The Diary of a Gaijin

Tokyo in Three Days

2006-05-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

What do you do in three short days in Tokyo? Well if you were me, only just about everything.

After just barely finding location for the night bus to Tokyo and only finding it after a very generous taxi driver, I realized that the seats on the bus were slightly less than comfortable. My advice for anyone about to take a nightbus to anywhere in Japan is be prepared for a very uncomfortable. Also, since it is a "night bus" you'll be riding from late night and reach your destination in the early morning. We arrived in Tokyo at around 5:30am after stopping for about every two hours for 20 minutes.

I only slept about an hour or two on the way to Tokyo, but as soon as I arrived in Tokyo at Shinjuku station I felt rejuvenated. Rejuvenated enough in fact, that after finding my Hostel located on the other side of Tokyo in Asakusa I immediately started exploring Japan. My first stop was in the Ueno shopping district to meet a friend. Thanks to the aid of my friend and another friend who I'd just met for the first time that day, I was able to see all the major sites in Tokyo on my first day.

Akiharabara
A dreaded place for some, Akiharabara is home to the infamous Otakus (or "geeks"). The streets were flooded with people (much like all of Tokyo actually), and it was nothing less of a Mecca if electronics, manga, or video games are your thing. Admittedly, I found myself along with my friends going to a "Maid Cafe Massage Parlor." Essentially a massage parlor devoted to gaming and anime fans. No photography was allowed, but my friend managed to sneak a photo.

Shibuya
If you want to come to Tokyo to do shopping, you don't have to go any further than Shibuya. Of course you'll just have to wrestle with the millions of other people looking to come shopping. Shibuya is home to the self-proclaimed "busiest crosswalk in the world." Imagine a four-sided crosswalk, each literally swarming with people and when the light says "go," it becomes a sea of swarming shoppers. Simply amazing.

Roppongi Hills
Home to some of Tokyo's most prominent people, it is also known for being a central gathering place for foreigners. Roppongi Hills is a tall skyscraper where visitors are allowed to climb to the top for a magnificent view of the city, including Tokyo Tower. Since this was a holiday (and Tokyo afterall), there were swarms of people gathering for a magnificent night-view of Tokyo. It was impossible to see where exactly the sprawling city ended.

Yasukuni Shrine
The following day I went to Yasukuni shrine. Since it's quite contraversial because of Prime Minister's Junichiro Koizumi's occasional visit, I felt I had to stop by and take a look. The shrine is nestled in the middle of an otherwise urban part of time. Yet, the shrine area is quiet and peaceful. The shrine looked like any ordinary shrine, but inside a building beside the shrine is a museum. The museum included exhibits from Japan's wars during the 19th and 20th centuries. Although no photography was allowed, I have photos from the exhibits that allowed photography.

Welcome to America
Just for kicks, I stopped by the American embassy. Or at least as close as I could get before being told by security I couldn't go any further. I have a very blurry picture of the American flag flying high over the embassy, but it was the best I could do. Seeing the American flag flying over the incredibly large building was quite awe-inspiring.

All in all, Tokyo is an amazing city and I have every intention of going back. For anyone considering travelling to Japan, I recommend Tokyo as a first stop. You won't be disappointed.

Golden Week

2006-05-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'm spending Golden Week in Tokyo. Good times ahead. Stay tuned for updates and photos!

American Football... In Japan

2006-04-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've neglected my blog.
No, I haven't disappeared into the abyss of Japan.

