Throughout this trip I have learned so much about my self and Japanese language and culture. The first week opened my eyes to lots of Japanese history and modern life and infrastructure. The temples and shrines were simply amazing, and it was interesting to see the religions Japan embraces. It was interesting to make connections between current Japanese life and these religions, and see how Japanese people continue to embrace these religions today. At the Kumamoto Castle and National Museum I learned a lot about Japanese history, and in some cases how it connects to current life. In the first week, I also was able to try so many types of amazing foods, and open myself to new experiences.
The second week impacted me in that I was able to meet so many people, and reconnect with some of the students I had met in Chicago. I was able to apply my Japanese in so many ways and learn tons of new useful phrases. These experiences elevated my wish to continue learning Japanese throughout my life, and continue to connect with people by doing so. Japanese school opened my mind to different education techniques and taught me lots about Japanese culture. The time with the host family was wonderful. They were so kind and caring towards me and welcomed me into their lives. They taught me about their lifestyles and lots of Japanese. I know the friendships we formed will last a lifetime.
Overall this experience has opened my mind to a culture I have been interested for almost all my life. It allowed to really connect with the culture and take so much of it in. I am so thankful to Sensei Yokota and Sensei VanKrey for taking us on this experience and teaching us so much. I am so thankful towards Kaito, Itsuka, and Mayumi for welcoming me into their lives. I can not wait to return to Japan.
Goodbyes and Thank You
Day 15 - 11.19.14
We had an early morning, I felt bad because somehow with my sleeping I slept through the alarm and Kaito had to get me up. For breakfast we had Chinese style tofu and soup with cabbage and pork. After we eat breakfast we took some more photographs and headed off to the station.
Kaito, Itsuka, and Kaito's mother Mayumi all came to the train station with me to bid me farewell. It was very said saying goodbye, but I look forward to seeing them again in the future.
After bidding farewell, we head off to the airport by Shinkansen, and then head home on the airplane.
KJ Day 3 and Delicious Meals
Day 14 - 11.18.14
I woke up today and had rice, fish, and soup for breakfast. After breakfast it was get ready for school, and head off. A thirty minutes ride to school is quite short compared to the two hours through four systems of transport some of my classmates have, but it still feels kind of far, much further than ETHS feels from my house. On the way everyday Kaito studies. I look out the window, talk, or sleep.
School was interesting today. First period was English grammar. It was interesting again to learn some Japanese backwards, however today the class was much more English based as they were going over longer passages in English.
Second period we went to the gym to do Judo. I was lucky one of Kaito's friends who I knew from him coming to Chicago last year, lent me his judogi, or judo uniform. This was interesting as it was a very structured gym class with every exercise led by the teacher. We started with warm ups and then moved into more intense moves with partners. We even did two types of flips where one of the partners bodies slammed down on the mat. It didn't hurt as I suspected but was moderately difficult.
Third period was house economics, the class was almost entirely and pretty difficult for me to understand. I gathered they were looking at photo books on how to teach children to go to the bathroom and also what various children say and do at different ages. It is interesting they are teaching this to all seventeen year olds, already preparing them for parenthood.
Fourth period, we went to a first year English class. It was fun meeting this enthusiastic English students and communicating with them.
After lunch, we played badminton and table tennis again.
For the next two periods, we could sign up for an activity and do it. I chose calligraphy. This class is very interesting. When we get there, the students all set to work on their stone stamps. They are carving seal script (a special older type of Japanese writing) stamps. Everyone is very silent and quietly working. The sensei teaches us some characters and shows us how to practice them. It takes a lot of practice but is very interest the focus in detail.
After the calligraphy class we attend one last class which is Classical Japanese. We do more work on the poems, but today we make visualization a of the poems. I have some fun drawing pictures and practicing writing out the poem in a more stylized way. I choosing the visuals to represent it one has to really think about what these visuals will represent in the poem and it is an opening experience.
After school we go to the AHR, the after school home room of our students. Here we each give a short speech thanking the class. It caused a bit of a panic in myself and others when we find out we have to give these speeches only ten minutes before we give them. Although there is so much more that I wanted to say, I am very happy with the what I said. I surprised myself with what I said even though I did stumble quite a bit.
After these speeches we had a farewell party. This was fun, we took lots of pictures, saw a magic show, and had some food. It is sad to know we are heading home and leaving KJ though.
After the party I go back to Kaito's grandparents (his mothers parents house). We have some oden, which is a Japanese dish made of egg, and various vegetables boiled. They give me good luck charms and a dessert as gifts for me and my family. I also get to see Kaito's grandfathers trophy room, all his flower growing trophies. There are so many! It is an awesome traditional Japanese room with all his trophies. The flowers outside the house are truly beautiful and throughout the trip I ate some radish, grapes, and broccoli that he grew. When we leave again, we follow Kaito's family tradition of delivering high fives as we drive off and waving to the end of the street.
I woke up today and had rice, fish, and soup for breakfast. After breakfast it was get ready for school, and head off. A thirty minutes ride to school is quite short compared to the two hours through four systems of transport some of my classmates have, but it still feels kind of far, much further than ETHS feels from my house. On the way everyday Kaito studies. I look out the window, talk, or sleep.
School was interesting today. First period was English grammar. It was interesting again to learn some Japanese backwards, however today the class was much more English based as they were going over longer passages in English.
Second period we went to the gym to do Judo. I was lucky one of Kaito's friends who I knew from him coming to Chicago last year, lent me his judogi, or judo uniform. This was interesting as it was a very structured gym class with every exercise led by the teacher. We started with warm ups and then moved into more intense moves with partners. We even did two types of flips where one of the partners bodies slammed down on the mat. It didn't hurt as I suspected but was moderately difficult.
Third period was house economics, the class was almost entirely and pretty difficult for me to understand. I gathered they were looking at photo books on how to teach children to go to the bathroom and also what various children say and do at different ages. It is interesting they are teaching this to all seventeen year olds, already preparing them for parenthood.
Fourth period, we went to a first year English class. It was fun meeting this enthusiastic English students and communicating with them.
After lunch, we played badminton and table tennis again.
For the next two periods, we could sign up for an activity and do it. I chose calligraphy. This class is very interesting. When we get there, the students all set to work on their stone stamps. They are carving seal script (a special older type of Japanese writing) stamps. Everyone is very silent and quietly working. The sensei teaches us some characters and shows us how to practice them. It takes a lot of practice but is very interest the focus in detail.
After the calligraphy class we attend one last class which is Classical Japanese. We do more work on the poems, but today we make visualization a of the poems. I have some fun drawing pictures and practicing writing out the poem in a more stylized way. I choosing the visuals to represent it one has to really think about what these visuals will represent in the poem and it is an opening experience.
After school we go to the AHR, the after school home room of our students. Here we each give a short speech thanking the class. It caused a bit of a panic in myself and others when we find out we have to give these speeches only ten minutes before we give them. Although there is so much more that I wanted to say, I am very happy with the what I said. I surprised myself with what I said even though I did stumble quite a bit.
After these speeches we had a farewell party. This was fun, we took lots of pictures, saw a magic show, and had some food. It is sad to know we are heading home and leaving KJ though.
After the party I go back to Kaito's grandparents (his mothers parents house). We have some oden, which is a Japanese dish made of egg, and various vegetables boiled. They give me good luck charms and a dessert as gifts for me and my family. I also get to see Kaito's grandfathers trophy room, all his flower growing trophies. There are so many! It is an awesome traditional Japanese room with all his trophies. The flowers outside the house are truly beautiful and throughout the trip I ate some radish, grapes, and broccoli that he grew. When we leave again, we follow Kaito's family tradition of delivering high fives as we drive off and waving to the end of the street.
On the way home, we go to the supermarket and I get some snacks and other little gifts. The super market actually sells so much more than just food, there is a section that is sort of like a mini target that has paper goods, clothes, and other everyday life necessities.
Once we return home, I do some organizing and preliminary packing before dinner.
For dinner we have sukiyaki which is delicious, and a lot of fun to eat. It is a large pot with everything we are eating in it. Sort of a kind of stew, with lots of boiled or sautéed foods in it. It is served on the table over a gas flame so it stays warm while we eat it. We dip the various foods in raw eggs. We each have a small bowl for our own raw eggs that we can take our servings from the main pot and put into. I'll admit I was a little nervous about the raw egg, but it certainly was delicious. The sukiyaki included radishes, broccoli (grown by Kaito's grandfather), two types of Japanese mushrooms (maitake and enokidake), chinese cabbage and various types of meat that Kaito's mom added throughout the meal. The first meat was plain beef, next was thinly sliced angus beed, and last was pork.
After dinner Kaito's family gave me amazing gifts, they are so kind, and I am very grateful for this. I also received a letter from Kaito's mother in Japanese which I read and she helped me understand the parts I didn't know. I also received a letter from Kaito. After the gifts, we took some photos and watched the Japan-Australia soccer game as well as the Japan-MLB baseball game.
After this we went to the onsen, and got ready for bed. For me this included the difficult task of packing. I had to try lots of different methods of stashing everything in. I eventually figured it out, but there is a lot of very full bags, and I even had to take some of my snacks in my coat pockets... I should have done a better job of planning ahead on how I would take everything home.
After I finish packing I write a letter to my host family, and also individual letters to each of them. I thank my family for their kindness and end up writing quite a bit, it takes a while for me to think out the sentences in Japanese though. I finally go to bed, much to late. I am a little sad to know I will be leaving.
KJ Day Two and Nagaoka
Day 13 - 11.18.14
I woke up and got to have pancakes today! I had seen pictures of Japanese pancakes which are similar to American pancakes but also a good deal thicker. I really wanted to try them, and was glad I got to. We had three flavors: plain, matcha, and coffee. I liked the matcha best, I pretty much love all the matcha things in Japan. There were also some pretty good toppings: apple jam Kaito's mom made, whipped cream made from sweetened condensed milk, and honey. I love this whipped cream made from sweetened condensed milk, it is so good. We also had some soups made from instant packs for breakfast. I got my choice and chose onion which was good.
After breakfast, we got ready for school. For me this included sorting out my laundry I needed for the last few days. Laundry is done differently in Japan in that there is no dryer. Everything is air dried. They dry everything in the basement, but since there isn't room always my close have invaded the rest of the house a little when drying. This method of laundry is a little inconvenient in that you can't wash something and wear it within those twenty four hours immediately after. However, I know it saves a lot of power. Enduring that inconvenience and planning ahead saves a lot of energy. Additionally the washer machines are smaller, so they might run (these smaller) loads more often, this allows people not to wash all their clothes at once (as I often do), and they will always have some clean clothes available since the washing is staggered.
