Shimamura the cheaper, more adventurous version of Uniqlo

Shimamura in Kobe's Tarumi ward.

After living in Japan for a while most gaijin eventually will find themselves shopping for clothes in some of Japan’s casual stores like Uniqlo, Muji, or Righton. These shops are somewhat similar to the Old Navy, The Gap, and Tully’s in the USA. One store which recently has gained popularity in Japan, although it’s been around for a long time, is Shimamura. My wife has been shopping there since the family she works for took her to one well before I first met her. It’s so cheap that they will drive an hour across Osaka to go their favorite store.

Shimamura in Tamba, Hyogo

So what do they have? T-shirts with nonsense English, pants with extra pockets and unnecessary chains, normal shirts, dress shirts, dress pants, bras, underwear, socks, towels, bedding, cushions, hats, sunglasses, shoes, slippers a small isle of toys plus some candy and batteries near the register to round it all off.

Chambre and Avail are sister stores in the Shimamura group

The special thing about Shimamura is that everything is different, and finding the same shirt in a different size can be hard. Uniqlo will have 1,000 copies of the same shirt in 5 different colors, Shimamura, on the other hand, will have 1,000 different shirts. When shopping there I first find stuff in my size and then sort out what I want to buy. If you're a 4L or 5L size guy you might be out of luck for pants, but there will be some shirts, socks and underwear that will fit you.

It’s also super cheap and better quality than what you might find in a 100 Yen shop too. Last time I was there I got a nice pair of black dress pants for ¥1,850 and some dress socks 2-pair for ¥200. I buy all my belts and room slippers at Shimamura. As for getting stuff for your apartment Shimamura is great. I get lots of my towels and bedding there. Also, if you’re looking for some cheap Engrish t-shirts to take home for omiyage, this is the place.

Outside Shimamura in Kobe's Tarumi ward

Getting to a store near you might take some work however as many of their stores are best accessed by car. Near Kobe there’s a store in front of Shin-Nagata station on the JR and Kobe Subway lines and a larger store down near the Awajishima bridge in Tarumi-ku. You can find one near you on their homepage (in Japanese).

A store similar to, but not as good as Shimamura in my opinion, is called Itogofuku. I got my mom and sister towels and bedding there when they came to Japan for a few weeks. You can find their stores via their homepage (in Japanese).

Shimamura
Itogofuku

Of course if you can't read Japanese feel free to send me an email or comment to this post and I'll help you find a store near you!

This post was in the August Japan Soc Blog Matsuri. You can see other posts about being frugal in Japan at frugalistajapan.com

07.12-Waiting for Blue

07.12-Waiting for Blue, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

I took this photo sitting in my favorite seat on the bus. It's the one in the front with the full view of the front window. It's a single seat so I don't have to worry about any one else as I daydream and watch the city roll by.

Odd Japanese language note: Don't call green, it's blue. On a stoplight you have red, yellow, and green which is pretty much common the world over. The color is green is still green in Japan, but everyone calls it blue (aoi). Why? I have some theories, but it's one of those unanswerable questions. Maybe another good one for this month's JSoc Matsuri.

Osaka always was and always will be

06.18-Shinsekai_Barrier, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

I can't imagine an alternate reality of Osaka where this barrier new. It's like Osaka has all ways looked this way and always will. Happy smiling flowers panted upon a half broken, rusting sheet of metal.

And this is why I love Osaka

More love for Osaka

07.15 Mukogawa-Mansion-1

07.15 Mukogawa-Mansion-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

A mansion (apartment building) on the east bank of the Mukogawa river.

I walked the built up part of the Mukogawa river the other day from Hankyu Takarazuka station to Hanshin Mukogawa Danchi Mae station. About 9km. My goal is to walk along as much of the river as I can which is about 66km long. Since I was walking south the entire time the right side of my body got a sunburn. I got teased about that for a few days.

06.26 Sue-no-Sato-1

06.26 Sue-no-Sato-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Some pottery in front of Sue-no-Sato in Sasayama

What do I find strange about Japan? (Japan Blog Matsuri)

07.24 AimerFeel-FlowerRoad-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

What do I find strange about Japan?

