My last week in lab I was barely even in lab...

           Monday was my official last day in lab.

           Tuesday, I met the rest of the group from lab at a kimono shop that Koga-sensei’s wife had told us about. She introduced us to the shop owner, who let us try on kimono as she "wrapped" us in them. (I say "wrap" because wearing a kimono really seems like someone is wrapping you like a gift and even tying a bow around your waist.) I brought along with me the kimono I had purchased earlier for my mother and the owner showed me how to wrap that style for my mother. (Another note about kimono: older women have a different way of wearing kimono from young women, so mine was different from my mother’s.)

           Wednesday, a fellow NanoJapan student, Norman, and I caught a bus bright and early at 6:30 in the morning to go to Furano. All summer long, we had been hearing so much about Furano. Since we happened to be in Hokkaido during the right time of year, we decided to seize this opportunity to go see the celebrated lavender farms there. These, by the way, even had special lavender-flavored soft cream! Furano was famous for only two other things, the cheese factory and the winery. So, we began our day from the south at the cheese factory and made our way up north to the winery and then the lavender fields. The cheese factory was not too eventful except for its unique black brie made using cuttlefish ink!

We then walked to the winery, where we got to see the bottling, packaging and aging processes. I also got to taste fresh Furano grape juice (not wine). It was delicious. Finally, with only a few hours before we had to catch the bus back to Sapporo, Norman and I began our touristic workout. We made our way to the Tomita lavender farms from the winery by running. It was only about 4 miles there, but the surprisingly sunny and hot day for Hokkaido gave Norman quite a heat shock, so we decided that we would catch a train back. The farms were nothing short of exquisite. With fields of lavender to both sides and rows of various flowers in the center, the farm contained the whole spectrum of colors to present such a visually pleasing view that Norman and I did not want to stop photographing. Afterwards, it was time to head home. So, Norman and I caught a train back to the station and a bus back to Sapporo.

           On Thursday, I toured a bit around Sapporo alone by bike in the morning then my fellow Sapporo-based NanoJapan students and I met with one of our program coorinators. She and her daughter had come to visit Hokkaido and were spending that night in Sapporo. When I explained that I had planned to bike to Lake Shikotsu-ko the next day, they told me that they had wanted to go too. My plan changed.

           The next morning, Norman and I drove down to Lake Shikotsu-ko with the two of them. As we drove in towards the lake, the trees opened up to reveal such a beautiful and magnificently large body of water. We rented a swan-shaped paddle boat and went out onto the lake.

Paddling was surprisingly difficult and as we got tired we had more trouble moving the boat forward, especially against the small waves caused by the other boats. At one point, we realized that no matter how hard we felt we were paddling, our effort made no difference. We were not moving at all. Finally, Norman popped his head outside the swan and saw that we were stuck on a bed of rocks, surprising for the second deepest lake in Hokkaido.

After our time was up for the boat, we took a hike up into one of the mountains surrounding the lake. The other two had to leave to catch their plane, but Norman and I continued a little ways farther up and left to come back to Sapporo on the very last bus out of Lake Shikotsu-ko.

           We spent our last day in Sapporo, Saturday, mostly running errands and packing for our flight back to Tokyo early the next morning.

           As soon as we stepped off the plane in Tokyo and got hit with the horrible humidity, we realized how fortunate we were with the amazing Sapporo weather all summer.

           On Monday afternoon, the 12 people from the NanoJapan group, whom I had made reservations for, met up in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo to catch our bus to Mt. Fuji. We arrived at the 5th of 10 stations along the Kawaguchi trail up Mt. Fuji. We began our climb at 10:30pm. According to my Japan guidebook, the climb would take anywhere from 4.5 to 7 hours depending the pace. Sunrise was at about 4:30 am the next morning. In other words, we had approximately 6 hours to get to the top if we wanted to catch the view of the sunrise above Tokyo from the top of Mt. Fuji.

           Although we all began the climb together, we all split up into smaller groups very quickly. (Thankfully, we had planned ahead, and each person had their own flashlight for the overnight climb.) Ben and I pulled ahead of the group and just kept climbing, afraid that if we stopped for too long we wouldn’t make it to the top in time to see the sunrise. Finally, after hiking through red dried-lava dirt and climbing on large rocks on the side of Mount Fuji, Ben and I made it to the top at 2 am. It probably took us about 5 minutes to realize that we had finished the climb. We kept looking for where the path would continue, but there was no other path. There was no clear mark indicating that we had reached the top of the mountain. In fact, finishing the climb among the very first that evening was quite uneventful, maybe even horrible!

