地震

Walking along the streets of Tokyo, those two little characters you see above can be found on signs in nearly every store you see. "Jishin," or "earthquake," is provided as an explanation for closed stores and lack of products.

I was on a happy hike with my mom and her boyfriend in the middle of nowhere between Osaka and Nagoya (well away from Tokyo). On the train ride back into Osaka, I got a text from Clare asking me if I was "alright from the earthquake." My initial thought was that some little quake had hit and Clare had forgotten I was away. I checked the news when I got back to the hotel to find that a magnitude 8.9 (later updated to 9.0) earthquake had struck the region just north of Tokyo.

I honestly expected things to be worse than they were. My friends were (thank heaven) all safe, and the area in which I live was largely unaffected structurally.

We got very lucky. We didn't feel the quake AND the bullet train (from here on, I'll call it by it's Japanese name, Shinkansen) between Osaka and Tokyo was up and running by the next day. We made it back to Tokyo without difficulty, and only a few things in my dorm had fallen over (yoga mat, bottle of hair product).

Fortunately, Narita did not take too long to partially recover, either. My mom and her boyfriend were able to board the correct flight on the correct day. We made it to the airport well over 5 hours early to ensure that a) we could get there (the trains schedules are very abnormal) and b) they would have enough time to wade through the hordes of people in the airport to get to their terminal. They landed safely in Phoenix and made it home :)

Aftershocks have still been hitting the area, though I've only felt one (as far as I know). It's interesting having an earthquake as an alarm clock, but I guess it's effective? We're being encouraged to either get out or stay put--if we can go south to Osaka and that area or if we can leave the country that's one option, but the other is just staying inside as much as possible. My dorm is a fortress--it's only 2 years old and built with all the current earthquake standards. Earthquakes that shake other buildings can't even be felt in my dorm.

Power is an issue right now. They're worried about the plants and worried about a full-scale blackout, so they're encouraging everyone to use as little electricity as possible (I'm sitting in my room with my window open--light coming in from only from outside and from my computer) and orchestrating planned blackouts. My area is being skipped for the planned outages since I live in a business district--good news for us; we all have stocked meat in our fridge and no one really wanted THAT big of a barbecue!

Since power and roads are an issue, train lines are running abnormally. The ones in Tokyo (with one exception) are running less frequently and to fewer places. Several Shinkansen disappeared entirely from the tsunamis and aren't running at all. Roads and train lines to the north are cut from earthquake and tsunami damage. There are stories of whole villages having been wiped out from the tsunamis--they can't be contacted, and the roads to get there can't be traversed. It's really an awful situation.

There's rumors of a bigger earthquake to hit Tokyo. A big earthquake happens in Tokyo every 50 years (it's called "Tokai"). We're 150 years overdue for one, and the big one that just occurred was not it. Tokai is supposed to occur at the intersection of 3 plates a little south of Tokyo, and the one that just happened occurred on 2 plates (only one of which was the right one) north of Tokyo. The tsunami following Tokai will supposedly wipe out Shizuoka, the prefecture south of Tokyo. The next 10-15 days are high risk days for Tokai (since the plates are supposedly unstable). After that the risk is supposed to reduce dramatically.

Since the roads are cut, supplies are short. Since people are preparing for a supposed "apocalypse," they're buying out stores' stocks of non-perishables and semi-perishables. There are certain things that can't be found anywhere currently. Bread is being hoarded away and can only be found during first shipment in the morning (convenience stores have goods shipped in throughout the day, but since roads are different now, it's getting harder), and milk is nowhere to be seen. All I can assume is that milk comes from Hokkaido (the northernmost island of Japan), and while Hokkaido is fine, the roads in between are not.

