Guide to public toilets in Tokyo, and how to use them

Animated guide about how to use a toilet:
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~AD8Y-HYS/movie.htm

Tokyo toilet map:
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~AD8Y-HYS/index_e.htm
>Be sure to click on the top image of a toilet to read the administrator's story.
>Go back and enter the 'clean' and 'dirty' toilets zones.


Sourced from a story in the Japan Times by excellent columnist Alice Gordenker. You may need to register to view the article.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ek20061219wh.html

"Local Dentist Attacks Gorilla at Zoo"

Watch as they operate on a gorilla.

back in California

View from my apt. (no shit)
drinking with the locals

I've been back in San Diego now since September. School started and there's hardly any free time. Besides, life in the US seems so boring compared to Tokyo. Just lots of studying, some beach time, and a drink or two on weekends with friends. Thanks for checking out this blog, that's all for now.

Trip to Osaka

I had to go to Osaka for my 'final interview' at the Sanyo HQ, and went by bullet train. Stopped in Nagoya to see an old friend who's back from 3 years traveling in Asia then hitchhiking from Laos to the western tip of Ireland; had a salmon 'variety' bento on the train- egg, salmon sushi, salmon roe, more salmon... In the station Takashimaya's restaurant section I found one of the restaurants of Iron Chef Chinese, Chen Kenichi, and decided to do the 2600 yen lunch set. It came with his signature dish, mabo tofu, which was really tasty.
Continuing south before sleeping in Osaka, I stopped off at Nara to see Nara park and the Great Buddha. Deer wander freely and people feed them in the park; the buddha may be the biggest in the world. It is perhaps my favorite historical site in Japan, quite breathtaking and hard to understand the size and magical powers that you only get in person.

another typhoon

Perhaps one of my worst fears has happened... I have left something of value on the train. In Japan, dry-cleaning shop hours are ridiculous. I was late to meet my friend Phil for dinner, but could pick up my week's shirts only between 6-7pm. I decided to take them with me and lock them up in a locker at the station when I got there. So Phil and I chatted over beers and yakitori in Takadanobaba. When we got out, the typhoon rains had rolled in, and by the time we got to the station 5 minutes later, we were totally soaked. I got my bag out of the locker, got on the train, and set the bag up on the rack. At the 1st express stop, I transferred to the local train, and trudged home in the rain. That's when I figured what I 'd left behind, and it's too miserable out to go back to the train station now.
I'm hoping to get the stuff back, my receipt with name and phone number was on it. This happened twice before, and I'm 2 for 2. Once left my scooter on top, and despite that train having gone at least a hundred km down the line, I got it back a few hours later. Another time, in Kyoto area, I left my (parents') Nikon in a phone booth outside of a train station, then got back home an hour away without it. I chatted with the police about it, they made a phone call, and it was still there. This is my last week at work and in Japan and I'm trying to see as many friends as possible, so getting these back would save lots of hassle regarding clean and appropriate clothes. Now I'm exhausted and once again too tired to answer the piles of emails I've gotten or call home. I have to go to bed and wake up extra early.

Dinner with the professor

Thursday was pay day. That's always called "zangyo zero" no overtime. Everyone goes home at 5:30. This time people actually obeyed, as the typhoon was supposed to roll in soon. Already was windy and rainy. Last month the department all went out for sushi, this time only Kita san and my boss remained. Kita is a bona fide alcoholic and never refuses invitations, he's already destined for the oden shop as stop #1. So the three of us had dinner there, or actually 2 people ate. I paid the bill, a big gesture since they usually do that but I was overdue. It was about $100, I was still hungry. We went to an old prewar building that is now a bourbon specialty bar. Had some Old Granddad and blue cheese, mixed nuts, then went home in the calm before the storm rolled in a few hours later.

Friday Professor Hoshi came to town, so some of the SD alumni organized a party at an okonomiyaki shop in Suidobashi, near Tokyo Dome. It was lots of fun meeting Japanese alumni, then a chat with the professor, who is one of the most famous Japanese economists. My old neighbor T from SD was there, and we had to ride the train home together. He works at the Ministry of Economy/Trade/Industry, overseeing 26 people. He said about 5+ of those people do nothing, but can't be fired and aren't good workers. Anyways if he gave them work, he'd be busier than already. Anyways at my station I got hungry and went to the ramen shop that's a dive and always plays Beatles. By now it was midnight and most people were drunk and half asleep. The place was full, and people were smoking while waiting for their food. I got a fried chicken fried rice with soup, and was shocked that I finished it all. Just before I left a guy came in and ordered a huge meal. Then he put his head on the counter and fell asleep. The waitress brought his food, woke him up, and he started eating. I left, stumbled home, and crashed.

