Tech mecca

Craig:

On a global scale, Japan is probably most known for their technology.  Japanese electronics and automobile technology account for a massive percentage of the world market.  Most of you probably have at least one, if not many, of Japan’s products in your own home.  You might be reading this blog on a piece of Japanese technology right now.  Fuji, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Hitachi, and Toshiba are all major players in Japan’s electronics world with companies like Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, and Subaru each contributing vitally to the automobile industry.  During our one week in Japan, Bridget and I got to see a lot of these technologies at work. 

One of the first places we explored was the Sony showroom.  If you like technology, this would be your heaven.  Seven floors of big screen HDTVs, mp3 players, cameras, laptops, sound systems and all the accessories one could hope for occupied a good two hours of our time.  We got to see the latest in 3D TV technology which will probably be on the market soon.  I don’t know if I could watch TV with glasses on for more than five minutes but I am sure they will sell like hotcakes when they are available. 

Not far from the Sony showroom was the Nissan showroom.  They had on display the latest in zero emission cars.  The car on display was big enough for one person and was totally self sufficient through the use of solar power.  It didn’t look like I would be able to fit in it but very cool anyhow. 

Nissan Showroom

 Japan does well at incorporating technology into everyday living.  You can get anything out of a vending machine…flower arrangements, beer, shoe shines, DVD players to name just a few. 

Flower arrangement vending machine

 automatic shoe shine machine

Instead of a simple flush lever, the toilets come with several selections of water spray and noise makers to use while you are doing your business.  All come at the touch of a button.  Bridget was particularly fond of the heated toilet seats. 

 Parking cars and bicycles is even made simpler with automatic elevators, pulley systems, and multi level storage systems which enables mass storage of things in small spaces. 

Seven story parking elevator

Even outside the city of Tokyo, the technology still thrives.  Our favorite fish tank in Hakone turned out to be a TV fish tank where a flat panel TV is used to project a fish on the front side of the tank. 

TV screen fish tank

 At the Venus Fort shopping center, the ceiling changes colors as the day goes by.  At times it looked real enough that you  could be shopping at an outside mall.

Venus Fort ceiling (day)

Venus Fort ceiling (sunset)

Close by Venus Fort was the Toyota showroom where we got to see the improvements and innovations being made in relation to handicap people. 

Toyota showroom

 I was very impressed with the trumpet playing robot. 

 It was not until the ride to the airport when we left that I saw the coolest thing.  Sanae’s car had a mini TV screen in the dash.   The GPS mapping system will tell you a ridiculous amount of information.  It shows on the screen the next exit and what the signs will look like when you get to that exit. 

 It also gives you an estimated time of arrival for that exit based on your current speed and driving conditions.  It was pretty accurate as well… its prediction of our arrival at the airport junction of 40 minutes was spot on.  

Lost in Translation

Bridget:

As a native English speaker, I realize I am very lucky to know this language so thoroughly, as it truly is the international language.  Almost every sign or piece of important information we encounter while traveling is usually written in the home country’s language and English.   However, I can’t help but chuckle a little when I see grammar or spelling mistakes made on permanent signs.   Here are just a few of the signs around Tokyo that were written in “Engrish:”

Itadakimasu!

Bridget:

One of the best parts about visiting Japan is the abundance and variety of delicious foods.  Yes, yes, the sushi is amazing and incredibly fresh, but there are so many other dishes that leave you wanting more, more, more.  I will do my best to describe each of the foods we devoured and couldn’t get enough of over the mere week we spent, in my opinion, in one of the best countries for culinary delights.   But first, a little vocabulary lesson:

1. Before every meal in Japan, you must say, “Itadakimasu,” which means “let’s eat!” 
2. “Kampai” is the Japanese way of saying “cheers!”
3. “Oishi” means “delicious!”
4. “Izakaya” is a traditional style Japanese restaurant and bar (see picture below):

I’ll start with a familiar one.  Sushi…but not just any sushi…this is kaitenzushi.  Translated it means conveyor-belt style sushi.  You just take a seat, pick any plate as it comes your way, then pay for the number of empty plates you’ve stacked up at the end of the meal.  I have seen a few of these in the States.   Also, the sushi doesn’t come in rolls, as we Americans are used to.  Sorry, you won’t find deep-fried rolls or gooey cream cheese in the middle.  Just a roll of vinegared rice topped with raw fish.  Oishi!

Probably my favorite food, my dad’s favorite, Craig’s favorite….well, you get the idea…. is yakitori, or “chicken on a stick.”  But this isn’t just any chicken on a stick, my friends.  This is succulent chicken thigh meat cut into little pieces, seasoned, and grilled over open hot charcoals.  Then you can top it with shichimi, a seven-spices sort of seasoning you can find at almost every izakaya.  Don’t forget to pair it with some hot or cold salted edamame (soy beans). Oishi!

