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Isekai Travels - Japan
  • Ritz リッツ
dec. 2022 – jan. 2023

Isekai Travels - Japan

I had a couple friends mention that they would be interested in reading a travel journal of what I experience in my time in Japan! I'm usually pretty bad at staying motivated to write but knowing that friends want to read is my motivation! Meer informatie
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  • Het begin van de reis
    6 december 2022
    Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Departure!

    6 december 2022, Verenigde Staten ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    I've been studying Japanese for about a year and a half and today will be my very first time getting a chance to actually use the language in the country of Japan! I recently took the N4 level JLPT exam and am fairly confident that I was able to pass it, although I won't find out the results until late January. I know I'll be able to communicate at a basic level but I'm super excited to attempt to make new friends and visit the friend's I've already made through the language learning experience.

    One of my main motivations for learning the language has been to be able to make connections with people who I would never have been able to otherwise. It's a wonderful feeling to know that my work put into learning the language can result in making lifelong connections that may have been otherwise impossible to make! Japan is a country that is easy to get around with only English but the average English fluency level is not super high. My goal is not to visit Japan but to be part of it while I'm here. I want to be a part of the everyday culture and experience it rather than visit to take a glimpse of the history, nature, and structures the country has. Although the main reason I haven't traveled abroad yet was my goal of becoming financially secure first (and coronavirus), I think that I also have strayed away from it because I'm not very interested in visiting a place just to see it, I want to be able to integrate with it. Japanese culture is so much different than my own culture, so it's an excellent way to see how society works outside the American bubble I've always lived in.

    Prior to my flight out, I went to a convention on friday, had the Japanese language test on Sunday, flew back to Pittsburgh Monday, and then left for Japan on Tuesday. I did not sleep at all on Monday mostly because I needed to quadruple check I had everything but also because I wanted to reset my sleep schedule. As I write this, I think I've successfully avoided jet lag! It's 9AM in japan and I've already done all my sleeping for the night during the day parts of the flight. In about seven and a half hours I'll be in Tokyo!

    Roughly my trip will include
    ⁃ Travel around Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Mt. Fuji with my coworker and a friend for the first two weeks, then it's a solo journey
    - Find something fun to do for my 30th birthday
    ⁃ Christmas celebrations with a family friend I have not seen in ages
    ⁃ Travel to Fukui for New Years celebrations with some of my native Japanese friends
    ⁃ JmoF Convention
    ⁃ About ~2 weeks of time I haven't specifically planned out. Since I haven't been here before, I want to be able to make spontaneous choices when I learn about exciting events and such.
    - Make lifelong memories :)    Meer informatie

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    Arrival - 困りました！

    7 december 2022, Japan ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    Upon arriving at the Airport, it was suprisingly easy to get past customs. I claimed a number of alcoholic drinks in my luggage and the officer did not even open it up to check the amount that I claimed. I had anticipated that customs would meticulously go through my bag so I was relieved it was super quick and easy!

    After customs, I had the unluckiest day possible 😅 My SIM card and WiFi were missing at the counter so I had to wait for the attendant to go retrieve them from somewhere. In the time I was waiting, the special JR RAIL PASS ticket counter closed and I was told to go to Shinegawa where the ticket booth was open till 7pm. However, to use the train I would need money and my friend who was out exploring Akihabara had all of the currency I would be using on the trip. Luckily I had my debit card or I would have been stranded 😬 I finally was able to buy a ticket and begin my journey to Shinagawa. During this time, I have been carting around 3 luggages with me and the luggage strap keeping two of them together broke. I also kept walking on the right side which I'm pretty sure is the "wrong" side after observing how people move through the station. This made me really standout as a tourist who has no idea what they are doing 🥲

    I got to the counter at 6:55pm and it seemed to have already been shut down for the day. Unfortunately, I will need to wait until tomorrow to pick up the ticket. On my way out of the station the exit gate closed on me and a woman looked at me and said 「閉まっちゃった」which roughly translates to "Oh no, it closed". Luckily, the woman ran over to the ticket counter and explained the situation. I thanked the kind woman and found a taxi to get the last couple blocks to the hotel. In Japon, you are not supposed to tip and it was a very strange feeling getting out of the taxi without also giving a tip. I felt guilty and like I was doing something wrong!

    Aftor all that, I noticed that the handle of my new luggage was bent so it will make it a bit more difficult to use for the rest of the trip. Maybe I can fix it with a hammer if I can find a hammer 🤔

    At long last, I had arrived at the hotel room. Although the trip from the airport to the room was exhausting, I'm still super happy to be here and looking forward to the rest of the trip! Having a rough start will just make the rest of the trip seem better by comparison 😆 I made a trip to Family Mart and got some of the famous convinent store food I've heard so much about, messaged some friends about my arrival, and passed out excited to start a new day when I wake up.    Meer informatie

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    The Ghibli Museum

    8 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Yesterday we went to the Ghibli museum to in Mitaka, Tokyo! The walk to the museum was pleasantly cool and the air was super crisp. Perfect weather in my opinion. Something about the air smelled different about the air in a good way than back home. I'm wondering if it was due to the different plants around us. Whatever the difference was, I liked it!

    We were only allowed to take photos on the top level of the building and I'm sad that I could couldn't capture many of the cool exhibits within the Museum. Many of the animation exhibits had 3D elements where a picture could not recreate the visual experience of seeing the art in person. The mueum also has a rotating short film that we recieved a ticket to upon entry. The ticket itself was comprised of some scenes from a random Ghibli movie and became a cute sovenier to take home. We visited the cafe and gift shop where I bought too many souveniers for my friends back home 😆

    A big thanks to my Japanese teacher Sekki Sensei for helping me figure out how to buy and get the ticket before arriving to Japan! I and my friends appreciate it a lot especially since purchase to foreigners is restricted at the moment.    Meer informatie

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    Creepy Nuts Concert

    8 december 2022, Japan ⋅ 🌙 50 °F

    Upon returning to the hotel room I quickly got ready for the Creepy Nuts concert being held at Saitama Super Arena. On the way there, I witnessed a small altercation where an older man stepped infront of a younger man in the station and said 「うそだろう」with a hard roll on the R. I would translate this to "The fuck did you you just say/do?!" But it more literally translates to 「you must be mistaken」 The younger man avoided eye contact and walked away all while the crowd continued to move past them, ignoring their existence. I felt like the odd one out looking back to see what was happening.

    All the train stations have different little jingles that represent that particular train line. Upon arriving at Saitama I decided that they have the best train jingle so far. I guess we will see if that changes as the trip goes on 😆 Saitama also had a cute little "Christmas Village" outside the stadium where I tried a food called monburan but is called Mount Blanc in English. It was a matcha chestnut paste that was pressed via machine into over a hundread little strands then draped over a cream and cake. It was very light and delicious!

    I finally made my way up to the area. The venue was HUGE. I was suprised by how orderly and polite everyone was when entering the stadium. The concert was one of the best concerts I've ever been to and was extremely different than American concerts. I was astounded at how different it felt. These are the differences I noticed:

    - At different choruses the crowd would react by putting their hands in the air, waving their arms back and forth, clapping, etc but it was always done together. It felt really cool to be part of the crowd hyping band on in unison. It felt like the crowd had their own choreography and everyone knew instinctively what to do. I think this was the coolest part of the Japanese concert. It felt like we all were working together to have a good time instead of a bunch of individuals who happen to be at a concert together.
    - People found their seat and stayed there the entire concert. At American concerts, people are constantly moving in and out durning the concert to get food and such. I barely saw anyone get up from their seat after sitting down
    - In American Concerts, the people sitting in the main center area usually move to the front of the stage. Everyone sitting in that area remained in their assigned seat.
    - When songs ended and all the lights went out, no one had their flashlight or cell phone out. The band would sometimes have a small break between songs where all the lights went off. It was near complete silence and pitch black even though there were over 30,000 people in the stadium. In America, there is no way in hell that all cell phones would be put away or that the silence would be kept.
    - When asking for an encore, the audience only clapped. People did not yell or whistle like they might at an American concert.
    - The croud could keep the beat during songs when clapping with the band. I've noticed at American concerts it's common for the crowd to lose the beat and then just stop clapping altogether sometimes. Americans also get tired of claping or handwaving so they usually stop doing it after the first one or two times.
    - when leaving the venue, everyone left when their row was dismissed. In America, everyone tries to leave at the same time in a big crowd. I like the Japanese systems much better

    After the concert, I bought a jacket from the gift shop. They also had little key chain gatcha balls where you could win a random band themed keychain.

