I’m happy to announce that I’ve started a podcast! It’s called CrossWorld Puzzles, and explores how individuals who grew up in or are currently in multicultural environments tackle life’s big questions: e.g. where to be based, what kind of career to build, who to spend the rest of their lives with, etc.
Some friends know that I’ve been ruminating about this for more than a year, especially as I’ve struggled with these questions in my own life. This is a selfish endeavor where I’m seeking answers for myself, but I also hope to showcase my amazing friends and mentors–and perhaps inspire others along the way!
Many thanks to my friend Sayuri Romei, who bravely and kindly agreed to being interviewed for the very first episode! She grew up in Italy speaking Italian, French, and Japanese–but is now based in the U.S. She also happens to be an expert on nuclear deterrence, as well as a published illustrator! She’s so busy (she changed jobs the very week we were talking!), and I cannot thank her enough for taking the time to share her great outlook on life.
The video podcast with Sayuri is below, but more information, including photos and a full transcript, can be found here.
For now, the plan is to post once a month. I’ll post notices about new episodes on this blog, but full details will always remain on the CrossWorld Puzzles website.
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#7): How to Take a Break or Take It Easy”
Here’s the latest article for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. We’re in the midst of summer vacation season. Many people are likely busy returning to their hometowns, traveling with their families, etc. On the other hand, we can also take some time for ourselves while we’re less busy at work or school. We may wish to simply relax at home, take up plans we’ve long postponed, or reconsider our careers and priorities. In this issue, I discuss how to explain these personal needs to those at work and around us so that we can take a proper break.
まず、仕事で心身共に疲弊している場合。米国では「メンタルヘルス休暇」を設ける職場が増えてきましたが、そういった制度がない所もまだ多いでしょう。大きなプロジェクトが終わるタイミングを見て、I’d like to take a week off after the board meeting next month. などと前広に述べれば十分でしょうが、理由を聞かれた場合には I’ve been working nonstop for a while, and would like to take some time for myself. などと言うことができます。
ストレスが溜まり続けている場合は、長期的な解決が必要となります。休暇を取るだけでなく、仕事の量や内容を調整し、ペースを落とすことも重要です。上司に対し、I’m overwhelmed by the amount of assignments, and would like to request some help. などと相談したり、I’ve been struggling with this project, and feel that others might do a better job—may I adjust my portfolio? などと訴えることができるでしょう。人手不足で仕事を譲れる相手がいない場合には、I think we could outsource some of this work, and have found some consultants we could hire within our budget. と委託業者を提案することもできます。
本当に切羽詰まっている時には、消化不良、睡眠障害、片頭痛といった形でストレスが身体に現れます。上記の相談だけで物事が進まなそうな場合には、My stress is beginning to take a physical toll. と補足したり、I’m starting to feel burnt out. と率直に伝えるとよいでしょう。
暗い話ばかりではありません。普段の生活や人生を見直すことにも休暇を使えます。ただ、I’d like to take some time to reconsider my priorities in life. などと友人や家族には言えますが、上司には間接的な不満の表明に聞こえかねないため、別の言い方をした方がよいかもしれません。I’m going through something in my personal life, and hope to find ways to take better care of myself. などと話せば、それ以上聞かれることはないでしょう。
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#6): Communicating Your Intent to Become Independent”
Here’s the latest article for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. We’ve just commemorated Independence Day in the U.S. While circumstances are very different, in our professional lives, we often become independent, too, by leaving our organization and starting our own businesses. But it’s very important to maintain strong relations with our former employers, especially since it’s thanks to them that we’ve built our own network and skills. In this issue, l explore how to communicate your intent to leave in a polite, thoughtful, and constructive manner.
