Day 267 - 24th of May

9:11am　地下鉄　－　銀座線

天気：雨天

We’re on the Ginza subway line, from Asakusa to Shibuya. From there, we will change to another line, get to Shinjuku, and make another transfer for 三鷹 (Mitaka), where we will find the Ghibli Museum. It’s a bit of a late start, but I think we’ll make it on time…

9:29am　山手線

Now we’re on the Yamanote line for Shinjuku. Wow, the trains here in Tokyo seem so much longer than those of the Keihan line. I’m thinking, “Isn’t that train coming up too fast?” but no; two extra carriages really make a difference. Also, the city train system is so complex; there are so many different routes you can chose to get to your destination. The trick is, is to find the most efficient, and economical way; I think we’re doing an okay job of that.

9:41am　快速

Finally on the rapid express to Mitaka. The tickets we have are for the 10 o’clock admission, and I don’t know how strict they are with the time. At this point I’m freaking out a bit; what if we don’t make it in time?

1:59pm　快速

We’ve just got back on the train, and we’re making our way back to Shinjuku to see if we can find the Square Enix building. The Ghibli Museum was amazing… After getting off at Mitaka Station, we walked briskly through the rain towards the museum, which was about 15 minutes away in a basically straight line past the waterworks. Every 200 metres there would be a sign saying how much further the museum was, and this only spurred me on; it was a little frustrating too. It was already 10 past by the time we made it, but I had nothing to worry about; they let us in no problem. As soon as we got inside, all the stress lifted, to be replaced with giddy excitement. I really did feel like a little kid again, entering a magical house of spiral staircases, corridors and cubby holes. It was such a wonderful experience, and I’m sure it’s one of the most kid friendly museums in the world; so many things to see, do, and touch. They even had a huge Cat Bus to play on and in; too bad it was for primary school kids or younger. We leisurely explored the entire building, learning about the history of animation, the animation process in an interactive and hands on manner. There were so many beautiful stained glass windows, and even the bathrooms were impressive; there were a lot of them too. On the roof there was a garden, and a statue of the robot from Laputa (I dare say life size), looking right at home. In fact, the whole building was covered in greenery, and it was surrounded by trees; a secluded world all of its own. The highlight of the museum would have had to have been the short film. We got to see こねこバス (Konekobasu – Kitten Bus), which was an adorable 14 minute story about Mei’s adventures with the kitten bus; it made me so happy. The language was really easy to understand too.

After that, we did a bit more exploring, and then of course, went to the gift shop, “Mamma Aiuto”. I didn’t go too overboard, I don’t think. We got really lucky, getting to the counter just as a huge line had dispersed. They even gave us an extra bag, just in case one got wet; so considerate. By this point, we were very hungry, so after we backtracked for our umbrellas, we went looking for something to eat. We found a Lawsons just across the road, and decided that that was more than satisfactory. After we finished making our purchases, we had the challenge of trying to find somewhere dry to sit and eat. The next 20 minutes consisted of us wondering around the nearby park, trying to find seats that were actually undercover; it was a little ridiculous. Eventually, we came to a Benzaiten temple, and ate at its base. It was a beautiful building, painted in a vibrant red. After eating, we spent some more time enjoying the park and the lake in the rain, and then made our way to 吉祥寺 (Kichijouji) Station. We’ve almost arrived at Shinjuku now. After the Square Enix building (if we can find it), we might also visit the Pokémon Centre…

2:41pm　銀座線

Realising it was taking too long, I went over to the map and realised that this line didn’t actually pass through Shinjuku; whoops. So, now we’re making our way back the other direction…

4:54pm　地下鉄　－　都営大江戸線

Now we’re on the Toei Oedo subway line, heading to 大門 (Daimon), to see if we can find the Pokémon Centre. Finding the Square Enix building was a success, although a little anticlimactic… Once we got to Shinjuku, we found an information kiosk, and soon had a map showing us to the “Square Enix Building”; it was a bit of a walk. This turned out to be the actual headquarters of Square Enix; just the 12^th floor of the massive building. The two women at the reception desk looked very confused, and I don’t blame them. I was a bit confused too, until they explained to us that this was the headquarters, and directed us to the goods shop; this was the place Rachael had actually been referring to. The way she described it, it had sounded really big. In fact, it was a single, small floor of goods; in the end I didn’t even buy anything. There really wasn’t anything that jumped out at me, and it was all quite expensive; I did get to take a picture of the semi-naked Sephiroth statue in the floor before the clerk came back though. So while it didn’t exactly live up to my expectations, I can now say that I’ve been to the headquarters of Sqaure Enix in Tokyo!!! I’m hoping it’ll be a little less hassle to find the Pokémon Centre, and that we have a good amount of time to browse…