    Overall, I had an AMAZING time at the concert and am so happy I went. Again a big shoutout to Sekki Sensei for helping me purchase the tickets and understand the process. I want to go to more Japanese concerts now! I had no idea that the idea of a concert could be so different soley based on how the audience reacts to the band. Culture differences like these are what makes learning a new language and Japanese culture so interesting!! I didn't see any other non-Japanese people at the concert and that almost made it feel a little more special like I'm getting to be part of a native thing. I could definitely tell people were glancing at me and noticing I was a foreigner but that's ok because as an American I love the attention 😉    Meer informatie

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    Osaka - 大阪に着いた

    9 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Today we packed our things for Osaka! Unfortunately, my friends were really hungry and tried to squeeze in a breakfast before we got on the train. We ended up mising the shikansen and needing to schedule another for later in the day. It is not a huge deal but is definitely annoying!

    On the shikansen, I got some of the hard-as-a-rock ice cream as per my friend's reccomendation and had a couple of beers. It's so cool that you can also get food and beer on the shinkansen. I'm drinking the beer as I write this so I'm sorry if that effects my spelling or grammar 😅 We will soon arrive in Osaka where I'm excited to see the differences between Kansai (Western Japan) and Kanto (Eastern Japan) culture.

    We ended up traveling to a small sushi bar where I got to try out my Japanese! A couple at the bar started up a conversation and the woman was showing me some various cool sightseeing things to see such as the Giant Buddah, Sanjuusangen-do, and the Osaka aquarium. I noticed that it was difficult for them to know what I could and could not understand. Sometimes they would ask if I knew really simple words but then also say some really complex sentences without checking if I understood 😆 Sometimes when I said that I understood I don't think they believed me! I was happy though because I was able to make jokes and it's a really awesome feeling to be able to make people laugh in another language. The sushi chef asked me if I had a lover and gave me a card to go to a bunny cosplay bar accross the street that his friend works at. I didn't end up going, but I thought it was funny how forward the chef was about something like that. I can't tell if he would reccomend it to anyone or just because I'm a foreigner 😅

    The sushi was amazing! I really loved the eel, fatty tuna, normal tuna, and the scallop. All of these were better than any other sushi I've had before in my life. I wish there was some way to capture how it tasted in the moment but I don't think words will do it justice. All I know is that I need some more 😇

    Afterwards, me and my friends got some Takoyaki. Squid and Octopus usually make my stomach feel a little weird but I wanted to try everything even if I didn't love it when I tried it back home. The tokoyaki did upset my stomach a little but not as much as it normally does! It was much better the next morning after the dough solidified a bit. I think it's the sticky dough consistency that makes me a little nauseus.

    My friends went back to the hotel and I went on a mission to find an Izakaya to talk to some natives! At least, that was my thought at the time. What actually happened was that I got really confused by all the vertical signs and small venues, so I ended up just walking and looking around. An extremely drunk man did say 「外国人？？」(Foreigner??) as I walked past but he looked a bit scary since his eyes were glazed over by the amount of alcholhol he had drank. So, I just kept walking and didn't talk to anyone. 恥ずかしい！！次回きっとできますよ

    I plan on getting better at talking to people and striking up conversations. I've realized that in America I wait for other people to engage me but in Japan that simply will not happen most the time. Japanese people tend to keep to themselves and not bother anyone outside of their circle. I know I can do it but I get nervous in the moment!! Maybe this trip will make my communication skills better in English too if I can master the art of talking to random people 🤔

    Tomorrow I'll be going out with some friends in Osaka so maybe they can teach me how it is done! It will be my first time seeing any of my Japanese friends in actual Japan so I'm extremely excited 😄

    寿司屋: Japan, 〒530-0002 Osaka, Kita Ward, Sonezakishinchi, 1 Chome−5−7, Mori Bldg, 1F    Meer informatie

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    Izakaya Night - 日本で初めて二日酔い

    10 december 2022, Japan ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

    This has been my favorite day of the trip by far! I got to see my wonderful friends and go out to various Isakayas 😸🍻

    During the morning, I took some time to message friends and take some time to relax! I went to the coffee shop at the station to pick up a latte and study a bit of Japanese. I have been able to successfully order food and drinks most of the time but it can be difficult to hear! Japanese people speak very softly in my opinion and the mask makes it impossible to read lips. I definitely have had to adjust how loudly I talk and laugh because I'm a very loud person even by American standards 😅

    I went to the Osaka Station City Mall with my friends and checked out a couple shops before meeting my other friends Ware, Atsuya, and Shu for some street food at Izakaya Toyo! This izakaya was featured in the Netflix special called "Street Food" and is famous for the chefs using their bare hands to work with the fire used to cook the food. Unfortunately, the special was sold out but we were able to get some awesome cuts of tuna and eel. We poured some drinks and talked switching between English and Japanese. Ware taught me about a the chinese roots of the word "kanpai" and why in China and Taiwan it may have a different meaning. "Kan" means dry and "pai" means glass, so in other countries it indicates an empty glass instead of meaning "Cheers" like it does in Japanese. So, if someone says kanpai then in China/Taiwan they would expect you to empty your glass 🍻 My friends let me know that this style of dining and drinking is called 立ち飲み(tachinomi), which means standing and drinking. We all stood around a table while getting our food and drinking. They asked me if America has tachinomi but I'm not really sure. I'm sure there are some restarants like that but I can't really recall any!

    We were not familiar with the Osaka lines as none of us live in Osaka and got on the wrong train for a moment. Everyone in the group saw the map and said 「違う違う違う」which means “wrong one, wrong one, wrong one!”. We found the correct train right after that though. It made me feel good to have a group of people around me I could be comfortable with and not feel completely like an outsider! Traveling with my American friends I always felt a bit on edge wondering if I’m being polite or following the rules correctly. I didn’t feel that way with my Japanese friends though because I can trust that they would let me know 😊 One of my goals when leaning the language was to make meaningful connections with people and I’m so glad I’ve been able to do that without being too fluent yet!

    When traveling on the train the group showed my a japanese game called Chopsticks where players all lift none, one or two fingers and try to guess what the total number of fingers will be up. It was super cute seeing them all play on the train and seeing subtle differences in games we play in America versus Japan as kids (and as adults in the case).

    After that, we headed out to find an Izakaya! Ware taught me that the brown ball hanging outside indicated the the shop will sell Sake! If he had not told me, I would have assumed it was just a decoration with no meaning. The first izakaya we stopped at was a sitting izakaya where we had to take our shoes off to go in. This was my first time needing to take my shoes off to get into somewhere in Japan. I ordered the Shirako as an appetizer which has been on my bucket list of things to try out here! Shirako is like caviar but the male eqivalent. So, literally translated it would mean be "Cod Sperm Sacs" but that sounds pretty disgusting so we will keep calling it Shirako 😆 I actually liked them alot! It tasted similar to mayonaise in a very light casing. The waiter spoke english and let me know I should not order them because they look like brains and are disgusting. I was suprised at how casual the waiter was when using english (almost too casual) and then how formal she was when speaking Japanese. I suppose that's a perfect example of how the culture and the language are always connected.

    Soon after, we headed to another Izakaya where we tried out some sake. My American friends also met up with us there and we became very popular as the only Americans in the bar. It was super cool to see different Japanese people come up to each of my friends and attempt to make conversation. At one point, all three of us were in separate conversations with people we had not ever met before. I'm super glad to have had this experience because it helped show how friendly people could be here and also was great spending time with my friends and getting to know them better 😄 I'm excited to see them all again around New Years!!

    After a couple rounds of different sake we moved to drinking something called "Lemon Sours" which were large drinks with many frozen lemons used as the ice. Ware taught us that you can request the lemons to stay in the drink so that they thaw more and it changes the flavor of the drink over time as you get refills! These became dangerous as it was too easy to call the bartender over and just say "naka" for another drink. We all ended up staying out until 2am or 3am and eventually took a taxi back to the hotel.

