Living in Iwakuni and need a craft store? Here ya go...

When you move to MCAS Iwakuni, the nearest Michaels or JoAnn's stores are half a world away. Or in China. Either way, it's not easy to get to one when your child needs a costume for the play she forgot to tell you she was in, or when you need to make the perfect Christmas wreath for your midrise door to get you in the holiday spirit.

While Michaels, JoAnn's, your local scrapbook store or your favorite art supply store may be out of reach, there are still plenty of alternatives in Iwakuni and Hiroshima for you to check out.

Helpful hint: Click on any photo to make it as large as your screen will allow for better reading/viewing.

Iwakuni

Tokai, The Craft Heart

The Japanese craft store I had had my eye the moment I traveled off base when we arrived in July 2012, and swung a left on Route 188, was Tokai, which seems to translate to "Craft Heart." I was in search of scrapbooking supplies... or something hands-on to do while I waited for my household goods (and crafting gear!) to arrive. Plus, I wasn't sure how readily available scrapbooking supplies (as I know them from the States) were. The answer: not very.

There were not a lot of papercrafting supplies.... about half an aisle's worth. This store was devoted mainly to sewing and stitching, but there were still plenty of great ideas to be had. For starters, there was a small collage section with stamps,  bits of paper, stickers and some 3D embellishments. 

The collage section.

These canvas boxes could be fun to decorate.

Crafting purses, both from paper and fabric, appeared to be a  popular craft for the Japanese.

Something familiar!

Sew your own Kimono 

This fabric in the middle reminded me of the movie Tropic Thunder. I had to snap a picture.

A decent selection of fabrics. I know where I'll be taking my quilt-making mother when she comes to visit.

I thought these were interesting - they are tiny coin purses, about 1 1/2 inches wide, that attach to your cell phone. The Japanese currency has a lot of coins, such as the 500 yen and 100 yen coins, so these zippered coin purses come in handy. I also thought they would be cute dangling from mini albums and the like. So, I bought a book and some supplies to make them. I am new sewing by hand, something I do not usually have the patience for.

Cutesy felt projects are also popular - there was an entire aisle of the store devoted to this type of craft, which are usually hung on backpacks and cell phones.

More felt projects

Name of the store: Tokai, The Craft Heart

Location: Iwakuni: Go out the MCAS Iwakuni main gate and turn left at 4 corners on to Route 188. Tokai will be about 2 km down the road on the left.

Size of the store: Small/Medium/Large

Overall Tenacious Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Special notes: This location does not carry any paint. There is also an annual 5% discount card you can purchase for 500 yen. To get the coupons from the store, you must use a Japanese address. There is another location in Yanai, in the Mr. Max shopping center. It carries most of the same items as the Iwakuni location, but does have a limited supply of Delta cream coat acrylic paints, and a gift store with seasonal items.

Daiso (100 yen store)

While most Iwakuni inhabitants hear about Daisos, or 100 yen stores, before they step foot in Japan, they may not realize how many craft supplies are available. Unfortunately, products at different locations vary, so you may or may bot be able to find everything you are looking for. But you can get stationary items, rubber bands, paperclips, magnets, markers of all kinds, molding clay, glue guns and glue sticks, adhesives of various kinds, small wooden blocks, stickers, colored paper, envelopes, small, flat canvases... seriously, there are a lot of craft supplies at the Daiso, ranging from 100 to 300 yen, plus tax.

Name of the store: Daiso

Location: Iwakuni: 1) Cazl/Fresta Mall on Route 2; 2) 6th floor of the Fuji Grand department store in downtown Iwakuni 3) Go out the MCAS Iwakuni main gate and turn left at 4 corners on to Route 188. There will be a pink Daiso on the left about 4 km down. 200 meters from that Daiso, but on the left, will be a shopping center with a Daiso on the 2nd floor. It is in the same parking lot as Jan Jakas restaurant. There are other locations in Iwakuni, but these are the easiest to find from base.

Size of the store: Varies upon location, but usually medium.

Overall Tenacious Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Special notes: Not all locations offer sturdy shopping bags. You may want to bring your own recycle bag. The Daiso featured in the photo above is actually on Hondori Street in Hiroshima.

Hiroshima

My friend, MaryAnn, and I spent our day today traveling to Hiroshima by train and scouting out these places for this blog post. I would like to thank her for sending me the map pins that she dropped along the way today because I have a pinning deficiency. Thank you, MaryAnn, for your help and your company. Also, please keep in mind that merchandise shown in these photos may change with the seasons.

We took the train from the Iwakuni Station to the Hiroshima Station. It cost 1,540 yen for a round trip ticket. We then spent 160 yen each way on the trolley (trolley 2 or 6, found outside the south entrance of the Hiroshima Station, will get you where you need to go) to go to the Hondori shopping area, and back to the station.

You will ride the trolley from the station to stop M7, Hatchobori.

The first four stores listed below are within a square city block of each other. The fifth is near the Hiroshima Station.

