Nagano Day 1
I got an early start today and took the JR Tokaido line to Tokyo on a very crowded car. From Tokyo, I took the Hakutaka Shinkansen to Nagano. My friend Mariko met me at the station. It was our first time meeting in person though we have been Skyping every work for almost a year now.
Kaiten Sushi
She was very nervous about meeting me and at first it was a little awkward. Once we got to her home and sat on the couch and started talking, things felt a little more comfortable. We picked up her daughter, Mihiro, and went out for Kaiten Sushi (conveyer belt sushi). We were welcomed to the restaurant by a Pepper robot. Our number was called and we found our table. The conveyer belt brings different kinds of sushi. Some is ordered and some is available to take. You can order special kinds on a computer screen at the table.
The first one I tried was salmon with pickled onions and a sauce. Mihiro’s favorite is Ikura (salmon eggs). She ordered one for herself and one for me to try. I tried Natto sushi. It didn’t taste that bad, but the texture was unpleasant to me. I tried raw ebi (shrimp), which is one of Mariko’s favorites. It was so delicate and delicious. After that, Maguro (tuna), Tai (sea bream) – one slightly smoky with Yuzu and salt on top and one raw and more salmon.
Also at the table were cups, matcha powder, and faucet dispensing hot water. 5 different kinds of Shoyu (soy sauce) were available and a giant container of picked ginger. Bowls with wasabi also came around on the conveyer belt. When your order was almost at your table, the computer screen would play a sound and let you know. Vigilance is important because you don’t want to miss your order!
Karaoke
After sushi, grocery shopping and ice cream, we walked to a Karaoke place. It was my first time ever doing karaoke. Mihiro picked a K-pop song that was translated into Japanese. She was fantastic. I sang Class A Team (Ed Sheeran) and I felt pretty good. Mariko did a song called Story (which I was supposed to learn before the trip, but just didn’t have the time). Mihiro did more K-pop, some very fast paced with some English lyrics. I tried Shake it Off and it was terrible. I tried Royals by Lorde and I had to stop because I was so bad. Ended with Bad Blood, but I didn’t know the lyrics well enough. All was well thought because it super fun regardless.
Takoyaki
Mariko and I cooked dinner together. She showed me how to make Takoyaki (octopus balls). We made a batter with flour, egg, Dashi and Nagaimo (very starchy root vegetable). I chopped leeks and the tako. We also used some of the nagaimo to make a salad. Mihiro made miso soup for next morning’s breakfast and also a cucumber salad with sesame dressing. When Mariko’s husband came home, he cooked the takoyaki while I made margaritas for everyone (non alcoholic for Mihiro).
There is a special cooker for takoyaki – it has about 30 little egg shaped cups to put the batter in. Then the batter is topped with a piece of Tako, leeks, picked ginger and Tenkasu (scraps of deep fried batter from tempura). When the bottom is cooked, a long toothpick is used to turn the balls over. They are topped with drizzles of takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, a pinch of bonito flakes, and Aonori (powdered seaweed). Oishikatta!
After we finished our margaritas, Mariko’s husband poured me a glass of sake. I don’t usually care for it when I’ve tried it in the US, but this was delicious. I probably drank a little too much. But… shikatagani (it can’t be helped).
Conversation
I spent most of the day speaking exclusively Japanese. The evening conversation felt very comfortable. Mariko’s husband was sometimes hard to understand, but Mariko translated his Japanese into simpler slower Japanese. We talked about living in Japan – Mariko kept saying she hopes I will marry a Japanese man and move here. We talked about spicy food, sake, politics, driving on the left side of the street (the story is that it came about because samurai on horseback had their katanas on their left side), surfing and family.
There is nothing like pure immersion to learn a language. I will have to make an extra effort to keep practicing when I return to the US so I don’t lose all of my gains.
I was exhausted when I finally went to bed, but my insomnia woke me up as usual a few hours later. I saw a beautiful full moon and a bright mars visible right next to it. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the lunar eclipse but when I woke a few hours after that there was too much cloud cover. Thankful nonetheless.
Visiting Takako
Takako was kind enough to invite me over to her house. She told me she wanted to cook for me. Her daughter, Kanako, who lives in Tokyo and rarely visits, came to meet me at the train station with her boyfriend. We walked together to her parents’ house. We spoke in Japanese the whole walk and had a lovely conversation. It felt almost natural!
I explained to Kanako that my friendship with her mother started as a language exchange over Skype once a week. She was surprised that her mother could speak English. Kanako was also surprised to find out that her mother had met me at the art museum. Her surprised reaction was very sweet and explained a lot about their relationship.