最初に公式な形で独立を伝えるべき相手は、おそらく直属の上司です。これまでお世話になったことへの感謝の言葉から始めるといいでしょう。I’m very grateful for all that this company has done for me. といった組織全体への言葉だけでなく、Thanks to your guidance and mentoring, I’ve gained a lot of experience over the years. など、上司個人への謝意も伝えることが大切です。
次に、なぜ独立したいかを説明します。大きな企業や組織ではできないことを達成することが目的でしょうから、具体的に何に取り組みたいのか、簡潔に話すとよいでしょう。The last few projects I worked on with you taught me about the language barrier in rural villages, and now I’d like to create an organization that focuses on linguistic matchmaking services. など、これまでその上司としてきた仕事と絡めると、より共感してもらえるでしょう。
上司や組織からすれば、辞めるタイミングや引き継ぎが切実な問題です。I’m happy to stay until our Annual Conference in September. と繁忙期が終わるまで残る予定であることを示したり、If it’s appropriate, I’d love to help search for candidates or train my successor. など、手伝う用意があることを伝えると安心してもらえるでしょう。転職と違って急いで辞める必要がないため、前広に独立の意思を伝えて長めに残った方が、印象を悪くすることなく退職できるでしょう。
最後に、今後その組織とどのような関係を築きたいかを説明するといいかもしれません。その組織と似たようなサービスを提供するなら、競争相手になってしまう可能性もあります。I’d like to maintain a strong relationship with this organization, and I’d love to help in any way I can. と明言し、I’d appreciate it if you can consider me a potential contractor, or maybe even refer me to other clients when you can’t take on a job. などと具体案を出すと、その組織と顧客を取り合う意思がなく、むしろ協力していきたいことが伝わるでしょう。
Introduction (the full text in Japanese continues below (日本語の本文が続きます)):
『さくら新聞』（DCとヒューストンのコミュニティ・ペーパー）における連載の最新記事です。米国で「Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month（アジア・太平洋諸島系米国人の文化遺産継承月間）」とされている5月は過ぎたものの、日本人や日系人としてのアイデンティティは年中変わりません。第5回は、多様な背景を持つ人と深い会話を楽しみ、いろいろな文化について丁寧に聞く秘訣を取り上げます。
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#5): Talking with People from a Wide Range of Backgrounds”
Here’s the latest article for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. The month of May–“Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month”–is over for 2024. But our own identities, as well as the fact that we’re surrounded by people from many different backgrounds, remains the same throughout the year. This month, I focus on the key to enjoying meaningful conversations with people of diverse backgrounds by asking politely about their culture.
米国で「Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month（アジア・太平洋諸島系米国人の文化遺産継承月間）」とされている5月は過ぎたものの、日本人や日系人としてのアイデンティティは年中変わりません。他のアジア諸国に祖先を持つ人々と共通点を分かち合い、仲良くされている方も多いでしょう。ただ、日本から来たばかりの人や一時的に滞在している人が気にならなくても、米国で生まれ育った人には失礼に聞こえる可能性のある言葉もあります。今回は、多様な背景を持つ人と深い会話を楽しみ、いろいろな文化について丁寧に聞く秘訣を取り上げます。
まず、ごく普通の質問に聞こえる Where are you from? には、よくないニュアンスがあります。筆者はこれを通りすがりの人に聞かれたり、米国の地名を回答しても納得してもらえず、親が日本人であるという答えが得られるまで根掘り葉掘り聞かれるといったことを何度も経験しています。容姿だけで外国人だと判断される、特にアジア系の人が頻繁に直面する差別の一種です。悪意がなくてもそのことを思い起こさせる可能性があることから、このフレーズは避けた方が無難です。誰かと初めて会った時は、今いる町や州をもとに、 Have you lived in Cleveland for a while? などと聞き、出身地や家族について話すかどうかは本人に任せた方がよいでしょう。
出身地の話で言えば、州名に語尾を付けてその住民や出身者を指す（Californian、Michigander、New Yorkerなど）場合、ハワイについては気を付けなければいけません。Hawaiian という言葉はハワイ先住民の方を指すからです。ハワイ系でない方については、 How nice that you’re from Hawaii! や So you live in Kona? など、別の言い方をする必要があります。
複数の国や地域に祖先を持つ方も多くいます。両親が二つの異なる国から来た場合、英語で「ハーフ」と呼ぶことはしませんし、日本でも失礼な言い方だという認識が広まってきています。相手から親の話があった後、 You said that your parents are Jamaican and Moroccan, but could you tell me more? などと丁寧に聞いた方がよいでしょう。祖先が特定の国から来た、という話があった場合には、 You mentioned that you have Chinese and Irish ancestry, but did you grow up with both cultures? と聞けば面白い会話につながります。どこにルーツがあっても、アイデンティティは人それぞれのため、 Do you identify as Japanese American? や Would you consider yourself more French or more Italian? などと明確に聞いた方がその人を良く知ることができるでしょう。
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#4): Congratulatory Words”
Here’s the latest article for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. Most graduation ceremonies in the U.S. take place in May or June. We might also be invited to weddings over the summer. This month, I focus on expressions we can use when we attend these kinds of celebrations–including what to say after “Congratulations!”
