It’s been 10 days since I got back from Japan, and I haven’t had much of a chance to post on my flight back and on readjusting to the U.S. again. On the flight back, I met a nice guy, Dave, who shared similar gaming interests as me, so we chatted away in geek mode … Continue reading
Japan2007
My 2007 Japan Trip
Last Day In Japan. ;_;
I managed to get packed last night, but I was up late doing it. No surprise there. First thing this morning I backed up all of my photos to DVD. I just had this horrible image of a security guy ruining my laptop, all 3,000 photos, with no backup… *shudder* Then it was off to … Continue reading
Hot Doughnuts Now! Shinjuku, Takashimaya Times Square, Krispy Kreme!
Busy day today, with ups, downs, and a Krispy Kreme sighting. I started off at 9:30 by running to Ikebukuro to buy a suitcase. Ugh. But I did find one. It’s not the best one I could find, but it was the right mix of cheap and not too shabby. Then breakfast, which was more … Continue reading
Senso-ji and Akiba Fun, Part Two, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, etc.
Akihabara So on to Akihabara, or Akiba as everyone calls it here. First, I stopped at Asakusabashi station again, as I transferred from the subway to the JR line. I had a wait, so I took some more photos of Asakusabashi station: Asakusabashi platform: Roof detail: Signal lights: My train came in, and I made … Continue reading
Senso-ji and Akiba Fun, Part One, Senso-ji and Asakusa
Reversal! I was at about 70% today, but I was good enough to go. I decided to keep my plans simple. First off would be Senso-ji in Asakusa. On the way there, I had to change trains at Asakusabashi station. So I took a photo. I got to Asakusa, and headed to Senso-ji. It’s a … Continue reading
Odaiba
I woke up feeling really crummy today. But I decided to head to Odaiba anyway. (Bad idea.) I should have had a clue when I was feeling wonky riding the subway… but I didn’t. I pressed on. The longer I rode the Oedo Line, the worse I felt. I had to ride for 15-20 minutes … Continue reading
Mind the Gap, Please
Long day. I got up early, researched some ideas, and settled on hitting Nakano Broadway, because it’s full of all kinds of shops, some of which I may be interested in. Since Time Out recommended a trip, I figured I’d give it a shot. I hopped on the Chuo Rapid to Nakano, got there, and … Continue reading
So I Was Shopping in Ginza Today…
I’m going to use my new favorite phrase now. So I was shopping in Ginza today… … yeah, that’s my new favorite phrase. Some massive stores in Ginza (with matching prices, I’m sure!) Seibu department store: Anyway, I was shopping in Ginza today, looking for two stationery stores mentioned in Time Out Tokyo. But first, … Continue reading
Tokyoverload.
Leaving Sendai Finally made it to Tokyo. A brief synopsis of the day: First, a jar of KitKats. Yep, a glass jar full of KitKats. Never seen one of those! I got up early to make my 10 a.m. checkout, went to the station, and made some calls overseas to the family. (Hi family!) I … Continue reading
Buses in Japan. How to Cope.
I’ve mentioned buses in Japan before, but I thought I would mention them again to give them a little special attention. In order to get to some out-of-the-way places, you will need to ride buses. They can be the most intimidating of the various forms of mass transit, because they can be a bit confusing, … Continue reading
Matsushima, Seagulls, The Magnificent View, and Taiyaki. Part Two
Oku-Matsushima, A Hidden Gem… If you could hide something that big. At the station, I got on the train to Nobiru. When I got there, I talked to the lady in the shop at the station, and rented the bicycle (there’s only one, and it was available!) for 300 yen for 4 hours. I was … Continue reading
Matsushima, Seagulls, The Magnificent View, and Taiyaki. Part One.
Today I went to Matsushima. Matsushima is one of the traditional Three Famous Sights You Have to See in Japan. Miyajima is one of the others, and the third is the Heavenly Bridge, which I had to skip due to time constraints. Matsushima is Japanese for Pine Island or Islands, since nouns in Japanese can … Continue reading
The Voices!
If you’re in Japan long enough, you’ll notice that everything here talks to you. Everything. And I think it’s all voiced by the same lady. She has a very kind and gentle voice that kindly and gently informs you that the escalator is not a toy, that the bus is arriving, that a train is … Continue reading
Travel Day. Nagano to Sendai.
