Archive for February, 2009

One of my larger Japan purchases was a Siphon Coffee Maker, bought from a store adjacent to the Union Commerce store in Tokyo. For anyone

Pre-heating helps with the brewing time, although a good degree of patients is still required.

interested in coffee or general culinary implements, the district Union Commerce is located in (Kappabashi District I believe) is a must. At first I was planning on purchasing a chef’s knife, however after seeing the insane prices and realizing I would probably use the siphon coffee maker more anyways, I decided with the latter. I’m a coffee geek, and have been interested in trying a siphon coffee maker for quite a while. Some varieties are available on the internet however I was determined to get one made in Japan. The store had many different varieties some of which were quite massive and taller than myself. In fact part of the store looked as though it was filled with chemistry glassware, or was a meth lab in disguise. After finding someone who spoke some english, I chose the Hario 3 cup Coffee Siphon (TCA/50A). I got a few extra cloth filters, and the owner made some espresso as we waited for the bill to be totaled. The only thing I regret was purchasing the maker the second day I was in Japan, subsequently I had to lug the rather large and delicate glass instrument around for the rest of my 15 day Japan tour. In any case it was worth the pain, and amazingly I was able to carry it on the plane as it went through customs and two security checkpoints at the airport with no issue.

Although the siphon (or vacuum) method of brewing originated in France and Germany it seems Japan has, at least in recent history, taken the most interest in the brewing method. Coffee Geek has an excellent article summarizing how to brew with a siphon coffee maker, so I’ll forgo the brewing details in this post. It does take a while to brew compared to other methods, especially if your using an alcohol burner (as I am), but the result is wroth the wait, and watching the brewing process is half the fun. I’d say the finished product will be rather strong if your used to usual drip coffee, much like what you’ll get out of a French Press. The advantage from the siphon method, as far as I know, is the higher level of temperature stability along with the fact the grounds are "pre-infused" so to speak from the heated water vapor rising in the center column. My next step is to see about getting a butane burner to speed up the brewing process or perhaps getting another maker that uses the stove instead of another heat source. The maker I purchased is rather nice (and gold), so perhaps later on I can justify purchasing another one for more frequent use, after I get a decent grinder that is.

I’m a huge fan of Engrish.com so naturally I searched high and low when I was in Japan for some quality Engrish. Although it wast prolific as I had hoped, we did find some a select few that were entertaining.

Despite the poor english, it does get the point across. From the same poster, JR needs to get some better translators. I’ll try my best while seeing the thing Wind never tasted so good The whale burgers here are tastey! Some more JR poster action. I, too, was unaware of those piercing eyes . . . perhaps I should have been more perceptive. And my personal favorite, the "WHITE LOVER" . . . . . . since 1984 no less.

Well that’s all I have for engrlish related items. There was quite a bit more to be had, although I didn’t always have my camera on hand to capture them. Most of the english signage, especially in the large cities, was rather good to be honest. I’m happy to say I’ve finally acclimatized to the MN time zone, so provided work doesn’t continue to be insanely busy I hope to post some additional content shortly before I leave for Miami.

Just as my last trip has ended another has begun. Although I don’t plan to blog much about this at all, I’m planning on traveling to Miami for two weeks in March for business. This trip will be interesting, as I’ve never been to Miami, although I’ve been to Orlando and a few other places in Florida. Most of my time will obviously be occupied with work, however if I do get the chance I plan on venturing around to see the sights, and perhaps eat some good food.

Ema are small wooden plaques at Shinto shrines, where worshipers write their prayers. They are left at the shrine so that Kami (gods) can come and read them. We stooped to view many of these at the various Shinto shrines we visited and some were quite interesting. Below are a few selections of what we saw; most of these are anime themed Ema taken from Shirakawa-go since this was the setting for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. There are a few from other random anime series, including H2O. Although sadly we didn’t have enough time to visit the Luck Star shrine in Tokyo, the Shirakawa-go shrine was quite fun. Its amazing fans journey this far just to see the setting for Higurashi and to pay homage, although now that I think about it I guess I traveled from Minnesota . . .

Ema in Shirakawa-go

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Unknown Ema Unknown Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Unknown Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Random Moyashimon themed Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Unknown Ema Unknown Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Unknown Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Unknown Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema I’m guessing Arurū from Utawarerumono Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema Unknown Ema Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Ema A shot of all the Ema

Other Ema

I don’t believe these characters are from any particular series, the student who placed this Ema is simply wishing to do well on an up coming exam. Another random Ema featuring a lion-tan Miko Ah yes, something we all wish for, World Peace. Ema featuring beckoning cats A nice shot of clusterd Ema And yet, more Ema!

And thats all I’ve got for Ema related pictures. Like I said I’m sure this pales in comparison to the Lucky Star shrine Ema, but these were enjoyable none the less. If you see any that are misslabled (which I’m sure there are), or know the anime series for some of the unknown Ema, feel free to post a comment and I’ll update the captions.