卒業に関しては、その人の今後がどの程度分かっているかで言い方を変えることができます。これからどういう道に進むのか聞いていない場合は、 I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. といった表現がよく使われます。若干距離が感じられるかしこまった言い方なので、先に卒業していく先輩、職場を離れる同僚などに使えるかもしれません。親しい間柄で、具体的な進学先や引っ越し先など、今後その人が何をするのか教えてもらった場合には、 Good luck in grad school! や、 I’m definitely visiting you in Seattle! など、もう少し情報を入れて崩した言い方ができます。就職先などが決まらないまま卒業を迎える人も多いでしょう。そういう人たちは将来が見えなくて悩んでいるでしょうから、 I’m sure you’ll thrive in whatever path you choose. と励ますことができます。
祝福の言葉を贈る場面では、上記のように「good luck」が使われがちですが、それ以外の表現を模索した方が良い場合もあります。丁寧な言い回しにしても少しカジュアルに聞こえますので、転職していく上司など、目上の人には、 I wish you much success at your new workplace. などと言い換えた方が適切でしょう。また、「運だけで成功はしないし、努力が大切」という見方をする人もいますので、 I’m confident you’ll do wonderfully in Boston. などと言った方が幅広い人たちの心に響くでしょう。
結婚の場合、卒業に比べれば、祝福する相手が遠くに行ってしまう可能性は低いかもしれません。でも、二人のこれからの旅路を祝うという意味では、似た表現となります。外部の人はカップルの今後について詳しいことを言う立場にないため、たとえ親しい友人でも、 I wish you both much happiness ahead. やCongratulations to the beautiful couple! といった、少し漠然とした言い方になりがちです。ただ、これまで二人が幸せそうに付き合う姿を長らく見てきた場合は、 I’ve been waiting for this day for years! などと付け足せるでしょう。また、二人のどちらかが親戚である場合は、もう片方の人を Welcome to the family! と歓迎することができます。
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#3): Comforting Someone Who Was Told ‘No'”
Here’s the latest article for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. April is a difficult month for some high schoolers in the U.S. (especially those who’ve just gotten or are waiting the results of their college applications, as well as those who are asking their crushes out to prom). This month, I am discussing ways to comfort younger people who were told “No,” being mindful of the fact that rejections may seem a lot more personal and hurtful for them than for adults.
恋愛でも大学でも、今起きていることでその後の人生が大きく左右されると思う人も多いでしょう。そういった人には、 This won’t affect the rest of your life. と言い、人生の先輩として自分の経験を語り、20代以降も数多くの機会や決断があって今につながることを示せます。 This is just a minor setback. という言葉で、一時的な後退であって挫折ではないことも伝えられます。
学校の場合は、その時不合格だったとしても、まずは別のところに入学し、あとから転学できる可能性があります。 The timing just didn’t work out. You can try again once you feel better prepared. と言えば、努力次第で状況を変えられる可能性を示し、もっと勉強しようという意欲を奮い立たせられるかもしれません。
特定の相手や学校しか好きになれない、と本人がその時思っていても、家族や親しい友人から見れば、憧れに基づく思い込みがあり、相性が合わないことが明らかだったりします。 There are so many other options. と言って、理想的な人について一緒に考えたり、 You might end up liking it once you’re there. と合格済みや結果待ちの他の大学の長所について話し合ったりすることができます。
その人自身が否定されているわけではない、という点も理解してもらうことが重要です。大学は大量の願書を捌いていますし、恋愛でも、表面的な部分だけ見て断ってしまう10代の子は多いでしょう。 It’s nothing personal. と声をかけ、They’re only judging you based on what they think they know about you. と説明することができます。本当にやめるべきと思われる相手や学校なら、 You wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t understand your qualities anyway. と終止符を打つことができます。
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#2): Responding Politely Even When You’re Wavering”
Here’s the latest article for my column in “Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston. This month, I touch upon the “Hot N Cold” (a la Katy Perry ♬) temperature in early spring–and then discuss ways to respond to someone politely even when you’re uncertain about your feelings or your schedule.
