It's Halloween Time!

Any plans trick-or-treating tonight with the kids? Or painting the town red in your costumes? Then again, Japanese doesn't need Halloween to go out in costumes if you take into account those cosplayers. ;)

From what I observed, stores in Japan sure embraced the Halloween wholeheartedly with all the Halloween merchandise being sold.

Even Ultraman isn't spared, as can be seen at the M78 shop (official Ultraman shop).

1 More Month

Just one more month (one month three days to be exact) for our Son to meet his heroes and celebrate his birthday with them.

Nuff said. *^-^*

Yes, The Rooms Can Be Small

Someone asked me whether it is true that hotel rooms in Japan are small. Yes, they are. OK, we've stayed in spacious rooms in international brand hotels but we paid a premium for them. And well, small rooms are more prevalent in big cities than in rural towns.

I don't mind staying in minuscule rooms because we don't exactly plan to spend the bulk of our vacation in our hotel rooms!

Small room with equally tiny bathroom at Toyoko Inn. The plus point of staying at this hotel chain for us is, the corresponding cheap rates they offer.

Tiny rooms at Nikko Hotel, Ginza and a compact room at Nikko Hotel, Kawasaki. The only reason we stayed here was because we had JAL vouchers we received redeeming our JAL mileage. The wardrobe in Ginza was just a tad taller than 8 year old Raimie!@.@

You think we want to waste 20,000yen a night staying in Ginza when we can just spend 7,000yen for a night in Toyoko Inn somewhere in Asakusa? I might as well save some $$$ and use it to buy a pair of shoes! Hohoho

And at least the rooms we stayed in are not as claustrophobic as sleeping in a capsule hotel! Though I wish I tried to sleep there at least once.

I may not be fussy about the rooms, but I draw the line at staying in a dorm. I've lived in a dormitory since I was 13 up to college so no more dorm nights for me, thanks! I need my privacy now.

Almost There! Keeping The Boy Occupied

We are guilty of letting our son have a go at his Nintendo DSi every time we are on long train journeys in Japan. That's the only way to keep him from the need to run around or bother other commuters. Raimie can be such a nosy boy when nobody is paying attention to him. Though once you, a stranger talked to him, he'll clam up and hide behind his Mom!

But he is still not allowed to play it while we were put sight-seeing or while walking around! Only on trains or while in long queues so that he won't get too bored or fidgety. I totally wonder why some parents let their children be occupied with whatever handheld games they have while walking around. It's better to sightsee or just be aware of the crowd than being engrossed in your own world, right?

I wish he would want to read books once in a while, but oh well. No such luck yet!

What's your secret to keeping your child/children happy while on a vacation?

The Akabeko

I've written a bit about the Akabeko in my earlier post on Aizu-Wakamatsu some time back, but I just thought I'd post it up again. Why? Because it's sooooooo cute! That's why.

When we first see this, we thought of it as a dog mascot or a pig or something. Arriving Aizu-Wakamatsu station, we saw this red animal but had no idea what it was. It's one of those times that I learn about something of the place after visiting, by searching for info on it.

Yup, I only learnt about the story/legend of akabeko after our trip to Aizu-Wakamatsu. But, better late than not knowing at all, right?

Raimie and a mechanical akabeko in frontof Aizu-Wakamatsu station, while waiting to board the steam locomotive SL Bantetsu Monogatari Go from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Niigata.

Anyhoo, an akabeko ( 赤べこ) is a toy from the Aizu region, made from two pieces papier-mache covered bamboo or wooden frame and shaped & painted to look like a red cow/ox. One piece represents the head & neck and the other piece for its body. The head &neck hangs from a string and fits into a hollow body, enabling the head to bob up and down whenever it is moved.

The toy is based on a real cow that helped in the construction of a temple; Enzo-Ji. Upon completion of the temple, the cow had willingly give its soul to Buddha. Another version mentioned that the cow had refused to leave the construction site and became a permanent fixture there. The cow then became a symbol of zealous devotion to the Buddha.

Akabeko toys was reportedly created during the late 16th or early 17th century and became popular as charms to ward off small pox and other illnesses, and the superstition prevails until current time.

I wish I bought an akabeko as a souvenir. Even without the superstition, the red cow makes a totally cute souvenir.

Cheap Eats

I think if you are not that particular about what you eat, eating for below RM15.00 (350yen) per  person per meal is extremely doable. You can enjoy ramen and curry rice at about 300-400yen. (No ramen or curry rice for us though!) Of course it is easier to find cheap stuff when one has no issues on what to avoid.

Yoshinoya's beef bowl and curry rice will only set you back for about 280-330yen.

Or if you have eat like a bird, just like our son, an onigiri (rice ball) cost less than 200yen a piece.

