Hello dear readers and welcome to the end of the first month of 2018 – already! The good news for me is that this means winter will soon be over here. In fact, it is Setsubun on Saturday (3 February), which is officially the end of winter here and I’m hoping that the weather sees fit to comply. The name basically means seasonal division, so Setsubun is the last day of the season, however it seems to be exclusively used for Spring’s Eve.

It has been very cold here since my last posting, with most days having an expected maximum under 5C and sub-zero night temperatures. One day the expected maximum was 1C!! Now, I don’t know about you but for me, I find it very hard to think of 1C as a maximum. We have also actually had four days running where there was snow falling, on and off.

(Zowie mesmerised by the snow)

At this stage we haven’t had falls anywhere near as heavy as the mid-January fall of last year, which was 15cm. Craig was beginning to think I had made it up, but I pointed out I had a lot of pictorial evidence. The heaviest fall we had last week was around 2cm – not even close. For my part, I think that if it’s going to be really cold surely we can get some snow as visual compensation. Interestingly, it again seems the snow is falling all around us, and fairly heavy falls at that (including Tokyo), just not much here.

As it happens, one of the days we went up to see The Very Nearly Minshuku (name upgrade) was the morning after the 2cm snowfall, so some of the photos below show our back deck post the snowfall. Things are really moving along now, hence the name upgrade. The big surprise on the first day we visited was the installation of the carport had occurred. Our car will soon have it’s very own parking space! Yesterday, when we went up there, preparations were in place for a concrete pour under the carport cover, which is due to happen on Friday, so we were told.

 Carport at left

The next thing we noticed was ‘the monolith’ (to which our letterbox and intercom will be attached) had been coated and was being dried (by means of a hairdryer and an upright blow heater!!!). I call it ‘the monolith’, because it reminds me of the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, having just sort of appeared there. Finishing off the front of the building is the ramp and verandah, which, as of yesterday, was having the roofing material attached. While we were there watching the two men attaching the roofing material, one slipped and nearly fell down…luckily he didn’t, but you could see it had put the wind up him.

Other new items of interest outside were the side fence between the front of the building and our residence entrance and all the outside lights having been attached. We didn’t get a shot of the fence because the main carpenter was building a cover for the water heaters, etc, just in front of it, however, Craig was able to check that he could walk through the gate without ducking!

Yesterday when we arrived we also found that all the cardboard and plastic sheet coverings had been pulled off the floors, which were being cleaned. The wooden floors and tatami tiles look amazing. The hallways, upstairs and down, have wood edging either side of the tatami tiles which looks really good, while the dining/common room has plain wooden flooring. The wood is truly beautiful and we are going to have to make sure we look after it, given it will be a high traffic area. Yet to come are the tatami mats.

The walls of the commercial kitchen have been lined with metal sheets and it is now awaiting the installation of benches, shelves, worktops and sinks. The sheets are coated white, so with the lights on it is very bright in there. Yes, a good thing in an environment of sharp knives and hot cooking pots, etc. I should also mention that all doors are now installed too. The sliding door into the laundry, which is across the hallway from the dining room, is a vertically slatted sliding door and is soft closing!

In our area we could see more of the kitchen installation and the lights were all uncovered. The bathroom now has a vanity unit and the ceiling heater has been installed and we also now have a toilet (with a heated seat 😊). It’s interesting being in our area and seeing just how neutral the colours are. With the pale cream papered walls, so much bare wood and the neutral tiles, it is quite a change for me. From the start we decided to stick to a more traditional style for the minshuku area, and we also wanted a traditional style bedroom for ourselves, so this has been carried through by our architect and ourselves with the choice of materials.

Of course, the furniture we are bringing across here is mostly mid-century modern, which I think will look really good against these colours and materials. So it will be a blend with a very strong emphasis on timber. It’s going to be very interesting fitting everything in – a challenge I’m looking forward to. Apart from the commercial kitchen fit-out, most of the remaining work is internal cabinetry and landscaping. The fire inspection is on the 5^th February, so we are hoping we may be able to move in before the 15^th.

