“A Quake! A Quake!”

I have felt a few small earthquakes, at least I am guessing. The apartment (on the top floor of a little three-story building, one apartment per floor) is facing a set of train tracks, but just a single set for a local train—minimal house-shaking capacity.

For this Midwesterner the experience is cool, but let’s keep it to the tiny tremors, please.

P.S. I’ve been watching a few Animaniacs episodes lately: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHi4UHT7ZKo&feature=related

I meet dogs, not eat dogs.

Some of my besties are serious dog lovers, and I can’t deny my own penchant for droolin’ over certain canine acquaintances, so a few questions arose before I left about the possibility of puppies landing on my plate abroad. Now, ideally no mystery meat will ever be placed before me; however, with a thick language barrier there are no guarantees…especially when others may be ordering for the group at school events. Thus, I came to an agreement with a friend that when faced with any unidentifiable substance prepared for my consumption, I would point to the dish and ask,

“Inu des ka?” (Is that dog?)

Just in case.

What I have learned here in my brief experience and with a little research is that people (certainly not everyone, of course; I speak of the availability of these meats) may eat whale and dolphin, but do not eat dog. (In Vietnam, however, dog consumption is popular, but whale is deemed unacceptable, and in Korea, eating whale and dog—especially dog—is widespread.) Much more on this later.

On a lighter note…if anything, I will assert that if a culture’s affection for dogs could possibly be measured by the sheer array of pet clothing and accessorizing options available, Japan would take the cake. I have seen pups in Levi’s, bejeweled jackets, soccer jerseys, and the list goes on.

Modest attire for a Japanese dog.Jean shorts! That's what I mean.

Stuffed in a bag on the Shinkansen.

A whole herd in Shimizu!

Behind the counter of a Chinese restaurant in Fukuoka, watching figure skating on a small television. Chinatown, Yokohama.Keg duty, also in Chinatown, Yokohama.

What the Fukuoka?

The destination was worth the journey, even the extended trip in this case, though many museums were closed for the weeklong-observed New Year (such as the Fukuoka Art Museum, which displays works of Warhol and Dali). The Lonely Planet guide was also a bit deceptive when it came to hotspots: Van Beeru, boasting 1,000 beers and free popcorn, was not to be found, and Pik’s Coffee Shop, open 6 p.m.-3 a.m. and offering free bean refills in a fifties diner-style atmosphere, was out of business. But enough complaining.I visited shrines and temples permeated with the smell of sandalwood incense…Rested on a sunny bench beside a canal...
Found a fine Irish pub (though I selected an Oregon brew) on the Oyafuko-dori—translates as “street of unruly children”—where clubs were stacked in multi-story buildings and a group of boys wanted to armwrestle Davin for a drink… Ate ramen from a yatai (food cart on wheels) along a canal at 2 a.m. (amongst the Japanese, Fukuoka is famous for its ramen)… Touched the waters of the Sea of Japan and looked across toward South Korea...

And cursed the obnoxious Americans that I encountered (three in total; one extremely drunk in the adjacent hotel room, yelling, “Put on your kimono, mo-fo!” and cackling insanely to her fellow roommates)...I never saw her (the group didn't wake for the 8 a.m. traditional breakfast, obv), but I imagine her something like this (that's sake in the glass of course): But the weather was lovely, most experiences superb, and the icing was a surprisingly flawless return trip!

A Tale of Two Cities

My first weekend in Japan I took a vacation, since I hadn’t had quite enough traveling with the mere 13-hour flight and all. I went to the station and got a ticket to the city of Fukuoka, a southern coastal city known for its busy nightlife, seaside relaxing opportunities, and large port, the main ferry terminal to Busan, South Korea. So I boarded the Shinkansen (bullet train), napped, snacked, and eventually came around to notice it was getting colder outside; there was snow on the ground and onward, the train cut through tunnels in snow-peaked mountains (I had watched the film Transsiberian the night before, quite dark, so this was not comforting).Admittedly unfamiliar with the geography of central Japan and knowing it was to be a long ride, I figured it would warm up eventually...perhaps when we neared the west coast?I made all the correct transfers, according to my ticket, and ended up riding a small train (empty but for a group of school kids heading home from their evening activities) to the end of its line, to a very tiny Fukuoka station: one man in a booth. And snow on the ground outside the station. This smiling station attendant informed me that I was not even on the right island as Japan has two Fukuokas: one northern, west of Nagano, near the Japanese Alps, and the other the far southern city, my intended destination. I had traveled about six hours, going west but then cutting north instead of south, of course packed for a friendlier climate, and the trains were soon to stop running for the night. My oh my, the hilarity! I backtracked slightly and spent the night in Kanazawa, the nearest larger city, at a lovely little ryokan (family-owned hotel).

I finally made it to the real Fukuoka, the metropolis of the south (its train station is disguised under the name Hakata, hence the confusion), the next day around noon.

Shimizu's Status Symbol

I was quick to learn that all respectable Japanese cities have a giant ferris wheel. All the cooler if lit in neon at night. These ain’t no county fair contraptions: the one in our ‘hood has over thirty enclosed carriages. Expensive to ride, but patrons get their money’s worth: the wheel may not look like it’s moving…wait…yes it is. Just very, very slowly.

Home Sweet Shizuoka

First Fuji sighting, from a 17-story building in Shizuoka.

My neighborhood from an overlook in Kiyomizusan Park.

Port of Shimizu

Holiday decor in the Shizuoka city center; it seemed that people here like decorating for Christmas more than actually celebrating it.

Sumpu Park, Shizuoka

For those who haven't met him, this is Davin.

Fuji from the tallest building in Shizuoka, 21 stories.

And on another side, the Izu Peninsula and Pacific Ocean in the distance.

So this is where I live...

Shizuoka-shi is a city of 700,000 on Japan’s central east coast. The port of Shimizu, on Suruga Bay of the Pacific Ocean—a 20-minute train ride from my house—yields the most tuna of all ports in Japan. The region is also known for its green tea (ocha), mandarin oranges (mikan), and wasabi. Toyko is an hour’s bullet train ride to the northeast, with Mt. Fuji situated about halfway in between. On clear days, Fuji-san is visible from Shizuoka…should you forget, it may unexpectedly remind you of its omnipresence.