Next spring, the WBC (World Baseball Classic) returns and Japan is hoping its national team will once again be crowned baseball’s world champs. Well, at least according to the WBC contest anyway.

This begs the question, does anyone believe that the WBC is capable of producing the highest level of competitive baseball in the world? Well, it probably doesn’t need to be said here that most American baseball fans don’t think so. Why? Well, most, if not all believe that the best players in the world eventually make their way to Major League Baseball in the States and that very few of the best, highest-paid professionals in MLB are willing to risk injury, and therefore a potential drop in earned revenue, by participating seriously in a baseball contest that offers little more than a chance to help boost national pride. Yep, the bottom line is money for most of the best athletes pro baseball has to offer. Sad, but true. On top of that, some MLB clubs won’t release players to play in the WBC due to fears of player injuries. In fact, it was recently announced that Hideki Matsui has been refused permission to play in the Classic by his team, the New York Yankees, due to his having spent a fair bit of time on the team’s injury list last season.

Even some Japanese professional baseball players have demonstrated a lack of interest in participating as members of Team Japan. In particular, recently, some Chunichi Dragons players, who were expected to join the national team, have declined to play.

However, one professional Japanese player, who is a member of an MLB team, will be playing in the WBC. And, he happens to be, arguably, the greatest Japanese baseball player ever to put on a uniform. Yeah, you knew it; Ichiro Suzuki. He was the key member of the Japan team that won the inaugural WBC with his dynamic play and fiery demonstrations of leadership. No one can doubt that this guy is a baseball warrior; a player who is part of a very special breed of athlete. I’ll be looking forward to watching him this time around as well.

But, even with legendary players like Ichiro participating, does the WBC matter? I mean, if so many professional baseball players on both sides of the Pacific are showing a lack of interest in participating, and some big-league teams are refusing to allow some of their members to play in the Classic, can we really expect to see the world’s finest baseball being played in the spring of 2009?

What do you think about the WBC?

Ok, here’s the game…

Guess where in Tokyo the photographer was when he snapped the shot. Depending on the photo, a high degree of specificity may be required. Use your best judgment; If more precision is required, you’ll find out in the comments section below. The first person to guess all three locations correctly (subject to the author’s discretion) will get his or her Japan blog written up in JapanBlogger, as long as he or she consents to an interview. Leave your responses in the comments section of this post.

Seen this place before?

Hope it’s not too easy for you…

The following is the continuation of a post begun at my personal blog site. To read that post, click here.

Well, by now you’ve had plenty of time to watch “Primer.” If you haven’t yet, you might not want to read the rest of this post if you’re interested in watching it, since spoilers will follow.

“Primer” tells the story of two engineers, Aaron and Abe, who try to build a device in their garage that would reduce the apparent mass of objects for some technologically useful purpose. After some success in getting their machine to work, Aaron discovers that they’ve built a perpetual motion machine of sorts and they both realize they are sitting on a goldmine. But, after trying to come up with a solid explanation of how the machine works based on the principles of physics, they realize that such knowledge is beyond their ability to understand and things kind of go into limbo for the two.

However, a breakthrough occurs…

One morning, Abe meets Aaron and promises him that if he (Aaron) skips work, he (Abe) will show him “the most meaningful thing that any living organism has ever witnessed.” From there, in a series of increasingly dramatic scenes, Abe reveals to Aaron that the machine works as a time-travel device. The amazing thing about the scenes is that none of the explanations are dumbed down; the real language of physics is used the whole way and the dialogue is totally believable.

Without getting too much into the events that occur within the story, let’s take a look at what happens to Aaron and Abe. Abe reveals to Aaron, after explaining what the machine’s capable of, that he has already built a box that will fit a human body, and that he, in fact, has already traveled back in time. Aaron realizes that the Abe he’s talking to is an Abe from the future and he decides he wants to do some time-traveling too. Well, the two make a killing on the stock market by taking end-of-the-day trading results back in time to each day’s morning and acting on their privileged information. As they take more and more trips, they become bolder, wanting to experiment with causality by carrying out one of Aaron’s fantasies. But, something unexpected and shocking happens.

In the course of carrying out an impromptu experiment, Aaron and Abe come across a character from their daily lives who has seemingly traveled back in time; a future version of a mutual acquaintance. Aaron and Abe realize that, even though they thought were living in the present; a time where all things that occurred were occurring for the first time, a time from which they could go back and manipulate the past with impunity… they were, in fact, living in somebody else’s past; a time that had already occurred at least once, and quite possibly there had already been several iterations. The two realize they are not the ones in control and begin accusing each other of revealing the secret of their machine (at some point in either the past or the future of the timeline they are currently on) to the intruder who has come from the future (it makes sense if you think about it).

