Trendy in Tokyo

One girl's adventures in the land of the rising sun

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THIS BLOG HAS MOVED.

Please visit http://bunewmedia.net/tokyotrendy/ for all things Japan! Thank you!

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Hi! Do you go to school TUJ? o:

I do! ^^' Are you a fellow student?

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Eyes on Japan.

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Life is good.

Today was one of those days where everything (at last!) seems to go right.

After class, I decided to head over to Shibuya to check out a few new department stores I had heard about online. I started the day at Loft, which is a huge store filled with everything from traditional Japanese souvenirs to furniture. There was so much to look at, with floors on beauty, toys, gag gifts, plants, kitchen utensils, bento boxes, and so much more.

In the health and beauty section, I came upon a huge area of loose tea. Since my mother and I both love the stuff, I decided to check it out. There were two women working the counter, and I expected to be ignored because I was a foreigner. However, before I had even taken two steps, one of them came rushing up to me with a sample of herbal tea.

 What happened next was probably the best all-Japanese conversation I’ve ever had. The tea lady spent a lot of time telling me about each of the teas they had, and the different benefits of each. There was a lot of pantomiming involved for some of the more complex teas (stomach ache, anyone?), but this was the first time that I really understood what someone was saying to me in another language. She asked me about myself, and was super impressed that I was a ryuugakusee (international student) all the way from America, and even that I spoke a little Japanese.

 At the end, I ended up buying a little of the first tea I tried (for beauty and power!) to bring home to my family (sorry mom, it’s not a surprise anymore). The tea lady also included a shampoo and conditioner sample, and told me I had beautiful hair! That’s not exactly a compliment you get every day, so I thanked her profusely before heading out to explore the other floors.

 I also visited Tokyu Hands, which is more of a crafty “do it your self” type of super department store, and then Don Quijote. The latter is definitely one of my favorite places in Shibuya; it’s open 24 hours and has EVERYTHING you would ever need at any given time. Underwear? Check. Snacks such as dried squid? Also there. Liquor? Costumes? Cooking pots? Beauty supplies? Tea? Horse masks? 80 pound bags of protein powder? Yes.

 My favorite purchase by far today was a Kigurumi at Don Quijote. I bought what can only be described as an owl fleece onesie pajama. It even has wings and an owl-face hood! It’s definitely the laziest, most comfortable thing I’ve ever owned…I think I’ll be wearing this a lot in the winter. I also bought a dress and sakura blossom seaweed tea, though I might have to go back to get some alcohol. They had some super creative packaging for sake and other hard liquors; one American whiskey even came in a mason jar!

 I finished up my time in Shibuya with ramen at my favorite shop, and a warm krispy kreme doughnut. Today was so utterly satisfying, mostly because I had such a good conversation with the loft tea lady. Usually, Japanese people avoid me because I’m foreign and/or they assume I don’t speak the language. It was nice to have someone treat me like a real person again.

We have a three-day weekend due to national health and sports day (uhh…what?), so I can’t wait to see what we get up to then! Until next time~

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Today I did some retail therapy in Harajuku. The theme was cats.

...this is totally how I'm going to catch a Japanese husband.

Meow.

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A Day at Kamakura

Right before I sent my computer in to be fixed, a group of students from my dorm and I headed to Kamakura beach, in order to spend a day in the sun and sand. Although the official beach season was officially over by the time we got there, the day was still hot, and the water was beautiful.

Kamakura used to be one of the capitals of Japan during the Heian area, and boasts a few relics from that time. The Great Buddha, one of Japan's largest Buddha statues, is located in this town. However, we were more interested in swimming and sunbathing than sightseeing, so we didn't check it out.

The beach in Kamakura was beautiful. The water was very clear and extremely warm...and the beach was nearly empty! We had a great time bobbing in the waves and watching flying fish, before heading up to get some lunch.

I spent a good part of the day walking around and collecting sea glass. In America, it's usually very hard to find pretty pieces of glass, but here it was everywhere! I found dozens of teal glass, chips of pretty pottery, and even a broken teapot! I washed and brought the best ones home with me.