Because of my continued jet lag, I’ve been unable to update this blog as frequently as I had hoped after my return. Even after a few days of being back home my biological clock refuses to set itself. This means I wake up at 3-4am, go to work insanely early, return home and shortly thereafter go to bed. I blame my persistent jet lag on my lab, which has no windows and the weather which has been overcast all week. Anyways, for everyone anyone waiting, here is my first post of many to come regarding my trip to Japan!

Yudanaka Onsen Seifuso

This was the first Ryokan experience we had in Japan. The one bit of advice I would give for anyone venturing to this Ryokan is to get a detailed map of where its located (google maps seemed to work well). By foot, its about a 3-5min walk from the train station, however its rather difficult to determine which Ryokan you should enter since most don’t have english signage. Thankfully, with my iPhone and comparing the Kanji on a few signs we were able do locate our Ryokan after some searching. The fantastic kotatsu in our guest room. Some reviews on Japanese Guest Houses claimed the rooms were not "immaculate", however I was more than satisfied with their cleanliness. Our room was much larger than I had expected, about 14 tatmi mats, and included a kotatsu which was fantastic. Even though we arrived rather late, I was able to try the outdoor onsen (my first Japanese onsen experience). Although I was slightly adverse at being naked, the outdoor bath was great and quite soothing. The staff were extremely nice and helpful, and breakfast the next morning was one of the best Japanese breakfasts I’ve had. On our way out, they provided us with a map to the monkey park as well as some apples for the road. I highly recommend this Ryokan to anyone considering it. The building is beautiful with the courtyard garden, and with two onsen baths there’s always one open for each gender.

Korakukan Jigokudani

This was our second Ryokan; we were going to stay here for two nights however they wouldn’t let us check in late.  The hike to the Ryokan is about 1.8Km by foot, although I believe there is a road that will bring you closer however this is closed in the winter.  This is completely unnecessary however; the walk was nice despite the layer of ice that had formed.  Thankfully the weather was nice although it if were snowing I could imagine the hike to be much more treacherous.  The building itself was interesting, and as many had commented before, seemed like parts were falling into disrepair.  This added to its character however, and once again our room was nice and large with a fantastic view of the valley leading up to the monkey park. Once we had settled in we headed to the monkey park, a short walk from the Ryokan.  I believe the entrance fee was around $10, however it was worth every penny as Trail leading to Korakukan Jigokudani. this is the only place in the world that you can get within feet of “wild” Japanese Snow Macaques.  The park itself is rather small compared to what I had expected, there is a small waiting room with some souvenirs and, ironically enough, an open WiFi access point.  Amazingly enough I was even able to connect while I was at the Ryokan with my Eee PC, although it was a rather weak signal.  Dinner was great, and included crickets which I did try.  They weren’t bad at all, I believe they were cooked in some soy sauce, although I had a hard time getting my mind off the fact they were crickets.   Later that evening we tried the onsen, which smelled slightly of sulfur however this was expected.  The indoor onsen was more to my liking; there was also an outdoor one that was in full view to anyone on the trail to the monkey park.  I was slightly hesitant to try the outdoor onsen, since as I mentioned previously monkeys did use it often and I was afraid of infecting myself with monkey poo.  No need to worry, its been about two weeks and I still feel fine to the best of my knowledge.  It was very soothing for the short time I spent outside and on a clear night the view of the stars is fantastic and well worth the naked walk outside.  If your planning on going to this Ryokan I would recommend going for one night, as the monkey park can easily be covered within 1-2 hours and any other attractions are a 1.8km hike away.  Although slightly run down, it was quite an experience and well with the trip.

Hyatt Regency Kyoto

Viewing Bamboo Blade on the guest room TV. In contrast to the Hakata Green I, the Hyatt Regency Kyoto is one of the best hotels I’ve stayed at.  The service was amazing and the guest room was immaculate and brand new (I believe the hotel opened on 2007).  The best part was they included a 42inch flat panel TV, along with a DVD player which allowed us to sample some of our Akihabara purchases.  When we arrived bellhops with white gloves were quick to take our bags and lead us to our room once we had checked in.  They were even kind enough to show us how to use the TV and other things in our room, and asked us if we’d like a newspaper delivered in the morning.  The mini bar was expectedly full and we filled out the card for breakfast to be delivered the following morning.  The bathroom was the best part, with a deep Japanese soaking tub and shower, which I immediately used.  There was even a personalized letter from the manager with the weather forecast for the next few days   The next morning when we checked out they called a taxi for us, which was compensated, and told us when we returned the day One of the best parts about the Hyatt, the bathroom. after the taxi from the station would also be compensated.  Even though Matt absolutely loathed the Hyatt because of their ridiculous and possibly intrusive service, I was extremely impressed.  If I even stay in Kyoto again I’ll be sure to stay at the Hyatt.  Their prices are rather steep, expect to pay about $40 for a “garden” breakfast which is basically an nice assortment of pastries, fruit, and coffee or tea.  However, like I said, you get what you pay for and in this case much of that is service and amenities.