    I would write more about the Izakaya but my ability to acurately recall the night became less and less as I had more and more drinks 😅 I woke up still a little tipsy and my American friends were also very hungover when they woke up. A successful night out and it was so fun!! Thanks so much to everyone who was part of it, I really appreciate you all for taking the time to show me your country and be my friend😊 日本で初めて二日酔いだけど最後じゃないよね😉    Meer informatie

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    1

    Aquarium and Shopping ー水族館とかガチャゲームとか買い物

    11 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    Today we are checking out the worlds largest aquarium in Osaka called Kaiyukan! The aquarium was super cool and I highly reccomend it to anyone who happens to be visiting Osaka. There was a really cool coral reef and Jelly fish section with animals I'd never seen in person before! The tank in the center is filled with a insane amount of water and fits some whale sharks as seen in the video I linked with this. The corridors surround the tank and you slowly decend alongside the sides of the aquarium tank.

    Before getting to the Aquarium, my friends decided to watch the new episode of Spy Family. I took a small video because I thought it was super cute how they were reacting to the episode and having such a fun time watching it. I also love Spy Family, but it's interesting that alot of the people I know are way more into Anime than I am even though I'm the one learning Japanese! It's cool that Anime is so popular in America even though most the people who watch it can't understand the native language. It's so common here, I've been seeing many businessmen reading manga on their phone or tablet and you would probably rarely see any businessmen in America reading comics or manga.

    Afterward the acquarium we went to the nearby mall. One thing I thought was super interesting is that I found a "fake display food" store. In America, we don't really have these (if we do, I've never seen one). There were tons of fake example foods all over and I was tempted to buy one as a decoration at home! It's common for restaurants to put out fake display versions of the food so that passerbys can betten envision what they might be eating in the restaurant. In america, if food is displayed it's probably also edible and not just for display and then thrown out afterwards unless the staff wants to take it.

    Osaka has a huge ferris wheel and it felt like it would be a waste not to ride it while we were visiting. Will and I have a fear of heights so Steven was poking fun at us the whole time. It was cool to see the city from so high up but I don't think I'd do it again because my body completely tenses up when I'm up so high🎡

    We also visited the Gatcha Arcade (Will and Steven are almost always at the gatcha arcade) where I played some of my very first Gatcha! It only took my three tries to win Denji-kun so I'm pretty much a professional. I then moved to another machine where I attempted to win Anaya and her dog Bond.The kind employee noticed my struggling a bit on this one and reset the box to be an easy spot and explained how the game worked. With his help I was able to leave with Anya and Bond 😄    Meer informatie

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    🛍️ 📚 - 買い物とか本屋とか

    12 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F

    Today, I went shopping at the shin-osaka mall, took the shinkansen to Hirosham, got a massage from a very kind masseuse, and explore the area around our hotel in Hiroshima a bit.

    This morning, Will and I went to Mister Donut to try out some of their American inspired Donuts. Mister Donut is an American company but there is actually only one operating location in the United States! When talking to my Japanese friend Mahkun, he said he thought Mister Donut was very American and commonplace in the United States. It's interesting how the food representing your home country can be so disconected from the original country! The donut I had was called Golden Chocolate and was very delicious. It was soft and slightly sweet and I prefered it to American donuts. I don't like overly sweet things, so I've really been enjoying how Japan's food is just-sweet-enough instead of in-your-face-sweet like most of America's sweets.

    After grabbing some breakfast, we headed to the Pokemon Center in the mall where I spent way too much money on gifts for others and myself 😅 I think I may end up needing to mail back some of the pokemon plushes because they take up so much space!! Today was not as hectic as yesterday since today is a weekday. It's easy to forget what day it is when you're traveling, but I don't plan on visiting malls on the weekend for the remainder of the trip 😤

    After waiting in the long as hell line to checkout of the Pokemon Center, I took a look at the Men's clothing section. I generally don't find expensive brands in America too interesting but I feel that the attention to detail and textures on Japanese high-end clothing was mesmerizing. I really wanted to buy cute jackets and bags but they were very very expensive. If I had more room in my luggage MAYBE I would get one or two things 👀 I absolutely love the shoulder bags that are popular in Japan. In America, shoulder bags are primarily marketed towards women and the shoulder bags that exist for men usually look like camping or combat pouches that lack style. Even the shoulder bag I brought to Japan from America actually came from the womans section. I think American's don't wear bags as much because they don't look very stylish, but if we had bags similar to Japan's bags I think that many people would wear them!!

    One of the reasons I became interested in Japanese culture is that Japanese design is so well thought out but also so simple. In my opinion, American design tends to add too many flairs and loud patterns but Japanese clothing uses very muted colors and has very subtle contrasts. Their bags, shoes, jackets, jeans, etc all make me go 「へーーーー、すご！」in my head. I love the subtle contrasts and the textures feel much better than American clothing I'm used to. It's hard to explain this as one of the reasons I'm interested in the culture when talking in Japanese. I need to work on this so I can better communicate what I find insteresting in their culture!

    After keeping myself from buying anything else, we headed to Hiroshima. Upon arriving, my friends suggested we go get a massage. I had a really cool and wholesome experience at the massage place but I think I will explain that in a separate section.

    I explored the shops along the Hiroshima mall and tried out some red bean fish called taiyaki, and some other foods that looked new to myself. I then found my friends at a gatcha game store (they have a serious gatcha game gambling problem, they've spent a lot of time in gatcha game arcades) and we checked out an anime figure/bookstore.

    It was cool to see so many Japanese books! In America, finding a book written in japanese is rare and also very expensive to order. I wanted to buy so many books but books are heavy and I don't want to have to carry them for the rest of my trip 😭 So, I just got a couple copies of a series reccomended to learners called よつば＆！ and the first three copies of Spy Family to read while on trains 😎 In the words of Anya, ワクワク！    Meer informatie

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    優しいマッサージ屋

    12 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F

    Me and the roomates decided to go get a massage from a place nearby our hotel. Upon entering they asked me to put on a black pair of shirt and pants for the massage. This is new to me because I've only ever had massages with oil.

    The masseuse walked in and said the famous phrase 「日本語上手ですね」which was the first time I had ever heard it in my time here! What I have heard more often is people saying something to me in English and when I respond in Japanese they say 「あ、すみません！」and then walk away 😂

    During the massage, she asked a basic question or two about what kind of massages I've had in the past but it was a bit difficult because I don't know the names of massages even in english 😅 We then switched over to what Animes we liked (She liked Gintama and Haikyuu) and talked about hobbies and where we have been in the world. I told her it is my first time overseas and she said that she had not been overseas either!

    It was a very wholesome experience because we started making jokes about various things and she would help correct my grammar when I said certain things incorrectly which I really appreciated. At one point I said 「来週日本語に戻る」(I'm returning to japanese next week) but I meant to say 「来週東京に戻る」(next week I return to Tokyo) and we both laughed. 言葉難しいね！

    Afterwards, I went out to the lobby and had some after massage tea. She walked out to the lobby and bowed down on her knees and gave me her business card. This was very new to me as I have only gotten a business card at the sushi place before. I did not expect her to bow/kowtow all the way to the ground. It felt special but I really don't know because everything is new here! We both were laughing and smiling because it felt like such a kind experience and I don't think either of us knew how to separate the conversation we had from the business context leaving the massage was in. As I was putting on my boots she said 「おしゃれい！」which means "stylish" but I didn't understand at the time and she had to rephrase to say 「ステキ」which means wonderful. I guess that's what they mean but full imersion! It's hard to forget a word when you're embarassed about not knowing it in a real life situation 😆

    She followed me to the elevator and waved goodbye as the doors closed. This is something I've noticed a lot of businesses do. Usually the staff will walk the customer out and wait until they are out of sight to return inside. This is a very strange cultural difference from an American perspective. I don't think we know how to react to someone "seeing us off". My friends said they thought the same thing when they were seen off by the employees as well.

