Tokyo Dad

Tax on Cigarettes in Japan

The new government here is Japan is finally thinking about increasing the tax on cigarettes by between 1 yen and 10 yen per cigarette. I think this is a brilliant idea, although I'm hoping that the extra tax would be used to fund welfare programmes or health care, not more roads...

Cigarettes are seriously cheap in Japan - nearly four times cheaper than my native UK and about three times cheaper than in France or the US (as was reported in the paper the other day). I find this extraordinary and considering the amount of people who get cancer every year as a result of smoking, I am still stunned at the attitudes to smoking here. Until very recently, you could literally smoke anywhere in Japan and no-smoking areas in restaurants or coffee shops were not separated - in fact, they were often situated in such a way that you had to walk through the smoking area to get to them. This has improved drastically, I must say, in the last five years or so, and many streets in central Tokyo are now smoke-free, which is great, especially for parents.

While they're at it, why not increase tax on other stuff, like alcohol and luxury items, and remove it from necessities such as children's clothes and basic, essential food items?

Milestones in Health and Running

I've been keeping a little tally of my running milestones for a few reasons, the main ones being that it's easy to see if I'm actually getting better/fitter and another being that they provide a great deal of satisfaction and motivation when I reach one.

When I started running back in May/June, I found it hard to run for much over a kilometre without stopping or feeling like my heart was about to punch its way through my ribcage. Getting over that hurdle was the first, and perhaps most satisfying. Within a couple of months, I could quite comfortably run 3km, albeit at a snail's pace.

My next milestone, therefore, came in August (I think) when I found that I could run 5km without having to stop to rest - or receive CPR...

My first barefoot milestone was also in August, when I completed my first full barefoot run. I then gave barefoot trail running a bash and started running in the morning.

Somebody must have thought I was getting a bit too cocky, though, because the next milestone was not a particularly pleasant one: an Achilles injury. Thankfully, that seems to have healed and my next milestone was a major one for me - my first 10km run! I can't tell you how good it feels to know that I am now capable of running 10km (not barefoot, yet...).

So what's the point of this post? Well, I passed another milestone today as I ran 3km in under 15 minutes, which (I think) is a first for me. Now I know that 3km in 15 minutes is not exactly a scorching pace, but not so long ago it would have probably taken me twice that, if I was even able to go that far. I wasn't even planning it; I just noticed the time after I had finished the run. All in all, I'm pretty pleased. Incidentally, I ran in my Vibram FiveFingers KSOs this morning.

The milestone I'm most proud of at the moment, though, is less to do with running and more to do with health in general: I've been off alcohol and cigarettes for six months - pretty good for somebody who used to drink and smoke quite heavily on a daily basis.

One Small Step for Baby...

I know I've said this before, but it's amazing watching a baby learn to walk. They start off like little drunk monkeys, with their arms in the air and their legs seeming to operate by their own free will; shooting out, whizzing off to the side or jerking slowly forward.

Give them a few more attempts, though, and the coordination comes. My son is not about to attract the attention of the Bolshoi Ballet just yet, but his walking is coming along very nicely and he loves doing it. He walks between my wife and I across the living room floor, sometimes with a look of grim determination on his face, but mostly with a massive grin - nearly as big as ours.

Which brings me on to shoes. We've been given a couple of pairs of shoes for him, but he seems to prefer being barefoot, which I think could be for the best to strengthen his feet and legs. Obviously this might not be such a good idea outside, where there's more chance of him hurting himself or stepping on (or in) something not very nice. We went to a big baby shop recently where they had a massive selection of shoes on offer, including a series of shoes which are apparently designed to 'introduce the baby to walking in stages.' There are, they say, five stages, which I am sure is in no way a money-making scheme. Of course not.

Well, of course it is a money-making scheme. Nobody wears shoes in the house in Japan, but the first shoes should only be worn in the house. And the flimsy uppers wear out in about ten minutes. The next stage didn't seem much better. Luckily, we've been given a pair of Nike Sensory Motion shoes which have thin rubber soles designed to help the foot move as nature intended it to. Hopefully they'll be better.