Tokyu Hands

This 7-floor department store features craft, DIY or art supplies on three of its seven floors. Here is what you can find here. I personally purchased an easel for 4,200 yen, and three foam cushions for 2,400 yen.

This store does tend to get a bit warm and humid in the summer, just FYI. We started at the top and worked our way down. There are four other floors that you will not see, but this is a craft post, so I'm keeping it to crafting supplies. The photos below are divided by floor and only represent a small sampling of what the store has to offer.

A description of each floor. A knowledge of Japanese would be helpful.

Pens

Washi tape

Shadow boxes and frames

Paper in many sizes, including poster sized, and in many colors

Various types of paint, art pencils, markers (including Copic), pastels, brushes

Canvas

Stickers and paper embellishment packs

Tags

Licensed stationery and gifts

Fabric gift bags, wrapping paper, paper ribbon

Glow sticks galore

Artificial flowers, wedding and anniversary DIY stuff, MaryAnn's head... ;)

Photo booth masks

Wall stickers

Rustic decor

Standing mirrors and rustic containers

Adhesives, adhesives, and more adhesives. Some had English, some did not.

DIY nuclear survival kit... in a fashionable pink. Actually, I have no idea what this is, other than an Emergency Partner. Nothing but that was in English. Below is the information, including the price, which is about $4,500.

Clearly they do not want Americans to know about this Emergency Partner, since it was all in Japanese. But, you can get accompanying food and other supplies to go with it (see below).

I realize the Emergency Partner is not craft related. But it is weird. So, I wanted to add it. Just for weirdness' sake.

For rock hounds.

For people who like to make metal bugs.

For people who like to make their own thermometers (in Celcius)

Washi paper

Beading

Ceramics

Molding clay

Leather works

Styrofoam shapes

Raw wood materials

Letters... both roman and hiragana/katakana

Raw wood shapes

Name of the store: Tokyu Hands

Location: Hiroshima, trolley stop M7

Pin: 16-28, Hatchobori

Naka-Ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima

Japan 730-0013

Size of the store: Small/Medium/Large

Overall Tenacious Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Special notes: Tokyu Hands does not have any American-style scrapbooking supplies, although there are a lot of papers, pens, stickers, Washi tape and journaling items. You can pay for items on each individual floor.

Craft World

As we exited Tokyu Hands and took a right on the sidewalk, we walked down about a block t the SOGO Department store. To reach the department store, you will need to take the stairs or elevator to the underground mall and watch for the signs that lead you to the SOGO department store, where Craft World is located (along with a small pet store and an exhibit area). The store will be toward the right once you are underground. When you see the photo below, you are in the correct place:

Go up the escalator on the left and turn left to get to the elevators. Craft World is located on the ninth floor. Once you reach the ninth floor, head to the back, left corner. You will probably see the pet store first. Craft World is to the left of the pet store. You may have to wind your way through exhibitors if there is an exhibition going on... or you could encounter empty floor space on your way to Craft World.

The front of Craft World

Fabric

Beading

Ribbon (much more expensive than in the States... sometimes as much as 3 to 5 times as much)

Specialty fabrics

Embroidery floss

Delta acrylic paint 

Felt sheets

Jewelry making

Tiny, fake non-edible desserts

DIY fabric bags

Name of the store: Craft World

Location: Hiroshima, trolley stop M8

Pin: 6, Motomachi

Naka-Ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima

Japan 730-0011

Size of the store: Small/Medium/Large

Overall Tenacious Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Special notes: Craft World is a sister store of Tokai, so the annual savings card also works here. Also, my friend Naomi, who is Japanese but speaks wonderful English, teaches a ribbon lei (as in pretend flower necklace) class here once a month. A option for those of you who can get away during the week and want to take a class.

3 Coins

We exited the SOGO department store and headed to Hondori Street. While 3 Coins is not exclusively a craft store, it does have a number of crafting items that change with the season. Everything in the store costs 300 yen plus tax, and it is located three doors down from McDonalds.

I love this store! and not just because it's my favorite shade of green. I can never walk out of here without finding something I can't live without. I got some frames, a bag with alpacas on it (don't ask), a wooden "G," and some chalkboards... so fun!

The aforementioned wooden letters, about 3 to 4 inches high.

Washi products, stickers, etc.

Frames and stationery products

Canvas and burlap items

Buttons

Felt mobile kits and gummy window clings

Name of the store: 3 Coins

Location: Hiroshima, Hondori Street

Pin: 6-5, Hondori

Naka-Ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima

Japan 730-0035

Size of the store: Small/Medium/Large

Overall Tenacious Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Special notes: The store is two stories, so be sure to take the stairs up. The crafting items are limited and are VERY seasonal, so if you like something, buy it then. It may not be there when you return.

DUO

I have visited DUO a few times before, but it had obviously been awhile. The store used to be on the first floor and be twice as large as it is now... and now it is *tiny.* And I mean tiny. BUT it is the only place I have found near Iwakuni to sell American-style scrapbooking supplies. As you exit 3 Coins, take a left, walking away from McDonald's (Walk away! Walk away! McNuggets go straight to your thighs!). When you see the Regal Shoes store, turn right down the next road/alley on your right.

