Anohito
Jul 10, 2007, 23:57
1 Oct 1983 (Sat): Up and out early today. The sun was shining, but it looked as though it could cloud over. I wore my jacket only to learn that it wasn’t very cool out. I kept the jacket because the temperature may turn chilly this evening. As I suspected, the Stars & Stripes Post Office isn’t open on Saturday. My first real stop was at Coffee Club Roppongi(1) for koronbia ippai [a cup of Colombian]. Then a newspaper at Seishido(2) and the subway to Red Hill Checkpoint(3). In anticipation of getting a Tour Companion on Sunday or Monday at Hardy Barracks, I won’t be going to the Tourist Information Center today. I’m part way through the Beauty of Washi [washi - traditionally made japanese paper] exhibition at the Suntory Museum of Art(4). It’s most interesting. Some of the Tempyo period(5) paper is surprisingly well preserved. From there to the yum cha-ya. My watch said 1133, but I wasn’t sure they were ready for customers, so I went around the block. In the same building I found a yakitori-ya that has courses. I seem to be having a run of bad luck in these restaurants [yum cha-ya]. Somehow, communication between the waitress and cooks broke down and my rice dish (it turned out to be fried rice with sausage chunks & shrimp) wasn’t prepared and I had to ask about it after waiting for it for some time. The next time, I’ll go up to their location on the 3rd floor. From there to Ginza. Before going into the exhibition, I bought a replacement for the medium Pentel at Matsuya. The exhibition at Tokyo Central Art Museum(6) was very interesting. There was the usual range in quality. The best paintings were magnificent. One painting of a farm house in a spring countryside showed phenomenal detail and yet didn’t look like an imitation of a photograph. Also, there were three snow scenes that were most impressive. Cafe Marche was full, so I came to Toa for a coffee break. After that, I went to the Kabukiza and bought a ticket for the Monday matinee. After some hesitation (I had already had a busy day), I went to the Bridgestone Museum of Art(7). This exhibit was as variable as the Aoki Shigeru(8) exhibit–some works were of no interest at all and some were outstanding. I bought some postcards. After some consideration of the matter, I decided to go back to Hardy Barracks, ditch my catalogs & jacket and change clothes. On the way to the subway station, I stopped in Meidi-ya (Kyobashi) for a look. Just when I thought there wasn’t anything I really needed, I was some Andes mints. They are hard to get, so I bought a package. Once in Roppongi (going to Nogizaka would have required either a second transfer or a circuitous route(9)), I looked at my watch, realized I was hungry enough to eat now, and retraced my steps to go to Don Q, to make it closer to 1730 by the time I got to Rasa Singapura, which was where I wanted to eat supper. Don Q didn’t have a couple of my favorites, so I only bought one item, the soft apricot tart. I decided to buy a couple of chocolate items at A. Le Comte after supper. I’ve never bought anything there before. Supper at Rasa Singapura was very good, but I saw a few bugs. That’s not so good. They have reduced the selection and raised the prices, so maybe I should stick to Moti and Bengawan Solo for spicy food in Roppongi (I may yet try one of the Korean restaurants). Then to A. Le Comte for chocolate goodies. Their stuff if pricy, but excellent. However, one of the items I bought had something alcoholic in it and I didn’t finish it. If I’m liable to find booze when I’m not expecting any, I probably shouldn’t buy there.
(1) In Roppongi 7-Chome along Gaien-Higashi Dori a few blocks from the crossing.
(2) A newsstand at the crossing.
(3) My own translation of Akasaka Mitsuke.
(4) http://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/sma/index.html (http://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/sma/index.html)
(5) There is some difference of opinion about the dates for the Tempyo (or Late Nara) Period. The most common dates I found were 710-784. However, I also found 710-794 and 725-794.
(6) http://www.chuo-kanko.or.jp/english/ginza/map.html (http://www.chuo-kanko.or.jp/english/ginza/map.html) Listed as Tokyo Central Museum toward top of image.
(7) http://www.bridgestone-museum.gr.jp/en/ (http://www.bridgestone-museum.gr.jp/en/)
(8) http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2005/FA48.en (http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2005/FA48.en)
(9) The west exit/entrance of Nogizaka Station (Chiyoda Line) is closer to Hardy Barracks than Roppongi Station.
2 Oct 1983 (Sun): I didn’t have coffee at Roppongi this morning, Sunday morning being a bad time to have coffee in Roppongi(1). I went directly to Takashimaya. After looking around for a bit to see what was what, I noticed a Tricolore stand bar. That’s where I had my morning hot coffee. Then back out to the canned/jar/bottled goods area. They don’t have hand baskets, so I determined exactly what I wanted before taking it to the cashier. One of the things I bought was rhubarb (!) Jam (by Sawaya(2)). By then, it was after 1100. I went looking for the restaurants of 5F & 8F. I only found snack shops. There used to be a large dining room on an upper floor (I had unagi there once), but I couldn’t find it. I returned to the Walnut Room in BF. While trying to decide what to have, the hordes descended, so I immediately put together a reasonable sombination (beef stew, including salad; cream corn soup; kocha(3); & hotcakes) and hurried to the cashier (ticket system) before the hordes would get there. The waitress asked me if I wanted my kocha after the meal and I was I wanted it right away. She may have also mentioned the hotcakes, but if so, I didn’t hear her. Anyway, my hotcakes arrived with the kocha. It all made a very good meal even though my hotcakes weren’t hot by the time I ate them. I’m taking the cheap way back to Yokosuka rather than the direct way. I had forgotten that I’d need my keys. This caused me no end of anxiety. Not only could I not get into my desk for my chow pass, I couldn’t even get into the office. I had to leave the food on top of the refrigerator. It turned out that the chow pass wasn’t necessary (that was a relief). The leave form states that I’m drawing commuted rations. I was thirsty, but didn’t stop in Yokosuka for coffee, contenting myself with milk coffee at a station kiosk. In Yokohama I finally bought a newspaper, while transferring to the Toyoko Line. I came back to Hardy Barracks to relax a bit before going out for supper. I was going to be virtuous and eat at the mizutaki-ya, so I could stay within today’s budget, but the mizutaki-ya was closed. So much for the budget. I remembered again that I hadn’t yet tried Kohien, so that’s where I went for supper. It’s a slightly pricey restaurant, but the menu does have things I can’t get in Yokosuka. The pork kidneys with vegetables was very tasty. Then to Meidi-ya. I finally bought some of the mini-apples I’ve been meaning to try since I first saw them, and also some Fox bagels(4), which I have known about for much longer. The apples are only fair and I set them out for the staff. The bagels, though, are great. Those are all mine.
(1) Coffee Club Roppongi wasn’t open on Sunday and the other decent coffee shops I knew about weren’t open until about lunch time. Yes, I had tried Almond and thought there coffee and baked goods were mediocre.
(2) http://www.sawaya-jam.com/ (http://www.sawaya-jam.com/) Japanese only, but the Yahoo translation function gives some readable results.
(3) Literally "red tea", a general term that can be as broad, as any non-Japanese tea, or rather narrow, as English-type teas.
(4) A company started by Lyle Fox in Tokyo in 1982. It became successful, and ten years later, he sold the company to Myojo Foods Co., Ltd., whose main product seems to be instant noodles.
3 Oct 1983 (Mon): On the way to Ginza this morning, I first bought stamps at the Stars & Stripes and then at the Post Office(1). Even so, it was only 0945 when I arrived in Ginza, so I had a cup of coffee at Toa. Mitsukoshi is closed Mondays, so I bought a bento for lunch at Matsuya. It was a tori wappameshi(2) from the same outfit that is in the arcade on Chuo Odori in Yokosuka. However, it was reasonably priced and sounded good. With the money remaining from the 1000 Yen bill, I decided to buy some pastry. Au Fin Bec had some interesting an pan, so that is what I bought–two pumpkin and two "kokari ...". Then to the kabukiza. The two plays were both interesting & enjoyable. The second in particular, a vehicle for Utaemon(3), introduced me to a historical character about whom I want to learn more. The an pan were excellent, but I only had room for one each. There is a new coffee machine on 1F that makes good coffee for only 150 Yen. After the performance, I bought a ticket for Wednesday’s evening performance. By then it was 1700, so I didn’t have time to return to Hardy Barracks before supper. I looked in Senbikiya(4) at the mikan, but they were quite small, and there is a bottle of mikan juice in the refrigerator at the office, so there is no hurry to buy mikan. Then to Roppongi and the mizutaki-ya. They were open, of course, but they don’t have the mizutaki teishoku in the evening. I had one of the bento and I must admit that it made an excellent meal at a very reasonable price. After supper to Meidi-ya for milk and goodies. The chocolate-covered digestive wafers are quite good, but the ginger nut biscuits are too sweet and not gingery enough.
