Bowing Flagmen 

There seems to be a lot of road construction in and around Kitakami. Most times that I've been out driving around within the last few weeks, I've encountered lane shifts, diversions, or some other indicia of road work. Unlike Albuquerque, orange barrels don't appear to have much of a presence here.

My favorite construction phenomena, though, are the bowing flagmen. When a two-lane road is narrowed to one for a relatively short distance, a guy with one red and one green flag is stationed at either end of the site. Sometimes, there's even an advance team about 200 yards beforehand holding a sign asking you to slow down (at least, that's what I think it says). If you are the first car in the line that needs to stop, the flagman will wave his red flag at you, then bow when you have stopped. He will bow again before waving his green flag to let you pass through the construction zone. The courtesy makes it hard to be annoyed about any inconvenience. It's so civilized.
[ 2 comments ] permalink
Have We Been Here Too Long? 

We've been told that you've been in Japan too long when things don't seem strange to you anymore. By that criterion, no, we have not been in Japan too long. The latest oddity? The donut and coffee shop next to the expressway on-ramp that opens at 9 am. What kind of donut store isn't open in the wee hours, when you really need a donut and coffee to get going for a road trip?
[ 5 comments ] permalink
American World 



Tired of the izakaya scene in Kitakami? Maybe it's time to come to American World! Its combination of shopping, restaurants, and amusements seems to be very attractive to young people in Kitakami. I can't say it's all that American — the bookstore has hardly any books in English — but it does offer fast-food burgers, Baskin Robbins ice cream, and a Ferris wheel (invented by an American engineer in 1893).

(It's also home to the only hobby shop in Kitakami, but alas, they have no trains.)
[ 2 comments ] permalink
The Joy of Convenience 

Like in America, the end of the month means bill-paying time. So today, I took the bills and some cash over to the convenience store, grabbed a snack, and paid for it and the bills at the same time. That's right. We pay our bills at the convenience store, which is very common in Japan. For many things, you can pay electronically through your bank, postal account, or credit card. Paying at the conbini is more fun, though.

Also, by allowing me to pay my bills and buy a tasty J-treat at the same time, the convenience store provides me with much better customer service than our bank in America. Ahem. I don't usually go around giving unsolicited advice, but I will say this to anyone thinking about expatriating: before you go, investigate how your bank and/or host country handles transactions where the account holder lives abroad, but all accounts involved are in the U.S. We didn't so much, and we've had to learn things the hard way. Nothing to be worried about, just some frustrations. To learn things is why we did this though, ne? And I've learned to love the convenience store.
[ 1 comment ] permalink
Innovative Use of Color 



Memo to Sunduell (Sundwell) Apartments: just because you have the paint doesn't mean you have to use it.
[ 2 comments ] permalink
Waiting for Nattou 

My Japanese teacher lives near a pretty fantastic grocery store that I've started doing my Thursday shopping at for one main reason: it carries Akita nattou. Upon learning that he liked nattou, one of Matthew's students told him that he needed to try the really tasty nattou from Akita Prefecture, which is carried locally only by this store. Matthew does in fact like the Akita nattou quite a lot, so he's pretty happy when class day arrives so I can go to the store.

In addition to the nattou, this store is noteworthy for its samples. The first time I visited, one of those little plastic tables with a lidded bin containing toothpicks and a sample item on top sat in front of the seafood section. The sample du jour? Small bits of octopus tentacle. I wasn't really feeling tako that day, so I passed. Today's sample was raw tuna — mmm.

I also get my lunch here on class days, usually a salad with sesame dressing (man, I love that stuff) and a cute little dessert like a parfait. Today, none of the salads were calling to me, so I almost got a yakisoba sandwich. Then I realized that there was no way I could eat grilled noodles, meat, and yakisoba sauce in a hot dog bun without questioning the state of the universe, so I got a teriyaki chicken sammich, salad, and cute parfait instead. Mmm.

Gift update: We've gotten a pack of tissues each from an izakaya and a drugstore. I've also gotten a mix CD from a clothing store (Justice Style and Fashion, for all your Japanese hipster boy uniform needs!), I think by virture of being the gaijin chick who walked in and carried on a conversation with the clerk in Japanese. I felt bad for not buying anything, but I don't have Japanese hipster boy uniform (baggy jeans, tee shirt, and patterned short-sleeved button-down, worn unbuttoned) needs.
[ 3 comments ] permalink
You Want Fries With That? 



This is in Mizusawa, a small town south of Kitakami. And no, we didn't stop here for lunch.
[ 2 comments ] permalink
Ad Space Here! 

Having lived in Japan for a little over a month now, I've been exposed to plenty of advertising. But not on TV. We don't watch TV. Ever. Especially not NHK. So NHK, you can stop sending your guy around to collect for monthly usage now, daijoubu?

Anyhoo, advertising. We don't so much get junk mail, although we do get newsletters and fliers for Strawberry Cones (yeah, I don't know either), the pizza delivery joint that charges 3,000 yen (approximately USD $30!) for a large stuck in our mail slot. Every couple of weeks, we get a big laminated binder of neighborhood information that we attempt to read, then pass on to the neighbors (clockwise around the block, as is proper). What are taking a bit of getting used to are the loudspeaker trucks.

Loudspeaker trucks, or vans in some instances, drive around town announcing various things. Some are selling laundry poles; others describing their used electronics pickup services. I can't understand most of what they're saying because, well, it's Japanese spoken over loudspeakers from a moving truck. One particular type, however, strikes fear in me as an American: loudspeaker trucks advertising candidates in upcoming elections.

Regardless of which party you prefer, you have to admit that this is one trend that you do NOT want exported. Seriously: imagine setting down the sheaf of political advertisements that your mailman delivered so that you can answer the phone, which turns out to be a call from Candidate X's campaign staff asking for your vote, then hanging up to hear a blaring ad for Candidate Y, followed by a blaring ad for Candidate Z in some other race. And, because our elections have been really contentious the last few years, you'd hear these much of the day . . . every day . . . for MONTHS.

I think we'd all vote for a big old pass on that, ne?
[ add comment ] permalink
Snack Time! 



The flavor of Tohoku - it's Hello Kitty nattou crackers. Yum!
[ add comment ] permalink
8 AM at the Factory 

Or, why I'm glad I don't work at the factory next door.



Actually, having an exercise routine built in as part of your work day might not be a bad idea. The Japanese people are traditionally pretty healthy, and this kind of health program has surely contributed.
[ 1 comment ] permalink

Back Next