At school, I go to all of Kaito's classes today. First though, there is an assembly for the entire school. It starts with a song. It is hard for me to tell whether there is a chorus up front singer, if the chorus is mixed throughout the single body, or everyone is singing. We are in the very back and distanced from the group of students quite a bit. The song is student conducted from the stage and there is also a student accompanist. After the song the assembly proceeds with the giving of awards for something to some students, I don't understand a lot of what is being said. After this the principal gives closing remarks and we are off to class.
The first class today is Classical Japanese. It is pretty interesting and I like it a lot, although it is difficult for me to understand. We are looking at the poems by one hundred people. We choose one out of them and examine it and translate it. The poems have hidden meanings are aren't always very direct. The fact that there is a class completely dedicated to classical literature and language says a lot about Japanese preservation of history.
The second class is the Japanese history class that I went to as well on Friday. Today they are taking notes and discussions about the ways people were accepted into Buddhism based on their past as a "bad person" or not. This is very interesting to me, but difficult to understand. None the less I learn a lot of new vocabulary and grasp some of the history of Buddhism in Japan.
The third class is math, we have a mini test! I try it but it is pretty difficult and you need to work very quickly to finish within the ten minutes allocated. I don't finish, but by the end of the day we get our test back and I turns out I passed with an 80%. For the rest of the class we work out problems similarly to how we did on Thursday.
The fourth class is economics and political science. I understand nothing, and like most other ETHS students here work on some homework.
After this we have lunch. We eat in the hallway, but relatively quickly because it is so cold. Similarly to Japanese homes, the hallways have no heating. After lunch we head over to the gymnasium to play some badminton and table tennis. This again demonstrates how much freedom Japanese students have during the free time at school, which is amazing. They can just walk over to the gym, go in the supply closest and get the equipment necessary. I guess maybe this comes with an open campus, either way it is a great contrast to what we experience at ETHS.
The fifth class is English Conversation. We start with some riddles which I am bad at. They are pretty much pun jokes. It seems difficult for the students to grasp, especially since they are based off of homonyms in a different language. Afterwards we have another discussion about the age at which people can get cell phones
The sixth class is English, as in grammar. It is interesting especially for me, as they have to translate Japanese sentences to English, and it is kind of like learning Japanese backwards for me which is fun.
The seventh class is another math class. Although it is led by the math teacher the content seems to be relatively different in some ways. They first get their tests from Friday back. It is interesting to me how public grades are in Japan. After handing the tests back, the teacher announces the best scores. Also after each mini test that the students have everyday, the results are posted in the hallway. I don't think I would like this, but I guess it can create a somewhat positive source of competition. Additionally it might encourage people to work harder in that there score will be shared with everyone.
After school we have tea ceremony club. It is interesting to see the ceremony again performed by students. It is a little alarming how loud our group is in this little room when we are simply applauding at the end to thank them for the ceremony. It really shows the American spirit of loudness, but also shows what a disturbance this can be. The tea and the sweet served with it are both delicious, and the actions of the girls in the club that perform the ceremony are very practiced and well done. This is the longest time I have ever sat seiza (the traditional way of Japanese sitting, especially during a tea ceremony). While sitting this way I feel very little pain, but when I release and blood begins returning to my legs I feel quite a bit of pain.
After the ceremony, Kaito, his sister, mother, and I all head to Nagaoka a nearby town with better shopping. The shops here are pretty amazing. Wish I could have a bit more time to explore, but I am starting to run out of money. Everything felt so cheap when the money for the time trip was always in my pocket. For dinner we have udon and more takoyaki. Everything is delicious!
I woke up and got to have pancakes today! I had seen pictures of Japanese pancakes which are similar to American pancakes but also a good deal thicker. I really wanted to try them, and was glad I got to. We had three flavors: plain, matcha, and coffee. I liked the matcha best, I pretty much love all the matcha things in Japan. There were also some pretty good toppings: apple jam Kaito's mom made, whipped cream made from sweetened condensed milk, and honey. I love this whipped cream made from sweetened condensed milk, it is so good. We also had some soups made from instant packs for breakfast. I got my choice and chose onion which was good.
After breakfast, we got ready for school. For me this included sorting out my laundry I needed for the last few days. Laundry is done differently in Japan in that there is no dryer. Everything is air dried. They dry everything in the basement, but since there isn't room always my close have invaded the rest of the house a little when drying. This method of laundry is a little inconvenient in that you can't wash something and wear it within those twenty four hours immediately after. However, I know it saves a lot of power. Enduring that inconvenience and planning ahead saves a lot of energy. Additionally the washer machines are smaller, so they might run (these smaller) loads more often, this allows people not to wash all their clothes at once (as I often do), and they will always have some clean clothes available since the washing is staggered.
At school, I go to all of Kaito's classes today. First though, there is an assembly for the entire school. It starts with a song. It is hard for me to tell whether there is a chorus up front singer, if the chorus is mixed throughout the single body, or everyone is singing. We are in the very back and distanced from the group of students quite a bit. The song is student conducted from the stage and there is also a student accompanist. After the song the assembly proceeds with the giving of awards for something to some students, I don't understand a lot of what is being said. After this the principal gives closing remarks and we are off to class.
The first class today is Classical Japanese. It is pretty interesting and I like it a lot, although it is difficult for me to understand. We are looking at the poems by one hundred people. We choose one out of them and examine it and translate it. The poems have hidden meanings are aren't always very direct. The fact that there is a class completely dedicated to classical literature and language says a lot about Japanese preservation of history.
The second class is the Japanese history class that I went to as well on Friday. Today they are taking notes and discussions about the ways people were accepted into Buddhism based on their past as a "bad person" or not. This is very interesting to me, but difficult to understand. None the less I learn a lot of new vocabulary and grasp some of the history of Buddhism in Japan.
The third class is math, we have a mini test! I try it but it is pretty difficult and you need to work very quickly to finish within the ten minutes allocated. I don't finish, but by the end of the day we get our test back and I turns out I passed with an 80%. For the rest of the class we work out problems similarly to how we did on Thursday.
The fourth class is economics and political science. I understand nothing, and like most other ETHS students here work on some homework.
After this we have lunch. We eat in the hallway, but relatively quickly because it is so cold. Similarly to Japanese homes, the hallways have no heating. After lunch we head over to the gymnasium to play some badminton and table tennis. This again demonstrates how much freedom Japanese students have during the free time at school, which is amazing. They can just walk over to the gym, go in the supply closest and get the equipment necessary. I guess maybe this comes with an open campus, either way it is a great contrast to what we experience at ETHS.
The fifth class is English Conversation. We start with some riddles which I am bad at. They are pretty much pun jokes. It seems difficult for the students to grasp, especially since they are based off of homonyms in a different language. Afterwards we have another discussion about the age at which people can get cell phones
The sixth class is English, as in grammar. It is interesting especially for me, as they have to translate Japanese sentences to English, and it is kind of like learning Japanese backwards for me which is fun.
The seventh class is another math class. Although it is led by the math teacher the content seems to be relatively different in some ways. They first get their tests from Friday back. It is interesting to me how public grades are in Japan. After handing the tests back, the teacher announces the best scores. Also after each mini test that the students have everyday, the results are posted in the hallway. I don't think I would like this, but I guess it can create a somewhat positive source of competition. Additionally it might encourage people to work harder in that there score will be shared with everyone.
After school we have tea ceremony club. It is interesting to see the ceremony again performed by students. It is a little alarming how loud our group is in this little room when we are simply applauding at the end to thank them for the ceremony. It really shows the American spirit of loudness, but also shows what a disturbance this can be. The tea and the sweet served with it are both delicious, and the actions of the girls in the club that perform the ceremony are very practiced and well done. This is the longest time I have ever sat seiza (the traditional way of Japanese sitting, especially during a tea ceremony). While sitting this way I feel very little pain, but when I release and blood begins returning to my legs I feel quite a bit of pain.
After the ceremony, Kaito, his sister, mother, and I all head to Nagaoka a nearby town with better shopping. The shops here are pretty amazing. Wish I could have a bit more time to explore, but I am starting to run out of money. Everything felt so cheap when the money for the time trip was always in my pocket. For dinner we have udon and more takoyaki. Everything is delicious!
After the mall, we take the hour long drive home, and get ready for bed. I stay up a bit later than hoping working on homework and a bit on the farewell speech Max will deliver tomorrow. I guess I can sleep in America and on the plane in a few days. It is sad to know that this trip is coming to an end.
Bowling and Ramen
Bowling and Ramen
Day 12 - 11.16.14
We woke up and went for a short run today. It was a nice way to see Kaito's neighborhood. It was only three kilometers, but seeing the mountains and some of the buildings around Kaito's house was nice. It was pretty cold here, and still is. There is snow on the ground.
When we woke up today, the power was out. This meant a pretty cold house. Japanese houses and buildings very rarely have any central heat at all, but rather use electric space heaters or ceiling units that heat air and flow it through the room. Since both are powered by electricity the house was moderately cold but definitely tolerable. Many Japanese houses in cold areas also have kotatsu which are simply amazing. They are lower tables with blankets attached and a heater built in. Everyone puts their legs under the table in the heated area. When eating dinner at Kaito's house as well as his grandparents we have eaten at the kotatsu. Lots of little items in the house are heated, the kotatsu, individual rooms through space heaters, water (baths and drinking water), and even toilet seats. This method of heating the home is very different than that used in America. It probably saves some power because the hallways are unheated and it is custom to turn everything off when leaving the home. However, it leaves most rooms pretty cold. For me this was completely okay, I just layered up like Kaito's family did, but for some I can see how this might be uncomfortable. With the power off we had an electric space heater. However after returning from the run, the electricity was fixed reflectively quickly.
For breakfast we finished off the okonomiyaki from yesterday which was good. It made me feel less bad about not finishing all the food from the serving plate. After this later breakfast we did some homework and hung out at the house.
For lunch we went to a much more American style restaurant. We met up with some other KJ students and some hosts. I say it is American style in that it has fondue, spaghetti, and stew. I had tandoori chicken which was really good. It was also nice because it came with a free drink so I could try many types of Japanese sodas. I like the melon soda and the caripusu best.
After lunch we met up with even more KJ students and hosts for bowling. This was a fun way to do something all together as everyone knows how to bowl. I am not very good but did improve throughout the four games we played. At the bowling we also used the photo booth which is a little strange in that it perfects the skin and makes eyes larger. It is pretty funny though.
It is amazing how often the KJ students are doing work. I play one game with Kaito and two other KJ students named Yuka and Shuta. All three brought homework to do, and in between turns work on it. When we watch TV at home Kaito will often have a book out studying for the next day's mini test (they have one everyday). In car rides as well Kaito will sometimes study. I would say in America it is more common to set aside time dedicated to work or study and not have it really drift out of this time, in Japan though it seems it is okay for the two to mix much more.