(1) That is, I bought US stamps at the S&S and Japanese stamps at the Roppongi ost Office.
(2) An explanation of wappameshi and other "local delicacies/souvenirs" can be found at http://www.nvcb.or.jp/nvcb_e/03/03-03.html (http://www.nvcb.or.jp/nvcb_e/03/03-03.html) Wappameshi seems to be a northern honshu specialty.
(3) http://www.kabuki21.com/utaemon6.php
(4) Senbikiya, which specializes in gift fruit, was probably not a good place to look for everyday fruit. http://www.senbikiya.co.jp/ (http://www.senbikiya.co.jp/) The Yahoo translation function produces decent results here.
4 Oct 1983 (Tue): The first thing I did was mail the letter I had forgotten to mail yesterday. Then to Coffee Club Roppongi for my morning coffee. A newspaper on my way to the subway, and off to Shinjuku. The exhibit at Odakyu(1) was only of moderate interest. Of the few paintings I particularly liked, only one was on a postcard. My favorite painting was not reproduced well in the catalog (I observed that paintings with heavy impasto don’t reproduce well), so I wasn’t tempted to buy the catalog. This is the first time in ages that I haven’t bought a catalog when there was one for sale. Since it was barely past 1100, I investigated the Keio Line(2) station and found that I could get to Takao San Guchi(3) very easily. First, lunch. Tenpura sounded good and I remembered that there was a tenpura-ya in Odakyu. The tenpura-ya is Tenhana. I had the tsuki [moon] course, which includes hamachi sashimi. It was an excellent meal. I forewent dessert in favor of a snack at or on the way to Mt. Takao. However, on looking around once I got back outdoors, I was that it was the same type of day it was when I went up in the Sunshine 60 Building. Since there would be little point in going to Mt. Takao only to find a blur of white to the east [?], I cancelled the Mt. Takao trip. I’m having dessert after all, in the Meiji Daisy shop in My City–a marron bavarois. Very good. Then to Ginza for the Winzinger Collection exhibition at the Riccar Museum(4). To my surprise, there was a catalog of the exhibition. Not so many of the plates were in color, but the catalog included items not shown. Afterward, an afternoon cup of coffee at Cafe Marche (Toa was closer, but it was closed), where I also wrote a couple of postcards. Afterward, I bought some goodies at Colombin [their counter in Mitsukoshi]. They were out of the chocolate cake I like, so I bought chocolate cream waffles instead, and pumpkin pudding rather than choux cremes. Back to hardy Barracks, where I relaxed a bit and had the goodies from Colombin. Of a sudden, I decided to go to Ueno and have supper (time permitting) before the concert. On the way to the subway, I noticed that the clouds appeared ominous and nearly returned for my umbrella (cancelling supper), but pressed on, regardless. It seems that something from Colombin disagreed with me. I had supper anyway, a fillet katsu at Juraku(5). It was very good and quite reasonable. It includes a side dish of breen beans & bacon (thus, making it something I can’t get in Yokosuka). After supper, I went to Tokyo Bunka Kaikan(6) and bought my ticket. That left me with plenty of time and for once the restaurant was not full. A very good coffee float helped kill time. I don’t know whether the discombobulation simply passed or I have overwhelmed it with other food, but I feel good again, albeit stuffed (I shan’t eat another thing for the rest of the night). An excellent concert. I think I’d like to have recordings of the two harp concerti (Boildieu & Handel). The Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings is always a delight to hear. Back at hardy Barracks I found myself capable of eating the pumpkin an pan and some of the chocolate-covered biscuits.
(1) http://www.odakyu-dept.co.jp/shinjuku/ (http://www.odakyu-dept.co.jp/shinjuku/) The Yahoo translation function doesn’t work so well here–"The male be completed the guide of information · service"
(2) For a surprising (at least to me) amount of info about the Keio Line, see http://hisaai.at.infoseek.co.jp/Keio/01_s_eg.html (http://hisaai.at.infoseek.co.jp/Keio/01_s_eg.html)
(3) The name can be translated as "gateway to Mt. Takao", Mt. Takao being a popular sightseeing destination (especially during fall foliage season) west of Tokyo.
(4) The Winzinger in question is probably Franz Winzinger, about whom I could find very little information except that he has written a number of books on art in German, was born in 1910, and has studied the "Danube school" or "the Danube masters". I did find three brief mentions of this very exhibition on the internet.
(5) http://www.juraku.com/rest/sh_rest_juraku_uenoekimae.html (http://www.juraku.com/rest/sh_rest_juraku_uenoekimae.html) Japanese only
(6) http://www.artindex.metro.tokyo.jp/contents/museum_details?lang=en&id=ins1-00021 or http://www.t-bunka.jp/ (http://www.t-bunka.jp/) Japanese only
5 Oct 1983 (Wed): First, morning coffee at Coffee Club Roppongi, then a newspaper at Seishido, and then the subway to Ginza. First stop there was Matsuya for the glassware exhibition mentioned in Tour Companion. It was smaller than I expected, being in the little nook off to the left. It was all interesting, but most of it was overpriced. There was a nihonga(1) exhibition in the main room. That was worth a look. One painting was particularly striking. The pottery exhibition in the smaller room was the brown kind that doesn’t particularly interest me and I only gave it a quick glance around. The Wa-no-kai exhibition at Wako(2) was next. Whatever that group has in common isn’t evident in the paintings. Most of it was of little interest, but two of the artists do very interesting work. By then it was time for lunch. I wanted to eat lunch in Yurakucho, so as to be near the Mita Line station. This seemed like a good time to try the Vietnamese restaurant, once again, if it was still there. It was, the Saigon Coffee Shop & Restaurant. I had a set with spring rolls. It was delicious. Then to the subway and the exhibition at the Matsuoka Museum of Art(3). I don’t recall going there before. The special exhibition and what they displayed of the permanent/regular items (the paragraph in Tour Companion said "Japanese paintings" and they had other things on display), was all quite interesting. I bought a catalog (covering the overall collection) and some postcards. Afterwards, I was desirous of liquid refreshment. There were some places in the basement, so I investigated. At first I thought the coffee shop was more a snack shop, but after taking a closer look, it did appear to be a coffee shop. On the menu was "iced cappuccino". It was one of the higher priced items, but was intriguing, so I gave it a try. I suspect that they used the powdered mix I saw in the cupboard. However, they added shaved citron peel, cinnamon, and whipped cream, making the result a great drink. From there to Roppongi. I was seriously investigating the contents of the ice cream chest [where??], but it turned out that they were "under interdict" [???]. So, I chose one of my favorites and two chocolate pastries. Back at hardy Barracks, I didn’t have much time to relax as I would have liked. After a munch and a short rest, I set out for the Kabukiza(4). This time, I remembered to take the opera glasses. Once inside and up on the 3F, I realized that I was thirsty. Rather than return to 1F for water, I had a grapefruit drink. After the big scene with Ennosuke’s(5) "flying exit", one of the theater staff came out and made a lengthy announcement. Because of the lateness of the hour, I thought they were cancelling one of the subsequent scenes, but that didn’t prove to be the case. It was an outstanding evening of theater. Comparing Benkei’s tachimawari(6) in the first act with Tadanobu’s subsequent ones, it is easy to see the difference between a promising young actor and a master. At least it was easy for me. The large act with Ennosuke’s flying exit was well worth seeing again. The program gives the impression that it has been abridged, but if so only at the very beginning before Tadanobu appears(7). After the performance, I went directly to Roppongi. Ginza Cozy Corner wasn’t full, so I ate there(8). The onion soup and veal risotto were delicious. When the latter was served, I realized that it was what I had eaten for lunch at the Ginza GCC. After supper, back to Hardy Barracks.
(1) A traditional form of Japanese painting: http://www33.brinkster.com/hseki/nihdescr.html (http://www33.brinkster.com/hseki/nihdescr.html)
(2) A very expensive and prestigious department store: http://shop.wako.co.jp/ecvm?cmd=init (http://shop.wako.co.jp/ecvm?cmd=init) Nearly all Japanese-language - the Yahoo translation function does a little bit of good.