I said you’d have to put on your thinking cap for this one, didn’t I?

Well, prior to their realization of the fact they are not in control, Aaron had told Abe that he thought the worst thing he could think of was knowing that the events happening around him were not occurring for the first time and everything that was going to happen was pre-decided, leaving him not in control of his own destiny. Well, the intruder from the future made his greatest fear come true.

It’s funny because, even though I always felt like the main star in the movie of my own life from the time I was a kid, I’ve noticed in recent years that I’ve started to feel more and more like a supporting actor. It’s as if, like Aaron and Abe, I find myself thinking maybe it’s no longer my time. Maybe the whole experience of my life up to this point has been about someone, or something else all along. Is all the control I once had now slipping through my fingers? Am I becoming powerless? Was it really the case all along that I was never in control, and had just maintained the illusion of having it for so long?

No, I couldn’t tell you who the main actor has become in my life (if indeed this is what has happened), but I wonder if, for a lot of people, the main characters in their lives become their children. I guess many humans reach an age where they decide they’ve done all they could do to advance themselves and then decide to live for someone, or something else.

Or maybe I’m just experiencing existential angst and need to reassign a real purpose and meaning to my own existence. I mean, nobody else is going to do it for me, right? I guess too many people reach a point where they start to see how time’s effects make them feel that the world is passing them by and that their dreams are growing cold. They start to lose touch. Many of them even come to think that the world was a better place when they were younger and that things have gotten out of hand. They can’t relate anymore so they turn their backs on the world. Too many of them linger on for years, and even decades, living lives of forfeit.

Well, there’s no way I’m copping out like that. I’ve just got to find a way to get my groove back (but sure as hell not like Stella did). I won’t be doing it by following the advice of others, though. Each person is appointed the task of finding the meaning or purpose of his or her own life. However, once a path is chosen, it’s often strayed from, and the only person who can find it again is the one who chose it in the first place. Some people lose their way and turn to religion in order to attach some meaning to their own existence. Not me, though. I’m not joining some cult just to gain a false sense of purpose or belonging.

Me?…
Until I’m completely back on the right path, I’m turning to beer. That’s right, good old draft beer. All I’ve got to do is finish the work week and make it through to Sunday. That’s my purpose. See you then, Neil, JT, and TC.

As for Aaron and Abe, I’ll leave that for next time…

When I first started 7:10 to Tokyo, I asked several fellow bloggers for help, particularly contributions to the site in the form of articles. A person who helped me greatly at that time was Shane Sakata. She provided interesting content and helped attract readers to the site. I have always been grateful for her help and hope she knows just how much her support has meant to 7:10 to Tokyo and me personally.

Well, that version of 7:10 is a memory now, but a couple of Shane’s classic contributions were brought over to 7:10’s new incarnation: “Unexploded Bombs in Tokyo - How Many Are Out There?” and “Reflections on Unexploded Bombs in Japan.” After making several contributions to 7:10 to Tokyo, she invested most of her blogging time in her main blog, The Tokyo Traveler, a b5media site. After a half a year of successfully running that site, Shane decided to go independent and has recently started her own online Japan travel and culture magazine, The Nihon Sun.

I recently asked Shane for an interview and she was kind enough to oblige with well-thought-out answers. Here’s how the interview went:

Why do you blog about Japan?
Blogging about Japan is a way for me to share some of the things about Japan that fascinate me. I have been blessed with the opportunity to live here for a second time and when I was searching for information about the country I found it difficult to find more that a few anecdotes about the various places. My curiosity runs deeper than a snap shot and a few worlds so I started to blog about some of the interesting places that I have (or want to visit) while attempting to capture a little bit beyond what you can find in a guide book. I love the odd little facts and trivia ….

What do you do when not blogging?
When I’m not blogging I love to cook and I’ve been known to frequent Daiso for a bargain shopping fix and for spending far too much money on yarn and other crafting supplies at Yuzawaya. I’m also a bit of a photography buff and am working up the nerve to take my Nikon D40X off of the automatic settings.

What aspect of living in Japan do you like the best? The least?
I like pretty much everything about living in Japan - I love not driving, biking or walking to the grocery store, the lovely parks and gardens, and the great food. My lack of language skills can be frustrating at times - I meet a lot of people who I just know have something interesting to say but we can’t communicate beyond a very basic level.