People are still stranded at Narita, and many of my friends are stranded outside of Japan (some, at this point, by choice). I will say that it is an interesting experience, being part of a calamity in a foreign country. It seems as though the Japanese people have all been instructed on how to behave in this kind of situation--they are all behaving in a very regimented manner. My friends and I are out of the loop somewhat, and although we all know basic earthquake survival skills, it makes us stand out even more as gaijin. On the one hand, it's nice to know I have a place to go back to if things get out of control, but on the other hand, it lacks the relaxing feel of at least being at home in a calamity. In a crisis, people of one culture and mindset gather together emotionally, I'm learning. When in a different country, you have to find that support from a limited group.

Other than that, I've been preparing the best I can. I have lots of frozen meats, lots of cereal, and a lot of soymilk (which can be found and really doesn't expire). There's plenty of rice and noodles in my dorm, and I know I could survive for a couple of weeks without needing to actually leave the dorm for any reason.

At this point there's not much more I can tell you that the news can't. The streets are more barren and we're apparently experiencing "earthquake weather" (which may or may not be a myth, but it's been very nice and warm recently!). If there's more to update, be sure I will do so! For now, know that I'm as safe as I can be, and I will be heading south in 3 days.

Much love to all! Stay safe, everyone in Japan!

My Vacation with Cass

Well, I'm admittedly way behind. I'm sorry, guys! This post was due approximately 2 months ago. But, without further ado, here it is!

As most of you know, Cass (my sister) came to visit me for a week in Tokyo! I met her at the airport, and after a rather hectic mess (involving overlooking each other, and intercom, and aimlessly meandering about the airport), we were on a train for our hotel in Otsuka!

Our hotel was nice. I'd recommend it: Otsuka Station Hotel. It's on the Yamanote line, and the next station is Ikebukuro, so it's very convenient. It was a decent-sized room for a very reasonable price, and a Starbucks was just around the corner! Even nearer was a nice bakery/cafe in which Cass and I enjoyed a lovely breakfast on one of our last days.

On our first full day, we took a trip to see Odaiba, a man-made island with some interesting architecture, a man-made beach, a theme park (which we missed) and a famous onsen (hot springs) place. Unfortunately, Cass had a tattoo, and we had no bandages, so we couldn't go there. The rest of the trip, though, was very fun!

We started off on the driverless train that takes you the scenic way to the island. Very beautiful sight, right over Rainbow Bridge.

We walked around a bit after getting there; the architecture really was interesting! Here is Cass in front of a pedestrian bridge; there were several of these bridges throughout the island.

This is a fairly famous ferris wheel that unfortunately costs 900 yen (over $10) to ride once. Cass and I made do with staring and taking pictures.

We went inside of several malls, one of which was Pallet Town. In that district, we went into this beautiful Venetian-like building (Las Vegas/Italy lovers raise your hands!).

"It smells like maple syrup and happiness!" Count on Japan and it's "cute culture" to throw in a Hello Kitty ...um...miniature theme park? There was a pancake store, a play place, merchandise, and lots of pink. It was pretty cute.

Well, Japan already had their own version of the Eiffel Tower, so why not go for round two? This miniature of the Statue of Liberty is set alongside the man-made beach. That bridge in the background is Rainbow Bridge.

Man-made beach. It was a really beautiful day, even though it did get cold in the evening. It was nice to sit by the beach, and as we sat, some Japanese men dressed as Santas walked along and gave us candy. Don't take candy from strangers, kids, but Santa is a-okay.

Rainbow Bridge at night. Get it? It's hard to see, but below the bridge, the remainder of the pillars are blue. It was very beautiful. Due to the cold and the wind, Cass and I found ourselves rushing back pretty quickly, however.

Some other notable things about Odaiba: The architecture really is neat. I don't want to bombard you with pictures, but if you get the chance, go ahead and do a google search (or check my albums on facebook). A lot of the buildings are TV Station offices, and there's a free museum that Cass and I wandered into in one of them. It was a building dedicated to the station's TV programs, and some of the things were pretty fun and silly. Something to note: Rainbow Bridge is only lit at certain times of the year, so if you're going to see the bridge at night, check your calendar! Also, anywhere you go in Odaiba, something interesting will pop up. Whether it's themed shopping, a theme park, a car exhibit with amusement park-like things, or just amusingly shaped buildings, it's a fun time.