           Just before we had reached the top of the mountain, it had started to rain, freezing, cold rain. But at the top, since there were only a few of us, the shelter had not yet been opened. The result: Ben and I made it to the top in 3.5 hours and had to wait another 2.5 hours in the freezing rain until sunrise. The two of us tried to find somewhere sheltered to sit under and wait, but all I could do was shiver. Shiver down to the bone. At 4 am, the shelters were finally opened, and everyone that had made it to the top by then rushed in towards the warm fires. A little later, we saw the first two of our fellow NanoJapan students. Soon enough, 7 had made it up in time to see the sunrise from the highest point in Japan! Unfortunately the other 5 were stuck in the mile-long line of people waiting to come up to the top and had to see the sunrise from their spots in line.

           On our way back down, a Swiss woman had warned me to make sure to take the correct path back to the Kawaguchi 5th station. She said it would be difficult to find the correct path down, so we should make sure to watch out for it. Maybe subconsciously we wanted to see the rest of the mountain, but regardless of her warnings my group took the wrong path down. We came down a long, steep slope of the red dried-lava dirt to find ourselves 70 kilometers in circumference away from the Kawaguchi 5th station. Thankfully, two of the other students I was with took care of the situation and I barely had to do anything. I was horribly tired from the climb and the cold rain. We caught a bus down to the base of the mountain and caught another from there back to Shinjuku, where with quite a bit of difficulty we were finally able to get refunds for our Kawaguchi return tickets. Needless to say, it was a long 2 days. We were all tired and just needed to get back, shower, and drop.

           It was the best end/climax for our trip to Japan! It summarized the whole experience in just one overnight climb. The fun. The mistakes. The misfortunes. The friends. The problem solving.

           The next day was our flight back to the US. The end to an amazing summer.

            I would probably say that with all the little differences in lifestyle, the greatest daily challenge presented itself in the form of food, for me. Since I don’t eat pork, every meal became somewhat of an ordeal. As I struggled to read the Japanese or ask if there was pork in certain foods, the communication barrier became evident. Since pork is a common ingredient in Japanese food, the list of foods I could eat got unfortunately shorter and shorter, but my Japanese became stronger and stronger. I could soon ask about the existence of pork and understand the response. I could also explain that I was not allowed to eat pork, in which cases the waiter would point out to me which meals I could order.

           Coming back to the US, I think the first thing I missed was definitely the Japanese language itself. As with communicating food restrictions, communicating our daily needs, in general, always required a few moments of thought before actually speaking. It was a constant challenge that gave me somewhat of a thrill! I became excited each time I was able to put a phrase together and have it understood immediately on the first try. Since Japanese did not come naturally, I felt like my mind was always alert. If I wasn’t speaking, then my ears were perked trying to catch the little intricacies and details in conversation that would help me communicate better using the language.

           Coming in for a close second was bowing. Not only was bowing unique as a way of showing respect, but it also indirectly forced everyone to slow down their lives and take the time to really greet others. Bowing to someone is bound to take longer than a "hello" in passing (or the shortened version: "hi"). Taking those few extra seconds to bow makes the relationship infinitely stronger. In contrast with this habit of bowing, the greatest shock I received upon returning to the US was the first time I got reintroduced to what I call the "walking conversation," a conversation held as one or both parties involved are walking away from each other. In this case, not only do the parties not take the time to actually stop and greet each other, but they even attempt to hold a conversation until they are too far from each other to yell responses back. Seeing this behavior from a returner’s perspective gave me the opinion that this was probably one of the rudest ways of interacting with other people. To me, it says that the parties do not care enough about each other or their topic of conversation to actually take the few seconds or the minute to finish talking and then part ways.

           My first shock coming back into the US hit me immediately as I stepped onto the plane headed from Tokyo to Houston.

