Two Runs and a Funeral

All this week, there have been black helicopters buzzing overhead. They flew in formations of twos and threes and stood out against the otherwise clear skies of central Tokyo. This was the week of Shinzo Abe's state funeral. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was assassinated in Nara during a stump speech he was making on behalf of another politician. During the weeks leading up to his state funeral, there have been protests all over Tokyo. 

At first glance, it may seem unreasonable to protest a state funeral for a former prime minister who was, after all, gunned down in the line of political duty. Then again, public protests are not all that common in Japan. So when it happens on a large scale, there must be a good reason for it. The reason here is that this funeral cost the state at least 1.66 billion yen, the equivalent of 11.5 million USD. Most of the cost went towards security and hosting foreign guests, former and current representatives and heads of state. Understandably, this did not go over well with the general public. Hence the protests. 

Though he contributed to the development of modern Japan, Abe himself was a divisive and sometimes shadowy figure, not a universally loved one. His party is Japan's right-wing Liberal Democratic Party. Abe vigorously advocated to reform Japan's pacifist constitution, set in place after World War II. He enacted military reforms that allowed deployments overseas for purposes of collective security. One of the most surprising things about the protests against Abe's funeral was the people who were protesting. In America, public protests belong mostly to the realm of the young. This month in Japan, it was older people who were protesting. I read that it is because they are the ones that still remember World War II and what followed. Because of this, they are the staunchest opponents of the right-wing threat to Japanese pacifism. 

He deserved a funeral, but not at the expense of what 11.5 million dollars could have done for social welfare. It is sad because the country was somewhat united in grief after the assassination, and now it is not. 

The Imperial Palace run.

On a happier note, the weather is much more habitable. The mornings usually begin in the 70s, though on sunny days it inevitably reaches the 80s. Still, it is cool enough to run, and so running season has begun! I'm so out of shape that it takes me two miles just to warm up. My warm up pace is barely faster than a brisk walk right now. I got in two morning runs this week. Most of my running routes involve a bit of uphill, which is difficult to avoid in Tokyo. One of my favorites is the 5km circuit around the Imperial Palace. But when I need a confidence-boosting run, there is a shorter route that is not nearly as scenic but completely flat. It's such a relief to run again. The best antidote to living in a topsy-turvy world. 

As a bonus, the sweet olive trees have bloomed. I hadn't smelled its scent since living in New Orleans. Then, last year, my first in Japan, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are everywhere in Tokyo. Their scent is sweet and intoxicating. I can smell it as I ride past on my bicycle. I can even smell it through my mask (yes, masking outdoors is still nearly universal in Japan). Its bloom only lasts for a handful of days, so I am enjoying it while I can. This is autumn in Tokyo. 

A Very Slow-Moving Typhoon + Denny's in Japan

I didn't know that typhoons and hurricanes were essentially the same until recently. Growing up by the Gulf of Mexico, June through November was known as hurricane season. Anything below a category 3 was probably ok, and anything above it would warrant an evacuation. In most cases, there would be a lot of anxiety and buildup only for the storm to change direction at the last moment. The big exception, of course, was Hurricane Katrina, when we packed enough things for the standard two days away and ended up not returning for two months. 

During our first year in Japan, someone would shrug and casually say, "a typhoon is coming, so it's going to rain tomorrow." Nobody seemed particularly worried about emergency supplies, piling on the sandbags, or taping up the windows - telltales signs of an approaching hurricane where I grew up. It all seemed rather downplayed here, probably because the infrastructure is well-designed and better built. It's funny how the same natural phenomenon manifests completely differently in different places. 

This typhoon we are experiencing at the moment is a large one, though it has not Tokyo directly. It is also a very slow-moving one. It started raining on Sunday morning, with unpredictable waves of squalls throughout the day, and it is still raining as I write this on Tuesday afternoon. It also happens to be a long holiday weekend here, so indoor spaces were more crowded than usual with locals and tourists alike seeking entertainment while sheltering from the rain. 

We went to Tokyo Skytree, which contains a massive shopping complex with nearly as many places to eat as there are to shop. There is also an aquarium, an arcade, exhibits, and other entertainment venues. If you have a choice, stay clear of tourist hot spots on Japanese holidays, especially when the weather herds everyone indoors. The crowd was insane. Lines snaking out the door of the souvenir shop. One hour wait for lunch. We were lucky - I got in the line of a ramen restaurant around 11:15 (the lines begin forming at 11 and grow exponentially with every passing minute). Considered literally to be a fast food, ramen shops have quick turnover. We waited just over half an hour. 

The other semi-eventful thing we did this weekend was visit Denny's. I had been curious about it ever since I read Matthew Amster-Burton's book Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo. Denny's in Japan looks just like the Denny's in America. Or at least the sign does. Beyond the sign, Denny's is a completely different restaurant from its American counterpart. It is known as a family restaurant serving a wide variety of Japanese comfort foods at a reasonable price. The atmosphere inside kind of reminded me of a Shoney's from the 90s, except with better food. 