Recently Craig and I have been saddened as we walked around various areas, to see neglected, lonely single gloves lying around on the sides of roads and footpaths. It really has been heart-rending for us, especially at this time of year when you normally see gloves out together, hand in glove, happily keeping warm and snug. As a result, we have decided to take up the gauntlet and create a Lonely Gloves dating service to help them find a new glove partner. The service will be open to all glove types; wool, cotton, synthetic – even leather. Whether they want a matched opposite or another of the same hand, matching or different colours, we will cater to all who are genuine and not just in it for a one hand gesture. We hope to find suitable glove matches for all those seeking their mate, one they can be smitten with…

Finally, it is a very exciting day today, as a fairly rare event occurs in the skies above tonight. We are to have a  super blue, blood moon tonight. This means that we are having a full lunar eclipse and it is the second full moon in the month, and a supermoon to boot. I hope the skies will be clear so we can see it!!!

Cheers for now

It’s so cold that this display model has had 2 scarves put on her…

Even bikes are made with bamboo here!

How many is too many???

 ??? Do they hurt?

…and welcome back to the action. It has been pretty busy here while you’ve been away, so I’ll try to bring you up to date as much as I can. So, get yourself a caffeinated beverage and settle in…

It has been two weeks since I last blogged and we have had quite a few appointments during that time, so have been somewhat busy – so much so that I didn’t even do my nails for two weeks!!! That has now been remedied, because they were looking pretty shabby.

Weather-wise, we have had two quite different weeks; the first being cold and at times wet, the second being like a mini ‘heatwave’. Now, when I say ‘heatwave’ I mean it has been not as cold, with a few days above 10C (!) and the other days being sunny, so felt a bit warmer. This, however, is changing in the coming week, with some snow forecast tomorrow and the forecast maxima of 6C and less. The other night they said that a large very cold air mass was moving towards us and that the temperature in Siberia was -67C at the time as a result of this air mass…

Now to our main activities other than the usual shopping, housework (flatwork??), etc. After the high of collecting our new car it actually sat there for around a week before we got to take it out for a drive. Before that we had an appointment with the real estate agent we have chosen to sell our flat, our accountant and our builder and architect.

As I said a couple of posts previously, the real estate agent is one of the agents we were using to assist us in our search for a building/block of land to buy for our future minshuku. He really is such a nice and helpful person and it is always a pleasure to deal with him. He had contacted us post new year to say he wanted to come around to take a few photos and check a few things, such as measurements. It was funny watching him – he walked around talking to himself as he did what he needed to do.

The next day we went to our accountant to get information about taking on an employee and what we needed to do in terms of bureaucratic processes – we just knew there would have to be something, as there would be in Australia, and we suspected it would involve lots of forms. I had done some electronic oracle searching and had found a couple of employment forms to be completed, but I felt sure there would be more.

As it turned out, the law around employment here is regulated by one legislative Act and there don’t appear to be any awards or other non-government rules governing employment. So, as far as we can work out, there are no minimum hours or rules around other employment issues such as minimum breaks, etc. There is a minimum wage, but that is very low – wages here, overall, are very low and, in fact, the government is pushing employers to actually give the workers a decent pay rise this year, to help the economy overall. Without the significant tourism here, the economy would be continuing down the stagflation/deflation line it has been on for quite some time now and would be contracting.

At the end of the first week, we met our builder and architect at The House to talk about the handover and to make a few decisions in situ. It was a very cold day and our appointment with them was at 10:00, by which time it had jumped marginally above 0C. I was fully puffed up and had some thermal leggings under my pants but after about 10 minutes outside talking to the relevant parties I was really beginning to feel the cold. Still, it was good to see how much progress was being made, although we found out that we are probably not going to be able to move in until 15 Feb.