Our friends spent time building sandcastles and swimming in the water, but once the tide started coming in, jellyfish started appearing in the waves. I'm glad I was out of the water by then; the people who got stung had huge red scratches up and down their bodies, and they stung for hours.

The best part of the day was when the sun went down. As soon as it started getting dark, dozens of Japanese couples appeared on the beach to watch the sunset. The sight of the sun against the waves took my breath away, and my camera barely did it justice. Our group playfully tried to make a human pyramid against the setting sun, and nominated me to be on top. That didn't work out so well; I fell off almost immediately, but it was still a lot of fun.

As soon as it was dark, we headed back into town for burgers, and then headed for the trains. We were all exhausted on the ride home, and I could barely keep my eyes open. It was a wonderful day though, and although it's too cold to go to the beach now, I definitely want to go back to Kamakura.

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Back from the Dead!

Hello all! I know it has been a few weeks since I've posted anything on this blog, and I wanted to apologize for cutting myself off. It's been a month since I've arrived in Japan, and while I'm still going on new adventures everyday, I've had my share of tumbles and downfalls as well.

As I mentioned before, my computer decided to spontaneously combust a week after I got here. Luckily, it is all fixed now and working perfectly, but I ran into more bad luck shortly after.

While at a bar in Shibuya, someone stole my wallet right out of my purse. I lost all of my IDs, my commuter pass for the train, both my credit cards, and the little money I had in there. Unfortunately, the police have not been able to find it, and I have spent the last week trying to pick up the pieces of my life. While Japan is generally a very safe and honest country, there are bad eggs. I have learned a lot of lessons from this experience, and know now to always be very conscious of my things. Just like in America, crime happens...and we all need to be careful.

But besides these mishaps, I am still having a wonderful time. Although the language barrier continues to be a struggle, I am picking up new phrases and bits of Japanese culture every day. As I get back into the habit of writing my blog, I want to share these all with you, and show you how wonderful of a country Japan really is.

Stay tuned for some of my past adventures, and thank you so much for reading!

~Marina

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Finally...meat!

I still haven't finished backing up all the files on my computer, so I have a little bit more time with my laptop before it goes away for repairs!

Last night after class, a group of friends and I decided to wander around Minato, the district where our university is located. We were all starving after a full day of work, and we decided on a barbecue restaurant where you cook your own meat!

We were the only ones in the entire restaurant, and the waiter/host/owner made it his top priority to help us. Luckily, he was very patient with our limited Japanese and even recommended a few different types of meat and vegetables to cook. He even offered beef tongue, but I'm definitely not that adventurous of an eater yet.

We received a plate of raw meat smothered in sauce, a plate of raw vegetables, a bean/spinach dish, rice, and tongs. Then, we set to work cooking everything over a little charcoal brazier in the middle of the table.

Although the meat was extremely fatty, like most Japanese meats are, it was incredibly delicious. One of my favorite pieces was a pumpkin-like squash sliver, which tasted sweet once it was cooked over the coals. The waiter checked in several times to help us, and was never far from our table. I was amazed at his level of service; even though you don't tip in Japan and we were a bunch of foreigners, he helped us fit right in. I definitely want to go back there sometime, and see what else I can cook.

After dinner, we headed to an ice cream vending machine (so delicious!) which was right outside of an arcade. We realized that there was a purikura machine (a Japanese photobooth where you can add special effects to your pictures), and spent the next half hour adding cartoon hearts around our faces. I had a great time out exploring, especially so close to home!

One thing I don't think I'll ever get used to here is rush hour. From 6 to 8 am and 5 to 8 pm, it seems all of Japan's offices empty out into the trains as people come to and from work. Unfortunately, I have to travel right in the middle of rush hour to get to my early morning classes, and it's always awful. In America, we like personal space. In Japan, businessmen will physically push you into the train to fit more people. You often stand crushed by others with no room to move or even breathe; the only reason you don't fall over is because you're packed in so tightly!

This morning I had an...interesting experience during rush hour. Many businessmen have perfected the art of sleeping on the train, even while standing up. Unfortunately, one of them decided to do just this while we were packed in like sardines.. For twenty minutes, this man was slumped forward on my back, and I couldn't do anything! During some of the sharp turns, I had to put out a hand to support both of our weights. Needless to say, I was very happy when the time came to switch trains.

