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~
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