I woke up with a fever this morning, but, as the saying goes, “A Dan’s gotta do what a Dan’s gotta do…” or something like that…

Students congregating after school, partaking in ancient rituals like eating ice cream and crepes

Cally and I took the Shinkasen to Kyoto today. Bullet Trains are awesome, because

1. They’re extremely fast
2. They have a lot of leg room, even if you’re not in a “green” or first-class car
3. They have a cool name
4. They’re free if you have a JR Pass (described in a previous post)
5. Did I mention they’re fast? They go 285 km, or about 180 miles per hour. It’s about 230 miles from Tokyo to Kyoto, and we got there in almost under two hours. 

(While trying to delete the photos on the camera that were already uploaded to the computer, I became “delete-happy” and deleted the several photos that were not yet uploaded to the computer…oops!)

If you didn’t know, Kyoto was the old capital of Japan from 794 till 1868, when Tokyo was deemed the new capital. From my understanding, it wasn’t really touched from World War II, so many temples and shrines remain: a must see if you come to Kyoto. Its layout makes it a lot more easy to get around because it’s very linear and block-like, unlike Tokyo. It’s also enclosed by mountains on the, West, North, and East sides, so they make for good reference points. They were cleaning our room at our hostel when we got here, so we left our luggage there and explored the East Side of Kyoto for a bit…Of course there was one thing that had to be taken care of first: sustenance in the form of edible (and enjoyable) food. This has been somewhat of a challenge for me both this year and last year… Allow me to explain.

So there are several types of places to eat in Japan. First up, we have this type of place, what I will refer to as Foodz A.

Foodz A arguably offers the most authentic of all the types, and can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Depending on your tastebuds and willingness to try things, you’re likely to be pleasantly surprised (if not by the food, then by the atmosphere) when visiting these types of places. The prices can vary greatly, but you’ll most likely get what you pay for.The downside to this type is potential lack of comprehension and intimidation. The storefronts for Foodz A restaurants generally look something like this (pardon the blurry image):

As you can see, it has some information on the front, but it doesn’t give you (the foreigner who doesn’t yet know 2000 kanji) much of a clue as to what they offer, how much it is, and whether or not your meal is served by a samurai master who will cut off your fingers to use for sashimi if you don’t follow correct Japanese restaurant protocol. For these reasons, I’m usually pretty intimidated by the prospect of entering these places. This is something I’ve been trying to get over in the last few days.  The problem is that many of the traditional places might not employee workers that speak English. I assume that if a Japanese restaurant doesn’t post a sign outside with at least our familiar system of numbers for prices (1,2,3 instead of lines and other kanji,) it will be much more difficult for a gaijin (foreigner) to successfully complete the experience the restaurant has to offer. Of course, I exaggerate somewhat, but some Japanese dishes are relatively involved. For example, Cally and I went to an okonomiyaki place the other night. At some okonomiyaki places, you’re the essential part of the cooking process. They bring the ingredients to your table, and you have to cook it at the hot plate, flip it, check consistency, add the appropriate sauces, etc. We had a lot of fun, but the initial task-at-hand was intimidating, until we finally reached the task-at-mouth part. 

The second type, Foodz B is a bit easier. These places are the best of both worlds, for the obvious reason exemplified in the picture below.

These places are, at least in my limited experiences, very common. If they don’t have the detailed plastic models (apparently there’s a plastic food model “district” in Tokyo somewhere where you can purchase all sorts of food models) in the window like they do in the photo above, they’ll at least have pictures so you can see what it is you have the option of eating. The upside to this is that you roughly figure out what you’ll put in your mouth. The downside is that it makes more difficult to get out of your comfort zone (as the saying goes, “Never judge a food by its plastic display model…”)

Foodz C:

Cally and I have visited Foodz C places a total of three times this trip: McDonalds for lunch (they pretty much offer the same things, if a little less, and the drinks are smaller), Denny’s for breakfast (morning menu contains a couple rice dishes, your standard fare of pancakes, french toast, waffles, eggs, though everything is twice as small than in the U.S.), and MOS Burger for dinner yesterday. These places are chain stores, either international or national, and offer a quick bite to eat. It’s your typical “go up to the counter and tell them which meal you want” deal. The food can be appetizing, but it’s probably the most comfortable type of place to eat as a foreigner. MOS Burger can only be found in Japan, and while its menu is similar to mcdonalds, the quality is a bit higher, plus they bring your fast food to the table. Excelllllenttttttt…..~

There are obviously more types than I can mention/know that exist, but those are a few general categories. If anyone who has been to Japan has a recommendation of a restaurant I have to visit… I would like to focus specifically on some awesome Japanese foods I’ve had the opportunity to try here, but I have a fever(ish) and have to catch a bullet train to Hiroshima momentarily. I’ll post more about Kyoto tonight and share some awesome pictures I took while exploring the city. Here’s a preview, below, of a Shinto shrine in Northern Kyoto we visited yesterday.