After bowling we go to a ramen restaurant for dinner with Yuka, Shuta, and Alex (an ETHS student). You place your order at a simple machine and give it to the chef who prepares it and brings it to you. There is already water on the table. This cuts out the job of waiters I suppose, and is certainly efficient. The ramen is really good.
After dinner we go to a hundred yen store, and j but some food and gifts to bring home. Everything in the store costs one hundred yen or less which is less than a dollar. After this we relax, do homework, go to the onsen, and get ready for school tomorrow.Soba, Yukata, Shopping and a Birthday
We woke up and went for a short run today. It was a nice way to see Kaito's neighborhood. It was only three kilometers, but seeing the mountains and some of the buildings around Kaito's house was nice. It was pretty cold here, and still is. There is snow on the ground.
When we woke up today, the power was out. This meant a pretty cold house. Japanese houses and buildings very rarely have any central heat at all, but rather use electric space heaters or ceiling units that heat air and flow it through the room. Since both are powered by electricity the house was moderately cold but definitely tolerable. Many Japanese houses in cold areas also have kotatsu which are simply amazing. They are lower tables with blankets attached and a heater built in. Everyone puts their legs under the table in the heated area. When eating dinner at Kaito's house as well as his grandparents we have eaten at the kotatsu. Lots of little items in the house are heated, the kotatsu, individual rooms through space heaters, water (baths and drinking water), and even toilet seats. This method of heating the home is very different than that used in America. It probably saves some power because the hallways are unheated and it is custom to turn everything off when leaving the home. However, it leaves most rooms pretty cold. For me this was completely okay, I just layered up like Kaito's family did, but for some I can see how this might be uncomfortable. With the power off we had an electric space heater. However after returning from the run, the electricity was fixed reflectively quickly.
For breakfast we finished off the okonomiyaki from yesterday which was good. It made me feel less bad about not finishing all the food from the serving plate. After this later breakfast we did some homework and hung out at the house.
For lunch we went to a much more American style restaurant. We met up with some other KJ students and some hosts. I say it is American style in that it has fondue, spaghetti, and stew. I had tandoori chicken which was really good. It was also nice because it came with a free drink so I could try many types of Japanese sodas. I like the melon soda and the caripusu best.
After lunch we met up with even more KJ students and hosts for bowling. This was a fun way to do something all together as everyone knows how to bowl. I am not very good but did improve throughout the four games we played. At the bowling we also used the photo booth which is a little strange in that it perfects the skin and makes eyes larger. It is pretty funny though.
It is amazing how often the KJ students are doing work. I play one game with Kaito and two other KJ students named Yuka and Shuta. All three brought homework to do, and in between turns work on it. When we watch TV at home Kaito will often have a book out studying for the next day's mini test (they have one everyday). In car rides as well Kaito will sometimes study. I would say in America it is more common to set aside time dedicated to work or study and not have it really drift out of this time, in Japan though it seems it is okay for the two to mix much more.
After bowling we go to a ramen restaurant for dinner with Yuka, Shuta, and Alex (an ETHS student). You place your order at a simple machine and give it to the chef who prepares it and brings it to you. There is already water on the table. This cuts out the job of waiters I suppose, and is certainly efficient. The ramen is really good.
After dinner we go to a hundred yen store, and j but some food and gifts to bring home. Everything in the store costs one hundred yen or less which is less than a dollar. After this we relax, do homework, go to the onsen, and get ready for school tomorrow.Soba, Yukata, Shopping and a Birthday
Day 11 - 11.15.14
It was a later start to the day today and I got to sleep in some. Kaito's sister drove me to the school to get on the tour bus. It snowed a bit this morning and continued in the evening. There was even a little accumulation on the ground.
It was a later start to the day today and I got to sleep in some. Kaito's sister drove me to the school to get on the tour bus. It snowed a bit this morning and continued in the evening. There was even a little accumulation on the ground.
Once we were on our way we went to make soba. We were taught how to make it as we did it. It was great when we understood the Japanese that we were taught in, and the teaching used some of the unit vocab we are currently working on. We first has to knead the soba flour, regular flour, and seaweed jelly together. This took a great deal of full body effort but produced a smooth and consistent lump of dough. Next we rolled it out very thing and stacked it to make the noodles. We cut the stack into thin thin noodles and these were taken to the kitchen to be cooked. The hardest part was cutting the noodles at an even consistiency but this was pretty important as it allowed the noodles to be evenly cooked. The other parts of the meal were tempura vegeables, broccoli, and radish. The Japanese English teacher taught us a Japanese phrase associated with the meal. "Mottainai" describes the feeling associated with throwing things away or being wasteful. A soba meal includes a dipping sauce for the noddles, and it is common to pour the water used to cook the soba into this concentrating dipping sauce after the meal and drink it. That way the dipping sauce nor the cooking water need to be thrown away. This truly demonstrated to me the Japanese conversation of almost everything.
After the soba, we went to a traditions Japanese hotel to try on Kimonos. It was interesting to see the building, and try on yokata, or summer kimonos, again.
Next we went shopping in a shopping center with many shops. The department store was interesting in that it was broken up into many smaller shops.
Kaito and Itsuka (Kaito's Sister) picked me up from KJ and we went to the supper market to get Kaito's grandfather a birthday cake. His birthday is in two days (11.17.14) but we celebrated today with some cakes. Everyone had their own little cake. I had a matcha and melon cake and it was delicious.
Next we went shopping in a shopping center with many shops. The department store was interesting in that it was broken up into many smaller shops.
Kaito and Itsuka (Kaito's Sister) picked me up from KJ and we went to the supper market to get Kaito's grandfather a birthday cake. His birthday is in two days (11.17.14) but we celebrated today with some cakes. Everyone had their own little cake. I had a matcha and melon cake and it was delicious.
Before having the cakes we had takoyaki and okonomiyaki, both are based on the same idea of vegetables and seafood in a type of batter. The takoyaki have octopus and are cooking in a cool tray with little flipping sticks to form little balls. The okonomiyaki are cooked into a pancake on the stove. They use a sweetish sauce and a mayo on top, with bonito flakes and green seaweed flakes as well. It is fun learning how to make these. After dinner, while Kaito does some homework I relax and watch Japanese TV and do some blogging. We all also do some origami.
Later, we head over to the neighborhood sento because the onsen his grandfather used to own is crowded with paying customers. The sento is completely free and open to the public. I am actually not sure whether it is an onsen (natural water) or a sento (mechanically heated water, and completely open to the public), because I asked Kaito if it was each of them and both times he said yes. Maybe it has both or something because there are two baths. It is amazing that it is free to me, something in America would never be, and it makes me curious of who maintains it.
Outside of the sento onsen there are foot baths, one of them has "doctor fish". These are the little fish that clerk your feet and eat the dead skin. Kaito likes these and I try it. It is fun and ticklish, very interesting for sure. I don't really feel he difference on my feet though. Once we return home, I finish blogging, do some homework and head off to bed. We have plans to run tomorrow around Kaito's neighborhood and also go bowling with some of the other hosts and their ETHS students.Tokyo and Curry with Kaito's Grandparents
Day 10 - 11.14.14
I woke up after not doing as much homework as I had hoped to, decided to go to bed early. Wish I had the stamina and dedication Kaito did to get the five hours of sleep he got last night.
For breakfast today we had a fried rice that had some eggs and pork in it which was very good. We also had some spaghetti with mushrooms in it. There was also miso soup, and a piece of chicken and a piece of salmon, and some apple slices. It is a bit overwhelming the number of components at each meal, but they are all relatively small so it ends up being perfectly feeling. It seems like it would be more work to prepare though, making all these small components rather than one large one.
After breakfast we drive to KJ and drop of Kaito, then Kaito's mom drives me to Urasa station to get on the Shinkansen with our group to head off to Tokyo. Some parents walk us up to the platform to see us off well. It is amazing how accommodating and supportive they are. Kaito's mother is taking the week off. I assume this is in conjunction with my visit so she can feel more freely to drive us around to shopping and other events. I am very grateful that she can do this, and feel a bit obtrusive when she tells me this, as I may be an obstacle to her work.
On the Shinkansen to Tokyo, I finish some English homework which is good. It is a relaxing but brief ride. We transfer to the local Tokyo train, and then a specific line that is only for Odaiba. Odaiba is a huge pier area that has a lot of shopping, and attractions. It reminds me of Navy Pier, but it is much larger and included a lot of housing and regular businesses in office buildings.
We start at the Ferris wheel and get a view of all of Odaiba as well as some of the greater Tokyo area. We then head to an overwhelming arcade. At first entry I feel like it is a trap that could suck up my time and money. There are some fun games though, and I enjoy a dance dance revolution played with the hands, and a taiko drum game. I also play a coin game where one shoots coins at moving levels in attempt to knock off more coins, it is very satisfying but sucks up time and money, and I end up leaving the arcade with the same feeling I entered with confirmed.
Next we grab some lunch at a burger place and all spread off into various directions. It is a Japanese custom to get gifts for the family when going on little day trips. I got my host family some keychains and a little sweets from the Tokyo Station which was celebrating its 100th anniversary. After some of the shopping we walked around Odaiba and went to the small beach here and saw the Rainbow Bridge here. It is huge and pretty amazing.
Outside of the sento onsen there are foot baths, one of them has "doctor fish". These are the little fish that clerk your feet and eat the dead skin. Kaito likes these and I try it. It is fun and ticklish, very interesting for sure. I don't really feel he difference on my feet though. Once we return home, I finish blogging, do some homework and head off to bed. We have plans to run tomorrow around Kaito's neighborhood and also go bowling with some of the other hosts and their ETHS students.Tokyo and Curry with Kaito's Grandparents
Day 10 - 11.14.14
I woke up after not doing as much homework as I had hoped to, decided to go to bed early. Wish I had the stamina and dedication Kaito did to get the five hours of sleep he got last night.
For breakfast today we had a fried rice that had some eggs and pork in it which was very good. We also had some spaghetti with mushrooms in it. There was also miso soup, and a piece of chicken and a piece of salmon, and some apple slices. It is a bit overwhelming the number of components at each meal, but they are all relatively small so it ends up being perfectly feeling. It seems like it would be more work to prepare though, making all these small components rather than one large one.
After breakfast we drive to KJ and drop of Kaito, then Kaito's mom drives me to Urasa station to get on the Shinkansen with our group to head off to Tokyo. Some parents walk us up to the platform to see us off well. It is amazing how accommodating and supportive they are. Kaito's mother is taking the week off. I assume this is in conjunction with my visit so she can feel more freely to drive us around to shopping and other events. I am very grateful that she can do this, and feel a bit obtrusive when she tells me this, as I may be an obstacle to her work.
On the Shinkansen to Tokyo, I finish some English homework which is good. It is a relaxing but brief ride. We transfer to the local Tokyo train, and then a specific line that is only for Odaiba. Odaiba is a huge pier area that has a lot of shopping, and attractions. It reminds me of Navy Pier, but it is much larger and included a lot of housing and regular businesses in office buildings.
