A big part of the Japanese diet is fish, the Japanese people love all sorts of fish. One of the main ways to eat fish is raw. Sashimi is raw fish that can be eaten without worrying about parasites or food poisoning. Sashimi is often used in sushi, or can just be eaten plain.
Because the Japanese people love fish, it is one of the cheaper thins in the super market. Whole fillets are usually less than $10, and there is a great selection.
A few JCMU students and I were getting hungry one night, so we decided to go out and get some sashimi for dinner. Here's the result:
Here we have Maguro (fatty tuna), salmon, and octopus
Kouri wanted a picture with the octopus before we cut it up.
All of this is only about half of what we bought for $30. It was absolutely delicious. Usually there is some "Shoyuu" (soy-sauce) in another dish, mixed with "wasabi" (spicy horse-radish). The wasabi gives the fish a spicy kick that clears the sinuses. All-in-all it is a great way to get some cheap protien in the starch-filled Japanese diet.
The weekend before Tokyo I had some spare time, so I decided I was going to try climbing the local mountian of Tarobou. There is a shrine built on the mountian overlooking the plains and I thought it would be a great place to see.
The mountain is only a few blocks from where I'm staying. I could've easily walked there in 15 minutes, but because it was getting somewhat late I decided to take my bike. Anyway, once I got there I could tell this wasn't going to be a simple stroll up a hill.
There were a few hunderd stairs to get to the top, and the local legend is that if you can climb to the shrine 100 times in a day you recieve the powers of the diety enshrined there. Once was enough for me.
The climb was very scenic, wooded hills with stone statues lining the stone steps. Wooden gateways were placed the entire way up to the shrine with names written on the posts, it was all very beautiful.
At the top the view was gorgeous, it was hard to get a good picture because of the shaded foreground, but I tried my best.
The sun was just about to set as I reached the bottom again. The rice fields were beautiful.
There are many more pictures to be had at Tarobo, so don't be surprised if I end up writing another post later.
Typhoons in Japan are just about the same as Hurricanes in the US, lots of wind, rain, general suspense for the impending storm.
My host mother got a call from the home-stay coordinator Tuesday evening saying that I had to return to JCMU dorms for a few days because of the storm. Sometimes during Typhoons the trains run late, and it would be difficult to bike in strong winds. I packed a few clothes and started my commute as usual Wednesday morning.
Wednesday evening I had Taiko practice with another JCMU student, so we geared up in our rain-jackets and rain-pants and got on our bikes and headed towards the cultural center about 15 minutes away. On the way there, we pass a few bars, all of which were packed with Japanese University students because their classes were canceled.
After about 2 hours at Taiko, we headed back in heavier rain with some strong wind gusts, but nothing serious. Stores had boarded up their windows, and most shops were closed, except for the bars. The bars were still hopping with students.
The strongest part of the Typhoon was set to hit Hikone at 3am. The wind was howling all night long, but I slept soundly. The next day in class we could still see heavy rain and the trees blowing in the wind, however everything was still standing and nothing had collapsed or flooded. On my way back to my home-stay I saw a few wind-swept trees and some signs had blown over, but nothing serious.
All-in-all my first Typhoon was a fun experience. Now, because of the Typhoon, we have superb weather and I got a good story.
During the morning commute I get somewhat sleepy, so earlier this week I decided to go to "Biwako Coffee" for a quick cup of coffee before class. I assumed that Biwako coffee would be like every other coffee shop I've been to, so I walked up to the register and waited for somone to take my order.
While I was standing there I realized that the store looked kind of odd, there was no Starbucks-style menu behind the register, and I couldn't find the prices of coffee anywhere. It wasn't until the cook behind his grill motioned for me to sit down at a table that I realized this wasn't an every-day coffee shop for people on-the-go.
With about 20 minutes until my class started, I didn't have time to take a leasuirely breakfast. The waiter came up and seemed very excited to have an American in his resturant... I tried to explain that I just wanted coffee, but he motioned quite passionatly to the "Full-service breakfast", so for the sake simplicity I just ordered toast and coffee and counted the minutes as they passed.