At Takako’s house we sat down at the table to eat and continue the conversation. The first course was “potato gratin” which was like a vegetarian shepherd’s pie topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. I didn’t realize it was just the first course and it was so delicious, I ate a large piece. After the gratin, we had vegetarian sushi rolls with omelet and Inari sushi. Takako complimented me on my use of soy sauce saying that I used just the right amount (thank you Anthony Bourdain!). After that came miso soup, then coffee and fudge brownies with whipped cream. Then a small cup of matcha tea.
We talked about martial arts, places we’ve visited, places we’d like to visit, pets, food, drinking stories, tattoos, sports, surfing, family and work. Most of the conversation was in Japanese but Takako or Kanako helped me with some translations when things went too fast for me to follow. Kanako’s boyfriend practiced some English with me. Takako’s husband, who I gather is usually very quiet and withdrawn, joined the conversation at times, smiling and joking. The afternoon flew by. Kanako and her boyfriend left with Tupperware full of leftovers and shortly after Takako walked me to the train station.
I paid more attention to the neighborhood on the walk back. Lots of hilly winding narrow streets, small houses and apartments, and tiny gardens. Very few people were out walking and I saw only a handful of cars. The sound of cicadas was the only real noise until we go to the small town area and the train station. Saying goodbye felt sad after such a delightful afternoon. I’m so thankful for Takako’s friendship and invitation. It was a great way to end the Yokohama part of my trip.
Takako
Near Kikuna Station
Eating alone in Japan, Part 1
I set some goals for myself this trip. Trying to address a lot of fears, I set a goal to go out to a bar and a get a drink and food and start a conversation with someone. Tonight I tried and failed twice, but I knew this would not be easy. The first place I went, I thought had a bar when I looked into the window, but they sat me at a table and it was not easy to make any conversation. The menu was entirely in Japanese and had no pictures. I stared at it, slowly reading anything that was written in katakana. I forgot my pocket wifi so I couldn’t translate the kanji. I guess I looked lost so they brought me an English menu. The dishes on the English menu were all Chinese dishes so I ordered some tofu. I went back to the Japanese menu and was able to read enough to see things like edamame, etc but it was too late. The tofu dish had pork in it and came with chicken soup. Oops! I ate around the pork. I felt pretty embarrassed and uncomfortable. On the way out I tried to salvage the situation by saying, in Japanese, “Thank you for the English menu. I’m studying Japanese”. The waiter laughed and smiled and I felt at least a little better.
By now the temperature had cooled down some. There was a nice breeze. I could hear the cicadas. I really didn’t want to go back to the hotel. I started walking. The area I’m in, Minato-mirai, seems to be less residential and more business-y. I walked past a lot of office buildings and just a handful of shops of restaurants. Off in the distance I saw a giant building all lit up.
I set my sites on it and started walking. It turned out to be a multi story shopping center overlooking the water, with restaurants, outdoor patios, shops and grocery stores. I went into a Kirin Beer pub. This time I sat a the bar, but there was no one else there to talk to. I got a beer, practiced reading the Japanese menu (they brought me an English menu as well – I guess I kind of stick out here). I had a nice walk back to the hotel.
I have a long way to go, but I can also see that this is going to be slow process. If I continue to travel alone, I’m hoping these experiences are all good practice and eventually I’ll be better at putting myself out there. Or maybe not. It’s all ok.
横浜の美術館 (Yokohama Museum of Art)
This morning I met my friend Takako at the Yokohama Museum of Art. It was our first time meeting in person. We have been Skype language exchange partners for a little over a year.
The art museum has a special exhibit of works by Monet along with related artwork by other artists and Japanese artwork made in homage to Monet. It was a lovely and interesting exhibit all around.
Also at the museum is an enormous crow. Takako thought it was very cute so we took some pictures.
After the art museum we went to a たべほおだい (all-you-can-eat) place where you bread and deep fry your own food on a stick. I had eggplant, lotus root, takoyaki, squid, sweet potato and okra. There was also rice and a pickle bar to put on top. And dessert including many kinds of jello, mochi, fruit and a white chocolate fountain with mini donuts to dip.
We walked around for awhile after. There are a bunch of interconnected shopping malls and we could avoid the heat. The afternoon ended with a stop for cold drinks and a plan to meet tomorrow.
I’m very tired
I had trouble sleeping on the plane. Sat next to a 20-something Japanese man who appeared to be part of some Japan cycling team. He pretty much ignored me the whole flight. As we started the descent into Tokyo, I nodded off and woke up with a violent start. He looked at me in horror. I smiled and said “nemasu” (I sleep). Finally I got a smile out of him! 🙂
After the (very long) flight I spent about an hour waiting in line for customs, immigration and JR pass. Then over an hour on the train. Then I couldn’t find my way out of the train station. Then ridiculously hot walk to the hotel.