It's not a bad place for a well balanced family meal when nobody feels like cooking. There are plenty of vegetables, and everything is reasonably priced. Unlike American family restaurants, portions are smaller but probably perfect for the average adult. I ordered their seasonal hambagu (Japanese hamburger steak, a staple of modern comfort food in this country) with mushrooms. 

We also ordered a spinach sautéed with bacon and a chicken jambalaya, which looked very different from the jambalaya I know but tasted surprisingly similar. The kids menu, like everywhere else, is full of things like juice, jello, and french fries. I didn't order anything from there. It wasn't a gourmet meal, but it was satisfying, and we ate well. I should mention that Denny's Japan is known for their drink bar (i.e., soda bar) and dessert menu, which is full of ice creams and parfaits. In terms of a balanced meal, it's a sliding scale, and the diner has a lot of leeway to choose. 

As I am finishing up this post (many hours later), the typhoon is already receding. It's left a cool breeze in its wake. Could this be the beginning of autumn? I hope so. No matter how hot it gets in the summer here, you can reasonably count on each season arriving with characteristically Japanese punctuality.  

If You're Going to Japan in the Summer

    I have moaned enough about summer, so in this post I'm going to share all the nice things about summers in Japan. This is our family's second in Japan. We stayed here last summer because there were still too many travel restrictions, both abroad and in Japan. The Olympics were taking place, and in an attempt to keep the Covid-19 cases under control, the Japanese government was limiting entry into the country. This summer, with worldwide inflation and the war in Europe, airplane tickets were expensive. Since Japan has begun receiving foreign visitors again, we decided to wait for my parents to visit rather than visit them in America. All this is to say that, by remaining in Japan for two summers, we learned how to make the most of it. 

    If you are going to Japan in the summer, you can't miss going to a matsuri, or festival. These are based in Shinto-ism and usually take place outdoors with street food, music, dancing, games, and sometimes fireworks. Each region, town, and village has its own traditions. After a two-year hiatus due to covid, summer festivals returned this summer. We stumbled upon one a few weekends ago near Yoyogi Park. My kids had never been to one, and they were completely captivated by the sight of matsuri dancers dressed in colorful costume. Every ten to fifteen minutes, a different group of dancers and drummers would take to the stage to perform. Each group had unique but equally eye-catching costumes. E would have stayed to watch the performances the entire day. 

    Since this festival was in the middle of Tokyo, it wasn't the traditional matsuri you might find in a smaller city, but we still enjoyed good food (seaweed flavored udon noodles in a cold broth + Okinawan ramen) and sake samples (a rarity). A more local matsuri would have most people dressed in their summer yukata, something E has been asking for. These robes are more casual than kimonos, have range of vibrant patterns, and make for excellent photos and even better people watching. 

I wouldn't have survived this past summer without kakigori. Kakigori is Japanese shaved ice, and it is ubiquitous in the summer. You will find it at food stands, public parks, and as seasonal items in restaurants and cafes. If you ask E, she will probably say that all her favorite summer memories include kakigori. In Tokyo there are fancy ones. The famous Sebastian cafe makes one that looks just like a cake. My favorite is the one you eat when you've been biking, hiking, or playing with your kids outside on a hot day - usually the one made with chunky shaved ice, food coloring, and syrup. E's favorite flavor is "Blue Hawaiian."

At the top of my to-do-in-Japan list is to climb Mount Fuji. You can only climb it in the summer because it is too cold during the other seasons. It is easy enough for children to climb, though mine are still too young. My nephews, ages 8 and 11 at the time, climbed it with their father and from all accounts, it was a fantastic experience. Although it is known as an easy climb, the ascent still takes 5-7 hours. Most climbers stay in a mountain cabin and start their ascent in the early hours of the morning so that they can 1) see the sunrise, 2) reach the chilly peak during the warmest hours of daylight, and 3) make it back down by nightfall. 

The last thing I have enjoyed most about summers here are the evenings. Sure, it could be cooler (the air is usually thick and still even after the sun has gone down), but enjoying summer evenings like this without worrying about personal safety is a true luxury. In Chicago, I would never voluntarily go out after dark. Usually it was to walk my dog or attend a work-related event. I definitely never thought of myself as a night person. Here I can walk around at night alone, without pepper spray, without being hyper vigilant. So I've rediscovered the enjoyment of being out at night: going to an izakaya, sitting outdoors at a cafe, window shopping, or just taking a walk. 

May next summer be cooler than this one, a little more Covid-free, and filled with hikes, kakigori, matsuri, and evening strolls. 

    

Hokkaido Part 2: Niseko + Overnight Trips with Kids

    Niseko is known as a ski resort, so summer is a great time to go if avoiding crowds is a vacation criteria. Hokkaido is the most expansive region in Japan, and places are far apart from each other. Committing to one location meant foregoing others due to distance. We chose Niseko because it has a beautiful river, nice mountain trails, and other outdoor activities such as fruit picking and farm visiting. Since Hokkaido is the northernmost island of the main Japanese islands, it typically enjoys dry and mild summers. Unfortunately, like other places around the world, this summer has been atypical in Hokkaido with lots of rain. 

