Tokyo, Day 3 - Tea Ceremony

Today is more of a general 'life in Japan' orientation, but it's fun. We meet the Tama University MTP staff at our hotel, and go to Shinigawa History Museum, a process that involves both a subway trip and two JR train rides, as well as a walk.

One of the Tama teachers is a graduate of Sofia University; while there, she was very active in the Tea Club. She and other club members have arranged to serve tea to our group in a traditional Japanese style, using the large tea room facility at the history museum. This is an informal setup; picture-taking is encouraged, and parts of the ceremony are explained as they occur. During my two trips to Japan, I have been able to participate in both formal and informal ceremonies, and, while I enjoy the formal process, I am always glad to see a more informal ritual, since it allows me to learn more about it and feel comfortable that I will not be making too many faux pas.

The history museum has a small but very complete Japanese garden as well as a much smaller tea house (suitable for only 2 or 3 participants) along with the larger room. After our ceremony, we wander in the garden, taking pictures and enjoying the views available.

Lunch is on our own, and we are also on our own to find our way back to Tama's Meguro campus (where we met yesterday). This is again part of our orientation; while a few people are still a bit hesitant about it, most folks have begun to figure out how to read the signs in the stations and retrace a path. We do still tend to stay in groups, but now the groups are smaller.

Once I get to the Meguro area, I walk towards the university campus, looking for likely lunch prospects. There is a shop along the way that seems to have lunch things to take with you, so I stop and look around; I end up getting a small sandwich with what tastes like tuna salad (it was good), a bottle of orange drink (but it has a lot more actual juice in it than similar drinks in the U.S.), and a package of what I think are wafer cookies with chocolate filling (they are).

As I look a bit longer, I realize that this shop, unlike many of the convenience shops I've seen, seems to have different items, all priced the same. Ah, I understand - this is a variant of a well-known type of Japanese shop, the 100 Yen Store, only this one is competing at a new level; everything here is Y98! Cool, even the Dollar Stores have competitors.

When we all meet at Tama, we have a discussion of what to look for on food and product labels (for example, milk does come in both whole and low-fat forms, but you have to find the part that gives the percentage of milk-fat to determine which is which). We then break into groups, and students from the Tama JHS/HS International Club join us for a shopping trip; they will be available to answer questions about labels and help us find things we might be needing. This time, we head for a grocery store that also has a Y100 shop in it; those who have not seen these stores are amazed at the variety of items one can buy.

When we head back for dinner, my group makes one misstep on the subway ride; we didn't pay close enough attention to our maps (or the color of the stripe on the train, which tells you what line it follows) and go a couple of stops beyond our first transfer point. So we get to get off and backtrack just a bit. It's not a problem (and was probably a good thing to have happen for the new people in the group), but it does help reinforce the need to look at the signs and train indicators. Other than that, most of us are beginning to feel comfortable with daily travel.

I want to go look for a digital camcorder in Shinjuku, but am not particularly comfortable with the idea of going by myself at night. (It's a reasonably safe area, as long as you stay on the main streets, but it's usually better to go with someone rather than solo when it is dark, much as it is in many American cities.) Jim doesn't need to shop, but is willing to go with me, and we plan to get dinner afterwards.

We get to the area without a problem, and find several well-known electronics stores. I browse through two or three - surprisingly, the shop I remember best has the least selection in camcorders (although they do still have a great supply of translators and still cameras). I end up with a Canon - it's a very new model, and uses both MiniDV tapes and SD Media cards (for video and still pictures). It is lighter than the Sony camcorders I look at, and has some features that the Panasonic I liked didn't have (specifically an anti-shake focusing system for handheld video filming).

Unfortunately, the store does not have a user manual in English, but they assure me that one can be ordered for later pick-up (I will get it when I return to Tokyo in July). We spend some time while the store clerk helps me learn the basics of how to use the camera; even with Japanese labels, it is surprisingly easy to figure out how to use it. I leave with the camera, some MiniDV tapes, a larger SD Media card (256 mB; 16 mB never holds very much, and it's easier and cheaper to buy it right then), and a bag and extra strap (thrown in as a bonus).

A quick check online later confirms that I have gotten a very good price, and the store had the proper forms for tourists to avoid paying the Japanese sales tax (legal as long as you are a foreign visitor and have the store fill it out and attach it to your passport for the customs people to take later), as well as a properly validated warranty.

I like shopping in Shinjuku - there are always good buys on electronics equipment and you can usually see a lot of new things.

Jim and I head back to the hotel, and find a small restaurant that specializes in Italian cuisine. He orders pizza, I get Fettucine alla Carbonara, and they are both delicious. There are a couple of interesting items in the alcohol list (for an Italian restaurant, at least): Tio Pepe (a well-known Spanish sherry) is available by the glass, and they offer a "Homemade Sangria" (also a Spanish specialty), which I decide to try. It's good....

Back to the hotel, where I play with the camera for a bit and then plug it in to get a full charge on the battery pack. I end up going to bed much later than on other evenings; I think I'm finally acclimated to Japan time.