Brown Jug

I went to Brown Jug a couple of weeks ago. Brown Jug is in an area of Tokyo called Ebisu and is owned by Kiyoshi Ambe and his wife. I have known Ambe-san for quite some time as he visits Scotland every year to indulge in his passion of whisky drinking.

I always intend to go to Brown Jug more frequently but only seem to visit once a year. I guess I visit so infrequently as it is a fair old journey from my home in Kumegawa. The last train home from central Tokyo is around midnight so if I want to have a long night out, I'd have to make it an all nighter and get the first train home at 5am.

In the picture, Ambe-san is behind the bar and the other guy is an irritating customer I remember suffering a few years ago. It was a good evening and I had a few pleasant chats with the other customers in the bar. We'll probably invite Ambe-san and his wife to the house sometime in March for one of his favourite roast dinners.

Odaiba - Part 2

As mentioned, the primary reason of our visit to Odaiba was to see Shimogo Town Yosakoi group perform. Clara had a couple of old friends in the Shimogo group and was excited to meet them again. Likewise, Yuki and I knew we would also see old old faces from the time we spent in Shimogo.

I really like watching Yosakoi and it seems a great activity for people of all ages to participate in. Good exercise and a great opportunity for local groups to socialise. I also imagine that these groups play an important role in returning some local pride to rural communities under threat.

I have to say that the Shimogo performance was excellent! The dance moves were choreographed to perfection (in my humble opinion), the costumes were vibrant and traditional, and the taiko drum sounded threatening. All the constituent pieces fitted together well and truly managed to communicate the Aizu spirit. Fantastic!

I really enjoyed meeting some of my old students again. They seemed pleased to see me and were happy to exchange a few words. I was taken aback to discover that some of my old students are now in their early 20s!

A nice trip down memory lane and reassuring to know that although we are gone from Shimogo, we are not yet forgotten.

Odaiba - Part 1

Last week we went to Odaiba, primarily to watch the Shimogo Town Yosakoi dance group perform. However, we had some time to kill before the performance started so we walked around Odaiba for some sightseeing.

Odaiba is a pretty impressive place which I need to visit again. After travelling in to Tokyo, we had to take the Yurikome Line across Rainbow Bridge to reach Odaiba. I thought I had made a mistake when the train passed by Rainbow Bridge and felt a pang of disappointment that we would not be passing over. However, the train line corkscrewed around and we promptly crossed over the water. The bridge is composed of two railway tracks, a walkway, and several roads at different levels. The walkway is obviously popular with foreigners as we must have seen 20 or 30 non-Japanese people walking the span of the bridge. Of more particular note for Clara and I was the road which was adjacent to the railway line we were crossing over. Clara and I started waving at people walking or in cars who were crossing the bridge. Much to the amusement of our fellow passengers, we garnered a lot of attention from people at various distances from the train. The best moment was when Clara and I waved at a man driving what looked like an open top Caterham 7. We got a lot of waves from the guy as he blasted past our train and into the distance. A few minutes later, as we were coming to the end of the bridge, we saw the Caterham stopped at traffic lights some way off. Clara and I started to wave again and received some enthusiastic waving in return from the jolly driver who must have been keeping his eyes on the approaching train. Our fellow passengers on the train found the antics highly amusing.

As we had some time before the Shimogo Town performance, we walked around the Palette Town shopping centre and exhibition centre. There seems to be quite a strong automotive theme in this area as Toyota had a number of their products on display which people could sit in and ask salesmen for information. Of greater interest to me were a number of racing cars in display. There was a Toyota F1 car and a Lexus track car.

After looking at the Toyota, Lexus, and F1 merchandise shop, we decided to retire for some refreshments as we still had over an hour before the performance. We stumbled across an Italian Cafe Bar which was full of F1 memorabilia and contained an interesting selection of cars. The bar had a number of leather sofas and armchairs and I could picture myself getting comfortable for the day and quaffing a few beers to while away the hours surrounded by some impressive automotive relics. I really want to return sometime and just chill and sup the Italian beers. There is also a nice terrace outside the bar which would be great on a summer day.....next year perhaps....

