Japan 2025
- Peter Littman
- Feb 22
- 6 min read
The Kyoto to Tokyo Bullet departs at 11:08. Car 14 Seat 8c, bento in hand.
Translations
Comical english translations. Oddly specific and very demanding signs.
What if we documented the world through funny signs?
Cities open up great realms of curiosity.
How much you notice when looking for something in particular. Cute little buildings and rustic storefronts nestled between glass towers.
Does Japan feel more or less far from home than expected? Both.
Analog, telephones, fax machines, computers, cars. People don’t seem allergic to old things.
Snow
Hokkaido’s season of the century.
Be warned, there are heaps of Aussies in Niseko. Every American showed up too.
I loved all the hiking today. Side country galore. Gates Galore. Boot pack bonanza.
Very invigorating! Resort skiing redeemed.
1/24/2024 Set List
I fall in love too easily
My favorite things
Moments notice
Whisper Not
Autumn leaves
Billie’s bounce
We had a lot of fun chatting with bartenders, baristas, and tea servers, the resident recommenders.
The joy of encountering Kyoto’s local places, running trails and neighborhood fish markets. I am still learning the art of observing cultural norms, adjusting.
Jakob is a natural and Andrew is better than me.
For instance, it is considered rude to eat in public, in streets, subway, shops.
Accepting that some things in life are out of your control. Refrain from reacting. Practice a mild mannered existence. Sometimes less is more. Running helps, breathing helps, observing helps.
Opinion & Protest. In which areas do you have strong opinions and weak ones? Politics, protest, law, technology, mountains, food? How long does it take for you to develop a point of view? How often do you change your strong opinions, opinions on important issues?
Travel surfaces an irreverence for routine and daily life, a waning attachment to work.
The nagging need for productivity, growth, and future benefit subsides.
Here is the intrinsic value of life. Here is a chance to think hard. What am I doing? How can I realign with my values?
Ski Snacks
Kit Kats and green jelly treats.
Onigiri with salmon and seaweed.
Coffee in a plastic bottle served hot from a vending machine.
Green Tea and Matcha ice cream.
Share your dreams at Yume Wo Katare Ramen spot. The chef might just share his with you too.
Old man cabbies in Tokyo don’t typically speak English; it won’t stop you from laughing along with their jokes (usually at the expense of other tourists, who may or may not look just like you).
Avoid expat bars; their walls are covered in obscenities.
A sign in the elevator, many moments of illustrative misinterpretation. We thought guests could rent a dog to accompany the hotel stay. How comforting.
Autos and Peds pass on the right.
Urban Place
Sliding doors and wooden edifices.
Next store is concrete minimalist, squares and rectangles. Modern traditional, juxtaposed with retro electronic ubiquity. Flights of stairs glued to fronts of buildings.
Watching people move through their daily lives, another lens, I imagine this isn’t a place to visit, but a realm of routine, a home.
I have the temptation to superimpose the familiar neighborhoods and organizational structures of New York, San Francisco, London to Tokyo. Not so fast. The vertical city where elevators are like sidewalks, up and down past karaoke, stationary shops, conveyor belt sushi, dart parlours.
Public bathrooms with no doors, the urinals can be seen from outside. Street crossing signals sound like birds.
Japanese cities have a lot less vegetation. Shinkansen bullet train goes 199 mph.
Andrew’s friend met with a monk. He spoke of a water bottle filled with water and sand. In everyday life we shake the bottle, the sand and water mix, everything is in motion. The Monk advises to let the bottle sit, the sand will settle and the water will clear.
It is common to find there is no soap in the bathroom and occasionally, you will even find a public potty with no doors to shield the view.
Certainly, there are no public trash cans.
I was distraught to find that Mochi in Japan has red bean paste (not ice cream) inside. It turns out almost every baked confection is filled with the stuff.
Red bean paste is not my favorite.
People in Japan bike on the sidewalk.
Onsen Sommelier
Old spot, checking into Hokkaido hospitality.
No showers only onsens, nodding off on Floor mats.
The special 22 minerals mixed and measured. A particular silken robe, pointy slippers, and fashionable cotton bathing garment for men and women, and a strict routine for getting in and out. Everyone follows the communal way.
Beware of Bamboo Forests, temples too.
