Whilst I have been attending to my graduate studies, Tokyo has entered another state of emergency that was extended beyond its initial period. As a result, I had a very quiet Golden Week (a Japanese national holiday).
Sanshiro pond on the campus of the University of Tokyo.
I have also been following the mounting public opposition to the upcoming Olympics. Through a journalism class at my graduate school and with some existing journalism experience, I have been able to do some reporting on the issue for a paper. I am trying to do grapple with the different perspectives that make up public opinion. It has also been excellent practice of Japanese as I am conducting research, carrying out interviews in both languages and trying to stay as updated as I can on the issue by following press conferences, statements and different news outlets. Due to the covid restrictions preventing some members of the overseas press from working on their coverage, I feel a sense of responsibility – as someone who is not only in the country but will not be confined to the Olympic bubble – to try to really tap into what the current situation is domestically.
I have also been challenging myself to work on my design skills by attending a self-publishing design class on weekends at a local community space before the state of emergency was announced. With the teacher, I am hoping to publish and distribute a zine on my research topic in an zine fair later this year. Working alongside the other participants, who all live locally and have a variety of occupations, has been an interesting way to interact with people outside of my university. For the time being, we will be updating each other via zoom until we can resume our in-person workshops.
Despite actually spending very little time outside of my home this month, I have felt very tapped in and engaged in a variety of new challenging activities that have also really required me to try to make use of my existing language abilities – but have also motivated me to work harder to get to a higher level.
My spring break is over and the new term in Japan – in fact, the new school year – has begun. I have been busy attending the introductory seminars of my classes to decide what to register for this term. I am considering taking some classes outside of my normal subject areas as there are many classes available for my interdisciplinary course – from urban design to policy. I am also interested in getting involved in the university-wide media art exhibition that is held every year. This will also be a great way to meet students from across the university and practise my Japanese in a team environment. One downside of term is that I am still trying to adjust back into having long stretches of time in zoom lectures. Classes are still online but students are making use of the university facilities.
Towards the end of my break, the state of emergency was lifted and I was invited by a friend to attend his outdoor tea ceremony event in Kyoto. It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a tea ceremony on the bank of the Kamogawa, under the cherry blossom, in a quiet Kyoto, so I found myself on a shinkansen heading over. It was a really special experience and a unique setting to practise my Japanese! It was even the tea master’s first try doing nodate (an outdoor tea ceremony) in this setting so it was a fresh experience even for guests who were better trained in tea ceremony. I stayed in Kyoto for five days and saw some of the most beautiful cherry blossom of my life in nearby Nara. Having only been to Kyoto when I was a very young child, I was in awe of the beautiful temples – which are probably just as beautiful no matter how many times you visit! A particular favourite was Nanzenji. It was a Zen Buddhist temple and the view from the top of the wooden gate of the temple with the mountains behind it was really spectacular.
With that exciting end to my break, I am now even considering seeing if I can get an internship in Kyoto for part of the summer. Of course, this all depends on the effects of the ongoing pandemic as nearby Osaka has just declared a record number of cases.
Tokyo is still in a state of emergency so I have tried to only visit open-air places and socially distance on any of outings during this break. I also don’t feel quite comfortable doing any domestic travel during this current climate so I have been having a nice, laid-back time familiarising myself with the city (and using my Japanese!) to recharge ahead of my activities next term.
On a friend’s recommendation, I explored the Shibamata area with some fellow graduate students from another Tokyo university. We love ‘shitamachi’ areas of Tokyo so it was a lovely area to walk around. We popped into a little retro sweet shop, had a walk down the shotengai or shopping street and we went to a temple with a famous pine tree that resembles a dragon. It is normally a touristy area but it was very quiet under the current circumstances.