    We flew into New Chitose Airport in Sapporo and rented a car to drive to Niseko. My mother-in-law, a lifelong Tokyo resident, described Hokkaido as being "just like America." With its majestic mountains and sweeping plains, I did feel like I was somewhere in the American west. The landscape felt refreshingly expansive compared to the main island. Like most places with big spaces, however, the easiest way to get around with kids and luggage is by car. There is a train line that runs from New Chitose Airport to Niseko, but there are not many taxis in Niseko to take you to your final destination. 

    About twenty minutes away from Niseko is a charming area at the foot of Yoteisan where a subterranean river gushes out in streams and little waterfalls. The water is cold and clear, and we saw other visitors who had brought jugs to fill up with this mountain water. I am instinctively skeptical of claims of untreated water being pure. Perhaps this is unfair, but how many things left in nature is "pure"? Where there is people, there is industry, and where there is industry, there is usually pollution. Then again, I thought, no one has been known to become ill despite crowds of people going there to drink the water. Despite my doubts, I dove in alongside the others to fill up my water bottle, and I have to say that it tasted amazing. Cold and pristine. So good was this water that E, whom we always have to encourage to drink more water, drank two bottles. She subsequently used the toilet three times in the next hour. 

    My favorite things about Japanese hotels are the pajamas and the futons (the Japanese bed kind, not the sofa bed kind). Hotels provide adult pajamas, and some provide child pajamas (in different sizes even). This means fewer things to pack. The futons are great for kids because I don't have to worry about cribs or kids falling off beds. Since my kids sleep in their own beds at home, they love the novelty of sleeping together on futons. I also like that the futon rooms create separate a sleeping space. Futons are set up on tatami mats in traditional rooms enclosed by sliding doors. With young kids, this gave us the freedom to stay up past 8pm in our hotel room. 

    We wanted to take advantage of Hokkaido's great outdoors and had planned for the whole family to go rafting on our first full day there. With the kids in tow, we had chosen a gentle rafting course that "even two year olds can experience." The rafting company we booked supplied wetsuits, footwear, and life vests. Along with a few other families, we met at their lodge to change. Then we were all driven to the river, where we were given tips and safety instructions. We rafted a stretch of the river that was calm, and even though there were a few thrills, it was very much still a controlled environment. One of the things I love about traveling in Japan is that outdoor activities are accessible to a wide audience. Like snorkeling in Okinawa last autumn, it was surprisingly inexpensive. Moreover, the rafting was marketed as something anyone could enjoy rather than an extreme activity for thrill-seekers. Our guides simply loved what they did, and loved sharing it. 

    We didn't make it to fruit picking because of the rain, but we did go to an ostrich farm. Ostriches are strikingly tall and aggressive. Surprisingly, they co-exist peacefully with cows. The two species live on opposite sides of a single pasture and mind their own business. We bought some ostrich feed, consisting mostly of corn, and headed to their large enclosure. E cautiously threw them the feed at some distance. M walked straight up to the ostriches, hand extended, throwing food at close range. The ostriches gawked and pecked at each other to get to the food first. Then, out of the blue (or maybe not for someone more familiar with these crazy birds), one of them bit M's hand. It was not a bite meant to hurt her but rather a "Hey you! Give me some food right now!" type of bite. She was just a bit startled, and her hand was a little red. I'm sure my scream attracted more attention than the bite itself. After that, we calmed down with a snack at the farm's cafe, and all was well. There you have it, the ostrich farm.  

Known as the food basket of Japan, farming is one of Hokkaido's main industries. When you buy dairy products in Tokyo, it will likely say "from Hokkaido," with a map of the region on the package. Hokkaido is cow country and the touristy areas are landmines of soft serve ice cream advertising Hokkaido dairy. While Hokkaido is also known for beef and seafood, what we really wanted was an abundant dinner full of seasonal vegetables. And we were able to end the first part of our trip with just that. 

A salad from Japan's land of plenty. 

Hokkaido Part 1: Traveling with Kids Within Japan

    For the summer holidays, we debated whether to return to the US, go to Europe, or stay in Japan. I wanted to visit family and my dog in the U.S., but Japan was still requiring Covid testing for returning residents. With the hodgepodge masking situation there and my spouse's limited vacation days, I didn't want to risk getting infected while abroad. My parents plan to visit us soon anyways, so we decided to postpone the American trip. As for Europe, some of the the same problems applied. In addition, airplane tickets to Europe are really expensive at the moment. So Japan it was. Since we had already visited Okinawa down south, we headed to Hokkaido up north this time. 

    From Tokyo, you can travel to Hokkaido by Shinkansen or by airplane. The Shinkansen takes over four hours and stops at Hakodate, located in the south of Hokkaido. We wanted to go to Niseko, which is really far from Hakodate, so we flew. As our second time flying domestically with the kids, we knew what to expect. Plus, M is now more toddler and less baby, making travel (mostly) easier. Here are some differences I noticed between air travel here and in the U.S. 

    Airport parking costs less in Japan. If it is an option, it's totally worth it to have a family member or friend park and help you with the luggage and children. Once you are at the airport, the going is easy. Even when it is crowded, as it was during our trip, the staff is organized and willing to help. We traveled during Obon week, which is the peak week of summer travel in Japan. Even then, the lines at both baggage check and security were controlled and orderly. 

