southern US, especially in my home state.When homesickness hit me hard in the middle of 2021, I realized that I needed a chopped beef sandwich like other people might need their mama's meatloaf and started figuring out how to make such a thing work for me. After I figured out how to make my own barbecue sauce, I knew the next step would be making a proper sandwich. The first time I made this sandwich, I used thoroughly frozen steaks that I thawed for a day before but this time I bought a discounted streak from the grocery store and it worked just as well.I put the meat on an aluminum foil sheet and sprayed the barbecue sauce on it. Any other seasonings or spices that you want to bake into the meat should also be added now and reapplied with the sauce after the first round through the toaster oven. The I folded the foil around the meat, making a tidy little meat-filled envelope. I put it in the toaster oven on 900 watts for 15 minutes.At 15 minutes, I take it out, but the cooking process has rendered the meat packet a bit squishy, so I usually use a ceramic plate to scoop it from the toaster oven.So many juices. You can keep this meat juice to use later in stew, sauce, or meatloaf, but if you do, drain it into a sealable container and refrigerate it. Use it ASAP. When I take it out, I drain the juices, flip the meat, add more sauce, and pop it back in for another 10 to 15 minutes. If you prefer your meat on the rare side, this recipe isn't really for you, but you could try to have a similar experience with lightly toasting the meat for a lot less time, perhaps after marinating it in the sauce overnight beforehand.After the second cook, I put the meat on the chopping block and separate meat from fat. Personally, I hate the texture of fat in my meat, so I eliminate it. Many cuts of meat in Japan come with large chunks of fat that I never saw on the same cuts of meat back home. The fat can help add some flavor and grease while cooking, but if you don't enjoy actually eating it, take it off the meat now.Then I dice the desirable meat into strips and warm up some sauce to put on top. Dinner rolls make a great substitution for the prohibitively expensive hamburger buns here in Japan and allow you to use less meat per serving. This whole steak could be one sandwich back home, but made for 6 sliders here in Japan, enough for my whole family to enjoy. Divide the strips evenly among your buns, add your warmed up homemade BBQ sauce and enjoy!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4BAJ-food_howtoWed, 02 Feb 2022 09:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4BAJ-food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOWP-shopping_education_work For most foreigners living and working in Japan, speaking Japanese is usually at least a little important for daily life. Most of us accrue sets of daily use phrases over the course, of time even if we stepped off the plane with no understanding of the language whatsoever. One problem I have encountered within myself is a distinct lack of momentum in my studying practices regarding Japanese. Since I studied the language in college, I had a basic working knowledge when I arrived, but have only managed to add a little vocabulary and a couple of grammar points to that in all these years. Improving my Japanese level would be beneficial at work as I could better explain finer grammar points to kids who aren't getting it in English and have more consistent conversations with clients. With this in mind, I chose to make use of a discount for a three month subscription to Rosetta Stone's app with the hopes that the language company's methods would help me gamify the process and get me back into studying regularly. If you're in a similar situation, do something else. Unless you really don't even have a basic working vocabulary in Japanese, Rosetta Stone's app will not be helpful. The first time I opened the app, I made the mistake of starting at the first lesson, which was painfully slow. Then I started jumping to the reviews at the end of the units. There I found issues with their vocabulary and conversation practice as it would sound if someone actually used those words in Japan. First, the vocabulary has clearly not been updated in a bit. The pictures for the units have but not the words themselves. This is a problem because words like sumaho (smart phone) exist and can be super confusing when you've only been taught keitai (cell phone) which isn't really in popular use anymore. The same goes for the word for computer, which Rosetta Stone insists is the same katakana abomination as my college Japanese textbook. The word conputaa was wrong when I read it twenty years ago and has not become more correct since then. There are several words for computer in modern popular use but none of them are conputaa. A PC in the desktop variety is likely a pasacon. A laptop may be a notopasacon or nopa or some other shortened version that Japan accepts as normal, but none of them are conputaa. Then the conversations as laid out in the app were uncomfortable. From an introduction in which someone responds to douzo yoroshiku with sayonara to a wedding announcement that has the recipient of the news asking full length questions as if grilling the bride-to-be like a criminal suspect, the words just didn't work. Hot tip: If someone says douzo yoroshiku, you say it back unless you said it first. If someone knows you well enough to tell you about their wedding, "honto ni?" is enough to convey surprise and must be followed immediately with "omedeto gozaimasu." Extending every English "wow!" to a Japanese "Honto desu ka?" results in unnatural and potentially offensive Japanese. I admit there is only so much one can do with any app. The goal is to get people used to a handful of vocab and conversation options. Still, this tool should be updated to include more normal and natural language. Also, their reading/listening section was completely in romanji, which isn't going to help people who actually want to read the language. If you actually study with this tool, follow it up with some real, native language. Watch some anime or dramas, even if you have to do it with English subtitles, because you need to hear what the language actually sounds like.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOWP-shopping_education_workFri, 28 Jan 2022 13:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOWP-shopping_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Z18-drink_productThis isn't my first fancy grape Fanta but it might be my last. I found it in a grocery store for less than a hundred yen and thought it might be an interesting fruity beverage.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Z18-drink_productMon, 24 Jan 2022 21:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Z18-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWvKo-living_fashion_familylifeLowering the hem of a pleated skirt is just not a skill I have acquired yet. It's one of a number of skills that foreigners living in Japan long-term are expected to just know somehow. From making lovely bento to sewing on buttons to scrubbing school shoes, there are a number of things that I've noticed since my daughter's been in school they are not necessarily skills I had on hand coming into this life. Sewing is not foreign to me but I have never taken in or let out a hem on a pressed piece of clothing in a way that didn't look awful. I would be nervous to do this on an article of my own clothing that I bought with my own money and could replace or repair as needed. The idea of doing this to my daughter's school uniform which is significantly less easily replaceable and more expensive than most of what I wear is terrifying. Nevertheless my kid has grown in height and my mother-in-law is acting like the skirt being one inch above the knee is the same as wearing a mini skirt. She literally used the word for miniskirt.I don't know if she knows what a mini skirt actually looks like but I'd also like to have it known that my daughter is not a daring teenager trying to go against any rules. She just has a tired mom who copes with seasonal depression and is really intimidated by things like potentially ruining the precious private school uniform. Since no one at school has said anything yet and literally the only commentary on the length of her skirt is squarely rooted at my husband's childhood home, I put this project off until one day in the middle of the week when I had time to mess with it.It turns out that we aren't yet to the point where the hem needs to change. The buttons that connect the skirt to the under-vest on this winter uniform can be moved downward. There's around five full inches of space where the buttons can be lowered before I have to mess with the hem.So if your kid's uniform skirt is getting a bit short, look at the torso first. Odds are that straps can be lengthened and buttons can be sewn in new spots to save you from the panic attack of sewing the hem if you aren't ready for that yet.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWvKo-living_fashion_familylifeTue, 18 Jan 2022 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWvKo-living_fashion_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8K9-living_shoppingMy favorite shops near my home sold out of desirable fukubukuro early, so I was stuck scouring the internet for interesting deals. On Rakuten, I found a deal by which for less than 2000 yen including shipping, I was able to acquire 7 mugs. I paid at a convenience store on the third of January and waited for them to arrive, looking forward to sorting them into new house mugs and presents for friends when shipping options are available and affordable again.It took a little over a week but on the thirteenth, finally the mugs came.I have to admire the company's packaging ability. All of the mugs arrived completely safe and intact. Also, while there was caution on the sales page regarding the fact that some of these will be weird or unwanted, un-sellable in some way, I found most of them to be in perfect shape, if a little less interesting than I had assumed. Three of the mugs are plain white and untextured in such a way that I could buy something similar at the 100 yen store. The great thing about the plain mugs is it gives me the option of decorating them later with my kid if I choose to. First place for most exciting mug in the set in my opinion has to go to this one, with its lovely blue and green accented lip. It is the most gorgeous cup in this box and honestly if I found it on a shelf somewhere I wouldn't be surprised to see a sticker price over 1,000 yen. This cup alone makes it worth having bought this box.This one I thought was peculiar but in a very amusing way. Each side of the mug features a replica of some ancient automobile along with the name and date of that vehicle. It seems the right size and shape to be a good soup mug. I would not have picked this up in a store, but at the same time, I'm not unhappy to have it.Second place for my favorite in this box goes to this white number with the blue design on the outside. The design is well placed with no errors that I can see. It seems kind of Nordic inspired in a way that I find nice. I am genuinely happy to have this mug.Third place for interesting goes to the pink drip mug as I have chosen to call it. The outside has a little bit of almost blush-like pink applied in some spaces, but obviously the creator of the specific mug got a little bit heavy-handed with the paint when it dribbled inside of the cup, leading to one solid line of paint drip that has now been permanently set in the mug. This mug will never look completely clean, but the handmade texture makes up for it. I'll be happy to use it regardless. I just have to keep in mind when I'm cleaning it that that pink drip stain never going away.Of the seven, the only mug I could see myself actually sending to another person would probably be my favorite, so I'll have to think on that for a little bit, but in the meantime, I have several new articles of dishware to enjoy. Not the most average fukubukuro to be sure, but not a bad one. I really enjoyed this. I think it was worth the money if you need seven mugs. Considering how plain several of them were, I'm really glad I went with the set of seven and not the 3-pack. I think they also had a 10-pack available, but as it is I'm going to be struggling to find space for the seven that I just acquired.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8K9-living_shoppingSat, 15 Jan 2022 11:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8K9-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJOkD-living_medical_healthWhile my kid was on winter holiday, my family decided to take a short driving vacation around our prefecture, remembering to bring our UV sanitizing wand and hand sanitizer via massive spray bottle. Overall, we had a lot of really good experiences but one day went slightly awry. While having lunch near Ishinomaki, my husband noticed a strange lump on his neck. I noticed it too and took a picture as the swelling had also discolored part of his face. He was horrified by the picture, clearly uncomfortable.If it were me, as long as it was not causing pain, I would have continued on our way. I would have kept an eye on it but tried not to worry about it while everyone else worrying about it slowly ruined the vacation. If this were five years ago, I likely would have told my husband not to worry about it. We would go about our day and then later deal with whatever it was if it still persisted after we got home or if it started hurting. Spending my formative years in a country where healthcare is more a privilege than a right has created some deficits in my ability to reach out when trouble. In my time here, I have realized that my "American knows best" thinking does not necessarily work here and that my husband's attitude would deteriorate if the situation prolonged but was not attended to. But if I pushed him to go to the doctor, he might well have resisted that, not wanting to ruin the vacation.What I did instead was asked him what he wanted to do next. After a few minutes of thinking, he decided that he would like to go to the hospital. One of the better hospitals in our prefecture wasn't far-- the massive Red Cross hospital in Ishinomaki was rebuilt after 2011 and features an in-lobby Tully's coffee shop, complete with chairs and tables and seating areas that are spread out enough that you don't have to feel like you're on top of people while you're trying to enjoy your beverage.A dose of history, including the story of the founding of the hospital and what remains of the red cross flag from the previous building.Why is the coffee shop important? Because that's where my daughter and I sat for 6 hours while my husband saw whatever doctors were still at work so close to the holidays. Apparently the specialist in the area that he required was already off for the end of the year so some specialists in related fields took a look at him and debated loudly enough for him to hear regarding the utterly unknown cause of his issue. After a CT scan, a few doctor assessments and a whole afternoon, he was sent home with a referral to another doctor closer to our area if the problem should persist. We were also told to expect a bill in the mail because by the time they got around to seeing him, the accounting office had already closed for the day. It was the most American Style Hospital experience we've had in Japan. The only thing that brought us back to remembering that this is inherently better was the size of the bill. For around 8000 yen, he saw several specialists, had a CT scan, and got a doctor's referral. Even with insurance, I doubt the American system would be so generous.This statue is also a Pokemon Go Pokestop. which I hit. Over and over. For six hours.My husband's problem cleared up within two days and has yet to make a return. As the thing was in an area near lymph nodes me and did not hurt, it seems like it was a probably the result of a minor infection. If it returns, he will see a specialist. And this time not around national holidays.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJOkD-living_medical_healthFri, 14 Jan 2022 11:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJOkD-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXRm-shopping My favorite fukubukuro in my area were sold out before I knew it, so I didn't have much hope when I went out on the third of January for groceries and happened by the Homac to see what fukubukuro were left. I was happily surprised to see a couple of grab bags of useful household goods were still ready to be picked up for the reasonable price of around 1000 yen. There were also a number of good deals on electronics and other frequently more expensive items, but I was really just there for the fukubukuro. One problem: two sets of goods were provided. One primarily held a selection of household cleaners where the other's big item was a sherbet maker. Of the two, the sherbet maker was something I did not already have, so it was my preference of the two. The way the bags were arranged, it seemed like the ones to the left should be the ones I wanted, but with how completely sealed the tops of the bags were, I was not completely sure. While the cleaners would be useful, the sherbet maker would give me another fun summer activity to do with my kid.After I got the package home, it was time to open it up. In a pleasant surprise, the package I picked up was the one I intended.At the bottom was a box containing the ice cream and sherbet maker, brand name Frappy. The box seems to contain a silicon-covered stainless-steel inner bowl, a silicon-soled outer bowl, and a spoon. The instructions on the back of the box are exclusively in Japanese but seem straightforward and are illustrated for easy use. There are also a few recipes on the instructional pamphlet inside of the box.On top of that was a set of four pot-holder sized multi-purpose three-layer kitchen sponges. One side of each of these is slightly scratchy, like the pot-scrubbing side of any other kitchen sponge. The other side is softer and the whole item seems pretty absorbent.Next to this was a stretchy scrubby body towel which is something I am unlikely to use but others in my home may find useful when their current bath scrubbing utensils wear out.Beside this was a packet containing three masks. While they are not medical grade, they do boast a 95% "cut filter" which is probably about the same quality as the masks I wear everyday. It's always good to have spares.The last and smallest item in the bag was a bag! The small, egg-shaped eco-bag is called a Tamabag because of the egg-shaped pocket it is meant to be folded back into. Another re-usable bag in me arsenal is hardly taking up much space and considering that a few of my old bags have worn out in the last year or so, I'm more than happy to use this as a replacement. While it wasn't the most exciting or unexpected of fukubukuro, I am quite pleased with it. Everything inside is useful to me or someone in my household and 1000 yen was a more than fair price for the set.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXRm-shoppingSat, 08 Jan 2022 12:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXRm-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDRb-foodOne of the treats my family has in store every new years is the post-shrine trip to my in-laws where we are treated to a lovely set of sweets and freshly mixed, proper, tea-ceremony grade matcha courtesy of my mother-in-law. I cannot stress how wonderful it is to come into a nice warm home after a long walk through the slush and the crowds to find a warm, foamy green beverage waiting for me.Wagashi is the term for any traditional sweets that are usually served with green tea and unfortunately I haven't been able to more specifically label the delicious things I encounter every year. The treats come in a variety of shapes and the least interesting but consistently delicious of which is the sweet bun with the symbol for the new year's zodiac animal printed on the front. Inside this delicious confection is a sweetened mound with the texture of sweet potato. I can't tell exactly what is inside of them but it isn't the normal reddish brown anko bean paste that is so commonly found inside of traditional Japanese sweets.The other wagashi came in a larger variety of shapes, each with its own new years twist on the normal flowers and leaves and the like. I chose a pink fish and was excited to find that there was no anko (red bean paste) inside. I don't hate anko but it isn't something I can say I enjoy either. This pinkness? A blessing! The pink fish is meant to be tai, or red seabream, which is more commonly seen to the Japanese snack enthusiast as in taiyaki, the fried fish-shaped bun with anko (or better yet, any other) filling. Why is this in the New Years mix? Because the name for the fish (鯛) is closely related to the Japanese word for celebration (omedetai) and the fish itself is usually reserved for special occasions, as another great blogger has mentioned before.The little pink blossoms on the green striped bits are meant to be ume or plum blossoms, symbols of the coming spring and apparently are said to ward off evil.The yellow one with the honeycomb-like pattern is actually supposed to be a tortoise shell, symbolizing longevity and good luck. Turtles are really common symbols around New Years in Japan.The pink flower is sakura or cherry blossom, made obvious by the petal shape and color. The symbol of Japan and the coming spring reminds us also to enjoy the good times while they exist as the blossoms themselves never stay in bloom for long.Being that this picture was taken in early 2022, it should be obvious that the little tiger represents the coming year in the shape of its animal zodiac.Unfortunately, I wasn't able to identify the yellow flower on its own as it doesn't really appear to be a chrysanthemum and doesn't make sense to be a plum blossom if the tiny pink one is a plum blossom. I did find one extra Easter egg of a detail while writing this post though. The individual plates that the snacks are served on are a strange shape, aren't they? The pictures fail to capture a short handle that sticks off of the quadrilateral shape of the main plate with its odd little shuttle-cock shapes in the background. It turns out these plates are made specifically for new years and replicate the shape of the wooden rackets that were traditionally used for a net-less form of badminton that had been a staple of New Years entertainment in Japan many years ago. Both the rackets and the shuttlecocks are still symbols of the season. Whatever your new years treats look like, let's hope the year ahead is a sweet one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDRb-foodWed, 05 Jan 2022 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDRb-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4B99-living I saw this lovely selection of Build your Own New Years Decorations at a shop in a mall shortly before Christmas and felt that it was a great time to explore the elements that go into new years decorations in Japan. If you've ever been near a shrine, local business or train station in Japan around the New Years holidays, you have probably seen some of these about. Even after more than a decade in this country, I couldn't identify what all of these were or what they represented until I did a little research.Little Arrows: Hamaya Bigger versions of these arrows are available at Shinto shrines around this time of year and are meant to symbolically drive away evil spirits. The ones you get at the shrine usually have a depiction of the new year's zodiac animal attached. These ones are more basic but also much smaller.Lion Dance: Shishimai I couldn't tell if this was a dragon or a lion for a long time. It turns out that this lion what looks like something that you might see in a traditional Chinese lion dance actually belongs to Japanese traditional lion dances. It appears that the exact origins of this dance are unclear but they follow the same basic rules as the Chinese version involving dancers within the lion costume mimicking the motions of a lion to traditional music in performances at festivals around special times of the year, like new years.Paper String Bows: Mizuhiki Bows are pretty and the shiny accoutrements add a little delicate sparkle to any decoration but the reason to use paper string is important as it will burn cleaner when the New Years decorations are converted to ash at dontosai in a few weeks. The use of the more open bow knot is meant to symbolize the desire for repeating the auspicious occasion of the new year. You won't see these same open bow knots on wedding or funeral envelopes where the mizuhiki decorations will take a different shape since repetition isn't what you want at either of those occasions.Paper String Turtles: Mizuhiki-Zaiku Kame These you can also see on the pre-made decorationsthat are meant to hang in each room of your home for the holidays. In addition to being made from the same easily burned paper string as the bows above, these creatures are also symbols for longevity in Japan as well as good fortune.Paper String Turtles: Mizuhiki-Zaiku Tsuru Much like the turtles listed above, these creatures are enduring symbols of longevity and good luck in Japan. The crane seems most commonly featured on celebratory envelopes and shimekarari wreaths where the turtle seems more likely to be found near the floor-based kadomatsu bamboo decorations.Shuttlecock: Hane A traditional game of badminton played with wooden hagoita paddles and a colorful hane shuttlecock used to be the new years activity for young women in Japan. It was saidthat whoever kept the shuttlecock aloft the longest would have the best protection from mosquitos in the coming year.However you chose to decorate for new years, let's hope 2022 is a great one for all of us with fewer pests and more good luck all around.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4B99-livingTue, 04 Jan 2022 09:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4B99-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOx8-living_deeperdivesA number of common Japanese Christmas customs might seem a bit weird from a foreigner perspective especially if that foreign perspective is western or North American in nature. Many of these customs have been remarked upon through the years, noted in blog posts by other expats and discussed pretty widely. The whole fried chicken presented as a preferred Christmas meal thing, which according to sources I could find, stems almost entirely from a very successful 1974 ad campaign for Kentucky Fried Chicken. When I explain this situation to friends back home, I have to add that 1) Fried Chicken here is actually pretty expensive compared to back home and 2) this is normal to a point of being the ideal meal selection. It's not just something that some people might do if they're a little impoverished or really like KFC. The bucket of chicken replaces the Christmas roast or Christmas duck or Christmas turkey as they might appear in homes on the other side of the world. Maybe they have a point though, in that even as expensive is KFC is in Japan, the bucket of chicken is probably still cheaper than any decent kind of roast.In a similar vein, holiday light displays being a public affair in the city center or around some businesses likely saves on individual electricity bills in houses all over Japan. Setting up blinking lights around the outside of your house isn't expected around here nor are the blinking lights all that affordable or easy to find. Walking by the glowing reindeer and decked out public trees is often enough of the holiday spirit for many expats in these parts. It's also easier on the budget than trying to make your home into your own winter wonderland.Even so I don't know many foreigners who go completely without a Christmas tree. Small trees from the hundred yen store suffice for many though others may opt for a larger option from Costco or something the may have had to personally import. My family still celebrates the holidays with a small tree I bought a decade ago, decorated with new small battery operated lights from the 100 yen store.Many Japanese households don't have Christmas trees. I haven't been able to confirm why this is or find any sources other than my own experience with asking numerous Japanese people about the existence of Christmas trees in their homes. Nevertheless, the absence of decorative indoor trees may be the reason for one of Japan's other hidden holiday differences.I recall how my husband related to me his story of how he came to realize the Santa was not real, and that included catching sight of his mother leaving a present by the foot of his bed. I was a little surprised but he insisted that this was what all parents do in Japan. This holiday season I have asked many people and about half of the people I asked said that they receive their Christmas gifts in their rooms rather than around a tree. Many of these people were children so my method of asking was delicate and avoided outing the Santa issue, but this shows that at least in the area of Japan where I live, many parents leave the presents in the bedrooms and in the vast majority of these households, there was no tree to place them under instead. Only one child out of dozens claimed to have a tree in the house but receive presents in their room. It seems that the bedroom present delivery is common here.In America, or at least in every American household I've seen in person or on TV, this is not where the presents go. We have a Christmas tree in the living room that all the presents go under. The few presents under the tree are added to as different family members get their presents wrapped and ready until finally on Christmas morning we all come to find that Santa has delivered even more gifts to the massive pile of presents. When we unwrap them, we do it as a family so we can each enjoy giving to our family members as well as receiving gifts from them. Seeing the look of joy when someone opens a gift you prepared for them is one of the best things about the holiday as far as I have ever known it.The stark contrast of these holiday experiences was a little upsetting to me at first. I can't imagine going through all the trouble of preparing gifts thoughtfully for the people I love and then only listening from the other room as they open the gifts and enjoy them alone in their rooms. It seems like a much lonelier holiday that way, but for Japan, the big family holiday is still almost a week away when the wrapping paper is hitting the floor. Christmas eve appears to be for lovers, Christmas day for children, and New Years for the family at large. With that in mind, giving the kids a minute to enjoy their gifts on their own might be saving sanity before the big family gatherings for New Years.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOx8-living_deeperdivesMon, 03 Jan 2022 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOx8-living_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXZm-living_money_workAfter more than 10 years in Japan, I've worked for a number of companies. Some of them were huge multinational corporations and others tiny language schools where I might be the only non-owner employee. Most of the companies that have employed me for more than a year always seem to request that I get a new bank account at a bank that that company has preferential standing with at some point. That means over the course of these years I've accrued a few bank accounts and luckily the Japanese banks at which I have these accounts don't seem to have monthly maintenance fees so common with similar accounts in my home country. Whatever small amount of money is left in any of those accounts opened to accept payment from companies that I no longer work at remains in place and I have never had any issues with this aspect of any bank where I have an account before. As the time closed in on my Visa renewal date, my husband and I gathered appropriate forms and went to the immigration office to start the process. About a week after that, I received this not terribly kind letter in the mail from the smallest and newest of the banks that I've had to get an account with in Japan. The letter sounds almost accusatory to me, though I'm not entirely sure how it is intended to be read. It seems a little weird to me and I don't really see any reason why it's required. This tiny bank is unlikely to have so many foreigners who start accounts and then leave the country that the excess of inactive accounts is taxing them personally. This is not a large nor popular bank. While it is possible that other kinds of jobs that cater to foreigners may use this bank, I've never heard of any larger language schools using this and I have never received a letter like this before in my life despite having renewed my visa several times in Japan and having a number of accounts at different banks here. No other bank felt that my visa expiry was a reason to send a letter or demand a personal appearance.TLDR: Show us your new Gaijin Card or we're shutting down your account.A week after I received this letter, my postcard from immigration office came in and I went to retrieve my new Gaijin card. Armed with my card, the letter they sent me, my account book and signature stamp, I marched into the bank on my next morning off and let them make copies after looking over all of my materials. The whole process took less than fifteen minutes. While I find this tedious and extra, I also look forward to them reminding me when to update my Gaijin card next, should I happen to forget.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXZm-living_money_workWed, 29 Dec 2021 10:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXZm-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKOZ1-living_shoppingThis year, one of the big end-of-year cleaning projects in my house was organizing the living room bookcase structure and in this case that also included adding a small doored cabinet the top of one of the bookcases. Sectional pieces like this are available at most DIY shops and small furniture stores around Japan.The construction itself wasn't too complicated and could easily be accomplished by following directions given by a couple of sheets of paper found folded inside the box with the rest of the product. Without bothering to read any of the words on the instructions, only following the pictures indicated, I managed to complete assembly of the cabinet fairly easily one afternoon. I don't remember it taking more than an hour.Adding small parts of structures like this to a console or entertainment unit back home wouldn't be a big deal. There would be no reason to tie it down or stick it more firmly to any surface because there wouldn't be earthquakes to worry about. Living in Japan means living in an earthquake-prone area. Even if you're in a one story home, things should still be secured just in case. When you're in an apartment on any floor above the first, when quakes happen, there will be more significant shaking than people might feel closer to the ground and the need to secure your furniture is even greater.Easy application. Quick and safe. While I will admit that we haven't secured every bookshelf to the walls or anything similar to that yet, we have used these great sticky squares under every major appliance including the TV and additional storage shelving in the kitchen. While the shelving is less structurally sound than the more expensive versions my in-laws had gifted us when we moved in, I had no problem installing it myself last year to make more space for our appliances. Unfortunately, I had yet to learn about these sticky squares and the first major quake of 2021 nearly knocked it and everything it was carrying right onto the floor. The only reason it didn't was that I stood directly in front if it and blocked its path. to avoid such a risky maneuver next time, I put the sticky squares in place when I was cleaning up from that quake and saw a marked improvement when the next Magnitude 7 quake struck the next month.You can find these for a reasonably price at 100 yen shops and DIY shops all over Japan.That's why I use these sticky squares. They act like adhesive covered shock absorbers, keeping items in place even when shaking is occurring. While I've never seen little bookshelves like ours get totaled in a quake (larger ones are more likely to fall in the shaking), I also don't think anyone is going to want to catch a large wooden box during the next big shake.So if your cleaning involves building or moving large things to new places, remember to secure them. It might save you from having to make the same shelf again, or it might save a life.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKOZ1-living_shoppingWed, 22 Dec 2021 16:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKOZ1-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02dR-food_moneyMy favorite soda in the states was always Cherry Coke. I have fond memories of my parents always getting me one at the gas station on our way to run some errand or take a road trip of some kind. The other day I had a sudden desire for one and popped onto Amazon Japan to see the travesty that was a single 24 pack of cans available for more than 8000 yen before shipping fees. I was shocked by the sudden lack of cherry coke, an American beverage that I had seen available previously on Amazon in 12 packs of cans for as little as 2000 yen before now. Appalled by the outrageous prices, I turned to the internet and searched for affordable alternatives. I can get regular coca cola from the grocery store near me. What else would I need?Most home-made cola sites recommended getting a cherry syrup and some grenadine, which is essentially pomegranate syrup. It turns out both of these could be procured from Amazon for less than 2000 yen altogether.One site recommended tablespoons and cups of cola but since I was still trying out the process, I chose to divide the recipe by three and put about 60 mL of cola with 5 mL each of the grenadine and cherry juice for which I substituted cherry syrup. The result was a little heavy on the fruit flavors for me so I added a little more soda and the result was pleasant enough. For a few sips, it tasted enough like cherry coke that my urge for beverage was satiated.An added bonus to making cherry cola this way is that having these mixable elements on hand lends itself well to making a whole host of other fun beverages that aren't as popular here. Given sprite and lime juice, one could make a cheap but likely enjoyable reproduction of cherry lime-ade, a beverage I swore by during my senior year of high school. A whole host of alcoholic mixed drinks also can be made with these and other mixers, but even if you only wanted to make cherry coke, these syrups when used thoughtfully will last quite some time. Getting the beverage into the right ratio of syrup to soda might take some work and is likely to vary based on the individual. Still, if you're missing specifically the sodas from home or cherry coke in specific, there are ways to make it work out here without spending 8000 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02dR-food_moneyTue, 14 Dec 2021 19:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02dR-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQx0-living_shopping_deeperdivesPartially due to the rise of some recently very popular anime set in somewhat historical time periods, ancient patterns of textiles in Japan have come back into fashion in a way that is more affordable and accessible for the everyday person. On a recent trip to a large 100 yen store, I found several examples of historical fabric prints, labeled as such and available for purchase for only a hundred yen per roughly half of a square meter of fabric. Of course the simple weave cotton broadcloth that the patterns are printed on isn't the highest grade or highest thread count, but the pattern is what is interesting here. Of course, anytime you're in a historical town with a thriving textile community, you may find small packages of kimono scraps available, usually for pretty affordable prices, but I don't think it is surprising to see classical or historical prints on kimono silk. Finding the same kinds of prints on 100 yen store craft merchandise is far more interesting for being less expensive and in my time in Japan it has not been as frequent as of an occurrence.The more I looked into the history of these designs, the more I realize that I have seen more of them around than I thought possible. This isn't as simple as just a few scraps at the 100 yen store, but even just in that same discount store's crafting section, other historical patterns exist. Whether in cut cloth or cloth tape or origami paper, many different items bear the markings of these historically relevant textiles.There have been more articulate patterns using a variety of nicer pieces of cloth sold for various purposes at 100 yen stores around the country in the last couple of years since that one show set in the Taisho era premiered and became so popular. I've personally seen everything from washi tape to lens cleaning cloths, pencil boards, and a number of things in between. Of course these historical patterns that are usually not copyrighted despite the popularity of similar patterns on that program. This has made traditional patterns a great opportunity for income on the part of the 100 yen store market, always looking to make the most of a popular trends with the least amount of effort.While finding cute cloth at the hundred in store with semi-historical patterns isn't necessarily a new adventure for anyone who has been looking for these products in the last two years, these patterns weren't ones are recognized necessarily from the show.The first pattern that I really went for was the one that looks a little bit like a plus sign or hashtag. It is called igeta and it turns out this is intended to mimic a well and provide the wearer with the same kind of prosperity that having a well with bring. The more recognizable variation of the pattern involves more space between the slashes, creating a more hashtag or pound sign ( # ) appearance, but the one I found at the 100 yen store was closed off into a little pluses. I still thought it looked interesting and picked it up. Later, I found out many more things about the special design. The name also applies to the name of the fancy green tea shop in Sendai whose logo involves this character. It is included in many historical Japanese family symbols as well.The historical pattern situation doesn't stop there. The two other fabric selections that I had picked out from the same 100 yen store hold their own special stories and values. The one that I have in brown is known as seigaiha or blue ocean waves and I've used it before in the sashiko post. It's a very common pattern in crafts like sashiko. It might be someone's lunch bag or handkerchief or some craft goods at a local market, but this pattern shows up in a lot of places especially anywhere near the sea. The print being in brown is a bit weird and might be why it was still available at the 100 yen store. Usually this print shows up in some shade of blue on white. The other cloth that I picked up has a pattern of squares with concentric squares in white and whatever color the overall color is, usually purple for some reason. This pattern is known as shibori or kanoko or fawn and is usually considered expensive because the traditional method for making it involves a lot of intricate hand dying of the fabric. I am sure this fabric did not go through such rigorous processes just to be sold as broad cloth at the price of less than 100 yen for about half a meter. That said, it's still a lovely pattern and the spots are supposed to resemble the spots on the back of a fawn. If you want more information on these and other patterns here is some great resources that I found while trying to research this piece: Kirikomade, Olaf Olsson, and Kimurakami.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQx0-living_shopping_deeperdivesThu, 09 Dec 2021 13:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQx0-living_shopping_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjPXm-living_shoppingAdvent calendars are a pretty normal seasonal thing where I grew up and available sometimes at some online stores or import shops in Japan, but when it comes down to it, I no longer really find the activity of opening little doors for tiny chocolate surprises to be worth the expense of the product, especially as an import. If you have a little bit of time and creativity, why not make something a little bit more personal for kids or really anyone in your life?I didn't actually come up with this idea. One of my friends had an advent box from her mother, filled with things that she knew she would use like socks or underwear in addition to small knickknacks and snacks. I tried this once when my kid was really small-- too small to really care about the whole activity. This year, I decided to try again and had been gathering items here and there for a few weeks before December started. Most items were from the 100 yen store (handkerchiefs and bath balls mostly), cute gashapon, or educational puzzle books she requested a few months ago. Finally on the 1st, I got to set about wrapping them all, adding a number to each one. The wrapping doesn't have to be perfect and the items don't have to be expensive. The goal is to provide a fun way to mark the days heading into the holidays.I've done this for my kid once before, back from the age of two, when she had no idea what I was talking about or what the numbers were supposed to mean. This time, she is well aware of her dates and is excited about the idea of tiny presents. As I mentioned before, not all of these gifts are great, but all of them were bought with her in mind.I like the idea of balancing small gifts for days 1-4 on top of the day 5 gift, which is a larger rectangular object and repeating that in 5 days cycles until we get to the 25th. Another option would be to keep most of the presents right around the same size until the last one or last five. There are many ways to do this depending on who you're doing it for and what you're putting inside. I would love to have a collection of 25 gashapon capsules to use for this at some point, but this year I only had a few to throw in.While as of this writing it's too late to start from day one on a new advent calendar for 2021, it's not too late for a 10-day calendar or a week-long calendar leading up to Christmas. If you were opening an advent calendar box of tiny presents, what would you want to find inside?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjPXm-living_shoppingWed, 08 Dec 2021 11:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjPXm-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOmN-living_food_shoppingLike most North Americans living abroad, I spent one week of the fall watching my friends and relatives all have time off to spend together and some sort of great family meal while I was on the other side of the world trying to figure out whether or not to bother participating. As of mid- November, I was resolute to not bother doing anything regarding Thanksgiving turkey this year as I'm the only American in my household. My daughter's only experience was Thanksgiving has been the paltry measures I make here in Japan. My family didn't really have the tradition of a great big family gathering with all the extended relatives, but we did have our own traditions that generally involves watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Dallas Cowboys football game in addition to something of a meal at some point.Unfortunately, living in a different time zone means that even with VPNs and streaming services, I don't have a way to watch the same things at the times when I would have. My daughter doesn't have the day off from school so forcing her to stay up late to watch the huge monsters full helium make their way down some Avenue in New York doesn't really makes sense.Less than a week before turkey day, I went ahead and purchased a turkey breast on Amazon for 3000 yen. The breast itself weighs about kilo, so its probably an okay price overall, considering it's an import. I also decided to buy a cranberry BBQ sauce to use with it, to add some of that Texas flavor to the traditional Thanksgiving aspects and make something I might actually enjoy. I served this with some fresh veg lightly sautéed and stuffing that was an imported mix, but could easily be made with bread crumbs and spices if need be.Not your usual cranberry sauce for turkey day, but it made sense to me.Turkey BBQ sandwich: Actually not bad.We also decided to hold off on our celebration until Saturday, a day when the family had more time together. When the big day came, my frozen turkey breast had finally thawed and I started baking it in the toaster oven, a plan that wound up blackening a bit of it but most of the meat was still edible. I also found a recording of the Thanksgiving Day Parade available on YouTube and my daughter and I streamed it, enjoying some of the floats more than others. I never thought I would miss the constant chatter of the Thanksgiving Day hosts, but without their explanations, some of the floats had little to no meaning to us. Still, it was enjoyable enough and unlike when watching it live, we could skip forward when something uninteresting was occurring and go straight to the parts that we actually wanted to see.Honestly, my daughter wasn't as into it as I was and I remember being her age and loving it. But this isn't what she grew up with. And that's just how it is.When I finally got dinner on plates and served, my entire family basically ignored their plates in favor of poking at different electronics or reading manga. After 30 minutes of watching my hard work sit on the table, each plate with a single item having been devoured and 2/3 of the food options just lingering, I went ahead and put away the leftovers.I'm gonna call that done, since it's all ice cold and all.If I were talking to my mother-in-law, I could explain that this would be like her preparing the New Year's feast and having no one bothered to eat almost anything, but I wasn't talking to her. I'm talking to my husband and child, neither of whom have ever prepared food like that. So in the end, they didn't get it, just like I kind of knew they wouldn't, and I was extremely disappointed.In the discussions that followed, my daughter insisted that she wants to do Thanksgiving again but this time she would also like to help make the food and that might be the key difference to making it a proper family engagement. I couldn't help but agree.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOmN-living_food_shoppingTue, 07 Dec 2021 12:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOmN-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyNR-living2020 and 2021 have really flown by in a way that I don't entirely appreciate. It's been a frustrating and strange couple of years for most folks I know. As I mentioned last year, I'd had specific plans for my father visiting in 2020 and perhaps my mom getting to make up for that in 2021, but none of that came to pass. The current plan for 2022 includes international travel either of my little Japan-based contingent to the states or of some family there to here, but nothing can be certain until my kid gets her Covid shot and/or Japan opens the borders and accepts vaccine passports so no one has to spend their whole vacation quarantined in Tokyo. Currently, I'm looking forward to getting my house in order and cleaning up other messy situations in my life. Overall, what I have is nice to the point that when my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I didn't really know what to tell him. I don't have many wants that people can give me and the few I have seem unrealistically expensive. My daughter is growing and becoming ever more exciting and capable. Soon, I'll be excited to see her get her Covid shot and then two years of holy terror for the back of my brain will finally be at an end or at least a reprieve. When that's done, I'll only have to worry about my nieces and nephews.When Covid is actually officially over, I will be looking forward to going back to seeing movies and theaters and enjoying train trips all around Japan. Since we've been keeping ourselves in Miyagi, I realized that I miss being able to see other parts of the country, too. Even in Tohoku, Ginzan in Yamagata and the Geibikei gorge in Iwate are places I long to see again soon. Years ago, I decided that I wanted to spend our tenth anniversary showing my daughter the area were her father and I first met down in Chubu. Unfortunately, that anniversary has passed in the midst of the pandemic without any of us stepping foot outside of the prefecture. Maybe one day I'll get to show her the joys and weirdness of that little area. Until then, we'll be here.2022 is coming. Maybe hope is coming with it? The problem with the after Covid goals is I can't say for sure if they're next year's goals or the year after that or some years down the line in the future. Some have indicated that this coronavirus may stick with us, becoming a new flu for which most folks get regular immunizations to avoid. While I'm not excited about that potential future, it would still be better than now.So what are my actual goals for next year? I don't know. I'm going to keep working and trying to get my house in order, trying to figure out how to make my brain want to clean and organize, and trying to figure out what the next steps need to be for me. Until those steps happen, I'll be here, just trying to live.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyNR-livingFri, 03 Dec 2021 20:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyNR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1xx-moneyNot falling for scams and scammers doesn't sound like it should be a hard job. They're usually obvious right? With misspelled emails asking for credit card numbers or account information, a lot of scams don't require genius level brilliance to avoid. Unfortunately, that's not the only kind of scammer out there and what I found out recently is that people on the internet don't have to be scammers to be detrimental to your emotional and financial well-being.A few weeks ago I was messaged on social media. Usually I ignore any comments from unknown folks, especially men, but eventually I got around to looking at the guy's profile and reading his message. He claimed to be an American tax professional and his name checked out on a database of this certain branch of tax professional. While I assumed this was one more American abroad trying to make ends meet, there are some things that didn't seem right with this guy.Stuck? Yes. Swelling, not so much. Hope, even less.I asked some questions. He answered a few and completely ignored the rest. I'm not sure if this is because he was so busy with other clients or if it was some cunning plan I didn't understand. It's also possible that he was so used to the Japanese technique of avoiding negative answers by pretending the questions don't exist, but from someone claiming to be an American professional, I still found this behavior disquieting.Honestly, this is where our communication should have ended, but I give people the benefit of the doubt and continued trying to work with him. I even supplied him with a few sensitive data points regarding myself and my daughter. A few emails after the sensitive data was given, I felt the need to stop associating with him entirely. While none of his interactions were negative or direct enough to constitute harassment, his emails reminded me of abusive boyfriends I had the misfortune of encountering in the past. His emails caused a serious anxiety episode that I am still dealing with the ramifications of, and when I recognized the pain it was causing me, I terminated the need for contact.I hope that's true, randomly American shirt.After I told him I would no longer be requiring his services, I had to ask repeatedly for my sensitive information to be deleted, something he ignored then eventually declined to do. It has occurred to me that a proper con artist would lie and agree to delete the information or flatly never reply at all. I am still frustrated by the puzzling nature of these interactions but have no way to get better answers than my assumptions.While our negative interactions did not end there, the most important lessons were already learned. It's difficult when you're living abroad to fully trust your instincts because you should know that not everything you encounter will fit into how you've always seen the world before. At the same time, if someone's behavior bothers you, stop and walk away before you give them access to information you can't take back. If someone claims to be from your country, holding them to the same standards you would anyone else from your country is justified. No matter where you are from, just because someone claims to be from the same place doesn't mean they aren't capable of being horrible.No matter how badly you mess things up, there are still rainbows, even if they are faint.The real answer here is that if a professional of any kind pursues you on social media, odds are at best they are desperate. Desperate people do not make good resources when it comes to specific and important information like filing your taxes. At worst, they aren't who they say you are and you shouldn't converse with them at all. Either way, it's just safer to do your own taxes and ignore strangers who message you on social media.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1xx-moneySun, 28 Nov 2021 21:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1xx-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo3Z-foods_productI found this at a convenience store in Miyagi in November of 2021. These smaller chunks rather than the small bars of the same name were available for around 150 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo3Z-foods_productFri, 26 Nov 2021 20:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo3Z-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6xm-living_onlyinjapan_sendai_shi_miyagiOne weekend in late November 2021, due to insistence on the part of my daughter and one of her school friends and the low covid numbers in Miyagi, my family took a trip to the Sendai Aquarium Umi no Mori. The aquarium was nice and the trip itself is very fun, but the Only In Japan moment that I saw happened before we even got into the building. When we arrived, there's a little bit of a line already. This as just before the Aquarium opened on a Sunday, so it wasn't a total surprise as that had to be one of the most busy times for museums, zoos, and other family fun activity centers in any city. We stood in a line that wound around a wheelchair ramp for a few minutes to get tickets and then moved to the much longer line for the entrance.I didn't bother trying to count the people in line, but it went back and forth across the front of the building many times, turning into a curved row at least five lines deep. Even with all of these people in this long, complicated line, there were no markers. There were no barriers demanding where one part of the line would go or where any another must not go. It was not marked in tape on the sidewalk or by cones and poles or any other means that I've seen in Japan for delineating such details. Instead, people were just listening and following directions. Check out that curving line. No barriers or markers. Just people being decent. Amazing! Only in Japan. There was only one aquarium staff member outside at the very end of the line. In a stark difference from similar line management jobs I've seen in Sendai at different points before the pandemic, this guy wasn't just holding a sign saying the line ends here. He was engaging with the people as they came up and telling them that this is where the line would be ending with no sign in sight. He might also have been reminding them to behave and be nice, because everyone was behaving and being nice, but I'm not entirely sure. In a tidy queue, we walked into the building. No one rushed or bumped or cut. I didn't see one instance of anyone grumbling at the size of the line. Everyone who came to the aquarium that day and saw the length of the line also noted that it would take time and that they should stand and move when appropriate. It was a lovely thing to see in Japan, and after 13 and a half years, it is one of these special random moments that remind me why I love living here. It was one of the least stressful times I've had in a large group of people in my whole life. I felt more at home in a line in Sendai moving quietly and thoughtfully on that I have outside of family gatherings the last few times I visited the states.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6xm-living_onlyinjapan_sendai_shi_miyagiThu, 25 Nov 2021 20:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ6xm-living_onlyinjapan_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQlk-livingOne day in mid-November I had the lucky opportunity to walk over to Shiogama Shrine and enjoy the fall foliage. The area around the shrine is known for having great natural beauty any time of the year and the variety of trees provides many great chances to take in the changing of the seasons. While the peak season to see the great autumn colors in this area had past about a week before, there were still plenty of great pops of red and orange color to be found among the trees and fallen leaves. I wasn't the only one still trying to soak up the colors in this area, either.Of the three entrances to the shrine, I chose to take my favorite since I'm still not in the best of shape and the 202 stone stairs of the main entrance stairway always seems daunting. The more gradual path was lined on in some places on the way up with lovely autumn trees. In other spots, the fresh green of the still growing bamboo walled off private property from the stone pathway, speckled here and there with the fallen leaves in every shade of autumn splendor.The great red torii gate that stands between the garden area of the shrine grounds and the more religious buildings at the top of the hill maintained its brilliance, standing out in front of the changing foliage. At times like these, the wear that shows through the red paint makes it feel even more historical and ancient. When it appears freshly painted, the red stands out timeless and bold against the backdrop of the seasons as displayed by the trees behind it.As usual, it provided a perfect focal point for some nice fall pictures.The view out to the ocean also should not be ignored. Getting a nice picture of this view can be a challenge as grounds-keeping trucks and other random pedestrians may unknowingly wander into the shot, but it's worth seeing nonetheless. From here, seeing the part of the town as it lies between the shrine and the sea is always something special and takes my breath away every time I visit.Unfortunately, on the day I went, the coffee shop in the little building in the parking lot in front of the museum across from the big red torii gate was closed but the benches nearby still made for a great spot to sit and relax for a moment, nibbling on some lunch items I had picked up from a convenience store on my way to the shrine.If you are in the area and want to enjoy these lovely views for yourself, I recommend going on a weekday as the weekend will bring crowds not just for the autumn colors but also for the important socio-religious shrine functions. As it was, on a Monday afternoon, we still saw a few kids in kimono for their shichi-go-san ceremonies and photographs. We even had to take a different route down from the shrine as wedding pictures were being taken along my normal route.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQlk-livingFri, 19 Nov 2021 16:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQlk-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbPxP-living_familylifeThe last few years have been challenging for most folks, and one of the hardest parts of living abroad in these trying times has to be working through grief and loss so far away from those we love who are still living in our home countries.One of the things I lost in early 2020 was contact with my grandmother. A few weeks after a heated discussion between us, her computer broke and fixing it was not really an option. I asked others for her phone number but never received it. I asked other relatives in the area if I could have her current address as she had moved to a new senior care facility before the pandemic, but I never had any confirmation that what I sent to that address got to its intended recipient.I said goodbye in my heart then, knowing that our weekly chats were at an end but hoping that we could see her when we got to visit after the pandemic was over. Maybe this time make sure my husband got to say hello as she loved him and didn't get a chance to see him in person when we last visited.We only met in person a few times, but she meant a lot to me. Not because she called or sent things to us when I was a kid, because that almost never happened. We lived on the other side of the country and most of her family lived in her town. She wasn't the grandma who babysat me or read to me or sang songs to make me laugh when I was sad. That was my mom's mom and she died when I was in college. My real relationship with my paternal grandmother only started 13 years ago. When I moved to Japan in 2008, I started writing letters to her. I thought it would be something neat I did during that-year-when-I-lived-abroad, but as my life in Japan continued, so did the letter exchange between us. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, I bought up every cute greeting card I could find and sent them out every single week until she was in remission.When she figured out how to use a computer, we started talking via video chat and she got to see my daughter grow up. She shared her stories and I shared mine. In 12 years of correspondence, we only had one disagreement and it came just a few weeks before our last chat ever.What the sky looked like the morning I found out. While no one has shared with me any details, I choose to believe that she passed away surrounded by love and knowing that she had done well. The family had a few days notice, just enough time to say goodbye, not enough time to facetime a geographically distant cousin, and now will make their own decisions regarding her possessions and heirlooms. As far as I am concerned, they can keep it all. I have a blanket that she sent me because she wanted to be warm. I have photographs she took of the paintings she was proud of and printed out just to send to me. I have memories of the time she sent me colby-jack cheese in the mail just because I couldn't get it here. While I am devastated and not getting to say goodbye, I know living out here is what pushed me to contact her and keep in contact with her. I had to be here, and she had to be there. So while my relatives fight over who gets what, I am relived to stay out here and remember a woman who loved me enough to send me cheese. Rest in peace, Grandma. Love you always.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbPxP-living_familylifeThu, 18 Nov 2021 12:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbPxP-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Zyl-living_healthThis new walking app from Niantic, the company that brought you Pokemon Go, and Nintendo, features new, adorable incentives for walking, a daily activity and emotion log, as well as some cute in-world bonuses.My daughter personally is in love with the little characters and their variations as well as their various accessories.When you start the game, you get a couple of Pikmin who only take about ten steps to grow into a fully formed little red dudes. These dudes will follow you around and bring you fruit. When you collect the fruit, you get nectar. When you feed them nectar, the flowers on their heads grow. Once the flowers are blooming, they will produce petals. Collect these petals when the Pikmin's flower is shining and then use those petals to plant flowers while you walk around in the real world. While PokemonGo requires walking a number of kilometers to hatch pokemon, in Pikmin you will grow new Pikmin for certain number of steps. The primary colors only require 1,000 steps each and as you level up, you encounter more variations that require more steps but produce more interesting pikmin.Poke gyms and poke stops are replaced in many cases by large flowers, which took me about a week to figure out. It turns out, to make the flowers bloom, you have to plant a certain number of blossoms near their base. It seems like the blossoms of the color planted most near that specific flower will be the color of that flower when it blooms. The blooming flower will on occasion create a large piece of fruit that will give a bunch of nectar of the corresponding color. You have to send your Pikmin out on an expedition to retrieve the large piece of fruit, but they grow in love when they return. When they have four filled hearts, they might ask to go grab a present and return with some kind of accessory.You will get Expedition options on a regular basis in which you can send your pikmin out to pick up something and bring it back to you. These things are usually large pieces of fruit for other Pikmin seedlings. A large, white 10,000 step seedling will give a Pikmin and some sort of accoutrement like a sticker or costume. The costumes are based on where the Pikmin seedling was picked up. For instance, if the seedling was picked up in a forest, the accessory might be a hat made from an acorn.The one thing about the game that I absolutely do not like other than how much it drains my phone battery is the money system. To get a single piece of gold, you must plant 500 flowers in game. For me, this means walking for between 20 and 30 minutes. The prices in the shop are similar to prices in the Pokemon Go shop, where one of your creatures staying in a gym for ten minutes earns a piece of gold.If you're in an area with a medium to low rate of gym turnover in Pokemon Go, you can easily make enough coins to buy raid passes and participate in a lot of extra activities in a very enjoyable way. Unfortunately in Pikmin Bloom, making money takes so much time and effort, so many petals made from so much nectar and so much walking, that it doesn't really work the same way.While I will continue growing my Pikmin and seeing what weird accessories they pull up, I will not be spending any money on this game. In my opinion, if you're so greedy for money that you have to make the in-game currency practically impossible to accrue enough of to matter, you don't deserve any real-world money from me. Still a fun way to walk, though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Zyl-living_healthTue, 16 Nov 2021 11:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Zyl-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKdv-living Planning on sending packages home to the US, Australia or Canada this year? You might not have the opportunity anymore, at least if you were planning on using affordable and reliable Japan Post. As of November 1st. Japan Post has stopped carrying any air mail of any parcel variety to these States or Australia, while a hold of several months may have been lifted for Canada.Found on the Japan Post website. While shipping to Canada was restricted for a few months this year, it seems that small parcels might be able to get through now but who knows how long that will last or when the US or Australia will be back to receiving Japanese parcels.In the past few months, shipping via Japan Post to the US has greatly increased in price, in some cases doubling or tripling the previous cost of shipping the same size package to the same address. Meanwhile, shipping to Australia had remained reasonable. Back in 2020, we saw a similar freeze on shipments to Australia and North America that lasted a few months in the spring and summer. That was at the peak of the beginning of the pandemic though. Now, those countries are all getting back on track and even Japan has seen a huge drop in Covid cases, but that seems to have no affect on our packages going nowhere fast. This is where updates regarding the news about which country can't get mail from you will be.If you're planning on sending anything to loved ones overseas via Japan post, check the Japan Post website regularly for updates and cross your fingers.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKdv-livingMon, 08 Nov 2021 20:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKdv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlodQ-living_deeperdivesA couple of years ago, this trend called kabedon (kabe =wall,don =bang)became a thing both on TV and presumably to some extent in the lives of some teenagers and young adults somewhere in Japan. In this action, the two normally stoic characters, a girl and a boy, will be standing near a wall. Neither of them is willing to talk about their feelings and both are obviously interested in each other. In an act of unbridled passion uncharacteristic of the natural reserved nature that is expected of people here in Japan, the male will lean in close to the female and smack the wall directly beside her head, showing her with his loud display how great his passions are. In the TV shows, this is where they lock eyes and finally understand that the other party is romantically interested. I'm telling you right now, if this had been common when my husband was young and he had tried this kind of crap before we were actually dating, I would never have dated him. I would have considered him aggressive in a way that is not interesting or safe. As far as I'm concerned there are about a thousand reasons not to like this including the fact that people in general are not always aware of how they themselves are feeling nor how the people around them are feeling. This is even worse in the case of young people who have a hard enough time dealing with their own hormones that perfectly guessing the interest of another cannot be expected, especially when completely understanding their own emotions is at best unlikely. How is he to know that she is actually interested in him? If she's not, this is terrifying. How was she to know that he's interested and expecting her to also be interested? I can think of numerous times as a teenager that I thought people were interested when they were not or realized too late that other people believed me to be interested when I was not. No one punched a wall next to my head to tell me of their affections, thankfully.In a country and culture where the very language females are supposed to use is forced into a level of politeness that men do not always have to apply, understanding when someone intends a romantic situation or is just being nice to you might be really challenging for anyone, especially some of the still-developing prefrontal cortex.I see kabedon as a huge danger signal. I can imagine being the receiver of this attention and feeling attacked, not knowing how to explain that this was not what I wanted while also feeling like the pounding on the wall is only inches from being pounding on my head when I reject him. I can also imagine being the boy who has gotten up all of his courage to try to show a girl he is interested only to smack into the wall and terrify her. Then he is left to wrestle his ego, urges, and hurt confusion, all while trying to save face after making what should have been a romantic gesture and is instead an act of aggression. We should not be suggesting these themes of aggression in romance toward our young people.Toilet spray corners Deodorizer to declare his feelings. If kabedon were implemented here, would she be excited? Scared? Petrified? Confused? The best time to find out is probably not after you punch the wall next to the head of the person you care about. "I want you so badly I need to punch this wall next to your head" should not be a normalized turn on. Everyone has their own kinks, but wall-punching as a normal teenage mating ritual should not be condoned. Perhaps deliberate and conscientious conversations about emotions are not sexy. Young people especially tend to prefer stories in which the action is fast and active. The idea of a slow maturing process isn't typically sought after in their fiction. Stories where the hero and heroine take books upon books and stories upon stories to finally get together aren't really aimed at the under-twenty crowd.But teaching boys that an act of aggression near their love interest's head is somehow romantic can be very dangerous. What if he's clumsy? He may stumble into her and damage either or both of them. If done very poorly, this could look very much like assault. As I've said before, boys in this situation being able to accurately predict the feelings of themselves or other people putting a lot on the shoulders of young people. Girls should not be raised to expect people punching things around their heads. Boys should not be expected to show aggression in order to earn favor.It is likely that this was not intended and a constant or regular activity, but I also find it disturbing as an ideal. We're still marking male aggression as a romantic positive which can be dangerous. Likewise, female submission is reprised and regarded favorably here. Both are bad calls if you want a society of people who understand and communicate emotions well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlodQ-living_deeperdivesSat, 06 Nov 2021 08:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlodQ-living_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBde-living_onlyinjapan_shiogama_shi_miyagiEvery time I leave my home and every time I come back from grocery shopping or work or getting my kid onto the school bus, I looked toward the bay. Our little part of the Pacific is only visible from my front door if you turn a certain way, but a nearby stairwell sports an uncommonly good view not only of Shiogama's port area but also of the islands further out in the bay.Part of my fascination with this view is because I wasn't raised in a place with access to the ocean and still find something to marvel at in the shifting waves. The postcard-like view of the islands at sunrise or sunset still excites me and is something that cannot be seen in my flat hometown far from the sea. Another part of my interest in this specific view can be attributed to that fact that this view from my building includes a pretty good view of Shiogama's fantastic shrine boats. They weren't always parked out there in the bay, but this is been they're location for years now and it's nice to see the bird and the dragon, colorful and splendid, just floating on the waves. Usually, these colorful vessels take the portable shrines from Shiogama Shrine out to the outlying islands during the summer port festival. As we haven't been able to have the festival for two years running due to the pandemic, we've instead had the pleasure of seeing the boats just hanging out in the bay all this time. That was until a few weeks ago when I looked out to see that the dragon boat was gone. Of course of the two my favorite will always be the dragon and he was suddenly gone. For the first few days, I thought it might just be restoration work that they would usually have performed just before the festival but had probably put on the backburner with the pandemic about. As the coronavirus wanes, the return to normal in the area might include cleaning up the boats so that they can make the next portable shrine trip around the islands soon.Where's the dragon? What did you do with the dragon?! Usually, in preparation for the port festival, the boats only disappear for about a week. When I checked back the next week, not only had the dragon not returned but the bird was gone, too.What is even happening?!?! Iwas actually a bit worried about this. What did they do with the boats? Are they gone? Is this like 10 years ago when they chose to move them from being docked really close to our side of the shore to the middle of the bay as they are now? Will I never see those gorgeous boats again?Spoiler alert: Yes. They're coming back. They're okay.Another week passed and I woke up one day to find that the dragon had returned, shiny as ever. The day before I'd seen a similarly shaped and colored boat on the docks rather close to where the shrine boats are usually kept these days, but the figurehead hadn't been visible from my point of view. Now I keep a lookout, waiting for the bird to join its companion. I'm sure it will also look better than ever.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBde-living_onlyinjapan_shiogama_shi_miyagiTue, 02 Nov 2021 19:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdBde-living_onlyinjapan_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAj1-living_howtoI recently found myself in need of some legal help, but finding more information from my homeland was not specifically beneficial. Living in Japan means living by the laws of Japan, so when you're facing some kind of legal trouble, where do you turn? Well, it turns out there is an English-speaking legal helpline. From the Yorisoi Facebook page: A Calendar for November 2021 detailing which foreign languages will be accessible via the free hotline on which days.For some reason parts of Tohoku that were hit by the 2011 tsunami are given a separate helpline. The helpline is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. most days, but a specific list of which languages are covered when is available on a calendar on their Facebook page. There's also a Facebook Chat option, though my results with it were not promising. I laid out as much of my issue as I could and received no immediate response. A few days later, they messaged back to let me know that a helpline via Facebook chat would be up on the Sunday of that week from 4PM to 10PM. While my matter was minor and I received enough help to make a decision before this, I still think it's wonderful that a free help line exists in chat as well as over the phone.Yorisoi's facebook page. Call the number and get help. Instead, I called the helpline but it took some time between my accent and the accent of the person who answered the phone for us both to more fully understand the depths of the problem I have had and what can be done about it. She asked if I could call back after a two-hour break so that she would have a chance to talk to her superior. When I did, I heard more questions which I answered and was told another call back was scheduled for later in the week. Sometimes these things will take some time to sort out, but it is free and accurate legal help.If your matter can wait a minute and all you are really looking for is some advice, this helpline can be pretty helpful. Honestly just explaining my situation and having the legal assistant ask questions helped me better emotionally deal with the legal problem I was having and put things into perspective.If you're living in a large city, you may have access to free legal counseling services from the Japanese Bar Association. If not, giving the Yorisoi hotline a call may be helpful. There is also the JLSC or Houterasu which also provides legal assistance specifically for foreigners in Japan. If you need legal assistance in Japan, don't worry. Help is out there if you know where to find it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAj1-living_howtoMon, 01 Nov 2021 17:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAj1-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2q4b-living_workA few weeks ago, I wound up in the unfortunate position basically being told I'm poor, or at least poorer than the speaker had assumed. I don't know what exact information this assumption of perceived wealth was based on, but the assessment stung nonetheless.While the person didn't know me well enough to understand any of my life choices or what brought me to the place that I'm happy to be in now, the part of me that was always an excellent student took this message like a failing report card straight to my over-achieving heart. I spent the next week flustered, picking through every recent life choice in an attempt to figure out how I had managed to fail a test I had never agreed to take in the first place. Where had the money gone? Why wasn't there more money? What could I do to force money to spring up out of the ground? In the end, it was a lot of anxiety for no real gains. Right now, I am doing what I can. That is enough for me and my family. That is enough.If you're a person has been working and living abroad during the pandemic, the fact that you're continuing to live is already awesome and amazing. If you're managing to do that while holding down some kind of job, generating income in a way that isn't entirely unsafe, you should be proud. If you're raising a child at the same time, you are simply a badass. Anyone who makes you feel inferior because you're not dragging in the big bucks while dealing with all of these other factors is not someone you should generally listen to. While I knew all of this a few weeks ago, and I took pride in the things that I had mended around my house, one negative evaluation was enough to send my mind into a negative hell-scape where those proud stitches were evidence of poverty instead and something I should be ashamed of having to perform.Cleverly patched jeans or desperately patched jeans? Maybe it depends on the size of your paycheck.The fact is I'm a round American woman and clothes here generally don't fit me. If I don't mend the things that fit, I don't get to have things that fit. I should be proud of the fact that I can save another pair of jeans from the garbage. More to the point, I am a mother in a country that doesn't have that many affordable child-care options in my area. Honestly, even if safe and cheap childcare existed here, I would still prefer to have that time with my kid and I am lucky to be in a position where I get to make that a priority. Many parents the world over don't get to have evenings and weekends with their kids even if the work they do at that time just barely covers the cost of living and child care combined. If you also have made the choice of less work and a lower overall paycheck in return for being able to invest that time in taking care of your family, please know that what you're doing is still an investment and still has value even if other people don't understand it without dollars or yen attached.If I can help it, I won't let anyone else charge into my life and tell me how much it sucks ever again. I get to love my life. I hope you find a way to love yours too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2q4b-living_workThu, 28 Oct 2021 10:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2q4b-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpYKZ-drink_productThis limited edition beverage is on the shelves at most convenience stores. I found it in October of 2021 at a 7-Eleven in Miyagi alongside the other energy drinks of similar size and price.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpYKZ-drink_productFri, 22 Oct 2021 12:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpYKZ-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQRg-foodWeeks before the first cold wind swept through and the leaves began to change in Miyagi, I felt a familiar urge. The autumns of my youth had very little value as they were just that short time after the boiling summer and before the seemingly random drop between a comfortable warmth and sudden onsets of winter weather that never lasted long. Our leaves did not change gradually. A sudden freeze would roll in sometime around the end of October and render all of the green brown.My first real experiences with autumn came after my move to Japan and were enjoyed far south of where I live now. A small town in Gifu prefecture was the first Japanese place I called home and it had lots of local charm with wonderful views of nature. The town itself wasn't known for much but one thing they did very well was a chestnut sweet called kurikinton.I fell in love with the little treats right away, with the creamy but still nutty insides and their distinct chestnut flavor without the overpowering sugar of almost any American snack . Soon I found myself nibbling the freshly made sweets at least once a week at the gift counter at the main big box grocery store in town. At the tune of 200 yen per treat, they were a tiny indulgence and a great way to experience my first real autumn.I've mentioned how much I miss kurikinton to a few of my students and friends in this prefecture, but this doesn't usually go anywhere good. Once, I received commercially produced bags of mushed chestnuts, ready for me to make them into something else, but that was absolutely not something I was ready to do. Sadly, I'm just not so desperate for kurikinton that I'm willing to try to make it myself especially when I am still living in the country of its origin. I did find the treat on the shelves of the fancy snack shops under one of the department stores in Sendai some time ago, but I am not risking my life for the treat right now. They are delicious, but not good enough to make up for the risk of hospitalization or potentially infecting my kid who isn't able to get the vaccine yet.One of the few algorithm-based ads to show up on my feed and actually entice me for half a second was for this treat. I knew I wouldn't be able to condone the purchase of a whole set of these, but it doesn't mean I didn't want some.Those things on the left? That's them!About a week later, one of my students actually gifted me a selection of sweets that included the lovely little chestnut sweets. Unfortunately I had to wait about a week to try to eat it with my family, at which point they weren't as delicious as I had hoped or remembered. So the one time I finally get the treat I want, I delayed too long and it was no longer delicious. Or perhaps that's also the curse of nostalgia. As much as I enjoyed these when they were my first taste of real autumn, nothing can really stand up to the surprise and joy of the memory.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQRg-foodThu, 21 Oct 2021 12:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQRg-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lvQ-living_shoppingAs Halloween creeps up on us, let me share something delightfully creepy that happened to me the last month, just as I was searching for a new book to tackle before NaNoWriMo in November.I had a weird knock at my door that led me to chase down a delivery guy, finding him at the elevator only as it closed. He got off at the next floor and raced up the stairs to hand me a book. This book was a Thriftbooks order that for some reason appeared in white packaging. I opened it later and remembered ordering that book a few weeks prior. Weirdly, when I checked the mailbox later, I found another book inside. Both books were delivered the same day bu the same post office and only one was brought to my door. Why wouldn't they have come out this way at the same time?The book from the mailbox was in the green Thriftbooks packaging I had grown used to, but I didn't remember ordering any other books like this at this time. On the elevator, I ripped the package open to find kind of ghastly sight. I've never heard of this author or this book. I thought what most people would think getting a nice creepy book in the mail right before the month that includes Halloween: It must be one of my friends. I immediately went to my most active social media and posted, asking who sent me the creepy book. After a full day of poking at the few people I know who enjoy sending books through Thriftbooks, none of whom had sent me this book, I went back to the post to see that many other people were freaked out but no one knew who sent me this book. After hearing that the only other book I had ordered and not yet received was a kids book, one friend asked if this one might have eaten the other. Of course not, I wrote back while pondering if some mix-up in the system had somehow "eaten" The Very Busy Squirrel and spit this out in its place. But maybe I had ordered it by mistake? I went back through my Thriftbooks account to see what may have transpired when I was half awake and I saw no evidence of this book. I cross-checked fans of this author with people I know and found no one. I then checked the addresses on the two labels for the two books that came that day and found no difference. That meant it had to be sent from my Thriftbooks account or by someone who had that exact information because there are a multitude of ways to write my address and I had never supplied my friends with the pattern on these labels.The book is hardcover and is ex-library, hailing from the somewhat mystically named Sno-Isle. It took a little bit of Internet research to realize that to Sno-Isle is a library belonging to a Native American reservation in Washington State. It was a weird aside but offers no other important information as the book was sent through Thriftbooks which works with a number of second-hand book shops and libraries all over the world.One of the things I love about Thriftbooks is their reward system. You get points for every purchase when you sign up for free and every 500 points gets you a free book. The next time you put a second-hand book of the right price range in your shopping cart, you'll only pay shipping which is actually usually reasonable. If you spend more than a certain amount within a year, your level increases so the number of points per purchase goes up too. Buy more books, get more books. Previous to this year, there were only two options, the early form of people who spend less than fifty bucks on books per year and the later form, called Literati, who spend more than $100 on books in the same time period. As I tend to use this not just for my own reading pleasure but also to give gifts to my friends in the states without paying the high shipping rate from Japan, I have been Literati for more than a year now.What I didn't know until I was looking this up was that the Literati have also gained a special perk called Surprises and Delights.Nowhere on the website or in any FAQ I could find discusses what exactly a surprise or Delight would entail, but is it is my assessment that the algorithms at play or the people who looked at my order history probably saw that this book needed to be sent away and decided that my house was a great place for it to go. So my friend who sent me the creepy book was actually the company that sends creepy books to me anyway. I did ask them on Twitter and they did not respond.The squirrel lives, by the way. It arrived a couple of days later.So far, I've read half of the book. It is a collection of 12 short stories. One third of the short stories have genuinely delighted me and one third have genuinely disgusted me. I'm going to do my best to finish the book before Halloween.Here's hoping that all of your Halloween surprises are also delightful.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lvQ-living_shoppingWed, 20 Oct 2021 19:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lvQ-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8mk-living_healthAfter another stressful week of life in the pandemic, I have rediscovered my love of a basic workout. As I have mentioned before, my preferred workout involves a TV show and something like a drinking game but with exercises substituted for alcohol. As luck would have it my chosen workout TV show, Ash Versus the Evil Dead, has a new third season available on Netflix in Japan. The problem with a TV show like this is it every season sees some changes and likewise my workouts had to adapt.I realized in restarting this process that on my previous list included workout moves that I just do not remember. When I'm not entirely sure what some of these things are, they become really hard to do when I am in the middle of watching a TV show at the same time. For this reason, I suggest that anyone doing this with any show chooses moves you already know and keep in mind that the most important thing is to keep moving. If you thought when you were writing your list that jumping jacks would be fine, but in the moment they are weirdly painful, don't do them. Choose an alternative workout on the fly or just keep jogging in place. Again, the important thing is to keep moving. The goal of the workout is not to specifically note every single move that you wrote down on the paper. Instead, just continuing getting your body moving and working your muscles out is more important.Apologies for the handwriting. A lot of this was jotted down during a workout.Accuracy is not really the goal. No one in your living room is judging whether or not your push-ups were in perfect form. Continual motion is the real target here. Squeezing in a workout with a TV show that you're invested in increases the likelihood that you will actually continue working out at least until you're done with that show or that season. It doesn't have to be every day, and for me it definitely is not. I'm lucky if I can squeeze in two workouts a week between my kid having randomly occurring days off of school and my husband taking random days off of work. Nothing ruins the flow of exercise like having to stop and explain a plot point to someone who hasn't been watching the show or having to shut off the definitely not child-appropriate program because someone entered the room.October is a great month to enjoy something spooky and if you're into horror, feel free to borrow my workout or adapt your own. Let me know how it works out for you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8mk-living_healthMon, 18 Oct 2021 10:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8mk-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkm0A-living_familylife_miyagi If you're a parent in Miyagi looking for a good place to get a couple of cute shots of the kids as we finally welcome this autumn, Yakurai Garden was just the place to go in early October. Not only were the roses, which apparently are so notable that this is what the park is known for, in bloom, but also the fields of color that are also famous at this location were picture-postcard ready. In addition, the paths between the entrance and the rainbow striped field were lined with hay bales wrapped in orange plastic which are made up to look like a massive jack-o'-lanterns. Around each of these unique jack-o-lantern replicas sat a collection of smaller plastic pumpkins to complete the look. The entry fee is modest though the bathrooms are cramped so going before you go, especially if there are small children in your group, is advisable. Since so much of the fun stuff is outside in the open air, it was a much less scary autumn photographic opportunity comparing to so other options, even when the event itself draws a fairly big crowd as it did on the weekend when we attended. Sadly, I later found out that that had been the last weekend of this event, but it is something to keep an eye out for next year if you're in the area.In one area before the colorful hills, a small field was decked out not just in another assortment of the giant hay-filled jack-o-lanterns but also with hammocks. While my family chose not to put our whole bodies into these suspended sack-like structures that other people had been using all day, it would be hard not to admit that the experience looked like fun. More fun without a pandemic, though.Toward the top of the path, near the flower-striped hill, there are a number of trees with little placards like this, commemorating weddings held at the location in the chapel on the premises. One tree had a QR code instead. My husband insisted that it was part of some scavenger hunt. On the way back, I checked it with my phone. The code linked to a Japanese riddle, which my husband solved but it led us to no other interesting clues.The striped field was gorgeous and had many great photo opportunities, many of which were being utilized by other families as we walked by. We waited in line so that my kid could have a turn ringing the bell that sits atop a platform in the middle of the flowering fields. All in all, it was a great time. We loved it, even with all the people about.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkm0A-living_familylife_miyagiThu, 14 Oct 2021 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkm0A-living_familylife_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAX0-living_deeperdivesWith a new season of Kimetsu no Yaiba coming out this winter, one Japanese TV station recently ran the whole first series again, from start to finish including the movie. There is no doubting that this anime is extremely popular, as the Mugen Train movie became the highest grossing Japanese movie of all time. My initial draw to the series was related to the traditional patterns on fabrics and accessories inspired by the show which takes place in the Taisho era of the early 1900s. Anything even vaguely historical tends to interest me and anything that could make my kid also care about history is even better, but there are some major detractors in this show especially when you're showing it to young children.It's not just the gore, but there is a lot of blood and guts. This is one of the few anime primarily marketed to children to actively horrify both my child and me with the visceral imagery. There are elements that are extremely graphically violent in a way that most programs meant for people under the age of 12 do not usually engage in. Parents of children who are sensitive to bodily harm or violence should be cautious when viewing if they haven't already learned this the hard way.As my kid had already watched all of Jojo's Bizarre Adventures with her father by the time Kimetso No Yaiba came out, her excitement over the popular anime overwhelmed my desire to avoid violent shows. Since she didn't have any problems with the former, I made the assumption that this would be about the same. Overall, this wasn't exactly wrong, though she did have some scenes she turned away from while re-watching with her dad.As bloody as it is, that's not the only thing that bothers me. In a country that has never heard of the Bechdel test, inventing a show with a strong female fighter as a main character but then also gagging her for the majority of the show is probably unsurprising. Japan still has a lot of blatant sexism ingrained in the society in ways that aren't always easy to recognize or address especially from within.One reason I had initially been excited about the show was the opportunity to show my daughter a strong female pop culture character from her home country. If you have similar desires, stick with Ghibli films, where female characters are strong, vocal, and capable on their own accord.Tanjiro and Nezuko on kid's instant ramenWhen we first meet the main characters, everyone is happy and human, but this will not last. When oldest brother Tanjiro returns from selling charcoal, he finds his whole family murdered by a demon and only his closest sister surviving with a faint pulse. As he carries her body through the woods to the next town, she awakens and attacks him. It turns out that she had been turned into a demon but her love for her brother keeps her from killing him. A nearby woodsman finds them, rescues the boy and chooses not to kill the girl. With the careful guidance and mind control techniques of the skilled recluse, they manage to convince Nezuko that every human is a member of her beloved (deceased) family and every demon must be killed. Having control over her physical size, she shrinks to fit inside of a box that her brother carries during the day so as to avoid the demon-deadly sunlight. She is fitted with a bamboo muzzle which she never removes for fear that her hunger for human flesh would overpower the mind control and endanger everyone around her.Nezuko is the only main female character for most of the story and she never gets to speak outside of whimpers and hums after the first episode. I worry about the message this sends to children as it seems really clearly unfair to me. Girls, especially those with traumatic pasts, must be muzzled for fear of inconveniencing the people who must take care of them, as they can clearly not take care of themselves. Their rage is only valuable if they are under someone else's control. They are only powerful as someone else's weapon.There is a positive in this story as the brother embraces his emotions and cries more than the average male protagonist in a kids anime. He gets scared and learns how to fight better so he can do something other than just be scared and cry. Teaching everyone that boys are allowed to have complex emotions and working through them is the path to better living is a positive. I just wish the female main character got a similarly positive story arc.Maybe the young folks of this country won't internalize this in this way, but it still feels off to me. When the brother trains to become an official demon slayer, defending his demonic sister while hunting down the monsters who murdered their family, he occasionally gets help from other people. Sometimes those people are female, but the females are always in the company of at least one male of equal or higher value. In the final episodes of the season, the siblings are brought before the demon slaying expert group and aside from servants, females represent less than half of the elite demon slaying squad. The characters there are display great levels of ability, loyalty and respect (and potentially some level of autistic spectral representation) but they only show up for the last few episodes and one of them is still almost incapable of speech.While this anime shows boys that it's okay to cry and grow, I really wish female main characters got to grow in similar ways, rather than the main example instead shrinking to fit into someone else's box.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAX0-living_deeperdivesFri, 08 Oct 2021 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAX0-living_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdB0J-living_workAt the end of September, I saw one of my students for the first time since before Obon, back in August. The class was a little sluggish but went smoothly enough because I remembered to keep things relaxed.As we meander our way through this ongoing pandemic, it's clear that anyone with an income that relies on other people being available and places being open will sometimes see hiccups that cost us some money and time. This tediousness can be frustrating both as an educator and as a human being with bills to pay. While we get things back up and rolling, some may feel the need to go above and beyond with any returning classes, but this ignores several key elements we really need to keep an eye on during this trying time.It might still be cloudy, but sometimes the clouds are pretty, and sometimes that's as good as it gets.Reasons to Not Overdo It1) Overwhelming Your Student.Keep in mind that every body is having a weird time. The whole pandemic thing has caused number changes to our daily lives and ongoing stress for many people, students, teachers, and parents alike. If your student has serious, time sensitive English goals, make sure they transition to a digital class option if possible so things like a head cold or sudden government shutdown of buildings doesn't negatively impact their learning opportunities. For anyone else, especially someone coming back from a break, keep things easy and fun as much as possible. Try to use some simple, repetitive games when necessary and review a lot. Stress impacts memory and it's likely worse for non-essential memory tasks like learning a second language as a hobby.2) Overwhelming Yourself.That stress of prolonged pandemic survival isn't just on your students. Being abroad while this thing is happening has been extremely stressful for me as I'm not just worried about my daughter, husband, in-laws, local friends, and self but also all my family in countries handling the pandemic differently and not always better. If you are trying to charge forward to avoid dealing with everything else, burnout may be on the horizon if it isn't happening already. Slow down and find something to enjoy every day. If you're reading this, you are still alive and that means you can do something for yourself today. Even if all you can manage is the smallest gesture of self-love, do it when you can so that you can better take care of yourself and therefor be better able to take care of your students. What did you do for you today? How did you help yourself?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdB0J-living_workThu, 07 Oct 2021 13:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdB0J-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2q63-shopping_howtoThe Olympics may be over but some of your friends back in your home country may be asking for goods from the games for the sake of memorabilia or for the upcoming winter holidays. I received a couple of such requests and went about trying to find answers in the most direct, and in this case incorrect, way. I had seen some Olympics goods at the main branch of the post office in my city. When I went to check it out in person, I only found a couple of lapel pins and keychains. My friend had asked specifically for stamps and postcards, but the post office had none of them at all.The Sanki in my area still has socks with Olympic logos, characters, and sports available for 500 yen per pair, but it still surprised me that something like a postcard was so difficult to manage otherwise. Eventually I came to look for the goods online and found all the answers I needed.For Olympic stamps, this part of the Japan Post website sells sets ranging from a collector's edition, three page album for 10,000 yen to the more reasonable set of 10 stamps for 840 yen featuring the logos for the Olympic and Paralympic torch relay. In addition to other collectible stamps, the site also offers some cool postcards, too. Shipping isn't great, but it's literally the only way to get these items in my area.For other Olympic and Paralympic goods, check out this site, which still has some pretty neat memorabilia available despite this late date and seems to be planning to stay online until the goods sell out. There is even a sale going on now for a lot of the remaining merchandise so there is no time like the present to take a look especially if you have any Olympics enthusiasts on your holiday shopping list.While many of the uniquely Japanese items like kimono were selling out back in August, some pricier items are still available at discount and some other deals still exist, too. If you buy the map postcards (above) from here, be warned that they will be twice the size of regularly made postcards and cost more to send if you plan to mail them.There is a warning on the second site listed here that C.O.D. deliveries to hotels or AirBNB addresses will not be permitted, so ship this to your more long-term home in Japan or pay some other way instead. If you're in the market for Olympic merchandise, it's not too late to make a couple of choice online purchases.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2q63-shopping_howtoWed, 06 Oct 2021 09:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2q63-shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Z7O-living_food_healthEating is vital but pandemic burnout can mean that we don't always have the energy to cook. That said, going out to eat isn't strictly advisable either. How can we make this work and avoid a diet exclusively of convenience store meals and grocery store bento? Enter delivery service DoorDash.Living in a small town in Japan has generally meant that the only deliver option was Strawberry Cones, a Japanese chain of overpriced pizza restaurants. While I am extremely lucky to be in a location where a great pizza place and decent curry both exist within walking distance, the pandemic has cut down on how far I am willing to drag my kid in public to obtain dinner. A walk to either of these shops or the nearby grocery store would be emotionally and financially draining any year, but now all of these trips are also dangerous.I've heard about some Japanese taxi services taking up with UberEats or similar online food ordering options during the pandemic but never bothered to look for them until a recent hiccup with the Strawberry Cones website left me scrambling for dinner options.That's when I stumbled upon DoorDash, which shockingly actually services my area, unlike UberEats or DiDi, which both celebrated coming to Miyagi by limiting their services to a few wards of Sendai city only.Lots of options, easy delivery. All you need is a credit card to pay and the AU Wallet Prepaid card will do.DoorDash is adding new restaurants to my delivery area pretty regularly as different shops realize the benefit of offering delivery. The prices are a little higher than they would be if you showed up in person to order the food, which is why we are limiting our orders to places that we can't easily get to on foot or aren't marked up terribly. Prices from the curry shop were increased by about 100 yen per item, while the price on a popular pizza from my favorite pizza place practically doubled on the app.Some places give a huge lead time on the order. This one still arrived within 60 minutes. I am much more fond of ordering from places I just can't get to on foot, like KFC, Pizza Hut, and an independent burgers from a little shop I've never even seen before.The app sends an alert when the food leaves the restaurant and when your deliverer or "dasher" is in your area.There's also a great deal currently open in the app in my area. If you order from any of the restaurants in the 30 or 3000 group and it takes more than 30 minutes to fill your order, you will receive a coupon worth 3000 yen off of your next order. These coupons are sent to the email account registered to the app and expire 14 days after issuance. One caveat is that there is a limit of 12000 yen in coupons per account, which means after 4 coupons, you're not getting anymore. Still, 12,000 yen in discounts on family dinners doesn't suck.Want a little discount anyway? Feel free to use my referral code and we both win! https://drd.sh/z05jkzEVpCW5OBd1 At the end of the day, these delivery services provide a great option to get dinner you don't have to make without the risk of going to the restaurant yourself. While they are a little pricier, some of these deals are worth it, especially if you can get the discounts, too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Z7O-living_food_healthMon, 04 Oct 2021 10:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5Z7O-living_food_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnyko-living_fashion_onlyinjapan This flyer was shoved in my mailbox the other day and it took me some time to figure out what it meant. Despite their being cartoonish characters on it and plenty of other information to decipher from, my half-awake mind could not process what it was trying to sell.Hipster McNeck-beard seems concerned about the thoughts of Mrs Housewife. I did finally use google translate on my phone to get a basic idea of what was going on and only then did the before and after pictures make sense. The service offered here is men's hair removal. While an American advertisement for similar procedures might suggest usage on the back or stomach, this one specializes in the face.Can you grow a beard? Wouldn't you rather have patchy scraggle? Only $200 for 3 sessions! With my progressive western mindset, I usually feel that body modification is in the eye of the beholder. If someone has serious issues or dysmorphia about something, getting it surgically altered might be in line with saving their life. That said, the western part of my mind is surprised to see mustache and beard removal actually advertised to men here. It always seemed like a right of passage in the states. The first chest hair or chin hair or wisp of a mustache was the mark of a boy transitioning into manhood. At least, that's what it always looked like on TV. Japan is different of course and overly hairy Asian men are seen as not-Japanese-enough, which still baffles me a bit. This east-Asian ideal seems to be a trim man of average height whose cropped mane of jet black hair stays perfectly styled and thick while not a single hair grows between his eyebrows and groin. As attracted as I am to some Asian men, I find this ideal bizarre and uncomfortable. I'm not entirely sure if it's the way a hairless chest can indicate a lack of maturity that I find alarming or just the fact that what attracts me to my mate has nothing to do with how stereotypically Japanese they may appear. My husband has a distinct five-o-clock shadow that grows spiky in the hours between his morning shave and going to bed at night. If he so chose and his job permitted it, he would have little problem growing a beard. He also has a smattering of chest hair. I have no problem with any of these things but he has always been troubled by the chest hair. As much as I love him and want him to be happy with his body, I also don't need him spending $200 to get rid of something I find attractive about him. When it comes down to it, if he told me he wanted to permanently get rid of his chest hair or any other hair on his body, I wouldn't feel like it was my place to tell him not to. It is his body and he should make it work for himself. At the same time, I did not hesitate to crumple this ad up and throw it in the garbage. Only in Japan would the hair removal ad celebrate making a grown man look more like a teenage boy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnyko-living_fashion_onlyinjapanThu, 30 Sep 2021 20:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnyko-living_fashion_onlyinjapanhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bnq-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiClimate change is well upon us as most of us are fully aware, but you might notice some friends, family, and colleagues here in Japan dressing based on the seasons according only to the calendar. As of September 23rd, autumn has officially come even if the temperatures even up here in Miyagi are still topping out at 27 degrees. A couple of days before the equinox, my husband donned full-length slacks and a new sweatshirt as we walked out into an unseasonably warm, sunny day. Meanwhile I was still rocking shorts with a short sleeved dress, partially because they're still the most comfortable thing I have in my closet.Where I come from, we pick our clothes based on what we see on the thermometer (or the weather forecast, or the sky) and not what the calendar says. Texas has never had the regimented seasonal change that Japan is so fond of. While Japan may have four seasons, Texas can do four seasons in one day. Even after spending a third of my life in Japan, this is where my mind is when it comes to dressing for the day.The signs that Autumn is coming are still few and far between, but one of the big things I can point to easily is the change in front of HonShiogama station.The Year of the Cow painting, in a photo taken back in January of this year.The cow painting is gone. The little cow statue remains, masked and on its pedestal.Year of the cow may not be over yet, but the painting from the shrine celebrating the yearly animal zodiac has disappeared and in a few weeks, a new one will arrive with the painting to celebrate the animal signifier of the coming year. This is a change that happens every fall and I am happy that I have grown accustomed to it. When I first noticed this change years ago, I was shocked and thought that perhaps they were doing away with this tradition entirely. I was really upset for a couple of weeks, only to be delighted when a new painting appeared further into the season. Meanwhile, my daughter's tomato plant continues to bloom like it might still be spring. It seems like every day I come out to the balcony to find another few little yellow flowers blooming and ready to make something delicious. We didn't have the heart to kill the plant at the end of her summer project and she cited the belief that more blossoms were about to grow in her homework as a reason why she had not assessed the roots of her assumedly dead plant. Hopefully our lovely little green orbs have a chance to mature before it actually gets cold enough to hurt them. So while the leaves haven't changed up here yet and the painting of the annual zodiac has disappeared, at least the warm autumn might allow for one more cherry tomato harvest before the year is out and for that I am tremendously grateful.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bnq-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiTue, 28 Sep 2021 14:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bnq-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyo4-foods_productA favorite summer treat, kakigori, the mound of shaved ice with fruity syrup and sweetened condensed milk, is also available for less than 150 yen at 7-11 in Japan, at least during summer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyo4-foods_productSat, 25 Sep 2021 21:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyo4-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOnY-drink_productAn interesting energy drink from Real Gold, offered in a cool black can with a red dragon in front of a golden lightning bolt on the label, twice the size of a regular can of Real Gold with a different flavor and price range.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOnY-drink_productSat, 25 Sep 2021 21:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOnY-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQK9V-living_education_familylifeBack in August, we took my daughter to the aquarium because it was a day off from school that was not a national holiday and the crowds would be sparse. It was also her birthday. On the bus to school the next day, she told her friends all about it and they responded by bragging about how many times each of them had been to the same aquarium during summer break. Ignoring how much more danger they had put themselves in and the fact that my kid may have been trying to brag, she came home less than happy about the event.In an attempt to cheer her up and remind her of how many special moments she has all to herself, I asked how many of her classmates had flown internationally or been to America. She shrugged. I reminded her that she has been to my home country three times and seen several different states, having exciting adventures in each. My intension was to remind her that while the other kids have been to the aquarium, that shouldn't make her experiences less special.For a country whose youth apparently feels America is 99% Gun Violence, they sure do like using our city and state names on clothes.My intensions did not come through apparently as the next morning saw her bragging about going to America and asking the rest of the kids if they had ever been there. The response from these wealthy Japanese girls wasn't just a plain negative as that wouldn't allow their pride to swell. Instead they went on about how gun violence is all that ever happens in America so of course they would never go to such an awful place.My daughter was in tears and plugged her ears. When she told me about this, I was livid. She is obviously half-Caucasian and anyone listening would know she was talking about something she had done. They could not have been ignorant of the fact that their response caused pain, yet they said it loud and proud and en masse.The silver lining here is that the next day, word had apparently found its way to someone higher up in the school and the group of kids was given a nice lecture from the school nun regarding appropriate conversational topics including why we don't need to brag and why bullying someone is wrong. Since this chat, my kid has stopped trying to win the bragging game and the other kids have stopped trying to make her feel like dirt for having access to a level of internationalism that they simply do not have.Meanwhile in Shiogama, I am still at odds with this event. On the one hand, gun violence in America is one of the things that concerns me about options like moving back there one day. I am much more comfortable in Japan where maybe I can't read all the labels but at least my kid never has to do active shooter drills. At the same time, I love my home country and there are many wonderful things about it. The kids here have a sensationalized idea of what the gun problem in the US looks like, but that's not to say it doesn't exist. At least my kid has the experience to know that the place her mommy comes from isn't just guns and terror.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQK9V-living_education_familylifeFri, 24 Sep 2021 17:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQK9V-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmdL-living_money_workA couple of weeks ago thanks to a spike in coronavirus cases in many prefectures, states of emergency were declared. Now for most people who have something like a nine-to-five job, this probably didn't have much of an impact other than a general urge to spend more of their free time at home. In fact it's well-known that the state of emergency in Japan, while the declaration of such may sound serious, do not actually "have teeth" which means nothing is seriously enforceable. Restaurants still stay open though they're asked close early and kids still go to school. Things are mostly normal, unless they're not.I feel good about my current jobs and that I'm not limited to just one source of income. This is important right now as any single piece of the machine can fall out of place, like when a regular private student is no longer comfortable taking classes in person but is too unskilled with technology to manage remote video lessons instead. When the state of emergency was declared for Miyagi, one of the places where I have class decided to cancel all engagements for the length of the state of emergency. I think the building is government-run which is why the regulations had more value, but in the end I don't feel like they shouldn't. It is unfortunate for me especially because there's no plan B for a place for our class. There's nowhere safer then the place that we've already chosen to have class and if we can't have class there, it's better if we just avoid class for the moment. There goes about one-third of my normal grocery money for the next 2 weeks.The kindergarten that I teach at up to twice a month also declared a need for a break. Of course they didn't have to do this just because of the state of emergency but it was a choice made to keep the school safer for the children. I don't disagree, but there's another $50 out of my pocket.Financial planning during the pandemic looks a bit like this. There are hiccups and flat bits where everything was mostly solid before, but a good normal, a normal like we were used to is coming if we just figure out how to hold on.If you're like me and feeling a little screwed by the pandemic, there are only a few things we can do.First, we can try to cut excess expenditure so we were more financially prepared for the next time jobs suddenly stop. Also it is good to be thankful for whatever jobs we get to do right now as it's just not easy to make these things work these days. If you have a brain like mine that looks at the suddenly appearing holes in your income and jumps to reasons like, "I guess I'm just not a good enough teacher..." STOP. Stop right now and tell that voice to go away. You didn't start the pandemic and it's not your fault that it's still going on. Your students trying to find a way to be safe is a good thing, even if it isn't actually comfortable right now. Hang on, try to be polite and understanding, and practice self-care with whatever free time you now have.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmdL-living_money_workThu, 09 Sep 2021 12:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmdL-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyX4-living_shopping_fashion_deeperdivesWhen I was a kid, every year meant a bunch of new expenses for my parents as school started and undoubtedly the list of school supplies required by the schools would come in. We would race off to one of the big box stores and our cart would fill up with construction paper, notebook, binders, pens, and so many other things we were just expected to have. Every year, one item not on the list but always in our cart would be a backpack.In the same spirit as the famous quote by Sir Terry Pratchett on the expense of being poor, we could never invest much in a backpack and they would always inevitably give out, sometimes within the same semester of purchase. As far as I can remember, no bag ever cost more than twenty dollars, but that wasn't an amount of money anyone in my family could just throw away either. Eventually I started trying to mend the broken bags and stitch together the fraying nylon before things completely fell apart, but that was only after murdering around a dozen backpacks with heavy textbooks and long walks home.Coming to Japan, I knew nothing of the school culture as it concerns bags. I was warned that kids usually have many after school activities and bags for each, but that was as far as I understood any of it.My kid, my opposite, with her bag more expensive than my wedding dress.Imagine my shock when I first encountered the randoseru (ランドセル), a hard leather backpack children here are expected to use for the entirely of elementary school. The prices were what got my attention right off. The mid-range at Aeon then seemed to be around 60,000 yen then. $600? For a backpack?My Japanese husband did not understand my confusion. These items are ubiquitous and considered absolutely necessary. On the positive side, a recent search of Aeon's website led me to understand the current cheapest new option is only 28,000 yen. While that it's still three times the cost of all of my elementary school bags added together, the important thing is that there are options for some families on budgets despite the overall average cost of the randoseru increasing every year in the last decade.Recently, these expensive bags even showed up inexplicably in the Karate Kid spin-off, Kobra Kai, as a gift that Danny Russo brings back from Japan for his teenage daughter. Considering that the plot involved him having to fix a faulty business deal that was about to bankrupt him, I was stuck wondering what on earth would possess him to buy that as a souvenir for a teenager.Apparently, for those who enjoy anime or Japanese TV shows with characters in that age range, these things are special and so uniquely Japanese to be worth the expense. Others, including some American actresses, seem to think of it as any leather bag, theoretically fashionable.But why is something so connected to Japan only known by a katakana name? Where did that name come from anyway? As usual when confronted with an unfamiliar katakana word, I played around with the spellings and sounds until I confirmed that it could not be English. (Land-o-cell? What kind of phone is that?)As it turns out, according to wikipedia the word comes from German, specifically the word for soldier, landser, who traditionally carried a similar style of bag. Other sources instead state that the word came from a Dutch word for backpack, ransel. Either way, some European, military-style bag somehow became the only backpack for Japanese elementary school students and I can't be the only person wondering how that happened. Back in the 1800s, Japan was modernizing and instituting standard public school options around the country. Most kids at that point were carrying their materials to school in furoshiki cloths or simple bags, but then the crowned prince of Japan started elementary school. Two years earlier, an educational institute in Tokyo had banned their elite students from having their servants carry in their materials for them in an attempt to promote equality between social classes in school. The randoseru had been available at that time and people were encouraged to use them instead. While it isn't clear how well that caught on in Tokyo's upper class, when the little emperor-to-be started school, he did it with a randoseru on his back and others quickly followed suit. Within the metropolitan areas, ransoseru became common while kids in the countryside continued to use simpler and cheaper methods until the economic advancement of post-WWII Japan. While it might not be an actual rule in public schools, use of the randoseru is so expected that any kid without one stands out in a way that kids here tend not to want to do. Luckily, some areas have begun using recycling programs to give life to old, well maintained randoseru while saving kids from less fortunate families from the shame of going without. Would you use a randoseru as a handbag? If you have kids, do they use one?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyX4-living_shopping_fashion_deeperdivesTue, 07 Sep 2021 11:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyX4-living_shopping_fashion_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyW9Y-living_medical_familylifeJapanese childcare in general seems predicated on parents with the ability to cancel all plans for any day of the week that something might occur to, around or for their children. Thanks to the excellent healthcare system, most families naturally opt to take their children to the hospital or clinic for any little problem whatsoever. Why not when all it costs is time?One difference that this creates in product availability is over-the-counter cold and sinus medication for children. When everything from seeing a doctor to getting a prescription filled is financially covered by the government, why wouldn't you opt for taking an afternoon off to take care of your kid? This is the reasoning I used to explain why I couldn't even find cough syrup on the shelves of my local drug store a few years ago.Times have changed and so have people. The fact is that some of us working parents don't have that option of taking the time off to race to the doctor's office for a case of the sniffles. Others might be inclined to avoid hospitals in towns with high covid rates, meaning fewer trips to the doctor for less serious ailments.I would never take myself to the doctor for something as minor as backed-up sinuses. A few weeks ago, as summer vacation wore down, I realized that my kid was having a heck of a time blowing her nose in the morning and her clogged sinuses weren't improving on their own.Look at all those options!In an American move, we went to the drug store to check and I was overjoyed with what I found. In the last five years, Japanese kids over-the-counter cold meds have exploded and now I have access to kid-safe versions of half a dozen different options including some that I have been known to take the adult versions of when sick. Further down, I also found Vick's Vaporub, one of the few imported American things and for quite a price. I don't remember what the cost of this was in the states, but I am pretty sure $20 worth of vaporub is probably more than 150 grams of the stuff. I didn't care. I gave them my money and was happy to do so. It took a little longer for the drugs to take effect and they were a lot more expensive than the free drugs from the doctor, but within a week her sinuses were unblocked and we didn't have to spend all morning hanging out with sick people to get help.During a pandemic especially, this is a win.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyW9Y-living_medical_familylifeSun, 05 Sep 2021 11:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyW9Y-living_medical_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB3aj-food_howto The other day, I needed a barbecue brisket chopped beef sandwich in a way that only a foreigner would understand. I cooked dinner that night using the few packets of McDonald's BBQ dipping sauce I had and any smidge of sauce remaining from my last trip home, but it was unsuccessful. I complained to my friends and family during video chats and one of my friends had a brilliant idea. I mentioned that I might have to scour the city looking for barbecue sauce and she suggested I make my own. Surely this would be too complicated I thought, but she insisted that she was looking up easy recipes online and found most of the ingredients were already in my house and the process itself could take as little as 15 minutes. I rejoiced and set about looking at the recipes on my own. One thing they required that I did not have was Worcestershire sauce, which I picked up from the grocery store under the Katakana name oosta sauce.Most of my ingredients. Add vinegar. You can use chili powder if you like it spicy. The one big difference between this and Worcestershire sauce in America is thickness. The Japanese alternative is significantly more watery, but this isn't really a problem as we're going to reduce the entirety of the sauce anyway.I used the thin oosta sauce to rinse the last of the ketchup from the bottle. One thing that irritated me in the recipes was the lack of units. Most websites I found list ingredients for this and that's it, never bothering to explain that you're meant to use each ingredient to your own liking. If you're starting with a ketchup, remember that there is already some salt and sugar in there so adjust the rest of the ingredients to taste. To make the sauce, first you start with ketchup or tomato paste. Empty it into a frying pan. You also need salt, pepper, garlic powder, and brown sugar or molasses. Vinegar is also a must, while some suggest apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar in specific, regular white vinegar will work too. My ingredient amounts, plus additional sugar to offset the salt.I combined the ingredients as instructed in most of the recipes but misread one important factor on the one recipe with units and wound up adding about four times as much salt as required. This meant that instead of having a nice 500ml of finished sauce, I would wind up with half a mason jar extra as I had to dilute the salt by adding a can of tomatoes. More ketchup would also have worked If I had had more on hand.Taste it, then add something, then taste again. And again. My salty mistake also increased the cooking time. I spent at least half an hour watching it bubble and stirring it regularly while tasting it and adding things accordingly. Because salt was the problem, I had to add a lot more sugar as well. Maple syrup also would have worked. The trick here seems to be that you keep adding things little by little. As they heat up and bubble through, you should give them a taste and adjust accordingly. Eventually you wind up with a customized barbecue sauce that should be just to your liking.Result!Good way to reuse the ketchup container. Also, see how much darker it is? From what I read, the barbecue sauce should keep in the fridge for about a week or frozen for up to three months.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB3aj-food_howtoThu, 02 Sep 2021 14:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GB3aj-food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQ7y-foodWith new states of emergency coming out for different prefectures seemingly every day and delta variant infecting people at an alarming rate, summer fun has taken on a distinctively domestic flavor. It just isn't safe to be out and amongst people these days, but what if you wanted to watch the summer wind down with a lovely fruity adult beverage? With that in mind, I have put together a list of my five favorite fruity alcoholic beverages that you can enjoy in your own home after purchasing them from most convenience stores or grocery stores.Suntory Horokoi Peach and Pear This Peach and pear combination cocktail was on the low end regarding alcohol content but also quite delicious. The crispness of the pear comes through in the flavoring which otherwise might seem a little bit watery. The peach has a nice sweet overtone but not overpoweringly so. while I had originally bought this low alcohol beverage intent on using it as a mixer for coconut flavored rum, this was much better than I had expected that I never bothered to add the stronger liquor.Suntory Horokoi YuzuFrom the same beverage line as the peach and pear concoction, this yuzu flavored sparkling alcoholic beverage holds a similar alcohol content and tastiness. As far as yuzu flavor, the Craft Chu-Hi from Miyagi that I tried a few years ago was better as it also had a salty undercurrent that really worked well, but that drink isn't available right now. This sweeter and cheaper beverage was still highly enjoyable and is actually available. I would drink it again.Nagano Anzu CiderOne of the reasons why I picked up this can was its adorable mascot. I know that a cute can doesn't necessarily mean a good beverage and I was ambivalent about the prospects. The beverage actually wasn't too sweet and actually had very similar flavoring to Smirnoff Ice beverages circa 2005. If you are an elder millennial who wants some college nostalgia and had a penchant for these kinds of drinks, you will not be disappointed. I don't know if Smirnoff Ice ever came in an orange flavor, but if they did, it would taste like this.Kodawari Lemon Sour-- Salty Lemon Flavor I was a little bit reluctant to pick this one up because a previous version in a similar can had not been terribly pleasant. When I saw this one in a group of similar cans, i decided to actually read the flavors on the labels and choose accordingly. I went with the salty lemon, and the resulting beverage was something like a lightly salted alcoholic version of Lemonheads candies, which I love. I very much enjoyed it overall. Anyone who really enjoys is sour lemon flavor a little bit of sweet and salty would probably also really like this beverage. It's not too expensive but is a little high in calories so drink carefully. Suntory -196 Strong Zero-- 洋梨 European Pear Flavor The last drink that I tried for this one would up being one of my favorites, and that would be Suntory's -196 Strong Zero with specifically western pear flavoring. If you enjoy the taste of pear and want a higher alcohol content, this is a really good one. The sweetness and crispness of the pear flavor is evident and not overpowering. If you enjoy the strong beverages anyway, this is a good one to try and a nice way to wind down the end of the summer.What are you drinking at home as summer comes to an end?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQ7y-foodMon, 30 Aug 2021 21:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQ7y-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKOak-food_miyagiAt the end of July, my husband and I took a few days off to spend with our kid and in the interest of exploring while keeping our regional infection rate low, we did not leave our prefecture. It turns out there is plenty of fun to be had in Miyagi alone and a number of the cool little roadside shops offer their own special ice cream flavors. Here are some of the best. One of my favorites right off the bat was the himawari or sunflower ice cream available at the Sanbongi road stop in an area known for sunflowers. Unfortunately, the flowers do not usually bloom until about a month after we visited but the flavors in the ice cream were stunning. The Japanese tendency to avoid the overwhelming sweet of American desserts is sometimes wonderful and sometimes horrifying, but in this case worked really well. It tasted a lot like sunflower seeds but mixed with a light floral nature. It was so delicious in fact that I managed to devoir the entire thing before I remembered to take a picture of it, so my only picture of it is this one, of the ad in the window of the part of the shop that sells ice cream. The color of the ice cream was a soft yellow. If this were available at the grocery store, I would pick it up once a week.There is a lovely tomato enthused restaurant connected to a tomato farm out here and my husband managed to find it. When we stopped for lunch, the food was glorious so I had high hopes for the ice cream as well and it did not disappoint. It wasn't as sweet as I thought it could be, but was still really fun and refreshing as far as flavors go. The coloration on the ice cream was also less intense than I thought it could be, but it's freshly made produce with fewer dyes and preservatives. This added to its charm. I would eat this twice a month if given the opportunity. Soramame isn't a flavor I would normally associate with desserts or ice cream specifically but some people in my prefecture apparently do, leading to this interesting option. When we went, there were lines out the door and far too many people inside the roadstop-shop turned regional store turned famers market, so my husband went in for us and brought us ice cream in cups to enjoy in the car.This picture was taken in the five second interval when people weren't swarming through the doors.The texture is more in a mushed bean than ice cream but the flavor works with that. A mild sweet-savory flavor comes through well and is enjoyable. If you like nut butters and bean flavors, this probably is a fine flavor for you. It wasn't my favorite ice cream of this trip but I would eat it once a month if it were available to me. What regionally delicious goodies did you find this summer?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKOak-food_miyagiSat, 28 Aug 2021 20:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKOak-food_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1vrn-drink_productOne of the alternative options of Cocacola’s Hard Lemonade selection, this Sour!Sour!Sour! edition comes in a green can and is supposed to contain yuzu flavoring.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1vrn-drink_productWed, 25 Aug 2021 19:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1vrn-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoK8Z-drink_productCoca-Cola's variety of hard lemonade was released in Japan this summer. Offering a few citrus flavored in brightly colored cans, this drink is available in most convenience stores and supermarkets.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoK8Z-drink_productWed, 25 Aug 2021 18:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoK8Z-drink_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo07-foods_productI found this summer special brew from the Naruko Onsen local brewery at the regional specialty store MichinoEki in Osaki city in Miyagi at the end of July 2021.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo07-foods_productWed, 25 Aug 2021 14:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo07-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXdx-shopping_onlyinjapanI ran across this a few weeks ago, just before the Olympics kicked off, and I was amused. While my household isn't usually so enamored with the games, I remember enjoying them as a kid and this year they were actually in our time zone, so watching was an activity that didn't involve waking up early or staying up late. Not being the biggest fans of the Olympics, we still managed to go and see the torch when it came through our town and all told I would say we had a fairly positive experience with the Olympics this year, but that was also at a safe distance.Japan hosting the Olympics was a big deal for a number of reasons, many of which aren't necessarily positive, but today I want to take a look at one of the more random crossover unofficial Olympic goods I found in the grocery store in the months leading up to the games.So I found this silly toilet paper. I don't know if this kind of product is offered overseas though I doubt it. The characters on the roll, Gachapin and Mukku, are favorite children's TV characters from Fuji TV's kids programs. While I have not seen any of the shows these characters are on, I recognize them as common characters to find on kids products in Japan. On the individual sheets, we see colorful imprints of Gachapin and Mukku engaging in a number of activities related to Olympic sports that were played in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. In one spot, Gachipin is on a skateboard in what looks like a backwards facing baseball cap and loose fitting clothes. While this is not in line with what I saw the Olympians wearing on TV, this sport did make its Olympic debut at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Another square shows Mukku running in what might be triathalon attire.Gachapin appears again in rugby-appropriate getup, holding the ball and running.Mukku cheers on his friend and perhaps others on Team Japan with dual folding fans gripped in his hands.Around these characters in their various poses, odd words like "Apparel" appear alongside sports equipment and assorted Japanese motifs like paper cranes and folding fans.While the DO SPORTS in TOKYO toilet paper isn't an officially licensed Olympic item, it definitely felt like an Only in Japan (and only Right Now in Japan) moment when I saw it and every time I have used it since. Perhaps ironically, the only way I would be able to appreciate these silly characters playing sports on my toilet paper is here in Japan. If I were living in the US and had seen this on the shelves, I would probably think it was a horrible knock-off, likely not even from Japan at all. If I had elected to buy it, it would be out of morbid curiosity and the product would never be used. Here in Japan however, I don't have space for saving TP indefinitely, so this product was enjoyed by my family during the games.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXdx-shopping_onlyinjapanWed, 25 Aug 2021 10:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXdx-shopping_onlyinjapanhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDNd-living_medical_healthGetting your inoculations is a pain for most folks, but in the need to overcome the current pandemic most reasonable folks are signing up for their shots as soon as they can. While Japan slowly catches up to other countries in terms of percentage of people finally safe from the coronavirus, those of us who have been waiting all year watching our friends and family abroad get their shots might need a reminder of what we're in for.Most people I have heard from agree that the second shot is worse than the first in terms of reactions and that most side-effects disappear within two days. The worst reactions I have heard about are akin to a short burst of flu with fever or food poisoning and all go away much more quickly.If you're getting ready for shot number two, here are some things to do beforehand just to make your situation a little easier.1) Pick a good time. One of my friends opted to get her shot in the evening so that all she would have to do is go home and sleep. When you're picking the time for your vaccination appointment, try to make sure it's a time when you can just go lay down or spend some time in the bathroom a few hours later. Most folks I know had worse reactions on the day after they received their shot, so try to do this on your day off or right before your day off.2) Deal with Food Before. If you don't already plan your meals, do your best to have this sorted before you go especially if you're the primary caregiver to a child or other loved one. If you have to cook that day or the next, make sure you already have what you need at your home and try to keep things easy. I know I experienced some mental fogginess and benefitted from someone else bringing home dinner.3) Get Cleaning and Chores Done Before. If there's any cleaning or chore that simply must be done within 48 hours after your shot, do it before you go if at all possible. Trying to vacuum while running to the bathroom isn't a great time for anyone.Basically the best idea here is to treat your second shot like the hangover from a wild party and prepare your current life to withstand that for a few days. I know my reaction was a low grade fever and a lot of sleeping, which I could more or less enjoy since I had already made these preparations beforehand.Here I am moments after my second shot, relieved because I had already made arrangements for the next two days so I was free to sleep, which I did.Have you been vaccinated yet?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDNd-living_medical_healthSun, 22 Aug 2021 18:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDNd-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6l0e-living_food_shopping_deeperdivesI first heard this term on a Japanese TV show I was watching with my Japanese husband and mother-in-law. When I asked what it was, they laughed and said they would pick some up at the store for me. As I am not overly partial to fish, the first version I had the chance to try was a dried egg and nori seaweed concoction, served over hot rice. It was tasty enough but also felt very normal, not overly complicated or difficult to prepare, unlike the dishes my mother-in-law fixes for every meal. I wondered why anyone would go through the trouble of frying eggs every morning when an easy and tasty enough alternative is this readily available?More recently, furikake has popped up not just as an ingredient grabbed by the girl with Japanese heritage in Masterchef Junior but also in my friends' lives as they work to find healthy but tasty options for food they can make at home, including rice balls. Another of my friends asked what exactly furikake was earlier this year because it showed up in a kids Japanese food vocabulary book I had sent to her child.Thus began my quest to better understand furikake. I have seen the term translated as a condiment or spice used as a rice topping but that really doesn't say enough about the content of variety of the products. Just the furikake I have in my house. The little packs are for my husband's rice balls. At most supermarkets in Japan and even in many of the convenience stores, you can find these packets of dried food, commonly featuring egg, salmon, other fish and/or nori, but the options stretch far beyond. At a higher end grocery store near my home, I found mega-veggie furikake mixes alongside ones that featured dried eel. Different areas of Japan also have their own specialized furikake, like some we found in Onagawa that had a special kind of flying fish as a main ingredient. Where does all this come from? The name comes from 振り掛け which sounds like ふりかけ and means "something that is sprinkled (over something else)" which seems suitable enough. According to one English language website and an Australian magazine, it turns out that the name furikake only dates back to 1959 when the National Furikake Association was founded. The product itself is a little bit older and was invented by Suekichi Yoshimaru, a pharmacist in the Taisho era (1912-1926), as a way to get kids to eat crushed fish bones to avoid calcium deficiencies. He added sesame and nori flakes for seasoning and the product caught on. It seems that if you can turn it into an easy and tasty breakfast, people will eat it.Now, the International Furikake Association still works with major furikake producing companies to donate furikake with that same purpose of helping kids avoid nutrient deficiencies in Thailand and Laos. They also participate in global events to try to help furikake gain more recognition as a useful and delicious food around the world. Apparently it has been catching on in some parts of America and Australia, but it is hard to call it mainstream in most places. A Houston Chronicle article from 2010 recommends going to the grocery stores specializing in Asian imports and the Australian article linked above suggests tips for making your own.After the first version from the pharmacist, a product called Gohan No Tomo or Friend of Rice, the idea caught on and spread from his native Kumamoto Prefecture far north to Fukushima where Seiichiro Kai, a food broker, tweaked the recipe and released his own Kore wa Umai which should translate to This is Yummy. The second product went through more cooking fish in soy sauce before and after drying it to boost the flavor and became quite popular as well.War and Japan's hardcore military history also are involved in this dried and sprinkled history as soldiers during Japan's aggressive military maneuvers of the first half of the twentieth century were given furikake in their rations and many developed a taste for it that they retained after coming back to Japan. As a personal aside, I feel compelled to note that many Americans of my father's generation (my father included) were sent off to fight in Vietnam. A lot of them didn't return but those who did generally brought tons of trauma and drug addictions they hadn't left the states with. I wish they had only brought a taste for fish flakes or MREs. Of course, I know many of the Japanese soldiers likely brought home their own traumas, injuries, and problems as well. There is something sweet in imagining them coming back home and just wanting to sprinkle some dried fish on some rice, though.Whether you like it on a bowl of rice, in a rice ball, or as an ingredient in something completely different, furikake is a fabulous mainstay of the modern Japanese diet and there are enough variations available that it's hard not to find one you might like.What furikake do you like and how do you use it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6l0e-living_food_shopping_deeperdivesThu, 05 Aug 2021 10:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6l0e-living_food_shopping_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRY5E-living_education_workIn the thirteen years I have lived in Japan, I've worked at many different conversational schools. Some were multinational corporations. Others were mom-and-pop shops. Each has its own peculiarities but some things remain true throughout the lot. Eikaiwa, or English Conversational School, is a service industry as well as an educational opportunity and the idea that the customer is always right tends to lead the way in Japan especially in an industry that is well past its prime. Inevitably, there will be points where any teacher has a miscommunication with the students, parents of child students, or other members of staff even in situations where all parties are highly fluent in the same language. How management resolves these disputes says a lot about whether or not the school is a good fit for the teacher or a good business at all. It was like island fog. Are those islands? Complaints? Problems? Who knows? Not you! My first job in Japan was with a massive company that provided little oversight into the day-to-day operations in the tiny mountain town where I found myself. I was the only foreign teacher on staff and any disputes between me and the one Japanese English teacher or the managers who sometimes came through should have been resolved in-house by the parties involved. Being that all other parties were Japanese, in the interest of office harmony, I was usually just left completely out of the loop when it came to complaints from students or even my coworker. I never knew what was going on and couldn't improve or explain.I wasn't comfortable with this essential lack of management. When I had major issues in that job, be it a literal hornets' nest outside the door to my company-issued apartment or problems with a student's behavior in class, there was no one to turn to at my school.Islands? Problems? Nevermind, we're going too fast to care.Smaller schools tend to be more hands on, but that doesn't necessarily mean better. One smaller company that I worked for after moving to Miyagi was an awkward fit for that reason especially. As a foreign teacher, I was asked to visit the weekly classes taught by Japanese housewives once a month to provide a native English experience for the kids. This sometimes forced me to work with people who never knew what to make of me and miscommunication happened. I only saw most of these classes once before I quit, the irregular schedule making it hard to bother with conflict resolution.Oh look! We can see problems and navigate accordingly. Huzzah!I currently work for a small school that is a good fit for me. When I have a problem, I can tell my bosses and know that they are interested in hearing me out and helping me with it. We have regular meetings where scheduling changes and other problems are addressed. When any of us has issues with a student, we come together to try to find a solution. I feel heard and appreciated here.I hope you find a place that is as good of a fit for you if you're working in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRY5E-living_education_workTue, 03 Aug 2021 12:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRY5E-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxWA6-living_education_familylifeThe other day I ran into significant stressor for my Japanese husband that was utterly bizarre to me.When I was in grade school, lots of homework and graded papers were handed back to students, but the only reason to keep them was in case your teacher lost your grade somehow and you needed to prove that you had done the work. Occasionally an assignment would be graded, revised, and turned in again, but this was rare even in high school.I feel you, drawing of a scared girl, but for paperwork more than zombies.My daughter now is in second grade and for her school there are files she is meant to bring home and maintain. Every day the graded papers she brings home are supposed to be filed in the appropriate location. At the end of every semester, she has to bring files back so that it can be checked again for some reason. I'm not entirely sure what the point is other than forcing the kids to do paperwork at a young age. Nevertheless, we tried to keep up somewhat with the filing in her first year, but with the pandemic going we had enough stress without having to care too explicitly about paperwork.Since April, I've been asking my daughter to do her filing and she has been neglecting to bother with it. This is one area where I don't put my foot down as hard, probably because I don't really get the point. I know it needs to be turned in and I know she needs to do it, but in a more immediate way, she needs to finish her dinner and get ready for bed. Those daily fights are worth my energy as they are absolutely necessary. Sleeping and eating are imperative to survival. Paperwork? Not so much.Apparently it's a big enough deal to my husband that it required a two-hour long middle-of-the-night discussion, culminating with him pilling all of the paper that needs to be filed on the couch for her to be forced to reckon with in the morning. All this really did was force me to use other spaces to fold the laundry and sit during the week that I have been waiting for either of them to do the work.To his credit, when he came home the next day, after she had finished her homework, he took the time to sort and file half of the paperwork with her in a kindly fatherly manner. The other half still waits on my couch. Does anyone else find this filing stuff needlessly tedious?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxWA6-living_education_familylifeMon, 02 Aug 2021 09:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxWA6-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD219-living_food_onlyinjapanThis week, I had a definite "Well, this really is Japan" moment when I went to lunch with a student. The format of the specific class includes a small lunch at a local restaurant. Social distancing, wearing masks, and other common pandemic protocols are in place well enough that I don't feel entirely unsafe. My student who is over 60 has already had her vaccinations so we have continued to have this class on a fairly regular basis.I like the little restaurant that we usually go to. It has comfortable but fun ambiance and usually the food is served in classic Japanese Bento style. Recently, the owner and chef has made a move toward other classic Japanese cuisine and it's been fine for the most part.The problem here, I need to stress, is not the food. It is me. It looks lovely but wait...is that an eyeball? It is unfortunate that I am such a picky eater by Japanese standards. I don't mean to be, but there are several things that I literally cannot convince my palate are edible but happen to be on the average Japanese menu pretty frequently, such as mushrooms and tofu. Aside from these two ingredients, I don't usually have that many problems at least trying all of the things that the guy serves even if I can't identify them at all. I know that any perceived problems here are all about my weirdness regarding these foods, not any actual weirdness they contain. These dishes have been served in this manner in this country for likely hundreds of years. The problem is just me, being foreign, and not being able to fully enjoy some aspects.Today I came face-to-face with one of those aspects. This grilled fish-head dish is likely very delicious, but I have trouble eating things while looking them in the eye. I would prefer not to see any food's face. I blame my American upbringing for my inherent disgust. It's hard to look your food in the face when all of your food is so thoroughly processed that it no longer resembles the animal it came from. I come from a country where many kids don't know what a shrimp looks like in the ocean because literally the only kind of shrimp they've seen comes with cocktail sauce.As you can see in this later picture, I still managed to separate some of the meat around the gills and ate that. It was delicious, but I couldn't make myself eat meat from the fish's face. That was just a bridge too far for me. I did try the rest of the food and even ingested the whole of the okra with no problem, though the texture of the soupy eggplant was not to my liking. After eating half of the eggplant, I had to stop as my discriminating palate informed me that further incursions into uncharted mushy texture territory would meet with immediate food expulsion. I decided it was much better to be rude by trying the food and not finishing it than trying to force myself to finish it and vomiting all over the place. At least I can always eat the rice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD219-living_food_onlyinjapanWed, 28 Jul 2021 10:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD219-living_food_onlyinjapanhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO17Q-living_medical_healthIn the beginning of July I received a letter from the government saying that I could apply for a vaccination appointment based on the pre-existing condition of my body mass index being over 30. I planned my vaccination appointment for the afternoon of a day that I had off from work. Though I would work the next day in the afternoon, at least having the evening and morning to recover from whatever side effects I might incur seemed like the best idea.Those of us with friends and family abroad have likely heard stories of different side effects happening to our loved ones. We all know we need to take the vaccine, and even two days spent either on the toilet or in bed still are a delight compared to catching the actual disease and potentially dying from it if not living the rest of our days with long haul covid symptoms.Still, anyone looking to get the vaccine should take precautions and prepare for what might be a totally normal evening or something rather unpleasant. Before my appointment, I prepared by making a meatloaf that I could throw into the rice cooker after I got home. I had a friend watch my daughter while I was getting my shot and finished any housework I was planning to do before we left the house. My initial plan had been to walk the 30 minutes uphill to the vaccine location but an injury sustained earlier in the week kept me from that level of mobility. Instead I took a taxi, which was a better plan overall as the medical staff inside the facility took my temperature to ensure that I wasn't already fighting the virus. Having walked uphill in the sun for 30 minutes would probably have generated less than excellent results.My city says to bring just these four things to get vaxxed.I was the 13th person to show up for my appointment time, and I showed up about 15 minutes early. Others showed up afterward too. In small groups, we were herded into different waiting rooms and directed to sit in socially distanced chairs.Eventually each person saw two of the many waiting doctors. The first went over the information sheet we were sent in the mail and asked to bring with us. Afterward, we were directed to where a second medical professional actually performed the injection.Then I went to get another section where the vaccination sticker on my sheet was moved to the correct location and some other information was stamped on the remaining stickers. I was ushered to sit and wait 15 minutes to ensure no catastrophic side effects ensued.In the envelope, there was a list of things that I had to make sure to bring but in my panic to get out the door, I managed to forget to look over it. I brought my my number card and passport in addition to a slew of other things I usually carry in my wallet. It turns out all I really needed was the my insurance card, my medicine book (the little book pharmacies use to keep track of any medicine you're currently on), the stickers for vaccinations from the envelope, and the information sheet from the same envelope. The information sheet closely resembles the same kinds of questionnaires anyone who visits Japanese clinics should be familiar with. As the questions are entirely in Japanese, I had my husband look over it with me and help me filling out the night before. Good preparation for this means filling out the questionnaire the night before, planning how you will get to the vax site in advance, and making sure you are ready to do practically nothing with your afternoon and evening, just in case things go awry. The entire process was actually quite easy even with my limited Japanese ability. After getting my shot, I walked down the hill and back toward my home. I didn't feel any real reactions until hours later when the top with my left arm where I received the shot hurt a little and my stomach started churning. While my stomach is mostly okay, I spent the evening with some intestinal cramping that was not entirely dissimilar from menstrual cramps and even responded well to a heat pad. I also became quite tired and had to take a nap in the afternoon. In the end, getting the shot took less than an hour and I am happy to be doing it again in a few weeks.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO17Q-living_medical_healthTue, 27 Jul 2021 12:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO17Q-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v0n-food_shopping_rifu_cho_miyagiI wrote a while back about the robot that roams the halls of the new massive ShinRifu Aeon Mall, dodging customers as it offers maps on its inner tray.The other day we returned to the mall and on the second floor, where Starbucks is, there is also one of the lovely Starbucks delivery catbots as was seen in the video on my last post on the subject. I wasn't sure if or when Shinrifu would be getting such a bot but I was happy to see it even though I won't be using it anytime soon.I did give it a head scratch though and it winked in response. Of course I sanitized my hands afterward, but it was still a lovely moment in 2021.When did a robot cat last wink at you, eh?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v0n-food_shopping_rifu_cho_miyagiSun, 25 Jul 2021 21:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v0n-food_shopping_rifu_cho_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyAq-livingThe other day I was walking across town with my kid, listening to how her eye had been itchy and then not itchy and maybe itchy again. The story went on and on as I struggled to play Pokemon Go with my free left hand, dragging her along with my right.And then I was on the ground. My kid did the smart thing and flailed to make sure cars saw me as I managed to down myself across a cross walk just as the light changed. Luckily no cars chose to turn my way while I screamed at my kid to get out of the street. I was so busy being worried about her being hit by a car, I failed to notice that I was in even more danger of being hit. Eventually we both got to the other side of the street and I turned to see what tripped me up. The manhole in the middle of the crosswalk was raised a bit when the street settled after the last big quake this year, a few months back. At least that's what I think is the reason for this. I know I had seen it before but forgot in my rush to get to my class with my kid. Total damage? a couple of scabs on my knee and a couple more on my hand. Not exactly how I wanted this week to go but a lot better than it could have been.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyAq-livingSun, 25 Jul 2021 16:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyAq-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQNr-foods_productSoyjoy, a brand that brings a variety of fruit and nut flavors to healthy snack bars, has tried a new approach, giving this new product a dose of coffee flavoring and caffeine in addition to nuts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQNr-foods_productSun, 25 Jul 2021 16:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQNr-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQK08-foodOne day in mid-July, my family went to Kappazushi, one of the safest options for conveyor belt sushi during the pandemic. This year, I didn't pay much attention to the Fourth of July, an American holiday I would celebrate at home with a barbecue, fireworks and lovely grilled food. Being in Japan and during a pandemic means missing out on a lot of that but thanks to Kappazushi, I still got my grilled corn fix for the summer.A few dishes that can be considered early summer specials only offered in July include pieces of grilled corn sliced from the cob and served three ways. The first is the most obvious with the grilled corn served directly over rice like a nice little piece of nigiri, grill marks on the top hinting at the light smoky flavor within.I could have eaten twelve of these.The second corn related option was an adaptation of the first, this time served with sauce and a light okonomiyaki-style swizzle of mayonnaise, clearly made to entice the lovers of that ever popular Japanese savory pancake. Personally, I didn't feel like the sauce added anything great to the dish, but it wasn't bad either. It is possible that my hopes were a bit higher after liking the first option as much as I had. While the grilled flavor of the corn still shone through, I wouldn't eat twelve more of these. One was enough, though if I had been made to eat two more, I would not have complained.It was prettier than its predecessor but not really better flavor-wise.Next, I greatly enjoyed the corn tempura, much to my own surprise. When my husband read it from the menu, he meant it as a joke but I decided to give it a chance, having just enjoyed the grilled corn nigiri. Admittedly, my expectations for this one were pretty low. Usually when corn exists at a sushi chain, it's creamed or served as a couple of kernels alongside a "salad" consisting exclusively of broccoli. With that in mind, I figured the tempura version would have a weird creamy center, the texture of which I may struggle with. When the outside of the food is battered and fried, all sorts of things might be happening inside. To my utter delight, this was different. The same slices of grilled corn from the nigiri were breaded and fried, so the smoky flavor and real corn texture were still present. The generous portion of fried corn was served with a sauce that added a juiciness that really worked with the flavor profile. If this corn tempura dish were available by the bag, I would buy it and eat it like popcorn.You can still see the kernels inside! Nothing creamed in there.I highly recommend using the dipping sauce with these as otherwise they come off a tad bit dry. While they are still enjoyable, the sauce adds a nice touch.If you're looking for some fun new ways to enjoy grilled corn this July, Kappazushi has you covered.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQK08-foodSat, 24 Jul 2021 09:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQK08-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKAl-foods_productPringles Passport flavors attempt to deliver prominent flavors from abroad to Japan in the way of potato chips. The Texas Rib option tried to capture the deliciousness of barbecued ribs in a potato chip.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKAl-foods_productFri, 23 Jul 2021 09:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKAl-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNonk-foods_productAs part of a Japan Pride Potato Chip line, I am guessing, this chip is available at 7-11 convenience stores around Japan. The bag shows the skyline of the city of Kobe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNonk-foods_productThu, 22 Jul 2021 08:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNonk-foods_producthttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQDr-food_deeperdivesWhen I moved to Japan, the term umami was not so well-known. As the discovery that specific taste centers were linked to the flavor only happened in 2006, it's not entirely surprising that America had yet to fully embrace this new term when I left in 2008. Since then, it has to become so common that you can barely watch an episode of any American cooking program without someone bringing it up.What does umami mean? The kanji means deliciousness (such as umai, the more masculine version of oishii) but in English, that doesn't count as a flavor. In the simplest of terms, the way I have chosen to explain this one starts with savory. Most Internet searches agree that savory is the best basic English to cover the idea of umami, but that isn't where our definition should stop.What is savory? I have understood this word to mean generally "meaty" in flavor. Funny enough, the word dates back to the 1200s when it merely meant pleasing in flavor, not unlike how umami in kanji is essentially the same as yummy. In short, sugar is to sweet as meat is to savory. Usually the food item and the description go hand in hand, but can something be savory without meat? Yes, just as some sweets may avoid using sugar. It isn't as common but it can be done. That said, most savory dishes tend to include some kind of meat product.Umami means savory even in the absence of meat. Things like miso soup or green tea don't have to be full of actual meat in order to have that savory quality. What's interesting to me is that despite the fact that we have the word savory in English, we've agreed to use umami as it applies to taste centers. This is probably partially due to the fact that the first guy to label umami as a distinct flavor separate from sweet, sour, bitter, and salty was a professor at Tokyo Imperial University by the name of Kikunae Ikeda. When he did this in the back in the early 1900s, Americans were eating meat and calling it savory but apparently none of them had the academic background to claim long-lasting fame over it.A few years ago my husband and I were watching Beyond Sushi, a cartoon series in which a British family moves to Tokyo and enjoys lots of food. What I did not know at the time was that this series was based on a book chronicling the real-life adventures of Michael Booth as he and his family tried all the food they could in one season in Japan.In the episode specifically about umami , the main character asks what umami means and when the Japanese characters are asked to explain it, instead of providing any kind of translation, they begin by handing the protagonist a cup of green tea followed by so many different kinds of food. All the while, they keep repeating something to the effect of: "This is Umami. Don't you get it?"While experience is one way to create a strong understanding, this kind of situation would be tedious for the average foreigner. Unless you have a whole evening to try tea and soup at the behest of your baffling cohort, and don't mind filling up on whatever they serve you, this wouldn't be the most convenient method of communicating the idea of umami no matter what their Japanese level is.After watching other Japanese food enthusiasts on YouTube attempt to explain the apparently complex nature of umami, I now fully believe that this inundating with soup and tea could very well have happened. It appears that many Japanese folks in particular have trouble defining this term in English.About ten years ago, I was given a proofreading assignment that included a questionnaire regarding samples of a specific kind of food. The writers of this questionnaire were pretty good with words like salty, making questions like "How salty was the sample?" The rest of the flavors went by just fine until they got to umami. Suddenly, they completely lost all sense of English, garbling the sentence so badly that the only way I would know that they weren't asking someone named Umami was from the context of the previous questions and knowing that umami had something to do with taste.That kind of experience raised my big issue with the term. So many Japanese people historically have regarded it with such zeal that any attempts to really communicate meaning get lost in the fervor. What I didn't realize when I started writing this piece is that there has been a lot of study and thought into what makes umami and how it operates since I was last so frustrated with the translational aspect. It turns out that the impact of umami can be magnified by combining specific compounds in specific ways. All of this is outlined and explained fairly well at the Umami Information Center website. While it is nice to see scientific terminology added to this flavor explanation, I've also seen quite a few youtubers insisting that umami only means yumminess right before giving their tips on how to use glutamic acid for best results. The definition still stinks, even when science is also present. The word is common enough in the states now that it even appears as one of the characters personifying taste in Waffles and Mochi, the children's show recently released on Netflix in which Michelle Obama along with a score of mostly puppet characters investigate many different kinds of food. Umami is presented as a confident if short bombshell type who loves things savory. I am so glad they chose to use words we had in English instead of asking the audience of young children to guzzle green tea and dashi until they get the idea.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQDr-food_deeperdivesWed, 21 Jul 2021 09:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQDr-food_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpYyB-livingEven if your job does not require a great deal of creativity, odds are you've come to this part of the pandemic with some degree of burnout. If you're looking for a way to get your creative energy flowing again despite the oppressive humidity, here are some Covid safe tips.Drink Some Green. Green tea is known to contain antioxidants that aide in brain function and be a great and hydrating beverage anytime of the year. Drinking it cool in summer is a great way to spice up your fluid intake while also giving your brain a treat. A nice bottle of green tea from the convenience store or a pitcher of home brewed in your fridge can provide ample hydration and the antioxidants to keep your brain moving while you ramble through uncomfortable heat and humidity.Plant Some Green. One way to increase creativity and help stave off depression is caring for plants. Even a small seedling that you pick up from closest DIY shop can provide a little bit more in the way of comfort whether you keep it in your house or on your balcony. Tending for one little plant, as long as you do it regularly, can be a great source of positive motivation and studies have shown that just looking at the plant can help bolster brain function in adults.Get Out in the Green. Plants are healthy, but if you don't have your own green thumb, maybe you can borrow the same effect from someone else's hard work. If you're near a good park or any green space, spend some time among the oxygen-giving greenery and you're likely to find your brain opening to new possibilities. While the greener is the better in this situation, if you're stuck in a concrete jungle, even a couple of trees growing along your street can helpful for this. If all you do is get out of your house for a minute and take a walk around something natural and growing, the change in atmosphere is likely to do some good for your creative processes.Embrace Your Weird. Back before the pandemic, Felicia Day wrote this great workbook for better finding and appreciating your own unique take on the world. With activities in the book ranging from real life anxiety-fighting advice to goofy but fast-paced drawing and writing challenges, this little book really packs in a lot of ways to find your own creative voice and run with it. Some of it will likely make you feel silly at the time, but doing these things will likely still guide your mind into new creative territory. There are so many different techniques that it feels like a great value in addition to a fantastic creative journey. You can get it with free shipping to Japan from Book Depository though it's also available on Amazon. I listened to the whole thing the year it came out and enjoyed it but didn't have time to complete all the activities on the accompanying PDF, so I am going back through it to revitalize my brain's natural creative forces. This will be important in a few weeks for what is happening next.Utilize Your Weird. I have mentioned the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt before and yes, it is happening again this summer. The hunt has done well to adapt to the pandemic, offering short hunts at different points during the year and keeping many of the items social-distance and mask friendly. If you have never joined the hunt before and are looking for a splash of creativity during the first week of August, you should see about signing up. You don't have to have a team or even any idea what you are doing. The massive list of creative challenges never fails to spark my imagination and send me into uncharted territory. The biggest reason I am still doing GISH after all these years is it always gets my creativity worked up. I feel encouraged to branch out and find new ways to solve problems. The creativity marathon uses a bit of energy, but I always find it to be worthwhile. For more information, see the website. Signup ends about a week before the end of July.How are you going to get your creative juices flowing this summer?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpYyB-livingMon, 19 Jul 2021 11:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpYyB-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1DQ-medical_howto Many of us foreign folk living in Japan have been waiting for the vaccine roll out to finally pick up steam. After slowly coasting through the elderly, vaccinations are now happening for people ages 12 to 65 all over the country. Last week, one of my friends in Sendai received her vaccination ticket / notification and I begin to get my hopes up. Sure enough, just a few days later, mine and my husband's followed. I was so excited to see the envelope that I managed to completely misconstrue the contents, thinking that the date listed on one sheet was the date to show up at the vax site. This is not the case. Aside from the sheets of instructions, the envelope included a sheet of small tickets, which were actually more like stickers, and which are not meant to be peeled, ripped or placed anywhere until the vaccination time. The log in page where you need that long code and your birthdate.These stickers are important because the long number with several 0 digits that sits around the middle of the card is actually your unique individual login and identification for the city's vaccination website. Other than that, there were two medical questionnaires to fill out and bring on vax day as well as a couple of documents trying to explain the procedure and who's getting vaccinated when. The basic rule seems to be that people aged 12 to 64 are currently being vaccinated, but only those with pre-existing conditions or between the ages of 60 and 65 are allowed to sign up on the date on the notice. It turns out one of the pre-existing conditions is having a body mass index above 30, which I do.This is what my browser translated the page from the QR code to. One of the forms should have a QR code that will take you to the overall city vax website. From there, find a link to the reservation making website on they day and time listed on the sheet if you have pre-existing conditions as listed on the instructions provided. If you do not have pre-existing conditions, you will have to check the city website to know when you can get a reservation and the spots go quickly so sign in as early as you can. You can make your profile on the website at any time after you receive the information in the envelope. To make your profile, login with that long number on the card-stickers as the user name and your birth date written in a month day format as the password. Once logged in, the site will direct you to provide your email address and once your email is confirmed, you'll be directed to change your password. Then your account is ready.The example calendar from the manual on the site. Circles mean available. After logging in on your appointment-reserving day, you will have to search for the name of your closest vaccination site in kanji. A Google search for this will help along with copy and paste if necessary. Then you can choose from a calendar as to which states are open and work with your schedule. Once you click on that day, it will open to show you available times, which you will also click on. After you fix your first appointment by clicking through all of that, a box will come up asking if you want to go ahead and schedule your second, which is under your discretion but recommended.When this pop up comes up, click okay to schedule your second appointment while you're at it. The calendar part of the process will repeat and then you will be set up for your vaccination appointments. According to the documents, if you need to cancel, please cancel from the first appointment and you can do so easily on the "my page" part of the website. You can also print your appointment data from the same place if you so choose. When are you getting your shots?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1DQ-medical_howtoMon, 12 Jul 2021 18:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO1DQ-medical_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyDq-food For some adults, summer is time to hit the beer garden and enjoy some choice brews, but in light of the ongoing pandemic, it might be better to take some great local craft beers home to enjoy instead.That's just what I did on our Golden Week trip to Marumori, a cute little town in Miyagi, when we stopped by a shop specializing in local goods and I purchased a couple of fantastic looking local beers. Both beers feature cats on the labels as a nod to the cat god legends of the little town. Long ago, silk was the main craft of the area and the best way to keep the silkworms safe from rats was to employ many cats. As the town and the silk worms prospered, the people praised the cats, deifying some in monuments found throughout the Marumachi area.The first of these beers that I decided to try was the Marumori Gold Craft Rice Beer Herb Ale which registers at five percent alcohol by volume, not too weak for the average Japanese beer, and sports a great yellow label with a black cat eating ovals that resemble both grains of rice and old Japanese money. I'm not entirely sure which one was intended.The taste is clear, comfortable, and easy to drink. With even less aftertaste than the average beer, the drink is a lovely cold compliment to a warm summer evening and would pair well with a number of dishes and the website recommends enjoying it alongside a meal.After reading the label, I realized why I liked it so immediately. Yuzu, one of my favorite flavors, is featured alongside hops. Between hops and pilsner, I almost always prefer the prior as many cheap American beers I have experience with were pilsner heavy and otherwise flavor deficient. This beverage was so much the opposite. The yuzu wasn't overpowering but lent its talents well to the hops and rice, combining to form a crisp beverage that I found very easy to enjoy. I did pour some into a glass to get a picture of the color and clarity of the beverage, but it was better and colder when imbibed directly from the bottle.While this beer wasn't brewed in Miyagi, it was brewed in nearby Iwate, in the town of Ichinoseki which also houses one of my very favorite Buddhist temples in all of Japan, Chuuzonji, the roof of which is pictured on the label.The other beer that I picked up in Marumachi was was Marumachi Rocket Craft Rice Beer Brut IPA which has a dark blue label that shows a cat with an astronaut helmet, floating through space, clutching a rocket labelled KAKUDA. Why space? In addition to the "galaxy" theme they attempted to capture with the flavor of the beer, the beverage is brewed in Kakuda city, home to a JAXA Space Center. The beer was a little more opaque that the gold variety and the flavor was a little more tart but in a deliciously fruity way. Another very enjoyable beer, the brut IPA has a slightly higher alcohol content of six percent and is brewed in Marumachi's neighboring Kakuda city, still in Miyagi prefecture. According to the website, this beer is made using five types of hops and is recommended to accompany fatty meat dishes and western food. It also states that the beer has a specifically dry aspect that I was surprised to read about as I am someone who doesn't really prefer dry beverages and someone who really enjoyed this beer, though I will admit that it is more dry than the previous beer. The flavor is also a little more rich and full-bodied comparing to the gold version. Both of these fantastic local beers are lovely additions to any summer adventure for adults in Miyagi.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyDq-foodWed, 07 Jul 2021 10:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnyDq-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDWg-shopping_onlyinjapan_rifu_cho_miyagiThe biggest new shopping experience in Miyagi since the pandemic began is the opening of the massive Aeon mall in Rifu. It's easily the largest mall in the area, sporting three floors with more than 150 shops including a movie theater and virtual reality park that I am sure will be a hit with my family as soon as we are all vaccinated and feel safe using that kind of public entertainment facility. They even have an animal cafe with owls and a sloth. I haven't been inside yet but from the outside of the front window, it appears the sloth can be observed and photographed but not touched, so as to not harm the poor thing.Sloth in a cafe? So Japan.Since the opening last year, we have been ambivalent about venturing over that way but decided to go ahead and check it out carefully the other day while our daughter was at school. As it was midday on a weekday, the place was at less than 50% capacity according to the electronic displays posted near the information desks.Unlike the folks on the street of our small town of Shiogama, people in the mall were all wearing masks (though admittedly a few noses were out) and there was enough space to avoid people if necessary. While a lot of the clothing seemed overpriced, it was neat to see some of the new shops that were open and check out the variety of food options available now.In addition to a bunch of interesting shops and restaurants, something I had genuinely never seen before caught my eye.Where do you get your mall maps? If it's a moving cat robot, you've got to be in Japan.This adorable electronic creature wandered through the mall, delivering maps and information guides on the shelves located behind its pretty face.I was a little worried about what would happen if someone jumped in front of it but I should have known better. This is Japan after all! The cat apparently has motion and position sensors that enable it to maneuver out of the way of stagnant foot traffic, continuing on its path without missing a beat.When I tried to find more information about this very cool thing, the search terms took some work but eventually I found an interview from some Japanese news broadcast regarding a similar bot in an Aeon in Saitama.All rights to this video belong to the people who uploaded it to youtube, where I found it.I was so surprised to see that the Saitama bot could deliver food and reacted to being touched on the head. It never occurred to me to pet the robo-cat but I am definitely going to try it next time. Even though the Rifu version seems to be a bit scaled down and relegated to just the first floor, I am excited to know it isn't alone in the world of fun mall electronics.Next month, the old Rifu Aeon will finally be fully annexed into the massive Aeon facility, opening even more shops and restaurants, and maybe even a few more robot cats. One could always hope. After all, it's still Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDWg-shopping_onlyinjapan_rifu_cho_miyagiThu, 01 Jul 2021 18:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDWg-shopping_onlyinjapan_rifu_cho_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDVk-livingIn an attempt to better diagnose what is wrong with our plant, known to the family as Red, I learned some important information. First was that this plant happens to be a kind of daisy, specifically a gerbera daisy. The good thing is they don't actually need that much water, which means for the entire time that we have had it, I've been over-watering by filling the soil with water every single day. It is amazing that it has lasted this long. It turns out, over-watering can stunt the growth of the plant and increase number of pests in soil, including the fungus we already saw and other pests. One way to try to counteract this is by watering the plants in a more limited way by pouring water into the basin under the plant and letting the roots soil soak up as much as they want before discarding the remaining basin water a few hours later.Just when we get rid of one pest, we always somehow manage to acquire another. First, we had some kind of fungus, the overly wet soil contributing to that. I went on Amazon and bought what looked like a good pesticide for plants like this. It's the first time I have seen one of these with a QR code.Several warnings on the container and in the connected website say not to spray it on vegetables that you plan to eat within a day and to make sure to spray it where bees are not prevalent so as not to mess up the pollinator population. I did so and gave both the daisy and my tiny herb garden a spritz or two on our balcony. I then left them outside for a couple of hours. When I brought them inside, they seemed fine for a few days. Then I realized that I traded fungus for spider mites. And you can stay outside until you're done being covered in bugs, mites, and fungus!The next week, I took the plants back out and spritzed them again. While the notices on the bottle of pesticide warned not to spritz any plant more than a few times a year, I was hoping we can be done with the bugs already.Just like that the spider mites were gone. No more weird little webs. Huzzah, right?Are you okay yet, little plant? Can't you just be okay?For a few weeks, there was a significant decrease in the population of pests in and around the plants, but as the temperatures and humidity have risen, so has our bug problem. Again. This time they are tiny burrowing and flying insects that seem to live in the soil. No webs this time, so not spider mites, but still unpleasant. I can spray it again but I have a feeling that these bugs don't personally care that much about that particular spray. If it weren't for all the bugs and fungus and such, I would think the plant was just dying due to age. These houseplants don't last more than a couple of years, and I don't know how old it was when it was given to us. Does anyone have any amazing daisy and/or plant pest related tips?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDVk-livingMon, 28 Jun 2021 18:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDVk-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82Yb-shopping Another entry into the G Zone line of energy beverages, this drink sports a can with green text on a black background on the top, fading to all green at the bottom. As for what's inside the can, the drink is comparable to the other beverages in the line. It's not overly sweet and had no guarana to hide the flavor of, so overall it was enjoyable. Something about the flavor reminded me of fancy Japanese grapes, the kind that are expensive and viscous in texture with inedible peels. While it was fine for an energy drink, it wasn't terribly satisfying either. I would liken it to a caffeinated grape-y ginger ale. If both this and the Trance versions are available, I'm more likely to reach for the other one. If it were this or the blue abomination, I would definitely pick up mad_hacker again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82Yb-shoppingThu, 24 Jun 2021 13:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82Yb-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYL8-shopping One thing I've always loved about Japanese grocery stores is the freebies. Specifically speaking, these things are not entirely free, but come at the cost of a regularly priced product that they are encouraging you to buy. Usually, the freebie stand has listed how many of the item you need to buy in order to qualify for the free product, usually in groups of 2 or 4. It's only really neat if the product is something you will actually use and the giveaway is something cool or fun. In this case, the deal was one Olympic towel in my choice of a variety of styles, all made out of old Coca-Cola bottles and for the low low price of four 500 ML bottles of Coke products. It applied to a variety of Coca-Cola products that were all lined up next to a TV screen that ran through highlights from the Olympic torch run as it has continued so far in 2021. Speaking of the torch, I would expect that many grocery stores in towns across Japan see similar displays to this in the week leading up to the Torches approach. The day after the torch came through, this was all dismantled entirely. The freebies are limited, though in my little town there were still some towels left in the day before the torch run, though not in all of the style varieties.If you want to get your hands on one of these, headed to the grocery store the week the Olympic torch is in your town, provided you live in one of the prefectures left on the run to Tokyo.The labels on the towels explained that they are made out of recycled plastic bottles and the towels themselves are surprisingly soft. While they aren't incredibly absorbent, they are a fun and colorful way to celebrate the Olympics.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYL8-shoppingThu, 24 Jun 2021 13:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYL8-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXVy-food_shoppingI've been chronicling the progression of the G Zone beverages, from their red origins through black, a blue yogurt concoction, and more recent additions.To my delight, this green and yellow can appeared in 7-Eleven shops recently. For about the same price as all the other cans of energy drinks, it looked like it might be the most fun. Next to it, a new and improved black can of G Zone Ultimate version 2.0 will wait for my next act of caffeination desperation. After purchasing the tropical looking one, I decided to look over the ingredient list before starting. I have learned my lesson from that horrible blue thing. This Trance beverage claims to use some orange as well as grape flavoring. As it is G zone, I know it won't be using these to mask any guarana flavor, so it'll be significantly more enjoyable than a lot of other options.I had this in my fridge for about a day before I ran into an energy slump just before work and decided to give it a go. The beverage was quite enjoyable, utilizing those fruity flavors to provide a tropical feel. One flavor I didn't read on the label but thought I tasted was coconut, which blended well with the orange flavor that I had read about. The drink wasn't overly sweet, maybe a little less sugary than an average orange soda, and pretty enjoyable overall. It's not a bad option for the price and I would drink this again. It feels like a fun summer option.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXVy-food_shoppingThu, 24 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXVy-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAbW-livingLast year, I wrote about cutting out an old friendship that had grown toxic during the pandemic. While I haven't re-opened any of those avenues, I have found out some new information about a friendship that I had believed was solid.Gaijin Blossom: This flower, flung from the planter of its brethren, survived in a small group until the lack of protection from proper boundaries ended it. Sometimes, being abroad means clinging to whatever seems familiar, even if it isn't healthy. Without boundaries, little can survive.I don't really make friends easily in Japan or America. The fellow foreigners I have met and befriended here tend to come from places I have worked or chance encounters. Last year, I was under the mistaken assumption that the only really unhealthy relationships I had were with people on the other side of the world who only wanted to interact with me in screamed all-caps comments on social media.It turns out that while I was ending a 20-year-long friendship, someone I knew for half that time was choosing to hold a grudge against me which she continued for a full year in silent resentment.Maybe fueling a grudge like that is helpful to her. I can understand how having an enemy gives you a sense of focus and therefore purpose/control especially in the midst of a pandemic, but for me its a waste of time and energy. I'm not a teenager stuck in high school around people I don't like. I have a lot of control over who I see and how. If I can't trust someone to be real with me, I don't really need to spend more time with them.One difference between this and the longer but most distant friendship is that before the pandemic, I felt that this person was at least trying to meet me halfway. Sometimes she would come to my town instead of making me come to hers since I would inevitably be taking care of my kid. Even with that example, I fully realize I tend to give people more credit than they sometimes deserve.With that in mind, I started replaying a lot of the memories of our time together and realized that I don't think I've had a conversation with her that didn't include some sort of passive aggressive remark on her part. She usually doesn't get called out on the behavior because I am so shocked by it and busy focused on being a friend that I choose to take it in the way I wish it were intended instead of what it actually was. These hurtful moments live on for months as my mind replays the conversation, trying to figure out what I should have said and why she chose to be mean instead of helpful. That process is exhausting and I shouldn't have to do it anymore.Living abroad can be stressful and that stress can encourage bonding, even with people you don't have that much in common with overall. Just being foreign doesn't necessarily mean we can or should be close friends, even if loneliness and perceived familiarity drives us differently.When I realized that my fellow gaijin had been harboring all of this resentment toward me, I chose to take a quiet step back from the friendship but I have chosen not to close the door on it completely. If she ever works through whatever her problems actually are, I think I would be okay with getting to know her again. I'm just not willing to be her emotional punching bag while she figures that out. In the meantime, I will work on developing firmer boundaries, practice communicating them better, and grow the confidence to hold people to them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAbW-livingThu, 24 Jun 2021 09:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEAbW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXLP-money_howtoAnyone who has done any kind of banking or business in Japan will likely tell you that paperwork is the lay of the land and a constant plague on anyone who only wanted things to run smoothly while being anything less than perfect. There is no reason to assume cashing a Coronavirus stimulus check (or Economic Impact Payment) should be any different.Since my last post on this topic, I received the family register showing my maiden name exclusively in katakana. I called the bank and quickly received the forms for depositing checks the next day. These were great in that they provided an example printed copy. That said, there were a number of problems.Despite receiving a large file in the mail from the bank and several letters, I did not have my proper bank account number nor the understanding that I had somehow signed up for both a yen savings account AND a Multimoney Account for foreign currency. The savings account number is found on the debit card I received in the mail, but the multimoney account number was only obtained after another call to the bank when I asked why the form required a bank account number starting with an 8 and was sure I had messed it up. It turns out the multimoney account is for cashing the checks and will start with an 8 or 9. The number on the card is only for the yen savings account from which to draw money to cover the check cashing fees.4044 is a common starting set for the stimulus checks, apparently.The next problem was the check numbers, something I have so little experience with that it was difficult to even search the internet for it. As it turns out, US government check numbers can be found in the upper right corner of the check and include 12 digits split into a group of four followed by a group of eight. Cashing this check at a bank you cannot physically go to requires filling out a form that includes this information.Cashing a check at this bank costs 5000 yen per check, which means I needed to get 10,000 yen into the savings account. I made the mistake, back when I didn't know what type of account this was, of going to a local bank where I have an account and piecing my way through initiating a money transfer via ATM. The money bounced back to that regional bank because I gave the wrong account type, not knowing that the number belonged to a savings account and not being able to find "multimoney" as an option on the Japanese ATM.When I called SMBC again to ask about this, the associate suggested I use the Seven-Eleven or Japan Post Bank ATMs, where I can deposit money directly into my account using the debit card they already sent me. I was shocked by how easy that was and did it the next day.After a week of calling the bank at least every other day, I was under the impression that I needed to send the completed check deposit form to the bank along with proof of my identity under both my maiden and current names, which in my case included a photocopy of my gaijin card and ridiculously expired Texas driver's license. The checks would also need to be sent along, endorsed, and in registered mail.When you're sending several thousand dollars in checks through the mail, you want someone signing for it.I attempted to look up information on registered mail on the way to the post office but it went awry when the guy at the counter wanted to sell me envelopes instead. I opted for a signed-for Yu-Pack envelope, in which I deposited everything I had to send for 520 yen.Technically the business reply envelope could have been sent separately but I thought it would be easier to keep them all together.I thought my part of this was over for a moment. Then I got a few calls from a strange number and chose to answer. It turns out I made the mistakes of not noting the currency correctly on a few of the forms as well as incorrectly labelling both checks as "tax refund" when one was supposed to be "Economic Impact Payment" instead. The original form was sent back to me to complete with notes in English of exactly where to write what and how to correct the mistakes using my hanko. In addition, they wondered why I had not included the family register that I had been told not to include by one staff who fully believed that the katakana would render it useless. Other associates had not been so sure but this was the last person I talked to before I sent it all off the first time.At the time of this writing, I have finished fixing that form and sent it back with the family register. Hopefully all of this goes through smoothly from here on in.