The TRAM

When you first came to Japan did you hear horror stories about how Japanese hair stylist cut foreign hair?  How Japanese hair and foreign hair are too different to get a decent cut?  How they could potentially leave you with an unflattering mullet? Well I did, and I was terrified to get my hair cut, especially since I have been with the same stylist for about 10 years.  So, I resigned myself to waiting until August of 2013 (one full year) before cutting my rat nest of a curly head.

I had given up straightening my hair because, lets face it, anybody who has curly hair knows that it will frizz and curl the moment any moisture hits it.  That’s hard to avoid when living in Toyama Prefecture where 99% of the time it’s raining, snowing, sleeting, hailing, humid, and all around wet.  (That other 1% is the few and far between times that the sun will shine its merry and beloved face upon us drenched folk for all of 10 seconds, before being hidden by the mass of clouds that perpetually dwell around.)  Well, at least my hair turns into a frizzy mess and to put in the extra work of making it look decent (only to sport the disheveled look a mere 15 minutes later walking to school) was not worth it.  So I decided to just keep it curly and see what would happen in a year.

However, my hair was not to be tormented for the 12 months I thought it would be.  During winter vacation while staying in Tokyo before flying to our adventures, Sarah Reid (another fellow curly girl and JET) had found what we lovingly call a “curly hair goddess” in Tokyo.  Now this wasn’t a planned hair cutting expedition.  She just happened to be researching about where we could possibly get our hair trimmed when, by some grace, lightening strike, chorus of angels, and what have you, she happened upon a site that described Nepenji and Kiyoko: “Tokyo’s premium curly hair specialist salon” with “stylist Kiyoko who learned all there is to know about working with ringlets over six years in New York, at the specialist Deva Chan Salon.” (You can read more about it here: http://metropolis.co.jp/specials/940/940_top.htm.)

We found this site at 5:30pm in Ikebukuro while deciding if we wanted to see a movie.  After calling, we had booked appointments (in English) for 6:30pm that same night and ditched the movie to hustle ourselves over to the salon in Ebisu.  After getting lost (but of course) we found Nepenji and the staff waiting for us.  Kiyoko and her staff were amazing.  For 8000 yen we were treated to hairapy (yes I just made that up); three hours of glorious head pampering and great conversation both in Japanese and English.  We were introduced to the wonders of the Deva Curly Hair collection (of which you can’t find ANYWHERE in Asia and is specially imported by Kiyoko for her clients), and how to properly care for our curls.

I’ve hated my curls for most of my 23 years.  I’ve had short hair, medium straight hair, bobs, pixy cuts, long hair always kept up in a pony tail or straightened, the Brazilian straightening treatment, and anything that would not make me have to take care of curls. In that time I’ve also dried my hair out so bad that the smallest bit of static would set it on its end.  But I fell in love for the first time with my curls after Kiyoko waved her magic hair shears. I had never seen my formerly hated curls look so good.  Sarah, too, looked at her beautiful golden locks with shock and awe.  It was a great moment to actually be happy with something you naturally have that others perm to get. (Jealous now?)

Now I wear my natural curls everyday.  They are healthy and gorgeous, and I am continually surprised by how easy it is to maintain them.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find the Deva Curl collection yet in Asia, but I will eventually be ordering it online or from Nepenji directly.  If you have curly hair and are afraid to get it cut before seeing your own stylist at home, I highly recommend going to see Kiyoko.  She will do a fabulous job with your hair, and in a way you may not expect.  I certainly didn’t.

For more information check out their English website and their Facebook group.  You can also contact me if you want to hear me gush more about how amazing a place it was and how to find yourself there right after reading this article.

Fabulous people and an extremely talented, friendly, and helpful curly hair specialist (goddess!) awaits you!

P.S. For all those straight haired people out there also afraid of getting their hair cut, I’m sure Kiyoko or one of her staff does an excellent job on straight hair as well.

Happy styling!

This article was written by Alex Melillo, a first year ALT in Takaoka City. The photos were taken by fellow curly girl Sarah Reid, who is also a first year ALT in Takaoka City.

