Shinkansen

The Japanese name for the bullet train is shinkansen which means literally "new main rail line" but you may see it translated as super express or more popularly as bullet train. The shinkansen system has been in place now for a number of years and there is an extensive network throughout Japan. In the picture you can see a number of different models that have come out over the years.

The largest is the "Max" which is the extra wide double decker in the upper left. The oldest model is the bullet shaped one on the far lower left.

The rail infrastructure here is amazing. The local train and underground in the Tokyo area is clean, safe, very much on time, and at rush hour very crowded. The shinkansen is convenient, comfortable, and fast.

In Japan, there are a lot of train nuts. They want to see, ride, model, photograph, etc. It is the usual bunch of fanatics - young boys and middle aged men. You can buy a special low cost ticket that lets you stand on the platform like I did here and take pictures. Neat...

Haiku for Early Spring

梅一輪
一輪ほどの
あたたかさ

うめいちりん
いちりんほどの
あたたかち

ume ichi rin
ichi rin hodono
atatakachi

A singe plum blossom
I feel the warmth
About the amount of a blossom

I will quote Naoko-san who explains this poem in a way that is as nice as the poem itself:

Plum flowers blossom earlier than Cherry. Some people like plum flowers better than cherry because of the scent.

When I was a student, we could not wait for cherry blossoms and had a party under plum trees. It was too cold of course, and we had to move to an izakaya shortly.

The plums are not blooming yet but we are starting to get some warm days. You can see the buds swelling. Soon...

About Japanese Green Tea

Here is my tea pot and cups. I got it on sale just like the sake set and at the same place. The pot is hand made and was pretty expensive. The cups are everyday ware but match it well and are pretty I think. Anyway, I like it. Simple and contemporary but definitely Japanese.

So how do you make Japanese tea anyway? And what about the tea ceremony? Forget the tea ceremony. I only know one person my age or younger that knows anything about it. It is esoteric, it is impossible for you and me to sit the proper way that long, and it takes years to learn. If you want to know about it, there are places that do it for tourists (mostly Westerners) .

The word for tea is "cha" which is of Chinese origin. Black Chinese tea is called "kocha" and Japanese green tea is called "ocha". The Japanese like all kinds of tea, including iced tea, lemon tea, jasmine tea, herbal tea, any kind of tea. But the favorite is probably ocha.

Like sake, there are lots of kinds of ocha. I suggest you ask for "sencha" which is the most common type. Sencha can vary widely in quality and cost. Since I don't drink that much, I tend to get the better ones. For me, green tea was something of an acquired taste but I enjoy it now. And of course it has cancer fighting anti-oxidants and is supposed to be good for you. Here is how to make the tea:

Recipe
Bring water to a boil in a special iron kettle over a charcoal fire and cool it to 70 degrees C. by mixing it with an already cooled bowl of water in a special pouring bowl, and using years of experience and the hands to feel, assure the proper temperature. The bowls and cups not being used should be kept on a special lacquered tray, preferably passed down from your ancestors. Or use a computer controlled electric kettle set at the desired temperature like I do and put the pot and cups on the counter.

Pour some water into the tea pot to warm it. Pour that water into the cups to warm them. Now, put the loose tea into the pot. Use about 3 gms of tea per cup. This is more than a teaspoon but less than a tablespoon I think. I use my tea cup to measure the hot water into the pot but the directions the store lady gave me was 60 ml per cup. Steep the tea for 2 minutes.

Notes: A traditional Japanese tea pot has holes or striations in the pot to form a strainer. Some of the newer ones use a stainless steel or fabric screen that fits into the pot. Anyway, you need something to strain it. You can also buy a special container to keep the unused tea in but I haven't done that.

Serving
If you are a good host, you will make each cup the same strength. Pour a little into the first cup, and then quickly move to the next cup, and so on for each cup. Then go back to the first cup and do it again, making several round until you finish with each cup having the same level. You must pour the final drop from the pot! Shake a few drops into each cup, moving from cup to cup, just like you poured it.

The tea will be warm, rather than real hot, and a very light green. For the very best tea, you should actually brew it a little cooler and longer. This reduces the bitterness and astringency. I hope I don't need to tell you not to put sugar in it.

Enjoy...

V=6600

How to drink Sake

Sake is really a word for alcoholic drinks. If you want to be polite, say osake. The Japanese word for the drink made out of rice is nihonshu. If you are good at holding your drink you are "sake ga tsuyoi" - strong at sake. If you are an easy drunk it is "sake ga yowai" - weak drinker. If you are drunk it is "sake no ue de" - sake is on top of.

There are all kinds of nihonshu (Japanese word for sake, remember?). Pay attention now :-). First, nihonshu must be high quality and it needs to be dry. Don't drink from those big plastic bottles they sell for 1,200 yen. Ask for "ginjyo". For dry, ask for "karakuchi no" but this isn't really necessary because ginjyo is aways dry. Now this is important - don't drink good nihonshu hot. Ask for "reishu" which means chilled. If you are a new comer to sake, drink some beer first to condition your palate. The sake won't seem strange after some beer. I skip this step.

To my children: Do not drink and drive. Do not drink too much. You don't see your father doing that do you?

Stuff

Stuff: I really don't have much stuff here but I bought some more today. I have been looking around for a sake serving set and finally bought this one. I have been looking for a tea set for two years and still haven't bought that but I think I'm getting close now. I like this sake set. It is kind of monchromatic and has nasu (eggplant) on it. A very modern design. It is sitting on my empty kitchen counter.

Anyway, like I said, I don't have that much stuff. You really don't need it do you? I haven't lived with this little stuff since college.

My apartment is furnished so I don't really need a lot. Kathye said it looked like I was "camping out" but I'm camping out in pretty good luxury. Here is a list of what I actually own by room. I am excluding consumable stuff like food and things that aren't meant to last like toothbrushes as well as the furniture and appliances that were provided.

The entry way has 2 pairs of running shoes, 2 pairs of dress shoes, my backpack with camera and electronic dictionary, my coats and umbrella. I also have my lucky maneki neko temple cat there. In the bathroom there is an electric shaver and a little clock.

In the bedroom I have some pictures. In the closet are my clothes hanging on about 5' of hanger space and 6 drawers with all my clothes. I have 2 suitcases.

In the hall is my incense burner that I never use on a tiny little table. In the spare bedroom I have a computer and printer. In the living room I have a TV, stereo, MASSAGE CHAIR, my books on Japan, a few pictures, a nice Chinese tea pot I bought in Kuala Lumpur years ago, and a vase made by my Grandmother.

In the kitchen I have a coffee grinder, expresso machine, some coffee cups, and my new sake set. Oh yeah, almost forgot, some Yebisu beer glasses and two bowls from the Sumo match.

Come to think of it, that is a lot of stuff. Maybe I should get rid of some of it.
V = 6537