びっくり雪！

Today's title is "bikkuri yuki" or "Surprise! Snow!". Because today there it snowed in Tokyo. Which begins and ends the snowy season for Tokyo. While the rest of the country had a few meters and mass blizzards, Tokyo gets one day of fluffy white goodness. It was a surprisingly proper snow though. Not like the mingy white stuff we got in Waco that one day that caused Shelly and I's deer adventure. It was really nice to wake up and see snow, it felt like Christmas time. I was really expecting to hear carols or something of the sort. Tokyo-ites and snow are a pretty funny combination. I'm not sure they canceled school, but there sure wasn't a lot of action going on in the morning like usual. And everyone had their rain boots and umbrellas out. It was just like a rainy day. And I saw one car with chains on the tires. He got his day use out of those. And of course the women who wear mini skirts and fishnets in 3 degree weather didn't let snow stop them either.


First snow view of the day. Yeah, I know. But I haven't seen snow in like 2 years. I'm allowed to be like this.


Everything was really green(for being in the middle of January), a big contrast to the snow.


Snowy road.


Someone's yard.


I've been meaning to take a picture of this for a while. And today with the snow in the background is a good touch. It's an advert for "Canadian Maple Soft Cream". Mini-stop (one of the millions of convinience store franchises) introduced this marketing geniousity last week or so. Yeah, great idea. Introduce a new ice cream flavour in the middle of January, when the highs are about 5 degrees...


Here is a "yuki daruma", like our snowmen. But with only 2 balls. Yuki means snow and Daruma is the name of a buddhist legend that lost his arms and legs after meditating for so long. You see yuki daruma everywhere. In the weather report, instead of snowflakes, usually there is a littly yuki daruma to indicate a forecast for snow.


Tsutsujigaoka with some snow.


Bridge in front of 明治神宮. (Meiji Shrine)


In front of Meiji.


Atilla and I were going to see Meiji in the snow, but we got there just a few minutes after they closed. So sad.


Harajuku in snow.


Thought this was kind of funny, palm trees with snow on them in Harajuku.


A poster saying to prevent fires, but if you litterally translate it, it can mean "Give a cutlet to fires". But it actually means something like "Karate chop fires". Which isn't much better. It reminded me of Geopolitics in high school when a girl said something about how Japan didn't need an army because they were all karate fighters anyway.


Apart from the snow adventure, yesterday I went with Simon to ride a trolley in north Tokyo. I had read about it and it said it was a good way to see old neighbourhoods of Tokyo since you aren't underground or elevated but right on the street. And plus it's kind of fun to ride in street cars after subways all the time.


That is the car you ride. They are covered with advertisements though. So much for simplicity.


Inside the car. Simon and I figured out quickly, that the streetcar line is an old people thing, like Florida. A lot of old people were riding.


The drivers seat. Each car had two of these. One in the front and back, so they could go both ways. Clever.


For part of the way we are actually on the street. Since I can count on one hand the amount of times I've been in traffic in Tokyo, It's always exciting to be with actual traffic.


A better view of the front of the car.


Simon and a giant Japanese woman head.

It's official (again)

I was watching some crazy Japanese tv show and on the top of the screen was a message about really important news. It looked like something that would show if a tornado was coming. I was expecting something like a bombing or tsunami warning, but the message was that Japan is halting the import of US beef again for fears of mad cow. And 20 minutes later, every news program was talking about it. Yeah, Japan is fascinating like that. Japanese news is comparable to beating a dead horse again and again until they have a new subject. For example, the big stock market scare the other day about allegations of fraud at Livedoor corporation has had just about every story done on it. I imagine the beef thing will be the next dead horse for the Japanese media to beat on the hour every hour.

Picture Jikan

Random picture day.


Only in Tokyo would there be this one little parking place and it be for the handicapable.


At Yasukuni-shrine, a sign over the torii telling guests to make their 初詣 (first visit to the shrine) at Yasukuni.


Along Yasukuni street it looks like candy cane lane. Only it's red and white for good luck, not for consumption.


On the way to the station I pass these blue tent covered flats. I have no idea what is going on in there. At first I thought bug spraying, but then I saw people still living in them. So maybe construction? But I've never seen or heard anyone actually working. Mind you these blue beauties have been on for a good 3 months.


"What the Dickens?". A British Pub in Ebisu. The night we went a band called "The Dog's Bollocks" were playing. Oh Britain.


An elevator at Tokyu Department store in Shibuya politely reminding you that crabs will pinch you if you press both of the buttons thinking it will make the lift come faster.


Instead of just picking up the mess, a lady has gone all around the neighbourhood and placed signs above ignored dog poop saying "Be considerate, polite and neighbourly. Clean up after your dog's messes". I've seen like five of these on a road. In Japan they don't have actual crime so they instead have to spend their time chasing the serial dog pooper.

Monday of Doneness

So I am finally done with the fall semester. (sans one research paper but I just have to finish it and turn it in. Not actually go to another class). I turned in my wonderful report of the Yakuza and did a Japanese test about Japanese idioms involving cats. Something interesting I learned about the Yakuza is that the name is from an old card game and the worst hand in that game was 8-9-3. And in old Japanese 8,9 and 3 are ya, ku, and za. But also it takes a lot of skill to get that hand, not just bad luck. So I guess the meaning is something about you have to have skill to be the worst.

Yesterday on TV one of the hosts was wearing a KU shirt with "Beat 'em Hawks" on the back. Japanese fashion involves thrift store shirts from the US especially random universities. I saw a Baylor shirt for sale at a premier vintage store once. They just love the clothes we throw away. And pay 3 times as much for it.