http://www.city-cost.comSat, 18 Jul 2026 02:10:53 +0900Housewife, mother, paid English conversation partner, editor, writer, Japanese student, yoga practitioner, Forest Therapy practitioner, former equestrian, current urban cyclist/explorer, fan of international exchange offices, community centres, libraries and Japan Post, ecologist, social activist, festival goer, outdoors enthusiast, adventurer, animal lover, healthy-living advocate, seeker, net addict (in remission?!).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/maynestacy/wkm88-fashion_yokkaichi_shi_mieI wanted some pizzazz, some color in my hair, but ... I am pretty conservative and so is Japan. I need to color within the lines.When I asked a stylist for highlights, he started talking about bridges. Yes, I need bridges to blend my grey. Ahh, it was "bleach" not "bridge." Nevermind. I could not decide that day.Then, I noticed a rainbow of hair on the display wig kiosk in APITA shopping mall in Utsunomiya Tochigi. Extensions: what were they? Barbie hair? Drain hair? Hair sold by poor souls in less developed countries and then colored? I found many answers online; like many products I purchase in Japan, due to a language barrier, I remain in the dark as to the origin of my hair extensions. A week later I showed up for my appointment and decided on adding four extensions. It took three to five minutes to attach each one. The stylist`s advised me not to add extensions to my bangs but I urged her to add one there anyway. Stylists do their best to hide the attachment. Mine, on my bangs showed. A little scribble outside the lines. I was looking a bit different and it was fun. The extensions fell out within a month or so.I have tried extensions from other salons since, and am wearing about eight in two colors as I type. They last for a couple of months.I am sure you want to know how the hair is attached. I have noticed two ways. One is with braiding and wrapping thread, and another is with a tiny metal cuff and possibly glue. Extension: Q in Utsunomiya, Tochigi uses the metal cuff method. Chou Chou in Yokkaichi, braids them in with thread. Then they will cut the extensions to blend in with the length and style of your current hair-do. The price seems the same, whether I buy new extensions or simply get my existing ones re-attached. Yes, I get them re-attached because hair growth starts from the scalp and they look best when attached as close to the scalp as possible.Chou Chou advised me to use Lux shampoo (non-silicon) and use a flat iron but I was not given that advise from other salons. I didn`t bother with a flat iron but I am using LUX. I have had my hair styled at normal hair salons while wearing the extensions and it seems to be no problem at all. If you are curious, why not try?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wkm88-fashion_yokkaichi_shi_mieWed, 21 Apr 2021 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wkm88-fashion_yokkaichi_shi_miehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wkY8z-living_education_saitama_ranzan_machi_saitamaA post for ladies only: while I was attending the affordable and interesting Language Teachers Tokyo Expo (http://ltprofessionals.com/etj/2015expos), I found out about WELL. What is WELL? Women Educators and Language Learners (WELL) is a welcoming, supportive international women's group in Japan. WELL is run by women, for women on a voluntary basis. Their annual mind-stimulating winter (February or March) weekend retreat at the National Women's Education Center in Saitama started in 1995. The retreat offers an opportunity for meaningful discussions among women about culture, work, teaching, relationships, academic studies, common struggles, and achievements.Two nights, including all workshops costs Y10,000, less for presenters and students, with an option of just dropping in. Anybody can present, but of course they need to contact the organizers in advance. Besides joining workshops and presentations, attendees can help organizers, participate in a book talk/exchange, take the stage for the evening talent showcase, and/or try something fun like morning tai-chi.The facility is a huge complex built during the bubble economy years, including on-site auditoriums, free-trade shop, library, cafeteria, onsen, park (plum blossoms and ponds), tearoom and basic accommodations (bring your own towel and soap). It is like staying at the Y but on a larger scale. Being a retreat, the center is in a rural area, about an hour's train ride from Ikebukuro Station. Various groups use the center simultaneously, men too. I attended WELL twice. The first time was my first night away from our three year old; I went alone, by train. The second time, I went with some friends from my city by car. Both times, I came home with ideas, books, contacts and handouts, feeling refreshed, more in touch with what's going on, connected, aware of women's issues in this country and personally encouraged to find my way, and thrive. I also came away with some new friends. Please check welljapan.org for registration and further details. See you there!Birds of a Feather flock together...?!