Odaiba and Venus Fort!

Yesterday we headed to Tokyo Bay! To the area of Odaiba to be exact. It's quite a drive from the Fuchu area where we are staying but it's always fun to drive through the various neighborhoods and get a feel for the city. Atsuko made us onigiri to get us through the drive and we snacked and visited our way to Odaiba.
Odaiba is a popular shopping and entertainment district on a man made island in Tokyo Bay. It originated as a set of small man made fort islands (daiba literally means "fort"), which were built towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to protect Tokyo against possible attacks from the sea and specifically in response to the gunboat diplomacy of Commodore Perry.
More than a century later, the small islands were joined into larger islands by massive landfills, and Tokyo began a spectacular development project aimed to turn the islands into a futuristic residential and business district.

 

There are many places to explore in Odaiba which I hope to get around to doing at some point during the warmer months, but for yesterday we drove around a bit seeing the sights, like the Gi-normous Ferris Wheel that I am NEVER riding because ferris wheels terrify me, but it is amazing to look at!                 



We also saw the futuristic space station like Fuji Tv Building.

We did stop at one place though that was unbelievable...it was the mall. Not just any mall, the Venus Fort mall! I have seen countless malls in 4 different countries now and I have never seen a mall as impressive as this one. (Sorry, Mall of America, Sorry, Albrook Mall or Multi Plaza) This mall is actually a recreation of an Italian city from the eighteenth century! It is completely life sized with columns and colonades, fountains and amazing architecture! It's roof looks like the sky and the lighting changes from dawn to day to evening throughout the day..so cool!!! I told Atsuko that if we were animals in a zoo we would be totally fooled by this mall! We were able to see the winter light show and it just made the whole experience surreal!

 

 

Fountain at Venus Fort

 

 



Gary and I 

 

 

 

They also had a very nice food court and I was able to get some delicious Indian Food and a GIANT Nan! 



Another pleasant surprise was that there were many outlet stores in the mall and the prices were affordable!  Here are a couple of short videos for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

 

 

That's it from Japan for now! Tomorrow we head back Stateside for about a month while we finish up our immigration paperwork, then it's back here and time to rent our own apartment and church building and get to work!

Asakusa and SUMO town!!!

 

Yesterday we did a quick tour of the Asakusa area with the famous Senso-ji temple and pagoda. 

 

A Handsome man and me!

Five Layer Pagoda

 

They had 4 very ugly 'gods' protecting the temple gates. One entrance gate had buddhist gods and the other gate had shinto gods.

 

There was also a giant chochin at one of the gates, it's very, very large!

 

 

 

Afterward we did a little souvenir shopping at a few of the open stalls.

 

 

 It was late so a lot of the stalls were closing up for the night but it's definitely a place we will want to go back to during the day to do some exploring.
As we headed out we had a great view of the Golden Poo building. It's supposed to be the golden foam on the mug of beer shaped building it's on top of...but everyone just calls it the golden poo building.. because , lets be honest...

We got some pictures of the Sky Tower, Gary insists he'll get me up that some day...I don't think so, I really don't care for heights especially in earthquake land. It was really cool to see though!

 

That was it for Asakusa...on to Sumo town! We got back in the car and headed to Ryogoku. Sumo town is where the wrestling arena that holds up to 10,000 people is located as well as several Sumo Stables where sumo wrestlers live and train.
                              

 

 It's also home to a number of Chanko Nabe restaurants ,several of which are run by retired Sumo wrestlers. If you've read some of my other posts you will have seen references to different Nabes we have eaten..Nabe simply means pot..Chanko is the type of nabe dish made by Sumo Wrestlers.
                                                                 
                

 

 

We found a cozy chanko nabe place complete with traditional style tables and zabutan mats to sit on and regular style tables with stools. The place was hopping with businessmen eating around the simmering pot in the middle of their tables and laughing and joking.  



We found a small table and decided on the ever popular Chicken Chanko Nabe. Originally the Sumos preferred the chicken and seafood Chanko Nabe because one way to lose a wrestling match is to go down on all fours on the mat so they didn't like to eat the meat of 4 legged animals. Apparently they aren't as superstitious any longer and there are pork and beef Chanko Nabes available as well.  Before we started on the Chanko Nabe though there was something else on the menu that we had to give a try...    



                                                                     Here we go!

 

 

                                             " What do you think Lisa?"    Hmmm...not bad!

 

Then it was time for the famous Chanko Nabe!

 

We started off putting in the ground chicken mixture to make the dumplings.

 

 

 

Then the pieces of chicken thigh were added to the broth and left to boil a while and then all the veggies were added!

 

 

Soon we had this!

 

 

And Gary and I looked like this!

 

 

Afterwards Gary was thanking the little old lady at the shop and she kept laughing and patting his belly saying, Little Sumo!       

 

And we three finished the WHOLE pot!!!

 

 

 

  

 

Shabu Shabu!!!!!