This month I was also able to see some early cherry blossom. There had already been plum blossom dotting the streets of Tokyo but this was the first spot of cherry blossom I had seen this year. With some coursemates, we headed to a park on the outskirts of Tokyo and by the coast (!) because we had seen online that there was a good chance of some early cherry blossom there. Sure enough, when we arrived, we were able to see some trees that were beginning to bloom. It was also a really pleasant day as Tokyo has been warming up recently (up to 20 degrees Celsius on some occasions!) and it was nice to see the ocean for the first time in a while. I am potentially planning on going to some more coastal areas for some ethnographic study later this month and I am looking forward to being by the sea again. I have also been looking ahead at my commitments next term and making some preparations through reading and drafting up research plans.
State of emergency in Tokyo is expected to be lifted in late March but I suspect there is also the possibility of extension. Some research conducted by the university I attend has been circulating in Japanese media and it suggests that continued caution is necessary to keep case numbers down.
Good evening from Tokyo! It’s Hana. Since my last post, I have finished up my university term and my spring break has just begun as, in Japan, the new academic year begins in April. I have to get used to this different academic calendar! As a graduate student, there were many final papers and exams to complete as the term rolled to a close. I also had the added complication of my laptop breaking with only a few weeks (and all my final deadlines) to go! Luckily I was able to get it fixed quite quickly.
I am quite relieved to be done with all my work in the first term of my master’s. When I stop to think of all the different classes I took, I am quite proud of all the work I managed to complete. But my current task is working out how I am going to spend all this free time I have all of a sudden! Japanese graduate school has more contact hours than I am used to, especially as a humanities student, so I really want to make the most of time outside of term time to really explore the city and use my Japanese outside of university settings. I live in a very nice, laid-back area and it has been nice to go around and chat with the owners of various independent shops here. On my evening walk today, I came across a second-hand bookshop that I had never seen before with a selection of Japanese and English language books.
Towards the end of term I also met with my potential adviser and he introduced me to a PhD student with similar research interests to me. I was able to attend an exhibition she was involved in about war-displaced individuals of Japanese descent in the Philippines. I have been thinking a lot about questions of national identity and belonging recently – probably because the first thing people always ask me here is where I am from! – and I found it to be a very interesting exhibition. We agreed to meet up in her campus office for a coffee later on in the month.
Speaking of national identity, a fellow coursemate and I met up to unwind and reflect on the term we just completed. Somehow, we ended up deciding to go for some afternoon tea. I didn’t imagine I would come all the way to Tokyo from the UK to have afternoon tea! Maybe next time we can go have some matcha and wagashi.
Standing in front to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
Hello everybody! My name is Hana and I am currently enrolled at the University of Tokyo for my master’s degree and I am very thankful for the support of the John Speak Trust. I had always hoped to be able to live in Tokyo and have the opportunity to work on my language skills.
The journey to starting my long-awaited studies in Japan was not as smooth as I had hoped – I don’t think there is any need for me to explain why! – but I am very thankful that I have been able to begin my new life in Tokyo as I know many others have still not be able to begin their studies abroad this academic year.
My master’s degree at the University of Tokyo has been conducted remotely so far and this has made for quite a unique graduate school experience. It was only very recently that I visited campus and was able to meet up with a student in my cohort. However, sadly that was to be my only trip as a state of emergency has recently been declared in Tokyo. Whilst the city is not in lockdown, I would like to act with caution as cases continue to rise nation-wide.
I am glad that, just before this, I was able to make it to a very interesting exhibition of Eiko Ishioka’s work at the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art. The design work on show – from graphic design to costume design – spanned many years and transnational collaborations. It was very inspiring to see the energy and vitality of such a designer and I felt I could really sense the breadth of her creative ambition through the variety of projects she worked on throughout the years. I was particularly struck by her advertising work in 70s Japan in which she aimed to rewrite the ideals of Japanese femininity through her advertising campaigns.
Even though there are many restrictions on all of our activities, it has still been an eventful and exciting time. Settling into a new country involves many administrative steps – with the added stress of attempting to move country during a global pandemic! – so it has felt very busy. Now I have managed to safely arrive and begin my life here, I am just hoping that my course will include in-person teaching soon and that I will (fingers-crossed!) be able to conduct an internship this summer.