Japan v Scotland - Yokohama Stadium

We had a great time at the football game yesterday (Saturday 10th October), despite the final score. I assumed the role of proud ex-pat Scot and wore the kilt to the game. The kilt often gets a lot of attention when I have cause to wear it in Japan and therefore sometimes I avoid it so that I can blend in to the background a bit more. However, the overwhelming opinion of my Facebook friends clearly required a bit of kilt wearing action and I was happy to oblige.

It was quite a long journey to Yokohama Stadium and we had to take 3 different trains, each of them progressively busier than the last. The kilt was obviously a point of interest for many of my fellow travelers as they were sneaking frequent looks and mentioning it in conversation.

The journey to Yokohama was generally uneventful until we got on our last train. A couple of meters from us were 4 members of the Tartan Army who had obviously travelled all the way from Scotland for the game. They were generally a genial bunch, if however slightly pissed up. Yuki and I really enjoyed listening to their thick Scottish accents but I was glad that the other passengers on the train had no chance to understand some of their jokes. Not for the faint hearted! Yuki and I got off at a different stop and I exchanged pleasantries with them as we got off the train.

When we reached the station in Yokohama, we walked about 15 minutes to the stadium through large crowds of Japanese fans. There were no other signs of Scotland fans and it seemed that there would only be a handful of Scots at the game. However, as we got closer to the stadium, the sight of kilts became more common and I realised that there was a fairly respectable contingent of my countrymen at the game. We all enjoyed the game despite it ending in defeat for the Scots. I decided to make an addition effort to mark myself as a Scot by consuming as many cans of lager as possible throughout the occasion and I managed to put away a good few before full time. Clara was angry with me for much of the game as I was joining in the Scottish chants and created a few of my own when a Japanese the irritating Japanese fan in front of me decided to contribute. Each time he opened his mouth, I would drown him out, which has resulted in me gaining a rather hoarse voice. Although the final score was not a big surprise as Scotland were essentially playing their B team, I was surprised to see so many Japanese people in the Scotland end wearing Scottish tops and scarves. I can only assume many of them have lived in Scotland before and decided to support Scotland instead.

A a great day out and a rare chance to have an excuse to be drunk and with a tad faux bellicose. Looking forward to the next time Scotland come calling.

National Museum of Nature and Science

Continuing on our new vein of pro-activity, Yuki, Clara, and I visited the Ueno area of Tokyo to explore the National Museum of Nature and Science. Once again, the weather was not great and there were some heavy showers. However, the inclement weather proved useful in scaring away the crowds and allowed us to explore the museum relatively unmolested.

The smell on this day was not quite as pleasant as the smell of the previous week at Roppongi Hills. Because of the heavy rain, the smell of dog shit hung in the air as we walked though Ueno Park. Not a pleasant smell but it was certainly preferable to the heavy crowds that would have been around if the weather had been better.The museum was pretty interesting and I liked the fact that many of the scientific texts and instruments displayed originated from Britain. The best part of the visit was just watching Clara running around soaking up as much information as possible. Towards the end of our visit, I was starting to tire of the rain-forest exhibition and so started mimicking the bird calls being played though the hidden speakers. Clara did not seem to be impressed with my bird calls but none of the other people around seemed to notice.

Another pleasant day out and a good chance for some mental stimulation for us all.

Roppongi Hills

At the end of September, we all went to Roppongi Hills, a new area of Tokyo which is supposed to represent a new age of urban living. The building at Roppongi Hills are supposed to integrate both business and non-business life into one nice and easy to swallow package. It is certainly impressive but the one drawback that most people will have is finding the money to live there.

We decided to go there to admire the views from the top floor and to walk around the Mori Art Museum. As soon as we arrived, it was obviously the place is not typical Tokyo. There was a lot of wide open space and there were no cars or bicycles to avoid as we walked around. Tokyo can sometimes feel a bit claustrophobic at times so I quite enjoyed the spacious open areas of Roppongi Hills and the opportunity to amble around without constantly having to change my tack. As you can see, Clara was pretty interested and was snapping away at every opportunity.

One odd thing for me was the smell of hamburgers wafting around the lower levels - actually quite a pleasant smell which reminded me of queuing at Abdul's snack van for a cheap hamburger laced with vinegary sauce in Somerled Square, Portree.

