On Tuesday before last, I met up with Miwa and Hiroe for lunch at their favorite sushi place in Tama-Plaza. The sushi was soooo wonderful! Definitely the best sushi I've ever had! It was a kaiten-zushi place (sushi on the conveyor belt), but Miwa and Hiroe ordered all of the sushi fresh from the chefs that work inside the conveyor belt ring. The pieces of fish literally melted in my mouth, it was so fresh and high quality. When we were finished, the waitress came to count our plates for our bill, and instead of counting them by hand, she just ran a scanner over the large stack! I was amazed because the plates were different colors according to the price of the particular kinds of sushi we ordered, so the scanner was not just counting the number of plates, it was also recognizing the different prices as well. One of the sushi chefs told us that the plates all have a chip in them with the price information and that each plate costs 2000 yen (approximately $20). They certainly have a lot of money invested in their dinnerware, but it seems like a worthwhile investment because Miwa and Hiroe told me that the restaurant gets very very busy on the weekends. When we were leaving, Hiroe had me spin the Japanese lottery machine (I wish I had taken a picture of it!) which spits out different colored balls. I spun it twice and got a white ball and a blue ball (no jokes please hahaha). The white ball meant I won pocket tissues and the blue ball meant I won 1000 yen off of my next meal at the sushi place! Hiroe told me I was very lucky to win that - and I was very excited! After sushi, we went for coffee, and I got a close-up picture of Miwa for the blog (hahaha)!


Wednesday before last I went to HK5, but my only student this week was Hiroe, so Ken, Hiroe and I left the school and went to a restaurant for coffee for our conversation and then stayed in that restaurant for lunch. After lunch I ran to one of the stores in the mall to buy little gingerbread boy and girl cookie cutters to make cookies for the HKE Christmas party (if I can get them to turn out ok!). After that, I met Miwa in Azamino to check out the Fugu (blowfish) restaurant. The restaurant did not open until 4pm, but one of the guys let us go in and look around. It is a small restaurant, so we will have to make a reservation. Outside the restaurant, they had a tank with about 5 or 6 blowfish swimming around. They are really ugly fish, and it looked like a few of them had been in a fight because one was missing half of his lower lip and another had a huge bitemark on his fin. I wish I had taken a picture of it -- I will be sure to take pictures when we go for dinner.

We then went to Freshness Burger for coffee and sweet potato french fries (which were great, but I would have preferred salt on them instead of sugar). After Freshness Burger, Miwa took me to the grocery store by her gym, which carries a lot of foreign items. There I found Fluff for making Peanut Butter fudge! After loading up with some familiar groceries I caught the train headed for Chuo Rinkan, but not before stopping in Aobadai to look for folding chairs -- no such luck. I met Nick for dinner and Japanese class in Hon Atsugi.

Thursday before last I did things around the house preparing for Gianne's visit. I cleaned the kitchen, which was no easy task, did some laundry, etc.

Friday before last I continued preparing for Gianne's visit, and I took a trip to the Uny to look for towels, a pillow, folding chairs, and a few other necessities. Luckily I found everything I needed, including the folding chairs. The walk back to the bus stop was relatively easy, as the chairs are pretty small and fit easily over my shoulder for carrying. Now we can have people over for dinner!! :) That night, I met Nick and Marius at Outback for dinner.

Saturday before last Nick and I met up with Marius in Hon Atsugi to go camera shopping before our Japanese class. Unfortunately, we did not find anything Marius was interested in (the shop we went to had a small selection), so we went to Saizeriya for lunch. After lunch, we walked around Parco (the mall next to Saizeriya) for a bit, and then Nick and I went to study at Mr. Donut (where I ordered our coffees in Japanese!!) and then went to class. After class, we went home and did a big final cleanse of the apartment in preparation for Gianne's arrival.

Sunday before last, we left around 1:00pm to make the trek to the airport to pick up Gianne. Her flight arrived at 3:45pm, but she was held up in customs for about an hour. When she finally came out of the gate, I almost didn't recognize her because she had on a winter hat :) Nick then asked for directions to the new Narita Hard Rock Cafe, and we took the train and then a bus to get there. This Hard Rock is inside a mall in Narita, and is not close to the airport at all. Most of the staff know about two words of English. Quite disappointing for a Hard Rock Cafe -- usually their English is semi-decent.


Monday, Gianne and I were going to go to Kawagoe, a place north of Tokyo that I have not been to yet. Upon looking at the guidebook, I was unsure if we would actually see anything interesting there, so we decided to go to Kamakura and Enoshima Island instead. We saw Big Buddha, and went inside again.


