A little, late, but... (ちょっと遅くなっちゃったけど。。。)

Oh dear. Four days, huh?

... that's not just late, that's me missing a whole post cycle.

...well, in that case, you can just pretend that your browser has somehow eaten the last post, and that it is, in fact, actually there for the rest of the world to see, and it's only your access to the internet that is keeping you from the brilliance of two days ago.

Ah ha ha, don't you remember, when I said that witty thing, about that silly event? Oh, it was so clever. I can barely stand to recall.

... Ahem.

Although really, once again my poor posting habits are entirely due to matters outside my control.

Er. That is to say. They are matters within my control partly, it's just that the fact that I have no time remaining after said matters really is no fault of mine.

Because as I've said to you time and time again, my life, around this blog, it does not revolve.

I thought I would muck with syntax a bit to drive the point home.

Anyway, the reason that this is not merely a late post is that I spent all of yesterday (quite literally) in...

Wait for it...

OSAKA!

Land of the free, and home of the weird! ...as I dubbed it yesterday in a moment of wit and remnant Americanism while riding the Loop Line.

(Yes, I did mean to take my own pictures, but, well... you forget to do those things when you're not a tourist, ok?)


But yes, Osaka! My second favorite place in Japan, after Kyoto of course. Probably my number one when it comes to 雰囲気 (funiki, atmosphere) though. These people are hip and happening. I always give the example of walking down the street with my senpai at 3 am on Halloween night, and having everyone we passed by shout out "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" and wave.

Because that's the kind of place that Osaka is, guys.

Not to mention that 大阪弁 (Osaka-ben, Osaka dialect) is pretty much super-concentrated Kansai dialect, so that's always fun times when you're a little linguistic nerd like I am.

Anyway, I went to meet up with a friend who currently lives in Kyoto, so we could spend the day shopping and end it all with a fancy dinner to celebrate our new jobs.

I am very proud to say that I only bought these:

Which were, as expected, a little tight on my modestly sized (yet apparently still huge in Japan) feet:

and a rather cute earring tree, both at the 3 Coins Shop, and thus both a good bargain.

...the dinner, of course, was quite a bit pricier.

But hey, that's what we do when we're feeling classy in good company.

Per usual, it was a little sad to leave one of my old haunts and head back out into the uncharted wilds of Mie, but such is life, after all.

And now if you will excuse me, I am off to do my laundry, as real life has kept me away from more things than the internet.

This is Edo, signing off with sore shoulders, sore feet, and a lighter wallet, but a mind full of happy Kansai memories.

Alas, I'm home. (あら、帰っちゃった。)

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

Except not, because good lord, Kyoto felt more like home than this does.

Not to mention the fact that the sheer convenience of everything there is simply mind-boggling in comparison.

Oh, and the improved fashion sense.

...and unfortunately the number of fat white tourists, but you take the good with the bad, eh?

But really, I say on my blog that I left my heart in Kyoto. It's the truth. I may find myself basing future job searches more on proximity to the old capital than my desired line of work... Oh dearie me.

My poor feet bear testament to my desire to get as much of my old haunts under my feet as possible. Oh dear indeed; good thing I don't work on my feet.

For those interested, my trip to visit my dear friend A mostly involved... eating. Eating lots of tasty, tasty food and wandering around Kyoto and generally having a good time for relatively little money. Funny; she's currently living there, and yet I was playing the local, pointing out all the spots to remember, where to get her hair done, where to go for foreign goods and the like.

And here I sit in Mie, not a clue about my new habitat and thoughts still stuck on Kyoto.

.... Mastusaka will grow on me?

Sigh.

Anyway, after a 3+ hour set of train rides (what I get for being cheap, what  can I say) we:

1) Went to a cake/pastry shop in 京都駅 (Kyoto eki, Kyoto station). A out おしゃれ'd me by a long way, which once again reminded me just how different our two new environments are.

....there's so little おしゃれ to be had in Matsusaka.

Sigh.

2) Took the subway back to her temporary place to put my bag away. Her new company is renting her a weekly apartment on their dime until her visa comes through (which was, coincidentally, today, but as the place is paid up for a while she's not moving quite yet), which is pretty damn nice of them, I think.

3) Popped over to her nearby supermarket to pick up food for dinner, etc. There I realize that, while the supermarket I have been frequenting is cheap... it is sorely, sorely lacking in so many essentials.

Thus, I must find a new one. Y has suggested Cosmos, so I shall try it next.

4) おしゃれ'd up (me, that is) and hit the town, aka Shijo-Sanjo-Kawaramachi area. Ooooh yea, now I was home, baby.

First we just wandered around a bit, heading for Kappa Sushi because we were in the mood for some super-cheap sushi times. After that we wandered a bit more, eventually leading to Lawson's for me to pick up the BUCK-TICK tickets I ordered online for the Nara gig (which turned out to be a pain in the butt due to a very picky Loppi machine, let me tell you). After that, we wandered around a bit more before stumbling onto Sex in the Moon, a bar I used to frequent back in my study abroad days. Unfortunately, it did not open for another hour or so, but A seemed interested in some cheap cocktails, so we wandered a bit more, scheduling a return trip.

We went to LOFT, which has been moved from its original side-street to lining Kawaramachi. What's up with that, I'd like to know. We dilly-dallied enough there to have time for a quick and cheap oolong-cha to split from the Lawson's before heading back to the bar, because everyone knows that drinking when thirty can only lead to horrible things.

We arrived at Sex on the Moon, only discover a bartender I didn't know working. No problem, but a little disappointing. We ordered a salad, some fried goodness, and two drinks to start. They would be followed by a kamikaze each (which I taught A is clearly the best value for one's money at such an establishment, as it is absolutely loaded with alcohol in comparison to, say, a cosmo), and me asking the bartender what his name was and why no one was there I knew.

Apparently, the entire crew I knew is long gone, and Yasushi-tenchou has been replaced by Shin-tenchou, who told us his name by pulling aside his shirt to show us the tattoo of his kanji on his left pectoral.

