Favorite Places To Shop in Japan

Japan has a ton of places to shop.  They have a good variety of both chain stores and privately owned businesses and superb customer service.  Here are some of our favorite places:

You can't miss the big green and white sign.

Nitori  ニトリ

The closest store we have to us is located in Kurihama.  Its about a 20 minute drive, is easy to find, and has a lot of parking.  This store has decent prices and reminds me a lot of Target in the U.S.  The store has a good selection of housewares, bedding, curtains, and furniture.  We ended up buying all the boys' desks here and they were reasonably priced compared to other places in town.  This has been a bonus for us because the yen rate has been pretty low since we arrived in Japan.  Many people I've talked to in Yokosuka still don't know about this store.  Check it out if you get a chance.  You'll be happy you did.

They just opened a 5-story store up in Ginza in Tokyo.

Uniqlo ユニクロ

This clothing store is popular and has locations in Asia, Europe and The United States.  It has very simple clothes and reminds me of The Gap.  They have good sales, many locations, "some" clothes that fit Amerika-jin and best of all, they take credit cards (Visa and Mastercard....no American Express).

My favorite purchase from Uniqlo this winter!

100 Yen Shop 100円ショップ

The 100 Yen Stores here are the best.  They have many where we live.  The other day Justin took me to one on Blue Street that I'd never been to.  You can find similar items like at The Dollar Tree back home, but I think that some of the dollar stores here have nicer products.....especially if you go to Daiso next to The Mercure Hotel.  They have some great dishes, treats, baking supplies, party supplies, curtains, etc.  These stores are worth going to especially if you're a visitor to Japan.  If you want to go on a fun field trip, there is a 5 story 100 Yen Store in Machida.  You'll usually never leave these stores empty-handed.

Remembering March 11th

Last weekend was the 1st Anniversary of Japan's earthquake and tsunami.  Everyone took a moment of silence at 2:46p.m. to remember all those lost and affected by this natural disaster.  While I feel like our lives were full of uncertainty and unknown for days and weeks following the earthquake, my heart truly goes out to the Japanese who lost everything on March 11th.

We recently watched the documentary called Japan Tsunami:  Tales of Terror.  This documentary showed amateur videos of survivors filming the tsunami.  These people literally saw the tsunami sweep their towns away before their own eyes.  It was completely devastating to watch on film, and cannot imagine seeing it in person.  I commend the Japanese survivors who lived to tell their stories, and for trying to move forward with their lives.

The survivors could not begin to move forward without the help from their own countrymen, and other concerned parties around the world.  I am thoroughly impressed by the people we know in our own local community who have taken part in clothing drives, fundraisers, and forming their own group to help support people affected in Tohoku.  I've blogged before that I am part of a group called Helping Hands for Tohoku.  This group was started by a Japanese lady who I met after the earthquake.  Her commitment to helping people affected by the disaster is on-going.  The group's original members were wives of the military community, but the group has branched out and now has members outside of Japan.  Providing even the basic necessities (soap, shampoo, towel, etc) means so much to survivors who had few, or no belongings when they were forced to relocate.  I am so proud to be a part of this group.  Thank you Masako-san for being such a tireless leader. 

Book about the military's mission post earthquake/tsunami.

I also want to say thank you to all the people who were concerned about us last year.  We do appreciate your emails and Facebook messages.  Just know that new friendships and other support systems were available to us during the crisis.  We continue to be happy to call Japan our home.  We look forward to being involved at some point in the cleanup efforts up north.  This is one of our family's goals for 2012.

Girls Day or Hinamatsuri

A collection of Hina Ningyo (Girls Day dolls).

Japan celebrates Girls Day, or Hinamatsuri on March 3rd each year.  Although its not a national holiday, its meaning is significant.  As infants, girls are given Hina dolls as a custom to promote health, growth and happiness.  This year, I was invited to Tokyo to have brunch and attend a Hinamatusuri exhibit at Meguro Gajoen with some American and Japanese ladies. 

Sunday Brunch at The New Sanno Hotel.

The company, food and doll exhibit were wonderful. We went up some 100 stairs (total) at  the exhibit with our slippers on to see the various doll collections.  Because taking pictures wasn't allowed, its hard to express the detail and beauty in these dolls.  Traditionally, the dolls are displayed in a 7 tiered fashion atop a red covering called hi-mōsen with the Emperor and Empress on the top tier and musicians, and other attendants on the subsequent tiers.  Everyone is displayed in traditional clothing dating from the Heian period which was from 794-1185.

I learned that each region in Japan has different looking dolls, and some regions display their dolls in a different order.  Some dolls were also dressed very ornately, while others were dressed simple.  It was very nice to have the Japanese ladies with us to translate and explain the various types of dolls and their significance.  I had another great day, and experience in Japan

Keepsakes from Hinamatsuri.