(3) http://www.matsuoka-museum.jp/english-information.htm (http://www.matsuoka-museum.jp/english-information.htm) Using the Yahoo translation function on the main Japanese-language site produces fairly good results. Here is an obituary for the founder of the museum: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2DF1131F933A05750C0A96F9482 60
(4) http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/ (http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/) In English–I note that contrary to usual custom, on the December program there is [B]nothing from Kanadehon Chushingura. That is probably because the National Theatre of Japan ( http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html (http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html) ) has been presenting a 20th century reworking of the story, Genroku Chushingura, spread over three months (see http://www.eg-gm.jp/eg/e_joho/e_kb_dic/bun_eep.htm (http://www.eg-gm.jp/eg/e_joho/e_kb_dic/bun_eep.htm) ).
(5) http://www.kabuki21.com/ennosuke3.php
(6) http://www.kabuki21.com/glossaire_7.php
(7) At least part of Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura was performed. Possibly the evening was taken up by the entire play. The role of Tadanobu in YSZ is one of Ennosuke’s specialties. http://www.kabuki21.com/ysz.php (http://www.kabuki21.com/ysz.php)
(8) http://www.cozycorner.co.jp/index.html (http://www.cozycorner.co.jp/index.html) The Yahoo translation function is reasonably helpful here.
6 Oct 1983 (Thu): The wind last night cleared the air, but I couldn’t face taking so much back to Yokosuka during peak travel hours, so I didn’t go to Mt. Takao. Nogizaka Station is closer to Hardy Barracks than Roppongi, but considering the transfer at Kasumigaseki, there doesn’t seem to be anything gained by starting at Nogizaka. After stashing my bag in a coin locker and cogitating about where to have lunch (the yum cha-ya was considered, but I was more in the mood for Indian food), I chose Maharajah. I’m glad I did, because they have a couple of new items on the menu. I had the one that featured sag panir(1). It was great! Rich, too. I didn’t really need the soup, although that was very good. Afterward, I went to Cafe Marche for a cup of coffee and a chance to catch up on my notes. On my way out, I bought a cup of framboise sorbet at L’Ecrin. It was good, but I think the Indian food was still having an effect on my taste. Then I got my bag and headed for Yokosuka. I passed up a tokkyu because I couldn’t get a seat. I was able to do so on the kaiso tokkyu from Shinagawa. With the baggage, a taxi from the Main Gate was in order. Rather than unpacking first, I went over to the bank to buy Yen. It’s a good thing I did because I got there just before they close at 1500. When I went out again for supper, my first stop was Seiyu. The main item I wanted was tea. I also wanted a bottle of"The Coffee", but they were out. Instead I bought a can of UCC(2) ice coffee. Supper was at Alte Stadt. Others had been considered, but I wound up there. The entree this time was the roasted smoked tongue with the usual side dishes and Appletiser(3). Then, back to the barracks.
(1) Evidently their spelling, rather than "paneer", which I see more often now.
(2) http://www.ucc.co.jp/eng/index.html (http://www.ucc.co.jp/eng/index.html)
(3) http://www.appletiser.co.uk/appletiser.html (http://www.appletiser.co.uk/appletiser.html)7 Oct 1983 (Fri): The large-can UCC ice coffee isn’t much good. If I had remembered that Monday is a holiday, I could have had a glass of my regular home-made ice coffee and not bothered to buy anything for this morning. Lunch was at Genroku Sushi. Afterward, I bought envelopes at Kangaroo and a couple of mikan at the nearby fruit shop, since they are down to 100 Yen each. For supper, I wanted something a little out of the ordinary without going out of town. I figured that since the portions at Shi Sen haven’t been particularly large, I could have an entree and some sort of side dish. What I had were fish with vegetables and harumaki [spring rolls]. The harumaki were pretty good. The fish with vegetables was interesting, but definitely strange. The sauce seemed to be made with some kind of highly flavored (not sour) vinegar. I doubt that I’d order it again. I would have bought a few canned drinks, in addition to the milk, on the way back to the base, but I only had enough coins for the milk.
8 Oct 1983 (Sat): My good uniform doesn’t appear to need cleaning, so I didn’t take it to be dry cleaned. I did go to the mini-mart and Commissary for a few items. Then, I finally mailed some books and things to Mother. I mistakenly left some mail with the staff, so I had to re-write the postal chess cards later (after lunch). When I went out for lunch, I was strongly tempted to go to Shindo for tendon, but I decided that this was such a good opportunity to get sashimi from Seiyu and eat it while fresh that I couldn’t let it pass. While in Seiyu I also bought a bottle of shoyu with a reclosable cap and some mayonnaise. After a fair amount of consideration I also bought a small bunch of fresh broccoli. They had a "4 piles for 1000 Yen" special on sashimi, so although I paid a bit more than I was expecting to, I got more than I expected. The sashimi was excellent, of course. I’ve had sweeter broccoli, but it was good and fresh. The second mikan (of the 2 I bought Fri) had a bit more flavor than the first. To top off the meal, I had one of the tsugaru apples I bought in the Commissary. Delicious! The broccoli cooked very nicely in the microwave. All this resulted in a very late lunch, so I’ll have to delay supper. I didn’t delay it by much. At supper I was no longer hungry for tenpura, but rather spaghetti. For that, I went to natori in Central Mall. I had the "asari" spaghetti with meat sauce and a tomato salad. Excellent. Afterward, I was unable to pass up Four Seasons. Dessert there was a "banana sando"(1) pancake. I only bought one can of juice on the way back to base, although I could use more Because I had eaten dessert out, I didn’t have anything back at the barracks.
(1) The menu had abbreviated "sandoichi", the Japanese rendering of the English word "sandwich". It was two pancakes with cut banana between them, as one might expect.
9 Oct 1983 (Sun): I went out the gate at an inopportune time–against a large influx of people entering for "Friendship Day" (another public relations farce by the Navy–I hope it rains on their parade). I came into Tokyo via Shinagawa to Yurakucho even though the Tourist Information Center is closed Sundays. Without any clear idea of what I wanted for lunch, I headed for Ginza 4-Chome Crossing. Then I remembered the yun cha-ya. However, once in the building I couldn’t get down to it. The elevator wouldn’t go down, and there is no stairway (there must be one for emergency exits!). So, I tried the creperie, Chatelaine. This time, they weren’t full. I had the ebi/gratin saffron rice. It was short on the ebi (only 2!), but otherwise well made and quite tasty. The chocolate crepe was delicious, but the coffee is not good. From there to Mitsukoshi for ground coffee. I was extremely displeased to learn that my "service card" wasn’t in my briefcase. I don’t see how it could be anywhere else since I always put it back in the briefcase. Anyway, mandehling was on sale at a good price, so I bought some of that. Thence, to Gotanda where I am not in coffee shop Dank, waiting for the box office a Kan-i Hoken Hall(1) to open. The concert was interesting. Sou’s playing in the Chopin Piano Concerto #1 frequently seemed mechanical. There was nothing wrong with his technique that I could tell, unless homogenization of note values in the faster passages is a technical fault. Indeed, his articulation was quite clear. However, I didn’t detect any appreciable emotional commitment to the work. The Concerto #2, after the interval, was more successful. The encore piece wasn’t familiar to me, but I’d guess that it is a rondo from one of Mozart’s piano concertos. The concert opened with Weber’s overture to Der Freischutz. The Berlin Philharmonic’s recording [Karajan conducting] is still fresh in my memory and today’s version didn’t quite measure up to that, but it was well played (Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Loughran) and I enjoyed hearing it. Afterward, I didn’t have time to go to Keio to buy Mother’s Xmas present, but that can wait until Monday. By the time I got to the station area, it was just late enough to eat. Besides, it would have been a shame to pass up an opportunity to eat at Shanghai-En. The sliced pork with garlic & cabbage turned out to be the standard pork, green pepper, & cabbage dish. This was about as well prepared as it could be, though, so I didn’t mind. It was quite enjoyable, in fact. As I had ridden most of the way from Tokyo, the sprinkle in yokosuka wasn’t enough to make me take a taxi.