If I had to list a pet peeve it would be the lack of eye contact in public places but it’s not the eye contact per se, it’s the fact that if you don’t look at someone you don’t have to acknowledge their existence. I’ll give you an example…I am 5′8″ and have started to notice that there are a lot of Japanese people who will cut me off while walking on the street or in train stations. As a relatively tall women and I am often struck by the bravery of the much smaller Japanese women, and some men, who just barrel through in front of me. If the roles were reversed I would be scared of being mowed down by a larger person. But if they just keep their head down and don’t make eye contact it seems as if those around them are a bit dehumanized and they don’t have to be concerned about the feelings, or toes, of those around them.

What are two random blogs you read on a daily basis? (Japan-related or not)
I check JapanSoc and NewsOnJapan daily to keep up to date on what is happening in Japan and I keep tabs on a number of other blogs via my feedreader. Some of the blogs in my feedreader are Ping Mag, Jacked In by Jason Collins, Narrative Disorder by DBR, tonymcnicol.com - tokyo photojournalist and of course 7:10 to Tokyo. That’s more than two - sorry…

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Now that’s a tough question! I don’t really have a five year plan but my shorter term goal is to develop a community at The Nihon Sun and I will continue to hone my writing and photography skills. I believe that whether or not I remain in Japan that I will continue to be fascinated by the people, culture and history of this very interesting and multi-faceted country for some time to come.

Again, I can’t thank Shane enough for her help and wish her the best of luck with her new website. You can see for yourself more of what fascinates Shane about Japan at www.nihonsun.com.

That morning, I rode the local train into Shibuya Station. It was a cloudy day and a slight chill hung in the air reminding the residents of Tokyo that Autumn was about to get into full-swing and winter would soon be on the way. Though I usually spend most weekends with friends, I had that entire day unreserved and all to myself. With no appointments to keep and a long-since-felt sense of relaxation, I drifted over to a favorite cafe of mine just down the street from the station and sat down to a lazy session of coffee-drinking, people-watching and daydreaming.

As was usual, however, my thoughts turned inward and I started thinking about my future plans here in Tokyo, particularly the goals I’ve set for myself in the next year or so. When this happens, the little notebook I carry, as well as a worn-down ballpoint pen come out and the ink starts flying. From there, time loses its meaning and before long, I’ve spent an hour or two filling up 4 or 5 pages with notes and calculations. This time, I even let my coffee get cold while it was still only around halfway finished.

Upon wincing at the shock of supposed-to-be-hot-but-actually-quite-cold coffee hitting my lips, I quickly set the cup down and decided to get another. When I had stood completely up, I noticed her. I froze and stared straight ahead at the woman who had made my life a living hell for several months last year. I thought I’d never see her again, yet there she was. She wasn’t looking at me, and I thought for a moment about quickly ducking into a corner until she passed. But, that’s just not me; I refuse to live like a prisoner when I’ve done nothing to deserve the loss of my personal freedom. That’s a big part of why I left her after a year of living together. I won’t go into the details of how she tortured so many of my waking and sleeping hours, but trust me when I say that there are few people in this world who I’d wish that sort of experience on.

Anyway, she was standing at a traffic signal, getting ready to cross the street. Several people gathered there around her, also with the intention of crossing over to the other side. Soon, I lost sight of her and the changing of the signal from red to green brought a sudden rush of pedestrians into the intersection and she was gone for good from that place on that day. I stood there motionless while out of nowhere, a strong gust of wind whipped my hair all about my forehead and face. Noticing then that several customers who had just purchased their cups of coffee, tea, or whatever were weaving themselves through the maze of tables looking for places to sit, I decided to vacate the shop and head back to the station, but not before grabbing another coffee, this time to go.

I spent the rest of the afternoon and early part of the evening visiting some of the various parts of Tokyo that I had planned to visit that day, taking photos and sometimes notes. I even talked for awhile to a man and his wife after they stopped me to ask to take their picture. After the sun set, I decided to call it a day, and with several planned destinations yet unreached, I headed back to my new apartment.

When I got back to my neighborhood station, I exited the building and began my short walk home. However, my stomach started telling me that it was time to stop in at my local Sukiya and put away a bowl of gyu-don. Not being in the mood to protest, I obliged my growling friend and did just what it told me to do.

I wolfed down my order, paid my bill, and hit the road home again. As I rounded the final corner before arriving at my place, it happened again. There she was, dressed differently than she was earlier, but the hairstyle hadn’t changed. Then, she quickly turned and faced me. Was that sudden turn in my direction a response to a gasp that I might have let out? Did I gasp at all? It was hard to tell since I was paralyzed, watching everything from behind unblinking eyes. As her eyes met mine, my body suddenly loosened up and I let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t her after all. But, this new development led me to wonder if I’d really even seen her earlier at all. Was it someone else? Had I made a mistake?