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wkY8z-living_education_saitama_ranzan_machi_saitamaFri, 15 Jan 2016 00:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wkY8z-living_education_saitama_ranzan_machi_saitamahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wrn3w-livingWhen my husband suggested we visit a monkey park on the second day of the New Year, my first thought was were we going to see more people than monkeys? Was the park going to be as crowded as the shrine we visited the day before, or as crowded as the department stores my in-laws are so fond of visiting during the first week of the new year? We just started "year of the monkey" and New Year's is the biggest holiday of the year in Japan ... My husband assured me that Japanese people are not so interested in seeing the monkeys and really, how many overseas visitors in the dead of winter, take time out from historical sightseeing to check out the local monkeys?We took a train bound for Arashiyama from Katsura Station. Most passengers seemed to be tourists, about half nationals and half not. We got seats. The air was crisp, but it was pleasant in the the sun. I would forgo this trip if it were snowing, raining, windy or below 10 degrees.At Arashiyama, I spotted some cyclists,and gazed longingly at the rent-a-cycle shop in front of the station, however my husband thought my son too young; he had visions of the little guy on a big bicycle weaving in and out of traffic and bumping into the backs of old ladies' legs. We sauntered along the riverside promenade for about 15 minutes, crossed the street at the famous bridge, and found a signboard indicating that we were approaching the ticket gate of "Iwatayama Monkey Park." Tickets, ice-cream and monkey related souvenirs are sold from a modest building in the woods.We paid a modest fee and started up the narrow, mountain path. Signs warned us not to look monkeys in the eye, not to squat, and not to feed or approach them. We huffed and puffed and near the top, took off our jackets. Did the parents who left their strollers at the bottom realize what they were in for ? We encountered some of them carrying their young children. This park may not be worth it if you are: tired, lazy, hungry, whiny, have weak lungs or legs, or your child is under six. Luckily, we had had a huge breakfast, were well-rested and our six-year old was keen. We learned about the monkeys on the way up from fun quizzes on wooden signboards in both English and Japanese. Just before reaching the feeding hut, we passed a see-saw, slide and short zip-line. I wasn't sure if the playground was for the visitors or for the monkeys. Nobody was using it. Later, before descending, we noticed some kids riding the zip line. Our son enjoyed his turn. At the top, there were couples, families, and solo travelers, in high heels, with dreadlocks, in spandex pants, and all wielding cameras, all musing out loud about the monkeys in different accents and tongues, all trying for National Geographic-quality photos; monkeys were moving around freely, eating, sitting in trees, grooming and quarreling. The monkeys disregarded the people beyond the feeding area. The backdrop to this scene is a panoramic view of Kyoto City.We entered the feeding hut, where we could chose to feed a Y100 bag of peanuts or Y100 bag of apple bits to the monkeys through wire mesh that separates inside from outside. A reverse zoo! My son chose the apple bits. Pink human fingers and monkey fingers stretched across the mesh to meet. Monkeys scrambled on the tin roof above us. I liked the monkey babies best.Outside, a staff member with a megaphone intermittently reminded visitors not to get too close. It was not so much a case of humans approaching monkeys, as it was of monkeys walking by, one step behind humans. It's a wonder a tourist didn't trip on a monkey, taking a step back to get a wider angle shot. The monkeys sometimes screamed about some injustice or other, but they seemed to avoid getting stepped on despite their small stature and close proximity.We descended on a separate trail, which converged with the original trail near the bottom. Just as we were about to exit, I noticed a sign that encouraged those descending to give high fives to those going up the mountain, in an effort to promote fellowship and peace within our own species. Nice. