Really neat stuff of Japan -Workman clothing store!

Ok.. I am a BAD blogger: hardly blogged at all during visit #2 (jan 2010) and nothing after I got back home. But as the evenings get cooler here, I start to think of how I will escape again to Japan, and some of the really neat stuff I want to see again. . .

Temples? Fast trains? Mt. Fuji? Nawwwwww... I want to hop on my bike, navigate the incredibly narrow sidewalks for a 20 minute ride past the next train station (yukari-ga-goka, nicknamed "Potterville" by my friend - look for the monorail loop that heads northward from the main train line, midway btw. Tokyo and Narita airport) and head to the "WORKMAN" clothing store!!!

As pointed out in Chiba Wiki, (http://www.chibajet.com/wiki/Finding_Gaijin-sized_Clothing) finding Gaijin sized clothing can be a bit of a challenge. "Workman" is a serious work-wear store, but has great casual / sportswear that actually fits, and MOST IMPORTANTLY does not commit grievous fashion errors. No excess of logos, piping and striping on the arms!

I am a middle-aged tall, thin guy. I wear a tweed or linen jacket most of the time. I want solid black poly-pro crew neck sports shirts, like the kind Helly Hansen USED to make before they they went logo, piping and stripe-mad. Lots of folks can't or won't do "Klub-Kid Rave Gear", but the hot weather and humidity in Japan makes %100 cotton a real poor choice for traveller's clothing.

http://www.workman.co.jp/

Lots of XXXL / 3XL sized stock.
(equiv to Canadian men's XL) Very reasonable prices.

YES!!! Nice online catalog too, in Japanese, but you'll get the idea.

Note that you can also go completely nuts and buy a giant baggy set of scaffold- worker's
"tobi' pants that you will NEVER EVER wear again. They also have those toe-sock shoe things, "tabi", but my feet are too big and my friend told me not to draw attention to it, as "big feet of a fool"
(archaic insult aimed at country bumpkins) is still an issue.

So, yup, next time I escape.. off to "Workman" if only because I put a ciggy burn in my favorite black, long-sleeve, crew neck, poly-pro sports shirt (on sale for Y900, should have bought 2 of them! Drat!)

The Weather Turns. . .

It looks like we will finally get some winter here! <Bleh!>

Today is chilly, overcast, and light snow or rain is forecast
for this evening. I have my new 1500Y padded jacket -
(hanten) from the neighbouring department store, and the
heater is on!

The last few days have ben busy; Walking all over Tokyo,
(me with a bruised ham-hock and 2 canes) seeing the
wonderful Rebecca Horn show at the Tokyo Museum of
Modern Art, Wandering around “Potterville” (aka
Yukari-ga-oka) finding a new Y100 shop and eating
extra low-price chain restaurant Ramen and Gyoza - which
has left my friend with severe indigestion.

I only have a few days left in Japan - then it is back to February
in South Western Ontario and work...

We might make it to Yokahama and surroundings tomorrow.
As a blogger, it looks like I am a bit lax.. Oh well..

Never made it to Kyoto, but had plenty of fun none the less.
Soon it will be time to pack up, fret about baggage weight,
and set the bike seat down for other visitors to use comfortably.
I will also eave behind the pay-as-you-go Jp. cell phone -ready
for the next time or for other visitors; it will keep its number
for a year, but will need a top-up in another month.
(Hint to family member of my friend and host - VISIT SOON!)

I will try to fill out this blog later, add pictures, etc..

But for now, there are still fun things to do in the last few days
of this visit.

Looks like I am completely hooked on Japan <grin!>

Ouch!

Well, the last time I did something like this, I was in Toronto, and
20 years younger! Back on Sunday, I made the mistake of trying
to cross the road at a rail crossing diagonally.

The thing about rail tracks embedded in street pavement;
they like to eat bicycle tires!

Down I went, banging my right hip nicely on a rail. OUCH!

Worse! I am lying hurt on a railway track! CRAWL TO SAFETY FAST!
Lucky me: no train, no guardrails coming down, the car that pulled
up to the crossing in my lane is blocking traffic, and two nice ladies
have grabbed my bike and dragged it to the side.
The older one is rubbing my hip as if I was a bruised
grade-schooler and repeating “itai! itai! itai!” (”hurts ! ?”)
All I can say is “sumimassen and arrigato”
Thankyou-sorry, over and over again.
Crap it hurts!