In other news, I also had a conversation with a feral cat that was sleeping outside of my bedroom window. Cats in Japan are extremely grumpy; this one was no exception. Maybe he'll like me better if I (illegally) find something for him to eat. Until next time!

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Karaoke, Cameras, and Combusting Computers

Hello all! I apologize for my absence; I've been so busy with classes and other activities that I haven't had time to post in a while.

This week, I explored a few different ramen shops, ate a ton of noodles, and saw a few other neighborhoods in Tokyo. I'm finally getting the hang of the Japanese train system, and it's not hard to get out and explore.

Earlier this week, I travelled with a group of friends to a local karaoke bar. For around 750 yen, we had an hour of outrageous singing and drinking in a private room. I had never done karaoke before, even though it is very popular in Japan. Although my singing is terrible, it was a lot of fun hearing everyone sing both Japanese and English songs. One thing that put me off though was the freedom to smoke indoors. In Japan, smoking is permitted in most bars and restaurants, and karaoke was no exception. Although many people here smoke, I hated being trapped inside a tiny room with people smoking all the time. When I got home, all of my clothes smelt like cigarettes, even though I never touched one. This is one cultural difference that I will really have to get used to.

Yesterday, I travelled to Shinjuku so my friend could get a fancy camera for one of her classes. Shinjuku is known for its many used camera shops and other technologies, and we must have passed a dozen before finding the store we wanted. Buying the camera itself was a bit of a struggle; neither of us knew a lot of Japanese and the man helping us talked in a very low voice. He was laughing at us the entire time as we blundered our way through the sale, but was very kind. When it came time to pay, he even tried to teach us who the famous people pictured on the money were. 

Later that night we travelled to the "Italian Tomato," an italian cafe chain that has stores all across Tokyo. Although I've been eating noodles literally for every meal, it was nice to have some delicious italian food. Believe it or not, I actually miss American food already. Japanese food is great, but it doesn't always agree with me. 

In other sad news, my laptop decided to spontaneously combust exactly one week into my stay in Japan...I took it to the apple store in Shibuya and learned that it's going to need some extensive repairs. Unfortunately, this means that I will be without a computer for a week or longer...and so, my blogging in Japan is going to slow down until everything is fixed. Hopefully everything goes smoothly! Until next time~

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Lost in Gotanda

Today was a reminder that living in Tokyo is not always going to feel like a vacation. 

After class, I decided to purchase my commuter pass, which allows me to travel on the trains to school for about half the cost. I got off at Gotanda, the station where I usually change trains, and headed towards what I thought was the pass office. Turns out, I picked the wrong one: there are two different pass offices for two different railway companies. They tried to tell me to go downstairs to the other office, but I also picked the wrong staircase to go down.

I spent an hour wandering around in the train station, getting more and more frustrated by the minute. I didn't know how to say "commuter pass," so when I tried asking for directions with my limited Japanese, no one could help me. As well, in Japanese train stations you tap your pass twice to show where you are going. Unfortunately, you can;t use 3 different exits like I was trying to do wandering around, and I kept getting stuck behind closed gates.

My lack of Japanese really frustrated me; I'm sure if I was better at the language, I would have been able to ask for help. Instead, I eventually gave up and went home. I'll try again tomorrow, when I will have other students with me on the way to school.

As awful as I time I had getting lost, I made up for it later by grocery shopping...something I know how to do. This afternoon, I made ramen all by myself, and it was pretty delicious.

A nap helped too.

Until tomorrow.

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Festivals, Parks, and Nerd Central...oh my!

Yesterday, the study abroad students took a tour around some close neighborhoods, and I got a very different taste of Japanese life! We started in Asakusa, a town known for a large temple, then travelled to Ueno park, and ended in Akhibara! After walking so long in the heat, I collapsed as soon as we got home, but it was totally worth it!

