Having spent the past 10 days living in Japan and with five more days of my trip I sit back and think about how this experience has quite significantly differed from my last one a year ago.
Last year I had an opportunity for the first time in my life to spend 8 days in Japan. Like any happy go lucky otaku I went crazy. Japan has been in the heart of my travel goals. Being a well seasoned traveler for my work I knew that Japan would have been an experience like no other, and it did not disappoint. I was in awe of the sprawling metropolis, looking from Tokyo Tower out to see a vast sea of concrete. I went from one location to the next taking advantage of the short time I had to take in as much sites as I could. I tried to experience everything from places, people and particularly my love, food. I wanted to try everything once from authentic Japanese cuisines, to common every day foods. I went even as far as try American foods here such as McDonalds and KFC. I was amazed at their rendition of pizza and how they treat and appreciate food. Lastly I was amazed at how this sprawling metropolis worked so efficiently through their mass transit system. Needless to say, it was an overwhelming experience that I think everyone should have once in their life.
This year I had the opportunity to visit once again. This time it would be for a longer period, approximately twice that of the last time. It will be a very different experience in that my wife procured an apartment in the suburbs of Tokyo.
This time I came not as a starry eyed otaku but with a familiarity of the area. For the first eight days I spent it at the apartment living in Japan. We would go visit the grocery store every day and buy the food we need to make. We would shop for supplies at the 100 yen store instead of eating out. We only went out on occasion to visit places that were necessary instead of going for sites. We used the public transportation system to get to where we needed to go. We lived efficiently and economically not as tourists but as residents. It was an entirely different experience than the last.
Even though our time here is short, it gave me a taste of what city life is like here in Tokyo. It amazed me how so many can live in harmony in such tight quarters. Respect is the key element to keeping this metropolis thriving. It is like a well oiled machine. There is an order to everything and everyone follows the rules because if they didn’t, there would be no way for so many to live in such harmony in such a small space. As an island nation, they had to adapt to this style of life.
I sit back and ponder our own existence back in the United States. In contrast, we live in excess. We have land o plenty and an abundance of food. We have an abundance of luxuries we take for granted that would be so difficult for the average Japanese to attain. And despite all the things we have, we complain, bicker and sneer about what we don’t have, always wanting more, doing more and needing more. I’m not saying that everyone lives in excess but by the standards of the life we live, we are in excess.
Taking a page from the Japanese simple life we should treasure what we have, live in harmony and not focus on what we don’t have. Life continues on and we should be happy for living in such a developed country where we do have those luxuries that the majority of the world does not have.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Day 1 & 2: Oh the Human(d)ity - Eating in Tokyo
Landing in Tokyo I am greeted by heat and humidity, enough so that you don’t want to leave the confines of an air conditioned apartment. If you do happen to find yourself outside you will want to spend all your time in a department store or restaurant. Being a desert dweller, I am accustomed to the heat but not the humidity. The average temperature was 95 with 80% humidity and it was awful! These two days I did practically nothing other than recover from jet lag and enjoy amazing Japanese meals prepared by my loving wife.
The morning I arrive I was starving so Michi made me a quick curry and rice. It was delicious! For lunch we had sashimi with tuna, and octopus. It was a delicious meal and a perfect way to start my time in Tokyo.
Last year being my first time in Japan I wanted to see and experience as much as I can traveling from place to place, eating as much variety I could during my last experience. It was my first and I treated it as if it were my last. This time around, I’m here for an extended time with the goal to enjoy Japan in a different way, as a temporary resident. With an apartment with a “full” kitchen, our goal was to spend as little as possible eating out but instead, going to the local grocery and buying grocery every other day. This way, it is very economical and we get to really immerse ourselves in living rather than visiting.
So with that, we stay indoors, eat at home, make breakfast, lunch and dinner and enjoy really being in Japan rather than running from place to place in Japan.
On the second day I wanted to see if I could find one of the most amazing finds I made last year, a camera accessory. We ventured into the heat and humidity at noon and made a quick trip to Akihabara, Japan’s electronics hub. Here we walked down the street with a mission, to find the small hole in the wall store that I found this rare item (which I still can’t find online) only to not locate the store or the item.
We wandered over to the 8 story Don Quijote where we found out it was the headquarters of the new Japanese pop sensation AKB 48, a teenage pop girl group, but it’s different since it’s not really a singing group but a singing team comprised of members who’ve won audition contests. The group has grown over the years from a few to now 60. It was started by the owner of Don Qui because he wanted to create a pop group where people can easily meet the idol. With that, the 8th floor of his store in Akihabara is devoted to their theater, merchandise and a place you can meet your pop idols. Pretty crazy if you ask me.
