Deluxe Tour Japan Winter 2016 (Part Three: TOKYO, Day Two)

(*This blog was written a few weeks after the trip, but I changed the post-date for organizational reasons~ ^^)

December 23rd, Day Two, TOKYO

We woke up well-rested in the comfy hotel beds at about 7 a.m. (I actually didn't sleep so pleasantly, but that's nothing for you to worry about). For breakfast, we decided to stop at the nearby supermarket around the corner, which was a small AEON (store chain).  I was pointing out various foods and snacks that my brothers would have to try during their trip, and their logic was, why not now?

What could have been a healthy breakfast was now... a 3 piece onigiri set, chocolate chip melon bread, yukimi daifuku (ice cream wrapped in mochi), yakipurin (similar to a custard), anman (a bun filled with sweet azuki beans), and Gari Gari Kun (a soda flavored popsicle, yes more ice cream). This was shared by my two brothers, while I (who had bowel issues in the morning) opted for the aojiru (green smoothie) mixed with soy milk.

After breakfast, which was quickly dealt with in our room, using a spare chair as a table, we packed up and headed for the station at around 8:30. I knew, based on my super plan, that we would be going ALL-AROUND Tokyo today. It would normally cost a lot to jump on the subway for every commute, but given the distances we would be traveling it was not feasible to walk.

Tokyo Travel Advice #1, Get a rail pass!!
There are 24-, 36- and 72-hour passes available for the Tokyo Metro, the TOEI Line (the other subway), or a combination of both. And 24-hour doesn't mean one day, it means from 9 a.m. to 9 a.m. the next day, so it's actually a really good deal if you time it right! AND a 24-hour pass on the Tokyo Metro is only 600 yen (most trips on the subway range from 170-240 yen, depending on the distance).

Tokyo Travel Advice #2, Luggage Lockers!!
If you're not staying at the same hotel for the duration of your stay, then you want to put your heavy luggage somewhere safe, but also convenient. Depending on the size of the locker, it will cost 300 to 600 yen. Over-sized luggage can also be claimed at the Travel Service Counters located in Tokyo and Shinjuku stations, at 600 yen a piece.  You can keep your luggage stored away for up to 3 days in the lockers, but you will have to claim it before closing if you drop it off at a service counter. For the record, the locker price is per day.

Almost all stations have lockers, and any of the bigger stations are usually accommodating for large luggage as well. I also recommend that you plan which station you want to use so that you don't end up making extra trips. It was my first time, so I didn't realize that there was a surplus of lockers. We left ours in Tokyo, but I later realized that Shinjuku (where we would depart from by bus) would have been more convenient.

Now, it's just past 9 a.m. and our sightseeing officially starts with a trip to...

BUNKYO CIVIC CENTER, Korakuen Station, Marunouchi Line

Using our Metro Pass, we hopped on the Marunouchi Line from Tokyo station to Korakuen. It's not a very well known stop, but if you do your research you'll find that the station is right next to the Bunkyo Civic Center. Again, maybe you haven't heard of it. However, it is one of the few locations in Tokyo that has a FREE observation deck. Just take the elevator up to the 52nd floor and get a 270 degree panorama view of the city, including the new SkyTree. On a clear day, and with a very nice zoom lens, you can also see Mt. Fuji to the west between the skyscrapers.

We didn't spend long at the observatory because you can only take so many pictures! There was still much to see... We went down to the basement floor and hopped on the Metro, once again riding the Marunouchi  Line to Ikebukuro Station.

POKEMON CENTER MEGA, Ikebukuro Station, Marunouchi Line

Ikebukuro - the first place that I had truly visited on my first trip to Japan in 2011. The name brought back many memories for me, but unfortunately we wouldn't be walking down memory lane. I had a particular destination in mind to appease our inner child.

Who doesn't love Pokemon? There are Pokemon Centers located all over Japan, but the one located in Ikebukuro is currently the largest! We had to check it out for ourselves.

From the station you will walk through Sunshine City, which is a nice little area filled with mostly restaurants and shops. Then after you pass under the highway there is a large hotel and department store that looks too expensive to even step inside to. You really want to enter from the eastern side of the building if you want to avoid walking through the hotel lobby. Once you're safe in the world of the common people, take the escalator up to the third floor. You'll know you're in the right area.

 Pokeballs line the escalator nearest the store!! I told my brother to look excited, haha.

It was PACKED. The 23rd also happened to be a public holiday, so everyone and their brother decided to come to this store. The line literally wrapped around the store, so I'm sure the cue would have taken over an hour.