    Airport amenities in Japan are incredible. There are plenty of dining options that extend beyond fast food. Most airports have convenience stores that stock the same things, at the same prices, as their non-airport stores. You will never have to dehydrate yourself to save $5 on a bottle of water. I do wish there were more water fountains and bottle refill stations in Japan. Of course, if traveling is an opportunity to indulge, there are options for that too. I found a Baskin-Robbins vending machine! There was another ice cream machine placed strategically next to the kids' play area - a strategy of which I am not a fan. 

The child seat even reclines. 

    For parents especially, there is a lot to be optimistic about. You can find free luggage carts with child seating at various stations in the airport. Bathrooms are clean, and there are dedicated family bathrooms as well as changing/nursery rooms for babies. Although it varies, most airport bathrooms are touchless so that you can flush and open the door simply by waving your hand in front of a sensor. It's hard to take that for granted in year three of the pandemic. 

    As in the U.S. and anywhere else, families with young children receive priority boarding. Maybe I've gotten lucky, but the time between boarding and takeoff seems shorter. It's entirely possible that they really are faster here, as it is the land of punctuality. Oh, and if you are hoping that the airline will wreck an old stroller to get it off your hands, you won't be lucky. The airline staff handle things with utmost care. They lovingly wrapped our old stroller in plastic to be shipped to the destination. The care they took was nice of course; the plastic was unnecessary. 

   The actual plane ride is the same as anywhere else: a beverage service and maybe a toy gadget for the little ones. I would say that air travel with children is easier in Japan simply because there are fewer delays: the airport lines are well-managed, the processes are streamlined, and the staff is always helpful. In my next post, meet us at our destination in Hokkaido. We will drink mountain water, go to a public bath, and get bitten by an Ostrich. 

Uniquely Japanese Foods that My Kids Love

Kabocha

Kabocha, sometimes sold as "Japanese pumpkin" in American supermarkets, is a type of squash. Compared to the more conventional sugar pumpkin and other squashes such butternut and acorn, kabocha has a denser, creamier texture - probably why my kids love it. 

In Japan, the classic preparation is by simmering with soy sauce and sake. Kabocha is also a great substitute for potatoes in croquettes. I always use kabocha instead of sugar pumpkins for things like pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread. Muji cafe serves mashed kobocha mixed with some chopped greens. This  tones down the bitterness of some greens, and my kids enjoy it a lot. 

Natto

Natto is the infamous slimy, stinky, fermented soybean dish that is a fixture in Japan but hated by nearly all non-Japanese people who come across it. Natto is not considered delicious per say, but it is definitely a refrigerator staple. It typically comes with a soy-sauce based seasoning packet and a packet of Japanese mustard. Natto is a nutritious source of protein (especially good for gut health I've heard) that involves no cooking, so it is easy to see why it is popular. You can top it with different things. Common toppings include scallions, sriracha, mayo, chili powder, mustard, and nori. 

The thing with Natto is that it smells worse than it tastes. It makes the dishwasher and garbage smell horrendous. Its slimy texture - a detraction for many but a virtue for some (mostly Japanese kids)  - is a familiar texture in Japanese cuisine and one that kids seem to be fond of here. Although I didn't grow up with natto, I've learned to like it, unlike my kids, who adore it. When dinner fails to completely satiate, we pull out the natto. And it is never eaten by only one person. Once the natto is out, both kids clamor for it. As E says, "it's a natto fest." 

Nikuman

Technically Chinese, nikuman has become a popular part of Japanese cuisine. Its basic form is a steamed yeast-leavened bun with a filling. In Japan, that filling is usually minced pork ("niku" literally means meat in Japanese) with a few variations. 

When I was a teenager, I spent summers in Shanghai with my grandfather. He lived in an old part of the city where street vendors sold freshly made baozi, the broader Chinese name for it. There are endless varieties of baozi in China but my grandfather's favorite vendor sold ones filled with Chinese mustard greens and shiitake seasoned with sesame oil. This too became my favorite. 

I haven't found anything similar in Tokyo, but nearly every supermarket and department store food hall here sells the pork-based nikuman. While it's not impossible to make at home, it requires some time and technique, so we buy it and keep it as an easy weekend lunch. 

Soba

Soba is a Japanese buckwheat noodle. Because it is made from buckwheat, it is though to be healthier than its relatives, ramen and udon. Whereas ramen and udon are more often served in fast casual settings, soba is a bit more refined, though it also exists as fast food. Soba can be served in a hot broth or it can be served cold alongside a cold dipping sauce, a popular summer option. 

My kids prefer soba over salty ramen and chewy udon. I usually do too, but I'm also considering how I will feel after the meal, and I doubt my kids think about that. It is common to serve soba with tempura. My kids like soba so much that they will abstain from eating more fried foods to save room for the buckwheat. I like it, but it is a mystery to me. 

Shishamo

Shishamo is a smelt fish (capelin) native to Hokkaido. It is a small fish about the length of long green bean and barely a finger's width wide. You grill, bake, or sauté the fish and eat it whole. The awareness of sustainable seafood is low in Japan, but the production of farmed shishamo has grown recently to lessen the burden on wildlife stock. It seems that Atlantic capelin may be more sustainable, perhaps due to lower popularity. 

