DIY home "renovation"

I keep waiting and hoping I'll have good news to post about buying a house, but nothing yet.  But maybe soon! 


In anticipation of a hopeful move, I decided to "renovate" my dining table and chairs.  I've had them for over 10 years and they have all the scratches and worn down spots to prove it.

Table

Can you see how there seem to be two different colors?  That's not the lighting.  It's been worn down.

Chair on the left has been painted.  The right one hasn't.  You can see alot of the original white has worn off.

Original chair seat on the right.  New seat using "remake sheets" on the left.

Remake sheets are super easy to use, since you can peel them off again if you made a mistake!  I had a hard time with the rounded shape of the seats, but I figured out a good way to fix it.

Finished products!  Took all day....  I know my body is going to ache tomorrow.  If you look closely, you can see that these were definitely NOT done by a professional...but from a casual glance, I think they look nice.


Remake sheets for small products can be found at almost any 100 yen shop, but I used higher grade sheets from Amazon Japan, specifically meant to be used on tables so they'd be waterproof.  Not super cheap, but definitely cheaper than buying a new dining set and hopefully this was last for awhile.
(PS - The paint and paint brush I used for the chairs was from a 100 yen shop.)

Buying a house

Sorry, no fun photos or anecdotes today.  Today, I want to talk about something that's been keeping me stressed out for the past couple of weeks.


Trying to buy a house.


Recently, I'd gotten to thinking that paying rent (especially the amount I'm paying here) is a waste and the same amount of money per month could instead be used as mortgage payments on something that I would eventually own.


Now, if you search for buying property in Japan on Google or something, you'll come up mostly with articles about investment properties.  Or articles about how owning a home in Japan is completely different than in the West because houses here lose value over time.  But this means nothing to me.  For me, a house isn't an "investment".  I buy stocks and bonds for that!  It's a home.  Someplace that's mine - that I can do whatever I want with and not worry about getting charged for it when I move out.  I could have a pet, if I want.  I don't have to worry about downstairs neighbors being upset when my daughter has stomping meltdowns.


In Japan, there are two options:  a house or a "mansion".  Nope, not a mansion like you're thinking of, as in a huge palace with a swimming pool or two.  In Japan, a mansion is basically an apartment that you own.   General repairs are covered through monthly maintenance fees paid by the people who live there, but repairs/problems with your own rooms are your own responsibility.  But there are some negatives to mansions.  For example, the older the building gets, the higher the maintenance fees get - so even after you've paid off your mortgage, you're still paying into the maintenance pot.  Also, should the other owners decide to scrap the whole building and rebuild, if 80% of them vote for it, even if you don't want it...it's happening.  Not to mention, I'd hate spending that kind of money and get stuck with terrible neighbors!  It's not like I could just pack up and move.


So, I really want a HOUSE.  I found the perfect one.  Got rejections from all the banks for a loan.  I thought it was about ME.  I have Japanese citizenship and a good credit record, decent savings for someone in my position...but I'm also a yearly contract worker rather than a full-time "regular" employee.  But today I found out that, beyond any problems banks might have with ME, the problem is the house.  It faces a small "street" that somehow isn't actually a street.  Meaning, it's more like someone's property that is being used as a street.  No bank anywhere will give anyone a loan for this house.


Back to square one...  Not going to tell you how much I cried today, finding out I couldn't get that house.

Tanabata

Today was Tanabata.  Not that we did anything special, but I just wanted to show a few of the special things you'll find during this time at school. 

You will definitely see one of these in front of the 1st grade classrooms.  Sometimes they're displayed at city hall or some shopping centers as well.  Children write their wishes on rectangular pieces of paper and tie them to the branches. 

This kid wants to get better at swimming. 

Some of the wishes can be pretty interesting and they're a good sign of each child's personality.  Many of them want to get better at some school subject or have better writing.  Some of them write what they want to be in the future (soccer player, pastry chef).  Other kids just write something they want, like it's a letter to Santa....  *facepalm*

Kyushoku gets in on the celebration as well.  This is a typical Tanabata soup.  Includes star shaped...whatever the heck that is...and okra (which is naturally star shaped).  Not terribly delicious, in my opinion, but it's tradition. 

Crime?? in Japan?!?

From early this morning, I could hear alot of sirens, then helicopters.  The helicopters have been going all day long.  I knew this wasn't something good.


A man stabbed a police officer in front of a koban (like a mini neighborhood police station, usually manned by 1 or 2 officers) near a train station.  Stabbings/slashings aren't too rare, especially as the weather warms up and all the crazies & pervs emerge from hibernation.  BUT, the suspect stole the officer's gun.  This ups the danger level to 11. 


