Arcades Part 2

We recently went back to an arcade, which had new bizarre prizes in their claw machines. These never get old! On this trip we found that you could win vitamins, a wide assortment of food and candy, pillows that look like logs, a donut maker, stretchy bananas and peaches that are rather perverted, vibrating massagers, golden ice cream spoons, and these odd plush blobs that are paired with cute plush baby seals... Not sure what these blobs are, but the only thing I can figure out is maybe plush oil spill to go with your plush marine life? Tragic, but anything is possible in Japan.

Beauty tip?

I found the latest in skin care - snake venom! I do not plan on trying this.

Sinbad!

We got to see Sinbad do stand up! I've wanted to see him since I was little, and I must say he still has it! Great guy and great comedy!

The Mukade

While hiking, we found one of the baddest bugs in Japan! This giant centipede is called the mukade, and can grow up to 9 inches long. Its venom is not lethal, but the sting is very painful and is likened to being shocked by a taser.

If feeling threatened, mukade are extremely aggressive and can run VERY quickly. They are fearless and will put up quite a fight. Even when cut in half, each end can still function, and if squished it will release pheromones that will attract others.

Crab in the Morning

Early this morning I was gazing out the backdoor and saw a crab scooting across the patio!! That was the last thing I expected to see in our backyard! I don't know what kind it is... looks like some kind of shore crab, but I couldn't find any with this coloration. He is pretty cute though!

Hiking an Island

We went with some friends to an island the other day for a nice afternoon hike. It was soooo much fun! Lots of great trails, views, and critters! We saw kites, crabs, sea anemones, and various bugs. The boys liked climbing on all of the rocks and giving us heart attacks. We finished up the hike while the sun was setting, and it was gorgeous.

Striped Shore Crab 

Wild Hydrangea

Coffee Fest

We went to the Coffee Fest in Tokyo. The weekly farmers market was set up too, right by the festival. It was so much fun going from booth to booth, enjoying coffee from around the world and seeing all the glories of the market. They also had some alcohol (Japan doesn't have open container laws), so we got to walk around sipping raspberry champagne! Best way to spend a Saturday morning!

We tried local honey, and home made, organic ginger ale. We wandered around town, in search of coffee shops, and found a Dyson store! We had never seen a stand alone Dyson store before. We went in and ogled at the over-priced fans and vacuums and other electronics. Did you know that Dyson makes hair dryers using the same bladeless technology as their fans?

We found a little restaurant for lunch that specialized in beef tongue. That was our first time eating it, and I must say, it is fantastic! It tastes like a succulent steak. Yum!

I know I've mentioned before about how amazing the florists are here, but I found rainbow roses, and had to include a photo of them. Too cool!

Delicious beef tongue. 

Crepes

Crepes are no joke here in Japan. There are several stores and booths that sell hundreds of different crepes - they even have savory ones with seafood and such. They are gigantic, and come rolled up in a paper cone so you can carry it around and munch on it. You can get them filled with chocolate, whipped cream, fruit, and all sorts of delicious things. Look at all the choices!

Sumo!!!!

Up until a few days ago, I had no interest in sumo. It wasn't on my Japanese Bucket List, but I had the opportunity to go, so I thought why not! I am SO glad I went! Sumo wrestling is incredible and is so much more than giant guys pushing each other out of a ring. It's been around for thousands of years as a Shinto ritual to entertain the gods and hope for a bountiful harvest. It didn't become a spectator sport for fun until the 1600s. Although today it is used more as a sport than godly entertainment, it is still heavily steeped in Shinto tradition. The grapple itself is short lived, and most of the tournament is spent performing purification rituals. There are large containers of salt kept in the corners of the ring, and they are constantly grabbing huge handfuls and flinging them across the ring in order to purify the sacred space. The referee even dresses in traditional Shinto priest robes.

The rules of sumo are pretty simple. You must use brute strength to push, shove, or throw the other wrestler out of the ring. If any part of your body hits outside of the circle, you lose. If any part of your body touches the ground inside the circle (except the soles of your feet), you lose. The reasoning behind the wrestlers wearing so little goes back to ancient times as well. It is to simply show that each wrestler does not have any weapons or items on them that could lead to cheating.

The trophies that are won by the reigning wrestler at the end of the tournament are impressive. The winner we saw got 3 trophies - one "regular" sized one, one that was about 2x1ft big, and one GIANT one that was about 4x2ft big that took 2 men to haul it onto the ring. The giant trophy was carried off by the winner in one arm - these guys are beasts!

I can't wait to go back, and I'll have to take Jonathan with me next time! In the photos, find the wrestler with Charlie Chaplin on his outfit... it's great!

Giant Snail

I found a huge snail today! It's been raining all day, and the invertebrates are out full force. I found a couple of these guys, actually. Very curious, gentle creatures.