Apparently a 'god-bridge'. My host father told me to snap a picture of it as we drove by.

Small shrine on the roadside. I love these little bubbles of sacredness that appear within the profane world we live in.

Approaching Nikko. Whoever though cobblestone stairs were safe... should be risen from the grave, and killed all over again.

Japanese architecture is wonderful.

Memorial stone a short ways into the Tosho-gu compound. It says 'The place of Kendo's rebirth'.

Not really peaceful a shrine with all the tourists clammering about.

Hey look, it's me. And an obelisk. Awesome.

Torii in the distance. The mixture of shadows and bright sunlight killed my camera. I really need to figure out how to work it properly. Yay aperture.

Treasure exhibition! Alas, I walked away empty handed...

The gate provides a pathway to sacred grounds... of tourism.

Pagoda. Yep, that's it. Pagoda.

Oh, the masses were fun. I felt like I was right back in America, based on the number of white people in Nikko.

Illustrated map of the shrine compound.

More gorgeous architecture. It's a colorful, vibrant tribute to the gods.

Temple guardian. Every time I see one of these, I think of that grisly battle from Gantz.

More people. I felt like I was in downtown Tokyo based on how many people were there that day.

Yep, another building shot. What can I say, I love shrine / temple architecture.

The weather was gorgeous, and it was nice to wander through nature for once.

I believe this is a Shiisa, if my mythological knowledge holds correctly.

And now a dragon, for lack of a better name / term.

And now the infamous monkeys. Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.

Quite toned down comparatively to the other buildings in the compound. I actually prefer this style myself.

Taken from the top of the stairs leading up to the main shrine.

I hate lines. And stairs. Yay for a culmination of both.

Profound, yet menacing looking archer.

The sleeping cat. Apparently an infamous symbol / figure in Japan.

Tokugawa tomb.

An old tree / shrine that housed a kami. We offered some coins, and then prayed for our wishes to come true.

There is a lot of desire in the world. Might as well make your wishes at every opportunity.

The group gathers, ready to cause mayhem and havoc.

Our gateway to Tokyo!

The towering cityscape that I've been longing to conquer.

Let the masses gather!

And we venture into the valley of... food courts and shopping centers.

Would you believe this is a prime choice for Christmas dinner in Japan?

Does a Japanese 'All-American Breakfast' taste better?

Our first stop: A bustling ramen shop in Ikebukuro.

Must not eat the painting...

Sonia humiliates Daniel while we wait for our food.

No one looks pleased that I took this picture when I did.

And the food arrives! Was pretty unhealthy, but damn delicious.

The anime superstore in Ikebukuro. Must visit later. *Otaku mode on!*

The Namjatown (Namco-run theme park) mascot inside the Sunshine City shopping mall.

I should have taken more pictures here, but this'll have to do. Idle moments ftw!

On the way back to the station.

Don't trip. You might die.

I believe this was taken at Harajuku.

At Kiddyland, a toy store where they have a floor completely dedicated to Snoopy. Wow.

The roads get narrower. But the crowds stay the same. Awesome!

Credits to Sonia for this picture. Most of us stopped in Harajuku for crepes and a dollar coke. It was a great time. We met up with Yuki, and a couple of his friends.

Walking back to the station, heading to Shibuya to look for a good music store.

We went to an Izakaya in Shibuya for dinner and drinks later that night. Yuki and Sonia celebrate a successful day.

The whole group had a great time. Chris put back more gin and tonics than the rest of us though.

I've been told this picture feels a little 'Last Supper'-ish. Is it?

And that concludes the epicness that was last weekend. I hope to have many more like it this upcoming year. I’ll type up more thoughts in different posts, but I’m feeling a little under the weather right now, so enjoy the picture. Here are some random pictures from the last week:

There were some goofy hats at this trendy shop at Crea Mall in Kawagoe. Brent's ready to serve his time!

Alyssa advertising 'Truck - Feed the kitty!'

Daniel had the misfortune of being stuck with this hat. Need I say more?

