Wednesday, September 30, 2009

My First Tsunami

This morning I woke up at 8.30 for my first class, turned on the TV to help switch my brain on, and was confronted with a tsunami warning! That certainly helped me wake up!

The cause was a powerful earthquake (magnitude 8.3) near Samoa that happened during the early hours of this morning. The earthquake triggered tsunamis in various areas of the South Pacific, and the Asia-Pacific region (including China, Japan and South-East Asia) all had tsunami warnings.

On the news it said that the tsunami was likely to hit Japan at around noon, from Okinawa in the south, all the way up the Pacific coast to Hokkaido in the north. However, Tokyo is shielded from tsunamis by Chiba prefecture, which juts out at a convenient angle. The tsunami was only meant to be 50cm high, which would cause moderate damage at worse, so I wasn't at all worried about it.

When it actually hit the Japanese coast, it was more like 10cm, so there was no damage to speak of. I'm not sure about other places in the Asia-Pacific, but the South Pacific islands were devastated by 4.5m high waves and aftershocks. At the moment, over 80 people have been killed and thousands made homeless, mainly in Samoa and American Samoa.

It reminded me that this part of the world is much more volatile than Britain! I haven't felt any earthquakes this time yet, which I'm very surprised about, as there are lots here! There have even been earthquakes in Tokyo prefecture, but so small I didn't feel them. I'm just waiting until the first big one!

So I survived my first tsunami (津波), which is good!

If you're interested, here's the news story I got my information from.

And here's the Japan Meteorological Agency's website, which I use for weather, tsunami, earthquake and volcano information.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Career Option?

I was struck earlier by a very random thought concerning what I could do with my life. I can't even remember why it popped into my head.

I wondered if I could combine two of my passions - Japanese and geography. If you've read a lot of this blog, or even just a little bit, then you've probably noticed that I love talking about the weather (that's not just because I'm British), and earthquakes, volcanoes etc. I find it all fascinating, especially here in Japan, in the centre of all of these natural disasters.

If it's possible, it would be great for me to work at like a Meteorological Agency (気象庁, kishouchou) or something here. But I suppose I would need a degree in Geography for that, which I might be able to do at a Japanese University after my degree at Leeds.

Of course, all of this depends on whether my Japanese actually gets good enough or not, and whether I decide I want to move away from the UK! It's just in the "idea stage" at the moment, but I'm finding myself leaning more towards the business side of things than the teaching side at the moment. I might go back and forth for quite a long time!

Anyway, getting a bit ahead of myself there... First of all, I need to get the results back from my test this morning, and do my Speaking homework!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

One Month In

How fast did that month go!? It's been quite a blur of registration for a variety of things, getting used to new places, meeting new people, and generally loving being back in Japan.

It doesn't feel at all like I've been here again for a month, but I suppose that was to be expected, with everything I've had to sort out.

I just read over the post I wrote when I'd been here for a month last year, and it's interesting to see the differences between then and now.

Last year I was much more preoccupied with thinking about if I would hit any walls that would make me want to run home, and worried about whether I could make it for the whole time I planned to be in Japan. But the main similarity is how quickly time goes! It will slow down as I settle into more of a routine, but only as I'm living it. I know that when I look back, time will have disappeared as quickly as this first month.

I'm really really enjoying being back in Tokyo, and can't wait to meet more of my friends, and see other places I haven't visited yet. It keeps hitting me in waves how happy I am to be back here.

There are of course stresses, like homesickness, which hits me occassionally, although not badly so I'm not worried about it. This last week has been a bit difficult though, and I've been really tired every day. I remember I went through a phase last year when I was exhausted every day and couldn't operate properly, so it might just be that again. Whether that's being away from home, or being in Japan, I'm not sure. But I am sure I'll get over it soon!

I'm enjoying Japanese life again, even the crowded trains home from Shinjuku, and the steep hill on the way to ICU which I cycle up every morning.

I still find it very hard to speak Japanese, as I'm still terrified of making mistakes (it's stupid, I know) but I'm getting better, and I know it's my biggest obstacle, so I can focus on working past it.

I have a big test tomorrow morning on all the kanji, vocabulary and grammar we've studied so far over the last three weeks so I'm revising for that, although it's difficult because I'm so tired! And then the next month looks to be quite busy with study, and hopefully some fun things too! I want to go somewhere for a weekend, maybe to the Hakone hot springs again, or maybe further afield to a place I haven't seen before like Matsumoto in the mountains. We'll see what happens!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Fumigation!

After the three weeks of living in this guesthouse, I have noticed that it's quite a haven for bugs and insects of all descriptions.

My room has been okay and hasn't been invaded at all, but Katy and Wynne's rooms on the second floor (first floor for Britain) have been attacked a couple of times. The kitchen is the worst though. It's not very pleasant when you're cooking to see a small beetle or cockroach in the corner. Or, in last night's case - a giant grasshopper on the extractor fan!

But through the night the management have fumigated the kitchen and lounge area, so they were closed from 9pm til 9am this morning. It makes me feel a lot better!