There happened to be a Brazillian festival going on in Asakusa, and the place was PACKED. I have never been in such a huge crowd (and such a pushy one! Old people here are MEAN if you don't get out of their way!). While the parade route was really crowded on the streets, we made our way back into streets lined with vendors, selling everything from traditional souvenirs to street food. We spent most of our time looking at all the unique wares, and ate a ton. Some of our purchases included green tea and rose flavored ice cream (by far the most delicious ice cream I've ever had), fresh takoyaki (balls of octopus and vegetables, topped with fish flakes and Japanese mayo), grilled squid on a stick (exactly what it sounds like...), and ice pops.

The festival made me really feel like I was in Japan, even though the performers were celebrating Brazilian culture. I saw people dressed up in yukata, dozens of different foods, and I really felt the Japanese culture here! I was sad to leave with so much going on, but the heat made me glad to get back on the subway.

Our next stop was Ueno park, which is a combination of walking paths, a HUGE lake filled with giant lily pads, and a temple. I had a lot of fun taking pictures of the wildlife, including carp that had to be 3 feet long. We spent a little bit of time at the temple learning how to use the incense and different fortunes that you could buy, and then walked around. There were a lot of feral cats hanging around, and I even saw a man pushing three kitties in a baby stroller. Not sure what that was about...In any case, the park was beautiful...I wonder what it'll be like in the fall.

After walking through a street full of fish and dried food vendors, we came to Akhibara. This neighborhood is THE place for otaku (nerds). There are tons of electronic stores and different nerdy cafes...Some of our group went to a cafe based on Gundams, a robot made popular from a TV anime. Because we were so exhausted by then, we got a drink at a coffee shop and then headed to a huge 6 story camera store. They had everything from make up and school supplies to massage chairs and rice makers. It was definitely cool, I just wished I had more energy then! We definitely need to make a full day of Akhibara in the future.

This afternoon, I hope to go to Harajuku and finally get some cute clothes! Until then!

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A Night in Shibuya

Friday was our first real day in Tokyo, as we were free to do whatever we wanted! My best friend and I spent it wandering around Ontakesan, and then went to Shibuya for a night on the town.

We started our day by making breakfast (eggs with rice and mushrooms....delicious!), and then headed into the small town of Ontakesan. We wandered into a healthcare store, which sold a huge selection of Japanese makeup, toiletries, household cleaners, and other similar products. One of the coolest things about Japanese packaging is that most liquid items (soap, shampoo/conditioner, laundry detergent, etc.) is sold in plastic bags with little nozzles instead of plastic bottles. I'm not sure if this uses less plastic or not, but it seems so much more convenient. It was also interesting to see all the Japanese makeup; I'm definitely going to have to head back there to try some new things!

Next we headed to Aeon, which is a grocery store/department store in one. The first level is food, the second is health goods, and the third is home goods. We spent a long time wandering around the school supplies, including the cutest section ever for kid-sized kimono! We also really loved seeing their huge selection of tea making supplies, bento boxes, cute umbrellas, and other interesting wares. I bought a set of notebooks to use for school.

Our next stop was the town's temple, which was nestled at a quiet end of a street. The old wooden buildings were beautiful, and we spent a long time taking pictures of the shrine, statues, and fortunes. While we were there, a man came up to the central shrine, rung a bell, bowed and clapped his hands. It was a really cultural and spiritual experience for us, watching the man pray at the shrine. He spent a long time there, and we lingered a little longer until it was time to head home.

After an afternoon of hanging out at the dorm and eating food from the grocery store, it was finally time to head into Shibuya! As soon as I stepped out of the train station, it was like I was in Times Square x10. There were so many lights and advertisements on buildings, and I was right at the edge of the famous Shibuya Crossing, a 5-way free-for-all in the middle of the streets. Everyone in Shibuya was extremely well dressed; it made me feel shabby by comparison.

Seeing all the young people was a welcome change compared to Ontakesan, where the residents are mostly families and older people. We went to an arcade and tried our hands at claw machines...after a few hundred yen, I managed to win a Donkey Kong car racer. We then went to Forever 21 and walked through all 6 of their floors. Unfortunately, the clothes there are much more expensive than in the states.