Although I've been incredibly busy with my Japanese and other classes, I recently found time to join the Kansai Gaidai University team for a scrimmage match between Red and White. One thing I learned quickly about sports in Japan is "don't lose," but more on that later. Although the team wasn't exceptionally talented (let's face it, Japan isn't known for its great football talent), they were a tremendous amount of fun to play with. Some of the plays were quite interesting to watch develop and probably not actually legal in a real football game. Imagine a quadruple play-action fake! I soon realized that the actual competition was less important than the social aspect of the football team. Yet, considering the strong Osaka dialect and the rapidity at which dialogue was being exchanged, I was able to understand little of what was going on. I did understand, however, just how humiliating losing can be. While my team was able to win one of our first two matches (I scored the winning touchdown), we regrettably lost our second match (I swear it was the night lights in my eyes!). After losing the game my team was made to "perform," as it were, in front of the winning team, the team's managers, and the coach. For someone who isn't a native speaker of Japanese I was more than a little embarassed. Especially after they told me my role in the dialogue was to say "Nandeanin!" While an extremely thick piece of Osaka-dialect, it nonetheless sounds inredibly funny coming from a foreigner. That fact became obvious that after no matter how many times I said it, everyone laughed. To be honest, I have no idea what the phrase means and quite frankly, I don't think any Japanese could explain it to me. All I know is that it is an incredibly funny phrase. After feeling like my moment of shame was over, I soon became horrified after they told me I had to introduce myself in front of the whole team just as the Freshmen students were doing at that time. Albeit a little embarassed, I managed to introduce myself, where I'm from, and say I had a great time in both English and Japanese. Although I'm afraid that few people actually understood my English. Truth to be told, you've never played American football until you've played with teammates who can't speak English very well. I still wonder how I managed...

On top of the World... Trade Center!

2006-04-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

So lately, due to my extreme sense of adventurousness and seemingly endless crave for high places, I've been spending a lot of time exploring buildings. This time my adventures led me to the World Trade Center of Osaka. As the tallest building in Osaka and the second tallest in Japan behind the Landmark Center of Yokohama, it offers a magnicifent view of the city and the port area. From Hirakata City it was a more than a two ride and probably the deepest I've ventured into Osaka. Since this was my first time visiting the port of Osaka, I was reminded just how far across the Pacific the United States is :( Of course I have pictures.My only regret was that the weather wasn't better. More photos on Flickr as well.

Ku-Ra-Shuu

2006-03-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

Last night I watched a movie in Japan for the first time. Titled in katakana, the movie Crash became クラシュー. Watching movies in Japan is a little different experience than watching movies in the US. I think my wallet was the first to notice the difference. At just 1200yen, watching a movie in Japan comes to the equivalent of just over 10 dollars. However, one advantage (or disadvantage), is that not only are you buying a ticket to see the movie, but you're also buying a seat. Before preparing to sit down I found myself asking my friend "Where shall we sit down?" but quickly realized my seat had already picked for me courtesy of my ticket. Not unlike movies in the US, we were bombarded with advertisements for other movies. Interestingly enough, there were advertisements for American and Japanese films. From what I could follow along with for the Japanese advertisements, many of the movies seemed interesting and I might just have to see them someday. Thankfully the movie was in English with jimaku, or Japanese subtitles. So I was at least offered the opportunity to practice my reading. I was able to notice the slight variations from the English in the transliteration to the Japanese subtitles. I fear that maybe some of the meaning within the English words may have been lost. Just as I sensed the movie was coming to an end and feeling the closing credits approaching, I began to sit up anticipating the moment the lights came on and I could leave. However, everyone in the theater sat motionless and waited until the very last credit scrolled to the bottom of the screen. I almost feel rude now for leaving abrubtly at the beginning of credits in the US.

Hope you're not scared of heights

2006-03-24T18:48:00.000-08:00

Ever been on the top of world? Well, this past week I got pretty close. Before coming to Japan I was determined to see the Umeda Sky Tower and ride to the top. Mission Accomplished.
As it is a 40-story building, it offers a breathtaking view of the huge city of Osaka. If you're any bit as acrophobic as my friendly Japanese tour guide, then I'd suggest you enjoy the view from the ground. However, if you're adventurous and willing to drop 600yen, then by all means take a gander from the fifth tallest building in Osaka. Not to be outdone, however, I also visited Osaka castle this same day. As the castle is very tall, it was difficult to photograph. However, I was amazed at how beautiful the castle has remained over several centuries.Not very far from the castle was a grove of cherry blossoms. A few them had already began to bloom. Especially this one.