Having been thoroughly defeated we went over the a mega department store featuring 8 floors of electronics, home electronics, books, games and restaurants right next to the station. It was fun walking in this giant electronics store and see their premium items and prices. Multistory department stores are a common thing in downtown Tokyo.
Heading back we cool off and I prepare myself for my own journey, to Shinjuku to retrieve a bicycle from Michi’s Father. It was hot, it was humid, and even after dark it’s still miserable. At 7 I head out on the subway to Shinjuku, making it there in 30 minutes. I meet her father, locate the bike and begin my ride back to Itabashi. It was estimated that it would take me 45 minutes. I mounted my camcorder on the bike and head on back home. It was a good ride and had two tough points where I was going up a fairly steep incline. It was made even more difficult with the bike being old and a single speed. It also had a friction powered light which took away some of my riding energy. Making it back, I was soaked and exhausted but happy to be back in air conditioned comfort.
Here is a link to my ride so you can see my path, elevation and heartrate.
My video blog of the day 1 & 2
The morning I arrive I was starving so Michi made me a quick curry and rice. It was delicious! For lunch we had sashimi with tuna, and octopus. It was a delicious meal and a perfect way to start my time in Tokyo. 
Last year being my first time in Japan I wanted to see and experience as much as I can traveling from place to place, eating as much variety I could during my last experience. It was my first and I treated it as if it were my last. This time around, I’m here for an extended time with the goal to enjoy Japan in a different way, as a temporary resident. With an apartment with a “full” kitchen, our goal was to spend as little as possible eating out but instead, going to the local grocery and buying grocery every other day. This way, it is very economical and we get to really immerse ourselves in living rather than visiting. So with that, we stay indoors, eat at home, make breakfast, lunch and dinner and enjoy really being in Japan rather than running from place to place in Japan.
On the second day I wanted to see if I could find one of the most amazing finds I made last year, a camera accessory. We ventured into the heat and humidity at noon and made a quick trip to Akihabara, Japan’s electronics hub. Here we walked down the street with a mission, to find the small hole in the wall store that I found this rare item (which I still can’t find online) only to not locate the store or the item.
We wandered over to the 8 story Don Quijote where we found out it was the headquarters of the new Japanese pop sensation AKB 48, a teenage pop girl group, but it’s different since it’s not really a singing group but a singing team comprised of members who’ve won audition contests. The group has grown over the years from a few to now 60. It was started by the owner of Don Qui because he wanted to create a pop group where people can easily meet the idol. With that, the 8th floor of his store in Akihabara is devoted to their theater, merchandise and a place you can meet your pop idols. Pretty crazy if you ask me.
Having been thoroughly defeated we went over the a mega department store featuring 8 floors of electronics, home electronics, books, games and restaurants right next to the station. It was fun walking in this giant electronics store and see their premium items and prices. Multistory department stores are a common thing in downtown Tokyo.Heading back we cool off and I prepare myself for my own journey, to Shinjuku to retrieve a bicycle from Michi’s Father. It was hot, it was humid, and even after dark it’s still miserable. At 7 I head out on the subway to Shinjuku, making it there in 30 minutes. I meet her father, locate the bike and begin my ride back to Itabashi. It was estimated that it would take me 45 minutes. I mounted my camcorder on the bike and head on back home. It was a good ride and had two tough points where I was going up a fairly steep incline. It was made even more difficult with the bike being old and a single speed. It also had a friction powered light which took away some of my riding energy. Making it back, I was soaked and exhausted but happy to be back in air conditioned comfort.
Here is a link to my ride so you can see my path, elevation and heartrate.
My video blog of the day 1 & 2
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Day 0.5 Traveling Solo in Tokyo
Some would say that traveling in a foreign country by ones self is a daunting task but add a metropolis, language barrier, mass transit, no communications, lack of internet, and two 50 pound pieces of luggage to the mix and we've got ourselves a situation just ready for something disastrous to happen. Fortunately for me I've had the experience of using the transit system in Tokyo the previous year, memorized the maps and stations I would use, plotted the best route to take based on memory and a determination to get to the apartment to see my wife. Yes, I make it and here is the tale of how I did it with some lessons learned and fun thoughts.
Sitting on the plane bound for Tokyo Haneda airport, the passengers are roused from their slumber three hours prior to landing for meal services. As we prepare ourselves for landing I memorize the maps of Tokyo and subway routes one last time. Using my iPad 2, I pre-cached google maps, downloaded Go Tokyo transit app and plotted the best route according to google and what I could see. Unfortunately google in all it's awesome plotting power doesn't take int account some subtle nuances that would have made my journey much easier.