We start at the Ferris wheel and get a view of all of Odaiba as well as some of the greater Tokyo area. We then head to an overwhelming arcade. At first entry I feel like it is a trap that could suck up my time and money. There are some fun games though, and I enjoy a dance dance revolution played with the hands, and a taiko drum game. I also play a coin game where one shoots coins at moving levels in attempt to knock off more coins, it is very satisfying but sucks up time and money, and I end up leaving the arcade with the same feeling I entered with confirmed.
Next we grab some lunch at a burger place and all spread off into various directions. It is a Japanese custom to get gifts for the family when going on little day trips. I got my host family some keychains and a little sweets from the Tokyo Station which was celebrating its 100th anniversary. After some of the shopping we walked around Odaiba and went to the small beach here and saw the Rainbow Bridge here. It is huge and pretty amazing.
Once we return to Urasa, Kaito and his mother pick me up from the train station and we go to his grandmothers for dinner. His grandfather had a meeting about the gardening he does, so he did not eat with us, and his grandmother would wait for him to return to eat, so it was just Kaito, his mother, and I. Kaito's grandmother prepared a delicious curry, and some tempura for us. We also got to have some salad and some kaki, or Japanese Persimmon which I really enjoy. It was nice seeing Kaito's grandmother because she almost entirely spoke Japanese with me which challenged me in new ways. I hope to see her and his grandfather again before I return home.
After the English lesson we make a stop at the grocery store for some food for tomorrow and future days. Kaito and his mom spoke a lot of Japanese with me today and I am happy with my ability to understand.
When we get home, they explain we can't bathe at the normal onsen across the street, but the neighborhood bath is too hot for me and might burn me. Kaito's mom sets up a bath for us, and it is unclear if this is what she planned to do or not. I feel a bit of a burden but am grateful because the bath is very relaxing.
After this we watch some soccer and Sherlock Holmes on the TV in Japanese. I don't understand a lot but the subtitles with Kanji really help and whenever I can grasp something I am so happy. I am excited to make soba tomorrow!
Koukusaijouhou and Niigata
Day 9 - 11.13.14
Woke up at a normal time today, after getting a relatively normal amount of sleep for me. Certainly not enough, but more than enough to function. It is insane to me the amount of sleep deprivation that Japanese culture embraces. Kaito said it is quite normal for him to get four hours of sleep. The night before I arrived he got four, and the night before he got five. This explains why whenever we ride the Shinkansen or any other form of public transportation so many people are sleeping. It is interesting that sleep deprivation is such a part of the lifestyle. It truly shows a dedication to work, school, friends, family, or whatever tasks are taking oneself away from sleep, but it is certainly not a healthy lifestyle. This year, I have normally gotten about six and a half or seven and a half hours of sleep. Most people in my life consider this unhealthy deprivation, so it is surprising how well Japanese people function on even less sleep. When I go a few days with less than six hours of sleep each night, I get horrible head aches and can't continue on this way. On another sleep note, our sensei are just like the Japanese when it comes to sleep, I don't know how they do it. If anyone knows the secrets to a sleepless lifestyle please email me.
After waking up I ate breakfast with Kaito and his mother. We had rice, salmon, miso soup, chicken, and liver. It was all very delicious and it was interesting how everything that wasn't eaten was saved. Japan is a much less wasteful society than America is. I think they save the main meats and toppings to use on future days and during lunch. Also I briefly met Kaito's grandfather who was very friendly.
I was very excited to go to school, and we had a short drive there. There whole route was surrounded by mountains, and was very beautiful. Apparently Kaito has been to the top and skis on them. It is interesting driving through rural Japan on the way to school as there is so much contrast from where we have previously stayed. Kaito and his mother are both very good at English, I wish when I had trouble understanding them they didn't revert to English so quickly. Over time, since when they response to me in English I always respond with Japanese they are using more and more Japanese around me.
Day 9 - 11.13.14
Woke up at a normal time today, after getting a relatively normal amount of sleep for me. Certainly not enough, but more than enough to function. It is insane to me the amount of sleep deprivation that Japanese culture embraces. Kaito said it is quite normal for him to get four hours of sleep. The night before I arrived he got four, and the night before he got five. This explains why whenever we ride the Shinkansen or any other form of public transportation so many people are sleeping. It is interesting that sleep deprivation is such a part of the lifestyle. It truly shows a dedication to work, school, friends, family, or whatever tasks are taking oneself away from sleep, but it is certainly not a healthy lifestyle. This year, I have normally gotten about six and a half or seven and a half hours of sleep. Most people in my life consider this unhealthy deprivation, so it is surprising how well Japanese people function on even less sleep. When I go a few days with less than six hours of sleep each night, I get horrible head aches and can't continue on this way. On another sleep note, our sensei are just like the Japanese when it comes to sleep, I don't know how they do it. If anyone knows the secrets to a sleepless lifestyle please email me.
After waking up I ate breakfast with Kaito and his mother. We had rice, salmon, miso soup, chicken, and liver. It was all very delicious and it was interesting how everything that wasn't eaten was saved. Japan is a much less wasteful society than America is. I think they save the main meats and toppings to use on future days and during lunch. Also I briefly met Kaito's grandfather who was very friendly.
I was very excited to go to school, and we had a short drive there. There whole route was surrounded by mountains, and was very beautiful. Apparently Kaito has been to the top and skis on them. It is interesting driving through rural Japan on the way to school as there is so much contrast from where we have previously stayed. Kaito and his mother are both very good at English, I wish when I had trouble understanding them they didn't revert to English so quickly. Over time, since when they response to me in English I always respond with Japanese they are using more and more Japanese around me.
The classes at school were all very interesting. The first thing that happened when we arrived at the school though, was a welcoming ceremony. They played our national anthem, and sensei and Susannah each gave great speeches. It was all very welcome, but it felt a bit strange to be in the spotlight. Also students came up onto the stage and gave each of us a thermos with the school emblem and name printed on it.
The first class was Japanese History. This was interesting and engaging, as there was a good amount of Japanese I could understand and the class all received English transcriptions of the lesson so that they could build their English skills. The class seemed to be very fact based, where as American history classes are very event and impact based. We learned about some temples, statues, and the spread of Buddhism. There was a large focus on two particular statues and we learned about their creation techniques, size, weight, and creation time. Particular facts were taught in an interesting way in which the teacher would put all the answers on the board to a question and have the class guess by raising their hands. Then all the answers were wrong, I guess for me this works to build memory, because when my initial guess or thoughts are incorrect I am more likely to remember the true answer.
The second class was Math. This was a very comfortable class for me as math does not have the same boundary of language that most other classes do. I understood most of what was going on. This class was organized in that a worksheet was distributed and worked though and graded. Then new or additional concepts were taught through examples problems and solutions.
The third class of the day was Chemistry. This class was very difficult for most of the KJ students it seemed. It was difficult for me, although it was based off of concepts we had learned last year. The method of teaching was difficult to understand as well, and the language barrier did not help. There was not very much class interaction or input and this class was heavily teacher led.
The fourth class of the day was Japanese. This class was very difficult for me to understand. They were discussing the "possibilities" that social networks held. It was difficult for me to understand whether this meant the improvement techniques that should be used on social networking systems in the future, or the implications and uses of social networks. Most of the groups seemed to be focusing on the latter, but I think my group was focusing on the first. I tried to contribute some in both English and Japanese but neither seemed to be very helpful and I ended up just observing what I could.
After the fourth class was lunch. I had a wonderful obento with a great dango and some delicious chicken. It was interesting how much freedom the KJ students had during lunch. They were permitted to pretty much go anywhere on campus to eat. The boys and girls remained pretty divided. I ate in a hallway with Kaito and a bunch of other ETHS students and their hosts. Some of us then went outside to play frisbee but it was pretty cold.
The fifth class was English. It was not super structured and was led by an Japanese English teacher and an ALT, an assistant language teacher through the JET program. We first did a description game in which we described a list of objects to our group and they had to guess them. Next we did a worksheet about an English phrase which seemed to confuse a good number of students, but they eventually seemed to understand.
We sat out on the six and seventh classes today because we went to practice our presentations. We performed them after school for a group of about 45. They went relatively well and I think that the students enjoyed them.
After school I returned to Kaito's house and his mother made udon and tempura for dinner. I think this may have been the best dinner I have had in Japan. We also had some delicious marinaded apples and another fruit I can't remember the name of but was unlike anything I had had before. It was orange and had a peach like outside with a jelly inside.
After dinner we went to the onsen, hang out for a bit, did homework, and went to bed. I am excited to see Tokyo tomorrow, but a bit nervous as we have to get ourselves onto the Shinkansen where we will meet our teachers.
Journey and Arrival to Niigata
Day 8 - 11.12.14Note - I have added an additional entry to yesterdays section about the sickness and bites I had, and particularly the hotels massive hospitality offered in response.
We were on trains all day. I did homework in most of these, and we finished up some finishing touches on our presentations. It was beautiful to see more parts of the country side, and we got a few peaks at the inland sea. We also got to talk a little with some Japanese middle school students all were a bit excited to see us. They gave us high fives and hugs. They were excited to try their Japanese and us our english. It was hard to initiate conversation, and since they were all in one car, it felt as we were walking up and down we were almost parading ourselves for attention. We weren't doing this, but were simply unsure how to start conversation. When we finally came out of the tunnel of the Japanese Alps to the western side, the scenery had changed and we were surrounded by mountains.
We met up with our host families immediately after exiting the station. Kaito was waiting for me and I was very excited to see him again as well as meet his mother. The first place we went was Kaito's mothers parents house. They were extremely kind and just said hello. Kaito's mom told me we would return for a dinner here one of the days. Kaito's grandfather grows beautiful chrysanthemum like we saw at Tenmangu Shrine. Apparently he is a championed gardener. The fact that we immediately went to visit the grandparents demonstrates the respect and care for elders and family that Kaito and his mom have. When we drove off, Kaito had a high five with his grandmother from the car, and I did as well. This made me feel connected to her especially, as it was obviously a tradition that Kaito and his grandmother shared as the drove away from the house.
Next, they took me to a sushi place for dinner it was delicious and I tried tons of new types of sushi I had never heard of before and learned quite a bit of Japanese. Halfway through the meal Kaito's older sister joined us.
After dinner we went to the book store and rented a movie. We decided on a studio ghibli movie I hadn't seen, hoping I might understand most of the Japanese. Next we went to the grocery store and got some food from breakfast and some snacks. It was interesting to see what snacks Kaito and his sister like.
After the stores we returned to Kaito's house and got ready to go to the onsen. Kaito's house has no bath, and so they always bath at the onsen across the street. Kaito's grandfather used to own it which is interesting. When we arrive, I realize it is a huge beautiful Ryokan, and isn't too crowded at all. Kaito's other grandfather lives with them but he was already asleep when I arrived.
