Goodbye Days ~Itsumo Arigatou~

It has been 3 awesome weeks since we left our hometown in pursuit for a unexpecting incredible journey to a magicfull world we always wanted to go.

But before we go all sentimental about our days in Japan, still a little guide/review on Japan.

JAPAN's GUIDE or How to strive to be a Nihon-Jin in Japan.
(Short summarized version. since I still need to pack my luggage, and get up at 05.00)

Time: Go any time you like, it's fun at every season in Japan.
We went during August, which was supposed to be pretty hot. And well it was. But I'm used to it. And I think you'll get used to it. There's enough airco for you to cool down and rest out. And we had our days of moderate temperatures. The most days it was around 30 Celsius. It differs though from region to region, but for Osaka and Tokyo is fairly the same. Although I felt that Tokyo was less hot, and more bearable to live in.

Festivals: There are (cultural) festivals every month in Japan. So you won't get bored. On music festivals: well ofcourse in Summertime you'll get the most Summer Music Live Festivals like Fuji Rock Festival, Rock In Japan, SummerSonic etc. If you want to see your beloved artists/bands, plan your holiday well! ( Don't be like me...missed my chance to see YUI "-___- )

Tickets: Tickets are very easy to get in Japan, you can get to the usual Ticket Offices like PIA or you can call some tickets-servicelines for tickets. But what's more convenient is to get it a (suprisingly well-named) convience store. Family Mart & Lawson most likely will have a machine for you to buy tickets (ask the staff if you need help).

Transport: We got a JR-Railpass for 21days. (You can get them for 7days or 14days too). This pass is a pretty convenient one if you would travel from city to city, for example like us from Tokyo to Osaka (when we landed at Narita Airport) and back from Osaka to Tokyo. Especially if you plan to see a lot of touristspots in different cities a JR-pass is a must, on you got the pass you can travel for free in the 3 weeks on most of the JR-trains. And importantly, if you stay in Tokyo, the Yamanote line will bring you to the most places and with the JRpass it's free.

Subways: Really convenient ( I guess Japan is a country of convience). If you can't use the JRpass, then get a ICOCA, PASMO or SUICA. cards you can use for the subways. We used to ICOCA, so I don't know what the others are for. If you don't wanna buy a card, you can also pay for each trip, buy a ticket for the amount of yen you would travel (check the fare-table).

Bus: I took the bus once, but that was for free, but you pay by cash or card (If I'm not mistaken). Cash should be put in the box near the driver.

Eating: Eating is really really cheap in Japan compare to western countries. Ofcourse you can go expensive if you want, but for 380 yens you can get a bowl of Soba/Udon or ramen.
Eating varies from Japanese local food to western food which can be prett expensive compares to the Japanese food.
Fruit are expensive in Japan.
If you like to go to a fastfood-chain: there's enough: Japanese got except the usual Mcdonalds, Burgerking also: Mos Burger/ Freshnes Burger/ Wendy's/ City Convience Restaurant First Kitchen/ Lotteria. A lot.

Clothing: A lot. Western style to Asian style. Whatever you like. Too many fashion streets.
Price: ranging from cheap to expensive. Same story search for a good bargain.

I'm running out of time =P I'm sorry I need to pack my luggage. So I'll continue this for sure, or just ask me. This will be my last post here on Nihongo Wakarimasen. My personal blog "Strive Again" will, ofcourse, still continue. I'll write everything there, so if you're interested, don't hesitate to come by.

So time to get emotional now!! Put up some sentimental goodbye-music!

Before we came to Japan, we had some certain expectations, and now after 3 weeks, I must say, Japan was totally like I had expected...And More!! We've seen a lot, eat a alot, did alot, went out a lot, walked a lot, took the subway a lot, heard Japanese a lot (Irashaimaseeee!!)(.........Gozaimashitaaaa). It was all fun. It really was. I'm gonna miss this country for sure. All the nice people (whether real or not), all the different kinds of people, all the ways of living here in Japan, I'll miss it. Japan really is a special country. We've seen shrines and tempels just right inbetween buildings and traffic ways. Yukata girls in arcade game halls. Guys dressing up like girls cosplay. It was a crazy time. It was a fun time. Shopping, walking, searching, eating. We had a hectic life these past few weeks. It wasn't all fun and laughter, we had our down sides too.