Along the same line as yakitori is “asuparabeekon,” or bacon wrapped asparagus on a stick: 

I scream, you scream, we all scream for….green tea ice cream?  Or how about…purple potato ice cream?  Well, they may sound odd, but they tasted pretty awesome.  For the more adventurous folk, why not try….drum roll please…wasabi ice cream?

Not sure what this is called, or even what it tastes like, but it sure looks good.  Kind of like a Japanese burrito:

Probably the most fun we had going out to eat was having dinner at a yakiniku restaurant.  This basically means that you can order raw meats and vegetables and grill them yourself on your own built-in grill right in the middle of your table.  We took advantage of the “all you can eat” deal and used the little handheld electronic menu to order more meat or veggies as necessary (okay, well Sanae did since it was all written in Japanese).  We talked about having yakiniku the entire week, and finally did it for our last official meal in Japan.  So much fun!

Last but not least, I must take a few minutes to describe one of the most amazing culinary experiences we’ve ever had (in any country).  In the last post, Craig wrote about staying at a ryokan, which is a traditional Japanese style inn.  Usually included in your hotel fees are dinner and breakfast.  This involves all guests meeting at the same time (imagine that!) and sitting down for a multi-course meal.  Our dinner consisted of ten courses.  I couldn’t tell you what many of the foods were that we ate that night, but I can tell you that each course was a beautifully presented tray of gorgeous little dishes, all containing some new texture, flavor, or aroma.  It was like an adventure of the palette, if you will.  The following snapshots are just a few of the more striking courses.  Breakfast, was equally impressive.

There were many other yummy treats we sampled like octopus balls (don’t get the wrong idea here), dumplings, raw ham, etc.   Unfortunately, we did not take any photos due to overwhelming hunger, watering of the mouth, or sheer greed.  Please forgive us. 

Hakone

Craig:

It was decided that a trip to Japan would not be complete without staying a night at a traditional Japanese inn called a "ryokan."  We took the train about an hour outside of Tokyo to an area called Hakone.  Hakone is a quiet little mountain village home to a few of Japan’s natural hot springs.  Its main attraction is a sightseeing loop which uses many different kinds of transportation including a railway, ropeway, and pirate ship.  We took the first leg of the loop up to our Ryokan on a railway.  The train ride was very interesting due to the physical geography of the tracks.  The train tracks had to switchback up the mountainside stopping every once in a while to change track and direction.  We arrived at our accommodation just in time to take a quick nap before dinner.  Dinner at a ryokan is a very enjoyable experience which Bridget will cover in an upcoming blog post, but all I have to say about it is “incredible.” 

Our room was split into two sections, one comprised of mainly western furniture with TV and couches.  The other section resembled a traditional Japanese home complete with futon, tatami mat, and a table which must be knelt at to use effectively.  We also received a Japanese robe, called a yukata, to wear during the evening.  Bridget and I did not wear ours to dinner but had some fun later with them:

Most Ryokans have an onsen, which is a hot mineral water bath.  After dinner, we relaxed a little bit and then went for a dip in the hot waters.  It is Japanese tradition to wash yourself before entering the pool and good etiquette to not wear any clothes in the pool (men and women have separate areas).  The minerals in the water are very good for the skin.  We arose the next morning and ate yet another great breakfast.  I am a “bacon and eggs”  type of guy but quickly warmed to the idea of eating rice and miso soup for breakfast.

We started the morning by touring the Hakone Open Air Museum.  This museum is all (well…mostly all) outdoors and consists of sculptures and interesting structures.  The “mostly all” section is a very nice Picasso building which houses a large collection of Picasso ceramics, pencil drawings, and glass art.  If you are like me and thought Picasso only painted, then this would have been an interesting place to see. 

We finished the museum walk with a soak in some more hot pools and a climb to the top of a stained glass tower to catch the view of the whole museum. 

After the museum we began the second section of the loop by cable car and then by ropeway.  The ropeway took us over deep canyons forests and offered a great view of Mt. Fuji (the peak had some pesky cloud cover that would not go away).  At the top of the ropeway was Owakudani, famous for its black boiled eggs (eggs boiled in geothermal waters).

We then descended down the mountain by ropeway to board the pirate ship.  The ship took us across a lake to the bus station where we would finish the loop.  Here are some pictures of the journey. 

Making the trip to Hakone was well worth it.  We got away from Tokyo and saw a little bit different side of Japan.  Another big thank you goes out to Gary and Sanae for their fabulous recommendations.  