Once we return home, we watch some of the movie, and then I give out omiyage (gifts) to those who are still awake. Then I finish up some presentation practice and homework and head for bed. I am looking forward to tomorrow and going to school with Kaito.
Kurokawa Onsen
Day 7 - 11.11.14
We woke up a bit later today which was much needed and very nice. We are breakfast at the hotel. Almost everything I have tried I have liked to an extent but I have certainly developed favorites. It is amazing in Japan how much breakfast is a real meal. There are so many components typically, and they are all very different. It is unlike American breakfasts which are centered around one element and is not particularly healthy and, for me, often eaten on the go.
We walk over to the bus stop and get on a two hour ride to Kurokawa. On the way we pass a lot of farm land and ride through the mountains. These are all beautiful and it is interesting to see the country side.
Kurokawa is a town of hot springs, and we all get a pass which allows us to visit three onsen, which are outdoor baths. We travel in small groups around the town stopping at various onsen and shops.
The hosts of the onsen are very welcoming and friendly. They invite us in and show us around. They often asked where we were from, and made some friendly small talk with us. The shop and restaurant owners and workers are very friendly like this too. It is custom in Japan to be welcomed to a store, and we have been welcomed to every store without fail.
At one of the onsen I speak with a man from Niigata Prefecture, which is where we will be going tomorrow. It is interesting how people travel from all over Japan to some of the sites we are, it lets us know the nation truly values them and they are not simply visited by tourists. It's also interesting how the entire country is so easily travel-able and connected through Shinkansen, with not too much travel time we have covered a lot of ground in the country.
Once a conversation is initiated with most people they are so friendly and really enjoy the discussion as much as I do. Often they complement my language skill as well. Since arriving in Japan my language skills have certainly been improved but also tested. My wish to continue learning the language has been proved as well as justified, as the power of language skills has been demonstrated first hand.
Once we returned to Kumamoto from Kurokawa we went out to dinner at a little traditional fast food restaurant. It was interesting to see the mixing of these two, as they served traditional Japanese food but in a fast food setting. We ordered from a machine and then then they cooked the food and brought it too us.
When we returned to the hotel we dealt with some packing, and I wasn't feeling very well. Had bug bites and a cold. However, we prepared for out presentations tomorrow as well. There weren't many pictures today, and I forgot to bring down my camera to the little internet area, so I will post the few photos I took tomorrow.
On Sicknesses - Additional Thoughts on 11.10.14 from 11.12.14
I would like to talk a bit about the big bites and cold I suffered from and what each taught me about Japanese culture. To explain, I woke up this day with about 16 bug bites around my arms, back, and chest. I scratched and scratched throughout the day, and me being the paranoid germaphobe I sometimes am, was concerned that these could be bed bugs. I showed my bites to the two sensei and we all agreed that they looked most like mosquito bites but could possibly be spider bites, or bed bugs. I was very concerned that if these bites were bed bugs that they would follow me to my hosts house, which would simply be the worst gift to give a host family ever. Additionally for the past two days I had come down with a cold, although it was minimally painful, it did congest me quite a bit. Also this cold changed my voice drastically, making it difficult to speak, and result in my coughing throughout the day.
After the activities of the day, Sensei and Sensei brought me to the drug store. They showed the employees here my bites and they recommended a steroid to decrease the itching and swelling, which it did. I also bought a mask here for my cough. In Japan, it is very common to wear a mask when one has caught a cold. This works to eliminate the chances of spreading the cold. Wearing the mask was not comfortable as it kept the front area of my face overly warm and fogged up my glasses. However it worked to make me feel at much more ease about spreading my cold. I did not need to worry about spreading this cold every time I coughed or sneezed because the germs were mainly contained in the mask, and so I only needed to wash my hands after blowing my noise to stay clean and limit the spread. I hope that this also made the people around me more at ease, as it not only marked me as a sick individual but demonstrated my attentiveness to my sickness in a non obtrusive way. I think this shares a lot about Japanese culture, and the fact that this wearing of a mask is so common says a lot. I wore the mask again today (11.12.14) and it had similar feelings for me. I also figured out a way to tighten it so it would not fog my glasses, now it was able to limit the spread of my cold without serving as an obstacle to myself or anyone else.
When we returned to the hotel, we showed a woman from the front desk my bug bites. We warned her we thought that these could be bed bugs, but honestly weren't very sure. Straight away hotel staff headed up to our room to check the beds (two of my room mates also have bites, but I seem to have gotten the worst end of it). They didn't find anything, but were willing to house us in the room next door, so we could feel at ease, and they could follow up with a more comprehensive check. When we went up to back up our bags we saw many mosquitos, and realized that because we had slept with the window open, it was likely they had come in this way, and for some reason particularly attacked me. We informed the desk of this and apologized for any inconveniences. They gave us some bug repellent and still allowed us to stay in the other room for our comfort (there were still a good number of mosquitos in our old room). Additionally, the woman at the desk who had helped us through all this, knew I was concerned that if these were from bed bugs, about bringing them into my hosts house. She thought that a good way to remove the chances of doing so would be to hair dry the individual pieces of clothing to heat away the bugs. Although I did not end up doing this, it was extremely thoughtful of her to offer this technique. Throughout this whole issue the hotel staff really demonstrated their hospitality to me. I felt like I had truly burdened them with this, and then to find out it was only mosquitoes felt like I had called wolf on nothing. However through their actions, the hotel staff demonstrated that they felt it was their responsibility to care for us and ensure that their hotel was spotless for their guests.
Nagasaki
Day 6 - 11.10.14
We woke up a bit earlier today and headed out to the tram promptly after breakfast from the hotel. We headed to the main station in Kumamoto where we got on the Shinkansen to Hakata. There, we transferred to a Shinkansen to Nagasaki. I also got a hot milk tea, which was delicious.
Once we arrived in Nagasaki we headed over to the Atomic Bomb Museum and Memorial Park. This was a very impactful experience. It was very saddening to see the destruction caused by the bombing at Nagasaki, and especially emotional to see the artifacts and memories of children who died in the bombings or lost their families. Additionally the long term affects of the bombing and radiation were scary as diseases and health defects continued to arise in individuals exposed to radiation well into the 1960s. The museum had a powerful exhibit about nuclear weapons in the world today. It was frieghtening to see the number of weapons possessed by the USA as well as Russia, especially after observing all the destruction caused by these weapons at Nagasaki. The advocation certain American individuals had for the bombings was quite alarming. Nagasaki was chosen as a bombing site very last minute, and the planes nearly turned back. It was especially scary how only three days after Hiroshima the US decided to bomb Nagasaki. They had not observed or seen the affects of their bombing on Hiroshima, nor did they know the long term affects the bombing would entail. It was simply decided to be done to speed up the ending of the war, and done so in a way that ultimately led to the death of millions of civilians.
After the museum we proceeded to the Peace Park and Memorial. There was a fountain and a series of sculptures. The main sculture was very symbolic and meaningful to me. It was made by Seibo Kitamura and every limb of the statue had a meaning. The right hand was held up to the sky as a warning of the danger and destruction caused by nuclear weapons. The left hand was held flat as a sign of peace and calmness. The left leg was held in a pose with a bent knee to signify a readiness to stand up and take action in aiding humanity, the right knee was in the criss-crossed seating position to symbolize meditation and contemplation.
After walking through the park we headed to the conscience store nearby and purchased some lunch. I wasn't feeling very well at this point so I got a huge bottle of water. Also I got a bento with rice and various meats, and some fruit yogurt.
Next we headed over to Dejima, the open port and Portugese and Dutch housings in Nagasaki. During the Edo and Meiji periods this port was used in particular for connections with the outside world, mostly the Dutch. It had been restored. Here we were dressed in kimonos and took some pictures and walked around.
Next we went over to a famous church in Nagasaki. It was built in honor of the Chrisitians who had been executed here when Christianity was illegal. Next to the church was the beautiful Glover garden, which was composed of many buildings built during the Meiji period during western influence and interaction. These gardens were beautiful and their location offered a wonderful view of Nagasaki and the sunset. It was interesting to see the impact of western cultures on Japan and the mixing of these cultures in the architecture. We also had some amazing ice cream here made mostly of sweetened condensed milk in a fantastic cookie cone.
For dinner we went to Mos Burger, this was pretty good and remniscnet of hamburgers from America. After dinner we headed back to the hotel, rested, bathed, and went to bed.
Once we returned to Kumamoto from Kurokawa we went out to dinner at a little traditional fast food restaurant. It was interesting to see the mixing of these two, as they served traditional Japanese food but in a fast food setting. We ordered from a machine and then then they cooked the food and brought it too us.
When we returned to the hotel we dealt with some packing, and I wasn't feeling very well. Had bug bites and a cold. However, we prepared for out presentations tomorrow as well. There weren't many pictures today, and I forgot to bring down my camera to the little internet area, so I will post the few photos I took tomorrow.
On Sicknesses - Additional Thoughts on 11.10.14 from 11.12.14
I would like to talk a bit about the big bites and cold I suffered from and what each taught me about Japanese culture. To explain, I woke up this day with about 16 bug bites around my arms, back, and chest. I scratched and scratched throughout the day, and me being the paranoid germaphobe I sometimes am, was concerned that these could be bed bugs. I showed my bites to the two sensei and we all agreed that they looked most like mosquito bites but could possibly be spider bites, or bed bugs. I was very concerned that if these bites were bed bugs that they would follow me to my hosts house, which would simply be the worst gift to give a host family ever. Additionally for the past two days I had come down with a cold, although it was minimally painful, it did congest me quite a bit. Also this cold changed my voice drastically, making it difficult to speak, and result in my coughing throughout the day.
After the activities of the day, Sensei and Sensei brought me to the drug store. They showed the employees here my bites and they recommended a steroid to decrease the itching and swelling, which it did. I also bought a mask here for my cough. In Japan, it is very common to wear a mask when one has caught a cold. This works to eliminate the chances of spreading the cold. Wearing the mask was not comfortable as it kept the front area of my face overly warm and fogged up my glasses. However it worked to make me feel at much more ease about spreading my cold. I did not need to worry about spreading this cold every time I coughed or sneezed because the germs were mainly contained in the mask, and so I only needed to wash my hands after blowing my noise to stay clean and limit the spread. I hope that this also made the people around me more at ease, as it not only marked me as a sick individual but demonstrated my attentiveness to my sickness in a non obtrusive way. I think this shares a lot about Japanese culture, and the fact that this wearing of a mask is so common says a lot. I wore the mask again today (11.12.14) and it had similar feelings for me. I also figured out a way to tighten it so it would not fog my glasses, now it was able to limit the spread of my cold without serving as an obstacle to myself or anyone else.