Anyway So much to say, so less time. So much to see, so less time. There's still a lot of things we couldn't see, so much places to go to. But you'll wear yourself out if you go all out 21 days long. So we took our time and set our pace for the last few days.

I would like to thank all of you who've supported us for the past few weeks. Thanks to you all who kept on following our blogs, and also all those who ever came by to check it out. Thanks.
Also thanks for all the comments and replies. We really appreciate it, we really do.
We had some good time, also with msn, all of you who kept in touched during this period.

I would also like to thank all the kind Japanese people who helped us out during this period. Still with little to no english they kept on trying to help us. Special thanks to the ramen-shop-guy on the first day whom I had a pretty long conversation! He helped us in Osaka. Also thanks to my funny-guy hairdresser! He was really caring =P And also special thanks to the Livehouse staff guy who helped me out for buying tickets giving me all the info. And all those others kind people! Arigatou Gozamashita!
Also Thanks again to Kana & Aki -san!

And if I forgot anyone...well I didn't forgot you. I just can't mention everyone.

Thanks to everyone!! Thank you Japan.
Thank you Life!

Itsumo Arigatou!

`Kingman Lam

Asakasa Blitz [Livehouse] Wherever We Will Go, Whatever We Will Do.

One day left before we leave this beautifull land.

Well I've always said I wanted to visit a Livehouse here in Japan. After some missed chance, today I had my chance. Initially I thought of going to livehouses to see some indies-bands. But the thing is, I don't got much info on which bands are good. So I don't want to waste my time and money seeing some band I don't like. So I head out on the net to search for the LIVE-performance-dates of the bands I like. I checked Asian Kung-Fu Generations site, and it appears they will perform in a rock festival called ROCK ROCK Sendai, in Sendai. Lucky me! I thought, but this happy feeling soon faded away once I discovered the tickets were all sold out.

So too bad, zannen desu. I continued to search for some live performances. I did all of these yesterday, so I really really had to be lucky to find something within the 3 days I was still here.

So a few days I ago I bought the AKFG albums along with Stereopony's debut album, so I decided to check their site. And guess what, they were gonna give a last final perfomance of their Tour on 22 August today!

After the usuall internet info-babelfish-translator hassle, I finally managed to find my way to this Livehouse/Venue called Asakasa Blitz located in...Asakasa. Some place near Harajuku, where I transfered to the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. (From our main transport line, the Yamanote Line)

And I got my ticket!
And today also, I had my portion of Japanese conversation! Once again the Livehouse-staff didn't knew English, so there goes my badly Japanese again. Using keywords and short sentences I once again succeeded in managing to get (the most) things understood.

I got my ticket at 15.00 We were supposed to line up at 16.00, but everyone was already lining up at 15.30 At first I was lining up in the wrong que "-___- I had a B-rank ticket, but I lined up in the A-rank line. Yeah stupid, but it doesn't matter since I still needed to wait anyways, cause mine ticket was bought late, so I was one of the few last to go in. That's no problem really, cause I still managed to get a good place.
So I got in, and photos were not allowed. So I'm sorry. No photos.
But it was a splendid Live!
It was their last concert in their whole tour, and since this was their first tour (they just started out, just released debut album a while ago) it got a bit emotional at the end. AIMI the vocalist + guitarist started to have watery eyes at the ending speech. At one moment she paused, and some people from the crowd were shouting: Ganbatte! Ganbatte! =P

So yeah, it was a nice day. Bought some Tour Goods as well, The T-shirt and Towel. I also got the poster (but you needed to buy the new single to get the poster, so I was in shopping spree anyways, so I got that one as well) (Below left are some free flyers, then you got the towel and shirt, and the poster + new single. The album I already bought it a few days ago)

Okay one of the last posts of Japan. We might get emotional too tomorrow haha. I still have a lot of blog material, food photos! etc.

Wherever we will go, whatever we will do, we've all posted in our blogs.
(Still a lot of photos not posted, but maybe that will be bonus material after Japan. If anyone still comes here, but I guess not, so I'll post everything tomorrow!)

Bye! Ja mate! Tomorrow last day!

Bonus photos:

This shrine is just around our corner, and tonight they seemed to have a sort of festival.

Wonder how we iron our clothes? Well with this small iron-set! We actually just used it once. (you got to asked to borrow it at the frontdesk of the appartment)

Life in Tokyo

Photo above: Sunrise in Tokyo (I've taken this while I was up at around 0500 am yesterday)

So if anything, then today would be the day I felt like as if we we're really living in Tokyo. We didn't do much, but that's also why it felt like as if we live here.