Following my undergraduate degree in Japanese at the University of Edinburgh, I was lucky enough to secure the support of the John Speak Trust in continuing my language studies at a language school in Tokyo for three quarters of a year as the next step towards pursing my long-time dream of studying animation in Japan.
The adorable birthday cake my host family bought for me on my birthday
This has really enabled me to concentrate on improving my language, in all four areas, without having to worry too much about the money side. So I was able to graduate from my language school’s highest class, with a newfound confidence in my ability to speak and live in Japanese.
Reflections of buildings in a canal in Nagoya, taken on a trip just past new year.
My language school followed the philosophy that Japanese is best taught in Japanese, forcing us to use what we knew and practice all the time, and I tried my best to eat, sleep and breathe Japanese in my free time too. Through reading, watching Japanese films and TV without subtitles, talking with friends and my host family, even learning a few Japanese songs on my guitar.
It surprised me how quickly I found myself improving and having less trouble understanding what was happening. So I guess it is true that full immersion in the target language does wonders for language learning.
I am super grateful to the John Speak Trust for helping me financially to realise this experience.
My host family’s 8 year old daughters school had a day when they went round in groups finding out about local businesses, etc. I helped out by talking about how Homestay works and what Scotland is like.
However, I received much more than financial support from this scholarship, which I was not expecting. As other scholars have mentioned feeling, I was a little daunted by the monthly reports at first, unsure what to write about and whether they would be
interesting, but as time went by I began to really enjoy writing my reports. Challenging myself to use the grammar I’d learnt recently in class to write more and more in-depth and (hopefully) more engaging reports for the reader. Thus developing my writing skills while reflecting upon my experiences while I was there. I now end my scholarship with a lovely reminder of my time in Japan and a new interest in blogging that I hope to continue which I might never have discovered without the push from the Trust.
By far the best thing about my experience in Japan was my wonderful host family. They welcomed me into their home and made me feel like I was just another family member. Which was of great comfort in a country so far from “home”. They joined in my celebrations when I did well on tests, and supported me through various issues, including when my wallet with my residence card, health insurance card etc in disappeared on a night out with friends (quite probably stolen). I loved coming home and playing with the kids, or listening to Hiba (the kids great-grandma) telling stories of what her corner of the world was like 60~80 years ago, her escapades with the Yakuza (the Japanese Mafia) or through the war (WWII). I learned so much more than just language by staying there, on a vast range of subjects ranging from dinosaurs to history to Japan’s school system and culture. But more than that, I have come away with a second family. Nothing can compare to how I felt when the youngest child (a mischievous little 4 year old) told me he loved me for the first time, nor when I found out he asked after me on the nights I was out. It made leaving Japan all the harder.
A sign I saw at Starbucks explaining how to sign “like” and “dislike”. And that they have hearing impaired staff working at that branch, I thought this was a really sweet idea.
I cannot thank the John Speak Trust enough for all the support I have received from them, and I will treasure the memories forever. This experience has allowed me to grow so much, I would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone considering it. I feel like living in a foreign country opens up a multitude of new experiences, and broadens your horizons. I am now counting down the days till I go back to start studying at a Japanese University in early April as the first UK undergraduate MEXT (Japanese government) scholar, which I do not believe would have been possible were it not for the confidence I gained from my experience with the Trust.
Probably the best view of Mt.Fuji I have ever seen
Bus Trip to Hakone
The Japanese language school that I go to took all the students to Hakone as a winter school trip. Hakone is a popular tourist spot near Tokyo famous for its onsen. It’s a place I’d never been to before. Because it takes 2 hours by bus to get there from school, the meeting time was 7.45am, with departure scheduled for 8am. But due to the fact that I don’t live anywhere near school, in order to be on time I had to leave home at 6.30am. For some reason I struggled to fall asleep the night before, it was tough…
On route there were traffic jams caused by accidents, and we got stuck behind an extremely slow lorry on a small mountain road (the driver was doing something on their phone while driving), so it took us around 3 hours to get there in the end. Our first plan upon arriving at Hakone was the Hakone “pirate ship”. However, being 1 hour later than planned, even the teachers didn’t know whether we could still ride it. In a lucky turn off events we arrived at the port just as the ship was pulling in, so we just managed to ride it. Rather than just being a normal ferry, this ship was built to look like an old sailboat like its name suggests. It was a little bit cheap looking, and rather touristy, but we got a really good view of the stunning scenery and Mt. Fuji while riding it. Also managed to take some nice photos.
