#82 - Nara : Temples, shrines, and deer

Nara is a city in the Kansai region of Japan. Nara Prefecture is located next to Kyoto Prefecture and makes for a good short trip for a day or two. Nara (奈良) was Japan's first permanent capital city from 710 until 784, which thus made of most of the Nara Period. Nowadays it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the so-called "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara". This is made up of eight temples, shrines and ruins, the Heijo Palace (平城宮 Heijou-kyuu) and the Kasugayama Primeval Forest. This has made Nara an important stop for temple-hoppers and history lovers.

Temples and Shrines

The eight UNESCO sites are: Todai-ji (東大寺), Saidai-ji (西大寺), Kofuku-ji (興福寺), Kasuga Shrine (春日大社), Gango-ji (元興寺), Yakushi-ji (薬師寺) and Toshodai-ji (唐招提寺). Nara is a fairly small place, so it should be fairly easy to get around to visit them. I won't go into a lot of detail about each temple or shrine here, but I will tell you some of the highlights.

The big Buddha at Todai-ji.

Todai-ji (東大寺) is one of the most famous temples in Japan and one of the most historically significant. In its main hall, you can see the Big Buddha known as Daibutsu (大仏). It is one of Japan's largest bronze statues of Buddha, which is 15 metres tall.

Horyu-ji Temple.

Horyu-ji (法隆寺) is one of Japan's oldest temples, dating from the 7th century. It was founded by Prince Shotoku, who is said to have introduced Buddhism to Japan. Some of the buildings within the area are the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. Additionally, Horyu-ji is wheelchair accessible, which is unlike many other historic attractions in Japan.

Kofuku-ji Temple.

Kofuku-ji (興福寺) was once the temple of the Fujiwara clan, the most powerful family clan during the Nara and Heian Periods. At one time it had over 150 buildings, but today only a couple remain. Here, you can see Japan's second tallest five story pagoda, which stands at 50 metres tall and is a symbol of Nara. Entrance to Kojuku-ji's grounds is free but you will have to pay to enter some of the buildings.

Deer

Sign about the deer.

Apart from the historical sites, Nara is also famous for its deer. Around the Nara Park area, many wild deer roam freely. You can usually find small stalls selling deer crackers (鹿煎餅 Shika-senbei) if you want to feed them. The deer in Nara are known to be a little adventurous, and will sometimes approach you boldly and try to take your food (like ice cream) from you! 

In Nara Park.

According to folklore, the god Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto appeared from a mountain riding a white deer and therefore the deer in this area are considered sacred. Killing one of these deer was punishable by death up until 1637! Today, however, the deer no longer have their divine status, but have instead been designated as national treasures.

How to get there

Nara is within easy reach from Kyoto. There is a JR train which operates between Kyoto Station and Nara Station. It costs about 710 yen for a one-way ticket and takes 45 minnutes. This is covered under the JR Rail Pass. 

You could also use the Kintetsu Railway which travels from Kyoto Station to Kintetsu Nara Station. Because it is a private railway, its costs a little more, usually around 1,130 yen one-way. The journey takes about 35 minutes.

#81 - The Tastes of Osaka

Osaka (大阪) is the third largest city in Japan, although it is considered the second most important. It lies on the Kansai region, which is near the middle area of the main island, and it has a population of 2.5 million people. It became the capital city of Japan for short periods of time, under the name of Naniwa (浪速).

Osaka is famous for its food and local dishes. There are two which you should definately try if you visit the city.

Okonomiyaki

(Slightly burnt) do-it-yourself okonomiyaki.

The first is Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き). Perhaps the best way to describe it is a savoury pancake made with a variety of ingredients. The name okonomiyaki literally means "what you want" and "grilled" or "cooked", so it's safe to say that there are many different ingredients. Generally, the batter is made primarily with shredded cabbage, flour, water and eggs.

Now covered in sauce!

It is cooked on a hot-plate called a teppan (鉄板) and often garnished with sauce. A metal spatula is then used to cut and eat it.

A lot of restaurants in Osaka are 'grill it yourself', if you want to make okonomiyaki to your own taste! My favourite is meat - usually pork - or a mixed meat and seafood style!

Takoyaki

The second food is called takoyaki (たこ焼き). The name describes it well: tako means octopus, and yaki means "grill" or "fry". Essentially, it is pieces of octopus in a ball of flour-based batter. You can often grab some takoyaki as street food. You would usually get about 6 balls per average portion. Once again, in some restaurants you can grill it yourself.

The balls are cooked in a takoyaki pan. This is a square shaped, metal pan, typically made of cast iron, which has half-spherical moulds. The cast iron allows the takoyaki to heat evenly. During cooking, you have to turn them over with a small pick so that you get the rounded ball. I couldn't do this and failed epically!