           On all of my flights going to Japan and within it, the flight crew seemed to be perpetually concerned about our comfort. I never had to ask because they always offered. On one of my domestic Japanese flights, I was studying my Japanese flash cards and a flight attendant came to talk to me and help me practice my spoken language. Even though she spoke English very well and had done so at the beginning of the flight, once she noticed that I was studying, she decided to help out by speaking to me, specifically, in basic Japanese. A little later, she and the other flight attendants were walking through the plane selling memorable flight postcards. The same flight attendant who had helped me earlier surprised me with a gift of a postcard with a nice, welcoming message on the back written in both Japanese and English for me to understand.

           On the day of our flight back to the US, as soon as I saw that first American flight attendant without even the slightest hint of a smile on her face, I knew I was leaving Japan. Unfortunately, that was my first impression of Americans upon returning to the US. As usual, I had a problem with the extreemely cold air on the plane. Even with my blanket over me, I felt as if I were about to freeze. So, I decided to ask the attendant for an extra blanket. When he came to "assist me," he made me feel as if I was such an inconvenience to him. Later when I was still cold (even with two of those thin blankets), I had to ask one of the other students for hers because I was too scared to ask.

           In other words, after nearly three months of utmost consideration in Japan, coming back to the US, I felt as if I was thrown back into a world where people are just simply apathetic...Sorry, if this may sound too harsh.

           Japan had a lot of what I like to call "The Little Things." Small things the Japanese do or have that makes them special and says so much about them and their culture...Oh, the little things! Here are a few that I noticed...

           I spent my last couple weeks in Japan seeing as much of it as possible. I’ll describe my trips in more detail later, but the one thing that sticks in my head more than anything else about travelling in Japan is...Sofuto kurimu (soft-serve ice cream). No matter where, no matter when, the Japanese always seem to sell soft cream at the sights. Not only did they sell it, but almost every Japanese person there was walking while carrying a cone filled with soft cream. I’m not sure what this says about the Japanese, but I found it interesting that they enjoy soft cream so much. I wonder how much soft cream the average Japanese person consumes...(Am I being too much of a scientist right now?)

           During our first few weeks in Japan, the other NanoJapan students and I were amused by the little buttons in the stalls of public restrooms that said "Flushing Sound." And, believe it or not, when the button was pressed, a flushing sound was produced. Now, why in the world would they have that? About a month into my research internship, I figured it out. In the public restrooms that did not have such buttons, Japanese women would flush the toilet immediately upon entering the stall to produce noise that would ensure their privacy. Since this procedure obviously wastes too much water, Japan (known for its little nifty inventions) created the "Flushing Sound" button. Interesting, right? There are a couple things to note here: the Japanese really care about their privacy but they also care about and take care of the environment. They take advantage of their skills and craftsmanship to take action and responsibility for reducing their harm to the environment.

           The entire time I was in Japan, I saw only one blind man. Yet, on almost all the sidewalks and subway platforms were blind-assisting paths. These were about a foot wide horizontally but had small rectangular bumps parallel to the direction of the path to lead blind individuals carrying walking sticks. At intersections or corners, the bumps in on the paths changed from rectangular to small, circular bumps to indicate the end. I thought this was remarkable because it shows how much the Japanese care about each and every other individual, even such rare cases as the blind.

           Saturday was our Japanese traditional culture day. We spent the entire day learning about and attempting various Japanese arts, including martial arts, Noh drama, calligraphy, tea ceremonies (yes, drinking tea here in Japan is definitely and art!), and Kyogen comedy.
           Each of these arts had its own set of rules passed down for centuries. As the Machiya owner explained to us, the underlying structure of all of these Japanese arts is very similar, with many of the same movements and displays of respect. For example, the performance arts taught the same type of walk/glide, where the knees are somewhat bent and the feet never leave the ground. Walking this way made me feel somewhat like a chicken, but while watching the professionals perform, I got to see proof of why these gliding techniques were used to attract the attention of an audience.
           During the tea ceremony, so much attention was paid towards everything, even the minutest detail that I wondered how the Japanese could ever enjoy themselves at these events. Even the napkin used for wiping the containers clean took approximately 20 minutes to explain how to fold! In the end though, I think the tea ceremony was one of my favorite arts just because of these rules. The rules drew more attention to the details and the planning put into the ceremony and showed tremendous respect toward the host as well as the other guests. In other words, the rules not only made the ceremony more elegant, but made me appreciate it more because I got to see all of the details that I may otherwise have overlooked.

