"We paid for blood!"
Date: Saturday, September 16, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 23:27 JPN (7:27AM US)
Before I forget what happened, I should write about our second big adventure, a weekend trip to Asakusa, Akihabara, and beyond. I've been in Japan for three weeks now and it feels like I've lived here forever, and like I just arrived. It's a hard feeling to describe. You feel like you've done so much, and yet you wonder how you already did it all. Like a great lyricist once said, "Well, we know we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last"
It wasn't hard deciding where to go that day. Both Asakusa and Akihabara are big tourist destinations, and whenever we asked Japanese natives they all recommended Asakusa. I was very excited this day because both spots were near the top in my "To Do" list. We visited Asakusa first, which required us boarding a subway. Even this was cool since up to this point I hadn't used the underground system. I gotta say though, it wasn't that interesting. The only difference between the subway and the railway was lack of a view out the windows.
I've never seen a concrete bridge so utterly massive in thickness and scale. Kids are provided for a size reference. The use of arches reminds me of the Roman aqueducts from ancient times. It just goes to show that good engineering never goes out of style.
Asakusa is filled with a mob of tourists. The main attraction is a long row of small outdoor shops with a huge shrine at the end. Compared to Nakano, with its cluttered collection of cheap restaurants and lifestyle stores, Asakusa felt rather artificial. The shrine itself had concrete pillars, a brilliant coat of new paint, and no cracks or kinks to speak of. To me, instead of looking ancient and awe-inspiring, the shrine looked tacky, like an enormous plastic replica. I peered through the windows of the towering pagoda only to see flourescent lighting, carpet, cubicle walls, and stairs. Was this a place of worship or an office building? The main temple was under restoration and canvased, which was also disappointing. Although the shrine itself was a letdown, we soon learned that, like all of Tokyo, Asakusa was filled with hidden treasures everywhere...
We ate lunch at a very popular tempura restaurant called Daikokuya, which translates to Big Black House. It's nothing like the ramen shop in LA's Little Tokyo. The food was good, and the chopsticks were really neat looking, but I'd say it's not worth the 2,000 Yen. The tempura was neat in that it's also coated in a light sauce so no dipping required. The clear soup on the right I spilled on my lap.
One of the coolest stands around the shrine was this neat candy thing. A piece of fruit is coated in a transparent, colored taffy and put on a stick like a lollipop. To harden the taffy, the lollipop rests on a big block of ice. The customer pays 150 Yen and plays a Pachinko-like game where a small metal ball is shot and allowed to land in different holes. Depending on which hole it lands in, you can take 1 to 3 pieces of the taffy-covered fruit. Looking back, I should've gotten one. I was just thirsty at that point.
On vacation, people take pictures of ANYTHING.
We played with this water pump like retarded tourists for five minutes, getting in the way of many and wasting a lot of water. When you're on vacation, anything and everything is cool.
A picture of the hundreds of shops lining the main road. There were a billion things I wanted to buy, but alas I must resist. After walking through the shops sucking on some soda-flavored popsicle sticks (it was blue!) we left Asakusa to go to Akihabara, nerd heaven and my heaven. If there is any place in Tokyo to visit, this is the must-see place. Vegas has nothing on its sheer madness.
We really only spent time in one store, the great Yodobashi-Camera. This entire building was filled to the brim with phones, computers, cameras, TV's, speakers, games, music, movies, and everything in between. Walking up to the building was almost incomprehensible. All at once stands this daunting skyscraper store while people blare into microphones promoting this and that to thousands of walking, talking, texting people. I've never heard or seen such insanity in my life. Akihabara is a place of well-mannered chaos.
Yodobashi need only have one floor, and that is the audio/visual floor. Never before have I seen such a magnificent display of home theater equipment. Companies and products that seem so elusive in the US were here at my fingertips, including Focal, Marantz, elite Denon models, and exclusive Japanese brands. I think I stayed on this floor for two hours. Unbelievable.
Acoustic slabs. Designed to limit speaker vibrations I think. I didn't think they were real. How wrong I was.
Marantz has a nice simplicity that screams elegance and quality. These here are integrated amplifiers.
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) CD's are known for having some of the best master tape transfers onto disc, meaning that the sound quality is unparalleled. Yes, the sound quality of an album many times depends on the version (mastering) you buy. I'd never though I'd see these sold in stores, but now I know that anything is possible.
A very nice Focal floorstanding speaker. Focal is know for their beryllium tweeters and their massive $270,000 pair of Grande Utopia EM reference speakers. Link here.
A 103" TV. Supposedly the biggest in the world. It was big.
The setup was a $1,400 Marantz Super Audio Player hooked up to a $1,400 headphone amplifier connected to a pair of $1,000 Audio-Technica headphones. You can guess what it sounded like. I was only able to listen to some Elton John and Norah Jones, but next time I'm bringing my own stuff.
