My Yubinkyoku (Post Office) savings account book has 24 lines per page.
I love the graphic on this. The inside has a holographic blue sticker with my hanko stamped underneath; a perfect braid of old-fashioned accounting, high-tech, and interesting design. Hokkaido is very green right now, if I were to drop this it would camouflage and be lost forever.
I even use this to deposit and withdrawn yen. You stick the booklet into the machine and it knows almost everything about you. Then it prints new info onto the next line.
I signed up with Yahoo!BB for internet access at the local Yamada Denki; a huge electronics school with seething fluorescent lights and a constant loop of their jaunty store jingle. The girl behind the counter put these manuals (all in Japanese) in a plastic bag and gave us all two packets of fireworks!
"Thanks for signing up with Yahoo! Use these in the meantime before your equipment arrives! ^_^"
Incredible. I haven't even used them yet, like everything I see or come across here, it's almost too precious to tear into and burn up.
Yesterday, when I visited one of my schools for the first time, I was informed that they had a part for me already highlighted for the upcoming English Club's version of Snow White. I was to play the Hunter. I small role admittedly but a very important one as the Hunter is the man who tells Snow White to run away before he has to kill her.
My favorite line is the first I will utter: "Did you call me, Queen?"
I was asked if I had a costume for the role. Who brings hunting gear with them to Japan? But, I remembered my red vest and a faux rabbit skin, red plaid hat from Goorin Bros. Boy, was the English Club teacher shocked! In fact, I was too. Again, who brings hunting gear with them to Japan? I guess, I do.
Does the man in the above picture look like me? Cast your vote in the poll provided to the right.
I was putting away some clothes and I caught a glimpse of my futon which is gold and light brown in color. I thought it was Nagamuko playing in the sheets, curled up like a slug. I miss the little demon! Even when he attacked my ankles, didn't let me put papers away, kneaded me with his claws. He was still great to have around.
The Ainu, the indigenous peoples of Hokkaido before the Japanese arrived, have a legend about the crow, an unmistakable “pest” on the island. These birds are massive. On the drive to my new apartment I saw three birds attacking a small garden of cherry tomatoes. One flew to the stone wall separating the property from the street, wrapped its black claws around the tomato and jabbed it with its stake like beak. There was something horrifying about these midnight-black beasts swarming this domestic garden. They were like vicious wraiths; appearing out of place among the Crayola flowers and vibrant green grasses and trees.
The Ainu legend goes a little something like this. During Creation, the devil wanted to take away from men what was good and promising in the world. So, when the sun was to rise, the devil decided to swallow it. But the Creator knew of the devil’s plans and created the crow to counter the devil’s intentions.
As the sun began to rise, the devil opened his big mouth and the crows that the Creator made flew down his throat, saving the earth and man.
Since then the crow has led an entitled life believing that men owe him gratitude. So they live off his food with an uncontrollable boldness.
These crows’ caws sound like people yelling in help or pain. They’re everywhere. I look out my window and there they are, skulking around like stray dogs, searching for food.
Someone I met last night told me that there have been cases where crows have attacked small children, taking out their eyes. He also said that, in recent years since hunting them has become legal, they have started building decoy nests to trick hunters. They also have learned how to put nuts on pedestrian crosswalks and wait for cars to drive over them. That way they don’t have to waste time and energy picking at nuts themselves.
They’re remarkable, admirable, but they wouldn’t know you believe that.
Here’s an amusing video about a new and harmless crow preventative.
My Yubinkyoku (Post Office) savings account book has 24 lines per page. 