Did I mention that this is all amazing to watch?

Permanent Resident!

I'm happy to report that I have been granted permanent residency in Japan. I had already decided to stay in Japan indefinitely, but it's certainly a relief to know that the government plans to allow me to!

Up and Running (Well, walking actually)

Our son has taken his first proper steps! Sadly, I was at work when it happened, but my wife told me he took five steps towards her and then grabbed onto her legs.

As always, watching these things happen is truly amazing.

Mama Chari (ママチャリ)

We've been looking to buy a bike to carry our son around for a while, but the law changed recently regarding these kind of bikes, so we waited (I don't know the details of the changes). They are affectionately known as 'mama chari's' (mum's bike) here in Japan, although the 'official' name is 子供のせ自転車 (bike for carrying children).

So we finally bought one - a nifty looking Dellica Duo, which set us back ¥40,000. It's not exactly the bike I wanted, but it's great fun to go riding together as a family. Although our son spends half the time trying to take his helmet off, he does seem to enjoy riding. I heartily recommend getting one if you've got kids as you can get fit, save money (on petrol/train fares), help the environment and have fun at the same time!

What Does a New Japanese Government Mean for Parents in Japan?

In case you didn't know, Japan has a new government after the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was voted out after an incredible 55 years in power. Politics doesn't interest me - I wouldn't trust most politicians further than I could spit them - but as a parent in Japan, I do have an interest in what the new government, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) headed by Yukio Hatoyama ,right, has in mind for child-rearing support.

Perhaps the most attention-grabbing policy put forward is to raise the monthly child allowance the government gives to parents. Under the LDP, child allowances are currently only given to households with children of elementary school age or below and are weighted on parental income. Families receive up to ¥10,000 a month for children up to age 3, after which it is ¥5,000, except for the third child, who continues to receive ¥10,000. The DPJ promises to raise this to ¥26,000 for every child until the end of junior high school regardless of parental income, starting with half the amount for the 2010 academic year. Sounds good to me. (Although these payments claim to be monthly, we actually receive them quarterly. I'm not griping, I just thought I'd point it out.)

Another policy put forward by the DPJ, and applauded by observers and me alike, is to reinstate financial support for single-parent households on welfare - amounting to about ¥23,000 a month in Tokyo - which the LDP scrapped in April.

All in all, it does seem like the DPJ have a more realistic idea of what it means to raise a child and they do seem to be supportive of people who want to have children, which is a good thing. It's sad when financial worries persuade people who want children not to have them. Let's hope they stay true to their word and help current and prospective parents in Japan.

Cleaning Baby Teeth

Now that our son has begun eating a lot more food, especially a lot more fruit, it's even more important to keep his teeth clean. Even though his milk teeth will fall out eventually, it's no excuse to be lax with his dental care. We've been wiping his gums with either a gauze or a soft wet washcloth ever since he was born, but now that he's getting his gnashers, we've moved on to baby toothbrushes.

But the transition is not that easy. He doesn't seem to mind the cloths, in fact he even seems to like them, but he isn't a big fan of the toothbrush. He does, however, seem to enjoy watching me brush my teeth, so last night I sat in front of him brushing my teeth while my wife tried to brush his. For his bottom teeth, this worked like a charm, but he didn't fancy it on his top teeth. Eventually he allowed us to brush them a bit, and also didn't put up too much of a fight this morning, so hopefully he'll get more and more used to it.

We haven't used toothpaste yet, but we might start soon as we don't want either the sugar from fruit or anything else damaging his teeth. Luckily, he likes drinking water or tea, which also helps to keep his mouth clean.

Fruity about Grapes

Our son has gone from eating virtually nothing to building up quite an appetite for a variety of foods, his current favourite being grapes. He sits back and relaxes while either me or my wife feed him from the bunch, Roman Emperor-style.

