Time to moan and groan about owning a car in Japan...

Well, it's that time of year. Time to pay your road tax. Road tax is something everyone who owns a car pays once a year. It's supposed to help pay for road infrastructure, but with the outrageous amounts you pay in tolls, you'd think Japan would have the best highway system in all the world. On top of that, my yearly insurance is due and my two year insurance is due. Not everyone has this hit all at once, but I'm one of the lucky few who do....yay me, right? Let's break it down:

((Please note, I am not talking about buying a new car. These are the steps needed when you own a car and everything is up for renewal. For buying a new car, the steps are slightly different.))

Road Tax - Due every year in April/May and required by June 1st. If you don't pay your road tax, you don't get the sticker that allows you access to the American base. This can be troublesome because most people need access to the American base. The base access is just way to ensure all Americans are complying with Japanese law. If they didn't tie base access in with road tax, many people would opt not to pay it (because then there would be no consequences unless you're pulled over).

I think I mentioned this last year in my blog, but every year tax officials from the Yokosuka city tax office come on base for four days to collect road tax money. Those four days are like standing in line waiting for the stores to open the day after Thanksgiving. Get there early, wear comfortable clothes, and prepare to be there all day. Why only four days? Well, those tax collectors do have other jobs than collecting money on the American base. It's really just a courtesy to help out people who may not want to drive off base or have the time.

I choose to do it the easy way, I go straight to the Yokosuka tax office (which is only three minutes from base) where it's usually empty, instructions are offered in English and it takes maybe five minutes tops. I then take my forms to the American base to prove I paid (last year I watched the movie Shrek TWICE...entire movie..waiting for them to review my road tax receipts) and get my base sticker. HA! I will never complain about the American DMV wait times again.

Total cost for two cars (can't pay one at a time, we tried last year): $370.00

Liability insurance - This is your basic insurance, like you would have in the States. I hear you can pay three months, six months, or a year at a time. I always pay a year at a time so I can get it over with and don't have to worry about it until next year. This can be done off base, but people warn that some Japanese insurance agents may be confused about the specific coverage required on base. I renew my insurance on base to avoid any issues and make sure I'm not missing anything. Again, this is due yearly.

Total cost for one car for one year: $400.00

Base inspection - Required before you can move to the next step. Base inspection is required once every two years. There is only one place to do base inspections (on base, duh!) although some people do get them done out in town, but usually they can communicate well in Japanese. These inspections are THROUGH and many people leave angry at the sheer volume of things that need repaired. The checklist sheet itself lists easily over 100 items needing inspection. This is actually the part I dread the most. I've set a budget for repairs. If repairs are scheduled to go over budget, then I junk the car and buy a new one. I think my car is pretty sound (no issues so far) but the checklist is overwhelming, so who knows what they may find.

Total cost: $95 for inspection + any repairs

JCI insurance - I really don't know the difference between this insurance and the above insurance. I just know it's a requirement to own a car here in Japan. JCI is due once every two years. Most people will only pay it once during their stay in Japan. I think it can be paid on base at the same place you pay liability insurance, but I'm going to have to research that further.

Total cost: $300

Japanese inspection/registration - This is done at the LTO office in Yokohama (think Japanese DMV). I fully understand you can do it yourself, but after spending a harrowing amount of time and money on my car in this whole process, I will gladly pay the $60 to have someone do it for me. LTO runners are people who will make the hour drive to Yokohama for you, take care of your registration, and have your paperwork in your hands at the end of the day. The Japanese inspection is more of a formality as they accept the base inspection as being through.

Total cost: unknown

So, as you can see, I have a very exciting April and May ahead of me. I hope all of this goes smoothly and without a hitch. Let's hope any repairs are minor and I don't lose a lot of money in the process. Then, in a delightful turn of events, John's car renewals are due this fall. We get to do things twice.

I know some people choose to have one car or no car at all (very few SOFA sponsored people have motorcycles or mopeds due to the base's restrictive rules on having a valid license for them), but it really is a personal choice. We don't live near a train station, we both have activities at all times of the day,  we live on a steep hill, we're a little too far to walk, I crashed and ripped my pants when I was gung-ho about biking......cars seemed to be the choice for us.

I'm not complaining (well, maybe a little), but I think my point is, "owning a car in Japan is expensive!"

Ski/Snowboard Season is over!

John and I have officially called it quits on ski season for the beginning of 2013. Outdoor Recreation offers ski trips through May, but the weather is getting too warm. The conditions in most places are icy as the snow is rained on and then melted by the warm weather, although the mountain views are probably beautiful this time of year with clear skies.

This year we did a power tour of all the ski places within drivable distance of Yokosuka. We went on six trips in all and were completely exhausted by the end. What did we learn for next year?

1. Quality not quantity. We will try to do only two or three ski trips next year, each one probably lasting three or four days. The one day trips are great when you just want to feel what Japan has to offer, but waking up at 3am to ride the bus for 6 hours, ski for 8 hours, and then hop on the bus for another 6 hour ride back to base is tiring. Overnight trips and long trips are wonderful. You can do night skiing, have a few drinks, sleep in, and go at your own pace.
2. Skip MWR Outdoor Rec. We did all of our trips with MWR Outdoor Recreation. This is an on-base organization that coordinates these trips for base patrons and their guests. They are wonderful at what they do and you don't have to do any driving or thinking BUT there's other ways to get to the ski resorts in Japan that are more comfortable....the bullet train for one...there's other travel agencies and groups in the area that will help you coordinate your ski trips....and none of them involve waking up at 3am or earlier!!
3. Start in December, end in February. We started skiing at the end of December last year and did our last trip in March. We wonder if the conditions would be better if we started earlier and ended earlier. During our last trip (Zao) conditions weren't spectacular.