Generally, Japan's insects are big and crazy looking. It's no surprise that Pokemon came from this country when they have jumping spiders, thrashing worms, huge preying mantises and cicadas, and colourful beetles that fly at you like warplanes. It's so different from Britain, and it's quite interesting to see them, but the novelty wears off after a little while, so I'm not sad to see them start to disappear now that autumn is underway!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

National Health Insurance

Last week I received a green envelope containing a letter about my Japanese National Health Insurance (国民健康保険, kokumin kenkou hoken) application. It had a small booklet that looked like a coupon booklet, with perforated sections.

I took it to my local post office to pay it and she explained that you could either pay it monthly, in one Y2,000, and then five Y1,000 installments, or pay the whole Y7,000 at once. I thought it would be better to get it all out of the way so I paid the full amount. She tore out all of the sections and stamped them, and then gave the remainder of the booklet back to me.

So hopefully that's all sorted and I'm insured by the Japanese government!

A couple of days after I paid for it another letter arrived by Registered Mail so I had to sign for it at my door (wrapped in a blanket!) Inside there was a card I had to peel off and put inside a plastic wallet, and I assume I have to carry that around with me. There was also another card made of paper that you can cut off a leaflet, and I'm not completely what it's for, but I've cut it out and will keep it with the other one.

Rob also got this letter, despite not having received the first one, so he hasn't paid for it yet. I assume that he wouldn't be able to receive the discount on medical care though, once they check the details. He's going to go back to the Health Insurance department of the City Hall and ask if there's been a problem.

British Pub in Kichijoji

Last night I suggested that Rob, Katy, Naomi and I try a British pub in Kichijoji (吉祥寺), which is the biggest centre in West Tokyo, just four stops away on the Chuo line from us. The pub was part of the Hub chain, which has branches all over Tokyo. I'd been to the Ebisu branch once before, with a colleague from Gaba, so I had an idea of what it would be like.


As we walked in, Rob and Katy (Naomi's Belgian) uttered cries of nostalgia and "it's so weird that we're still in Tokyo!" It was very nice to be in a British-style atmosphere, even though we've only been here for three and a half weeks or so!



Because we knew we were still in Japan, and knew what size the portions would be, we got two dishes each - I went for good old fish and chips and a burger. Healthy! The other dishes available are either semi-British but with a Japanese spin on them, or just not British at all.
The chips are lovely, and so is the fish, but it's not proper British fish, it's thin strips fried like tempura. But it was still delicious.
One of the waitresses was really really friendly and she gave us all her phone mail address and asked if we could get in contact for a language exchange set-up. She was so nice!
After the pub, we went to a nearby Baskin and Robbins ice cream store for dessert. They have a 31% off deal until the end of this month, so we knew we had to take advantage of that! I had a Double cone with Rocky Road and Chocolate Holic (that's right, not Chocoholic!) The ice cream was so good. Very indulgent of course, but so good!

We took our ice creams round to Inokashira Park (井の頭公園), which is a big park in Kichijoji, and I'd heard of it before, so I suppose it might be famous, but I'm not sure.



It was a very relaxed atmosphere, and there was a lovely lake in the centre surrounded by trees and bushes. But at one point, a Japanese man with flashing antennae on his head walked up to us and started dancing, and then pulled a pair of binoculars out of his bag, took a quick scan of the area, and then proceeded to try to hear the heartbeat of the air with a toy stethoscope.
We were a bit worried that he was going to ask for money for his brief perfomance, but he just bounced along on his merry way to the next group of people.
How strange!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Silver Week

These five days, from Saturday last weekend until tomorrow (Wednesday) have become Japan's first ever Silver Week (シルバーウィーク), which gets its name from Golden Week (ゴルデンウィーク), which is a long holiday in May every year.

It has happened for the first time this year because Respect for the Aged Day (敬老の日, keirou no hi) and Autumnal Equinox Day (秋分の日, shuubun no hi) have fallen one day apart, and Japanese law stipulates that if there is only one day between two national holidays then that day also becomes a holiday (国民の休日, kokumin no kyuujitsu).

This has meant that from last Friday night, Japanese people have crowded into trains and airports, heading for resorts or their hometowns, enjoying the five-day holiday.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the full Silver Week experience, because I had to go to University yesterday for lessons. But then I have today and tomorrow off. I don't know why they decided to do it that way, but I'm just glad I have two days off!

Yesterday afternoon, Rob and I went to our local big park, Koganei Park (小金井公園, Koganei kouen) to practice the routine for our Soul Run performance. The first thing that struck me was how busy the park was, and then how nice it was to see Japanese people having fun as a family. I don't see it often, so it was a bit of a surprise, but a very nice surprise.

Rob and I tried to find the most secluded spot in the park, but we still got some stares as we were jumping around and being traditional Japanese fisherman dancers. The section I call "the bouncing starfish" (don't ask) was particularly embarrassing, but I think I've remembered the order a little better now, which is good!

Today I spent the day sleeping and catching up with laundry and things like that. Tomorrow I need to do some homework, and enjoy my day off!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Midnight Drive

Last night was a Friday so Rob and Rob's friend Kazuya invited me to go for a dinner at a nice 回転寿司 (kaitenzushi) place which is a restaurant where the sushi goes round the centre of the tables on a conveyor belt and customers just take what takes their fancy, or order it from one of the chefs if they want it fresher, and then add up the price of the different coloured plates at the end of the meal.

We went to an expensive one, where the food was really delicious, and then decided the price was getting too high, so then drove round the corner to a cheaper one! We're on a budget...

