Winter Hibernation

Hello loyal blog readers! I completely disappeared for the last two months, didn't I? I apologize, I'm back, and I've got some good adventures to catch up on.

To begin with, a big snowstorm swept through Tokyo (and the surrounding Kanto area) yesterday. It was beautiful to watch from inside my cozy apartment, but I was glad not to be out in it or needing to take public transportation. I'm sure the trains were snarled up terribly.

The snow is already quickly melting off, but I got a few good photos before it totally disappears. This year is a La Nina year, so it's likely to be snowier than usual. I was becoming skeptical but then yesterday proved me wrong. I'm curious what the rest of winter will be like. The last time we had snow like this was four or five years ago. (And I'll just add that the iPhone 7 camera is much better than the iPhone 5)

For now here are the snow pictures, but more to come soon: travel, afternoon tea, novelty food reviews and more!

It's snowing!!!

Already melting off the next morning

Possibly the cutest snowman ever?

Cooling Down

It's amazing how much the weather can impact my attitude. It's finally been cooling down, and the skies are bright and clear after what felt like a summer full of rain. As the weather has improved I've found myself feeling so much more cheerful, and positive about Tokyo. When it's miserable outside and everywhere inside is crowded I can get quite down about living here. But then thankfully the weather changes, and my outlook with it.

I've been going on walks lately, and enjoying being outside again. Not much else is new, but here's a quick glimpse of some day to day highlights. 

Lunch with little friends

And dessert with bigger friends

Watermelon softserve and frozen s'mores at Dominique Ansel - beautiful and legitimately yummy!

A recent protest against the TV station in my neighborhood

My kind of bicycle

Akasaka Palace

Last weekend John and I went for a walk and happened to wander by Akasaka Palace. From a distance we noticed that the gates were open, so we went closer to investigate. It turned out that they were open for tours, so we jumped at the chance. Through 2015 Akasaka Palace was open to visitors for only a few days each year, but starting last year they have increased the number of days they're open to the public.

Akasaka Palace was built in 1909 in neo-Baroque style. It was quite surreal to walk through the building as it felt so thoroughly European. Sadly, no pictures are allowed inside, but it's stunningly beautiful. Today the palace is used as a guest house for visitors of state.

If you're on vacation this is definitely not a must-see. But if you're in Tokyo for a while it's a really interesting departure from other sites. We probably wouldn't have made plans to tour the palace, but really enjoyed the opportunity when it fell into our lap. I'd definitely recommend it. Their fall schedule is available here.

Akasaka Palace
Hours: See Schedule
Admission: Gardens - free, Main Building - 1000 yen
Map

Lawson Lucky Bags

Fukubukuro, bags filled with mystery objects, are usually sold around New Year's, and I always think the surprise is so fun. It's not common, but every once in a while you'll find them at another time of year.

Just last week a new convenience store opened in our neighborhood and to celebrate they were selling lucky bags. I knew they would only be convenience store snacks, but Raku and I still got them just for fun. As suspected, they were just typical conbini junk food but we enjoyed opening them. The green tea was the most practical. The weirdest? Tuna crackers. The best - cinnamon almonds, I would definitely buy those again!

Lucky Bags

The goods

Tokyo Autumn

I love fall in Tokyo. As the weather cools down and the air starts to feel clean again I find myself making a point of spending more time outdoors and it puts me in such a good mood! The leaves haven't really started changing yet, but they will soon. The nights are coming early, and I know it will start to feel gloomy eventually, but for now I'm enjoying it as the evenings are now filled with bustling sidewalks lit by glowing streetlights.

Our neighborhood bar

Overgrown Walkway

Ichigo Daifuku - I've been all about anko (sweetened red bean paste) lately.

Pretty mural in Shimokitazawa

Strawberries are a winter fruit in Japan (thanks to greenhouses.) These are the first I've seen this season.

Autumn in Tokyo

I can't believe how quickly November is flying by! The leaves are all turning and I've even worn my puffy coat a few times. One of my favorite parts of fall here is the beautiful shade of yellow that all the gingko leaves turn. I love the way they make the trees look like pillars of light, and then the bright yellow blanket they make when they fall to the ground.

Fall Leaves at Hikawa Jinja

Last week I volunteered at an auction to raise money for TELL, a non profit organization that offers mental health services in English here in Tokyo. The event was at the French Embassy, and it was absolutely beautiful. I had a lot of fun meeting other people, and they raised a lot of money!

The ikebana (flower arrangements) were gorgeous

Hallway Selfie Before the Event

This past weekend we went to the Tokyo Whisky Festival which was basically a trade show of different distilleries and bars. We got to sample lots of different bourbons, scotches, and whiskys, and John even got interviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

Doesn't he look knowledgable?

And best of all, Raku is back from her long vacation! I'm so glad she was able to have a wonderful relaxing trip, but it's great to have her back.