Walk a couple of short blocks past the guitar and shoe stores and you will see this on the left:

Take the narrow, steep stairs carefully. Inside you will find a very cheerful elderly Japanese lady and the following:

Inks of all kids... this is where I purchased a brown StazOn permanent ink pad, but it did not look like the one I had previously bought in the States.

These are all of the racks of 12x12 cardstock and paper... but appreciate them. They are the only ones I have found for miles.

More Delta paint

FIMO clay 

Sewing supplies

Large felt sheets

Paper and wood items to pain/decoupage

Decorative brads

Punches

Punches and stamps

Name of the store: DUO

Location: Hiroshima, Hondori Street

Pin: 7-21, Fukuromachi

Naka-Ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima

Japan 730-0036

Size of the store: Small/Medium/Large

Overall Tenacious Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Special notes: Yes, this store is tiny and has a terrible selection to compared to what we are used to. But, we are in Japan and this is where we can get authentic scrapbooking supplies. Be happy and be glad the prices are fairly comparable to the ones in the States.

Maki

MaryAnn and I grabbed the trolley and headed back to Hiroshima Station. After getting lost one and needing help from the station's information desk twice, as well as a trio of taxi drivers, we finally found this elusive 4-story crafting and fabric store, and it is 5 minute walk from Hiroshima Station... if you know where to walk. We know where to walk now, so I'll tell you so you can avoid an 800 yen cab fare.

Hereis the easiest way to describe this, with photos... when you exit the south exit of the Hiroshima Station (this is the one you usually exit out of to catch the trolleys to the Atomic Bomb Dome) and walk around the front of the Station to the right, toward Gaia:

Follow that yellow strip on the ground around the corner. Do not cross the street and go to Gaia. When you reach this weird intersection below, cross the first narrow street and then turn right after the concrete support holding up the bridge above you. Do not cross the second street to go to the shop with the blue awning. That's where we got in to trouble.

When you turn right like you are supposed to, you will find this underground walkway. Forget everything your mother said about dark tunnels and walk through it, directly to the other side.

On the other side, you will find this:

Walk along the road, between the two beige buildings. You will see the sign below on the left (this photo was taken from the opposite side of the store from where you will be approaching. That is because that location is where our taxi driver dropped us after we gave up trying to find the damn place on our own. But, we would soon discover it was worth the trouble and cab fare).

First Floor: Fabric

There were a quite a few traditional Japanese prints, which are hard to find.

It was nice to see something other than "cute" prints: Many of these featured warriors and dragons

We headed to the top of the store, the fourth floor, and worked our way down. This store also has an elevator, which is nice for those who can't manage stairs... or don't want to after walking around Hiroshima all day.

Fourth floor

Beading/jewelry

Floral

Wreaths and garland

Ribbon

Holiday ribbon

Mini pinecones

Walls and walls of trim

Flat cotton rope/giant shoelaces(?)

Foam shapes (a lot more not pictured)

Plastic babies

Jingle bells

Feathers

Ruffle and zippers

Ribbon and lace ruffle

Lace

Macaroon coin purses :)

Third Floor

Buttons

Various mobile kits

DIY hats

Knitting/crochet

More mobiles

Specialty paper

Japanese embellishments (about $6 for one fan)

Mini swords. Perfect for poking an eye out.

Washi paper

Doll clothes patterns...?

Second Floor

Specialty fabrics: sequins, tulles, furs, etc.

Leatherworks of all kinds

Purse making supplies

Belt-making supplies

Raw leather

Name of the store: Maki

Location: Hiroshima, Hondori Street

Pin: 16, Kamiosugacho

Higashi-Ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima

Japan 732-0056

Size of the store: Small/Medium/Large

Overall Tenacious Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Special notes: Maki misses half a star because there are no papercrafting supplies at all. But other than that, MaryAnn and I agreed this was the best store of the day as far as variety and selection. You must pay for your items on each floor before progressing to the next floor. The staff was very friendly and a number of them spoke limited English.

I hope you find this post helpful. I am sure there are other arts and craft stores around, but these are the ones I know of. Also, I discourage you from contacting me about the availability of certain items... I really wasn't paying attention to anything but the stuff I liked in any great detail. I just tried to snap some photos to give readers an overall idea of what each shop offered. I highly recommend you take a trip to see all of these places so you can make your own notes about the stuff you're interested in.

Just to help you plan, MaryAnn and I left Iwakuni at 9:05 a.m. and (despite getting lost trying to find Maki for about 45 minutes, stopping for an hour to eat lunch, and hitting up Starbucks twice, because that's what you do when you're arriving in and leaving Hiroshima by train), we made it back to base by 6:10 p.m. We did this on a Wednesday and visited the stores between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. I did not pay attention to the individual stores' hours, or check to see if they took debit/credit card. I recommend having plenty of yen with you. Happy shopping!