more

Soba
From Karaki's house
Matsumoto Castle

more misato pics

Yoshiki and Akari
Keigo, 4

Nagano highlights

Students at their Seijin Shiki
former students, one on left was an English prodigy with University ambitions. I always saw her at her parents' soba shop. She failed an exam to go to the local top high school and commuted 90 mins to another high school, this is how she's changed.
rice
Nitta twins, both at the same art University
pears
Going back to my old home in Nagano, I saw many old friends and did lots of fun stuff; highlights were with yoga friend June and her family, the Nakamuras (my 'host' family and apple farmers), and Karaki Sensei from taiko drum class. I went to a taiko performance and the ceremony was the annual 'adult become' ceremony for 20 year-olds. Didn't know in advance, but all the kids were my students from 6 years ago. Good to see many, and I remebered lots of names. Going for dinner with some next week in Tokyo. Spent 2 mornings picking Shinano Red apples and Nashi Asian pears. Stayed with the Nakamuras for Obon, the time of remembering the dead. I went with them to the family cemetary and laid incense on the graves, then lit fireworks. The grandkids are all in English classes and once in a while shout out words in context. One of them is 4, the others are 10 and 6. One of the adults there needed to talk to someone about tantra, a new discovery of his, and something that's an off-limits topic with any other Japanese he knows. Another showed me his lifework, many oil paintings, and said that he just does apple farming to pay the bills. Returning to Tokyo has totally thrown off my body rhythms. 3 hour daily commutes, vitamin drinks, 2 restaurants a day, beer to make you hit the sack, then wake up an hour before you're ready to catch the last possible train to get you to work before the 9am bell and meeting.

Back from Nagano

Just back from a week holiday in Misato, Nagano, where I used to live. Work's kicking into gear now that time is short and results are expected. Picked some apples and pears and saw lots of old friends and students. Adjusting to this city life is next to impossible when quality of life is so good in the country.
Swam tonight, was asked to remove my yellow "Livestrong" bracelet by a lifeguard because it's dangerous. Others are swimming with similar rubber bracelet with the metal locker key flying around their wrist, go figure. Going to a factory tour all day tomorrow 2 hours outside the city. More to come when there's more time.

Friday Night Baseball

Everyone at work was waiting for the bell to ring at 5:30, the start of the 1 week summer vacation. Hot and humid, everyone sweaty and a little smelly, last-minute questions of where are you going, then yeah, I remember I already asked you last week. Most people took off right away, and I took the subway to meet Bill at Tokyo Dome. The area around it is very futuristic and a great attraction. The complex has a big hotel, a spa, a ferris wheel and roller coasters, and is hard to describe, but pretty futuristic. http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/map/
Met Bill and we went to a 7-11 and stuffed our bags with beer cans. Cans aren't allowed in, so they have ladies in the entranceway who pour your beers into paper cups.

Bill's seats were season tickets that were courtesy of the US Embassy, so they were right behind home plate, which was great. We didn't watch much of the game, especially since Tokyo Giants' star players (Kiyohara, Tuffy Rhodes, etc.) weren't in the lineup and the din of mindless mass cheering, as if even the game is secondary to the shouting. Mostly we caught up on news and chatted, and watched the concession ladies (they're all young girls in neon uniforms) as they walked by. Most have mini kegs attached to their backs and pour 800yen beers in seconds. Picture highlights are the star of David at the entrance with Chagall images, and a KFC chicken ring snack...

Friday morning

Started off about 5 minutes early but turns out there was a train delay anyways. I didn't understand the announcement, but soon Shirin came in the same train car. We know which one to get in to position ourselves near the stairs at the transfer station. A few cars away, and we'd be in the mob and miss at least one train. The come every 2 minutes, but it's still important. So when the train doors open, it's like when you have to go to the bathroom and you've held it in for 30 minutes, all of a sudden there's a burst into the toilet, that's what happens when the train doors open. We just run for the stairs, relieved. But the announcement was 'person-body' accident, which usually means someone jumped in front of the train. I looked shocked and Shirin says it happens all the time. I guess they cleaned up the mess and in 10 minutes we were moving. At the transfer station, attendants were handing out slips of paper. I took one, and later found out they're slips that say why you were late, and you're supposed to give it to your boss. Just like back in school days for us.

My excitement came today with a phone call from the president of the SEIA, the premier Solar lobby organization in the USA. He is a Michigan alum, and we talked about Sanyo USA joining. He said he and SEIA were responsible for the large tax credit for solar energy in Bush's recent bill, a huge victory for the industry. He was kind and offered to get in touch with him when I graduate.