Last night Atsuko took us to a Shabu Shabu restaurant. Shabu Shabu, is an onomatopoeia, derived from the sound emitted when the ingredients are stirred in the cooking pot. Our Shabu Shabu restaurant offered different simmering broths to choose from for cooking our meat and veggies. There was a rich pork broth, a kimchi broth, a sukiyaki broth and traditional Shabu Shabu broth. We had the traditional Shabu Shabu broth and the Sukiyaki broth. Thin slices of beef  and pork were brought to our table as well as Ponzu dipping sauce  (a citrus, soy sauce, mirin blend) and a very nice sesame dipping sauce. We went to the raw veggie buffet and picked out mushrooms, fresh leafy greens, tofu, thinly sliced daikon radish, leeks, carrots and yam noodles etc. It was cute at the veggie buffet because under the different veggies was a name and picture of the farmers and where there farms were located. i.e. This is Jiro san, he proudly grew your daikon radish on his farm in...
(Don't mind me in the picture, its what I look like after 2 days with an earache)

Atsuko added all the sukiyaki ingredients into the boiling sukiyaki pot.

 

 

After the Sukiyaki was simmering we started in on the Shabu Shabu broth. Here's Atsuko and I cooking almost paper thin sliced pieces of pork , we would then dip the cooked slices into the Ponzu or sesame sauce and eat it. I really liked cooking the thinly sliced Daikon radish it had a very refreshing flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

Both of the boiling pots produced delicious fare. The Sukiyaki offerd a rich flavor, seasoned with soy sauce and sugar, while the Shabu-Shabu was a  lighter flavor that was wonderful with the dipping sauces.

 

When the sukiyaki finished cooking, I ate it in the traditional Japanese style. I broke a raw egg into a bowl and beat it with my chopsticks, then I would take pieces of meat, noodles, mushrooms or tofu from the simmering pot, dip it in the egg and eat it. The beaten egg helped cool the hot food and added a mild flavor to it that was quite good.

 

 

 

When the broth simmered down we would add either sukiyaki sauce or water to the pot to either strengthen or lighten the broth. That's what the two little jars in the picture below are.

 

 

 

We ate and ate and ate...so wonderful and delicious with a side of white rice!

 

Pushers...not the kind you think.

Yes, they exist and we met them today. We had an early meeting with our lawyer today so we had to brave morning rush hour train traffic. Being a bit claustrophobic, I spent most of the three different train rides holding on to the hand strap, with my eyes closed trying to think happy thoughts.  I became entirely closer to random strangers than I've ever been with anyone apart from my husband! The Japanese take it in stride though and studiously ignore the inappropriate proximity of their fellow passengers.

Cars of times gone by...

Throughout our almost 29 yrs. of marriage dear hubby and I have had many cars. None of them have been new, which probably explains why we've had so many! The following pictures aren't of our actual cars, but I tried to match the colors where I could.
The first car we purchased was a '66 Belvedere, we paid a whopping $175.00 for it and we drove it from Wisconsin to Mexico and back more than once! Eventually, it was sold in Mexico and I wouldn't be surprised if it's still being driven around!

We were one of the few cars in our village in Mexico and Gary would use it to haul all the village laundry (okay it was several neighbors and our laundry) to the river for washing. We were a big hit in the village with our car and since we provided the car all the ladies shared their lunch with me. This usually meant someone would dig a hole in the sand next to the river and when clean water filtered up it was added to a pot over a fire,someone else would supply fish,someone else onion and garlic,someone else tortillas...well you get the idea. It was always delicious after a morning of scrubbing clothes on a rock. At the end of the day, after the clean clothes finished drying on the bushes, we would load them back into the car and Gary would drive them back to the village while the ladies and I leisurely strolled the couple miles home.

When we weren't going to the river, we would get around the village on our little motorcycle. Since the roads were all dirt and mostly holes and pits it was more practical.

Later, back in the States we ended up with a couple of Dodge Darts. Dad bought one of them from me to help me out once. Years later when he was in the hospital I found my keychain from that car in his pants pocket, it was old and worn but he had carried it for 16 yrs., I carry it now.

 Later we would trade my wedding dress for a cute little 1960 Ford Falcon, it wouldn't go faster than 55 mph., but since that was the speed limit at the time, it didn't matter! It was such a cool little car!

 We ended up back in college in Ky. and we went through several vehicles, we just kept swapping cars. Hey, it's a Kentucky thing! One summer we started with a Big car, I don't remember what it was, we called it el Tiburon. We traded that for a cool VW van...I loved that little hippy van!

At some point we sold it and the car swapping began. In a couple of months we ended up with a Maverick,

  then a small truck and a pop up camper. Summer's end found us with a Big Dodge van for our move to New Mexico. We didn't have a back seat so my father in law just bolted a seatbelt to the floor for our sons carseat  and the roof was ugly so I painted it with house paint!
Funny how different cars will remind me of different times of my life, I guess cars are like a part of the family in their own way.

  

  

  

  

  

  

Snow in Tokyo

What?!

 

 

Todays snow (about 3") was enough to really mess Tokyo up. Between the snow and strong winds trains were  stopped, businesses and schools closed early and worst of all I was trapped in the house since I have no boots and it was a slushy wet mess outside!  Everyone in Denver and Wisconsin can now laugh at how 3" did all of that! 