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wrn3w-livingTue, 12 Jan 2016 00:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wrn3w-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/G6o3w-living_food_hyogo_awaji-shiMany Japanese visit their parents during the New Year's vacation in Japan. Many places are closed. January 29, and we had arrived at my mother-in-law's in Kansai the night before. I didn't want to get trapped under the kotatsu (heated, blanketed) table for the whole week. We decided on a one night getaway to Shikoku, however we never made it there. Something interesting happened along the way. In order to get to Shikoku, we needed to first cross Awaji Island, and in order to get to Awaji, we drove through Kobe on the expressway, and then took said expressway over the longest bridge in the world. The bridge is four kilometers long, and then the expressway extends 55 km down the center of the island, before going over another bridge leading to Shikoku. The bridge took my husband courage to drive across. He could not glance aside at the sparkling waters. His hands gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles. Once over the big bridge, my husband wanted to see the view without having to worry about driving into it. We parked next to a ferris wheel at Awaji Highway Rest Area. We took some photos then my husband went off to buy onion and fishcake fritters, and takoyaki, and I bee-lined to the information desk. I was given an English brochure and map. So much to do! So much to see! So this is where Kansai people go to get out of the city! The travel counselor showed us whirlpool tour boat brochures, from both Shikoku and from Awaji. The tallest ship that goes out for the longest time (one hour) leaves from Awaji Island. I confess I had never heard of Awaji before, but the next thing I know I was getting directions and reservations for at a seaside business hotel, with onsen access. Shikoku will have to wait.Next stop: Hokudan Earthquake Memorial Park. We drove along a narrow road following the coastline under wind turbine-topped hills. At the Park, we were able to walk under one a turbine, hear it whirring, and feel a bit ant-like. The Memorial Park as well as that particular turbine, and probably the lot where we left our car, were built over a ten kilometer fault line, which was exposed during the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and later excavated and preserved under cover of the museum in this park. An earthquake-damaged house was also preserved for exhibition in the Park. Unfortunately, the earthquake simulator in the adjacent building was out of order, but there was a good film on featuring the recent Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and warning us solemnly that another earthquake on the same scale is due to hit in this century. Again, we drove along the seaside, passed the stunning hilltop Ichinomiya Awaji Castle, and many other roadside attractions on the way to Sumoto. Our hotel was below another stunning hilltop castle, Sumoto Castle. The sign on the door of our hotel directed us to check in at the adjacent onsen hotel (same management as our cheaper unmanned business hotel). There we found discounted tickets for our boat tour (Y200 off each adult ticket, so Y1800 each). As the sun set, I flew a kite from the jetty while my husband and son fished. Bait was found at a fishing shop in a narrow alley next to our hotel. A quick Google search let us to seafood (sashimi) dinner 15 minutes walk away, in a one-hundred year old red brick building. My husband tried Awaji beer, my son loaded up at the salad bar with local wakame and I sampled the sweet soft raw Awaji onion from the salad bar.The bed was lumpy, and the lamp didn't work, but access to the onsen with multiple baths and sauna on the rooftop of the sister hotel made up for the discomfort. The next morning, we embarked on the Uzushio Cruise from 9:30. We stayed on the upper deck although it was chilly, for the view and the fun of feeding the gulls (every passenger got a bag of bread crusts). It was a huge ship, with two masts and furled sails. Once we got back, we were able to soak our cold limbs in the whirlpool foot bath at the dock. Next, we visited "The Great Naruto Bridge Memorial Museum and Whirlpool Science Center." First I lost Y100 to the UFO catcher at the door in an effort to get an island onion. We enjoyed sampling the souvenir snacks and made our way to the museum at the back, as our six year old son has been fascinated with whirlpools for some time. Unfortunately, the museum and 3D film could have been better. We bought Awaji Island Burgers for lunch there. My son chose a fish burger. I had a octopus burger. Not bad, but pricy. In the interested of staying