After dinner, we all felt like doing something, so Kaz drove us to his home. It was such a nice house! Despite his protests that it was very small, it was a very spacious new home. It had a very Western atmosphere, with a lack of tatami mat flooring and shoji sliding paper doors. It was a lovely place!

We had some tea there, and then drove to a nearby clothes shop because Rob wants to buy new things. We spent a few minutes there, but he didn't buy anything. Back in the car, we didn't have a clue what to do next. It was about 10pm by that time, but we didn't feel like going home.

And then Rob suggested Odaiba, the man-made island in Tokyo Bay. I'd been there three times before but I really like it so I agreed, and Kaz wanted to as well, so off we went singing "Woah, we're going to Odaiba..." (We're so cool.)

I'd never been driven through central Tokyo before, and it was absolutely incredible. You get a completely different view of everything from the roads, and you see how things connect physically, rather than just on a train or subway map.

We basically followed the Chuo line's route into the centre of Tokyo, and then into the centre of Shinjuku. There were so many lights!



After we left Shinjuku we followed the road into Roppongi, where we saw Tokyo Tower all lit up!
From there, it wasn't long until we were on Rainbow Bridge over Tokyo Bay and parking on Odaiba. I'd been over the bridge on the road once, when I first arrived and I took the Limousine Bus from Narita Airport to Shinjuku. I'd been over it lots of other times on the Yurikamome monorail though.
Once we'd parked, we walked down to the beach and went to the end of the little pier they have. A very nice Japanese man offered to take our photo with Rainbow Bridge, although you can only see the lights!

Here's me with the bridge and Tokyo in the background. It was gone midnight but it looks really light in this photo!


We walked further inland and saw the Statue of Liberty, Japan version. I remembered taking a photo of my youngest brother with it when my family visited me last year. In fact, I associate a lot of Odaiba with my family, because I remember our visit there very clearly.


We wandered a bit more, and saw more of the island, but then started to get hungry. We stopped for a snack at Sizeria (サイゼリア), a cheap Italian restaurant. After that, we were all quite tired, so we walked back to the car.
We passed a couple of places I remembered from last year. You can rent a dog for a couple of hours and walk it up and down the beach, and then go to this restaurant and order something for you and something for the dog! This place is actually crazy!

Kind of an animal theme going on here.


We got home at about 3am, and I was really tired! But when else would I have the opportunity to be driven all the way across Tokyo to Odaiba? Tokyo is such a great city!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Wild George Chase

Last night Rob and I were meant to go and meet our friend George in Shinjuku. George was arriving in Tokyo and staying here for a few days before heading down to his University placement in Kyushu.

He had a late arrival at Narita Airport, so Rob and I left our guesthouse at about 11.30pm, arriving at Shinjuku station at just gone midnight. George didn't have a phone with him, so the only way we could be in contact was if he rang me from a payphone.

Shinjuku station is huge, literally huge, so we weren't at all sure where to go. We asked someone where the buses from the airport arrive, and he told us to go to the West Exit. We headed over to that exit and found ourselves near where I was dropped off on my very first day in Japan. I knew which bus stop I arrived at, and as there was no sign of George (he's very tall) I ran over and got a timetable. His bus should have arrived at the same time as us, but we couldn't see him anywhere.

Then a horrible thought struck. What if we missed the last train home and we stranded in Shinjuku until the first train at 5am, when we both had tests this morning? We ran around the area a few more times, but had no idea where he might have gone.

We went to buy our train tickets back to our station, and there was still no word from him. In the end, we made a snap decision and headed to our platform.

Here's the platform bustling with people trying to get home. Shinjuku is not the best place to get the last train from, it's so busy!



We tried to get on one train, but as you can see from this video, that wasn't going to happen!


The next one pulled in, and we got on. It was busy but thankfully nowhere near as bad as the previous one.


I was really worried about George. I'm usually the person people can rely on, but I just didn't know what to do.

The train had been moving for a few minutes and then my phone rang. I explained to George what had happened, and he wasn't at all happy! Understandable really. I told him to find the Chuo line and see if there were any trains left, even though I didn't think there would be.

And then our train nightmare started. An announcement came from the driver over the speakers that we didn't understand, but there was something to do with "until Nakano station". Rob and I didn't have a clue what was going on, but the train then started to move at an absolute snail's pace towards Nakano. No one seemed to be reacting very much, so we assumed it was okay. We wondered if the train would be terminated at Nakano (I really didn't want that to happen, can you imagine two trainloads of people trying to get on one!?), or if the train was just going to go slowly until Nakano.

The train finally reached Nakano after about fifteen minutes (it normally takes two or three) and stopped. Several people got off, probably fed up! Then George rang again, saying that he couldn't find the Chuo line. There was no chance of there being a train at this time, even with the delay our train would have caused. I felt really awful, but no amount of apologising could change the fact that George was left, tired and confused, in the very centre of Tokyo! He didn't want to take a taxi, and it would have cost around £50, so he said he'd find a hotel somewhere. And then his money ran out and he was cut off mid-sentence. I felt so bad!

The train finally left Nakano then, and continued at normal speed. We thought everything would be fine, but then the emergency brakes slammed on and the train screamed to a halt. A whole group of people flew down the carriage and fell over. Thankfully Rob and I were both holding the handles that hang from the roof of the train and we kept our balance. The train didn't move.