These next few pictures were shot just from my area of Tokyo: The Takadanobaba/Nishi-Waseda area:

This is part of a shrine that is located less than a mile from my dorm. Since Cass came so close to the New Year's (which easily ousts Christmas for the biggest holiday of the year in Japan), it was very festive! Set up with snacks, sweets, and omiyage (souvenirs, though the connotation is different in Japan), it was a fun site to see. Cass and I each bought a Daruma (described in my post about Ten'ei) on whom we could wish.

This picture is from a park near my house: I believe it's one section of Toyama Park. The leaves had all turned red and brown on most of the trees, but a few hardy maples were still bright red. To two Arizonans, that's pretty cool.

On Christmas Day, we had a lovely brunch in the dorm. Cass, Clare, Clare's friend from England who's studying in a Japanese city called Nagoya, Ashleigh, Marija, and I all pitched in and then ate to our heart's content. It was a really lovely afternoon! In the evening, we all gathered at Ashleigh's bar for drinks. It's nice getting free shots, as well:

These are lovely Christmas shots made by Taro, one of the bartenders and managers at Biervana.

The next day, Cass and I adventured to Kamakura to see some temples and shrines. We saw three temples while there, each beautiful for different reasons.

At the first, we lucked into finding a bunch of temple-goers making mochi and soup! Being incredibly nice people, the shared some mochi with Cass and me! Mochi is glutinous rice that can be eaten with either sweet or savory toppings (I prefer sweet, though I do like it in soup). It is made (as described 2 posts back, I believe) by smashing rice with a long, hammer-like utensil and setting it out to dry on tables like the one pictured above. Very cool to see!

Temples and shrines tend to be very peaceful and have aspects about then that make that feeling multiply. The lakes, the trees, the rocks, the buildings--all contribute to an atmosphere of beauty and tranquility.

At the next temple we went to, Cass and I spotted a sign that read, "The God of Happiness is waiting for you in the cave." Sure enough, he was. His name is Hotei (though I admittedly only know that because Tiffany was kind enough to tell me!). It was a fun little adventure.

Cass and I decided to take the hike to the Daibutsu (Big Buddha, as described in a previous blog). On the way, we took a side trip to find this man:

I'm not entirely sure of his name or significance, but I believe he was real man who was of some importance to Japan. Either way, I think it's always neat to stray off your trail and find these treasures to the sides. :)

There are treasures like these, too. Trails in Japan tend to have lots of trees and greenery, but when you get the chance to peer off of the mountain, the scenery can be amazing. This is one example of such a sight!

Of course, the Daibutsu. I know he's in another post, but it felt right to place him here, as well.

Kamakura was amazing both times that I went, and Cass told me she loved it, as well. It's nice to be able to get such a unique taste of Japanese culture without traveling too far from Tokyo.

Of course, nowadays, Tokyo is famous for much more than temples and shrines. The pop culture certainly walks the line of "a little out-there" and "too ridiculous;" a trip to Harajuku never fails to drive home that point. I showed Cass the little shops in the hoards of people, and then I took her to see the Harajuku girls lining the bridge in their makeup, dyed hair and costumes. Still, one of the most interesting things we saw was this:

This woman, just casually holding a monkey on the side of a very crowded sidewalk. It was, needless to say, incredibly strange.

A trip to Meiji-Jingu (the most famous shrine in Tokyo) is always worth it, and Cass and I were able to see that after Harajuku and before our trip to the Ginza.

The Ginza is the famous, ostentatiously rich district of Tokyo. I honestly wouldn't recommend it unless you have a large sum of money to blow or a strong love of window-shopping. The department stores are neat--floors dedicated to everything you can think of, including food. There are usually several levels dedicated to food: a restaurant level, a grocery store level, and a level where you can pick out various foods to try. You can compile a little lunch in this manner (though be careful what you pick out, as prices can run a little high in Ginza).

We found that the department stores were likely to even have gardens on the rooftop and exhibits near the top.