Today was a travel day from Nagano to Sendai for the most part, just like the headline says. I sent a third package home, and my luggage is still heavy. I still don’t get it. Maybe the junk in my bags is breeding? The shinkansen is no longer exciting for me. Instead it makes me … Continue reading
Nagano: Zenkoji and Togakushi: Part Two: Togakushi and Notes
Togakushi. Tooi. After some false starts, I finally got communications with the travel and tourism office people to work. I decided to head to Togakushi. It’s a close-ish town with mountains, trees, not many people, and a famous cedar-lined path that leads to a famous local shrine. I know I’m burned out on shrines, but … Continue reading
Nagano: Zenkoji and Togakushi: Part One, Zenkoji and Nagano
Another day in Nagano. Lots of walking. LOTS of it. I got up late. I slept in until 9:30 a.m. because I was tired. I’m sure Nagano has a lot of great Olympic-related sights, but I decided to skip those. It just didn’t do anything for me, and if I can’t ride the bobsled, what’s … Continue reading
Slow Train to Nagano
Today was another travel day. A very long one, at that. Sayonara, Osaka. It was fun. I have to come back sometime. I really loved it there. Now off to Nagano, which takes a while to get to from Osaka. Back in Nagoya The Business Hotel Nissei was good to me. I got to sleep … Continue reading
More Osaka: Giant Crab vs. Giant Octopus vs. Guy in a Clown Suit
It’s Saturday in Osaka, and time to go see more stuff. This will be my last full day in Kansai, so I want to make the most of it. I got up at 8 a.m., slowly got my act together, and made sure to get to the Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) by 10:00 a.m., when it … Continue reading
Oh, Osaka! Castles and Towers and Okonomiyaki!
Today I left fun fun Fukuoka for Osaka. The shinkansen ride took about 2:45, and I got there right at 1:45 p.m. The way the shinkansen works is that it runs on special tracks designed for high-speed rail. This means that not every station is equipped to handle these trains. So Instead of going to … Continue reading
Filling in the Blanks
Okay, I figured out what I’m doing next. After Osaka it’s Nagano, then Sendai, then Tokyo. I just made the reservations for Nagano and Sendai a little while ago. I’ll deal with Tokyo later. Nagano is smack in the middle of the Japan Alps, which should be beautiful this time of year, and Sendai has … Continue reading
Hiroshima/Fukuoka. Hello Kitty Robot Overlords.
Last night in Hiroshima I tried to do laundry again. It’s not always easy to find a hotel that has coin-operated washers that work. Even though the 5,000-7,000 yen a night business hotels tend to have them, they aren’t always in the best shape. I give you the hotel I stayed in last night as … Continue reading
Hiroshima/Miyajima Part Three, Miyajima Ropeway, Shishiwa
I spent about 30-40 minutes at Itsukushima Shrine, then had to hoof it up the mountain to the ropeway, because it was starting to get late in the day. The Ropeway is a gondola-type thing that hangs from a cable system and carries you up the mountains, because otherwise you’d be there climbing for a … Continue reading
Hiroshima/Miyajima Part Two, Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima
Ferry to Miyajima After a one-hour rest break, I left for Miyajima, one of the three most beautiful sights in Japan, according to something someone famous said in the 17th century. Miyajima, the Heavenly Bridge near Kyoto, and Matsushima were the three most beautiful sights in Japan. To this day, they’re all “must see” places. … Continue reading
Hiroshima/Miyajima Part One, Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum
I had a big day in Hiroshima and Miyajima today. I started off with a trip to what they call “The A-Bomb Dome.” (The Genbaku Dome if you want to say it in Japanese.) It’s a famous building that was still standing after the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Other buildings were left … Continue reading
Random Musings from Hiroshima
I managed to snatch dinner before they could snatch it back out of my hands. Department stores just up and close at the drop of a hat. And they have confusing hours. For example, the food stores in the basement close at 8 p.m. The main stores close at 8 p.m. The book store closes … Continue reading
From Nara to Hiroshima
Chipped Teeth on Rye. I made it to Hiroshima just now. And I somehow managed to chip one of my teeth on a sandwich. A sandwich. A soft, chewy, delicious sandwich. Dammit. Now I’ve got this rough spot on my teeth that I can’t stop rubbing with my tongue. So now my tongue is sore. … Continue reading
Rub-a-dub
I figured I would mention this while I could still remember it. I just went down to the baths in the basement of the hotel. Okay, you know how you always hear, “Be careful, the baths in Japan are really hot!” you may be tempted to think, “Yeah, right.” At least I did. Until now. … Continue reading
From Kyoto to Nara