(l-r: builder, architect, translator, site supervisor, one of the concreters)

We were also told that the approval for the hotel licence is likely to take longer than they originally thought – possibly up to six weeks – because everyone is rushing to get their approvals through before 1 April when new rules come into effect. As a result, we have made the decision to push the opening date back one month to the 1^st of April. Disappointing but luckily the bookings we already had are in April.

Late in that week we also received an email form our real estate agent saying someone wanted to come and look at the flat on the following Monday, which was exciting even though ultimately it turned out that it was a young couple with two small children and this flat was a little small for their needs. What it did mean was that we had to do a full clean and tidy on the Sunday to make it spotless and look somewhat less crowded. We have been collecting boxes to use when we move, so we had to find a way to hide them…

After the inspection, we went up to collect our car to take it out to get petrol and we took the opportunity to go to a home centre and a large supermarket that is well out of walking distance. What we discovered in this process was that, while the GPS in the car had been set to English, not everything was in English and it was quite a complex process to set a destination and make it actually work. Once we got through that (imagine quite a bit of swearing and hair tearing…), it worked pretty well. Similarly, getting petrol was a complicated process (imagine more swearing and hair tearing, but in a more subtle way because it was in public view). After all this, we brought the car back to our flat and parked in the carpark across the road, because the following day we were off to get our licences (finally)!!!!

It took around 45 minutes to get there by car, in part because it was during a peak traffic period and because we avoided the toll road as we don’t yet have the necessary card to use on the tollway. Interestingly, according to the GPS, it would only have saved us around 5 minutes travelling time, so not really worth the cost anyway.

Our appointment was at 10:00, and we arrived around 10 minutes early (as we have a wont to do 😊). We were given some forms to fill out (surprisingly – not) and then we had to give them all the paperwork we had prepared, along with the forms and a photo each. The first surprise was that, despite having to wait one month for our appointment, there was no-one there who could speak any English and the second surprise was that the residence certificate that we each had to get from the local ward office was ok for Craig but not for me because it did not have the official stamp on it. They told us that we would have to go to the nearest ward office to get a replacement one before I could have my application processed – this was despite the fact that I had shown them my residence card (which they took a copy of) that has all my details on it, including a photograph. Thank goodness we had the car because it only took us around 30 minutes to go and get the replacement certificate, otherwise either we would have had to walk or catch a taxi.

Having jumped through the first set of hoops we had to wait for a while (20 minutes?) after which we were called back to the counter and handed another form to complete. We duly filled out this form then had to go to a machine and create a PIN, then go to another counter to pay some money, then have an eye test, then go to another counter and pay some more money, then have a photo taken (even though we had brought our own – one of which was used to attach to the first form we completed) then wait…and wait. 1 hour and 40 minutes later we were called and handed our fully completed licences! We finally left Police HQ (where the licence centre is) at just before 2pm!!! Not surprisingly, I got a bit restive and so took some photos (only a few, we were in Police HQ after all), including a selfie, which is only the second time I can remember having done so. Anyway, we now have official Japanese driver’s licences and thankfully the only test we had to take was an eye test. Also, in total, we paid ¥4,300 each for two years (around $AUD45)!

 (yes, I tried to rush and failed)

On Thursday, we had a meeting with our future employee, Takako, to discuss her employment conditions and to get her to complete a personal details form. On the same day we went to get our licences, she attended the Food Hygiene Manager’s course and successfully completed the test. She was happy with our employment proposal and so she will be working for us in the near future.

On Friday, we had to go to Aeon Mall to get provisions for The Kids, after which we went up to see the latest at The House. The round trip was around 8km, so a good walk and it was a lovely day. At The House, we found a lot has happened, with the front verandah and ramp nearly finished, most of the wallpapering upstairs and down nearly finished, the back and side decks well underway and…our kitchen mostly completed!!!!!!

To Say we were thrilled, is somewhat of an understatement. It also made us wonder why we can’t move in sooner, given there really is not that much more now to do. The commercial kitchen still has to be done, along with the tatami flooring, the light fittings and a few built-ins but otherwise the inside is getting very close now. I know, I’m just very, very keen to move in. Later that day, we had an appointment to organise the insurance for The House, contents and cover for our guests.

