Zhoumo kuaile!

Before I close on the Japan trip, here's a fun video recap (courtesy of Mike and his new toy):

I hope you've enjoyed this week's posts about the trip. I really loved Japan and would actually jump at the chance to live there. Maybe it's the stark differences between the Chinese and the Japanese, the fact that the latter seems to take such great care in all things -- from creating beautiful products and exquisite meals, to maintaining a high level of self-respect and respect for others. For example, it was a breath of fresh air (literally, in fact) seeing passengers politely line up single file to board a crowded subway train while allowing others to get off first.

On a different topic and in exciting news, two of my girlfriends are coming to China. Similar to what "the team" did back in May, the girls are flying into Beijing and out of Shanghai (and on to Thailand for one of them, whom I'll be joining! More on that later.). Mike and I are meeting them in the capital on Sunday, so you'll have to forgive me if posts are sporadic as I play hostess (and traveler) again.

P.S. I just added a few more photos to my Flickr account. Click here and enjoy!

Japan Part III: Tokyo

We spent most of our time in Tokyo eating (as covered) and shopping (as planned).

I didn't buy any clothes, but it wasn't for lack of trying; I just wasn't interested in buying from an American designer or from a store that's found elsewhere in the world. A hard feat in today's globalized society. 

After passing by the H&Ms and the Zaras, and usually on the top floors of ginormous shopping malls, we found shops with all kinds of Japanese curiosities. These were my favorite. I could have spent hours browsing shelves filled with stationary and crafts, innovative trinkets and clever little products. All of a sudden, you find yourself in need of an old-fashioned fountain pen and inkwell, a leather-bound diary, and erasers the shape of sushi.

Here's what we did score:

From left to right:

• A "sold only in Japan" Casio g-shock mini, a fun, casual watch to wear around town 
• A traditional, hand-forged Japanese knife purchased at the Tsukiji Fish Market (with my new initials engraved, I might add!) 
• A canvas pen holder for my late dad's collection

...all resting on a blue-and-white-striped sushi platter.   

I loved all that Tokyo had to offer and quickly realized that if I were to live there, I'd probably have to be put on a budget (and a diet, for that matter).  

Japan Part II: Sapporo

We didn't spend much time in Sapporo -- only our first night in Japan and coming back from the mountains. And if we were to do it again, we'd probably skip the Sapporo stops if flight and bus schedules allowed. But we did manage to catch a glimpse of the city's snow festival, which officially started just after we left. 

Though I imagine it doesn't come close to what goes on in Harbin (click here), it was pretty cool to see these massive snow/ice sculptures.

But when the snow started furiously falling and the temperature dropped, I was pretty much over it.

Fatty Tuesday: Cod Sperm Sack Sushi, Among Other Foodstuffs

Did today's headline grab your attention? Don't worry, I'll get to the sushi shortly.

We had some great food in Japan; it's a cuisine I probably wouldn't tire of too quickly. Here's a recap of some of our meals on the trip.  

Ramen: We had ramen our first night in Japan (in Sapporo) and again in Tokyo. It's the Japanese version of chicken soup for the soul: piping hot, tasty broth (usually pork-based, miso-flavored at times), incredibly fresh noodles, a perfectly soft-boiled egg, a crisp piece of seaweed, and crunchy bean sprouts. Versions vary, of course, but even the most basic is delicious on a cold day. Afuri Ramen in Tokyo is the spot and ordering is an adventure (orders are placed via a "no English" vending machine at the front of the restaurant).

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/165296248797846963/

Yakatori: In the simplest of terms, yakatori is meat and veggies on sticks. Grilled. Over coals. I liked it. But there's not much else to say about it. 

Tonkatsu: Perhaps the opposite of yakatori (at least in terms of calories), tonkatsu is a piece of perfectly fried pork (cutlet or loin). Its coating is panko bread crumbs, and its sides are crispy cabbage with a sesame dressing that's lick-your-bowl good and fluffy, white rice. The best part? Creating your own dipping sauce by grinding up sesame seeds yourself using a small pestle and mortar, and adding tonkatsu sauce, which is part sweet, part sour.  