3月上旬の春先は三寒四温で、気温が大きく上下し、気が抜けません。この季節になると、Katy Perryの「Hot N Cold」が思い起こされます。その歌は恋愛に関するものですが、熱意があるのか分からないような優柔不断な態度は、仕事や社交など他の人間関係においても失礼にあたります。そこで今回は、何か申し出や誘いを受けた時、迷っていたとしても相手に悪い印象を与えないような回答の仕方を取り上げます。
回答に迷うことを言われた場合、即答できないことに意識が行ってしまいがちですが、断る可能性があるのであればなおさら、まず感謝の意を表明することが重要でしょう。パーティーへのお誘いであれば、 Thank you so much for thinking of me. と言えますし、仕事関連のオファーであれば、 I very much appreciate being considered for this opportunity. などと言えます。
次に、回答を待ってほしいという言葉です。即答できない理由は様々ですが、内容に関して迷っているというよりも、日程の問題の場合もあります。既に仮押さえが入っている場合は、 I may have a potential conflict that day, but please let me check with others and respond to you soon. などと言えます。仮押さえが確定か否かの判明に時間がかかりそうな場合は、 I’ll let you know as soon as I hear back. と付け足し、できる限り急いでいることを示せます。
就職や転勤などの大きな決断や、何か心に引っ掛かることがある場合などは、回答にもっと時間がかかるかもしれません。いつまでに返事が必要か聞いてしまうと、あまり関心がないと思われる可能性があるため、 Would you please allow me to respond by the end of the week? などと自分から締め切りを提案する方がよいでしょう。転勤など、他者も巻き込む話の場合は、 I’d like to consult my family. などと補足できますし、迷っている場合は、 Because this is such an important decision, I’d like to think about it carefully. などと言う表現で理解を求めることができます。
日程調整をしたり決断を下したりした後、最終的な回答をする際は、 I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. や Thank you very much for your patience. といった言葉を添えると良いでしょう。先方からの誘いを受けるために予定を動かした場合は、 I adjusted my schedule and am now available. と率直に伝えると熱意が伝わるでしょう。いろいろと迷った後、最終的に断ることになった場合は、真摯に This was a difficult decision for me. と言って理由を説明すると、次にまた声をかけてもらえるかもしれません。
“Compassionate Phrases in English (#1): Welcoming Someone Back After a Long Absence”
“Sakura Shimbun,” a Japanese community paper in DC and Houston, is back this month after its COVID hiatus. With my new column, “Compassionate Phrases in English,” I focus on ways to connect with, reach out to, and support others–which is especially crucial when we struggle with wars, disasters, and other hardships. The first episode celebrates the return of “Sakura Shimbun” by exploring how to welcome someone back after a long absence.