All the lingerie models in Japan are white, western women. My wife gets the PeachJohn catalog--all white girls. Look at the mannequins and models in this AimerFeel storefront in Kobe--more white girls. I'm not complaining, just wondering. I can understand the reason behind most things that I might find crazy, strange, or unusual here in Japan--no matter how obtuse or misinformed that reasoning might be. This one, however, leaves me at a loss for words.

7/27 Edit: Here's the link for the matsuri info: http://gakuranman.com/japansoc-blog-matsuri/

10 Hints for the Green Card Application

The mass of papers and junk and forms you have to fill out if you want to bring your spouse to the USA is daunting, but here's a few tips from me.

First!

There's the time line, good to know:

1. Fill out all the application forms and get the needed documents
2. Reserve a date and time (2:00PM or 2:30PM) at the American embassy in Tokyo.
3. File those papers on that date. (Only you need to go, but both of you is better.)
   
4. Receive a package from the American government.
5. Schedule an interview at the American embassy in Tokyo.
6. Get your background and health check done.
7. Go to the interview. (Only your spouse needs to go, but both of you is ok.)
   
8. 2 weeks or so after the interview you'll receive your visa. You have to go to the USA with in 6 months of getting that visa or it will become void.

Second!

What if you're not sure when you want to move to the USA? In my case I'm planning on going back to the USA for grad school sometime in the next 5 years. I haven't even picked a school or applied. So why did I start Yuko's green card process now? Because between step 4 and 5 you can wait for as long as you want. So we can hang on to this packet and sit on it till I figure out when I'll be starting school and when we want to move to the states. We'll schedule the interview sometime 3-4 months before our arrival in the USA.

Third!

Some of those PDF's don't let you save your work half way through so block out an afternoon to sit down with your spouse and fill them in. Make sure to print out 2-3 copies just in case. Also, don't fill them out by hand. You can do it all on the computer, it looks much better.

Fourth!

You might need a someone else to help prove you can provide for your spouse in the USA. Here's the deal. You need to prove that the person you're bringing into the USA won't be a burden to the public welfare and health care systems, so you need to prove that you can make a steady income. I make my living in Japan as a bartender and teacher. I cannot prove that I can make the same amount of money working the same jobs in the USA, so I will need to get a co-sponsor. I think together the sponsors need to prove that they have $18,000 in the bank or as income.

Fitfh!

You'll need to prove you're relationship with pictures and notes. Don't bring in your whole family photo album and actual letters. Copies work. I printed off another copy of our wedding announcement letter, two posts from this blog about Yuko, and I skimmed my photo library for any photos of Yuko and me and printed them out contact sheet style.

Sixth!

The application requires passport style photo of you and your spouse. The form says "most Japanese photo booths take acceptable photos" but they don't say which setting to use. Most Japanese photo booths have 4 photo sizes. Choose the one where you'll get two 50mmX70mm photos. It's commonly the last option. When you get to the embassy there are photo cutters you can use to make the photos 50mm square as per the instructions. Don't forget they have to be in color. There is a photo booth inside the embassy, but it costs ¥1,000 and what happens if it's broken?

Seventh!

Getting into the embassy is like getting on an airplane. There is a full security check. Don't bring your laptop or a bunch of electronics since you can't take them in with you. For the electronics you just normally carry (I had my camera, ipod, cell phone with me) they will keep that for you in the guards booth. You can't bring drinks into the embassy, but there are vending machines on the inside.

Eighth!

A copy of your spouses' family register will work for her birth and marriage records. When you got married s/he got their own. You'll need to translate it however. I made a template you can freely use. There's a so-so version on google docs, but if you email me I'll send you the nicer looking Pages or Word document.

Ninth!

Be organized! It makes this process easier on you and them. I didn't think I did anything special, but the clerk told me my application was the most organized he'd ever seen. That was the greatest complement ever! My Filing Technique is Unstoppable! (P.S. David Rees is great and check out how Jamba Juice totally ripped him off.)

Tenth!

Smile!

Get started on the I-130 Petition Checklist page! Good luck!

