grumpycandycandy in Japan: September 2007

Neighborhood

Keeping a peaceful neighborhood environment (or rather, trying not to upset your neighbors) is very important in Japan. Especially in rural areas.
It has been two years since we moved into our apartment in a five story building surrounded by private houses in a small town, and I still don't know what my neighbors look like. Maybe this is a sign that all is well...

We are living close to a factory, and last summer they had to start some construction work for a couple of weeks. To apologize for the disturbance caused by the noise (which by the way I haven't heard at all) they have sent every neighboring household a letter of explanation and a small towel as a present.

In a few days the facade of the house right next to ours has to be repaired or renovated. This time we received a shopping bag, accompanied by the traditional letter. Among the various points it recommended not to leave our laundry to dry outside. It might get dusty.
Very considerate (or is it?)....

Unrelated: A nice book I bought today, "Sengai, Master Zen Painter".
We saw an interesting exhibition of paintings by Sengai, a Japanese Zen priest and master of the mid-eighteenth century who expressed his insight in ink paintings and calligraphy full of wisdom and humor.

This is one of his most famous drawings that he used as teaching material.

Hotei pointing to the moon

Dear moon,
how old are you?
Thirteen and seven

Care for a drink or something?

If you have 110 yen in your pocket you will never be thirsty in Japan. Wherever you are, you can be sure there is a vending machine not far away. Machines can be found all over the cities, smaller towns, and even in more remote places.
There is allegedly one vending machine per 23 people in this country (quick math: with a population of 127 millions, that would be about....5,5 million machines!)
They usually sell soft drinks, vitamin drinks, coffee and tea (hot or cold), cigarettes...
Now and then you can find weird ones selling flowers, toilet paper, or used schoolgirls' underwear (no, it doesn't seem to be an urban legend!).
Here you can find examples of vending machines you might encounter.

La réponse illustée au keskecé

Vous avez bien cherché, merci pour votre participation au petit jeu. Je crois que Ger a trouvé la bonne réponse.
Oui, il s'agit bien d'un slip, version ancienne. A mettre sous le short et pas par-dessus, bien sur, mais mon modèle ne voulait pas poser a demi nu sur le blog.
Mr H a dû le mettre quand il était a l'hopital, et maintenant il ne s'en sépare plus.
Bon, ce n'est plus à la mode ces jours-ci, mais il y a certains papys qui en mettent encore.

Yes, it is a pair of underpants (to wear "under" pants of course). These days only some old people still have them, but Mr H is wearing them every day (no, not really).

Keskecé?

What is it?
I would have liked to say that the first one who finds the right answer wins the item, but the "thing" now belongs to Mr.H, and I think he doesn't want to give it up.