Well, that's all. Those are our lessons learned. We'll see you on the slopes next year!

Zao Onsen - Ice Monsters

One of the things we've wanted to do since last year is go to Zao Onsen and see the Ice Monsters. Zao is a ski resort a few hours outside Fukushima in northern Japan. You don't have to ski or snowboard to see the Ice Monsters as they sell passes for visitors to go to the summit via gondola and see the formations.

The Ice Monsters are pine trees, covered in snow and then blown by the wind. It forms some pretty wild and beautiful formations. Luckily, the first day we were at the resort, the weather was BEAUTIFUL and it really reminded me of why I love skiing so much. The views of the mountain were gorgeous and we went all the way to the summit and skiied/snowboarded down. The trip to the summit from the base of the mountain + skiing down the mountain took us a total of four hours each time. We spent a few hours looking at the Ice Monsters, a few hours being lost, and then it takes some time to ride the lifts all the way to the summit.

Enjoy these pictures of the Ice Monsters. I might have more to post later.

Pray for Japan

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit northern Japan. A subsequent tsunami wiped out entire areas and large parts have still not recovered. Over 2,000 people remain missing (presumed dead) and over 15,000 lost their life.

I remember we were supposed to ship out to Japan days after the earthquake. Our orders were pushed back by several weeks until it was determined it was safe to enter Japan. The US government had a wake up call in natural disaster response, as communication between the main base and all the housing detachments was tenuous. The failing nuclear power plant (damaged by the earthquake) prompted the US government to evacuate all non-essential military affiliated personnel.

Here in Yokosuka, the earthquake was huge and went on for what many people say was, "longer than normal." The earthquake was then followed by a power outage that lasted most of the day.

Take a moment as you go about your day today to think about those people still living in temporary shelters, people that lost loved ones, and those who lost their lives two years ago today. There are some heart-wrenching stories out there about families who tried to run from the tsunami wave, but elders were too sick or slow to make it and had to be left behind only to later be found dead.

Be thankful and grateful for the things you have. Hug those your love and tell them how much they mean to you often.

As a final note, here's a video taken by one of my workout buddies of the pool at Purdy gym on Yokosuka base. In the first part of the video, you see the pool and then water outside the pool. The water outside the pool (where the lifeguard chair is) is actually a walkway around the pool. ((As a side note, my friend did go back in and get the ladies bag because he's a super nice guy.))

Spring is coming.

The view from my house this morning.

I checked the weather for this week and they are reporting highs in the high 60's. It looks like spring is right around the corner. Skiing season ends in May, so there are only a few more weeks left to get out on the slopes.

I guess I think about these things more lately because we're entering out "lasts." This coming April will be our last April in Japan. This summer will be our last summer.....our last winter....by this time next year we should have a pretty good idea of where we are moving next. John is going to visit his family in June, when he returns, he goes straight into the process of picking his next duty location. I have the usual nerves I have when I know this process has been set into motion.... I'm both excited and sad to leave Japan. It is difficult to live so far away from your friends and family. The culture shock adds an extra dose of stress sometimes. I'm not complaining, I've made it in Japan this far and have had a wonderful time, but it will be nice to be much closer to my family and John's family. It will also be nice to be back in the land of wide roads, million acre parking lots, and Targets.

I do have to start thinking about a Japan "bucket list" or things I absolutely want to do before I leave Japan. They include:

- Cup of Noodle ramen museum in Yokohama -- you get to design your very own cup of noodles
- Tokyo Sky Tree -- tallest structure in Japan
- Hiroshima -- would love to take the bullet train here
- Climb Mt. Fuji -- let's be real, I don't want to do this, but John does, so I guess we're doing it

I think realistically that's a good list. I look forward to our last year in Japan and hope it's as much fun as our first two years were.

What ever happened to roller derby?

As many of you remember, when I first arrived in Japan I participated in roller derby. I have been asked several times if I still participate and the answer is "not actively."

Why?

I simply don't have the time. As many of you may know, my husband is on shore duty here in Japan. It means for the first time in our seven years of marriage I get to have him home every night of the week. In 2009 (our last year in San Diego), he was gone a total of 350 days for deployments. Due to the nature and type of craft he was on, his schedule was extremely demanding. When he was home, he was often too tired to go out or do anything but melt into the couch and sleep. Finally I get to know what it's like to have a husband at home every night. In one year, he'll return back to sea duty and I'll go another four years (or more) without seeing much of him. I am very much cherishing the time we have together in Japan.We spend every weekend together being a couple, going to the movies, skiing, snowboarding, and making memories. It's been pretty awesome.

Don't get me wrong, if he was on sea duty in Japan I'd be doing roller derby every day they'd let me. I loved it, I loved the people, and I loved my team. The team here is a wonderful, positive group of women (and men) who have really contributed to the growth of roller derby in Japan. I will continue to support them in any non-skating manner I can.

I encourage everyone out there who wants to try it to go for it. The team is helpful, inviting, and I have many wonderful friends I met through our mutual interest in roller derby. I wish the team nothing but the best in the future and you'll see me as an NSO or a spectator in future bouts!