A cheap bento place. Everything on sale for less than 250yen a pack. Cheap, no frills meal to keep the hunger pangs away if you somehow blow your budget. xD

Ekiben (bento sold at train stations) can be rather expensive with an average price of 1,000yen per box but konbini (convenience store) or supermarkets bento can be quite cheap. Buying them later at night (say around 9.00pm) you can get discounts off them too. But you may have to fight for them with the "obachan" next to you!

Set meals can be affordable too, with outlets offering set meals at less than 1,000yen.

There are many cheap eats restaurants out there as those in Japan can attest to. Us visitors to be more adventurous and venture out to look for them and not be afraid to poke around and ask questions. Unless of course, you totally don't mind eating at posh places and hotel restaurants while you are vacationing in Japan, that is (or you are travelling with a tour group and all meals are already taken care of).

Why would you want to eat instant noodles brought over from home there in Japan when you can eat other stuff there?

What's your favourite affordable eatery in Japan? Share, please!

The Shogun Mound

More on sites to see at Bessho Onsen.

There are plenty of stuff to see in the few hundreds metres from the hotel we were staying in. With the information board on all the sites in Japanese and English, it is easy to appreciate the sites here after reading about their history even if one goes there without much research beforehand.

The Shogun Mound - 

During the Kofun period (250 - 538 bc) this 10m diametre 3m tall circular mound was constructed as the tomb for powerful local rulers.  It's also calle Koremochizuka.

In 969,  during the reign of Emperor Reizen, a female demon named "Koyo" lived on Mount Tagakushiyama and was tormenting local folks with her sorcery. In response to an imperial order, Shogun Yogo successfully destroyed after praying for success at the Kitamuki Kannon and the Koremochizuka mound is said to be his burial site.

Almost There! The Yen Is Sure Expensive!

OK, we just figure we might as well change some now looking at the trend of Yen rates going up, up and up against the Ringgit. From just RM3.00+ for 100yen five years ago to RM4.00 - RM4.15 now... 

I am so not going to shop much in Japan this year! Boohooo!

No, not going to charge anything not budgeted to our credit cards. I don't want to be adding more debt just for going on this vacation!

Running In Japan?

I don't know whether I can really do this while on vacation but I hope to be able to do a bit of morning runs while in Japan. At least twice a week? My optimistic plan is to do 8 runs during the 15 days we are there.

It won't be a daily thing, and I probably only able to do it at places we stay for more than 1 night because I don't want to lug my smelly, sweaty clothes to another town.

I spent a bit of time looking for running routes at places we will be staying. While googling about it, I chanced upon Dru's blog called Dru's Misadventures — Andrewのブログです and his post about the Sumida River. I think I want to try running alongside the Sumida River when we get to Asakusa! He had so kindly created a map of a running course for me. Thanks Dru. :)

I'm definitely looking forward to do it and maybe get to see sights that I won't see during our normal sightseeing. Planning to run with a compact camera in hand too!

Now, if only I can find a route to run in Hakata, Takamatsu and Kawasaki next. I'm looking at MapMyRun for a bit of info.

Of course, this plan of mine will only happen if I can actually wake up at 5am! That and getting over the fear of getting lost. I can get lost easily as I am quite "directionally" challenged. Zaini just told me to go to the nearest "koban" and ask for help  instead  of asking him go out and accompany me; if I do get myself lost running around. xD

If I really follow through this plan of mine, there would be a segment of Japan Running posts here after our trip. ^^

p.s.

I finished my run at Putrajaya Night Marathon last night (Oct 15) in one piece despite the hiccups I had earlier before this race - injury, slipped into a drain, all that nonsense. 

The timing might not be something to shout about, but I'm still proud of myself. *^-^* 

I need to start training again for the next race in Nov. Wish me luck! 

Sleeping On The Floor?

One of the highlight staying at a Japanese Inn/ryokan for us apart from enjoying the hot spring/onsen is sleeping on futons. Futon consisted of shikibuton (under/bottom mattress) and kakebuton (comforters/quilted bedcover). Different type of futon are used depending on season (and personal preference).

If we are to use a futon here in Malaysia, instead of a thick bedcover (of course, it wouldn't be a problem if one is sleeping in an air-conditioned room), we would use just a mofu (blanket). I always wanted to have buckwheat pillows to use at home, but I can't seem to find them here. There are pillows with pockets of buckwheat but it didn't feel the same. I noticed that I sleep really well using these buckwheat pillows.

Futons laid out for us to sleep on, after dinner.

Raimie, feeling so comfy and happy on his futon. Kids love this, I bet.

He's certainly slept well on futons. Zzzzzzzzzzzz...

There Are Many Ways To Flush

I wrote this remembering with a chuckle colleagues experience using a Japanese hi-tech toilet at the now defunct Ninja Jones Restaurant at MidValley Northpoint. They were so excited using the toilet but a few of them whispered to me that they couldn't find the handle to flush.