We headed straight up to the 54th floor to sample the views from Mori Tower. As it was raining earlier in the day, the crowds were light and it was a nice change not to have to queue anywhere. The views from the top were impressive and the sprawl of Tokyo spread into the far distance.We visited to Mori Art Museum and also the aquarium, but they both disappointed. The views from the top were certainly the highlight of the visit. After descending (alarmingly quickly) in the express lift, we sat outside and watched the world go by for half an hour. Clara and Yuki ate some Hokkaido ice cream while I chilled out with a nice cold Sapporo beer. After that, it was time to head home for a relaxing night at home. It was good to do something different on the weekend as I am often guilty of hanging around the house and achieving very little before Monday morning comes around again.

It did come back

My lost iPhone actually did come back. It was handed in to a lost & found office in central Tokyo a couple of weeks ago. Japan is quite famous for the regularity in which lost items find their way back to the original owner. I would not make the mistake of making a sweeping statement saying that Japanese people are more honest than others, as in many ways they are not. However, when it comes to getting lost property back, I'd rather lose my phone in Japan than in Scotland. Now I have a spare iPhone which might prove handy next time I fall asleep in a taxi and lose all my worldly goods.

Mount Takao

At the start of September, Yuki, Clara, and I went with a few friends to Mount Takao. Mount Takao is right on Tokyo's doorstep and relatively easy to get to. I guess the primary reason for going to Mount Takao was to sit outside in the popular beer garden and enjoy a summer's night before the start of autumn.

As with many other places in and around Tokyo, the only drawback was the crowd. People flock to Mount Takao in summer time to visit the beer garden and to enjoy the countryside on the doorstep of Tokyo. It was therefore no great surprise to find the mountain mobbed which led to a wait 90 minute for our opportunity to enter the beer garden.

We each paid ¥3,000 yen which entitled us to eat unlimited food from the buffet and consume as much beer as we wished. It is actually not great value for money as after you queue, eat, talk, visit the toilet etc, the 90 minute time limit expires very quickly. It was nice to do something different although I do not like to be hurried along by time limits as it does not fully allow you to relax. I have also never been one for speed drinking and prefer to sup my pints over an extended period. Therefore, the 90 minute time limit is not really for me...

I have two recommendations for Mount Takao beer garden:

1. Extend the season - allowing people to only visit in the summer months creates unnecessary crowds which could be better accommodated over a longer season. Opening all year or during spring, summer, and autumn is entirely possible due to the mild Tokyo climate.

2. Get some speciality beers - As it is advertised as a beer garden, I was expecting some beers that were slightly off the beaten track. However, there was only the standard blandness of Asahi and Kirin on offer.

Anyway, visiting Mount Takao was an enjoyable departure from the standard weekend activities, but I cannot escape the nagging feeling that it should have been better.

iPhone Returns

My original iPhone never returned, despite a visit to the local koban (police box) and contact with the taxi lost and found office. I ended up getting a new iPhone instead and I hope this one will last longer than 6 months. I need to be more careful.

I have heard that there is an iPhone application that enables you to track the phone via GPS if it ever gets lost or stolen. I need to look into that. I also need to consider some extra security measure for my new phone and create a PIN code that prevents others from accessing the phonebook and other stuff. I'll work on that over the next week or so. Anyway, my old phone number and email address are unchanged so you can still get in contact with me in the usual way.

Lost iPhone

I lost my iPhone on Friday night.....I think I left it in a taxi (after drinking Hoppy, a beer flavoured drink mixed with a spirit called shochu). That means I will be incommunicado for the next week, so if anyone needs to get in touch, please either leave a message on this blog or contact me through Facebook.

As this is Japan, there is still a reasonable chance that I will get the phone back. I certainly hope so as I don't like the idea of all my email addresses and phone numbers being lost for good. I will keep you informed of any progress that I make.

Scottish Friends

I thought I'd post this picture of the group of friends that Clara made while she was in Scotand. Soon after we arrived in Inverness, we noticed a couple of girls hanging around the front of the house. Being my usual cheery self, I assumed that they were up to no good. However, it turned out that they had heard that a potential new friend had arrived all the way from Japan.

By the end of 3 weeks, the new group of friends that Clara has made extended to about 10 kids, all of similar age. Clara had a great chance to socialise and has not had a similar opportunity like that in Japan yet. Hopefully it will boost her self confidence and will encourage her to be more outgoing when she visits Scotland next time. As Scotland and Japan are two very different countries, I hope that being exposed to both cultures regularly in her formative years will help her become a more rounded individual.