#80 - Sightseeing in Sendai: Loople and Zuihoden

Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku Region in Japan with around one million inhabitants. There are several good tourist and cultural spots in Sendai, but they are sometimes a little too far apart to travel to if you have limited time in the city. What could you do?

Loople Sendai Bus

The Loople is a bus service in Sendai. As the name suggests, it travels in a one-way loop across the city, and stops at several useful locations for sightseeing. Stops include Sendai City Museum, Aoba (Sendai) Castle, Osaki Hachimangu Shrine, and the Miyagi Museum of Art, as well as other.

It leaves from Sendai Station, which is a convenient hub for the bullet train, local trains, subway and other bus routes. You can identify a Loople bus easily. It has a wonderfully nostalgic design which incorporates a lot of wood in the design, and it looks very different to other services. The service starts at 9:00 and the last is 16:00, which seems early, but as this is intended as a city touring bus, you should bear in mind that most attractions or tourist spots will be closed around the same time. Buses leave every 20-30 minutes, depending on the season. 

Perhaps the best way to use the Loople is to buy the 1-day pass. This will let you get on and off the Loople any time you want during the day. It costs 620yen for the 1-day pass (single fare is 260yen) so if you stop to visit 2 places, you have already saved money! Even better, the 1-day pass allows a discount at some tourist attractions! 

Zuihoden

One of Sendai's most visited attractions is the Zuihoden Mausoleum (瑞鳳殿). This mausoleum was built in 1637 for Date Masamune, one of the most powerful feudal lords from the Edo Period, who died the previous year. Zuihoden was designed in the style of the Momoyama Period, which features intricate woodwork with bright and vivid colours.  

Zuihoden - the mausoleum of Date Masamune.

Steps up to Zuihoden.

During the Second World War, the mausoleum was destroyed by bombing, but it was reconstructed in 1979 to be an exact replica.

Kansenden and Zennoden.

 On the grounds, you can also find the mausoleums of other members of the Date clan: Kansenden (感仙殿), built for Date Tadamune, and Zennoden (善応殿), built for Date Tsunamune. There are also the graves and tombs of other descendants. There is a small museum exhibiting items which were excavated from the site.

#79 - the JLPT

The JLPT stands for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, known in Japanese as 日本語能力試験 (Nihongo Nouryoku Shiken). This is a standardised test which is aimed at non-native speakers which covers three main areas: language knowledge, reading ability and listening ability.

The JLPT was first held in 1984 and is now held in over 40 countries. In Japan and some countries it is held twice a year in July and December. In others it is only held once a year.

Many of those studying the Japanese language would have heard of this test. Anyone can take it, as long as they apply for it (usually online). There is a small test fee of around 5000yen (in Japan). It was necessary for foreign students to pass a certain level if they wanted to attend university in Japan. Of course, there are other reasons for taking it. Usually, Japanese companies ask that foreign applicants have a certain level of the JLPT. And of course, some people take it for themselves as a test of their language learning. However, a large portion of the time, the JLPT is only really useful within Japan, or at some Japanese companies overseas. It is not so well known to companies outside of Japan. 

Levels

There are different levels to the test, and the structure of each test is also different. There are five levels: N1 is the highest level, and N5 is the lowest. 

• N5: The ability to understand some basic Japanese, such as being able to read hiragana, katakana and only basic kanji, or listen to short, slow-spoken conversations on everyday topics.

• N4: The ability to understand basic Japanese. This has a little more kanji, and you should be able to follow conversations on everyday topics.

• N3: The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree. Of course, there is more kanji to know, as well as more complex grammar. You should be able to understand information like newspaper headlines, as well as follow conversations at near-natural speed.

• N2: The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations, and in a variety of circumstances. for example, reading newspaper and magazine articles, simple critiques on general topics, listening to natural speech on everyday topics and understanding the relationships of the people involved. More kanji.

• N1: The ability to understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances. This includes more complex writings on different topics, and understand spoken new reports and lectures in different settings. EVEN  MORE KANJI!

As you can probably guess, the N1 level is the most requested by companies and universities, but N2 is also valuable. N3 is a new level that was added in 2010, when the whole system was changed, so for the time being, it is hard to say what degree of relevance it will have on non-native speakers living or working in Japan. Nevertheless, I still believe it is useful to achieve.

When I was in Japan, I took the N3 level. Luckily I passed! It was by one mark but still, a pass is a pass! I aim to continue studying and taking more tests in the future. There were a lot of people taking N3 level, so it should bode well for this level's success in the future. 

The July JLPT test was taken on 6th July in Japan. So I want to wish my friends and everyone that took it good luck for their results!

#78 - My Japanese Apartment

When people found out I was moving to Japan, most would ask me about where I was going to live. Some thought it would be like a capsule hotel, with just a bed and little other space. Some thought it would have great views of an urban metropolis, connected by technology and internet everywhere. Neither of these are strictly true.