You will encounter throngs of tourists and endless matcha flavored this and that.
Lookout for the Japanese menu, which usually has more options.
Japanese tofu is so soft and jiggly and yummy.
Katsu, Shabu Shabu, Omakase, Onigiri, Gyoza, Tomago. Fried Octopus, Tako. So good.
Izakaya is a type of restaurant, a small pub with small plates. The local hang.
Sujiki Fish market. The tuna auction. Tourists are not allowed
First, a sniffing of tea leaves and coffee beans, before ordering, to make an informed choice.
Darker roast, the less unique the flavor, tends to be less expensive.
A different grind for each bean. Lighter roast, harder beans, needs a finer grind.
Let the coffee bloom. Pour a little bit at the beginning, to let the acidity out.
The kettle is just like a paintbrush.
Four pours is the best, balancing the speed (too fast, flavor flat; too slow, flavor too strong).
Fussy coffee to water ratios, more water for a lighter roast or a finer grind size.
Baristas take their time. Long lines don’t rush them.
Wintery Start
In the winters, the mornings start slow, dark, frozen, cold. But the warmth comes quickly. The trees wake up.
Warmth and wood, the way snow engulfs the trees. It’s rare to get more than a glimpse of the sun in the winter.
Massive snow mounds, machines moving tons. No where to put all the heaps.
Pink Yotei, and lots of hiking too.
The snow puffs on branches of groves resembling birch or aspen. That goes on, rugged and formidable, a wind skewered peak tucked between rolling hills and valleys.
Love in Friendship
Japan’s first concrete utility pole, a Hakodate landmark, and a quirky friend’s fascination.
Lots of sharing, asking versus offering. A novel dozen, chocolate treats from 7-11.
Friends who love each other look after each other.
They say, don’t chew ice!
They enforce a quota of big words per day. “Homogeneous” is exhibit A.
We spotted a bird stuck swimming, struggling to escape an aqueduct drain. Andrew & Jakob were captivated, heart broken.
We watched for a while, unable to help but wanting to.
Inside emotional vs outside emotional (feeling vs expression).
Intrinsic means
Be present
and
Slurp if you enjoy
Places in Tokyo
Ginza, like Soho, near imperial Palace, Tokyo Station
Shibuya, like Times square
Omotesando, quaint, picturesque, our favorite.
Akasake, where we are staying
Shinjuku Station
Types of green tea: Sencha, Matcha, Hojicha, Genmaicha.
I did not know that matcha is a type of green tea.
Sometimes even with an umami taste.
It is proper to brew green tea at a lower temperature.
Instructions from the brewmaster:
Pour the water from the flask to the teacup, let it cool for a minute.
Then pour into the pot, and immediately into your cup.
The tea changes taste through successive pours.
Artisans of tradition, pure passion & perfection, bakers, ceramacists, Sushi Chefs, Noodle makers.
The bus is an elderly watering hole. The driver says arigato to each and every lucky rider.
Jakob’s Fujifilm
Prompting pictographic critiques and photographic lessons.
Capturing scenes through shutters, with lenses, sensors.
Arbiters of depth, manipulators of zoom.
Oblivious subjects, someone steals a shot.
Photos are either raw or jpeg.
REVIEWS
Google Map restaurant star inflation varies from country to country. A NYC 4.8 is a Tokyo 4.2.
Are we the Google map generation?
The look at reviews before walking in the generation?
If reviews drive conformity, will we be more conformist than those before us?
The generation of stymied spontaneity.
Peace & Calm
No one honks; bustling silent city.
Jazz playing everywhere, restaurants, book stores, coffee shops, bakeries.
Classic Coltrane & Monk albums on the walls.
Cities organized with Fusui, the Japanese evolution of Yin Yang.
I have found a love for heated toilet seats.
Despite the distinct fear of navigating the 18 bidet buttons and fear of making a mess.
I love the tiny sinks, small portions, houses, streets, cars, cups, doorways, subtle signs on storefronts, chairs.
Different types of things
Maguro Tuna, Toro Fatty Tuna, Hotoro Fatty Tuna, Akamai Thin Tuna.
Ramen Noodles, Soba Noodles, Udon Noodles, Somen Noodles
The last time you do things happen all the time.
How will you know something was the best until after you’ve experienced it?