I also received notification that if the suspect isn't caught by 9am tomorrow, school will be closed for the day.  I wonder if this isn't taking things a bit too far, considering how difficult this makes things for families with both parents working/single parent families.  If school is cancelled, the after school care is also cancelled. 


In some countries, where pretty much everyone has guns, this wouldn't be a big deal, I guess.  It highlights how generally SAFE Japan is.  However, even in Japan, crime does happen, so you shouldn't let your guard down too much.




EDIT:  The suspect was arrested the next morning, just over 24 hours after the initial crime.  It was early enough so most schools were able to open as normal, some with slight delays.  More information keeps coming, but this guy came here from Tokyo on purpose.  He called in a fake robbery report to get most of the officers out of the koban.  It's been said that earlier this year, he was trying to get the addresses of classmates from his school days (he used to live around here until he went to university in Tokyo), so it's possible he wanted some very very late revenge for some childhood slight?  He's also certified as "mentally ill", though at the risk of sounding insensitive to people with actual mental illness, how bad could his illness be if he was able to put this plan into motion?

Tokyo vs. Osaka - Cost of living

The other day, I found an article listing the world's most expensive cities to live in for 2019.  I was shocked to find Osaka listed in the top 10, but NOT Tokyo!  What the hey?! 


I did some research and found that Tokyo was listed in both the 2017 and 2018 rankings, while Osaka was only in the 2017 ranking (just behind Tokyo).  I didn't check any further back, just wanted a bit of background reference.  Also, I found that some of the lists are different depending on who publishes them, though they usually aren't too crazily different.


Granted, I live in Osaka Prefecture, not the City, and I haven't lived in Tokyo or the Kanto area for a very long time...but I was under the impression that Tokyo is the more expensive place to live of the two.  Even if there's not much of a difference, how does Osaka end up in the top 10 and NOT Tokyo?!?


Any thoughts?  Maybe a mistake on the part of the list publisher?  Hey, isn't Japan all one big city?  >_<

Movies!

Being a single mother is tough.  Being a single mother of a special needs kid is even tougher.  BUT, I'm fortunate enough to have access to special daycare services that are open on weekends/national holidays so I can have some time off.  Sometimes I just get some extra sleep.  Usually I run errands.  But sometimes I get to go out and see a movie!  During this holiday time, I saw two movies - Avengers Endgame and Detective Pikachu. 

Thanos says "No spoilers!"

Japanese movie audiences are usually pretty quiet.  On one hand, you don't have the kind of loud, annoying people you might find in a theater back in the old country (what I call my birthplace).  On the other hand, it feels weird when people don't laugh or react to anything.  When I went to see Deadpool 2, the most anyone did was a light snort.  Endgame was different.  I don't know why, but people reacted.  There was some limited laughter, but at one point (no spoilers!) I think almost everyone gasped.

I can't recommend Detective Pikachu enough!  Good for kids, but with a suspenseful storyline that will draw in the grown-ups too.  I'll admit, I cried. 

Next movie I'm looking forward to is this guy:

Not Godzilla's actual size

Children's Day chimaki

One of the national holidays during the Golden Week period is Children's Day.  I always look forward to this because it's the only time I can get chimaki.

"What the heck is this?", you may be thinking.  This is chimaki.  It's soft, somewhat sweet, mochi wrapped in a leaf.  Being wrapped in a leaf seems to give it a fresh grassy smell and flavor.  Sounds weird, but it's good!

This is often included in the school lunch as a treat just before or after the Golden Week period, but because the holiday is extra long this year, we didn't get any (at least not in the city I work in).  I was talking to the teacher in charge of the school lunch about this last week and...she ordered some just for us teachers!  So, that's something to look forward to when I have to go back to work next week! 

Heisei -> Reiwa

As I'm sure everyone knows, the previous emperor has retired and from today his son has become the new emperor, thus beginning a new "era" with the name of Reiwa. 


Personally, I think the retired emperor and empress are great and I hope they will have many more years together.  And I also hope the new era will bring some much needed changes to our society...like the right for women to ascend to the throne.  Look at THIS article from the Mainichi.  To be honest, I had no idea how many princesses there are in the royal family (or that anyone from the Showa age was still alive!). 


But this kind of thing also makes me feel sad.  As a single mother with a special needs child, I feel like I miss out on so much of life.  Holidays, special events...  What am I doing today (other than writing this blog post)?  Sitting around the apartment, trying to keep my daughter from eating us out of house and home.  She eats ALOT.  I'd hoped to maybe take her to one of the local parks, but this week has been nothing but rain. 


