Sign of the Week: Cow Tipping

It's supposed to be nothing more than a hoax. It has even been de-bunked by the Mythbusters. But I can assure you it is not. In fact, I have been Cow Tipping here in Yoyogi on multiple occasions--and I have no regrets. Knowing there might be some skeptics among you, I offer this week's Sign of the Week as evidence.

Cruising Down the Hozu (on a Monday Afternoon)

On a recent trip to Kyoto, Cindy, C. J., my parents (visiting from the U. S.) and I had the chance to get out of the city and take a boat ride down the Hozu River.

We started out from Sagano station on the quaintly-named "Romantic Train," which follows the course of the river east through a beautifully forested canyon to the town of Kameoka. On board, everyone was excited and happy, taking pictures and enjoying the view. The only people who take this train are sight-seers; there's a faster line to Kameoka if you just need to get there. But the Romantic Train winds along with the river, crossing it now and then, and sliding through tunnels in the riverside cliffs. This picture was taken from the train. The boat is just like the one we would soon be taking back through the canyon.





From the train station in Kameoka, we took a bus to the boat landing. We spent some time in a waiting area (complete with gift shop--this is Japan) until the loudspeaker announced our party, telling us it was time to board: "Amerika-no Tomu-san" ("Mr. Tom, the American").



Here, in a plain on the other side of the mountains from Kyoto, the river flows along placidly. As we started our trip down the river, we passed through open fields first. The banks got gradually higher, and soon we were passing through bamboo woods.






We were the only Westerners in the boat, but not the only "gaijin" (foreigners). The friendly couple sitting behind us were from Taiwan, in the company of a Japanese friend. The rest were Japanese. A very nice fellow sitting in front of C. J. had his family along. He turned out to be a Yale-educated physician. He and the Taiwanese couple took pains to help interpret for us when the boat's crew had something to tell the group.

The boat was crewed by three men, who rotated positions a few times during the two-hour tour. One was at the tiller in the stern, one rowed the boat's single oar, and one served as poleman. It was interesting to see how the poleman operated. He would stand at the very tip of the bow, plant his bamboo pole ahead of the boat on a river bottom. Then, as the boat reached the spot, he would push off downstream. To take full advantage of the leverage the pole provided, he would run five or six steps down the sloping bow, pushing the the boat forward with his feet.

As we entered the canyon, we had a chance to see the Romantic Train chugging along, bringing more boaters up to Kameoke

The canyon had plenty of waterfowl. Getting a picture of the ducks and cormorants from a moving platform was beyond my photographic capabilities, but I was able to capture this Great Blue Heron, which obligingly and characteristically stood still for me

As the canyon narrowed the river, it grew a bit wilder. While we saw nothing more than class II rapids, it made for a fun ride. And the role of poleman turned from propelling the craft to fending off rocks.

As the sides of the canyon grew higher, the forest changed to Sugi. This beautiful tree has been know to the West as "Japanese Cedar," but it is not a cedar. The more accurate "Japanese Cypress" is now being used more widely. Sugi is a type of cypress, but differs greatly from the cypress we're familiar with in the States.

As we wound our way, we would sometimes find ourselves in the shadows. It was cool, quiet, and beautiful!

Eventually, the canyon opened up again. The sugi gave way to hardwoods. We saw some early cherry blossoms here and there.

The river grew broader than ever, and calm. The crew began to work hard to keep us moving along. I was beginning to worry for them--they had to be exhausted--when a canopy-covered, motor-powered boat came alongside of us. It was a floating food stand! They tied up to our boat, and we bought refreshments. Their boat's engine moved us along quickly, so our crew got a breather. This seemed like a real win-win to me--we got food, they got rest, and the vendors made some money. I had some "taco" (octopus) grilled right there on the boat. In this picture, the cook has my order in his hand. Cindy had rice balls on a stick. C. J. had a Mitsuya Cider.

It wasn't long after that we came into Arashiyama, our destination. Lots of families were out boating here, as in this picture.

What a great time this was. If you're ever to Kyoto, I recommend it. Sometimes doing the touristy thing turns out just right!

The Latest in Parking

Last week Cindy and I caught a ride to Roppongi Hills with some friends in their minivan. This gave us a chance to see how the parking system operates there.

When you arrive at the parking facility, which is underneath the mall and tower, you are directed into a small, garage-like room. There are two metal belts built into the floor sideways across the room. With the help of an attendant, you park so the front wheels rest on one belt, and the rear wheels on the other. You get out of the car, and lock it up.