The twenty-four hour media store across the street from where I live. Haven't been in there yet, but another JSP student told me it was spendy.

I also live near a Women's 'Nutritional' College. No idea what that is.

We went to Juntara, an Indian restaurant near the college, sometime last week. Ayumi-chan flashes the infamous peace sign.

The group getting ready to feast upon curry. And lots of Naan.

And the mothership has landed. Get ready for a pleaurable stomachache.

And that’s it for this week. We’ll see what this weekend brings for the next photo update.

Jya mata ne~

During our stay at the Kawagoe Daiichi hotel, we commuted to TIU via the Tobu-Tojo train line. Orientation involved the basic rundown of school and course rules, tips on how to adapt to life in a new country and living with a new family, and stories involving ‘rugburn’s (most of you reading this with know what I mean!). All in all it was nothing out of the ordinary, but nonetheless insightful. Outside of class, we were treated to tours of the campus and the surrounding town by our Peer Advisors (PA’s) Asuka, Shosuke, Ayumi, and Yoshizzle… Yohei. Daniel summed it up correctly when he stated that so far, the towns of Japan seem ‘quaint’. Perhaps it’s the size of things in comparison to what we as Americans are used to, but it is indeed a notion that I acknowledge. I don’t have any picture of the tour, as I had forgetten my camera, but once the Typhoon (yes there’s a typhoon, and boo upcoming humidity) that is currently plaguing our area lets up, get ready for pictures galore.

Getting ready at the Daiichi Hotel.

In transit from Kawagoe Station to Kasumigaseki.

Getting info about TIU.

Panorama of said class. Notice Brent's distaste.

Three of our PA's, from left to right: Ayumi, Yohei, and Asuka. I think Sho had class.

Matt and Ommura-sensei giving us info on how to avoid being jackasses.

The cool escape chute in our classroom. Gotta try this out before I leave.

Touring the TIU library.

Hanging out in the lounge afterwards. Daniel showing off his mad juggling skills.

Dinner that night with PA group at a ramen shop in Kawagoe Station. Caught Asuka a little off guard, but she recovered with the infamous peace sign.

チャルメラ Ramen. Was really delicious and cheap, 640 yen if I recall correctly.

I’ve had quite the hectic weekend, but where I’ve ended up has made it all worth it. The chaos was quite enjoyable actually. On Saturday, a melancholy permeated the JSP atmosphere as we all prepared for the dreaded Japanese placement test that would determine which class best corresponded to our individual language skills. Despite that, there was a hint of light-heartedness in the air, as half of us were dressed in our formal wear for the proceeding opening ceremonies, while the others opted to change at the school. I was part of the first group, as my formal clothes are actually quite comfortable and I thought that I had made the most practical choice.

Our last bus ride to TIU. 'The Final Countdown' was ringing in my head the whole time.

Waiting in suspense before the placement test.

Overall, I didn’t feel like I did well on the placement test, but I guess that’s what a summer’s worth of not practicing Japanese will do to a guy. And I suppose as I was right, as I was placed into B1 class, but I’ll see if I can be raised into B2. I know that I know this stuff, and it’ll take a quick refresher to jog my memory. I’ll give it ’til the end of the week to decide if that’ll be the right decision or not. The funny thing is, the test totally overshadowed the fact that we were all going to meet and move in with our host families today; maybe it was a lingering thought, and the test was the first cloud signaling the oncoming storm.

More waiting before the opening ceremonies.

With my host family, the Yokoyamas, at the opening ceremonies. Credits to Yohei for the photo.

The ceremonies began with speeches from various administrative personnel and teachers, but the most involving part was when each of the JSP students was to introduce themselves in front of everyone, speaking only to Japanese. Mad props to those who haven’t taken Japanese before for memorizing lines and dealing with the situation in style. The introductions made evident the range in Japanese capabilities, but everyone will learn as much as they can from their experience. I know I will. Anyways, I met my family for the first time, after scouting the room for roughly 5 minutes, finding them in the back. There was an awkward silence after formally introducing ourselves, but that was broken when we settled into light conversation about the cermonies, other JSP students, and how my body ‘was bigger’ than expected. Yay subtle Japanese fat jokes! But eh, I can’t deny what’s true. I’ll try to change that this year, but damn those rice carbs and the fact that my host mother is a really x 5 good cook.

