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American Cherry Burger with Sakura soda at ROOFTOPS in Kamakura. They've got a beautiful view of Kamakura Station and I can't wait to go back! #Kamakura #japan #sakura #桜 #cheeseburger #cherryburger #チーズバーガー @rooftops_kamakura

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#Soba and #tempura for lunch in #Kamakura today! #Japan #鎌倉

Takin' a Ride on the Kaiten-zushi Sushi Train

I have a new favorite restaurant in Japan! On Friday Sydney and I met up with my friend, Corayls, in Yokohama. Thanks for being such a good sport and letting me record you, Coralys! We went shopping, she took me to a great Kaiten-zushi (sushi train or sushi-go-round) restaurant and then we went shopping some more. I was like a kid in a candy store...this place was so neat! We've been to Kaiten-zushi restaurants before, but have never seen anything like this. With a lot of these types restaurants if you want to order something you can by speaking onto the box above the table and then it's delivered by the waiter or waitress. This place is different. The ordering process is by touch screen and then it's delivered on a motorized car on a track above the conveyor belt. Corayls explains it in the first video below and in the second you can see the process in action!

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After you're done eating you slide the plates down the ramp and under the conveyor belt. This immediately reminded me of the TV game show "Scrabble" (from the mid 1980s) where the contestants picked a tile that corresponded to a letter and then dropped it in a slot in front of them. Anyways, the plates float underneath and into the kitchen. For every five plates deposited a game comes up on the screen that's interactive. One game was a sumo match and you pick the opponent, another was fishing and picking the lure and the third was slot machine sushi. We had 16 plates so we were able to play three games. There's a clear box above the touch screen and it's filled with little prizes like pins/buttons, cell phone charms, etc; when you win one slides down. If you want to find out whether or not we won you'll have to watch this video. It's about four minutes long so you can skip ahead if you like, or watch it to see us playing the games.

Parking is limited and under the building, and if you're not there by opening time (11 am) you'll be waiting in line to park; Coralys said it's even worse at dinner. The reason it gets so packed is because it's a ¥100 Kaiten-zushi. That means each plate costs ¥100 no matter the color. Sydney and I are anxious to go back...with Bob and Keanna this time!

To those of you that subscribe to this via email, you'll need to click here to watch the three videos.

Part Two - I Was at the Fan Meeting with Robert Pattinson & Chris Weitz in Japan Last Night

To read part one of my recap click here and to see the 71 pictures I took click here. Five videos are posted below.

They had a translator for Rob and Chris and the audience too. I would say, from what I saw, at least 95% of the 550-600 member audience was Japanese. Understandably so, don’t get me wrong, but I was surprised there weren’t that many foreigners there. Like I said in my last post, we tried to get tickets when they first went on sale, so when they became available again I don’t think the word got out.

Chris introduced himself and said hi and promised to keep it short. Rob asked, “Genki?” and that means “How are you?” A lot of girls in the audience responded with “Genki desu,” which means “I’m good.”

They immediately moved into the question & answer period but only had time for two questions. A little disappointing, but this was scheduled for an hour. The first question was about their favorite thing to film in “New Moon.” Rob’s answer was “Anything with the Volvo in it,” and Chris’ answer was “Anything with Rob in it.” –See video #2-

The second question, asked in English (very impressive!) was “Would you lie to protect someone you love?” Rob said he would and compared it to his character. He put more thought into this answer so that was refreshing. After that they said they ran out of time for questions and immediately moved on to the drawing for the Los Angeles premiere on November 16^th.

Rob and Chris each selected three tickets which were seat numbers. -See video #3-

Rob and Chris were directed to the balcony portion of the stage…if you want to call it that, where each girl had 15 seconds to plead their case of why they deserved the trip. I took a lot of snapshots at this point and didn't get it on video. A few of them cried, a few laughed, and with all the emotions from the finalists the audience got just as emotional. The translator for the audience explained each girl’s answer and then Rob and Chris were told to choose the winner based on their reasons.

Chris said it isn’t fair and he couldn’t decide, so they pulled out “The Red String Machine.” This was totally planned as you’ll see in the video. The six girls had one end and Rob and Chris had one. They all had to pull to see who was holding their string. The one with Rob won the trip to Los Angeles (and could choose a guest) and a “Twilight” necklace that Rob put on her. The one with Chris’ string won a “special prize from the director.” Chris jokingly fessed up that the trip to L.A. would be much better. She won a Bella and Edward Barbie Doll along with a red robe that was worn on set. Once they brought the robe out it was obvious that it was from the scenes in Italy. –See video #4-

The other four girls didn't walk away empty handed. They each got a hug from Rob and Chris and one of the red robes that were worn in Volterra, Italy on St. Marcus Day. The girl hugging Rob in this picture is the one I refer to later on...she let me try it on!