Octopus vs. Hot Dog

 

                               My new all-time favorite way to eat octopus! Deep Fried!

Deep Fried Octopus Legs!

  The worst way ever to eat a hot dog! This hot dog is packaged, not refridgerated..so it has to have a ton of preservatives ... the flavor was less than optimal the only really good thing about it was the bread was fresh and the mustard was good!

Packaged Hot Dog

 

The clear winner in this contest was the Octopus! Go Tako!

 

 

 

Opening soon near you!

 

 

                               

Kawaii!

Kawaii in Japanese means cute. If I was going to use one word to describe this country Kawaii would certainly be in the running. Japan has a ridiculously, inordinate amount of CUTE things! Gary and I went to Tokyo train station the other day and there was a whole wall filled with cute things,  tons of figurines and knick knacks, including cute bunny in a kimono! How cute is that?!

wall of cuteness!

Kawaii Usagi!!!

I've been in kitchen stores and right next to the dishes and pans will be a bunny nabe pot, or the cutest little kitty bowl, I wouldn't be able to cook or eat without saying , "AWWW,  kawaii!"

Panda Nabe Pot

We spent an afternoon in Tachikawa with Atsuko last week. She took us to a mall and the whole 6th floor was filled with just cute stuff! Pens shaped like rocket ships or vegetables, erasers that were very detailed cars, buttons with grumpy cats on them, darling billfolds and purses, so much cuteness everywhere!
And then we went to the food floor, there is a whole floor with amazing food gifts. I saw a custard shop and couldn't help myself from buying a custard in it's own cute little crock! Which I took home and ate with a cute little wooden spoon!

Then I went to the 7-11 and I found the cutest little melon sherbet in little plastic melon containers!

 

 

Melon Sherbet

 

                                                           
                                                At a 7-11...ridiculous!


                                                                              

                                                  Even the airplanes are cute!

 Anyway, I think you get the idea, LOTS of cute stuff here. Cute Food, Cute kitchen stuff, cute clothes, cute stationary,cute gadgets... Kawaii!!!

New Years Gifts

At New Year's some business's give out little gifts to customers. One business even left out UNATTENDED a couple of boxes with calendars and pens and people would sometimes stop and take JUST ONE! Unbelievable, I know! Anyway, Gary and I have picked up a calendar and I got a pen from one business. Today, Atsuko came home with a complimentary News Year's gift from a local business too.

Yes! It's Happy New Year toilet paper! It's even decorated with a happy snake character since this year is year of the snake!

Mmmmm!

Today's dinner.


                                            Delicious fried oyster bento box!

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013!!!

Goodbye 2012!!!
In reviewing 2012, I'm really amazed how different my life is from last year at this time. One year ago, I was working as a manager in an America's Best Eyeglass store and living in Denver, Colorado.  We were happily pastoring a church with wonderful people and enjoying Colorado, one of our all time favorite places to live! Then we got the news, we would be moving to Las Vegas, New Mexico, Gary was going to be working as an Evangelist out of our home church. We left Denver with mixed feelings, not happy to be leaving our two grown children in Denver and taking with us our youngest 17 yr. old who was less than thrilled to be moving to a small town. God is good though, and we settled into life in our church hometown and renewed old friendships. It was nice to be able to concentrate on getting son graduated from highschool, and just work at church with the other ladies.  Our son became a leader of his own little "gang" of friends and was having a good time running around the town and playing in a band. 
God had other plans for us though and in July we were announced to pioneer our Fellowships first church in Japan! So Jr., who had turned 18, moved back to Denver with his siblings. A couple of weeks later, Gary and I took off for Japan and here we are! We've spent the last 2 months here exploring the Tokyo area and working on immigration paperwork. Lord willing, we'll have that all sorted out in the next couple of months and will finally be able to rent a home and church building and get to work!

Hello 2013!!!

 Some of you may be wondering what New Years Day is like in Japan. Apparently, you watch a long variety show with famous Japanese performers singing etc. and it's a competition between the men and women and at the end of the night, right before midnight they vote and see who won. This year the men won the competition. Then, you eat Soba noodles!  Well, that's what we did anyway, except that I had Japanese curry instead as I didn't know I was supposed to get Soba noodles when we were at the 7-11 picking out Bento! (I really like curry though so that's okay)
Apparently a lot of Japanese head to the Shrines on New Years Eve, as New Years has religious significance here.
That reliable source... Wikipedia says,
"At midnight on December 31, Buddhist temples all over Japan ring their bells a total of 108 times (除夜の鐘 joyanokane) to symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief, and to get rid of the 108 worldly desires regarding sense and feeling in every Japanese citizen. A major attraction is The Watched Night bell, in Tokyo. Japanese believe that the ringing of bells can rid off their sins during the previous year. After they are done ringing the bells, they celebrate and feast on soba noodles.

We live a ways from any shrine though so I didn't here any bell ringing. Today I went out and all the stores are closed and there are families riding bikes together as many people have the day off.
Apparently garbage collectors really make out during this time as there is no trash pick up all week!!!

Happy New Year!!!! 2013!!!!