新幹線 - Japanese for Freaking Fast Train

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but I took the Shinkansen to Hiroshima recently. The Shinkansen is the Japanese bullet train that can travel at around 300kph (about 186 mph). Check it out Whats more amazing is that it travels safely at 300kph even though Japan has a high frequency of earthquakes. Tokyo alone has about 1-2 earthquakes per month.

The Shinkansen is absolutely great. There is no check in time like for airplane rides, you simply show up to the station and get on the train as it pulls in. Just be quick, because it doesn't wait but 3-4 minutes.

The seats were quite comfortable and reclined well past 30 degrees. Also, riding on the Shinkansen was like floating. There was little to no bumps or disruptions for the entire ride (with the exception of the attractive attendant asking if I wanted something to eat or drink)- which was surprisingly short. I went from Osaka to Hiroshima, about 175 miles, in about an hour and a half, with a few stops in between.

The Shinkansen is a little pricey but it is most definitely worth it in my opinion. I don't know exactly how much my ticket cost, sorry. But, prices are a little over a hundred dollars to go to Tokyo from Osaka, 1 way.

I'm not going to say it, but you know how I feel.....This country is amazing

広島 － Hiroshima

Greetings,

I was lucky enough to go to Hiroshima this past Thurs and Fri ( and also lucky that my teachers let me skip....sorry Garr) and I figured I would share some things, because Hiroshima was awesome.

Well, for starters, Hiroshima is not nearly as big as Osaka but has a whole lot more open space. There are some beautiful parks, a quaint little trolley, a castle, and a powerful peace museum. There were also a lot of French tourists, but thats beside the point. Miyajima has an amazing temple famous for a Torii on the water and deer. I will probably put a lot of pictures in a slide show soon. I thought about taking more pictures but everywhere in the peace park seemed so sacred that I honestly didn't feel like taking any pictures at all.

As for the peace park, it was a very moving place. From the moment you enter there is a change in the atmosphere. Everyone is quieter and has a certain sadness to the way they walk. The atomic bomb dome and peace museum are a must see, but be prepared, the museum is fairly graphic. Its a must see, but not necessarily a must see with a date. The park is gorgeous and the kids that are there on field trips are quite friendly.

Hiroshima is small enough to visit everything of importance in a day, but I recommend 2 days. The peace park, museum, Shrines, Temples, and castle might be a bit hard to appreciate in one day.

Well, enjoy the pictures to come.

And for dessert...two spoons and type 2 diabetis...

Well, I thought I knew what an Ice Cream Sunday and a Parfait was before I came to Japan....I was wrong. Japan apparently perfected the Parfait...no pun intended. Oh, thats funny because Parfait means perfect...its French

Anyways, anywhere you go in Japan you are surrounded by sweets. Parfaits, ice cream, baked goods, etc. are absolutely everywhere. It still amazes me how healthy and skinny the Japanese are. The portions are generally smaller, with the exception of the parfait. Parfaits are a pretty common dessert, you can order them in many restaurants. I'm getting a little sick thinking about eating one (because I eat them about twice a week) but Japanese parfaits are a work of art.

The ingredients typically include (but are not limited to): ice cream, pineapples, grapes, waffle cones, cookies, corn flakes, peaches, Jello, custard, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, chocolate chunks, apples, bananas, cherries, and the list goes on. I've found all of those in just one parfait!

Around any given train station there are about 15 places to buy sweets. So remember, eat till 80% full - so you have room for dessert.

Gaijin アドバイス

I was recently given a homework assignment to come up with a presentation for foreigners. It was supposed to give foreigners planning on living in Japan a heads up on what to expect. I might as well share what my friends and I came up with. This blog itself is more or less a heads up on Japan, but if you are planning on living here there are some things you may want to know. Americans especially are prone to doing "stupid" things in Japan and not realizing how it affects others around them.

Well, first I'll go over the easy things. Don't eat or talk on your cell phone on the train. When in doubt, take off your shoes. It is okay to drink in public, but not okay to be a drunk American. If you want to get anything productive done, don't look at any women. etc.

That covers the easy stuff. Everything else is a little harder to explain. Basically, if you want to fit in in Japan, you're out of luck. You always stand out. Just try your hardest to be polite and don't play the gaijin card as often as you can. Buy a bicycle, move out of the way for old people (they won't move themselves), and just say sumimasen often.

What I'm trying to say is be more like this
<------









And less like this ---------->

携帯電話。アーサム

Hey hey,

Its time for a lesson on the greatest piece of technology ever invented. No, not the microwave or iron lung, I'm talking about Japanese cell phones. Japanese cell phones are not just the greatest piece of technology, they actually contain every piece of technology ever. I know what you may be thinking - "oh, the iphone can do just about anything. America has great cell phones too."...well, the iphone just came out, and the cell phones in Japan have been able to do internet, tv, email, etc. for years now. Just saying...