My favorite part of the evening was visiting a Purikura booth, which is a crazy high tech photo booth. The booth takes 6 or so pictures of you and edits them so that you automatically look great. Then, the fun part begins! In a separate area, you face a computer screen and use a stylus to add stamps, pictures, words, crazy hair and accessories, edit makeup, and make your pictures pretty! It is a huge attraction for teenage girls and many young couples. Boys on their own, however, are not allowed. At the end, the purikura printed a cute little photo sheet for us. I will definitely be doing this again!

After a long night of walking around, we ended our stay in Shibuya at a British pub. There were tons of foreigners there because of the english menu, and we each ordered a drink. Although we had intended to go solely to bars when we began that evening, I'm glad we were able to explore Shibuya and just a little bit of the nightlife it has to offer. I'm going to be here for three months...I have plenty of time for everything!

Next stop, Harajuku!

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Differences from America

It's only been four days, but already, I feel like I belong in this city. I can see myself making a life here, and staying in Japan for years. There are so many differences from American culture! Here's a few things that I've noticed so far:

Japanese culture is all about maintaining a collective harmony. I think the best example of this is that NO ONE speaks on the trains...if you do, you will be glared at, but no one will tell you to be quiet.

Food is extremely fresh and affordable; people here do not buy in bulk like they do in the states, nor do they buy a lot of frozen food. Here, you shop 3 or more times a week to get what you need. Prepackaged food is extremely affordable and even healthy; everything is made that day and goes on sale in the evening so that nothing is thrown out.

Stores typically sell only one thing or are segregated so dissimilar items are nowhere near each other. In America, grocery stores have everything from shampoo and toothpaste to fresh vegetables. Here, you will only find food items in one store, and there will be a separate store for health items somewhere else. In the grocery store I like, food is on the first floor, and body care products are on the second.

People are so nice! Even though my Japanese is horrible, everyone is patient and has helped me without being angry or frustrated.

Foreigners are stared at. A lot. I've been stared at on the train, on the streets, and in stores. A group of high school students pointed at my friend and I, and said hello after we waved. Today in the grocery store, a little girl followed us four aisles over and just stared. She was super cute though, so that was okay. This is something that I definitely need to get used to.

Foreigners are also troublesome! In Ontakesan, we are well known because of the dorm building. The locals are used to us, but we are seen as a troublesome part of life. They don't think we are capable of following Japanese customs, so we are not expected to align to their values, but we never seem to learn. I don't want to be troublesome, but so far, I just seem to get in everyone's way!

Smoking is cool in Japan, not dangerous. Outside of every train station, there's a taped off area where people can smoke. In the mornings, it's funny to see all the salarymen penned in a corner.

SO MANY BUSINESSMEN. This cannot be overstated. For every regular person I see on the streets, I see twenty men dressed in suits.

Everyone dresses very nicely! Even though it's absurdly hot here, I have seen no one dressed poorly like we do in America. No sweatpants, baggy pants, gym clothes, or even sneakers! I really have to pay attention to fashion, since I'll be stared at a lot.

There are extremely few overweight people here. With genetics, diet, and all the walking people do, there's virtually no fat Japanese people here, compared to America. I've even lost a few pounds since arriving.

Groping is kind of expected here...in the mornings, there are "women only" cars since this is such an issue. I learned that if someone touches you with the back of their hand, that is okay, but illegal if it's with the front!

Noodles go well with rice. Carbs on top of carbs on top of carbs.

Japanese soda is highly carbonated, and very different. I don't recommend the diet coke.

The "high tech" toilets! I wish we had these in America. There are settings to play a loud flushing sound so no one hears you do your business, seat warmers, lids that wash/dry your butt for you, and much more. On the other end of the spectrum, there are also traditional "squat" toilets...I'm not using one of those any time soon.

Recycling is a huge deal here. You have to separate everything into burnable/non-burnable items, and even take the wrappers off of plastic bottles. Trash sorting is a serious business.

Women here are not treated the same way as men...we are, in a way, second class citizens. I didn't think this was true at first, but I've seen a few minor instances of it so far.

Foreigners are okay if they visit, but looked down upon if they live here. You will always be a foreigner, and the Japanese will never let you forget it.