    I love discovering all the small things that are different culturally, it's so fun! And having connections with the local people is so cool :) I wanted to learn japanese because many Japanese cannot speak english. I think that makes our time talking a lot more meaningful and special 😊 One day, I want to be good enough to express myself fluently and be able to convey nuances the same way I do in English. It will take time but I think it would be so cool to be there one day!!    Meer informatie

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    11

    New Osakan Friend! - ポケモンカフェとか初めてバーの友達

    13 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    I accidentally booked a reservation at the Osaka Pokemon Cafe during the time we were staying in Hiroshima. Luckily, the JR Rail Pass lets me book a shinkansen whenever I want so I was able to head back to Osaka for the day. The Pokemon Cafe was cute and the food was really cool to look at. Pikachu even came out and did a little dance. The Pikachu costume was really well designed and seemed to bounce very cutely whenever Pikachu would jump or move. He even was able to wiggle his ears. めっちゃ可愛かったよ〜

    I got a pikachu meal and a sinestea dessert set. Sinestea is a teacup pokemon and only some have "the seal of authenticity" on the bottom. Before drinking my tea, I made sure it was an authentic Sinstea. Luckily, it was or I would have had to send it back to the chef 😜

    I looked around the mall a bit and bought a few small items but I'm a bit tired of shopping at this point. I don't need more things to put in my luggage! I did find a ghibli themed store though and got a picture with the famous no-face (顔無し)

    I walked around the area for about an hour scared to go into a bar. The bars were either completely empty or they were full of people and I decided I would find a less croweded one. I felt a bit like I was wasting my time in the country I've been preparing to come and have a limited time in 😭 I ended up finding a bar in the basement of the mall and sitting down there hoping that I could make conversation with someone. I sat next to two women but soon realized that they were speaking Chinese. Unfotunately, I don't know a single word in Chinese so I just order some Japanese whiskey. Soon, the two Chinese woman left and an Osakan woman came to sit down. I later found out her name was Shiho!

    The bartender was talking to me in English and I was responding in Japanese. Shiho leaned over and asked "If he can speak in Japanese why are you speaking english?" Then started to ask me a couple questions. She let me know that she lived around the area and if I wanted to hang out or practice speaking to let her know when I'm back in Osaka! She said that she has always wanted foreigner friends but can't speak english well enough to do so. I responded with 「先生になりました！」which means "I've become a teacher!". The bartender also said he has fun trying to speak english and acted as a sort of translator. I didn't really need his translations but I wanted to give him a chance to try 😉 Shiho kepts saying "I've met foreigners before but they can't have a conversation. But he can! Wow!" to the bartending and it was making me very happy and also embarassed. I was super happy to be able to make a friend and also practice my Japanese. I had thought I would be in the basement of a mall drinking by myself but instead had a great time with the bartender and Shiho. I wanted to get a picture but I had to run to the Shikansen to get back to Hiroshima.

    Shiho and the bartender asked for my age and I told them 29. I believe both of them were 47+ (they told me but I don't remember) so they were amazed at my age. Shiho told me "wow you don't seem that age at all, you are a already a very 「しっかり者」which translates to a "person of strong character or a gutsy person". This is a second time I've recieved the compliment from a Japanese person regarding my seeming older than I actually am. I really appreciate the compliment and that people seem to respect how I communicate and hold myself. However, being told "you seem older" in America is generally not seen as a compliment becasue it implies that you visually do not look young usually. Alas, I need to put my own culture aside and accept the compliment for what it means in Japanese culture rather than what it means in American culture 😤

    Shiho and I exchanged Line contacts and she said to let her know any time I end up back in Osaka. We said goodbyes and shook hands (I really wasn't sure how to say goodbye to someone in Japan) and the bartender walked me to the station and directed me where to go. Again, I didn't need the instruction by I thought it was very kind of him to try to help out! I'm currently on my way back to Hiroshima and super happy with my short trip back to Osaka 🥺    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Laundry and Coffee - 洗濯して日本の喫茶店に行った

    14 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F

    I woke up early today to do some laundry. It ended up being rush hour around the time I was walking to the laundromat so I felt like I was standing out alot as an American toting around a large luggage while everyone else is trying to get to school or work.

    At the laundromat, an older woman was waiting for her clothes to dry and I was doing my best to read the washing machines. I eventually decided to ask her if laundry detergent was neccessary because I could not determine it from reading the instructions on the machine. She explained how the machines worked and which options I should select. The washing machines did not require anything additional to put inside of them! All you needed to do was put your clothes in and then the machine will wash your clothes automatically with its own detergent and then also dry tho clothes. In America, I have never seen a washing machine like this. I'm sure they exist, but all the places I've had to do laundry required bringing your own detergent, moving tho clothes from washer to dryer, and usually it's very overpriced. For a large load it was about 1400 yen (10ish dollars) which is expensive but well worth it if I don't need to transfer the clothes to a dryer or buy soap.

    While waiting for my clothes to wash and dry, I went accross the street to a coffee shop. When I walked in, it was clear they do not get many people who look like me in their cafe. The waitress stared at me and it was very quiet. I then said 「座ります？」which translates to "I will sit?" And the waitress gestured towards the seating area. I was embarassed because I know the correct grammar for saying "Is it okay if I sit?" But when I get nervous or in high-pressure situations I mess up my grammar and revert to caveman-style japanese.

    The waitress came over to the table and kind of just stood there thinking about what to say. It was awkward so I eventually said 「少し日本語が話せますよ」which means "I can speak a little Japanese". She let out a sigh of relief and and said 「よかった」which I would translate to "Thank god" or "phew, that's good". The cafe smelled faintly of smoke and the man a table over asked me if it was ok if he smoked. I don't mind the smell of smoke because it reminds me of my Grandma and visiting her when I was a kid. It kind of makes it feel homey. You cannot smoke indoors in America so this smell is rarely one I experience.

    She walked away and didn't bring me a menu when she came back so I just ordered a black coffee and studied some kanji. The coffee was actually very very good. It was definitely the best black coffee I've had in Japan and maybe even America. I didn't expect to get such high quality coffee since I found the shop out of convenience. Pleasantly suprised, I got up and paid my bill. I was really happy to see that the waitress went from a state of confusion and stress to being very happy and bubbly when I paid. I told her the coffee was very delicious and thanked her. It was really cool seeing the transition from discomfort to happiness when I was able to use a language they understood.

    This trip is so amazing because of experiences like this. I love that something as simple as going to a random coffee shop can result in a special out-of-the-ordinary experience because native Japanese are not used to foreigners being able to communicate outside of English. If I end up in Hiroshima again, I would like to come back to this cafe.    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Hiroshima WW2 Museum - 広島平和記念資料館

    14 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 37 °F

    Today we got up early to go to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. This is an important place to remember those who suffered during the bombings during World War 2 on Hiroshima that left over 100,000 people dead or left with life long health and social problems. This place is meant as a way to remind the world of the horrors that can come of using nuclear based weapons. Those who were not killed went on to live painful lives full or hardship.

    I wanted to see this place especially because of how it interlocks with my home country. We are taught various things in school from the perspective of America so it is important to also see things from the perspective of Japan. The contrast of these two countries during this time is another reason I was drawn to learn more about the culture of Japan. Only ~77 years ago our countries were at war and cultural exchange would be near impossible. Along with that, Japanese people in America had hardships because of the fears the American governent had about Japanese immigrants. Many immigrants were sent to internment camps as prisoners just because of their nationality, ethnicity, or how they look.

    If I were alive during that time, I would not get to have the cultural exchange experiences I'm having today and I would probably be brainwashed by propaganda to think that the Japanese people are a threat to America's safety. I'm thankful to live in the time I do now where both countries can live together in a symbiotic relationship. I'm thankful to have made the friends and connections that I have now that would probably not be possible in a similar political climate that existed during that era.

    We first stopped at the Atomic Bomb Dome where we saw the structure that was left standing after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Because the bomb was dropped directly above the structure, there was less horizontal force on the building allowing the dome to maintain its shape enough to still resemble a dome. The sign outside of the building said that there was a debate on whether to replace the building or to keep the structure as-is to to remember past events. As time went on, more and more structures were replaced and it was decided to maintain the structure as-is because so little was left to represent that day.

