When food quality is high, Food qty is low... and so are obesity levels

Food presentation in Japan is amazing, and I'm not just talking about in the restaurants. Here in Tokyo you can buy better food in the convenience stores than you can get in your average deli back home.

United Nations University Farmers Market

Perfect present for White Day? (Japanese Valentines day for men)

Its not just presentation though, its quality. I'm not sure what happens with the 'damaged' stuff but it certainly doesn't make it to the shelves. Given the Japanese penchant for efficiency, I imagine it makes it way to a cannery somewhere or maybe the huge variety of dried fruits they have. 

Huge array of Mushrooms! Yay!

 This high food quality, low quantity consumption is in direct contrast to the USA, UK and Australia. Also in direct contrast are the obesity statistics. In the latest obesity rankings for the OECD USA (1st), UK (3rd) and Australia (6th) all rank in the top 10 with over 20% of the population considered Obese.  Japan ranks last - 28th with only 3.5% considered obese. Eat better, eat less.

Statistics ourtesy of Nationmaster.com

The finished product, with some help from the local butcher

Japanese apartment: Very small but very cute!

 Study / Lounge / Bedroom

At least I fit in the bed completely

Kitchen & bathroom

 Almost always worried about banging my head on something!

1 year!? Just may go a little stir crazy.

Price points (Bali & Tokyo)

This time, its refreshing to be in Bali. For my wallet anyway!

Price point comparison of Bali to Tokyo:

	Bali	Tokyo
Cheap accommodation (per night) including pool / onsen	$12	$120
Feed (Entrée + Local staple + Beer)	$6	$23
Back & neck massage	$5	$60

All prices in AUD and estimated/averaged.

Food in Bali: Satay sticks, Nasi Goreng & Bintang (375ml)

Food in Tokyo: Salmon Sashimi, Ramen with Miso sauce, Sapo (330ml)

There is no doubting though that the quality in Japan is much, much higher, although I never bothered to pay the $60 for the massage there. As a travel destination it boils down to what you want, either:

A decent, relaxing but not superb back & neck massage 12 days in a row from a girl who probably learnt from her mum and knows nothing of biology, in a sightly seedy place where you probably never feel comfortable taking your eyes off your wallet or taking your boxer shorts off for fear of sending the wrong message; 

Or

One massage, including complimentary foot scrub, hot face towel and where the massues has a degree in physiology and forces you to take a shower because they don't want to touch your sweaty body. Kimono's are provided after the shower to prevent you trying to send the wrong message.

Apply the same concepts to food, accommodation and public transport and then decide which travel destination is best for you. 

Quake? Damn, missed it!

I was in Kyoto on New Years Day with friends visiting a few Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples and not so much praying and wishing for good fortune as gobling up delicious Japanese street food.

As a result, I missed the quake experience in Tokyo, which was apparently pretty mild.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Quake+rocks+Tokyo+region+Year/5933751/story.html

I'm sure I'll catch the next one. Or the one after that.

Japaneseish

A small selection of the weird, wonderful & tasty that only the Japanese would invent.

 Mmm, Hot Soba with whitebait & seaweed! The book - "Reimagining Japan" by McKinsey, an excellent collection of essays from those who should know on what the future of Japan should be and what is needed to get there. 

 Cabbages that look like flowers or flowers that look like pretty cabbages?

 Soba noodle making in action

 Soba noodle appetite building!

 Some places remind me so much of that cult classic - "Ghost in the Shell".

 Earthquake while in Roppongi Hills Tower - Not - Just a zoom photo.

 Tokyo Tower from Roppongi Hills Tower

 Funghi Soba with Pork, beer and notes. How do they make it so tasty?!

Notice anything special here? 2WD bicycle!

Day 2 / 3 Tokyo Bike ride

Went back to Ofuna, fetched up the bike and set of for Kamakura. At teh outset, I intended to return the bike to Tokyo, then I realised - whats the rush? Japan has such a low crime rate, people leave their bicycles unlocked and all over the place - I could just head to another train station at the end of the day, park the bicycle and head home.

Oh yeah, why don't I just take the bike home on the train? Although Japan is a really bike friendly place did I mention your not allowed to take a bike on the train unless it is in a carrier or bag. Helps explain why there are so many foldable bicycles here.

 One of many temples in Kamakura

 The path to enlightenment?

 My temple!

Mt Fuji on the right

Was a wonderful day of cycling today, although the slightly hilly atmosphere killed the battery, which I had been conserving for a while. Plus, also worked out that the train tickets are costing me +$10 each way... Japan is a great place but oh so expensive! 

Day 1 / 3 Tokyo Bike ride

Headed out on Christmas day for a little bike ride on an electric assisted bicycle. Started a bit later than anticipated and whilst the target was Kamakura and the many temples in that area, I was so busy taking in the surrounds - the beautiful narrow streets, bicycle-ways, tiny 2 story houses that just seemed so Japanese for no reason I can describe, I never quite made it!

The fruit and vegetable markets, the huge factories, the triple layered motorways, the neatness in general. All of it very Japanese. On this beautiful Sunday it was eerie quiet as well, with many of the roads and sidewalks I went on deserted. Then you would go around a corner and the road would be flooded with people and I would have to walk the bicycle. It seems every popular road in Japan has at least 2 or 3 smaller roads directly behind it going in the same direction.

On the road

 A game of baseball on the river flats just before Kawasaki

The woman, the dog, a fag (if you look closely at her left hand!), moccasins, and the shopping.

 Many many streets like these in Tokyo

Top of the hill

 I never got to Kamaura on this day. Lack of direction was probably the reason! So parked the bike at Ofuna station bicycle parking station (cost me $10 for over-night bicycle parking!). Thinking I'll return to pick it up tomorrow, ride to Kamkura and then back to Tokyo.   

Tokyo - Zen, Sustainablity

Arrived Tokyo last night. Very peaceful yet vibrant place. How do the Japanese manage to be relaxed, energetic and quiet? For now I'll put it down to Zen. Here to meet with some of the rapidly growing PwC Japan Sustainability Services Team to talk about their recent success.

Tokyo Tower Park in Autumn Splendor

Did you know Zen is a form of buddhism that travelled to Japan and America from Nepal? Well that is according to Peter Maththiessen, famous explorer and author of such informative books as 'The Snow Leopard' which is a must read for those searching for work / life balance.

Did you also know that the "ka" used at the end of sentence in Japanese to denote a question is also used in Tetun, the national language of Timor-Leste, for the same purpose? Strange.

Japan has a unique role to play in International Development and Sustainability in general. It has large financial and technical capacity to assist developing companies and is the unenviable economic position of wanting to assist these undeveloped economies in order to support its own struggling system. There is hope that in the future the role Japan takes will have a strong sustainability focus, for the benefit of developing countries and Japan alike. I like what I see so far.

Autumn Garden at Tsurutaro Kataoka Tofu Restaurant