I hope Reiwa is better for Japan in general, but also for me in particular!

Curry!

Most of you probably think of curry as a food from India.  And it is.  BUT, Japan has its' own version and it's one of the most popular dishes for both kids and adults.


If you ask any Japanese kid in elementary school what their favorite menu is for school lunch, most of them will tell you "curry".  It's my favorite lunch too! 

Japanese curry is pretty much a spicy stew (though with varying levels of spiciness) with meat and veggies.  There are many variations based on seasons and local specialties.  Usually it's eaten with rice (hence, being called in Japanese "kareraisu" - curry rice).  It's so different from Indian curry, you could really call it Japanese food!


You can find curry on the menu of many family-style restaurants, as well as curry-based restaurants.  I think the most famous is CoCo Ichibanya. 

Here is my daughter on our most recent visit.  She's got one of the kids' plates, featuring curry along with some french fries, chicken nuggets, corn, sausage, and some fruit jellies.  My favorite at this place is the "buta shabushabu" (sliced pork) curry with scrambled egg topping.  Yummy!!

For more info on how Japanese curry came to be, check out the Wikipedia entry.

School fees in Japan

I don't know how it is in other countries, but here, public school isn't actually "free".  The amount depends on the school/grade/area, but the categories are generally the same: school lunch (the main one!), PTA fees, textbooks & materials, school trip fees...

Sample of school fees bill for this school year

As you can see from the above sample, the payments are split across the school year over 4 semesters.  You can choose to have them withdrawn automatically from your bank account, or go pay each one separately (who would want to do that??).  The total for my daughter's school year is 72,470 yen.  Even broken down, this could be difficult for some families, especially if they have more than one child in school.

BUT...I don't actually pay this.  OK, I do, but I get most of it back.  How??  Every year, I sign off on a paper which gives the school permission to look at my income tax records on file at the city tax office.  Then, families are divided into three groups: 1- Pay in full with no rebates; 2 - Get about half back; 3- Get most of it back (supposedly ALL back, but my calculations for last year don't add up).

My daughter goes to a public special education school, but is there a system like this in regular public schools as well?  I had to ask around a bit, but the answer is yes!  I think there are more payment tiers, but it's essentially the same. 

I should also add that public daycares (hoikuen) also work on a sliding scale fee basis...if you can get into one, that is.  We definitely need more public hoikuen in Japan! 

TACO BELL in Japan!!

I love tacos....but I can't handle spicy food, so Taco Bell level Mexican food is just right for me.  I was so happy to hear that there are Taco Bell restaurants in Japan!  Most of them are in Tokyo, but there are two in Osaka.  I went to the one in the Dotonbori area.  It's next to the Shochikuza （松竹座） Theater (well, there's a Family Mart in between) on the 2nd floor.  You can look out the window and see the famous giant crab and all the tourists taking selfies.

The inside doesn't look at all like a typical fast food place.  It's a bit dark, quiet...a nice place to relax a bit during a busy day of sightseeing perhaps.  Another positive difference is the ability to choose what type of meat you want: beef, pork, or chicken.  This allows people who can't eat certain types of meat for religious reasons to still enjoy their tacos!  If you're vegetarian though...I guess you could try the Chocodilla?


The last time I went, I got a Chalupa...which was the most amazing thing I've ever tasted.  I was really looking forward to eating one again, but this time, it was gone.  WHY?!?!?! 

The wrapping shows that I chose beef and mild spiciness.  Number 3 is the number of the item on the menu, I think.

So, I decided to try something new again and ordered a Crunchwrap Supreme.  Meh... I don't know why it has "crunch" in the name.  And it smelled burned.  I guess next time, I'll just go with regular tacos.


Despite, this recent less-than-satisfying experience, I still recommend it!  Being in a tourist area, the staff were calling out order numbers bilingually and I'm pretty sure the register staff today wasn't native Japanese (we spoke Japanese - don't ask don't tell).


You can check out the menu, prices, and locations here. 

I voted!

Today was my first time to vote in Japan!  As with all these milestones in my life here, I keep feeling like there should be more to it.  Confetti?  Little trumpets?  A tiara or something??  Even one of those little "I voted today" stickers we used to get back in the old country would be appreciated.


The weather was sunny and warm, perfect for getting people out to vote.  I heard that only half (or maybe even less) of eligible Japanese actually vote, so I was expecting the place to be empty.  I was pleasantly surprised to find other people there!  And they weren't all old folks either.  There were alot of young-ish people there too (like, young couples with a small child).  We broke up into lines according to our addresses, so there wasn't much of a wait.