I was really worried that someone had jumped in front of the train to commit suicide. Sadly, that's a very common occurence in Japan. And apparently the Chuo line, the one I live on, is the most often used for that purpose. It has a lot of rapid trains that don't stop at stations, so people can just jump out in front of them. And there are also a lot of level crossings which makes it even easier.

Japan's suicide rate is one of the highest in the world, and ninety people kill themselves every day. A recent survey has said that one in five men and women has seriously considered killing themselves in Japan. It's extremely sad and sometimes disturbing, especially for those in trains or on platforms who witness this easiest way to take one's own life. But when I think about the life many Japanese people lead, hardly seeing their families because work is so stressful, and being constricted by often confining social rules, I kind of understand why the Japanese suicide rate is so high, and still climbing.

But, either the emergency stop wasn't because of a suicide, or the attempt failed, because after a couple of minutes, the train was moving again. This time there weren't any other interruptions and the train went straight through to Musashi Koganei, where Rob and I could finally get off.

The journey that normally takes under 30 minutes took over a hour, and we were both really tired. I fell asleep at about 2.30, but didn't sleep well because I was worried about George, so I don't think I did very well in my test this morning!

The journey also made me think about Japanese suicides. Now, every time I see the English word "Delay" in the train information, I always look at the Japanese, and more often than not it says "Accident of life", which basically means suicide.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

I'm An Official Alien (Again)!

After going to the Soul Run club at ICU, Rob, Katy and I cycled to our local city office in Musashi Koganei to pick up our Alien cards (外国人登録証, gaikokujin tourokushou), which we applied for a couple of weeks ago.

We just handed over the certificates they gave us when we applied (they said also passports are okay) and they had our cards ready.

So now we don't need to carry our passports around with us, and they act as an official proof of ID.

Another big thing ticked off the list! Just waiting to hear from the National Health Insurance office so we can buy it!

Soul Run

Rob, Katy and I joined a club (サークル, saakuru) at ICU this afternoon. It's called Soul Run, or in Japanese, 魂走, which is a traditional Japanese fisherman's dance. It sounds very strange, but it looks really cool, and we found out today that it's loads of fun! It's a really good workout, especially for your legs (mine are kind of aching now!)

I really wanted to join a club where I could do something I couldn't do in Britain, and meet new Japanese people. And there's lots of Japanese students who do it! They all seem really nice. In terms of foreigners, there are only two Americans, so for once we Brits are the majority!

We'll probably meet up twice or three times a week, because there's a big performance at the end of October during the ICU festival, and we'll perform the dance then. After that, apparently the club just does fun things like meet up and exchange languages, and go to Disney Land and things like that - sounds good!

You can see the video of the performance they did last year at the ICU festival on YouTube.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a video here of us doing it in a few weeks!

The First Down

Yesterday morning brought my first down, in the series of ups and downs that inevitably accompany being away from home.

What happened wasn't even that bad, but it felt bad because I was tired, and it was a horrible day weather-wise.

In my Japanese lesson (I have Japanese for two periods, which is 10.10am til 12.40pm every day, and then a Linguistics elective 1.15-3pm on Mondays and Thursdays), we got our vocabulary test results back first thing. I hadn't known that we would have a vocabulary test, and this obviously reflected in my results! So that put a downer on the lesson to start with, and then my teacher decided to talk at twice the speed she spoke in last week, so I was concentrating really hard trying to take everything in. And then she surprises me by asking me to read out a paragraph. It was a very simple paragraph that normally I would have no problem with at all, but yesterday my brain just shut down and I couldn't read it at all. I felt like a complete fool in front of the class, and I hate that feeling!

The rest of the lesson just didn't go well after that! So it wasn't the end of the world by any means, but it brought some homesickness out, so I had some ice cream in the evening with Rob and Katy and that sorted everything out! Ice cream is such a panacea.

I'm back on an up now and feeling much better, but because it was my first real "bad day" so far, it took me by surprise!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Suica Card

I bought a Suica card on Saturday evening, after going to karaoke in Shibuya with Chihoko, and some friends from Leeds University last year, when they were on an exchange. It was a very fun evening, with renditions of MC Hammer, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and the Titanic theme tune.

Suica cards are like credit cards that you can use for trains, buses, and even some vending machines. It stands for "Super Urban Intelligent Card" and you can charge them with money at ticket machines in any station that you can use Suica at, which is nearly all in Tokyo, and lots in other parts of Japan too.

After charging the card, you just swipe it over the reader as you go through the ticket gate. You don't have to take the card out of your wallet for it to read it. I've even seen people in a hurry just slide over the ticket gate, and the machine read it through their clothes.

After swiping it, the remaining balance on the card will appear on the screen, and when you leave your destination station, you swipe it again, the money is automatically deducted, and the screen displays the cost of your journey, and the remaining balance.

You can buy Suica cards at major stations that support them for Y2000. Included in this price is a deposit of Y500 (which you can get back if you take the card back to a station office), and the other Y1,500 becomes the first balance on the card.

Suica cards are completely interchangeable with Pasmo cards (I used to have one but I forgot to bring it back with me), but with Suica you can also get special types of card where you pay a set fee for unlimited travel between certain stations (定期, teiki). This is really good for people who travel to work or school by train every day, but I wouldn't use trains often enough to make it worthwhile. Students can even get a discount by showing their school ID when they purchase it from a station office.