After pulling me away from Yodobashi-Camera, it was time for dinner. We ate quickly and went walking around Akihabara, looking at the stores, arcades, and getting clobbered in Gundam battles. I've realized that a lot of my favorite Japanese dishes like udon, ramen, and katsudon are actually poor man's food. I see these same dishes everywhere and for cheap prices with on-the-go service. I can't imagine what rich man's food tastes like.
Our last stop was Tokyo Tower, which provides an incredible nighttime view of the city. They closed the highest observation deck literally 2 or 3 minutes before we got there. This just means we'll have to come again. I don't have too many pictures from the deck because I lent my battery to my friend. His camera takes better pictures anyway. What an unbelievable day. So far Japan has something new and exciting to offer at every corner. It's hard to imagine that I'm really only exploring small sections of a humongous city. And there are hundreds of cities in Japan. I'm really starting to think that three months just isn't enough... btw, I know this post is very long. Thanks for your patience if you read through the whole thing.
Date: Saturday, September 10, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 23:48 JPN (7:48AM US)
It may be cliche, but it has finally come time to compare East and West. It's interesting to see the Japanese take on American culture, how they perceive it and how they make it their own. We just learned in class that during the Meiji Period of 1868-1912, when Japan was first opening up its borders to foreign culture and technology, that the Japanese were enthralled with anything Western. I believe that this is still happening to this day.
Why anyone would only want to drink a few mouthfulls of Coke is beyond me. The Coca-Cola logo is known worldwide, however in this case there's a nice additional slogan that Coke is "Refreshing and Uplifting." Coke definitely makes ME happy, but maybe 'uplifting' refers to the effervescence. Compared to Japanese sodas, Coke is unbelievably sweet. I'm not too sure how popular it is here, although I do see it in all the vending machines.
I bet you that sales would go up in America if this slogan was on every box. Japanese Pizza Hut is not too different from American Pizza Hut except for a few different topping combinations and the crust is very thin. Other American restaurant chains I've seen here include McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Starbucks, and Subway. The Japanese that have been to America love In 'N Out. If you are ever in a position to give a tour to someone from Japan now you know where to take them. Costco is probably a good bet too. They'll be impressed by how cheap and plentiful the fruit and vegetables are.
You can tell where Coke and Pepsi stand in Japanese society. In the vending machines the Pepsi cans always cost 10 yen less than Coke. What worries me about this Pepsi is that it still uses the old logo. I hope I'm not drinking expired stuff here. Aside from the tiny cans these 500mL cans are very popular for many kinds of drinks and are found in all the vending machines. It's almost as tall as my Netbook!
Bet you won't be able to find these crazy things at the American Baskin Robbins. If only...
Why won't Chevrolet issue this bike in the US? It's awesome. People would totally buy it. Perhaps instead of competing with Japanese cars, Chevrolet thought to target another branch of transportation. Smart. Imagine if you owned a bike made by Lexus or Audi. Now that would be sweet.
One of my first impressions of Japan was that even their grafitti is beautiful. I'm sure not all the vandalism looks like this, but there's so little anyway, that maybe when they do deface something they make it count. This, of course, is a tribute to Michael Jackson, an entertainer probably just as famous here as in the US.
Not too sure what Charlie Chaplin has to do with eating food.
I think this was taken by an arcade. I think that is supposed to be a pinball on his head. I think. I don't actually know. Is this their image of the Disco Era?
Sometimes you forget that actors don't have to limit themselves to America. It's very surreal seeing Tommy Lee Jones' face advertising a coffee. Hard to say whether this made me feel closer to home or farther from it.
Stay tuned for more. I should mention that it takes quite a bit of time making
each entry, partially because I do it manually, but mostly because it's hard to
filter all my thoughts and ideas into something relevant, interesting, and
concise. I'm trying to vary the subject matter to keep things fresh, because
simply reading about what I did on a daily basis would be boring for both me and
the reader. Therefore, I am calling out to anyone with any requests. If there is
any subject you want explored, let me know. I will be glad to oblige.
