Today I took the Kanjikentei level 4. Now, an interesting thing about the Kanjikentei these days is that, just like almost every other organization in Japan, there is a scandal. Apparently the founder of the society along with several members of his family set up some companies to illegally do business with each other and thereby profit handsomely off all of us trusting test-takers. The latest I've heard is that the society has been taken over by some lawyers who have promised to make reforms within 100 days.

So, here's what I received in the mail yesterday, the day before I took the test:

A registered letter, basically a notice that they're lowering all the fees because of the scandal, they apologize profusely, of course, and hope we can continue to participate in the future. And here's a refund of 200 yen for this round of tests. Woo hoo!

In actuality, I don't really care very much about this scandal. What's new, you know. But apparently about 30% fewer people are taking this round of tests. And the number of kids there today bore that out.

As for the test itself, just like with level 5, it will be very very close as to whether I pass or not. It's exactly how close I am to my thinking whether I should leave or stay here a while longer. I am really torn. Like the difference between 139 and 140 points torn.

My friend and former coworker will be moving to San Francisco this coming August. I am very excited for her, as this is a big, important life change.

If anyone has any leads on places to live (preferably in or around the Mission), and/or a place to crash for a week while she gets her bearings, drop me a line.

UPDATE: she has a place to crash now. If anyone has any leads on an apartment, though, that would be cool.

Changed the look of the blog a bit. Basically just because I decided to update b2evolution. This stuff is getting easier and easier all the time.

*Sigh* I like it here in my only little world, away from the noise on Facebook, MySpace, etc. Yes, there is the little Twitter thing over on the site, I know. Just enjoying the peace.

Dydo (makers of Energy Gym) came out with a series of cans of cider called "Ultra Cider". The drink itself is just a sweet, made-for-kids carbonated cider drink, but of course I like the idea of the cans. I might try to collect (pictures of) all of the cans, if I find them all.

Today (Friday) I took another day off (due to the economy, we kind of have to take a couple days off a month now). So my random town I chose to take a train trip to was Nagiso (南木曽) in Nagano-ken. I chose it simply because it was the closest (time-wise, by train) town to visit in Nagano. It takes just under an hour to get there from Nagoya station. It's just over the border from Nakatsukawa (中津川) in Gifu-ken. Had no idea what to expect, just wanted to take a couple pictures of the river and mountains, so I just spent an hour there (actually, when I take these trips, the train ride itself is more fun that the visit itself). I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice little park with a bridge built in honor of someone named Momosuke Fukuzawa. I realize sometimes my pictures seem to have no "point" (as has been pointed out to me by some of my Japanese friends), but I like some of the boring-looking pictures, and don't know how to explain the reason.

南木曽

So, by the way, that brings it up to 21 prefectures (or city-districts, or similar government-units) that I've visited in Japan. This is my current Henry's-style quest - to visit all the kens. The next post will talk about all the ones I've visited so far.

My long-lost cousin Nicole came by and went to this party with us.

ニューハフパーティ

This past week I took a five-day trip to Kyushu (九州）. Kyushu is the island extending southward from the western most tip of the main big island Honshu (本州). Of the seven prefectures on Kyushu, I was able to visit five: Kagoshima (鹿児島), Kumamoto (熊本), Saga (佐賀), Nagasaki (長崎), and Fukuoka (福岡). Kyushu is famous for, among other things shouchuu (a Japanese alcoholic drink made from potatoes (imojouchuu 芋焼酎), rice, corn, or wheat), and ramen.

I started out in Kagoshima, on the southern tip of Kyushu. Here I visited the island of Sakurajima (桜島), which used to be a separate island but at the beginning of the 20th century a volcanic eruption bridged the gap to the mainland and turned it into a peninsula. Some famous food from Kagoshima is kurobuta, a special kind of pork. I had a nice dinner that included everything from pork sashimi to pork tongue and boiled pork. Also famous in Kagoshima is shirokuma, a really nice frozen desert which I'd describe as vanilla snow with lots of embedded fruits.

2009-04-25/26 鹿児島

2009-04-26 桜島

Next was Kumamoto, where I visited its castle and had some nice ramen. This time the noodles were the skinny kind I like, and the soup was not too salty. Definitely an improvement on the Kagoshima stuff. On the way from Kumamoto I stopped at Tosu (鳥栖) a little town in Saga prefecture for about 20 minutes. Not much to say about that place except that I did get some nice train pictures.

2009-04-27 熊本、佐賀

Finally, I headed over to Nagasaki, which has a ton of islands and lots of peninsulas. Nagasaki was the first part of the trip that actually felt like I was in a different part of Japan. There, you're right on the waterfront and the sounds are something other than just traffic. (You know, boat whistles and seagulls and stuff). I took a boat out to a practically deserted island called Takashima (高島). It looks like it might be somewhat of a summer resort town at some point, but at this time there was no one there. I actually really loved being in such a quite place for a while, taking some nice pictures and just soaking up the peace. I visited the Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb museum, which was quite moving for me. But strange, also because both places were full of Indian sailors.

