The night before my Dad left we took a short trip out to Yokohama. I had school until 2:40pm and then went back to the dorm to pick up pops. Once in Yokohama we headed past Yokohama Stadium and then into China town. The China town is the largest in Japan and pretty famous. We wondered haphazardly for a while, staring at the huge steamed buns, gyoza, roasted nuts, and some sort of weird looking soup. The soup looked almost like tomato soup with a weird white cone thing in it. Dad stopped by Starbucks to get his hip, cultured, and worldly coffee and then headed in the direction of the waterfront.

We got to the waterfront as the sun began to set. It started off with a lovely pink and then intensified a bit to a more orange color. Then the color began to fade and I started putting my camera away. This was a mistake, as the sun dropped lower than the clouds and began to light the sky up in a brilliant orange. It was the best sunset I’ve seen in Japan and probably one of the best in my life. The color was extremely intense, far beyond what words could describe or pictures could show. Once the sun finally dropped below the horizon we turned back towards the station.

While walking through china town again we discovered what the mystery soup was; Shark fin soup. I’d had always heard about it, but what I pictured in my mind was something far different. The stuff was expensive too, $50 for a plate. I’m curious to try some controversial dishes here in Japan (whale, horse, fugu), but the shark fin did not whet my appetite.

On the train back home we talked about various issues in Japan. Things different from America. My Dad was going through the period of intense learning when exposed to a new culture. He was full of questions and always observing everything. I laughed to myself as I remember be more like that when I first arrived, but it’s different now. I’ve settled into that daily type of grind that comes with school, work, or any other scheduled commitment. I know there is a chunk out of everyday where I will do the same thing: school. Fortunately I’ve been trying to go somewhere new everyday after school and I’ve been doing good to keep my motivation. I’ve only got so much time left and I gotta see all sorts of cool things! “Insert lame 90’s thumbs up, happy, motivated expression”

The loud patter of rain hitting the earthy ground just outside the shoji screen was our alarm clock. It had begun raining in the night and continued to progress through waves of the storm. Slowing down to a mist and then intensifying back to a downpour. With no desire to walk around Hakone getting soaked by the torrential rains, I decided to take advantage of the indoor onsen. I went in once right after waking up and then again around 11. At this point the rain had slowed considerably so my Dad and I set off to explore around the village.

With hiking shoes on, backpack full of camera gear, and umbrella in hand we set out for “The Noted Area of Pampas Grass.” This is what was on the Hakone tourist map, and hell if it’s noted it’s gotta be cool. After straddling the side of a high for about 10 minutes we came to the huge clearing of pampas grass. I set up my tripod and started to snap photos as my dad, like always, set off to explore. He began climbing up the side of the hill going further and further until I could barley see him. Splat! “Here comes the rain” I thought. Quickly I packed up my gear and set off up the hill after my dad. I’m sure the sight was funny from below; two gaijin in the pampas grass, clear umbrellas opened to shield our upper bodies from the rain, slowly moving up the side of the hill.

We thought we could make out a road above so we continued upward, but the farther we went the more the trails disappeared. Still not coming upon the road we decided to stop take some more photos and head back down. After getting back to the road we set off in the direction we were originally heading, continuing our loop of the village. When we were just about out of the pampas grass clearing, which the road went through, we saw that there had in fact been a trail/road at the top of the clearing. We had been just 20 feet short of it when we decided to head back down. Laughing at our luck we stopped at a vending machine, in the middle of nowhere, to get a coke. Refreshed, we continued around the village, seeing all sorts of things you never see in Tokyo.

Later that night back at the guest house we went out for some time in the rotenburo (outdoor hot spring). The clouds had slowly eased away during the day and now we could see stars from the hot spring. There were so many compared with back in Tokyo. Getting to see the stars really put the icing on the whole trip. I went to bed having a clear mind and happy emotions.

The next day we headed back for Tokyo, I had school so we had to leave in the morning. Before leaving though I was sure to use the rotenburo one more time. While my friends back in Tokyo were still asleep I was laying in the silky white waters of Hakone.

My dad came to Tokyo for a week to stay with me. I had a feeling that Tokyo would get old quick and that he would rather see the rural side of Japan. It was hard to really find a place that I though would be nearby, cheap, and not too gaudy. Finally I settled on Hakone, one of the most famous hot springs towns in Japan. The area is filled with plenty of the typical tourist traps, but I chose an area farther up in the mountains away from the main tourist areas. The area is called “Sengokuhara” and is in the northern part of Hakone, sort of near the thermal area called “Owakudani.”