Yay! (Notice the guy in the background that sampled too much whisky)

Godzilla at Tokyo Midtown

Every summer Tokyo Midotwn has a mojito garden on the lawn out back, but this summer it's gotten way more interesting. They've set up an enormous Godzilla bursting out of the earth to celebrate the new Godzilla movie.

Of course, Raku and I saw this as a perfect opportunity to have another goofy photo shoot. Godzilla will be up until the end of August, but be warned, it gets really crowded on the weekends. If you want to get better pictures come on a weekday or come early.  Apparently they have a smoke and lights show every half hour from 7:00 to 9:00 at night, but I haven't seen it yet. Surely John will be willing to check it out though, maybe from the mojito garden?

ゴジラ!!

New in Akasaka: Aoyama Flower Market Tea House

Last week Aoyama Flower Market opened a tea house in Akasaka. The flower shop has been here at the Biz Tower as long as I've lived in Akasaka, and I always find their fresh bouquets so tempting when I pass by. When I saw that they were adding a tea house I couldn't wait for it to open. I was worried there would be a long line and we'd have trouble getting in, but either the secret isn't out yet or no one is as excited as me because we were able to walk right in on their opening day, and it's never looked unpleasantly crowded.

The decor is wonderful, even better than Nicolai Bergmann. There are green plants growing along the walls and little trellises near the ceiling and each table has plants below the glass with little vases built right in. They seem to have new fresh flowers each week (last week's were sunflowers, this week's are orchids) . It felt so fresh and airy, almost like a cafe built for woodland fairies. The only bad thing I will say is that I could smell someone smoking a cigar at the bar next door and it really bothered me. To be fair, Raku said she couldn't smell a thing and I am far more sensitive to smoke than the normal human being.

They serve lunch and dinner as well as snacks, tea, and wine. We went later in the day after writing, so we both ordered herbals teas. They came out in glass teapots with generous bunches of herbs steeping in the hot water. We ordered a pot each of Relax and Refresh, but couldn't tell much difference in the flavor. At 800 yen the pots of tea are a little pricey, but I suppose you're paying to enjoy all the fresh flowers too. We'd read a review of their Omotesando location that recommended the french toast, so we ordered that as well. It came out crisp on the outside and custardy in the middle with a little pot of honey, a small bowl of cream, and a shaker of cinnamon. I'm not a fan of honey, but the cinnamon and cream were divine on the french toast. Subtly sweet and so satisfying.

It's not the cheapest place to get a cup of tea and a snack, but it's far less than doing a full afternoon tea, and the atmosphere is certainly relaxing and refreshing. I'd definitely recommend it as a way to recharge when the stress of crowded sidewalks, stuffy trains, and towering building is getting to you.

Aoyama Flower Market Tea House - Akasaka Location
Hours: 11:00-11:00
Phone: 03-3586-0687
Address: 5-3-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Map

Happy Golden Week!

This morning John and I woke up early and decided to go to Mercer Brunch, a really cute little restaurant that we've been eying for over a year but have never gotten around to trying. When the weather is good there's lots of open air seating, with interesting tables and couches and a lovely fire pit. French toast is what they're known for, and it comes with most of the different meal sets you can order. I am not even a french toast fan and the stuff was amazing! It is so tender and custardy but crisp and butter all at once. It's lightly sweetened and doesn't come with any additional syrup (much to John's dismay) but I thought it was perfect. There's normally a line for the place, but we were lucky and arriving just before 11:00 only had to wait about ten minutes. By the time we left a line was stretching down the block.

This evening we're going to a Yakult Swallows baseball game to celebrate Raku's birthday (Happy Birthday Raku!) and then we have three more glorious days to relax. I'm sure that I'll be complaining about the weather soon, but lately it's been so wonderful and balmy. We've had the windows open with the curtains flapping in the breeze nearly every day.

Oh, and it's been a whole week that I've forgotten to say anything, but I cut my hair last Friday! More than twenty centimeters off - probably nine or ten inches by the time it was done. I'm still going to Shinka in Roppongi and very satisfied with the place. I've gotten haircuts there before, but never anything this major so I was nervous how it would turn out. Miyuki did a great job after looking at the photographs and talking with me about what I wanted. I had to coax her a little to get it this short, and honestly I would have liked it to be a little shorter, but I'm sure in her profession it makes sense to be cautious. On days when they aren't busy Sachi helps her with my highlights and they both do a great job. If you're looking for an English speaking place to get your hair done in Tokyo I would definitely recommend either of them.

Mercer Brunch
Hours: M-F 10:00-3:30, 6:00-midnight, S-S 9:00-midnight
Phone: 03- 3470-6551
Address: 4-2-35 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Map

Steak and Eggs at Mercer Brunch

Spicy Chicken Salad at Mercer Brunch (delicious, though not spicy)

New Short Hair!

