Busy in Tokyo! ^^
Hello everyone! Finally I get a chance to give an update on my trip. It's only been about a week but I have been quite busy! After arriving at Narita Airport, I went directly to the JR Travel office to get my NEX pass. This pass allowed me a reserved spot on the express train and was even more discounted because I was a foreigner. ;) It took about an hour for me to get to Shimbashi Station where I walked only for about 5 minutes and arrived at the Ginza Kokusai (International) Hotel.
I tried to go to sleep early and ended up getting up around 3:00am. That day I was going to meet Maki at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre to go and see 「ベルサイユのばら -オスカルー」 「Rose of Versailles: Oscar」 performed by Takarazuka's Cosmos Troupe. I was able to get second row center tickets (super lucky >.<) so we were right up front. The show was beautiful. I was glad that I was able to take Maki with me as it was her first time to see Takarazuka in general. I think she enjoyed it too. ^^ The one scene where Oscar (Teru) comes out riding a unicorn was a beautiful scene, but a little surprising as the contraption came right out over the first row XD.
After the show, Maki and I went to a coffee shop and chatted for a bit; waiting for a major thunderstorm to pass. A couple hours later, we went to some major malls nearby. There were lots of sales, however I managed to not buy anything! XD. After that, Maki and I went to a well known Yakitori restaurant which usually you need reservations for later in the evening. The atmosphere and food was great. Maki then invited me to her friend's bar near Shinbanba station called Wine House Akari. It was a small, stylish bar which is next to a future International Hostel. We drank some wine and had some snacks with Maki's friend and her friend's brother in law. Some other people who work just down the street also came for some drinks. Luckily I had no trouble getting back to Shimbashi station on my own that night.
The next day, I went to see 「The Kingdom」 performed by Takarazuka's Moon Troupe. Even though it was a smaller show, it was absolutely amazing. I couldn't quite tell which Takarasiennes (I think Rumi mentioned Cosmos Troupe) were at the show but about 5 of them went to sit in the second row ^^ At the end of the show (that day was the last run at that concert hall), the actresses told everyone in the audience to get to their feet to do a Tsukigumi (Moon Troupe) Jump. XD All at once, the actresses and us in the audience jumped up, hands in the air yelling, "Tsukigumi Banzai!" XD It was very cute. I definitely want to purchase the show if/when it comes out on DVD.
After the show, I took a train to Akihabara where I went looking for some anime shops. I went firstly to the Animate store and spent a loooooong time in there XD I didn't buy much, but there was so many levels and so much to look at. When I entered the 3rd floor, I noticed a middle aged man walk by a bunch of boxed toys on a table and his bag knocked at least a dozen of them off. He looked down at the mess and then went straight for the stairs! At the same time, this young girl (not an employee) and I went to go pick up everything and put it back where it belonged. She kept saying thank you to me over and over again. I told her it wasn't her fault; it was no problem. She was very sweet, but she really shouldn't have had to pick anything up. It still surprises me how inconsiderate people can be sometimes, however, I do know from experience that escaping from embarrassment and keeping face is very important here and is a strong aspect of Japanese culture. In general, however, the people I have met in Japan have always been more than generous, kind and good-hearted.
Moving on...Since I hadn't eaten for basically the whole day, rather than go straight back to the hotel in Ginza, I decided to stop at the Gundam Cafe :3 The ambiance music was songs from various Gundam Series and the meal I ordered looked like Haro (mechanical mascot) XD The drink was really good too, however, either they had forgotten the alcohol, it was extremely weak...or perhaps it's just not strong enough for me XD
I arrived back at the hotel around 11:00pm. Even though I was exhausted, I still woke up at 3:00am. >.<;; (for at least four days it was like this).
The next day, I waited for Mike to arrive at Shimbashi Station. He arrived at 4:00pm and we went to meet my friend Aki (whom I used to work with) in Takadanobaba. He took us to the restaurant that he and his friend created a couple years ago called Kusudama. Maki joined us after work as well. The food was great and it was nice to see each other after such a long time :3
The day after, Mike and I went to Shinjuku Station to drop off our bags at the coin locker. We then went to find Disk Union where Mike got some CDs; I also found an access CD I didn't have yet. We also went to eat at a beer hall called Sapporo Lion where we had some drinks and Hayashi Om-rice. There was also an Animate nearby so of course we stopped in there. I bought another Free! iwatobi swim club charm, hoping to get a Haru-chan whistle...yet again I got Rei's! XD Mike found a Sherlock manga based on the BBC show. It looked so cool, I had to buy it of course. We then traveled to Hamamatsuchou to go to the Pokemon center, where I bought some souvenirs for my cousins. We also went out for ramen and after that, basically right next to the restaurant, we went to do some karaoke ^^
I had never been to a "Big Echo" Karaoke establishment before, but I have to say, it was my best experience yet. Not only did they have more songs, but the equipment was really nice and for a lot of my Takarazuka songs, there were actually videos from the shows to go along with the music :3 On the way back to the hotel we picked some little cakes from the station. The bakery items and cakes are not too sweet, and they also look so cute. Japan is a dangerous place for me. ;P
On the 31st, Mike and I went to the Park Hyatt Tokyo. We were able to check in early which was nice. I have never been to such a fancy hotel before. There were employees at the front to take your bags, invite you in, personally escort you to the main floor where then another person would take you to the check in area. The hotel is run quite efficiently and the staff is very friendly, well dressed...and very tall, as Mike and I noticed. XD Our room was on the 48th floor. It was amazing! And the view was spectacular, even if it was difficult to see Mount Fuji through the clouds.