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 1:10 JPN (9:10AM US)
It's been a rather long time between posts, but in my defense the days have been busy and downright tiring. Every day so far has been an enormous mental and physical trip as I try desparately to comprehend my new environment while constantly walking and standing and sometimes running. There's so much to do that I'm beginning to regret not applying to the year program. Then again, I've only been here for two weeks. I may not say the same thing after three months. Before I go any further, I'd like to give a big thanks to those out there reading my posts. It's a very rewarding feeling hearing positive feedback, let alone knowing that people actually pay attention to my blog. Comments make me feel that there's a reason why I write my stuff. Thanks. I haven't gone into great detail the exact events that have happened since I've been here. There's really only been two day's worth of real exploration beyond my school and apartment. One of these days was Saturday, August 29... The day started when two of us from Nakano met up with a pal from Kichijoji in the morning. The first item on our list was the Imperial Palace located right in the heart of the city. Upon exiting the railway station I couldn't believe the amount of huge, open space. The path from our station to the palace was a vast expanse of streets and very few cars. Coming to Tokyo, seeing a huge lot of open land was the last thing I was expecting. This trend continued within the palace with large tracts of grass and wide roads. I'm guessing the large amounts of space symbolized the emperor's power and allowed his army to easily maneuver around the castle. The palace grounds are enormous and beautiful. There is a lot of green here, and effortlessly so. I feel like Southern California has such a hard time keeping plants alive. There's a lot of effort involved in watering and tending to things that don't belong in such a dry and arid environment. Let's face it, SoCal is technically a desert. Tokyo, however, is a little different. Wherever the city isn't trying to control mother nature with concrete and asphalt the plants that grow do so with vigor and ferocity. The palace is covered with all manner of trees, grass, and bushes and the most brilliant shades of green. One thing I've always liked about ancient Japanese architecture is its flow and harmony with the surrounding environment. The bare wood, natural stone, and curved lines make the palace feel like it belongs amidst the plants. What we saw were only the free sections of the palace, as there are reserved tours of the building interiors. We ended up seeing more trees than palace, but we still got a lot of good pictures out of it. Our next stop was Odaiba, which we found out was a land of many, many things. There are a lot of neat buildings and bridges here including the ones from my post about civil engineering. We found the Sega Joypolis, a mega-arcade with a funny name, a miniature Statue of Liberty, and of course the gigantic true-scale Gundam statue. Because the Gundam was to be removed in a few days, the place was packed with people getting one last glimpse of this enormous robot. And of course there are the numerous shops and restaurants. We stopped and ate shaved ice from an outdoor vendor and it was amazing. The ice was really finely shaved so it was soft like a cotton ball. Plus they had neat and brightly colored flavors like melon, ramune, and peach. We've all had that experience where by the time the shaved ice is almost finished it turns into a grayish, brownish sludge. Not here in Japan. I think it had to do with the styrofoam cup it was in, but right down to the very last scoop, the shaved ice didn't melt one bit. At this point, Japan was amazing in pretty much every way possible.
Our last
stop was a spontaneous exit at Harajuku, known for crazy outfits and hairstyles.
This was some of the first big city night life I've encountered here and it was
a sight to behold. All the people walking around, all the signs and lights, it's
what I've always seen in movies and pictures. The crazy costumes weren't as
bizarre or as numerous as I'd hoped, though. Harajuku is much more expensive than
Nakano, and American branded products here have hugely inflated prices - I never
realized that my Jansport backpack would be such a luxury. One very interesting
thing I saw was a Shakey's Pizza. It's hard to find them back in the States, so
seeing one here, of all places, was quite a surprise. After walking around for
a while we took the train back home and crashed.
In response to a few questions I've gotten, yes there are trashcans, although rare.
The trash system is confusing as there are separate containers for bottles, cans,
combustible products, noncombustible products, and maybe more.
Yes there is a "SEASLab" here at ICU. Like at UCLA, there is a computer lab where you can waste time and goof off despite the fact that it was built for students to be more productive.
That's all I have for now. There's just too much to say and so little time and
space to say it. Tune in later for updates on my wacky adventures.
Date: Monday, August 31, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 15:48 JPN (11:48AM US)
Since Japan is such a seismically active country, I thought I'd share my thoughts from a (rather inexperienced) civil engineering perspective on the structural systems I've seen around Tokyo. Although California is also considered a volatile area, many of the bridges and buildings I've seen here employ much more radical design features which makes observing Tokyo's superstructure that much more satisfying. Maybe I'm just too familiar with California.
What you see here are just a few of the thousands of rivets used on the Imperial Palace. It's amazing how such ancient technology has been used up to modern day times. Only in the past 50 years or so have bolts completely replaced rivets as a fastening mechanism for steel elements. I took this picture on Saturday. We ran all over the place that day, in fact all of the pictures in this post are from then, but details of our travels are for another time.
Really neat buildings like this one are all over the place, utilizing a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and facades. Some of these buildings make me wonder just how much time it took to design such a complex structure in such an earthquake-prone area.
There's a lot going on in this picture. Notice that the columns supporting the bridge are not directly connected to the bridge itself. Those little spacers in the middle act as dampeners to dissapate some of the displacement energy during an earthquake. The steel beams spanning the bridge have extremely long webs, which I'm guessing is to prevent the bridge from collapsing on to the ground below. Also, that building in the upper left is nuts. I think those white beams are actually support members. A rule of thumb is that the less a building looks like a square the harder it is to design. Although the building itself is rectangular, those support elements are far from conventional.
