Japan: Urayasu life and gardens

Unfortunate, though familiar as it may sound to many of us, when I lived in Japan I found the majority of my time was utterly consumed with work.  Due to the fact that my living in the country was utterly predicated upon keeping my employment with the Arribas Brothers as an artist/performer in Tokyo Disney Sea, it should be understandable why this would be such a prominent priority, but it inevitably leads to a routine that could grow a bit monotonous if I didn't consciously strive to break free of it from time to time.  Most days involved a brief attempt to get coffee or some form of sustenance into my gullet before darting off for the bus, changing into my uniform at the employee lockers and then spending the rest of the visible sunlight hours in my subterranean drawing-den, cranking out caricatures until we were finally granted permission to shutter up for the day and go home. Arriving home late, sore and dreading the countdown until it was time to hit reset and start the routine over again, I would cook up or scavenge some food, decimate some beverages and go to sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat. 

Day in day out spent primarily indoors. Naturally, my days off were a blessing! Aren't they always? Since I was given the opportunity to live and work overseas, I'd try to take advantage of that fact and explore the neighborhood or city of Tokyo proper whenever I had the energy or motivation. I have to admit, some days it was much more difficult than others to drag myself out of the house and into the city, but it was always worth the endeavor in the end. On this particular outing, I stopped to compliment my neighbor for her beautiful garden, pictured above- this led to us becoming friends and going on some adventures together later on! You never know what kind of things can come together like that unless you get out there and try, you know? She invited me out to have lunch with her after our discussion about her garden, fennel, and my obviously being from out of town. She showed me a lovely little restaurant not far from our home that I never would have thought to try if not for her suggestion, so again, get out there and do the things! Talk to the people! Be brave!

As always,

💘

XOXO,

NAU

Japan: Snow day drinks in Shin-Urayasu 2012-01-23

Homemade omurice, a Japanese home cooking staple!

While I've yet to actually try it in a restaurant (though they do exist), it's a simple dish of fried rice seasoned with ketchup and a soft egg omelette draped on top. I had mine with some broccoli and a big old cup of coffee to power myself through the day!

I had plans to meet with friends for a drink after work in Shin-Urayasu~

Construction at Ikspiari, across the street from Tokyo Disney Sea.

Japan: Ginza, Marunouchi & Hibiya park

After exploring Tsukiji fish market and taking in the view from the 19th floor during afternoon tea, Yuka and I went to Ginza to walk through the neighbourhood to Marunouchi and Hibiya park while enjoying the warm weather.

Japan: 2012-05-10 Tsukiji Market

Tsukiji Market is the world famous fish market in Tokyo featured in multiple travel shows, a must-see location for any fan of sushi or sea food. During the time of our visit the early morning tuna auctions had been closed to the public, but there was still tons to see from hulking crabs to unrecognisable squiggly things. Yuka's lovely mother joined us for this outing, meeting with us at the markets after Yuka and I walked there together from the station.

Japan: 2012-02-08 Kamakura

Kamakura is a beautiful town roughly a couple hours by train outside of Tokyo. It's a popular tourist destination and used to be the political centre of Japan in 1192. Yes, that's right, 1192! My coworkers Naoko & Noriko Watanabe were familiar with the area and suggested we all visit together on our days off from Disney. I happily obliged and Naoko kindly drew up a guide for me to find my way through the maze of Tokyo station on my own. Fun fact: the Watanabe sisters commuted over 2 hours one way, each day, to go to work at the Disney parks! Despite the carefully crafted map, I still found myself at a loss as to which train to board. Overcoming my lifelong timidness, I summoned the courage to ask a station staff member for directions and he cordially escorted me to the correct platform and double checked that I was in the correct location to reach my destination before returning to his previous duties. ^^; Thank you, sir!

Japan: Winter vibes 2011

Having recently acquired my beloved Mamachari, it was time to do some exploring!

Japan: Urayasu station & Indian grub

Urayasu station was about equidistant with Shin-Urayasu station from my residence, so I split my time between the two "local" stations quite a bit, while Maihama was heavily associated with work and more likely to be a stop on my way home as opposed to a day off venture. 

On this lovely winter day, my friend & coworker Zoltan and I decided to explore a bit together. His residence was closer to Urayasu station, so we agreed to have dinner there.

Japan: Mamachari & Shin-Urayasu shopping complex

Oh, Soft Bank, with your adorable doggy mascot, bravely setting paw where no pup has stepped before.

While I meandered around the shopping center quite a bit, I actually came with a singular goal in mind:

ママチャリですよ！

Ah, my sweet Mamachari. I had that bike for the rest of my stay in Japan all the way up until the day I left, at which point it was handed down to my coworker Jason who lived a few blocks away. 

The bike cost roughly ¥10,000 and some change, about $100US, which is pretty reasonable. With the basket, the bell, and the price, it was a great find that would make my life so much easier. Many a grocery trip ended with the basket stuffed full of veggies and bags dangling off the bars. What I didn't realize is that I had just purchased the two-wheeled equivalent to a minivan, usually owned by mothers who need to get around with baby in tow. Womp womp.