For my last night in Kyoto (which was last night), I went back to Isetan’s 11th floor. This time I went back to my chicken and pizza places for a second raid. Good stuff. Later that night my stomach paid me back in spades. That’s why I bring the Pink Stuff with me on a … Continue reading
Another Big Day in Kyoto
Another busy day. Not as good as yesterday, but yesterday was hard to beat. I started off my day by doing laundry at 7:30 a.m. Doing laundry in Japan is kind of handy. I say “kind of” because it has its limits. I’ve noticed that all of the coin-operated washers that I have come across … Continue reading
Nasty Crunchy Yellow Things; Wait Your Turn; Keep Left
Here’s my nightcap report. After I got back and recharged for a couple of hours, I headed back to Kyoto Station and Isetan’s 11th floor. FYI– The mall stores and the stores in Isetan in Kyoto Station close at 8PM, and the restaurants all close at 9PM. I made it in time to go to … Continue reading
A Philosophical Journey Through Kyoto
Wow. I’m totally wiped out. I saw a bunch of stuff after all, in spite of a persistent light rain that wasn’t more than slightly annoying. Ginkakuji For starters, I took the subway and then grabbed a bus to Ginkakuji (the Silver Pavilion). On the bus ride there, I saw a great sight I wish … Continue reading
It’s Raining Again…
It’s raining in Kyoto today, and it’s supposed to rain all day. I guess I’ll head to the station and ask the information desk people for some ideas for things to do that won’t get me soaked. I’ll try to visit some temples/castles tomorrow, and just do city stuff today. Monday I travel to Nara, … Continue reading
Sayonara, Okazaki; Konbanwa, Kyoto!
I’m back in Kyoto, safely out of Okazaki now, although I kind of miss Okazaki. The Sky Is Crying Way Too Much I’m so happy to finally be dry. Why is it whenever I go to Kyoto, it rains? (Does two trips count enough for a “whenever?”) It started this morning, during “The TP incident,” … Continue reading
The Stupidest Thing I Ever Did… For Today, Anyway
Well, I have a new Stupidest Thing I’ve Done So Far in Japan. And it’s up there with other Great Stupid Things I’ve Done. I brought some U.S. toilet paper with me because, well, let’s just say that me and Japanese toilet paper haven’t been getting along very well. In general, the stuff I’ve been … Continue reading
Touring Around Okazaki
Fun day today. I got back on the ol’ Buttbuster 9000 and did some touring around Okazaki. I’m going to miss that bike… okay, no, not really. I managed to send about 20 lbs. worth of stuff home for only about $60. Fortunately, it’s all stuff I won’t need for the next 8-10 weeks, because … Continue reading
The Bells, the Bells! (Because “The Chimes!” Sounds Lame)
Okazaki Castle happens to be too far away for me to get to today. But at least I have a way to show you where I am on an interactive map. (It’s in Japanese, but a map is a map.) http://tinyurl.com/3d6cgv There’s a zoom-scale-slider-thing at the bottom of the map, to change it from 500m … Continue reading
It’s Log, It’s Log, It’s Big, It’s Heavy, It’s Wood!
Something I saw yesterday that I forgot to mention– I was walking by the local high school, and it sits on top of a pretty steep hill. Well, I saw the baseball team out there, in their uniforms, acting lively and cheering, while someone was blowing a whistle. Intrigued, I looked as I passed by, … Continue reading
The Trash Heap Has Spoken!
Yesterday was interesting. I got up at 8 a.m. I was freezing, and my throat was killing me. The window had been leaking cold air into my room, and it was right above where my head is on the bed. (Or was– I moved the other way on the bed so my head and feet … Continue reading
Noodling Around Okazaki on a Sunday
Today was nice. I woke up at 8, was freezing to death, cranked up the heat (once I figured out how), then went back to sleep until 10 a.m. (Which is exceedingly late for me.) I goofed around for most of the day, played on the computer a bit, did laundry, and then I went … Continue reading
It’s Made of Gooold!
I just got back to Okazaki from Kyoto, and today was great. Sun! Beautiful sun! I dumped my luggage in a locker at the station, and talked to the very helpful ladies on the 9th floor of Kyoto Station in the tourist office: by all means, go there. Try to get to Kyoto well before … Continue reading
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head
I managed to salvage a nice evening out tonight. I thought about going to Gion (the place with all the geisha), but I’m going to save that for when I return to Kyoto later in my trip. I have to return here to see everything I want to see. First I stopped by the local … Continue reading
Putting the Mizu in Kiyomizudera, or Blame It On the Raaaaain
So I made it to Kyoto, and guess what? It’s raining like crazy. And guess what I left behind in Okazaki? Yes, my rain gear, what there was of it, anyway. I managed to make it to Kiyomizudera (emphasis on the mizu today, I guess), and I took a bunch of pictures there. Like any … Continue reading
Made it to Kyoto.