*scribbles*

bus roller coaster ride from golden pavillion 

giggly kids

sake at zen cafe

met person who worked for JET

sick

breakfast buffet

kyoto okonomiyake experience in uber-small restaurant

So, of course, the probability of running into someone that I know, in one the most populated cities in the world, is quite low…Which is why I ran into a classmate of mine from an asian art class I took at Depaul??? So Cally and I were leaving the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, until I thought I saw someone I recognized. At first, I thought there’d be no chance that it was the person I was thinking off…BUT IT WAS!!!

Here we are outside the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo. San, Ni, Ichi, sayyyy Cheeeseee!

Unfortunately, the Imperial Gardens were closed that day (closed on Mondays and Fridays) so we didn’t get to go inside. There are, however, open parks next to the gardens that we passed through. This was an incredible experience, because the few parks in Tokyo are HUGE! The image below is of the imperial grounds (where the emperor, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito, lives) and gives you an idea of the contrast of the density of Tokyo to the massive size of the parks.

Please enjoy these photos of the area:

This is a dense city? What?

This bridge used to be the main entrance to the Imperial Grounds. It's not accessible, for there are serious-looking guards standing at a closed door.

The moat surrounding the Imperial Grounds. Japanese Moat Monsters lie beneath...

Businessman enjoying a bike ride through the park.

Tomorrow: Kyooooooto bliss! and Hunting for Food: A Foreigners Perspective.

*scribbles*

Baby Cyclops figures at K’S House in Tokyo

Softness of everything in Japan

Fun with english words

Okonomiyaki – Hiroshima style and Osaka style

Awesome Zen Cafe at Ks House Kyoto

random government workers standing around “guarding” a random area, e.g. a water fountain

why some girls choose to dress up in kimono (as opposed to a regular dress) and others dont

apparent honor taken even in such seemingly insignificant jobs

The difficult thing about blogging is choosing what to write about and what not to write about, since there’s only so much one can blog about. Because of this, in each post, I will write one somewhat detailed description of an event or place, then will have a “scribble” section with quasi-notes about things that were still significant (or just plain humorous,) and so if I feel it necessary, I can blog about it at a later time…Yes! On with the show…..i mean, er… blog…shog? 

My hostel, KsHouse, relative to Shibuya, Southwest of my hostel

So Cally and I went to Shibuya last night (Sunday.) Shibuya is easily recognizable, at least by night, by its bright lights, overpopulation, and constant colliding into people. Yes, people collisions. I felt like I needed walking insurance! First, if you didn’t know this already, Tokyo is one of the densest cities in the world. Secondly, I think it’s safe to say, at least for the residents of Tokyo, that the Japanese love lights and technology. Thirdly, there are not just vertical and horizontal crosswalks, but also diagonal crosswalks. Fourthly, the bicyclists ride on the sidewalks; no, they don’t walk their bikes either: they ride them, sometimes, at near-Lance Armstrong speeds! They inevitably get so close to you, that their coats brush up against you. Despite these facts, I haven’t been hit yet. They’re very skilled at giving you a heart-attack, but equally skilled at weaving through people without collision. This would definitely be an accomplishment in some less populated place like Chicago, but to successfully do this in Tokyo: you have to be a Grand Master…Most of the collisions occur from pedestrian-to-pedestrian.

Shibuya was quite exciting, though. It contains what’s considered to be the busiest intersection in the world. This is exemplified in the video I took last night, below.

Shibuya is considered the hotspot for the japanese youth, as there’s all types of shopping, places to eat, anime stores, love hotels…it pretty much has it all, including part of the kitchen sink. 