Luckily for me, my company provided me with an apartment. I was moving to Sendai. This is an area which is fresh in the mind of many Japanese people, because this was one of the worst areas where the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami hit. So, like most buildings after a big earthquake, the apartment I was supposed to take over was not to the best standards, I was told. Instead, I was placed in a different apartment in an area I really liked to live in. It wasn't in the city centre, it was more towards the outskirts of the main city. Yet, it wasn't really what I would call "suburban". Nevertheless, it had some green, was 5 minutes walk to the subway station, and had quite a few places to buy essentials (including a convenience store opposite the building!). There was also a Tsutaya nearby, so I could rent DVDs to watch. I often had DVD nights with some friends in the area. So I was very happy with the location!

Overview

My apartment building had 4 storeys. The apartment itself was on the third storey. There were stairs of course, but also an elevator. Apparently, according to Japanese law, all 'new' apartment buildings with 4 or more floors are required to have an elevator. It made getting my suitcases up easier, at least! It also had a small balcony, which I really enjoyed. I didn't spend much time outside on it at all, but I liked the idea of a private outside space, and also it was where I had to hang washing to dry! Also, it meant that I had nice, large doors which could let in a lot of light, and I could open in summer to let air come in.

In real estate in Japan, sizes of rooms are usually measured by how many tatami mats it would fit. This is also known as jo. The size of the apartment was 8 tatami mats. That works out at about 12.24 metres squared. This makes it a fairly average size in Japan.  

Because it was organised by my company, I didn't have to pay any deposit, key money or other fees. I was only required to pay monthly rent, and for any utilities I wanted to organise. Also, there were some items supplied already, such as cups, plates, a futon, TV, microwave and so on. So, it didn't cost me loads of money to furnish the apartment. Actually, I didn't end up buying anything for the apartment!

Kitchen

Kitchen and genkan.
Picture taken when I moved in.

The kitchen was small. There was not doubt about that. You can see it all in the picture on the right. It had a decent amount of storage, a good sized sink, as well as the burners and fish grill. 

One thing you may notice is that there is no oven. As far as I was aware, ovens are not common in Japanese homes (or at least, in Japanese apartments!). Seeing as most of my cooking skills prior to moving were oven baked - things like pasta bake, meat, roast potatoes, lasagna, fish, cake - I needed to learn how to make meals with just a rice cooker, two burners and a microwave!

See the door in the background? That is the entrance hall. This area is called the genkan (玄関) and it is important in a Japanese house because you are expected to remove your shoes. Usually the genkan is recessed into the floor as it helps prevent dirt from spreading into the house itself. In my apartment there was also a getabako (下駄箱), a space to store shoes. I don't have a picture of it but it's just to the right of the door, above a washing machine.

On the opposite wall of the kitchen was the shower room/bathroom and the toilet room. Both were small, but then it was practical. 

Room

Apart from the kitchen, there was just the one bedroom/living area. It wasn't a big space, but for me it was very adequate. I didn't need anything else for living on my own. My apartment had some storage, like a chest of drawers, a couple small bookcases and an inbuilt wardrobe. It had a wooden floor, which made it easy to clean. To get an idea of the size of it, take a look below. This photo was taken on the day I moved out, so it should be easier to see the apartment itself, not my stuff!

Panorama of room the day I moved out.

My bed.
Please ignore the clothes on it.

You may be asking, where is the bed? Well, here it is!

It wasn't a western style bed, but I had a futon. Yes, this meant that I had to sleep on the floor, finding it hard to stand up in the morning, instead of sliding out of bed! The futon was provide with the sheets by my company which was great. In the picture, I have a 1.5 size futon mattress on the bottom. This is the only thing I added to this apartment, after receiving it from someone who didn't need it any more. It actually made everything a lot softer, which was great as I also sat on the futon to use my laptop on the low Japanese table (which you can see in the panorama above).

Futon-cum-sofa.

Futon are common in Japan. You can find dedicated futon stores, and large futon areas in department stores. I don't remember ever seeing bed frames on sale in any store I went in. Futons are designed so that they can be folded up easily and put away. This would create more space in the apartment. But because I used it as a sitting area too, I didn't usually put mine away. Although, there was a kind of 'sofa' cover in my apartment. You could fold the futon into it and create a seated space!

As I mentioned before, I didn't buy any additional furniture. So, I didn't have a dining table or chairs, no sofa, no extra appliances. The first reason was because I considered them kind of expensive and I didn't want to spend my money on them. In addition, because of my working hours, it would have been difficult to have these kinds of items delivered. But, I had no complaints. For me, it worked well and I actually enjoyed this apartment.

Over time, I decorated a little. I put up a map of the area on my wall, some charms, photos and other mementos. I even bought a PS3 and had my parents send my English games over! Overall, I had made this apartment into a small relaxing space that I really enjoyed living in.

One sunny day after cleaning.
It wasn't always this clean.

Decorations!

An insight into my decorations and stuff.