Plaque in the doorway of host family's house.

Family butsudan in honor of deceased family members.

The family I moved in with, the Yokoyamas, are a nice elderly couple, who are traditional, yet practically modern. My host father, Kiyoshi, first worked as a librarian at the Diet building, but is now a part-time law professor for an online university. He has a great sense of humor, is politically involved (more about that later!), and speaks English well-enough. My host mother, Kinko, is a calligraphy teacher two days a week, and teaches out of a studio in their home. While she doesn’t speak any English, I can communicate just fine with her, either through Kiyoshi-san’s translation, or through guessing what she means. She is a damn good cook, and has shown me many picturesque photos of food she has cooked. It’s like 5-star restaurant beautiful, and guaranteed delicious. Speaking of their home, it’s a gorgeous traditional layout house, with upgraded modern amenities. Although they keep saying that my room is small, I find it comfortably sized and could not ask for anything better. It’s a tatami-floored room with a carpet pushpinned on top of it (although I wish it were not), with a desk and dresser, and access to the veranda via glass door and shoji.

Desk and dresser. Very convenient.

Futon!

Plenty of closet storage for suitcases, futons, and clothes.

Taken from my room. What's up with Japan and great views?

A bell hanging low. Chiming a soft lullaby. Sleep overcomes me.

I’ve really started to get into the groove of things, aka the routine of a Japanese family. Every night, I pull out the futon, layering each blanket in the appropriate manner, making sure that my head doesn’t face north, which is a no-no in Japan (or at least for Buddhists). When I wake up I put it away again. It may seem like a hassle to some, but I find it to be a very calming activity, allowing me to both focus for the day and prepare for sleep. I’ve also become accustomed to bathing at night, as not to dirty the blankets, which involves showering off first and then soaking in the tub afterwards. Once again very calming. I’ve begun to see a pattern to home life here (at least for the Yokyamas) that I truly can appreciate in contrast to the hectic lifestyle of college and the excitement of exploring a bustling metropolis like Tokyo. Meals are at set times, and as I’ve said before, they are extremely delicious. All in all, I can consider my homestay an area of comfort in a chaotic environment.

A wonderfully arrange framing of family history, including old pictures of my host parents, and their three childrens' wedding photos.

My commute to TIU is extremely easy, as I literally leave the house, walk down the main street, turn right at Mister Donuts (sweet!), and then walk straight until I reach Wakaba station. There are plenty of shops in the vicinity, including a intriguingly designed mall by the name of Wakaba Walk. Went their today with Brent, Daniel, and Erik looking for the Hunder Yen store in order to purchase a coin purse. Ended up stopping at a shoe store and a watch store to indulge Brent’s craving for bling and fashion (yeah, Brent, you can jab at me later). We also made a stop at the Docomo phone company store, just to compare their prices with those that Softbank was offering us (in Japan, the three main keitai (cellphone) companies are Softbank, Docomo, and AU). Although we had to be put onto the phone with an English speaking representative, it was an insightful experience in both the ‘doing stuff on our own in a foreign country’ sense, as well as learning that they were much more expensive. Although most people recommended getting the Softbank prepaid phone for price and practicalities sake, I’m still considering getting a contract phone with them for one year, because then I can get a quality phone and a plan that’ll suit my needs. It’ll be slightly more expensive, but probably worth it.

Docomo poster. Yay advertising.

Mascot from animal crossing?

Brent on the phone with an English-speaking rep.

Brent and Erik meeting my host family. Erik lives in the same area of Sakado.