That evening, we took the shuttle bus to Shinjuku Station and from there took the train to Ginza Station where we went to a small restaurant called Sukibayashi Jiro. Approximately 3 years ago, Mike and I watched a documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It focused on the the everyday food preparations of a world renowned sushi chef named Jiro, his sons and his restaurant. It is very difficult to get a reservation; especially if you are from a foreign country, but the concierge at the Park Hyatt was able to get the reservation for us so we were very grateful. We sat at the bar with 8 other people and due to the serving style of the restaurant, we were done in about 30-40 min. The sushi was amazing! After that they give you a piece of watermelon and tea ^^ Mike bought a book about the restaurant which Jiro himself had signed and we both had a photo taken with him!
When Mike and I returned to the Park Hyatt Tokyo, we got all dressed up and went to the New York Bar on the 52nd Floor. There was a live Jazz band and it was super busy. It looked just like from the movie (Lost in Translation - basically the reason we decided to stay at the Hyatt). We sat at a big table near the band and ordered a couple drinks. It is quite expensive; after 8:00pm you have to pay a cover of 2,000yen if you are not a hotel guest. Of course, we didn't have to pay for that, but our drinks were about that much each XD Really yummy though.
On Friday, Mike and I checked out and took a train to Kokubunji where we met with his mother's pen-pal Hiroko and her family. They were kind enough to let us stay with them for 3 days. Even at this moment, I am writing this in their living room; Akihiro (father) is correcting students essays, Hiroko is preparing dinner and their daughter is finishing the festival float for her performance next week in Fukuoka. They are a wonderful family and I always feel welcomed when I visit here. That afternoon on Friday, we ate pasta that Akihiro had prepared (yummy!) and watched some TradJapan videos XD After that we went out to eat Yuba at a beautiful restaurant. There was a big thunderstorm outside and since we were on the top floor of the building, we could easily see the lighting. It was great! :3
That evening when we returned, we drank together the sake Mike had brought from Nara.
On Saturday, at 6:30am, we all took a train to the Tsukiji Fish Market. This is where the fish used in Tokyo restaurants and stores are sold wholesale. It was extremely busy and dangerous due to the traffic of motorized carts and vans. We went to a small, popular sashimi restaurant, then after to the Tsukiji Museum. We walked to an art studio building but the exhibit we wanted to see that it wasn't open that day unfortunately. We then went to an exhibition commemorating the 90th anniversary since the death of Tomioka Tessai, at the Idemitsu Museum of Arts. He was a master of literati art in modern Japan and had strong beliefs in Confucianism. On our way back to the house, we went to eat dinner at a small restaurant near the stop right before Kokubunji station. There was a very kind lady working there and she told Mike and I, "Thank you for coming to Japan". She was really sweet. Akihiro also told me that my spoken Japanese was beautiful and so was my writing. I remember a time when my writing was awful so it meant a lot to me. When we got back, we watched some videos on Yakushima (where Mike and I will be leaving to go to tomorrow).
As for today, Hiroko, Akihiro, Mike and I ate some wagashi that Akihiro had picked up on the way home yesterday and also went to a restaurant that served Tsukemen. After that we went for a walk to see the original location of the temple ruins after which the city of Kokubunji is named. There was a museum nearby as well. On our way back, we stopped at a place called Slow Café and had some really good beer from Nagano. Mike and I just got back from walking the family's dog, Cookie around the block a couple times. He is 11 years old but looks and acts like a puppy. He is so cute!
Tonight I believe we are having Nabe for dinner. Tomorrow, Mike and I will be leaving early (around 7:00am) to get on the train and hopefully make a reservation for an early shinkansen as well. We will be leaving Tokyo but will be coming back on the 15th for a concert and hopefully a zuka show as well.
I am really grateful to Hiroko's family for taking such good care of Mike and I; as they always do when we visit. I am also lucky I have many good friends here as well who are fun to spend time with.
This was quite the long entry. Next time I will update sooner if I can. I think the hotel in Kagoshima has free wifi, so hopfully I will be writing soon.