The good side of going on Holidays with a Tour is: You'll get to see a lot. A lot of the your tourbus that is! Sure you do get to see a lot of touristic attractions like shrines,temples and all those other famous places. But after you've done seeing all those stuff, you haven't really experience Japan yet. You were the tourist. That's the downside...

I didn't want that. I wanted to feel as if I was living in Japan. And I think we've come pretty close to that kind of feeling. For the past 3 weeks we've been using the metro, trains, buying groceries at convience stores/supermarkets, eating at restaurants, buying stuff, eating at home (snacks! Microwave food! Drinks! Warm Green Tea!), dumping the garbage, washing the dishes, bringing clothes to the laundry, going to he postoffice etc etc. As if we were Japanese residence!

Well sort of. But I like this more than each day waking up early to get on a tourbus and go sightseeing.

Life In Japan. I don't know how it would be like. I guess it would be pretty hectic. Seeing how hard everyone works here. And they must be tired, sleeping in the metros.

So it's still fun if you're on holiday, but I wonder how it would really feel like to actually live here.

I am actually thinking of going to Japan for work! or Study! Maybe, who knows =P

Still 2 days left, So I'm gonna combine all the things I still want to write in 1 post. I'll make a JAPAN REVIEW/GUIDE later. As to the prices of food, the public transport etc. Ofcourse you can read all this on the web, so it will be my take on it. From what I've expenrience.

Keep it short!

Today a few things:

Homan's 21th no Tanjobi desu!!

The initial plan was to get him a cake/pie since you got to have cake/pie on your birthday.

But it should be done without him knowing, a sorta suprise you know.

So I needed to get an opportunity to go buy it without him knowing. So here's how the day begins. We both went out to the yubinkyoku (postoffice), then we returned home. I still had no chance to go buy it. I knew I had to come up with something. So afterwards we were supposed to go to Harujuku. So we went to the Ueno station, but when we arrived there, I discovered that I had forgotten my JRpass!! (Or did I?...;)

So we decided that he'll go first to Harujuku and I'll meet up with him later. (All according to the plan...*grin*...or maybe it was just coincidence, haha who knows =p )

Anyway, this gives me time to go buy the cake. I went to "DOUTOR" to buy it. Lucky there was this place just around the corner which sells stuff like cake/sandwiches/coffee. So I got futatsu (2 pieces of) pies. Next was candles, but there weren't any candles to buy anywhere here.

Anyway just pie will do =) Better something than nothing.

We went to Harujuku and Akihabara Laos (Duty free shop), came back, send our stuff, eat, and came back for the BirthdayPARTY!!.........................not. Wish you guys were here hahaha.

(If it looked like we had fun, well only the photo was hahaha. )

Anyway I'll keep this short. I also went to get a haircut, like all of you have anticipated for sooo long. No photo =P See the result when I get back hahaha. (Suprise or Dissapointment?!)

Hairdresser story, kinda same like Homenz story. Difficult communication, hand gestures, laughing, not understanding, worrying on hairdressers side (whether he will do it well), more hand gestures, asking other guy to help communicating...etc etc.

But the Japanese hairdressers are so worried of messing your hair up, they absolutely do not want to have unsastified customers. They really care about you, the customer.

(Amsterdam Chinatown's Chinese Hairdressers are totally garbage compare to them!!)

So yeah, I really like this Japanese mentality, of "Customer is the King". They really put effort in their job.

Anyway still managed to have some small conversation with the 'funny guy' hairdresser (Yes this particular place I went to had 3 hairdressers. A blond-haired guy which was the boss I suppose, a tough looking guy with shaven head on both sides and back but with long hair! on top in a short tail, and this funny guy who always kept a smiling while he was cutting my hair).

So I said I was from Holland and he was like: Eeeeh, from Holland?!?!. Then he asked what ethnicity I was, I said Chinese and then he said: Oh chinese? So desu ka, but your face, look like Japanese!! I knew I would blend in =P

This place I went to was just near Ueno station, 5 min walk from our appartment, I chose it because it was close, it was cheap 1200 yen!, and the hairdressers looked like good and proffesional ones. Aged 25-35. Means at least trendy. =p

(My English: It went from bad to worse! I know it's bad, I'm sorry. I'm not putting my utmost effort into writing a good post. Gomen nasai)

Shibuya Crossing & Harujuku Chilling

Today was the Shopping Galore!!
Harujuku really IS the place for all the sneaker and streetwear!
Shibuya too is a shopping place for the young ones. (for everyone actually)

Below a photo of the stuff I bought the past few days. Some of them, are souvenirs/gifts. So they're some spoilers for those who'll recieve it.