The biggest news today was that the JSP office apparently got our JASSO money for August and September today. To sum up the proceeding events is one word: Ludacris. Everyone who got it, and that’s quite a few people, was carrying mad cash, as each of us was entitle to withdraw 80,000 yen to make up for the plane ticket, and 80,000 yen each for the months of August and September. That’s 240,000 yen each! Using the current exchange rate, that translates to roughly US$2,600 each! I wouldn’t be surprised if there was about $20,000 circulating in the room at the point in time. Texas hold-’em anyone? We had the option of storing our money in the JSP safe, which I took advantage of and stored 160,000 yen.

Big money. That's how we roll.

Imagine that times three. Oh and new 100yen coin purse. Yay irony!

Well, that’s how it all started. More to come at a later date, when I can actually get some exploring done. Damn typhoon.

P.S. : OH YEAH, historic events taking place here in the political world. DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) overthrowing LDP (Liberal Democratic Party). First political change since the current government was established over 50 years ago. Seeing as how the DPJ is made up of quite a few defected LDP members, it’s difficult to determine how much will change. Oh well, mata ne.

Redmond Airport, live at 5 AM.

A decent departure list for a small airport.

Nice view, huh? Was quite a tin can plane.

Guess which flight I was on?

Got to know the food court at Vancouver well. Too well.

At least there was 'Tetrix' on the plane. Sorry about the orientation, my computer's being weird.

The remote / game controller.

Woohoo, almost there.

Oh, so that's what that difficult katakana word was. Khabarovsk.

After finally arriving at the airport, the musketeers settle in to their quarters.

Our accomodations the first night.

Absolutely gorgeous view from our hotel room. Yay panorama.

On the bus to Kawagoe. A fairly long ride.

For the rest of the day, I was busy with orientation stuff (slideshows, lectures, etc) and lugging around about 40lbs. of luggage (yay for poor planning), so unfortunately I didn’t have the willpower or time to take any picture. I’ll make up for it in later entries. So I present you with a few late-night pictures.

My room at the Kawagoe Daiichi Hotel. Small, yet comfortable and convenient.

Small, yet efficient bathroom as well. Yay for being a big guy.

Oh my. It was right next to the Bible.

Another gorgeous view from my hotel window. I love this place.

Comfortable hotel apparel, post-shower.

Always professional, doing a little studying before bed. Tastefully edited as asked.

I’ll update again with more orientation goodness sometime this weekend, assuming I take more pictures. If not, it’ll be more of a thoughts / rambling post as usual.

Mata ne~

After reading a thought-evoking Facebook note by Alyssa, I’ve been thinking a lot about what this trip means to me. Correction: what this journey means to me. The dictionary defines a journey as the act of traveling from one place to another, and that’s exactly what I’m doing, both literally and figuratively. Physically, I’m transitioning to a completely new environment, attending classes at a different university, and even living with an unfamiliar host family. Mentally, I’m finally being forced to think about how a year in Japan is pertinent to my future; I’m using this experience to reaffirm that I’ve made the right choices prior to this moment. Is Japan really where I want to live in the future? Do I really want to work here? I’d like to think that I’ve always followed the Socratic thought that the unexamined life is not worth living, and as such I’ve always sufficiently thought about each and every step forward that I’ve taken. But by reaching that single conclusion, I’ve already hypocritically broken that guideline. So there is always room for doubt; there always has been and there always will be. But I can at least make one solid observation: slowly I progress towards a same-yet-different me, a me that knows his place in life and what what he desires out of it. Ultimately, where I end up is a consequence of my own actions, and I fully acknowledge that fact.

