[Reblog] Tony drops some knowledge all up on y'all

Hey guys,

So, as you know, I make every effort I can to ensure that this blog is both entertaining and educational.  And when my own knowledge has a gap, I have no shame in directing you to other places where you can learn

Courtesy of my friend Tony, important knowledge about sushi:

http://tonyisboring.blogspot.jp/2015/04/sushi-and-sashimi.html

Who knew such an ancient cooking form used so much molecular gastronomy?

Noah out

Shimizudani Park: Keep your head on a swivel, you never know what you might find

Hey guys,

I've said it before, I'll say it again.  Tokyo is perhaps the greatest city in the entire world for wandering (and yes, I include Budapest, which is a damn fine city for wandering itself, in that assessment).  Go on a long walk, I promise you won't be able to go far without discovering a fun shop, a gorgeous statuary, or in this case a gorgeous park :D

Shimizudani Park, located just North of Akasaka, was an absolute treat to stumble upon.  I probably never would have found it if I hadn't meandered from Ichigaya to Akasaka the other day, but I'll make a point to do that meander more often if it means a chance to visit this park (although it is relatively near Le Tour D'Argent, the nicest French place in town, so obviously I would have discovered it next time I dined there :P)

Let's be honest, I'm usually pretty easy for sun shining through trees onto wooded paths . . .

Throw in classic-style Japanese architecture, and I'm a total sucker

I could make a point about "reverence for monument to the past" and junk, but really I just like cool statues.  Like I said, I'm easy

As I mentioned in my first Kourakuen post, my favorite part of all of these parks is the fact that, even in a city so famous for the preoocupation of its inhabitants, people make an effort to take some time out of the days to appreciate it.  And really, there's no better way to take a break from a stressful work day than relaxing beside a pond in the middle of a heavily wooded park

And, well, if said lovely little park happens to be only a block away from an office plaza where you can find a number of food trucks parked every lunchtime, well then . . .

I love this city!

Noah out

I get philosophical about liquor prices at 2 in the morning

Hi guys,

As someone whose formative cocktailing years were spent at the mercy of Washington's State-run liquor stores, the breadth of liquor pricing here in Tokyo is astounding.  I have an entire section of my Tokyo Pictures folder devoted solely to photos snapped of liquor prices, each one labelled for organizational purposes (e.g. "Nishikawaguchi Donqui, Cointreau, 1885yen").  Disparities of 500 yen are not uncommon even on the cheap items, and for the big-tickets items the savings can be very significant.  Naturally, I consider this to be a very poignant metaphor for the capriciousness of life . . .



Listen kids, sometimes life sucks.  Sometimes you fly halfway around the world and, while still temporally and spatially disoriented, you need to work from early morning until late at night--a hell made all the more poignant by the inalienable knowledge that you will be doing the same thing tomorrow, except starting even earlier

But sometimes, sometimes, you pop quickly into one of your favorite liquor stores to check out their bargain corner, a mysterious land in which bottles are dirt-cheap even when the exact same bottle is on the shelf for full price on the other side of the store.  And sometimes you find a bottle of Fernet Branca (already preposterously cheap, by US standards, at $20) in that section . . .



Let me phrase it a different way.  Sometimes Life favors you with a devilish grin but then takes advantage of the moment to sucker punch you in the stomach.  And then she kicks you in the teeth.  And then she cackles and says something unkind and inappropriate about your mother

But sometimes, just sometimes, Life sidles up to you, coyly refusing to hold your gaze but then sneaking within your arms to to give you a furtive hug and a featherlight kiss on the cheek.  Sometimes she smiles shyly, playfully buries her head in your chest, and tells you that things aren't always as bad as they seem, and that everything will work out, and that she loves you

At least, that's what finding a bottle of Fernet for 8 freakin' dollars feels like to me.  8 dollars!  Telling you, guys, sometimes Life's not such a bad lady after all.  This town never ceases to ambush me with the most pleasant of surprises

Cheers,

Noah out

Sakura at Yasukuni

Hi guys,

One last sakura post, hope you all aren't tired of these yet ;)

It may seem slightly incongruous that cherry blossoms are so associated with the samurai, a warrior class.  Flowers are seen as effeminate in Western culture (and, for the most part, Eastern), after all.  In actuality, the metaphor of cherry blossoms is very martial indeed.  See, anyone that had their mom send them out to deadhead the garden knows that most flowers wither and die on the plant.  Sakura, however, do not--they fall off the tree while fully in bloom, and the blossoms blowing in the wind are just as beautiful as those crowding the tree.  Thus, the sakura are seen as a metaphor for a warrior's death, a beautiful death in the prime of life

So it's fitting that Yasukuni Shrine should be one of the marquee cherry-blossom viewing areas of the city ("Are the sakura blooming in Yasukuni yet?").  The shrine honors Japan's war dead, millions of names inscribed there.  Thus, the shrine has particularly poignant meaning during the blooming of the sakura

There are many things I could say about Yasukuni shrine as the cherry blossoms fall.  I have tried to write about the shrine, but have yet to find the right words.  Maybe someday I will write up a post about Japan in specific and its complicated history during WWII, or about the all countries of the world in general and the old lie: Dulce et decorum est . . . but those subjects and controversies don't seem fit conversation for a day like this.  On a day like this, suffice it to say that there were once a number of brave young men and that they fell, just as cherry blossoms must fall, and that they should be remembered

As I said, this will be my final sakura post for the year.  The sakura season is beautiful, but short.  Which is, of course, also part of the metaphor . . .