For some Japan will be a paradise when it comes to clothing. A lot of styles can be found here. At first I couldn't found some 'normal' stuff. Most of the things we came across were either urban stuff, asian style stuff, western classy stuff, skating stuff (which is cool by the way), or very expensive stuff. But after being used to the shopping streets and understanding which shops sells what, I've found that it is really cool to shop in Japan =)

Concerning the price, well some things are cheap, whereas other things can be pretty expensive as well. It really depends. You got a lot of stuff around the 3000 Yen (which is pretty okay price). Cheaper SALE things are around 1500 Yen. But NEW ARRIVALS can be like 6000 Yen.
It's still an okay price actually. Shoes can be pretty darn expensive by the way.
Oh but if you got to the more classy department stores with brands stores, the price is much higher than what I've stated. So yeah, find your way, and discover what suits you best.

About the sizes, well they say that the Japanese sizes are always one smaller. So like Medium is the western Small. And Large will be the western Medium. In some cases this is true. For example Japanese brands. But normal western brands like Nike handles the normal sizing. It really varies from brands to brands. So try to fit them if you can. Most of the time this is no problem in clothing stores. Some fitting rooms requires you to take off your shoes. And sometimes the storeclerk will wait for you outside.

The Japanese language also uses the words: Medium or Emu Sizuu, Largu Sizuu or Erlu Sizuu. So if you use this few words it will be okay to make yourself understandable.

I haven't tried to return any items yet, so I don't know how that works, but I guess it's possible, since that's like a normal consumers right.

---

Really not much to say. Later post will be about the fastfood chains over here in Japan, Like MosBurger, Freshness Burger & Wendy's. We've went to these 3, but they're still more of these places like Lotteria and City First Convience Kitchen. I'll post it up when we've had them all =P (maybe).

As far as Japanese foods go, literally each 10 meter you walk there will be a foodplace.
(I'll write later as to the pricing and stuff and what you can eat)

So if you got questions about living in Japan, concerning the prices, shopping, eating, places to go, Japanese manners, feel free to ask them. I'll try to tell you what I've experience so far.

It's really fun over here in Japan. No I really do like it. If you guys have a chance, you really should come here to experience Japan!

Ja mate!!

Everyone can be Anyone in Japan

Everyone can be someone in Japan. Anyone can be someone.
It doesn’t matter who you are, you are someone in Japan.

Having stayed in Japan for 2 small weeks, one cannot give a full view of how life in Japan would be. And I don’t think I can fully understand life in Japan neither. For that, I think I’ll need to stay here a bit longer. But that’s not possible, so for now I’ll share my thoughts for Japan that has been accumulated for the past 2 weeks.

Japan, land of mix between ancient culture and high-tech society. Old shrines, temples, castles and high sky graspers. Kimono’s, Yukata’s, Jimbei’s and the latest fashion to cosplay. Formal etiquette manners to the small distance zone in metro’s, where it won’t be odd if someone fall asleep on your shoulder. (although I’ve never experience it to come this far.)

The upcoming few posts will be about Life in Japan as what I’ve experience about it. And of course the daily updates on our trip. (Don’t worry it won’t be long, I’ll keep it short. ‘Short-bites’ nicer to read =)

“Everyone can be someone in Japan”

That’s really true. The first time you set foot on Japan you will be shocked or at least surprised at how everyone looks. How everyone are dressed. A lot of youngsters wears the latest fashion (Asian fashion) or are just so fashionable it become an own style.You can truly wear whatever you like. If you like to have the most odd-looking style you can do that. Nobody will look weird at you. Maybe everyone is used to it. Maybe that’s true on one hand, but also I guess people won’t care too much. Frankly saying, I don’t know. All these youngsters with cosplay, gotchic clothing, maid dresses, I don’t know how the other Japanese people think about it. I guess they already had accepted this phenomenon but they’ll still look up from time to time.

So if you’re young, you can do whatever you like so it seems. Live while you’re young so it seems. Cause when you grow older, you’ll get a real job eventually. And when that happens, the fun time is over.