My NW7 World Business Class face.	My NW20 screeming babies/stuipd people face

If you know me well, you know I’m a fan of Seinfeld. One of the better episodes is when Jerry and Elaine are flying back to New York and Jerry is bumped to First Class while Elaine is shoved back to Coach. That episode, although slightly exaggerated, is just about spot on. I stated out with my flight to Tokyo on NWA7 in World Business Class. Everything went well, the lounges were great although crowded and I was greeted with a pre-flight campaign once I boarded. During the flight, they provided an amenity kit as well as slippers, two meals, free drinks (two glasses of wine in my case), and lie flat bed with massaging functions and a complete AVOD. Everyone in the WBC cabin were of sound mind, and there were no screaming vomiting babies.

My return flight to MSP was cut short, due to a snow storm in Sapporo which caused my connecting flight to be canceled. Stranded at the airport, I called NWA and made new reservations for the following day however they only flight that was available was NWA20 which was a direct flight using a 744. When I made my reservations I specifically chose the NWA8 to SEA because it was in their newer fleet of A330-200 with AVOD and power outlets in some forward coach seats. Furthermore, there was no chance of upgrading to WBC for NWA20 and everything else was booked. I had no choice, I wanted to get home as soon as possible so I took the NWA20 flight. As suspected, none of the coach seats were equipped with AVOD. The seats were the same coach crap you find on domestic 757 flights, the only perk was they handed out some newspapers and I was in the front of the coach section. Boarding went smoothly, although I’ll never figure out why everyone is always in such a rush to get on the damn plane. Unless your flying F class, there is NO reason you need to form a massive line to stand waiting to get on a plate you’ll already be on for 10+ hours, you already have seat assignments, no one is going to steal your seat. Why anyone would want to spend MORE time on that piece of crap is beyond me, so instead I sat at the gate until the line was gone. Everything was going ok until about an hour into the flight, when it was announced there was a medical emergency. Apparently someone had an ulcer. Thankfully who ever it was was well enough to continue the flight to MSP, and there was a doctor on board who was able to provide medical assistance. Then the crying began. There was a baby sitting behind me that literally cried the rest of the flight and another child who felt it was best to run around the airplane making noise. I’m now convinced they should stow babies and or children in the baggage compartment (sedated, naturally). I felt bad for the parents, who did their best to calm their screaming child, but in the end their efforts were futile as the kid continued to vocalize his discontent. After dinner was served, I (along with everyone else), proceeded to the lavatory. There was a line so I stood and waited for my turn. A woman who also had to use the facilities, ignored the line and attempted to open the bathroom door despite the fact it was obviously occupied. After about a minute of this, she finally figured it out although once the person exited she proceeded to again ignore the line. I didn’t really care, she obviously was an idiot and had no concept of a “line”, thankfully the gentleman behind me was nice enough to yell at her and told me to go next. As expected the NWA stewardesses were blunt, but to be honest after working around crowds of stupid angry people for however many years I would be the same way if not worse. After all the screaming and stupidity, we finally landed but it was not over! Right after we touched down, someone thought it was best to get a head start and stood up and proceeded to the exit before we had left the runway. Naturally this caused much deserved yelling to sit his ass down, which he did after finally figuring out what he was doing was dangerous.

I guess NWA20 was not as bad as the Seinfield coach class, but it was close. I’m sure everyone who flies enough has these horror stories to tell, this is just a sampling of my flying experiences most of which are positive. The two people sitting next to me were great to talk to, and the stewardesses were very nice to me since I wasn’t a moron. I guess the moral of the story is to reserve flights on A330 instead of 744 if your flying NWA (or delta now), don’t miss connecting flights listen to the flight crew, and don’t be an idiot.

Fushimi Inari Shrine with literally thousands of Tori.

So far, internet has been rather easy to come by at least while we were staying in Tokyo. Even in the Monkey Park, literally in the middle of no where, I was able to somehow find a wireless access point and check my email and update this blog. However since arriving at Fukuoka I have been unable to find a reliable internet connection. The hotel we stayed at, Hakata Green 1 (yes, there is a Green 2), did not have a connection and the Hyatt Regency has pay internet which I refuse to use.
Anyhow, I have to say Fukuoka was somewhat of a disappointment. This is somewhat my fault, as the week before I left I was extremely busy and simply unable to plan sights for Fukuoka. The weather was also rather poor, the day we arrived it was raining off and on and rather cold. The restaurant I had planned for, the Hidden Kitchen, was unable to seat us since we didn’t have reservations (this was also my fault), and we ended up going to see a movie, Revolutionary Road, which was good but depressing. We also managed to walk through the red light district in Fukuoka by accident, which was rather un-pleasant. We did take a recommended day trip to Daifuzu which was a success aside from continued poor weather.

Today we arrived in Kyoto and so far our previous success has returned. We were able to see all the shrines and temples on our list, and the Imperial Palace. I was able to get some fantastic pictures of Kyoto, and for all you anime fans I took some pictures of Fushimi Inari Shrine (Denno Coil anyone?). Sadly, we were unable to get into the shrine nearby which proportionally was the “love” shrine. If you could walk between two rocks 30m apart blind, you were destined to find someone. Anyways I have a ton more to write about, however since I don’t have nearly enough time I’ll be adding some more posts once I arrive home on the 8th.