The IHBO is not a cable TV channel...

When I first arrived in Japan in July 2012, I had no idea what I wanted to do to earn money. I was already an adjunct instructor, teaching seniors online for the University of West Florida, but having a just class or two, a full salary does not make. I had quit two jobs in Pensacola when the spouse was reassigned to MCAS Iwakuni, and I wanted to make up for that income I had lost. It was either work a 9 to 5 job on base or work for myself. I found that Iwakuni's career/job choices are extremely limited, and with most available positions paying well below the American average for comparable job descriptions. I quickly came to the conclusion that I, like many career-minded individuals accompanying their military spouse stationed in Iwakuni, would benefit from starting or relaunching my own business.

Photographer me

Crafter me

I had previously owned a scrapbooking company, selling custom products and teaching classes, but had sold it in 2010. But I was told by other spouses that there was a need for such diversions in Iwakuni, so I dusted off my scrapbooking scissors, and got to work. I avoided catalog businesses (think Pamper Chef, Scentsy, Thirty-One, etc.) because there are already a lot of reps for those here. Being a small community of about 6,500, with most of those being single male Marines, and not really the catalog demographic, the competition can get fierce - and, sadly, sometimes nasty. If you are moving here, you may want to keep this in mind. By having two unique businesses that I founded myself, I avoid this problem. Even though one of my businesses is photography, and there are a plethora of other photographers here, we all have a different style and offer different types of photography, so there is still a way to find a niche. If you and someone else sell Tupperware, you both are selling the same products for the same prices. It's tougher to be unique.

In order to have a legitimate business on base, you must go through the Station Judge Advocate (base legal) approval process... or so I heard through the whispered murmurings of the Iwakuni grapevine. There weren't too many resources for home-based business owners aboard MCAS Iwakuni when I arrived, and the application process through SJA was a bit confusing.... and that's if you even knew to start with SJA to get the ball rolling to open your business!

I arrived in Iwakuni at the end of July 2012. In September 2012 there was a Spouse's Day, with informational seminars throughout that day, highlighting different services and resources available on station. The seminar that was the most attended of the five I went to was the one about how to start your own business on base. There were about two dozen women in that class, all of them wanting information about how to start, market and manage their businesses. We had all been uprooted from our homes, sent to a small community in a foreign land, and needed/wanted to replace the income we had left behind.

The information provided in the seminar was excellent, and got me on the road to starting up my crafting business Tenaciously Remembered, but there wasn't any group or organization to go to for day-to-day support. There weren't any events specifically for home-based business owners to showcase their products and services. It wasn't even clear as to how and where businesses owners on base could advertise. And, talking amongst ourselves during the workshop, we thought that having a one-stop-shop business directory would help the Iwakuni community find products and services they were looking for, right here within the community, rather than online.

So, along with my scrapbooking scissors, I dusted off my organizational and marketing skills and got to work, gathering up interested business owners and creating the Iwakuni Business Directory. The purpose of the IHBO is for home-based business owners attached to MCAS Iwakuni to combine resources, share information and enhance marketing efforts. You can learn more about its purpose and how to start your business here.

These are from an early IHBO meeting... we were practicing making craft fair tables attractive and uncluttered. :)

It took about six months for the group to really get going. There were only about five of us who came to each monthly meeting through the fall of 2012 and winter of 2013, but we were determined to see this group succeed. We worked to become a "legitimate" organization on base, applying to become a private organization, so we could follow the base rules and not run in to the risk of being shut down. However, after submitting all of the paperwork, we were denied approval: private orgs (spouses groups, for example) can not promote any one for-profit business. The nature of the IHBO is that all of the members are promoting their for-profit businesses. So, because of this technicality were are not an official private organization, but the base is aware of us, and seemingly, doesn't have a problem with our purpose and actions. In fact, the IHBO has gained a reputation for being a good resource for new home-based business owners, something I am proud of.

But marketing our businesses in a way that the base approved of was still tricky. Depending on who you asked, be it SJA or housing, business owners were not allowed to post fliers on the midrise bulletin boards. An email saying so was sent to all midrise residents. As president of the IHBO, this was brought to my attention. I contacted housing and SJA and asked for this policy to be reconsidered. The matter was looked in to and information was soon released that home-based businesses could post fliers on midrise bulletin boards as long as there was a point of contact and a date on the flier. A small, but important allowance for business owners as a group... something that may not have been addressed quickly and professionally if we hadn't been organized in to a group as the IHBO.

The flier policy is important to all business owners because it is one of the few low cost (cost of printing the flier) ways we can advertise on base. There are other advertising opportunities in The Preview magazine and on the Sakura Theater screen before movies, but neither option is affordable for a home-based business owner on a tight start-up budget. The only other options, really, were word-of-mouth, which takes time, and Facebook groups, such as the MCAS Iwakuni Classifieds and Information group. And, as a side note, the Classifieds group has its own rules about businesses posting (you can only post once a week, for starters), so be sure you know the rules so you aren't banned.