Still, even if you grow older, you still can do whatever you want. If you like anime, manga and games (one of the things where Japan is famous for) you’ll find your place in Japan.

Friday 14 August – Akihabara
A place famous for its many many electronics stores, but also for the many many anime, manga and games stuff. All the otaku, geeks, nerds or whatever you want to call them come here to ‘be themselves’. All the people who our ‘outcasts’ of the society, all those who live for fictional stories and characters gather here to live their interests. To live their lives. Nobody will judge them here. If they want to go to places like these they can. (See photo below: ‘Noone under the age of 18 permitted’)If they want to go to a maid café they can. If you ask me what a maid café is, I can give you a few answers. A normal objective one would be, a funny place where girls dressed up as maids serve you and can play games with you and take pictures with you. It sounds like fun, doesn’t matter whether you’re otaku/geek or not. An other answer is a rather depressing one: A place for the otaku’s to live out their fantasies of maids. Girls accompanying them, and talk to them and have fun. Cause in real life no girls would dress up and act like maids. And no girls would be as nice to them in real life.
I know it’s a rather harsh point of view, but in ‘some’ way it’s true. But it’s all good. It doesn’t matter. I’m not judging anyone. I mean it seems like a fun place to go to for me too =).

Photo below: Maids handing out leaflets to attract customers/ It's really hard to hand out leaflets, cause noone ever takes them.

This photo has 2 things. 1: The maid ofcourse, which you'll see alot in Akihabara. The 2nd is the couple on the photo. Are they a couple? The women looks like the mother of the guy?! It's so weird, I don't get it anymore...

Wonder what all the people are watching at? Some new game. They just all stand there in the middle of the street to watch it.

A maid cafe...photos were not allowed. I took them anyways...(afterwards being spoken to by the staff for: "Noo picture!" )

(No we did not went in any of these shops. Only anime/manga merchandise stores and game arcades.)

Saturday 15 August – Shibuya

Shibuya, the place for the young and the reckless. A place to be for the latest trends in fashion, music and all the important things of youth culture. Gold dyed hair? It’s not special. You got to try a bit harder. Now green or blue hair will stand out! Just wear whatever you want. Look at this kid with the green shirt. His shoes are like uber crazy. If you would wear those in the Netherlands, people will laugh at you. Over here in Japan? Well nobody would find it odd in Shibuya.

The Shibuya Crossing...

Mix of youngsters and the elder in both fashions. (well actually the 2 people wearing the traditional japanse clothes do it for promotional purposes)

In Shibuya.

A Shibuya store (same here, photos not allowed, I took them anyways.)

Shibuya at night.

Sunday 16 August – Harujuku

Yoyogi Koen/ Yoyogi Park. Feel free. Do what you want. Honto ni.Yoyogi park truly defies the ‘careless’ attitude of Japan. Dancing, singing, playing guitar, theater, sports, kendo, Frisbee, baseball, violin, flute, exercising, eating, chilling. Just a place to do your thing. Of course a lot of other parks around the world have people doing this stuff, but still, Yoyogi park has a different aura/feel.One notable thing is the group of middle-aged man and women who relive the 50’s of America in the time of the rockabilly era. They dance on the old-skool rock ‘n roll music (made big through the King of Rock ‘N Roll, Elvis Presley). They live their hobby.

Kendo.

Replace my head with some pretty face and this will be a perfect picture..."-___-

Making music!!

Harujuku shopping streets. Look at all those people...

Some indoor/outdoor shops

Road to the Meiji Shrine...

Sunlight...

‘Really anyone?’

Look anyone can be anyone all over the world. But in Japan, I feel that there’s a place for everyone. It doesn’t matter how you look like or how you act. Japan is odd enough to have a lot of different places/peoples. Of course it’s not like all the otaku are considered normal. People would still have these thought of: “Ow he’s an Otaku, he’s a geek who never goes out his room. And play games” . Or “ So, she’s a Shibuya Girl, always dress up, a lot of make-up, goes out at night”. This will always be the case. But the thing is, it’s just so extreme and normal at the same time.

(once again I'm sorry for the bad writings. I started out well, but it went bad to worse. I'll try to write better later on, sorry if it's hard to read)

Odaiba's Day Out

Odaiba's Day Out Report 17.08.09

Destination: Odaiba

Origins: A large artificial island built on the Tokyo bay.