A Presidential Visit

President Obama is here in Tokyo right now!  Raku and I are working in a Starbucks where we saw VP Biden's entourage a few months ago, hoping we get lucky again, but so far nothing.  We're pretty close to the action and it's been interesting to see how Tokyo prepared for the visit.  Last week major train stations stopped letting people use the coin lockers, and I've heard the trashcans are closed down too, not that they're easy to find on a good day.

We live in Akasaka, the same neighborhood as the Prime Minister's residence, and there has been a huge police presence since the beginning of April.  Seriously, at least one officer on every corner plus others on patrol.  John's office is just around the corner from the hotel the president is staying in, and he said security is crazy.  When he left work yesterday, right around the time that Obama arrived, the streets were closed down and police were requiring ID of anyone trying to walk into the area.

Last night we went to the Mori Art Museum, which has a really great Andy Warhol exhibit right now, and I noticed that the colored lights around the top of Mori Tower had been changed to red, white, and blue.  Mori Art Museum is really a fantastic place in Tokyo.  They don't have a permanent collection, but they always have great shows (I've been to the last four).  The best part is that it's on the 52nd floor, and included in the ticket price is admission onto their observation deck - one of the best views of Tokyo, in my opinion.  There are several bar/cafe places up there too, and they're almost never crowded.  From the view last night we noticed that Tokyo Tower has gotten in on the fun, changing it's lights to red and white stripes with a block of blue at the top.  My picture is pretty terrible, but lets blame John for that, I'll try to get a better one tomorrow night.

Tokyo View with Warhol Exhibit Reflected in Background

Tokyo Tower Dressed Up Like the American Flag

Cherry Blossoms and A Book Update

I looked outside this morning and discovered the cherry blossoms have burst into life. John says it happened yesterday and he didn't even think to tell me! You might be wondering why I wouldn't also be aware of the sakura, well that cold I mentioned I was fighting in my last post, let's just say it won.

Despite how bad I've felt the whole time, it's actually been a really great week. It started off with my mom buying her plane ticket out here, and now I'm already trying to plan out the perfect itinerary for each day she's here. And then, somehow despite all of the naps I've been taking, TV I've been watching, and cold medicine I've been guzzling I finished the first draft of my book! It doesn't mean I'm finished, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done before anyone gets to see it (and I start looking for an agent) but wow. I wrote a book! It's not a good book yet, but I think by the time I'm done it might be.

And it's finally spring! The weather is warm and flowers are everywhere. I celebrated by making raspberry swirl chocolate chip pancakes this morning - that's right, I'm a pretty awesome cook even when I'm sick. (Ok, I took an hour and a half nap afterwards) And then I convinced John to go on a walk with me to see some of the sakura. I love all the different varieties that there are. Some are dark pink with fluttery petals, and some are almost white with just the faintest blush of pink. Some bloom in clumps on the branches that look like snowballs,  other are spread out all over, and then there are the weeping cherry trees drifting in the breeze. It's absolutely heaven.

Around Akasaka

It's warmed up just the tiniest bit, and most of the snow has melted off, but there are still some cute snowmen hanging around.  I ran across this cute little guy wearing an instant ramen bowl as a hat. They're predicting more snow this weekend, so maybe there will be even more snowmen next week. I'm so excited to be on the beach in just a couple weeks!

Life is good in spite of the cold.  Today I saw a couple walking a ton of poodles, and one was being carried in a bag. Maybe he's got a hurt paw?  It's impossible not to smile though when a horde of little dogs goes running past you. Raku and I also got samples of the newest drink that Starbucks will be rolling out on February 15 - the Sakura Latte.  Sakura season is always big at Starbucks, they have limited edition tumblers and drinks that sell out quickly each year.  Last year I tried the sakura white hot chocolate and my eyes almost popped out from a sugar overdose. The sakura latte is a lot more enjoyable, but I suspect a full cup might still be too sweet.  It has the same sakura sprinkles/flakes on top that are really pretty, but they're where a lot of the super sweet flavor comes from.

In other news I made ribs in my slow cooker over the weekend and they were delicious!  It's not easy to find that cut of meat here, but Costco came to the rescue - a whole rack for only 1200 yen!  It easily fed 4 people! I also got some really great chipotle bbq sauce there too.  Honestly, it can be a pain to get there, but having a membership is soooo worth it!  Especially now that I know you can takkyubin (mail) the stuff home.  They'll ship anything that isn't perishable.  Raku and I normally split a huge box, and it only costs about 1000 yen.  Then we can haul more fresh fruit and cheese home with us on the train.

The dog on the right is wearing a sweater with floppy bunny ears on it. 

So pretty, but soooo sweet.

Good News!