When we returned to the hotel, we showed a woman from the front desk my bug bites. We warned her we thought that these could be bed bugs, but honestly weren't very sure. Straight away hotel staff headed up to our room to check the beds (two of my room mates also have bites, but I seem to have gotten the worst end of it). They didn't find anything, but were willing to house us in the room next door, so we could feel at ease, and they could follow up with a more comprehensive check. When we went up to back up our bags we saw many mosquitos, and realized that because we had slept with the window open, it was likely they had come in this way, and for some reason particularly attacked me. We informed the desk of this and apologized for any inconveniences. They gave us some bug repellent and still allowed us to stay in the other room for our comfort (there were still a good number of mosquitos in our old room). Additionally, the woman at the desk who had helped us through all this, knew I was concerned that if these were from bed bugs, about bringing them into my hosts house. She thought that a good way to remove the chances of doing so would be to hair dry the individual pieces of clothing to heat away the bugs. Although I did not end up doing this, it was extremely thoughtful of her to offer this technique. Throughout this whole issue the hotel staff really demonstrated their hospitality to me. I felt like I had truly burdened them with this, and then to find out it was only mosquitoes felt like I had called wolf on nothing. However through their actions, the hotel staff demonstrated that they felt it was their responsibility to care for us and ensure that their hotel was spotless for their guests.
Nagasaki
Day 6 - 11.10.14
We woke up a bit earlier today and headed out to the tram promptly after breakfast from the hotel. We headed to the main station in Kumamoto where we got on the Shinkansen to Hakata. There, we transferred to a Shinkansen to Nagasaki. I also got a hot milk tea, which was delicious.
Once we arrived in Nagasaki we headed over to the Atomic Bomb Museum and Memorial Park. This was a very impactful experience. It was very saddening to see the destruction caused by the bombing at Nagasaki, and especially emotional to see the artifacts and memories of children who died in the bombings or lost their families. Additionally the long term affects of the bombing and radiation were scary as diseases and health defects continued to arise in individuals exposed to radiation well into the 1960s. The museum had a powerful exhibit about nuclear weapons in the world today. It was frieghtening to see the number of weapons possessed by the USA as well as Russia, especially after observing all the destruction caused by these weapons at Nagasaki. The advocation certain American individuals had for the bombings was quite alarming. Nagasaki was chosen as a bombing site very last minute, and the planes nearly turned back. It was especially scary how only three days after Hiroshima the US decided to bomb Nagasaki. They had not observed or seen the affects of their bombing on Hiroshima, nor did they know the long term affects the bombing would entail. It was simply decided to be done to speed up the ending of the war, and done so in a way that ultimately led to the death of millions of civilians.
After the museum we proceeded to the Peace Park and Memorial. There was a fountain and a series of sculptures. The main sculture was very symbolic and meaningful to me. It was made by Seibo Kitamura and every limb of the statue had a meaning. The right hand was held up to the sky as a warning of the danger and destruction caused by nuclear weapons. The left hand was held flat as a sign of peace and calmness. The left leg was held in a pose with a bent knee to signify a readiness to stand up and take action in aiding humanity, the right knee was in the criss-crossed seating position to symbolize meditation and contemplation.
After walking through the park we headed to the conscience store nearby and purchased some lunch. I wasn't feeling very well at this point so I got a huge bottle of water. Also I got a bento with rice and various meats, and some fruit yogurt.
Next we headed over to Dejima, the open port and Portugese and Dutch housings in Nagasaki. During the Edo and Meiji periods this port was used in particular for connections with the outside world, mostly the Dutch. It had been restored. Here we were dressed in kimonos and took some pictures and walked around.
Next we went over to a famous church in Nagasaki. It was built in honor of the Chrisitians who had been executed here when Christianity was illegal. Next to the church was the beautiful Glover garden, which was composed of many buildings built during the Meiji period during western influence and interaction. These gardens were beautiful and their location offered a wonderful view of Nagasaki and the sunset. It was interesting to see the impact of western cultures on Japan and the mixing of these cultures in the architecture. We also had some amazing ice cream here made mostly of sweetened condensed milk in a fantastic cookie cone.
For dinner we went to Mos Burger, this was pretty good and remniscnet of hamburgers from America. After dinner we headed back to the hotel, rested, bathed, and went to bed.
It was interesting how almost all the experiences we went through today demonstrated Japanese interaction with the western world; The Nagasaki bombing, ports established for trade with Europe, a church, and a garden highlighting western architecture in Japan. It was interesting to see the mixing of cultures and the way Japan has interacted with the rest of the world.
Dazaifu
Day 5 - 11.09.14
We woke up and went down to the hotel breakfast buffet. There were so many options, so I am not completely sure what I ate. It was all delicious though. We had a hurried walk to the train and took four legs to Dazaifu: a tram, the Shinkansen, and two local trains. On the last leg I spoke with the family sitting around me, a mom, her daughter, and her mother. They were heading to Dazaifu as well to go to Tenmangu Shrine.
We first walk down a very busy street over to the National Museum, where there are tons of amazing artifacts and information about Japanese and Asian history. Some items that stick out to me are statues of Buddha, and some pottery from Japan and Korea from 4,000-5,000 years ago.
My Museum Thoughts and Experience I Wrote About
There is pottery dating from 5,000-4,000 years ago which is beautifully intricate. I had never associated a type of pottery like this with Japan. It seems to be a sort of earthenware or terra cotta. It is very surprising to me how similar this pottery is to that of the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican pottery. There are intricate geometric designs and animals around the pottery. There are often a portion jutting out and decorated handles. One particular vase has four circular handles and each of these are very decorated. There are repeating zigzags and animal shapes on the handles. There is one highlighted handle with a face of a beast on it. Another particular dish is a low one with perfected circles these seem to be painfully ingrained in place and it is very simple but emotional. These cases demonstrate how in primitive times the world was all very similar in a lot of ways.
This huge water vase has a glaze that I connect with a lot. The usage of reddish colors and gold together are vindictive of Asian arts. The shape reminds me of water as well because of the rain drop like shape. The dripping of the paint and texture of the glaze is reminiscent of Asian art as well, and the dripping technique reminds of water, so the water usage makes sense.
There is a perfectly blue vase. It's color is light blue and reminiscent of the sky. I feel a connection to it because it is so similar to the color of my room. The vase is very smooth and plainly textured. The lip at the top is perfectly shaped.
There is a set of wooden doors. One can see the connection this makes to temples usage of wood.
This instrument is simply worn down to a block of wood. It connects with me as a musician and the usage it has gotten can be seenZ there string attachments are interesting and there are holes that the strings go to. One can truly picture how this object existed as an instrument. Koto zither.
There is a wall painting of rocks. There are so many textures and patters none then repeated. The designs on the rocks are faded as if they have come from previous times.
There are two basho-fu fine silk clothing which are beautiful. This is nostalgic towards my view of Japanese clothing.
There is a Japanese sculpture of Buddha. He is very calm and modest in his stance and clothing but well carved. He had been worn away over time but hinds of gold can be seen. He connects with my image of Japanese Buddhism and the temples portrayal of Buddha. Additionally this reminds me of the large Japanese Buddha sculptures.
After this we got lunch at this beautiful restaurant on the busy street. We got to sit on tatami mats right up against a garden. I had sanshokusoba, or three color soba. There was green tea, buckwheat, and plum soba all with a great dipping sauce. We then did some shopping, but it was very crowded at this time. There was a festival at the Tenmangu Shrine, where people brought their children of certain ages to pray for academic success and well being. Also there were many plants framed, especially a specific type of flowers painstakingly grown to have one amazing flower.
After lunch we went to Tenmangu Shrine. It was so crowded but very beautiful. The main building had a wall connected which formed a courtyard. In the main building there were prayers led by a priest for families, and in front prayers open to anyone. The surrounding gardens and shrines were very beautiful as well.
After the shrine, we headed over to Komyozenji, which was a very simple temple and had beautiful rock gardens. It was an amazing relaxing place where one felt very connected with the surrounding nature. The rain had started to end and there was a slow dripping of water off of the roof of the temple. These gardens were beautiful, and extremely detailed with amazing moss and trees.
After leaving the temple we continued some shopping in the area and took the first of the trains. Walking between stations we happened upon a curry place and decided on it for dinner. This curry was amazing, I had the spiciest and the sweetest. Both of them were great, and the spicy was so spicy, it burned my mouth but tasted great. There were also some great wooden games to play on. After this we took the rest of the trains home, bathed, and now its time for bed.
Journey to Kumamoto and the Castle
Day 4 - 11.08.14
Dazaifu
Day 5 - 11.09.14
We woke up and went down to the hotel breakfast buffet. There were so many options, so I am not completely sure what I ate. It was all delicious though. We had a hurried walk to the train and took four legs to Dazaifu: a tram, the Shinkansen, and two local trains. On the last leg I spoke with the family sitting around me, a mom, her daughter, and her mother. They were heading to Dazaifu as well to go to Tenmangu Shrine.
We first walk down a very busy street over to the National Museum, where there are tons of amazing artifacts and information about Japanese and Asian history. Some items that stick out to me are statues of Buddha, and some pottery from Japan and Korea from 4,000-5,000 years ago.
My Museum Thoughts and Experience I Wrote About
There is pottery dating from 5,000-4,000 years ago which is beautifully intricate. I had never associated a type of pottery like this with Japan. It seems to be a sort of earthenware or terra cotta. It is very surprising to me how similar this pottery is to that of the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican pottery. There are intricate geometric designs and animals around the pottery. There are often a portion jutting out and decorated handles. One particular vase has four circular handles and each of these are very decorated. There are repeating zigzags and animal shapes on the handles. There is one highlighted handle with a face of a beast on it. Another particular dish is a low one with perfected circles these seem to be painfully ingrained in place and it is very simple but emotional. These cases demonstrate how in primitive times the world was all very similar in a lot of ways.
This huge water vase has a glaze that I connect with a lot. The usage of reddish colors and gold together are vindictive of Asian arts. The shape reminds me of water as well because of the rain drop like shape. The dripping of the paint and texture of the glaze is reminiscent of Asian art as well, and the dripping technique reminds of water, so the water usage makes sense.
There is a perfectly blue vase. It's color is light blue and reminiscent of the sky. I feel a connection to it because it is so similar to the color of my room. The vase is very smooth and plainly textured. The lip at the top is perfectly shaped.
There is a set of wooden doors. One can see the connection this makes to temples usage of wood.
This instrument is simply worn down to a block of wood. It connects with me as a musician and the usage it has gotten can be seenZ there string attachments are interesting and there are holes that the strings go to. One can truly picture how this object existed as an instrument. Koto zither.
There is a wall painting of rocks. There are so many textures and patters none then repeated. The designs on the rocks are faded as if they have come from previous times.
There are two basho-fu fine silk clothing which are beautiful. This is nostalgic towards my view of Japanese clothing.