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/165296248797846962/

Sushi: We had sushi a few times, but most notably at the Tsukiji Fish Market and before leaving for the airport. The Tsukiji Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and home to a number of small sushi spots. Tourists line up for one in particular, but knowing that the chefs all get access to the same fresh fish, we exchanged our spot in line, outside in the cold, for two seats inside another restaurant. The move was smart. It was sushi unlike any other I've had -- beautifully cut pieces of fish that sit atop a small pillow of rice perfectly balanced in terms of flavor and temperature, and that simply melt in your mouth.

Lunch on our last day had to be sushi again, but this time, inside a large mall in Shibuya, omakase-style (allowing the sushi chef to decide what we eat). I told myself that I had to eat everything put in front of me. And I did (for the most part). Cod sperm sack sushi included.

Can you guess which piece is the shirako, or cod sperm sack sushi?

So I didn't eat the raw shrimp sushi, because I've had it before and I'm not a fan of the film it leaves in your mouth. I also didn't suck on its head. But everything else! Here's what I learned: I'm not a fan of uni, but I can do salmon roe. And cod sperm sacks are creamy. (By the way, LA friends, you too can have shirako nigiri at Hamasaku; check this out.)     

Sweets: A firm believer in having dessert after every meal, I suffer from a major sweet tooth. I loved perusing the aisles of Japanese grocery and convenience stores. Shelves were lined with such interesting-looking items! If I were to live in Japan, my goal in life would be to taste-test every one of them. On this trip, I tried out a few; some were misses, but most were hits and made for delightful edible souvenirs.

Japan Part I: Niseko

The journey over to Japan was a long one: our flight in Shanghai got delayed, which caused us to miss our connection in Osaka where they told us that the next flight out to Sapporo was also delayed and could potentially turn around once in the air if the weather worsened. We took our chances and in the meantime, enjoyed wonderful Japanese innovations like an auto-dispensing draft beer machine:

Thankfully, we made it to Sapporo later that night, about 15 hours after leaving our place in Shanghai. But our travels weren't over yet; the next day we took a three-hour bus ride to the mountains of Niseko.

We chose to stay in Hirafu, part of Niseko, a ski resort seemingly overrun by Aussies. It's a very cool place, with the same mellow vibe that's so characteristic of mountain towns, but where bowls of ramen replace bowls of chili.

Mike booked us at the Niseko Prince Hotel where we stayed in a traditional Japanese room, complete with tatami mat flooring and a private onsen (like a jacuzzi minus the bubbles). In theory, sleeping on tatami mats is lovely; in practice, and after long days on the mountain, not so much. The private onsen, however, was crucial.  

Top photo: onsen; bottom photo: mountain view from onsen

The snow was fantastic; Mike was in heaven. Somewhat new to the whole snowboarding thing (and being the LA girl that I am), I had moments when I questioned what the f*ck I was doing in such cold. But I also had moments of pure joy when all I wanted to do was get one more run in.

See that thermometer? Minus 10 degrees celsius!

Up next: Fatty Tuesday, Japan-style.

Zhoumo kuaile!

You may remember that the question asked among expats in December is, "When are you going home?" whereas the question asked at this time of the year is, "Where are you spending Chinese New Year?"

For us, it's Japan! (It was South Korea last year.) This time next week, we'll be on a plane to Sapporo (after a very short layover in Osaka). We spend one night in Sapporo where we hope to catch a glimpse of the city's Snow Festival that starts a few days after our arrival. It promises streets and parks lined and filled with snow and ice sculptures. From there, we head to the mountains (Hirafu) for three days of snowboarding. To give you an idea of the conditions, it's been snowing there every day since Dec. 28 (excited husband!).

We'll end the trip in Tokyo with a couple of days filled with sushi, sake, and shopping (although I imagine the sake will likely get previewed in Hirafu during après-ski.)

Last year's requisite snowboarding pic