The famous Fuji TV Headquarters in Odaiba, Tokyo. Although that sphere looks heavy, I'm willing to bet it's relatively light. I think the last thing they want is a giant ball rolling around Tokyo. We haven't gone inside... yet. I'm definitely not passing up a chance to go inside such an incredible building. I'll be back there soon.
A picture of the bridge from below. I'm surprised at their use of horizontal members spanning between the two sides. From what I know, an "X" configuration is much more stable lateral support. There must be something I'm missing.
We walked across a suspension bridge trying to get back to our railway station. I didn't even know it was a suspension bridge until I saw the massive cables protruding from these enormous connections, those round things on the ground. I noticed the bridge is "bouncier" than most. It makes sense - suspension bridges are not designed to be very stiff. I think the reason this design was used is because more flexible structures are able to dissapate a lot more energy during earthquakes or high winds. Speaking of flexibility, it just ocurred to me that unlike California, the freeway bridges in the pictures above use steel beams, which are by nature more flexible than concrete. Of course all this design analysis is simply conjecture. Take it in jest as a product of my nerdiness.
Another cool building with a giant hole in the middle. Truth in engineering, man. My dream is to eventually work on stuff like this. That or roller coasters.
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 18:59 JPN (2:59AM US)
Today was busy once again, not surprisingly. We had to check out of our hotel and take a bus to ICU for our EAP orientation. I forgot to mention that on the day of our arrival we had to stay one night at a hotel by Musashisakai station. Anyway, the campus is really lush and quite beautiful, as if it was built in the middle of a forest. It would be a very serene sight if not for the incredibly loud and constant humming of what I'm guessing are millions of cicadas hiding in the trees. Everybody participating in the program was there. I got to meet a lot of them and they all seem really cool and excited to be here. The people from UCLA I never knew before all this. After the orientation we were taken to our respective apartments. A few of us unloaded all our stuff and headed to the commercial part of town with the restaurants and stores. I got what is called a SUICA card for the JR railway, but since I don't have my ICU Student ID yet I haven't purchased the three month unlimited pass from Nakano Station to Musashisakai. After that we walked around exploring the city. There's not much else to say, so I'll end with PICTURES!!!
That thing is a lunchbox. Just a sample of all the hilarious Engrish I've seen used around Tokyo.
This was my first ever meal in Japan. The noodles are amazing.
This is the katsudon I had today for dinner. Easily the best katsudon I've ever had. The pork was juicy and tender, the panko coating was miraculously still crispy, the rice was just the right softness without being starchy, the egg was slightly undercooked, and the whole meal just had a natural sweetness associated with freshness and quality.
The view walking from the subway station to my apartment. It's a mix of cable lines, old buildings, and fences. No trash though.
This was taken right outside the front door of my apartment. We have the lovely kitchen on the left and the door on the right leads to the bathroom. The door in the middle leads to my room.
The kitchen complete with electric stove, sink, and refridgerator.
I can only posit that this is my closet.
The bathroom. Think of an airplane bathroom with a shower.
The left side of my room and....
The right side! I have a balcony but not much of a view. My room is pretty small, but so far I'd say it's fairly comfortable.
Gotta go. I'll keep ya'll updated as often as I can.
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Current Location: Hotel Mets Musashisakai
Time of Entry: 20:45 JPN (4:45AM US)
Hello all! This is my first blog entry chronicling my study abroad experience in Tokyo, Japan. I will be taking classes for three months at the International Christian University on the western side of Tokyo, living in what is called a "Weekly Mansion." Don't ask about the name, it's basically a one bedroom apartment. The apartment (apaato in Japanese) is situated in Nakano District located in the middle of Tokyo and very close to the hustle and bust of Shinjuku, Shibuya, and the main loop of their incredible subway/railway system. I have to say that arriving at LAX in the morning was more nerve-wracking than exciting. I thought something was going to go wrong at every turn, even with such simple things as picking up my boarding pass. EAP really tries to scare you with threats of dismissal for missed forms, meetings, orientations, and the like - I couldn't help thinking I was forgetting something or doing something wrong. Then there was the problem of navigating through a totally different transportation system in a language I don't understand. It was stressful to say the least. It turns out that most of my fears went unfounded. I was able to find the welcoming party for my flight and they helped another participant and I get train tickets and forward our luggage. The worst that happened was that we overshot our station and had to backtrack. Then, since it was night, we walked right past our hotel because the signs don't light up. I'm here in once piece though, which I guess is all that matters in the end. If there's anything I learned today is that I need to learn Japanese, and fast. I felt like an idiot just trying to figure out how to get around, let alone trying to understand a restaurant menu without pictures. I ended up eating at a pretty cheap ramen place with a lot of pretty ones. I didn't know the name of my food, I just pointed to the picture. Also, apparently the bill doesn't require tax or tip. I paid and left, bracing myself for some disgruntled worker running after me with a spatula, but it never happened. Of what little food I've had here in Japan I can say it's pretty freakin amazing. Those ramen noodles were some of the best I've ever had, if not the best. My first meal was a simple ramen bowl with some vegetables and pork scraps on top, but don't let its unassuming nature fool you. I look very forward to what future meals come my way these next three months. On an interesting note: I just saw a Japanese commercial for Chevrolet.