(1) http://tokyojp.ags.myareaguide.com/index.html?detailID=95208&SSC=30
10 Oct 1983 (Mon): I had lunch in today, so I could do my laundry. I decided to wait to buy Mother’s Xmas present until that potter (?–whatever) [Tony Baggott] from Wedgwood is at Seibu Ikebukuro. I didn’t think about the Tour Companion, though. For lunch, I put the remaining broccoli in with the MCC Java Curry. It was quite tasty. There was more meat than I expected in the curry. Later in the afternoon, I went to the office to check my mail and a few other things. Soon afterward, I departed for Yokohama. Today must be a Japanese holiday as well as a U.S. holiday because the train schedule is awry. That put me in Yokohama late enough that I didn’t want to go up into Lumine. I had a "heavy course" at Porta Hageten. Service is quick at Hageten (one of the reasons I ate there), and after supper there was time to buy dessert. Although the peach ice cream at Rainbow Hat had lacked flavor(1), I decided to try one of the chocolate flavors. The chocolate almond was very tasty. I guess Rainbow Hat will be good for when I want chocolate ice cream. Then, the bus. The bus was also on a different schedule, but this time, it worked to my advantage. I returned to Yokosuka via the subway & Keihin Kyuko.
(1) I’ve since noted that peach ice creams, sherbets, and sorbets tend to be bland.
11 Oct 1983 (Tue): I had to eat a very late lunch, and because I had forgotten my wallet, I had to eat in my room. The herring in curry sauce wasn’t actively offensive, but it wasn’t enjoyable, either. No more of that. The rhubarb jam hasn’t much taste, but is pleasant(1). It’s fortunate that today is my (final) Japanese conversation class. Since I have takusan kane [lotsa money] for the day and noplace to buy much in the way of food, I decided to splurge and have a fancy dinner at the sushi-ya near Shindo. It was a very good dinner. The Japanese-style vegetables didn’t have much flavor. They looked marinated (shoyu) or pickled, but didn’t taste it. Also, I’m just not enthusiastic about ika sashimi. However, the grilled fish (a piece) was outstanding, and the ebi furai [shrimp fry], sushi, and other sashimi were quite tasty. That was a large meal, so I wasn’t tempted to have dessert out. I did buy a carton of milk on my way back to the base. That still left me below 3000 Yen on the day.
(1) It seems that some makers of rhubarb jam or preserves use too much sugar (or other sweetener). For one thing, sweeteners are probably cheaper than fruit. For another, they may be too worried about the tartness of rhubarb.
12 Oct 1983 (Wed): I was hungry for sushi, in spite of having sushi & sashimi for supper, so I had lunch at Genroku Sushi. Afterward, I went to Seiyu for groceries. They still (or again) have asparagus, albeit at a higher price. I bought a bunch of that and a carrot. My first idea was to buy some nasu [Japanese eggplant], but the packages held more than I could eat in one meal. I had to work late, which prevented me from getting a haircut anywhere. I decided to try Shi Sen again, but a pork dish this time, on the principle that a Szechuan restaurant isn’t the best place for fish. The Szechuan pork must be the dish I had the first time I ate there, the dish with the green peppers. Remembering that the fried rice there is very good, I had ebi cha han rather than plain rice. It made an excellent meal. As a reward for working late (perhaps I should say "as a consolation ..."), I bought some donuts at the new Dunkin Donuts. The donuts were OK, but not as good as I remember DD being(1).
(1) My memory was probably playing tricks on me. As I’ve noted, I eventually decided that Mr. Donut was superior to Dunkin Donuts.
13 Oct 1983 (Thu): Another thrilling duty day at Yokosuka Naval Base. However, for working late yesterday, I did get the afternoon off until I went on watch. That made it easy to get a haircut. I got it at Yokosuka again. No problem. I was done a little before 1230. That’s peak lunch time, but I was able to get a seat in Genroku Sushi. If I had bought something in town, taken it back to base, and prepared it, it would have taken so long. After lunch, I tried to make hotel reservations. I tried half a dozen places, but no luck. Then, back to the barracks to relax a bit before going on watch. The carrot I bought wasn’t particularly sweet. However, cooking it in the MCC Java Curry (I looked at the label, but I can’t tell if it’s connected with the Mitsumoto Coffee Company) significantly improved the flavor. The Australian asparagus was just fine. Duty, however, was pretty bad. I spent a lot of time on nothing important. I did meet a friendly cat, though, outside the office. It must have been lost & hungry, because cats are hardly ever friendly with strangers. It was a very pretty black cat with a kink in the tail, like a Siamese (the head & body were too thick for a Siamese).
14 Oct 1983 (Fri): I ate in today, so I could be sure to get ready for inspection. It meant waiting to cash my pay check, but I didn’t have time to go out and then go to the barracks to change uniforms. The inspection was hideously long. I was in pain by the end. We went to the office afterward, but I was secured before too long. I went to the barracks to change clothes, rest, and cogitate. From lack of sleep and standing so long at the inspection, I am desperately tired and wasn’t at all eager to go to Tokyo for a concert. However, there are too many good ones to miss them all, and I recently set the policy of going to a concert whenever possible this fall. I don’t know which one I’ll see. When I get to Shinagawa I’ll check the time and decide then. At Shinagawa I decided I had plenty of time to get to Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, where the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra was playing a work (new to me) that sounded interesting, the symphonic poem Salome by Floren Schmitt. I did get there in plenty of time. The restaurant on 2F, Seiyoken, had meal-type dishes, so I had supper there (I was able to get a table). I had pork saute, rice, and chocolate parfait. The saute had a good-sized chunk of pork. It wasn’t anything original or different, but it did give me a very tasty meal at a reasonable price. This concert was a good one for another reason. The performance of Mozart’s Symphony #34 included a separate (written later for inclusion in the symphony?) minuet, that I hadn’t heard before(1). The Mozart concerto for 2 pianos was very good, although I had difficulty concentrating on the interplay of the two soloists because I was so tired. For that reason, I won’t venture an opinion on how well they played (Klaus & Masumi Helvig). The Schmitt Salome isn’t the Eroica, but it is an exciting, interesting work I would like to have, if it is on record. I’m now on my way back to Yokosuka. I guess I planned it right. Rather than take the tokkyu, which pulled into the KHK section as I arrived, I decided to wait about 10 minutes for the next kaiso tokkyu (the tokkyu was full). I got a seat on the kt. And so, back to the barracks.
(1) The minuet in question would be K. 409. The notes in Grove Online describe it as being composed in "Vienna, May 1782" and say that is "mooted as intended for K. 338 although scoring differs." K. 338 is Symphony #34 in C major.
15 Oct 1983 (Sat): To Yurakucho, via the usual route, for a Tour Companion from the Tourist Information Center. They also had the Tour Companion for Kyoto, and now I have one. From there to Maharajah for lunch, where I had the n... kofta, the other new dish. The curry for this one is an egg curry, and it’s delicious. This time, I forewent the soup. After the lunch to Seibu Ikebukero(1). I had some trouble locating the Wedgwood. I thought all the fancy stuff was on 6F and when I didn’t find Mr. Baggott there or on a higher floor, it was necessary to go to 1F and look at information. It seems that the fancy china and some related fancy stuff is on 5F near "kitchenware". I found the Wedgwood section (much larger than Keio’s) and chose a lilac jasper ginger jar. Mr. Baggott wouldn’t be back until 1500 (he signs the items he makes), so I left it there (I haven’t yet paid for it). First, I returned to 7F, where I has seen some interesting things. First, I bought some washi [traditional Japanese paper] items at a special display (one of many on 7F). Then I bought some Chinese goodies at another part of 7F. I may yet buy some Japanese goodies at one of the special displays. Now I’m in a coffee shop (Cafe Boa) [feather or constrictor??] outside the store. It’s not a serious coffee shop, so I had the Wiener Coffee, which is fair. Back to Seibu for the ginger jar. I stayed to listen to Mr. Baggott talk about jasper ware and china. I asked about what type of bones they use, if it isn’t a secret, and he said that they normally use oxen knucklebones, but that about any bone would do. After some cogitation, I selected a concert and decided to go to Ginza until time to go buy a ticket. Before leaving the station it occurred to me that I should try to make hotel reservations for next weekend before the English-speaking staff left for the day. I thought I wouldn’t be able to get reservations for next week, either, but I finally got a room at Hokke Club Ueno Ikenohata(2) and took it, even though it is sans bath. Then to Ginza, where I stowed my shopping bags. By then, it was late enough to seriously consider the matter of supper. After a couple of false starts, I wound up in Shi Fu in B3 of Mitsukoshi having a bowl of ten-ten men. Quite tasty. I wasn’t ravenously hungry. Then to Toranomon. The tickets were reserved seats, which surprised me, since there was only one ticket price. Having bought my ticket, I set out to have some dessert, since I didn’t need to go in as soon as the doors opened. The first building in which I went had a few coffee and/or snack shops, but they were closed. However, around the corner there were a couple of places still open. The first one, Drina, looked interesting, but didn’t have any desserts in the display case. A couple of buildings away was Coffee Hodaka where I had a very good fruit parfait. Then to the concert, which was excellent. The string quartet by Komei Abe(3) is in a very accessible idiom, even though the composer is still alive and doesn’t look all that old. I expected to, and did, like the "Lark" quartet by Haydn(4). After intermission (programs were 700 Yen, so I didn’t buy one), the Brahms Piano Quintet received a fine performance. I was wondering if they would play an encore (what to do with the "extra" musician). They played a part of the 2nd movement of the Brahms and following the concert I headed directly for the train and thence to Yokosuka. And so, back to the barracks in the rain. This time, I was able to get a base taxi before I got to base.
