Japanology Plus

So after Begin Japanology, the season went to Japanology Plus, described as: "Going a step further from our previous series BEGIN Japanology, host Peter Barakan visits experts in various fields to show Japanese culture from a new perspective."  It also generally has a little clip with Matt Ault, an American translator in Japan who adds a bit of youthful enthusiasm.

Let's see if we can find all the episodes so we don't miss a choice one that isn't pulled up by YouTube in the preview column.  They have a list on the TVDB but the episode numbers often don't coincide exactly with the numbers on YouTube.  I'll x the episodes as I watch them so I remember...  Eventually I'll link them all...
OH Golly!  After all this work, I come across: Japanology TV where they list all the programs of both Begin Japanology and Japanology Plus and link to most of the videos.  Ah well, I still can check off the ones I've seen here.  There are 252 Begin Japanology episodes and 79 Japanology Plus episodes with new ones being produced every two weeks, so if I watch one a day, I should have most of them watched by the time we go to Japan...

x Episode 1: Public Bathhouses in Japan - Sentō 銭湯 (4/3/2014)
x Episode 2: Having Some Delicious Ramen
x Episode 3: Mt. Fuji
x Episode 4: The Japanese Chess Shogi (remake)
Episode 5: The Great Story of the Cherry Blossom
x Episode 6: A Trip through Akihabara (A neighborhood of high tech wizardry and pop culture in Tokyo)
x Episode 7:  Wagashi (Wagashi (和菓子) is a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, anko (azuki bean paste), and fruits. Wagashi is typically made from plant ingredients.)
Episode 8:  The Great Story of the Shinobi Ninja
x Episode 9:  Making and Cooking Rice
Episode 10: Castles
Episode 11: Japanophiles - Elizabeth Suzuki
Episode 12: Japanophiles - Everett Kennedy Brown
Episode 13: Japanophiles - Carolin Eckhardt
Episode 14: Going Wild For Karaoke カラオケ
x Episode 15: The Latest Bento Trends 弁当 (new version)
x Episode 16: Bamboo (new version)
Episode 17: Taiko Drums
x Episode 18: World's Largest Fish Market - Tsukiji Market (new version)
x Episode 19: Festivals
x Episode 20: Beautiful Japanese Gardens
Episode 21: The Art Of Origami 折り紙
Episode 22: Japanese Buddhist Statues
x Episode 23: The Roots of Japanese Yokai Creatures (bizarre creatures and supernatural phenomena in Japanese folklore which are today often featured in video games, anime, and manga.)
x Episode 24: Shinkansen (Bullet Train)
x Episode 25: Lessons for Life (The Japanese love to take lessons and develop new skills.)
Episode 26: Japan's Robotic Superpower (Japan is a robotics superpower with 300,000 industrial robots - more than any other country - and it is also known for its anime-like humanoid robots.)
Episode 27: Sports Days in Japan
Episode 28: The Living Works of Art: Bonsai
x Episode 29: Preparing the Most Delicious Sushi
Episode 30: Through the Eyes of a Geisha
x Episode 31: Japanophiles - Bartholomeus Greb (begin 2015 season)
Episode 32: Japanophiles - Ivan Vartanian
Episode 33: Japanophiles - Alex Bennett
x Episode 34: The Seikan Tunnel (between Honshu and Hokkaido)
x Episode 35: Snow Country
Episode 36: The Unique Japanese Comedy
x Episode 37: Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway
Episode 38: A Season of Change (spring, graduation, entrance ceremonies)
x Episode 39: Waste and Recycling
x Episode 40: Period Dramas (Plays, movies and TV dramas that depict Japan as it was in the eras up to the samurai times are called "jidaigeki", literally "period dramas". The original period dramas were kabuki plays.)
Episode 41: Weight Loss Industry
Episode 42: Dams
x Episode 43: Izakaya (also visits Kakuuchi - a liquor store where you can drink)
x Episode 44: Craft Beer
x Episode 45: Fermented Foods
x Episode 46: Umbrellas
Episode 47: Job Hunting
Episode 48: Japanophiles: Amir Takahashi
Episode 49: The English Conversation Business
Episode 50: English at School
Episode 51: Shrine & Temple Carpenters
Episode 52: Bunraku (Puppet Theater)
Episode 53: Kids' Summer Holidays
Episode 54: Swimming
Episode 55: Haunted Houses
x Episode 56: Onsen (Hot Springs)
Episode 57: Japanophiles: Andrew Mancabelli
Episode 58: Cameras
x Episode 59: Wrapping and Packaging
x Episode 60: Tokyo Housing
Episode 61: Japanophiles: Adam Zgola
Episode 62: Kombu (Seaweed)
x Episode 63: Hotels and Inns
x Episode 64: Tidying Up. Long before Marie Kondo there was Nagisa Tatsumi who wrote the "art of discarding". Peter Barakan also talks about Marie Kondo, who is cuter and so probably was tweeted more.
x Episode 65: Mt. Takao
Episode 66: Japanophiles: Maud Archambault (begin 2016 season)
x Episode 67: Silk
x Episode 68: Underground Tokyo (aired 1-28-16)
x Episode 69: Earthquake Preparedness
Episode 70: Japanophiles: Jorge Cabeza Fernandez
Episode 71: Japanophiles: Pico Iyer
Episode 72: Okinawa Dance

SEASON 2
For some reason, in April of 2016, after 3 years of programs, they decide to begin "Season 2" and these are the ones currently being broadcast.