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 23:27 JPN (7:27AM US)
Before I forget what happened, I should write about our second big adventure, a weekend trip to Asakusa, Akihabara, and beyond. I've been in Japan for three weeks now and it feels like I've lived here forever, and like I just arrived. It's a hard feeling to describe. You feel like you've done so much, and yet you wonder how you already did it all. Like a great lyricist once said, "Well, we know we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last"
It wasn't hard deciding where to go that day. Both Asakusa and Akihabara are big tourist destinations, and whenever we asked Japanese natives they all recommended Asakusa. I was very excited this day because both spots were near the top in my "To Do" list. We visited Asakusa first, which required us boarding a subway. Even this was cool since up to this point I hadn't used the underground system. I gotta say though, it wasn't that interesting. The only difference between the subway and the railway was lack of a view out the windows.
I've never seen a concrete bridge so utterly massive in thickness and scale. Kids are provided for a size reference. The use of arches reminds me of the Roman aqueducts from ancient times. It just goes to show that good engineering never goes out of style.
Asakusa is filled with a mob of tourists. The main attraction is a long row of small outdoor shops with a huge shrine at the end. Compared to Nakano, with its cluttered collection of cheap restaurants and lifestyle stores, Asakusa felt rather artificial. The shrine itself had concrete pillars, a brilliant coat of new paint, and no cracks or kinks to speak of. To me, instead of looking ancient and awe-inspiring, the shrine looked tacky, like an enormous plastic replica. I peered through the windows of the towering pagoda only to see flourescent lighting, carpet, cubicle walls, and stairs. Was this a place of worship or an office building? The main temple was under restoration and canvased, which was also disappointing. Although the shrine itself was a letdown, we soon learned that, like all of Tokyo, Asakusa was filled with hidden treasures everywhere...
We ate lunch at a very popular tempura restaurant called Daikokuya, which translates to Big Black House. It's nothing like the ramen shop in LA's Little Tokyo. The food was good, and the chopsticks were really neat looking, but I'd say it's not worth the 2,000 Yen. The tempura was neat in that it's also coated in a light sauce so no dipping required. The clear soup on the right I spilled on my lap.
One of the coolest stands around the shrine was this neat candy thing. A piece of fruit is coated in a transparent, colored taffy and put on a stick like a lollipop. To harden the taffy, the lollipop rests on a big block of ice. The customer pays 150 Yen and plays a Pachinko-like game where a small metal ball is shot and allowed to land in different holes. Depending on which hole it lands in, you can take 1 to 3 pieces of the taffy-covered fruit. Looking back, I should've gotten one. I was just thirsty at that point.
On vacation, people take pictures of ANYTHING.
We played with this water pump like retarded tourists for five minutes, getting in the way of many and wasting a lot of water. When you're on vacation, anything and everything is cool.
A picture of the hundreds of shops lining the main road. There were a billion things I wanted to buy, but alas I must resist. After walking through the shops sucking on some soda-flavored popsicle sticks (it was blue!) we left Asakusa to go to Akihabara, nerd heaven and my heaven. If there is any place in Tokyo to visit, this is the must-see place. Vegas has nothing on its sheer madness.
We really only spent time in one store, the great Yodobashi-Camera. This entire building was filled to the brim with phones, computers, cameras, TV's, speakers, games, music, movies, and everything in between. Walking up to the building was almost incomprehensible. All at once stands this daunting skyscraper store while people blare into microphones promoting this and that to thousands of walking, talking, texting people. I've never heard or seen such insanity in my life. Akihabara is a place of well-mannered chaos.
Yodobashi need only have one floor, and that is the audio/visual floor. Never before have I seen such a magnificent display of home theater equipment. Companies and products that seem so elusive in the US were here at my fingertips, including Focal, Marantz, elite Denon models, and exclusive Japanese brands. I think I stayed on this floor for two hours. Unbelievable.
Acoustic slabs. Designed to limit speaker vibrations I think. I didn't think they were real. How wrong I was.
Marantz has a nice simplicity that screams elegance and quality. These here are integrated amplifiers.