My kids, who were introduced to it at an early age, also eat the entire fish. In Chicago, it was a treat because we could only buy it at the Japanese supermarket a half hour's drive away. In contrast, it is too accessible in Tokyo. Nearly every supermarket, even bodegas and convenience stores, carry shishamo. I still try to keep it a treat. 

Edamame

Until moving to Japan, I only knew frozen edamame. Then I tasted fresh edamame here, and as you might expect, it tastes a lot better. Edamame season runs through the summer. In June and July, you will see fresh edamame stalks in supermarkets. Perhaps surprisingly, edamame is a popular beer food here in Japan, and as such, it's sold at sports concessions and bars. 

As for my kids, they get a kick out of removing the beans from the pods. When edamame is on the table, it is difficult to get M to eat anything else. It is also super easy to prepare - just boil for a few minutes and sprinkle with salt. 

Tofu

Japan is tofu-nation, and Kyoto is tofu-town. Kyoto has many incredible restaurants, and some of those serve multi-course kaiseki meals specializing in tofu. In daily life here in Tokyo, tofu is not as exalted but just as versatile and ubiquitous. You can grill it, fry it, flatten it into a pouch and fill it with rice (inari sushi), or simply eat it cold with soy sauce and a squeeze of citrus. Both my kids prefer tofu over most meats, and I suspect it's because of the tender texture. Basically they prefer to chew as little as possible, and meat requires many more chews than tofu. 

When my kids were weaning, I blended tofu into ground chicken to make chicken patties. The tofu makes the patties more tender, fluffier, and easier to eat. Nowadays I keep packet of soft tofu in the refrigerator for an easy summer side dish - just cut, season with soy sauce or ponzu, and perhaps a sprinkle of bonito flakes, sesame seeds, and/or scallions. 

Digital Books, Eating at Muji, and a Chilled Saturday

    I received a Kindle for my birthday last year, but it took me some time to warm up to digital reading. In Chicago, we lived down the street from the public library, and it was easy to check out and return books. I liked physically browsing books and taking them home. Choosing a book via Kindle felt like online shopping - it should be easier but was somehow harder and took more effort. The enormous digital selection was overwhelming. Then one day, my spouse, an enthusiastic proponent of digital reading, bought Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. I started reading it, and that got me into reading on the Kindle. I'm glad I did. In a Japanese-speaking world, it's a convenient way to access English-language books. 

   Because of that, I have been reading a lot this summer. I just read Ruth Ozeki's The Book of Form and Emptiness, which is a story about an adolescent boy who is navigating life with his mother after his father dies. He begins to hear voices from objects and is subsequently hospitalized in a pediatric psychiatric ward. I wasn't particularly drawn to plot, but I love Ozeki's other works, so I gave it a try. It's a fictional story, and not at all a treatise or critique on current issues. Like her earlier book My Year of Meats, it represents in a thoughtful way all the maladies afflicting our post-industrial society. It's also about the power and morality of objects and our relationships with them. It is fiction but relevant, absurd yet relatable, despairing yet hopeful. It's my favorite book this summer. 

    E has been in summer school. It is farther than her usual school with no efficient public transportation routes, so we have been commuting via mamachari. It is a 40 minute ride roundtrip with two roundtrips each day. And so, I have been treating myself to kakigori. Kakigori is shaved ice with condensed milk or syrup or both with various toppings. Its ice is usually finely shaved compared to other types of shaved ice (like the New Orleans snoball). It is a fixture of Japanese summers, especially this summer which has been brutally hot. 

    On Saturday, we went to an indoor play space for the kids. We braced ourselves for a long queue but it wasn't that bad. In fact, there were fewer people than there had been on a weekend during winter. This play space is located in an indoor shopping mall with grocery stores and lots of restaurants, making for an easy transition to lunch. It also has a very cute bathroom dedicated for kids. 

Everything is a smaller size - the stalls, toilets, wash basins, etc. Japanese kids are afforded so much independence, and the infrastructure makes it easy. 

    The biggest problem with dining out in Tokyo is not dining with kids but rather dining without a reservation. People make reservations by default. If a good restaurant has a reservation system, it will likely be full unless you book a few days ahead. If the restaurant does not take reservations (more casual lunch spots, food courts, etc.), be prepared to go early or wait in line or both. You must constantly think ahead. With this in mind, at 11:15 am, we headed to the Muji cafe, which does not take reservations. 

© Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.

© Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.

    Muji is a Japanese brand that is based on a philosophy of minimalism, recycling, reducing production, and having a no logo/no brand policy. Not a bad philosophy, but it is also a massive retailer, so who knows. In Japan, they also have a cafe that sells healthy cafeteria-style food. It makes an effort - unique among big Japanese brands - to offer alternatives to animal protein. It is also a great place for families. I really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of cafeteria-style eateries. There are no kids sets per se, but you can pick and choose among daily dishes, salad sets, curry sets, and soup sets among others. Better than the typical kids set that comes with fries, juice, and jello. It cost less than $30 USD for our family of four with large appetites. 