View of Yokohama from my hotel window.
I was too tired to find an Izakaya to get a beer and snack so I resorted to 7-11.
7-11 soft tofu with ginger, soy sauce and bonito flakes. And requisite beer.
Stepping out into the night after being in the 7-11, my glasses immediately fogged up. It is hot. And I am tired.
Thoughts on the plane
It’s 4:40 in Montreal. I’ve been in the air for a couple of hours. Everything seems a bit surreal, probably in part because I am very sleep deprived. I had a restless week and then last night frantically packed until the wee hours. My nervous energy also prompted me to wash the kitchen floor around midnight – the rational being that I would be happier when I return if the house looks at least halfway decent. Then there was a 3 am anxiety attack about whether or not to check my bag. In my zombie like state today, I almost missed my flight from Boston to Montreal. I thought they were still boarding the preferred passengers and then I heard “Final boarding call for Alison…”
[Looking at the flight map, we are flying over places like Churchill, Wekweti, Flin Flon and Big Sand Lake – a reminder of how unfamiliar I am with even North America geography]
Part of the anxiety stems from having to reconcile how brave I thought I was with how brave I actually am. I talk a lot: “I want to live in Japan for 6 months”, “I’m a city girl at heart”, “I’m not afraid to be alone.” But here I am, heading to Japan by myself, and I wonder if I can live up to who I imagined myself to be.
In any case, it’s an adventure with relatively low stakes. And 9:25 to go in the air before it really begins.
Blade Runner 2049
I can’t have a blog called origamiunicorn without sharing my thoughts on Blade Runner 2049! I saw the movie two days ago and have had some time to ponder and discuss. I had a lengthy conversation with my sister yesterday and I incorporated some of her thoughts into my write up below.
By itself, the movie is fine. It is worth seeing. The acting is good for the most part, there are some spectacular visuals and the plot is engaging. If you are not interested in a Blade Runner fangirl’s geeky, in depth review, stop reading now! There are many who will be annoyed by what follows and I get that and completely understand. Read on at your own peril…
The original was scrutinized to the n-th degree by me and many others, to the point where the change of one line of dialog between the Director’s Cut and the Final Cut meant the world to me in terms of the perfection of the movie. 1000’s of Usenet threads on the topic “Is Deckard a replicant” should be a good example of the intensity of the fan base. So, in fairness, I’ll subject 2049 to the same level of analysis as I gave the original.
Warning: Major spoilers from both the original movie and 2049.
Initial thoughts
First, I do need more time to process the movie and I will definitely see it again. But that said, I have been thinking about it a lot and have some observations. I found some scenes visually stunning and I was moved to tears in some of the scenes. At other times I found myself thinking “wow, that was heavy handed” and “is this really necessary?”
Coming out of the theater I wasn’t unhappy. My biggest fear was that the movie would be completely disrespectful of the original or would be garbage. Not only were my fears for naught, the movie also had some very lovely high points. That said, it is not the gem that the original is. Period.
What is the point?
I had a lengthy conversation with my sister and she hit the nail on the head when she said that she felt that Ridley Scott’s original Blade Runner was visionary, while the new one seemed contrived. From the pages of Philip K Dick’s short novel, Ridley Scott envisioned a brooding futuristic Los Angeles. After grueling production work and multiple versions of the film, his vision was realized. The end state took years to get to.
Blade Runner 2049 doesn’t feel as organic. It seems more like a team of people who wanted to figure out a way to start a franchise from the original rather than a vision quest. My sister imagined a conversation “how can we come up with a plot line to continue the story in a way that will engage audiences and pacify the old school fans?” (I’m paraphrasing here – she said words to that effect).
The ending of the movie clearly was meant to leave room for another sequel. To what end? I can rewatch the Final Cut any time I want and soak in the beauty of the cinematography and storytelling. Why does Hollywood insist on creating these franchises? Come up with a new idea. Create your own vision.
Perhaps this film was a vision quest inspired by the original? I don’t know much about the origins of 2049, who conceived of the idea, etc. I can understand being inspired by the original and wanting to build upon the imagery and story, but not sure that a contrived plot line to continue the tale was really the way to go. Why not create a totally different and unrelated story in the same world?