<How to Cash US Stimulus Check in Japan: Step 1>To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXLP-money_howtoTue, 22 Jun 2021 12:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVXLP-money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKDb-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiYesterday, the Olympic torch made its way through Shiogama, where I live. According what I saw in a regional publication few weeks ago, the event was set to start sometime around 2 and end before 4. I decided that in the interest of being smart about the pandemic, my daughter and I should walk down toward the area where event was set to begin and check out the relative crowd size before making any further decisions. If we had to, we could watch some of it from a few blocks away. After a false start, we headed down to Marine Gate, the combination shopping center, restaurant area, and ferry pier. We were delighted to see how few people were there. There was a line up to take special picture and we immediately got in line. While standing in line, we were handed free Coca-Cola towels to go with the other ones we were already wearing around our necks. The people in line were socially distancing and I watched as the people at the front went up to the photo area, climbed into the contraption, had their picture taken, and climbed out. The staff then sprayed and wiped down everything with sanitizer before the next people went up for their picture. This made me feel much more comfortable with taking full advantage of the situation. My daughter and I very much enjoyed our photo op, even though neither of us really understood what we were in the middle of. It turns out, I had my hand on the Olympic torch!After that, we looked around for other activities to do and it turned out that there was a raffle starting soon. The raffle, done by a card game, was for a pass to watch the torch come through from the top of a bus that was set up with guard rails and stairs to be as safe as possible.We tried very hard and managed to get passes, for which we were very very grateful and excited. After we took a quick ice cream break, we came back with ten minutes to spare, just in time to be interviewed by some of the Coke staff. My daughter is very excited about the potential of being on TV or the internet again.Then the time came and we went up to the top of the bus with a handful of other folks. Only from our vantage point could we see the boats coming in from the islands, bringing with them the torch. It was then carried around the outside of Marine Gate by one young man who handed it off to an older woman who carried it to the front of the bus where it was held by a younger woman. I have no idea who any of these people are or how to find that information, but just seeing the torch from this angle was very exciting and enlightening. I'm sure I heard at some point in the last couple of years that the Olympic torch for Tokyo was made in the shape of a Sakura Blossom, but of course with all the pandemic stuff, I definitely forgot that. Seeing it from above was awesome and when they lit it, the flame reflected off the rose gold tint in a fantastic display.Once the runner hit the street, the crowd quickly dispersed and we left the bus. An hour and a half in the sun was enough to wear down my sunscreen and slightly burn my face. We went home and recuperated, but these are memories we will cherish for a lifetime.Tomorrow, the torch will be in transit, making its way to Shizuoka and eventually Tokyo.If you're in a smallish town, and have a chance to take a break and check it out, I recommend going to see the Olympic torch.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKDb-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 21 Jun 2021 18:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKDb-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bor-living_education_familylife_marumori_machi_miyagiDuring our second pandemic golden week, my husband had two days off and we felt comfortable enough to drive to a couple of cool places in our prefecture. These are specifically places I had not been before and that made it significantly more exciting for me Another excellent part of this plan is that tourism within our prefecture is usually relegated to the big city and places quite close to it. In order to negate those effects and avoid situations with poor social distancing opportunities, we chose the opposite paths and went further into the countryside. Our main stop one day was Marumori in southern Miyagi, which I will remember for its one adorable historical Street. The biggest tourist attraction seems to be Sairi House, a museum that used to be the family estate of a rich merchant family that left the area some time ago and gave the estate to the city to honor its historical relevance. It's far from being a castle, but it still gave an interesting look into the lives of people who lived here centuries ago.Some of the store rooms showed the impressive number of well maintained service sets, complete for fanciful dining,. This is the the kind of thing a guest would expect to see and use during fancy meals on an estate like this in olden times. It brought to mind a kind of Japanese Downton Abbey.In addition to the architecture of the buildings themselves, which were pretty special inside and out, there was also some great stuff in less expected places. As with many spaces in Japan, the details were everything. The metal panel surrounding the grips to open the door of one of the store buildings was decorated with fanciful metal work complete with etched detailing. This was so wonderful it is one of the few things I remember quite vividly from the trip itself. At the entrance, we were greeted by a young foreign woman who spoke impeccable Japanese. After receiving brochures in both English and Japanese by request, we enjoyed our walk through the grounds. We explored each of the open buildings, including a large residential hall for dining hall in the back. On the second floor of this western-influenced building, they even had a huge layout of the town as it would have appeared centuries past, all done up in miniature with motion control lights and weather.The gardens were all so lovely and at this time they were also done up for blue carp streamers to remember the children lost in the tsunami, set up by The Blue Koinobori Project. All in all, it was a great time for the whole family with lots of history and exploration combined with very few people.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bor-living_education_familylife_marumori_machi_miyagiSun, 20 Jun 2021 09:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bor-living_education_familylife_marumori_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPy3O-food_shoppingI popped into a 7-Eleven today to use the printer and I decided to check out the energy drinks as well on the way out. I was a little excited to find this one. While I'm not as fond of Red Bull as I am of other energy drinks these days, I haven't seen a new flavor of Red Bull in a little while. Just last week I saw a green version that I already tried on the shelves at Welcia. I didn't bother to buy that one as it wasn't new and wasn't exactly my favorite.Being that purple is my favorite color, I opted to go ahead and give this one a shot. As expected, there was a bit of a grape flavoring, but I was surprised that it was less sweet than I had imagined. Instead of trying to nullify the guarana aftertaste with sugar, they went to different route and added some other flavors, including purple carrot, which is actually one of my favorite vegetables.While my palette isn't refined enough to place that flavor in the drink and I only know it's in there because of the label on the back, it was still an interesting experience and better than regular Red Bull by a long shot. Would I drink it again? Maybe. If I were really run down and I happened to find it, I may well pick it up.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPy3O-food_shoppingWed, 16 Jun 2021 20:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPy3O-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQBo-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiA few weeks ago, I was searching through a local publication for bits of western writing for an art project and came across something every more exciting than the silly thing I was making. I was so entranced that I cut the thing out and put it on the fridge as a reminder: That's right! The Olympic torch which has been criss-crossing this country for the last few months is going to have a little run through Shiogama, the town where I live, this weekend. On the afternoon of Sunday, June 20th, the streets around our area will be blocked to traffic for several hours in preparation for and during the event itself. The torch and torch bearers will make their way along one major street connecting Marine Gate to the main entrance to Shiogama Shrine. This procession is slated to take about an hour and a half. I have no idea what to assume for crowd size but am lucky enough to be able to gauge those things from a distance before leaving my home. I plan to go down and see a bit of the event, even if briefly or distantly, provided the crowds aren't too bad. Seeing the once-in-a-lifetime event of the Olympic torch coming through my husband and daughter's hometown is special, but not go-catch-Corona-and-die special, so i strongly suggest caution if any other Miyagi folks are planning to go check it out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQBo-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 16 Jun 2021 15:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQBo-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDWk-education_work There are so many songs to choose from when teaching small Japanese children. Any song that also includes hand gestures or a dance of some kind usually works well to engage the kids, even the youngest ones. Any experienced teacher has their preferences for which songs they find most useful and which ones they could really do without. One song of the latter category for me is Where is Thumbkin.Personal feelings toward Thumbkin? It's a no from me. If you haven't ever heard of this song, don't worry. I had been teaching in Japan for years before I heard it. To sing the song, the teacher starts with their hands behind their backs and slowly brings out one hand and then the other with the appropriate digit held up alone. The song as I have heard it proceeds like this, to the tune of Frere Jacques:Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin?Here I am. Here I am.How are you today sir? Very well I thank you.Say goodbye. Say goodbye. The teacher then repeats, replacing Thumbkin with Pointer (index), Tall Man (middle), Ring Man (ring) and Pinky in succession. What do I find so unappealing? Just because I didn't grow up with it doesn't mean it's not a good song for kids learning English. If I only sang songs that I grew up with, I would never do Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, either. In fact one of the only songs I can remember that is allegedly appropriate for children would be about eating worms. More importantly, as an educator, I find the words and gestures problematic for their own respective reasons. First, the words. If I'm going to teach these kids words for phalanges in English, I would prefer to use accurate vernacular. The opposable digits is not a Thumbkins but thumbs. A pointer finger as an index finger is normal enough in English, but my middle finger is not a tall man and my ring finger is not a man at all. The pinky is fine, but if the entire song is Thumbkin, Pointer and Pinky, it wouldn't be much of a song. It turns out one kids channel on Youtube had similar reservations. Then, the gestures. Let's go back to that middle finger. When a teacher brings their hand out from around their back with only the middle finger raised, the situation can be problematic. The last thing I want is for some misguided kid to try to show his parents what he learned in school and accidentally use one of the rudest universal hand gestures. There are older generations of folks in America and Japan who point with their middle finger instead of their index finger and that's a special problem, but I don't want to add to this by using a song in which we use the middle finger raised alone. I also do not like this as a conversational template. When we are greeting in short form, there's not much of a reason to bother saying goodbye, but even if we do, we only say "goodbye" and not "say goodbye" which honestly sounds slightly menacing. Some versions of the song use "Run away" instead, and that is even worse. "Run and Play" is the least bad, but is still awkward in conversation and does nothing to remedy the rest of my issues with the song. If we need a song that uses our hands, Itsy Bitsy Spider is infinitely better, uses real words, and teaches size differences in addition to resilience and weather.Do you have any specific views on Thumbkin? Are there other kid songs you specifically do not like?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDWk-education_workTue, 15 Jun 2021 10:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weDWk-education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7BPY-living_shoppingOne thing we know from science regarding skin care is it vitamin E is very helpful in things like repairing scar tissue and other skin damage. Creams that are vitamin E infused tend to be pretty expensive as far as I've noticed, but if you shop online wisely, you can have a decent supply of cream up to 100% vitamin E infused and change it daily depending on how thick you want the concentration to be.A few years ago, I bought this small bottle of Vitamin E Oil from iHerb, which ships to Japan quite reasonably and the oil itself keeps quite well. The problem I had with the oil is that it's to oily. As entirely unsurprising as that problem may be, the thickness of the oil meant that I haven't used it regularly nor even barely at all. I didn't feel very comfortable putting it on my face because it would stay sticky, for lack of a better term, for a prolonged period. While it wasn't an all-day problem, it was longer than I was comfortable with. Now, I've also found some really nice smelling lotions at different places including this one that I bought at Seven Eleven. I am a sucker for anything with Yuzu. I love the smell but it's just a basic hand cream and isn't terribly useful in fighting against aging and skin damage. It's just a basic moisturizer to keep the hands from drying out really.While clearing out the medicine cabinet on a cleaning binge during our socially avoidant CoVid times, I came up with an idea. Looking at all the little things I've acquired over the years, I imagined that there must be a better way that these things could be used together. Utilizing a cream-safe, non-absorbent surface, like the lid of a different and empty cream container, I poured a little bit of the Vitamin E Oil and and little bit of the yuzu and lemongrass hand cream into the space. The oil is highly viscous and will move quickly, so not doing this on an incline would be recommended.Once I have a little of each, I mix the two together with my finger. The resulting concoction behaves more like a cream but still has enough of the Vitamin E Oil to be super hydrating and actually healing. I have actually noticed a difference in some of my little spots of skin damage after using this cream. I don't use it everyday as I have normal to oily skin and it would lend itself too easily to a huge acne breakout, but around once a week I usually mix together another batch my scented vitamin E lotion and apply it generously to help rejuvenate my face, neck, and hands. If you're looking for a good basic home facial or just a more custom scented Vitamin E cream, you could do worse than combining this online oil and whatever hand cream or other basic moisturizer you prefer. The bonus is that if you are crafty with online lo0tion shopping, you can do all of this without ever leaving your home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7BPY-living_shoppingThu, 10 Jun 2021 10:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7BPY-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1bm-living_money_workAnother site I've been playing around with in an attempt to turn writing into more of a career is HitRecord. Part of this is due to an age-old crush on Joseph Gordon Levitt, who created the site based on an idea around crowdsourcing creative content and paying contributors if the creations ever generate money, which they sometimes do. I did watch the HitRecord TV show that was available briefly on Japanese Netflix a few years ago and genuinely enjoyed most of it.I do find the HitRecord website and community to be a fun, engaging space, or at least I think it could be that. Creators on the site put out challenges, asking other creators to contribute in whatever means is appropriate, whether that is writing a line or a short story, reading a few words into a microphone, talking to the camera about a certain topic or sharing pictures of something. These contributions may seem random in a fun way sometimes. As fun as that may be, I don't know if I feel heard on this site, either. In response to a question regarding if you had ever been effected by an earthquake or tsunami, I recorded a short video, explaining as briefly as I could what the horrors of 2011 meant to me and my family. In response, I got an email asking about climate change. I had to fight not to cry on camera and as a result, I am asked about climate change. They really should have included climate change in the question so people like me wouldn't be as confused or frustrated.I am probably still going to keep poking around at HitRecord now and again, mostly for fun fiction bits and not really with the intention of making money. One thing I like is that I have already received some positive feedback from random people on the site. Vocal never let me see who liked my stuff and without commenting options, interaction is significantly less personal there. I am willing to bet most of the people I drove to that site read what I wrote and some of them liked it, but even bringing in new viewers got me nothing on Vocal. On HitRecord, I might not be having interactions every day, but when I do choose to let some of my creativity loose there, I do usually get some kind of positive feedback on my contributions, even if it's only from one random stranger per piece.At the end of the day, I am sticking around here on City-Cost for all my nonfiction Japan writing. It is easily the most lucrative and consistent of the options available. I feel like I know what is expected of me here and that what I produce has some sort of value to someone. As for fiction, who knows?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1bm-living_money_workWed, 09 Jun 2021 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm1bm-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmLv-living_education_deeperdivesEvery parent in Japan knows it, as do most who teach in grade school academia. Undokai, which gets regularly translated as "Sports Festival," though from my personal experience in the states "Field Day" would be a more appropriate moniker, can be held in spring or fall and usually consists of a handful of events with kids running, dancing, or performing other little feats to amuse and delight the crowd of cheering onlookers.Admittedly, this being Japan, most "cheering onlookers" are polite parents or grandparents, sitting on picnic tarps, clapping nicely as their kid passes the baton or approaches a goal line. I'm sure in more specific and serious sports events, so-called "monster-parents" may raise some hell at or on behalf of their children, but my experience with sports festivals in Japan thus far has not included such problematic folks.The sports festival/field day practice stems from the Meiji era and, according to one website that is yearning to bring the awesomeness of these Japanese kid competitions to the rest of the world, was based on British sports festivals of that time.For those with little working knowledge of Japanese history, the Meiji period on its onset was a time of great change, from the transition away from the samurai to the adaptation of so many foreign ideas with an eye toward modernization in a way that really meant adapted westernization. One of these adaptations stemmed from an outdoor sports event held at an Imperial Navy college in the 1870s. Online sources aren't entirely clear on who brought the idea around but it seems that several British men may have been deeply involved in the process of creating and popularizing this event, including Admiral Archibald Lucius Douglas and Frederick William Strange. The Admiral was in Japan to help modernize the military and Mr. Strange was a sportsman turned instructor who managed to publish works detailing a number of western sports and how to play them a few years later in the 1880s. Both men lent their talents to Japan and encouraged the growth of the undokai.The audience for this event included Mori Arinori, a man who was very much impressed and went on to be the National Minister of Education in 1885. In the display of physical coordination, he saw a future for Japanese children and a way to instill patriotism as well as physical fitness in the nation's youth. It took a few years to catch on but once schools started including sports fields in the early 1900s, undokai became significantly more common.From the outside, the early stages of these sports festivals as they appeared at least in my daughter's kindergarten don't look terribly militaristic or patriotic. There is a level of cooperation and a focus on team play that isn't mirrored exactly in the American elementary school version I remember. Even though it is something that also happens within military drills, relying on the group rather than operating exclusively as an individual is such a pervasive mentality within Japanese society and culture that coming up with examples isn't exactly difficult. As my kid has entered elementary school, I have noticed some of the more militaristic elements coming out. Watching the event with an eye toward those aspects reveals more of the origin than I realized previously. Even the radio-led warm-up, radio taiso, can look a little like a slow-motion version of military physical training exercise. It isn't hard to imagine how relay races, especially those that rely on a pair carrying a larger object (such as a massive ball or several boxes in a small net as happened at my daughter's school), could be utilized as a skill later in the most basic of military experiences. I was struck by thoughts of my brother, who recently retired from the US military, as I saw my kid more or less standing at attention while waiting for the principal to give instructions, then marching out according to grade and into an alternative position to wait for their game to begin.Look at them, in their nice, orderly lines.The refocusing of the once militaristic society after the end of the second word war likely changed how some of the games were conducted, but some of those elements still come through.A different and likely less intentional effect of these games was a level of growth in background feminism. The clothing of female pupils in the early 1900s in Japan was largely traditional in nature. While masculine clothing evolved into western suits and trousers somewhere along the line, women were still getting around in kimono, geta and obi, none of which lends itself well to calisthenics or practical mobility. A few women over the early years of the undokai attempted to amend these issues with athletic tunics as well as sets of bloomers, blouses and skirts, but nothing worked as well as the adoption of western sports clothing in the 1930s. Even if it was only for one day a year, young women were dashing about in practical athleticwear in Japan almost a hundred years ago.The inclusion of the female students in undokai and the evolution in their athletic uniform shows some growth in the social value of the female student's abilities, even as many socially ingrained problems persist for young women across of the country even now. If you want to know more about the history of undokai and other Japanese sports, check out this book: Japanese Sports: A History, Allen Guttmann & Lee Austin Thompson, 2001. It was quoted a lot in my research but was not easy for me to find a copy of myself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmLv-living_education_deeperdivesTue, 08 Jun 2021 16:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmLv-living_education_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQkR-living_medical_healthBeing a woman in your late thirties in the middle of a pandemic is not so amazing in some pretty specific ways. As my family back home have all had their vaccinations and are essentially CoVid safe, I wait in Japan and worry. About the plague? Sure, but that's not what's on the front burner right now. That space is reserved for babies.Is this a sunrise? A sunset? I don't know either and that's the moral of the story.Last year, owing to stress or any number of other factors, I had a seriously delayed period and the excitement over what could have been a pregnancy was palpable. After that some increased financial stability came in and I began thinking about the possibility of having another kid.It isn't that I am less than happy with my current kid, but as a second child, I've always wanted two. When we realized my pregnancies could not be as active as I would prefer thanks to some crappy inherited traits, I decided we would get the first kid to be more self-sufficient first. Then I wanted to have more money in savings so I took a couple of less than awesome jobs which caused more stress and harm than good while also doing nothing to build up that next-baby-nest-egg I had been looking forward to. I gave up on those jobs and hoped to work out another way to make up that money.Fast forward three years and here I am, my kid in grade school, my house needing to be cleaned, and my body slowly running out of eggs. It turns out that the delayed 2020 period wasn't my last issue with menstrual timing for now. My cycles, which used to be regular within a 5 day range, are slowing by a factor of two weeks. My plan to wait for vaccinations before pregnancy are feeling less doable every minute. I can't be sure if my eggs will hold out until the shots are available for 35 and up but I am willing to bet that Japan will delay giving me a shot if there is a fetus involved. I know many of the shots in the states have been proven to be fine for pregnant folks, but I don't live there and medical professionals here are less inclined to care what America is doing if my personal experience is anything to judge by.My last pregnancy involved three months of living in hospitals, just hoping to keep the baby inside of me. It worked, but the mental toll was huge. I know patients these days cannot have visitors and I don't really know if I can make it through without frequent loving physical contact from my husband and daughter.So I am in a bit of a conundrum and I am not sure which way to go. Baby now and damn the delayed shots? Baby later or perhaps never if the eggs don't hold out? While I wait to figure it out, I might as well clean my house.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQkR-living_medical_healthMon, 07 Jun 2021 10:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQkR-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82Ob-living_howtoIn order to attempt to cash the American Covid Relief stimulus checks I received in the mail in early 2021, I needed to acquire a copy of my family register or Koseki Tohon. The bank I am working with was ambivalent about it being a koseki tohon, which is the family register, or a koseki shohon, the personal register. Both are forms that must be received from city hall by request and for a small fee, which was less than 500 yen in my case.According to an internet search, this was what I was after, perhaps. Getting copy of a family register isn't really that challenging but going to City Hall without my husband does feel a little intimidating. Of course I can't understand all kanji on the forms and Google translate sometimes makes a mockery of what is there. Nevertheless, I picked a day when I had a little bit of extra time and went down there expecting to spend at least an hour explaining what I wanted, filling out a form, making mistakes, filling it out again and going on from there. To my surprise, the whole thing took less than half an hour. I asked information desk for help and they directed me to a counter. I then asked the person behind the counter for help and started to trying to fill out a form they indicated which I fumbled my way through. Afterward, the woman behind the counter came back over to check to see what I had done and then we went over it together to confirm what I meant. In the middle of this I had to pick up a number and wait for a minute, but I was still very impressed with how smoothly this was going.The picture I took of the form so my phone could translate the hard-to-read, thoroughly xeroxed kanji. Under #3, which I think was essentially, "Why do you need this?" I chose something to do with banking.When I did receive the document, I noticed something that might be a hiccup. The document indicates my maiden name, but it only does so in Katakana. Given how specific the Japan post Bank was about my having kanji in my name on my bankbook, I can't really be sure what the reaction that this new bank is going to be to me trying to cash thousands of dollars worth of American checks with them trying to match up my name as given in English and the name the Japanese government recorded exclusively in katakana. Realizing this, I asked if it would be different if I were to apply for the koseki shohon instead and the answer I got was confusing, though that may just be my listening comprehension level. I was trying to confirm that my name would show up the same way on the other form, the koseki shohon, and the office worker I was speaking to seemed to indicate that the personal register could only be generated for my husband, the head of the household. It could be that I misunderstood but I also doubt that the other form, if it could be generated for me, would consist of any different information. With my question answered, I paid my 410 yen fee for the copy or the register and left. Has anyone else ever received the Koseki Shohon? Was it just this office worker not wanting to guide me through filling out another form?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82Ob-living_howtoThu, 03 Jun 2021 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z82Ob-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lPV-living_familylifeWhen my kid started elementary school last year, we were right at the beginning of the pandemic. That meant everything normal was shunted to the side in the hopes of surviving what has continued to be a trying time in our lives. Undokai, or sports festival, or field day, was held without an audience in 2020, with the students running in masks. Between the identical uniforms and almost identical dark dual braids, the runners in the video were hard to tell apart, even for my mixed-race family. My kid was the only half-Caucasian on the field and neither she nor her parents could identify which runner she was in the relays.Even though that was not what any of us really wanted as a school event, I was happy that my kid had enjoyed the chance to participate with her classmates. We as adults can wait to cheer her on as long as we stay safe and lucky.Our chance to cheer her on came in May 2021 when finally a proper Sports Festival was held, though with social distancing in place. We were warned that each child could have two parents in attendance and one small child permitting that the child was not yet school age. A note from the school also reminded us to move our leisure sheets to make room for other parents when events changed so that we weren't all squeezing into the same space at the same time. The event was also shortened to an hour and a half in the morning so we would not all be eating near each other.I was really excited to go as our previous events since last May have been limited to one parent visitor and I have always pushed my husband to go instead as he would have to drive us there regardless and I would not feel right making him drive me there and sit in the car while I watch our daughter do something special.I liked that we were encouraged to move about and didn't have to compete over family attendance or bento style. The events themselves were a lot more demanding thanthe kindergarten versions and included a suzume odori dance that was just magical.Socially distanced? Sort-of, but good and mobile.My kid's team did not win but she tried her best and we genuinely enjoyed watching her participate. Honestly, the social distancing made it more comfortable for my household.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lPV-living_familylifeTue, 01 Jun 2021 09:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lPV-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWVk-living_food I received a sample of this lovely local coffee a few weeks ago and being a fan of a good cup of the beany brew, I was excited to embrace a locally made product. Then I looked at the length of time required in the English instructions. I'm not used to waiting 30 minutes for a cup of coffee even at a coffee shop, and my time away from coffee shops has not made me more patient. For me, the idea of waiting that long for a cup of coffee at home just did not enthuse.While I love that English instructions were provided, they probably could have used a run through the spell checker. While temperatures have warmed, there is still frequent drizzle up here in Miyagi and a chill hangs in the humid air. My need for a mid-day pick me up that won't keep me up all night has grown considerably. With that in mind, I decided to give both forms of this coffee a try.Here it goes. T minus three hours and counting. The iced coffee form of this beverage requires 3 hours of brewing time, so I put the prescribed amount of water and coffee bag in a glass jar, in this case a mason jar, and let it sit while I set the timer on my phone for 3 hours.Three hours later: Coffee time! The resulting coffee was very pale, a little bit more translucent than tea, and while there was some rich coffee flavor, it wasn't terribly intense. It was refreshing and significantly better than some coffee I have had both at home and at shops in Sendai in the past. While iced coffee has never been my preferred choice for cold caffeine, this one was still quite pleasant.Little hot coffee, a dash darker. Same great taste. Making the hot version took significantly less time, but still required 30 minutes of letting the coffee bag steep in a very small amount of hot water before adding more hot water to finish off the cup. I did as instructed and as you can see, the results in the cup were still a bit pale for coffee, though I think it may be a shade more opaque than the cold variety. Much like its predecessor, the flavor of the hot coffee variant was fine. It felt robust and comfortable, but I did miss the kick of caffeine that usually accompanies such a flavor. As is indicated on the instructions, these steeping coffee bags are all caffeine free. If you've got a little time to put into making a great cup of coffee and a sensitivity to caffeine, Shiogama's Kamado coffee may be just the thing. Unfortunately, the coffee seems to only be for sale at certain shops around Shiogama city, none of which seem to have online shopping access. If you want to try some, you may have to make friends with someone in Miyagi or take a trip when the coronavirus situation is finally over.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWVk-living_foodThu, 27 May 2021 14:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWVk-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5ZLe-living_food I think most people during the pandemic have adopted new hobbies of some kind. Some have learned to sew or knit. Others may have taken up or hiking or improved their reading selection. Last year, I decided to try my hand at basic balcony horticulture.Red, in August 2020 Our take home gift from the entrance ceremony back in April 2020 happened to be a small potted plant. As the weeks went by and the plant they gave us managed to survive and I got the wild idea that I might try my hand at planting other things as well. I grabbed a broccoli seedling and a cauliflower seedling and planted them together with iceberg lettuce that was gone within a month. The cauliflower didn't bother to make anything like cauliflower the vegetable until this spring. A full 8 months it sat in the ground and grew many many leaves but none of them were particularly delicious looking. The broccoli took several months to build a decent head of broccoli which we ate around New Years. Even now in May, I'm chopping off broccolini-like mini appendages from this still-living green plant. They make a good addition to soups and things.Still making food? Good job, Broc. When the cauliflower did get around to making an edible vegetable, it did what is known as buttoning, meaning instead of forming a solid head of cauliflower, it makes weird offshoots that stick up at random intervals. This means less cauliflower overall but the bits are still edible and work fine for soup.Buttoning in little bunches. At least they're all edible! The entrance ceremony plant, nicknamed Red for the color of its flowers, somehow survived. I was really shocked that Red didn't die within a few weeks of its reception in the house. I'm not great at remembering to water plants or take care of them. Initially red was on our balcony and enjoyed it very much, but as fall set in, I realized that it might not last the winter outdoors. I moved it inside and for a few months it was okay but slowly it developed a weird fungus.When I scrubbed the fungus blobs off, this happened.I'm not sure what this fungus is called or how to get rid of it. I tried rinsing the entire above-ground section of the plant off and scrubbing away the bits. This seems to help in the short-term but eventually the fungus came back. Recently, I replanted Red in a plastic pot instead of a terracotta pot, hoping that that change would maintain less moisture therefor less fungus. I also replaced all of the soil, which meant rinsing the entirety of the root system.Nice roots, Red. Please don't die!I noticed that it seems to have off shoots and wants to be several different plants but until I'm sure that we're done with some fungus, I am reluctant to cut them apart.A week later, the fungus came back. I have since put Red back outside and I hope that the fresh air helps.So what are you planting these days?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5ZLe-living_foodThu, 13 May 2021 12:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5ZLe-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Zj0-living_foodOne food that I had been looking forward to trying to make something out of this year was lotus root, also known as renkon. It's easy to find in most Japanese grocery stores both in its raw form and in a processed form. Raw, the lotus root may look like an especially symmetrical and almost cylindrical potato. When the outer layers are peeled and the thing is thoroughly rinsed, it's more of a pale lump, a little bigger than a fist, with holes in an almost flower-like pattern on one end. They even have sliced varieties in processed pouches, but for this recipe I decided to buy the processed lump, taking a prepared but unsliced route. They don't cost much and they are said to be sweet when cooked properly. Though they are frequently used in stir-fry, I've tried Lotus root chips before and really enjoyed them, so I decided to try to make my own. I found a recipe online and started preparing, though I will admit I cut the chips far too wide. About half that with should probably be used.The recipe said 1/8 inch, but I've never cooked in inches, so I did this instead. It was a mistake.After rinsing and slicing, the recipe said to put the slices in a bowl with seasoning and toss them until coated. The recipe salt to use a bunch of salt and a bit of garlic, but I was running out of salt and went for Magic Salt, a seasoning mixture, instead. In the end, I think the root slices would have been much more delicious with a simpler seasoning like the recommended salt instead.The recipe suggested that the roots should be cooked at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (which is 162 degrees Celsius) for 25 minutes. While they said that this could be done in an air fryer they did not explain any changes in time or temperature and I neglected to look them up. Cooking new foods when my kid is off from school is a bad idea all around, as I soon found out. Distraction ensued, so instead of checking on the chips every five to ten minutes, I wound up leaving them in there the whole time.Going in: Seasoned, spaced apart on parchment paper, as directed.Coming out: Almost burnt, jumbled, and with holes burned through the parchment paper.The resulting chips were edible but nothing to write home about, and definitely a far cry from what I had intended to make. I managed to eat them all by myself, and the centers were still a little bit too chewy. This is probably owing to the overall thickness of the slices. Meanwhile, the outer walls were almost too crunchy to chew at all.Edible? Yes. Delicious? No.Thinner slices, simpler seasoning, and regular checks of the food would have improved this dish greatly. Otherwise, frying them in oil may be preferred. While it's not the worst thing I've made, I will do more research on how to adapt traditional recipes for air fryers before I try anything like this again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Zj0-living_foodMon, 10 May 2021 09:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Zj0-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkmX0-living There are so many things I miss about Texas. Food, culture, people, even weather greet me in memories that leave me aching for the familiar. This week I had an encounter with the opposite experience-- something I never enjoyed and had forgotten about since it had never happened to me here before.I don't know what about this face or outfit says "I respond well to jerks who scream at me" so... It was the Friday of Golden Week, not technically a holiday, and I had just left my home on the way to the post office. As my home is on one of the busier streets in town, cars were gliding by as usual. I heard someone call out "Hello!" from behind me and, assuming it was a student or the parent of a student, I turned to wave back. Only as I registered the guy's expression did I realize the problem. He wasn't wearing a mask and he didn't know me. I'm not sure if his intention was harassing the foreigner or harassing the woman or just rejoicing in his luck in finding a foreign woman on the street to harass. I would guess he was in his mid to late twenties. As I turned to walk away, he called out (with a strong Japanese accent), "I speak English!" I'm not entirely sure what he expected here. Maybe the curvy foreign woman is so taxed for human interaction that something thrust upon her from a moving vehicle would be welcome? Obviously that's not a reasonable conclusion. The look in his eyes reminded me of cruel children I had known in childhood-- the type that would rip a butterfly's wings off just for kicks. He was hanging his head, maskless, outside of the passenger side of the vehicle, repeating his claim of language proficiency. And that's when I knew that I had met the elusive "scrub" of TLC's classic 90s jam "No Scrubs" as he was hanging out the passenger side of his best friend's ride and actually trying to holler at me. Like the trio of ladies, I also had no need of this scrub. I turned in a direction I didn't need to go, heading away from the street and toward a small shopping mall. The car followed, bellowing after me. I turned and cut through a parking lot, heading toward a store at the far end and raced inside. If they followed, they left before I went out a different exit and bac on my way to run my errands. All in all, the whole encounter lasted less than five minutes but really bothered me as it would any person, especially any woman, especially any woman from a culture where you're taught from a young age that predators are everywhere. I'm still a bit shaken and angry, but I did the smartest thing I could. Prolonging that kind of interaction would not have had any benefit for me. In Texas, I sometimes encountered these jerks when I was walking a lone teen walking around. I would flip them off or yell something back, feeling brash and invincible. As a 30-something in Japan, I can't afford to feel either of those things. Anyone else getting shouted at and followed by hungry-eyed creeps? Or is that just what the frustrated jerks of Miyagi are up to?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkmX0-livingTue, 04 May 2021 00:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wkmX0-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLO2D-living_work A few months ago, one of my friends recommended a writing contest on Vocal. I thought I understood this site, assuming it was somewhere between Livejournal and Scribophile, where you can write a lot of whatever is on your mind, fiction or nonfiction, (like LJ) but without the need to edit others for the right to publish (one of the downsides to Scribo) but it turns out there are other factors I had yet to consider. The contests on Vocal have huge prizes of thousands of dollars but according to pieces published as how-to guides on the site, in order to get the attention of the judges, you have to also be present and active on the website. Commenting isn't an option on any pieces, so what does engagement look like? Publishing new pieces constantly wasn't suggested. Instead, they advised providing plenty of likes (via a heart shaped icon at the bottom of each piece) and "tips" (when you send $1 or more directly to a writer on the site via Stripe) to your fellow writers. Apparently, if you do this enough, someone on the editorial team might notice you and if they like what they see, you'll be one of the pieces they actually read before the next big cash prize. I worked very hard on the three pieces I entered to contests there. I shared links to them on social media, encouraging friends and family to go, read, and like. It's the only time my friends and family have read my fiction and many genuinely liked it. When all that work was done, I spent a few hours I didn't really have to spare reading and liking a bunch of pieces from other writers on the site. All I have to show for all of that effort is a few cents I cannot even access until I "cash out" at a minimum of $35, and honestly even that process would be difficult despite Japan being one of the countries that accepts Stripe.All that work for less than $1? Another issue I have here is that whenever your pieces are published on the site, the first run rights are gone. There is an editorial staff who look over everything before it gets the okay to go online, but that also means you can't edit anything you've written without begging an editor to fix your typos for you. If I had found a site like this as a teenager, it is possible that I could have made it work well, at least until college ate all my writing time. I could have developed the following necessary to make a difference there if it had existed back in 2000. I guess I'm twenty years out of my league on that one. In summary, I don't really know how to get Vocal to work, but it obviously isn't the right writing site for me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLO2D-living_workMon, 03 May 2021 11:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLO2D-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ69Z-living_deeperdives_shiogama_shi_miyagiI had been in Japan for a few years when one of my students pointed out there are different breeds of cherry blossom tree. This was after I had left my first teaching job in a mountain town with almost no young adults and even fewer good hanami spots. The most I had seen of the trees were in passing along one of the few major roads through the town, though I once spent a few hours reading underneath a sakura tree I found in a park next to my friend's apartment building near Nagoya around that same time. As the soft pink petals fluttered down around me, I found my normally pink-avoidant self willing to forgive and accept the color I associated with an aggressively feminine aspect I was never quite comfortable with. Sakura changed me then, even as I knew almost nothing about it.I can be forgiven for not knowing that not all sakura are exactly the same, as I had never done a proper hanami until some students took me out for it at my first long-term teaching job in Miyagi. The park they took me to had many varieties with obvious differences in petal coloration, blossom shape, and how they hang on the branch. I thought this must be some special park but it turns out that the number of parks in this area hold a number of different kinds of cherry tree, including the hanami park area at Shiogama Shrine. It was another couple of years after this revelation that I realized that Shiogama has its own special cherry blossom variety, Shiogamazakura, which blooms in abundance around the shrine. What I learned this year is that these blossoms tend to grace us a little later in the year than a lot of the others, meaning a trip to the shrine early in April to see all the lovely flowers revealed plenty of gorgeous blossoms, but not the city's namesake. That would have to wait another week or two.An informational placard for Shiogamazakura, located next to one of the beautiful blooming trees. According to one tourist site, this specific breed of tree was mentioned in the poems of Emperor Horikawa way back in the Heian period and appears in a number of other works throughout history. It turns out there are number of sources regarding the history of the Shiogamazakura in Japanese but far fewer details available in English. An English-language pamphlet that seems to have been made by Shiogama Shrine in 2018 does explain a little bit, including that the double blooms as they were do not hold a measly ten petals (doubling the five petals of other sakura varieties) as I previously believed but upwards of 40. That means for every blossom there is at least eight times as many petals as there would be on a simpler sakura flower. This abundance gives the blossoms the visual impression of tiny spring pom poms decorating these trees, which only makes it seem more magical and unreal.As the second to last weekend in April came to a close, the Shiogamazakura were in full bloom at the shrine so I made my way up the side entrance stairs and into the garden. On the Shiogama Shrine website in Japanese, you can find not just which cherry blossom varieties are in bloom but also find a map in PDF form explaining the location of each type of tree as well.The shrine is of course the best place to see these lovely pom poms of delight as they bloom late in the season. The backdrop of the more than thousand-year-old shrine complex only adds to the beauty and charm. But all of this magic was almost for not. In 1945, Shiogamazakura were designated a National Natural Monument owing to its centuries old history and natural beauty. Unfortunately, this distinction was lost in 1959 when the one documented Shiogamazakura tree near the shrine died. Efforts were made to grow saplings from the old tree and the results were planted around the shrine with hope for a brighter future. In 1987, these hopes paid off as Shiogamazakura regained its designation as a National Natural Monument. Now the harrowing tale of a beautiful tree that was almost lost to time can be found in Japanese on the website database for nationally designated cultural properties.Shiogamazakura were actually not the only late bloomers about at the shrine on the day of my visit. Just Shiogama Shrine boasts about forty varieties of cherry blossom tree according to the Japanese language website for Shiogama Shrine. Around the country, more than 300 varieties of cherry blossom trees explode in shades ranging from soft white to bright pink. Not every breed has the distinction of being a National Natural Monument or being raised from the dead by extremely clever and hopeful horticulturalists.Fliers with more information, provided by Shiogama Shrine.The next time you have the chance to walk by or sit under a cherry blossom tree, remember that there is more to the history and heritage of this national symbol than just a pretty tree. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ69Z-living_deeperdives_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 28 Apr 2021 11:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ69Z-living_deeperdives_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02ej-money_howtoThe other day I squealed with excitement as I opened my mailbox to reveal a check from the US Treasury, ready to be deposited into my American bank account. There's just one problem with that. I don't have an American bank account anymore.Like most Americans, even living abroad does not remove me from eligibility regarding the stimulus/economic impact payment/CoVid relief benefits. Not filing taxes and/or not having an American bank account to receive these benefits with will do that.The first of these checks is being sent as a tax refund and covers the first two checks US citizens received in 2020. If my 2019 US taxes had gone through correctly in 2020, I would have received these in the mail last year. Since I only found out that they had not gone through properly when I filed my 2020 taxes this year, I am only receiving this now that the taxes have been processed. Another check, the third US economic impact payment, came a couple of weeks later.I assumed for some reason that banks still cash checks and that Japanese banks would have no more trouble with this than they had with international remittances which I remember requiring at least 45 minutes even at a branch where I had done remittances before. I was wrong on all counts.We went to the three banks where I have accounts, starting with the smallest. Like some tedious adult fairy tale, each bank told my husband and me that they were too small to cash such an international check and they were trying to stop dealing with checks anyway. The final bank, Japan Post Bank, actually stopped to check with other branches, confirming that this was a larger problem for more people than just me and that there was absolutely nothing they could do to help. The US Treasury, it turns out, is not a bank and that had something to do with there being no options at any of our banks here.I turned to the US Embassy website which gave a nicely worded version of "sucks to be you.""Just have a US bank account" isn't helpful for me. Anyone with a US Paypal account can cash these checks easily online, but only if the check address matches the shipping address on their account, which CANNOT be located outside the US.One reddit thread was full of people having this problem last year and one person gave advise I could use. Apparently one bank in Japan will cash these but you have to open an account and if you don't keep around $2000 in foreign currency in the account, you will be charged 2000 yen per month in maintenance fees.I looked to see if the bank had any branches near me. It doesn't. It doesn't have any branches in ALL OF TOHOKU. Nothing between Tokyo and Hokkaido.I called the number listed on the website and waited to speak to someone in English. The wait was long, so if you're in a similar pickle but have decent Japanese or someone with Japanese willing to help, use that language instead. Finally, the guy told me that I could set up an account via the internet. I had to fill out the application on the website and wait for official forms in the mail. I was instructed to call when I receive them and verify how I was filling the rest out and everything I needed to send in.Another problem I have is that I never bothered to change my name with the Social Security Administration. I didn't think it was a big deal since it only means that my taxes and absentee ballots need to be in my maiden name, but it does mean something now that I have checks for a decent amount of money made out in a name I don't have any current ID to match. There is a form I will need to get from city hall confirming my former name and current name. This will need to be sent in with my application forms. When I call back, they will verify which exact form I need a copy of and then I will be able to move forward with the getting of a bank account and my stimulus money.<How to Cash US Stimulus Check Part 2: Paperwork Hustle>To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02ej-money_howtoTue, 27 Apr 2021 11:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G02ej-money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPyVY-living_healthI just finished listening to a couple of really great audiobooks in the non-fiction category, and one of them I think response very much too an aspect of mental health that a lot of us are facing these days.The book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, was published back in early 2019, months before CoVid changed the world, but it feels like burnout is something almost everyone is facing these days. While the stress of the ongoing pandemic might be easier for some people in North America, where a significant percentage of the adult population has already been at least partially vaccinated. For all of us out here in Japan, waiting for the day when maybe they might start actually getting shots to adults under the age of 80, the pandemic very much rages on, though with a fraction of the casualties than the US has seen.While it's not pandemic specific, this book does offer some great insight and advice for how to deal with the overwhelming can't of current society. When one of the authors said in an early chapter, which might actually have been the introduction, that this book would be helpful, I was skeptical. I always am when people speak so certainly. Nevertheless, I found the information inside truly insightful and helpful, so in this case they were right.The big breakthrough in the beginning of the book is in regards to seeing stress as a cycle meant to be completed rather than a weight that accumulates. When we don't complete the cycle, we're stuck with residual stress, constantly on going, never quite ending. This speaks to me as my mind tends to ruminate,which wastes my energy and keeps me stuck in a cycle of stress regarding any topic I feel stress over.There are many great tips in the book on how to better deal with a lot of these situations, but the key to getting out of the stress cycle seems most easily to be physical activity. If you can squeeze in a workout or a bike ride or run or walk, you'll trick your brain into finding the end of the cycle. Even if all you do is lay in bed and tense every single muscle in your body and then relax those muscles again, it will still be helping to remind your body that the stressful thing is over and the cycle can end. You don't have to stay stressed, even if your stressors are current and ongoing.As things warm up all over Japan, find a way to squeeze in some physical activity and perform some self-care. We're all a bit burnt out.Burnout : The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle is available on Amazon and Book Depository.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPyVY-living_healthMon, 26 Apr 2021 11:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPyVY-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyK0-living_familylifeAs I mentioned last month, my kid has finally begun to lose her baby teeth. Between stories from her friends at school and the amount of American kids programming we watch, she was understandably excited about the tooth fairy. Honestly, so was I. It's not that I love lying to my kid, but there are only so many of these magic years that we have with our little people before they're disillusioned adolescents, rebelling against whatever we thought made sense along the way and blaming us for being the inevitably flawed failures we were always going to be.In a fit of bizarre creativity, I told my kid that there was a network of tooth fairies that I would have to contact to invite to retrieve her extracted baby teeth and the fairy who arrived might not be female. They might not be male either, I said, trying to be as inclusive as possible with our mythical fairy selection. My kid and I were both excited about the prospect of a nonbinary tooth fairy coming to visit and I began formulating more plans. I could make baseball-player-style cards with toothfairies of varying types on them, using photos from the internet or creating my own with a little digital magic. I could even list likes, dislikes, and other stats below the photo. As the day went by, I realized this wasn't going to get done in time and would set me up to fail as I inevitably forgot to print one out on the right day or printed out a bunch in advance and then got found out by my snooping kid in my apartment with too few hiding places. I settled on drawing a fancy tooth logo on an envelope and signing it with a bizarre name, Corbin, before inserting two coins. One 500 yen coin for being so brave at the dentist and another 100 yen coin for the second tooth and all teeth going forward.I had it all worked out and then my kid went to her grandma's house on Friday night and came home demanding access to a tooth-box said grandma had given us ages ago, a place I intended to put the teeth after the toothfairy bit was done anyway.No further conversation regarding the toothfairy has been or will be had. Honestly, I'm a little disappointed, but my kid is happy enough this way. My mother-in-law had the best of intentions, I'm sure. I'm still a bit bitter. RIP Corbin, nonbinary toothfairy to no one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyK0-living_familylifeFri, 23 Apr 2021 11:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyK0-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDZD-living_deeperdivesOne of the most interesting places in Ishinomaki and arguably Miyagi as a whole is the manga museum also known in English as Mangattan, a strange building sitting on its own island and looking a bit like a space ship. When I visited the museum for the first time in February of 2021, I had no idea who the man was and had only heard of the Cyborg series due to the colorful train that runs as part of the local trains from Sendai to Ishinomaki on the Senseki line. All aboard the Mangattan Liner to Ishinomaki!I'm not the biggest manga or anime otaku and barely get a chance to read or watch anything for myself these days. When I started getting into anime in the early 2000s, my main interest was in works made within the previous five years or so. The style I can see in the linework on the trains reminds always reminded me of Astroboy and similar works that always looked too old in style to possibly be interesting to me, or at least that was what I thought of this style in college. Finally in 2021 I decided to give this place a try, even if only to entertain my kid for an afternoon. The previously mentioned ship-shaped building is home to a collection of items, media, and experiences celebrating the works of Shotaro Ishinomori, a man originally born in the nearby city of Tome and raised in the area that would eventually be known as Ishinomaki, all within Miyagi prefecture.Visitors from Planet Manga bid you welcome! That was actually the idea.It turns out that there are good reasons for Cyborg 009's artwork to remind me of Astroboy and for all of this to feel old. After publishing a work of his own in 1954, Ishinomori moved to Tokyo to work as an assistant to the Godfather of Manga himself, Osamu Tezuka. There the Miyagi-native would wind up working on Astroboy among other important works during his time with Tezuka. Eventually he went on to create Cyborg 009 and Kamen Rider as well as the Super Sentai series which eventually became the Power Rangers.The English language website for the manga museum goes into detail about the kanji used for the word manga in Ishinomori's "Manga Declaration" which is a document he wrote in 1989, explaining his belief that manga as an artform is essentially limitless. This is why he uses the kaniji 萬(man, meaning ten thousand or various) for the first character in manga instead of the more standard 漫. While the standard kanji makes the same sound, the meanings outside of animated or cartoonish are less pleasant in general.You can even shake the man's hand! Or a replica anyway.The building itself was designed by Mr Ishinomori in the mid 1990s and in interviews, he explained that he wanted the place to be enjoyable for people of any age, representing Japanese manga culture to the world. He even had plans to stop by regularly after it was completed as he was planning to live on nearby Tashirojima, better known now for its feline residents. The details in this place really make it special, like the villain's cape being on the other side of the glass.Unfortunately, Mr Ishinomori would never see his dreams of showing the world the beauty of manga through his manga museum realized. He succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of sixty in 1998. The museum would be completed and opened in 2001 thanks to the ongoing efforts of his devoted fans and neighbors. Ten years later it would be destroyed in the tsunami caused by the Great Tohoku Earthquake of 2011. A wave of six and a half meters swept through the building and took the contents of the first floor out to sea. Luckily, this was after the staff had evacuated all guests and headed inland and up hill themselves. It would take a little over a year and a half to clean up and rebuild what was lost. In November of 2012, it opened again and had stayed in operation ever since.While vising the museum, we made time to watch a short film in the movie theater and I was thrilled to find that it included English subtitles. The title of the piece was 龍神沼 (Ryuujin Numa translated as Dragon God Pond) and is based on a single volume book of manga Mr. Ishinomori produced between 1957 and 1964 according to wikipedia. Anyone who loves lakes and dragon stories will likely enjoy this one, though I also found it captivating as a Tohoku resident. In the story, a dragon god is said to inhabit a beautiful lake. If the story didn't sell it, the visuals would do the job of reassuring anyone who had ever seen Katanuma Lake (潟沼 near Naruko, Miyagi) that Mr Ishinomori had been there too.I've never been inspired by a place and then watched an anime inspired by the same place before. To convey that so clearly despite the time and cultural differences really provides a great example of how true Ishinomori's ideas regarding the limitlessness of manga and the animation it inspires really are.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDZD-living_deeperdivesThu, 08 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDZD-living_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8gr-food_howtoToward the end of the global gardening trend, I jumped in and planted some of my own vegetable favorites on my balcony, including lettuce, cauliflower, and broccoli. I also bought purple carrot seeds and planted them even though it was late in the year.I made a few major errors with the carrots. First, I didn't plant them early enough. If I had wanted to pull them before the first big freeze, they would be puny. It turns out that carrots are a good cold crop though, so I figured I would just leave them in until it seemed like a good time to pull them.My carrot harvest. 1/3 of what was originally planted. 100% of the ones I didn't try to replant.If I had stayed true to that idea, I probably would have been fine, but I also realized I hadn't put enough rocks to stop the soil erosion due to leakage in the little repurposed pots I had chosen to use. Replanting the seedlings killed them all. Only the handful I had left alone managed to survive. So if you're planting carrots, do it right the first time and then leave them alone save for watering them.The cauliflower quickly grew a purple corona and then stopped completely, which just confused me. Only now has it started to create an edible white head. Next to it, the lettuce grew fine for a short time but was fully harvested when it started to wilt on the vine. There was only enough left then for sandwich toppings at that point anyway. In the same planter, the broccoli grew taller and taller over fall, only finally sprouting a broccoli shaped head in late November.November's broccoli.New Year's Broccoli.Around New Years, I decided it was time to eat the green plant and researched how best to do this. I learned two important things about harvesting broccoli:1) If you don't massacre the plant, you can get more fleurettes from the sides of the stalk as it continues to live.2) Cut the fleurettes you take at an angle so water can flow out. If you cut it flat across the top, water will stay in and rot the remaining plant.I took that advice and am still harvesting fleurettes months later.The plant that keeps on giving!Back in February, we were told that our water was being shut off and had no idea when it would be turned back on. Realizing that I didn't know when it would be safe to water my carrots again, I decided to go ahead and have the harvest while I could still rinse the vegetables.My whole harvest.The biggest carrot, being about the same circumference as a finger. The tiny carrots were still gorgeous and delicious. If you ever grow tiny carrots, remember that you don't have to peel things this small and fresh. Wash them thoroughly, perhaps with a brush, and remove stringy root bits. That should be enough.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8gr-food_howtoTue, 06 Apr 2021 11:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8gr-food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2qYX-living_work Back at the beginning of the pandemic, my teaching jobs all suddenly stopped and I had both a need to make money and a tiny bit of time to think about it. I spent some time trying to find paying publishers for some of my short fiction and poetry. I do love blogging but I write other things too and wanted to make some money at that if I could. It isn't the easiest thing to do from Japan, but there are a number of online options these days The first place I looked was Duotrope, a database full of publication opportunities only searchable once you pay a small fee, mostly to keep the site running. With a gifted subscription, I browsed the listings for people who would pay for what I write and checked for publishers with high rates of publication. In many cases, I could even see how much I would be likely to make off of any one piece should it make the cut and the results were not promising. As a writer in Japan, I had to avoid any publisher that did not accept international and electronic submissions. Then I prepared what I had and sent out a few pieces, none of which garnered more than a rejection letter.Fiction Publishing Status After Duotrope: As Active As A Frozen Squid. Even if I got published, most places would have paid $5 or less for my pieces, which just feels like too little for what I was trying to accomplish. While future cover-letters might look better littered with even random publication credits, I don't feel right selling my work for exposure alone. I am very lucky in that I do not have to live off of what I make with my writing, but I still want to make money with my craft, not throw away my best work in hopes that a good publication will bother to glance my way. It could be that my work just isn't good enough to compete in this kind of market, but I also feel like this is a game I don't care about winning if I have to play this way right now. I still think Duotrope is a good resource for fiction writers looking for agents and publishers all over the world, especially if you have many pieces edited and ready to send out. Since I'm still working on generating new stories and none of my old ones ever went anywhere, I didn't get much out of this website at this venture.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2qYX-living_workWed, 31 Mar 2021 12:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2qYX-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWg7-medical_familylifeMy kid has been waiting years to start losing her milk teeth. Many children start losing baby teeth from as early as 4 or 5 years of age, but my kid had not had so much as a loose tooth by her seventh birthday. I wasn't worried about this the way I had been when her milk teeth had taken ages to come in, mostly because I had discussed it with a student who happened to be a pediatric dentist. She confirmed that most kids who have milk teeth coming in late will see the same trend with adult teeth, too.Last month, my daughter was excited to share news of her first wiggly tooth. We told her not to wiggle it too much and it would come out on its own. This was based on some poorly researched notion that the root of the baby tooth might snap off and be a problem. It turns out that this is not something to be concerned about as the root of any snapped-off baby tooth will dissolve in the gums and pose no hinderance to the adult teeth coming in.To my astonishment, my kid actually did not wiggle her tooth, or at least not enough to work it out of her gum. A few weeks later, she told me there were some kind of bumps behind her teeth and I looked in to see the tops of her adult teeth jutting out behind her eye teeth on both the top and bottom. Four adult teeth were ready to come out and only one of their predecessors was even wiggling!Why are you looking so down in the mouth? Extra teeth!I messaged my former student who immediately got back to me and we set up an appointment for my kid. If I had not had this connection, I would have had a harder time figuring out where a good pediatric dentist was and how to explain the situation to them in Japanese. This might be something to look up ahead of time if you don't have these connections in your area and if your kids are around this age.My daughter was a little frightened so I explained that the doctor was a friend of mine who is great with kids. I also went on to tell her that they might numb her gums with a shot before they pull her teeth, but the shot usually only pinches a little and then you feel nothing at all in that area. She later told me it felt like the flu shots she gets every year and didn't bother her after all. At the appointment, she had a great time watching cartoons and laughing with the staff while getting her teeth x-rayed. When it came time to pull the top two, I had a harder time with it than she did, but I am smart enough to realize when the mother-bear instinct is inappropriate. Still, it's hard to watch someone, even someone you trust, yanking out your kid's eye teeth.The biggest tooth has been moving into position since the extraction. My daughter worked out the wiggly tooth on the bottom and the other of the lower pair will be taken out at a later appointment in the coming weeks. If your kid is nervous about this, letting them know what to expect and finding a good doctor are the only things I can recommend to help things go smoothly.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWg7-medical_familylifeMon, 29 Mar 2021 14:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWg7-medical_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lXD-livingWe saw a few gorgeous little blooms just starting to open in front of HonShiogama Station the other day. In a couple of weeks, Shiogama Shrine is going to be gorgeous!Hopefully the crowds will stay away and give us all a chance to walk through the beauty of the season. Proper hanami might be out of the question with the numbers of infected in Miyagi skyrocketing through spring break, but there will still be something nice to see on our rare trips outside of our homes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lXD-livingFri, 26 Mar 2021 22:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6lXD-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJOrJ-living_familylife Miyagi has been a really rocking place recently and I do not mean in the way of exciting night life. March 20th we suffered a magnitude 7.2 quake that brought a small tsunami, the second quake above 7.0 for this prefecture this year and the first to cause a tsunami.Kitchen Casualties: Nothing Broken. When it struck, I was in my kitchen, boiling chicken for chicken soup. Most of the vegetables were already chopped and I had only started to peel the onion when the shaking started. I put down the onion and waited, horror only dawning as I heard the weirdly calm female British voice from my phone in the next room declaring, "Earthquake. Earthquake." between siren-like alerts blaring. Turning off the gas, I flung myself against the secondary shelf I installed a few months back and never bothered to stick down with earthquake-proof sticky pads as I should have. Last time, my blender dented the floor where it fell and I didn't think I would get lucky enough for it to fall again and not break. When the shaking subsided, the floor was a bit of a mess but the shelf and blender had stayed in place. My daughter had been near the kotatsu and, in a move that has become her custom, snuggled up underneath the heated table, only her eyes and the top of her head remaining visible outside of the over-blanket. My husband had been getting undressed for his after-work shower, a process that was quickly undone as he redressed in preparation to leave. When the shaking stopped, we raced to the TV and turned it on, waiting for news. We didn't need to know the magnitude and aftershocks aren't easy to predict. What we were waiting for was the verdict on whether or not a tsunami was expected and if we needed to run.It may be blurry, but that little yellow line on the map is the tsunami warning line and we're in the middle of it. We are an extremely lucky family. In addition to having our home in a building less than two blocks from the bay, we have family further inland and up hill in the same town. Getting to a safe place isn't that much of a problem for us and within minutes, my mother-in-law was inviting my husband to bring us over there for the evening. Both my husband and daughter had kept their go-bags filled with clothes from earlier emergency preparation. This is generally a good idea but I only have a couple of sets of comfortable winter underclothes and had long since unpacked my bag from the previous month's scary time. I was damning myself for that as I pushed a pair of pajama pants into my purse, hoping that we would be back soon enough for this not to feel like a terrible oversight. Seeing that the traffic lights were still on helped calm me down. This had not been the case with 2011's big quake. We got to my in-laws' lovely home where they fed us and we watched TV until we felt safe to return a couple of hours later. All told, the tsunami was about a meter in some places with no real damage, though the town of Watari had been evacuated as a preventative measure.The line across the top translates to "All tsunami warnings cancelled." The clock at the bottom reads 18:49-- or 6:49 PM Quakes and tsunamis are scary but with the right planning and preparation, they are usually survivable. If you live in Japan near the sea, make note of your nearest evacuation route and know where you will go if you need to head inland and/or up hill. Any time there is a big quake, turn on the TV to check for tsunami warnings and be ready to head out if you need to. Be ready and stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJOrJ-living_familylifeFri, 26 Mar 2021 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJOrJ-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgrvA-living The season for cherry blossoms is almost upon us and it is unfortunate that the pandemic is still upon us. Many of us who forfeited all cherry blossom enjoyment last year with the promise to enjoy it properly this year will be disappointed to see the low vaccination rate and higher rate of coronavirus spread across the country this spring. It simply isn't safe in most areas, especially large cities, to go out and sit under the trees, enjoying a picnic with friends, family, and coworkers. In light of the need to stay safe while enjoying the coming season, here are some ideas for ways to celebrate sakura without endangering your life or breaking the bank.Cherry blossom themed bath products available at a gift shopBath Time If you enjoy a nice soak in the tub and have time to make the most of it, one way to enjoy the upcoming arrival of spring flowers is to have a floral-scented bath. In many gift shops and online, it isn't hard to find bath powder, bubble bath, or even soap petals in cherry blossom scent specifically and other lovely floral scents as well. This is also a great way to warm up after getting caught in a cold early spring rain. Refreshing yourself with the scent of the coming season like this could shake off the last of winter's chill once and for all.A bigger selection of sakura bath and spa goods at the same gift shopSpa Time A great way to use some me-time in your home this spring is to give yourself a mini-spa day. While you won't be putting your feet up while someone else is paid to take care of your mani-pedi, spa treatments at home are safer in terms of viral transmission and cheaper by a long shot. If you want to go the whole nine yards, you can also spring for a bubbling foot bath to warm like this one from Amazon and relax your tootsies while your sakura face mask and hand lotion do their work. These also make great gifts if you know anyone with a spring birthday who might have dry hands from the constant hand-washing we all do these days.Sakura-themed goods at a 100 yen storeOnline Hanami Picnic If you're missing the hanami aspect of the season, specifically the sitting under the trees with your friends or coworkers, you can always construct a similar version in your home, even if it isn't quite the same. A few sakura-themed items from the hundred yen store plus video chatting with a couple of friends while you enjoy your own drink and snacks might be as good as it gets this season, during the second and hopefully last spring of the pandemic. An added bonus of this home version of the seasonal drinking event is that you won't be having to guess about the condition of the public bathroom at the park or pay for a taxi if you're a little too inebriated to walk all the way home. You'll already be there.My virtual hanami snacks: cheap, easy, and delicious! If you're looking for an easy contribution to a home-hanami party, my blog post here explains how to make these cheap, delicious plum rice balls. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgrvA-livingThu, 25 Mar 2021 21:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgrvA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyb8-living_food As my daughter's spring break began, we decided as a family to take a small trip into Sendai to eat at Eggs N Things like we used to. The covid numbers were low and we parked in an outdoor parking lot just down the shopping arcade from the restaurant instead of at the station as we used to so that we could avoid the indoor spaces with high foot traffic. This was also a weekday afternoon instead of a weekend, to avoid crowds.Look! Genuine Sendai graffiti! The streets were low on people and the shop did a great job of seating people away from others or staggering the seating in some areas so that the unmasked people eating next to where you were just seated would be leaving before your food came and your own mask came down. There was also a temperature check at the door. I hadn't seen Sendai this deserted in a while. I also hadn't seen Sendai in a while. It's weird what I missed about the city in our time away. I was excited to see an old cloth shop still running and a few of the cafes too. Even the graffiti in the parking lot made me feel like we had come back to normal even though I know we're not there yet and won't be for a while. I guess the weirdest thing I didn't realized I missed was the name-brand window displays at Fujisaki, sometimes whimsical and frequently bizarre.Must be a rich creature to afford a full length cheese blanket/gown AND Louis Vuitton bags! Our meals were great and we headed out as soon as we were done, masks on, bellies full, and hands sanitized. Instead of walking around the city and shopping or checking out the prizes at the crane games as we once would have, we went straight to the car and home. I devoured these shrimp with gluttonous abandon. It was glorious. It might not have been the safest thing we could have done, but we tried our best to minimize our risks. Now the numbers in Sendai are climbing. Yesterday, 121 new cases of the coronavirus infection were discovered. Today it's 171. As scared as I could be, I am happier that we got our need to see the city out of our systems for a while. From here on out, it'll be tons of spring break fun at home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyb8-living_foodWed, 24 Mar 2021 19:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAyb8-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOk7-foodI found this at the convenience store the other day and gave it a try.I was hoping for a fruity low-cal bit of refreshment. This was not that. It had about the same calories as a Dr Pepper and the thinness of the beverage even with its orange flavoring reminded me of the discount "orange juice" beverages I never enjoyed as a child.I'm glad it had some vitamins. At least that provided some benefit. Even so, for the price and flavor, I won't be buying this one again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOk7-foodWed, 24 Mar 2021 19:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOk7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQgR-shoppingI saw this just before white day and had a little laugh to myself.Nicely wrapped toilet paper! I felt both like this was a gift more appropriate for last year and that I would laugh if my husband got me this. He didn't, which was really for the best. We have TP for now.A more thoughtful white-day-during-pandemic gift might be along these lines:A mask case! With Amabie! I have been taking pictures of every Amabie thing I have found, marveling at the lovely level of superstition present for the support of this minor yokai.That's not to say that I'm not a fan. I love weird folklore, and Amabie is an excellent example of that, even if my brain keeps mislabeling them as akebi from time to time.These Amabie and Octopus mascot plants would make me smile more though. What a weirdly fun thing to bring home for the right audience.We only got chocolate after all, but Amabie makes for some fun window shopping.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQgR-shoppingTue, 23 Mar 2021 23:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQgR-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v14-foodEveryone knows that Japan loves cherry blossoms. As a national symbol, the bright pink blooms mark the beginning of spring and many people across the country and even in other parts of the world enjoy their hanami or cherry blossom viewing as a picnic-style lunch under the blooming cherry trees in their area. The keen observer might also note the small white look-alike blossoms that pop up in similar areas just a little earlier. In Miyagi in mid to late March, the occasional little white blossoming tree can be spotted easily. These, I came to realize after several years in Japan, are plum blossoms.In the spirit of coming spring and with an eye toward the lovely blossoming trees, I've decided to try plum blossom rice balls in the three ways. In the same aisle of my grocery store where one can find pre-packaged microwavable rice, there is also a wide variety of things to put on or with the rice, either as a topping like furikake (dried rice topping) or mixed in as one might when making onigiri.I picked the best floral-looking varieties that I could find. One I didn't think to read and assumed was flower petals based on the pink hue of the contents turned out to be chunks of pickled plum. A few years ago, near a 1000-year-old cherry blossom tree in Fukushima, I found preserved cherry blossoms for sale. They were meant to be eaten on rice and I bought a few packets as souvenirs but didn't save any for myself. Of course, my grocery store did not have anything like that in stock, so I settled for the umeboshi pickled plum chunks, black sesame seeds with tiny plum sliver flowers, and a wakame seaweed blend with plum bits.Onigiri is super easy to make even for the easily intimidated like me. I used to put the toppings on the plastic wrap first, then add rice, then add more toppings, pull the wrapping over it and squeeze it together. Mixing the toppings with the rice first provided better results.After warming up a 180 gram microwavable rice packet, I separated the contents into thirds and rendered three adorable little spring-inspired rice balls. The first one I tried was sesame and plum in which the bits of plum are found in the tiny flowers and tiny petals-like chunks, complemented by black sesame seeds and salt. I love the way this one looks and have been looking forward to using it for sometime. At the end of the day, it was highly enjoyable, but not my favorite.As it turns out, umeboshi at the center of the rice ball or spread throughout in chunks is still umeboshi and tastes about the same. It's not the worst flavor but doesn't harken spring the way it might with the right additional flavors. Still, if you like pickled plum and want an easy way to add more to your diet, these dried chunks work wonders.My favorite from this group by surprise was the wakame seaweed blend. The combinations of salty and savory were more present here than in the sesame and the coloration was perfect to represent the coming flowers and leaves of the approaching season.My favorites, from left to right: Wakame blend, Sesame blend, umeboshi chunks. If you're looking for a small snack or fast meal to harken the coming spring, plum rice balls of some variety might be the right idea.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v14-foodMon, 22 Mar 2021 13:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1v14-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXqB-educationThis is actually a trick I came up with back when I was teaching high school in the states but it still holds true.I had to stop teaching and scrub so I could finish the lesson. Not my favorite thing.White boards get gross after a while, don't they? Do you ever get up and go to the board to start to write something only to find that the background of half-erased junk is preventing anything from being even barely legible? Maybe your eraser isn't up to snuff or your new markers are a bit too hardcore for the current situation or too weak to be visible among the clutter of old letters. In any case, you can still see what you just erased or have to scrub it into obscurity to get anything like a clear unlettered space, leaving behind a mass of gray background, making everything seem even dirtier than it is.The handy teacher's secret weapon: sanitizer!The best answer I have found to this problem is hand sanitizer, which we all seem to have about in abundance these days. For this cleaning project, avoid the gel type hand sanitizer that is better for use on hands. The texture doesn't seem to do much for the cleaning functionality on the board and instead seems to just slow down the process. A spray bottle of the more liquid variety, the kind for spraying tables and desks for example, will work better. I start by spraying down the board a little liberally, starting toward the top and letting it sit for a second.Time to scrub!Then, I take paper towels and start in from the sides moving in tight circles with pressure until the left over ink starts coming off, revealing the whiteboard beneath. If necessary, I may spray part of the board again to get some of the more cakes on bits to come free, but I usually do not spray the towel in specific as I have noticed less than stellar results from this approach.Three paper towels died for this blog post. Even with this dirty board, the cleaning process took less than five minutes between two adults, three paper towels, and hand sanitizer.The results were excellent. Now I feel like teaching on this board tomorrow will be fulfilling and at least less frustrating that it would have been while smudging and erasing everything constantly.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXqB-educationTue, 16 Mar 2021 08:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXqB-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQW6-livingIn a little over an hour, the bells will chime in my town end hold their tone for perhaps a minute. By then, I'll be most of the way to work, and I'll probably stop for a second in my tracks, remembering 10 years ago.I was at work when it happened, just coming out of a class when the floor started shaking. The earthquake itself has massive, world-changing, and terrifying. I have never been scared of the tiny shocks we get now and then all over Japan. The movement of the building I could see through the window across the street reminded me why these things are so terribly scary.For me, the next few hours were mostly spent trying to ease the mind of one of my co-workers who raced home and check on her cat, who was fine. We walked the streets of Sendai and saw almost no damage. That's how well Japan prepares for earthquakes. Maybe that's just how well they prepared 30 years before when they rebuilt after the last big quake in this area. Large earthquakes in other prefectures since 2011 have taught me that the level of earthquake preparation in building is not universal within the country.When the bell chimes at 2:46 p.m., we won't be mourning people who died in the quake for the most part. The number of dead from that specific part of this disaster is really small. Instead we'll be thinking about the people swept out to sea or drowned in the building so they thought were safe. I still can't write about it without crying.It wouldn't be wrong to say I wasn't there. I was in downtown Sendai where my biggest problem was trying to get in contact with my soon-to-be fiance while the cell phone towers were not operational. While I was busy chastising myself for telling him he needed to propose properly so we would have a better story for our grandchildren and not knowing whether he was alive or dead, tens of thousands of people were dying only a few miles down the coast.I found out this year, just a few weeks ago, that some people have been writing about this event with poor research, dismal editing, and no experience. I am livid, not just for me as someone who lives in this area and went through the quake and walked through the wreckage, but for the dead and their families who don't deserve to be co-opted into poorly written and misinformed fiction.We're down to an hour left now and I feel better having written this. I think this is the first year I genuinely feel no survivors guilt. It is not my fault they're gone and I do not have to feel bad about continuing to exist in their absence. I had no control over any of that but my heart goes out to them today as it does often. Stories of those still searching for loved ones lost in the tsunami have been running all week on TV. My heart goes out to them too, and all the other survivors, and anyone who lost someone on that horrible day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQW6-livingThu, 11 Mar 2021 13:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrQW6-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKn9-living_howtoIn mid-February, our town had some problems that were mostly broadcast via megaphone by a car making its rounds through the neighborhood. My problem was that I would hardly have been able to understand them in English, much less in Japanese. Luckily, my husband relayed the first message to me via text: the town's water was being shut off at 5PM with no clear timeline for when it would be back online. The next day, while he was out, other messages kept coming and I didn't know what to do.Every few hours another message would be blared out and I raced to my balcony every time I heard it start, trying to record video and audio on my phone for my husband to translate later.Imagine my surprise when my husband comes home, not having heard any of these messages, takes one look at his phone, and tells me our water has been back on for several hours. Baffled, I asked how he could know that and he said it's on the website. Somehow, in a town that blares announcements on loud speakers, I had completely forgotten about websites.So if you are like me in that you have trouble understanding messages that are blared out of loudspeakers and fear something is happening in your city that you are not aware of, use your phone's Japanese text board and type in the name of your city in a web search in your browser. The results should come up with your city's website. If you search for the name of your city in roman letters, odds are you'll receive many English language websites, though not necessarily ones about the current goings-on in your Japanese town. They can still be useful, even if your city does not have an English language information website. Selecting and copying the kanji from my city's wiki page gave me a purely Japanese search result which contained up-to-date information.What you will find, likely includes at least one information page that gives you the kanji as well. Copying that kanji and pasting it into the search bar should still lead you to the city page.The city homepage, translated and all!If your Japanese isn't good enough to read the city page, you can highlight the text with your finger or cursor and copy into a translator app or click translate in some browsers. While some things will be awkward and these computer translations tend to mix up pronouns and verb tenses, the main details for most of these situations are usually pretty clear. If you use Google Chrome, you can even have the computer translate any Japanese text outside of pictures on a page into English. Sometimes this is helpful and sometimes it is more confusing, but overall I find it to be a good way to go. You can always click the language back at the bottom and tell it to un-translate the words.Back to Japanese. No Problem.That's how I found website for my area and confirmed that yes, our water was on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKn9-living_howtoWed, 10 Mar 2021 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GoKn9-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mny4J-living Like a lot of people, I put on a few pounds during the pandemic. A while back, one of my acquaintances online raved about Dietbet helping her lose weight and earn money at the same time. Being a little less well-off and more out of shape than before, I considered Dietbet briefly, but ultimately decided against it. The problem I have is less about not eating well and more about not moving enough. That brought me to Stepbet, a similar thing run by the same company. The idea is that you make a $40 bet that you can step as much as they want you to (usually 10% to 20% more than your usual before) within the game time. Each game is usually 6 weeks long and has weekly goals. The game I went in for required two power days and four active days per week. Both of these totals are calculated based on your regular step count, with active days being roughly 10 to 15% more stepping than you usually do and power days another 20% on top of that. It's not that much work if you divide it up properly, but it's not easy to make up if you forget about it for a couple of days. I found, for my daily life, it wasn't really hard to make the active goals and the amount of running around I do and some of my less regular classes gave me power days even when I wasn't really counting on it.The little i in the top right corner tells me how many people are still in the game and what the pot is. A little simple math and:That's my original $40 plus $7.50. Not exactly breaking the bank here. As I came to the end of the 6th week, I checked through the total which you can do on the game page and the app to see how much money I should be looking forward to. The company takes 15% of the fees from the winnings before they are distributed to the players who made their goals during the six weeks. If you don't make your goals that week, you're out and your $40 goes toward everybody else who did make their goals. The exception to this is the warm up week, usually the first week of the game, during which no one is eliminated and anyone who finds it too taxing can ask for a refund. Stepbet is a lot easier than Dietbet, and that's probably why it's a lot less lucrative overall. According to people in my game, the $7 net gain per winner is more lucrative than usual. To put this in perspective, my friend who was going on about Dietbet said that she had made hundreds of dollars off of a few bets. After this week is up, I'm giving myself a break from Stepbet because I also need to get a lot of other things done in my life, but I'm considering coming back and doing it again a little later in the year, when I don't have as much cleaning and organizing waiting for me. If you're going to do this kind of a thing, getting a good tracker is an important first step. Stepbet also accepts Google Fit information from phones, but I also know from my experience with PokemonGo that my phone does not understand when I'm walking around my house. My Fitbit on the other hand gets when I'm walking around my house or even just flailing my arms a lot. If you're really taking it seriously, you can pay a yearly fee of fifty dollars and become a member, for which your 15% fee after winning is waved and you can enter up to three games at the same time, using your steps for all of them simultaneously. This might be a better way to go if you have the money to spare, but it isn't going to make you rich quickly if at all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mny4J-livingTue, 09 Mar 2021 10:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mny4J-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKO3N-living_fashion_deeperdives As the craft store near my home was down to its final days, I picked up this lovely sashiko kit which contains the long needles one needs for proper technique, the thick thread in stand-out color (here in the traditional dark blue), fabric printed with the stitch points (this one is white with a traditional fish scale design), a needle threader and a thimble. To my surprise, the inside of the fabric even included some instructions and advice, which was terribly helpful. Instructions inside the fabric explain a few points not knotting the thread and stitching over the same stitches a few times instead, a process any sewing machine user should know already even if they don't usually use it in hand stitching. It also says here that the blue marking will wash away, so don't iron, wet, or wash the cloth until you're done with the stitching.The stitch markers reveal that the stitches themselves are rather long on this beginner's piece. We're not looking at stitches so small that they can be hidden away. These stitches are meant to be seen and the way to do that involves a lot of baste stitching, also known as a running stitch in basic quilting. The thread and the way it stands out against the fabric is one of the more attractive qualities in this craft. The part where it gets hard isn't in making difficult stitches, which is more of a problem I have with other kinds of embroidery, but staying consistent with the stitches you make throughout the overall design. This is a great example of how many small basic things can work together to become something larger and greater. Like every little wave contributing to a great ocean, the stitches in a sashiko design must work together to give us a sense of balance and purpose to the whole.My first stitches in this piece, going back over the first little line to hold everything else in place.History gives us many ways of turning thread and cloth into something more. From the simple stitches that bring clothing and stuffed animals to life to the complicated thread work seen in masterful tapestries, just a little thread and cloth can go a long way in the right hands.Almost nowhere does that feel more true to me than in sashiko, 刺し子 or "little stabs", the embroidery used by working-class Japanese folks back in the day. According to Wikipedia, this was mostly done to extend the use of the thin, homespun clothing of farmers and the like back in the Edo period. When patching and quilting the pieces together, some people chose to make the stitching decorative in addition to functional, and a new craft was born. Over time, the practice expanded to include use on fireman's coats to increase thickness and absorption. A few centuries later, sashiko became a way of providing print-like details to fabric for clothing and crafts. Today it remains a more popular and uniquely Japanese handicraft.Why the long needle? To get as many identical stitches in a row as a can in one go, of course. This is the way of sashiko.Most sashiko patterns stem from basic geometric designs that increase in complexity the further you go. One of the most challenging and ingenious things about this craft is that you aren't supposed to knot off the thread, as previously mentioned, nor veer off the printed stitches. Doubling over stitches is okay, but jumping across space is not. Ideally, the front and back of the piece will be inversely identical and free of any knots or non-uniform stitches. For this reason, some sashiko kits even supply a stitching plan to help people new to the craft in finding a way to make the design happen without breaking those rules.The beginning of a much longer journey. Just imagine what it will look like without the light blue!Amateur sashiko folks online may suggest denim and it fits a similar color to the old historical indigo dyes and is one of our current common cloth options most frequently in need of mending. The problem is that for traditional sashiko, the cloth should be lighter weight and looser weave than denim tends to be. That said, applying a clever sashiko pattern to a damaged space on a pair of jeans to provide decoration while extending the use of the garment feels right in line with what the people who invented it would want it to be used for nowadays. It's okay not to be aiming for replicating the exact practice from olden times, but it might be good to start with the traditional form and move up to applying it as you see fit.A sashiko polyhedral dice bag I made a few years ago. There's nothing saying you can't apply this technique to something else you love, but I recommend using loose-weave sashiko cloth for these projects.Books on sashiko are available online in a variety of languages, and the patterns only involve simple stitches, which make it easy to start on and enjoy even if you're not automatically gifted with stitching perfection. You can also combine this technique with other, less traditional designs to create something unique and fun.These were much harder to stitch but no one will see the backwork. If you're in the mood for a hobby that only involved repeating the same simple task in a specific pattern for beautiful results, check out sashiko!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKO3N-living_fashion_deeperdivesFri, 05 Mar 2021 10:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKO3N-living_fashion_deeperdiveshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYoY-living_shopping_familylife_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_onagawa_cho_miyagi I really thought our trip to Kessenuma was fantastic and our other trip to Shichikashuku and Shiroishi was going to be our last for the season, but my husband, daughter and I wound up having the same day off and wanting to get out of the house. On February 23rd, we took advantage of the national holiday and headed out to Onagawa, one of the smaller cities on the coast of Miyagi that was utterly devastated in 2011. I had never been there before though my husband had spent some time working around there after the quake. His being a funeral director should give a bit of a clue as to how bad the situation was in 2011, but a lot has changed since then. One of my friends recommended it as a day trip several times, speaking to the variety of local handicrafts made from wood or kimono cloth. I'm glad I was listening when she said these things even though I didn't really consider the city a viable vacation option at the time.Onagawa Station, moved and reopened only a few years ago. We arrived around lunch and walked around the station which happens to house an onsen that used to be located next to the old station. If someone were so inclined, they could hop off the train and into a bath in a matter of minutes.The view from the deck. From the observation deck of the station, the shopping area across the street opens up into the sea beautifully. The wide open spaces between shops made me feel very comfortable given the current pandemic and the lack of crowds helped too. We went down to explore and found a number of shops selling varieties of seafood, local crafts, and a few neat little restaurants.A tile shop in Onagawa's shopping area.The Danbourgini, a sports car made of cardboard, on display in Onagawa. After some pondering and getting our Lapras stamps for the stamp rally, we returned to a shop offering venison burgers. The atmosphere was great and after lunch we shopped a little more before heading back to the car.Ishinomaki's Manga Museum. On the way south toward our home in Shiogama, we decided to stop by Ishinomaki and see that Manga Museum I've heard so much about but never had the chance to visit. It was a blast and well worth the cost of admission as well as the drive. While in Ishinomaki, another town smashed by the tsunami but one I have been to a few times before and since the disasters of 2011, we stopped in the tourist information center and found this Kamen Rider statue as well as my new obsession: Manhole Cover Cards!All in all, it was a great day trip.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYoY-living_shopping_familylife_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_onagawa_cho_miyagiWed, 03 Mar 2021 12:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYoY-living_shopping_familylife_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_onagawa_cho_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDK0-living_shoppingSince the pandemic began, my trips to Sendai have disappeared from my calendar, replaced by online lessons and lots of time at home. One thing I used to enjoy in Sendai was visiting Maruzen and picking up some English language books from time to time. The selection wasn't always perfect but I sometimes found books I had never seen before and occasionally even recommended some of them to friends. Reading is such a great escape especially in long-term pandemic times but how to get access to those new reads without going to a big city bookshop?Since Maruzen is off the table for me, I have spent a little more time acquiring books I want from the internet and have found two great sources with reasonable shipping to Japan and fantastic selection. If there's a new English language book coming out from an author you like and you don't want to wait for one random seller to acquire it and jack up the price on some sites, you may want to check out Book Depository. Shipping is included in the ticket price of the books and they accept Paypal as well as most major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and American Express. I use Book Depository for any books I have been waiting for that are new releases or that I really want a brand new copy of. Shipping is faster than I expected and I use them frequently.In the mood for out-of-print kids books from Scholastic circa 1990? Thrift books is for you. A friend for these for my kid. As you can see, they were a big hit.The second site I recommend, and one that I use even more often, is Thriftbooks. If you're into used books and eclectic finds, this is a great resource for you. The site collects data from a number of second-hand book stores all over the world and coordinates them with worldwide customers and shipping options. Every item also includes a statement of condition, so you know if something is "Like New" or barely "Acceptable" before putting your money into it. Like anything second-hand, many things will be in less-than-perfect condition, but if you're in the market for second-hand books, this probably doesn't bother you that much.On the site and app, you can set up a wishlist and receive an email any time anything you've been waiting for appears in their massive international database. If you're collecting out-of-print graphic novels, for instance, this can really come in handy.There are two drawbacks to Thriftbooks as a Japan-based user. One is the fact that copies labelled New (not Like New but New as in brand New) cannot be sold to us here though they can be bought in the states. I'm not entirely sure why that is but I assume it has something to do with worldwide distribution rights. Anything second-hand does not have the same problem.The other drawback is shipping time. Partially due to CoVid but even before CoVid the shipping times were a bit random. Usually when I buy something on Thriftbooks, I've forgotten what it was by the time it shows up on my doorstep. These days, I see that as a bonus, like getting a thoughtful book present from my past self. If you're in the market for some new English language reads, I hope you check out these sites and find something new to escape into.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDK0-living_shoppingTue, 02 Mar 2021 11:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaDK0-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYog-foodHow do you use a yuzu?I bought a bag of the uniquely Japanese citrus fruit in tiny sizes a few weeks ago and struggled over what to do with them. There are plenty of recipes available online, but the vast majority only use yuzu in paste form or as an added spice containing bits of this unique Japanese flavor. Admittedly, I am nuts about this fruit. Anytime I'm on the fence about purchasing a snack, if it comes in Yuzu, I'm more likely to take it home. I've had it in rice crackers and tea and any number of little food items, but I've never made anything out of one before. So then, what is there to do with these Yuzu, my own Yuzu?I bought these for a different recipe, but used a bit of them in this, too.At some point I found a yuzu daikon recipe, served after refrigeration, that sounded very easy to produce, but not great at keeping one warm in winter. Later, I decided that skewering half of a tiny Yuzu along with a lot of other normal American kebab-type items might be a more delicious and more importantly warmer option. Thus began my Yuzu skewer experiment.Both of these things were useful with the daikon.Daikon chunks and mixed marinadeHaving never made any kind of skewer before, I tried to look up what vegetables go best on a skewer, and many suggested things I don't enjoy eating, so I wound up with two kinds of bell pepper, a sweet potato, eggplant, large slices of onion, daikon and yuzu. First, I peeled and chopped the daikon into smallish chunks, leaving them in a yuzu juice and sesame oil overnight. I imagine leaving them in the fridge for an hour while you prepare the rest of the vegetables is probably just as good overall.Then, I rinsed and sliced the sweet potato into circles, lightly greasing each with olive oil as I laid it in the toaster oven to cook for 10 minutes. In hindsight, I have realized that this would have been better if I had cubed them too or at least made more uniform slices. They need to be precooked before skewering as they will not cook at the same speed as the bell peppers and will still be raw when served otherwise.A bit cooked. That's the goal. With the daikon soaking and the potato precooking, I cut the bell peppers into chunks and sliced my small eggplants into circles. This would have been a good time to give the eggplant slices a light coating of oil and seasoning, but I didn't think of that the first time through.Once the potato chunks are half cooked, bring everything together and start skeweringPersonally, I enjoy putting the onion slices at the beginning an end like a set of parentheses, containing the rest of the deliciousness like an equation, stuck between the two concave surfaces. I think you're supposed to alternate for texture or density as well as color to create something both beautiful and delicious.I cooked these on my highest toaster oven setting of 1000 watts for about 20 minutes overall, flipping them a few times and adding a dash of oil and seasoning before it began. Alternatively, basting the sticks of vegetables every time you flip them with soy sauce, barbecue sauce, or whatever sauce you like might add a little more flavor and color.Pull them out before he onions burn. They could be served over rice or pasta or just as they are. Taking the roasted yuzu off the stick and pouring the rest of its juice over the remaining vegetables might be a great way to make the most use of the unique flavor of this Japanese fruit.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYog-foodMon, 01 Mar 2021 14:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYog-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXqm-foodMy husband, who doesn't drink, accidentally talked me into buying this at the grocery store the other day. I wasn't really in the market for more alcohol, but he mentioned that this one is supposed to have the essence of yuzu somehow involved and I was sold. It turns out that the three unique botanicals also include green tea and ginger. While I am no connoisseur of gin in specific, I thought I might give this a try. My first thoughts when sipping it straight were that it was very strong, as gin and all spirits should be, but the hint of those special ingredients was present. If I had more of a palate for these things, I would probably have appreciated it more.It came with this little box which I assumed (incorrectly) would be a shot glass or something. It turns out the little box only contained a fancy tonic water they suggested using to make gin and tonic with the fancy gin. I did but found it a tad too dry for my taste and resolved to further diluting it with a sweeter soda for taste. If you're really into gin, this is probably pretty neat. If you're not, it's not likely to mean as much but the gin is easily at least as drinkable as any gin I've had.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXqm-foodFri, 26 Feb 2021 11:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYXqm-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKO31-livingFresh off of our finding of the manhole cover cards in Ishinomaki, my husband did some research and found out that there was another exciting manhole cover location even closer to home. This one is in Shichigahama, a town just over a bridge and down a ways from where we live, all told about a twenty minute drive and the kind of place my husband sometimes visits for work. Up on a hill looking out to the sea, the manhole cover lays near a cultural information center which unfortunately was closed on the day we went since it was the day after a national holiday. Still, their posted information said that they had cards, so odds are good that we will be able to come in and get cards some other time, preferably with our kid on a little adventure.And it's a pretty one, too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKO31-livingFri, 26 Feb 2021 11:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKO31-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWN6-foodMy husband and I saw this the other day and I could not wrap my head around it.I eventually assumed ロカボ was some special kind of ingredient. Locabo? Rokavo? Lokavo? Rocabo? I couldn't place it at all until my husband actually read the rest of the sticker to figure it out.Low Carb.Low Carb ramen, for the dieter who still wants some noodles but with fewer processed carbohydrates.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWN6-foodFri, 26 Feb 2021 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyWN6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1vWA-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagiWe found this in Ishinomaki's tourist information center, where a little sheet asked for information about where you came from before you were encouraged to only take one card per person, which we obeyed despite my inclination to grab a bunch for all my friends.My husband and I both geeked out a bit over these. What a fun, weird thing celebrating one of my favorite fun, weird things about Japan!One for him, one for me.One thing I love is the way the capture the beauty of the manhole cover as well as it's exact location on the front while giving detailed explanation of the design and importance to the town on the back. Finding this feels a bit like a real-life version of a treasure hunting video game. Maybe this is what geocaching is like? Only with collectible cards, so it's more like a collectible card game, but for obscure geekery?I don't think there's any game you could play or special thing you could do with the cards other than collect them as fun mementos, but I still want them.The screenshots I took of the mostly Tohoku cards with one notable exception: the yellow one at the bottom is in Nakatsugawa, the first town I lived in when I came to Japan. I've seen that one in person, but there were no cards in 2008. Using the QR code on the back of the card, I found the website with a whole database of the cards that have been released so far. The majority of the cards are in places like Tokyo, but there are a few up here in Miyagi and some in places we have even been before. The website details not only the location and description of the manholes but the location of where the cards can be collected from should they still be available.With the Lapras Stamp Rally winding down once again, it is excellent to find a new weird thing to search out on our adventures.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1vWA-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagiFri, 26 Feb 2021 11:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1vWA-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bv9-livingWe found another one! For our last national holiday in February, we decided to head out for out last stamps so we could send in our stamp rally forms before the end of the contest next week. At the end of the shopping area, near the old station bell, this beauty waits.In a nearby storefront, this one marked by a lego facsimile of a local mascot, the stamps and cards await. After we entered and got our stamps, several people came in. Everyone was wearing masks but it made me uncomfortable so we left but not before I noticed one of the young men carrying more than a couple of stamp cards all by himself.The old station bell sits atop the big yellow structure. The stamps are just inside the building to the right. It was a great one to finish up our cards, enjoy a little time out of the house, and bring some commerce to an area that deserves our support.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bv9-livingWed, 24 Feb 2021 20:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Bv9-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z828A-living_foodJapanese apartments aren't known for their thick walls. As a result, I am sure all my neighbors may have an unfavorably impression of foreigners, Americans in general, or myself in specific. I am loud, even when I try not to be, but everyone has moments when they get carried away. Perhaps some of this is forgivable, but the best I can do is try to make quieter choices in the future. Despite my best efforts,some methods of food preparation are unavoidably loud, such as tenderizing meat with a mallet. In an effort not to terrify, enrage or otherwise startle my neighbors as I battered some steak, I came up with a nifty enough little idea.The meat doesn't have to start out small. Steaks of a larger size can be cut down to smaller, more easily smash-able pieces.For this, you will need smaller cuts of meat to smash, available at most grocery stores. You will also need a small mallet to smash them with and these are easy enough to find in the grocery or hundred yen store. The only other absolute necessity is a hard, fairly thick and sturdy cutting board in a small, manageable size. Mine is half of a cutting board my husband accidentally broke in half last year but similar boards are available at Ikea which ships all over Japan. The goal is to hold it steadily in one hand while smashing the meat with the other, so make sure it is both big enough that the meat and your thumb aren't in exactly the same spot and small enough that you can hold it steady while whacking it with a mallet.Nice little cuts. Watch out for patches of fat holding the top of bottom of a piece together as this will make them harder to flatten. Slice those off for better results. This kind of thing is loud because the vibrations from the force applied to the meat through the mallet swing go through the counter beneath it. If we instead hold the board above a sink, the vibrations dissipate in the air. Everyone in the room will still hear the thwack of mallet upon steak, but none of your neighbors will wonder if you're building an arc or trying to punch a hole through the wall.Nice little flat steaks. I repeated this process on many little steaks and found it adequate for preparations for mini chicken fried steaks.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z828A-living_foodWed, 24 Feb 2021 17:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z828A-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQ1O-shoppingThis new limited edition addition to the Red Bull energy drink line up was available the other week at a convenience store near my home and I thought it might be fun to try. Knowing how little I enjoy the taurine aftertaste, I waited for an afternoon when I had a fully settled stomach and gave it a try.I found this one surprisingly pleasant. The aftertaste was gone and I couldn't find taurine in the ingredients list, so I guess that was why. It was fruity and fun with a lime flavoring that I found really enjoyable.This one I would pick up again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQ1O-shoppingMon, 22 Feb 2021 21:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqQ1O-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8L9-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiLast week was one heck of a week.Damage from the quake was mostly like this and infrequent.On Saturday, I had settled down early as I was exhausted from the week's work. My daughter stayed up with my husband, snuggling under the kotatsu and watching TV. The shaking woke me around 11 p.m.Like most survivors of any large quake, I started out by sitting anxiously, waiting to see if it got any worse, which this one actually did. As the shaking continued, I started to wake up enough realize that my next step had to be checking on my daughter. When the shaking slowed, I launched myself across the hallway into my daughter's room, only to find her bed empty. Half-asleep and terrified, I shouted her name, only to hear noises from the living room and remember that she was probably still snuggling with her father, both of whom had fallen asleep watching TV. Upon waking to the shaking, my daughter only curled further under the kotatsu, not the least safe place you could be in the apartment. Probably a lot safer than watching yourself from one room to the other. I came into the living room as my husband spring into action, putting together bags of clothes for the coming days and trying to gather materials together for what might need for a jaunt across town if a tsunami might happen to be coming in. We turned on the news and watched as more more news of the quake came in but the tsunami warning kept coming back negative. I gave up at the a 2-hour mark and sent us all to bed. The next day was exhausting but not horrible as it was a day off for my daughter and me. We didn't have a lot to clean up to do from the quake itself and in light of the pandemic we didn't leave, so we prepared for the week and finished homework instead.Tuesday, things got worse. First, some cars drove through the neighborhood blaring something official on a megaphone, but nothing I could quite make out. My husband had to message me to let me know that the water would be shut off at 5 P.M. so I should save all the water I could. I was terrified, but went about pouring water into every available container, even buying a 10 Liter bucket and a few water bottles to extend what we had available.Everything we need? I have no idea, but it was enough.I also grabbed some supplies at the grocery store including a care of water and a case of green tea. I came back later to see the water section empty and people in the check out lines with ten or more cases stacked on their shopping carts.We were extremely lucky in that the water problem was solved for our area by 2PM the next afternoon, our water never fully shut off, and both my husband and I had a chance to gather supplies. In addition, our building offered water and wet wipes to all residents.Good job, building management company!Unfortunately, the water I stored wasn't as clean as I thought it had been and it left little bits of gross residue that I spent the rest of the week cleaning out of things.Ewwww.After a week, our home life is almost back to normal.Still got a few bottles to clean out, though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8L9-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 22 Feb 2021 21:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mv8L9-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmk5-living_food_miyagiA few weeks ago, back in early winter, I bought a discounted bag of three karin fruit, also known as Japanese quince, and spent a lot of time afterward wondering what to do with them. Eventually I stumbled upon a 2009 NPR article with recipes that I thought could work, including a quince paste which seems to look like a fruit leather of some kind, so I decided to give it a go. I did try a raw slice of the meat of the karin, despite all recipes I had found suggesting that the fruit isn't really edible raw. The taste was 80% white rind pulp, such as from the inside of a grapefruit rind, and 20% peach. Inedible, yes, but also interesting.That's about two cups, right?My biggest problem with starting these instructions was they relied on an amount of fruit that I didn't necessarily have. I did not actually measure how much of the diced fruit I had when I started this, but I estimated about two cups and adjusted the rest from there. Another problem was making this in winter. At the end, the instructions say to leave the fruit paste to dry in a warm, dry place, two descriptors that have nothing to do with Northern Japan in January or February. It even suggests leaving the pan of cooling, drying paste in the sun, which I assume works somewhere on earth but probably not here. At least the beginning didn't seem too hard.The instructions I read over included using a food processor, something I do not personally have, so I instead made use of my blender and a potato masher. It's not perfect, but it was the best I could do. First off, dicing the fruit into smaller chunks will make it become paste a little bit faster. I did not dice things evenly and instead just boiled what I had. After the initial boiling time stated in the recipe, I stopped the heat and let it sit, but then had to make dinner so the rest of the paste making had to wait in the fridge till the next day. I dumped the water and chunks into the blender and tried to blend as best I could, but the resulting paste was still a little bit extra chunky in places. As instructed, I transferred what I had into a pot and warmed it up before mixing in sugar that I had adjusted from the original recipe. To make this lower calorie, substituting the sugar for honey or another low cal alternative may be beneficial.The sieve wasn't so useful here as the paste was already too thick for it.I tried to squish the chunks that I could find in the pot while I was mixing in the sugar but some still got through and my attempts to squish occasionally wound up with me covered in quince bits.My least favorite part of this particular recipe was that it called for stirring continuously for 40 minutes. I don't know about you, but I rarely have 40 solid minutes to do any one thing. Still, I did my best and as it simmered, it did thicken over time.Then I poured it into a oiled pan that fits in my microwave on the oven setting, evening out the density before I placed it inside on the lowest heat setting of 40 degrees for the longest time option of 90 minutes. It was still pretty wet at that point so I put it in at the same temperature for the same time. After three hours on 40 degrees, it's still the consistency of jam. I don't have it in me to get up regularly during the night to keep restarting the oven, so instead, I am calling it a day. Karin Jam it is! The flavor is light and peachy with no hint of the raw bitterness. It's not too sweet either.Like fruit leather? No. Like jam, but slightly less sticky. I wound up leaving it out overnight, after which the texture was a little more dry but not enough to eat the way the article had claimed. I left it in the fridge for a week then moved it to a sealed container, finally trying it like apple sauce with a touch of cinnamon and microwaved for 30 seconds. It didn't taste bad and was actually quite enjoyable, but left me with an upset stomach not entirely unlike the hot beverage made from the karin peel and seeds. It might be simply that the karin fruit and my stomach do not get along. Still, this is probably healthier than ice cream.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmk5-living_food_miyagiMon, 15 Feb 2021 12:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXmk5-living_food_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPyPg-living_food_shopping_tea I found this lovely little packet of Shizuoka green tea powder online for a very reasonable price. It claims to be full of catechin, the natural antioxidant part of green tea that helps give the tea its healthy reputation. Forty grams of this green powder cost less than 250 yen courtesy of Amazon's pantry section which offers a flat shipping rate per box of "pantry" goods, usually limited to certain items you might find in a drug store or supermarket. When it arrived in the mail, I was surprised by the back label, where it suggested using less than 1 gram of the tea powder to make green tea in both hot or cold beverage forms. Since the packaging gave instructions on how to make the beverage with both temperature variants, I chose to try it both ways. I tried my best to estimate the amount of green tea powder .5 grams looks like but may have added more than recommended to each cup.While the hot beverage was cooling down to a drinkable temperature, I started on the cold one instead. I found it clean and crisp, not significantly different from the filtered water I kept in my refrigerator and made the tea from, but I couldn't really taste much green tea flavor in it. The powder also didn't dissolve fully and left little particles, even after I stirred it up several times. Perhaps a greater quantity of powder would be more useful for flavor. It is also possible that using room temperature water might lead to less clumping and a more smooth overall appearance. Still, there was no bitterness or discomfort in the drink. It mostly just tasted like very nice water. When I moved on to the hot beverage, I found it much deeper in flavor, with immediate notes of umami coupled with a gripping green tea flavor. It was strong, but not bitter. I still had to let it cool a little longer but when I came back to it again, I still found it really enjoyable.The deep color of the tea began to fade as the drifting powder clumped together and came to the bottom, but the tea itself remained easy to drink, even as I edged closer to the dregs at the bottom of the cup. The deep umami richness also became more subtle though it maintained a more full and rich flavor than its cool counterpart. I don't know if I like this better than other powdered Shizuoka green teas but it was enjoyable nonetheless.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPyPg-living_food_shopping_teaWed, 10 Feb 2021 22:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPyPg-living_food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOQN-living_shopping_kesennuma_shi_miyagi_shiroishi_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagi_shichikashuku_machi_miyagi_minamisanriku_cho_miyagiBack in 2019 in the last winter before the coronavirus really took off, my daughter and I participated in Pokemon stamp rally celebrating lesser-known places in Miyagi prefecture where we live. We had a lot of fun chasing down the stamps and actually managed to win one of the price packs which arrived in early pandemic times while she was stuck at home. It was a delight.When I saw the banners saying that they were at it again, I excitedly took one stamp collection sheet for my daughter and one for myself. I went ahead and got the first stamp for Shiogama right there in the shop next to Honshiogama Station. In the following weeks, I acquired the stamp for Tagajo as well, since it was right across from the station, near the library where I was teaching at the time.Unfortunately, those were all the stamp rally locations I felt safe going to at the time, so I set the cards to the side for a little while, only to one day find my husband pouring over them, searching the specific locations of every interesting looking stop. I never thought he would be interested in these as usually he like to take longer trips and stay somewhere overnight, but in light of the pandemic, he thought little Miyagi towns sounded like a fun option. I went to get his stamp card the next day and that weekend, we headed out to Kesennuma, a town I had never visited before that was utterly devastated by the events of 2011.We went in January of 2021 and had a marvelous adventure wandering the town where we saw very few people. It almost felt like pre-pandemic times, when outings like this were exactly what I loved about living in Tohoku.Our next stop after city with the shark museum involved a little bit of a side road that we took so we could check out a collection of shops all grouped together to try to sell regional goods in one prime location in Minamisanriku. Unfortunately, we showed up a little late in the day so many of the shops were closed or closing, but we still got to see the manhole cover and get the stamp.After that little January trip, we took a couple weeks off. As none of us were feeling ill more than 2 weeks later, we went out again, this time to the southwest, where we got our stamp at a regional central shopping area by the dam, enjoyed an ice cream there, and then went to lunch nearby just as it started to rain.As the rain wiped out our walking tour plans, we headed to Shiroishi, the only town in the prefecture with a standing castle. There, we shopped at the castle museum, got another stamp, saw another great Lapras manhole cover, and raced inside before the rain could fully catch up.On the first floor, there were recreations of samurai armor and even a place to try them on for a few thousand yen. We sent upstairs instead and on the second floor, we saw the rain coming down with a bit of a fury. Happily, we watched from inside and went up the last flight of stairs to the third and final floor.As we meandered over to the doors that opened onto a wrap-around balcony walkway, we saw that not only had the rain stopped but a rainbow was visible over the town. It is the only time I have seen a rainbow from a castle.The Miyagi Lapras Stamp Rally for this winter is still going on for the next 3 weeks. If you’re in the prefecture and looking for something fun to do on those national holidays or weekends, going to less populated areas to collect Pokemon stamps for prizes can be a fun, family friendly solution. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOQN-living_shopping_kesennuma_shi_miyagi_shiroishi_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagi_shichikashuku_machi_miyagi_minamisanriku_cho_miyagiMon, 08 Feb 2021 18:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLOQN-living_shopping_kesennuma_shi_miyagi_shiroishi_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagi_shichikashuku_machi_miyagi_minamisanriku_cho_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjPam-living_kesennuma_shi_miyagiThe drive from Shiogama to Kesennuma was surprisingly long for a city within our prefecture but it was well worth it. While this neat little city is a stop on the Pikachu-filled Pokemon train that operates in Tohoku, one of my biggest reasons for avoiding Kesennuma in the previous stamp rally was the train Logistics. Getting there from Shiogama would require several hours on the train, and truthfully it required a couple hours by car, but at least we could stop to use the bathroom without losing our seats and it was safer overall.We left in the mid morning and got there shortly before lunch, with plenty of time to look around and figure out where the manhole cover was. First, we needed to find a bathroom, so we went straight to one of the two buildings that sit right on the coast. As we entered the building and subsequent walked around, we saw exactly one person who was studying in a study room. It was a fantastic way to find a little peace by the seaside during a pandemic. After finding a bathroom, we went back out to the street and I used my Pokemon Go app to locate the general area of the manhole cover which was also a pokestop.Finding a manhole cover was exciting and I even jumped up and down in my excitement. Attached to a tree next to the manhole cover was a map directing us to go back across the different street into a little shopping area to find the actual location of the stamp for the stamp rally. We did so and as we walked I looked across the street to see a sign on the building that said Black Tide Brewery. I wouldn't call myself a beer connoisseur, I do enjoy a brew from time to time and got excited by the chance but also kept in mind that "Brewery" in Japan could mean many things. The word being in English do not make it more likely to be one thing or another. What do they brew? Soy sauce? Sake? Beer? There was no way to know from the outside, so we continued on to the stamp location. We found a banner that advertised the Lapras Stamp Rally but no stamp pad. As we stood there, looking around with our cards in our hands, a man came out of one of the buildings that we were right behind and brought us the stamping equipment. He explained that the wind had been so strong that day they had moved it inside to make sure it didn't get damaged. We thanked him and stamped hour stamp rally cards. After this excitement, it was clearly time for a snack, so we went back into the building that had said Black Tide Brewery and checked out a small fried potatoes shop where my daughter acquired a yummy treat while we thought about where to go for lunch. We crossed the street back toward the water and walked by a handful of restaurants on our quest for food, finally settling on one that had a delicious roast beef plate. As we enjoyed our meal, I used my phone to confirm that the old-looking building I could see from my seat was a sake shop with a sampling station and that the Black Tide Brewery did in fact make beer and opened at 2PM.After lunch, my family put up with my visiting the sake shop where I enjoyed and English guide to the sake in the sampling machine as well as a sample of yuzushu, which I had never had before and it now a personal favorite. I bought a couple of bottles of different things and noticed it was just after two in the afternoon, time for the brewery taproom to be open, so we headed back across the street where I got one beer to go and two canned beers to enjoy later. We then put the booze in the car, save for the to-go beer, which I drank while we walked to the Shark Museum, some twelve minutes by foot along the coast.The only time we saw other pedestrians, we were right across from the museum and my beer was gone, making it probably one of the safest public drinking experiences one could have in January 2021. Inside the museum, we learned a lot about sharks and the devastation the area incurred back in 2011. It was worth the walk.As far as holidays in the pandemic go, our January 2021 day trip to Kesennuma was fabulous. We felt safe but also got to take a break from our lives for a moment without risking our lives terribly to do so. Tiny towns, if visited respectfully and with proper precautions, can be a family trip miracle in 2021.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjPam-living_kesennuma_shi_miyagiMon, 08 Feb 2021 16:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjPam-living_kesennuma_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYX7g-living_food_miyagi I found these strange fruit at the grocery store on sale in a small bundle of 3 for under 300 yen. I never heard of karin fruit before but it turns out it is a common fruit in this area and usually is harvested at the beginning of winter. As it turns out the most common thing to make with this fruit is a liqueur or fruit infused sake which isn't really that interesting for my family. Since it take months for this drink to become something delicious and I'm the only person in my household that drinks (and not that often at that), I instead scoured the internet for weeks looking for something else. Maybe a healthier, more shareable or useful recipe was out there. Finally I happened upon a recipe filled post on NPRfrom 2009 and settled on a couple of things I could do with the fruit that I had. The first one that seemed like a very good winter beverage, so I proceeded to the boiled sore throat remedy first.Each fruit was about the size of a small mango but more yellow in color. The texture was harder than an apple and peeling the slightly waxy peel off with an apple peeler was a bit challenging. For the drink, you need peel and the seeds, but make sure to remove the seeds from the seed pods. Remove all the seeds and skin from the meat of the fruit and leave that aside. Following the directions on the website mentioned above, I boiled the skins and seeds, remembering eventually to take out the seeds from the seed pods. The point of this beverage is to use the natural coating of the seeds to make a drink that will instead coat your throat. I think this would have gone better if I had thoroughly washed the outside of the peel first. Because I did not, the resulting beverage was not terribly delicious.After boiling for long enough that the fluid level has decreased by about half, something I measured with end of my spoon, strain it and keep the resulting fluid.The recipe suggests that you mix that with honey while it's still warm so that it can mix together thoroughly. As I'm not overly fond of honey is raw form (when it's baked into something else, it doesn't really bother me, but something about honey when it's just honey unsettles my stomach) I added honey just to one hot cup of the beverage and did not enjoy the outcome. I then added a little bit of sugar, the same amount that one might add to a cup of coffee, and found it significantly more palatable but my stomach stayed in an awkward place for the rest of the evening. My throat did not become sore though. As a sore throat remedy, and if you very much like honey, this might be the right beverage for you.In a few days, I plan to try my remaining liquid, which is stored in a mason jar in my fridge for now. If it upsets my stomach again, I will dispose of the rest of it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYX7g-living_food_miyagiMon, 01 Feb 2021 10:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYX7g-living_food_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbP21-livingI arrived at the main branch of the post office only about 40 minutes after I left the bank making far better time than I had figured. I walked in and grabbed a number, assuming that I'd have to talk to the banking people. Of course, when I did, they had no idea what I was talking about so they guided me to the postage people. soon, they grabbed the right guy, one of the guys mentioned by the other bank guy, and he came out to have a seat with me across a small table.His tone was so audibly relieved, which I took to mean that he also felt like this was a tedious mess, clearly, and was happy to finally be in the process of getting done with it.I see blue skies! The irritation is almost over! I am (and my money is) nearly finally free!This made me feel that he was taking my issue more seriously, and it made me happier. He brought out a form from the April occurrence, the one that went through a different bank and actually appeared on the other side, which is also the one in which my husband had filled out the form to my bank with more challenging kanji. The post office employee asked if that form also related to me since the names were identical. I clarified that yes, yes it was. He asked if it was okay if he just sent the money to that bank since it didn't seem to have any trouble accepting the money. I agreed full heartedly. He cautioned me that it would take about two weeks for the money to clear in my account. I thanked him profusely and left for home before 11 AM.In the end, technically the second bank clerk was right in that going to the post office was the only way to fix it-- but only by eliminating that bank from the process entirely. I learned many things on this frustrating adventure, most importantly to not do business with this bank in the future.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbP21-livingSun, 24 Jan 2021 17:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbP21-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Zp2-livingI arrived at the bank on the appointed day about twenty minutes before the appointed time which was excellent as I needed to use the bathroom. I got a number because I wasn't sure how else to approach the subject of speaking with someone who doesn't have a designated office or anything. Then I made my trip to the facilities and returned to wait.My number was called 10 minutes before the appointed meeting time and the woman who had to accept my questions when I presented the business card of the guy who had yelled at me earlier that week was told by him that he still had 10 minutes and I should just wait. So she asked me for me to wait. At least there was no yelling at me.When he was ready, he came and got me and led me to one of the desk cubicles for a more private chat.Then he proceeded to scroll down his phone to a bunch of key set phrases that he had translated earlier. For some reason me not understanding banking terms to him meant I must not also understand phrases like "after that" despite me talking to him in Japanese the whole time.From this week forward, should anyone ask if this is a bank, I will say no, it is a vacant building, filled with lies, incompetence and an ATM.The important thing was that he had called the post office and they decided that I needed to go fill out more forms to try to resend the money. He claimed that he would then do whatever actions needed to be done at the bank to make sure the money actually got to my account this time.He supplied a sticky note with all caps romanizations of the names of two people who he believed could help me at the post office, in one case chopping off the last letter so I would be guaranteed to sound like an idiot if I actually needed this information he was butchering in the process of providing. He asked if I could go there today and I said that I would as this is one of the few days when I could actually do another hour long walk across town and still get to all of my classes without any problems. This is only because every branch of the post office in my town happens to be closer to my home than this branch of this freaking bank.Thanks to my experiences with the M Bag Drama of a couple years back Sendai, I asked which exact post office location he meant for me to go to. Our town isn't huge but I can think of three different locations right off the top of my head and have no idea who he called. Apparently he had not considered this question in advance as he was forced to pull the location up on his phone. I was happy to see that it was the one closest to my house.He offered to type it into the maps app on my phone and I told him not to. He said he would phone ahead and let them know I was on my way. I then left and started on me hour long walk back toward my home.Continued in Part 4.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Zp2-livingSun, 24 Jan 2021 17:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9Zp2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z36lk-livingLuckily, in part 1 of this saga, I had chosen an afternoon when I had the next afternoon off, but I still really did not want to go. It was 2:00 in the afternoon when I realized I had been putting it off for too long. I wanted to be able to walk there and get anything done in the time left before the 3 shuttering of all banks, so I scratched together all of my change and took a taxi.I walked into the bank about 15 minutes later and took a number, remembering the kanji for the previous day's adventure, the characters for savings account. Then I went in and waited. My number was called almost immediately, which made me hopefully. Maybe if the people on this side of town were less busy, this whole thing could be resolved easily.I laid out my information and I handed it to them. At first, the woman at the counter didn't seem to understand what the problem was but after a few moments, just like her colleague the previous day, she caught on and decided to let me have a seat while she tried to figure it out.When I called up it was just a repeat performance with new words, as this person also tried to pass the blame, saying that this problem must be on the fault of Japan post bank and not their bank because it never appeared in my bank account.This time, I said no. I took out my other bank book from a different bank, my newest bank, that my husband had used when he filled out the information for the first refunded postage in 2020, one that came more than a month before the six US packages had been sent back. That money had come back and appeared in the account with no problem, something I realized when I updated that bank pass book at the ATM last month.It is worth noting that, when I pulled out the other bank book, she whispered, aghast, “That one!” in Japanese, as if she were seeing some kind of ghost or she just put together the major twist in a horror movie. I’m not entirely sure why.One of her younger male counterparts came to her rescue, talking over her with more complicated words and a louder voice, like he thought I might be hard of hearing. I really hate it when that happens, so I explained to him that I am not good at Japanese and his complicated words are not improving the situation. I explained that I really didn't understand why Japan Post Bank could not send money into this bank account. He said that he would then look at it and it would take a while so could I please sit down. I sat down, noting that his voice was still louder than necessary.After the wait, he suggested that he call me back on another day regarding this matter. I explained that I do not take Japanese phone calls. He interrupted me to say a phrase that my mind translated as: “What would you rather we do?!” which he repeated even more loudly when I kept explaining that no, phones really were not an option. I'm really happy that I don't know enough Japanese to say “I'd rather your bank did its damn job.” Sometimes the language barrier is the only thing keeping me from climbing into trouble.He calmed down and got his phone to translate a request that I return in two days. I agreed and set up a meeting with him Friday morning.I am actually still really upset both with this bank and the way its employees are dealing with a problem their bank caused. I feel insulted that the guy raised his voice to me, an action that, for a Japanese customer service agent, might as well have been smacking me in the face, something he feels I deserve for bringing their problem to their attention. No matter how things go on Friday, I will avoid doing any further business with 77 bank as they seem to believe that anyone lacking Japanese fluency or having a foreign appearance deserves to be yelled at and forced to hop from branch to branch begging for help even when the bank is the one making a mistake with the foreign customer's money.Continued in Part 3.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z36lk-livingThu, 21 Jan 2021 14:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z36lk-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo9A-living_miyagiSitting in a Japanese bank, frothing with anger, I started to write this, hoping that perspective gained by words on page would pull me away far enough that rational conversation might be possible. After all, it's probably not their fault that they don't know what's happening to my money or why it just never appeared in my account. It's not their fault that they might not have experienced this problem before.It is however all their fault that passing the buck is all they want to do when their bank is the one at fault.Back in mid 2020, I sent off six packages to the states only to have them all come back with notes attached that read something like: "Sorry, we're not delivering there right now. Fill out and return this form for reimbursement of your postage."The postage added up between the six parcels totals a little under 6000 yen which I didn’t need back immediately. I was also nervous about making a mistake on the forms so I put off filling them out until my husband might be around to help me, but he never made time for it. Between pandemic panic and everything else, I was too frazzled to think about it again for some time. Soon it was December and the forms had 2020 in the dates so I went ahead and filled them out.The first week of January, I received confirmation by mail that the money had been delivered to the bank I had chosen to put on the forms, which happened to be the bank with the least difficult kanji.A few days later, I went to the ATM at that bank only to find the money had never arrived. A week passed as I checked frequently. More than ten days later, still nothing had been added. A different payment from a student had cleared in that time and I made it a point to go in and check in person.Finally I picked an afternoon when I had time and went in to figure it out, bringing my bank book, hanko stamp, ID, and the proofs of deposit the post bank had sent.I need to note that just doing this was painful and scary for me, so I sat there feeling a little bit proud of myself for getting there in time before the banks close at 3 to try to get this problem solved. I went ahead and grabbed the number, carefully matching the kanji from the list of banking options to the kanji for savings account that's listed on the front of my bank book.In a few minutes, my number was called I was so excited to go up and try to explain my case. I laid out the paperwork and tried to explain, my words imperfect and awkward. The bank employee tried to say something that was much too formal for my Japanese level. I couldn't really follow her so I explained that I am not fluent in Japanese and can't really understand what she was trying to say but I showed her where proof of deposit occurred on the one form but was not reflected on my updated passbook, which did not include any of those deposits.She stared at my paperwork for a moment and I'm not sure if what she said next was trying to explain it away but when I didn't move from the counter, she went ahead and took the forms and the past book and asked me to go sit down can't wait. I did, thinking to myself how nice it would be to have this over.When she called me back up, she explained that there was nothing she could do because this was not the bank I had started my account at and therefore not the bank whose branch name was in my passbook and copied onto the post bank forms as the place to send the money to. I would need to go across town to that branch, she said, and mentally I did the math. Making a 45 minute walk or 15 minute drive, before 3:00 when the banks closed was going to be impossible as it was already after 2:45 and I don’t drive. This wasn’t going to be doable before the end of business that day.Whatever she said after that was hard to understand and when I explained that, she mimed driving a car and asked if I drove. Even if I had, there wouldn’t have been enough time to get to the other bank and get in before they closed. What she was suggesting could have gotten someone into a serious car accident.I explained that I did not drive and mentioned that I do not understand why this bank couldn't accept the payment from the post office. She just stared back.If my Japanese were better, perhaps I would have asked why her branch apparently does not have the ability to communicate with other branches and what kind of multi-prefecture banking operation lacks communication between various stores. Instead, I took my things and left before I could start yelling.The saga continues in Part 2.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo9A-living_miyagiThu, 21 Jan 2021 13:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNo9A-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYQW-living_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagiWhile the coronavirus spreads with increasing speed over the country and the world, one of the more challenging breaks from tradition for many people in Japan was the yearly visit to a Shinto shrine, as is usually done by many Japanese folks within the first few days of the new year.I was on the fence about going to Shiogama Shrine this year despite it being one of my favorite places in all of Japan. The numbers of infected folks in Miyagi and the fact that those numbers were on the rise were part of it. Remembering previous new years visits did not help. Usually, we would wind up in a large, meandering horde, stuck doing an intermittent shuffle for two straight hours or longer while we waited for others to make it through the pilgrimage and say their prayers for the new year. So many hours I have spent standing in the horde, shuffling around this bend on January second. This year? Vacant and excellent.My husband insisted that we go this year, so we worked out a plan to go as early as possible on the second of January after breakfast but well before lunch. I had stood in the two-hour lines without eating first on a couple of occasions and will not be making that mistake again if I can help it.Usually the space between the torii gate and the cars is filled with food stalls for new years.Walking down to the shrine around 9AM, we saw very few pedestrians compared even to the average weekday, much less a national holiday during which these same streets usually have a festival-like atmosphere most years. There was one small fried food stall in front of a business on the way to our favorite entrance, but other than that, no food stalls were present. Usually there are several along the walk to the stairs selling a selection of festive fried food. I was happy to see that not only were we given less of a reason to dillydally, but also signs posted on the way to the entrance reminded us to be careful regarding the coronavirus by wearing masks and checking our temperatures.On the left, the little spot where we drank our coffee. Nice and out of the way.On our walk up, we saw a few people coming back but very few and most of them strictly masked and moving quickly. The only waiting we did was to get change out of our wallets for the praying at the shrine and for a cup of coffee to go from the coffee and tea stand between the garden and the cherry trees.Hand sanitizer in front of the booth where you purchase new years charms.I felt safe because we weren't stuck close to other people. We went in and came out very quickly, stopping at a small covered area off the walking path to enjoy our drinks away from people. There our daughter played with the snow while we watched the numbers of people coming in grow from a trickle to a fairly steady stream. Deciding it was time to go, we masked up and headed out.My kid's tiny snowmen in our little sitting place.If this trip was any indication of how 2021 might go, I think we might get through it alright after all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYQW-living_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 14 Jan 2021 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRYQW-living_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7R20-living_medical_healthThere are so many great things we can get away with in this time of masks. Pimples in the masked zone of the face go unseen. Crooked teeth, and anything stuck in between them, go unaddressed. Bad breath, nose hair, irritated skin, and so much else can be hidden and forgiven in these great times when only a sliver of our faces are shown.So, of course, where do I get a pimple?I guess it isn't really a pimple so much as an infected follicle. This isn't a totally new thing for me. Sometimes one of my eyelashes tries to claim a clog and close up, looking to create a chalazion the likes of which I haven't seen since 2008.That year I was teaching high school with an independently contracted company and lacked health insurance, a big source of difficulty when one of my wisdom teeth fractured into shards and protruded to stab the opposing jaw toward the end of the previous year. After finally getting this settled, the stress and my reluctance to wash my face as properly as I should have led to the creation of a little red bump on my eyelid. This didn't stop me from doing my job, interviewing with a Japanese company, coming to Japan, meeting my husband or asking him out. I did all of that with a lump around the size of the tip of my pinky finger on my right eyelid and a smattering of red eye shadow on the left to match.I spent my off time with a hot compress resting on that eyelid and this little blemish that Web MD said would dissipate in a few weeks spent more than six months on my face, only relenting when I noticed that it had drifted toward the eyelash end of the eyelid and one of the follicles came to resemble the head of a pimple. I squeezed the thing lightly and everything came out, slowly, and disgustingly, and at work which was really the worst part.Since then, I have never had an infection take hold of the eyelid. I am pretty aware of when they try to start and usually manage them well, but this time the clogged follicle was in a place that I couldn't easily get to and the results have been less than charming.I think it looks like a worm.One of the great things about where I am in my life and in Japan now is that I know I have health insurance and in fact I already know a great ophthalmologist who is capable of helping me through this. I made a plan to go with my husband on his next day off but really lucked out in that the problem resolved itself before the day came. Just one day with a hot compress and a few good face washes and it actually went away. Also I feel so very lucky to be here now and to have spent the time I have in this area making the connections I have made. As a foreigner, knowing specialized doctors who don't treat YOU like the problem is a huge benefit.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7R20-living_medical_healthThu, 07 Jan 2021 13:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7R20-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQo8V-living_education_familylifeThe biggest issue we have had in our house since school started for real last May has been homework. Of course we didn't have any homework in kindergarten but now that it comes home every night, my kid drags her feet on almost every task, not necessarily because she is having trouble understanding the homework but because she doesn't want to do it.I know she is tired. Heading out on the 7AM bus and not getting back until 5 means she is already tired from a full day out before she opens her backpack, but the fact is that the homework must be done regardless and she is not permitted to do it on the bus.Her usual nightly workload includes one page of math, a recitation assignment from her text book, a math-flash-card recitation assignment, and practice for her weekly kanji test in addition to any corrections from that day's work. This could be half an hour, but usually at least that much time is spent whining about not wanting to do the homework before the work begins begrudgingly.A full backpack. How much of it is homework? When will it get done? The world may never know.First, we talked about it and she agreed that it must be done and did it for about a month. Then I begged. This didn't go far either. I worked out a chore chart and essentially bribed her to do it without me asking. She did this for one week and gave up, saying she didn't need the money. I used bargaining tips I gained through a hostage negotiator's master classes. Nothing has worked.Now I'm just so tired of fighting. My in-law's technique involves convincing my daughter that she will be kicked out of school for not completing her homework, which has caused anxiety but not that much progress on the homework. Friends of mine who have similarly aged children feel that these kids are getting too much homework and I agree but don't know that there is anything I can do about it.At least the homework she is getting right now seems easy enough to complete.My problem is that it is obviously a non-negotiable task, and my kid isn't really trying to negotiate. Perhaps her disgruntled whining is less an act of attempting to get me to change my mind about homework and more a general act of protest against the inevitable, like swearing under your breath at the actions of some stranger you can't correct or immediately evade in public.I might have been seeing this wrong the whole time. When my kid brings her homework home after winter break ends, we're going to take it out of the bag and say mean things at it together for a minute before we commence out inevitable cracking of those books. Maybe this will work. Does anyone have any better ideas?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQo8V-living_education_familylifeTue, 05 Jan 2021 17:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQo8V-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5n3O-living_food_shopping_howtoThis was something new to me and another great suggestion by my mom. When I was whining about my inability to make properly crispy daikon fries back in January, she suggested an air fryer and I started looking into what exactly that was. Ten months later my birthday came around and my husband asked me what I wanted, though he opted to turn the kitchen appliance into an anniversary present instead. I'm not entirely sure if air fryers were all the rage last year or something but this year they are not that easy to find where I am. We saw this model in Costco and one other model in a K's Denki for about twice the price. We opted for this one without really thinking about the size.International brands are great in that you can always check online for the informational booklets and such in English or other languages. I found this one pretty easily and learned that this needs a four inch clearance on all sides when in use. That was hard in our tiny kitchen but after a lot of cleaning and rearranging, we finally found a space where the air fryer can have the space it wants. It just happens to be in the middle of our counter, cutting off almost all prep space.If you're in a similar set up, here is what I recommend:Behold my Beautiful Frying Beast!1) Make a plan before you start. What needs to be done with the whole counter before you start frying anything? Get that out of the way before your counter space is gone. 2) Do minor prep while you fry. The fryer takes a lot of energy and most Japanese apartments are still on breaker systems that are easy to trip if you use too much energy at one time. Instead of running the fryer and the microwave and the toaster oven at the same time, let the fryer take center stage when its on and get the other things ready to start once its over. I usually find myself slicing sausages and placing them in the toaster oven while the fryer turns frozen French fries into crunchy perfection.Nice booklet. Got English? Yes! Online...3) Do the math. The booklet that came with ours gave lots of advice that I had to find translations for but proved really useful, such as how long to cook certain things for. It takes a minute to get used to but this stuff cooks so much faster and crispier, not to mention healthier, than otherwise. As long as you recalculate time for the amount of food you're putting in, you should be alright, but check on it frequently when you're cooking something new.The grating needs to be removed and cleaned, as well as the inside, after every use.4) Clean it after every use. Mine had a nice, easy to remove and washable grating that I take care of after every use or at least wipe down between uses if I'm immediately going to cook something else. The cooking space needs to be wiped down at least but can also be washed between uses as long as you let it fully dry before replacing it in the machine.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5n3O-living_food_shopping_howtoSun, 03 Jan 2021 11:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5n3O-living_food_shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqBA-livingThis year started with me dedicated to saving friendships that had grown distant, only to have to abandon them entirely when their dedication to anti-science and anti-empathy became apparent.It started with me excited to be welcoming my parents to the country I've been living in for over a decade, eager to show my dad my Japan, not the Japan he remembers from a week in the 1970s. All that was scrapped until vaccines happen and then it will just be my mom, but yay for showing my mom around hopefully next year.2020 took a lot more from a lot of people and only a dash from me, but it was enough to hurt. Knowing that my friends, family, and loved ones are in such danger, and we're not clear of it either, is maddening. I can't look at the numbers without the ground falling out from under me. I know a handful of survivors already. I'm just constantly scared for everyone and incapable of doing anything but creeping forward with time.2011 was easier for me, and that's saying something. My husband feels 2011 was harder, and for him it definitely was. I doubt anyone in the death-care industry in Tohoku in 2011 feels like 2020 has been even vaguely as hard.It's similar to why I prefer a tornado to a typhoon. One strikes suddenly and takes a chunk of your day, during which you stay inside to be as safe as you can, but if the thing hits your house, you're probably done for. The other involves days, sometimes weeks, of waiting, watching the news, trying to use their predicitions of the unknowable to guess at what your current and future safety might look like. The extra time amps up my anxiety and drives me up the wall, but there's nothing we can do other than what we are doing.I trust 2021 will eventually feel better than 2020. It won't be immediate, but it will happen. If we stay careful and safe, maybe we'll be there to see it.Happy New Year!!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqBA-livingThu, 31 Dec 2020 23:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqBA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWO7x-living Between financial strains due to economic changes caused by the pandemic and the virulent new strain making landfall in late December in Japan in both Tokyo and Osaka, there hasn't been much of a reason to celebrate by normal means this season. The pandemic rages outside with case numbers growing all over the country. While Japan's caseload is significantly less damning than that of my home country, it still isn't safe, encouraging, or slowing down. In years previous, I would be counting down the days until my kid was off from school and picking a day to go and see the Pageant of Lights along Jozenji Street in Sendai, taking pictures in front of the big Christmas trees in front of Parco and in Sendai Station, perhaps even finishing up any last minute shopping in the capital of the prefecture before returning to my home in Shiogama to recuperate from all that excitement.Christmas Eve. Less exciting than some years, but safe. Nowadays, we don't have any of that excitement. Instead, for most of December we stayed at home as much as we could, only going out for work or school and occasionally eating out at restaurants we deemed safe. With my kid off for winter break, we are spending more days watching Christmas movies and playing video games as well as improving our housekeeping skills. Toy set gifts from grandparents are being opening slowly, budgeting our entertainment to fill the two weeks ahead. Last year, these would already have been made and destroyed and remade again by now. One thing I learned in March was that saving some of these little special things and spacing them out over a little more time is a lifesaver. It gives the kid a brand new distraction for a little while and saves me from having to resurrect enthusiasm I just don't feel at 5PM on Christmas Day. The toys will wait. Several of our Christmas presents are outdoor toys, like kid-safe stilts and the pogo stick she asked Santa for, so we're picking afternoons to go to the parks near us and try these out. While we are outside the house, masks remain on our faces, covering our noses and mouths, even when we are literally jumping up and down. If there are maskless individuals at the park, we walk away, opting to return home or try another nearby park.The balance hopping pogo stick balances in the elevator. oooh! Last winter break, I spent a little bit of time planning our excursion to see Frozen II in theaters in Sendai, and it was a magical and amazing event for my kid and me. This year, we're not worried about first run movies or when the theaters open, but we're still watching tons of Christmas stuff! Between Disney+ and Netflix, we have been able to see Elf, Home Alone 1 and 2, multiple Christmas episodes of The Simpsons, and The Muppets Christmas Carol, the last of which my daughter and I watched for the first time on Christmas Eve. We're excited for Jingle Jangle which is out on Netflix but we haven't managed to make time to see yet. Another one we will be happy to watch is The Christmas Chronicles 2, also on Netflix, the sequel to last year's The Christmas Chronicles, which we enjoyed more than we had expected to.We are so lucky that pandemic Christmas is happening after the invention of streaming services on the internet, and after video chatting over these long distances had already been normalized.My daughter demonstrating the size of the decorations at Honshiogama Station on one of our rare outings. I feel really blessed to be ending 2020 with lots of good memories with my family and my family more or less intact. we're being as safe as we can, and hopefully that will be enough to get us through 2021. Happy Holidays!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWO7x-livingTue, 29 Dec 2020 12:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWO7x-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpOdL-living_education_workIn years previous, I have had December classes near Christmas at a kindergarten I sometimes teach at in my town. Some years I was informed by the staff that they wanted me to teach the kids a certain song in English, a process that never really goes over that well, but I still did my best to work with their requests. In 2020, I didn't have a December class with that school, but I did spend some time in November thinking about appropriate Christmas books for the situation. Personally, I am not so religious though my background is vaguely Christian in the way of Episcopalian also known as Church of England, but in the US. If I had to make up a basic book, telling the story of Jesus's birth in an evening, I could do it, but I am not sure it would be necessary or wanted.More importantly, I am not sure I would be comfortable teaching it, even if the school is Christian in its religious outlook as the school I teach at happens to be.Some religious Christmas-sy books my kid has acquired. Great pictures but either no English or too much English to use in the length of classes I have.Then there are also many books about Santa, but reading The Night Before Christmas would be too long and not terribly interesting for the kids I teach. Ideally a book for these fifteen minute lessons needs to be simple enough that participation of some kind is possible with the audience and take less than five minutes from start to finish because the whole lesson cannot be a single book. We also need to review one or two things from weeks back, throw in some songs and dances, talk about the weather and enjoy socially distanced high fives. Given the time limit, is there a version of a Christmas story, secular or otherwise, that works for a Japanese kindergarten? Is these a better option than a handful of linked flash cards showing Santa and/or Jesus?Another alternative to buying a book is making your own basic lesson book, with pictures you make at home. I am actually considering this for next year.A lesson including even just a couple of big pictures of Santa could include tasks like counting the reindeer, counting presents, counting elves.A similar lesson with a big picture of the nativity scene could make use of naming the animals in the stable, the colors of the wisemen's clothes, counting the people.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpOdL-living_education_workMon, 28 Dec 2020 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpOdL-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKPdk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiOne of my favorite things about living this close to this coast during this time of year is getting to see these little things. For as much as I can remember, every year we have lived in this building, they seem to have put out these decorations, with the boats stringing electric lights in a triangle radiating out from their central masts in an attempt to imitate little Christmas trees on the water.I don't really know anything about this other than I think it's neat and pretty. I don't know who owns the boats or where they dock, but I do know that the unlit boats in front of them belong to Shiogama Shrine and are waiting for summer to come back so that this year they might take part in the port festival, cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.What light displays amuse you in your neck of the woods?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKPdk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKPdk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyP1Y-living_foodI got this one slice of fruity pound cake from a student this week and really enjoyed eating it. In America, fruitcake is known for being inedible garbage some people for some reason give to others during holiday seasons. I have never received that kind of fruit cake before, but this lovely Japanese version I have received a few times and always enjoy.I could try explaining to my parents that little chunks of yummy fruit in a pound cake makes a great winter dessert, but the connotation of the word fruit cake as it is used in food would likely eliminate all ability to sympathize in this case.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyP1Y-living_foodThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyP1Y-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1bnn-living_shoppingI do not know why the butt detective Oshiri Tantei is on a bag of holiday snacks for kids but I suppose that it how it is supposed to go with kids shows. There's still something weird about having a butt give your kid food.The packet was around 500 yen which is why we went ahead and got it on the way home. the snacks inside were basic and fine, nothign too weird or interesting.Look at the tiny butts in the border though! What a weird detail to include!Whatever your holiday treats look like, I hope they are comfortable and fun for you and yours.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1bnn-living_shoppingThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1bnn-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojVZ-livingIf you're like me and picked up something huge from CostCo for your loved ones this season, here's one way to wrap this or other large round objects. Instead of wasting several rolls of hundred yen store wrapping paper, I elected to pick up a seasonal table cloth. I highly recommend double sided tape for all holiday wrapping. Even just adding a label is easier with double sided tape.First put him in the middle of the open cloth, less colorful side up.Fold in the ears as you pull the sides in and tape them together.Pull the sides together until they overlap. The great thing about tablecloths is they don't rip as easily as paper tends to.I didn't worry too much about making the seams line up or anything. The goal is getting it wrapped and it was too big for any of our bags.Try to make the seams in the same basic spots. It looks less like a lump that way. It still looked just fine under our tree and will probably only be wearing the tablecloth for about twelve seconds when the kid gets up and sees it.Happy holidays everyone.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojVZ-livingThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojVZ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3BpY-livingThe other day we caught part of the snow storm that seemed to hit most of honshu and Shiogama was covered in ice and snow for a couple of days, which means our morning walk to the bus stop included greeting this lovely snowcovered fish on the mailbox in front of HonShiogama station.It was a little sad that the snow didn't stay longer but it was also weird for me that the show stayed for more than a day. At least we all stayed happy and healthy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3BpY-livingThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3BpY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWO7-livingI saw this the other day while walking to my kid's bus stop and thought it looked nice. They've done a lot of construction and recongifuring the space around the taxi stand and the garden clock in the last six months. I think it looks more organized than before.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWO7-livingThu, 24 Dec 2020 18:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWO7-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVly-food_shopping For Thanksgiving, I made cranberry sauce from scratch for the first time and it was delicious but not delicious enough to eat by itself. As I struggled with what to do with the outcome of my hard work before it spoiled, I talked it over with friends back home, at which time my mom suggested making tarts or something similar. I considered this and looked up some recipes online, finding this one pretty useful. I decided against the almonds as my kid won't eat them, but cream cheese and eggs were easily available from the grocery store nearest my house. In fact, I even found puff pastry in the freezer section and rejoiced. I could definitely make this if I didn't have to make the pastry dough from scratch. The first time I tried, I messed up by forgetting to thaw the dough, so definitely remember to put this in the fridge the night before. Luckily I had yet to crack the egg, so I just waited for another opportunity. Last week, my time came and I went ahead with my danish making plans. One of the reasons I haven't baked a lot in Japan is how unfamiliar it all is to me. When an American recipe calls for parchment paper, I don't really know what on Earth that looks like in the US, much less Japan, but I went ahead with this one, using something called "oven paper" that I bought in bulk at Costco last year. The recipe said to roll out the dough to a specific size, which I didn't pay much attention to, but I also don't mind a sloppy danish as long as it is delicious. I still rolled it out with a rolling pin and cut it into reasonable squares and rectangles. Scoring around the edges about a centimeter in but not completely through the dough was easily enough accomplished with a butter knife. Cream cheese on the bottom, cranberries on the top, egg wash around the side, but not quite in that order. By "soften" the cream cheese, I assumed they meant smash and squish, which I did and it seemed to work well enough. The first two batches I baked, I forgot to add the egg wash until after I had put the cream cheese and cranberry on. It didn't effect the end product that much, but do definitely remember to score the dough.Sprinkle sugar over these at this step. I forgot that and had to do it while they were baking in the toaster oven. I baked for the time recommended in my microwave on the "oven" setting, but that actually wound up needing an extra five minutes per batch just to get close to finished. The toaster oven did a better baking job, as it usually does. At 1000 watts for five to ten minutes (until the edges are golden brown) they baked pretty well, still with oven paper underneath.These aren't done, especially the ones in the front. I took this out, turned it around and gave it another five minutes at 200 degrees. They came out much better. So if you have to choose between using a microwave with an oven function or a toaster oven, I find the latter to be a better, faster cook.The top: ten minutes in the toaster oven. The bottom: twenty minutes in the "oven"/microwave. In the end, these made great treats for the whole family, a great way to avoid having to toss out homemade cranberry sauce, and a delicious morning treat. If planned well, these could really liven up a Christmas or boxing day morning.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVly-food_shoppingMon, 21 Dec 2020 08:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVly-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxe4-foodIt was with a certain degree of trepidation that I grabbed this newest variation of the Zone energy drink line, a purple and silver can calling itself Ultimate Zero. I had previously enjoyed the red canned Zone Firewall, which tasted similar to the Hawaiian Punch soft drink popular in my country during my childhood. I had not so much enjoyed the Zone Deep Dive, a yogurt flavored addition that likely appeals very much to the Japanese consumer as well as others who crave the taste of yogurt in non-dairy beverages around the world but fell flat with me. That one fell so flat with me that I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to try anything from this brand again, being that it does not note what the actual flavor is on the can. Ultimate Zero could be anything if Deep Dive, which seemed vaguely aquatic, meant yogurt.Still, having had only three hours sleep the night previous, I bought the drink from a convenience store and headed home.Luckily, this one was vaguely fruity and not overly sweet. It was a comfortable combination that I would drink again. I wish I could taste test this one against the black can, which I remember being enjoyable, perhaps a dash sweeter and less fruity than this one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxe4-foodSun, 20 Dec 2020 21:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxe4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj7O-living_shopping_medical_health The other week, I realized with horror that I did not remember when my last period had been. Combining the stress of all the 2020 things could push any menstruator’s dates around, but I couldn’t be sure, so I went to get a pregnancy test.These expensive things are not pregnancy test. They're ovulation tests and they are much more expensive. If your test costs more than 1000 yen per test, it's probably not a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests are available at drug stores in Japan fairly cheaply. The are usually near condoms and on the same aisle as hygiene products like pads and tampons. Most of these are pretty easy to use. The 24 hour Welcia in my town also has a note suggesting people can only buy products like this between the hours of 9AM and 7PM, though I honestly have no idea why. Many tests come with basic English instructions provided and are usually easy enough to understand. I bought what I needed and headed home. If you haven’t taken one of these before, it’s best to do it in the morning when higher concentrations of any hormones in your system will be most apparent. The difficulty I have with this is that holding the applicator at a 45 degree angle to my urine stream when I am barely awake isn’t easy. I rarely get even close to enough sleep as it is and my sleep deprived hands couldn't keep the thing steady. It turns out the brand I chose to use has a design flaw in that if the pee doesn’t hit it just the way it likes and in the exact amount it wants, it just gives no information at all. The first window should have a blue line to say that the test is complete. If it is the only line to show up, the pee is not from someone throwing off enough human growth hormone to register on the test. If a blue line shows up in the second window, there’s probably a pregnancy occurring. So I took the test and it told me nothing, not even a negative result but a null result, so I had to go buy other tests. This time I also bought paper cups. The test will also work if left in a cup of urine for a specific time noted on the enclosed information sheet. The next morning I had the confirmation of an empty womb and a few days later menstruation made that even more obvious. Going forward, I will never try to hold one of these in the stream again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj7O-living_shopping_medical_healthWed, 09 Dec 2020 12:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj7O-living_shopping_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxpq-living_workThe holiday season can be tricky for anyone, especially if you're living abroad and come from a country with a different work-life balance. It's not always easy to figure out how to celebrate with your significant other when they or you are stuck in a job with such long hours and little time off.Thanksgiving in the US is usually a 4 day weekend for a lot of people and it's a great excuse to hang out with your family and eat tons of food while watching parades or football on TV. This doesn't matter at all in Japan where not only did no one in my household have that day off but my husband actually had to spend the night at work, waiting for phone calls to go pick up new clients from the morgue. On top of that, it was our anniversary, and I spent it watching anime with my daughter.From my 12 years living in Japan, almost all of that being attached to this man and his demanding jobs, I have developed these ways of coping with holiday timing issues in Japan.Was it an all-day Thanksgiving feast? No. Was it excellent? Yes. And on a Saturday night.1) Reschedule We did our turkey day stuff on Saturday instead because it was an evening when we could enjoy it and it was important to me this year. Other years we have gone without that November holiday but celebrated Christmas early or late depdning on how the timing went. If for some awful reason, your family plans on December 25th get shot out of the water, consider celebrating on a different day when people actually have the time to enjoy it. In my experience, a rested spouse is a lot more enjoyable any day of the week than one who is trying to cram too much in at once, especially on the holidays.2) CommunicateIf your holiday plans are imperative to your holiday happiness, make sure your partner is aware of these priorities and how much they mean to you. Do not assume they know. Even after a decade together, they might not have the faintest idea, believe me. Be explicit but not demanding. If you have certain ground rules like opening packages together Christmas morning and cannot wait for a day off to enjoy it, make sure they know about it sometime earlier than right before they go to bed on Christmas eve. 3) Show CompassionUnless your partner is independently wealthy or running their own company, they might not have a lot of say in what days they get off or when. Blaming them for things that are beyond their control isn't fair and puts extra strain on the relationship at a time when it's already hard enough to stay positive and happy. The holidays can be rough. Remember, as much as you're telling them about your needs, you have to listen too. They might not be able to give you exactly what you want right now, but try to hear them out and work out a compromise together when you can.Whoever you celebrate with this holiday season, I hope it's merry and bright.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxpq-living_workTue, 08 Dec 2020 11:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxpq-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVbr-living_foodOne of the problems with buying a huge honking turkey for any holiday in Japan is the amount of meat that comes with it. This is no small bird and I didn't even buy a whole one, attempting to negate some of these leftover issues by buying just a turkey breast from Costco instead of a whole bird from there or elsewhere. Still, we had more than we needed for dinner and lunch the next day and a week of Turkey sandwiches. Before we all get bored with this meat, is there a way to utilize this to create a new and delicious meal, preferably while taking care of some of the other leftovers as well?First, I elected to freeze half of the meat that was left, saving it for Christmas. The rest came to me while I was staring at what all we had left: the instant mashed potatoes which were alright when seasoned properly, stuffing that I could eat anytime, mixed vegetables, and of course meat. Then, in an effort to use the meat and other leftovers up after our belated, one-evening turkey day celebration, and make it into dinner the next night, a Thanksgiving take on a shepherd's pie came to pass.If you have watched Gordon Ramsay talk about shepherd's pie, you'll know that the meat in this concoction is meant to be ground mutton. The Texas version of this dish almost always uses beef instead as it is the most plentiful ground meat available. Shepherd's pie wasn't something my mom made but I had friends who swore by their family recipes, all of which started with ground beef.Sliced turkey is not ground beef and won't cook the same way, so instead of throwing it in a pan with some oil to brown, which would have been a disaster, I was going to shred the turkey into a pulled pork consistency. A few strands in I decided this was much too much work for a meal of leftovers and I elected to dice the meat into one to two centimeter cubes instead and toss it in a pot where a little water seasoned with garlic salt and fresh cracked pepper had been brought to a boil. It didn't take much water, only about enough to halfway cover the cubes. After I added the turkey, I turned down the heat to a medium-low setting. I wasn't really trying to re-cook the turkey, just warm it up.Then, I separately heated up more frozen veg, seeing as we didn't have much left over from the previous evening. After I heated the frozen veg in a pot of water and raised it back up to boiling, I strained the veg, seasoned it, and brought it over on top of the turkey. After the vegetables were evenly distributed, I used a spoon to smooth the leftover mashed potatoes over the top of the vegetables, adding some shredded cheese that really pulled it all together.Just like with my chili recipe-- if you divide it and it's not too mushy or wet underneath, the water has been soaked up and it's ready to eat. Once it's solid, it's dinner.My husband, who detests leftovers, ate this with ease and no complaints. My daughter, who usually scoffs at anything new and then has to be begged to try it, ate her portion with a huge smile on her face. This one was really a crowd pleaser and a great way to use up leftovers before they go bad after a holiday feast.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVbr-living_foodMon, 07 Dec 2020 12:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVbr-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQAb-living_food_healthMy family is really fond of sushi but our budget is usually a bit tight, so when we go out for sushi, it is almost always to Kurazushi, one of the many sushi chain restaurants with conveyor belts. Thanks to the long waits caused by the popularity of Kurazushi, we have found it necessary to branch out and try a Kappazushi, Hamazushi, and Sushiro as well. On some level, the safest meal these days is one you cook at home. Still, for the family that needs a break it is useful to see which restaurants are taking the pandemic seriously and which are not.KurazushiKurazushi enforces social distancing in the waiting area by marking out seats with tape. They also put the check in screen right by the front door so those looking to punch in a code from their phone or just check the wait times don’t have to walk all the way through the lobby area.Years ago, they installed individualized sushi sneeze guards, so each plate must be grasped through a little, thumb-tip sized hole and pushed against the back of the guard to release it. Of course, this seems like excellent forethought now. It does mean that they keep running like a normal conveyor belt sushi restaurant with many things on the belt coming around in addition to the ability to order anything from the menu, which comes out on a rapid belt over the main belt, minimizing the time it spends in the air near anyone else. This works really well and for every five 100 yen plates, you get the chance to win a small plastic toy from the machine on top of the belt. I feel safe at Kurazushi, but so it seems does most of Miyagi which might be why we recently showed up to see a wait time stretching up to their closing time several hours in the future when we last tried to go. This drove us to reconsider Kappazushi, a similar restaurant located just down the street from that location.KappazushiThere goes the bullet train! At less than 2 seconds per table, it's a lot safer than the normal belt.Kappazushi is another chain of conveyor belt sushi restaurants across Japan. The last time I visited that location, I had been displeased at how cold the rice was and overall hadn’t enjoyed the experience much. This visit was completely different.The lobby wasn’t crowded and people were spaced out with some spaced marked for social distancing.To counteract the horrors of old, dry, potentially deadly sushi wandering around the conveyor belt past every patron, they are sending things only when ordered and rapidly at that. Everything you want must be ordered using the touch screen which is also wireless and detachable from its wall-stand. The prices on the sushi were a little higher but the selection was a little fancier, too. Their choices on beef were significantly more delicious than anything similar I had enjoyed at Kurazushi in the recent past.In the end, even with the higher prices, we would up spending about as much as we usually do at Kurazushi. We didn’t win any plastic toys, but we do already have plenty of them.HamazushiThe under-bowls being all kanji doesn't make it easier for me to understand. Also, everything else about this place and the people.My husband had been asking me to try this other place since we went to Kappazushi and realized our daughter wasn’t as set on only one sushi place after all. This other place has duck, he enthused and I admitted I was curious about duck sushi.The first thing that made me uncomfortable was the lack of social distancing happening in the lobby. No seats were marked for social distancing and only a few tape marks on the floor existed for those paying and leaving, as if they are the only people who might be contagious or vulnerable. There may have been a sign encouraging people to wear masks but a lot of people weren’t, even when they were walking down the aisles or coming into the lobby.My husband hit the button and got a number. When our number was called about 15 minutes later, we had to go to the computer screen and enter a passcode on the ticket, after which the computer gave us our seat numbers and we sat ourselves. This might be helping the staff stay slightly further away from the public, but was also not explained at all and was fairly confusing for us.After we saw down, we noticed two things. One was that uncovered sushi was on the belt making rounds like we had travelled back to 2019 when that kind of thing might have been safe. There was no overpass for things to move quickly toward you, either. It turns out their method to deal with covid problems was to make everyone order what they want, then send those items to the table via the normal, slow conveyor belt sushi system, requiring each plate to spend 14 seconds per table of potentially ill, unmasked strangers between your seat and the chef. This might not technically be illegal, but it does not feel safe to me. We still ate there because we were hungry and I hadn’t had the time to think about it. By the time we figured out the system, we were stuck there for dinner. We did still enjoy the dinner and the smoked, grilled duck was delicious, but I won’t be eating it again until after the covid business is finished.SushiroKatakana on the under-bowls is helpful but the plates going around so slowly is still dangerous. Weeks after those, we also tried Sushiro, which operated much as the one immediately prior had, but with signs suggesting social distancing and items on the conveyor belt being labelled as ordered, so no one was left guessing. The belt was just as slow as the last place but more people were masked while they walked about. It wasn't horrible and we didn't get sick afterward but I wouldn't be comfortable eating there again until after Covid.If you’re looking for safe conveyor belt sushi, Kurazushi is the best I have seen. Kappazushi is really good, too.If the whole idea of eating out right now terrifies you or you’re in a large urban area, it might be best to grab some take out sushi instead or make it yourself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQAb-living_food_healthFri, 04 Dec 2020 17:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQAb-living_food_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qee-living_food_shoppingThe breast of the beast!As an American expat in Japan, I've found 2020 much more challenging than usual and actual spent part of November with serious homesickness, something I don't usually have to contend with to this degree. Knowing that people in my home country were have a rough time and not being able to help has been hard, but providing myself some homesickness relief in the form of a semi-instant Thanksgiving dinner was one of the smarter things I've done.Turkey in Japan isn't that easy to come by but it can be done. I even did some research on it a few years ago and found that this year, too, Turkey could be found online at Amazon, The Meat Guy, or FBC. Many of these offered a whole bird, something I was happy to acquire six years ago when I had a twelve people to join me in cooking and eating it.The instructions that belong to the breast of the beast!Being that this year I'm the only one in my house who cares about the holiday, I decided on a turkey breast from Costco, which cost 3000 yen. They also had cranberries in a 12 ounce bag for a reasonable price in the frozen produce department. Cranberries for the sauce of the beast!International accessories to accompany the breast of the beast!Other Thanksgiving fare included instant mashed potatoes and instant stuffing sent to me by my dad. Both are easy enough to make from scratch if you have potatoes, bread crumbs, butter or margarine, and seasoning. The last component was a bag of frozen mixed veg from my neighborhood grocery store, to add some color and nutrition to the meal.The instructions on the back of the turkey break said to bake it at 180 degrees Celsius for one hour in a pan with 120 mL of water and then serve hot, though as it had already been pre-cooked, it would have been edible right out of the package anyway. I started the baking on that and then started everything else. The potatoes were ready first, though the instant nature made them taste a little funny. Butter, salt and pepper helped even out the flavor. The stuffing was nice and needed a few minutes to sit while i prepared the veg and the only thing I really made this holiday: home0made cranberry sauce. it turns out that this is actually pretty easy to make following directions I found here. All you need is cranberries, sugar, water, heat and time. The resulting sauce was pretty good warm, less good at room temperature, and actually rather good cold. Feast of the beast!The resulting meal as pleasant and my family was thankful for the ability to be together and love each other this year, as well as the contributions to our lives made by our friends and loved ones all over the world.Wherever you are, I do hope you're having a safe and happy holiday season.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qee-living_food_shoppingWed, 02 Dec 2020 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qee-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaVl-fashionI started wearing mens jeans in Japan a couple of years ago when I realized they would fit me and are much cheaper than having ladies jeans imported in my size.They tend to be more durable and less expensive, but one of the best hidden assets I found a giod example of today.What Do I Have In My Pocket?Keeping in mind that womens pockets hardly fit a whole hand or phone, I was surprised today to find that one hip pocket could fit a whole...300mL Bottle Of Tea!!Pockets are Awesome. All pants should have them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaVl-fashionWed, 25 Nov 2020 15:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaVl-fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkLE-foodI found this at the convenience store today and decided to give it a try. The bottle is a tiny 200mL, making it look miniature compared to the 300mL varieties in the same warm beverage shelf.As it costs the same as the bigger options, this one is pricier than usual but the apple flavor did not disappoint. If I'm ever in the mood for just a little nice apple tea, I'm picking up more of this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkLE-foodWed, 25 Nov 2020 14:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkLE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RgY-living_education_familylifeDo other people's kids bring home so many natural and random objects from school? In kindergarten, my daughter brought what I assume is an average assortment of school projects but also a certain amount of detritus. Sometimes it was a leaf or stick. So many times, what came out of the bottom of her backpack was a small collection of acorns that only my mother-in-law could convince her to take out to the park and set free. Once her entire pocket was filled with small white rocks from somewhere on the property and I wound up buying a small decorative glass jar to put them in. Memorably on one occasion she brought a pair of massive pill bugs, wide as the nail of my pinky finger, which I someone convinced her to release into the shrubbery at the front of our building instead of bringing upstairs.This year, it's all about the leaves. Part of this must stem from her school's focus on botany, something I was surprised to see in the science textbook she had at home during the lockdown. I never learned that much about botany, especially as a first grader. Anything more complicated than "Leaves of three, let them be" was beyond my understanding for most of elementary school.In the increasingly normal way, I have the strange sensation that I can't really tell for sure if my education was really bad or if what my kid is getting is just so much better. Beyond that, there is the further question of whether or not this level of understanding is "normal" now for kids her age everywhere or if all Japanese school children can name all the plants in their school yards. It could be just my daughter's school and some others like it that put that focus into labelling the world they know, a world so close at hand for these short adventurers.With this interest in plants, it is only natural that she brings some home sometimes. She doesn't tell me much about them, though. Literally, it's usually just a pretty leaf she found and put in her bag to bring home to show me and usually she doesn't supply any other information about it, so whether she knows more or not is uncertain. This bag of leaves was special though. Many different sizes and shapes all in shades that scream autumn. Even this encounter with fall foliage is something vaguely foreign to me as my childhood autumns were bleak, as are all autumns in north Texas by comparison to the spender of the changing leaves of cooler, gradually changing climates.I was not entirely sure what I was am meant to do with the small botanical bundle, but then we had a great idea during our Halloween GISH adventure weekend. The item we had to make was a "Spooky wreath" of some kind. One hundred yen store wreath and a bit of double sided tape later, we at least used some of the little things.