And Gianne learned about Japanese-style toilets.


We also stopped at Hase Kannon Temple, which still had beautiful colors this time of year! Gianne nearly went broke making several offerings at the Temple, I hope it paid off G!


After the Temple, we stopped in a sweet shop where we purchased red bean cakes, a sweet potato treat, and a pancake-jelly treat. The red bean cakes were our favorite -- they were sweet, but not too sweet, as some American treats can be.

We then went to Enoshima Island. We walked up the stairs to the main shrine, but our legs were shaking, so we didn't continue. Instead, we went back down to the shops so Gianne could buy a few souvenirs. After not finding anything appealing for lunch thus far, we had a late lunch at McDonalds outside of Katese-Enoshima station. Gianne tried the Tonkatsu burger, which I'm not sure if she liked or not :) When she was throwing away the trash she asked "Hey Stace, what goes where?" (trash separation is very important in Japan), and some guy that looked like Kevin James says to her "I couldn't help but notice your English" in a creepy, trying-my-newest-line-so-we-can-go-on-a-date kind of way. Not wanting to be rude, we talked to him for a second and found out he is staying with a friend in Tokyo, he is from New Jersey, and the Aquarium is great and is a bargain with a 2000 yen entry fee (that is not a bargain, he's on crack). We said that we would love to visit the Aquarium (polite comment, not true) but that we were just about to head back. He made an attempt at joining us on the train with the comment "Well, I'm headed back to Tokyo in a minute" and I said, "Oh we're headed to Zama" and obviously he didn't know where it was, so he didn't try to choke down his apple pie and fries any faster (we would be on the same train).

We jumped on the Express, which we thought was going to be leaving immediately. As we sat there (in the car closest to the station), we began to worry that Fatty would get on the train and sit with us -- so we got out and walked almost to the front of the train, which we figured he would be too lazy to walk to. Local trains came and went and the Express never left. Finally, we got sick of waiting and jumped on a local. Thankfully at the next station we switched to a Semi-Express and went home and had Cavatini for dinner.

Tuesday, we set out to see Mt. Fuji (Fuji-san). Of course it was a totally crappy day -- cold, cloudy, and rainy. We took the train to Odawara and then switched for the Fuji direction. The train we switched to was a Limited Express, which costs a little more and we hadn't bought the proper tickets, but we were able to buy them on the train. It was a comfortable ride, as the trains are much nicer than the regular trains (hence the higher cost). We had to switch to a regular train in Atami, and it seemed like a long ride to Fuji station. The area around Fuji station was all industrial (many factories and such), and I figured this was not the place we wanted to be, so we stayed on the train for a few more stops. Finally G suggested I look at my atlas (duh, why didn't I think of that earlier!) and I realized we were going completely the wrong way. I had made a joke in the morning about ending up in Osaka, and that is exactly where we were heading! After looking at the atlas, I figured there was no way we could make it to Fuji-san and get home in time for dinner, so we took the train back to Atami and found a Japanese restaurant for a late lunch. This restaurant did not have a picture menu, but they did have a plastic food display out front, so we took the waitress outside and pointed to what we wanted. Gianne ordered pork ramen and I ordered pork tonkatsu on rice and we shared an order of tuna rolls. The food was good, however my pork was too fatty for me to enjoy, so I just ate the rice and the rolls. When G and I were finished, we had a ton of food leftover and I think the waitress was making fun of us. Oh well! I think G's favorite part of the restaurant was the old man in the pointy hat that was staring at her the whole time. Not only were we the only foreigners in the restaurant, but we were also the only women, besides the waitresses.

After lunch we hopped on the train and went to Odawara. So that the day wasn't a total loss, we went to see Odawara Castle, which is actually a replica constructed 90 years ago at the end of Feudalism (that was what one display said inside the castle -- gotta love translation errors!). It was a little disappointing that it was a replica, but it was cool to see anyway. We never ended up seeing Mt. Fuji that day or at all during Gianne's stay. It was pretty overcast during her stay.


Gianne also met Sanders Clause in Odawara.


Wednesday, we went to HK5, and everyone was very interested in learning about Gianne. After class, we all had lunch at Starbucks. After lunch, Gianne and I went to a pet shop in Center Kita to look at dogs and cats. At first we went in the wrong part of the store and saw huge beetles and snakes -- ewwwwww! We then headed to the Yokohama History Museum, which is also in Center Kita. All of the displays were in Japanese -- very disappointing. From the museum, we went into a park, which had some old huts and other buildings (which were probably replicas).


