We begin our story on a Friday night. Invited prior to an event, I decided to go to my first ever club and support good ol' Georgie, who was DJing a little shindig in Shibuya. Flanked by some friends, and another club-virgin, we headed out for what would be my first true all-nighter in Japan. The reason for this is because the trains stop from about midnight until 6AM the next morning, so if you miss that last train, you've got to stay out and about until the stations open back up. This event was, of course, late at night, so we got to party hardy until the sun rose. But more on that in a moment.
It all began with the pregaming. Of course, one cannot possibly expect to pay the exorbitantly overpriced cost of a few drinks at the event, so pregaming is vital in order to get a sufficient good feeling going that will last. As per usual, can't ever go wrong with a tall can of Strong. I'll miss these guys back in the states. A double dose of 8% lemon-flavored drink later and I was ready to go. We met Zaru at Totsuka station and all headed down to Shibuya as a team.
And I'll tell you, the infamous Shibuya crossing at midnight is no different than Shibuya crossing at any other time of day. People were EVERYWHERE, and despite the chaos, there is still a clear definition to where everyone is going. If you mess up just a bit though, you may get swept up in another stream of people and lose sight of all your friends (and destination). So take care out there! We met up with George and his girlfriend Arisa shortly after arriving at Shibuya and decided to find a bar before we went to the venue. The bar of choice was a popular spot for foreigners such as myself, holding within a wealth of whiteys found every which way. English speakers all over the place! We spent some time there chatting amongst ourselves, and lucky Zaru and I chose to give some very special drinks a try. We both took a "shot" of what's called Dynamite Kid, a 63% concoction of who-knows-what. All I know is that it tasted of pineapple and other assorted fruits, and was definitely bigger than your standard shot. We sipped half of it down and then shot the rest like champs. Her first time feeling truly buzzed; adorable! =P I got the ultimate brew there, the Stairway to Heaven (68%), containing probably the strongest concentration of absinthe I've ever had. That one, I needed some help with. My tummy was not happy with the mixture. Zaru followed up her shot with a Bailey's Ice Cream, which tasted of no alcohol whatsoever. Just chocolatey, ice cream-y goodness. I wanted one for myself after that Stairway fiasco.
Little did we know, the foreigners at the Hub bar were merely a prelude of what was to follow. The Trump Room was where the event was to be held, and it was basically someone's four-story apartment complex, with each floor holding only one, tiny little room. It was, in so many words, a multi-level house party. And boy howdy, if I ever felt like I was back in America, it was then. Gaijin as far as the eye could see. Tall ones, short ones, European ones, American ones, Hispanic ones, you name it. In fact, the entire night, I probably could count the number of Japanese on my two hands. It was a bit of a letdown, to be honest. Not to mention the DJs before George weren't exactly playing the most superb of musical numbers.
Therefore, myself, Max, and Zaru took a break by exploring a bit outside until we hit an izakaya (restaurant/bar thing). We spent a while there eating some edamame, chicken dishes, and a couple more drinks until it was just about George's time to shine. Trump Room round 2 went much better, with George up at bat. His music choices were superb compared to the other guys before him, and he knew how to play to the crowd. I wish the guy he was co-DJing with wasn't so obnoxious though, as we later found out he screwed with George's set more than once. Either way, good stuff! I taught Zaru how to shuffle a bit, which I certainly hope she'll practice in time for another upcoming event (more on that soon)! Yes, there were dudes everywhere, a proverbial sausage-fest I daresay, but it was still fun out there with the friends.
Afterwards, around 5:30AM, we got tomato ramen. Yes, tomato ramen. This is just what you might guess it would be: tomato soup + ramen noodles, with added corn and cheese too. And it tastes as good as it sounds: fantastic. Such a unique combination, but it was so good! I know now I'll be testing this out myself by mixing ramen noodles in the US with tomato soup. We were all getting mighty tired at that point, worn down by the all-nighter, and thoroughly enjoyed our reprieve in the tomato ramen shop.
I learned earlier that night I would get my own chance to DJ very soon. On December 15th, I am going to DJ at a rock bar in Shibuya for half an hour. My FIRST LIVE DJ SET. AHHHH. I don't know how to mix besides fiddling with Virtual DJ, so I'm trying my best now to hone my skills so I'll be presentable in time for the event. Wish me luck. I WILL need it. Also, I need a decent playlist. Suggestions anyone? :D Electro/house/dubstep is the theme I'm going for.
A day of rest came and went as soon as you might have guessed. Sunday brought with it a fresh, new, tiring day at Tokyo DisneySea. As you might guess, it was big. It was a ton of walking. It was FREEZING outside (and it rained later, just to make it worse). But it was cool. Tokyo DisneySea is the other Disney park in Japan besides their copy of Disneyland. And just like most Japanese things, the power is in the presentation. The theme park was super well-designed, the architecture of the buildings, choice of variety in all the attractions, and even the various unique foods sold throughout the park made it quite the experience indeed. I got to ride on Journey to the Center of the Earth, Sinbad's Voyage, the Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull, watch an Aladdin 3D movie, see a Little Mermaid live play, and ride a 3D Star Tours-esque attraction called StormRider. It was all so neat, I can't even begin to describe it all!
For the rides you can find at Disneyland in CA, they were much the same, but with slight differences. For example, the Indiana Jones ride is laid out exactly like the one at CA Disneyland, except they chose to change the face of the "Hidden Eye" into a Skull that shoots green lasers out of it's eye. Also, the giant snake in that portion of the ride, for some reason, has no hood on it's neck. So instead of being an obvious cobra, it's instead.... a snake of some kind. There was no fire being shot underneath the bridge in the center of the ride either. What was cool was that, while standing in line for quite literally 2 hours, they had a guy dressed up as Indiana Jones walk around and roleplay the character. He was about as American as they came, and only spoke English too, adding to the "wtf scary" looks of all the Japanese attendees. Speaking of, I saw a total of 7 non-East Asian people throughout the entire day. Is Japan homogenous? My experiences point to a resounding YEP.
I almost didn't have enough money to get back to Totsuka, so that was fun. I didn't eat very much that day, and when it came to counting coins, I was over the required train fare by a whole 15 yen (20 cents). CLOSE ONE. And regarding food, I ate three things throughout the day. First was something called Chandra's Tail. Apparently the Sinbad movie is popular in Japan (no, not the washed-up comedian) and spawned that aforementioned ride. They also sold a food item in the shape of a tiger's tail (Sinbad's companion is a tiger named Chandra) that was made of some sticky, chewy bun with a creamy chicken interior. It was really, really good, and the consistency of the "bun" with the inside made it quite fun to eat. Second, I ate at what could be considered the "pineapple ice cream" of Tokyo DisneySea. There was constantly a line throughout the day at the one and only cart there that sold.... Gyoza Hot Dogs. They were in a bun similar to that of the Chandra's Tail, except in the shape of a hot dog. But within was all the ingredients of a typical gyoza (potsticker). Loved it. Can't say I've ever had anything like that either. Finally, I ended my meals of the day with Curry Popcorn. That's popcorn topped with curry-flavored powder. It tasted like curry and popcorn. It was good. 'Nuff said.
DisneySea, Shibuya, and crazy-good foods? Conquered!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
INTERESTING JAPANESE CULTURAL THINGY #3: Arcades
What do you think when you hear "arcade"? Do you imagine swarms of greasy, sweating men sitting in front of brightly-lit screens, rapidly tapping buttons and wiggling joysticks every which way? In Japan... well, this is exactly the case. But it's certainly not the entire story.
See, in Japan, arcades are still massively popular. In fact, they are so popular, you could walk into any given arcade and likely see a salaryman, a junior high school student, a gaggle of giggling girls, and a bored housewife on her way back from the grocery store. The arcades here are a place that brings together many types of people in part because of the diverse genres of games represented. Like many establishments in Japan, arcades are often multi-leveled, designating each floor to a different genre. On the bottom floor or two, you will usually find the UFO catchers. These prize-grabbing machines are nothing like those found in America, where all you can nab are junky, miscolored plush toys no one would want. Instead, you will find rare, expensive, highly sought-after prizes like anime figures, gigantic plushies, chopsticks, fans, rice cookers, pocket watches, wallets, purses, and much, much more. At the cost of about a dollar a try, these games may take an investment, but can really nail you with a return profit. They take skill, they take finesse, but if you can master the UFO catcher, you can win prizes anyone would be jealous over.
There is also often a floor just for fighting video games. The fighting game scene in Japan is HUGE, with a multitude of games available to test your might at, all of which are only the latest and greatest versions playing from a pristine condition machine. Street Fighter, BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Melty Blood, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, you name it. Everything is there, and often with a line of people waiting for their turn to take on the reigning champ of the building.
Another floor is the one dedicated to just music-rhythm games. These floors are where I make a home. Machines that you'd be lucky to find one or two of in a 1 hour driving radius in Southern California (considered to be the biggest scene for Japanese music-rhythm games btw), you will find 4 or 5 machines in a single room. Beatmania IIDX, PopN' Music, Hatsune Miku Project Diva Arcade, Jubeat, ReflecBeat, Sound Voltex Booth, Drummania and Guitarfreaks, Dance Dance Revolution, Dance Evolution, Taiko Drum Master, all in glorious condition and playing oftentimes on shiny HDTV displays. It brings tears to my eyes thinking of it's awesomeness. Truly a haven for us music-rhythm addicts.
There is usually a floor somewhere for miscellaneous games. These include card games, where you place cards on a matte surface that scans their data and allows you to move them around in a strategy game-like format, mech games like the ridiculously popular Gundam vs. Extreme Boost series, Mahjong Fight Club, which is just like it sounds, betting games like virtual horse races, and even traditional bar games like billiards and electronic darts. Smoke usually permeates this floor, as it is welcomed with ash trays at every game station. What better way to wind down a day of work than to mahjong the night away and blow through a pack of cigarettes? Only the mightiest of men are found on this floor.
A floor for pachinko and slot machine games also exists. Those people who are just too addicted to Japan's most popular game can find themselves machines to sit at and turn a nob to watch steel balls shoot all around through a forest of pins, hoping that it'll reach some tiny hole and give them a jackpot prize. Many women can be found on this floor alongside the salarymen, as they look to hang out after a day at work or housekeeping.
Finally, the basement floor is usually given to purikura (picture club) machines, or the photo booth machines where you and a bunch of friends stand in front of a camera, pose together for a bunch of shots, then customize the photos with various clipart-like things until you decide to let the machine pop out a sheet of the pictures right then and there. Always a good group activity, though I have never seen a man do purikura (besides myself and a couple other UC guys, of course). EXTREMELY popular amongst the high school girl crowd. They also have a section in the room where, for a small fee, an individual can rent a costume to wear while taking purikura. Seasonal costumes can be found too, and I myself have seen a couple girls looking like santa and a reindeer step out of a booth before. For reals.
Arcades are never empty. There are always at least three people on a given floor, even just before closing and in a quiet, small city like Totsuka, but in the biggest cities, you will not be able to tell the difference between a 3PM crowd and an 11PM crowd. People. Are. Everywhere. They eat these arcades up, feeding money into machines for hours and hours on end, and we're not just talking a couple quarters here and there either. The arcade scene in Japan is still running strong, helped by the backing of major companies like Sega and Namco in order to deliver the best quality of experiences possible. Little arcades, mom and pop arcades, are nowhere to be seen, except in the dingy darkness of Osaka or randomly interspersed in a street mall in Kyoto. Despite this, the feeling is much the same as in a small, privately-owned operation, with a sense of community, belonging, and excitement in the air, beckoning the player to stay for a while. Just hang out for a few hours. Blow off some steam. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells (some admittedly not-so-pleasant) of a Japanese Game Center.
See, in Japan, arcades are still massively popular. In fact, they are so popular, you could walk into any given arcade and likely see a salaryman, a junior high school student, a gaggle of giggling girls, and a bored housewife on her way back from the grocery store. The arcades here are a place that brings together many types of people in part because of the diverse genres of games represented. Like many establishments in Japan, arcades are often multi-leveled, designating each floor to a different genre. On the bottom floor or two, you will usually find the UFO catchers. These prize-grabbing machines are nothing like those found in America, where all you can nab are junky, miscolored plush toys no one would want. Instead, you will find rare, expensive, highly sought-after prizes like anime figures, gigantic plushies, chopsticks, fans, rice cookers, pocket watches, wallets, purses, and much, much more. At the cost of about a dollar a try, these games may take an investment, but can really nail you with a return profit. They take skill, they take finesse, but if you can master the UFO catcher, you can win prizes anyone would be jealous over.
There is also often a floor just for fighting video games. The fighting game scene in Japan is HUGE, with a multitude of games available to test your might at, all of which are only the latest and greatest versions playing from a pristine condition machine. Street Fighter, BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Melty Blood, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, you name it. Everything is there, and often with a line of people waiting for their turn to take on the reigning champ of the building.
Another floor is the one dedicated to just music-rhythm games. These floors are where I make a home. Machines that you'd be lucky to find one or two of in a 1 hour driving radius in Southern California (considered to be the biggest scene for Japanese music-rhythm games btw), you will find 4 or 5 machines in a single room. Beatmania IIDX, PopN' Music, Hatsune Miku Project Diva Arcade, Jubeat, ReflecBeat, Sound Voltex Booth, Drummania and Guitarfreaks, Dance Dance Revolution, Dance Evolution, Taiko Drum Master, all in glorious condition and playing oftentimes on shiny HDTV displays. It brings tears to my eyes thinking of it's awesomeness. Truly a haven for us music-rhythm addicts.
There is usually a floor somewhere for miscellaneous games. These include card games, where you place cards on a matte surface that scans their data and allows you to move them around in a strategy game-like format, mech games like the ridiculously popular Gundam vs. Extreme Boost series, Mahjong Fight Club, which is just like it sounds, betting games like virtual horse races, and even traditional bar games like billiards and electronic darts. Smoke usually permeates this floor, as it is welcomed with ash trays at every game station. What better way to wind down a day of work than to mahjong the night away and blow through a pack of cigarettes? Only the mightiest of men are found on this floor.
A floor for pachinko and slot machine games also exists. Those people who are just too addicted to Japan's most popular game can find themselves machines to sit at and turn a nob to watch steel balls shoot all around through a forest of pins, hoping that it'll reach some tiny hole and give them a jackpot prize. Many women can be found on this floor alongside the salarymen, as they look to hang out after a day at work or housekeeping.
Finally, the basement floor is usually given to purikura (picture club) machines, or the photo booth machines where you and a bunch of friends stand in front of a camera, pose together for a bunch of shots, then customize the photos with various clipart-like things until you decide to let the machine pop out a sheet of the pictures right then and there. Always a good group activity, though I have never seen a man do purikura (besides myself and a couple other UC guys, of course). EXTREMELY popular amongst the high school girl crowd. They also have a section in the room where, for a small fee, an individual can rent a costume to wear while taking purikura. Seasonal costumes can be found too, and I myself have seen a couple girls looking like santa and a reindeer step out of a booth before. For reals.