With about 10 minutes until my class, the waiter brought not only my toast and coffee, but also a salad and hard-boiled egg. "Crap!" I thought, "I don't have time for this". I must've looked absolutely absurd trying to down my food (maybe thats where other countries get their image of fat Americans), and make it to class on-time.
5 minutes to go, I finished, practically ran to the cashier, paid, stammered my thanks and ran out the door. I made it to JCMU with a few minutes left; out of breath, but quite satisfied.
I took a lot of pictures in the Imperial gardens, so I thought I'd share some:
A large plaza within the gardens -- Right behind the building a Kendo (Japanese Sword Fighting) practice was going on, we could heard the "CLACK" of wooden swords and the yells required during Kendo matches
The second day we decided to go to Ueno park, a pleasant park with the oldest zoo in Japan, baseball fields, street musicians, and lots of people. We went to the zoo hoping to see the panda there, however, apparently the panda died in 2007. It was disappointing to learn, however we saw sea otters:
Tigers:
... and the Polar bears seemed to mock us:
Anyway, after the zoo we had a chance to go to the Natural History museaum. We thought that like any major international museum they would have all the placards in English; we were wrong. Even if we couln't understand the explainations of the exhibits, they were still interesting.
They had a really cool exhibit on the evolution of life. Starting from the center there were embedded lights in the floor representing the different lines of evolution. Each line divided like brances on a tree and eventually ended at the wall of the ovular room. The walls in the room contained specimins of all types of life on the planet, representing the result of the evolutionary line that led to it.
After that they had another intriguing exhibit on cellular biology that was surprisingly accurate. There were movies showing complex biological processes (DNA relication, lipid bi-layers and transport, ATP synthesis) using anthropomorphized ogranelles, enzymes, and protiens. Everything had eyes and arms, but it was very well done.
This wasn't the cute representation of the cell, but it was cool nonetheless
And there was a rocket launcher.
Next it was on to Akihabara (Aki-ha-bara), the electronics district known for its large department stores, eclectic clientel, and French-maid cafes. We got off the train station and started looking for the main department stores. We saw a crowded alley and decided that was probably the best way to go.
The alley was just a taste of what Akihabara had to offer; instead of big-label items (TVs, computers, expensive cameras) the small stores were selling things more up my alley (no pun intended): plugs, adapters, security cameras, spools of wire, soldering irons, etc. I could've spent a good 3 hours just in that alley alone.
After flowing with the crowd for awhile (As a side note, you don't walk in Tokyo, its more like swimming) we were deposited onto a main street lined with the large department stores and buzzing with people. On each street corner there was at least one french-maid handing out flyers for their respective cafe.
Besides electronics, Akihabara is known for its unique dining. The main attraction is the maid-cafes where all the waitresses are dressed as french maids and give the impression that they are your servant. Its a somewhat strange buisness but Tokyo is a strange place so it works. Also you can find "Neko-cafes" (cat-cafes) where you and your cat can both find a meal.
We toured through a few department stores and didn't find a whole lot. Many of the electronics are made for the American market, with everything in English. Because its such a touristy place, I found that the prices were much higher than if you found a Japanese version. I could find Japanese-made electronics in America for about the same price.
Next on our itenerary we walked over to "Ochanomizu" (The Tea's water literally) the music district that is somewhat of an offshoot of Akihabara. The entire road was lined with stores whose windows were filled with guitars, trumpets, saxophones, chellos, etc.
One of my friends came to Tokyo purposefully to buy a classical guitar. However, only one store on the street specialized in Classical Guitars, all the rest marketed towards electric instruments. We had to go through at least 4 stores before we found the one that carried what we was looking for.