           During the calligraphy portion of the program, we got to grind our own ink and then draw various Kanji symbols (Japanese symbols originating from the Chinese language). Using the calligraphy brushes, we practiced drawing the symbols on rice paper until we were comfortable enough to move on to our final projects. For my final project, I asked the Machiya staff to teach me the Kanji symbols for happiness, guidance and hope. After practicing drawing them a few times, I completed my final project by drawing all three words together to represent my sisters and me. (My oldest sister’s name means happiness in Arabic, my middle sister’s name means guidance and my name means hope.)
           Ending the day with Kyogen was an excellent move on the part of the Japanese Arts Program because it was absolutely hilarious. We all got to take part in learning how to perform either the Kyogen-style exaggerated laugh or the Kyogen-style exaggerated cry. I got to do the laugh. It was such an exaggerated and absurd way to laugh that it actually made us burst out laughing. One of the NanoJapan students laughed so much she even started to cry! Then, in the last bit of the class, the professional Kyogen actors performed a skit for us. It was so ridiculously funny that I couldn’t stop laughing even though it was entirely in old Japanese!

 

           The next day, and our final day in Kyoto, a large group of us decided to spend the entire day out in the city, sightseeing. We first went to the famous Golden temple (Kinkaku-ji) featured on so many Kyoto postcards. Then to the rock Zen gardens at Ryoan-ji and the castle, Nijo-jo. Later that night, I made one final stop at the sight I had been looking forward to all weekend: Fushimi-Inari Taisha, with its long passageways made of series of orange Shinto gates. If you've seen Memoires of a Geisha, this description might remind you of the scene when little Chiyo runs through what seems like an endless tunnel of orange. While climbing through those same tunnels, I wondered why so many signs showed a person pouring rice out of a bag. Finally, I read the description and understood. The shrine is dedicated to the gods of rice and sake (alcohol). In a country where the majority of meals are served with rice and people enjoy their alcohol almost constantly, this dedication seems very fitting!

           With that, we were off. We returned to Osaka that evening and flew back to Sapporo the next day. In the end, it was an excellent weekend, packed to the rim with fun, culture and sightseeing.

 

 

           The next morning, we caught a train to Kyoto, once again with the group all split up among the different lines. While sitting on the train, some of the other NanoJapan students and I looked through my indispensable Lonely Planet Japan travel guide book and found a walking tour that covered most of the sights along the east side of Kyoto. So, we texted instructions that included the different bus routes from the train stations to the start area of the walk for all the different groups travelling that morning. After our day in Osaka, we had gotten much better at meeting up again. When we all finally arrived into Kyoto, within a couple minutes we had found the others and had begun the walking tour.

           Along the tour, we got to see a major pagoda seated prominently at the top of a large hill, a giant female Buddha statue, many shrines, a park that included Japan’s famous Sakura tree, or cherry blossom (unfortunately, it wasn’t in bloom), and many narrow streets with small traditional Japanese cafés and shops.

           After the tour, we had a little over an hour to spare before

we were supposed to be checked-in at the Machiya, the traditional Japanese-style house that we would be staying in. Finally we all agreed to just head over there early and allowed ourselves that one hour’s rest from sightseeing. I’m glad we decided to take that hour to rest, because later, we would realize that it was really the only time we actually took a break while we were in Kyoto. The entire rest of the weekend we would just be packing in as much tourism as we could!

          That evening, we had our reflection and discussion time about how the NanoJapan program had progressed to that point. Everyone shared a couple stories of their experiences in lab and we exchanged advice or comments to help each other through these last few weeks at our internship sites. I enjoyed hearing the other students’ experiences, since mine at lab seem to be entirely different. My project is more of a theoretical research project in which I am helping Koga-sensei predict the behavior of electrons within the confines of charged finite quantum wells. We have been working together to perform various calculations and computer simulations to model the electrons’ behavior. Koga-sensei hopes that this work will help him propose his project for further research funding. Therefore, while the other NanoJapan students are performing experiments within the bounds of already existing research projects, my research project deals with the theory before the experiments can be carried out.

