Just this past weekend my parents and an aunt came up to visit me in Tokyo. Originally I was only to join them for two days (on the weekend) but after a little bit of juggling of my schedule and some help from Kuroneko Yamato (they brought me a couple of packages earlier than scheduled and allowed me to open up one evening after work), I was able to see them for four out of the six days they were here. Not bad.
Just for the record, they stayed at the absolute high and low ends of the hotel chains in Shinagawa: Toyoko Inn and String Intercontinental. Toyoko Inn is located on the bustling west side (Takanawa) of Shingawa, full of shops and eateries and a terrific "ramen alley" where you can choose from six or seven different types of ramen noodles and fill up for about 700-800 yen ($6 or 5 EUR). The strings, in contrast, is located in a quieter area full of office buildings and the target of redevelopment spanning the last, I don't know, maybe ten years. Its end (the "Konan" side) also has its share of shops and restaurants, and upscale stores like Isetan Queen's and even a branch of Dean&Deluca (where you can buy an ever-so-chic denim logo bag for 2,100 yen.)
They were thrilled to be in the Strings, a five-star located on the 26th and above floors of an office building and perhaps a refuge for stars and businessmen; but being at the Toyoko meant breakfasts of freshly baked croissants and coffee, not too shabby. Of course, normally, to stay in the Strings you need to pay upwards of 30,000 to 40,000 yen -- best to stay there if you can on a free night or as part of a tour group or package.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Halloween only recently adopted in Japan
I can't remember exactly when Halloween started to become a fixture at shops all over Japan, but I definitely remember that when I first came here about 15 years ago it wasn't a very well-known holiday.
Nowadays, it's much different. Although I'm not sure that people know the legend and lore
behind the celebration, they still seem to celebrate its arrival with anticipation and know that at least it has something to do with bats, ghosts and carved-up pumpkins.
In the arcade near JR Nakano station, several shops advertised Halloween costumes and halloween-themed items. Even a favorite snack food of one of my former EM Lyon classmates, Monster Munch (which is available year-round in Europe, by the way!) is brought in only during this season because of its cheery ghost-shaped chips.
For better or worse, Halloween here doesn't include fattening chocolates and candies. You can of course find them at import shops and the like, but if you prefer to abstain it's not difficult.
Photo: Flower shop in Akasaka Mitsuke metro station
Nowadays, it's much different. Although I'm not sure that people know the legend and lore
behind the celebration, they still seem to celebrate its arrival with anticipation and know that at least it has something to do with bats, ghosts and carved-up pumpkins.In the arcade near JR Nakano station, several shops advertised Halloween costumes and halloween-themed items. Even a favorite snack food of one of my former EM Lyon classmates, Monster Munch (which is available year-round in Europe, by the way!) is brought in only during this season because of its cheery ghost-shaped chips.
For better or worse, Halloween here doesn't include fattening chocolates and candies. You can of course find them at import shops and the like, but if you prefer to abstain it's not difficult.
Photo: Flower shop in Akasaka Mitsuke metro station
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Changing Work Hours
I work in downtown Tokyo, meaning that I have a 30-minute commute from where I live. Depending on the time of day, the trains can be packed, as they were yesterday when I rode in at about 7:15AM, or quite pleasant going in, as I expect them to be when I check in for work today at 11 AM. Even with flex-time allowing employees to stagger their hours and come in an hour or two later, the trains are still quite crowded on weekdays. I can see how people could grow tired of this, especially if there commutes are an hour or so, or more!
People obviously come up with coping strategies for the long ride in, which could (depending on the situation) be spent mostly standing up. But that's a topic for another entry.
This week has been a little bit odd as I've had to readjust my internal clock not once, but twice, as the place where I work is short on staff just this week, and so I've had to straddle the time slots where the other staff members work: one works the mornings and the other the evenings, and I've sort of been the relief pitcher in the middle. Well, only in a matter of speaking.
On Monday it was late hours, 11AM to 8PM, then the next day from 8AM to 5PM, and then back today (Thursday) to 11AM to 8PM. Working late will have its perks: as this is company results reporting season, meaning that analysts and their dedicated (I mean that seriously, not sarcastically!?) support staff will be working around the clock, the company may be serving meals during the night (although I will have to see this for myself to believe it!)
Although my room is bright and as a consquence it's hard to stay in bed until late, I still prefer working the evenings because that means I can take the mornings slowly and give my body some time to adjust ... and evenings are not so rushed either, since I know that I can wake up at a decent hour the following day.