The IHBO needed more ways to introduce the Iwakuni community to the products and services individual businesses offered in a way that the base allowed. There had been a craft sale on base each Fall, approved by the base and Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), and organized by an individual who moved away from Iwakuni the same summer I arrived. Then the craft sale planning was attempted by a spouse organization that shut down a few months later. I helped market that November 2012 craft sale and then, when no one else was prepared to take it on, brought it in to the IHBO, which seemed to make lot of sense. Most of the crafters were home-based business owners... they made their crafts at home to sell. We charged $25 per table, with all of the fees going toward advertising expenses and table, chair and truck rental. I volunteered to write articles about home-based businesses for the Preview for additional exposure, and to highlight the ads that we purchased.

For the IHBO's first sale, in the spring of 2013, we renamed the event the Craft and Information Fair, so that other home-based businesses, not just those with hand-made crafts, would join us. We had more than 20 vendors on hand at Crossroads Mall and the community supported us whole-heartedly. The fairs in November 2013 and March 2014 saw similar results. And on a personal note, I dusted off my photography degree and started Jessica Guthrie Photography in May 2013.

This October, the IHBO will be two years old. The Craft and Information Fair has become the Home Business Expo. Our Oct. 4 Expo will have nearly 30 vendors... and, in a bittersweet fashion, we have abut six more vendors on a waiting list. I'm sorry we can't fit everyone in to the approved area in Crossroads Mall, but I am so happy that the IHBO and the event are growing! And there seem to be more home-based businesses on MCAS Iwakuni than ever before. It looks like the base and MCCS have taken notice. There are more seminars and events offered to the MCAS Iwakuni business community. I just took an entrepreneur workshop sponsored by the Personal and Professional Development office (building 411), as part of the Boots to Business project. The next one is in October. There is also going to be a BEE Your Own Boss evening seminar in October, as well, introducing policies and resources for home-based businesses on MCAS Iwakuni.

When I realized that I had never blogged exclusively about the IHBO, which, as I am sure you have gathered, I am very passionate about, I knew I had to remedy that, despite the fact that there aren't a lot of pretty pictures to go along with this post. I have mentioned the IHBO in a blog where I encouraged military spouses to think outside of the box when it comes to career paths, but never about the organization itself. I do this now because I hope that providing some written background about the IHBO helps it to continue to grow and thrive long after my husband retires from the Marine Corps in 2016 and I move back to the States. It's important to have a small "chamber of commerce" to support fellow business owners and help each other further our careers and add to our household incomes while we're here. I've found that as a group we can achieve so much more than we could as individuals.

Everything you never knew you ever wanted to know about the Iwakuni commissary...

At a luncheon today, the director of the MCAS Iwakuni commissary, Buddy Kolath, who arrived in Iwakuni in January, spoke about the current conditions and future plans for the commissary on base. For those of you non-military types reading this, the commissary is the grocery store. The very lifeblood of our existence. Well, at least our existence as Americans. Sure, we could go off base to shop for food... there are plenty of Japanese grocery store choices, otherwise known as "living on the economy," but many items on traditional American grocery lists are not available, or are much more expensive.

So, the commissary, especially since we are living overseas, is an incredibly important part of life here. It's where we get 93 percent of our groceries, run in to the people we have been trying to avoid all summer, and, most recently, get kicked out for wearing a spaghetti strap tank top (yes, this happened, no, it did not happen to me. I prefer my embarrassment to come from getting pulled over by Japanese cops).

 I have blogged about the commissary before. You can find the posts here:

Ahhh... the commissary from November 2013
Town Hall Takeaway from February 2014

Today's discussion moved around to various topics, returning to some, and, like all good Iwakuni discussions do, got off topic as well. The easiest way for me to touch on the important points made by Buddy is to simply provide a list... so here it is, in no particular order:

• The new commissary building is now scheduled to be completed in September 2015, with a Grand Opening tentatively scheduled for the December 2015 timeframe. This was pushed back from Spring 2015 due to a lack of funds. (Yes, I was surprised by this reason, also... I was under the impression this had been planned and budgeted for for years... I think more budget-savvy military wives need to be involved next time. Just sayin'...)
• If you have a problem with the commissary, go to Buddy. He said he has an open-door policy, his office is in the back warehouse area (think soda, paper plates and pet food) and he will fix your problem to the best of his ability as quickly as possible. When you submit an ICE comment, it actually takes longer to fix the problem, he said. His days off are Friday and Saturday.
• Dairy shortages (and, as anyone who is friends with me on Facebook, cottage cheese famines) should become a thing of the past. Thanks to some governmental red tape, there was a year that DECA, the company that manages the commissaries across the world, could only use American shipping vessels (boats). This will soon change, and the more available vessels means more available dairy. Yay!
• But there are still lag times. From when the commissary puts in an order for items, it takes 6 to 8 weeks for that order to arrive in the Iwakuni commissary. Within that time frame, it takes our food 18-20 days to travel from the supplier in America to the commissary. This includes produce, which is why we often have moldy fruit and veggies. If there is any kind of delay in the hot summer, the shelf life of these foods is going to be much shorter. Plus, our food has to be inspected and fumigated (yes, fumigated for American bugs they don't want in their country, like... black widow spiders... if you just got to Iwakuni and haven't heard about the fight against black widow spiders yet, don't worry, you will) by the Japanese government and this takes time. I assume the fumigation chemicals are safe for human consumption...or it could be some kind of long-term payback... but the family and I seem to be OK so far.
• Despite the delays and fumigation, produce from the States is imported because it is much cheaper than local produce. And, long story short, there is a lot of governmental red tape when trying to reduce imports and increase local purchases. But Buddy said he is going to try and bring in fresher local foods... which turn out to be not so local. All warehouses are in Tokyo, so regardless of where the crops are harvested, everything goes to Tokyo and then comes back to outlying areas. For those of you reading this who aren't aware, Tokyo is about 16 hours by car from Iwakuni. This distance costs money and time.
• MCAS Iwakuni commissary sales are up 20 percent from this time last year. How odd... the base also grew by 20 percent, thanks to a new squadron being relocated here from Okinawa. ;)
• Iwakuni residents use 14 percent less coupons than any other base in the Pacific. Free coupons are available at the commissary as you walk in, and outside the Information, Referral and Relocation office on the first floor of building 411 (library building). I save, on average, $200 a quarter (as in calendar quarter) using coupons. And trust me, I don't waste time clipping them. I spend an hour each quarter sorting them and then have them with me when I shop. Coupons overseas are good for 6 months after the expiration date. So give your great aunt Betty something fun to do: Ask her to send you expired coupons and let's get that average coupon use up! I hate being in last place. I'm competitive like that.
• Want vegan ice cream or dark chocolate cocoa mix but can't find it at the commissary? Special order it. There are forms at the commissary, and they will try to find a vendor to provide your requested item. But be patient: It could take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months to get the item in to the store. And that's if there is a vendor available to provide it to the commissary. Again, more governmental contractual red tape is at play.
• Buddy is aware of the lousy quality of the shopping carts, and the lack of two-seater carts for those families who need to corral their small children to shop. He is looking in to ordering more big carts and working on fixing the safety belts and wheels on the rest. The majority of these carts are only a year old and the company that provided them is contractually obligated to maintain and fix them... however, the company does not have any suppliers near us, so they can't be forced to fix and maintain the carts. Um... who signed off on that contract? Clearly it wasn't a petite mother of three having to live and shop here... and replace any of the broken merchandise her wayward cart decided to plow in to.
• The commissary offers special services, such as deli party trays and fruit/veggie trays in various sizes. Just give them 24 hours notice. When we get the new commissary next year, there will be additional special services offered.
• Did you know there was a meat department button you could push to have a butcher come out and do special cuts of meat for you? Yeah, me neither, but there is. I am going to hunt for the button next time I am at the commissary. Supposedly they will provide the cuts of meat you want and ground your sirloin for you, all for free (with the price of the meat, of course). Oh, and ox tails will be back soon. But don't expect any fresh fish. This commissary doesn't have the facilities required for it.
• All meat at the commissary must be USDA approved, per military order. So, yes, your chicken will always be sold frozen. Buddy is also looking in to providing more organic chicken and turkey choices.
• Want to place a big order of turkeys or hams for the holiday squadron functions? Place your special order at least a week in advance. Want to roast a whole pig? Order it at least 8 weeks in advance... and then tell me how you plan to cook it because if there is a pit barbecue somewhere around here, I am crashing your party.
• It's humid here and I already told you about the long shipping delays. Put your bread in the refrigerator to reduce molding.
• Expiration/sell by dates on food is merely a suggestion provided by savvy marketers. You'll probably toss out perfectly good food and buy more. A marketers dream! Use common sense and, when all else fails, Google it.
• The lumps found in DariGold milk doesn't necessarily mean it's gone bad. It actually means that you need to shake the milk up because the company didn't do it well enough for you. Consider it an excuse to miss Zumba class tomorrow.
• There will be a Fall Farmers Market and Sidewalk sale at the commissary Sept. 27-29, 2014.
• In celebration of Labor Day this weekend, there will be a 50 percent off sale on Bubba Burgers, Washington Beef and Oscar Meyer Sausage. Go get it, grill meisters!

So, if you have any questions about any of this, ask Buddy. I have given you everything I learned today. 

The Rules of Three...

Everyone has heard of the Rule of Three, or some version of it. It's either a writing guideline, the way well-known celebrities die (in threes... James Garner, Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall, anyone?) or a basic rule of photography (Rule of Thirds), not to mention other, lesser known rules of three. Seriously... some time when you're bored or writing a blog post, Google "Rule of Three." It's a whole new world out there.

For me, this month, there were three Rules of Three that guided my existence.