Today's vote was for Osaka prefectural assembly members and the governor.  Each race was separate from the other, so there wouldn't be any mistakes.  We don't have voting machines (so no election tampering, ha!).  There's a list of people running and their party.  You write the name of your choice, then stick the paper in a locked box.  Repeat for the other race.  Done.  I don't think it took even five minutes. 


I was feeling super proud of myself....but no confetti.  Maybe I should bring my own next time? 

Obligatory photo of cherry blossoms

Now, I hope you don't mind if I get a little political rant out of my system.  The Osaka governor/mayoral race was NOT supposed to be today.  It was supposed to be in November, the same as in other areas of Japan.  BUT, the governor of the prefecture and mayor of Osaka city are of the same political party Osaka Isshin no Kai (Osaka Restoration Association).  They seem to have only one part platform - to integrate Osaka city and Osaka prefecture.  Thus, their party's nickname "One Osaka".  They keep pushing for this, but nobody wants it.  There was even a vote once, and it got voted DOWN.  But this doesn't stop them.  These two guys QUIT their respective positions and are running for the other's job...hoping that wins for both of them will regain some momentum for their "one Osaka" position. 

These are my problems with One Osaka.

1. As I said above, NOBODY WANTS IT!  I doubt there would be any substantial financial savings.  Honestly, it's mostly about "proving" that Osaka is just as good as Tokyo (Tokyo city and prefecture are merged).  Hey, we don't need a merger.  Osaka is awesome as it is!
2. The founder of this party (Toru Hashimoto) is a total @$$xxxx.  Fill in the blanks there.  Even though he quit (for now), I'm sure if the merger started gaining support, he'll be back. 
3. Just in regards to today's governor/mayor race...  They decided to do this maybe a month before the election.  This didn't give any opposition parties much time to decide on candidates.  I don't know about mayor, but there was only one other choice for governor (running as an independent).  Maybe within the official rules, but not totally fair.
4. In addition to their one note-one Osaka platform, these guys are drooling over the possibility of a big casino resort complex being built here.  These things NEVER bring the benefits they're "supposed" to.  The government will spend tax payers money to support the project, but the only benefits will go to a few at the top.  Yet, Osaka prefecture's junior high schools don't have school lunch!  Let's make sure our kids are taken care of before building any casinos, guys!! 

McDonald's trays go GREEN

My daughter's birthday was yesterday, but since we were busy with work/school, today I took her for lunch at McDonald's.  She kept hugging me because she was so happy to be there! 


Today, I found something new...

Sorry it's not a super clear picture...  Anyway, it's a box to accept old Happy Meal (or in Japan, Happy Set) toys for recycling.  This box will only be there until May 9th, but they'll run another recycling campaign in the summer and winter.  The recycled toys will be used to make new green food trays (as shown in the sample on top of the box). 


Anyone else think this is a great idea?  Those toys get played with for a little while, but then they just take up space in the toy box.  Or get stepped on in the middle of the night like the infamous Lego?  The ones that play sounds wear out and don't have replacable batteries.  It's nice to have a responsible way to do some spring cleaning!


Check out the official site for more info (in Japanese).  Any other countries doing this?

Elections in Japan, part 1

To be honest, I don't know how anybody can NOT be interested in politics.  I understand that there are alot of awful people involved, no matter the country.  That's not cool.  BUT, these are the people who, once elected, will be making decisions about things that affect each and every one of us.  From how much we pay for our health care to how our children are educated and cared for, even to the very air we breathe and water we drink (through environmental laws)...


Anyway...as you can see, I feel very strongly about this.  One of the MANY reasons I chose Japanese citizenship is so I can vote in the country where I live/ pay taxes and my ultimate dream is to become a politician.  I'd be happy to take over as the Prime Minister, anytime! 




Yeah, Shinzo...THIS will make me vote for you....

So, I've been pretty excited about the upcoming elections.  My first as a Japanese citizen!!  The other day, I received my voting slip in the mail.  

No need to register to vote!  As long as you've lived in the city since a certain date, they automatically send you a voting slip.  You MUST take this with you.  They include a little map to the voting station for your area.  Usually it's a local public school or a community center.

Voting is NOT mandatory here.  Personally, I feel this is a mistake, but that's something to deal with once I take over for Abe.  Voting IS, however, on a Sunday and runs for fairly long hours.  In addition, if you know you'll be out of town or just busy on that day, you can go to city hall and vote in advance.  Alot more convenient than certain countries that won't even let Election Day be a national holiday....

One thing I find confusing is that there are multiple election dates.  The voting slip above is for the April 7th election for Osaka prefectural assembly members and the governor.  The following Sunday is the election for city council members.  I think there might be national elections later this year...?  (Don't quote me on that!)