A week ago when I first moved into my new apartment, I was skeptical that I would feel at home. But after a long day in the office, staring at a computer monitor and using my brain all the time (translating is taxing!), it's nice to come back to a space that is complete yours, swhip something up in the kitchen, and then take a shower in a unit bathroom (i.e., bath, toilet sink all in one prefabricated room) that has good water pressure ...
People obviously come up with coping strategies for the long ride in, which could (depending on the situation) be spent mostly standing up. But that's a topic for another entry.
This week has been a little bit odd as I've had to readjust my internal clock not once, but twice, as the place where I work is short on staff just this week, and so I've had to straddle the time slots where the other staff members work: one works the mornings and the other the evenings, and I've sort of been the relief pitcher in the middle. Well, only in a matter of speaking.
On Monday it was late hours, 11AM to 8PM, then the next day from 8AM to 5PM, and then back today (Thursday) to 11AM to 8PM. Working late will have its perks: as this is company results reporting season, meaning that analysts and their dedicated (I mean that seriously, not sarcastically!?) support staff will be working around the clock, the company may be serving meals during the night (although I will have to see this for myself to believe it!)
Although my room is bright and as a consquence it's hard to stay in bed until late, I still prefer working the evenings because that means I can take the mornings slowly and give my body some time to adjust ... and evenings are not so rushed either, since I know that I can wake up at a decent hour the following day.
A week ago when I first moved into my new apartment, I was skeptical that I would feel at home. But after a long day in the office, staring at a computer monitor and using my brain all the time (translating is taxing!), it's nice to come back to a space that is complete yours, swhip something up in the kitchen, and then take a shower in a unit bathroom (i.e., bath, toilet sink all in one prefabricated room) that has good water pressure ...
Monday, October 22, 2007
Caramels aux beurre salé -- Tokyo Version
Three years ago, in Paris, I bought salted butter caramels, a specialty of Normandy and Bretagne. They're chewy, or if they're made and eaten fresh, literally melt on your tongue. The sweetness and saltness are just heavenly, for those of you who have been lucky to try them.
Anyhow: the Japanese have always loved caramel (or at least for the last fifty years or so?), but
only recently has salted caramels been on the menus here and there.
In Isetan in Shinjuku, there are not one, but TWO places, that sell caramels. One of them, Henri Le Roux (incidentally the same brand that I bought in Paris, at EUR0,70 a piece (110 yen)) sells them by the box of 10 at a rich 1,575 yen! Incredible! Would you rather have a box of Godiva chocolates, two bowls of ramen, or ten caramels!
Just a month ago, at a Hokkaido fair in one of the department stores, several vendors came selling caramels made with creamy Hokkaido milk and refrigerated (so unstable they are at if you left them out at room temperature during the hot September you would be left with a complete mess). Even these caramels were 840 yen for 10.
Anyhow, you can imagine how mainstream it's gone when you see today's photos: salted caramel bun, sold at, of all places, Lawson convenience store in the station where I get off to go to work. At 110 yen it's not cheap, but I wanted to try it once, for the record. And here it is: brown bread the consistency of a hamburger or hot dog bun on the outside (similar to what the Japanese I think call "koppe pan"), with a butter caramel paste on the inside (stabilized with preservatives but neverthless just the right sweetness).
It was nice to try it once, but I think next time, just so that I don't go hungry, I'll go for a couple pieces of oden ...
=====
LINKS
1)
Salted caramel makers from Hokkaido
-Naganuma （あいすの家）
-Hokkaido Grand Hotel
2)
Henri Le Roux
Japanese home page -- fancy
French/English home page -- simple unpretentious layout
Anyhow: the Japanese have always loved caramel (or at least for the last fifty years or so?), but
only recently has salted caramels been on the menus here and there.In Isetan in Shinjuku, there are not one, but TWO places, that sell caramels. One of them, Henri Le Roux (incidentally the same brand that I bought in Paris, at EUR0,70 a piece (110 yen)) sells them by the box of 10 at a rich 1,575 yen! Incredible! Would you rather have a box of Godiva chocolates, two bowls of ramen, or ten caramels!
Just a month ago, at a Hokkaido fair in one of the department stores, several vendors came selling caramels made with creamy Hokkaido milk and refrigerated (so unstable they are at if you left them out at room temperature during the hot September you would be left with a complete mess). Even these caramels were 840 yen for 10.
Anyhow, you can imagine how mainstream it's gone when you see today's photos: salted caramel bun, sold at, of all places, Lawson convenience store in the station where I get off to go to work. At 110 yen it's not cheap, but I wanted to try it once, for the record. And here it is: brown bread the consistency of a hamburger or hot dog bun on the outside (similar to what the Japanese I think call "koppe pan"), with a butter caramel paste on the inside (stabilized with preservatives but neverthless just the right sweetness).