Suica cards make train travel much more convenient, so even if you're in Tokyo for a short time, it's definitely worth getting one. As you can get the deposit back, it's basically free!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Autumn Is On Its Way

As much as I enjoy sweating under the sun here, I'm quite glad that the temperature is finally dropping after the heat of the Japanese summer.

When I arrived just over two weeks ago, in late August, the temperature was hovering around 30C, and the highest it went was about 33C, which would be fine if it wasn't for the humidity! But gradually the air has become cooler and fresher. It's noticeably less humid now it's almost halfway through September. It still has it's moments, but overall it's really comfortable now. The night time is getting quieter now too, as the cicadas retreat underground. Can't say I'll miss them that much really.

There were several days of gorgeous weather just gone. It was about 28C and sunny, with beautiful clear blue skies, and that was perfect for me. It's raining today, not due to a typhoon this time, and it's much cooler because of the rain. I think it's about 24C, which is what it was in the middle of the night when I arrived!

Tomorrow looks like it'll be the last "hot" day of the year, with the temperature hitting 29C in the afternoon, and then it'll steadily drop to a comfortable 24C for the rest of the week, but still sunny.

I love how Japan's weather works. It seems to follow a system, like most things here! When it rains, it's cooler but more humid, and when it's sunny it's hotter and less humid. And the temperature either stays constant, except in the case of rain, or drops/ rises by a degree or two each day. Britain's weather seems to mix it all up to spite us.

I like the Autumn season, so I'm really looking forward to when the leaves start to turn. I must do something special at the height of the golds and reds. I'll have to find out if there's anywhere particularly beautiful at this time of year. I know Nikko had a light festival in October or November last year, so I might try to find out if they'll do that again.

It might be because of the weather, but I'm really really happy to be back in Japan. It's such a nice place to live. Maybe this is just the honeymoon period, but, in the spirit of living in the moment, I'm loving it!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

First Karaoke Of The Trip

Well, if you've read this blog for a while, you'll know I have a love for karaoke. Not something I ever thought I'd enjoy, let alone want to go to every week, but that's what Japan does to you I suppose!

We met a couple of friends who were exchange students at the Leeds University last year at the ultimate meeting place - Hachiko entrance in Shibuya. One of them had arrived in Tokyo from Fukuoka (on the southern island of Kyushu) that morning, and it was only her second time ever to visit Tokyo! The other lives in Yokohama, so she had less distance to travel!

We followed my old routine and went to a cheap restaurant about ten minutes walk from Shibuya station.

And after that we walked a couple of doors down and went into a karaoke bar I'd been in countless times before. We sang for an hour, which cost Y600 per person.

I was the first person to sing, and I had to do it. I sang my favourite Perfume song - Secret Secret. It's just so good!




I had an amazing time - I can't wait to go again! Maybe this weekend...

First Day Of Lessons

On Tuesday we had our first day of Japanese language lessons. I have two consecutive periods of Japanese every weekday (one period is 70 minutes long), starting at 10.10, and each one is devoted to something different, focussing on the four aspects of language learning - speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

I also have a Linguistics class that I have for a "super period" (which means it cuts half an hour into lunch, making the lesson an hour and 45 minutes long) on Mondays and Thursdays.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to cope, as Intermediate students from Leeds are meant to go into Level 4, but my placement test result put me in Level 5. My listening and speaking are my weakest points (speaking more so), so I wondered if I'd be able to follow the teachers' speech.

It turned out that I understood between 80-90% of what was said, which I was very pleased about!

We got homework to look through and some preparation for the following days' lessons, and I did those in the library after the lesson, because I wanted to get them out of the way. Rob and I waited for Katy, who had lessons till 7pm!! (That's not even the latest they can be; the last period finishes at 8.20, which I think is ridiculous.) Rob and I went to a Kendo (剣道) martial arts club to see if we wanted to join, but it didn't interest us enough.

It was a good first day, and I felt more like I was integrating into the ICU life, which has got to be good!

ICU Registration

On Monday we had to register for our courses at ICU. We had been told what Japanese classes we'd be in, Level 5 for me, 4 for Katy, and Advanced 1 for Rob. (Woop woop for Rob by the way!)

We had to do it from computers on campus, so we cycled in and used some in the library. Because I'm extremely intelligent, I forgot the sheet with my log in details on, so I had to go to the administration building to get a new password.

Once that was sorted, I registered for Japanese 5 and two courses taught in English (I'll save the bilingual and solely Japanese ones for later in the year!) That gave me a total of 12 credits, which I thought was the minimum Leeds University required us to take.

It turned out that there isn't a minimum Leeds require us to take, but we need at least 6 credits per term to keep the student visa. I think I'll drop one of the English classes, as it actually turned out to be for people who don't speak any Japanese, but they hadn't changed the course description online. That will leave me with 9 credits over two subjects, which should be fine.

After registration, we went to our meetings with our individual advisors. Rob and Katy finished really quickly, but I waited for over an hour for a five minute chat. Not impressed!

Actually, the administration system at ICU does seem a little difficult to navigate. It's very difficult to know who to ask what questions, and it's hard to find their details too. Leeds' system was much more fluid.

We did a few other admin-type things, like filling in a couple more forms and handing them into a variety of offices spread across the campus, and gave in our passports for them to copy the details and visas.