... have I mentioned how much I love Kyoto?

Unfortunately, Shin-tenchou was too busy chatting with the four loud, obnoxious girls at the counter to pay much attention to us (our fault, really; we should have sat there as well instead of at a table), and therefore I do not yet know if he can properly replace Yasushi-tenchou and his gang.

... considering I had a date with one of them, I highly doubt it.

After the bar, though, we gradually headed back home, as dinner proper was to be home-cooked, and our feet we killing us due to poor shoe choices.

We did pick up some knocked-down (due to the late hour) tofu donuts on the way, though. Yum yum.

5) We ate some mushroom risotto, and watched the first two episodes of Firefly together before curling up to chat late into the night. We hadn't seen each other physically in over a year, you know; we still have a lot of catching up to do, despite talking practically non-stop all weekend.

6) Woke up at a decent hour, and A made us her version of Eggs Benedict, which really only means less hollandaise (aka a reasonable amount) and the lack of English muffins that living in Japan brings. Very tasty, very rich, and a very good way to augment these weeks of jam and toast I've been suffering through living with.

7) Headed back out to the Shijo/Sanjo/Kawaramachi area for another day on the town, this time commencing with lunch at 一風堂, which makes the absolute best ramen I have ever eaten in my life.

Needless to say I had been craving it.

We then wandered, shopped, and wandered, eating a crepe, milk-tea boba, and a 抹茶カキ氷 (maccha kakigoori, matcha shaved ice) between us before heading back to her apartment once more. Though I had originally planned on leaving Tuesday morning before work, my paranoia got the better of me, and I was to set off on the last train Monday instead.

...I feel sort of sad about that now, as my housemate isn't even back from her weekend yet, and she stayed in Mie. Sigh.

Anyway, we watched some more things on her computer, she made me a salad, and then I was off to buy some おみやげ (omiyage, souvenirs) for my coworkers and an extremely cheap, extremely large eco-bag at the station before heading back to Mie.

Stupidly, I caught an early train out of Kyoto, not knowing that I would only get stuck further down the line when the boonies proved too powerfully remote to have more than one train an hour so late. So, due to my tendency to overestimate the amount of time I need to do things, and my general paranoia about being late, I left Kyoto and ended my weekend probably a good forty-five minutes before I had to.

... I suppose it's not much, in the grand scheme of things, but it matters when you're leaving on of your best friends and the geographical equivalent of the love of your life!

Sigh.

At least I have some good souvenirs... albeit in the shape of an eco bag, two moisturizers and advice from A on all manner of subjects.

Good souvenirs to me. I'll get おしゃれ things next time. You know, when I've had a paycheck.

Oh, and I did get the BUCK-TICK tickets, didn't I!

All in all, an excellent weekend which ended much, much too soon.

It was so very tough to make myself leave. Ultimately, I think it was that whole "I don't actually live here, and would therefore become a bum living under a bridge on the 鴨川 (Kamogawa, Kamo river)" thing that actually did it.

...a paying job and a place to live are nice, kids.

This is Edo, signing off and wishing Mie was just a bit closer to Kyoto after all.

Weather is a pain. (天気はイヤ。)

Well, dear readers, this is it. By the time you read this, I should be an hour in the air on the way to Honolulu, a good portion of my stress alleviated (hopefully) and all my bags with me.

Sure, one is overweight, one is pushing the limit, and both my carry-ons may conspire to break my back, but somehow, I'll manage.

...and hopefully Typhoon #4 won't slow me down.

Yes, that's right, the weather itself is plotting against me.

And lucky me, according to predictions, it's going to be right smack-dab over central Japan when I'm supposed to be landing. And, you know, riding a ferry for forty-five minutes across a bay.

Could I be any luckier?

According to my boss, there are three possibilities:

1) My plane gets diverted, and I'm stuck in some other airport waiting for the airline to get me to Chubu International at a later time, with my bags god knows where.

2) I get to Chubu, but the ferries are canceled, leaving me to either (a) blow my money on a hotel for the night, or (b) blow my money on a train to Matsusaka, which would also involve me hauling all of my luggage through train stations and goodness knows how many train-changes.

3) The typhoon is mild/the typhoon misses the Chubu/Kinki area, and everything is just dandy.

We all know which one I hope happens, and yet we also all know which one I think is going to happen.

I'm going to come out of this with a lot less money than I had originally expected. Hotels are expensive. So much for eating in that first month...

It sort of sucks, being a cynic.

And then there's the fact that my paranoia has presented me with the possibility that the typhoon takes hold of our plane, tosses us around a bit before tossing us unceremoniously into the Pacific Ocean, never to be heard from again.

...this is not a good thing for my mother to be reading as I'm in the air, let me tell you.

UPDATE- Hooray for me and for everyone flying into Chubu/Narita/KIX in the next few days! (And, really, everyone in Japan from Kanto downwards who now won't have to worry quite so much about their shoji screens.) It looks like Typhoon #4 took my advice and decided to skip Japan in favor of a bit more sightseeing in Korea. Atta boy, I knew you wouldn't let me down!

Sorry about the link being in Japanese; but you can still see the updated "projected path," which is really the important bit. Fah to you, Yoimuri Shinbun, and your too-early reporting! Fah I say!

Ahem.

It also sucks that Hawaiian Airlines won't let me check in online for my flight tomorrow morning. (Yes, yes, time travel, I'm writing this on Tuesday, blah blah.)

Why? I couldn't tell you. I can tell you what the internet told me:

Specialized assistance is required, please check-in with an agent at the Hawaiian Airlines Airport Ticket Counter.

And, for those visual learners among you:

I like how it tells me afterward that I can check in up to 24 hours in advance.Why lie to my face, HAL? Why not just accept it and tell me "no, you're not doing it, so sad, bye bye"? False hope does not good customer service make.

...yea. This better damn well be something to do with them checking my bags all the way through to Chubu, otherwise there will be hell to pay. Especially because you get a discount for paying your checked-bag fees online.