I hope this helps. Yuko and I are only on step four and I'll try to keep you updated about the rest of the stuff.

Dono (ドーノ) - Kansai Restaurant Review

The spicy sausage pizza at Dono

A pizza, the right size, the right toppings, an excellent crust, reasonable price... in the middle of nowhere.

I have no clue how my sister-in-law found this place. I don't know how anyone finds this place for that matter. Up in the hills way past the last reaches of Kobe's immense Kita ward in the Konda area of Sasayama hides this little pizza restaurant. No public transportation to this one. You need a car. If you can get out here you'll also need a reservation--it's that good. Oh! and it's only open for lunch on the weekdays. Weekends they do dinner, but only till 8 PM.

Margarita pizza at Dono

What are you coming for? A great hand made pizza cooked in a special oven on the first floor of the owners house. The pizzas range from ¥1,000 to ¥1,300. The set menu adds salads, drinks, appetizers, and desserts to the meal. The simple, yet appetizing, set salad was great. For those who don't like pizza, pasta is also served. The idea here is to come with some friends and everyone orders a different pizza or pasta so you can taste it all.

The appetizer at Dono

I really enjoyed the basic margarita pizza, but the spicy sausage was amazing. The great earthy spice that was generously dusted on top of the cheese and sausage really made it a treat. I was also afraid that the sizes would be too small for me--a problem with many Japanese pizza places. Here it was not the case, each pie was about 10 inches and filling.

The dessert at Dono

Besides it's location, it's hours, and how busy the shop can become, the only downside was the pretty, but simple dessert. If you make it out there, and I think you should, stop by and check out the local pottery at Sue-no-sato 陶の里 just down the road.

Funny side note, my sister in law made the reservation by phone and when we arrived the waitress gave her ¥50 in an envelope to make up for the cost of the phone call to make the reservation. Very Japanese.

Hours:
Tuesday-Friday 11:00-15:00 (14:30 lo)
Saturday and Sunday 11:00-20:00 (19:30 lo)

Phone: 079-597-3716

Address: 兵庫県篠山市今田町釜屋６２９

Map:

より大きな地図で Kansai Restruant Review を表示

06.25 KazaninBench 1

06.25 KazaninBench 1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

A bench at Kazanin Temple.

Part of my Benches theme.

Kazanin 花山院

The entrance to Kazanin

Kazanin is one of the 3 bangai, or extra temples on the Western Japan 33 temple route, and the last on my Mother-in-law's trip. So now that she's finished with her pilgrimage I guess it's time for Yuko and me start.

The main building

Kazanin is up a steep mountain road in Sanda, Hyogo. Very close to a onsen I've recommended before on Kansai Onsen Review. The name which would normally be read "hanayama" is pronounced "kazan" in this case. It's the same as the Japanese word for volcano.

One of the seven statues

The most interesting thing for me was the seven statues that are in the garden. Each statue stands for a different virtue, or something you are asking for. What you do is approach the statue and touch their hands and pray in front of them. The statues' hands have all become smooth and yellow over the years of people touching them.

This site, in Japanese, has more pictures and a map.

Sasebo Burger Plus Cafe "Ata-go" - Kansai Restaurant Review

The Spicy Burger at Sasebo Burger Plus Cafe "Ata-go"

A decent burger in a stylish shop, but a bit of a let down.

It's always nice to know where you can get a good, fresh hamburger. It might not be your favorite place, but it would be better than hitting up the fast food joints. Ata-go is this kind of place. Sadly, I've been unimpressed by the various Sasebo style burger shops that I've been to. Named after a town in Nagaski Pref. that has become Japan’s Mecca for hamburger shops, the Sasebo Burger puts an emphasis on the size and messiness of the burger. (Sight Sasebo has a list of all the shops and pictures of their burgers in Japanese.)