The article is also online here. (And I also have a little ad for my company now! Can you spot it? 😉)
まずは、今回の復刊に絡めて、復帰した人にかける言葉を取り上げます。やむを得ない事情でしばらく休んでいた人が職場などに戻ってきたとします。同僚に迷惑をかけたと罪悪感を感じたり、溜まった仕事を心配したりしている人も多いでしょう。そのため、最初に会った時に It’s good to have you back! と笑顔で歓迎すると、先方もほっとするでしょう。親しい人には We missed you! と言ってハグしたり、最初の挨拶の終わりに Let’s catch up over lunch. と言って後でゆっくり話を聞くこともできます。
こじらせてしまった風邪など、休んでいた理由が周知されている場合は、 I’m glad to see that you’ve recovered. と付け足すこともできます。松葉杖をついていたりと負傷していることが明らかな場合には、 Let me know if you need help with anything. と申し出ることもできます。家族の事情など、理由が周りには知らされず、親しい関係の自分にだけ教えてもらった場合は、二人きりになった時に I’m so sorry about your grandmother. などとそっと声をかけることができます。
職場復帰においては、仕事についてもやり取りがあるでしょう。代行してくれたからと謝罪や感謝の言葉をもらったら、 I didn’t do much at all. や You also helped me when I was away. などと言って安心させることができます。溜まった仕事を処理し、いつもの作業に再び慣れるのに時間がかかっている場合は、相手が部下であれば、 Do you need more time to work on this?などと声をかけ、締め切りをずらす提案をすることができます。同僚であれば、 What can I do to help? と単刀直入に聞き、先方が遠慮しないように I don’t have any deadlines right now. などと説明して、手伝う余裕があることを明らかにできるでしょう。
This was hands down my favorite activity in Shizuoka! As a big fan of trains, I was thrilled to learn that Oigawa Railway, a local train company, still runs steam locomotives. I expected the ride to be more bumpy, but it was just as smooth as electric trains–the only difference were the puffs of smoke we could see from the window and the slightly smoky smell! It’s usually an hour-long ride on the Oigawa Main Line running alongside the Oi River. After a typhoon last fall, the ride has been cut to 30 minutes, but it was still well worth it!
Great train rides should always be enjoyed with food, and I was super excited to find cute train-related sweets. I particularly enjoyed one called “SL (steam locomotive) food,” a pack of peanuts coated in a mixture of black sesame powder, soy bean powder, and sugar. It’s meant to look like the coal that’s “fed” into the steam locomotive–and I thought that concept was so cute! I melted upon seeing the back of the package: it has an illustrated disclaimer (probably meant for little boys) that warns, “unfortunately, eating this won’t turn you into a steam locomotive”!
After enjoying the steam train, I switched to the Ikawa Line (a regular train also run by Oigawa Railway), which goes further up the Oi River. I really wanted to visit Okuoikojo Station, which is on a tiny piece of land jutting into the riverbend. The isolated station looks like it’s on top of an island, and the contrast of the greenery, the turquoise water, and the red bridge is absolutely gorgeous. Part of the bridge is walkable on foot, so it’s easy to cross to the other side of the river and head to the vantage point where you can take in this incredible view.
Okuoikojo Station is the tiny structure in the middle of the bridge
Okuoikojo Station is so remote and free of light pollution that on weekends during the winter, Oigawa Railway runs special roundtrip trains to the station at night. Passengers spend an hour gazing at stars before the train heads back. This sounded really nice, too (it reminds me of Kenji Miyazawa’s story, “Night on the Galactic Railroad”), but it was fully booked that evening. Maybe some other time!
A view of the walkable part of the bridge stretching from Okuoikojo Station. I love the dramatic straight path and the light streaming from the clouds–a nice metaphor for a better tomorrow!
While I’ve already discussed various locations within Shizuoka City (such as Kunozan Toshogu and Miho no Matsubara), downtown Shizuoka has many other locations to sightsee.
One of the main spots is Sumpu Castle, which Tokugawa Ieyasu built. While only part of the castle remains today, the premises have been turned into a park, so it’s a very nice place to walk around, read the descriptions, and learn about history. The park is surrounded by a moat, and crossing the bridge to enter the park feels like you’re traveling back in time!
Sumpu Castle in the evening–a beautiful place to walk around
The lobby of my hotel displayed the replica of an armor that was worn by Ieyasu. The Japanese restaurant in the hotel served Ieyasu specials based on dishes that he apparently liked!
Another highlight is Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, which is just a 10-minute walk away from Sumpu Castle. It’s a collection of seven shrines, each with distinct buildings that enshrine different gods.
One of the shrines sits atop a mountain, and behind it is a hiking trail. On that trail I found this fascinating set of stairs. I thought it could serve as a metaphor for the many different paths we can take before reaching a goal: shall we climb steep stairs quickly, go up more gradual steps slowly, or give up and and go back down?