I’m not a shopping aficionado by any means, but I must say that seeing the stores in Tokyo is a unique experience, and proceeding into the stores and walking around is an even more intense experience. There’re employees of every assortment standing everywhere. Of course you have your salesman who are happy to assist you in emptying your wallet, but there also employees who just stand in a single place with a microphone rapidly-firing Japanese (about what, I’m not exactly sure, because I don’t understand most of it at this point…) In fact, *cookie* started to play with a laptop, and within one second, an employee started to recite what seemed like a 1000 page (per-chapter) novel, at a rate of 1000 pages per 7 minutes. *cookie* was already captured, so there was nothing I could do for her, but there was still time for me. I quickly relocated my 10-4, and viewed the battle from a distance. 5 minutes (714 pages) later, I decided to go on a rescue mission and save Cally. I fired a quick “sumimasen” (excuse me) and got her out. Success! Most stores seem to be like this, especially in the technology assortment… So the shopping experience is quite intense, but at the same time, I respect the fact that they all put so much effort toward the jobs and give you attention. This applies not only in department stores and mid-size stores, but small stores, and even booths set up on the streets. Walking through Ueno Park the other day, I noticed an old lady working behind a small food cart. As she greeted and served the curious customers, I couldn’t help but recognize the smile on her face as she served the people. She genuinely seemed to enjoy her job, despite the fact that it just a small 6 foot food cart-on-wheels set up in a park. I was greatly moved by this, as it reminded me that interacting with people is where I receive the most contentment in life. This is one of the qualities I enjoy most about Japan. Even in such a highly populated

and fast-paced area as Tokyo, I still witness, at least to my eyes, social harmony. I’ve read that the Japanese place strong emphasis on this. Please don’t misunderstand me; I really enjoy Americans in general, I think there’s a great sincerity in the way we function in our social lives. However, I think the Japanese have something very special to offer, too. The emphasis seems to be more on working as a group rather than the individual. In the parks, you tend to see many groups of friends doing various activities, such as playing guitars together,  juggling soccer balls, and, of course, the Japanese Elvis groups in Yoyogi I think this is a beautiful aspect of human nature that we should focus on facilitating more. 

I’d like to write more on Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku…Another entry tonight. For now, we must explore more of Tokyo, since this is our last full day here: we leave for Kyoto tomorrow. さようなら！

*scribbles*

7 year old singing songs and playing guitar in Yoyogi – very inspiring

what do you do with an egg in a bowl?

getting over intimidation of language barrier

clean, inhabitable allies

pachinko

sinks that have one faucet for soap-dispensing, the other for water

australian lingo – “shredders” – kids/people who “tear it up”

japanese fascination with the old in a city that is known for focusing on new

distractions?

bathroom hallways at japanese airport

japanese denny’s – button to call waiter

japanese words heard all the time – sou desu ne. sou desu. hai hai hai hai hai. sugoi, sugoi!!

love hotels on side streets

wendies, subway, starbucks, kentucky fried chicken, mcdonalds,

Japan. Nuff said

We’ve arrived and survived without any scars, though not without quite a bit of jet lag, which is the reason I am posting this late (sorry!) I think the jet lag must be due to the fact that we didn’t consume a few drinks and participate in Karaoke, as I did the last time I was here (which left me with no jet lag at all!) 

Things went smoothly at the airport. We pulled 30,000 yen from the ATM, picked up our rail passes at the JR office, and each bought a train ticket to get to the hostel. Transportation is equally awesome as it is confusing. You have many options, and they’re all very efficient. However, all the options lead to a lot of confusion. To get to our hostel, we had to take the Narita Express from the airport to the Aoto stop, then transfer to the Toei Asakusa line on the same platform that we got off. At least, these were the directions provided to us from our hostel. Well, we waited for this Toei line to come, but we never saw any trains that said said Toei, Asakusa, or combinations of. So, after waiting for about 30 minutes and seeing 3 of the same trains pass by multiple trains, I decided we should just get on one of the trains that looked like it stopped where we wanted. So we took a risk, but it all worked out. Anyway.

Yesterday was our first full day (yesterday being Saturday in Japan…right now, it’s about 11:00 am Sunday, Nov 30, where in Chicago it’s about 8:00 pm, Saturday, Nov 29) I familiarized Cally with the area around our hostel (an area I was familiar with from last year) and we walked to Senso-Ji (just down the block from our hostel). This is Senso-Ji and some random female who decided to smile at my camera . Senso-Ji is Tokyo’s oldest temple, constructed in 645 AD for Kannon, the Boddhisatva of Compassion. When you first enter the Torii (gate to the temple,) you pass through the gauntlet of stores selling all sorts of goods from crackers to swords.

Next stop was: Ueno park . I’ve blogged about this in the past, so feel free to check out the this post

Today’s Menu

Yoyogi Park – Japanese Elvises and Japanese Punk and Rock bands

Harajuku

Akihabara 

Another update tonight!