(1) http://www2.seibu.co.jp/usrinfo/index.html (http://www2.seibu.co.jp/usrinfo/index.html) Japanese only–the Yahoo translation function is only moderately useful here.
(2) It seems that the hotel still exists, but the only hit on it that my search produced didn’t really give any info but the address.
(3) Japanese conductor, composer, & cellist born 1 Sep 1911 in Hiroshima.
(4) String Quartet No. 53 in D major, Opus 64 #5
(1) In Roppongi 7-Chome along Gaien-Higashi Dori a few blocks from the crossing.
(2) A newsstand at the crossing.
(3) My own translation of Akasaka Mitsuke.
(4) http://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/sma/index.html (http://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/sma/index.html)
(5) There is some difference of opinion about the dates for the Tempyo (or Late Nara) Period. The most common dates I found were 710-784. However, I also found 710-794 and 725-794.
(6) http://www.chuo-kanko.or.jp/english/ginza/map.html (http://www.chuo-kanko.or.jp/english/ginza/map.html) Listed as Tokyo Central Museum toward top of image.
(7) http://www.bridgestone-museum.gr.jp/en/ (http://www.bridgestone-museum.gr.jp/en/)
(8) http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2005/FA48.en (http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2005/FA48.en)
(9) The west exit/entrance of Nogizaka Station (Chiyoda Line) is closer to Hardy Barracks than Roppongi Station.
2 Oct 1983 (Sun): I didn’t have coffee at Roppongi this morning, Sunday morning being a bad time to have coffee in Roppongi(1). I went directly to Takashimaya. After looking around for a bit to see what was what, I noticed a Tricolore stand bar. That’s where I had my morning hot coffee. Then back out to the canned/jar/bottled goods area. They don’t have hand baskets, so I determined exactly what I wanted before taking it to the cashier. One of the things I bought was rhubarb (!) Jam (by Sawaya(2)). By then, it was after 1100. I went looking for the restaurants of 5F & 8F. I only found snack shops. There used to be a large dining room on an upper floor (I had unagi there once), but I couldn’t find it. I returned to the Walnut Room in BF. While trying to decide what to have, the hordes descended, so I immediately put together a reasonable sombination (beef stew, including salad; cream corn soup; kocha(3); & hotcakes) and hurried to the cashier (ticket system) before the hordes would get there. The waitress asked me if I wanted my kocha after the meal and I was I wanted it right away. She may have also mentioned the hotcakes, but if so, I didn’t hear her. Anyway, my hotcakes arrived with the kocha. It all made a very good meal even though my hotcakes weren’t hot by the time I ate them. I’m taking the cheap way back to Yokosuka rather than the direct way. I had forgotten that I’d need my keys. This caused me no end of anxiety. Not only could I not get into my desk for my chow pass, I couldn’t even get into the office. I had to leave the food on top of the refrigerator. It turned out that the chow pass wasn’t necessary (that was a relief). The leave form states that I’m drawing commuted rations. I was thirsty, but didn’t stop in Yokosuka for coffee, contenting myself with milk coffee at a station kiosk. In Yokohama I finally bought a newspaper, while transferring to the Toyoko Line. I came back to Hardy Barracks to relax a bit before going out for supper. I was going to be virtuous and eat at the mizutaki-ya, so I could stay within today’s budget, but the mizutaki-ya was closed. So much for the budget. I remembered again that I hadn’t yet tried Kohien, so that’s where I went for supper. It’s a slightly pricey restaurant, but the menu does have things I can’t get in Yokosuka. The pork kidneys with vegetables was very tasty. Then to Meidi-ya. I finally bought some of the mini-apples I’ve been meaning to try since I first saw them, and also some Fox bagels(4), which I have known about for much longer. The apples are only fair and I set them out for the staff. The bagels, though, are great. Those are all mine.
(1) Coffee Club Roppongi wasn’t open on Sunday and the other decent coffee shops I knew about weren’t open until about lunch time. Yes, I had tried Almond and thought there coffee and baked goods were mediocre.
(2) http://www.sawaya-jam.com/ (http://www.sawaya-jam.com/) Japanese only, but the Yahoo translation function gives some readable results.
(3) Literally "red tea", a general term that can be as broad, as any non-Japanese tea, or rather narrow, as English-type teas.
(4) A company started by Lyle Fox in Tokyo in 1982. It became successful, and ten years later, he sold the company to Myojo Foods Co., Ltd., whose main product seems to be instant noodles.
3 Oct 1983 (Mon): On the way to Ginza this morning, I first bought stamps at the Stars & Stripes and then at the Post Office(1). Even so, it was only 0945 when I arrived in Ginza, so I had a cup of coffee at Toa. Mitsukoshi is closed Mondays, so I bought a bento for lunch at Matsuya. It was a tori wappameshi(2) from the same outfit that is in the arcade on Chuo Odori in Yokosuka. However, it was reasonably priced and sounded good. With the money remaining from the 1000 Yen bill, I decided to buy some pastry. Au Fin Bec had some interesting an pan, so that is what I bought–two pumpkin and two "kokari ...". Then to the kabukiza. The two plays were both interesting & enjoyable. The second in particular, a vehicle for Utaemon(3), introduced me to a historical character about whom I want to learn more. The an pan were excellent, but I only had room for one each. There is a new coffee machine on 1F that makes good coffee for only 150 Yen. After the performance, I bought a ticket for Wednesday’s evening performance. By then it was 1700, so I didn’t have time to return to Hardy Barracks before supper. I looked in Senbikiya(4) at the mikan, but they were quite small, and there is a bottle of mikan juice in the refrigerator at the office, so there is no hurry to buy mikan. Then to Roppongi and the mizutaki-ya. They were open, of course, but they don’t have the mizutaki teishoku in the evening. I had one of the bento and I must admit that it made an excellent meal at a very reasonable price. After supper to Meidi-ya for milk and goodies. The chocolate-covered digestive wafers are quite good, but the ginger nut biscuits are too sweet and not gingery enough.
(1) That is, I bought US stamps at the S&S and Japanese stamps at the Roppongi ost Office.
(2) An explanation of wappameshi and other "local delicacies/souvenirs" can be found at http://www.nvcb.or.jp/nvcb_e/03/03-03.html (http://www.nvcb.or.jp/nvcb_e/03/03-03.html) Wappameshi seems to be a northern honshu specialty.
(3) http://www.kabuki21.com/utaemon6.php
(4) Senbikiya, which specializes in gift fruit, was probably not a good place to look for everyday fruit. http://www.senbikiya.co.jp/ (http://www.senbikiya.co.jp/) The Yahoo translation function produces decent results here.