I finally made it to the hotel in Kyoto. It’s the Urban Hotel Kyoto, another business hotel. Business hotels are a good deal for cheapskates like me. You get a tiny room, a tiny bed, a tiny bathroom, a TV, a fridge, and you don’t pay a whole lot. The fridge was an unexpected bonus … Continue reading
Off to Kyoto for the Weekend!
I’m still in Okazaki, but I’m leaving for Kyoto in just a few minutes for the weekend. I need to rest for another 5-10 minutes, then I’m heading out. That’s one thing I’ve discovered I have to do– make time to rest. If I don’t, I suffer. Classes are hard. For some reason, the Japanese … Continue reading
Kyoto Plans
So far, I think my tentative schedule is going to be: 10/26 last day in Okazaki– go to Osaka. 10/26-10/28 Enjoy Osaka, then head to Nara. 10/28-10/29 Enjoy Nara, then head to either Hiroshima or Kyoto again, if I feel like more Kyoto. 10/29-11/1 Hiroshima or Kyoto 11/1-11/3 Kyoto or Hiroshima, or move on to … Continue reading
Climbing Up Again.
I’m starting to feel a bit better. I can’t believe I’ve already been in Japan for a week. Considering I’ve spent a good portion of it horizontal, I’m not too thrilled about that aspect, but at least I’m here. I’m really looking forward to going to Kyoto, just to get out of Okazaki for a … Continue reading
Rock Bottom.
In one day, I think I’ve hit rock bottom. Soon after my last post I started getting dizzy, and I’ve been dizzy every since. Not room-spinning-dizzy, but bad enough to make me feel lousy. Add that to my increasingly sore back, my sore backside, and I think I’ve pretty much hit rock bottom. (Pun intended? … Continue reading
Blue Monday
Today was a slow day. I got up early, fiddled with setting up the website (I finally figured out why it wouldn’t resolve), did my homework, went to class, then rested. All of the running around from this weekend took a lot out of me. On the upside, I’m learning a lot in the Japanese … Continue reading
COPS: Okazaki and More Nagoya Festival Fun.
I went back to Nagoya today, because even though I got sunburned, the festival was going to go on with or without me. I rode my evil little bicycle to the station today, because even though it’s uncomfortable, it beats walking. On the way to the station, I saw two guys riding on the same … Continue reading
Take it to the Bank?
Not to name names, but right now, I’m very very mad at a large Bank that has branches all over America. When I got back from my trip to downtown Nagoya, where I bought my new denshi jisho with a credit card from this large Bank in America, there was an e-mail waiting for me … Continue reading
Flower Cars and Feudal Lords. Parade!
Big day today! For starters, I woke up at 7 a.m. On a Saturday. Can’t help it. Then I did laundry at the laundromat next to the QuickMart. I lead an exciting life! Laundry was completed without much incident. Wandering in Nagoya Then I set off for Nagoya. This time the trains worked! At first, … Continue reading
Feeling Crunky.
I had a fun evening, and things are slow, so I’ll tell you all about it now, because I have super-fast Ethernet. I decided to go to Nagoya for dinner. I thought it would be fun to go to the station, which I hear is one of the largest train stations in the world, and … Continue reading
The Bicycle from Hell.
Today I discovered a few embarrassing, yet very important things. The 2,000 yen/week bicycle you rent will probably look bad no matter what. The 2,000 yen helmet you get extra somehow makes you look even worse. The 2,000 yen/week bicycle rides even worse than you thought a bicycle could. Using the 2,000 yen/week bicycle means … Continue reading
FEEL NEWS
This waking up before 6 a.m. thing is something it’s going to take time to get used to. Since my classes don’t start until 12:30 p.m., I have a lot of time to kill in the mornings. So this morning I decided to head to the local supermarket, named FEEL NEWS… I’m not sure how … Continue reading
Jet Lag.
I’ve been sleeping pretty much all day, and after a long nap, I’m going to bed to sleep for another 8 hours or so. Here are a couple of photos of my room in the Student Village at Yamasa, in case you didn’t see the one in the previous post. The school has a … Continue reading
My Japan Trip Preparation
So first off, why this blog? Well, it’s for my relatives, who want to make sure I’m still breathing, and not lying in a ditch somewhere when I travel, but it’s also for the same reason everyone else blogs– because I like to talk about the things that interest me. I have a lot of … Continue reading