It was my first trip to a Pokemon Center in a long time, so I did not know about these adorable new Pikachu designs!!! I wanted them so bad, but did I want to wait in that line? No. I would wait for the next Pokemon Center...

I'm going to take a leap and say that the mascot for the POKEMON CENTER MEGA is Charizard.

Despite all of Tokyo's Pokemon Lovers gathering in the store and making it impossible for us to comfortably browse, it gave us an idea of what to look forward to.  As the clock was nearing noon, we left the department store and headed back to the station.

Our next destination would be the well-known Harajuku.

HARAJUKU & MEIJI SHRINE, Meiji Jingu Mae, Fukutoshin Line

From one big crowd to another, that's the city for you. Now, there are a couple lines that will take you from Ikebukuro to the Harajuku area, the most immediate would be the JR Yamanote Line. (If you have a Japan Rail Pass, then you should be taking all the JRs!!) However, we had the Metro Pass, so we took the Fukutoshin Line to Meiji Jingu Mae Station.

Leaving the station, we were still a good ways from Harajuku station but the streets were packed. We actually approached the famous Takeshita Dori from the opposite side. Sometimes I wonder why I brought them to Harajuku because it is known for its quirky fashions and popularity with the youth. None of us had any interest in fashion, so we kinda of just walked up the street acknowledging the various shops.

Well, there was one other thing that Harajuku was famous for... crepes!

Actually you can get crepes anywhere, but... It was lunch time! There are not only dessert crepes, like Macha Chocolate Brownie, but also more savory options such as Tuna and Cheese or Teriyaki Chicken. We actually ordered these three, but can you guess who got what? :)

Once we finished walking up the street, we finally saw the main entrance. They are always changing the design, and I think this one is my favorite because it's a dinosaur~

This is the actual Harajuku Station. You can see how crowded it is already, but the station itself is a pretty cool, old-style design.  Thankfully, we would not be going into that station. We walked down the street towards our next destination, but the single crepe wasn't a satisfying lunch. All the delicious smells of lunch on the street led me to GinDako, a famous Takoyaki chain. (Takoyaki is fried dough balls with a piece of tako, octopus inside).

You can get a variety of toppings nowadays, but since it was my brother's first time, I stuck with the original - sauce, mayo and bonito flakes. Delicious!

With full bellies, we literally crossed the street and the scenery went from concrete jungle to peaceful forest. Meiji Shrine, settled in the heart of Tokyo's Metropolitan is like another world. A nice, quiet, peaceful, and less crowded world.

Once again, this was another nostalgic trip for me because I had visited the Meiji Shrine with my classmates from University in 2011. I was ready to just chill and enjoy the nature and take pictures... when we were approached by some University students. They were offering to be guides at the shrine so they could practice their English (apparently this is a thing their school club does). I didn't need a guide, but I saw the chance for my brothers to meet and talk with Japanese people their age, so I accepted their offer.

The students were nice, but still a little shy. Often I had to point out different parts of the shrine and suggest they 'guide us' about it. So much for me kicking back, haha. They were very informative, they just needed a little push.

They stayed with us through the main part of the shrine and into the courtyard. My absolute favorite piece is the giant tree that sits just to the right of the shrine stairs. It is surrounded by ema, which are (usually) wooden plaques on which people write their wishes. I had never done so before, nor would I probably have a chance (or reason) to do so again. It seemed like now was the time. My brothers and I all bought a plaque, wrote our messages and hung them around the tree. (I took too long writing mine, so I have no idea what my brothers wrote, or where they put them!!)

It was a nice new experience for an otherwise 'guided' walk down memory lane. Overall, it was a good way to spend lunch and get away from the bustle of the city. (You can probably guess, I'm not a fan of big cities).

From there, we left the peace of the shrine and also the over-populated Harajuku area, and then took the Metro towards Tokyo Tower.

TOKYO TOWER, Kamiyacho Station, Chiyoda & Hibiya Line

Again, we wanted to use our Metro Pass, so we took the Chiyoda Line from Meiji Jingu Mae, and changed to the Hibiya Line at Kasumigaseki. We got off at Kamiyacho and walked towards Tokyo Tower, which was easy to find because it was poking out behind the buildings.

