Seafood in Japan

Japan is only 225 km (or 140 miles) wide at its widest part.  That means that no matter where you live in the country, you are no farther than 112.5 km or 70 miles from the coast at any given time.  Fishing is huge business here in Japan - something that Travis and I have gotten to experience and enjoy.

About 20-30 minutes from Misawa there is a huge fish market.  Every single thing that they sell there was caught THAT DAY, and they throw out everything that they don't sell by the end of the day.  (Which both guarantees freshness, and explains part of the garbage problem Japan has).

The fish market had things that I couldn't even identify:

(I'm pretty sure it's an eel.... I think? :D)

things that I don't think I'd ever want to eat:

But such a good price!  3 for about $7.50!  (....it's only a good deal if you know what the hell to do with it once you have it!  lol)

So that is $35 dollars worth of Octopus tentacles.  Yummy???

So apparently if the squid is red it is 15x the price?  If only I read Japanese!

They also sell things at the Fish market that are not even edible - though still fish to be fair.

How would you like to own your very own blow fish?  You could eat the meat and possibly die - (If it isn't butchered properly, Fugu, or blowfish meat can be fatal) - or you could just own a hard dried shell of a deadly, stinky fish!

Travis and I weren't very adventurous, we only bought shrimp/prawns.  However, I have to say they were some of the biggest shrimp I've ever seen, and they cooked up deliciously.  We'll have to go back and try some more seafood soon.

Happy Easter!

I know for most people back home, Easter Sunday has just begun.  However for Travis and I we have had a very uneventful day of rest, relaxation, and a half decent Easter meal.  (If I do say so myself).

We spent most of the day playing video games and lounging about.

Travis found a new and unusual way of sitting in the recliner.  He swears it is the most comfortable position ever.  You know what they say, don't knock it 'til you've tried it!  Putting your head on the foot rest and watching the TV upside down just seems awkward.

He knew it was weird - look at him try to pretend he wasn't sitting all funny after he realizes I got the camera out.  Mwahhahaa.  [Though not that embarrassed, I did get his permission before posting these pictures online.]

 I did make a small effort to create an Easter meal for the two of us.  I bought a tiny smoked ham for the occasion, and decided I'd make scalloped potatoes and a tossed salad.  Nothing overly fancy - but somewhat Easter-ish.  On closer inspection I actually discovered the little ham that I had purchased had been pre-cut.  It was a bit of a set back (I've never seen a freezer ham precut that wasn't in the deli before) but it cooked up like a normal ham, and we didn't have to worry about carving!  I found my recipe for scalloped potatoes online, but it was more of a suggestion than the rule.  I managed to delete the butter from the recipe, and substitute skim milk for the 'heavy cream' recommended.  To make up for the lack of fat I tried adding onion.  Obviously not a replacement for fat, but I thought perhaps a replacement for a bit of lost flavour.  Honestly, the recipe turned out just fine without the butter or heavy cream - but I probably shouldn't have added the onion. It ended up tasting rather sweet in with the potatoes.  Not my best creation to date, but we both ate our serving.  Couldn't have been all bad!

Sufficiently suffonsified we have spent the evening watching a movie and fooling around on our computers.  (Blog writing anyone?)  It has been a wonderfully relaxing day - I hope your Easter is the same!

Politics Abroad

In one of the most technically advanced countries in the world, you would think that political advocates would have amazing electronic ads that are transmitted to the masses via ways us mere mortals would never imagine.  Japan has a reputation for electronics and technical advancements.  So how do they advertise for the upcoming election in the prefecture I'm living in?  They drive around my street with loud speakers mounted to their roofs spewing out campaign slogans (in Japanese!) louder than what I'd imagine a space launch would sound like up close.  

 (This isn't my picture, but it's a good example of the cars and vans that circle past our house every few hours.)




I've dealt with this type of  gorilla advertising before.  In Korea politicians advertise the same way.  Even fruit vendors will drive down the street announcing on their trucks loud speakers that the oranges in the bed are on special.  I used to bemoan those vendors, but no more!  At least once you were inside your apartment in Korea you could basically ignore them.  Today, I was in the shower, water running with the door closed.   In the bathroom with the window and the door closed.  In the back of the house, with all doors and windows closed.  If I were able to speak Japanese I would now be able to quote verbatum what the car driving by was saying.  It actually scared me, because it felt like the speaker was coming into my bathroom.  I wonder if they are breaking volume and noise ordinances when they drive by.

I know people back home are going through the beginnings of election fever.  Let me tell you, cherish those little lawn signs, and be thankful that no one has thought to put speakers on any of them to spout campaign promises!

Tokyo Disney

I've tried different ways to show everyone my pictures - the easiest is Facebook, but I understand many of you don't have (or want!) accounts. I've just recently discovered a slide show website that allows me to create a video of my pictures. I thought my pictures of Tokyo Disney would be the best to test this new program out.  Please let me know if it works/ doesn't work for you!  Enjoy!

Tokyo Disney - how to create a free slideshow