There is a Japanese sculpture of Buddha. He is very calm and modest in his stance and clothing but well carved. He had been worn away over time but hinds of gold can be seen. He connects with my image of Japanese Buddhism and the temples portrayal of Buddha. Additionally this reminds me of the large Japanese Buddha sculptures.
After this we got lunch at this beautiful restaurant on the busy street. We got to sit on tatami mats right up against a garden. I had sanshokusoba, or three color soba. There was green tea, buckwheat, and plum soba all with a great dipping sauce. We then did some shopping, but it was very crowded at this time. There was a festival at the Tenmangu Shrine, where people brought their children of certain ages to pray for academic success and well being. Also there were many plants framed, especially a specific type of flowers painstakingly grown to have one amazing flower.
After lunch we went to Tenmangu Shrine. It was so crowded but very beautiful. The main building had a wall connected which formed a courtyard. In the main building there were prayers led by a priest for families, and in front prayers open to anyone. The surrounding gardens and shrines were very beautiful as well.
After the shrine, we headed over to Komyozenji, which was a very simple temple and had beautiful rock gardens. It was an amazing relaxing place where one felt very connected with the surrounding nature. The rain had started to end and there was a slow dripping of water off of the roof of the temple. These gardens were beautiful, and extremely detailed with amazing moss and trees.
After leaving the temple we continued some shopping in the area and took the first of the trains. Walking between stations we happened upon a curry place and decided on it for dinner. This curry was amazing, I had the spiciest and the sweetest. Both of them were great, and the spicy was so spicy, it burned my mouth but tasted great. There were also some great wooden games to play on. After this we took the rest of the trains home, bathed, and now its time for bed.
Journey to Kumamoto and the Castle
Day 4 - 11.08.14
We had a few issues at the Hostel checking out, but eventually we were on the road. It was a short night of sleep, as we had to be up and out early to catch the Shinkansen. In the first station we were at (Kyoto Station) I bought some breakfast of onigiri, an onigiri wraped in egg which was delicious, and some sweet blueberry yogurt.
On the train I first did homework, and got a lot done, but not as much as I had hoped. We passed the inland sea and the ocean, and actually went under the ocean between Honshu and Kyushu. I talked to the woman sitting next to me towards the end of our ride. Her son studies English, and she is from Nara. She was taking the train to near Dazaifu, where we are heading tomorrow.
After getting off the train we took a very crowded tram to our hotel which seems amazing and is surrounded by shops. The hotel is much more traditional.
Once we have dropped off our bags, we head over to Kumamoto castle which is very close by. This castle is huge and magnificent. There are at least ten buildings total and humongous walls. There are amazingly intricately decorated walls in certain parts of the temple and it watches over the whole city. The buildings offer great views of the city as well. There a good amount of people here, but because it is so large there are certain sections that feel deserted and quite. There are a number of old huge trees with little signs with info about their size and age. Over all this castle is amazing and simply not comprehendible in it's massive size.
After this we go to a samurai residence which is an amazingly preserved traditional residence. It was apparently moved from its original site, but one would never know with the gardens it fits into so well and the surrounding rock gardens. We stay here until it gets quite dark and play around with long exposures on the camera.
After this we find dinner in the shopping district by our hotel. I have a vegetable rice dish with shredded yam on top, and a very spicy udon. It comes with some salad, tempura, and a soft boiled egg. Everything is delicious, but we end up staying a very long time at this restaurant. One woman is doing practically all the work to serve our party, and when most of us order dessert she makes all of the many different orders. Its too bad tips aren't a custom in Japan, because she really deserves them.
When we finally return to the hotel, we find our rooms to be beautiful traditional(er) Japanese rooms with tatami mats and futon. We take a bath in the hot hot water which is very relaxing. After this night blogging, and now, goodnight. Looking forward to my site from the site reports, Komyozenji which is tomorrow.
Kyoto: City of a Thousand Temple
DAY 3 - 11.07.14
We woke up a bit later today, and went to the convince store for breakfast. I have some protein, rice, and an almond tart. Also delicious apple juice to drink. We had some train issues (and I left my camera battery at the hotel so use the phone instead), but eventually ended up in Higashiyama, the eastern part of Kyoto. It is a cute less dense section of the city in comparison of the hotels neighborhood. There are a lot of smaller businesses and huge houses.
We made our way to Enkouji which is a beautiful and secluded temple. Around it are many large houses, so not many tourists were there. The temple started with a rock garden, the formation of rocks representing a dragon. There are amazingly detailed gardens surrounding the temple and on the inside. They have beautiful mosses and trees. The leaves are started to change and fall from the trees. The temple covers a huge area and included a bamboo forest and cemetery. There is also a back mountain area with a few special graves and a lookout point. Everything is amazingly tranquil and quite. There is a basin of water that slowly drips onto a piece of metal or rocks below, with the sound amplified by bamboo sticks. The detail in the gardens really demonstrates the time and effort monks and gardeners must put into it.
On the train I first did homework, and got a lot done, but not as much as I had hoped. We passed the inland sea and the ocean, and actually went under the ocean between Honshu and Kyushu. I talked to the woman sitting next to me towards the end of our ride. Her son studies English, and she is from Nara. She was taking the train to near Dazaifu, where we are heading tomorrow.
After getting off the train we took a very crowded tram to our hotel which seems amazing and is surrounded by shops. The hotel is much more traditional.
Once we have dropped off our bags, we head over to Kumamoto castle which is very close by. This castle is huge and magnificent. There are at least ten buildings total and humongous walls. There are amazingly intricately decorated walls in certain parts of the temple and it watches over the whole city. The buildings offer great views of the city as well. There a good amount of people here, but because it is so large there are certain sections that feel deserted and quite. There are a number of old huge trees with little signs with info about their size and age. Over all this castle is amazing and simply not comprehendible in it's massive size.
After this we go to a samurai residence which is an amazingly preserved traditional residence. It was apparently moved from its original site, but one would never know with the gardens it fits into so well and the surrounding rock gardens. We stay here until it gets quite dark and play around with long exposures on the camera.
After this we find dinner in the shopping district by our hotel. I have a vegetable rice dish with shredded yam on top, and a very spicy udon. It comes with some salad, tempura, and a soft boiled egg. Everything is delicious, but we end up staying a very long time at this restaurant. One woman is doing practically all the work to serve our party, and when most of us order dessert she makes all of the many different orders. Its too bad tips aren't a custom in Japan, because she really deserves them.
When we finally return to the hotel, we find our rooms to be beautiful traditional(er) Japanese rooms with tatami mats and futon. We take a bath in the hot hot water which is very relaxing. After this night blogging, and now, goodnight. Looking forward to my site from the site reports, Komyozenji which is tomorrow.
Kyoto: City of a Thousand Temple
DAY 3 - 11.07.14
We woke up a bit later today, and went to the convince store for breakfast. I have some protein, rice, and an almond tart. Also delicious apple juice to drink. We had some train issues (and I left my camera battery at the hotel so use the phone instead), but eventually ended up in Higashiyama, the eastern part of Kyoto. It is a cute less dense section of the city in comparison of the hotels neighborhood. There are a lot of smaller businesses and huge houses.
We made our way to Enkouji which is a beautiful and secluded temple. Around it are many large houses, so not many tourists were there. The temple started with a rock garden, the formation of rocks representing a dragon. There are amazingly detailed gardens surrounding the temple and on the inside. They have beautiful mosses and trees. The leaves are started to change and fall from the trees. The temple covers a huge area and included a bamboo forest and cemetery. There is also a back mountain area with a few special graves and a lookout point. Everything is amazingly tranquil and quite. There is a basin of water that slowly drips onto a piece of metal or rocks below, with the sound amplified by bamboo sticks. The detail in the gardens really demonstrates the time and effort monks and gardeners must put into it.
We walk over to another temple. On the way we pass a very busy shopping street, with tons of tourists and people. The temple is a world heritage site and is very crowded as well. It's called Gingaku Temple and had amazing rock formations and gardens. The buildings are awesome and everything creates a serene landscape. The temple would be tranquil like the first one, but isn't because of its large crowds.
After making it through the temple we make our way down the street stopping in at some shops and a restaurant for lunch. I had nishinchasoba, or green tea soba with herring. The herring was marinated and really good, the soba was amazing. It had a perfect balence of sweet and savory with the green tea noodles and savory soba broth.
After we met up, we walked down philosophers street to our next temple. There were many artisans shops here and the path was along a stream with some fish and many bridges.
The temple we visited next is called Eikando. It was magnificent. This temple is huge, it has tons of buildings, and amazing gardens. There is an actual Buddhist ceremony going on here and a good number of people. The buildings go far into the mountains with a pagoda near the top. This temple is really old as well and all the wooden walkways have been worn in. There is a great connection of inside and outside with walkways and courtyards acting as hybrid spaces. There are also some great lakes around the edge.
After this, we head for a treck to reach our tea ceremony on time. Once we make it there we have to split up but it is great. We learn a lot about the ceremony and it tastes great.
After the ceremony, a small group goes to a few more of the surrounding temples. Some are under construction though. There is one with a huge prayer bell and tons of lanterns, we return here in the evening.
Once the whole group is reunited, we head over to dinner through Pontocho and Gion. Two streets in Kyoto. Pontocho has a bunch of restaurants and Gion has some businesses. On the way to dinner there are many really old beautiful city buildings. We miss our first place because they can't accommodate us, but end up with a great dinner of some appetizers and salmon. The salmon is amazing with a great skin and sauce. The restaurant is great to accommodate all of us.
The temple we visited next is called Eikando. It was magnificent. This temple is huge, it has tons of buildings, and amazing gardens. There is an actual Buddhist ceremony going on here and a good number of people. The buildings go far into the mountains with a pagoda near the top. This temple is really old as well and all the wooden walkways have been worn in. There is a great connection of inside and outside with walkways and courtyards acting as hybrid spaces. There are also some great lakes around the edge.
After this, we head for a treck to reach our tea ceremony on time. Once we make it there we have to split up but it is great. We learn a lot about the ceremony and it tastes great.
After the ceremony, a small group goes to a few more of the surrounding temples. Some are under construction though. There is one with a huge prayer bell and tons of lanterns, we return here in the evening.
Once the whole group is reunited, we head over to dinner through Pontocho and Gion. Two streets in Kyoto. Pontocho has a bunch of restaurants and Gion has some businesses. On the way to dinner there are many really old beautiful city buildings. We miss our first place because they can't accommodate us, but end up with a great dinner of some appetizers and salmon. The salmon is amazing with a great skin and sauce. The restaurant is great to accommodate all of us.
We head out of the restaurant and continue through some busy streets to a final temple for their night light show. It is at Kodaiji and is amazing. The lights illuminate the temple and there are colorful umbrellas set up everywhere. Most amazingly, there is a pond, with the correct light set up that reflects all trees crystal clear. The temple has serenity to it at night and although it is crowded feels calm.