Arcades are never empty. There are always at least three people on a given floor, even just before closing and in a quiet, small city like Totsuka, but in the biggest cities, you will not be able to tell the difference between a 3PM crowd and an 11PM crowd. People. Are. Everywhere. They eat these arcades up, feeding money into machines for hours and hours on end, and we're not just talking a couple quarters here and there either. The arcade scene in Japan is still running strong, helped by the backing of major companies like Sega and Namco in order to deliver the best quality of experiences possible. Little arcades, mom and pop arcades, are nowhere to be seen, except in the dingy darkness of Osaka or randomly interspersed in a street mall in Kyoto. Despite this, the feeling is much the same as in a small, privately-owned operation, with a sense of community, belonging, and excitement in the air, beckoning the player to stay for a while. Just hang out for a few hours. Blow off some steam. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells (some admittedly not-so-pleasant) of a Japanese Game Center.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Day 68 - 75: Horseback Archery, Turkey Day, and Studio Ghibli
The day after our Edo-Tokyo museum trip, a couple of us gathered together with professor Roberts and his wife to go to a festival in Zushi, just past Kamakura. This festival started with a parade of samurai marching through the streets of the town, all while vendors sold such delicacies as gyoza, yakitori (chicken kebabs), roasted corn, and taiyaki (custard-filled soft waffle-like pastry in the shape of a fish). The costumes of these samurai, retainers, and the princess (Hime-sama, we called her) were elaborate, detailed, and ever-so impressive contrasted against the modern buildings surrounding the procession. After we shared a lunch and watched the exhibition make it's way through the streets of Zushi, we headed down to the beach nearby where the main event would take place.
It is here that Yabusame, the age-old exhibition of horseback archery, was enjoyed for the next few hours. Such a pleasant day spent on the coast, alongside new friends, viewing such a unique celebration of the Japanese heritage, I was so content to just sit there and take in that singular moment in time. How did I exactly find myself in such a lucky opportunity as this? What did I do to deserve this chance to go across the world and take part in this special event? I couldn't come up with an answer, but I knew that I wanted to do all I could to help my future children get a similar opportunity one day.
Amidst high school taiko drum performances and festival foods, we watched the many archers race down a stretch of sand such that they had three chances to hit a target before reaching the end of the roped off section. With how fast they were going, it was certainly a challenge to hit any of the targets, most of which got progressively smaller, until eventually the target was a clay plate that, if broken, would explode in a mess of shiny confetti. Very few of these were ever hit, but when they were, the effect was so exciting! And in addition to borrowing Zaru's amazing camera lens to use on my camera, many amazing shots were taken. I simply MUST have a telephoto lens one of these days when I get back to the states.
The day was finished off with Professor Roberts being super-kind to us and buying us all Starbucks, as well as a souvenir from the festival. Apparently, they make souvenirs out of broken target pieces, burning kanji into the materials to commemorate the event, so I got a piece of one of the wood targets. Also, for the first time, I tried out a gingerbread latte, which was pretty much fantastic. Not as strong of a gingerbread taste as I expected, but still greatly appreciated, especially when one is freezing to death.
The next major event was good ol' Thanksgiving. Of course they do not celebrate this in Japan, but the UC students decided to hold a bit of a potluck/group meal to spend the evening. Almost everyone attended, save a couple of the shut-ins, plus a couple of the Meigaku students especially important to us,
making it quite special overall. It was good to have this moment and sum up all we were happy to have in our lives, here on this lovely little island country. A lot of us thought that, since turkey wasn't exactly readily available, we would go with the next best thing and get fried chicken, so KFC and McDonalds was our go-to for the evening. My meal? 15-piece chicken mcnuggets. I don't buy McDonalds anymore, but this just proves how special the occasion was. My first Turkey Day with more than 2 other people at the table, and I'd have had it no other way. Thanks, all.
That weekend was spent doing some Black Friday shopping in between trying to feel better. I had come down with a bit of an illness and didn't want to spread it around, so I had to cancel my plans to meet my host family for my host-grandfather's birthday dinner on Saturday. I felt really bad, but I knew it would be better to save risking them getting sick from me. That would have been way worse! I hope I get to see them again before I have to leave for the states.
I wasn't entirely better in time, but I forced myself to go to the infamous Studio Ghibli museum in Shinjuku, as we had had our tickets pre-purchased (over a month ahead of time, at that). The way it works is you purchase for a certain time frame and you get 2 hours to enjoy all the many Ghibli exhibits throughout the premises. Unfortunately, they do not allow pictures inside the museum, but I can assure you it was nothing short of magical. Recreations of the Ghibli studio, storyboards, inspirations for many of the movies, influences from Western fairy tales, statues, a giant Catbus kids could go inside and play around on (SO JEALOUS!), and even a movie theater showing a rotating selection of short films. Ours was a story about an old couple who lived a quiet life in the mountains, tending to fields, but one day encounter the secret world of the mice who inhabit the area around their home. It turns out these mice have a friendly rivalry with a few of the larger white rats, such that they hold sumo competitions to prove their dominance. None of the mice can win because of their size difference, so the old couple help the mice get big and strong to win the next competition. It was so cute! And just like Disney movies, you don't really need to know the language spoken to understood the events (though it did help picking out words here and there I understood to supplement the film). Such a cool place! I would love to go back, especially in future years, since they change exhibits from time to time like in an art gallery. Studio Ghibli is, without a doubt, unrivaled in their production of quality animation for the entire family, regardless of age. Simply wonderful~
It is here that Yabusame, the age-old exhibition of horseback archery, was enjoyed for the next few hours. Such a pleasant day spent on the coast, alongside new friends, viewing such a unique celebration of the Japanese heritage, I was so content to just sit there and take in that singular moment in time. How did I exactly find myself in such a lucky opportunity as this? What did I do to deserve this chance to go across the world and take part in this special event? I couldn't come up with an answer, but I knew that I wanted to do all I could to help my future children get a similar opportunity one day.
Amidst high school taiko drum performances and festival foods, we watched the many archers race down a stretch of sand such that they had three chances to hit a target before reaching the end of the roped off section. With how fast they were going, it was certainly a challenge to hit any of the targets, most of which got progressively smaller, until eventually the target was a clay plate that, if broken, would explode in a mess of shiny confetti. Very few of these were ever hit, but when they were, the effect was so exciting! And in addition to borrowing Zaru's amazing camera lens to use on my camera, many amazing shots were taken. I simply MUST have a telephoto lens one of these days when I get back to the states.
The day was finished off with Professor Roberts being super-kind to us and buying us all Starbucks, as well as a souvenir from the festival. Apparently, they make souvenirs out of broken target pieces, burning kanji into the materials to commemorate the event, so I got a piece of one of the wood targets. Also, for the first time, I tried out a gingerbread latte, which was pretty much fantastic. Not as strong of a gingerbread taste as I expected, but still greatly appreciated, especially when one is freezing to death.
The next major event was good ol' Thanksgiving. Of course they do not celebrate this in Japan, but the UC students decided to hold a bit of a potluck/group meal to spend the evening. Almost everyone attended, save a couple of the shut-ins, plus a couple of the Meigaku students especially important to us,
making it quite special overall. It was good to have this moment and sum up all we were happy to have in our lives, here on this lovely little island country. A lot of us thought that, since turkey wasn't exactly readily available, we would go with the next best thing and get fried chicken, so KFC and McDonalds was our go-to for the evening. My meal? 15-piece chicken mcnuggets. I don't buy McDonalds anymore, but this just proves how special the occasion was. My first Turkey Day with more than 2 other people at the table, and I'd have had it no other way. Thanks, all.
That weekend was spent doing some Black Friday shopping in between trying to feel better. I had come down with a bit of an illness and didn't want to spread it around, so I had to cancel my plans to meet my host family for my host-grandfather's birthday dinner on Saturday. I felt really bad, but I knew it would be better to save risking them getting sick from me. That would have been way worse! I hope I get to see them again before I have to leave for the states.
I wasn't entirely better in time, but I forced myself to go to the infamous Studio Ghibli museum in Shinjuku, as we had had our tickets pre-purchased (over a month ahead of time, at that). The way it works is you purchase for a certain time frame and you get 2 hours to enjoy all the many Ghibli exhibits throughout the premises. Unfortunately, they do not allow pictures inside the museum, but I can assure you it was nothing short of magical. Recreations of the Ghibli studio, storyboards, inspirations for many of the movies, influences from Western fairy tales, statues, a giant Catbus kids could go inside and play around on (SO JEALOUS!), and even a movie theater showing a rotating selection of short films. Ours was a story about an old couple who lived a quiet life in the mountains, tending to fields, but one day encounter the secret world of the mice who inhabit the area around their home. It turns out these mice have a friendly rivalry with a few of the larger white rats, such that they hold sumo competitions to prove their dominance. None of the mice can win because of their size difference, so the old couple help the mice get big and strong to win the next competition. It was so cute! And just like Disney movies, you don't really need to know the language spoken to understood the events (though it did help picking out words here and there I understood to supplement the film). Such a cool place! I would love to go back, especially in future years, since they change exhibits from time to time like in an art gallery. Studio Ghibli is, without a doubt, unrivaled in their production of quality animation for the entire family, regardless of age. Simply wonderful~
Monday, November 26, 2012
INTERESTING JAPANESE CULTURE THINGY #2: Cell Phones
So, upon coming to Japan, we were all given the option of signing up for a prepaid cell phone service. Like Virgin Mobile or Metro PCS, Softbank's prepaid options use proprietary handsets that only work on their service. Therefore, we got to become very comfortable with using a cell phone probably most akin to a model from 2003. A flip phone, available in white or black, with the option to be used either in English or Japanese at the press of a button. While ridiculously old school, it brought me back to the days where all you had was text and calling. Not being so connected to the world 24/7 is refreshing in it's own way, and it's prompted me to consider giving up my cell phone plan back in America for something more simple.
Surprisingly, while there are plenty of people here who use iPhones (very few use Android or Windows phones, from what I've noticed), the majority I've seen opts for these old-style phones. One big difference is that these old phones have a small hole with which people often attach charms to. These charms can be something akin to a little souvenir medallion one might find while going abroad (Kyoto, for example, had cell phone charms galore) or they can be like absurdly oversized plushies with a tiny loop to attach it to the phone. You will frequently come across teenage girls who attach dozens and dozens of charms to a single phone, creating this mass of cuteness that jingles and rattles with it's many bells and whistles, quite literally. The new smartphones like the iPhone and Android sets do not have this space for whatever reason (to keep the device slim, to adhere to the minimalist style, etc.), but almost every flip phone out here has the slot for these charms.
I really wonder if that is a factor to the Japanese people in the market for a new cell phone, whether their new device will have a slot for charms. People proudly display charms of their favorite anime/manga characters, cutesy animals with silly faces, and more, so I gather there are those who would choose something besides a smartphone just so they can continue using their many charms. There are also charms that probably reflect a particular memory for someone, like going to Disneyland or the Studio Ghibli museum, so keeping a bunch of charms on a phone can perhaps be likened to keeping a scrapbook, inspiring pleasant memories of days long past.
My final observation while handling cell phones here in Japan: there is a big focus on keeping your phone in "manner mode", or vibrate-only mode. In the train culture, it is rude to talk on your cell phone while riding, such that it is even mentioned from time to time over the intercom to "please set your phones to silent mode and refrain from talking on your cell phones". An example of an unwritten rule becoming a rule of sorts. However, when I first set my phone to manner mode, I took note of a strange contradiction: this phone was not completely silent. Indeed, whenever I would use the crappy, outdated camera on the back, even if the phone was set to complete silent mode, it would always take pictures accompanied with a loud shutter sound. I looked around for options everywhere to turn this off, but to no avail. And then I started to wonder why that was. Was it only my phone that was this way, or was there something else going on?
And then it hit me. Perverts on the trains. With how packed the trains can be sometimes, it is much like being a sardine in a can. People with bodies touching, no room to move one's hands in front of themselves, similar to being at the pit of a rock concert. An unfortunate result of this is that women can be sexually molested on trains with no idea who the culprit is. Due to various social norms and pressures, traditionally women do not always cry out at the act being committed, allowing the perverts to walk away scot-free. In addition to this, with the advent of high-definition cameras now being used on cell phones, one could easily slip their phone's camera underneath a woman's skirt and take a picture. It may sound strange, but it is a common enough occurrence such that Japanese cell phones now cannot have their camera shutter sound function turned off. This is so that anyone around knows when a picture is taken. And why else would someone take a picture of the floor in a packed train car than to snag an upskirt shot? This (hopefully) has served as a deterrent for possible criminals, as they would certainly not want to be caught in the act and be shamed while waiting for their train ride to conclude. The feeling of shame here is a major factor in what norms exist, and this case is no different. Therefore, cell phone companies seem to have complied and worked to help alter the invasive behaviors of the perverts in Japan.
Thus concludes my interesting Japanese cultural thingy #2. On the next episode: Japanese arcades - fun for the whole family, guaranteed.
Surprisingly, while there are plenty of people here who use iPhones (very few use Android or Windows phones, from what I've noticed), the majority I've seen opts for these old-style phones. One big difference is that these old phones have a small hole with which people often attach charms to. These charms can be something akin to a little souvenir medallion one might find while going abroad (Kyoto, for example, had cell phone charms galore) or they can be like absurdly oversized plushies with a tiny loop to attach it to the phone. You will frequently come across teenage girls who attach dozens and dozens of charms to a single phone, creating this mass of cuteness that jingles and rattles with it's many bells and whistles, quite literally. The new smartphones like the iPhone and Android sets do not have this space for whatever reason (to keep the device slim, to adhere to the minimalist style, etc.), but almost every flip phone out here has the slot for these charms.
I really wonder if that is a factor to the Japanese people in the market for a new cell phone, whether their new device will have a slot for charms. People proudly display charms of their favorite anime/manga characters, cutesy animals with silly faces, and more, so I gather there are those who would choose something besides a smartphone just so they can continue using their many charms. There are also charms that probably reflect a particular memory for someone, like going to Disneyland or the Studio Ghibli museum, so keeping a bunch of charms on a phone can perhaps be likened to keeping a scrapbook, inspiring pleasant memories of days long past.
My final observation while handling cell phones here in Japan: there is a big focus on keeping your phone in "manner mode", or vibrate-only mode. In the train culture, it is rude to talk on your cell phone while riding, such that it is even mentioned from time to time over the intercom to "please set your phones to silent mode and refrain from talking on your cell phones". An example of an unwritten rule becoming a rule of sorts. However, when I first set my phone to manner mode, I took note of a strange contradiction: this phone was not completely silent. Indeed, whenever I would use the crappy, outdated camera on the back, even if the phone was set to complete silent mode, it would always take pictures accompanied with a loud shutter sound. I looked around for options everywhere to turn this off, but to no avail. And then I started to wonder why that was. Was it only my phone that was this way, or was there something else going on?