Noah out

Sakura Fairgrounds

Hi guys.

I feel like I didn't express clearly enough in my last post just how big of a deal sakura season is here in Tokyo.  Guys, sakura season is a big, giant deal here in Tokyo

It only lasts for a week, but for that entire week the entire city gets devoted to hanami (flower-viewing).  No seriously, the entire city

Every single place in the city that has cherry blossoms gets flooded with people to view them.  And in turn, at the best sites, be they city parks or sacred shrines, if there's room for it they'll set up picnic tables and food stands to sell to them.  They will turn temple grounds into fairgrounds.  Because that's just what we do in the springtime in Tokyo.  

Special guest appearance by my oneesan (big sister) Teru, who is pretty much the coolest, nicest, best person in the world--and an excellent hanami companion

It didn't hurt that the day was absolutely *gorgeous* . . . I mean, seriously, look at that

Beer, sake, and pretty much anything you could possibly want threaded onto a stick and grilled.  And that's only at *one stand*

Looks like the upcoming generation of takoyaki chefs are here and learning from the masters that came before

Did I mention the awesome amount of grilled things on sticks???  God I love this country

Most of the stalls are just that, little stalls, but every so often someone ponied up for the extra-large lot and had basically a portable restaurant going

I'm pretty sure Japanese people have been cooking fish exactly like this--skewered and stuck into the sand around a fire--for thousands of years.  Tens of thousands.  Because if it ain't broke . . .

Phenomenally fresh shellfish, meet fire and sunshine.  Fire, sunshine, this is some phenomenally fresh shellfish.  I think you will be friends

Like I said, if there are cherry blossoms there will be people set up to view them.  Be it a park, a garden, or a temple, because that is how Tokyo rolls

It's even a family affair!  Mom is cooking takoyaki out front, while son and grandpa hang out in the back

And yes, there are carnival games.  You thought I was exaggerating when I said that they basically set up fairgrounds wherever there are cherry blossoms.  I wasn't

And yes . . . there's even cotton candy.  Because it wouldn't be a fair without it

Listen, I'm still a young man, I get that.  There is a lot that I haven't seen in this world, I will be the first to admit that.  But I am pretty damn confident that there are not a lot of places on this earth where you can go to a shrine or temple, buy a bag of cotton candy with a cartoon character on it, and enjoy it underneath cherry blossoms.  So when you find one of those places, you should cherish it

Noah out

Sakura in Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens

Hey everybody,

Ok, yup, people have been asking me when this post was coming for months.  It is officially sakura (cherry blossom) season in Tokyo.  And don't think that "season" is a figure of speech, they are literally monitoring the sakura on the news, delivering updates on the train ("The sakura have reached Kyoto!  Should be in Tokyo next Sunday!").  The sakura are a big deal out here, and as soon as the blossoms open the entire population of Tokyo heads to the parks to enjoy them.  I love it!

This is only the first round of sakura pictures, but I thought I would head back to my favorite garden in the city to see what they had to offer.  So here we are, from Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens, the first of the season's sakura

While not as awe-inspiringly full of pink as some of the more famous spots in Tokyo that are nothing but cherry trees, I actually like the contrast of the mostly green trees with accents of blossom

I happened the be there a little later in the day, so the dark shade in some areas was a pretty awesome contrast to the areas still in light

Not a lot of sakura, but I feel like I was *really* lucky and this picture turned out amazing, so I had to include it.  No seriously, this is one of my favorites I've taken for this blog

No, we're not allowed on this island.  Which sucks, because I want to live there

Umm, dark foreground, light background shot again?  Apparently I'm just a sucker for that

While the wind whips through the rest of the city mercilessly, the walls around the garden are high enough to keep out breeze and street noise alike

This wasn't even at a prime time to visit, more like late afternoon.  I can only imagine how packed the garden is during midmorning

And finally, the requisite close-up shot.  Because artistic and stuff

More to come!

Noah out

The Beauty of the Warning Sign

Hi guys,

So, Japan has been well-known, throughout history and the modern era, for its art.  From classic screen paintings and woodblock prints to anime and manga, the Japanese are undoubtedly skilled.  But it has been said that the true force of their artistic ability can best be expressed through the media of warning signs and placards

Let's have a look:

Elegant in the simplicity of its message:  "Any masterpiece just becomes noise disturbance when emanating from headphones."  Not just a good lesson, but a powerful metaphor for the transformation of unique creation as it undergoes mass propagation

A classic from years ago, it's really sold by the facial expressions of the old couple.  I think the artist really captures their feelings of wry reminiscence as they contrast their lives of stability and security with those of the carefree young couple in love

Ok so this one was not found on a public train, but rather in a private restaurant. But its message is a universal one, and an important one for all of us that have ever considering using public restroom toilet paper to become a mummy

And finally, Tokyo Metro's latest ad campaign has gone full Banksy on us.  I believe they are trying to challenge us by juxtaposing a style popularized by social commentary with posters intended to promote domestic order, thus bringing into question our perceptions of the nature of societal structure

I feel honored to be in a country where I am surrounded, even on public transportation, by such thought and beauty

Noah out