On a final note, yesterday we received an unexpected delivery by courier. It was an envelope in which there was ¥10,000 in gift vouchers (just over $AUD100) from Toyota, as a contract completion gift. A very nice surprise 😊.

Cheers for now

PS – the second form we had to complete at the driver’s licence centre had a number of questions about your health, such as do you take medication, have you blacked out in the last two years, etc. My favourite question asked if you had had a period of at least three consecutive days in the last two years where you had alcohol in your system continuously, ie had you been on a bender for at least three days!!!

 bagels as handles…

…because you want to buy antique bread…

Hello and Happy New Year! Welcome to the Year of the Dog. Apparently this year is expected to bring prosperity, particularly to those who, like the dog, are proactive, work hard and communicate well. As the dog is full of energy, 2018 is supposed to offer plentiful opportunities for business and being sociable. Chart readers have warned that with these opportunities comes the risk of time-related pressures, stress, exhaustion and other health problems. They have also warned that this is particularly so for those born in the Year of the Dog, which Craig is, so, while I am hoping that these predictions come to fruition, I am also aware that we must keep a check on ourselves to make sure we take some time for R&R.

The Chinese zodiac cycle is very big here, having been adopted very early in the history of Japan when they adopted many Chinese practices and beliefs – Confucianism being another. When Buddhism arrived in Japan in the mid-6th century CE, the Japanese eagerly imported both the Buddhist teachings and the Zodiac calendar. The Zodiac calendar was officially adopted in 604 CE. The lunar calendar, however, was abandoned in 1872 in favour of the solar (Gregorian) calendar. So, while the Chinese still celebrate the new year based on the lunar calendar, the Japanese celebrate new year on 1^st January. Despite this many temples and shrines continue to use the lunar calendar for other important festivals and events.

What did we do on new year’s eve??? We had a nice dinner and a reasonable Prosecco (it is very hard to find much here in the way of Prosecco). We had decided to visit our local shrine (Toyokuni jinja) and the associated Buddhist temple (Hoko ji) to see in the new year and watch the bell being rung, so went up there at about 11:30. We watched tv before going up there, and again this year there was a show with five men who had to try not to laugh, while many and various people, situations and things were put before them trying to make them laugh. If they did laugh, they were called out and were whacked across their derrieres with a foam truncheon by men dressed in camouflage gear…!!?? It was hilarious again, if somewhat inappropriate at times.

 From last year

At 11:20 we went up to the shrine/temple complex, fully rugged up and prepared for a cold night. Luckily it was a clear night, no wind, so while cold it was not wet or blisteringly cold. I had hoped this year we would be able to take a turn at ringing the bell. It is a very large bell and more often than not, groups of four ring it together. Having Craig here, I thought it would be nice to literally ring in the new year. I had assumed that if we were there half an hour beforehand there would be a queue, but that it wouldn’t be too long. Wrong. When we arrived there were literally hundreds already queued, so we gave up on that idea and just watched the events.

The shrine lit up & me

During the day and near midnight

At around 11:50 the head monk came out to perform a ritual in front of the bell and then ring it once, after which the masses could have their turn. There was a slight hitch with the first attempt by the monk to ring the bell, ie it didn’t work. It seems the tree trunk which is used to hit the bell, which hangs by large chains from the belfry (think Japanese belfry), hadn’t been fully released from the bindings which hold it so that no-one can just go and ring it any time. A somewhat embarrassed looking assist fixed this hurriedly and then bell ringing proceedings began.

The monk starts proceedings

At midnight, as with last year, someone called out and everyone applauded. The sound of the bell and this quiet applause really is very peaceful and is a nice way to begin a new year. We stayed a little longer watching the many having their turn – some trying their hardest to hit the bell out of the belfry (or so it seemed), most getting it just right and some struggling to hit it hard enough to be heard – then we went over and joined the queue to pay our respects to kami at the shrine. There was a small group of fairly ‘lively’ young men in the queue ahead of us, and I did wonder at them coming to the shrine  in their ‘lively’ state (beers in hand), but they were just a bit noisy and otherwise didn’t bother anyone.

