Just Go to JUSCO

Today we awoke to sunny skies once more, though the threat of typhoon-tastic fun is far from over. We spent some time Skyping with family members, until the sound of a siren cut the conversation short. Turns out the storm warning level had been increased base-wide. But by our own independent research the worst of it won't even begin until late tomorrow, so there was no reason to waste today in hiding.

With that settled, we chose to venture to the wonderland that is JUSCO (now AEON), since neither Aria nor my husband had ever been to a Japanese "depa-to" before.

The first level was (as is almost always the case) the grocery level, though there were a decent number of clothing stores on this level as well. Almost immediately, as the aromas of breads and cakes mingled with tempura and fish, we realized we were hungry. So we wandered back toward what I suppose would be the equivalent of the "deli" section of an American grocery store, though making that comparison feels ridiculous, to be honest. My husband was taken by the long row of pre-packaged but very fresh and high quality sushi bento boxes. He was only slightly distracted when I directed his attention to the tempura buffet section

But in having b-lined it to the sushi section, Hubby had completely bypassed the section that, perhaps more than any other, exemplified my childhood summers in Japan.

The ice cream section.

I went immediately back and grinned from ear to ear as I saw several of my childhood favorites were still going strong.

My husband bought a small sushi tray and a tray of fried items from the tempura section, and sat down with Aria as I was off buying a beautiful pastry/cake from one of the private bakeries inside the store. Buying cakes here in Japan is like purchasing a present for yourself every time. The tiny cakes come in beautiful boxes with 3-inch mini ice packs tucked inside to keep the delicate pastry cool. And for one mini-cake, I still got a beautiful bag to carry it out in. I almost felt guilty unwrapping and devouring it 45 seconds later. Almost.

Stuck in my nostalgia, I also partook of a melon soda and vanilla ice cream float.

After snacking and replenishing our strength, we attacked the second floor of the department store. It was all clothing, and I went from section to section, store to store, coveting almost everything, knowing sadly that 99% of it would never fit me. It didn't stop me from freezing and gasping at random as I saw the beautifully dressed mannequins. We were also fortunate enough to find a few (hundred...thousand) examples of "Engrish" on shirts. Sigh... *shakes head*

I want to say those were the worst offenders, but... not even close. Some of the children's stuff was especially bad. I may have to dedicate a whole blog post to just the kids' clothing section of JUSCO someday.

Second floor conquered, we moved on to the third floor. This was a huge mix of children's stuff, toys, books, household goods, and anything else that falls under the category of "random." This was also the restaurant, food court, and arcade game level of the store. So after a long bout of exploration, we decided we were hungry again and went to Hitoyasumi for a proper lunch. The convenient thing about this place is that the majority of the menu items are cast in plastic and replicated in a large window display in front of the restaurant. So one can readily see what they are in for as they order. I ordered beef curry. For Aria we got a kid's meal for even the most "A.D.D." of appetites. I was comprised of tiny portions of curry rice, french fries, a chicken tender, spaghetti, and a third of a banana. It came in a very cute red car, as well.

The husband, feeling overwhelmed by the written menu (which was very long, I must say), finally looked at a woman two tables over from us and said "what she's having looks good." So we asked the waitress about it, and she told us it was chicken with a tomato sauce on it. He decided to go with that, and I believe he was relatively pleased with what he got.

Speaking of my husband, he made several comments which I found helpful in learning his perspective on this world. I, having some limited experience in Japan and a lifetime of exposure to elements of Japanese language and culture, cannot see this through the lens he does. In entering Jusco, he said "Everything about this place is loud." And he described it as being like "a mall inside of a Macy's, or built around one," which is probably the most accurate description I have ever heard. He also said, of Japan, that "Everything is just a little bit different. Nothing is exactly the same as anywhere else I have seen."

Case in point, the celebrity endorsements and ads. This is one of his favorites, featuring Tommy Lee Jones and an especially stoic dog for Boss Coffee.

We finally decided to head back to the base, so we took a taxi back. Taxi fare on the highway with the toll booth (which is what we took on the way there) was 2900 yen. Taxi fare back, taking surface streets, was 2400 yen. Either way, I can't wait to get a car so hopefully we save some money the next time we brave JUSCO. For all the things we WANTED to get, our only actual spoils for the whole trip were a pair of adorable rain boots for Aria. They just may come in handy, living here.

The rest of the day was spent negotiating cell phone contracts, which I will write about in another post sometime soon. Definitely an interesting adventure in and of itself. So keep an eye out for the addendum/part deux post about this day.

For now, I leave you with a picture of a pretty inlet, which is a regular view from various parts of the base. Every time we see it, we say "I think we're going to like living here." :)