They showed us three clips from the movie, but all were ones I had seen online before. Staff walked around making sure no one was recording anything. As soon as the clips started the room got quiet and we could hear everything. I remember watching something on TV where they showed a clip and the audience just kept screaming. Everyone sat in their seats too and didn't stand. We were asked to do that in the beginning, but I wasn't sure if everyone would actually follow the directions.

Rob and Chris said goodbye and thank you and Chris asked that we go see the film so he could get another job. That got a laugh from the crowd and after the translation and applause and waving they left the stage. -See video #5-

About a minute later they popped out of a balcony on the left side of the room, but I was sitting too close to it and couldn’t see them.

On our way out we were given a gift bag with four 5"x7” promotional pictures (nothing that hasn’t already been online or in magazines) and a “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” poster; we joked that it’s our swag. We went out into the lobby and chatted for a few minutes, took some pictures and I was pinching myself making sure I still wasn't dreaming. One of the girls that won a robe was letting people try it on, so I asked her, “Daijoubu desu ka?” “Is it okay?” She didn’t mind one bit, so I put it on and Mel snapped a picture. This was the neatest thing as far as I was concerned, and I emailed the picture to my husband, Bob, who asked if I dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween. He knew darn well I didn't, don't worry.

We had a great time, met two women from Sydney, Australia who won a trip here from a radio contest and got to meet Azlina and Nurul from Twilighters Malaysia too. The day flew by for me…from when I left my house to when I got back was a difference of 12 ½ hours, but it was worth it. I’ve never done anything like this before and probably won’t ever again. Unless of course Bob gets stationed in Japan again and we’re here for “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn!”

To see all 71 pictures I took click here. You do not have to log in or create one, just hit "View Album" under the picture.

On November 17^th at 7 pm (that’s Nov 17 at 5 am EST) I’ll be in the Shinjuku Piccadilly Theater in Tokyo watching “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” The ticket we bought for ¥10,000 included the fan meeting AND the showing next Tuesday. So we’ll be second in the world to see it…only behind the Los Angeles premiere on the 16^th which will be early morning on the 17^th for us here in Japan. Be sure to check back for a recap of how it goes!

I Was at the Fan Meeting with Robert Pattinson & Chris Weitz in Japan Last Night

Part two can be found here.

For Christmas last year my friend, Shari in Virginia sent me Twilight. She talked about the series all the time, and she finally managed to suck me in. I read Twilight in a few days and was immediately on the hunt for the next three books. The NEX (Navy Exchange, the store on base) didn’t have them, so I ordered them from Amazon.com. The books couldn’t get here fast enough, so my friend, Melissa, let me borrow New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. The day before finishing Breaking Dawn the three books arrived from Amazon.com. Within 11 days I had read the four books and then proceeded to Midnight Sun.

By this time “Twilight” was out all over the United States, but it wasn’t opening in Japan until April 4^th and the base didn’t end up showing it until January.

So Shari, thank you for sucking me in. I wouldn’t be writing this if it wasn’t for you!

After seeing the movie I got caught up in the madness. I wouldn’t say it was obsessive, but I’d look at fan sites every couple of days. One of my favorites was Twilight Singapore, and we got in touch with each other after I had found a “Twilight” magazine. I scanned the pages and emailed them to Shari and TS ended up posting them on their site. From that point on we emailed back and forth. They came up to Tokyo for the “Twilight” premiere in February, and the ironic thing is that Bob, Keanna, Sydney and I were on vacation in Singapore!

Skip ahead to mid October and I find out from Twilighter’s Square that “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” press tour was coming to Tokyo. I did the Google Translate thing to find out as much info as I could in English, and emailed my friend Mayumi to see if she would mind translating for me. PIA (the Japanese version of Ticketmaster) was selling them online, over the phone and at their store locations beginning at 10 am on the 18th. They had 400 tickets available, first come, first serve. I searched online and found a PIA location in Yokohama, about 35 mins north of where we live. Three days before they went on sale I went up to make sure I could find the place, try to ask questions and see exactly what I had to do. The woman looked on her computer for a few minutes then made a phone call. She told me “no information,” then something else in Japanese, and I understood enough to know that she was telling me to come back on Saturday to see if there was any more information. She gave me a number to call, but it was always busy. Not sure what I would have done anyway because it said “Japanese only” on the card.