After that we ate lunch, then split into two groups, onsen course and sightseeing course. I was in the sightseeing group. First we took the cable car up the mountain to the Ōwakudani valley. It is known as “the valley of hell” and when you arrive it is easy to see why. The yellowish green rocks everywhere, the trees and other plants covered in a white substance, thick white steam coming out the ground and the strange smell in the air. This is due to the area being an active volcano. There are lots of sulphur rich rocks, creating that smell, and steam due to the volcanic activity. It was my first time going anywhere like that. It was amazing.
Wherever you go in Japan there are meibutsu, special food or drink associated with that region or place. For example, Tokushima prefecture’s meibutsu is Sudachi (a kind of fruit similar to a Lime), Nagoya’s is Uiro (a kind of sweet not dissimilar to mochi) or Hitsumabushi (a dish with grilled eel over rice). Ōwakudani’s is Black eggs. The eggs shells turn black due to them being boiled in sulphur rich water. It is said that eating one of the black eggs will extend your life by seven years. Also, according to a leaflet in the souvenir shop, the black eggs have more flavour and nutrient value than normal eggs. They sell the black eggs in packs of five there, so I bought one with my classmates and we all tried one. But, it was just the same taste as a normal egg. I was a little disappointed. Hopefully it at least extends my life by seven years.
Lastly, we went to The Hakone Open-Air Art Museum. They had lots of sculptures outside, and the weather was good. It was really interesting. But it did make me feel like I wanted to be a kid again. There were lots of places for kids to play in, and it looked really good fun. I also wanted to play inside a sculpture, but there were various age limits (e.g. 6yrs old or under). The only thing an adult could go in was a stained glass tower. Besides the outside part, there was also a Picasso exhibit. I saw some sculptures and crockery that Picasso had done for the first time, so I learned something new. Then we got the bus back to Tokyo.
Wine event
Among one of my friends acquaintance, there is a guy that imports wine from California. He holds events to sell wine around once a month. My friend helps out at these events as a part time job, and I was invited along to see how it works for the February event. It was a really good experience.
At the event, there were 8 white wines, one rose, and around 12 red wines set out on the table. And the customers could try the wines they were interested in, then fill out an order form once they decided which to buy. I arrived in the half time break. To start with I tried all the wines, read an information sheet (really for the customers) and copied my friend’s notes on the wines. After around 15 mins, customers started arriving. Even though I know very little about wine, I was soon behind the table serving wine and answering questions. Had a lot of conversations with the customers. Obviously all in Japanese. On my name badge, I wrote that I am from Scotland so I got a lot of questions on why I can speak Japanese, why I came to Japan, and about Scotland and the Uk as well as about wine. It made me notice that my Japanese level has improved.
I still don’t feel confident answering questions about wine, but it was super interesting listening to the people working at the event talking about it. They talked with such enthusiasm, knew lots of little facts, and used words in a way that made you want to hear more. I know I still have a long way to go, but I hope that someday I will be able to talk like that.
Taking Japanese style Graduation Photos
Taking graduation photos
When graduating from University, Japanese people often wear Hakama, an item of clothing similar to a skirt worn over a Kimono to the ceremony. I think it’s an extremely beautiful thing. When I saw my friends stunning graduation photos, I hoped that one day I could also wear one. I was really fortunate to get a chance to wear one recently. My Japanese language school owns around 10 Hakama for both genders. And when students on a student visa graduate they hold an event to wear them and take graduation photos. So of course I did it.