And then it hit me. Perverts on the trains. With how packed the trains can be sometimes, it is much like being a sardine in a can. People with bodies touching, no room to move one's hands in front of themselves, similar to being at the pit of a rock concert. An unfortunate result of this is that women can be sexually molested on trains with no idea who the culprit is. Due to various social norms and pressures, traditionally women do not always cry out at the act being committed, allowing the perverts to walk away scot-free. In addition to this, with the advent of high-definition cameras now being used on cell phones, one could easily slip their phone's camera underneath a woman's skirt and take a picture. It may sound strange, but it is a common enough occurrence such that Japanese cell phones now cannot have their camera shutter sound function turned off. This is so that anyone around knows when a picture is taken. And why else would someone take a picture of the floor in a packed train car than to snag an upskirt shot? This (hopefully) has served as a deterrent for possible criminals, as they would certainly not want to be caught in the act and be shamed while waiting for their train ride to conclude. The feeling of shame here is a major factor in what norms exist, and this case is no different. Therefore, cell phone companies seem to have complied and worked to help alter the invasive behaviors of the perverts in Japan.
Thus concludes my interesting Japanese cultural thingy #2. On the next episode: Japanese arcades - fun for the whole family, guaranteed.
Day 56-67: Back on Track
Catching back up to speed. It's been quite a long time since the end of my Kyoto/Osaka trip and I obviously find it difficult to recall the many events that have happened in the meantime. Where to begin with the many events that have happened since that fateful weekend…
First off, and perhaps most obviously, Obama has been re-elected to the Oval Office. A big deal for us US students. I know many of us raced back from class that day to get internet access and find out the state of the race to presidency. I don't think there were too many people in the house unhappy with the election results, which saved us from some awkward conversation regarding political opinions. But those can also be fun to share and debate, so a little was missed out on.
A couple of trips had been made over those past few weekends. Akihabara (twice *cough*) resulted in some fun adventures with Cheryl, Zaru, Fione, and Anastasia. Many gundams were seen, cheap and absurdly expensive, and plushies/figures were won. More and more, my addiction is fed *_* Although, by the end of that second trip to Akiba (fourth overall, I think), I was way overstimulated, such that one could say I was even "Akiba'd-out". Yes, you heard it here folks. I don't want to go to Akiba again, at least at this point in time.
Some delicious food has been eaten lately, as well. Two particular places stand out most in my mind that I simply must describe. The first of which is the Krishna Kitchen Indian and Nepalese restaurant. This place has authentic curry, the biggest nan I've ever come across, and allows customers to eat nonstop nan along with their meals (tabehodai, or basically free-flowing food). Deliciousness is in no small amount at this wonderful restaurant, and we've been trying to make this a weekly excursion from our first discovery of the establishment-onwards. The second place is a ramen shop in Yokohama, just outside the main station inside a major shopping district. Zaru took Kim and I there recently and I was floored by how fantastic this place is. You go inside and order your meal from the ticket vending machine (a regular occurrence for ramen shops). You can add mushrooms, a soft boiled egg, double green onions, and various other things to your ramen too. But what adds the most customization is the piece of paper on a clipboard the hostess gives you before seating you. On this paper, you are able to select the firmness of your noodles, the strength of green onion taste in your ramen, the presence of a pork cutlet, and strength of the "secret sauce" they use to add spiciness, all at no extra cost. Once you have completed the customizing sheet, you are seated at a cubicle where you hand them your tickets, and then wait for but a few minutes before feasting on some of the best ramen ever. I'm no food critic, but I knew good food when I tasted it. Superb.
Other business that has happened lately… a field trip to the Edo-Tokyo Museum! Required for all Japanese Language students, we got to take a couple trains to Ryogoku Station, nearby one of the major sumo stadiums in Tokyo. The building itself, Edo-Tokyo Museum, was GIGANTIC, taking a good long time on escalators to just reach the level in which the exhibits were kept. The museum was made to be the same scale of the main capital castle back when Tokyo was still Edo, which is why the museum itself was raised above the ground so high. Inside were two areas separated by era: The Edo Zone and the Tokyo Zone. Edo was the older of the two, of course, lending itself to exhibiting many artifacts and showcasing facts about ancient Tokyo. Kimono, kabuki, katanas, and all the many items people know so well to represent pre-Meiji Japan. Meanwhile, the Tokyo zone started with Meiji-era changes, like the introduction of western-style architecture, appliances, and other products into Japanese culture. The car, cooler, and fridge, for example, were given attention, as well as mention of the war's effect on Tokyo. It was quite shocking to see how completely leveled Tokyo was after the many air raids on the city during World War II. Nevertheless, it was a fun trip, albeit at a breakneck pace due to time constraints.
Lunch was eaten together by all the students at a nearby Chanko Nabe restaurant. Interestingly, this place had a hot pot-style of feeding, but individually: that is, you had a propane-fueled device in front of you with which was used to cook the food within the pot they would bring to you. Chanko itself is known for being a stew with which sumo wrestlers often eat in order to gain/sustain weight. It was delicious, if not a bit too salty for my tastes, but overall a warm and well-received lunch. A handful of us, including new friend Diane from Thailand, made a trip to the official Tokyo Pokemon Center. On a saturday, this meant that the store would be packed to the brim with kids, parents, high schoolers, and every other kind of person you might expect (and not). Rain kept us from doing too much more that day, but I think our adventures those days were more than enough to keep me satisfied.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Day 55: Kobe/Arima
Our day finishing up Osaka began simply enough: Waking up late and being given 5 minutes to gather all our belongings, brush our teeth, and hit the road. David and I were awoken first by Kim, then reminded to vacate the room when one of the cleaning ladies came by. Embarrassing? Just a tad.
After all that commotion finished, we made a short pit-stop at a famous Osakan shopping district nearby that is overseen by a particular deity, Biliken. This opportunity was nice and kind of fun, as the many shops there were adorned with massive advertisement structures above their entrances. Pictures on the flickr will help give you a better idea of what this district was like. While nothing particularly amazing happened during this short trip to do last-minute shopping, I did find it really surprising that there was a pachinko parlor with blatant pornographic posters affixed to it's building on the outside. There were children everywhere around, yet it was no big deal that there were these rather graphic posters being displayed. I wonder if this is just part of a culture difference or if it's even strange/unheard of for Japan. Either way, that threw me for a curveball while perusing the many shops.
Once shopping time had concluded, the group, complete once more, hit the pavement and trekked to the nearby Kobe area. Interestingly, we did not go to Kobe the city, but instead opted to take about 3 train transfers to a remote village called Arima. This town, while tiny in scale, had become a bit famous in the area for being host to a handful of fantastic onsen, public bath houses. As a result, our main focus for this trip was to soak up a totally different atmosphere from the big cities we'd toured the past few days, as well as soaking up some scalding hot water in a bath with 40 other people.
See, for those that don't know, onsen have been a part of the Japanese culture for a very long time. Originally used by the poor, for the lack of available water to shower individually, people would come together, wash themselves outside of the bath, and then use a hot spring to relax in silence or shoot the breeze with other citizens. It became a communal event, if desired, and is still enjoyed to this day in open-air or roofed establishments. What does this bath entail exactly? I'm glad you asked. First, we were divided by sex. Some onsen have co-ed baths, but this particular one was segregated. So I entered the men's section and was greeted by about 20 other men, ages ranging from about 7 to over 60, in varying degrees of nudity. Not a single gaijin, foreigner, like me in sight. Whoo, here we go. After entering the changing area, I used a nearby locker to place my glasses, my pants, and every other bit of clothing in, save for a towel for later use. This marked the first time in my life I'd been completely naked in front of so many unknown, grown individuals. Was it embarrassing? To a degree. But I dug deep and stood my ground. From the changing room, there was a single other room: the wash/onsen room. Lined up on the left side of this massive enclosure were individual showers where one would sit down, use a nozzle to spray one's self, use the provided soap/shampoo to clean, and then rinse thoroughly. The reason for this is because the onsen water is not changed. It's meant to be clean all the time, since everyone showers beforehand, and thus has no reason to be changed. And when I entered that water, I can't even begin to explain how hot it was. I had never, in all my days, experienced such hot water. I thought I would be able to soak and relax and enjoy jacuzzi/hot tub-esque water. NOPE. I sat in that water, sweating rivers, for 15 minutes before I could not take any more for fear of fainting. I rinsed myself with lukewarm water afterwards just to cool down a tad but retain some heat, went out to the changing room, and dried off.
Interestingly, onsen oftentimes have a strict rule against people with tattoos. They will usually say that they do not allow tattoo-bearing patrons due to an age-old belief that those with tattoos are of yakuza affiliation. Luckily, with this onsen, they allowed me in. Perhaps because I'm a foreigner, perhaps because I'm a short kid who wouldn't harm a fly, who knows. Either way, I got to enjoy the stares of dozens of men for three reasons: I was a stark-naked white boy with a big, red tattoo. Truly a unique experience unlike anything else.
From this onsen, we enjoyed the lingering warmth, as it was freezing outside in the cold, autumn mountain village, and explored the streets. At one point, we found a public "ashi onsen", or foot bath. This foot bath, unsurprisingly, held the same heat level of water that the onsen prior had, so I stuck my toesies in for a whopping 10 minutes before taking my leave. We scoured the village some more until around the time we absolutely had to leave in order to make our bus back to Yokohama. Luckily, we reached our station early and allowed us all to grab some food/sit down and rest. Most everyone split into smaller parties, and I had the rather lucky opportunity to share a heart-to-heart with Kim. I've had discussions with a lot of other people here from the UC's, but Kim wasn't one of them at the time, so I was very glad to get that chance and learn more about her. Post-conversation under the Kansai nighttime sky, we went to join up with the others again, as well as purchase BEARD PAPAS CREAM PUFFS! This franchise has had one or two shops in Orange County before, but they closed down, so I had not had their unbelievable cream puffs in a handful of years. Just the right way to end a vacation.
In just a little bit, we hopped over to the overnight bus and did our best to knock out during the 8-hour ride. This time, the seat was much more comfortable (for some reason), and we all sat by each other, so we could interact with one another a little more easily when the lights were still on inside the bus. Sir Francis was shared and got plenty of attention. I actually snagged some hours of sleep. It wasn't nearly as awful as the ride there.
Upon arriving in Yokohama, we took one of the first trains back to Totsuka, and, as quickly as we could manage, raced through the cold back to MISH. Just as I reached my room, the sun came up directly across from my balcony. What a sight it was, coming back home and enjoying a sunrise for the first time in a very long time. The perfect way to cap a grand adventure.
After all that commotion finished, we made a short pit-stop at a famous Osakan shopping district nearby that is overseen by a particular deity, Biliken. This opportunity was nice and kind of fun, as the many shops there were adorned with massive advertisement structures above their entrances. Pictures on the flickr will help give you a better idea of what this district was like. While nothing particularly amazing happened during this short trip to do last-minute shopping, I did find it really surprising that there was a pachinko parlor with blatant pornographic posters affixed to it's building on the outside. There were children everywhere around, yet it was no big deal that there were these rather graphic posters being displayed. I wonder if this is just part of a culture difference or if it's even strange/unheard of for Japan. Either way, that threw me for a curveball while perusing the many shops.
Once shopping time had concluded, the group, complete once more, hit the pavement and trekked to the nearby Kobe area. Interestingly, we did not go to Kobe the city, but instead opted to take about 3 train transfers to a remote village called Arima. This town, while tiny in scale, had become a bit famous in the area for being host to a handful of fantastic onsen, public bath houses. As a result, our main focus for this trip was to soak up a totally different atmosphere from the big cities we'd toured the past few days, as well as soaking up some scalding hot water in a bath with 40 other people.
See, for those that don't know, onsen have been a part of the Japanese culture for a very long time. Originally used by the poor, for the lack of available water to shower individually, people would come together, wash themselves outside of the bath, and then use a hot spring to relax in silence or shoot the breeze with other citizens. It became a communal event, if desired, and is still enjoyed to this day in open-air or roofed establishments. What does this bath entail exactly? I'm glad you asked. First, we were divided by sex. Some onsen have co-ed baths, but this particular one was segregated. So I entered the men's section and was greeted by about 20 other men, ages ranging from about 7 to over 60, in varying degrees of nudity. Not a single gaijin, foreigner, like me in sight. Whoo, here we go. After entering the changing area, I used a nearby locker to place my glasses, my pants, and every other bit of clothing in, save for a towel for later use. This marked the first time in my life I'd been completely naked in front of so many unknown, grown individuals. Was it embarrassing? To a degree. But I dug deep and stood my ground. From the changing room, there was a single other room: the wash/onsen room. Lined up on the left side of this massive enclosure were individual showers where one would sit down, use a nozzle to spray one's self, use the provided soap/shampoo to clean, and then rinse thoroughly. The reason for this is because the onsen water is not changed. It's meant to be clean all the time, since everyone showers beforehand, and thus has no reason to be changed. And when I entered that water, I can't even begin to explain how hot it was. I had never, in all my days, experienced such hot water. I thought I would be able to soak and relax and enjoy jacuzzi/hot tub-esque water. NOPE. I sat in that water, sweating rivers, for 15 minutes before I could not take any more for fear of fainting. I rinsed myself with lukewarm water afterwards just to cool down a tad but retain some heat, went out to the changing room, and dried off.
Interestingly, onsen oftentimes have a strict rule against people with tattoos. They will usually say that they do not allow tattoo-bearing patrons due to an age-old belief that those with tattoos are of yakuza affiliation. Luckily, with this onsen, they allowed me in. Perhaps because I'm a foreigner, perhaps because I'm a short kid who wouldn't harm a fly, who knows. Either way, I got to enjoy the stares of dozens of men for three reasons: I was a stark-naked white boy with a big, red tattoo. Truly a unique experience unlike anything else.
From this onsen, we enjoyed the lingering warmth, as it was freezing outside in the cold, autumn mountain village, and explored the streets. At one point, we found a public "ashi onsen", or foot bath. This foot bath, unsurprisingly, held the same heat level of water that the onsen prior had, so I stuck my toesies in for a whopping 10 minutes before taking my leave. We scoured the village some more until around the time we absolutely had to leave in order to make our bus back to Yokohama. Luckily, we reached our station early and allowed us all to grab some food/sit down and rest. Most everyone split into smaller parties, and I had the rather lucky opportunity to share a heart-to-heart with Kim. I've had discussions with a lot of other people here from the UC's, but Kim wasn't one of them at the time, so I was very glad to get that chance and learn more about her. Post-conversation under the Kansai nighttime sky, we went to join up with the others again, as well as purchase BEARD PAPAS CREAM PUFFS! This franchise has had one or two shops in Orange County before, but they closed down, so I had not had their unbelievable cream puffs in a handful of years. Just the right way to end a vacation.