He also seems to like other fruits, such as bananas, pears and apples, which is good as all of them are good for him. The other things that he has taken a shine to include udon (Japanese noodles) and some kinds of fish, which he also eats with rice.

All of this, naturally, depends on his mood - sometimes he'll pester us for more to eat, whereas other times his jaws remained tightly closed. Still, that's what makes kids so interesting and fun, isn't it?

Surfing in Chiba

I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with my family on the Boso Peninsula in Chiba this weekend, which gave me a chance to go surfing for the first time in over a year!

We also took our son into the sea, although the movement and noise was a little bit scary for him, so we took him back to the swimming pool outside the hotel where he was a lot happier. Hopefully the saltwater (it was also a saltwater swimming pool) will do his skin some good, as it always seems to help mine.

It was great to get back in the water again, even though the waves weren't that great and, happily, I found that my new exercise regime has given me more stamina and made me more supple, whereas Muay Thai seems to have improved my balance. The net result was that I even managed to stay upright for a few seconds!

That is not me in the photograph, needless to say...

Aeon Lake Town, Koshigaya

Last week was a bit of a shopping-fest, not that we bought much, with visits to Costco and the new(ish) Aeon Lake Town operated by the Aeon shopping group.

The shopping centre is split into two parts, Kaze (Wind) and Mori (Forest), which are connected by a walkway resplendent with airport-style travelators. There are far too many shops to list here, but suffice to say that you can probably find whatever you need. For me, one of the best things was finding a Kua'Aina, which makes probably the best sandwiches available in Japan: their avocado sandwich is a dream for a vegetarian like me. There are also very clean facilities for changing and feeding babies, which is nice (our local shopping centre has the baby facilities located close to a smoking area...).

The size of Lake Town is both an advantage and a disadvantage - it is massive, which means there's loads to see, but you'll be knackered trying to see it all (or perhaps that's just old farts like me!). Plus it is very, very crowded, especially in and around the connecting passage, which isn't so nice when you've got a baby with you. Just to conclude on an even more moaning old fart-type note, the music from some of the shops is so deafeningly-loud, it's uncomfortable to be near them, let alone inside them.

Right then, time to go outside and moan to the young folk for playing outside my house..

Costco in Japan

We went out to the new Costco in Shin Misato, Saitama Prefecture, the other day, which is very close to Ikea and a yet-to-be-completed Lalaport. It was our first time to visit a Costco in Japan, or anywhere for that matter, so we were interested to see what it was like. We paid the ¥4200 yearly membership, which covers both my wife and I, and then set about navigating the warehouse-style shop.

In case you didn't know, Costco is cheap - in many cases very cheap. I like Perrier, but don't like paying ¥270 for a bottle too often. At Costco I got a box of ten bottles for the equivalent of around ¥170 a case of non-alcohol beer for around ¥110 a can.

There is a catch, of course, in that you have to buy in bulk. Until relatively recently, we didn't have a car and we were living in a small apartment without much storage space, so buying things in bulk would present a problem both in transporting and storing the goods. Now that we have a car and a bit more space in our house, there is less of a problem.

All in all, I'm glad we joined and we will be shopping at Costco regularly. There are loads of things that I like on sale there that are difficult to find in normal shops in Japan, plus the nappies (diapers) are cheap for as long as our son needs them.

Muay Thai Training

Tonight will see me back in the gym enjoying a sport I've recently taken up in earnest: Muay Thai.

For those who don't know, Muay Thai is otherwise known as Thai kickboxing and is a tremendous amount of fun! Don't get me wrong, it's tough, but I highly recommend it - not only does it improve stamina and balance, it is also a fantastic workout - especially for the core - and excellent for self-defence.

I'm lucky enough to be training under Masaaki Kato, the former Martial Arts Japan Kickboxing Federation Junior Lightweight champion, WMTA South Pacific Super Lightweight champion and WPMF World Welterweight champion, who is a brilliant (and patient) teacher, but even if you can't secure the services of a former world champion, I still recommend Muay Thai as an excellent addition to any fitness regime.