So, as any good traveler should do, I wrote a list of things that I need to take… I’m sure I’m missing something… Something I’m still trying to figure out is what the best way to get JPY converted from my dollar. Last year I just used an ATM when I arrived at the airport. This doesn’t seem like a bad option; TCF charges 3% + $3.00 dollars. I’ve looked at a few currency exchanges in Chicago, but most seem to be ruthless! Ruthless, I say!!!! 

List 1.0 by Dan L.

1. Passport
2. Drivers license
3. 2 copies of each, one set to be taken with, the other to be left at the apartment in a safe, known place.
4. Wallet/cards
5. Printout/ copies of flight reservations
6. JR pass exchange order
7. Contacts/glasses 
7. Fearless and insatiable appetite for learning

Must haves
1. 1 large luggage
2. 1 small/carry on plane and around city backpack
3. Clothes- 20 F to 60 f degree weather . Hat, gloves, scarf. Sleepwear/pair of shorts. No holy socks. 1 suit/formal attire in case of concert, etc
4. Travel shampoo/soap
5. Shaving shtuff
6. Towels
7. Hankerchef
8. Camera/rechargable batteries and charger/ mem cards/ camera cable
9. Laptop
10. Deodorant
11. Toothbrush/paste
12. 3 prong – 2 prong converter
13. Map to hostel
14. iPod cable

Probably should-haves
1. Compass
2. Maps
3. Language book/ dictionary
4. Notepad for observations
5. Mp3 player/ iPod
6. Pencil+pen

Am I missing something? Anybody?

I know I said that I would post a “Part 2″ of the sources I use to study Japanese, but unfortunately I’ve become ill in the last day, and want to rest up as much as possible since I leave in just under 34 hours. Please check for a post tomorrow evening, though~

I am currently sitting on my bed, trying to confidently increase my skills of the Japanese language. This is part of my daily routine, but as trip back to Japan is only a few days away, I’ve pushed my learning pedal with a little more force, in hopes that I’ll be able to test out my (very limited, but never-the-less) awesome grammatical, symbolic, and general conversational abilities. When I traveled there last year, I had no idea about most aspects of the language, including the basics of proper pronunciation; I was incredibly naive. This trip, for sure, will be a lot more interactive and educational, even with my minimal knowledge of the language (for those of you who don’t know, Japanese takes a while to learn, unless you already speak it, in which case you probably still haven’t fully learned the essentials of the language yet, or so they say…) For those who are currently learning Japanese, we’re very fortunate for all the sources we have to study, provided we have a computer, internet connection, and hands with operative fingers. Here are my references I’ve been using throughout my journey of the learning Japanese that have been part of my daily study…

in no particular order…

For the Language

1. Japanesepod101.com

I owe it to JapanesePod101.com. This was the first reference I started using in my studies of Japanese before my first trip to Japan in Nov. 2000. Even if you’re not serious about learning the language, I recommend this site/podcast because it simply makes one feel good listening to it~

There are many awesome things about JapanesePod101.com . It’d be impossible to address them all here, but I’ll give you a few highlights. It’s set up in a quasi talk show format, which gives it this casual feel to it, making it a lot more entertaining to listen to than your typical language cd set. It’s professionally produced, so the voices are clear as is the content they’re trying to get across…but not so produced where it sounds, well, overproduced. Depending on the episode, you’ll hear different people, but there will always be at least one native japanese speaker, and a native english-speaking host. There are podcasts for all skill levels, and they’re all free… However, if you’re serious about learning the language, I’d recommend getting the basic subscription, which, for 3 months total, I’m paying 14 dollars. The basic subscription gives you access to PDF file for each lesson, which includes a transcript of the lesson, the vocabulary covered, and additional information not noted in the podcast. The premium subscription gives you access to a lot more; however, most of the additional premium features can be found elsewhere on the web for free…JPD101 also works through iTunes, so I have my iPod filled with a lot of lessons that I can listen to while walking, commuting, etc…The only warning I give is that you use this as a solid supplement, rather than your primary source of learning the language. I recommended a textbook (such as the one mentioned below) if you’re self-studying Japanese, because, for example, JPD101 doesn’t teach you the hiragana or katakana in their podcasts, and many other elementary aspects of the language…But aside from that, it’ll make a fun, entertaining, informative supplement to your everyday training: I’ve been using it for about a year now. Check it out! …….JapanesePod101.com - Highly Recommended

2. Elementary Japanese – by Yoko Hasegawa

Elementary Japanese has been the primary text I’ve been using to study the language. I’ve looked at a couple other texts before, and this has been the most superior in my opinion (I think I may have even converted a professor at DePaul University to use this book for her classes..) The format is excellent! Each chapter begins with a cartoon-box-style dialogue that introduce grammar and vocabulary to be covered in the rest of the chapter. You can listen to these dialogues and more on the accompanying CD. The dialog is then provided in a line-by-line format, translated into English, and then you are provided with special remarks, such as exceptions to what you’ve been taught previously, etc. The chapter continues by covering the grammar used in the dialog, as well as provides small examples of each individual grammar point. After the grammar is covered, various exercises and quizzes are provided to use either with yourself, or with another. The end of each chapter provides the vocabulary learned. 