    If you have small kids, you may well know that they start declining in energy after lunch. It becomes a countdown to getting home and taking a nap. So we squeezed in a trip to the grocery store, picked up donuts from Mister Donut, and headed home. It was a relaxing Saturday. 

Chasing Dinosaurs

Have you heard of the word Natsubate? It's a compound of the word for summer "natsu," and "bateru," meaning malaise. Natsubate is used to describe the condition of many people during the summer months: poor appetite, lack of sleep, and low energy. It is summer malaise. Our most obvious strategy has been to find fun things to do indoors during the hottest hours. Incidentally, E has been interested in dinosaurs. We actually have been reading the same book about dinosaurs every night for the past week. This gave me the idea of looking into a place where we could visit some "real" dinosaurs. That place turned out to be the National Museum of Nature and Science. 

One of the things I miss most about Chicago is Museum Campus, and the Field Museum was among my favorites. We had gone a couple of times with E, but she was still a bit young for most of the exhibits and in any case, she has no memory of it. I don't know what took me so long to visit the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo. Perhaps I was too busy mulling over what was lost that I failed to consider the new experiences that were available. 

Situated in the Ueno neighborhood and overshadowed by the Ueno Zoo, this museum doesn't get nearly as crowded as the zoo. Reservations are required, which is nice overall, as it guarantees your entry at a specific time while also limiting the number of visitors inside. The museum has two wings: the Japanese wing with the more Japan-specific exhibits and the more general and newer Global wing. The exhibits have loads of interactive features. I found them to be great for all ages, even M, who was particularly fixated by the Animals of the Earth exhibit. 

Before Covid-19, this Compass section used to be an interactive play space for young kids. Still nice for kids, but unfortunately not as interactive.  

There is an impressive collection of dinosaurs, which are scattered throughout the museum rather than concentrated in a single exhibit. 

There is both a restaurant and a cafe at the museum, but they are small so the lines can get quite long. Because I had read this beforehand, we decided to prepare some food and bring it with us. Of course, we then didn't have time to "prepare food" amidst the morning hustle and bustle. Conveniently, Ueno station, where the museum is located, has a lot of bento, snack, and takeaway options, so we were able to buy lunch there before arriving at the museum. 

The museum cafe. The menu looked pretty good, and the prices were reasonable. Just beware of the lines at peak lunch hour. 

Some of the food we bought at the station - tonkatsu sandwich, yakitori skewers - and, not pictured - onigiri, sandwiches, and yogurt.

The Evolution of Life exhibits were beautifully designed. While my kids appreciated the design and specific interactive components, like short videos, they will get more of it when they are a bit older. 

The Japan Wing is located an old classist building designed as Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government. It was built as the main building of the museum in 1931 until 2015, when the Global Wing opened. 

We saw a few exhibits on the geological history of the Japanese islands. There was also an exhibit on the evolution of the Japanese people, including a display of the taxidermied Hachiko, the Akita dog famous for waiting at Shibuya station for its owner, even after his owner's death. 

I had been worried that the exhibits would be too advanced for E and M, but we all had a great time. Although the kids didn't grasp the content in the same way as adults do, they were able to enjoy it in their own way, as kids do. We arrived around 9 am and left at 1:30 pm, because that was as long as their attention spans could handle. But there was still a lot left to see. It is a place they can grow into, and we are excited about returning. 

6 Ways to Fall off a Bicycle

    For the last year and a half, cycling has been my main mode of transportation. I ride a battery operated, electric assist bicycle with two child seats. My husband calls it the SUV of bicycles. I suppose it is, but the fact is, it is more effective and satisfying than any gas-fueled vehicle could be. You can read about it here and here. 

    However, like any manner of transportation, there is the risk of accidents. This is why we wear helmets, though luckily none of our mishaps have been serious. Let me take you through all the ways I have fallen off my bicycle...and other possible ways to fall. I have to point out that all of my accidents were the result of carelessness, and in the case of cycling after a snowstorm, a certain degree of recklessness. But I suppose many accidents are a result of those things. Perhaps my mistakes can be a useful guide of what not to do if you ever find yourself joining the legions of cyclists in the streets of Tokyo. 

1. Underestimating the height of a curb. 

    The flow of traffic among pedestrians, vehicles, and cyclists is fluid, though surprisingly not chaotic. I often weave on and off sidewalks, like when a car is blocking the bicycle path. Although there are many driveways and other parts of the sidewalk where the curb is lowered, the curb can still have a pretty high edge for a bicycle. My first fall was on such an edge. Even though I had ridden over and off many without incident, I got careless. My front tire couldn't clear the curb, and I lost my balance and fell. My husband has also fallen like this. In fact, this is one of the most common ways to fall. The best way to avoid this is to approach the curb as close to a 90 degree angle as possible and proceed slowly. 

2. Placing the kickstand on an uneven surface while your child climbs onto the seat herself. 

    This is obvious to most people. It might have been obvious to me if I had slowed down to notice. Japan is mountainous, and Tokyo is hilly. Bicycles here are equipped to handle the terrain with their electric assist and heavy duty kickstands. On this fateful afternoon, I had parked my bicycle on an uneven patch so that the bicycle was slightly slanting. This alone might have been ok, but my daughter also climbed onto her seat, putting additional weight on an already slanted side. 