1) The Military Dependent World Traveler Rules of Three

I traveled back to the States to visit family for a few weeks this month and air travel can be... challenging. Even when you only have two flights to take you to and two flights to take you from your destination. Here are the rules and how I followed them:

Delayed in Tokyo

1. You will be delayed somewhere along the line. It may only be a few minutes, it may be a day, or two, but when you travel between Japan and the States, you will be delayed. Every time I have traveled, whether it be commercially or with Space A, I have been delayed. Sometimes it is because I accidentally mail my passports to myself. Sometimes, like this time, TSA delays my flight from LAX to Tokyo because they can't examine some Marines' bags fast enough... try an hour and half delay, which meant my kids and I missed our flight to Hiroshima and spent the night in Tokyo... luckily at the airline's expense (and I think they should bill TSA, but poor customer service will be discussed later). So, as you follow this rule, remember to pack a full change of clothes and a tooth brush in your carry on. You never know where you might be spending the night.
2. Take a copy of your sponsor's orders with you. Even if you have been stationed overseas for years, having a copy of these orders can save you time, money and a ton of hassle. Some of these savings are are in a "gray area"of what is "allowed" and I don't condone any misuse of anything ever and this is merely a suggestion from what I have seen and heard other people do... yep. But, because of these... stories I have heard... it's gotten to the point where I have the passports, military ID's, orders, itineraries and a pen in one easy-to-access pocket of my purse. And whenever one item is requested, I pull everything out and plop it down on the counter/table/kiosk. And then act blonde and helpless (which, depending on how long I have been traveling thus far and who I am traveling with, may not be far from the truth). Take what you want, official travel people. Whatever it takes for me and my kids to get where we need to go when we need to go here for as little money and hassle as possible. Oh, and the pen is because there are forms to fill out every time you leave and enter any country. Having your own pen handy saves a lot of time. Especially if you can write quickly, yet legibly and accurately, while winding through immigration and customs lines.
3. Both Japanese and American iPhones are must-haves. This is strictly my opinion, of course, and I am sure it is not the cheapest/smartest/most travel savvy option. BUT, it was easy and I always had communication options. The spouse and I have our U.S. AT&T accounts held for us, as a specialized option for military members, so we don't rack up charges while we are stationed overseas, but we can turn our accounts on and off for a week or month at a time. We've kept our old iPhone 4S's as our "American" phones, and simply call AT&T to have it turned on while we are in the States. We have our same phone numbers, so our friends and family already have them, we have our same calling and data plans, and thanks to whatever "G" network is up and running that year, we always have Internet access. As a woman traveling alone, sometimes with two kids in tow, getting delayed and needing to find whatever hotel we've been assigned to for the night in whatever country we are in, this makes me very happy. And having access to my Candy Cush account at all times is a happy bonus. For me and anyone who is in my proximity when I've been told I've missed a flight.

2) The High School Reunion Questions Game Rules of 3

Ready to reunion!

My 20th high school reunion happened to be two nights after I arrived in the States for my visit. I graduated with a class of 500-800 people, depending on who you ask, and it was rumored that our class was the smartest, most ambitious class the school had had to date. Trust me, it sure felt like it. I was the dumb side of the smart kids... I was in the same classes as those smart kids, but the A's did not rub off on to my report card just by me passing the geniuses on the way out the classroom door. I didn't win any awards and all of the photos I am in in the yearbook, aside from the individual picture everyone gets, were in huge group photos, like Drama Club and Girl's League. And, I was terrible about keeping in touch with anyone from high school ... but I went to the reunion anyway, because that's tradition... a right of passage, so to speak, and I'm all about adventures. For this adventure I wore a blue maxi dress, flip flops and a top shelf margarita. Well, I didn't actually wear the margarita, (try explaining that to the cop on the way home) but I did carry it for a few minutes... until I drank it. The perfect reunion accessory, if you ask me. But no one did. Instead, everyone asked me the same three questions. I share them here so that you are prepared with interesting, witty answers... like the ones I thought up, but didn't dare say.

