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)

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)

I Live For Vending Machines

If you would give me 1 dollar for every vending machine I see in Japan, I would be a millionaire right now. There is literally a vending machine e-ve-ry-whe-re!! Around every corner, alley, street, building, shrine!, subway are vending machines.
You may ask why there's so many. I guess the Japanese know the danger of dehydration. They need to take in H2O or some sort to refill their energy through the day. Cause believe me, without these life-saving-machines, everyone would be fainting from the heat, stress, over-polite-japanese salesmen/women and what not. These vending machines are your best friend in Japan.

Also Japanese people likes brands, there's so many choices of beverages,softdrinks,juices to choose from. I don't think I can try them all by the end of my trip.


Drinks are 120 Yen to 150 Yen for larger ones.


Everyone's favourite phone in Japan. The Flip-Over 3G Multi-purpose phone!
Waiting in the subway? Flip open your phone! Need to tell your best friend the new shoes you bought? Flip open your phone! Checking your mail? Flip open your phone! Bored? Flip open your phone!!
I really really love them, I do. But I'm not buying one though...or maybe...just maybe...
(Well not everyone got these do, I've seen some with 'normal' ones. Slide-Up phones, normal 1piece phone. But those are rare. I've seen 1 person with a Touchphone (smartphone like those everyone uses in Europe). But she was most probably NOT Japanese...

Wednesday 5 August: Osaka (Namba,ShinSaiBashi, ShinSaiBashiSuji) (Umeda)

100 Yen shop, but it's actually 105 Yen plus the taxes.

We went to eat a RamenShop! Those with just 8 seats. Lined up at the table/bar-style.

You need to choose what you want to eat from a machine, then insert the money and you'll receive a card which you then give to the Ramen-maker =).

There were 2 kids next to us. And they reminded us of how to eat up your ramen properly. Which is eat/drink up everything! All the soup included!

So after this was ShinSaiBashi and Dotombori.
Look at all those bicycles, just like Amsterdam. ;)

Just pick a guy you like. Anyone will do. Cause they've got a very nice personality...

(eerh...right....)

No they do...they really do

(How do you know that, just by looking at them?)

Well...just look at them, they seem so nice and cool. And their hair...it's sooo fasionable.

(I don't think you should judge someone just on their looks and hair....)

Hmm...you've got a point. I guess you're right.

=P

(It's random...=P)

Anyway: Japanese HairStyle!! (Or East-Asian for that matter...)

Let's go on to something that's really cute! Kapibara-San!

Even more Kapibara-Sans, now in smaller cuter versions!

A giant Pocky =)

Ruido (I don't know what this place is, but this one is for the YUI fans. Inside joke)

Look, Detective Conan and his friends are running to you~~~ =)

Guitar shop, but it was closed.

Just like the Shoe-store, with Nikes and SPX shoes.

Dotombori, Osaka's food-district.

We could have eaten this, but we didn't. It looks delicious though!

Instead we went for the Osaka-Famous-Food: Okonomiyaki!

This specific restaurant had a very unique way of ordering. You got to use an electic pen to scan/touch the menuplate to order it.

I forgot to put the mayonaise!! stupid.

After we eat (They messed up our orders sort of at the restaurant, so it turned out a bit late) we went home. On our back way home I noticed this peculiar thing.

Turns out, there are metros parts for women only.

Peace!!

The Journey of Days

[Day zero][Cause we basically did nothing other than travelling...]

After 2 days of intensive journey we finally arrived at The Weekly Mansion Osaka at Otemae.
I'm not feeling well, I'm tired and I want to sleep.
So I'll keep it short

Monday 3 Aug.
We'd board the JAL Plane, which was a pretty average plane, Boeing 777. They got the usual onboard entertainment system like you see in other Airlines. There was films like Star Trek, Monsters vs Aliens, Japanese films, games, J-Music etc etc.

But this post isn't about that, I know it should be about how great Japan is and all that, but as of now, I'm not 100% feeling it.
I got airsick, I felt miserable on the plane, tried to sleep, but it didn't succeed. And if that wasn't enough, Homan started to sing " We zijn d'r bijna~~~we zijn d'r bijnaaah~~~" I was totally not in that "Happy Mood".
Ofcourse I was glad we were almost at Japan, but that gladness soon disappeared when I realized what lied ahead of us...

Tuesday 4 Aug.
After we got off the plane, we needed to change money >>> Searching for the right ATM...
Then we needed to exchange the JRPass. >>> Searching for JROffice...
Remember we have our 15 Kg luggage with us. It wasn't a big problem untill then, cause we were still inside the Airport.
But I wasn't feeling well already, and we still needed to take the trains.
Narita airport to Tokyo ( to Shinagawa) >>> 1 hour 10 min
Shinagawa to Shin-Osaka >>> 3 hours
Shin Osaka subway >>> Search for ICOCA (which is like an chipcard for subways)(NL:OVChip)
Then from there took the subway, to Hommachi. And exchangee there to another subway to Tanimachi 4 Chome. And between all these were like a thousand of staircases, escalators, japanese pedestrians, humid/heat and what not. (Even if I didn't pack that much it was still heavy to travel in these circumstances while you're 'sick')

So after 12hour planeflight - 2trains of 4 hours total - a dozen of stairs and escalators - some searching and asking we finally got here!! It seemed little, but it felt like 2 long days.

Some random Japanese stuff I've seen today before I stop blogging cause I'm so tired.

1. Japanese people DO look like Japanese people...
The girls, the boys: They are kind of stereotype Japanese...like with the clothing and stuff =P

2. Japanese people are EXTREMELY friendly. They're so friendly it reaches a point where it becomes fake...
No but I do think they're sincerely friendly...wel some of them do. Some just do it because it's their 'job-etiquette'.

3. Very Big Flip-Out-Cover (Clamshell) Phones!! But oh so very cool. I like =D
Literally you can see 2 or 3 people every second with these phones messaging, calling and whatnot.
These phones must be pretty heavy I guess, I've already seen 2 people drop it on the ground!!
This one girl came out of the subway, walked across Homan...and DROPP!!. Her Akai-keitai (red phone) slides some way over the ground.......odd.


Anyway our appartment is pretty cool, can't seem to upload the photos right now.
I'll upload the photos tomorrow or when it works again, cause there seem to be some kind of error right now...

Just had some diner, HMT went to the 7Eleven just then. Guess we'll be heading to sleep soon.
With lights on...or off. (some of you we'll get this joke =P)

There's actually this 'sound' we always here at our door. We don't know what it is, but it sound like someone is there or something. But when we go to watch through the see-hole-thing, there's nothing. Anyway there's also this quiet appartment hall (we stay in the 4th floor) and there's this elevator...

But oh well, next post will be about Japan!! The very own reason you all came to read this blog!!
I Promise! Yakusoku!!

Bye =)

Ps: I'm sorry for the bad english, grammar and typos. I'm really tired...