Final thoughts.....

It was lovely to be back in Scotland - I never fail to be impressed by the scenery and open space. Quite a pleasure! 1 week is certainly not enough time to fully relax or do all the things I had wanted to do. However, I managed to achieve a lot during my short time home and hope that my next visit will be slightly longer.

Cuillin Hills Hotel

On the 22nd July, I made the drive from Inverness to Skye. As I was in Scotland for only one week, I wanted to maximize my time there and see my Granny as much as was practically possible. Therefore, the decision was made for me to stay the night in the Tongadale Hotel in Portree – this would allow me to see my Granny on both the 22nd and 23rd July.

I do not drive in Tokyo - cars are not really required for most day to day chores and are an unnecessary expense. I enjoy driving but can see not pleasure in driving on gridlocked roads.
As I have had little ‘behind the wheel’ action over the last couple of years, I really enjoyed zipping back and forth to places in my parents’ car. The drive to Skye on the 22nd July was a pleasure, and despite being the height of the tourist season, I found nice long stretches of open road which allowed me to drive at a heady pace.

After checking in to the Tongadale Hotel, I got back in the car and drove up to see my Granny. She was generally in good spirits each time I visited and we managed to talk well and reminisce over some past events. Once I had seen my Granny, I then had to decide what I should have for dinner. I decided to go to the Cuillin Hills Hotel to eat as I had been told that it had recently been renovated. The Cuillin Hills Hotel actually has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons…..the views from the hotel are lovely, I had a part time job there as a student between the ages of 13 and 20, and it was also the place where Yuki and I had our wedding reception. Visiting the Cuillin Hills is all part of the ritual of going home and if I ever failed to visit, it would be a sign my ties with Skye are weakening.

The renovations at the hotel were very well done and looked quite classy – almost something from the Jazz Age of 1920s America. There was a sympathetic extension to the front of the hotel, a nice long wooden bar, and tastefully decorated bar area. Despite being the height of summer, the hotel seemed quiet and as it was still light, I sat on the lawn at the front of the hotel and soaked up the views and memories from years ago.

As is clear, all was well and I was impressed with the renovations, the selection of beer at the bar (including Budvar), and the professional Eastern European staff. As I decided to eat relatively early (6pm) I was able to get a table beside the window with views of Loch Portree and the distant Cuillins. I placed my order (lentil soup and a lamb dish for my main course) and gently supped my pint of McEwan’s 80. Once the soup arrived, I dispatched it with ease and wrestled with buttering the crusty roll. The roll was not too user friendly and after I had finished my soup, my table and immediate surrounds looked like an eczema convention had recently visited.Anyway, after the very pleasant soup, I was really looking forward to the lamb. Unfortunately, the lamb was more akin to mutton and whatever the sauce was, it simply did not work. Poor quality meat made worse by a dish that seemed to have been put together by a Russian submariner. I left the dish half finished and considered complaining but decided that it was not worth the stress. Everything about the hotel impressed, but was sadly let down by the food.

After my dinner at the Cuiliin Hills, I walked into town and met up with a couple of friends. We had a drink in the Merchant Bar (which is starting to look a little tatty) and then the guys (Malky, Gareth, and Iain) decided we would like some drinks in a more refined setting. We returned to the Cuillin Hills Hotel and sat in the garden for a while before refraining to the bar. Nice to see some of the boys again and a pleasure to get the craic in.

Invigoration

In Tokyo I sometimes feel like a hamster stuck in a cage - constrained by concrete with any form of nature hard to find. The place where I work (called Makuhari) really emphasizes the discomfort and underlying tension of urban life with a sterile and charmless environment. Even the bird song that can be heard is artificial and emanates from hidden speakers........

That was why I was desperate to spread my wings and get a battering by a good Scottish wind and to let my eyes be massaged by some picturesque views. It was genuinely uplifting to head to the beach near Inverness and was a great bit of exercise for us all.

I walked along the beach and did not make the return journey on foot as I wanted to sample a couple of ales in the nearby hostelry. A lovely little walk and a satisfying couple of pints. It is nice to live a little.