The next thing, they are joined by another lady, and all three
are asking me things that I cannot understand.
Then one says in practiced english “You can not
understand japanese?” I can’t even remember
enough Pimsleur to get out a "wakerimas-sen".

So their cells phones are out, and I am anticipating police
and ambuance, and lots of explaining. . . Yike! Lucky for
me I have my cell phone with a nice Softbank 3000Y
prepaid sim card in it, and I can get through to my friend.
She was able to translate, thank my good samaritans and
was soon on the way. Five minutes later she is helping me
do final thanks, and helping me sling my bruised
ass over my bike seat and limp it and myself back
to her apartment. Hurts like heck!

Eat lots of Ibuprophen and thank all the gods of japan
that I didn’t become train meat (Densha Niku ????).

The next day I hurt even more, so my friend makes it clear
that I should visit her friendly local physiotherapy/
sports medicine clinic, where I can get acupuncture,
muscle zapping, heat treatment, moxa and referrals to a
nearby hospital, if needed.

A quick call to my trip insurance, via Magic Jack internet
phone confirms that I am covered for physiotherapy, but
not acupuncture. Yeah Magic Jack! I am making free calls
all over North America, because it thinks I am in L.A.
My friend’s optical fibre internet connection makes the call
completely clear - so clear that the insurance agent is extra
vigilant to make sure I am really me, and not pulling a scam.

Doctor Yoshida’s clinic is half a block away, and caters to
the neighbourhood’s aches and pains, as well as local
sports teams. He spent time in Canada, has a good
command of english and is soon tapping, squishing
and hooking me up to a muscle zapper.
15 minutes on the back, 10 more on the front, and then I get
taped up like an injured athlete. Total bill; Y1400
(about C$16 !!!!!)

So if you are going to sprain yourself, Japan is not the
worst place to do it! It is now Wednesday evening, and
I had done some mall-walking and slow leisurely bicycling.
Got to “Hard Off” (see last year’s posts) today with
my friend, and picked out a nice set of lightly used
(like new) pc/ipod speakers for her apartment, and
another Y1050 3MP canon sd camera for myself
(ebay for charger, battery and memory will add
another C$15, but this one matches the one I
already have, so it can share).

Side note: sorry Nick; no digital sound recorder
yet - only ones found are low quality units for
salaryman dictation duties.

Then back to Yoshida Sensei’s clinic..
Another session, more muscle zapping
and taping, and only Y900 bill!
This is ridiculous! Best deal in physiotherapy
around! I think he is giving me the discount rate
for impoverished looking tourists!
So I might miss going to a few tourist spots,
as I heal. But I am getting to watch
the Sumo tournament on NHK tv,
and they have an english commentary track,
(sometimes with a 75 year old "veddy British" lady
who is a world expert on Sumo),
and all is well in the world.

Must heal enough to do the MORI galley
in Tokyo, and Akihabra, and then
Kyoto.

One week done, another 2 to go!

Everything is Soooooo Expensive in Japan!!

The weather is -50 here...
and the people hate furrinners, the clothing is
weird, and the food reallllllly expensive!
So don't come... You won't like it...
Leave it all for MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Stay in Windsor... Sleep! sleep!

Ok.. went grocery shopping today:

6 pack of beer - Y489
(yup good beer, not USA style at all!)
500ml yoghurt Y109
500G ground coffee Y399
Bag of 10 tangerines (really fresh!) Y299
assorted bento box lunches,
curry & pork cutlet, sushi, etc
Y299 each, reduced %10 + %20

These are a meal.. they are not your pasta
"lean cuisine" or Tv dinner! They are
fresh mode and healthy..

1L grapefruit juice Y109
1L veggie juice blend Y159

Everything is fresh in Japanese supermarkets!
They make certain home grocery stores look like
dumpsters.. Enjoy your frozen deep fried in
hydrogenated oil mystery meat lumplings:
5lb bag at whatco.. mmmmmmmmm!

So.. expensive as heck, right
1.00 CAD = 88.2099 JPY
at today's rate

I liked it better last year when it was 100Y = 1 ca$,
but it is still very easy to deal with.

Loaded the box of groceries onto the
big rack on the back of my bike,
weaved home.. Tomorrow I must fix
the bike light generator thingy.. It
gats dark early.