Honestly though, it was my first breath of true freedom here, allowing me to cruise all around the town like a bat out of hell. 

While I had to wait for the bicycle shop employee to process all the paperwork and prepare the bike for me, I took the time to continue browsing the enormous entertainment/shopping center.

Japan: Shin-Urayasu Arcade

Taiko no tatsujin!!!

One of my favorite arcade games in Japan, it's essentially a rhythm music game except you get to wield drum sticks as big around as hot dogs and pound away on an oversized drum. It's a blast and the psychedelic animations that adorn the screen as you play just add to the experience. To be fair, Japanese arcades, often located near or on the top floor of multi-level shopping and entertainment centers, are pretty trippy on their own.

Japan: Shin-Urayasu & The HUB

Shin-Urayasu station is the next stop on the Keiyo line, a brief ride from Maihama. It's also the newer area of Urayasu, as denoted by "Shin" in front of the name, built up from landfill to create more land for the sprawl. There are many lovely hotels and restaurants in the area, and the shopping center connected to Shin-Urayasu station is full of lovely shops. I spent many a hard earned yen there! There's also a British themed pub called "The Hub" that's quite popular among the foreign residents of the area,  though there are many throughout Tokyo. I've met rugby players and watched the dramatic antics of the dancers there, though I only went a handful of times.

After all, I went to Japan to experience Japan, not try to recreate my experience in London. ;)

Gindaco! Ever tried Takoyaki? They're small round dumplings stuffed with pieces of grilled octopus and all sorts of savory yummies, like tempura batter crumbs (tenkazu), pickled ginger (benishoga) and more, then smothered in a thick soy-based sauce and other tasty toppings. They're one of my favorite quick snacks and they're also a great show as the adept chef uses chopsticks or simply small wooden sticks to flip the dumplings as they cook, ensuring a crispy round exterior and molten hot interior. Be careful not to burn your mouth!

This gent kindly allowed a photo as he worked. ^_^

Japan: Grey day in Urayasu

Hailing from the desert, rainy days are a favorite of mine. 

There's no shortage of rainfall in Japan, which bodes well for my affinity for precipitation.

Japan: Day to day vibes 2011-11-30

More meanderings around my neighborhood in Urayasu-shi, Japan. 

Photo diary~

Japan: Fujimi Yonchome & City Hall 2011-11-28

After settling in and preparing for work, it was time to tend to all the legalities of my move. 

Working in Japan it was imperative to have a work visa, which was hammered out prior to my arrival but now that I was here there were some final details to hash out. I made my way to city hall and took many photos along the way. Here's a glimpse into my neighborhood and day to day life in Urayasu!

Japan: Daily life & unique foods 2011-11-27

MOS Burger! 

A Japan-specific burger chain, they're actually pretty tasty. One of the things they're most known for is being among the first burger chains to offer rice buns, essentially rice balls subbed in for the regular bread buns. Who knew the Japanese were early adopters of the gluten free movement? ;)

A typical Japanese taxi, classy in black.

Japan: First day in Disney 2011-11-26

Welcome to Urayasu!

Urayasu is an old fishing village located on the bay of Tokyo, just across the water from Tokyo proper. Shin-Urayasu, or new-Urayasu, was another district of the city built out of reclaimed land (utilizing landfill) and provided the space for many of the Disney cast and dancers's housing, as well as much of the land used for both Disney parks. This meant that when the 3.11 Earthquake hit liquefaction was a major problem for much of the Shin-Urayasu area, whereas my neighborhood in old-town was relatively unaffected in comparison. By the time I arrived late in 2011, most of the damages in Urayasu were unnoticeable, whereas places near Disney and throughout Shin-Urayasu were starkly and noticeably impacted. 

Japan: Ginza Illuminations & shopping 2012-11-29

A-chan asked a helpful police officer for directions inside the Police box!

Not just for Doctor Who anymore Police Boxes, aka Koban, are a common occurrence in urban Japan. Positioned throughout communities in an effort to make police readily accessible, they're also willing to help lost travelers find their way, some more happily than other's. 

Japan: Lunch in Ginza with A-chan 2012-11-29

Girl's day out in Ginza with A-chan!

Ginza is a beautiful upscale neighborhood of Tokyo.

A-chan had heard great reviews about a restaurant in the area from friends, so we decided to try it for ourselves.

Japan: Doggy basket 2012-11-24

Spotted these two at Inagekaigan station and found them too adorable not to photograph! 

Sweet little old puppy waiting patiently for his pop pop. ^_^

Japan: November vibes 2012-11-16

Japan: Inokashira park with Yuka-chan 2012-11-15

Inokashira park is a beautiful open park in Tokyo. It was a bit of a commute from my side of town, but well worth the trip! On this particular day, Yuka-chan and I met up at a mid-way point then carried on for a day of adventure!