Who Knew about Nagano?

Not I! We had driven to Nagano Prefecture in September for the ALT soccer tournament and all I remember was the early morning mist and haze, followed by a lot of pretty soccer fields that quickly became not so pretty. We also got a good look at many of the ski runs that were used in the 1998 Olympics. BUT, Nagano's more than just a former Olympic City and home to entertaining snow monkeys.
It's also home to the Zenkoji temple which was allegedly home to the first Buddhist image to arrive in Japan some 1500 years ago ( in552, from Korea). The temple has since been destroyed 11 times by fires (a theme recurring in Japan's history of temples) and rebuilt. The current temple was built in 1707 and is a National Treasure.
Sometimes, temples make us feel like dancin'.
Buddha and the lost children.

These are the jizo statues that stay behind to guide the lost children to Heaven (says Ali).

Group pic in front of the first gate, Nio-mon. None of the multiple people I asked to take the picture actually got the gate and us in it.Like all good temples, there was a street leading up to it filled with ample supply of free samples and regional goods and products begging to be bought for omiyage (presents, typically for co-workers after you've traveled somewhere.) After tasting all the treats that Nagano's got to offer, I settled on a few boxes full of individually wrapped sesame manju for my teachers.

Mini men!

The following pictures (the really nice ones that are far superior to mine) are all taken by Alex.

It was inside this main hall (Hondou) where the Ikko-Sanzon image is: no pictures allowed. We saw that, then paid $5 to pretty much revisit the haunted house days of our yesteryears and get the crap scared out of us as we wandered around a pitch black tunnel searching for "the key to salvation." Yes - daylight once again!

After checking out the temple grounds and getting kicked out - we headed for a sake brewery. Nobody was actually working there at the time, but we did get to see the equipment, pretend to read the explanatory signs, and sample it for free. Also, there were shiny poles where Alex was creative and took this amazing photo.

This day we took the shinkansen, regular train, buses and a cab. Here's a shot of the city as we're heading back.

Winter Events in Maebashi: Dance, Hot Buns, and Dolls

As I said before, most of my winter was spent curled up under my kotatstu (heated table) or electric blanket in bed. Japanese homes have next to no insulation and no central heating, so it pretty much sucks. BUT, I did manage to get out a few times. Here are some pictures from one weekend I had in Maebashi, Gunma.

My host mom e-mailed me the day before her children's dance performance. Let's understate the situation by saying there was "some confusion" about the location. I got there, eventually, and was overjoyed to see these cute little punims!
I got to see all kinds of hilarious dancing by Japanese kiddos. They all had crazy upbeat music and a light show too!

Check out the video of Haruki's performance.

Then it was off to the "Specialty Products of Gunma" exhibition. Apparently we are famous for yakimanju (grilled bun) and kokeshi (wooden) dolls.

My co-workers kept telling me about the strong Maebashi winds and would show me how when I would ride my bike I would get knocked over by the winds, but I had no idea what they were talking about... I soon found out.

Like any event in Japan, there were heaps of people here. But we managed to wiggle our way in to get these awesome free Gunma mascot hats.

Then there were a bunch of yakimanjyu stands with lines that had to be at least 200 people long. It was soooo cold and windy out, that we opted not to wait at that point. Yakimanjyu by the way is a special type of bun made from high-quality wheat. Then they're skewered with a thin piece of bamboo, coated in a paste of miso and sugar, and grilled until brown.

But again, it's Japan - so they even gotta do up their traditional products big! Here's a giant yakimanju being grilled.

It was hilarious to watch them try to flip it.

They were giving out free samples after it was cooked... so you KNOW I waited out in the bitter windy cold for a taste of that! It wasn't even that good:(

I was never really a doll fan as youngster - Jenny can vouch for the fact that I always chose Ken to play with out of any of the Barbies (there's probably a variety of reasons you can read into for an explanation there), but dolls just aren't my thing. But, I have posted some pics here for you of my favorites. There were over 200 displayed, divided into more traditional (using wood only, fashioned in a way that retains its original grain) to more modern. ENJOY!

Frank Does Japan: Weekend Two, Take 2

Now a week after our first attempt at riding the roller coaster in Tokyo Dome City and it being closed, Frank was basically wetting her pant(ie)s to get on the Big O and ride! Most people were too worried about the combo of the bitter cold + roller coaster high speeds, but Alex and Laurel are bad asses who hacked it out with us.

I can't say I was even a fraction as excited as Frank, but I was pleasantly surprised by all that was "Tokyo Dome City". Apparently these sorts of displays are pretty common in the winter - they're called "Christmas Illuminations" in English.
As we made our way to the Big O, we kept passing one cool thing after another. For example, this here Baseball Cafe, with Ed Debevic's Style dancing on the counters (PS - what ever happened to Ed Debevic's? I loved that place!). The music was playing outside too, so we decided to join on in the dance. I think we were drawing too much attention from the employees though, so we left (eventually).