In just a little bit, we hopped over to the overnight bus and did our best to knock out during the 8-hour ride. This time, the seat was much more comfortable (for some reason), and we all sat by each other, so we could interact with one another a little more easily when the lights were still on inside the bus. Sir Francis was shared and got plenty of attention. I actually snagged some hours of sleep. It wasn't nearly as awful as the ride there.
Upon arriving in Yokohama, we took one of the first trains back to Totsuka, and, as quickly as we could manage, raced through the cold back to MISH. Just as I reached my room, the sun came up directly across from my balcony. What a sight it was, coming back home and enjoying a sunrise for the first time in a very long time. The perfect way to cap a grand adventure.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Day 54: Osaka
If I were given one word to sum up Osaka, I'd have extreme difficulty picking between "attitude" and "ghetto". Both of those words fairly accurately described my experience in the city known as Tokyo's less-rigid cousin to the west. We only had one day there, but I am pretty okay with having had that much time to explore the city. Where we stayed, the hotel was actually quite nice and unlike what I'd expected. However, the area we were in very much reminded me of downtown LA, a few blocks away from the skyscrapers. It was run-down, it was dirty, and it was at times scary when roaming around at night. Not necessarily a negative thing, but it was certainly different from what I'd experienced thus far in Japan.
This time, since our usual guide Niki was off doing her own thing in another city, Kim graciously took the reins and steered us around Osaka for a little while. We did plenty of wandering, while a couple of the others went to the only zoo I've yet to come across. The weather was fantastic and very conducive to just strolling about. While the others were at the zoo, the remaining three of us went to the first Buddhist temple in all of Japan. It was actually rather small and not terribly ostentatious, further helping along the idea that not much has changed in the 1200 years since it was founded. It was quite busy though, as some sort of service may have been going on at the time.
We met for lunch later on, though while on the street with our restaurant, I noticed a small fruit shop. Within held the most expensive fruit I'd ever come into contact with in real life. Three melons sat in a neat row, one costing around $50, another costing around $75, and a final priced at a massive ~$190. For a single melon. Yes, really. The picture I took is evidence. Mind = blown. After lunch, we headed to a shopping district well known in Osaka for being the longest covered, straight shopping arcade in the world at 2.6km (Tenjinbashi-suji). We split up at that point so everyone could do their own thing shopping for the next 3 hours. While on my lonesome, I got to travel the length of the entire shopping arcade, while also enjoying quite a few firsts.
For one, I got to enjoy the traditional Osaka delicacy of takoyaki, or fried squid balls. They were simply fantastic and I could not recommend them more, if you're in the mood for authentic Japanese food. I also had dinner by myself at a curry place called Kuroneko Curry, or Black Cat Curry. I was the only one in there and the senior couple who ran the place were super-sweet to me. I'm slowly weaning myself off medium spicyness and working up to hot, so I went with a small shrimp curry with a bit of a kick. Inside the curry house, they had a radio station on, and to my utter amazement and delight, on popped The Pillows with a song from my favorite album of theirs, "Scarecrow".
It was at that moment that I realized I was truly living the dream. Eating curry, listening to a Japanese rock station, not a care in the world. I thought about it, and thought about it, and thought about it some more, and discovered that I would be quite content if that moment had never ended. Pointless as it may be, from that point on, I started looking at prices of apartments around town just to gauge what a typical price point might be for a big city place. It both excited me and scared me. What has changed within me to determine that I would want to pack it all up and live in another country, across the great, blue pond? I've always had this set idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and I still feel pretty solid on that desire. But taking a break from education to live life in another country, to really do something besides the normal graduate-job/grad school route, is what I felt most compelled to do. How viable is it for me to live abroad for a year or more? Is it selfish of me? Should I be more considerate of other important people in my life? How will this impact my desired career choice? So many questions and variables to consider. It's just a bit overwhelming. I just know I'd very much like for it to be reality.
After this not-so-mid-life crisis type of event, I also got to witness my first Japanese argument. There were two men standing outside an alleyway by a fruit and vegetable delivery truck. One of the men, not the driver, used such an interesting voice to convey anger. It was like his words were bricks; not necessarily big and painful, but solid and carried much heft. He rolled his R's like a champ, which I've noticed is a common trait for men's speech patterns when they're upset. I think they were arguing over the delivery, making the event all the more amusing to me. Many others were looking at the two's disagreement, but just kept on walking. Pretty unique.
The group reconvened, but now met with added friends! Kim had joined up with a fellow UC David student who is on an exchange program in Osaka, as well as one of her friends from China (? My memory is awful). They were quite friendly and provided some nice conversation, rare though it was on our way to/during dinner. We did not all fit at a single table at the restaurant we went to, so we had to split up. It would have been nice to talk more as a group, but I suppose this is what Facebook is for haha. Megan, the UC David girl, might take a trip east to Tokyo area, so hopefully we get to all meet up once more and be tour guides. This restaurant was kind of neat in that it randomly had Gundam figures on the bar wall. Go Japan! I also had my first gin and tonic, recommended to me by one of my best friends currently teaching in South Korea, and happily sipped up the mixture. I didn't know the concoction was so tasty!
Upstairs from this restaurant was the Umeda Floating Garden Observatory. Basically, a giant tower people could take an elevator to the top of and see the beautiful Osakan landscape. Though freezing, the view was incomparable, so different from the observation deck of Tokyo Tower in Roppongi. Yet another surreal moment passed, between an onslaught of pictures with buildings, friends, and more than that. Just staring out at 360 degrees of lights, natural and not, it helped to both clear my mind in various respects. The cold certainly helped too. My lungs!
We later traveled to an area very hip and keen with the young folk. This is the nightlife Osaka is well known for. Around a mall-ish building known as Hep Five, it was like Times Square with men dressed up like anime characters, hair of various colors pointing out every which way in order to entice potential customers. These individuals were known as hosts, the "beautiful men" who are paid to simply talk to customers in a cafe. Like the maid cafes of Akihabara, they are the draw of the establishment, much moreso than any type of food or cocktail. Getting to converse with men of such beauty and grandor is a luxury enjoyed for quite the steep entrance price. Besides the hosts attempting to gather customers, this Osakan wonderland held a 24-hour Round 1 entertainment and amusement building, complete with karaoke, bowling, video games, UFO catchers, pachinko, slots, and anything else you can think of for approximately 8 floors of greatness. This wonderful addition to the Osaka trip had a floor with four Dance Dance Revolution machines. When I first entered, every last one of them was being used by one of those professional-status DDR players I've idolized since I was a youngin'. I eventually got my turn to play, along with a tag-team duo of Fione and David, and rocked the house as best I could (in shoes unfit for dancing. Boo). And I can now say that, for my 68th completion of the song Sakura, my favorite tune in DDR, I have reached the milestone in the homeland of DDR. Whoo nerdyness at it's finest!
Finally, we got to enjoy an evening back at the hotel without any hassle or worry. On the way there, I was crowded by three rowdy, drunk Osakan guys on the train, but I stood my ground and ignored them entirely. The train was super open, but they still for some reason crowded around me. It was strange. But this little white boy was not afraid! Back at the room, a little more than a little alcohol was consumed, knocking out on the bed horizontally, reminiscent of a very special memory from an Anime Expo long past. Nevertheless, we ended the full day of Osaka on a fun and friendly note rather appropriate for the unique time enjoyed there.
This time, since our usual guide Niki was off doing her own thing in another city, Kim graciously took the reins and steered us around Osaka for a little while. We did plenty of wandering, while a couple of the others went to the only zoo I've yet to come across. The weather was fantastic and very conducive to just strolling about. While the others were at the zoo, the remaining three of us went to the first Buddhist temple in all of Japan. It was actually rather small and not terribly ostentatious, further helping along the idea that not much has changed in the 1200 years since it was founded. It was quite busy though, as some sort of service may have been going on at the time.
We met for lunch later on, though while on the street with our restaurant, I noticed a small fruit shop. Within held the most expensive fruit I'd ever come into contact with in real life. Three melons sat in a neat row, one costing around $50, another costing around $75, and a final priced at a massive ~$190. For a single melon. Yes, really. The picture I took is evidence. Mind = blown. After lunch, we headed to a shopping district well known in Osaka for being the longest covered, straight shopping arcade in the world at 2.6km (Tenjinbashi-suji). We split up at that point so everyone could do their own thing shopping for the next 3 hours. While on my lonesome, I got to travel the length of the entire shopping arcade, while also enjoying quite a few firsts.
For one, I got to enjoy the traditional Osaka delicacy of takoyaki, or fried squid balls. They were simply fantastic and I could not recommend them more, if you're in the mood for authentic Japanese food. I also had dinner by myself at a curry place called Kuroneko Curry, or Black Cat Curry. I was the only one in there and the senior couple who ran the place were super-sweet to me. I'm slowly weaning myself off medium spicyness and working up to hot, so I went with a small shrimp curry with a bit of a kick. Inside the curry house, they had a radio station on, and to my utter amazement and delight, on popped The Pillows with a song from my favorite album of theirs, "Scarecrow".
It was at that moment that I realized I was truly living the dream. Eating curry, listening to a Japanese rock station, not a care in the world. I thought about it, and thought about it, and thought about it some more, and discovered that I would be quite content if that moment had never ended. Pointless as it may be, from that point on, I started looking at prices of apartments around town just to gauge what a typical price point might be for a big city place. It both excited me and scared me. What has changed within me to determine that I would want to pack it all up and live in another country, across the great, blue pond? I've always had this set idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and I still feel pretty solid on that desire. But taking a break from education to live life in another country, to really do something besides the normal graduate-job/grad school route, is what I felt most compelled to do. How viable is it for me to live abroad for a year or more? Is it selfish of me? Should I be more considerate of other important people in my life? How will this impact my desired career choice? So many questions and variables to consider. It's just a bit overwhelming. I just know I'd very much like for it to be reality.
After this not-so-mid-life crisis type of event, I also got to witness my first Japanese argument. There were two men standing outside an alleyway by a fruit and vegetable delivery truck. One of the men, not the driver, used such an interesting voice to convey anger. It was like his words were bricks; not necessarily big and painful, but solid and carried much heft. He rolled his R's like a champ, which I've noticed is a common trait for men's speech patterns when they're upset. I think they were arguing over the delivery, making the event all the more amusing to me. Many others were looking at the two's disagreement, but just kept on walking. Pretty unique.
The group reconvened, but now met with added friends! Kim had joined up with a fellow UC David student who is on an exchange program in Osaka, as well as one of her friends from China (? My memory is awful). They were quite friendly and provided some nice conversation, rare though it was on our way to/during dinner. We did not all fit at a single table at the restaurant we went to, so we had to split up. It would have been nice to talk more as a group, but I suppose this is what Facebook is for haha. Megan, the UC David girl, might take a trip east to Tokyo area, so hopefully we get to all meet up once more and be tour guides. This restaurant was kind of neat in that it randomly had Gundam figures on the bar wall. Go Japan! I also had my first gin and tonic, recommended to me by one of my best friends currently teaching in South Korea, and happily sipped up the mixture. I didn't know the concoction was so tasty!
Upstairs from this restaurant was the Umeda Floating Garden Observatory. Basically, a giant tower people could take an elevator to the top of and see the beautiful Osakan landscape. Though freezing, the view was incomparable, so different from the observation deck of Tokyo Tower in Roppongi. Yet another surreal moment passed, between an onslaught of pictures with buildings, friends, and more than that. Just staring out at 360 degrees of lights, natural and not, it helped to both clear my mind in various respects. The cold certainly helped too. My lungs!
We later traveled to an area very hip and keen with the young folk. This is the nightlife Osaka is well known for. Around a mall-ish building known as Hep Five, it was like Times Square with men dressed up like anime characters, hair of various colors pointing out every which way in order to entice potential customers. These individuals were known as hosts, the "beautiful men" who are paid to simply talk to customers in a cafe. Like the maid cafes of Akihabara, they are the draw of the establishment, much moreso than any type of food or cocktail. Getting to converse with men of such beauty and grandor is a luxury enjoyed for quite the steep entrance price. Besides the hosts attempting to gather customers, this Osakan wonderland held a 24-hour Round 1 entertainment and amusement building, complete with karaoke, bowling, video games, UFO catchers, pachinko, slots, and anything else you can think of for approximately 8 floors of greatness. This wonderful addition to the Osaka trip had a floor with four Dance Dance Revolution machines. When I first entered, every last one of them was being used by one of those professional-status DDR players I've idolized since I was a youngin'. I eventually got my turn to play, along with a tag-team duo of Fione and David, and rocked the house as best I could (in shoes unfit for dancing. Boo). And I can now say that, for my 68th completion of the song Sakura, my favorite tune in DDR, I have reached the milestone in the homeland of DDR. Whoo nerdyness at it's finest!
Finally, we got to enjoy an evening back at the hotel without any hassle or worry. On the way there, I was crowded by three rowdy, drunk Osakan guys on the train, but I stood my ground and ignored them entirely. The train was super open, but they still for some reason crowded around me. It was strange. But this little white boy was not afraid! Back at the room, a little more than a little alcohol was consumed, knocking out on the bed horizontally, reminiscent of a very special memory from an Anime Expo long past. Nevertheless, we ended the full day of Osaka on a fun and friendly note rather appropriate for the unique time enjoyed there.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Day 53: Kyoto pt.2
The second day started off interestingly. We wanted to ride bikes around the capital, but some of the others weren't too keen on the idea, so only David and I decided to rent bikes for the day. This quickly became the most terrifying experience in my life. Moreso than any roller coaster ride, or any car ride (even with the crazy friends who can't drive whatsoever). The sidewalks, the narrow streets, the aggression of the cars and Japanese people in general. I had never taken my life into my hands like that ever before. I can now look back and say, "Wow, what an experience that was", but at the time, I was just scared out of my mind.
Kim and Niki had left too early for the rest of the group, so we were separate for the first portion of the day. David and I biked all the way to Inari Shrine to meet them, which turned out to be pretty damn awesome. This is the famous shrine known for it's 1,000 torii gates, as well as the kitsune foxes they worship. I didn't get to go through all 1,000 of the gates, as it would take about 2 hours to go up through the mountain course, but I think I had plenty of great times and views all the same.
Fun times were had biking my way to Gion to meet the group for lunch. I got ditched. I got lost. I almost got run over repeatedly. I fell over and received more than a handful of stares from onlookers. I banged up my knee and elbow. But I made it just in time for a much-desired meal.
A quick lunch later and most of the group jumped aboard a long bus ride to the edge of town to see the Golden Pavilion. Kinkokuji is known as one of the main, most beautiful sights in all of Kyoto, so we knew it was going to be a staple in our journey to the west. And I must agree, it was quite a splendid pavilion, albeit quite crowded and actually rather small. School field trips filled the pavilion up to capacity from one corner to the opposite. But it was necessary for the full Kyoto experience, I feel, so it was worth the effort and stress. The pictures should speak for themselves, so go take a look at the album linked in the upper-right corner!