Guess what?  John and I are taking a vacation!  We've had two other attempted trips that have failed (typhoons in Okinawa and a friend's wedding in Thailand that we weren't able to attend) but we're finally going away.  We had some airline miles that were close to expiring, so we picked our destination based on where we had enough to get to and the winner is Guam!   We've even managed to schedule it so that we'll be there for our anniversary! (3 years, can you believe it?)  I don't know very much about what there is to do, but we've book a hotel right on the beach, so that's probably all that matters.   I can't wait to post pictures and tell you all about it in just a month!  It will be strange to be in the U.S. but not really in the U.S.  I hear they have a Kmart, maybe we can pick up a few things we've been missing.

Other than the vacation excitement, things have been going well.  As it always does when I let my guard down, Tokyo has whipped out a few funny surprises for me.  Several nights ago I was walking home and saw a guy that looked like he was walking a tiny dog, but really was pulling along a scrub brush attached to a leash.  I probably made an even bigger spectacle of myself chasing him down to get a good picture, though Raku swears I was discreet.

I also got a snack last week that I thought was just a bread stick. Three bites in, I discovered it was corn bread.  In the most literal sense.  It really wasn't bad though.

Just taking the scrub brush out for it's nightly walk

"Corn Bread"

Kobe Beef at Kaiseki 511

Back in December, before one of my friends moved back to the US, Raku and I went out with her for a lunch of Kobe beef at Kaiseki 511.  Kristen chose the place, but it was super convenient right in our backyard of Akasaka.  The number 511 in the name supposedly comes from the grain of fat in the meat, sort of like thread count in sheets perhaps?

We were lured in by their reasonably priced lunch sets, which start as low as 1500 yen, but even a pretty fancy lunch was only priced at 3800 yen.  We had a reservation for 12:30 but by the time we arrived they had sold out of all the sets we had planned on ordering!  We were pretty disappointed and spent a while deciding what to do.  We were offered another set which wasn't on the menu that cost 4700 yen.  Ultimately Kristen chose that set since it was her last chance to try Kobe beef, while Raku and I opted for less pricy Japanese beef sets.  I was a little skeptical of the upsell, but after some discussion we decided that they probably have a limited amount of Kobe beef that they're willing to sell at such a great price per day and they were probably actually measuring and calculating what they had left in the kitchen when they offered the off-menu option.  If you're going here make sure your reservation is for early or plan on spending more.

When our food came out we were all delighted.  Kristen had an enormous grin on her face all through lunch and seemed to think the meal was well worth the money.  Raku and I spent far less, but were equally pleased with our food.  Raku ordered the tenderloin and I ordered the sirloin, but we split them both so we could compare.  True to its name, the tenderloin was incredibly tender and less fatty than the sirloin.  I usually prefer a less fatty meat, but in this case I really enjoyed the "chew" of the sirloin, the tenderloin was almost too tender.  Raku also preferred the sirloin, and says that she normally does.

Besides the actual meat, our meals were identical.  They came out on lovely trays with miso soup, salad, rice, pickles, a soy sauce foam to put on the steak and a pineapple jelly for dessert.  The meat itself came with a small piece of cheesy potato gratin and vegetables that were buttery and delicious from sitting under the meat.  The meal was extremely satisfying without leaving us feeling unpleasantly full. Despite the rough start to the meal we were all very pleased with the place and I would wholeheartedly recommend it anyone wanting to try Kobe beef, or just looking for a delicious and reasonably priced steak at lunchtime, as long as you know you need arrive early.  There's even a handy link on their website to make reservations online so you don't have to worry about making a call in Japanese.

Fun note, I used this lunch as "research" and based a scene in my book on it.  My life is pretty great, isn't it?

Kaiseki 511

Hours:11:30-2:00, last order 2:00, 6:00-11:00, last order 10:00, closed Sundays and holidays

Phone: 03-6685-0511

Address:4-3-28 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Map

The Christmas Spirit

Can you believe how soon Christmas is? The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of Christmas shopping and mailing heaps of packages (receiving them too!) We have our Christmas tree up and our building has some cheery lights up, which is fun. It's strange to think that this is already our second Christmas here. I've been trying really hard to get into the Christmas spirit, but it's been a pretty up and down sort of week. I'm so lucky to have the friends and support here that I do, but a friend moved back to the US today. Raku, of course, has been wonderful putting up with all my moods and cheering me up with her kindness, shopping adventures, and when all else fails with chu-hais in conbinis. Part of me is glad to be settled and really appreciative of the life I have here, but part of me is so sad to not being going back for Christmas.

I've done a lot of really great shopping lately, and have several fun posts coming soon about it all, but for now here are some Christmas-y photos.

Home Sweet Home

Our Christmas Tree!  (The same one I've had since I was 22) 

S'mores - One of the only things worth making in a fish oven

Getting all our packages ready to ship

Some days you just need to drink a Sparkling Rose or a Sparkling Nouveau in the Family Mart