Even with all these differences, Japan is still an amazing place to be! I don't miss America at all right now, besides being able to read labels. I need to work on my Japanese so I won't feel so derpy. Until next time~

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Hello Tokyo!

Konnichiwa from Japan! It has been four days since I arrived in the bustling city of Tokyo, and already I'm in love. Although it's extremely hot here (think 95 degrees and high humidity), I'm having so much fun experiencing the culture and exploring the city.

When I was a little girl, I was always fascinated with Japan. My first grade teacher held a culture unit on the country, using items her daughter had just brought back from the country. We wore kid-sized kimono, practiced using chopsticks to pick up goldfish crackers, made Darumas (goal dolls), and held an expo to show our parents what we had learned! From there on out, I knew I wanted to visit Japan. Now, 14 years later, I am so excited to finally live my dream!

Many people I have encountered over the years seem to turn up their noses at the prospects of Japan. Anime and the...eccentric...culture people have created around Japanese cartoons seems to intimidate people when it comes to the culture. Often, people would automatically assume I was a "weeaboo" which is a slang term for someone who is obsessed with Japan and anime, and attempts to act as if they were Japanese. I've met plenty of these people in my lifetime, and although there is nothing wrong with their passion, this stereotype have definitely affected me.

In any case, I am ecstatic to finally begin my three month journey here! I know this is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I don't want to waste a second of it.

I began my travels with 14 hours on a plane, even though I am terrified of flying! Luckily, we had good weather, little turbulence, and a little bit of wine to put my mind at ease. I didn't sleep at all on the plane and the food was terrible, but it was over quickly and I even stole one of their blankets for a souvenir (shh!). We landed in Narita around 5 pm, and then spent an hour getting our alien cards, going through customs, and exchanging USD for yen.

We then took an hour and a half long bus to a hotel in Shinagawa, where we met some of the university staff. Then, it was a taxi into the heart of Ontakesan, the small residential town where I will be living! Sitting in the taxi and looking at all the buildings was a definite culture shock; I couldn't believe I was finally in Tokyo. We went from busy city streets to one lane roads, and passed shops selling everything from souvenirs to ramen. We even passed a Japanese TGI Fridays! I used to work as a waitress at one back in the states, so I will definitely go to see how different it is.

Finally around 8 pm, we arrived at Ontakesan dorm. After a quick tour around the facility, we went to our tiny single rooms and soon passed out from exhaustion. However, my rest was short lived; I woke up at 4 am due to jet lag and couldn't go back to sleep.

Instead, we decided to wander around the streets of Ontakesan, and finally see Japan! We passed dozens of salarymen heading to the trains for work, and many housewives taking their dogs out for walks. The streets look completely different from anything I have ever seen in America. By 7:30, we were sweaty and hot so we went to a convenience store to buy breakfast. I got a green tea and a pastry which I thought wan green tea flavored, but turned out to be melon. It was...interesting.

After breakfast, we met up with other study abroad students and university student workers, and made our way to the train. This was definitely the most shocking part of the journey: the train was super crowded, and no one talked. It is extremely rude in Japan to talk on the train, and I definitely felt awkward in our loud American group. After a transfer onto another train, we made our way towards campus. Even though it was only 9:30, we were extremely sweaty after walking 15 minutes in the heat.

At TUJ, we had orientation for a few hours, and then were sent out on our own to find lunch. We managed to find a small restaurant where there was absolutely no english present. I was extremely worried about ordering since I couldn't read the menu, but luckily a guy in our group was very good at Japanese. I ended up getting a set lunch with salad, egg drop soup, fried rice, and ramen! The portions were HUGE but so delicious! It was a great first meal.

We then made our way to the ward office to register as residents and get health insurance (Japan requires everyone to have it). While we were waiting, we decided to read a Japanese children's book about a small cat. Our reading skills were terrible, and we managed to piss off an old man sitting behind us so much that he changed seats!

Exhausted, hot, and sweaty, we then made our way back to dorms. I had intended to check out Ontakesan that evening, but my body had other plans. I fell asleep instead, and had a relaxing evening at the dorm. My first day in Japan was officially over.

I intend on posting more about my experiences in the next few hours, but for now, feel free to check out some of the pictures I have taken so far! Sayonara!