    I didn't usually allow her to climb onto the seat by herself, but since this incident, we now have a hard rule against solo climbing. While this was not technically a fall, it was dangerous because the heavy bicycle fell on my daughter. Luckily, she only scraped her knee a bit, but it could have been worse. 

3. Failure to fully engage kickstand. 

    On Japanese bicycles, there is a spring lock that usually engages when the kickstand goes down. This secures the bicycle, even on a slope. Sometimes the lock doesn't engage by itself, so you have to do it manually. As with #2, this doesn't constitute a risk of falling off so much as getting hurt in general. 

    I once parked on the downward slope of a hill. Trusting that the lock would spring into place automatically, I hadn't bothered to double check. E walked in front of my parked bicycle to talk to someone parked in front of us. At this same moment, a pedestrian walked past and lightly touched my bicycle. Although the contact was light, on a downward slope it was enough to disengage the kickstand and make the bicycle fall forward. Since I was standing right there, I was able to catch most of its weight, and the damage was minimal. E, my loyal passenger, has suffered the most at the hands of my slow learning curve. 

4. Cycling after snow. 

    Tokyo snow appears a few times a winter, though it is not common. When it does fall, it is rarely enough to accumulate. For this reason, few city vehicles have snow tires. The city is also not equipped to handle snow accumulation. 

    This past winter, it snowed enough for a few inches to accumulate. The temperature then remained low in the following days. What would have been cleared in a northern city like Chicago stayed on the ground for days here, turning into ice. I naively set out on my bike two days after the snow, since most of it had cleared. Of course, I encountered a patch of road still frozen solid with a layer of translucent ice - so much so that you wouldn't see the ice unless you looked closely. Luckily, I was going at a snail's pace, so there were no injuries, just a shock to the nerves. My lesson here was don't test the Tokyo roads after snowfall. 

5. Slipping on tiled sidewalks. 

    Most parts of Tokyo are paved with cement, but some are tiled. For instance, the walkway bordering Yoyogi Park has a tiled section, which turned out to be really slippery when wet. I had been warned about slipping on wet manhole covers but had not considered wet sidewalks. 

    This took me off guard a few days ago. It had been raining heavily in the morning, and I had passed through with E in the backseat without a problem. In the afternoon, the rain stopped but the ground was still wet. As I was passing through, there were a few pigeons on the path. I turned my wheel just slightly to avoid them. As soon as I did that, I felt the tire slip from under me, and before I knew it, we were down. Again, we were not going fast. E was secured in her seat with her helmet on, and I just bruised my leg a bit. 

    When I examined this tiled pavement more closely, I noticed that it was as slippery as wet bath tiles. My confidence suffered more than anything. Before this, I had ridden in rain and on different roads. Moreover, plenty of cyclists ride in the rain and through this area without falling. But now that I have experienced falling, I ride with some fear. While the fear will subside in a few days, the lesson will remain: be aware of your riding surface! 

6. Maneuvering the bicycle with both kids on it. 

    One of the first mistakes I made after our mamachari purchase was trying to maneuver out of a parking space with both kids already on the bicycle. As commuter bicycles, mamacharis have heavy frames with a heavy battery to boot. Then there are the basket, the kids seats, and the kids themselves. It is difficult to overestimate the weight of a fully loaded mamachari. 

    I had loaded the kids first and then tried to back out of my space walking alongside the bicycle. I didn't make it very far. The weight makes it very difficult to maneuver the bicycle like this. It wobbled, I couldn't save it from falling sideways. Rookie mistake. Always load your kids after you have maneuvered out of a tight space. 

Conveyor Belt Sushi

    Last weekend, we had conveyor belt sushi, known as kaiten sushi. While the quality of kaiten sushi is generally lower than that of a traditional sushi bar, it is fun for kids and serves a broader array of non-sushi items, like noodles, fried chicken, and rice bowls among other things. 

    We went to a place called Kura Sushi in Harajuku (they have many locations, including ones outside Japan). The Harajuku location is known for its fun atmosphere and extensive dessert menu. The Harajuku area is known for its over the top dessert crepes, which you can order at Kura. They also have Blue Seal ice cream, an Okinawan brand that boasts distinctive flavors, like Okinawan Salt Cookies, Royal Milk Tea, and Brown Sugar Cane (Okinawa is famous for its brown sugar canes). I ordered the Okinawan Sweet Potato with its distinctive purple color. It's one of my favorite flavors, and the texture is nice and fluffly, almost like gelato. 

    Other dishes we enjoyed were onion rings (freshly fried) and grilled fish, but to be honest, the quality of the food is not the focal point here. Although you could undoubtedly find better sushi in Tokyo, this was nevertheless a good experience. Kura is one of those places where you have to embrace the entire environment. 

    We went with E's cousins, who range from age 5 to 13 and are here in Tokyo for the summer. 

    We ordered via iPad, which is typical of kaiten sushi these days. Since Covid-19 began, many restaurants place plastic models of food on their conveyor belts instead of the real thing. You order by iPad. Kura does a hybrid. There are two conveyor belts: a top one and a bottom one. The bottom one carries a variety of dishes. You can look and take whatever you like. Or you could order via iPad. The order then arrives on the top belt, zooming to your table at super speed. 