On a lighter note, I’ve been slowly psyching myself up for Japan. The last few days, I’ve restricted myself to listening to the plethora of Japanese music that exists on my hard drive (with the one exception being the Beggars album by Thrice; that CD is epic). It already makes up about 60% of what I listen to, but it’s time to max out at 100. After going through what I have, I’ve come to the realization that while there are many amazing musicians in Japan, there is also some obscene, weird, and just plain silly stuff as well. Just YouTube ‘I RAVE U feat. DJ OZMA by ravex’ and you will know what I’m talking about (thanks again for telling me about it, Hildred!). But I suppose that can be said about any music scene. All in all, I’ve gone through the genres and found both likes and dislikes. One of my favorites has to be Shiina Ringo / Tokyo Jihen. While she does have a voice that takes a while to get used to (my friend coined the nickname Crazyvoiced Ringo), her music has a jazzy-rock feel to it that I love. Did I mention she can sing in like 5 languages? And plays like a kajillion instruments (last I checked, I saw a melodica). Other than that, I’d have to call myself a rock junkie. Some bands that I would categorize together are: Ellegarden, Straightener, and Mo’some Tonebender. They’re catchy, have great riffs, and sing in endearing Engrish most of the time. Who doesn’t love that? Oh, and I can’t forget The Pillows, but there’s really nothing else to say about them except that they’re classic and amazing.

Through all that musical sifting, I managed to find one group that captured my heart, and has since held it. Supercar. There really is no way I can describe them except amazing. They can be categorized as techno-experimental-powerpop-rock, but I myself see them as much more than that. I would give an arm and a leg to see them live, but unfortunately they amicably disbanded in 2005, each of the members going their own way. Quite a tragedy if I do say so myself. Below is a clip from their last live concert together:

What, if any, Japanese musicians do you guys listen to? Who are your favorites? Any you’re planning to see live while in Japan? I know that I’m keeping my eyes open for any opportunities.

Finally, I’ve managed to get my suitcase(s) as tightly packed as possible. I basically have a weeks worth of clothes, some books, and gifts for the host family (chocolate and Oregon T-shirts!). Oh and my laptop and camera. I feel like I have too much, but at the same time question if I have enough. Guess I’ll figure that out the hard way when I get there. But I suppose it’s not like Japan doesn’t have department stores or malls, should I need to buy some stuff while I’m there. Once again, huzzah JASSO.

How much luggage are you guys carrying around? (OMG!!1!!1! First uploaded photo)

Oh noes, a shorter post. To be honest, I’ve ran out of things to say. Wasted all of my brain fodder on that philosophical rant.

Anyways, I plan to upload some pictures of the process of travelling to Japan during my free time at the hotel during our college orientation days, so look forward to them. I know I will.

I know that guidebooks are touristy and may seem unappealing to many people (including myself before having bought a few), but they really do provide great information on specific areas in Japan, especially if you buy city-centric guides. My personal favorite comes from the Lonely Planet series of guides, specifically the Tokyo Encounter one (for obvious reasons). It divides Tokyo by neighborhood and highlights the temples, shopping centers, iconic buildings, and cool restaurants in each. While some of the recommended stops are high-end and, once again, touristy, it is an interesting read at the least. There’s also information of regional festivals, important dates, and the like, so it also serves as a good reminder for events. It also has a fold-up map just in case you decide to get lost (which I intentionally plan to do time and time again). For $12 this pocket-sized book may be a little pricy, but it really is a small treasure. Definately carrying it around with me in my bag.

Copyright Lonely Planet. Gotta love the Gothic dress on the cover.

The other guide I bought was a general information guide by Frommer’s, and it’s basically 700 pages of straight text. Boring, yet insightful. Information on hotels, theme parks, stores, restaurants, and all the general stuff inside. I figured it would be a good reference to consult if I were looking for places to visit outside of Tokyo, as I’ll leave Tokyo to word-of-mouth recommendations and self-exploration.

But my ichiban, thank the J-Man (you’ll get this one Daniel) for this book, resource has got to be The Etiquette Guide to Japan by Boye Lafayette De Mente (gotta love that name). This guide covers everything from using titles, tea ceremony protocol, to how drunk you should get when partying with those who are your seniors. This guide blends historical references with situational examples that I could definitely see myself getting into. There is so much content in this guide, that I cannot say enough in praise of it. So I will stop saying anything at all in an effort to shorten this post and keep it less sales-pitch like. Highly recommended!