We had some time before we had to meet Miwa for Fugu, so we went to Yokohama Station to hit up the ATM, and then continued onto Minatomirai to walk around the shops.

At 6:15p, we met Miwa at Azamino station for our 6:30p reservation at the Fugu (blowfish) restaurant. This time, we took pictures in front of the tank out front.


We shared a bottle of wine and 4 different Fugu dishes. The first dish was fugu sashimi (raw fugu). The sashimi was sliced very thin, and although it was a little chewy, it was good. Next came a complimentary side dish from the chef, fugu skin mixed with green onions and ginger (or maybe something else, I can't remember). I tried a few pieces of the skin, but I didn't really like it. It had no taste, but was very elastic-y. Next we had roasted fugu. The waitress brought a charcoal grill and pieces of raw fugu and skin. The roasted fugu was very good, and almost tasted like chicken. Miwa and I made Gianne eat all of the skin though -- neither of us liked it very much. After that we had fugu Shabu-shabu. Shabu-shabu is a basket with a heavy paper placed over a warming burner on the table. It is then filled with a broth and maybe something else. The waitress then brought us a plate of raw fugu and onions. When she set the plate down, she pointed to one piece of fugu in the front. The piece was pulsating -- it was STILL ALIVE! She was pointing it out to show us how fresh the fugu was (thanks lady!). When she picked it up with the chopsticks, it pulsated right out of them and landed on the table -- hahaha! She finally got all of the pieces into the Shabu-shabu dish and let us cook them. Guess who ended up with the formerly live piece of fugu? ME -- thanks G! But when I got it, it was dead (thankfully!). The Shabu-shabu was very good -- I think maybe my favorite of the dishes we had. Finally, the waitress came back and for our last dish, she used the Shabu-shabu to make a fugu risotto, which was also quite good. By that time, we were exhausted on the fugu, and we ended the meal with some vanilla maple nut ice cream (best EVER) which was also comped by the chef, who remembered Miwa and I from the day we went to check the place out. We got home at a decent time and hit the sack early in preparation for our early start on Thursday!



Thursday we were at the bus stop by 6:37am for our trip to Nikko. It was a loooonnngggg trip to Nikko and took over 4 hours. It was much colder since we were a lot further north than Tokyo and in the mountains. We walked from the train station to the World Heritage site, where the temples of Nikko are located. These temples are not replicas and really have been around for thousands of years.



So this is how the day went: bus-train-train-train-train-walk-walk-walk-mean ticket lady at Nikko-temple-walk-temple-buy incense-walk-walk-walk-temple-temple-temple-take off shoes-temple-push by obnoxious Spanish guys-put shoes back on- walk-get yelled at by man at temple for not taking shoes off on wet ground-temple-put shoes back on-walk-walk-walk-eat at strange yakitori place-walk-walk-walk-wait-wait-wait-have serious thoughts about punching annoying schoolgirls in train station-wait-wait-wait-train-drink Jack Daniels and coke and watch old ladies drink beer on train-Gianne goes to the bathroom in hole in the ground toilet on train while train is moving-train-train-train-walk-home.

The restaurant we found for lunch was actually very good and quite entertaining. All over the walls were pictures, business cards, and notes from other foreigners who had been to this place to eat.


On the way back to the train station, we stopped at a 7-11 type store and bought paper cups (thanks G!! they leak hahaha) and a couple of diet cokes for our Jack and cokes on the train home (we brought the flask for the long trip home). Once we got to the train station, we found out we were going to have to wait for about an hour for the next train back to civilization. While we were in the waiting area, there were two very obnoxious schoolgirls there, laughing loudly and piercingly at who knows what. When they finally got up to leave I started clapping (ha!) but no one joined me :( I couldn't have been the only annoyed person there... We got on the train, made our Jack and cokes and settled in for a long ride. At the next station past Tobu-nikko, 5 older ladies boarded the train with luggage, and after settling in, cracked open some beers and trail mix! It was hilarious! About halfway through the trip back to Tokyo, Gianne decides she must use the bathroom. This train had a bathroom because it is always used for making the long trip, normally trains do not have bathrooms. The toilet on this train was a typical Japanese-style toilet, which is hard to use while it is not moving, so I can't imagine how G used it without peeing all over herself -- it must be because she's so close to the ground anyway (HAHAHA -- got you good there G). :) We were pretty exhausted by the time we got home, even though it wasn't really all that late.

Friday we met Miwa in Tama-plaza for sushi lunch. Lunch was fabulous, as usual, and we invited Miwa to join us for an afternoon sightseeing in Tokyo.