           After the discussion, we all went out to dinner together. Since Japanese restaurants are usually very small, I was surprised that Kyoto even had a place that could accommodate our group of 19 people, including 16 NanoJapan students and 3 program coordinators. But, not only was our large group able to fit in the restaurant, but on the other side of the room was another long table with about 20 people as well! The only explanation I could think of is that maybe Kyoto is just used to such large tourist groups.

           This past weekend was the NanoJapan mid-program meeting in Kyoto. Being here in Sapporo has limited the amount of travel I get to do on the main island of Honshu. So, although the meeting was actually only scheduled to be Friday through Sunday, the other Sapporo students and I decided to extend our trip 2 extra days in order to squeeze in a little bit more sightseeing. We planned our trip so that we would leave Thursday morning and come back Monday afternoon and see as much of Osaka and Kyoto as we could.
           Almost all the other NanoJapan students also arrived into Osaka a day early. With students coming in from all over Japan, we began meeting up at the various major sights around Osaka.

           We met our first group of friends at Osaka-jo (Osaka castle). To find the other students, we walked around almost the entire perimeter of the castle, unintentionally touring the area before we even stepped inside the castle grounds! The magnificent view of the castle’s main tower rising up above the hill tops and trees fooled us into thinking that what was inside the building would be spectacular. Unfortunately, though, we paid a 600 yen entrance fee only to climb up to an observatory at the top of the tower. Granted, the view of the city was excellent. However, the majority of the rest of the tower had, what I call, “filler museum displays,” lackluster objects that are there so that visitors feel like they paid for more than just a view of the city.

           Next, we decided to visit the Umeda area, Osaka major downtown district. So, after having spent so long finding everyone at the castle, we all split up once again. Those that had bought Japan Rail passes for the weekend rode the JR trains within Osaka for free to get to Umeda. The rest of us used our subway day passes to get to the Umeda station. There, we all had to try and find each other once again. After a ton of phone calls, text messages, and detailed descriptions, we finally all gathered again and began walking around to explore the Umeda area. It was starting to get dark outside, which meant we got to see the area all lit up with bright signs and advertisements. In other words, we got to see Umeda as it should be seen, or at least, as I think it should be seen.
           Finally, since the last three of our friends were arriving into Osaka at around 8pm, we agreed to meet up with them for dinner in Namba, the southern part of Osaka and another major tourist destination. I had heard from an Osaka-based NanoJapan student, that the Dotombori area in Namba had the best okonomiyaki and takoyaki in all of Osaka. Since, Osaka, in general, is famous for okonomiyaki and takoyaki, it only made sense for us to eat that the night we were there. Let’s just say it was probably one of the heartiest and most delicious meals I’ve had so far in Japan. Part of the reason it was so delicious was that the meal had been very much anticipated and well deserved after a long day of sightseeing and travelling.

 

           Now for the dessert course...mmm, yummy...

           Anko: a sweet red bean paste. It is featured in most Japanese desserts. I love it. Can’t get enough of it.

           Mochi: This is a sweet rice cake. There are many variations of mochi, whether in size, shape or color. They usually contain something sweet in the center. The most common filling is anko. These are fairly cheap wherever you go.

           Dorayaki: A Japanese pancake type dessert. It has three layers: pancake on the bottom, anko in the middle, and another pancake on the top. It’s a very traditional dessert and is also fairly cheap.

           Crepes: As I wrote about in another blog, crepes are very common in Japan. Stop by any crepe stand and the possibilities are endless. Crepes come in salty flavors, ham and cheese, for example. Or, most commonly, crepes come in sweet flavors. What is not so common about Japanese crepes is what they put inside them. I have seen all kinds of crepes! One time, I found a crepe on display that contained 2 scoops of ice cream, a vanilla wafer, a slice of cheesecake, and whipped cream! More basic crepes are also available, of course. I have had 3 crepes so far during my stay here in Japan. The first was kiwi with whipped cream. The second was filled with anko and whipped cream. The third was apple pie filling with vanilla and apple ice cream. (Sweet crepes come as either whipped cream with other toppings or ice cream with other toppings.) The price of crepes is probably the average price of desserts in the US.

           Ice Cream (called sofuto kurimu, "soft cream"): This is very popular in Japan. When I say, "very popular," I mean that sofuto kurimu is sold at almost every third shop. The Japanese have become somewhat creative with these flavors as well (like the sweet potato flavor in Kamakura and green tea flavor just about everywhere). But they don’t deviate too much from the usual fruits, vanilla, and chocolate flavors. Sofuto Kurimu ranges from 200 to 300 yen (about 2 or 3 dollars).