4 Oct 1983 (Tue): The first thing I did was mail the letter I had forgotten to mail yesterday. Then to Coffee Club Roppongi for my morning coffee. A newspaper on my way to the subway, and off to Shinjuku. The exhibit at Odakyu(1) was only of moderate interest. Of the few paintings I particularly liked, only one was on a postcard. My favorite painting was not reproduced well in the catalog (I observed that paintings with heavy impasto don’t reproduce well), so I wasn’t tempted to buy the catalog. This is the first time in ages that I haven’t bought a catalog when there was one for sale. Since it was barely past 1100, I investigated the Keio Line(2) station and found that I could get to Takao San Guchi(3) very easily. First, lunch. Tenpura sounded good and I remembered that there was a tenpura-ya in Odakyu. The tenpura-ya is Tenhana. I had the tsuki [moon] course, which includes hamachi sashimi. It was an excellent meal. I forewent dessert in favor of a snack at or on the way to Mt. Takao. However, on looking around once I got back outdoors, I was that it was the same type of day it was when I went up in the Sunshine 60 Building. Since there would be little point in going to Mt. Takao only to find a blur of white to the east [?], I cancelled the Mt. Takao trip. I’m having dessert after all, in the Meiji Daisy shop in My City–a marron bavarois. Very good. Then to Ginza for the Winzinger Collection exhibition at the Riccar Museum(4). To my surprise, there was a catalog of the exhibition. Not so many of the plates were in color, but the catalog included items not shown. Afterward, an afternoon cup of coffee at Cafe Marche (Toa was closer, but it was closed), where I also wrote a couple of postcards. Afterward, I bought some goodies at Colombin [their counter in Mitsukoshi]. They were out of the chocolate cake I like, so I bought chocolate cream waffles instead, and pumpkin pudding rather than choux cremes. Back to hardy Barracks, where I relaxed a bit and had the goodies from Colombin. Of a sudden, I decided to go to Ueno and have supper (time permitting) before the concert. On the way to the subway, I noticed that the clouds appeared ominous and nearly returned for my umbrella (cancelling supper), but pressed on, regardless. It seems that something from Colombin disagreed with me. I had supper anyway, a fillet katsu at Juraku(5). It was very good and quite reasonable. It includes a side dish of breen beans & bacon (thus, making it something I can’t get in Yokosuka). After supper, I went to Tokyo Bunka Kaikan(6) and bought my ticket. That left me with plenty of time and for once the restaurant was not full. A very good coffee float helped kill time. I don’t know whether the discombobulation simply passed or I have overwhelmed it with other food, but I feel good again, albeit stuffed (I shan’t eat another thing for the rest of the night). An excellent concert. I think I’d like to have recordings of the two harp concerti (Boildieu & Handel). The Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings is always a delight to hear. Back at hardy Barracks I found myself capable of eating the pumpkin an pan and some of the chocolate-covered biscuits.
(1) http://www.odakyu-dept.co.jp/shinjuku/ (http://www.odakyu-dept.co.jp/shinjuku/) The Yahoo translation function doesn’t work so well here–"The male be completed the guide of information · service"
(2) For a surprising (at least to me) amount of info about the Keio Line, see http://hisaai.at.infoseek.co.jp/Keio/01_s_eg.html (http://hisaai.at.infoseek.co.jp/Keio/01_s_eg.html)
(3) The name can be translated as "gateway to Mt. Takao", Mt. Takao being a popular sightseeing destination (especially during fall foliage season) west of Tokyo.
(4) The Winzinger in question is probably Franz Winzinger, about whom I could find very little information except that he has written a number of books on art in German, was born in 1910, and has studied the "Danube school" or "the Danube masters". I did find three brief mentions of this very exhibition on the internet.
(5) http://www.juraku.com/rest/sh_rest_juraku_uenoekimae.html (http://www.juraku.com/rest/sh_rest_juraku_uenoekimae.html) Japanese only
(6) http://www.artindex.metro.tokyo.jp/contents/museum_details?lang=en&id=ins1-00021 or http://www.t-bunka.jp/ (http://www.t-bunka.jp/) Japanese only
5 Oct 1983 (Wed): First, morning coffee at Coffee Club Roppongi, then a newspaper at Seishido, and then the subway to Ginza. First stop there was Matsuya for the glassware exhibition mentioned in Tour Companion. It was smaller than I expected, being in the little nook off to the left. It was all interesting, but most of it was overpriced. There was a nihonga(1) exhibition in the main room. That was worth a look. One painting was particularly striking. The pottery exhibition in the smaller room was the brown kind that doesn’t particularly interest me and I only gave it a quick glance around. The Wa-no-kai exhibition at Wako(2) was next. Whatever that group has in common isn’t evident in the paintings. Most of it was of little interest, but two of the artists do very interesting work. By then it was time for lunch. I wanted to eat lunch in Yurakucho, so as to be near the Mita Line station. This seemed like a good time to try the Vietnamese restaurant, once again, if it was still there. It was, the Saigon Coffee Shop & Restaurant. I had a set with spring rolls. It was delicious. Then to the subway and the exhibition at the Matsuoka Museum of Art(3). I don’t recall going there before. The special exhibition and what they displayed of the permanent/regular items (the paragraph in Tour Companion said "Japanese paintings" and they had other things on display), was all quite interesting. I bought a catalog (covering the overall collection) and some postcards. Afterwards, I was desirous of liquid refreshment. There were some places in the basement, so I investigated. At first I thought the coffee shop was more a snack shop, but after taking a closer look, it did appear to be a coffee shop. On the menu was "iced cappuccino". It was one of the higher priced items, but was intriguing, so I gave it a try. I suspect that they used the powdered mix I saw in the cupboard. However, they added shaved citron peel, cinnamon, and whipped cream, making the result a great drink. From there to Roppongi. I was seriously investigating the contents of the ice cream chest [where??], but it turned out that they were "under interdict" [???]. So, I chose one of my favorites and two chocolate pastries. Back at hardy Barracks, I didn’t have much time to relax as I would have liked. After a munch and a short rest, I set out for the Kabukiza(4). This time, I remembered to take the opera glasses. Once inside and up on the 3F, I realized that I was thirsty. Rather than return to 1F for water, I had a grapefruit drink. After the big scene with Ennosuke’s(5) "flying exit", one of the theater staff came out and made a lengthy announcement. Because of the lateness of the hour, I thought they were cancelling one of the subsequent scenes, but that didn’t prove to be the case. It was an outstanding evening of theater. Comparing Benkei’s tachimawari(6) in the first act with Tadanobu’s subsequent ones, it is easy to see the difference between a promising young actor and a master. At least it was easy for me. The large act with Ennosuke’s flying exit was well worth seeing again. The program gives the impression that it has been abridged, but if so only at the very beginning before Tadanobu appears(7). After the performance, I went directly to Roppongi. Ginza Cozy Corner wasn’t full, so I ate there(8). The onion soup and veal risotto were delicious. When the latter was served, I realized that it was what I had eaten for lunch at the Ginza GCC. After supper, back to Hardy Barracks.
(1) A traditional form of Japanese painting: http://www33.brinkster.com/hseki/nihdescr.html (http://www33.brinkster.com/hseki/nihdescr.html)
(2) A very expensive and prestigious department store: http://shop.wako.co.jp/ecvm?cmd=init (http://shop.wako.co.jp/ecvm?cmd=init) Nearly all Japanese-language - the Yahoo translation function does a little bit of good.
(3) http://www.matsuoka-museum.jp/english-information.htm (http://www.matsuoka-museum.jp/english-information.htm) Using the Yahoo translation function on the main Japanese-language site produces fairly good results. Here is an obituary for the founder of the museum: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2DF1131F933A05750C0A96F9482 60
(4) http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/ (http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/) In English–I note that contrary to usual custom, on the December program there is [B]nothing from Kanadehon Chushingura. That is probably because the National Theatre of Japan ( http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html (http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/index.html) ) has been presenting a 20th century reworking of the story, Genroku Chushingura, spread over three months (see http://www.eg-gm.jp/eg/e_joho/e_kb_dic/bun_eep.htm (http://www.eg-gm.jp/eg/e_joho/e_kb_dic/bun_eep.htm) ).
(5) http://www.kabuki21.com/ennosuke3.php
(6) http://www.kabuki21.com/glossaire_7.php
(7) At least part of Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura was performed. Possibly the evening was taken up by the entire play. The role of Tadanobu in YSZ is one of Ennosuke’s specialties. http://www.kabuki21.com/ysz.php (http://www.kabuki21.com/ysz.php)
(8) http://www.cozycorner.co.jp/index.html (http://www.cozycorner.co.jp/index.html) The Yahoo translation function is reasonably helpful here.