Some of the famous food in Nagasaki is champon, a hearty seafood soup with zillions of different ingredients, and turukoraisu (Turkish rice) which was nothing special. Nagasaki is one of the cities I wouldn't mind living in, because of its actual personality, and I bet the summer humidity isn't quite as oppressive as Nagoya. I'll definitely visit again.

2009-04-27~29 長崎

2009-4-28 高島

On the way back, I stopped again in Fukuoka for a couple of hours, which gave me just enough time to visit another Ichiran. (Compare to this time. It was the same kind of shokken, isolated booths place). I wanted to visit a yatai, but at that time of the early afternoon, none of them were open yet, so I had no choice. Even though now I realize this place is a significant chain, I still think that this Fukuoka ramen is the best ramen in Kyushu.

From 食べ物

Hanami season started a little while ago already. As you've seen, over the years I've taken a lot of pictures of the cherry blossoms. This year, when I went to Ogaki, of course, there were a few flowers already. The street I live on got about a three-week head start over the rest of the city.

花見2009/03/07

Just this past weekend, however, even though I've lived here for over three years now, I actually went to my first hanami party. You know, with the blue vinyl tarps and the hanging around and drinking.

2009-03-29 お花見

Even though Meijo koen was only at about 30% full bloom, and it was rather cold and windy for a late March Sunday, it was a perfect time out. It all ended with a trip to the karaoke box, the quintessential ending to such an affair.

Grandpa Tony

My Grandpa Tony passed away last week. He was a wonderful man who left a legacy that will live on for a very long time.

Some of my earliest memories are of going to Grandpa Tony's house on Saturday mornings. There were so many great places in the gardens, the yard, and the woods for us kids to play and learn. He was really great at growing things. More different kinds of fruits than I could ever imagine. He took tiny branches from fruit trees back in the Old Country (Czechoslovakia) and bring them back to Ohio and graft them. I was amazed he could grow fruit there in Ohio that you couldn't get anywhere else in the world but in Eastern Europe. Apples, pears, plums. And beyond that, his vegetable gardens were spectacular. Just acres of tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, onions, and on and on. And Grandma Lilly would sure know what to do with that natural bounty (and still does!).

What really impressed me is how hard he always worked. Because of this he was always healthy as an ox. He built a log cabin out in the woods and a huge inground swimming pool for all of us grandchildren to play in. It gave him great joy to provide for his family and it showed.

I was lucky enough to visit Straznice, where he was born. We are so grateful he took that trip over the ocean to start a family and life here.

Thanks Grandpa!

Today's one-day trip (日帰り旅行, higaeri ryokou) was to Ogaki, a little city in Gifu prefecture about a 30-minute train ride from Nagoya station. I went to see the little tiny Ogaki castle. Not much to say, except that it was only 100 yen to get in, and it did again pique interest in Japanese history. People have been living here comparatively forever. This castle was originally built in the 1500's (although rebuilt in 1945 after it was burned down in an air raid), and yet that is practically yesterday compared to other places. The weather was really nice (a little too much sunshine, though ;P), and it seems that spring is already here. So we got about three months until the sauna hits.

大垣 2009-02-28

Hyperbole is probably my favorite thing in the whole world, so it's not an exaggeration to say that the smartest thing I ever did was archive "The Ramen Ninja" website, which now seems to be down in real life. So I just went to my local version and happened on his review of "Ippodo", a Hakata-style tonkotsu place by Shirakawa-koen. Absolutely incredible. This style ramen is certainly a favorite of mine, and it may seem lazy to say, but I have to say that this is the greatest Fukuoka-style ramen that I've ever had. The soup had more ingredients in it than I can imagine, even the colors were innumerable. The place has a very hip atmosphere, with tables (and even counters) made from tree trunks, unusually-shaped chairs, and a really nice mix of music. When I was there, I think they played some 70's album rock, J-pop, and a never-before heard Frank Sinatra track. Another cool thing is they have a bunch of jars of otsumami which you can either dump into your bowl of ramen or put a bit in plates provided just for the purpose to munch on while you wait (which was not very long). But it's not just your usual otsumami. Besides the typical shouga (pickled ginger), they also had whole cloves of fresh garlic and a garlic press, and moyashi (bean sprouts) with hot peppers, and something else. Cool-shaped bowls and a totally genki staff completed the experience. I learned a new word this week, 有頂天 (uchouten, ecstasy), and I already had a chance to use it.

Rating: 5.0 Godzillas