Here is a picture of the Japanese transit system.
As you can see, I had to get from Narita to Motohasunuma. According to google, my best options were to take the JR line to Hamamasucho, transfer to the Yamamoto JR line to Yurakucho and walk over to Hibiya subway station and take the Mita line all the way to Motohasunuma. Sounds easy right?
I you want to see what true crazy is, here's a link to the full transit map of Tokyo.
We landed half an hour early in Narita. It was 4:30 and I was eager to get my bags and get on my way. One thing to note here is that the immigration process going into Japan is such an efficient process, it takes a matter of minutes to go through immigration. All you do is hand the attendant your form, smile at the camera and place your fingers on the fingerprint pads and you are on your merry way.
First important tip when traveling the public transit system. YOU MUST GET A SUICA CARD. A suica card is a god send when it comes to riding the trains and subway system in Japan. It is a charge card where you can load $$$ on it and it automatically calculates your fare based on where you go. Normally you would have to read the map, determine where you are going, put in the correct amount into the machine and buy a ticket. If you guess wrong you lose your extra money, if you guess less, the gates will close and you will have to make an adjustment before the gates will let you out. You will also disrupt the efficient flow of people making a many busy Japanese commuters disgruntled at the Gaijin who has stopped the flow of traffic (thought they would never let you know they were upset (and more than likely one would come up and help you be more efficient.)) If you want to save a few $$$ you will need to calculate transfers but sometimes you mess up and even though you added the transfer fare, the machine will take your ticket away thinking you were just stupid and put extra money in.
The SUICA card is a godsend because it does all those calculations for you. First you go to the machine with a SUICA symbol, select that you want to purchase a card. A new feature they added this year is an ability to personalize the card with your name adding the ability to retrieve lost cards (for a fee) and any remaining funds. 2,000 yen is necessary to activate the card which 500 of is used as a deposit and is refunded with the return of the card. Once you have the card, you can place it in your wallet since it used RFID and can sense your card through the wallet. Just walk up to the gate, place it on the lighted spot and off you go to your train.
Once I got my Suica card I decided to take the Monorail instead based on a recommendation by some Japanese Americans. 5 AM, waiting for the 5:12 monorail to Hamamasucho, a direct run to that destination. Immediately I was hit by the humidity and even though it was such an early time, I could start to feel the change in the weather. Getting to the station was a breeze and changing from the monorail was easy with escalators a definitive path. I just needed to decide to take the Yamamoto line at platform 2 heading towards Tokyo and Ueno. Two stops later I was at Hibiya and this is where the fun begins.
According to the map the Hibiya station was a short walk away and connected to the station. Boy was I wrong. I exited the station to find myself on the streets of Hamamasucho. With no signs to guide me I whip out my iPad and set it to find the correction direction to walk. Identifying the proper street I head in the direction of the station After navigating three streets I finally find a sign pointing to the station around the corner. As I turn the corner I find that it was just stairs leading into the depths of the earth. Having the need to move two roller bags, I had to find an alternative solution and fortunately there was a elevator 100 feet away. The elevator took me part of the way down into the station and I had to walk quite a distance to get to the subway gates only to find more stairs. By the time I finally make it to the platform I've navigated three stairs taking my bags one at at time up and down and had an old lady pass me during the process. This lengthy excursion could have been avoided now that I know how to read the map. I would have taken an alternative route, one that takes me farther than this direct route but provides me with escalators.
Now on the Mita line I am on a direct route to Motohasunuma, 30 minutes away. It was a smooth ride and at this hour 6 AM, the morning commuters started their day and the subway car started to fill. Sitting there I analyzed the map and decided on a better route for the way back since we will have more luggage with us. At my destination I was greeted with an elevator to the street level and proceeded to make my way to Sakura House.
At Sakura House I was greeted with my arch nemesis, stairs, three flights of them. After moving my bags for the last time up the flight of stairs, it is not 7:15, the sun is up, the air is humid and I'm ready to see my wife and take a shower.
Here's my first Video-Blog post of my adventure, taking video memos as I travel.
Please comment on this post. I appreciate all feedback.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sitting on the plane bound for Tokyo Haneda airport, the passengers are roused from their slumber three hours prior to landing for meal services. As we prepare ourselves for landing I memorize the maps of Tokyo and subway routes one last time. Using my iPad 2, I pre-cached google maps, downloaded Go Tokyo transit app and plotted the best route according to google and what I could see. Unfortunately google in all it's awesome plotting power doesn't take int account some subtle nuances that would have made my journey much easier.
Here is a picture of the Japanese transit system.