    From the dome, I stopped and got some pizza (I wanted to see what standard japanese pizza is like) and orange juice from a small cafe before heading to the main museum. I'm generally the kind of person who does not read many of the descriptions in museums but the stories that were told here of peoples' suffering were impossible not to read. Seeing so many children in pain and survivors' struggles was a very heavy experience. All those people had their entire lives consumed by a single day. No matter what their life was before, after that day their life became defined by the bombing. Any dreams they may have strived for or worked to achieve were taken away. Having this pushed onto them was truely cruel. It hurts to imagine having everything taken away in an instant as these people did. For many, the lives they lead after the bombing was a fate worse than death.

    I encourage anyone in Hiroshima to go to the museum to reflect on the atrocities that have once happened here. While vacations are meant for fun, it's important to take time to reflect on what it means to be human. And part of being human is doing our best to prevent anything like this happening again. To do this, the first step is always remembering.    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Exchange Studentー電車で日本語でベトナムの留学生に会えました！

    15 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F

    The group was getting on the train to travel to the underwater Tori gate on Miyajima island. The subway was very crowded and we knew we would be hiking later so all of us were attempting to sit together. When a woman got up to leave the train, a woman with more curly black hair was left remaining in the two person seat. Will and Steven were in the opposite seat. I came over and asked 「座ってください」and pointed at the left seat. After I sat down, I realized I said "Sit here please" and I actually meant to say "may I sit here?" Which is 「座ってもいいですか？」

    I told Will and Steven about my mistake and they responded with "you should tell her!" I leaned over and said 「座ってくださいと言いたけど座ってもいいと言うつもりでしたよ」which means "I said 'please sit here' but I meant to say 'is it ok if I sit here'"

    From then on we began having a conversation. She began asking me why I was in japan and if I was a foreign exchange student or here for work. I told her I was just here for travel and she was suprised that I was able to speak but am only in the country for travel. She asked me why I decided to learn Japanese and I told her I have Japanese friends and I think the food and culture is cool. She asked if there were many Japanese people in America because she didn't understand how I could have friends before coming here. We are blessed by the internet these days aren't we 😊

    I found out that she was actually from Vietnam and is currently a foreign exchange student studying Economics. It was really awesome to know that we were able to communicate only through a single common language. I don't speak Vietnamese and she doesn't speak English, so we were both communicating with a second language. I primarily thought that Japanese would be a medium to meeting Japanese people only but it's cool to know I can make new foreign friends from other countries as well!!    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Hiking up Mount Misenー弥山は登られました

    15 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 46 °F

    After arriving at the Miyajima ferry, we boarded and headed off to see the Miyajima Tori Gate that is known for being massive and partially submerged undewater. During high tide the Gate is floating in the water only able to be seen from the shore. During low tide it's actually possible to walk up to the gate and see it up close. I believe this portion of the year only has high tide so we saw it from a distance from the Daiganji Temple while visiting.

    Steven and I grabbed a "Miyajima Beer" which I can only assume was brewed on the island. It was a bit pricey but was actually one of my favorite beers I've had since coming to Japan. On the topic of beers, I understand a bit more why when my Japanese friends visited Pittsburgh they were not as picky as I would be about what kinds of beers to select from the menu. In America, I believe we are spoiled with our beer selection! There are so many craft breweries and moving even one state over will get you tens of new options. Going to a grocery store in Ohio versus Pittsburgh will look mostly the same but the Beer aisle will be very very different. Maybe craft beer is sort of like America's version omiyage culture. I sometimes bring local beer to friends to show them what they're missing out on 😅 If you don't know what an omiyage is (souvenier from a local place) I will put a brief description at the end with a * symbol. I believe these experiences are really helping me understand what would be interesting to a foreigner when visiting America. When my Japanese friends visited I had a really hard time understanding what would be cool or out of the ordinary to them because these things have been everyday life to me forever!

    Steven and Will wanted to go up the trail to reach the top of the island. The summit is very high up and the view was breathtaking up there. I was struggling to reach the top because it was about three hours of walking up many stairs and dirt roads. It was worth it, but Steven and Will clearly had a bit more stamina than me and kept leaving me behind 😭 I brought my go-pro and used it for the first time during this segment and will try to edit the video sometime I have more time and a computer handy. Overall it was pretty dangerous since I was alone most the time and if I fell there would really be no way to find where I am. There was only one other person we found and passed on the trail who was going the opposite direction.

    However, the view up top was amazing and totally worth the climb. I've never had a view quite like that and was astounded. Will and Steven never actually reached the summit (they took a different turn in a fork that led them somewhere else) so I was the only one who got this amazing view. I was sad I was the only one but the silence of being the only one there also made it a bit more special. I felt like I was being consumed by the view surrounding me. I felt so small in comparison to the rest of the world but I also felt so powerful being above everything. I had to leave but wanted to stay much longer. This experience is not one I expected to have while in Japan. Views like this are not common and I wish I could convey how it felt in words but I simply do not think it is possible. We all see the world through pictures on our screens but actually experiencing and seeing in real life is just an uncomparable experience. It's a refreshing reminder that hearing a story is fun, but creating your own story is what gives life meaning.

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    * An omiyage is a gift commonly purchased when one travels. They are wrapped up in cute little boxes and fancy paper usually. When visiting someone, it is considered polite to bring a gift and especially if you've been traveling to a area away from home. For example, if I visitied Hiroshima I would be expected to bring back an Omiyage that represents Hiroshima to my coworkers and friends. This sounds fun to me, but people who live here have told me it can get a bit annoying. Because it's an expectation, if you don't get an omiyage the people around you might feel a bit slighted. Thus, forgetting an omiyage can be very stressful. I've heard on a podcast there are even "bootleg omiyage" stores where you can pick up gifts from other regions just in case you forgot it win you were visiting 😆 In America, gift giving is seen as a special spontaneous thing and is never expected. So it's always a delight and suprise to get something or give something. I hope no one ever feels an obligation to return the gifts I give here because I just like showing people things they have not seen before 😊    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Wolf Bar!ーオオカミバー

    16 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Today, I split off from my American friends who will be going to Kyoto. Instead, I'll be meeting Ware at Wolf Bar to potentially meet some new people and see the famous bar that every furry who visits Japan talks about. If you're not aware, Wolf Bar is a furry centered bar that focuses on bringing people in the furry community together in the Asakusa area. The bartender is, as you may have guessed, a wolf who makes really cool cocktails. He will even take special requests and make a character or concept version of a drink you propose.

    I will add a short description of furry for anyone who is not familiar. Furry is a subculture dedicated to creating and expressing anthropomorphic characters through various mediums such as art, costumes, dancing, music, etc. Some people have costumes and some do not. However, most people tend to have a character that they create which represents themselves or how they would like themselves to be viewed. I'm a cat (meow) and have a partial costume, or partial fursuit, I brought with me to Japan. I enjoy furry because it's full of people who are willing to express a version of themselves and are usually not afraid to open up and create strong connections with each other. There are lots of genuine and kind people within the fandom all over the world. It has really helped my stay motivated learning Japanese because of the friends it has helped me make as well as getting to be part of a subculture within a whole different societal culture. I'm part of a furry discord server ran by Sekki-sensei who is a furry dedicated to teaching Japanese specializing in teaching furries who wish to learn. It's super cool to have someone dedicated to something like this and without him I'm not sure I would have been able to stay as motivated as I have been. I'll attach a link to the server if anyone is interested in joining 😉

    Most of the day was spent traveling to Tokyo on the shinkansen from Hiroshima. I left some luggage on the transfer so instead of writing I ended up talking to the staff about how to find it. Luckily it was found but it was a stressful experience!

    Upon arriving to Tokyo, I made it to the hotel and immediately got ready to head out to Wolf Bar. The outside did not have many markings so I ended up walking into what I'm guessing was a building dedicated to Taiko drums. No one asked me any questions about being in the building and I aimlessly walked around for about 2 minutes. I believe this is a representation of why Japan is seen as such a safe and trusting community. If I walked into a building like in America like this I would immediately be questioned on why I was there. There was a receptionist but he didn't even look my way and continued whatever he was working on.

