The Japanese Toilet

When you first get off the plane and land in Tokyo one of the first things that you will likely do is go to the john.  Nobody really enjoys having to use the cramped airplane bathroom!  Upon entering the public facilities you'll notice a couple diffrent types of toilet.

One:  The oldschool.

This thing looks like a urinal on the ground.  You have to squat to use it unless urinating.  I highly recommend finding another toilet because we gaijin are not used to that kind of posture.  I have never and will never use one outside of a leak.

Two:  The new school.

Japan is way ahead of us in crapper technology, that I know for sure.  The Toto Washlet and all its versions are incredibly convenient.  Many westerners have heard that it sprays water in your butt, and that is a very accurate ass-esment.  Why would you want this?  It cuts wiping time down to a fraction, and also helps women clean themselves as a bidet.  If you've ever been sitting on the throne wiping all day, you'll wish you had one.

How to use:  The button with a butt is for the butt, the red button is stop, and the woman button is for women.  The one that looks like wind is a dryer.  Don't touch the other ones as that will mess with angles.

When you're done, most modern toilets have a button on the wall that you can conveniently press with your foot.  Newer and public toilets rarely have a western style flush these days.

Just a stupid little update, but it's a good thing to know when you're in Japan anyway.

Sumo Tournament

Today is the beginning of the March Sumo tournament.  Another battle awaits the Mongolian Yokozuna rank rivals Hakuho and Asashoryu.  Asashoryu is reigning grand champion, Hakuho the only man who has bested him recently and champion of 2 tournaments last year wants to take his spot.

Since moving to Japan the frequent Sumo tournaments have been one of my favorite things to watch on TV.  I mainly watch the top division, known as Makuuchi (behind the curtain due to the original usage that top ranked wrestlers sat in an area behind a curtain) because the other televised matches can get a bit stale, those with lower ranked fighters

Of course Asashoryu is steamrolling with 4 wins and no losses as of this writing.  15 wins is a perfect record, anything under 8-7 and a wrestler might get demoted.

I am especially excited to see Yamamotoyama (his name means "Mountain, REAL MOUNTAIN") he is the largest Japanese born sumo at 550 pounds.  Very fun to watch him squash a smaller opponent.

Best Program to Learn Japanese

If you are moving to Japan, or plan to be, you must learn the local language at least enough to get by.  One of the only phrases I knew upon landing in Japan was "tamonegi nashi" to be said at the counter of McDonalds (Makkudonarudo, Makku) to remove the onions!

That being said, I've tried out tons of language software since my arrival.  One of the best but most difficult to use has been Rosetta Stone.  The premise of the program is simple, click the picture or sentence that corresponds to the speaker.  The hard part honestly is sticking with it, Rosetta Stone is heavily vocabulary based, and you will learn a lot of less useful words in the beginning.  It teaches in a totally different way, similar to how children learn by context.  I liked this approach because I am not much for reading a language book.

I highly recommend that you get started months before you come to Japan, because Moving to Tokyo is not an easy thing to do.

How to Rent in Japan

Quick guide to Apartment renting:  On an advertisement you will see things such as "2LDK" or "1LKD" "1K" etcetera.  This is a kind of slang for example L= Living room, D=Dining room, K=Kitchen so a 2LDK apartment would have 2 bedrooms and the aforementioned.

Well, for one thing you need some form of residency paperwork.  Spousal/Dependant or a working visa will allow you to work which obviously you need to rent an apartment unless you have a husband or wife paying everything in which case, I envy you.  Some say it is hard for a Gaijin alone to get an apartment, and sometimes even if with a Japanese national, although this perception is changing.

Key Money/Deposit-  For a cheap apartment this is usually about 2,000 USD up front before you can rent... more based on the quality and price of the apartment.  2k seems to be the middle of the road though.  Along with RE agent fees and such this can be quite a big chunk.  Key Money and the RE Fee are non-refundable.  There is also a non refundable guarantor fee in most cases.

You need to get the documents in English or have enough proficiency in Japanese to read through a contract, (easier said than done) or use a translator.  This goes as a general caveat and SHOULD go without saying, but never sign anything before understanding it!

Utilities are generally not included, so you will have to get contracts for water, internet, heat, and electricity along with such things as Satellite or Cable.

You can also rent a furnished apartment without deposit from some companies, but they have a higher rate. (An efficency or "studio apartment" for about 1,000 USD per month in a less populated area or more)  They may also charge for cleanings and other similar things.  The main downside of this type of housing is that the rate for a larger "regular" apartment can be quite a bit less over time.

Snow today in Tokyo

Couldn't believe that it snowed today. 

Pizza is NOT the Same

In Tokyo and hungry for pizza?  Well, you're pretty much screwed.  Unless you want to take the risk of ordering from Pizza La (Pizza RA in Japanese pronounciation) or the Japanese version of Dominos you have only one choice for vaguely American style pizza at a reasonable rate.  Shakeys.  Made nationally famous by the "Kenny Dies" episode of South Park this small American chain has expanded world wide, they offer a lunch buffet (or Biew-fay in Japanese pronunciation, also Bikingu or Viking style) for about 10 bucks, but you still probably won't get what you're expecting.

When's the last time you went to your local pizzeria and asked for a Maguro (tuna) and Corn with mayonnaise sauce?  Or maybe you're in the mood for Pizza La's signature Hokkaido Crab and Gratin Pizza,  gratin being a sour cream/cream cheese tasting mixture.  As Ace Ventura would sarcastically say "Yummmay"  Also of note is the Teriyaki Chicken pizza, which replaces the standard tomato sauce with teriyaki and worchestershire sauce and slathers the whole thing in Mayo.

Ordering from a big company like Dominos or Pizza La will cost you upwards of 25 bucks for a medium, with some specialty pizzas going up to 50 dollars for a large.  

Mayonnaise, mayonnaise based sauce, gratin pizza, cookie and marshmallow pizza all appear on the Shakey's menu...  but not to be found are classic favorites like Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, or Jalapeno peppers.  If you ask for a Hawaiian Pizza, you'll get a strange look as well... Pineapple and Ham on pizza?  Apparently that is one of the few TRULY WEIRD combinations!