After this final temple we head to K's House to rest up for tomorrow.
Throughout the day we have all practiced our language skills. Even though I have made some mistakes here and there, I am surprised with my abilities and learned a great deal.
Kyoto's Beauty and Magic Monkeys
DAY 2 - 11.06.14
DAY 2 - 11.06.14
Woke up early today in the hotel and had a buffet breakfast. I tried the natto and it was okay. It had an interesting texture and was connected my tiny threads that look (and felt) like spider webs. But over time they disappear into the air. Not as bad as I thought it would be, and it was hard to eat, but in the end I liked it more than I had at the beginning. I also had some cold udon and boiled vegetables. There were pretty great waffles, too.
Throughout the morning was train rides, first to Tokyo from Narita, and then to Kyoto from Tokyo. The trains are so efficient and clean. We got to see Mt. Fuji and the ocean through the windows as well as amazing scenes of country side. The houses are all so different. There are completely traditionally Japanese houses, western inspired houses, and modern houses all mixed in with each other. There are a lot of farms as well. For lunch I have an obento with onigiri and some meats (fish, chicken, pork) inside of it, which are all very good. To drink I had a Pocari Sweat from a vending machine, I thought it might be plain or carbonated water but it turned out to be a sweetened sports drink which actually included a bunch of ions for your bodies benefit.
When we finally got off the train in Kyoto it was the first time we were off a train in a real city, going outside and exploring. On our way to the hostel we passed through some beautiful streets and some pretty cool alleys.
Once settled in the hostel we, took a train to Arashiyama. On the way we saw tons of crowded compact homes, all very organized and similar but unique. Once there we walked through the town area with tons of different types of shops and restaurants to a river which we crossed. Once over the river there was a mountain we climbed to go see the Japanese Monkeys, also known as Macaques. We were warned of the aggressiveness of these monkeys, and not to stare at them. However they were so cute! They kept their general distance from us, except for when we fed them in the human caged area. They only showed aggression to each other by hissing and fighting a bit.
After the monkeys we headed through a bamboo forest and visited a little shrine here. Both were very interesting and the sun was beginning to set. The bamboo forest seemed to go on forever and was only bamboo except for the equally tall tree popping out every once in a while. After this walk we headed over to a traditional Buddhist (almost) completely vegetarian dinner. There were tons of awesome tofus and vegetables. I loved the sweet rice cake and jelly like things with red bean paste and the tofu skin with a sour tofu sauce served in a bamboo bowl. After dinner we stopped at another train featuring amazing kimono patterns in pillars illuminated. There was also a foot bath here which was nice and relaxing.
At the end of the day we returned to the hotel to rest up for tomorrow's temples.
Airport and Hotel
DAY 1 - 11.05.14
Woke up on the 4th of November, and made it to the airport. We took a few group shots and we were off. It was pretty amazing how easy and fast it was to go through security and board to end up in Japan.
The flight was a little long, but at least our group got to all sit together. I did some homework (trying to do very little while here) and watched a movie. After we boarded, the flight attendants had us fill out forms for immigration and customs so we would have this after exiting the plane. Very efficient.
Landing was very exciting! We could see Japan out the windows! After landing we made it through customs and got out suitcases fast.
Right after we left the terminal, we were greeted by TV reporters with a microphone labeled "why did you come to Japan" in Japanese. Most of our group walked by, but they spoke with Max about the trip for a while.
Getting our currency exchanged and our rail passes was not so fast. We waited and enjoyed exploring the airport for a while. My rail pass gave me a new middle name, I am now Mitchell Lotis Estberg, instead of Otis, but I don't mind the change.
We decided to have dinner at the airport for connivence and speed. We went to a little shop with onigiri, instant ramen, some buns, and some other dishes pre made. I ended up with some chicken katsu curry which was really good.
Next we rode the bus to the hotel and I was exhausted so I fell asleep. The hotel is really fancy and has a nice Japanese garden outside.
The perfect way to end this long 24 hour day, all awake time except for a 1 hour plane nap, was with a bath at the Hotel's sento. There were two baths one hot comfortably and one cold beyond belief. Both were very relaxing though and set me up ready for tomorrow.
Beginning and Excitement
DAY 0 - 11.04.14
I am writing this at 2:43 AM CST, I should not be awake right now. However, packing went on and on, and one thing led to another. That does't matter though, because in Tokyo it is 5:43 PM, so it is okay that I am just about to go to bed?
No words can embody how excited and amazed I am that tomorrow I will wake up, and within 16 hours give or take, end up in Japan. For so long, I have looked forward to the day I would visit Japan, and now it is finally coming.
There are tons of things to be nervous over, and that explains why I am still awake. However, most of all I am excited. I look forward to what I will learn about Japan, the language, and myself on this trip. I can't wait to interact with and meet new people. I'm interested in trying new foods and experiences. I simply can't wait.
Throughout the morning was train rides, first to Tokyo from Narita, and then to Kyoto from Tokyo. The trains are so efficient and clean. We got to see Mt. Fuji and the ocean through the windows as well as amazing scenes of country side. The houses are all so different. There are completely traditionally Japanese houses, western inspired houses, and modern houses all mixed in with each other. There are a lot of farms as well. For lunch I have an obento with onigiri and some meats (fish, chicken, pork) inside of it, which are all very good. To drink I had a Pocari Sweat from a vending machine, I thought it might be plain or carbonated water but it turned out to be a sweetened sports drink which actually included a bunch of ions for your bodies benefit.
When we finally got off the train in Kyoto it was the first time we were off a train in a real city, going outside and exploring. On our way to the hostel we passed through some beautiful streets and some pretty cool alleys.
Once settled in the hostel we, took a train to Arashiyama. On the way we saw tons of crowded compact homes, all very organized and similar but unique. Once there we walked through the town area with tons of different types of shops and restaurants to a river which we crossed. Once over the river there was a mountain we climbed to go see the Japanese Monkeys, also known as Macaques. We were warned of the aggressiveness of these monkeys, and not to stare at them. However they were so cute! They kept their general distance from us, except for when we fed them in the human caged area. They only showed aggression to each other by hissing and fighting a bit.
After the monkeys we headed through a bamboo forest and visited a little shrine here. Both were very interesting and the sun was beginning to set. The bamboo forest seemed to go on forever and was only bamboo except for the equally tall tree popping out every once in a while. After this walk we headed over to a traditional Buddhist (almost) completely vegetarian dinner. There were tons of awesome tofus and vegetables. I loved the sweet rice cake and jelly like things with red bean paste and the tofu skin with a sour tofu sauce served in a bamboo bowl. After dinner we stopped at another train featuring amazing kimono patterns in pillars illuminated. There was also a foot bath here which was nice and relaxing.
At the end of the day we returned to the hotel to rest up for tomorrow's temples.
Airport and Hotel
DAY 1 - 11.05.14
Woke up on the 4th of November, and made it to the airport. We took a few group shots and we were off. It was pretty amazing how easy and fast it was to go through security and board to end up in Japan.
The flight was a little long, but at least our group got to all sit together. I did some homework (trying to do very little while here) and watched a movie. After we boarded, the flight attendants had us fill out forms for immigration and customs so we would have this after exiting the plane. Very efficient.
Landing was very exciting! We could see Japan out the windows! After landing we made it through customs and got out suitcases fast.
Right after we left the terminal, we were greeted by TV reporters with a microphone labeled "why did you come to Japan" in Japanese. Most of our group walked by, but they spoke with Max about the trip for a while.
Getting our currency exchanged and our rail passes was not so fast. We waited and enjoyed exploring the airport for a while. My rail pass gave me a new middle name, I am now Mitchell Lotis Estberg, instead of Otis, but I don't mind the change.
We decided to have dinner at the airport for connivence and speed. We went to a little shop with onigiri, instant ramen, some buns, and some other dishes pre made. I ended up with some chicken katsu curry which was really good.
Next we rode the bus to the hotel and I was exhausted so I fell asleep. The hotel is really fancy and has a nice Japanese garden outside.
The perfect way to end this long 24 hour day, all awake time except for a 1 hour plane nap, was with a bath at the Hotel's sento. There were two baths one hot comfortably and one cold beyond belief. Both were very relaxing though and set me up ready for tomorrow.
Beginning and Excitement
DAY 0 - 11.04.14
I am writing this at 2:43 AM CST, I should not be awake right now. However, packing went on and on, and one thing led to another. That does't matter though, because in Tokyo it is 5:43 PM, so it is okay that I am just about to go to bed?
No words can embody how excited and amazed I am that tomorrow I will wake up, and within 16 hours give or take, end up in Japan. For so long, I have looked forward to the day I would visit Japan, and now it is finally coming.
There are tons of things to be nervous over, and that explains why I am still awake. However, most of all I am excited. I look forward to what I will learn about Japan, the language, and myself on this trip. I can't wait to interact with and meet new people. I'm interested in trying new foods and experiences. I simply can't wait.
Sounds soooo amazing.
ReplyDeleteSuper trip and blogging
ReplyDeleteYour journal entries are wonderful, Mitchell! We love reading about your adventures and cannot believe that you have been away for almost a week!�� We are just leaving DC now. Everyone missed you and passed along a "hello"! They cannot wait to see you at Christmas! �� Love, Dad, Emma, & Chris ��
ReplyDeleteYour future job prospect: Travelogue writer! Thanks for all the details and super pics. Lots of people in DC admired your blog as well. Miss you tons.
ReplyDeleteAidan and Anthony just checked out your pics! Comments: Whats up with the Lady on the train, and the monkeys rock and can we get one? Yeah, Dad says no to a monkey.
ReplyDeleteA&A&I send their love! Looking forward to Thanksgiving! Soak it all in, amazing trip want to hear more in MI.
I hope you start feeling better, Mitchell! It sounds like you are doing your best to plug through it. Hugs & love, Chris
ReplyDeletethings sound great. can't wait to hear more about school. hope you are feeling better. have a great time!
ReplyDeleteTell Kaito and his family hi from emma and me!
ReplyDeleteforgot to mention that there was snow on the ground today!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, Mitchell-you tried the doctor fish!?!? How fun!! Your blogs have been the highlight of my day & Dad, Emma & I always chat about your adventures while we eat dinner. We are so excited for you to return home! Love & hugs, Chris
ReplyDeletewow, just one more full day there. hard to believe that it has already been two weeks for you! I know you will be sad to leave, but we are missing you a ton. can't wait to hear all about the trip in person! love love,
ReplyDeleteHave a safe trip home! BTW - it is soooo cold here - high of 19 degrees tomorrow!! Your room is warm and toasty, awaiting your return! Dad will pick you up when you return - he is really excited to see you too! Hugs and love, Chris
ReplyDelete