Winter concert

Tonight was Nishimachi's annual winter concert, and most songs had a "peace" theme. Peace and mutual understanding are key elements of the "Nishimachi values" they promote at the school, which was founded in 1949 by a US-educated Japanese woman, Tane Matsukata, to promote international understanding. That's one reason all students study English and Japanese.

The school song is called "Let Peace Begin with Me," and most students seem to take it to heart - or Lucinda does, anyway.

Lucinda wore a lovely red dress that we bought last summer in Denver. She was very composed at center stage during the song "Hanukkah Shalom." And the school borrowed our little menorah for that song, which was fun for our 2nd grader, too.


The school's only Christmas tree is decorated with origami cranes, also a symbol of peace in Japan.

Reading and children

I just heard this fascinating National Public Radio (US) story about reading and a child's brain. Lots in there, about how kids who struggle with reading have different brain pathways - but they can be rewired with intensive reading classes. And a quick mention of how playing a musical instrument also builds these pathways.

Blaine's latest...

... is an excellent story on the impact of global warming in Australia.

Headline: "A lingering pool of disbelief: Despite a decade of record drought, Australian farmers refuse to buy into climate change"

It's timed perfectly for the Copenhagen conference on climate change.

Don't forget to check out the amazing photo gallery that goes with it. One photo shows how eucalyptus tree trunks and roots have been exposed by the near-disappearance of Lake Hume in southern Australia.

Trailing spouse: Health edition

Blaine is in Seoul this week to report the last story in his yearlong examination of North Korea. It's a valuable time to be there because the Obama administration has sent its special envoy, Stephen Bosworth, to Pyongyang this week. (Here is Blaine's preview about that.)

Unfortunately, though, Arno has been sick since last Saturday with a very bad cold, low fever, congestion and general unhappiness. He skipped 4 days of school and only today - Day 6! - he felt well enough to trade his horizontal couch position for a trip to the grocery store to buy some Japanese candy that is packaged in small boxes. He actually doesn't care much about the candy but wants to use the boxes for "junk art," an obvious sign that his brain is working again.

So I've been tethered to the house for days and days! I can't wait for Arno to go back to school tomorrow, Friday, so I can get of here, go swimming, do some holiday shopping - or just hang out in Tokyo.

La vida loca

Proving again that our expat life is la-la land, Blaine and I went to a black-tie "casino night" benefit last (Friday) night, the first time Blaine has worn a tuxedo since our 2002 wedding. The photo could be better, but, hey, it's evidence!

We were guests of some Tokyo-Seattle friends whose company paid for the table at the Westin Tokyo in Ebisu. After supper, I had a superfun spin at the benefit blackjack tables, especially after Blaine arrived to end a long streak of losing hands. I'm the second pile of orange chips from the right - worth about $7.


I've never gambled for real, and I'm clueless about the odds of this or any other game. Fortunately, there was a very bossy, busty American party guest at the table who claimed that she'd been a dealer in Louisiana. (Alas, no photo.) Somewhat drunkenly, but not irrationally, she repeatedly overruled me and everyone else about when to "hit" or not - and she was right most of the time. I more than tripled my $30 in chips by 10:30pm, when we flaked out and bet it all on a losing hand before hopping in a taxi to go home.

Bing Maps

Our supercool Seattle friend Blaise Aguera y Arcas is in charge of Microsoft's new Bing maps, using Blaise's "Sea Dragon" and "Photosynth" inventions.

Here are stories about this in the Wall St. Journal and Seattle P-I.

I've posted about Blaise's genius before - like in this lecture to the TED audience a few years ago. Microsoft, which bought Blaise's company and Sea Dragon a few years ago, is smart enough to put Blaise in charge of more and more of its real estate.

Congratulations, Blaise!

Tokyo garden

I recently saw this container garden outside a house in Seijo-Gakeunmae, a neat university neighborhood west of Shinjuku. The house was just across the street from a train track and the pots dressed it up quite a bit.

Procrastination

A very pleasant game to waste time: Obechi.

Karaoke with 2nd graders

Last Saturday afternoon, Lucinda and I met school friends and their moms for two hours of karaoke. We went to a place in Roppongi, the famously sleazy nightspot where Americans get robbed after imbibing spiked drinks. But it's perfectly harmless in broad daylight.


I've never sung karaoke and had no idea what to expect; a stage with a microphone? Totally wrong. We took the elevator up to the 4th floor and found super-mod living rooms, each with shiny couches, cocktail tables and a flat-screen TV on the wall.



Ours had couch seating for 9 people and 2 shiny silver microphones. Btw, each mother-daughter pair paid a very cheap 1000 yen (about $11) because one mom joined the karaoke club.


You choose the songs out of this enormous phone book-sized listing, with songs in English, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog for Filipinos (click the pic for a close-up view)...


...and you punch the song ID numbers into this wireless device.


