Chopsticks

This is useful!

I`ve actually become pretty good myself, especially considering I could barely pick up anything before. Watching the natives thought I get the impression they could pick up bowling balls if they had to.

PSF

I forgot my camera today so I can`t post any pictures. I don`t have too many more at this point. Just a few more from Harajuku and maybe a night shot of Roppongi, which is a nightclub area packed with tourists.

I am very happy to say that I made it to PSF records on my own! I will describe my adventure once I can get the pictures up to go with it. Bye for now.

Sayonara Tokyo

I`m glad to see everyone is actually enjoying a blog of mine for once!

I`ll be leaving Tokyo in a few days unfortunately and so I have no idea what my internet access will be like. If things go dark I`ll see you in two weeks, and I`m sure I`ll post again before I leave Tokyo.

Fashion trend watch: women seem to wear heels about 90% of the time. Usually with some variation of capri pants or, more often, rolled up jeans. Hair is usually dyed red to some degree or other as well.

Despite that observation it`s remarkable what sorts of individual fashion sense you can see around Tokyo. There are various theories in the group as to why, mostly revolving around some form of a response to the conformity of Japanese society in just about all aspects of life. (I swear 80% of the people here look almost related.)

Suspicion: i think many Japanese people speak much more English than they let on.

I am also happy to report that the subway does indeed start to make sense at some point.

I had tempura tonight. It`s, uh, fried stuff. Mostly fish, shrimp, and veggies brought out to you fresh as they come. Very very good stuff.

10 Days

I have been in Japan for ten days. Some impressions:

1) cigarettes are cheap. everything else is expensive.
2) the japanese have the most bizarre and wonderful fashion sense in the world
3) not understanding a single thing going on around you is not as big a problem as you think. my rule is: when confused, do what the japanese people are doing.
4) pointing and gesturing can accomplish a lot!
5) there are little donuts in convienence stores that are the best things ever created
6) if a store has more than one floor, you cannot take items from one floor to another.
7) pachinko parlors are louder than jet engines
8) do not stand still in a subway station
9) everyone is very quiet in crowded areas (and quiet always really).
10) if you ask a japanese person for help you will get it and then some.

i think the feeling of constant disorientation is starting to wear off a bit. i can get around pretty easily now. the further out you are from tokyo the less change of an english subway map, but, as i said, this city is so safe and the people are so nice there is never any reason to be scared of just wandering out. if you are unsure about visiting Japan you shouldnt be. the language barrier is considerable, but with a little effort it is not hard to overcome. you just gotta give up control every now and then and be VERY adventurous.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Restaurant near where I`m staying.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

In Harajuku. And no I have no idea. I made a complete ass out of myself in here as I almost completely fell over by leaning against a wall that was apparently not really there!

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Harajuku on Sunday, which is apparently, as you can see, the day when it is freaking packed. Tons of kids and, for the first time, a lot of foreigners (read: white people). Very very fun place. You can find something great in almost any store here. It goes all the way from very high fashion, to insane fashion, to the harajuku styles below, to t-shirt shops. I loved it here. Me and two others stopped in a place that sold nothing but cake and fruit here that was delicious.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Harajuku girls. I spent all afternoon waiting to take photos when they weren`t looking only to notice later they were quite happy to take pictures with tourists! Oh well.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Probably the best subway ad I have seen so far. Darth Vader and high school girls comparing cell phones. In Harajuku we saw a cell phone that had a tv in it (and god knows what else--I saw a girl reading manga comic books on one) for 160 US dollars.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Ok, this was some sort of make your own pancake place. You order something like beef or shrimp and a big bowl comes out with all kinds of stuff in it. You mix it up yourself and start cooking your own pancake. Mine (already done since the waiter did mine to show us how) was beef and cheese. These were VERY good. A good rule of thumb so far seems to be: cook it yourself and it will be good.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

For some reason I really like this picture. This is the neighborhood we have to walk through to get home every night. Usually very quiet with small streets and nice cars.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Leaving the station at Shinjuku. That green building is called "Green Peas"--get it?

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

One more from Senso-Ji

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Robopuppy at the Sony store. (Watch for the new mp3 players coming to the USA soon!)

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Cooking my own caribou....(This was literally one of the best meals I have ever had.) We wandered into this place on accident really. No english menu and the wonderfully nice older lady working there didn`t understand a word we said. We somehow worked it out, much to her and some other patron`s amusement. The people are are astonishingly nice but they like to have a good laugh at foreigners. Eating sushi the other night the waiter comes up to us and asks "biru?" which we thought meant bill and so we said yes. He immediately produced two more beers for us which we definetly did not want! The sushi chef behind the counter apparently saw the whole thing and was having quite a laugh at our expense as we had our beer.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

The stairs of death (my name)leading up to the shrine at Kamakura.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

On the way to the Shrine at Kamakura.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

An absolute gorgeous kimono I saw at Kamakura, a breach front town outside Tokyo. This is unfortunately the best shot I could get without seeming like a creep.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

The Imperial Palace. This is about all anyone is allowed to see really. It`s mostly hidden behind trees.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Giant Puffy AmiYumi billboard im Shibuya I think. New single came out and I just got it! I think I freaked out my companions a bit when I spotted this and shouted "Puffy!!!" at the top of my lungs and then insisted on taking a picture of it...

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Josh with schoolgirls...

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Little girl with ice cream at Senso ji.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Ginza

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Shibuya

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Shibuya

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Tuna!

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Shinjuku

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

The things you see in Tokyo...

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Square watermelon! VERY expensive.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Tokyo from the top of Takashimaya department store.

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Senso-ji Temple during a festival. It was VERY crowded. Many people had dogs for some reason...

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Driving range on outskirts of Tokyo.

I`m Here!

More to Come.

Rest of the trip...

July 15: Free Day! This will be the day I get lost in Tokyo... (Or go to PSF Records)
July 16: Another day for sightseeing. Could go to Mt. Fuji, Kamakura, Nikko, or Karuizawa.
July 17: Free again! What to do...? Maybe wander around Tokyo some more.
July 18: Folk Craft Museum
July 19: Andoh Tasting Program. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!?
July 20: Yokohama Chinatown
July 21: Freedom! Terrible, terrible freedom!
July 22: Go to Kyoto! World's Fair OR Sumo Wrestling. I think we all know the proper choice here.
July 23: Himeji Castle.

Sunset on Miyajima Island.

July 24: Assorted Tours.
July 25: Go to Nagoya.
July 26: Shirakawago Gassho Village.

Please tell me that is real!
July 27: Takayama. And Kamisannomachi. (Just a pretty village it seems.)
July 28: Toyota Factory!
July 29: Sendai.
July 30: Hiraizumi. Two temples to see and two gorges! Rock on.
July 31: Hachinohe. I stay with my Host Family this night.
August 1: Misawa Air Force Base.
August 2: Aomori.
August 3: Seems we are traveling all day.
August 4: Return home. Die from exhaustion.

My suspicion about Japanese...

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Originally uploaded by rawhite.

Inu