It was nice to try it once, but I think next time, just so that I don't go hungry, I'll go for a couple pieces of oden ...
=====
LINKS
1)
Salted caramel makers from Hokkaido
-Naganuma （あいすの家）
-Hokkaido Grand Hotel
2)
Henri Le Roux
Japanese home page -- fancy
French/English home page -- simple unpretentious layout
Sunday, October 21, 2007
AmeYoko and Akihabara
Yesterday, on my day off (Saturday), I headed over to Akihabara, the electronics mecca of Tokyo, and the nearby Ameyoko area, near JR Okachimachi station (or Tokyo metro
Naka-Okachimachi station).
These two areas are the antithesis of the riches of Ginza or the upper-class tilt of the Azabu-Juban areas, but I like them for their energy that comes from the crowds passing through in search of bargains and obscure merchandise.
I'll talk more about these areas in future posts, but I'll share a few photos of just a few restaurants in those areas.
Yesterday after getting a haircut in QB House (a no-frills chain sort of like Super Cuts) for exactly 1000 yen, I headed right across the street to a place, Uogashi Nihon Ichi, that has fantastic sushi at lunch for an extremely reasonable 1000 yen. 12 pieces, chawan-mushi custard, and miso soup, with the sushi extremely fresh and an anago (unagi-like fish) strip that was three times the size of the other sashimi ...
The other two snapshots are a) the personal favorite of my family, Pepper Steak, which offers beef and rice served on a sizzling iron skillet -- cheap, fast, but delicious, and 2) doner kebab
sandwiches, which have finally hit Japan. I personally haven't tried it yet, but there was a line of about 3 or 4 people when I passed by. I think the Akihabara bargain seekers (I was one of them!) are starting to recognize how convenient they are, and a good value (better in some ways than a deluxe hamburger at a McDonalds or Lotteria!).
KingKebab, click here.
Pepper Lunch, click here.
Naka-Okachimachi station).These two areas are the antithesis of the riches of Ginza or the upper-class tilt of the Azabu-Juban areas, but I like them for their energy that comes from the crowds passing through in search of bargains and obscure merchandise.
I'll talk more about these areas in future posts, but I'll share a few photos of just a few restaurants in those areas.
Yesterday after getting a haircut in QB House (a no-frills chain sort of like Super Cuts) for exactly 1000 yen, I headed right across the street to a place, Uogashi Nihon Ichi, that has fantastic sushi at lunch for an extremely reasonable 1000 yen. 12 pieces, chawan-mushi custard, and miso soup, with the sushi extremely fresh and an anago (unagi-like fish) strip that was three times the size of the other sashimi ...
The other two snapshots are a) the personal favorite of my family, Pepper Steak, which offers beef and rice served on a sizzling iron skillet -- cheap, fast, but delicious, and 2) doner kebab
sandwiches, which have finally hit Japan. I personally haven't tried it yet, but there was a line of about 3 or 4 people when I passed by. I think the Akihabara bargain seekers (I was one of them!) are starting to recognize how convenient they are, and a good value (better in some ways than a deluxe hamburger at a McDonalds or Lotteria!).KingKebab, click here.
Pepper Lunch, click here.
Where I Am: Nakano - Suburb of Shinjuku
While it is certainly possible to live within central Tokyo, surrounded by the Yamanote line, depending on the area, the rents for small apartments can rival those of, I'm guessing, New York. Some apartments I've sent for rent in the Azabu area or the better parts of Roppongi or Akasaka rent for upwards of 120,000 yen a month. That's at least a $1000US, and for only a one room apartment. Of course for some people proximity to their work and shopping might be a priority, but for those with less options, life in the suburbs (or adjoining prefectures) is a necessity.
I chose to live in Nakano because it lies on a metro line that takes me into Shinjuku in 7 minutes, and only 3 stops, on the Marunouchi line. My office, where I work, is within walking distance of the Akasaka stop of this line, and when I was interviewing for my current position, I was told to find someplace along this line.
I also needed to find somewhere which would rent to foreigners and where I would not need to put up hefty deposits just to guarantee the apartment. As this was my first time living in such a big city (recall the towns I used to live in here in Japan were no bigger than 30,000 people, with the last one no more than 8000 full-time residents), I didn't want to lock myself into a particular area or apartment with a full deposit (2 months in some places), that I might forfeit if I ended my contract too early.
Proximity to a metro station was also important: as much as cheap rent would mean more Japanese sake and sushi, I knew from experience that having access to public transportation within walking distance was a given. Recall that even in Lyon the bus literally stopped right in front of my apartment.