What I did not expect to find that day was some sort of Mario Kart Parade? I couldn't whip my camera out fast enough, but we turned the corner just before Tokyo Tower to see half a dozen people in Go-Karts, decked out like Mario characters, going down the street. Only Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower wasn't as populated as I remembered it, thankfully. I assume that's because people were now visiting the Tokyo Skytree instead. We would have gone up to the observatory, but duiue to motion sickness still lingering with one of our members, we opted out.

Instead we went down the road a little to a park nearby the tower. Despite it being December, fall colors were still prominent on the trees and on the ground.

From the park, I also managed to take this shot of Tokyo Tower. You rarely see it from this point of view, but there is something really romantic about the red of the tower and the black silhouettes of the trees. Very proud of this picture.

We took some more pictures and rested our legs a little at the park. To be honest, I needed to adjust my plans. We were ahead of schedule, but we of course hadn't really rested since we left our hotel. Not only that, but my battery was running low from taking so many pictures. I rerouted us to Asakusa, via the Ginza Line and we took refuge in the McDonald's for about an hour.

ASAKUSA - SENSOJI TEMPLE, Asakusa Station, Hibiya & Ginza Line

After chilling at McDonald's with some fries and melon soda we stepped out to visit the Sensoji Temple, most well-known for its large red gates. Again, I had visited this location before in 2011, but this was the first time I saw it at night. I recommend it!! The lighting with the red gates and architecture makes a real impact. I loved taking pictures here.

If you ever have the chance to visit Asakusa, go at night! It's also less crowded~

By the time we left Asakusa it was about 5:30 p.m. We had done everything there was to do on my list, and we all agreed it was a full day - we were tired and getting hungry.

Our next stop would take us just outside of the Tokyo Metro area, so we couldn't use our passes. We took the JR Line down to Keikyu Kamata, and sought out the guesthouse that I had booked for the night.

Tokyo Travel Advice #3, Stay at guesthouses!!
On this trip I had booked our first night at the Best Western Hotel very early on while my plans were still in the works. I figured it would be nice for my brothers to get some real rest after the 13+ hour flight. I don't regret it either, BUT I wish I had also checked the guesthouse for that night. The guesthouse we chose in Kamata was not only closer to the airport, but we could have booked it for two nights and stored our luggage there. Lesson learned.

Most guesthouses are actually really nice, and very affordable. Our room was only 2500 yen per person, and the beds were super comfy. It had three beds altogether, perfect for us!

Guesthouse Kamata is also conveniently located about a 12 minute walk from the station and lots of restaurants! My friend who was living in the area was able to meet us for dinner at Hamazushi. Brothers first conveyor belt sushi - I think they enjoyed it, even though one brother isn't so fond of fish. There's more than just fish! There's also chicken, beef and egg, as well as side dishes and dessert. So, if you don't like fish, you can still enjoy the experience and some cheap food :)

That was all for the first real full-day of the Deluxe Tour. Tomorrow will be another adventure~

<<PART TWO: TOKYO, DAY ONE                   PART FOUR: YOKOHAMA, DAY THREE>>

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 46

JULY 14

I’m surprised I didn’t feel particularly sore or tired when I woke up this morning. Personally, I felt a bit stronger, and a little less class-oriented. In conversation class I tried to use the time to talk about our weekend, since none of us wanted to study. It was a hard bait to bite, but eventually they caught on.

Usually our day would end there, but we had another appointment set for fourth period. A graduate student at the university was researching tea, and its role in different culture. As a result, we, the resident different cultures, were going to meet with him for an interview. It was kind of sad, because he had come all the way from Toyohashi for an interview that could have easily been done over e-mail. I regret saying that there was no inviting feeling amongst the exchange students who did show up for the interview, and it was mostly us Americans. Granted, there isn’t much that we can say about tea, in and of itself. Those of us with any particular tea background were largely influenced by Japanese tea traditions. There really was nothing to say. However, despite our poor efforts, the young man was kind enough to bring us all a thank you gift for our participation. That made me feel a bit guilty, but the deed was done.

JULY 15

Tonight I’m hanging out with some members from BPM~ I’m not sure what the plans are exactly. There was going to be a get together later in August, but it would be either when I was back in America, or in process of moving. I asked if we could also do one this month also, and they planned it for tonight. A Tuesday night, of all things, but at least my morning class is just over the kanji from chapter 15.

JULY 16

Last night was great! It started out kind of rocky on my end, but in the end we had a great time.