Oh, I will be pissed if they make me pay the airport fee when they specifically did not allow me to use the online check-in.

Especially since (a) they shouldn't be charging me for bags in the first place, since I'm technically taking an international journey, and (b) there are already going to be some overweight fees involved that I'm not too pleased about.

So, remember how I was so angry with HAL for making me pay for my bags earlier? How I declared that I would do my darnedest never to employ their services again?

Well, you know, I'm tempted to start a campaign against them now, because this is bloody ridiculous.

Then again, maybe it's all Expedia's fault.

Perhaps this what I get for cheap deals and easy booking.

Perhaps expensive baggage fees, inconvenience, and a general lack of help from the actual airlines is what every Expedia customer must inevitably go through as recompense for their love of a bargain.

...I really don't like that idea, guys, and I don't mind telling you. Being punished for my frugal nature is not something that I think should happen in a fair and just universe.

Yes, yes, I know it's not a fair and just universe, but let me dream.


Well, hopefully, dear readers, I'll be updating again from the other side of the Pacific, from my new home in Matsusaka... and not from a hotel in Chubu, fit to burst with frustration and anger and scraping the bottom of my monetary reserves. Or from Narita airport, waiting dejectedly for the next flight to Chubu, more bag fees imminent...


Yea. I hope it's from the house. (Come on, Typhoon-san, let the JMA be right!)


This is Edo, signing off wondering if this is a bad omen for the beginning of her adult life.


PS- I told you this would get more interesting once moved. I'm only in the air and look at all the drama we have already! Be prepared for a little more pop culture next post though; I expect you to be on the edges of your respective seats, music fans!

(Though, uh, don't be too upset if it's a little late. I'm moving across the ocean and starting a new job, for goodness sake!)

Travel with ease. (楽な旅行。)

Since I'm going to be making that ridiculously long trip to Japan soon (as my seemingly endless packing would have me know), I thought that I would share the knowledge that I have learned the hard way during my two past trips, to better serve you, my dear readers, should you ever find yourself making the journey in the years to come.

Mind, if you're moving, like I am this time, you won't be able to follow some of my rules. I'll point those out for you, and apologize... though not too profusely, because hey, we're in the same boat. Empathy is all you're going to get from me, punk.

Note that I have tagged this entry with my "gaijin" label; if you follow my tips, you may very well be one step further away from "painfully obvious gaijin before you even arrive.

Trust me, it's a good thing. No one likes the painfully obvious outsider. Heck, you won't even like yourself much, come the third day in. Ah, the pressure of the gaze. There's a paper in that somewhere, I just know it.

Anyway, let's get right down to business, shall we?

Edo's Tips for Traveling to (and from) Japan

(Alas, my sense of alliteration was merely titillated, and not truly satisfied. Next time.)

1)  Pack appropriately.

This is a big one, and it applies now matter what you're ultimate goal in traveling is. Plan outfits, check out weather conditions, and think ahead. Don't leave packing to the night before, and try to set aside at least half a day to get everything together, plus any number of extra hours if you, like me, have a tendency of finding things you've forgotten over a course of days.

Remember medications, and pack them in your carry-on. This seems like basic advice you can get anywhere, but don't write it off--pants, you can live without, but when you start bleeding from the eyeballs due to a few missed pills, you'll really wish you heeded my advice.

(This applies even if you're not on eye-vessel-clotting medication.)

2) Know yourself.

This actually fits almost entirely into the above, but is important enough to merit its own section.

Know what you need, and know what you can live without. Know what you can deal with substituting, and know what you absolutely, positively, must have no matter what. In my case, it's my particular Crest toothpaste and my Bed Head shampoo and conditioner.

What can I say, I like soft hair and superb oral hygiene.

...too much information?

This also applies to carry-on luggage. What do you need to entertain you for (possibly) eleven hours at a time? Do you need four different, massively heavy books, or would your iPod and the in-flight entertainment suit you fine?

Admittedly, this is something you're going to have to figure out with some experience under your belt; it helps if you're a regular flier. Look back and try to remember what you tend to do on flights. Do you really read your books, or do you inevitably leave them shoved at the bottom of your bag, best intentions lost in the jet stream?

I only bring this up because I have the problem of underestimating my ability to keep myself entertained. Though I often pack any number of books, at least two game systems along with my iPod in my carry-on, more often than not I just listen to my music for the entirety of the flight, with maybe a movie thrown in for good measure.

(I must admit, however, that the bursitis in my left hip keeps me up and moving for most of the flight; those of you with stationary habits may be more inclined to employ a number of different entertainment means.)

But... if you're moving? So sorry, you're going to be cramming everything you possibly can into that carry-on so as not to add on to your checked luggage's weight. Keep this in mind, however, and place your vital entertainment needs on the top of the bag. 

3) Move around.

In case you hadn't noticed, it's a long flight. Even if you're separating it out into a six-hour and eight-hour chunk like myself, sitting immobile for that period of time is not going to feel like such a good plan when you're trying to stand up after landing. Even for those without my accursed joint issues, a lack of movement and a funky angle (I swear they position those seats so as to obtain maximum pain from my poor abused body) are never good in the long haul for our tender frames.

If you don't, like me, enjoy wandering the halls, dodging attendants and children as you go, just try to get up and use the restroom every hour or so. It's a good schedule to keep for your back and hips, and hey. An empty bladder is a happy bladder.

This trip, I also plan on wrapping one of those handy-dandy Thermacare heat-wraps around my hip at the half-way point; I'll tell you how that goes, and whether or not the poorly jointed among you should consider the investment.

I myself received a sample package in the mail, so truly, this is a risk-free test.

4) Stay hydrated.

Man, I sound like every magazine article on the topic now, don't I. Oh, well; if it's good advice, you deserve to hear it twice.

Most long-haul flights will send attendants up and down the aisles every hour or so with trays of water, as airlines too understand the necessity of hydration in the common traveler. If, however, you find yourself a bit parched with no refreshment in sight, simply flag someone down and request some water. If they have a decent bone in their body, the attendant should be happy to fetch you some.  