In the afternoon, we had a Meet and Greet session, where we were randomly placed with students who had started in April (when the Japanese academic year starts) for integration. I was put in Section BJ (randomly selected letters) and I was with Chihoko, the lovely girl who came to Narita Airport to pick us up on our first day. It was great to have a chat and meet some new people. I've realised that the majority of foreign students are from California, as ICU has an agreement with the University of California.

Once we were finished, we went to the music department with a guy called Bob (that's his nickname) who Rob had met at the Meet and Greet, and they showed us their amazing piano skills. Afterwards, we all went for dinner at a nearby ramen (Chinese noodles) restaurant and then cycled back to the guesthouse. What a long day! The next morning was our first day of lessons, so I was a bit apprehensive, but I slept well.

A Very Nostalgic Day

On Sunday I had such an emotional rollercoaster of a day. It was amazing! I decided to go and visit my old house from last year in central Tokyo.

I left my guesthouse around mid-afternoon and took the Chuo-line all the way to Tokyo station, which takes about forty minutes, and then walked to Otemachi subway station (大手町駅), which is basically right next door. Unfortunately, the Hanzomon line (半蔵門線) is the furthest one from Tokyo station, so I had to walk for about fifteen minutes underground before I actually got to my platform, but it was lovely because I remembered every passageway. Every turn brought about a new bubbling feelings of nostalgia.

I was really really excited to see my old housemates and the area. As I took the subway the two stops to Suitengumae (水天宮前駅) I was trying really hard not to smile.

I took the exact route out of the station I always used to and as I walked out into the sun and walked past the police box on the corner and past the busy intersection, it felt so strange, but so lovely!

I rounded the corner and there it was! My old building.

I took the lift up to the second floor and knocked on the door. I heard a shout of "Hello" from my Chinese housemate and I opened the door. I can't write down how nice it was to see the place again, but take it from me that it was nice!

It felt exactly like last year sitting on the sofa and chatting about random things and looking around the living room. What struck me most was how everything looked the same! Almost nothing had changed, except for maybe the shower head!

All the post-it notes with English vocabulary and phrases I'd written were still up, and some notes my Thai housemate had written were still up too. I looked in my old cupboard and there were even packs of tea I hadn't used! The decaff pack that my family had brought out to me in the Spring was still there, and you can't find that easily in Japan, so I put them all in a bag and took them with me! My umbrella was also still in the rack, but I have a new fold-away one so I didn't steal that back.

I wanted to see inside my old room but there's a Vietnamese guy living there now, and although he seemed really nice, I felt it would be really rude to ask if I could have a look at it, so I let that pass.

We had a bit of time, because we were waiting for a French guy I lived with to arrive, and then we were going to a Monica Wu concert together.

We went for dinner in a restaurant I remembered was good from last time. The name is Don Don, which is very similar to my Chinese housemate's name, so I thought it would be fitting to go there. On the way, I asked if we could have a quick wander round the local area, for old times' sake.

We went to the river (the Sumida River, 隅田川), which is just one minutes' walk round the back of the guesthouse.



Then we walked past the Tokyo City Air Terminal, where I used to take the Airport Limousine Bus to Narita Airport. We went inside to see some of the shops, and I saw the restaurant where I had my 19th birthday breakfast with my family last year. That was such a nice time!


I had ramen with tempura (my favourite) for dinner, and we chatted more about what had happened since I left last August.


I rang my French housemate from the restaurant, and he said he'd be about thirty minutes, so we went for another walk.
We passed the local veg shop.


There's the Daimaru Peacock (the supermarket) tower, which you can see from all around.

Random statue in between Peacock and Hamacho Park.
I didn't see this last time I was here! It's a decibel counter; we tried clapping by it and the numbers went up immediately!

We went into Hamacho Park, which is right by the hotel my family stayed in, and the leisure centre where I used to swim sometimes.



You really can see Peacock tower from all around!
And here's the hotel...
Ahh, Peacock. You and your deals were so good to me.


On the way back to the guesthouse, we passed a group of women in traditional dress. It's the first time I've seen them this time round.


We met my French housemate and got back on the train, me waving goodbye to the building again, and went to Futako Tamagawa (二子玉川) on the Tokyu Denen Toshi line, which the Hanzomon line becomes after Shibuya.

I was worried we might be a bit late for the start of the concert, but we made it with a few minutes to spare.

It was easily the best performance I've seen Monica do. I can't remember how many concerts I've been to, but it's quite a few, and this one stood out above the rest. It might have been because I was in a really good, slightly dazed, mood, but she sang and danced really well, and I really enjoyed hearing her songs, including some new ones. Looking forward to the new album!

I was a bit worried I'd miss the last train, as I had to change at Shibuya and then at Shinjuku before getting on the Chuo-line back home, but it was fine and I made it in time.

I looked back over the day on the train, and I couldn't really believe it. The thing that struck me most was how everything was the same, not just with the guesthouse, but with my housemates. I'm really glad I'm living in Tokyo again and I can see them often. It's going to be a really good year!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

I Have A Bike!

The 50-minute walk to ICU is getting a bit much twice a day, so Rob, Katy and I decided to get bikes. We'd heard that the Seiyu department store is quite reasonable, and there's one right by our station, so we walked up this morning.