That evening, amidst swigs of courage juice, myself, Fione, and Niki discussed various topics and got to learn more about one another. It's always nice hearing about others and what they think/feel about a variety of topics. Particularly from Niki, given how quiet she is generally, it was quite pleasant to get a bit more straightforward conversation from her. Another day down, and tomorrow we would leave the former capital behind for an excursion to a very different type of city: Osaka.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Day 52: Kyoto pt.1
What started out as an exciting trip to Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe quickly became a whole other beast. I can't say that all my expectations were met, but a good time overall was had, and there were certainly plenty of experiences I get to share with you wonderful folks now.
Our gracious host/ringleader, Niki, led the six of us to Yokohama station to check in and get on an overnight bus on Halloween night to Kyoto. While it may have been a much cheaper option to take the bus to Kyoto (as opposed to the Shinkansen bullet train), we learned that there was a sacrifice made. In my case, it was an utmost level of comfort. The chairs on this bus were the reclining sort, but for some reason, mine would not. Which is fine to a degree, but the person in front of me definitely knew how to recline his chair. Because I brought so much clothing with me (and a textbook, and my laptop, and chargers galore, and food for the trip), my bag was a mountain. And I didn't feel safe giving it up to storage below the bus, so I took it with me inside. Big mistake. It, plus Mr. Recliner man, made it such that I could not stretch out my legs whatsoever. Eventually I was able to swing my leg over into the aisle and actually give my poor legs a break, but for the first 4 hours of the 7 hour ride, it was hellacious. I must also mention that the chairs on this bus were awful awful awful, such that by the end of the journey, I could not recount a time I had been more sore and uncomfortable doing anything really. Such is the price we pay for cheap transportation, ne? I definitely don't blame Niki, since she had no idea and also did so ridiculously much work to make sure everything worked out for us, but it was just an unlucky turn of events.
As a result, I didn't sleep at all on the bus. Aided by the fact that it was so hot, our group was literally sweating in our chairs (despite it being chilly outside), I did not get a wink of shut-eye. It didn't help me at all the next day, since we were to start our tour-ish events as soon as we got to the hostel to drop off our bags. My first impressions of Kyoto: "Wow, this place has a lot more modern buildings than I expected". These impressions definitely faded as I learned more about the city, but upon the station arrival, it was more advanced than I thought. Just goes to show how times change even the traditional former capital of Japan. Our hostel was simply the best. My opinions of hostels are so much more positive now. This place, K's Backpacker Hostel, was superb for many reasons. It felt like a hotel in just about every way. It was clean, it was fun and quirky, it was aimed at the traveler looking to have a good time (there was a bulletin board with dozens and dozens of places to go/things to see, all in English). It had great staff, very helpful, and just fantastic facilities. I definitely want to go and use their services again if I get the chance to travel elsewhere in Japan.
After dropping off our stuff, we hit the road immediately, putting our one-day Kyoto bus passes to use. We went to Kiyomizudera Temple, one of the most famous in all of Kyoto. The pictures really speak for themselves, so please visit the flickr (INSERT LINK HERE) and see everything. I loved my time spent there, simply put. We got there before the crowds arrived, since it was about 9AM I think (on a Thursday, no less), so plenty of good pictures were taken. The changing leaves were definitely one of the standout points of the trip. I was so glad they were changing some by the time we arrived. If it was all green, it would have looked significantly different. Just like how I wish we could have been able to come during snow season. ざんねんですね。
The group split up somewhat near this time, going off in our own directions while attempting to keep in contact with one another. At one point, we tried meeting up to go to Kotokuin Temple, another popular spot, but for 700 yen (almost $10), I decided to skip it. Instead, I took the opportunity to visit the giant Kannon statue (bodhisattva, Buddhist deity) and the surrounding temple area. Lucky for me, there wasn't a soul in sight, so I got the entire temple to myself. The entrance fee even included a lit incense stick, so I went to place it in the designated spot and do a little prayer. Perhaps my favorite part of the entire trip this weekend was the time I spent there by myself, particularly when I found a nearby sitting area and took a nap. Sleeping underneath a giant bodhisattva statue, in unbelievably beautiful weather, with nothing but ambient sounds to soothe me, was just unreal. So perfect.
Eventually I headed back out to meet everyone so we could move on to something else. Once our time with temples had passed for the day, we went to Gion, a well-known shopping street/district in Kyoto. It had a fascinating mixture of traditional Japanese shops (parasol stores, fan stores, knick-knack places) and department store-like brand name spots. As always, Japan embodies the fusion of old and new in a way unlike anything else. Real geisha walked the streets, right alongside business men, tourists, and school kids. Shops in a certain were very much like swap meet stands, peddling random wares at discounted prices. However, this also led to shady establishments from time to time.
One such place was an arcade with an abundance of UFO catchers. I found a PopN' machine outside that offered 3 credits (12 songs!) for a mere 100 yen, but while playing, learned of the trick. The judgment on the system was SUPER harsh, penalizing any mistakes immensely more than normal machines. Thankfully, I've gotten pretty good at the game, so it wasn't such an issue for me, but I can see how it might suck money from some people. But what was a much bigger money dump were the UFO catchers. While playing, I was approached by Fion, David, and Anastasia, telling me I HAD to come help them when I was done. Apparently, the staff running the arcade had decided to try and help us "win" some figures. If we could beat a single machine at the arcade, they would give us a stack of Neon Genesis Evangelion figures. Really nice ones, actually. And we kept coming into contact with incredibly difficult machines. We just couldn't get it. The staff member on hand kept "helping" us, showing us how to win, adjusting things to make it seem easier, and whenever we would start to feel beaten, would add another figure to the pile. This eventually ended up being a 9 figure-high stack of potential winnings, could we just beat a single machine. Soon, however, I realized exactly how scammed we all had been.
I helped them around the time they had moved to a third machine, so I didn't lose nearly as much money as the others. Each try was 200 yen, which was my first mistake. It's a rule that I don't do machines that cost that much per try. You can win almost anything for cheap if each try is 100 yen, but doubling that makes it easier just to buy it in an online auction. The machine I tried first was a simple claw game. A big Minnie Mouse plush was laying head-only on a bowl-like container, while it's limbs dangled down. If we could get the plush to drop, we'd win. The thing with this was that 1. the head must have been weighted immensely, as any attempts to push or pull it were rejected, but more importantly, 2. the machine was rigged. We would try it over and over again, but from time to time, the staff member would show us how to do it. And it would work, dropping the figure. The difference was that, when he dropped the claws, they would do their normal action routine by dropping, closing to get a grip on an object, and then pulling up. However, when we would do it, the arms would drop, then just lift right back up. Without that gripping motion, it was simply impossible. He added another figure to the stack and moved us to the next machine.
This one was a different beast entirely. It had a round, transparent "plug" suspended over a platform with three holes. Each hole, if plugged, had a button that would be pressed and drop the corresponding prize. The third hole was significantly bigger than the first two, so the prize associated with it was supposed to be less amazing. However, with our prize cache waiting, it was just another means to scam us harder. They had this auto-win setting they would flick to prove it was totally possible to win. Tricky, ne?
After the escapade with the arcade (and the others got consolation prizes for spending a ridiculous amount of money), some random kid outside part of a school field trip approached me and thanked me in broken English. What for? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe coming to Japan. But he thanked me over and over again and asked if he could shake my hand. What a photo op this became. Little 10-year old boy shaking my hand, and then later on approaching me again asking for an autograph. AN AUTOGRAPH. He said I looked like Tom Cruise. I laughed so hard. The irony is that I actually share a birthday with Tom Cruise o_o
A lot of shopping later and we headed back to the hostel to knock the crap out. The hostel continued to be amazing and such a great deal for the price. And I came back home with a new cuddle buddy. Anastasia and Fione together convinced me to purchase a giant baby seal plushie named Sirotan. But given this boring, unoriginal name, I brought back the one and only Sir Francis of Norway. Despite advances by Fione to steal my beautiful new friend, I got to sleep soundly alongside the softest seal I've yet to come across.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
INTERESTING JAPAN CULTURAL THINGY #1: Bicycles
Welcome to a special edition of Chris's Gaijin at Gakuin blog post, designed to highlight particular unique aspects of Japanese culture.
For this introductory lesson, I submit Case A: Bicycle trends, rules, and norms.
So, first off, people ride bicycles here. A lot. They ride bikes such that there are parking lots made just to house bicycles. You can find people of all kinds riding bikes, from high school students to salarymen to housewives with their children in tow.
Which leads me into my specific observation regarding Japanese bicycle culture: there is apparently very little care for safety when it comes to riding bicycles. At least in America, it seems that there is a huge focus on safety, what with bicycle lanes, helmet laws, and whatnot. Here, it is commonplace to see a housewife transporting her children in a child seat strapped onto the back wheel of a bike, weaving in and out of both foot traffic on the sidewalk and car traffic on the road. I feel like, in America, this would be highly frowned upon for being so dangerous, even with bicycle lanes being available. Just glancing at the amount of congestion on the streets and sidewalks, it seems like a death sentence to ride a bicycle. You're just bound to crash into someone/something, but it's only a matter of time until you do so. No helmets, rarely reflectors, and sometimes you'll encounter people using some kind of lighting system for night riding, but only because it's probably required by law. It's definitely unlawful to ride on the sidewalks, but interestingly, there are crosswalks designed with a bicycle lane, which assumes that bicyclists are breaking the law and riding on the sidewalk in the first place.
Bicyclists here use their bells constantly to warn people on the sidewalk in front of them to step aside, which is also prohibited by Japanese law. But again, it isn't enforced, so there's nothing done about this. I know I myself have nearly been run over a handful of times by aggressive bicyclists getting around, from salarymen heading to work to women dropping their kids off at daycare. Bicycling may be a quick way to go from A to B, but at what risk? I think it sends a message about Japanese culture; about how people are so encased in being punctual with everything they do that they can risk even their own well-being to make it somewhere on time.
So next time you find yourself on a Japanese street, might I suggest not having both earbuds in, because you really need to keep an ear out for the ever-popular BRRING BRRING of the Japanese bicycle.
For this introductory lesson, I submit Case A: Bicycle trends, rules, and norms.
So, first off, people ride bicycles here. A lot. They ride bikes such that there are parking lots made just to house bicycles. You can find people of all kinds riding bikes, from high school students to salarymen to housewives with their children in tow.
Which leads me into my specific observation regarding Japanese bicycle culture: there is apparently very little care for safety when it comes to riding bicycles. At least in America, it seems that there is a huge focus on safety, what with bicycle lanes, helmet laws, and whatnot. Here, it is commonplace to see a housewife transporting her children in a child seat strapped onto the back wheel of a bike, weaving in and out of both foot traffic on the sidewalk and car traffic on the road. I feel like, in America, this would be highly frowned upon for being so dangerous, even with bicycle lanes being available. Just glancing at the amount of congestion on the streets and sidewalks, it seems like a death sentence to ride a bicycle. You're just bound to crash into someone/something, but it's only a matter of time until you do so. No helmets, rarely reflectors, and sometimes you'll encounter people using some kind of lighting system for night riding, but only because it's probably required by law. It's definitely unlawful to ride on the sidewalks, but interestingly, there are crosswalks designed with a bicycle lane, which assumes that bicyclists are breaking the law and riding on the sidewalk in the first place.
Bicyclists here use their bells constantly to warn people on the sidewalk in front of them to step aside, which is also prohibited by Japanese law. But again, it isn't enforced, so there's nothing done about this. I know I myself have nearly been run over a handful of times by aggressive bicyclists getting around, from salarymen heading to work to women dropping their kids off at daycare. Bicycling may be a quick way to go from A to B, but at what risk? I think it sends a message about Japanese culture; about how people are so encased in being punctual with everything they do that they can risk even their own well-being to make it somewhere on time.
So next time you find yourself on a Japanese street, might I suggest not having both earbuds in, because you really need to keep an ear out for the ever-popular BRRING BRRING of the Japanese bicycle.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Day 47+48: Japanese Dads, Donuts, and Dishes
Thursday was quite the lovely day, I daresay! Usually I am reluctant to go to class this day simply because of how long of a day it is (second period through fourth, so about 9AM until 5:45PM including travel time). But today's guest speaker in Prof. Roberts' class made the day start off just right. A professor from UC Riverside, currently teaching at a Japanese university, came to talk to us about her research in the area of Japanese fathers in the child-rearing process. As a social psychologist, her way of thinking and research collection struck a chord with me from the get-go. We had a fantastic lecture on how Japanese fathers used to never participate in the child-rearing process (especially during weekdays), rarely if ever do household chores, and basically work like machines through what would normally be family/maternity leave. We talked about how policies and organizations have worked to give Japanese dad's the incentives for taking time off of work and helping them understand the importance of the father figure in the child's life. And with research data to back up these claims, I felt a bit more reassured that this wasn't just merely conjecture. I definitely missed having my psychology fix for so long, so I was glad to get a little "hit" while abroad here. Also, I mentioned to her about my research lab's studies (which she was quite interested in) and we swapped contact info, so hurray for networking =]
Professor Gill's class was a discussion this time on financial distribution between classes in various countries of the world. He wanted a UC student for every 2-4 Meigaku students, so I got to spend the entire class time working around a language barrier with a gaggle of Meigaku girls. I think they understood more than they spoke, but I'm sure that the class is really difficult to grasp when Prof. Gill's english is just so fast. Poor things. So we struggled a bit through that, but it was fine. Just a different way of going about class this time around.
Genji class was especially interesting because we had discussion on an difficult-to-discuss chapter regarding Genji's possible rape of a woman (for the first time thus far). In case you don't know, Genji has sex with women in every chapter of this book (keep in mind, it was written by a woman, too), but this chapter, he forces himself on a girl who initially rebuffs his attacks, but eventually accepts who he is and what happens between them. Coincidentally, this person turns out to also be the woman betrothed to the future Emperor. Uh-oh, Spaghetti-O's. So that was an interesting talk for Genji class, needless to say.
Later on, I joined Niki and Kim for Mister Donut (how could I possibly turn down Donut-san?!) and finally got a point card. So now for every donut I buy, I get points that I can redeem for stuff. Muahaha! The main purpose for leaving, though, was so Kim could pay for her flight to Okinawa after the semester ends. Interestingly, one pays for a variety of bills and purchases through touchscreen kiosks available at convenience stores (konbini). So Lawson's Station, an alternative to 7-11, was our konbini of choice for the evening. Finally, we decided to stop by Taito Station for a little quality time with the video games and to see what new products were available through UFO catchers. All in all, a full day.
Friday, friday, gettin' down on Friday~~
Actually, I did indeed get down on Friday, specifically at AKIBA! Yes, I was convinced by the Devil (Cheryl) to go with her to Akiba so she could find a rice cooker and check out the Gundam models. As it turns out, she's the biggest Gundam model nerd I've ever met, and it's AMAZING. I'm so jealous and in awe of her knowledge/skills.