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry! I know it doesn't seem like it but I had to condense it quite a bit ;P
I will be adding photos to accompany this entry, however if I wait any longer to post, I might not for a while ;P
Anyhoo, till next time! じゃね！
I tried to go to sleep early and ended up getting up around 3:00am. That day I was going to meet Maki at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre to go and see 「ベルサイユのばら -オスカルー」 「Rose of Versailles: Oscar」 performed by Takarazuka's Cosmos Troupe. I was able to get second row center tickets (super lucky >.<) so we were right up front. The show was beautiful. I was glad that I was able to take Maki with me as it was her first time to see Takarazuka in general. I think she enjoyed it too. ^^ The one scene where Oscar (Teru) comes out riding a unicorn was a beautiful scene, but a little surprising as the contraption came right out over the first row XD.
After the show, Maki and I went to a coffee shop and chatted for a bit; waiting for a major thunderstorm to pass. A couple hours later, we went to some major malls nearby. There were lots of sales, however I managed to not buy anything! XD. After that, Maki and I went to a well known Yakitori restaurant which usually you need reservations for later in the evening. The atmosphere and food was great. Maki then invited me to her friend's bar near Shinbanba station called Wine House Akari. It was a small, stylish bar which is next to a future International Hostel. We drank some wine and had some snacks with Maki's friend and her friend's brother in law. Some other people who work just down the street also came for some drinks. Luckily I had no trouble getting back to Shimbashi station on my own that night.
The next day, I went to see 「The Kingdom」 performed by Takarazuka's Moon Troupe. Even though it was a smaller show, it was absolutely amazing. I couldn't quite tell which Takarasiennes (I think Rumi mentioned Cosmos Troupe) were at the show but about 5 of them went to sit in the second row ^^ At the end of the show (that day was the last run at that concert hall), the actresses told everyone in the audience to get to their feet to do a Tsukigumi (Moon Troupe) Jump. XD All at once, the actresses and us in the audience jumped up, hands in the air yelling, "Tsukigumi Banzai!" XD It was very cute. I definitely want to purchase the show if/when it comes out on DVD.
After the show, I took a train to Akihabara where I went looking for some anime shops. I went firstly to the Animate store and spent a loooooong time in there XD I didn't buy much, but there was so many levels and so much to look at. When I entered the 3rd floor, I noticed a middle aged man walk by a bunch of boxed toys on a table and his bag knocked at least a dozen of them off. He looked down at the mess and then went straight for the stairs! At the same time, this young girl (not an employee) and I went to go pick up everything and put it back where it belonged. She kept saying thank you to me over and over again. I told her it wasn't her fault; it was no problem. She was very sweet, but she really shouldn't have had to pick anything up. It still surprises me how inconsiderate people can be sometimes, however, I do know from experience that escaping from embarrassment and keeping face is very important here and is a strong aspect of Japanese culture. In general, however, the people I have met in Japan have always been more than generous, kind and good-hearted.
Moving on...Since I hadn't eaten for basically the whole day, rather than go straight back to the hotel in Ginza, I decided to stop at the Gundam Cafe :3 The ambiance music was songs from various Gundam Series and the meal I ordered looked like Haro (mechanical mascot) XD The drink was really good too, however, either they had forgotten the alcohol, it was extremely weak...or perhaps it's just not strong enough for me XD
I arrived back at the hotel around 11:00pm. Even though I was exhausted, I still woke up at 3:00am. >.<;; (for at least four days it was like this).
The next day, I waited for Mike to arrive at Shimbashi Station. He arrived at 4:00pm and we went to meet my friend Aki (whom I used to work with) in Takadanobaba. He took us to the restaurant that he and his friend created a couple years ago called Kusudama. Maki joined us after work as well. The food was great and it was nice to see each other after such a long time :3
The day after, Mike and I went to Shinjuku Station to drop off our bags at the coin locker. We then went to find Disk Union where Mike got some CDs; I also found an access CD I didn't have yet. We also went to eat at a beer hall called Sapporo Lion where we had some drinks and Hayashi Om-rice. There was also an Animate nearby so of course we stopped in there. I bought another Free! iwatobi swim club charm, hoping to get a Haru-chan whistle...yet again I got Rei's! XD Mike found a Sherlock manga based on the BBC show. It looked so cool, I had to buy it of course. We then traveled to Hamamatsuchou to go to the Pokemon center, where I bought some souvenirs for my cousins. We also went out for ramen and after that, basically right next to the restaurant, we went to do some karaoke ^^
I had never been to a "Big Echo" Karaoke establishment before, but I have to say, it was my best experience yet. Not only did they have more songs, but the equipment was really nice and for a lot of my Takarazuka songs, there were actually videos from the shows to go along with the music :3 On the way back to the hotel we picked some little cakes from the station. The bakery items and cakes are not too sweet, and they also look so cute. Japan is a dangerous place for me. ;P
On the 31st, Mike and I went to the Park Hyatt Tokyo. We were able to check in early which was nice. I have never been to such a fancy hotel before. There were employees at the front to take your bags, invite you in, personally escort you to the main floor where then another person would take you to the check in area. The hotel is run quite efficiently and the staff is very friendly, well dressed...and very tall, as Mike and I noticed. XD Our room was on the 48th floor. It was amazing! And the view was spectacular, even if it was difficult to see Mount Fuji through the clouds.