First we went to the Imperial Gardens which, it turns out, are CLOSED on Fridays -- who closes a garden?


After that we went to Asakusa, and after a much needed coffee break (Gianne and I were exhausted from our week of adventures) we did a little shopping for souvenirs.


After the souvenirs and fresh red bean cakes were purchased we hopped a train for Ikebukuro, which has many Japanese Anime shops. After touring around the Anime shops we got back on the train and went to Shinjuku to find Gianne's dad a birthday present, and to try to find Nick and I phone cards. We struck out on the phone cards, but Gianne was able to find her dad a few presents. We were to meet Nick in Shinjuku and he called to say they were going to be about an hour late coming back from Sano, where he had been for work since Wednesday. He was coming back to Tokyo with a few co-workers from the Detroit office that had come over for a work event. So to kill time, we found an Irish bar -- which was GREAT! Gianne introduced me to my new favorite drink called Snakebite. We had one drink there and Nick called again to say they would be at Shinjuku station soon, so we paid and then went to the station. Miwa was not able to join us to meet up with Nick so we said goodbye to her and she took the subway to meet her husband. Nick and his two co-workers from the Detroit office had traveled to Tokyo via a Japanese co-worker's van, and they picked us up at the station and we went to an English bar called The Fiddler in Takodanobabba. This bar was a hole in the wall, but they had a couple of Japanese guys playing the blues live, and they were pretty good! They sang in English but spoke in Japanese, it was pretty funny. Just before we left, a random American guy joined them on the sax (Max on the sax), and he was really good! I would have liked to have listened to him more, but everyone was tired, so we left. The train from Shinjuku to Machida was an absolute NIGHTMARE. That is the most packed train I have ever been on, and I hope to ever be on for the rest of my life! Just when it got to the point where you couldn't turn your head, the train was so packed, they would squeeze 5 more people on -- absolutely HORRIBLE.

Saturday was pretty chill. Nick left in the morning to meet his co-workers in Tokyo for lunch before our Japanese lesson. Gianne and I baked some tiny gingerbread cookies for the HKE Christmas party. I then went to Atsugi to meet Nick for our lesson, and Gianne stayed at home to rest. After our lesson, Nick and I went back to the apartment and picked up Gianne and took off for Center Kita for the Xmas party. The party was at an American-style bar called Big Mommas, and they had a nice selection of food and drinks. As part of our duty as Americans, Nick and I dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Clause and handed out presents to the kids. After socializing with everyone and a few rounds of shots, it was time for us to leave so that we could get home before the trains stopped running. We had a wonderful time and it was lots of fun!


Sunday, Nick left in the morning again to meet his co-workers in Tokyo to take them sight-seeing. Gianne and I left the house around noon to head for the airport. We stopped at the Odakyu Ox so Gianne could buy a few bags of cereal and some red bean cakes and red bean kitkats to bring home. Once we finally got to the airport, G checked in and then we went to a little restaurant in the airport for coffees and a club sandwich. After that, we said our goodbyes and I went home. It was so nice to have someone to hang out with for the week! I miss you G!

Monday was my day to relax and recover -- or so I thought. I realized that Christmas was in a week and I hadn't done my Christmas shopping yet -- so I spent most of the day shopping online and sending gifts. In the afternoon, I went to the post office to pick up a Christmas package my dad had sent, which had actually arrived on Friday, but I wasn't at home to get it. The sucker weighed 20 lbs, and I am sure I looked like quite a sight carrying it to the train station -- I must have because everyone was staring at me. Once I got to Sobudaimae, I picked up a few groceries and took the bus home and unpacked the box. Here is a pic of our decorations and presents.


Tuesday I was supposed to meet Miwa to go to an art exhibit that her relative was in, but I was still exhausted and had a few more Christmas presents to buy, so I had to cancel. I also called my Nana to wish her a Happy Birthday, and I talked to my Mom and Dad as well.

Yesterday, I went to Center Kita for the last HK5 of the year. After lunch, I did a little shopping around the mall and bought some paper to wrap Nick's Christmas presents and then went home before meeting Nick for our last Japanese lesson of the year.

Today, which will be nearly half over by the time I post this blog, I will workout, clean, etc. Maybe I will go to the grocery store again. Tonight we are having dinner and drinks at Outback with a few of Nick's co-workers as a kind of end-of-the-year celebration.

I am sorry I haven't posted in so long -- as you can see, I've been kind of busy! hahaha! Thank you to everyone who sent cards and gifts -- you've really made our Christmas a lot happier! Also congrats to Tina -- I'm not sure if you've had the baby yet -- I can't wait to find out!