Well, over the next couple of weeks, that sort of incident repeated itself at least 5 times. Why was I seeing her face everywhere? Was there some unfinished business between us after all? I tried not to think about it too much, but the shock of these little incidents each time they happened left me more and more unnerved with each event.

Eventually, these little episodes stopped happening and I was soon able to forget about them most of the time. However, I sometimes can’t escape the feeling that there’s some kind of day of reckoning laying ahead in the not-too-distant future, even though I know the notion is absurd.

How about you? Do your personal demons haunt you sometimes?

In the past, presidential elections have often called to mind a few lyrics from The Who’s legendary rock anthem “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” You know the ones, “Meet the new boss… Same as the old boss.” Well, this time, as we headed into the election I was constantly optimistic. Not only that Obama would win, but that his victory would bring about the much-needed change most Americans (and some others throughout the world) had been longing for.

Well, now that the election is over and history has been made, much needs to be done to fix the colossal mess that America has made for itself and the rest of the world during the past eight years. Yes, I know it’s not the only period which saw an inordinate amount of mistakes made, but it has been the worst in terms of one U.S. president dragging everyone down and fucking up the country royally in all the years (not so many, mind you) that I’ve been kicking and breathing on this planet. And, maybe in the last hundred years.

But, what makes me so happy on this day is that the American people made the right choice. The choice to say, Hey, there’s still a chance for this country and we’re not going to trust those who promise to do nothing but stick to the old ways anymore. People like John McCain who said he didn’t trust the American people to know what was best for their own country. Fuck him and all those in that good-old-boy fraternity. Their time time is done. And, if we’re stupid enough to let people like them near the White House again in the next decade or two, then the ship deserves to sink once and for all. Harsh words? Maybe. But, they don’t begin to convey the bitterness I feel over how bad things got throughout the last eight years.

Anyway, as I said, it’s time to look to the future with optimistic eyes and open minds. I’m excited about seeing America become a much better and more respected country than it has been throughout most of the last decade. People around the world called us stupid for letting Bush into office a second time, but now they are applauding our most-recent efforts at the polls. Here’s to hoping we can regain a real measure of dignity and feel good about holding our heads high (at home and abroad) and saying, Yeah, I’m an American.

…That’s if the polls are any kind of accurate indicator of who’s ahead in the race. It’s one day to Election Day, and there’s no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. Am I excited about this? The answer is not just yes, it’s Hell yes! The country and yes, the world are indeed ready for a change. And the winds of change are going to start blowing, my friends. Does this mean that I think Obama is our savior and will be able to fix everything that’s wrong with our seemingly broken-down country? Likely not. But he does represent a much-needed hope for the American people.

The world is watching and waiting to see the outcome and I believe even those who love to hate the U.S. are hoping for some real positive changes to come down the road. American foreign policy will definitely change, so leaders like Venezuela’s Chavez or Iran’s Ahmadinejad are quite likely paying very close attention and are anxious to see how things develop.

What about Japan? Will things change much with a democratic president in the White House? I mean, we all know how tight Junichiro and George were. Times have changed, though. Now, it’ll be Taro and Barack. Of course, the Japanese city of Obama will support the new chief enthusiastically, but how well will the two governments work together?

Well, anyway, people who pay much more attention to politics than I do are much better prepared to answer these questions. For now, let’s just hope that things go off without any hitches and the best candidate for the job gets elected (congratulations, Mr. Obama!). Of course, we’ll have to wait until the final results are in (Speech, Mr. Obama! Speech!) before we can celebrate any victories.
For now, in these final hours leading up to the opening of the voting booths, I’d like to forget about Gallup polls and the like, and do a 7:10 poll. Please feel free to answer honestly; it’s all anonymous.
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Fall is in full swing here in Tokyo and the nights are quickly getting cooler and cooler. For many living in Japan, autumn brings about a much-needed escape from the almost-unbearable humidity that this country is known for. Yes, the air is drying out and the leaves are changing color. It’s Halloween today and one of the biggest Halloween bashes in east Asia is happening tonight at AgeHa in Shin-Kiba.

But fall doesn’t end with Halloween, of course. In fact, autumn in Japan is a celebrated season. Many people make trips to places like Kyoto or the Tohoku region to check out the koyo (紅葉 - fall leaves). However, you don’t have to leave Tokyo to check out the color-changing foliage; Shinjuku Gyoen has some amazing sites on offer in the fall. Also, in Tohoku, there are imonikai, where groups of people make gigantic pots of potato soup on crisp, cold evenings. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Japan has lots of great seasonal food in the fall. Matsutake (松茸 – mushrooms) and fugu (河豚 – pufferfish), as well as sanma (さんま – mackerel pike) top the list. Of course, there are numerous fall specialties in Japan and if you’re a foodie, autumn is the time to be in the land of the rising sun. What’s your favorite fall Japanese food?