The television queues up the songs and shows the words over very cheesy B-roll video. Among our selections: "Summer Lovin'" from Grease, "Piano Man" by Billy Joel, a few songs from High School Musical, "Stop in the Name of Love," "Holiday" and "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna, and a bunch of others.

Lucinda loved it (she'd gone with a friend once before), and so did her friends. Here are a few pix...



...and one potentially headache-inducing video of the high-speed "It's a Small World."

"Sugoi" Circus

Lucinda, Arno and I went to the Cirque du Soleil tent tonight near Yoyogi Park to see its "Corteo" production. I managed to snap one photo of the stage before being instructed to put my camera away.


I thought the Corteo storyline - something about a dead guy, a funeral, angels, reliving his life, lots of singing, whatever - was lame. But the acrobatics were seriously impressive, especially the trapeze-less trapeze, the high bars, the chandeliers, the enormous metal rings, and the woman who swung a man in the air by her very long ponytail!

Lots of "wow!" or, as the Japanese say, with great enthusiasm, "sugoi!"

Arno and his friend Max, in almost-matching striped shirts, loved their caramel corn and the flashing CdS logo lights in the lobby.

November activities

It's been a very busy month here. My mother and stepfather came to visit (her 5th trip to Tokyo!) for a few weeks. Blaine traveled to Australia and South Korea and covered Obama's visit to Tokyo and Seoul. I had an interesting corporate assignment, to research, conduct interviews and write a report about Japan's foreign aid policies.

Also this month, Lucinda really learned to ride a bicycle and sang karaoke with several friends and their moms (including me). Arno turned 5 and will have his birthday party this weekend. Blaine took the children to Mizuno, a huge sports store, to buy baseball mitts. Both schools had parent-teacher conferences in recent days, when we get a vague sense of how much Japanese the children are absorbing. And today, the last of a 6-day school vacation, the children and I went to see Cirque du Soleil.

Based on this month alone, they seem to be the luckiest children alive, though I don't think they've realized that... yet?

Trailing Spouse: Obama edition

Blaine has been quite busy in the past week covering President Obama's visits to Japan and, today, to South Korea.

Here are some of his stories, often with WashPost White House correspondent Anne Kornblut:

Hiroshima: The dreaded invitation
Obama declines offer to visit the bombed city on his first trip to East Asia

In Japan, Obama stresses Asia's role in U.S. economy

Obama, Japanese premier at odds over air station negotiations

Obama to discuss vexing N. Korean behavior with S. Korean leader

In Seoul, Obama will confront trade and security issues

Red letter day

Today was Arno's 5th birthday, which seems like a pretty big milestone in childhood. He loved his presents, especially 2 Star Wars Lego sets from my mother and stepfather and a motorized build-it-yourself dinosaur from Lucinda. And he loved his gingerbread cake (served with cinnamon whipped cream), which is suitably sugar-free for me to take to his school tomorrow. A party at home w/his friends will happen in 2 weeks.

Lucinda was less than thrilled about Arno's birthday but she rallied for her own achievement today: She really learned how to ride a bike! Last summer she could pedal if Blaine ran alongside to get her started, and so far this fall, she'd resisted riding at all. But today, Blaine suggested that she give it a try - and she was off in a flash. Then she went around the block about 20 times, no problem.

Temples and leaves in Nikko

This - my third post about our weekend in the mountains - covers our visit to Nikko, the historic capital of Japan's "Shogun" period captured by James Clavell. The original shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa (1542-1616), who is buried here, is said to have "unified" the country in 1603, when he was named "Seii-taishogun," or "great generalissimo." (All of my historical info, btw, comes from the Nikko Tourist Association's website, which also has very reliable travel info and suggestions for short or longer walks in the area.)

We arrived in Nikko on this old-style train, which has red velvet seats. Two train lines go to Nikko: the JR (Japan Rail) line and the private Tobu line, and each has its own train station a few blocks apart. Does not seem like the best use of public land...


The Tobu train station has a Vermont-ish style.


After 1.5 hrs on 2 trains from Nasu-shiobara to Nikko, I thought it would be a good idea to to walk uphill through the town to reach the major shrines, instead of taking a bus. Um, bad idea. Arno was so unhappy - and his whining made me furious! This captures the moment perfectly.


I bribed Arno to keep walking by promising a piece of chocolate at the top of the hill. On the way, we found that Nikko is packed with old-world Japanese houses and temples, including one with a Volvo parked outside and another high on a hill.



The first "must-see" sight is the red-lacquered Shinkyo (Sacred Bridge) over the Daiya River. For centuries, only the emperor could cross it; now anyone can pay about 400 yen to stand on it. The bridge and river are lovely, but a busy intersection nearby lessens the romance.


Nearby, up some mossy stone stairs, is the Rinnoji Temple complex. A huge temple - but we skipped it, on the advice of our Frommer's guidebook, to stroll in the gorgeous Syouyoen Japanese garden that was constructed centuries ago. Its Japanese maples were at peak color and the children loved skipping on stone paths and bridges. The family photo at the top of this post was taken there, and here's another shot.