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) CD's are known for having some of the best master tape transfers onto disc, meaning that the sound quality is unparalleled. Yes, the sound quality of an album many times depends on the version (mastering) you buy. I'd never though I'd see these sold in stores, but now I know that anything is possible.
A very nice Focal floorstanding speaker. Focal is know for their beryllium tweeters and their massive $270,000 pair of Grande Utopia EM reference speakers. Link here.
A 103" TV. Supposedly the biggest in the world. It was big.
The setup was a $1,400 Marantz Super Audio Player hooked up to a $1,400 headphone amplifier connected to a pair of $1,000 Audio-Technica headphones. You can guess what it sounded like. I was only able to listen to some Elton John and Norah Jones, but next time I'm bringing my own stuff.
After pulling me away from Yodobashi-Camera, it was time for dinner. We ate quickly and went walking around Akihabara, looking at the stores, arcades, and getting clobbered in Gundam battles. I've realized that a lot of my favorite Japanese dishes like udon, ramen, and katsudon are actually poor man's food. I see these same dishes everywhere and for cheap prices with on-the-go service. I can't imagine what rich man's food tastes like.
Our last stop was Tokyo Tower, which provides an incredible nighttime view of the city. They closed the highest observation deck literally 2 or 3 minutes before we got there. This just means we'll have to come again. I don't have too many pictures from the deck because I lent my battery to my friend. His camera takes better pictures anyway. What an unbelievable day. So far Japan has something new and exciting to offer at every corner. It's hard to imagine that I'm really only exploring small sections of a humongous city. And there are hundreds of cities in Japan. I'm really starting to think that three months just isn't enough... btw, I know this post is very long. Thanks for your patience if you read through the whole thing.
Date: Saturday, September 10, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 23:48 JPN (7:48AM US)
It may be cliche, but it has finally come time to compare East and West. It's interesting to see the Japanese take on American culture, how they perceive it and how they make it their own. We just learned in class that during the Meiji Period of 1868-1912, when Japan was first opening up its borders to foreign culture and technology, that the Japanese were enthralled with anything Western. I believe that this is still happening to this day.
Why anyone would only want to drink a few mouthfulls of Coke is beyond me. The Coca-Cola logo is known worldwide, however in this case there's a nice additional slogan that Coke is "Refreshing and Uplifting." Coke definitely makes ME happy, but maybe 'uplifting' refers to the effervescence. Compared to Japanese sodas, Coke is unbelievably sweet. I'm not too sure how popular it is here, although I do see it in all the vending machines.
I bet you that sales would go up in America if this slogan was on every box. Japanese Pizza Hut is not too different from American Pizza Hut except for a few different topping combinations and the crust is very thin. Other American restaurant chains I've seen here include McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Starbucks, and Subway. The Japanese that have been to America love In 'N Out. If you are ever in a position to give a tour to someone from Japan now you know where to take them. Costco is probably a good bet too. They'll be impressed by how cheap and plentiful the fruit and vegetables are.
You can tell where Coke and Pepsi stand in Japanese society. In the vending machines the Pepsi cans always cost 10 yen less than Coke. What worries me about this Pepsi is that it still uses the old logo. I hope I'm not drinking expired stuff here. Aside from the tiny cans these 500mL cans are very popular for many kinds of drinks and are found in all the vending machines. It's almost as tall as my Netbook!
Bet you won't be able to find these crazy things at the American Baskin Robbins. If only...
Why won't Chevrolet issue this bike in the US? It's awesome. People would totally buy it. Perhaps instead of competing with Japanese cars, Chevrolet thought to target another branch of transportation. Smart. Imagine if you owned a bike made by Lexus or Audi. Now that would be sweet.
One of my first impressions of Japan was that even their grafitti is beautiful. I'm sure not all the vandalism looks like this, but there's so little anyway, that maybe when they do deface something they make it count. This, of course, is a tribute to Michael Jackson, an entertainer probably just as famous here as in the US.
Not too sure what Charlie Chaplin has to do with eating food.
I think this was taken by an arcade. I think that is supposed to be a pinball on his head. I think. I don't actually know. Is this their image of the Disco Era?
Sometimes you forget that actors don't have to limit themselves to America. It's very surreal seeing Tommy Lee Jones' face advertising a coffee. Hard to say whether this made me feel closer to home or farther from it.