Scotland

The day after Clara and I arrived, I went to Holm Mills to see Neil, my friend from the Isle of Skye. After a quick hello (Neil was working that day and Holm Mills always seems busy), I transferred myself to the cafe with my newspaper for lunch and a couple of 'holiday beers'.

There surely is no better way for an expat Scot to celebrate being home than to eat a plate of haggis. Despite the fairly unusual ingredients, I love it, especially with a bit of brown sauce.

Neil dropped by my table a couple of times to chat and after lunch we stood by the banks of the River Ness for a few minutes and did our best to catch up. It is always good to see Neil - I hope we will be able to meet again at Christmas time. Unfortunately, the timing of my visit to Scotland clashed with Neil's holiday plans as he was shortly to embark on a journey to the south of England and Wales. However, there is always next time.....

Conveniently for myself, Holm Mills sells a lot of great Scottish products and souvenirs. Just before I returned to Japan, I visited the shop again to pick up gifts for some of my colleagues, friends, and family.

As you can see, the first day of my holiday was a gentle reintroduction to Scotland and a solid foundation for the remainder of my time.

Getting Ready

Clara and I have started getting our cases organised for our trip to Scotland. All the presents are packed away in the case and some clothes are neatly folder and ready for the slightly different Scottish climes.

A list has been made for all the things we would like to buy in Scotland such as:
1. Tea bags.
2. Books, books, books.
3. Stock cubes.
4. Deodorant.
5. Work shoes.
6. Lea & Perrins.
7. Pickled onions
8. etc

Our flight leaves Narita at midday and takes about 12 hours to Paris. After a couple of hours wait in Paris, we catch the plane to Aberdeen. I'm sure there will be lots of holiday blogs in the near future.

Camera for Scotland

Looks like we will all have a quiet weekend at home. Now it is only 2 weeks until Clara and I fly off to Scotland - we are both excited to be going back and it will be great to escape the stifling summer heat for a while.

Clara will stay in Scotland for 3 weeks so she needs a simple point-and-shoot camera to record all the things she gets up to. We bought a Panasonic Lumix FX-40 today and I have to say it looks pretty good and seems to have a high spec. I may start neglecting my Olympus SLR if the new Lumix works as well as it looks.

We are all going out tonight for monjayaki (a savory type Japanese pancake-like dish) so I may take along the new camera and see if it works.

::"#$%&!!¥ - GOD!!!!! The camera only has a Japanese language option.....arghhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Shibuya

I went to Shibuya yesterday evening to meet Lindsay, an old colleague from Deutsche Bank, and her husband who are honeymooning in Japan. Unfortunately, I arranged to meet them on Saturday 18th June. Do you see the problem? Yes, Saturday was in fact the 13th of June. I was hoping that they would turn up at 5pm yesterday at the famous Hachiko statue but they never arrived. I guess they will turn up on the 18th June which in fact is Thursday. Unfortunately, I will be working then so it doesn't look like we will be meeting up at all.

After waiting around for 30 minutes on the off chance that Lindsay and her husband would turn up, I decided to head over to the book department in Tower Records. There is a comic strip series that I wanted to buy called 'Charisma Man'. This comic series gained cult status among the male expat community in Japan around the end of the last decade. Some of the situations, although exaggerated, accurately reflect the preferential and positive discrimination that Western males often experience in this country. A few samples below: Whilst receiving such attention and preferential treatment is nice, it does lead many Western males into behavior that would not be tolerated in their home countries. There are a lot of arrogant and charmless scumbags around who have come to the conclusion that they are special and deserving of the attention they get. For most of these individuals, they are just like Charisma Man, regarded as losers and dweebs in their home countries. A lot of them are in need of a good thump.

Unfortunately, the staff at Tower Records said that 'Charisma Man' is no longer in print, so I guess I will have to do a search on Amazon or eBay if I am serious about getting a copy.

As I was in Shibuya, I decided that I might as well get a beer before heading home to Kumegawa. Unfortunately, the whole of Shibuya was flooded with people....no room to breath, no space on the pavements, impossible to walk in a straight line, lines of people queueing outside every restaurant and bar. I decided to compromise and went to The Dubliners Bar in Shinjuku for a couple of pints of Kilkenny.