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RgY-living_education_familylifeSat, 14 Nov 2020 17:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RgY-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxEO-living_food_autumnfood2020 Akebi, the chocolate vine produce from northern Japan, is a strange plant I've mentioned a few times before. In an attempt to make the best use of the resources available, I took the guts from the akebi I fried in a previous post and attempted to bake something. My hope was that the snot-like texture of the inside of the akebi would be transformed in the baking process, the goey parts absorbed to become one with the bread, while the soft, sweet flavor remained and brought something special to the baked goods. As I am not that skilled at baking, I elected to buy cookie baking mixes from the 100 yen store nearest my home and go from there. The cookie mix I bought suggested adding two eggs and 80 grams of butter. I went with 80 grams of margarine and one egg. What I should have done is make up the cookie batter and kept it separate from the akebi, but I had already put them together in the bowl by the time I realized this. The texture wound up a little soupy still so I added some flour to even it out to more of a dough texture. I did decide to try my hand at three different kinds of cookie. First I sandwiched a small scoop of akebi between two flat cookie shapes and put a few of these cookie sandwiches on a greased piece of aluminum foil in the toaster oven. For my second option, I put a scoop of the akebi in the center of a flat cookie shape around three times larger than the fruit scoop and pinched up the sides to keep the fruit bits in. I added these to the aluminum sheet alongside the cookie sandwiches. I baked these for around ten minutes in the toaster oven at 1000 watts. I checked to see that the dough was golden brown before I was content to pull them out.If I had not already put the fruit in the mix, I would have had more options than just mixing them together, but what can you do? The mixed batch actually came out a lot better than the sandwiched bits. Then I mixed the remaining batter and akebi bits together and put them in muffin wrappers, baking them in my microwave/oven at 170 degrees for about 40 minutes. The came out a little pale but solid with no gooey middles. If no one is the wiser, one might mistake the akebi seeds for chocolate chips, which will lead to grave disappointment. That's not to say that these aren't delicious, but if you're expecting chocolate chips, these will hardly feel sweet enough to satisfy. To my utter joy, all of these cookies were delicious. The soft akebi flavor is almost overpowered by the other cookie flavors, so I wouldn’t recommend adding any stronger flavors to this unless you really do not want to taste the akebi. Still, they were so delicious that even my kid got into it and ate many of my cookies before I could even photograph them. The best of the bunch would up being the mixed batch and the open-faced fruit cookies. The sandwiched bunch had so much cookie that the akebi was pretty overpowered. This is now officially my favorite way to eat akebi.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxEO-living_food_autumnfood2020Fri, 13 Nov 2020 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxEO-living_food_autumnfood2020https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojRj-food_tea I found this lovely addition to my Shizuoka green tea collection at a drug store near my home. At the cost of a little under 600 yen for 100 grams, it was a decent mid-range tea by price alone. While I am sure that I have tried tea from this brand before, I also have tried so much tea that I am not entirely sure whether that should raise or lower my expectations for this batch, so I did my best to keep my premature thoughts on the matter to a minimum. The back of the bag boasts that the tea will show umami and sweetness with less astringency due to the use of leaves of the yabukita variety and a deep steaming method that avoids some of the burning process. The bag also explains that this product is made using the first tea leaves picked in May blended with the second leaves picked in June and claims that this will provide a light sweetness and refreshing aftertaste. Personally, I was surprised by the steeping time. The picture-filled instructions seems to indicate that the tea could be ready to consume less than a minute after adding hot water to leaves, which astounds me. I admit that I did not use a timer to ensure a forty second steep as indicated in those instructions but I did attempt to keep a semi-accurate count in my head and was still shocked that the water came out of the pot with a definite tea hue. I was sure it would be super clear, almost water, but with less than a minute to combine with the leaves, this water had managed to take on a decent amount of color and opacity. Of course, it was too hot to drink right out of the pot, but a few minutes later, I was able to give the product a try. It was delectable. The umami richness and flavor were more subtle and subdued but increased to a more discernible degree when I swirled the thick remnants at the bottom back into the drink. It was something like the faintly audible whispers of a lovely melody following a crescendo into a comfortable volume. The flavor was never overpowering but also never felt like tea flavored water, as so many other variations have, even some with much longer steeping times.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojRj-food_teaTue, 10 Nov 2020 15:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojRj-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYml2-living_familylifeI will admit it. This year, Halloween has kind of crept up on me. That means the Halloween costume my kid wanted just to run around the apartment in hasn't been purchased and in the middle of the pandemic, I am not really up to taking public transit all the way into Sendai to hunt down something similar. Also, we are trying to save a little money and cut down on throwing so much stuff away. Since my kid's main costume desire was a black cat onesie that can double as pajamas, this shouldn't be too hard to source out of my cloth stash at home.I went through my fabric stash and found these lovely black garments, all ready to be repurposed. After they were washed and dry, I took the fuzziest of the group, a pair of pajama pants, and examined them for problem areas. The crotch, upper thighs, and seams are always worth checking before upcycling anything.For something to become an entirely new garment, I sometimes find it best to cut the existing garment into the largest pieces possible. With pajama pants, that means slicing the inside leg seam. If my kid were still toddler sized, I would have cut the whole leg. Since my kid is seven now and the leg holes of her pajamas were almost the same size as the leg holes of these pajama pants, I instead cut the seam only above the length of the leg, heaving the bottom half of the seam intact on both legs. The cutting can be done with a seam ripper. If you are in a rush and don’t mind losing a little seam fabric, you can usually just slice off the seam instead. I also cut off the waistband entirely.I then laid out the pants with the pajamas on top, pinning the crotch of the new garment and marking where everything came to. Checking the width of the sample garment against the one I was making, I pinned and sewed the back seam down. Looking again to my sample, I realized I wouldn’t have enough fabric in the one pair of pajama pants to finish the arms, chest, or hood on the new pajamas, but luckily, I had another pair of somewhat fuzzy pants to work with. After I marked and cut the arms out of one leg of the other pair of scrap-able pants, I attached them to the body of the costume/pajamas. The hood came from the end of the other leg of the second pair of scrap pants, cut free and measured to fit.I measured the length for the zipper and purchased one from the craft shop nearest my home. I also chose to reinforce the crotch, especially around the zipper. While the zipper is a little wonky in some areas, this was never meant to be a professionally made product, so I am less concerned with the straightness of the seams and more concerned with how well they are attached. Once I added the tail and ears, I was all done. Luckily, my kid was overjoyed with how it turned out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYml2-living_familylifeFri, 06 Nov 2020 11:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYml2-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkrR-living_shopping_howtoMy kitchen is tiny and as my husband has suddenly rejoined me as a household chef, our number of spices in daily use have multiplied, taking over much more space than I had originally intended. After some thought, I realized it was time to get a spice rack. Problem? We're not sure where or how to hang it on the wall and there is almost no space available for it on a counter. Clean and MeasureLooking at our little side space, I realized just giving us a second level would help a lot, so I cleared the area, wiped it down and measured it. I needed the maximum width, acceptable length range and the height of the spices I would be putting on the lower level with at least a centimeter extra for accessibility.Check Your OptionsWrite down the measurements before you head to the store. If we were in a bigger city, perhaps a trip to Ikea or Tokyu Hands would have been in order, but I don't live near those places. My options were an Aeon and a Homac. After exploring the Homac, I headed to the Can Do 100 yen store in the Aeon and checked out their selection. The narrowest raised level space saver was a few centimeters too wide for my space, so I looked instead at the small plastic containers they meant as drawer organizing inserts or narrow shelf organizers. Keep in mind that these things can be turned sideways, you can use more than one, and they don't have to be the same size.Clean and AssessThis is what I came home with. The sides on the wider of the two actually come out a bit from the bottom, so it won't be sitting flush on the counter and the upper level won't be level either, but after playing with them for a minute. I realized that gravity was on my side if I positioned the top level correctly. I removed the labels and washed the pieces, drying them before I took them to my crafting area. AffixI used around two sticks of hot glue on my attempts to secure this together well. I chose hot glue because it was the more forgiving than super glue, which may melt the plastic or affix so permanently that a slight mistakes becomes a forever eye-sore. Duct tape would likely also work just fine, though I didn't have any on hand that would lend itself well to this project.UtilizePutting it to use made me feel so much better about my kitchen and cleared up a row of messy spices that were taking up counter space on the other side of the stove top range.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkrR-living_shopping_howtoTue, 27 Oct 2020 18:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkrR-living_shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we9EP-foodI found these at the convenience store the other day and grabbed them but only remembered they were in my purse days later when on the way to work having forgotten a travel mug of coffee.Just two of these little blocks of chocolate boosted my energy for my coming classes and left me feeling much more ready for work. If you like white chocolate and coffee, this is a good choice for you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we9EP-foodMon, 26 Oct 2020 11:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we9EP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQE3-living_food_autumnfood2020_miyagiA few years back, I wrote a blog post about this weird vegetable I found and the few things I managed to try to make out of it. The outside was a bit like a slightly more bitter, thin eggplant but condensed into a rind rather than a vegetable with a skin. The inside, sweet but with a snot-like texture, I found harder to use. Freezing it didn't solve any problems for long and turning it into tea meant that the now flavorless snot-like chunks floated about while the water accepted a thin flavoring of vague sweetness.Not as pretty as last time but significantly more plentiful and for the low low price of free.This year, gifted with a bag of the weird produce, I have decided to put a bit more energy into it, breading and frying the outside while saving the inside for a later recipe.The akebi is an autumnal vegetable in the Tohoku mountainside, translated for some reason as "chocolate vine" though the plant has nothing to do with any plants that make chocolate and the inside is significantly less sweet than the name would imply. Many natives refuse to concern themselves with the plant, thinking of it about the same way I might consider squirrel stew -- fine for the very poor who live in the middle of nowhere, but not really something I'm willing to make, use, or eat.This is how I attempted to make breaded, fried akebi using just the outer layer.First, I rinsed and dried the akebi before slicing it down the seam lengthwise.Opening it up, I removed the white squishy innards that came free of the sides fairly easily. You can discard this or save it for later separate recipe options. Then I slice the rest of the rind into spears and repeated this process through the rest of the akebi. There were a little brown with age but were still edible. Feel free to trim away any damaged spots.Try to keep them similar in size so they cook at the same speed. Using an eggwash and seasoned breadcrumbs mixed with powdered cheese, I breaded the spears and baked them in the toaster oven on a greased aluminum foil sheet at 1000 watts for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. They should be a crispy brown when you’re finished. If they are fully cooked, the bitterness will be mild and I found these would go well enough with some salad dressings but I didn’t actually prefer them to the eggplant version of this recipe. My husband, an actual Japanese person from Miyagi, couldn’t stand to eat more than a couple of spears and would not even try the pan fried, unbreaded version which I freely admit was significantly less enjoyable. I also tried to fry these in oil on the stove but found it difficult as the breading would start burning before the bitterness was fully cooked away. Baking was definitely the best of the cooking options I attempted with akebi. So is it worth it to seek out this weird vegetable? If you really don't mind bitter food and want to try something new, it is usually not too expensive despite its rarity.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQE3-living_food_autumnfood2020_miyagiMon, 26 Oct 2020 10:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQE3-living_food_autumnfood2020_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPEE-foodI found this a few months ago and felt like trying something new. Lulo is a fruit popular in Costa Rica and Colombia and is said to taste like something between a pineapple and a lemon. As those are both flavors I enjoy even in soda form, I figured this couldn't be too bad. I was wrong.After one sip, I was ready to throw it out. Since this was a few months back, a lot of the finer details of why I so disliked this beverage have drifted away but two key factors remain firm in my memory.1) I did not like it at all.2) There was an aftertaste and it was not pleasant.If you see this on the shelves or in a machine, steering clear might be the best option.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPEE-foodSun, 25 Oct 2020 22:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPEE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAqD6-foodWanting an upscale afternoon soda, I grabbed this from a 7-11 near my home. The last time I bought a bizarre Fanta, it was a flavor I couldn't recognize and did not enjoy. As this was at least a fruit I knew I liked and the price wasn't too high, I figured it was an alright purchase.If you're not a fan of the overarching chemical sweetness of normal Fanta flavors, this might be a good buy for you. The flavor that is apparent is rather understated but authentic feeling while carbonation takes a much bigger part of the flavor profile than usual. It was enjoyable and made me feel like this was an adult-oriented soda. It probably would make a nice alternative to tonic water for some cocktails as well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAqD6-foodSun, 25 Oct 2020 22:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAqD6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9613-living_medical_healthA crown on one of my front teeth fell out of my face while I was flossing one night. I checked my reflection, freaked out, rinsed the crown and shoved it back in place, where it stayed over a night of fitful sleep attributable to my ever-growing fear that the thing would fall down my throat and choke me to death. That didn't happen, of course, and the next day I happened to be in the neighborhood of my dentist so I stopped in and made an appointment for the next available time slot, which was a few days later.There were signs up asking people to call ahead but I have issues with using the phone in Japanese. It's easier if we can gesture and see faces, but it isn't really safe these days to just walk in. If you can, call ahead to make the appointment instead.It doesn't seem like a lot until it's almost everything between a dental nerve and open air, and it's not in place.I spent the rest of the day poking the barely-held-together tooth with the end of my tongue and waiting for it to fall out again, which it eventually did. Afterwards, I was so scared that all of my food was then eaten in small, bite-sized pieces placed carefully inside the mouth, avoiding the incisors completely.Many online answers to my temporary problem were really for people in America who can't see a dentist safely and suggested things easily available in that country, like dental cement. I will admit that I never looked for dental cement in specific in the US, but the only version of that I could find here was over 8000 yen on Amazon, so I kept looking for other options. Eventually I saw something I had thought to use before, denture adhesive. I grabbed the smallest tube I could find, reasoning that it at least shouldn't be toxic. The next time the cap fell off, I rinsed my mouth and the tooth before applying the smallest dab of the stuff that I could, which was likely too much. The fit was uncomfortable for several hours but I woke up with it fitting quite well. Aside from a little extra sensitivity and a tiny missing chunk, I wouldn't know there had ever been a problem.Then I spent the rest of the time until the appointment worried that it wouldn't come out and wouldn't be able to get fixed properly because of the adhesive. Given a little brushing, rinsing with warm water, and drinking hot soup, I managed to loosed it up enough that it came right out A few hours before the appointment.I showed up early, misremembering what time the place opened after lunch. Checking in took little time since I already had the clinic card and my health insurance card ready, but I didn't realize that the other patients were lining up their cards in order as a way of standing in line without standing in line. This put me at the back of the line but I wasn't worried.We were all greeted and one by one brought to the back where we got help with our problems. The little matter of re-capping my tooth was so brief that I was back at the desk paying for my 2:00 appointment at 2:16. Another amazing thing from an American standpoint is the price. With Japanese insurance, I paid less than 1500 yen for this. In the US, that wouldn't even cover the copay to see the doctor much less actually getting any kind of help.Now I am back to eating as a please. Hurrah!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9613-living_medical_healthWed, 21 Oct 2020 17:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9613-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qgD-education_workI came up with this quite suddenly as I struggled to find something seasonal to teach the kids that wasn't Halloween oriented. I will do a Halloween lesson later this month, but there are a lot of autumn things we can use for a fun learning experience before or after that one holiday.Leaves are such a great sign of the changing of the seasons here and the fall foliage is something I have really enjoyed in contrast to my own autumnal childhood experiences. For those who don't know, north Texas doesn't do a gradual shift in colors over time. Everything holds the green of midsummer until the shock of a cold front turns everything to barren brown despair, all in less than a week. Given that my first 23 autumns looked exclusively like this, it shouldn't be too surprising that the magic of Japanese autumn still entrances me more than a decade after my moving here.If you are proficient at and enjoy drawing, making props for the class could include drawing different shapes of different leaves and coloring them in. As I am not great at drawing, I opted to cut the shapes out of origami paper and then use double-sided tape to adhere them to different pages in a large drawing pad I got from the 100 yen shop. I picked autumn colors in the paper and then looked up leaf shapes that go with them online. Folding the paper in half, I drew half of the shape of the leaf and then cut it out. Using nice, thin origami paper, I was able to double the sheets and do the cutting twice as fast. I chose to put the leaves in the book in increasing number and alternating colors and sizes, starting with one big green leaf. Next, I used two medium sized orange leaves. Then three medium brown leaves. I went up to five small yellow ginko leaves, but this could easily be made longer or shorter depending on your students' needs and abilities.The four and five-year-olds I taught really got a kick out of counting the leaves and talking about them. While this activity emphasizes color and number, it also works as an easy sneaky primer on adjective word order, something I find difficult to teach in that we don't learn it from a book. This way, the kids have heard that we use the number, then size, then color, even if they don't immediately remember it later.If you're more of a botanist, you could explore leaf shapes and teach the kids a little about that, though I would also suggest keeping it simple enough in jargon that everyone can say it easily even with mostly Japanese phonemes.In my autumn lesson book, the first five pages are dedicated to these leaves. Because these kids have also talked about food with color before, I opted to take a seasonal route with that as well and cut out produce shapes, organizing them with all the autumn foods of one color sharing a page. I really wanted them to know that the ever popular persimmon isn't kaki in English, even if they don't fully remember the word persimmon after this lesson alone. This worked out okay. My goal for the end was getting the older kids to make or at least repeat sentences like "Broccoli is green" while the younger kids could just repeat "I like broccoli" if they do like that vegetable and that would be fine.For me, this quickly created lesson plan came together well and was very useful in class, taking the place of a big autumn picture book I have yet to find.What are you doing in your autumn classes with kids?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qgD-education_workThu, 08 Oct 2020 17:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qgD-education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQox5-foodSearching for a little autumnal yumminess, I stumbled across this one at the grocery store and thought I would give it a try. Chestnuts were a little new to me when I moved to Japan but I quickly fell in love with the regional delicacy of kurikinton, creamy little dessert snacks made mostly of mashed chestnut. That was back in Gifu of course, and since moving northward a decade ago, I haven't enjoyed much in the way of chestnut goodness, so I was looking forward to trying this one.The container was wonderfully decorated in lovely shades of autumn colors with leaves, chestnuts, and small golden coffee beans. Even the plastic cap sported a variation of the motifs from the front, arranged in a circle around the company logo.Such a pretty container for a nice fall beverage.Another logo with Mount Fuji in front of the Japanese flag, set off by the same motif from the top, appears in two places with the words Nippon Color Vibes. There is something to be said about the traditional Japanese grasp of color and how vibrant it can be in comparison to some color palettes elsewhere. Seeing a whole rainbow utilized in a kimono ensemble without gaudiness is something that has stuck with me through the years. Despite being just another piece of disposable plastic, this cup does bring some of that crisp autumn cheer with its bright pops of yellow-green leaves alongside rich chestnut browns and fiery maple reds. Next to the nutrition label, a short paragraph of Japanese explains that this product is a limited 2020 edition of bittersweet café latte. It encourages the consumer to enjoy the mellow scents and flavors autumn. Hoping that this would indicate something really delicious inside, I removed the straw and poked it into the drink.Am I the only one who loves these little details?I think this is probably what it would taste like if you added chestnut syrup and artificial creamer to hojicha tea, and while I did enjoy it well enough to finish it, I won't be drinking another one. I'm not overly fond of the flavor of hojicha or creamer and the chestnut flavor wasn't rich enough to power through that.Specifically the creamer aspect bothered me as it has on a few Japanese latte style drinks, though usually this happens with cheaper brands than Mt RAINIER. I don't know why but one of the chemicals involved in making the pre-packaged drinks taste creamier also turns my stomach. My issues with hojicha have more to do with the three months of hospitalized bedrest I went through to have my daughter. For some reason, they wouldn't give me water but offered as much barley tea as any dehydrated pregnant woman could drink. As many things with that pregnancy went, I enjoyed this well enough at first but grew to be completely repulsed by the overexposure.If you enjoy hojicha and don't have a problem with artificial creamers, this might be a very enjoyable way to ring in fall 2020.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQox5-foodFri, 02 Oct 2020 17:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQox5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPnd-livingThe one day of this week that I didn't have to be awake before 8AM to meetup online with someone on the other side of the world, I wasn't. I slept in, as did the rest of my family. We took our time when we did get up in the morning and didn't put any rush on anything. It was a good end to the autumn holiday.Cat Pancake. Good times. My husband headed off to run errands and called in around lunch time to offer to take us to Sendai since he had to go there anyway. We got ready and headed into the city shortly after noon. I was really happy to note that the vast majority of people we saw were wearing masks but the ones who weren't also didn't believe in social distancing and tended to squeeze up close to us. Still, we got through it okay and enjoyed lunch at Eggs'n' Things, one of my daughter's absolutely favorite restaurants. She was later disappointed to find that the Claire's stores in the area were already all gone and insisted that she really wanted to buy a Ty toy, so we went to Toys R Us in the mall on the other side of the city to see what they had. We eventually found a couple of things she wanted and got them before heading back.Never miss photo-ops with Pokemon. In a shocking twist, my husband made dinner while my daughter and I finished up the homework she had started with him while I had washed the dishes just before. It was teamwork the way that it is supposed to be in a tight-knit little family unit.While we were at lunch we got confirmation that today was the day they would go back to school. I'm 80% happy about this. A small part of me likes sleeping past 5AM and having more time with my kid more than a sense of accomplishment and time to myself.Still, it's better that she's in school with her friends and teachers, learning things I can't teach her in a language I have yet to master.Thus ends another little saga in our lives during the pandemic-- the autumn break that could have lasted months. We're lucky to live in such a safe place and with a school that wants to keep our kid safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPnd-livingThu, 01 Oct 2020 08:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPnd-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPYk-living_familylife 2020 is a strange year and this summer was no exception. Instead of the planned and postponed Olympics, we had conflicting messages from the government advising us to stay home to prevent disease transmission while simultaneously traveling for sightseeing to bring tourist money back into the economy.The sign for the line of people waiting to get into the aquarium, reminding us how to behave. Seeing as my family needed a break, like many families in the area, we took advantage of the 10 day summer holiday from school and took a short family trip to a neighboring prefecture. Most of our trips have been around Tohoku due to convenience and affordability. Now it was also of necessity. The closer you get to larger cities, the more dangerous it is, so traveling around the countryside is a great idea especially if you're already living in a similar place.Other signs let us know that there will be no animal performances among other news as the line snakes around the entrance. Kamo Aquarium, also known as Our first stop on our trip was Kamo Aquarium, also known as the jellyfish aquarium of Yamagata. I wasn't too thrilled about the line outside, but we were already there and it was raining, so we waited until we could go in, tried to retain social distancing, and took comfort in the fact that everyone coming in had their temperatures checked and hands disinfected upon entrance. No one seemed visibly sick, but a lot of people ignored the social distancing guidelines once inside and a few were using their masks incorrectly.Checking your temperature at the door. Yay Japanese technology!They also took our information, just in case any guest or staff turns up sick and gets tracked back to this place on this day.Jellyfish signs remind visitors to do our normal Covid avoidance routine: wear a mask, stay two meters apart and disinfect your hands. Still, we did our bests to stay safe. All animal shows were cancelled but we still got to watch the seals swim about and enjoyed that almost as much. Also, there is something strangely calming about how Jellyfish float about.Just look at those delicate, fluffy murder blobs! Okay, I don't think these ones were murderous...Seals being seals.And we even learned something about jellyfish! The giftshop was limiting how many people could enter at one time, so there was an ever-lengthening line for that, which is why we left empty-handed but happy. Honestly, for a pandemic trip to a somewhat crowded place, it went really well and we all genuinely enjoyed it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPYk-living_familylifeWed, 30 Sep 2020 14:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPYk-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lrX-living Today was a family day off and after a morning spent chatting with friends in Texas, we decided to go out to lunch. Seeing that our closest local food spot was crowded and had a waiting list, we thought about it for a minute and decided to go out for ramen instead. It was a bit of a walk, but well worth it.Apologies for the picture quality. I was famished and it was delicious. Too delicious to wait for my phone to focus or notice that it hadn't. The ramen shop was a lot less crowded, probably owing to not being in a shopping center. We used hand sanitizer provided at the door and I used my portable sanitizer to spray down the table after we ordered and our hands again after we touched the menus. Food came promptly and was absolutely delicious. As it was a weekday around noon, we got to take advantage of the lunch specials and had a great time. The last time we had come here had been after karaoke probably in January. The world has changed so much since then and we've sworn off karaoke until things are really safe again. As it is, just eating out in Shiogama is really risky as a recent Japanese news article has explained. This month, Shiogama's infected total took the previous all time total and multiplied it by ten, many of them in clusters from restaurants. So we did do something a little dangerous but we took the precautions we could, including wearing our masks any time we weren't actively eating and sanitizing before and after our meal. After the ramen, we took advantage of the pleasant weather and walked down to the post office to mail my ballot to the US Embassy in Tokyo, where it will be sorted into a big batch aimed for the states and sent in bulk to avoid being lost in the havok that is the current US postal system thanks to the current administration. I did not opt to get a tracked envelop as I trust the Japanese postal system a lot more, even though they're failed to send many of my packages this year. My husband wanted to check out the bookstore at the shopping center so we headed back that way and got even more crafting supplies to keep us occupied in the coming weeks. If she goes back to school on the first, we'll make stuff on the weekend. If she doesn't, this will help entertain her for a small part of each day. It's not a loss as long as it gets enjoyed. Tomorrow, we make stay home and relax or we may go check out photographers for our daughter's shichi-go-san, coming up later this season. I do wonder how the coronavirus will affect this cultural custom. I guess we'll see in November. Hopefully tomorrow we'll also figure out whether or not I'm back on my 5AM schedule for the rest of the month or if we're taking some time off and adjusting to more internet-based learning opportunities. We'll see and we'll figure it out, either way. Until then, we're just hanging in here. We hope you're doing the same, wherever you are.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lrX-livingTue, 29 Sep 2020 22:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lrX-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M968N-livingThis was the first day since May that my kid was supposed to be in classes at her elementary school and instead spent the day with me, all because someone who works at the kindergarten connected to her school caught the virus. By connected to, I don't merely mean affiliated with. It's literally located on the same campus and the route to the entrance is part of my kid's route from the bus stop to her school building. While everyone is masked and sanitized regularly, there is still real reason for concern and I am so happy that the school is being so cautious.Meanwhile, my kid had to accompany me to a class she has accompanied me to many times before and she spent about fifteen minutes of the hour interrupting for no real reason other than boredom. This is after we talked about what was going to happen and I gave her the chance to pack materials to keep her occupied which she seems to have completely misjudged. Oh well. Better luck next time.After this we did a little shopping and then headed home where I found this beauty waiting for me in my mailbox.Voting! Yay!This is my third time voting from abroad in a presidential election and it's the first time I had to email them twice to get them to send the materials. My initial email of the voting application in July was met with a response of acceptance and I left it at that until nothing had arrived in two months. My second email in mid September just happened to arrive two days before they decided to send the ballot. For the last ten days, I've been a little anxious about this, to the point of waking up at 2AM and not being able to get back to sleep.Voting against Trump really made my day. Then my husband offered to bring home pizza, and I rejoiced again. A new Dominos branch opened, this one just a couple of towns away from us. It was actually pretty good.My household has the next two days off, which feels weird and shouldn't. In the states, having weekends off together like this isn't weird, but for us it is a rare occasion. Luckily we have plenty to eat, plenty to watch, and plenty to celebrate. News from the school came in the form of two emails. The first said that students and teachers who had close contact with the infected person were getting tested and we would have the results by the 30th. The second email let us know that one of the results on one of the kids came back positive already. We still don't know what October is going to look like but it is looking more like things might be staggered or online for a little bit. We can't say for sure until the school administration makes a decision. Until then, we try our best to relax and prepare for as many likely outcomes as we can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M968N-livingMon, 28 Sep 2020 21:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M968N-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaZm-living_food_howtoAs edthethe mentioned in an earlier post, the first thing you need to know is the planting zone for your area. Using the zone name for your area on this map, you can search for more information on that zone including what grows well and when the first and last freezes usually are.Next, spend a little time on your next sunny day off looking out your window into your growing space to see how much sun actually hits your area and for how long. I've noticed the morning glories my daughter brought home from school like being in the space where they get some morning sun but are blocked from the more intense afternoon brightness while my lettuce is all but trying to uproot itself to get closer to those afternoon rays. If you're in a large city especially, you have to look out for other obstructions like neighboring buildings. If sun is blocked to part of your growing space for a significant part of the day, odds are you won't be enjoying too much growth in that space unless you choose things that like to grow in the shade.The lettuce wants out. Poor lettuce.Once you know how much sun you get and how much area you have, do some research on what will grow well with those conditions. Knowing the first freeze dates for your area will also let you know how much time you have to prepare and plant so you can harvest or move things inside before the frost hits.When you know what you can plant, grab your materials. If you're growing something you're planning on eating, make sure your container is BPA free. Honestly, just staying away from plastic should help but I couldn't afford the larger ceramic planters, so my broccoli, lettuce, and cauliflower in a plastic tub that was labelled for food growing. If you're only growing flowers or other plants you don't intend to eat, there's nothing wrong with a plastic pot. Also, you can use non traditional pots, like my re-purposed kid-snack containers. I drilled holes in all of the bottoms, then added a layer of rocks, then soil, then carrot seeds in sets of three. We will see how they come out.Remember with container-based planting that a layer of rocks at the bottom can help filter the soil out so the water drains away without stealing your nutrient rich potting soil. These days the soil is pretty easy to spot in the gardening department of any DIY store. The packaging usually tells you what it's good for, frequently with pictures so you don't even need to be a kanji master to figure it out. Do be careful to buy soil (土) and not manure (肥) though. I made that mistake back in 2009 and stunk up my office while also slowly murdering a small fir tree. It was a bad time.Ready by November? Nice.When you're ready to plant, just remember to double check your growing times for your chosen plants. Some might need an early seedling start inside the house. Some might be better just tossed in the soil. If you check the plant department at your local DIY shop, you may find some seedlings ready to go and some even discounted depending on how late in the growing season it is.When planting a seedling, put it into a bigger pot so the roots can grow but don't bury it. The base of where the plant is coming out of the ground in its seedling starter pot should be the same base for where it's coming out of the soil in its new home.As long as you remember to check on the plants regularly and water them as need be, this should help you grow a little something green on your Japanese balcony.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaZm-living_food_howtoMon, 28 Sep 2020 17:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaZm-living_food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RYW-livingSince the end of May, things in my area have come to a state of normalcy I am grateful for. I've been walking my kid to and from the bus stop every weekday, teaching most of my pre-pandemic classes, and generally going about the day almost the same as before, save for a little more hand sanitizing and mask wearing.The yellow leaves I pruned from the morning glories today, proof that change is in the air. While I've been feeling the new normal, Miyagi's total CoVid infections have climbed up to 389 cases, almost three times what it was from when I stopped writing my daily accounts of pandemic life. As it has spread, the infection has also been inching closer to my family. Last week, a few students missed class for self-quarantining after someone at their school was found to be infected. This week, the kindergarten attached to my daughter's elementary school saw one of the adult teaching assistants fall ill as well and yesterday it was confirmed that they had the new coronavirus. To their credit, the school has elected to suspend classes for half the week while they regroup and check to see if anyone else is ill before continuing. This means, in addition to the previously scheduled Wednesday off, my daughter will also be home Monday and Tuesday. I feel extremely fortunate that she is going to a school that is being so cautious and that I can bring her along to the one class I have during this sudden half-week off. The big question is what will happen next, and I don't have an answer. Classes will pick up on the usual schedule, or they'll restart with an adjusted schedule to cut down on the number of kids in the school at one time, or classes won't start back up in person and something online will eventually be attempted again.So, only knowing for sure that I will have no time for myself without sleep deprivation for the next few days, I am doing the only thing I can think of and trying to take it easy. One day, I will have energy and focus again, but probably not until she's back in school properly. Until then, I'm just going to try to stay calm and count my blessings.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RYW-livingSun, 27 Sep 2020 16:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RYW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqRY8-living_food_shopping_teaLike many, I am not getting out and about as much as I used to, which is why I was thrilled to find this Shizuoka green tea at a 7-11 near my home. At right around 500 yen for 100 grams, it's not too expensive and happened to be the only Shizuoka green tea on the shelf in leaf form, so I grabbed a bag. The bag brags that this product was farmed under JGAP conditions which includes a focus on sustainable farming as well as occupational safety and environmental protection. Human rights welfare is also a part of the standards according to the website. I am thinking of it kind of like fair trade green tea from Shizuoka.Putting in the customary 5 grams or so, I added water and let it steep for a few minutes. When I checked on it later, I came to realize a significant amount of leaf debris in the bottom of the cup despite the drink otherwise having a lighter coloration than many similar teas. The cup was still a bit hot to handle, so I let it cool before imbibing.Round one: Fairly translucent and watery at five grams and probably around two minutes of steeping time.When I finally got around to drinking it, I found it a bit bland and more watery than I was really comfortable with. Considering how hot the cup was when I stopped steeping, I assumed this was probably personal error and tried again with a second cup, letting it have a full five minutes to sit with a tiny heaping spoonful of leaves, likely around 6 or 7 grams.Round Two: Darker and more opaque at around seven grams and five minutes of steeping time, but what about the flavor?The second batch was a lot darker in appearance, confirming that I had shortened the time too much with my impatience in the first round. While the cup was still too hot to hold much less drink, I spent a moment staring through the somewhat more opaque beverage and noticed that the tea sediment was still visible, just a little less obvious. Drinking it while still a bit hotter than I would have preferred, I noticed the flavor was much improved in that it was much more present. I no longer felt like I was drinking oddly colored hot water with a tinge of green tea flavor. This had the flavor, but the umami was hidden deep within the drink. I suggest long steeping times for this one as it seems to need a little help in releasing its inner goodness.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqRY8-living_food_shopping_teaFri, 25 Sep 2020 15:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqRY8-living_food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWObe-living_medical_workWhat is it with kids not wearing masks? I don't know how it is in other prefectures, but in my town there appears to be a common trend with kids of a variety of ages just not wearing masks in public at all.It's probably only around thirty percent of the kids I see walking, but that's enough to worry me.Even as cases of CoVid are higher than they have ever been in the prefecture and the mayor has kicked the danger level up a notch to level three (though I have no idea what that entails), more and more kids seem to be going maskless. Sometimes these kids are with adults and most of those adults seem to be wearing masks, as if to say, "Yes, I value my own life, but my 5 year old? He'll obviously survive it. Kids can't even get it, you know." And if that's what they are thinking, they are dreadfully wrong. We still don't even know how badly the long lasting effects of this virus are. People are still having symptoms months after the infection seems to clear. No one knows how badly this will damage the children who get it, even if they aren't as likely to die soon after exposure. It's also not as if the children's death rate is zero. Maybe these people have more faith in their own good luck than I do.I couldn't find a good illustration so I tried to make one. In any case, the small conversational school I work for has a strict mask-only policy. The children and teachers will be masked. Everyone will wash their hands and not fiddle with their masks. Hand sanitizer will be sprayed on the hands of those who choose to touch their masks during class as well as over all student-related surfaces between classes, but maskless kids will not be admitted. Enter Jerk Kid. This kid regularly uses obstinance as a bargaining tool with his mom in a counter-productive way. A few weeks ago he spent half of the class screaming like he was being murdered while standing at the door to the school because his mom, who was waiting in the car and just watching this, wanted him to come in and go to class and he had decided otherwise. On his good days, he will participate in about half of the class, but since the masks came into play, he has chosen that as his own private battle. If he's wearing a mask when he enters, he will pull it down when he washes his hands and then touch it again when he's done to pull it up and effectively re-dirty his hands. Most of the time his mom has to beg him to put on the mask which he spends half the class touching, rubbing, or pulling down while teachers either ignore him completely or stop ever three minutes to tell him again what the rules are. This month, I came to his class to see him in place with his mask under his nose. I drew a face on the board in black marker and then circled the nose and mouth in red, explaining in Japanese that these were dangerous, both for giving and receiving germs. I drew a mask over the mouth."Is this good?" I asked.His classmate said "No."I agreed and drew the rest of the mask over the nose of the face. "Now?" "Yes," she said. Jerk kid flipped the mask back up over his nose by thumping it upward from the bottom. Hestill spent the rest of the lesson working it down before being asked to put it back. This was literally the only thing he did in class with me other than the one time he rubbed his whole mouth area with his hand and wiped it all over the desk I later drenched in disinfectant. Does anyone have any really good answers to this other than waiting for the kid to catch on, get sick, or quit?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWObe-living_medical_workThu, 24 Sep 2020 16:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWObe-living_medical_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakdo-livingThis was one of the more fun things we saw in one of the hotels we stayed at during our short summer vacation to Yamagata.All the mascots for the various prefectures of Tohoku demonstrate proper safety measures all people should be taking during the coronavirus pandemic.Personally, I always love it when the mascots are involved in something for which we wouldn't use a mascot stateside, and this is one thing I think the US should adopt. When fluffy and cute mascots are doing the safe thing, it encourages even little kids to participate and reaffirms to stubborn adults than even those little kids are better at managing this thing.I recognize Masubimaru, Miyagi's rice ball cosplaying as Date Masamune, and Yamagata's mascot shaped like the prefecture wearing a cute summer hat as well as the wanko soba girl, but I don't know the others.Which of these mascots do you recognize? Are the mascots in your area on similar posters?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakdo-livingWed, 23 Sep 2020 10:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakdo-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxOX-food_shoppingI saw this at the store the other day and thought, since I enjoyed the other flavors of drink, why wouldn't I like whatever Deep Dive is? I could find no other information about flavors on the thing, but I thought I'd give it a try.It took me a minute to register the flavor as yogurt and for the first half of the beverage, it wasn't actually that bothersome. By the end though I was very uncomfortable with it and the flavor lingered longer than necessary.What lurks in the deep dive? Lingering Yogurt Flavors!I don't really feel like yogurt and energy drinks go together this way. Maybe it's just me. I won't be buying this again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxOX-food_shoppingSat, 19 Sep 2020 22:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxOX-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVP97-living_health I've written about how to keep contact with friends and family while living abroad before, but what happens when all of that just doesn't work out?If this is what your friendship feels like, you should probably reassess your situation pronto.Sometimes people drift apart naturally as our lives and circumstances change. This process can feel practically forced on those of us living far from home for a prolonged period. Maintaining a connection to those we love is challenging, but more importantly, it's not a one person job. As much as social media can help us maintain that contact, it can also put us face to face with some ugly truths about those we love most.Recently, I found the need to take a social media break from a friend from high school, a process made necessary not just by our contrary political viewpoints but more so by her caustic nature. In the weeks preceding this change, I was increasingly wracked with anxiety every time I opened the app for fear that she had commented on a post. I used to look forward to these chances to see what she was thinking, being that social media had never been much of her thing and maintaining any kind of regular contact with her had been impossible. As the pandemic has progressed, I found her anti-science rhetoric less forgivable and her inability to engage in thoughtful discourse heartbreaking. Worse was the fact that she felt the need to engage with me constantly and not always with arguments that made any kind of sense.I think many people have been going through these kinds of changes with their friends and families as the world and politics have become more divisive than ever. My first step in getting to a better place with this was to "take a break" from the person, meaning limiting their access to my posts and removing them from my feed, but not unfriending them completely or blocking them.After a month of not having someone attack every other post I shared, I felt so much less stress that I knew I had to make these changes permanent. This process also freed up enough mental energy that I actually managed to edit a decent first draft of one of my novellas in a little over a week. None of my novels or novellas has been edited in decades, but now I could focus and find my way through it.Finally realizing how much energy I had been losing to her antagonistic outbursts, I moved to also stop feeding the relationship any further energy in my head. I came up with the idea of a friendship eulogy and wrote out my feelings as if in a speech I imagined delivering over the corpse of the friendship at its funeral. It was one page, front and back, and rounded out my final thoughts on the matter fairly succinctly.Other people write letters, but I didn’t feel that was final enough. This was about myclosure, not necessarily communicating to another person. Many people burn or throw away these kinds of documents, which is totally valid if it helps you, but I am keeping mine. I need this to remind me why that friendship isn’t viable in a few weeks or months when I forget how much relief I am currently feeling and only remember the old friendship of twenty years ago.Since writing the eulogy, I have felt even better. Now, when I do happen to think about this former friend, I can do so with fond nostalgia instead of anger and frustration. She was my closest friend once, and that hasn't stopped meaning something. She hasn't been close to me or my friend in some time, and that means something too. A few days after I wrote the eulogy, I took the final step in blocking her from my social media completely because it was the right choice for me. If you're feeling like social media is sucking the life out of you, consider making some changes to what you're seeing, from whom, or how much of it you see. Your mental health is very important, especially in 2020.Brighter days ahead, with fewer conflicts and less anxiety.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVP97-living_healthSat, 19 Sep 2020 09:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVP97-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPag-living_shoppingA variety of manual and battery operated fans available at one of my neighborhood 100 yen stores. In preparation for my family's upcoming summer road trip, I have spent the last few weeks checking out the selection of personal fanning devices available at the 100 yen stores in my area. For just 100 yen, there is a surprisingly large variety of options though they generally fall into three categories:1) Folding Hand FanThe traditional folding fan, sometimes called sensu or ougi, is easy to use, as well as stylish and fun in its own way and works really well if you're planning on wearing a yukata or kimono. While I have bought many of these over the years, I find them more useful as souvenirs for people who live far away than as an actual cooling device. In addition to the exhaustion that fanning with this type inflicts upon my wrist (which may be the same or worse for sufferers of carpal tunnel), part of my reluctance is owing to having a small child in my home who has personally and completely accidentally destroyed no fewer than five of these fans in her short years. Quality is frequently an issue with the 100 yen store products of most kinds, so she is not completely at fault, but it still makes this not my first choice for fanning. What's the point in picking one you like if you'll just have to throw it away the day after your kid finds it?Plus: Portable and prettyMinus: Easy to break, exhausts wrist2) Manual Hand FanA step up from the previous, these plastic creations employ a trigger mechanism or small crank to turn a small fan blade in or on the fan. It's useful enough and doesn't exhaust the wrist the same way the folding fans do, but the shape can be cumbersome and frequent use can cause blisters, callouses, and hand cramps. Since these are frequently adorable, they can be a good choice for rambunctious children who can tire their hands instead of complaining about the heat.Plus: Cute, easy to useMinus: Blisters/cramps, hard plastic bulk3) Battery OperatedSmaller than the manual version but heavier than the folding fans, these products are easy enough to use and portable enough to enjoy with no threats to hand or wrist. As most modern models have floppier plastic/rubber blades, these aren't even too uncomfortable to keep in a pocket, provided the on button can remain un-pushed. The big downside here is the battery usage. If replacing the battery and disposing of the old one bothers you, this is the wrong product on this list for you. If used with rechargeable batteries, this fan wouldn't have too much of a negative environmental impact. Still, if you're planning on using the fan frequently over a long trip, packing spare batteries may be imperative. Otherwise, either of the other fans is a better bet.Plus: No hand/wrist damage, smallMinus: Battery usage However you choose to keep yourself cool this summer, stay safe and out of the sun when possible. What is your favorite fanning device?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPag-living_shoppingMon, 17 Aug 2020 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPag-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GR15k-living This summer has been difficult, with the ever-looming threat of the pandemic and potential lock-downs combined with fear for loved ones back home landing a lot of people like me in a world of unreasonable pain and suffering. How do we escape all this when the end is nowhere in sight? One answer is GISH.The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt is something I've mentioned a few times before, and I always enjoy it. This year, with so many people stuck at home, the folks at GISH held a couple of mini-hunts in earlier months, each lasting just one day and providing a level of creative relief that wouldn't be easy to come by otherwise. Each mini-hunt gave us something specific and time-related to look forward to and enjoy, if only for 24 hours.August's week-long shenanigans started Saturday, August 1st and will end on the 8th, when all items must be finished and turned in to be counted. Already it has been a wild ride and cost me several hours of sleep.One thing that makes this year's hunt a bit different is my kid still being in school. Since CoVid stole a few months from normal life earlier in the year, a lot of kids are only starting a brief, 2 week summer holiday from the second weekend in August, my kid included. Our hours to craft together and ability so sleep late are at a disadvantage, but GISH is always tricky. One great thing about this year's list is the kids section, filled with easier tasks, phrased to appeal to a much younger audience. My daughter got a huge kick out of doing a slew these items in a rush at the park near out home that Sunday. Some of my items have been wonderful, like the merit badge I made to celebrate one of my daughter's special traits. One that was more challenging was a cooking challenge in which the participant is meant to include at least one ingredient that they have never used before. Since we were already out of the house on Sunday, we stopped by the store and picked up three new things. I am not sure I've seen them before, but they were available and it seemed like a good idea at the time. My ingredients were food dye for rice, taro, and ginger blossoms. I diced and fried the taro with the blossoms petals before separating the results into three bowls to apply the rice dye, which stuck in chunky speckles.The results taught me that I do not enjoy the texture of taro. My daughter tried it and also won't be enjoying this dish any time in the near future.GISH gives you the option of choosing what items from the massive list appeal to you, which is one of my favorite things about it. You can choose your own creative adventure, and the way the world is right now, we could all use a little happy, safe detour from normalcy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GR15k-livingFri, 07 Aug 2020 10:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GR15k-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQ6y-money_howtoIf you frequently send packages abroad, you may have noticed a trend recently in which the Japanese Post Office will claim one day to send things to the country you intend and may even accept your packages before sending them back to you with notices attached, saying that they haven't accepted any packages bound for those countries since April and if you want your postage back, please fill out the attached form.As someone who sends things out monthly, this has been a bit of a problem for me personally. just in case you are as unlucky with timing regarding the post office, airmail, and things shutting down for the pandemic as I seem to be, here is a handy guide for filling out the form so you can at least get your money back before you decide if and when to try to send packages off again.All of this, along with a memo dated months earlier, came attached to each returned package: One apology/explanation letter, One reimbursement form, and One return envelope (no postage necessary).This is the form you have to fill out. The purple pencil is covering my address but otherwise the form is unaltered. To fill this out, you will need to grab the bank book that goes with your favorite Japanese bank account and fill this out accordingly. If playing match the kanji with bank documents makes you break out in a cold sweat, have no fear. I have taken it upon myself to provide a very basic translation though my husband, the native speaker of the family, did look over my work briefly to make sure I wasn't totally off base. This is important since he is the one who helped me fill out the first of these forms that came back a few months ago. If you have questions about what kind of bank account you have (is it "normal"?!), it is best to consult a native speaker and/or bank staff. I am guessing my basic accounts are all normal.After you finish this part, you're done. The bits under the black line are for the post office to work through, so all you have to do when you finish filling out this part of the form is put it into the return envelope provided, seal the self-sticking tape, and put it in an outgoing mailbox. In my experience, the return of the money takes about a week.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQ6y-money_howtoWed, 05 Aug 2020 09:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQ6y-money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAq0q-living_shopping_familylifeMany of us parents have spent months of this year trying to navigate zoom classes and take care of our kids 24/7 for months that were supposed to be spent getting acclimated to a new school environment. Some of us need out of our homes, even for a short trip, just to enjoy a small adventure with the family that doesn't happen in a video game. With this in mind, my husband has planned a trip for us to a nearby prefecture with the same infection rate compared to population as where we live. The idea has grown on me over the last few weeks and honestly we need the break, but how do we science-conscious parents do something like take a family holiday during a pandemic?We prepare. This is how I am preparing.1) Bring extra.We know the best ways to stay safe during the pandemic include washing our hands and wearing masks, so do this. Bring extra hand sanitizer if you can find it and soap if you can't. I still don't trust rest stop bathrooms to have soap in them as I have seen too many without even before the pandemic put a premium on hand soap. Bring spare masks for the whole family so that if one gets dirty or damaged, it doesn't render the wearer potentially doomed. Whether you're using washable or disposable masks, make sure you have enough for everyone for the length of the stay, plus extra.2) Use a Wand.UV sanitizing wands are available online and really aren't too expensive considering the job they do. Do NOT turn these on while pointed at your face or anyone else's. If the wand works, it will damage eyes immediately. It's also not meant for use on skin. If you're staying overnight somewhere, though, this handy thing can kill off just about anything there is to be afraid of on the microbial level. The wand I bought is meant to work with a twenty second interval of being shone over a surface. I am fully planning to use my wand on basically every surface we are planning to touch before we touch it within our hotel room. I just have to remember to charge it first.3) Aim for OutdoorsWhenever you have the option, aim for activities and eating options that are not inside of stuffy buildings. It's been noted many times both here and in the US that more open air flow leads to fewer stagnant spaces for the virus to get stuck in. One problem with this idea is that a lot of people in Japan seem to be following the same idea and not all of them are remembering the rest of the rules.4) Keep Social Distancing. Keep your mask on.A recent family trip to a few large, open-air entertainment spots in my prefecture led me to a terrifying understanding about the complacency of the average Miyagi citizen with regards to this pandemic. Only around 70% of the people we encountered were wearing masks, the rest apparently assuming that as long as they are outdoors, no one can get sick. While being outdoors cuts down on the risk, it does not drop the risk to zero. Not wearing a mask in Japan today says a lot and none of it is terribly flattering from my view. People in my country are dying by the thousands in part due to the normalization of this kind of gesture.5) Plan smart.If you're in the middle of a hotspot, it isn't really safe to go anywhere. Even if you're out in the countryside, trips should be short and thoughtfully planned. Going sightseeing in a big city with no tourists about sounds appealing but dying of Covid-19 sure doesn't. Be smart about where you are going and remember that any trip contains a level of danger you have the weigh against the desire to travel. It wouldn't be worth it for us if my kid weren't good at keeping her mask on and keeping her hands to herself. If we had to rely on public transit or plane travel, we wouldn't be leaving the house.Stay safe out there, and if you can't stay safe, it might be best to just stay home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAq0q-living_shopping_familylifeTue, 04 Aug 2020 09:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAq0q-living_shopping_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj1A-living_shopping_medical_healthJapan really is an amazing place. I really never thought that it was possible to add this much cuteness to menstrual necessities and have it make sense or work well, but Japan's grasp on cuteness and adding it anywhere cannot be overstated. In fact, Japan is so filled with the kawaii that I don't think its necessary to list the obscure yet adorable items I've noticed while living here as I am sure everyone who has been here long enough to notice one has a list somewhere in their mind.Menstrual pads in this country in my experience tend to come in two varieties that I've managed to find before this: 1) tiny, flimsy, and barely able to stick to an undergarment, or 2) massively heavy duty and easily the length of my forearm. After getting frustrated with first variety, I picked up a giant haul of the second option from CostCo a few months ago and thought that would suit me well enough for a while. These beasts do work well enough on heavy days, but often cause an uncomfortable level of chaffing and can make the wearer feel diapered. Deciding I wanted around half as much coverage as the 37cm pad was boasting, I went looking for something in the 20 to 25 cm range and was pleasantly surprised.Center-in Happy Catch pads by Unicharm are right in that range, offering protection in a variety of sizes between 20cm and 26cm. I bought a 28 pack of the 21cm size and am happy with the product, though I will admit this size and thickness isn't the best for heavier flows. Still, I find the cats on the wrappers strangely comforting as their adorableness makes me feel slightly less miserable. There is even a vague cat-like imprint on the pad itself, which is just the kind of extra cuteness one should expect from Japanese menstrual pads. Should these be around when my daughter starts her monthly cycles, I think she will enjoy them more than the other varieties currently available to me.This isn't the first time that I have seen a company attempting to make menstruation products cool or fashionable in some way. When I was a teenager, one company folded the tampon applicators in half, making them easier to carry in small plastic cases provided. While it changed the shape of the product, it added nothing to functionality for me personally, as the locking mechanisms were less than perfect and being pinched by the plastic as the applicator collapsed was never a great time. After that, I only really saw the colors on the wrappers change, but never into anything I found terribly enjoyable.I guess that is the point in a way. Periods aren't cool. They are uncomfortable and gross. I feel like Japan's cute cat pads aren't trying to make it cool but instead supply us menstruation participants in our less comfortable times with something cute to look at, such as a bunch of kittens on our pad wrappers.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj1A-living_shopping_medical_healthMon, 03 Aug 2020 09:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj1A-living_shopping_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxoo-living_food_shoppingThis summer, if you're feeling sluggish while out and about, you might head into the nearest convenience store for a caffeinated pick-me-up. When you have had your fill of iced coffee and it's too hot for anything warmer, look for the chilled beverage section and you might see one of these guys staring back at you.Zone Firewall Suntory released two Zone energy drinks, this one and a black canned variety, each boasting a sideways on-button style logo and trying to look high tech. There was nothing especially digitally performance enhancing about the taste in either beverage despite the cans claiming to provide digital performance energy, though the lack of taurine made the whole experience a lot more palatable than the usual can of Monster energy drink or the like. The beverage in the red can was a lot like a highly caffeinated version of the Hawaiian Punch soft drink that was popular in the US in the 1990s, which is to say that it was a less natural tasting but still enjoyable enough fruit punch sort of flavor. It was sweet enough to evoke that memory of sugary drinks from my childhood but without making my teeth ache. I enjoyed this one enough to buy several when they were on sale at my grocery store the following week. I later also tried the black variety which was almost as enjoyable as the red. The flavor was something like of a softer canned sangria though obviously caffeinated rather than alcoholic in nature. Of the two, I preferred the red version, but the black was palatable enough that I would buy more of it if I needed a boost and the red was not available. Red Bull's Summer Edition: Sunny Beam Red Bull doesn't always taste the same in Japan and honestly I am grateful for that. As mentioned above, the thick and weird taste I have come to recognize as taurine is abundant in some name-brand American energy drinks and personally I have come to abhor it and avoid it whenever possible. This means I haven't had a normal Red Bull since I stopped working in Sendai and occasionally being given one for free on the street. The last Red Bull Special Edition I drank was actually quite nice, setting the stakes high for this one. Sunny Beam being the name of this version gave me the impression that drink might have more of a citrus bite to it, but I was also hoping for a good hint of something sweet as sweetness is something I am always looking for in a summertime energy drink. Sadly, this one just didn't live up to its predecessor. While still enjoyable as a beverage, this "sunny beam" was a lot less sweet than the spring edition, which then left less to hide the taurine flavor behind. That said, the flavor of Sunny Beam Red Bull was significantly improved compared to the basic version of Red Bull, but without the sweetness, I didn't find it pleasant enough to endure twice. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxoo-living_food_shoppingThu, 30 Jul 2020 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnxoo-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42aq-living_sendai_shi_miyagiAt the end of June, when the Corona numbers were still low for the whole country, my daughter had a half-day at school. My husband took the day off and we decided to celebrate with a trip to the zoo.I was on the fence about this. Being American and watching American news on the internet regularly, I'm terrified most of the time these days. I know the numbers in my area are lower but that doesn't mean we can't catch it if we aren't careful. To my utter delight, the parking lot was practically vacant, as it should have been on a weekday afternoon during a pandemic. There were no lines but it was open, though with slightly shorter hours.The Babe Ruth statue inside Yagiyama zoo, masked during our visit.We saw more animals than people, which was so lovely and honestly the way my husband and I would always prefer. Most of the people we saw were in small Japanese families with small children, keeping to themselves in groups of two or three. The exception was a loud, unmasked group of adult foreigners who enraged me somewhat. Not only are they putting themselves and everyone anywhere near them at risk, they're also making me look bad while they were at it. When they don't follow the rules or treat people with respect, I fear it can be seen as a problem with foreigners as a whole, not just this group of jerk college students acting like they own the freaking zoo. We mostly avoided those jerks as we were lucky to come in as they were moving toward the exit, and from there this became the most pleasant zoo experience I've ever had.A plaque announcing the lemur birth. Fast, wet lemurs are hard to photograph. There were so many babies this year! The ring tailed lemurs had twins, who we got to see briefly. The prairie dogs also had a few tiny guys running around. My kid asked how the dig holes just as one of the bigger critters stood up and looked at her, its claws totally visible. Then it launched into digging more dirt out of its hole. My kid was so delighted to have such a direct answer almost as if it were from the creature itself.The zoo's prairie dogs (and puppies?) enjoying meal time.No feeding the animals, essentially.A lot of the hand-on experiences had been curtailed for disease prevention, including petting the rabbits, guinea pigs, goats and sheep. We still got to see the animals, even the new baby goat who we thought was adorable.Getting to the zoo in the late afternoon on a rainy weekday meant missing the crowds but also most of the food stands. Still, we enjoyed a little pick-me-up at the cafe before heading out. We washed our hands and sanitized them any chance we got and wore masks any time we weren't actively drinking or eating. I feel really lucky to have a kid who is old enough to keep their mask on and understand why it is necessary.Coffee and the rabbit parfait. Yum. All in all, it was a great day out for us and a relatively safe one. While the zoo took precautions like adjusting seating and avoiding having many tourists in an enclosed space, we also tried our best to enjoy the exhibits from a safe distance. If the zoo isn't crowded, it's a great place to be.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42aq-living_sendai_shi_miyagiWed, 22 Jul 2020 15:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42aq-living_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we9W5-living_education_work This month, I started teaching at a kindergarten again a few times every month, and as excited as I am to start this journey once more, here are a few things to consider when teaching in a similar setup during the global pandemic. Grab a Shield. The one I am wearing in the photo cost about 500 yen at Sanki. Styrofoam, elastic and plastic aren't the most durable over time but it was affordable. If I only wear it in class, it will probably last the year. This is the safest way for the kids to see my smiling face and the phonemes I make with it.No Contact. One of my favorite methods to make English class more personal and fun on an individual level used to involve giving a high five to each kid on their way out of the class. Needless to say, this isn't happening now. Wave big instead, with lots of eye contact.Unplugged. This has been my style for years, after I realized that using my voice for English songs was so much more convenient than using technology. If you're singing the songs, you don't have to touch anyone else's CD player or speaker cable or deal with the hassle of moving them. That means less touching potentially germy surfaces and more time teaching the kids.No Running. One of the more fun ways to teach kids this age is to get them up and doing stuff, but that had to be done carefully and without having the kids in close contact with one other. That doesn't mean they can't act out animals actions or other verbs while standing in place, or shout out that name of whatever card you hold up or point to. For my classes this will mean very little change from normal, as they tended to get too wild if they ran around. No Touching. They can't go searching for things in the room that match a color or start with a letter, but they can use their imaginations to come up with these things and I can still show them props even if they can't touch them.Big Pictures. Some classes may be spread out to better use social distancing. This means the kids in the back won't be able to make out the shapes in a book that was made with kids less than ten feet away in mind. Grab big pictures or props, or do something else. Little pictures aren't going to work.Prepare for Fog. Did you know that face shields can fog like glasses? They totally can, and you really shouldn't take the plastic contraption off to wipe the condensation away in class. Instead, make sure you have something you can do that you don't have to see well for. I have large flashcards with colors on them. I need only to register the color of the smudge to be able to use them with the kids. As long as I do so without actively panting, the fog clears before it's time to start another activity.Start with Easy and Fun. Everyone who is getting back into this needs to remember that these kids just had a long, weird break from the education system. While many have had a little time to get back to it, it is still important to set your expectations very low and try to keep things light and fun. The three-year-olds might not be able to sit still. The four-year-olds probably forgot all you taught them last year. The five-year-olds hopefully retained something but will be sluggish. Take it easy on them and yourselves.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we9W5-living_education_workFri, 17 Jul 2020 15:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we9W5-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqdZ-living_education_workMany kindergartens that I have taught at had CD players in the classrooms or one portable CD player that could be moved from classroom to classroom. When I first started teaching these kinds of classes, I thought this was a life saver. A few minutes per lesson, I won’t be having to talk or sing or whatever, and then we’ll have actual music! What fun!CDs and iPods are great for kids classes when they work, but when they don't...And it can work really well, until it doesn’t. One day, the old CD player gives out or the CD your school has been using for years goes kaput or you forgot to charge your iPod and suddenly you’re up there with no musical backup. After one such occasion, I burned an addition CD to take with me, which also self-destructed. I also tried bringing kids songs on my MP3 player and either bringing a portable speaker or using one at the school, but the amount of joy the songs brought the children was minimal compared to the amount of preparation time at home and in class. It was then that I decided to just go acapella. Here are the benefits I've seen since making this decision.Less TouchingIn these trying new pandemic times, the less stuff you have to touch, the better. If singing behind a mask or face shield means you’re not touching the CD player or finding the jack for your device, the kids will likely still have a great time while you have a slightly safer one. Saves TimeSetting the CD player or MP3 player up and clicking through the songs takes time, and I'd rather spend that time teaching. These classes are short and any thirty seconds that you can be engaging with the children instead of fighting technology is thirty seconds more they could be enjoying the class. Before class, prep time with technology can mean charging the MP3 player and preparing a well sorted playlist. These are necessary to ensure that isn't going to leap to something unexpected or suddenly die in class, but it takes time and focus you could be using for other things.Pacing I only realized this when I started doing all the songs on my own, but being able to change and adapt the pace of a song to the situation helps ensure that the kids are actually paying attention and not just following a memorized pattern. For instance, during Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes, I like to pause at points when the kids are just racing through. I think this draws more attention to the words which gives them a better chance of actually remembering them. It also throws off the kids who are just rushing through it all and makes them pay a little more attention. Pre-recorded music can’t always accomplish the same task. This also gives me the freedom to slow things down when I’m having a hard time physically or speed things up when I’m just squeezing in one last song as a treat. Teaching without musical backup might not be the right choice for everyone, but I found it to be significantly more rewarding than the alternative. I found just five minutes a month to refresh my memory on kids songs from my childhood or learn new ones from the internet is plenty to keep me prepared and a lot less tedious than re-burning CDs or tending to my iPod.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqdZ-living_education_workMon, 06 Jul 2020 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqdZ-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEPdp-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiFeeling a bit like this smashed guitar I saw on the way to work the other day? Me, too. So here is what I do about it.I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us are at least a little disappointed with how 2020 has gone so far. Most of our lives have changed in a lot of ways, many more terrifying than comforting. When I am confronted with this kind of scenario, my coping mechanism tends toward focusing on the small positives I can take away regularly. If you’re starting into a downward spiral, it might be useful to start taking pictures or making notes of things you can appreciate in your everyday life. Following up on this behavior every day creates more of a long lasting positive mental change and gives you something to look back on when things seem bleak.Here are some little things I have appreciated over the last couple of weeks.I saw this cat near the 7-11 next to Honshiogama Station. I can't really tell if they were happy to see me but I didn't pet them anyway. You can't be too sure about random street cats. As someone who always had pets growing up but is stuck in a pet-free lifestyle in Japan, I always appreciate seeing a little furry friend now and again. I was actually looking for cherries, which had formed on the trees in front of Honshiogama Station. Usually the sakura drift away and the resulting fruit is quickly decimated by the crows and other birds, but it seems a lot of the aviary population have spread out away from the station. With more people are staying inside and away from each other, the birds may have more space with better resources to claim. Instead of those surprise cherries, I found this cute little pair of mix-matched ladybugs, peacefully enjoying their leaf together. There are so many neat things about this one! First, for clarification, this is blocking one of the roads that used to lead around the area on the jinja-douri or shrine side of Honshiogama station. The inner area is being reworked to better incorporate traffic flow, so it is closed to traffic. Instead of just a circle of flashing lights or reflectors and in addition to a sign, they put up a sakura-shaped warning beacon, complete with flashing lights. It's even solar powered! To the lower right, one of the the barrier-ends shows Masubimaru, the samurai-clad rice ball that is a mascot of Sendai. It's not my favorite barrier-end, but I do love the weird little details. So go out there and celebrate some little positives. Find something that warms your heart and let that carry you forward for a second. Perform some emotional first aid before you rush back into the chaos of life. What neat stuff have you seen this week?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEPdp-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiFri, 03 Jul 2020 17:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEPdp-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl5jq-living_transportationThe plan had been simple and followed a pattern we had used many times before. My parents would prepare on their ends and in April we would buy tickets so my mother could come to see her eldest grandchild’s last shichi-go-san this autumn. My dad would finally see the part of this country I live in and be in the Land of the Rising Sun for the first time in more than forty years. It would be amazing.It still will be amazing when it does happen, but shichi-go-san will go on without my mom this year. Everything else gets pushed back until vaccination is possible and affordable. On the up side, my family is still set on visiting and we had not bought non-refundable tickets yet, so we’re not out anything but a little planning. A lot of those plans will likely still be good in 2021 or 2022 or even 2023.That isn’t to say it isn’t disappointing. Of course it is, but I am so much happier that they are taking this seriously and staying safe. Having to essentially shut them out for their own good would be so much harder than this level of mutual disappointment. So what do you do to help prepare for those plans put on hold? In my case, continue meandering toward the plan that was almost in progress before things went haywire. In the latter half of January, I spent some time in the big English section at a major book chain in Sendai and looked through every guidebook, trying to find something useful to send to my dad. I know most people would use the internet and send their tourist relatives to one website or another. Unfortunately, my dad isn’t big on computers but he does love reading. A physical guidebook would be just the thing to get him planning his trip out a little bit. Unfortunately, every single book I picked up had scant to nil on Tohoku, the region I live in, much less Miyagi. Why? Because we aren’t Tokyo or Kyoto or in between them. Even the tiny mountain town I lived in back in Gifu got more coverage in some of these books and realizing this made me a bit livid.Luckily, I am a writer, so I started planning out what to put together for a quick and easy guidebook. If I used old blog posts, I could have it whipped up in a month, but no, I thought, I can spend a little time getting fresh information and photos this year and put it together all in 2020. I can make it fresh!Except of course, I couldn’t. I did spend the last day of freedom before the schools were shut down walking up to and around Shiogama Shrine, taking a thousand pictures in preparation of a nice, long entry that I still haven’t gotten around to writing.I look forward to things being normal enough that my anxiety abates and I can actually start working on this book. I am anxiously waiting to feel comfortable enough on public transit to take a couple of photography trips to Sendai and Ishinomaki to shoot new pictures of the places I want my dad to want to see. Once things resolve to a new normal, I will find a way to accomplish these things and more. Until then, I'll just have to ease forward with little steps.A decorated local train, the Mangattan Liner, bound for Ishinomaki and celebrating the work of a famous manga artist from there. I still haven't been to the manga museum there. Maybe one day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl5jq-living_transportationThu, 02 Jul 2020 10:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl5jq-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQOv-living_food_shopping_teaI found this one in the green tea section on a recent trip to the Welcia drug store near my home. While I've been trying a lot of green tea in tea bags and loose leaf varieties, matcha powder forms of Shizuoka green tea have not been as readily available in my area, so I was a little excited to try something a little different. This sushi restaurant style powdered green tea from the Kunitaro company is made from tea grown in Kikugawa, Shizuoka and was made to be enjoyed by the cup. Serving suggestions on the back label instruct those using large, sushi-restaurant style 200 milliliter cups to also use two small spoons of powdered tea to make their drink. This is the first time I have seen matcha marketed with sushi on the label. Serving suggestion maybe?As I happened to already have a sushi restaurant style cup of that variety that I bought at a 100 yen shop before I could recognize the kanji on it, I chose this one for today's tasting adventure.The two heaping little spoonfuls of powder dissolved quickly in hot water, though the tea remained too hot to drink for a few minutes, even as delightful bubbles formed on the surface of the beverage. When it finally came around, my first taste was so pleasant. Initially a soft and watery quality seems to suggest that what would follow couldn't be too promising, but then the umami crested over the subtler flavor, leaving me wondering for a moment if I might have instead been drinking a delightful fish broth.I don't really like fish, but if I knew of a fish soup that held this quality and kind of almost-fishy flavor in it, I would eat it frequently. Being so reminiscent of fish is probably part of the reason why this specific product seems geared toward sushi restaurants in particular. I am sure this works very well with a plate of fatty tuna or salmon. In addition to having a strong umami presence, the drink seems more opaque than usual, owing to the powder dissolving well into the hot water. This tea had not been terribly expensive, though I forget exactly how much I paid for the fifty gram package I bought. Despite this, I find this product to be of quite a high quality. I look forward to sending some of this back to my mother when such a thing is once again possible.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQOv-living_food_shopping_teaTue, 30 Jun 2020 18:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQOv-living_food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmjXO-living_shopping_howtoWhen I lived in the states, these weren't popular toys. Some time in that last decade or so, they have become popular in many countries including Japan. Adorable little colorful foam creatures hide among the stuffed animals in my daughter's room until the inevitable happens. After one too many squeezings, the thing develops a rip, sometimes along a seam, sometimes in an unexpected or unfortunate place, like this little purple kitty who was nearly decapitated with love.See the line under the neck? That's where the superglue hardened the whole area, leaving a little puckering and a few scratches while diminishing the overall quality of the toy.Previous attempts I made to patch these toys ended with mixed results. I had assumed superglue from the 100 yen store could patch anything and in this case it works but not without drawbacks. The texture around the area hardens, meaning that space is safe from future cracks but is also no longer squishy. Not only does this change the amount of enjoyment my kid gets from the toy and make it look a little different, it also makes the area just outside of the superglue-affected space more likely to crack in the future when squeezed. Many people would probably just throw these away at that point, but when they are underused gifts sent to us from family abroad, I want to make them useful again.While the label says to use this glue on cloth, paper, and wood, it will also work well on foam toys.Enter Farbic/Craft Glue. This time I went to the craft store instead of the 100 yen store, hoping the quality might be better. For a fair price, I went home with a large amount of this and so far it does seem to work a bit better than some of the cheaper stuff. I applied it liberally to the ripped spaces, starting with the back of the neck. i then released the toy and let it settle back into its normal position, wiping away the excess glue with my finger tips, though a paper towel would also work. Letting it dry takes longer than the superglue drying time, but it was still less than ten minutes and in the end, the toy was a lot more functional. The only thing left to do was pick away at the little cobweb-like residue patches, easily removed with tweezers or fingernails. Good as new and still squishy, too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmjXO-living_shopping_howtoMon, 29 Jun 2020 19:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmjXO-living_shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83mx-food_education_familylifeI have had anxiety about bento since before my kid was born. Looking at online photos of the breath-taking little lunches prepared by amateur culinary geniuses in Japanese-mom form puts me in a state of awe and wonder. I know I cannot hope to match this. Even at my most ambitious, I just don't have it in me to create adorable lunches for my kid. As someone who never brought lunch to school even in America, the land of lazy sandwiches, I just feel so inadequate. Friends of mine have seen their kids made fun of for bringing non-standard bento options, including something so bold as a sandwich, and I haven't looked forward to being the reason my kid gets ridiculed. When the elementary school we were looking at for our kid said they offered a paid meal option, I rejoiced, assuming many a busy parent would do the same. I was wrong.Fast forward a few months and there I am, in my kitchen, trying to figure out if star-shaped bits of fish sausage are cute enough. I have no idea. What I know is that it has to be done and something has to go to school with my kid. We had a slip up with the paperwork and no lunch had been purchased for the next day. Since I don't actually know how to make that work or when my husband might be available to straighten it out, making the bento seemed the best way to take care of the problem.One small wakame rice ball, cucumber sticks, waffle-cut carrot slices and fishy stars. Enough? I have no idea.The smartest move I made was to ask my kid how lunch is going down at her school. It turns out she is the only kid in her class not bringing bento, and with social distancing rules in place, no one is looking into anyone else's bento box. If she brought something different, no one would know until she told them about it, which she actually probably would. She has been bugging me since school started to go ahead and make something so she can be like everyone else.So I am brought to the catch 22 of bento making. If I make the bento, it will be different from the other kids and my kid might get mocked. If I don't make the bento, my kid will still be labelled as different for not having one, leaving her in the same position of potentially mockery. Since the kids can't look at each other's lunches, the least damning option was making the bento happen.The deciding factor in this was my husband, who came home while I was putting the bento together and arranged for the school lunches through the rest of the month, save for our one bento day. Depending on my energy levels, we might start sending her off with bento every day or every other day or even just once a week starting next month. Until then, she'll have to eat the school lunch, but at least we are all working together.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83mx-food_education_familylifeFri, 26 Jun 2020 10:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83mx-food_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVor-living_shoppingAs someone who has never especially been fond of physical contact with random strangers, I have to say I am really enjoying these new social distancing guidelines. For many, these have been going on for months, but they are still catching on for some places including the area around my home. In addition, for those of us who spent most of the last three months inside of our own homes, some of these things still feel new even if they have been in the process of being established that whole time.Shiogama's main branch of the post office not only is using tape as a visual barrier for sitting but added adorable stuffed animal mascots to the mix, adding something special that made me smile.More people are catching on at my grocery store and I haven't had any terrible incidents there in weeks. That said, one person last week decided that the time to bag their groceries was also the time when it was fine to lean in so close to me that the shopping bags dangling from one of their wrists came to rest on the back of my legs. Unaccustomed to being touched by strangers or their belongings, I splayed out my hands and took a deep breath, visibly uncomfortable but not panicking. The person who had been accidentally touching me moved as their companion took it upon themselves to bag the groceries instead. If only one of them can do that without touching people, then that person is probably the one who should be doing it anyway.Recently, we decided to take a midweek trip to Sendai for dinner and I was delighted to see the empty streets. For a Tuesday after 5PM, this had to be less than half of the normal pedestrian traffic flow as it felt like roughly 30% of a normal weekend crowd. Fewer people on the streets means people here are taking things seriously and trying to stay safe. It also meant we weren't bumping into anyone as we tried to make our way to the restaurant or weaving through the throng of pedestrian traffic. I don't know that I have ever felt so comfortable or safe in that city as I have since social distancing measures were activated.Some of the changes in Sendai were less welcome. I was surprised to see that a few shops had completely closed and vacated, including one of the newer coffee shops and a musical instrument store that had been in business for ages. According to my husband, the music shop has changed locations before, so perhaps it is surviving elsewhere. Also to our dismay, the Claire's shop in the main stretch of the arcade is set to close in a few months. On a positive note, my kid and I took advantage of their sale and walked away with a good selection of fabulous things to keep us amused for months to come. After that, we will have to make do with all the other shops and online retailers that specialize in adorable.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVor-living_shoppingWed, 24 Jun 2020 18:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVor-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQPb-living As summer approaches and the rain takes over the forecast, our wardrobes can really take a hit. The high humidity means everything can get moldy in Japan, and while most clothing worn outdoors can be thrown in the washing machine and dried , this is not always the case for shoes. Maintaining even just a pair of decent athletic shoes can be tricky, especially when everything is damp and humid for a few months on end. Here are some hacks I know for keeping your shoes in good working condition during rainy season.Dry Them OutWhen your shoes get wet, you have to make them dry. This is something I had to learn, because where I come from, this is not a problem. Walking home in a sudden thunderstorm only means leaving your sneakers outside to dry the next day, when the hot Texas sun will make it all better. This is just not as much the case during rainy season in Japan. If you happen to catch a sunny day right after a rainy one, leaving your shoes on the balcony to dry would be fine, as long as you keep an eye on the weather and rush home to take them in before they are soaked again in the event of an afternoon downpour. You can also dry your shoes in the shower room if your shower room has a clothes-drying function. Do remember to put the shoes on top of a plastic bag or similar so as not to get the germs from the bottoms of the shoes all over the house. If you have shoes that can be washed in the machine, you can hand them to dry. If not, place the shoes on a bag as close to the drying filter as you safely can.Use Moisture and Bug RepellentJust because your shoes are dry and being stored away in a shoe closet does not mean the humidity and dampness won't lead to mold and bug issues. These little purple things are great for keeping your shoe storage area smelling great and free of bugs and mold. Like their bigger closet-based counterparts, they are also good for sucking away some of the moisture that tends to collect in this wet season.Silica PacketsI may have seen this on Japanese TV or read it online somewhere at one point years ago, but the same packets of inedible material that keep mold out of clothes, food and other goods before you buy them can be repurposed as shoe deodorizers. Just pop the little satchel into your shoes and they should keep fresh, dry, and mold free for some time. This is best for less frequently used shoes unless you can remember to check for silica packets before putting your shoes on.Antibacteria FebreezeI found this at CostCo a while back and it has been a life saver. While just covering the smell of something unpleasant can lead to trouble if the unpleasant thing isn't properly dealt with, this is meant to kill the bacteria that causes such smells. It won't be replacing my hand sanitizer, but I am happy to use a light spray of it over shoes that have acquired a bit of a light stink to them. If the offending shoes have insoles that cannot be washed, spraying this on them and letting it dry is likely better than nothing for combating both smell and bacteria growth.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQPb-livingSat, 20 Jun 2020 19:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQPb-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3B28-food_shopping_howtoIn light of our recent bout of less frequent shopping trips and making due with what is at hand, I thought it might be useful to look into a few foods common in Japan that have a longer shelf-life than some of their counterparts that might be more conventional in the west.The soy milk in the back has an expiration date well into July. The dairy in the front? May 15th, just five days after purchase.Soy Milk for DairyDairy milk in Japan is usually sold by the liter but rarely with an expiration date more than a week away. Soy milk on the other hand boasts a shelf-life of months. While the flavors are not exactly the same, I found there are some usages where soy milk lends positive qualities to a dish, like the slightly nutty flavor it seems to add to a bowl of granola. If you have dietary issues with dairy or concerns about the dairy industry, you likely already know that soy milk is easy to find in most grocery stores here. While one liter of the generic soy milk at my local supermarket costs about 1.5 times as much as the same amount of cheapest dairy milk, it also will last in my fridge for months unopened, which means fewer trips to the shops and less risk for my family.This fish sausage in the background expires June eighth. The pork sausage in the front expired three weeks earlier, about a week after purchase.Fish Sausage for Pork or Beef SausageFish sausage is not a thing in my homeland. The little pink cylinders my husband and child enjoy regularly make a wonderfully high-protein snack for lovers of fish in sausage form. My mother-in-law uses them in cooking as one might any other kind of sausage, slicing them into thick elliptical shapes and adding them to spaghetti, curry, or any other dish that needs a little protein kick.The reason this product is on this list is the expiration date, months longer than any beef or pork product in my grocery store. While I do not use this in cooking or enjoy the taste myself, it's still a good, healthy snack for the rest of my family and an easy source of protein as well as calcium if I'm throwing together a quick lunch for my kid.Dry Beans for MeatsSpeaking of protein, dried beans are a great substitute for meat that would otherwise go into soups or stews and can also go well on salads. In dried or canned form, beans last for ages and can be a delicious addition to a number of meals. Many varieties are available at most grocery stores or online, though I'll admit that I don't really get the important aspects of difference between them in terms of flavor or texture. As far as I'm concerned, given water to soak in overnight, they're usually awesome in minestrone, which is how I primarily use them.Canned Tomatoes for FreshI started using Italian canned tomatoes back in 2011 when my husband tried to caution me against using any produce from "radiation affected" areas. Which areas that label pertained to wasn't really clear to me, but definitely did not include Italy, so I went with this and very rarely buy tomatoes any other way even now. Canned tomatoes are great for use in food that will be seasoned and cooked. I would never put these on a taco for instance, but they are great in chili, soups, and tomato sauce for pasta. One of the reasons I prefer them is that they save time I would have to spend forcing my dull kitchen knives through soft tomato tissue, frequently bludgeoning more than slicing. Now, I just open a can and pour those cut tomatoes or tomato puree into the pan of frying menchi. A big bonus during quarantine life is of course that they last in their canned form for quite some time. So long as I have pasta, frozen menchi, canned tomatoes and spices, I can have dinner ready in half an hour.Are there any other great Japanese food substitutions you enjoy?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3B28-food_shopping_howtoSat, 06 Jun 2020 12:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3B28-food_shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0vEE-living_sustainablelifeAs the past few months have seen many of us would be shoppers confined mostly to our homes, many online shops that offer shipping have prospered and many homes have received countless packages as a result. This adds up to a lot of cardboard boxes littering the house while occupants wait for recycling day to come. In the mean time, many of us with kids have struggled to find fun activities to do in the home during the recent bout of hiding from the pandemic. While schools are starting up and life is starting back to normal, many of us still have a lot of cardboard lying around and some kids still have extra time for a fun project or two. Here is one way my family took care of the cardboard and the boredom all at once. It turns out that with a little ingenuity, markers, heavy duty scissors, and packing tape, you can make all sorts of fun structures.We made a castle.Gather MaterialsIt is important to use clean cardboard, not grease soaked pizza boxes that could leave a bad smell or cause a rash on sensitive skin. Even with my kid's skin, which is much more sensitive than my own, we found normal packing boxes to be fine for this project. Larger boxes can be used for the core structure while smaller ones can make decorative auxiliary buildings or other accessories.Let Them LeadIt's more fun if the kids get to make some choices here. Especially if you're in a long-term indoor situation, it's better to let your kid control something, even if that's just which box goes where. I am not advising letting them run with scissors unsupervised, but working together on this sort of project usually works best.This reinforced seam in the main box helped hold up the structure.Reinforce the Seams.Our core box was positioned upside down so that the flaps from what was once the top could be positioned under the auxiliary buildings for increased mobility. We then cut holes in the new top, front and back, in each case leaving a border of a few inches all the way around for support. Instead of just cutting all the extra parts free, I made a few cuts in the middle of each and wrapped the unneeded portion around the structure to add more support before taping it in place. The upper box was treated in a similar manner, and it would have been easier to just use the top and bottom of the box as the front and back, but that isn't how it turned out. I wound up cutting out what would become the front in such a way that doors had to be attached separately, using those flat bits of cardboard that Amazon purchases so frequently come shrink-wrapped to. I folded two of those in half and taped one to each side to make the doors. The doors, hinged by use of packing tape on each side.Add Accents and Play.Our castle could have used more color via markers and construction paper but my kid was happy with it all the same. We used a twist-tie and hair clip to make the almost functional closure on the shutter-style doors n the second level and a length of ribbon to control the draw bridge. A feat of engineering it was not, but still a lot of fun was had. In the course of the week that she had it, the little castle became a shop for a short time before transitioning into the set for a series of short videos for specific family members back home. Say Goodbye.One of the best things about this kind of project in a space-conscious place like Japan is that it is meant to be destroyed. Making a project like this with more solid materials means having space to keep it in long term, which many families in Japan just do not.On the day we needed to take it down, she helped me clear it out before we thanked it for its service. She then started putting away all the toys she had put inside the different compartments while I went about cutting free all my taped supports and refolding them to fit inside of one of the most structurally sound boxes. Knowing we can still let this go and be recycled further is a great way to make the most of our resources.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0vEE-living_sustainablelifeThu, 04 Jun 2020 15:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0vEE-living_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxLJ8-living_food_shopping_familylifeDuring the last couple of months of being cooped up inside, my kid became enthralled with different short projects, all shockingly easy to supply via the 100 yen store close to our home on one of my weekly grocery runs. This was the first one she went wild about.PopsiclesMost kids who grew up like I did know that popsicles are really just frozen juice on a stick. While the cost of juice and ice cube molds/trays isn't so much cheaper in Japan than just buying the icy treats outright, the creative process of making the things is a lot of fun for some kids and well worth a few hundred yen and a little mess.I had been expecting to find ice-cube specific molds but to no avail. Instead, I went to the baking area and found chocolate molds in silicon and plastic. Both worked well enough but I will caution others against chopping the plastic lollipop sticks in half as they had a greater tendency to fall out during the freezing process when shortened. Toothpicks also work well. Our silicon mold gripped the sticks a bit, holding them in place where the hardened plastic was less secure. Both made for excellent treats, though.The hardest part for us was making freezer space and I fully recommend putting a plastic bag underneath the tray or mold so that any spillage doesn't get all over the contents of your freezer.Ideally, you could pop these into a resealable plastic container and shove them back into the freezer for later usage, but our freezer tends to distribute freezer burn indiscriminately, so we consumed them all once they were solid, which took a couple of hours. If you do make a mess, a towel with a dab of warm water might help melt it away. I was surprised to find that the ice bin in our freezer was completely removable, so I got to wash the lot of it out. Luckily our lower tray only spilled on the plastic bag beneath, leaving our food without the stickiness of old apple and orange juice drippings. The silicon mold worked really well and the flexibility made it easier to get the yummy bits out without breaking them. The other mold made bigger and more interesting shapes but I had to remember to stop trying to lift by the stick. Instead, flip the mold over above a plate and twist gently.While we used apple and orange juices, just about any juice will do. My daughter's idea of using milk or Calpis would probably be fine though I didn't trust it at the time. We will be experimenting with different juices the next time we're stuck at home and looking for a cold and sweet treat.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxLJ8-living_food_shopping_familylifeWed, 03 Jun 2020 16:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxLJ8-living_food_shopping_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvNm-living_healthMasks: We all know we're supposed to wear them these days. Here are some side benefits I've found while wearing mine.Am I covered in acne? Is there something in my teeth? Am I lip-syncing to Gackt? YOU DON'T KNOW! Muahahaha!1) Cosmetic BonusSpinach in your teeth cannot be embarrassing if no one can see your teeth. The same thing goes with other oral issues including tooth discoloration or missing partial dentures. Even bad breath is at least somewhat stifled by covering the dominant facial orifice, and that's to say nothing of the rest of the face. A pimple anywhere in the mask zone can go unnoticed by others around you even without the use of cosmetics. Small facial scratches from razors or cats don't have to be the talk of the office if you have the opportunity to cover them completely until they heal.2) PrivacyThat also means extended privacy if you happen to be silently singing along with a pop song playing in the background of your grocery store or on your iPod. Covering your mouth even keeps any silently mouthed grumbles from being "overheard" by pesky lip-reading on-lookers.3) Instant Mist-visionIf you're bespectacled and forced into a non-woven mask, odds are that you've spent a few minutes of every day out of your home stuck in a veil of mouth-generated mist. This fog can be annoying, just as walking into a warm room on a cold day causes a similar effect, but at least this is more under our control. I would argue for using this as a visual censor bar, blocking out anything that you just do not want to see. Provided you are not actively in motion at the time, the sensation of just not having to see the creepy old man scowling at you from the park bench may make your afternoon walk slightly less frustrating.4) Auto-TissueHas a sneeze ever snuck up on you and forced a germ-release before you had time to even think about a tissue? If there's something stronger than a tissue strapped to your face, there's no reason to worry about accidentally launching mucus at the unsuspecting public. While the immediate aftermath of having everything that came out of the sneeze left directly on your face is less than ideal, any fruitful sneeze can be dealt with quickly and without rushing to the bathroom with your mucus-coated hand over your face. Also, this is a good reason to bring backup masks if you are going out and mucus seems to be an issue.Have you found any other silly or not-so-silly side benefits to wearing masks?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvNm-living_healthTue, 02 Jun 2020 18:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvNm-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqEY-livingThe last two days are kind of a blur. I know Thursday started when I got my kid ready for school and we went as a family to the bus stop yet again. My husband then headed off to work and I let myself complete a quest or two in Skyrim before my skype date with an old friend, which was lovely. My kid came back and we went out to lunch at Saizeria, which had half the booths blocked off and plastic guards up to cut down on cross-contamination, which was nice.After lunch was shopping, which was slightly less exhausting than before, mostly because I didn't feel compelled to buy a week's worth of groceries in one go. We came back and washed our hands, but I have stopped disinfecting the groceries with alcohol wipes. This feels like the right move right now. I need that time and energy for other things.We spent the evening together but I really don't remember anything more than her eating dinner that I made and going to bed without too much fuss.Today was longer than it had to be, and not for any good reason. We slept in, and with our new sleeping schedule that meant we were still up two hours earlier than our usual lax-time last month. I had a whole relaxing morning of crafting and cartoons planned before I remembered a class I had scheduled for half an hour in the middle of the morning. Luckily, I remembered in plenty of time to get ready for the class, but not enough time to work things out with my grandmother who tried to call via Facebook messenger on my phone no fewer than 11 times while I was trying to teach a 30 minute lesson. Each messenger call made my phone short out the audio from my student completely. I wound up deleting the messenger app just so I could finish the class.I did later get in touch with my grandmother, who just had not understood what had been happening with technology. My student still signed up for lessons next month, so it wasn't too bad after all, but I might just preemptively delete that app when I have lessons through a different app on my phone in the future. My kid eventually got around to taking a bath and playing with her learning pad but spent some time on Youtube, too. We even drew the curtains and watched a movie in out make-shift movie theater. Unfortunately, she chose the live-action version of The Cat in the Hat from a few years ago. I honestly wonder if the writers had ever seen a good, engaging kids movie before writing this thing. A lot of the humor didn't fit and despite a few actors doing a decent job, it was hard to enjoy. I also found myself falling asleep sitting up during the movie.She did eat dinner fairly quickly but dragged her feet on going to bed. Such is the life of a six-year-old.Just before my husband came come from work, a box of perishable goods arrived, courtesy of the city I think. Among the contents were two kinds of seaweed, a can of oysters, yuzu ponzu sauce and some kind of fancy soy sauce. Figuring out what all these are and how to use them all well will be a great puzzle for next week.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqEY-livingFri, 29 May 2020 22:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqEY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjaVe-living Today was eventful in the best ways.After a relaxing morning at home, we headed to Matsushima to have lunch at Harry's Junction, our favorite burger and taco place.Lovely tacos. So very delicious. Then my husband asked if I had ever heard of William Morris, who I hadn't, but a quick internet search put an end to that. It turned out that one of the museums in Sendai was having a exhibit of the designer/writer's works and I was all in. My short forays into trying to take virtual museum tours last month reminded me that I most like getting up close and seeing the details in pieces, something hard to do from a camera feed. This artist's extremely detailed wallpaper and textiles that were designed and printed in the 1800s was exactly what I needed.The one room we were allowed to take pictures in.Those details I mentioned, in the wallpaper in the picture room. My kid and I bought a bunch of postcards showing different examples of his work before we stopped for coffee and cake at the museum cafe. Once we got home, we decided to go to our favorite pizza place down the street, La Gita, and grab some lovely homemade pizza to go. This little shop is opening its tiny dining room to reservations starting this Saturday. Until then, it's delicious to go. The pizza made a great dinner and for the first time on months, I only cooked one meal for a whole day. My husband and daughter also reviewed shoe tying as she will be needing to tie her shoes at school during her half day tomorrow and I hadn't been forcing the issue previously. It took half an hour including some frustration and a few tears but in the end there was no screaming and she got it well enough to do it herself. It was an amazing day and I'm glad we made the most off it. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjaVe-livingWed, 27 May 2020 22:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjaVe-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPny-livingYesterday was our last day of preparation before today's first school run and it was actually a pretty good day.Shiogama's Maguro Tuna statuary, all masked up atop the post box near the station.We started the day off with a chat with my mom. Then, in a move I haven't done since February, my kid and I went grocery shopping. Social distance wasn't as well maintained as it could have been but we didn't feel like we were in too much danger either. We were both a little annoyed at the hand soap situation.They still were out of liquid hand soap and I still refused to spend $10 on "hand sanitizing gel" that I couldn't verify the concentration of and honestly we don't need. We did instead walk around a bit beforehand and even went to Baskin Robbins for a little treat to take home.On our way back, we were shocked to find my husband coming out of the same shopping mall. He was off from work and helped us bring the groceries home before we took off for a kids clothes shop to find an indoor shoe bag we had managed to forget on our previous school preparation shopping trips. I was a little heartbroken to realize that I can't reliably send yukata to my friends' kids this year. After the shopping, in another move that had been left unused too long, we went to visit my in-laws. My kid ran through the inside of the house in a way you just can't do well in a crowded apartment. We had a great afternoon with them before we headed back and got our kid to bed. Then my husband and I spent the rest of the evening going over the school email about preparation for the next day's school activities and labeling anything that had not yet been labelled. We got it done by 11 and I went to bed.I woke at 5AM and then spent a couple of minutes trying to get everyone up, only to find my kid decided the light I turned on in her room was only enough to make her move to my bed instead while I was in the bathroom. Eventually I got her through the shower and breakfast, which she finished before getting dressed and ready to go. We were at the bus stop long before the bus left. It turns out two other girls were using that bus on this day, though each of them was at least a few years above our little first grader.She went happily and we returned home to chat with my dad, then my friends. Eventually my husband used the GPS on the bus and the GPS on our kids phone to track her in real time, which still sounds like secret spy technology to part of my mind. The most important thing was that she was safe and got to enjoy a day at school, even if it was really a half day.When she came back, it was just after noon and my husband suggested sushi. With Miyagi's numbers as low as they are (nonexistent for the last month almost), I couldn't say no. Kurazushi was open, not too crowded, happy to seat us quickly, and really delicious. We even won a tamago sushi panda thing.Once we got home, I had to collapse into a food coma. I didn't have much of a choice. My husband and daughter relaxed in the living room while I napped. Later I rose and she helped me wash the dishes before I threw dinner together. Yesterday, the prime minister told the world that the situation is basically contained in most of Japan and things can return to "normal" from next month. I am agreeing to take these tentative steps forward even while I am honestly still very scared for my family and friends back home.Tomorrow, we have one more day off, all of us together, and it is going to be lovely.Stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPny-livingTue, 26 May 2020 23:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPny-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnx4m-living_food_tea I found this green tea from Shizuoka at the grocery store nearest my home in the average range of price per gram for loose leaf green teas. The company that makes it, 山城物産 (Yamashiro Bussan), is based in Kyoto and Osaka, and usually promotes teas from those areas but in this case chose leaves from Shizuoka, as indicated on the packaging.See those instructions? Yeah. I didn't read those. I also didn't use a teapot.Opening the package, I decided to smell the dry leaves before the water was added to give me a taste of what was to come and I was surprised. Some teas at this point can smell a little like fresh cut grass, but this one already had some subtle umami scent coming through.There it steeps for just a little too long, or like five times as long as intended. Who's counting? Obviously not me.I realized after I had steeped it that I had not exactly followed the directions on the label, which called for 3 grams of tea steeping for only 30 seconds at a time. My 5 grams sat tin their juices for over two minutes, which means the flavor should be a bit stronger, but if it is a little too strong to be pleasant, I'll know the blame falls on my faulty techniques and not the tea itself.The color might be a tad murky from the over-steeping, but it was still delicious.Having just taken the first sip, I have to confirm that the flavor is stronger than I would naturally have expected but still quite delicious and actually preferable for a morning cup in my opinion. The softer flavors are great throughout the day, but an stronger cup is significantly better for waking up my taste buds and getting me ready for the day.Even with a stronger flavor and a longer time left brewing, this cup is lighter than a western cup would be in its place with no bitterness creeping in to spoil the flavors. The umami I smelled is present but very much a background flavor. The taste is refreshing and much lighter than my usual morning cup of coffee or Irish breakfast tea.Whether due to my inept brewing process or the tea itself, there was a large amount of leaf sediment in the bottom of the cup, but nothing too heavy to avoid being easily swirled back into the drink and consumed without further note.As the tea cooled, the more admirable aspects of the flavor subsided, leaving behind something far more bland and less enjoyable. This is a good tea, and reasonably priced, but best consumed piping hot, even if it steeps too long.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnx4m-living_food_teaTue, 26 May 2020 15:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnx4m-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z837b-living Today was slow but good. I couldn't get my kid up as early as I wanted but we managed okay. A slight headache tried to torpedo my morning but we got through it. Following directions from Youtube, my kid made this blow-up, jack-in-the-box cat thing and had a blast trying to surprise me repeatedly for the rest of the day. We played video games (her Minecraft, me Skyrim) and watched Moana over lunch. She had some issues with adding two digit numbers on her learning pad so we worked together on a few problems. I know I wasn't doing math at that level at her age, so it makes sense that it wasn't super easy right off the bat. In the evening, we tried again and she still needs some work, but at least it's something I know how to do. This won't always be the case. One more day and she starts school again. I really think it's all going to be okay. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z837b-livingSun, 24 May 2020 22:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z837b-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKPnD-livingToday went pretty well. My daughter had her last zoom class, at least for this round of staycation. She and at least one of her classmates included stuffed animals in their chat despite me telling my kid to cut it out. At least she participated in class.Coke floats in Olympics glasses. Oh yeah. We had Coke floats after lunch and watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which my kid's had never seen and I hadn't seen in decades. I never felt weird about the tunnel scene but have read about other people having issues with it so I paid close attention this round. I've got to admit it was a pretty weird scene for a kids movie even in the seventies and I get why some people were scarred by it. My kid thought it was weird but didn't seem scarred and liked the movie overall. After this, we had a mini spa day with an electic footbath I bought months back and never had the excuse to use. We didn't do any more school work and we're not likely to since I've noticed that my kid loses focus when she's worked ahead and misses what she's supposed to be doing in class. The next few days are ours to enjoy and that's what I'm going to try to do. In the meantime, an attempt to mend damaged jeans with handstitching has led to me puncturing my hands repeatedly and bleeding on the jeans. I'm giving that up for a few days in the hopes that my hands will be headed enough for us to go out of the house together for a little shopping on Monday. Also, Miyagi will be one of three prefectures randomly testing for antibodies in the coming month, which will be interesting. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKPnD-livingSat, 23 May 2020 22:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKPnD-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxL7X-living These last couple of days have been challenging for no good reason. Mostly it can probably be attributed to the culmination of current stresses. After more than eighty days off, my kid is going back to school finally, and to a great school that she is excited to go to, but also one that steals her away for a few more hours a day. I forgot that I was nervous about that change back in February, thinking I would get over it in March and by now my biggest concern would be looking normal in front of the other parents at school events.My kid making art on her learning pad yesterday. Schools shutting down for the virus meant a lot for our family, both in terms of jobs I could do and time we got to share. As we come to the end of these months of bonding at best, yelling at worst, I find myself troubled by a mix of emotions. What should be gratitude for this time spent safely together as well as happiness about things getting back to "normal" is clouded both by my feelings of inadequacy (There is no way we did enough, is there? We should have done more! Why didn't we do more?!) and fear, not just of the potential viral risk but also the effects of the time change on our relationship. I am really afraid that our bond will be drawn out to nothing, which isn't a rational fear. I'll still be her mom and see her every morning and evening. We will still love each other. She isn't one of my high school friends, growing increasingly distant as our lives take on different paths on opposite sides of the globe, eventually turning almost-sister into almost-stranger. She's just my little girl going to elementary school. I did not realize how scared I was nor what I was actually scared of until now.Speaking of fears: the adorable baby zombie riding a chicken in my daughter's Minecraft game today. Putting my fears to rest has been tricky, mostly because I didn't have the mental energy to deal with them until just now, when my kid is in bed and my husband hasn't come home yet. This is the closest I have had to time spent both alone and free in a while, and with just enough mental energy to write. Huzzah!And we didn't waste these months together. As this blog attests, much fun was had, and much learning and bonding. Of course, there were some imperfect moments, but we also made some excellent memories.My kid playing Minecraft yesterday. Going forward, it is hard to tell what might happen. The numbers are low now, but that doesn't mean we're completely safe. Second waves happen, and hopefully when that happens here, the government will be just as quick or quicker to shut things down and get people tested. That also means that taking care of ourselves and each other is terribly important going forward. If I burn myself out on finishing all of my side projects in the next couple of weeks, any sudden change in scheduling may throw me into panic or despair. I've got to squeeze in some self-care when I have a minute. Hours at my husband's job have stretched on longer as the covid-related business and social protocols have been eased back. I am not entirely sure if I should be happy that his job is secure and he may get to work overtime or terrified that the funeral directors are stuck at work for so long or scared that he may contract the virus from some untested family of an untested customer. All I can really do is trust him to stay as safe as he can, trust the numbers that say the virus is practically gone, shrug to myself, and put his dinner in the fridge.Today she made an onsen in Minecraft, because of course she did. If you can't take the girl to the hot springs, apparently she'll build her own. Yesterday was Thursday, during which we enjoyed chatting with friends, playing video games, having a class on Zoom, and watching more of She-ra's newest season. Today was Friday. We finished She-ra, both of us in tears, and made waffles as part of breakfast-for-dinner. Tomorrow, we have so many small adventures planned. It is going to be special. It's one of my last Saturdays to spend just with her, not at work. We're still going to make the most of it. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxL7X-livingFri, 22 May 2020 22:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxL7X-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQp3-living Today was alright. No quakes, no fights, no being hassled in the supermarket. My husband had the day off so I headed out early to do the shopping, hoping to avoid cranky old men like the one who was such a bother last week. Going early was definitely the right call. There were few enough people that it didn't feel like a germ factory even without social distancing. It was still exhausting, though.Pancake mix was finally back in stock, even if only in the smaller sizes.Hand soap was not available and replaced instead with 1000 yen bottles of hand sanitizing gel. I did not buy any.When I returned home at 9:30, my husband and child were awake and hungry, neither of them apparently possessing the skills of food preparation. I sliced two bagels, toasted them and added cream cheese before I went back to sanitizing the groceries that needed to be refrigerated. I was exhausted before I sat down, ignoring each of my family member's pleas for me to do just a little more work. Once I was fed, we watched a few episodes of The Hollow on Netflix which is animated and geared for a preteen audience but is engaging enough for my husband and not too scary for my kid. We watched that until my husband fell asleep after lunch. Then came She-ra, and Skyrim, and Slime Rancher, and Cat-lateral Damage. Finally at 4:00 my daughter did a little work on her learning pad while I washed the dishes. Dinner was laid-back and things went pretty smoothly. There were emails from the school, laying out the schedule for the coming weeks. It's finally hit home for me that it's happening. She'll be gone most of the day everyday soon enough, and while part of me can't wait to get her out of my hair, the majority of my emotions are almost grieving the loss of this closeness. The best thing to do is make the most of the time available. Make more awesome memories and keep trying to keep things positive. Give ourselves breaks when we need them so we can be our better selves together. Mostly I'm trying to stay thankful for these extra months of time with my kid. Stillno news for Sendai cases and things appear to be looking better all over Japan. I have a feeling we're going to see intermittent shutdowns when resurgences arise, but until then, we get back to work and school. Stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQp3-livingWed, 20 May 2020 22:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQp3-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakYA-living Today wasn't too bad. I got my kid up before 7AM and ate l, trying to get us used to the new schedule before next week. Then we talked to my dad in the states who is staying calm and safe. After that we chatted with friends in Texas who are also trying to stay safe as their state opens up and numbers shoot through the roof.We are the green smudge on the lower 3. Miyagi is still quiet, asside from the shaking. For the second time in as many days, we had a quake above magnitude 5 rock through the area around noon. Everything else is going well enough but it's still a bit worrying. We usually have 30 years between huge quakes, which means we should have around 20 left before anything really big hits us, if the pattern holds. My kid spent half the day playing with paper cups, making the cans-connected-by-string style telephone contraption I also remember enjoying at her age. She also put together a rocket with paper cups, rubber bands, and tape. I swear she launched that rocket 30 times. Apparently she is watching youtube videos on how to make toys out of cups. Since she has a room full of toys, I find this unnecessary, but she is enjoying herself and learning more about how things go together. There's nothing wrong with that. She did have a zoom class today that covered stuff we did in the book ages back, but it was still fun and there were still new things to work on. Then we finally got around to watching The youtube component from yesterday in which the English teachers covered the first couple of pages of the English text, which I had been curious about. I spent weeks thinking I was messing it up by not diving into that book only to find that waiting forgot them to start it was was best idea. So at the end of the day, I'm worn out but not as weary as I could be. I feel lucky to have my friends and family trying to stay safe. Hopefully we can do the same. Stay safe. Stay strong.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakYA-livingTue, 19 May 2020 22:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakYA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lyJ-living Today was exhausting in the best ways. First off, we actually got out of bed at 5AM to be part of an international birthday party for my 1 year old neice. It's was a little chaotic but a lot of fun and it was good to see and chat with our family for a little longer. We still wound out the morning with a longer conversation with my mom, which I needed more than I tend to admit.X for the epicenter, heart forgot our rough location. Right around lunch, an earthquake hit our area but we are alright and there was no tsunami expected. As a pat on the back, both my kid and I enjoyed most of the afternoon playing video games or watching youtube. We felt good about getting up on time even if we didn't get much accomplished otherwise. We did eventually crack open a couple of books and do some studying but our focus was on relaxing. Then my husband came home to drop off his bags before heading back out to pick us up some current, which was such a nice way to end the evening. Still no new cases in Miyagi, though our write-in forms for the Japanese stimulus came today. Yay! Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lyJ-livingMon, 18 May 2020 21:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lyJ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj0j-living Today was my Japanniversary.My kid and I celebrated with some candy, chocolate coins and stroopwaffles a friend sent back in February. 12 years ago today, I stepped off a plane in Nagoya airport and my world changed forever. Things are tricky sometimes but I'm glad I came and glad I stayed. I only realized today that half of that time has been spent with my kid.Cat-lateral Damage, my kid's newest game obsession, bought on sale on Steam last week. We treated to morning like a normal weekend, finishing up our She-ra rewatch and starting the new season before lunch. I was surprised by how willing she was to do some schoolwork afterward. Good habits are starting to form though I'm still not sure if they will be enough. There was no cake but we did enjoy some threats from the last carepackage we received from a friend in the states. I hate not being able to send and receive stuff but at least we got to these before they went bad. Today is also a special day because it is my neice's first birthday, which we will be waking up at 5AM to celebrate with my stateside relatives. My kid picked a movie that we will figure out how to watch together assuming my family works with us on NetflixParty, Kast or just starting the things at the same time. Being that it's for a one-year-old who won't be paying attention and a six-year-old who has already seen the movie, it shouldn't be too much of a big deal in it isn't synced perfectly. I haven't been able to find any news about Miyagi's coronavirus numbers, so it's presumable that things are still staying at zero, but we're staying inside anyway. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj0j-livingSun, 17 May 2020 22:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj0j-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWqx-living Today, we still didn't get up early, but we did do well on our morning zoom class. It turns out my kid is getting used to telling time on an analog clockface and sleeps later than any of her classmates. The fifth season of She Ra is out now but we still have a season and a half to work through on our re-watch, so we worked through a little more of that.My daughter's homemade felt gatchapon machine. Surprisingly, it only took 45 minutes to cut, hot-glue, and tweak. I'm trying to spend the remaining time we have focussed on enjoying some fun things with ny kid, but part of me is longing forgot the day I can string more than two thoughts before I'm disrupted by a random question, lingering statement, unintended kneecap to the back, or any other implement by which my kid steals away every bit of attention I can muster. I love this kid, though. She came up with a design for a new toy she wanted to make out of felt and cut out the pieces before letting me hot-glue them together at her instruction. It was great. We seem to have one more week left to get our act together and we're going to find a way to make it work. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWqx-livingSat, 16 May 2020 23:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWqx-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEPWN-living Today was alright. Miyagi had no new cases as of yesterday and no alerts for today. My kid's school verified the previous plan of having the kids start up during the last week of May in a staggered fashion to avoid population clusters. I'm excited that myself kid will get the chance to learn in a classroom setting and that the CoVid statistics support this.The construction crews working downstairs as I type, probably keeping a few people in my building up as they hammer away at the pavement. We didn't leave the house but we did give eachother space, with my kid spending a little time watching youtube on the laptop with headphones while I listened to a new audiobook and cleaned things up a bit. Plans to rise early with fun, silly activities were thwarted by my kid waking me up twice during the night. The second time, a light thunking sound on our front door kept me from falling back to sleep. It was probably the wind but sounded too much like someone trying to pull the locked door open carefully after failing to unlock it. Without daring to press my face against the door to check the peephole, I latched the deadbolt and went back to bed but never heard the noise again. So I didn't have the energy to make the morning magical, but all-in-all, it wasn't a bad day. We did a little book work and I finally got to vacuum, which I had been meaning to do. I also had a class in the morning that my kid stayed mostly out of. We even got to chat with my grandmother in Michigan who has been one lockdown for months now in a senior living facility. For dinner, I made the best scrambled eggs of my life. Thanks to Gordon Ramsay, I've been working on improving my technique, including utilizing his 30 seconds on the heat, 30 seconds off, constantly stirring method. Stay Safe!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEPWN-livingFri, 15 May 2020 21:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MEPWN-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakJA-living Today was so much better than yesterday. There was no shopping and no encounters with grumpy old men. It was wonderful.My one trip outdoors was onto our balcony to check on the plant we've just about murdered by accident/neglect (plant-slaughter?) and its friend who seems in better spirits for now. We spent the morning chatting with a friend in Texas before my kid got restless and needed lunch. Then came preparing for the parent-teacher-student meeting on zoom and that went pretty well. It turns out we are doing just fine by trying to do some kind of school work every day. Also, between the teacher's command of English and my understanding of at least basic Japanese, we figured each other out. She even offered to zoom with me if I had questions about any of the emails from the school. I tried to assure her that wouldn't be necessary but I was so relieved, I am pretty sure all that really came out was a lot of "Thank you" which I can only hope she doesn't take as meaning that I'll be bugging her about every little thing. If Google translate and I can't figure it out, it's already a job for my husband.The class went well enough and my kid could easily do the in-class activity from memory. Unfortunately, my kid is such a spoiled only child when it comes to classroom participation that she is really bothered by not being called on for every answer. In a class of 14, she will get some one-on-one time but also learn to share and appreciate others. She will have to adapt, once classes start for real. This is a kid who needs a proper classroom environment that I can't fully replicate at home. We are really looking forward to starting the first grade properly, as soon as it is safe. We watched The Song of the Sea for the second time, but the first time that my kid actually remembered. We also continued our re-watch of She-ra. We're now in season 3. The highlight as far as my kid in concerned was making popsicles out of juice and toothpicks, which turned out to be a bit messy but well worth it. Miyagi still isn't reporting increased statistics on the virus but I'm still waiting to hit two weeks since Golden Week, which means one more week inside. As long as we take it easy, we'll probably be just fine.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakJA-livingThu, 14 May 2020 21:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakJA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lvJ-living_shoppingToday we had some news.First, I learned that there are stories here of people dying while they wait to get bad enough symptoms to warrant testing. This is happening in the US, too, but I had somehow thought we might be in better shape here. Japan hasn't been testing as thoroughlyas many countries and this is a little troubling even as the number of cases fall. As Miyagi hasn't confirmed a case in two weeks, more businesses are looking to open and get things back on track. Even my daughter's school is starting to toy with the idea of pulling the kids back almost a week before the previous June 1st plan, but potentially doing it in shifts, with the different years coming on different days. This isn't a completely set plan yet, but I am glad they are telling us about it now. As long as the private, school-operated bus runs when my kid needs to get there and I am aware of which days those are, we will work it out.If the public schools open in June, I get to go back to at least one of my jobs, which means I don't have to freak out quite as much about grocery money.In other good news, my husband was in much better spirits today. His sore throat is gone and he was in good enough spirits to bring the groceries in from our entryway for me while I ran the grocery cart back to the store, a tactic I only get away with since we live so close and have been utilizing since I started having to buy for more than five days at a time.My shopping trip itself wasn't as good, but I did find hand soap. It was more than 300 yen for 1.9 refills of an average brand, which isn't the best price but it's the first time I have seen that soap on the shelves in over a month so I bought one. There was still no hand sanitizer at Welcia, but they did have TP out front, so obviously people are going apocalypse-style stocking up a little less.Check out that TP! If these are in stock, we're not freaking out.Hand sanitizer in the front?! I had not seen that on my last trips out here weeks back. Huzzah for cleaning our hands again!I knew I was running out of steam a little over halfway through my grocery shopping portion of the trip when I couldn't focus enough to care about buying bento for my husband because I was already more than an aisle away from the bento section. I followed most of my predetermined shopping list and then gave up and got in line, finally purchasing two baskets' worth of items. The cashier took the second of these to one of the sacking tables so that I could take care of things after I paid and I thanked her before I paid through the machine and moved over, just in time for the guy at the register next to mine to jump out ahead of me and grab the other half of the two-basket-sized table, leaving me to be stuck with my cart blocking one of the basket receptacles to the side of the table. This was not what I wanted but I had no other options. All the tables were packed, so I just tried to get it over with. While I was running through my groceries as quickly as I can, the guy next to me left, replaced immediately by a grumpy man in his sixties. I was too busy to notice until mister grumpy-pants decides to mutter at me about blocking his access to the basket receptacle. By this point, several people have obliterated any sense of social distancing by reaching between me and my cart to deposit their baskets as if the damn things might catch fire if held for a few more seconds. To be clear, there are depositing spaces at every entrance, exit, and beside every table. These people came from other tables, chose not to deposit their baskets there or hold onto them for their exit and reach over me instead.Perhaps I should have started coughing. I did not.Mr Grumpy-pants wasn't satisfied with giving a lecture and invading my personal space. He chose to grab and jostle my cart like he owned the place and had a right to grab whatever he liked.This is not the first time I have had an uncomfortable shopping experience at this store thanks to grumpy old men in their sixties. A similar man thought it was necessary to scowl me down for taking more than two second to notice him scowling behind me while I was buying cup noodles. Another accosted me in the same exact location that this one did today when I was loading my heavy groceries into the undercarriage of my daughter's stroller and he thought that I was taking up too much space and time in doing so.Also, I'm on my period, mentally exhausted from weeks of playing parent/teacher all day every day, and was ready to be done with the shopping twenty minutes before this happened. I did not react well.After the shaking, he put his little basket where it belonged and immediately turned to walk away. Now, from many calming hours in the future, I will admit that I saw red here for a half of a second and this could have been very, very bad. Instead, I shook my cart loudly, charging at him slightly as he strode off. He stopped, shocked by the sound, and turned around to look me in my blue eyes. I made him face me. Even in masks, I forced him to treat me more like a person than either of the other two aged invaders of my space were made to. It only lasted a second, but he was made to see the woman he decided wasn't as much of a person as he was. I'm not going to be ashamed of that."Sumimasen!" I shouted in a loud whine, cousin to the higher-pitched girly voice I always put on when confronted with male figures who assumed/abused authority in the states in my twenties. This is not a voice I use with people who deserve an inch of respect from me. He turned away again and hurried off while it felt like the rest of the store stared at me. Angry foreigner isn't a good look, I agree. I muttered an obscenity at the retreating man and went back to work. He probably just thought I was crazy, not that he had done anything wrong. If knowing that crazy people exist keeps him from tugging at anyone else's cart every again, that's a fine public service as far as I'm concerned.I don't deal with social confrontations well. They stick with me and bother me. This one has been with me all day. The old jerk who poked me in the back while I was trying to load the stroller made me uncomfortable for years, literally every time I went grocery shopping there until we stopped using the stroller altogether. Hopefully the weeks I'll spend between this shopping trip and the next will help me balance all of this in my head and put it away until I need it for a story.But I spent the rest of the day watching The Mandalorian (This is The May) with my daughter and husband before doing some school work and trying to be whatever normal looks like these days. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lvJ-living_shoppingWed, 13 May 2020 22:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lvJ-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkNB-living Yesterday was a challenge. I did get to wish my mother a happy Mother's Day and I even got to see a chat with the rest of the family there for a bit, but I'm still worn out. My brain isn't pulling a deep dive into depression just yet but it's spending too much time in rumination to be comfortable. I finished a dinner which went half uneaten, wrapped up the leftovers and went to bed. My husband was understanding and I slept well.My kid, watering our dying plants with me yesterday afternoon. This morning, I woke without headache or nausea but still just wanted to sleep. I got up anyway and the day went alright. My kid did just a little work in a school book just before her zoom class. Neither her nor I caught that the worksheet they had started last week was meant to be completed before class today. My husband came home in the middle of the lesson and in his traditional fashion interrupted with tips based on 5 seconds of observation and a fairly low percentage of understanding. It wasn't so helpful. Later he told me that he was having some mental fog and a sore throat. It could be a cold. It could be CoVid. We have no idea. Right now, we wait. If he's feeling worse tomorrow, we'll call the emergency numbers and see what the timeline is for seeing a doctor and getting tested. Since he has tomorrow off, it might be the best day to get it taken care of if he can. We are so screwed if he is really sick. I have to just hope it's only a cold until we know more. This is scarier than my normal stay-at-home-and-panic scary. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkNB-livingTue, 12 May 2020 23:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkNB-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83Z7-living Happy Mother's Day!My mother's day flowers, some bought and others made. We stayed inside and tried to relax, eventually watching a kids movie and doing a little math and Japanese work in her textbooks. My husband came home with flowers and McDonalds, which were appreciated. There was also a small selection of cake slices. Despite my fatigue/exhaustion and a few issues during the day, in turned into something special and I was grateful. Miyagi still has no new victims but the number if confirmed cases is up from yesterday. We'll see where it goes. Stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83Z7-livingMon, 11 May 2020 00:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83Z7-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKP03-living Today was long but mostly good. It was the first day I can remember waking up without nausea or a headache this week, because I went back to bed when no one else was getting up at 6.My kid's assignment: favorite fruit and write your name. Her zoom class went well. Then came Minecraft, lunch, and my online class with a private student during which my kid behaved pretty well. Then I tried my hand at making stuffing but the stuff stayed so moist that it had to be baked for an extra 20 minutes before I gave up and fried it in a pan. In the end, it was edible and my kid actually liked it, so Yay? In sadder news, Miyagi saw it's first coronavirus death today in an 80 year old man. There are no new cases but it's still sad. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKP03-livingSat, 09 May 2020 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKP03-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVW3-living Yesterday was one of those days, but there were many good things, too. I managed to make time to watch the National Theatre Production of Frankenstein with Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller. It will be available until 7PM UK time tonight, which will be around 3AM Saturday morning. The run time is 2 hours but it is worth the watch. Great performances and amazing set design in addition to some really awesome costume work. My mom had been raving about this since its premiere a few days ago and I made a point of turning it on before my kid got up so that I could actually watch some of it and because I wasn't sure how much of it would be child-appropriate. I really didn't need to bother as my kid woke up and joined me halfway through. By then, I was happy to answer her constant questions because I knew more about what was going on. After the play, we waited for a friend I usually chat with on Thursday mornings to show up but it turned out she was a little too busy and run down, like a lot of people these days. I started making plans for when to change out our bedding, a major undertaking when I do have time to myself and even more so when I have a six-year-old underfoot. Then just after noon, my husband came home. Again. Which was a pleasant surprise but of course my 2PM plan for getting into the book work from her school went right out the window. When daddy comes home, my kid goes nuts with excitement, be it 2PM or 8PM. I decided to make the most of the situation and take a nap. When I got up, my kid still didn't want to do any book work. It sucked. The work she is doing is even easier than stuff she's been doing for the last two years with my in-laws. But instead of buckling down and getting through it, she drags her feet like it is the hardest thing she's ever had to do. We've had talks about how we need to treat this like school for now and she definitely needs to treat me and the subjects with more respect. She agrees with the words but the behavior continues and I am to a point where I do not know what else to do. My husband's solution involved making an intense but useful daily schedule that eliminates my morning talking times with our friends abroad but encourages several educational sessions of 2 hours each. My daughter agreed to this schedule and to waking up at 6AM for it, but of course could not wake up at 6AM today, so the whole schedule was off. What my husband does not know is that I have made up three or four of these schedules so far and each time I abandon them when I realize how much harder it is on me. When the only person with a proper schedule usually comes home in the evening, we all wind up adjusting to that one so that we still have family time. If I have to get her and myself up before 7AM, my evenings will be much shorter. They have to be. I am too tired for them not to be. I don't think he gets this, though I have explained it to him repeatedly. If I hadn't stayed up to be with my husband and then woken up earlier than I should have for probably the fifth time this week, I probably wouldn't have been nauseated and with a headache, but there I was this morning. I got my husband's lunch ready and sat down to chat with my grandmother who was messaging me on Facebook for the first time in weeks. Then I spent 30 minutes calling and calling, even switching to Skype on a separate laptop at one point, all with no result other than her eventually saying, "Oh well, nevermind." My kid got up. I took down the recycle-able garbage. I gave her breakfast and she agreed to play quietly while I had a nap. I am very lucky to have a kid who can entertain herself quietly for a little while so I can try to recover from sleep deprivation. She even put half an hour into studying on her Japanese study pad that my in-laws bought her last Christmas.The winged goose-shaped cart-thing she made while I was resting After lunch, we suffered through an easy page and a half of math and a page in a book that seems to be about things and people you find in an elementary school. I have never had a class where a book like this would have been appropriate, so I am having trouble making it work, especially with a kid who only wants to play. Tomorrow, we will wake earlier and try again. Miyagi is still staying at only 88 cases of confirmed infection, which makes it the most for the region of Tohoku excluding Hokkaido. But it hasn't changed, and I hope that's a good thing.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVW3-livingFri, 08 May 2020 14:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVW3-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVPvk-living_food_howto Daikon is a fantastic vegetable and in Japan it is very cost effective. The massive radish goes for as little as 100 yen at the grocery store near my home and can go on to make the vegetable portion of several meals before it is used up. I keep buying them in the hopes of fully utilizing one, but usually wind up making the one Daikon dish I know how to make in such a huge portion that I alone am stuck eating it for days. This time, I decided to try something new with half.One recipe I saw online for daikon fries called for a number of ingredients I didn't have on hand, like grape-seed oil. So many English language recipe sites only use things their western-based readers would be able to find easily. Usually seeing a recipe like this would make me spend another two days checking the internet for many of the missing ingredients before giving up as the radish would already be bad before anything arrived in the mail. Instead, this time I took what I did have and made it work.First, clean and peel the daikon, slicing a fry-length cross section into halves. Placing the flat section on the cutting board, slice in fry-width vertical sections. Tale the thicker sections and turn them on their sides to slice into fairly uniform sticks, carefully narrowing the sticks to something of a fry-width. Super thin ends are likely to burn and the thicker ones don't always cook completely. Somewhere in-between works best. Then make a seasoning sauce out of oil (olive oil worked fine for me), ginger, salt, and a dash of chili powder if you have it. You can look online for alternative recipes for the oil but this seasoning selection worked for us. I did use moshio, the fancy sea salt, in a reasonably large quantity. The recipe I had seen suggested drizzling the oil and seasoning over the fries, but I found it best to submerge them in the mixture instead. Coat the sticks before laying them individually on aluminum foil in your toaster oven. My sticks needed about 15 to 20 minutes on 1000W to get toasty brown, turning them once around halfway through the process. The final products were still more limp than crunchy afterward. I have a feeling that pan-frying may improve the texture, but the flavor was right on. Lay on a paper towel to dry off some of the grease and let cool for a moment. I found them best tasting when warm but still alright when cooled. If you've got a bit of daikon in the fridge or are trying to cut some carbs, here is one way to get it done.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVPvk-living_food_howtoFri, 08 May 2020 11:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVPvk-living_food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we91O-living_education_familylife With the coronavirus making schools an increasingly dangerous place all over the world, many a classroom abroad and in Japan has moved into hosting classes on Zoom, a video-chatting app made to connect larger groups of people for meetings and the like. We recently had our first Zoom meeting with my daughter's first grade class. Being that it's an entirely new school and new situation, it's a bit tricky. I was a little intimidated by Zoom at first, only because I wasn't used to this specific chatting app. The smart choice for any situation like this is to make some time to play with the app beforehand. We did. A few hours before our chat was set to start, I logged onto Zoom and downloaded the app just to see if my old laptop would do the job. To our luck and amazement, it totally worked. Our alternative option would have been my newer cell phone, but the placement of the laptop was easier to control. When the time came, I sorted out my daughter's name in hiragana as our screen name to enter the meeting room. The school had sent the information regarding what name to use as well as the room link and password in an email earlier that week. Changing the screen name is very important as many parents elsewhere have found out to their embarrassment when a funny but adult-oriented screen name from the previous evening's Zoom meeting among friends finds its way into a children's classroom the next morning, only to have to leave and come back into the room with the proper name later. It's just easier to have that sorted out beforehand.As many expats probably already know from video chatting experience, an important factor is where to place the camera. Since I wasn't sure how much school work she would be doing in the meeting, I opted last minute to change from my previous position of on-the-coffee-table-facing-the-curtain to on-the-couch-facing-her-desk. This way if the needed to write anything, she would have adequate space to do so. An email from the school advised us to avoid any discerning marks in the background, such as clear landmarks or anything with an address on it. Lucky for us, there were no security issues of any kind, but still I had to remember to remove an old Pizza Hut flyer from our cabinet door in the middle of the meeting.While on our first class session, no writing occurred though they did have to hold pencils for the teacher to show that they understood how to do so based on the lesson that was both in one of the text books and demonstrated in one of the YouTube videos from the school the previous day. Most of my difficulty with Zoom was fear of the unknown. Having now used the service a handful of times, I feel much more comfortable with it. If your kid is starting zoom lessons soon and you're anxious about using the app, try it out a few times with friends or by yourself. It's really not that hard. Once again, my best practices for your home-classroom on Zoom are: get the tech sorted early, change your screen name if necessary, make the background acceptable, and don't freak out.Good luck! Any other tips you might add?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we91O-living_education_familylifeThu, 07 May 2020 12:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we91O-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPNb-living Today wasn't the best, but it finished okay.My daughter's favorite new baby, which I got from bookoff years ago. We spent the day at home working through more Star Wars movies, except when we paused to have emotional difficulties. If it had just been me and the kid, we might have yelled for a minute but then we would have calmed and talked it out. Honestly we weren't even that close to yelling but having another presence in the house means having someone else involved. In the end, we all came to a more positive understanding, but it took a signficant amount of emotional energy and afterward I was too drained to care much about almost anything. We did work on whittling down the excess food supply including a bunch of donuts my in-laws had brought yesterday. My husband's stomach was better so he engaged more with the eating and after our turmoil was over, we all had a genuinely pleasant evening. Tomorrow, my husband goes back to work on the same day that a bunch off non-essential Miyagi businesses reopen. I hope it all goes well. Stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPNb-livingWed, 06 May 2020 22:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPNb-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqyR-living_food_shopping_health Since so much has been put on hold or shut down in attempts to limit the destructive power of the coronavirus, I thought it might be nice to look at those skills which many expats develop just by living abroad long-term that are also of benefit in our current global situation.My family and I zooming for an item during a one-day GISH event.1) Video Chatting Expertise Since I've had decent internet connection and a laptop capable of using any number of other chatting services I've tried over the years, I've been finding a way to have regular chatting times with at least a few friends every week. Maintaining friendships with those back home can necessitate this kind of regular connection. Now that more people are having to utilize their internet as the main means of connectivity, more and more people are having to discover the tricks I've been working with for the last ten years. From knowing what's behind you when you're about to chat on the computer to knowing if you have to shut down other programs to maintain a usable connection, little tips and tricks here and there have made their way into my everyday know-how.As more companies across the globe move to telecommuting, I have found that more of my friends are looking forward to catching up, even those whom I wasn't chatting with regularly before the CoVid crisis. Some of my regular chatting pals are happy to video chat at earlier times because they don't have traffic to contend with. Others are more overcome by the situation and can't chat as often nor for as long, but each of us knowing the other cares still provides some emotional support.Back home, lots of people are just now learning to use video chatting because they can't physically go out to see people, but many of our friends and loved ones already know their way around a video chat service. In some places in Japan, Zoom classes are being considered and it seems many Japanese parents have never had to call someone on their computer before. Experienced video-chatting expats have a leg up in this case. When you gotta go...2) Stocking UpIf you like your western-style deodorant, underwear in sizes above 6, flouride in your toothpaste, or any number of foreign norms that Japan just has not caught onto yet, odds are you've been ordering from abroad on regular intervals or stocking up on your rare trips back. Either way, you already know how to get as many of a product as you think you'll need for quite some time. The difference is that now you might be applying this to things like carrots or toilet paper instead of snacks or peanut butter.We didn't need no Easter Bunny here.3) IsolationThis is more a skill developed by the introverts and thrust upon the extroverts sometimes when other people on the train seem to move away out of a sense of passive xenophobia. Now, that's a shield against the coronavirus. The fewer people sit near you, the fewer you can infect or be infected by.I know my pre-corona life included leaving the house for work, errands, a Poke-walk, or an occasional trip to Sendai at least nine out of every ten days. Whatever day I didn't have to leave the house was considered a bit of a necessary rest. Just being in public is exhausting for me, so when I don't have to be, I can use that energy on a small side-quest of personal or household significance. Most of that energy now belongs to my kid, but being able to enjoy time at home in my own little piece of the world is still a boon these days.If you think I ever made pancakes, waffles, or bacon back in Texas, you are mistaken. With a craving for these but without an IHOP or Denny's in my area, I adapted to the challenge.4) AdaptationAnother great skill developed by many of Foreigner is the ability to make do with what you have. I know for sure I would not know how to make tortillas from scratch if not for the lack of availability of such flatbread in my area. Lots of us who moved abroad have had to find workarounds for the things we want, frequently doing what we can with what we have on hand rather than procuring the one thing from home that we had in mind. While I know I have been applying this more and more broadly as the years have gone by, many back home are only starting to try to figure this out now.Which of your hard-earned expat tricks are helping you survive?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqyR-living_food_shopping_healthWed, 06 May 2020 10:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqyR-living_food_shopping_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWvl-living_shoppingToday (now yesterday) was longer than it needed to be. This is true of most days when I am awake after midnight and need to be awake again before 8AM. In this case, our viewing of the original Star Wars last night had lasted until after 1AM today and I didn't get to bed until after 2. I had to be up by 7:30 to talk with my father. Waking up would have been uncomfortable after that little sleep but this was made worse by my husband having stomach trouble in the middle of it. Being a lighter sleeper, I woke up enough to determine what was going on and who it was happening to before my body and mind forced me back into slumber. I woke later with a stomachache that I always get when I don't get enough sleep but made my way to the living room to call my dad anyway. He's staying safe and still hadn't received the two packages I sent in early and mid April. Who knows when he will get the masks I made for him.Since my husband wasn't feeling too well, we spent the day chilling out and watching The Empire Strikes Back. I also talked with friends online and then went out to the grocery store to grab a few essentials for the bad belly. I did check to see if they had finally restocked handsoap. They had not.Also, they were completely out of flour and pancake mix, so I guess all the other folks in this area are baking up a storm this week. Good thing we beat them to it last week when I ruined enough pancakes to not want to make them again for a good long while.I was surprised to see that they had masks, but at a price of more than 500 yen for 3, I elected to pass them up as our masks are plenty well stocked at home. Better to leave these for those who need them,I still stocked up on beverages and other things we didn't pick up on our Costco run. When I came home, I immediately washed my hands, threw away my mask, and took off my shirt and pants, potentially contaminated by shopping in a place that does not understand social distancing, even though this time I was in the presence of far fewer coughing old men.I dove into disinfecting the groceries with so much fervor that I almost thought I was hallucinating when the doorbell for out front door rang. I just stared at the front door, standing there in my underwear holding a kitchen-cleansing wipe with one hand as the other froze above my open eco-bag of waiting soda bottles.I looked at my husband. He heard it too. Good. "Well you have to get it!" I said and he headed for the door while I dodged into my daughter's room by mistake in my panicked state. "It's my mom." he said and I leaped across the hallway so that I could maybe get some clothes on as the door opened.My husband and daughter greeted my in-laws (they were both there) while I threw on some pajamas and joined them. It turns out that today is Children's Day and the gifts of food and sweets that they usually give us on the weekend when they drive us back from my kid's music class were instead brought to our door, along with a cake and a box of fried chicken. It was extremely kind and generous. As it turns out, my mother-in-law had messaged me, but I had been in the cleaning frenzy and missed it completely.As I had to make room in our already full fridge for the new things from my in-laws, many sodas stayed exactly where they had been before the doorbell. There is no other space for them until we get more of what we have eaten, and that isn't going to happen until my husband is feeling better. We wound up forgetting about the cake until after 11PM when my kid had gotten up anyway to change the pajamas she had been sweating in under her still winter bedding. We will get around to changing it but not on a day like today. In Miyagi, there have been no new confirmed cases in almost a week and the governor is saying that most businesses can go back to work after Golden Week. I still feel like we're going to see an uptick in the next two weeks, but the zero rate right now can't help but make me hopeful. As a worker without a guaranteed stay-at-home income, I would be delighted to get back to business as usual as soon as it's safe to do so. With the Prime Minister extending the state of emergency through the end of the month a few days ago, I'm not entirely convinced we're as safe as we want to believe. Maybe I am wrong. I hope so.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWvl-living_shoppingWed, 06 May 2020 00:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNWvl-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl5Rd-living Happy Star Wars day!An awesome crochet kit my brother gave me a little while ago. Perfect day to realize I am still not good at amigurumi. Today, we chatted with family and snacked on our goodies from yesterday's Costco run. I did eventually make dinner. My husband wanted to watch Star Wars Episodes 1-3, which are my least favorite of the franchise, but he seemed enthusiatic so we started it. He later fell asleep on the couch while I tortured myself trying to crochet Yoda's tiny little head and my kid oscilated between watching youtube on the laptop and bugging me about finishing the doll or getting her a drink. By the end of the night, I had a migraine and my husband had an understanding of why this is the least liked trilogy in Star Wars. I would have been happier rewatching The Mandalorian but we didn't really make time for that.Also, all the books I bought online in March have finally arrived! I still don't have time to read them, but now I have them. Huzzah! In other news, the prime minister pushed the emergency status for the country back to the end of the month and Miyagi reported yet another day of no new cases. There's no word on how many people were actually tested though and we're still going to see some blow back in a couple of weeks when the people breaking social distancing now get really sick. Until then, and even then, stay safe out the there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl5Rd-livingTue, 05 May 2020 00:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl5Rd-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42vp-living_money_workMany of us foreigners in Japan are English teachers and not being able to go to a classroom to teach students can be difficult. If you are like me and most of your students are around the age of 70, they might not have the technical know-how to have a class at home or to figure out how to pay you if they did want to have classes online. For these students and really for all students, one thing you can do to keep in touch and keep things potentially rolling forward is to message them with some regularity just to say hi just to make sure things are going okay. The tone of this communication should be around the same as the tone of the class, depending on your own personal blend of professional and friendly. I still haven't gotten around to this because on some level I'm still a little shell-shocked about the entire "covid" situation. It probably sounds funny with how often I blog that I'm still this scared. My April Schedule. See all that erased ink? That was all my private lessons. That was most of my income. Part of me doesn't want to message my students because that would be admitting that it's real and terrifying. This isn't just a long vacation with my kid. My students, my wonderful and strange students, could die from this. Easily. so when I do message my students, I will do so with calm, easy grammar and vocabulary. I will do my best to convey a sense of care. This isn't about restarting lessons. This is about maintaining a business relationship that can't help but be a little bit personal. If I were still working in Sendai with a situation like this, I would not be messaging my individual students. Since I am a private teacher to students I personally pick and choose and who personally pick and choose me, it makes sense to allow a level of personal communication that might not be seen as exactly professional in other situations. While there are many jobs a temporarily out of work teacher could do online, other work you can or cannot do depends on other factors. Since I am home with a small child who is keen on occupying as much of my attention as possible , I cannot pursue teaching new students online or even continuing classes with my less-patient adult students.I did put some energy into trying to find proofreading jobs on the internet, but one attempt at getting work through "upwork," formerly "odesk," has led to some very specific and sad conclusions. The company rejected my application but without any specific information regarding why. The only thing I can think of is my address. Lots of American-based companies don't want to deal with international labor aspects or don't have the wherewithal to make it strictly legal, so I cannot earn money there. Even if I hadn't been rejected, the work that I saw posted was mostly stuff I would not be willing to do for the amount of money they were offering. Writing a 50,000 word novel, it's something I do every November for myself and for fun but not something I'm willing to do at someone else's discretion for fifty bucks. There were so many offers for ghostwriting and none that paid well enough to make any sense to me. The proofreading jobs I had been looking for were few and far between.If you are in a similar situation, remember to talk to the people you know, letting them know your abilities and current options. Also, don't forget to keep an eye out for the applications for the Japanese relief. It turns out that if you're a foreigner who's been living in the country for more than three months, you should be able to apply.Be safe and careful out there. It's a tricky world.If you're out of work but working now, how are you doing it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42vp-living_money_workMon, 04 May 2020 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42vp-living_money_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAqB0-living_shopping Today was full of surprises.First, one of my usual chatting friends wasn't too busy today, as she frequently is and for good reason. This morning she spent some time chatting while also cutting out the complementary PDF printouts of her deck of Story Engine cards. She played a few hands out and I was entranced. Finding ways to fit together the characters, twists, elements and such was invigorating. She sent me to the site to check it out and among the awesome goods, including a bibliomancer t-shirt and a set of very cool postcards, I found something amazing. In addition to including free PDFs in the next ten days of any purchase of cards for regular print release in a few months, there are pdf versions for sale at half the price of the print versions and without shipping times or charges. Beyond that, there is even a version of the original deck available for only one Canadian cent for those stuck on quarantine at home with kids. There is also a lesson plan for those who want to transfer storytelling into an assignment. Honestly I just think it's a heck of a good time and after seeing them offering their wonderful story generating system for only a penny, I decided I had to buy a couple of booster packs and expansion sets in PDF form, just to give some support and have some fun to play with.After this, my daughter and I spent some time relaxing and snuggling before there was a sudden noise at the door. It didn't make sense in that it was just after noon and only my husband would just come in like that, but it was him alright, sent home for lack of work and told to take tomorrow off in addition to the two days off he had coming after that. His job is demanding enough that this is a surprise, and in the midst of a pandemic, a good one. Not only do we get to enjoy some time with him, and time that he isn't spending in homes of the recently deceased, helping their loved ones with everything that comes after the loss of a life, but this also means that there aren't a lot of deaths in the area. Right now. And we'll take that blessing for what we can.I remember 2011. I remember my funeral director husband not having a single day off for months because there were just so many dead. We know what this looks like when it is really bad and right this second it isn't that bad. yet. The problem with this one is that is isn't a tsunami rushing in once and out again. It's slow building and likely to take us all with it if we get complacent. So in a weird twist, we went to Costco. This was our first trip since January I think, and we spent more than twice as much as usual but that included renewing our memberships. Most of what we bought were things we will be using for months to come, like shampoo, conditioner, and body soap. Hand soap was completely gone as far as I could see, but I did grab some of the limited and cheap bar soap they had so we have backups when my decorative soaps are gone. I almost bought paper towels but I realized I have nowhere to store so many and I don't use them that often. Since we live close to a large grocery store and we know now what's being stocked and what's depleted, we don't need vast quantities of toilet paper and this isn't the first time I couldn't find hand sanitizer there.I will admit I went overboard on pastries, buying both muffins and bagels (which are now in the freezer) as well as a pastry assortment. We probably didn't need the pack of bell peppers but they looked so nice and colorful. They add so much to a plate of baked vegetables. Between those and the carrots, I have our veggie portions sorted for dinner for a couple of weeks. While there were tape lines directing the lines to give people space and announcements suggesting six feet or two meters between people, I found it hard to get any social distancing happening in CostCo. Still, the vast majority of people were masked, I was the only person I heard cough while there and there hasn't been a confirmed case in the prefecture in the last five days. We might be safer than we think. I was also a little put off to see how little people were buying. If you're coming to CostCo for three or four non-essential items, you are probably going out more often than you should.Part of me is of course a little freaked out that we went all the way out there just so I could have muffins, but that wasn't the real length and breadth of it. We went out there to see what we could stock up on to save us a little money and worry in the coming months. Things are going to be tight around here and knowing I don't have to buy more shampoo for a little while helps.We came home and I started sanitizing the groceries as I put them away. I am still a little amazed I fit everything into the kitchen. Then we ate the hot and ready pizza my husband bought with everything on it, which is one I wouldn't have ordered personally. Many half-hours of my youth were spent picking mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper from slices like this but I decided to give it a try altogether this time. It turns out, when there are enough other flavors and textures about, I don't hate mushrooms as much as I think I do.To new experiences.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAqB0-living_shoppingSun, 03 May 2020 23:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAqB0-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvjNx-livingToday was another day inside for my kid and me. We started this off as a lazy Saturday, perfectly the opposite of what we used to have.We used to rush out the door to greet my in-laws, heading to my workplace before they drove back to their place to entertain and feed their grandchild before music class that I would walk across town to attend with my daughter once my classes ended. Instead, today I slept until 9ish and turned on cartoons on Netflix while I put together a meal for my offspring and a little something for myself.Getting my kid to do work in her school books is harder than I would like. I don't really know what to do with this. I always wanted to know more, though I admit now I'm already lost in some of her books. One of the subjects, "morals" apparently, isn't even taught as a subject where I come from. I find it tricky to decipher that we're supposed to be doing in the text, but we spend fifteen minutes a couple of days a week trying to figure it out.She didn't want to do book work but she did want to paint a butterfly. That doesn't mean it didn't involve tears every time she thought she had messed something up. We recovered, though. Yay for watercolors.Apparently there is talk of moving the start of school to September which would be better for international students anyway. There is also talk of having all the kids work without holiday breaks or weekends for the foreseeable future, something I don't agree with. Kids here are busy enough without piling all that on them. But then how do we catch up? I have no idea and since I am not making the decisions and not likely to be listened to by those who are, it is okay not to have more of an idea of what to do.Fun weird Japanese snacks...now just for my kid since I can't trust that they wouldn't be expired before they get where they were intended to go. Still fun! Today we also started enjoying some of the snack foods I had intended to send abroad but won't be able to guarantee they would be delivered before they expired now. My cut off for this now is June. Anything I bought that expires in June is fair game for the household.My kid watched Jurassic Park for the first time and seemed to really enjoy it. Since she's already played the Lego video game version, the plot was at least a little familiar. She spent several moments recounting how hard certain levels of the game had been while watching the source material. That said, she was genuinely worried about little Tim stuck under the jeep during the iconic first T-Rex attack.We've also decided to rewatch all of the new series of She-ra in preparation for the new season release in a few weeks. We have time now.Coronavirus numbers in Miyagi seem to be stable but being in the middle of Golden Week and just after finding the confirmed cases in snack club girls down the way, I'm not counting us out from a larger resurgence until the third week of May at the earliest. Stay safe out there!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvjNx-livingSat, 02 May 2020 23:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvjNx-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaoO-living Today we did alright. We made a cute video and relaxed mostly. I've decided that another month without waking up early to catch the school bus is another month of staying up and waking up a little later.My daughter's idea.We're trying to stay calm and relaxed. It's not been perfect but it's alright. We also had cupcakes we made yesterday to try to use up the last of the buttercream icing from my husband's birthday cake. I love having a kid with Japanese taste in that I'm the only one in the house who loves the oversugared nature of American recipes. This means not only is she on a healthier path but also I get to enjoy more of the goodies when people send us things or I make things. Another cool thing that happened was my daughter found a really fun coding game that was part of the google doodles at some point recently. This was after today's google doodle game of lawn gnome tossing, which was also tons of fun. We only got a little done in two of her textbooks which is less than I wanted but at least it was something. We'll work up to something more. It's going to be okay. Miyagi reported no new cases but I'm waiting for the fallout of snack joint locals in the coming weeks. Stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaoO-livingFri, 01 May 2020 22:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaoO-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVn3-living Today (yesterday really) was another day inside. We made a bunch of things with perler beads, talked with friends back home, and tried to keep calm. There was also a zoom class meeting this morning which ny kid enjoyed even though I somehow managed to reverse our first and last names on the zoom account.Pandas watching fireworks with a happy moon, a normal star, an awkward star, a little house, heart-shaped dango, and a camera. We did receive a great email from the school letting us know that all classes are cancelled for the length of May. I am surprised by how relieved I feel. At least I know the plan now and I'm not waiting every week to find out what's going on. Another month of making all this work means another month of me not working on anything but keeping my kid and myself safe and sane. Remember, this isn't a sprint. It's a marathon. At least I'm trying to remember this. Not failing completely. Not yet. Otherwise, things here are okay. The numbers seem to be potentially plateauing at 88 but it's hard to tell what tomorrow brings with Golden Week still coming and a couple of pachinko places in Sendai deciding to stay open. We're just staying inside and making it work. Stay safe!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVn3-livingFri, 01 May 2020 00:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVn3-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojPY-living Yesterday was a day inside. My kid whined about school work but did some of it anyway. It was the first day since Gish that I could bring myself to get the dishes and laundry done. Today was significantly more interesting in that I went outside. I needed to send off a late birthday present for a friend who lives in Sendai before I had the chance to lose it. I also needed to take out the garbage and take advantage of my husband having the day off so he could stay home with our child while I got the grocery shopping done. Since the old soap dispenser in my kitchen busted, I also went by the 100 yen store. I was happy to see many of the clothing shops at least reducing their hours in light of the pandemic. The kind of soap dispenser I wanted was not available at the 100 yen store so I bought a different kind and hoped to fill it with products from the grocery store on the first floor. Unfortunately all of the hand soap was gone. Now it's time to make use of all of the decorative soaps I have ever been given. It took filling 3 grocery sized eco bags, my backpack, and an extra box to get all of my groceries home. I then returned the cart that I brought them home with and when I got home wipes them down with disinfectant before putting them away. I also got some more perler beads for my daughter who is ecstatically making flowers and fireworks. As I was putting away the last of my disinfected groceries and feeling a little silly as this is not yet protocol in Japan, a story came on the Japanese news detailing the fact that two young women who work at a snack club that is all of about three blocks from my house have the virus. While none in our home frequent such establishments, the patrons who do could easily have been any of the old men coughing around me while I shopped today. A shiver went down my spine and I tried to stop and stay positive. I had already taken off my mask, washed my hands several times, and changed all of my clothes. I wish I had also had the opportunity to take a shower, but in all likelihood I am safe. Dinner was a regrettable shambles. I managed to burn half of the pancakes and leave the other half raw. At least the eggs and bacon were completely edible. It should be a rule that if I spend part of the day shopping, I should not try to cook anything more complicated than toast. Of the three new cases of corona in Miyagi in the last 2 days, the first I think is the most remarkable.A man in his forties had spent the previous week in his home before he even started having symptoms. That means he didn't infect anyone that week. That's why we're doing this. You don't know if you're sick until after you're sick enough to kill people. Stay safe in there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojPY-livingWed, 29 Apr 2020 23:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojPY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqYn-food I saw these on a recent and rare trip to 7-11. As someone who has imbibed her fair share of carbonated and highly caffeinated beverages, I thought I should give them a try even though I haven't been much for drinking the stuff in a couple of years. As I've embraced darker coffee, I haven't needed the high sugar and expense of these drinks. Nowadays I am so exhausted, I will try almost anything to stay awake. Red Bull is something I drank more of when I was working in Sendai. I can't say I ever really enjoyed the flavor of the drink but at the time it was preferable to black coffee, which I did not enjoy at all. For me, the peppy-bitter aftertaste is a reminder of my early twenties. It tastes like wasting a whole night watching vampire dramas and being too sleepy at work the next day. I was very happy to note that The White Edition was free of this aftertaste. It was a more subtle and genuinely enjoyable flavor. For energy drinks, it is now number two for me, behind the tea-based concoctions Monster sells in the US but not Japan. IRONBOSS was significantly less pleasing with the same familiar flavor I had dodged in the previous drink. It was as if someone mixed Red Bull and Real Gold but retained the preppy bitterness I never really enjoyed. I would prefer Real Gold to this even though I do not consider it a proper energy drink.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqYn-foodTue, 28 Apr 2020 14:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDqYn-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQqD-living I am so very tired. Last night I could not find the energy to write as all of my energy had been spent in the quest to make bigger, weirder, more fun things thanks to Gish's one-day minihunt event which ended at 4AM this morning.Me with my first item: The Great Wall of Books. The challenge was recreating a man-made wonder of the world out of household stuff. This quarantine friendly event had many fun items, including using Zoom as zombies, recreating your favorite album cover out of things that you have in your home, and balancing a broom or similar long object on your chin for at least 20 seconds. While many items were silly, some were kind, like buying meals to have delivered to essential workers. My team completed a decent number of the 54 items on the list and most of us had a really good time doing it.My daughter loves the castle we made out of cardboard boxes at Misha Collins's request. While I did have great fun, I know I I overdid it because today I woke up with a headache. I went back to bed, but when I woke up later with my kid to talk to my family back home, who are sheltering-in-place as much as possible despite the insistence of their idiot governor, the headache persisted. Somehow we got through a few pages and several different textbooks together but even after a couple of Bufferin and an American migraine pain pill, my head is still not quite where it should be. I am fairly certain that I will feel better in a few days, with proper rest. The big benefits of this big crazy scavenger hunt thing I did were breaking up the monotony of pseudo-quarantine life and distracting me from all the virus updates I've been reading constantly in the last couple months. I haven't checked the Miyagi covid numbers in more than a day. Stay safe !To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQqD-livingMon, 27 Apr 2020 19:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLQqD-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaKO-living I am so tired. Today was longer than I thought a day spent in my own home could be. I spent the morning afraid I would mess up the zoom class my kid had. It went well after all, and honestly wasn't worth the worry, but I had never done it before. Most of the day ran smoothly enough but being so worried ate a lot of my energy, and once it was over, I had to try to get my kid to do some class work, wash the dishes, and make a birthday cake for my husband from scratch. My kid and I worked together and eventually made something pretty delicious. I forgot how much effort home-made butter cream frosting is. I am so tired now that just writing this post is taking basically all of my remaining energy. I am extremely lucky that my husband offered to bring home pizza. I could not have cooked anything worth eating after making the cake. Miyagi's respite from the coronavirus seems to be over as a new case was confirmed in Tagajo, bringing the total to 85. Even with the general suggestion (since it is less of an enforceable order) to stay inside for the next ten days, many people are out and about, which is likely to lead to the numbers bounding up higher and quickly. In the meantime, we're just staying inside. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaKO-livingSat, 25 Apr 2020 22:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgaKO-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpOoY-living Today was hard for so many stupid reasons. It started with me forgetting about my one online class until only one hour before the start. I got my kid up and got her Cheerios ready, which she promptly dumped all over the carpet. It was an accident and I didn't respond well to it, but by class time we were ready... Ish.My impromptu phone charging stand, with kokeshi to hold up the phone, sort-of. I realized about ten minutes out that my phone wouldn't really be ready in time, so I shoved my portable charger in a small box and stuck the end out through the top so it could charge through the port at the center bottom of this model. I grabbed a kokeshi to help bolster the back but it failed to hold the phone up so I had to support it with my hand as well. Class went okay, as did lunch and watching Tailspin with a college friend on Kast. Then came the hard part. We tried to do what we had done the previous day but to much less successful conclusions. We cleared off more of her desk and she studied a little in only two textbooks before we ran out of steam. Tomorrow is our zoom meeting with her class. I'm glad it's in the afternoon so I have a chance to figure zoom out beforehand. There's no new news I can find about Miyagi in regards to the coronavirus and not small business loans intended to help them survive being closed for Golden Week. Tokyo and the country in general are still on the rise with lots of people heading to the beacheswhile the country hit a record daily death toll yesterday at 29. There are warnings that the medical system might collapse under the oncoming strain. Things are scary. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpOoY-livingFri, 24 Apr 2020 22:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpOoY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxyE-food_shopping_kobayashicityI was delighted to have the opportunity to sample and enjoy three kinds of cheese and some lovely drinkable yogurt from Kobayashi city's Daiwa Farm in Miyazaki Prefecture. While this Kyushu Island community is clearly on the other side of the country lengthwise from where I live in Tohoku, I found the atmosphere of the pictures and videos online to be comfortably familiar in that way that so many agricultural and nature-loving places outside of urban Japan tend to be. This is the kind Japan of open skies and honest farmers that I have come to call home for more than a decade. Kosumo~ the mascot, an adorable black cow with cosmo flower petals in alternating colors in a ruffle around her neck, endears me to the city even more. Within a few minutes of looking through the Kobayashi City Tourism Website, I was practically planning a vacation. From the freshwater aquariumto the rent-ablethatched roof inns and camping sites as well as the lovely lake and onsen in the area, there looks to be plenty of fun for the whole family any time of year.Turning to the dairy products, I spent a lot of time considering what to do with such lovely materials. While I was still in contemplation, my husband snagged a drinkable yogurt and said that it tasted rich and thick, almost so thick that a spoon would be useful. Even when I drank the second bottle a little closer to the expiration date, the drink tasted fresh to me, with the expected tang of yogurt but pulled back into a refined, subtle flavor. I didn't find it to be as thick as my husband suggested, but I also don't usually drink yogurt. I was extremely pleased by the smooth texture and soft flavor and have spent some time endeavoring to purchase more online as my daughter absolutely loved it.The cheeses were so nice that I tried to use them in as many ways as I could. First, I took the hard cheese named "Tomadaiwa" and grated it over pasta and salad. It really added class and taste to an otherwise basic meal. My next attempt was more ambitious but less successful. Instead of a macaroni and cheese I wound up with a terribly clumpy cheese sauce, but only because I am so unskilled at this particular task. The remaining mozzarella went into a tomato sauce and pasta dish.The creamy "robidaiwa" cheese is a washed-rind cheese with a distinct flavor and great texture. While it does have a definite flavor, it doesn't go so far as to be a stinky cheese. Robidaiwa isn't an acquired taste in my house-- it's always delicious. After my other usages, I decided to find something simple where this cheese would be the star and wound up with cheese toast, which was great. The creaminess lent itself well to this new dish and really elevated the cheese toast game in my house. The next day, I jazzed it up even more by using a cookie cutter to make stars out of a piece of normal white bread before toasting it at a lower temperature in my toaster oven with little nibbles of this great cheese on top. It was a lovely and fun way to showcase the deliciousness of the cheese. Kobayashi City's Daiwa Farm makes some great stuff and in such a lovely place. If we ever get the chance to head down that far, we will definitely stop by the farm and grab some drinkable yogurt if nothing else.This post is supported by Kobayashi City Promotion Company Inc., one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxyE-food_shopping_kobayashicityFri, 24 Apr 2020 16:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnxyE-food_shopping_kobayashicityhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qa3-living Today, we studied.Bookmarks noting how many pages we finished today so that my husband can write them down in our daily homework chart for the school. A lot of my planning for the day went out the window when I slept in. We were supposed to work on cleaning and every school book, taking intervals of 15 to 20 minutes, but instead we got up late and spent the morning talking to one of my friends while eating some late breakfast. There was an attention-craving emotional outburst, but soon we calmed down and had lunch. Later, we found it useful to focus on 15 minutes in one book before cleaning her room together for the same amount of time and repeating with different books. We still checked out half of the books she brought home and made a good start on her room, even after our delayed start. When we can get up earlier, this will go better. Until then, we're just going to keep trying to get something done. The fun positive was that my kid had to tell me what some of the unfamiliar words in her books were and I looked up the few that neither of us knew. In an optimism-inducing positive, Miyagi has had no new confirmed cases in the last 3 days. While it isn't clear that this trend will last through Golden Week, it does make me more optimistic about my daughter's return to school, currently planned for the day after the national holiday week ends. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qa3-livingThu, 23 Apr 2020 22:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qa3-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPWb-living Today was my day out.A sign at my bank this morning, asking people to stand at intervals, but not what those intervals should be. People still aren't really getting social distance, but that's life out here. I started my day by running the garbage down to the garbage collection spot. As my finger is still injured, I was wearing rubber kitchen cleaning gloves the whole time, because somehow only wearing one was weirder. My husband stopped me to ask why I couldn't just wear fabric gloves. He really didn't understand the waterproof aspect of what I was trying to do. I had to walk too close to people to get into the bank, but no one was coughing. The post office was fine and cheaper than expected. They keep reminding me that everything will be delayed and looking surprised when I don't take back every parcel and apologize. Once I finished it up there, I headed to the grocery store and spent a good ten days worth of grocery money on enough supplies to hopefully last that long. Going forward, it is my plan to see how long I can stay inside before we have to leave. My daughter's school sent out more videos, these for the kids to follow along with. They also set up a zoom chat for later on in the week. We spent most of the evening trying to figure out what she should be trying to learn because the school also sent a worksheet to fill out with how and what she's doing every day. There was a little stress but at the end we worked it all out and the house was peaceful again.The Tohoku University Hospital in Sendai started drive through tests today. Other than that, Coronavirus news in Miyagi seems to be slow today. Maybe they will actually start school again after Golden Week.... but who know. Staysafe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPWb-livingWed, 22 Apr 2020 22:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPWb-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQmo-livingToday, we stayed in with my husband, watched some movies, and generally stayed laid back though I also made preparations for my trip to the post office tomorrow. Since I'm trying to avoid going out, making the most of my one trip the three blocks or so to the post office is important and being able to do that and the grocery shopping while my kid stays safe at home with my husband is a huge weight off my shoulders. I'm not risking so much in Miyagi, but knowing I can control myself and shower when I return makes me feel so much more comfortable with the whole process, even if I am stuck using a cleaning glove to cover my injured finger while I do it.When you don't have any counter space, find a way to strike a balance...on top of the drying pots and pans and things...right?This evening, my kid requested pancakes again, but I wound up having to make them twice as the first batter was too thick to cook properly. We then had pancake, waffle, and bacon for dinner. Since then, I have been so tired that I am falling asleep sitting up and mid-task. Sounds like it is going to have to be an early night for me.We got a great email from my kid's school saying that they are going to start having short daily classes recorded and available with links provided to us so that the kids can start settling into more of a routine, even if it won't be possible to get them all on a video-linked class at this time.In Miyagi, it seems like everything non-essential is shutting down for Golden Week starting this Saturday. I hope that move makes a good impact on helping to flatten the curve. Apparently today was also a day with no new confirmed cases for the prefecture. Somehow, that is making me feel better about my errand running plan for tomorrow.Stay safe out there!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQmo-livingTue, 21 Apr 2020 23:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXQmo-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYmXx-living Today we woke up to a magnitude 6.1 earthquake. Honestly, my husband was already in the shower but I bolted to my kid's room to make sure her lofted bed didn't collapse or anything. It didn't. Then I took out the plastic garbage because it needed to go out, but with my injured finger, I chose to use a cleaning glove over my hurt hand so I could wash up when I came back inside. We talked with family over the computer and relaxed until it was time for lunch. My kid demanded waffles but she did help make the batter. Later, my kid had to do some work on a her educational pad thing my in-laws got her and I noticed her having some issues with addition. She's been working on basic math with my mother-in-law for a while, so it's not all new, but she needed more practice, so I pulled out a deck of cards. We did one running sum, her adding a card before I subtracted mine until we were out of cards. Then we played a round of war in which all losing cards had to be subtracted from the winners. It was good practice. A few days ago I claimed incorrectly that Miyagi had hit 84 confirmed cases. It was only 83 then but today we got there. Tokyo gained another 102 caseswhich puts their total at 3184. Stay safe out there!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYmXx-livingTue, 21 Apr 2020 00:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYmXx-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojK2-living The 51st day of mostly isolation was spent in our home lazily. We watched a less than stellar kids movie, washed and hung the kotatsu cover to dry, and eventually enjoyed the Royal Albert Hall production of The Phantom of the Opera on Youtube. My daughter started spinning around in a flowy skirt, trying to become a ballerina.Cheesy toast, one of today's highlights. For the first time in 29 days, no new cases were confirmed in Miyagi. I don't know how many tests were performed but the prefecture website last updated days ago shows a drop in testing over the three days previous to the last update, finishing under 100 on the 17th.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojK2-livingMon, 20 Apr 2020 00:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojK2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0v2k-livingIf today had a title, I think it would be: Two Rights for Every Wrong. It started this morning. I woke up pleasantly and got my husband to start getting ready for work. I went to make the rice ball he would take with him for lunch and managed to slice open my left index finger with the serrated cutting edge of the plastic-wrap package. After some quick use of antiseptic and a surprisingly useful bandage (I thought this sucker would bleed through it in a minute. Hours later, it's still going strong), I went back to the kitchen to finish the lunch work. I went back to bed after and my husband expressed concern over my injury before leaving for work. My finger stopped hurting sometime after I fell back asleep. When I got up a little later with my kid, my finger was feeling mostly okay.I really didn't think this little bandage could hold the blood back. It has proven me wrong.An important thing to note with a large finger cut is that it limits my ability to fully wash my hands until it is healed, which in turn limits my ability to venture outside. While Miyagi's confirmed cases are still under 100, I can't trust that there aren't sick people about who haven't been tested or had symptoms yet. I am not willing to bet my family's lives on all the other people being safe, and if I can't even wash my hands, I'm just not going outside if I can help it. If I had bought plastic gloves earlier, I would use them now, but of course I did not think of that in February.My kid and I were okay during breakfast though she doubled her usual time limit for meals but I didn't have the energy to get too stubborn about it. She did try to start into some extra drama for no reason but I was surprisingly up to the task of informing her that today was a "chill day" and that we wouldn't be having the drama for drama's sake. After the lingering morning meal, we made a list of things to do after lunch, including making bath balls and vacuuming. Then we watched the National Theatre's production of Treasure Island, which was excellent, official, and free on Youtube. Fans of Doctor Who or Broadchurch will recognize Arthur Darvill as Long John Silver and with the re-balancing of gender of this rendition, it felt like a good thing to watch with my adventurous daughter, though I will admit my kid was distracted for half of it. Once Ben Gunn appeared and talked of cheese, my kid became obsessed with the processed cheese-in-a-can that my father sent last winter. After the play, we did get the vacuuming and bath ball making done as well before I started dinner and she started painting with watercolors. So many kinds of culture, right? But hey, she tried to write some of her alphabet and she even made a partial henge of sorts.I am relieved that she finished eating dinner before her father returned as she spent the next hour bouncing off the walls, eventually pulling her supplemental Pikachu Instant Ramen down from the kotatsu with an unfortunate twirl of a blanket. Most of the noodles stayed inside the cup and were later eaten by me while the soup spilled in a deep soy sauce stain through our kotatsu cover, under blanket and even the rug. She pouted off to her room while my husband and I tended to the mess, later hugging and kissing her goodnight. I realize it's the middle of April and any decent housekeeper would have the spring and summer clothes and bedding changed out as well as the kotatsu stored until next fall, but it's a cold April and I am never without my kid who is fantastic but also uniquely skilled at getting underfoot, frequently at the worst possible times. Tonight's incident makes a convenient excuse to get on with it and change those things around, starting with the kotatsu that only I was turning on these days anyway. Another big shock to my system and reason my anxiety is giving for a driving sense of panic was the information I am grateful to have received from the small, family-run eikaiwa I work for most regularly. In an act of real benevolence, they offered to pay me for my regular hours this month and next month while they are closed, wages against which I will work to help with make-up lessons when things start back up, but with this pandemic still spreading, it is hard to tell when that might be. In the next couple of months, if the schools can't open, there won't be money to pay me with. I expressed gratitude at this information being delivered now and that they are being so generous. As such a small company and without any contract at all, their paying me despite the current situation is above and beyond, and there being a limit is sound and rational. Knowing all of this now is great because I get a chance to make backup plans and try to get a safety net in place before I'm past it.I got this information just before the ramen took flight and in the time since I said goodnight to my kid I've come up with three different potential income options and discarded two of them as impractical while homeschooling a six-year-old. I can't teach from home right now as my kid proved this week that even with entertainment and nutrition provided, even with the situation explained beforehand, she can't manage to keep to herself for even half an hour. I can't really edit, pitch or query for my novels for much the same reason.I can, theoretically, put together other electronic media options in the short stints of time between all the other craziness. Maybe those things can make money? Only time will tell. At least I can still work out blog posts when she is asleep or distracted.Meanwhile, confirmed coronavirus cases in Japan flew past 10,000, making it double what it was nine days ago. Miyagi's numbers are up to 84 with several of the most recent confirmations coming from people in their 30s. Things are scary out there, people. Stay safe!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0v2k-livingSat, 18 Apr 2020 22:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0v2k-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDq2j-living Another day inside, this one was no less exhausting than any previous ones. I'm excited that I got to teach online breifly, though my kid interrupted around 1000 times. Later, she wrapped a towel around her head and put on a fashion show.Apparently magic wands and cats are fashion show appropriate these days. Soon enough, it'll be her turn to try to communicate on the computer as her school has decided to start having zoom lessons or meetings of some kind. I'm actually terrified, not because it's elementary school and she hasn't had such structured lessons before but because I don't know everything that's going on. They have been good about sending emails which I understand by selecting all and then selecting translate on my phone. Now they're also supplying information by youtube video links which I cannot translate the same way. Hopefully I can figure it out later. If not, her involvement will be just a little more delayed.The recycling that is no longer in my kitchen. My biggest accomplishment was taking out the recycling in the morning, an action I haven't done in a couple of weeks with the pandemic looming larger and larger. Miyagi has 79 confirmed cases and a friend of mine in Gifu Prefecture has mentioned that her kid's elementary school is out until June. I wouldn't be surprised if the rest of us go the same way, though these decisions might be made in two week intervals.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDq2j-livingFri, 17 Apr 2020 21:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDq2j-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lXx-food_shopping_teaI found this green tea in the supermarket a few days after our lives started changing for the current pandemic. For a few weeks it sat on the shelf but now I finally have found the focus necessary to enjoy and write about it.This lovely green tea made by the Maruhori (丸堀製茶) company hails from Shizuoka Prefecture where quality is key. That said, my experiences with trying different teas from Shizuoka has also led me to understand that not every variation is my personal favorite. In general, the lighter the pallor, the lighter the flavor and my preference is usually more in the medium green area. Upon the completion of the brewing of the tea, I noticed how light the tea was in terms of opacity and my expectations settled a little lower than they had been. Would this be another case of green tea flavored water? At first taste, this brew was light and refreshing, already holding more flavor than many teas of similar coloration despite its strange translucence. A deeper drink revealed the depths of its umami heritage and really rounded out the flavor profile of the tea in a way I did not expect given how watery the color of the tea was.Tea green enough for the cartoon characters to walk on. The shadows at the bottom of the cup are the dregs of tea debris, surprisingly dark and plentiful in such a translucent beverage.Given that the dregs of the drink in the bottom of the cup are littered with tea debris, it was my estimation that many large particles of tea leaf were too heavy to stay aloft in the resulting beverage and drifted lower, leaving behind a little color and, thankfully, a lot of flavor. In many green tea variations, these dark blobs at the bottom of the cup retain the bitterness of the drink, as if they were denied their dreams of coming to the top of the cup and instead must sink sourly to the bottom. I was really pleasantly surprised by the fact that this was not the case. Once again, this Maruhori tea offered something nicer than I presumed possible. If I had not seen some dark green debris coming up in my final sip, I would not have known that they were there at all. Priced at 428 yen for 150 grams, this is a little over average price for green tea at this supermarket in yen per gram. It is still very affordable and delicious.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lXx-food_shopping_teaFri, 17 Apr 2020 16:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2lXx-food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakDD-livingToday was a day of relaxing and learning. We didn't get anything great accomplished other than eating and watching some TV. For any other 80s kids, it might be interesting to note that Land Before Time is currently available on Netflix in Japan. Also available is Panda Go Panda, an anime from the 1970s made by two of the men who went on to found Studio Ghibli.I also found out that, as an American citizen, I can receive a stimulus check from the US in light of the covid crisis. Since the Japanese government is only dishing out checks to its citizens, I'm out of luck here otherwise. With my private students needing to stay home and not having computer skills, I've been a little worried about money and this would help a lot. There's a catch though. If it comes, the check will be made out in my maiden name since I never got around to changing the name on my social security card. As that would require a trip to Tokyo to accomplish now, it's not going to happen any time soon. If and when the check does come, I will have to go to the bank with my husband and my old and new passports as well as any documents relating to our marriage to try to get the thing cashed. It still might not work. In any case, this is a worry for another day.If you're looking for another way to enjoy some time spent meeting friends virtually, check out BoardGameArena. You can play a large variety of board games with friends and for a really low fee that only one of you has to pay, you can enjoy video chat while you do it. The free account setup process even comes with a game to play against the computer to show you the ropes of how to use the site. All the games on the site are free to play, so why not?Also fun and social while distancing, GISH has decided to hold a one day event next weekend. It promises to be fun and wacky but also laid back compared to the normal week-long event. A portion of each $15 registration goes to save the children and No Kid Hungry, two charities working to feed kids during this crisis. Participants as usual will be put on teams of 15 unless they make teams of their own or limit the team size to as little as 9. If you're looking for some wild art to throw yourself or your kids into while giving to charity, this might be a fun thing to pick up. The mini-hunt starts and ends at noon Pacific on the 25th and 26th respectively, which will be 4AM on the 26th and 27th here in Japan. All you need is a camera (your phone will do) and an internet connection, though a sense of adventure or need to create wouldn't hurt.On the more somber side, the total number of infected in Japan blew past the 9,000 mark and ten more infections were confirmed in Sendai, bringing the total to 75.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakDD-livingThu, 16 Apr 2020 23:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zakDD-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M966N-livingToday was different.The closest we are getting to hanami this year.Our whole family had the day off, which is less of a surprise when you know today was the day that had been decided weeks ago to be the delayed start of my daughter's school. Now that that has now been put off for two more weeks, we decided to do something special. My husband asked if we wanted to go to the waterfall. Remembering the secluded the wooded area in Akiu, the rustic part of Sendai, I enthusiastically agreed. Yesterday, I cooked every meal. This time I would at least get to have someone else's coffee.The view from our table.We didn't do this lightly. We chose an out-of-the-way place, a small restaurant at that, and were relieved to find few cars in the parking lot. If it wasn't packed, it wasn't as much of a risk. We went in and decided for the first time to take our meal on the patio outdoors, set up today with tables a decent distance apart. The open-air aspect was also referencing tips seen on Japanese TV relating to open spaces with moving air being more safe in terms of viral infection. With the sakura in bloom, we really got a chance to enjoy that aspect of nature for a moment in this sad spring of hazardous hanami. My kid enjoying the view. She does wistfulreally well for 6. After our lovely meal, we went on to the waterfall down the road, where again we saw a mostly vacant parking lot and rejoiced. The path to the waterfall involves walking through a temple, and for the first time ever, we saw the small central building's doors slightly askew with a small sign suggesting we remove our shoes before we enter. Curiosity took us up the stairs, all three of us seeing the inside of this little building for the first time. My husband bought and lit a candle for our health as we prayed to the large figure of deity with a large sword and flaming background. Fudoumiyou o, also known as Acala, is one of the five widsom kings of Vajrayana Buddhism. This temple, known as Akiu Otaki Fudoson, dates back to the Heian era and has been considered an important cultural property of Sendai city since 1995.I didn't see any signs saying no pictures, and my husband didn't know if they were allowed. Still, I deleted the shot I had snapped of the big statue. Just in case. After our brief prayers, we walked down to where we see the waterfall and our daughter asked if we could go down to the falls themselves. Knowing this was our last outing for a good long while, my husband and I agreed, and through the woods we went. It was actually a lovely walk with great weather and we only saw three people in our whole trip down to where the falls flow into the river below. My husband and I had been here before, but only once. It was the summer I moved to Miyagi from Gifu, back when I thought we would move back to the states sometime so we might as well go see some waterfalls while we had the chance. As we meandered down the path, he noticed the math. Our last visit had occurred in 2010, ten years ago, before the big quake that shook everything else up and left many of the mountain passages we took down in no fit state. Coming back the next summer had not been possible as I had been on hospitalized bedrest, and pulling a toddler down sometimes narrow, steep steps had not seemed like a good idea after that. This was the first time we really could do it since then, and knowing that it was our lastchance for a while, we did. After all of this, we trekked back to the little tea house near the temple and enjoyed some fantastic refreshments before heading back home. It was just the adventure we needed and as safe as we could make it.In less positive news, another student has had to call off classes for the foreseeable future. Suddenly, having a lot of older students who aren't too tech savvy seems like a bad idea after all. I spent about five minutes considering further online employment but then remembered that I have a six year old who doesn't really get how to leave me be for half an hour or more without interruption. I'm still going to offer online options to my current or current-ish students, but finding new people might just be beyond me. Meanwhile, Miyagi's infected total hit 64 and experts warned that Japan may see as many as 400,000 deaths from the disease. Things are scary and they're likely to get scarier and scarier before they get better.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M966N-livingWed, 15 Apr 2020 23:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M966N-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVVX-living Today was a lazy day spent in pajamas, talking to friends and family back home, and watching Ghibli films. Today we saw both Up on Poppy Hill and The Wind Rises, two mostly realistic films from the studio. My kid was less interested overall but my husband and I enjoyed them.Our attempt at Human Fall Flat, which apparently involved the magic of hanging off of boxes. We also played a bit of Human Fall Flat, after which my kid spent some time drawing herself a tiny computer and I murdered three kinds of delicious cheese in a failed attempt at making macaroni and cheese from scratch. The results were edible but lumpy.Tiny hands, tiny computer.One day I will master cheese sauce. Today was not that day, but dinner was still edible. Meanwhile the total number of coronavirus infections in Miyagi has reached 56, the WHO declared coronavirus to be 10 times deadlier than H1N1 and Miyagi's governor suggested declaring a state of emergency for Sendai city. Stay safe!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVVX-livingTue, 14 Apr 2020 23:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrVVX-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPP7-livingThis morning, I was thinking of how to end this series of posts and when. Is it still a staycation if my kid is going to school in a different city? Probably not. More like slight economic disadvantage for a private English conversational teacher, but if we're not staying home, there's no staycation t document.But I would still have today and tomorrow, and I would probably start again in a couple weeks when they decide we've finally caught up with Tokyo and should just stay homewith a new, shorter name that I would come up with in the meantime.One week's shopping is heavy. We had to take the cart home and return it.My kid and I went out to teach a lesson but found I had mixed up the times so we did a week's worth of shopping in one go instead, making sure to get material for three days worth of bento.Tape marks on the floor of our grocery store now mark social distance, but don't stop little old ladies from trying to cut in front of you if you bother to text someone back while you wait, so watch out.Heavy plastic sheeting separates us from the cashiers, keeping everyone a little safer.This afternoon, as I was getting ready to prepare dinner, my daughter's school sent a message saying school will be out until May. Two more weeks within my kid. I'm more relieved than anything else. We're going to stay safe.As it turns out, those kids under 10 who tested positive for coronavirus yesterday in Miyagi were in the same city as the school. In light of that news, I couldn't agree more with their delay. So the staycation continues. Stay safe!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPP7-livingMon, 13 Apr 2020 23:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPP7-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxLLy-livingHappy Easter Everyone!Quarantine Easter: old craft baskets and a bridesmaid's dress for the win. Today was Easter Sunday and I had a few plans with my daughter but settled for short fun activities including an Easter egg hunt around the apartment with Reece's Eggs my dad sent a few months back and I held onto just for today. In a twist, after finding the eight I hid, my daughter took her turn hiding the candy eggs. We still haven't found two of the blighters but hopefully their candy wrappers will keep them intact until they turn up. Such excitement. I'm so glad she doesn't have big church egg hunts to compare this to.I also got her to sit still long enough to watch a full modern show of Jesus Christ Superstar, available now on Youtube legitimately and for free thanks to something called The Show Must Go On. They seem committed to uploading one new live recording of a musical performance every Friday at 7 PM BST and leaving it up for 48 hours, all with permission and decent quality. While a couple of scenes here weren't the easiest for my kid, having a grasp of this subject matter before she goes off to Catholic school might be a good call, or at least that's how my lapsed Episcopalian brain saw it.Unfortunately, after all of this I lacked the energy to make a special Easter dinner and instead asked my husband to pick something up on the way home, which he did. We then watched Whisper of the Heart, the most realistic Studio Ghibli film I've seen to date, and we really enjoyed it.Meanwhile coronavirus cases in Miyagi have climbed to 51 including some children under the age of 10. Public schools are still out for another week but some private schools are starting up this week, including the one my daughter will be attending. We are scared but trying to stay safe. I'm also quite worn out. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxLLy-livingSun, 12 Apr 2020 23:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxLLy-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvvW-living Today seven more people were found to be infected in Miyagi, some of whom we're apparently infected at a small town love hotel, bringing the total to 45 for the prefecture. Tokyo also saw the biggest gain so far but I was relieved to see vacant Tokyo streets on the news. In a couple weeks (or months), we might just turn this around. Meanwhile, my family celebrated my daughter entering elementary school with a small gathering at her new school. I was so happy to see the staff reminding parents in line to stand back and give distance to the others as well as the seating arrangement, taking up a whole auditorium so that each of the 31 students and their parents could sit in household clusters far from others and in an assigned fashion. I felt they were taking the situation seriously and that was a relief.Check out all that space! Like they know we're in a pandemic and want us to stay healthy while celebrating our children's milestones! It started swiftly and ended the same, but not so swiftly that my kid didn't have a chance to make a friend. She spent a minute chatting happily with the girl next to her in the photo line up. She doesn't know the name of the girl, but she will have a chance to figure it out soon . We also enjoyed the sight of the central cherry blossoms at HonShiogama Station.My in-laws celebrated with us that evening at their home where we enjoyed a great dinner and this adorable cake. We're really lucky that this is how our family has worked out. My in-laws also expressed concern over whether America will demand my return. Since they haven't yet and didn't in 2011, I'm going to assume it's really unlikely to occur. I'd be more worried about Japan sending me away but I'm not actually doing anything wrong. What it looks like right now is only that I won't be getting either country's stimulus benefits, which sucks but being denied that is better than being deported. Stay safe out there .To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvvW-livingSat, 11 Apr 2020 21:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvvW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqqY-living Miyagi is now up to 38 known infecteded with unknown origin becoming more and more common. Miyagi Prefectural Medical Association said recently that we're heading into absolute danger of over-running our medical ability and are only 3 weeks behind Tokyo in terms of how much damage is headed our way. Somehow tomorrow we're going to the entrance ceremony for my daughter starting elementary school. The school did rent a different (larger?) venue (to accomodate social distancing?) so it has already been moved and adapted a bit. I'm not sure what to expect. My mind has been so preoccupied that I forgot my kid needed new undershirts and had to buy them last minute online. Luckily they came today. In the meantime, my daughter and I spent the day watching The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part on Netflix twice (I slept through it the first time around) and I felt one song was really fitting. Toward the end, there is a reprisal of Everything is Awesome but with a twist. Everything isn't awesome, they realize, but making it not bad would be pretty great. That's something to hold onto at the moment anyway. I also tried to finish making those cloth masks Over been working on for weeks. I'm almost there. It turns out my sewing machine really hates this one bobbin. Then my husband and I tracked down our kid's clothes for tomorrow labelled what had to be labelled tonight, and settled down for just a minute before I was too tired to do much else. I did realize the difference between depression/exhaustion and malaise. If your brain has the energy to ruminate, you're depressed and that is draining your energy. Malaise is when you're getting weak/sick/tired but your brain isn't attacking you unless you just happen to have depression too, but even then you might be too tired to even think those thoughts. Stay safe, folks!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqqY-livingSat, 11 Apr 2020 00:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBqqY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mvjjr-living So here we are at day 41. Miyagi is up to 36 infected. Tokyo gained 181 cases confirmed today alone, more than half of which with no known transmission source. As karmic payback for yesterday's outing, I awoke only a couple of hours after falling asleep and ran to the bathroom. Once all of my once-delicious Indian food left me, I went back to bed, but didn't sleep well and spent the day exhausted. My anxious stomach wasn't ready for such great spices, I think. It settled later and I've had no further trouble asside from exhaustion. My kid spent the morning ignoring my pleas for academic work and instead building with blocks. I set to work putting together the cards I wanted to send to senior centers back in the states that are emotionally suffering during lockdown. Upon further, less exhausted thought, I came to the conclusion that I hadn't been a hypocritic yesterday in that we walked around a 3 block radius near our home to do a thing that needed to be done for my daughter's future safety and chose to support a local business on the way back. This is not the same as taking mass transit that is known to have carried someone with covid in the last 2 months to talk, eat, and visit the home of someone where a young child and ex-smoker husband also reside. We're not the worst off in the world, but we're trying to be safe. We're not on lockdown. We're staying home as much as we can. And that was most of today. I sure hope my current mood is more exhausted depression than malaise, but I really don't know how anyone tells the difference. Stay safe!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mvjjr-livingThu, 09 Apr 2020 20:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mvjjr-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPoJ-living Yesterday marked the fortieth day since the PM asked everyone to close the schools and changed the daily lives of many a working parent. We've learned a lot in these weeks, but maybe some more than others. There's still no lockdown and even the 7 prefectures under emergency status are only requesting that their people cut interactions by 80%. I have no idea how that can be achieved in Tokyo, but I hope it works out. My day started with a fight. My friend in Sendai sent an email asking about school delays and I let her know that my kid is supposed to start next week. She said she had time off and when I asked if she was staying safe she said something along the lines of: "If I get it, I get it." in regards to CoVid19. I was livid. This was a person I've known for almost a decade; a woman who set out on a road trip after the March 11 disasters and was so desparate to survive that she with friends embibed poorly thought out chemicals in the hopes of staving off any ill effects of the radiation. Now in 2020 with a global pandemic raging and confirmed cases already found in the city she lives in, the separate city she works in and the other city where her in-laws reside, she can't be bothered to care about getting it. Being asthmatic and recently hospitalized apparently hasn't made her any more alarmed. I wrote a long paragraph in response, explaining that this is killing people, and if she gets it, she's quite likely to die. She should care more. This should scare her. It doesn't. We probably won't talk again for a few months. That's the thing about this illness in Japan. Not everyone knows someone who is sick yet. The numbers are growing, slower in some places than others, but it's not like it is in the states. If you get your news from international sources, you've probably been worried about this thing for months, even though it hasn't gotten the same press in Japan. One of my cousins has it and I'm worried for her, but she's staying home and taking the precautions she can. That's all she can do right now. Meanwhile out here, my husband had the day off so we watched Howl's Moving Castle and Arrietty, both of which I enjoyed. Then we walked to our local AU shop and got my kid a cell phone in preparation for her school in a different city starting next week, unless it gets delayed again.She's a natural. On the way back, we went into a locally run Indian restaurant named Santa for a lovely dinner in our own private room.Our room!A delicious pizza inspired dish and some great curries!A fruity rice that wasn't too sweet and still worked well with the curries. Absolutely delicious! It may seem hypocritical that we went out to dinner on the same night that I lectured my friend on not taking the crisis more seriously and on some level that is just how it is. We're watching out more than 80% of the time and staying at home for stints of almost a week on end when we can. There aren't that many confirmed infections in out area but that says more about testing than anything else. The chef at the restaurant was wearing a mask and we felt comfortable eating where we were. Emotionally if nothing else, I needed this break -- this chance to fill myself with food I didn't have to make personally for my own consumption. I had the take advantage while we still had the opportunity. Nothing is shut here, not yet anyway, but the numbers are climbing by the day. We're up to 33 cases confirmed in Miyagi so far. That doesn't seem like a lot, but it will be.Until then, when you can, stay safe!** Edited for clarity. Writing this after 2AM was a bad call. Sorry for the typos. They should be mostly gone now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPoJ-livingThu, 09 Apr 2020 02:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJPoJ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83rW-living The prime minister declared a state of emergency in seven prefectures including Tokyo this evening, and state that is set to last until May 6th. Mostly this seems to just be giving governors options for asking people to stay home or pressuring companies to support telecommuting, but I'm not entirely sure what all of it means, despite watching an informative video. As Miyagi was not on that prefecture list (and for good reason, since we're one of the less infected prefectures), plans to go ahead with starting schools as currently planned seem to be going forward. Meanwhile, my kid and I stayed in, talked to friends online in Texas, talked to my father, and watched Harry Potter, which my kid saw maybe 40% of between trips to collect more/better toys from her room and attempts to balance coins on her nose and thumbs. I spent any spare time I had folding laundry, putting that away, trying to get some dishes done, and doing my best to finish making these darned masks that I wanted to have sent off to charity last week. Instead, I finished hand-stitching the elastic on 3, two of which I managed to bleed on.Guess it's mine now. Even a little more personal than licking it, eh? I am very worn out, but I'm still here. Tomorrow my husband has the day off and we need to go get my daughter her first cellphone. With her school being so far away, we just wanted to make sure she was safe, and this is our last chance before classes start. We will be wearing masks and washing our hands plenty. It's all we can do. Stay safe out there!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83rW-livingTue, 07 Apr 2020 23:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83rW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gojk2-living Today, we did so many things. We talked with my family, went out to teach, ran to the post office and went shopping. When we came home, I wiped down the groceries with a disenfectant wipe and put them away. Then we showered to clean off any potential threats from our big day out. One of my favorite clerks at the post office sounded a little sick behind her mask, and my anxiety is trying hard to convince me that having received change and not disenfected myself immediately means I must be sick now. There is no reason to assume I'm actually sick. There's a small tickle at the back of my throat and an occassional runny nose but given the recent temperature drop and the amount of my day spent walking in the cold wind, this isn't actually a cause for concern. If I develop a fever, shortness of breath or a persistent cough, I'll seek medical help. Until then, I'm trying to relax. The sakura in front of HonShiogama Station were a riot of fluffy blossoms, all trying to bring some cheer to the somber world before wind rips them apart. Other shoes are dropping all over it seems. Tomorrow, the prime minister seems set to declare a state of emergency regarding the outbreak, according to many news sources. Public schools in my town are closing until the 20th, which means I'll be heading out less for one of my jobs but my town will be safer. My employers are working with me really well to make sure we can all survive this financially. My daughter's new school sent an email saying that they would be opening the school next week, but I'm waiting to see if that gets ammended tomorrow. We'll still get prepared this week just to make sure. I'd hate to enjoy this time off only to have to panic and rush through labelling every one of her school supplies in a mad rush the night before she needs it. If she does actually get started while I'm otherwise off for two weeks, I want to be able to throw myself into some major projects, like editing any of my NaNoWriMo novels or doing a proper deep cleaning of my home,but I don't know how much anxiety and depression are going to work with all of this. So I'll do what we're all supposed to do and take it one day at a time.Stay safe!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gojk2-livingMon, 06 Apr 2020 23:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gojk2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83rY-living We didn't leave the house today, which is what the government in our area had suggested, specifically for young people. This request baffles me in light of the virus. The elderly are the most at risk. Maybe they think only the young ones are getting out and about. My kid an I made tortillas from scratch. They weren't the largest or most amazing, but they were plentiful and delicious. I never thought to curl taco shells in a coffee mug before but you use what you have. The ones that were too brittle to fold will be used in quesadillas tomorrow. Another important project I finished up this evening was making a couple of masks to keep my dad safe when he has to go shopping back in the states. I went with the surgical style but added 2 layers of gauzy cotton inside to act as a washable filter. The fabric on the outside shows a painting-style print of Raijin, the storm god. I bought this fabric scrap years ago with my dad in mind but never thought up anything to make with it until now. Two of the twenty Miyagi based coronavirus cases are being hospitalized in the town where I live. The numbers all over the country are growing and it makes me nervous. I fear that if the government doesn't take action soon, we'll be doomed to repeat the mistakes that have cost so many lives in many other countries. A friend of mine helped give me some perspective today. It's a LOT worse in the states and for more reasons than I'm prepared to write about here. Right now a lot of places are suffering in ways we just aren't yet and hopefully won't have to as much if at all. Right now, we wait. While we're stuck here waiting for things to get better it worse and for the government to make more decisions, I recommend tapping in to a comfortable distraction when you can,just to give yourself a break from the panicky fear that might otherwise be there. Video games, crochet, reading, puzzles, anime, or anything else you can lose yourself in safely and in your own home could help. In the meantime, stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83rY-livingMon, 06 Apr 2020 01:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z83rY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1bmo-living This weekend is the first proper Staycation of the run as the mayor of Sendai has asked everyone to stay home this weekend. I still went to work and my kid went to her piano class, the first one in a month. It went surprisingly well. Tomorrow, we're staying home. With more than 100 cases confirmed just today in Tokyo, it feels like we're on the verge of the lockdowns we're seeing in other countries but I've also thought that was coming for more than 30 days now.A screenshot from a website detailing the specific jobs that are considered important enough to keep doing in Washington State despite their lockdown. My husband wasn't thrilled about the prospect of not working but it turns out at least according to one site I found that funeral directors are necessary, at least in other places where lockdowns have occurred. My job is not as important but my main employers have assured me that they'll file the paperwork when they can if things get shut down to make sure I can get paid. None of these things are certain, but things are going as well as they can right now. Meanwhile, there's one case in my town and twenty in Miyagi. We are staying in and staying safe as much as possible. Tonight, my family watched more Ghibli and relaxed as much as we can.Stay safe, people.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1bmo-livingSun, 05 Apr 2020 00:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1bmo-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3B12-living This morning I was surprised to receive a package. I couldn't really decipher the return address and I hadn't bought anything online in a minute so I figured the contents would help me figure it out. They did. Back in winter, there was a Miyagi Lapras Pokemon Stamp rally that my kid and I participated in. I was excited to send off our completed forms in mid-February, entering my daughter and myself each separately in a couple of the prize drawings. It turns out that one got through and our adorable prizes were these:In case you're wondering, yes, they squeak. There are five. They're adorable. After our surprise delivery, I realized we didn't have enough juice to last through the weekend with my kid. It was either go today when the crowd is fairly sparse or throw social distancing completely out the window and go tomorrow. We chose the prior option and my daughter even found a puzzle we didn't manage to finish before my exhaustion set in and we needed to get home. We came home and showered and changed clothes before my in-laws came to take me to work and my kid to their house. Teaching was interesting in that a lot of the classes have changed up a bit with many kids staying home and the few left being shuffled about. Still there were similarly skilled pairs so it wasn't impossible. If the students dwindle, I'm out of a job until enough come back. If the public schools close, I'm out of a job until they come back. With so many threats to my income, it's no wonder my mouth is currently harboring a number of cankre sores. One awesome thing? My husband offered to pick up dinner and it was wonderful. Look at this beautiful garlic naan!My cheese naan was also great, but not as beautiful. Another great thing that happened today was that my daughter's new school sent an email asking about our abilities to participate in class online. Even if it never happens, I'm happy to see these people taking the threat of the coronavirus more seriously than the PM currently is. I'm still scared about sending my kid off to school. I'm also a little frustrated with her music school starting back up tomorrow like nothing is wrong and nothing has happened. Just going through the grocery store with people unable to take up any space other than the center of the aisle is making me crazier than I am entirely comfortable with. But it's not always going to be like this. It's likely to get a lot more deadly then social distancing will become a little more serious. In 2 years, we'll have a shot for it and we'll be safer than before. Until then, let's just stay as safe as we can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3B12-livingSat, 04 Apr 2020 00:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3B12-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvRB-living My kid and I spent most of our day trying to relax and stay safe. We haven't left the house since Monday and so far we are doing alright. I am a little nervous still regarding the fate of the school openings. It's a needless worry, as there are only two options. Either they open, and we start this new adventure we've been gearing up to all break, or they don't and we keep doing what we've been doing. Even knowing this, I'm still nervous about it because it isn't really clear what is going on. The PM is still saying everything is going to be fine, though now with the addition of sending millions oftwo cloth masks. Meanwhile the number of cases in Japan has reached over 2600and the number of new cases confirmed grows every day. On the positive side, researchers elsewhere in the world have noticed a correlation between the BCG vaccine and lower death rates from the novel coronavirus. While it's not entirely definitive, it does make me worry just a tiny bit less about my daughter who had this vaccine as an infant, like most kids in Japan since the 1940s. So maybe there are reasons to be a little less alarmed here than in a lot of other places, but I still think it's safer to be cautious. Another great thing I've discovered in the last week and taken comfort in is the Youtube channel of Chris Mann, a performer who is spending his time inside making CoVid-inspired covers of popular songs, including this week's addition, thanking the front line workers around the world for trying to save lives and make a difference in this troubling time.I don't actually know this guy, but I love what he does and if you need one more distraction right now, there you go. As for us out here in Miyagi, my kid and I chatted with friends on the internet and watched Kiki's Delivery Service for the second time before taking a stab at one of our long lost hobbies, the taiko drum game on the Nintendo Wii. The last time we played this, we couldn't get our second controller to work and wound up playing solo rounds despite having two controllers and two drums. This time was better in that I figured out how to sync the second controller to the Wii, something I had never considered before.Because we bought the second controller and the drums second hand from a friend who was moving away, they weren't exactly in perfect condition when they came home. Now, thanks to their second-hand condition and a rambunctious six-year-old whacking them constantly, the sensors under the drum skins are a bit on the numb side. I found myself holding the sticks like pencils and attempting to expertly prod the right bits at the right time, resulting in significantly higher scores than trying to play it like an actual drum. In the end, it was less about being a taiko master and more about expertly poking the instrument. I spent a few moments considering what we sould be doing if it weren't for CoVid. This would be my last week before my kid starts her school in another city, stealing away four more hours a day than her kindergarten had. On my days off, we would have gone to Matsushima or Sendai and had a day out, just her and I, making some memories to last until her next break. Instead, we stayed in and played games. We're still making those memories, just in different settings. The day ended well, though I am still nervous about the world and the little piece of it we're on.Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvRB-livingThu, 02 Apr 2020 22:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdvRB-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvjvE-living_fashion_healthWith the current shortage of disposable masks available in Japan, many people have turned to making their own washable masks out of cloth. If you're stuck in an ultra-urban environment, going out to get supplies might be difficult and the supplies themselves might be in short supply. Look no further than your closet or the trunk of clothes you can't wear anymore. If you have some thick-weave cotton, you have options. Here is how I turned two 100% cotton button-down shirts that were in great condition into a number of masks, focused on the process of laying out and cutting the pieces. Better instructions, some with video components. can be found elsewhere online.All cotton button down shirts, soon to be all masks.First you need to choose a pattern. I went with one pattern for children's masks and another rectangular one for adults. Make sure you have your pattern printed to the appropriate size. I misread one set of instructions and printed the instructions instead of the pattern itself which lead to a lot of math and conversions to turn it into a functional pattern.Yes, they fit, but how best to cut them? It's easier to focus without the seams in the way.Next, iron the shirts just enough to get out any big wrinkles and start chopping them apart. If you have lots of time on your hands, you can take a seam ripper to each side and back seam. The collar is small and the back is reinforced, giving the fabric a different thickness. Same with the button facing. They are not as useful in mask making, so I avoid them. If you're using a seam ripper, rip down the side and back seams, separating the big bits of fabric from the thick bits and each other. Iron those bits out, picking out all the loose threads, and laying out your pattern. If you're more pressed for time or patience, slicing down both sides of the seam with scissors also removes it from play, though at the expense of a little fabric. If your shirts have darts, use a seam ripper to take them out before pressing them out flat and continuing or cut to avoid them.Then lay out your pattern on top of the fabric, watching for any stains or fabric irregularities. If you want to make a lot of masks, watch your layout to maximize the number of pattern pieces you can cut out. Remember to leave space for seam allowances if necessary. Once you've cut your fabric out, follow the directions of whatever pattern your are following to finish turning your old shirt into a new piece of protective equipment for you or someone you love.One American Medium shirt yielded 3 adult masks, 4 outer layers of kids masks and 2 inner layers of kids masks.The final product of kids masks, complete with t-shirt filter sewn in. Stay safe out there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvjvE-living_fashion_healthThu, 02 Apr 2020 17:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvjvE-living_fashion_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42rJ-living This is our second day in a row of not leaving the house at all and things are getting serious. Outside, the numbers are growing and some Tokyo schools as well as some in Sendai are delaying their opening so that coronavirus hotspots and teachers who have been infected have a chance to recover. Inside, we took it easy by playing a video game called Human Fall Flat that I bought on Steam during a winter sale, saving it for a rainy day. We also used a kit my dad sent for Christmas to make bath balls and my daughter got her inner diva out for some fun living room karaoke. It turns out that using all the energy and patience for my kid left me high and dry come dinner time. I whipped up something for my kid but couldn't make anything more than granola work for ny husband and myself. I mommed so hard I couldn't wife well, but my husband was a good sport and didn't complain. He knows in worn out. I know he is, too. We're still waiting to see if this voluntary social distancing becomes more mandated but for now, we're just doing what we can to flatten the curve. Every day there are more changes. As long as we can, we'll just wait it out in here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42rJ-livingWed, 01 Apr 2020 23:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z42rJ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqRe8-living_familylifeWith Covid19 cases in Japan growing at an alarming rate, there is no telling if schools will open as scheduled in April nor how long they will stay open before a state of emergency shutters them to keep people safer. While you're home with your kids for this or any other extended time, here are some tips I've found useful over the last month of staying at home with my kiddo.Our list, which hasn't been updated in weeks but many of these things are still going on.Organize Your TimeOne of the best things we did as a family at the beginning of this whole ordeal was setting up a list of things we wanted to get done several times a week if not every day. The first week, my daughter called this Home Adventure and was very excited about it. Over the following weeks her excitement has waned but we still get more done than I think either of us would have otherwise.Organize Your HomeWhat better time for spring cleaning than when you're stuck inside anyway? I know I have found myself cleaning things I have been putting off for weeks merely because, now that I am not going out as much, the once-occasional eye-sore is becoming much more frustrating and in need of attention. As a family, this can sometimes be stressful, but if you set realistic goals (clear off one shelf today, not clean the whole room spotlessly today) and do it together, perhaps with music, even reluctant kids (and adults) may find themselves more capable than they previously thought possible.Add Some FunStaying sane and happy with each other when cooped up for weeks can be a challenge. Finding a way to bring fun to the situation can be as easy as letting everyone have some time to do one thing they really enjoy like reading a manga or playing a video game. We've taken to watching videos of baby bats on Youtube and setting up our "movie theater" many afternoons. Drawing the curtains so the room is dark when we watch a movie from Amazon or Netflix brings a little taste of the outside in without the threat of viral infection. Microwave popcorn or other snacks are highly recommended. If crafting or more active options are more in your family's line, check the internet for creative family fun you can do together.Let Them HelpKids in Japanese schools tend to be taught to help more than their American counterparts, though as an American parent, I tend to do most things by myself. Letting my kid help clean up means she appreciates the work that goes into cleaning. When she helps cook, she eats more enthusiastically too. Letting them help where they want to and where they can really helps the whole household work together better if it's done well and you have the patience to make it work.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqRe8-living_familylifeWed, 01 Apr 2020 10:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqRe8-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk5pZ-living This was a long day with a variety of bright and dark spots. Despite lots of clashes with my kid, I managed to finish some cloth masks for GISH before their deadline of 4PM Japan time. I managed to make up with my kid and we enjoyed a nap together until my phone buzzed with emails from my daughter's new school, letting us know that the opening ceremony and start dates are being moved back since one of the ALTs who caught the virus drinking in downtown Sendai happens to work at the school. I don't know what to think. I'm shaken and worried and livid. How dare they go out drinking in a crowded pub during a pandemic! How much can I trust someone who wasn't taking this seriously with the education and safety of my kid? Or will we all actually be taking this seriously now that it's starting to kill celebrities like poor Ken Shimura who passed yesterday? I do realize that this may seem a bit hypocritical from someone who had dinner out with her family a few times since the virus started closing countries and only yesterday visited a shopping mall. I'm also still teaching here are there, but these aren't quite the same as going drinking at a British-style pub and eating with strangers or friends from out of town. We're staying as safe as we can, and nothing is perfect, but this scared me. I also got confirmation that if the public schools are shut down, my main teaching job will also disappear for public safety until the schools are reopened. So now life is all about waiting on pins and needles to see how far I need to stretch the paycheck I only just received and hoping the teacher makes a full, speedy recovery with lessons learned by the whole staff.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk5pZ-livingWed, 01 Apr 2020 00:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk5pZ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkKo-living Today I taught one class with one of my senior students, trying to keep us both safe by wearing a mask and being careful about coughing and washing hands. I brought a bento lunch from the grocery store home and spent a good chunk of the afternoon going over the list of school stuff for my kid's elementary school with ny husband. Anything else we needed went on the list we went out and got in a big shopping run that took up the rest of the afternoon and evening. We found this at the mall. I came home with a cough and exhaustion but the evening was redeemed by a viewing of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind which we all enjoyed with some pizza that we picked up on the way home. In actual news, the sixth case of the novel coronavirus has been confirmed in Miyagi. So far, we had one guy who got it on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, a woman who chose to spend a couple weeks couped up with her knowingly infected boyfriend who traveled here from Tokyo on mass transit, two ALTs and their associate who spent one March night drinking and eating in Sendai before heading back to Akita infected, and a doctor who spent a couple of hours in a car with a colleague from Tokyo who recently treated a patient with the virus. Personally, I'm most curious about where the ALTs got it. It's not as though it spontaneously occurs in people. Someone had to bring it to dinner, but it's not clear where the infection is more active.Stay safe out there!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkKo-livingMon, 30 Mar 2020 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbkKo-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQomq-living Today, we stayed inside. My husband had the day off and slept in while my kid and I had breakfast and chatted online. We later enjoyed Kiki's Delivery Service as a family and mostly just spent the day relaxing. When we had the chance, my daughter and I finally started sewing the fabric masks I have been trying to make for GISH and just not having the time to do. Also, I finally finished those kids' masks from a few days ago. My kid really wanted to help, so she sewed the last 2 seams. Yay for easy straight seams. We're very lucky that we didn't have to go out for anything and could just stay in, but tomorrow will be a different story. Not only do I have a private student to see but also my father-in-law's birthday is coming up and my husband's method of purchase usually includes a level of wandering around that isn't exactly healthy at the moment. I wish I could have come up with a good present and bought it online weeks back, but we're still not sure what to get him. We also have to go through our kid's new school stuff and double check what else is needed to be bought so we can quickly shop on my husband's next day off before school starts in about two weeks. We're okay and we hope you all are okay too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQomq-livingSun, 29 Mar 2020 22:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQomq-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qZW-living Today was yet another Saturday during which I worked, teaching two classes with kids at a small conversational school. We're all nervous and we all need to keep working our non-essential jobs. I will probably keep working there until the government makes us shut down for a bit or I get sick. I'm feeling a little dehydrated, but without a fever or persistent cough, I'm figuring it's more seasonal than deadly. After class, I took a brief walk about and found the cherry blossoms in front of Honshiogama Station more in bloom than before. I decided to check out Welcia, which I hadn't been to in a few weeks. The differences I found included toilet paper and paper towels, well stocked and ready to go. I also figured out more about the mysterious "fuel" alcohol I found the other week. it turns out it contains 95% methanol, most frequently used as fuel, solvent or in antifreeze. Do not put this on your hands. Meanwhile, the hand sanitizer section was still completely empty. I then did the grocery shopping and headed back to my house for a quick lunch before my daughter came home. I tried to encourage her to make "Thinking of You" style cards for senior centers that I has seen requests for on social media earlier in the week. She resisted but I made some anyway. If you want to join the fun on that particular task, check out this page for a number of senior centers in the US that are eager to receive positive mail from somewhere while they are off-limits to their friends and family outside the facility. I'm still scared and I am not entirely sure what the difference between anxiety-burnout and malaise is. I know right now no one can be sure if the tickling in their throat is more serious than a little postnasal drip, but I don't know how to get through this other than taking it one day at a time, especially when what we know about the virus and spread changes every day. One thing that does bug me in Japan is the lack of social distancing, even in smaller towns. While I was shopping, an old lady and her cart veered enough into the middle of the lane that I was forced to move sideways and knock over a few cans of some drink or another. She then stopped in place and stared while I replaced the items. The crowding into my space and then watching me deal with the repercussions filled me with rage. I had to make a beeline for the check-out just to avoid losing my mind at this aged creeper. Maybe I really shouldn't bother trying to shop but on weeknights when my husband comes home early. I do recommend staying informed enough to know how to be safe but also distracted enough to not be murdered by your anxiety regarding that safety. It's a tightrope walk, I think, but I have also found myself reaching out to old friends on social media and finding that even those people I haven't shared more than a few words with in a decade are feeling much the same. It's harder in some places than others, and honestly Miyagi isn't that bad of a place to be right now. Hey, we even have TP for the moment. Stay safe out there. And calm.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qZW-livingSun, 29 Mar 2020 00:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6qZW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z838Y-living Have you ever throw every ounce of spare energy at something and had it backfire time and again? That was me with mask making today. First, I chopped up some 100% cotton shirts that are in good condition but haven't fit me in a decade. The template on the right is for masks to send to careworkers for GISH. The template on the left is for kids, specifically my friend's kids who won't wear the ones their mom made. I was in such a rush to get things done that I managed to sew one side inside out and had to stop to hunt down a seam ripper. Then it was time to give up and get ready for work, which I did. My kid and I are working pretty well together these days, with a little more patience and understanding, so getting ready was easier than it was on some other occassions. At work, I heard more about the new Coronavirus case in Miyagi. It turns out that a guy who knew he was infected chose to take the bullet train up here to visit his girlfriend at the end of last month. They hung out for 2 weeks, shopping occassionally. We don't have confirmation of which train line he took out here but the easiest public transit option involves HonShiogama Station, which I visit on my pokewalks when I can. So now I'm not entirely sure if the dryness at the back of my throat is just dehydration or something more sinister, but I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing including lots of hand washing and mask wearing when I'm outside of my home.They're not done, but they're a lot closer than they were. After I got my kid to bed, I worked a little more on the masks and got to this stopping point before I decided to leave it for a less exhausted mind tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure there's a clever way to turn out the ends, but I'm not finding it at midnight between two work days. So give yourselves a chance, and if things are sucking, take a mental break if you can. Coming back to something a little later gives your subconscious a chance to work some magic.Stay safe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z838Y-livingSat, 28 Mar 2020 00:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z838Y-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj49-living Today I slept in because I needed to after excitedly choosing a Ghibli movie to watch last night without looking at the clock and realizing it was far too late for such shenanigans. I spent part of the day researching home-made fabric masks and mask covers, as I had the day before, but for a more immediate purpose. Fabric masks aren't as good as real masks, but they are better than nothing. That said, filtering depends on the wearer and maker. Some masks have a filter pocket where someone could inset a surgical mask or something similar. Some have the filter sewn in, usually a few layers of similar fabric. In all cases, these things need to be breathable, so 100% cotton is the way to go. I've spent what little "free time" I've had in the last two days hunting down any good condition but discardable cotton in the house to get a start on making these things. I haven't found a Japanese site requesting them but there are people begging for them all over the world and right now GISH is even trying to inspire some sewing fiends to make as many as they can to help out. These are meant to be worn over the n95 masks to extend the life of that special but increasingly difficult to find product.Mask template instructions and an origami tulip from my precious daughter, happily entertaining herself with whatever we have on hand. Luckily, we actually have a lot on hand. I checked in with a friend who is a nurse in Texas. She said they are currently good on masks but it is quite busy. Her family is staying sane but her extroverted partner is starting to go a little nuts being cooped up in the house with the kid all the time. I know how he feels, though I admit it's not as hard out here. Yet. Today the second confirmed Corona case in Miyagi was found in a woman in her forties who lives in Shichigahama, just the next town over from where we live. Some of my students live there and this makes me nervous. I'm still teaching, and sanitizing the kids and the areas between classes and when new kids come in. I'm still nervous though. This brings it closer to home and makes social distancing by internationally accepted guidelines a little more important. We're all trying very hard to be careful and clean. I hope it's enough, but at the same time I feel unsure about the schools starting as planned. I'm scared, and it's okay to be scared as long as we stay calm and do what we can to assuage the fear. So wash your hands and try to stay six feet away from people, if you can. Sanitize your phone when you get the chance. Don't touch your face. All those things but also find some joy where you can. It's my assessment that this road ahead is a lot longer and darker than what many people are currently assuming. In some ways, the quake was easier. The aftershocks came without warning and for months on end, but at least I knew what they were. I guess in the same way I'm not sure if I should be making a bigger deal out of something or not. Is this the big one or just another tremor? Is this keeping us all safe and well or overprotective agoraphobia? And the answer between the two is the same. Only time will tell. So let's be cautious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj49-livingThu, 26 Mar 2020 22:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goj49-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GOWRb-living My daughter slept in this morning, which led to complications with breakfast but it eventually worked out okay. She did manage to put in some time on get learning pad that my in-laws have been insisting that she use daily. She's been fighting me on the topic of studying for the last two weeks, but today we were on the ball. We did leave the house to go buy materials to make fabric masks, print some copies at 7-11 and play at the park with one of my friends who lives in Sendai. I though running around outside would invigorate and wear her out physically but instead we had signficant weepiness and it was time to come home. After a bath, she felt a lot better. Now I'm back to considering what our homebody lifestyle is doing to her mentally but soon enough, she'll be in school. We got the email today saying that the entrance ceremony is going ahead next month but shortened to keep risk of infection low. At least now I know what's happening. Most of my friends and loved ones are staying safe. One friend in Austin, Texas told me this morning that many of her friends - people she actually knows in person - are having corona-like symptoms and being told by doctors to assume they have it and quarantine themselves without being tested since there aren't enough tests to bother with people under 60 who aren't dying today. It's already bad in a lot if places. We're lucky to be here. Stay safe, folks.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GOWRb-livingThu, 26 Mar 2020 01:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GOWRb-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDq00-livingWe did not leave the house today but instead spent the morning chatting with friends and family back in the states and we're happy to say that all of them are staying safe and well. So many cities are locking things down to try to flatten the curve, yet out here, everything is almost normal. My daily mental state varies between chaotic worry and a weird sense of positive ambivalence verging on complacencyOur distractions today came from a variety of sources including a number of museums, zoos and aquariums offering free virtual tours online to entertain anyone who wishes they could take a field trip but need to stay in and stay safe. Some zoos only offered animal cams during waking hours in that area and a few of the museums had so little resolution when I tried to use the close-up function that I realized what I most missed about going to museums. Seeing ancient artifacts in person and in detail is a special experience, and I think I'll pay more attention to it the next time I get the chance.Legoland Orlando has a number of themed rooms and spaces you can explore. Just be careful if you're zoomed in while you scroll around. This guy scared me.The PandaCam in Georgia was great in that you can scroll the feed back and speed it up to find the times of activity and actually get to see the panda in motion. I did feel a strange sense of commonality as I watched the panda pace around the enclosure, unable to leave, too bored to play. San Diego Zoo has a great kids section with a number of educational video games and activities.One of the best internet interludes I happened upon the other day was a 44 minute walk-through tour of the Winchester Mystery House which felt like a lot of those kinds of tours of old historical places in the states. It was fun and weird and not too spooky. Honestly, I was quite happily distracted. My daughter was less interested but also not freaked out, so it was still a win.We didn't push too hard but my daughter did complete some studying and writing practice in Japanese as well as some coloring and imaginative play. There were a few rough moments, but most of the day went so well that I know I will look back at these moments as something precious that I am privileged to spend with my little girl.Meanwhile, the Olympics have been pushed back a year, which by my estimation is the smarter course of action. It also seems like those of us in places with few infections might have schools start as usual, and I would be lying if I said that this did not make me nervous.Covid cases in Japan have are still growing by hundreds every day and slowly things in some areas are changing in response to the threat. So far, Shiogama is mostly okay, and maybe it will stay that way if we stay careful. Is anyone else enjoying any great tours or virtual destinations online?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDq00-livingWed, 25 Mar 2020 00:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDq00-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPO1-living Today started with chatting with my family back in the States, all of whom are staying safe and self-isolating as much as possible. Then cameteaching our last kids class with my student's grandkids, followed by a quick trip to the 100 yen store, on the way to which and in a sharp contrast to last week, I found the arcade open and ready for business.I guess we're gambling with more than our money these days, eh? Apparently we're all safe outside now...?After all of this, my daughter and I waited at home to eventually do the unthinkable. When my husband came home from running errands, we went out to dinner.Americans at home should not be doing this, and I believe it should be the same for most areas around the world, especially in big cities. Shiogama is not so big and the restaurant we chose to go to, Harry's Junction, is an independently-run burger and taco shop in Matsushima, far enough from the tourist areas that it wasn't likely to be a hot spot among the tourists who came through the area a few months ago. It is very popular with the locals but as I've noted before, there has only been one confirmed CoVid case in Miyagi and it was in Sendai. While it can be argued that testing here hasn't exactly been active, we felt the calculated risk of a burger out was worth it.Is this what they meant by social distancing? An empty restaurant?We walked in to a shop with just one customer who left as we sat. Then we relished every morsel of our meals, from fish tacos to a mushroom burger for my husband and a jerk chicken burger for me. My daughter enjoyed a pancake and egg plate and we even received some lovely strawberry milk made with Matsushima products. It was so delicious.My husband's fantastic burgerIt was some great strawberry milk. Best ever.The floor was right. I needed a burger. While dining with my family, my phone alerted me to some twitter messages I had not been aware of but I put off checking it out until I was on the way home. It turns out a lovely woman from the England-based Twinkl educational resources company wanted to get in touch and extend a pretty great offer. As an educator and a parent, I get excited over resources that are worth my time and energy to bother printing out and using, and these seem a great fit. More importantly for me and any other cash-strapped parent/educators out there, especially those whose kids might be off from school for weeks more due to CoVid, this site is offering one month free. They don't require any payment method to sign up and you really only need an email address and the offer code: JPNTWINKLHELPSThese worksheets are so good, they almost make me wish I home-schooled. Look at how it's organized! So many subjects and levels to choose from! Colorful sheets, thousands of different ways of trying to get your kid(s) to understand something. I'm actually really excited about this. Odds are I won't be able to afford to keep my account at Ultimate level, but for the next 30 days, I'm going to engage in some great education with my little person, even as she may head to school some time in early April. Our dinner out helped remind me what is so great about this area and what I want desperately to save. I know it was a risk, but a calculated one, and right now it feels like the right one. Nights like this will be few and far between in the coming months, perhaps even years depending on how more of the CoVid stuff shakes out. I want to know more about how we're doing in Japan, but the news sources I can find are silent when it comes to Miyagi this month, which doesn't make me as calm it could. I would welcome news that hundreds or thousands have been tested today and there were no positive results, if that were true. Instead there is silence, perhaps because they aren't testing that much and that might be because they don't want to know how many sick we actually have, likely for the sake of the Olympics. We need real numbers so we can know how to fight back. So far, bars and restaurants are open. Lots of places only closed for March if at all. Much of Japan is acting like we're going to go back to business as usual in a minute and I don't know that I trust it at all. That said, given when information I have, I am still glad I went out and had that burger. I needed it, and now I have some worksheets to print out. Huzzah!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPO1-livingMon, 23 Mar 2020 21:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPO1-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpO71-living We are finally into the part of the year that my kid would have been off from school anyway, but instead of getting a good amount of cleaning and self-care done beforehand, I've spent the last 3 weeks parenting or teaching 24/7 and it's a lot of work. Today we took it a bit easy and played Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 in the morning. I happened to find a bit of surprisingly fitting sentiment on a sidequest. The text in the quest given by Mantis says: It's admirable how many people are adapting to a new way of life, but I can also sense others who are scared or uncertain of the future... I then helped the character track down 4 specific people in specific locations so that she could soothe them with her empathy. It was a fun little diversion and a good way to start our day. I don't know if it was just the going out earlier this week or if her resolve gave out after these three weeks almost exclusively indoors, but she started begging to go outside today. If we don't have to go anywhere for food or work, we're not going. This led to a little more tension between us. I'm so worn out. We spent the rest of the day barely getting anything done though we did watch Brave (which I rented from Amazon and have never seen before) and a bunch of youtube video walkthroughs of riding the attractions at Disney theme parks. It was a nice way to wind down and around the same time my husband came home. More cookies and tea and dinner and another exhausting day came to an end. I've been reading social media posts from people my age with CoVid and it is terrifying. I keep reading though, hoping I can identity any terrifying first signs early enough to not kill my students or in-laws. There's no reason to assume we're infected, but as I wrote yesterday, I'm having trouble trusting Japan's numbers in light of how few tests they are doing. I've also found it hard to watch some otherwise normal media, some part of my brain screaming that people should be o n self-quarantine or standing further apart in light of this virus, even if the show or movie is from years ago. These things change you, and I don't know how much we're likely to change back.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpO71-livingSun, 22 Mar 2020 21:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpO71-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RjQ-living Today we donned our masks and left the apartment in the morning, my daughter heading off to her grandparents' home for the morning as I taught a couple of classes. Part of me feels foolish going out and teaching while the pandemic spreads and a different part of me feels that being so alarmed and staying inside all the time is also wrong. I'm not in a booming metropolis and the likelihood of infection seems low but with Japan not testing as actively as Korea or Germany, I'm not entirely comfortable just assuming we're safe. After class, I took advantage of my small break in time spent parenting and hit some Pokestops on Pokemon GO before grabbing some groceries and heading home. There was nothing terribly interesting to note at the store, with TP fully stocked and paper towels at least somewhat available. I did note that the cherry blossoms in front of Honshiogama Station are coming out even more now. After my kid returned, we snuggled up under the kotatsu for a nap while watching anime. Then we watched our normal Saturday afternoon cartoon lineup on DLife and ate dinner while we waited for my husband who was stuck at work until after 9.All snuggled up with nowhere else to go. When my husband arrived, we celebrated another week of life with tea and cat-shaped cookies we bought on a whim a few months ago and never had a reason to crack open until now. They were commercially produced and do not expire for a few months yet.If you look closely, you can see the little footprints. I think the trick to keeping things sane during these tricky times is finding the little positives and celebrating them. Compared to bed rest and March 11th, this thing is pretty minor in terms of how it is changing my day-to-day life. That does not mean it is meant to be taken lightly. Stay safe out there, people.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RjQ-livingSat, 21 Mar 2020 23:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7RjQ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj5g-living It's been three weeks since I was really comfortable being anywhere near other people. 21 days since the closures and global spread became more and more obvious. So many things have changed in the world with more countries and communities on lockdown and the US finally starting to take it seriously. Even my grandmother, who didn't seem worried at all during our chat two weeks ago, was adamant about hand washing and staying safe during our chat this morning. Earlier this week, I heard about NetflixParty, a chrome extension that allows you to watch Netflix with friends around the world. The extension syncs the playback across all guest devices and there's a chat window to share thoughts in real time. While I watched some funny things with a friend in Texas, my daughter enjoyed playing with playdough and watching kids programs on youtube on the laptop. My friend and I then tried out Kast, a different simulcast option that lets every party participant provide a video feed if they choose to. The bonus here is you can watch whatever your friends put on their screen, which is how I finally got to see the play Puffs, which I had given up ever being able to see ages ago. It turns out my friend had bought a copy from Google Play. It was awesome. After our running around yesterday, we both enjoyed a little down time amongst ourselves but kept ourselves snuggled up back to back while going about our respective entertainment options. While we wait out whatever normalcy becomes, we're also enjoying the youtube additions from a lot of late night US TV hosts who are making short segments out of their home lives and video chats with friendly celebrities while trying to raise money for charity. Keeping yourself and your family safe, relaxed and entertained can be tricky, but keep going. The only way out is through.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj5g-livingFri, 20 Mar 2020 22:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj5g-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPp3-living Twenty days have passed since the Japanese Prime Minister ordered all public schools closed to prevent the spread of CoVID19. In that time, we have seen other countries engage in total lockdowns and aggressive testng strategies while others hang back and watch, waiting for the disease to lay waste. Japan seems to be halfway in between these two options. Without the aggressive testing that Korea and China have utilized, we do not know who is sick, but at least some people are being tested and by media reports it seems getting tested for CoVid19 in Japan is still much more common than testing in the states. We're not seeing so many lockdowns but there are many people trying to stay safe. I'm honestly not sure if Japanese media is suggesting the same measures that have become buzzwords abroad like social distancing but it's honestly not as much of an option for some just due to population density. There is no reason to assume we are sick up here in Miyagi, but we are doing what we can to stay safe. From staying indoors for days on end to washing our hands thoroughly and utilizing hand sanitizer when we do leave the home, we are trying to abide by the guidelines I keep seeing on my American programs, except for days like today.Cherry blossoms have just started to bloom in front of HonShiogama Station We went out today to meet up with one of my friens who lives in Sendai. It turns out private schools like the one she works at were left at their discretion as to whether or not to stay open for the last two weeks and hers chose to continue classes but excuse all absences. We met her at the station and went to lunch at Saizeria, where I was happy to see some CoVid preventtive measures in place, mostly in the form of sneeze gaurds for silverware and forcing guests to request salt, pepper and the like so that the whole of the seasonings were not left out to be infected by the public. We then went to a nearby park to let my daughter run around. There we kept a healthy distance from other park-goers, which included a small throng of teenage boys with a skateboard and one old man practicing his golf stroke. Even in a tiny Japanese park, there was enough space for a game of hide-and-seek without coming within six feet of the strangers. After a little more running about outside, we retired to my apartment to enjoy some tea and for my daughter to have a hot bath. I had originally planned to avoid my home as I could not be sure of my friend's status regarding the virus, but it did not make sense in the long run. We had already shared a meal and an afternoon. If she had it, we already did too. My kid found a lady bug. What we did today wasn't the safest thing to do in light of the pandemic but I doubt it hurt us. I think we needed the break and I know my kid needed to run and play outdoors. Unfortunately, this can't be our normal right now. I hope that one day soon we will have these options again and more regularly. Until then, we are mostly inside, sometimes on supply runs to the grocery store, and almost always very very careful.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPp3-livingThu, 19 Mar 2020 23:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyPp3-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnx5J-living Today, my husband had the day off and we all spent the day indoors, watching tons of kids TV on Amazon Prime and Netflix. I cooked all three meals, which is not really the usual in our home. Last month, my husband wasn't feeling well and we spent a few days like this, just relaxing and staying calm. He felt awful afterward, noting that he usually wants to spend his days off going out for at least one meal if not a small adventure in Sendai or sonewhere else nearby. We couldn't do much then, and we can do even less now, but without the guilt of wasting a day that could have been exciting elsewhere. Now we're trying to keep ourselves safe and healthy so we don't accidentally kill anyone we love. In the meantime, I made this plague-doctor-bird-doll out of socks and stuffing. Tomorrow we will go out for a short walk with a friend who will be visiting from Sendai. Apparently her school elected to stay open, so she's been teaching these last few weeks, which means her odds of being infected are a lot greater than ours but still not that great, being that Sendai only has one confirmed case. It still looks like testing is a bit lacking, though, so it's hard to tell what the numbers really mean. I do feel relieved living in a smaller town in Japan though. Fewer people means less anxiety these days.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnx5J-livingThu, 19 Mar 2020 00:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mnx5J-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GR1vY-living Here we are at the close of St Patrick's Day and things are going about the same as usual. More states is the US are declaring states of emergency and shutting down all non-essential shops and services while those that can work from home. Out here in Miyagi, I'm still teaching when I can and taking what precautions are possible. Without these classes, we wouldn't have money for food come the end of the month and who knows how long these quarantine-like measures will continue. If my order students don't feel safe coming out, my income will be cut by at least half and that makes everything a little harder. One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was that the grocery store had restocked not just TP but also paper towels and menstrual pads. The first two were still on a purchase limit of one package per customer, but they were there. I've developed a bit of a cough but it likely has more to do with dehydration than CoVid. Still, I'm wearing a mask any time I leave my house and trying t drink enough water to offset the effect. I don't want to freak anyone out. I was glad to learn that the two teenage boys I taught tonight were both spending most of their time at home. It's not always clear how seriously other people are taking the situation. While parts of the world go on lockdown, we're finding more fun things to do on the internet and trying to stay focussed on studying but honestly today my daughter failed to crack open a single learning device. We'll just have to try again tomorrow. One important thing we're doing right now is giving ourselves a break when we can. This won't be over tomorrow. We've got to keep our emotional energy ready for more of a marathon than a sprint here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GR1vY-livingWed, 18 Mar 2020 00:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GR1vY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojxX-living Today went better than many days previous, owing something to my going to bed and getting up about an hour earlier than usual. We're working toward the plan we'll be on for the next decade or more and I will miss sleeping past the sunrise.Looking good, fish on the mailbox, both of which got a fresh paint job today. We walked past workers painting the fish on the mailbox in front of HonShiogama Station and went to class, where my kid behaved better than before. Afterward we went back through the Aeon, checking out some crafting supplies before heading down for some much needed grocery shopping.I was surprised to see that the arcade was closed completely, but the rest of the shops were open. Another weird thing was this fully wrapped, unused mask, hiding in a potted plant like a plagueland Easter egg. I spent some time getting my kid to use hand sanitizer whenever we passed by some, just trying to stay safe. After our grocery run, we headed back to our home for relaxation and lunch. Later, I checked up on twitter to find Neil Gaiman talking about Amanda Palmer doing an impromptu virtual gig from New Zealand and tuned in live to hear the rock star perform several of her newer singles including The Ride and Drowning in the Sound on piano mostly, in between which her husband read The Mask of the Red Death and later Goodnight Moon to finish off the evening.Baby's first live-streamed rock concert. Good times. It was a significantly better day than I had planned and I'm happier for it. There are a number of websites giving free virtual field trips or lesson plans with media for kids like mine who are out of school for now. There are also many sites with entertainment for those of us past school age who just want to relax while we're stuck inside, too. A quick search through social media may turn up a lot of fun to be had even while stuck in your home. Find a way to keep yourself sane and stable. We're not really out of the woods yet, but we're probably going to be fine.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojxX-livingMon, 16 Mar 2020 22:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojxX-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0vl1-living Today was the first day truly post-kindergarten and we woke up earlier than usual in an attempt to prepare for the next chapter-- one in which she will have to be on a bus a few blocks away before 7AM every weekday morning. None of us are excited about waking up earlier so we're easing into it, one day at a time.In the mean time, I'm keeping up with PokemonGo and WizardsUnite, both of which are offering players isolation-based bonuses in the form of extra incident attracting potions in the later and pokemon attracting inscense at an extremely discounted rate in the other. The wizarding game is also allowing players to pick up energy on the ground, something usually reserved for community day events. In addition, the potions are more potent than usual, so wizards stuck at home can still have some fun even if they can't get out much. Community days for both games have been pushed back for the forseeable future. Otherwise our day today consisted of mostly trying to get my kid to work on elementary school preparation workbooks and feeling extremely tired. At one point I felt I might have chills the way I usually do when I get a fever and grabbed my thermometer only to find that I was well under 37 degrees Celsius. It wasn't the chills so much as actually being cold. We stayed in and stayed careful, watching kids movies on Amazon today after lunch. Getting my kid back into books after a hands-on geometry demonstration proved impossible and she crafted odd paper shapes for the rest of the day. We took it easy which for us is about the best we can do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0vl1-livingSun, 15 Mar 2020 23:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G0vl1-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl54E-livingAll dressed up and OH MY GOODNESS WE ARE GOING SOMEWHERE. Today was my daughter's graduation from kindergarten so we donned our best suits and masks before hopping in a taxi and making our way to the school. Other kindergartens in the area have pushed their graduations back toward the end of the month. Since this one was already planned for two weeks after the start of the CoVid-induced school closures, they decided to go ahead but not without some extra precautions.The table at the entrance of the school with hand sanitizer and masks ready for anyone who wants them. I was so happy to see masks and hand sanitizer ready for visitors. One of my favorite things about this specific event was being able to wear a mask and not needing to wear makeup underneath it. I would estimate that between half and two thirds of the other parents were also masked. My husband asked to sit in the assigned parent seating for those central parents who would receive their child's formal documents as part of the ceremony and I agreed, neither of us knowing that the rest of that section was 100% female. When we switched spots after a bit, I found the spot weirdly suffocating and had to think through the first ten prime numbers to pull myself back from a panic attack. It was weird. The ceremony was lovely, though the shortness I had been promised only came in the form of shorter speeches and we were at the school from 9:20 till noon. It was worth it and my daughter had a lot of friends to say goodbye to. She grew a lot here and we learned so much about her. She knows how to give and is learning to respect boundaries. She accidentally helped potty train one of the other kids in her first year and befriended a new kid right off the bat last year, the second anecdote being something we learned from the newcomer's parent today. This school had been a great fit for her, and now it's time to spread her wings a little further and maybe aim her sights a little higher.My no-longer-a-kindergartner, staring wistfully out of the window at La Gita. After we returned and changed, it was time for pizza at our favorite pizza place, La Gita, by Marine Gate in Shiogama. There are so many reasons to go here for great pizza at a great price anytime, but especially during the CoVid situation, I find it imperative to support local businesses both because they that are likely suffering from the lack of business and because they care enough to shut stuff down if they are sick. They can't afford to infect their clients, where a minimum wage worker at a chain restaurant might not have a choice but to come in with a fever and hope for the best. Bigger businesses don't have to care, but these mom and pop shops need good word of mouth to stay open. They're careful, trustworthy, and delicious. We spent the rest of the day with my in-laws, sharing the details of the ceremony they would have come to if it hadn't been restricted to parents only and no extended family. In a shocking twist, I spent part of the evening talking with my husband's parents about various phone apps. It was actually great. Tomorrow starts a new experiment in which we see how much we can train up for the fancy private elementary school in the next three weeks or so.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl54E-livingSat, 14 Mar 2020 22:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gl54E-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVP74-living Two weeks we've been living this almost-always-indoors-and-together life and I'm pretty well depleted. We're not low on food or entertainment or even liquor but I'm exhausted beyond all reasonable expectation.Tonight, my kid got started on some puzzles I bought ages ago and now I'm happy to have. This was after I came home from work, where I was delighted to not have a spoiled brat interrupting me every other syllable for the first time this week. My kid's behavior in Thursday's class really murdered my patience, something I need so much for my job and can't replenish easily. Tomorrow we have the abbreviated graduation ceremony and I don't know what else. I'm a little apprehensive about anything outside of our house. Luckily a little cleaning this week turned up a previously lost and completely full 2 ounce bottle of hand sanitizer so at least I'll be able to clean my hands and phone whenever I want to for a little while. My daughter finished the puzzle and in the same vein, things are coming together. I can't say everything is ideal, but it's totally survivable and regularly enjoyable. It's going to be okay. Really. I don't know how but it seems likely. It's going to be okay.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVP74-livingFri, 13 Mar 2020 21:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVP74-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2obY-living_food_teaI found this variety of Shizuoka green tea from the brand Marukoseicha at the grocery store. For this package of 40 triangular teabags separated into two plastic sheaths inside the larger product packaging, the price was only a little over 500 yen, which seemed very affordable given the deliciousness generally associated with Shizuoka green tea. I do not have that much experience with cold brew green tea, so I spent a few minutes checking out the instructions on the back of the package.Minimum size for any brewing is one liter? Isn't that a lot of tea? Does everyone else have one liter sized tea pots? Am I the only one with personal cup sized tea brewing systems?The back of the package says to steep the cold brew tea in one liter of water until it achieves the desired color, which is not the kind of instruction I am used to. I have enjoyed many a cup of green tea, both cold and hot, but I don't know that I can recognize what color is the most desirable, other than a basic idea of green.Knowing that cold brewed tea usually takes a little longer than the hot brewed variety, I left the pitcher in the refrigerator and moved on to the other tasks of the day. For me that meant a lot of entertaining my six year old and trying to keep us both sane, fed, and happy. Of course, that meant I completely forgot about the tea and it was around four and a half hours later that I raced to the fridge to check on my tea. I found it pleasantly light in color but with an increasing opacity that seemed similar to bottled green tea, if a little lighter in color.Does this look right to you? Is this the right color? I have no idea.The chill of the beverage is a big selling point and honestly the first thing I noticed about it. Next came the umami, which is super strong, possibly owing to my extended steeping time. Maybe a more desirable flavor could be achieved given an earlier teabag departure.Umami water. That is what this tastes like. Bitterness is not part of the overall flavor, which is good, because the umami is so strong that it is only just shy of tasting outright fishy. Combining that with bitter would be really hard to for me to enjoy.I would have loved to try this one hot but I do not currently possess a large enough container that is capable of handling boiling water unless I wanted to make a literal cooking pot of green tea, which I do not. Having the base unit be one liter per teabag really puts me at a disadvantage.When I try this again with another pitcher of water, I will definitely be using a shorter steeping time and tasting it intermittently.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2obY-living_food_teaFri, 13 Mar 2020 17:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2obY-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPjn-living Today, we went out because we had to. I had to teach and she had to come with me. We donned our masks and tried to stay as safe as possible.Our building's elevator doesn't usually look like this. My private student happens to be a grandmother herself and she likes for my daughter to join our classes when she can. The difference this round was that her grandkids were also joining us, sent across most of the country to our less populated area comparing to their huge southern city of residence. The kids haven't really done English before but were willing to give it a try and work with me, which is more than I can say for my own offspring. Her whining reminded me of kids I always figured were over-indulged brats but I can also see that she's having a hard time with the coronavirus thing. Not getting out to go play and have fun is draining on her, too. The community center where we had class had also cancelled all of their activities for the next month to try to help keep the infection levels low. As we walked home, we still saw some boutiques open and trying to sell off the last of their winter stock, so we aren't to Italian levels of shutdown just yet. I'venoticed that every time I leave my home, I feel a bit sick and tired. Because it only happens outside my home, it's most likely stress-induced and normal enough for me that it isn't something to worry about. Still, I worry and get more stressed and feel more gross and keep trying. After an hour of having to fight my kid while teaching 2 kids with no English experience, I was wiped out. We got home, I ran my kid a bath and I tried to relax. I woke up to my kid knocking over inconsequential plastic slats in the shower room that I then cleaned up. Making dinner stole the last of my energy. We also found out that this weekend's graduation ceremony will be short and sweet. After it ends, I'm not sure if we're staying home or going out to do something else, but we will be masked and ready and hopefully safe enough.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPjn-livingThu, 12 Mar 2020 22:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPPjn-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjakv-living Day 12 of our staycation happens to fall on the ninth anniversary of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters that changed everything in March 2011. Somehow, I missed the time. It's the first time I haven't been thinking about thousands of lost people at 2:46 PM on March 11th. Trying to keep my kid entertained and fed has really done a number on my mental energy. Just focussing enough to read a book is beyond me right now, and as somber as this day should be, we're trying to keep things calm and moving toward tomorrow and all the other tomorrows after that. My husband came home early so I had the chance to shop for groceries. ln amongst the few remaining high-end toilet paper roll, I found something weird.Could that be hand sanitizer? No. No it cannot. I was so excited that I had to pick it up and found, disappointingly, that it was some calcium based antibacterial spray made in Nagoya. No alcohol. Nothing that made sense to me and nothing worth 800 yen. I didn't buy it, but I did grab a few food items and white day gifts for my in-laws which had been completely forgotten until today. On social media, I'm seeing a lot of my stateside friends arguing that no one should wear masks and there's nothing to worry about. I am wearing a mask every time I go out, partially because they are normalized here but also because people don't always show symptoms of CoVid for 2 weeks after infection if ever and I don't want to have killed anyone. It likely won't keep me from getting sick, but if I am sick, the number of people I infect will be smaller. I also throw all caution to the wind when it comes to my kid in the safety of my home. We will snuggle and cuddle and kiss because she's six. When they suggest social distance, they mean from strangers in public, not torturing a little kid who just wants to snuggle while she's stuck at home. So on this sad anniversary, we find the comfort of family and enjoy one more day together, knowing better than some that nothing is certain but the past, and even that is debatable.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjakv-livingWed, 11 Mar 2020 23:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjakv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgakB-living Today was another day spent inside and thank goodness. The fog this morning was something else.Through my dirty windows, after hours of dissipation, still very foggy. My daughter and I talked with our friends in Texas and my father in Michigan before having a bit of lunch and watching The Box Trolls on Netflix, which utterly freaked out my kid, but it ended well and we both enjoyed it overall. Most of my friends back home have become a bit complacent about CoVid but that's life I suppose. Also seeing how badly it's being handled, relaxed and safe indoors is probably the best way to handle it. It might be the only sane way to do so. Meanwhile, we're still safe indoors, a little less restless today though also not on the ball with studying and writing, but at least we're mostly keeping up with housework. This is a boring time, but we're trying to make the most of it and be grateful for what we have.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgakB-livingTue, 10 Mar 2020 23:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgakB-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj68-living_shoppingToday was a day spent safe at home with my husband and child, save for my supply run tothe grocery store where I saw something I hadn't seen in more than a week:A selection of toilet paper! Oh my!Another thing I noticed was that the selection of fried food and yakitori were prepackaged in plastic containers to save them from contamination, as opposed to the open trays they used to be sold in.Best thing for the environment? Nope. Better for fighting CoVid? Probably.I grabbed what I needed and returned home to take care of my family, bringing a few more supplies.Man, it feels good to be fully shocked.My kid's restlessness is such that tomorrow we start a workout regimen in addition to the rest of our daily chores.While I occassionally feel dizzy or fuzzy-brained, I'm assuming that's more likely to be exhaustion than anything else. Despite inner worry about CoVid, I am just going to try to keep myself calm until I have better reason not to be, like shortness of breath and a fever. Until then, I'm just keeping my family going.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj68-living_shoppingMon, 09 Mar 2020 22:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmj68-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojXX-living Today, my daughter and I took it as easily as we could, staying home and watching cartoons between meals mostly, though we did make a point of reading a few stories from the Highlights Magazine my dad sent lest month and washing the dishes together.My daughter with her clay from school My kid is starting to get restless but we still have tons of things to do in the house, so hopefully I can keep her fairly chill until her graduation next weekend, which we still don't have confirmation regarding. Being well-rested, I decided to check for updates on the spread of the virus, something I haven't honestly had the energy for since the first case was spotted in Sendai toward the beginning of this adventure. I found so much news. A few days ago in Aichi, an old man who was confirmed to have the virus went bar hopping in hopes of spreading it as reported in Japan Today. Meanwhile in Yamanashi prefecture, a 7-11 employee contracted the virus and a separate individual came down with CoVid and wound up with meningitis, as reported by Japan Times. In another Japan Times story, numbers of untested clusters of people in Japan are likely far larger than currently anticipated, but there is also a little hope as an asthma medication appears to begiving some relief to a few of the patients with CoVid. Also, CNBC reports that scientists in China have come to the conclusion that there are two strains of the virus currently, the stronger of which seems not to have spread as far.The most useful thing I learned was that a student at Kyushu university put together a map tracking confirmed cases through municipalities in Japan, so the public can be better informed. More on that in the Japan Times article here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojXX-livingSun, 08 Mar 2020 21:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GojXX-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRAK-livingYesterday marked the one week anniversary of the beginning of this CoVid-Induced Staycation and we treated it as much like a normal Saturday as we could. My kid went to spend time with her grandparents while I went to teach some kids. The big exception was that everyone wore masks and cleaned down our working spaces and hands before and after each class, cleaning students' hands as they walked in. A lot if still up in the air for us. We have a graduation scheduled for the 14th and the school hasn't been explicit about whether or not it will be rescheduled and whether or not parents can come. I think it will be hard for this to feel as special if the kindergarten kids aren't allowed parental involvement being that they are all only 6 years old at a maximum. After class, I had planned to return home and work on some projects without my daughter's involvement, making the most of my 2 hours of alone time for this whole week. Instead, my employers gave me a coupon for the grocery store, date sensitive, and I went shopping. The toilet paper and tissue boxes I had seen the night before were gone again, so I picked up some granola, milk and produce before heading back. I am using these concentrated shopping experiences as an excuse to start meal planning a bit better Now I know what we will be eating for dinner for the next four days and I don't have to go shopping again for any of it. Also, having TP for the next two weeks means I'm panicking less which leads to less impulse buying and feeds less into future panic.My buddy Pokemon, on the streets of Shiogama It's been trickier playing PokemonGo and WizardsUnite, the two Niantic games I use as walking incentive. Sending presents in-game is harder when you can't get out to the pokestops or wizarding inns to collect more. Hopefully my in-game friends get it, but even if they don't, there isn't much I can do about it other than make the most of the opportunities I have, like making sure this guy is out and walking with my avatar as I walk home from work. I also finished listening to the latest in Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series, Imaginary Numbers, which came out last week. The number of times I audibly gasped while doing housework and then had to explain it it my kid was so large that we developed the short form conversation of:Me: *GASP*Her: What, Mommy? What happened?Me: Book. <points to headphones>Her: Ah. okay. <goes back to playing> Other than the mental exhaustion that comes with 24/7 childcare, things have been well. Since most of my weekly socialization is done via the internet, I am not lonely and honestly don't even feel that confined at the moment. We have food and toys and a dozen or so projects to work on. Knowing that this is our life for the next month is a little daunting, but it could be so much worse. The only other thing I feel compelled to say is that I have seen three main messages surge in online media: 1) Wash our hands, 2) Freak out! and 3) It's only going to kill the old and infirm, so who cares. To the third, I must answer that I do. My parents and grandmother are in that age range, as are my in-laws and most of my private students. Friends I met online fall into the later category and I don't want them dead either, especially not from something that can be defeated by being careful and washing your hands. People I love are in danger and it hurts to see so many getting flippant about these pretty basic precautions. I don't really get how not touching your face and definitely washing your hands is so hard, especially when other people can and will die from contact with us should we get infected. Remember that the virus can show zero symptoms for 2 weeks while being transmitted to others, so you can be killing grannies with your germs for 2 straight weeks before you even notice that you might have a cold. Stay clean and careful, people.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRAK-livingSun, 08 Mar 2020 08:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRAK-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDRmx-living Today marks the end of the first week since this staycation began and I have to say we're doing better than we could be. I am more mentally exhausted than I expected to be but that makes sense with taking care of a six year old and trying not to panic about everything else. My kid and I stayed inside most of the day, cleaning and working on our various projects between meals before we got ready for my evening classes and she went to spend time with her grandparents. After we came home, my husband was already back, allowing me to quickly head for the grocery store for a last minute child-free shop before the end of the day. There, for the first time in a full week, I found toilet paper! And tissue boxes!Double ply, even! They were reasonably priced and rationed out at one per package of TP and one package of tissue boxes per customer. It's a bit of a load off of my mind, knowing that the one-week supply of TP we have left won't be the last we have, and I won't have to make these scouring trips out every chance I get for the next week. With my supplies in tow, I headed back home triumphant, finally ready to relax for the first time since I saw the empty TP area at my grocery store. With hand soap at the ready, masks for the next two weeks at least and tons of food and entertainment, we are now as prepared as I can make us for the moment. Tomorrow, I have two more classes then back to being a homebody with my little lady. My next shopping trip won't have to be for a few more days. It's going to be okay. We've got TP.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDRmx-livingFri, 06 Mar 2020 22:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDRmx-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK1yK-living_food_familylifeThe warmest valentine I got this year was from my daughter by means of a tea ceremony demonstration at her school. All the upper level kindergartners participated, each class with its assigned time in the gymnasium. Parents were invited to attend the month previous and we accepted, though only I was going to be able to make the actual performance.I've never really been the recipient of tea ceremony before. The first time I heard of it was at the Japanese Festival at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens in my hometown when I was about my daughter's age. My mother, brother, and I had participated in a judo demonstration elsewhere in the gardens and happened to pass by one of the smaller buildings where people were lined up to have their chance to sit and be served by kimono-clad women. I had no patience for this at that age and preferred feeding to koi fish at the large pond in the gardens instead.Now, 29 years later and on the other side of the world, I sat in front of my own six-year-old girl as she furiously swished the bamboo whisk in the green liquid, showing more concentration here than I had seen her put into most other projects that didn't involve technology. She swirled and swished longer than any of her peers, finally crossing the room to place the tea in front of me.I picked up the cup, ignoring the pain already present in my leg joints from sitting in the seiza position, and tried to remember the direction and the amount of turn required in this step."Which way do I turn it?" I whispered to my daughter in English."You don't turn it!" she hissed back, incorrect but very sure.I furrowed my brow and picked up the cup with both hands."Now drink it! Drink it like this!" she hissed again, my little cohort, demonstrating with her hands that both palms should be on the cup, which was how I had been holding the cup. "Okay." I whispered back and drank quickly while the other mothers chuckled. Whether it was at the authority my daughter was assuming at the wise old age of six or the fact that I still did not know this simple Japanese custom remains unclear.What I love most about this is that I was smiling along with them and did not feel like the butt of the joke, even as my well-intentioned daughter gave me faulty instructions. She was trying to help. Perhaps it should be bittersweet that this is one of the last events for her at this school. After three years of enjoying kindergarten thoroughly, she graduates next month and moves on to elementary school. It's going to be different and expensive, but probably a very good adventure. What she takes with her from this place is a great deal of compassion and a bit of focus that she did not display the same way before.Had this event occurred at any earlier year of her attendance, I would likely have been more embarrassed, feeling like a sad, fat, and stupid foreign thing that just does not know the steps to these social maneuvers. I would have feared that the caricature created there would be used to taunt my daughter in class and ostracize me from the other parents.Now, with her time in this school nearly complete, I am less worried about being laughed at and more looking forward to the things to come.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK1yK-living_food_familylifeFri, 06 Mar 2020 11:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK1yK-living_food_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zay20-living_shopping Today was the closest to a normal day we have had so far. My in-laws took my daughter to their house while I walked to one class and then to another, stopping by the Homac and Welcia stores in my area to check for necessities like toilet paper and hand sanitizer that still have not been restocked at the grocery store. Homac's tissue, TP, and sanitizers were all decimated, though adult and infant diapers were still available for those in need. I did buy one of the three remaining rolls of paper towels (limit one per customer) and a package of 12 tissue packets (also limit one per customer) before leaving. Welcia had a warning sign at the front letting everyone know they were out of masks and such. I checked through the aisles anyway, wondering if I could find rubbing alcohol to make my own hand sanitizer with as I had seen suggested online. They did have some things that called themselves alcohol, but specifically "alcohol for fuel", which gave me pause. I walked out with one different topical anesthetic and some sakura flavored kitkats. One thing that surprised me was that my second student's favorite cafe was open and ready for business. We had a delightful little lesson and went on with our respective days. With the time I had left before my daughter's return, I checked the one hundred yen shop near my home for more supplies. Even though I didn't find the TP or hand sanitizer I was looking for, I did still buy 4000 yen worth of things and then feel guilty about spending the money when I am also still worried about the degree to which student cancellations will affect my ability to feed my family in the coming weeks. Many of my students were planning to take most of the next month off as I would be taking care of my kid during her spring vacation anyway, so the viral scare just moves their plans back one week or two. Luckily, my weekend job is still going and one of my neighbors had a little part-time work for me that I can bring my kid to as well. It is most likely all going to be okay. Right now, I am starting to feel the emotional toll from this situation and it is really weird. Part of me refuses to believe anything is really wrong until the trains stop running. As long as the trains are running like clockwork, like always, we haven't suffered anything as bad as March 11, 2011 so everything must be fine. Of course, that isn't exactly logical. Lots of things are bad and not as bad as that. We're not even to the part of the corona virus scare that is bad yet. It might taper off within a month as the powers that be hope. It might not. Right now all we can do is try to stay safe.Current Supply: 6 rolls of TP, sundry tissue packets (some open), 2 full packs of pads. Meanwhile an inner voice is really just screaming incessantly. We won't have enough money or food or toilet paper, it says. We aren't saving enough or cooking well enough or buying the right things or doing what we're supposed to, and honestly I am not sure what all I can do better than I am now. My mind is trying to panic, and I am silencing it with audiobooks. If you also have this going on but do not have access to audiobooks, music or cooking classes on youtube or whatever looks interesting can be listened to and might provide some respite from mindless worry. Wherever you are, stay as safe and as calm as you can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zay20-living_shoppingThu, 05 Mar 2020 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zay20-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyyL6-living Today marks day 5 of our ongoing CoVid19 avoidance policy of mostly staying indoors. In a bit of a surprise twist, my daughter was more testy than any time previous in this staycation event, leading to a little difficulty between us but we made it through okay. She spent the morning on her interactive learning devices while I folded the laundry and watched John Oliver's Coronavirus segment on YouTube. Since I had let her sleep in, we wound up eating all of our meals a little later than originally planned, but we ate well enough. For a treat, she had a large cup of apple juice and I enjoyed some extremely cheap fermented grape juice while we finished off some leftover Girl's Day snacks. If you are an introverted parent who enjoys the occasional drink, I highly recommend making sure you have a little something to take the edge of when you can during this trying time. It is amazing to have time with your kid, but if that comes at the expense of ALL OF YOUR ALONE TIME, it can be a bit trying for both of you. Earlier in the week, I had found some make-do alone time when my daughter took a bath on her own and I washed dishes while listening to an audiobook. This time, she was good with watching Trolls: The Beat Goes On at high volume to combat the neighbors' decision to treat every day from 10 AM to 6 PM as a great time for loud woodworking. I could barely think, so I cranked up her show to a level she could appreciate over the banging while I popped on the head phones and headed back to getting some chores done.Since my husband came home before 7, I had the chance to scarf dinner and run off to the grocery store to pick up the essentials. There I found most of the things that had been sold out earlier in the week were still sold out but now the toilet paper area had a sign prohibiting people for purchasing more than one package of TP per person per day. This makes me think they either restocked during the day and ran out before I got there or are going to be able to restock in the near future, which is a big relief to my family who are going to be needing some of that stuff in a few days. Otherwise the grocery store wasn't overly populated but the goods on the shelves were about normal in terms of price and availability. I will see how this compares to the state of the shops around mid-day tomorrow, when I will have a break between classes and my daughter will be with my in-laws until I am done. I know I am very lucky to have them. Things seem mostly normal, the same way they usually are between my daughter and myself after a school break of about the same length, but this time we can't go out and do something fun during the day. We are keeping out spirits up by attacking a daily chores list that my daughter calls Home Adventure. It gives us a sense of accomplishment and gets things done. We haven't played any of our new video games yet, so maybe that should be next on the agenda.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyyL6-livingWed, 04 Mar 2020 23:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyyL6-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1m9D-livingToday, my husband had another day off so he slept in while my daughter and I talked to loved ones in the states in the morning, had lunch at home, showered, dressed, and went out to Big Echo for some karaoke.We wore masks on the way over and made use of the hand sanitizer on premises. The high school kids in front of us in line went through with no masks or other preparation, unafraid in the way so many teens are.I was surprised by how much fun it was to get out of the house and sing at eachother for a bit.When our time was up, we visited my in-laws for Girl's Day (hinamatsuri) dinner and refreshments. It was lovely not to have to cook. In other news, one of my private students cancelled for the month and my neighborhood Aeon is shortening their hours starting Wednesday. Otherwise, things are mostly alright.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1m9D-livingTue, 03 Mar 2020 19:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1m9D-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXB8-living_shoppingYesterday was our third day off due to CoVid, though it was also the first would-have-been school day. As I had one private lesson, my daughter came along and entertained herself in the tiny classroom while I taught. We then came back and I was shocked when my Japanese husband suggested we go out to lunch! So we went across the street to Saizeria, which was open and more than half full but without the wait-list we are used to seeing on school holidays. A lot of parents are keeping the kids home but some like us are taking them out when they can, just to keep everyone from going stir crazy if nothing else. We enjoyed our food and I suggested we whip by Baskin Robbins for some Ice Cream, which my husband agreed to but then half vetoed so we compromised in getting my daughter some ice cream and coming home to eat it. most of the rest of the day was spent in our home, with my husband nipping out for a previously scheduled health check that had nothing to do with the current outbreak. He was a little disappointed when he returned and our daughter did not want to leave the house to go to Karaoke or anything else. She seems to have taken the stay-inside-and-be-safe idea to heart. I'm not sure if that will be detrimental later in life but for right now, we're okay and not having her chomping at the bit to go out and touch every surface is really okay with me. With both of them happily occupied in the house, I popped out to the grocery store in the evening to pick up dinner stuff and found that the tissues, toilet paper, and menstrual pads that had been sold out earlier in the week still had yet to be restocked. This should not be surprising as this area doesn't usually have a run on these products and I doubt the powers that be ordered extra in advance of the CoVid outbreak. Somehow there are still diapers, though the baby wipes and baby body wash seem to be nearly sold out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXB8-living_shoppingTue, 03 Mar 2020 08:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXB8-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4Xq-food_howtoI was recently gifted a bag of wakame, one of the many variations of seaweed regularly eaten in Japan. Being not yet fluent in Japanese and not that great at cooking, I searched the internet for wakame recipes in English and bought ingredients accordingly.I don't know about you, but it looks plenty hydrated to me. Only later did I find that the instructions were frequently based on the shopping habits of someone living outside of Asia and included tips on re-hydrating your dried wakame flakes, as that must have been the condition in which your wakame was acquired, obviously. One site explained that rinsing and soaking wet wakame for specifically 2 minutes would be helpful. As I pondered this, my Japanese husband chimed in with specific instructions that the seaweed must be boiled, but no further assistance, muddying the waters of my understanding further. By that time, I had already rinsed the wakame but found myself already too tired to continue cooking it and whipped up a quick alternative dinner instead.The next day, I was talking to one of my more fluent friends who immediately hopped on youtube and found Japanese instructions in English, making it easier to follow that most. In the video, the woman explained that slicing the stems from the leaves was an important starting point, but I came to find that my sack of seaweed was already stem-free. So I did as she suggested next and blanched the leaves until they changed into a brighter green color. I then drained and sliced the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Then woman in the video went onto make soup, which I had no interest in, but her techniques and explanations were solid, even for someone like me with no skills regarding traditional Japanese fair. In a surprise twist, I decided to try daikon at the same time, another Japanese ingredient I had never used before. I peeled it, diced it into bite-sized cubes and boiled it. I then added the wakame for a brief boil before draining and plating what I could. I also added a pre-packaged tsuyu noodle sauce I had previously bought at the grocery store. The results were edible, but not necessarily delectable, and I had a bunch of un-sauced leftovers. The next day I combined the ideas from the English blogs with tips from my mom.First, I soaked the leftovers in sushi vinegar, which was actually easy to find in the supermarket. I then fried thick slabs of bacon in a pan before removing them and adding the daikon and wakame leftovers, vinegar and all. Letting that cook down for five to ten minutes, I diced the bacon and toasted some sesame seeds in the toaster oven using aluminum foil and a little olive oil. I mixed the bacon back into the dish before plating it and sprinkling the toasted seeds on top. It was actually delicious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4Xq-food_howtoMon, 02 Mar 2020 19:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4Xq-food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAmVv-livingToday I was really thankful for care packages from my family that show up now and again. One such package from a few months ago contained this lovely contraption that we had not gotten around to enjoying during winter break. So, with little else to do, my daughter and I spent this morning building before enjoying a movie on Netflix and attempting some minor studying. Otherwise, she mostly played with clay that she brought home from her kindergarten last week.We did not leave the house but we managed to have a good time. Tomorrow will be different, as I have a private class to teach, one that my kid usually accompanies me to when she has Mondays off. Then we might pick up some shopping if we have to before coming back to our self-imposed quarantine from the world at large. We'll be out there with masks on, ready to survive.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAmVv-livingSun, 01 Mar 2020 23:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAmVv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk4Ve-living_shopping_miyagiYesterday marked the first day since school let out following Prime Minister Abe's declaration last Thursday, insisting that all schools be closed for the next two weeks to stem the outbreak of the coronavirus CoVid19 that is currently threatening to shut down the summer Olympics in Tokyo in addition to likely wiping out a good swath of this country's abundantly elderly population if left to let nature take its course. Many parents were left scrambling to find daycare options for their children who are now going to miss the last two weeks of the school year, in some cases including graduations though many of those ceremonies are still being held, sometimes with curtailed guest-lists (no parents in some cases, only parents and students on others) and in our case, tentatively at best. In the meantime, there has been a run on household paper products in many places, shockingly including my own neighborhood in Shiogama. After a day of relaxing and staying mentally active at home with my kid, I left my husband and daughter at home so I could don a mask and go to the supermarket. This was after a Saturday when the shop had a 5% discount sale, so I knew many things would be low in stock, but I was actually shocked to see this:Used to be stacks of toilet paper and tissue boxes. Now? Barren wasteland in shelf form.All of the toilet paper was gone, as was all of the paper towels and tissue that did not come in tiny packets, and only a few of those were left. Weirdly, soap was plentiful, so no one seemed to be worried about running out of that, but masks have been off the shelves for weeks.I was shocked to see that almost all of the menstrual pads were gone, too. Surprisingly, our area did not have the same run on diapers that other areas have had, but apparently everyone is expecting a heavy flow from CoVid and/or pads to not be available in the near future. Luckily, my family stocked up at CostCo the last time we needed any of those and are still pretty well prepared. I had expected to be able to buy paper towels, though, and was so excited to see a tissue-box sized contained of what called itself Kitchen Paper in English. I grabbed three of those and one bag of tissue packets along with the other groceries. Having bought toilet paper just last Friday, I felt pretty good about my purchases and headed back to find that the "kitchen paper" was really tissue. While it wasn't what I had expected, it was still something we needed and I felt lucky that there had still been come left in stock. Did the earlier customers not need paper towels or not read the box correctly because it was only in English? We're staying inside as much as possible and wearing masks when we're not in addition to washing our hands frequently, as is recommended. Yesterday also saw the first case confirmed in Sendai, from an elderly cruise ship passenger returning home, and that sent shock waves through my town. Will my eikaiwa classes be cancelled this week? Will my students opt to stay home? If they do, how will I afford food at the end of the month? The only answer I have right now is sit tight and save what you can. Keeping up with my kid while keeping her occupied in the house is enough of a challenge that it isn't as though i could do much more than sitting tight anyway.If you're also hiding out from CoVid19, how are you handling it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk4Ve-living_shopping_miyagiSun, 01 Mar 2020 11:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk4Ve-living_shopping_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJoE2-living_food_work_miyagiBeing a freelance conversational English teacher in Japan involves a lot of time spent in community centers and cafes. Sometimes I find myself teaching at diners or small restaurants at the behest of my students, who generally call the shots for placement. I give them my time and knowledge of the language and they get to pick the venue in which it is delivered. 98% of the time, this had worked just fine for me with students tending to pick nice quiet locales with minimal interference and decent coffee and food. Every once in a while, something goes amiss. Back in December, a class with an older student of lower fluency happened to occur on a day when all of our usual cafes were closed and we instead popped into a shop a little smaller than the living and dining area in my 3LDK apartment.A cheerful smile greeted us from behind the counter as we came in to take two seats at the bar. We picked our lunches from the menu while the owner chatted in Japanese with my student, who chatted back happily. Eventually we got to our brief lesson based on what my student had prepared as homework. Then, in the class time that was usually occupied by brief casual forays into English small talk, there came more chatting with the cheerful owner.My student seemed happy with this arrangement so I went along with it. She is paying for my time. If she chooses to use it chatting with someone else in Japanese, that is her choice.As I realized I wasn't going to be doing my normal job over this working lunch, I started to tune into the Japanese conversation and noticed the owner repeating this odd katakana phrase which I suddenly realized was the family name of an older man whom I used to work with. He has since moved away from Sendai with his wife and grown daughters, one of whom is apparently making waves in the entertainment field. It turns out that the owner is friends with my former colleague's wife. Under the misguided impression that I was also part of the conversation, I decided to tell them about this, out loud and in Japanese. While my vocabulary is on the low side, my fluency is intermediate and I was sure of the words I was saying. "I know her dad. We used to work together. He's from California." isn't actually beyond me.Nevertheless I was greeted by a blank expression on the owner, who turned to ask my student what on Earth I might be talking about. My student then said that I must be mentioning California because I am from there, so the owner responded by commenting on how nice it must be to live in California.I am not now nor have ever been from the state of California. Even people who have never been to the US usually get that Texas and California are not the same place, and one of the first things my students learn about me usually is my state of origin. This student had even brought an atlas to an early class so I could point it out to her exactly, yet in front of this stranger, all of that knowledge disappeared, just like the meaning my spoken words had held."I've never lived in California," I said in Japanese, cheeks going red as I fell silent for the rest of the class. I spent some time later contemplating how to handle the situation with friends suggesting various solutions including my choosing of the weekly spot for class. Not being able to find a reliable place near my home, I gave up and let the class continue as it had been. The next few lessons saw us visiting out normal locales and everything was going a little better until the day in mid-February when we returned to the chatty cafe.This time, I endeavored not to engage with them in Japanese, speaking to the owner only in response to questions directed at me and trying my best with the five minutes of live-action proof-reading that I got to perform for my student in English. At the end of the day, I still got paid for my time and got a meal out of the deal.What I learned from this encounter is that not everyone needs to know if you have anything to add to a conversation. When the job is teaching English, it can be better to just feign complete ignorance of other languages, especially if no one is actually talking to you anyway. Sometimes it is better to just do the bare minimum of what polite society calls for.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJoE2-living_food_work_miyagiFri, 28 Feb 2020 14:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJoE2-living_food_work_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxRd-living_food_shopping_teaI found this powdered green tea at my neighborhood grocery store in the moderately priced green tea range of less that 400 yen for seventy grams. Ooigawachaen proudly grows their tea in Yaizu City, in Shizuoka Prefecture. The back of this powdered green tea package gives basic instructions for how to enjoy the powdered tea with hot water or cold water while the front suggests easy usage in thermoses and bottles as well as in cocktails and desserts. I decided to give both of the options on the back a go.First I drank the cold tea and found it really enjoyable. Using the long plastic spoon provided, it was easy to get the perfect amount of matcha powder for the suggested beverage serving size and the results were lovely. It was not bitter at all, nor sweet as some tend to be. While there was no overwhelming umami flavor, the drink was really refreshing and tasted like freshly made cold green tea. The powder did not have a chance to settle at the bottom of the glass as I drank it so fast.Next I moved on to the hot version in my new Star Wars tea cup, purchased at the Star Wars pop up store at Sendai Station last month. The hot drink was even more enjoyable than the cold drink had been, with more of the rich umami flavor coming forth in the depths of the beverage. Overblown sweetness was once again absent, along with any trace of bitterness. Because I had to wait for the drink to cool before I could enjoy it, tiny bits of the powder had time to settle at the bottom of the cup. This left me with dregs of deep green which I usually swirl back into the drink and suffer through so as not to leave a mess of mossy emerald colored gunk encrusted in the bottom of the cup should I not get around to scrubbing it out immediately. I was genuinely shocked by how nice the flavor of this tea still was even with the dregs swirled back in.If you are looking for reasonably priced matcha in powdered form from Shizuoka, this one is a very good choice. Not only will I buy it again but I will buy it to send to my mom. It even comes with its own spoon, which is sized perfectly for a cup's worth of tea and fits easily in the pouch for later use.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxRd-living_food_shopping_teaThu, 27 Feb 2020 11:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxRd-living_food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXP8-living_foodMy family paid a visit to our favorite conveyor-belt sushi chain last week and were excited to find new prizes available when we won one in the table-side game of chance.To win one of these beauties, you have to put empty plates from sushi and drinks you've consumed into the table-side opening. Every five plates, the screen will play an animation in which the main character will either win or lose. If they win, a ball is released by the machine above the conveyor-belt and you just have to reach up there and grab it. Our family usually gets one win out of every 30 plates or so.The coolest part of these prizes I think is that they are not a small toy wrapped in a plastic bag inside a plastic ball. Instead the bottom half of the ball is the casing for the stamp and the top functions as a stamp cover while making it look like a pokeball when closed.Four designs are available, so go out there and catch them all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXP8-living_foodTue, 25 Feb 2020 15:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXP8-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wek2r-livingEarlier this year, a new show dropped on Netflix and as usual it took my family a little time to get around to watching it. My mom enthused that it was good and story driven. Besides, "It's got Japanese!" my mom said and honestly the idea of people speaking the language I study in the context of a show that is otherwise in English intrigued me, not as much as the monster-fighting-spy-family angle, but still, I was intrigued.In modern US Television history, there are a few examples of Japanese being spoken, mostly badly in examples from the 1990s that lacked proper pronunciation or intonation, usually just as a one-off gag in a random episode. Star Trek TNG's special nihongo moment can be found on youtube.More recently though still decades ago now, the TV show Heroes reset the standard with the spoken Japanese being a bigger part of the show and used with care, sometimes by people actually fluent in Japanese. Perhaps just having Masi Oka (and sometimes George Takei) on set helped make the rest of the Japanese spoken (by James Kyson at length and Jack Coleman in one scene) sounded real and natural. That isn't to say that those actors did not also commit to learning not just the sounds of the words in their lines but also the inflection in which they should be delivered. All in all, they payed respect to this non-English but very real language and it shows in the final product.If I tried to make this sentence, I would use easier words than chosen here, and they would sound more natural because I HAVE HEARD JAPANESE WORDS BEFORE. Sadly, this was not the case with The October Faction, in which teenagers attending a boarding school in Osaka for several months speak Japanese as if they had only read the words out of a book and never heard anyone say any of them aloud ever. Based on the language level of the subtitles, their vocabulary and grammar should be quite high, but their extremely awkward intonation is so distracting that I cannot tell you how accurate anything else is.For those native English speakers who aren't getting how off-putting this is, I ask them to imagine someone who had never heard English before trying to replicate a basic sentence with their home language's phonemes, accenting all the sounds that should not be there. This might turn a sentence like: I love you, JimintoAhyEE raBUU YuuUU JeeMUUThis would be off-putting as heck if it came out of a character who was supposedly conversing in this language regularly with native speakers.So much of this show was so good. The writing was interesting and not entirely predictable. Almost all of the acting was superb, though I will admit I found Alice's backstory episode less than perfect in terms of emotional engagement. All the background elements, like camera work and cinematography, were on point. So much of it was so good that my husband gave it a thumbs up even after being personally insulted by the butchered delivery of his native language.Respect is what is lacking here and why this bothers me. The mistakes made represent a mono-lingual pigheadedness that comes from not studying enough of any foreign languages to grasp what you could be doing wrong.Another easy example relates to context. Japanese is put together in such a way that frequently the situation tells you what the words mean, sometimes more than the words themselves. English does not do this to the same extent. filling in with more words to present the same information. In both cases, tone is important, but I would argue it can be more important in Japanese, at least in the case of single-word sentence-phrases.Nope, not with that intonation. The video-chat scene in episode three is where this comes up. At one point, the distant boyfriend, after hearing the troubles of his mate, says "Daijoubu." with the sad base tone you would expect out of a concerned but sad partner in English. Because it's Japanese, the flat intonation eliminates the question. The tone says this is not "Are you okay?" as indicated by the subtitles but "I am okay (and sad/angry/disappointed)" which simply does not mean the same thing. If you're as upset by the lazy intonation as we were, don't worry. About halfway through the season, they start making friends and stop abusing this language, much to our relief.So Netflix, Hollywood, and any other filmmakers, I beg you. Have some respect for foreign languages, especially the ones you haven't actually personally studied. Trust me, they're more complicated than you think.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wek2r-livingSun, 23 Feb 2020 17:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wek2r-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY59g-living_healthIt's no secret that I have problems with winter. It is cold and bitter and long for me, and the worst of it is always February. This isn't homesickness, which I treat in different ways, but it isn't clinical depression either. It's always tricky for me but here are some ways I am treating my February blues in Japan this year.Fix the Small Things (when you can)Even if it's only for five minutes and even if the sense of accomplishment is incomplete or fleeting, it will still be getting something done and that will help. Many people find doing five minutes of a chore they dislike will lead to them finishing the chore just to have it done. And then its done! Honestly, if all you do is five minutes of work and need to quit, it's still five minutes closer to what you want.In the longer view, this method has really helped me overcome some major obstacles concerning my utter dislike of the shortest month. Last autumn, when I had more mental energy, I finally faced a fear that was so deeply rooted that I wasn't even sure how to address it before. Working on this problem when I could meant that I moved forward into this winter with significantly less anxiety and more mental energy. This February, I actually got to use that energy to conclude that my biggest issue with February is that my husband works more and longer hours than usual. Knowing that, I have better options for avoiding depressive pitfalls than I had last year.Take It EasyI read something like this on a meme from a Scandinavian friend early this season, advising people to treat winter as a reason for hibernation and nurturing themselves so as to better move forward in spring. It's not the best advice for everyone, as I am sure extroverts probably find that thought process a little depressing on its own, but so far it is working wonders for me.This year is the first year I am fully employing this method. I am not pushing myself this February. I am not forcing myself into uncomfortable social situations and I am not challenging myself to do all the new things. Instead, I am doing my job and taking care of my household, but reserving my private time for books, naps and video games. I do not have to exhaust all my resources in winter when my energy reserves take so much longer than usual to regenerate. Wait It OutThis is most useful with smaller temporary problems, but it can work on larger ones too. Giving a problem some time can allow us a better perspective on the situation sometimes. If you can hold on for a few weeks, things will get better, or at least different, and even different can give you something new to work with.My issues with February are mostly temporary. By the end of the month, the warmth will return at least a little and my husband will be a little less busy. My family will have a little more time together and things will feel better. Holding onto that thought helps me weather the frigidity of the Tohoku winter. Seek HelpIf your mental health is in serious danger, getting real help is important. I know the cultural and language barriers of finding a psychotherapist in Japan may be too much, as they are for me, but there are other ways. Many therapists offer online sessions now from a number of countries, though I recommend thoroughly checking out any therapist or consulting service before starting treatment with them or paying for anything.Even if the only people you're comfortable with talking to are people you already know, don't forget to reach out when you can. Communicating about some of your problems can help solve them. I can name three anxiety-inducing situations in my life just in this year that were put to rest thanks to open communication with other people, sometimes not even the people involved in the situations.Whatever you do to treat the February blues, remember to hold on. The seasons will change, and so will everything else.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY59g-living_healthTue, 18 Feb 2020 13:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY59g-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvrg-food_howtoLook at the delicious Shoronpo dumplings I totally did not see in the menu!Shoronpo, the delicious soup-filled dumplings of Chinese origin, are some of my absolute favorite Chinese foods found in Japan. For some reason, unlike fried rice or egg drop soup, these never made it on the average Chinese or pan-asian menus in my home region of North America, much to my chagrin. Whenever people visit me, I try to make sure to take them out for Chinese food at least once so that they too can try these delicious little things. Honestly, they are one of my favorite foods of all time. Recently, my family had our evening meal at an okonomiyaki chain restaurant in Sendai. My husband, seeing that I was exhausted and needed a bit of a mood boost, picked out these beauties. When they came to the table, I realized that I had no idea how to cook them. I had not even seen them on the menu, and when I heard him order them, I assumed they would come cooked. I assumed wrong.If you order these from the same chain restaurant that we did, you will be brought five mostly uncooked dumplings that feel hard and cold but not frozen. You will also receive a metal dome and a small bowl of ice.Step 1: Oil and arrangementAssuming your hotplate is already hot, place the dumblings in a circular formation, leaving a gap in the middle for the ice. Make sure there is some oil down first so they don't stick to the hotplate.Step 2: Ice and Lid (Superfast!)When you add ice to the hotplate, it has the be expected that changes will start pretty much immediately, so you have to toss the ice in the middle and slap that dome on top.Step 3: Bubbling Splatter and WaitingIt made some crazy noises while we sat there waiting, and then the little bits of water mixed with oil and splattered out of the edges of the dome, mostly at me. Some also attacked my husband. It did not take long for the water to evaporate enough for this to stop being a problem.Step 4: Remove and EnjoyI recommend using a small spatula to pull these off the hot plate. I didn't and I absolutely butchered one of the poor little dumplings, sending its watery contents to the same place a lot of the ice water went. You'll know they are done when most of the dumpling is soft but the bottom has a little color and is a little tougher.I ate them all and they were delicious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvrg-food_howtoFri, 07 Feb 2020 16:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvrg-food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6YjQ-living_familylife_sendai_shi_miyagi A little over two years ago, Shawn the Sheep's Family Farm (ひつじのショーンファミリーファーム) opened at Sendai's The Mall at Nagamachi. We had been through the mall on many occasions and seen this place at a distance but never had the chance to enjoy it until last winter break when my husband was lucky enough to join us. It's a nice kids play area when it isn't crowded though I imagine when lots of kids are about, it might be a bit uncomfortable for some.The price is charged per half hour which is plenty of time if it's not too full. Adult tickets cost 300 yen per half hour and kids tickets cost 600 yen per half hour unless you use soyupoke service, whatever that is. There is a website if you want to sign up in advance and save 100 yen per half hour ticket. Every fifteen minutes after the initial thirty minutes is up will cost 200 yen per kid but will be free for adults. Watching the time is a good idea but you will pay in advance and receive a small plastic lanyard/clip with your entry time printed on it so that any tardiness in departure can be properly charged.A blue and white ball pit forms a ring around the semi-circular hill that provides a variety of climbing options for the kids including a series of musical circles, blocks in differing heights and even two slides to come back back down with one slightly steeper/faster than the other.Sometimes and mascot is about but even when Shawn isn't around, the area is a lot of fun and my kid spent a lot of time going up and down the hill. There are colorful also colorful chairs for tired parents and siblings as well as a coloring section and a whole toddler section walled off like an safe little cubicle of adventure for the tinier ones.While there is a tiny train at the front of the shop, it was out of service when we went, but we still had a blast. In the back there is a small area with a video-interactive element where kids and adults can attempt to shave an un-shave-able sheep. We enjoyed making an attempt. There was also a small play kitchen and a puzzle area we didn't have time to explore, but looked to be great fun for those who love puzzles. We did have to drag my daughter away from the big blocks, which even I admit look like they would be a lot of fun to play with. All in all, I think this place is worth the money especially if you can go with small children at a time when it isn't too busy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6YjQ-living_familylife_sendai_shi_miyagiTue, 04 Feb 2020 19:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6YjQ-living_familylife_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXr2x-living_shopping_education_ichinoseki_shi_iwateThe Sahara Glass Park is not a place I had intended to go, and was in fact not even a place I had ever heard of before my family and I found ourselves stumbling through the gorgeous glass art of the entryway. When we stopped by Geibikei Gorge in Iwate at the beginning of December 2019, we had wandered through a cute little park, trying not to stumble on the icy rocks, and were disappointed to find that the dango shop that is known for sending its wares across the gorge in a basket on a rope had stopped this practice for winter. My husband had brought me out to this area just to see that and was ready to drag us back to the car when I asked if we could check out something I saw when we drove across the bridge to the closest parking lot to the park.Sahara Glass Park sports a large archway the likes of which I am used to seeing only in areas with a vibrant alcohol-infused nightlife, but the name I could read on it didn't sound like a big drinking area, meaning it was either not a drinking area at all or a very creatively named one. Either way, in the middle of the day in the middle of a week in December, it would probably be the safest time to find out.To the left of the entrance is an awning covered walkway which holds display case after display case filled with gorgeous glass treasures usually accompanied by small placards explaining at least the name of the artist and piece. Many were jugs, vases and other similar vessels artistically rendered in fantastic color and with great skill.At end of the walk we found two pieces that took my breath away-- replicas of famous painting done up expertly in blown glass including Van Gogh's Starry Night.Further in we found a park that had probably seen better days if the crowd size of practically zero is anything to judge by. A few of the pieces that were set into outdoor displays in the park were chipped or broken, but the huge garden clock was still a gorgeous sight, even with its hands removed, likely to avoid upcoming damage from later winter snows.The presence of so many little quiet spaces in a place that seemed designed for more supported the feeling of a special, slightly haunted treasure. Small wooden shop-like buildings stood locked up and vacant to the sides of the clock but their appearance reminded me at once of shop stalls from renaissance festivals back home and I got the impression that summer might be a time when this place livens up a little. I wouldn't be surprised of the school children of Ichinoseki find themselves here on field trips or excursions at some point.According to the website, tourists can call to set up the opportunity to blow their own glass in the workshop here, located near the restaurant and gift shop, both of which were open during our visit. Since we hadn't actually planned to stay long and had already spent a few minutes taking dozens of photos, we only had time to visit the gift shop but even that was well worth the little detour. Not only did they have wonders of hand-blown glass for sale but many of their items were on sale and for cheap enough that I didn't feel bad or break the bank picking up a few extra presents for family and friends back home.The Sahara Glass Park can be found at this address:Takinoue-263-1 Genbicho, Ichinoseki, Iwate 021-0101According to the website, they appear to be open daily from 9AM to 6PM save for their New Years Holidays which start on December 27th. If you're into quiet creepy places with lots of details and the opportunity to shop, this might be a good place to stop by.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXr2x-living_shopping_education_ichinoseki_shi_iwateMon, 03 Feb 2020 12:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXr2x-living_shopping_education_ichinoseki_shi_iwatehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQPkV-living_miyagiLiving in Japan, you get used to having fast, convenient public transportation in the form of an excellent train system, and it runs like clockwork...until it doesn't.Did you ever wonder what the messages on train lines say after someone jumps in front of a train? They say this.What I knew at 9:27AM when I had arrived only barely in time for my 9:30 train and found this instead was only that I wasn't going to make it to my class in Sendai. If I had been there ten minutes earlier, if my daughter's bus had been running earlier instead of later than usual, I would have had time to take a taxi to the other side of town and take the Tohoku line train to Sendai from Shiogama Station and arrived just in time for my lesson.Instead I was forced to message an apology and cancellation to my student and head home, getting to my apartment just in time to see a train leave the station headed away from Sendai. All of the trains were heavily delayed and putting myself on the one that had been waiting there for hours wouldn't have guaranteed that I would actually have arrived in Sendai before the busy student I was set to teach was forced to return to work.It isn't clear from the Japanese if it was a jump, push or fall but the official story as carried later by some online news source indicated an accident rather than an act of intended self-harm. The high school girl in question broke her arm and appears to be ill, so it isn't entirely clear to me if she was an overworked, exhausted kid who fainted/fell or an over-pressured, exhausted kid who leaped, and in the end it isn't that important. Kids here need more time and space to be themselves and this society needs more of a focus on mental health in addition to the physical. Both social issues are important and lead to hurt kids, regardless of which one led to this one.This morning, I was angry about the delay, and then disappointed in myself for seeing what could be notice of a suicide with anger about my personal inconvenience over concern for the person and their family. I didn't know this girl, but she could have been one of my students or one of the students of one of my friends. The best lessons I can take from today's events are 1) always be safe on the train platform, 2) watch out for those you care about, physically and emotionally, and 3) make what you can of the time you have, because no one has forever.Trains to Sendai were still sluggish after 2PM. The sign claims the next train departs at 2:23PM while the clock reads nearly 2:40PM.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQPkV-living_miyagiWed, 22 Jan 2020 22:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQPkV-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRq2W-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThe statues for Year of the Rat have been out at HonShiogama Station's Stone Art area for a few weeks now and the adorable little stone mice are a nice addition to the group. Every year, a statue of the zodiac mascot is carved and placed there among its friends, which currently include two fantastically battling tigers, a large rabbit, and a few bits and pieces from other creatures. Not every statue stays in the little stone garden forever, so if you want to see these beauties, do so this year.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRq2W-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSun, 19 Jan 2020 10:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRq2W-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYg4-living_foodA few weeks ago, I was cleaning the kitchen in preparation of a smoke alarm check our building was set to carry out a few days later and found this bottle of Malibu coconut flavored rum at the back of the top of the fridge, far out of reach of anyone in my home.My arm is extended as far as it can go without trying to climb on top of the fridge itself. After some careful maneuvering, I managed to obtain the bottle but still had so many questions. I am the only alcohol drinker in the house as my daughter is 6 years old and my husband's mild alcohol allergy makes him itch. I am the only person who could have bought this, yet I didn't, and why would I have put it at the back of the top of the fridge, where I wouldn't be able to see it or get to it? I considered for a moment whether or not it would make any sense for our home to be haunted by an extremely friendly ghost, leaving gifts of alcohol just for me, but then why only in places I cannot reach? And why is it discounted rum from the grocery store across the street? The yellow and white label indicated that the price has been reduced to sell more quickly. Is this ghost both friendly and cheap? It then occurred to me to check the expiration date, which was late 2014. So five full years this thing had been sitting up there, luckily not falling off in any of the quakes we fully felt up here on the 8th floor. It turns out an unopened bottle of Malibu will retain its quality for up to ten years, at which point it becomes less potent. Once the bottle is open, it will lose quality significantly faster and won't be better than coconut flavored water in a few months. This unopened bottle was still drinkable. Thinking about late 2014 brought me back to my thirtieth birthday party, which involved 12 people celebrating Thanksgiving in my apartment, American style. One of my taller friends had spent a lot of time helping out in the kitchen and had at that same party given me a large bottle of Baileys that I hadn't realized was about to expire and later got sick from. There was the last connection I needed. Discount liquor + long arms + height + access to my kitchen in 2014 = the most likely person to have stashed the mystery rum. It's been five years since that party and the whole world is different for most of the people who came to it. Several went back to their home countries, some to more fulfilling careers and others to more solid relationships. Only one of the couples who came survived as a couple, having spent the last five years adding several children to their family in addition to the one they brought with them to my home that night. My tall friend who most likely left the liquor has no reason to remember it now. I haven't bothered her about it and am unlikely to do so either. She transitioned from being trapped in a five-year-long secret relationship to meeting someone new, getting married, having a baby, moving to Tokyo then Osaka, and pursuing further degrees and certifications. Her life is so different from what it was when last we met, and so much for the better.What a difference 5 years can make.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYg4-living_foodFri, 17 Jan 2020 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYg4-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQPrV-living_teaI found this one at a grocery store in Miyagi and was drawn to the label on the front boasting Shizuoka as the origin of these dried leaves. I had to ask my husband to read the kanji of the name label for me as I was unfamiliar with how these specific characters would sound when paired together. The back of the package details two ways to prepare this tea. First they give the hot instructions which any tea enthusiast should already be aware of. What is interesting is that it suggests only using 4 grams instead of 5g for a 200 mL cup. Since I don't actually have a tiny scale or measuring spoons this specific, I estimated 4-5 grams and prepared a hot cup of tea in my brand new year of the rat mug, given to me on January second as a sales day giveaway at Aeon. Separately, I prepared a suggested 6 grams, estimated again, in a glass of cold water -- the cold preparation requiring more time and half again as much of the tea leaves led me to assume that the flavors on the second cup might take more time to develop. After straining both, it was time to indulge.The warm drink had acquired a scent while it brewed. While it was not sweet enough to be considered herbal, the scent was also not bitter or tart enough to be grassy. It was somewhere in between, but not unpleasant.As I sipped the first cup of tea, I felt the warmth of the drink was soothing, while the actual flavor was very soft. Bitterness was nowhere to be found. If you know someone who loves drinking water but does not enjoy green tea, this might be the best way to get them into it. My one small cup was easy to finish but didn't bring about as much of the rich umami flavors I have become accustomed to enjoying in cups of green tea from Shizuoka. It was enjoyable but the flavor combination seemed to be missing something.The cold brew felt heavier than water but I had trouble distinguishing any flavor from the first few sips. Again, this is the tea to recommend for people who don't like the flavor of green tea but want an alternative to water. Letting the cold brew sit for a few minutes untouched brought out more of the flavors that should have been evident from the get go. Suddenly I could taste the relationship between this and the hot brew. They had the same flavor profile but the warmer one felt slightly richer. This isn't the first time I've tried a hot and cold taste test on a green tea from Shizuoka. Last timeI even suggested that the cold brew was could be used as a less bland replacement for water. This time, I feel the cold brew has more value but still a very soft flavor overall.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQPrV-living_teaWed, 15 Jan 2020 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQPrV-living_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLyRY-living_japan2020Tohoku might not be the first place people think of when they look for Japanese historical sites or museums, but many of the most historical sites in Miyagi and Iwate contain the special surprise of on-site museums housing collections of ancient goods perfect to perk up the spirits of any Japanese history buff. Here are four great examples of such sites.Sendai Castle RuinsSendai Castle Ruins is not my favorite castle site in Japan but it does boast a lovely front gate and a great view of the city. Visitors can see a nice number of historical statues including this iconic memorial to Date Masamune, the founder of Sendai. The site has a few food options, a gift shop and an on-site museum devoted to the area itself and Date in specific. It is easily accessed by Loople Bus, the sightseeing bus of Sendai, but can also be reached on foot and by car. The summer fireworks that kick off Tanabata are easy to view from the castle grounds, which stay open late to accommodate those looking to enjoy the view. It does get a little crowded though, so if you're looking to watch the festivities, arrive early and bring a picnic blanket to sit on.Kanrantei Tea House in MatsushimaOriginally built in Kyoto as part of Fushimi Castle, this tea house was sent to Date Masamune as a gift from Toyotomo Hideyoshi and eventually found its home overlooking Matsushima Bay. Though it once only housed dignitaries for moon viewing parties and the like, the building now is open to any who pay the small admission fee. A menu of tea and sweets are available and excellent, though little compares to the feeling of looking over the water from one of the sitting rooms, which are a sight to behold all unto themselves. As with the rest of this list, a small museum is also on the property, admission covered by the cost to enter the tea house. While there is no real English available in that little building, it does hold some interesting ancient pieces of Sendai's and Matsushima's past including a suit of samurai armor. It is worth stopping by, especially if you've already had some refreshments at the tea house.ZuihoudenLike Sendai Castle Ruins, this is a stop on the Loople Bus and tied very closely to Date Masamune. Zuihouden Mausoleum houses the remains of the Date clan and has a fairly extensive museum on site, though with little English. Still, the pieces of history are lovely to see and the mausoleum grounds are gorgeous even if you're not the kind of person who finds graveyards fascinating.The last time I went here was toward the end of April and the way the wind hit the cherry blossom petals made me feel like I was in a very high resolution video game. It was astounding and I was left speechless. Even after the Loople bus, the site is a bit of a walk up a steep hill, so I don't recommend it for those with serious mobility problems.ChuzonjiLast but not least, this temple in Iwate dates back to 850 AD according to temple records and houses a lovely museum of historical Buddhist treasures from centuries past. While the trek up the hill is not enough to rival Yamadera, I do recommend comfortable walking shoes and taking your time if mobility issues are a problem.The sights are something to see though, from the view of the city below to the gorgeous buildings and statues. During Golden Week, there is even an event called the Spring Fujiwara Festival in the town of Hiraizumi, home to the Chusonji temple. On May 3rd, whichever famous actor is chosen that year will assume the role of Minamoto Yoshitsune who was seeking refuge at the temple under the powerful Fujiwara clan when he rode down that same street in the late 12th century. The actor will ride a horse in proper traditional attire in the middle of a high-class processional that leads all the way to the temple.Watching the parade is like seeing a hinamatsuri doll collection come to life and assume full size. If you're a bit of a history nerd, you will probably love it. I know I did when I went some years ago, unfortunately without a camera. Any time of year, this temple is worth the trip and the museum is one of my personal all-time favorite museums on the planet.If you're up for seeing history on location as well as in a museum, these spots in Tohoku are perfect for you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLyRY-living_japan2020Sat, 11 Jan 2020 18:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLyRY-living_japan2020https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj7lo-living_japan2020I am not a good student when it comes to Japanese language acquisition, but these media-based learning opportunities I've stumbled across recently have convinced me that maybe I can study a little every day even if I don't have time to sit down with a copy of Japanese for Busy People.1. Music (with Subtitles!)I found this by accident the other day while looking for something to drown out the construction noises outside of my apartment. To my surprise, there are a lot of Japanese songs that come with subtitles in Amazon's music selection for Amazon Prime, probably more if you opt for the music unlimited option. You can also find some videos on youtube or other sites that offer subtitles.If you're paying attention, you can use this to practice kanji recognition and elements of grammar as they appear in music. If you go one step further, you can mimic the sounds of the song and start working on your pronunciation, too. If you pick a popular enough song and practice well, you may even take your new knowledge out for a spin with...2. KARAOKE (in Japanese)I really do consider this a test of the previous skills with the added incentive that failing to sing well in front of your friends may be embarrassing, if you bothered to bring friends in the first place. Either way, it's a fun way to test your knowledge using something you already enjoy. I find even watching the karaoke screen while someone else sings a song I know well but do not necessarily know the lyrics to helps me gain understanding. For me, the panic of missing the lyrics makes it hard to complete even songs in my native language, but that didn't stop me from trying to sing the first Japanese song I ever learned (using my amateur grasp of phonetics in high school) and understanding far more of it than I ever had before. Having tried to learn the song before learning any of the language made the whole karaoke experience strangely enlightening now, almost twenty years after I committed the sounds to memory.3. Movies and TV ShowsThis is one of my favorite ways to encourage my brain to process more Japanese, but watching Japanese TV during a live broadcast is a little too fast for my current level. To fully understand anything more complicated than anime meant for children around the age of five, I prefer having access to English subtitles if not also the ability to replay what I just heard and isolate anything I am having trouble understanding. For these reasons, I highly recommend Netflix over all other streaming services I have experience with in Japan. Amazon's streaming service has access to some shows and movies that other carriers do not but only offers subtitles in Japanese if at all. Not everything on Netflix offers Japanese language and English subtitles, but enough titles do that I am not stuck re-watching the same series over and over again. I haven't played around with Japanese Hulu in years, but the last time I did, their set up was similar to Amazon's with titles available in separate links for dubbed or subtitled and the only subtitles being Japanese ones to cover foreign language audio.English subtitles may not seem like the most helpful Japanese learning tool, but when you're an exhausted intermediate learner with no educators in your household, you can at least start associating the sounds of the words in Japanese with the general definitions in English. That is better than nothing, and if you actually like the show, you're more likely to squeeze more Japanese listening into your life than you would otherwise. As a bonus, if you really like a show, you can re-watch the same scene and mimic the sounds you hear, switching to Japanese subtitles if possible and as need be to help clarify anything that doesn't quite work. You can do the same with English language shows under Japanese dubbing if that is more interesting, though I find sometimes I get hung up on different choices the translators make and focus less on overall understanding.4. New AppsThere are dozens of Japanese learning apps for all levels of learner but finding one that really works for you can be challenging and require assessing a number of variables. How much time per day or week do you have for focusing on this app? How much time and energy would it take for you at your current level to fully grasp one lesson or study unit? Will you be refreshing yourself and learning more, bored in fifteen minutes, or mentally numb in half an hour?For my time, energy and level, Kanji Tree has been really useful. I remember a lot from college but haven't really been maintaining my kanji level, so reviewing some older ones and moving forward is a great way for me to do it. For a kanji master, this might get boring fast, but as someone who has never taken the JPLT, I have found this to be a good and easy way for me to inject a little more studying into my day to day life. If I only have ten minutes to poke the app while watching TV, it's still more studying than I would be doing otherwise. As long as I take a second to look at the kanji and think about it, I am granting my brain the opportunity to remember more.If this app is a little beyond your scope, Duolingo is a pretty fun starting option for a lot of languages including Japanese. If both of these are far under your level, I recommend MONDO, which provides news articles and videos with the option to check anything you're not sure of quite easily. Unfortunately, I don't have the vocabulary to read the articles quickly and don't have the time to read them in their entirety, which is why I have gone a different route for now. However you choose to study in 2020, remember to keep it fun when you can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj7lo-living_japan2020Fri, 10 Jan 2020 10:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj7lo-living_japan2020https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3L0-living_japan2020Japan is known for its seasons and Tohoku is no exception. These events showcase their respective seasons in the context of their areas in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures.Shiogama's DontosaiSeason: WinterDates: January 14thArea: MiyagiThe first activity chronologically will occur in just a few days and will take place at various shrines around the prefecture including Shiogama Shrine. Every year, this event attracts people from the surrounding area who come to dispose of their new years decorations and last year's Shinto charms in the massive bonfire. In the Shiogama iteration, this fire usually gets split into 2 smaller piles for safety and takes place in a wide, flat space across from the the back of the shrine. Fire fighters are usually standing by, as is a hot cocoa and snack stall. It is said that those warmed by the fires should not be able to fall ill within a year, though it doesn't seem to stop my family from occasionally catching colds.Coming by train is easiest, taking the Senseki line from Sendai to HonShiogama and following the directions in this post to get to the shrine. From there, the fire and throng of people heading toward it should be obvious.In addition to the bonfire, groups of under-clothed people will run a route around the town in only basic cloth torso wrapping, holding large flags, lanterns, or other special implements. This march ends at the shrine and is one of the more unique aspects of this Miyagi-based event. More information can be found in my previous post.Kitakami's Cherry Blossom TunnelSeason: SpringDates: Variable, usually mid-late April.Area: Kitakami, IwateThis lovely event takes place in Kitakami Tenshochi Park in the tiny town of Kitakami and is not the easiest to get to. I recommend going by car, though at times of full bloom even that method can be tricky. They do set up supplemental parking spaces further down the road from the main parking lots, but the walk between the two isn't always short.It's worth it, though, to see the cherry blossoms arc above your head and extend into this fairy-tale like tunnel of blissful gorgeousness. If you arrive at the right time, you can even get a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. It looks and feels a bit like magic, but wear comfortable shoes. That white pebble path isn't overly forgiving to high heels.Sendai's TanabataSeason: SummerDates: August 6-8Area: Sendai, MiyagiEvery August, Tohoku's biggest summer festival takes place over three days in Sendai's shopping arcade, just a short walk from Sendai's station. Shops in the area along with organizations and schools collaborate to create a massive stream of decorations that extend from near the roof of the covered arcade to adult face level, sometimes even lower. The themes and decorations change every year and the decorations stay up for the full three days, so it is best to check it out on the first day. Materials used in the sweeping creations are usually variations on washi or origami paper, but can also be plastic or cloth. Along the walk under and through these elaborate displays, visitors will find vendors with food, souvenirs and other goodies that no summer festival would be complete without. What I like best about this event is that visitors can avoid massive crowds if their visits are timed correctly. This allows people who don't enjoy the extremely social aspects of summer festivals to still go out and enjoy the sights and sounds without as much discomfort.Matsushima's Fall Light Up at Entsuin Season: FallDates: Late October through mid NovemberArea: Matsushima, MiyagiThis one starts at dusk just before Halloween and is such a beautiful way to welcome fall into the area. Unlike the previous events, this one requires a 500 yen charge per adult but is well worth the small cover price. Entsuiin temple gardens houses some of the most gorgeous examples of fall foliage in the area, arranged artfully and frequently with musical entertainment.Visitors will walk down a path that first leads them past a small rock garden surrounded by various deciduous trees. Next, there is a path through more trees and up a small staircase to a small shrine-like building in the back. Next to that, the path leads through an area with many open caves carved from the rock face, and around through a rose garden to the main temple building where sometimes a band might be playing. Next to the temple is a large reflecting pond that shows the lights on the trees above and around in such a magnificent way.Visiting Tohoku can be fantastic in any season. For sights that are great year round, check out my previous post.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3L0-living_japan2020Mon, 06 Jan 2020 19:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3L0-living_japan2020https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7EW0-living_japan2020Tohoku is a lovely place in any season and these five spots prove it. While some may be more accessible in some seasons than others, all can be enjoyed in some way all year round.1. Yamadera, Yamagata Hiking all the way to the temple stationed more than 1,000 steps up the side of a mountain may sound like a hard sell in winter, but it is thoroughly doable and even enjoyable for those adventurous enough to try it out. I am sure the view from the top of the mountain looking over a snow frosted valley must be breath-taking. It was pretty gorgeous in summer, too and if it's nice in the two seasons of extremes, I can only imagine how wonderful it must be in the pretty and mild seasons of spring and fall. Climbing this mountain takes a little work and some nice walking shoes but no experience with actual mountaineering is necessary. You won't be grappling up any rock faces on this route. I do recommend training up for this massive not-entirely-even forest staircase if you're of a more sedentary lifestyle. More information is available in my previous blog post. 2. Matsushima, Miyagi Where the previous entry takes a lot of work to get to, this one is almost entirely the opposite. Simply take the Senseki line from Sendai to MatsushimaKaigan and you are there. The naturally occurring outlying islands make up a view said to be one of the three most beautiful in Japan and even the view from the train platform is something to see. The picture above shows a sight just a few minutes walk from the station near a small beach. With a number of temples and shrines, a historical tea house, and the outlying islands highlighted by a few eye-catching red bridges, the tourist and pedestrian friendly area near the station makes for some great photos whether off-set by brilliant white snow, perfect pink cherry blossoms, the strong sun of summer or the changing leaves of fall.3. Akiu, Sendai, Miyagi Akiu has a lovely forest-like area with a great waterfall. In summer, people even make their ways down to the base of the falls and let the cool mountain water refresh them. In winter, many of those paths are off-limits with snow and ice but the falls are still something to behold and a lovely little tea-house nearby will serve hot mochi and matcha to warm up any customer. Spring and fall are probably the most visually striking times to go, but every season packs some lovely photo opportunities and fun. The best place to view the falls from is behind a lovely little shrine, so the curious photographer will have many great options to choose from. Getting to the falls will take a car and some walking or an advanced understanding of the bus system but the view is worth it.4. Geibikei Gorge, Ichinoseki, Iwate We went to Geibikei gorge in the awkward change-over between fall and winter, when the leaves were almost completely gone and the snow had yet to accumulate. It was still magnificent. The crystal clear water reflected the rock-faces so perfectly that at one point it was almost as if looking into the eye of some great rock deity. It was astounding. Pictures at the boat-hire location show the space being gorgeous in every season and I have no reason to doubt them. It just so happens that the place is wonderful between the seasons as well. Definitely bring a good camera and pay for the boat tour. It is well worth it.5. Shiogama Shrine, Shiogama, Miyagi When it comes to accessibility, Shiogama Shrine ranks between Yamadera and Matsushima. Taking the Senseki line from Sendai, get off at HonShiogama and take the exit labelled Jinja. Then all you have to do is follow the signs to any of the three entrances to the shrine. You can choose to walk up a series of shorter staircases that eventually lead to the main shrine structure or walk to the front entrance and take one big staircase 202 steps up to the top. There is also a small mountain-path style entrance for those who want to see some greenery on the way, though I highly discourage this route if there has been significant precipitation. For more information and a guided tour via video by myself, see my previous post. The view from the top of the gardens out to the sea and Matsushima beyond is quite lovely in every single season, as I can personally attest. The gardens themselves are fantastic in fall especially, and a little further down the hill, a green area with several kinds of cherry blossom trees is perfect for hanami picnics. It's simply gorgeous all year round.Whatever the season, the spots in Tohoku give you something to see.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7EW0-living_japan2020Sun, 05 Jan 2020 06:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7EW0-living_japan2020https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rJ8-living_education_familylife_miyagiMy daughter recently was granted acceptance into a catholic school in a nearby city and as newcoming parents we were sent an invitation to the school's Christmas "Missa" which, not actually being catholic myself, I had to look up online to find that it is the Latin word for mass in the religious sense, not the scientific. By the time it had occurred to me to have any misgivings about going to a church service when we aren't exactly church folk, my husband had already RSVPed and I was getting excited about hearing Christmas songs.We got to the building and waited in line to enter the little cathedral and it was actually nice in sense to be in a Christian religious space that was not just a wedding backdrop as so many things that look like cathedrals or churches seem to be in this country.First came the Christmas concert, which started with a group of children singing various holiday songs, some in Latin and others in Japanese. All of the children sang well and at least one seemed to be of equally mixed race to my daughter. My eyes teared up, watching the girl and seeing how at ease she was with her peers-- how included. That was something I wasn't sure I could give my daughter in this country, a factor I've been more aware of since a boy on my daughter's bus yelled "HAFU" at her last week. My daughter, the school's bus attendant, and apparently everyone but me ignored the boy completely, but it bothered me. I've never had anyone treat my daughter that way and I haven't heard the kid so much as mutter since then, but I am paying more attention now.After the choir came an orchestra that included a horn section-- something Texas high school orchestras almost never have as those instruments usually belong to the football team's musical escort: the marching band. Every orchestra I played in for the decade that I studied the cello was just strings, sometimes not even with proper orchestra music. This gathering by comparison seemed much more elegant.Among the songs the orchestra played was Sleigh Ride, a song I had not heard in almost 20 years and not since the last time I played it during the Christmas concert with my high school orchestra. I was overcome by nostalgia instantly and still remembered around half of the notes I had memorized back in my freshman year when no one knew I needed glasses and I didn't know everyone else could read the sheet music without leaning so close to it.The wave of nostalgia faded into amusement with the next holiday medley and eventually the music stopped. Half of the crowd left then, content with the ninety minute musical performance. A few others came in for what would be the third Catholic mass I had ever attended.I was not prepared for this much kanji.Because my husband's only experiences with Christianity came by means of British boarding school, he wasn't used to any of the procedures in Japanese and was as surprised as I was to find that what in English is usually simplified to, "And also with you." somehow becomes a formal, kanji-laden expression in Japanese.I also came to realize that my glasses need some fine tuning as I frequently misread the hiragana on the music provided in the program.It was still fun but significantly less nostalgic than I had expected overall. In a way, it was still getting my family into something similar to a culture I was a part of for some of my youth, even as it was a different church and in a different language.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rJ8-living_education_familylife_miyagiTue, 31 Dec 2019 17:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rJ8-living_education_familylife_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRqrv-living_ichinoseki_shi_iwateBack in early December, my husband pulled together a few days off so that we could have our annual winter family vacation, this time to Iwate, just one prefecture north of our home in Miyagi.We've been to Iwate a number of times, usually to try (and frequently fail) to see the cherry blossom tunnel in Kitakami, a city my husband lived and worked in briefly in the year before we met. We've also seen the dragon shaped cave system a number of times and while I enjoy it, visiting again wouldn't bring anything new to my life.To my utter shock, my husband actually planned something new and exciting for us to do in Iwate.The manhole covers in this area provide a delightful clue as to what fun awaits in the gorge. Geibikei Gorge in Ishiniseki is home to a great experience any time of year. My husband had been nervous that we would not be able to enjoy the gorge's gorgeousness in the awkward transitional period between fall and winter. While he was right about the lack of beautiful foliage or pristine ice and snow, the experience was wonderful all the same.The cute little boat ticket building in front of the souvenir shop and docks. The cost for the boat fare is listed in English and Japanese at the ticket booth. Tickets for adults cost 1800 yen each while children between elementary school and adulthood can ride for 900 yen each and those between the age of 3 and elementary school cost only 200 yen. Babies appear to be free.The little fleet of hand-made boats wait for their turn to ferry passengers down the river and back again.The best reason to come to the gorge is to take the boat trip through it one of the best things about taking this trip in winter is the presence of a boat-length kotatsu, set up in sections pushed together. By my estimate the boat could easily fit twenty people without getting too crowded but on the day of our visit, business was so slow that only a few other couples joined us on the boat.Our little group on the kotatsu boat, enjoying our warm beverages. The basket in the center of the kotatsu at the other end is full of packets of duck food.In addition to a last minute sale of warm drinks, the boat agents also gave us complimentary ice cream as a thank you for riding. It was lovely. Ducks came forward in curious little groupings and I bought duck food (available on the dock as well as on the boat in small plastic baggies for a few hundred yen) for my daughter to throw to her fowl friends, who followed the boat on its course. Each boat is hand-made by the staff of the boat tour company and runs without an engine of any kind outside of a single man, standing at the back and pushing with a long pole, gondola style.Our driver on the boat where it docked for out walk to the bridge. In the background, digging cranes sort out some issues with the scenery. The ride was perfectly magical despite their short intrusion.The whole tour was set to take ninety minutes including a short walk up to a small bridge. Somehow, despite the ducks, the water was so clear that we could see leaves on the bottom of the river. Our tour guide gave lots of information, almost exclusively in Japanese, but I was given an English brochure at the ticket booth, so I could read along if need be.The little bridge connects to a small outcropping where you can buy 5 small ceramic stones for 100 yen. The goal is to then throw the stones into the hole on the other side that resembles the eye of a dragon. Apparently, even professional baseball players have difficulty performing this task, but still it's fun to give it a try.Each ceramic stone is imprinted with a character representing a generally desired aspect, such as luck or love, which the thrower is supposed to be granted if the stone makes it through the eye of the dragon.My kid giving it her all. I'm pretty sure it still went in the river. We threw ten stones, mostly in the water, but one of mine hit the rock face, which was not a win but far better than I had hoped. If you're looking to take this trip, you can check their websitefor access and current boating status as well as a map. Walking from Geibikei station on the Ofunato line should apparently take only about five minutes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRqrv-living_ichinoseki_shi_iwateSat, 28 Dec 2019 17:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRqrv-living_ichinoseki_shi_iwatehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvEy-living_morioka_shi_iwateMy family's recent trip northward hinged on this very important exhibit at the Iwate Museum of Art. My husband had read reviews of the exhibit as it had been displayed in larger cities in Japan and was excited for our chance to see it.We arrived twenty minutes after the museum opened to find the parking lot full already with eager museum goers. This standing in line activity would be a trend throughout the day. Around twenty minutes later, we had parked and headed inside to be told that the wait was already an hour and a half if you had tickets, which we did not. The line outside.The line inside.Half an hour went to waiting in line for tickets and then another two hours in waiting for entrance to the exhibit itself in a line that stretched and looped outside in the cold, then up through the building and under a gorgeous rendition of a massive floating city from a movie I have yet to watch. Rigged up on an automated or remote controlled pully system, the ship would come down, nearly landing on the little city below, and then take off back up to the rafters. It was amazing to watch.The exhibit itself was off limits photographically but totally worth the wait, showing early sketches, the desk and work-space of the famed animator, and many large renditions of characters from many of the best loved classics from this terribly influential media company. The exhibit will be in Morioka until February 16th, so if you're in Tohoku and want to see it, go early and prepare for lines.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvEy-living_morioka_shi_iwateWed, 25 Dec 2019 01:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvEy-living_morioka_shi_iwatehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxOx-living_kitakami_shi_iwateI'm still mad for manhole covers and in Japan that isn't the weirdest thing I could be interested in. On a recent trip to Iwate, we stopped through the little town of Kitakami and I fell in love with the little bits of ironwork beneath our feet.Three symbols of the city appear here including the sakura of the city's official tree, the white lillies of the city's official flower and the grey wagtail, also known as the city's official bird.I was a little surprised to note than in many places in this little town the coloration of the manhole cover changed, but this is the only one I managed to get a good picture of.If you're ever in the area, make sure to keep an eye out for the the fancy manhole covers.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxOx-living_kitakami_shi_iwateTue, 24 Dec 2019 00:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxOx-living_kitakami_shi_iwatehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgXlY-living_shopping_money_iwate_miyagi_sendai_shi_miyagi_izumi_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi_natori_shi_miyagiJapanese customer service is among the best in the world but the longer I live here, the more I get used to it. This might be why encounters I have now that would have seemed like nothing at all in my home country frustrate me highly here.My current issue is talking, specifically about prices and specifically at the check out counter. Several times in the last six months, I have come up to the counter at a large mall or tourist destination and had the staff member type a number wordlessly into a calculator then they show me, still silent, as if I were not entitled to hear them speak. I am not saying that they need to know English because they don't. Yes, the Olympics are coming and yes that means a lot of people with little to no Japanese will be in the country even up here in Tohoku, but that doesn't pay for conversational English classes or create a huge push for menial workers to commit their private lives to studying languages they have no interest in. I am fine with them speaking Japanese. They should. We are in Japan.But they should still speak.If my Japanese husband were making the purchase, the people would at least say the price aloud. That's all I am asking for.This is how I feel when a calculator is wordlessly laid upon the counter in front of me. It doesn't matter how much you smile, staff member. Your silence tells me I am not a person.As someone who has been shopping in Japan for over a decade, I know my Japanese numbers, at least as high as any price I'm capable of paying. If I didn't, hearing the numbers would still tell me that the ringing up of my purchases had been completed and reaffirm what those words sound like in Japanese. This is how people learn languages in the real world. You hear a word or phrase enough and it sinks in. I am not saying they shouldn't use the calculators to show the prices as some people need that information displayed that way, but present it with the words, giving us the same courtesy of speech other customers get.Denying the foreign customer even so much effort as a "ni-sen-en" spoken price is denying them a chance to learn and reaffirming an assumption that all us non-Japanese folks are only here as tourists and we will all just go home someday, so there's no point in engaging. The joke is on you, silent clerks. My name is already on a tombstone here. I'm staying. There are some people who have difficulty with speech, but none of the situations I encountered recently were such. All of my silent cashiers were speech-capable young adults who chose not to talk to me, one even as I was asking her counterpart to put my purchases in an eco bag in Japanese. When prompted, they all spoke perfect, unhindered Japanese, but why did they need to be prompted? I've started responding to the silent calculator by saying bango to itte kudasai. Please say the number. Or kotoba tsukatte kudasai. Please use words. In every instance thus far, the staff member blinks at me and then does as I asked in a confused tone, as if it were some quiz in a school they didn't remember signing up for or going to, but they do say it. I doubt they really get why it's so offensive to me and I don't usually have the time and energy to sit around and explain, but at least asking them to say it is better than letting it go unchecked and letting them continue to believe that foreign customers are just walking bags of money. I'm trying to at least give the cashiers the chance to learn better, even though it's that same chance they aren't interested in giving us.I am living and dying here, after all.And I want this place to be more foreign friendly, not because foreigners are better by any means but because I don't want all the Olympics-enthused tourists going home thinking the area I live in, the area my husband and daughter are from, is the armpit of Japan. It's bad enough all the Tokyo-to-Kyoto tourists treat Tohoku like a plague-ridden death trap. We could at least be nice to the ones who wander up this far.So please, shop staff of northern Japan, should you happen to read this, say the words. Even if the customer is foreign. Even if they are speaking a foreign language loudly at their children or companions. Even if you are absolutely sure they don't know six words of your language.Say the words. Help us learn. Treat us like people.We want to give you the money.Just use the words and tell us how much, even if you show us the number, too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgXlY-living_shopping_money_iwate_miyagi_sendai_shi_miyagi_izumi_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi_natori_shi_miyagiSun, 15 Dec 2019 09:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgXlY-living_shopping_money_iwate_miyagi_sendai_shi_miyagi_izumi_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi_natori_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3l9-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiAnyone who has been to Honshiogama Station on the Senseki line may have noticed the sculpture garden on the shrine side of the station, dedicated mostly to the animals of the zodiac with a large wooden painting in the middle dedicated to the animal of the hour. Each year, a new painted piece is revealed in late autumn or early winter and now the rats have finally arrived. Usually this development is countered by a similar piece of stone work that has yet to be unveiled but will likely take a similar position to the one the small boar takes now, just to the right of the painting.