ICU Festival!

This past weekend our school put on a fun festival. It took place all across campus (which isn't very big). The festival was open to everyone, not just ICU students. I remember seeing posters for the festival on buses. There was a very high attendance because of this, which I think made the festival more fun. 

I think nearly every club at ICU participated in the festival. Each of them had a stand set up and were selling lots of different kinds of food. At the festival (over two days) I had two hot dogs, a churro, cheese taiyaki (a fish-shaped pastry with cheese filling), s'mores, and grilled chicken. 

There were also lots of performances. My favorite was the Wadaiko Club's performance. The Wadaiko Club performs on large drums that make a thundering noise. The first day they performed in the gym and the sound of the drums reverberated throughout the room. I was very impressed by their performance. There were about 20 students performing in any one set, and they were perfectly synchronous. It looked like a very tiring routine to me - the students looked like they hit the drums with all the strength they could muster. In one set they were sitting down, but also leaning back while hitting the drums, which meant their abs were flexed the entire time! They performed outside on the second day, and I enjoyed their routine the second time around while sitting on the grass in the sun and eating grilled chicken.

A view of the festival.

Another favorite performance of mine was the Latin American dance club. Students performed percussion instruments while a couple of women who looked like professional salsa dancers danced all through campus to their final performing location. We were able to walk alongside them while they went through campus, which I thought was really neat. The two women who looked like professional dancers were resplendent in bejeweled headdresses and tops with feathered wings - one wore black and gold and the other wore purple and red. The woman in purple and red made eye contact with me and smiled at me and blew me a kiss. :-) She seemed nice - they both did. They smiled the entire dance. I managed to get a front row seat at their final performance location, and I really enjoyed their routine. It was lively, upbeat, and exciting. 

There were also a couple school dance groups that performed - Pucapass and Smooth Steppers. I could tell Smooth Steppers is a popular group on campus, because they drew some of the largest crowds. I thought it was interesting that they only danced to American songs. Pucapass dances to American and Japanese songs. 

Me in a beautiful blue kimono.

All of us together.

A few weeks ago I had signed up to dress in kimono for an hour at the festival, and on Sunday it was my day to do so. They dressed me in a beautiful blue kimono that had a design that mixed purple waves with purple and white cranes. The belt (I'm sure there is another name for it) was pink and tied in an elegant bow in the back. Other girls were dressed in white, red, and purple kimonos. We got to walk around the festival for an hour. When we were all lined up together, people at the festival were taking pictures of us. It was interesting! I really like walking around in the kimono, and I'm grateful I got the chance to wear such a beautiful one.

The ICU festival was a really fun way to spend the weekend. It was nice to walk around in the warm sunshine eating good food and watching performances.

The main stage at sunset.

Rikugien Garden

Yesterday 4th-6th period classes were canceled so the students could prepare for the ICU Festival, which is today and tomorrow. I decided to take the extra time to visit a new garden. The last garden I had visited in Tokyo was Shinjuku Gyoen garden, way back at the beginning of September. I was in the mood for fresh air and some peace and quiet.

I had seen online that Rikugien Garden was considered one of the most beautiful gardens in Tokyo, and that it presents beautiful autumn colors at the end of October and beginning of November. Two trains and forty minutes later, I was there.

A view of the main lake in Rikugien Garden.

Like Shinjuku Gyoen, Rikugien Garden is located in the middle of a busy metropolitan area. I walked down a busy boulevard between rows of tall buildings to get to the garden's entrance. Once you're in the garden, however, the sights and sounds of the city fade away and you find yourself in the garden's serene environment.

My favorite part of Rikugien Garden was a small hut-type building. It had no walls on two sides, allowing for views onto the main lake on one side and a small pond with a little waterfall on the other. Two benches, illuminated by a lantern hanging from the hut's ceiling, make for a nice resting spot. I sat there for a while and observed a small crane wading through the shallow pond, attempting to catch small fish. It was very quiet and pleasant.

A nice hut with a warm glow.

I continued to walk through the rest of the garden, which is actually quite meandering. I followed dark, narrow paths a distance, not knowing where they would end up. I also walked along the main path around the large lake. Some trees were quite red, but most of the trees were still green or had shed all their leaves.

One particular path of stone steps leads up to a vantage point atop a hill in the middle of the garden, from where visitors can see all of the main lake and the front part of the garden.

The view from the highest point of the garden.

There were some of the largest koi I had ever seen swimming in the lake. They were many different colors - brown, black, white, orange. There were also turtles swimming in the smaller pond.

