Costco

Once a month or so, a friend who has a car generously invites me along to Costco, where we stock up on  basics like rice, meat, cheese, paper towels, etc.  Here are a few items I don't buy:

Sushi, of course! We (especially Kaela) like sushi, but not in such large quantities! 

How about some boiled luminescent squid?

Or boiled octopus? 

Countless varieties of rice crackers: 

Mmmm.... Steak flavored Doritos?

Tai Yaki.... and Dosojin

Today Aunt Masako left to go back home.  It will be a 14 hour flight to Washington, D.C.!

We spent the morning running some last minute errands in our neighborhood, Azabu Juban.  Masako loved this place that is famous for a type of Japanese treat... maybe the same way that Kimball's is well known for icecream:).  They make "Tai Yaki".  Yaki means grilled, and Tai is a sort of sea bream that's red (lucky).  So the name refers to the shape of the sweet (a fish), and the color red refers not to seafood but to the beans that fill the sweets.  (Most Japanese sweet are based on...  beans!).

It was hard to say goodbye to Masako.  I am reminded of the "Dosojin" figures so common around her hometown of Matsumoto.  The stones are always rounded, and depict a man and a woman, sometimes holding hands.  They are the "gods" who protect travelers.

Matsumoto, part two - yaki-imo and art

After seeing Matsumoto castle, we spotted a "Yaki-imo" truck, and got a sweet potato snack:

Masako's sister Akko-san picks out the type of potato we want.

Masako juggles the bag of steaming hot potatoes!

 After enjoying our snack, we walked to an art museum, actually a complex of several small buildings.  I don't have any photos to show you!  Photos were not allowed in the buildings themselves and in the courtyards, we were skypeing and facetiming with Noelle back in the states.  Coincidentally she was in Washington, D.C. visiting with Masako's son and his family for her spring break.   Japan is 14 hours ahead of Boston, and will be 13 hours ahead after you "spring forward" on the 11th (Japan does not observe daylight savings time).

Stay tuned for more about our weekend in Matsumoto!

Matsumoto, part one - the castle

This past week, Mr. Nanto's Aunt Masako was visiting Japan from the states.  Very early Saturday morning we took a train and met Masako and her sisters in Matsumoto, their hometown.

Straight from the train station, we visited the famous castle in Matsumoto.  Many castles were destroyed by bombing during World War II, but this one survived, and it is ancient and very well preserved.  You might call it a "ninja" or "samurai" castle.  It was very dark inside, so I didn't get many pictures.

Approaching Matsumoto castle. 

Those cone-like structures protect the trees from heavy snow.

Once inside the castle, we took off our shoes and put on plastic slippers, and joined the crowds exploring the castle along a pre-determined route.  There were many stairs!

Looking out from the third or fourth floor.

Samurai warrior armor. 

Looking down at the moat.

We climbed up and down very steep stairs throughout the castle.

Ancient coins.  

Stay tuned for more photos from our weekend in Matsumoto!

Bunka

Fourth grade classes at ASIJ are exploring Bunka, or Japanese Culture.  For many students, Japan has been home for years, but for some, Japan is a new and foreign country.

Student examples of calligraphy, or Shodo: 

Snowy school day!

On Wednesday, Tommy, Kaela, and I walked to the bus stop (I substitute taught that day in fourth grade) in the pouring rain.   By the time our bus arrived at school 30 minutes late, the rain had turned to heavy snow.  It snowed all day.

Three of the students in the class I taught had never seen this much snow before!  It hardly ever snows like this in Tokyo! Looking out of the classroom window, I almost felt like I was back home in Littleton - it was awesome!

You will recognize the game that some boys played during afternoon indoor recess (but listen closely to the words!):

It was an exciting day... and it was still snowing at the end of the school day.  It took us nearly two hours to get home!