Our Autumn 2015

In the city of Ebitsu. 

My old friend Haru was there along with many others for an event.

At TONDEN Farm. There was, I believe it was, a 40 year anniversary the following day.

But the day Taka dropped me off to meet Haru, I got to take part in a sweat lodge.

It'd been the first time in quite a while. 

Before the sweat, I got to meet the owner of the Farms, and along with everyone, we got to take part in a tea ceremony. It's been quite a while for one of those for me as well! A Native American man was visiting for the special event too, he once visited us in Nishio back in the '90's?!


Back in Nishio, it was all about catching up with friend after friend after friend. And almost never without fantastic food to indulge in. And the FRIENDS to INDULGE in was the BEST!.


Taka and I got to meet a great guy whose airBNB was where we stayed when first in Sapporo.
Not only did he rent out his space, but he also is a professional chef. I had to hire him for one meal before we left.

Some of my longest lasting friends in Japan:



Another NATSUKASHIIII meal was TAKOYAKI at Yoshizaki's home. Yoshizaki's.... the center for so many of us to gather. The family that takes care of the COMMUNITY!!!! Yoshizaki's WE THANK YOU ALWAYS!!!
Where once again friends kept coming to catch up all together. AND Takoyaki!!!!. THANKYOU!!!!!!!!



At Yoshizaki's restaurant Cafe Ocean where Ischin's the pizza chef... Zen's meeting with the town's Mayor at the beginning of our trip, the paper hung there.

From our hometown of Nishio we... went NORTH. 
To Sapporo to see the BOY and his more settling in to his  new home.

One cool place we found, kind of important for a basketball player:
 a  laundromat where there was a special machine that JUST cleaned shoes! Exactly what a basketball player would need!

     


Taka and I got to see two preseason debut games. My photos below. Yes, another highlight of the month long trip. Regular season starts October 2015. We left Japan September 25th.

More times in 日本 to surprise you, and even me!

These are more photos I took, of some of the many things in Japan that still strike me as UNIQUE!

All those green crosses!
Taka told me that when he worked with construction companies, they used the green cross meaning that they are being SAFE!
But do they realize now?
In California at least, the green cross is the mark to let you know you can buy marijuana there!
yes! "DRUGS"! Japanese still think herb is as bad as heroin!!! I don't think many know that now we can legally buy it.


(You can see the green flag cross waving here too, over the bicycles?)



I found this humorous: at the Circle K convenience store, the sign outside advertising coffee saying "FAST RELAX CAFE"!!! Yes, Japanese still mostly don't believe that caffeine can keep you from sleeping. "Mind over matter" it seems! (Btw, speaking of construction crews, this GOSHU truck was cool- all nostalgic to see a man with his towel wrapped around his head... the two of them sat in there eating their RAMEN)

Well, one night, I got really teed off (pissed off= angry) when my father-in-law, Taka and I went into a YAKINIKU restaurant. I mean, when did they start MARKING the designated driver?! When was it THEIR JOB to say who's going to drink or NOT? NONE of us were drinking but they asked loudly, 'WHO'S THE DRIVER TONIGHT?"  and when Taka said he was they placed down this yellow marker so  NO ONE SHOULD SERVE HIM ALCOHOL. Omgosh... give me a frickin' break- "REALLY?!" It ruined my meal I was so mad!!! (That's Taka's empty dishes!!!)



And I must show this again, it's still happening. PORNO magazines in convenience stores.
Way off in the corner, what's written there is saying you can't look at these unless you're an adult.



It's not a huge section but... right there at children's eye level too by the restrooms. When are they ever going to get it that it-IS-NOT-RIGHT to make children witness that vulgarity!!!


Ok... I should end on a SWEET note shouldn't I?!!
Aren't these the CUTEST itsy bitsy cars for sale?!!!


Adorable STICKERED car! "New Age Japanese" for ya!!!


And these little guys... UNAGI~ eel deliverers!!! Well, cooked eel that is!


I must admit, I do love the little "shades" Japanese car windows have, so you can open your windows and most of the rainwater doesn't come raining in. I really wish we could get these attached to our cars in California- not that it rains that much...


I'm promising to return sooner to share some more from our last trip to Japan... we did a whole lot with a rail pass... a bit more than I wish to ever do again!


At least the food was VERY GOOD! Thank goodness for those food carts, cause the racing between trains didn't allow us time to pick up any meals. I hand it to the Japanese as far as accommodating the passengers- and this wasn't even the bullet train!

 ha haaaa, Taka's sports drink: "Pocari Sweat" no it's not PERSPIRATION "sweat"... but it is a VERY weird name for a drink! Who wants to drink perspiration huh?!

I promise promise to work at another entry VERY soon!!! I've been way lax here!