After practice, I hurried home to shower and then back out to Nagoya Station where I expected to meet the rest of the group. I was early, but then they decided to eat at Saizeriya before coming to the Station. I started in their direction, but they said it wouldn’t be long, so I bought my own dinner at McDonald’s and ate in on the corner. It was kind of embarrassing just sitting there and eating by myself, but I assumed they would come any minute. It was almost 11pm when they finally arrived; I was expecting a slightly bigger group, but there were only eight people. Maybe I was a little disappointed not to see certain faces that I was more close to, but I was glad to have the company anyway. I say that like this day was planned for me, which it was in my head, but really, I think it was just a hang out for them.

We caught the Meitetsu heading north of Nagoya and got off at Biwajima. From there, it was a short walk to Japan Rental Car, which up until that point I assumed only dealt with rental cars. Apparently, it’s also a karaoke place that allows one’s party to bring in their own food and drink (no sneaking). So the guys went out to buy the snacks and drinks, while the girls all settled in the room and changed into more comfortable clothes. They’re always dressed up to go somewhere, but I appreciate it when they finally let loose and tromp around in sweats. We managed to sing the night away, song after song, most of which I didn’t know. I really should practice more Japanese songs, but I hardly know any in my vocal range.

Day came, and the lot of us hobbled out into the light. Once again, I hadn’t slept, so I was awake, but tired. Once again, maybe for the last time, I headed straight to campus to review for the kanji quiz. During second period I half-napped in one of the empty classrooms. I couldn’t have prepared more for my thank you and farewell speech anyway. It was meant for BPM, but the atmosphere yesterday didn’t grant me the chance to read it. I’m not sure whether I should make a big deal out of the fact that I will be leaving, or not, since I will still be in Japan.

JULY 17

This morning we had something called a ‘first check’ of our apartments. Basically, Mr. Yoshida came to inspect our room to see if it was in one piece or if anything was messing. He also checked the condition of our bikes. I waited all morning for my turn, as supposedly each person would take up to thirty minutes. Most of that time was spent chatting in my case, since my room was clean and everything was in order. The next and ‘last check’ would be the final day we are allowed in our rooms; we will be returning our student IDs, our keys and our bikes. I could easily have set my last day to be the first of August, since I already have a new apartment to move in to. However, as the last of the students will be leaving on the sixth I volunteered to stay until the seventh so they had a place to sleep for the night after turning in their keys on the fifth.

Only two more days until I get the keys to my new place!

Speaking of which, I had to call the electric and gas company before I moved in. I had been putting the task of for the past few days because I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. With only two days remaining, I had no choice but to call them today. First, I went to the international center and asked if they might help me with the call. In return they confidently said, ‘But you speak Japanese very well, why don’t you call them?’ I called the electric company first as I stood in front of them, just in case. I don’t know why I had been so nervous; the call was very quick and to the point. ‘What’s your address, when are you moving in, how will you make the payments?’ I have to thank the international center for believing in me. Now, I know that I can handle basic phone conversations like that on my own as well. I’ll be all right.

JULY 18

Game Night! It would have been amazing if the Sloppy Joes weren’t made with mixed beef. I basically ate chip sandwiches since I couldn’t have the meat, but they were really good chip sandwiches. We played Phase 10 the entire time, finally making it up to the 7th Phase. I need to find this game and buy it, though I don’t know who I will play with after everyone leaves…

JULY 19

Let the move in begin! I loaded up my rucksack and packed various odd shaped things, like pots and other necessary knick knacks around my room into the large blue luggage that I brought with me when I came to Japan. Then I set out from my room in Chambre 72. Today, I was heading down to Okazaki on my own, so I only took the first load along with me. It just so happened that today Shin and some of the guys were meeting to play futsal at the usual place. Mark and I hung out with Shin for a few hours last night, but I wanted to see the other futsal members as well, if I had the chance. It was a little out of the way, but I had left early for that reason.

As I marched down the street, dragging my luggage along, I noticed something was dragging. Just as I turned the corner that would take me down towards the campus, the wheel gave out. It didn’t break out, but the bottom support literally caved in on itself. I wasn’t about to haul that monster any further than was absolutely necessary, so I doubled back and went straight to the station. Thankfully, despite a little rain, the walk from Okazaki Station to the apartment dealers went considerably smoothly. I signed a few papers, received my keys, and walked up the road to my apartment.

Just as I entered my apartment the sky opened and it started to downpour. It was half-past 11am at the time, and the gas man was scheduled to arrive until 2pm. My first task was to turn on the breaker, but there were no instructions, just a switchboard near the door. My estimated guesses failed, so I asked Jason to take a picture of the breaker in his apartment. I knew that they were the same design, so I just needed to know which switches were up and which were down. It turned out that all I needed to change was the giant main switch, silly me.