6:40pm　ラメン屋　－　大門

We’re in a ramen shop near Tokyo Tower, which is almost entirely shrouded in fog; only the base is visible. Walking around Shinjuku this afternoon, it was also very foggy, the sky pressing down on the skyscrapers. I can’t wait to see it when it’s lit up… Anyway, we did the Pokémon Centre with relative ease; it was just up the road from Daimon station. It was definitely the largest of the three I’ve been two; makes sense since its Tokyo. I didn’t buy that much; just a few more things for my brother. I wonder if I’ll ever get around to visiting the other Pokémon Centres in Japan; there are at least two more that I know of. Well, it’s been a super day; Ghibli, Square Enix, and Pokémon. And to top it all off Tokyo Tower is on the menu next. I have to eat the rest of Carly’s ramen now; she says she’ll spew if she has another bite. I’m not complaining; more for me!!!

9:00pm　浅草線

We’re on the train back to the hostel now from Daimon. The tower was amazing… We didn’t bother going up to the top, but we took plenty of photos from the base; the orange glow looked so cool in the fog. We made our approach through 増上寺 (Zoujouji) Temple, the tower a beautiful incandescent backdrop; a fusion of ancient and modern. We made our way around the main building, and through a cemetery, before reaching the tower. It was massive, and the first 4 floors were dedicated to shops; there was a Makkas of course. On the bottom floor, there was actually a Michael Jackson exhibition, the annoying voice over disturbing the otherwise quiet lobby; there was hardly anyone inside. After buying a few souvenirs, we exited and had a crepe each for dessert; my first and last in Japan. After waiting out a sudden down pour, we made our way back to the station… I think that’s it for the night; when I get back, I’m going to collapse!

Day 266 - 23rd of May

10:28am　浅草スマイル

天気：雨天

We’ve just checked into Asakusa Smile and are going to rest for a while; I’m beat!!! At least we don’t have to worry about hauling our luggage around for the next few days; the hard part is over. Wow, and is this room tiny or what; almost all the floor space is taken up by our luggage. The only other thing in the room is a bunk bed; I’m on top. Well, it is a hostel after all, so I guess this is expected. It is wonderful and cosy, and the price was amazing so it’s totally worth it…After getting off the night bus, we made our way over to Tokyo Station, and after a bit of asking around, we figured out how to get to the hostel. We took the 山手線 (Yamanote Line) to 上野 (Ueno), going past 秋葉原 (Akihabara) the electronics district; I can’t wait to go there! Then we took the 銀座 (Ginza) subway line to 浅草 (Asakusa). For some stupid reason, Asakusa station has no elevator connecting the platform to the ticket gates, so we had to lug our stuff up stairs; lucky it was only one flight. When we finally emerged onto the street (after finally finding an elevator), I soon recognised my surroundings. To my left, over a bridge was the “giant golden turd” building – even the locals refer to it as the turd building, but it’s actually the Asahi Beer Headquarters, and the statue on top’s supposed to represent yeast; I’m not convinced - and two my right was 雷門 (Kaminarimon – “Thunder Gate”), leading to the beautiful 浅草寺 (Sensouji) Temple complex I visited the first time I was here.