away from tourist traps, I checked my Awaji Island FunMap and directed my family to Goshikihama Beach, "covered with small sparkling gem-like stones." Alas, it was covered with plastic bags, old tires, PET bottles, single shoes and so on. Our visit ended on a positive note at Awaji Island Prefecture Park, where hawks circled lazily overhead and we got one more Awaji sunset. The water play area of the park looks like it would be worth a visit in the summer. The highlight for us was the roller slides; plastic bum trays are provided to sit on. Sure beats sitting watching the holiday programming on Japanese TV! I burned some calories there, to justify later binging on mochi and osechi for the rest of the week.Awaji Island Prefecture Park - lots of climbing and sliding, fun even for big kids like me!Seaside sundown, in front of our business hotel.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/G6o3w-living_food_hyogo_awaji-shiMon, 11 Jan 2016 02:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/G6o3w-living_food_hyogo_awaji-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MYn9z-living_money_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiHere are some ways to escape getting chilled this winter, even when you can see your breath in the air when you wake up in the morning:1) Use "hokkairo" (chemical heating pads, one time usage). They provide 8-10 hours of heat. Stick them on your body. Buy a hot canned drink from the vending machine while you are at it, and hold it tightly and sip slowly.2) Take a deep hot bath (at least 40 C) just before going to bed; not only will it help you sleep but you will be warmed all the way down to your feet. Dry off quickly and put on some fleecy PJs. You can prewarm your bed with a microwavable gel pack. Top a thick fleece blanket with a down quilt, and use something insulating under you if you are a futon-sleeper, like a second futon mattress, another quilt or a fuzzy elastic cornered bed cover. Bed socks are also recommended. 3) Cover drafty windows with bubble wrap. Wash the window, then press special flat-backed window wrap to the glass when the glass is still damp. Even easier, stand a specially designed styrofoam foldable draft-stopper between the curtains and the glass (both available at home centers). 4) If it snows, shovel it even if you are in an area of Japan where you know it will melt soon; even better, do as my neighbors do: sweep snow with a broom into a dustpan vigorously, as it is falling.5) Gather around a bonfire. Our local elementary school opens up to the community (Sunday January 10th, 2016) for a bonfire which is set in the middle of the school playing field to burn last year's lucky charms and roast pink and white mochi balls on sticks; ask around if there is something similar where you live, usually in the second week of January, on the weekend. There you have it. Keep warm folks! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MYn9z-living_money_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiThu, 07 Jan 2016 23:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MYn9z-living_money_tochigi_utsunomiya-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/zaKDw-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiSince my husband is Japanese and we are planning to stay in Japan we wanted to give our son a Japanese name.In Japan, the total number of strokes in one's first and last names combined can be lucky (or unlucky?!) Japanese parents often pay around 5000 yen to get a lucky name from a shrine. What if the shrine thinks 50 strokes is lucky? I would have to spend the rest of my life writing that lucky name (not so lucky for me)! In this respect, I like "Hajimi" which is just one stroke, but is it lucky? Don't Japanese get confused and think it is a dash? Also, doesn't it sound strange to say "Hajime desu. Hajime mashite?" "Genki" also has simple kanji and a nice meaning, but again, how strange to say, "Genki-san, genki desuka." There is a similar problem in English with the names "Yu" and "Mi".... " (girls names) or "Shu".... "I am you," or "I am me" or "I am shoe."I think the sound of a name is most important since we are going to use/hear that name everyday for the rest of our lives. I like "Joji" but my dad thinks it sounds girly, and my husband thinks it sounds the same as "George." "Joji" with kanji meaning "second son" may have a lucky number of strokes, but alas, this is our first son.Many bicultural couples name their sons "Ken" or "Riki." No thank you. Besides being too common, Ken is the name of Barbie doll's blonde blue-eyed partner and Ricky was an overweight boy I knew in my school days.I would like to use one kanji from my husband's name in our son's name, but I would also like to use my father's name or grandfather's name as a middle name. By the way, do you know why Japanese don't have a middle name? It's because just choosing one name is complicated enough!