    After my aimless wondering, I was finally able to find the bar! I was a bit nervous to try speaking at first because everone else was talking so fast and I could only really understand about 50% of what people were saying. I can usually understand the first part of the sentence but the verb conjugation at the end is where it gets difficult sometimes! And there are still lots of verbs I don't know. Luckily, I had ware as an emergency translator to help the conversation along. I can chat 1-on-1 but in large groups it's really hard to keep track of the tangents and who is talking to who.

    For example, there is a way in japanese to indicate "I wonder" （かな）and it's used a lot more commonly in Japanese than english. Without directly speaking to me, someone could ask a question but just say "I wonder what the answer to my question is". This can make it difficult for a learner like myself to understand that the question is directed at me! Once I pick up on sentences a bit more it won't be a problem but it feels bad to not catch small things like this. Ware helped me out and pointed out one of the instances where this happened. Japanese people also don't always make eye contact when speaking so that adds to the difficulty! One day I'll get it down, but I'll have to be able to understand closer to 80-90% of what people are saying to catch on better.

    Another cool thing about furry and Japanese culture is that furries in Japan exchange business cards. I got a couple cards from some of the patrons and I think it's super cool to have a physical medium to show your character as well as contact information. In America, you would need to ask for contact details or ask a friend if they know contact details. I like the "business" card culture because I'll be able to look up someone's name and also better remember who I met. Plus it's cool just to have a collection of cute art and cards as momentos of the experiences I had with other people.

    The wolf bartender, Ehon, in extremely friendly and kind. To put in this much effort for a gathering place for furries is something I've not heard of anywhere else in the world. It takes a special kind of person to do something like that! I ordered a "Ritz" style drink and showed him my furry business card as a reference. I was astounded by how beautiful the drink was but also how good it tasted. I'm not exaggerating when I say that he is one of the best bartenders I've ever had make me a cocktail.

    Afterwards, I went out to eat at an Izakaya with Ware and two other people I had just met named yoshiro and hagu. We drank sake and had various appetizers from the restaurant and talked. It really is a rewarding experience to be able to meet so many new people. I've found it difficult to find people to talk to in everyday activities in Japan but having a place like Wolf Bar and a community within furry to meet people has made the process that many deem near-impossible, a pretty natural experience!

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    Sekki's Japanese Learning Community
    https://www.patreon.com/FurryJapaneseSekki

    Wolf Bar
    https://twitter.com/asakusa_wolf?s=21&t=SlG…

    Artist for my business card
    https://twitter.com/yorozu1217?s=21&t=RvpYj…    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Asakusaー浅草や御田

    17 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    Today, I met up with Ware before he had head back home to Fukuoka in the evening. We walked down the long hallway of shops that lead up to the Sensoji Temple. I believe this is the oldest buddhist temple in Tokyo and the size of it was a bit suprising! I've seen pictures before but this building and tower is much much bigger than I imagined it to be. The roof sort of fades away in the distance when you look at it which emphasises how large it really is.

    There are two gates both with statues of Gods on the left and right portions before reaching the temple itself. If you look under the large red lantern, you will find wooden carving of a dragon underneath. It's very beautiful and it's a shame that it would be so easy to miss if you don't know where to look! However, it being in such a spot does make it feel a little more special as if it were a hidden easter egg.

    It was very crowded, many people were walking up and down the pathway that led up to the temple and browsing the food and novelty shops along the way. I bought a couple red bean candies from one of the shops as we went by. I've always really loved red bean and it's cool that I'm able to get it every day if I wanted to 😸 Red bean especially goes really well with ice cream as a topping. The little ice cream parfaits with red bean are probably one of my favorite desserts I've tried here so far.

    Reaching the main area before the temple, there was a structure that looked like a well with smoke rising out of it. People were surrounding the well and wafting the smoke into their face. Ware informed me that the smoke was meant to heal any ailments or problems you have which is why people were wafting it towards themselves. I purchased a small incense and attempted it myself. My mask smelled smokey for the rest of the day but I'm hoping that the smoke fixes the knot I have in my shoulder 😆

    At a temple like this you can also draw a fortune. After paying 100 yen, you can draw a stick from a box. The stick will have a number that corresponds with a numbered drawer that will contain your fortune. I drew a 9 and was lucky enough to get the "Best Fortune". I guess there is no better fortune than this so the rest of my trip must be pretty amazing to come 😊

    Afterwards, we went to one of Ware's favorite sushi restaurants in the area. There was a small device designed for you to press your cup into and water would come out. Ware said that it's a sort of meme to ask foreigners what it's for before showing them how to use it. It looks really strange and I can understand why people wouldn't know what it's for.

    We then went and tried something similar to what I would call a beef stew. Ware said it was primarily made from the achilles tendon of the cow. I would say this dish reminds me the most of home, similar to something I ate when I was growing up. There are not many dishes that resemble american cuisine so I was very suprised by the flavor. The meat was very soft and rich. Writing about it now makes me want some more 😅

    We then made our way over to a restaurant that serves Oden. Ware informed me that Oden is a winter dish in Japan and isn't usually served year-round. Oden is a type of soup with an assortment of soaked ingredients in a dashi broth. We got to pick out the various items to go into the Oden when we ordered. I can imagine how this dish would be nostalgic for people who grew up here as it was hearty and felt like something you would eat while bundled up in a bunch of blankets. The chef talked with us a bit when he found out that I was able to speak some. I really couldn't understand most of what he said but ware helped with the translation. He asked me how I would describe dashi since lots of foreigners don't know what Oden would taste like. Personally, I would just call it Dashi but I suppose that "seaweed broth" or "kombu broth" might come accross a bit more plainly.

    The chef also gave us a couple reccomendations of dishes that have been on the menu for that particular restaurant through the years. It's my understanding that recipes and shops with cultural history pass recipes down over the years as part of keeping the tradition alive. We tried a type of pickled vegetables and what I think was a version of fried tofu. It's a shame that it's so difficult to remember food names here because the menus are written in Kanji. If I don't take a picture, I probably will never be able to find the food again unless I happen upon it by chance.

    I'm excited for the time where I can have a simple conversation like this in Japanese where I'm not straining to understand. Visiting Japan has been both humbling and motivating for my Japanese learning. I feel like my skill level is just enough to communicate on the most basic level. I want to be able to have a friendly natural conversation would be awesome! It's fun to be able to give the "foreigner" perspective.

    Thanks Ware for showing me around and teaching me about the area ☺️

    Ware took his leave after the Oden then I headed over to Wolf Bar for a second time. I talked with some people and the bartender a bit more. Language learning is like a rollercoaster regarding levels of confidence. Some days I feel like I can't speak at all and I know next to nothing. Some experiences make me super happy and proud of my ability. Having these small times where I can communicate help learning the language feel worthwhile. Even if I'm not able to expres myself naturally, I can at least communicate on a level above zero. Without it, I don't think I could have gone to the bar by myself. I guess I could have but it would have been a lonely experience. I will continue to do my best and I'm hoping my next trip to Japan I'll be able to look back on my experiences now and compare the experieces in a postive way.    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    English Cafeー言語の練習する喫茶店

    18 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    One of my Japanese senseis reccomended I check out this cafe called an "English Only Cafe". While the name implies that only English is used, it is actually a cafe where people can go to be in an environment where everyone is only speaking a specific language such as Japanese, French, English or Spanish. In order to attend, you have to sign up via an app called Meetup and then show the staff when you wish to participate. I'll link the cafe at the bottom.

    Upon entering, the session had already started and I went up to the cafe counter to ask how it all works. Essentially, you need to buy a drink and then you got to an assigned table where people are speaking whatever your target language is. I got to the Japanese table and was able to have some conversation about my interests and hobbies. I think people asked me a lot of questions because I put a lot of information on the little "about me" name card that asks for occupation, name and hobbies.

    I found it easy to speak but it was difficult to hear others because every table had people talking and I am not good at picking out a voice when there is so much noise in the room. Plus, people are wearing masks and Japanese people seem to naturally speak quietly. I feel I would have a lot easier time understanding if people didn't have masks but 仕方がない！

    Something that happens alot when learning new words in Japanese is finding out that a new word is just a Japanese word of an English word. This happened a couple times during the session and happens all the time during Japanese lessons. For example, I might ask "how do I say glass" and then the answer is "gurasu (グラス)". Sometimes it feels like I should just say the english words in japanese style before asking, but I think it's safer to ask. Sometimes the conversion is not exactly the same. For example, "McDonalds" is "makudonarudo(マクドナルド)" which is not what I would have naturally guessed as the syllables for the english loan word. Nonetheless, I think it's better to ask to avoid learning a bad habit.