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3l9-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSun, 15 Dec 2019 08:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3l9-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4eO-food_teaMy husband brought this home from a funeral the other day in one of the funeral gift sets that are commonly given to guests at funerals in Japan. Since my husband works for one of the larger funeral orchestrating companies in the region, it isn't surprising when he brings these home since his job makes it easier for him to pop into services to pay his respects to the families of his friends and neighbors when someone his family knows in the area passes. Green tea is a frequent component of such gift sets being that it is traditional, useful, and in the case of tea from Shizuoka, usually pretty delicious.I made this cup first thing in the morning in the fancy tea cup I brought home from Tokyo Disneyland last winter, with its festive year of the boar design. The gentle flavor of this green tea seemed almost juxtaposed to its cartoon-clad vessel, saved by the muted colors and Japanese elements of the design.This tea was very smooth and soft, with such a gentle flavor that it was very easy to drink the entire cup, even the dregs at the bottom, without too much notice. I know the umami flavor was there only because the tea did not feel hollow or as if it were missing something, but it wasn't brought to the forefront. With a naturally soothing flavor, this tea was immensely enjoyable and just the thing to take the chill out of the air on that early December morning. If the flavors had been much softer, it might have felt more like tea-flavored water, but they were exactly where they needed to be to pull off this gentle beverage.After enjoying this cup of tea I went on a hunt to find more information about the company that produces this tea in an effort to provide more information about obtaining some for readers elsewhere, as waiting for funerals and hoping the family of the deceased opted to give out green tea and instant coffee sets isn't exactly a sure thing.Unfortunately, my internet searching powers and not what they used to be and my Japanese isn't really up to snuff either, so what I did learn is that the character on the front of the package (露) means ro (open, public) or tsuyu (dew), of which I consider the latter to be more appropriate here. The soft tea does bring to mind an image like the dew on the tea leaves in early spring. At least it does when I think about the kanji now.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4eO-food_teaTue, 03 Dec 2019 18:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4eO-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDR5Y-living_food_shopping_education_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagiBack on a weekend in the middle of November, my daughter and I joined some friends for fun at Kurashi no Ichi, which was a creative event held at the Jun Sugimura Museum in Shiogama, a short walk from Okama Shrine.There were many booths with different fun activities for children and adults to take part for a fee, which varied based on the activity. The least expensive option seemed to be making Christmas ornaments with washi-tape, which is great easy fun for many kids, but my kid had her eyes set on something a little more expensive and time intensive.It took us a minute to walk around the two large rooms that had been set aside for the event before making up our minds. I had wanted to try my hand at weaving on a loom, and an advert had made it seem like the weaving would be yours to keep for the price of the experience but unfortunately the loom was so time consuming to re-thread in preparation for further customers that those who wove had their work become part of a longer customer-created piece and were given a professionally made work of similar size to keep. My friend who did take part in the weaving still had a wonderful time.Another area offered a wreath making experience, good for adults or kids if you are in the market for a wreath. The pine cones and similar were mostly locally sourced and attached via hot glue to either woven wooden base wreaths by adults or cardboard donut-shaped bases by children. While this seemed like a fun and creative use of natural material, my family didn't have a place to put this craft today.My daughter decided that had to make a candle, which sounded easy enough. The process entailed taking a selection of dried flowers and cutting them into tinier pieces before stuffing them down the sides of a paper cup just a little bit larger than the white candle inside. Once the selection and stuffing of bits was complete, we got to select a scent that would be applied to the candle. From then, it would take around 30 minutes for the final product to solidify completely, locking the beautiful floral bits in the outer layer of wax. This whole process and product costed 1600 yen which seemed steep for a handicraft for kids but I couldn't argue with the enthusiasm my kid showed nor the final product. Pretty, right?There were other experiences available, including a woodworking area where customers could make chopsticks or holders for tea-lights which looked interesting but I didn't have the time or money to try. Another interesting booth I didn't spend enough time at taught embroidery, though I lacked the time to fully understand what form this embroidery took and what it entailed.The woodwork will wait for next time. Lucky for me, this event comes back every year with creators coming and showing the people who want to know how to do the things they do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDR5Y-living_food_shopping_education_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 27 Nov 2019 14:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDR5Y-living_food_shopping_education_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVqyP-living_foodMy family recently enjoyed an evening of sushi and fun at Kurazushi, a chain of conveyor-belt sushi restaurants that offers a chance to win something with every fifth plate deposited in a plate-sized slot located on the table. Every 5 plates, an animated feature will play on the little ordering screen and the outcome of the little characters who attempt magic tricks, ghost-busting, rugby plays and more tells you whether or not you will be receiving one of the capsules in the container above the conveyor belts. Usually they are some sort of key chain, magnet, or small toy, sometimes with a media tie-in. This month and next month, apparently the prizes will be magnets and key chains featuring characters from Star Wars. After 25 plates, we were able to win just one, this Poe Dameron magnet.He's just a Poe boy from a Poe family...So if you're in the mood for cheap, yummy sushi and the chance to win Star Wars magnets and key chains, you know where to go.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVqyP-living_foodSat, 23 Nov 2019 19:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVqyP-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4y4r-food_matsushima_machi_miyagiThis is less a review than a reminder, as I needed last week when my kid had a Friday off of school and I needed to fill time without murdering my patience. We took the train to MatsushimaKaigan (420 yen on the Senseki line from Sendai) and found many surprising things. The area in front of the station used to be a big parking lot and buss pool. Now it's a building under construction, cutting off any easy connection to Toto, a little Italian restaurant in front of the station. Before this construction started up, the front terrace area of the restaurant was a great place to look over toward the park and the ocean beyond. Now, the front of the restaurant can't really use the terrace area and instead, from inside, you can only see the walls of the construction barriers. We went in and grabbed a pizza, which my daughter actually ate half of, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. In addition, they recommended we take advantage of the lunch set with comes with a salad plate and cookies in addition to a drink. This is the salad/appetizer plate. Look at it's gorgeousness! There's pate, a gorgeous little salad, a slice of prosciutto, a splash of colorful sauce and a delicious hot vegetable medley that did not look half as good as it tasted. So if you're in the area, don't forget about this place. Go and enjoy it. And get the set.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4y4r-food_matsushima_machi_miyagiSat, 23 Nov 2019 16:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4y4r-food_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7LO-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiI was really surprised to see this on my walk the other day. Until a few weeks ago, this was the local Daruma drugs store, just on the other side of HonShiogamaStation from the Aeon Townmall. They didn't always have the best prices by comparison but they did have a different selection of kitkat flavors and a better price on soyjoy. I was in this shop actually shopping in October and they gave me a coupon for this month, so I am not sure when they realized it was closing. Considering Daruma is a larger drug store chain, it isn't shocking that the day workers would still be handing out coupons that could be used at other locations. What makes me sad about this is that the customer service there was amazing, especially 5 years ago, when I was walking around with a little baby and a lot of questions. One specific guy who worked here was always especially nice to us, even giving my kid little promotional toys and things when we came through. They became our go-to for kids stuff in this area and I am sad to see that utterly over. There is a new Welcia down the street, and it is bigger and newer with a better selection. I did expect that store to drive this one out of business earlier, but it had not happened yet so I kinda hoped it never would. Oh well. Time marches on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7LO-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 23 Nov 2019 16:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7LO-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLyxv-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiHaving first arrived in Japan in my early twenties, I quickly associated all Karaoke-box establishments with drunk college kids or similar groups of young adults, meant generally for big parties with endless cocktails. I would love to say that that is why I haven't been in one of these places in ages, save for the one time a few years ago that a friend's visiting sister's boyfriend strongly suggested it for an evening's entertainment. That's not really true though. I don't like going to karaoke because I don't enjoy singing in front of other people. I don't sing well and feel easily embarrassed in front of others, so when I was dragged along earlier in my life in Japan, I would drink copiously, sing Helter Skelter (confusing everyone who thought they knew every Beatles song) and pretend to enjoy myself until I could go home and try to placate my anxiety. It was never really what I could call fun for me. The other week, I was suggesting alternatives to getting into screaming matches to my daughter and brought up karaoke. She was so enthusiastic that, on my husband's next day off, we went out to Big Echo walking distance from our home. To my surprise, such a thing as a "kid's room" exists and was available, so we took it. It was actually so much fun!My husband, singing Dir en Grey, my daughter with Maracas, and me, just taking it all in. The room had maracas and a foam slide as well as a nice amount of room ro run around in, which my daughter did constantly. We had to adjust the input levels and got scary feedback on the microphones a few times but all in all it was a really enjoyable experience. Another new aspect of the Karaoke experience now is food, apparently, or at least Big Echo seems to be making the case for such an association. The menu, once just snacks in my memory, now includes burgers, pizza, okonomiyake, fried cheese sticks, fries and sausage among other things. We chose to eat elsewhere this time, but I am definitely trying the cheese sticks next time. So I guess what I would suggest for any other reluctant Karaoke artist is this: Go with people you're comfortable being gassy in front of. Your singing is unlikely to be worse than your own flatulence.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLyxv-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 23 Nov 2019 13:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLyxv-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zay1g-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiI found another one!Isn't it pretty? I think it's more romantic, showing two big, beautiful, imaginary beasts on the horizon and one of Matsushima's gorgeous red bridges between.This manhole cover, part of a larger tourism-enticing partnership campaign from Pokemon and Miyagi prefecture, can be found in the large park across from MatsushimaKaigan Station, which costs 420 yen and takes 32 minutes (rapid) or 40 minutes (local) on the Senseki line from Sendai.The cement off to the right? That's the manhole cover's home.After getting into the big open park space, visitors wanting to see this thing will have to walk toward the ocean, turning left at the gazebo, walking toward to other touristy things further up the coast. This manhole cover is closer to the ocean than the street.My kid is right next to the manhole cover. The station is across the street on the other side of those trees in the middle.If you do come out to get a glimpse of the new pretty bit of metalwork, pop by the Resthouse, a two minute walk north along the coast from this spot, to get a stamp for the Miyagi Lapras Stamp Rally.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zay1g-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiSat, 23 Nov 2019 10:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zay1g-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7ZO-living_matsushima_machi_miyagi Matsushima's Fall Light Up is one of my favorite autumn activities in Tohoku and this year was no exception. Unfortunately, due to illnesses in the family, we didn't manage to get out to the event until the final Monday, November 11th.We went early, arriving in Matsushima around 4:30 PM an hour before the event was due to start. We thought to walk around the area but just as we passed the great Buddha statue in front of the temple, a sudden downpour caught us off guard and we scrambled back to the gift shop where we had bought the tickets for the event moments earlier. Luckily, the powers that be elected to open the gates of Entsuiin half an hour early, letting people roam the beautiful autumnal garden half an hour earlier than had been previously stated. I much preferred this to a trip I had taken a few years back to the same event which left me with a baby strapped to my chest and a large group of foreign friends standing in the cold darkness for longer than was comfortable as we waited for the event to begin. I think we all caught colds from that round. After a trip to the bathroom, we departed the gift shop to find the rain at an end and the line that had been waiting for the event already inside. We entered and were pleased to find that the place was not too crowded on this occasion, owing most likely to it being a cloudy and wet weeknight.Even with less of a crowd than I remembered, it was still sometimes difficult to get a nice picture of the beautiful foliage. Low light and a tendency to be jostled on the walkway led many of my pictures looking more like oil paintings.The Matsushima Fall Light Up happens every year at Entsuiin Temple Gardens in Matsushima. It usually runs for a few weeks from the end of October to mid or late November. This year, the event will end on November 17th. Every day until then, the gates will open around 5:30PM and let in the crowd, each of whom will pay 500 yen per adult and 200 yen per child elementary school age or older for tickets at the nearby gift shop. Signs in the area as well as event staff will point wayward travelers in the right direction. The path through the gardens will take visitors first by a lovely rock garden with overhanging branches in a variety of colors, accented by lights positioned underneath. After the rock garden, the path moved around to a small round window off-set in a wall that stands alone in the garden. It can be a lovely shot with or without people sitting on the bench in front of the window, but we did not have the patience to wait for a chance and moved on instead. The little rock path meanders through the bamboo, Japanese maples and other trees, up some uneven steps and to the lovely shrine-like building in the back. Beyond this, the path leads off to the right, passing by some caves set into the rock face at the back of the garden where a captivating light show is projected on the stone monuments inside. Further along, the path comes past a large viewing pool and the temple building where patrons can make bracelets on less busy days.At certain spots along the path, the trees open up and a small stage can be seen. On the weekends, these stages usually have live acoustic acts playing to the amusement of those walking through the garden but on this occasion, the only music we saw was on a stage inside the temple building at the end of the tour, next to the large reflecting pool. It seemed to me that as many people were watching the musicians perform as were watching the foliage-filled scene before them. I wasn't sure about going this year with the weather getting colder and all, but in the end, it was a magical experience.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7ZO-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiWed, 13 Nov 2019 11:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7ZO-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4x2-living_teaThis Shizuoka green tea was a gift from a student and intended for my daughter as I was warned that it was quite sweet. I wasn't sure how to take that as I haven't had a lot of experience with really sweet green tea and don't use powdered green tea often outside of the sushi-train restaurants. The back of the package suggested using this tea with warm milk and being that fall just began in earnest around here, a warm cup of matcha latte sounded like just the thing to get the season rolling in our home. I offered it to my daughter first. To my surprise, she took one sip and shook her head. It was not her cup of tea after all. I drank the rest on my own, noting that it was sweeter than I had imagined and honestly a little further down that path than was ultimately palatable, but it was drinkable and not bitter. I did appreciate the suggestion of adding milk which created a thicker balance for the sweetness to play off of. Without that core structure, would the drink still be enjoyable or would the sweetness in water be too much? I had to know so I made it again, with water replacing the milk. The resulting beverage was a bit darker than the average cup of green tea with more swirling bubbles than I am used to outside of tea ceremony matcha. I also primed a cup of hot coffee to displace any resulting unpleasant flavors. It took a minute to cool down to a comfortable temperature but in the end, the hot tea was significantly more delicious than its lactose laden counterpart. In hot water, the sweetness works with the body of the green tea flavor and comes out tasting more sugary than the average cup of matcha but not cloyingly so. The sensation is not entirely unlike enjoying a cup of earl grey hot with a spoonful of sugar in the cup. This made it strangely nostalgic for me as I haven't used sugar in hot tea since I was around my daughter's age. As it turns out, the milk did more harm than good for my enjoyment as it disguised the umami flavors of the green tea experience, leaving me with only a hint of the real deal and more sweetness than was entirely necessary. If you take your hot tea with a dash of sugar, make this with water and you'll likely enjoy it.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4x2-living_teaMon, 11 Nov 2019 10:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW4x2-living_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpkNx-living_education_workThis is a question I was horrified to find in an English language math textbook used in Japan alongside a Japanese language counterpart, which likely makes more sense as it probably identifies most in what way in addition to a number of other language issues I found in a cursory glance.Which animal is the most?In English, we need more information. Grammar like this is something I might expect out of a native English speaker around the age of six. This is a question asked by kids who do not know how vague that question is because they do not yet have enough experience with the language. It doesn't occur to them that "most" could mean more than whatever they have connected to the word in their head. The same kid who asks, "How...are you?" and means, "How old are you?" is likely to ask, "Which is the most?" with the listener guessing based on context what that kid might mean.Which superlative applies? Take a guess. The most is just not enough information. The most large? The most expensive? The most interesting? The most tall? By itself, this question is not specific enough.I was shocked to learn that the question they actually meant was: "Which is the most in number?" And even that would be better as: "Which is the greatest in number?" or "Which is the most plentiful?"I totally understand not expecting Japanese first-graders to pick up "plentiful" but simplifying their intended question to nonsense is also not beneficial to the students in the long-term. It doesn't help the grasp the grammar in a realistic way. Just copying the meaning from the Japanese text (which is my best guess as to how they got here) is not enough. If the differences between these languages were that easy to master, a lot of us native English speakers would not be working in Japan to help make the English more natural and understandable.When you also realize that the same text book later uses "decomposing numbers" to mean the numbers that add up to other numbers, such as the relationship of two and three to five, their earlier choices seem even poorer by comparison. I don't know how they expect these kids to pick up "decomposing" but using "plentiful" would just be too much, especially just to make the English grammar make sense. Also, the technical word (that I learned as I wrote this) is addends. Factors are to multiplication as addends are to addition. Numbers do not generally decompose.Kids who are actually learning English from this textbook without the guidance of a native speaker or better speaker than the writers or editors of this book are going to be at a disadvantage. If they're really absorbing what is there, they will likely sound creepy (decomposing isn't a word I learned before life science) or be confusing when they ask questions that do not supply enough information to be useful.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpkNx-living_education_workWed, 06 Nov 2019 10:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpkNx-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7E7P-food_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiI found out about this seasonal menu change via an ad online and thought it would be fun to try out with my family. After my daughter's undokai (sports festival/field day) last Saturday, it seemed like the best time to go check it out at the Sendai location inside of the Clis Road arcade near Aobadori Station.Eggs N Things offers a comfortable, Hawaiian-style atmosphere with a similar menu featuring breakfast at any hour that they are open, from 9AM to 10PM daily with the last order being at 9PM. It's family friendly and a lot of fun but it isn't terribly cheap and these new menu items follow the same tradition as the rest of the menu. Each of the two seasonal dishes costs 1480 yen.The green thing that appears to be on top of the whipped cream is actually a toy on the table that has nothing to do with the meal.The Pumpkin Pancake Monster is a pair of cocoa pancakes with custard cream and marshmallows (teeth) in-between, a layer of orange pumpkin and mascarpone cream smoothed on the top and a singular eye-ball positioned upon the orange cream. The other eyeball rests in front of the pancakes in a pool of raspberry sauce, opposite the mound of whipped cream. I really enjoyed the pumpkin mascarpone cream and would have sworn it was butter cream by how much I enjoyed it. The view from closer to the inside of the beast. The raspberry sauce, warm cocoa pancakes and pumpkin-mascarpone cream worked really well together.I recommend diving into the pancakes quickly as they are served warm and that temperature with the combination of flavors is a real winner. My daughter instead ate the eye-balls and a bunch of whipped cream before declaring herself full. I ate a lot of the rest but could not finish the beast. I believe the black powder atop the whipped cream to be cocoa powder but didn't get a chance to try it before my kid devoured it.The Halloween Eggs Benedict features a layer of pumpkin mashed potatoes under a small hamburger patty, topped with the customary egg and a purple potato pottage with a deep red spicy hot sauce on top. According to my husband, the sauce is properly spicy, not just spicy for Japan. Being a spice-weakling by Texan standards, I can usually handle what most Japanese menus advertise as "spicy" but the beads of sweat coating my husband's forehead warned me that this would not be the case with this dish, so I let him enjoy it on his own, which he thoroughly did.As the only location in Tohoku, this Sendai store is the go-to location for anyone north of Fukushima who wants to try these seasonal items or anything else on their tropical-inspired menu. It seems like just the thing to warm up after the recent cold-snap. For other locations, check out their website. If you're looking to enjoy the Halloween-specific menu items, do so quickly as the last day to take advantage of this monstrous menu will be Halloween, October 31st.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7E7P-food_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiFri, 25 Oct 2019 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7E7P-food_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAm26-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiFrom 6PM this Saturday, October 26th, Shiogama is apparently hosting a moon-viewing and sake-drinking event in its little historical district. Flyers for the event can be found at HonShiogama Station (320 yen and 30 minutes from Sendai on the Senseki line) though unfortunately the event does not seem to have a website. Many shops along a walking route are open and Shiogama Shrine itself seems to be getting in on the action with a moon related performance.Some of the participating shops close as early as 8:30PM but others will be open until 10PM, so coming earlier in the evening may be the best way to take advantage of what there is to see in Shiogama this weekend.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAm26-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 24 Oct 2019 17:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAm26-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLy83-living_tagajo_shi_miyagiI found another Lapras manhole cover in Miyagi! This one is in Tagajo, near Tagajo Station (21 minutes and 240 yen from Sendai on the Senseki line). The easiest way to find these seems to be playing Pokemon Go, in which each of these beauties is a pokestop.To get to this one, exit the bus pool side of the station, the same as you would use to take the Kirin bus for the Kirin Brewery Tour, opposite to the station exit that leads to the library. Walk away from the buildings, toward the little park with a stage, bathrooms, and benches. On the sidewalk on the far side of the stage area, you will find this. If you look back at the station from there, it looks like this:To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLy83-living_tagajo_shi_miyagiThu, 24 Oct 2019 17:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLy83-living_tagajo_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj7dr-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi We found these in Sendai station while searching for a decent gift for a family member's birthday and I was so astounded that I had to take a picture. I love dried fruit and would eat more trail mix than is strictly advisable given a large percentage of fruit in the mix and access to such a mixture.This is so much the opposite of the dried fruit and nut mixes I enjoyed as a child-- cheap, easy and delicious. Instead, we have individually wrapped slices of desiccated fruit. Am I the only one who sees this as weird and kind of pretentious? Individually wrapped dried prunes don't make any sense to me, personally. This set was really expensive for dried fruit and wasteful if you're environmentally conscious. It is not what we went home with.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj7dr-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiThu, 24 Oct 2019 17:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj7dr-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaydA-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi I found this inside the regional good section of the shops in the newer section of Sendai Station. Just outside a sake shop and for just 100 yen, you too can sample sake from the region, including in this instance selections from Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima. When you put in your coin and press an appropriate button, the chosen sake will be pumped up and into your waiting trial cup which can be found to the left of the machine itself. I found the sample portion to be adequate for a 100 yen selection but was frustrated by the placement of the machine. Despite being more or less in the open, I had to all but catch fire to get a lingering woman to dislodge herself from the front of the machine so that I could have access. The rest of the shops nearby open into the same walking area but even for a city as small as Sendai, this traffic flow pattern was less than ideal. That said, in a larger city, there would have been a line to wait in and even more lingerers more than likely.A little placard above each sake option reveals the origin (in this case Miyagi prefecture, Tomiya City), name, alcohol content (15-16%) and flavor profile (in this case, high impact). Each selection looked interesting and I enjoyed the one I got to try. I would have liked to try more and perhaps one day I shall.I do not condone nor recommend trying this while underage. The shopkeepers of the sake shop attached to the machine do keep a watchful eye out and honestly,it's just a good idea not to break the law in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaydA-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiThu, 24 Oct 2019 17:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaydA-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnmOV-living_food I found these in my local grocery store, but not in the snack area where the usual KitKats and other chocolate goodies are kept. Instead, these Lilac Apple Pie KitKats were stuck near the side entrance next to the mid-aisle box grouping where they usually stick any temporary, over-stocked, seasonal, or otherwise non-regular items. Given the packaging, I could kind of see why. One bag of twelve mini-sized treats cost less than 300 yen here, so I grabbed a couple of bags, sure that I could send them to some appreciative friends back home of I found the flavor off-putting or less than delicious. Apple pie isn't really a Halloween thing where I come from, but I think I can understand the connection. Most fruit pies, especially apple, can be connected to fall easily and Halloween's earliest traditions are all around the season of autumn. At least that's what I assume they were thinking. Then why is the outer-layer of chocolate dyed a soft lilac shade of purple? Spookiness, I think. Black is too close to the natural brown and pumpkin kitkats have been done over and over again in orange in this season. Purple apple pie is definitely different and I honestly have a bit of a penchant for purple foods (if you haven't tried purple carrots, you should! They're amazing!), so the novelty of the color works as a sales gimmick for me. The back of the package detailed the inside of the cookie with its apple flavored cream and apple pie flavored chocolate. That much in combination can be great or horrific depending on how the flavors fit together, but in this case I found them to be pretty good. The apple wasn't overpowering despite being represented twice. It actually went together well.The actual color. Weird, but good. I almost wish there were more weird colors inside the KitKat, but honestly this was pretty delicious. I don't think I could eat a whole bag in one sitting but it was yummy enough for a silly little Halloween treat. More fun than the color of the chocolate was the outer packaging of each KitKat. Out of two twelve-count bags, I found these twelve unique messages. Apparently two others exist, but I have no idea what they could be. Some of these I like a lot, especially the little ghost band, but others seem like they would be challenging to utilize. No, Are, OR, and AND seem tricky to me and not in the trick-or-treating sense. Yes OR NO Like Have I ARE AND? Without taking out some words or adding new ones, it's not really possible to make any logical message. Maybe the two missing words bring these together better than I can currently imagine. I did manage to cobble together a message, once I decided to pick and choose instead of trying to use them all: My favorite part of this Halloween KitKat treat is the ghosts, especially the cat ghost on the "Halloween" labelled kitkat. The little band of musical ghosts is also a winner in my book. Have a happy Halloween, whatever your treats.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnmOV-living_foodTue, 22 Oct 2019 10:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnmOV-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rav-food_howtoThe first time I saw sudachi in the grocery store in Japan, being sold in small bundles for 100 yen each in mid-summer, I thought they looked a lot like key-limes and it took a full year for me to get up my baking confidence enough to actually test my theory.Sudachi are small, round, sour citrus fruit usually sold and used while green but will turn yellow-orange over time (and will likely still be usable at that time) and tend to be used in place of lemon or lime in many Japanese dishes. Plant geeks may have long, detailed answers as to how and why they are different from key limes, but honestly this explanation (see top comment by Jason Stai) flies right over my head., probably because I have never eaten a citron or a papeda and those are the two important fruit species when it comes to sudachi and key lime.Finding a good recipe for key lime pie was tricky because many of them required impossible ingredients like sour cream, which would prohibitively expensive for me to acquire if not home-made, which I am not yet brave enough to attempt.I did eventually find this recipe which includes lots of sweetened condensed milk, which is easy enough to find. I highly recommend using a juicing apparatus of some kind because trying to drain these little suckers by hand was a pain with shockingly little yield. Four packs of the little green spheres and I didn't have enough for the full recipe so I halved all the other ingredients as well.Luckily, I had just enough graham crackers left from my summer adventures state-side to make a graham cracker crust, another first for me. This part was actually pretty easy and it's mostly mushing the crackers, melting the butter, and pushing the two together evenly in a pan before baking it for a few minutes in the oven or microwave on "oven" mode.One other apparatus related problem I had was caused by the need for zest. I have never had need of a zester. If you're like me, you can substitute finely diced chunks of the actual peel. I didn't think I had diced it finely enough in these pictures but the smallest chunks I could make worked out just fine. The instructions suggest an electric mixer which I own but am so incompetent at using that I have never managed to do more than spray the ingredients all over every nearby surface. Instead, I beat the egg with a whisk manually and no, it wasn't all that fluffy, but it worked. Adding the lime juice gradually and not over-mixing while doing so it a good idea that I found easy to follow.If your microwave/oven is a little wonky on temperatures like mine is, you might add a few minutes to the cook time but check regularly in any case. Bake it for the suggested time, remembering that this is not the standard cook-till-brown pie. "Cook till set" which I took to mean "cook till it doesn't act like soup if you move the container" which seemed to work okay.The instructions are based on American kitchens, so is cooling on a counter is your only option, do that. If freezing it 10 minutes before you serve it is impossible due to the size of your tiny Japanese freezer, forego that step too and serve it out of the fridge. We did that and it was great. Heck, I didn't even make the topping and didn't need it. Does it taste like key lime pie? Honestly, I don't know. The last time I had key lime pie was probably about 20 years ago. I don't remember exactly what it is supposed to taste like, but I can tell you that my sudachi pie was delicious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rav-food_howtoFri, 18 Oct 2019 15:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rav-food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRqaK-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiOn a pleasantly warm Sunday in October 2019, my daughter and I headed down to Marine Gate Shiogama for an event I had found out about via a flier brought home in her school bag. It promised food, fun, and a free boat ride to the Shiogama Fish Market, which I had yet to visit.The middle of the Marine Gate building was full of the food and fun that I usually expect of events of this sort at that venue. A few vendors with booths sell a few goods usually a bit more expensively than ideal but far cheaper than similar events in larger cities. A large wreath with Halloween and fall decorations framed those interested in a good seaside fall selfie, costumes provided for free on a table at the side.The surprise at this event was found outside the building on the walkway nearer the ferries and boats. First, we went looking for the free ferry docking point and, finding that we had half an hour to kill, we wandered further down toward the large Japanese Coast Guard ship docked at the end. We didn't need to see the ship, though it looked like people were welcome to walk aboard as we had at a previous event.A stamp rally sent us to hold a fire hose pointed into the ocean to get a feel for the force of the water. My daughter had a blast. Next came a short lesson on rope knotting to safely repel if necessary for emergency services and a few minutes sitting in the driver's seat of an actual fire engine.We were very lucky that the woman at the booth took pity on us when she saw we only had 3 of the 5 stamps and could not figure out where the fourth stamp was located. My kid was allowed to pick her own prize (a small plastic cup and pouch in the style of Marie from Aristocats) and we headed back to the ferry where a line had started to form.Crossing Shiogama Bay took all of about ten minutes maximum and before we knew it, we were disembarking at the fish market. It turns out I can see this place from my house and just never knew what it was. Since the location is not actually that close to the nearest train station, it isn't a place I considered "close" but in reality, it's not actually that far either.You too can sell fake rubber fish to strangers at the fish market.I had read on some flier we received when the fish market reopened that there were interactive exhibits for kids but had never managed to get us out there. Now was our chance. While the floor inside the building is usually full of massive maguro being auctioned off, the upper level is home to an inner viewing deck, an external viewing deck, and a large number of kids activities that range from cosplaying ancient fishmongers to dissecting and reassembling a maguro tuna via a large magnetic puzzle. There was also a shoes-off area where kids could throw themselves at massive tuna-shaped beanbags while silhouettes on the wall indicated the relative age of each size of maguro.The fish market is open from 3AM to 1PM Monday to Friday excluding Wednesday when it is closed. On Saturday the hours extend from 3AM to 2PM and on Sunday they contract to 6AM to 2PM. There are shops selling make-your-own fish-on-rice bowls but these shops keep their own hours, though generally the shop floor is open from 6:30AM to noon (weekdays) or 1PM (weekends or holidays) so if you're in the mood for ridiculously fresh fish, this would be a great option for you.While I have never been there outside of the free ferry ride, the website includes instructions for air, car and train travel, the latest of which includes coming by train to Higashi Shiogama Station (30 minutes by local train from Sendai on the Senseki Line) and either walking for 15 minutes or taking a 5 minutes bus ride, though the links on their related pages are down so the current accuracy of the bus information is not guaranteed. The indoor activities mentioned above are regularly offered for kids at the fish market, though for this event there were also a number of fun activities to do outside including throwing shells in a tic-tac-toe pattern for snack prizes, jumping in a massive whale-shaped bounce-house, and making your own bottled fishing game. My daughter an I had a wonderful time, though with the event lasting till 1PM, we had expected the bounce-house to be open after 12, when we returned for her second round to find it roped off and deflating. We still really enjoyed the event and look forward to future events at the fish market, especially if they too include free boat rides.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRqaK-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 16 Oct 2019 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRqaK-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxoK-food_shiogama_shi_miyagiEarlier this month, I tweeted about seeing this beautiful Pokemon-themed man-hole cover being installed in Shiogama. I found out later that there is a whole slew of Lapras images being lent to towns throughout Miyagi in a ploy for increased tourism.And they got it. From me anyway. I am excited to see this. I was walking by the manhole cover this week and found out that the regional goods shop nearby was suddenly selling Lapras-logo-clad moshio, the special Japanese sea salt made via ancient methods and only in 4 places in the whole country including the town where I live. If you're in the area and want to get some for yourself, head to HonShiogama Station (320 yen and 30 minutes from Sendai on the Senseki Line) and take the Jinja exit (not under the giant fish). Turn to the right, away from the stone menagerie and walk down the path between the station and the boutique. The shop will be on your left right around the manhole cover. The salt is just 550 yen for two vials, one in powdered form and the other with larger crystals. It is my understanding that these things are in limited supply so if you want rare Pokemon sea salt made by ancient methods, now is the time to buy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxoK-food_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 16 Oct 2019 00:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmxoK-food_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDRKj-living_howtoIf you live in Japan and are interested in fabric-related scrap projects, you may have found bags of kimono and other old silk fabric scraps available for purchase in some cloth and craft stores. The idea of being able to make things with such old, beautiful cloth can be enticing, but for one of my friends, the purchase contained something much more treacherous.The smell was something like the acrid stench many elderly men in Japan tend to acquire after a certain age, but even more pungent. The reason they had sold the scraps wrapped tightly in plastic was clearly to avoid anyone smelling the things beforehand. It was so bad that I considered whether people had died in the clothes the scraps had come from.After the stench came the itchiness. I do not know what is used instead of moth balls to keep kimono safe from bugs but whatever was used on these scraps eventually took on a hostile condition, attacking the skin of anyone who came in contact. For my friend, this was a deal breaker. Having skin that is sensitive to a multitude of dyes and scents meant trying to work through these problems was not going to happen for her. I offered to take over and try my hand at redeeming the fabric scraps, knowing that my skin is significantly less sensitive. Whatever chemical wound up lingering on these scraps was hardcore enough to make me itch even after washing my hands.The first sign that something is wrong: Silk should not be waterproof.The internet gave me many tips on hand-washing full silk kimono with no information about scraps with funk at all, so I tried other stench removal techniques, including coating each layer of the fabric scraps in dish soap and baking soda. I let these sit in a cleanly cloth lasagna, even in sunlight to try to combat the issues. I then washed the lot by itself in a lingerie bag and dried it in the sun but the stench and itchiness remained, though a little less intensely.My cloth lasagna: Utter Failure.At my wit's end, I wadded the lot up in a small bucket and poured in a cap-full of our American fabric softener that we had picked up at Costco. The "spring scented" solution I find good in small doses, though sometimes if it is used too thickly it gives the impression of being assaulted by a bouquet. Even if all it did was add a floral component to the funk, it was worth a try.Drying on the balcony, but still stinking? Maybe.The bucket sat overnight before I washed the contents, again in a lingerie bag and separately. Somehow this managed to do the trick. The itchy funk finally left, the scraps now smelling lightly of that spring scent. I returned the scraps to my friend who enjoyed finally getting to make her intended crafts from them.So if you pick up scraps that come with a little something extra, forget the baking soda. Drown them in fabric softener. I do not know if Japanese brands would have the same effect as their scents tend not to be as strong as many US brands, but I would use them in a pinch.BEWARE: After writing this, I bought my own bag of kimono scraps, confident I could rid any smells the same way I had the last. Unfortunately, many of the scraps in my new bag had bright red and deep purple dyes that had not fully set in their host fabrics and muddled the lot of my purchase while retaining the acrid smell. If your mixed bag of kimono scrap contains many brightly colored bits, wash and soak them separately. Getting some color dye stopper from a craft store might be helpful, but not after already ruining a bunch of otherwise beautiful cloth.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDRKj-living_howtoThu, 03 Oct 2019 15:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDRKj-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4yep-living_foodThis weekend, Saturday October 5th and Sunday October 6th from 10AM to 3PM, Marine Gate Shiogama will host an activity-packed family-fun-filled entertainment spree featuring multiple craft workshops, snacks and food stalls, some kind of nordic walking activity, yoga, and slack-rope walking, In addition, every hour on the hour from 9AM to 1PM there will be a free shuttle ferry, carrying families from the sea-port entrance at Marine Gate to the Shiogama Fish Market, a more recently opened tourist attraction and seafood spectacle across the bay. Returning ferries will leave at the half past each hour during the allotted time. If you're in Miyagi this weekend and looking for a free boat ride and some delicious fresh fish, this might be the event for you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4yep-living_foodThu, 03 Oct 2019 14:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4yep-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7JY-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThis Sunday, October 6th, the green space beside NishiShiogama Station (on the Senseki Line (26 minutes and 240 yen from Sendai on the Senseki Line) will be transformed into three separate live performance stages as well as a flea market. The stages are pre-named to support the kind of music they are likely to support, from the North Rocking Stage to the Central Acoustic Stage and the Southern Exciting Stage. The Facebook page also reveals the acts set for each of the stages and times they are likely to be on. Unlike the Matsushima Park Festival, this one apparently requires some kind of 1000 yen coupon though if that is for entrance or food or drink, I am not entirely sure, though it is likely an admittance fee as it is not otherwise indicated and that was a discounted price. While I don't know what the door price would be or if there will be charges at all, if you're in the area anyway, it might not be a bad way to spend this Sunday afternoon. The festivities run from 10AM to 4PM.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7JY-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiWed, 02 Oct 2019 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP7JY-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJoVJ-living_food_jalOne of the best aspect of our travel with JAL this summer was, surprisingly, the food. Airline food has long been the butt of too many jokes stateside and not entirely undeservingly so. Most meals served by most airlines are edible at best and I cannot imagine anyone getting enthusiastic over them. On short flights, many airlines only offer a snack and a drink at most, so whether or not the food is good rarely becomes a problem. Pre-packaged dry snack mix is hard to mess up too badly.See that water bottle? It comes in handy.Since we were leaving out of Narita on a 12 hour flight, just snacks were not going to be enough to satisfy our needs. Where other international flights may serve one to two drinks with snacks and one meal (maybe 2) in a 12 hour flight, JAL provides two large meals as well as multiple drinks and snacks. Another great thing is that the meals you are usually served come with a small bottle of water in addition to your beverage of choice. This little bottle isn't a whole lot of drink but it is perfect for tucking into your seat-back pouch for when you get parched later between other drink services.AIRmos! Burgers in the air! On the way out of Japan, my daughter and I were highly amused to see the AIRmos packaging and contents. At first, I misread the title as Airmo's, something belonging to an airmo, whatever that may be. It turns out this is Air- Mos, as in Mos Burger, a prominent burger chain in Japan. The pamphlet includes instructions to take out your separately packaged bun, patty, and lettuce, sandwiching them together with the contents of a pouch of teriyaki and mayonaisse. I chose to neglect the sauce but still enjoyed the burger far more that I ever expected to enjoy any hamburger served on an airplane. My daughter chose to eat only the meat patty, until we hit a small amount of turbulence and she dropped her half-eaten meat slice between the seat and the fuselage. I did retrieve it moments later, but it was then an inedible disappointment. Still, she could eat the buns, and with the half of a hamburger patty, I believe this was the most she has eaten of any meal served on an airplane.My kid enjoying her AIRmos in separate pieces.My not-entirely-aesthetically-pleasing-but-still-tasty meal. Other meals served on our JAL flight were less aesthetically pleasing but delectable enough, though I will admit to keeping things light and never being able to finish anything that was served aside from the burger tray, and then only if you don't count the sauce against me. Still, i made a point of trying all the dishes I was given, which is something I don't usually do with airline food.On our way back to Narita, on another 12 hour flight with JAL, my husband and daughter slept through meal time, which makes sense given how exhausting our 30 hour journey home was going to be and how comfortable we were in our bulk-head seats. Where I have seen other airlines simply skip the sleeping passengers, leaving the drowsy to awaken hungry and remain so, the JAL staff would never be so rude. They taped little notes to the arm rests of both my husband's and daughter's seats, asking them to press the call button for food when they wanted it. In addition to making sure my husband and daughter didn't starve on the plane, this put me at ease as well as I had been anxious over the decision to let them sleep through a meal, electing to leave them as they were mostly because both parties are stubborn and not great at transitioning to eating or really anything other than going back to sleep when they are awoken. Last but not least, my daughter's favorite part of the plane trip was her special present for being a good girl-- a waterproof JAL pokketto (detachable pocket) for her school uniform, allowing her to show off her jet-setting status in style.This post is supported by Japan Airlines (JAL), one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJoVJ-living_food_jalTue, 01 Oct 2019 10:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJoVJ-living_food_jalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYp0-living_education_workAfter more than a decade of teaching English in Japan, I have moments when I forget what we usually ask abroad and which questions might seem strange to native English ears. That is until I take a trip back home and remember why so many things seemed weird to me long ago.There are many questions that are taught in English language classes in Japan as normal conversational practice, but in actual application with a native English speaking audience, things might not go as smoothly. Some of these questions are grammatically incorrect or ambiguous while others may come off as a little bit personal from some foreign perspectives. This is one of those questions.How many people are in your family depends entirely on your definition of the word family.How many people are there in your family? It seems innocuous enough and something all kids can talk about, though as an adult living abroad, I find it a little ambiguous. I know the text books want me to answer three, meaning my husband, my daughter and myself, which is accurate for our household if that is how you define family. That said, I consider my husband's parents part of our family, though we don't live in the same house. The same must be said for my parents, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my niece, though I am sure that is not what the writers of the question intended. They mean household, but teaching the word household to kids who are still trying to grasp more basic vocabulary and grammar does not work well either.While it is a grammatically correct sentence, another issue I have with it is that it is not generally used abroad in native English environments unless the one asking the question is a census taker or entirely too nosy. Never before I moved to Japan had anyone in my life asked me how many people there were in my family. As a child, I might have been asked if I had any brothers or sisters. People may have pressed further to ask if we lived with both of our parents or just one. Even that question is too far for pure politeness as far as I see it, but I have at least been asked it before and in a native English setting.Teaching kids to ask questions that do not get asked abroad may be putting them at a disadvantage later. Should they travel abroad for a home-stay or exchange program, they may well start off a conversation with someone by immediately rendering themselves the overly-nosy Japanese kid who wants to know everything about your family. This is not fair to them. If the student sticks with the language, they will learn better conversation techniques later on, but teaching them un-asked questions doesn't seem like the best way to go in the interim.But maybe it is just me. Does anyone else have experience being asked this question by someone in a native English setting without census takers?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYp0-living_education_workMon, 30 Sep 2019 11:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYp0-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mx1Oy-living_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagiThe last week of September, I spent a few days searching the city I live in as well as a few other cities nearby for any signs of the changing of the seasons with limited results. The few instances of change I saw, I photographed with vigor. Most of what I found were single trees with only a few leaves starting the change but still I captured them. The change is coming! Let's embrace it! The leaves on the bushed in front of this historical miso shop seemed happy to oblige the change of seasons and boasted a nice transition into orange in progress. It is worth noting that this is not something we see in my hometown back in Texas at all, where sometime around Halloween a deep freeze hits, the temperature drops from somewhere about thirty degrees Celsius to under zero and bounces back in a few days. Anything deciduous loses its greenery in less than a week, leaving the world sadder but without prolonged cold. This gradual shift that is so important in Japan is worth witnessing and appreciating, though it does work better if things actually have a chance to get started. I kept walking down this main street toward the shrine, thinking of course that the green spaces around the most iconic part of Shiogama must be starting up. I was not so lucky. Barely anything was happening in the forestry around my favorite entrance to the shrine, and it being a warm, sunny day, I chose to take the hint and abort my previous plan in favor of further tree viewing at a later time. Instead, I scoured other, closer trees in my city to see if anything was going on. When my daughter returned from school and demanded to take advantage of the sunshine by going out to blow bubbles in the park, I couldn't say no. As you can see, a little yellow and red have started to creep into the otherwise emerald branches. With the comfortable breeze cooling us, we enjoyed what we could of the afternoon and I resolved to hunt for more festive foliage on the next day. Luckily, at Sendai station, I happened to find a few leaves just starting right in front of the well-known Sendai Station entrance area.It might just be a couple of Japanese maple leaves, but it is something and it is starting.They're getting lighter! It's coming! After this, I rode back toward Shiogama, stopping at Tagajo station for work and coffee. There, I was delighted to find a few trees getting into the spirit on the opposite side of the station from the library in a small park area. The looked pretty nice with the still shiny and new-looking facade of the station in the background. Inside of Tagajo Station, a few posters held more autumn color than I had seen all week, advertising seasonal explorations of neighboring Iwate prefecture and Matsushima's autumn leaf light up taking place next month. There was also a strange seasonal leafy display in a glass case that I can't say I understood but I did appreciate. I then returned to my little town and decided to take another walk around the block looking for changes. I finally got a good shot of the over-grown ivy house that I see regularly. I do not know who owns this property, if the growth was deliberate or is destroying the building, nor even if the building is currently occupied or being utilized in any way. I do know that I think it is gorgeous and am glad I get to see it and glad I get to share it with you. While there isn't a lot of red, there are little pops of crimson or orange here and there along the rock-face behind the building. Another rock-face in my neighborhood, this one behind a bank, also held a little extra color. And that is all the lovely leaf color I could find in my area of Miyagi in September of 2019.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mx1Oy-living_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagiFri, 27 Sep 2019 17:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mx1Oy-living_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/ME8aP-living_teaA few weeks ago, I found this display in a pharmacy-turned-grocery-and-liquor-store near me and I decided to try it out. Admittedly, my only experience with Shochu was only last month at a Korean barbecue place in Atlanta. The grapefruit flavored bevarage my brother recommended had been highly delectable with soft undertones of the alcohol flavor. The can boasts that the green tea is exclusive to Shizuoka prefecture, which is something worth bragging about. It is too bad that the rest of the product didn't live up to my expectations.Shochu and Green Tea are perhaps not things that should be together. When I opened the beverage, just the smell of it, which wasn't terribly strong and had to be inhaled at close proximity, turned my stomach. I poured it into a glass and took a small sip, acknowledging the delicate flavor of green tea that I had come to expect with a less than perfect attempt at the alcoholic undertones of shochu. Given that the alcoholic beverage normally contains around 25 percent alcohol by volume, an underlying flavor is to be expected. Unfortunately, with only 7 percent alcohol by volume, the undertones felt strange and unnecessary. This could be a matter of personal taste as I tend to enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage but will not touch beer with zero alcohol by volume and similar mocktails. It could be that I've never had a good non-alcoholic beer, or that I do not enjoy the taste of beer so much as to enjoy it sans alcohol, but it seems a waste of calories to drink something made to fake the impression of a much stronger beverage, especially by copying some of the least enjoyable aspects of that beverage. This shochu mimics the strong aftertaste, one of my least favorite aspects of a strong drink, but without the benefits associated with stronger drink. In addition, the way the flavors combine seems to irritate my stomach. After three sips, I was forced to pour the rest out, having given the drink a fair shot. Green tea combining with alcohol isn't new and can be alright, as I found out last year with green tea beer, but this is not the case with this product. If this isn't available near you but for some reason you would want to try it, I would recommend taking a watered down glass of chilled green tea and adding a shot of gin. it would be almost the same but probably a little stronger as far as drinks are concerned.On the positive side, the tea flavor came without any note of bitterness and the alcohol flavoring, while unnecessary and uncomfortable, was not to the point of rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/ME8aP-living_teaWed, 11 Sep 2019 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/ME8aP-living_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rbY-livingDuring my family's recent trip to the states, we had the honor of taking part in my baby niece's baptism in the episcopal church that my brother's family regularly attends. For those who aren't familiar with this bisect of Christianity, the Episcopal Church, also known as the Anglican Church or the Church of England, was that church brought into existence by King Henry XIII severing England from the Catholic Church (so he could dump his first wife and start what became an infamous line of failed marriages while also raiding the coffers of those churches that used to be Catholic) though most of its rituals and procedures of the resulting Church of England now fall more in line with Catholicism than other Protestant faiths.My niece's Baptismal Cake, which was delicious and supplied by the church in Georgia. That said, as far as Christians in the American South go, Episcopalians tend to be the most laid back. I am sure there are proud Episcopal churches filled with judgmental old ladies somewhere but they are less plentiful in my homeland and that level of pretentiousness is usually reserved for Southern Baptists and Catholics. Going to church with my brother's family was a huge reminder of all that I liked and missed about the church. Interesting, amusing sermons brought about by educated, thoughtful priests, fighting against the negative tides by whatever small means their words might afford them. It meant a lot to be there and be part of the thing, and I would go back every week if I lived in that area.I would go here every week if I only could...But I live 6,000 miles away in a country where the default religion is Shintoism, with some Buddhist elements and occasional sects of alternative religions. Because Christianity isn't the default, those who go into it here tend to be headstrong in their beliefs, frequently to the point of excluding outsiders even more so than Japanese society at large.Christians in Texas don't jump to excluding you until they confirm that you're not one of them, and frequently not even then. Here, the few times I have engaged with Japanese Christians, I was treated as even less of a person than I am when encountering drunk people on the train. Either that or I was treated as a lost little lamb that had to be converted to survive, even as those trying to convert me failed to remember my name after several separate interactions. Even the few religious foreigners I've met tend to avoid me or avoid church as if it were mutually exclusive. As an Anglican/Agnostic, I don't care that much if they go to any church that works for them so long as I don't have to go with them. Maybe for them my lack of involvement is more of a deal-breaker, which I find unfortunate but sometimes inevitable. The moral of the story is that I prefer my religion laid-back, and it's hard to beat the default in Japan when it comes to being generally chill. A religion where you're only expected to go to the shrine once a year and for some irregular major family events is so much more relaxed than any church that looks down on parishioners who only show up twice a year. Christianity in Japan tends to have these weekly demands and inspire more proud distance between believers and the outside community, making an insular society only more exclusionary. While I'd love to go to church, I won't go in Japan, because it is hard to out-chill the Shinto-Buddhist default without forfeiting religion entirely.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rbY-livingMon, 09 Sep 2019 09:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8rbY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRjB-living_healthI've been hassled by parents and loved ones about slouching for most of my life, with the problem having a marked worsening around puberty as I struggled to keep all attention from my rapidly changing body. While teaching in my twenties, it seemed no big deal to keep the same general shape, again not wanting to attract unnecessary attention to my chest.Unfortunately, one of the big drawbacks to this method of attempting to hide an ample bosom is growing what is known as a dowager's hump. The fleshy lump forms between the tops of the shoulder blades and base of the neck and in my case is the result of years of poor posture, though several diseases can also be contributing factors in some. While I've made attempts to stand up straighter every time I see the little old women with horrendously crooked posture around my town in Japan, my default position is shrugging forward with my shoulders pulled around me and it is hard not to return to this shape.Behold my hump: not a lovely lady lumpI am not alone in having this problem and after months of knowing that I have started the transition to hunchback, I finally searched the internet for answers.The first thing I found to be of use was a series of exercises most people can do easily in their homes without the need to consult a physical therapist. This lack of professional intervention is a huge selling point for me as my Japanese language skill is still far from fluent and attempting to see a doctor by myself is terrifying. Instead, I started trying these out and have found, after only a week of doing the work, my lump is already starting to diminish.The first useful link I found was this one from the Cleveland Clinic which suggests three easy to do exercises aimed at strengthening the appropriate neck and back muscles to function better and encourage better posture. One move involves finding a door frame and, while standing, putting your hands at the sides of the frame. You then move as if you were doing a standing push up, but push your body through the frame rather than stopping where your chest would hit the floor. Another move includes forcing your shoulder muscles together repeatedly. The only of the moves that confuses me is the recommended chin tuck that I have trouble picturing, much less performing. Still, with only the two I understand to guide me, I have managed to feel more comfortable for longer in positions of better posture this week and my head no longer connects with as massive of a lump when I lean my head all the way back. Doing three sets of 10 reps of each of these daily should bust my hump in no time, if Cleveland Clinic is to be believed.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRjB-living_healthFri, 06 Sep 2019 21:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRjB-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mx15P-living_fashion_workI came to Japan in 2008 with a multinational English teaching school that has since gone bankrupt, been bought out and re-branded. In the five years that followed my arrival, I worked for large eikaiwa, or conversational English schools. In general, each of these companies wanted a similar look for their female teachers, including:- Suits (with knee-length skirts or pants)- Button-down or knit blouses* (with sleeves and NO cleavage)- Stockings or tights (knee high under trousers, full length under skirts)*Knit blouses are not considered okay by all companies, so stick with things that do not look anything like t-shirts if you plan to wear these professionally.Since quitting the big scene for motherhood, I've found myself teaching for a small conversational school and select private lessons. As such, I have adapted my wardrobe to suit the current needs of my clientele, none of whom are nearly as strict with dress-code as the larger companies were. Now, my work clothes look like this:- Jeans (no holes, stains, or raggedy bits)- T-shirts (no graphics or wordy-bits, only plain or light innocuous print)- Undershirt/tank-top (to cover any unintended cleavage cause by v-neck)Included but not picture here:- Blouses (stretchy, comfortable, and long enough to not have to tuck-in)- Short Dresses (to be worn as long blouses over pants)- Cardigans (short-sleeved or cap-sleeved, to cover the shoulders for sleeveless dresses and blouses)The only things they seem to have in common that might not be so common abroad are the needs to cover shoulders and cleavage by any means necessary. While it is 2019 and many professional women working in offices across the globe are entitled to sleeveless dresses, Japan in general seems to say no. Even in casual looks, it is not easy to find people who aren't covering their shoulders in public in most of the country. If you see someone in a tank-top on the street in Japan, it is almost always a tourist from another country.Cleavage abroad can also be seen as unprofessional or unbecoming, but for the bustier among us, sometimes a shirt shifts in transit and something we didn't mean to show the world may be slightly visible. Here, that is so infrequently seen that I have had old men nearly run into light posts while they sneer and gesticulate at the tiny amount of visible cleavage that happened to peek out from under my otherwise-acceptable shirt. Some people don't mind this reaction or stupid gesticulating old men don't bother them, and that is wonderful. If you're trying to look professional though, make sure to cover up as best you can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mx15P-living_fashion_workWed, 04 Sep 2019 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mx15P-living_fashion_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ7jv-living_familylifeFact One: Japanese apartments run on the small side. Mine is no exception.Fact Two: I, as caretaker/one who works least outside the home, am in charge of organizing the family home.Fact Three: I have difficulty cleaning and managing the space and things in it, from my own posessions to my daughter's old clothes and toys. Even bedding for the crib we no longer have is hard for me to throw away.Fact Four: I have anxiety.Next spring, my kid will start elementary school and in preparation for this momentous occasion, my in-laws got her a whole new bedroom furniture set (nicer than any I have ever owned) for her birthday. I spent the week before set-up oscillating between panicking over the cleaning to a point of absolute uselessness and gradually attempting to get things moved. The fact that this coincided with the last week of summer vacation was not helpful, as the most I really got to do with her at home was go through her toy chest and eliminate some of the things she no longer needs.The morning of the bedroom set's arrival, my husband surprised us by taking the day off work, so at least there was someone else to help me move all of the furniture out of her room and talk to the builders in proper Japanese. After the builders left, my husband set about organizing things as he saw fit in the room as our daughter twirled around in her desk chair. Meanwhile, I sat on our couch and tried not to have an anxiety attack about the amount of stuff now crowding me into a corner in my own home. The set was just so much bigger in our little space than I had imagined. I thought we would be able to fit in half of her old furniture easily but that was very much not the case. Now that we had all of the excess in the living room and already over-crowded tatami room, I was swamped both by the physical things and the feelings of helplessness and uselessness that come with knowing that you've failed to deal with one of your major character flaws in such a way that your family will be paying for it for the foreseeable future.I managed to avoid the anxiety attack. I controlled my breathing and tried to stay calm until I could focus enough to start on small things, like taking the stuffed animals off of my daughter's old bed so that I could dismantle it and starting that long painful process of ejecting each warped screw by means of a manual screwdriver I bought at the 100 yen store some years ago.After we got a few things done, I found it significantly easier to toss our old crib bedding. If we ever do get to have another child, we will need so much more money and space than we currently have that one set of water-proof baby pads will not make a difference, much less ones warped and melted by the heat of half a dozen summers.It is with this energy I have been able to start moving my daughter's things back into her room, organizing it as we go so that one day, it will all make sense. Maybe.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ7jv-living_familylifeTue, 03 Sep 2019 12:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ7jv-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6YWW-living_jal_narita_shi_chibaMy family and I had the pleasure of flying JAL last month and I have to say that they are my preferred airline for flying into or out of Japan. The seats tend to be wider and more comfortable than ANA where domestic travel is concerned and on the international side, there's no matching their service, even in economy class which is the only way I fly.When you're travelling as a family, sitting with your child is important. JAL gets this. Other websites don't always.One difficulty we had was caused by a glitch from the website where we bought our tickets, which was not JAL. I do not know if this happens when you buy from JAL directly, but after our tickets were purchased with all relevant information like ages included, I was horrified to find my five-year-old daughter's seat had been chosen by the algorithm to be across the plane from me. As we were the only two flying together for that leg of the trip, it was vital that we be together and there were seats available together, but the computer had other ideas apparently. The great thing is that this is an easy fix. Logging in with your ticket information on the JAL website, you can select (or re-select) your seats as need be. Keep in mind that some things do change last minute, but this gives you a better chance of sitting where you need to be. For international flights, this link would be useful. For domestic, this one is better.After this fix, we had no problems getting on the plane and sitting together. At least that was true until we tried to make our return trip with my husband in tow. Since my husband's tickets had to be purchased separately due to alternative flight dates and again from the same non-JAL website, his seats wound up completely separate from my daughter and I. Previous to our departure, I would have sworn that I had fixed that and sat us all together using the same technique I had to ensure my kid would not be a plane away from me for our whole time in the air, but something had not connected and our seats were quite separate.Does she look like someone who should be flying alone? I don't think so.My husband did not want to raise a fuss, but I didn't want to sit through a family plane trip being the only one with our kid and wondering how my husband was doing the whole time, so I thought to ask the flight attendant who was working at the desk where we checked in for our flight. She was more than happy to not only seat us together but give us the bulk-head space, with the three of us centrally seated in a three-person row with tons of leg space in front. We were overjoyed and went to sit and wait for our section to be called, thinking the kindness that was already so much more than we had expected had reached its conclusion. When they called for those with difficulties or small children to board, my husband and I pondered if our kid was young enough for that to mean us and decided that we were probably fine, only to have the same flight attendant come and ask us specifically to go ahead and board the flight. We got in and got settled before the little one ran out of steam, which meant for a much happier flight for all of us.Thanks to their great customer service and thoughtfulness, JAL will always be my family's favorite airline.This post is supported by Japan Airlines (JAL), one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6YWW-living_jal_narita_shi_chibaFri, 30 Aug 2019 10:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6YWW-living_jal_narita_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3Bo-living_education_taito_ku_tokyoMy family and I stumbled across this monstrosity on our way through Ueno station a couple of weeks back. From the back, I wasn't sure what to make of it.Chicken? Dinosaur? Lizard? Axolotl? None of the above, it turns out.That's right! A panda in a dino suit, celebrating this year's Dinosaur Expo at the National Science Museum from July 13th through October 14th. Why a panda? Because Ueno Zoo is known to have giant pandas, so the Ueno area sometimes uses the panda as a mascot, and the museum is in that area.Unfortunately we didn't have time to go then and won't be able to afford to head back to Tokyo for another visit to try, but we did get cool dinosaur trading cards at The Hard Rock Cafe in Ueno Station before we headed back, and that was also really cool. If you're interested in tracking down the reason for the Dino-Panda, check out the National Science Museum at Ueno Park 7-20, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8718.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3Bo-living_education_taito_ku_tokyoSun, 25 Aug 2019 13:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb3Bo-living_education_taito_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK1WN-living_shopping_sendai_shi_miyagiWhen I recently converted our storage area into my daughter's bedroom, I noticed that the window sills had a bit of darkened weirdness to them. My husband calls all of this mold when in actuality what we call this in English is mildew, which is still gross but doesn't sound quite as serious. In any case, getting rid of this can take a bit of work or some fairly harsh chemicals.There are a number of mildew and mold fighting chemical cleaners on the market but this round I didn't want to deal with the strong smells of bleach and such so instead I scoured the internet and came up with different answers.For my less abrasively scented cleaning solution, I had to seek out a few things I didn't have much experience with buying in Japan, one of which was impossible at my local stores. Baking soda (重曹 juusou) at my local supermarket is only sold in tiny doses, meant for baking only, and is not cost effective as a cleaning product. In Sendai, I found larger quantities of more reasonably priced baking soda available at TOMIZAWA on the first floor of the main (old) SPAL building connected to Sendai Station. I also found it available at CostCo.The other main ingredient was what I know as peroxide, the household antiseptic. In Japan, it goes by oxydol (オキシドール) and can usually be found in the pharmacy department of grocery stores or even some 100 yen stores.I started by putting the oxydol/peroxide into a small spray bottle from the 100 yen store and sprinkling the powdery baking soda on the icky bits before I sprayed them with oxydol/peroxide. Using an old toothbrush, I scrubbed the two together, making a cleaning paste that took care of mildew in little to no time. With the toothbrush still covered in the paste, I also scrubbed the side of the sill where a little mildew had crept and it came away in seconds. I then wiped up the mess from the cleaners with a paper towel, using cotton swabs to get any little chunks of baking soda or cleaning paste out of the corners of the window track.What I like about this method is that these cleaning agents can be used on so many other household cleaning projects without damaging clothing or creating too much of a stink. If this appeals to you, too, keep an eye out for baking soda (重曹) and oxydol (オキシドール) when you're shopping in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK1WN-living_shopping_sendai_shi_miyagiFri, 23 Aug 2019 14:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK1WN-living_shopping_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvL6-living_shopping_narita_shi_chibaI'll admit that I was reluctant to visit Narita Airport's Pokemon store. We do have one in Sendai after all and spending our hard-earned vacation money before we got off the ground seemed ridiculous. Then we were walking by and I saw this:Captain Pikachu commanding a hoard of stuffed flight-attendant Pikachus. I had to admit that if we had a little more disposable income, I may well have grabbed one just for the sake of having it but our home is filled to the brim with toys, dolls, and other souvenirs purchased for the same reason. Instead we bought a notebook and a smaller doll that came in a pokeball. My daughter spent a significant amount of vacation transit time playing with the doll and ball, so their minimal expenditure was well worth it.Still, an interesting souvenir for Pokemon loving friends and relatives, no?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvL6-living_shopping_narita_shi_chibaThu, 22 Aug 2019 08:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvL6-living_shopping_narita_shi_chibahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY5pB-living_shoppingOne of the first things I noticed and loved about shopping in Japan is the freebie objects you sometimes get with certain products. One line of bottled tea might come with a little plastic-wrapped phone charm or a knit cozy for the bottle of tea with cute cartoon characters in a summer theme or any number of tiny, unnecessary but usually fun and innocuous goods. This one I thought was genius, even beyond the green tea that came with mini compeito a few years ago.Sparkling Spanish wine AND Rose Garden bath salts? It sounds like the perfect gift for an adult who needs a little personal time, a couple who needs a little extra romance, or a spouse in the dog house looking to get back into their loved one's good graces. Unfortunately, I didn't have the extra funds to spend at the time, but don't think I won't go looking for this come payday.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY5pB-living_shoppingWed, 21 Aug 2019 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY5pB-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVqr7-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagi_shichigahama_machi_miyagiWhen I think summer, I think islands and beach time. With that in mind, here are my top five summer spots for Miyagi Prefecture, arranged in order of convenience. 1) Namiuchihama: Matsushima's Little Beach This little beach is nestled between MatsushimaKaigan station (41 minutes, 410 yen from Sendai on the Senseki line) and Oshima island, which is connected to the shore by a small bridge. Unless you know where it is already, it can be hard to find. From the station, cross the street walking towards the park. Go through the park and take a right, heading from there down a little back road. A pathed park path will veer toward the left and eventually you will see the little beach. Swimming, fishing, and fires are strictly forbidden here but if all you were looking for is walking in the water and playing in the sand, it's a close, free, and usually fairly empty option. Even when the Matsushima Park festival brings pedestrians all over the coastal town, this area is usually not too busy.Address: Namiuchihama-24 Matsushima, Miyagi-gun, Miyagi 981-02132) Fukuurajima Island in Matsushima When you get off the train at MatsushimaKaigan Station, this is the island out at the end of that long red bridge in the distance. While the walk to the bridge can take a little effort, the walk around the island combines the best bits of a nature hike with more stable pathways and hand rails to help those with slight mobility problems. This nature walk can take as little as thirty minutes and does offer some unspoiled views of the sea as it stretches out into Matsushima Bay and beyond. Tickets for bridge access must be purchased from the small shop at the base of the bridge and there is a small ice cream shop on the island as well, but these places keep normal Japanese business hours, so don't plan to come late in the afternoon or you won't have access.Address: Senzui-39-1 Matsushima, Miyagi-gun, Miyagi 981-02133) Shobutahama Public Beach in ShichigahamaI have seen posters advertising it for the last two summers, celebrating a bit of a renewal since much of the coast in this prefecture was devastated back in 2011 and some places have yet to recover. There are maps and tips on how to get there on this website, but I recommend googling the name and getting driving directions on the Maps app. There are many parking lots near the beach, all charging 600 yen for the day. It is best to come early on as they will kick people out of the water for their safety when the tide starts coming in, sometimes as early as 4PM. Weekdays even during Obon are a good time to go as there aren't too many people about. There is a lifeguard on duty and the beach closes at 5PM.From either Tagajo Station (200 yen and 20 minutes from Sendai) or HonShiogama Station (320 yen and 30 minutes) on the Senseki line, you can board an appropriate bus and be at the beach in around 30 minutes. For more information, check out the website.Address: Nagasuka Hanabuchihama, Shichigahama, Miyagi District, Miyagi 985-08034) Tashirojima Cat Island in Ishinomaki While technically further from my home in Shiogama than either of the later entries on my list, this one gets bumped up to number three for two reasons: 1) Easily navigated ferry information and 2) Cats. While this spot does lack the beach quality of other entries, visitors to the cat island still get great views of the ocean from certain points on the island and healthy nature walks besides. There are only a couple of shops on the island, neither open terribly long, so visitors are advised to bring their own food and drink and to take all garbage back home with them. The train ride from Sendai will cost ¥840 and last about 40 minutes on the rapid route or an hour and a half on the local. After a short taxi ride to the ferry terminal, (less than 10 minutes and around 1000 yen) a round trip ticket on the ferry will cost 2500 yen per adult and last about an hour. Exact times for that days ferries will be provided at the Ajishima Line building.The address for Tashirojima is: Tashirohama, Ishinomaki, Miyagi 986-0023The address for the ferry terminal is: Ajishima Line 網地島ライン 3-chōme-1-19 Kadonowakichō, Ishinomaki, Miyagi 986-08345) Katsurashima Beach of the Urato Islands This beach I visited back in 2015 and didn't like too much. The reasons why this makes the final addition to my list and not higher up are two fold.First, I felt that the ferry times when I went were not as obvious as they could have been. The only time I had been to the Urato islands previously, all the tourist ferries had been cancelled for the rest of the day (midday during Golden Week!), stranding my group on an outlying island until we could get a speed boat to bring us further in. I had to lean almost onto the floor of that seat-free speed boat to keep the baby strapped to my chest in place. Never wanting to do that again, I have trouble trusting the time charts of all ferries to the Urato Islands.The second reason I do not personally prefer this beach is the wildlife. I'm no entomologist nor a marine biologist, so I cannot tell you if the tiny biting things that flew from the sand to my calves and attacked were small vicious shrimp or sand mites or something else altogether. What I can say is that I in no way enjoyed their pervasive presence, but no one else seemed to mind the biting, so I guess many of the locals are used to this kind of thing.The trip will cost 1000 yen round trip for the Shiogama City ferry (bound for Hojima 朴島, stopping at Katsurashima 桂島) from Marine Gate in Shiogama. The first ferry out leaves at 5:50AM and the last ferry back will leave Katsurushima at 5:01PM. There is no English language assistance and no handicapped accessibility. More information is available on the website.Address: Uratokatsurashima, Shiogama, Miyagi 985-0192Marine Gate Address: 1 Chome-4-1 Minatomachi, Shiogama, Miyagi 985-0016To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVqr7-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagi_shichigahama_machi_miyagiMon, 19 Aug 2019 10:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVqr7-living_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagi_shichigahama_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBbWn-living_shopping_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagiIn preparation for a long-planned trip to the states to see family in this summer, I have spent weeks trying to tackle souvenir hunting for my family. My visit will not be coinciding with Christmas or any major birthdays but it always seems best to bring a little something for everyone. Since the family members I am visiting are exclusively above the age of 21 (save for my 3 month old niece) and fond enough of alcohol, things like sake always seem like a good idea. Couple this with the post office forbidding the shipment of alcohol via post and the presence of a sake distillery in the very town where I live and I knew where my first stop had to be.Urakasumi Sake Brewery in ShiogamaThe small, historical building on Motomachi, before opening time.Urakasumi is a small but lovely little shop and sake brewery on the historic Motomachi street in Shiogama, not too far from Okama shrine. In addition to over a dozen different products, some available only in Miyagi, the shop also offers sake tasting for a small fee. The service is concluded in Japanese only but there is an English translation of the sake making process available and the people are well-mannered and polite. In addition, sake tasting folks may also take home the glass used in their tasting. Many artistic articles of glassware and ceramics are also available in their gallery of glassware at the front of the store.On this occasion, my visit being sometime in the early AM, I chose to forego the tasting and instead ponder over purchases from their large selection. Eventually, I settled on a nice looking bottle of umeshu, the plum spirit my brother so enjoyed on his last trip to Japan, and a seasonal sake. The grand total was around 3,000 yen. If you're in the mood for a similar sake experience, the Urakasumi distillery in Shiogama is located at 2-19 Motomachi, Shiogama, Miyagi 985-0052. The operating hours are from 10AM to 5PM weekdays and Saturdays and the main brewery building next door offers guided tours between 10AM and 2PM with advanced booking. More information is available here.Kirin Brewery in SendaiThe Kirin Brewery Gift Shop, with shelves holding everything from cookies to drinking glasses and, yes, even beer.Another great souvenir stop for those who enjoy a more contemporary alcoholic experience in Miyagi is the Kirin Brewery in Sendai. From Tagajo station, there is a shuttle bus and the brewery itself offers a free tour though mostly in Japanese. At the end of the tour, all guests are permitted a sampling of 3 beers of their choice at the cafeteria near the gift shop. On this occasion, I made a beeline for the gift shop, not needing to spend more time learning the ways of Kirin. To my surprise, many of the things I found there were fairly priced and interesting. From towels to cookies to glassware and snacks, the shop had a nice sampling of items suitable to almost any budget. For my brother and sister-in-law, I got glasses with the indentation of Mount Fuji in their bases. For my father, who I have never seen drink a beer out of a glass in his own home, I got a large bath towel and a nice metal bookmark. I also picked up some whiskey filled chocolates for my mother. All this came to a grand total just under 5,000 yen. If you're interested in checking out the brewery and tour, the brewery is located at 2-chōme-2-1 Minato, Miyagino-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken 983-0001. The shuttle bus from Tagajo station runs every hour between 9AM and 5PM at 35 minutes past the hour. For those looking to take the tour, they recommend taking the bus by 2:35 PM at the latest. More information is available here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBbWn-living_shopping_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagiSun, 28 Jul 2019 15:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBbWn-living_shopping_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRW0-food_shopping_tochigiMy husband brought this back to share with us after a trip southward and we were shocked, first by their adorableness but then also by their deliciousness.Not bothering to read too much on the front, I assumed they would be little cute cookies or something and likely just fine as far as souvenir foods go. I was wrong.The box contained 3 sets of 3 monkey heads, each displaying the see-no-evil, speak-no-evil, and hear-no-evil gestures respectively.Inside each nicely sized snack lay a little ball of walnut-caramel scrumptious-ness. Unfortunately, the faces tended to disengage from the backings and reveal the delectable horrors within, but luckily my child was none too horrified while we devoured the lot of the tasty little things.Definitely a good omiyage choice for us.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRW0-food_shopping_tochigiTue, 23 Jul 2019 00:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdRW0-food_shopping_tochigihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXN8-food_shoppingIn the past, I've tried most variations of weird coke that have come out in Japan. This one is different as it's more international and was released in Europe before it made its way over here a few weeks ago.The drink itself is alright by my standards. The caffeine content, much higher than the same amount of regular coke, wasn't enough to make me feel overly caffeinated or jittery, as Jolt cola was known to do. Instead, it tasted mostly like coke with a stronger grape flavor and had much the same affect as regular coke. Even Monster seems to be stronger to my senses.If I had the choice between this or all the weird coke variations I have tried in the last year, I would choose either Coffee Coke or Peach Coke before picking this one up again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXN8-food_shoppingTue, 23 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlXN8-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk4Be-living_galleries_shiogama_shi_miyagiOn July 15th, the people of Shiogama celebrated the national holiday dedicated to the sea by once again hosting a parade in honor of the city's shrine and port, historically two of the most important factors in the survival of the community. Unlike last year, the cloud cover for the night previous parted enough for the community to enjoy fireworks over the bay in preparation for the coming festivities. The road near the ferry port Marine Gate was so packed with on-lookers that it appeared black from our vantage point in the external stairwell of our apartment building. Even the roof top parking area of the nearby Aeon Townmall had opened for spectators and food stalls for the first time. The Vegalta Soccer Team's Cheerleading squad smiled and waved to us as we walked past. As friends of the Shiogama International Friendship Organization, my daughter and I joined in the fun and took part in the traditional dance that ran through the main street area of Shiogama, just in front of the entrances to the shrine. My daughter, now five years old, was a star of the show. The number of people who stopped to squeal "Kawaii!" at her was uncountable and the number of people who took her picture was even higher. To my surprise, a few of her classmates from her kindergarten were in the crowd and stopped to hug her as we passed by. She really got into the dance, shouting "We love Shiogama!" and "Sore sore SO-RE!" as required in the performance. The event itself was tiring but we lingered shortly afterward, my daughter inhaling shaved ice while we watched a few other groups pass by. One group included people waving huge, heavy, colorful flags that rippled in the wind. After they passed, we watched the active senior group from the Silver Center, who did the dance expertly in rainbow accented happi robes and their strange pink mascot trailing behind. I have a lot of respect for anyone who donned mascot apparel at a festival like this. I hope they hydrated well. The group of awa odori dancers were unmistakable in their amigawa hats, though unfortunately I did not manage to capture the name of the group in my photo. We also saw the fire fighters of the area, which included a line of muscular men thrusting and twirling their matoi flags in the same way their ancient predecessors would have in order to draw attention to a burning building. Now, sirens and smoke do that job well enough but the old ways always make a comeback for festivals and the like.Also pictured is a group of ladies in what could be confused for patriotic Texan costumes. It is my understanding that these ladies are part of a square dancing or country dancing group that I have seen come through this parade a few times and never managed to catch the name of, though the sight of them is always eye-catching for me, the Texan abroad.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk4Be-living_galleries_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 22 Jul 2019 18:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk4Be-living_galleries_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyymj-living_food_teaI found this at my local Aeon Town mall grocery area green tea shelf and decided to give it a try. This Yabukita Blend green tea from Harada brand comes in a lovely bulk package of 50 packets for less than 500 yen, which is a pretty good deal, especially considering that it comes from Shizuoka, well known for growing some of the best green tea anywhere in the world. I chose this one because I had not tried it before and because it came in tea bag packets rather than loose leaf. As lovely as it is to enjoy loose leaf varieties, I still have a few open containers of such and thought tea bags would be a nice change of pace, giving me the option of sending samples to friends and family without having to buy a new package and send a whole box or large envelope. A tea bag can easily fit in a letter-sized envelope along with a card or letter.I love the almost steam-punk-ish look to these. The individual pouches that contain the tea bags bags themselves have a nice and interesting design, perfect for sharing with friends anywhere. Opening the pouch, I was greeted with a strong, almost fishy scents of the umami smell. That's when I knew I was in for a treat.Seconds after coming in contact with the water, the tea is already taking on a lot of color. The second hot water hit the tea bag, it came away with a lovely light green color, already steeping in preparation for enjoyment. The back of the box came with handy English instructions, so anyone forgetting proper steeping time has an easy reminder. Though it recommends a 30 second steep time, my cup was too hot to handle for at least a minute and the tea bag stayed in for at least another minute past that.Behold the English instructions! Finally, I took a sip of the beverage in its now fairly rich shade. The taste is light and comfortable with a hint of sourness but lacking any overwhelming bitterness or sweetness that sometimes occurs with cheaper teas. The umami scent I caught when it was coming out of the bag was in the background, present but not overly discernible. Personally, I prefer a tea with background umami over a tea that tries too hard to incorporate the flavor and leaves me feeling like I just drank fish stock rather than actual tea.Such a lovely cup of tea.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyymj-living_food_teaThu, 04 Jul 2019 14:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyymj-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1mo5-living_workMany ALTs, eikaiwa teachers and other language teaching professionals in Japan have little control over their student base. If you're working for a company, even a small company, your say over which students you feel best suited with will likely not outweigh the will of the manager or students. Most of the time, this is at most a little tedious as you may get stuck with students or two who don't respond well to your teaching style or may have other issues that you personally don't enjoy, but early in my teaching career in Japan, I didn't mind it so much. It could have been that I was in the countryside and the worst I dealt with was a rambunctious 3-year-old and an old man with serious body odor, but everything seemed survivable for a paycheck that would finance continuing my adventure in Japan.Fast forward a decade and I am still teaching but most of the week those are hand-picked students that I met, got along with, and chose to work with, not the will of some manager with their eye on a bottom line. This is me as an independent English teacher, filling around an hour of each day that my daughter spends in school with helping people I actually like. Why is it important to like your students? Professionally speaking, it isn't. In a completely professional setting, you don't need to like them, just to teach them in whatever way you can, trying your best to remain unemotional, professional, and encouraging at all times.But I am no longer living in a truly professional world. My work now is governed by a number of external forces including my daughter and major events in my husband's family. If my kid is sick, I usually have to either cancel classes for a few days or get my in-laws to look after her so I can do my job. If we have any other kind of emergency, such as the death in the family we had this June, I have to be able to make adjustments to my schedule.Because I have chosen not to maintain teacher-student relationships with people who lack understanding or compassion, I have a much easier time explaining situations like those above without my business entirely drying up or an irate customer giving me an anxiety attack.The ideal student is receptive, eager, and ready to learn everything. For me, the more important factors include an understanding of my living situation, patience to overcome any language or cultural barriers we come across, open communication, and honesty. I'll teach them for as long as they want to learn, even if we cover the same grammar points for years, but I need them to understand that sometimes I have to cancel and reschedule due to the demands of life.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1mo5-living_workWed, 03 Jul 2019 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1mo5-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GokrA-living_medical_health_miyagi You can tell that the access to inexpensive healthcare here in Japan has had an effect on me by the way I dropped everything to race my kid to the hospital the day after she had a fever that spiked at 38.5 Degrees Celsius (101.3 F) and disappeared the same day. Back home in the states, a disappearing fever would be a reason to rejoice and send the kid back to school. If it were something serious, she wouldn't have lost the fever so quickly, right? Even if the fever held out, we would likely take some over-the-counter meds or go to a clinic at most. We wouldn't head to the hospital for just a low grade fever that's already over. But we're in Japan, where we're paid up on our national health insurance, our daughter gets free health care for most situations, including free medical consultations (best enjoyed at a proper pediatric office, the best of which in our area is at the hospital), free medicine as prescribed, and even a discount on parking at the fee-based hospital area parking lots. For almost six years, I've been trying to reconcile the ease and lack of expense involved here with my American upbringing, where anything short of excess bleeding or broken bones was treated with bed rest and without a doctor. I remember even being upset with my brother, then a teenager, for asking to be taken to the hospital for lung trouble. It turned out that he had walking pneumonia and it still took years for the realization of the potential seriousness of the illness to overcome my notion that doctors were just too expensive.Medicine packets and the pouch they came in, telling us how often to take a packet, in this case three times a day, once after each meal. Back in the present day, the Japanese pediatrician at our hospital spoke quickly and in Japanese to my mother-in-law who then could relay anything important to my husband. The only word I absorbed was a katakana rendition of something like "microplasma" that I later came to realize was mycoplasma, meaning mycoplasma pneumoniae, meaning, yes, the walking pneumonia. The illness in itself isn't as serious as it sounds provided you get treatment for it, but if left untreated can cause further damage, potentially requiring hospitalization. My kid did get treatment, consisting of literally five different kinds of medicine, all ground into powder and wrapped by individual dose. The powder form is frequently used with kids meds so that they can be easily added to a drink, yogurt, or jelly snack in order to go down more easily. My kid is so used to taking medication that I can pour the powder straight into her mouth, letting her take sips of water or juice between powder packets. My kid is recovering though she still has the tail end of a suspicious, deep, wet cough. If she's still coughing by the end of this week, we'll just go back to the doctor. You might be asking, "But why didn't you go when she was having her fever?"One of the drawbacks of the Japanese system is that, at least in our area, not all hospitals are open 24 hours or on weekends or national holidays. In the event of an emergency, whatever hospital you contact will refer you to whichever area hospital can help, as they did when I needed stitches in my hand. Low-grade fevers are not such an emergency as to require this, and the last time we raced to the hospital with a low-grade fever, we ran into a young male doctor who took one look at me and told my husband that whatever problem we had must have been caused by my lax housekeeping and nothing more. When we saw the actual pediatrician the next morning, they said it was a cold that was going around the schools with no comments about housework. So, if your kid is sick here, see a doctor, but see the right kind of doctor for the situation.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GokrA-living_medical_health_miyagiTue, 02 Jul 2019 10:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GokrA-living_medical_health_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgXnW-living_familylifeFunerals can be difficult in any country. Saying goodbye to the recently departed can be really heart breaking, but it is always somehow more difficult with language and cultural barriers in the way. The sign-in book and thank-you bags, common in most Japanese funerals. You give money in a special envelope and they give you a bag of treats the deceased enjoyed, usually coffee or tea, sometimes a hand-towel or snack. Being the wife of a funeral director, I've seen a few of these.Having attended two funeral ceremonies in Japan in the last five years, I feel that I have a little bit of a grasp on the situation now. First came my husband's paternal grandmother, who is from a non-religious family and a such had a non-religious funeral, consisting of a flower ceremony in which all attendees, of which there were many, were encouraged to approach the pink satin brocade covered coffin and place within it a flower from a nearby table. After this, there was a reading of letters by the son of the deceased, which I do not know more about due both to my lacking Japanese skill and to my then-two-year-old daughter's interruption. We spent most of that part of the ceremony running around the stairwell. The ceremony ended after another episode of putting flowers on the body and the coffin was sealed, then brought down to the waiting hearse and we all headed to the crematorium. The situation at the crematorium is the subject of a separate post, so here we will fast forward to the family grave, where the urn is interred alongside others of the same first-son; his wife; their first son; his wife; etc. line.Recently, my husband's maternal grandfather passed. As he was significantly more religious, he had a proper Buddhist ceremony, which was very different. My mother-in-law showed me how to use Buddhist prayer beads (hook them over the thumbs in times of prayer and over the left wrist otherwise) and I did my best to watch when the others did the move toward prayer, but this was more difficult than I had planned as the ceremony was family only and my mother-in-law is an only child. My husband and his mother did not always agree on the timing, but I followed them the best I could. The ceremony itself was more complicated, with a monk in ornate ceremonial robes chanting players for the deceased at both the wake (a shorter ceremony the night before the big event) and the funeral itself. Instead of flowers, we approached the front alter and took pinches of granulates incense, putting them on a small hot stone before going back to our seats, bowing to the monk both before and after.My daughter writing a letter to her great grandpa at his funeral. Letters to the deceased are placed in the coffin along with numerous flowers, the last of which is placed by the monk, who says a final prayer before the coffin is sealed and wheeled down to the hearse. We then went to the crematorium, where our departing message to the deceased was met with a more formal prayer than my previous experience. Then the monk departed.After the urn is sealed, it is placed in a highly decorative box and brought to its proper place. That place might be a family grave, like my grandmother-in-law, or a home shrine in many cases. My grandfather-in-law instead was interred at a Buddhist temple closer to his hometown further south a few days after his services.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgXnW-living_familylifeMon, 01 Jul 2019 10:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgXnW-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb380-living_howto_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi In large family funerals, the crematorium aspect is very important and to most western folk, fairly bizarre. My in-laws thought it was strange when I told them that Americans who send their loved ones to be cremated receive the ashes at a later date.I've got a bone to pick with you! Cremated bones are significantly less cute than this, but similar in color. First, the family arrives and the coffin is ushered into a room where they say the final goodbyes. Then, the coffin is placed on a metal or stone slab and wheeled around to the incinerator chambers. A name plate at the side of the chamber door will tell everyone whose relative is inside so mix-ups are unlikely to occur. A crematorium worker will insert a key and start the combustion process. At this point, the family and guests will retreat to a large room on site and eat a meal provided by the primary family, usually through a bento-making company or other similar catering service. Around an hour and a half later, the family will be brought into the bone picking room where people will line up in order of importance and use long chopsticks to deliver the bones of the deceased into an urn provided. Sometimes this is done in pairs, with two people picking up the same bone fragment and delivering it together. In some areas, only the large bones are taken and the rest discarded. A lot of this is stuff a foreign mourner may only pick up by observing what others are doing or asking someone when they have the chance. If you're uncomfortable with this aspect, let your loved ones know, preferably before the burning. During my husband's paternal grandmother's bone picking, I was running after my then-two-year-old daughter. Children are usually excused from this and we also had a large turnout, so there were plenty of people to pick up the bones. With my husband's paternal grandfather's funeral, the group was limited to just four adults and one five-year-old to pick up every bone of the deceased. This is where having a funeral director in the family comes in handy. My husband asked the staff to assist after my father-in-law and mother-in-law picked up three separate pieces of femur together. Then my husband picked a few pieces by himself and my daughter volunteered to pick up one piece on her own and did so! I refrained mostly due to my own anxiety concerning accidentally sneezing/farting/burping/crying while attempting to participate. As is custom in Shiogama, all bones were collected, big and small, and compacted with a wooden mashing device once before the final bits are added. This is apparently not the custom in neighboring Sendai.Facial bones and skull bones, at least in the case of my grandfather-in-law, were kept to the side by a crematorium staff member who placed these at the top of the pile in the urn before sealing it. As with many Japanese customs, it is important to be honest with the people you love and show your support however you can, even if it isn't picking through bones.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb380-living_howto_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagiFri, 28 Jun 2019 17:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb380-living_howto_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2o83-foodI generally associate the Fanta brand with overly sugary, fruit flavored sodas, though admittedly in Japan the varieties of flavor are sometimes more interesting than the general orange and grape I'm used to from home. So when I found pink grapefruit flavor, I decided to give it a try but expected it to be too sugary to enjoy. I was wrong. The flavor was actually fairly mild and sweet without being too much. Add in the vitamin C and it made for a pretty nice drink all in all. I would drink it again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2o83-foodSun, 23 Jun 2019 13:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2o83-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk436-food_shopping_tagajo_shi_miyagi_yamagataI found these interesting snack options at a NewDays convenience store in Tagajo recently and sadly came away quite disappointed. When something says "cake" I assume a soft texture, no harder than a cookie. The sticks that came out of this were nothing like a cookie, and even a stale cookie would have provided more give than pale sticks allowed. It was something like very stale gum, but without being chewy after moistened and chewed. The texture was so off-putting that I couldn't make note of any taste. Neither could have had a very strong flavor in any case. The back of the packaging was nice at least, boasting a view of a regional fancy train that comes with a foot bath and a view of the jelly fish in a well known aquarium in Yamagata. Unless you have to provide omiyage for a coworker you really dislike, I do not recommend these snacks.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk436-food_shopping_tagajo_shi_miyagi_yamagataSun, 23 Jun 2019 13:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wk436-food_shopping_tagajo_shi_miyagi_yamagatahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9lO9-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiTomorrow, Marine Gate Shiogama (the ferry port and shopping venue) will host a free music fest with a small-town market component. The music lasts from 10:30 AM to 6 PM on two stages and is comprised of mostly pop and rock fair, though there is apparently an acoustic blues band on one stage around 3:45 in the afternoon, following a gospel group.As for the market portion of the festivities, the shops are staying open from 10 AM to 3 PM and holds a selection of handicrafts, assorted seasonal foods, and wine.In addition, the map includes mention of a kids play area and several of the restaurants and shop in the building are having special offers during the event as well.If you're in Miyagi and looking for some free fun tomorrow, head to Marine Gate, a short walk from HonShiogama station on the Senseki line (320 yen and 30 minuts from Sendai on the Senseki Line).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9lO9-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 22 Jun 2019 18:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9lO9-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4y8k-living_sendai_shi_miyagi I had seen ads for this exhibit at the Sendai City Museum for months and had really wanted to go. Strange old paintings of cats from hundreds of years ago-- some life-like, some anthropomorphized, some massive and demonic-- came from various collections and locations to be shown here for the first time in eastern Japan. Somehow it wasn't until the final day of the exhibit, June 9th, that I finally had the energy and funds to make the trip happen. With my five-year-old daughter, I made my way to Sendai that sunny Sunday morning. We got off the Senseki line at Aobadori and headed for the subway, taking the Tozai line toward Yagiyama Zoo and getting off at the International Center (5 minutes, 200 yen from Sendai). I had looked up the access page on the website and the guide even came with pictures for how to get to the museum from that subway station. Unfortunately the pictured area was filled with people and food stalls for a gyoza festival and I couldn't figure out where to go, so I instead followed Google maps, Pokemon Go, and signs posted on the street. I do not recommend following my example as it required walking uphill, past lots of overgrown shrubbery, almost all the way up to Sendai Castle Ruins. Shortly before the final crest of the hill, a small sign directed us back down a side road to the actual museum entrance. We even followed a rock trail to the back side of the front entrance to the place. Prices for exhibits here tend to be on the high side but they do offer several discounts including 20% off for Loople bus users, which is probably a nicer way to get to the museum than our long scenic route. The museum itself was nice enough and we enjoyed it though I highly recommend using the bathroom before entering the exhibition area as there are no facilities between the entrance and exit to that area and there is no re-entry. It's also probably easier to enjoy this kind of thing when your kid isn't disappointed by the lack of actual felines on the premises. There is a slightly expensive restaurant in the museum and a museum gift shop in addition to the sales area for the current exhibit. Also, a large hands-on area where kids are encouraged to touch and play is located between the exhibit sales area and gift shop. After this, we made our way out of the museum and walked toward Jozenji street, past the Loople bus stop and toward the Omachi-Nishikoen subway station where we took the Tozai line back to Sendai station and headed for the shopping arcade. The week previous, my daughter and I had spotted a sign with an adorable hedgehog on it in Sendai. Being near the end of a long day, my exhausted brain took a minute to decipher the meaning. It was a hedgehog cafe, located just outside of the shopping arcade in the basement floor of a building past Eddie Bauer on the way to Nishikicho park. My daughter demanded to go and I told her we would next time. This was next time. The place was nice but a little on the steep side, charging 1400 yen per person per half hour for one drink and one hedgehog to hobnob with. Like the owl cafe, they didn't seem too strict on demanding people leave at the time limit but I also didn't push the issue since I didn't have the cash on me to pay double. They also refused to let me just pay for my kid, which came to be a good idea after all because I wound up holding the little guy a lot. I was so busy making sure my kid didn't drop the little guy that I didn't get a single picture of her holding him. Better luck next time. As with all pet cafes, there is a risk of clothing damage from excrement or urine, but we weren't bothered. I even paid for meal worms that my daughter gleefully fed to her little friend. When our time was up, we said goodbye, leaving our spiky friend in the animal containing area inlaid in the table.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4y8k-living_sendai_shi_miyagiThu, 20 Jun 2019 13:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4y8k-living_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ7al-living_galleries_matsushima_machi_miyagi The beautiful coastal area near Matsushima-Kaigan station was the sight of yet another great music festival last month when the fifth annual Matsushima Park Festival filled the coast with more than a dozen live stages, all free of charge with rotating sets of musical acts coming through. Unlike previous years, there didn't seem to be as much genre-based separation as different kinds of music were played on each stage, mostly very successfully and entertainingly.My family and I didn't manage to make it out to the event until afternoon, but still had a very lovely time taking in the sights and sounds of the area. First we stopped at Toto restaurant near Matsushima Kaigan station. To our surprise, the front of the shop was open to let in the breeze and music from the band playing a stage just across the street. As we ate, the band played recognizable covers of some 80s and 90s rock classics. After our meal, we walked through the newly renovated park area, now set up with wide paths to allow for numerous stages and festival stalls, at one of which my daughter was delighted to receive a rainbow snow cone. The wonderful thing about this festival, beyond the fact that is it free, live, and varied music, is the location. Right on the water, overlooking one of the three best views in all of Japan, each band takes up their equipment and makes the best music they can. Many of the performers are amateur, which means the audience is not just hearing someone's hard work, but the hard work they loved so much and with such passion as to commit time and energy to it after all the other demands of life in Japan. It is important to remember that hobbies for most adults in Japan tend to be extremely limited and frequently tied to immediate monetary benefits, like studying English to get a better TOEIC score and then a better job and/or salary.Many of these people found a way to keep their passion for something that may or may not pay off alive through whatever else was happening in their lives. Considering many bands are from Tohoku, where almost everyone had some kind of major emotional or financial hardship less than a decade ago, the effort made is all the more poignant. This time, since we didn't have just one stage with my husband's genre preference, we meandered through and checked out a few acts on a few different stages. Some were lovely jazz renditions while others were recognizable 70s rock covers. Many songs were in Japanese but just as many seemed to be in English. The band in front of Godaido was even playing a cover of Summertime Blues as we walked by.By contrast, on Oshima, the little island near the beach, the small and lovely natural scenery was complimented by the music of a single songstress and her guitar accompaniment as we came through. The ancient stone faces and statues on the rest of the little island was also fun to look at and enjoy, the music adding a bit of magic to the surroundings.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ7al-living_galleries_matsushima_machi_miyagiWed, 12 Jun 2019 10:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZ7al-living_galleries_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY521-living_education_workOne of the things I least liked about my first job in Japan was doing level checks. This was mostly because I felt very ill-prepared. Despite the decades of work and materials made by the multi-national company that had hired me and brought me over, the company provided me with no template for a level check. There was nothing. No questionnaire in English. No test of any kind. Not even a basic idea of how to gauge a stranger's fluency. The assumption seemed to be that any native English speaker could naturally guess, within fifteen minutes or less, the aptitude of any person they happened to be chatting with.Having vastly different levels in a group class is a bit like this shirt. Confusing and uncomfortable. Small talk has never been my skill as I have a natural tendency to overthink at all times. The number of people I put in the wrong class cannot be accurately tallied but I was also in such a rural environment that I was the only foreign teacher to deal with the fallout of these awkward skill checks. Fluency was broken up into ten steps with the first five going to the native Japanese teacher and the upper half going to me. If I had been able to look at it calmly and rationally, I might have come to the conclusion that any person who could hold a basic conversation with me belonged in the upper half, but that was knowledge and calmness I gained through the experience of not knowing what I was doing and still trying to make it work. If you happen to be similarly overwhelmed by the task and not given any template to judge by, here are some tips I picked up along the way. Keep in mind that level checks are most useful for those going into group classes. Private lessons are more easily tailored to the specific needs of that student.Ask "No" Questions.Any newcomer to Japan will notice the natural desire in the culture to say yes. In most polite conversation, no is never uttered. "Yes, but..." is more likely as a negative reply. In the same way, asking, "Do you understand?" is useless. They will say yes. They don't want to look stupid. Instead ask a context question that should elicit a negative response. This could be anything from "Am I tall?" or (looking at a picture or poster) "Is the man in blue wearing glasses?" or (looking at a book) "Was Curious George a dog?" Negative responses tell you a lot more about their listening level than "Do you understand?" ever will. Don't ask. Test their understanding.Get to Know Your OptionsIt does help to know what kind of classes and skill levels you are trying to place this person in. How much do you have to know about their fluency? Would they be a good fit for this book or that book? The best way to get this information is using those materials in classes but if you haven't had the chance, at least browse through the materials when you can and keep an eye on what classes are available to put the person in.Make Your Own Template In a later job at a smaller (regional chain) conversational school, we were provided with an English questionnaire that increased in difficulty as the list went on with a few questions in each of their four fluency levels. When the student stopped making sense, that was a little beyond where they were right now. Putting them in that level or one level back was recommended. Making a questionnaire will take a little time but will likely payoff in not having to stress about level checks later. You can look through your materials for sample questions and topics or search the internet for questions relating to that level, but be careful. Online resources do not always agree on what each of your school's fluency levels mean.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY521-living_education_workWed, 05 Jun 2019 12:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY521-living_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyyea-living_healthThere are a number of apps set up as fitness rewards apps that you can find with a quick search. One of my friends recommended Carrot around six months ago and I downloaded it. On the up side, the app does not have to be running in order to calculate your steps and such, relying instead on your GoogleFit data already being stored in your android. I am guessing there are comparable systems set up for iPhone users as well. Your personal step goal is generated by the app and changes everyday, increasing if you hit the previous goal and decreasing as you failed to do so. The big disappointment with Carrot in Japan is the extreme lack of rewards. Canadian Carrot users have many options for sane point totals including discounts at neighboring retailers and even money back on some credit cards, at least according to my friend and her family who are all loyal users. Unfortunately, this does not extend to Japan as most featured retailers are American and no rewards are currently available for less than 15 million points. After six months of walking regularly, and this includes my trek of Yamadera and even going to Disneyland last December, I have only accumulated 800,000 points. That means I would have to be using this app reliably for around 10 years to be able to afford any of the prizes. The other option is the auction function, run through a separate website, but even there the winning prices are high enough that I am not likely to win anything more interesting than $5 off fishing equipment, and even that would be a struggle as most auctions seem to happen between midnight and 6AM Japan time. CokeON I found by accident while checking out a vending machine before a class the other day. All you do is download the app, turn on your bluetooth, and your phone will connect with CokeON machines, granting you stamps for any purchases you make while it is connected. Every 15 stamps fills a card that can be exchanged for a free drink of your choice at a CokeOn machine. Certain beverages give more than one stamp per purchase based on current promotions and such. There is also a fitness function where it, much like Carrot, uses the data your phone is already storing to figure out how much you've walked. Unlike Carrot, this one comes with specific goals, such as 35,000 steps in a week, after which you get one stamp. You also get stamps for other milestones along the way, such as 10,000 steps. All stamps seem to be good for one year and I do not know if you can re-acquire the same walking-goal stamp, but one fifteenth of a coke is arguable more enticing than a chance to win a useless gift card. Also, the participating machines can be found using the map function and even Sendai is flooded with them. While I am not removing either app from my phone at the moment, I have a feeling CokeOn will pay off far sooner than Carrot. What keeps you walking?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyyea-living_healthMon, 03 Jun 2019 14:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyyea-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GokWl-living_howtoI live in what I consider a fairly fancy Japanese "mansion" which is really essentially a condo by American standards. It wasn't cheap and we pay for upkeep but the place is ours. The building was completed in 2011 and we've lived here since the middle of that year, the only owners of this specific apartment ever.And in all that time I never knew how to clean this vent.This is the vent above the bathtub in our bath and shower room. Cleaning the tub itself is such a hassle that cleaning beyond that rarely crosses my mind, yet last year I noticed that the efficiency of the clothes-drying function on the vent was significantly diminished. At that time, I attacked the vent through the vent-guard with tweezers. After 30 minutes and a stained neck, I gave up but the drying function increased, so I figured that was good enough at the time. Now I am on this attempt to better clean my home and I finally figured out how to better clean this bad boy, so here are my tips for others who might also be in the same position. Check for indentions that are around thumb-sized, like the one to the right of the TOTO logo in the photo above. Try to pull it out gently. Depending on the model it may be in a different layout or come out a slightly different way. I was so shocked when this actually came out. It was almost like I had finally figured out what I was doing. Take the thing out gently and head to the garbage can. Do not chuck it in. I recommend using an old but cleaned toothbrush to help gently scrub away the dust from the filter into the garbage bag. While the results in my case were not entirely spotless (obviously due to the years of neglect the vent was put through by me), it was significantly less fuzzy and that meant it could go back into vented home for now. After doing this, I noticed an even greater improvement in clothes drying speeds as well as drying in general from the vent that was no longer clogged by years of dust. Now, on to Pinterest to look up how to even more thoroughly clean the filter so that it may look shiny and new the next time I set about cleaning it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GokWl-living_howtoSun, 02 Jun 2019 16:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GokWl-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6Yoe-living_shopping_money_familylife Last week was an exciting time in the lives of my loved ones as my immediate family in America came together and welcomed into the world a beautiful baby girl, my niece. Unfortunately for me, living in Japan makes it difficult to be a part of these kind of gatherings. During my sister-in-law's long and difficult induction and labor, I was literally worried sick on the other side of the world, waiting for updates from my mom. All ended well as the mother and baby are safe and healthy. In addition, I had the opportunity to learn something new. What do you do when your loved ones' major life events are happening far away and some mixture of time, distance, and money keeps you from being able to be there physically? 1) Keep in Contact (as well as you can) Sending my sister-in-law goofy memes while she was having difficulty with a drawn-out induction wasn't life-saving but it seemed to lift her mood. Celebrating with my mom and brother by means of short text and gifs was small but important. It wasn't the same as being there, but it was a lot better than nothing. Since I chat with them weekly, I'll have more opportunities to provide some emotional support and information based on my experience as a mom. If you're not a weekly-talker, maybe making an attempt to connect via video chatting or exchanging letters or emails would be preferable. The important thing is to communicate with your loved ones and bestow the applicable comment for the life change in progress.2) Find a Way to be Helpful That might mean handling social media for someone who can`t, as I did on behalf of my sister-in-law when she was still in labor more than a day after declaring induction-time on social media. A few over-excited friends started posting well-meaning demands for baby photos and updates as a response. I alone was in position to update the people with what I knew as permitted by my sister-in-law, keep them calm, and wait it out all together. Coming back from something so difficult to find aggressive comments on your feed doesn't make anyone happy. Depending on the life-change in progress, helpful activities you can do from Japan could range from conveying messages to mutual acquaintances, finding and sending some Japan-specific event-related goods (more on that later) or just listening to your loved one talk on video chat or phone if that's what they need.Will any of these silly snacks I bought at the 100 yen store save a life? No. But they might cheer someone up if they're going through a hard time.3) Send Stuff in the Mail This is a good choice for many child-births, especially if you have adorable and suitable kid clothes at your disposal. My daughter's baby cousin is getting a lot of hand-me-downs. In addition, ginger lozenges can help with morning sickness and stomach issues related to chemotherapy and are also easy to find at the 100 yen store. Just look for 生姜 (しょうが) and you'll be on the right track. Adorable jinbei for babies also make good newborn gifts. Japan-specific wedding presents might include some favorite characters (anime, Sanrio, Disney, etc.) in wedding kimono as a keepsake.If you can find stuff to send, even though it might be a week or more behind the times when it arrives, the gesture is usually appreciated. Most people react well to positive-intentioned physical mail, even if it is only a postcard.4) Have Stuff Shipped Online Buying something for a wedding these days usually means searching through a registry, paying online, and done is done. You can also shop online for items outside the normal Japanese range of sizes or styles, as I did with some very cute American-made maternity dresses for my sister-in-law last winter. If you have the funds available in an internet-friendly format, this can save you the trouble of packing something yourself and open your options to a world of purchasing possibilities. Whatever you do, communicating well with your people is probably the best place to start. Let them know you want to help and let them tell you what they need.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6Yoe-living_shopping_money_familylifeFri, 31 May 2019 11:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6Yoe-living_shopping_money_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK102-livingEarlier this month, I celebrated the 11th anniversary of my landing in Japan. In earlier years, this event was met with special snacks or an evening out, but being a working mom means that kind of a thing wasn't entirely in the cards. In addition, I had spent most of the week previous to this being literally worried sick about my sister-in-law, who had been induced to deliver my niece around the same time and the delivery had been a long and grueling process. Shortly before the birthing began, I awoke to find one of my molars missing its back, probably due to my grinding my teeth, but once the nausea started, even walking across town to see the dentist I trusted seemed too daunting, until my Japaniversary. After all that anxiety induced nausea, I actually felt just a little off that Friday morning as I headed over just before noon to see if maybe I could make an appointment for the following week. Not only could they fit me in, but they had an opening right then and took me back to have the filling done on the spot. 30 minutes and less than 2000 yen later, I no longer had to be terrified about my teeth falling apart or chewing on the wrong side of my mouth. I celebrated that with an immediate lunch of ramen, fried rice, and gyoza. I almost never go out to lunch on my own, but this was special. I had to recognize how far I had come. Of course I ate with Ho-oh and Detective Pikachu, too. Eleven years ago, I was a slightly terrified woman moving to the Japanese countryside for teaching and adventure. I didn't know what to do if I got sick or hurt. It turns out I didn't even have proper insurance thanks to the shoddy school I had come over with. I would find that out the hard way, but not until after making life-long connections that helped me through.Now I knew where my dentist was and that I could afford to go, emotionally and financially. I knewhow to order what I wanted at a restaurant and thatanyone who thought I was weird for eating alone probably also thought I was weird anyway for being a plump foreign woman. I am still not fluent in Japanese. I am still having adventures. I am so many more things than I ever expected to be, and being here makes everything a little more special. Sometimes I do hate it. Sometimes I seethe at the slow elderly ladies who can't tell they are blocking the way and the rude old men who interrupt my life to remind me that this is their country and I shan't belong. I sometimes feel the need to rebel against the social expectations I have no desire to match, but usually choose to stay quiet and scowling over loud and troublesome. Most of the time, I like it here. More often than not, I am glad for that choice I made all those years ago and so many choices I have made since then that keep me here. There are many great things about being in this country and I try my best to appreciate them as well as I can. I thought about all these things while wolfing down my Japanese-Chinese food with slightly numb gums.Later that night, on the other side of the Earth, my niece finally greeted the world. Both mother and baby are perfectly well now, as am I for knowing they are. And now I will always remember my niece's birthday as it is also my eleventh Japaniversary.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK102-livingFri, 31 May 2019 00:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK102-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvnr-living_matsushima_machi_miyagi Matsushima Park Festival returns for its fifth year this weekend, Saturday May 25th and Sunday May 26th in the area around Matsushima-Kaigan station on the Senseki line (410 yen from Sendai, 42 minutes by local train).Once again, bands will take up each of these stages along the coast, giving live gigs to the waiting crowds who wander from venue to venue. On Sunday there is something of a stamp rally though the website is still a little fuzzy on the details.The park near the coast has finally been renovated and will make a good addition to the setup for this event and many others to come.If you're into free live music and fun for he whole family, Matsushima is the place to be this weekend.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvnr-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiFri, 24 May 2019 15:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrvnr-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goknl-living_yamagataFor Golden Week 2019, my husband and I only had one day off together, so we put our minds to making it the most amazing day trip we could.First: Yamadera The mountain temple is gorgeous and amazing, dating back to 850AD. While I have known people to take the hike, these were mostly assistant language teachers looking to fill their one-year stays in Japan with as much amazing, ancient Japanese beauty as possible. Many of these people came with hobbies like running 5-Ks and extreme dance. As someone with a more sedentary lifestyle, I found the prospect daunting when my husband brought it up weeks before our trip.One equally sedentary friend went a few years back but couldn't manage to get to the top of the mountain,though she still enjoyed the greenery. Determined to do my best, I spent the 2 weeks before our trip training up and increasing my level of daily physical activity. That meant going from my 2000-3000 step regular daily step count to more than 5000 every other day. That was as much as I could manage and to my surprise, that was sufficient for getting me all the way to the top, around the top for pictures and all the way to the bottom of the mountain before my legs started to feel like jelly. We drove from Miyagi in the early morning hours of the final Monday of Golden Week. I was surprised to see that the train station for Yama-dera is actually fairly close to the entrance to the mountain temple. In many more rural places, those distances are frequently covered by taxis or shuttle buses, but this was easily walk-able.There are little shops and shrines leading up to the entrance to the temple path, which are all great for grabbing a few souvenirs, some delicious refreshments in the form of drinks or ice cream, and even marking your origin for the sake of posterity.Fort Worth. You're now on the map. You're Welcome.For more pictures of the gorgeous walk up, check out my other blog post. There are places to get off the path for a breather every so often, but I found myself stopping for pictures more often than stopping for exhaustion. There are signs warning travelers to use the toilets at the bottom of the mountain for there are none on the mountain itself. We did find a couple of facilities on the mountain but they were few and far between. A wise traveler would still go before the climb.Once you get to the top, definitely take a look around. There's a golden daibutsu lurking in one of the buildings though photographs of that are prohibited. there are also some lovely views of the valley below and a few gift shops offering some items specific to the top of the mountain.Also one of the most exciting things that happened was that a group of wild monkeys visited the temple while we were up there. It was my first time seeing a wild animal actually in the wild in Japan.Next: LinaWorldAfter a brief lunch of soba at a shop near the exit of Yamadera, we made way for LinaWorld, a small amusement park about half an hour's drive away. Like Benyland in Sendai, this is a park that charges a small fee at the front entrance and then small fees for each ride. We opted for the free pass option, which meant paying a little more at the booth but then having unlimited rides. We were racing the weather as rain was on the forecast, so not having to buy tickets repeatedly was an asset. Also, the cost of each ride was a little steep for what was offered compared to the Sendai version. It seemed like every attraction was 400 yen, though I am sure I saw a couple for 300 or 500, too. I don't know if it was because of the weather forecast or being the last day of Golden Week and a Monday at that, but the place was practically vacant. We did see other patrons and we rarely had a ride completely to ourselves, but we never waited in a line longer than it took the ride in progress to complete its run. We rode everything we could and my daughter especially enjoyed the Sanrio area, which included a two-level Hello Kitty carousel, Hello Kitty and Friends tea cups (which had a surprisingly high velocity), and Hello Kitty themed ferris wheel among others. We stayed until the park closed at 5 and genuinely enjoyed every minute.If you have to squeeze an entire vacation into one day in Yamagata, you could do worse than this plan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goknl-living_yamagataThu, 23 May 2019 10:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goknl-living_yamagatahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYvk-living_galleries_yamagata As a significant part of our Golden Week plans for 2019, my family hiked up the 1015 steps of Yamadera temple. The temple itself dates back to 850 AD and is fantastic for those capable of making the trek up the mountain.Because the bulk of the steps are broken into small sections interspersed with great greenery, ancient carvings, and the occasional grave, the walk itself doesn't feel as daunting as some similar paths to holy places that present themselves only as stairways to heaven.Another great thing about this trek was the handrails installed on many of the nearby surfaces to aide those of us who need a bit of a boost but without sticking out like a sore thumb in every picture. The greenery was outstanding, with huge and healthy trees older than my home country reaching so far into the sky, spread out enough that one could not miss the forest for the trees. In these spaces between, various old stone elements waited to be found, like only barely camouflaged Easter eggs. Turn one way and there are plant and life, growth springing forth in ways that it isn't always easy to see in more urban landscapes. Turn the other way and stare into the face of a statue that has been meditating on that path long enough to let rain and snow erode their features, muting the specifics to a kind, calm blankness. For those who love old temples and long hikes with stairs, this is paradise.Going in the morning in Spring was a good idea as we beat the crowds and the bugs as well as the heat. Our zen calmness was still occasionally disrupted by a child having a temper tantrum, but most of our trip was equal parts comfortable and beautiful. Every few hundred steps, a small sign will mark how far you have come and how far remains to the top of the hill, sometimes with great incidental scenery.Sometimes a lovely off-shoot would present itself, a place to stop to the side and collect your thoughts or breath as need be. Of these, the halfway point was the largest and most beautiful, with one side of the walk breaking off to a short path in front of a rock-face covered in small rectangular flat places, each with script carved inside and tiny bits of silvery metal gleaming in the sunlight. Upon closer inspection, I found the glittering element to be one yen coins, places in every nook and cranny that would hold their weight. It was not entirely unlike walking into a travel brochure with the kind of pictures you would swear to be doctored in some way.Most of the hike up the mountain went by without me noticing more than how beautiful the scenery was. Then I caught sight of the entrance to the main temple area and knew we were almost there. Up just a little further was the main complex, a breath-taking array of well-kept ancient buildings and sculptures, with still-blooming cherry blossoms being whisked into the wind around us.Walking around the complex brought more lovely views of the valley below as well as more statues and buildings. If you're looking for a place to take some great pictures of old, beautiful Japan, this might be the place for you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYvk-living_galleries_yamagataTue, 21 May 2019 10:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNYvk-living_galleries_yamagatahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7ERY-living_money_badexperiences_miyagiI was recently asked by a company that I work for to open a new bank account at a bank I've never used before so that they could pay me. This isn't a strange practice in Japan as I've had to open 2 accounts previously for the same reasons. The problems though are many. 1) My Japanese ability is lacking, so doing all this formal paperwork on my own is naturally anxiety-inducing. 2) My husband has few days off and little control over when they occur, so getting his help in a timely fashion is not a given.How many bankbooks can you have? And how many times is my married name written in Kanji?Luckily for me, in this case, my husband had a day off that week, so we went into said bank and started the process. My husband asked if he could fill out the forms for me and the teller insisted that I as an adult woman must know all the kanji of my address by heart. I don't. I really don't. Every once in a while I study up and memorize it again but when I stop writing postcards or supermarket raffle entries for more than a couple of weeks, the information wears away, replaced with dates of my kid's school's special requests, and what those requests are, and the correct order in which to organize my home, and so many more seemingly important bits of information.The worst one is 城, the "gi" in Miyagi 宮城. I freaking hate this kanji and have never drawn it well. I have tried to memorize it SO MANY TIMES and still I stumble through.In the bank, I pulled out my Gaijin card and started copying our address, a home just two blocks from the bank's location. We give that form to the woman and receive two more on account of my being American. Now, unlike ten years ago when I last opened an account, Americans living abroad are required to allow their banks to share data with the US government so that the government can excise more tax if our holdings are beyond the 50,000 dollar mark. This had gummed up the works for many expat retirees and those working toward that end, but is unlikely to be of a concern to me for some time. My biggest issue was that the form demanded a Tax ID that I had to google. If you're in this position and you're an American citizen, you can use your social security number.Then came a form telling me in English that before I leave the country I had better shut down this bank account or I would be in trouble. I didn't laugh, but I wanted to. My name is already on my husband's family grave stone. I'm not going anywhere. When I leave Japan for good, my next of kin is the most likely person to be shutting down this account.We turned in the forms and I was told that, since the name on my Gaijin card does not contain kanji, my bank card also could not so I had to rewrite the whole form, which I did and signed where it said "signature" which turned out to be another mistake. Despite my having a hanko stamp, they wanted my "signature" but by that word apparently they meant "mechanically print your name exactly as it appears on your ID" which to me says little for security. Anyone can print a name on a form, assuming they can write in print. My 5-year-old could do this for me. That said, I know they don't always get "signature" but then why use that word on the form in English at all, since it is obviously not what they mean by any stretch of the imagination. They mean "signature stamp or print your name in block letters" but who would go through the trouble of being accurate?So I started printing and got the forms back again, because my writing of was still utterly failing to convince them of my whereabouts. All this time, from form to form to form, my husband was getting more aggressively frustrated, and I was was feeling a mix of that, shame, and anxiety over not being able to perform perfectly. What kind of a woman can't perfectly reproduce the kanji of the prefecture where she has been living for nearly a decade? Me. That's who. I write novels. I keep my English up. I keep my family's English ability up and that all comes at the cost of my Japanese.After getting so flustered as to not be able to even write the name of our city correctly, I sat down with my husband and explained that his outbursts of anger were only making me panic more, which was only making this process harder. He got the drift pretty quickly and started trying to keep himself calm as we went back to the desk to ask for yet another copy of the form, at which point the teller allowed my husband to fill in the remainder of the things I had already messed up too many times to count.So when you start a bank account, it pays to have an address you can write easily and a hanko stamp. Whatever you do, do not actually sign a form in cursive.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7ERY-living_money_badexperiences_miyagiMon, 06 May 2019 09:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7ERY-living_money_badexperiences_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRq18-living_familylifeOur basic satellite package came with DLife, which is a free channel owned by Disney and offered frequently with Japan's BS broadcasting services. It's kind of like Diet Disney, offering some of what you like about the original but lacking some significant content. A lot of the mid-day fair is infomercials and the actual programs they show frequently seem to be repeating the same 2 or 3 episodes endlessly. That said, the new line up holds some nice surprises. Here are the shows my family makes a point of stopping and watching every week:Big Hero 6: the SeriesAiring Saturdays at 5:30 PMThis one has been on the air (and shown out of turn, but we're catching up despite a few repeats) for a few months now and we're big fans. Extending from the content of the film, (Big Hero 6 in the US, Baymax here in Japan) the show starts with Hiro recreating the famous health care robot and continuing his studies and SanFransokyo Institute of Technology while fighting bad guys with his friends after class. New enemies and challenges abound as the members of the group continue to reveal more about their characters and the world that they live in. Also, watch the ending credits carefully to see Baymax wink.Duck TalesAiring Saturday at 5:00 PMThis show fills me with nostalgia and weird fangirl reactions as David Tennant voices Scrouge McDuck in this reprisal of a much loved kids program from the 1990s. The theme-song got a revamp but stays mostly true to the original, meaning I sing it at my kid every time it comes on, with my 5-year-old enthusiastically joining in for the "Woo-ooh" part. I am also excited to say that the stories seem well thought out and a little beyond my kid's current grasp, but interesting enough to keep us both watching. The adventuresome trio of Huey, Dewey, and Louie are joined by their uncle's housekeeper's grand-daughter, who adds a significant boost via the awesomeness of girl-power.Milo Murphy's LawAiring Sundays at 5:30This one I have also been enthusiastic about due to the easily recognizable vocal talent involved. With Weird Al Yankovic voicing the titular character, all manner of weirdness should be expected. A walking jinx, Milo gets into all kinds of disasters but also adapts well to the peculiarity of his situations. With the focus on adaptation, I find this to be a must-watch for my panic-prone kiddo. The scenarios are preposterous of course, but highly entertaining and smart enough to keep most kids and adults watching. Any fan of Phineas and Ferb will likely also enjoy this one, and for good reason as both of these were written by Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. If you were into kids TV in the 90s, you might recognize that name from the credits of Rugrats as well as Rocko's Modern Life.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRq18-living_familylifeFri, 03 May 2019 17:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRq18-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8r3b-living_howtoHow many gaijin does it take to change a light bulb? Depends on the bulb, I say. The average 60 watt bulbs are easy enough to figure out as they are likely similar to ones most foreigners have had experience with in their home countries, but what about the large, circular units you find in the lighting fixtures in living rooms across this country? When it goes dark, how do you fix that? Do make sure you have turned the power to the affected light off before you begin.STEP 1: Take off the coveringIf your bulb is completely covered, you need to unscrew/unlatch the covering, using a ladder or standing on a stool if necessary. In all the years I have lived in this apartment, I had never had a bulb go out until this occasion, so at first just the idea of taking off the covering seemed daunting, but was actually quite simple.That's it without the shell.STEP 2: Unplug and UnlatchTake the plug end out of the bulb and unlatch the burnt-out bulb carefully. As you can see, my unit has three latches which have to be undone one by one, so I have to be careful to hold the bulb after the first latch both to help get the others off and to assure it does not fall and break.STEP 3: Get a New OneI was lucky in that my husband chose to go grab a new bulb ring for me but this is what it looks like for my unit. If he had not been able to do this, I would have taken the bulb ring with me to the nearest home center, which is only across the street for me. If I had to travel too far to bring a massive glass ring with me, I would have taken pictures of the data on the ring so that I would know what size and type to buy.STEP 4: Replace, relatch, replugPut the new bulb ring in place, making sure the plug inlet area is near the plug as those little wires only stretch so far. Re-do the latches first and then plug it in.STEP 5: Replace the Covering Put the covering back in place in whatever way that works for your covering. Mine involves a thread system not unlike a screw, so the bottom of the covering needs to be supported and held parallel to the ceiling so that the threads match up well. And you're done! Yay!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8r3b-living_howtoTue, 30 Apr 2019 10:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8r3b-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY5my-living_transportation_higashimatsushima_shi_miyagiIn a field near Higashi-Yamoto Station on the Senseki line (73 minutes and 630 yen from Sendai), several lines of beautiful carp streamers criss cross the sky, in memory of the children who passed in the March 2011 disaster. Having seen an ad on social media, I chose to go check it out, unsure of what to make of the "short walk from the station" listed in the ad.The station itself does not even have an office of any kind, but there is a stand that charges your Suica for your journey and a small free-standing slot for tickets off to the left. I was hoping the carp would be visible from the station but that was not the case. I turned on my maps app and headed for the nearest field. If you're keen to see this and travelling by train, cross the large street near the station and head north.There is limited sidewalk but this is the best way to get there. Notice all the nice new houses? I caught myself remembering new housing developments in my hometown and then realized with a pang of survivors' guilt why none of these buildings seemed to be more than a few years old. Everything here was wiped away in the 2011 tsunami.After less than ten minutes of walking, I came to this intersection. Over to the left, you can see the carp, just past a solar-power station. For some reason, the crosswalk signs never changed to green, even after I pressed all the buttons and waited for the light to change. Going with the corresponding traffic lights might be helpful. I went on a weekday before Golden Week and if I had come by car, I would have had to park in this little shoulder area that's blocked off from the parking lot within. I don't know if this will be the case later, but it made me happy to have come by train.They were breath-taking. The things that excited me most were the differences between so many of them, from the personal touches on the handmade additions to the hand-prints on others and the messages written in marker on so many. The scent of the sea swelled in the air and the wind blustered and blew the carp streamers in one direction, then another, filling the sky above my head with words for the children of this area who didn't get to grow up. My eyes filled with tears, but I was also captivated and took as many pictures as I dared of this fantastic sight. It pulled hard at my heart strings and I let myself feel this grand gesture of kindness for the dead. If you're in the area, you should go and see this. It is shockingly moving and beautiful, far more amazing than I expected a bunch of windsocks to be on an overcast weekday. Maybe it won't make you cry in public or hear the footsteps of phantom children, but it is one of the most authentic and fantastic things I have both seen and felt in my time in this country. The walk from the station takes less than 15 minutes. I stayed and was overwhelmed and emotional and still left the carp within 30 minutes with full appreciation. If you're taking the train, you're going to want to keep an eye on the time as the trains in this area only run once per hour.There isn't much to do around the station but there is a small enclosure with a sliding door to guard against the wind or rain while you wait.The event runs until May 5th.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY5my-living_transportation_higashimatsushima_shi_miyagiWed, 24 Apr 2019 21:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY5my-living_transportation_higashimatsushima_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9ll0-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiTomorrow, Friday April 19th and Saturday April 20th,Shiogama's Hanami Illumination event returns, with the sake brewery and gelato shop on Motomachi street staying open for the festivities. With the blossoms at the shrine in full bloom and the weather increasingly comfortable, odds are that this year will be a nice year for it.The festivities run from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM but walking around the ground usually should not take much more than half an hour to 45 minutes for the average tourist. In addition, there will be many musical performances throughout the evening. For a full list of these artists without my browser's weird translations, see the list on Shiogama Shrine's event website.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9ll0-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 18 Apr 2019 17:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9ll0-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5lBv-living_fashion_sustainablelifeIn a country where removing your shoes is customary for entering a home or many serious places of business, socks are no joke. Not only will some job interviews require this practice but also many engagements with potential clients or students depending on where you meet them. In addition, the act of taking off and putting on shoes can lead to some serious sock wear and tear.Holes usually at the ball of the foot or the back or bottom of the heel, depending on how bad the shoes are.A visible sock hole doesn't just make one seem poor or unfashionable but can cost one business if a client or potential employer sees it. For this reason, checking your socks for damage as you fold them and put them away is advisable, but throwing away so many slightly damaged socks can be a waste of resources.Depending on the type of sock and level of wear and tear, there are a number of options other than just throwing the discolored or threadbare pair in the garbage.I was going to try to fix this pair but with how many bare spots and holes there are now? I don't think so.First off, check to see if the problem can be mended. A few loose threads could be taken care of in a stitch or two, but a gaping hole, not so much. Also, never toss a whole pair for a 1 sock problem. If you have a number of identical pairs, you should at least keep any wearable and hole-free socks from an otherwise troubled pair so that the next pair to lose a sock can be better utilized. If your socks are non-identical, the undamaged socks can be worn in mix-matched pairs on your day off (like Criminal Minds actor Matthew Gray Gubler).If mixing and matching isn't your thing, a damaged pair of socks can be easily re-purposed in a number of ways.1) DollsSock animals are an easy and fun creation even with only a minor sewing ability and some stuffing from the 100 yen store. With just one sock, an easy bunny can be fashioned. With one and a half, the ability to make dogs, bears, and other short-tailed creatures emerges. With close to 2 fully functional socks, monkeys, lemurs and more spring to life. Patterns and directions can be found in a number of places but I get a lot of my inspiration from Pinterest. The bonus is that if you have several damaged pairs that don't clash, you can combine the different bits to make any number of creatures. These can be enjoyed by yourself or gifted to others.This argyle sock-topus was made from the cuffs of 2 pairs of otherwise discolored and useless socks.2) Cleaning apparatus.I did steal this from a kid's TV show but it is a good thing to remember. A lonely sock can be used as a duster. A sock with a hole will also work if the hole can be turned to face away from the dusting surface. Simply wipe of the dust with the sock and wash it, though wiping the big chunks of dust into the garbage first saves the washing machine a little bit of trouble.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5lBv-living_fashion_sustainablelifeMon, 08 Apr 2019 12:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5lBv-living_fashion_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5xJ-living_food_shopping_badexperiences_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiWhen most people consider Japanese customer service, the mental image is often dazzling in its consideration and politeness especially when compared to the behavior of those in similar staff positions in other countries. Perhaps it is the disconnect between that ideal and what could be minor slights in the West that makes them feel almost on par with a slap in the face.My husband and I had been wanting to try out this new Mexican restaurant in a department store in Sendai. Being that I get homesick for Texas and my husband also enjoys Mexican food, the cuisine, if good, would definitely be a big seller for us. This could even become a normal thing, we hoped as we finally visited last month.The food was in fact very good and we enjoyed the meal overall, but the female staff members always seem especially cold toward us, in a way I would expect from someone who thought I had stolen their boyfriend. The male staff seemed to be mostly the owner and chefs, who all worked well and even smiled at our rambunctious five-year-old as she slowly made her way through her meal.But the waitresses were a little cold. The food was so good that this did not deter me from trying again, which is saying something. Usually, when I am treated curtly or like an unwanted house-guest in a store, I do not return. Occasionally, this personal ban is lifted after a few months, but many times these shops close within a year. This result is not because my meager and irregular purchases were keeping them afloat but because I was likely not the only one subjected to substandard service.The second time I approached the Mexican place, it was around 6PM and with my daughter. A waitress stepped out from the restaurant which was now separated from the larger shopping area by a massive curtain to give an appearance more akin to a cocktail bar. I approached, made eye contact, and inquired in regular-volume Japanese as to whether or not take-out was an option here.Her expression did not change as she re-positioned the sign for the restaurant and walked away as if I had never been there or spoken. I blinked, grabbed my daughter's hand, and decided to hurry away, spending our dinner money elsewhere.In most cases, that would be the end of the story and I would be quietly ruing the restaurant itself and that waitress in particular until it eventually went under, but I really miss Mexican food. It turns out this restaurant also offers a taco buffet during lunch time on week days. I had to try it at least once, so a few weeks later I convinced my husband to give them one more shot.We went in, just as two, while my daughter was at school. Again, the waitress was a little cold, most notably when we, like many others in the establishment, asked for the buffet. I don't think she explained what to do, but luckily we didn't need much instruction. The two rotund Asian-American men sitting next to us didn't seem bothered by the service, either because it wasn't noticeable to them or because she wasn't that way with them.The tortillas and fillings went fast, the kitchen only bringing out sets of 12 tortillas at a time, all of which disappeared within ten minutes at the latest. The same Hispanic man who had been working behind the bar on our last visit was there and was so friendly and kind that I would want to go back just to make sure it stays open if only to keep him gainfully employed, but the waitress was still cold enough that once we paid, we were given the silent treatment that lasted through our departure. Not a thanks or come again. Not even acknowledgement of our gratitude for the food. Nothing.I am not entirely sure if this is their way of attempting to lure only the trendiest of clientelle, but they aren't likely to get those people into a place with a midweek taco buffet anyway. This isn' t Tokyo or Osaka. Sendai doesn't have the booming celebrity population to sustain a business like this on their own. Sometimes, us chubby folk who make money with our brains show up and shouldn't be treated worse for it. Our money is just as valuable. Our social media posts and reviews can attract customers, too.I like the idea of the restaurant and it taps into a great market as there isn't another Mexican option in downtown Sendai for a mid-day meal. Casa Del Sol, a tiny bar with a decent Mexican menu but slightly up-scale prices close to the station only opens at 5PM and fills up with smokers pretty quickly around dinner time. This place could be a great option for those of use who want a taco at 2PM on a Tuesday, but only if they find some waitstaff who want return customers, even if they are chubby gringos like me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5xJ-living_food_shopping_badexperiences_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiMon, 01 Apr 2019 12:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5xJ-living_food_shopping_badexperiences_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbKvJ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThis week I took a quick walk up to Shiogama Shrine to grab a charm or two and happened to catch sign of a couple of their beautiful trees starting the area's pink wave off nice and early up here. Of course, I wasn't the only one startled by the lovely little explosions of pink and getting pictures without another passer-by or random car was practically impossible.Since the sakura-laden area of the shrine is home to many different variations of the iconic blossoms, there will likely be something in bloom somewhere on the premises every day for the next six weeks as later-blooming trees start off and early bloomers hit their peaks before fading away. If you're in Miyagi and the weather is nice this spring, check in at the shrine for something breath-taking.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbKvJ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 21 Mar 2019 17:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbKvJ-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9mqN-living_education_tagajo_shi_miyagi Until the end of this month, the gallery on the third floor of Tagajo Library will holdan exhibit of photographs focusing on the disasters that struck Tohoku on March 11 of 2011 as well as the aftermath and recovery that followed and in some ways are still ongoing. There is no entry fee and the photos are likely very insightful for those who were not present in the region during the events was well as anyone looking to immerse themselves further in images from those events.The library is located just outside of Tagajo Station, which costs 240 yen and 24 minutes on the Senseki line from Sendai Station.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9mqN-living_education_tagajo_shi_miyagiThu, 21 Mar 2019 16:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9mqN-living_education_tagajo_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Bn4-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiEight years ago today, I was walking across the lobby of the eikaiwa where I was working, planning on relaxing for a moment after the end of a class, when the floor started shaking.Earthquakes were not new to me, and being on the ninth (and final) floor of a building meant we usually felt even the smaller ones, so I didn't think much of it and didn't even stop walking for ten seconds or so, when I noticed it hadn't stopped but had actually gotten worse. I stood by the large desk as one of the Japanese staff members yelled for someone to get the door and hold it open while she struggled in vain to keep the computer on the desk. As the shaking grew worse, I knelt and moved under the desk, being hit by falling folders and other minimal debris in the meantime. The floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that had served as a wall between the teacher's area and lobby swayed back and forth until it cracked in half and toppled over. That, and when I look past the wreckage out the window to see another building waving under the stress of the quake, was the moment that I realized why earthquakes are scary.Shiogama's Great Eastern Japan Disaster Memorial Statue. The little black arrow marks the height of the tsunami in this area. There's a lot more to the story, a book's worth at least, but most of my take-away can be summarized in glimpses: the phone call to my husband that miraculously went through, waiting in line for water with my in-laws who spoke loudly of my involvement in their family so the other citizens would stop muttering about foreigners stealing their water, sleeping under the kotatsu we shared between seven members of my husband's family and doing so even on the night when he was planning to propose. There were triumphs, like when I successfully explained to my mother-in-law my plan to capture the rainwater in a tube and use it for toilet water. It never managed to do much but I tried. There were tragedies, like my mom not knowing if I was alive or dead on her birthday because we still had no electricity or phone service. Due to factors beyond out control, we managed to not lose anyone and stay reasonably safe in the interim. Power came back after a couple of days. Then internet and phone connections. Water took more than a week for our part of town, but nine days after the incident, we were showering again. It was huge and terrifying and changed who I am, but one of the longest lasting effects has been a sense of survivors' guilt that burns all the brighter for my being foreign. Those 16,000 lost souls actually belonged here. The vast majority were born and raised here. They knew the language and the culture because it was their own. How is it that I, an interloper who came for adventure and stayed for the man with the accent, managed to survive? Why am I still here, eight years later? There are no answers to these questions and accepting that none of us controls these things is helpful, but still challenging. Some days I still wonder. I know I had nothing to do with their deaths and it is sad that they died, but i would be lying if I said there wasn't still a small part of me asking why, if they belonged here and I clearly don't, they should be gone while I'm still hanging around. The real take away from March 11th should be to live your life well, and to the fullest that you can, because things happen so far beyond our control that there is no winning answer. Also, check your disaster preparedness kits and make sure your canned food is in date. Just in case. At 2:46PM, an alarm will blare for a full minute, and I will stop what I am doing and try not to cry. It will hurt, but it is good to remember.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Bn4-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 11 Mar 2019 13:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Bn4-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z88Ad-living_transportation_medical_badexperiencesIt was a Monday. My husband was enjoying his day off around 3 when the kindergarten worker who maintains safety on the bus called up from the downstairs intercom. I raced down to collect our kid, bringing her favorite doll on my pocket as she had asked.When I got to them, I handed my daughter the doll and she rushed outside to show the doll to her friend on the bus. I opened the door for her, assuming we would go out and wave goodbye with the doll as the bus drove away.Instead, in the time it took me to look up from opening the door, I heard a man's startled yelp. My eyes darted to my kid, now on the ground under an adult's bike, with the adult in question disentangling himself from the bike and the bush in front of our walkway.I think she took down the littlest bush on the left. We're really lucky she didn't hit the light post.The next thing I remember is getting my daughter back on her feet and checking for broken bones. Finding none, I softly prodded her abdomen to check for internal damage. The tone and intensity of her cries did not change, so I moved to the two scratches on her face that I could see, wiping away the blood to note that they were shallow enough not to require stitches. I may have asked if she was okay, but it's all a blur now. The next thing I remember is watching the man dislodge a chunk of bush from his bike.Remembering my husband bowing to the old man who had hit our car with his last month, I decided to attempt politeness and apologized loudly to the man so that we might then have an interaction. "Shitsureishimashita," I said, which is formal for someone who ran over your kid on a bike, but seemed like the right way to start a conversation here. The man responded by leaving quickly without even looking in my direction.My daughter, still crying loudly, was frantically trying to apologize for running onto the sidewalk and not paying attention. I told her it was okay and held her, taking her inside where she would be safe and waving goodbye to the school bus.When we got upstairs and I explained what had happened, my husband was furious. Mostly at himself, he later realized, for not being down there to keep her safe, but in the moment he chastised me for not chasing the man down or challenging him to a fist fight. He even yelled at me for apologizing to the guy, though I don't know what I was meant to say instead or how anything I could have said would have made him do anything other than run away.My daughter the day after the incident. Two scratches and a bruise on her face, bruised knees, and otherwise okay. Extremely lucky.We spent the rest of the day calming my daughter down. She didn't have the emotional energy to go to the doctor or police, and neither did we. Tuesday morning I woke to the realization that if we did nothing, this guy would ride his bike into someone else, someone less lucky or less durable and they could die.My husband and I came to the conclusion that we needed to talk to the police and get this on record if nothing else and he set up an appointment with the cops at the scene of the accident for Thursday. Tuesday morning, my husband also explained what had happened to the staff at our building. While he was unable to find any video of the actual collision, our doorman did find a shot of a guy matching 2/5 of the description I gave on a bike on the sidewalk further up the street just before the incident. Wednesday, I decided to take my kid to the doctor just to make sure she was actually okay. When I came downstairs to wait for her bus, I saw my husband standing across the street, talking to none other than the bicyclist! I got our doorman, to include him in the conversation, and waited across the street because my temper was not to be trusted. The cops my husband talked to on the phone suggested getting the guy's information and telling him to meet us for the appointment the next day. I then took my daughter to the doctor, which involved several extra steps due to my language barrier, but we got through it and she was fine. I paid 3600 yen for a fancy piece of paper that says she is healing well from minor injuries.The next day, we met with the cops. In the US, the bicyclist would not have shown up, but because we live in Japan, he even brought his family. His mom and brother apologized to us. The man himself had a severe facial tick and some difficulty speaking, alluding to some level of mental disability or brain damage. We elected not to press charges mostly because my kid was actually fine and the guy would be paying for property damage for ruining the bushes anyway. My husband did give his whole family a lecture, though, and the cop went through a lot of extra effort with the guy as well, trying to get him to understand safety in this context.The family apologized profusely and even more so when they actually saw my kid get off the school bus, acknowledging however briefly the light their carelessness could have snuffed out.We feel we made the right choice, but emotionally we are all still mending from this. The one benefit is that my daughter is better at paying attention on the sidewalk now. Also, my husband later apologized profusely for every crappy thing he said to me during the ordeal.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z88Ad-living_transportation_medical_badexperiencesTue, 05 Mar 2019 12:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z88Ad-living_transportation_medical_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4rRJ-shopping_sustainablelifeIf you've got a small and active child, you're sure to have noticed a few pairs of pants getting ragged around the knee caps. A busy parent with more money than time might just toss the damaged article in the garbage and not think twice about it, but those of us who choose to be more frugal and concerned with the environment might be driven to patch the knees and extend the wear of these clothes even if only for a couple of months.Option A: Store-Bought Patches Decorative and colorful patches in a variety of shapes and sizes can be found in 100 yen shops and craft supply stores around Japan for pretty reasonable prices most of the time, and one may wonder why anyone would bother buying patches from anywhere else if one can get them for just 100 yen, but the difference in price reveals more than just the difference between a famous character motif versus a random object. In my experience, the more expensive patches tend to adhere better to the garment and stay stuck longer where the cheaper ones might slide off in the wash. Either way, please follow the directions on the package the patch came with to give your patch the best chance at successfully repairing the garment.Then, if you've got a little sewing experience and a needle and thread handy, put a couple stitches into the patch and garment, just to make sure it stays in place. If you happen to have a corresponding color of thread on hand, use it. If not, white or black tend to work well, depending on the colors of the patch and garment.Even with the more expensive patches (here, the upper patch) come up from the fabric after a few washings. The cheaper ones (the lower patch, an apple from the 100 yen store) don't tend to adhere nearly as well and start to separate pretty quickly. Both can be fixed with just a few stitches to keep them in place. The goal here is to go around the shape of the patch, connecting through the garment, in a fairly regular pattern. It doesn't have to be too precise as these are only kid's jeans and the goal is to help them continue to be useful until she grows out of them in a few weeks, not a few years. If your thread matches well, the additional stitches will be barely noticeable.Option B: Weave it Yourself I saw this option in a few Japanese craft magazines and thought I might give it a try as the second patch that I had put on these jeans had somehow escaped in the wash. This time, I picked a dark blue thread in a thicker variety, doubled over the thread in the needle twice, and got to work. From what I have seen, you first need to stitch around the outside to stabilize the area, and then weave your needle through the damaged bit in straight lines going one way (horizontal), then the other (vertical). If you keep it perfectly flat or balanced over an apple or orange, it shouldn't pucker like mine does here.If it's really hideous, you can always just put a patch over it. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4rRJ-shopping_sustainablelifeSun, 03 Mar 2019 20:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4rRJ-shopping_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK961-living_food_teaThis premium green tea from Shizuoka Prefecture falls under the Matsukiyo brand, usually reserved for cosmetics and the like, which may explain why I found this at my neighborhood branch of the Daruma chain of drug stores. For 20 tea bags, this seemed like a decent price.I was happy to find that on the back of the box, instructions were given for both hot and cold preparation. Seeing this, I decided to give both a try using the recommendations of the packaging which included brewing it hot at 80 degrees Celsius and brewing cold for three full minutes. I admit that I did not measure the amounts of water in each nor the exact temperature, opting instead to boil some water, wait thirty seconds to a minute, and then pour it over the tea bag. I did manage to time the cold tea and took out the bag just after the three minute mark. The upper right portion of the package also boasts that this tea is blended with Uji tea, likely from an area of the same name near Kyoto, which is meant to increase the mellowness of the flavor. Regardless of blending, the part of Japan they highlight with a map is Shizuoka, so it serves to reason that the majority of the tea was farmed in that area.On the left, something hot. On the right, cold prevails. I was really surprised by the difference in color and opacity from the beginning of this little comparison. For some reason, the hot tea wound up significantly lighter in its shade of green but also displayed a consistency that was much more opaque. The cold tea was so much darker than the warm tea that I would never have assumed these two tea bags came from the same exact package. The more important and also surprising difference was the flavor. As a warm tea, this beverage met the expectations I have come to have for green tea from Shizuoka Prefecture. It was rich with a nice depth of umami flavor but without significant bitterness, sweetness, or dog-food-like background flavors that cheaply and poorly made green teas tend to have. While the cold beverage lacked the rich umami flavors of its warm counterpart, it was still quite refreshing, but not in a way that was terribly distinct from drinking a glass of water. For cold preparation, I recommend a longer steeping time or perhaps only drinking it as a less band alternative to water. Another option would be brewing the drink warm and letting it cool naturally, which might also provide a richer flavor at the colder temperature.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK961-living_food_teaFri, 01 Mar 2019 12:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK961-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpVj1-foodToday I saw this in a machine at the train station and decided to give it a try, despite how rarely I enjoy whatever they use as milk or cream in many bottled coffee and tea beverages. I won't even try a can of cafe latte usually for fear of what it will do to my stomach, but this looked good and warm and my kid was drinking a hot lemon tea so I figured, what the heck.It was alright. Nothing to write home about, but seriously less weird in its use of cream/cream substitute than most coffee drinks I've tried.If you're looking for something warm and sweet on the way to work or wherever, this isn't a waste of 140 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpVj1-foodSun, 24 Feb 2019 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpVj1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbKLP-living_healthIf you have a small child in Japan these days, you've probably heard of Ringo Byo, or Apple disease, also known as Slapped Cheek or Fifth Disease in English. I was warned that this was spreading at an epidemic rate and was concerned as any parent would be.The thing is, once you look up the symptoms and such, it isn't such a scary illness. Mild cold or flu-like symptoms affect the child for a few days with a low-grade fever and then red cheeks appear, making the child look as if they have been slapped. A web-like rash can also appear on the arms, legs, and torso.Yep, that looks like a slapped cheek. Not just white and cold today. Actually sick.Because of her Caucasian heritage, my kid's cheeks get red any time she is in cold weather, much the same as my own. It is for this reason as well as the lack of other serious symptoms that we appear to have missed the beginning of this illness. She has had some excess mucus, but so do I every time the weather changes or it gets cold. The normal signs of illness in our house-- sluggishness, fever, grumpiness-- never came into play. We were watching and waiting and hoping for the best and somehow she was sick the whole time without our knowing it.Ringo Byo is only contagious for a short time after initial exposure, right around the same time the fever we never noticed was likely to have been occurring. By the time her cheeks were red enough for her school to make a phone call home, the contagious element was gone completely. We were warned to keep her in low-activity situations for the next week or so while her cheeks return to normal. If she spends too much time getting hot and bothered, it will apparently be harder to get rid of the associated rash. Luckily, since she was no longer contagious, my child was allowed to return to school where she can play with her friends without fear of making them sick as well. It seems like more and more of the kids on the bus route have gotten over their own illnesses too. After weeks of seeing the bus come by less than half-full, I have rejoiced in seeing seemingly everyone coming back from their own cases of the dreaded apple illness.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbKLP-living_healthSat, 23 Feb 2019 13:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GbKLP-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNx7K-living_food_shoppingI found these wonderful International cookies at Jupiter, the import store inside of Sendai station. It was a little over 500 yen per box with each flavor looking more delicious than the last. The best thing about these is that the cookies are chocolate covered, so they are good for both Valentine's Day and White Day. In my personal situation, I chose to send the two softer cookie options to my in-laws and save one for my husband. Since my husband spent a significant amount of time in the UK, Walkers are known as a treat that his mother prefers, but they are fairly easy to find in Sendai. The regular Walkers shortbread cookies can even be found at my neighborhood grocery store, but these special variations are a bit harder to come by.Added bonus: the Walkers boxes fit easily into 100 yen store gift bags.The short bread was buttery and delicious, the tart raspberries well put with the dark chocolate coating on the bottom. Unbeknownst to me, my husband actually remembered the holiday and brought home a little something special as well. He stopped by Cozy Corner, the cake shop common to most major Aeon malls, and grabbed a beautiful set of cakes and tarts for us to enjoy as a family. They were so pretty and delicious that I had to concede. My Scottish cookies were no match for this beautiful selection of tarts and cakes, especially as far as our five-year-old was concerned. If you have a male counterpart who feels awkward buying chocolate for V-day (as mine did at the beginning of our relationship) but with whom you still want to celebrate the sugary, romantic occasion, I recommend finding a way to suggest cake as an alternative. It's still a great way to show affection if dessert is the name of the game and could really be used for almost any occasion.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNx7K-living_food_shoppingThu, 21 Feb 2019 10:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNx7K-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5jgl-living_howto I've been using the stove-top in my apartment to prepare almost every hot meal my family has eaten in the last eight years, which is why I was shocked and horrified to find it non-functional upon our return to Japan after our US trip this summer. I clicked the button for the left burner and heard only the beeping that usually signaled the safety shut off which usually only occurred when something had been left on top of the burner for too long. I tried the right burner but got the exact same reaction. These were my main heating sources and I was very upset to have them suddenly stop working. I couldn't figure out what had happened but made the assumption that I had somehow ruined them by leaving pots and pans on them overnight to soak and wait for me to do the dishes and clear the sink. The prolonged exposure to weight must have thrown off their safety shut-off sensitivity and that was why they weren't working. shamed of having broken something I could not afford to replace, I trudged onward silently, never mentioning any of this to my husband. Instead, I tried the slower, smaller burner in the back and found it ready to work, so with that I cooked every mean since August. The other day, even my little burner was going on the brink and spazzed out just as my husband got home from work. He came into the kitchen and asked what was wrong. I swallowed my shame and showed him. "The battery is dead." he said. "The battery?" I asked. Surely a stove-top burner system that is set into the counter doesn't take batteries. In my home country, all this would be electric, even if the heating was done by gas. "Yeah, the battery," he said, pointing at the little compartment that had a little red light on next to it. "You can tell the battery is out when the light is on." I raced off to 7-11 to grab some more D sized batteries, replaced the dead ones and viola! Fire! Again!!!Welcome back, Left Burner. I look forward to working with you again. So when your pilot lights go out, check for a battery compartment. It may well be there, ready to help. Also, use your Japanese resources. You may ask yourself, as I did, why on earth a proper stove top would come with battery-powered ignition rather than plugging into the wall. Surprisingly, I already knew this answer. It's earthquakes. After a major quake, power may be out for a week or longer, but the gas is usually on within a couple of days at the latest and never even shut off at my in-laws house after the Magnitude 9 back in 2011. If your stove top has gas and battery power, you can cook even if the lights are off, providing someone is willing to hold a flashlight for you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5jgl-living_howtoTue, 19 Feb 2019 10:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5jgl-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY7vm-living_food_matsushima_machi_miyagiIf the person you are sweet for is a meat eater, Harry's Junction is the place for you this Valentine's Day, White Day, or any lunch or dinner date in Matsushima.My date and my new favorite lunch place.Romance is in the eye of the beholder, but Matsushima is a pretty naturally beautiful place for many, from the seaside walk near Godaido Shrine to the Kanrantei tea house. A traditional romp through Japanese history is easy to work out in this city, which is part of the reason why we were so surprised to find a new burger and taco place opening here. Harry's Junction is best accessed by car and there is a small parking lot next to the building. Apparently it's also only 8 minutes walking from Takagimachi Station on the Senseki line. From the outside, it looks like it might be a little hole-in-the-wall burger joint anywhere in the US, but I've been to enough little places in Japan that I know better than to expect too much from people accessing a culinary culture so different from their own. I know anyone can learn to make a good burger or taco, but my experiences here usually point to people with great intentions that somehow fall short.I was totally wrong about Harry's. It was awesome. Not just in the way that any American of my generation overuses this poor word but truly it left me in awe. As I devoured my bacon cheeseburger (1,404 yen - with fries and a drink), a very real part of my mind swore that I was back in Texas somewhere, eating at one of the better independent burger shops in my hometown rather than sitting in a little Japanese town. It took three bites for this to wear off, bringing me back to my senses enough to remember my location fully. While this is not as nice as a trip home, any long-term expat knows the pure joy of finding something so like home that it settles a part of you just a little bit more to this on-going life abroad.If I can get a burger this good right here, maybe I can just live here forever.The best part? It doesn't stop with the burgers. There is a small variety of options, of which my husband chose the Mexican plate, an item I tend to steer clear of at restaurants I cannot verify the authenticity of, but the bite I tried was actually really good.As a restaurant, fine dining it isn't, but if the comfy feel of an American diner appeals to you, this is a good place to try out. The dining room isn't so large and I haven't tried to go in the evening so I am not entirely sure if reservations are available or necessary, but with a pretty extensive take-out menu, it's pretty hard to be too disappointed. Bits of Americana are placed lovingly along the walls, but unlike Bikkuri Donkey's jumble of wall-mounted objects, these things feel personal, as does the food. Other things that this place gets right where I have seen other attempts at this kind of venture fail is seasoning on the fries (excellent, not just salt, not too much) and reasonable cocktail prices, which include a margarita for around 600 yen. Unfortunately, that was on the evening menu, so I didn't have a chance to sample it, but the tequila drink tends to cost a lot more in Sendai in my experience.Homemade seasonal pies are offered for dessert and the strawberry pie slices that we ordered were fantastic. I highly recommend saving space for them. The salad also was well dressed and came in a decent portion with a good amount of bacon on top. It was very easy to enjoy. I highly recommend this place to anyone who likes burgers in Miyagi. In addition, we were told that the lunch menu starting next month would also offer some more Mexican options.Harry's Junction can be found at the following address:〒981-0215 Miyagi Prefecture, Miyagi District, Matsushima, Takagi, Machi−195-1 コセキビル1階It is closed Tuesdays and otherwise open for lunch from 11AM to 3PM and for dinner from 5PM to 8PM though a note at the bottom of the website indicates arrangements can be made up to 10PM.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY7vm-living_food_matsushima_machi_miyagiThu, 14 Feb 2019 11:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY7vm-living_food_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9m26-living_education_familylifeMy child is rambunctious, creative, and wild. She loves making new things and can see value in almost anything, much like her mother. Every school day, she experiences another wonderful journey of knowledge with her classmates and teachers.Problem? The kindergarten she goes to keeps sending her home with some new item she had made from garbage. It's clean and recycled, which is great in that I love finding better ways to reduce waste and reuse what we have, but horrible in that our home is already cluttered with hundreds, likely thousands, of dollars worth of real toys. She has so much stuff that we have run out of space to store it all and are going to go through a whole re-organization process as soon as I can wrap my head around how to fix up the rest of the house. If we don't have room for the expensive, exciting toys, what am I supposed to do with toys made from garbage?This is "Bunny". I started assuming that the toys brought home were meant to be quietly disposed of while the child is out of the home and never seen again. Kids forget, and kids with more forget more, so it seemed likely that the items could quietly disappear without offending any delicate senses and this worked on many small yogurt-container items, never seen or mentioned again. So when my kid brought home this "bunny" made entirely out of a large plastic egg carton with attached flat eyes and ears as well as some confetti inside, it was only a matter of hours before the thing was sliced into smaller pieces (so as not to be recognized if accidentally spotted) and hidden at the bottom of the plastic garbage bag. Like an idiot, I chose to put the confetti to the side, perhaps for a future project or something to remember the massive bunny creature by. I do not know what I was thinking but if you are in this position SAVE NOTHING. She found the confetti and asked what happened to Bunny. I told her the first thing I could think of, which was that he had chosen to take a trip to the moon. She cried. I felt like a monster. I still feel like a monster, but no more a monster than I would be if I kept the thing and tripped over it in her room, smashing it to pieces in front of her instead. My little one eventually calmed down and I put the work out on social media that I had a need for some free and voluntary photo editing work and why. My very own mom came to the rescue, creating a number of postcard-ready pictures that I will print in the coming weeks. The plan now is to document Bunny's interplanetary journey, writing small, easy to read descriptions on the back of each postcard so she can practice reading and learn some more science week by week. When he gets to the end of the solar system, he will say goodbye. Maybe by then, she'll be ready to say goodbye too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9m26-living_education_familylifeSun, 10 Feb 2019 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9m26-living_education_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpVR7-living_workMy political leanings, and where I usually keep them: At Home. Many are taught that subjects like politics and religion are not for general discussion, but sometimes a student in a conversational English class may feel so comfortable with the teacher that they ask, suggest, or state an opinion that may otherwise be controversial.I believe that these comments and questions usually should be met with the same energy with which they were intended. In most cases, this can be a great learning experience, but it depends very much on the student, the comment, and the teacher.Situation 1: Nip it in the Bud, or try to.A few years ago when I was teaching for a large regional eikaiwa in Sendai, one of the adult male students in a group lesson threw out the N word without a moment of pause or concern. Neither the student nor anyone else in the school was of African heritage, but I was deeply offended as I was always taught that this is not an okay word in civilized society and this guy had the fluency to know better.I stopped him mid sentence and called him out on it, stating that that kind of language was inappropriate. He waved a hand at me in a dismissive way and continued talking as if I had not made any comment. Never seeing him again was one of the best parts of quitting that job.Situation 2: ConverseAt the same job in Sendai, I was asked by a sweet group of senior students what my thoughts were regarding gay marriage. Knowing that this was a professional environment meant keeping my opinions to myself for the most part. Because I had been teaching these specific old folks and bonding with them for some time, I elected to have short conversations on the topic. This only works if you can detach yourself enough from the topic to speak professionally but without ad hominem insults at anyone who disagrees. If you cannot make that distinction, this is not the path for you.For these students, this was something interesting, and a lively conversation in English for a seventy-year-old mind can be very exciting and rewarding if done correctly and with respect.I told them my stance, that I was very much pro-marriage equality. They posed their arguments against, mostly saying that it was against the normal order as they saw it. One went so far as to call homosexuality "decadent" which still to this day makes me wonder if this was a problem with diction (did he mean "indecent?") or if he had a terribly interesting backstory I had not been aware of. Either way, the conversation was a respectful, fair exchange of views and I do not regret it for a moment.Situation 3: Short, true, and professionalSince the 2016 election, I have dreaded talking to conservatives. I have very strong liberal values and everything I see about the current president of the US points straight toward blatant malfeasance at best and fascism at worst. Trying to explain this to my conservative father-in-law is not something I have been looking forward to, but luckily I have this wonderful language barrier to hide behind instead.My newest private student is an older man who likes to play golf. He tends to be generous and kind and interesting, and want little more than more tips on what to say at the golf course and to talk about his grand-kids.Back in November, just before the US midterm elections, he asked my opinion on Trump. To my utter surprise, my response was succinct and professional: "I think he is dangerous, unintelligent, and a bad business man."He responded, "But what about the caravan?"And I replied, "Many of those people are from countries that the US had a part in destabilizing. They deserve a chance at something better. Others are seeking asylum. That is legal and they also deserve a chance."He dropped the subject after that, and I doubt he will bring the subject up again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpVR7-living_workSat, 09 Feb 2019 18:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpVR7-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7vWp-living_tea This lovely batch of sencha comes from Kakegawa in Shizoka, a place famed for its tea growing prowess and often mentioned in blog posts. Some fields in the city are said to utilize a traditional type of tea growing that allows regional grasses to be grown nearby, and perhaps that explains the light floral aroma that the tea leaves have upon the opening of the package. The overall tea smell is fairly light and the two together promise an interesting tea experience. I would love to tell you where to buy more of this tea, but unfortunately I can't. I have no idea where it came from after growing in Kakegawa as it was given to me as a present by a dear friend living in my area. I do know that my package was produced in November of last year and that this tea is apparently recommended for tea ceremonies given the kanji on the front of the container. Also unfortunately, I do not have the skill nor patience for tea ceremony in my home, so this tea was made in a normal, boring strainer, but placed in my favorite new tea mug, if that makes any difference to the tea. I was surprised at the opacity of this tea. Upon removing the leaves, I found the resulting beverage to be significantly more opaque than most green teas I have tried, hot or cold, by leaf or powder. I could not see the bottom of the cup. The color of the tea was lighter than I would have imagined as well. It was almost as if someone mated melon soda and traditional green tea, halving the difference in opacity and hue into something completely new. Luckily, that was where all comparisons to melon soda stopped. The flavor was light and comfortable. It was so easy to enjoy that I drank most of my mug in two sips without realizing it. This is easily some of the best and most easily enjoyed green tea that I have ever put in a cup. After the tea had a chance to settle, I found the downside to using a ceremonial tea in an ordinary way. The amount of leaf residue was higher than expected, leaving more tiny flakes of tea leaves in the bottom of the cup than I was used to seeing. Usually, I avoid drinking these dark green dregs but on this occasion, I was left with just enough liquid tea to attempt to disperse them back into the beverage, which worked well enough that I had no problem downing the last of the drink. This was all in all one of my absolute favorites in the Shizuoka Green Tea experience.