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/zaKDw-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiSun, 20 Dec 2015 22:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/zaKDw-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/Mq1RM-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiClutter is my enemy, always has been. The above kitchen is not my kitchen. I wish I had that kind of space, but that amount of clutter, which I think is fairly typical, is my nightmare.At the end of May every year during my university days, I packed my stuff into boxes, put most of it in storage, and moved back in with my parents to work and save money. At the end of August, I would migrate back to my university again. Needless to say, I always rented furnished accommodations. I continued to move often after university graduation: three times in one year in Korea, thanks to the whims of my employer. Luckily, at that time, all I had was suitcases.I don't mind moving. I think I've become pretty good at it. I have learned to collect less junk.And now I have finally settled into a two bedroom rented apartment here in Japan. We have been at this address for about eight years. My way of avoiding getting hedged in by clutter is to use the internet to off load possessions I no longer want:bookmooch.comfreestuffjapan yahoo grouptellandselljapan yahoo groupgaragesalejapan facebook group.As a last resort, I take stuff to recycle shops, or throw items away. I prefermaking connections with people through the above groups though. And the more members these groups have, the more successful they are so if you are not already active in finding new homes for things you no longer want, please check out these groups.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/Mq1RM-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiSun, 20 Dec 2015 22:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/Mq1RM-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MvLrG-living_tochigi_nikko-shiOn a sunny yet cool Saturday morning in early-March,our group of mothers and children stood, full of anticipation, at the entrancegate to Nikko Edo Wonderland, in Tochigi Prefecture.As soon as we handed over our tickets at gate, the childrentook off down the tree-lined avenue like race horses, guide maps flapping inthe wind. Us mothers strode alongpurposefully behind. The question on all of our minds was how to see and do it allin 3.5 hours. It was a good thing we were moving fast; from the entrance gateto the center of the village, feelslike about a kilometer.In addition to the time and cost ofgetting there, one adult ticket costs 4,500 yen, and for those aged seven totwelve, 2,300 yen. Younger kids are free; older kids pay adult admission. Half-daytickets save you just a couple of coins per ticket. It was around 11 AM. I tried to plot out how we could see asmany ninja performances as possible, get lunch, and still have time to experienceas much as possible in the Experience Zone: two ninja trick houses, ninja trickmaze, haunted temple, samurai house and jail house, and costume rental. My son was hyper, running all over the place, brandishinghis foam and tin foil sword. I gave upseeing any type of museum, and once I saw the costume prices (ninja, 3,900yen), I also gave up renting a costume. I also gave up on sitting down forlunch anda "tranquil ride" on a covered gondola along a canal.At the end of the day, another mother from our group showedoff studio photos of her daughter in kimono. At Karakuri Photo Studio, you can“have your costumed portrait taken in just 5 minutes. You can dress up as akimono-clad princess or change into a samarai lord.”Whether you are with an elderly person, or an active littlekid, I recommend making the theater your priority, then fitting in whatever youcan between performances. The winter performance timetable listed eight shows, withthe first at 9:30, the last show at 3:35. We saw three. The first thing we encountered at Edo Mura was a line ofpeople waiting to see the next ninja show (slated to begin at 11:45) at theGrand Ninja Theater. We were too late to get seats for that one.We went to the haunted temple first, which freaked outmy young son. Then, the first show we caught was the outdoor live show from12:10. The performance was easy to follow for non-Japanese speakers, asit was mostly screaming, yelling, fight sequences and spectacular stunts. Theother two ninja shows we saw, indoors, were similar. Next, my son got a ride in an Edo-taxi (free) – two mencarried him around in a wooden box. Then we spotted a shuriken (throwing