Another place worth visiting is the Shizuoka City Museum of Art. It’s a compact but modern space atop a building in downtown Shizuoka, less than a 10-minute walk from Shizuoka station. I enjoyed an excellent exhibit on Sugiura Hisui, who was a pioneer in modern Japanese graphic design.
A social media booth based on Sugiura’s poster (1927) commemorating Japan’s first subway system
Setsubun was not the only seasonal event celebrated. In the lobby of my hotel was a wonderful display of dolls for Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival or Girls’ Day), which celebrates the health and development of young girls. I, too, grew up decorating hina dolls, but have never seen dolls hanging down like this. They are apparently called tsurushibina, and I was delighted to learn that Shizuoka is one of the prefectures that has this tradition. Because hina dolls tend to be expensive, family members and friends would apparently visit girls together, bringing pieces of cloth and sewing them to create dolls.
Shizuoka is a dynamic city with many different faces. Apparently it is also known for plastic models (major toy companies like Bandai have factories here). I was delighted to come across this cute sculpture in Shizuoka Station: a plastic model of payphones!
8. Yaizu City
Yaizu is a port city where a lot of the seafood Shizuoka is known for is caught or processed.
A fishmonger Hello Kitty welcoming visitors to the Yaizu Fish Center
The Yaizu Fish Center is a big fish market with several eateries. The lunch I had there packed so many Yaizu / Shizuoka specialties: tuna and bonito sashimi, shirasu (whitebait), a kakiage of tiny sakura shrimp, and miso soup with crab.
The fish market had many gacha (capsule toy) machines or simple arcade games. That in itself isn’t surprising, but upon closer inspection, I found that the prizes were related to seafood! This included salmon roe, frozen lobsters, and even a 3kg tuna delivered to your home. The gacha machine that offered the tuna grand prize was expensive, costing a cool 1,000 yen to enter (although there are consolation prizes of seafood-related trinkets)!
A bingo machine with prizes of tuna, lobsters, and salmon roe A gacha machine whose ultimate prize is a 3kg tuna
I also loved this sign encouraging visitors to maintain a social distance worth the length of two bonitos (but I wonder how many people know how long bonitos are?!).
9. Yui (Shizuoka City)
Yui is another area in Shizuoka City that has its own distinct flavor (literally!). It’s known as the place where sakura shrimp are caught, and I very much enjoyed seeing quirky shrimp sculptures everywhere.
Yui Sakura Shrimp Street, lined with many eateries and shops specializing in tiny shrimpBoats at Yui harbor (just a short walk off the Sakura Shrimp Street)
The subject (shrimp!), the stringy appearance of the shrimp sculptures, and the blue tiles that look like the bottom of pools make this one of the quirkiest works of public art I’ve ever seen!
Yui is also part of the old Tokaido Road that connected Tokyo and Kyoto during the Edo period (early 1600s to late 1800s). It was a post station where travelers could rest, and has maintained historic buildings such as honjin (large local residences where traveling samurai stayed), some stores, and even water troughs for horses.
The honjin that now houses the Hiroshige museumThe beautiful water trough for horses
The main reason I was in Yui was to visit the Shizuoka City Tokaido Hiroshige Museum of Art. As Yui makes an appearance in Hiroshige’s masterpiece, 53 Stations of the Tokaido (a series of ukiyo-e highlighting post stations along the old Tokaido Road), this seemed like the perfect place to appreciate both Hiroshige and Shizuoka.
The museum was fairly small, but I loved the comprehensive permanent exhibit that explains the history and technique of ukiyo-e. It makes interesting comparisons to modern equivalents, describing how scenic ukiyo-es (such as 53 Stations of the Tokaido) were like travel guidebooks, while portraits of kabuki actors were like entertainment magazines.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Hiroshige prints on display as well–I love the subtle humor he exudes in the expressive body language of tiny people and animals.
“Fukagawa Lumberyards” by Hiroshige (from “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”). I love the tiny puppies showing their cute butts on the lower left!
One of the best parts of the museum was a small station that allows visitors to make their own ukiyo-e prints to take home. The design changes periodically, and on this day it was “Yui” and “Okitsu” from 53 Stations of the Tokaido Road.