    As opposed to American culture, Japanese people tend to avoid correcting you or even saying when they do not understand what you said. I believe this is because of the culture centering around not causing trouble for other people. Correcting and stating misunderstanding are both actions that but a "burden" on the person speaking. My senseis will do this, but also it's sort of their job. For an average person, I think they will just respond instead of giving feedback. For this reason, I commonly ask if I'm understood or if it sounded natural. Maybe getting this confirmation doesn't fit in with the culture because I'm sort of putting a burden on the listener to evaluate what I said. That's a risk I'm willing to take in order to improve though 😤

    After the first rotation I met up with a couple at the Japanese speaking table. One a native Japanese woman, Shiori, and Matt, a German transplant who had been in Japan the last four years. Matt and I have similar jobs so we eventually switched to English and discussed the intricacies of how working in tech in Japan may differ from how my American company operates.

    I was very suprised to learn that Shiori had learned English so well without ever leaving Japan. She spoke in a very casual style that would lead me to believe she had studied abroad and learned how to joke around in english. She loves anime as well so that made it really easy to get along 😆 Matt's japanese was also very good from living here 4 years. It was nice to have someone to talk about the struggles of learning with and get the perspective of someone who has been working in Japan as a foreigner. Matt said one of the hardest aspects was understanding what formality to use with coworkers. Sometimes a coworker is younger but also has been at the company longer. Thus, it gets difficult to know which style, formal or casual to use.

    In Japanese, you generally use the formal style to speak with strangers, people older than you, or people senior to you (senpaiー先輩). The casual style is used to speak with close friends, family, people younger than you, and people junior to you (kouheiー後輩). The difficult comes from when other people are a mix of these things such as being younger but also your senpai at a particular company. Even if someone has only worked at the company a couple days more than you, they become your senpai. My understanding of Japanese workplace culture is that being a senpai gives you a bit of an authority over other people where your opinion/input carries more weight than you kouhais. In my American company, this is completely opposite. I encourage new people to question how we do things at the company. Even if someone has been at the company ten years longer than me, I would not hesitate to question the feasibility something they are proposing. For this reason, I don't think I'd thrive at a Japanese company. I have a hard time staying quiet when I am confident a solution will not provide the best result. I think this is seen as a positive thing in American work culture and has helped me but would probably get me fired or something in a Japanese company 😇

    We spoke a bit about how there seems that Japanese people want to be talked to but give off the vibe that they do not want to be bothered. I'm sure there's a mix of people who want to be talked to and not, but it feels like no one wants to be talked to with the way people present themselves. Many people make themselves as small as possible, take up as littlie space as possible, don't look away from their phones, and make no noise. Thus, saying anything to someone feels like you are disturbing them. In America, I would be uncomfortable approaching someone giving this vibe! I sometimes feel like I'm taking up too much space, but maybe that's because I have a bigger frame than alot of the people here. On the train everyone is able to stand super close and not touch. However, I feel like I'm always accidentally bumping someone with my bag or elbow and it's embarassing 😅

    It was rewarding to make two new friends from the Cafe! Maybe I'll go back towards the end of my trip. I want to squeeze in as many unique experiences as possible so I'll probably explore Tokyo more this week instead of talking in the cafe. I think it was ok practice but it was kind of surface level conversation that I get a lot of practice doing already.

    Shoutout to Matt and Shiori for being so cool 😎 Hopefully we all get time to go out to Akihabara together!! (everyone keeps telling me to go there so I guess I'm officially an Otaku)

    English Cafe link
    ——
    Check out ☕️ *FREE* English International Meetups & Language Exchanges on Meetup https://meetu.ps/c/2GRh9/tZlN3/a    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Shinjuku Apartmentー新宿でアパートのようなホテル

    18 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    This week is meant to be a week of spontaneous plans in Tokyo. Since the last two weeks I've been with my two friends, it has been a costant flow of activity every day. I want to have a little time to rest before my trip picks back up again around Christmas Eve. These are just my general thoughts on the comparison between this apartment and what my experiences have been in American apartments.

    My friend told me that this hotel/apartment is a bit larger than what a normal Japanese apartment may be. It's definitely smaller than the average American apartment but I think the appliances and placement of all the appliances lets this apartment have more utility that what the average American apartment has compared to the space taken up. Many more appliances are able to be fit into a small kitchen. I think in America these appliances would be set on the counter but in this Japanese apartment they integrate the appliances right into the counter.

    I'm a very very very big fan of how the bathtub is set up. The tub was super deep and there was a little electronic control to fill up the tub and with how much water. I rarely take a bath in the states but took a bath pretty much every single day in this apartment😶‍🌫️ All of the hotel tubs in Japan have been bigger than any tub I've experienced in America. I knew Japan took baths seriously, but I didn't realize how much I would come to love relaxing in the tub here compared to back home. At home, I have to buy a special drain plug to keep the tub from draining once it gets to about 3/5 full. In Japan, the tubs are so deep you don't need to worry about it at all. This apartment bathroom also had a drain on the floor outside the tub. So, there was no need for a curtain. It felt so much more spacious and chill to be able to take a shower or bath without having the curtain confining you to the tub. This is not something I ever thought about before but I really liked having a literal "bath" room instead of having the sink/toilet/bath all together in one and especially the floor drain.

    The balcony had a really cool view but I didn't use it much because it was kind of chilly out. The insulation in Japan is not as good as America so the cold was able to seep in much more easily as well. The hanging heater is very effective but it took me a bit to figure out what the most desirable celcius temperature is. Plus, the first night I didn't turn it on at all so I didn't want to get out of bed 🛌 I finally understand the song about not wanting to leave the futon 😂 (linked at bottom)

    With such a small space, leaving out one or two pieces of clothing or trash can make the space feel cluttered. So I made sure to constantly be cleaning and putting things away as I used them. I liked being forced to do this because my Apartment at home is large enough that I can ignore clutter until cleaning it up becomes a large task 😅

    -----
    I Don't Want to Leave My Futon song
    https://youtu.be/Yv6shy_9KVM

    Comparison of Japanese/American insulation and heating:
    https://youtube.com/shorts/qobwYAOSLAc?feature=…    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Birthday Hambagu!ー誕生日とハンバーグ

    20 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ☀️ 48 °F

    Today is my birthday! In all honesty, I usually get pretty sad on my birthday. In America, Christmas is a time where people return to see their family and make many vacation plans. As a kid, and even as an adult, people tend to lump Christmas and my birthday together as well. It just makes the day feel very forgettable compared to other peoples' birthdays. As a result, many people forget my birthday or fail to say "happy birthday" to me. For that reason, I do my best to remember peoples' birthdays because I don't want them to feel the same way. I don't really expect gifts or anything like that but I do appreciate being remembered. I have some close people who always remember and I appreciate you ❤️

    Today, I met up with my friend makun for some ramen for lunch and then for Dinner we went to a popular hambagu restaurant. Makun said that it's pretty difficult to get reservations there but he works nearby so it's a bit easier for him. We walked up to a machine where we put in money pressed a button for our order. These machines have a cool vintage feel to them and you get physical recipets to give to the waitress. Reading the machine was diffucult so luckily makun helped me out. I put in my order and got three separate reciepts.

    We sat down and a small drawer under the counter had all the utensils and tools you would need to enjoy the meal. I thought this was pretty cool, but I'm unsure if it's common! We waited a bit and were served some rice along with miso soup. Makun taught be that to ask for more rice you can say 代わり(kawari)お願いします which literally translates to "replacement please". We got three hambagu total and used a series of different sauces from the dispence to season the hambagu. I would describe hambagu as little meatloafs that look like little hamburgers. Many americans are confused by the concept of hambagu because it sounds very similar to hamburger. I suspect many foreigners have been suprised when they order the wrong one.