Spring is in the Air

2006-03-10T23:56:00.000-08:00

The weather is warming up, kids are outside playing soccer in the parks, retirees are going for weekend jogs, and the first cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom. Dare I say, spring is in the air?You be the judge...

How to: Grocery Shopping

2006-03-08T02:01:00.000-08:00

Grocery shopping in Japan can be a pretty overwhelming task if you're technically an illiterate. If you're any bit as Kanji-challenged than I am, then grocery shopping will seem less like a routine chore at your local supermarket, and more like a crash course in Chinese characters. Unfortunately, the meager amount of Kanji I do know isn't quite enough to read every box, bottle, or carton and its instructions. Guesswork (and not to mention "picturework") is key. Within walking distance of the Seminar house are two grocery stores: "Sanko" and "Top of the World." Grocery stores in Japan tend to be significantly smaller than the megastore-shopping experience I've grown accustomed to for most of my life. Many of the mundane conveniences that are easily found and are cheap in American grocery stores aren't always that case in Japanese grocery stores (for instance apples can go for about the equivalent of $1.50 each). Yet, other items, such as fish, can be found quite easily and at prices much less than one would pay in the US. Well, if you're curious, here is my list of groceries:

Half a head of cabbage
Small bag of snow peas
Baby broccoli
Green onion slices
Pack of ramen noodles (wouldn't be complete without these!)
Dried, prepared fish (not sure what type, but it's quite tasty)
Small can of Pringles (yes, you can find those here!)
Udon noodles
Pack of mini-donuts

As you can probably tell, my cooking skills aren't quite honed. If anyone has any suggested recipes easy enough for even me to cook, please let me know!

Kobe: Kosmopolitan City

2006-03-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

The long ride into Kobe was gratified by the gorgeous view coming towards the harbor. From Hirakata-shi it was about an hour and a half ride that went straight through one of the busier statoins in Osaka. However, Kobe is a beautiful city. My group began the tour with a stop at the Western-style houses that are located on on the face of a steep hill. Although the homes are very old, they remain distinctly Western.

Nankinmachi, although smaller than many other Chinatowns, offered an array of Chinese meals to taste at considerably low prices. While primarily featuring dumplings, many of the vendors sold other dishes consisting of noodles, fried shrimp, and even fried bread (interesting taste). Nankinmachi is difficult to miss because of the tempting aroma that lingers in the surrounding area.

The most interesting part of the trip was definitely the harbor. The harbor had plenty of attractions one could visit. Kobe Tower offered visitors an opportunity to get a bird's eye view of the harbor and the surrouding city. Also, at the harbor was an amusement park that offered a Ferris Wheel and various other carnival-like rides. For the shopping enthusiasts, the area surrounding the port offers world-class shops including many of the high-end name brands. None of which this broke college student could ever afford.

What struck me as most interesting about Kobe was the cosmopolitan feel to it. To those who may not know, Kobe was struck by a huge earthquake in 1995. From what I understand, most of the city had to be rebuilt and it was done beautifully so. Being in Kobe seemed less like Osaka or Kyoto and more like New York City or Paris. Wide avenues were lined with illuminated trees and there were even wide pedestrian-friendly sidewalks; something that is not very common in most of Japan. The city is quite accomodating for foreign visitors. Many signs are in English and navigating around the city is quite easy with the maps that are supplied at the train stations. I even had time to stop at an arcade. My only regret was staying for a nighttime view of the harbor. Which, I hear, is quite beautiful. Maybe some other time...

I think my photography skills are improving. What do you think?

Nankinmachi and more!

2006-03-03T16:32:00.000-08:00

As part of a class field trip, this afternoon I am going to the port city of Kobe. Kobe is most popular for Chinese cuisine that is cheap and easy to find at Kobe's Chinatown (known as "Nankinmachi" in Japanese). I'll be sure to snap many, many pictures and sample much Chinese food. And you thought Kobe was just for beef...."Kobe Harbor at Night" Photo courtesty: Wikipedia

Benvenuto!