3. 250 Essential Kanji for Everyday Use – by University of Tokyo Kanji Text Research Group

I haven’t used this text in great length, yet, but I’ve gone through the first 2 chapters. The great thing about the book is its practicality. It provides you 250 of the most common kanji (Japanese symbols representing a complete object or idea) used in Japan, and does so in a concise manner. As the title says, the book provides examples for situations that you would encounter in a typical week living in Japan, such as eating out, shopping, going to the post office, etc. The format is simple. The first page of a chapter shows a photographic taken in Japan (for example, the first chapter shows a photo of food for sale at a store.) The next section translates the meaning of the each set of kanji shown in the picture. Then, each kanji is displayed singly and the various meanings of the kanji are provided, as well as the strokes involved in writing the kanji. That’s pretty much it to this one~ It’s very practical, and the real-life photos make this an exciting way to learn kanji. 

That’s it for today. Tomorrow I will cover the mostest awesomest of the awesomer than the awesome Japanese learning dictionaries there is…plus will mention a few books and websites I’ve been using to learn about historical and modern Japanese society. 

おやすみなさい

In my regular check of Japanese News websites, I found a semi-interesting article with interesting stats on tourism in Japanese. As expected, more asians travel to Japan than do Europeans or Americans. However, I was surprised to hear that, in 2007, America beat out Europe in visits to Japan, 12.2% Americans to 10.5% Europeans. I’ve always thought of Europeans as being more avid and fearless explorers since it’s relatively easy for them to travel to another country just by taking a short train ride, which, I think, would increase their interest and desire to explore the rest of the world. Most of the Europeans I’ve talked to either at university, online, or during my travels, have exuded this curiosity in the rest of the world that I don’t see as often in America…Of course, I’m not including economical reasons for these figures, but I was still surprised to hear this. 

“Until recently, the campaign seemed to be working. The number of foreign travelers steadily increased from 5.2 million in 2003 to 8.3 million in 2007. Of the visitors in 2007, South Koreans comprised the biggest group, accounting for 31.2 percent of all inbound travel, followed by Taiwanese (16.6 percent), Chinese (11.3 percent) and Americans (9.8 percent). Altogether, visitors from the rest of Asia made up nearly three quarters of all arrivals, while North Americans accounted for 12.2 percent and Europeans 10.5 percent.” (source: Japan Times,Japan looks beyond tourism’s ‘Golden Route’ http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20081123x1.html) 

The article talks about the recent drop in visitors to Japan due to the uncertainty of the economy… I say, if the economy is going to rubbish, why not take a trip to Japan and enjoy it while you still can?

In other news…Thanks to the the American financial crisis, I paid 1.92/gallon for gas last night on the way back from my concert  

That is Daisetsusan National Park, in Hokkaido… Cally and I would love to go there, but where to stay? Where to stay????? It would also mean we’d have to bring additional winter clothing since the weather can get extremely cold… 

4 more days!

My laptop and I are together again! Since they had to replace the hard drive and give me a new one, I have nothing on this current one except the O.S. and programs I’ve been putting back on, since it’s a new hard drive, but fortunately I had all the important stuff backed up onto an external, previously…I’m really tired, for I have been working my butt off doing random jobs to save up more money for the trip to be financially comfortable over in the Land of This Country Costs Too Much Money to Visit and to not come back broke… Hopefully a percussion audition will magically open up while I’m there and I’ll take it and win it, get a secure job in Japan with great benefits, and will never have to worry about money again!…right… back to reality. 

Anyway, I’m too tired for a full-out post tonight, but I will post a postette! Yes, a postette! 

Did you know that Japan has… TREES????? (or, in other words, I’ll have a more substantive post in the next day or two, I promise…but for now, enjoy these pictures I took in Kyoto last November. A picture is worth a thousand words, but it’s worth even more to the imagination)

I hope you enjoyed this postette!