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7vWp-living_teaFri, 08 Feb 2019 17:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G7vWp-living_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnapJ-livingWhile I found the Marie Kondo program on Netflix somewhat useful, I also felt that the method failed to address my biggest cluttering and organizational issues. Soon after watching that one, I started in on Dana K. White's book How to Manage your Home Without Losing Your Mindbased on her blog, A Slob Comes Clean, in which she discusses a process she calls the "deslobification" of her home.I wasamazed by how helpful this book was. This woman is my people. Slob people. We're not bad enough to be hoarders, not yet (I've checked), but our homes are regularly more than cluttered and sometimes really embarrassing. If it would take you more than an hour to get ready for an unexpected guest, this is likely a good read for you, too.Bonus: If it's an audiobook, you can clean while you listen. White even mentioned the same issue I had with the KonMari method. Given time, I can generate reasons to keep almost any object, all while not actually cleaning. Instead, White focuses on utility, simplifying the endless checklists of how to tell if items should be kept to an easy two question process. This starts by eliminating a huge hurtle when she asks where the reader would look for this item they are trying to put away instead of where should they put it. Rather than wasting time thinking about what better or more organized people would do with the object, we are already in motion, taking the object to a home where it can be found again.She also admits failure and regret such as the failure that comes with another mess in a room you had fixed perfectly weeks ago and the regret that comes with throwing away something you could later use. More importantly, she guides the reader through these challenges, reminding us that, with a method of healthy habits, rooms can be fixed again, and re-buying a cheap item you threw out is worth not having had it in the house, taking up space until its potential eventual usage.Where I felt that Kondo gave permission to discard the unwanted or unjoyful things, White comes out and says it in the blunt manner that should be expected from us Texas women on occasion. She tells us to not keep crap just because someone gave it to us, especially if we don't even like it. For sentimentalists like me, this needs to be said point blank. It's the only way it's getting through. When she suggests readers stop being the friend/relative that everyone dumps their junk on, she doesn't stop there. She gives practical tips on having the actual conversation that ends with people not dumping their junk on you anymore.One great thing White does in the book is stress habits, the first of hers being washing the dishes. Every day. No matter how many dishes there are. Because getting them clean, putting them away and having a clear sink in the morning every morning can help encourage you to do more. I agree that this should be done and it is what my in-laws do in their tidy home, but I am finding it difficult to follow through. I am washing more regularly now than I used to, though.So yeah, I didn't get to those today...or for the last 3 days... Another of her habits, weekly laundry day, doesn't work in Japan if anyone in your household has a daily uniform. In my house, there is going to be at least one load of laundry done every day, no matter what. Folding and putting away everything is more challenging but usually happens within two days, which actually for me in winter is pretty amazing, but I'm working on making it a daily occurrence.Instead of weekly laundry day, I find a good weekly task to be recycling. Rinsing all the PET bottles, removing the labels and letting them dry takes a little coordination in my house and there are many weeks that my bottles don't go down on recycling day because I haven't managed to get to them yet. If that can become a weekly habit, I might just get the rest of this place under control.Our PET bottles waiting for their rinsing day. Yet another great take-away from this book is her de-cluttering method, which includes focusing short stints on just one highly visible area at a time. If bringing out every stitch of clothing Kondo-style means you're going to be walking around a mountain of clothes for the next week, this is for you. If you're a parent or busy or scatter-brained or distracted, you may not have that uninterrupted time available for a big cleaning project. Waiting until you have a whole afternoon to start a major de-cluttering means you're not doing it right now. That means more time that your home looks like a wreck, which means more stress because the mess remains. A little at a time is a little done, and the more that is done, the more you can do.So get started.Go ahead.Wash your dishes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnapJ-livingTue, 05 Feb 2019 23:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnapJ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQmrm-living As mentioned previously, I am trying to clean my home this year and it just so happens that Netflix has graced us with the TV series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, a follow-up to her best selling books that urge the organizationally challenged to keep the possessions that "spark joy" and discard others. This series has also sparked criticism, but usually for less than accurate or rational reasons. One woman was upset for her own inability to take out the garbage bags full of sorted trash. Another viral comment claimed that the organizational expert recommended keeping only 30 books, which was never actually said in the show. There was so much backlash that others took up the opposite end of the spectrum, explaining the links to shintoism while condemning the perceived racism in some of the backlash. One older piece that spoke to me mentioned the privileged of de-cluttering-- that a minimalist lifestyle is predicated on being able to easily replace anything that breaks or wears out, which is not actually an ability all of us have. Before starting the show, I noted that this woman would not likely be taking into account the difficulty I have in finding fitting clothing or the guilt I feel about throwing away stuff, even stuff that other people would toss without a second thought. It was with this in mind that I began the show, expecting to feel attacked because my home is extremely messy, not to the point of being on a show like Hoarders, but far worse than anyone I saw on the Netflix program. To my utter surprise, Marie Kondo came onto the screen with cheer and encouragement. After 10 years in Japan, I should have expected something like this, but the natural guilt and shame of a messy home coupled with living in a country that prides itself on a place for every thing and everything in its place led me far astray.I'll agree with her on many things, but talking to clothes? Nope. Not doing that.Even more shocking, in one of the later episodes, a woman like me learns to deal with her clutter and exploding closet. this is despite her wanting to hang onto joyless clothes that fit right now and her plans to have another child in the near future. She's also an expat from Pakistan and feels the need to keep more parts of her home culture with her abroad.I may be a white lady from Texas, but this lady is my people.Overall, there is a lot of good in this method. It makes sense to keep things that make you happy, store them in a way that you can find and use them. When you consider the Shinto element, greeting the house and getting a feel for what you want it to be can be very helpful moving forward. Many of her suggestions are thoughtful and logical and there is a lot to be gained from the show even if you aren't ready to utilize the whole of the method.That said, I do have two personal disconnects with the material.The first involves talking to clothing. Folding laundry in my opinion is a chance to check for wear and tear. I am already exhausted pretty regularly and lack the extra mental energy to talk with my clothes. It's a sweet idea but it won't work for me the majority of the time and that's okay.My second problem with the method has everything to do with my own personal brain. When creative and happy, I can see so much potential in any article of clothing that discarding it feels sinfully wasteful. When depression rears its ugly head, joy abandons me entirely and nothing I own will spark more than a sad sigh. A process like this may seem arduous to the point of forfeit for people like me, but the better take-away from the show isn't that we should all do all the things Marie does perfectly. Instead, we should take what we can from it and use what works for us. I've already started eyeing my clean laundry and asking myself about my waiting sweater. Does it spark joy, or does it just fit over my form? It's halfway in-between, so today it lives on.The most important take-away I have is permission to get rid of things I no longer need or use. It is okay to say goodbye to them and I did catch myself saying goodbye to our old bathmat as I placed it in out burnable garbage and thank it for the eight years it spent drying and discoloring under our feet.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQmrm-livingThu, 31 Jan 2019 17:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQmrm-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQm6m-livingI've written before about Oshiritantei, or Butt Detective, specifically asking why such a thing exists. Of course, the second I asked this question my child became obsessed with the rosy-cheeked private eye and since then we have managed to watch every episode available on Japanese Netflix, and those of the first season a number of times each.What I found, when I gave it a chance, was surprisingly entertaining. The plots aren't amazing but do entertain, and there are elements that attempt to help kids focus as well. Four scenes out of every episode contain a special colorful butt mark, tagged with the color of the episode, so children are meant to watch closely and pay attention to details in order to catch the butt marks. At the end of each episode, the location of the four marks are revealed so viewers can check for themselves. In addition, the episodes contain elements of problem solving and logic applied to the problems that face the butt who knows too much. Sometimes it is a visual puzzle or figuring out which of the witnesses is likely to be lying.I am still pretty surprised that this show is so much less stupid than I had first assumed. Way to go Japan, proving that even a butt-faced detective can make engaging kids programming. You can catch Oshiritantei in action on Netflix in Japan where the entirety of season one and the first three episodes of season two are currently available, in addition to new episodes coming out one at a time as the weeks go by.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQm6m-livingThu, 24 Jan 2019 15:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQm6m-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md87J-living_food_shopping_medical_healthIf your kid is a picky eater and you're looking to keep their immune system active during cold and flu season (or any time of the year) a good kids multivitamin can be really helpful. That is, if you can get them. Most shops I have seen here only carry expensive adult vitamins and few multivitamins at all. Shopping online is a great option, but even then shipping can make it unworkable.For the last year or so I have been making use of iHerb, which has decent shipping to Japan and offers the vitamin gummies my daughter enjoys, but the last few times I have tried to order them, I have run into an issue regarding PayPal and their website. Something on the iHerb site fails to initialize the transaction, so I am left with an email a few days after my intended purchase, saying that my order is being cancelled for lack of payment. If I have the time and energy, I can go back through and try again, as I have done in the past. While this doesn't happen often usually, after it did happen twice in one week recently, the second of which ended with the gummies being sold out, preventing further purchase attempts.I felt the need to seek out other options.Idid find Health Post, a great site out of New Zealand that offers flat rate shipping to Japan for as little as 500 yen and accepts Japanese PayPal. Sadly, the vitamin gummies I usually order are not sold there. Instead, I quickly ordered kids chewable vitamin tablets. At this point we had about a week of vitamin gummies left in our last container. Unfortunately, my order from New Zealand spent a full week waiting in Haneda and another 2-3 days elsewhere in Tokyo before even being processed for shipment northward. I had no idea when it might actually get to Miyagi, where I live. So I went back to iHerb. It had been 2 weeks since my frustrations with their order issues and I figured it was worth a try. I found the restocked gummy vitamins and ordered. To my relief, the charge went through and finally received both packages in the mail on the same day last week.Since I started giving my daughter vitamins, she had had fewer instances of illness and generally has more energy than before. If your kid is a picky eater who gets sick a lot, vitamin gummies and/or chewable tablets can probably help.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md87J-living_food_shopping_medical_healthWed, 23 Jan 2019 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md87J-living_food_shopping_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md8le-livingAs some may remember, I'm not a fan of the winter season. Looking forward into 2019 is harder for me during the colder months because everything is harder for me at this time. Motivation is fleeting and the nicest thing I can do for myself is nap, which I have taken to doing more regularly than before in a trick twist of radical self-love, which is my theme for this winter.My kid with HonShiogama Station's newest carved stone statue: The Boar!Last winter was harder than it had to be, partially because I pushed myself to go out and be socially engaged with people who probably meant well but wound up triggering a serious depressive episode, the end of which I only barely escaped. All of this culminated in me choosing to invest more in my mental well being and less in other things like social engagements.I also learned that I was getting extremely poor sleep, significantly worse than I had previously assumed. A trip to my father's house in summer gave me the opportunity to sleep on an very comfortable mattress, and for the first three days, I couldn't get myself to sleep for more than 2-3 hours a night because that was the level of rem sleep I was conditioned to function with over the years of fighting with my Japanese mattress for 6 hours a night or less. When we returned to Japan, I immediately bought a mattress pad and it has been extremely helpful. If you know your sleep is off and your mental health is faltering, get a mattress pad. The front cover of my new schedule book. Chosen in the hopes of cheering myself up.This is one of the many ways I have been preparing for this season by trying to treat myself more kindly. That's what I am taking into 2019 with me. It doesn't matter how much I get done in a day if my brain kills me before 2020. It is far better to be a little bit lazier and a lot more alive.As usual, I don't have resolutions. I have goals instead. In addition to continuing to live, my goals for 2019 are:1. Edit at least one of my NaNoWriMo novels and sell it. Every November, I write a novel of 50,000 words or more. Every December, I save it to a hard drive and never look at it again.I am currently sitting on so many manuscripts of stories that could be something if only they were polished up and set loose upon the world. Since I have never had the time or energy to properly edit these beasts, they are currently only theoretically valuable. The selling portion of the goal is harder, as it depends on agents and editors and publishers looking at the same work and liking it enough to put it forward, but as long as the manuscript is out there, there is potential for it to find a home, unlike now.2. Start a Crafting VLogAs an extension of a Patreon project I've been doing for a while, I plan to start a monthly crafting vlog in which I take a Japanese craft in a geeky direction or a geeky craft in a Japanese direction. Either way, I plan to upload the videos monthly, both as explanations and guides to the crafts involved and hopefully lacking in copyright infringement.3. Clean My HouseThere is a mountain of clutter I have accumulated, waiting to find a better use or better home. This year, I make it a priority and really go to work on using, selling, trashing, or giving away the excess. This year, I get rid of the stuff. 4. Spend Better Time with my Kid.As a parent, I am sometimes not as awesome as I'd like to be. I want to make the most of these years with my little one, before she's an unruly teen.Us at this year's Dontosai festival and bonfire.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md8le-livingFri, 18 Jan 2019 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md8le-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6ZDQ-living_food_shopping_money_sendai_shi_miyagiThe Fukukuro, or lucky grab bags, have long been one of my favorite things about Japan at New Year's. The opportunity to get a bunch for a little is enticing and if done right, the lucky grab bag experience can be really rewarding.Unfortunately, between a surprise visit from a friend from high school (her first trip to Japan) and a passport-renewal-turned-Disney-trip with my husband and little one, the end of 2018 hit me really hard right in the pocket book, leaving little for New Year's fun. Village Vanguard'ssigns, saying things like "Idiots like this" and "a-holes like this" made it easier to avoid dropping 3,000 yen on random nonsense.One fukubukuro I bought anyway and always do is from Mister Donut, where each bag comes with an equal value donut card, meaning 1,000 yen gets you a card good for 10 donuts (priced less than 172 yen each) and the 2,000 yen bag doubles the number to 20. You do have to use the card within a few months. This is a really good deal if you frequent Mister Donut anyway, as it's cheaper than usual for something you would already be buying, but in addition you get a calendar and a few other goods. This year, the 1,000-yen bag contained a small fleece lap blanket and a file folder in addition to the 10 donut card and calendar. The 2,000 yen bag also included a very small tote bag, but the location nearest my home was sold out of the larger option on the first day of bag sales. Since havingto go through everything in our storage area to bring out the kotatsu and store the coffee table, I have spent this winter being far more aware of the amount of clutter in my home. This means even the bags I could afford held little value for me comparing to previous years, so further fukubukuro went un-purchased, despite some from craft shops being terribly desirable.The Craft Heart Tokai nearest my home offered 2000 and 3000 yen selections of yarn, cloth and other craft goods, complete with coupons for future purchases.The larger craft and cloth store Marubuchi in Sendai offered even more beautiful cloth assortments in their fukubukuro.That is until I was in Sendai a week into the new year and noticed 1) many fukubukuro were still out and waiting to be sold and 2) many of these had been discounted from their original grab bag price to an even better deal, leading me to spend 1,800 yen on this 2,000-yen fukubukuro from Doutor, a national coffee shop chain. 25 drip coffee packets for 1,800 yen? Don't mind if I do.To further explain two things I could have said better in the video:This is what I meant about the emblem on the bag referencing New Year's Mochi, with the little (in this case fake) orange on top.This is what was in the box. This times 25.I'm calling it a win.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6ZDQ-living_food_shopping_money_sendai_shi_miyagiThu, 10 Jan 2019 15:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6ZDQ-living_food_shopping_money_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg6RY-living_food_tea This green tea from Shizuoka I found on a recent trip through a York Benimaru grocery store located in Miyagi. Many of the teas from this brand were on sale, and the gold colored packet was selling for around 100 yen off the normal price of about 1,000 yen for a 100 gram bag. According to the company's website, this tea is grown nestled in the center of the Makinohara mountains in Shizuoka and boasts a rich texture as well as a mellow taste.Most of the tea I have enjoyed from Shizuoka Prefecture has ranged from 100 yen tea bags, through 600 yen 350 gram bags, to fancier 700 or 800 yen bags of the 100 gram size. This one was then the most expensive bags of green tea I have purchased to date. How would it measure up against the previous, less expensive options? I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, as even the cheap stuff is pretty delectable and although I have been becoming more aware of the differences in green tea options, flavors and tastes, I still consider my palate somewhat unrefined on the matter. These days, as the chill sets in up here in Tohoku, anything warm is automatically preferable and on the day I chose to try this tea, I was also suffering from moderate hang-over symptoms.To my complete and utter delight, one nice, warm cup of this tea somehow helped to relieve my lingering headache. Was it just the hydration or my migraine pills finally kicking in or something more? Since the headache returned after the end of the pot despite an increased water intake, I am going with the last option here. Green tea has a number of health benefits, including a number of nutrients and antioxidants, so the idea that it might somehow provide my slightly aching head with something I managed to deprive it of the night before is not out of the question.Even when made relatively weakly, this tea was more robust than the cheaper varieties I have tried. The overall flavor was significantly richer and provided a fuller-bodied green tea experience, though with more residual chunks of leaves than I am used to. It is my guess that the leaves are a little bit more finely ground in this tea, increasing the likelihood of little leafy green bits escaping through the grating in your tea pot. That said, the residue did nothing to lessen the enjoyment of the tea save for that fact that the dregs at the bottom of a cup look a little less delightful than they would otherwise. I would definitely recommend this tea to anyone with a hangover and a desire for green tea.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg6RY-living_food_teaMon, 07 Jan 2019 10:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg6RY-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNyN-living_familylifeIf you've got Netflix in Japan and need to entertain your little people while they have time off from school, here are some selections that my kid and I have found pretty entertaining.She-Ra and the Princesses of PowerOne of my favorite new shows is the remake of She-Ra the Princess of Power, the eighties girl-power cartoon alternative to He-man. I did not watch the original growing up and was reluctant to try this one out, but my kid insisted and I am so glad she did. The dialogue is fresh and somehow believable. The characters, even the bad guys and gals, have dimension and back-story, to the point that I personally feel that I have too much in common with Scorpia. I couldn't help but love this one. We have seen all thirteen episodes twice so far.Brain ChildThis one is more educational and fun, with intended ages between four and fourteen I figure. Each episode discusses a different topic, from social media to whether kids or adults are smarter. The information was accessible and interesting for all ages. Even my husband and I got in on playing some of the games along with our daughter and it was a great time. Not as re-watchable as some other shows, but still a lot of fun in short twenty-ish minute bursts.Ed Norton disguised for his Cameo as a used electronics salesman in an episode about how electricity works.StoryBotsIf you don't know about StoryBots already, it's a pretty popular Netflix show back in the states. This show is great because it takes questions, plausibly from small children, and shows the various animated robot characters figuring out how to find the answer, and then answering the question with the help of a variety of added cast including at least one celebrity cameo per episode. In the first episode of the second season, Snoop Dogg explains how computers work. None of that is typo. And it is actually really informative and understandable. I have exactly 2 problems with StoryBots. First is their praise of both Edison and Marconi, who did accomplish many things but sometimes at the expense of others (namely Nikola Tesla, unmentioned in any episode), and second is the lack of more episodes. My kid loves this show.HildaAnother great girl-power show but this time with the native monsters of somewhere like Ireland and based on a graphic novel, this show is refreshing and fun to watch with a kid or without. There are supernatural forces at play, many of them friendly or misunderstood. That's where the show's protagonist comes in and does her best to make sense of the mysterious world around her, one supernatural encounter at a time. It's a fun ride that we haven't gotten to the end of yet. If you're stuck inside with your kid this season, why not try out one of these shows. What kid show is your favorite?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNyN-living_familylifeThu, 27 Dec 2018 18:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNyN-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9mbO-living_shopping_money_sustainablelifeMost expats who have been living in Japan for more than a few minutes know that Japan has a thing for plastic packaging. From individually wrapped sweets to supplies of extra small plastic bags to wrap your souvenirs in, plastic is everywhere and in enough abundance to make the ecology conscious among us cringe.Some years ago, I was researching how best to reuse these things and the most fun answer I found was plarn, which is yarn made from plastic bags. It can be used for many crafting projects and save you money on not having to buy yarn for those projects while also saving those plastic bags from exploding from your cupboard or finding their ways into the ocean. After a recent deep clean of my home, I found a pretty large array just waiting to be made into crafting supplies.Step One: Sort It OutFirst, organize and prepare your bag hoard. One bag alone does not usually make a great deal of yarn, but when you put enough together, it can make a decent amount of material. I sort first for color, then thickness, then size. Sometimes different sized bags from the same store will have different thicknesses, like these two Book Off bags. Discard anything with residue or large tears as they will be harder to use.Step Two: Fold and CutFold the bags into long, flat sections. Cut off the bottom seam and the handles. Then cut the remaining rectangle into similar sized chunks.When cutting , remember that thickness counts. Bags made of flimsier plastic can rip easily, so making wider cuts is advisable, or putting these aside to use as bin liners later. Thicker textured bags can be hard to maneuver when it is time to craft, so a thinner cut is more useful, but not too thin or it may have the same splitting problems.Step Three: Link and LoopUnfold each chunk and overlap the ends, pulling one through to connect them with a small knot. Be gentle with these as pulling hard on any of the plastic bits can result in warping and breakage.Step Four: Ball and CraftOn the left, thicker cut thin bags. On the right, thinner cut thick bags. Both from Book Off.Ball it up for storage and craft as you like. Personally, I crochet with this and spent a great deal of time on bed rest a few years ago making bags and pouches from the plarn I had rounded up while cleaning my apartment.If you like more variation in your plarn coloration, you can combine different chunks from different bags in whatever order you enjoy. Just remember that once the loop is in line with the other loops, it can be hard to remove.The resulting yarn yields a double line with intermittent knots which do have to be worked around, but if you have the plastic bags and the skills, why not make some yarn? Being plastic, it's not the comfiest texture for socks or scarves, but can make some decent home crafts including baskets and pouches.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9mbO-living_shopping_money_sustainablelifeWed, 26 Dec 2018 09:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9mbO-living_shopping_money_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4r4q-livingJapanese apartments are small. This is not a widely contested fact. Trying to find space for a Christmas tree in the middle of a 3 LDK Japanese apartment, inhabited by 2 adults with clutter issues and a small child with too many possessions, can be a nightmare. This little tree has been with me for a while, but figuring out where to put it with our current furniture configuration was a challenge, until I realized I could drape a blanket across the front of my book shelf, clearing the top to make a flat surface, and go from there. Large, heavy presents can stay on the floor in front of the shelf while smaller gifts can be found closer to the base of the tree. I did have to put it up there after my daughter finished decorating it, but still, it has been a useful and decent way to go about holiday decorating in our otherwise cramped space.Also, nothing says "We're agnostics who like kid toys" like a helicopter being used as a tree topper.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4r4q-livingTue, 25 Dec 2018 00:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4r4q-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6Z1E-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiIf you live in Tohoku, you've likely heard of Sendai's Pageant of Starlight. Every year, groups of children and volunteers stand outside shopping centers in Miyagi's biggest city, asking for donations to help fund the thousands upon thousands of lights waiting to be strung through the trees of Jozenji Douri. While it might not beat some of the more inventive illuminations of other large cities in Japan, the Pageant of Starlight succeeds in turning an otherwise chilly evening stroll into something magical for the last two weeks of December.Last year's display in the center of Jozenji Douri.This year's festivities kicked off on the 14th of December and will run through the 31st, when all the lights go out. Every day until then, the lights will come on at 5:20 PM and be turned off at 8:30 PM, so no light-night shenanigans are advisable if you want to see the lights. It does get chilly out there, so those interested in seeing the event should bundle up and prepare for single-digit Celsius temperatures with fairly significant wind-chill.My daughter bundled up warm for last year's event.The lit portion of the street centers on what might be a median in other places but Sendai has seen fit to transform the little green place into a walking park of sorts, and in the sparkling wonderment provided by the over 600,000 twinkling fairy lights, it is easy to see why. In addition to the lights themselves, this year there will also be a Santa Parade celebrating Tales from the Woods of Santa Claus. This addition will be held on Sunday, December 23rd from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. As the event is likely to be crowded, public transportation is advised.People can reach the event from Kotodaikoen Subway station (200 yen and 2 minutes on the Namboku subway like for Izumichuo) or by walking through the arcade from Sendai Station, which takes a little longer but is significantly more festive. The arcade walk gives the event goer the option to partake of the restaurants in the area and enjoy the decorations strung across the roofed portion as well.Last year's arcade decorations included a large shrine-charm with a depiction of Sendai Shiro, the mentally challenged monk who became a folk-deity, spreading good luck in commerce to those who treat their patrons well. There is no entry fee but also few vendors, so taking advantage of the restaurants along Jozenji Street or in the arcade is probably preferable. Every year, this even attracts 2 and a half million people, according to Japan's Travel and Tourism Association website. Despite the crowd size, the event tends to have a natural flow, as many walking-area based events do, so just standing around in a large group in the cold is unlikely to be a problem. No specific parking is available for the event, so those interested would do better to take advantage of the trains, subways, or buses. According to the event's website, there will be buses coming from several areas around Sendai to bring people to the event, though the informative PDF also mentions a fee of 5,000 yen that I'm not entirely clear on.For more information in Japanese, you can also visit this website dedicated specifically to this event. If you're in Miyagi anyway, this is a fun December outing that does not take the whole night, leaving room for a nice dinner out or a few drinks with friends in nearby Kokobuncho, the night-life district of Sendai. The sheer number of lights in this event clearly outshine all of the smaller train-station based illuminations in the area and leave a sense of magic in the air.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6Z1E-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiThu, 20 Dec 2018 11:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6Z1E-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5Rd-living_healthI have owned a kotatsu for many years but the last time it graced our living room was in early 2013, when I lay under it, reading Sandman and pondering if perhaps our attempts to start a family had been fruitful. They had, and almost nine months later, we welcomed my daughter into our family and the idea of having a warm place to relax in winter was the furthest thing from my mind. I was always busy, always getting something, always trying to catch up and never quite making it, like any parent of a young child. As my daughter grew, I reminded myself that she was still so active and silly and messy that I would never have time to enjoy the heated table if I bothered to take it out. All that would happen if the kotatsu were out would be her spilling things all over it or ripping up the blanket portion or ruining it somehow. It wouldn't be her fault, for she was only a little kid, but it would really hurt my feelings to see the thing destroyed, so I elected to keep the thing stored away instead.Last month, things changed. Mostly, this is thanks to an impromptu visit from a friend from high school and her beau, neither of whom had been to Japan before. In the course of the incredible amount of apartment cleaning that had to take place, I elected to bring out the kotatsu. My kid is five-years-old now, capable of sitting down and relaxing with me while we warm ourselves under the heated table. Even if we only had it out for the week that my friends were visiting, it would be worth showing them a real Japanese kotatsu experience.Chaotic? Yes. Ruined? No. Using the kotatsu with a child is do-able and rewarding. After I set it up, it was like an epiphany. This is what winter has been missing. I have never been so happy to have cleaned my house. Pulling out the kotatsu may well save my winter. I had forgotten how nice it was to feel the various aches and pains I suffer from melt away in the heat. These days, when I am having a hard day or exhausting afternoon, I lay under the table on my stomach and let the heat work on my lower back, which is such a frequent source of pain that I sometimes pass out from the relief of it, unintentionally relaxing to the point of unconsciousness and waking up half an hour later. It's as if my back pain is an on/off switch, and as soon as the kotatsu is actively working on it, I don't have to remain functional.I don't know how you watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade, but we do it with warm tootsies.This relaxation is a huge factor for my mental health as the weather gets colder and colder in addition to the effects of the warmth on my various aches and pains. If you're having a hard winter and can afford it, a kotatsu might just be the thing to turn this cold season around.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5Rd-living_healthWed, 19 Dec 2018 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5Rd-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy6aj-living_food_shoppingIf you're looking to make a traditional turkey, goose or duck this year and don't have the option of a major international retailer in your area, here are some other options, but get on it quick! These places do sometimes sell out during the holiday season and shipping times are no joke.The Meat GuyThe Meat Guy operates out of Nagoya in Aichi prefecture and offers a wide selection of meats ranging from the ordinary beef or pork to the extraordinary kangaroo and alligator. The prices aren't always amazing, but the options usually are. He's also got a good reputation with foreigners here and has been mentioned in a few blog posts on similar subjects.The smallest whole turkey, weighing between 6 and 8 pounds, will cost you more than 6000 yen, but also comes with free shipping like most of the turkeys on the site.A frozen bone-less, skinless turkey breast costs 2,710 yen, but there is also smoked turkey pastrami and beast slices in 500 gram packets for less than 2000 yen, so if you're desperate for some of the turkey but totally okay with having it on a sandwich, this is probably your best option. Shipping is limited to Japan and comes to a flat rate of 980 yen for Honshu and Shikoku with the price increasing from there.The Meat Guy accepts credit cards readily. COD is available for a 324 yen processing fee, as well as bank and postal prepayments. See the website for more details.Foreign Buyers ClubI've used this website from time to time in my years here in Japan for a taste of home when I could afford a little it of shipping but not a flight to my country of origin. I especially remember burning a few hundred dollars out of pure frustration shortly after being told that I was going onto hospitlized bed rest and would be missing my flight to the states back in 2013. Since then, there hasn't been much time or money for me to spend on these products, but it is where I last bought a turkey, so it was worth adding to this evaluation.The smallest turkey available costs 4560 yen, more than 1500 yen less than The Meat Guy, and for the same 6 to 8 pound bird. There is a 600 yen surcharge for frozen shipment, and a small surcharge for non-members unless you want to or have paid the 1000 yen membership fee. The surcharge is a percentage of the total cost, so it increases as the price of your purchase does.If you're looking for the cheapest possible turkey solution, though, this site does also offer ground turkey at the price of 600 yen per 450 grams. At this point, the non-member surcharge is only 30 yen for one package of turkey meat. The shipping still winds up a little steep, coming in at 590 yen for standard shipping plus 600 yen for frozen. They do accept several major credit cards or cash on delivery for an additional 400 yen fee.If you're looking to buy from the Foreign Buyers Club, you'll need to get a move on. Their final day for deli and learning center orders is Thursday, December 13th, after which point all orders will be processed in the new year. Also, watch out when ordering as general store orders will take between 39 and 60 days to ship.AmazonIt may surprise you to know that Amazon Japan actually has some options available, especially turkey. Some of the offerings are even from The Meat Guy including the smallest 6-8 pound bird for almost 600 yen cheaper than it was on the main Meat Guy website and with free shipping.When I checked, I found a 700 gram turkey breast available for 2230 yen with 950 yen shipping. Remember, if you're planning on preparing some turkey this holiday, shake a leg. Time waits for no expat.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy6aj-living_food_shoppingSat, 08 Dec 2018 12:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy6aj-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnaQ4-living_foodLiving in Japan long term means you've already sent out dozens of little parcels of treasures from the land of the rising sun. Tabi socks, phone charms, folding fans and the like that you can get for cheap at the 100 yen store or for more at fancier souvenir shops have found their way to most of the people I still know and have addresses for. So what do you send to people you've already sent so much to? Well, this year, I have a system. With a little thought and creativity, you can give something small, meaningful and unique without breaking the bank.1) Something Sweet. One of my favorite Japanese things is Japanese Caramel Corn, which is in my opinion everything caramel corn was every meant to be. They took out the bits of the popped kernels that were hard to chew or had a tendency to get caught in between the teeth and gums, turning the remaining deliciousness into a sweet puffed snack that is so terribly easy to enjoy. I recently turned a visiting friend onto it and decided I should share it with more of my people. Even if I sent it to them before, it would literally have been years ago now, and this stuff is good. You can find smaller packets like these at the 100 yen store or go for the bigger bags in the grocery store, usually in the same vicinity as potato chips. Do remember to ship them in a box as the alternative will leave them crunched to dust. If Caramel Corn is not your thing, regional kitkats can also be a fun Japan-only treat. You can find a few variations at most grocery stores as well as some drug stores. If those aren't interesting enough, you can check out KitKat chocolatories in Tokyo or Don Quijote stores in even more locations. There are also fun, seasonal chocolate options at convenience stores if you need other options.2) Something Sentimental. My daughter this year turned five and expressed an interest in learning how to sew, a hobby she has seen me working at time and time again in her short life, so this year, she's making small felt Christmas ornaments for our friends and family. I did ask my friends back home if they wanted a handicraft made by a five-year-old, so that parents already inundated with this stuff won't be over-burdened. Then I spent a little time at the 100 yen store. A nearby Daiso/Aoyama branch had a nice selection of felt printed with traditional Japanese designs, which excited me to no end. I also got some plain colors and embossed felt that looked nice. Then we cut them into circles and started sewing them together. I saved the scraps from the circle cutting to cut out little additions, like hearts, circles, animals and Christmas trees. Later, she can add these pieces onto the little ornaments with glue, allowing for more personalization and creativity.3) Something Silly. My first year in Japan, I found these purple people-shaped grape candies (Kiechau Candies, picture at the top of the post) and I loved the so much that I sent them to everyone. I stopped thinking about them some time ago, but a recent visit from an old friend brought them right back into my mind. If you know someone who would relish the chance to devour some little purple people, send that grinch some of these.Chocolate eggs with toys inside are also a ton of fun for adult geeks in your life or children over the age of 3, especially if they're Americans like me who did not grow up with kinder-eggs.Whatever you choose, ship them soon. Remember air mail to most major countries takes around ten days maximum, longer during holiday rush.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnaQ4-living_foodSat, 08 Dec 2018 11:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnaQ4-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we8xd-living_education_shiogama_shi_miyagiYesterday was hard, for so many little reasons.Mostly it's Saturday stuff: teaching all morning, walking across town, and going to my daughter's music class.My kid has been going to these classes since she was 2 years old. She's five now. Usually our experience is pretty mundane but sometimes I get lost in the Japanese. The class itself used to be a huge source of stress for me, but it has gotten better as they have started actually playing instruments and my kid has become more fluent. Yesterday, the problem was about the upcoming Christmas Concert, for which we needed to have paid a fee I didn't know about by the 20th. This would be why, last week, one of the other mothers asked my why my daughter wasn't on the list of kids performing.This was also a mom who doesn't get anything about foreign languages or living outside of your mother tongue, so when I have previously mentioned that I didn't get something she said, she has become flustered and made it clear that she is speaking the only way she knows how, i.e. with complete unwillingness to rephrase something for a non-native speaker.So I told her that I hadn't heard about it, or as close as I could say, and spent the next few days tearing through my daughter's music bag and looking at every single form until finally I was satisfied that I had not seen anything about Christmas and decided I would inquire on the next class day, which in this case got me a fast-paced lecture, of which the gist was "Your kid could try next year I guess..." though the only words I actually understood were: friend, try, again, no, next year.I told her I had not heard about it, and she said my husband knew about it, which seemed like a cop out to me. When did she tell my husband? When could that even have happened?Between my daughter getting sick sometimes and missing classes, the main teacher being out for a few months for her own hospitalization, and the teacher who substituted for a month of lessons and spoke so quickly I had no chance of understanding more than half of what she was saying, I really don't know when they handed out this form. My best guess is that they handed it out on a day when my kid was sick and then had the fast-talking substitute mention it last month when I had no chance of understanding it. Either that or the regular teacher said it and I didn't catch it either. In both of these cases, it's just me being too stupid to know all of the things and my daughter missing out on the Christmas concert because of it.It was my birthday, to boot, and I had planned on making cupcakes with my daughter but after that disappointment, I didn't have the energy to do any of that. We went home and my daughter says it's okay and she doesn't mind not doing the Christmas concert, which is good but doesn't make me feel like less of a horrible parent.I talked to my husband when he got home, and he said that they could have told him in passing after class and he just didn't think about it again. I still have no idea what class that would have been after but they had had to call him to tell him about the substitute teacher, so it could have been then, but who knows.The point is my kid isn't getting to play in the concert, either due to my own lack of fluency or due to my husband's forgetfulness or both.In any case, I am feeling less and less like music class is something we need to do and I am looking forward to the day that I can hand this job off to my mother-in-law or quit the school entirely.I obviously don't belong there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we8xd-living_education_shiogama_shi_miyagiSun, 25 Nov 2018 09:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we8xd-living_education_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW629-living_shopping_tea I came across these teabags in my neighborhood branch of the CanDo 100 yen shop the other day and was thrilled to see that they had somehow managed to bring Shizuoka tea to the country at large for a net price of 10 yen per tea bag. Easily the cheapest option for quality green tea that I have found, each bag boasts 2 grams of the good stuff, making it easy to use and hard to over-steep.Being a lighter weight per serving and color while steeping, this tea is likely to have softer, more subtle flavors without significant bitterness. It's either that, or it is the cheapest of the cheap stuff primarily because it will be bitter, but even that is likely to be light and background flavor. The best case scenario here is a light but delicious cup of green warmth, while the worst is likely to be watered-down bitterness. Either way, I must first wait for it to steep. Reminder: the internet suggests you allow two minutes for an initial steep and follow it up with 30 second bursts as needed to find the flavor you are looking for. My first impression of this tea was that it was shockingly refreshing and boasted a robust flavor far richer than I would have naturally assumed for such an inexpensive tea. Warmth and flavor pervaded but, in a classic Japanese way, did so without being strong enough to be obtrusive. Umami, the flavor defined most easily as savory in the absence of meat, was there in full bloom, but not so blatant to give off the dog food like flavor that some green teas acquire when trying too hard to umami it up. The amount of residue left from the tea bag is a little greater than the average black tea but far less thick than any powdered matcha I have ever had. It also blends back into the tea so quickly that when I attempted to photograph its dark, swirling undulations, i found it had already disappeared and the only thing I had left to do was finish off my nice little cup of tea. As the tea bags themselves come enclosed in decorative but none-too-fancy coverings, I recommend this tea as an inexpensive alternative to the loose leaf options as well as less expensive but totally enjoyable option when sending a tea bag or two to friends who might enjoy some light, delicious refreshment.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW629-living_shopping_teaThu, 22 Nov 2018 12:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW629-living_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GORgn-living_money A few years ago, a friend moved back to the states and left a large number of books and other things for me to send along over time. It took a while for her to get back on her feet, so only now, years down the road, do I finally have the financial means in hand to take care of the boxes left in the possession of both myself and one of our mutual friends. Because we're sending heavy things, we're aiming for surface mail and at a 30 kilo limit, we're looking at 4 to 5 packages of books and other goods. Our friend was doing research online and found some information about "m-bags" on the Japan Post website. These special bags are supposed to be cheaper than mailing printed matter otherwise and "more convenient" though the latter has a lot to do with your location. There are 21 post offices offering "m-bags" in Tokyo, but only 2 in my whole prefecture. For us in Miyagi, it means a trip to Sendai's Chuo Post Office, or an hour's train ride up to Ishinomaki. My friend, the other keeper of the books, and I headed into Sendai to what we assumed the Chuo post office was. This was after I had mistakenly assumed the post office in the station and the next nearest post office to the station were the location previously. When we arrived at what we thought was the correct stop, we went in and I asked in moderate Japanese about the m-bag. They offered an envelope. I explained that it was for large quantities. They asked if I wanted a box. I checked my phone and asked if we were actually at the Chuo branch. They said no and handed us a map. With no fewer than 14 post offices to choose from and the central Chuo branch being located the furthest southwest, it was a small wonder that we had gotten lost. We thanked them and walked the few blocks to the proper post office where only 2 people working the mailing side of the building, with almost no customers. We took a number as instructed by the signs and waited a couple of seconds before being called up and explaining the situation. Again, we were asked if maybe we wanted a box. I shook my head. The older woman behind the counter was working with us to try to understand. This is when I realized the term "m-bag" is only used on the English version of the website and no one else knows it. I brought the website up on my phone and toggled the language over to Japanese. The woman looked at the kanji 特別郵袋印刷物 and nodded, scurrying off to grab large bags that looked like plastic coated canvas along with massive tags. She showed us the bags from a distance, noting that these were not things they handed out but instead we were to bring the materials in and have them put into the sacks there. The other postal worker mistook my resulting look of dismay (at the misinformation on the website) for offense or confusion and decided that having her interrupt what I was understanding with faster, more formal Japanese repeating exactly what we already heard was called for and somehow helpful. It took a level of concentration and energy I did not know I had to explain that it was not helpful, that I had been understanding her counterpart, and that we were fine, thanks. We came home with the massive tags and plans to return with our massive load of books, likely taking a taxi from Sendai station to the post office as carrying more than our weight in books was not going to be worth it.These are the tags for the M bags that are not M bags. Oh yeah. This week, I decided to check using something handy that I actually trust on the Japan Post website--the postage calculator.I went through twice, once selecting 30 kilos of m-bag, once without the m-bag checked, just to verify the amount of savings we were looking at for shipping the printed matter in bulk.For an M-bag, the total comes to 13,450 yen. Not bad. For normal?13,750?!?!?! So we would be hauling suitcases of books all the way to this one post office to save 300 yen per 30 kilos? That isn't even equal to the cost of a one-way ticket to Sendai! 300 yen times the maximum of 5 bags of books is still only 1500 yen! That's less than the train plus the taxi!So, I've come to conclude that:1) M-bags are not worth the trouble.2) The Japan Post website does not always explain things well.3) It is always unwise to take in 100 kilos of books, even from well-meaning friends.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GORgn-living_moneySat, 17 Nov 2018 14:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GORgn-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeOo-living_shopping_healthAfter a decade of living here and forcing my brain to work with kanji for cold medication instructions (which is not really that hard to do if you know days 日 and times回) I was absolutely shocked to find this on the back of the box of the same cold medicine I've been buying for years.I usually buy medication based on the pictures provided on the box or brand loyalty. My brand loyalty is really based more on my lack of kanji reading ability than a real feeling that one brand is significantly better than the other, but this brand of cold medicine always had a decent guide chart, even if it was always in Japanese, so I felt confident in taking it. It had never before come in English, though. While I admit I didn't even see the English component until I was literally in the checkout line, it still made me smile. Somewhere in some company, someone was thinking about foreign people being in Japan with colds and not necessarily having the language ability necessary to read the entire box in Japanese to figure out how to get help. Someone out there knew that I, the functionally illiterate foreigner, was not just a visitor who would be back in their home country before their cold symptoms became serious. Someone actually thought about us, the foreign residents who aren't fluent enough for a whole medicine box but still have the ability to catch a cold and need help. This isn't something that is easy to describe to people who have never been foreign in such a homogeneously non-foreign environment, but I felt seen. Not stared at, as I am when someone from the countryside comes into town and can't figure out what to make of me. Not watched, as I sometimes am by confused staff in stores. Not shouted at in the few words of mispronounced English a random shopkeeper may employ. Seen, acknowledged, and granted necessary information in a comfortable and comforting manner. It was totally unexpected and really nice. So if you're in Japan and needed cold medication in English, check out SG's Habron S Gold W. There was even a list of paper instructions inside in addition to the English on the outside of the package. As you can see, it's good for sore throats, coughing, and runny noses. If a sinus infection has got you down and you don't have the time to head to a clinic, this over-the-counter option will likely help, and do it in English.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeOo-living_shopping_healthThu, 15 Nov 2018 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeOo-living_shopping_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvvOV-foodIn the grocery store the other day, I spotted this purple concoction off the the side on an end-cap for temporary selections, meaning that it was some sort of promotional material or temporary sales item that wasn't meant to last long enough to give it a proper shelf. Back in 2008, when I moved to a small mountain town in central Japan, red bull did not seem to exist so it was the original Real Gold beverage that I bought in the vending machine across from my work place when I was in need of energizing during a long day of teaching. While I have fond memories of the lightly flavored, vitamin infused drink in its small metal can, I no longer go out of my way for it as my energy now comes from coffee. This new option sounded promising though, so I took the chance when I later found it at a 7-11. As you can see on the label, it is actually meant to be more of a fruit punch flavored beverage, but with enough berry related action to give it a more well-rounded flavor than other carbonated fruit punch drinks. Mentally, I was comparing it to Hawaiian Punch, and this comes off more sophisticated, if that can be said for a carbonated beverage.The front label also details the health benefits including vitamin B6, royal jelly, pantothen (also known as vitamin B5, an essential nutrient), niacin (a form of vitamin B3), ginseng extract, and algin, (a chemical derived from brown seaweed, known to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the amount of heavy chemicals in the body). Algin is frequently found in medications and now, also in soda. If you're thinking to yourself, "That sounds great! I need to lower the amount of heavy chemicals in my body while drinking a sophisticated fruit punch!" you might want to think again if you're also counting calories. At 44 kilo-calories per 100 milliliters, this drink is just as sugary as Dr Pepper (also 44kcal per 100mL) and only slightly less than Coca Cola (45 kcal per 100 mL). That said, it isn't a bad drink if you're in the mood for a nutrient-enriched soda, and the flavor has much improved from the previous blend.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvvOV-foodMon, 12 Nov 2018 13:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvvOV-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZN1a-living_food_howtoImagine this: you're out on the town at the sushi-train restaurant when a beautiful slice of cheesecake comes across the line and after a belly full of fish and rice, that sweet treat is looking wonderful.One problem--no forks! Even if you order the cake from the menu it comes out fork-free. Your friends, all proficient chopstick users, are looking at you now, wondering what your problem could possibly be. So what do you do? You're still going to have to find a way to shovel the yumminess into your mouth without grabbing the slice with your bare hands like a barbarian or bothering the staff to come and listen to you asking for a fork in your best (yet never fluent) Japanese. You won't even have to embarrass yourself by asking your friends to ask for a fork or fashion a fork out of the chopsticks provided. Instead, you have the option to use those chopsticks, that pair you've been using or a fresh pair you've just picked up. Don't worry. It's totally possible, pretty easy, and doesn't have to look goofy or awkward at all.1) Re-position the chopsticks as shown, gripping them with more space in between the ends but you still have full control over each stick. This way there is better for cutting the slice into more manageable pieces as you only have to focus pressure on the crossed-over stick.2) Bring the crossed-over stick down where you want to cut it. The pressure alone should be enough to cut the cake.3) Pick up and enjoy your bite of cake.4) Repeat the pressure and cutting process, spreading your chopsticks to start. Make sure to keep the bites small enough to work with. You don't want to pick up more than you can chew.5) Reposition the chopsticks as necessary to help you pick up your bite.6) I highly recommend slicing the last piece in half so you don't get too much in the air and either flub the eating attempt due to excess weight on the chopsticks or look like a ravenous beast wolfing down the massive chunk of deliciousness in one bite.7) The moment of truth. The final piece. Ready to savor that last morsel? Do it! You've earned it.8) Rest. Laying your chopsticks across the plate ensures that they won't be dirty from touching the bare table that so many other people have touched and won't be sticking up out of a bowl or cup, which is considered rude. If you haven't had enough of the sweet stuff, order another piece or grab it off the line. Now you can enjoy it without worry of seeming chopstick-incompetent.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZN1a-living_food_howtoWed, 07 Nov 2018 16:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZN1a-living_food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW6A9-living_money_education_badexperiences Around 18 months ago, I took a part-time job with an eikaiwa that served a nearby kindergarten. The Japanese assistant teacher they set me up with was meant to go over lesson plans with me and drive me to the school, then help with the lessons themselves. She did these things, but her expectations were hard to understand despite her high English fluency. If I didn't promptly respond to her emailed lesson plans, she had her manager text me in complaint. If I disagreed with something on a lesson plan, she ignored my suggestions and proceeded as she had planned. This lesson plan business was never about getting my opinion, I have recently realized. It was about her asserting control. The same went for our arranged meeting time. If I arrived at her car at the arranged meeting time of 9:50, she would say I was late. If I was earlier, she would complain about that, too. She was affable enough with small talk, but I've lived here long enough to avoid putting too much trust in this behavior from Japanese coworkers. Is it friendliness or just politeness? I'm no expert, so I responded in a friendly-professional manner.I was getting paid less than what I deserve given my experience and abilities, but I was happy teaching the little kids and I didn't have to put together the lesson plans or props. It was so easy, I reasoned, that the pay was acceptable.View from Above. Now imagine it's dark and gray, with little visibility due to rain. Then came a morning a few weeks back when I got to our "meeting place" (which happened to be a large parking lot, her choice) and stood in the rain. Since the wind was too strong to use an umbrella, I was there, getting completely drenched for a full ten minutes, waiting for some sign from any of the gray cars waiting in the parking lot. No sign came until my phone vibrated from an email from her telling me to "just go shopping" as she had "waited long enough" and was leaving without me. Shocked, I replied that I had been waiting there in the rain for ten minutes, only to be interrupted by a text from the manager, asking where I was and why she was leaving without me. I explained my situation to the best of my ability.In the rain, everything but that one red car would appear gray. Could you spot the right car? I couldn't.The manager asked if I would take a taxi. By this point I was shaking and nauseous, but could still do the math. I didn't make enough in a day on that job to afford a taxi to the school and back. I couldn't imagine trying to get a ride home from the lady who left me standing in the rain and blamed me for it. I declined, explaining that I felt I was about to vomit and would not be able to come to work after all. I did as suggested and went through the nearby grocery store, grabbing things for dinner while my chest pains and confusion grew worse and worse. By the time I got home, I was just together enough to google the symptoms of an anxiety attack and self-diagnose. Before this incident, I had never suffered an anxiety attack. Despite levels of social anxiety I face daily, I have never had this combination of symptoms coalesce before. I always get out of tough situations before much more than a little shaking or rapid breathing takes place. I know when I am uncomfortable and how to manage it, but this was different. A friend who lives nearby rushed over to help me and agreed that the situation was unreasonable. Once calm, I texted the manager, who had called twice since I had explained that I wasn't coming in. When I explained that I had just had an anxiety attack, she responded by demanding that I call her back, insisting that I "must use the phone." On a good day in my home country, I get anxiety from talking on the phone with people I don't know or like very well. Add on an anxiety attack abroad and there is no way I can do this. Not sanely. Not safely. So I didn't respond until the following Monday, when I informed both the manager and the teacher that I would no longer be available for classes as I had taken on other work at that time. Business culture in Japan is much different than that of other countries and the demands put upon workers can seem extreme. Some of these things can be tolerated as cultural differences, but when you have serious physical, emotional, or mental problems stemming from your treatment, it's time to look for other work and get out as quickly as you can. If you're a native English speaker living in Japan, you have a marketable skill and can likely find work that doesn't actually inflict pain.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW6A9-living_money_education_badexperiencesTue, 06 Nov 2018 08:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GW6A9-living_money_education_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G094E-living_food Here in Japan the marketability of Halloween is catching on in some surprising ways. The most successful of which has to be the bags of shareable snack-treats that come with adorable mascots in Halloween costumes or even small printed portions that can be converted to masks.I can't say I loved the "Seafood pizza" taste, but the package was super cute and fun.Though more a tie-in than a packaging opportunity, I give Tower Records some credit for partnering with Monster for a Happy Halloween treat, despite the fact that the Sendai location was out of Monster when we visited on the afternoon of the 31st. Other items missed the mark mostly in not knowing what to do with the holiday. Honestly, Halloween is great for things like candy mostly, and a few other snacks, but salad is stretching it. Many items attempted to opt-in a little late and sometimes less than well-thought-out.Herbs for Halloween? What's so spooky about Sweet Basil? There is no way I would buy this if I weren't already planning on buying sweet basil. I am just confused.See, the Sushi is now spooky because someone cut out a jack-o-lantern and stuck it to it. That works, right?Pumpkin pottage croquettes. Such a bold attempt! Points for utilizing pumpkin in an unexpected way and for the cuteness of the package. Minus for the difficulty in sharing. That's it for my little round up of weird Japanese Halloween packaging I saw this year. What did you find?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G094E-living_foodThu, 01 Nov 2018 22:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G094E-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY7oy-livingA few weeks ago, I had my first anxiety attack ever, and since then I have been really sensitive to stress. Somehow I never realized how many things in this country really stress me out, including:* being stared at obnoxiously by slack-jawed yokels and their children* not being able to fully understand every nuance of everything thrown at me* knowing that I do not and cannot legally own my own home* not being able to explain my position to people as well as I would like* not having the time/patience/maturity/focus to study harder and learn the language* not fully understanding my daughter's music teacher's rapid explanations* not finding clothes that fit me nor that I like the shape ofIt is enough some days to make me wonder if I should head home like so many of my friends who have come and gone over the years, all returning to their home countries before doing silly things like starting a family.And then I remember, in my home country, I would get to worry about:* whether or not my daughter is fully insured* how we could pay for any medical situation that comes up* if the lack of doctor's visits will contribute poorly to my daughter's long-term health* if my husband is late because he's been attacked/murdered by rednecks* if there's been a shooting at my daughter's school/my husband's job/ the convenience store my husband stopped in to buy gas and a coke on the way homeAnd then I realize that these minor inconveniences are worth it, hands down. Here, we are safe. Japan has tons of flaws, sure, but this is the safest environment for my kid and for my family right now. So here I am.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY7oy-livingMon, 29 Oct 2018 16:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MY7oy-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnaAm-educationThis daily drill book from the educational book publisher Gakken has become a staple of our morning activities in my house. Much more interesting than rote memorization or copying all the hiragana repeatedly, this book stresses familiar words and combines that with the characters an early Japanese language learner is coming to terms with in bite-sized, manageable pieces. We started using it just a couple of weeks ago but already my daughter is remembering a few characters better and developing more vocabulary. As an educator, I find the set-up for this to be pretty genius. The first page is a set of four to five related words grouped by theme, such as animals, seasons, fruit or vegetables. These are things that most kids know or are learning in their kindergartens, so it starts with the familiar, but keeps it interesting by having the student match the written word to the picture. Later pages will review the same vocabulary,but will also leave some syllables out, letting the student use their knowledge and memory to fill in the blanks. The back of each page usually reviews the items from the front so that you can review what you learned in the previous lesson every lesson quite easily by using the back of the previous page as a warm up and the front of a new page as that day's proper drill. While intended mostly as a way to encourage greater Japanese vocabulary retention, I find the methods used here also akin to practical hiragana application, which is an excellent way to teach not only new terms but also retain the syllables we use to make those terms. My kid still spends a far amount of the study time trying to remember or looking up hiragana that she has yet to master, but I have little worry that those things will come in time and all the faster with the help of this book.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnaAm-educationThu, 18 Oct 2018 18:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnaAm-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK9DA-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_sustainablelifeOne thing that I love about Japan is the presence of recycling bins at train stations and convenience stores as well as near some vending machines. What I did not realize when I first arrived is that there is a recommended protocol for usage of most of these. Many of the rules are understood, never stated, but somehow seem fairly obvious given the reciprocal nature of many Japanese social customs. That said, all of these depend on the location of the container.Conbini Protocol-- go in and buy a drink, preferably before making a deposit.I think it works in the same way as using the bathroom at these locations in that to pay back the store for taking your garbage or letting you relieve yourself, it is recommended that you buy something inside. It needn't be terribly expensive. Just a drink or a pack of gum is enough to say thanks. My first few years in Japan, I did not do this, but on one road trip, my companions and I got a terrible glare from the shop keeper inside when we unloaded a couple of empty pet bottles into the bins provided. We then got a lecture from our Japanese friend on the topic. Apparently, you're ideally meant to go in first, but something, enjoy it on the premises and then deposit only the container for what you bought there in the bins. Personally, I've seen native Japanese people rid themselves of bottles from drinks bought elsewhere in these bins, but rarely without buying a replacement inside.Additional notes: Watch which bin you're using, and remove the caps from bottles if there is a secondary cap container.Train Station Protocol-- Only what you use on the train; no trash from home.These bins can be found inside of most train stations in Japan, either near the ticket gates or on the platforms themselves. This is a great place to toss drinks finished on the train rides, snack wrappers and used tissue. Notes, sometimes in English, can occasionally be found nearby, asking people not to deposit garbage from their homes here. I've never seen anyone abuse this too badly, but a good rule of thumb is to only get rid of stuff used on the train.Vending Machine Protocol-- Stuff you bought there; Don't overflow!Some vending machines have these nearby, ready to accept deposits akin to those available in the machines. Just like with the convenience stores, it is recommended that you deposit containers from the beverages in the machine or at least buy something to make up for leaving your used container there. The difference is the more limited selection and lack of potentially-scowling clerk. Sometimes, in areas of higher population density or lower upkeep, these containers can overflow, in which case it is recommended that you take your garbage elsewhere and recycle it properly, even if that means buying a drink inside the convenience store. In all of these cases, these are only the recommended procedures as I have come to understand them. The worst case scenario for not following the protocol is a nasty look from a convenience store clerk or passer-by, so you're not really ricking much in any case. Still, if you want to follow the rules, these are the ones I know.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK9DA-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_sustainablelifeWed, 17 Oct 2018 10:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK9DA-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wr3N3-living_food_money_howtoOne of the most challenging aspects of living abroad is the lack of familiar comfort foods. In Japan, I find options for lasagna to be few, far between, and either prohibitively expensive or of extremely poor quality. That's why a few years ago I started making my own, encountering two major problems before things even got going. First, lasagna noodles are expensive and can only be found in some high-end grocery stores or import shops. Second, cheese is either basic or exceedingly expensive as well. For this dish, I used basic shredded cheese from the supermarket and a secret weapon:Eggplant! That's right. A couple of small to medium sized eggplants will work for this, making the dish both healthier and less expensive. First take off the tops and peel the eggplants. Then slice them thinly. If you're as bad at that as I am, just use the peeler instead. It makes pretty uniform slicesThen take out some meat sauce. I recommend planning this dish for a night or two after spaghetti night and using stored excess meat sauce from that. If you don't have that on hand, you could substitute meat and tomato sauce from the grocery store or whip some up by frying up some menchi with seasoning and a can of sliced tomatoes.Layer the bottom of a baking pan or dish that will fit in your "oven" with sliced eggplant. Use the nice slices on the here and on the very top layer. On the layers in between, slightly chunky, uneven and weird slices can be used without affecting the overall outcome. Then spoon on a thin layer of meat sauce. Then sprinkle on a thin layer of shredded cheese. Layer 1 complete. Cover with eggplant slices, and this time the slices can be uneven or misshapen, so long as they connect to form a layer.See how they overlap a little more than they need to? That's fine. The important thing is that they connect.Repeat this process until you run out of ingredients or space in your dish. In this case, I still had half an eggplant left when my sauce ran out, so that was where I stopped. The top layer should be eggplant, cheese, and seasoning. If you're using store-bought meat-sauce, you should probably add seasoning every layer.This dish can be baked in a number of oven-like appliances, though I have a tendency to use the over function on my microwave, where I put the dish in at 200 degrees Celsius for 90 minutes, but my machine is also a little slow on cooking times, so adjust as needed and check every 15 minutes or so to make sure nothing has blackened yet.This looks great, but there is one small problem: an excess of liquid. Using a spatula to keep the lasagna in place, tilt the dish so that the fluid can escape. If you're resourceful, this lasagna juice could probably be used for another cooking project, but I'm not so much, so it usually goes down the drain in my house.Slice and serve!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wr3N3-living_food_money_howtoTue, 16 Oct 2018 12:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wr3N3-living_food_money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLbDD-living_money_education_work_miyagi My daughter just turned five, and I've spent the five and a half years since I quit my semi-full-time employment doing a number of jobs, mostly raising the kid. I'm also the chief provider of food and clean clothes and dishes in the household, the one who searches for bargains and mends things. I do some of the work of a stay-at-home mom, and I'm also an English teacher with a growing number of private students. Together, the cooking, cleaning, mending, writing, and teaching seems to fill the hours between my daughter getting on and off the school bus almost completely, sometimes with overlap.My schedule in a nut shell. The blue bits are classes. With all of this work, we can afford food and some small extras, with my husband's job paying for most of the bills. Who wouldn't want more money, right? If I had my old teaching job back, I would be in Sendai 5 days a week, making a lot more than what my husband brings home. We would be able to afford extra extra things like private school for the kid, exotic vacations, proper retirement plans and so much more. I know other people have had this dilemma, too, and taken into account the cost of childcare, which is something my husband has not factored in at all. In his mind, we will work and my daughter will be raised by my in-laws, who are currently quite busy taking care of other members of the family. Beyond the money, there is an even greater factor involved here. I want to raise my kid. I want time with her, especially now. The formative years are crucial, and I can't tell you how many times I was relieved to understand what she was referencing when I would have only thought her talking gibberish had I not watched the same cartoon with her. Right now, she is adorable and constantly changing. If I don't get to know her now, I never will. No amount of money in the world can make up for missing my kid's whole childhood, and I fear that is exactly what a full-time eikaiwa job would mean for me at this point. The jobs I have the experience for that are lucrative enough for me to bother with require afternoon and evening shifts as well as Saturdays. This means I would only see my kid on Sundays and my in-laws would have to help every time she catches a cold at school, because I wouldn't be able to call in sick for every sniffle. Most importantly though, I would lose the connection we currently have through shared bonding time. Her English would disintegrate, my patience would burn up at work, and the little time we had together would never be enough in quality or quantity. This means my in-laws would get a granddaughter-turned-daughter as I become a distant relation to my own flesh and blood. So I am not doing it. I am continuing with my current jobs and pushing to edit novels and clean my house before anything else happens to throw us into chaos. The life I have now is exhausting and messy. I don't always know what I am doing or why, but there is a comfort to it. It is my life. I control if and when I see what students. So long as I have options, and this is the one I am taking.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLbDD-living_money_education_work_miyagiSat, 13 Oct 2018 17:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLbDD-living_money_education_work_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj85E-living_education_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagi I was warned by a friend some months ago to start saving up for my daughter's entrance to elementary school. Between fees, supplies, uniforms and the ubiquitous large, hard leather backpack, we'll be looking at a serious financial commitment, but not for another year and a half yet. In the mean time, my family had a trip to the states to plan for and little time to do it in. We've been back in Japan for about six weeks, and I admit I haven't thought much about the school situation beyond her current needs. Still, my husband has already begun researching options in the area and beyond, but trying to determine what school fits best with your child seems like more than a one man job. When this conversation arose, our primary differences in priorities crept up again, based mostly on the classes in which we were raised. As a scrappy American from the lower-middle class, I find cost to be the first important factor. If we can't afford it, there's no use in looking at it. My husband was raised a bit differently. He did go to boarding school in England (alone and because he wanted to) after all. His first choice is always based on quality with no regard for the expense. He is concerned with the best option first, and then what can we afford. So my husband's first choice is a private school with a Christian background. The one huge positive with this school is that it includes elementary through high school without the need for the high school qualification round of exam-hell. While I agree that keeping our kid from that stress would be great, I can't agree with the price tag. Literally the only way to afford this is if I drop everything I am doing and race back to beg for a full-time eikaiwa job in Sendai. Also, this school isn't located anywhere near us. My daughter would be on a bus for a couple of hours a day and, with me working evenings, she would spend the rest of her time with my in-laws. The other option is public school, which will likely be a less-stellar education and opens up the door for exam-hell, but we are living in the information age. With an educator and computer at home, we can foster a more well-rounded understanding of the universe and without spending two hours a day on a bus. Also, while this option will still require a little more money coming in than we have now, it won't mean dropping the business contacts I've been working to build up over the last 5 years.It is clear to us that public school with additional home-study is probably the best fit for us, for today, but what are your thoughts? Had anyone sent their kids to private elementary schools? Were there great benefits to this? Am I shortchanging my kid?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj85E-living_education_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 11 Oct 2018 19:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj85E-living_education_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeK4-living_medical_healthI've been prone to cankre sores since high school, when stress and dietary failings led to my mouth frequently being home to at least one small open ulcer, and I tried as many treatments as we could find but nothing worked long term. I then grew up, adapted my diet, found other ways of dealing with my stress, yet still the other day I woke up to find the little painful knot on my lip had grown into something unmanageable. Something had to be done. The kanji you'll need for medicine related to canker sores is 口内炎 (kounaien) which is delightfully easy to remember if you know some basic kanji. mouth. inside. FIRE FIRE. That describes them pretty well, I'd say. Medicine for these tends to come in three types: tablets that you place over the offending spot, creams, and sprays. Both the creams and tablets aim to do the same thing: cover the thing so it can heal without being constantly re-injured by things like talking and eating. The sprays numb it and should help disinfect as well, but I haven't had much luck with them. I've also tried creams back home and almost always had the same problem with accidentally diluting the solution via saliva or constantly poking it with my tongue and rendering it ineffective. So I tried the tablets. This is essentially a canker sore band-aid, and the best thing about it is that one little tablet will expand to take over an oblong ulcer more than twice its size, so there is no need to use more than one per sore. In addition to the great box illustration, the instructions on this brand came with helpful pictures for the kanji illiterate, like me.The tablets have an orange side and a white side. As it shows in the picture, the white side should make contact with the sore. The orange side should touch your finger. This works better if the sore is somewhere it won't be bothered, like between the lip and gums. Mine unfortunately was on an easily exposed part of my upper lip, so keeping the tablet-band-aid on the sore was a little tricky, but it stayed on well when I put it on before bed. I thinkthe tablets did do a good job overall. My mega-sore healed within a couple of days of putting one of these tablets on it, and that was after suffering with the sore for more than a week. This is what it looks like when you put it on and after it has done its job. If you need to re-apply, you can. There's a bunch in every package.So if you're stick with a pain in the mouth that just won't go away, treat your inner-mouth-fire-fire with some over-the-counter tablets. They worked for me, anyway.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeK4-living_medical_healthWed, 10 Oct 2018 17:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeK4-living_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9me3-living_medical_badexperiences_shiogama_shi_miyagiThe first time I went to a Japanese dentist was in 2012. One of my molars had cracked into pieces. Because we live in my husband's hometown, the natural solution to this problem was asking my husband, who asked his parents, who took me to whatever physician they personally trust. In this case, that meant going to see a cranky old man with my father-in-law. My Japanese is so-so for things I do everyday, like shopping. For dentistry? Non-existent. I have more working knowledge of vocabulary for doctor's appointments now, having spent 5 years as a mom here, but this was before my kid existed. My father-in-law knows less English than I do Japanese. This did not stop him from tryingto whisper something about the bad form I was showing by taking my shoes off and shuffling my feet into the dental clinic's vinyl slippers clumsily. So I will freely admit that I was already uncomfortable before anything began and came with little language knowledge and no translator, but I did not have a strong dentist-phobia. I didn't love seeing the dentist, but it wasn't such a big deal. The thing I remember most clearly from this visit was how bad the man's English was and his inability to speak to me in simple Japanese. Instead, he poked around in my mouth and said, "Treatment..." At the time, I thought he was asking if I had been doing any kind of home treatment on the broken tooth, which seemed like a question someone in his position might ask. So I said no. And he got angry. It turns out he meant to ask if I would like for him to treat my tooth (how is that even a question?), and this meaning would have been made clear in the tense and form of the verb he would have used in Japanese, but he decided that the English held just as much information in the one noun that he chose to use. He was wrong. I spent the rest of the time in the chair being grumbled at by an old man who couldn't understand why his obviously magnificent grasp of English was not helping him with this horrible foreign woman. The only other thing I remember him saying was something about dental pulp. In English. At me. And not knowing why I didn't know all of the medical English words he knew. I did look it up later. Dental pulp is the stuff in your tooth between your nerves and the dentin, under the enamel. Apparently mine was bad, but not as bad as his English. I had to return to this guy that week to get fillings done and our communication never really improved. I was glad to be done with him and swore to take better care of my remaining teeth. Then came my daughter, and her tendency to ram her head backward at full speed anytime I held her, resulting in a couple of black eyes and numerous upper-cut-style jarring-motions to my jaw. I realized some time ago that my right front incisors was cracked down the middle. Six months ago, it started chipping away, tiny bits of my tooth coming out day by day. At first, it just made my smile a little less even, but everything was still usable. Last week, I lost a chunk closer to the nerve and new I had to do something. I reached out to a student who is a dentist and runs a dental clinic with her husband. At the end of our lesson, I asked if she could help me with a problem. I drew a diagram of what was happening to my face and she asked if I wanted an appointment with her husband, who handles the adults in their practice. I readily agreed. In the two times I had seen the man in passing, he had spoken to me with better English and more respect than the previous dentist had ever shown. Last Wednesday, I went in. The staff worked with my language level. Everyone made sure I was comfortable. I wear my emotions the way other people wear party hats, so it wasn't as if my apprehension was hidden at all, but they spoke to me gently and well. No one was fluent, but 20 minutes and less than 2,000 yen later, my tooth was fixed and by someone who treated me like a person.It was wonderful.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9me3-living_medical_badexperiences_shiogama_shi_miyagiTue, 09 Oct 2018 18:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9me3-living_medical_badexperiences_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeA4-foodIt's ba-a-ack! Last year around this time, people all over Japan were finding Coca Cola Plus Coffee in select vending machines and for a limited time only. I remember scouring Sendai for my chance to taste the beverage before writing this post in which I compare it to the Manhattan Special, a New York based beverage that claims to be the originator of the coffee-infused-cola idea. Now the drink is back and available at 7-11 in a larger 250 mL can and with similar flavor. If anything, the new product is a little bit more smooth, still infusing the aroma of coffee with the underlying qualities of Coca Cola. I expected it to be less than enjoyable last time and wound up really liking it, and it seems they have only made it more appealing.If you enjoy coffee and coke, this might be the time for a trip to the 7-11 near you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeA4-foodTue, 02 Oct 2018 15:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqeA4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wr3kX-living_food_teaIn my quest to learn more about the green tea from Shizuoka available in my prefecture, I've enjoyed a variety of selections including some fairly expensive and fairly inexpensive options. At a price of less than 600 yen for 350 grams and available at a nearby grocery store, this tea is decidedly mid-range. First off, I love the packaging, including the older-style paper label and the way the clear plastic shows off the rich color of the tea leaves. Even the subtle pinstripe-like design on the plastic is a plus in my book. This looks like a tea that is likely a good value when you need 350 grams of the green stuff. But how it looks does not always translated to how it tastes. I reviewed the ratio of leaves per cup on the Internet (generally around 5 grams for 8 ounces of water) and brewed up my first batch. The color came out a little lighter than I had expected and the flavor reflected that, but with a surprisingly strong sense of umami. I found this the be a refreshing and easily drinkable tea with none of the bitterness I have come to associate the cheaper teas with, even from Shizuoka. Some small leaf particles did slip through the the filter in my tea pot, creating a level of green tea debris in the bottom of the cup, but for the enjoyment of the beverage, this held little interest as a downside. All leaf teas have some level of tea debris, and at least this wasn't too sludgy or clingy.Most of the flavor of this first batch wound up so subtle that I was not entirely sure if I had made the tea too weak. So I added two more little scoops of leaves and tried one more time. The tea stayed the same light color and was just as soft and refreshing in flavor, though admittedly, the amount of tea debris increased at least 2 fold, and this was after rinsing the cup out at the end of the previous sampling. Even with the debris increase, the beverage was absolutely lovely, and very gentle though not sweet. Green tea like this has a short lifespan in my household, not because it belongs in the bin but because it is so delicious it is bound to be enjoyed repeatedly in the coming weeks. I would be surprised if this pinstriped package is still in my house next month. It'll likely be emptied much sooner than that.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wr3kX-living_food_teaMon, 01 Oct 2018 10:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wr3kX-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnabE-living_badexperiences_shiogama_shi_miyagiFor people of my age range in my homeland, there are several observable factors that let you know whether or not they are approachable. One is the presence of ear buds or headphones. Someone wearing these is listening to music or audiobooks. if they have not taken the apparatus off or out, it is a good bet that they are not in the mood for people-ing or at very least are currently engrossed in something else, be it a catchy pop song or urban fantasy novel or what have you. If the earbuds are in or the headphones are on, they are not to be spoken to unless absolutely necessary.Apparently, at least one random older Japanese guy in my neighborhood did not get this memo.I don't personally think I look so approachable. Apparently this guy disagreed. A few weeks ago, I was walking across town as I always do on Saturdays, tracing the one kilometer that connects the English school where I teach on Saturday mornings with the music school where my daughter studies just one hour after the end of my last class. My lunch break every Saturday is mostly walking, but even at my leisurely pace, it only takes about half an hour, leaving me a little time to eat a packed lunch around Nishi-Shiogama station and fight at the Pokemon Go gyms there, all three of which I have yet to reach gold-medal status at yet. Usually at least one of them is about to go into raid mode, which locks the currently housed monsters in for an hour while everyone gets to fight some larger, more difficult being. A minor level raid was about to begin and the monsters at this gym were already at half life. Given the 15 minutes I had available, I wagered I could take over the gym and have one of my guys locked in there before the raid began.And I could have, too, if it weren't for the pesky bicyclist.As I am standing on this lovely path, literally facing a tree, headphones in, furiously tapping at my phone in my Pokemon-related pursuit, this random older man on a bicycle decided to come by and just started talking as if I, of course, could hear him over my audio-book and understand his native-level, native-speed Japanese. He was wrong in both assumptions.Seeing that this wasn't a random "Hello and goodbye" sort of moment, I paused the book and turned to face the man, continuing the Pokemon battle I was already in the middle of. He went back to talking, assuming I'd heard whatever he had previously said. I tried my best to say something the equivalent of, "Pardon me. I am in the middle of a Pokemon Battle." but whatever I did say didn't mean anything to him outside of: "Yes, I am terribly bored. Please talk to me more, Japanese man. I need your help."So he did. I followed the first couple of questions well enough, as these are almost always the same: Where are you from? How long have you been here? I answered these as the battle on my phone came to a close and, as the man then chose to engage with longer questions at a faster rate with harder vocabulary, I chose not to abandon my Pokemon goal for the day.I don't know for sure that this is a Japan only problem, but this culture does put men above women and old above young even in the context of basic conversational language. So an old man meeting a young woman means she is meant to be deferential and polite, no matter what.Personally, my lack of enthusiasm about studying the language can likely be traced back to these ingrained Japanese truths being so much a part of society that I feel the need to rebel. Why learn to talk to people if it means I have to always treat every man as superior, and every old man more superior than that. I am for respecting your elders, but I feel this takes it too far. And this isn't the first man or older man I've met here to decide that whatever he wants to do right at that moment trumps any desires I have or respect I deserve from the salary man on the subway in Nagoya that thought my upper thigh just needed his hand for companionship to the old guy who cut in line in front of me at the post office in Gifu to the old man who interrupted another lunch break, long ago in a Sendai coffee shop, to shout the one word of English he knew, "Country?!" It's just a thing that happens here.Needless to say, I was not a fan of this guy and did not want to continue this conversation. He kept talking anyway but I honestly did not understand the question. Once again, I'll never know if this stems from my waning interest that occurs in these unwanted conversations fairly often or my lack of lingual ability, or a bit of each.I told the guy I was having trouble understanding him. He responded in Japanese, "Oh, you don't know words. Here are words. Blue. Pink."I was taken aback. It isn't rare for people in Japan, or anyone who has never studied a foreign language really, to not get the difference in levels between "I don't know colors" and "I don't understand adult-level native-vocabulary at a native speed" but this was a bit of a shock. He had just asked questions I had answered, and now out of nowhere, random color vocabulary I learned in college more than ten years ago.So I asked, in Japanese, "Why are you talking about colors now? Blue? Pink? Why?"To which he responded by laughing to himself and saying, "Hai, kiiro." Yes, Yellow.I blinked. Then I apologized and ran off to my kid's class, arriving a full ten minutes early with no Pokemon in gyms and less energy than I had had before my colorful conversation.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnabE-living_badexperiences_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 24 Sep 2018 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MnabE-living_badexperiences_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAne0-livingJapanese comedians pretending to be famous (in Japan) white guys. Last night, my husband insisted we watch a competitive Japanese sketch comedy show, during which one trio elected to come out with large Caucasian-like prosthetic noses and foreheads, attempting to portray a group of white guys who happen to be famous in Japan. As a Caucasian American, I am aware that blackface is wrong, and if I'd ever seen any white comedians come out with their eyes taped to resemble Asian eyes in order to get a laugh, I would be horrified. There are plenty of funny Asian people they could hire or convince to be in a bit, and in America those roles too frequently get white-washed anyway. So I know how I would feel if the roles were reversed. But here I am not as insulted as I think I should be, or even as insulted as I would be if they had done black face. Once, a comic on one of these shows bronzed himself in an attempt to mimic an American pop star and I was disgusted. This white-face thing just weirds me out, though. I find it really unnecessary, and their bit wasn't even that funny. What could have made it funny was if they had one of the white guys they were mimicking come out from back stage (this happens on this show sometimes, and one of the guys being mocked does stand-up comedy in Japan) and surprise them. Then I would feel like we were all in on the fun and I would know that Japan also thinks these guys are being more stupid than funny. But that didn't happen. Instead, they sang a song (Da Pump's USA) and left. I admit I stopped watching the show, so I don't know how well they did but I don't think they won. How do you feel about Japanese entertainers' uses of other races in jokes and portrayals like these? Is it warranted? Is it funny? Is it offensive?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAne0-livingSun, 23 Sep 2018 15:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MAne0-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvvXx-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiHow many mascots does one town need? It's understandable for any place to have a few things it might be famous for and therefor a few special personifications of such things in Japan, but seeing this massive poster for Shiogama's mascots made me feel that perhaps they have gone a bit overboard.I took the liberty of translating the goods, though I lack the ability to reliably translate kamaboko into a small caption. That delicacy is essentially mashed fish meat molded into special shapes. If you're not into fishy things with non-fish texture, you won't like it. Also, please note the little round white emblem on the wakame, nori, oyster and bee related mascots. That emblem indicated that they aren't even from Shiogama but Matsushima, the next town over and home to a considerable number of great tourist locales, but that doesn't really clear up why they are here. I get why larger cities would likely be known for half a dozen special things, but Shiogama isn't that big, and some of these things don't even make sense to me. There are sake breweries and fisheries and the double-blossoms at the shrine are even named after the city and shrine. Personally speaking though, the water here isn't as delicious as the last place I lived in Japan, nestled in the southern alps with water as delicious as Evian coming from the taps. Shiogama water isn't bad, but it isn't fresh mountain water. It's a lot better than a lot of Texas water, of course, but still...does it require a mascot? And how do they get away with having a fish mascot and 2 different fish product mascots?Are other towns like this? How many mascots does yours have?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvvXx-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSat, 22 Sep 2018 21:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvvXx-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go479-living_galleries_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi Tanabata, the star festival that is celebrated in most parts of Japan back in July, makes a big statement in Sendai, but is it worth the trip to the largest city in Tohoku just to see some massive paper streamers, especially if that trip is just hours before a typhoon is set to arrive?In my opinion, yes. As Miyagi residents, this trip only costs us a few hundred yen, so it is easy to say that the festival atmosphere and food is worth the transit fee. For out of towners, especially coming up from Tokyo or other large cities, Sendai may seem less crowded and humid by comparison, making for a nice little break in the harshness of Japanese summer. Even if a typhoon should threaten the event, the decorations are hung under the covered walkways of the shopping arcade, so one can enjoy them even in rain or wind and only have to confront the weather to cross the street.We went on the last day of the festival and the decorations were still breath taking and lovely. At one point, I was approached by a young Japanese man from a tourism organization in Sendai. In addition to giving me a helpful pamphlet in English as well as some "Enjoy Sendai" pins, he asked a few questions about how we got there and what we liked about the festival. To his surprise, I mentioned the lack of a parade. Apparently most foreigners are disappointed by the fact that there isn't a day-long reason to stand in direct sunlight, trying not to get heat stroke. There are festivals in Sendai that specialize in parades and floats and dancers, but this one is more of a choose-your-own-adventure. Visitors move at their own pace through the streets, stopping where they like, popping into a shop or two if the need strikes, and generally having their own good time. I prefer it hands-down to the other kind of festival. Without scheduled events, the festival can be enjoyed regardless of weather or timing. Show up some time during the day and you'll have drinks, food, and games outlining the path down the decorated arcade.Though the decorations usually have similar shapes and sizes, they are each designed and created especially for the year that they appear. Walking through the shopping arcade, you can see the details of the paper up close and admire what some have written or folded or crocheted. How the things come together is interesting, but for me it's also seeing what has changed over the years. Some have evolved and become more intriguing, the best example of which this year being the kamaboko shop's interstellar display. Unique among the group this year, the decorations here tend to focus on folding and manipulation of paper to create an almost architectural design. A poster attached to the bamboo that held the decorations aloft explained the design in English and Japanese.Another eye-catcher was the rainbow of cranes at the three-way crossroads between the arcades, near Fujisaki. One couldn't help but snap a quick picture in front of it.Many other decorations focused on the shop they represented, such as the zunda shop utilizing many a soybean in their design or JAL sponsoring the decorations outside a travel agency. Eddie Bauer and Starbucks used logos from their companies on more generic looking steamer creations.Maybe to some, just these massive decorations, their textures paper and cloth, their details and design are not enough. To these unimpressed folks, I suggest checking outthis websitefor more information on the various festivities, which thisyear included included a bamboo lantern display at Zuihouden, the Date clan's beautiful mausoleum, featuring flute accompaniment. Samurai were also a key feature at the Sendai Castle site, where performances by the Date Bushoutai Samurai Warrior Group likely thrilled the crowd.Unfortunately, we had no idea about any of these supporting events and had exhausted ourselves in our walk along the arcade. As the wind picked up, it was clearly time for us to head home.If you're free August 6-8 of next year, check out Sendai's Tanabata Festival. It's well worth the trip.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go479-living_galleries_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiMon, 10 Sep 2018 11:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go479-living_galleries_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmVr8-living_workConversational English lessons can and should be handled in the most professional way possible, but if your student is coming to you for the weekly attempt to maintain their language level, not engaging in business English or hardcore grammar practice, it can be hard to stay distant. At this point, a more relaxed approach may be necessary but finding a happy balance between the straight laced and laid back can be challenging.For those of us who work mostly independently, these connections to students are of vital importance for our livelihoods because there isn't a guaranteed income at the end of the month. If we miscalculate and offend a student, we can wind up in pretty dire circumstances financially, depending on the student and the level of offense.What's worse is when you're in a small enough town that you keep running into people who used to be your students and now, for whatever reason, aren't. It can be awkward, embarrassing, or completely uncomfortable depending on how things went down before and where you happen to see them.So what do you do?This is my facial expression when I see a former student unexpectedly.Do you smile and wave and pretend everything is fine? Do you completely blank them or turn around and run? One of the biggest issues I have with being foreign in Japan is the lack of anonymity. They can spot you right off. There is no blending in.Well, as someone who has been doing this for a decade, I usually start by reminding myself that there are thousands of reasons to quit lessons, most of them not being a slight at my teaching style or abilities. I repeat these ideas to myself when the back of my mind screams that these are the ones that got away and that I must be useless as a teacher if, after ten years, I cannot retain every student.If you have this voice too, even if you only just started teaching, tell it off. It doesn't deserve to exist. No one retains every student. That's why bigger schools have a number of different teachers to choose from-- so that when one teacher doesn't match well with a student for whatever reason, another might. Even so, it is hard not to take it personally when lessons dry up or when long-term students quit. It isn't weird to wonder where it went wrong, but when you happen upon the student in a public place is not the time to ponder this. Instead, focus on the task at hand. I usually let the student take the lead here unless they were really horrible, though I do limit any conversation to a few pleasantries and quickly remove myself.Just go with the flow, and treat people as professionally as you can. Or blank them and avoid them until you're far enough away.What do you do when you see former students?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmVr8-living_workWed, 05 Sep 2018 10:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmVr8-living_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4rK9-living_shopping_sustainablelifeOne of the things I found most striking about shopping retail on our summer trip back to the states was the sheer number of plastic bags one is inundated with at stores like Walmart or Target. It didn't used to bother me, I think, and my household just like all the other households I knew had that lingering bank of bags somewhere, taking up half a drawer or cupboard with poorly utilized resources turned into cheap and flimsy bags that rip so easily that it is hard to re-purpose them well.These were from one short shopping trip, and these were only the ones I managed to use as waterproof padding in my luggage.So what changed? Well, when I moved to Japan in 2008, stores in the area that I had moved to had started to offer plastic bags only for the cost of 3 yen per bag. This didn't seem like a lot to spend but the fact that you had to ask for the bags and pay in advance made your decision to opt for plastic instead of using an eco-bag more of a conscious one. In the decade since then, I have really become accustomed to filling my own bag when grocery shopping and tend to feel a pang of ecological guilt when having to opt for a plastic bag when I forget my reusable options at home.Japan does fail to utilize plastic packaging well in many cases, individually wrapping things unnecessarily and with many retail shops using plastic bags more wantonly than most grocery stores. What I saw in the states though would be akin to walking into Daiso, buying 14 things, and receiving them in no fewer than 10 bags. Things were thrown together with no thought as to how they would be used and complete disregard for minimizing the number of bags. I would never see this done so thoughtlessly in Japan. Heck, I don't think I've ever seen someone bag my groceries here at all, save for my husband.These are only the few I could find in the living room.I do love eco-bags, but I also have a tendency to hoard things, so a lot of eco-bags I find and like tend to be re-purposed as gift wrapping or containers for small projects in my home. Sometimes these projects get lost in the shuffle, ruining the bag's purpose of helping organize things. Other times, my attempt to add value to a gift gets misinterpreted as wastefulness and/or laziness. Still, more importantly, when I forget the bags at the store and wind up having to buy a plastic bag anyway, it really reminds me that usefulness is what you make of it. A commitment to using the eco-bag means making sure it gets put back in the purse or backpack before shopping occurs, and watching how much you buy so as not to overload the bags provided. If you fold them up and put them away, perhaps you can use them another day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4rK9-living_shopping_sustainablelifeTue, 04 Sep 2018 14:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4rK9-living_shopping_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlpjX-living_shoppingThis year, I came to realize (thanks in part to Bill Nye's new series Bill Nye Saves the World) that skin care is important especially when it comes to protecting yourself from the sun. Being that I do not tend to wear make-up and barely moisturize, this is a bit of a change for me, but I felt a change that was a long time coming. A couple of days of forgetting to layer up the 50 SPF stuff I got from the grocery store and subsequently feeling like my face was fried were punishment enough to learn my lesson. What bothered me about Japanese sunscreen options were two-fold. First, the texture is all weird to me. Raised with thick, cream-like sunscreen, I find this milky-wet texture strangely weak and doubt how strong and useful it might be. Secondly, the highest (and for the most part only) SPF value I could find was 50. Is that high? I remember seeing lower variations through my youth but always assumed there were higher values. At least, higher than 50. Enter iHerb. There I found a variety of options above the 50 SPF threshold and bought the strongest thing I could find for around 2000 yen. The great things about this retailer are that they accept Japanese paypal and ship to Japan quickly as well as fairly cheaply. Unfortunately some products carried on their American site will not ship to Japan, so make sure you're looking at that Japanese site if you're shipping to Japan. I also learned why the Japanese stuff is always so milky-- no streaks! This thicker American stuff tends to leave some streaks sometimes, so it is important to apply this kind of sunscreen in front of a mirror, or at least check a mirror before walking out into the world for the day. When I went to buy more, i found this product had sold out, but has since been restocked. In addition, there are a number of alternative options available at SPF levels above 50 for those interested in stronger (if streaky) sunscreen options.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlpjX-living_shoppingTue, 28 Aug 2018 09:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlpjX-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD0d0-food Strangely, there are two conveyor belt sushi restaurants just outside Nakanosakae station in Sendai. One comes with an adorable-mascot but in this case second place sushi. My husband prefers Kurazushi, and on a recent trip, the new sushi options made it clear that nowhere else would do.ゆず塩かつおたたき(Bonito with Salt & Yuzu Sauce) and イベリコ豚の大とろ (Fatty Black Iberian Pork) To my surprise, I actually felt like trying some of he new, weird options as well as a few of my older favorites like the avocado ebi nigiri that come with a small mound of raw sliced onion and mayo. When the rice is hot, the cool of the avocado and mayonnaise make it something so special. The pork was nice and met my basic expectations for thinly liced pork on rice, but I was actually really shocked by how much I enjoyed the fish with yuzu-onion topping. I'm not actually too fond of fishy flavors or raw fish texture, but here both were used well and partnered with enough other textures and flavors that it was immensely enjoyable. Of course I still grabbed a plate of my college favorite, the cucumber roll, but accompanied it with the lightly pickled eggplant (水なす浅漬け) which unfortunately I was less fond of. The flavor failed to make any big impression, though this isn't really surprising for the purple vegetable. I even tried one with cheese on it! I'd never done that before, thinking it too childish or strange, but this time I let loose and really enjoyed it. Not a new favorite, as nothing touched the combination of hot rice and cool avocado-onion-mayonnaise-shrimp, but still really fun and interesting. So if you're looking to enjoy some sushi-train action near Nakanosakae station in Sendai, walk past Kappa Zushi and into Kurazushi. It's worth the walk.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD0d0-foodThu, 23 Aug 2018 01:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD0d0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBgdO-living Just for Obon, these really cool Yokai Watch posters went up around Sendai Station, specifically near the Senseki Line entrance. The traditional elements and dated look really caught my eye, though unfortunately I did not have time to read carefully enough to realize there was a corresponding real-life event happening elsewhere in the city.I really wish I had had the time to see what else was going on with these as the juxtaposition of fairly new animation and centuries-old aesthetics really amuses me and I would have loved to buy a tote bag, t-shirt, or other random good with this kind of design. Still, at least I got some snapshots of the pretty things before they were taken down. On my trip through the station today, there were nowhere to be seen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBgdO-livingThu, 23 Aug 2018 00:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GBgdO-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg6yB-living_familylife_sendai_shi_miyagiIt finally happenedI once read a blog post written by a Caucasian man with a Japanese wife living in Tokyo with their children. He explained that, as people ask about his child's ethnicity, he chose to correct them. His child was not "half" but "double", being equally from both cultures instead of only half-eligible for Japanese-ness.I loved this idea and started training my then-pregnant self for the questions that were bound to arise. My child was double, and amazing, and wonderful. To my surprise, as the years wore on, these questions were few and far between.When we head into Sendai we sometimes get questions, usually jovial and well meaning. A normal conversation, translated to English, looks something like this:Random Stranger: "Oh! So cute! is that a girl?"Me: "Oh, thank you. Yes, she is a girl."RS: "Oh! What's her name?"Me: "Her name is Julia."RS: "How old is she?"Me: "She is <current age>."RS: "Oh, she is sooooo cute!"Me: "Thank you."RS: "By the way, where are you from?"Me: "I'm from America, but she's from Japan."RS: "Oh, is her father Japanese?"Me: "Yes. Yes, he is."RS: "Ah. A half. Half-Japanese babies are so cute."Me: "Uh...ok. Bye now." I noticed many differences between my conversations and the conversations noted by the man in Tokyo, primarily that the beginning of the conversation is not about my daughter's ethnicity. There are a million interesting and curious things about my kid, including her hair style, love of Pokemon and My Little Ponies, talents with languages and tendency to pronounce the word "fart" with a British accent. She is interesting for so many reasons beyond her ethnicity that it feels insulting when someone chooses to start a conversation with that as if it were the only interesting thing about her.For the last 5 years I have lived believing that it must be the lower population density in my area that leads to these exchanges being less frustrating. Fewer people means fewer jerks, generally speaking, and people out here have gotten used to me, to the point of cashiers at Aeon remarking on my daughter's hairstyle change, recognizing and remembering us easily. But the other day, we boarded a train to Sendai to enjoy the last day of the Tanabata festivities. We found seats and kept to ourselves. Eventually a strange older woman sat across from us, eating loudly on the train while she talked fairly loudly to herself as if she were carrying on with another, unseen person.I have a soft spot for people fighting mental health battles, so I kept an eye on her but also kept my distance. I have no idea what's going on with this lady and have to keep my daughter safe.A few stops down the line, she suddenly turns to us and asks if my child is male or female. I assert that she is a girl. No harm there, innocent question. My kid's hair is now shorter than most boys' styles these days."Your husband's like you, right?" she said, or something to that effect. This is how my brain interpreted the Japanese, at least, and it was clear she was referring to our country of origin and ethnicity."No, he's Japanese." I said, any friendly lilt to my voice draining away to a soft grumble. This was now one of those conversations. Not a reminder that my kid is adorable and different for this area. More like a spotlight coming down from the heavens to highlight the foreign-ness inherent in my offspring, like some set of flaws I should have known better than to pass on.It is possible that I am putting to much anger into this. And it isn't that I think ethnicity is beyond questioning. I do happen to believe that I can never ask these questions of people, because if you're actually getting to know someone, it makes more sense to let them reveal the parts of themselves they want you to see rather than demand access to factors that you can use to better categorize them. The woman continued talking, asking questions I couldn't understand well enough to answer, due likely in equal parts to the food she was still munching on, her choice in vocabulary being beyond my ability, and my complete lack of interest in continuing the conversation. I don't know or care what she was getting at but I was glad to see her leave the train before our stop.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg6yB-living_familylife_sendai_shi_miyagiWed, 22 Aug 2018 15:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg6yB-living_familylife_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQm3q-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiUntil the end of September, visitors to Miyagi Prefectural Museum in Sendai will be able to see The Art of Disney: The Magic of Animation.It starts by walking through the large mickey-mouse shaped entrance and up the stairs, where tickets are taken and audio headsets can be rented, but only if you want to hear more about the movies of Disney exclusively in Japanese. At least they have a sign saying as much, so foreign patrons need not bother asking.Inside the first room, some of the first line drawing and stills from the first Disney cartoon shorts can be viewed. Small screens along the way show different parts on infinite loop so the casual observer can easily watch the product of the many drawing that went into these early cartoons. Several of the main characters from those early cartoon shorts all have their own sections where character sheets and real sketches from some of their pieces are view-able. In the center of that room, a trio of zoetropes show various characters in motion to illustrate the process of early animation. From there, a bit of space is devoted to Snow White, the first feature-length animated film and a crowning achievement for the house of mouse. Alice in Wonderland also has a decent sections, with a large magic-mirror set up in the center entrance to that space. From there, many of the early films are given a wall or two for concept art from the film, stills if they exist, and sometimes small elements detailing how things are made. in the Pinocchio section, a translucent cell with Jiminy Cricket painted on it sits at the far end of a three-layer set, with Pinocchio's Bedroom painted on the middle-ground of the scene, sandwiched between Jiminy and the night-sky background. Overall, the exhibit was fun but a little difficult to manage with a 5 year-old. There was a lot of her pulling me along to the section where some background music from Moana was playing on a loop. In all fairness, I'm not a big fan of a lot of the movies from the mid 1990s onward as the differences between Pocahontas and history angered my pre-teen self, but seeing them now, as art, was an interesting change. There were bits explaining when computer generated graphics entered the scene and how they developed over the course of time. I think we were all most interested in the museum store, where postcards, little golden books, and soy sauce dishes seemed to steal the show from so many expensive plushies. All in all, it was fun but a little bit expensive. Still a nice way to spend a summer day, inside an air-conditioned museum, enjoying art. Find more information about this exhibit here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQm3q-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiMon, 20 Aug 2018 18:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQm3q-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z88LY-livingBack in July, we took a family trip stateside and it was my first time heading back with my kid being able to walk and talk and get into trouble. Among the cultural differences present and observable, the one that stood out most right off the bat was parenting in public.Pouting at lunch. Like you do. As an American mom in Japan, I am frequently scowled at by a number of Japanese people, ranging from grandma-aged women who forgot or never knew how exhausting this job is to teens and twenty-somethings who have yet to find out. Other mothers are busy dealing with their own situations for the most part and while they might consider my techniques strange or brash, there is little interaction. For example, when my daughter and I were waiting to board our flight out of Narita, we went to use the bathroom. While standing in line, I cautioned my daughter to stand directly ahead of me, not beside, as there was little space for people to come out of the bathroom. The second someone approached, what did my kid do? Pop right out of line and stand there, staring at the random lady and blocking her path. The lady leaned down to talk to my daughter as I grimaced. I just did not have energy for this interaction, so I said, as I attempted to lift my child by the armpits, "Come on, kid! Don't stand in the lady's way." At this point my daughter chose to plant her feet so only one foot came up and she moved sideways in a diagonal fashion, still blocking the path with her planted foot. From behind me, I heard a young, well-rested, judgmental voice pipe up with, "Oh My God!!" as if I were publicly beating my child. At this point, I decided that my desire to not have my kid wet her seat on the airplane was not great enough to warrant more backseat parenting by people who have no idea what they are talking about, and we left the line to go get in the line for boarding instead.Actually, we enjoyed the massage chairs first. Didn't have to go that badly anyway. There, other foreign parents were trying to keep things positive with their little ones and I felt somewhat less out of place. Once we landed in the states, though, I saw lots of parents like me, issuing quiet guidance to their little people, occasionally with warning tones as necessary. I don't think we had left the airport in the US before I saw another mom looking at her little guy and saying something like, "Luke, no. Pay attention now. Don't do that thing." which back in Miyagi would have sent several nearby non-parents into a tizzy of questioning glances. So it turns out that my parenting style, seen here as too abrasive, is about normal for middle-class Americans, or at least the ones I saw. I don't really understand Japanese parenting techniques as I've seen moms put up with being physically beaten and verbally assaulted by their 5-year-olds, all while remaining silent and passive. I'm not a trained psycho-analyst or anything but teaching your kid not to assault people might be a better idea? Even so, when I see this, there are no weird looks from me. I just walk away. It's not my business how those people raise their kids. My daughter knowing right from wrong is far more important. When we were stateside, not only was I not party to admonishing looks, but my kid was extremely well behaved according to most random strangers. At one point, while my father was watching her at a play area, my kid went to a boy who had fallen down after being pushed and starting to cry. She was the first one to try to console him. His mom was fast to retrieve and help her son, and made a point of letting us know that we were doing something right.She's also good with birds. I cannot be sure what parts of my kid's "helped the injured" tactic are brought about by Japanese kindergarten, our parenting style, my in-laws' influence, or her own natural human compassion, but whatever it is, it seems to be working. How do you parent your international children? Have you seen these techniques in practice? Does anyone else get glared at so often?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z88LY-livingSun, 19 Aug 2018 11:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z88LY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6ZL8-livingIf you're curious about the shenanigans of GISH, there is not better time than the present to check it out. Registration for next year's hunt, slated for July 27th through August 3rd of 2019, is currently open and will be closing within the next 72 hours. This is the early-early registration though, which has never been seen before and offers some perks to match.Fun times ahead!Early registrants get to take advantage of this year's prices (though the cost rarely increases by more than a dollar or two), a 10% discount for use at the 2018 GISHPorium (a temporary online shop for official GISH goods, including t-shirts, knickknacks and the every-popular Coffee Table Book comprised of the BEST submissions from that year), some kind of handcrafted note from Misha Collins and a special, Secret Challenge that has yet to be revealed. The GISH powers that be will also be offering 1,000 bonus GISHpoints, which have no official value but do make you appear to have better standing in GISH circles.Super-eager folks may take advantage of the top tier registration level, which also grants a copy of the 2019 coffee table book which may even include some of your team's exploits.Whether you're in it to win it or just joining for fun, if you've got $21.08 in credit, debit or Paypal, you can now join GISH and be officially registered and ready for next year's hunt.If you're not ready just yet, don't worry. Regular registration should be up and running in May. It's usually what I get my mom for Mother's Day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6ZL8-livingThu, 16 Aug 2018 23:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6ZL8-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3Zm9-living_sendai_shi_miyagiLast week, large liberal cities across the globe (though mostly throughout North America) sprang to life with a passion for the weird, the wild, the kind and the clever. GISH was upon us once again.My first item this year: Paint with your nose.GISH, formerly GISHWHES, is the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt. It happens once a year, for one predetermined week, and the people who play this game call themselves gishers. They come in many shapes and sizes, ranging in age from 14 to 100 or more and generally set about having a good time for a good cause.I've been doing this for years. Literally years. Every year my team roster changes and I wonder if our new people will catch on or freak out and we've had a decent amount of each. This year, mostly, people did more than what I expected of them. Romaine Lettuce Toga. It took a whole afternoon and 4 heads of romaine.I even managed to raise more than $100 to help Rwandan genocide survivors set up livelihoods for the foreseeable future, which is still shocking to me. That item was worth 150 points and I didn't see us getting it. Those things never work for my team, but they're usually taken over by one of our teammates who chose not to participate this year. The difference is that I pressed my Facebook friends list to find 10 people who wanted to help for the low low cost of $10 a piece and a promise of some small thank you from me. Luckily I have enough people who want to help others and want a little something from Japan that this worked.Us giving tea to random pedestrians in Sendai.Another aspect that was different this year was the inclusion of the app, named GISH, which provides a decent enough tool for finding people roughly in your area, communicating with others all over the world, checking out the list and submitting items during the hunt, as well as chatting with your own team. It's a pretty convenient tool but I found it a bit buggy at points. I could not submit a single item on app, but the website still worked for that, so I just managed all of that on the PC.One item this year included finding people in your area on the app and fulfilling some item on their wish list, a set of 10 things we were encouraged to put on our profiles. The first night of GISH, I came up with my list and posted it, waiting for other people in Japan to catch on. Ideally this item could be completed in person, but gishers in Japan tend to be far flung. There are a bunch around Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo, but up here in Miyagi, it's mostly just me and my one friend who I invited to the event. To submit this item, you needed a picture of the person you sent something to holding the thing, which wasn't going to happen within the week-long hunt with anyone out of country, so I searched around Japan the next night and found, to my delight, that many people had started participating. I found one woman in Osaka who wanted an English conversation lesson, which happens to be what I've been doing for a living since 2008, so I messaged her and set up a time. Her English was fairly low level, but she was enthusiastic. She wanted to speak better the next time she meets Jensen Ackles, who we both agree is the hot one on the Supernatural cast. We also discussed how hard it is to GISH in Japan, even in the large cities. It was weirdly wonderful to bond with a student I never met and give her a little more language experience. i liked this item so much I did it three times, the other two ladies sending me packages as well, which happened to arrive just as I needed a boost.So gishing in Japan, like living in Japan, isn't for everyone and can be challenging, but in the end, I feel glad and extremely lucky to be doing it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3Zm9-living_sendai_shi_miyagiWed, 08 Aug 2018 08:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3Zm9-living_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNxY7-living_galleriesIt is difficult for me to isolate a typical day, as every day as a mom is different and every week day has a slightly different schedule, allowing for classes I teach and classes my daughter takes. So this is a fairly normal Monday, and it starts with a sandwich.A lot of housewives in Japan prepare bento for their whole family. Lucky for me, my daughter does not require one and my husband is content with sandwiches and cup noodles. Bonus: my husband uses the money he saves not buying lunch taking me out to lunch on his days off. This is why he gets sandwiches.Next is breakfast. A little something for my daughter and something easier for me. What's with the soy-sauce dish? Glad you asked. I hate the toughness of these granola bars, so I soak them in coffee, using a small dish to avoid excess granola sludge in my drink.Monday is plastic garbage day at my apartment building and there is a small shed in the parking lot with the proper garbage days and calendar noted. A good guide if you're lost in kanji is whether or not the color of the writing on your garbage bag matches the others in the garbage area.Then it's back upstairs to get the various school things ready for my daughter, who at this point is still eating her breakfast insanely slowly. I enjoy another cup of coffee and chatting with my mom while I fold last night's laundry and my daughter finishes her food.Then we shower, change, and get her downstairs for the bus. Apparently it used to be common for the moms from a school to decide a common place for the bus to stop and all meet together, but nowadays it is more common to ask the bus to stop in front of your building, which is what we do.After she's on the bus, I head out to teach at a nearby community center, then do a little shopping on my way home and have lunch. If I have adequate time, I squeeze in a workout.Before long, my daughter is home, and I notice I forgot to get something at the grocery. She changes out of her uniform, most of which goes in the wash save for the name tag. Try to remember to remove the name tag. I start a load of laundry and we go to the grocery where we find cheap tonkatsu and buy it along with some cheap cabbage-based salad mix to go underneath, because it will then take very little effort to make dinner look like this.When we get home, I hang the laundry in the shower room, which has a drying function. Hanging heavier natural fabrics (towels, jeans,etc.) closest to the air vent is recommended, as is checking back in a few hours to see what's dry and maybe flip the towels over on their hangers if necessary to help them dry.Since I had to get her new indoor shoes for school, it was time to stamp them with her name stamp. The first time I did this, I was so nervous I would mess it up by stamping in the wrong place. It turns out name tags and stamps wind up in a number of different laces depending on the parents so I went with my daughter's choice-- across the elastic band. She actually stamped them herself with these wonderful name stamps that my mother-in-law so thoughtfully gave us when my daughter started school.Then, before dinner, if there is time and she is willing, we write out the alphabet and at least her name in hiragana, just for practice. After that, there's usually dinner and waiting for my husband to come home, and sometimes we got to bed and read a book, falling asleep long before he gets in, but that's life in Japan.At least, that's my life in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNxY7-living_galleriesWed, 01 Aug 2018 10:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wNxY7-living_gallerieshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GOR9X-living_food_shopping_teaThe green tea I picked up this week was literally named Shizuoka Cha green tea and came in at the price of only 311 yen, tax included, for 100 grams. At that price, this selection is around fifty percent cheaper that other similar teas from Shizuoka sold at the same store, even on the same shelf. The package even advertised an increased size: this container being ten percent larger than previous bags, coming in at a whopping 110 grams.I made a little pot of the stuff and poured the entirety of the pot into a large cup. Even visually, you can tell it is a little bit weaker than some green teas on the market. Sipping at the warm beverage was comfortable and relaxing despite the amout of bitterness in the drink itself. This tea did not try to be too fancy or market itself as a diet drink due to lacking sweetness. It was a simple tea and tasted much as I expect authentic Japanese green tea to taste, though perhaps a few shades more soft in overall flavor. Compared to other green tea brands from Shizuoka, this beverage was pretty gentle in overall flavor but with little to hide the normal bitterness inherent in most green teas I've tasted.While I will say that this one was definitely discount for a reason, I would also be lying if I said I didn't enjoy my cup and go back to make a second and third batch with the same leaves before dumping the green lumps of used tea leaves into the garbage. My daughter even enjoyed having a glass or two of the tasty green drink with her afternoon snack once the temperature of the tea had cooled down. When served at a lover temperature, the bitterness is even easier to forget. There was also a surprisingly large amount of sediment in proportion to the tea made. Every cup of freshly brewed green tea has some left over bit that must be swished back into the remaining tea via centrifugal force or swallowed as an unappetizing slime or discarded. This one required a bit of action to get back into tea form for easy swallowing.This tea is alright if you're running low on cash but really need a 100 grams of green tea or if this happens to be the last green tea option left on the shelves. It is still highly enjoyable and tastes as green tea should, with a bit of bitterness. I do not recommend it over the other green teas I have tried from Shizuoka prefecture, but it is still a lot more delectable than the horrid green tea flavored health drinks available at the grocery store.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GOR9X-living_food_shopping_teaMon, 30 Jul 2018 10:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GOR9X-living_food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLbkN-livingI just got back from spending a fantastic ten day vacation stateside with my family, and the whole thing was really amazing save for one special item I wished I had been able to bring with us.This pout perfectly explains my feelings regarding American toilet seats. The number one thing I missed most about Japan is the washlet. Nothing compares to the feeling of cleanliness and confidence that stems from washing the affected region after a bowel movement. Maybe it's just my inherent paranoia that leads me to over-wiping, resulting in significant particle left-overs that cling and make it impossible to feel really clean until you next shower.Using the bathroom without a washlet now leaves me feeling frustrated, convinced that I still smell of the sins committed upon the porcelain throne and that my undergarments are acquiring new undesirable stains, or that I have collected a forest of toilet paper particles. When I get to use a washlet, I leave the facilities feeling clean and secure, knowing that I'm not harboring disgusting toilet paper particles, staining my underclothing, or stinking of toilet-related activities. I feel refreshed, and walk out feeling significantly more confident and relaxed than I can when part of my brain is analyzing whether or not every person I meet thinks I stink in a literal and unpleasant way.That's more like it. Calm. Comfortable. Clean I know the washlet isn't for everyone, and it took me the better part of two years to decide that it was worth trying. When nature called during a date, I decided that smelling awful or fearing that you smell awful adds something uncomfortable to the date, and I really liked this guy. I mean, of course I did. He's my husband now. While there are many factors that influence relationships, being able to take this risk and feel great about the outcome definitely didn't hurt that date or the ones that followed. Using a washlet might not lead you to true love, but it beats the alternative.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLbkN-livingSat, 28 Jul 2018 08:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLbkN-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/za549-livingOn the way from our great adventure abroad, my family chose to take the bullet train from Tokyo to Sendai, a go-to choice for the traveler who lacks the time for an overnight bus or the money for a connecting flight.Admittedly, this picture is from a previous shinkansen trip, mid-week, unreserved and uncrowded, unlike the packed train we were on when this story occurred. No sooner had the train started moving toward Ueno than we heard a strange utterance from a few rows back. The sound was a kind of light wailing from the vocal chords of an elderly woman or nearly pubescent male. As we could not see the person clearly, my family assumed some sort of neuro-atypical spasm rather than anything dangerous or a death rattle.Unfortunately, the woman who made the sound also immediately passed out and her family looked around, silent panicked expressions attempting to find help before an adult male of their group ran to get the conductor. My husband wispered in English across the aisle that he wasn't sure if the woman was still alive. We pulled into Ueno station and stopped, an announcement I had no hope of understanding sounding out in keigo above us. The reason was clear enough to anyone in our car-- someone had to help this woman. After a few minutes, a wheel chair was summoned and she was put into it, coherent now and debating with the cabin attendants as to the nature and level of her problems. It was clear that her and her family were leaving to seek immediate medical attention, but her pride was hurt by her physical ailments. What I find most interesting about this is how quiet this whole ordeal is in Japan. In the US, I imagine the family of the passed out woman calling for help out loud before anyone went to retrieve the conductor. The five minute stop for a reserved seat train on a weekday evening just before the weekend would have met with many audible grumbles from the businessmen and others with plans being postponed potentially indefinitely. At best, it would have been a hushed verbal annoyance. In Japan, everyone quietly peers back at those people in trouble and express concern over annoyance. It's nice to be back.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/za549-livingSat, 28 Jul 2018 07:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/za549-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5jY-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiPhoto credit: Hana Suzuki. Yeah, I couldn't take this one as I was in the picture.Yesterday was Shiogama's Minato Port Festival, in which the postable shrine makes its way down the 202 steps of Shiogama Shrine and out, upon the special shrine boats, to the outlying islands, then back up the steps around 6PM. Between the entrance and exit of the shrine, groups of dancers perform down the main street leading to the shrine and this year, I was one of them.I have done this before, twice in fact, and each time with my little girl asleep on me. The first year wasn't so bad-- she was in a carrier on my chest the whole time. No worries.The second year, she was walking and dancing and dressed up all excited...and the tendency of the organizers for the group I dance with to have an early morning meeting followed by hours of rehearsal and lunch, followed eventually by actually getting out to the parade, ate my daughter's energy and I wound up carrying her the whole way. The difference in her weight between the two years was very noticeable and by the end, my face was so brightly crimson from overexertion that people thought I had painted it to be festive. I had strangers coming up to me while I was dancing, offering to hold the child on my chest. In my near-heat-stroke state, I couldn't discern that from wanting to steal my baby and shook my head.I did not join this performance last year due to how difficult the previous year had been, but this year my daughter is in love with dancing and attention. This year the festival is the day before a flight to American. This year is different.Also, I came to an understanding with management that I would be arriving in the afternoon to get dressed and review the dance before we set out, but not that morning. A good call for me.My plan was to exhaust my daughter with the dancing and come home to recuperate and nap before our big trip tomorrow, but all was for not. The dancing went well and she enjoyed it immensely, but once we got home and showered, only I was ready for a nap. She continued bouncing off the walls until I put her to bed late in the evening.Still it was lovely and memorable and terribly fun.I'm the fat white one, also known as the one who looks like she might be attempting Gungam Style, next to the little one in the front row.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5jY-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiTue, 17 Jul 2018 02:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ5jY-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNvN-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiToday was the first day of Shiogama's Minato Port Festival activities and it was getting busy before stalls even opened. I know, because on a whim, my daughter and I headed over to the small park where many vendor stalls were located, only to be told that the sales would start promptly at 3PM and no earlier. We were only fifteen minutes early, but I know the lay of the land in Japan and that rules, even those that seem arbitrary, are to be followed under all but the most dire of circumstances, so I didn't fight this. Instead I walked around with my increasingly impatient daughter, who did what most nearly-five-year-olds would do in the same situation and started into a small tantrum about not being able to get things the moment she set eyes on them. I didn't want to spend 700 yen on a plastic Hello Kitty mask anyway, but I did see one stall that looked like a fun option. Salty Shiogama ginger ale. It might be awful, but other salty Shiogama things are good, like moshio and the yuzu craft chuhai, so you never know...but it doesn't matter because I couldn't buy it. By the time the shops were opened, my daughter had punched me and screamed in my ear, and we had to go home before I lost my temper. She screamed the whole way home, but it had to be done.Usually you can see some of the islands from here. Today? Nothing.Later, I wondered if I should have found a way to stay out there. The festival is only once a year, and it is a lot of fun. Then I peeked outside. The fog was already rolling in. I laughed as I went back in. All these poor visitors were coming for fireworks that were not going to be visible. I knew it, along with most other people who have lived here a while. At least half the time that this festival goes on, the fog obscures everything and there is nothing to see. Still, I popped out of my apartment when the fireworks began that evening only to see exactly what I had expected: fog. So there goes one more year of invisible fireworks for Shiogama. If past experience is anything to go by, tomorrow will be bright and cloudless.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNvN-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 16 Jul 2018 00:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNvN-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK9Pk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagi This is it! The big weekend for the city I live in: the port festival. Not only will there be festival stalls and festivities Sunday, concluding with fireworks that usually seem to start around 8PM, but then Monday comes with the marching of the portable shrine across the length of the town, onto the shrine boats and out to the outlying islands before coming back up the 202 stairs of Shiogama Shrine that evening. What do you do if you're not following the shrine out to the islands? Watch the parade of course! Groups of mutual hobbyists, social collectives and students all march to the same song, doing their interpretation of a historical dance. This round, my daughter and I will be making an appearance with the Shiogama International Friendship Club, or something similar that my exhausted brain has since bungled. We've marched with them before and enjoyed it, though last time we met our match. The tendency of those who run the club is too gather all participants early in the morning at a community center nearby and practice until lunch time, then eat and move to the street where we wait in the sun for one more hour before our turn comes up and we dance the length of the main street from the Ichibankan building to the main entrance to Shiogama Shrine, which stretches about 750 meters according to Google. Last time, my daughter was an excited two year old, desperate to play and enjoy the attention, but terribly finite in the energy level she could sustain for an entire day of activity. Still, we did as instructed and showed up on time so my kid could run non-stop until we were actually on the street, about to dance. That was when the eye rubbing took hold and before I knew it, I was carrying a heavy load of toddler the entire length of the parade while my face became so red with over-exhaustion that most of my friends assume I was wearing red face paint to get into the spirit of the event. That last experience was enough that we did not even try the following year. Only now, as I have bargained my way into a 1PM meeting followed by the marching have I been able to make myself believe that this might just be great fun.And this time my kid will be awake.So if you're in the area, come on out. It will be crowded and hot, but sometime between 2PM and 4PM, an adorable half-Caucasian kid may dance and smile at you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK9Pk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 12 Jul 2018 17:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK9Pk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go4jZ-living_food_shopping_tagajo_shi_miyagiThis Friday, Saturday and Sunday there will be something called the Tagajo Beer Summit in the park in front of Tagajo Station on the Senseki Line, which is twenty one minutes and 240 yen from Sendai. The park is easy to find, on the same side of the station as the bus pool including the Kirin Brewery shuttle bus. This is not the side with the library, so if you see Starbucks, turn around. For the entry fee of 2000 yen for an advanced ticket, each patron receives three beers of their choice as well as an otsumami snack plate and some kind of event goods. the featured beers include Kirin Ichiban, Heartland, Kirin's dark brew, Yona yona ale, Budweiser, Guinness, Heineken, and Brooklyn Brewery. At least those are the labels pictured on the poster I found.I've seen all of these around in Japan, either at Yamaya or the convenience store, excluding Brooklyn Brewery. If the website is anything to go by, this may be, in my very Texan way of thinking, a yankee version of Shiner. For those who don't come from my home state or drink beers from there, Shiner is a small town in Texas that is known for one major industry and that is a small brewery where they make not just Shiner Bock, the beer of choice for beer enthusiasts in my college days, but also a number of seasonal brews and other variations. I have yet to drink a bottle I didn't like, but it's also been five years since I've had a Shiner due to lack of imports of that beer to Japan and lack of exports of me to my home state. The Tagajo Beer Summit runs from 5PM to 8PM on this Friday, the thirteenth, returning for the next two days from 11AM to 8PM. It looks to be a fun time with some nice beers if you have the time and money to enjoy it. Also, if the weather holds out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go4jZ-living_food_shopping_tagajo_shi_miyagiThu, 12 Jul 2018 16:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Go4jZ-living_food_shopping_tagajo_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVRPx-living_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiNestled at the end of the block that used to contain Sakurano department store, Don Quijote, the variety good shop popular throughout Japan, has arrived and brought with it a number of strange goods.They even have a mock up of the Don Quijote mascot, who is for some reason a penguin, dressed up as Date Masamune, the one-eyed samurai founder of Sendai. He's holding a kamaboko, the bamboo-leaf-shaped reconstituted-fish-bits on a stick, frequently served fried and with a variety of sauces and flavors. It's a regional favorite, especially in this shape. I have many friends who have told me of the things they have seen and purchased at this chain store elsewhere in Japan, but I never lived close to one and I don't drive. Since my husband has no interest in discount stores, we never make a point of stopped there, so it was only today that I finally got to explore most of the inside of the store. I've actually entered this store twice before, each time spending my pre-approved budget before I found the escalator and having to leave without a proper exploration. I expected to find the extremely cheap and extremely interesting, and some of that was true. It reminded me in some ways of the tiny Village Vanguard shop I found in Nagoya my first year in Japan, when I practically danced and sang in excitement over their having cherry coke. There was no cherry coke here though, and my budget for extravagance and random fun is not what it once was. All-in-all, it felt like a mix between Village Vanguard and Sanki, with prices high above the latter for not entirely dissimilar quality, but more interesting variations in selection for most products. Their Sanrio section was interesting enough that I will definitely be back before my daughter's birthday, but their prices were high enough that I could not buy interesting souvenirs for my family back home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVRPx-living_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiWed, 11 Jul 2018 21:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVRPx-living_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4r2k-livingI saw this the other day both on Japanese morning TV with my kid and at a book store in Sendai before later finding it on the kids Netflix page as well. When it first came on, I had not seen the name and assumed this character must be some kind of peach or inverted fruit or...nope. He's a butt. Literally a butt, who is also a private detective and somehow solves crimes. When he talks, his cheeks move. So far as I notices, his mouth is never visible, which I suppose is a good thing. I missed a lot of the middle of the episode as I was laughing and working on some other household chores. I returned in time to see the climax, in which the butt detective figures out the location of the kidnapped people he has been hired to find. That group that now includes at least one of his comrades (all of whom are fully human and not butts given additional corporeal function) and the butt detective moves to confront the baddies in an abandoned factory of some kind. The butt detective sneaks in along the roof and enters unseen through a window. Spying his objective, he chooses to use the only weapon he seems to have at his disposal and gasses the entire factory facility, sending the bad guys screaming for mercy, thus saving the day. When I say gasses, I want you to know that it was not some clever device the butt detective happened to bring along. No, no. He expels gas from his anus/mouth until it fills the room. Silent but deadly, though not actually silent nor deadly. Am I the only one who sees this, laughs at the inanity of it, and then wonders to themselves if some desperate programming developer somewhere in Japan happened upon Ace Ventura on the wrong day and this is what came out of it?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4r2k-livingWed, 11 Jul 2018 21:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4r2k-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLd1v-foodWhile wandering through the snack section of the grocery store under one of the department stores in Sendai, I happened upon this and just had to have it. Pocky flavors in Japan, even in not-terribly-urban Japan, can run the gamut from the orignal but boring milk chocolate to seasonal favorites like cocoa-powder-covered winter pocky, including weird but enjoyable variations like banana bran and more refined but expensive options like blond chocolate or sakura.This was one of those special little things I might pick up for myself and hide away in the fridge until I have a minute to really indulge. I'm quite fond of both raspberry and chocolate, so it was a no-brainer as to whether or not I'd like to try this one.Packaged as midi size, which includes half length sticks and double-thick chocolate compared to regular Pocky, these treats are delicious and the slightly tart raspberry pairs with the sweet chocolate really well. With three packets per box and four sticks per packet, the treat doesn't last too long.The stick is a raspberry cookie, double-dipped in some rather nice, thick chocolate, and the combination is scrumptious. I am personally glad that this came in the midi size, though I would greedily have eaten a whole huge box. I doubt my body requires quite that much extra sugar however. Sharing the three small packets with my kid made for a great way to end the day-- with a crunch and a sweet smile.The price as I recall was between 200 and 300 yen, making this selection expensive compared to the basic plain chocolate and strawberry options but a bit cheaper than the deluxe blond or berry chocolate varieties.Personally, I am still waiting to find White Decoration Cake Pocky again. I had it once at an anime convention in 2005 and nothing has ever been the same.What new pocky flavor is your favorite?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLd1v-foodTue, 10 Jul 2018 10:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GLd1v-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgPAl-living_shoppingDon't you just hate those little gnat/dani bugs? As summer approaches and temperatures warm, keeping these pests from overburdening your home can be quite a challenge. I've tried a handful of solutions including the plastic encased bug repellent strips from the hundred yen store that tend not to work almost at all and the slightly more expensive disposable floor or counter based units that trap the bugs inside. Those are usually a lot more useful, but can be challenging to keep around and upright in a house with small, adventurous children.I saw a commercial for this one the other day and started laughing at the name. I know they mean Earth. You know they mean Earth. The fact that they cannot be bothered with the "r" and think "th" is "s" is superfluous, but amusing. Earth Nomat. It is supposed to keep the bugs from even wanting to enter the house. I found this 60 day supply super cheap on Amazon and it even had a coupon. We'll see how well it works in the months to come.The main selling point seems to be that this is more environmentally conscious (using disposable plastic only for the bottle refills, not the entire unit) but it also uses electricity, though apparently very small amounts. Also, the box seems to mention mosquitoes especially. Hopefully it works on most annoying little bugs.According to the box, this unit and supplies will last sixty days if it is plugged in and turned on for 12 hours a day. There are also 30-day, 90-day, and 120-day supplies. Given that this summer includes a ten day vacation for my family just as the weather really starts to get hot and those little bugs really start showing up, I might wait until just before we leave to really give it a go. Unfortunately, that means our 60-day supply is going to last a maximum of 30 days if left on continuously, but it will likely work out alright since we're only gone for ten. If it works, we will come home to a bug free house. If it doesn't, I'll know this funny sounding product does not have to be purchased again and resume using the cheap, disposable cone-shaped dani traps from Homac. Time will tell.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgPAl-living_shoppingSat, 07 Jul 2018 20:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgPAl-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb2vE-living_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagiOn Sunday, June 24th, a kids event was held at Marine Gate in Shiogama and I am glad to say that we were in attendance. The flier, distributed about town in the week previous, said to expect produce stalls, a sea-shell crafts area, and a woodworking area where one could make toy cars or lantern for a small fee. It turns out that the woodworking area was really for the toy cars, which were great but also seemed un-sanded and a little likely to splinter, so we avoided it. There was a large play area with many wooden toys that entertained my four-year-old for ages. The lanterns were available for purchase and as it turns out run on solar power, so there is no need for batteries though I do have to remember to relocate the rabbit to direct sunlight in the morning.Produce wasn't overly available, though there was a small selection and it did include some sliced and ready-to-eat cantalope, which I gleefully devoured while my daughter enjoyed an ice cream from the shop near the ferry ticket booth.As my husband likens sea shells to bones and doesn't see a point in keeping them in the house, I didn't bother paying for my daughter to make a seashell mobile as some kids were doing. Others were glueing shells onto picture frames which was also lovely but not necessary for us who live meters from the sea. One thing I could get behind was painting the inside of a shell that could then be used as a present for a loving grandparent. My daughter picked a shell and got to work, applying her scrylics as she saw fit. Big splotches of pink eventually gave way to a lovely line of purple and a further stroke of lavender. In the end, it kind of resembled a hibiscus flower, which made this a perfect gift for my mom, who loves the ocean and in specific Hawaii.In addition to the painting, crayons were provided, as well as a coloring page featuring the dragon and phoenix shaped shrine boats of Shiogama. The goal seems to be getting kids to color in the pages to add to a larger project for next month's port festival, during which the shrine boats will carry the portable shrines to the outlying islands to bless the people there before returning that evening. My kid seemed resolute to only use two crayons and run back to play with the wooden toys, but such is life.In the end, it was a very enjoyable experience. What I did not know was a larger and more crowded festival was taking place in Matsushima at the same time, which was probably why the Marine Gate midday crowd was so much lighter than I had anticipated.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb2vE-living_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagiFri, 06 Jul 2018 10:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb2vE-living_familylife_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNPj-livingWhen I moved to Japan in my early twenties, rainy season was a real surprise for me. For 23 years, I knew summers that lasted around 6 months and the rest of the seasons lopped into the rest of the year, in whatever interval the weather saw fit, occasionally with as many as 4 seasons in one day. Just having regimented three-month long weather cycles was weird enough for me, but to then have half of summer--the one season I truly understand--traded for perpetual humidity with frequent rain caused nothing but grief. That said, I enjoyed watching the thunderstorms well enough, but the shortening of my summer and the frequency of the rain/flooding/typhoons bothered me.Rain, rain. Go away. Stop hurting me. You suck. No it doesn't rhyme. Blame the migraine.Ten years later, I found myself looking forward to this season for the respite from the heat. I wouldn't be having to turn on the air conditioner for a while, I told myself. It would be nice and cool from the rain. No sweat-drenched walks across town for me yet, I believed, but even that has failed to be true. In the last week, I have sweated myself weak from walking across town to teach and had to walk home in a torrential downpour to boot. It has become the worst of both seasons and worst of all, the changes in air pressure has combined with the fading estrogen and cartilage of my thirties to form a fantastic hellscape of migraines and joint pain.I hate rainy season now, because it hurts me. If I swapped the migraines for depression, I would swear this was winter. And that begs the question: which is worse? Between feeling like an ice pick is being driven through your eye socket or not caring if one was, I don't know which would win my preference, but I know who loses, and that's me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNPj-livingThu, 05 Jul 2018 10:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZNPj-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvPkV-living_money_sendai_shi_miyagiIt is with significant sadness that I report that Sendai's Fukuro Owl Cafe has closed.According to the website, this change occurred back in December of 2017 and unfortunately I hadn't been able to return to the place as often as I would like to have and feel pretty awful about not being able to have provided more support to the closest facsimile of pet ownership I have in this country. It was definitely one of my daughter's favorite places in the city and a must-see stop for every friend I've had visit since I've known about the place.All that's left of one of my favorite Sendai places: a high, unlit sign and a printed sheet saying Fukuro Owl Cafe is now closed in Japanese. We had some really good memories there, like dancing with a parrot last GISHWHES and feeding the owls on several occasions. One time, I even got to take part in the flight demonstration, become a perch for a barn owl. Even my daughter got the opportunity to hold and feed one of the tiny creatures last year. Let's not forget our first visit, when the marmoset leaped onto my then-two-year-old daughter's head and scared her quite badly for all of thirty seconds. It is unfortunate to see the passing of one more fun place that actually brought joy to the whole family, but it might be true that the population of this little city cannot sustain many of these places, especially at affordable prices. With that in mind, for anyone else upset by this loss and looking for animals to snuggle, there is a new and slightly expensive cat cafe further down in the arcade, near Forus, and a new owl cafe namedRickylocatednear the Aobadori-Ichibancho subway station. As it turns out, Ricky is a chain of owl cafes in Tohoku including shops in Akita and Morioka.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvPkV-living_money_sendai_shi_miyagiMon, 02 Jul 2018 21:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvPkV-living_money_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWPy9-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiThe other day, my husband had the day off and I only had one lesson just before lunch. As I left my overworked and exhausted husband, who sat unshaved and unshowered in the living room playing on his phone, I could conceive of only two possible outcomes. Either he would be ready to go out to lunch as planned when I returned around 12:15, or he would still be there playing around and I would be forced to either make something or go back out and grab bento from the grocery store. Being that we live walking distance from a fantastic little pizza place, my hope was that he would at least be in the shower by the time I got back if not completely ready, but only time would tell. The class went well and I was surprised to see a text from husband on my phone as I left the class, asking for clarification on my current location. I do teach private lessons in a number of places around town, so it isn't so rare to get the locations mixed up, even for me. As I was typing my response, my phone started ringing. I answered to hear my husband say, "Turn around!" I turned. Behind me was the building I had just taught in. He was not there. I started peering down the each both sides of the main road in front of me. "Are you wearing shorts?" I asked, waving at a distant, slightly blurry figure. "Umm. No. No, I'm waving at you...." he said. I stopped waving at distant shorts-guy and started looking around more, but couldn't see anyone coming at me or waving. "Or wait...oh god. Maybe that's a curvy Japanese woman. AM I WAVING AT A CURVY JAPANESE WOMAN?!" my husband said, the blind terror of potential embarrassment taking control of his voice. With a great deal of hearty laughter, I finally found him, coming from the opposite direction that shorts-guy had been, just beyond my field of vision. Together, we walked to the pizza place and enjoyed a wonderful little lunch as immensely as any meal we've ever eaten together. This was the special dessert of the day: a ricotta tart. It was so wonderful I actually literally considered whether or not this had been just a really lovely dream. Luckily, I didn't have to wake up.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWPy9-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 02 Jul 2018 20:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GWPy9-living_food_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm5Dm-living_shopping_tea The most adorable thing I picked up this week at the newly opened Don Quijote store in the Sendai shopping arcade was this: a neat little canister of green tea from Shizuoka. The canisters are sold in sets of 2 large or 3 small, each for the same price of 980 yen. How could I say no? I snatched up one of the small sets, knowing that the other two canisters would make lovely presents for friends and family.Now I will admit that all previous Shizuoka green teas I have tried have been in bags or loose leaf teas, not the powdered matcha variety, which is probably why I was so confused by the long, folded over packaging inside the lovely canister and mistakenly upended the whole lot into a tea cup.That's going to be some pretty strong matcha. This is definitely not what you are supposed to do.Scooping most of the contents back into the little canister, I put the water to boil and waited.The results were wonderful. Easily the best cup of tea I have had in ages and the best powdered matcha I have enjoyed hands down. As gentle and demure as the container it came in, the tea exuded a gentle but confident flavor, without the bitter bite of some other green teas. It was even a little bit sweet, which is not something I tend to associate with green tea but here it was more than welcome and mixed well with the other characteristics. Coming to the end of the cup, I noticed a hint of tartness in the dregs, but only a little and not enough to put a damper on the rest of the experience.If you're looking for a neat, adorable little bit of deliciousness to send back to friends and family, these tins of Shizuoka green tea pack a lot of yum into a tiny little drum and for a price that won't break the bank. You can even choose a size relative to the size of your budget, friendship, and/or packing space. These really make for a fun way to finish off a small package of Japanese-ness for someone back home and come well sealed for protection. If your intended recipient isn't too aware of matcha protocol, I recommend including a small spoon or scoop (a disposable plastic ice cream spoon worked for me) and instruct them to start with a scoop in the bottom of the cup, then add water. It's also just as delicious cold, though getting the matcha to dissolve in cold water is a little more challenging.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm5Dm-living_shopping_teaMon, 02 Jul 2018 15:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm5Dm-living_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqpv-living_healthRainy season is well and truly upon us now and one of the best ways to stay out of the gloom while simultaneously preparing for summer is getting a good workout. If you have a good home gym situation or a gym near you, that's great, but I have neither of these. Nevertheless, using streaming TV shows, a couple of hundred yen store dumbbells and Pinterest posts on workouts targeting my problem areas, I have developed my own home workout system that seems to be keeping me in better spirits and better shape.I was inspired by TV related drinking games that I never played personally, but the gist is always the same. You pick a show with predictable, repeated actions/characters/themes (i.e. the original Star Trek) and every time one of these established, reoccurring things happens (Kirk pauses mid-sentence for more than 2 seconds, Spock mentions logic, etc.) you take a drink. Less frequent things (i.e. the enterprise fires shots, red alert goes off, a space monster attacks) would require a shot instead, with even less frequent things (Spock smiling, fight to the death) necessitating a few shots of your chosen alcohol.What I decided to do was try this with basic exercises, making a list of commonly occurring themes/items in my chosen TV show alongside specific exercises and the numbers of reps per occurrence. This list took a bit of adapting to make it work well and still I change the number of reps regularly based on energy level and necessity.The show I picked is weird, but cheezy 80s horror amuses me so much that I do attest to owning VHS copies of The Evil Dead and The Evil Dead 2 and subjecting many a friend to repeated viewings of each. So when I found a way to watch Ash Vs The Evil Dead, I couldn't help but jot down a few ideas.This is my list. It's littered with jargon and shorthand, but it works for me. Using exercises you're already familiar with will save you the need to draw stick figures to explain. It is good to keep the items easy to remember and regularly occurring. If none of the things are happening, find a basic workout action you like and do it until one of the list items happens. If nothing on the list happens for more than a few minutes, pause and retool your list based on other common things. The goal is to stay active and work your body out for the full length of the time provided. Remember to keep a water bottle handy and stay hydrated.The episodes of my chosen program are usually around 30 minutes long, and when I started this, I was keep on burning all the energy in that half hour and kept my repetitions high (20 presses, 30 seconds plank) but have since started to double the episodes up while using lower reps (10 presses, 20 seconds plank) and have found it to be a better workout overall.However you do it, stay active this rainy season. Summer will be here before you know it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqpv-living_healthFri, 29 Jun 2018 16:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqpv-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp70x-living_galleries_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagiZuihouden Mausoleum, SendaiIf you're into certain kinds of architecture or curious about special old graveyards and funerary buildings of old Japan, this is the place for you. It is definitely best enjoyed on days with low attendance as many aspects of what makes this area special can be lost in the roar of hundreds of other tourists' murmurs and footfalls. The woods around the area are breathtakingly beautiful, but the trip from the Loople bus stop to the entrance gate and beyond does require a fair amount of up-slope walking, so those with mobility issues might find it hard to navigate.Entsuiin Temple Gradens, MatsushimaAny season, something is blooming and beautiful at Entsuiin. I've previously blogged about the wonderful autumn light-up illumination display, but this was my first time visiting the area in spring and it was well worth the trip. If you have the time and money, you can choose to make a bracelet by choosing the specifications (size and material of beads) at the front desk when you pay before entering. The bracelet is a unique souvenir, but it is worth a trip and the entrance fee just to walk around in moderate to fair weather. Nearby Zuiganji Temple is also lovely in spring when the inner gardens are opened so that the two marvelous sakura trees, each hundreds of years old, can be seen. Also in Matsushima, Godaido Shrine offers a picturesque view of Matsushima Bay, and for free.Shiogama Shrine, ShiogamaWill I ever stop talking about Shiogama Shrine? Well, now that construction has finished on several parts of the many shrine complex, I don't see why I should. The gates are gorgeous and the grand entryway has never looked better. Also, do not miss the garden area which features a great view which extends out over much of the town and even to the islands around Matsushima on a clear day as well as a lovely decorative pond.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp70x-living_galleries_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagiFri, 22 Jun 2018 17:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp70x-living_galleries_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbXL-food_money_howtoNeed a fun frothy pick-me-up but lacking the funds for a Starbucks run? Then this is the post for you. I came across this idea somewhere in the depths of physical and financial exhaustion, such that comes with raising a small child as I have been. This came about while I was searching for cheap options to spice up my otherwise boring instant coffee. I have since increased my options to include an inherited basic model drip coffee maker, but still use this technique from time to time.Step One: Acquire Milk Box Somewhere in the dairy section of the grocery store closest to my home, there happens to be a great variety in flavors of soy milk available in 200 mL boxes for less than 100 yen each. Beware: some of these flavors may not lend themselves well to coffee drinks and others may only be available temporarily. The first time I did this, the flavor of the season was apple pie, which made a darned good cafe latte. This summer's awesome flavor? Coconut. If you like coconut, it is well worth the cost. Step Two: Make CoffeeThis works with drip coffee or instant. Just make a cup of coffee as you usually would. Fill up the cup at MOST 2/3 of the way full. Any more than that and spillage will likely occur, either from overflow or from indirect spraying.Step Three: Pierce the TopIf you want a flat drink, cutting the corner and pouring the milk into the cup works. If you want to try for some froth, the straw hole is the way to go. You can pierce it with the straw provided on the box or a fork or toothpick. Beware that making more than one hole or an irregular hole at an angle will likely lead to some spillage.Step Four: Point into Cup and SqueezeGet a good grip on the box and upend it into the mug. Then give it a long, sustained squeeze, rotating your aim slightly as bubbles form. The velocity of the milk entering the coffee should create a layer of foam, providing you can adjust the spray area to not immediately pop the bubbles you are making.Step Five: Stop and EnjoyWhen your coffee is sufficiently frothy and you have yet to overflow, stop squeezing and turn the milk box right-side-up. Unless you've made a very large cup of coffee or a concoction that is mostly milk, you will likely have leftovers in the box, which should still be useful for a few days afterward provided the remainder is refrigerated, preferably with the straw-hole-puncture covered.If you get the knack, try out more flavors! I have a feeling that cinnamon is probably great, but I will wait for autumn to try it. What flavors are you trying?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbXL-food_money_howtoTue, 19 Jun 2018 17:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbXL-food_money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G639R-livingAbout this time last summer, I wrote this about GISHWHES, The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt The World Has Ever Seen, relating the information that was known at the time: 2017 was the be the final year of the hunt.In the time since that post, the powers that be changed their minds. Instead of incorporating the existing hunt into a completely different animal, they chose to spare it, instead adapting the hunt to correspond to an app.The hunt still exists as it always has -- a week long festival of weirdness around the first week of August (July 28th through August 4th this year) -- but now enthusiasts can find regular challenges for other random prizes in the meantime and start getting teams together earlier, all on the completely free app.Registration costs around 2000 yen and proceeds in excess of prize fees and running costs go to Random Acts, a charity founded by gish-lord Misha Collins of Supernatural fame.That blue circle is me.Another great new addition is the location feature, by which you can use a google-maps-like display to scan the world and find registered gishers in any area. You can even try to chat with them or block them if they are chatting a little too much with you. This feature is one you have to turn on and can turn off if you choose to. Also it is only accurate within about a mile, so it is less useful for those who would abuse it for stalking purposes.If you do choose to join the whimsical madness, you can select your engagement level (in it to win it or just for fun) and find teammates around you or far away. If you can only get together part of a team, do not fret. The registration ends in mid-July so that people on partial teams can be reorganized into 15 person teams before the start of the hunt. Also, if you manage to find your way into a group of 9 people you want to play with and no more, you can have the team captain limit the number of teammates and accept no further entrants, especially useful if you have a small, tight-knit group. Even in a more relaxed group of just-for-fun players, the excitement over just doing a few excellent items can be exhilarating. Downloading the absolutely free app also lets you experience some of the kinds of items without having to sign up for the hunt itself. These items are free to play and usually involve some level of problem solving and creativity. Free items so far have included bonding with other gishers at least 100 miles from your location, making a handbag out of noodles and/or rice, and solving online riddles. I especially loved the gishbond challenge as I got to make friends with new and exciting people, as seen above.This one I am especially proud of.Personally, I have been surprised to receive a few random messages from people looking for a Japan-based person to be on their team, but I shouldn't be. Inevitably, there is always an item or two on the list for the main hunt that is only or most easily done in Japan. Last year it was visiting Tashirojima Cat Island in Ishinomaki, Miyagi. Before that? Drinking green tea in slow motion on a bullet train. Before that? Climbing Mount Fuji or one of 3 other mountains elsewhere in the world.So even if you have no friends interested in these sorts of shenanigans, you can join and fairly easily find a team that will be excited to have you if only for your location. If you have a little free time and are looking for a break from normalcy, check out the app and sign up for the hunt. It is likely to be a most excellent time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G639R-livingMon, 18 Jun 2018 18:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G639R-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPO6d-food_shopping_tea How can you tell where your green tea is from? It's as easy as reading a bunch of kanji, or utilizing Google translate. Even after a decade in Japan, I'm not fluent enough to just read the label without help from my smart phone, so here is one way to find out your tea's prefecture of origin. Check the back label: The white box on the bottom right reveals the manufacturer's name and the address where the headquarters are located, which in this case includes 静岡県, Shizuoka-ken. Upwards of 40% of the green tea in Japan is grown in that prefecture, so it is likely the origin, though on some products the address listed here will only be the corporate office and you'll have to look elsewhere on the product for clues.Another hint in this case was was the outline of Shizuoka prefecture next to the pie chart that explains that Shizuoka has more space devoted to green tea cultivation than the next several prefectures combined at a whopping 20,600 hectares. Two things I loved about this tea before the water was even warm: the resealable top and foreign-friendly instructions with pictures and numbers.Unfortunately, when making my first batch, I forgot to review this convenient guide and estimated the best method based on memory, resulting in an extremely rich batch that was drinkable but not quite enjoyable. I set this aside and corrected my errors, later adding a sizable dash of cool water to my first attempt and enjoying the refreshingly chill beverage.Thisis apparently too green, as I came to realize. The properly made batch was a little less deep in its shade of green as well as its flavor, but proved to be just as refreshing as my diluted drink and significantly more enjoyable while warm. This tea is so good that even if you mess it up, it can likely still be saved!That's more like it!Another interesting factor with this specific tea is the guide on the front of the package, related details about the product in an easily understood grading method, if you know the right kanji.The two tea options from this brand as found at a local supermarket. The first kanji I recognized right off. 甘. Ama, like amai. Sweet. Together with taste/flavor 味 (usually aji ) we get kanmi, or sweetness. Each of these teas is equally sweet, rating three out of five cups. The next part of the list threw me off as I had never seen this character before. 渋 (shibu, astringent or bitter) combines with the flavor character to form 渋味, shibumi, which Google translates as astringency, good taste, or refinement. I chose to personally define it as bitterness and steer away from the slightly cheaper tea with a slightly higher rating. The next item is 香り kaori, fragrance, which is equally pleasing and strong in both varieties, as is the color (deep green) and the recommended water temperature (about 70 degrees). This turned out to be a lovely beverage, regardless of my fluency level, and a great opportunity to learn new Japanese vocabulary.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPO6d-food_shopping_teaFri, 01 Jun 2018 13:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPO6d-food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GypQ7-food_aomori_miyagiI found this in a newly opened mega-drug store. By that I mean a large building with a drug store name that was half-stocked with drug store necessities (sun screen, make-up, toiletry items) and half stocked with super market surplus, including some brands not carried at other supermarkets nearby.Hokugen no Yuzu Chu-Hi, my new favorite alcoholic beverage.In wandering through, looking for an apple cider I had not had the chance to try yet, I found this beauty. I have heard of craft beer before, usually as a micro-brew or with special ingredients or care, but craft chuhai was new to me. That isn't to say I don't enjoy the normal chuhai from time to time, but I find most of their flavors lacking in depth. This was not the case with the craft chuhai. The tart citrus flavor of the yuzu pairs well with the Shiogama moshio (sea-salt made via ancient methods in only four places in all of Japan, including Shiogama) that the back label states as a key ingredient.That middle section of the gray? That's the salt. In addition to a more well rounded flavor, the drink boasts an alcohol content of eight percent! In a place where most beer is six percent at most, this is a nice bonus for the casual drinker. Since my first sighting of this delicious beverage, I have seen it around in a few convenience stores. Even my local grocery store started carrying it recently. The going rate seems to be between 300 and 400 yen, but I found it to be worth every penny. As it is a Tohoku Limited Edition, I do not know how available it is outside of these northern prefectures. Check out that label, though! Admittedly, I don't know them all. The top left is a hat worn for a specific dance of some sort and the long octopus shaped things beneath it are decorations for Sendai's Tanabata festival. Underneath that is a depiction of a float for the Nebuta festival in Aomori. Unless the lanterns on the top right are from the temple entrance gates at Matsushima, I have no idea where they could be from other than Nebuta. The other two things? I do not know. If you see this one about, I think it's worth checking out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GypQ7-food_aomori_miyagiWed, 30 May 2018 10:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GypQ7-food_aomori_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1AQ4-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiPoster/flier found on Visit Matsushima, Matsushima tourism info on Facebook. Kicking off summer here in Miyagi this weekend, the seaside town of Matsushima is hosting its fourth annual Matsushima Park Festival. Last year, the event was a great, child-friendly and free musical excursion for my family, proving to be one of the highlights of our summer. Compared to that, the website for this upcoming event boasts one additional stage (up to 14 from 13 last year) as well as some interesting special guests including a large marching band.I do not know how/where the marching band will perform, but their katakana name does include marching. Also, why does WAKA have a gun? Where did she get it and how?The stages as they are planned to appear, as found on the Matsushima Park Fes website.A break down of the stage set up reveals a lot of commonality with the previous year with a few small exceptions. Hard rock is no longer listed as a genre requiring its own stage ( I am sure my husband will be disappointed to find this out) and there is now a second high school band stage nearby the first (stages F1 and F2). Otherwise, most of the stages are allotted rock and pop acts, though the stage near Godaido Shrine is apparently open to all genres and the temple area stages will be specializing in classic, jazz and folk as well. If our experience last year is anything to judge by, the walk around the ocean front and through the temple areas promises to be quite invigorating on Sunday. The main musical component of this whole shindig gets underway on Sunday, May 27th, but another addition to this year's line up as a number of Saturday events held at the Ishidazawa Bosai Center (981-0213, Ishidazawa Matsushima, Matsushima-machi) which is a bit of a trek from the nearest station, Matsushima Kaigan (40 minutes and 410 yen on the Senseki line from Sendai). The walking route should take about 16 minutes along Routes 144 and 146, though I personally cannot guarantee any level of sidewalk involved as the path veers far from the traditional tourist and pedestrian friendly area. With a farmer's market and a handicraft fair in addition to four named musical guests, the Saturday event should prove to be a lot of fun for the whole family, though I would recommend it most strongly to families who drive or are willing to take a taxi.The Saturday event's location, found on google maps. I don't know about you, but walking along a main Route road with a child for a kilometer or more each way would put a damper on my weekend.The Sunday fun starts from 10:30AM and only lasts until 5:30**, so if you're in Miyagi and in the mood for some great live music for free, make sure to swing by Matsushima this weekend.**There is a slight discrepancy in times from a flier seen on the Matsushima home page (10:30-5:30) on Facebook and the website dedicated to the actual event (11-5:15), likely due to set-up and take-down times, though these events tend to run a little late.For more information, check out the event website (all in Japanese) or my coverage from last year.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1AQ4-living_matsushima_machi_miyagiThu, 24 May 2018 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1AQ4-living_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goxlv-living_shopping_money_education_workThis one goes out to all the other English-teaching parents with young kids out there. When my daughter was born, I had savings from my semi-full-time job and all the time in the world...except diapers cost money and savings don't grow by themselves. When my daughter was around a year old, I went back into teaching, tentatively at first, then with increased vigor, but problems abounded. Eventually, school started and I had the chance to pick up a few private daytime lessons here and there, both in person and online. But what happens when school vacation starts?Kids crave attention. We know this. Getting my in-laws to watch her is my usual go-to plan of action for my regularly occurring evening and weekend classes. For my semi-regular online student as well as a recently begun weekly daytime class, it hardly seems fair to bother them. That said, my kid can be a terror when she wants attention and cannot have it. So this is the plan of attack I have adapted to help keep her occupied for as close to an hour as I can without further intervention.1) AssignmentsWe've recently started my daughter on writing her upper-case English alphabet in a lined notebook. We bring this along to class so she has a little work of her own to do. Then she will interrupt to have me check her work, during which time I will copy out a few letters she could improve on and encourage her to practice them. She also has a Japanese notebook in which to practice her name and other characters in hiragana as well as a Hiragana learning book from Daiso.2) Coloring and DrawingI try to bring a coloring book and/or blank notebook that she can draw in if the mood strikes, which almost never happens. I do not recommend this tactic with any kids who do not yet understand what surfaces are okay to color on. 3) Pre-arranged BriberyThis only works if you know something your kid desperately wants to do that is also in your means to grant and won't cost you more to do than you'll make during the class. For my kid last week it was making cupcakes. I make a point of telling her before class that if she could stay nice and quiet and calm while listening well for that one hour, we could make cupcakes in the afternoon. Last week, this worked. A few weeks ago, it was fairly wings I had bought online (that were already waiting, hidden in a closet) that she could totally have should she calm down and stay nice and relaxed for the last twenty minutes of a class that she otherwise destroyed. Cupcakes: A small price to pay for an hour's peace.Long story short, I've resorted to bribery and activity planning. It's all I've got. How do you handle your mischievous little helpers?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goxlv-living_shopping_money_education_workWed, 11 Apr 2018 10:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Goxlv-living_shopping_money_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QRa-living_moneySpring cleaning time as come again, and with it a number of little purchases I never would have thought to make before living in Japan. As anyone who has been in the country for more and a few minutes can likely attest, this place is humid, and dry air is so rare that it is considered a weather condition worth warning people about. The humidity is such that clean clothes, even folded and stored in a dresser drawer, can rot and grow mold due in part to the dresser's proximity to a sea-facing window or door, as I have personally witnessed. In my homeland, a washed and dry pair of jeans can stay on top of a dresser-- not even in a dresser-- for weeks, undisturbed, and grow nothing. Not so in Japan.So how do you stave off this attack of the less than comfortable grossness that threatens to invade your wardrobe and possessions? One of the cheaper options is this, the disposable dehumidifier. They come in packs of varying sizes but I got three for less than 200 yen at Homac, so they aren't too expensive regardless. This generic option is one of the more basic models. Ready for action.To get the thing working, take it out of the cardboard and remove the foil lid. In some models, this may include removing the a plastic over-grating cap, which should be replaced afterward. Then, stick it in your closet and forget about it. Do make sure it is in a location where it is unlikely to be knocked over, as the plastic container will fill with water as time goes by and no one wants that soaking into the closet floor or, worse yet, yourbelongings.Last year's model, filled with dusty water that I will pour down the drain before tossing the container in the garbage for plastics/nonburnables.So if you are wandering the stores this season and wonder what these little oddly shaped containers are for, this is it. Sucking water our of the air and keeping your closet mold-free.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QRa-living_moneyTue, 10 Apr 2018 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QRa-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn5Nj-living_money_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagiThere are two current transportation passes being advertised to visitors in Sendai: the Sendai Area Pass and the Marugoto Pass.The Day Pass info from their website.The Marugoto Pass information from their website.The Marugoto pass is good for 2 days with an adult pass costing 2670 yen whereas the Sendai Area Pass only costs 1300 yen and is only good for one day. The service areas seem to be the same, including the Sendai airport access line, Matsushima station on the Tohoku line headed north, MatsushimaKaigan station on the Senseki Line, Shiroishi station on the Tohoku line headed south and Yamadera station on the Senzan Line as well as bus service to Akiu Otaki, the Loople Bus, and all other city buses. So why would someone not just buy two of the day passes and save 70 yen? Upon checking out this map, I saw one name I had not encountered in reference to entertainment in Miyagi before: Abukuma. For anyone curious, Abukuma is the name of a river in Tohoku as well as a magnificent limestone cave in Fukushima. I'm not sure how to get there from the station as I've only been driven there in a car, but with so many closer entertainment options, I am not sure it is necessary to include this on a one or two day pass for Sendai.It turns out that one of the biggest differences between the two is that the day pass is only obtainable with a foreign passport AND visitors visa, so us long-term residents are exempt as are any Japanese people. The Marugoto pass seems to not have that contingency and comes with a coupon book for small discounts along the way. A sample of the coupon book is view-able on the website.The Marugoto pass coupon book offer small discounts at a number of tourist spots and restaurants.This includes many of the cities and areas the pass grants access to, including Matsushima, Shiroishi and Sendai.So if you're living in Miyagi and want to show your visiting relatives around the city, they can buy the Day Pass or two Day Passes or the Marugoto Pass, but you can only use the Marugoto Pass on yourself if your visa is anything other than a tourist visa. If one of your friends is visiting from elsewhere in Japan and is not on a tourist visa, they also will only be able to buy the two-day Marugoto Pass.My biggest issue with the weekend pass is how much work must be put into getting the most out of it. A day trip to Shiroishi will cost you ore than 700 yen each way from Sendai Station, but it's also more of a full day trip than a simple matter of a couple of early hours. Personally, after a day trip like that, I am more likely to take the next day to relax closer to home or the station than to go all the way north to Yamadera or take a long bus ride out to Akiu. Technically, with covering one long round trip train jaunt to either Yamadera or Shiroishi, the pass would have cost slightly less than tickets would have, so it could be considered more like getting the second day free.A preferable way to use this pass may be to plan a long and interesting trip for one day and a trip around the Loople bus or something similar on the other day. this would leave tourists knowing there is more to see in Sendai but without being overwhelmed by the (often empty-seeming) distances between things.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn5Nj-living_money_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagiMon, 09 Apr 2018 09:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mn5Nj-living_money_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemxJ-living_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiI started sewing at a young age, creating dolls and doll clothes out of otherwise worn out garments with the use of my mother's little sewing kit. This hobby grew more useful in college when I enthusiastically pursued cosplay as my main point of interest. My life has changed a lot since then, but my old hobby is still extremely useful, as my daughter's closet full of clothing I've made from second-hand materials can attest.When I first moved to Sendai, it took me months to find the cloth store, which may sound silly as it was only about a block from my workplace at the time, but I had no idea where to look. I found a few little shops catering mostly to quilters wanting new fat quarters, but not people who wanted to make real clothing. Only when I brought the matter up to a coworker did I get the low-down on the most convenient cloth shops in downtown Sendai.1) MabuchiThe biggest and most convenient cloth shop in Sendai has to be Mabuchi, located on the seventh floor of Aeon (formerly Daiei) two blocks from Sendai Station's west exit. Here, the cloth enthusiast will find bolt after bolt of cloth in a variety of patterns and weaves, separated by likely purpose and type. Rolls of knits are found next to the short-bolt prints (meant more for trims and accents than full garments) which are across the aisle from wearable prints, situated between the costuming section (spandex, leather, sequins, oh my!) and the quilting section. All of that can be found on just one aisle and with enough variation to work for most of us outside of proper fashion design. There are also other sections of cloth, including kid's favorites, cloth specifically for school bags, and Japanese-themed prints in more traditional styles. In addition to the great selection, there are frequent sales on different kinds of fabric, so picking up a flier, checking out the shop, or looking at the website on a semi-regular basis can be helpful if you're really interesting in making the most of your money there.Buttons offered here come in a beautiful variety of shapes, sizes, colors, materials, and countries of origin but are usually prohibitively expensive for the projects I make.2) KimurayaIf you exit Aeon onto the arcade and head away from the station, you'll walk right past this shop, located on the arcade street level on the right side, and may confuse it for a yarn store or an conservative clothing shop. Venturing inside past the yarn selections, you can find some fairly interesting products and supplies for a number of other crafts including felting. There is a large cloth section at the back of the shop on the first level and the basement level, as well as a number of button boxes across the right wall in the back on the first level. While the selection may be a little lacking when compared to Mabuchi, the prices tend to reflect the difference and sometimes the intrepid cloth enthusiast can find a better deal here than at the bigger shop, even on a similar material. One of my more recent works, an attempt at an armadillo, required the use of some traditional kimono-style cloth, and I figured Mabuchi would have me covered, but the only options I found there were far outside of my price range. A little run over to Kimuraya proved fruitful, as I wound up with the cloth I needed at a price I could get behind. This was the result.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemxJ-living_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiWed, 04 Apr 2018 18:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemxJ-living_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRvxk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiShiogama Shrine is hosting an evening hanami-illumination event on Friday, April 13th and Saturday April 14th, extending from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM on the shrine grounds. According to the website, last year's event included not only well lit sakura trees but also a sampling of locally brewed sake tasting for a small fee, paid in advance at one of the breweries or the Shiogama regional goods shop near the station. According to this flier I picked up at Honshiogama station, that is expected to be duplicated this year, including 3 different local sake breweries in the process. The drinking event starts and ends an hour earlier than the free Shrine-based event.One of the stages for the upcoming event. Last year I did not hear about the specifics of this event beforehand and would not likely have been able to go anyway, as an evening like that isn't always in the budget monetarily or energy-wise when you're working and raising a child. That said, we did happen upon a poster advertising this event before its occurrence in 2014, when my brother was in town and my daughter was small. Given the excuse of having to show the town off to my family, I found the energy to walk around on that the beautiful evening and the results were magical.Like this but a few weeks later and in the dark, with the haunting melodies of live koto performance pulling you back in time as you witness the spotlit beauty of the sakura.Unfortunately, my pictures from the event were eaten by time and ill-conceived data retrieval, but what I can remember from it was quite worthwhile. Guests who are interested need only walk to the shrine to enjoy the evening. As this map that came on the back of the flier indicates, there are four stages that will have active perfomances through the event. The first stage is right at the main gate, in front of the 202 step stone staircase that comprises the primary entrance to the shrine facility. Two more are located within the shrine itself while the last can be found in the open space pictured earlier in this blog post, situated between the main shrine area and the gardens that overlook the hanami/picnic area. The program listing as provided by this year's flier, featuring a number of performances including a variety of traditional flutes. Attendance alone is free, though making a donation to the organisation that supplied the lights is recommended and previously the jars to accept these donations could be found at a folding table located near the fourth stage, where a volunteer was also handing out electric lanterns to help guide visitors along the paths. These lanterns were rentals, though, and we had to return them intact before leaving the grounds. If available, the lanterns will likely be intended to be used and returned in the same fashion they were all those years ago.So if you want to see some lovely sakura in bloom in the evening, this is the event for you. Just follow the Senseki line from Sendai to Honshiogama Station (30 minutes, 320 yen) and then follow my directions from this blog post. Soon you will likely find yourself enchanted with the beautiful setting and delightful musical performances.