More pretty illuminations.

Then we saw the Tokyo Dome in all it's illuminated night glory. It's home to the Tokyo Giants baseball team, but is also a venue used for other sports and music shows.

Random New Year's sake drums!

And then, there it was... The Big O! and Thunder Dolphin. The Big O was the world's first centerless Ferris wheel. Thunder Dolphin is the roller coaster on the left which goes through the center of the Ferris wheel and a hole in a building.

We had to wait awhile to get on the ride, but I'm sure Katie would say it was worth it. I felt like I was in Gotham City or something with all the illuminated objects. It was kinda creepy, but more so it was cool looking.

Pretty sure it was our lucky day too, because we were like the 2nd last people in line before they cut it off. It was weird, because they put life sized/weighted dummies into the chairs that weren't occupied when we rode. We attributed it to the Japanese being overly safe about weight recommendations, but I wondered how 2 seats could really make a difference and throw off the entirety of the ride. The ride was probably less than a minute long and thus not worth the $10 it cost to ride in my book, but it was awesome dropping from 80m up, and going through a hole in a building and a Ferris wheel. It was pretty intense.

Annnnd more cool things post roller coaster; like illuminated water shows and neon tunnels!

Since we couldn't ever make it to the Tsukuji Fish Market (closed on Sundays/any day we wanted to go), I couldn't get Frank the freshest sushi in the world. But, I was adamant about making her eat some - namely because she was so adamant about her distaste for it and I could quite possibly be the world's biggest sushi affectionado. Man, I can remember the first time I tried sushi with my sister in Milwaukee Public Market... it was the weirdest texture and not the most pleasant taste at the time either. She said I'd hate the first time, I wouldn't mind the second, and I'd never love the third. How right she was...

Thus was not the case for Ms. Frank. We got her to try quite a bit, but the only one she actually enjoyed was this cooked eel. Since she doesn't like wasabi or soy sauce, the eel sushi's sauce was probably the only one with any flavor. Great effort though, Frank! Thanks for trying;)

I enjoyed the meal thoroughly, and even had a go at something new: I think it was mini squid tentacles. It wasn't that great: just like normal squid sushi it was tough to chew, but it did have a really good thick sauce on top that made it aight.

The next day was Frank's last so we had a pretty intense "To Do" List. The first stop was the busiest intersection in the world! I failed to realize that at 7am on a Sunday, it's not gonna be so busy. So, we were off to Senso-ji temple in Asakusa. Katie got one last look at a temple and shrine in Japan. I've also been here before (possibly my favorite location in Tokyo), so if you're interested in more DT's, check out my last blog on it: http://sarahmoersfelder.blogspot.com/2007/12/3-day-weekend-means-i-gotsta-go.html .

This time around, we spotted this sweet contraption making warm little azuki (red bean paste) filled fish shaped waffles. Hit the sweet and warm spots!

Nakamise looked a little different with the New Years decorations up.

The main reason we went here was so that Frank could try my favorite Japanese food: okonomiyaki. We couldn't find it anywhere, so we settled on some takoyaki (fried octopus balls)and yakisoba (fried noodles).

Frank intensely watches Takoyaki man mix up her balls while pondering, "Am I really gonna eat those?"

She did! And she liked it! And despite my tainted festival takoyaki experiences, I liked 'em too!

Cute old couple took a picture of us with our food (minus the food), then complimented us on our chopstick skills and the fact that we brought our own and asked us where we're from. Things said after that point I didn't understand.

We never actually made it in the shrine, but there were more drums of sake to see!

And sugar coated pineapples to eat.

And of course, a stop at my favorite ice cream stand! I stand being indecisive about which flavor to get for an average of 10 minutes each time, but this time we were on a schedule... so I got two: sweet potato (DELICIOUS!) and tofu (despite loving all other types of tofu, it is NOT good in ice cream form). Frank made a great choice with the black sesame which apparently tastes like peanut butter.

Running for transportation for the last time, we made it through the subway systems just in time for Frank to catch her bus to the airport. I'll miss you, buddy!

After shedding a tear for Frank's departure and waving about 387 times at her on the bus, I was on my way. I wanted to check out the infamous Akihabara area of Tokyo. It's also known as "Electric Town" as it's the most well known place to go for all your electronic, computer, and anime needs. This is a pic of the main street, Chuodori, where the road is actually closed off on the weekends due to all the business.

Electronics everywhere! Me, taking a picture of the TV hooked up to the video cameras, pointed at me.

I did manage to drop some cash on a new jump drive (which doesn't actually store the capacity it claims to) and blank CDs. But, my favorite part of being there was getting to play on the original NES system! Austin, you'd better be taking care of that priceless unit at home - I expect to play immediately upon arrival!

It was pretty overwhelming for me, but I think Austin and my Dad will love it. So save all your electronic shopping needs for June, boys.