These first few pictures are from a walk I took from Takadanobaba (where I live) through Ikebukuro and into Otsuka (where Cass and I would stay when she came). It's a long walk, but it was a nice break from things, and it was prettier and less crowded than Takadanobaba for at least some of the walk!
Canal. Reminded me of the ones back home. There was a bike thrown into it and everything!
The road to Ikebukuro, proving that Tokyo can, in fact, be beautiful. :)
These are the tracks from the tram. My route took me by them, and I thought it was cool.Before Christmas, all my foreign friends and I found ourselves a little homesick. Japan celebrates Christmas by partying and going on dates with their significant others. New Year's is a much bigger holiday for them, and that's when they spend time at temples, shrines, and at home. So us foreigners decided to have a "Secret Santa" Christmas event (where each person draws a name out of a hat and buys an inexpensive gift for that person)! Of course, that meant we had to go shopping:
This is just a funny sign I found in Ikebukuro's mall, Sunshine City. The Engrish is really everywhere.
Although it's not a big deal, there were big, decorative Christmasy things everywhere. I liked this one.
Fashion in Japan will never cease to amaze me. I guess people love big furry-hat like things with cat-ears on them?
I mean, it kinda looks like the dramatic chipmunk...?
In Sunshine City lies Namja Town, which I believe I've mentioned before. It's a crazy food theme park: there's an ice cream section and a gyoza (potstickers) section (along with some other sections that get tricky describing). This picture is from the gyoza section!
This picture is from a part that gets difficult describing. What on earth is going on on stage!?
This is from a haunted section.During school, we caught wind of an event for international students that was going on in a little garden-park on campus. The event was advertised as "Make mochi...with sumo wrestlers!" I was confused about how the two connected, but since free lunch was involved, I decided to tag along.
The advertisement was 100% correct. That's exactly what we were doing. This sumo wrestler (they let gaijin try, too) is smashing rice to make it sticky and glutinous with that hammer-like tool. That sticky, glutinous rice became "mochi," a delicious treat eaten with sweet or savory flavors on top. Yum! We got soup, too.
Ashleigh and I (mostly me) were quite possibly the only people there brave enough to ask for a picture. I am glad we got one!This next picture is pretty irrelevant to anything I've talked about (and even Japan, for that matter), but sometimes nostalgia can get a little hard. It's times like these that Takadanobaba really has the potential to surprise me!
Seeing these guys (and a few other succulents further down the road) lifted my spirits that day. I love cacti!Christmas continued to approach, and as it did, us gaijin got more and more in the mood. There are "illuminations" all around Tokyo during Christmastime, the most famous ones in Roppongi (the notorious night district in Tokyo). Packed with the gaijin and the rich, it's really the only logical place to have something along those lines.
This is the German Christmas market nestled in Roppongi during the holiday season. Hot drinks, wines, pastries, and treats lined the aisles, and I found myself tempted to buy an ornament for the tree I didn't have. It really was cute, and I'd recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind paying a few extra bucks for some nice Christmas treats.
These were just too cute not to post. Still part of the market!
When Japan decides to do something, it does it well. The trees in almost every district I visited in December were decorated with little lights. Not the same as big, fancy Christmas-light-covered houses, but nice nonetheless.
This is me with a tree. :)
We grabbed Starbucks and made it to the illuminations. They were really beautiful. This structure sat on a pond, and the whole area had little lights all around. The flowers, trees, and peaceful aura really made it a lovely experience.
It's cool to me that Japan will do that. It decks out an area for some season, and then anyone can go view it: free of charge. Makes for a lovely evening!As I said, sometimes nostalgia for the southwest overrules me, and I find myself putting together things like this:
Lasted several nights and was DELICIOUS!Here's an example of some food I may or may not miss from Japan:
Good ole' dried fish. Here's a close-up of its head for your pleasure:
Yeah. I ate that. Head, tail, and all. It wasn't bad-tasting (though the smell was another story), but I don't think I'd order it by myself.On the last week of school before Christmas break, one class gave us the unique pleasure of trying on kimonos!
These were our "Kimono-Sensei", as we called them. Here, they're explaining the designs on the kimono, giving us a small history lesson, and telling us the difference between seasonal designs and sleeve-lengths. I caught some of what they said!
This is an "obi," the belt-like fabric that wraps around one's waist when wearing a kimono.
These gentlemen from our class are wearing male kimonos. The one on the left is wearing a wedding kimono (no one knew why he picked that one...), and the other two are wearing samurai kimonos. Apparently, it was really hard for samurai to move!
This is the beginning of my process. It takes a bit to put them on, and you certainly can't do it yourself!
Ashleigh being dressed, as well.
There's more than one way to tie an obi, but either way, they come out gorgeous. Still, the process is hard (and apparently harder on my kimono). The end result, though, is stunning.
Intricate!
I just like this one because the angle makes me look very tall. But look at how long the sleeves are! I was in love with this kimono.Alright, well, the pictures from before winter break end here. I'll have my winter break up pretty soon, and then you can all prepare yourself for tales of the spring!
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