So useful!

In terms of practicality, the wisest investment I have made is in a Nintendo DS. Oh Knights in the Knightmare and Devil Survivor have definately broadened my horizons on Japan like no other! Ok, not really, but they are really fun. The real investment lies in Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten DS (gotta love that title as well), as it serves as a cheap alternative to those spendy electronic dictionaries that you see Japanese students carrying around. For about half the price, you get a dictionary and a video game system. Hurray for distractions being built into your utility device! ‘Oh hey Chris, I don’t know this Kanji, could you type it into your DS?’ ‘Sure, just give me one second.’ Two minutes later: ‘You’re just slaying demons aren’t you?’ ‘You know it.’ I could definitely see this hypothetical conversation taking place, and am making it my goal to actualize it. But really, this software is invaluable. While the menus are in Japanese, it’s easy to navigate, as all you do it write your kanji into the bottom screen with your stylus, and it pops up with common translations on the top screen. Yay for having an excuse for carrying around my baby-blue, child-like DS everywhere I go!

Practical. Useful. Get it.

By far, my favorite method of learning about Japan has got to be through film and media. And no I don’t just mean anime, although I do enjoy my fair share of it (currently watching Bakemonogatari). In terms of American media, my favorite show has got to be Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. He mixes two of my passions in life food (I love cooking!) and travel. And he is one of the most interesting personalities on TV; straightforward, cynical as all hell, and speaks his mind. I want to be him when I grow up. Idolizing aside, he’s done a couple entertaining shows on Japan, one focusing on Tokyo and another on primarily Osaka, but includes other stops in the Kanto region. His premise is to ‘be a traveller, not a tourist’ so he manages to introduce local activities, restaurants, and persons in a very laid-back manner. Despite having said that, it seems touristy at times, but in a tolerable, even interesting way. Another thing I’ve found myself watching is House Hunters Internations, on HGTV. Yes, Home and Garden Television. Heckle me, harass me, say what you will. But I watch HGTV! Loud and proud baby! Anyways, the show had a couple episodes showcasing apartments in the general Tokyo area, so I found it highly entertaining to look into different areas of Tokyo in correspondence to how expensive it would be to live there. And damn, that shit is expensive. Like $600,000 for a small apartment that’s not even located in a prime area. Yay for planning to live there in the future! Hurray for continuous debt! Last and not least, who doesn’t love the oldschool episodes of Iron Chef? The witty commentary, the dramatic finishes, and Chairman Kaga! That’s all I have to say. It’s that good.

My favorite director of all time, Akira Kurosawa, has produced so many wonderful movies and they are great insights into traditional Japanese culture. I’m not just talking about Samurai flicks (Shichinin no Samurai ftw), but about films like One Wonderful Sunday, No Regrets for Our Youth, or Scandal. The highly developed, westernized, media-filled Japan we see now has really only developed in the post-WWII era, and these films interpret the changes to Japanese society for the better or the worse, through exhuberant character acting that I will contend is unmatched to this very day. One name: Toshiro Mifune. Anyways, take for example One Wonderful Sunday, which follows a homeless couple enduring the hard times of reconstruction and still wishing for their dreams to come true. Oh man, the cafe scene in the movie is memorable. Go watch it. Anyways, it gives you the mindset that the Japan we are about to visit isn’t the same as it was, say 60 years ago. Yes, there are elements of traditional culture present, but economic growth has boomed since then and lots has changes. I love being able to look back to how things use to be and seeing how they changed. Kind of a compare and contrast, while accepting both outlook.

Toshiro Mifune: Sexy, stylized, and historically significant!

Despite delving into all of these resources, I’ve found myself procrastinating on the one thing that might just be more important than the rest: my Japanese language skills! After 3 months of barely even thinking about it, I picked up practicing about two weeks ago. I know we were told not to bother with cramming before heading to Japan as our teacher recommendation sheets determined (edit: about half of) our class placement, but I have this nagging feeling that I should know more than I do at the moment. So in an effort to salvage what Japanese I’ve learned these past two years, I’ve put together two journals, one for kanji and one for vocab/grammar. Knowing myself, I probably won’t ever refer to them after creating them, but at least the process of making them is practice. Yay for useless efforts!

