Saturday, May 31, 2014

Japan Day 6: The Local Side of Tokyo

Today, since it was my day off, I spent the whole day outside! I met up with a friend, who is living in Tokyo, and we went to Chano-ma for lunch (a place with a great view and casual atmosphere), which is near the Meguro River (a popular spot for viewing sakura, though they are not in season currently). 
After lunch, we explored Todoroki Valley, a park in the city. It was a really drastic difference from the urban life of Tokyo. The nature there was very scenic, and we also visited a shine in the park. I got my fortune told, and it was lucky! It said that I will "find a secret in my drawers."
We left the park for Jiyugaoka, a local shopping district of Tokyo. There were so many interesting and cute things in the shops that I wanted to buy! I also had matcha bubble tea (first time having boba in Japan) from a crepe truck. 
On our way to dinner, we passed by Shibuya's Hachiko (a famous dog statue). The statue was much smaller than I expected, and the subway station was super crowded. I think I will be back tomorrow to explore Shibuya.
For dinner, two of Showa's students brought us to eat okonomiyaki and monja near Tabata Station. It was a very quaint, residential part of Tokyo (no skyscrapers or chain shops), and we also visited a 100 yen shop (like a dollar store in the U.S.) It was my first time trying okonomiyaki and monja (which is DIY style with the grill in front of you), and it was delicious (probably my best meal yet in Japan!) Thanks so much to everyone who took their time to show us around!

Friday, May 30, 2014

Japan Day 5: Lotus Flowers and English Practice

Today, while walking through Showa's garden, I noticed that the lotus flowers in the koi pond had bloomed. This was the first time I had seen lotus flowers in real life before, so I was very excited. The weather (which has been great for the past few days) accentuated the flowers by casting a sunny glow on the water. I also found a sixth gnome today; one more to go and I will have seen all seven!
We (the other intern from Harvard and I) finished work a bit early today, so we went to the Global Lounge to practice English speaking with some students. I had a great time, and got some good suggestions for places to visit in Tokyo! Also, we are now featured on a blog post on Showa's website, which you can check out here! (It is in Japanese though.)

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Japan Day 4: Exploring the Neighborhood

I found a fifth lucky gnome today! However, by the time I got out of work, I found that the other gnomes had moved, so I couldn't find them again. I was at the office for most of the day, but I attended a video conference from Boston in the morning. There I met some Showa students, and even had lunch later with one!
For dinner, I went to a local soba place. Outside the restaurant there were food displays, so I thought that it would be easy to order food there. It ended up that no one who worked there knew English, but I managed to order some tempura soba! I also got some ice coffee for free from the restaurant ("service") from the sweet, old lady that was the waitress.
After dinner, I saw some interesting places on the way back to the Dormy Inn. Setagaya Park was nearby (a very spacious park), and I watched a baseball game that was happening there. Also, I went to visit a small temple that lined the road to the Inn. The lanterns lit up the pathway, and it was fascinating to experience the traditional atmosphere of the shrines. 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Japan Day 3: Lucky Gnomes and Lots of Ramen

My lost baggage came today, so yay! I finally have clothes, and other necessities. I also had a productive day at work, organizing for the arrival of the exchange students that Showa will be hosting this summer. During my lunch break, I happened to stumble upon four gnome statues on campus. There is a legend that if you manage to see seven of these statues on the same day, all of your wishes that day will become true. (The statues are also constantly being moved at night by a mysterious entity, so they are not that easy to find!) Hopefully, I will be able to discover them all before I leave Japan!
I also had ramen for lunch and dinner today. For lunch, I ordered it in the cafeteria, and for dinner, I went out to a restaurant with my coworker. To order my ramen (which came in a combo with fried chicken), I had to print a ticket of what I wanted, and then give it to the chef. The ramen in Japan is absolutely delicious. I have had ramen in the U.S., but American ramen just pales in comparison to the authentic noodles here. The soup is rich, fatty, and flavored perfectly. I could eat it everyday, but it'll probably be bad for my health!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Japan Day 2: First Day at Work and Getting Lost

I woke up pretty early today (probably due to jet lag), and had a very hearty breakfast at Dormy Inn, the place where I am currently staying. After breakfast, I went out to explore the neighborhood some more, finding restaurants and convenience stores in the area. I also visited Don Quijote, a discount store chain in Japan. (I had gone yesterday to buy some pajamas, but did not have time to see the whole store.) There were many interesting things for sale at Don Quijote, and I was surprised to find the variety they carry. There is a wine and spirits section and they also sell costumes, furniture, and bicycles. Below you can see me trying on a curious ware of the store. 
At 10am, someone from Showa came to pick us (me and another intern) up to go to the University, where we had a campus tour and orientation about what we will be doing for the rest of our time here. (Showa University itself contains a kindergarten, an elementary school, a junior high school, a high school, and a British school in addition to undergraduate and graduate facilities.) I found the campus to be small, but very beautiful. The landscapers do a great job at the school, and there is a koi pond (with gigantic koi fish!) right next to the building I work in. Everyone at Showa seems to be very friendly, and I am looking forward to the rest of my time here.
After work, the interns were asked to go meet the President of the University, President Bando. Because she was very busy today, we (unexpectedly) went to see her at an awards ceremony for research on gender equality in Japan (on-campus). The ceremony was entirely in Japanese, so I was not entirely sure of what was going on, but it seemed to be very impressive. There was a small party afterward, and I tried sushi in Japan for the first time! (I would say that it wasn't that different from sushi in the U.S., but the fish is much fresher.)
When the ceremony was over, the other intern and I had to figure out the way back to Dormy Inn by ourselves. We had originally wanted to walk back, but we actually ended up going in the opposite direction we were supposed to go! We figured this out eventually, and decided to take the subway instead. I am very proud that I was able to ask for directions from locals in Japanese during this escapade. Though my questions were very fragmented, I was able to somehow communicate my point across. Hopefully, we will not get lost tomorrow! But, if we do, we at least know how to tell if we are lost now!

Monday, May 26, 2014

Japan Day 1: Lost Baggage and First Impressions

Currently, I am in Tokyo, Japan for an internship organizing a summer program for the Center for International Exchange of Showa Women’s University. 

I thought that it would be a great culture shock coming to Japan, but I have found that I feel quite in place here. Despite knowing only a few Japanese phrases, I have been able to get by with the help of Shiori, a student at Showa who picked me up at the airport and showed me around. Unfortunately, Air Canada had lost my baggage in Toronto, but they told me that I would be able to receive it in two days at the place I am staying. Hopefully, I will receive my stuff in time as I explore and find more interesting things here in this country!

My First Impressions
There are a lot of vending machines here! Probably one on every street, and even outdoors!

I tried taiyaki and Pocari Sweat for the first time. Delicious!

The toilet seats are heated. Very strange.