So we go to Akiba after Japanese class and hit up stores I'd never touched before, as well as arcades galore. I dumped more money than I'm willing to say trying to win a particular figure of one of my favorite characters from my favorite anime, but later learned that there's a store next to the arcade that sells UFO catcher prizes for cheap. So for people who can't win them, you've got a way to go home with an awesome prize! I didn't buy it while there, but I'll be checking it out sooooon enough. We had Matsuya for lunch, which is like Yoshinoya but... worse. Actually, it's the only Japanese food I've had here that I haven't absolutely loved. It probably was obvious since a total of two workers were serving and cooking for approximately 20 people at any given time, but it just wasn't up to par with what I've had in Japan thus far. We went into a massive, 6+ floor anime goods store called Animate, and I died wanting all of the things. And I died because they sold so many light novels, or short story novels, that I wish I could read Japanese well enough to decipher. Sigh. But it was a glorious building and I found a nice plastic folder to use donning characters from Sword Art Online, a currently ongoing anime series I like.
Arcadessss... We went into this shady door between a crepes store and an anime knick knack shop and took an escalator up to find some of the craziest things ever. Floors 2-4 were random home good products. Like a mixture of wal-mart, target, and the decoration/darkness of Spencer's Gifts, these floors were really surprising. You could find makeup, appliances, halloween goods, and so so much more. But just one floor higher and you'd be at a halloween costume floor. Everything was there. Wigs, outfits, shoes, the works. If I was doing anything for halloween, I know where I'd go to get stuff for it. But what was really unique was floor 6. Here we found an arcade. A random arcade in a shopping mall-like building. But this arcade was glorious beyond measure. Because all it had... were music games. Upon entering, three Project Diva terminals. Nothing strange about that. Beside that, three Taiko Drum Master machines. Also kinda standard. But then... four Dance Dance Revolution machines, back to back with each other, and another one in the corner of the room. Every one of them was being used. And on one, there was a line of 9 people sitting down on the ground behind the player using the machine, waiting their turn. There was a crowd around them, and a professional quality video camera being used to document every song played. I had no idea what was going on, but it was awesome. Against the wall was about 6 or 7 Jubeat machines (*twitch*), FOUR Beatmania IIDX Tricoro machines (*TWITCH*), two Pop'N Music machines (with one being a brand new, HD screen-enhanced version *T-T-TWITCH*), two ReflecBeat's, DrumMania/Guitar Freaks XG3, three Sound Voltex booths, and the peace de resistance, the first DJ Max Technika 3 machine I've ever seen since coming to Japan. I couldn't even comprehend this Paradise. Oh, and they had the easiest UFO catchers to win pretty much ever. I won a figure for about $3, two tries. Either my skills are superb or these machines were just dirt-simple. I wanted to live here forever and ever, until the end of time.
Alas, we had to move on eventually. The top floor, strangely, was an AKB48 cafe. In addition to the main theater where the group plays by the Akiba station exit, next to the Gundam cafe, they have another theater on the top of this random building. And this was just... whoa. The walls and floors were all wooden, there were pictures of all the members, framed portrait-style, on the walls, and two cases on another wall depicting "Members Who Have Attended This Theater More Than 100 Times". Security guard-ish people errwhere too. It was nuts. Just nuts.
Eventually we left and found what is known as Yodabashi. It's probably the single biggest electronics store in all of Japan, but at least the largest in Akiba for sure. It had 8 stories of electronics, a 9th floor of restaurants, and basement floors as low as B5. And these floors were not tiny, either. It would take a good 8-10 minutes to walk around the perimeter of any one floor. This place was just massive. And on that 8th floor, we encountered the Gundam shop. Think about Anime Expo's Gundam model booths, but multiply it by 5, and add in model trains, figures, and painting/cutting/crafting materials everywhere. The selection of Gundams available was unrivaled, and I myself had to hold myself back multiple times from Nerdgasming everywhere over these gorgeous things. Cheryl did well in teaching me about the different models, the way of Gunpla, or Gundam Play (the act of assembling, painting, and customizing models), and showing off what all she has back at home in Singapore. If my mind hadn't been broken by the day thus far, it certainly crumbled and crashed to the ground in a heap of brain matter at this point. How I walked out of that Gundam place without purchasing anything was beyond me. I think I was just too overwhelmed to pick up any one box and decide on it. Every series of Gundam was represented there, with many of the favorites being available in both High Grade (smaller, beginner level) and Master Grade (medium-sized, much cooler). When Cheryl said that one day, when she moves out of her family's house, she'll probably need a room just for her Gundams and other assorted items, I knew I'd found a great friend.
We ended the night with a trip to food once more. This time, we went to the top floor of Yodabashi and decided on an indian restaurant. I know I mentioned this before in the Yokohama International Fair post, but I. LOVE. Indian food! The size of the naan that we got was nothing less than absurd. I got chicken curry to go along with it, and a small salad was tacked on as well. But what I didn't know until later on in the meal was that the naan was free-flowing. UNLIMITED NAAN. AHHHH. But the size of these monsters was such that I could only stomach two full pieces before being about to the point of explosion. The water I drank probably helped this lots, but my tummy was so happy after that meal. Mmm...
And so ended the third excursion to Akiba. Sunday will be my first concert I've attended since Thrice's farewell shows earlier on this summer, and from Wednesday night onwards, I'll be traveling to Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka for four days! Plenty of exciting events yet to come. Stay tuned!
Also, I'll be posting a bi-weekly Interesting Japan Cultural Thingy later on today, so keep an eye out! Thanks for reading~
Professor Gill's class was a discussion this time on financial distribution between classes in various countries of the world. He wanted a UC student for every 2-4 Meigaku students, so I got to spend the entire class time working around a language barrier with a gaggle of Meigaku girls. I think they understood more than they spoke, but I'm sure that the class is really difficult to grasp when Prof. Gill's english is just so fast. Poor things. So we struggled a bit through that, but it was fine. Just a different way of going about class this time around.
Genji class was especially interesting because we had discussion on an difficult-to-discuss chapter regarding Genji's possible rape of a woman (for the first time thus far). In case you don't know, Genji has sex with women in every chapter of this book (keep in mind, it was written by a woman, too), but this chapter, he forces himself on a girl who initially rebuffs his attacks, but eventually accepts who he is and what happens between them. Coincidentally, this person turns out to also be the woman betrothed to the future Emperor. Uh-oh, Spaghetti-O's. So that was an interesting talk for Genji class, needless to say.
Later on, I joined Niki and Kim for Mister Donut (how could I possibly turn down Donut-san?!) and finally got a point card. So now for every donut I buy, I get points that I can redeem for stuff. Muahaha! The main purpose for leaving, though, was so Kim could pay for her flight to Okinawa after the semester ends. Interestingly, one pays for a variety of bills and purchases through touchscreen kiosks available at convenience stores (konbini). So Lawson's Station, an alternative to 7-11, was our konbini of choice for the evening. Finally, we decided to stop by Taito Station for a little quality time with the video games and to see what new products were available through UFO catchers. All in all, a full day.
Friday, friday, gettin' down on Friday~~
Actually, I did indeed get down on Friday, specifically at AKIBA! Yes, I was convinced by the Devil (Cheryl) to go with her to Akiba so she could find a rice cooker and check out the Gundam models. As it turns out, she's the biggest Gundam model nerd I've ever met, and it's AMAZING. I'm so jealous and in awe of her knowledge/skills.
So we go to Akiba after Japanese class and hit up stores I'd never touched before, as well as arcades galore. I dumped more money than I'm willing to say trying to win a particular figure of one of my favorite characters from my favorite anime, but later learned that there's a store next to the arcade that sells UFO catcher prizes for cheap. So for people who can't win them, you've got a way to go home with an awesome prize! I didn't buy it while there, but I'll be checking it out sooooon enough. We had Matsuya for lunch, which is like Yoshinoya but... worse. Actually, it's the only Japanese food I've had here that I haven't absolutely loved. It probably was obvious since a total of two workers were serving and cooking for approximately 20 people at any given time, but it just wasn't up to par with what I've had in Japan thus far. We went into a massive, 6+ floor anime goods store called Animate, and I died wanting all of the things. And I died because they sold so many light novels, or short story novels, that I wish I could read Japanese well enough to decipher. Sigh. But it was a glorious building and I found a nice plastic folder to use donning characters from Sword Art Online, a currently ongoing anime series I like.
Arcadessss... We went into this shady door between a crepes store and an anime knick knack shop and took an escalator up to find some of the craziest things ever. Floors 2-4 were random home good products. Like a mixture of wal-mart, target, and the decoration/darkness of Spencer's Gifts, these floors were really surprising. You could find makeup, appliances, halloween goods, and so so much more. But just one floor higher and you'd be at a halloween costume floor. Everything was there. Wigs, outfits, shoes, the works. If I was doing anything for halloween, I know where I'd go to get stuff for it. But what was really unique was floor 6. Here we found an arcade. A random arcade in a shopping mall-like building. But this arcade was glorious beyond measure. Because all it had... were music games. Upon entering, three Project Diva terminals. Nothing strange about that. Beside that, three Taiko Drum Master machines. Also kinda standard. But then... four Dance Dance Revolution machines, back to back with each other, and another one in the corner of the room. Every one of them was being used. And on one, there was a line of 9 people sitting down on the ground behind the player using the machine, waiting their turn. There was a crowd around them, and a professional quality video camera being used to document every song played. I had no idea what was going on, but it was awesome. Against the wall was about 6 or 7 Jubeat machines (*twitch*), FOUR Beatmania IIDX Tricoro machines (*TWITCH*), two Pop'N Music machines (with one being a brand new, HD screen-enhanced version *T-T-TWITCH*), two ReflecBeat's, DrumMania/Guitar Freaks XG3, three Sound Voltex booths, and the peace de resistance, the first DJ Max Technika 3 machine I've ever seen since coming to Japan. I couldn't even comprehend this Paradise. Oh, and they had the easiest UFO catchers to win pretty much ever. I won a figure for about $3, two tries. Either my skills are superb or these machines were just dirt-simple. I wanted to live here forever and ever, until the end of time.
Alas, we had to move on eventually. The top floor, strangely, was an AKB48 cafe. In addition to the main theater where the group plays by the Akiba station exit, next to the Gundam cafe, they have another theater on the top of this random building. And this was just... whoa. The walls and floors were all wooden, there were pictures of all the members, framed portrait-style, on the walls, and two cases on another wall depicting "Members Who Have Attended This Theater More Than 100 Times". Security guard-ish people errwhere too. It was nuts. Just nuts.
Eventually we left and found what is known as Yodabashi. It's probably the single biggest electronics store in all of Japan, but at least the largest in Akiba for sure. It had 8 stories of electronics, a 9th floor of restaurants, and basement floors as low as B5. And these floors were not tiny, either. It would take a good 8-10 minutes to walk around the perimeter of any one floor. This place was just massive. And on that 8th floor, we encountered the Gundam shop. Think about Anime Expo's Gundam model booths, but multiply it by 5, and add in model trains, figures, and painting/cutting/crafting materials everywhere. The selection of Gundams available was unrivaled, and I myself had to hold myself back multiple times from Nerdgasming everywhere over these gorgeous things. Cheryl did well in teaching me about the different models, the way of Gunpla, or Gundam Play (the act of assembling, painting, and customizing models), and showing off what all she has back at home in Singapore. If my mind hadn't been broken by the day thus far, it certainly crumbled and crashed to the ground in a heap of brain matter at this point. How I walked out of that Gundam place without purchasing anything was beyond me. I think I was just too overwhelmed to pick up any one box and decide on it. Every series of Gundam was represented there, with many of the favorites being available in both High Grade (smaller, beginner level) and Master Grade (medium-sized, much cooler). When Cheryl said that one day, when she moves out of her family's house, she'll probably need a room just for her Gundams and other assorted items, I knew I'd found a great friend.
We ended the night with a trip to food once more. This time, we went to the top floor of Yodabashi and decided on an indian restaurant. I know I mentioned this before in the Yokohama International Fair post, but I. LOVE. Indian food! The size of the naan that we got was nothing less than absurd. I got chicken curry to go along with it, and a small salad was tacked on as well. But what I didn't know until later on in the meal was that the naan was free-flowing. UNLIMITED NAAN. AHHHH. But the size of these monsters was such that I could only stomach two full pieces before being about to the point of explosion. The water I drank probably helped this lots, but my tummy was so happy after that meal. Mmm...
And so ended the third excursion to Akiba. Sunday will be my first concert I've attended since Thrice's farewell shows earlier on this summer, and from Wednesday night onwards, I'll be traveling to Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka for four days! Plenty of exciting events yet to come. Stay tuned!
Also, I'll be posting a bi-weekly Interesting Japan Cultural Thingy later on today, so keep an eye out! Thanks for reading~
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Day 34-46: Home Stay, Hundred Demons, and Hermit Life
Long time no talk! It's been quite a while since I last blogged, so expect this one to be a whopper. I'm finding it more and more difficult to sit down and type out daily occurrences, and not every day is a fantastical adventure, so this leads me to be posting less often. I hope this hasn't scared away too many readers! Nevertheless, read on and I hope you enjoy this monster of a post.
Last Friday was the beginning of the one and only home stay everyone in the program was to be a part of. For all but 4 of the students, the home stay lasted only the weekend, allowing us to glimpse what life is like for a traditional Japanese family, while also feeling like we were more than just observers of people. I gather that many, not just myself, felt like a real part of the family we were chosen by. I met with Nakayama Yoko and her two year-old daughter Tomomi at our school and we drove home with Yoko-san's sister Nagi-san, who happens to work at the school. Convenient, ne? After picking up Nagi-san's daughter, Minami (3 years old), we headed to the Nakayama residence to meet Keiji-san and have a group cooking experience making dinner (sukiyaki). All of the family was so nice and kind and considerate, I felt really at home from the moment I started my home stay. I was lucky enough to have been selected by a family who had both parents capable of speaking fluent English, so I didn't feel alienated by a language barrier at all. I found myself able to talk to both parents quite smoothly about any topic, be it electronics or politics or just opinions of Japan in general. Tomomi-chan was iffy towards me at first, as all children tend to be, but eventually warmed up to me and became the best host-sister I could have asked for. Nagi-san was very kind as well, of course, and I wish her the best with her second baby on the way here! Endou-san was so nice and welcoming too, and I could hardly believe that he gave me some of his calendars that he makes for a living. One was a calendar of a popular Japanese idol and the other is of *gasp* Hatsune Miku! I was so grateful for such a warm reception.
Saturday was filled with events ranging from giant buddhas to tea, the ocean, and Costco. Awww yeah. We woke up early and drove to Kamakura, which was in of itself a beautiful drive through a combination of greenery and concrete. Our first stop was the Daibutsu, the infamous Giant Buddha of Kamakura. The temple was really nice, though we didn't get to walk around much further past the Daibutsu itself. Time was a commodity, as we had much to cover in the coming hours. Many pictures were taken and should be uploaded by the time this post is there. Also, surprisingly, this Daibutsu was actually HOLLOW! There's no way we couldn't take advantage of that opportunity, so we went inside and braved the giant crowd of people within. Apparently, there used to be a huge building built around the Daibutsu, but due to a massive typhoon, the building was torn away. The Daibutsu, however, didn't budge a bit and still sits where it always has to this day.