The place I booked for our stay is called Fuji-Hakone Guest House. It’s well known among international travelers for being cheap and a good place to meet people from around the world. I looked at the pictures online and knew the onsen area would be kinda ghetto, or not so much ghetto, but just not even close to as nice as some of the other places i’d found online. I also knew it would be a fraction of the price and would give a more “homecooked” experiance.

With everything all planned we set off Saturday morning on the train headed for Odawara. The train ride from Aoibadai to Odawara was a real change in pace from Tokyo. Soon we were surround by rice paddies, in their vibrant green color of growth. The meticulously planted rows of rice passed us by as we moved into a more mountainous area. Trees were everywhere and somewhere along the way we picked up a creek and began following in into the hills. Pulling into a rural station I looked up into the hills around me and saw some HUGE birds circling. That was my first thought, but then I realized it was a group of paragliders.

After a wonderfully relaxing train ride through Kanagawa prefecture we pulled into Odawara station where we would catch our bus to Sengokuhara. The bus ride was even more exciting than the train as we climbed into the mountains around Hakone. The road became constant twisting and turning as it wrapped it’s way around the side of the mountains. Sheer drops on one side and a vertical wall of tree’s on the other. On the way home this same road would provide more excitement as the bus driver seemed to believe he was in a rally race. I heard the tires screeching around a corner more than once, as the driver tried to make it down the mountain in record time. Slowly making progress up the hill towards our destination we would come across a little ryokan or onsen every so often. Some of the buildings perched precariously on the edge, almost begging to fall into the ravine.

After a bus ride of an hour we arrived at our stop. We got up, paid the 1000 yen, and stepped off the bus into the fresh mountain air around Hakone. It had been a while since I had taken in such oxygenated air, instantly I was put into a relaxed mood. I looked around to get my bearings and set off in the direction of the guest house with my dad following behind. It was just a couple minutes walk from the bus stop, as our shoes crunched over the top of the gravel leading up to the entrance. Check in was easy and getting my camera equipment off my back I feel into the futon and slept for a couple hours. I woke up feeling refreshed and ready for a bath in the hot spring. The outdoor spring was simply a tile tub, surrounded by astroturf, with milky white water pouring into it. Rather than balking at the appearance I hopped in with enthusiasm and enjoyed a soak. My muscles relaxing, I began to drift into what we could do the next day. I had checked the weather before leaving and nothing but sun for the next couple days.

Besides the trees another thing I miss about Oregon are the stars. I guess I always took the beautiful night ceiling for granted in relatively dark and clear Oregon. In Tokyo there is so much light pollution that you have to be in the suburbs/outskirts to even be able to see stars, and then you need a night with no clouds or haziness. This is fairly rare occurrence and up until last week I had only seen around eight stars. Back home, even in the middle of the city, there are more stars than you could ever count. So, when a few of my friends and I went to the river to just hang out and enjoy the nice weather I pleasantly surprised by stars. I would have to say we saw around 100-200, plus one satellite! I was shocked when we saw the satellite as I had just been telling my friends how when I go camping back home I try to see how many I can see in a night. My record is 13. Usually satellites are faint and hard to see, even out camping in Oregon, so I thought it would be impossible to see one anywhere near Tokyo. At 9:45pm though, one came into to view and we all watched it speed over the blanket of blackness and specks above us. This night has been one of the best and most memorable moments while over here. Laying on the edge of a river, nice weather, telling stories about our lives, and watching the stars. If only the stars came out more often in Tokyo.

During my Japanese class last Monday we learned about tea ceremony (Sadou). We weren’t simply taught on the chalkboard though, we actually participated in mock tea ceremony taught by a famous teacher. First we started by cleaning all the tatami mat’s in the room we were to use. To clean the mats we used dry cloth rags and rubbed the tatami going with the grain. Then the teacher taught us how to properly, sit, greet, walk, and enter the room. Finally before getting the ceremony underway the teacher asked for a volunteer to be the honored guest. Everyone was reluctant, not sure what the responsibilities entailed. After a couple awkward seconds of silence I volunteered and we began.