Ah, Sumo. I knew so little about you before the AJET Sumo Trip. I had a vague idea of fat men in the most uncomfortable-looking diaper/jockstraps ever pushing against one another. Initially, I did not sign up for the AJET Sumo Trip because I was enamored with Sumo. Rather, I wanted to check out Osaka without having to actually organize anything. So, when the excursion reps posted about the trip, I signed up.

As a plus, we didn’t have to leave super early in the morning. Instead, we hopped into two vans and headed down to exciting Osaka. I won’t say that it was a problem-free trip; navigating Osaka was chotto difficult. But, we got to the hostel in one piece and the adventure began!

This was a nice trip because we all had free time to do what we wanted in Osaka. I determined that I would not eat every meal in a konbini as tends to happen when I travel, and I didn’t. I had legitimate Mexican food with REAL green salsa. Some people went shopping, some went sight-seeing, others further explored the food scene, and I think we all people-watched. Nothing like big-city-fashion in Japan to make me both amazed, confused, and, at times, concerned.

Then it was time for Sumo! Arriving at the stadium was interesting because there were so many people outside of it. I felt like I was somebody trying to get to a Taco Cabana but accidentally ending up on the red carpet instead. We finally waded through the crowds only to get lost in the actual arena itself. We were led by four or five different Japanese ushers forever until we found our seats. I sat there with my tofu and sushi and waited to be bored by yet another sports event.

However, as soon as the matches started, I was hypnotized. The matches started with lower-ranked Sumos, but even these were fascinating to me. Sumos are much stronger than I imagined. They move much more quickly than I thought they would, and the matches were much more brutal than I expected. It was also fascinating to see the mental games the Sumos played with each other. The beginning of each match begins with a number of psych-outs as the Sumos assume a starting position and then retreat back to grab more salt. Once the actual wrestling actually begins, though, matters progress rapidly and may end when one Sumo touches down on something other than the bottom of his feet or, as happened a few times, is basically tossed or flipped outside the ring. This tossing was wild to me as a few Sumos actually landed on audience members. Sumos are big guys. The audience around the ring is mainly composed of old Japanese men. The way things were progressing, I thought it likely that one of the audience members would require hospital care before one of the Sumos.

The strength of these guys and the mental games they played throughout all the matches kept me hooked for four or five hours, and I am generally pretty ambivalent about sports (aside from Curling). Thus, Sumo, which was originally an afterthought for my trip to Osaka, turned out to be the most fun experience I had there. I would highly recommend going to check out a match (and sitting far away from the ring)!

This post was written by Chelsea Edge, a first year ALT in Takaoka City. The photos were taken by Catherine Danley. Sumo Tournaments are held annually in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, and tickets can be purchased at a combini. Check out http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/ for more information.  

Been looking for a soft armchair to sink into with a book and a cup of tea at your side? Or how about a cozy cafe to give you a break from your local sushi bar? Whatever you’re looking for, Kosugi is the place to be. A simple two minute walk from the station leads you to a small cafe that serves up some great grub in the atmosphere of the cutest darn cafe you’ve ever seen. (Note: the bathroom is famous among locals for being darling. Seriously.)

There’s no English menu, but there are plenty of pictures to help you choose. (Unless you want to brush up your katakana to feel studious.) The food consists mainly of small dorias or spaghetti dishes, and various sets are available to enjoy them with tea, fresh baked rolls, and salad. You can eat very well for around 1000 yen, but I highly recommend splurging just a bit more on one of their decadent desserts. French toast with raspberry sauce and ice cream? Yes please!

Also, if you’re a tea fan (or British) then you’re in luck. Tea seems to be their specialty, so there’s a large selection of brands and flavors to choose from. Some are even sold up front if you want to add them to your home collection.

It’s a popular place with the locals, so you will want to get there ahead of the lunch or dinner rushes. For those lucky people with cars, there is a spacious parking lot next door you can use.

Hours: 11:30 am- 5:00pm, 6:00- 9:00pm; closed Wednesdays
Google Pin: Click here
Website: http://www.meso-meso.com/

This article was written by Catherine Danley, a second year ALT in Imizu-shi.