We were able to pick our preferred colour from the kimono that school owned. I got there a little early, so I got to pick first and chose a pretty blue and purple one (which I think was the best). And a dark purple Hakama to go with it. Then two of the teachers helped everyone get dressed, tied the obi’s etc. The kind that we wore was a slightly simplified version, but even so it took a while to get changed. Normally beneath the Kimono you wear a white undershirt but we just wore the visible white collar part, and my classmates just wore it over their normal clothes. I changed into a traditional underwear because I was wearing a bulky skirt though.
When everyone had changed (there were the five of us from my class, plus two girls from the class below us), we took photos one by one in the school’s Japanese style tea room (a tatami room), then some group photos. Before heading out to a local shrine because it was good weather. It was actually really hard to walk in the Hakama. Because you can’t move your legs much, rather than normal steps you have to take lots of really small steps. It was pretty tough using stairs, or even stepping up onto the pavement from the road. Also, due to the obi being tied really tight, it was a little hard to breathe. At the shrine, we took more photos holding umbrellas. The bright colours of the Hakama and the umbrellas, with the bright red of the shrine made for eye-catching photos. Once back at school, my classmates and I took more photos on our phones and enjoyed wearing the Hakama. I’m really glad I got the chance to make this kind of memory with everyone, I had a great time.
The first thing you think of for february is Valentine’s day right?
In the UK, America too, Valentine’s day (14th February) is a day to celebrate your significant other (though I get the feeling that the guy usually does more). It’s the same in Japan, except like Halloween and Christmas, it is rather different from the western original.
On Japanese Valentine’s day, girls give chocolates to every guy they know. These chocolates are divided into multiple different kinds. Including Honmei choco which is given to boyfriends or the guy a girl has a crush on, giri choco for those she is obligated to give chocolate to, tomo choco given to friends, and recently it seems even family choco. Then one month later, 14th March, called white day here, the guys return the favour to all the girls they received chocolate from.
This seems to be due to an comercial when Valentine’s day was first being introduced to Japan, that it was perceived as a day when women give chocolate to men. then , in keeping with Japanese culture, a day for guys to return that was necessary, so white day was created.
Because there are lots of different meanings behind the chocolate here, it is said that you should state what kind of chocolate it is when giving it. Thus it is often used in dramas and films, in order to confess feelings to someone (and ask them out). The main female character will give chocolate to the male lead, and he will then understand her feelings (ie, she fancies him). However, I am not sure if anyone actually does this in real life. At very least, around the start of February expensive chocolates and cute tools and ingredients for making chocolates are everywhere.
I wanted to try making something, so I got a cute mold and some chocolate from the 100 yen shop, and had a shot at it. The kids were really interested, and got really excited about it, so got in the way a little. But I forgave them because they are cute.
Yakiniku
On Valentine’s day I went out for dinner with my host family to a yakiniku place. I think Yakiniku restaurants are a very Asian thing. There is either a gas or charcoal burner in middle of the table, and you cook meat (or fish, vegetables, etc) at your table. While Korean style yakiniku restaurants have been increasing, I think this style of restaurant is still fairly unknown in Scotland. While in the west it is normal to go to a restaurant and have a chef cook for you, I this style of cook-it-yourself restaurants are
At the Yakiniku restaurant, cooking over the coals
also fun. In Japan it is common to do all-you-can-eat or all-you-can-drink at yakiniku restaurants, there are also course menus and it is possible to just order individual dishes too. This time we got a course menu, and got better quality meat than that of the all-you-can-eat. There was a lot of food, and it was all delicious. We went home happy and full.
Snow!
It doesn’t snow much in Tokyo but last weekend it snowed! Originally the plan was to try kimono on that day, but because you can`t get kimono wet (because they are made of silk and get damaged easily) that was postponed due to the snow. But even so, I love cold weather, especially snow so I got really excited. It didn’t stick much but I went out to play in it with the kids in front of the house. We built a small snowman and had a snowball fight, it was really good fun! But it didn’t last long, and was all melted by the next day.