Earlier this afternoon had Beef and rice hot bowl,
with soup and pickled greens, at a chain restauraunt-
Y280 for the bowl + Y70 for the extras..
Oh Darn.. no burger king original
chicken drywall+ salt for me today!

Food here is Good!

Heeeeeeeeeee's BACK!

Mid January 2010! It’s cold as heck back in Dover Beach Ontario,
and still a bit chilly here in Sakura, but, I feel like it is almost summer
here - compared to back home!

I have 3 weeks to enjoy Japan again! It’s been a little more than a

year since I was last here. I am SO happy to be back!

I have all kinds of stuff to rant about:

How I finally got a Japanese cell phone account for $30 (3000 yen)
Ok.. $35 at current rates..

How I am calling home FREE with a Magic Jack voip phone
hooked to my friends laptop (and Puh-lease, don’t say Skype..)
We are talking FREEEE to civilian landlines in North America,
and a DIAL TONE and cheap hello kitty land line handset!!!!

How incredibly GOOOOOOD the food here is!

How a 2.5” laptop drive in a $6 ebay usb enclosure is a luxury
that lets your work chase you across the globe - and a good
place to store your pictures.

How neat Japanese gas space heaters somehow DO NOT kill
you with carbon monoxide (still scared of them)

Why I win for bringing maple syrop and NOT buying any duty
free as gifts to japan.

But later, later, I’m still a bit jet lagged

Took my old faithful one-speed bike out for a spin this afternoon!
It survived the wait, needed a bit of air in the tires and some oil,
but it was ready to go in a few minutes, and just as much fun as before!

So... This time I’ll try to do my best and be a “good” blogger..

Cheers! /DG

Where am I ????

Well, I'm no longer in Japan... (sad!)

But I am going back. When I first got home,
I was going to blog like crazy about how many
of the neat things in japan should be adopted
here. Blah blah blah!

Then it seemed to be beside the point.

I still try to keep up with the english language
press in Japan, but somehow never get around
to working on those Jp language lessons mp3's I
borrowed.

But I am going back.

So this blog will wait until I am lose again,
once more in Sakura.. I'll be the tall Gaijin,
on the grey bike
See you there,
DG

Sakura City Festival!

The Fall festivals held around Japan are
decidedly local affairs. Tourists stick to the
big cities, and while the events are clearly
commercialized as all heck - hundreds of
street-front booths selling fried food and
souvenir stuff - the focus is decidedly local,
down to a neighborhood level.

Arrived in Sakura city on saturday around
3pm, which was the start time advertised.
Immediately I saw street stalls leading up
the main road away from the train station.
A few people were making their way up the
hill, so I followed.

20 minutes later, I was sure I had missed
all the fun. Street boths were folding up their
awnings, and cars were scooting down the road.

Then I heard some really loud drumming and
fireworks, and from down a smaller street I
saw a procession of 1 1/2 story high rolling carts
pulled by men and women in costume jackets
(Hanten).

Little did I know that this would start a
constant parade of these carts, and smaller,
carried-on-shoulders shrines that would last
well into the late evening.




















































































Each shrine, carried or wheeled, is sponsored
by a local neighborhood or merchants association.
Or swim club, or school, or whatever.

As they roll or bounce along their routes, back and
forth, they often stop and pay their regards to
the businesses that sponsored them, or perhaps,
those they feel like addressing. The big carts
actually swing around on a central post to help
this.

Did I mention that they all roll on stout wood
wheels and axles? Most are steered with a small
wheel like a skid hand-truck, but some rely
solely on guys with big poles to lever them
around.

A continuous cheer that sound a bit like
A SAI! SAI! SUSKA! is kept up for hours.
Often a small cart holding iced canned tea
follows for frequent breaks.

The shrines, both big and small, make it up and
down some really steep hills. I got to help carry
one of the portable shrines (As in Yokohama,
bystanders can get drafted!) and they are HEAVY!
And you better move in sync with everyone else!
Being a bit too tall is no help either.

I finally gave up around 7pm. I had
run out of digital camera batteries,
35mm film, and spare cash.

But I bought some size 29(cm)
(size 12.5 Canadian) high black
Tabi sock-shoes Way Kewl!

When I got home, I found the whole festival
was being live-cast on the local comunity
TV channel- It went on until 10pm.

Wow!