           Baked goods, in general: Bakeries are probably the second most popular dessert shops after sofuto kurimu. Although some of the products at bakeries are salty, the majority are sweet. Stepping into one of these bakeries transforms you into a child in a candy shop! Everything is fairly cheap and very delicious-looking. Milk bread, chocolate scones, anko-filled rolls, crème puffs, and anything else your mind can dream of. It’s all there...I find that the best way to deal with these bakeries, is just to avoid them. Too much temptation!

           Fruits: Unfortunately, fruit in Japan is ridiculously expensive. White peaches and pink peaches are specialties of Japan, but are the most expensive fruit here. According to some friends, certain peach farms allow people to pay admission to enter for all-you-can-eat peaches. My goal: find one and eat peaches. Itadakimasu!

           This blog concerns the food here in Japan...And, oh, what excellent food it is!
           Before I get into describing the amazing food I have eaten for the past 2 months, I’m going to make a short aside here to explain the title of this blog. In Japanese culture, meals are begun by saying "itadakimasu" (usually with one’s hand held together above the table) and ended by saying "gochisosama deshita." Some people relate this tradition to other religious customs, but I think it is more of a way of showing respect and appreciation to whoever made the meal.
           Now, back to the food...
           In general, Japanese food is very healthy. The only meals here that I might call unhealthy are the western foods or the Japan-ized western food (which I’ll explain later). Have you ever had a full meal for only 73 calories? I have, while in Japan. It was a very filling meal too.
           I’ll start with the entrées first:
           Sushi/Sashimi: Everyone knows these already. So, I don’t need to explain them. They are still relatively expensive in Japan, but not nearly as expensive as in the US, of course.
           Tempura: This encompasses anything from vegetables, to fish, to even just a cheesy crab cream filling that is fried with a special flakey exterior. It is sometimes eaten over rice or just by itself. This is also relatively pricey in Japan.

           Soba noodles: These are buckwheat noodles. If you don’t know what that entails, it’s okay. I was confused for the longest time until I came to Japan. These noodles have a grayish color to them. They have a unique flavor because they are buckwheat. In Japan, soba noodles have two main ways in which they are served. They can come hot, in a soup (called kake soba) or cold, on a basket-type dish, with a dipping sauce for the soba (this meal is called zaru soba). Depending on the restaurant, these meals are usually fairly cheap.
           Udon noodles: These are thicker, white noodles. The way they are served is very similar to soba. I have only eaten the hot udon in a soup, but I think udon can also come cold, on a basket as well. These meals are about the same price as the soba meals.
           Japanese Curry: Probably the cheapest meal I have had in Japan so far. It usually comes served on a large plate with the curry to one side and white rice on the other. The most widely eaten curry is katsu kare (kare = curry). This usually comes with a large piece of breaded and fried pork on top. (According to my friends, this meal is really good. I have not tried it, though, since I don’t eat pork. So, I can’t give my own personal recommendation.) Here in Hokkaido, I have also found a meal called soup curry (but, with the Japanese pronounciation). I have yet to try it, but pictures show it as a large bowl of curry with some sort of meat and vegetables.
           -don dishes: These bowls come filled with white rice and something on top, depending on the prefix to "-don." Gyudon, is beef on rice. Butadon, is pork on rice. Tamagodon is egg on rice. Unadon (my favorite) is eel on rice. The only dish that I have found to have a unique name is oyakodon, which is a bowl of chicken and egg on rice, because the prefix "oyako" refers to "mother and child." All of these meals except unadon are usually reasonably priced. Eel is a specialty and therefore is slightly more expensive.