Have you ever climbed a Scottish mountain? (Maybe any in the U.K. would be the same?) When I was younger, I used to go hill walking often with my family. There was never any other people, or proper path (if there was a path it was a mud one like those made by sheep), climbing was tough and would take all day. Cold, windy, rainy. I have a lot of those kind of memories. When put like that it doesn’t sound very fun, does it? But if there was good weather, or even when there wasn’t, the scenery was stunning. It was perfect for someone, like me, who prefers to be in nature. Also the rush of adrenaline once reaching the top, and the sense of having achieved something made it enjoyable.
The view over Tokyo from Mt. Takao
So when my friend invited me to climb Mt, Takao, I was expecting that kind of experience. In reality it was nothing like that.
In November Japanese people seem to like going to see the autumn leaves. One of the famous spots for doing so, near Tokyo, is Mt. Takao. The autumn colours were really beautiful there. The bright leaves, especially the contrast between the strong red and green was amazing. But because of that it was insanely crowded. I can’t say that Scottish mountains are never that crowded, but I have never seen one like that before. There was a wide range of people there, including families with small kids, couples, and grannies and grandads. I even saw someone climbing the hill in stilettos.
Not only was there a proper path, but there were restaurants and vending machines all over the mountain too. As well as a cable car. It felt a little like a ski resort. The atmosphere was completely different from what I’m used to.
Walking in Nikko with my Host Brother
Aside from that, Mt. Takao is a spiritual place, and it is thought that Tengu live there. Tengu are creatures from Japanese folk tales and religion, which can be seen as either Gods or spirits, they are usually depicted as a kind of long nosed goblin. Therefore there was lots of spiritual things, for example statues of Tengu, all over the mountain. As well as Yakuōin temple. I never imagined finding these kind of things while hill walking so it was really interesting, and began to feel a little like a quest, which was fun.
Nikko
I went with my host family to one other place that is famous for autumn leaves. Nikko. It was only for one day, a public holiday as well, so it was super crowded, and we got stuck in traffic both going there and coming back, so there wasn’t much time. But despite that we managed to go to the famous Tōshōgū, and see the crying dragon.
Tōshōgū seemed to be connected to Tokugawa Ieyasu. There was even a special Tokugawa coke bottle. Tokugawa Ieyasu became the Shōgun of Japan in around 1603, and he started the Edo period. From him the Tokugawa family rule Japan up until the Meiji restoration in around 1868. So he is an important figure in Japanese history, and had a large influence on Japan. Now it seems he is enshrined at Tōshōgū and worshiped as Tōshōdaigongen or the Great Deity of the East Shinning Light.
People tied their bad fortunes to the trees here, so it wouldn’t follow them home.
While at Tōshōgū we saw two famous things. The first a figure of a sleeping cat. It was small, and placed above a door, and it was crowded, so I could get a good look at it, but it was cute. However, I’m not sure why it is famous. Then, we went to see the crying dragon. It was amazing. On the ceiling of the honjidō a large dragon was painted. It was black, and had an awe-inspiring face, so just seeing it made you feel impressed. However, it wasn’t just a painting, if you clapped something under the dragons head, you could hear a sound like the dragon was roaring. A cheerful monk demonstrated it for us. When he clapped under the dragons head, I heard a sound similar to that of a lion roaring. But clap anywhere else and there was no such effect. I was interested in why that effect was just in that spot so did some googling, and it seems that the ceiling of that room rather than being flat was made concaved, which has an influence on the acoustics of it. I.E. this effect was not a coincidence. I wonder how they worked out how to do it…
Nikko was stunningly beautiful. I can clearly see why it is a popular place to go see the autumn leaves. From the car we saw an amazing red forest, and even once we arrived at Tōshōgū there were autumn colours everywhere. The scenery was amazing.