Ata-go in Namba, Osaka

Ata-go has big, messy Sasebo style burgers served in plastic bags for cleanliness. The bun is soft on the inside and has a great toasty crunch on the ends, and they even brand the top of the bun with the shops logo. But it’s what’s between the buns where the burger fails. I felt that the patty let the entire burger down. The meat flavor didn’t come through. I had the spicy burger and the sauce was spicy, but I can’t say much more about it. The french fries seemed uninspired when compared to other shops. Ata-go does offer many good drink options with a full cocktail menu and Mino beer--a local microbrew. The shop is small with seating for about 10 inside, but it has some outdoor seating under the Nankai tracks which is surprisingly cool and comfortable. It would be a good place to sit outside for a few after work drinks. Everything has a Native American theme and the music is a mix of country and Native American chants.

Overall, It’s a good hamburger, in a nice shop, and you’re getting a good burger for the price you pay, but I wouldn’t be going out of my way to have this one.

You’ll be spending around ¥1,500 for a burger, side and a drink. Put a bit more on there if you get a beer or cocktail. My spicy burger beer set with a side of fries was ¥1,600.

Homepage: http://www.ata-go.com/

Hours: 11:30-22:00 (Mondays 11:30-14:00)

Map:

より大きな地図で Kansai Restruant Review を表示

06.15 Uji River 2

06.15 Uji River 2, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

A bridge crossing the Uji River.

06.15 Uji River 1

06.15 Uji River 1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

A rusted sign warns anglers in front of the fast flowing Uji River.

Shiso Pepsi

06.23 ShisoPepsi 1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Every summer Pepsi of Japan blesses us with a new wacky, always craptastic flavor, onto the Japanese market. Two years ago it was Ice Cucumber, last year it was something blue. All of the colors of these, ehm, beverages are, to be nice, unique as their flavors. This year it's shiso. If you get take out sushi and there's a plastic leaf in the tray as decoration--that's shiso. Well that's the plastic version of it. If you have had Japanese no-oil dressing, that probably was shiso flavored. If you live in Japan you eat this often. It's one of my favorite things. Mixed up with umeboshi (pickled plum) as a topping for grilled chicken is great.

So how does it work as a soda. Really nice. They didn't make this too sweet and you can really taste the shiso.

Well that's my opinion. What does Yuko say?

"Kirai!"

Nope, she didn't like it.

Nakamura Tokichi - Kansai Restaurant Review

This green tea producer's cafe and restaurant is as visually stunning as the food is tasty. Nakamura Tokichi Honten - 中村籐吉本店 set in a old house the restaurant serves green tea seasoned meals, deserts, and, of course, drinks. The restaurant section of the house is in the back through the courtyard where a 200 year old black pine stands, supported and trained by bamboo poles to make a ship like appearance.

Yuko had cold soba noodles which were made with green tea. The meal included soup, small desert, pickles, and rice, topped with a green tea furikake. That was good, but the deserts really shine through. I had green tea ice cream zensai and a green tea latte. Both were fantastic.

My sister-in-law, who is always reading Japanese language foodie blogs, said she had seen good reviews of the restaurant many times before online. If in Uji, a great place to see a little miniature Kyoto with out the crowds of Kyoto, take an afternoon break at Nakamura Tokichi.

Address: 〒611-0021　京都府宇治市宇治壱番１０番地
Price: around ¥1,000
Map:

大きな地図で見る

Mimurotoji 三室戸寺

The stairs leading up to the main building.

Pilgrimage plays an important role in Japanese society. In the past it was to temples; today it takes many forms. My brother in law and his friend made a pilgrimage, you might say, to real places near Tokyo that served as the settings to Gibili animations. Train fans make pilgrimages to out of the way local lines and wait for just the right chance to take their photos. My goal to ride every train line in Kansai and go to every sento in Kobe (at least to start out with) is somewhat of a pilgrimage. While the examples above are of the modern variety, the Buddhist temple routes which came before them are still very, very popular. I wonder: Has the history of going on these pilgrimages created today's popularity of non-religious pilgrimage and collecting in general?

The garden at Mimurotoji.

Before my father in law passed away, and well before I met my wife, my family began such a pilgrimage. It's been on and off for many years. A day trip out to a temple and back built up over time collecting stamps and signatures on the Saikoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage. (Here is a photo of what the stamps look like from an earlier trip.) Monday my family went to the next to last temple on their pilgrimage: Mimurotoji in Uji, Kyoto-fu. The temple was busy with people even on a Monday afternoon because of the tons of hydrangeas (ajisai in Japanese) planted in the temple's gardens. A board on the temple grounds boasts 10,000 of them, along with 20,000 azaleas (tsuzuji) and 1,000 rhodoendron (shakunage).