Episode 1: Whiskey
Episode 2: Quest for Perfect Skin
x Episode 3: Bladed Tools (scissors and knives)
Episode 4: Family Crests
x Episode 5: Breakfast
Episode 6: Footwear
Episode 7: Running (6/2/2016)
Episode 8: Emoji 2016-06-16
x Episode 9: Ekiben 2016-06-23
x Episode 10: Bicycles 2016-06-30
Episode 11: Kimono 2016-07-07
Episode 12: Kokeshi Dolls 2016-07-28
x 13: Shinise: Long established businesses
14: Japanophiles: Rezaul Karim Chowdhury (A Bangladeshi soba master)
x 15: Toilets (8/18/16)
x 16: Bridges (8/25/16)  (Very interesting engineering)
17: A Nation of Singers
18: Restoring Castles
19: Volcanoes
20: School Club Activites
x 21: Smells
22: Paper
23: Japanophile Paul Lorimer: pottery
x 24: Katsuoboshi (12/1/2016) (shaved smoked skipjack tuna)
25: Day Care for Kids
26: Sweets & Snacks
27: Hairdressing
28: Japanophiles: Carine Lafitte
29: Noh Theater
30: Moving Services
31: Okinawan Karate
32: Sleep
33: Tokyo Rail Network
34: Denim
35: Japanophile: Randy Channell Soei
36: Japanophiles: Zoe Vincent
37: Buddhist Altars
x 38: Driving Schools in Japan
x 39: Curry
40: Cafes

Japanology Episode 2

I've watched my seven Japanology videos on YouTube and have learned that I don't have to eat raw fish for breakfast but can have coffee and thick toast, that it rains a lot in Japan, that the Japanese have a love affair with vending machines, that most regional fast food contains offal, and that I'm going to enjoy visiting the Department Stores -- they will be a trip back to my childhood only better because they all have food basements like the City of Paris.

Now I need to choose another seven for next week: May 28-June 3
x Seaweed
x Fermented Foods (I think I'll stick to pickles.)
x Tsukemono Pickles (pronounced skeh-mo-no) (Begin Season 2 Ep 30)
x Bicycles (Beg Jap Seas 4 Ep 29)
x Unagi Eel
x Udon
x Having some Delicious Ramen (Japanology Plus Season 1 Episode 2)

And here are the videos for June 4-June 10:
x Rice (Begin Japanology Season 2 Ep 33)
x Tsukiji (Skeejee) Market (Begin Japanology Season 1 Ep 5)
x World's Largest Fish Market Tsukiji Market (Jap + Season 1 Ep 18) - Surprisingly hardly anything was repeated in this second video of the market.
x Traditional Folk Houses (Begin Japanology Season 2 Ep 15)
x The Shikoku Pilgrimage (Begin Japanology Season 5 EP16, 2012-05-03) Very similar to the Camino de Santiago.  88 shrines in 50 days.
x Ramen (Begin Japanology Season 2 Ep. 32)
x Shinkansen (Bullet Train) (Begin Jap Season 2 Ep 36)

Fourth Week:
x Japanophiles: Matt Alt (BEGIN Japanology Season 4 Ep 38) Matt Alt is an American translator and expert in Japanese yokai.  He and his wife have published Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, which is reviewed in "Choosing the Best Yokai Books for You" and which the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has.
x The Roots of Japanese Yokai Creatures (Jap + Ep 23)
x Wagashi (The Jap Plus Ep 7 on traditional sweets made of rice flour, sugar and adzuki bean paste.)
x Dagashi-ya (Beg Jap Season 1 Ep 6 on the good old-fashioned sweet shop of the post-war years) Dagashi meaning junk sweets.  This video puts a positive spin on them.
x Confectionery (Beg Jap Seas. 5 Ep 21 2012) The Japanese take on Western Pastry.
x Cafes (Begin Jap Season 5 Ep 3)
x Potatoes, Taro and Yams (Begin Jap Seas. 5 Ep. 24)

Fifth Week:
x Tatami Mats (Begin Jap Seas 1 Ep 31)
x Yoshoku (Western style cuisine.  Beg Jap Seas. 1 Ep 4)
x Shopping Streets (Beg Jap Seas 4, Ep 42)
x Soba Noodles (Beg Jap Seas 2 Ep 17)
x The Fragrances of Japan (incense) (Beg Jap Seas 2 Ep 26)
x Silk (Beg Jap Seas 3 Ep 27)
x Matcha (Beg Jap Seas 1 Ep 16)