It should also be free, so no worries there. You'll find there's a lot more convenience and customer service on any flight that passes the five-hour mark. After all, attendants know better--if they make you miserable, you have a whole flight to take your revenge.*

5) Bring a brush.

This applies to a number of vanity items, actually; deodorant, eyeliner, hairclips, sandpaper. Whatever will make you feel slightly less grungy when you have to get off of the plane and go through customs deserves a spot in your carry-on and no mistake. Remember, you're spending the better part of the day in the air, and while you may not be exercising or working up a swear necessarily, you're crammed into a metal tube with something like one hundred and fifty other people. There will be some funk, and some frump.

Be prepared.

Besides, it's always easier to handle immigration officers when you feel pretty. Or, at least, not like something that got mauled by a dingo on the way over.

This is also why it's a good idea to move around and stay hydrated. Oh, and maybe chew some gum during the descent; helps with ear popping and makes your breath palatable. A win-win if I ever saw one.

Well, I may think of some more before the big day, but these are definitely the five tips to keep in mind when making the arduous journey across the Pacific. Listen to Edo, and your trip should be as easy as it can be.

... I suppose I should have amended that title a little bit. No 14+ hour journey will ever be easy, dear readers, and I hate to be the one to break it to you.

This is Edo, signing off with years taken off of her life due to the stress of packing her life away into two suitcases and a carry-on.

(*I do not in any way advocate the exacting of revenge on bitchy flight attendants; this is merely an observation. Ahem.)

Customer service at its finest! (高級のカスタマーサービスやで！)

Well, I did mention the possibility of breaking the theme I had set up for myself over the past week or so; it is a little foolish to restrict myself to a certain set of posting possibilities, when the potential for new ideas is simply endless.

And, you know, the fact that I do tend to get bored with things.

And since I have spent the last hour or so trying to figure out who to share my exciting new information with, I figured that I would, metaphorically, kill two birds with one stone: share the information with the entire internet, and come up with an exciting new blog topic in the process.

I never cease to amaze myself.

As many of you may already know, I am heading off to Japan to begin my new job in Mie come mid-August. As such, I of course needed to buy myself some flights; swimming over, after all, is only fun for the first hour or so. Therefore, after cruising through Expedia for some time, I narrowed it down to two choices: an expensive but reasonable set of ANA flights, with one layover in SFO and one in NRT, or a slightly more expensive Hawaiian/JAL combination with only one layover in Honolulu.

I admit that I was tempted by the cheapness and mileage possibilities of the first plan (I currently have miles with US Airways, who are partnered with ANA), but the more I thought about it... the more I really, really didn't want to have to make two stops. And really, it wasn't that much more money to purchase myself some peace of mind, and possibly one less trip through customs. So, in the end, I went for the shorter and easier route--which, as a bonus, is a 6 hour + 8 hour flight combo, as opposed to a 2 hour + 11 hour + 2 hour whopper that surely would have left me reeling.

(OK, so either will leave me reeling, but shhh.)

However, wooed as I was by shorter flying times and less stops, I was still not truly convinced that I had made the proper choice--I am nothing if not horribly horribly cheap, and new nothing about the two airlines I would be flying. I have made all my previous domestic Japanese flights with ANA, and have found them to be lovely--the only thing I know about JAL, however, is all that trouble with bankruptcy and that their flight attendants are top notch (thought that one may simply be hearsay from late-night Japanese television, especially considering I can find no articles backing me up). It was that first ugly "bankruptcy" bit that had me dubious; other than that, I truly had no idea what to think about JAL. I have heard that Hawaiian is one of the best airlines out there in terms of comfort and service--this remains to be seen; at present, they seem to be miserly, scrounging charlatans desperate to grasp every last penny from my threadbare pocket, and I am beginning to regret associating with them. I shall keep you updated as I continue my attempts to work things out. Nope, nope, it's official. They're charging me $55 minimum for the pleasure of checking my bags with them, simply because the international portion of my flight is with another airline. Do your best to steer clear of these guys, as they are punishing customers for disloyalty due to circumstance and flight patterns.

And now back to your regularly scheduled blog post.

But let me tell you now; if they can come anywhere close to delivering what they promise on their website, I will be one happy customer.

First of all, confirmation that yes, there will be personal television screens for each passenger. You might think this is a bit extravagant, but for anyone who's made on of those trans-Pacific jumps, you know how vital they can be in cutting the tedium--especially when you can't sleep in airplanes. The last flight I took from Japan to the US (with United, ugh) did not provide this luxury (nor indeed any flight attendants who spoke a lick of Japanese) and I certainly felt the strain; especially since I had the unfortunate of being seated by a bulkhead, and thus was relegated to craning my neck to stare up at a screen approximately nine inches wide ten feet above my head if I wanted any sort of airline-provided entertainment.

... Can you tell I'm still bitter about that flight? Maybe the KIX-SFO route is not the best to take.

Anyway, the TV screens on the back of my flight, come August? The JAL website allows me to peruse the entertainment offerings already (though admittedly the audio options won't be posted until around the 20th), and guess what. At a minimum, I have eleven bloody movies to choose from. Eleven, not to mention three non-movie video channels! Two of the films are in Japanese, and both look like something I'd be interested in! Eight hours? Pfah! I laugh at your eight hours!

And hey, remember how a number of US airlines are now making you pay for meals and beverages? (Never fly Allegiant, by the way--those are some cheap suckers right there, not to mention short-sighted.) Not JAL, my friends!

Admittedly, United did provide us with free meals on that KIX-SFO flight, but... really. It was only food in the loosest sense of the phrase. And true, JAL may provide similar fare, but it certainly looks pretty, doesn't it? Not to mention the promise of free tea. I love tea. Tea makes everything better.

And, of course, free bottled water. You think that's no big deal, but Allegiant was charging you two bucks a bottle. After charging us forty bucks per checked piece of luggage. Get with the program, America-land. Dehydrated passengers are not happy passengers, and happy passengers don't rebook with you any time soon.

