Final Count Down

Not much is happening over on this side of the world, other than the rain in my backyard. I keep making plans, but it keeps raining. Last weekend, I was supposed to go to an amusement park near Mt. Fuji, and last night, I was supposed to climb Mt. Fuji to watch the sunrise. Both plans had to be cancelled due to rain/forecasts of rain. Maybe the Fuji weather gods hate me???

On a different note, the final countdowns are beginning. Six days until my friend Heather moves to Japan (someone has to fill the 'sconnie void when I leave Japan). Ten days until I head off to search for enlightenment in VietNam and Cambodia (or at least see some awesome sights and take lots of pictures). And last but not least, 34 days until I fly back to the States. There is still a lot I want to do here in Japan, but I am also looking forward to heading home and seeing everyone!

Heat - Check, Humidity - Check

Must be summer in Japan! I'm not sure if it is so smart for me to start running again right now, but I am putting forth my best effort. So far, I have run the last four days in a row even though it has been about 80% humidity. I keep telling myself that I have to try to cram before I try to climb Mt. Fuji (it's going to be a long walk, even starting halfway up)!



This past Saturday, the last Harry Potter book went on sale worldwide. On CNN, they showed the long lines and talked about the record-breaking sales, but it was a much different story here. This is a picture of the bookstore by my school, and their attempt to promote the new book. It doesn't look too popular, but then again, it is a big, English-only book. I'm sure when the Japanese version comes out, the lines will be long!

Ever wonder what you can buy on the observation floor (45th floor) of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building? Sunglasses of course, as Ena and I found out. After a pre-farewell dinner with some of my staff, we went to look at the night view of Shinjuku (the skyscraper district of downtown Tokyo). We couldn't pass up trying on some of the lovely sunglasses for sale at the gift shop. Are they me?

Monday, Monday, Monday.... Keirin Races!

I finally made it to the Tachikawa velodrome to watch some keirin racing this past Monday! Keirin is a type of bicycle track racing that originated in Japan. Each race consisted of five laps, with the first four being paced by a "pacer" (in this case a man on a bicycle), and the last lap was an all-out sprint. When the pacer is on the track, racers are not allowed to pass him, but rather jockey for position in the peloton. The final lap is the sprint, which was pretty amazing to watch considering the equipment these guys were riding. Keirin racers must ride NJS-approved, steel, single-speed, fixed-gear bicycles (coasting is not an option). Their clothing was the most surprising thing though. Each rider wore matching shorts and a different colored shirt/helmet cover. The shirts were slightly loose-fitting and appeared to have pads in the shoulders and back.


Keirin racing is serious business over here in Japan! Many people warned me that I would be the only foreigner there, and that I would most likely be the only woman there. And let me tell you, they weren't lying! Keirin racing is akin to horse or greyhound racing in the States (complete with pari-mutuel betting), and it was definitely a man's place. I got a couple stares and overheard a man standing next to me talking about me. But all in all, it was a good experience. Not sure I would go again, as I found it difficult to listen to the men taunt the riders they had bets on and verbally berate the riders whom lost them money. These guys are humans, that just pushed their bikes to probably around 60 km/h... give them a break buddy!


Here is a picture of one of the heats preparing at the starting line. The whole track was fenced in, so I could not get a better picture than this.




And the final sprint (near the finish line). It was amazing to watch these guys zip past you! Keirin racing is so big in Japan (and can also be very lucrative), that the top professionals often refuse to compete in the Olympics or outside of Japan.


And in the final picture of the week, it is election time in Japan again! Electoral advertising is a bit different in this country. Instead of running television ads and putting up yard signs, candidates here hang small posters on designated bulletin boards and drive around neighborhoods blaring speeches and campaign slogans out loud speakers. I am not sure if/what this guy was campaigning for, but I found him outside of Shinjuku station on Sunday evening. His van looks like a candidate van, and he performed a highly energetic dance from the top of it. :)

Tanabata Festival

7 July 2007 marked Tanabata in Japan. While this day was considered lucky all over the world, it was especially important in Japan. Tanabata is an important annual Japanese celestial holiday. It celebrates the story of a girl (Vega) who wove silk for her father amongst the stars. She wanted to find a husband though, and her father arranged for her to meet a cow herder (Altair). They fell in love and married, but she stopped weaving silk and he let his cows run freely in the galaxy. Thus, the father banished them to opposite sides of the Milky Way. The girl cried at this, and the father eventually agreed to let them meet one day a year (7/7), if the girl completed her weaving. Today, Tanabata is celebrated festival style, complete with street decorations, food stalls, and carnival games. Some festivals are small, but Hiratsuka has a large, four-day festival I went to this past Sunday.

It's a small world after all.... This was one of the displays hung over the street at the festival. I understand the Thai dancers, the Hawaiian people, the cactus and sombreros for Mexico, and the gondolier for Italy, but I don't understand the row of women performing a kick line on the gondola. Does anyone want to take a guess?

It's Momotaro! (aka Peach Taro) He is part of Japanese folklore also. It is said that he came from a peach, was raised by an older, childless couple, and went on to defeat demons with a monkey, dog, and pheasant. He is very popular in Japan.

Lastly, a local vegetable stand I came across in my neighborhood. Just rummage through you pockets for proper change, insert coins, and reach in for your tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, etc. No need to worry about staffing the stand, theft, or making change. One word, smart!

Japanese Architecture

This past weekend I went to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architecture Museum in the neighboring city of Koganei. In 1993, the government decided to preserve examples of traditional architecture in the Tokyo area and moved approximately 25 buildings to a park in Koganei. This is important because Tokyo has been almost completely rebuilt twice in the last century (after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and after the destruction of WWII). The buildings in the park range from a farm house circa 1742 to shops, houses, and a public bath from the early 1900s.

A common element in traditional architecture is seamlessly blending the outdoors with the indoors. Thin rice paper walls can be slid shut to separate the drawing room from the enclosed balcony that overlooks the back garden. The tatami mats (straw flooring material) also help to encourage this harmony and are a renewable flooring option still commonly used in Japan today.

This is an umbrella maker's shop (traditional paper parasols). I couldn't help but take a picture with the old bike in front. I would like to have a bike like this some day; so traditional and simple, but built like tanks and not too common over here anymore.

Sumimasen! Biru mitsu, onegaishimasu! Unfortunately, no one was working at the bar this afternoon to serve Jenny, Charlene, and I. A surprising thing is that you can still find small bars like this in back alleys and older areas of Tokyo.

An antique urinal featuring ceramic slippers. This was in one of the houses at the museum. So, would you take your actual slippers off to use the ceramic ones?