We went up to the 5th floor and found the bike department. There was no one at the desk, but we wandered round and found the ones we wanted. Obviously, we went for the cheapest ones there. They were only Y8,000! That's really good for a new bike.

After about fifteen minutes, the clerk came back and we filled out the insurance forms (insurance is only Y500) and then walked out with our brand new shiny bikes!

The bikes come with all the regular features of a Japanese bike, although I think some of them are amazing! The way they lock is quite cool. You put the key into the lock to ride it, and then when you stop you just push the lock round so it goes through the wheel's spokes, and take the key out - and it's safe! You don't have to buy anything extra, it's just all included in the framework.

The light works well too. Instead of being battery-powered, you just push the light against the wheel at night and when you ride, the turning of the wheel powers the light, so it turns itself off when you stop. How amazing is that!? I wish British bikes were like that.

You don't need a helmet to cycle to Japan, and you can go on the pavement or the road. Much less strict than at home.

And of course, being Japan, it's safe to leave the bike anywhere. Not unlocked though, as I've heard bikes are the only things to get stolen regularly in Japan.

Now I've bought it, I intend to cycle everywhere - Uni, the station, the shops... Maybe not into central Tokyo, as that would take several hours, but for the local area it's great! But of course it does mean I have to contend with the billion other bikes in Tokyo fighting for spaces!

Placement Test Results

On Friday I got my placement test results to see what Japanese class I'd be placed in.

It was a huge surprise! I've been put in Level 5!! I was so happy when I saw the result because I thought it would definitely be 4 at the most. I was also a little scared because I'm not sure if my level is high enough, but they seem to think I'll be okay so fingers crossed!

My first lesson is on Tuesday so I'll let you know how it goes!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Placement Test

This morning was our three-hour placement test at ICU, to assess our Japanese level so we can be placed in the appropriate classes.

It was quite a tough test. There were three sections - a general grammar comprehension, a reading and writing section, and a listening. All of them were multiple-choice answers, which I was pleased about.

I found the listening the most difficult by far, as listening and speaking are my weakest points. It didn't help that I was a bit tired (still from jetlag I think) and my head was throbbing. It was such a relief when I could close my eyes in between sections.

I couldn't quite finish the first section, which was 64 questions, but I did finish the second, which was 90. I had time to check through the second one, and realised I'd made lots of stupid mistakes, like just marking the wrong box.

All the way through, I was thinking, I must get into Level 3! Level 3 is what students who did the Beginners' course at Leeds should go into. Intermediate students, like me, should go into 4, but I want to do a bit of recapping.

There are eight levels in total, Regular Japanese 1-6, 6 being the highest, and then Advanced Japanese 1 and 2. You can take Intensive courses, incorporating 1-2, 3-4, or 5-6 into one term, rather than doing one level per term. Last year you could do any Intensive course in any term, but this year it's changed so you can only take Intensive 1-2 in the Autumn term, 3-4 in Winter, and 5-6 in Spring. So I might not be able to take advantage of ICU's intensive course like I wanted after all!

We get the results tomorrow so I'll see what level they think I'm best suited for then!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Matriculation at ICU

This morning we had our Matriculation Ceremony (入学式, nyuugaku-shiki) at ICU. It was held in the chapel, as it's the International Christian University. It was quite a strange experience, being in a church environment, but having Japanese spoken to me!


It started at 9.30, so we had to get up at 7 (ugh) and walk the 50 minutes onto campus (I really need a bike for that journey!) We are all One Year Regular (OYR) students, so as we arrived we found the right desk and they gave us our student ID cards, which are so cool! They also gave us a bag with the schedule for the ceremony, and lots of information booklets for different things to do with the University.

The actual ceremony lasted about an hour, and there were some very surreal bits, like we had to stand and sing a hymn I'd never heard before, and "The ICU Song" which was the usual "we love this university" type thing. We also had all our names read out, and we had to stand and reply with either "hai" (yes), or just "yes". It was a bit embarrassing having to stand up in front of everyone, especially as they filmed everything, and the camera was right next to me! I'd like to find out if we can get a copy of the video, or at least see it somewhere.

We signed the Student Pledge, which said that we would abide by the rules of ICU, and the laws of Japan, and then headed out to the lawn in front of the chapel for a group photo. They took about five, so I hope we'll get to see the best one at some point.

After the ceremony, everyone headed to a cafeteria for some drinks and snacks, and some staff introductions. We met a couple of new people and chatted to them. We had met an American girl called Wynne who lives in our guesthouse, and who lived there with Claire, who went to ICU with the exchange from Leeds last year - what a small world!

I also had a very surreal experience - I was recognised! An American guy came up to me and said "Are you the guy who writes that blog?" and I was really taken aback! It was like being a Z-list celebrity!

It was a nice morning, and it was great to meet the people we'd be studying with and see more of the campus. It should be a good year!

Whistlestop Tour of Tokyo

Yesterday my friend Georgie from University came to visit Tokyo on a visit to Japan. She was only here for one day so Rob, Katy and I had to decide where was best to show her. We decided on a few of the city centres around the Yamanote line (山手線), which is the above-ground loop train line which connects the centre of Tokyo.