But of course, plenty of posh toilets in Malaysia don't need you to do anything after finishing your "business" other than stand up and it'll automatically flush for you, right? But just in case you are in Japan, you can't find the handle and the foreign words on buttons scares you and you don't want to fiddle around in case you press a wrong button; here's some photos of them here.

There are flush buttons and all those awesome buttons to cleanse your *ehem* private areas. Be careful not to spray yourself wet! LOL

Some music or sound to cover embarrassing noise you might emit? No problem. Some toilets can cover those noises for you!

Now, no matter what you do. Once you finished your business, don't forget to flush and flush properly! I'm quite baffled on why some people seems to  conveniently forgot to do it at public toilets, even at the office.  That's no good, people. :(

And you know, every time I sit on the cold toilet seat, I'll be missing the warm toilets seats in Japan. ;p

At The Railway Museum

A must for any train buffs visiting Japan! A visit to the Railway Museum in Saitama.

The History Zone is the best part there for me. All those old trains on exhibit for visitors to see. Awesome!

Miniature models need some TLC too.

The museum is an interactive museum and the kids zone is a fun place for children to learn more about train technology.

The best part for us, apart from being able to learn about the history of trains in Japan and how it evolves to the current, super-efficient system was the fact that we can enter, touch and feel the exhibits.

Almost There! Getting The Visa Done

All these years, we had the travel agent arranged for our visas at the Japan Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. I've visited the Embassy (and many other embassies in KL) a few times but that's for work. For my own visa application, I had the travel agent do it for me because they do it for free. Why waste petrol and time if others are willing to do it FOC for you, right? Some agents do it for a fee, but I don't buy my tickets from them.

This year we are travelling to Japan on Air Asia and we booked our tickets online so we got to do our visa on our own. Zaini and I took a day off last Friday to celebrate our birthdays and well, the morning of our birthday was spent at the Embassy! Nice, memorable way to spend a birthday, eh! Nothing beats going through the scanner  to go in the Embassy to celebrate our big day. Kakaka

Spent like a total of 3 minutes submitting our application and off we went!

Visas done. Now, what else do we need for our trip? Just some Yen and I think we are set to go! WooT!

Yukake Jizo Statue

There are plenty of things to see and learn about at Bessho Onsen and not just about soaking in hot spring water if you vacation there. I've written a number of posts on Bessho Onsen and that's because a visit there was truly enjoyable for us. There are still a number of places we've yet to visit there. Our 2D1N there last year sure wasn't enough!

Under this nondescript wooden structure is the

The Yukake Jizo Statue at Bessho Onsen.

The story goes -

When a man named Shunzo who had deep faith in the great Nichiren was travelling through the swamps of Sado to pay respects to the imprisoned teacher, he heard a voice calling "Shunzo, Shunzo" yet nobody was seen.

The voice then said " I have been trapped in the mud for a very long time. How I would love to soak myself in the springs of Shinano. If you cleanse me there, I will grant your wishes".

Shunzo then entered the swamp and extracted a single jizo (Ksitigarbha deity) and he rushed to Shinano and placed it in the waters of Bessho. From that time, Shunzo lived a joyous life blessed with a beautiful wife and children.

On Nichiren - he was a controversial figure during his time. Born in 1222 in the village of Kominato, Nagase district. One source of controversy is the perception that Nichiren Buddhism is exclusivist. 

This can be traced to Nichiren's remonstrations with government officials and leaders of the Buddhist schools in Japan. He criticized them for their manipulations of the populace for political and religious control. Citing Buddhist sutras and commentaries, Nichiren argued that the Buddhist teachings were being distorted for their own gain (see the compilation of Nichiren's exchanges with government leaders and Buddhist practitioners in "The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin" 1999).

Almost There! Adjusting The Palate?

We seem to be enjoying Japanese food more often lately here in KL now that the trip to Japan is just two months away. Didn't seem to care about going to any Japanese restaurants after our vacation last year and now; here we are eating Japanese food every week!

I guess it's a way of our tummy anticipating the upcoming trip!

It was Sushi Zen at Gardens Mall one week. The boy of ours craved for some sushi. I had their tempura set which was the set of the day/week/month. Can't remember which. Zaini had ebidon, I think.

Then, it was dinner for two at Kampachi Restaurant over at Equatorial Bangi-Putrajaya on Zaini's birthday. We went completely unadventurous and ordered the teshoku (set meal). Kaki tama don (oyster & egg) for me and grilled cod fish for hubby.

We can't enjoy Japanese food and let our Son miss the treat too, so we took him for lunch at Miyagi Restaurant in Bandar Baru Bangi. Generous portion. Nice ambiance. I told Zaini it was like entering a Mom and Pop eatery somewhere not frequented by tourists in Japan. It even had the smell of a joint like some small eating place in the back alley of Asakusa! Heh!

 

Sushi & udon set for Raimie, Yakiniku set for Zaini and I had teppan beef set. Burp!

Will we be eating more Japanese food in the coming weeks I wonder?