That evening, we took the shuttle bus to Shinjuku Station and from there took the train to Ginza Station where we went to a small restaurant called Sukibayashi Jiro. Approximately 3 years ago, Mike and I watched a documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It focused on the the everyday food preparations of a world renowned sushi chef named Jiro, his sons and his restaurant. It is very difficult to get a reservation; especially if you are from a foreign country, but the concierge at the Park Hyatt was able to get the reservation for us so we were very grateful. We sat at the bar with 8 other people and due to the serving style of the restaurant, we were done in about 30-40 min. The sushi was amazing! After that they give you a piece of watermelon and tea ^^ Mike bought a book about the restaurant which Jiro himself had signed and we both had a photo taken with him!
When Mike and I returned to the Park Hyatt Tokyo, we got all dressed up and went to the New York Bar on the 52nd Floor. There was a live Jazz band and it was super busy. It looked just like from the movie (Lost in Translation - basically the reason we decided to stay at the Hyatt). We sat at a big table near the band and ordered a couple drinks. It is quite expensive; after 8:00pm you have to pay a cover of 2,000yen if you are not a hotel guest. Of course, we didn't have to pay for that, but our drinks were about that much each XD Really yummy though.
On Friday, Mike and I checked out and took a train to Kokubunji where we met with his mother's pen-pal Hiroko and her family. They were kind enough to let us stay with them for 3 days. Even at this moment, I am writing this in their living room; Akihiro (father) is correcting students essays, Hiroko is preparing dinner and their daughter is finishing the festival float for her performance next week in Fukuoka. They are a wonderful family and I always feel welcomed when I visit here. That afternoon on Friday, we ate pasta that Akihiro had prepared (yummy!) and watched some TradJapan videos XD After that we went out to eat Yuba at a beautiful restaurant. There was a big thunderstorm outside and since we were on the top floor of the building, we could easily see the lighting. It was great! :3
That evening when we returned, we drank together the sake Mike had brought from Nara.
On Saturday, at 6:30am, we all took a train to the Tsukiji Fish Market. This is where the fish used in Tokyo restaurants and stores are sold wholesale. It was extremely busy and dangerous due to the traffic of motorized carts and vans. We went to a small, popular sashimi restaurant, then after to the Tsukiji Museum. We walked to an art studio building but the exhibit we wanted to see that it wasn't open that day unfortunately. We then went to an exhibition commemorating the 90th anniversary since the death of Tomioka Tessai, at the Idemitsu Museum of Arts. He was a master of literati art in modern Japan and had strong beliefs in Confucianism. On our way back to the house, we went to eat dinner at a small restaurant near the stop right before Kokubunji station. There was a very kind lady working there and she told Mike and I, "Thank you for coming to Japan". She was really sweet. Akihiro also told me that my spoken Japanese was beautiful and so was my writing. I remember a time when my writing was awful so it meant a lot to me. When we got back, we watched some videos on Yakushima (where Mike and I will be leaving to go to tomorrow).
As for today, Hiroko, Akihiro, Mike and I ate some wagashi that Akihiro had picked up on the way home yesterday and also went to a restaurant that served Tsukemen. After that we went for a walk to see the original location of the temple ruins after which the city of Kokubunji is named. There was a museum nearby as well. On our way back, we stopped at a place called Slow Café and had some really good beer from Nagano. Mike and I just got back from walking the family's dog, Cookie around the block a couple times. He is 11 years old but looks and acts like a puppy. He is so cute!
Tonight I believe we are having Nabe for dinner. Tomorrow, Mike and I will be leaving early (around 7:00am) to get on the train and hopefully make a reservation for an early shinkansen as well. We will be leaving Tokyo but will be coming back on the 15th for a concert and hopefully a zuka show as well.
I am really grateful to Hiroko's family for taking such good care of Mike and I; as they always do when we visit. I am also lucky I have many good friends here as well who are fun to spend time with.
This was quite the long entry. Next time I will update sooner if I can. I think the hotel in Kagoshima has free wifi, so hopfully I will be writing soon.
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry! I know it doesn't seem like it but I had to condense it quite a bit ;P
I will be adding photos to accompany this entry, however if I wait any longer to post, I might not for a while ;P
Anyhoo, till next time! じゃね！