Going to Rikugien Garden was a nice ending to Week 7. Sometimes I really like going off on my own and exploring a new place. It's a good way for me to be alone with my thoughts and really appreciate being in Japan.

The view from my resting place in the hut.

The Artificial Island of Odaiba

On Tuesday Reimi and I went to Odaiba, which is a man-made, artificial island near the center of Tokyo. The island has several attractions, such as an amusement park, a separate ferris wheel, multiple malls, a small beach on the bayshore, and ferry rides.

The design of the island is very colorful and has character - many attractions had rainbow decoration or rainbow lights. There was a Gundam Robot statue (probably about 65 feet tall) and a replica Statue of Liberty.

Gundam the robot.

One of the malls we walked around had a Roman-style, Renaissance-era interior with a ceiling that resembled the sky and slowly changed colors. Nearly all of the stores in the mall were American or European, which surprised me.

Roman-style fountain.

We went to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream (my first time at Baskin Robbins in Japan) and I got a little Halloween cat sundae. It was cute and delicious! The green ice cream was mint and vanilla flavor, and had popping candy (similar to Pop Rocks) that popped in my mouth.

Kitty sundae!

Near sunset Reimi and I walked along the waterfront. Odaiba offers a nice view of the Rainbow Bridge and of downtown Tokyo from its shores. Sometimes the Rainbow Bridge is illuminated with rainbow colors, but I think that's only on special occasions, because when we were there, it was just white. It was still a nice view, though.

Japan's Statue of Liberty with Rainbow Bridge in the background.

The time right after sunset is my favorite time of day. I like how things retain a soft glow, even after the sun is gone, and you can see the city's lights slowly come on and become visible. It was very pleasant sitting on the bayshore and watching night fall over downtown Tokyo.

Me and Reimi.

Izu Peninsula

I spent all of Sunday at Japan's Izu Peninsula, which is about 2 1/2 hours away by train. Knowing I wanted to spend the whole day there, I left my room at 8AM and began what turned out to be an awesome day.

After four different trains, I finally arrived at my first destination, Jogasaki. I got off the train at Jogasaki-kaigan station, which is the quaintest train station I've seen in Japan. The entirety of the station is one room, and the station itself is built in the style of a log cabin. 

I walked about a mile to the trail's start from the train station. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The trail leading to the lighthouse and suspension bridge that I wanted to see was right on the cliffs of the Jogasaki Coast. The trail was shrouded in shrubbery, but every couple minutes there was a break in the trees and I could see multitudes of cliffs and the long stretch of coastline jutting out into the distance. I had no idea Japan was so mountainous and rocky. I loved seeing the vastness of the Pacific Ocean; there were no islands or ships in sight and the blue ocean just went on forever. 

The trail itself was about 1 kilometer long (I have no idea how far that actually is), but it was a good length for a short hike. I passed many Japanese people on the trail, and just like when you're hiking in America, the people on the trail greet you as you pass them - except here, it's "Konnichiwa" instead of "Hello." 

I was amazed when I arrived at the end of the trail. There are wide, tall rocks that jut out into the ocean that visitors can climb and stand on. The suspension bridge connected the hiking trail to a lighthouse that you could climb up and get a 360-degree view of the Jogasaki Coast and of Mount Omuro, which is more inland. 

The (bouncy!) suspension bridge.

I loved standing on the suspension bridge. The rocking and slight bouncing it did when other visitors walked along it didn't bother me. I stood there for a while and looked down at the waves crashing against the craggy cliffs and the dark blue waters churning in the narrow crevice below. The water was a beautiful combination of deep blue, teal, and turquoise. Farther out to sea the water was dark blue, a different kind of blue than in California. Closer to shore the water was more of a teal color, and once the waves crashed against the rocky shore, the water became a magnificent turquoise. I haven't seen water that color since I went rowing on a lake in Olympic National Park in Washington state in 8th grade. I didn't expect the ocean to be that turquoise color; I thought that only occurred in warmer or very pure waters. 

Standing on the suspension bridge at Jogasaki Coast.

The waves would often violently crash against the steep rocky cliffs, ejecting water 30 feet into the air. The area around the suspension bridge was very loud due to that.

The view from the hiking trail that leads to the suspension bridge.

After staying at the suspension bridge for a while, I headed back the way I came, all the way back to Jogasaki-kaigan station. For some reason the wind decided to completely die out as I walked uphill back to the station. It was incredibly hot. I eventually made it back, though, and the train that took me from Jogasaki-kaigan to Shimoda station was nice and cool. 