2006-03-02T02:16:00.000-08:00

If you're Italian is as rusty as mine, Benvento is Italian for "Welcome." One night ago I visited an Italian restaurant in the main part of Hirakata City. The name of the restaurant, as it was an eclectic adaptation of an Italian word transliterated into katakana, eludes me. However, I was greeted with the usual "Irrashaimase!" combined with an Italian "Benvenuto!"

Eating Italian food felt a little awkward at first considering that I am, afterall, in Japan. Surprisngly though, Italian food is quite exotic in Japan (think French or Indian food in America). My group ultimately decided on spaghetti with arami (clam), a light salad including fresh vegetables and sashimi-like slices of fish, a pizza, interestingly enough, topped with calimari, shrimp, and tuna, and for dessert I decided on the raspberry cheesecake. All just as delicious as it sounds.

Although many in America when considering cuisine in Japan may instantly conjure images of sushi, noodles, and various dishes consisting of rice, cuisine in Japan is no less cosmopolitan than your average dining experience in the United States. To my understanding, Chinese and Italian food is quite popular in Japan and Japanese people are willing to pay a handsome premium for such food. I realized this soon after pricing a jar of spaghetti at a local grocery store for almost $7 a jar. Although foreign food is quite integrated into local cuisine, it is almost always adapted in a most unique way. Take for instance pizza. While many in the US are accustomed to ordering pizzas topped with pepperoni, sausage, or bacon, it is not rare to see a pizza topped with corn, tuna, or squid in Japan.

Think you know Japanese cuisine? Guess again...

This Room Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us!

2006-02-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Seminar House!
It dawned on me first that I was in Japan when I nearly walked into seminar house with my shoes on. However, as is custom in Japan, one does not wear shows inside a home. Therefore, this is where all the residents place the shoes just after entering.

I'm sure many of you who have ever had any ambitions of traveling to Japan have been told that space is much more limited in Japan than the US. Perhaps I've become spoiled by the wide, open space that the US has to offer, but I realized quite swiftly upon my arrival that space is a limited resource in Japan.
Consider for instance my living/sleeping area.
My room is not very big as the picture clearly illustrates. What is usually just enough space for one in the United States, is just enough space for two individuals. I sleep on a futon which, surprisingly enough, is more comfortable than it appears. It's quite soft and sleeping on the floor is not as horrible as it might seem. However, the rice pillow can be a bit disagreeable at times. As you can obviously see, my roommate and I are quite acquainted with one another...
Kansai Gaidai University is quite discernably identifiable from the rest of Hirakata city. Once entering, it easily recognizable as a college campus. One feature that is quite striking is the cleanliness of the campus. Every morning, one can't miss the cavalcade of individuals literally scrubbing the already spotless ground of the campus. Although not as big as most college campuses many American students might be accustomed to, it has all the normal amenities expected from a university. The campus library is about average size and includes books in not only Japanese, but English as well. There is also a large section of magazines and newspapers from all over the world. An easy to spot amenity of the campus is the McDonald's. Surprisingly one of the popular locations to grab a bite to eat, it is unlike any other McDonald's you'd find in the US. The employees are probably excessively polite and and helpful and the food is better prepared than anything you'd find back home. The campus cafeteria, to the contary, offers food of the more local sort, including soba noodles, udon noodles, ramen, and curry rice. The prices are considerably less than expected. For the equivalent of about $2.70 one can have a fulfilling meal of curry rice (my personal favorite), a serving of fresh fruit, and free water and/or tea. Much to my surprise, Kansai Gaidai students claim food is cheaper at most public universities in Japan (KGU is private).

Seminar house and the campus are about a 15-20 minute walk away. Each morning I leave about half an hour before my first class and walk to the university. Suffice it to say that streets in Japan are quite narrow. In fact, quite narrow is an understatement. I am literally walking on the shoulder of the road while cars are passing by in both directions with pedestrians and cyclists on either side of the street. It's quite shocking the amount of traffic that must pass on such narrow streets and I'd delve into it further, but for the sake of my mother's health, I'll just leave the rest to your imagination.