While looking for that one store, we passed many stores that were selling home theater equipment: Amplifiers, speakers, turntables... I was in heaven. There were boxes of circuit boards for a few cents. If only we weren't looking for a guitar, I would've had time to maybe find some new equipment and have it shipped back home.
Earlier in the day, our large group (9 people) had split up. Some of us went to the museum and Akihabara, while the other group took their time in Ueno park. After finding the guitar, it was about time to meet up in Shibuya for dinner, so we hopped on the train and made our way towards Shibuya.
Getting out of the train station my mouth was on the ground. When you think of Tokyo, the images that come to mind are of Shibuya; A solid mass of people passing through a single intersection with the steady drone of TV-billboard advertising in the background.
We were supposed to meet the other group by the "Hachiko" statue. Hachiko was a dog who was incredibly loyal to its master, a quality that the Japanese people greatly admire. Hachiko was so loyal, that he waited for his master at the train station every day, so that when his master got off the train they would walk home together. Even after his master died of a heart attack at work, Hachiko waited for his master every day until the day he died. Richard Gere just made a movie of the story named "Hachiko: A Dog's Story".
Anyway, we met up with the other group, and went for dinner afterwards. After dinner it was time to find the yakko-bus once again and head home. Before we left though, we found some Korean tourists to snap a picture of us:
We hopped on the bus and rode into the night, leaving the neon-glow of Tokyo behind us.
I aplogize for the "wall of text", but I didn't snap many pictures of Tokyo. Most of it was boring cityscape, so I wasn't paying attention for good picture opportunities. What few pictures I did snap I'll try and dispurse thoughout the story to break up the bland words.
About 2 weeks ago it was "Silver Week" here in Japan. Silver Week is a group of holidays celebrating the elderly, the people of Japan, and the summer equinox. Because everyone had off, 9 of us decided to explore Tokyo for the 5-day weekend.
There are a few options for getting from Hikone to Tokyo. The most direct route is to take the "Shinkansen" (bullet train) from "Maibara" (a town that's only a few train stops away from Hikone). The shinkansen takes about 3 hours, and gives a great, albeit quick, view of the Japanese countryside. The only downside is that its ~$130 each way.
The other option is to take the "Yakkoo-basu" (night bus), which will land you in Tokyo at approx. 5:30am after a 7-8 hour bus ride. This option is obviously cheaper (at about 1/2 the cost of the shinkansen), but for a couple of reasons. Everyone is trying to fall asleep in a hot, cramped bus for 8 hours during the middle of the night.
Being the college students that we were, we decided on the cheap route. Because it was Silver Week, all the buses from Hikone were booked; instead, we found a bus leaving from Kyoto (fairly easy/cheap to get to by train) at 10:15pm and would arrive in Tokyo around 6:00am.
Our group was large, so we were placed in separate buses: 6 in one bus, and 3 in the other. We are on our own for communication. No one on the bus speaks English -- all we have is our limited Japanese skills. 2 of my friends and I climb on to our bus, and shortly after sitting down, the conductor walks up to us and motions that we are in the wrong seats. Thoroughly embarrassed, we grabed our stuff and move to were we were supposed to be sitting.
After a fitful night of cramped quarters, few stops, and almost no sleep, we got to Tokyo. We were all a little bit hazy because we had just been wakened up, but the conductor said "Tokyo -- Shinjuku" (a district of Tokyo) so we got off.
What we had forgotten is that the bus was going to make 3 stops in Tokyo: one at Shinjuku, one at Tokyo train station, and one in Ueno (another district). The other group remembered to get off at the Train station like we had agreed beforehand, so first thing in the morning (around 6am) in Tokyo we were separated halfway across one of the busiest cities in the world.
The Subway map for Tokyo
The first thing that struck me once we got off the bus is how empty the city seemed. I'm not sure if it was because of the vacation weekend or if because it was so early, but there was hardly anyone around. Shinjuku seemed like a business district, with some tall buildings and wide plazas, so perhaps it was because all the "Sarariiman" (Salary-men) were visiting relatives.