On to The House (soon to be The Minshuku Residence), the builders had a week off this week so not overly much has advanced. I was asked this week about my statement that the upstairs rooms had been wallpapered, yet the walls looked very mono-colour in the photos. Well, yes, that is absolutely true, the wallpaper we selected is a standard style of wallpaper in Japan, which is not patterned in the way wallpapers are in Australia. Rather, they are textured, appearing somewhat like material on the walls. Variations  are around the colour (many creams and whites and some other colours) and the type of texture pattern.

Wall (L) & tokonoma (R)

This is very traditional and we chose wallpaper for the guest rooms as it is fairly standard for traditional style rooms. We did ask about painting the rooms in our area, but we were told that painting here is very expensive and they considered that wallpaper made the walls stronger. We noticed that they do not do the flushing of the plasterboards, so perhaps that’s part of what adds to the cost of painting. All of the walls in our flat (apart from the wet room, of course) are wallpapered.

During the week we went for a walk to get out of the flat for a while and stretch our legs. I thought it would be nice to go to Yasaka shrine to see what post new year activities were happening and walk through some of the lovely Gion streets. We went via the small back streets near Kiyomizudera, which are lined with old shops. It’s a lovely walk unless the crowds are at their peak. That day it was a bit crowded, but not too bad. Mostly it seemed it was Japanese people enjoying the new year’s holidays. When we got to Maruyama park there were many stalls set up near the entrance to Yasaka jinja, which continued into the shrine area itself. They were mainly selling food and omikuji – telling your fortune for the coming year. Many of the fortune telling paper strips are folded up inside small ceramic animals – mostly the zodiac animals. This year, of course, the majority are dogs.

My last year’s omikuji (I’m a boar/pig and Year of Rooster)

Yesterday was a big day for us, we went to pick up our new car! Our salesman was excited to see us and as always was the nicest car salesman I have ever encountered. We are particularly difficult for him, having limited Japanese but, as ever, he did his best to communicate with us. I have noticed an increasing trend, particularly in the younger people we have encountered, to use Google translate to assist in the process. Now, I have to say that while Google translate may be fairly accurate in some languages, it is not that good at translating Japanese to English (and vice versa). None-the-less, we can mostly work out what they are trying to say via this method.

With Masaki-san, he is keen to learn, so we did a further translation for him so he could learn some of the correct English terms related to cars. It took a while to go through everything, but he wanted to make sure we understood everything, despite the fact that, in terms of the car, we already knew most of the things inside the car, such as the lights and windscreen wipers. Importantly, he was very helpful in setting up the GPS and went through how the audio worked and the tv…we had to have the tv option so we would have a screen for the reversing cameras. He insisted he take photos for us, and also wanted some for his records too. Also, we again got gift items as we were leaving, this time many more. Once more they were very practical things, such as laundry detergents and ziplock bags. We also got an engimono – a lucky charm generally made of ceramic, this one in the shape of this year’s animal, ie dog.

Craig drove us back to The House, where we are parking it, with little incident, despite the somewhat notorious Japanese habits of speeding (speed is rarely policed here, so if it says 50km/h, you can expect you will be the slowest car on the road if you drive at 50) and running red lights (they seem to be treated as recommendations rather than absolutes – never start driving or walking as soon as the light goes green unless the road is clear), amongst other things. At The House we had a quick look, since it was their first day back at work, and found them installing the air-cons in the guest rooms. Our area had also had some further work done.

Our bedroom (top) & kitchen awaiting installation with in-floor storage now installed

Well, so that’s our start to this very big year for us, a lot is still ahead, particularly in the next two months, getting everything set in place. We are REALLY looking forward to moving onto our new home!!!

More to come…

Cheers

Me with friends…