Cherry Blossom Season in Japan

Bridget:

One of the most beautiful birthday cards I’ve ever received was one from my Dad, about fifteen years ago.  It was from Japan, where he lives, and the cover was decorated with white and pink cherry blossoms in full bloom.  My Dad would rave about them, telling me they were the most spectacular sight to see in Japan.  I visited him in May of 2001, but unfortunately I was about two months too late to see any cherry blossoms in bloom.  I knew I had to come back to Japan someday to see them, but school schedules (both as a student and teacher) always conflicted with the trees’ blooming patterns.   When Craig and I were deciding what dates we would come visit my Dad in Tokyo, coming during cherry blossom season was a top priority. 

We arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday night, March 30.  Throughout the next week, we toured the most populated city in the world and fell in love with these gorgeous trees.  As it turns out, we timed it just right and saw the trees go from about 80% to 100% full bloom, or as the Japanese call it, “mankai.” The Japanese also love these trees, so much in fact, that they hold “cherry blossom viewing parties” under these canopies of cotton candy.  It’s like having a big picnic with your closest friends, family, or coworkers.   Craig and I got to see some of these parties being held in Ueno Park, one of the most popular spots for cherry blossom viewing:

"Hanami"  cherry blossom viewing parties in Ueno Park

Don't forget to take off your shoes!

There are several spots around Tokyo to see the cherry blossoms, but one of the most spectacular sights was the night-time cherry blossom viewing in Chidorigafuchi.  After dark, the trees are lit up with pink and white flood lights, creating the most surreal viewing experience:

Cherry blossoms bloom around the Imperial Palace's moat, with view of Tokyo Tower in background.

My dad, Gary, and Sanae at night-time cherry blossom viewing.

If you ever have a chance to visit Japan, please, please, please go around the end of March or beginning of April to see the cherry blossoms.  It has probably been one of the better decisions we’ve made since traveling.

Tokyo!

Bridget:

From March 30 to April 6, Craig and I spent an amazing week checking out Tokyo, Japan.  My dad, Gary, has lived there for almost 20 years now and was able to play tour guide the entire week.  We had a blast doing everything from sightseeing, people watching, eating fantastic Japanese cuisine, and even taking a side trip to Hakone, a natural hot springs resort town.  Since we covered so much ground in one week, we have decided to break up our Japan blog posts into topics, rather than try to cover each day chronologically.  Hope you enjoy!

Farewell to Australia

Craig:

We left Noosa Heads ready to explore the rest of Queensland's great beaches.  We quickly found out however that most of the beaches were still cleaning up from Cyclone Ului which had passed through a week earlier so our beach time was limited in Queensland.  We still made the drive to Airlie Beach and Mission Beach just to check them out.  Airlie Beach is a popular jump off spot for visiting the very tropical Whitsunday Islands.  It was more a ghost town when we drove through.  Ului had made its landfall right in the area and there were still parts of the town without electricity.  The marina suffered a lot of damage and many boats had been thrown onto the rocks from the wind and high seas:

It was the same story in Mission Beach.  Its famous palm lined beach was still cleaning up and restoring electricity to the area.  We decided to skip the rest of our intended beach destinations and head for Cairns to try to make a trip out to the Great Barrier Reef.

On the way, we managed to stop a some pretty cool places.  We made the hour drive inland to see Australia's tallest waterfall.  Wallaman Falls is in Girringun National Park, which is home to the oldest continually living rain forest in the world.

The drive out to falls winded and curved through very lush and dense tropical forest.  We continually saw signs telling us to drive slow to avoid cassowaries but we did not get to see any.  It was on the drive back down to the coast that it started raining.

And continued to rain...

We pulled into Paronella Park, our camping destination for the night.  We came to Paronella Park based on the recommendation for some friends in New Zealand.  We really did not know what it was but we were greeted with umbrellas at our car door upon arrival which was great.  The park turned out to be a historical homestead that used to be a theme park type location back in the 1930's.  We were treated to two tours of the park, one day tour and one at night.

At night, they would light up the old buildings and waterfalls to create a very cool scene.  They even hooked us up with a covered place to put the tent to stay dry for the night.  We got up the next morning and finished the drive to Cairns (it was still raining).

Our last two days in Australia were spent trying to stay dry.  We did not know when we decided to go to Cairns but we came right in the middle of their wet season.  We tried to book a trip out to the reef but the weather did not cooperate.  We spent the days getting ready for Tokyo, getting a haircut, sending some post cards, and relaxing a little bit in our room.  We were pretty disappointed that we did not get to go out to the reef but that just means we will have to come back.  I think we will plan a little more the next time we come. 

We had fun in Australia.  We got to cross off most of the things on our original "to-do" list and then some.  So farewell to Australia for now... we will be back!

Next stop: Tokyo, Japan