start) target practicearea. The three little boys shared the price to throw a set of shrunken. The prize was a plastic sword. The third kid who didn’t bring a sword,landed up buying one too (about 500 yen).Our stomachs started rumbling around 1 PM. The aroma of soy sauce and bakingrice crackers lured us into a little shop where we could baked senbai over alittle fire, simultaneously warming up our cold hands (about 350 yen). After that we got into line for the 12:50 show at the Grand NinjaTheater, and again at the Ninja Karasu Yashiki House, the boys played ninjaswith their swords. We also got some fast food (dango) to eat while we waited. I almost lost my son in the maze, and got thoroughly dizzyand disoriented in the ninja houses, but they were fun.Although Edo Wonderland is a tourist trap, with souvenirshops and extra charges wherever you turn (parking 700 yen), I still recommenda visit. If possible, arrive at nine and stay for the day. Fine weather ofcourse makes for a better experience. Ifit were freezing, snowing, pouring rain or a day heavy with summer humidity itmay not be so enjoyable, but then again bad weather results in fewer visitorsand therefore, no waits, and choice seats in the theaters.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MvLrG-living_tochigi_nikko-shiSun, 20 Dec 2015 21:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MvLrG-living_tochigi_nikko-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/w2gXM-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiIn Japan, some people leave their cars unattended with their engines on while they run into a shop, yet others lock their cars and use alarm systems. Some people hang out at home with a door open, to let in the summer breeze while others have bars over the windows. Perhaps the same house has the bars over the windows and an open door!For me, the best security measure is to make friends with the neighbours. I wasn't able to successfully do this in Japan until I became a housewife and mother, and started to regularly hang out in the parking area and take my child for walks around the block. Those working full time have the biggest challenge to make neighborhood ties, unless they happen to be home owners, thus belonging to a neighborhood association.The other day, a neighbor who has become a good friend alerted me that there was a thief disguised as a repairman in our neighborhood. I think the elderly homeowners in my neighborhood are a much more likely target than myself, nevertheless she warned me not to open the door without checking the monitor first to see if I know the person.When she told me this, I recalled an incident that had occurred a month previously, that had made me feel insecure. I had run out into the street with my baby to ask the guy in a truck with a loud speaker collecting appliances and bicycles if he would take a ricemaker. He said "hai, hai" and followed me to my door. I said "Matte kudasai;" I had to get the rice maker out of the closet. He followed me in through my front door, and as I left to go to the other room, he stepped into my living room and asked if he could use the bathroom! "Chotto, sumimasen" I ushered him out again, pushing the rice maker at him. He had no ill intentions, just he lacked manners.These things made me think: any wannabe attacker could gain access to my home by dressing up in a delivery suit. During the first few years in Japan, when I was working so much, I didn't even know what my Japan Post delivery person looked like. Now, I recognize my Japan Post delivery person, and at least one other delivery person. I encourage all you gal readers to make an effort to do the same.As a woman who is often home alone, with only rudimentary Japanese, I think I ought to be wary but not so wary as not to open the door to receive my deliveries, not so wary as to keep my windows closed and locked all summer. If somebody wants to steal from or attack me, targeting me specifically, they will find a way, won't they?Media in Japan, and gossip, can make people nervous about personal security, but I'd rather not pay much heed to fear-mongering and enjoy my life here, taking some risks, but not letting down my guard completely.