Second Derby Bout

The Yokosuka Sushi Rollers teamed up once again with The Yokota Scary Blossoms for their second roller derby bout on February 12th in Ikego.  This bout was appropriately named The Heart Break'her bout in honor of Valentines Day.  This time, our teams (The Black Hearts vs. The Bloody Valentines) did much better than at our first bout in October.  We were all much better skaters, had better strategies, had more players, and overall, everyone had a better understanding of  how to play the game.

After the bout silly photo!

This bout was actually fun and with each team having their own non-skating coaches, everything went much more smooth.  Word had gotten out to the military community because we had over 400 spectators watching us, plus a lot of recognition in the military newspapers.  The next bout will be on Sunday April 1st at 6pm in Ikego.  This time, we will be teaming with ladies from Misawa, Yokota and Zama.  Roller Derby keeps growing in Japan!  There are many great things to come for this sport in The Land of the Rising Sun.

Me in red tutu.

Read the articles about derby in the local military newpapers:
http://kanto.stripes.com//blogs/all-female-derbies-are-roll#.T0A8xDqD7Jw.facebook

Teammates in Seahawk Newspaper!

Skiing in Japan

Gorgeous view of Mt. Fuji

If you love to ski or snowboard, then Japan is the place to be.  There are over 500 ski resorts scattered around the country, tons of onsen, and beautiful scenery to enjoy.

Over the long holiday weekend we went with our friends to a small ski resort near Mt. Fuji called Yeti.  The bonus of going to Yeti is that it is a little over 2 hours from Yokosuka.  We stayed at Camp Fuji (a Marine Corps base) which is about 20-30 minutes drive from Yeti.  Very quick and convenient especially if you only want to play in the snow for a day.

I had few expectations about the weekend and figured we were only going sledding.  Turns out, the older boys wanted to try snowboarding, so Justin and I decided to ski.  I haven't been on skis since age 21, and Justin hadn't been since he was probably in his teens.

Vending machine to buy equipment.

The day went well.  The boys loved snowboarding and were able to make it down the mountain relatively unscathed.  Luckily, Yeti is the perfect place for beginners and the ski runs are manageable.  I fell a couple times by crossing my skis, and once when getting onto the chairlift, but overall I was able to stay upright.  Justin, on the other hand, was a really good skier.  I was very impressed and he was giving me a lot of tips I either forgotten, or never learned.  I'm just happy that almost all of were able to have this experience (our youngest played at the sledding area the entire time we were on the slopes).  The kids can't wait to go back.

http://www.yeti-resort.com/e/area.html
 

Being in the Workforce

Where I work!

A little over three weeks ago, I had an interview and a job offer for a part-time position on base.  This was a huge feat for me because I have been actively looking for work since Spring 2011.  I have blogged about the job process for civilian spouses, and of my frustrations.

So, to counter my frustrations, I decided I had to set a goal for myself in the New Year.  The goal I needed was to use my networking skills to see if that would lead me to getting a job.  I have been so tired waiting on others, that I had to take some action.  I have been ready to get some structure into my day, gain more work experience and not to mention, I've been more than ready to get some travel money set aside.  Either my effort of utilizing my connections paid off, or it was just plain old good timing.

Tomorrow, I am starting my third week of work.  It is the perfect position.  I work with great ladies, work around 20 hours a week, love the store, and its close to home.  I enjoy working with the public, enjoy being on my feet and now am much more productive.  My new schedule has taken a little getting used to, but I'm getting into the groove of it all.  Soon it will be second-nature.

I'm hoping to get back to blogging on a more regular basis.  We are pretty much settled from our move, and there are still endless topics on Japan that I want to write about.

Moving To Base Housing

We've had a busy week in our family.  I had a job interview and started a part-time job, Justin went on TDY to Sasebo, and we were offered base housing.  We have been on the waiting list for a year, so when we got the call that something was available, we decided to take it.  Its a nice 4 bedroom townhouse very close to the younger boys' schools, next to where I practice derby, and close to many of our friends.

The news was a little bittersweet for us because we do love our home, our community, and neighbors.  They have been so generous and kind to us over the past year.  I kind of feel like we are abandoning our neighbors, but am told that they understand.  It is easy to escort them onto base, or meet for lunch or coffee in town.   One of my neighbors would like to take me up to Tokyo in February.  I'm looking forward to continuing our friendship.

We had the inspection and received the keys yesterday to our townhouse.  Its pretty cozy, but I will enjoy the following amenities: a full size oven, a laundry room, a yard, and having a bathroom in our bedroom.  The movers will come on Monday morning and will be able to pack, and deliver our belongings the same day. 

Laundry Room

Kitchen

I forgot to mention that our neighbor across the street read Justin's fortune for him on New Year's Day.  In the fortune, it said that there will be a move and it won't be good, but that the family we will be okay.   I have hope that this move will be good for us.  I'm still looking forward to the next chapter in our adventure.

Our backyard.