Also known as: Tokyo Waterfront Secondary City Center (東京臨海副都心)

History: Built originaly for defensive purposes in the 1850's.

Expanded as a seaport district in the late 20th century.

Since the 1990's it became a major commercial, residential and leisure area.

(from wiki)

Meaning: As of today Odaiba has become a place for the japanese to go out and have fun! A day out to Odaiba! Aqua City Odaiba (Shopping Mall, Food), Decks Tokyo Beach (Shopping, amusement, gourmet), Museum of Maritime Science, Joypolis SEGA (Biggest indoor amusement park).

Project Gundam_ _ _Daiba170809

Target: To see the 1:1 real scale original RX78-2 Gundam.

Route: Take the Yamanote line to Shimbashi station. Transfer to the unmanned elevated train Yurikamome line. (yes it was unmanned! and elevated!! so hightech =)

Destination: Daiba station - U 07

Shiokaze park / Shiokaze koen

And there it was...GUNDAM!!

18 meter tall, from far it didn't look that huge. We already saw it from the Rainbow Bridge while we were in the train. But from close it is magnificent really. So cool. All the details were there.

A lot of people come here everyday to see this popular icon of Japanese anime television. Gundam has become part of the culture. Really everbody knows about it.

Started in the late 70's, the franchise has now expanded to many many other tv series, merchandising, games, books, novels, model kits etc etc.

It really really really is something worth checking. It's really hard to imagine how it would look like in real life. I guess everybody who ever watch Gundam had tried to imagine how it would be. Well now they actually built it! (it's only till 31 August though...lucky we could have seen this)

Pilot of the Mobile Suit...

Okay enough Gundam yadaa yadaa....

Time to go in the fun city of Odaiba!!

Aqua City Odaiba Shopping mall!

Where we came across this JUMP store.

With SlamDunk poster!!

SOLD OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SlamDunk IS popular in Japan, I noticed in these past few weeks that SlamDunk is really a series that is loved by the Japanese people.

Okay after the JUMP store, we saw this: A Naruto Expo kind of thing. (a lot of anime in this post haha)

Exhibition...of ART. Manga art...

Nice photo...(all the tails!)

More...

After this we went to the other building, which was right next to the Aqua City: Decks Tokyo Beach. We crossed the passway which connected these two buldings, and snap some shots of the Rainbow Bridge. (sorry for the vague description...I'm tired)

Rainbow Bridge....

By the way there was also Joypolis, a large indoor amusement park. With rollercoasters and stuff. But we didn't went in.

Whats more interesting was MUSCLE PARK. A place where you can play games like football, frisbee game, brain games and 'muscle games'.

For example below. 2 guys compete in push-ups, sit-ups etc etc.

This one was tough, there was this whole parcours like a bootcamp survival route. It was pretty tough.

Ofcourse you also got the brain test. See how fast you could press the numbers in chronological order.

...

After all this, we went back to the Gundam (yay in night it's even cooler!)

Look al ALL those people!!

Each hour they had this special sequence, where the Gundam would steamed off air/gas from it's from it's body, and also light up at several parts. Also the head would move left to right, and as a climax, the head would look up!! Yes it was EPIC!

It was a nice day. I'm sorry for the very bad written post. I know it's bad, I'm not in the report writing mood. And also it might be boring if you're not into the anime stuff. sorry for that.

The last few days we'll be chilling & relaxing more. Since we've already went to a lot of places.

Maybe I'll go to Kamakura, maybe not. Also gonna buy the last few stuff. Maybe try to go to a Live House (music).

And everybody seems to want me to go get a haircut..."-___-

You guys just want to see me all changed with this trendy fashion haircut which doesn't suit me, and then laugh at me!!!!! Well too bad, if I would go, I'll just let them cut it a bit shorter and remain the same.!!

Okay I'll write about Japan later on. It will be much more interesting.

Thanks for all the support!

Zushi Fes'09 [Summer Days!!]