I am not really a fan of The Dubliners as it is often full of Charisma Man types whose favorite topic of conversation is usually themselves. However, I got lucky and talked to an old (75) British gentleman called Patrick who I have met a few times before and who has had a long and successful relationship with Japan. He has made his career out of importing British goods to Japan and seems to have done well for himself. He has also published a couple of childrens books and started marathon running. He told me he completed the Honolulu Marathon last December. It turns out he is also the Royal Air Force representative for the British Legion in Tokyo and will meet the British Defense Secretary on his forthcoming visit to Japan. However, Patrick is planning to put the pressure on the Defense Secretary as he is unhappy that some British politicians have claimed expenses in lieu of donations made to the UK armed forces benevolent funds.

Anyway, an ultimately unsuccessful trip to Shibuya as I was unable to meet up with my former colleague and Charisma Man.

In the meantime, another busy week at work beckons and the excitement is continuing to build for the trip to Scotland. Clara has a nice new suitcase and can't wait for her holiday to start.

Indian Food

Since it is Mother's Day in Japan, Clara suggested that we ate out tonight. We went to a new Indian restaurant called Noah's Ark that is about 1 minutes walk from our flat. Really great food made more delicious as we had a voucher that gave us 50% off the bill. A nice way to end the weekend before I make the trip away to Makuhari for another week at work.

It has been a pretty good weekend. I had a quiet night at home on Friday and was asleep by 10.30pm. On Saturday I spent a long time cleaning the blinds in the living room. Although they looked okay before I cleaned them, I was a bit shocked to see the cloth turn black as I wiped away the 5 years of accrued dirt and city grime. They are now in tip top shape and should be ok for a couple more years. On Saturday evening I went into Shinjuku, the center of Tokyo, to meet a Hungarian friend and a Scottish friend who used to be in my primary school in the Isle of Skye. Today (Sunday) Clara and I washed the doors to our balcony, another big job but fun to do it with Clara and a good chance to bond. Quite a productive weekend and hopefully I am now in Yuki's good books.

I'll probably book my flight back to Scotland next week. Clara will stay in Scotland for 3 weeks while I will stay only 1 week. I am starting to look forward to several nice long ambles through the large Tesco supermarket in Inverness and will shortly start writing my shopping list: deodorant, tea bags, shoes, stock cubes, brown sauce.........I don't really miss many things from Britain and am quite accustomed to what is available in Japan. The only thing I really miss is the bacon - you cannot get comparable bacon in Japan.

Work has been fairly busy of late and next week we are holding our yearly conference which will mean a welcome change to the routine. Right, I'd better start packing my bag for another week away in Makuhari. Bye for now.

Fishing - Okutama / The Tamagawa River

As I was working over Golden Week whilst every other person in the country was on holiday, Yuki and her family (plus friend Megumi) decided to have a day out fishing over the weekend, on Saturday 2nd May. We went to Okutama, about 90 minutes drive from our home in Tokyo. The countryside was surprisingly nice and reminded me of a cycle that I once done to a place called Kaneyama. I was expecting there to be hundreds of other people there due to our proximity to Tokyo, but it was not as busy as I had feared and it was generally a relaxing experience.

The only disappointment was that it was fishing Japan style. I was expecting the traditional battle of man against nature. The hunter against wily fish who knew the best places to hide and were discerning with the bait they went for. Not to be - every hour or so, a couple of blokes would come along with buckets of tiddlers and empty them into the river. I suspect that Japanese rivers have no actual marine life whatsover. Little wonder due to the damming of every single river in Japan (bar one in Shikoku) and the fondness for bulldozing river beds and covering them in concrete. Grrrrrrr!!!!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, if you are interested in scenery, flora and fauna, there are plenty of other countries you should visit before Japan. Sorry Japan, that is the way I and many other foreign residents feel.

Despite confirmation that the only marine life in the river originated from plastic buckets, we did actually have a nice time. We had lots of food and drink, and relaxed in the warm sunshine beside the burbling Tamagawa River. Very civilised! The pleasant day was further extended when we stopped off at a popular noodle restaurant for some curry noodles and another glass of beer.A lovely day out, but a cloud was hanging over my head as I knew that while I would be working the following week, every other Tom, Dick, and Harry would be on holiday.