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRvxk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiMon, 02 Apr 2018 12:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRvxk-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaNdN-foodIn Fall 2017, Coca Cola Japan released Coca Cola Coffee Plus, a version of the carbonated beverage promising to be fifty percent more caffeinated than its regular form with half the calories and including the flavor of coffee. Critics seemed to gauge the beverage on a scale of meh to blah, which is not surprising considering the company's previous attempt at a similar combination, Coca Cola BlāK fell flat and was discontinued back in 2008.I was excited to try this one out, if only for its limited release. Coffee coke was not available at convenience stores or online, but only in select vending machines and only for a limited time. When I did finally find the drink, sold in 120mL cold cans like other coffee beverages in Japan, I bought the final four units in the machine. I then set about sharing them with select members of my friends and family both here and abroad.To my surprise, my cousin in New York knew a similar beverage, the Manhattan Special, which claimed to be the first-ever carbonated coffee concoction and was still bottled and sold somewhere in the Big Apple. While he did warn that only the first few sips of the drink would be delectable, with a increasingly undesirable aftertaste, he did also send me a bottle in return, so I had the chance to conduct a proper taste comparison. I am so glad I split it with a friend.The Manhattan Special exploded a bit and still gave each of us more than we wanted.The Manhattan Special was a lot of drink, and I think that was one of its main failings. Coffee Coke was pert and sweet and in a small enough package that a casual drinker who wasn't completely turned off by the taste at first could likely finish it before regretting the decision. The New York alternative was difficult to open and harder to finish off, especially single-handedly.The first few sips of each drink were nice enough in their respective ways. The Manhattan Special had a little bit more body and was rather refreshing before the aftertaste was compounded by later sips and became a massive cloying monster coating the back of my throat. Coffee Coke on the other hand was lighter in flavor to begin with, but without an aftertaste to outrun, went down a lot more smoothly in the end.Of the two, I would drink another coffee coke if I had the chance.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaNdN-foodMon, 26 Mar 2018 16:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaNdN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Ag5-living_sendai_shi_miyagiMiyagi is not known as a major hub for foreign expats, but there is a notable foreign population around Sendai, the largest city. Most of the foreigners I've met in my almost-eight years in this prefecture fall into one of the following categories:1. CoworkersI've worked with/for half of the people in this picture.If you're teaching at a school in Miyagi, many of the other foreigners you meet will likely be employed by the same company or program. Whether they work along side you or you only see them at major training events, these people can be good resources and supply helpful tips and tricks along the way, especially if they have spent more time in the area or have a better Japanese language proficiency than you do.This was never more true than in March of 2011, when most of my single coworkers embarked on a month-long road trip following the quake, trying to stay safe while we all wondered whether or not we would still have jobs when things settled down (most of us did). I had not come along for this ride as I was living with my future in-laws at that time, but the friendships I maintained with these people were lifelines when I wound up hospitalized for 2 months of a trimester-long bed rest period in 2013. I cannot express how important the lent books and gifted food these people brought me in my various Japanese hospitals were to my mental health and quality of life in those short months.Some relationships forged by common employment will transition into friendships or beyond while others may remain professional verging on non-existent at best. In my experience, the benefits of maintaining these positive relationships far outweigh any discomfort from things going awry.2. StudentsThat's only half the list, just for higher education.Sendai has a large foreign student population, owing to the colleges and universities in the area including Tohoku University which ranked second nationally last year according to the Times Higher Education Ranking World University Rankings. Foreign students may be working toward bachelors degrees, graduate studies, research positions, or a number of other university-related opportunities. These folks come from all over the world and most of them know a good deal of English in addition to Japanese no matter where they are from. Students here stick together it seems, so you're more likely to meet them if you're studying or working at the same school, or if your friend takes a job there, which was my case. Personally, most of the students I have met in Miyagi have been more focused on their areas of study than making foreign friends, especially with a mother/teacher/writer/blogger with a small child. Since effectively retiring for motherhood, I've had fewer foreign encounters. Every once in a while, I happen upon an unknown foreign parent at the park or play area and excitedly strike up a conversation. As I've come to realize, many of these people are significantly more religious than I am.3. Religious FolksThere are a number of Christian church options in Sendai, including a few Catholic, Baptist, and Church of Christ options in addition to nondenominational varieties. Some even have English information available on their websites.In Aoba Ward, the Islamic Cultural Center of Sendai also welcomes faithful practitioners and guests, though their English website is lacking a bit. Anyone looking for more information can check out the Japanese language version of the website or follow google maps to the location and check it out in person.If you're also religious and looking for a foreign community in Sendai, following your faith with likely lead you in the right direction. Unfortunately for me, these grand displays of religion feel more like warning signs than welcome signs. As an agnostic theist, I don't know who has the right answer, but I also don't really want to talk about it especially with people I have just met. That said, I have made long-lasting friendships with people who are dedicated to their respective faiths. Just as long as I'm not expected to share it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Ag5-living_sendai_shi_miyagiSat, 24 Mar 2018 16:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1Ag5-living_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO06d-food_tea_shiogama_shi_miyagiThe tea is warm and delicious and the atmosphere even more so at Ebiya Cafe Harema on Motomachi Street in Shiogama. Settled in the first floor of a historical building across the street from Okama Shrine, the cafe is known for cherry blossoms-- found in a mural currently being refurbished on the ceiling of the third floor as well as in stained glass windows in the seating area. A variety of seating options are available, ranging from a comfy cushioned couch to a traditional-style seating area with low tables and a shoes-off policy. Warm tones of the dark wooden interior permeate the experience, which is extremely comfortable, fun, and even kid friendly.In addition to the delicious but modest fair, local handicrafts are for sale around the cash register and many smaller tables nearby, including those dividing the traditional style seating section from the rest. Pins and magnets with local mascots as well as hair elastics featuring locally-produced fabrics in broach form sit beside woodwork and weaving, all with price tags visible for the would-be collector.After an enjoyable cup of tea, the diligent traveler would do well to visit the upstairs area via a staircase past the cash register on the customer-side of the room. Entrance to this area will cost 300 yen per person payable upstairs and require the removal of one's shoes at the bottom base of the staircase. Free plastic bags are provided to hold one's footwear while enjoying the sights of the second floor, which is dedicated to the history of the building and location including a diorama of historical Shiogama as it was hundreds of years ago. Many historical pictures of the establishment and the area can be found alongside their Japanese explanations in displays that occupy much of this floor. While there is no English to read, many of the pictures do not require a lot of reading to comprehend and still give even the less literate traveler a sense of the history of the building. Watch out for the crown molding. In addition to being set around the 5'8 mark, the wood is inlaid with mother-of-pearl in related shapes, including sailboats and fish. There is also a third floor, accessible through a steep staircase, but there is little of interest up there as of Spring 2018, as the reconstruction of the impressive sakura mural is still in progress. While the staff is very welcoming and helpful, their English is close to nonexistent and this monolingual trend holds true for the rest of the establishment as well. The menu is in Japanese with some pictures, but isn't that hard to read if you at least know hiragana and katakana. The staff is more than willing to work with foreigners with lacking Japanese ability, so if all else fails, point at the pictures.Ebiya Cafe Harema is the perfect place for a spot of tea while wandering around the shrines of Shiogama or enjoying a small lunch or brunch whatever the weather.This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO06d-food_tea_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 22 Mar 2018 22:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO06d-food_tea_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjpd8-living_familylifeThe short weeks separating the end of one school year and beginning of the next are upon us, and I for one am not entirely looking forward to having no alone time whatsoever for two straight weeks. That said, here are some budget conscious, kid friendly activities you and your little ones can take advantage of if you are all needing to get out of the house without breaking the bank.1) Picnic/hanamiDepending on where you reside, the pink tide may already have brought some and left. For us up here in Tohoku, the blossoms aren't quite blooming just yet. Still, a sunny day is a great day to head out to your favorite park or little green space and have a little picnic. Bring easily transportable foods, a small tarp or blanket if necessary, juice boxes for the kids, and you're good to go. 2) Bubbles!If you don't already own a small arsenal of bubble guns, you can pick them up at most 100 yen shops, along with bubble-inducing liquid. You can also make your own liquid for blowing bubbles at home and save a few extra yen. The downside of this in my house is how much my daughter wants to keep blowing bubbles until the end of time, which is why having a limited quantity comes in handy. When we're out, we're out and it's time to come home.3) Alphabet/Kana hunting!This was a cool activity that I tried with my daughter when she was too young to care. The idea is that you have a bingo-card like sheet filled with characters you need to find. Then you walk around your town or area and check off the letters you see, announcing it as you do so. The first one to make a row or fill up their card wins! This works well if you have a little person who still needs to improve letter recognition in one language or another, though it could also work with kanji if one so desired.4) Spring Cleaning!While cleaning can be quite the chore, it is also generally inexpensive and necessary. I have yet to find too many ways to make it fun, but my four-year-old loves trying to vacuum and sweep. In my case, my kid is usually quite happy to spend time together doing almost anything, but showing her how to clean takes time, energy, and a level of focus that I am not always capable of. That is why one of our first spring break activities is cleaning and organizing her room together. Even if one entire day is dedicated to this activity and goes well, it is likely a topic that will need revisiting, which is why it should be treated as a learned skill in the household and one that needs practicing. The room does not remain clean by the work of magic fairies and the sooner the child learns that it is his or her responsibility to keep his or her room tidy, the more likely they will grow to maintain tidier households of their own.Bonus: You can take any lightly-used clothes or toys that you're ready to part with to a second-hand shop and make a little money to boot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjpd8-living_familylifeThu, 22 Mar 2018 15:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjpd8-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QV8-food_matsushima_machi_miyagi In the tourist and pedestrian friendly part of Matsushima, halfway between Kanrantei Tea House and Godaido Shrine, you'll find the park next to the ferry boarding area, and across the street, a neat little restaurant named Grill Tamaya on the second floor.The menu stands by the entrance to the restaurant, complete with pictures and a surprisingly large amount of English. The menu mostly includes the basics, such as curry and rice as well as various meat options over rice, and even a green salad with grilled chicken. There is also a seasonal lunch set consisting of four courses and comprised of products from the region and more than just fish. One of these featured dishes includes Japan X Pork products, which hail from Zao in Miyagi. The soup course involves oysters and shrimp from Matsushima Bay. Unfortunately, despite the great use of regional products, I cannot fully recommend this meal. The attempt to step up the class of the place by charging almost 3,000 yen per person when little else on the menu seems to be over 1,500 yen fails to reach its intended audience. People who want to spend that much per person on lunch will likely be dining in one of the hotel restaurants nearby, which offer gourmet selections with a marvelous view and a price tag to match. As the website menu explains, there are many much more affordable and delicious looking options at this very restaurant, so those who want to enjoy the taste of Matsushima can still do so affordably here, as long as they don't push for the most expensive option. It isn't really worth it.The food itself would likely be considered delicious for most Japanese people and seafood enthusiasts. Unfortunately, I am neither of those and found several of the dishes hard to enjoy. Even the texture of what my husband believes to have been lightly-seared duck was something I could not handle. Presentation-wise, the food looked interesting and pretty, but years of watching reality cooking shows led me to believe that a more experienced connoisseur would likely have called the first and last courses visually over-busy, possibly verging on pretentious. My favorite bit: Meat and Veg.Strangely, despite having to hand half of my salad course and the entirety of my soup to my husband, I managed to fill myself up on the few things I could enjoy. My favorite was the JapanX sausage from Miyagi which combined well with its surrounding beef rump-roast. The dessert, while a little overdone in presentation, was rather delicious as well. All-in-all it was a strangely fulfilling meal with a nice enough atmosphere. If I do return, it will be to enjoy one of the more budget friendly options available.I don't know that the fried spaghetti antennae were necessary, unless it was supposed to look like an ice-cream/bug/dessert/alien from outer space. In which case, spot on. Almost any traveler to Matsushima looking to sample the local flavor while resting their heels could easily find something delicious to enjoy at Grill Tamaya.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QV8-food_matsushima_machi_miyagiThu, 01 Mar 2018 10:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QV8-food_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqdQ-livingAbout four years ago, I was caught off-gaurd when I realized than my infant needed changing but I had somehow wandered into the more business-oriented part of Sendai. Every building was a massive office building and I couldn't even find a restaurant that might have a bathroom I could use. Even the convenience stores were few and far between, but when I finally found one, it did not have a changing table. Apparently people in this area did not need to change babies. My options were to attempt to change my daughter's dirty diaper with her balanced on the lid of a toilet seat or to keep searching for better accommodations. If I remember correctly, my next move was to hurry back toward Sendai station, as every station on the train and/or subway lines seems to have a changing table or applicable space in the handicapped or family bathrooms if not also elsewhere. The same cannot be said of all businesses, even those who claim to cater to families. Later that week, I was shocked to find that a so-called "family restaurant" lacked a changing table as well and I was forced to perform my duties atop a towel in the seat next to me. It was quite surprising in this day and age for a country like Japan that is advanced in so many ways to be behind the times when it comes to changing table accessibility.Parents the world over can be frustrated with the difficulty to find adequate changing and feeding spaces for their tiny people, but I think it can seem even worse in a country where children are as rare as they are in Japan. The changing table at the entrance to the larger ladies bathroom at my neighborhood Aeon Townmall.Luckily, some areas do have great facilities for feeding and changing your infant, though this usually seems relegated to large shopping areas. Most department stores offer at least one changing area, usually with a few baby beds lined up, but not usually on every floor. Look for the baby symbol on a floor guide to help guide you there. Aeon Town Malls and other large shopping areas usually offer similar amenities, either in their larger bathroom facilities or nearby.Sometimes it's a table. Sometimes, a multi-use bed-thing. Either way, as long as it works.Trains are different. Bullet trains are awesome and I recall the one we took back in winter of 2013 having a changing table available which was very convenient. Unfortunately local trains do not tend to offer such amenities and the toilets are usually dirty enough for even a desperate parent to wait for the station instead. I think I did once have to change my kid balanced on a toilet seat on a moving train. I do not recommend this under any but the most dire circumstances. Most stations have better options so take advantage of those facilities before you board your next train with your infant.Nursing RoomsSometimes the sign will say Nursery or just have a picture of a bottle, but either way, the gist is the same. This is usually a little space, sometimes with a couch or chair, usually with a curtain or door, where you can sit privately and feed your tiny one without anyone peeking over your shoulder. If formula is more your thing, they usually also have a tap for adding water and/or warming things up.Breastfeeding can be a touchy subject, though I personally was never comfortable doing it in public. I had never seen a space like this in my hometown, probably because breastfeeding is officially legal to do in public in Texas, though in many places it is discouraged. Japan instead offers little rooms to do this in. I loved these little spaces, and felt especially privileged to use the nursing facilities at Narita Airport before boarding a 12-hour flight with my then-four-month old. The little bit of privacy really helped me gather my thoughts before we headed for the gate. So the next time you're running around Japan with a baby who needs a change or a drink, head for a mall, station or department store.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqdQ-livingTue, 27 Feb 2018 17:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqdQ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqjQ-living_food_shopping_transportation_taihaku_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiIf you're looking for a little afternoon getaway from Sendai city, Akiu is always a good choice. With a number of fine hotels with excellent onsen, the space is considered one of the best areas for enjoying hot springs in Northern Japan. If all you have time for is coffee and a light meal, Kinoie is a good choice. The Japanese name is an easy translation for the early kanji learner (木の家, literally: house of trees, more naturally: wood house) and the place is a great choice for anyone needing to take a break from urban life.The entrance from the parking lot after a winter snow. It can get icy so come prepared with snow boots if you want to enjoy the winter view.Just a few of the pieces for sale outside the ceramics shops, priced to move.In the shops on the way to the restaurant, hand-made cups, plates, mugs and others are available for purchase. The items are attractive and well made, so much so that they are frequently the reason for our drive out to this somewhat rustic destination. If you need a little something nice to send to a ceramic-lover in your life, these beautiful pieces will likely hit the mark and for far less than Sendai City prices in most cases.The ceramic shops on the way to the restaurant.My husband's delicious-looking, mushroom-filled nabe pot set. It was pretty tasty, even for my shroom-hating self.The restaurant itself offers a few small selections, but does those few things pretty well. People don't really come here for the food, though. The view, in the middle of the woods overlooking the Natori River, is breathtaking. The view from the walkway on the way to the restaurant.The entrance to the cabin area, complete with helpful map.In addition, the property has several cabins available for day trip and overnight rental starting from 10,000 yen per night in the off season. Entrance to the cabin area also requires a small fee (up to 1000 yen per adult) but they do offer group rates and infants are free. There are seventeen total cabins in twelve layouts to choose from, though reservations must be made by phone, fax, or email in Japanese. All other details available can be found on the website, though unfortunately the site is run almost entirely in Japanese save for a few navigational subheadings.The trickiest part of these lovely out-of-the-way places is getting there. I recommend copying the address from the website and using a vehicular navigational system as the space is only fifteen minutes from the Sendai's South Entrance to the Tohoku Expressway. For travelers better suited to buses, Sendai Station's West Exit Bus Pool offers a ride leaving from stop number eight and heading to Akiu Onsen. Get off at Akiu Onsen Yumoto and walk for twenty minutes or take a taxi for two. In addition, taking one of the dozens of taxis from Sendai station will take but thirty minutes. Remember to write down the address or save the location to your phone for reference:仙台市太白区秋保町湯元字馬乙2-1Maoto-2 Akiumachi Yumoto, Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi-ken 982-0241To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqjQ-living_food_shopping_transportation_taihaku_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiThu, 22 Feb 2018 17:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqjQ-living_food_shopping_transportation_taihaku_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD6p9-living_fashion_education_tsuruoka_shi_yamagata_nikko_shi_tochigi_kyotoJapan's long and rich history can be felt at castles and various historical sites, but today you can also experience the feel of old Japan in new settings, such as the history-themed amusement park. Here are three of my favorites.1Edo Wonderlandin Tochigi4700 yen for adults, 2400 yen for children ages 6-12This terribly interesting place has been covered in a previous review on this site, but after my family's visit last Christmas, I had to add in some enthusiastic applause. Inside the park is the costume rental station, where paying customers can choose from a number of costumes, including female samurai which I was especially thrilled about. Though scarce historically, the kimono-clad woman with a sword is a much more fun cosplay option for a chubby but adventurous lady like me especially when compared to many other, more traditionally feminine options. This was easily the most fun I have ever had and the most comfortable I have been in a kimono, though I will admit that the women in charge of dressing the tourists were somewhat less helpful than I would have preferred. Two samurai and a tiny ninja at Edo Wonderland.The atmosphere was lovely, and nothing can beat watching my little one run around in ninja garb all day long.The old-style buildings are mostly used as souvenir shops or theaters for shows varying from Edo-era magic tricks to a short but exciting ninja play. There is also a ramen shop for those looking for a little lunch break, but seating is very limited so plan accordingly. Overall, I found the displays captivating and it was an enormous amount of fun for the whole family. We arrived shortly after the park opened for the day and turned in our costumes just fifteen minutes shy of the deadline before park closing.2 Sedic Movie Village in Yamagata1300 yen for adults, 900 for Junior high school students, Free for ages 0-12This former (and sometimes current) film set is made up to resemble an old samurai-era town. As such, the small paths and buildings lend themselves well to photography, so if you wanted to get a picture that make it look like you were in old-timey Japan, this wouldn't be a bad option. The tours are largely self-guided and involve wandering through uninhabited home-replicas. Moving from house to house, you will find a number of interactive displays, including toys from the era and a self-guided katana experience (likely the most fun you'll have slicing newspaper), but there appear to be no entertainers outside of the main entrance area save for the bus driver. There is a place where customers can try on kimono and sit for a photo op in a grand room, but there is no assistance in these activities and you are really on your own to get things adjusted properly.Still fun, especially for a rambunctious kid, but can be handled easily in a few hours one morning or afternoon. For my full account with pictures, see the blog post.3 Eigamura in Kyoto2,200 yen for adults, 1300 yen for Junior high school students, 1100 yen for ages 3-12, Free for ages 0-2My trip to Eigamura was enjoyed with a couple of adult students back in 2009. While I was rushed through trying to read the blurbs from different Kurosawa films on display, my companions focused on getting to what resembled a little old Japanese town and borrowing the happi and yukata bits available. It was amusing and fun, but I don't feel I got to fully appreciate the surroundings.There was a ninja show that I remember enjoying and the experience was a fun one, but it is probably more fun if you get to go at your own pace.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD6p9-living_fashion_education_tsuruoka_shi_yamagata_nikko_shi_tochigi_kyotoMon, 19 Feb 2018 18:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD6p9-living_fashion_education_tsuruoka_shi_yamagata_nikko_shi_tochigi_kyotohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRv8E-food_tea_matsushima_machi_miyagiI saw this advertised on a poster in front of a small restaurant with connected souvenir shop that stands between Entsuiin Tempe's fabulous gardens and Zuiganji temple's small forest entryway. In addition to the exotic ice cream selection boasted about on the outer wall near a service window, the restaurant inside also offers a small variety of traditional Japanese dishes including soba, tempura, and green tea of a more traditional variety. This shop, Senshin-an by name, is the same shop I brought my brother to during his first trip to Japan, and he had very much enjoyed the fried oysters, fresh from Matsushima Bay, as well as the udon they were served with.For a small traditional restaurant to attempt something as strange and new as a greet tea infused beer is a bit surprising to me, and a few days ago I decided to give the little green beverage a try. The menus came with English explanations on the back and a few pictures to assist for anyone lacking in Japanese language skill. Seated guests were also given complimentary cups of warm barley tea, which was a lovely thing to sit down to on a cold winter afternoon. The green tea specialty menu also includes amazake, the sweet fermented rice drink, and a traditional green tea served hot or cold. At 700 yen, the beer is the most expensive of these options and comes in a nice glass with an astoundingly thick light-green head. It smells like beer, and the taste of the foamy cap is a subtle reminder of the beverage waiting below. For the most part, the beer tastes like a regular pilsner, not unlike Asahi dressed up in a glass, but the aftertaste comes with notes of umami from the tea component. Unfortunately, the green tea portion of the taste is largely drowned out by the overwhelming beer flavor, though I am not sure if stressing this overshadowed portion would be an improvement or a detriment. Despite this, the beverage is actually weirdly refreshing, especially when cold and crisp, but the novelty of the flavor combinations wears thin after a few ounces. I recommend sampling this bizarre concoction with a friend as half a glass is enough to enjoy the strange beverage without venturing into overkill.If you're looking for a new take on green beer for Saint Patrick's Day, check out the green tea beer at Senshin-an in Matsushima. It isn't nearly as gross as you might assume.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRv8E-food_tea_matsushima_machi_miyagiThu, 15 Feb 2018 13:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRv8E-food_tea_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1AZV-education_workHere I am World! Teach me some ENGLISH....if you dare!Those without parenting or child-caring experience may find this idea of teaching children especially challenging, much as I did upon my arrival to Japan, at which point I had taught teenagers, and only teenagers. I had never even baby sat! Yet here I am, almost a decade later, eager to start a new teaching adventure at yet another kindergarten. Here is what I've learned.The Young OnesFor kids under five, the attention span is pretty limited, so even if there is a text component of the class, make sure to break up the activities with songs or games at regular intervals. Starting with a "Hello" song can be a good way to go and Youtube and iTunes are good resources for these. Pick one and stick with it, including some fun but easy gestures, and before you know it, the kids will be following along and singing it back to you. A good rule of thumb is about five minutes per activity, then changing to something else, alternating calm (sitting, listening) activities with more active ones.Use the Text and RepeatIf the parents or school have decided on a textbook, it is important to work with them. Keep in mind though that merely getting to the next section of the book does not guarantee the child or children have actually learned anything. Remember to review what you've covered in previous lessons and find ways to pull the grammar or lesson point from the book into simple, repetitive games that force the student(s) to use the topic of the lesson in order to play. Even tic-tac-toe can work for this in small or private classes.Example:Today's lesson target: using "like" with gerunds (I like watching TV, etc.). We've gone over the sample text and made a few examples of our own. The student has been receptive and is capable of making their own examples. I draw the hash-mark for tic-tac-toe and demonstrate by going first. "I like eating ice cream." I say, drawing an X or O in my chosen space, urging the student to follow suit. Depending on the effectiveness of the examples and interest of the student, I may choose to draw out the game to a tie or let them win and move on to a new topic and/or more challenging game. The more games you have at your disposal, the greater the chances of finding one the kid is interested in and thereby tricking them into using whatever the lesson topic is in a fun and creative way. Game sections at the 100 yen store are a great resource for this.Teenage DramaIf the child you're starting lessons with is a bit older, things can be a bit more challenging in other ways. The trick with teens is to find out what they are into and get them to talk about whatever that is in English. Being able to share what you love is great incentive to finding a way to communicate and encourages fluency a lot more than textbook memorization.Getting kids to use, understand and enjoy more of this silly foreign language should be the main goals of the class. However you find to make that happen, good job and good luck!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1AZV-education_workThu, 08 Feb 2018 15:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1AZV-education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK7DD-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagi_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagiForeign visitors to many major cities in Japan can delight in seeing most train stops laid out in detailed maps that include simplifications of the giant kanji names usually including roman letters. Unfortunately for the less-than-fluent traveler, not all stations, cities, and train lines follow this example. Even bustling Sendai leaves the kanji-illiterate in the lurch with the JR line map displaying lots of information but not so much as one western letter outside of the Japan Rail logo.This can make things difficult as buying a train ticket from a machine requires knowing the amount of money needed for the ticket. Even for those with Suica, this region's transportation charge card of choice, knowing the cost helps to keep things topped up and ready for the rails. At the very least, it pays to know what train line you need to get on when departing from a larger station, and this isn't always easy to catch as it flashes across a changing departure screen.For those lacking in kanji skills but overflowing with appetite for Miyagi's amazing adventures by train, here is a short guide to the place names, prices, and number of stops you'll need to wait to see them on the local Senseki Line 仙石線 (light blue on the map) for a fantastically well-informed trip.Sendai仙台せんだいAround this central station you'll find loads of small and fun things including the "Loople" tourist sightseeing bus and the shopping arcades, which include some fun regional delicacies and an owl cafe.Miyaginohara宮城野原みやぎのはらIf you're on your way to a Rakuten Eagles baseball game, this is the stop for you.Four minutes, 140 yen and two stops from Sendai.Tagajo多賀城たがじょうTagajo Station is right next to a great library with a great kids area and a pretty fantastic restaurant on the third floor. On the other side of the station, you can catch a bus to the Kirin Brewery.Twenty-one minutes, 240 yen and nine stops from Sendai.HonShiogama本塩釜ほんしおがまThis is the stop for Shiogama Shrine and Marine Gate, where you can take a ferry to the outlying islands or Matsushima. Don't forget to pick up some moshio at the somewhat hidden souvenir shop near the station.Thirty minutes, 320 yen and twelve stops from Sendai.Matsushima Kaigan松島海岸まつしまかいがんA great tourist area for seeing the third best view in all of Japan from the comfort of Kanrantei tea house, enjoying Godaido Shrine, Entsuiin gardens and Zuiganji temple. You can even paint your own kokeshi doll and walk a long bridge out to an uninhabited island.Forty minutes, 410 yen and fifteen stops from Sendai.Ishinomaki石巻いしのまきThis little fishing town is home to a manga museum celebrating the work of local born artist Shotaro Ishinomori. Many statues celebrating his creations can be spotted about town. This is also where the San Juan Batista ship built by Date Masamune in 1613 is permanently docked, though it cannot be boarded. A taxi from this station can also take you to the ferry terminal for Tashirojima, the Cat Island of Miyagi.The local Senseki line takes one hour and twenty-five minutes to cover the 30 stops between Sendai and Ishinomaki, but a faster Senseki-Tohoku Line Rapid 仙石東北ライン快速 also runs from Sendai to Ishinomaki and takes only fifty-eight minutes to cover its thirteen stops. The cost for this trip is 840 yen either way.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK7DD-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagi_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagiTue, 06 Feb 2018 17:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK7DD-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagi_ishinomaki_shi_miyagi_shiogama_shi_miyagi_tagajo_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdJ6m-living_shopping_healthThis post is for the ladies in the audience. Moving abroad can be a big change, for anyone, and it isn't always easy to know what you can expect especially around that time of the month. I assumed my favorite brands of all kinds would still be available at the nearest pharmacy or grocery store, even in the middle of nowhere, here in Japan. This was very much not the case when it came to feminine hygiene, but the popular disposable choices were still easy to find, frequently with pictures that made them easy to recognize. A few months later, I was shocked when a fellow foreign woman told me that her family had to send tampons to her as she had not managed to find them in stores. She was living in Nagoya, one of the largest urban centers in Japan, while I was in a small town in rural Gifu prefecture.Labels indicated in white, pictures in red. most products have some hint on the packaging.Almost anywhere in Japan, you can still find feminine hygiene products, usually near diapers and/or condoms in most drug stores and grocery stores. The brands are different but the jobs are basically the same. Tampons are usually limited to regular and super sizes while pads offer variations based on required fluid absorbency measures in cc. Personally, I've never gauged the cc absorbency levels I require, but the side panel on most products explains things pretty well. I also thoroughly discourage using the ultra-thin, wingless panty liners as in my experience the adhesive does not always stick to undergarments effectively and may instead reattach itself to more sensitive regions unexpectedly. Never a fun experience.My first winter in Japan was catastrophic as every month the season grew colder and somehow every time my period ended, I would catch a cold. It was probably around the third time this happened that I realized it might be more than bad luck. The whole blood-shedding business is known to leave a woman low on iron and lacking other nutrients, so it is very important to support your health by bringing more of these things back into your diet around this time to stave off illnesses. I make sure to eat lots of green veggies and meat around the end of my cycle to try to counteract this effect and have generally found it helpful.Another option is taking a regular multivitamin or substituting a multivitamin-infused drinkable-jelly as necessary. I starting taking one multivitamin and one multi-mineral pouch toward the end of every cycle and found it pretty helpful overall. I also do my best to boost vitamin C around this time, though its benefits have been debated. It makes me feel better anyway. However you choose to do it, be sure to take care of yourself especially around this time of the month.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdJ6m-living_shopping_healthTue, 06 Feb 2018 14:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MdJ6m-living_shopping_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPODO-living_transportation_ishinomaki_shi_miyagiI first ventured to Tashirojima, the Cat Island in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, back in August, half on a dare from the actor Misha Collins (GISWHES) and half to see what all the fuss was about. We had a blast, but failed to find many cats, due in part to the construction occurring at the main port terminal. Last December, I returned with my daughter and a friend in the hopes of enjoying a bit of a winter adventure and the trip was an enlightening one. This is what I learned.1) See as much of the island as you can, especially the bit near the cat-shaped hotel cabins. That's where all the cats hide as that location has a little cat-shelter and visitor center, which is unfortunately not open in winter. I am absolutely sure this is what we missed out on with our first trip, where we focused on seeing the two port areas and finding cats along the way. If we had endeavored to find a path around the construction, we may well have gotten our picture with the required ten cats for GISHWHES but also would likely have had a much more relaxing and enjoyable experience.2) Bring Food (for you and the cats)While the official rules in the guest area prohibit indiscriminate feeding, a few treats here and there are unlikely to cause too much lasting harm. That said, remember there are currently no restaurants on the island and if you are coming at a low-traffic time of year, even the minor rest-stop areas will likely be closed. Bring along what you need and take your garbage with you.3) Be nice to the localsThis time, one of the locals happened upon us as we searched for cats and advised that we head to her home near the old port where she personally claims eight cats as her own. The tenants of a house a little further down from hers had more than ten to themselves. Most of the local people are keen enough to hold a basic conversation if you're interested in practicing Japanese, but only if they are already out and about. Knocking on a resident's door is definitely frowned upon, as is following cats onto someone's property without their expressed permission.Near the second public bathroom we found on the island, near the cat-shaped cabins.4) Pee at the ParkPublic facilities are located at the park near the port docking area. As businesses and bathrooms are few and far between on the island, utilizing these spaces is highly recommended. Walking between one port and the other, you will find a number of bushy roadside spaces where one could potentially urinate in an emergency, but again, it is not recommended.5) Prepare for Motion SicknessOur previous trip barely beat out an oncoming summer typhoon, which I assumed was the cause of the intense waves that led to my motion sickness on the ferry to the island. As I had never experienced motion sickness before, I scoured the internet for tips on my phone and wound up with exactly two tips I could use when already in transit: Keep an eye on the horizon and go above board to do so if necessary. We later found out that sitting in the back of the boat can also be helpful.To my dismay, this December trip offered just as much sickness-related difficulty as our pre-typhoon experience. On the upside, we found out that my daughter is not immune to motion sickness and that an absorbent scarf is always a good thing to have on hand. Also, ziplock baggies.If you're prone to motion sickness, definitely make preparations beforehand. Even if you're not, you might experience some ill-effects, so remember to stare at the horizon and sit at the back of or on top of the boat.The trip is worth it and is fun, but it's worth a little bit or preparation to have the best time possible.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPODO-living_transportation_ishinomaki_shi_miyagiSat, 03 Feb 2018 18:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPODO-living_transportation_ishinomaki_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjpEe-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiThis is the Dontosai I always remember.Every January 14th in Miyagi, this festival rolls around. The main event always seems to be the bonfire near Shiogama Shrine where townspeople discard their burnable New Year's decorations in paper bags (some left over from fukubukuro) by throwing them atop flaming heaps. Legend says that anyone warmed by this fire will have great health in the coming year, an immunity given by a community's worth of festive holiday cheer bundled together and put to better use as kindling. The fire department is also present at the event, ensuring the festivities do not get out of hand. After throwing the bag of burnables into the fire, many people choose to partake of the festival food stalls located along the path to the easy entrance to the shrine.It was not until I met a Canadian living here for a one year stint with the JET program that I heard about what the festival was more famous for in some circles. "Are you going to the naked festival?" she asked.My cheeks may have reddened as I responded in the negative, unsure of what she could be talking about. "I'm afraid I can't afford to do much traveling." I may have countered, assuming that such a festival must be taking place in Tokyo or Osaka or some other more urban location."No, no. It's here in Shiogama. A bunch of naked people run down the streets." She said.I pondered for a few moments if it could be possible that some mass nudist parade was regularly occurring in the town where I had been living for half a decade and I had somehow not been aware of it. When asked later my Japanese husband, a Shiogama native, was quick to fix this problem. "She means Dontosai.""The bonfire?" I asked. Massive piles of warm flames I can remember."Yeah," he said. "There are people who run about...""They're not naked, though." I had to say. I would have remembered them being naked. As a moderately prudish American, vast swaths of nudity do still catch me off-guard. I am usually quite aware of being in the presence of naked people, and the Dontosai participants had never engaged my inner nudity-alarm.He shrugged. It is true that the marchers for Dontosai do not wear much clothing. Simple loin cloths over white knee-length tights or boxers seems to be the standard attire. Thermal bandages to cover the torso can also be seen especially on the female participants. While these minimal clothing options fail to offer much more than a little privacy in the cold of a Miyagi January, they still render the enthusiastic crowd less naked than merely under-dressed.This year, I heard the groups of volunteers walk briskly through the streets, chanting the expected , "Rashoi, Rashoi!" at regular intervals while they followed the procession around the city and back to the shrine. Some schools and clubs bring participants together, as do some companies in the area. Interestingly, some groups seem to have the option of choosing a more thematically appropriate outfit selection, including longer pants in some cases and uniforms in others. This isn't to say that the participants had it easy. It was freezing out there.I'm guessing they're a baseball club or school team?Maybe some form of martial arts?On the same night, Osaki Hachiman Shrine in Sendai also hosts a Dontosai festival in the same manner, complete with half-naked volunteers, so if you're in Miyagi in mid-January and looking to watch an interesting half-naked pilgrimmage option, you have two to choose from. There are similar "naked" festivals (hadaka matsuri) in a number of places in Japan, the most famous of which apparently occurring in Okayama, in the southern part of Honshu between Kyoto and Hiroshima later in February.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjpEe-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiFri, 02 Feb 2018 14:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wjpEe-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G63rD-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiHonShiogama is an excellent station to use for navigation of the port city of Shiogama. Located between Marine Gate, a great place for food, fun, and ferries, and Shiogama Shrine, the train station is a busy little place, walking distance to some of the best sushi in the city and Aeon TownMall Shiogama, which is on the smaller side of the Aeon Mall complexes but does offer a few nice places for a cheap lunch, souvenir shopping, and groceries as needed.In front of HonShiogama station on the shrine side, there used to be a small information center next to a shop featuring a number of regional goods. I went out to find some neat local things to send in holiday boxes home the other day only to see both of the spaces shuttered.It turns out that the souvenir shop in front of HonShiogama Station has moved from a highly visible location next to the information center near the taxi pool in the shrine side of the station to a little shop space in a building next to the station-- a place you would only find if looking for somewhere to park your bike between that side of the station and the Aeon on the other side.This I found out after asking the women at the new information center-- now located inside of HonShiogama Station, near the bathrooms. While they did their best to show me by pointing and using words I was unfamiliar with, when I explained that I did not understand, they simplified to "Three flag. Go." which was surprisingly more helpful. There is a series of three flags dividing the front area of the station from a small back-road/path, where the shop now sits next to a barber shop.Inside this little shop, you will find a number of local goods including fabric handicrafts, locally-sourced seaweed, candy made with shiogamazakura (the double-blossom sakura enjoyed by patrons of Shiogama Shrine), and hand-made soba among others. There are also a number of goods featuring mascots from the area and even a small model of the dragon-shaped shrine boat anchored in the bay and utilized in the annual summer port festival when it transports one of the portable shrines to the outlying islands of Shiogama City. One may wonder what would drive a local foreigner like me to such a tourist-specific location. There is but one answer: Salt.Shiogama is a town of salt. Even the name of the town is salt-cauldron if you take the kanji literally, and this makes sense as Shiogama Shrine has been well known as a place that makes salt using traditional methods going back centuries upon centuries and includes the use of an extremely large pot in which sea water is boiled. Salt still made through this process is known as moshio and is only made in 4 places in all of Japan, the town I live in being one of them. The others are in Hyogo prefecture, Hiroshima prefecture, and Nagasaki prefecture. Each of these moshio variations is said to have its own specific variation in flavor and strength though they are all considered good and fancy salts.At this location in Shiogama, a small bag of the granulated variety costs a little over 500 yen and a larger crystalized-flake variety is available for a little over 700 yen for one jar. So if you're looking for a little treat to send to the culinary masters in your life, picking up some moshio may be in order.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G63rD-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiTue, 30 Jan 2018 10:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G63rD-living_food_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbgZ-living_shopping_tea_sendai_shi_miyagiWho doesn't love a spot of green tea when out and about in the city? The number of places that offer that special beverage in any major Japanese city is almost as high as the number of tea variations available. From a quick matcha beverage at a convenience store to a formal tea ceremony at culture center, the options seem endless, and that's before considering where to buy tea to be made at home. So where should the Sendai traveler go when seeking a nice cup of the green stuff and some loose leaf tea to enjoy later? Look no further than Ochano Ikeda near Forus department store.Nestled between several multi-story buildings in Sendai's Vlandome shopping arcade sits Ochano Ikeda, one of the best places to find green tea in the area. The front entrance of the shop is lined with teas that are on special sales as well as new tea pots for those who need a fresh vessel for their favorite warm winter beverage. To the left of the entrance is a small shop window where one of the gracious shop workers will endeavor to create one of a surprisingly large number of green-tea infused dessert options ranging from a small soft-serve ice cream swirl in a cup or cone to an ornate parfait of alternating layers including a mochi-bean curd snack on top.If you're quite lucky, you might stumble upon the store while they are handing out samples of a new tea blend to be enjoyed in a small ceramic cup. Just the thing to warm you up on a chilly day in the city.Once inside, the left side of the store is stocked withnew seasonal additions to the astounding tea selection in addition to more familiar favorites you might fight in your neighborhood super market. The right wall instead boasts a number of snacks that go well with green tea. Some are simple sembei or traditional sweets while some have been jazzed up with fresh shapes or flavors. I even found a version of the seaside souvenir snack favorite of Iwate Kamome no Tamago (literally seagull eggs, actually bean-paste filled cake balls coated in white chocolate) Sendai-ified by use of a zunda center.Across the store from the snacks on the left side of the shop, a small seating space is open to customers who prefer to come in off of the street to enjoy their dessert purchase from the front window. Here and in a few other choice locations in the store, a tea dispenser offers free samples in paper cups.The place is well worth stopping by, even if for no more than a quick look around and sample of the fabulous tea.This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbgZ-living_shopping_tea_sendai_shi_miyagiFri, 19 Jan 2018 14:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbgZ-living_shopping_tea_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaNmA-food_matsushima_machi_miyagiMost of the souvenir foods of the Sendai area are based on the sea-life, zunda, or cow-tongue. It was with great excitement that I encountered a specialty line of beverages offered in one of the many souvenir shops along the tourist area of Matsushima.I have seen other specialty beverages of the area, offered usually in flavors like gyutan, which I don't recommend. If cow tongue doesn't sound appetizing on a plate, I don't know if carbonating it and putting it in a glass will help.As you can see, even the label is adorable and, if pealed off correctly, can be made into its own long lasting souvenir.In contrast, Matsushima Ume Cider sounds plausibly delicious. Ume, or plum, could conceivably combine well with the sweetened carbonated beverage Japan has elected to call "cider" which has more in common with Sprite than the warm, spiced beverage North Americans know as apple cider.Admittedly, it took more than a week for me to get around to opening this one but not for lack of desire. It was the end of the year with so much going on and a small child, a few minutes of peace and quiet in which to fully enjoy the beverage did not come until the morning of New Year's Day while waiting to get ready to go to the shrine.So how was it? Surprisingly refreshing and not too sweet. One of the best things about Japanese renditions of sweeter foods is that there is a tendency to avoid to the over-sugared, chemical-laden flavors so common in mass-produced sweet foods and drinks back home.Instead, this taste reminds me of Clearly Canadian bottled sparkling water, which i enjoyed a lot as a kid in the early 2000s, with my very favorite flavor being black cherry. This lovely plum flavored drink offers a hint of the sweet notes of the source fruit without pounding the palate. While I do not frequently enjoy flavored carbonated water these days, instead drinking straight water, tea, or darker sodas, this is one I might pick up again.If you want to find a bottle for yourself, make the trip down the main street extending from Matsushima Kaigan Station on the Senseki line toward Godaido Shrine, but stay on the same side of the street as the Kokeshi shop, across from Kanrantei Tea House. The shop that sells curry pan out of a window on the street also offers a small selection of beverages like these in the back of the souvenir section in a cooled fridge. They also make a fine cup of coffee and have a selection of souvenirs including Maoi-themed gifts supporting the tsunami affected areas of the Minami Sanriku coast.The entire bottle went down well over the course of less than twenty minutes and was enjoyable for the duration. While plum cider isn't one of the better known souvenir foods or beverages of the area, I will definitely be recommending it to visiting friends and family on our mandatory walk through the sights and sounds of Matsushima.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaNmA-food_matsushima_machi_miyagiWed, 17 Jan 2018 10:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaNmA-food_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqr2l-shopping_money_sendai_shi_miyagiChristmas Shopping in Sendai occurs on Clis Road under the happy observance of this happily seated Santa-like figure, but who is he?My first winter in Tohoku, I thought this guy was "Japanese Santa Claus" and wondered why I had not seen similar weird things in Nagoya or Gifu. Perhaps it was just another weird northern thing. It didn't occur to me until much later that this guy was the same happy, sitting, shaved guy seen in stores, on signs and in many places around town. This is the guy in faded old photos in the souvenir shops. This is Sendai Shiro.The Christmas Sendai Shiro Balloon hangs in front of the Mitakisanfudo Temple and Shrine along the Clis Road shopping arcade in downtown Sendai.The historical Sendai Shiro was a mentally challenged 19th century Sendai resident whose actual name was eitherHaga Toyotaka or Haga Shirodepending on the source in question. According to the stories, he was frequently seen wandering the shopping arcade, rarely speaking but always smiling. In depictions of him, Sendai Shiro is frequently seen sitting properly and smiling with a shaved head and slightly short robes, sometimes revealing a little more than one would want to see, but usually with an air of innocence rather than lechery. More recent depictions shy away from this detail, including the large Santa-style balloon decoration. Some smaller statues, however, can still be seen exposing something of a nub where nothing need exist. Perhaps it was meant to be the folds of his robe, or some other element of artistic expression that I have missed, but since my brother pointed out this aspect on a visit some years ago, it is all I can see when I look at some souvenirs.A small selection of Sendai Shiro goods available at one of the souvenir shops in the arcade. A good gift for someone who runs a small business.The shops he visited and enjoyed during his life would immediately see an upturn in visits from others, and the shops that treated him poorly usually fell on hard times. Logically, this can be better explained as those who cater to many clients, including those in short robes, generally see better outcome than those who turn away would-be financial gain for some other reason such as pride, greed, or ignorance. This could be a cultural a lesson on treating others well, but instead, he became a local saint-god figure for merchants and his visage can be viewed in a number of souvenir shops in Sendai and Matsushima as well as on the faces of the decorations that hang in front of Mitakisanfudo Shrine in the arcade, part of which is dedicated to Sendai Shiro himself!Explanation given in-shop regarding Sendai Shiro.After Christmas ends, the decorations for New Years go up and instead of the Santa-clad Sendai Shiro with a reindeer-driven sleigh, guests to the shopping arcade are greeted by the placard-style decoration, still massive and hanging in the same spot, just in front of Mitakisanfudo Temple and Shrine above the walkway through the arcade.For the business people of Sendai, this folk-saint/local deity is considered a fantastic good luck charm, so if you or someone you love is running a small business somewhere, consider sending them a Sendai Shiro charm from the souvenir shops in Sendai or Mitakisanfudo Temple and Shrine in the arcade.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqr2l-shopping_money_sendai_shi_miyagiMon, 15 Jan 2018 15:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mqr2l-shopping_money_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2ERJ-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiOne night in the last week of 2017, my daughter and I braved the cold of early evening to head into Sendai, the largest city near us. Usually, the prospect of being outdoors after sunset in winter leaves me shuddering and reaching for my electric blanket, but this time was different. We had to go. We weren't going out to dinner, nor to meet friends nor a party, but my urge to head into the bigger city was stronger than I could explain.This was the one evening of that week that my husband would be stuck staying overnight at work, which meant no one was likely to be showing up at my home at 6PM expecting dinner. I could grab a snack or a meal for my picky four-year-old and myself at one of the cafes or restaurants in the arcade or near the station, but that wasn't our reason for going.The yearly event that dragged us out in the cold is known as the Pageant of Starlight, in which the entirety of the large, park-like median in the center of Jozenji Street is lit with thousands upon thousands of shining fairy lights, all in the same iridescent yellow, giving the street a strangely classy feel not usually seen with these elements.Here we are with one of the more famous statues on the street, taking in the lights and sights.Walking up and down the sometimes icy path is free, as is taking as many pictures as you like, though if you do appreciate the event, there are collection boxes in many areas, taking monetary donations to support this and future renditions of the event. In addition, the must-have street food (actually the only street-food available on the street) is a baked sweet potato, served by occasionally sketchy looking men out of small vehicles and large baking appliances. There may or may not be signs indicating price, and I misheard our sketchy gentleman, who quickly corrected me in a friendly manner. The potato cost 500 yen (not 200, as I misheard), and worth every cent. I am not even usually a fan of sweet potato, but this is something that fits perfectly into the Sendai street scene and unlike many other regional delicacies, has nothing to do with fish.The only time I had previously attended this event was a few years ago, when my child was smaller and couldn't walk the whole way.A few friends had accompanied us, though all of them have now relocated back to their respective homelands. I had especially enjoyed the camaraderie and something about walking through the cold in the company of people I cared about while holding a literal hot potato was thoroughly endearing. Our 2017 experience with the event was special in other ways, with more camaraderie shared with my child and fewer adults available to participate. It was brief but very fun.Known as one of the more romantic winter events in Miyagi, the Pageant of Starlight runs from early December through the 31st at midnight, when all the lights go out and wait to be retrieved from their arboreal homes. If you're in the area next December, the lights usually turn on around 5:30PM and stay on till 11PM until the 31st. Wear good shoes and buy a potato. It's worth it. Find more information here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2ERJ-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiSat, 13 Jan 2018 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w2ERJ-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvPxd-living_healthFor me, winter is a hard season. I've only experienced winters that don't end after a weekend in Japan. This year is my ninth round in real winter, and I do think I am getting better at working my way through it, but this checklist idea is probably part of the reason that I am feeling in better mental health at this point in this season comparing to years previous. I've adapted a few key points to a shorter form I use any time I am feeling like I might snowball into an avalanche of misery.So if you're standing at a precipice, here are a few things to fix before the season gets the best of you.A rainbow from a winter road trip, setting the stage for a positive experience.1) Stay Hydrated.This is so much easier in other months, when a cold glass of water isn't going to send chills through your body, but it is still important in winter. Drinking out of a room temperature water bottle can do well enough, but if you're looking for something a little more comforting and refreshing, adding lemon to hot water can be more enjoyable than hot water on its own and green tea is known to be great for hydration and hold other health benefits. While hot black teas can also be a great source of comfort in the colder months, they have been known to be somewhat dehydrative, though WebMD says to drink them anyway. Water can help you lose weight and has a host of other great benefits that I personally attest to, including a greater ability to concentrate, less natural anxiety, and more regular bowel movements. But how much is enough? According to some online sources, it's as simple as drinking when you're thirsty and stopping when you aren't, but I have also read that drink between .5 and 1 ounce per pound of body weight is generally recommended. For a 200 pound person, that means imbibing 100 to 200 ounces per day, or 3 to 6 liters. I do not know that I have ever made it through 6 liters of water in a day, but I do make it a habit to refill a 875 ml water bottle at least 4 times a day when I can.2) Get Enough SleepThis isn't always something that we get the luxury of controlling, but if you've noticed a downturn to your moods, take your sleeping habits into account as well. If there is any feasible way to allow yourself more hours of slumber, especially earlier in the night, I encourage you to pursue them. Waking up at noon on your day off when the sun sets before 5PM means missing half of your daylight hours, which may not seem like a big deal but these things can add up. If you're feeling off, see if turning in early helps.3) Keep MovingThe endorphins produced from regular workouts can be lifesavers, depending on your body's mental and emotional needs, and running around outside can take a serious dip in the winter months for those of us not blessed with skiing or snowboarding ability or locale. What do you do if you can't take a skiing weekend and the ice on the pavement outside keeps you from jogging? Home workouts can help, as can exercise equipment, gym memberships, and even Pokemon Go. I cannot count how many days in the last few seasons I would not have left my home if I hadn't felt the need to chase down a temporarily occurring legendary Pokemon. It may be silly, but silly and happy beats the crap out of depressed. I know.What do you do to keep things positive in winter?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvPxd-living_healthWed, 10 Jan 2018 11:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvPxd-living_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxX8Z-living_money_education_workI do not know why the tapir dreamed of glory.Teaching English, especially as a private, independent teacher, can be especially challenging for those of us who are more socially sensitive, myself included. When I first came to Japan, I felt certain that if I did everything I could to the best of my ability, I would secure classes with every student who walked in the door and if I failed, it was my fault and mine alone.All of this, of course, was wrong.Reasons for students to turn away are as varied as reasons for them to start classes in the first place, and not everything has to do with the teacher present. Students may lack motivation, prolonged interest, or financial means, and none of those elements are directly related to the personality or skills of the teacher. Others may have difficulty making time for classes due to busy social schedules, as is common with kids from junior high onward as well as professionals in a number of businesses. Again, nothing a teacher can provide in a trial lesson or two can make up for the demands of the table tennis club or the deadlines set by the vice president of the company.In the nose of not seeing, eh? Someone could have used a few more English classes...On the other hand, sometimes the student and teacher may have a personality difference that makes the student uncomfortable enough to leave. In my experience, when the student has made it clear that this is the case, the best thing to do is apologize and bow out gracefully. Attempting to teach a student that has a personal problem with you specifically is often significantly more difficult than finding a new student to fill that spot in your schedule or just making do with a little less.How I often feel after an unsuccessful trial lesson.In the rare case that there is something specific about the teacher that is causing adverse reactions, it is not always easy to ascertain the problem. People in Japan don't always reveal their emotions, especially to a new potential teacher.When working for a larger company, a trainer or manager should be on hand to discuss any of these issues with a new teacher, but this is not always the case.The most a teacher on their own can do in this situation without asking the student directly is watch for patterns in the rejecting students. If they all seem to glaze over after a few minutes, you may be talking to quickly, or too much. Ask more questions, give them time to respond, slow your speed, and watch for active engagement. Another option is to practice a lesson on a Japanese friend, who can hopefully then shed some light on where the teaching technique goes awry.Most importantly, remember that a student who chooses to change teachers or strategies is usually making a decision based on many factors, not just whether or not they like the teacher. You can teach a perfect lesson and still not retain the student due to obstacles outside of your control. Don't give up.Because flying air attacks of freedom should always come in rainbow.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxX8Z-living_money_education_workThu, 04 Jan 2018 11:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxX8Z-living_money_education_workhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqXo-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiLiving in what is considered the urban part of a smallish city, the number and quality of nearby parks is somewhat lacking. In Shiogama, between HonShiogama Station and Marine Gate (the ferry port) site a small site called 千賀ノ浦緑地 (Chiganoura ryokuchi) on Google Maps, but over the years, the little green space has taken on a very different shape.I fell in love with this tiny seaside park years ago, before my daughter was born, when I just thought it would be a lovely little green place forever. At that point, the little gazebo-esque seat, on a hill and under its own little roof, was the only man-made feature I can remember, aside from the fences around the space, ensuring no one would randomly take a dive into Shiogama Bay, and a short sea wall facing the bay.Unfortunately, then came the tsunami, and a monument to that catastrophic event stands huge in the right side of the green space with small spot lights that keep it visible at night, reminding everyone how high 2.3 meters really is. That was the watermark for the height of the tsunami in this park. Just seeing the mark so high on the carved rocks can fill survivors of the Miyagi's 2011 disasters with a solemn but necessary reminder. Also, the rocks that surround the monument list the names of the contributors to the fund to create the monument and place names of those areas affected. According to Google Maps, the name of this specific monument is 塩釜市東日本大震災モニュメント(Shiogama-shi Higashinihon daishinsai monyumento) or the Shiogama City Great East Japan Earthquake Monument. It is designated as a memorial park, all by itself.I like this monument. It makes sense to me. The rest of this space was a lovely little field of clover, and when my daughter was a rambunctious toddler, we would sit on a bench with a friend or run around in the soft grass. It was lovely, really, and a difficult little piece of nature to find in semi-urban Japan.A friend snuggling my kid in front of the field of clover as it was around 2015.In addition to the monument came an extension to the sea wall, cutting off the view of the bay from the little seat on the hill under the roof. They also moved the shrine boats to the other side of the bay, so there was less to see in that little dock area across the street from the Aeon parking lot than before. Admittedly with the seawall, the reasoning is easy to understand. We need to be safe in case of another tsunami and with the sizing sea level due to climate change. It's functional, but not my favorite thing to look upon while having a nice little lunch outside.The view from the covered seat as it was circa 2015.Then they paved paths into the field and divided it up, which I am still telling myself I don't mind. It makes things easier for a lot of people, and a path is rarely overgrown, so I guess that makes sense. It does flood every time it rains and the asphalt takes days to drain off, but the field also turned into a mud pit in the rain, so I suppose the asphalt is an improvement? Fewer bugs and snakes in summer, that's for sure, not that I've ever seen a snake here, but still it is safer, probably. I still miss it being a big green space though.And what a lovely green space it was. Then came the stage. Previous to its existence, I did witness a few small concerts being held out here, usually under portable tents or similar. This whole area would be crowded with food stalls during the summer festivals and it was a great spot for a number of things, but now it is a large, oddly-shaped, paved area with a roof. Rarely is it used for the venue it resembles and most frequently it seems to be utilized for impromptu picnics on sweltering days or strange photo ops when GISHWHES comes around. There is a plaque about these anchors, two of which are mounted to the sides of the stage, explaining their role in keeping a ship afloat and stationary during the 2011 disasters, enabling the crew to film the tsunami. Honestly, I don't really see why they are attached to this stage.This year's GISHWHES shenanigans included a human balloon-sculpture, our best usage of the stage to date.With the stage came this weird light that glares brilliantly all night long, reminding everyone that someone decided to stick a light here. As it turns out, the placard on this object explains the story of this light, one of the Shiogama Leading lights that alerted ships of the coastline for almost a century before being retired and re-utilized as one more large metal object to take up space in what was once a small park. On the upside, there is English on the placard.We still go there sometimes, and kick and soccer ball back and forth in the patch of grass between the tsunami monument and the stage. It's a bit awkward, but at least we can work on passing. . Only time will tell how many more memorials to bits and pieces of Shiogama's history will come to occupy my once-park, now-memorial-park, but until they take away all of the grass and sod, we will still be out there with our soccer ball every once in a while.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqXo-living_shiogama_shi_miyagiSun, 31 Dec 2017 17:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqXo-living_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm59a-living_familylifeFor the past few weeks, my family has been plagued by the knowledge that something was coming on December 16th, some kind of a school function, but with no information given aside from the title of the event: Presentation day.If I concentrate, I can read up to 50% of this board. If I could concentrate...My husband, his parents, the school, and my daughter all seemed happy with the non-information available. I took the day off work without knowing how long the event was planned for nor what time it was set to begin nor end. My husband would join me if he could (he couldn't) and we would make it work to hopefully go to my daughter's last music lesson of the year at 1PM on the same day (we did).I find it hard to prepare myself when I do not have enough information. Add in my lack of Japanese fluency and social anxiety and we're looking at a panic attack waiting to happen. Luckily it didn't, and the distraction of trying to prepare all foreign-bound Christmas packages before Friday helped me to not freak out too much about whatever this event might be, but the panic in the back of my mind still stopped me from being as effective as I could have been.It stands to reason that a December event at a non-Christian kindergarten would be somehow akin to the nativity or other Christmas-themed plays many of us saw growing up in the west, and really the most likely course would involve kids singing and dancing and nothing to be worried about or scared of, but that's assuming you will understand what people are telling you and the crowd over a loudspeaker while others are talking in a language you don't know that well.The truth of the matter: a version of Pinocchio with tons of fairies and no crickets. Truth be told, I wouldn't be wild about this kind of event in English either, but I would likely manage it better because I at least have a clue as to the social norms in my home country. I wouldn't say I am clueless about Japan, but I mess things up on a regular basis, though usually not in life-threatening or terribly important ways. Just little missteps here and there. Always. Like I am trying to perfect the world's most awkward dance. The difference was that I was alone. No in-laws to do the right social things and provide me an example to copy. No husband to do the things without explaining and be surprised when I have no idea what the man who only speaks in keigo said. Just me, and my little wandering 4 year old, figuring it out.That's my little pikachu in the back there. To my surprise the event was fun. We arrived late due to my misreading the form and fumbling with a multitude of small luggage in the morning. Isn't it surprising how one school backpack plus one normal day backpack plus one music class bag plus one purse plus one bag of slippers adds up to more luggage than anyone would want to carry? As it turns out, the 9:15 arrival time was a little exaggerated, as I had expected, and my little one ran off into her classroom, filled with her classmates in various stages of time-killing-with-newspaper.I went to the auditorium/gymnasium and saw a room so filled with people and accessories in seats that I elected to stand at the back for the duration of the program-- a full two hours on my feet in one spot. My right foot went numb twice but I slowly worked it back to life by shifting my weight and curling and uncurling my toes.The view from my standing position on the back wall.From my seat at the back, I was able to record a lot of what my daughter did and enjoyed it immensely. Mostly it was silly, happy songs and dancing in cheap but fun costumes. Everyone seemed to have a good time.Now that it is over, I have to say that I am glad I went and I think these things will be less challenging in the future if I just remember not to panic.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm59a-living_familylifeSat, 30 Dec 2017 18:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wm59a-living_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVOBk-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiLast year's New Year's decoration explanationfor friends back home.If you've been out to the grocery store, DIY superstore, or even the 100 yen store in December, you might have seen some of these items lingering around and if you haven't had to use them before, many of them might seem a bit strange.The thing that always alerts me to the approach of New Years is the kagamimochi, which come in a variety of prices and sizes. This expensive version from the grocery store nearest my home seems to include a calendar and costs a little under 3000 yen as I recall. Also, it is no longer available as it sold out pretty quickly. Simpler versions are available elsewhere for as little as 100 yen for the plain and simple form of one smaller rice cake atop a slightly bigger one, sealed in plastic. These can be decorated as needed it seems, but some of the fancier versions are hollow, made to contain the rectangular, microwave oven friendly mochi packs most people prefer to eat. These are meant to be placed on a sacred Shinto alter in the home, but as my family has no such alter in our apartment, we frequently make use of the space in front of the television or the dining room counter instead. So far, this has not lead to any horrible ramifications that I know of. We always get the ones with the next animal zodiac on it now, though our little one has yet to fully understand that no, we can't just play with the little plastic dogs yet. We actually got the last one of these at the grocery store. It was hidden behind the sign and the plastic dome is slightly dented, but it is still good by our standards. Apparently, on January 11th, kagamibiraki occurs and the kagamimochi is meant to be broken up and cooked with beans. I have never done this and am unlikely to do this in the future. Mine always end up in a bag with the rest of the decorations, waiting for dontosai when we go to the shrine and burn the lot of it. The only other decoration my little family bothers with is the little wreaths, better known as wa-kazari, which are available in a number of sizes at a variety of prices depending on how dedicated to the business of decorating you are. Their larger versions, the shime-kazari, are meant to decorate the front door.According to my husband, however, just one of the little bad boys will not do. Instead, you must have one hung high in each room of the house, facing a certain direction. In our house, all eight little wreaths face northwest, but I am not sure if north or west was the intended overall direction. Decorating for this holiday can be reserved for after Christmas, but beware-- these things are not always still on the shelves for too long after the 25th. This is why, upon seeing them in stock, I rush to the 100 yen store and pick up my lot. The best days to decorate for this holiday are between December 26th and December 28th. The 29th is bad luck, as is the 31st, which is considered last minute.Everything can be taken down on the 7th of January.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVOBk-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 28 Dec 2017 17:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zVOBk-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QPW-foodThis one goes out to any of my brethren from the southwest, or anyone who likes chili, especially if they also hate winter. I know how it is. You see someone from home post about the sunny weather, wearing a t-shirt and shorts, smiling on social media, and that humid chill of Japanese winter taunts you from beyond your walls. Soon, a sad shiver may shake a tear loose, and then the game will be over. Winter will have won.Sorry to be over-dramatic. I really hate this season. Even if you don't, if you'd like to take a stab at making the meat dish made popular by cowboy movies and southern to southwestern American cuisine, look no further. I make it all with stuff acquired in Japan, mostly from my local grocery store.Ingredients and procedure: Meat: At least 200 grams of menchi or ground meat. I prefer the beef and pork mix and beef alone is not available where I live, but any menchi will likely suffice. Frozen menchi can be used, but make sure to let it cook before you add the other ingredients to ensure no frozen chunks persist. In the picture above, my frozen menchi chunk is being thawed/cooked in lightly boiling water. If you do this, pour off any remaining water when the meat is nice and browned. If you're using fresh menchi, get it around half browned before you add the onion and garlic.Onion and Garlic: 1 medium onion, diced, and 1-2 cloves of garlic, diced. These make a big difference in flavor when fresh, but if all you have is granulated garlic and dehydrated onion bits, those are better than nothing. When the onion starts to look a bit translucent, add the tomatoes.Tomatoes: 2 cans of diced tomatoes. This is the quickest and easiest way, though you can also gather 3 large tomatoes and dice them if you prefer. I used to do this with only one can, which is possible, but I found two stretches the food budget a little further and helps my tomato-loving husband better enjoy the meal.The Market Pantry brand is from target in America, yes, but I have refilled it with chili powder acquired on amazon.co.jp.The normal course of dry ingredients I utilize are salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika and cumin, though you can also use a chili seasoning packet from your local import store. I have never measured the amount of dry ingredients I use.The red powder coating is chili and paprika. The brown, cumin.Instead, I sprinkle a coat of salt, pepper, and cumin over the cooking chili and mix it in. Unless you absolutely love spicy food (I don't), use the chili powder in smaller dashes, no more than half a teaspoon at a time. Then taste and adjust as necessary. Remember you cannot remove the dry ingredients afterward, so if you went overboard on the chili powder and can no longer enjoy the resulting concoction, try working in some more tomatoes or meat to dilute the impact.Once all of this is in and the chili is cooking, you're going to have to let the tomato juices reduce a bit, which means around 40 minutes to an hour of walking away and coming back to stir the thing every 5-10 minutes. Cooking it on the highest heat setting will evaporate the liquid faster, but you'll have to pay close attention not to burn the meaty bits at the bottom. I prefer a medium-heat overall. If bubbling is happening, as in the picture above, a quick stir is a good idea.When is it done? When you can scrape a wooden spoon across the bottom of your pot and the sides stay separated. If the sides ooze together within 3 seconds, more reduction needs to take place.Serve in bowls or on chili dogs or nachos as you like.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QPW-foodWed, 27 Dec 2017 22:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8QPW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemoO-food_tea_matsushima_machi_miyagiAlong a seaside stroll through Matsushima, a great many little adventures await, ranging from a kokeshi shop where you can paint your own doll or buy one of the gorgeous handcrafted pieces, to Godaido shrine, to a beach, and even a couple of beauiful red bridges connecting the mainland to uninhabited islands. One place that is easy to overlook if you're not looking for it is Kanrantei Tea House, just across the busy Route 45 from the kokeshi shop, next to the ferry dock and rest house. The grounds around the shop are gorgeous but do not hold a candle to the beauty visible from inside. Entrance alone costs 200 yen with food and beverage prices between 200 and 700 yen, all of which is payable at the booth across a short gravel path from the entrance to the teahouse, just a few steps up from the street-level entrance to the grounds. There, a menu with clear pictures detailing the courses offered and respective prices helps provide guidance through the options available, whatever your budget. In addition, on the front side of the main building, a placard describes the history of Kanrantei tea House in English as well as Japanese. As it turns out, the building was originally constructed in Kyoto and only moved to this location at the behest of the son of Date Masamune, Sendai's founding samurai. Since then, it has been known as a wonderful place to enjoy tea while viewing marvelous Matsushima bay as well as historically hosting moon-viewings on occassion.As it is a traditional tea house, footwear must come off at the door before customers take a seat in one of the two sitting rooms and wait for any pending orders to be prepared. On a shelf near the entrance/exit, there are also a number of bins for used service-wear , so patrons can return their own cups and plates before putting their shoes back on.This place is a favorite with tourists and the view from the first tea room shows you why. From here, Matsushima bay streches out before the audience, providing the most lovely atmosphere in which to enjoy a nice warm cup of freshly made matcha.I chose the ladies set, despite my sometimes less enthusiastic feelings toward many Japanese sweets, and I loved every bit of it. My friend's order of Oshiruko, a red bean soup with little mochi rice-cakes, was equally enjoyable.We were lucky to arrive in the early afternoon on a weekday, giving us a private dining experience for a few minutes. The experience of watching the waves while enjoying delicious green tea on the tatami is hard to beat.This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemoO-food_tea_matsushima_machi_miyagiThu, 21 Dec 2017 16:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemoO-food_tea_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3lK2-living_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagiJapanese mass transit tends to be the stuff of legend. High speed trains connect all major cities. Signs at the stations and on the train are offered in hiragana and/or romanji for those who can't read all the kanji. Punctuality is to the point where a five minute delay necessitates countless apologies and even written excuses to present to your employer should this have negatively impacted your commute. A passenger can always being fairly sure that they can get where they want to go in a timely fashion. In my experience, this tends to be true of the train system, and subway lines, and the shinkansen bullet trains.It is not however terribly true of the buses.Using the roadways means that buses have to deal with a problem that train lines rarely do-- traffic congestion. Many local buses will operate more like those in countries with almost-satisfactory mass transit systems and that beautiful punctuality of the train system is lost, though not for lack of trying. In addition to that forgivable tardiness issue, the information accessibility to non-native Japanese speakers is lacking. Most local buses I have seen outside of massive urban centers do not have place names listed in anything but kanji unless the name of the intended destination (like an outlet mall) happens to only have non-kanji name options. That means you have to know the characters for exactly where you are going before you get on the train.Tourist buses, those meant only to show out of towners around the city, still cater to the foreign crowds somewhat, as do shuttle buses to specific tourist-friendly locations like aquariums, zoos, major museums, and beer breweries. Other local buses in much of Japan do not.What if you have to use a local bus?Keep in mind that the buses are meant for locals and will assume you know 1)the bus route 2)the kanji and pronunciation for where you want to go 3) which bus takes you there. Ask Japanese friends or coworkers to help you find this information but double check what you can. I have had coworkers send me to places where the ending time of the class I had to teach meant my missing the last bus back to the station, all because they didn't drive so they didn't consider such consequences.First, make sure you know the kanji for your intended location. This will save you lots of trouble later on. If you have the pronunciation down well, you can ask the bus drivers or fellow riders if the bus goes where you need it to go. A safer bet is reading the sign post by the bus stop and matching the bus numbers and kanji for your intended destination. Be careful! Many areas may have the same general name but might not be the stop you intend. Make sure you know the exact name of the place you want to go and match every character possible.This bus stop even has information on the upcoming buses presented digitally, but again almost exclusively in kanji.Once you know where you're going, you can look at the time table at the bus stop to find the best time for you and work it out from there. Remember to check for return buses, frequently found at bus stops on the opposite side of the street from where you got on. Once you get on the bus, take the slip of paper by the entrance to the bus and pay attention to the number on the slip. Frequently, a little fare board with digital numbers sits above the driver, ticking up the fare for each stop. If you got on at stop number 3, keep your eye on the digits under the three. Wherever you decide to get off, that will be what you pay. Put your change in the box next to the bus driver and get off, hopefully in your intended location. In my years in Japan, I have had a bus driver in Kyoto take change from my hand instead of telling me the fare (because I had not known which stop I had entered the bus at and he felt this easier than talking to me like a person) and this bothered me but is only the second most frustrating situation I have been on while taking a local bus in Japan. My worst bus experience was at the fault of my former employers, who sent me on a bus that they thought took me the residential area where I would teach a private lesson but instead lead only into the industrial side of Sendai, where I felt stranded. With no subway stops, no further bus service, and the same unhelpful office staff on the phone, I struggled to figure out what to do next. Eventually I tracked down a 7-11 and managed to get into a taxi and get where I needed to go. The most troubling thing was that I had played match-the-kanji with the bus route name prior to the trip and determined this bus to not be the one I needed, but the office staff was insistent that it was the right bus and unapologetic afterward.So trust your instincts, know your kanji, and when all else fails, find a taxi.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3lK2-living_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagiSun, 10 Dec 2017 13:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3lK2-living_transportation_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN9qj-living_shopping_transportation_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiroishi_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagiIf you are coming to Sendai for just a few days but want to make the most of your time, here are three scenic spots that you won’t want to miss, even if the weather does not agree.1) MatsushimaCalled the third best view in all of Japan, this little town just up the coast from Sendai is known for oysters, island views, and a small temple area including some pretty gorgeous gardens. Entsuiin Gardens during this autumn's evening light-up eventZuiganji temple sits in the back of the temple area and costs a few hundred yen to get in, but even without a lot of English, the little temple-museum is worth its ticket price of 700 yen per person. There are some nice little places for lunch nearby and past that, the beautiful Entsuiin gardens. While these gardens are open year round and are gorgeous in almost any weather, do watch out for ice in winter. I’ve almost slipped a few times around here in the icier months. If the weather outside is frightful, you can instead spend some time in the kokeshi shop, choosing a locally hand-crafted wooden doll to take home or painting one yourself! Just across the street from this shop is Masamune Date’s famous Kyoto-inspired tea house, Kanrantei. The grounds alone are a nice touch of class in the middle of the central tourist area of this little seaside town. A little further down the same street and past the convenient Rest House, the small shrine Godaido overlooks the sea and is photogenic in any season. While all of these places involve a little walking outside, they are all fairly close together and navigable even in moderately bad weather. Matsushima is 38 minutes from Sendai on the JR Senseki Line (for Matsushima Kaigan Station) and will cost 410 yen.2) The Sendai Loople BusThe most dapper bus in Sendai Most cool tourist spots are near Sendai station are reachable on the Loople bus including the Sendai Castle ruins and Zuihouden, the Date clan mausoleum, both of which have great little museums but not much in the way of English access upon my previous visits. Tickets for the Loople bus are available at the bus pool, just feet from the bus stop that is clearly labeled. The bus leaves every 15 minutes on weekends and holidays and runs from 9am to 4pm, so if you’re looking for a way to see a lot of this little city in one morning, this is one easy way to do it, and all for 260 yen for a one-stop ticket, 620 yen for an all-day pass, recommended if you plan on making multiple stops.Check out the Loople Bus map and website for more information about the specific stops on the route, including many museums and the Tohoku University Botanical Gardens. The last stop brings you right around the Sendai shopping arcades, a great place to grab a meal or enjoy some souvenir shopping after your bus tour.3) Shiroishi Castle The closest actual castle to Sendai city, Shiroishi castle stands in Shiroishi city in southern Miyagi. You can get to the city easily from Sendai via the Tohoku train line toward Fukushima. It will take 780 yen and 48 minutes. From Shiroishi station, it is easiest to take a taxi to the castle. The ride should take around fifteen minutes and run around 1000 yen if memory serves. I have only had positive experiences at this castle. The staff does not speak much English but they have always engaged with me in a respectful and positive way, sometimes giving me more information than I can readily understand but always with the great intentions. The three story structure was once the home of a regional samurai lord but now sits overlooking the sleepy little town on Miyagi’s southern border. The first floor of the castle has a small gift shop and sometimes a seasonal display for a great photo-op. The stairs are not too steep or awkward, a difference from some of the better preserved historical castles. Sometimes it’s nice to be a little more modern. The view from the top is nice, as always, but what really makes this place special is the surrounding area. The castle grounds are sweet and comfortable, and one part of them even holds a little museum and gift shop, including a small movie theater projection room.So if your plans to come to Miyagi have been derailed by weather, fear not! Barring a typhoon or tsunami, there are still many fun places to go.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN9qj-living_shopping_transportation_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiroishi_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagiSat, 09 Dec 2017 21:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wN9qj-living_shopping_transportation_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi_shiroishi_shi_miyagi_matsushima_machi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRvOg-living_sendai_shi_miyagiEnglish is undoubtedly a complex language and there are so many ways to mess it up. Here are some prime examples of signs found on the streets of Japan that contain messages that may sound a bit off to the native English speaker, whether that is by translation error, by unintentionally strange meanings in English, or by some other means entirely.HomophonesHomophones are words that sound the same in English but sometimes have different spellings and always have different meanings. Here, most English language learners should not have a hard time discerning the error. Hair, the stuff you would have a barber trim, has been misspelled as heir, the intended recipient of an inheritance. People should know that this is not the word, but if they type it into a computer, spell check will not catch this mistake. In my time in Japan, I have to admit that spotting this sign earlier this month was my first time to see this specific pair of homophones exchanged in Japan. A significantly more common example is plain and plane, which is frequently found on poorly proof-read menus.Unintentionally FunnyThe Book-Off brethren of Hard-Off, Off-House, and Hobby-Off were developed with the idea of Off meaning discounted (such as a 50% off sale) and associating it with the category of items that would be available in the given store. Book-Off is known for its great selection of second-hand reading material as well as music and a number of other items depending on the location. Second-hand hardware is available at Hard-Off, with second-hand housewares at Off-House and second-hand hobby supplies at Hobby-Off. Unfortunately, in English, adding off to some words can make things sound unintentionally humorous, especially to those of us with a more puerile sense of humor, including myself.Getting on field of bus. Of course, being that this sign is found in front of a train station by the bus pool, it is not hard to decipher the true intended meaning of the sign. Bus pool. That was all that they had to write, yet some enthusiastic sign-writer tried to be a little bit different and come up with their own way of saying it. Unfortunately, they happened upon "getting on" which has an unintended idiomatic meaning that should generally not be connected to buses in a field. When I read this sign, I picture a field where the buses go to frolic and make more buses, and it is extremely awkward.Maybe It's Just Me"What do you do tonight?" would be more grammatically correct as "What are you doing tonight?" which was of course the intended meaning, and the sign itself is not too far off from normal. It is understandable and not terribly strange unless you're a fan of Italian horror cinema, in which case Argento means Dario Argento, the famed Italian horror director. If that's the case, your brain answers this question with, "Die. Most likely die. Or go insane. Then die." because that is what happens in the world of Argento.But What Does It Mean?A children's clothing store that I saw a few weeks ago for some reason opted for random strange English as a subtitle to their fairly normal store name, Kodomo no Mori, or Children's Forest. Of course, this sign isn't terribly important as it will not save a life or prevent someone from following the rules due to its strange English, but I still wonder where they got the idea for that English and what they think it means. IT'S THE. EARTH SHIP. TALK. I want to ask, "To whom? About what? Are we on the Earth ship now?" but the Children's Forest holds no response.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRvOg-living_sendai_shi_miyagiThu, 07 Dec 2017 10:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRvOg-living_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgPoB-living_transportation_fukushimaWhen I first came to Japan, I had never taken a ferry anywhere and thought ferries only came in the style of the commuter ferries I had heard of on some TV shows-- just another way to pass over a body of water and get to work. As I have discovered,many parts of Japan offer interesting, fun, and scenic ferry trips depending on your location.The pretty Swan Ferry in Fukushima If you're interested in taking a ferry, first research the name of the place you intend to go and then the location of the ferry port. In Shiogama, tickets to Matsushima are sold at a desk operated by fellow humans with ferries leaving every hour between 9AM and 3PM, but tickets out to the Urato Islands (a longer, wilder trip to be sure) require the use of a vending machine and the ferry for those only leaves a few times a day. Research is your friend. If you know the name of the place and the kanji, you can always ask for help and have a good chance of figuring it all out before you buy your ticket.The desk for tickets to the Swan Ferry.The Matsushima-Shiogama ferry is a favorite weekend activity for my daughter and this summer, we even took the longer and more turbulent ferry from Ishinomaki to Tashirojima Cat Island. On a recent family trip south to Fukushima, my husband arranged for us to take the swan-shaped bi-level ferry and we both expected our kid to be excited. Always read the signs. If it only says toilet and a negative verb, pee before you go.Perhaps this was too much the case as she forewent the recommended bathroom trip in order to hop on the ferry leaving shortly after our arrival. There were signs indicating that there were no facilities on the boat and unfortunately, we were so happy to bring the little one to something she seemed to want to do that we went with it and hopped on the boat, grabbing seats on the top level.Because this was a lake voyage, it did seem somewhat less exciting than the Matsushima ferry, which stops by interesting sights between the two cities with a tour guided either by the driver of the boat or the pre-recorded tape in Japanese and English. A dark lake on a gray day was somewhat less interesting than a selection of little islands in the sea, but did make for a few nice and slightly creepy pictures of the distant hills.It was nice, and a little creepy.In fact, the only indelible memory from this event was us sitting as a family on the lower deck, our daughter in full pee-pee dance just feet from the non-operational bathroom while I silently prayed for us to make it back to the dock in time. The view was nice enough, but not as nice as the view in Matsushima. I realize now that we are spoiled for that view of the ocean, which is recognized as the third best view in all of Japan. Of course a ferry on a lake would not be quite as nice.The route map did not make false promises. Just a view of the lake.That said the ferry itself was rather pretty. I like the elegance of the swan design, which was so iconic as to be found on postcards on sale at the gift shop desk, next to the non-working bathroom. For your next ferry trip, remember to research where you want to go, remember the name and the kanji, and read the signs before you get on the boat. Even in ferries with working bathrooms, the toilet situation is usually less than optimal, so it is almost always a good choice to use the facilities on land beforehand. What's your favorite ferry trip in Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgPoB-living_transportation_fukushimaFri, 01 Dec 2017 18:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MgPoB-living_transportation_fukushimahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK731-living_food_teaDespite this being my ninth autumn in Japan, I have never once made myself a pot of green tea. My mother-in-law was quick to make the drink pot by pot when we shared the same abode and I grew used to the slight bitterness of the beverage then. This was such a big transition in taste for me that the sweet Arizona Iced Green Tea that I found strange and bitter stateside now tastes far too sweet, even disgustingly so. Despite my new love for the hot green beverage of Japan, my lack of cooking skill and love for black tea has culminated in six years worth of green tea parcels that tend to get sent to friends or expire in my cupboard.Well, that ends today. Today I will make my first pot of green tea from tea leaves. Welcome to the adventure.Any time you try something new in the kitchen or handle something you are unfamiliar with, it is a good idea to check the internet for tips. Since I have never seen a packet of tea leaves give me instruction on how much to put into a cup or pot, I searched google and found the suggestion of five grams per cup of tea. Now the next problem. How many cups of tea would be held by this tiny teapot?Does it look like it comes from 1990? It probably does. It is my guess that my husband’s parents sent him abroad with this back when he went to boarding school. I could be wrong, but the bigger problem here is that I have never seen him use it and do not know its size. Assuming cup refers to the size of a Japanese tea cup, the easiest way to find the answer to this problem is to find an appropriate cup. Fill the pot with normal water and see how many times you can fill the teacup. This little brown pot holds 2 cups of tea, by the standards of this cup.Before you throw tea leaves into the bottom here, you can find screens for this at the 100 yen store that will make cleaning up a bit easier. My pot has a grating on the inside as well, to make the resulting tea all the more clear. Yay!Insert your 5 grams of tea per cup. Then your recently-boiling water. Then wait. How long? According to the internet, 2 minutes is the standard. Then remove the leaves (easy if you have grating like this) and try the tea. If you'd like it darker, put the leaves back in for 30 seconds, then remove and check again. Repeat as necessary until you get an enjoyable green tea experience.I found that 2 minutes was plenty of time and made an almost equally delicious second pot with the same leaves, so don't feel the need to change out the leaves after every pot until you've tried the results and know whether or not you enjoy them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK731-living_food_teaMon, 20 Nov 2017 13:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK731-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxXW2-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiThere are so many ways to mess up the English language. With a growing population of native-English speaking foreigners residing in Japan, it’s a wonder that so many of these errors appear unchecked. It is possible that whoever wrote the copy that turned into that weird shirt or sign or product believed their understanding of the language to be good enough for their job, yet somehow they overlooked some minute bit of English that may change the meaning of their message completely. For whatever reason the errors persist, I am usually happy to see them as they remind not only to smile and not take life too seriously but also that my skills as an English educator are still in demand.Most of these signs seem to be for small independently owned shops and clubs, so what they actually intend to mean is somewhat less important. If this cafe haven’t we met opus didn’t have the word cafe in it, I might not quite understand what the facility did or sold. Luckily, they chose to give us the purpose of the shop before its oddly inquisitive name.In this second picture, OWN ROAST HAND DRIP COFFEE AS TIME is a bit more awkward but the purpose is clear. They want us to know that the coffee is made cup by cup, not in a big pot somewhere and doled out to customers as they come in. Still, I wish they had reached out to a native speaker to clarify and simplify.So the line of text above the name of the store is the store’s product description as well? Handy! Also note that it shares a floor with a place that specializes in CRAFT & SOMETHING instead of various craft products. Or perhaps they meant something else.Bar isn’t it? Date one royal host. Only please don’t.Let’s stop at the top, shall we? BAR ISN’T IT? is fairly well known in the foreign community of downtown Sendai as one of the only late night dance clubs in town. I have never been there and it has not been recommended to me, so I don’t have any personal stories to share, but the people I know who have been there seem to enjoy it significantly less than a trip to Tokyo or a comfortable night under the kotatsu. DATE ONE is not a suggestion but the name of the building. This DATE refers to Masamune Date, the eye-patch clad samurai of Tohoku who founded Sendai. Royal Host, for those who haven’t seen one before, is essentially a slightly more out-dated version of Denny’s, which isn’t available in Miyagi for some reason.Don’t ask me what Lollapalooza has to do with supper time, or what Lady Bug is selling. I was most interested in Sola, which left me wondering why the sun is in the basement. Based on the logo, the sign makers made the same translation mistake I did. It turns out that Sol is sun in Spanish. Sola means alone. So please eat paella alone in the basement. Sounds terribly depressing.By far, the best Engrish sign post in Sendai comes from this clothing shop just off the arcade near Kokobuncho, the late night drinking area of the city. As you can see, they know their customers. Anatomy wise, anyway. I do not know who thought this was an appropriate name or why, but there it sits. What signs crack you up on the streets of Japan?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxXW2-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiMon, 20 Nov 2017 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MxXW2-living_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO01x-living_transportation_hachimantai_shi_iwateGetting around most big cities in Japan isn't too difficult, but if you’re more into unique experiences, like planning your itinerary around Atlas Obscura locations, then sometimes you have to try something different to get where you’re going.Not everyone wants to or can drive in Japan, so a key element of this is people. If you want to drive, there are a number of things you can do before you get to Japan including getting an international licence, but the period of validity will largely depend on your country of origin. If you know someone in Japan with a driver’s licence, renting a car might be an option. If you know someone with a car and licence, you should give them gas money and pay for tolls if they’re willing to accompany you on your journey.A casual observer might see this as unnecessary. After all, Japan has such a great train system that is functional, convenient and punctual. Frequently a train trip, even one utilizing the Shinkansen, would be cheaper if the destination is a major tourist spot. Unfortunately, not all places on the map are so easy to get to, and some can be quite a drain on finances and time if approached purely by rail and taxi.Where's the nearest train station? Nowhere close.Take Matsuo Mine town for instance. In looking up Japanese ghost towns for GISHWHES this year, I found this wonderfully creepy location in Iwate and used the train route calculating websiteshyperdiaandJorudan to plot the course. It would take more than 4 hours and 4,000 yen each way to go by train and/or bus. That was not a possibility for me on a creepy day trip especially since the location itself was not near any businesses or the station (Hachimantai), so I would have to take a taxi out to the place and call one to pick me up. That's not an option for me. Luckily, I have a friend who also wanted to wander through creepy buildings in the middle of nowhere, and she happens to have a car and licence, so we elected to take a road trip.First, we checked out the highway system and found our route to the area. By car, the tolls split between the two of us would be half of what the train fare was each way and the time would be cut in half as well.Don't forget to look out the window! You might miss a giant watermelon!If you’re used to Texas-style road trips— 5 hours in a car with 2 pit stops total and a boring 2 lane stretching out forever— think again. You usually don’t need to bring food and supplies for more than half an hour of driving between stops, especially on the highway where signs indicate what is available at the next stop and many of the convenience stores offer local specialties.Tohoku coffee?? Must have! Remember to dress appropriately. Wearing the right footwear can be a big deal when you’re going to off-the-grid locations, as you don’t want to twist an ankle or worse while traipsing through places that may not support great cell phone service or access to nearby hospitals.It may look like underbrush, but it was a challenge, even in sneakers. Make sure to charge your phone. Not just for pictures if this is also your main camera (it is mine), but for safety purposes. If you get lost or have trouble somewhere along the way, being able to look up answers or call for help might save your life. Also bring your camera. Making the whole 2 hour trip to someplace really exciting and strange can feel like a waste if you don't have a way to capture it.I can see why, according to one site, it was once called "Paradise above the Clouds."Explore cautiously and with respect. That means following the rules if any are posted and leaving the place in the same condition you found it or better. If you’re in a limestone cave, don’t touch the living rocks. If you’re in a building, even if the original inhabitants fled in the 1970s to find better jobs elsewhere, don’t spray paint the walls.No one thinks you’re a gangster, Paco. No one. To some, creepy old buildings in the middle of nowhere. To us? An adventure of a lifetime.Most importantly, get out there an enjoy your time in Japan. Have your own experiences. Make the most of it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO01x-living_transportation_hachimantai_shi_iwateWed, 15 Nov 2017 19:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GO01x-living_transportation_hachimantai_shi_iwatehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD62L-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi Years ago, a visiting colleague asked me what souvenir of Sendai he should being back to his school and townsfolk. I did not recommend the cow-tongue sembei that my husband brought back to Gifu when we lived down there and he visited home. No one liked them, including my husband.Don't buy these. They are gross.Instead, I suggested kameboko, a small bamboo-leaf shaped chunk of preserved fish, but since I had trouble remembering the name of the thing (which I still sometimes do), my visitor chose to ignore my advice and go try out his Japanese on the staff at this excellent store in the arcade. Inside any kamaboko shop in the arcade, customers can find a number of edible souvenirs and regional delicacies, including kameboko in a variety of flavors and boxed sets of surprisingly reasonable cost. One set at one shop even features kameboko in the shape of a shrimp, which is a bit out of the ordinary for this area. There are a few kameboko shops in the shopping arcade, so if you don't see anything you like, keep looking. You can even get a photo op AS a kamaboko in front of this shop near Forus.Cow Tongue 牛タンGyutan, or cow tongue, is famous in Sendai, which is why you can find it on many menus displayed at restaurants close to the station. From curry to sembei to katsu fillets, gyutan is everywhere and you need only to know the kanji for cow and the hiragana or katakana for tongue to identify it. Personally, I consider this one to be an acquired taste, but if you are feeling adventurous and in the mood for something savory in your Sendai souvenir shopping spree, look no further than the gyutan.This friendly razzing cow mascot shows off his goods as well, if you want the cuddlier version of the food-stuff.ZundaEven amongst Japanese people, zunda isn’t for everyone. People from other prefectures don’t always understand or enjoy the sugary soybean concoction, but here it is so famous and ubiquitous that it is the regional kitkat flavor.You can find it in chocolate and a number of other sweets as well. Sometimes the intrepid shopper can even find zunda taiyaki at the taiyaki place between the sections of the arcade, but beware that these are not long-lasting souvenirs and should be eaten within a day at the latest.I even found a zunda smoothie in the arcade.Where to get themThe travel-friendly packs of individually wrapped zunda or gyutan products are easy to find on the third floor of the station, near the shinkansen entrance or on the basement level at the omiyage shops. If you’re looking for something a bit more selective, a short walk down the arcade will bring you the kamaboko and other regional favorites. Anything shrink-wrapped will usually come with expiration dates, so it is easy to tell if and when you could distribute such items. At some shops, you can even fill out forms to ship your purchases home if need be.So if you need savory or sweet omiyage from Miyagi, check the station and the arcade.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD62L-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiMon, 13 Nov 2017 13:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zD62L-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemDr-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagi When I think of Sendai’s souvenir foods, I think of cow tongue, which is available at almost any restaurant near the station, and zunda, a sweet concoction of soybeans and sugar frequently served with mochi or made into chocolates, cookies, or sweet drinks. One frequent souvenir from this area that I often overlook is kamaboko, which in Sendai is a fish meat mixture usually with some other flavor like shrimp or cheese, pressed into a bamboo-leaf shape. You can buy them securely plastic wrapped for transit or sometimes roasted on a stick at festivals, ready for immediate consumption.As I have never been too partial to the flavor of fish, I haven’t made a point of trying this one too many times since I moved to Miyagi, though I have had it once or twice. While looking through one of the nicer kamaboko shops in Sendai’s shopping arcade, I came across a food that I had yet to try. The small alcove where the sales counter for this fried food sits is usually crowded with people, especially on weekends and national holidays. I have seen people eating this but never thought to try it, until I happened to walk by and see no line waiting.The fried treat looks like two hush-puppies -- the small, round fried dough balls popular at fast seafood restaurants in my home state-- stuck together on a stick. One of these sticks costs only 200 yen and comes with your choice of spicy or normal ketchup, applied in delicate spirals by a member of the staff. I dove right in, assuming the balls were merely dough, and got a bit of a surprise. In the middle of each ball is a small amount of fish flavor in a surrounding texture that is not exactly meat or fish like. After peering into the morsel, I came across the area in question and figured it out. A small chunk of kamaboko goes into the middle of each ball, which is why this treat would be both regional and sold at the same place that sells expensive kamaboko omiyage sets.Kamaboko is not exclusive to Sendai but every area that has it also has their own slightly different recipe and shape. Originally brought about as a way to preserve surplus fish from a great catch, the process of preserving the fish in this particular shape caught on in the Heian period and continues through today, according to the website for Abekama, the kamaboko store where I purchased my hyotanage.I did not know the name of this item when I ate it, nor even as I started to write this blog post. The first word listed on the sign post, hyotan, refers to the shape which is similar to the calabash or bottle gourd. The kanji in the middle of the name comes with the hiragana that follows it to mean age, fried. The literal translation is fried gourd, though make sure any vegan visitors know it actually contains fish. All in all, this was a fun little adventure into the one street food that is always available in Sendai. Despite the fishy flavor, I found the combined texture of the dough with the kamaboko to be really enjoyable. If you're shopping in Sendai and need a quick pick-me-up, these fried balls of fish on a stick can really do the trick, and for only 200 yen!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemDr-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiFri, 10 Nov 2017 07:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wemDr-food_shopping_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp7O7-shopping_fashion_howtoFor women above a western Medium size, Japan can be a challenging place to find clothing. As we move into colder months, the need to have layers of appropriately fitting, comfortable garments increases, but if you can't afford an out-of-country trip or international shipping an online shopping binge, here are some options to help you get the clothes you want in the sizes you need in Japan.Second Hand ShopsIf you're not afraid of fixing small problems, altering things slightly or even working with men's clothing, second hand shops can be amazing for the larger woman. A lot of other large women sell what they can't use at these places, so sometimes there can be quite a selection. Watch for pilling on knitwear as it's a sign of the age of the garment. Most modern clothing can only handle so many washings before it self-destructs, so check your intended purchases thoroughly before you buy. Even with the threat of pilling, stains, and other small issues, Japan's second-hand options tend to be fairly pristine, almost-new when compared to second-hand shopping in many countries. While this is not always the rule, I do find that second hand purchases here tend to be in good quality and last quite some time.Outlet ShopsWhile most name-brand places on the shopping streets of Japan will be unlikely to carry anything close to or above an American size 10, I saw with my own eyes Eddie Bauer slacks on sale at Toki Premium Outlets in size 14. That was back in 2009, but since then I have found other great larger-than-average sizes at the outlet malls in Miyagi as well. Again, if you're not afraid of wearing men's clothing, checking out the large-size section of a major jeans retailer like Edwin can provide some awesome options at decent prices.Online Shopping (H+M, Uniqlo)This is the option I most regularly use as I am more sure of the likely results. H+M's Japanese website actually has a plus size section, including sizes up to a European 54. There is a sizing chart available on the website as well so you can compare your measurements and choose accordingly.To my surprise, I recently found out that Uniqlo's website offers sizes up to 3XL in many of the women's essentials, including heat-tech tops and bottoms. If you need new under-layers above the Japanese XL size which is often the largest available in-store, check it out here. As with H+M, you'll have to fill in your Japanese address or have it delivered to a store near you. They do offer cash-on-delivery, which is beneficial if you do not currently have a credit card.Catalog ShoppingWhile catalog shopping may seem like an activity only useful before the dawn of the internet, it is still quite popular in semi-urban Japan. If you look for it, free catalog selections on racks like this are likely available at your nearest AEON.If your Japanese is really up to snuff, you can give this route a try. My mother-in-law swears by catalog shopping options and truth be told, this is how I got my winter boots my first year in northern Japan. They do have a handy measuring guide in more of the magazines so you can figure out if anything will fit pretty easily. Ordering is much more confusing and I strongly advise requesting the assistance of native Japanese speaker to hammer out the details.Those are many of the options I personally have utilized as a larger lady in Japan. Whatever route you choose, go forth with gusto and stay warm this winter.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp7O7-shopping_fashion_howtoWed, 01 Nov 2017 12:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp7O7-shopping_fashion_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3lZk-living_food_shopping_fashionAs any Game of Thrones fan knows, winter is coming. Here in Tohoku, instead of fighting white walkers or dragons, we're stuck with the onset of a lingering humid cold as well as seasonal depression for those of us who do not fare well in the winter months. If this is you, don't worry. It's me too. The best thing you can do is prepare ASAP.LayeringIf this is one of your first authentic winter experiences, you're going to need to hit up Uniqlo or a larger Aeon mall for some thermal undergarments. Get at least a couple of the tops and bottoms as you will go through them. Make sure they are thin enough to fit under the clothes you have to wear to work or get larger clothes for work if possible. I've had both experiences and I have to say, if you're not having to stay in the cold for prolonged periods, thin layers work best and have the least cost to the wardrobe as you don't have to invest in larger "winter pants" because your current pair no longer fits with fluffy fleece underneath.CoatSeriously, you need a good coat and there are dozens of styles to choose from, first hand or second. Waterproof options are nice if you're in an area that gets snow pretty regularly, but as long as your option fits you, keeps you warm, and fastens in the front, you're probably good to go.BootsAgain, if your area gets lots of snow (I'm looking at you, Hokkaido!) you need to make sure you prepare for that. In this case, that means getting waterproof boots with soles meant for this weather. There will probably be some available in the largest city in your area, though if your shoe size it outside the Japanese norm, you might need to order something via the internet or catalog options. I am surprised to say it but catalog shopping still exists and yes, I ordered boots from them that my mother-in-law water-proofed via spray back when we moved to Miyagi.KotatsuIf you have one, use it! If you don't but can get one, do it! The heated table with a blanket is not only snuggly and great for sharing with company but also can save a bit on your electric bill as heating the space under the table will keep you (via your legs) quite warm without having to heat your whole apartment. A great place for streaming your favorite shows, enjoying your favorite warm beverages, and/or writing a novel. (Nanowrimo is coming!)Warm BeveragesIf you're partial to warm tea, gets some tea bags and have them ready with your favorite mug or cup. Is coffee more your thing? Supply yourself accordingly. Hot cocoa is also an option as is hot lemon water. What maters more than your beverage of choice is that you have it on hand for those days when you just walked through ice and snow and get home to an apartment that lacks central heating and a chill that won't leave your bones. Having what you enjoy ready will help keep your spirits up, and that's an important factor when dealing with winter abroad.Get Out of the House and/or CountryMake plans. With people. Make plans with people you like, especially if they are people who will drag you out into the world if necessary. This might seem strange advice from an introvert, but I mean it. American Thanksgiving? Christmas? The birthday of some celebrity (such as Neil Gaiman, Nov 8)? Giving yourself an event to look forward to with people you enjoy will make the time spent cold and uncomfortable seem less important.If you have the money and time off to travel to a warmer climate or visit family wherever, now is a great time to make those plans and save yourself a week or two of winter. If international travel isn't an option, remember to get out of your house regularly for reasons other than work when possible. If you're going out for work anyway, try to squeeze in something you really enjoy, even if it's just a visit to your favorite coffee shop or people watching at the station. Hiding in your apartment to reboot after a long week is completely normal, but if every off moment involves hiding under your blanket or kotatsu, it can be damaging to your mental health and can make winter feel a lot longer.Pokemon Go can also be helpful if you're a bit more reclusive or having a hard time finding reasons to get up about. Fighting legendary Pokemon with twenty random strangers can be a lot of fun and at very least reminds you that you are not as alone as winter abroad might make you feel.Whatever your solution to winter problems in Japan, remember to keep your spirits up. It's only one season. We'll get through it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3lZk-living_food_shopping_fashionFri, 27 Oct 2017 13:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3lZk-living_food_shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4lyv-living_food_shopping_tea What's better than a nice refreshing glass of cool green tea? Having that glass of tea that you know you'll enjoy to the last drop, and knowing that you haven't wasted over 100 yen on a bottle of undrinkable, watered-down bitterness.In my previous post, I related the results of the first half of our taste test involving the four cheaper variations of bottled green tea available at our local supermarket. In this post, I'll continue that trend with the more expensive options.The first tea for this post comes from Itoen, the same brand that makes the last tea from my last post, "Matcha Green Tea". "Ooi Ocha" is advertized as having 40mg of catechin and is available for 77 yen for 500mL. The tea itself was somewhat less opaque than the previous selection and that wateriness followed through the flavor as well, which began quite bland only to evolve to a bitter end. I did not find it enjoyable or refreshing. My husband noted a slight sourness to the flavor replacing sweetness that some teas have. He considers the tea a good value with decent taste for the price and recommends drinking it with a meal.Next up is "Ayataka" by CocaCola which comes in a grooved bottle, made to resemble the hand-made ceramic cups green tea tends to bring to mind. The price at our grocery store is 81 yen for 500mL. The color of the drink was deep and rich, though not quite as opaque as Kirin's Rich. Refreshingly, the bitterness and umami flavors struck a balance in this beverage, creating exactly what I would want in a bottled green tea. My husband agreed that the thickness of the beverage was spot-on and the results were neither too bitter nor too sweet. He added that the tea captured the character of Kyoto nicely and would go well with a meal or by itself.The third in this list is "Tokucha", a health-related drink from Suntory, which advertizes 230mg of catechin and 90mg of caffiene per 500mL bottle and costs 158 yen. Equally opaque to the cheapest tea on my last list, this one surprised me with how bitter it was for being one of the most expensive bottles of green tea at my supermarket. The aftertaste was so strong and unpleasant that I labelled it Punishment Tea. My husband of course saw something different in this one, commenting on the mildness he felt on his tongue. While he did note that it was slightly more bitter than standard green tea and that he might not buy it regularly, he also recommended using this tea with a meal to encourage weight loss.The last on our list comes from Healthya, the maker of a number of health-related drinks including this tiny 350mL bottle of very bitter tea that costs 158 yen. Somehow this one managed to be even more bitter with a worse aftertaste than the previous selection. I found this one to be unenjoyably dry and bitter. My husband noted that the bitterness and sourness were simultaneously brought about, where green tea usually has a bitter start and a sour or sweet end. To him, this tastes like a tea-flavored health drink and should be had with a meal if at all.So there we have it. The results are in and while I wouldn't call us green tea experts, I now know that when it comes to picking up a bottle of the famous healthy catechin-filled drink of Japan, I personally will get far more enjoyment from a middle-range opaque tea than any of the expensive bottled options. The cheap stuff does taste cheap and the expensive stuff isn't more delicious, only more specifically marketed to boost weight loss.In the end, it is important to find out what you like and enjoy it. What is your favorite bottled green tea option?This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4lyv-living_food_shopping_teaMon, 23 Oct 2017 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4lyv-living_food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqkx-food_shopping_teaHave you ever found yourself wandering through the beverage department of your local grocery store and decided to check out the green tea selection, only to find that there were so many options that making a choice you might enjoy depended more on luck than anything else? I have. Too many times I wound up bringing home and dumping out half a bottle of something bitter or weird, and I like green tea.The classic beverage of Japan isn't just a passing health trend but can genuinely be a great and refreshing beverage of choice and one that I enjoy regularly. As my palate for subtler Japanese flavors tends to be lacking, I conscripted my husband into joining me in taste-testing eight of the most popular green tea variations available at our local grocery stores, the results of which will be provided in two parts. Today, we're starting it off with the cheap stuff.Numbers one and two on our list come in at 61 yen for a 500mL bottle. "Anata no Ocha" offers 40 mg of the natural antioxidant catechin per 100mL, but not a lot as for flavor. The self-proclaimed "thick" variation instead boasts 77mg of polyphenol, an important micro-nutrient, per 100mL. Comparing to my usual choice in bottled green tea, I found the first to be watery yet bitter, as if they were attempting to make very thin Koolaid capturing the ghost of umami in the bitterness that usually accompanies it in green tea. The thick option was only a little less watery, with more of the umami flavor but not enough to make up for the bitterness. There was less of an unpleasant aftertaste, though I still found it significantly less pleasant than what I would usually drink. My husband's words describe the two pretty perfectly: "Bitter, sour, colored water." He found the beverages to both lack the normal characteristics of tea, which was unsurprising as this brand tends to be a better choice for cheap soft drinks and fruit juice. They would go well with snacks, he added.Third on our list comes from Kirin in a 525mL bottle for 77 yen. Kirin's "Rich" was the most opaque of our first four beverages and easily my favorite. The aftertaste was less obvious and umami, the flavor of savoriness in the absence of meat, was clear and enjoyable. My husband's take on this beverage was that it had medium cost performance, tasting neither cheap nor expensive. The bitter beginning with slightly sour tones lended itself well to the mild taste and thickness overall. He suggests enjoying this one by itself as a snack is not necessary to enjoy it.Fourth and last on our first installment is "Matcha" from Itoen, which costs 81 yen for a 525mL bottle. The label explains that the product is brewed from ice water, a process that my husband suggests might lead to less caffeine overall. While it was more opaque than the two Sangaria selections, it was not quite as rich as Kirin's Rich. I found this one to be a refreshing selection, with the bitterness nicely hidden within the umami. My husband enjoyed the thickness and found it bitter and sweet. He added that it would be worth buying and could go well with a snack or on its own.That's it for part one of my green tea taste test. Watch for the conclusion in which we try the more expensive stuff later early next week.This post is a special tea blog report, part of our Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, and a chance through City-Cost for bloggers in Japan to engage in new “Japan” experiences about which to create posts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqkx-food_shopping_teaFri, 20 Oct 2017 14:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXqkx-food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gox4A-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiAs late October approaches, lots of Halloween events seem to pop up, from big city costume parades to little get-togethers for neighborhood eikaiwa kids. Unfortunately, while Japanese society seems to be embracing the Halloween motif, costume availability has not really kept up, especially for those of us who have a hard time finding clothing as it is. For the most part, costumes tend to be too expensive, too small, or too basic for me to enjoy. So, if you're stuck in a similar situation, here are a few tips for finding/making your Halloween costume.Think Outside the BoxIf you need a costume but don't have the time, money, or size-relationship to get one ready-made in Japan, start by redefining "costume" because a Halloween costume doesn't have to labelled Halloween. While creative interpretation isn't a prized skill when it comes to kanji recognition, it really comes in handy here. There are a number of fairly easy and cheap things you can put together without too much effort if you know where to go. Looking through a second hand shop for strange clothes that fit you can be an invigorating experience. Also make sure to check for make-up and accessories at 100 yen stores like Daiso to help round out your outfit.But Not Too Far Outside the BoxRemember that your students are not native English speakers and not likely that familiar with pop culture as it is in your home country. Some outfits, even if they are easy to put together and recognizable to people you know on Facebook may just baffle your students. If you choose to use this as an educational opportunity, go for it! Just remember that it is okay if not everyone gets what you are going for. I have a habit of picking costumes my students do not recognize at all (mantis shrimp, lemur, were-Pekinese, Toshiya from Dir en Grey's indy period) and this year I think I learned my lesson. I really miss my days of cosplay in college, when people would stop me at anime conventions to take pictures of the costumes I put so much work into. With that in mind, I picked a Pokemon, and made a costume out of 3 sheets of 100 yen store felt, gardening wire, a knit hat, and a second-hand outfit I already owned.Be Appropriate for the OccasionRemember that what might be considered a little skimpy back home is likely completely inappropriate for any work-related gathering here. Anything too scary, with lots of blood or gore, is also probably out of bounds if you are going to a party that includes smaller kids. I write this having accidentally terrified a shopkeeper in rural Japan when I forgot to wipe my "vampire blood" from my face on my lunch break during a day of Halloween-themed kids classes. My kids weren't that freaked out, but it was still awkward. If you're going to a party that has a required theme, try to follow it but find a way to make it your own. The theme for this party was plants and vegetables. I chose a plant-type Pokemon. Two kids recognized me. It was a good day.In addition, if you're a parent with a little one who desperately needs a costume for an event, have no fear. You can always pick some stuff up at the 100 yen store and most kids events are full of little witches and pumpkins and the like for this reason. If you want to do something a little different, here are my instructions for making a basic green pepper costume. Change it to orange and it's a pumpkin or an orange. Pick another color and another round-ish object of that color and there you go. Accessorize accordingly and viola! For an adult sized costume, you'll need 4 or more sheets of 100 yen store felt. For a small child, just 1 will do.Pair with appropriate colored tights/pants and shirt and you are done! My kid doesn't seem too thrilled in the above picture, but she actually had an alternative costume ready. Behold, the fairy-trooper:She had wings but wanted to wear Captain Phasma's cape from the original costume instead. It was still fun.And that's the most important thing. Whatever you choose to do for your Halloween, have fun!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gox4A-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagiThu, 19 Oct 2017 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gox4A-living_shopping_shiogama_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbvV-food_tagajo_shi_miyagiA few weeks ago, I went to Tagajo Station with a friend in search of lunch. Walking around the station, we saw a few small signs for cafes and a vegetable market, but nothing really spoke to us until we were looking at Tagajo Library from across the street. We knew from experience that the first floor had a Starbucks and a book store and the second floor held a Tsutaya, but the name of the third floor establishment, Open House, didn't conjure thoughts of food so much as an NPO or perhaps a housing agency. Only when we saw the patio seating from across the street did we realize it could be the exact things we sought: lunch!The elevator in the middle of the library is the only way to get there, and there are menus at the front of the library and in front of the restaurant. The atmosphere is somewhere between cozy and fancy, with the warm wood tones of the tables and interior paneling that create an air of moderately upscale comfort-- fancy enough to feel like a real treat but not so fancy as to make a couple of foreign working moms feel uncomfortable.The food itself is a little on the pricey side for what I would usually spend on lunch for myself, but surprisingly filling. The portion sizes are fantastic-- not so much to be sloppy but far greater than most restaurants I've visited in Japan. The barbecue chicken and salad that my friend ordered as part of the lunch special. Delicious and rather pretty.My main course, a pork cutlet and salad with bread, which may not look like much, but here it is again, with my hand for the sake of size comparison.For a Japanese lunch special, this seemed quite large to us and, as previously stated, was quite filling. Admittedly, a huge part of any Japanese dining service is the staff. I personally have had otherwise enjoyable meals fall completely flat in my memory but for one less than rude wait-staff or a cook that made us feel unwelcome. That is another place where Public House shines. The staff sat us at a nice table, far enough from other patrons to enjoy private conversation but not so far as to feel singled out or shunned. Then our waitress asked in Japanese if we understood Japanese. We responded that we did, though only a little (which just seems like the best answer when you're at the intermediate level) and then she did something amazing. She spoke to us like normal people, just half a beat slower than native speed, gesturing kindly at the specials while still talking to us. This was so amazing that it really set the tone for a fantastic dining experience.The dessert that came with my lunch set. After a meal so filling, I did not need more cake than this. There is no question as to whether or not my friend and I will return to this establishment. The next time we're glum and have a couple of extra bucks as well as a need for lunch, we know where to go. The only question is whether or not we will bring our husbands or keep this treat all to ourselves.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbvV-food_tagajo_shi_miyagiSun, 08 Oct 2017 13:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GQbvV-food_tagajo_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvkKz-livingWashlets, the fancy electric toilet seats so common in Japan, come in a variety of options and abilities. From the ever basic models which are little more than heated toilet seats (though those alone are nice as the days get colder) to super fancy models that seem to offer everything short of using the toilet for you, the washlet offers comfort to some and confusion to others.A fancier washlet with English option listings. Not only does it sanitize its own sprayer, but it offer variation on pressure and volume of the waterfall noise it plays to cover any embarrassing noises.Most basic models offer the posterior spray, bidet, and stop at very least. Many other slightly upscale models offer nozzle cleaning and perhaps even the water pressure adjustment buttons.Today we demystify a fancy washlet from the upper floor ladies room of a major department store in Sendai. English options are common, especially in more populated areas. Many washlets I have seen in other locations even in the same city offer options in English above the Japanese, but this one was not so. The blue highlights are of my own making and explanation.I've never seen the massage button, the move button, or position buttons before and had only heard of the dry function. On this occassion, I chose to examine the massage function, which I learned creates a pulsating effect in the spray by alternating water pressure. The dry function felt quite awkward for me, like suddenly realizing a seam rip in the seat of your pants only when a winter wind hits you where the sun doesn't shine. A warm drying function may alleviate this feeling, but I'm unlikely to try it again any time soon. Always remember the stop button, so no matter what happens, if you aren't comfortable, you can put an end to it quickly without making a mess. Personally, I've never used the bidet function. The bathroom setup was fancy enough that the sound effect button had its own independent panel. So you can clean the seat, cover your sounds, wash and dry your bathing suit area and use a massaging pulse while you do it, but do you notice something missing? Where's the flush? Where on Earth is the flush?!Answer: On top! The buttons, from left to right, include big flush, small flush, and Eco small flush for the smallest of flushing needs. Some of the fancier washlet wall-panels don't have space for the flush on the face of the unit and utilize this space instead, which can be slightly terrifying if you're stuck unable to flush for lack of easily visible button.Too timid to try? Don't worry. There is no shame in not wanting to spray your nether region with water. It took me more than a year to warm up to the idea and only decided to give it a try when my guts surprised me with mid-date discomfort. I only wanted to not smell awful for the remainder of the date, as tends to be my constant fear when these things happen. Instead, I found myself made infinitely more comfortable by the sense of cleanliness that came from the washlet experience.Just remember if you are in an unfamiliar but slightly fancy bathroom and cannot find the flush button, do not forget to check the top of the washlet panel. If that fails? Check for a low-tech handle on the toilet itself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvkKz-livingTue, 03 Oct 2017 10:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MvkKz-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8jLw-livingMy most awkward gaijin moment came just a few weeks into an exciting adult relationship in Japan. The man was cute and strange, dark and funny. I had developed a huge crush on him in the six months we worked together (and apart, and together, and apart) before I awkwardly asked him to go on a trip with me for my birthday. It came together quickly after that, him practically moving into my place days after our status as boyfriend and girlfriend was confirmed.One evening, as we were hanging around after dinner at my apartment I grabbed a couple of cups of yogurt from the fridge and brought them with spoons to my guy, deciding to offer the tasty treat with a cute, silly nonsense word I had heard on some cartoon long ago.The cartoon had been Southpark, and the episode ( Season 3, episode 11 "Chinpokomon") mocked the then semi-nascent Pokemon craze, copying it both as a tactless money-grab and militaristic propaganda. The Chinpokomon media wound up being a way to subvert US children by subliminal messages and any adult calling attention to the messages was met by a slew of Japanese characters deferring to impressive American genitalia size. This should have been a clue to my younger viewing self, and I missed it, assuming the Japanese in the episode was just gibberish. It wasn't. The only thing my adolescent mind retained was one word from the title. So I walked over to my fancy Japanese boyfriend and, handing him a yogurt cup and spoon, say "Chinpoko?" He looks at me, baffled at first, then curious, then cackling with mad glee. "Why did you just offer me penis?"This? This is not chinpoko. The redness of my face seemed to take hours to cool down. It turns out that chinpoko, along with some other words including "chin", are slang for male genitalia. Much like the English terms for dick, a lot have similar sounds to each other but won't be found in your average language learner's textbook. The only word I had learned for this specific anatomical item had been inkei, the medical term listed in my Japanese-English dictionary. Lucky for me, I had never had any reason to use the term, so no one had a chance to laugh at my clumsy word choice in the context of attempted romance.Look it up in English and you get more formal terms. It turns out...If I'd just looked up my "nonsense word" I could have saved myself some embarrassment.Instead, my attempt to speak relaxed nonsense in an amusing way begat a whole new level of weirdness. My then-boyfriend was still chuckling days later, and brought it up from time to time months on. Actually, we still laugh about it now, almost nine years into our relationship.That's right. I offered him yogurt while using a word for penis, and he still married me a few years later.The most surprising bonus to this event came years later, when I was teaching a small eikaiwa class. One of my three students was a five year old boy, half-Caucasian and desperate to prove his Japanese-ness publicly, most notably by talking incessantly in Japanese during English class and usually about his chinpoko. Without my yogurt-related embarrassment, I would not have had the vocabulary skills to know what the kid was talking about and deal with him accordingly, which in this case meant having a male teacher discuss appropriate classroom topics with both the student and his parents.Moral of the story: Do not use words you don't know the meaning to.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8jLw-livingThu, 28 Sep 2017 15:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8jLw-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKdkG-living_shopping_medicalCold and flu season fast approaches and while that might not be a source of worry for those with over-the-counter options from back home, the rest of us have to make due with what is available. Here are some tips to help you get over a cold in Japan.The masksThe masks are great, right? It's a well-known Japanese habit: the use of the facial mask any time one has to be around the germs of sick people or is a sick person themselves. It can keep others' germs from infecting you, keep your germs from getting on others, and generally warn those near you that you are sick or trying not to get sick.There is a right way to wear them-- with the metal strip at the top (to hold shape over your nose) and with the pleats opening downward, so as not to trap airborne germs in envelope-style open pleats.If you're a regular four-eyes like me, you'll notice an immediate source of frustration with the masks. Your glasses fog up immediately and stay that way as your hot breath is pushed up onto the front of your lenses. The result for the wearer is to either blindness for lack of lenses or blindness for the white fog upon them. Solution? Place the nose-pieces of your glasses on top of the edge of the mask, overlapping just a bit. It's that or put in contacts should you have some available.My husband says it looks goofy. I say it looks better than giant white clouds of mist. We both could be right.Cool Down I was always taught that the only way through a cold was by heating yourself up and sweating it out. As it turns out, Japan has a different idea when it comes to how to treat a fever. Instead of getting the patient hotter, they go the opposite direction and cool the patient off until the immune system can do its job. At first, I thought this was nuts and made me feel even more sick than I was, but then I did some research. It turns out that the science on the sweat-it-out method is in and it's not good. The body will fight the things attacking you in heat or cold, so most sources seem to agree that whatever makes you comfortable is the right answer for you.Want to try the Japanese way? First, disposable ice-pads for the forehead (and/or back of the neck) these things last for up to 8-10 hours of cool relief. Ice pillows (massive ice-packs you can use as a pillow) are also available and can be nice as well.MedicationYou might notice that the over-the-counter section of the pharmacy looks a bit different than those back home. The best part of Japanese OTC meds is the pictures on the box. At least, that's how I pick my medication when I am sick unless I've had a chance to go to the hospital. Can you read the kanji on that box? Don't worry. I can't either. But my symptoms match the pictures, so this one is a good bet.Most Japanese folks who have the time usually prefer going for the doctor's prescription as that usually has more affordable options suited specifically for that patient. If you have the time and fluency, it's a pretty good choice most of the time.My daughter's morning dose of medicines for her current cold. Best part? All free, and after a few days, she's all better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKdkG-living_shopping_medicalMon, 18 Sep 2017 19:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKdkG-living_shopping_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYQLM-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiSendai, the city of trees, and also free music in September, apparently. Though much smaller than the urban centers of Japan, the big city of Tohoku does have its own unique set of fun and festive events for your September weekends, regardless of your budget. While one of these, my personal favorite, has unfortunately passed, it bears inclusion here as one of the very best times you can have for free in Sendai in September. The Jozenji Street Jazz festival was held September 9th and 10th throughout the shopping arcade and Jozenji Street in Sendai as well as in most of the parks in the area. More than 600 bands from a variety of genres performed small sets for free on stages and in open spaces all along the streets and arcade as well as in bars and coffee shops. For anyone who loves free music, this is a fantastic opportunity to sample live performances by artists from all over Japan. Unfortunately, family illness prevented our attendance this year, but I highly recommend keeping an eye out for it next year if you are likely to be in the area.The next festival on the list seems to have nothing to do with September yet here it is, happening this month. Sendai's Oktoberfest is being held in Nishikicho park on evenings and weekends from the 16th through the 24th of September, with the lists of bands performing available at the website. Walking around in the venue has been free in past years though the website this year does not explicitly say so. The food and beer do tend to be a little on the pricey side and draft beer at this event seems to be exclusively served in glass containers (with a deposit that is to be returned when the empty glass is returned to the appropriate shop) according to the website. It is Oktoberfest, after all, and what is that celebration without a little inebriation and sausage?You can even use the website to reserve a table for a time slot, but that too can be pretty expensive. Still, you could probably enjoy the music and pay nothing for it. Watch out for crowds on the weekends though-- there never seems to be enough seating. If you're comfortable walking while you eat and drink, this event will likely be more fun for you. The website does caution against bringing pets and outside food or drink. On Sunday, September 24th, an event that I had not heard of before this year is being held in the park across from the Mall at Nagamachi, conveniently located right above the Nagamachi subway station. While the Nagamachi Big Band Festa seems to lack an official website (this sitegiven belonging instead to the event space around Nagamachi Station), details including the schedule and maps are available elsewhere. The poster on this website boasts eight fun sounding band names and again, it's free. Running from 11AM to 4:15 in the afternoon, the festival gives the casual observer a chance to enjoy some fun, free music on a Sunday afternoon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYQLM-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagiFri, 15 Sep 2017 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYQLM-living_food_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaqYz-educationI came to Japan with the 5 year goal to become fluent in Japanese and then return. Now, more than 9 years later, I've written novels, gotten married, had a kid, and very much not become fluent in the language I came here to study. There needs to be an incentive for study, some payoff or reward for language acquisition. Just being able to better understand TV programs I have no interest in isn't enough for me. Being an intermediate learner is hard in that the basic material is too basic and the native-level options are far too advanced. So what do you do?Children are a great catapult here. Not being able to understand your own offspring is heartbreaking. Right now my kid only has a few things she feels like she needs to tell me in Japanese and while we are trying to instill the one parent per language policy, but her father isn't always home for her to gab to. Sometimes she uses words I have not heard before, because I didn't learn kid-level Japanese in Japan. I learned basic Japanese in college. Learning from my daughter will be a great way to build vocabulary in a few years when she can better explain what she means. Until then, there are plenty of other little ways to make myself study.Apps I have tried a few language apps, most recently including Kotoba and Duolingo. Both tend to float around the same premise of quizzes with familiar words repeated until you learn them, but there are some differences.KotobaKotoba's quizzes are based on JLPT level, so you can choose the level you want to study and go from there. The added bonus is their focus on the ability to read a newspaper, with a common vocabulary section just for that. It is a good tool if you can get in the habit of using it and can help you become more familiar with new vocabulary that might not pop up in your life otherwise. When you answer incorrectly, the right answer is indicated at the bottom of the screen in red and you can choose to have Japanese questions with English answers or vice versa.DuolingoThis one is more beginner-friendly and doesn't stress vocabulary specifics that would be useful for the JPLT. Duolingo does however stress grammar at some points and that can be helpful. The vocabulary and grammar are set into sections, each of which needs to be completed to move forward to the next. This is great for beginners and the app even emails you reminders to study on a daily basis. As a bonus, you get this cute little trophy thing to look at when you complete it. My only real problem here is there isn't enough to keep studying. That said, the app is offered in many different languages for any would-be polyglot.The other problem I have with these as study tools is that my brain at least has trouble latching onto something I've never actually heard used in native context. It's one thing to hear someone use an unfamiliar term and learn it. It's another to memorize a list of adverbs and try to tell them apart while using them correctly in a sentence with a native speaker.This comes down to how you learn best, which is different for everyone. I have an extroverted friend who does not care about studying kanji or learning the specifics of katakana as long as she can speak with people and understand them. My priorities are somewhat opposite, as is my studying style. By myself, I can train my brain to recognize characters and words, but talking to people is a lot more frightening and tends to prove hectic for me. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaqYz-educationMon, 04 Sep 2017 10:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zaqYz-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ1ow-living_shopping_howtoOne of the more fun and silly things that I sometimes get asked for by my friends back home is Engrish, the weird almost-English you can find in Japan and many other countries. Some of the mistakes give us more insight into cultural and lingual differences while others may be just plain weird. Some are amusing. Some are insane. Some are actually kind of vulgar.If you're looking for some fun and weird Engrish to send home, where do you find it? There are a number of sources, but my favorites are as follows:The 100 Yen StoreAny 100 yen store (Seria, Daiso, Can Do, Etc) will carry items produced by companies at very low cost. That low cost precludes the use of Native Speaker correction, so Engrish is frequently easy to find. Stationary, bags and purses, even cups and plates may carry something just a little bit strange that may be quite amusing for you or your friends. At 100 yen a pop, the items are budget-friendly as well.Discount Stores Shops like Don Quijote, or to a lesser extent Sanki, carry various odds and ends, usually at cheaper than regular retail cost. For much the same reason as the 100 yen stores, Engrish may about, particularly in the discounted t-shirt section. The difference here is selection and cost. Of course, most items cost more than 100 yen, but you may find any number of crazy things there. Especially at Sanki, it is important here to hit the discount rack, but remember that most of what you will find for less than 500 yen will be a simple T-shirt with a one ink color print, perhaps with something funny.Second Hand ShopsThe best place to get good quality Engrish is the second hand shop, where items that were produced with higher quality wind up after a few usages by the Japanese consumer. Compared to American thrift shops, the Japanese counterparts are a goldmine. Many people resell their barely-used clothes for very little money, so most of what you find is in reasonable if not almost-new condition and fairly cheap. I stick to the cheapest sections to make sure that I can afford what I find. Below you'll see four Engrish shirts I have collected to send to others. The two on the right are from the second hand store. Colorful, funny, and terribly weird. The ones are the right are from Sanki. Funny? Yeah, but somewhat less colorful.Cultural NoteHere, I use the term Engrish to apply specifically to mass-produced products sold to consumers by companies. These companies could hire a native English speaker to check the validity of their language usage, but choose not to. Some companies may lack the resources to do so. Others simply don't care. Some may even be purposefully putting weird language on products for fun. At the end of the day, if a company chooses to produce a product with strange language, I reserve the right as a native English speaker and teacher as well as a resident of Japan to enjoy their mistakes.I do not condone racism or the use of this term to describe how a person speaks or writes. To call Engrish a "translation error" is to assume there was translation occurring, which is not always the case. I have yet to meet a Japanese (or any other non-caucasian) person who takes issue with this term. That said, the explanation here is due to past conflict, to prevent more of the same. Thank you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ1ow-living_shopping_howtoThu, 31 Aug 2017 15:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MJ1ow-living_shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg46z-living_howtoIt is no surprise that Japanese TV comes mostly in Japanese, and any foreign movie shown on Japanese TV will be dubbed. What I was overjoyed to find is that many channels offer bilingual options when they show foreign (specifically English speaking) media. This means that you could watch the production in its native language, perhaps even with subtitles if necessary.I'll admit that I have yet to use the subtitle button. If I want something subtitled, I'll watch it on Netflix. In the meantime, I can show you the button I use on my remote to ensure that my daughter hears Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in its native language.Looking at the basic remote, we see nothing to indicate subtitles or language options. At the very top on the right is the big red power button that turns the television on and off. Next to it are a selection of green and gray oval-shaped buttons that I have never used. I think they might require a level of setup that was not completed on our machine. As far as I have ever known, we do not have the ability to record live TV on our system as of yet.Below this, there is a set of number buttons, for some reason one through twelve. The first button under that goes to our regular TV channels. The BS button connects to our premium channels (which is minimal but includes D-Life, the Disney-associated channel. It shows some of the same material as the Disney Channel but also tons of infomercials for random products and promotional videos about Disneyland. It appears to be especially for those (like me) who do not pay for the proper Disney Channel option. Then we have volume control on the left in blue and the channel control on the right in green. The small circular button to the left of the volume control is the mute button. The small circular button to the right of the channel control is input select, for changing the input to Blue-ray/DVD player, gaming console or computer. Under this there are four rectangular black buttons I have never used and do not understand a purpose for.The two larger buttons under these are sometimes useful as the one on the left allows you to see the upcoming television schedule, albeit in Japanese only. The circle of buttons below is for navigating the upcoming schedule or input select menu, with "enter" in the middle.Honestly, I am not sure about the four circular buttons on the corners here as I have never used them. I'm the same about the four colored buttons at the bottom of the page, each of which is labelled with the kanji for their respective color.And it looks like that's the end of the remote, but wait! There is a hinged compartment at the bottom of the remote containing even more button options. The only one of these I have ever used is the language button, located on the upper right. Next to it is the subtitle button. The last half of these buttons seem to have something to do with recording TV, but these too have been unused as I am not sure that I have the compatible electronic equipment to do so. If all else fails or if your remote differs greatly from the example above, guess and check, hitting one button at a time to determine its purpose. Should that get you into trouble, never be afraid to ask for help.Happy watching!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg46z-living_howtoThu, 31 Aug 2017 14:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg46z-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we5nw-living_food_shopping_fukushimaIn a scenic part of the Fukushima countryside sits the little tourist area known as Ouchijuku. The houses are real and historic, though in the places that may once have held samurai or ninjas or ancient shopkeepers and tailors you will instead find a small selection of souvenir and soba shops. Admission to the village is free, as is wandering the nearby countryside for some nice photographs. Our visit came on a rainy day in the middle of summer vacation, and there was a bit of a crowd. Even in the rain, the little historic buildings are something to see, though I will also admit that this is not my favorite folk village in Japan as Hida folk village in Takayama, Gifu, feels a lot more like stepping back in time to me, despite the lack of shops. That conclusion may also have something to do with the lesser tourist population upon my visit to Takayama, though.A few shops sell specific, unique goods, such as the cloth shop, toward the front of the village, which is the only place in this village where you can get many of the cloth products from the area. The jam shop, which is somewhere in the middle, specializes in vegetable jams and wooden toys as well as pre-packaged ramen. The ceramics shop sold Somewhat reasonably priced handcrafted cups and the like. Most of the rest of the shops I saw sold a less specific shared selection, including Fukushima-specific souvenir set boxes of sweets and Fukushima mascot goods.The first soba shop we came to had signs out to advertise Negi Soba, that is, soba eaten with the stalk of a raw spring onion. Apparently that specific shop had recently been on a television program for this contribution, and the resulting fame meant an hour-long wait time around our lunch-time visit. As it turns out, there are many soba shops in the little village and every soba shop we saw also sold that same area-specifc onion-related dish. We wound up enjoying it at the last restaurant on the row, overlooking the whole of the village. To my surprise, many of the thatched roofs were green and sprouting with life. I don't know that I've seen that in any of the other little old Japanese houses I have had the pleasure of visiting. When our meal came, I was surprised to find that the addition of the onion stalk wasn't as weird as I had first thought. There are also chopsticks provided at the shop, so the use of the onion is not mandatory, though it shouldn't be shied away from either. The added flavor from the spring onion is far milder than I had assumed it would be and I genuinely enjoyed eating this meal. After lunch, we decided to explore the area. We found a steep staircase upward to the green mountainside just beyond the village but elected to take a different, more gentle path upwards, so if you're here and steep stairs are not your thing, look around. There is a second way up, and you should definitely go as the view from the mountainside is definitely the best view of Ouchijuku. For more information on this slightly remote but interesting tourist site, visit the website provided by Japan's National tourist Organization.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we5nw-living_food_shopping_fukushimaWed, 30 Aug 2017 09:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/we5nw-living_food_shopping_fukushimahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDk9M-living_fukushimaDuring one of our more entertaining day-trips this summer vacation, we took my daughter down to Fukushima's Tohoku Safari Park in Nihonmatsu, which we found to have made many improvements since our last visit a couple of years ago.One thing that didn't improve? The price. Yikes. I remember this being a bit less steep the last time around. Also, our then-toddler had been free. If you're going on the safari tour, go ahead and pay to rent one of the cars. You'll be happier in the long run. Also, buy the little packet of snacks to feed the animals. There's not really much reason to go in there if you're not going to give them some treats. Strangely, the space next door to the safari park is now a racing and drifting course, and the sounds of the cars speeding along carries a bit, but the park as a whole is still very enjoyable.One of the reasons for the price increase? Probably a new fleet of bashable safari cars. I remember there only being one or two before. Also, the new Guide Radio system, which works via pre-recorded speaker-guidance system. It's only in Japanese and obviously not meant for intermediate learners, so I didn't get much out of it.Our previous encounters in the safari drive section had been mostly with overly-attached alpacas, a few goats, a zebra or two and a small herd of not entirely well-maintained deer, many of whom seemed to have infections or weird growths on their antlers. One even had a badly damaged eye that still haunts me. Luckily, this time we had much more pleasant surprises around the corner.Several lionesses, just chilling out in the grass. Last time, even though the weather was only a little wetter, we didn't see any of the big cats.The males were caged, but visible at least. We were warned not to open the windows or doors in this area.I am pleased to report that every animal we saw seemed well maintained and in good spirits. No haunting eye infections, few strange antler growths.In addition, elephants and giraffes were added to the list of animals you can feed from your rented safari vehicle. These great creatures were kept behind larger fences, probably to avoid contact with the vehicles, but had no problem reaching snacks protruding from the car windows with the help of their trunks and long necks, respectively.Fun things from the last trip stayed roughly the same with a few small updates, including the animal shows. The animals that performed were mostly the same types of animals doing similar tricks to what they did two years ago, though the seal had a few new bits to its act and the monkeys had new and improved costumes as well.If you're feeling a bit peckish, there is a small restaurant on the premises where you can get some basic Japanese staples like curry and rice or udon in a cafeteria-style atmosphere. There's even a gift shop connected to the restaurant, so it's really convenient to pick up a little something before heading back. The location is a bit isolated so driving is a must, but if you're looking for a fun time with some exotic animals and have a little bit of money to use on this adventure, you could do a lot worse than Tohoku Safari Park in Fukushima.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDk9M-living_fukushimaMon, 28 Aug 2017 17:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDk9M-living_fukushimahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV3VG-living_howtoGoing out to do new things and make new friends is excellent, but sometimes you still miss specific people. As your friends start celebrating major life events, living abroad can start to feel more like a punishment than a privilege. Here is how I stay connected to my friends and family back home.Social MediaIf your friends and family are active on social media, you have access to each others' lives. This doesn't work for every personal relationship, but is a very helpful tool for many. A well-maintained relationship can be a life saver during your time abroad. When you've had a hard week with all there is to be alienated by in this wonderfully weird little country we live in, being able to share it with someone equally foreign can be therapeutic, even if only in photos and bursts of text.Video ChattingSocial media is great, but depending on your friends and time difference, it might not be enough to help you feel connected. For a bit more regular connectivity, I recommend scheduling video chat meetings or dates with your loved ones on a regular basis.First, figure out your time zones and best available times. I recommend using timeanddate.com's international meeting planner. Confer with your friends about their best available times and compare. I have had Skype-calls so late that I started falling asleep at the computer, which is why I now only video chat in the morning. With most of my friends living in time zones where my morning is their evening, this works well. As they eat dinner, I eat breakfast and we discuss the events of the week. If you choose to maintain several weekly connections, your schedule may wind up looking like mine.Second, try not to be too disappointed if it doesn't work out. Some people excel in close proximity relationships but find a weekly or even monthly chat-time beyond their abilities. That's okay. You can try to maintain contact via messaging or email when you both have time. If you have the ability to fly home for the holidays, you can always try to catch up with them then. Keep in mind that most of these are people who are trying their best to communicate with you. Sometimes things come up even in well-maintained chat-connections.Remember to respect their time, and expect them to respect yours. If the person you are trying to chat with shows up two hours late with no excuse, it is probably best to stop planning to chat with them regularly or look into changing the time to a more appropriate selection. Sometimes just changing the frequency of chatting can help. This works both ways, though. If you know you can't make it to a pre-arranged chatting time, let them know as soon as you can. If you'll be more than a few minutes late, message them so they know. No one wants to be staring into their computer screen for hours, waiting for someone they were looking forward to chatting with all week.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV3VG-living_howtoMon, 28 Aug 2017 11:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV3VG-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqLWw-living_food_howtoFood? From the convenience store? In my homeland, this brings to mind images of liquid nacho cheese and massive sugary drinks, but in Japan it is a completely different story. Or at least it can be.When I'm out and about, I know I can find pre-cut apple slices and a peanut butter lunch-pack for my daughter at any 7-11, along with a rice ball and a coffee or a bottle of water and a salad. You just have to know where to look.Fresh fruit, salad, sandwiches, yogurt and more can be found if you know where to look for them. Most of these would be cheaper when purchased at the grocery store or made at home, but any long-term expat knows that sometimes that isn't an option. At the front of the store, nikuman (meat-filled buns) and similar products may be found in a glass cases alongside some fried foods and other not-entirely healthy products. These are inexpensive and good for a quick bite if you just need sustenance, but are not really diet friendly.Generally, pre-made meal options (spaghetti with meat sauce, omrice, bento options, etc) can be found along the refrigerated wall-space opposite the main entrance. Anything that needs to be warmed up can be done in the microwaves behind the counter and this service will likely be offered by the staff when you check out. Some of these are healthier than others and can be fine for those who need more of a meal if they have time or a place to sit and eat. Some conbini (Japanese convenience stores) even have a sitting area with a counter space where customers on their lunch breaks can enjoy their selections before leaving the store. Near the other pre-made food, you can also usually find a variety of sandwich options, sometimes with toast and hot dogs as well. These seem to expire more quickly than the tortilla-wrapped sausages that can be sometimes found closer to the one liter sized cartons of tea and juice further back in the store, which leads me to believe that they may be slightly healthier as they may have fewer preservatives.The back wall, opposite the checkout counters, usually holds all the beverages. If you're looking to loose some weight, it is probably best to stick with water and green tea. Sodas, beer, juice and other beverages are available as well. Some stores, especially in 7-11 locations, usually have a small dessert end-cap near the check out counter. Most people trying to watch their weight would avoid these spaces at all cost for fear of being lured into a sugar-coma by an especially decadent cup of coffee-jelly, but wait! Yogurt and fruit slices can be found here, though sometimes you have to look for them. Do you see the packets of apple slices in the picture above? Hint: They are on the middle shelf, in the corner by the glass divider, behind the dessert waffles. Finding the fresh and healthy options can also be tricky if the store you visit is in the middle of restocking. The bananas in the picture (individually wrapped and priced accordingly) are in the tray under the little black floor-shelf where they would usually reside. Anyone on a low-carb diet would avoid the bread area for good reason, but if you have ti be parenting a little person who loves peanut butter sandwiches and pancakes, a short trip down this aisle can help keep a tiny tummy happy until you get home.Check out that Caesar salad! Yum!Selection can vary somewhat with location, catering to the average consumer. Conbini in historical districts may offer more upscale options than those along the highway or next to the train station, but generally most offer some similar things, though sometimes you might have to look around for what you want.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqLWw-living_food_howtoThu, 24 Aug 2017 12:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MqLWw-living_food_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6jeG-living_food_transportation_miyagi_ishinomaki-shiThe first cats we found, in the park near Nidori Port. Other cats we found along the way.One of the best known tourist spots in Tohoku, Tashirojima, or Cat Island, stands an hour's ferry ride from Ishinomaki in northern Miyagi. From Sendai, the train ride to Ishinomaki will take either 60 or 90 minutes (express and local respectively) and cost 840 yen. From Ishinomaki station, hop in a taxi. Just saying Tashirojima will be enough to direct the driver to the ferry port, which I still do not know the name of. The taxi ride will cost around 1000 yen. The most important factor is time as the ferry to the island only leaves 3 times a day, the first of which is at 9AM. If you're planning on leaving any later than that but want to see a lot of the island, making arrangements at one of the few guest houses on the little island would be recommended, but must be done in advance.My research had indicated two port options, but on out trip only Nitoda was open, as indicated here.The last ferry back is usually around 4PM but check local listings for details when you arrive at the ferry terminal. This and other information is available there. A machine inside of the ferry port waiting room sells the tickets in a number of languages including English. A round trip ticket to Tashirojima costs 2500 yen.What to Bring:There are no convenience stores on the island, though there is one small restaurant in the middle. It is a good idea to bring your own food and drinks, but you will also be reminded several times throughout the trip to take all of your garbage home with you as the garbage days on the island are few and far between, and really only meant for the locals. So bring what you want but also pack light enough to trek about a bit as you will likely be walking down paved roads through the wilderness or around the coast most of the day.The tiny restaurant.The cat shrine.Some cats were relaxed enough to be pet, but trust your instincts. Not all are as friendly.Bring cat treats or dry cat food if you want to try to round a bunch of the kitties together or just give them some treats. Again, you can't buy these on the island, so bring them if you want them and mind your garbage.As of the beginning of August, 2017, ongoing construction at each of the two ports (Nitoda and Odomari) has driven the majority of the cats into hiding. We actually had a hard time scrounging ten of them together, only managing to get eight in one spot just before we left. Why did we care how many cats we had in one space? Well, in addition to summer fun with my offspring, this was a GISHWHES item:While there might have been more cats on the far side of the island, we were worn out and ready to return before the 2PM ferry came. We had walked from one port to the other, through some scenic roadway and over some hills. Near the Odomari port area, an older woman asked us to sit and drink some juice with her, and in the heat, we could hardly refuse. As it turns out, the woman is planning to open a small cafe at that location in the near future and always looks forward to meeting new foreigners. When asked for the location of the cats, she suggested we return to Nitoda, the main port from whence we had come. Trekking back to the main port took a little less time than coming to Odomari had, mainly because we read the kanji on the road signs directing us that way this time. After walking back and forth across the whole island and finding only a few cats along the way, we elected to go check out a small souvenir shop indicated on the signs and mentioned by the local woman we had met. A short walk up some more hills and we were there, with a great view of the ocean. Inside the small shop was a miniature photo-collection/museum dedicated to the cats on the island, a few seats and tables, a snack and beverage counter, and a small souvenir stand in the corner. We enjoyed some refreshments before heading back out to wait for the ferry.That over-enthusiastic smile? My gishing face.To our surprise, we found a few cats on the way to the ferry and managed to get others together for one last GISH shot before we headed home.All in all, we consider it a fun adventure and look forward to future trips, hopefully including more cats and less construction.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6jeG-living_food_transportation_miyagi_ishinomaki-shiTue, 22 Aug 2017 19:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G6jeG-living_food_transportation_miyagi_ishinomaki-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb1Ez-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_fashion_education_iwate_morioka-shiIf you've got a car and love local handicrafts, this is the place for you.Admission to the square is free for all ages, and for that price you can tour a historical home from the Edo era, even walking through the home from the dirt floor garage area to the wooden and tatami floored inner rooms. Shoes off the wood and tatami, of course.The rest of the square is made up of a series of classrooms and shops. From the massive windows outside the classrooms, any visitor can watch experts conduct 30 to 60 minute classes on the making of one specialized handicraft or another. If you have the money to spend, you can also participate in the classes that include pottery making, pottery painting, weaving bamboo baskets, dyeing handkerchiefs, making floral wreaths, baking sembei, making reimen, woodworking, and a few others.On our trip, we unfortunately arrived a bit late. Classes run for 30 to 60 minutes depending on the task at hand and skill of the novice. With the park closing at 5PM, the cut off time for classes is 4PM to ensure everyone has a chance to finish. As we arrived at 3:30PM, I felt it imperative that we choose quickly and finish the creation portion of our adventure before seeing the rest of the park. If you have time and money, it is probably better to look around at all the craft options available before making your decision. That said, we immensely enjoyed our project.You might be wondering how something like creating and firing a piece of pottery or weaving an entire basket could only take 60 minutes. My own elementary school recollections of clay-based learning indicate days or at least a solid afternoon. It turns out that this handicraft square simplifies things so that the patrons can explore and enjoy the fun parts of the craft quickly without worrying about the more boring and time consuming portions of the creation process. When checking out and paying for the item and class, the customer also pays for shipping to their address and fills in a shipping label. In our experience, the crafts can take a month for delivery.We painted a rice bowl, choosing it from the selection of objects on a picture-sheet. There were a few levels, the first being a cup, plate, or ash tray for 1400 yen. The second level consisted of a mug (with handle), a rice bowl, or a flat bowl for 1600. In each case, the fee covers the cost of a ready-to-paint ceramic item and paint.In the work space, the experts, in this case a kind older woman, give basic explanation, though unfortunately usually only in Japanese. Our expert took the time to explain the basics of paint usage-- clean the brush between colors, dab it dry in a cloth provided before dipping it in the paint-- in a way that was obvious but not insulting. We developed a quick pattern and got to work drawing it on the bowl and letting my daughter fill in the design.What makes this a more rewarding experience than painting kokeshi dolls is the number of colors and brushes. My kokeshi painting experience only goes as far as 3 colors and 1 brush provided per color. The pottery provisions here gave at least one additional detailing brush option and 5 colors of paint to choose from. This allowed me to indicate the petals of our flowers over my daughter's slashes of color before she anointed the project in green. There are 15 workshops in the square, 7 of which offer classes. Many of the workshops are also connected to proper shops where visitors can buy professionally made handi-crafts, such as pottery, wooden toys, woven baskets, a large selection of sembei, and a selection of fairly expensive dyed clothing, among others. That basket on the table is cloth scraps of various material, shade, and price. I spent 500 yen on a few pieces to make into bows for my daughter to avoid spending 2000 yen on the finished product. There is also a catch-all souvenir shop with a massive selection of goods from the area, including wooden toys, clothing, cards, jellies, beer, wine, ironwork, and more! So if you're looking to check out a little historical home and watch some free handicraft production (or make some yourself, for a price), come on out to Morioka for some fun!You can find more information at thisuseful website from the prefecture, though the prices are a bit out of date.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb1Ez-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_fashion_education_iwate_morioka-shiTue, 01 Aug 2017 10:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gb1Ez-living_food_shopping_money_transportation_fashion_education_iwate_morioka-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9D1w-living_food_miyagi_shiogama-shiFor anyone who has read much of my writing here, this post will come as no surprise. My very favorite picnic spot for summer is the same as it is for fall and spring. The small field of cherry (and other) trees at Shiogama Shrine wins for me regardless of the season. It's also beautiful in winter, though you won't catch me eating outside then as the cold and I do not agree. It's not just the trees, which provide ample shade, or the grass that keeps the mud at bay. There is so much more to this place that most locals only visit once a year for the cherry blossoms. To start with, any way you walk it, this is a nice little workout. 202 stone steps or a long, gradual rise? There is also a third path, cutting through a bit of woodland wilderness as it snakes up to the main path just across from the maritime museum. For those who prefer a scenic drive to a lengthy walk, there is a large parking lot right next to the green space. Then there's the crowd, or lack thereof. I have yet to visit on a day outside of hanami season and see the place packed, despite the fact that this is one of the nicer little green areas in the whole city. Even during peak sakura-viewing times, there is usually plenty of space available. Public bathrooms do exist in the far corner of the parking lot in front of the green space and vending machines can be found a short walk away on the gradual path. In addition, a small shop overlooking the sakura viewing space sells delicious mochi plates as well as various snacks and drinks. For me, the real draw for this place is always the view. If you take a short walk to the front of the shrine area, you can see all the way to Marine Gate and Shiogama Bay. That's not the only great photo opportunity available either. On the path up to the shrine, a massive red Tori stands in front of some beautiful trees. Beyond that grove, a section of the main path remains shrouded from the heat by a canopy of growth. A Japanese garden on the shrine grounds puts the Japanese gardens of my hometown (home to an annual Japanese festival and the venue of many weddings including my own) to absolute shame, despite being a fraction of the size. A more exciting aspect for the summer, especially for those with smaller children, is the comfort and quiet of the miniature field itself, which is perfect for chasing butterflies in addition to letting your (inner or otherwise) kid run free in a little green space. My three-year-old had a blast running after the little white butterflies we found pollinating the clover.I later found two of the little guys taking a rest and doing their real jobs. They also visited us on out tiny picnic tarp a couple of times, but I never got a clear shot until...Haha! Caught him! And about half a second before my kid scared him off! Shiogama Shrine is a special place, and not just for the avid Shinto enthusiast. It can also be a great little excursion for a fair-weather picnic, even in the company of a rambunctious kid.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9D1w-living_food_miyagi_shiogama-shiMon, 31 Jul 2017 13:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9D1w-living_food_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5goz-living_shopping_fashionWhen humidity so intense that your clothes are drenched in sweat before you walk for more than ten minutes combines with record high temperatures to create a truly uncomfortable summer experience, you know it's summer time Japan. There are a number of ways to deal with this problem, including hiding in the air conditioning or under parasols whenever possible and wiping down your brow with the wash-cloth sized towels everyone seems to carry. These are great answers, but my solution is a bit different.My solution may appear strange to some and probably won't be the favorite of any fashionistas, but it works well enough for me. If you have a day planned in which you do not need to wear professional business attire and plan to be out in the sun for a few hours or more, this may help in keeping you cool.First, buy a towel.Douglas Adams's adage regarding towels hold true. You should always know where your towel is. Towels are really terribly useful things. First, let's go towel shopping. Your towel needn't be fancy, but should be long, like a face towel. Your towel should be long enough to drape over the back of your neck as that is exactly what it is meant to do. Material is important as well. We need the towel to be absorbent, so materials like cotton are the best bet. The fluffy micro-fleece varieties work well enough for most home uses, but will not be helpful to us in this venture. If you're not sure the material, check the back label. You can see here that the pink towel is 100% cotton-- perfect for our purposes. The blue micro-fleece towel is not going to soak up what we need it to.Wet, folded incorrectly. Take your towel home. Remove the packaging and throw it in the wash if you like. Then, when itis clean and dry, fold the towel into a smaller form, keeping it as long as possible and dampen it in clean water. The towel should be thoroughly wet, but not dripping. Wring it out if necessary. Now put the towel in your freezer and leave it for a few hours, preferably overnight. As you can see, I folded it wrong and left it too wet.Just before you leave, take the towel out and unfold it. It might be a bit stiffened from the freezer, but should become more manageable as it warms up. Once you can, lay it across the back of your neck and enjoy! The ice cold should keep your blood temperature chilled for a bit and once the towel dries in the heat, it will be helpful in wiping away sweat as well.This is the shape you want. If you made the same mistake I did, you might have to pull it in a few directions to get it to do this, but once you do, you can drape it easily across your neck for a rush of cool comfort, or loop it over like a scarf of frozen delight. Caution: it will leave your clothes moistened! This will also dry in the sun, but if a wet spot on your chest or neckline would be more terrible than extreme heat, perhaps you are better off with a parasol.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5goz-living_shopping_fashionTue, 18 Jul 2017 09:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w5goz-living_shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKYDw-living_miyagi_shiogama-shiThese banners outside of HonShiogama Station on the Senseki line boast of the approaching festivities.Next Monday is the Japanese national holiday known as Marine Day or Ocean Day and if you have the time and interest in Japanese festivals, a trip to Shiogama in Miyagi prefecture may be in order.Posters like this have been up all over town for months.The event begins Sunday with a massive fireworks display generally starting at dusk over Matsushima Bay. The best place to watch the display is from the roof of the Aeon TownMall known as The Big or across the street at Marine Gate, which does double duty as both a fun venue for this event as well as the launching point for a number of ferries and small boats carrying their hires to the middle of the bay to watch the display. If you're interested in watching from an aquatic position, grab tickets from a number of retailers and bring your own beverages and snacks to enjoy while you watch. This is of course not recommended for those with motion sickness.There is also a park near the water across from the opposite side of the Aeon. It's pretty small and will likely be filled with food and drink stalls. This part of the festival usually fills the oceanside with spectators and the display itself usually lasts upwards of 30 minutes if memory serves.If standing in a group of strangers watching airborne explosions is not your thing, consider coming out on Monday instead, when a parade of different groups (some from elementary, middle and high schools in the area, some from other social groups and clubs) takes center stage, or rather street, as they dance their way from Ichibankan (the building housing the library across from 7-11 near HonShiogama Station) to the main entrance of Shiogama Shrine.In years previous, I participated in this alongside friends and my daughter, who was usually asleep by the time the dancing began. Due to a recent foot injury (and my reluctance to carry a three-year-old that far in the heat), I will be attending today's event as a civilian instead of as a participant.Handy tsunami evacuation maps around The Big assist in case of emergency. This one has been edited to indicate fireworks watching areas in pink and the parade route in yellow.Even without the dancing, there's plenty to see. The omikoshi (portable shrine) will be making its way down the 202 stairs of the main entrance to Shiogama Shrine, then circling the town and heading to the colorful shrine boats which will take it out to bless the bay and outlying islands before its return. This is the only day the public gets to see the boats in action, so its pretty special for those of us who spend the year staring at the gorgeous dragon and phoenix, their rainbow lacquer shimmering in the daylight. It's fun and free and only open once a year. Why not come on down?HonShiogama Station is 30 minutes and 320 yen from Sendai Station on the Senseki line.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKYDw-living_miyagi_shiogama-shiTue, 11 Jul 2017 10:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKYDw-living_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1QVz-livingTime-travelling storm-trooper? Check!GISHWHES 2016 Item # 76 According to an official email and status update earlier this week, The Greatest International Scavenger Huntthe World Has Ever Seenwill be holding its final mega-bash August 5-12 of this year. The week long event thrills tens of thousands of global participants every year, including the author of this very blog post. I've been an avid gisher for the last 4 years and I can genuinely say that the event has changed how I engage with the world around me, even living out here in Japan.My daughter with the pad-na, a panda made entirely from feminine hygiene products. Item #98The hunt itself consists of a massive list of items to find, make, or perform. Pictures of these get uploaded to imgur (videos to youtube) and the resulting links submitted to the hunt. Later the judges (including event creator Misha Collins of Supernatural fame) apply points to the items submitted based on a number of factors including the quality of the image and interpretation of the item. The team with the most points wins the hunt and the grand prize, an all-expenses paid trip somewhere fabulous with Misha Collins.Me, proclaiming "GISHWHES takes SHIOGAMA!" for item #117 The real joy of the event has nothing to do with the official prize. The list of items includes challenges ranging from silly to charitable to almost-impossibly fun. Of course not every item appeals to every person, but that's why teams contain 15 people and the item list is around 200 items long. Anyone willing to give it a try can find at least a couple of things they would enjoy in a list that long. Just make sure to get pictures or video so you have something to submit.That's my team from last year, including many friends and family from all over for item #117. If you don't know 14 other people you would want to do this crazy thing with, do not worry. The event is set up so that anyone can participate from anywhere so long as they have an internet connection and a way to get a photo and/or video. All partial teams will be consolidated, putting you together with new, exciting people from all over the world. You can even choose to participate as a serious contender or just for fun, so that the team you get put on is of similar constitution.There are just under 2 weeks left to register if you want in on the fun. The $21.08 charge for registration pays for the grand prize-- a trip for the entire winning team to party with Misha Collins in Hawaii as well as the cost of running the event itself. Anything left over from those goes to Random Acts, a great charity benefiting a number of causes worldwide, including recently building a school in Nicaragua. If you don't have the money, you can also sign up for a gish-olarship and hope that some unknown benefactor pitches in for you, which can be really helpful but I recommend only doing this as early as possible and if you really can't afford it otherwise.My daughter and I, for item #88. The greatest thing about GISHWHES is that it rewires your brain for fun and kindness if you let it, which makes the entirety of existence a lot more enjoyable. Engaging in something as wild as this also can be great for getting you out of your comfort zone and into a more creative brain-space. It also can help you take better advantage of your surroundings and face some fears while you're at it. I highly recommend GISHWHES to everyone I meet and for good reason.Vending machine of feelings for Item #140 If you're interested, sign up fast! At the time of this posting, registration is only open for another 2 weeks! In the meantime, check out last year's list here. Below you'll find the text for the items mentioned above. As a parting gift, here I am performing my rap regarding Vlad the Impaler, the last item from last year's list.#76Nobody ever talks about the fact that 250 years ago, stormtroopers who had been abandoned on planet Earth were forced to assimilate into pre-Industrial culture. Dramatically re-enact this difficult time. Show a stormtrooper getting back to basics using a spinning wheel, butter churn, or other old-fashioned tool or machine in a rural setting. Feel free to add accessories to the stormtrooper’s outfit to make their assimilation more complete—a Shaker-style hat, a musket slung over the shoulder, etc.#88You know those giant teacups at amusement parks that spin? Go for a ride with a friend or two. Of course, you all should be dressed appropriately for the tea party… as a spoon, a tea bag, a sugar cube or something else that one would find in a teacup.#98Your choice! Either a panda made of sanitary pads – a “Padna,” if you will, or a likeness of a totalitarian world leader made entirely of feminine hygiene products. – Inspired by Sarah Davison#114Grid image of all 15 of your team members (5 rows of 3 columns). Let’s see each member of your team dressed in some way emblematic of that member’s state, region or country. For example, if a team member is from New York, the photo might show that member of the team wearing a yankees hat while eating a slice of pizza. If a member(s) of your team is MIA, feel free to add your favorite picture of Misha in their place – Jennifer Irving#117Gishwhes has conquered the Great Wall, South American waterfalls, the Champs-Élysées, and even SPACE! Help gishwhes conquer new territory— take gishwhes somewhere epic that it’s never been before. – Julie Reynolds#140A functioning vending machine that dispenses emotions and memories. Show a customer making a purchase.#173You may have heard about a little show called Hamilton. Lin Manuel Miranda lit up Broadway with his innovative style, combining traditional theater and rap to engage delighted theater goers with the story of history’s hippest President. But that was just a big “win all the 2016 Tonys” ploy. We want to hear and see– in full costume a rap song about another historical figure important to you. Upload a 15 second video on the site AND send it to @Lin_Manuel.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1QVz-livingMon, 10 Jul 2017 15:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z1QVz-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZg5M-living_medicalYou're on a trip to some beautiful little town in the countryside that you've never seen before. It's magical and majestic and great...until nature calls. Then with trepidation, you head to the nearest bathroom and find...a hole in the floor glorified by porcelain and running plumbing. One of the hardest things to get used to in Japan, and one I faced daily in my first years here, still remains a source of frustration for me-- the squat toilet.The squat toilet, or 和式 (washiki), is common in older homes and smaller cities, though I have seen them in Tokyo and Kyoto. When first confronted with these, I was shocked. I had been told that Japanese toilet seats were feats of design and almost impractical assistance-- washlets that sing to cover your sounds and spray you clean. I had not heard of these flat and shallow porcelain features, but I took it upon myself to use them as often as any other toilet. I would prove that I was not some unadaptable foreign oaf. Of course I could use these toilets. I had to use these toilets. Also, the ladies bathroom at my workplace had only these toilets, so I had every opportunity to give it a try.Problem? I was never great at positioning and aiming, so even urination in a squat toilet involved disrobing from the waist down to avoid ruining my pants or shoes. I would then take the best position I could while holding onto whatever pipe or pole that might be coming out of the wall and did my best to maintain a velocity that would eliminate things quickly without causing unnecessary splashing. Back in 2008, instructional videos on how to use this kind of toilet were not available to me, though you can now view some if you need help. My method worked well enough when it had to, but my enthusiasm for embracing this toilet style ended one day in Tokyo, when a long line in the ladies' bathroom stalled, waiting out the Western style toilets despite a few of the squatties being available. If not even the natives were willing to cut waiting time by making use of these options, maybe it wasn't such a crime for me to avoid them as well.Proponents of the squat toilet rave about hygiene, specifically the fact that your body parts needn't touch the same surface as anyone else's have, providing you don't fall over. Science also backs up the benefits of the squat toilet, indicating increased ease in defecation when making use of a squatting position instead of a seated one. If you're looking to take advantage of these benefits without throwing out your washlet, you can buy a stool-like contraption that forces your knees into a squat while your rest on your own western-style commode. Despite these benefits, many Japanese schools are considering changing to Western style toilets after surveys found that children often avoided using the toilet at school because of the squat toilets, according to a Japan Times article from late last year. This call for change was partially brought about by the aftermath of the Kumamoto earthquake which saw many citizens being temporarily housed in public schools and subjected to the facilities there. In some areas, you can even find printed instructions on how to use these, illustrated, translated and laminated near the toilet paper or hanging on the wall of the stall. The closest public squatties to my current home unfortunately hold no such amusement.Just the reminder that "This is everyone's toilet. Please keep it clean." While I no longer strive to make use of these toilets, they did come in handy once. Having eaten something amiss in Kyoto, I ran to the bathroom at a temple and was all too happy to make use of these facilities then. Perhaps they are really useful-- like emergency toilets reserved for those in desperate need. What are your thoughts on the squat toilet? How often do you use one?