It was raining (it still is now), and we had our luggage, so Sensouji would have to wait. We needed to figure out where the hostel was located; unfortunately the information centre across the road wasn’t open until 10:00. So instead, we made our way over to a Denny’s just up the street for breakfast. Inside, I could access the internet on my iPod, and soon found the hostel using Google maps; YAY for technology. It was only about 10 minutes away, so after eating we made our way there. Crossing the bridge, we couldn’t help but to notice the Sky Tree, now Japan’s tallest building, looming in the distance; construction isn’t finished yet, but it’s looking awesome. Crossing the bridge, and going a short way down the road (seemed longer with all our stuff) we made it to Asakusa Smile. Here, we found out that we weren’t actually staying in this building but a newer one, so shortly after paying and receiving our linen and key, we made the short trek over to here; lucky we were allowed to check in so early. The guy at the reception was really lax and spoken English well; the bar was dominated by foreigners. Over here though, there’s no reception, and apart from the cleaning lady (who’s Chinese), no other staff come here; it’s actually really nice and quiet. Well, going to have a shower soon (haven’t had one in over 24 hours), and then go to Sensouji…

11:10pm　浅草スマイル

We’ve just finished watching Chicago; well, Carly fell asleep about halfway through. It’s been such a long day; the night bus trip feels like it took place a forever ago… After resting, we went out to check out Sensouji. It was still raining, so I held the umbrella, and Carly wore a raincoat for good measure. Out the front of Kaminarimon, we were approached by a group of Japanese students who were conducting tours of Sensouji to improve their English. They asked if we had time to go on a tour, and we said sure; I think they really appreciated it. After introductions, we made our way under the gate and through the sprawling market street (despite the rain) to the temple complex, with light conversation along the way; ducking and weaving through a sea of umbrellas. Past the Pagoda (the second tallest in Japan) and lecture halls, and through another huge gate (with an equally huge pair of scandals hanging on the back), we made our way right up to the main building, which was under renovation; the outside surrounded by scaffolding. It was beautiful on the inside though, with amazing murals of “Japanese angels” (as we were told), a dragon, and flowers on the ceiling. After praying, and photos, we parted ways with our guides, feeling a little bit more enlightened; although we had both already knowledgeable about what they were explaining, thanks to classes at Kansai Gaidai. And while I’m glad that they got to practice their English, I wish I could have practiced some Japanese.

Carly and I continued exploring, and although I’d already been here before, I found it just as interesting as the first time, if not more. This time around, I had a better understanding of what I was seeing, and so I could appreciate it so much more; knowledge is certainly empowering. We bought this really sweet that I can’t remember the name of (so much for knowledge), but it was like a meringue; melt-in-your-mouth goodness!!! After Sensouji, we wandered back through the shopping street (the first time through had been a blur), and got some ideas about what we wanted to buy, and getting hungry. We turned onto another street – simply called 新 (shin – “new”) – and found a Family Mart were we bought a cheap lunch; I just got a pork dumpling. We followed the road to the end, and went into a small department store; it was kinda boring. I found out that my socks were soaked through, and walking around had consequentially become very uncomfortable. So we soon went back to the hostel, picking up dinner on the way; cup noodles from 7/11. We had planned on going out for dinner, but it was utterly miserable outside; better to stay nice and cosy inside. After dinner, we got settled and then watched the movie of Carly’s laptop, which was whirring away by the end of it… Well, better get some sleep now; gotta get up early tomorrow; Studio Ghibli Museum!!!

Day 262 - 19th of May

9:03pm　バス停　－　片鉾中央図書館

天気：雨天

I’m standing here with Carly at the bus stop, waiting for the 9:20 bus. We’re staying at her hotel tonight, so we can get an early start tomorrow; we’re going to the geisha dances in Kyoto, and then probably doing some shopping. It’s raining, and probably will be raining again tomorrow; great way to end the semester. I’m finished, I’M FINISHED!!! I’ve been saying that sporadically since this evening. I feel… empty. I’m happy, but at the same time, the realisation that really is the end is starting to kick in… Today, I spent from 8 till 3 working on my essay, with one break for lunch. Since Hugo was sleeping, I spent most of the morning in the computer room, and then moved back into my room when he finally got up. At 3:15, I decided I had to get going, and since I had finished everything but the conclusion, I figured I could work on that after getting everything else sorted out. It actually took a surprisingly short amount of time. Basically, I had to go to the library, then the L.L. and then the CIE office, before finally going to the SHOMU-BU office for my reimbursement; yay for cash in hand. Admittedly it was a bit of running around, but there were very efficient; my bike registration has now been cancelled, and my ID card has a hole punched through the barcode.