6 Oct 1983 (Thu): The wind last night cleared the air, but I couldn’t face taking so much back to Yokosuka during peak travel hours, so I didn’t go to Mt. Takao. Nogizaka Station is closer to Hardy Barracks than Roppongi, but considering the transfer at Kasumigaseki, there doesn’t seem to be anything gained by starting at Nogizaka. After stashing my bag in a coin locker and cogitating about where to have lunch (the yum cha-ya was considered, but I was more in the mood for Indian food), I chose Maharajah. I’m glad I did, because they have a couple of new items on the menu. I had the one that featured sag panir(1). It was great! Rich, too. I didn’t really need the soup, although that was very good. Afterward, I went to Cafe Marche for a cup of coffee and a chance to catch up on my notes. On my way out, I bought a cup of framboise sorbet at L’Ecrin. It was good, but I think the Indian food was still having an effect on my taste. Then I got my bag and headed for Yokosuka. I passed up a tokkyu because I couldn’t get a seat. I was able to do so on the kaiso tokkyu from Shinagawa. With the baggage, a taxi from the Main Gate was in order. Rather than unpacking first, I went over to the bank to buy Yen. It’s a good thing I did because I got there just before they close at 1500. When I went out again for supper, my first stop was Seiyu. The main item I wanted was tea. I also wanted a bottle of"The Coffee", but they were out. Instead I bought a can of UCC(2) ice coffee. Supper was at Alte Stadt. Others had been considered, but I wound up there. The entree this time was the roasted smoked tongue with the usual side dishes and Appletiser(3). Then, back to the barracks.
(1) Evidently their spelling, rather than "paneer", which I see more often now.
(2) http://www.ucc.co.jp/eng/index.html (http://www.ucc.co.jp/eng/index.html)
(3) http://www.appletiser.co.uk/appletiser.html (http://www.appletiser.co.uk/appletiser.html)7 Oct 1983 (Fri): The large-can UCC ice coffee isn’t much good. If I had remembered that Monday is a holiday, I could have had a glass of my regular home-made ice coffee and not bothered to buy anything for this morning. Lunch was at Genroku Sushi. Afterward, I bought envelopes at Kangaroo and a couple of mikan at the nearby fruit shop, since they are down to 100 Yen each. For supper, I wanted something a little out of the ordinary without going out of town. I figured that since the portions at Shi Sen haven’t been particularly large, I could have an entree and some sort of side dish. What I had were fish with vegetables and harumaki [spring rolls]. The harumaki were pretty good. The fish with vegetables was interesting, but definitely strange. The sauce seemed to be made with some kind of highly flavored (not sour) vinegar. I doubt that I’d order it again. I would have bought a few canned drinks, in addition to the milk, on the way back to the base, but I only had enough coins for the milk.
8 Oct 1983 (Sat): My good uniform doesn’t appear to need cleaning, so I didn’t take it to be dry cleaned. I did go to the mini-mart and Commissary for a few items. Then, I finally mailed some books and things to Mother. I mistakenly left some mail with the staff, so I had to re-write the postal chess cards later (after lunch). When I went out for lunch, I was strongly tempted to go to Shindo for tendon, but I decided that this was such a good opportunity to get sashimi from Seiyu and eat it while fresh that I couldn’t let it pass. While in Seiyu I also bought a bottle of shoyu with a reclosable cap and some mayonnaise. After a fair amount of consideration I also bought a small bunch of fresh broccoli. They had a "4 piles for 1000 Yen" special on sashimi, so although I paid a bit more than I was expecting to, I got more than I expected. The sashimi was excellent, of course. I’ve had sweeter broccoli, but it was good and fresh. The second mikan (of the 2 I bought Fri) had a bit more flavor than the first. To top off the meal, I had one of the tsugaru apples I bought in the Commissary. Delicious! The broccoli cooked very nicely in the microwave. All this resulted in a very late lunch, so I’ll have to delay supper. I didn’t delay it by much. At supper I was no longer hungry for tenpura, but rather spaghetti. For that, I went to natori in Central Mall. I had the "asari" spaghetti with meat sauce and a tomato salad. Excellent. Afterward, I was unable to pass up Four Seasons. Dessert there was a "banana sando"(1) pancake. I only bought one can of juice on the way back to base, although I could use more Because I had eaten dessert out, I didn’t have anything back at the barracks.
(1) The menu had abbreviated "sandoichi", the Japanese rendering of the English word "sandwich". It was two pancakes with cut banana between them, as one might expect.
9 Oct 1983 (Sun): I went out the gate at an inopportune time–against a large influx of people entering for "Friendship Day" (another public relations farce by the Navy–I hope it rains on their parade). I came into Tokyo via Shinagawa to Yurakucho even though the Tourist Information Center is closed Sundays. Without any clear idea of what I wanted for lunch, I headed for Ginza 4-Chome Crossing. Then I remembered the yun cha-ya. However, once in the building I couldn’t get down to it. The elevator wouldn’t go down, and there is no stairway (there must be one for emergency exits!). So, I tried the creperie, Chatelaine. This time, they weren’t full. I had the ebi/gratin saffron rice. It was short on the ebi (only 2!), but otherwise well made and quite tasty. The chocolate crepe was delicious, but the coffee is not good. From there to Mitsukoshi for ground coffee. I was extremely displeased to learn that my "service card" wasn’t in my briefcase. I don’t see how it could be anywhere else since I always put it back in the briefcase. Anyway, mandehling was on sale at a good price, so I bought some of that. Thence, to Gotanda where I am not in coffee shop Dank, waiting for the box office a Kan-i Hoken Hall(1) to open. The concert was interesting. Sou’s playing in the Chopin Piano Concerto #1 frequently seemed mechanical. There was nothing wrong with his technique that I could tell, unless homogenization of note values in the faster passages is a technical fault. Indeed, his articulation was quite clear. However, I didn’t detect any appreciable emotional commitment to the work. The Concerto #2, after the interval, was more successful. The encore piece wasn’t familiar to me, but I’d guess that it is a rondo from one of Mozart’s piano concertos. The concert opened with Weber’s overture to Der Freischutz. The Berlin Philharmonic’s recording [Karajan conducting] is still fresh in my memory and today’s version didn’t quite measure up to that, but it was well played (Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Loughran) and I enjoyed hearing it. Afterward, I didn’t have time to go to Keio to buy Mother’s Xmas present, but that can wait until Monday. By the time I got to the station area, it was just late enough to eat. Besides, it would have been a shame to pass up an opportunity to eat at Shanghai-En. The sliced pork with garlic & cabbage turned out to be the standard pork, green pepper, & cabbage dish. This was about as well prepared as it could be, though, so I didn’t mind. It was quite enjoyable, in fact. As I had ridden most of the way from Tokyo, the sprinkle in yokosuka wasn’t enough to make me take a taxi.
(1) http://tokyojp.ags.myareaguide.com/index.html?detailID=95208&SSC=30
10 Oct 1983 (Mon): I had lunch in today, so I could do my laundry. I decided to wait to buy Mother’s Xmas present until that potter (?–whatever) [Tony Baggott] from Wedgwood is at Seibu Ikebukuro. I didn’t think about the Tour Companion, though. For lunch, I put the remaining broccoli in with the MCC Java Curry. It was quite tasty. There was more meat than I expected in the curry. Later in the afternoon, I went to the office to check my mail and a few other things. Soon afterward, I departed for Yokohama. Today must be a Japanese holiday as well as a U.S. holiday because the train schedule is awry. That put me in Yokohama late enough that I didn’t want to go up into Lumine. I had a "heavy course" at Porta Hageten. Service is quick at Hageten (one of the reasons I ate there), and after supper there was time to buy dessert. Although the peach ice cream at Rainbow Hat had lacked flavor(1), I decided to try one of the chocolate flavors. The chocolate almond was very tasty. I guess Rainbow Hat will be good for when I want chocolate ice cream. Then, the bus. The bus was also on a different schedule, but this time, it worked to my advantage. I returned to Yokosuka via the subway & Keihin Kyuko.
(1) I’ve since noted that peach ice creams, sherbets, and sorbets tend to be bland.