And so, here I am, living near Shin-Nakano, which is actually a bustling area with lots of shops and restaurants and eateries, many of them 24-hour chain restaurants. I hadn't counted on this when I chose this area to live in, but I consider myself lucky. Since I finish late, it's nice knowing that there are convenience stores where I can pick up a late bite; supermarkets that stay open until 12 midnight, or 4 AM, or 24 hours. Even in a pinch I can eat at Matsuya, the arch-rival of Yoshinoya serving flavored-beef bowls.
Sometime soon I'll up some pictures of the area.
=======
I chose to live in Nakano because it lies on a metro line that takes me into Shinjuku in 7 minutes, and only 3 stops, on the Marunouchi line. My office, where I work, is within walking distance of the Akasaka stop of this line, and when I was interviewing for my current position, I was told to find someplace along this line.
I also needed to find somewhere which would rent to foreigners and where I would not need to put up hefty deposits just to guarantee the apartment. As this was my first time living in such a big city (recall the towns I used to live in here in Japan were no bigger than 30,000 people, with the last one no more than 8000 full-time residents), I didn't want to lock myself into a particular area or apartment with a full deposit (2 months in some places), that I might forfeit if I ended my contract too early.
Proximity to a metro station was also important: as much as cheap rent would mean more Japanese sake and sushi, I knew from experience that having access to public transportation within walking distance was a given. Recall that even in Lyon the bus literally stopped right in front of my apartment.
And so, here I am, living near Shin-Nakano, which is actually a bustling area with lots of shops and restaurants and eateries, many of them 24-hour chain restaurants. I hadn't counted on this when I chose this area to live in, but I consider myself lucky. Since I finish late, it's nice knowing that there are convenience stores where I can pick up a late bite; supermarkets that stay open until 12 midnight, or 4 AM, or 24 hours. Even in a pinch I can eat at Matsuya, the arch-rival of Yoshinoya serving flavored-beef bowls.
Sometime soon I'll up some pictures of the area.
=======
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Back in Japan!
I'd never expected to find myself at the beginning of September 2007, in Tokyo. I'd had dreams of possibly working in Europe (or still chasing after jobs at this time of year), which is one of the reasons that I went to business school abroad: I wanted to get an MBA and be able to savor Europe at least once in my life. And that I've done.
Through a whole mysterious chain of events, I now find myself here in Tokyo, far away from my previous life in Kyushu. I'd always heard about people "going to live and work in Tokyo" but hardly expected that I would join their numbers some day. Of all places to work, I had thought that life in Tokyo would be miserable and crowded and expensive. Hardly the type of place where I'd like to live.
True, the mass media does like to focus on the high rents and miniscule apartments, and the occasional expensive items found in Ginza department stores. But Tokyo is also a hodgepodge of high and lowbrow culture: side by side with the LV stores and countless boutiques near Omotesando are the small eateries selling meals for 300-500 yen, not more than 2-3 EUR at current exchange rates.
Sure, in some ways Tokyo can be expensive, but the quality of life can be pretty good if you know how to live smartly. In the next few weeks I hope to touch on different aspects of my new life here in Tokyo. I hope you find it either instructive, entertaining or both. If anything I hope it will give you some insight into what it means to live in Tokyo.
It is a challenge, and (like New York), you do have to work to live here. But it is a city brimming with things to eat, see and buy and I hope that I won't get fed up with this place too soon. I've only been here one month!
Through a whole mysterious chain of events, I now find myself here in Tokyo, far away from my previous life in Kyushu. I'd always heard about people "going to live and work in Tokyo" but hardly expected that I would join their numbers some day. Of all places to work, I had thought that life in Tokyo would be miserable and crowded and expensive. Hardly the type of place where I'd like to live.
True, the mass media does like to focus on the high rents and miniscule apartments, and the occasional expensive items found in Ginza department stores. But Tokyo is also a hodgepodge of high and lowbrow culture: side by side with the LV stores and countless boutiques near Omotesando are the small eateries selling meals for 300-500 yen, not more than 2-3 EUR at current exchange rates.
Sure, in some ways Tokyo can be expensive, but the quality of life can be pretty good if you know how to live smartly. In the next few weeks I hope to touch on different aspects of my new life here in Tokyo. I hope you find it either instructive, entertaining or both. If anything I hope it will give you some insight into what it means to live in Tokyo.
It is a challenge, and (like New York), you do have to work to live here. But it is a city brimming with things to eat, see and buy and I hope that I won't get fed up with this place too soon. I've only been here one month!
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