(I am curious about that Sky Oasis snacky deal... although it specifically says not with Hawaiian routes. Darn. I hope they bend the rules for us, since we're flying through Chubu.)

Although I guess nothing beats British Airways, who gives you free booze on trans-Atlantic flights and can't understand why no one else does... Neither can I, come to think of it. If there's any time you need free booze, it's when you're crossing an ocean 30,000 feet up. Especially those of us who, as mentioned, can't sleep in airplanes.

But wait, there's more! Feeling a little frumpy? Have a pleasant night kit, complete with slippers! The only downside is you can't pick your color... wait, that's a downside? They're giving you free stuff, for crying out loud!

And look! They give you medicine, too! None of this silly American no-medication-for-fear-of-lawyers nonsense; if you have a headache on JAL, they will give you some asprin, gosh darnit! If your tummy hurts, they will whip out some Pepto (or the Japanese equivalent, I suppose) post-haste, no questions asked and no law-suits worried over! (You know, the American propensity to sue at the slightest provocation is legendary in Japan... it freaks them out a little. We are pretty ridiculous, you know.)

... I love these people already.

Nope, nope, I am thoroughly convinced that I made the right choice--so much so that I signed up with the JAL Mileage Bank program. (Really, though, that's just smart--US Airways is with Star Alliance, and JAL is with oneworld, so with the two accounts, I really have all my bases covered, no?)

I'll have to get back to you when I experience first-hand the wonders of a trans-Pacific JAL flight--I do hope it lives up to my expectations, after all this. Either way, I shall be sure to report my findings accurately for you, dear readers--let me be nothing if not helpful and informative!

(And yes, yes, I know none of it is truly free, and indeed it's owed to me considering how much that stinking one-way ticket cost, but... still. Let me have my little moment of happiness over here. And, of course, let me revel in the fact that it's so much better than stinkin' United.)

This is Edo, signing off still playing around on the JAL site, wondering what else they might give her....

Edo meets Kyoto. (エドが京都に会う。)

Man, never thought you'd see that title on an actual post, eh? The eponymous post of this blog, you might say! ...although, really, it isn't, because it came around some two years after I originally started the thing... But hey.

It still seems pretty cool, in my opinion.

Feel free to disagree, of course.

... of course, now I must wonder whether or not I DID use this title, way back when, back when it may have been more relevant...

Oh well. It's in the past (or isn't), and we musn't dwell upon the past.

Here we go.

As the last post sort of covered my first trip to Japan, we are going to have ourselves a little time-skip here; from the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college, to the beginning of my junior year. Keep that in mind, eh?

京都府 (Kyoto), September 2008 - May 2009, Part 1 (And a little bit of Shiga too.)

Yea, this one gets a "Part 1" right off the bat, simply because I know better now. There's just absolutely no way that I'll be able to cover anything and everything I experience in Kyoto in this blog, let alone in one post. This way, at least it looks as though I'm going to take a semi-decent run at it.

...though admittedly I have sort of ruined it by describing my plan beforehand. Oh, well.

Anyway.

Like Tokyo, my first experience with Kyoto was (a) with a study abroad program (AKP), and (b) actually in Osaka, at the Kansai International Airport.

But really, KIX is no more Osaka than Kyoto, so we won't sweat the details.

As AKP had offered us the option of a group flight actually from the States (a much easier plan, though the rather incompetent travel agent booked me a seat in the middle of the five-seat middle aisle, despite my specifically telling her that I have bursitis in my left hip and cannot remain sitting for such long periods... sigh), all but one (Melon, actually; she beat us all and went on a Doshisha summer program and thus was already there) student arrived at KIX at the same time from San Francisco, tired, jet-lagged, and definitely looking worse for wear.

Perfect time for a group picture!

I've oft wondered if that was actually a bonding exercise, or just something for the office staff to cackle about later. We were not pretty, getting off of that plane.

As you can imagine, there was no aimless waiting around in the airport this time--once we had gone through customs and retrieved our baggage, we were whisked through security ("Are you on AKP?" "Yes." "Have a nice day!") and onto a bus headed for the Kyoto Tower Hotel, where we were staying for a week to properly gain our bearings.

Oh yea, these people have it together, I thought. 

The Kyoto Tower Hotel was certainly a welcoming site after that 11 hour plane ride, even though it took something like two hours on that bus filled with people we didn't properly know yet to get there. Have I ever mentioned how horrendously far way KIX is from anything? Endeavor never to fly there, unless you have no choice. Also, it's sinking. Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and cuddly when you come in for a landing?

... ahem. Anyway. The Kyoto Tower Hotel.

Definitely some nice digs; I actually got to stay there twice over the course of my year abroad, but that's another story.

Anyway, we were grouped off into threes, alphabetically, and roomed accordingly. I think that first night we were on our own to forage for food (with the money we had been provided on the bus; man, I can complain about that program, but I certainly will never complain about the free-flowing cash), which most of us did at the nearby コンビニ (conbini, convenience store). I did this out of nostalgia; I was desperate for some milk tea. Others did it out of necessity, as most of them had never been to the land of the rising sun. Many purchased booze, discovering that, huzzah, 20 is legal drinking age in Japan, what joy!

... what can I say, I'm a connoisseur. I much prefer mixed drinks and liqueurs, and thus forewent  the joys of cheep conbini beer.

We ate and drank, and then decided to wander around 京都駅前 (Kyoto eki mae, In front of Kyoto Station), because after all, you're supposed to stay up to your regular bed time to fight off jet lag, right? I'm sure that was our reasoning.

A lot of aimless wandering later (notice how I cleverly skipped over the part that is a little fuzzy in my memory), we finally went to bed, not availing ourselves of the 銭湯 (sentou, public bath) because we were either (a) too tired or (b) not entirely comfortable with that whole public nudity thing yet. I myself am not sure when I (thankfully) got over that and learned the joy of 銭湯 and 温泉 (onsen, hot springs), but I wish it had been sooner.