This particular train was no more expensive than the ones I had taken to Jogasaki-kaigan, but this one had cushioned seats facing the windows, offering passengers amazing views of the coast, as the train travels right down the Izu Peninsula shoreline.

The only downside of Izu Peninsula is the infrequency of transportation. Many places only run one train or bus per hour, and since I had only been planning to stay for the day (and sunset was at 5PM), this really limited me in what I had planned to do. I had wanted to go to the top of Mount Omuro and to Shimoda Park, but I knew that if I wanted to get to Shirahama Beach before sunset, I wouldn't be able to do either of those things. So I took the train from Jogasaki-kaigan straight to Shimoda station. From there, I took a ten-minute bus ride to Shirahama Beach, which is at the southern tip of Izu Peninsula. 

I arrived at Shirahama Beach at a beautiful time - right before sunset. The sun was about to set over the mountains behind the beach, and a warm orange glow illuminated the waves, while most of the sandy area was in shadow. I could see at the far end of the beach an orange shrine on a cliff, which I had wanted to see. I walked all along the beach to that spot (accidentally dunking both of my feet in water and getting my shoes and socks wet) and climbed the rocks to the shrine. I'm not sure why that shrine exists there, but it is a neat backdrop to the beach and the cliffs beyond. 

Like I said, I arrived right as the sun was setting so the shrine was one of the last things to have the sun's rays on it. It was amazing to me to look through the shrine and see the endless Pacific Ocean beyond, and to move to the side of the shrine and see it frame the rest of the beach and the heavily wooded mountains. 

Standing there, I was suffused with feelings of immense gratitude and amazement. What an amazing series of events that had led me to stand here on this beautiful coast in Japan. How lucky I am to have an opportunity that many could only dream of. I'm so grateful to be able to live in this country for three months and see some of the most beautiful sights it has to offer. 

Eventually the sun set, and I figured it was time to go home. Around 5PM I started waiting for the bus at Shirahama Beach. Five and a half hours and four trains later, I arrived back in my room at 10:30PM, hungry, tired, and slightly sunburnt, but also happy knowing that this day was one that I will remember forever.

The shrine at Shirahama Beach.

End of Week 6!

I know it's been a while since I've made a blog post, and that's mainly been because this past week was Week 6, which in the quarter system, is usually the week of midterm exams. This week, I had a rather difficult art history exam and today, I gave two oral presentations. I am glad this week is almost over. The rest of the school quarter doesn't seem like it's going to be too difficult. I have one group project, two final exams, and two final papers to complete before the end of the term. Maybe that sounds like a lot to people who aren't currently in college, but after doing this college thing for nine quarters, I've gotten pretty used to it.

Last weekend my roommate Kim and I did manage to have some fun. We went to the Ueno Zoo, which is located in a large park area that also has museums and cafes. I am conflicted about zoos. I like being able to see the exotic animals, but seeing some of the larger animals made me sad. The lionesses and the tiger we saw were clearly agitated - all they do is pace around. The bears don't look happy either. My favorite animals to see were the flamingos and the snowy owl. The snowy owl was very cool - it would turn its head very suddenly and change its facial expression, making its eyes bigger or smaller. It looked like it was giving lots of different poses for a photoshoot. Snowy owls are beautiful. 

Pink flamingos!

The zoo itself was nice and we got in for only 600 yen, which is about $5. It's very big and it has lots of different kinds of animals. 

These kangaroos were hungry!

The area around the zoo - Ueno - is neat too. There are crowded shopping streets and many restaurants. 

Ueno JR (Japan Rail) train station.

I'm looking forward to doing some more exploring in the next few weeks now that the difficult part of the quarter is mostly over. I only have 40 days left in Japan, and I know that time will go by quickly! I'm going to try to appreciate Japan as much as I can while I'm still here.

The main lawn on campus.

More Cultural Differences

We are in the fifth week of classes, which means midterms are beginning. There are nine total weeks of classes, which is the shortest college quarter I've ever had. Because of midterms beginning, I haven't been posting as much on my blog. I also haven't done any new sightseeing in a while because I've been trying to save a bit of money on transportation (because that goes fast!).

Last Friday Kim, myself, and a bunch of friends went to karaoke, which was a lot of fun. All of the songs were in English (although I'm sure they had Japanese songs too) and two people at a time could sing with microphones, although everyone was singing.