I'll have more photos on my Flickr page soon. Feel free to comment!
Next week I hope to talk a bit about Keitai, but don't hold me to it!

Preview - A Day in the Life

2006-02-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

I promised you all content of the school and my dorm. Hey, I meant what I said! And to prove it I'm offering a quick preview of this week's post. Who says promises are meant to be broken?

Looking for a burger? Don't have to look to far on Kansai Gaidai's campus ;)

Welcome to semninar house!

...by the way, no shoes!

More to come at the end of the week. Stay tuned.

Learn Japanese - Valentine's Edition

2006-02-14T02:09:00.000-08:00

Learn Japanese - Valentine's Day!

あいしている！ (I love you!) *Don't use unless you mean it!
a-i shi-te-ru

きみがだいすき。(I really like you.)
ki-mi ga dai-su-ki

きみをもっていってもいい？(Can I hold you?) *Rising intonation
ki-mi wo mo-tte i-tte mo ii?

てをもっていってもいい？ (Can I hold your hand?) * Rising intonation
te wo mo-tte i-tte mo ii?

ぼくとデートにいくの？(Will you go on a date with me?)
bo-ku to dee-to ni i-ku no?

Bambi Mania

2006-02-14T01:28:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I visited the ancient capital of Nara. Nara was the capital of Japan during the Nara period (makes sense doesn't it?). Before going to Nara I was told that many parts of Nara were quite rural and that there were deer. "Be careful when feeding the deer, they'll harass you for food!"
"Sure, okay!" I thought. Deer, in the middle of the city. Much to my surprise however, there were deer. And lots of them. The deer were quite serene and obviously very accustomed to seeing people. Vendors offered visitors crackers that could be purchased for 100 yen that they could then feed to the deer. The deer, obviously smarter than your average deer, knew this and would wait around the vendors for visitors offering food.
The walk from the station to Toudaiji temple was about 1.5km, at least according to the sign (seemed about twice as long to me). Before arriving to the main entrance, one could easily spot the massive structure from several hundred yards out. While I am unsure of the age of the temple entrance, it was quite well-kept and appeared to be in quite excellent condition.

Being a particularly popular tourist destination, visitors from all over Japan and even the world were all present in large droves. Yet, perhaps the most interesting part of Toudaiji was inside the main temple.
A large statue of Buddha awaits visitors just past the steps of the entrance. The immense size of the statue was quite awe inspiring. Also inside the temple were smaller statues of deities (whose names I do not know). Although smaller in size, they were just as awe inspiring.

These guys are keeping an eye out for intruders.

Some random pictures
Pretty scary looking guy, huh?
This Pagoda was just adjacent to the temple.

Ok, so by now you're probably wondering... "So you're traveling all over Japan, what about your dorm, your school, are you even going to class???" Yeah, yeah... so I've neglected to talk about those for some time. I mean, after all I am studying abroad. Next week I plan to talk a little about the school, my dorm, and yes... those things that get in my way of exploring Japan (said: classes). More pics on the way too!

Check my Flickr page for more photos.

*Note: I was bit late with this post, but I plan to include my weekly updates before the beginning of the week from this point on.

Learn Japanese - Getting around

2006-02-08T04:27:00.000-08:00

How to get around

今どこにいますか？（Where am I now?)
i-ma do-ko ni i-masu ka?

Xに行き方おしえて下さい？(Can you tell me how to get to 'X'?)
X ni i-ki-kata o-shi-e-te ku-da-sa-i?

XからYまで何分ですか？(How many minutes is it from 'X' to 'Y'?)
X ka-ra Y ma-de nan-pun de-su ka?

遠いですか？ (Is it far?)
too-i de-su ka?

ちかくありますか？(Is it near?)
chi-ka-ku a-ri-ma-su ka?