Sunday morning came around, I hired a babysitter and my friend, Laurel, and I headed back up to Yokohama at 7 am. Our goal was to buy four tickets; two for ourselves and two other Navy wives/”Twilight” fan friends, Dacia and Mel. Doors opened at 10, so when I got there and saw no one in line at the door to the mall (PIA’s inside) we were very excited. Our hearts were pounding because the time was getting closer and not too many people lined up behind us. We thought we actually had a chance! Long story short, we run up the escalator, down the hall and manage to be one of the first ones in line. It’s our turn and as we’re walking up to the counter, not even three minutes after 10 am, the woman behind the counter says “Twilight-o? Gomen nasai,” and then she bowed. That was it, they were sold out that quickly because she said “I’m sorry.” The tickets for ¥10,000 (about $110 USD) are for the fan meeting on the 3rd and the "Twilight Saga: New Moon" premiere on November 17th here in Tokyo. It doesn't officially open until the 28th, and it will be the morning of the 17th in the U.S., so we will be seeing it first! Laurel and I were disappointed, but we knew our chances were slim because we couldn’t order them online or over the phone since both were Japanese only.

I posted on TS that I had a failed attempt at a ticket and was so disappointed! But last Friday Maria from TS emailed me saying they got a lead that more tickets were available. I checked out the website, called Mel and Laurel (Dacia was on vacation) and told them the news. My heart was racing and all I wanted to do was figure out how to buy a ticket! Sydney and I walked Keanna to school and my phone was ringing as we walked through the door. It was Laurel telling me she figured it out and had a confirmation number. I screamed so loud I'm surprised my neighbors weren't woken up! I ordered my ticket, Mel ordered hers and Laurel ordered one for Dacia. This was it, we were going! Now all we needed to do was find child care!

Everything worked out and we left our house at 9 am yesterday. We arrived at Shinagawa station at 9:50 and figured out where we had to go…Shinagawa Inner City Hall. We had tickets but not assigned seats, and we knew they were being assigned at 1 pm, first come, first serve. They had a line already started but we were put in a different line since we had what was considered “Foreigner Tickets.” Well lucky us because we were first in that line! After posting on TS about getting a ticket someone else had commented that they were also going…well it’s a small world because they were behind us in line! We ended up meeting Azlina and Nurul from Twilighters Malaysia. We all chatted and took pictures together. Laurel is from Washington State and went to visit there over the summer. She was able to make it to Forks, WA and was showing Azlina and Nurul pictures. We waited for a few hours and brought our iPods to help pass the time.

At 1 pm exactly we were called to the table to get our pass and seating assignment. The seats for foreigners had already been set aside, so we weren’t sure where they were going to be. We could see a map with sections A, B & C and 10 rows making up each section. So B9, my row, was the 19^th row. None of the good seats were in our batch of passes and understandably so, the PIA tickets were purchased first and they had the right to the better seats. I was happy just to be there, believe me! None of us would be there if it weren’t for Twilight Singapore and for that we were, and still are very appreciative!!!

After we got our passes we wanted to grab a bite to eat. There’s an Outback Steakhouse right across from where we were, but FYI they’re not open for lunch. We ended up cutting through Shinagawa station and walking up a hill to another one…on the way we went by a TGI Fridays. We drank, ate, laughed, drank some more and talked for nearly three hours…we had plenty of time because the doors didn’t open until 6 pm. From there we walked back the way we came and stopped for coffee at a Starbucks inside Shinagawa Station.

Finally 5 pm came around and we headed back to Shinagawa Inner City Hall. People were lined up but there was no rush to get in…we just wanted to get inside to warm up! We met back up with Azlina and Nurul and chatted some more. While Laurel was in Forks this summer she bought some goodies and brought them with her yesterday. She ended up giving Azlina and Nurul a keychain from Forks and they were so appreciative! I promised Twilight Singapore that I’d email them from my phone and send pictures when I could, and they posted updates on their site; click here, here and here to see them.

As we walked through the doors we were handed a balloon, and straight ahead was the Volvo, the XC60. It wasn’t the same one from the movie because if you notice the steering wheel is on the right. We made our way into the hall, found our seats and waited about 20 minutes until Rob and Chris came out. Here's a video I took of their entrance.

I will post the second half tomorrow along with about 65 more pictures and four more videos!
*Update: part two can be seen here.

*I was just informed that RobsessedPattinson has my five videos posted from YouTube here.*

Garlic Bread with a Japanese Twist...Maple Syrup

My friend Lisa took Sydney and I to an Italian restaurant in Yokosuka at the end of April. It's on the top floor (9th?) of More's City Mall which is down Blue Street and walking distance from the base. We walked around a little bit working up an appetite, and of course saw some funny Engrish shirts. It was shortly before Mother's Day, so we saw some Mother's Day soap that read, "Thanks Mam!"