We left home a little later than planned, at about 11am, and walked up to the station, where we got the Chuo-line all the way to Tokyo station. We arrived a bit late, and found Georgie talking to a station worker saying that she couldn't find us. We felt so bad! But there was no harm done, and we headed out of Tokyo station, Georgie flashing her Japan Rail Pass at the ticket gate guard to get through.

Our first stop was the Imperial Palace (皇居, koukyo), which is about 10 minutes walk from Tokyo station. It was very warm day (around 30C), but not too humid so it was quite comfortable, and the sky was a beautiful blue for the most part.



You can see Tokyo Tower from near the Imperial Palace.





This is Nijuubashi Bridge (二重橋), which is the famous bridge leading into the Imperial Palace private grounds. The bridge opens to the public only twice a year, once on New Year's Eve, and once on the Emperor's brithday (23rd December).


As we were walking around the grounds, we came across this dead cicada (蝉, semi) on the path. I was surprised at how big they are! But in comparison to the noise just one can make, they're actually tiny! I find the day-long chorus a bit much, but apparently the sound of cicadas brings happy feelings as it signifies summer.

I was amazed at how people thought it was safe to leave their bags here while they wandered round the area. This would cause a bomb scare in Britain!


On the way back to Tokyo station, we passed this cicada making a raucous noise on a tree. They're so loud!

There are lots of sacred koi carp in the Imperial Palace moat - we called this one Koi Boi.

After seeing the grounds, we headed back into the business district.


This is an inspirational poster for the 2016 Olympics, which Tokyo is trying to get. It reads "Nihon dakara, dekiru. Atarashii orimpikku!", which translates as something like "We are Japan, so we can do it. The new Olympic Games!" I hope Tokyo does get the 2016 Games, although it will put London to shame, being in between Beijing and then Tokyo, which are both bound to be spectacular.



I thought this travelator system was quite cool.


We headed for the Yamanote line bound for Akihabara (秋葉原), the electronics district, so Katy could buy a new camera.


I saw an advert for my old company, Gaba, on the train, which was a very surreal experience!


This is one of the screens inside the trains that displays information like the next stop, how long it takes to upcoming stops, delay updates, and which side the doors will open on, in both Japanese and English.


Just outside Akihabara station, there's an escalator leading up to a department store that has cool moisture being blown out onto pedestrians. I'd forgotten about that, and it reminded me of what a good idea it is!




We stopped for lunch in a big food court area.



After lunch, we headed for Yodobashi Kamera, which is exactly where I bought my first digital camera last January. It was so weird to think how different my life was then compared to now.

Katy bought a camera she liked, which has 14 megapixels! I was shocked. I thought mine was good, and it's only 8.1!
Then we headed for the one and only Shinjuku. We wanted to show Georgie, and indeed Katy, who had never been to the skyscraper district before, the numerous tall buildings that inhabit the business centre of Tokyo.
Here's my favourite building - the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁, Toukyou Tochou)!

Before going to the observation deck in the TMGB, we went over the road to the Sumitomo Ginkou building (住友銀行ビルディング) and took the lift to the 51st floor observation deck.


The Sumitomo building is hollow, and you can look right down the centre to the ground floor - I couldn't even see all the way down, it's so high!


I'd never been to this observation deck before, so I'd never seen the TMGB from such a height. The Tokyo Park Hyatt and Yoyogi Park (代々木公園) are in the background.



Not the best photo of me ever taken, but never mind.


We left the Sumitomo Ginkou building and crossed the road for the TMGB.



I remember seeing this building from the Limousine Bus that brought me into Shinjuku from Narita Airport on my very first day in Japan. How strange!


The TMGB observation deck is on the 45th floor, so I thought it might be slightly lower than the Sumitomo one, but it actually looked like it was slightly higher. The Sumitomo deck isn't 360 degrees though, so I still prefer this one.


It was too cloudy to see Mt Fuji but it is there - I promise!


We couldn't stay long, and I'd been there about 7 times so I didn't mind shooting off to our next stop. It's the centre of crazy fashion - Harajuku!


The crepes here are amazing! If you ever walk down Takeshita-doori then please try one!


Yes, God forbid someone would smork or tout...


We did a circular route through central Harajuku and then went back to the Western-style station, with the NTT Docomo building/ The Empire State Building in Shinjuku in the background.


Here's the Yamanote line train bound for Shibuya pulling into Harajuku.


And here it is! The mother of all things young in Tokyo - Shibuya (渋谷)! This is definitely my favourite place to be, for trendy people, flashing lights and loud noises, and of course - karaoke!


And who could forget the world's busiest pedestrian crossing!?


This is the 109 building (ichi maru kyuu), a big department store on ten floors in the centre of Shibuya.




Georgie and Rob were looking forward to taking a rush hour train, and for some reason were very keen to be shoved onto a train by a white-gloved guard, to avoid being trapped in the closing doors.

Their dreams were crushed however, when everyone got off at Shibuya and the train was quite empty for the journey back to Tokyo station.

We waved Georgie off at the Shinkansen bullet train (新幹線) barrier, as she was heading back to her friend's house in Utsunomiya (宇都宮), about an hour or so north of Tokyo. We said our goodbyes and waved until she'd disappeared.

I had a really nice day, and it was lovely to see all those parts of Tokyo again. I hope Georgie enjoyed what she saw, even though it was all so fast! I definitely want to go back and explore everywhere in more detail again. Well, I've got a year, so there's certainly time for it!