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 1:10 JPN (9:10AM US)
It's been a rather long time between posts, but in my defense the days have been busy and downright tiring. Every day so far has been an enormous mental and physical trip as I try desparately to comprehend my new environment while constantly walking and standing and sometimes running. There's so much to do that I'm beginning to regret not applying to the year program. Then again, I've only been here for two weeks. I may not say the same thing after three months. Before I go any further, I'd like to give a big thanks to those out there reading my posts. It's a very rewarding feeling hearing positive feedback, let alone knowing that people actually pay attention to my blog. Comments make me feel that there's a reason why I write my stuff. Thanks. I haven't gone into great detail the exact events that have happened since I've been here. There's really only been two day's worth of real exploration beyond my school and apartment. One of these days was Saturday, August 29... The day started when two of us from Nakano met up with a pal from Kichijoji in the morning. The first item on our list was the Imperial Palace located right in the heart of the city. Upon exiting the railway station I couldn't believe the amount of huge, open space. The path from our station to the palace was a vast expanse of streets and very few cars. Coming to Tokyo, seeing a huge lot of open land was the last thing I was expecting. This trend continued within the palace with large tracts of grass and wide roads. I'm guessing the large amounts of space symbolized the emperor's power and allowed his army to easily maneuver around the castle. The palace grounds are enormous and beautiful. There is a lot of green here, and effortlessly so. I feel like Southern California has such a hard time keeping plants alive. There's a lot of effort involved in watering and tending to things that don't belong in such a dry and arid environment. Let's face it, SoCal is technically a desert. Tokyo, however, is a little different. Wherever the city isn't trying to control mother nature with concrete and asphalt the plants that grow do so with vigor and ferocity. The palace is covered with all manner of trees, grass, and bushes and the most brilliant shades of green. One thing I've always liked about ancient Japanese architecture is its flow and harmony with the surrounding environment. The bare wood, natural stone, and curved lines make the palace feel like it belongs amidst the plants. What we saw were only the free sections of the palace, as there are reserved tours of the building interiors. We ended up seeing more trees than palace, but we still got a lot of good pictures out of it. Our next stop was Odaiba, which we found out was a land of many, many things. There are a lot of neat buildings and bridges here including the ones from my post about civil engineering. We found the Sega Joypolis, a mega-arcade with a funny name, a miniature Statue of Liberty, and of course the gigantic true-scale Gundam statue. Because the Gundam was to be removed in a few days, the place was packed with people getting one last glimpse of this enormous robot. And of course there are the numerous shops and restaurants. We stopped and ate shaved ice from an outdoor vendor and it was amazing. The ice was really finely shaved so it was soft like a cotton ball. Plus they had neat and brightly colored flavors like melon, ramune, and peach. We've all had that experience where by the time the shaved ice is almost finished it turns into a grayish, brownish sludge. Not here in Japan. I think it had to do with the styrofoam cup it was in, but right down to the very last scoop, the shaved ice didn't melt one bit. At this point, Japan was amazing in pretty much every way possible.
Yes there is a "SEASLab" here at ICU. Like at UCLA, there is a computer lab where you can waste time and goof off despite the fact that it was built for students to be more productive.
Date: Monday, August 31, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 15:48 JPN (11:48AM US)
Since Japan is such a seismically active country, I thought I'd share my thoughts from a (rather inexperienced) civil engineering perspective on the structural systems I've seen around Tokyo. Although California is also considered a volatile area, many of the bridges and buildings I've seen here employ much more radical design features which makes observing Tokyo's superstructure that much more satisfying. Maybe I'm just too familiar with California.
What you see here are just a few of the thousands of rivets used on the Imperial Palace. It's amazing how such ancient technology has been used up to modern day times. Only in the past 50 years or so have bolts completely replaced rivets as a fastening mechanism for steel elements. I took this picture on Saturday. We ran all over the place that day, in fact all of the pictures in this post are from then, but details of our travels are for another time.
Really neat buildings like this one are all over the place, utilizing a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and facades. Some of these buildings make me wonder just how much time it took to design such a complex structure in such an earthquake-prone area.
There's a lot going on in this picture. Notice that the columns supporting the bridge are not directly connected to the bridge itself. Those little spacers in the middle act as dampeners to dissapate some of the displacement energy during an earthquake. The steel beams spanning the bridge have extremely long webs, which I'm guessing is to prevent the bridge from collapsing on to the ground below. Also, that building in the upper left is nuts. I think those white beams are actually support members. A rule of thumb is that the less a building looks like a square the harder it is to design. Although the building itself is rectangular, those support elements are far from conventional.
The famous Fuji TV Headquarters in Odaiba, Tokyo. Although that sphere looks heavy, I'm willing to bet it's relatively light. I think the last thing they want is a giant ball rolling around Tokyo. We haven't gone inside... yet. I'm definitely not passing up a chance to go inside such an incredible building. I'll be back there soon.
A picture of the bridge from below. I'm surprised at their use of horizontal members spanning between the two sides. From what I know, an "X" configuration is much more stable lateral support. There must be something I'm missing.