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZg5M-living_medicalThu, 06 Jul 2017 10:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZg5M-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md3kw-living_food_shopping_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuStretching on for several blocks, the shopping arcade of Sendai offers a generally fun and useful shopping experience, though the length of the arcade can cause confusion. This can leave even veteran Sendai shoppers to ask questions like: Was the taiyaki shop on this block, or the next? Is this the block with the Starbucks or the Tully's? Where exactly is Forus? If you want to shop like a pro in this covered shopping area, look no further. I recently found out that each section has its own name and while cafes and restaurants tend to be ubiquitous, I'll let you know any specifics I'm aware of to aid in your shopping journey.These handy maps are posted toward the entrances and exits of the shopping arcade. First up is Hapina Nakakecho, which opens just across from AER on the west side of Sendai station. Here you will find an old bento shop, a neat little french bakery, and the closest KFC to the station. There is also a small tourist-omiyage store and a very small 100 yen store as well as a Tully's. A small branch of 77 Bank and a ramen shop or two do their business here, too. It runs for only one block, ending at the next major street.Next up is Clis Road, which runs for three blocks with two by-streets cutting through. Inside this section, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Subway compete for lunch-time business while Quarters, a music shop with CDs on the first floor and instruments on the second, stands out as something a little different. There is also a larger branch of 77 Bank and a craft-supply store neighboring Bikkuri Donkey on street-level. If you're really looking for sewing supplies and/or second hand fashion, check out the 7th floor of the Aeon at the end of the block. This building, formerly operated by Daiei, is the new home to BookOff's Super Bazaar Shop in Sendai. The books and games are on the 8th floor while the 7th floor is shared between the second hand clothes and Mabuchi, a major cloth and craft supply retailer.After Clis Road comes Oomachi, home of several name-brand shops as well as the largest Daiso in the area and a large but crowded Khaldi. Nearby is the owl cafe, easy to find if you keep your eyes peeled for a sign near Khaldi. This section goes for only 2 blocks of shopping with occasional eateries before ending in a 3-way arcade junction with Fujisaki and Zara at the corners. To the left (the Fujisaki side, right in the picture above), you'll find the beginning of Sun mall Ichibancho.In the first block of Sun Mall Ichibancho, there is a small pet shop, a unique T-shirt retailer and a large GAP store. On the second block, another McDonald's and a couple of cafes start the trend that ends in a Coco Curry at the end of the block. Back at the t-shaped intersection, opposite to Sun Mall Ichibancho is Vladcome.On the left, a number of brand stores compete while further down a specialized green tea shop caters to its own clientele. There is a fairly large Seria on one side and a number of cafes. Vladcome's shopping arcade ends at Forus, where you can find a Starbucks on the second floor and gothic lolita fashion on the seventh.Here the covered arcade ends, but not the fun. Across the street, you'll find the Disney Store, a landmark to the young Sendai socialite, indicating the beginning of Ichibancho, the late-night party and drinking district.Here you can find lots of drinking establishments on the main streets and side-streets as well as a few late-night eateries and karaoke joints in addition to a bowling alley. It can be a lot of fun at the right time for the right people, though I do not recommend any place in this district that claims to have Mexican food. Whatever it is, it is not Mexican food. Also, if you're in the area, remember to check this whole area out next month for Sendai's Tanabata Festival! Wherever you shop, I hope your adventures are happy ones.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md3kw-living_food_shopping_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuMon, 03 Jul 2017 16:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Md3kw-living_food_shopping_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8J7w-living_money_miyagi_matsushima-machi If you're looking for a beautiful place to visit in Miyagi and spend nothing but the cost of transit, look no further than Oshima Island in Matsushima Bay. While there are a few fun and free things to do around Matsushima, including visiting Godaido Shrine and walking through the new landscape taking shape in the forest in front of Zuiganji Temple, Oshima is the closest free tourist site/attraction to Matsushima Kaigan Station (410 yen, 38 minutes from Sendai). Currently, the path to the island is a little strange as construction around the park across the street from the station is still taking place. Also, the Matsushima aquarium, a decades-old landmark, was torn down a few years ago as it relocated to Sendai and left a strangely unoccupied lot in its place. To get to Oshima, you have to cross by this vacant lot and take a short, narrow side-road toward the parking lot that used to belong to the now non-existent aquarium. In the foreground, landscaping and paving your way to the beach. A little further back, the vast parking lot. To the distant left, the restroom building. As you get closer, the path grows into a nicely paved walkway, leading to a beach on the right and Oshima on the left. There is a small, picturesque red bridge connected Oshima to the mainland, and unlike the toll bridge the Fukuurajima, this one is short, unmanned and free. The island itself is pretty small but offers an interesting view and a nice quiet place for reflection on slow, off-season days. If you feel the call of nature, you can make use of the small building on the far side of the parking lot that houses public toilets and that includes a changing table as well as a handicapped stall. Getting to the bridge does involve walking up a few stairs, so those with strollers or other mobility issues may have a hard time accessing the space. Yep. Stairs before the bridge, but if you had a stroller and a bike lock, you could make use of the railing.The view, after the stairs.The island itself has a few small stone benches (the massive rectangle on the left) in scenic spots for visitors who want to stop and reflect.There is a railing around the island to keep everyone safe, but it is also of course best to not leave small children unsupervised regardless. There is only really one path around the little island but there are also small caves carved into the rock in some places. The caves themselves are not deep enough to get lost in but do make for a fantastic adventure for some visitors, despite their original purpose as places of solitude and private prayer and reflection for the buddhist monks of the area. If your exploration of Oshima does not provide enough ocean viewing for you, a nice walk around the beach may be right up your alley. The beach itself isn't so much of a tourist beach and is not maintained to those standards, but can still be a good time. It is part of 松島海浜公園 Matsushima kaihin kōen, which bars barbecues, swimming, and fires of any kind, according to the signs posted in Japanese and English along the coast. Unfortunately, the elements washed out the colorful lettering on "prohibited" which can now only be seen upon very close inspection.Still, if you're only looking for a place to put your feet in the water, write in the sand or hunt for seashells, this can be a great place to explore. Remember to keep a close eye on the kids though, as the ocean washes up all kinds of things. Most of the stuff is normal sea refuse, like shells and kelp, a few bamboo poles covered in barnacles perhaps, but usually nothing outright dangerous.Walking wherever this sign used to hang must be even more dangerous now that they have no sign.Still, it's a great place to explore...or just take in the sea.Also, not a bad place for a selfie.So if you're searching for summer beauty in Miyagi but you're strapped for cash, take a little trip to Oshima!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8J7w-living_money_miyagi_matsushima-machiTue, 20 Jun 2017 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8J7w-living_money_miyagi_matsushima-machihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8x7z-living_miyagi_matsushima-machiThe Matsushima Park Festival might not sound like a big deal in terms of free local music, but attendees to this year's event would beg to differ. Thirteen different stages, each just far enough away from the others for no musical overlap, dotted the coast surrounding Matsushima Bay as event staff helpfully handed out maps detailing not only the locations of the stages and recommended restaurants but also the names of all guests appearing at each stage and the general genres involved. Most of the stages involved pop and rock in addition to either folk or jazz. One of the exceptions was the hard rock stage, located conveniently at Stage A, on my favorite little stretch of beach in Matsushima.Behind the stage, the little red bridge connecting the tiny island Oshima to the mainland stood out with postcard-picture precision, juxtaposed by the thrashing of guitars and screaming of local rock groups like DETHSHEAD, Beginning of the End, MURDER HEAD, and STRAWBERRY GUM SYRUP.My husband, a lover of hard rock, found the music suitable enough. Though he felt that DETHSHEAD was a bit amateurish, STRAWBERRY GUM SYRUP showed a lot of experience and ability. It is my personal belief that the latter was named as a joke by guys who have been playing long enough to not care about sounding tough anymore. Perhaps I am wrong, but they did sound alright.Outside the stage area, a whole beach laid before my daughter, and all she wanted to play with was the barrier-rope.My husband was also personally offended that the singer of MURDERHEAD appeared to be a young man wearing a backward baseball cap. "He looks like he's {trying to be in} Limp Bizkit!" he said. I did remind him that some of the guys in Pantera also work backward baseball caps sometimes. He was still annoyed.One of the fantastic things about staying at that stage for so long was seeing how the musicians interacted with eachother. Each set was only 20 minutes, and many of the band members would stay in the small crowd afterward to cheer on the next act. Part of the reason we stayed for MURDERHEAD was that we had seen guys wearing T-shirts supporting the band in the crowd and not realized that those guys literally were the band.Sendai isn't the largest city, so of course the live music scene is a bit more intimate than I imagined. There didn't seem to be any animosity between the acts but instead, genuine comraderie. The female vocalist for Beginning of the End could be seen in the crowd, applauding FLAME SIGN. One of the guys from STRAWBERRY GUM SYRUP was even on the event staff. They seemed like one big hard-rocking family, and something about that was really heartwarming for me.The walk to Zuiganji temple, which used to be a magical forest before it had to be removed (tree rot + large trees = danger!), but is now in a state or re-growth.Tokyo Nail Cats rocking out near Godaido Shrine.We did finally make out way down to a few of the other venues and caught glimpses of other acts, stopping at Stage I, by Godaido, another lovely red bridge over the ocean offset against angsty music, this time the energetic rock/pop group Tokyo Nail Cats. Following that was a performance from the winners of the High School Battle of the Bands. I didn't catch the name of the group, but each of the 5 members played exceedingly well-- better in fact that some of the adults we had seen that day. During a cover of 20th Century Boy, the three guitarists jumped from the stage in a dramatic flourish-- only to accidentally unplug themselves from their amps. The gaff was quickly remedied, and their enthusiasm was infectious despite the blunder.Another smaller stage by EntsuuinBacon-wrapped rice on a stick. Delicious, according to my husband.It was a fantastic way to get a taste of the local music scene, and all for free! If you're in Tohoku especially, keep an eye out for posters in train stations in the Sendai area starting in mid April. The event has run the past three years in late May or mid June. You can also see their (entirely Japanese) website here for more information.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8x7z-living_miyagi_matsushima-machiMon, 05 Jun 2017 09:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8x7z-living_miyagi_matsushima-machihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy5kG-living_education_miyagi_shiogama-shiTwo months have passed since my daughter started kindergarten and I've got to say the process is intimidating and stressful and scary, but needn't be. Much like in life, we will all make mistakes, but sometimes as a foreign parent, I feel woefully inadequate.She looks perfect, right? Wrong! This is the day I forgot the hat. For instance, the other day we got an email from my daughter's kindergarten letting us know that there had been some sort of event that day for which the children were supposed to wear their sports uniforms. I had no idea of this, because I was counting on my husband to read all the information and tell me what was going on. Unfortunately my husband came home late, too tired to read anything. I did take all of the extra forms out of my daughter's backpack but didn't really look at them. Upon later inspection, I found the form in question and would have understood the dates well enough to know something was going on, but that didn't happen.Step 1: Read Everything. Even if you can't understand everything, read what you can and try to figure out the rest. Better to be too informed than not informed at all.Step 2: Prepare Early. You should start looking for schools in your area before your child turns 3 and decide in Fall of the year they turn 3. Yes, admission won't be until April, but a lot of the kindergartens fill up quickly, especially in big cities. We were very lucky to have six different kindergartens available in our small-ish city. Google yochien ( 幼稚園 ) and/or hoikuen ( 保育園 ) in your area to find more information. Yochien is more structured and more expensive, but official classes start from the age of 3. Hoikuen is more similar to daycare but is more affordable and is usually open to younger ages as well. Many yochien also offer after-school daycare for working parents and early-admission classes for 2-year-olds that guarantee the kid a spot in the upcoming enrollment, though they are expensive.Julia at observation day, proud with her rapidly made apple picture.Step 3: Tour the Schools First. Even if you're a public school kid like me, it means a lot to see not only the facilities but the behavior of the staff, and not just toward your kid but toward you as a foreign parent. I toured 2 schools our area -- the closest school to us was first, and the tour was a last minute thing arranged by a friend, but I spent the whole time we were there chasing my daughter while the woman in charge chewed the fat with my friend mostly, before showing me something explaining the fee structure which I was not allowed to take home and warning me that there were already plenty of people on their waiting list so they really wouldn't be likely to have room for us.My husband arranged a walk through of the school he had gone to as a boy and not only were we permitted to take the forms home, but the staff made a point of making eye contact with me and trying to simplify a bit to help my understanding. They did not give me the impression that I was bothering them for being there or that having to deal with a foreign mom would be a deal breaker. Also, my kid loved it there and I could see that there were interracial kids in other classes, so I knew these people had dealt with non-native Japanese speakers before. So there was no debate where she would be enrolled. Daddy's old school was the winner, no question about it, but without the walk-through, I would have thought the closer school was a better option, hands down.Step 4: Don't be too hard on yourself. I'm writing this as much to myself as to anyone. Other parents make mistakes and put the kid out in the wrong uniform or with the wrong materials all the time. It happens. Otherwise the school wouldn't have spare clothes ready to go or a note writing system in place to share the information. Even if you're a natural perfectionist, you're not the only one making mistakes. Do what you've been doing your whole time living abroad. Adapt and relax. You're okay and you're probably not the only one to make whatever mistake you might be making today.Step 5: Don't Panic.Always good advice from Douglas Adams, but especially here. In the week leading up to Julia's first day of school, I flipped out over labeling. Maybe this seems normal to kids who went to summer camps like I have seen on TV, but that wasn't my life, so my brain freaked out (hiragana? Katakana? She has kanji, too... And where? And what pen? And what if the ink I choose bleeds into things and ruins the expensive uniform?)...so if you're like me, stop and relax. You're going to adapt. It's going to be fine. Also, I've come to find that there's usually some new change every couple of weeks (summer/winter wardrobe change-over, swim class, etc) so adaptation really is key to survival here.Yes, even every chopstick must be labelled.Here are some things I learned about the labeling process:1. Hiragana, family name first. Also any other info they give you (class name and number, if it's a big school)2. Most of the uniform pieces have a little label space somewhere. Some of the additional bits might require an iron-on label, available at the 100 yen store. They also sell pens just for this at the 100 yen store or grocery store. The iron-on labels sometimes fall off in the wash and require a stitch or two to stay on.If you're raising a family abroad, whatever your choices for schooling, good luck!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy5kG-living_education_miyagi_shiogama-shiFri, 02 Jun 2017 09:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy5kG-living_education_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyZbw-living_food_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuThere was a great festival last weekend in Sendai, but if you weren't in town to see it, don't fret. I've got a few small highlights right here.My group came along around noon on Sunday and made a bee-line for the food stalls, and there were plenty to go around. My easy favorite is shoronpo, which I think of as soup inside of a dumpling and is also my favorite in Chinese cuisine found in Japan.In addition, many stalls offered variations on normal festival favorites, from chocolate covered bananas and strawberries to french fries and fried chicken bits. One special booth to the area though is the kamaboko stall which serves the lightly cooked fish-paste cakes made to resemble bamboo-leaves and served on a stick. More than one shop in the arcade also sells omiyage sets with these Sendai classics inside.In one of the parks, a large stage was set up where each of the osuzume dance groups eventually gets a turn to perform. If you're less interested in the floats and costumed processions and more interested in just the dances themselves, this is the place for you. There is seating available but it is first-come first-served, so if you show up as late as we did, don't count on sitting down. The stage is usually positioned just past the end of the parade route, so a short walk will take you to Jozenji street, where you can see more of the floats going by.The mascots also put on a show, which my kid enjoyed immensely.If you're into people in samurai armor and osuzume dancing, this is the festival to come to next year. You can make a whole day of it and stay to watch hours of the procession, but even just stopping by for lunch can be a thrilling spectacle, as we found when we happened upon a samurai-ninja battle in progress on our way through to parks with the food stalls. So if you're likely to be in Tohoku next May, check out this festival for some fantastic dancing, exciting displays of historical action, and great food to go with the fun. You can find out more about the festival with lots of information in Japanesehereand some information in English here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyZbw-living_food_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuFri, 26 May 2017 21:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GyZbw-living_food_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weEOw-living_moneyWhile you're stuck inside this rainy reason, looking for something to watch, there are two main online streaming options outside of the ever-costly Amazon Prime: Netflix or Hulu. What do the two have in common? Both offer monthly streaming of international as well as domestic programming for a monthly fee and both offer monthly plans for less than 1000 yen. The medium-grade 1000 yen price gets you unlimited streaming in HD on one or two devices. So what's different?Selection Hulu offers some newer TV programs and movies that Netflix does not, but Netflix is also home to a lot of self-generated content that Hulu is not privy to. If you were following a network TV show back home and just moved to Japan, you might be bored by the selection, as release dates on a lot of US and UK TV shows tend to be a few years behind the times. Despite these time lag issues, Hulu's offerings can be quite fun and entertaining. Specifically, If you enjoy Shakespeare and haven't seen the Hollow Crown yet, sign up for the free 2 week trial of Hulu and watch it. Seriously. NOW.If you'd rather watch Sir Patrick Stewart do Scifi than Shakespeare, the selection on Netflix might be more to your liking. All of the Star Trek series, including an animated version that follows the original series, are available now and generally good for a re-watch. There is also a slew of stand-up comic routines in addition to the Netflix Originals Marvel's Iron Fist, Stranger Things, and Better Call Saul. For any Whovian readers, Netflix in Japan has seasons 5-9 of the new Doctor Who and Hulu offers seasons 1-8 when last I checked.Who Wins: Both. Depends on what you're into and when.Subtitles/multilingual optionsIf you start playing a movie on Netflix and suddenly realize that you want to change the language or subtitle settings, you can do so easily with the speech-bubble-shaped toggle button on the lower right in full-screen mode or upper right in smaller viewing modes. There it will tell you all the options it has for that media. Not all shows or movies offer subtitles or many language options, and you can't see the options before you push the play button, but fixing it is as simple as selecting what you want or, if that is not available, a click of the back button. I switched over to Hulu excitedly after watching a few anime titles on Netflix (with subtitles frequently offered in English or Japanese) only to find to my horror that not only could I not get subtitles, I couldn't even get a description! Not even a Japanese description! Apparently when Japanese Hulu recognizes English as your preference, you have chosen to ignore all things Japanese.Another problem with Hulu in this regard is the arrangement of available options. If you only realize a mistaken language preference after you start watching an episode, there is no toggle switch to correct. Instead you have to click back and find the main page for the media you are trying to access and then see if your sub or dub preference exists. Then you can choose a separate link accordingly. This can mean a decent amount of re-watching the same wordless opening sequences.Who Wins: Netflix for ease of access.Organization by AccountOn Netflix, every account can have multiple users and every user's preferences tend to be stored. My daughter has a kids account in her name, exclusively offering kid-friendly cartoons and shows. My husband's watch list is littered with horror titles and the movies usually start in English with Japanese subtitles if available. My list is a mixture of things I thought I should see and have mostly forgotten about, but can easily manage since I know they are all my choices alone.Hulu seems to assume that any account caters to one individual per household, so there's only one list, your "queue", to which you add titles based on preference. Remember the problem with the sub and dub on Hulu? That comes up here too as you can see. If you click to add all of one season of one show to your list, it adds the sub AND dub for each episode, which you will watch in that order or delete the unwanted option, one by one, from your queue. Again, this seems like more work than necessary.Who Wins: Netflix for familiesPause/Play Button LocationThe one thing I think Hulu gets absolutely right is the position of the pause/play button in the middle of the screen, just like Youtube. Netflix offers this only for the kids shows, so pausing a more mature movie or program will require moving the icon down to the left corner.Who Wins: HuluTrial PeriodNetflix allows potential customers a full month to experience their services before payment is due (usually, for new customers) where Hulu only allows 2 weeks by comparison. This doesn't have to be a big game-changer, but it is worth noting if you choose to try these out for yourself.So, if your Japanese level is high enough that you like your anime subtitle free and you live alone or don't mind a jumbled "to watch" list, Hulu might be your best option. If your anime watching depends upon subtitles of some form or you want to rewatch ALL of the Star Treks, Netflix may be for you.Who Wins: Netflix for more time. Feel free to try them out while you're stuck indoors this rainy season! Just remember to watch your trial period end-dates!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weEOw-living_moneyTue, 23 May 2017 10:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/weEOw-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Dpz-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-ku_shiogama-shiLooking for some free fun this summer in Miyagi? Mark your calendars! Each of these festivals is free to experience!Aoba Matsuri May 20-21, SendaiThe weekend of May 20th and 21st of this year is special for the people of Sendai, where the streets will be filled with colorful floats and suzume dance performance groups on Sunday, following group dance contests performed the evening before. Lots of dancing and floats in Sendai can only mean one thing: It's time for the annual Aoba Matsuri. Always held on the third weekend in May, this festival maintains a centuries old tradition celebrating practitioners of Sendai Suzume or the sparrow dance. The dance itself is usually performed in large groups with fans to the tune of a few large drums and occasionally a flute or two. For more information on the general festival activities, there is an English website. For more detailed descriptions, including a route map, please visit the Japanese website.While attendance is free, concessions are available. If you do go out, it is nice to go early and grab a nice seating area close to one of the main streets, which may be packed during the normal parade times. My personal recommendation here is either in the shopping arcade, where the roof blocks the sun, or on Jozenji Douri, where trees provide shade. The festival lasts a good long time, but the best spots to watch from usually don't. By far, my favorite part of this festival is the people. I have usually found the dancers to be excited, happy people, who also usually spoil my daughter with interaction. I don't know if you can say the same about similar festivals in other, larger cities.Shiogama Marine DayJuly 16-17, ShiogamaIn Shiogama, the big festival of the year is Marine Day which is celebrated with a number of exciting things, including a parade. The costumed groups from schools in the city as well as civic and hobby groups take to the streets to perform a rendition of a (usually traditional) dance down the entire length of the main street, from the library at Ichibankan to the main entrance to Shiogama Shrine. Being from Texas myself, I saw this group last year and knew I needed a picture. Proof that *some* of the dances are less traditional to the region... If you do come for this one, keep an eye out for the Shiogama International Friendship Organization and you might see me as well as my tiny adorable daughter. If you have time on the national holiday, come out and see us. Hopefully this year my kid won't be asleep on me the whole way.Again, attendance is free and concessions are available. There are actually a slew of events to consider, including fireworks. For more information (in English even!) check out the website.Sendai Tanabata FestivalAugust 6-8, SendaiThis one is the least time consuming of the festivals on this list as the decorations are set up for viewing at your own speed. The decorations themselves are massive creations, usually of tissue or origami paper and glue, occasionally utilizing paint, plastics, or string. Viewing is free though many of the shops on the arcade offer concessions from midday through evening. The best day to go is the first day, before troves of visitors to Sendai's most popular festival have damaged the decorations. You can also ready my take on last year's decorations here or read about this year's upcoming festivities here.If you're in the Tohoku region and looking for some free fun during the summer, come to a festival or three!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Dpz-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-ku_shiogama-shiSun, 21 May 2017 11:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4Dpz-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-ku_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXEBM-living_food_yamagataIf you're in Tohoku and looking for a little break from the daily grind, a little road trip out to Yamagata may be just what you need. There, on a rushing river of clean mountain water, sits the little town of Ginzan.According to Japan Guide, the little town was once home to a silver mine, hence the name "Silver Mountain", though now it has more of a reputation as a fantastic spot for onsen. There are accommodations available at the timeless ryokan that line the little strip of river, but they do tend to be expensive. It is possible to enjoy many of the onsen as part of a day trip with no reservations or intent to stay at the hotel, but plan your time accordingly. We spent so much time on the road driving out there that we had few options aside from eating a nice soba lunch and heading out for our afternoon engagements elsewhere. Even with our limited time, the experience was more than enjoyable. Many of the ryokan have little cafes attached with wonderful views of the stream and buildings opposite, all seemingly trapped in another time. Our choice for restaurant was superb, as the hand-made soba delighted all, including the fussy toddler among us. I ordered a coffee out of caffeine-related necessity, unsure of how it might come out. You never know with little, out-of-the-way places. The resulting beverage might be fantastic or atrocious, depending very much on information that cannot be gathered without a thorough observation of the kitchen equipment or first-hand knowledge. Soon, my little cup of cafe late came out in a traditionally-crafted cup, and I was thrilled with the results. The milk-froth was perfection, with tiny bubbles that popped on my lip. Also surprising was the bathroom condition. Most little towns I go to offer little in the way of comfortable potty-going, especially for women with children. To my surprise, there were many stalls, all well-maintained, and the one we wound up in even had a fold-down changing table. If you've done travel with toddlers outside of major cities, you know what a special find this is.Travelling to such a secluded area can be tricky, and many of the roads that lead there may not be usable in winter due to weather-related difficulties, but there are also buses from Oishida Station (1,660 yen and 2+ hours from Sendai with a transfer at Uzen-Chitose) that take an additional 40 minutes to get to a bus stop a short walk from the main area. If you drive, you'll be parking a little bit further away, so bring walking shoes unless you have a room and parking spot reserved at one of the onsen-hotels. Part of our downhill walk from the public parking area to Ginzan, which took 10 to 15 minutes with a three-year-old.The crowd may be bigger on national holidays. Our trip occurred during a particularly nice pre-golden week weekend and, while we didn't have the town all to ourselves, getting pictures without any other tourists was hardly challenging.This is the view from the footbaths and you can see some of the wooden bench seating on the left.Even if you don't have a reservation at one of the hotels, you can definitely still enjoy the free foot bath, open air and in full view of the river. We found the water a bit too hot to enjoy for too long, and make sure to bring a towel if you're looking forward to this part of the adventure. There are also two public baths, open for small fees and a number of little souvenirs offered in many of the cafes and shops. The cafe we went to had postcards, tea, soba, coffee, and other locally made treats. If you're looking for that perfect postcard picture of yourself in historical Japan, a little shop at the front of the town even rents kimono to tourists for reasonable hourly prices.So if you're looking to walk into a little Tohoku history, come out to Ginzan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXEBM-living_food_yamagataWed, 10 May 2017 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXEBM-living_food_yamagatahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRjKG-living_miyagi_sendai-shiI most easily describe Golden Week in Japan as Spring Break for adults, in that much of the country had the week off including school children, teachers, and several kinds of professional. Having a week to enjoy yourself, especially before rainy season steals away six weeks or more of your time and sticks you inside on the weekend, can be excellent. That is of course, unless crowds make you nervous.If you're like me, the idea of slowly maneuvering through crowds to get anywhere or do anything fills you less with excitement than irritation. The dark side of Golden Week is that most of those people who now have the day off will be out and about, wandering into spaces and holding up lines. If you're living close to a major city, expect some traffic increase as people come in from the countryside for time in an urban environment. This can make some things run a little less smoothly than they might otherwise. This can be really frustrating for anyone, but especially challenging for the socially anxious, like me. Here are a few alternative options for the more introverted among us.1) Catch up on your shows. Did you know that Neil Gaiman's Novel American Gods has been made into a TV show that you can stream on Amazon (provided you have an Amazon Prime membership)? Netflix and Hulu also have options for the savvy media hound, so go find some great things to watch or re-watch.Don't forget Star Wars Day strikes right in the middle of Golden Week (May the Fourth be with you) and you can rent a few of these either at DVD rental places or via streaming on Amazon. We chose to spend one day watching the Marvel movies we had yet to see, two of which were only 100 yen to rent on Amazon! The Amazon rental service is really useful. From the time of purchase, you have 30 days to begin your viewing. From the second you push play, you have 48 hours to complete your viewing-- and you can watch your chosen media as many times as you want to in those next 48 hours. We re-watched Ant Man and Captain America:Civil War with some friends before our 48 hours were up.2) Head to the ParkIt seems that most parks, so full of people for sakura viewing last month, have since been pretty vacated. Take advantage of this and go find a little spot for a picnic or a game of catch. At Tsutsujugaoka Koen in Sendai, we spent the day running around with a soccer ball and having a lovely little bento picnic. Of course there were some people there, but not in the droves that were seen a few weeks previous. Some sakura was still blooming and a few food stalls were still open, so if you're looking for a little city-side excursion, there is peace in the park.3) Study (with poop!)A little extra time to yourself is a great time to better yourself, and what better way than this.The newest in kanji studying for elementary school students and ambitious yet puerile foreigners is poop, as explained in this Nippon.com post. The sentences are generally pretty simple and if you find these in the book store, you can peruse them briefly in order to find the level most appropriate for your current kanji learning needs. I chose second grade, as I can recognize half of the kanji but pronounce closer to 25%, so it will be a silly way to review what I know and learn more. Each book in the series of six (one for each level of elementary school) will run you a little less an 1000 yen and you can find them at most major book stores (check the kids section) as well as Amazon.However you spent your Golden Week, I hope you had a good one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRjKG-living_miyagi_sendai-shiTue, 09 May 2017 09:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRjKG-living_miyagi_sendai-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrj3w-living_miyagiStuffed toys. Chocolate. Replica katana. Wireless keyboards. Pocket watches. Anime figurines and models. Fukubukuro. Snacks. These are just a handful of things I have seen offered as prizes in the crane games inside of Japanese gaming centers. Some are bizarre, some enchanting, but most are deceptively difficult to deliver. Here are a few tips and tricks to get the most out of your crane-gaming experiences in Japan.First, let's look at the variation of crane games currently offered. I realize that not everyone spent hours of their youth in the cheap arcade of a Texas bowling alley, mastering the art of the claw machine, but that lack of experience doesn't mean you can't win anything. While winning might not be easy, there are many variations of the machine and strategies to win. Let's start with the basics.The most traditional model of the claw machine has a three pronged claw which is controlled by a joystick or button panel that move it into position above the desired prize. The claw then drops and clamps the prize, bring it up and into a prize chute or tilting it over an edge into a prize chute. In a perfect world, it's just that easy.The tricky part?In larger machines, the claw's tension can be loosened so its grip on the prize is tenuous at best. This means a one shot win is next to impossible. The loose claw prevents a proper hold from forming and may swing the prize in a number of not entirely intended directions.Solution: Use your plays to lead the prize closer to the chute, placing the claw in a position to overlap the prize and the area between it and the prize chute, so the sloppy grip might still pull the thing closer to winning by your third or fourth attempt. This may sometimes backfire as the loose grip might swing the prize back away from the chute.The 2-claw machines are frequently used for smaller plush toys or items in long containers that have to be pulled, tilted, or slid from their perch into the prize chute. Thinking about the weight distribution of the prize can be helpful here as a good grip on the heaviest area can knock the prize off balance and lead to an early win. With the box prizes, if there appears to be even weight distribution, think about physics. Where would a little claw pulling slightly upward do the most good? Guessing and checking is sometimes necessary to attain these prizes.Positioning is also important in the little games as only the prizes in the very front are generally attainable. If you have your eye on a prize in the back, ask a game center staff member to come and help (just pointing at the prize can be helpful) or come back later to see if your prize has made its way to the front.The final claw option is the one-claw machine, like a half-functional version of its two-armed sibling. The prizes are often marked by a small paper circle, which sticks out from the prize, waiting for the one claw to be perfectly positioned above it. Even when this happens, the result may only be a move of a couple of inches at the most, meaning this prize may be a significant expenditure of money, time and energy.There is a minor cousin of the one-claw, which I call the scoop. These are usually little machines in the center-front of the game center, offering small toys or chocolate piled high on 4 plastic platforms, each emptying into its own prize chute. Below the evenly placed platforms, a conveyor belt of similar prizes rotates. For 100 yen, a player may use the one scoop attachment to scoop up prizes from the conveyor belt and drop them onto the platform, hopefully taking up enough space to knock over and win the tower of prizes. These take a lot of time and money to win, and usually the prizes can be purchased elsewhere cheaper, which is why these are usually the favorites of small children. That said, I did knock over the tower of chocolate wafers in a tiny game center in rural Gifu in 2008. It was glorious.The last game on my list is the one at which I am the worst. The pincer game involves positioning a small set of pincer-scissors exactly behind a small exposed section of string connected to the desired prize. As you can see by the fraying of the string in this picture, even getting the thing into the right position does not necessarily guarantee a win.Whatever your game and however you play it, good luck and have fun! Remember: if you don't win, you can probably buy the prize at BookOff later anyway.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrj3w-living_miyagiThu, 27 Apr 2017 10:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrj3w-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy8bz-living_miyagi_shiogama-shiThe amount of upkeep that goes into a Japanese apartment astonishes me sometimes. Coming from a country where "Clean the tub" usually means scrub out the insides and perhaps snake the drain if you really need to, I was utterly unprepared my first time trying to deep-clean the shower and bath area. If you have a tub like mine, you'll notice a great many procedures need to be done before you can call the place "clean". Most foreigners who've at least watched the 80s flick Mister Baseball know that you aren't supposed to soap up in the tub. This cuts down on soap scum in the tub itself, but that doesn't mean the process is easy otherwise, partially because we don't stop cleaning at what your body touches, but more on that later. Japanese bathtubs tend to have greater depth than their counterparts in the west, which means even just cleaning the parts of the tub deemed normal by international standards may take more effort than it would elsewhere. If your shower room is also where your clothes dry, you might have to wipe up or pick out lint from the plug area as well.Also, the faucet part in tubs like mine can be cleaned separately either with a solvent dissolved in bathwater and/or flushed with one of these units. I have yet to use this, but the picture really says it all.To clean the rest, you'll need gloves, paper towels, cleaning spray, and a plastic back to throw the scum-covered towels in. I also recommend a strong stomach. In addition, I sometimes use fizzing de-clogging tablets which are included in the picture above.First, attack the drain.In general practice, the actions here repeat. If the part can easily be taken out or off, take it out or off. If it is gross, rinse it off before you put it back. If it's really gross, wipe it down or out with a paper towel first. Really super gross? Spray it with a cleaner, let it sit a few minutes, then rinse it and wipe it until it is clean. This goes for basically everything in the bathtub-drain area.I do recommend taking your time so that you don't forget where things go. Also, please use your apartment's ventilation system to assure fumes from any cleaning agents don't cause any negative reactions for yourself or your housemates. Then we come to a bigger problem-- taking off the facing of the tub. On older models, this won't be an option as the tub itself will be welded together completely, but that means there is less for you to clean. If you have a fancier tub, especially one that fills itself at the press of a button, there's a bit more work to do. The great thing is that many of these tubs have picture based label guides to show you what to take out and put back to get into the under-tub. First, take out the under-bits that wedge the facing into place. On my model, there is one of these on each side. Take each one out. This might mean pushing against the facing to take weight of the wedges so that you can retrieve them.Once access to the under-tub is granted, spray and wipe every surface you can reach, cleaning up whatever you can. Don't be afraid to let your cleaner soak a problem area for a minute if it is too difficult to deal with immediately.I do not recommend messing with any of the tubes under the tub. All the pieces I remove and clean are simple plastic, occasionally with rubber rings in one place or another. These are generally safe to remove, clean, and replace.When everything is as clean as you can make it, put the facing back on the tub and wedge the under-bits back in place, following the pictures on the guide if provided. If there is no guide, look for other clues, like this kanji.Then start putting everything back in place, slowly considering the pieces of the plumbing puzzle if necessary. If the facing of your tub is like the facing on mine, you may have to hoist the facing up to wedge the two under-bits in place. Do your best to wedge them under well. Don't worry if this part is tricky for you. I am still very bad at it, too.The hardest part for me is under the drain, in a little tank of standing water that I really so not understand the need for in this country of perpetual humidity, but I'm also not a plumbing expert. I do find this area next to impossible to clean sufficiently due to lack of access. How do you clean something you cannot take it apart and wash/rinse the individual pieces of? Instead I swish a gloved hand around inside, pulling out clumps of gunk and throwing them in my garbage bag before diluting the remaining gunk with clean hot water from the shower head. Usually, I add a drain unclogging tablet thing, which fizzes cleanliness into the effected area.However you get it done, good luck in cleaning your Japanese bathtub!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy8bz-living_miyagi_shiogama-shiFri, 21 Apr 2017 17:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gy8bz-living_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrgXM-living_miyagi_shiogama-shi_gifu_nakatsugawa-shiIn the almost 9 years I've lived in Japan, I have yet to live in one of the major cities. Shiogama, my current location, is much smaller than my hometown but not the smallest town I have lived in. That title belongs instead to my first address in Japan, Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture.Check out this view, right? This was the view on the walk to the 100 yen shop. The only one in town involved a 30 minute trek (each way) across a large bridge, but it was hard to mind when this was the setting.No One Knows Where You AreOne of the first troubles in moving to non-urban Japan is all your friends back home not really getting where you live. They may ask casually, expecting you to say Tokyo or Osaka, not that most could even point out those cities on a map, and are shocked and confused to hear anything different. Get used to it. If you stay for a bit, you may start hearing your loved ones explain your location using a newfound understanding of Japanese geography, like my brother. It can get annoying explaining the same thing after a while, and having all your friends back home suggest you explore some Tokyo thing they heard about as if you could just pop over to the city whenever you liked, but in the end, your day to day life is a lot more peaceful. So many fast food options, internet cafes, convenience stores and more of those so-Japan things you've heard are on every street corner may not actually be available or conveniently located. That said, there were plenty of vending machines in Nakatsugawa, but only with soft-drinks.Am I the only one who stands out this much?Everyone Knows Who You AreYou're that foreigner, right? Must be, since you're the only non-Japanese person in town. In my experience, this usually means getting treated more like a normal person most of the time, as many people don't necessarily jump to racist responses. No signs saying "No Foreigners Allowed" like you might find in some larger cities, because there's never been a need to put one up. Also, there tend to be more people who want to help you practice Japanese than practice their English on you. I found people in the countryside to be significantly more comfortable working with my less-that-fluent Japanese than people in larger cities. Less rushing means more time, and that means more patience.The down side? Religious people may wake you up early on your day off to hand you a pamphlet in English. They know where you live, because everyone somehow knows where that foreigner lives. People may stare, but most of the interactions I've had have been decent bordering on lovely. Occasionally there are jerks, but most people are trying to work with you.Sometimes this treatment can feel a bit like being a celebrity, because everyone knows your name. When the town is big enough to hold a few foreigners, it can lead to small mix-ups. Usually, this manifests as people calling you by a different foreign name, still well-meaning for the most part. I did have one post office worker ask me to pay extra postage for some other foreigner's letter, but even that was easily resolved.This does also mean that if you go out in town and cause a ruckus, it probably will get back to your students, coworkers, and even your boss, so you have to be on pretty good behavior or wait and paint some other, bigger town red on the weekend instead. Gotta Love your CoworkersMy first town was tiny-- so tiny it was actually a few towns and villages that banded themselves together a few decades ago so that they could have a train stop. Seriously.Working in a 2 teacher/1 manager conversational English school in such a small town meant that I had more time to learn about my coworkers and form close bonds-- so close in fact that I eventually married one of them, though that is a whole different story.If you're a bit introverted like me, these social things are so much easier than working in a big city.Gotta Love that NatureI took about 1,000 photos of those mountains and rice fields. I loved that weird little town, and still do. There was something really peaceful and comfortable there, on a level I've never felt in a large city. I mentioned that I met my husband when I was working in this little town. The funny thing is that we were not the first teacher-manager couple to come out of that specific little school in the middle of the Gifu countryside. A western male teacher married his female manager and moved to Europe a few years previous. The setting of small town Japan can feel so intimate that it is hard not to make life-long bonds with those you come to know. Is it the fairy-tale surroundings? The Mushishi-esque atmosphere? The lack of other people presenting themselves? The absolute boredom of rice-field-town? We may never know...Rustic...Charm?The most famous thing in that town where I lived, aside from a bit of the Nakasendo, were these "Marriage Rocks" which appear to have naturally been shaped like sexual organs. Well, the male looks masculine, but the female of the two is more like a massive crack down the middle of a massive round rock, though I guess people of the time felt it was compelling.There were postcards featuring these rocks at the only souvenir shop in town, right at the train station.Is it funny that I met my husband when we were both working in the small town with marriage rocks? I think so.Also, You'll Learn Stuff Because I lacked access to the frozen TV dinners that got me through college, I learned to cook. I worked out basic navigation by routinely getting lost in the tiny town and finding my way back pre-google maps. Adapting to living in a place where the conveniences of big-city Japan are not available can help you become a more well-balanced person overall, if you let it.Wherever you wind up and however you got there, I hope you're having a good one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrgXM-living_miyagi_shiogama-shi_gifu_nakatsugawa-shiWed, 05 Apr 2017 10:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wrgXM-living_miyagi_shiogama-shi_gifu_nakatsugawa-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDZjw-living_shopping_money_fashion_miyagi_sendai-shiOne of the first weird but cool and so very Japanese things my friends fell in love with in college was Gothic Lolita fashion. This trend/lifestyle choice started a while back and you can learn more about the history here. There's even a wikihow on how to be a lolita here. There are a few variations of the Lolita theme, but the vast majority come with extremely detailed and expensive clothing and accessories.There are plenty of shops, first hand and second, for any style of lolita in Tokyo or Osaka. Sendai is not so big and offers significantly fewer options, but they do still exist here, mostly clustered together on the seventh floor of the Forus building, walking distance from Sendai station. Just walk down the arcade until it dead-ends at Sun Mall Ichibancho and turn right. Forus is on the right before you get to the Disney Store.Take the escalator up and get off when you see "Gothic Lolita * Sports" sign on the seventh floor. As amusing as it sounds, this isn't the floor for displays of Gothic Lolita Sportsmanship (Pretentious petty-coat fluffing? 50 yard Scowl? Delicate field hockey in painful footwear?) but the sign is an accurate description of the floor's contents as a sporting goods shop takes up half of the floor.On the other half you can find Angelic Pretty, Alice and the Pirates, and KERA Style shop in addition to a small Doc Martens store front. There are also wigs and alterations available for the discerning customer. The first thing you see is the media shop, which usually has the most recent copies of the Gothic Lolita Bible, a bi-yearly seasonal style guide for the lolita, complete with sewing patterns for a few select pieces every month. Also, this place sometimes holds in-store events for current Visual Kei artists and other similar genres sold in the store.If you're looking for the lolita outfit of your dreams or just wanting to window shop, this is one of the more peculiar but fun areas of Sendai in which to do it. Serious budget-conscious lolitas in the area also know of several small lolita-specific resale shops, though they still tend to be a bit pricey for some budgets, including my own.The frilly and fun things I find these days are far closer to the station, on the sixth floor of the building once known as Sakurano. The company went under earlier this year and took with it access to one of my very favorite shops in Japan-- Ozzonste.This was the store on the second floor, before Sakurano died.Ozzonste isn't strictly lolita but does work some nice details into some fun and well-made garments, usually with fabric stretchy enough to accommodate a larger American woman like myself. I can't wear everything they make but the stuff I can makes me feel so very cool and frequently can be paired with more plain clothes to make a cool outfit that doesn't scream VK/PUNK/GOTH/WEIRDO (not that there is anything wrong with any of those things-- I love those things, but I don't have the bravery, budget, or wardrobe to wear them every day). So for the more tame among us, this isn't a bad brand. Unfortunately, I haven't been financially capable of shopping at this location in years, though I always found the window shopping to be inspiring.Instead, I go up to the floor dedicated to second hand clothing and hunt. Scouring for badass clothing is actually one of my favorite past-times in Japan. If my daughter is stroller-bound and asleep, I can kill more than an hour looking through all the women's sections for anything with a brand-name I like. On this specific trip, I bought one beautiful Ozzonste top (regular retail: way over $100. BookOff Price: less than 2000 yen) and a really cool h.Naoto shirt for a friend back home...no really. That is way too badass for my housewife-life.There are several brands that specialize in classic Lolita including Angelic Pretty, Baby The Stars Shine Bright, and Alice and the Pirates. I've known some to wear the latter few in combination, but generally all to the full-lolita ensemble. These are not things you can just pair with your jeans, generally. You will find them at the name brand stops, the lolita resale shops, and very rarely at BookOff. My favorite designer, H.Naoto, might use some of the frill and flare from lolita for some of his brands but generally tends more toward the goth-androgenous VK side of things. Hell Cat Punks offers similar clubbing options edging toward the punk side, if you're planning on attending many hardcore live performances. Both of these sometimes find their way into the KERA shop in Forus or BookOff. In the meantime, here is my purchase in action, completing an outfit I didn't know I needed or had. For anyone not believing that little green top can fit anyone above a US size 12, here's proof! So now you've seen that stretchy Ozzonste tops can fit people outside Japan's concept of normal sizes, but you may still be thinking, "Didn't you say something about jeans? Could you really wear that with jeans?"And I would tell you no, that this top really is more of a theatrical piece in my opinion. That said, I do have a few pieces from this brand that can be added together, even with red high-wasted mom-jeans.Still theatrical, still dramatic, but not as much as a full ensemble of similarly designed clothing, which might feel like overkill.How do you adapt interesting Japanese trends to your lifestyle?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDZjw-living_shopping_money_fashion_miyagi_sendai-shiWed, 22 Mar 2017 18:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zDZjw-living_shopping_money_fashion_miyagi_sendai-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK8NG-living_food_transportation_iwate_kitakami-shi_miyagi_shiogama-shiIt's almost hanami time up here in Miyagi, and that means it is time to head to the shrine.That's right. Shiogama Shrine, which features prominently in many of my posts, is also home to its own unique species of cherry blossom-- the Shiogama-zakura-- which is so important as to have become one of the symbols of the town. What makes these flowers special is that they are in fact double-blooms, boasting 10 petals each instead of the customary five petal arrangement seen in most sakura. These and other sakura trees blossom usually from some time in mid April to mid May, with different selections coming into full bloom every week. The hanami area is a nice little grassy space, well maintained and just a short walk down from the major tori-- the giant red gate-- that leads to the proper shrine area.If you're ever in Shiogama in Spring and looking for a quiet place for a little picnic lunch, this is the best place I could recommend. Tourists do come but weekdays are never crowded and most of the hanami visitors are calm, well-meaning pensioners, some with fairly expensive cameras.You can get there easily by following signage or the directions in this blog post from HonShiogama Station on the Senseki line (320 yen and 30 minutes from Sendai).Another of my favorite spots for cherry blossom viewing in Miyagi is Tsutsujigaoka Koen, of which I have unfortunately lost all photographic evidence. The park is in Sendai, just across the street from Tsutsujigaoka station on the Senseki line (1 stop from Sendai, 2 minutes, 140 yen) which is quite convenient, provided there is no need for stroller or wheelchair access. Most of the trees are in an area that isn't great with wheels, as the paved parts tend to have small staircases every so often. Even getting to the festival grounds and trees is challenging, as around 20 feet of that path takes you up a steep incline on a street with no sidewalk. It is doable, and I have done it, but if you're going here with babies, it's best to leave the stroller at home if at all possible.The space itself is fantastic-- lots of trees, many varieties, and even a fairly large open field if you or your hanami-driven friends want to play around with a soccer ball, football, volleyball, or whatever casual sport you prefer.Because the space is both fantastic and conveniently located, it is frequently crowded on the weekends and afternoons. Even at mid-day, there are salarymen under some trees, occupying their group's blue tarp for fear of loosing such a great location.Every spring, I make it a point to see the sakura here at least once.My final entry on this list and my husband's personal favorite is the cherry blossom tunnel in Kitakami, Iwate. Located in a small town in the prefecture north of Miyagi, the Kitakami Sakuramatsuri is beautiful but not as easy to manage. First, this event is significantly less convenient. The trip from Sendai to Kitakami costs more then 5000 yen each way for the 1 hour long bullet train or 2700 yen for a series of local trains that take more than three hours. We usually drive.Even if you work out the logistics of getting there, timing can be an issues. Of the 4 years we have gone, we've missed out half of these times for being either too early or too late. That said, it's well worth the trip if you have the time and energy to go. The place is amazing, but the path is not paved, so I recommend sneakers for everyone (as I murdered my wedding-heels here back in 2012).If it is in bloom, it might be packed, so parking after driving up from anywhere can be troublesome. Additional parking lots will open just down the road from the tunnel area, but I found that walk a bit strenuous (in those heels I killed in 2012). According to the website, access from JR Kitakami station is fairly easy, including a 15 minute walk, a 10 minute bus ride, or a 7 minute ferry ride across the river that separates the cherry blossom tunnel from the station. There is also a bridge, but it is expected to be quite crowded.There are usually some food stalls at peak times, but if you are unsure of your timing, it is best to bring a little food and drink. If the main tunnel is not in bloom, there is another small sakura area near the end of the tunnel. There is even a horse-drawn carriage that will take paying passengers (500 yen for adults, 300 yen for children) on a ride from one end of the tunnel to the other.Like many things in Japan, it is wonderfully authentic, but not entirely convenient.This is what "1 week late" looks like, just so you know.What are your favorite hanami spots?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK8NG-living_food_transportation_iwate_kitakami-shi_miyagi_shiogama-shiSun, 12 Mar 2017 11:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zK8NG-living_food_transportation_iwate_kitakami-shi_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmnaM-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_shiogama-shiToday is March 11th, 2017.6 years ago, the world changed. Literally. The topographical situations were altered slightly by the impact of the Magnitude 9 earthquake that shook most of Japan, but none so much as us up here in Tohoku. The worst effected prefectures were Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate, all of which lost so much that afternoon.I was in Sendai, on the top floor of a 9 story office building, walking into the lobby of the eikaiwa I was working for after having promptly left a class that ended at 2:45.Most foreigners who have never been through a big quake don't stop to think about it. We keep walking with the minimal shakes, barely aware.This is the kind of thing that makes you aware. The ground was shaking so badly that one of our office workers was screaming for me to hold the computer on the desk, but it didn't occurred to me at that moment who she could be talking to. Then the shaking got bad enough for me to sit down. Then crawl under a desk. I don't know how long any of that went on, but when it was over, I found myself looking out the window and the weird angle of the building next to us, realizing with fresh horror that the building beneath my feet, as well as the one across the street, were swaying with the impact (which makes sense-- they're built to do that instead of collapse) and I thought, "That's why these things are scary."Because they never had been before, but they will not be innocent again. Now when the ground shakes, I stop and wait. We're on the eighth floor here, so we feel a lot of things people closer to the ground might not. It took a few months for things to return to a new normal. Transportation restarted to most areas (though the train out to Ishinomaki, one of the towns most hurt by the tsunami, took another year or two to work out) and most people went back to work. When we did, everyone had a quake story. Where were you? Did you lose anyone? Is your family safe? How about your house? Most of our students were wealthy enough to buy new homes if any property was damaged. A few had to quit because the cost of repairs and replacing their possessions outweighed their need for English conversation. My story was not terribly exciting. We're already bought an apartment near the sea, which I was glad to know had not been washed away. We had bought our engagement and wedding rings, but they were somewhere in Sendai when the quake happened and not having them for a romantic White Day ruined my husband's proposal plans. Instead, we spent the nights leading up to white day sleeping on the floor of his parents' living room, snuggled under the kotatsu with his parents, grandparents, and aunt while the warmth of our seven bodies combined to maintain comfort levels despite the still non-functional electricity. My in-laws learned in this time that despite our language differences, I cared a lot about trying to help and working hard, hauling potable water, even in heavy buckets, and doing my best to assist. It is still my belief that in this family, I only get what I am supposed to do when things are rough. When things are nice, I'm too clumsy and confused to make anything work. When things suck, I can at least understand that basic necessities we need to survive. After a week, we had power and telephone operation. After 9 days, we got running water again. Within a week, my extended in-laws moved back to their homes and we started preparations to move into our apartment. Six weeks after the quake, on my husband's 30th birthday, he finally proposed...in his pajamas. Thus began the next chapter of our lives. For the next six months or so, I felt like an impostor, like I had somehow stolen the life from one of the unfortunates lost to the sea. After all, this is their country and they belong here. I don't. I never did. In the eyes of the country, I am forever a tourist, just one who won't go home, yet by no fault of my own I managed to survive the quake, tsunami, and radiation threat. Was it luck? Divine blessings? Some other reason for them to die when I did not?Of course, there are no real answers to these questions other than a silent shrug. We don't know. How could we? The point is not who deserves to live or die. Those aren't decisions I make. I'm not a doctor or dictator. I'm a teacher/writer. At this point, the important thing is that we survived and that we do something with that lives we continue to have.So if anything like that happens to you, any of you, and you catch yourself in the downward spiral of questionable self-worth, try to remember that. It is the best thing I learned from this experience.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmnaM-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_shiogama-shiSat, 11 Mar 2017 13:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wmnaM-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyv3w-living_food_shopping_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shiOmikoshi, the Japanese portable shrines, are said to be temporary homes of Shinto deities and are featured prominently in festivals throughout Japan. If you've never seen a procession featuring Omikoshi and you happen to be free Friday, March 10th, head out to Shiogama, Miyagi, for your chance to witness Hote Matsuri. The purpose of the festival, which began 300 years ago, was originally centered around fire prevention but eventually took on the further aspects of instilling health and wellness to the people of the town, according to the website for tourism in Miyagi prefecture (halfway down the page, the only listing under March) which can be found here. As the picture on the poster indicates, groups of men in ceremonial garb bear the weight of the 1 ton plus shrine on its journey around the town. This starts with the pretty extraordinary feat of walking down the 202 stone steps of the main entrance of Shiogama Shrine. According to the official website for Shiogama Shrine, which provides a schedule but exclusively in Japanese, the omikoshi will descend the stairs at 11:30AM. The participants will be gathering within an hour and a half before this venture, but once it starts, they'll be marching through the town until 7PM when the portable shrine will ascend that same treacherous stairway.Apologies for the small size of this picture, but here you see a walking map of Shiogama, which you can pick up from the information center in front of Honshiogama Station (Jinja exit).If you're coming from out of town, it would be easiest to stay near Shiogama station (Tohoku Line, 240 yen and 18 minutes from Sendai) at 1PM or be near HonShiogama Station (Senseki Line, 320 yen and 30 minutes from Sendai) at 6PM. Then you can see the whole procession move through that part of town. In previous years, I haven't been out and about in the town enough to see the posters for this event or to remember the dates. I usually don't remember when these things are happening unless I happen to notice the rope lining the main streets at telephone-pole height. This holy rope runs both sides of each main street for the entire path of the omikoshi through the town and is decorated with knotted strips of white paper. There have been years when that alone was my only indicator that the day was somehow special. Other years, I have been unaware of thisuntil I hear the drums from my apartment. It is bad luck to look down on the procession, as I found out from my husband only after observing the festival one afternoon from my balcony and telling my husband about it. Watching from this angle would be literally looking down on a god, so I guess it isn't hard to see how that factors in. The best place to watch the procession is from street level, and being a Friday afternoon, this shouldn't be such a crowded event. It is free to the public, and some places even offer free food to the observers as well as the participants, as I found out 3 years ago when I went to watch it around nightfall, baby strapped to my chest. The little garage across the street had converted itself into a make-shift restaurant of sorts, and they were quite insistent that I join them, even though few words between us were spoken. As is marked in the map above, the procession takes regular breaks at locations indicated on the official Shiogama Shrine website (unfortunately, yes, still all in only Japanese) but the task itself must be grueling. That said. the music that accompanies the procession is almost magical. Watching this festival-procession make its way across town doesn't actually take long if you're only interested in watching it pass by. If you're more interested in watching the portable shrine ascend or descend the 202 steps of the main Shiogama Shrine entrance, it is best to come a little early and get in place for some good photos. Not sure how to get to Shiogama Shrine? See this blog post from last summer explaining just that. In addition to those directions, I would like to advise travelers this round to stop by the tourist information center, which is just outside of the Jinja (Shrine) exit of Honshiogama station. It is easy to get to and open until 4PM. The staff don't seem to be terribly bilingual, but they are very friendly and in my experience willing to work with your language ability, whatever your level. There you can find lots of free information including a walking map of Shiogama, which uses some English and many easily understood icons in addition to Japanese, and postcards from a number of exciting Shiogama related events, including the summer Marine Day celebration (when the shrine-boats go to the sea), Shiogama Shrine's own unique double-blossom sakura (Shiogama-zakura), and even, yes, the Hote Matsuri event.I also bought a Hello Kitty folder because it features the Shrine Boats. I love those boats.The walking map can be quite useful, even if your Japanese isn't so great because it tends to use easily understood icons to indicate businesses, such as a little piece of nigiri to show the various sushi restaurants in the area. One thing I came to know just last year was that Shiogama has more sushi restaurants per capita than any other place in Japan. The best of these occupy a small section just past Honshiogama station. Tripadvisor's #1 and #4 for bestsushi restaurants in Shiogama are just down the street from each other on this block. They are a bit pricey, but well worth it. If you do go, definitely try the maguro tuna. The fish is a symbol of the town, as seen on the post-boxes.So if you are up for some free omikoshi processional watching, followed by some great sushi this Friday, look no further than Shiogama's Hote Festival. If this Friday does not work for you, this event falls on the same date every year. March 10th, 2018 will fall on a Saturday, so if you're still in Japan and have the weekend open, this would give you one more authentic Japanese experience.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyv3w-living_food_shopping_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shiWed, 08 Mar 2017 09:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gyv3w-living_food_shopping_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPx1M-food_miyagiIf you're like me, you endured the long, cold winter and now just want a taste of home cooking. Without the convenience of an oven, this can be a challenge. If any of this sounds familiar, this recipe for Rice-Cooker Meatloaf might be just for you.I'll admit right here and now that I didn't have meatloaf growing up. It wasn't a dish my mom had the time or energy for, but after I moved abroad I found a lot of appeal in the budget-conscious seasoned meat dish. As with most of my cooking expertise, this recipe grew from my extended time abroad and I still make it from time to time.First, take out the inner bowl from your rice-cooker and make sure it is nice and clean. You'll have to wash it again after we make this dish, too, so knowing how to remove it is a somewhat important step in the process.Ingredients:Primary ingredients start with menchi. You can use any variation of ground meat available to you. At my neighborhood grocery store, the only options are all pork or a pork-beef mixture, so I tend to get the mix as I would prefer all beef (remember, I'm from Texas) and this is the closest I can get. I used 300 grams of meat for this one and it was a bit excessive. 200 grams to 250 grams should suffice.For many of my dishes, frozen meat can be used, but for this one it is best to use fresh, non-frozen meat. Ensuring a complete thaw in ground meat can be tricky, so it's easier just to use fresh raw meat.Next, you need panko, or bread crumbs. You can buy a big bag of them like I have here probably near the flour in your grocery store. You could also grind up bread into crumbs yourself or use smashed crackers. The choice is up to you, but I do recommend using more than I did here. For 250 grams of meat, you probably need around a cup of bread crumbs.Unfortunately, I did not measure this out well as I only had a small amount of crumbs left and not really enough to make up for that much meat. This meant I needed more egg to hold the mixture together and the resulting meatloaf was still a bit crumbly. You will need at least one egg, but if you don't feel the mixture coming together around hamburger-texture, add another. No more than 2 eggs should be necessary unless you have a truly massive rice cooker.Other completely necessary ingredients include one medium onion (chopped), 1-2 cloves of garlic (I chop them too), salt, pepper, and ketchup. I also always add celery (1 stalk, chopped) if I can find/afford it. In addition, I often use mustard, cumin, oregano, basil, barbecue sauce, paprika, and even chili powder. other elements that can be added include hot sauce, thyme, rosemary, diced tomato and other vegetables.From left to right: the absolute necessities, the preferred group, and the nice-to-haves. Not pictured here: BBQ sauce Now for the official recipe if the above pictures didn't already tell you enough. First, throw the meat into the bowl of the rice-cooker. Add all other ingredients before you start mixing so as not to get bits of meat all over your salt shakers and other ingredient containers.Then mix by hand all of the ingredients in the bowl until thoroughly blended together to form, essentially, a giant hamburger patty inside of your rice-cooker. Pat down the top until it is uniform in depth. Add mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and any other sauce you want to the top of the patty and smear it around, mixing together all of the many flavors while forming a light covering of sauce over the top of the meatloaf. The next part is the best. Put the bowl into the rice-cooker, turn the rice cooker on, and walk away. Our unit is pretty old and lacks any terribly fancy options, so it usually just stays hot until we shut it off. I leave the meatloaf cooking for 4-5 hours usually, so this isn't a meal to do after a busy day at work unless you have time to put it together at home during your lunch break.When you think it might be ready, use a pot holder to take the meatloaf out. You can test it if you are unsure by taking a sample of the middle with a small spoon or knife. If the meat is still red, put the bowl back in and cook it for a bit longer.When the meat is nice and brown all the way through, dump the loaf out onto a plate or into a large shallow bowl. Cut into slices and enjoy with a side of salad.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPx1M-food_miyagiMon, 06 Mar 2017 09:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MPx1M-food_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gol9w-living_miyagiI remember asking, "What is it like there?" to anyone who had made the leap across the Pacific the week before I arrived in Japan. I didn't really get any good answers. To one guy, a colleague at the same training gig, I even inquired the first thing he would do when he arrived in the land of the rising sun."Kiss the ground." he said, and I didn't really get it. I mean Japan is cool, but is it holy to you in such a way that ground-kissing is appropriate? I started thinking what I would do instead and could not come up with any ideas, having yet to leave my home country or continent. I'd be flying in, meeting my boss and taking the train to the middle of nowhere. I had no idea what to expect. In many ways, Japan is like anywhere else, but those hard-to-define touches that make it so special also make it hard to fully predict. Combine that with each visitor's unique personality and perspective and you can come across a thousand different versions of Japan, some beautiful and some horrid but each with its own truth. This can make the preparation for living abroad quite taxing. What's it like to live in Japan? It's great, and horrid, and strange, but also boring. It's brilliant, and clever, and appalling stupid. It's as frustrating and blissful as life itself. Living in Japan is an adventure. By the way, the first thing I did in Japan was buy an Qoo brand orange juice from a vending machine in Nagoya airport and rearrange my luggage. The first new thing I learned in Japan was that big bags can be shipped from the airport to your apartment for a fee, which is really useful if your destination isn't so close to the airport or train station. This doesn't help if that's where all your clothes are and you have to work before the bags arrive in 2 days, so if you're likely to arrive in a similar situation, put some yen aside for shipment and have your address handy.Here are five tips for to help you settle in and make the most of your time in Japan.Things to remember:Bring What You Need.And who doesn't need attractive young men selling sodas and beer?American style deodorant, toothpaste with fluoride, women's shoes above size 8, and bras larger than a US B-C cup can be hard to find out here, depending on where you wind up, and even when you can find some things at import shops, they tend not to be cheap. If you have friends or relatives back home who can ship you a few odds and ends, make sure to get them your address when you can. Waiting too long and/or not bringing a good supply can leave you feeling less than fresh and it is hard to be comfortable with your job-doing and adventure-having when you're trying to hide pit-stains. That said, I had a friend who suggested I might need silverware, as he had thought chopsticks to be the only option available. This was very much not the case. You can get spoons, forks, knives, etc. from the 100 yen shops or the home improvement shops. If you're around a US medium, you can generally find clothes at most shops. If you're a bit bigger, that can be tricky, but one thing I recently discovered was H&M's plus sized section on their website, complete with a no-fee COD.Save When You CanNo, you do not need all the fun, crazy masks. Nor do your friends. Seriously. Put down the masks.I wasted so much money my first year or two abroad, buying needless random things to send to people. You know what works better than this? Pictures. Take lots of pictures and tag your friends. They won't have to wait for a package and you won't have to worry about the cost of shipping. Occasional splurges are one thing, but if a significant part of your pay check every month goes to amusing people on the other side of the world, there might be a problem. If I'd come here on a budget, I would have been a lot better off, and a lot less scared when the company that brought me to Japan was bought out 2 years into my stay, taking most of a paycheck with them. I moved far north to live with my then-boyfriend's family and lucked out in getting a new semi-full-time teaching gig right off the bat. I was very lucky. In today's economy, it is important to have a little to fall back on just in case things don't work out as you intended.Try Some New ThingsDid anyone else try these last winter? Delicious!Don't forget to put yourself out there and try something new, even if it is just a candy bar with a season flavor or a snack you've never seen before. Have a little adventure in "new" on a regular basis. This can help alleviate the symptoms of Gaijin-itis (swelling of the foreign entity, also know as that intricate mixture of culture shock and homesickness every foreigner in Japan feels at some point) by helping you to find new things to love about live out here. This might seem contradictory of the saving advice, but all things in moderation. Programming in your budget a little allowance for fun is probably a good idea, though at very least, it is unlikely that 150 yen worth of snacks will break the bank.Make It Your OwnNo one but us can be this excited to ride the train.I always find it a bit bittersweet when I see new arrivals trying so hard to fit in. I want to congratulate them on the attempt-- they are speaking softly and carefully, trying to remember to use honorific forms and bow politely. Perhaps they haven't had that first slap in the face of gaijin-itis. Perhaps they still feel like paying attention to all of the rules and doing the cordial social dance as intricately as all the others will pay off, and maybe for some it does. This however has not been my experience. Every time I think I have my oafish feet moving in the correct manner, another factor comes out of nowhere to throw me off.These hidden factors, the societal norms so ingrained as to be natural, usually go without notice to natives, but trust a foreigner to only find the thing by screwing it up. It took me years to realize that I was supposed to dismantle the bathtub facing to clean inside the thing. Even now, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to get all of the many bags and other materials necessary for Japanese kindergarten made/purchased before my kid starts school in the coming months. Living in Japan, I am frequently confronted by the knowledge that my instincts and basic understandings are inherently wrong about any number of normal Japanese things, and when I see how far I am from the goal, I tend to give up. I am not saying you should give up, but do find a happy medium here where you can be yourself and express yourself in a way that you are comfortable. If you one day find that bowing so low and speaking so softly isn't for you, don't be disheartened. A lot of us out here don't do that so automatically anymore either. You're only human.My point with all of this is that the Japanese experience you are having is your own, so make it work for you. At the end of the day, most of us can't help but feel occasionally like we really don't belong here, and if the only thing you want is to fully belong to Japanese society, you might not be gearing up for the best experience. Instead, find ways to make your home your own, even if it is only your home for a few months or a year. Find things about Japan (hobbies, cultural effects, events, places) that you love and enjoy them in a way that you only can in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gol9w-living_miyagiSat, 25 Feb 2017 17:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gol9w-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/God9w-living_yamagata_sagae-shiLast weekend was the second annual Yamagata Snow Festival in Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture. Unsure of what exactly to expect, as I'd never been to any kind of snow festival before and my husband had yet to attend this one, we went with a bit of skepticism but mostly open minds on Saturday, the 4th.Shuttle buses brought visitors from several parking locations around town, including the road-stop fruit and food shopping center Cherry Land, which is a family favorite of ours. According to the map on the website, the drop off point for the shuttle buses is a few street-crossings from the event space. Unfortunately, this translated to half an hour or walking in real life. Our snow-obsessed 3-year-old fell asleep on the bus but awoke as soon as we found the rear entrance to the festival.There was a great hill for sledding and children of all ages were taking part with inner-tubes, small proper sleds, and even plastic bags. Had we been aware of this part of the festivities, we may have brought our own equipment, but it was too late by the time we were on the festival grounds. There was a sharing service for the inner-tubes that required a length line-wait, so we opted instead to enjoy the snow-covered playground equipment. We had also apparently already missed one of the loveliest parts of the event, a snow-sculpture and miniature igloo building contest, but luckily could still enjoy the fruits of the artists' labors as we made our way toward the food stalls.Admittedly, we could never have made anything as cool as A DRAGON!!Chickens were a big theme thanks to this year's zodiac animal, the rooster.Other themes also prevailed.Our family favorite was the Ghibli-inspired submission, of course.Just after the sculptures but before the food, an igloo had been constructed featuring the city mascot out front, ushering guests in to experience the surprising spaciousness and warmth of the little snow-dome.The food stalls were mostly average, featuring warmer food and drink options than their summer counterparts. The real star of the show was the massive snow-building, centered behind the stage where a number of acts performed throughout the day. Our favorite for the daylight ours was a ska band called Futarime no Gaina*, which actually performed really well despite half of their members not showing up to the gig.*(By katakana pronunciation, the g should be a j. Romanized on their website, this is their preferred spelling.)Seriously, how are they staying warm? It was like 5 degrees. After the band's performance, we went through the indoor tourist info area and snack shop at the Center House, a crescent-shaped building situated between the snow scultures and kids play area. There, some very enthusiastic young women gave me a map in English. The international services table also offered information and translations in Korean and Chinese.As time went by, it was obvious that most of the crowd was waiting for the fireworks, set for 7PM, but with so little but snowball fights in the fading light to fill the time, many were preparing to leave. The 6PM performance of Yamagata Prefecture's Samurai group helped entertain many, though it took a minute for the crowd to warm up.After the samurai left the stage, we felt it was best if we made our way back to the shuttle bus parking area to beat the rush. Fighting our 2 year old away from the snow was tricky, but lucky for her the fireworks started just a few minutes after we arrived in the parking lot and she had a small snow drift to play in while we watched the sky sparkle.This was a fun festival, especially for kids, but we were also exhausted long before it was over and I do feel that the scheduling left a little something to be desired. In addition, any vendor selling mittens, gloves or boots would have made a small fortune, but the only clothing available was a knit hat at the main festival booth for 2000 yen. The sled-rental system could be vastly improved, but since the festival seems to attract mostly people from Tohoku (who are likely own their own sleds and bring them), I wouldn't be surprised if this did not change in coming years.If you're in northern Japan early next February, check out the Yamagata snow festival, but bring waterproof shoes. My husband learned that the hard way this year.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/God9w-living_yamagata_sagae-shiThu, 09 Feb 2017 09:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/God9w-living_yamagata_sagae-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV04w-living_miyagi_shiogama-shiWe're more than a week into 2017 and it is finally time for me to take a look at all that went on last year.My little family at Dontosai, the ritual shinto bonfire, in 2016.Last winter, I lost a student, which isn't a big deal when you're teaching at a big school or have dozens of private lessons. I had 1, and her lessons were keeping us in diapers and with the option of actually starting to save up money again. She'd been happy/insistent to share time in our lesson with my daughter as her only grandchild is a boy who is a few years older now.Then we had a bad lesson. A really bad lesson. I couldn't get Julia to calm down. There was no one around to help watch her. We went from park to play ground, searching for a way to get Julia to calm down, and it was just no good. She was wild, and we had to end the class a few minutes early from all the chaos that 2.5 year old could throw at us.A week later my student sent an email explaining essentially that she was quitting. Because she has known me since I came to Miyagi 6 years ago and was one of the first students in the area to take to me well, a lot of my teaching confidence came from that bond. Having it severed through me for a loop. I wrote about it in my personal blog, here.Even now, a year later, I'm not sure exactly how to take her parting words, in which she insisted that she was distracting me from taking care of Julia; that she was the reason we weren't on a good schedule of meals and naps. From anyone else, I would have seen this easily as a criticism of my parenting. But she knew me so well...Julia with the blossoms at a park in SendaiSpring came and I spent a significant amount of time under the cherry blossoms at Shiogama Shrine and in Sendai. This usually comes right around the same time as Golden week, which in years previous meant parties with tons of my friends, but not this year. Most of my friends had left or were planning to leave soon. I spent Golden week this year relaxing at home with my kid mostly. About a month later, my husband's grandmother died. She spent most of the last year of family gathering complaining about her impending death. We tried to stay positive with her, but she was ready to go. The funeral service marked my first ever Japanese funeral, and I spent the majority of the time chasing my child around in the quietest way possible, usually outside of the room where all the other relatives sat. So I missed most of it, but I wouldn't have understood much anyway. I am not that fluent. Not by a long shot. On the upside, I spent less than $20 on Julia's funeral ensemble (thank you, thrift shopping) and my in-laws were impressed with my ability to keep Julia from destroying the ceremony. That said, during the bone-handling portion of the event (after cremation and lunch, when the family picks through the deceased bones and ashes, choosing the biggest chunks to inter at the family grave), Julia screamed for "MamaPapa", the one word used for her two grandparents, and we had to go walk around outside the building. This marks one of the very few social occasions in Japan in which I did not fail my in-laws completely. That's my life here. My husband's family is great and they love me and generally are very accepting of my differences, but I also think that they frequently look disappointed. That was not the case this time. They actually thanked me after the services were over for taking care of Julia as well as I had. Another relative commented that I reminded them of the deceased as I chased my kid around the same way she had chased my father-in-law around when he was Julia's age.In the following months, I started a Patreon (monthly crowdsourcing for artists) in which I create sock monkeys and other sock creatures and raffle them off at the end of the month. Mostly this pays for the other artists I want to support, but I still get a few more dollars a month into my Paypal account, and that's not a bad way to go over all.Julia with a pad-na, Panda made of sanitary pads during GISHWHES.Summer happened. 3 highlights:I started writing here on city-cost and won the Summer Blogging Contest (in a 3-way tie). I also won some delicious grapes in another campaign. This site gives me reason to go out and experience new stuff in a place I've been living for too long while also supplying me with an ability to buy a few more odds and ends off of Amazon.GISHWHES (The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt The World Has Ever Seen) runs around the first week of August and I participated for the third consecutive year. We didn't win anything, but we had a lot of fun. My brother gished for the first time ever and loved it. He even made some new friends, but he's better at that sort of thing than I am.My daughter turned 3 on the 30th of August. Some friends came out from Sendai and we blew bubbles in a park for a few hours. It was wonderful.Then there was fall. Having a 3 year old means seeking out a kindergarten and getting all of your paperwork organized ASAP so as not to lose out on these first crucial years of education and social indoctrination. Luckily, the city I live in has six kindergartens and not nearly enough kids. I researched as much as I could using google translate as necessary and limited it to three choices. Touring the closest on our list with a friend led mostly to me chasing my daughter while the Japanese ladies talked amongst themselves. Our tour guide would not even give me paperwork of my own to take home and look over, instead having me copy what I could onto scratch paper while she reminded me that I should really tour other schools as this location already had more than enough (fully Japanese) kids on their waiting lists.I don't think they were being racist or anything. I just also didn't feel like we were wanted or even really welcome. When my husband had time to look over the remaining options with me, his choice was rather clear. He wanted our daughter to go to the same school he had, and when we went to check it out, I had to agree. It is a nice little school, and the office workers were more than happy to walk us around the school, and even tried to engage me in conversation. When we returned for their open campus session, the kids were as excited to play with Julia as she was with them. Then came "orientation" which I did not realize was code for "test the kid/mom" in private schools. The only private school I went to was my college, for which I filled out an "uncommon application" worksheet that was sent to me in the mail. My acceptance letter came in the mail before any interview/orientation could be scheduled.My husband had not helped my nerves on this, insisting on working through the questionaire together the night before. Could she use chopsticks and dress herself? No. I had not been teaching her that. I had been focussed on surviving and getting her to eat regularly while also peeing on the potty. She's learned a lot of English phonics and can almost read by herself. She knows a bunch of songs and dances. She knows a lot of nursery rhymes. She knows so much...but nothing that was on any of those sheets. She's not on a regular schedule.So I started having serious doubts about my parenting skills, feeling completely worthless and like I might have just ruined my daughter's life simply by being a lazy, exhausted jerk. It felt like I was failing at tests I didn't realize I'd signed up for.Then we went to the interview and they took our questionnaire. Then they asked Julia some questions in Japanese, the same questions her grandma uses with her all the time, and she got nervous and looked at me instead. I translated the questions to English and she answered in complete sentences. Shocked and amazed, I turned to the lady asking the questions who knew enough English to accept the answers. A few weeks later, our acceptance letter came. The last time I was this relieved was probably when she came out screaming, without the lung complications so common in preemies like her.Immediately following this, we had to start working on 7-5-3 stuff, starting with arranging a day to go to a professional photographer, which is difficult given my husband's work schedule. Once that was straightened, we had to get her into a kimono and find ways to convince her to be photogenic and behave as well. Then came the actual shrine day, which we allocated for a Monday that my husband had off, and it wound up being really nice actually. The leaves were changing around Shiogama Shrine and a few tour groups were going through for that but wound up taking pictures of Julia as well on account of her adorable-ness. Or because they never see half-foreign kids in kimonos. or at all. not really the point though.It was gorgeous, and she was mostly really well behaved.Then we had done the things and I felt that I could breathe a sigh of relief for just a second, but then it was winter.Cold, obnoxious, lonely winter. This has been the hardest winter for me in all my time in Japan. In 2008, I had young love and a trip to the states. I was back in the US for at least a week in 2009. 2010 saw me living with my in-laws with a new job and new friends and was my first holiday season staying in country. After the quake in March, bringing my guy to meet my folks in May, and getting married in November, I was happy to stay home in winter of 2011. In 2012 we'd just had our belated honeymoon and were trying to start a family. 2013 was our first Christmas with Julia. In 2014 I had a dozen friends to celebrate with, most of whom have now moved on to bigger cities or back to their homelands. A few were still about for 2015, and I'd gone back for a week for my brother's wedding.Now I still have a few friends in the area, but they all have their own things going on. My kid is big enough to cause problems but not big enough to solve them. I'm tired, and I'm sad.But you know what? I'm working on it. I've already made plans to have lunch with a friend for next week, and I am making a point to spend time with people I love as often as I can. Winter will end again, and the cherry blossoms will come. Then summer and fall and all the things that go with this.It's going to be okay.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV04w-living_miyagi_shiogama-shiThu, 12 Jan 2017 09:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zV04w-living_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp1nz-living_food_shopping_money_miyagi_sendai-shiFukubukuro or "lucky bags" are Japan's answer to getting rid of last year's stock and giving the consumers a steep discount to help expedite the process. You'll see them out as soon as shops open after New Year's Eve ends. In some places, that's just a few hours into the new year. In others, it's January 2nd or 3rd. In any case, the grab bag of old inventory usually comes in a few distinct flavors and price categories.In the stores, you'll usually see a display version of the goods in the bag, so there really aren't any surprises. Bags usually start around 1,000 yen for what is usually at least 2,000 yen worth of goods, but the fancier the retailer, the more expensive the bag options. Many clothing stores only offer options around 5,000 yen and/or 10,000 yen. If you're more into brand name designer goods, these sales might not be your thing as the items you can get for super cheap will also be last year's model or excess stock. If you don't mind being just a little behind the cutting edge, these sales are well worth the time and energy.Fukubukuro can run out quickly, so if you know you want to grab one from a specific store, it is a good idea to go early and get what you want while it is available. While these are major sales days, they are nowhere near as chaotic as Black Friday stateside. We are in Japan after all.This was my haul from Sendai sales-day of 2016. I headed straight to a cloth and craft store where I filled the blue bag with scraps for 500 yen. The green bag is some discounted fleece I bought to make a couch cover. Then there is this lovely red fukubukuro. Unlike most lucky bag buying opportunities, this was unplanned on my part. As I waited in line to buy some lunch-pack sandwiches in front of one of Sendai's department stores, one of the workers brought out a stack of these bags. There might have been around 50 of them in the cart the guy was pulling, but within minutes of him placing the load next to the line of consumers waiting to check-out, every single one was gone. There was no display in this case, so I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but I was willing to take the bet that whatever was inside was well worth my 1,000 yen. I was not disappointed.All of that for 1000 yen. Mostly snacks, candy, and cup noodles, sure. Also, under the candy you'll see a warm pair of fuzzy red socks with white polka dots which were left over from some coca-cola campaign, according to the package. I think the white envelopes contained towels of some sort, but as it has been a year, I'm not entirely sure.Nowadays you can find a lot of information about these sales online before you go to the stores. Just search for the local shopping mall online and you can find a list of participating stores and deals on the website. For instance, this is the deal I hope to take advantage of tomorrow: 5 pairs of kids Sanrio socks for 1000yen. A good deal if you have a small child who is occasionally obsessed with Hello Kitty, I'd say.In addition to the fukubukuro, other sales are also a big deal on the first few days of the year. Check out your local retailers for their sales information.One national chain that I usually spend at least 2,000 yen at around the first of the year is Mister Donut. If you're a fan of donuts, it's usually a good call. In previous years, the 2,000 yen fukubukuro from Mister Donut has included 20 donut coupons (good for one donut each at any point before March of the new year) in addition to an article of service-ware (glass, plate, or mug in different years), a calendar, and a towel or blanket. I may be forgetting some additional elements, but that doesn't stop it from being a good deal if you like donuts and eat more than 20 donuts in 3 months. My family does. Keep in mind that while Japan's sales days are not nearly as rambunctious as those in some other countries, the shopping experience can still be difficult, exhausting, and even frustrating. If you too are planning to brave the crowds for the chance to get a bargain, remember to take care of yourself. Avoid getting hangry (hungry-angry) by eating at least a little something before you head out and don't be afraid to take a break when you need to. If you have small children, leave them with a trusted sitter or keep a close eye on them. Make sure they have what they need, too (a juice box, a snack, a potty break, whatever) as you make your way through the crowds. So what lucky bags are you buying? Which stores offer the best bargains for you?Oh, and Happy New Year!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp1nz-living_food_shopping_money_miyagi_sendai-shiSun, 01 Jan 2017 21:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mp1nz-living_food_shopping_money_miyagi_sendai-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRb2G-living_food_shopping_miyagi_shiogama-shiAre you celebrating Christmas in Japan this year, but don't live in any major city? Finding it hard to get into the Christmas spirit when all the "cool wintery Japanese things" you see online seem to be happening in Tokyo or Osaka, while you live way-far-away from both? Don't worry. I'm there with you, and I've been doing this for years.Most foreigners in Japan seem to gravitate toward the major metropolitain areas, and that's no surprise. Population trends in the native inhabitants correspond to this. The big cities are where the people are. Where the jobs are. Where the fun and excitement and extravagant, crazy Japanese-ness all reside.But then there's the rest of the country. If you're like me, the distance from home seems more palpable this time of year. For me, that's partially because of the weather (Texas has freezing weekends followed by 30 degree Celsius weeks. Miyagi, not so much), but the holidays that come at the end of this month do have an effect as well. Not being in the semi-constant distraction of a larger city or in the warm embrace of your country of origin, things can get sad pretty fast. Here are four tips on how to get through that.1) Decorate Even if it's a few little things from the 100 yen store, do it. Put those few things up. I have a tree I bought at Daiso in Nagoya for 735 yen back in December of 2009. I still decorate it with cheap, colorful balls and a handful of other ornaments, mostly won from crane games. Rirakuma, a gloomy bear, a Kirby in Link's costume, why not? They all look pretty good on the geek-tree.If a tree is too much (or you lack the space for it), even a little garland or a stocking can be a nice touch to an otherwise cold semi-bleak winter space.2) See the "Illumination" The first time a Japanese person used this fantastic bit of Katakana on me, I thought he was talking about a weird, quasi-religious gathering of sorts. Maybe that's just me. I corrected all of my students into explaining it for foreign ears. "Holiday Light Display" is what I taught them and I stand by that being a more accurate description. Despite my 8 years of living in various non-urban locations, I have never lived in a city that didn't have a holiday light display somewhere. You can tell my current town has more than twice the population of my last town because the display has more relevance to the holidays, featuring Santa, reindeer and even the shape of a church-like building. The first "illumination" I ever saw contained a tunnel of fairy lights and a 2-deminsional dolphin. While dolphins are cool, I was left pondering the relevance to Christmas especially in Gifu, one of the few land-locked prefectures.Even though the light displays may be weird, and very Japanese, and not quite what you might see back home, going out and being a part of the twinkly lights can be really comforting, even if it's just as a reminder than fairy lights exist here, too.3) Go into "The City" If you're in the countryside, odds are you know how to get to at least one larger city, probably by train. Make a point of doing this at least once before the holidays are over so you can see some beautiful and profoundly weird stuff as well as stock up on whatever necessities from home that you can find at the import shops.This is Clis road, part of Sendai's major shopping arcade which spans several blocks, eventually connecting the area around the east exit of JR's Sendai Station with Ichibancho, home of the bars and evening entertainment. As it is the shopping arcade, it makes sense that the major decoration for Christmas is a massive balloon depicting Sendai Shiro, the merchant-friendly cultural and historical figure of the region, dressed as Santa on a sleigh pulled by a single red-nosed reindeer. For years I thought he was a random monk, but no. Sendai Shiro was an actual person who lived in the area more than a century ago. Businesses that he favored tended to prosper while those he dismissed tended to dwindle. Somehow this led him to become something of a religious icon for business owners. Mitakisan shrine, pictured to the right in the photo above, is actually dedicated to Sendai Shiro.This massive decoration is featured every year, so if you're not in the area this month but want to see this for yourself, head out to Miyagi next December.4) Enjoy Seasonal Beverages Japan is great for creating new novelty flavors and temporary menus to fit just a few months of the year. Winter is no exception. Starbucks, Tully's, Doutor, and most other chain coffee shops offer a few select beverages for the season. Many other retailers including convenience stores and grocery stores also offer drink and snack options for winter not seen the rest of the year. Check some out while you can! You might even find a new favorite. Of course the season will end and the menus will change, but seeing this new favorite flavor might give you something to look forward to when things start to cool down in 2017. This 7-11 purchase was the closest to apple cider I've had in this country. The warm and fruity drink is apparently inspired by the winter beverages of Germany and is spiced with cardamon, cinnamon, and cloves. Unlike mulled wine, it is completely non-alcoholic. Look for it in the hot beverage section alongside a few other seasonal options, likely to be equally delicious.However you are spending the holiday season, remember to stay warm and take care. Happy holidays!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRb2G-living_food_shopping_miyagi_shiogama-shiMon, 19 Dec 2016 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GRb2G-living_food_shopping_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxg2w-living_education_miyagiAt 6AM this morning a Magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck outside of Fukushima prefecture. It was slightly less intense in Miyagi, where it still caused alarms and woke us up. Soon the tsunami sirens were going off and we were headed uphill and inland to my in-laws place to wait out the morning tsunami warning.Unless you're from a quake-prone area, the threat of these common Japanese disasters can be really scary for the potential future Japanese resident. Here is a list of things to do to help you prepare for the unlikely scenario of a major quake and/or tsunami in Japan.What happens when there’s a quake:First, if it’s a major quake, your Japanese cell phone will make all sorts of ungodly noise, with a max-volume alarm going off no matter what mode the phone is in. This is to save your life, but the alarm will only sound a few seconds before the shaking starts.Then there’s shaking. Usually it’ll end after a few seconds and your apartment will be almost exactly as it was before. If it lasts much longer, you can hide under a table or desk until it stops. If it's a big one, you'll likely want to leave the building and head to a more secure location at that time. After the shaking stops, if you’re in an area close to the ocean, listen for more alarms and prepare to move to higher ground. Tsunamis can happen without an earthquake trigger, but any quake above a magnitude 7 is likely to cause some tsunami action. What do you do?1) Stay CalmOkay, maybe not that calm. This was my daughter this morning.Freaking out over whatever is happening helps no one. I don’t know about you, but the more elevated my adrenaline, the less I can speak or understand Japanese. The less friendly or respectful I am to others. The less I can do to help myself or anyone else. The first thing you have to do is breathe. Then, if you’ve prepared properly, you should already know what to do next.2) Have a Go Bag Most long term residents do. A backpack or other bag, filled with a few liters of water, canned food, candles or glow sticks or other portable light source, batteries, and anything else you can imagine needing when you’re without running water, access to food, or electricity. Also include any vital documents like your passport and bank books. Keep it close to the front door, but out of the way, so you’re not always tripping over it but at the same time it’s ready to go and easy to grab.This is one of ours, from our hall closet.3) Know Some KanjiIt is good to be familiar with the words themselves, like 津波 tsunami, 地震 jishin (earthquake), and台風 taihu(typhoon). It is also beneficial to know the kanii for whatever town you are living in and as many of the surrounding areas as you can. This way, you'll be able to interpret the information in more difficult situations, even without a translation app.4) Know Your TownSee that red dangly bit? That's Matsushima. We're just south of there, also in the red. Being able to pinpoint your town on a map of Japan can come in handy. It is very useful to know more about your town than just the kanji and pronunciation. You should, shortly upon arrival, figure out if you’re close to the ocean or rivers and on low ground. Also, find out what parts of town have higher elevations than where you are and how to get there quickly on foot or by bike. Knowing you’re a few train stops away from safety isn’t always as useful as the trains won’t usually be running after a quake like that. They might be back up within a few hours, but in extreme cases, it might take a week or longer.5) Have a PlanAfter you know where the tsunami evacuation areas are, and where you can or should go, make out the plan in your mind. Walk the path a couple of times when you’re not running for your life so you know how to get where you need to get. Think about what you’ll need for at least a few days after a major catastrophic event and get that stuff in the go bag. Keep an eye on the expiration dates when you check the bag once a year or so.6) Make Good ConnectionsHaving friends in a other parts of Japan can make all the difference when things go south. My little adopted family survived partially by the grace of a few packages from friends in my former Japanese home, who were otherwise unaffected by the quake. At the same time, packages sent from abroad were being turned away, the postal services unsure of whether or not they could deliver to the tsunami affected areas. Also, it’s good to have friends in town who you can rely on in times of crisis, personal or otherwise.7) Check InIf you’re in a town that gets hit with a major quake or tsunami, you can do the math to figure out when your friends and family back home will be awake to see the news, but the general rule of thumb I follow now (after the mag 9 knocked out power and cell phone towers, leaving my mom without word from me after the Mag 9, ruining her birthday among other things) is as soon as something happens and I know I’m okay, I try to get word out on Facebook or Twitter to let people know I’m safe.8) Stay SafeIf you’re in a tsunami prone area, stay out for a good long while. Since the 2011 tsunami, the authorities have been more restrictive in when they tell people to head back to the affected areas. This is because a lot of people went home after the March 11 quake, expecting a small to normal sized tsunami, and never came back. So if you’re in a situation where you can run by your house, grab a few possessions and head to high ground, do it, and stay at that higher ground for a few hours. They’ll tell you when it’s safe to return.9) Know When to Turn it OffAlready in your safe spot with your go bag? Ongoing coverage making your anxiety explode? Turn it off for a bit.Just like with any other major news event of the last 20 years, you’re going to see the same footage over and over on TV. When you’re convinced that you’ve got as much information as you can use and continuing to watch for more is exhausting you, don’t feel bad about turning it off for a bit and watching something you want or doing some other things around the house or wherever you’re holed up. Staying hyper-vigilant and freaked out for too long is a drain on anyone. If you are in a safe, private place where it is possible, take a nap if you feel like it. Your phone will go off or the tsunami sirens (which sound a lot like tornado sirens) will go off if danger strikes. You’ll hear about it and are unlikely to sleep through it. When today's tsunami warning was lifted, our phones were sent an emergency message from the city, letting us know it was safe to go home.10) Some Things Will Return to Normal; Some Things Won’tTrains and other basic amenities generally come back fairly quickly, provided nothing has been wiped out or needed to be moved inland for tsunamis. The infrastructure here is great and it is tested for these things fairly regularly. Although life in general may appear much as it was just before the incident, some things will be different. Especially after a major event that causes such a huge death toll, communities will change. There will be turn over as some people will move away and others take their places. Things will change, but most shops will reopen and life will be very similar to before, even after a catastrophic occurrence like the magnitude 9.Don’t discount what happens inside of you as well. Your mental health is important, and events like this can change how you feel. For about a year after the 2011 disasters, I couldn’t leave a cup or mug or dish anywhere but in a sink or in a closed cabinet for fear that they would fly off and break. I worked on getting over that and other post-quake mental issues by slowly acclimating to my new normal and forcing myself to hang pictures in frames on the wall, even though part of me just knew they would all fall. Some of them have. Most have stayed in place and helped me remember that not every day is quake day. Living in Japan may mean dealing with the occasional quake. Most are so small you can’t feel them, but after you go through something like the magnitude 9, you can never fully ignore them again. You will wait for the shaking to stop to make sure it is a small one before moving on. Most of the time, you’ll only need to stand still for a second or two and it will be over, even in a fairly tall building. Other times, if you’ve prepared yourself, you’ll already know what to do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxg2w-living_education_miyagiTue, 22 Nov 2016 16:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mxg2w-living_education_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9V6z-living_food_shopping_fashion_education_miyagi_shiogama-shiThinking of making a move to Japan? Cool! Here are some things you might find it useful to know.1) Japan is Not Just TokyoMany people live in the major Japanese cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, or Nagoya. There are numerous differences even between these cities including climate and population density. Depending on what brings you to Japan, you might wind up somewhere a bit more rural. The JET program, a government ALT and cultural exchange program, sends native English speakers to communities all over Japan. If they’ve got public schools, they might have a JET or two in the neighborhood. Other ALT companies like Interac and Altia send Assistant Language Teachers (Native English Speakers) to other public schools with also might be scattered anywhere around the country. Beyond that, ekikaiwa (conversational school) options also exist, usually in slightly less rural communities but not always. You can find more job opportunities here.If you’re not in the big city, you might not have some of the creature comforts you counted on. I was told that all cities in Japan have many convenient 100 yen stores and internet cafes so even if you don’t have internet at your apartment, you can always find a place to send an email. I wound up in Nakatsugawa, a mountain town in Gifu prefecture so small that there were no internet cafes and the nearest 100 yen store required a 45 minute walk. Not every part of Japan shows the technologically advanced, trendy and exciting side you might see in anime or movies. Most of Japan is smaller towns and cities, rural communities where there are more rice fields than Karaoke places.Supposing you sign up with a company and get on well, research the area you’re likely to go to as soon as you can so as not to be surprised by what you find on the other side of your flight. You might even be able to find Facebook groups for international students and other expats in the area. These folks might be able to give you an idea of where you’re heading as well as answer any questions you might have.2) Sort It Out!Shortly after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region (where I still live), I was listening to a piece from a reporter on the ground in Miyagi. What the British reporter found most remarkable about the people in the gym where they would be living for weeks and weeks was that he saw an old woman sorting the garbage into burnable (paper, food, etc) and plastic (wrappers, etc), which I found a surprising thing to be surprised by. At that point, I’d been living in Japan for more than 2 years. I was used to sorting the garbage into those two bags as that is how you throw things away here.If your bag is not sorted poorly, it may be left there. This is only a big deal I guess if people know whose garbage it is, but if you’re the only foreigner in the building, they will probably assume it’s yours. Recycling also gets sorted and thrown out accordingly. All bottles and cans are meant to be rinsed clean and label-free (sometimes in addition to flattened if plastic) and placed in the correct sorting bin. The bins are colored with kanji for metal, glass, and paper, as well as the katakana for PET bottles. If you’re in a larger city, this may happen every week. In smaller towns, it may only be once a month. Keep an eye out and ask around.If you miss recycling day and have a few too many pet bottles, you can sometimes throw them away at vending machines or convenience stores, but this is generally discouraged for long-term residents.3) Garbage Day(s)Apartment dumpsters are not a thing in Japan. Instead, there is usually a garbage drop off point and certain days of the week (labeled) for certain types of garbage. I live in an apartment where the drop of point is a small enclosed shed in the parking lot with the days listed on the outside. You are “supposed to” take out the garbage on the morning of the day listed but many people take it out after dark the night before. The garbage bags you use can be found at the grocery stores and your only selection is a matter of size and cost. Notice how they’re all translucent? Yeah. Everyone can see into your garbage.There are little opaque black bags for the garbage that may need to be taken from the toilet-room once a month. They go in the burnables (even the plastic applicators).4)Tie It Up! No Glad bags here. You are also meant to leave enough room toward the top of the bag to tie it shut effectively enough to pick it up without it falling apart. This can be a challenge as a country so seemingly advances has not invested in something as basic as draw-string trash bags, but there you go. If you’ve got too much garbage for one, use two. I have seen people tape a bag shut if they need to (if it rips), but I wouldn’t recommend this as a go-to option.Also, it may be important to note that every city may have different bags, so buy them at the closest grocery store to your apartment if possible, especially if you commute. For my city, the red-labelled bags in the picture are for burnable garbage. The yellow are for plastics. The green are for "special garbage" (like small broken electronics? I don't know. I've never used them.) The blue and black labelled bags on the top row are for the next city over. The bottom row of un-labelled bags are bin liners. Don't throw things away in just these on garbage day or it likely won't go away.5) Eating Well at the ConbiniWhen I used to tell friends back home that I grabbed lunch at the convenience store, they freaked out, thinking of chips, slimjims and maybe an ancient sandwich. Most Japanese convenience stores have a plethora of lunch options from salads to rice balls to pasta. Some even have sliced fruit and veggie sticks. Fairly cheap and healthy for a meal on the run.6) No TV DinnersIn every frozen food section in every Japanese grocery store I’ve visited, there are some reheat-able food options, but mostly side dishes, few main courses, and no combinations of the two. That said, most grocery stores also offer a fried food section where you could pick up a main course to go with your frozen sides if you wanted.7) Not Fitting In When I see a new foreigner sitting quietly as possible, trying hard to be part of the Japanese scenery, I want to give them a hug. After a few years, you stop trying so hard to blend in, especially in ways that might be stressful or unnatural to your character. You have to. It's survival. This doesn’t give you the right to be obnoxious on purpose, but it isn't the end of the world if the laugh a little too loudly at a joke or eat while walking, or even just wear a tank top.So try to fit in, but don’t bend yourself out of shape. On some level, you may never feel at one with this environment, and that is okay. Most of us long-term residents don’t really “belong here” either. We’re just still having our adventure. 8) Forbidden ShouldersEspecially for women living outside of the main cities, you’ll notice very few women who aren’t foreign tourists ever wearing tank tops. Shoulders for some reason are covered almost always, though extremely short shorts are tolerated among younger people. Cleavage is also a no-no, as I have noticed and been made aware of. If your undershirt slips and reveals even an inch of creased connection, old men may freak out at you about it. This happened to me last summer. If you're comfortable with your body and it doesn't bother you to get a little more wayward attention, do what works for you. Maybe your town will have a smaller population of creepy old men than mine does.Need a solution? You can buy short-sleeved camisoles at Uniqlo, especially helpful if you have sleeveless or strapless casual-business attire for summer. You can also get undershirts to help out. I do recommend ladies bringing as much underwear (bras and panties) as you think you will need unless you happen to be smaller than around a size 8. 9) Turn On the Hot WaterIn most American households, the water heater is a constant worker, hiding in a little room and doing its job unbidden and unseen. Worst case scenario, it’s a little old so you turn on the water a few seconds before you need it to be hot.Every Japanese apartment I’ve ever lived in did not have an automatically starting water heater. Instead, the hot water had to be turned on manually with the press of a button. The running water would then eventually (more quickly with newer systems) get warm. In some, you can also adjust the temperature of the water and our newest one even has a button that runs a hot bath for you. Just remember to plug the tub first.10) You Do Need Some JapaneseMany things, from electronics to ATMs at Japan Post Bank, have English language options. Many do not. For major paperwork, you might need a Japanese-savvy friend to assist, but in your own home, it pays to at least be able to turn on the kotatsu or air conditioner. Learning hiragana and katakana will also help a lot, as many objects in the home are known by their non-English sounding katakana names like パソコン pasacon (PC), レンジ renji (microwave) or エアコン eacon (AC). Here are five kanji that might be useful in your first weeks in Japan. For many, this is only one potential meaning, but the meaning that will be used if you see it on a button most of the time.Kanji -- Meaning止 -- stop ------- 入 -- on ------- 切 -- off ------- 弱 -- weak ------- 強 -- strongTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9V6z-living_food_shopping_fashion_education_miyagi_shiogama-shiMon, 14 Nov 2016 11:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/M9V6z-living_food_shopping_fashion_education_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8baw-living_food_shopping_miyagi_shiogama-shiCozy Corner, the cake-laden bakery chain seemingly inside every major Aeon shopping mall, has devised an adorable set of miniature cakes inspired by Disney Villains in honor of Halloween. Each cake is crafted with that strangely perfect beauty so common in Japanese bakeries, even those of the middle-grade franchised variety.Each of the nine cakes features its own unique blend of flavors and style, inspired by one of the classic Disney villains on the front of the box. Some are easily recognizable and terribly appetizing, like the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland in the front left or the obvious blue square of Hades from Hercules in the middle of back row. Others aren't hard to identify if you think about it, though I mistook Scar from Lion King (front row, right side) with Pumba the warthog from the same series as I had completely forgotten the villain motif. In my defense, little round slices of roll cake more closely resemble little round pigs than non-chubby lion cubs. Either way, the little cake was delicious.So many delicious villain cakes! In true Japanese form, the nine characters in the box represent the nine cakes inside. In case you're a little rusty on your Disney Villains, from left to right, top to bottom, according to the box we have: Dragon as Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Queen (Snow White), Judge Claude Frollo (Hunchback of Notre Dame), Cruella de Vil (101 Dalmatians), The Big Bad Wolf (Silly Symphonies/Three Little Pigs), Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), Hades (Hercules), Scar (The Lion King), and Kaa (The Jungle Book).But which cake is whose? And what do they taste like? Let's take it from the top.The first item on the front for is dedicated to the Queen of Hearts and is listed as a cocoa tart with fresh white chocolate cream and raspberry. The second item is Dragon as Maleficent, a cocoa shu-cream puff filled with fresh chocolate and blueberry cream. Item number three would be Scar, not Pumba, and consists of a milk-cream and pumpkin sponge roll cake. Number four, behind the Queen of Hearts, is Kaa the snake, a fresh cream and cocoa sponge roll cake. In the very middle we find number five, Cruella de Vil herself, here imagined as a tart featuring raspberry jam, fresh chocolate cream, and fresh milk cream. Number six, to the right of Cruella, is Judge Claude Frollo, a fresh chocolate cream and blueberry sponge cake. The seventh treat is the legendary Big Bad Wolf, seen here as an orange jam and chocolate cream tart. The middle back, spot number eight, belongs to Greek and Roman ruler of the underworld Hades, represented by a pumpkin cream and chocolate sponge cake. Our last cake, coming in at number nine at the right in the back is Queen from Sleeping Beauty, an apple-jam and green apple cream tart.In case my Japanese translation ability fails, here is the list printed on the back of the box along with all allergy information necessary to have a safe, fun, and delicious time.Some of these cakes I think are spot on and inspired, like the Queen who doled out a poisonous apple in her story being re-imagined as a tart that uses 2 kinds of apples in slightly different ways, or Cruella's monochromatic hairstyle being duplicated in the cream filling atop her raspberry tart. The Queen of Hearts especially comes through, with the tiny round, red cake and its dollop of white icing looking like it might have come out of an illustration for tea time in her rose garden. Others I find fascinating in the details even if I don't recognize the match to the characters as clearly, like the stripes on the sponge cake that represents Judge Claude Frollo or the icing atop Hades in the perfect blue that so clearly indicates the origin of the idea. Still, though, I feel like Hades would have been better represented in filling by something with pomegranates (I'm a mythology nerd, I know), but we're dealing with Disney versions of the characters here.Perhaps the bigger question is why we're having cakes for Halloween at all. This is traditionally in my home country a time to get the kids dressed up and go house to house through the neighborhood, collecting candy as quickly as possible. It is not necessarily a time to sit and eat delicately crafted cakes bought from fairly expensive bakeries. The process of borrowing and adapting from other cultures isn't new to Japan at all, but why this? Why now? For the answer, look no further than what I saw when I took the cakes out of their bag in the first place:A Christmas cake brochure! Of course they will sell cakes for Halloween, or any other holiday during which some doting parent or grandparent might buy a set for some lucky little person to share after dinner. After all, when better to hop on the Christmas Cake ordering bandwagon than the end of October. Inside the brochure, there are incentives to buy early either this month or next, including a holiday mug and a ten percent discount.If you're in an Aeon today, happen upon a Cozy Corner, and want to enjoy some delicious little treats, one could do far worse on a Halloween night than taking these little beauties home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8baw-living_food_shopping_miyagi_shiogama-shiMon, 31 Oct 2016 14:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z8baw-living_food_shopping_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G06KM-living_food_miyagi_matsushima-machiThe gardens at Entsuin temple are beautiful in every season, but the most magical time to come is autumn, when the changing leaves are illuminated against the night sky by lights of slowly shifting color.This event within the gardens is part of a bigger event: Matsushima Fall Light Up which also includes evening lights at the lovely Kanrantei tea house, a free foot bath, and a small food truck park set up in the festival grounds. In addition, special evening boat tours to see the leaves changing on the outlying islands.Since the food truck portion of the event is open for most of the day, starting your evening off with some light food before your walk through the festivities can be a good choice. The food trucks are limited in number and selection, offering mostly food that you might see at most festivals. That said, the german sausage was worth the money and the few minutes we waited for the solo cook to prepare the food. The naan dog especially was so delicious that it disappeared before it could be photographed properly.The lights start up around dusk (5PM) but Entsuin does not open to guests until 5:30PM. A great way to spend this additional time is by walking through the Zuiganji temple caves, the entrance to which stands just across the street from food trucks. Additionally, the walk trhough the caves brings you right to a wonderful little street where you can find souvenirs, a restaurant, weird ice cream, and Entsuin.The line starts around 5PM, but you will have to buy tickets elsewhere. The Entsuin employees are happy to explain where, a kiosk set up just down the street and to the left, in the same tiny venue as the free foot bath, crepes, and nikuman.The happy white oval-faces are merely editing for privacy. The people do genuinely seem helpful and happy, though.At 5:30PM, the staff starts letting in small groups, allowing everyone to have a relaxing time walking through the natural beauty inside without the pressure of a large crowd waiting just behind them. Selfie sticks, tripods, and a number of other photography assistant options are banned from the temple, so there is no fear of being accidentally whacked in the head by the errant stick of someone trying to get the best selfie. The paths through the garden can be confusing, which is why signs and staff members stand waiting to help guide patrons along the preferred path.This path leads all the way back to the mausoleum building built for the grandson of Date Masamune, also lit especially for the evening. Beyond that, the path leads past a line of beautifully lit cavesFrom here, the path leads back around toward the front, taking you past a live musician and a rose garden before the brief, beautiful stop at the reflective pond.The problem is that this means everyone is trying to get the best shot they can. The staff can help take photographs, but also have a job to do, so don't be surprised if they do not wait for the people behind you to get out of the shot.The night we went, there was a strong and very cold wind, so bundle up as need be. Inside the gardens, however, all seemed settled. Cool, but with the wind cut by the trees and walls, it was easy to find peace.After you've walked through the garden, give yourself a break at the free foot bath in the same location as the ticket booth, just down the street and to the left of the Entsuin entrance.Come and enjoy the autumn colors in Matsushima, even at night!Matsushima's Fall Light Up event runs until November 23rd. More information, including participating locations, prices and hours, is available in English at this website. Don't miss out on a great evening of autumn colors at Entsuin temple.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G06KM-living_food_miyagi_matsushima-machiTue, 25 Oct 2016 15:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G06KM-living_food_miyagi_matsushima-machihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4pvz-living_food_fashion_miyagi_shiogama-shiLast Sunday marked my third year participating in BTC English School's Halloween Party in Shiogama. The eikaiwa is small but fun and run by one of my best friends in the whole country. I teach for them part time in addition to helping out with the events. Together we come up with themes and activities for the kids weeks in advance, giving me time to prepare costumes for my toddler and myself. The 2014 theme was Ocean, and I was a poorly prepared mantis shrimp, accompanied by a tiny octopus who kept throwing snap-on tentacles at people. The 2015 theme was space, and my tiny comet zoomed around the room, bouncing as she went. I, on the other hand, was a flying saucer. I also made vaguely planet-shaped pinatas for the kids to crack open. It was messy and glorious. Also, that costume was made by carefully sewing together metallic sheets of shelf-liner from the 100 yen store together and taping them over a hula hoop. The 100 yen store is also where I got the lights I attached to the outside. Not pictured: My felt aliens on light-beams made from a glow-in-the-dark safety sash for bicyclists, again from the 100 yen store.The bow-tie was lent to her by the older girls at the party, who were so enamored that they had to share their wardrobe with her. The top? A second-hand frilly top bought at the crazy sale sewed to a onesie worn over a long sleaved t-shirt. The "flames" are layers of colored cellophane taped around light paper-board and sewn to the onesie. The fluffy underskirt is attached to the tights and was bought at Target when we were stateside long ago.Julia won first place in the costume contest that year and granted us a choice of prizes. We came home with a big box of English Breakfast tea, which I dubbed "winner's tea" and we enjoyed it for a full year, only running out a couple of weeks ago. This year's theme: Animals. I knew last month what Julia would be, but my costume took a bit longer to pick out and make happen. On the prowl! The tail and ears are each from the 100 yen shop. The tights are from Aeon. The skirt and top are both from separate months of crazy sale shopping. The fleecy white bit on the top was added to create a better neck opening after I accidentally altered it to be a bit too small. That's right. I was a massive ring-tailed lemur. The tail is made completely out of socks -- black courtesy of my funeral-director husband, white from the Hanes my brother left here a couple of years ago. The top was bought at the crazy sale and the white fleecy bit was added. Make-up also from the 100 yen store.The party started off as many of these kinds of things do, with the kids working on their own activity, in this case making animals out of food and snacks the parents brought specifically for that purpose. The snack-creations would later be judged and then snacked upon by their creators. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of the creations, but they included a small sheep made from fluffernutter and pretz, several animal faces made with icing on cookies or cupcake, a lion with caramel-corn mane, and a hedgehog made from a dinner-roll with half-length pretz shoved in at even intervals on the back. They were all quite fun to see and the kids had a blast making them, though some of the parents brought pre-made creations from home. This was a great way to get everyone working on something as we waited for all the kids and families to show up.It was a pretty good group, and a fairly large kid-party for this small of a town. That said, the party was a little smaller than the previous year, which made the group more manageable. I'm here to win prizes and eat lollies, and I'm almost out of lollies.Next we judged the costumes. Since the only adults in costume worked for the school, the kids were the main focus of the contest, and fifteen participants ranging in age from three to thirteen lined up and showed off their wild sides. Following this came a game of animal charades, where each student came up to the front of the room to imitate an animal provided on a card. Some of the parents got in on it too, and it was good fun. Then came animal bingo, where half of the kids won prizes from a nice array of international foods and goodies, courtesy of the owners of the English School. A fantastic round of musical chairs completed our game segment. Finally the time had come for trick or treating. The best part of trick-or-treating for me back home was getting candy from various sources. You never knew if the next house had full-sized candy bars or those nasty peanut-butter things, but you had to go and find out. One thing that I find is usually lacking in Japan at parties like this is fully utilizing this various source idea. Even if all the candy is exactly the same, the act of going up to different people to ask has value.Instead of making pinatas this year, I chose to make basic habitats from which our animal selves could give out candy. As a lemur, I got a tree. Mickey Mouse got a basic, 2 dimensional castle. My friend in the adorable dog got a (cardboard) dog house and the owners' son, in a chipmunk costume, got a tree-trunk. We all retreated to our habitats and waited for the onslaught of children, who mostly lined up for Mickey first. One of the older girls walked my daughter around so she could participate.When the candy was gone, we announced the results of the contests. Julia won first place, but our prize was forfeited due to my job, which is perfectly fine by me. We have enough tea and this kid has enough of an ego. Still, the afternoon was a great time and the best way that I've found to give my daughter the closest thing I can to the Halloweens of my childhood.How do you celebrate? Have you found other ways to bring in traditions from your homeland?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4pvz-living_food_fashion_miyagi_shiogama-shiFri, 21 Oct 2016 04:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4pvz-living_food_fashion_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj18G-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_shiogama-shiPokemon Go isn't new, not even to Japan where it was released back in late July following the early July US and Australia release. In the months that have followed, lots of people the world over have used the digitally-veiled real world app to increase fitness, take silly pictures, and have a good time. Recently fanaticism has dropped off among the uber-casual gamer as the novelty of the game experience has expired. More experienced gamers have been put off by the game developers' successful attempts to exclude third party Pokemon tracking software. This means anyone who was desperate to fill-in their entire Pokedex (Pokemon index, the lost of all the different kinds of creatures you've caught, hatched, or evolved something into) are left to hope for the best as they walk around aimlessly. While all of this was happening, I was stuck with a 3.5 year old phone that could not download nor use the software. Last week, this phone was finally out of commission and a new one was purchased. The first thing I did? Downloaded and installed Pokemon Go. Nevermind that most of my friends and family back home have mostly stopped playing it, or that I may look weird playing the game in public in Japan. I had to know what the hub-bub was about. Keeping in mind that I'm a fairly casual gamer and spend most of my time keeping up with my three-year-old, I wasn't expecting the thing to change my life. Instead, I found myself making time for early-morning poke-walks within two days of the initial download.Between October 10th and 17th, I caught 318 Pokemon, walked 26.7 kilometers, visited 315 pokestops, reached level 15, and lost a pound. What's more, I wasn't exhausted in the morning after my walk but refreshed. I didn't need coffee if I was going to walk a couple of kilometers. I could save the caffeine for the afternoon as a pick-me-up and use adrenaline to get me through the post-slumber grog.That's right! Fish Box = PokeStop (where you get more pokeballs and other items)More exciting than capturing new digital monsters has been the act of rediscovery. It's easy to become complacent as a long-term expat. I've been a resident of Shiogama for the last 6 years, Japan for 8, and I've somehow managed to forget how special that is. Discovering the locations of the pokestops is fun, but the unique experiences that go along with them are more so. Take Shiogama Shrine for example. Easily one of the nicest and biggest shrines in Miyagi,it sports a beautiful garden, fantastic view, and plenty of places to pray and/or buy Shinto charms. I love the place so much I have reviewed it and blogged about it. A cursory look with Pokemon Go reveals that it is also home to many pokestops and even a gym.During a morning Poke-walk, I discovered a completely new part of the shrine going experience. It was exactly 10AM and I heard some strange music as I came to the front of the main entrance to the shrine. Then I looked up.The upper parts of the lap posts swivel and disconnect, showing dancing miko-san in one lamp post and shinto priests in another. It was breathtaking; astounding. I felt like I had somehow woken up inside of a delightfully creepy cuckoo clock.It was magical.Magic notwithstanding, there are some glitches in the game, usually based on logistics. If you go underground or enter a building or are using a pedestrian walkway, the app doesn't always know where to put you. From my home on the 8th floor, the app decides I am across the street and running around. Occasionally this works out in my favor, at it sometimes lands me close enough to use the poke-stop at a shrine on a hill across the street. Sometimes it doesn't, like when I use a pedestrian walkway and can't reach the Pokestop I am standing directly over because the app thinks I am two blocks away.Despite the glitches and the inability to hunt specific Pokemon via third party apps, I am happy with my week-long Pokemon experience. If free digital monsters prove to be the best incentive to get me out of the house for morning walks, I don't see a reason not to go and catch them. My town is strangely littered with Poke-stops and the joy of finding new things to love about being here is well worth any frustration the game may cause.I'll leave you with these, some of my sillier pictures of Pokemon-about-town. Hey, that's not a gatcha-pon!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj18G-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_shiogama-shiWed, 19 Oct 2016 19:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wj18G-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYpow-living_miyagi_shiogama-shiWhen I first moved to Japan, I thought I would be here for 2 to 5 years, however long it took me to get comfortable with the language. Instead I met a guy and had a whole different adventure, and most of the time things still feel light and adventurous, even when they've become mundane. I'm still finding things I can't identify at the grocery store 8 years later and I am still not really comfortable with the language.That said, there are moments in every long-term expat's life that make one say, "Maybe I have been here too long..."The pop stars who enticed you here are now selling old-people-products.Really Gackt? 7-11 Wine?That's right. Norton Antivirus: Making you Hot like an Ecologist since 2012You do not recognize the new pop stars, nor find them sexually attractive.Not only do I not know who anyone in Jonny's is anymore, I am more interesting in their grasp of grammar than their attractiveness. I see them, with their fresh, young faces and think, "Shouldn't someone be tutoring them in algebra?"You (sometimes) find the enthusiasm of new expats exhausting or naive.I feel like this robot every time I hear the word Karaoke.After so many goodbyes, you have trouble making new friends and throw yourself into other hobbies instead.Yes, I made all those sock monkeys, and the thing in the sock monkeys. If you make all of things, they can't move back to their homelands."The strangest things seem...suddenly routine."**Now every time I don't see this fish-on-a-box, I feel like out of place.Those are five of my (half-joking) reasons for feeling like I may have overstayed my welcome here in the land of the rising sun. What are yours?** Lyric from Wig in a Box from Hedwig and the Angry InchTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYpow-living_miyagi_shiogama-shiSun, 09 Oct 2016 22:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYpow-living_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKWVz-living_miyagiEver said to yourself, "One day, I'm going to write a novel."How does November 1 sound?National Novel Writing Month starts in November. Run by the non-profit Offices of Letter and Light out of Berkeley, California, NaNoWriMo has been gaining in popularity and helping would-be authors fulfill their dreams since 1999. I personally have competed and completed 6 novels in 7 years and cannot recommend this completely free life-changing experience enough.You could be a noveling machine!I love this blogging website and I think everyone who is blogging about their lives in Japan should continue doing so for the betterment of all involved for as long as they possibly can, because it is awesome. I also think everyone should spend every other spare moment of November churning their way to novel-writing glory.The Few-ish. The Proud-like. The Wrimos.Last year, over 400,000 people spent their Novembers doing the extraordinary. You might be asking why someone would push the art of novel-craft into one month, and the answer is simple: because they could. With the time limit and lots of other people writing, it's easier to see this as a race to the finish line rather than an arduous life-time process that may never end. If you write a NaNo Novel, you'll have a novel before the new year. You'll be a novelist. The sense of accomplishment that comes with knowing that you produced a manuscript of considerable length is difficult to describe. Knowing that you can put that much thought and energy into one project, and that you can somehow carve time you didn't think you had out of the week can change your life.See that book? I wrote that book! I was also very pregnant in the photo.You may instead by asking why on Earth someone would choose to do this while living abroad in Japan. Many of my fellow inaka-dwellers tend to be introverted writer-types (myself included) for whom the swell of confidence from finishing a NaNo novel can really change the course of the nearly-winter blues while giving you an further activity (editing) to work on when it's too cold to venture outside. Also, Nano is a great way to meet people, even in the countryside. Around half of the friendships I have made in Japan have been fostered by NaNoWriMo, whether they were people I met at a write-in, or someone I only met online. For people in major cities, there are also kick-off parties and tons of other events put together to help you write, mingle, and succeed.The first time I heard of NaNo was at a Halloween party, my second autumn in Japan. Three of the other girls from North America were plotting out their novels but took the time to explain the thing to me. It sounded interesting, and my inner sense of competition took over. I had to do it and I had to win. At this point I had only ever written short stories and poems, previously considering a novel-length work terrifying, but something about needing to prove my writing prowess to those other women really lit a fire under me. My first 5,000 words flew by, prattled into my laptop, changing scenes, characters, everything as it suited me. I had a purpose. I cannot even remember if my friends finished that year, because I was so busy writing that I forgot about beating them or feeling that I needed to. Instead I put the words together. I created and annihilated a world. It was wonderful.The non-profit also accepts donations during the event. If you'd like to help propel other authors forward by helping to keep NaNo running, you can receive all sorts of special goodies in return in the mail, including signed bookmarks, stickers, and temporary tattoos like the one above. The shop on the website also has a number of other products available including t-shirts and posters. They ship the t-shirts via envelope so the shipping to Japan is not insane.Need more insentive to join? Companies that sponsor NaNo also contribute discounts and prizes to the winners and participants. Check out the website for more information.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKWVz-living_miyagiSun, 09 Oct 2016 20:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/zKWVz-living_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w20bz-living_food_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-ku_shiogama-shiLet it be known: I am not a foodie. When I moved to Japan 8 years ago, I had never even peeled a carrot. Now I cook most of the meals served in my house and have a little repertoire of American classics at my disposal, but Japan always has a few surprises up its sleeve. A few days ago, this caught my eye at the supermarket and I had no idea what it was. I didn't buy them on sight, assuming they were some weird kind of eggplant or sweet potato that I didn't have the culinary experience to know about. There is a lot of Japanese food that I can't name. This is not new, but when I saw the same weird thingat the Asaichi Market in Sendai, I decided to give it a try.Akebi, known in English as Akebia or Chocolate Vine, is a wild vine plant native to the Tohoku region of northern Honshu. It's known for a lilac colored flowers and fruit. People here have been eating the plant for ages though it has only fairly recently caught on with some foodies in other areas. Unfortunately the fruit ripens and is available for only 2 weeks as summer shifts to autumn.The outside is thick and bitter, and can be eaten if cooked like a vegetable. The inside is mildly sweet, gelatinous, white, and full of tiny black seeds. It can be eaten raw.1. Raw (insides)Some friends joined me to sample the strange fruit. First, we tried it raw. It is better to slice it open at the seam, which I didn't know when I hacked at this first one. Then you scoop out the insides with a spoon. It comes away easily enough. Our Assessment: Not Bad. Even the 11 year-old boy in our group found it tolerable. The flavor was very lightly sweet, and the texture was pretty gooey but still good. Not being a fan of the overly squishy-chewy texture of some Japanese food, I expected to hate it, but found it strangely enjoyable. One of our group even called the fruit addictive and likened it to lychee. The seeds are edible, and separating them from the meat takes ages. If you choose to leave them in, do not bite them. Even our bitter-loving comrade was unhappy with the results of that. Removing them also gives you something small and sticky to play with as you wait for your friend to cook the rest of the akeba.2. Grilled (outsides)After the middle was done, we chose to slice and grill the outside of the akeba, with olive oil, salt and pepper. I cooked it in my toaster oven for around 8 minutes, though my slices may not have been fine enough to make this work.Our Assessment: Really bitter peel, okay meat. In the words of the 11 year old, "It almost killed me."This is probably partially due to my inability to slice it thinly enough or cook it all the way through, though the pieces did seem nice and squishy. Note also that the color changes completely, dropping from a soft lilac to a grayish brown. Our bitter-lover said she liked it well enough.3. Tempura (outsides)Slice the body lengthwise before adding batter and/or breading.Before today, I had never cooked tempura, and my initial attempt failed so miserably that the three slivers I was working on had to be placed to the side while I washed the pan and let my more experienced friend take the lead. Remember to season the flour. We used an egg wash to help the flour stick. Without it, the flour falls off easily in the pan.Our Assessment: Yummy! Everyone loved this one, provided the slices were thoroughly cooked. For this, it is recommended to use a bunch of oil and/or super-thin slices to get the desired effect. It was actually quite lovely, not entirely unlike a dry-inside version of fried okra.4. Savory Pancake (outsides)Not wanting to waste the egg wash, seasoned flour, or poorly-breaded slices, we combined all three well and with milk to form a savory pancake. Pan fried in a little oil, the pancake was ready in a few minutes. Our Assessment: Love it! Everyone enjoyed it, including a three-year-old who did not try any of the rest of the akebi dishes.The one improvement we would suggest is cutting the slivers into smaller chunks so that they would spread more evenly through the pancake.5. Tea (insides)Having observed people making tea from jam by adding hot water and stirring, I wondered if perhaps the inside of the akebi could be useful in this way. Unfortunataly, adding hot water to the squishy mass does nothing and the resulting mixture tastes only of water.When we instead boiled a bit that had been frozen, we had a completely different reaction. The bits broke up easily in the hot water and with a little sugar added, the resulting beverage was an excellent "mild evening beverage" as the flavor of the meat was brought out into the water. Unfortunately, the resulting meat in the dregs of the cup comes out as "flavorless snot", so perhaps straining the tea-like beverage may be helpful in this manner.Our Assessment: Maybe, with sugar, if strained correctly.6. Frozen (insides)The squishy insides of one of our akebi fruit were stuffed into a heart-shaped ice cube mold, and the resulting treat was not only adorable but delicious! The delicate flavor was amplified by freezing and the texture was improved as well.Our Assessment: Fantastic! By far, this is the best way to eat the inside of the fruit. Of the three little hearts I attempted to make, only two were usable as the third was too big to freeze properly. Shallower portions would have improved this.So, if you find akebi in your area and want to give it a try, we recommend tempura or savory pancakes for the outside and freezing the inside, preferably as shallow dollops in an adorable mold.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w20bz-living_food_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-ku_shiogama-shiSun, 25 Sep 2016 20:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/w20bz-living_food_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-ku_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G60QM-living_food_miyagi_matsushima-machiPlanning a trip to Miyagi? Want to take in the simple beauty of one of the three most beautiful pieces of natural scenewry in all of Japan. Previously posts have explained how to get there by ferry and how to get to Godaido Shrine. What else is there?The answer: Tons of stuff!Let's start with kokeshi. The wooden dolls are well known as a handicraft throughout northern Japan, but the best place to go for them is Matsushima Naohide Kokeshi Shop, which I reviewed here. The place is small and run by a little old couple. If you come at the right time, you can catch the old man at the crafting table, carving a doll from a single piece of wood. There are some really beautiful pieces in the shop if you have the money to spend. If you're a bit more on the thrifty and crafty side, I recommend painting your own. Lots of fun for 800 yen and you get a souvenir that lasts a lifetime. I do not recommend having toddler assistance while painting, as your doll may require some inventive measures to look intentionally weird.After you've finished painting, you can pick up lunch or a snack at any of the restaurants and shops on your way further into Matsushima, including a really weird ice-cream shop, located between Entsuiin Temple and Zuiganji Temple. The ice cream is delicious and the flavors are bizarre.After you're refreshed, it is time to take the big red bridge. You can see it in the ferry post-- a very long red bridge connecting an outlying island to the mainland. It is a big of a walk from the station, but well worth it.There is a little shop at the entrance to the bridge where you can buy a ticket for 200 yen. You can also get some refreshments there or make use of a coin locker. Be ready to come back quickly, though. The shop closes at 5 PM, and the coin lockers will be inaccessible after that time.After you walk through the shop, exit the back and begin your journey across the bridge.The bridge is stable and a nice, long walk over the water, sporting great views in any direction.After you get to the other side, walk around! The main path takes you through some semi-paved walkways, up some hills and around to some beautiful vistas.Wear good walking shoes and, in summer, don't forget your big spray.Even on a paved path, the sounds of the forest and the ocean are all around.There is also a small restaurant on the island, in addition to a small shrine and a bathroom facility. The restaurant is the first small building you'll come to, easily marked by a big ice cream cone in summer.Walking around the restaurant, you'll see tiny daruma-shaped fortunes for sale for 200 yen each.After the shop, continue along the path to see some great views of the sea and the forest, in addition to a small shrine, where a lot of the little daramu bodies wind up.The path around the island is indicated by signs, but you can also go off path at your own risk. Bathrooms are also indicated on the map.Before you head back to the bridge, don't forget to check out the gardens on the far side of the island. They are flat but lovely and offer an unfettered view of the sea.From the gardens, it is a simple matter to walk back to the main path and trot all the way back to the red bridge, and from there, back to civilization.I do not recommend coming with a stroller or wheelchair, as some of the areas are less wheel-accessible.If you come early enough, you can do all of three of these cool things in one day and for pretty cheap. All in all, not a bad way to go for a fun day for less than 2,000 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G60QM-living_food_miyagi_matsushima-machiSun, 18 Sep 2016 19:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/G60QM-living_food_miyagi_matsushima-machihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z105M-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_miyagino-kuWhen a friend asked about fun, uniquely Japanese things to enjoy on a brief visit to Sendai, I recommended going to a baseball game. Most Americans would likely find this a weird suggestion. Surely sumo or onsen or one of a dozen different uniquely Japanese things would be preferable to watching 2 teams you don't know play a sport you don't particularly care about, right?But baseball in Japan, or at least baseball in Sendai, is weird in some of the best possible ways, and the only way to really appreciate it is to go to a game. In other areas of Japan, the fan base may be bigger and the fans may be more passionate, but the Sendai baseball experience has a charm all its own.Getting to the stadium is fairly easy. Take the Senseki line to Miyaginohara station. Then follow the maroon clad crowd. The path is mostly just straight down a slightly curved road. Kobo stadium, formerly Kleenex Stadium, will appear on your left.This September 2016 game was my first since the change over from Kleenex stadium and I did notice some excellent remodeling in the cheaper seating areas. Also new to me was the team shop, located in a fairly large flat building next to the stadium. Out front, a number of food and drink stalls were set up to help early arrivals to the stadium relax before the big game. There is even a sitting area with tables where you can relax before the game. If the game happens to be sold out (which is rare up here, but possible), some lucky would-be patrons can even watch the game from here on the big screens that overlook the tables.It is recommended to buy a drink at one of these places or at the convenience store across the street from the stadium as each person is allowed to bring in one beverage, provided it is in a (burnable/plastic) disposable cup. Got a PET bottle or can? No problem! Disposable cups, straws and lids can be found at tables near the entrances to the seating areas and are hard to miss. Other food and beverages are available inside the stadium. After you have your drinks and refreshments, it can still be challenging to get to your seat. If lost, please ask a yellow-hatted guide, like this guy.Yes, he is standing on a box. He is also out of the way and waiting to help anyone who needs it. I presume his ushering services are being paid for by Yellow Hat, the automotive repair company.Our little group included a three-year-old, who did not require a ticket. Unfortunately, that meant there was no seat for her in the cramped little area that we had tickets for. After a frustrating inning, we decided to move back to some open seats at the very back of our section, the back two rows of which were completely vacant. This was the best possible outcome as we enjoyed the game much more thoroughly, even as my daughter dragged me to the bathroom at least 4 times per inning and rarely actually urinated.Behold! The girl who cried "Peepee!"The most fun parts of a Japanese baseball game as I've seen it are songs and balloons. Unfortunately my phone did not record the songs well, but each batter is encouraged by the fan and booster-club rendition of a folk-style song dedicated to the player themselves. Some sound like complex Japanese narratives of struggle and the spirit of the samurai. Others like this one recorded by a youtuber namedLeo Somera, merely cheer a foreign player on with "Let's go, let's go, Jose!"Most other songs are more complex, but the beat is easy to follow. This is why it is good to buy the souvenir bat-shaped noise makers and sit in the cheap seats, with all the other singers and clappers. Unfortunately, I miscalculated when buying our tickets and we wound up in a slightly nicer section, but with less colorful neighbors. That said, the refreshment vendors did come around regularly.See the girl in the pink and blue hat? Yeah! Her! She's a vendor, as the uniform would confirm. Each brand has its own uniform colors (Suntory, Kirin, CocaCola, etc.) and can be spotted fairly easily when you know what colors to look for.A word of caution: read first! When you spot a vendor, watch them carefully and read the beverage they are bringing around, especially in spring. In summer, the worst you would likely get is a brand of beer you might not prefer or a coke instead. In colder months, a few of the vendors offer hot whiskey, which I was unaware of until April of 2013. Out of guilt for having drawn the vendor over, I bought the beverage but being 4 months pregnant, could not drink it. My brother insists it was terrible.Another thing that the vendors bring around, and a highlight of the experience, is balloons. These come in packs of 4, either red or white. The red balloons are released during the seventh inning stretch after a rendition of the Rakuten Eagles fight song.If the eagles happen to win, the white balloons are used at the end of the game to celebrate. As the final plays of the ninth inning unfold, many fans start preparing for the great release of white balloons, which I unfortunately failed to capture in video form.If you're in Sendai during baseball season, join us for a fun night with the Rakuten Eagles!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z105M-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_miyagino-kuTue, 13 Sep 2016 14:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z105M-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_miyagino-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZKNM-living_shopping_money_fashion_miyagi_sendai_shi_miyagi_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiEDIT: The Book Off Super Bazaar in Sendai has relocated to the seventh and eighth floors of the Aeon building (formerly Daiei) and the sale has been restructured to accommodate the smaller space. Now the deal is 5 items from the 200 yen section for 200 yen total. That is 1000 yen worth of clothing for 200 yen with no bags to stuff. Still a good deal, and a better price-per-unit than I got most of the time in the previous sale.Book Off is known mainly as perhaps the largest seller of second-hand books and manga in Japan, and in many parts of Japan you can find the partner "off" stores including the unintentionally comically named "Hard-Off" specializing in hardware and furniture. The Book Off Super Bazaar located in the same building as Sakurano Department Store in Sendai (just across the street from Sendai Station, near the shopping arcade) is the go-to place for used books, CDs and DVDs, not to mention the (albeit small) selection of musical instruments available. The most impressive thing, which takes up most of its own floor, is clothing. Designer clothes can be found for a fraction of the retail price, most barely worn. Shoes, coats, handbags--it's all there at competitive prices and usually great quality.Want to get the most bang for your buck? Come by on the 29th, preferably in the morning. The lowest price for adult clothing is 200 yen per item, and these items generally get put in their own 200 yen corner (which recently moved). On the 29th, the 200 yen section is roped off from the rest of the store.This is to prevent people bringing more expensive merchandise into the area, which is important because you can fill up a bag (given) with anything from the 200 yen area and pay 500 yen for the whole bag if you can close it. The bags are thin and plastic, but if you're good at packing, you can fit a bit into there. I suggest rolling your purchases to squeeze out as much air as possible before packing them in.Once you get into the area, grab a basket and start your pursuit. As it is the 200 yen section, don't expect to find tons of high-end names, especially if you come after noon. Some diligent obachan-tachi come early (the store opens at 10AM) and usually decimate the section before lunchtime. That said, you can still find some cool stuff. We wound up here in the afternoon the day before a typhoon, so the crowd was a little light.If you come early in the sale day, and the weather is not awful, the floor will be lined with baskets filled past the brim, like the one in the picture above. These are of course off limits and waiting for a customer to sort out what will fit into their bag and what may return to the racks. In the newly appointed corner, they have even included changing booths in the very back to ensure better satisfaction with the deals of the day. There are no returns on anything purchased in this sale.While this sale happens every month, going in summer is a great idea. The lightweight clothing and shorter styles means more clothing in the bag. That said, loading up on clothes you don't need is not necessarily helpful to the small-apartment-in-Japan problem. If you're into sewing, quilting, or costume making, these sales can be a good opportunity to get some new material super cheap.The crowd can be a little rough by Japanese standards, as I've been pushed aside by people half my size at this sale. Still, it can be worth it if you can get what you are after.When you've selected your items and filled your bag, tie the top and let the Book Off employee at the entrance of the 200yen corner check your bag for rips. They may tape a bag over the top of your bag (presumably to prevent theft) but don't be offended, even if they don't do it to the grandmas too. It's not worth worrying about. You're getting tons of clothes for 500 yen. It's alright. Speaking of which, let's check out my haul from this sale, dated August 29th, 2016. I bought one well-filled bag for 500 yen. In it I placed:Three tops to turn into toddler tights for fall, Two tops for me,Materials for: a toddler RockNRoll Dress, Tiger toddler and/or princess toddler costumes Colorful pants and celestial-dress (both for crafting), A Liz Lisa top, new with tags (for a friend back home) And even this weird little t-shirt, so I can make a patch out of the shiny embroidered parrot. As of this blog post, I have already re-purposed the rest of this garment as a hear for a stick-zebra and a dress for a sock monkey.That's 12 items total in a 500 yen bag, for an average of 42 yen per garment.So if you're looking for some new clothes, it's hard to get a cheaper deal than the 500 yen bag-sale at Book Off clothing sections every 29th!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZKNM-living_shopping_money_fashion_miyagi_sendai_shi_miyagi_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagiFri, 02 Sep 2016 14:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wZKNM-living_shopping_money_fashion_miyagi_sendai_shi_miyagi_aoba_ku_sendai_shi_miyagihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg7WM-living_miyagi_matsushima-machiOne of the easiest tourist sights to get to in the city, Godaido Shrine sits in a little island so close to the shore that illustrating the path is unnecessary. Coming from the ferry terminal, turn right and walk along the sidewalk until you find this sign. From Matsushima Kaigan Station (410yen, 42 minutes from Sendai station on the Senseki Line), cross the street and head left along the sidewalk until you see this sign.Follow the stairs to the right. Soon you will come to a short red bridge.The view to the right is already pretty nice.As you follow the bridge onward, you'll see a little souvenir shop to the left. They also sell Shinto charms and some interesting alternatives to boring omiyage.On the other side, you'll see some interesting monoliths. In front, another short red bridge.Wait out for the slats of the bridge as they only run in two lanes, one coming and one going. The next island is hole to a small shrine. This is not Godaido proper, but if you feel like tossing a coin and saying a prayer, feel free.In front, there is yet another little bridge, the last one. Much as you did on the bridge before, watch your step.Just ahead you'll see the shrine itself on the right.The woodwork is pretty nice.But don't forget to look through the pine trees.There are benches to sit on and enjoy the view. There is also a monolith, carved with kanji that has withstood the elements.The shrine itself is simple but pleasant and has become the symbol of this city.Yet turning around will show you the view that made the city famous.The far side of the shrine isn't bad to look at either, offering a small bench where you can relax before returning to the bridges and following them back to the main land of Matsushima City.If you are in Matsushima for sightseeing anyway, there is no reason not to talk the short walk out to see the free and beautiful sight that is Godaido.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg7WM-living_miyagi_matsushima-machiSun, 28 Aug 2016 20:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Mg7WM-living_miyagi_matsushima-machihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbm0z-living_yamagata_tsuruoka-shiWhat happens to the sets of the fantastic old villages seen in samurai movies and dramas after the shooting has run its course? Apparently, in Yamagata they become a tourist attraction, and a surprisingly fun one at that!Studio Sedic Open Set can be found on a small-ish patch of beautiful land in the far-reaches of Yamagata prefecture. It is gorgeous, but the winding roads make it a bit easy to get lost, even when you've found the entrance. We arrived during an early summer holiday weekend and found the place relatively deserted, due in some part to the overcast skies and threat of eventual rain. The likelihood of our toddler causing a ruckus was high, but we charged ahead, eager to enjoy a pseudo-samurai-esque good time. Near the main gate, two small buildings sit astride the main road. We decided to enter the closest one where we found a massive taiko drum, the kind used in actual ancient towns to signal the townsfolk of major happenings, such as an attack or oncoming storm.After we did our own signalling of the non-existent townsfolk, we returned to the main area to see about finding a bus. Sedic Open Stage is set up a little sporadically, probably to ensure enough distance between the village sets to appear more authentic. Because of this, most tourists take sightseeing buses connecting the points of interest.Across from the main gate is the restaurant, offering a small menu of basic Japanese go-to food, such as curry and rice, ice cream, and ramen. From there, it's only a short walk to the main bus stop, and then you're on your way.The drivers are very amiable, though English is in short supply. We lucked our way into an impromptu guided tour, courtesy of a very friendly young girl whose mother works on the premises. She showed us all the great sights for kids, including a giant room filled with old-fashioned toys. It really was fun for the whole family. From here we walked through the rest of this village set then caught the bus to the next place.One of the buildings in this area even allowed patrons to try their hand at using wooden katana-- on newspaper of course.Some of the village sets also contained pictures of the cast, presumably from the final day of shooting, which lent an air of movie magic to the otherwise refreshingly rural setting.Again, not much English, but the picture speaks for itself. Also, in this village set we found a (fake?) shrine.There are a few really good interactive kid games, such as this massive cardboard box maze located in one of the "homes" on one of the village sets.After touring each little village set, we found another bus stop and waited. The bus drivers were happy to relate any other points of interest on our way to the next stop. In the last village, we found the fanciest and most interactive of the sets, complete with a tiny wardrobe department.Or you can ignore the whole costuming idea and pose as you are in the set rooms they have readily available for your photo op needs.After this last village, we meandered back toward the entrance and enjoyed a short samurai-inspired costume play over lunch. Then it was time to say goodbye to our new friend and head out, but we will not soon forget the kindness of the people of Yamagata nor the great times we had at the Sedic Studios Open Set.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbm0z-living_yamagata_tsuruoka-shiSat, 27 Aug 2016 23:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/Gbm0z-living_yamagata_tsuruoka-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpyLz-living_miyagi_sendai-shiBenyland is a small amusement park in Sendai, across from Yagiyama Zoo. If you're thinking of a northern Disneyland or Fuji Q highland, think again. Both the zoo and the amusement park will pale in comparison to attractions in larger Japanese cities, but can still be a lot of fun for a little family trip.The park has an entrance fee in addition to prices per ride, similar to state fair midways where I come from, and a lot of the rides you come into contact with first are the same.By the way, the Balloon Race is essentially a giant swing ride but requires passengers to be belted in. If a member of your party happens to be a balloon-obsessed but intensity-intolerant toddler, I do not recommend this ride.If you do have a small person who can't handle anything harder than the teacups (and mine even had trouble with that one), there are a number of smaller games, ticket free but requiring 100 or 200 yen per ride, of the same type as one might find outside a grocery store or in a small arcade, like this helicopter ride.To get to most of the smaller rides, you have to walk through the Disney-esque castle and out to the other side of the park. This area is open to seasonal fun as well as the larger coasters, of which there are only two. A full list of the attractions can be found at the website (in Japanese).SkyJet, the monorail, can be helpful to get the lay of the land, but if you want the best view of the grounds, you have to use the Ferris wheel, which is also located in this less densely constructed area. Also nearby is a little grove of strangely humanoid mushroom statuettes as well as a few pieces of playground equipment.Unfortunately we were unable to ride either of the two roller coasters, but we did find an entire midway-style arcade, complete with Dump the Ump, a throwing game which I personally had not seen since the early nineties.Don't forget to stay hydrated, as there are vending machines in high-traffic areas, as well as the seating area near the arcade. There is a concession stand, but not much in the way of food options. Even so, remember to refuel and take breaks as often as you need to.If carousels are your thing, they have one and in good repair, though it won't win any contest for originality. Still, the horses go up and down as they are intended and the non-moving seating option is a regal carriage, adding a touch of class to what otherwise might be a bench.All in all, the small amusement park is successfully entertaining and fun.While Benyland will never live up to the theme park I grew up with, it is a nice little getaway for a family in the area.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpyLz-living_miyagi_sendai-shiFri, 26 Aug 2016 22:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MpyLz-living_miyagi_sendai-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXDLw-living_shopping_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shi_matsushima-machiTaking the ferry from Shiogama's Marine Gate to Matsushima Kaigan is a great, scenic way to enjoy the natural beauty of Matsushima Bay. Tickets are 1500yen one way and boats run every hour on the hour until 3PM. Buy tickets at the desk, where the staff is kind but not always fast with the English, so it pays to know a little Japanese. They will hand you a ticket, remind you of the time of departure (and that you can board the ferry 10 minutes prior), and hand you a map. The map even has a picture of each ferry, and the staff member may point out the picture of the ferry you will take.As I mentioned in my previous post, where I also explain how to get to Marine Gate, it is important to arrive early so that you don't miss the last ferry for the day. Since there is an hour between each boat, you might be left with some time to kill, but don't worry. There are a few things you can do.Here's the overall view from the top.See those cool little boats in the bay? Here's a video of me explaining a little about them a few days previous (hence the different colored shirt). Can you tell I like this place?I really do usually march in the Marine Day parade in mid-July with the Shiogama International Friendship Club. Come out and see us next summer!Once you've had a look around, if you've still got time, I recommend checking out Bali Bali, an independently run shop that mixes weird, funny, (sometimes NSFW) t-shirts with fun east Asian imports. It's kind of like Spencer's Gifts meets Earthbound Trading Company, if you were a suburban American kid in the 90s.There is another souvenir shop just down from BaliBali as well as many other fish and seaweed related stalls in the same part of the building. If you're hungry while you wait, snacks and ice cream can be bought in the departure lounge while a bread shop and soba shop are just a few feet away. Coin lockers are also available if need be.When the time comes, or ten minutes before, go through the exit across from the elevators and find your boat! Most of the Matsushima ferries leave from docking space #3, so if you head for the three, you'll likely be in the right space.Cross the little red bridge, let the guys under the little green tent rip the perforation of your ticket, and board the ship!You can choose from the air conditioned inside, which is comfortable but surrounded by scuffed glass, or the outside, which is much warmer, but provides for photos that lack glass-glare and scuffs.The green table in the outdoor section is where you can buy seaweed and other specialty products from the nearby islands. The staff who work on the ferries tend to be very sweet, talkative, and understanding. One even helped me keep up with my toddler on this expedition, which was above and beyond in my book.Also, if you're traveling with a toddler, I recommend buying a small toy from BaliBali so that the kid has something to play with when their mind wanders. This is mine with the baby octopus we acquired on our ferry day.As the boat takes to the sea, you might be surprised to hear English on the overhead sound system. A pre-recorded guide plays, explaining the sights first in Japanese, then in English as read by a native speaker.Soon, the industrial sights of Shiogama's port fade into the distance, replaced with many terribly interesting islands and rocky formations. The first island you're introduced to was once the home of a political exile, or so explains the narration briefly.Other islands have other stories and other names. This island, known as Kanejima or Bell Island is so named due to the sound created by waves crashing against the striking gaps that make this island so distinct.One of the other most memorable islands is Niojima, said to resemble the Deva Kings of Buddhism or a monk or man, depending on who you ask.Unfortunately, I didn't get the best shot of this one, but personally I think it looks more like a duck. Regardless of the shape's personal interpretation, the island appears on many post cards sold in Matsushima, singularly or in sets.Even if the temperatures are high, I recommend taking a step outside for some better pictures and sea air if you have the chance. The upper deck of our vessel was open air, save for a Green Room, which required an extra charge. The highest level also required an extra charge for entry.Beside the stair to the restricted third deck was a vending machine with many options, including beer. Whatever your chosen level of sobriety, please watch your head on the way down the stairs. I'm only 5'5 (165cm) and I almost cracked my forehead on that yellow and black stripe. Wherever you choose to be, remember to enjoy the view.Because all-too soon, the fifty-minute cruise is over and Matsushima appears. On the right, you might see this. The long red bridge is known as Fukuura Bridge, Encounter bridge, and connects the mainland of Matsushima city to Fukuura Island, which contains a gorgeous natural park.Directly ahead, the roof of Godaido shrine stands above a cluster of pine trees.A few minutes later, the Ferry pulls into the dock at Matsushima. Disembarking, you'll find a rest-house with vending machines, restrooms, and an air conditioned waiting area inside on your left.To the right is a large open area, sometimes used for festivals. Feel free to sit in the shade of a pine tree before continuing on your way to explore the city. Past the open area, you'll find Godaido, the shrine that is visually synonymous with Matsushima. It boasts a great view and is completely free to enter.Whichever way you choose, have fun and enjoy your time in Matsushima!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXDLw-living_shopping_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shi_matsushima-machiThu, 25 Aug 2016 01:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/wXDLw-living_shopping_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shi_matsushima-machihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYD6w-living_food_miyagi_shiogama-shiAs summer winds down, it seems like a great time to explore the best and newest place for gelato in Shiogama, as well as Okama Shrine, home of the cauldron that helps to give the town its name.First, let's get there! Walking from HonShiogama Station again (320 yen, 30 minutes on the Senseki line from Sendai), come out the Aqua Gate and head toward the main street.Turn right and follow any signage directing you toward Okama Shrine. Stay straight on this street for a bit.When you can, cross the street and continue onward in the same direction as before.Eventually you'll come to a slightly weird intersection. Cross the street at the light. Cross again, staying in the same direction.Turn left and stay on the shoulder. We've entered the land without sidewalks, unfortunately. Take the next right.Then go straight for a bit until you see the yellow signage on the right ride of the street or the tori on the left.The shop is small with little seating and no tables, so eating inside is not always the best choice, especially on a hot summer Saturday afternoon. The place was packed but service was quick. The owner of this shop is part of a family that also owns a fruit stand in the area, guaranteeing fresh, natural ingredients.It is usually worth the money to opt for a double waffle cone and enjoy two fun flavors for 500 yen. The flavors listed on our visit include yogurt, milk, hazelnut, Italian vanilla, pumpkin, coffee, grapefruit, strawberry, peach, pineapple, dadachamame, and bitter chocolate sorbet. We chose strawberry and pineapple before heading back out to Okama Shrine to enjoy it. The shrine itself is not so large and being right against a fairly-major does not help, but it is still rather peaceful and sweet, posing as a tiny natural respite from the small city. In one of the smaller buildings sits Okama, the sacred salt-water boiling cauldron that produces salt the same way they have for centuries. Most long-term expats or students of Japanese would recognize Shio as salt, but gama is a different story, lending itself not only to this salt-making-cauldron, but apparently to a lot of different concave features, including Okama the crater lake on Mount Zao, located on the Miyagi-Yamagata border.My favorite part of this shrine is the carefully tended trees in the front.The shrine is free to enter and is rarely in use by many. The gelato place is recommended during mid-day weekedays as it closes promptly at 5PM and on weekdays, the affable manager is more likely to relax and chat. Unfortunately, the weekend assistant staff are not nearly as outgoing nor polite, which can put a damper on the joys of fresh gelato.Either way, fresh gelato at the shrine is hardly a bad way to wind down the final days of summer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYD6w-living_food_miyagi_shiogama-shiTue, 23 Aug 2016 01:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MYD6w-living_food_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3kjz-living_food_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shiThis is something I have seen a few tourists to this area have trouble with, foreign and Japanese alike. From HonShiogama station, the maps indicate pathways that aren't as obvious at street level. Today, let me show you the way to Marine Gate, the port for ferries servicing Matsushima and the Urato Islands.We'll start at HonShiogama Station on the Senseki Line, 320 yen and 30 minutes from Sendai station.From here, take the Aqua Gate exit. That's right, we're walking under the giant fish.By the way, this fish is meant to be the Maguro Tuna for which Shiogama is famous. More on that later. Once outside, you'll be greeted by a view like this, probably without actual arrows.Turn left, walking towards AEON. This is the easiest way to get there without getting lost.If you see this, you're going the right way. Keep going.Once inside, walk part the check-out lanes. The elevator is located to the right between the check-out lanes and the exit. Press the button and go to the second level. Out of the elevator, take an immediate right down a white-walled hallway next to Sanki.You'll exit directly onto the pedestrian pathway. Turn left and keep walking until you see Marine Gate.You'll be on the second floor of Marine Gate when you come up to it, so go straight in past the Blair Marina restaurant. Elevators will be on the right.Take the elevators down to the first floor, then turn right.Go straight ahead. To the right, you'll find the desk where you can buy tickets for the ferry to Matsushima from a member of the staff. Tickets for the ferry for the Urato Islands can be purchased from a ticket machine to the left. I strongly recommend checking the schedule before you plan your ferry trip, which is easier to do in person at Marine Gate than it is online. Ferries to the Urato islands are few and far between, as I said before, but if you want to go sightseeing out that way, you can get maps and schedules right next to the ticket machine.There is a lot more to see and do at Marine Gate, including an observation deck on the fourth floor (the roof) which has a great view if you have a few minutes to spare. Also, if you're in the mood for a bite to eat before you take to the water, there are several restaurants in the building, including a few on the first floor. In the departure lounge, you'll find Le Port offering snacks, drinks, ice cream and beer. Just down the hall to the right is a nice little bread shop, perfect for a snack on the go. A soba shop shares seating space with the bread shop and features a dish with maguro (that special Shiogama tuna) wontons. So the next time you're in the mood to see one of the three best views of Japan from a ferry, come out to Marine Gate and have a good time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3kjz-living_food_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shiSat, 20 Aug 2016 19:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z3kjz-living_food_transportation_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GODWw-living_miyagi_matsushima-machiMatsushima's lantern festival is a recent tradition, starting up only 5 years ago. 2011 was a challenging year for Tohoku, as the magnitude 9 earthquake of March 11 triggered a tsunami that cost thousands of lives. During the first Obon holiday following the disasters, many affected cities including Matsushima held poignant lantern festivals. That year. each simple rectangular paper lantern displayed the name of one individual who perished earlier that year.The tradition continues and this year on August 16th, the festival grounds were open and ready, just a short walk from Matsushima Kaigan Station (from Sendai: 40 minutes, 410 yen on the Senseki line).In addition to the normal summer matsuri food booths (including sausage-on-a-stick, yakitori, yakisoba, chocolate-covered-bananas and more), this festival featured fun old-fashioned kids games. Here, the showdown for square-sake-cup stacking champion reaches its climax.This and other kid-friendly activities were carried out mostly under tents to avoid the oncoming threat of rain. An open-air main stage was set up with announcers in the center of the festival grounds, festooned with countless paper festival lanterns.On the side closer to the station, a special section, roped off from the others, featured monks who offered to write the names of recent decedents on special small wooden planks. Across from these monks stood the altar, a massive construction filled with offerings of rice cakes made especially for the deceased.Nearby, the lanterns were prepared and piled high in anticipation of nightfall.Once you've acquired your food and had your fun, it is time to find a place to watch the lanterns take to the sea. Unfortunately, around this same time, the rain began as a light drizzle with occasional heavy bursts. Nevertheless, my group stayed in place, waiting for the big event.It wouldn't be too long.As the large ship docked in front of us and released its tiny cargo, lantern by lantern, the festival grounds were filled with old-fashioned music courtesy of the artists on the stage and the speaker system, seemingly unaffected by the rain. Slowly, many of the lanterns floated under the bridge connecting the ferry docks to the main land. Unfortunately, the fireworks that usually correspond to this festival were cancelled for rain, but still the simple, somber festival was truly enjoyable.If you are planning to come to this festival in the future, I recommend checking the weather forecast and dressing accordingly. While the festival-goers I saw in yukata probably had a wonderful time, I can't imagine walking in geta through the wet gravel of the fair grounds was terribly fun.Also, if you'd like to watch or participate in any of the children's events, come early. Everything seems to stop for the lanterns hitting the water. Watching the lanterns is free, as might be some of the activities, but be sure to read carefully. Any prices will usually be visible in signage somewhere around the booth in question.If you're in the area next August, don't forget to stop by Matsushima for a fun, if somber, little festival.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GODWw-living_miyagi_matsushima-machiFri, 19 Aug 2016 01:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GODWw-living_miyagi_matsushima-machihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlD1G-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuTanabata, the star festival,is such a big deal in Sendai that the decorations that adorn the streets for the yearly festival every August have become a symbol of the city itself. In other parts of Japan, people write their wishes or desires on strips of paper and tie them to bamboo stalks, hoping that the luck of the star-crossed lovers who share the sky just that one night of the year may help even us lowly humans achieve our dreams, especially in the occupational fields. In most of Japan, this festival is held in July, but Miyagi holds out for August 6th through 8th to celebrate their star festival.The decorations have taken on a different shape over time, growing to massive constructions of tissue paper, washi and glue, as delicate as they are intricate. Every year, businesses along the shopping arcade create new, vibrant decorations to display. Some fit a theme for the business or restaurant chain, like these from a local souvenir shop, imitating kokeshi dolls, a major handicraft of the region.Others make use of pop culture to draw more interest from the expectant crowd. This year, characters from the manga ジョジョ were on display in one set of decorations.Other decorations create interest by using different materials. The vast majority of the decorations are made from a variety of fancy paper products. My first year in Miyagi, Taito Station's decorations included thick vinyl strips, adorned with the company logo. This year, these fun cloth decorations appeared instead, presumably linked to a clothing store or import shop.Most of the decorations that adorn the shopping arcade closest to the station follow older trends, using mostly tissue paper and washi. Year after year, this one catches my eye. Each strand is constructed from hundreds of folded origami cranes, denied the final folds of the neck and instead sewn threw the middle to its brethren. The effect is remarkable and many first-time visitors to the festival find the method of construction hard to believe.These peace crane decorations are brought about not by a paper store or retailer of any kind, but instead an NPO, fighting for the end of nuclear warfare. Stars read out "No more Hiroshima" in response to the anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city 71 years ago. A placard hangs closer to eye level.These decorations hang low, some drifting just over the head of any person of average Japanese height while others drag close enough to the ground to delight and confuse small children.The peace cranes are not the only pieces of origami to be on display either. Many streamers display folded paper accents of their own. One of the fan favorites this year was Miyagi Kodomo Network's Ghibli-inspired decorations, complete with colorful hand and foot prints from various children.I was told that the theme this year was to be "cats" but only a handful of the decorations featured felines at all. Of those few, this set was easily the best.The festival is easy to get to (exit Sendai station toward LOFT, turn right. Cross the street at AER. The decorations will already be visible) and runs through the entire shopping arcade, from Clis Road nearest the station, through Marble Road a few blocks away, eventually t-boning at Sun Mall Ichibancho. Some of the most interesting decorations are around ichibancho, which also happens to be Sendai's night life district. Exploring this area will lead you to some of the most fun and weird decorations in the entire event.Some are much smaller, hidden near the rafters. Check it out: I found Star Wars!This set was very creative, though to me the decorations also looks like very elegant alien eggs.This is just a sampling of the many, many decorations that hang every year and attract travelers from all over Japan and all over the world. Most shops along the arcade offer drinks, snacks, and other festival goods available for purchase throughout the day, many conveniently placed mere feet from the decorations.One of the best things about this festival is the price. Save for transportation to and from the Sendai station area as well as any food or drink a visitor might want to purchase, the festival is free to everyone. No admission fee.The festival is most fun in the first day or two, before many of the decorations get damaged by interactions with the crowd. Unfortunately the festival has wrapped up for this year, but if you're in the area early next August, I highly recommend seeing the Sendai Tanabata festival. The dates will always be August 6th through 8th, regardless of the days of the week.See you next year!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlD1G-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuWed, 17 Aug 2016 03:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/GlD1G-living_miyagi_sendai-shi_aoba-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4oqM-living_shopping_transportation_education_miyagi_shiogama-shiLooking for an escape form the hot, muggy city this summer? Come and see the beauty of Shiogama Shrine!First, go to Sendai and take the Senseki like north to Honshiogama station (30 minutes, 320 yen).Then exit via the Shiogama Jinja exit, marked on the floor and at the door.You'll see a small statue garden on the left, showcasing the talents of the stone cutters in the area. Every winter the zodiac animal for the following year is unveiled. I've no idea what's going on with the jack-o-lanterns, however.Walk past this to the nearest crosswalk and turn right.Cross here and walk toward the larger street. You'll see some signs pointing your way toward the shrine, many in English and with distances labelled.Turn left and walk along the main street to the next crosswalk. Cross right across the large street and go straight.From here, walk straight for a bit, watching for signs of impending shrine.Also, if you're interested in a useful souvenir, you can check out this little pottery shop, which is a pretty cool and not too expensive place to pick up a new rice bowl or teapot. It was also recently recognized for doing business in this location for a significant amount of time.After you've done your souvenir shopping (window or otherwise), continue past this place, following the main road, and before you know it... You see the tori!Proceed under the tori and to the stone steps that angle upward and to the left. At the top of the first staircase, you'll find this little diversion to the left. This path leads to a lovely little tea house and historical building where volunteers give tours during business hours.After this, get back to the stairway and continue up the many, many stairs.Eventually, on the left, you will see a small parking lot with vending machines and a bench or two. If you're feeling winded, feel free to take a break and grab something refreshing.Ready to go? Great! Get back to the stairs and continue up the path, and...yeah,basically just do that for a bit. Closer to the shrine, you'll see a little structure on the left where you can sit down for a little rest if need be.Pretty soon, you'll see some more tori coming up ahead of you and a small non-ceremonial building to the right. The little building is a small museum of maritime artifacts from this area. Not bad if you need to get out of the sun, but the English is limited.From here, you can explore the gardens at the shrine, take in one of the most beautiful views of the whole city, or even picnic in the hanami area, vacant but shaded in seasons without cherry blossoms.When you're ready to head into the main shrine areas, walk under the giant red tori and follow the path to the entrances. There are three separate shrine entrances. The first two that you come to each lead to its own shrine area, where you can pray the Shinto way (throw a 5 yen coin, ring a bell, clap twice, pray) or stop by one of the side buildings to buy charms and the like. To get to the third entrance, follow the path around a bend. There it is! Beyond this entrance is the main portion of Shiogama shrine, featuring a larger area for purchases and two different praying locations as well as several hand-cleansing stations, small statues and more.The main entrance stairway contains more than 200 stairs (or at least that was our count on the way down), many of which have been worn by time and quakes. This can be treacherous to the less adventurous, especially in poor weather conditions. That is why I call my normal path the "easy" way.I hope you enjoyed our walk to Shiogama Shrine and take it upon yourself to come out and visit us this summer. It really is a gorgeous place.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4oqM-living_shopping_transportation_education_miyagi_shiogama-shiMon, 15 Aug 2016 13:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/z4oqM-living_shopping_transportation_education_miyagi_shiogama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP3Ww-living_food_education_miyagi_sendai-shiEven in Sendai, the temperatures are getting uncomfortably high. So if you find yourself walking along the Clis Road shopping arcade, hot and bored, why not stop by one of Sendai's most surprising attractions: an owl cafe!Pet cafes are nothing new to Japan, but tend to center around the most major metropolitan areas of Tokyo or Osaka, especially for animals any more exotic than the average feline. That is why I was surprised and delighted to find this gem on the fourth floor in the shopping arcade, the elevator sandwiched between Kaldi and a lottery ticket vendor, near Three Coins.While the policy states clearly that the price of 1200 yen per person is for a one hour session, the cafe workers tend not to kick anyone out unless there is a crowd or a line at the door.Once inside, a patron can engage with a variety of owls, including a snowy owl (who is not to be touched)Many owls are perched at the bar on the back wall, waiting for a visitor to come and engage them. The helpful staff demonstrate the proper method for petting an owl (using the back sides of the fingers) and distribute rule sheets upon entrance, translated into almost-passable English. For the animal lover, the rule sheets aren't entirely necessary. Don't spook the birds. No flash photographs. No loud sounds. Still, it is good that they tried to put it into a foreign language, especially since the staff members I met didn't speak English so much or so well.Admittedly, some of the birds looked a little freaked out, but none seemed threatening or inhospitable, even to my toddler.They even have a barn owl, the species made famous to my generation through the movie The Labyrinth.I find, in Japan, frequently the most random things are also the most spectacular, and here is no exception. Inside the cafe dedicated to owls, we find not only miniature pigs but also a very small monkey, turning the place into more of a petting-zoo, less of a cafe despite the unlimited free refills on a small selection of drinks.The pigs love to be snuggled and will sleep in your lap, though the staff will caution you against picking them up. There is no need to. Just sit on the floor, and they will come to you.The monkey is a different story. The marmoset seems happy enough to watch passers-by from his cage, but the staff will open the cage for you, and if the marmoset is willing, strap him into a little leashed waist-band to prevent him from running amok around the store.Hideyoshi refused to cooperate with the leash during our visit, but did run up my arm to perch on the shoulder when he got the chance. He also darted over to my daughter, scaring her a bit as he landed on her scalp. Once she calmed down (which took a few seconds, as no one expects a marmoset on the scalp), we said goodbye to our new friend Hideyoshi.Another fun thing to watch at the owl cafe is feeding time. If you come at the right time and the place is not too busy, you might get to watch the staff members feed the youngest owlet in the place, who attacks the bits of meat with tiny ferocity.If that is not enough bird-contact for you, guests can also hold their own owl, acting as a perch and assisted by staff, who provide talon-proof accessories and a blanket to shield the guests from bird waste.Another attraction is the sugar gliders, who unfortunately were asleep during out visit.If you are an animal lover and ever bored in Sendai, walking through the arcade on a hot afternoon, don't forget to drop by the owl cafe. You might just make some new friends.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP3Ww-living_food_education_miyagi_sendai-shiSat, 13 Aug 2016 11:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JTsu/MP3Ww-living_food_education_miyagi_sendai-shi