In Japan

[maxemerg]

I've been here in Japan for about a day now. It's a bit to adjust to. Grocery shopping is really hard because nearly everything is wrapped up in plastic with kanji all over it.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, but I'm listening to ONS 400 right now

Here are a few obscure pictures:

[rubenerd]

Heh, in Singapore the groeceries are all wrapped up with Mandarin characters on them . And the Singapore cab fleets use the EXACT same cars the Japanese do. Oh Oh Oh and the Singapore MRT rail cars are built in Japan. Okay, enough with the Singapore<->Japan comparisons already

Sounds beyond awesome, wish I was there. How long are you staying for? Have you been to a Hawker centre yet... I can't think of the Japanese word... damn I had a second ago. Crap. Or a manga store? Fairly useless to us English-reading-peoples, but I can imagine the atmosphere would be amazing.

Keep us posted! Itte irasshai Israel-san!

[maxemerg]

I'm going to be here until March 10th. I've already wasted a day setting up programs on my friend's computer. I haven't left the apartment since we got back from shopping Sunday night.

I had to look up what a hawker centre was No, I haven't been to one. It sounds like something difficult for a single person to do unless I order one thing, go back to my table to eat it and then order another. Do they have any indoors? It's very cold here right now and I wouldn't want to eat outside.

There is a store selling anime, manga, books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, etc. However, I can't find anything I'm looking for because I don't know how they have the artists organized. I may go there in a little bit and hopelessly search for a specific Kawabe Chieco album and a magazine issue that I missed a while back. The atmosphere is a lot like the OLD Tower Records and Books in Sacramento in the 80s.

No matter what, I do plan to leave the apartment in a few minutes and take a random walk around. Maybe I'll find something interesting and take a few more pictures.

[maxemerg]

I'm going to change the way I have these pictures stored. I'm now throwing them in a temporary folder on my server instead of using imageshack. Once I get the final versions of all the pictures, I'll put them up on imageshack for indefinite storage. It may sound weird, but I have my reasons for doing things this way.

anywhoo, here are all the pictures I have so far.

the apartment i'm staying in
dalek key chain
cup of natto
The first picture I took in Japan
The second picture I took in Japan
from the apartment window
closer image of power lines

[rubenerd]

Holy crap, those photos look like Singap... NO RUBEN DON'T SAY IT! *SMACK*. Apparently in the 60's when S'pore was just a slum they looked Japan post-world-war-II model, which is a market with very high exports dominated by light industry. S'pore and Japan have f*ck all natural resources, so they buy raw materials, make them into expensive goos, and export. I just got out of my economics lecture a few hours ago.

I still can't remember what Hawker is in Japanese ... but if they're anything like the Hokkien style ones in Singapore, there are different 'levels' of centre: you have your more traditional ones that are completely open with just a roof, stalls and tables, then you go up to the 'Kopitiam' ones which are completely air conditioned and glitzy, I would argue they're cleaner than the foot courts in western countries! I'm sure Japan would have these style ones if the elements are unforgiving so to speak.

As for going there alone; I nearly always went alone and the advantage is in East Asia there's no where near as much of a social stigma attached to being a 'loner' or 'loser' if you sit by yourself, you'll notice LOTS of people do it. As for food, usually I just have one plate but if you want more variety they usually have trays and you just go to each stall/shop and get stuff... again this is my experience in SG so it might be a bit different.

I can see the method to your madness though with photos, I have all my photos dumped on me server each trip; most I take are too boring/crap to publish so once I get back I pick them out and release the good ones, then I can sort etc.

I've added going to Japan on my list of life goals, along with being in the audience of a David Letterman Late Show and getting a life. Not sure about that last one.

Have a blast

[Baldmonkeyboy]

I ENVY U SOOO MUCH!!! I SOOOO wanna go there but it costs too much money for me. I've been trying to save up for a trip to there, but so far i don't have much saved up in that little nest egg. Yeah i know it doesn't cost all that much to get there, but i know when i get there, i'm going to buy everything in sight! How do u restrain yourself Israel?!?! I would be all over all the awesome gadgets and cell phones they have there. How can u resist?? OH MAN.... total envy rite now total envy!

[maxemerg]

I went to Tôkyô yesterday (Saturday) and became very lost. I think I achieved my objectives, but I don't have any pictures (for various reasons) to prove it to myself or others.

I enjoyed the time I spent wandering the streets around Shibuya. I accidentally found (I think) Hikawa Jinja when I had given up and decided to try to find my way back to the train station and then I got lost trying to do that.

I'm going again tomorrow because I am very tired today.

PICTURES
Shinkansen crew member checking tickets
Random photo taken from the train
Ji;Maxx bag and a pack of tissues with advertizing

AUDIO
Random audio from inside Shibuya 109

[boostah]

Konichiwa *bows* would love to visit my friend some day there too, but the yen is expensive Yowza <0.o> Have some sake and sing kareoke till the cows come home

[rubenerd]

And do some Karaoke as well while you're at it .

Good pictures, it's so hard to believe the whole country was nearly bombed out of existance in WWII, now look at it!

And that's what that's all about

[maxemerg]

I've been to Tokyo again and am going a third time tomorrow. On this next trip, however, I will mostly be using the station as a way to get to Ueno and then I'll be taking the train to Yokohama where I will spend the rest of my day.

As for Karaoke, I won't be doing that. My first reason is that it is too expensive! The second reason is the fact that I'm completely alone and would have only myself to listen to. Finn is working every day until I go home, and I can't speak Japanese at all, so I haven't made any friends. In fact, I've been feeling rather hated lately with all the weird looks I've been getting.

The Internet connection here has been spotty and I've been busy, so I have a bunch of pictures that I never got around to posting:

Loft
Hall
kitchen
Intercom with video
Above in action
I managed to do some grocery shopping
Nagoya at night
Nagoya at night 2
View from a near by temple
Another view
A picture of the temple (w/Finn)
Steps up to the temple
Nagoya castle through branches
Tourist entrance
Base of Castle
Garden
Statue on top
Doll display
More dolls
Nagoya Castle View 1
Nagoya Castle View 2
Nagoya Castle View 3
Nagoya Castle View 4
Nagoya Castle View 5
Nagoya Castle View 6
Nagoya Castle View 7

New From yesterday!!
Shibuya 01
Shibuya 02
109 logo
109 building (front)
Hikawa Jinja (sign)
East Entrance
Main Building
Back in Nagoya - Neighborhood porn shop!

[Baldmonkeyboy]

Wow Israel, awesome pics! I'm glad to see ur getting Vitamin Ramen from ur local grocer Please keep sharing pics as long as u have bandwith, they're awesome!

[rubenerd]

Israel, you've outdone yourself!

See I wouldn't go to a Karaoke even if I knew the people going with me just because I hate nightclubs. I'm an exciting guy!

What do you mean by weird hated looks? In Singapore I get weird looks all the time, but it's not because they hate you, its just you look different, I'd imagine a caucasian would be even rarer in Japan. For me it feels like I'm being visually interrogated... but you get used to it after a while. Well that's my experience at least.

Its great to see lots of scenery pictures too .

AND YOU GOT YAKULT!!!! God damn I miss that stuff!