The past five days have been quite eventful: I have climbed two mountains and interviewed Bobby Valentine and two former Major Leaguers, apart from my normal activities. As my time in Japan winds down, expect more e-mails packed with stories like these. I should note that the second of the two mountains was Mount Fuji, …
Year: 2004
Independence Day
Independence DayI just wanted to send of a quick e-mail for the Fourth, as mine draws to a close and yours begin. Mine was woefully lacking in barbecued meat products, namely hot dogs, and fireworks. And, of course, I miss the company of you all, who I have celebrated the holiday with at one point …
Tokyo summer
Summer has arrived in full force in Tokyo, though the rainy season has been slow to make its presence known. (This will probably change this week, with a giant typhoon roaring through the archipelago.) It has been mostly warm and sunny, not bad but for the lack of green, open spaces where one can take …
The Happy Smile Super Challenge Japanese Baseball Stadium Tour
Today is Children’s Day, the final day of Golden Week, which is a string of national holidays in late April/early May. As such, a large portion of the country is off work for the week, meaning that this is perhaps the busiest travel week of the Japanese calendar, with Japanese crowding airports and train stations …
Continue reading The Happy Smile Super Challenge Japanese Baseball Stadium Tour
From the "Japanese public behavior" file
Rather than greeting released hostages with an outpouring of sympathy and national unity, the Japanese public criticized the hostages for being in Iraq and putting their own interests before those of their country. Wrote the Japan Times:"While the three were in captivity, they and their kin drew sharp public criticism in Japan, having put themselves …
Pictures
As promised, I have added pictures from the 19 April 2004 Chiba Lotte Marines game, as well as some more pictures from the Giants game.
Makoto
It has been several weeks since I last wrote, and while it seems like I have done a lot since then, it mostly involves becoming more familiar with life in Tokyo. Most importantly, I have started playing baseball with the Sophia University team, which has provided and will continue to provide a rare glimpse into …
Links
My article on Passover in Tokyo in the Jewish Forward: Japan Teaches One Jew the True Meaning of DiasporaMy Webshots page: Japan
3 April 2004 email
I have been here for about ten days now and every day I find something new and exciting. The mysteries of Tokyo seem endless; in many ways it is a giant maze that invites exploration. I am doing a home stay with a family of four living in a neighboring prefecture (state) called Chiba. It …
Shinjuku at rush hour (from 29 March 2004)
Words cannot describe what it feels like to be in Shinjuku Station at rush hour. It seems like the entire population of Tokyo is rushing to one of the numerous train lines that stem from the station, a giant race to get to where one wants to go and it is every man for himself. …
Tobias S. Harris 