After that, there was little else I could do so I unpacked my poor suitcase and laid on the patio furniture mattress that would be my bed until I bought a real futon. I waited and waited as the rain poured on and on. The gas man called around 2pm to say he would be an hour late. Had I known that, I might have tried to run to the hyaku-en shop as the rain slowed down. So I waited some more and the gas man finally came and did his job. Now I’ll have hot water as well.

Tonight it’s off to training again, and I’ll be spending my first night in my new home.

STUDY ABROAD: WEEK 43

JUNE 22

I am still in shock.

This morning Akane and I went back to the apartment dealer. There were three out of five places that we could go see today, and the first one just so happened to be my first pick as well. As soon as I stepped in I knew it was the place. I didn’t really want to see the other places, but I didn’t want to make an impulsive decision, so we did check out the other two places. In comparison, they seemed small, unappealing, but maybe that was because I had already made my decision.

When we headed back to the dealer, and I mentioned that I really liked the first place. I thought that would mean, all right come back again next week and we’ll draw up the contract. No, they had the paperwork ready. I knew it was the right place, so now or later it didn’t really matter, right? I didn’t want someone else to take it. We worked through the paper and they printed out the initial bill for me. It wasn’t just rent, but also a gratuity fee, insurance, neighborhood fee. In the end, it came to about 2000 dollars. I had to pay it this week. Also, I had to move into the new place within a month of signing the contract. July 19th it is.

It felt like I was doing the right thing, but I couldn’t help wondering if I had acted impulsively. Was I supposed to inform the university first? Or, was I missing some vital piece of information? It all seemed to go too smoothly.

We ate at SUSHI-RO after that, and I was still in shock.

Then I returned to Nagoya in the late afternoon, only to run into Jordan outside Nagoya Station. His plans to meet someone had fallen through and he was just on his way home. Turns out, he hadn’t eaten at the time so I took him to the nearby udon place for some venting time for the both of us.

So excited! And terrified! Am I really doing this all on my own?

JUNE 23

The last International Cafe… so sad. I will miss all the regular faces, and the bi-weekly excuse to talk about nothing in particular. Takahiro and Yuto also showed up today to hang out. Apparently, they needed a picture of me for the interview, so Yuto snapped one with his phone. I wish he had told me about it sooner because I was not at all dressed for a photo today.

JUNE 24

I did my duty and paid for the apartment today. So much money gone, and once again the bank account is starved. The JASSO money should be coming in soon though. I got to save up because it looks like we’ll be traveling next month: Disneyland, Universal Studios, who knows! It’s going to be an adventure. I’m pretty sure we are going to USJ because the new Harry Potter attraction will open around the 17th. I can’t wait to go; I’ve never been to a Universal Studio or Disneyland before.

JUNE 25

No time to work on manga today, only class and training. I’m in the last stages though; I think I can finish up the pages in a couple more days!

JUNE 26

Joy joined me to play futsal again. We always have too much fun playing against each other. Also, now that I know a few more of the members, we can actually interact with them as other matches are going on. Speaking a few sentences in English is fairly popular, but the conversation always reverts back to Japanese. Our conversations aren’t about much, but we have a great time playing futsal.

After futsal I went straight to dance practice for a few hours. Now I am home and showered. Tonight I’m going to try and get some more pages done. I have all night to do it since there’s no class tomorrow. Less than one chapter to go!

JUNE 27

It’s done! It’s done!

The pages are all complete! I finished the last details at 6pm, just in time for me to go to Open Mic Nite at the Heart n’ Soul Cafe. I even started on the cover, so all I have to do is check out the pages and prepare them for printing, finally.

Going to Open Mic became my initial celebration. Rachael and a couple other students also came to the event this time. Takahiro was there working as the MC, and he somehow managed to convince Rachael to perform next month. On one condition: that I perform with her. I enjoy karaoke, not singing on a stage. I can’t even sing that well. But, if it’s for Rachael, I’ll brave that fire. Somehow, someway, we’ll pull a performance together.

JUNE 28

Today’s culture experience was all about traditional Japanese instruments and yukata. As one of the first to arrive, I had the chance to watch our teachers for the day wander into the university all dressed up properly in yukatas. As soon as our class officially started, at 9am, we were dressed in various yukatas. They weren’t so much separated by size as they were by height, meaning there was few for me two choose from. This time, as one of the older women helped me put the yukata on and set the obi I tried to pay close attention. I would be buying my own yukata for the upcoming fireworks festivals, so I had to figure out how to wear it properly on my own.