Too long, Too much dumbing down
In the original, a lot was left to the imagination of the viewer. By not revealing too much, the viewer is not compelled to over-analyze the details and discover flaws. Over the course of the three versions of the movie, there was a lesson to be learned, the biggest change being removing Harrison Ford’s unnecessary voice-overs and showing some respect for the moviegoers’ intelligence. 2049 went a little too far into the realm of dumbing things down. For example:
- Did we really need to see the 6-10-21 date on the horse? The very brief flashback was jarring and sufficient enough. Every time I saw the date after that I felt like I was being hammered over the head with it. Even if that flashback wasn’t enough I feel like I would have figured it out later after some of the other revelations were made.
- I get wrapped up in visuals and the first time through I often miss things that I catch later. I didn’t realize what was going on with Ana until the end. However, even so, it seemed unnecessary
for K to have to spell it out. In fact I’m not sure that the ending scene was needed at all. Why did Deckard need to reunite with his daughter? Perhaps K collapsing on the steps there could have been enough. See also points below about why Deckard and Rachael are in this movie at all.
References to the Original
At times it seemed like the movie had a checklist of references to the original.
- Origami animal? Check.
- Zoom in on a photo? Check.
- Eat food in the rain, cry in the rain, people riding bicycles in the rain? Check. Check. Check.
- Have Rachael saunter in one more time? Check.
- Daryl Hannah look alike? Check.
WTF?
- Wallace was cringe-worthy. He is a religious sadist and has none of the quirkiness of Tyrell. I would have rather seen that character more like Nathan in Ex Machina. Also his actions make no sense. Killing his new creation seemed like it was played for shock value and I felt like it added little to the movie. If they can’t keep up with production why off two fully functional replicants for no reason (the new creation immediately after her birth, and the Rachael clone)? I guess he is driven by comparisons to Tyrell – Wallace’s replicants can’t reproduce and his inability to replicate that is a personal failing for him. Need to think on that some more. But on the topic of reproduction….
- I can understand why Rachael might have been able to reproduce – she was a special project of Tyrell. But surely a genetic specialist would have made sure that the pleasure models could not get pregnant. And along the same lines, why on earth would you design the male replicants to be firing live rounds? That doesn’t makes sense to me. Or is Deckard not a replicant? Or maybe there is some back story there that the next movie (which this one was obviously setting up for) will address. I feel like all this could have been handled with more ambiguity. My first thought when they discovered the bones and the pregnancy was that perhaps Sapper was the father. Why have Deckard be the father at all? In fact, why have Rachael be the mother? It just seems way too contrived. Why not just start a new story?
- The fight scenes were all way too long and drawn out. In the original, Deckard’s desperation and pain in his “cat and mouse” scene with Batty had an element of realism. Batty is a Nexus 6 and has some physical gifts, but Deckard is not as advanced. He gets wounded and is visibly in pain. In 2049, I can understand K being engineered to be stronger and to heal more quickly, but how did Deckard become so invincible?
Things I liked
- I was skeptical of Gosling but I thought his style of acting/non-acting was perfect for the role. The scene when he is confronted by the resistence and sits down with his head in his hands. I cried. K could appear virtually expressionless but the way the movie revealed information you could see twinges of pain and epiphany behind the reserve. The scene with him and Ana was just beautiful – a moment of deep connection and agonizing realization. And then there was the ache I felt when the oversized Joi hologram exposes yet another ugly truth to the already hurting K.
- LA was awesome. The landscape does not get boring to me.
- Everything about Ana was gentle, graceful, poetic and dreamy. Plus I have a soft spot in my heart for characters with autoimmune disorders.
- Explorations of AI, like Joi, are more compelling to me than the concept of reproduction in giving the replicants humanity. The replicants are sympathetic because they have been engineered to be self conscious and have feelings. The ethical dilemma around their servitude and retirement should exist because of that alone, regardless of whether or not biological reproduction is possible.
- Sapper’s farm. The original movie was filled with odd people in strange settings. I hoped for more of that in 2049. Sapper’s farm was not as striking as J. F. Sebastian and his toys or Chew and his frozen eye lab, but it was odd and original – a different kind of farm, a protein farm, a peculiar mix of futuristic agriculture and country cottage quaintness.
Things I didn’t like
- Wallace’s lair. Too contrived and nonsensical. Unlike Sapper’s farm, Wallace’s floating receiving room lacked any of the nostalgia or practicality of the lab. It was all style. Maybe that was the point, but I feel like I’ve seen it before.
- The fight scene with Deckard and K and the hologram Elvis. Very Hollywood. Back and forth face punches as if they are both superheroes. All awkwardly interspersed with a hiccuping Elvis performance.
- The contrived plot (as explained earlier).