Once we got to the restaurant I opened the menu and saw garlic bread. Okay, no biggy, it's an Italian restaurant so seeing it on the menu is a given. Well there's a twist. This garlic bread comes with maple syrup. No kidding, maple syrup. This is why Lisa took us here! I'm game for trying just about anything - especially here. We live in Japan, LIVE here. Most people don't get the opportunity to visit here, nevermind call it home for a couple of years, so why not try it, right?! So we ordered it, how could we not?

It was great and I'll be ordering it again next time I'm there. I'll also be making it at home and putting some syrup in a ramekin. Bob, hope you have an open mind!

This restaurant reminded me of "Cheers." Every time someone walked in the staff would yell "Irrashaimase!" That means welcome. But it was just like "Cheers" when Norm would walk in and be greeted with "Noooooorm!" I took a short video talking about the garlic bread and while watching you can't miss the "Irrashaimase!"

If you subscribe to my blog via email you'll need to click here to watch the video, and if you're reading this on my blog's website, it's below the four pictures.

Green Tea Coca Cola Makes its Debut in Japan

And I found it today! I've been looking since Monday, and after my stroller workout class I headed straight to 7-11 in search of Green Tea Coca Cola. After hearing Jimmy Fallon talk about it last night on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" I was even more determined to find it! Coca Cola Japan has a website dedicated to Green Tea Coke, and you can click here to take a look at it.

We live about an hour south of Tokyo and usually when new flavors of something comes out it takes a couple of days to make its way down here. Julie was with me and snapped a picture with her cell phone in the store, and I took the other picture on my kitchen counter. And just yesterday I mentioned always having a camera with me. Go figure, I forgot it this morning!

You probably want to know what it takes like. It's diet, says "No Calorie" in English right in the front. Everything on the back is in Japanese. I smell a little bit of something extra, but can't tell that it's green tea. It tastes like Diet Coke but does have a little bit of a green tea after taste.

I bought three bottles and will get a few more. Bob's out to sea, so in case it's not being sold when he comes home he'll have a chance to try it. Later this month Pepsi is coming out with Pepsi Shiso! I'll be buying a few of those too!

Quench Your Thirst with Squid Ink Soda

That's right, squid ink soda. Last week Julie found this at a store in Kawasaki. She came over for dinner and we tried it together!

I thought it smelled and tasted just like Bazooka Gum...remember the gum that came with the comic strip inside? It may have smelled and tasted like that, but it looked like dirty water.

Julie said this is called Ikasu Ramune and is made in Hokkaido, Japan's northern most island. Be sure to click on the picture to enlarge it...I love the label!

Squid Teether, Butter in a Tube & Aflac in Japan

Is your baby teething? Why not get a fish or squid teether for relief his/her relief? Julie brought me to Nishimatsuya last summer and every time I'm in the area I love going to this store. It's a discount children's clothing store; they also sell car seats, strollers, maternity clothes, etc, and isn't much larger than the CVS in my hometown of Kensington, Connecticut. Keanna and Sydney love coming here because they've got toys out for kids to play with. We went today, and while I looking for some baby gifts Julie spotted the fish, then I looked down and saw the squid.

Afterward we made a quick trip to Costco since it's very close by. I've been there so many times and every time we had fun and see new things. Today's new product....new to me at least...butter in a tube. We were all looking for it, but when Julie told the girls to look for butter in a toothpaste tube their eyes lit up!

You know those funny (or depending on your sense of humor they can be dumb) commercials with the duck? Today I found this place and laughed almost as hard as I did Tuesday at the Wood & Pecker store. My father, Ron, loves the Aflac commercials and when I spotted this store I immediately thought of him. If you look on the right of the picture you'll even see a TV with the Japanese Aflac commercial showing on the TV.

If you subscribe to my blog via email you'll need to click here to view the Japanese Aflac commercial I found on Youtube.

Come Fly With Me

Errr, "Come Fry with Me???" I spotted this little boy in Zushi Ginza and ever since have had "Come Fly with Me" in my head. Julie was with me and she explained to his mom (her Japanese is very good!) what his hat actually said. We all got a laugh out of it though, even the little boy's sister, then we bowed, thanked them and went on our way hunting for Kit Kats.