The DIY ukiyo-e station for “Yui.” This activity alone is well worth the visit to this museum!
But one of the best discoveries for me was related to unagi (eel). I visited a lovely restaurant (left photo) where they use unagi raised with sashimi. It was so good! And there, I learned about snacks called “unagi bones” (right photo)–fried eel bones! I’d never had these before, and loved these crispy, calcium-rich snacks so much that I bought several packets (in salt and soy sauce flavors).
Pink mochi (sooo cute!) with sweet potato cream (right) and a cookie sandwich with cream (left)
One of the best known Shizuoka specialties, though, is probably green tea. I couldn’t resist visiting Nanaya, a cafe and store that specializes in matcha desserts. They’re well known for their tea-flavored ice cream, which runs the gamut from matcha (in SEVEN different levels, depending on how strong you want the matcha flavor to be) to hojicha (roasted green tea) to genmaicha (green tea with roasted brown rice). I tried genmaicha, black sesame, and matcha No. 7–the latter has a very rich, deep flavor, and definitely worth experiencing!
All in all, I had a wonderful three weeks in Shizuoka. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to explore the prefecture in depth, and would love to revisit again soon!
For three weeks from January to February, I had an interpretation assignment in Shizuoka prefecture. I had visited the prefecture before, but never had the opportunity to explore it in depth. I took advantage of any time off I had to explore beaches, mountains, museums, and shrines–and fell in love with the amazing sights and food the prefecture offers. Here are some highlights, in alphabetical order of location. (The rest will continue in a second blog post.)
1. Fuji City
The view of Mt. Fuji from a local train (the Tokaido Line) heading to Fuji City. Cropped out of this photo are commuters nodding off on the train (it was early in the morning), all with their backs to this amazing view!
Fuji City is one of Shizuoka’s cities that’s closest to Mt. Fuji, and offers great views of the snow-capped mountain. It’s about 30 minutes from Shizuoka station by local train, and a mere 10 minutes by bullet train.
The many daruma dolls at the BishamontensaiAn illustration combining the year of the rabbit with a daruma doll. To me it looks a bit like the rabbits are beating up the poor daruma, but at least everyone’s smiling :p
I was lucky enough to be in Fuji City when a local temple called Myohoji hosted an annual festival called Bishamontensai. This is apparently considered one of the largest daruma festivals in Japan. There were daruma dolls of every size, with multiple color variations that promised good fortune in different aspects of our lives (academic success, health, romantic happiness, etc.). Many local residents had brought their own old darumas to be burned, some so big that they have to be carried in both arms. I bought some tiny ones for good luck. Tradition says that we’re supposed to draw in its left eye when we make a wish (and its right eye when that wish comes true), but they’re so cute that I’ve kept them as is–I worry that I might ruin their faces!
Fujinomiya is another city that is close to Mt. Fuji and honors the majestic mountain in many ways.
Central to this is a shrine called Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha. I was drawn to the name because when I lived in Tokyo as a child, there was a Sengen shrine in my neighborhood–I didn’t realize until now that Sengen shrines throughout Japan all honor Mt. Fuji, and that this shrine in Fujinomiya was the main one! I especially loved the pond at the back of the shrine, which serves as a nice oasis in the middle of the city. The water comes from melted snow trickling down from Mt. Fuji, and there are bamboo pipes that capture this water for visitors who wish to drink it or wash their hands.
Plastic bottles are sold on the spot. I filled one and later made tea out of it ☕
Fujinomiya is also home to the Mt. Fuji World Heritage Center. Mt. Fuji and multiple entities related to it (including the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha) were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. This center apparently opened four years later. I fell in love with this gorgeous, modern building that complements the torii gate right next to it. It’s also shaped like an upside down mountain. Visitors first go to the top and gradually descend gentle slopes that wind down. I enjoyed visiting galleries that examined the geology and history of Mt. Fuji, including how the mountain has been revered as a deity and honored in numerous works of art and literature.