You pass into an adjoining room. You can watch the room with your car through a large window. The attendant comes into the other room with you and punches a few buttons on a machine. The side wall of the garage starts to rise, and you realize the whole wall is an overhead door, with another room behind it. Once the door is up, the belts in the floor start up, and your car is carried sideways into the adjacent room. The wall door descends again, and you car disappears.

Your vehicle is now in the clutches of a robotically-controlled containment system. But they are kind, efficient clutches. The computer assigns your car an empty cube--just big enough to fit it--and a series of mechanical belts, tracks, and lifts carries it to its proper place on the rack.

The machine spits out a magnetic card, which the attend hands to you. When you return later to retrieve you car, you simply insert the card and the amount you owe for the parking. The machine directs you to the garage in which your car will appear. A couple of minutes later, the wall opens up, and your car slides back into view.

This kind of parking system is very expensive to set up, as you would expect. But it has a number of advantages. For customers, it's a time-saver. There is no need to search for a parking space. It's also safer; nobody can break into your car, and there is no risk of door dings or fender-benders. Furthermore, you can't forget where you parked.

For the system operator, there are real benefits as well. The parking cubes only have to be big enough to hold the vehicle--there's no need to allow room for doors to open, or to allow for headroom. And no space is wasted in access aisles and ramps. You can fit twice as many vehicles into this type of parking garage. Additionally, you can run it with a smaller staff--no need for valet drivers, tollbooth workers, or security people. It's a real win-win, in my view.

Sign of the week: Watch your butt!

A lot of people smoke here in Tokyo. And even more spend a significant portion of their lives waiting for the light to change so they can cross the street. So, this sign is a polite reminder to smokers to avoid holding their lit cigarettes too close to children's heads (a convenient height at which to dangle one's smoke, apparently). I never even thought about the possibility of this kind of accident before, but in the crowds here, I guess it's a real danger.

Some of the signs around here strike me because they seem funny to me; this one seems genuinely smart.

Edifice of the Week: Gonpachi (Nichi Azabu)

Most Thursdays Cindy and I have lunch at Gonpachi in Nichi (West) Azabu. It's about halfway between work and home, so it makes a convenient meeting spot. But even if it wasn't convenient, we'd probably figure out a way to get here. It's our favorite Japanese restaurant. Gonpachi is part of a small chain--I think they have four other locations in Tokyo--but this is the only one we've been to.

I have heard conflicting stories about the original building that was on this site. One is that it was formerly a castle, another that it was a treasure house. Maybe it was both. It is probably most famous in recent years as the site of a 2002 lunch featuring President Bush and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

You have to duck (actually, C. J. and I do--Cindy doesn't) to get inside Gonpachi. Once you enter, you are met by a hostess, who calls out a greeting, which is echoed by a welcoming shout from all the staff.

There are two main floors, but the bottom one is divided into two levels. On the lowest is an open kitchen, with a large grill, that sends a mouth-watering aroma (and smoke) into the air. Surrounding the kitchen on three sides is a bar where you can sit, and tables on the floor beyond that.

Some of the tables on the bottom floor have a latticework of bamboo overhead. The upper part of the first floor is a row of booths along the eastern wall, elevated a few feet above the lower part.

The upper floor is open in the middle, and consists of rows of booths or rooms along each wall. The booths are like those on the first floor; the rooms are fancier. While still partly open to the balcony-like hall on one side, they are more private, and are treated like separate chambers. You have to remove your shoes and don slippers to eat in one of them.

Beautiful wood is everywhere inside. The tables on the first floor, and the extensive bar, are solid. The booths feature heavy benches. Any seat in the house allows a view of the enormous beams across the ceiling. And above the upper booths are screens of bamboo.

The verdict from our family--C. J. included--is that the food here is delicious. It's very Japanese--yakitori (skeweres of charcoal-grilled chicken) is the specialty, but they make great tempura as well. You can get a really good lunch special, featuring a little bit of everything,
for 2,000 yen (under $20). But this post is really about the building--we'll talk about food another time.

Vehicle of the Week: Lamborghini Murcielago LP640

I came across this little gem while walking home from work the other week. The 2006 update of a model introduced in 2001, it features a 6.5 liter V12 engine that produces 640 hp. I really like the looks and specs of this model, but I don't have a spare $275,000 to buy one. I'd choose a white one, like this, but they also come in red and black at the Lamborghini dealer down the street. Have I mentioned I feel slightly out of place in this neighborhood?

Down it goes...

At work (conference room) watching the sun set over the mountains.