A touch of home

On my way home from Takarazuka, I spotted this sign in the station and it reminded me of home.

We have a highway in Ontario called the QEW - Queen Elizabeth Way...

Is the mask of Zorro hidding a woman's face?

In the land of Takarazuka (because the town and train stop are under this name), all women actress play both male and female roles--opposite to Kabuki, where the players are all men.

I went to see the musical version of Zorro. My final comments of the show, excluding the fact that I could barely understand anything that was going on vocally, was NOTHING like the actually story! There were 3 characters playing Zorro at once, 1 of them was a women...they called her "lady Zorro"! Who ever heard of that? Regardless, the world of Takarazuka is quite complex and I was lucky enough to learn about it in Dr. Hester's gender and sexuality in Japan.

Becoming an actress in Takarazuka is highly competitive, and of course like any other mode of entertainment, once you get too old, you're out, and it's time for the next wave to come in. Only the women who play male roles are able to become top stars, yet most of all the players receive gifts from thousands (and I almost mean that literally) of fans. Women who play male roles are especially said to make good housewives, because they understand their male counterpart.

After the show was over, we stayed at the front gates to see if we could catch a glimpse of any of the top stars leaving the building. This part of the day really shocked me... as each actress made her appearence, all of the superfans knelt on the group and everyone came single... respectful clapping filled the air, but it all seemed very sublte actions compared to how these middle-aged women adored the female stars.

Kids in High Fashion!

When I was in my youth...ok, well I still am in my youth...but, you know what I mean. My mom took me shopping at places like Northern Getaway. Although I cannot find any pictures portraying their unique style (probably because they have since gone out of business)...they manufactured clothing with "Spice Mice" and "Catstreet Boys" after popular artists in those days.

I wore flared jeans and sneakers. I was pretty proud of my good fashion sense in that day and age.

The other day when I was walking through the underground passage between stations in Umeda, Osaka....I came across this family: a mother and her two girls. I was quite surprized to see that her kids had so much style at their age!

I can't even remember how old I was when I first wore a pair of boots/high heels...maybe 14? Definitely older than these two!

Sumo

According to Japanese legend the very origin of the Japanese race depended on the outcome of a sumo mathc. the supremacy of the Japanese people on the islands of Japan was supposedly established when the god, Takemikazuchi, won a sumo bout with the leader of a rival tribe. Apart from legend, however, sumo is an ancient sport dating back some 1500 years ago.

日本相撲協会

Nihon－Sumo－Kyokai

This March Sumo has come to Osaka! We weren't sitting that close, but that didn't stop us from feeling apart of the action!

Asashoryu in opening ceremony.

This just goes to show that in Sumo, size doesn't really matter.

and don't forget about the snacks! During a sumo match, you can enjoy a nice hot cup of ramen.

Yum!

International Food!

One great advantage about being in Japan is traveling to other countries near by!

During the winter vacation, I travelled to South Korea and Taiwan and for the Spring Break I ventured to Thailand.

I have to honestly say, the thing I liked most in all three countries was definitely the food!

In Taiwan I enjoyed...

Roasted Duck.

Hello Kitty burger!

Dinner served in a toilet.

In South Korea I tried...

Spicy Ramen with a side of pickles and, of course, kimchi!

Hot Chocolate!

and In Thailand...

Double Cheese Pork Burger (potato chips).

Street food.

And really, really good Pad Thai!

Torikizoku--Where everything is 280円

In Japan, Izakaya style restaurants are very popular. They are casual restaurants (usually loud and smoke-filled) where all of the dishes on the menu come in small portions, so that you can try many different foods without filling up on one dish.

At Torikizoku they offer a variety of chicken dishes. Many students from Kansai Gaidai enjoy eating here because everything on the menu is 280 yen (294 with taxes included).

May I take your order?

What do you do when you want to get your server's attention?

• a: Wait paitently until they walk by.
• b: Scan the room in hopes to make eye-contact.
• c: Scream "EXCUSE ME" at the top of your lungs.
• d: Simply push a button to notify the entire restaurant staff that someone is wanted at your table.

see answer below

-----

In Canada, either a or b would suffice. In Japan, c or d are your ideal answer. If these answers were reversed... I'd image that in Japan you'd never get served and Canadians would find the other ways quite rude.