In other news, I’ve managed to get my hands on around 27,000 yen through exchanging some money at the bank, and I have to say, uncirculated Japanese money is beautiful. Artistic, clean, crisp. Now I really don’t want to spend it…wait, this is Japan…I’ll have to. Hopefully, it’ll be enough to cover my teiki (railpass) until my first JASSO stipend, as well as a cellphone, which is pretty much a necessity for keeping in touch with host families about all those late nights.

What guides (if any) have you guys looked into? Have they been useful at all? I know it’s more exciting to find out new things as you come across them, but it never hurts to be a little bit more prepared or knowledgable. You could even impress some locals. Example:

Local friend: “Hey let’s go to cafe X.”

You: “Oh, I’ve actually heard of that place. Awesome.”

LF: “Really? Wow, you’ll fit right in here!”

(Yay for generic dialogue!)

My next post will hopefully be a photo update, with pictures of travelling to Japan, i.e. airports, clouds, all that good stuff. (Who knows I might do an earlier post on Japanese music. Been on my mind lately.) (And if you haven’t noticed yet, I love my parentheses.)

Mata ne.

Rorschach’s journal, Nov 9th….wait nevermind. My name is Chris Witherow, and I’ll be your narrator throughout this year of discoveries, delicacies, and deportations (I’m talking to you Brent). Just to get the nitty-gritty out of the way, this site is (hopefully) going to be organized into a photo-blog and updated on a weekly basis. Interestingly enough, I had the idea to post my misadventures in Japan online long before I found out that it was an assignment option for my study abroad credit (or rather .25 credit). Killing two birds with one stone. Awesome.

Even though I won’t be setting foot in Japan for another three weeks, the whole process of preparing to go abroad has been an involving endeavor and learning experience. Get your passport photos. Check. Fill out various applications with the same information on each form. Ok. Get some more pictures. Gotcha. Head to the consulate to get your Visa. Wait a few days. Buy plane tickets. Rinse and repeat. And that only accounts for the technical stuff. Then you have all of your personal business to attend to, like figuring out which clothes to bring, which luggage is necessary to make the trip, do you need converters for your laptops and electric razors, etc. Whether or not to invite a person who you’re not too friendly with on a trip to Singapore, while secretly stashing drugs into their carry-on. Wait, scratch that.

Despite having everything done and out of the way, I always have the feeling that there’s something else that needs to be done before I get onto the plane. I guess that’s just the inevitable anxiousness that accompanies a step forward in life. Oh, the anticipations. Will my mediocre level of Japanese be enough to get me around? Due to lack of practice, I feel like I know more Japanese obsceneties than I do actual colloquial language. Guess it’s still practical and enough to serve me in certain situations. Will I get along with my host family? I’ll be staying with an older couple, both 67, who are both teachers. First thing that came to my mind was ‘strict, traditional family’, but after reading the letter that they sent me, it seems as though they have a decent sense of humor and are easy to get along with. ‘I think you’ll be surprised at the size of your room. We think it’s incredibly small.’ At least I think they were kidding. At least I’m not claustrophobic. Other than that, we share a lot of hobbies and interests, so props to TIU and JSP for actually working towards matching us with compatible families. Oh, they have a golden retriever named Nana, who apparently carries a bag in her mouth while they go on walks. Directly quoting myself, “That’s too damn cute.”