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/w2gXM-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiSun, 20 Dec 2015 18:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/w2gXM-living_tochigi_utsunomiya-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wka7z-living_shopping_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiAs a foreigner here in Japan, at first I feltdisconnected to everything and everybody around me in the city, like a helium balloon blowing in the wind, observing and sometimes being observed.It took more than a year to feel a sense of belonging after moving here.Walk around the corner in any town in Japan and surely you will find at least one "mom and pop" shop - usually full of dusty, old stock, run by owners over the age of 60. They depend on neighborhood business, especially bicycle commuters.Ittooka year before I ventured into a couple of small neighborhood shops along my commute. Ididn't speak Japanese at all when I first came to Japan, so it took some courage. I found that just like the vendors in Korea, they have time to chat, and once I started visiting regularly, I got to recognize the vendors, and they came to recognize me.My drying cleaning lady got to know my name, and even provided some extra services for me like repairing rips. The elderly couple at my tailor shop still use a push-pedal sewing machine; their prices and service are unbeatable, and the lady there always chats to me regardless of how much I don't understand.Recently, I have been stopping in at the green grocer half way between my apartment and my school. I usually only spend a few hundred yen. The owner sometimes puts an extra item in my eco-bag. The other day, she reached across and held my hand in talking about how cold it was. Her hands were nice and warm. My heart warmed up too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wka7z-living_shopping_tochigi_utsunomiya-shiSun, 20 Dec 2015 17:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/wka7z-living_shopping_tochigi_utsunomiya-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MxWyw-living_tochigi_utsunomiya_shi_tochigiBeing both ecologically-minded and frugal, I am not keen on buying drain filters. I mean who ever even hear of such a thing before coming to Japan? Alas, I have found a solution to my kitchen sink woes. I hate pantyhose. Japanese ones make me feel like I am hobbled or wearing diapers because the legs aren't long enough, and no matter whether I buy high quality ones or the Y100 store variety, they invariably get a run in them. Mostly, I think it is better to be a woman in Japan except for this one point of being required to wear to nylons to work even on the hottest, most humid days of Japanese summers. OK, back to sink filters. One pair of ruined pantyhose can make at least 6 sink filters. Just cut those legs up into 20 cm sections and with sections lacking a toe, tie a knot in the end to make a bag. Fit the nylon bag into your sink drain as you would with a filter from the store. Be sure to replace the make-do filter at least twice a week. Since I wear a skirt about once a week, and put a run in my pantyhose after about three wearings, I am able to keep a constant supply of sink filters. For the bathroom drain (which is also quite a different structure than the ones back home!), you could do the same, and just take it off and throw it out when it gets full, or get a re-usable plastic filter from the dollar store, and wipe the debris off it with a tissue after each shower. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MxWyw-living_tochigi_utsunomiya_shi_tochigiFri, 11 Dec 2015 01:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/MxWyw-living_tochigi_utsunomiya_shi_tochigihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/GO17M-living_food_shopping_tochigi_utsunomiya_shi_tochigiThe most important thing I needed to learn about when I came to Japan was rice. I grew up with the notion that brown is better: brown sugar, brown bread, brown eggs so why not brown rice? Sushi shops in Vancouver sell sushi rolls with brown rice, so why can't I buy it here?It turns out brown rice is available from bulk bins from some farmer's markets. We buy ours from Azemichi in Utsunomiya, Tochigi. It is called "genmai gohan," which is simply unpolished white rice; if that is too chewy, one can request it to be polished just a little, or it can be mixed with white rice. Brown rice turns out to be cheaper than white, because you don't need to eat so much to feel full, and it doesn't go down as fast as white rice.To cook brown rice, rinse it under the tap briefly, set the timer for at least six hours later so it can soften a bit, and use a little more water than usual. By the way, how about trying rice porridge for breakfast? I pour milk over a bowl of reheated rice, then add some sweetener like sugar, honey or if feeling extravagant, maple syrup and some toppings like nuts, coconut, raisons, sesame seeds, yogurt, and chopped banana. Perhaps with this post, I'll start a kind of rice revolution.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/GO17M-living_food_shopping_tochigi_utsunomiya_shi_tochigiFri, 11 Dec 2015 01:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/maynestacy/GO17M-living_food_shopping_tochigi_utsunomiya_shi_tochigi