Sixth Week
x Persimmons (Beg Jap Seas 7 Ep 1)
x Waste and Recycling (Jap Plus Seas 1 Ep 39)
x Mochi (Rice Cakes) (Beg Jap Seas 4 Ep 1)
x Abacus (Beg Jap Seas 1 Ep 11)
x Sumo (Beg Jap Seas 6 Ep 1)
x Making and Cooking Rice (Jap Plus Seas 1 Ep 9)
x Mt. Fuji (Beg Jap Seas 1 Ep 3)

Seventh Week
x A trip through Akihabara (Jap Plus Seas 1 EP 6)
x Sentou (Japanese Bathhouses) (Beg Jap Seas 3 Ep 1) This earlier Begin Japanology episode is a bit more interesting than the Japanology Plus one on Sentou.
Karuta (Japanese Cards) (Beg Jap Seas 3 Ep 2)  Halfway through, the video starts stuttering
x Seikan Tunnel
x Onsen (Thermal Baths)
x Underground Tokyo (Jap Plus Seas1 Ep 28)
x Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway
x Moss
x Convenience Stores (Beg Jap)
x Tempura (Beg Jap Seas 3 Ep 21)

Japanology

Penny turned me on to this YouTube channel about Japan, especially about their foods.  I see that there about 7 seasons, some with 41 episodes and that will certainly keep me busy.  Juan had watched one on mushrooms that he liked a lot so that was my first episode.  I feel that there should be an organized way to view them in sequence but it is not obvious on YouTube.  They are produced by NHK World, which is the international service of NHK, Japan's public broadcasting organization.  On NHK World's website they also offer Easy Japanese with lots of audio.

So here is my first week schedule of Japanology programs to watch:
Bamboo
Vending Machines
Rain
Regional Fast Food (Beg Jap Seas 5 Ep 12)
Breakfast (to see if they have alternatives to raw fish...)
Department Stores (are they really magic kingdoms?)
Conveyor Belt Sushi

Heck, after watching all the Japanology videos, I won't even have to GO to Japan!

Japan next? Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone?

I thought I better post something before a year lapses since my last post, April 29, 2015, about the weather on the Camino.  And I should post something about our 2 weeks on the Camino (I had left it for something to do over the winter when I couldn't garden but other things got in the way...).  Since last April we have traveled in the U.S.: California, Boston, the Outer Banks; but I don't have to prepare for those destinations like I do for a foreign country.

Mandy says we need to go to Tokyo and Kyoto and to Hakone to see Mt. Fuji.  I have no concept of the layout of Japan so a nice map would be the first step, to see which towns are near each other.  I have no bucket list of things to see and check off but would like gardens, markets, kitchenware and handicraft stores.  I want to walk the streets and wander through neighborhoods, eat the food, but not in 4 star restaurants, only in little noodle joints, or on the streets, where we can afford it.

Three weeks later:  As you can see I didn't get very far with this post.  But now I'm reading Juan and Mandy's Insight Guide to Tokyo from 2004.  It's a little dated because it talks about the effort to move the government offices outside of Tokyo in case there is an earthquake.  One of the 3 locations suggested is Fukushima...

Current Must-Do in Tokyo
Kappabashi Market.  This is where they have the fake food shops but also the restaurant supply stores.  Bento.com has a list of the various stores he found interesting: Tanaka for lacquerware;  Kondo and Okuda for bamboo products; Hashito for chopsticks; Kamata for knives; Propack for everything; and Maizuru for plastic food models, including souvenirs like magnets and keychains.  This was written in 2005, it looks like, so that's not much better than the Insight Guide.  I hope things don't change much in Japan...
On the same website (dated 2004), Yukari Pratt has a list of tools for the Japanese kitchen, like strainers, bamboo colanders, wooden lids, graters, and brushes, which she says make great gifts for gourmet friends.  It looks like I better take a big suitcase.

Antenna Shops
Prefectural "antenna shops" are retail stores that specialize in food and other products from a specific Japanese prefecture or city. Set up by local governments and located in Tokyo and other major cities, they are meant to promote an appreciation of regional foods and crafts, and encourage tourism."  Bento.com has a map of antenna shops in Tokyo and you can browse through a list of them with descriptions.  You can click through to their websites and then have google translate the Japanese for you: "Black of cartilage of pig chili soy sauce boiled (65g) and finished with a soy sauce taste of perfect Kagoshima classic knob of rice or potato shochu black pig cartilage."

Must-Do in Kyoto
Bento.com also has a section on the Nishiki Market in Kyoto, with a list of recommended shops, such as Aritsugu for knives and strainers, Dintora for Japanese spices, Fuka for fu (wheat gluten), Takakuraya for pickles, and Yubakichi for yuba (tofu skin).  They recommend following up with a visit to the nearby food floor of the Daimaru Department Store.  Department stores seem to be alive and well in Japan, with food courts in the basements, like the old City of Paris in San Francisco.  Or was that just in 2004??