Sakura in Kamakura

Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossoms. Did you know that the Japanese gave the cherry tree to the United States back in 1912? I didn't! Well, if I did know I've forgotten up until Julie and I were talking about it. In 1965, 3800 more trees were given and accepted by Lady Bird Johnson. Last week and the week before were the two weeks when they peaked, and we were out and about taking it all in. We arrived at this time last year, the peak of sakura season, so this year I knew where I wanted to go to see them. Bob's been working later hours than usual and on weekends too, so anything we wanted to see had to be done without him.

The Japanese are very serious and proud of the sakura; last year they even had Kit Kat Sakura! Every year the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the public track the sakura zensen (cherry-blossom front) as it moves northward. From what I read it begins in Okinawa in January and reaches Kyoto and eventually Tokyo at the end of March or the beginning of April.

Last Friday evening we went with Julie and her family to Kamakura. It's only two stops away by train and takes about 15 minutes to get there. Specifically Dankazura and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. Dankazura is a walkway that leads almost from Kamakura Station down to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. I went to these places on New Year's Eve...click here if you want to see more pictures and to learn about how the Japanese traditionally ring in the new year.

On Tuesday the girls and I went to Hase Temple (Hasedera) and Daibutsu/Great Buddha of Kamakura. We walked around, took some pictures and enjoyed the afternoon. The weather was beautiful and we were happy to take advantage of it. Below are pictures of a garden at Hase Temple and Daibutsu. I'm still experimenting with the panoramic stitching thing. Click the pictures to enlarge them.














I've added the pictures from both days to a Shutterfly album, click here if you want to see them.

The Park at Kanazawa Zoo - and More Roller Slides

This park is so much fun, only 10-15 minutes from our military housing area, Ikego, and easy to get to. We went last Thursday with some friends (who have been before), and enjoyed it so much we went back on Saturday...and took Bob with us this time. They've got three roller slides, a rock climbing wall (more like a slope), rope wall/slope and more. I tried that panoramic picture again, and this time it should be clickable; click on it to enlarge it and you can see more detail.







I took two videos going down the slide. If you subscribe to my blog via email you'll need to click here to see the videos. The first is without the plastic seat and the second is with it. You'll notice a big difference in speed...I certainly did! The secret is to sit and lean back with it. FYI, they're sold at a small store there for ¥700 (about $7), but I heard Livin (on Rte 16 in Yokosuka) has them for ¥300 or ¥400. Entrance to the park is free, I'm not sure of the cost for the zoo, and parking is ¥600. There are bathrooms and vending machines at the top, but next time we go we'll bring a picnic lunch.

My one piece of advice is this: When you arrive, take the big slide down to the benches and play area. Don't bother going down all the stairs. Just put your bag, purse, camera bag, etc on your lap and enjoy the ride!

































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On Cloud Nine at Showa Kinen Park in Tokyo

We had one heck of a day yesterday! It began with my alarm clock buzzing in my ear at 6 am and my friend picking us up at 6:45. We went to Showa Kinen (Memorial) Park on the west side of Tokyo today, and I can't believe we've been here one year and haven't been up there sooner!

Anyway, the drive took about 2 hours and 10 minutes thanks to morning rush hour traffic. We were waiting outside the Nishi Tachikawa gate at 9:24 am and had maybe 10-15 cars in front of us. The park opened at 9:30 and our group, composed of three moms and five kids, immediately began navigating our way to the Children's Forest area of the park. Oh, the cost was ¥400 for me (about $4) and the kids were free. My friend's son is 10 and he was ¥80 (about $.80). Parking was ¥820 (about $8.20).

On the way to the children's area we passed by so many beautiful flower beds and sakura (cherry blossom trees). Little streams, bridges and cut-outs for our faces delayed our arrival to the Sea of Clouds located within the Children's Forest, but the photo opportunities were too great to pass up. Flags were hanging saying "Flower Festival 2009," so I'm not sure if the flowers are always like that or if it's something special going on.

I'll do my best to let the photos and videos speak for themselves, but I really can't say enough great things about this place. I know we made it through maybe half of the park in our nearly five hours there, and I'm anxious to go back, this time with Bob, to see the rest. There are Japanese gardens, a bonsai tree area, paddle boat rentals, bbq pits...and the list goes on.

I took more pictures and posted them in my Shutterfly album. Click here if you want to see them. For those of you that subscribe via email you'll need to go to the website of the blog to see the four videos. Click here to be directed there. Speaking of videos, be sure to watch the one of me running...and think of the song "Wipeout" while watching...if I had the time to dub that song over the video I would have.

I learned how to "stitch" photos together, so I experimented below. Thanks to Jacquie and Heather on HMW for teaching me! I took five or six shots scanning right to left and overlapping each time by about 1/3. It worked on some of the pictures I took and looked awkward on others.

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