Alot of my anxiousness lies not in Japan itself, but in the people I’ll be spending the majority of my time with as we head into a new (for most) environment. From Willamette (the university I attend), I know 17 of the 18 people who are going abroad, if not personally then at least in passing, and I can say that I can see some rowdiness and ridiculous situations occuring, but nothing too troubling. From what I’ve gathered on a Facebook group, the students from other schools seem nice enough as well, but you never know (if you guys are reading this, can’t wait to meet you and no hard feelings!). From friends who were in the JSP program before, I’ve heard certain things that were disheartning. Case and point, apparently a group of JSP students got so drunk that they ending up breaking the headlights on a train. Really? Really really? Do you really not have enough self-restraint to control yourself in a place where you are a guest? Ok, enough judgemental rambling. But from what I’ve heard from testimonies and stories, most people have an amazing time in Japan and the only problems that are ever encountered are when someone gets too drunk. And passes out in a host families’ doorway. And throws up all over themselves. The night before the grandaughter’s birthday. Well now, apparently that’s not looked upon so nicely. Guess I’ll have to check that off my list of things to do. Damn, was really looking forward to doing that too.

Moving on, I can’t wait to see all of my old TIUA friends again. (Good luck to them, as they’re currently in final exam week!) While stateside, I got to know a handful of Japanese exchange students very well, and I can definately say that they have been some of my best friends during my college years. Friendly, relaxed, easy-going yet polite. Can’t really say that about most American students (oh noes, my internal Frenchman is letting loose!). I guess they have to maintain some semblence of amicability in order to fit into a new setting. But they don’t just act nice the first few weeks and then change into complete jerks; they are genuinely nice people. I can only hope that I present myself in the same light while in Japan (time to hide away some cynicism!). Anyways, I’ve apparently been invited to Disney Sea by a few of them already. Can’t wait.

Can't wait to see them in Japan. Maybe without the swords though.

Goal-wise, there is so much that I want to do while in Japan for a year. I’m currently planning on staying in-between the school semesters, which is only possible because of the saints in the Japanese government who decided to give me the JASSO scholarship. 80,000 yen a month? Yes, please. May I have another? I find it funny how, before I’ve even left, I’ve already been looking into guest housing and apartments for the intermediary months. Getting ahead of myself much? Anyways, here are a few things I hope to accomplish:

• During my free time, spend every moment exploring and taking pictures. This is a photo blog after all. And I did buy a new camera. Better not let that money go to waste.
• Actually work towards improving my Japanese. I hope to live here one day, so I better get on that. This isn’t a vacation, no matter how much I’m looking forward to it.
• Apparently, I have to try the toast at Cafe Vintage. It’s supposedly the best in the world.
• A few places I intend to visit: Hakone, Miyajima, and most of all, Sapporo during Yuki Matsuri (the snow festival). Has been a long time dream of mine.
• Oh, and for Hildred, visit a maid cafe in Akiba. And snap some pictures. Yarly, I’m looking out for you!

Anyways, while I remember, I need to credit Danny Choo for the picture that I used in my banner. It’s only temporary until I snap a few of my own. For those of you reading this, please please stop by Danny Choo’s website for all things Japan. You can find the link on the right side of this blog page. I’ve been following it for a little over a year, and I can say that his site is one of the most entertaining, yet highly informative sources of Japanese culture. While it may seem that his site caters mainly to otakus (which I suppose it does), he does write articles on living in Japan, on topics such as: buying a house, parking, getting a job, and general everyday occurences. Oh, and the icing on the cake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bygdRMCwC6s. You can’t not crack a smile at that. Yes, that’s him.

Anyways, time for me to ask you guys a few questions (assuming anyone reads this). For those of you also studying abroad in Japan, what are your goals and anticipations? Anything in particular that worries or excites you? And how has preparing to study in Japan been for you? Hectic or smooth? Please feel free to comment, as I would love to compare experiences and make new friends. Any specific place in Japan that you have been wanting to visit (outside of the general Tokyo vicinity?)? I feel as though Japan has two faces that are visible to us as foreigners: the modern, technological city that dominates cityscapes like Tokyo and the rural, natural terrain of places like Hokkaido, where tradition reigns. I would love to encounter the best of both worlds and perhaps experience a blending of the two.

Now lastly:

I’ll post an article on useful guides, books, media that I’ve been using to prepare for Japan soon.