    On the way back from the restaurant, we saw some Christmas lights hanging down an alley. During this time of year, Japan has many christmas lights. It may be more than I'm used to even in the states. I really appreciated having someone to spend time with today as it was a weekday and many people are busy with end of the year activities at work. Thanks Makun for being an awesome friend 😊    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Team Lab - PLANETS

    22 december 2022, Japan ⋅ 🌙 52 °F

    Today, I was recovering from a really bad hangover from the night before 🍻 I didn't want the day to be completely dedicated to recovering so I booked tickets to see the Team Lab Planet interactive art exhibition. I wanted to go to the other Team Lab Borderless location but it was closed down around when the borders opened up to foreigners. For this section, I'll be listing the exhibitions in the order of interesting I found them. I actually accidentally left before seeing the last Garden area so maybe I will go again!

    *********
    Orientation
    *********

    Getting into line for the museum, we were asked to stand in a queue and watch a video explaining the rules and what to expect. The video announced there were some parts of the exhibit where you may be knee deep in water. At this point, it was clear most of the people attending were not Japanese because the whole room got very loud with people exclaiming in suprise when they learned shoes and long pants were not optional. This was a bit jarring because I've been getting used to the buses and trains being completely silent even when something out of the ordinary happens.

    We stepped inside and I placed all of my belongings, shoes, and socks into a locker and walked into a dark hallway where I'd enter the first exhibit.

    *********
    The Infinite Crystal Universe
    https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/ew/infinite_c…
    *********

    The Infinite Crystal Universe really did feel like I was in another world. My entire vision was consumed with the LED lights that hung from the ceiling and were reflected by mirrors on the ground. When looking into a mirror on the wall, it looked as if I was floating in a sea of light. I loved how there were times where I didn't really feel like an individual walking but instead felt like an entity floating trough light. This was probably my favorite exhibit because of how consumed by the art I was able to feel. Viewers were also able to influence the LEDs by using the phone application. By selecting from the assortment of random LED patterns called "stars", we were able to influence how the lights performed.

    *********
    Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers
    https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/ew/fitfuof/
    *********

    This exhibit had flowers projected onto a sphere ceiling where you could watch endless flowers falling in different patterns. What made this so cool was the feeling of being consumed by the falling flowers. The floor was mirrors and the projecters were skillfully conceiled so it felt like I was existing in a whole different world. We were able to lay down and watch as the flowers and butterflies went by and it was mesmerizing. I spent a long time here just laying down and staring up at the ceiling and thinking about how cool it was that an artificial world like this could take me away from reality.

    *********
    Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People - Infinity
    https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/ew/koi_and_pe…
    *********

    This exhibit was the one that required you to get about knee deep in water and walk around. Koi were projected directly down onto the water as as you walked, you would influence the path of the koi and how they gather within the water. I think it's amazing how the koi react to the individuals viewing the art rather than on a predermined route. This makes every viewing of the art a unique experience.

    *********
    Matter is Void
    https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/ew/matterisvo…
    *********

    This exhibit existed within the koi pond exhibit. I was a bit confused on the purpose of this piece until I read the snippet outside the exhibit that explained its purpose. The words read "Paper Burns as I Write" and originally read "Matter is Void" when the exhibit was first released. The art exists as an NFT where the owner of the NFT can change the words at will. When the words are changed, the font, letter, and effects will also change within the NFT. Thus, this is an example of living art where anyone can experience the art in that moment but it may change as ownership of the NFT changes. A lot of people do not like the idea of NFTs, but I think this is a good example of how they can be used for artistic expression. The technology behind NFTs is not itself evil or corrupt, but many associate the scams associated with them as a catch-all label that NFTs are bad and should be completely erradicated. In all honesty, NFTs are just a tool in the same way a knife is a tool. A knife can cause immense harm to an individual but also provide endless positive influences such as helping us cook food, cut rope, open boxes, etc. I find it very strange that people can not see beyond the confined black and white conclusion that a particular tool is good or bad. All tools are tools, and it's how we as humans use them that make them bad or good.

    *********
    Waterfall of Light Particles at the Top of an Incline
    https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/ew/lightparti…
    *********

    The first exhibit played peaceful music while I walked down a hallway of darkness lit only by blue lights illuminating the floor. After a sharp left, a ramp with flowing water led up to a Waterfall at the top. It was refreshing to feel the water pass my feet and only hear soft music with the sound of flowing water. As with most of these exhibits, the world seemed to fade away as I was experiencing this moment. The feeling of water brushing past, the incline gripping my feet, the light at the end of the tunnel, and the feeling of being all on my own was serene. I had not done much research on the exhibits so I was suprised to immediately have such a sensory experience. Reaching the top, there is a water fall that had been supplying the incline with its flowing water. What truely made the waterfall beautiful was that the source of light wasn't particulary easy to identify, so it seemed like the waterfall itself was illuminated and no exterior lights were to be found. This exhibit was simple but beautiful in its simplicity.

    *********
    Soft Black Hole
    https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/ew/soft_black…
    *********

    This floor of this room contains a material that will consume your whole leg similar to quick sand. I went accross as an individual, but the idea of this room is that as other people move accross the ground with you, it changes your own gait and ability to walk. I love art like this which shows how the actions of those around you can influence your own environment and how your own actions can influence others.

    *********
    Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space - Flattening 3 Colors and 9 Blurred Colors, Free Floating
    https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/ew/transformi…
    *********

    I don't have much to say about this exhibit. The purpose of it was that as people enter and leave the area, the spheres would react and change color or rise and lower based on the pressure in the room. The more people, the more the variables would change and impact the spheres. The concept is cool, but while I was in the room it was difficult to observe differences in the spheres.

    *********
    Synopsis
    *********
    Overall, I think this type of art is my favorite. All the exhibits are a bit like the Schrödinger's cat experiment where the act of observing the art changes the art itself. Many classical pieces capture eras in time but interactive pieces such as this capture moments in time. That one moment, with the combination of interactions or the observers create an experience completely unique to the individual. I could go back here and have a completely different experience because of the people surrounding me. Being able to capture the concept of how every experience we have on a day to day basis is influenced by our surroundings is truly beautiful and moving.    Meer informatie

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  • Ritz リッツIsekai Travels - JapanReiziger

    Christmas and Mangaークリスマスとか漫画

    25 december 2022, Japan ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Today I spent the day at my family friend's home. Her youngest showed me his extensive nerf gun collection and showed me some parts of YouTube I never knew existed (Many Nerf Gun live-action videos)

    Today was also meant to be a day where I can catch up on writing these journal entries and catch up with Teresa and her family who I haven't seen for over a decade! She used to babysit me so it's weird going from seeing them as a teenager to now seeing them when I've just turned thirty years old 🤯

    For Christmas the kids opened their presents and we had American style breakfast. It's my first time being out of a hotel since getting to Japan so it was nice to have the homey vibe and catch up on various things with everyone. It was definitely a strange feeling having finished all of Christmas morning before America had even entered the day of Christmas though! The time difference is quite significant.

    I told Teresa that I've been looking for a couple series of books and we drove over to the book store. It's annoying to get manga in the USA so I wanted to grab a couple series while I'm here. I was able to grab Ranking of Kings, Chainsaw Man, and Spy Family. I saw a whole collection of Beastars in Hiroshima that I also want but they didn't have it at the Tachikawa location 😭 I'm going to take advantage of their military status to mail the different things I've purchased back to the states so I don't have to lug them around. Luckily, there are specific boxes that have no weight limit because books are extremely heavy. That's why I didn't buy the Beastars set in Hiroshima because I would have had to carry it everywhere. Manga in the US can be slow to recieve and expensive. I got almost three complete series for under 100 dollars so I'm happy with that 😺

    Luckily I'm able to have Teresa as a home base to leave some of my luggage and heavy items so I can acquire more things on my travels and also have a place where there are people I know and can stay without having to pay for a hotel. I'll be back to visit my Japanese sensei in Tokyo so I'm glad I don't have to pay for another hotel during that time. I really appreciate their hospitality and how accomidating they have been 🥹 Without them, I might have spent my Christmas here by myself somewhere. Sometimes, it feels like I don't really have a family to go home to and it's good to be reminded that family is beyond only being related by blood.    Meer informatie

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