This particular exhibit speaks for itself: a collection of Barbies, all wearing different styles of clothes. Some Barbies were old, others new, some in gowns, and others in gear suited toward particular fields (for instance, astronaut and policewoman Barbie were each present). It was a sight to see!

The Ginza is home to a few more types of things, including some museums, plenty of restaurants, and toy stores. This one made me nostalgic of my childhood:

"Cass, do you recognize these guys?"
"No...."
"Touch them, then you will."
"Oh, yeah!"

And, of course, Ginza has dining options for anyone willing to spend a few extra bucks on dinner. One of these options is "themed dining," a restaurant experience whose name is fairly self-explanatory. The restaurant picks a theme (Alcatraz, Disney Princess, Ninja), and decorates the restaurant, dresses the wait staff, and even alters the food to meet the theme! Our fabulous Alice in Wonderland themed dining experience cost us 8000 yen (over $90), but it was definitely worth it!

This was the box that housed the menus. Pretty neat?

This was our special drinks menu! It folded out, and these guys popped out!

Our sushi roll. Delicious.

Some more notable touches were the fact that none of the clocks in the whole restaurant had the same time, the seats were themed (some people sat in a teacup, others lounging on couches, etc), and the food was absolutely delicious. Please, please try themed dining!

This next set of pictures is from the one and only, absolutely amazing Disney Sea. Tokyo Disneyland exists, of course, but when a group of imagineers were given the task of creating an all-new theme park with an unlimited budget, they did not let anyone down. It's very Japanese in its attention to detail--the Europe section looked like Europe, Mexico like Mexico, and America like America (from the 1920s or so). There was even a volcano! Although the rides weren't as thrilling as they could have been, wandering the park was an amazing experience in and of itself. I highly recommend it!

Cass in front of the entrance to the park (you can see some European decor).

Us in front of the volcano! This volcano, by the way, actually spat out fireballs at night. It was really cool.

Under the sea--the children's section of the park!

Aladin! The whole area smelled VERY strongly of curry!

More Aladin. Actually, it's not a very striking picture at all, but I was drawn in by all the little details even in an area of the park through which people rarely wander. It really was a sight to see!

Cass at a lighthouse en route to America.

How gorgeous is Disney's version of Italy!!!

And, of course, Greece/Rome.

Needless to say, the day was amazing, the rides were fun, the sights were great, and the company was unbeatable!

On our last day together, I took Cassidy to the infamous Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, home to cheap shopping and Namja Town (as described in a previous post). As a refresher, Namja Town has the ice cream theme park and the gyoza (Japanese potstickers) theme park. Many different vendors compete for your attention (and money) at these places, and when you're done eating, you can wander the themed hallways (from vampire city to ghost town to several other places with themes I don't understand)! We ate delicious gyoza and wandered the area for a bit.

Adorable model made out of dough? clay? outside of a sweets shop.

Even if you don't eat the ice cream, it's impossible not to be delighted by the concept!

Although that's where my list of blog pictures ends, let me share a few more things that were fun about the trip:

It was nice to sit in a little cafe outside of our hotel for a long chat over breakfast and coffee. Even though it's nice to be bustling around seeing things, sometimes just enjoying Japan for the sweet breakfast options and nice, relaxing cafes is the best idea.

Cass being an American college student, she'd tasted ramen. But, with a little coaxing, I got her to try real, Japanese ramen. Let me assure you (as I'm sure she now would), they are nothing alike, and you should definitely try real ramen if ever you find yourself in Japan.

Try out Purikura! I'm pretty sure I described it before, but Purikura is an abbreviation of "print club," which are those mini photo booths that take your picture and print them for you. In Japan, though, they make your skin perfect, your eyes humongous (to make Japanese girls feel prettier), and allow you to decorate your beautiful selves. It's hard to do--you have to figure things out quickly and work fast, but it's a lot of fun!

That's really all I can think of for now, and I'd like to finally get this post up. Hopefully I'll have time to do another one before my adventure with Mom and Joe, but no promises! See you next time!