That done, I got onto my conclusion, and ended up having to use a computer in the L.L since the computer lab on the first floor was absolutely packed. After I finished, I had to go down there anyway to print it off. I was very lucky in the fact that a computer opened up just as I arrived; thank you Kirianna. I found Carly, and after hand in my essay to the professor (and a few words of thanks), we went to check out the sumi-e and ceramics’ exhibition; since I didn’t bring mine, Carly let me use her camera. I must admit, I found the works this semester to be of a much higher standard overall, and fell in love with many…

バス

Now we’re on the bus; that was the longest 20 minutes ever… I would have bought them if they had been on sale; I was thoroughly impressed. After that, we went and got taiyaki (custard-, and caramel-filled) and I felt so stuffed afterwards; so yummy. Then we made our way back to the seminar house, briefly browsing Avail; I bought my brother a shirt. Getting back, I talked with my family over skype until about 7, and then went up to make dinner; spaghetti bolognese. Carly came in too, and we got in trouble when Yuji came in; I felt bad about that. After updating my blog, we got going; we’ve just made it to the station now…

11:13pm　セミナーハウス

Well this evening took an interesting turn. When we got to Carly’s hotel, as soon as the lady at the reception desk saw we were going to the elevator, she stopped us and said I couldn’t go to the room; since it’s a single room, only one person’s allowed. Oh well, so much for that. I made my way home on the next bus, and was thankful for Carly’s umbrella walking back to the seminar house; it was pouring. When I was getting off the bus at Hirakatashi I realised I didn’t have my keys with me, so when I arrived back and the gate was locked, I got really worried. Luckily, not five minutes later Marine and Angela returned home and let me in; I was so, so grateful. I immediately went to the kitchen to retrieve my keys; of course I had left them in the cupboard. I sat with Julie, Liz, Chelsea and Rebecca for a little while, and was interviewed by Liz about my English/Japanese experience; she’s doing it for assessment at her home university. Soon after, I came back down here, and was visited by Katie; she had just got back from a fun-filled day with her friend who’s just come from Canada. She let me know the time and place of the geisha dances tomorrow, and we’ll probably be meeting her when we get there. With that in mind, I’d better get some sleep; I’m finished…

Day 254 - 11th of May

11:18pm　セミナーハウス

天気：雨天

Arggh!!! So close to finishing my field report it’s frustrating; definitely, definitely get it done tomorrow. In other news, Carly has arrived safe and sound, and popped in to uni today. Even though I knew it was coming, I was still surprised… Of course, the weather was crappy today; it couldn’t be a nice day for Carly. I worked on my field report until about 10:30 this morning, and then got to uni. We had our last presentation in Speaking, and then spent the rest of the lesson revising; this final exam is not going to be fun at all! After that, I went to lunch with Nathan, Jo and Kim, and we ate at the 3^rd cafeteria; I had kitsune udon, which was a nice change. Getting back to the CIE, I handed in the forms required for the refund of the seminar house deposit, and Carly snuck up on me while I was doing it. She’s dyed her hair a really nice brown, a bit similar to my natural hair colour. We soon got reacquainted, and then went to sit with Katie and Ash for a little while before class.

Religion was really short today. We just talked briefly about Christianity and ancestor worship in Japan and that was it; all gone. We also had to do a course evaluation at the end of class; we were done at least an hour early. From there, we went to the cafeteria to get ice cream; I got plum, and Carly got honeydew melon. I actually liked the melon a lot better; the plum taste was too strong. After that, we made our way but to the dorm, and then I spent the next couple of hours working on my report while Carly slept; she was seriously jet lagged. Eventually, 6:30 came around and that meant it was time for me to make dinner. I decided to make okonomiyaki since I had all the ingredients, so got to it. I made one for Carly too, but she turned it down saying she wasn’t hungry and she didn’t really like okonomiyaki anyway; oh well, saves me cooking tomorrow night. After eating, I working on my report a bit more, and then went up to clean the kitchen; about half the people came, but we got it done. Wishing everyone a good night, I went up to Rachael and Sarah’s room, to harass Carly and Rachael as they were watching FFVII: ACC; it really is pretty. Then it was time for Carly to make her way back to her hotel; at least it wasn’t raining at that point. Well, I’d better get some sleep now. I feel like I have things under control. I just have not try not to worry so much, and I’ll be fine…