I actually don't think more than two people ever used the Kyoto Tower 銭湯, and that they said it was nothing special. Perhaps an opportunity missed, and perhaps not.

We spent the next week shuttling back and forth between the hotel and Doshisha University, five subway stops away, for orientation and placement tests and whatnot, again all on the program's dime. Luckily, in this case, placement tests were taken after we had recovered from our 11 hour flight; clearly, in my favor, as this time I was placed in the highest Japanese level available. (Although really, that may have been thanks to the horrors of my college's third year Japanese, and the ridiculous lengths I went to to make sure I passed... but that's another story as well.) It was summer vacation for the regular college kids, so for the most part, we were rather alone on campus.

Honestly, though, this is where I realize just how much truth there is in that whole fading-memory jest... I am having a hard time remembering what specifically happened during that first orientation week, aside from a lot of sitting in lecture halls, eating awkwardly in the Doshisha 食堂 (shokudou, cafeteria or dining hall) with people we still didn't know properly), and riding the subway like total and utter dorks (you know, hanging from the hand-holds, swaying back and forth, talking loudly and generally annoying the populous.) I'm sure that I met Melon sometime during that week, but damned if I don't remember that either.

But, I do remember that one fateful day in our lounge where we began talking randomly (or perhaps due to some internet video or other) and discovered that we both loved BUCK-TICK and a number of other J-Rock bands, forging our life-long friendship and program-long tendency of pairing off. See, I do remember the important things.

Er. Back on topic.

Sometime during the week, we were assigned volunteer "guides" from the university, who were told to take us to the homes of our host families, teach us how to get back an forth to Doshisha on our own, and then take us in to get the process started on our gaijin cards; that last part was probably the most important, as my guides were kind enough to fill in the forms for me. My handwriting is abysmal, and I didn't want it on record. (It was bad enough having it in my 定期券 [teikiken, commuter pass]...) Since my host family lived in Shiga, I had been assigned two students who were themselves from Shiga, glorious prefecture that it is--and no, I'm not kidding, I really liked Shiga. They were the ones who told me that Gackt is actually from Shiga, but lies about being from Okinawa because Shiga just isn't カッコいい (kakkoii, cool) enough for his image). I'm not sure whether I believe this, but it's interesting nevertheless; Shiga certainly does have some pride issues, and seems unlikely to let go of any birthrite they may possess. Otsu, the capital of Shiga, was the capital of the entirety of Japan (though it was much smaller back then, and not exactly "Japan" as we know it today) before Kyoto, and they changed the name of my station to let people know that--西大津 (Nishi Ootsu, western Ootsu) became 大津京 (Ootsu Kyou, Capital Ootsu) the year before I arrived.

Not to mention those statues of Murasaki Shikubu they have up in random places. Not sure about that one either, but if they say she was born there, who am I to argue?

But hey, this isn't a Shiga post, this is a Kyoto post! ... I have edited the title accordingly. Ahem.

Anyway.

After that week of orientation, getting to know the city and bonding with each other, there was a meet-the-host-family party at the hotel's fancy restaurant, where we were encouraged to dress our best and wait anxious while families showed up in ones and twos, not having any clue what our respective families looked like and hoping that we'd chosen to wore the right outfits.

(Yes, that is where I met crazy okaa-san, and no, you won't get that story today. It's my blog, so nyeh nyeh nyeh.)

After that, we were off--away from our week in the lap of luxury (maybe I exaggerate) and into homes with little to no air conditioning with people we had only met hours before. I myself was forced to haul my luggage on the train (though luckily not my two big suitcases, which had been shipped) because my family hadn't driven all the way in from Shiga.

Let it never be said that entering into a host family is an easy, relaxing experience which is perfect for every comer.

...but again, that is another story.

Which signals the end of yet another exciting installment in Edo's journeys through Japan!

Be sure to tune in next time, when I may or may not be continuing this series due to my coming back from this horrible excuse for a vacation.

This is Edo, signing off glad that she made that original warning about these posts having very little to do with the prefectures she was in at the time...

Edo meets Hokkaido. (エドが北海道に会う。)

This whole travel thing seems to be a good enough theme; I might as well stick to it for now. Besides, I've had no other amazing brain waves as of late, and far be it from me to stunt  good idea in its prime for no good reason.

Continuing on.

北海道 (Hokkaido), June - August 2007

See, now this one has a reason to be longer than average--I was there for two months during the summer of 2007 on the intensive-language program run by the Hokkaido International Foundation (HIF). I went intending to skip a year of Japanese back at college, and maybe to get a little bit of experience in this country I was potentially getting ready to devote my life to.

I'm pretty sure that that was the summer when I decided to drop Spanish for a bad thing and go Japanese all the way. Sorry, Spain--your food is tasty and your country is pretty, but you're no Japan.

Anyway.

Remember the last post, all about the wonders of my first trip to the capital city of Tokyo?

Well, just after arriving in Hakodate, I took a Japanese language placement test. Yes, I think somewhere around 9 am, after the infamous Haneda debacle, while the majority of us were still reeling from massive jet lag (possibly for the first time in our lives), we were expected to demonstrate accurately our Japanese language skills.

No wonder I ended up in the retard reject 1A. Talk about a jolt of self-worth right off the boat. Or, plane, as it were.

That was also the day we met our host families; certainly a nerve-wracking experience no matter when the time or what the state of your internal clock. Luckily, at least in my opinion (I suppose I could be wrong), I was not signed up to share a homestay with another student, and got a whole family to myself--the lovely Tanaka family.

(You see, I would use an obvious, one-letter pseudonym, like so many other bloggers, but seeing as how Tanaka is right up there with Saitou in "ridiculously common Japanese names 101"... I figure I'm safe with this one. And hey, who said I wasn't using a pseudonym, eh? It'd be just like calling an American family Smith... despite the fact that I've actually never met a Smith in my life... Hm. Anyway. Mull that amongst yourselves, because I'm not telling. )

A nice enough family, even if I wasn't allowed to use their internet because "it wouldn't be fair, since not everyone has internet in their homestays." .... riiiight. The food was good, and I didn't really have a curfew. Not to mention the fact that パパ (Papa; yes, I was told to call them Mama and Papa) would pick me up from the station in the car if it was after dark. And drive me to the station in the morning if it was raining... that was nice.