Once everyone was dressed in their yukatas and the pictures were taken, we were split into two groups. My group was the first to experience the instruments, while the other group was taught obondori, a festival dance that takes place to celebrate obon, a festival based on the Buddhist custom of honoring one’s ancestors. In the instrument room they had set up there was flutes, shamisen, and small taiko drums. I tried the flute first, but in the allotted time I could hardly get a note through. Rachael and Joy on the other hand had experience playing wind instruments, so it came more naturally to them. Next I was sent to the small drums, which started out all right until I started going off rhythm. As for the techniques of hitting and holding the drum itself, I found that I was quite capable. Last was the shamisen, the instrument I had least faith that I could play, but it turned out to be the most fun. My fingers tend to move slowly so I thought that strumming the strings would be harder for me. To my surprise, the challenge of plucking the notes was more fun that I thought. I would have loved to have more time learning it, but our time quickly came to an end.

We switched rooms with the other group and danced for an hour in our yukatas. Dancing was nearly mindless for me, especially since the steps in and of themselves are relatively simply and they repeat for the entire song. At this point, a few people were complaining about the tightness of their yukatas as well, but I felt no such discomfort. I’m looking forward to finding my own yukata, but hopefully it’s not too expensive.

I planned a dinner get-together with the Hawaiian students and a few of the Japanese students that we have known since last year. It had been too long since we had eaten out together, outside of the curry house, so this time we went to yakiniku. Taigen recommended the place, which we found to be cheap and conveniently near the station.

STUDY ABROAD:WEEK 40

JUNE 1

Oh no! It’s already June and I’m still not done with my manga! My birthday is next month. I have no choice, but to put more time and effort into it. Sorry in advance.

The good news is that today I managed to complete the final touches on chapters 8-12. The final two chapters, 13 and 14, are also ready to be cleaned up since I scanned in all 80 pages yesterday. I’ve done so much this past month already, but there is still more to do.  Soon I will be entering the home stretch.

JUNE 2

I had to take a break from working on ‘you know what’ in order to homework for this week. There’s going to be quite a few days that I’ll probably just isolate myself and work on finishing up these last two chapters, so please bear with me. I won’t bother you with the dreary details too much.

On the other hand, I salvaged a lily that fell off my ikebana when we moved it to the second floor. The closed bud has now opened up!

JUNE 3 - JUNE 5

Three days of going to class, and then coming home to work on manga. I did go to dance practice on Tuesday and Thursday, that’s the only thing keeping me sane. I also had training on Wednesday. Honestly, I keep forgetting how long a simple task like cleaning up line art can take. Then again, there is about eighty pages…

JUNE 6

The morning and afternoon went as expected. However, this evening I made plans to meet with Kazu. She invited me to an all-girl’s dance practice in Fushimi. I’ve seen pictures of the groups online before, but this would have been my first time going.

I met Kazu and two other girls (all break dancers) at Fushimi Station and from there we walked to the studio. The small studio was actually right above a hair salon, and down the street from where Long’s apartment used to be. I thought it would be a bigger room, but once everyone showed up it quickly became very small. About thirty people showed up over the next few hours, dancing genres of all kinds: hip hop, jazz, wack, lock, and, of course, break.

Fushimi’s famous Eri also made an appearance, though I suppose she is famous throughout Japan’s break dance world by now. I watched her perform at Dance@LIVE in Tokyo. She’s someone that I can look forward to, as a future challenge, WAY in the future. I mean, I may never challenge her, but it’s good to have someone’s level to reach for. I didn’t have a chance to speak with her directly, and though I was primarily there to practice break dance I also floated around to the hip hop genre for a while. I saw familiar faces, but I didn’t know anyone outside Kazu and the two girls I arrived with. So I made a few more acquaintances.

We danced in the studio until 11pm and then everyone started on their own ways home. I walked with Kazu back to Nagoya Station. There we parted and I continued home on my own in the light cool rain. Tomorrow it’s back to the grind.

JUNE 7 - JUNE 8

The saga continues. Line art is clean, proceeding to add contrast with black ink.

We ate at one of the restaurants where a Taiwanese exchange student is working part-time. It’s famous for its udon dishes, so a couple of us tried the shrimp tempura miso udon.