Well, last weekend, my friends and I were waiting for a club to open so we wanted to go to 7-11 to get some money. Hmmm..how do we find the closest 7-11 in the middle of Osaka? Oh, just use our Keitai (cell phone) to look up every 7-11 in the area. That easy.

Lets say you meet a fine young lady and you want to exchange information with her (hypothetically of course). Well, just use the infrared on your keitai to send your email, phone number, picture and any other profile information you want to send. Very Benri!

And of course Keitai have things like 5mega pixel cameras, television, radio, flash lights, and X-ray vision (only the X-ray vision is a lie). Its standard. I actually find the Japanese to English dictionary on my phone most useful. The fact that I can use my camera to scan Kanji and my phone tells me what it means is not too shabby either.

If you don't have a Japanese keitai, buy one. It won't work in America, but who cares. Just hang jewelry off of it!

Its Raining Awesome

Hey kids,
Well, it was raining today - but it only made me realize that Japan even handles rain like a pro. You know those rainy days when you don't want to go outside or rush to your car because it is raining - well have no fear!!! if you are in japan...

Lets just say that you are shopping on a rainy day - what will you do about the rain and the things you bought??? Well, when it rains, typically stores will wrap your shopping bags in plastic. You don't have to worry about carrying an umbrella either because you can leave it outside the store and nobody will take it. And if you do decide to carry your umbrella, then help yourself to complimentary plastic bags so that your umbrella does not drip everywhere when you carry it...

Oh, and sometimes (but not always) cafes and other places will provide the customer with an umbrella if it happens to start raining. Wow.

Awesome deshou??

HANAMI

You + Japan x fashion = Sexy .....its science

Let me just fill you in on a little thing called "sexiness." If you want it, come to Japan, and in no time at all, you can be sexy. Step 1, come to Japan. Step 2, buy Japanese clothing. Step 3, eat Japanese food. Step 4, look at how sexy you are.

Seriously though, coming to Japan is the best thing I have ever done. I am exercising everyday because of my bike and walking everywhere. The food is WAY better, so I'm eating healthier. Japanese people are smaller and more fit, so I can actually find clothing in my size. You also don't need an excuse to dress up, everyone dresses up every day. And lets not forget the women...

Japan is where you go when you want to look good. You want to look good, don't you?

Here- start booking your ticket: http://travelocity.com/

コンビ二 - Japan's Wal-Mart

Today it finally occurred to me how convenient the convenience stores actually are. I'm not talking about a Slurpee and a Taquito convenience, I'm talking about mobile cell phone charger and alcohol convenience. I'll trade a Chu-hai and a beer for a slurpee any day.

Let me just list some things that you can buy at the conbini (yeah, even conbini is more convenient to say)

• Battery powered cell phone chargers
• Alcohol in all its forms -pre-made canned cocktails, beer, sake, etc.
• Hair wax, hair Spray, cologne.
• Electric razors
  
• AV (Pornography) -DVD's too!
• Handmade desserts, sushi, and even french fries.
  
• Concert and sporting event tickets, and you can pay your cell phone bill too...yeah

Many Conbini's also have a place to sit down to eat. America needs to step up their effort so I can get more than just Gas and Big Gulps.

And just a side note, I have never wanted to ask a convenience store clerk out on a date until Japan.

Kudos Japan

I.Love.This.Country.

This post probably sounds familiar, but I was reminded today why I love this place so much (one of the reasons anyway). In my Struggle for Justice class, the professor gave a talk about his home town in America and the difference in safety in Japan.

The way he described it is that living in Japan is like having a huge weight lifted off your shoulders. This is such a good description. I honestly can't remember the last time I was stressed or worried about walking out at night. Walking around the second largest city in Japan at 3am is incredibly comfortable. Leaving your bags/or umbrella in your bike for 10 hours is okay, your stuff won't get touched. Walking through small alleys and not being able to communicate well is not a problem - nobody is out to take advantage of you. I can't possibly describe the degree of comfort because many of you are just unaware of the discomfort that you are used to living with.

Japan just feels free...I love this country

桜をみて！

Well as you may have already known, Cherry Blossom (桜-sakura) season is in bloom (no pun intended). Allow me to explain a little bit of the Japanese sakura tradition that many Japanese take part in.

For starters, during the few days the sakura are in bloom, everyone travels out to temples, shrines, castles, and other meaningful places. When night comes, the sakura are illuminated. While waiting for night to fall, people take pictures and set out tarps to sit on. Oh, I almost forgot the most important part, drinking! Sakura viewing is essentially an excuse to drink, but a gorgeous excuse.

I haven't done the drinking aspect of the Sakura viewing, but that will definitely take place in the not too distant future.

If you haven't seen the cherry blossoms yet, do it! No excuses!