Bottom line
I was entertained and at times awed by this movie. At the same time I was disappointed, but not surprised, that it fell so far short of the Final Cut. I think with some editing and fewer references to the original, more subtle dialog and plot points, more ambiguity, it could have been a beautifully told story that could have held hands with the original. Two days later, as I write this, I still feel some emotion about the characters, in particular K and Ana, and some of the images are still floating around in my brain. Time will tell if 2049 is memorable enough to hold a place in my heart.
Ikebukuro, Harajuku, Shinjuku
About 3am in Tokyo and I just woke up. The time change plus my usual insomnia is making my sleep patterns even more unconventional. Yesterday was so busy, rushed, loud, bright and overwhelming. Contrast that with the quiet of lying on a futon on a tatami mat looking out at the lights of Tokyo. I have seen only a tiny fraction of this massive city but so far it is more amazing than I ever could have imagined.
From the government building in Shinjuku we were able to see an expansive panorama of the city. Like looking out at the Grand Canyon it seems to go on forever. The furthest horizon is still dotted with buildings.
View from Government Building public observatory
Ikebukuro and Sunshine mall
We visited a Manga and Anime themed mall in Ikebukuro. To me the mall was similar to malls in the states with one big difference. Rather than a food court there were about 30 tiny restaurants each with tiny seating areas. No takeout to a central eating area. Each place has a has a different menu, photos of the lunch menu outside and row of chairs for waiting.
Shopping mall lunch: Udon and Tempura
Much like malls in US it was full of families with small children – a safe place to walk around and eat away from the heat and crowds and noise of the busy Ikebukuro streets.
At times walking around the Ikebukuro area it seemed a lot like NYC. We passed a lot of big name department stores, Times Square like crowds. I only saw a few blocks of a few streets there so I couldn’t really get a feel for the character of the area.
Harajuku
Even in an hour visit I got a very different feel from Takeshita Dori in Harajuku. This street is full of tiny trendy boutiques and creperies, popular with teens. The street was so packed you were shoulder to shoulder with the people next to you. But turn down a side street and the crowds dissipate – you find more tiny shops along windy intricate walkways. Even stepping into the boutiques on the main street was a refreshing break from the crowds. My teen daughter loved it there and bought one small souvenir – a clear pink plastic backpack.
Takeshita Dori
Shinjuku
Our last stop of the day was back in Shinjuku. It was getting dark (Japan does not do daylight savings time) and the crazy lights of the city were breathtaking. Packed, loud streets and chaotic crosswalks, but look down a narrow side street and it will be lined with tiny shops and restaurants with bright signs and lanterns.
Shinjuku
We saw a show at the touristy Robot Restaurant. The show was full of traditional sounding drums, robots, music, light shows, live video-game-style battles, dancing, videos, lasers, firecrackers, motorized floats of mechanized sea creatures next to plates of moving sushi, sparks and bizarre costumes. The audience was almost entirely Westerners. I felt a little twinge of embarrassment, like this show was contrived to satisfy what Westerners like to imagine the Tokyo experience would be. It was entertaining and certainly nothing I have ever seen before. Our tour guide commented “It’s worth seeing once. Once.”
The sun is starting to rise – I can see the rosy reflection on the sides of the nearby office buildings out my window. We have another busy day ahead exploring Tokyo.
Free Day in Tokyo
Today was our first full day in Tokyo and our only free day before the tour starts. We kicked it off with a traditional Japanese breakfast. It was a work of art to look at and some of it was delicious but other parts I am just not used to eating, especially first thing in the morning. The breakfast consisted of a bowl of sticky rice, Miso soup, congee (mashed rice), broth with eggplant and peas, a pile of tiny pickled fish on top of pickled cabbage, a rectangular shaped block of sweet egg, chicken pieces and tiny bowls containing a very salty picked plum, some salty jam and some marinated seaweed.
We explored more of Nakano in the morning. The kids bought all kinds of strange but compelling Japanese sweets including blueberry marshmallows, a Kinder-egg-style chocolate with a Pokémon figure inside (perfect since Pokémon Go just went live in Japan!), and tiny strawberry milk crisps. We also stopped in a small bakery selling French specialties like croissants as well as these adorable Totoro treats:
After walking around Nakano we took the train to Shinjuku, a very busy area of Tokyo. We had a reservation at Cat Cafe Calico. We spent an hour drinking iced tea and petting & feeding cats.
Dinner was a kickoff with the entire tour group. Our tour leader ordered dinner so we could try different a variety of Japanese specialties. Even my fussiest child tried 5 new things.
Tomorrow our whirlwind tour officially starts.
origamiunicorn 