    After we ate, the empty plates went into a slot at the end of each table. The slot automatically counted and calculated our bill based on these plates. We let M do this, and she loved doing it. We received "points," for each plate that went in, and after a certain number of points, we got to play a game on the iPad. The game is really a lottery where you can win a small capsule toy. We won one toy after thirty something dishes, so don't get your hopes up. 

The booth seating gives you relative privacy - another reason this place was good for families. 

    

    Kura Sushi was a hit with my kids and their cousins. As with so many things, the adults are happy when the kids are happy (to a degree). It wasn't a bad way to spend a hot summer night. Gochisousamadeshita!

Global Warming Blues, Joypolis, and Other Ways of Surviving a Heat Wave

    Every day in Tokyo for the last five days, and everyday for the next five days, temperatures will reach 35 to 36 degrees Celsius. That's 96-98 degrees in Fahrenheit. There has been no rain, despite this being the rainy season. The heat is oppressive, dangerous even. And it is days like these that make me think about what the world will be like when my children are my age. It makes me wonder about each choice I make: should I turn the air conditioning on for short-term comfort but at the expense of long-term harm to the environment? Why do I need chilled wine on demand when people are dying from natural disasters stemming from climate change? How can we avoid fish caught by trawling? Do my individual choices matter in the shadow of behemoth corporate, government, and military action? Even if my actions don't make a big difference, surely they matter to some extent. And of course, our collective choices do make a difference. 

    I think about how, in Japan and in many other places in the world, the majority of housework is shouldered by women. How collapsing cardboard boxes, rinsing and flattening milk cartons, dropping off the recycling at collection centers, using and cleaning rags instead of paper towels, using gentler solutions that require more effort, feeding your family more sustainable foods while ensuring their health and satiety, sorting through an infinite number of kids art projects to recycle and reuse - how so much of this is the work of women. Even so, as a woman completing many (but luckily not all) of these tasks, when I get cynical, I remind myself that there is always an opportunity cost to my actions (or lack of action). Convenience is rarely free. It also makes me aware that gender equality is another step to a more sustainable world. 

    Enough brooding. This post is really about the ways we have been trying to stay cool. The first is staying indoors as much as possible whilst keeping our kids entertained. On the weekends, they can only stay at home for so long without going crazy, so we looked into possible indoor outings. We decided on Joypolis, an indoor amusement park. My nephews and niece are also here for the summer, so we all went together. I was under the impression that Joypolis was somehwere between Chuck-E-Cheese and Dave and Buster's, but that is totally not the case. It was great for my almost 14-year-old and 11-year-old nephews, but it was a bit intense even for my 8-year-old niece, let alone my kids. It is probably the most fun for teenagers and young adults.    

Entering the Joypolis universe. 

    Joypolis was more like an arcade on steroids: bright artificial light everywhere, screens and sounds everywhere. It gave me sensory overload. My husband went here when he was a kid and said that it was more low-key fifteen, twenty years ago. I'm sure it was. 

    Kids under 7 are free (makes sense now). The entrance fee for kids 7-17 is about $4 USD and $6.50 USD for adults. Once you enter, each ride will cost about $5 and games are usually between $1-6. If you expect to go on a lot of rides, you can purchase the passport ticket for $30 for kids and $40 for adults. The passport tickets allow access to all the rides, but not the games. 

This looked like a good game for little kids, but it was hard, even for adults!

     We purchased the passport tickets for the older kids. They would have had to go on five rides to get their tickets' worth. However, there was an hour-long line for each ride, which would mean spending all day waiting in line. In the end, they went on three rides and played a bunch of games. They also played with a lot of claw crane games, if you can call those games, and actually won two massive stuffies without spending all their money. I was impressed. Preteens and their unexpected talents. 

    Joypolis is in Odaiba and located in a large shopping complex next to several other shopping complexes. The entire area is a neighborhood of malls. While this doesn't make for the nicest neighborhood, it makes it easier to find lunch. Joypolis has a few eateries, but they fill up quickly. Plus, so long as you keep your ticket, re-entry is permitted. 

Odaiba: Tokyo Bay on one side, entertainment hub on the other. 

    After lunch, I went with M and my mother in law to a nearby mall to take a break from Joypolis. E, though too young for most games and rides, was nevertheless having a good time since she was in the company of her cousins. So my husband stayed with the four older kids while I got a napping toddler. I would say that I got the better end of the deal. I spent the rest of the afternoon looking at art supplies for E's approaching summer holiday. So that was one hot day down, eight more to go. 

    We have also been consuming a lot of frozen desserts - a time-tested, much simpler way of coping with the heat. There are the usual frozen pops, but also more interesting ones we are trying for the first time. One of my favorites is the Crunch Choco Monaka, which is a wafer filled with half vanilla ice cream and half chocolate crunch. Although it is marketed as Hershey's product, I have only seen this in Japan. Another favorite is matcha ice cream topped with brown sugar, mochi, and matcha powder. Here is to making the best of the heat with sweets.