As you can see, I had to get from Narita to Motohasunuma. According to google, my best options were to take the JR line to Hamamasucho, transfer to the Yamamoto JR line to Yurakucho and walk over to Hibiya subway station and take the Mita line all the way to Motohasunuma. Sounds easy right?
I you want to see what true crazy is, here's a link to the full transit map of Tokyo.
We landed half an hour early in Narita. It was 4:30 and I was eager to get my bags and get on my way. One thing to note here is that the immigration process going into Japan is such an efficient process, it takes a matter of minutes to go through immigration. All you do is hand the attendant your form, smile at the camera and place your fingers on the fingerprint pads and you are on your merry way.
First important tip when traveling the public transit system. YOU MUST GET A SUICA CARD. A suica card is a god send when it comes to riding the trains and subway system in Japan. It is a charge card where you can load $$$ on it and it automatically calculates your fare based on where you go. Normally you would have to read the map, determine where you are going, put in the correct amount into the machine and buy a ticket. If you guess wrong you lose your extra money, if you guess less, the gates will close and you will have to make an adjustment before the gates will let you out. You will also disrupt the efficient flow of people making a many busy Japanese commuters disgruntled at the Gaijin who has stopped the flow of traffic (thought they would never let you know they were upset (and more than likely one would come up and help you be more efficient.)) If you want to save a few $$$ you will need to calculate transfers but sometimes you mess up and even though you added the transfer fare, the machine will take your ticket away thinking you were just stupid and put extra money in. The SUICA card is a godsend because it does all those calculations for you. First you go to the machine with a SUICA symbol, select that you want to purchase a card. A new feature they added this year is an ability to personalize the card with your name adding the ability to retrieve lost cards (for a fee) and any remaining funds. 2,000 yen is necessary to activate the card which 500 of is used as a deposit and is refunded with the return of the card. Once you have the card, you can place it in your wallet since it used RFID and can sense your card through the wallet. Just walk up to the gate, place it on the lighted spot and off you go to your train.
Now on the Mita line I am on a direct route to Motohasunuma, 30 minutes away. It was a smooth ride and at this hour 6 AM, the morning commuters started their day and the subway car started to fill. Sitting there I analyzed the map and decided on a better route for the way back since we will have more luggage with us. At my destination I was greeted with an elevator to the street level and proceeded to make my way to Sakura House.
Here's my first Video-Blog post of my adventure, taking video memos as I travel.
Please comment on this post. I appreciate all feedback.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Itabashi,Japan
Monday, August 15, 2011
Nai's crazy 3 week trip to Japan day 0: traveling violations err reflections
My second trip to Japan in my life. Last year, this time I traveled to Tokyo, experienced the people, the places and the culture. For most, it would be quite an eye opening experience, to be immersed in such a different world compared to what they are use to in the united states, but for me, since I am Asian and being so well traveled, it was not such a shock, however I was still impressed as to truly experience the culture here. The kindness of the culture is something the rest of the world should take as a lesson to how one group of people can not only survive on such a small land but thrive and become one of the worlds super power. The ability to work in unison in such a tight space, where other countries couldn't do a tenth of what Japan has done with lands and resources that go far beyond their tiny island is something to be marveled at. That is what impressed me the most, how this bustling metropolis can function so efficiently.
Now I am traveling to Japan for the second time in my life, this time a longer period to experience the world of Japan, the learn, to take cues and to enjoy my time here. Last time I spent 8 full days here, traveling for 10 days. This time I am here for 16 days , traveling for 18 days. It was a rush, and experience, but best of all, with family here, we were able to travel freely, not as tourists but as a immersive experience. We traveled from place to place soaking in the most in the limited time we had there. Besides seeing sites, I wanted to experience the food Japan had to offer from their native cuisine to their takes on American classics like hamburger and pizza.
This year my wife traveled here ahead of me as she did last year and acquired an apartment rented to foreign visitors. This 29 sq meter place ran 70,000 yen a month, which translates to roughly $800, which is not bad for a place in Tokyo. Typically servicing travelers, this is an excellent opportunity to live and study under your visas.
With the extra time, I am anticipating a more relaxing visit to this wonderful country, visiting not only sights but to really have a better chance to immerse myself and really see what Tokyo has to offer. Compared to last year's speed blast, this will be a much more relaxing trip.
Above that, I would like to see how the people here have received from the recent devastation that happened on March 11. It's not something one can ignore and we have seen the country react, come together and start the rebuilding process. It is a testament to the resolution of this country as just today it is reported that they their spiraling decrease in GDP has shown better than analyst predicted and lint to Japan as a stabilizing force in the world economy. It could have been far worse that predicted.