I wanted this post to be about more cultural differences I've observed while in Japan, because to me, that is one of the most interesting things to witness.

In Japan, many people wear face masks when they're sick or have allergies. It is considered rude not to do so if you're sneezing and coughing. It was odd seeing face masks be universally accepted in Japan. If someone wears a face mask in America, others stay away from them because they think that person is carrying some kind of terrible contagion.

Also, cab drivers and bus drivers all wear neat white gloves. Nobody here walks and eats. I think a certain ceremonious value is placed on food in Japan, and it is considered a bit rude to snack on something while sitting on the train or walking around outside. No one talks on their cell phone on the train or on the bus. There are specific signs on trains and buses that ask people not to chat on their phone. Everyone texts and surfs the web on their phone, though.

When you enter a convenience store, supermarket, or restaurant, the people who work there often greet you with, "Sumimasen!" which means "Excuse me!" instead of "Konnichiwa" (Good afternoon) or "Ohayou gozaimas" (Good morning).

I have adhered to these rules because I try to be as customary and polite while I'm here. Still, I often feel like I'm being unconsciously rude sometimes when I'm out and about. I am much more alert of my actions in Japan.

A Baseball Game, an Owl Cafe, School, and Seoul

Monday night was a cool and unique experience. Kim, Lauren, and I went to a baseball game in Tokyo! We went to see the Swallows play at their home stadium. Tickets were only $25 and we got great seats on the 3rd base side. The entire park is pretty small, so anywhere in the stadium would have offered a good view.

The crowd was lively - they cheered and chanted, played trumpets and drums, and waved flags the entire game, especially those in the outfield bleachers. It was a cool cultural experience to see people of another country enjoy a sport that people in my own country enjoy just as much.

Their best player just happens to wear my old high school softball number, #23. His name is Tetsuto Yamada. He's the Swallows' second baseman. I had to buy his jersey as a souvenir :).

The night at the ballpark was lovely. The temperature was perfect, and the full moon was out over the stadium.

A panorama of Jingu Stadium.

It was interesting to see how English was incorporated into the game. Whenever a player would get a hit, the scoreboard would show "HIT!" on the screen. People in the stands would cheer things in English like, "Let's get ahead" or "Get a hit!" Sometimes the scoreboard would show the word "CHANCE!" after something like a bloop hit or a lucky ball got through the infield. I was confused as to what that meant, but I'm guessing that word shows when something kind of lucky happens to the batter and he gets on base. Also, all of the jerseys worn by the players were printed in English.

The scoreboard showing #23, Tetsuto Yamada.

Seeing a baseball game in Japan is definitely one of the coolest things I've done.

On Tuesday I decided to go to a well-known owl cafe in Ikebukuro. I thought it'd be like the cat cafe, and I like owls, so I thought it'd be a cool experience. I enjoyed being at the owl cafe for about the first 20 minutes, and then I realized the owl cafe is not a good place. First off, the "cafe" is very small. It's one room about 25 feet long by 12 feet wide. In that one room are tethered about 20 owls. The owls' feet are tied to branches which they perch on, and visitors are free to go to the owls and take photos of them and pet them. Owls are nocturnal, but these owls are awake all day.

Two cute little owls. 

I started feeling very bad when one customer picked up a little owl to hold, and the owl next to it clearly got distressed when he could not see his friend anymore. I realized that there is no way the owls could be happy being inside all day, awake all day, and harassed by people holding and taking pictures of them all day. I didn't stay much longer at the owl cafe. It was cool to be able to see the owls up close, because I think owls are very neat animals, but no amount of human entertainment is worth the owls' discomfort. I just hope the owls get to go outside every now and then. That experience made me feel bad. Not every experience in Japan is going to be a good one.

Imperious.

October is finally here, and I am halfway through my autumn term at ICU. We are almost done with the fourth week of classes, and there are only nine weeks of classes in the term. My last day of school will be November 12, which is crazy to me because if I were at UCSB this quarter, I would be in the middle of midterm exams on November 12.

The week after the term ends, I'm going to Seoul! I found round-trip plane tickets from Tokyo to Seoul for only $220, and that was too good to pass up. I want to be able to travel to as many different countries as I can, and adding South Korea to my list for less than what I spent to go to Kyoto is worth it, in my opinion. I will be in Seoul from 11/16-11/20. My friend Courtney is currently studying abroad in Seoul, so hopefully she'll be able to show me around when I'm there. Just a few days after I get back from Seoul I'll be returning to the US on 11/24. These next couple months will go by quickly, I just know it.