After our temple visit, I was lucky enough to join the Nakayama's on their weekly tea ceremony lesson. It was held at a house nearby in Kamakura, and taught by a very nice older woman who had learned the way of the tea ceremony (Chado) from one of the most well-known schools in Japan. This particular teacher was a big fan of sweets, so every time we had another person take their turn preparing and serving the tea (thick and thin both), we got to enjoy another delicious treat beforehand. The other students at the Chado lesson were just as nice as the Nakayama's and treated me so well. Sitting on your knees in the traditional Japanese way is hurting less and less every time! Maybe one day it'll be comfortable (lol doubt it).
After we concluded the fascinating lesson, we walked for about 15 minutes and hit the beach! It was super pleasant and the water was just cold enough to make it feel fantastic as a contrast to the sun's warmth. Having been without my biological family for over a month, it felt just right to be with my host family enjoying the beauty and comfort of the beach. We took a ride afterwards to Costco for dinner and in order to prepare for the party we planned to have on Sunday. What a strange, surreal event it was to walk around Costco and see traditional, American-style food mingling with bulk quantities of Japanese-style ingredients as well. I could hardly believe the mass amount of food we bought for the party on Sunday! Such a wide variety of food was made available, it deserves it's own paragraph (coming up soon). For dinner? What else: Costco pizza, churros, and sweet nectar of the gods (Coke). It reminded me of many good memories; home away from home. Upon arriving home, I got to finally relax after a long day out and curl up on the couch with Tomomi-chan and read her some books. Being an only child, it was such a wonderfully different experience to get to spend time with my little sister.
Sunday brought with it one long, tiring day of socialness constantly. I went out in the morning with Nagi-san to pick up Max, since he was without a home stay family and Nagi-san decided to take him in for a home visit. He was to join us at the party we were planning, so he was a welcome addition to the group later on. We took a lunch break (brunch?) at the Endou's residence, so I got to meet Mrs. Endou-san and enjoy tea, snacks, and good company. It was sweet that Mr. Endou-san gave a calendar to Max as well; a rather neat one on aquatic animals from a nearby expansive aquarium. From there, we got to see Nagi-san's house, meet her husband very briefly, and then head back to the Nakayama's for the party. SO MUCH FOOD! We engorged ourselves on such a spread, it was like Thanksgiving. Tortilla chips, salsa, sashimi (raw fish), rice with veggies, beer, sliced apples, raspberries, roasted chicken, barbecue ribs, and pumpkin pie, amongst other things. I was just floored with the amount of deliciousness. And the Nakayama's said I didn't eat enough! Mind = blown. I was fortunate enough to bring home tons of leftovers for the next few meals of my week.
Also very great were the people present at the party. Both Keiji-san and Yoko-san invited old school friends of theirs from back in the states, as well as Poom, one of Keiji-san's closest friends and coworker. While all of them were really great people, most interesting were Charles, who did the JET (Japan English Teaching?) program when he was out of college and never left, and Tetsu-san, the official translator for many popular manga in English (half of Death Note, Bakuman, and Case Closed/Detective Conan, for starters). He even gave me a copy of Bakuman #1 in English! It was so awesome talking to the both of them, as well as everyone else, over such a delicious meal. This concluded my time with the Nakayama's, but I cannot imagine not getting to see them again sometime before I leave for the States once more. They even offered me their home if I ever find myself in need (and especially if I think about getting a job in Japan and need somewhere while finding an apartment). So tempting… I can't thank them enough for their hospitality and kindness!
Monday began another week of school, but thankfully it was made interesting by a class field trip to Roppongi's Suntory Museum of Art instead of Genji discussion. Interesting points of note: 1. This museum is owned by Suntory, the same company famous for their whiskey and other liquor-related beverages. 2. This museum was located on the fourth floor of a mall, alongside many clothing shops. 3. Held within this museum were dozens and dozens of original Japanese scrolls depicting 400 different stories told between the 14th and 16th centuries B.C. What an awesome experience it was, though I just wish I could understand enough Japanese so that I didn't have to rely on our professor with us to explain the scrolls' stories. Most awesome were the scrolls on the Night Parade of A Hundred Demons story very well known throughout Japanese literature. I'll link to a couple images so you have an idea what the story is like (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Hyakki_Yako.jpg)
After roaming around the museum for a bit, we were left to our own devices, so we ran away to find a very well-known traditional Okinawan restaurant nearby in Roppongi. We were actually the first costumers of the day because they happened to open at about 6PM, and were just setting up for some live music when we arrived. While the food was fantastic and the drinks were quite good too, the time it took to get the meal was killer (especially since we were all starving). Check out pictures to see how awesome the restaurant itself looked and what delicacies we feasted on once they arrived.
When in Roppongi, why not do all there is to enjoy? So we took a short trip to Tokyo Tower, the Eiffel Tower replica built slightly taller than the original tower itself! Since it was later on at night, the view from the tower was amazing and all of the lights of the buildings, cars, bridges, and stars melded into one unforgettable scene. While there, we also ate very special sweets in the form of a waffle/pancake meal adorned with fruits, male syrup, whipped cream, macadamia nuts, and more, depending on the type ordered. Also of note, we got to enjoy all this with a new friend! We were joined for the post-museum festivities by Cheryl, an international student of Meigaku like us, but from Singapore. We immediately hit it off at the Okinawan restaurant and talked good music, video games, and most importantly, Bemani music-rhythm games. :DD She plays Jubeat rather well, so I knew we'd get along juuuuust fine.
Tuesday brought with it a fresh day with more adventures. This time, a walk to one of the most famous, and delicious, ramen shops in Japan (conveniently in Totsuka by the train station. How about that!). While expensive, at about $12 for a bowl, it was definitely the best ramen I've yet to eat. The dumplings found in the soup were nothing less than perfect. I can't explain it further than that. Since we were so close anyways, Cheryl, Anastasia, Zoila (exchange student from the Phillipines), Denise, Izumi, and I all hit up Taito Station to see what goodies we could win from the machines. But of course I couldn't go into anywhere without helping people win figures, as well as giving some attention to my lovely Pop'N Music machine. Gotta love it! I was able to finally finish collecting these adorable stacking plushies I've been working at. I've been giving them to my friends too, so each one has a different one. I have the lion, while Kim has the bear, Fione has the black cat, Armand has the elephant, and Nikki has the pink rabbit. I'm glad they all seemed to like their gifts =]
Wednesday was nothing, so onto Thursday we go! Though fairly uneventful overall, I definitely welcomed an arcade adventure with Cheryl and Zoila at Game City post-Genji class, as well as dinner at Yoshinoya. And I'm very happy to report that the Yoshinoya here is not nearly as awful as it is in the states. They actually give you real, cooked food, with delicious soup and rice, rather than just microwaved beef and overcooked onions. Well worth the low, low price for a combo. I see why it's so popular out here!
Friday was a fun day, particularly because most of the UC students and a great amount of Meigaku students/buddies got to do an "International Tea Party". What that means is it was just a mixer event with snacks and drinks in between classes. Pretty good stuff, and I met a couple really nice people there too! Afterwards, I waited around for a few hours until I was to help a Meigaku student named Kagawa Jun with his senior thesis paper. He wanted to interview the UC students and get their opinions on the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, so I happily obliged to help my fellow student out. I felt like I was repeating myself a lot by the end of it, but I think my message was clear and my feelings known. Coincidentally, he himself is from Hiroshima and hopes to one day volunteer at the museum, so I felt like I definitely did a good thing helping this guy's cause.
On the way home, I met a random fellow named Miki who happened to remember seeing me in the gym earlier on in the week. So we chatted for a while about life, America, jobs, school, and all things in between. It's good to share a laugh with a stranger from time to time. Especially when this stranger turns out to be friendly!
Saturday was a good one, starting off with supplemental double-Japanese class, since the UC students leave before the Meigaku semester ends in January. Afterwards, the normal group peoples and I traveled to Yokohama to check out the annual International Street Fair. It took us a good while to finally find the place, but once we got there, we were greeted by much delicious food. Indian, Peruvian, Korean, Tibetan, Mexican, you name it. I myself had Butter Chicken w/Naan bread from the Indian booth (which reminded me of how much I love Indian food), as well as some SHWARMA. Yes, really.
After we finished pigging out, we worked off the calories by walking along the bayside and checking out the mall nearby with the Pokemon Center, Jump Store, and Ghibli Store. The Pokemon Center had released new things since I last went, and it was a weekend, so the place was packed to the brim with people of all ages. Everyone and their mother (quite literally) had their Nintendo DS out and playing. Swapping 'mons, battling, and all such other Poke-related happenings. I finally picked up my souvenirs from the Pokemon Center and hightailed it out of that madhouse.
Later on in the night, we were to go out and meet our friend Cheryl for dinner and drinks. It took an hour more than expected while waiting for her to come to Totsuka, so I sat outside on the swings at the kid's playground near MISH. A couple Japanese girls, college age, came and played on the swings too, so we laughed a bit at each other and spoke in broken Japanese (well, I did at least). Neither were quite my type, but it was pleasant interaction with more people of the country. When we finally got a hold of Cheryl, we went to a Korean restaurant nearby and ate entirely too much food. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the cheap nomikaya (bar) we were told was around our apartment house, so we didn't get to all drink together before Cheryl had to head home. Fortunately, the three of us remaining did get to drink, and spent a fun-filled night at the Little Bike bar chatting away. It felt good to get a little tipsy with some friends and share some inner-workings of my mind. And by inner-workings, I mean sharing very little besides just bare minimum feelings. But we all had a great time, so it all worked out swimmingly.
Sunday was supposed to be the chance to climb a mountain on the way to Fuji, called Mt. Takao (Takao-san). But after the night prior…. nahhhh, not gonna happen. So I took the day off, spent it doing homework by the river, doing a bit of walking around Totsuka, a brief stop by the arcade to win yet another figure, and then hide away like a hermit in preparation for class the next day.
And that brings us to just about where we are now in time, Wednesday of Japanese work. We're finally starting to learn Kanji, which in my opinion is actually really rather quick of a pace. I fear for the others in my class, but I'll do my best to help them along with what little I know regarding Kanji. I've been getting much more sleep lately, staying in my room and hermiting away from people, watching anime, finishing a video game (Advance Wars, a game from my childhood!), and just enjoying alone time.
Sorry this post took so long to get up, but I'll be sure to include weekly interesting Japanese culture posts too, to keep the times between normal posts interesting. Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more!
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Day 27-33: A Quarter of a Quarter
As of today, a full month has passed here in Japan. I can hardly believe it's gone by so quickly. Where has the time gone? Oh yeah, traveling all across the country, starting class, arcades, river walks, buddies, "reviewing" Japanese I never learned, going to black sand beaches, winning souvenirs for everyone, deers, bunnies, tanuki, octopi, squid, ramen, udon, somen, and so, so much more. But rather than taking the time to go over all that any further, I've got some summarizing to do for the past few days! Let's do this~
Really, the most interesting day of late was when we went to Mejiro Garden. It was a mandatory cultural activity, so some of us weren't exactly into it. It's not that we weren't interested in going, but a handful of us are getting tired of being forced into doing events. Regardless, the many activities at Mejiro garden were fantastic and I think the group as a whole had a blast. It started with ikebana, the art of flower arrangement, which I unfortunately missed out on watching. Why is that? Because I was randomly selected to be the male model for the kimono demonstration right afterwards! It took a full 20-25 minutes to get fitted and dressed with the help of two of the women there. I had thin white undergarments to wear first, but then was outfitted with three thick white towels that were strapped to my stomach and around my sides. Then there were layers... and layers... and layers of clothing put over me. Robes and over-robes and a final robe, all tied with various sashes. But MAN did I look like the badass. Photos are uploaded on Flickr, but not nearly enough to do the outfit justice. I definitely felt like the boss of bosses.
Afterwards was lunch with a real, full bento box. It was so interesting, the many things inside of said bento. Cucumber, rice, chicken, and many weird things I have no idea what they were. But eating this while outside in the garden itself was relaxing to the utmost degree. What followed lunch was the dividing of groups and rotating different interactive demonstrations of the arts they follow at Mejiro. First for my group was Chado, or the art of tea ceremony. All the specifics and careful way of going about the process were mesmerizing. Pictures should help a little bit with understanding this. You had to turn your bowl three times to the left and have a designated "front" face the person you are taking the bowl from. The manner in which they grind the tea powder (matcha) itself is special too. And you always make sure to thank your tea master with appropriate floor bowing, given you're always sitting on your knees, traditional Japanese style.
From there, we joined the table for caligraphy, or shado. We had our teacher, Izumi-sensei, write out our favorite kanji to base ours off of, and then attempted to recreate it on our given scraps of practice paper. Eventually, when getting good enough, we were given a board to write out the characters on for a keepsake. This was WAY more difficult than one might think. The brushes, you don't want to be too wet (like painting), but too dry and you screw up the stroke order of the kanji. It's a careful art, just like everything else we learned about that day. Mine looks kind of lame, like an alien sitting on it's knees, but it was fun/challenging.
On to ikebana, flower arranging! This was really tough too. I poked myself multiple times while trying to stick the shaft of a flower onto tiny spikes. And bending the stems just right to make them look nice took some effort too. It didn't turn out well overall, but throughout the teaching lesson, the women were all very supportive and nice. It's so pleasant here, how nice people are, even if they're lying through their teeth.
Finally, we worked on making a jewelry box out of cardboard and gluing paper with pretty designs to the outside. It turned out really nice, to be honest. I really hope it doesn't get harmed on the plane trip back. It'll be a nice gift to someone special, methinks =]
Max and I decided to follow up our Mejiro Garden trip with a little exploring in Ikebukuro, the giant section of Tokyo known for being, I dunno, generally awesome? When we got there, we were greeted with (oh yay) a festival of hundreds and hundreds of people. Street food, dancing, traditional Japanese music, and tons of performers with weird, unique outfits. While there, we hunted for about 45 minutes a specific ramen shop advertised in a brochure we got about Ikebukuro. Eventually we gave up... but on the way to the station, we found it. This place was AMAZING, and decorated like it was the Iron Chef of ramen. We soon learned that it was known for a special characteristic: the ramen they served is MIND-BOGGLINGLY SPICY. I got a 6/10 on the heatness scale on accident and mannn... We knew there was something fishy about the place when each spot to sit at was flanked by tissue boxes. Red faces, burning bellies, and more food than I could stomach, we left Ikebukuro to find an onsen hot springs in Yokohama.