Rocked by constant aftershocks, a looming nuclear disaster, loss of their export prowess technologically and radiation, and loss of tourism, it will be interesting to see how my trip will be like one year later. Already I've seen first hand how the disaster has affected friends I know as their planned trip back this year was canceled by their tour company. I can only anticipate that from what I see, it will be business as usual. The transportation system still runs, the shops still sell goods and the ramen is still consumed.
This year, I'm flying on ANA airlines instead of delta. Already I see the difference in service. Asian carriers definitely outshine international carriers by a longshot. Taking the redeye, flying out of LAX was much better since it gives you a chance to acclimate to the change in time. Seeping for the first six hours helps in combating jet lag. Wine, beer and Chu-Hi (a popular citrus alcoholic drink) helps too. Many wonder how one can sit on a plane for 12 hours, especially for someone with ADHD. The red eye flight helps but most importantly one can not do it so well without an iPad.
Last year, my challenge after I land was to buy a bus ticket to Shinjuku. This year, being familiar with their daunting subway and rail lines (it's not as bad as it looks) I will be taking public transportation, saving nearly $100 on the trip. All it takes it to get on the right train with my suitcase, transfer at the right station to the JR line, get off at the right station, make my way to the proper subway, get on board and ride it to Motohasunumo, get off an walk to Michi's apartment. Transit time 1:05 at a cost of 690 yen. No problem? That will be a fun challenge.
It is with that, My first blog post about day 0 of my trip back to Japan. Many more to come with pictures, cultural anecdotes, and even video! Please leave your comments as the will be very much appreciated.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Now I am traveling to Japan for the second time in my life, this time a longer period to experience the world of Japan, the learn, to take cues and to enjoy my time here. Last time I spent 8 full days here, traveling for 10 days. This time I am here for 16 days , traveling for 18 days. It was a rush, and experience, but best of all, with family here, we were able to travel freely, not as tourists but as a immersive experience. We traveled from place to place soaking in the most in the limited time we had there. Besides seeing sites, I wanted to experience the food Japan had to offer from their native cuisine to their takes on American classics like hamburger and pizza.
This year my wife traveled here ahead of me as she did last year and acquired an apartment rented to foreign visitors. This 29 sq meter place ran 70,000 yen a month, which translates to roughly $800, which is not bad for a place in Tokyo. Typically servicing travelers, this is an excellent opportunity to live and study under your visas.
With the extra time, I am anticipating a more relaxing visit to this wonderful country, visiting not only sights but to really have a better chance to immerse myself and really see what Tokyo has to offer. Compared to last year's speed blast, this will be a much more relaxing trip.
Above that, I would like to see how the people here have received from the recent devastation that happened on March 11. It's not something one can ignore and we have seen the country react, come together and start the rebuilding process. It is a testament to the resolution of this country as just today it is reported that they their spiraling decrease in GDP has shown better than analyst predicted and lint to Japan as a stabilizing force in the world economy. It could have been far worse that predicted.
Rocked by constant aftershocks, a looming nuclear disaster, loss of their export prowess technologically and radiation, and loss of tourism, it will be interesting to see how my trip will be like one year later. Already I've seen first hand how the disaster has affected friends I know as their planned trip back this year was canceled by their tour company. I can only anticipate that from what I see, it will be business as usual. The transportation system still runs, the shops still sell goods and the ramen is still consumed.
This year, I'm flying on ANA airlines instead of delta. Already I see the difference in service. Asian carriers definitely outshine international carriers by a longshot. Taking the redeye, flying out of LAX was much better since it gives you a chance to acclimate to the change in time. Seeping for the first six hours helps in combating jet lag. Wine, beer and Chu-Hi (a popular citrus alcoholic drink) helps too. Many wonder how one can sit on a plane for 12 hours, especially for someone with ADHD. The red eye flight helps but most importantly one can not do it so well without an iPad.
Last year, my challenge after I land was to buy a bus ticket to Shinjuku. This year, being familiar with their daunting subway and rail lines (it's not as bad as it looks) I will be taking public transportation, saving nearly $100 on the trip. All it takes it to get on the right train with my suitcase, transfer at the right station to the JR line, get off at the right station, make my way to the proper subway, get on board and ride it to Motohasunumo, get off an walk to Michi's apartment. Transit time 1:05 at a cost of 690 yen. No problem? That will be a fun challenge.
It is with that, My first blog post about day 0 of my trip back to Japan. Many more to come with pictures, cultural anecdotes, and even video! Please leave your comments as the will be very much appreciated.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Itabashi,Japan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)