Luckily for the lost foreigners in Tokyo, each group had at least one person with a phone so we could call each other. We asked where the larger group was, and they answered "In a Starbucks in Tokyo train station". That seemed easy enough, so the 3 of us hopped on the subway (Very very convenient and relatively cheap), and after about 20 minutes we were walking through Tokyo train station.
Once we say the inside of the station we realised it would be harder than it first seemed. There was an entire shopping mall beneath the train station. Oddly enough all the stores were closed, but it was staggering at how far it went on. Shop after shop of clothes, snacks, games, restaurants, gifts; it was all in the the basement of the train station.
We stopped and asked for directions to he Starbucks, but the mall was so big that the employees didn't even know what we were talking about. We ended up having to walk for at least 15 minutes (without leaving the train station) to get to the other side of the station to find our friends. Once reunited, we stopped for a quick breakfast in Starbucks.
After some much-needed coffee and a muffin, we met up with Keichiro. Keichiro was a Teacher's Assistant at Kalamazoo College, where many of the group was from. Keichiro (or 'K' for short) acted as our Tour guide in Tokyo, and without him our trip would have been a mess. With his knowledge of the train system, the general layout of the city, and good places to see, he single-handedly made our trip.
After meeting K we decided to visit the Imperial Gardens. We got there right before the gardens opened at 9:00am, so we were just about the first people in. If you ever find yourself in Tokyo, the Imperial Gardens are a great place to go (... its free).
For being such a cramped city, the imperial gardens were incredibly spacious. Its hard to describe what the gardens are like, everything had a feel of 'designed nature'. Each 'scene' in the gardens was constructed in a way that left it looking natural, but if you looked hard, you could sense a human touch.
A good example of this would be "Bonsai" trees. Bonsai are ordinary trees that are kept unnaturally small by constant pruning and attention. The art is in that each tree looks like a miniature version of the real thing. This isn't to say that the imperial gardens were miniature, quite the contrary, I'm just using this as an example feel of the gardens.
After the gardens we took a brief trip to Shinjuku (where earlier, we mistakenly got off the bus), to visit the Tokyo Metro Government Building. Its one of the most noticable objects in the Tokyo skyline and the observation level is free for anyone who would like a great view of the city.
Next was lunch, and then on to Hara-juku. Unbeknownst to me, Hara-juku is a cutting-edge fashion district that sets trends around the world. Immediately stepping off of the train you see that people think of clothes in a different way in Hara-juku.
Unfortunately this is not my picture, but its not far off from what I saw.
Its a central spot for an odd mish-mash of fashions that you can't see anywhere else. I found goths, French-maids, anime characters, cos-play and any other number of fashions unique to Tokyo. The main alleyway was wall-to-wall with people. I was swept up in the sea of people.
I had to walk however quickly the people next to me were walking because there was no room to maneuver around. You went where everyone else went until you could find space enough to switch directions.
Like the options in getting to Tokyo, there are many places to stay once you're in Tokyo, ranging from the Luxury Hotels all the way down to the 'capsule hotels'. We decided beforehand to find the cheapest possible place to stay for our one night. Through some other friends who were also going to Tokyo, we found this hotel that would give you a capsule for 2000 yen a night (~$20).
This was great for us college students, we're always trying to save a few dollars where we can. However, there is definably a reason capsule hotels are the cheapest option.
All we got was enough space to sleep, everything else was shared. Toilets, sinks, baths, what little free space that was available was shared with the other tennants. We dropped off all of our stuff that we had been carrying all day and changed for dinner / karaoke.
That night we had "Kaiten Zushsi" (round-about sushi) for dinner. The premise is a conveaour belt of sushi that the customer's sit around and pick only which sushi they want. Each plate is about a dollar, and you can order specialties from the chef. Its somewhat hard to explain so I took a video:
After dinner we went to a karaoke bar, and then directly to bed. We all slept soundly because we had been on our feet for about 17 hours.