Canyon River Levi Blues

2006-02-05T02:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my luggage being lost somewhere in limbo (thanks a lot United Airlines), I found myself shopping for new clothes this weekend. Completely engrossed in all my naivete about shopping in Japan, I conceded to my Japanese friend's request that we start with Amerikamura. For those who don't know, Amerikamura (photos) is a so-called "mini-America" within Osaka. While more flatteringly known as a hot spot for foreigners to hang out, club, or go to bars, it is also known for being a great place to go shopping for clothing. Or so I once thought.

Shopping in Amerikamura, however, reminded that I was in a country that venerates shopping and fashion. Amemura, as it is often diminutively termed, includes fashion tastes accommodating to most any all-American style. From the preppie hipster (my sort of tastes) to the punk rocker, or even just the hippy-types, Amemura offers most everything any American, or Japanese, could want to find.

Once swift lesson I learned however, was that fashion in Japan doesn't come cheaply. Originally planning to buy a nice, stylish pair of jeans, my jaw dropped when I looked at the price tags of the (not so) name-brand jeans. If one searched hard and long enough, one is able to find a decent pair of jeans for the hefty sum of about 7000 yen (about 58USD). Also, one can easily blow an entire paycheck on a single pair jeans as some costed an extravagant 24000 yen (200USD)... or more. Jest, or exaggerate, I do not.

After tiring of the crowded and frenetic Amemura, I and my friends decided to head to Umeda but instead found ourselves at a department store along the way called "Hep 5."
Department stores in Japan than what many in the US are familiar with. While American department stores tend to be horizontally oriented with large anchor stores accompanied by smaller stores, department stores in Japan tend to be vertically oriented and with no "anchor" stores, but just a series of smaller shops. Hep 5, for example, included about 9 floors complete with many shops on each level. Escalators guide shoppers from one level to the next. From the moment I entered the department store I realized that Saturday is obviously a big shopping day for Japanese as well. The sheer density of people at the mall rivaled that of any large shopping center in any large American city.

Hep 5 also includes a large Ferris wheel that can be spotted even from other parts in the city of Osaka. Visitors to the department store are given the opportunity to ride the Ferris wheel for a fee of 500yen. Upon entering the giant, red wheel I realized immediately that this isn't an attraction for those who are a bit squeamish of heights. The view that one is offered at the height of the wheel's revolution provides an unparalleled view a huge, seemingly-endless sprawling city littered with lights, skyscrapers, and congested highways. My only regret is that I was unable to take any pictures of the view because the windows obstructed my camera's ability to focus. Gomen...

*I apologize for not having any photos. However, it's hard to get good photos in such crowded places without looking like a complete Gaijin :-(

Kyoto Temple - Kiyomizudera

2006-01-27T03:23:00.000-08:00

A little later than I expected, but I finally have a published batch of photos. These are fresh off digital camera.

Following a visit to the Kiyomizudera temple, my group stopped at a local restaurant for something to eat.

Curry Rice

Yakisoba

Okonomiyaki (my dish)

"Holy Water." Visitors were able to drink some of the holy water at the temple; I passed.

More visitors sampling the blessed water.

Probably the most interesting part of the temple was the Love Stone. There are two stones at opposite ends. If one is able to walk from one stone to the other with their eyes closed, then their love interests will be fulfilled. If not, then one can expect a long time before they are fulfilled.

This is the other stone. The stones were approximately 15-20 feet apart. Good luck making it that far...

Another angle of the Love Stone.

Although I don't remember his name (it was pretty long), this is a statue of the Japanese God of Love. He was part of the Love temple.

Various wood blocks imprinted with peoples' hopes and desires.

A magnificent view of one of the taller temples.

The main entrance to the Kiyomizudera temple. Very colorful.

This is a smaller temple that is adjacent to the one above.

Another angle of the main temple.

I have more photos that I will be adding soon. More updates to come...

Irashaimase!