1. Do you have kids? Yes. I do. I have two boys, they are 12 and 8. Beyond that answer, any details sound like bragging. For example: They are funny, intelligent and receive compliments about their behavior and attitudes on a regular basis. They both got straight A's or the equivalent (because second grade STILL doesn't get letter grades - Why, people why?!) and their baseball team won the base championship for their age bracket. Well, actually, the younger one played up a couple of years because the 7-9 year old bracket doesn't keep score yet (Why, people, why?!), and the poor kid couldn't stand it any more. Neither one of them have figured out rocket science or the meaning of life yet, but we expect that from them in the next 12 to 18 months. Follow me on Twitter and I'll keep you informed of their progress. (Jokes on my classmates, I do not have a Twitter account.) Some of my classmates just had their first baby this year. I smiled, congratulated them and thanked my lucky stars I wasn't one of them. I love my full nights of sleep and diaper-free life.
2. Where do you live? I live in Japan. Really? Yes, really. I have no motivation to lie. If I did, I would come up with something even more exciting, like Fallujah, Antarctica or the Moon. I am pretty creative. Of course, I have to explain: My husband is a Marine and is stationed overseas. Yes, I am enjoying it. No, I don't want to live there forever. I'm too American. And I speak about 10 Japanese phrases on a good day. For someone who likes to communicate, that's frustrating. But not frustrating enough for me to want to try and learn the language, which has three different alphabets. The good news is that, despite the fact that I do not live on the moon, I won the bottle of wine for "the classmate who traveled the furthest," beating out a drunk woman who thought Tennessee was further than Iwakuni, Japan. I didn't remember her from high school. Obviously she wasn't in the "smart people" classes...
3. What do you do? I breathe, eat, shower on occasion... oh, you mean as a job? Well, as I mentioned before, my husband is a Marine, so that means any traditional career path for me has been sliced apart by a Marine Corps K-bar (for civilians, that's a big knife) so, like my resume, my current means of earning money are splintered: I am a photographer, scrapbooker, an online adjunct instructor for the University of West Florida, I teach English, photography and crafting, I have owned/own some small businesses... I guess I am a bit of an entrepreneur. Of course, just when I am feeling good about my answer, in a room full of doctors, lawyers and financial analysts, a fellow classmate, with an air of skepticism, chimes in with: "Like, how are you an entrepreneur?" Like, I don't know... like, I like to start stuff from nothing and then maybe run it or sell it off. Like, follow me on Twitter and I'll, like, keep you posted. Turns out, she, like, just had her first baby... I will chalk up her lack of imagination to 'baby brain' and call it good. The good news here was that, while I wasn't the classmate who had been married the longest, 13.5 years put me solidly in the top 5 percent of those in the room. #winning #thankshoney

Wine winner... and geography knower... I know where both  Tennessee AND Japan are!

3) The Three Rules of Returning to the States After a Year Absence

I am lucky in that I have been back to visit my and members of my husband's family in the States three times in the two years we have been gone. They deserve much of the credit, as they have primarily bankrolled this ability. Thank you. But there are definitely three things to keep in mind when you go back to the homeland:

1. You will gain weight. Despite the fact that I will be featured in the base magazine next month for having met a fitness goal, I consumed a lot of excess calories upon my return to the good ol' US of A. Wahoo's Fish Taco, Dave and Busters, Outback Steakhouse, Del Taco, Lucille's Barbecue, authentic Mexican food, Sonic Drive-in, Waffle House, Cheesecake Factory, the Donut Storr in Mission Viejo, Calif., ... which are the best doughnuts in the world. And these are only the restaurants I can remember without going back and checking my Facebook wall. I had 19 days to satisfy every craving I have had in the past 12 months. That also included a watermelon that didn't cost $40. Yep, my capris are tight right now. So I wear sundresses. Don't judge. I'm back to eating healthy and am trying to get motivated to start working out again... I have a ball dress to fit in to this fall!
2. The customer service in America sucks in general... and they want money for it. Seriously... I am spoiled by Japan's customer service. I have heard it from others who have lived here and then gone back to the States, but I didn't believe it until I experienced it myself. I used to tip servers 20 percent most of the time, as long as there weren't any major issues, like our whole ordered being misplaced. This time, most servers were lucky to get 10 percent from me. And I am sure they complained to someone about it. Well... don't make me wait 15 minutes for you to acknowledge my existence in your section, bring me cold food that's supposed to be hot or vice versa, or let my tea glass go empty. In other words, do your job. The Japanese people do their job, do it with pride and don't get tipped. You should taste the McDonald's nuggets here. And the Big Mac arrives on your tray looking just like the picture on the menu board. No kidding. And I seriously don't have time to get in to my thoughts on TSA... but they could learn some lessons from the Japanese airport security.
3. You will drive on the wrong side of the road at least once. And it won't be on your first day driving, or when there are a bunch of other cars on the road. It will be late in to your stay, and when there are no other cars on the road. That is because you will be 1) too conscious of trying not to be the cause of a head-on collision the first few times you are at the wheel on the left side of the car, and 2) if there are other cars to follow, it's a no brainer as to which side of the road you should be on. My mother, kids and I went on a week-long road trip around the Southwest, where I drove 98 percent of the time. It was not until the last couple of days where I was turning the wrong way on to a side street and then, again, in a parking lot. I had gone in to auto-drive mode, where I stopped worrying about which side of the road I was on and went with instinct, and there weren't any other cars in the proximity moving in the correct direction for me to follow to help me decide which country I was driving in. Fortunately, my mother was there to remind me - remarkably calmly - that I was driving on the wrong side of the road and to get over. Now, you will continue to screw up the turn signals/windshield wipers throughout the duration of your stay. Just accept it and act like you meant to do it by squirting windshield wiper fluid. No one will be the wiser.

Road trip! Tombstone was NOT one of the places I drove on the wrong side of the road.