Hydrangeas in the garden of Mimurotoji.

I love going on these day trips. I get to drive might be one reason, but in reality it's the chance to get out of the city and, even in the crowds, have a sense of peace. It's amazing how these temples are hidden in the landscape and even more amazing how beautiful they are. Mimurotoji I have to say was my second favorite only after the hidden, sylvan beauty of Okadera in Nara-ken.

A statue in set in the fountain used for purification.

Because I've accompanied my Mother-in-law and Yuko on these trips, I've gone to temples and places I wouldn't have seen otherwise. Besides that, there's the peace one gets from going to these places and in hectic, stressful Japan. So as my Mother-in-law closes out her pilgrimage, Yuko and I will begin ours and maybe in a few years we will have our own scroll of stamps to help us remember all the beautiful temples we have been to.

Mimurotoji 三室戸寺 is located in Uji, Kyoto Pref.. The closest train station is Mimuroto (三室戸) on the Keihan Uji line. It is also accessible from Uji (宇治) station on the JR Nara line. The grounds are open from 8:30-16:30 (16:00 in the winter). It costs 5oo yen for admission to the grounds.

大きな地図で見る

2009.06.15 - Natsuka Supermarket in Uji

2009.06.15 - Natsuka Supermarket in Uji, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

I love the design and style of old supermarkets, old ones in America seem to be few and far between. In Japan aged signage is not hard to find. Every new town is a visual treat for rust lovers like myself. This supermarket is still operating and is located along a shopping street in Uji, Kyoto pref..

06.10 Kobe-Maruyama 3 - Housing

06.10Kobe-Maruyama 3, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Typical single family houses perched on hillsides near Maruyama station in Nagata-ku above Kobe's old downtown. A pedestrian San Francisco. There is access by car, but it's through many tight, steep single lane streets. Bicycles, nearly ubiquitous in the Japanese landscape, are rare here. Also notice the prevalence of TV antennas. I've noticed that, even if they subscribe to cable TV service, Japanese households will still use over-the-air signals to receive their basic channels.

Invisible Lines

06.10Kobe-Maruyama 2, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

A sign exposes the invisible line between Kobe's Nagata-ku and Suma-ku.

Larger cities in Japan are divided into wards or ku (区) in Japanese. Kobe has 8 that I can think of off the top of my head. Wards play an important part of the division of the city. In Kobe it might drastically effect your taxes--I've heard Chuo-ku taxes are brutal. In a broad city wide view each ward is unique, but, when you get down to the street level not much changes between one ward to another. Here, the ward boundry cuts through a hospital. The city has found it important enough to post signs showing the boundary even. Is it really that important? What boundries matter more than others. Here in the area I'm calling Maruyama* for lack of a better term, Single family houses cling to the hillsides in what seems to be an aged middle class suburb. The hills and small streets combined with few public transportation options, in comparison to the rest of Kobe, makes this area quite interesting. It's a transitional area between the higher, more mountainous areas of the city (Kita-ward) and the seafront. My question: when was it first developed? Judging by the houses and the extreme topography, I guess it was sometime in the last 50 years. Perhaps this area was developed in order to provide space for single family houses which would have access to Kobe and Osaka's office buildings without being to far in the post war years while still being in the city's boundaries.

The other question, raised above, is what is the motivation by the city government in marking boundaries like this on the landscape. Does it aid in navigation? Is it merely for city maintenance workers? Is it for the benefit of strange geo-fetishists like myself? For the postal workers? I'm glad someone in the city took the time to mark this line, but why?

*I've called this area Maruyama mostly because of the nearest station's name (神戸電鉄丸山駅). I've seen Hanayama used for this area also, but I've yet to find a good name for this part of Kobe.

04.28 Tucson to Flagstaff-16

04.28 Tucson to Flagstaff-16, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Here's a picture of a dog sitting in a planter out side of a Flagstaff restaurant.