Wednesday 12 August [Zushi Live Festival 2009 @ Kamakura, Zushi]

It had always been a plan of me to visit some live music festivals (or live houses) when I'm in Japan. The perfect festival was RockInJapan Festival. Which is a pretty big festival with a lot of japanese bands and artist. And most importantly, YUI performs there too. But unfortunately the festival was held on 31/7, 1/8 and 2/8. Whereas we already got our flight tickets for 3/8. So that was a real pity. Anyway, decided to go to this Zushi Festival. Which was a rather small one with only 2 stages (or actually 1.5 stage"-__-) . But still, it had some great artists peforming like Ai Otsuka (photo below)

And Do As Infinity! The tickets were bought at Family Mart (Combini,Convience Store). With help from the storeguy. Buying tickets seems to be pretty easy in Japan, they got a machine where you can select the events from and insert money to buy it.

Now having the ticket, the next step was to actually get there. The description was written on the site asto how to go there, but the site itself was in Japanese. So at times like these, BabelFish is your best friend, for some raw translation.

It was pretty far. All the way at Kamamura, which was near Yokohoma (near Tokyo). Lucky they got shuttle busses taking you there. These shuttle busses would be picking you up at Kamakura station. So knowing that, All I needed to do was to go to Kamakura station. (Which took like more than 4 hours! From Osaka to Shin Osaka = 15 min. Shin Osaka to Shin Yokohama = 2 hours 45 min Shin Yokohama to Yokohama = 15 min. Yokohama to Kamakura = 40 Min. Kamakura to Zushi = 10 min.

Kamakura itself is a pretty old-styled small town. Zushi however, located at the seaside, is a pretty upclass place. Reminds me of Monaco or Miami (sort off)(Or maybe it's because of the palmtrees)

At last I got there!

It was time to go in, but a slightly little problem occured. When you go in you'll get the usuall wristbands. There were 2 colors, Blue and Red. With red you'll get acces to the front-row-area. Whereas Blue wristbands holders couldn't get as close to the stage. I was supposed to get a red one. But they didn't got any anymore (such bad organisation). So they gave out these to everyone. A sticker which you must stick to your shirt or somewhere. This wasn't a big problem untill I lost the sticker that is..."-__- (even though they weren't really checking that much)

There were already some artists performing, So I missed those. But it didn't matter, cause the most anticipated band for me was Do As Infinity.

I got to the Palmtree Stage which was right next to the sea.

The back-row-area.

The band of Do As Infinity tuning the instruments

After a while, the Guitarist of D.A.I appeared first, Ryo Owatari.
Then after him came Van Tomiko. Everyone was excited. Right from the first song, which was SUMMER DAYS, everyone was enthousiasticly jamming along. ,
I didn't took any photos of it, since I was enjoying the music myself =P

They ended with 本日ハ晴天ナリ.

Well after this, I went to check out the other "stage" as you can call it that. Which was actually a stage at the swimming pool. With all the crowd in the water.

So like a lot of people were swimming, sunning and stuff.

Also a place to eat. Everyone sitting under cover for the sun, enjoying the day.

They also got Turkish food in Japan. (Durum)

PE'Z, a Jazz band perfoming. Pretty upbeat.

After PE'Z was done, people started to come in again, To get a nice place to see the next big artist. Do you know who it is?
It's.............Ai Otsuka!! There she is. When she came upstage you heared the usuall screaming:"Ai-Chaaaan!!"

It's really her!

More photos. I must say, the crowd wasn't as excited as with Do As Infinity. But Otsuka herself was stunning though. Great live singing!

The crowd did became enthousisiastic afterwards though.

After Ai Otsuka, it was already kind of late. I still needed to go all the way back to.

But I decided that once I'm here, I might as well stay a bit longer.

Here's at that other stage with カラーボトル. (Me not really interested...)

I actually wanted to wait for J-Min, I don't know her but wanted to check it out. So I chilled a bit and waited. (In the end didn't seen her)

People resting/chilling.

So relaxfull at the seaside.

With palmtrees.

Sitting on the grass watching the sea.

Resting from the world.

The sun is shining.

Back to music! Triceratops performing. Look at the videos I posted below to get a feel of it.

Or check here Zushi Fes '09 & Zushi Fes '09 (Yeah)

Time to go back again.

Small Town.

Back at the station, look how crowded it is. So many people.

When I got to Shin-Yokohama, I needed to wait 1 hour for my next train to arrive. So I walked a bit in this 'Cubicplaza' which has 'Bic Camera', a 7 floor electronics store! (it even rhymes...)

So well, it was a nice day. Nice live music. Great live perfomances. Nice place. I enjoyed it.

I think the best performance was D.A.I's .

"Summer days, they have never been the same"

(Do As Infinity, Summer Days)