We walked across a suspension bridge trying to get back to our railway station. I didn't even know it was a suspension bridge until I saw the massive cables protruding from these enormous connections, those round things on the ground. I noticed the bridge is "bouncier" than most. It makes sense - suspension bridges are not designed to be very stiff. I think the reason this design was used is because more flexible structures are able to dissapate a lot more energy during earthquakes or high winds. Speaking of flexibility, it just ocurred to me that unlike California, the freeway bridges in the pictures above use steel beams, which are by nature more flexible than concrete. Of course all this design analysis is simply conjecture. Take it in jest as a product of my nerdiness.
Another cool building with a giant hole in the middle. Truth in engineering, man. My dream is to eventually work on stuff like this. That or roller coasters.
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2009
Current Location: West Inn Nakano
Time of Entry: 18:59 JPN (2:59AM US)
Today was busy once again, not surprisingly. We had to check out of our hotel and take a bus to ICU for our EAP orientation. I forgot to mention that on the day of our arrival we had to stay one night at a hotel by Musashisakai station. Anyway, the campus is really lush and quite beautiful, as if it was built in the middle of a forest. It would be a very serene sight if not for the incredibly loud and constant humming of what I'm guessing are millions of cicadas hiding in the trees. Everybody participating in the program was there. I got to meet a lot of them and they all seem really cool and excited to be here. The people from UCLA I never knew before all this. After the orientation we were taken to our respective apartments. A few of us unloaded all our stuff and headed to the commercial part of town with the restaurants and stores. I got what is called a SUICA card for the JR railway, but since I don't have my ICU Student ID yet I haven't purchased the three month unlimited pass from Nakano Station to Musashisakai. After that we walked around exploring the city. There's not much else to say, so I'll end with PICTURES!!!
That thing is a lunchbox. Just a sample of all the hilarious Engrish I've seen used around Tokyo.
This was my first ever meal in Japan. The noodles are amazing.
This is the katsudon I had today for dinner. Easily the best katsudon I've ever had. The pork was juicy and tender, the panko coating was miraculously still crispy, the rice was just the right softness without being starchy, the egg was slightly undercooked, and the whole meal just had a natural sweetness associated with freshness and quality.
The view walking from the subway station to my apartment. It's a mix of cable lines, old buildings, and fences. No trash though.
This was taken right outside the front door of my apartment. We have the lovely kitchen on the left and the door on the right leads to the bathroom. The door in the middle leads to my room.
The kitchen complete with electric stove, sink, and refridgerator.
I can only posit that this is my closet.
The bathroom. Think of an airplane bathroom with a shower.
The left side of my room and....
The right side! I have a balcony but not much of a view. My room is pretty small, but so far I'd say it's fairly comfortable.
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Current Location: Hotel Mets Musashisakai
Time of Entry: 20:45 JPN (4:45AM US)
Hello all! This is my first blog entry chronicling my study abroad experience in Tokyo, Japan. I will be taking classes for three months at the International Christian University on the western side of Tokyo, living in what is called a "Weekly Mansion." Don't ask about the name, it's basically a one bedroom apartment. The apartment (apaato in Japanese) is situated in Nakano District located in the middle of Tokyo and very close to the hustle and bust of Shinjuku, Shibuya, and the main loop of their incredible subway/railway system. I have to say that arriving at LAX in the morning was more nerve-wracking than exciting. I thought something was going to go wrong at every turn, even with such simple things as picking up my boarding pass. EAP really tries to scare you with threats of dismissal for missed forms, meetings, orientations, and the like - I couldn't help thinking I was forgetting something or doing something wrong. Then there was the problem of navigating through a totally different transportation system in a language I don't understand. It was stressful to say the least. It turns out that most of my fears went unfounded. I was able to find the welcoming party for my flight and they helped another participant and I get train tickets and forward our luggage. The worst that happened was that we overshot our station and had to backtrack. Then, since it was night, we walked right past our hotel because the signs don't light up. I'm here in once piece though, which I guess is all that matters in the end. If there's anything I learned today is that I need to learn Japanese, and fast. I felt like an idiot just trying to figure out how to get around, let alone trying to understand a restaurant menu without pictures. I ended up eating at a pretty cheap ramen place with a lot of pretty ones. I didn't know the name of my food, I just pointed to the picture. Also, apparently the bill doesn't require tax or tip. I paid and left, bracing myself for some disgruntled worker running after me with a spatula, but it never happened. Of what little food I've had here in Japan I can say it's pretty freakin amazing. Those ramen noodles were some of the best I've ever had, if not the best. My first meal was a simple ramen bowl with some vegetables and pork scraps on top, but don't let its unassuming nature fool you. I look very forward to what future meals come my way these next three months. On an interesting note: I just saw a Japanese commercial for Chevrolet.