Strong Earthquake Strikes Japan

Only the other day I was thinking that I hadn't felt an earthquake recently so, naturally, last night one struck.

I was standing in my bathroom when I literally felt the ground move beneath my feet. I rushed into the living room to my wife and son, but my wife hadn't noticed, so they were merrily playing on the floor. We both thought it had finished when suddenly the light fixtures started shaking and the windows began rattling. It didn't last long, but it felt strong enough for us to take shelter under the table.

The earthquake was measured at magnitude 7 and level 4 on the Japanese shindo scale, which ranges from 1 to 7. Shindo one is a slight earthquake felt only by people who are not moving and shindo seven is a severe earthquake. Shindo two to four are still considered minor earthquakes, while objects start to fall at shindo five and heavier damage occurs at shindo six and seven. Nothing fell or was broken - thankfully - although a few books moved on the bookshelves upstairs.

Five Years Today!

Today is my fifth wedding anniversary! Actually, it's one of two anniversaries my wife and I can celebrate which match the day we formally got married in Japan and the day (today) that we held a blessing in London.

Here's to many more happy years to come!

Baby Swimwear

Now that summer is here with a vengeance, we're taking our son to a local outdoor pool, so naturally he needs some cool threads to be seen in!

We were quite taken aback by how much swimwear for babies is, but nevertheless we decided on this nifty little number by Ocean Pacific which we bought at Murasaki Sports.

Not exactly cheap at over ¥3,000, but he looks so cute in it, so we're more than happy!

Lewis Back to Winning Ways

Good to see Lewis Hamilton winning the Hungarian Grand Prix by driving a storming race from start to finish, although what a shame for Fernando Alonso. It was also good to see Kimi Raikkonen on the podium again. Some people don't like the Hungaroring, but there have been some cracking races there over the years - who can forget Damon Hill overtaking Michael Schumacher's Ferrari in his Arrows. Hungary was also where Hill won his first grand prix in 1993. But I digress...

It was terrible to Felipe Massa crash and let's hope he hasn't sustained any permanent injuries - the news from the hospital seems positive so far, so fingers crossed. So who will replace him? Will it be the aforementioned seven-time world champion as the rumours have been claiming? Not according to his manager, Willi Webber, who said that "Whoever sits in the car at the next race in Valencia, it will not be Michael Schumacher. I am not 100 per cent sure; I am 200 per cent sure."

Alonso Takes Pole in Hungary

Fernando Alonso has taken his first pole position since 2006 after the final chaotic session came to a bizarre end as a timing system failure left the drivers initially unaware of where they had qualified.

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber took second and third for Red Bull, with championship leader Jenson Button qualifying only eighth. The McLaren seems to be getting better, with Hamilton and Kovalainen taking fourth and sixth spots. The William-Toyotas of Rosberg an Nakajima claimed fifth and ninth, with Raikkonen and Massa rounding out the top ten in seventh and tenth.

Worryingly, though, Felipe Massa was airlifted to hospital after a heavy crash and was said to be in a stable condition. Let's hope he's OK.

Japanese Low Alcohol and No-Alcohol Beers

As somebody who no longer drinks alcohol, but likes the taste of beer, I'm glad that a couple of low-alcohol and no-alcohol beers have been released in Japan. Actually, neither of them are technically 'beer', but they taste OK. My favourite is ポイントワン (point one) from Asahi which, as the name suggests, contains 0.1% alcohol. It is somewhat unappetisingly labelled as a 'beer taste carbonated beverage', but I suppose that's what it is and it tastes fine.

The other is Kirin Free, which is being advertised by pro tennis player Kimiko Date. This drink contains absolutely no alcohol and is also very palatable.

I'd recommend both if you want to avoid drinking alcohol, but enjoy beer.

Happy Birthday Taiga!

My son is one today! I can't believe how fast the time has gone...

Still, it has been a wonderful year and I look forward to many more like it. We bought him a trike, so hopefully he'll have fun riding it.