Autumn is a great season for traveling inside of Japan, especially in the south, where it is still decently warm. But, whether you’re in Kyushu or northern Honshu, it’s a great time of year to hit an onsen (温泉 - hot spring) located in a picturesque deep-mountain area. Also, Kamakura is worth a visit if you’re not willing or able to leave the Kanto region.

How about you? What do you think is the best thing about autumn in Japan? Leave a comment; it may just be the travel tip that inspires someone’s next vacation.

In Japanese schools there’s a pure approach taken to sports; Participate for love of the sport and to show that you’re willing to give 100%. While there’s no doubt that Japanese schoolkids, like schoolkids all around the world, love to compete and show their stuff on the field, track, etc…, it’s also clear that they’re encouraged to support each other and keep animosity out of competitions.

Even in elementary schools (and sometimes earlier) kids are expected to participate in undokai, or sports festivals. By the time they reach junior high school age, Japanese children are usually quite comfortable with making appearances in sporting events and are very often unwilling to back down from challenges, even in the face of certain defeat. The shedding of tears is common in the aftermath of a loss, but for most there’s no shame in this; it’s just a way of expunging the tension and frustration that gets built up inside while in the heat of competition. It’s true that many westerners, including myself, have a hard time accepting this part of sports culture in Japanese society, but it is part of the culture and is not to be criticized as far as I’m concerned.

Having said this, however, I do believe that the “Shoganai” mentality when applied to losses in sports can have a negative effect over time for obvious reasons. Mainly, for a young person who has a passion for competition and a lust for victory that burns deeply inside, repetitive exposure to the attitude that it’s acceptable to be OK with mediocrity will certainly cause him or her to fall victim to this line of thinking if there isn’t an inspiring mentor or coach there to help fuel the fire and continue to encourage. Often, young athletes who excel are held back for the sake of the rest of the group. They’re often encouraged to put their personal ambitions aside for the benefit of their peers. While there is some merit to this kind of thinking, it eventually suppresses the individual spirit and breeds a maddening sense of “normalcy” when unchecked.

To hail athletes like Ichiro Suzuki or Daisuke Matsuzaka as Japanese heroes for their successes, but to passively encourage discouragement of individual stellar efforts by young people who possess the same fire that has always burned within the hearts of the two above-mentioned superstars, is inconsistent and unfair. Of course, the opposite case of over-encouraging individuals to pursue their own goals while leaving everyone else in the dust is not desirable either. Balance, as is often said here, is the key.

Submitted as part of the latest Japan Blog Matsuri

If you’ve read a couple-dozen blogs or so on Japan, you’ve likely seen more than a few posts about someone’s favorite ramen here, particularly in Tokyo. Hell, there’s a whole blog dedicated to one person’s lifelong (maybe) ramen tour of the Kanto area. You may have heard of it; it’s called Ramen Tokyo. Well, rest assured that I won’t be starting my own ramen tour for the sake of having a series here at 7:10 called “Recommended Ramen.” But, if I do come across an amazing bowl of noodles every now and then, expect a small write-up. Why? Simply put, I dig ramen.

Well, today’s feature highlights my absolute favorite noodles in Japan; Kohmen’s tantanmen. Kohmen (光麺) is a very well-known chain of Chinese-style noodle shops in Tokyo, with the main one (本店) being located in Ikebukuro, just south of the Seibu East Exit of Ikebukuro Station. Their specialty, as far as I can tell, is tantanmen (坦々麺), and it is absolute pure noodle nirvana. The soup itself is what makes the dish, or bowl as it were. It’s Kohmen’s famous soup made spicy and blended with sesame to create a unique flavor that I haven’t experienced anywhere else. A bowl of this stuff with gyoza and beer on slightly warm fall evening is one of the things that makes me oh so happy that I live here in Tokyo.

Some people say that the main shop in Ikebukuro is better than the others, but I’ve yet to see for myself. There’s another shop just outside of Shinjuku Station’s south exit and I’m keen to give that one a try in the near future. Who knows, maybe you are too, and we’ll see each other there. And, if you find yourself there on the recommedation of this post, let me know. I’ll even let you treat me to a bowl of the best noodles in the land of the rising sun.

Honestly, you’ve got to try this stuff for yourself. And, Kohmen is open until the small hours of the morning; So if you find yourself stuck out after last train, a little beer-buzzed and in the mood for something tasty, do yourself a favor and do Kohmen.
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