Pretty sure they were from Honshuu, though, as were most people in Hakodate at one point or another. I guess, being a sort of port-city, it really catered to the migrating population, sick of the crowds and eager for some fresh air.

And hey, the summers are quite nice up there. Not too hot, and no real rainy season to speak of. It did rain for one straight week towards the end of my stay, but I think that was simply the remnants of some typhoon or another.

If you're going to Hokkaido, though, Hakodate is definitely a good place to be. Now, I cannot speak to Sapporo, as I never got up that far (though I should have), but Hakodate itself was a very nice sort of place. Sort of 田舎(inaka), what with one train line that only ran every 45 minutes or so, but still. Everything you needed was right there. Not to mention a ton of good seafood. Port towns are awesome for that. Not to mention the famous イカ (ika, squid), which get their own dance during the 港祭り (minato matsuri, port festival):





That second one's actually from the year I was there; unfortunately, you will see me nowhere in the video, as I did not take part in the parade. Years later, I regret the shyness of my youth. I was far too worried about making a fool of myself to truly enjoy...

Er. Anyway.

Just imagine the streets of a major city, packed with squid-dancing people for hours upon hours, and you'll have some concept of the 港祭り. I mean, sure, there were fireworks and other parades, along with reenactments of Perry's landing (in which some members of my program took part!), but it's really the squid dancing that you go for.

Well, I think so, anyway.

Anyway. If you're going to Hokkaido (specifically Hakodate), remember these things and you'll feel that your trip was worthwhile:

1) 五稜郭 (Goryoukaku) [Linked to a picture and the Wikipedia page, respectively.]


You may remember it as the ingeniously constructed fortress that housed the Tokugawa shogunate's last stand, but I remember it as the hip and happening place to be in Hakodate. If you're a young person going to one of the many colleges up that way, this is definitely your locale of choice come Friday night. Karaoke bars, regular bars, record shops, restaurants... just about anything you could want from your bustling downtown district.


And hey, there's a tower to boot. You just can't go wrong with a tower.

(Side Note- As a testament to how bad my Japanese was during my time in Hakodate, I did not recognize the kanji [except the first, of course] for Goryoukaku when typing it in to this blog--I had to run a google search to make sure I had the right word. Maybe that placement test wasn't so far off after all...)

2) The Squid

They have a squid dance for a reason, guys. If you like squid at all, or heck, even if you don't, try some while you're there. It's tasty stuff, and probably a lot cheaper than you're used to. 

And while we're on that note...

3) The Seafood (in general)

Cheap sushi. What more does the American tourist of Japan want from their guide books, eh? I ate quite a bit of sushi while in Hakodate, all of which was quite tasty, and most of which was rather cheaper than one would usually find. This is not to say that it's the cheap 100円 stuff; no, my friends, this is quality seafood.

... at least, you know, as far as I can remember it.

This was three years ago, you understand.

Ahem.

4) The Night-view

Hakodate is touted as having one of the most famous night-views in Japan; also for a reason. They're not just pulling this out of their bums, guys. Pick up a postcard, any postcard, and you'll see for yourself. Climb up Mt. Hakodate and gaze down upon the wonderment that is Hakodate's unique, sea-encircled shape.

Admittedly, I myself have only seen the night-view through pictures--it was broad daylight when we climbed the mountain to gaze down upon the city below:

I would presume that it is much more dangerous to climb up the mountain at nighttime, at any rate... not to mention the fact that you might miss that ridiculously early last train. But it is some indication of the fame of this view that dozens of images pop up simply from typing 函館 into the search box.

5) The Weather

Remember, people, this is far north. Go during the summer, and it's beautiful. Go during the winter, and you're likely to freeze your tookus off. If you're heading up to the 雪祭り (yuki matsuri, snow festival) in Sapporo, though, it does seem like a logical side-trip... just don't blame me when you can't feel your extremities and thus are barred from properly appreciating the food, scenery and nightlife.

Well, since I'd rather not turn this into another lengthy rant recounting my adventures through the land of north (especially since a two month stay would take a heck of a lot longer than a 24-hour stay), I think that I'll leave it there for today, dear readers. Remember, I do have that nifty little comment doo-hickey down there, so if you have any questions about Hakodate that you think I could answer, please, feel free to ask away. You know how I love having my ego stroked sharing information with the world.

PS- Glay comes from Hakodate. As a certain someone would say, "isn't that just too nutty?" I'm not a big fan myself (they're a bit too poppy for my tastes, generally), but it's always interesting to know where people come from. And I always find local pride to be fascinating--there are pictures of these guys up in a bunch of different places, including all over the various stores of the local burger chain, Lucky Pierrot (...who happen to have a whale burger on their menu. Nutty indeed.)

This is Edo, signing off wondering if she shouldn't have recounted every little detail just to see if she could remember....

Edo meets Tokyo. (エドが東京に会う。)

Well, as I'll be out and about for the next week or so, I thought that I would set up a few posts before hand, just to make sure that you, my readers, are properly entertained, even should I turn out to be too busy to update appropriately.

I am nothing if not considerate, after all... even if slightly unnecessarily so, in this case. Ahem.

In any case, I thought that it might be best to form a theme. Since I will be out and about in state I have never before visited, I felt myself to be inspired--why not write about my experiences from all the prefectures I've visited? There really are quite a lot of them--even more  if you count drive-throughs on the night bus and 新幹線 (shinkansen, bullet train.) More, even, than American states I've visited, at last count (unless you count layovers, but I don't tend to.)

Admittedly, this may turn out to be more along the lines of "Edo's experiences described as almost entirely independent of the prefecture she was in at the time," but... you never know, it might make for good reading anyway.

And hey, it's my blog; what did you expect, really?