Who's running?  Well, the city puts up these boards before the elections and on a certain date, the candidates' teams put up posters.  These boards are often near the voting stations, but also near public areas like parks.

There's alot more to talk about, but that's enough for now.  I'll just leave you with one final thought....  Just say no to the"One Osaka" party!

 



What time is it?

Even after all these years of living in Japan, one thing I still have trouble with is TIME.  In Japan, the 24 hour clock system is commonly used. 

For example, this store closes at 21:00...or by the 12 hour clock system, 9pm.

The pharmacy in this store is open until 8pm on Monday through Friday, unil 5pm on Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays and national holidays.


At first, I thought this was just a Japan thing.  Maybe left over from the post war occupation.  BUT, according to everyone's friend Google, most of the world uses the 24 hour clock system!  It's mostly English-speaking countries that use the 12 hour system.  Who knew?? 


So, I learned something new today!  It doesn't make figuring out what time it is any easier for ME though...

At the movies!

I have some free time this week before the new school year starts, so yesterday I went to see a movie (Captain Marvel).


I'm not sure if this is how all movie theaters work here, but the one I go to (109 Cinemas) allows me to make a reservation online and pay by credit card.  I can even choose my own seat!  I don't have to arrive early at the theater to stake out a good seat.  Just go in, enter my reservation number and phone number into the machine, and my ticket pops out.


On the way out, I found this guy...

"Pikachu's Hollywood Debut!

Cute on the outside, but inside...a middle-aged man!?

And he can speak like a human."

I couldnt get a picture without glare...  Anyway, I'm not an otaku.  I very rarely watch any anime.  BUT Pikachu is my hero.  And I'm a huge fan of Deadpool and Ryan Reynolds.  Even so, when I first heard about this movie, I wasn't sure how it would work.  After seeing the previews, I'm super excited!

The best part about this promo stand?  The TOUCH part!!!  Holy crap, it felt just like I imagined this movie version of Pikachu would!

Can't....stop...touching...the softness....

Japan release date is May 3rd, right during the extended Golden Week/new emperor enthronement holiday.  See you there!  

What the heck is that?!

One day, I was riding my bike along a small river and saw an animal along the bank.  It looked like a beaver, but with a thinner, round tail.  An older lady walking nearby told me it was a ヌトリア (nutoria).  Never having heard of that, it wasn't much help. 

Again, Google comes to the rescue.  These are called Nutria or Coypu, depending on where you live.  And...they're pretty much just big rats. 

They DO exist....

So, they're pests.  But I still enjoy watching them eat and swim around on nice days.  Here's another pic, this time sharing the river with ducks.  I often see
egrets in the river too, but none showed up on the day I was taking pictures.

Point cards in Japan

I sometimes hear foreign folks in Japan complaining about the point card systems nearly every major shop chain offers.  People fall into two categories: apply for every point card, then have a wallet filled to bursting with point cards OR don't bother because you think they're a waste of time.  A somewhat humorous take on the Japanese point card system here.


Here's my two yen, as it were.  Point cards can be incredibly useful!  Today, I did a quick grocery run (at a store in the AEON chain) and decided to pay with points.  My shopping was FREE thanks to my point card and I still have points left over to use another time!  I've also gotten my printer ink discounted (or free) by using the point card from Joshin (electronics chain).  I get a free snack or drink from time to time using my Lawson (convenience store) point card.

On the other hand, some point cards really aren't worth getting.  I have a point card for the Sugi chain of drugstores.  I didn't check beforehand.  Turns out, you can only redeem points for "stuff".  There are a wide variety of presents to choose from (I got a step-stool and a tablet-like toy for my daughter), but they would probably be cheaper just buying them on your own.


WORDS OF WISDOM (aka, my advice)

• Apply for point cards ONLY at stores you shop at on a regular basis.  This makes racking up the points easy!
• Unless you like "stuff" (see above paragraph), only apply for cards that give you discounts in return for points!!
• Check the expiration dates for points.  It's usually listed on your receipt.  If in doubt, ask a customer service rep at the store.  You want to make sure your points don't expire before you can use them. 
• Don't forget to hand over your point card before you pay!  If you only remember as you're leaving the store, you're out of luck.
• Some of the AEON chain grocery stores (AEON, Max Valu, Daiei, who knows what else!) have special sales for point card members.  Usually 5% off.  Keep an eye out for "perks"!

Point cards are GREAT for the frugal shopper in Japan!  Of course, if you think they're a waste of time...well, you're probably going to end up living in a cardboard box under a bridge due to your profligate ways!