GIANT SNOWMAN

What is this giant snowman doing in Ginza near the Yurakucho train station in the middle of the summer? Why is his nose shaped liked Hokaido, the most Northern of the big Japanese islands? I don't know.

Today I decided I had eaten enough eel and whale and decided to just eat plain old Japanese working man's food - ramen, gyoza, and a beer. You can find Ramen Shops all over the city. Of course, like a lot of things Japanese, it isn't really Japanese at all.

Ramen came from China, and gyoza are chinese fried dumplings. Beer was introduced by a German who came by way of the United States. But they have been completely adopted and are now part of the culture.

It is interesting here in that way. Originally a lot of the culture came from Korea and China. Then eventually from the west. In between the country was shut off and isolated during the Edo period. The theory of some is that Japanese ways were institutionalized during that period, and even now are the foundation of what it is to be Japanese. But things are changing rapidly here like everywhere.

I'm trying to keep up...

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せみ (Cicadas)

静けさや
岩にしみ入る
せみの声

shizuke sa ya
iwa ni shimi iru
semi no koe

How quiet
rock absorbs
Cicada’s voice

Basho

I have written a little about Basho and Haiku before, and also the cicadas. There are so many they can be deafening at times, even in central Tokyo. Before coming here, I don't remember hearing them like that since I was a child.

I think it is because we treat our lawns with fertilizers and cinch bug killer and stuff. Not good for a bug that lives underground for years before it comes out to do it's thing (and probably not us either). Except for eating whale, maybe I am starting to turn a little green myself.

But let's concentrate on the poem. The translation is mine (kind of). It is not far off of a word for word translation, with some small changes to accomodate English structure. I've seen others that attempt to give a better sense of the feeling or cadence of the original. I like mine but clearly it is best in Japanese.

The seasonality comes from the cicada (semi). They come in August at the hottest time of the year. The noise, or voice (koe) as Basho more elegantly calls it, is deafening just like the season. But if you sit still like the rock (iwa) and clear your mind it soaks into you and disappears. All is quiet (shizuke).

This is my interpretation based on what Ikeda-san tried to teach me. But that is enough about poetry and the arts for a while. I think I need to eat some eel and drink a beer or something. The heat is getting to me.

The Eel Cafe

The best thing to eat in the summer heat to maintain your strength is freshwater eel - unagi. You see, eel has proteins and a fat content that is just right for offsetting the heat according to my Japanese friends. Last week my friend Hatta-san, who was visiting from Paris, and I went to eat eel in Shinbashi. I have eaten eel plenty of times, but Hatta-san promised we'd have something different.

The menu was all eel. We started with cold eel that tasted kind of like kippered eel to me. Then there was eel gizzards of some kind on a little skewer cooked over a grill. I have had these before and while edible, are not not my favorite. Next we had something new - eel spines deep fried.

I read a Japanese ghost story of sorts one time about the spines. Eels can live a long time out of water and are sometimes still alive when cleaned. The story is that the spines still wiggle when they are thrown into a bucket after the eel is filleted. For some reason this story popped in my head while eating. Anyway, the spines taste like crunchy somethings and compliment beer well. I think they would be good with tobasco sauce.

This brings to mind the duck hunting grounds that the shogun used to have at Hamarikyu Garden which isn't too far from me. There is a memorial to soothe the souls of the wild ducks that were caught there. You can see the garden in the panaramic view of Tokyo Bay behind Yebisu. Interesting, ne? Back to eels.

After that there was boiled eel grilled with brown sauce and regular old grilled eel. This is pretty standard fare but I thought it was particularly good at this shop. The lady who owns the shop also owns a sushi shop next door where they serve fugu in the winter. I will probably go back on my own which could be a little dicey considering the menu and that she doesn't speak any English.

The other food item I learned about this week was shiroitama with zenzai - a desert. The interesting thing about this for me was that I figured out what it was from the Japanese description. A white ball made from pounded rice (mochi) with soy bean paste. Delicious. And I knew what I was getting without a word of English. My Japanese is getting better but it is still bad.

Reading my blog is probably enough to turn you into a vegetarian. But not me - it's going to stay hot a few more weeks - I'd better try and find a good supply of eel till things cool down...

I must be living right

Tokyo Bay

This is the view of the Sumida River at Hamamatsucho where it enters Tokyo Bay from the East side of La Tour Shiodome. The fireworks will start in about 45 minutes and we will have one of the best views in the city. You can see the boats gathering in the harbor - maybe that is a better spot and I should be out there. Please read on...

Fireworks over Tokyo

はなび

I think maybe I am starting to repeat myself. Didn't I write about the fireworks last year? Anyway, this is the 2005 summer edition of fireworks over Tokyo. Once again the girls were wearing yukata, the crowds were there, and everyone was having fun. It might have been a bit cooler because there was a light rain and summer lightning just before the fireworks.

I wish I had a piece of watermelon to eat but otherwise it was perfect. By the way, watermelon and picnics are very much a part of hanabi (flower fire) watching. Hope you got to get out and enjoy the weekend also.

Who is that Masked Man?

Oh! Its ひょとこ (Hyotoko)

Here is an update on the “one eyed dude who looks like he just ate a pickle” in the mask display that I posted earlier. After Stuart asked about him, I found this mask of the same fellow in Asakusa and purchased it for him.

I’ll let you guess the story of the guy who is behind the mask. But what is the story of the mask itself? Japanese traditional theater is famous for the masks and costumes that are worn. This mask is from Kyogen theater, a comic theater form. The fellow’s name is Hyotoko, athough he also goes by "The Whistler".

Only a few of the Japanese people I spoke to really know anything about him, but they all knew his name. My secretary described him as a guy seen at old time festivals in a Hapi coat and doing a funny dance like a clown to make people laugh. Another said that it was worn by drunk people at the office party.

Note the red cheeks – he does look like he has been having fun. And he always has his lips pursed like he is whistling or putting out a lot of effort.

Actually, he is from a famous story which of course is a love story. He is paired with Okame, who was originally portrayed as idealized feminine beauty. Anyway, I won’t ruin the ending by giving anymore away. Just do a web search and you will probably find more.

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