Where can I watch a Cockfight?

..and other equally useless phrases in Japanese.

Though I am quite glad to have my phase book here, I am constantly astounded by some of the phrases that are put in there, as if they are really applicable to daily life or travel. Yes, there are the standards of directions and “where is there an internet café?,” but some that Frommer’s felt necessary to put in are absolutely ridiculous. For example, there’s a whole section devoted to “getting to know someone” which is a cover for cheesy pick up lines. Like, “You dance so well” and “You have such beautiful eyes” as well as, my personal favorite, “You look like the most interesting person in the room.” Ugh I can just picture the eyebrow wags and tawdry smiles that would accompany those gems.

But with that discovery on the plane, such began my flirtation with the Japanese Language.

Now I began using the Rosetta Stone program in the states, which I have continued here, which really helped me with prounuciation and understanding of sentence structure, if not learning mainly useless vocabulary. But that, combined with the smattering of grammar explanations, the why and wherefores of object particles, and (mostly) useful phrases from my Frommer‘s Book, I’ve garnered enough Japanese to at least find the subway. But more importantly, it helped with two of my favorite activities: shopping, and eating.

I already said I would say something about the shopping, specifically the 100 Yen store, and it is definitely something that garners notice. I had heard Japan was a consumer society, but I wasn’t prepared for how pithy that statement is in comparison to reality. Consumers ARE the society. Stores are everywhere, and Sakae, the Mecca of shopping in Nagoya, is almost overwhelming. Actually, scratch that, it is overwhelming. The whole of Sakae has a massive undeground mall that covers many miles below the city streets. Big department stores, like Mitsukoshi and Melsa, are giant sky scrapers of buildings in the center of town; multiple floors devoted to clothes, jewelry, and electronics. And unlike electronic stores in America, which can seem a little loud, this is a flurry of noise and lights, where every CD is being played by every speaker, and a different anime, movie, or video game is on every screen. Its loud, obnoxious, and, to be honest, kind of awe inspiring. First time I was traveling the stores it was early Tuesday afternoon, not a time I’d expect to be busy. And then I traveled to the basement levels.

This is where, in Japanese department stores, they sell food, at least where I went. Though not loud in the way electronics department is, it is a different and special kind of loud. It is the deafening noise of people. Unless its drinking hours, the Japanese are a generally quiet people. Yet in this section? I was overtaken by the noise and power of the shoppers; little obaa-san pushing past me with no regard as they scoop up every type of food imaginable. Hawkers scream to me, pushing chocolates and sample onigiri on me. Now I’m a generally unruffled person when it comes to noise and busy areas, but without a doubt, I had a deer in headlights look when I entered there. After a few minutes we then rather quickly, and at a near run, escaped from this overwhelming shopping experience. I still feel rattled thinking about it.

But the prize in all this is, the top of the shopping heap, is the 100 yen store. In the 7th Floor of Melsa, there is a magical place where you can get anything imaginable for about one American dollar. And this, my friends, is the 100 yen store.

And really, only a picture collage of some of the items bought would do such place justice.

My snail magnets, sickeningly cute in their own way

This awesome kitchen knife, with my nails to match.

This cutting board, also sickeningly cute.

Orange and green slippers, since I need to train myself not to wear shoes in other people’s homes.

This tea set, which really marks me as a gaijin.

And then, the pinnacle of my collection...

NINJA CHOPSTICKS

Which are apparently too awesome to ever be photographed clearly. Believe me, I tried multiple times.

But shopping aside, that leads me into the more important part of acquiring language. And that is, as every good Italian girl knows, eating.

I have been equally overwhelmed, but in a much better way, by the food so far. From the really good Japanese interpretation of foreign cuisine to real, traditional food, I have been enjoying everything immensely so far. My favorite are the little shops where you can get donburri bowl with rice, pickled vegetables, green tea, and other small concoctions for about 400 yen. You walk in, sit, are served at lightning speed, and yet still get a real cooked and unprocessed meal. It puts new meaning to the term fast food.

And though I spent the entire first week eating out and about in my neighbourhood, my favorite was probably the night I went to an Izakaya. It’s like the equivalent of a traditional Japanese pub, with real rustic touches, like a sliding door, numerous lanterns, and tatami mat seating in the back. Amelia and I traveled to one in Imaike, a neighbourhood near by, and found a random one down a side street. We were greeted exuberant exclamations and smiles, and chose to sit and the counter and watch them a foot away prepare our food. It was smoky, cramped, and absolutely fabulous. Since drinking it traditional, we ordered the local sake (watered down of course), and then went on to order an amazing amount of small dishes of fried tofu, fish, grilled meats, pickled and fried vegetables, and copious amounts of rice. Everyone was smiling and welcoming and we left a little tipsy, extremely full, and only 2000 yen lighter in our wallets.

But I can’t always eat out, so I also finally traveled down to my local supermarket. There are some thing easily recognizable, other things not so much, but I was still seduced by all the smells, choices, and amazing amounts of already made food. I ended up coming back after wandering the store for two hours with a full stock of groceries, a few ready made foods, like an interesting fried prawn and egg sandwich (which is way better than it sounds), and a desire to really learn how to make Japanese food.

So all in all, I love the shopping and the food, yet still are discovering new stores and food every time I wander out. And this is all thanks to my very limited Japanese skills.

And in case you were wondering, if you ever do want to find a fowl fight in Japan? All you need to ask is tookei wa doko de miru koto ga deki masu ka.