           Okonomiyaki: My favorite meal in Japan. This is generally translated as "Japanese pancake," but it’s

nothing like a pancake. In fact, it’s most notable ingredient is shredded lettuce. The flour and egg are just used to make it all stick together. It is more of a vegetable pancake with your choice of added ingredients. Ingredients include cheese, shrimp, squid, pork, etc. I usually go with the squid. Very good. The price of okonomiyaki has a wide range, but it is usually on the more expensive side. But, the price is worth the experience. Even making the meal is special! (Yes, you make it yourself.) Okonomiyaki restaurants have a special design. Each table has a mini grill like the ones you see in hibachi restaurants. You are then brought a bowl with the okonomiyaki mixture and the ingredients you chose. You mix it all up and pour it onto the grill. You then proceed to cook it flat, like a pancake. When one side is done, you flip it and start laying the sauces onto the cooked top. First, a layer of special okonomiyaki sauce, then a little bit of Japanese mayonnaise. If you so choose, you can also add a little fried fish skins. Then..."itadakimasu!"

            Takoyaki: This is somewhat similar to okonomiyaki, but it comes in small balls and without the lettuce. The sauces on the outside are the same, though. Okonomiyaki and Japanese mayonnaise. “Tako” refers to octopus, which is what is at the center of the ball. The first time I tried this, I didn’t ask. I admit, the center was somewhat chewy, but it was really good; so, I just ate another. I had always refused to try octopus before, but since I didn’t know that the center was octopus, what I didn’t know, couldn’t hurt me. Since then, I’ve opened up a little bit more to eating octopus (not all, but some). If you get the chance to try takoyaki, just go for it and don’t look back. It’s definitely worth it! Prices are usually reasonable for takoyaki, but I’ve never seen it alone as a meal. I’ve usually eaten it as a side, or more like an appetizer.
           Omurice/omusoba: The “omu-” in these meals, I am fairly sure, is derived from the word omelet. Why? Well, the reason is simple. These two meals come served inside of an omelet. The first is fried rice inside of an omelet. The second is hot soba (but not in a soup) inside of an omelet. What I have seen of these meals has been on the expensive side, but still reasonable in price.
           Shabushabu/Nabe: Shabushabu is much like the Chinese hot pot, where different ingredients are dipped into a hot soup and then eaten. Nabe is a cooked as a large communal soup with just about anything you can think of inside. Shabushabu can be really expensive because of the meat ingredients. Nabe, on the other hand, I have yet to see in restaurants. I tried it for the first time about a week ago when I went to a Nabe party with a Japanese friend. We all sat around the table as they cooked the soup in a large traditional pot on a gas burner. Then when it

was ready, we scooped it into our individual bowls, ate the ingredients using chopsticks and drank soup out of the bowl.
           Genghis Khan: This dish is famous in Hokkaido. It is basically grilled lamb with vegetables. Although it is very expensive, I plan to try it soon.

 

           As for Western food and Japan-ized Western food, the most common is in the form of a hamburger (or hamba-ga in Japanese). Other than McDonald's ("Makudo"), which appears on almost every corner in Japan, the Japanese have created their own version of the

fast food hamburger. These Japanese hamburgers can be found at many different chains, the most comon of which are Mos Burger and Freshness Burger. The burgers are fairly unique, coming in many different flavors like shrimp, miso, or with chili inside. The price is about the same as hamburgers in America. So, if you're in Japan and you want a break from traditional Japanese food but still want the "healthy" feeling of Japanese food, then stop by a Mos Burger or Freshness Burger and...Itadakimasu! 

           Here in Japan, business cards are a big deal. As with almost everything else here in Japan, there is a certain procedure for exchanging business cards.
           Our very first lesson in our intensive Japanese language and culture course in Tokyo included how to present your meishi (business card). The procedure is very simple, but if you do not give the other person’s meishi enough attention and consideration, you may come off as very rude.
           After getting out your meishi and explaining that it is yours, you bow deeply and hand them the meishi with both hands while saying “dozo” (the mesishi must be turned in direction so that they can read it as you hand it to them). When handed a meishi, you must take some time to look it over and ask questions about it, if necessary. Always, always, always, remember to say thank you, “arigato gozaimasu!”
           The other day, I got to see, what I like to call, an official Handing-of-the-Meishi! As each pair in the group exchanged meishi, they did so in full 90-degree bows. Then, as they backed away to leave, they continued to bow by raising their backs slightly up and then going back down for another 90-degree bow.
           During my time in Tokyo, I exchanged plenty of meishi. Now that I have settled into my lab here in Sapporo, however, there is rarely a need. So, I guess, having a meishi-exchange lesson on our very first day of classes in Tokyo was important, because we definitely began exercising those skills immediately.