We all entered the room as we were told. First sliding in through the door, then bowing to the host. Moving forward to look at the hanging scroll, flowers, and incense holders. Then taking our places and sitting around the circle. I was the honored guest so I sat closest to where the Tea was being made and was at the “beginning” of the circle. Next to me sat another guest and finally one more person next them. We three were the main guest and so were served the tea and sweets first. The other students brought us the tea and sweets and watched we ate and drank. A few of my classmates looked confused, wondering whether they would get some too. Others looked intently at the sweets, mouths slightly open, and on the verge of drooling. After the three honored guest had eaten and drank their tea the teacher brought out all the tea making supplies. Now anyone who wanted to make tea could try themselves and most did. The teachers assistant brought out more sweets for everyone and we just sat around and talked for the remainder.

Our regular Japanese teacher had given us the impression that the Tea Ceremony teacher was going to be very strict, but she ended up not being bad. She didn’t make us sit the proper way of sitting because none of us foreigners could handle it for that long. She ended up being a very nice lady and I think she enjoyed teaching us all.

Although the experiance probably was nothing close to AUTHENTIC Japanese Tea Ceremony it was still fun and very informative. I definitely saw how the ceremony can be very strict and have very small and seemingly insignificant rules. It’s all a bit tedious and overly structured for my liking. I enjoyed the experiance as a one time thing, but could never study something like that. I need room to be free!

I’ve finally experienced a bit of somewhat traditional Japanese culture in the form of Kabuki. I went last Sunday with a few of my friends and other exchange students from school. It was partly paid for by the school so we only had to pay around $5 to see it, which was totally worth it. Before going to the performance, which was at two in the afternoon, we decided to hit up some sites around Tokyo.

They started off early, at least for an exchange student in Japan, waking up around 8:30am and hustling down to the station to catch the train. We headed straight for Harajuku, where my friend Travis found out there would be a flea market. The market was pretty cool with all sorts of old things, from old military equipment to tobacco pipes. I contemplated buying a some stuff, but in the end held off. I’ll probably go to a couple more before I leave and get some souvenirs.

After we finished at the swap meet we headed for the imperial palace. The weather was nice and clear, but the temperature and humidity were climbing, and climbing fast. So, after walking around the palace for a bit we decided to chill on the grass and get a nice tan. We tanned, sweated, and talked about how relaxing the park was and that we wanted to come back in the future.

Finally we headed for the National Theater to see the kabuki performance. Excited and ready for air conditioning, we were surprised to find out we had showed up 45 minutes early. What to do? Travis, being the master of Japan found a free music museum nearby which we went to and hung out in until Kabuki started. The museum held all the various instruments used in a Kabuki play. At last we got to our seats in the theater, the curtain drew, and the show began.

The first portion was an introduction to kabuki, explaining the three aspects ka, bu, and ki. Ka (歌) being song, Bu (舞) being dance, and Ki (伎) being technique. I though the introduction would be boring, but it was actually very interesting. It left me eager to see the actual performance. The play was about the monkey king, and is what the famous comic Dragonball is based off of. From what I had seen I thought kabuki would be slow and boring, but this play was fast paced and extremely entertaining. The movements, humor, music, and effects really came together to create one hell of a spectacle.

With kabuki finished and still plenty of time left in the day we turned out feet towards Yasukuni shrine and set off. Yasukuni is a very famous and controversial shrine where the souls of Japanese killed in war reside. We saw a few Japanese nationalist there, but otherwise it was just another shrine, unique in it’s own way, but nothing too amazing. Recently I’ve grown tired of seeking shrines out, rather I enjoy coming across them on walks and entering for a spontaneous moment of relaxation.

Travis and I parted ways with one of our friends and hopped the train to Shinjuku where we could eat and then head to Yoyogi to end the day. We walked down a road with various shops, smashed a one yen coin on the train tracks, and settled into a nice and cheap, but good looking ramen shop. I got a bowl of ramen, a bowl of egg drop soup, and five gyoza for 470 yen. That’s very cheap especially for Shinjuku.