For lack of a better idea, I thought I'd go chronologically: I will attempt to chronicle my experiences in every prefecture I have visited (we're not going to count those drive-throughs after all) in the order I visited them. Most will only get one run-through, despite numerous visits, excepting situations in which a massive amount of time or a massive difference in experience separated the two (or more) visits.

...Did that sound like the abstract to a research paper or what?

Anyway. Here we go.

Tokyo (東京都), June 2007

I think this one winds up being a lot of Western gaijin-type's first stops, simply because of that whole lack-of-other-options deal. Sure, you can fly into Kansai International, or maybe Chubu if you're lucky, but Narita is by far the easiest airport to schedule a flight from the US to. And while Narita itself is technically in Chiba, the only thing Chiba-esque about it is the boost it gives to their economy, so we're counting it as Tokyo.

Besides, that's what they call it on all the travel sites.

Anyway. Between my Freshman and Sophomore years of college, I went on the Hokkaido International Foundation's summer program, and since I had never before been to Japan, I though it would be best to take them up on their group flight offer. They would pick us up from Narita, house us in a hotel overnight, then pop us up to Hakodate the next morning through Haneda.

Definitely a bit of a jog, but sort of necessary for us American types, unless you're lucky enough to find a flight through Sapporo. Korean friends, however, could simply fly from Seoul to Hakodate. Talk about unfair flight patterns.

Anyway, my first experiences of Japan mostly consisted of one of the waiting rooms in Narita airport--siting with a bunch of college kids I had never met (though we all got along remarkably well; I can say nothing but good things about the majority of the people on that program) and discovering after about an hour and a half of no one coming for us that we were waiting in the wrong place.

You'd think that she would have come looking instead of just waiting for the mass of our foreign hineys to magically show up. But I digress.

There was much jet-lagged hilarity and playing with vending machines; someone bought themselves some Calorie Mate, and we all had a hearty guffaw at their somewhat futile attempts to actually eat it.

When we were finally collected, we were shipped off to that hotel we were promised, where we were shacked up with people we had met only hours before and sent to bed. (I... honestly can't remember what we did for dinner. Oh, how the mind goes as we get older...) We were woken up at the crack of early to have breakfast at the lovely hotel buffet before heading off to Haneda; luckily, we were all so jet-lagged still that it wasn't really a problem.

Then came the fun part.

Let it be said, though, that our ordeal gave me a great respect for the efficiency of Japanese airports in general--were I to be screwed in airport in the world, I would take a Japanese airport any day of the week. Because oh my goodness, talk about efficient.

But I suppose I should start at the beginning.

We were all shuttled to the airport and told to stand somewhere near the entrance while our chaperons dealt with checking our baggage/shipping our baggage if we had chosen to do so, fearing overweight charges. (Turns out we needn't have worried... but I won't get ahead of myself.)

We were then left to stand around, looking awkward and stupid, for a good forty-five minutes or more; none of us knew exactly what was going on, only that he had basically been abandoned, and that we were getting dangerously close to missing our plan, even though we had arrived in plenty of time.

Finally, when it appears to those of us in the know that we have fifteen minutes left, we are pushed into the baggage check line, where we basically form a sort of conveyor belt of people and luggage, everyone doing their best to get their massively heavy suitcases up onto the counter for the nice ladies (who are looking pretty damn harried at this point) to tag, check, and send off to the plane.

Due to the rush, no one is charged for overweight baggage. (HA!)

After this, we have five minutes. To go through security. And get to the other end of the airport. In America? Not possible. We would have given up hope, throw our arms into the air in despair, and been forced to wait for the next plane. (For that matter, our bags would have never made it onto a flight taking off in fifteen minutes. Are you kidding me?)

But no. This is Japan, damnit, and we are going to make our flight.

The security guards have been warned, and when they see us coming they rush us through the line, allowing us to cut in front of the crowd and apologizing profusely to everyone along the way. We are told to leave our belts, shoes, and accesories on, because (a) Japanese x-ray machines are too smart to be fooled by a silver necklace, a steel belt or 1/2 inch heels, and (b) damnit there's no time!

We make it through in record--no, miracle time, and begin running towards our gate, which, while perhaps not as far as possible from the checkpoint, is pretty darn close. There are more harried (yet extremely kind) airport ladies at the gate, waving us through and encouraging us to continue with our running-pace, despite the stitches that had no doubt developed in our collective sides.

In the end, while I'm not sure if they had to hold the flight for us or not (there were more than twenty passengers in our group, after all; that's quite a number of disgruntled letters to have to deal with later!), but we made that flight, and were off to Hakodate without a hitch in order to take our placement test that morning.

Let it never be said that we didn't get excitement out of that group flight plan.

When Tokyo comes up again in my chronological back-tracking through Japan, rest assured that it will get another post--my HIF and AKP  Tokyo experiences were nothing if not separated by vast amounts of experience, language ability, and a certain Kansai-biased jadedness. Not to mention, you know, purpose--I was actually going to visit the next time.

... Wow. This turned out to take a much longer time than I had originally predicted. Probably because I have that distressing tendency to ramble and go into way too much detail... So much for setting up a lot of posts in advance... oh well. I apologize, dear readers, but it looks like you're going to have to be at the mercy of my free time after all!

This is Edo, signing off with some seriously over-worked typing fingers.

Hiroshima & Miyajima

このポストには、日本語が全然ありません。もしわけありません。

Hey guys. Not a very text heavy post, but I feel like you should be getting something out of this blog, so here are some of the pictures I took while in Hiroshima and Miyajima. Huzzah for AKP sponsored field trips!







That's all for Hiroshima, since, unfortunately, Blogger is something of a pain when it comes to posting photos. Now, for Miyajima!







Yea, that last one is of the sign in front of the aquarium. Because Romelle and I thought it was ridiculously cute. Not exactly cultural, but you've got the lovely pictures of the torii to make up for it. Unfortunately, the tide was out for most of the day, so it wasn't as scenic as it could have been.

I'll apologize, once again, for being so lax in the updating of this blog. It's a busy life here in Japan!