Dozens of massive koi swim in the pond, and fish food is available in small bamboo containers, shown here, for 30 yen. The fish were not hungry, though.


Next up, the Toshogu Shrine, where Tokugawa-sama is buried. The structures decorated with gold leaf were impressive, but we marveled at the massive cedar trees encircling the shrine, which were actually planted here centuries ago. In this photo, see how tiny the people are compared to the huge stone torii gate at the entrance to the shrine complex - and the trees tower over that.


After you buy tickets, you walk by the "sacred stable," which allegedly houses a white horse (unseen by us). The stable's carving includes the famous "three monkeys" of "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" fame. Which is a commentary on childhood innocence, blah, blah.


The monkeys:


To enter the shrine, a crowd waited to walk thru the Yomeimon gate, which has 500 sculptures...


...including samurai guards on either side.


Once inside, we looked it over and were suitably impressed - especially about the trees!


We didn't stay long because we had to catch a train to reach our hotel. We returned to the Shinkyo Bridge, ran for a bus, and reached the train station just in time. Congratulations all around after a sometimes-trying day of sightseeing and choco-bribery.

If this sounds like a good trip for you, there are several other sightseeing stops in Nikko, including Lake Chuzenji, the Kegon and Ryuzu waterfalls, and neat-looking hikes in the Senjogahara marshlands. Our kids are not old enough, or maybe willing enough, to deal w/that now. Maybe another time.

"This is the best Halloween ever!"

So said Arno, as we enjoyed our third Halloween in Tokyo. Arno was a vampire with glow-in-the-dark teeth, and Lucinda was "Trixie" the witch.


Some other pix:

Night at the ryokan

Traveling in Japan is shockingly expensive: about $500/night when you include shinkansen (bullet train) tickets, a decent but not stellar hotel, meals and extras.

Fortunately, I won a top raffle prize at Nishimachi's recent Food Fair for a family one-night stay at Nasu Onsen Sanraku, a luxury ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). We knew this would be a full-on Japanese experience: a room with tatami mats, an elaborate kaiseki (multi-course meal) served en suite by a maid in a kimono, a bath in an onsen (natural hot-springs bath), and sleeping on futons on the floor. The real cost for the four of us -- in Japan, you pay for each guest, not for the room itself - would have been $1,000 for that one night. So we were feeling pretty lucky!

From the start, the service at Sanraku was exemplary. When we explained that we'd left our suitcases at the Nasu-shiobara train station to go hiking, the staff offered to pick the bags up for us, a round trip of about an hour. Here's the ryokan's entrance:


Here's our pristine room. You eat and sleep in the main room, with an alcove by the window for reading.


Our window framed the autumn leaves, an essential part of the decor.


On the table when we arrived: a warm towel, a warm sesame-paste sweet, and frothy, freshly whisked matcha (green tea).


When you walk into the hotel lobby, you take off your own shoes and put on slippers. Then in your room, you leave your slippers in the entryway (called a genkan) and tread on the tatami in bare feet or in white tabi socks. You also change into a yukata, a cotton kimono.


We went to the hotel's onsen, which was amazing. You shower and shampoo before you get into steaming water for a soak. Sanraku has an indoor pool and an outdoor pond with rocks to sit on. Men and women are separated because everyone is naked. It's delightful and incredibly relaxing. After the bath, Lu and Arno hung out in the electronic massage chairs.


After the bath, we returned to our room for supper. It was delicious and somewhat overwhelming. The maid brought in about a dozen plates, some of which had 4 or 5 different foods.

The intro (top) photograph in this post shows the first offerings served with a pear-wine aperitif. The menu also included:







Did I mention that the food was overwhelming? Arno didn't know what to make of the "kid's" meal, which included some delicious grilled steak and wasabi-free sushi. He drank orange soda and ate rice and omochi (pounded rice balls) filled with azuki bean paste. But Lucinda was amazing and tried almost everything.

Here's Blaine, drinking a beer and lounging in his yukata at the very, very low table - which is not so comfortable for tall people like us.


After supper, the kids watched Japanese TV in the ground-level chairs...


... and then we walked around the hotel, checked out the gift shop, and returned to our room to collapse on the futons by 10pm. Sadly, I took no photos of the futons, but a worker moved the table to a corner and put four futons in a row against a wall of the main room. A very comfortable family sleepover.

The next morning, the maid returned with a massive and complex kaiseki breakfast of a dozen dishes, including fish shabu shabu, grilled fish, seaweed and pickles. This view shows my breakfast.


At this moment, all I wanted was a fresh croissant, a pot of jam, and a big cup of cafe au lait - or maybe some bran cereal, walnuts and sliced banana. I realized, as the maid walked in with maybe the 10th dish, that a little ryokan goes a long way. An amazing cultural experience, but one night was enough.

As the hotel van pulled away, en route for the train station, the staff bowed to say goodbye and thank you.