2006-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

I have arrived in Japan, travel-wearied and still a bit confused as to the current date and time. The long, seeming endless flight here, was actually more pleasant than I expected. However, some things I learned about international travel that I'd wished I'd known before include: they're long (really long), United Airlines feeds you way too much, and being 40,000 feet in the air for over 10 hours is not very pleasant on the eyes or nose.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a window seat and was unable to see the airport coming in or take any pictures. For those who don't know, Kansai International airport is quite a unique airport. It is literally a man-made island composed of tons of sand that was built up into an island. It is a rectangular-shape and made for quite an interesting final approach. We looped around the airport and it seemed to trying to hit the small, islandic airport at just the right angle.

The ride to Kansai Gaidai University was much longer than I expected. Osaka is a massive, sprawling city and its suburbs are almost indiscernable from the Osaka-shi. There are many sights in Osaka that I hope to visit at some point and I will gladly detail those adventures at some point.

I have a few pictures of some sights around the airport that I will publish as soon as I can set up my computer. I am writing from a public computer at the dorm of Kansai Gaidai University.

Learn Japanese - 1

2006-01-23T23:53:00.000-08:00

Lesson 1 -Meeting and Greeting

こんにちは (Good Afternoon) ko-nichi-wa

名前は何ですか？(What is your name?) na-ma-e wa nan desu ka?

はじめまして (Pleased to meet you) ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te

Terminal 2.0

2006-01-23T23:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Osak... not quite.

This should technically be my first posting from Osaka, Japan. However, a little inclement weather in Atlanta + one late connection flight = not in Japan.

In what should have been an easy touch-n-go, Atlanta to Detroit, Detroit to Osaka, has instead turned into an overnight layover in the City of Angels. Northwest Airlines, feeling that "two passengers isn't enough to hold an international flight for a mere few minutes," instead gave me the option of flying from Detroit to Los Angeles and then flying from LA the next morning to Osaka.

Well, to borrow from the trite cliche, I have to make lemons from lemonade (that's how it goes, right?). This is after all, my first time visiting LA. Also, I learned a few things that other would-be wanderers can borrow:

Allow yourself plenty of time to connect for an international flight (they won't wait!)
If you find yourself waiting in a terminal for a 7-hour layover (like I did), feel free to start conversations with random people. It's a great way to kill time and you might learn something new!
Missing a connection can have its benefits if it's the airline's fault. Hey, I got free food and accommodations in LA!

I have some photos of the hotel room I'm staying in (nothing impressive, believe me), and I hope to snap a few shots of the little of LA I was actually able to see. I will post them later because I'm exhausted and I need to be up early so I don't miss my flight. I have no ambition of hanging around LAX all day long waiting for a plane to Osaka.

Enter Japan Traveler

2006-01-22T14:37:00.000-08:00

So you're probably browsing this blog and wondering, "What is it all about?" Well, spare yourself the mental anguish. I will explain. This is the blog of an American student who will spend a semester in Japan. My goal is to fulfill a requirement for a scholarship I received that helped me to get to Japan. Honestly, that's all. Well, furthermore my goal is to encourage you (that's right, you!) to hop on the next thing smoking and visit Japan and I hope my blog will help to encourage you to do just that. So, sit back in your chair, open your browser, and prepare to come along with me on a journey to Japan. And no, don't worry about the airfare, I've taken care of that for you.

Lets get started with some not-so frequently asked questions (FAQ).

Who is the Japan Traveler and what is your real name?
Japan Traveler, yes it's on my birth certificate.

What is the purpose of this blog?
I want to catalog my semester abroad in Japan and hopefully encourage some you all to travel to Asia as well.

What do you study?
I am a senior majoring in international business.

Will there be pictures?
Yes, lots and lots of pictures.

Can you speak Japanese?
If you're my former Japanese instructor, "はい！私の日本語は上手ですよ!"
Otherwise, "No, it sucks."

Where will you be in Japan?
I will be studying at Kansai Gaidai University outside of Osaka, Japan in Hirakata-shi.

How often will you update?
My goal is to update at least once a week. Every now and when the occasion calls for it, I'll add a special mid-week post.

I guess that's all for my not-so FAQS. If you have any questions or comments or just plain feeling lonely, drop me a line at japantraveler@gmail.com.