I though the yellow leaves were pretty~
I am really happy I got to enjoy the autumn colours beauty with everyone. Playing with the kids, eating good food, seeing the beautiful surroundings, it was an epic day.
Posing on a cliff on Okunoshima (better known as rabbit island)
I was quite worried about how my end of term exams went, because I started the class half way through the semester, but I managed to pass them and enter the N1 level class! Because I am planning to take the JLPT (Japanese language proficiency test) N1 in December, I am glad I made it into the N1 class. I will continue to do my best to improve my Japanese.
I had a 2 week break before the new semester started, so I went to Tokushima-ken (in Shikoku). One of my friends from the last time I was in Japan is currently working there, so I went to visit her. By leaving Tokyo and going to the countryside, I was able to relax. I am very much a countryside girl, maybe because I grew up in the countryside, so no matter how much I enjoy my life in Tokyo, I feel like the countryside always suits me better. In the city everyone is always busy, and no one chats with each other. However, people in the countryside have a different attitude, life moves at a slower pace, and people are happy to talk to strangers. Also, I like how easy it is to walk in nature with no people around. When I am worrying about something, or unable to decide about something, I find going for a walk in nature helps me clear my mind. Therefore, being able to go there and talk walks, see fireworks and visit the rabbit island was great. I had so much fun!
Another photo of the fireworks,
Mt.Fuji
I also went on a 2 day, 1 night trip with my host family to the Mt. Fuji area. We went in a rental car that could fit 10 people, it was super fun!
On Saturday, first we went to Fuji Q Highland, a theme park, and rode the fujiyama roller-coaster. The weather that day was really reminiscent of Scotland, so it was pretty cold on the ride. Even so, we all got very excited and had a good time.
Then we went to the nearby Narusawa ice cave. We wore helmets to enter the cave, and once inside it was really tight, the ceiling was often really low and we had to climb over lots of rocks, so it really seemed like an adventure. There was an ice pond in the cave that was lit up with blue lights so it sparkled prettily.
A small part of the room we stayed in, looking out over the lake
Despite this, the highlight of the trip was the hotel we stayed at. The “room” was a tatami suite and was bigger than I thought it would be. The hotel provided Yukata (a kind of thin Kimono type Japanese style of clothing). And there was an Onsen inside the hotel. Onsen is a Japanese style of Bath. You have to shower before entering, and unlike a swimming pool, everyone enters naked (the sexes are separated though) which often surprises foreigners. While it’s a little embarrassing at first, you get used to it quickly. This hotel had two inside baths, and one outside bath. It was my first outside bath! It was the best! The hot bath and the cool air, felt really good. I went in it three times, before dinner, before sleeping and before heading out in the morning, each time I never wanted to get out.
Houtou, a speciality of Yamanashi Prefecture, it was a kind of thick flat noodle with vegetables and chicken in a miso broth.
Saying that, the food was also amazing! Dinner was a Japanese style course meal, lots of different foods came out and I got to try lots of delicious foods. There was a little bit too much food, but because it was so good I tried my best to eat it all, and gained a food baby. Breakfast was buffet style, and again everything looked so good that I ate too much and made another food baby.
On Sunday, because we had specially come to the Mt. Fuji we climbed up to the fifth step (in the car). We went above some of the clouds, and saw some beautiful autumn leaves, but due to the clouds we couldn’t ever clearly see Mt. Fuji. At the fifth step we ate Yamanashi-ken’s houtou for lunch, then went to a shrine. There we did Omikuji. I quite like Omikuji. It’s similar to a lottery, where you receive a piece of paper with various things about your future, love life, job and lucky item, among other others. There’s both good ones and bad ones. If you get a bad fortune you have to tie it to a special place at the shrine so you don’t take the bad luck with you. I don’t really believe that the future will happen as it’s written, but I think it is fun to see what is written.
The fireworks here were different from the usual kind, rather than being fired into the air they fell down like rain. The one looked like an apocalypse to me,
Now I have returned to Tokyo, and am going to class as normal.