We encountered a dilemma, unfortunately. Despite being a modern hot spring bath, the establishment retained a time-old rule that prohibits people with tattoos from entering. There was no way I would be able to hide my mark on my left shoulder blade, nope nope. So we trekked around Yokohama a bit, checking out Cosmo World, the amusement park-ish thing they have off the coast of the bay. Spent plenty of money trying to win UFO catcher stuff (without luck), so we decided to head back towards home. I opted to go to another area of Yokohama by myself and find other arcades where I'd be able to win stuff while Max headed home. This led to yet another adventure, as I got lost, couldn't find a 7-11 to withdraw money from, got lost again, and it started raining. WHOO.
Eventually I conceded and went back to Totsuka, just before the Taito Station arcade closed, and got to play a couple games. Always fun, and I won a figure to boot. The issue? I had to walk back in rain with drops the size of my skull. No, not literally, but that rain was HARD and had really fat drops. I was drenched to my boxers by the time I reached MISH.
The next day, I slept until 2PM. Yes, really. I knocked the hell OUT and didn't come back up. I think I might have gone somewhere afterwards... but I might have just done chores. It was my lazy day and I loved every second.
Monday was neat because we watched a 4-hour Japanese film called Love Exposure. I can't even begin to explain how awesome this movie was. It has so much WTF-ery and sillyness, but also proves to be like the Forrest Gump of Japan (in my eyes, at least). Here, go see the trailer and decide for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fxa5NuVrqU
Tuesday = delicious day. We went to a sushi place about 15-20 minutes away that blew every other place out of the water. Not necessarily because of how good it was, but because of the way in which the establishment is operated. See, you sit down at a table like normal. To one side of the table is the conveyor belt that brings around sushi that's already been made and set on plates. You pick off whatever sushi you want and they tally up the plates at the end for you to pay for. This is something found in America and nothing particularly noteworthy. However, this place had a special characteristic that made it unique. Above the table is a touchscreen, and on it is a menu of every item they serve. Nigiri, udon, tiramisu, it's all there for you to order fresh at no extra cost (which, might I add, is about $1.30 for a two-piece plate of sushi). Pretty cool, right? It gets better. Rather than delivering the sushi to you when it's done, there's a second track above the conveyor belt that is completely empty. On this track sits a platform modeled after the Shinkansen bullet train that holds four spots for sushi plates to sit. Thusly, when you order sushi fresh, they make it in the back, set it on the train, and ship it off at super-high speed directly to your table. A quick hit of the button and the train is back to the kitchen, ready for the next order. Needless to say, we were in love.
What wasn't lovely was staying up until 6AM doing Japanese homework. Can you guess what that led to? Yes, it led to me sleeping through my alarm and not waking up in time for class. AGAIN. This has led me to finally decide to drop to the lower level of Japanese. I don't want to spend my time here hating every moment I'm in my room, forced to spend completing worksheets and studying. I want to learn from the people, from the environment, and read a textbook while I'm there. Helping out the other beginners will be good to form my foundations even further, too. I think it's for the best. I just hope they let me switch down.
So what better to do when missing class? Catch up on homework further, do some reading, and go on an adventure. I spent the afternoon with the incomparable Jason fishing for my first time at the river next to the house. What an experience. The carp in this river are GIGANTIC, easily between 10 and 15 pounds, and put up a mean fight. He and I both caught 2 a piece, which we had a lot of fun de-hooking and throwing them back in. Sometimes we'd fight them up to 20 minutes, tuckering them out until they could be reeled in close. Poor guy Jason caught was snagged in the tail! How does that even happen? That bad luck. We used some squid and had a great time. We plan to go to Yokohama one of these days and fish for heavier stuff, the sort we can keep and eat. Wish us luck!
The nighttime was just as good, if not better, in the form of sushi journey #2, now with added Fion, plus Taito Station hijinks later on. This time, we got adventurous with our meals. We shared a plate of what was the Squid Carpaccio. It was a mini squid sitting on a piece of rice. It. Was. WEIRD. The texture was just... shudders everywhere. The other food was fantastic, especially for the price, but that guy was... something special. I hornswaggled her into joining me for Taito afterwards, checking out the UFO catcher machines, but more importantly, playing music games. I got tons of practice in on Pop'N while she tried out Jubeat Saucer. She's ridiculously good for being so new to the game! It's pretty nuts actually. I'm quite jealous.
We returned back to MISH, UFO prizes in tow, and I threw down (and got stomped) at the original Super Smash Bros for the N64. So strange, playing that game again. You don't realize how clunky it is until playing it so many years later.
Thursday, simple class day. Nothing special there. Oh, besides GOING TO AKIHABARA AGAIN. We went at night when everything was lit up and oh-so-cool. The only problem? Shops close at 9-10PM usually. We went around about 6 different arcades, trying out so many UFO catcher machines, and Fion won SO MANY COOL THINGS. On her own too. No self-confidence? Not anymore! I got a couple of little things that I'll be able to souvenir to my peeps back in the states. Armand was there to grab a new MP3 player since his died, so we accomplished that mission, played games till almost midnight, and headed back home with hopes of returning on a future weekend. When it's so busy, they close the streets to cars to let people shop freely. So excited.
And now there's today! I'm off to do my homestay and meet my family for the next few days. The Nakamura's, Yoko and Keichi, with 2 year-old daughter Tomomi. I'm so nervous though! I know at least Yoko-san speaks good English, so I hope we can converse more than a little. I'll be there till Sunday night, after all, so fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, also preparing for Kyoto/Nara/Osaka trip come Halloween night/beginning of November. It's gonna be one crazy trip, not to mention the money dilemma. One can only hope I can afford this without having to sell my body. @_@ Wish me luck on that front too, please.
New pictures posted, so go take a look on the flickr! Link is on the right-hand corner of the page, as usual. Also, I filled up the first album, so make sure to look through the second one too. Thanks for reading!
Really, the most interesting day of late was when we went to Mejiro Garden. It was a mandatory cultural activity, so some of us weren't exactly into it. It's not that we weren't interested in going, but a handful of us are getting tired of being forced into doing events. Regardless, the many activities at Mejiro garden were fantastic and I think the group as a whole had a blast. It started with ikebana, the art of flower arrangement, which I unfortunately missed out on watching. Why is that? Because I was randomly selected to be the male model for the kimono demonstration right afterwards! It took a full 20-25 minutes to get fitted and dressed with the help of two of the women there. I had thin white undergarments to wear first, but then was outfitted with three thick white towels that were strapped to my stomach and around my sides. Then there were layers... and layers... and layers of clothing put over me. Robes and over-robes and a final robe, all tied with various sashes. But MAN did I look like the badass. Photos are uploaded on Flickr, but not nearly enough to do the outfit justice. I definitely felt like the boss of bosses.
Afterwards was lunch with a real, full bento box. It was so interesting, the many things inside of said bento. Cucumber, rice, chicken, and many weird things I have no idea what they were. But eating this while outside in the garden itself was relaxing to the utmost degree. What followed lunch was the dividing of groups and rotating different interactive demonstrations of the arts they follow at Mejiro. First for my group was Chado, or the art of tea ceremony. All the specifics and careful way of going about the process were mesmerizing. Pictures should help a little bit with understanding this. You had to turn your bowl three times to the left and have a designated "front" face the person you are taking the bowl from. The manner in which they grind the tea powder (matcha) itself is special too. And you always make sure to thank your tea master with appropriate floor bowing, given you're always sitting on your knees, traditional Japanese style.
From there, we joined the table for caligraphy, or shado. We had our teacher, Izumi-sensei, write out our favorite kanji to base ours off of, and then attempted to recreate it on our given scraps of practice paper. Eventually, when getting good enough, we were given a board to write out the characters on for a keepsake. This was WAY more difficult than one might think. The brushes, you don't want to be too wet (like painting), but too dry and you screw up the stroke order of the kanji. It's a careful art, just like everything else we learned about that day. Mine looks kind of lame, like an alien sitting on it's knees, but it was fun/challenging.
On to ikebana, flower arranging! This was really tough too. I poked myself multiple times while trying to stick the shaft of a flower onto tiny spikes. And bending the stems just right to make them look nice took some effort too. It didn't turn out well overall, but throughout the teaching lesson, the women were all very supportive and nice. It's so pleasant here, how nice people are, even if they're lying through their teeth.
Finally, we worked on making a jewelry box out of cardboard and gluing paper with pretty designs to the outside. It turned out really nice, to be honest. I really hope it doesn't get harmed on the plane trip back. It'll be a nice gift to someone special, methinks =]
Max and I decided to follow up our Mejiro Garden trip with a little exploring in Ikebukuro, the giant section of Tokyo known for being, I dunno, generally awesome? When we got there, we were greeted with (oh yay) a festival of hundreds and hundreds of people. Street food, dancing, traditional Japanese music, and tons of performers with weird, unique outfits. While there, we hunted for about 45 minutes a specific ramen shop advertised in a brochure we got about Ikebukuro. Eventually we gave up... but on the way to the station, we found it. This place was AMAZING, and decorated like it was the Iron Chef of ramen. We soon learned that it was known for a special characteristic: the ramen they served is MIND-BOGGLINGLY SPICY. I got a 6/10 on the heatness scale on accident and mannn... We knew there was something fishy about the place when each spot to sit at was flanked by tissue boxes. Red faces, burning bellies, and more food than I could stomach, we left Ikebukuro to find an onsen hot springs in Yokohama.
We encountered a dilemma, unfortunately. Despite being a modern hot spring bath, the establishment retained a time-old rule that prohibits people with tattoos from entering. There was no way I would be able to hide my mark on my left shoulder blade, nope nope. So we trekked around Yokohama a bit, checking out Cosmo World, the amusement park-ish thing they have off the coast of the bay. Spent plenty of money trying to win UFO catcher stuff (without luck), so we decided to head back towards home. I opted to go to another area of Yokohama by myself and find other arcades where I'd be able to win stuff while Max headed home. This led to yet another adventure, as I got lost, couldn't find a 7-11 to withdraw money from, got lost again, and it started raining. WHOO.
Eventually I conceded and went back to Totsuka, just before the Taito Station arcade closed, and got to play a couple games. Always fun, and I won a figure to boot. The issue? I had to walk back in rain with drops the size of my skull. No, not literally, but that rain was HARD and had really fat drops. I was drenched to my boxers by the time I reached MISH.
The next day, I slept until 2PM. Yes, really. I knocked the hell OUT and didn't come back up. I think I might have gone somewhere afterwards... but I might have just done chores. It was my lazy day and I loved every second.
Monday was neat because we watched a 4-hour Japanese film called Love Exposure. I can't even begin to explain how awesome this movie was. It has so much WTF-ery and sillyness, but also proves to be like the Forrest Gump of Japan (in my eyes, at least). Here, go see the trailer and decide for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fxa5NuVrqU
Tuesday = delicious day. We went to a sushi place about 15-20 minutes away that blew every other place out of the water. Not necessarily because of how good it was, but because of the way in which the establishment is operated. See, you sit down at a table like normal. To one side of the table is the conveyor belt that brings around sushi that's already been made and set on plates. You pick off whatever sushi you want and they tally up the plates at the end for you to pay for. This is something found in America and nothing particularly noteworthy. However, this place had a special characteristic that made it unique. Above the table is a touchscreen, and on it is a menu of every item they serve. Nigiri, udon, tiramisu, it's all there for you to order fresh at no extra cost (which, might I add, is about $1.30 for a two-piece plate of sushi). Pretty cool, right? It gets better. Rather than delivering the sushi to you when it's done, there's a second track above the conveyor belt that is completely empty. On this track sits a platform modeled after the Shinkansen bullet train that holds four spots for sushi plates to sit. Thusly, when you order sushi fresh, they make it in the back, set it on the train, and ship it off at super-high speed directly to your table. A quick hit of the button and the train is back to the kitchen, ready for the next order. Needless to say, we were in love.
What wasn't lovely was staying up until 6AM doing Japanese homework. Can you guess what that led to? Yes, it led to me sleeping through my alarm and not waking up in time for class. AGAIN. This has led me to finally decide to drop to the lower level of Japanese. I don't want to spend my time here hating every moment I'm in my room, forced to spend completing worksheets and studying. I want to learn from the people, from the environment, and read a textbook while I'm there. Helping out the other beginners will be good to form my foundations even further, too. I think it's for the best. I just hope they let me switch down.
So what better to do when missing class? Catch up on homework further, do some reading, and go on an adventure. I spent the afternoon with the incomparable Jason fishing for my first time at the river next to the house. What an experience. The carp in this river are GIGANTIC, easily between 10 and 15 pounds, and put up a mean fight. He and I both caught 2 a piece, which we had a lot of fun de-hooking and throwing them back in. Sometimes we'd fight them up to 20 minutes, tuckering them out until they could be reeled in close. Poor guy Jason caught was snagged in the tail! How does that even happen? That bad luck. We used some squid and had a great time. We plan to go to Yokohama one of these days and fish for heavier stuff, the sort we can keep and eat. Wish us luck!
The nighttime was just as good, if not better, in the form of sushi journey #2, now with added Fion, plus Taito Station hijinks later on. This time, we got adventurous with our meals. We shared a plate of what was the Squid Carpaccio. It was a mini squid sitting on a piece of rice. It. Was. WEIRD. The texture was just... shudders everywhere. The other food was fantastic, especially for the price, but that guy was... something special. I hornswaggled her into joining me for Taito afterwards, checking out the UFO catcher machines, but more importantly, playing music games. I got tons of practice in on Pop'N while she tried out Jubeat Saucer. She's ridiculously good for being so new to the game! It's pretty nuts actually. I'm quite jealous.
We returned back to MISH, UFO prizes in tow, and I threw down (and got stomped) at the original Super Smash Bros for the N64. So strange, playing that game again. You don't realize how clunky it is until playing it so many years later.
Thursday, simple class day. Nothing special there. Oh, besides GOING TO AKIHABARA AGAIN. We went at night when everything was lit up and oh-so-cool. The only problem? Shops close at 9-10PM usually. We went around about 6 different arcades, trying out so many UFO catcher machines, and Fion won SO MANY COOL THINGS. On her own too. No self-confidence? Not anymore! I got a couple of little things that I'll be able to souvenir to my peeps back in the states. Armand was there to grab a new MP3 player since his died, so we accomplished that mission, played games till almost midnight, and headed back home with hopes of returning on a future weekend. When it's so busy, they close the streets to cars to let people shop freely. So excited.
And now there's today! I'm off to do my homestay and meet my family for the next few days. The Nakamura's, Yoko and Keichi, with 2 year-old daughter Tomomi. I'm so nervous though! I know at least Yoko-san speaks good English, so I hope we can converse more than a little. I'll be there till Sunday night, after all, so fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, also preparing for Kyoto/Nara/Osaka trip come Halloween night/beginning of November. It's gonna be one crazy trip, not to mention the money dilemma. One can only hope I can afford this without having to sell my body. @_@ Wish me luck on that front too, please.
New pictures posted, so go take a look on the flickr! Link is on the right-hand corner of the page, as usual. Also, I filled up the first album, so make sure to look through the second one too. Thanks for reading!
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