I love how, when reflected upside down into the water, the building looks like a mountain
I then took a 30-minute bus ride to visit Shiraito Falls, which is also part of the Mt. Fuji World Heritage Site. The falling water that comes from Mt. Fuji certainly looks like a bunch of white thread (the meaning of “shiraito”) and is very pretty. I was especially amazed at how blue the bottom of the waterfall was. The one unfortunate aspect was that the trees and grass were a disappointing brown. Of course that can’t be helped during the winter, and I suspect everything looks even better during the warmer months.
3. Hamamatsu City
While Shizuoka City is the prefectural seat of government, the biggest city is actually Hamamatsu. It’s at the edge, almost bordering Aichi prefecture, and about an hour away on the local train (20-30 minutes on the bullet train) from Shizuoka City.
My guidebook suggested several places to visit, but as a fan of all things related to art, I made a beeline to the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments. In contrast to similar institutions in the West (such as the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels and the musical instruments section at the Met), there was of course a big emphasis on Asian instruments. This included traditional Japanese instruments that are used for gagaku or kabuki performances, as well as several grand instruments from other Asian countries.
Colorful instruments from Indonesia (foreground) and Korea (background)
I also made a quick visit to Hamamatsu Castle, a replica of the castle Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, had spent his youth in. It was too late for me to tour inside the castle, but I enjoyed walking around and examining the exterior of this compact but elegant building.
4. Kunozan Toshogu (Shizuoka City)
This beautiful shrine in Shizuoka City is a short train and bus ride away from Shizuoka station. It’s a smaller version of the Toshogu in Nikko, and where the grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu lies. It’s up on a mountain (Mt. Kuno) by the ocean, and has about 1,000 steps to the top–but the breathtaking view is definitely worth the hike.
While a thousand steps is a bit of workout . . .
. . . this view makes it all worth it (and there are cable cars available for those who don‘t wish to or are unable to walk)
The bright colors of the Toshogu looked especially beautiful against the blue sky. Plums trees (including a tree that was supposedly planted by Ieyasu himself) were blooming nicely on this late January day.
Incidentally, this area is also known for its strawberries. Since they’re grown in greenhouses (which can be seen in the photo above, lining the beach), strawberry season had already begun in January! I bought a box as well as some desserts like strawberry daifuku (mochi stuffed with red bean paste).
Shizuoka is also known for its sakura shrimp, or tiny dried shrimp eaten whole. For lunch, I had the biggest, crunchiest, most delicious kakiage (a type of tempura with shredded vegetables or tiny shrimp) I’ve ever had!
The kakiage was as big as the udon bowl (!), and seemed to contain at least 30 tiny shrimps
5. Miho no Matsubara (Shizuoka City)
This is a famous spot on the beach for scenic views of Mt. Fuji, and is also a short bus ride away from Shizuoka station. Mt. Fuji looked a bit farther than I expected, but I caught the sunset in time to see the mountain bathed in pink. The blue waters, black sand, pieces of white driftwood, and gorgeous rocks that were flattened after years of tumbling in the waves made for picturesque photos!
This place is also known for being the location where The Legend of the Winged Robe takes place. The funny thing was that the sign that described the story said that the man immediately returned the winged robe to the celestial maiden. The versions of the story I’ve heard have the man hiding the robe and forcing the maiden to be his wife. I couldn’t help but chuckle and wonder if there’s some local bias that paints a favorable picture of this man . . . (Incidentally, when I looked up the English title of this story, I found that different iterations exist all over the world, including the West. How fascinating!)
The pine tree where the celestial maiden supposedly left her robe. This is the “third generation” tree that’s 300 years old! A tiny shrine a few meters away from the 300 year old pine tree. Visitors write their wishes on flat rocks–a unique and beautiful tradition.
There’s also a beautiful wooden walkway, surrounded by pines, that connects this beach with another shrine called Miho Shrine. While most of the walkway is a straight line, I was fascinated by this one location where the path curves a bit to allow for a pine that leans forward. This seemed like a great metaphor for the journey of life: sometimes unexpected incidents prevent us from going forth in the way we envision, but we must be strong enough to find news ways to keep going.
More Shizuoka adventures are available in Part 2 .