On the last leg of our journey, Travis and I walked from Shinjuku to the Harajuku entrance to Yoyogi park. There we met up with one of our good Japanese friends and went to have a drink and just relax in the park. I can tell you that no bar in Tokyo can beat ending the day in a park, laying on the grass, and drinking somewhat cheap alcohol. Another busy Tokyo day came to a close…

Before coming to Japan I had both heard and read about in group and out group. It seemed like Japan ran on a very structured group system whereas in America it seemed to have far less focus on the group and more focus on the individual. So, when coming to Japan I expected Japanese people to have very rigid groups and the exchange students to be all one large group. The assumption about Japanese having very closed groups was fairly correct. If you don’t have a way into the group, that is you don’t know someone, then it’s basically impossible to enter the group. Some Japanese may be more open than others and will become friends with you if they approach you, but in general they are fairly closed. What was more surprising to me was how all the exchange students interacted with each other.

As time goes on I see the fragmentation of the exchange students into smaller groups. At first we all kind of went to events together, but as people start to talk with each other we realize who we really like and form smaller groups. I have found about five people who I think I really click with and interact with well. These people I would consider some of my closest friends in life, even though I’ve only known them for a couple months we have hung out a lot, talked a lot, and become very close because we are in a foreign country. If they all liar where I lived then I would included them in my very close circle of friends back home because they are such awesome people.

Outside of the core people that I like there are another 10 or so who I see on a daily basis, but am not quite as close with. They are great people, but I just don’t have the same chemistry as I do with the others. Outside of that are the people I see every so often, people with which I am cool with, but I don’t quite know them that well. Most of the exchange students fall into the last category. There are a lot of really cool and friendly people and so I’m on good terms with pretty much everyone, but there are just different levels of trust/chemistry with them. Finally there are a few people who I don’t like that much, but I try to be somewhat nice to them. I try to not talk shit as I would prefer if there was no drama. I want everyone to be happy and just take what they can from this experiance rather than get concerned with people talking shit and getting mad about petty things. Still people will get mad.

The groups in themselves are not really bad, no group really hates another. The bad part comes from jealousy. Some people stick to just there core group of friends, but other people are able to shift between a couple of core groups. I was like this in high school, where I could hang out in all different groups and ave best friends in all of them. Over here though I definitely have one group which I prefer so I’m not one of the shifters. The drama starts when one of the shifters does something fun with one of the core groups and their other core group gets pissed because they weren’t invited or whatever. So far there really hasn’t been much drama just a couple people getting a little jealous, but the situation diffuses fairly quickly.

Hopefully people can understand that some of us get along better than others. And as a friend said “We can’t all walk around in a big group of 40 people all the time.”

Episode 5 check’s out karaoke and parties in Japan.

The people who I’ve learned the most from in life are not people from academia, rather it’s the people I’ve talked with. These people who’ve had meaningful conversations with me, sharing their opinions, experiences, and feelings. No matter how trivial the topic there has always been something for me to learn. I want to say thanks to everyone out there who has sat down with me and had a serious one on one conversation, a conversation in which they share their true feelings and give me their honest opinion. It’s thanks to all you out there that I’m the person I am today, It’s what you’ve taught me that’s allowed me to lead a very satisfying and happy life. My one hope is that I somehow contributed something positive to your life, helping you attain ultimate happiness. Thank you to all the awesome teachers I’ve had throughout my time on earth!

Last week I went to Tsukiji, one of the main spots in Tokyo I was excited to see. I was amazed by the market, but I didn’t stay nearly as long as I would have liked nor did I take as many photos as I’d wanted to. This goes to show that you SHOULDN’T go out partying with friends the night before Tsukiji, I’ve learned my lesson and I will go after a nights sleep next time.

I did make it in time to see the last 15 minutes of the tuna auction, which was pretty cool. There are hundreds of the giant frozen tuna being auctioned off, all arranged in tidy little rows. After watching the tuna spectacle I went out into the regular fish market and wandered around for 15-30 minutes. I only really snapped a few photos as I was out of it and the market was busy. People were going every which way and I simply wasn’t aware enough that morning to make sure I could stay out of everyone’s way AND take photos.

One of the nearby streets reminded me of southeast Asia. Though I haven’t been there I’ve watched the travel channel shows on Vietnam/Thailand, with the bustling streets of car’s, motorbikes, carts, and people going every which way. It was just like that with delivery trucks speeding by, these weird little motor carts swerving around everyone, tourist walking around with camera in hand, and even hand pulled carts with fish on the back. At one point I had to wait at the edge of a street for a few minutes before I could build the confidence to cross in one of the small gaps.

Tsukiji was definitely one of the highlights of my trip so far and I’ll be going back again soon to get some more photos and video.