11 Oct 1983 (Tue): I had to eat a very late lunch, and because I had forgotten my wallet, I had to eat in my room. The herring in curry sauce wasn’t actively offensive, but it wasn’t enjoyable, either. No more of that. The rhubarb jam hasn’t much taste, but is pleasant(1). It’s fortunate that today is my (final) Japanese conversation class. Since I have takusan kane [lotsa money] for the day and noplace to buy much in the way of food, I decided to splurge and have a fancy dinner at the sushi-ya near Shindo. It was a very good dinner. The Japanese-style vegetables didn’t have much flavor. They looked marinated (shoyu) or pickled, but didn’t taste it. Also, I’m just not enthusiastic about ika sashimi. However, the grilled fish (a piece) was outstanding, and the ebi furai [shrimp fry], sushi, and other sashimi were quite tasty. That was a large meal, so I wasn’t tempted to have dessert out. I did buy a carton of milk on my way back to the base. That still left me below 3000 Yen on the day.
(1) It seems that some makers of rhubarb jam or preserves use too much sugar (or other sweetener). For one thing, sweeteners are probably cheaper than fruit. For another, they may be too worried about the tartness of rhubarb.
12 Oct 1983 (Wed): I was hungry for sushi, in spite of having sushi & sashimi for supper, so I had lunch at Genroku Sushi. Afterward, I went to Seiyu for groceries. They still (or again) have asparagus, albeit at a higher price. I bought a bunch of that and a carrot. My first idea was to buy some nasu [Japanese eggplant], but the packages held more than I could eat in one meal. I had to work late, which prevented me from getting a haircut anywhere. I decided to try Shi Sen again, but a pork dish this time, on the principle that a Szechuan restaurant isn’t the best place for fish. The Szechuan pork must be the dish I had the first time I ate there, the dish with the green peppers. Remembering that the fried rice there is very good, I had ebi cha han rather than plain rice. It made an excellent meal. As a reward for working late (perhaps I should say "as a consolation ..."), I bought some donuts at the new Dunkin Donuts. The donuts were OK, but not as good as I remember DD being(1).
(1) My memory was probably playing tricks on me. As I’ve noted, I eventually decided that Mr. Donut was superior to Dunkin Donuts.
13 Oct 1983 (Thu): Another thrilling duty day at Yokosuka Naval Base. However, for working late yesterday, I did get the afternoon off until I went on watch. That made it easy to get a haircut. I got it at Yokosuka again. No problem. I was done a little before 1230. That’s peak lunch time, but I was able to get a seat in Genroku Sushi. If I had bought something in town, taken it back to base, and prepared it, it would have taken so long. After lunch, I tried to make hotel reservations. I tried half a dozen places, but no luck. Then, back to the barracks to relax a bit before going on watch. The carrot I bought wasn’t particularly sweet. However, cooking it in the MCC Java Curry (I looked at the label, but I can’t tell if it’s connected with the Mitsumoto Coffee Company) significantly improved the flavor. The Australian asparagus was just fine. Duty, however, was pretty bad. I spent a lot of time on nothing important. I did meet a friendly cat, though, outside the office. It must have been lost & hungry, because cats are hardly ever friendly with strangers. It was a very pretty black cat with a kink in the tail, like a Siamese (the head & body were too thick for a Siamese).
14 Oct 1983 (Fri): I ate in today, so I could be sure to get ready for inspection. It meant waiting to cash my pay check, but I didn’t have time to go out and then go to the barracks to change uniforms. The inspection was hideously long. I was in pain by the end. We went to the office afterward, but I was secured before too long. I went to the barracks to change clothes, rest, and cogitate. From lack of sleep and standing so long at the inspection, I am desperately tired and wasn’t at all eager to go to Tokyo for a concert. However, there are too many good ones to miss them all, and I recently set the policy of going to a concert whenever possible this fall. I don’t know which one I’ll see. When I get to Shinagawa I’ll check the time and decide then. At Shinagawa I decided I had plenty of time to get to Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, where the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra was playing a work (new to me) that sounded interesting, the symphonic poem Salome by Floren Schmitt. I did get there in plenty of time. The restaurant on 2F, Seiyoken, had meal-type dishes, so I had supper there (I was able to get a table). I had pork saute, rice, and chocolate parfait. The saute had a good-sized chunk of pork. It wasn’t anything original or different, but it did give me a very tasty meal at a reasonable price. This concert was a good one for another reason. The performance of Mozart’s Symphony #34 included a separate (written later for inclusion in the symphony?) minuet, that I hadn’t heard before(1). The Mozart concerto for 2 pianos was very good, although I had difficulty concentrating on the interplay of the two soloists because I was so tired. For that reason, I won’t venture an opinion on how well they played (Klaus & Masumi Helvig). The Schmitt Salome isn’t the Eroica, but it is an exciting, interesting work I would like to have, if it is on record. I’m now on my way back to Yokosuka. I guess I planned it right. Rather than take the tokkyu, which pulled into the KHK section as I arrived, I decided to wait about 10 minutes for the next kaiso tokkyu (the tokkyu was full). I got a seat on the kt. And so, back to the barracks.
(1) The minuet in question would be K. 409. The notes in Grove Online describe it as being composed in "Vienna, May 1782" and say that is "mooted as intended for K. 338 although scoring differs." K. 338 is Symphony #34 in C major.
15 Oct 1983 (Sat): To Yurakucho, via the usual route, for a Tour Companion from the Tourist Information Center. They also had the Tour Companion for Kyoto, and now I have one. From there to Maharajah for lunch, where I had the n... kofta, the other new dish. The curry for this one is an egg curry, and it’s delicious. This time, I forewent the soup. After the lunch to Seibu Ikebukero(1). I had some trouble locating the Wedgwood. I thought all the fancy stuff was on 6F and when I didn’t find Mr. Baggott there or on a higher floor, it was necessary to go to 1F and look at information. It seems that the fancy china and some related fancy stuff is on 5F near "kitchenware". I found the Wedgwood section (much larger than Keio’s) and chose a lilac jasper ginger jar. Mr. Baggott wouldn’t be back until 1500 (he signs the items he makes), so I left it there (I haven’t yet paid for it). First, I returned to 7F, where I has seen some interesting things. First, I bought some washi [traditional Japanese paper] items at a special display (one of many on 7F). Then I bought some Chinese goodies at another part of 7F. I may yet buy some Japanese goodies at one of the special displays. Now I’m in a coffee shop (Cafe Boa) [feather or constrictor??] outside the store. It’s not a serious coffee shop, so I had the Wiener Coffee, which is fair. Back to Seibu for the ginger jar. I stayed to listen to Mr. Baggott talk about jasper ware and china. I asked about what type of bones they use, if it isn’t a secret, and he said that they normally use oxen knucklebones, but that about any bone would do. After some cogitation, I selected a concert and decided to go to Ginza until time to go buy a ticket. Before leaving the station it occurred to me that I should try to make hotel reservations for next weekend before the English-speaking staff left for the day. I thought I wouldn’t be able to get reservations for next week, either, but I finally got a room at Hokke Club Ueno Ikenohata(2) and took it, even though it is sans bath. Then to Ginza, where I stowed my shopping bags. By then, it was late enough to seriously consider the matter of supper. After a couple of false starts, I wound up in Shi Fu in B3 of Mitsukoshi having a bowl of ten-ten men. Quite tasty. I wasn’t ravenously hungry. Then to Toranomon. The tickets were reserved seats, which surprised me, since there was only one ticket price. Having bought my ticket, I set out to have some dessert, since I didn’t need to go in as soon as the doors opened. The first building in which I went had a few coffee and/or snack shops, but they were closed. However, around the corner there were a couple of places still open. The first one, Drina, looked interesting, but didn’t have any desserts in the display case. A couple of buildings away was Coffee Hodaka where I had a very good fruit parfait. Then to the concert, which was excellent. The string quartet by Komei Abe(3) is in a very accessible idiom, even though the composer is still alive and doesn’t look all that old. I expected to, and did, like the "Lark" quartet by Haydn(4). After intermission (programs were 700 Yen, so I didn’t buy one), the Brahms Piano Quintet received a fine performance. I was wondering if they would play an encore (what to do with the "extra" musician). They played a part of the 2nd movement of the Brahms and following the concert I headed directly for the train and thence to Yokosuka. And so, back to the barracks in the rain. This time, I was able to get a base taxi before I got to base.
(1) http://www2.seibu.co.jp/usrinfo/index.html (http://www2.seibu.co.jp/usrinfo/index.html) Japanese only–the Yahoo translation function is only moderately useful here.
(2) It seems that the hotel still exists, but the only hit on it that my search produced didn’t really give any info but the address.
(3) Japanese conductor, composer, & cellist born 1 Sep 1911 in Hiroshima.
(4) String Quartet No. 53 in D major, Opus 64 #5